- Gottalovec4
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- Noble Legendary Member
About me: I am a vicious wolf of a man.
But really am sweet at heart. =)
October 17th 2526
Bridge, UNSC Missouri
The bridge of the UNSC Missouri was a frenzy of activity. Five Ensigns and Lieutenants all quickly typed in commands at their stations, getting the destroyer class vessel up to combat readiness.
The door at the back of the oval shaped room opened and Captain George Farragut stepped out of the elevator.
"Report!"
"Covenant fleet of 17 vessels just jumped out of Slipstream space at the edge of the system sir! Admiral Cole is ordering the fleet into phalanx formation with the Missouri leading front right edge." called Ensign Anderson.
The whole fleet would be moving into a roughly arrowhead position and fire their MAC guns and Archers in a close range brawl with the Covenant.
"Understood, Ensign. Move us to our position. Ensign Hikowa, charge MAC Guns at maximum rate, bring reactor to 110 percent to compensate."
"Yes sir," the young Japanese ensign called over her shoulder.
The captain turned to the main view screen the dominated the forward wall. The Covenant fleet was only getting closer, the menacing whale shaped carriers suddenly disgorged something from their undersides.
Anderson called this out from his station, "Sir! Larger Covenant vessels releasing smaller craft, I would approximate something like a fighter attack sir."
Suddenly, the holotank, normally used only by the ships AI, came online and showed the weathered face of Preston Cole.
"All vessels, looks like we've got fighters on our hands! Carriers, Cruisers, and Frigates launch interceptors and everyone activate Helix systems!"
Suddenly a wing of seven of the fighters changed course and headed straight for the Missouri.
"Hikowa! Get those 50mms online NOW-"
The Captain never finished his command, a huge heatwave blasted the bridge. Anderson turned left to see a massive fireball out of the corner of his vision...
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October 17th
5 minutes later.
Peter woke up to feel nothing but a searing pain raking up his entire left side. He opened his eyes to look at a fused control console and an emergency bulkhead sealed shut inches from his face. The viewscreen must have shattered.
He slowly...ever so slowly turned to survey the remaining damage. The whole left side of the bridge had been completely melted through until it reached the rear wall where the plasma stopped. The kinetic impact had thrown everything to the starboard side. The only console that seemed to look like it worked was the absent XO's chair.
Michael turned to his right, where Ensign Hikowa was just waking up next to him...her left hand had been burned off at the wrist.
"Akiga...don't move..."he said as she tried to remove her safety harness.
"The...fleet." she stuttered as she turned to look at him.
"I need to get to...the captain's chair."he said shakily.
As he tried to stand up he realized the heat his leg muscles screamed in protest. He hadn't done an inventory of his own injuries. The young Ensign tripped over the doomed comms console, as well as a charred skeleton still strapped to it half way out of the chair. As he fell another sickening jolt wracked the hull.
"Akig...Ensign...what was that?" he said as he tried to right himself.
"I can barely tell"she started as she looked at her weapons terminal, the only other console still working," A Cruiser is approaching from the bow...MAC guns at 87% charge...weapons still locked down through...we need that clearence from the terminal NOW!" she practically shouted.
By now he had gotten to a crawling position, he moved hand over hand going under support beams. The five meter distance seeming like miles.
"They have a lock on us! Plasma torpedoes firing, launching counter Archer missiles!" Hikowa announced.
Finally, when Peter was about to black out from the pain he reached the edge of the XO's station. He was now blinded by his own tears of pain. All he could do was barely reach the datapad and hit a button...any button, and hope it did something...
It did.
"That did it! Firing MACS at 85% charge!"
Two sickening shudders wracked the superstructure, then, a huge lurch and snap. They could only pray the ship it's self hadn't completely colapsed, with the cameras and viewscreens gone they had no way of knowing. Their only way to the outside world was Hikowa's primitive scanner on her weapons console.
Seconds ticked by, they seemed like eternity to Peter.
"Covenant ship...off scanner, we did it Pete." Hikowa said turning. Her smile turned to a gasp.
Peter leaned up against the foot of the chair, his entire left side nearly charred crisp, and with his left leg missing up to his hip.
[Edited on 02.01.2011 5:55 PM PST]