- Doctor Jensen
- |
- Fabled Member
Chapter 5: Time to leave!
The Demon struggled with Isua Karatalee, both of them fighting for the plasma blade Isua had just recently held in his hands. Gunfire sounded in front of him, there was a roar from his fellow Sangheili, then blue blood spattered the walls.
Isua grabbed the Demon who was reaching for the energy sword. He punched her in the faceplate, but instead of it smashing there was a golden shimmer; the humans had shields! It grabbed Isua's wrist and pulled its hardest. Isua's shoulder popped, but he didn't feel it. Instead he kicked the demon off of him and grabbed the energy sword. His shields were very low from his fight, but now he would not have to worry about that as he would kill the demon there and then.
Isua strode over to the Demon, what the human called Spartans, and picked it up by the neck.
"Now demon, you have killed many of my fellow Sangheili. Now these killings come full circle and you shall die by my hand. The great Journey shall not take you."
The demon grabbed his wrists and spoke. "Ha, you think you can kill me... Look around you Elite, you're all that's left. You're finished."
Hearing this the Sangheili listened. There was no more whinig of plasma weapons firing. For a split second he looked away from the Demon and saw the two other Demons running at him. In that split second he received a punch to the side of the head. He let go of the Demon, stumbling back, his eyes blackening around the edges. The Demons huddled around him, one of them policing his energy weapon. Isua reached for his sword in vain. One of the Demons stomped his boot on the Sangheili's wrist-he felt bones crush and roared in pain.
"What should we do with it?" he heard one ask. It's voice was akin to that of a female Sangheili, perhaps it was a female.
"We'll take him to the bridge. But, make sure he's not conscious," said one of the others with a deep voice. It was probably a male.
The two demons nodded and the last thing Isua saw was a boot connecting with his face.
********
aboard Constantinople
1616 hours; January 8th, 2551.
Jai opened a comm channel to the Leonidas. "Leonidas the door outside the bridge is clear. Mind opening those doors?" asked Jai.
"Affirmative Spartan. Opening doors. Welcome home," said Leonidas.
The Spartans, Jai lugging the Elite, walked over to the bridge doors. They unlocked and opened quietly. Jai led the way inside, holding the deactivated energy sword he had taken from the elite. The walked down a short hallway and found their way to the inner section of the bridge. the bridge had seven computer stations on each side of the wall. Straight in front of them was the observation window. And directly in the center of the room was the captain's chair, where Captain Brown sat.
"Sir!" said Jai, as the three Spartans snapped a salute.
Captain Brown saluted back. "At ease Spartans."
"Captain," Leonidas interjected. "Arm of the Prophets is performing a slingshot orbit if my calculations are correct. May I add that there is only a 2.001 percent chance that my calculations are incorrect."
Captain Brown stroked his chin for a moment. "Well then, we don't have much of a choice do we?"
"Captain, sir, what's going on?" Jai asked.
The Captain turned to him and frowned. "Son, I'm sorry to say that Constantinople has sustained a hell of a beating. She put up one hell of a fight, but she doesn't have much left in her." He paused and a sad look entered his eyes. "I'm ordering an evacuation of the ship. We can link up on that planet and coordinate an effective resistance."
Jai stared at the Captain. They were evacuating? The majority of them probably wouldn't even make it through the atmosphere. It was suicide.
"Sir," began Mike, "most of us won't even make it through the atmosphere. I don't recommend you evacuate to that planet." He had beaten Jai to the conversation. Damn him.
The Captain simply shook his head. "Spartan, if we don't evacuate, we'll all die. We have a better chance of survival on that planet than we do up here. So start evacuating. That's an order," Captain Brown growled.
"Sir, yes sir!" said the Spartans simultaneously.
The Spartans spun around to leave, but Jai stopped. "Sir," he said, "Petya has room enough for the rest of the bridge crew, you'll be safer there than on an escape pod."
The Captain mulled this over for a moment. "Very well Spartan, we're coming with you." He turned over to Leonidas' hologram pad. "Send the order for the evacuation, and set this ship to self destruct in twenty minutes. Tell me when you're finished."
Several seconds passed by. "The orders have been made sir," Leonidas told him. That was affirmed when over the intercom his voice ordered the crew to evacuate.
"You're coming with us Leonidas," said Captain Brown. He pressed a button on the AI's holgram pad and the chip popped out. "Didn't want to give him time to protest," the Captain said, grinning at the Spartans. He then held the chip to Jai. "You're the only one that can make use of this for now 006. Take it."
"Sir..." Jai began to protest.
"That's an order Spartan," said Captain Brown.
Jai nodded, taking the chip and inserting it into the TACPAD.
"Damn that Captain," said Leonidas into Jai's comm. He ignored the AI.
"Yes sir."
"Now let's get going crewmen," the Captain said to the crew.
The crewmen on the bridge stood from their stations and crowded behind him. They all looked at the Spartans.
"Right," said Jai. "Let's move."
With that the whole group of them (fourteen crewman, the captain and the three Spartan) started towards the elevators. Jai walked with the middle of the group lugging the heavy Elite which the Captain glanced at every once in a while. Mike took point while Adriana took the rear carrying Scotty on her shoulder. They made their way out of the bridge in a line of people. Jai slowly moved to the intersection the battle had taken place at.
"Spartan," said the Captain, who was walking behind Jai.
"Yes sir?" asked Jai. He glanced back at the Captain who was staring at the Elite.
"Why are you carrying an Elite?" he inquired.
"Sir, we encountered this Elite while we were clearing this intersection. He was cloaked and had attacked Spartan 111. She was able to knock him unconscious and I decided it would be to our benefit to take and question him."
The Captain nodded his head approvingly. "Damn good job Spartan. When we get to your freighter you can question him."
Jai just nodded and it was silent once more. They turned at the intersection and down a series of hallways and corridors until they reached the elevators, not encountering any other enemy forces. Mike tapped the button to the call the elevator. Jai and Adriana both did the same to the other two elevators.
They waited patiently until the first elevator opened up. "Mike, you take five crewmen and go first."
Mike only nodded as he rounded up five crewmen and followed them into the elevator. The doors closed behind him just as the next elevator arrived and open up.
"You next Adriana."
"Got it," she said. Her and five crewmen strode into the elevator, the doors closing behind them.
Jai looked at the Captain who was standing in place confidently. "Sir, looks like I'll be accompanying you to the docking bay."
The Captain glanced at Jai, then the Elite. "Just make sure that thing doesn't wake up and try to kill us."
Jai chuckled quietly. "You got it sir. This Elite's out cold."
Captain Brown nodded and the elevator doors opened. Inside there were three Grunts, a Jackal, and an Elite. The Elite, not seeming surprised at all, roared and leveled his weapon at the Captain. With lightning speed Jai pushed the captain out of the way and was struck by plasma fire. He opened fire with his shotgun, taking out one of the grunts. The other Covenant warriors raised their weapons and opened fire
The crewman and captain scrambled for cover, two of them taking shots to the back and head. They both died instantly. The captain and the other two crewman made it to cover safely hiding behind bulkheads and pillars.
The Elite pulled a grenade from his belt, almost grinning as he activated it. The grenade pulsed blue as it was thrown at Jai. He jumped but not fast enough-the grenade attached itself to his M90 shotgun. He threw the gun straight at the covenant, but it exploded a meter before it could hit them. The Jackal's shield shimmered and changed to a red-pink color.
Jai pulled out his energy sword and pressed a button, it flashed on. He lunged at the Elite, cleanly slicing its head off. The two grunts and the Jackal were stunned and Jai made quick work of them.
"How many times am I gonna fight in elevators?" Jai chuckled to himself. "Let's go," he said, holding the doors open.
The crewmen hustled into the elevator and the doors slammed shut. They descended and the doors opened, the docking bay was complete and utter chaos.