- Skulblaka
- |
- Intrepid Heroic Member
An assassin will always carry on, even after death.
Chapter 3: Unwanted visitors
James sprung up out of his bed to see Adam enter the room. He stood up and greeted the marine.
"Commander Keyes wants us, the Spartan is back."
"When did he arrive?"
"His Pelican just touched down."
"Alright," James finally said, grabbing his handgun. He always brought it with him, just in case.
The two soldiers walked through the base. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, injured marines were spread around, talking to old friends while they carried out any work they could. Three marines in particular caught James's attention.
"Was the Spartan really back there?" asked one of the marines, a bandage was wrapped around his head, covering his eyes.
"Yeah he was, why won't you believe us?" said the second marine.
"I don't know, I just didn't think any Spartans survived Reach."
"We survived Reach, why couldn't a Spartan?" butted in the third.
"I just find it really hard to believe, that's all."
"You said you survived Reach marine?" asked James, entering the conversation. Adam stopped walking and looked back to watch.
"Yeah, all three of us survived, eleventh platoon, only eight of the original fifty made it out alive."
"I see. I might be talking to you again soon soldiers."
James and Adam continued on their way again. It wasn't long before Adam began to question James.
"What was all that about?" asked James's superior.
"Well, we want to get a new squad? We had better start looking for soldiers for that squad. They survived Reach, they surly have some experience."
Adam grunted and nothing further was said.
Finally Adam and James reached the ops centre. They entered through a door at the back of the room to see Lord Hood on the huge screen behind Keyes, Johnson and the Spartan. Commander Keyes was explaining the situation to Lord Hood.
"Truth's ships are clustered above the excavation site. And his infantry has deployed Anti-Aircraft Batteries around the perimeter. But, if we neutralize one of the batteries, punch a hole in Truth's defences...."
"I'll initiate a low-level strike. Hit 'em right where it hurts. I only have a handful of ships, Master Chief. It's a big risk. But I'm confident-"
The power suddenly cut out. James clutched his M6D handgun and looked back at the door. One of the technicians began to swear as he tried to figure out what happened.
"Emergency generators, now!" ordered the Commander, the tone of her voice clearly established her authority in the room.
"Shielding failed," replied the clearly annoyed technician, "they're down and charging,".
"As soon as they're up, re-establish contact with Lord Hood. Let him know that-"
Suddenly the screen flickered back on and a long necked alien appeared on the screen.
"You are, all of you, vermin. Cowering in the dirt, thinking what, I wonder? That you might escape the coming fire? No. Your world will burn until its surface is but glass!" began the Prophet of Truth, "And not even your Demon will live to creep, blackened from its hole to mar the reflection of our passage.... the culmination of our Journey. Your destruction is the will of the gods! And I? I am their instrument!"
"Cocky bastard, just loves to run his mouth!" commented Sergeant Major Johnson.
"This can't be good," Adam said quietly to James. James only half listened; he was paying attention to the three main people in the room.
"Does he usually mention me?" asked the Spartan.
Keyes realised Truth's meaning, "Give the order. We're closing shop," she said to the technician.
"Ma'am?" he was clearly confused.
"We're about to get hit."
The technician immediately realised that she was right. He began to shout into the microphone in front of him, "All personnel! Defence code Alpha-one. Prepare for immediate evacuation!"
"The wounded. We're getting them all out," said the Commander.
"Even if I have to carry 'em myself," replied Johnson.
"Ma'am, squad leaders are requesting a rally point. Where should they go?" asked the technician.
"To war," answered the Commander. She pulled back the slider of her M6D handgun and let go, forcing the first bullet into the barrel of the gun, ready to fire.
"We just lost the Perimeter Cameras."
"Motion Trackers?"
"They're down or we're not receiving. Can't tell."
Adam walked forward and began to talk to a marine Sargent that was near James in the room. He was still more intent on what was happening at the front of the room.
"Any of our birds still squawking?" she asked.
"No ma'am. Wait, Overwatch has contacts. Phantoms, closing in on our position," replied the technician, he was trying to concentrate on his screen but Keyes and the marines trying to contact him via radio kept distracting him.
"Any birds less than five minutes out, bring them in. Tell everything else to scatter."
"Aye aye. Pelicans are going to take extra time to load."
"We knew they'd find us eventually. But we have a plan, let's make it happen."
"Yes, sir!" replied several of the marines in the room. Many grabbed guns from shelves on the walls while others left the ops centre to go to different parts of the base. James saw the Spartan leave the room through an exit in the centre of the room. He walked forward to the Sergeant Major.
"Sergeant," he said.
"Captain," replied Johnson, "I want you here; we're preparing a surprise for the Covenant once they arrive."
"Yes sir."
"You too Adam," Johnson shouted across the room.
"Hmmm?"
"I want you and James to stay here; we're going to get a surprise ready for the Covenant."
"Yes sir."
James walked down the steps in the centre of the room, to the weapon racks through the door at the end of them. He grabbed his preferred MA5B assault rifle and three spare clips for his handgun before walking back up.
A huge metal object was being pulled by four marines through the door at the end of the ops centre. James saw a smile appear across the Sergeant Major's face. He lit a cigar and chewed on its end for a few seconds before beginning to speak.
"Here's our little surprise now. Adam, James, Richard and Alex, I want you to set smaller charges throughout the base, then get back here. We're going to hold the ops centre as long as we can, give the aliens hell," Johnson threw a large backpack to each of the four marines, "Get going, I want you back in ten."
James caught his backpack and slung it on his back before running into the barracks and setting the first of many charges.
***
Sarah had taken command of Eagle squad due to Graham's and Stephen's injuries. Stephen had regained consciousness a few minutes after they had reached the rendezvous point with the Pelicans. They crouched low, hoping not to be visible to any Covenant that might be lurking in the area.
Carl lay beside Stephen, carefully sealing up a gash on his forehead. Ben and Séan were with Graham, Séan constantly changing bandages on the near-dead soldier. Ben had his battle rifle shouldered, he was waiting for trouble.
They had been in the clearing for oven an hour, yet the UNSC Pelicans that were meant to pick them up had yet to arrive. Sarah, who had earlier climbed ten metres off the ground, up a tree, was watching sky and the ground, alert for any signs of movement. She switched her sniper rifle's scope to thermal, very little registered; she could make out white shape of a tiger a few hundred metres away in the jungle.
Two Banshees tore through the air above Eagle squad, neither noticing the six soldiers that lay quietly below them. Time seemed to pass slowly for Eagle squad, Stephen's and Graham's conditions deteriorated with each passing second. Another hour passed without any sign of life.
Sarah pointed her sniper rifle into the air once more and looked through the thermal. She could make out the distant shape of two UNSC Falcons and one Pelican approaching Eagle squad's position. She began to slowly descend her tree, careful not to make any noise as she jumped the last two metres. Quickly but quietly she went to Carl.
"Two Falcons, one Pelican. ETA five minutes."
Carl nodded, signalling he understood and Sarah moved on to Ben and Séan.
Suddenly a huge explosion shock the air as a squadron of Banshees fired at the falcons, hitting one with a plasma bomb. The Falcon began to spin and within seconds it dropped out of the air into the Kenyan jungle. The two surviving UNSC aircraft opened fire on the Banshees, the Falcon's heavy .60 calibre machine guns easily ripped through the Banshee's shields and armour.
Sarah swore as she saw the Falcon go down. She helped Carl lift Stephen so they could quickly load him onto the Pelican once it landed. Ben and Séan did similar with Graham.
The Pelican came down in the clearing, its rear doors opened and Stephen and Graham were loaded into the craft, they were put lying down on the ground, two medics in the Pelican began to tend to the wounded soldiers.
The Falcon in the air took several hits from one Banshee's plasma cannons; however it remained in the air and easily took care of the Banshee.
Ben, Carl and Séan boarded the Pelican.
"Get on now," shouted the pilot at Sarah.
"I can't," Sarah replied, "I have to check if there are any survivors from the downed Falcon." She didn't wait for a reply and darted through the treeline, towards the crash site.