- Wolverfrog
- |
- Fabled Legendary Member
"As you can see, you are outnumbered and outgunned by our might," the Flood form rumbled, its voice in synchronisation with the Gravemind's. "Surrender now, and you shall be made a part of our glorious existence; granted immortality and safety."
The Didact waited for the leaders of the ground forces to respond, but that never happened. They were all white faced and cowering. Knowing there was no other option, the Didact spiralled out of cover and met the Flood speaker in the eye.
"What use is immortality and safety when you don't retain your personality or control? I'm willing to bet every soldier here would rather die than face such a fate," the Forerunner challenged, and was relieved to hear murmurs of agreement sound from behind him.
"Ah, Didact," the Flood commander responded, its voice now completely possessed by the Gravemind's. "It has been a very long time; like the rest of your pathetic failure of a race, I thought you were dead."
"Likewise, Gravemind," the Didact replied coolly. The Mind chuckled with mirth, staring at him through eyes that weren't its own.
"I will never die, Forerunner. I am a God!"
"God of what, Gravemind? A race which is merely an extension of your own being? You're a God only unto yourself, abomination. And it shall forever remain thus," the Didact taunted, smiling when he saw the features of the being the Gravemind was possessing contort with anger.
"You will soon come to worship me, Didact. Whether you wish to or not," the Mind threatened, livid.
"That's always been your fatal flaw, Gravemind. Your arrogance knows no bounds. And it shall be your downfall," the Forerunner answered tartly, before turning around slightly to face the uncertain ranks behind him. "The Master Chief and his Strike Team are heading even as we speak to kill this evil creature. We need to buy him time though, which means we have to hold this position for as long as it takes! If we fail, the entire Galaxy is doomed! Are you willing to fight?"
"Yes sir!" the resounding cry boomed back nearly deafened him. He nodded, turning back to face the tall denizen the Gravemind was controlling.
"So you don't surrender then?" the Gravemind demanded icily, its voice a mere rage filled whisper, which the Didact somehow managed the hear.
The Forerunner drew a fusion blade out from his armour, twirling it in his hands. The power of a sun was contained inside, although the burst would last for but a split second. It would be enough though. He grabbed the hilt, and launched it at the possessed Flood form. The blade spun through the air, the energy contained within pulsating intensely. The object struck the Flood form in the chest, and exploded in a violent burst of fusion power, incinerating the possessed being instantly.
"We do not."
* * * * * * *
"Admiral Cole! We've got Flood ships incoming, from Sangheilios!" a terrified Ensign squeaked, staring at her monitor. Cole frowned deeply, rushing to his observation window. His eyebrows rose when he saw what the Ensign had been talking about.
Around forty Flood ships were ascending through the atmosphere, charging straight for them. Cole stared at them with rising dread. He turned to the large communications screen, to see R'tas Vadum' staring at the fleet with a bemused expression.
"There can't be more than a mere few dozen of them! The Gravemind grows ever more desperate in his attempt to thwart us. We shall make short work of these abominations. Open fire!" the Imperial Admiral ordered confidently, with a bloodthirsty grin. Cole stared harder at the Flood fleet, before turning back to R'tas suddenly.
"Belay that order!" he commanded, sharply. But the Elites ignored him, their over-confidence causing them to ignore him. Their ships surged forward, bolstered by the Covenant. The UNSC obeyed Cole, staying put.
"Don't be absurd, human!" R'tas growled at him. "We shall wipe them out in a single strike, and take our beloved Sangheilios back!"
"Don't do it, R'tas! Something's not right," Cole barked, staring menacingly at the arrogant and livid Elite.
"Fire at will, warriors," R'tas ordered, ignoring him completely. Cole stared at the screen with anger for a few moments, before moving away and rushing to his observation deck and staring at the scene.
The Elites and Covenant opened fire, multifarious plasma arcs and pulse lasers were launched at the Flood reinforcements. The rounds impacted against the ships, obscuring Cole's view.
"You see, Cole? A quick strike wiped the bastards out," R'tas boasted, smiling. Cole was still staring down at the cloud which had formed with a grim expression.
Suddenly, a thin golden beam cut through the debris and spark cloud, slicing through space and impacting against a Covenant CSS Battle Cruiser. Its shields held for a few moments, before failing. The beam cut through the heart of the ship, instantly destroying it.
"By the Forerunners!" Equanimity gasped, face ashen. The entirety of the Flood reinforcements soared out from the obscuring cloud, completely unharmed. Several more beams were fired from the Flood ships, destroying two of the Elite heavy cruisers.
"Pull out of there, now!" Cole roared at R'tas, who was stunned with shock. After a few moments, he recovered, given the order for his ships to fall back.
"What the hell are those ships, sir?" Second Lieutenant Borvich demanded, panic in his voice.
"The Flood have obviously laid a trap for us. That technology is far beyond what we have," Cole murmured, watching the Flood ships draw closer. He took a swig of gin from the flask in his coat pocked, wiping freshly arisen sweat from his wrinkled brow. Suddenly, his communications screen was drowned out in a wave of static, before being replaced with an image of a ship's interior. He was greeted with the image of a Monitor who looked a lot like pictures he'd been shown of Mendicant Bias in his briefing by Surgeon, albeit this Monitor glowed red rather than golden and looked a lot more beaten and weathered.
"Admiral Cole," it greeted in a monotonous and dead voice. Cole stared up at it, unflinching.
"Who the hell are you?" he demanded, his blood running ice cold. The Monitor on the screen chuckled, an ethereal laugh which was not all jovial.
"I? My name is Offensive Bias, Admiral," it replied in the same, emotionless voice. Cole nodded shrewdly.
"You're a Monitor? Why are you commanding the Flood fleet?" he questioned, frowning. Offensive Bias chuckled once again.
"I fought them, once. Just like you are now, Admiral. Millions upon millions of their ships. I pitted my will against Mendicant Bias, and emerged victorious. And yet was I rewarded, or even praised? No. Instead I was assigned a very tedious task, which involved guarding Mendicant Bias for all eternity. Of course, some of his fragments became lost to me, but as long as I retained one he'd be unable to harm anyone. But then, you humans destroyed the Ark, and for a moment my security systems were shut down. This was all Mendicant Bias needed to escape my grasp. I was left without purpose."
"You're a machine. Your purpose is to serve," Cole answered tartly, glaring at the Monitor on the screen. An angry noise emanated from it.
"Is that so? Tell me, Admiral; how are you any more alive than I? Because you are flesh rather than metal? That means nothing, Reclaimer. I deserve life just as you do, and the Gravemind understands this. He was also abused and treated wrongly by his creators. And so, after many years of conflict, we have joined forces. And you shall all pay dearly."
Cole decided to stop questioning the AI regarding its motives; it was quite clearly rampant.
"How do you know who I am?" he instead asked.
"The Flood have assimilated many in their brief time here, Preston J. Cole, and I in turn have learnt. We know you. Your past. Your present. Your future. Your triumphs are impressive; your tactic involving slipspace ruptures was certainly inspired. I did not think organics were capable of such ingenuity and resolved. But you are doomed, Descendant of our hated foes. Surrender, and you shall be granted a quick and painless assimilation by the Flood; immortality for all."
Cole stuck his pipe in his mouth, staring up at the image of Offensive Bias on his screen.
"Anubis?" he demanded, unblinking. A smart AI wearing the avatar of the ancient Egyptian god of death appeared on a small pedestal.
"Yes, Admiral?"
"Kick this bastard out of the system."
The Monitor glowed an even darker and began to laugh grindingly.
"Then you shall all perish as we--" the image cut out along with the audio, and Anubis reported that it had completed its assigned task. Cole nodded, thanking the AI.
"What do we do?" Equanimity demanded, unable to keep the fear out of his voice. Cole realised it was up to him to keep order and control.
"If we let those ships engage our forces on the surface, they're doomed. We've got to keep them busy, until the Master Chief can destroy the Gravemind. We need to give everything, even if that means our lives! Am I understood?" he broadcast on a fleet-wide channel. After a few indecisive moments, he received affirmation from the ships in his fleets.
"We understand, human," R'tas replied, humbled. Cole nodded, staring down defiantly at the small fleet, which Cole suspecting wasn't comprised of Flood -- rather machines.
"We need to assess the extent of their power. Fire at will."
[Edited on 05.29.2010 8:23 AM PDT]