Halo: Home Under Siege (Chapter 1)
Posted By: masterzog<jamieharland11@hotmail.com>
Date: 14 July 2005, 3:01 pm
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Halo: Home under Siege
This piece of fan fiction from the 'Halo' Universe is based around the time of Halo 2, during the Covenant invasion of Earth
"Bravo leader this is Tango leader, be advised, the LZ is compromised repeat, the LZ is compromised… we need support or evac immediately… oh god! They're all over the place! Shoot the bastar…" Sergeant Praetor switched off the comm and turned to the marine contingent aboard the Pelican dropship. "Listen up marines! In their invasion of Earth, The Covenant have launched an all-out-assault on Sydney, Australia, location of U.N.S.C High Command. Due to the overwhelming anti-aircraft gun emplacements they have been unsuccessful in all attempts to drop ground forces directly into the city. Fire-Team Tango have been keeping the enemy from penetrating the outer perimeter, we're here to reinforce them. Remember, if Sydney falls, Earth falls. I've just received word that the drop-zone is compromised so be prepared to give our friends a good, heart-felt, 7 millimetre welcome."
"This is Delta 043, Bravo leader, we're approaching the LZ. Scanners pick up a lot of hostile activity, be prepared for a hot reception." The pelican and its companion passed low over a forest and circled a clearing, plasma fire started to rake up at the ships hull. Flight Lieutenant Abram Deacon a.k.a Delta 043, cursed and his co-pilot stabbed at the 50 millimetre auto-cannon controls. Bullets sprayed and impacted messily on the grunts shooting from below, rupturing the tanks carrying the methane the small dog-like creatures required to survive. Those not killed by the bullets slowly suffocated. The Pelicans started to descend and touched down on the muddy, churned-up ground.
"Go go go!" Praetor, always one to set an example, was first out of the dropship and felt the squish of gory, bluish alien innards under his boots. Holding back his revulsion, he sighted down the barrel of his MA5B Assault Rifle and fired a short burst at the back of a Jackal who was focusing on the other dropship, leaving his back, unprotected by his energy shield, open to assault. Satisfied by the resulting whimpering squeal and the collapse of the soldier, he moved forward and with the other marines engaged in a brief engagement to secure the perimeter. After about 5 minutes a marine delivered a final kick to a fragile Grunt head, and Praetor could finally look around.
Something wasn't right; the blood that drenched the ground around them was not teal but a deep crimson. Human corpses that formed a gory carpet across the floor outnumbered those of Covenant troops by far. The sergeant counted his men: all 30 present and correct. Then he realized: "Oh god…" none of Fire-Team Tango had survived; they had all been butchered by covenant soldiers. Praetor screamed aloud and kicked a grunts head across the clearing.
Once the last of the dead had been loaded aboard the Pelicans, they took off to return to base, leaving Fire-Team Bravo to get on with things. Recon had reported that the Covenant base of operations was just a few klicks south, so Fire-Team Bravo had set up base near the route the covenant would be forced to take in order to reach the city. A camp was erected and sentry duties were posted. Sergeant Praetor looked proudly at the marines working all around him, they had been trained well. Two marines who had been working on lighting a campfire whooped as they were rewarded with a small flame. One of them looked up at Praetor and grinned. "Sorry Sarge," he said, "I forgot the marshmallows". Praetor put on a mock-frown, "dammit soldier you know how vital they are to military operations! I always say: 'never engage the covenant on short supply of marshmallows'" all 3 of them laughed and continued working on the fire.
The Sarge had to act jubilant to keep up morale but deep down his own morale was at an all time low. The Covenant had finally reached Earth, if ground engagements against the enemy were a success they would always fall back to space and reduce the target planet to molten slag. The U.N.S.C might be able to hold their own against the Covenant planet-side, especially thanks to the soldiers of the SPARTAN II project, but in almost every situation (excluding the battle of Sigma Octanus III) the U.N.S.C would be utterly crushed in space. Even if the marines did force the aliens back what chance did they stand? He sighed, things looked rather bleak.
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