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The Road to Zaxheoa: Chapter 1: The Covenant Attack
Posted By: Nike<jimmyneedles09@aol.com>
Date: 28 April 2003, 11:10 PM


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A/N: I'm tossing around this idea: For future parts, instead of typing "The Road to Zaxheoa", I would use the acronym (which is TRtZ). Wait, now that I think about it, that might screw up the database thingie. So I won't worry about it. (Note to Louis: I'm NOT padding). Enjoy this chapter, and post comments when you're done reading it. This is for new readers ('yknow, just in case their is), an MA5B is an assualt rifle, the M6D is a pistol, and the S2 AM is a sniper rifle. (Hopefully, this chapter doesn't exceed the 32k limit).

The Road to Zaxheoa: Chapter 1: The Covenant Attack

0400 Hours September 21, 2552 (Military Calendar)/
Alpha-Tango Base, Key IX, Earth star system


"O'Neil, have you gotten any reports from the Sarge?" Corporal Patrick Owens inquired hurriedly. He was trying to strap his combat boots on as fast as possible. "By the way, what time is it?"

"It is--" The private glanced at the wall-mounted clock. "--0415, sir. No reports have come in from the Sarge. He must still be asleep."

Not for long, Pat thought. Not when this base is under attack.

"Rouse the men. We need to get them--" Alarms took over the command for him. The klaxons out in the hallway screamed like a police car's siren.

Neo's squad woke up, some slower then others, some faster.

"Let's move, you ladies!" Corporal Owens yelled. "Fall in behind O'Neil! Double time to the armory! The Covenant are attacking us! So let's move!"

The Marines fell in behind the corporal and private as soon as the word "Covenant" rang in their ears. The sounds of 14 pairs of metal boots clanking along the floor in perfect unison reverberated through Patrick's ears.

The armory was only a short jog from the barracks. When they reached the armory (which was about the length of a football field), the corporal's men ran to the long rack of MA5Bs.

Eleven of his grabbed MA5Bs and M6Ds, while one man grabbed a rocket launcher. He had a pistol as his back-up weapon. Two more soldiers, Private DJ Black and Private Jane Green, grabbed S2 AMs, and an MA5B for back-up.

"Why is it that the Covenant want to have their asses kicked?" Private O'Neil asked, as he loaded a round into the chamber of an M6D.

Neo chuckled. "It's beyond me, Bryan. Sometimes we kick their ass, sometimes they kick ours." He turned to the rest of his Marines. "Assemble!"

His squad fell in before him, and snapped to rigid attention. "Awright. As you all know, Alpha-Tango is under attack by the Covenant. We'll move out, find ourselves a couple of Warthogs, and try to repel the attack. Just keep your rifle pointed at those goddamned bugs, pull that trigger, and we'll all go home in one piece and I'll buy ya all a beer! AM I RIGHT MARINES?!"

"Sir, yes, sir!" they replied in unison.

"Damn straight!" Corporal Owens said. "Now let's move out!"

The squad fanned out into a rough delta formation, with Private Mike Web taking point, and O'Neil at the rear. After leaving the armory, Owens keyed a control on his HUD, which activated the CD player that was integrated into his combat helmet. He mentally sifted through dozens of songs that he had an interest in, and chose one. The CD player was also integrated into his cerebral cortex, so he could choose a song mentally. He set the thing on "Random" so he wouldn't know what song he would be listening to. He didn't why he did it, but he didn't really give a damn.

Web held his hand out, signaling for everybody to halt. He crouched and crept to a corner. He peeked around, and saw seven Grunts, four Jackals, and two Elites at the end of the corridor that Web was scanning. The man crept back to Corporal Owens.

"Sir," he said, "there are seven Grunts, four Jackals, and two Elites at the end of this corridor--" He pointed to the hallway. "--which leads to the motorpool."

"Understood. Were there any obstacles in that hallway?" Neo asked.

Web nodded. "Plenty, sir."

Owens spun around to face Private Black and Private Green. "Okay, you two. Sneak down that corridor and get as close to those Covenant bastards as you can, and fire at them with your sniper rifles."

The two soldiers nodded in unison, and they both crept down the hallway. The corporal turned to face the rest of the squad. "As for the rest of you, when Black and Green open fire, so will we. Get into position, and wait for the shooting to start."

Three seconds after a period was placed on the end of the corporal's sentence, two loud blams were heard. The noise bounced off the walls down toward the Covenant and back toward the Marines. Two Grunts fell. One lost its head, causing sky-blue blood to spray along the corridor walls and onto the aliens. The other short, stocky alien's breath mask was shattered, its precious oxygen slowly sizzling out into the rich, human air. The Grunt's head then began to blow up like a balloon. Then its head literally exploded, spattering more blood and some chunks of purple flesh. Both bodies slumped to the floor.

Both Elites ran for cover. They both crouched behind a wedge-shaped structure. The two aliens took turns, one stood to fire it's plasma rifle while the other crouched, occasionally tossing a plasma grenade into the mix.

The Marines had also opened fire by this time. Bullets pinged off the other obstacles scattered about the hallway. Some hit they're intended targets, other were clean misses.

"Down in front!" one of the Grunts screamed in its squeaky high-pitched as it hurled a plasma grenade threw air, and down the corridor.

It stuck to a Marine's helmet. "AHHHH!! Get this damned orb off of me!!!" he shouted.

Over the COM line, Corporal Owens replied, "Remove your helmet, soldier!" Static filled the line as the grenade exploded, almost right behind him. The Marine's body was sent flying backwards into a grating against the wall that covered up some steam pipes. The man, clearly a private because of his ID tag, fell to the floor face first with a cracked spine. He was dead.

Neo took aim at the Grunt that had thrown the grenade and squeezed the trigger. The three-round burst journeyed down the hallway. The titainium rounds smacked into the animal-like alien's chest, splashing the same blue blood onto the floor and walls.

(One minute you're on top! [The next you're not, watch it drop]. Making you're heart stop! [Just before you hit the floor]. One minute you're on top! [The next you're not, missed your shot]. Making your heart stop! [You think you won. . .and then it's all gone]!)

"Fire in the hole!" O'Neil roared over the barrage of gun fire and plasma streaks as he tossed a frag grenade down the other end. The thing exploded, tossing shrapnel into the air. Several bits of metal rained down on the Covenant attackers. The blast killed one of the Elites, one Jackal, and three Grunts.

"Look at 'em fly!" another Marine commented cooly as he moved up a little closer to get a better angle.

After about ten more minutes, the fight was over. Patrick glanced around at his squad. Only two soldiers had been killed. "Well, what the hell you standin' around for? The motorpool's at the end of this corridor. Let's move out."

The Marines sprinted down the corridor, checking their flanks when they passed by side passages and covering their six, as well. When the squad of 12 reached the blast door that led to the motorpool (which was also the hangar bay for Pelicans and a few Scorpion tanks), it asked them for security clearence.

The corporal frowned. He then said over the squad line channel, "Mark! Bring up a few blocks of C-12 and blow this door!"

"Yes, sir!" he replied. Mark ran up the line of Marines, and set the timer for five seconds. "Take cover!" he shouted. The squad ran to a corner that led to a side passage, and hid behind it. Five seconds later, the blocks of C-12 detonated, throwing the blast doors into the wall. They clattered to the ground.

"Okay, people! The doors are open! Let's go!" The squad sprinted to the door. They gazed in awe before them.

A huge firefight had broken out in the hangar, which was pretty tall and pretty wide. Elites, Grunts, Jackals, and Hunters were firing their deadly plasma weapons. ODSTs and Marines fired their sniper rifles, pistols, and every other weapon that the Humans possessed.

"Well, boys, let's add our fire to this fight, shall we?" Corporal Owens asked his squad.

"Sir, yes, sir!" they replied.

"Then let's go!" Owens said, as he and the rest of his 12-man squad charged into the hangar.

TO BE CONTINUED

PNFTA: Did you all enjoy it? I think you did. Chapter 2 is coming soon. Stay tuned because you don't want to miss out.





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