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Halo: The Practice
Posted By: Howlin' Jackal<limpkit7@netscape.net>
Date: 18 April 2003, 11:30 PM
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Halo: The Practice
Part I: Just a face in a helmet. With a Gun.
The cold steel of my helmet pressed against my cheek like a car inside of a compactor. Uncomfortable as it was, I had no choice. I was in a war that was being lost more and more everyday. I opened my eyes to what was now becoming less of what it once was. Where am I? I don't know, for I was just shoved into what I thought what was going to be a ride to another capitol ship. Wrong flight. I was in for the ride.
"Hey, where are we headed? I thought this was the ride to the Pillar of Lycanthire?"
"No, they haven't departed yet. What's your name?"
"Josh Priton, Sir."
"You're on the wrong flight, but we can't turn these things around just for that, we are headed for "The Ring". Hope you've finished your training."
The many things that I thought had happened, flying to "The Ring" had not been one of them. I wasn't even clear on what the enemy was like, all I heard were the stories veterans told us about in the mess hall. I was stuck here. I heard over the ship P.A. that we were approaching "The Ring's" atmosphere. With a last shadow of hope left in me, I looked for anyone who looked familiar.... No luck, except the guy who sat next to the pilot. "Where have I seen him before....I know this man..."
The marine next to me looked sick.
"You gonna be alright?" I asked.
He just gave me a swollen look. The pilot told us to brace for impact. I started to think why we had to brace for an impact, did he mean landing? What was going on? Then *WHOMP*!
"What the hell was that?"
"The enemy! They see our craft!" "We're screwed!" "SHUT UP, we can make it!"
Everything everyone said seemed to morph into my ears as the phrase "I HATE THIS!" *WHOMP*! We were hit again, and again.... and yet again.
"I'm not sure we can take another shot like that, we lost our left stabalizer under the main engine on the last one!"
It seemed actually quiet for a moment. I glanced out the window. Nothing but flames were visible. We are in the atmosphere now. Probably explains why the room is dank with the smell of sweat. I looked again. "Oh No.. Please no.." *WHHHOOOMPP*!!!! Dust and echoes....
Part II: Alone in the crowd of pain.
I woke up in a lonely daze of red, orange, and yellow. I wiped what seemed to be blood from my eyes, and found that we had "landed" only to still be on fire. I heard a faint sound that sounded like a moan. I looked about my area for a sign of what it was. All that could be found was blood, scorch marks, bullet holes, and... wait.. what is that? Plasma scoring? I knew it had to be. It was from those.. what do you call them... "barnackes"?, yeah, that's it. I decided to check the flight log. I walked slowly to the cockpit, gazing at the dead bodies of people who I had once not known, but felt connected with. I pryed the pilots body off of the controls. The flight log read that we had been engaged by these ships called "Banshees". Defensive manuevers were locked in, but there were too many. Basically, that was it, besides the reading of the coordinates of our crash, which the LCD display had leaked through, so it couldn't have been readable.
*snap*
"What the..."
There stood a creature I've only heard tales of. Standing about 7 1/2 feet, he seemed to be wearing some sort of mask, and held a small weapon that had a green glow around what looked like a barrel of a gun. He couldn't see me, I was behind the pilot chair, so I slowly raised my gun and with a nervous voice yelled "Prepare to die, you little turd!" He jumped at my voice and said something... it sounded like... English! With my astonishment taking over my senses, it didn't really register with my head that he was lining me up, and he fired. With a flip of my trigger, he fell limply to the ground, trickling blood from where the bullet had entered. I slowly approached the body, and kicked it, to see if it was out for good. Yeah.. he's gone.
"Nghoooo, whorl borlet!" I heard.
An eight foot tall creature, covered in blue armor came running at me. What went through my head was, yes, again, every story I've heard at home. It was an "Elite". I didn't lose my concentration this time, and unloaded on him.
"What?!" This elite had shields! He began to bolt at me, as I fumbled around in my pack for another ammo clip, he was still coming at me!
"God damnit, where the hell is my damn AMMO!" Too late. The behemoth reached me and swung, and I was down on the ground gasping for breath. It began to rain, and all I remember thinking was "Man, I'm on a roll aren't I.." and the last thing I saw that day was a common one, who seemed like a stranger only to me, against a cloud of gray, and a sparkle of blue.
Part III: "Him".
I awakened again in a puddle of something, which I had assumed was vomit. I found myself stripped of my armor and weapons. In front of me was a blue-ish purple wave, probably a force field. I was in a holding cell. "Damnit.." I thought, "First time being in the heat and I'm in their holding." The only thing that I really remember is being hit in the head with a blunt object, probably the gun that the Elite was holding. Through the purple force field, I could see the faint outlining of an Elite, but he wasn't there! Or was he? Yet another tale went through my head... when they told us of entire squads being taken out by an invisible "something". I could hear them as well, their little clink of their armor.
"Damn.. I'm going to be here for a whi--" Before I could finish, something burst through the door.
From my position, I couldn't exactly see who or what it was, all I knew is that it was using human weapons. Some bullets scared me as they hit the force field and bounded off on their mission of death. The sounds stopped... Footsteps.
"Oh my god!" I said under my breath.. "Is that the Master Chief?" He walked out of view and the I heard what sounded like a *whomwomwom* and the wall I was lying against gave way and my cell was open. I slowly crawled out and met face to feet with my savior. I arised, not knowing what to say, what to do or anything.
"I.." I managed.
"Come with me." He said, handing me what looked like an alien weapon. It looked magazine loaded, and the Chief handed me some more mags. It was a roundish weapon, with several spikes or "needles" as they may be called. I've heard of this weapon, it has a delayed damage strike, meaning when the needles hit, it's a few seconds before they blow up in a cloud of purple.
Part IV: Following the Master Chief.
I observed him as he gunned down several, wait, seemingly hunreds of Grunts and Elites. Not to mention Jackals, those bastards with those huge shields. Before I knew it, we had reached another holding cell area. I examined the prisoners. None of them looked familiar sadly..wait..is that... Captain Keyes!. Now I knew the Chief had not just come for my sorry noobie ass.
I overheard part of their conversation:
"...according to the enemy this ring has some sort of deep religious meaning..."
"..weapon inside..."
"...we've got to.......before the en....destroy our race complete....."
We quietly motioned down the sleek purple hallway, as our flashlights hit the gleaming walls stained with blotches of mixed blood. Tension was high. My hands got all sweaty and there was a lump in my throat, because in front of us stood a horror. I couldn't think! I froze! It was a Golden Swordsman! He was a blur as he charged at me with a blood curdling yell. *clank, clank, clank, clank* went his amor. I could feel his hot breath approaching me at a violent speed. A raised sword, a horrible scream.. He had slashed downwards into my leg. Well, more like my shin, but nonetheless, it hurt like no other! Hearing my squeal of pain, the Master Chief came to the rescue, as did all of the other marines he had rescued.
For a moment in time, I felt special. All these guys heard ME yell, and came to help ME. But I soon realized that this was a Golden Swordsman, capable of killing each and every one of us. I closed my eyes, thinking that the Golden Swordsman was going to take me out with him.. I could hear the constant hum of the sword hovering near me amongst all of the chaos that ensued. Everything stopped...
I slowly opened my eyes..
*CLUNK* I shut them quickly again... Nothing... Wait...
I felt something on my shoulder... It was a hand. I looked up...
"Hey, are you allright amigo?"
Before I could reply to the marine, the Master Chief ordered us to get back together and keep on moving. I seriously felt emotionally bad.. Here I am, forcing our pace to a crawl due to my fear. On our way, I looked about my surroundings, trying to find something that looks familiar to take my mind off of the environment of reds, purples, blues, and blacks... but to no avail. All I am doing right now is the game of follow the leader.
I don't mind, they can soak in kills, just so I can get out of this hell hole faster. "Hurry up." the Master Chief told us.
I tried to limp faster, but with every step I took, blood shot from my already amatuerishly bandaged leg. "Must... keep... head... straight..." was all I could force myself to think. It worked. Because here we are. Wait... This is an enemy drop ship... We don't know how to...
"Get in." the Master Chief instructed.
I did as I was told...
Part V: Bumpy ride.
Bumpy ride.... in an aircraft..
After boarding I could see that I was in much better condition than most of the other soldiers in my squad... One with a deeply severed arm, and one with a massive plasma burn on the right side of his face. Our craft seemed to be completely silent on the inside, so I could very well hear the soft breathing of my comrades. One started coughing on his own blood, I could see by the drops on the floor in front of his seat. Sweat trickled down late from the battle that had just taken place. The putrid smell of sweat and blood and plasma stained my nose with vengeance. I took a moment to wipe the liquids from my face, and to get a better look at the ship. "Jesus!" I thought. "Everything is purple for these aliens."
Suddenly, we all heard a clunk. Not from the outside, it sounded like it was from the inside. We were in a small cabin, so we couldn't see anything. "Maybe our minds are playin with us... all of us... yeah... it's just this ship." Suddenly the arm of Lt. Nash suddenly shot blood from a clean gash, looking like it was from a sharp object, much like a sword. "CRAP! TAKE COVER! WE GOT COMPANY"
I could see the sword floating much better now. It is such a horrible site... seing the purple room that you are now eerily used to, suddenly tint blue like an ambient light... The Master Chief burst through the door as if it was a styrofoam cup being eaten through by acid. All in one motion, the door was down, the gun was pulled, the trigger was tripped and the creature was down, choking in a puddle of his own blood. The purple cabin was now speckled with darker purple from that invisible Golden Swordsman, and it smelt horrible there. Nash was now bleeding immensly from his arm, while some other marines I knew gathered around him, trying to bandage the horrible wound.
Amidst the screaming, and moans, I managed to fall asleep and let it become blocked out...
I awoke several hours later... Thinking I've done more sleeping than good. General Spike barked "GET YOUR SORRY ASS OFF THAT CHAIR! WE'RE GETTIN OFF THIS SHIP!" I shook the sleep from my eyes and did what he told me to do. It looked as if everyone was waiting just for me. I didn't care... As I stepped out onto the harsh ground, I noticed everyone was looking around, dumbfounded of their surroundings. I did the same, as I noticed we were on a planet unknown to any of us...
I went straight to the Master Chief. "Where are we now?" I asked. He turned to me, and gave me a long, cold stare... He simply said "I don't know...".
The End.
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