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HALO: Pilots of Autumn
Posted By: Matt Anderson<raptorv22@hotmail.com>
Date: 19 November 2002, 10:24 pm
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Command Bridge, Pillar of Autumn
0930 hours
"Sir, you better take a look at this- long range scanners show incoming slipstream signatures.. IFF hostile." Captain Jacob of the Keyes of the UNSC Pillar of autumn stared out the window of the command bridge, nervously watching the unfolding scene. There here so soon? Cortana, the AI construct who operated all navigation aspects of the ship, swirled into view from the small hologram projector. "Captain, the incoming covenant forces are simple a recon picket, three wings with four fighters per group. If they see were here they'll bring in heavier artillery."
Keyes scratched his throat, and peered and the radar. "Recommended course of action?" The construct closed her eyes for a moment, numbers racing across her pale skin. "I recommend deploying fighters equipped with CHAFF missiles. We can't give them a chance to call home."
"Do it. In the meantime, see what you can do about our slipstream generator. If worst comes to worst, I want a fast ticket out of here."
Briefing Room, Pillar of Autumn
0950 hours
The 67th Logistics officer took her place in front of a HoloMap in the front of the briefing room aboard the Pillar of Autumn. "Okay, ladies and gentlemen, here's the lowdown: At 0930, a covenant scouting party emerged from slipstream and are heading for the Autumn. If they see us, we'll have bigger problems than just a few flight groups. Radar shows three flight groups, make it four fighters per group. We'll be deploying Alpha, Beta, and Gamma wings to knock 'em out of the sky.
"You'll be deployed with Chaff and Harpoon missiles. Lets get this done as quickly as possible. Get to your ships, we'll be deploying ASAP."
Hanger Bay, Pillar of Autumn
1000 hours
"Alpha, you are go. Beta team, go. Gamma, your being held as reinforcements. Standby." The AWACS officer's muffled voice came through the headset in Alpha Wing Commander Jake Anderson's helmet. The eight longswords of Alpha and Beta streamed out through the still opening docking bay door, afterburners raging. Jake quickly flipped a switch on the control panel, enabling the Com. Unit in his headset. "Lets rock.."
Command Bridge, Pillar of Autumn
1001 hours
"Captain, fighters are launched and are in the process of engaging the enemy. If all goes well, this mess will be over in a matter of minutes." "That's what you said last time." Keyes nervously chewed on his unlit pipe, fervishly watching the flight recorder from one of the longswords.
Space near Pillar of Autumn
1009 hours
"Beta one here, enemy contact confirmed. Lets get those chaff missiles out before they realize what's happening." The two wings of longswords approached the oncoming covenant recon ships. The AWACS officer's voice excitedly yelled over the radio, "Outgoing hostile communications signature, your too late. All fighters engage enemy!" Jake and the rest of Alpha flight quickly turned to avoid the oncoming stream of plasma being let loose by the covenant fighters. Quickly they reengaged, contorting everything to chaos as bullets, plasma, and missiles roared by.
"I need some help over here.." Delta 2's voice streamed over the comm. Jake looked left, and saw the lone banshee dogging 2, and made a conversion turn to the enemy fighters rear. He had to kill this guy fast. Selecting SIDE mode from the HOTAS controls, he waited for the tone in his headset to settle into a continuous scream. At a range of 2,500 feet, he triggered the missle, which rapidly ate up the distance to the Banshee's port engine. It impacted the engines afterburner can, contact detonating and blowing the engine to pieces. Amazingly, the banshee continued to fly. Cursing the tiny warhead on the Harpoon missile, he switched the armerment controls to GUN. Jake placed the Banshee in the firing cone of the gunsite, let the range fall to 1,000 feet, and fired a four second burst into the back of the Banshee, shredding through the hull and filling the cockpit with explosions and smoke. It span off into space, and eventually exploded into a fireball that was quickly eaten up by the vacuum of space. He checked the radar and radio, and saw that only two pilots remained of beta wing. The AWACS officer streamed orders and statistics over his headset. "..I repeat, multiple bandits engaging, 235 degrees for 75. Alpha flight is engaged. Beta 3 is down. Support is on the way. Gamma flight, engage. Your code is BUSTER. I repeat, your code is Buster!"
Command Bridge, Pillar of Autumn
1015 hours
"So, where do we stand?" Keyes paced the deck of the Pillar of Autumn nervously.
"Our fighters are mopping up the last of their recon picket now, nothing serious. But I've isolated approach signatures for multiple CCS-class battlegroups, make it three captial ships per group. And in about ninety seconds they'll be all over us..."
Keyes stared out the window, thoughtfully. "Well, that's it then. Bring the ship back up to combat alert alpha. I want everyone at their stations."
"Everyone, sir?
"Everyone. And Cortana,"
"Hmm?"
Keyes smiled wryly. "let's give our old friend a warm welcome."
"I've already begun..."
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