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Fire Team Tango-chapter I
Date: 13 May 2005, 9:17 PM

Fire Team Tango Chapter I "Thirteen"



     1740 hours, august 10, 2552 (UNSC Military Calendar)
     Planet: Haven, Wayland county, UNSC Marine Garrison           Outpost: Whiskey.



     Jacob sat at the end of his cot, cleaning his battle rifle. He was an infantry man in fire team Tango who took pride in cleaning his weapons and making them spotless. He had recently been issued a brand new MA7B battle rifle and MP20 sub machinegun, and intended of keeping them in mint condition.
     Jacob was grateful for being issued new equipment, but he wondered why all this ordinance was being delivered to some backwater outpost. It did make a little bit of sense when he considered the fact that ONI had recently set up a research facility in one of the mine shafts near Whiskey outpost, but it still seemed more logical to give the ONI troops all the new equipment. He gave up on trying to figure out the UNSC's plans for this little mud ball of a world and went back to cleaning his weapon.
      As he finished cleaning the last bit of mud from his MA7B's flashlight, he heard the mournful cries of swamp predators. Jacob instinctively tightened his grip of the battle rifle. He hated everything about the predators. The eye-less creatures hunted via sound and were ruthless when they brought down their prey. less than a year ago, a kid from the town of Orleans was run down and hacked apart by a pack of the creatures. Since then they were called Shanks because of the way they killed their prey.
     Thoughts like these disturbed Jacob. He had grown up on Earth and wasn't used to alien organisms like this. To be truthful, Jacob was scared of them.

     "God Damnit!" Shouted a Marine, interrupting Jacob's grim thoughts. "This is the second time this week."

     Jacob knew exactly who was shouting. It was Lee, fire team Tango's marksman.

     "Surgically remove the damn thing for all I care!" Shouted Lee as he stormed into the tent. "Just don't do the same thing you did last time."

     "What's wrong this time, Lee?" Asked Jacob as he put his battle rifle down on the cot.

     "This it what's wrong!" Snarled Lee as he lifted up the left leg of his pants to reveal a bloated leech attached to his ankle.

     "Real pretty." Said Jacob.

     Just as Jacob finished speaking, Mullins stepped through the tent door wielding a large combat knife. Mullins was another of fire team Tango's infantry men as well as the medic.

     "All right," Said Mullins. "let's cut this leech off."

     Mullins looked at Jacob and whispered. "Keep him busy."

     "Amphibian bastard." Muttered Lee as he stared down at the parasite.

     "Leeches aren't amphibians." Said Jacob, correcting his friend. "They're aquatic slug thingys. Frogs are amphibians."

     "Hey Jacob, what's a frog?" Asked Lee.

     Jacob sighed and then began to explain what a frog was.

     "They're all slimy and green and drink water all day so they can piss all over your hands when you catch them."

     "You don't say." Said Lee, who was obviously not paying attention.

     "How the hell did you become our sniper?" Asked Jacob. "You're irrational and you space out all the time."

     Before Lee could answer, he screamed in pain. A second later, Mullins stood up, holding the struggling leech by the tail.

     "The bastard was dug in deep." He triumphantly said as the bloated blood soaked creature squirmed.

     "You asshole!" Shouted Lee. "I told you not to rip it off!"

     "And I told you it doesn't work that way." Replied Mullins. "These leeches cant be cut off. You cut em or pour salt on em and they clamp down on you. The head stays in and then you have to have a chunk of flesh amputated to get the head. I only got my knife to make you feel better."

     "I better get a purple heart for this." Muttered Lee as he sat down on his cot.

     Lee continued muttering as he bandaged his wounded ankle. On Haven, events like this were usually the highlight of the day. This was one of the reasons Jacob hated being stationed here. While other Marines were fighting the Covenant, he was stuck on some god forsaken rock, guarding a run down mining colony.

     "Mullins, Jacob" Said sergeant Reeves as he stepped into the tent. "Grab your gear, we're moving out. Lee, you're a Marine, act like a professional for god's sake."

     Sergeant Reeves was in his early forties, but his dark hair was already flecked with gray. His face was marked by a decade of service in the Marine corps, and the countless atrocities of war. The members of fire team Tango knew very little about their CO, but they all respected him.
     Mullins was already outside, and Lee had already retrieved his S22-SWP and was waiting outside as well. His sniper weapons platform didn't have the power of a S2-AM, but it was relatively compact, lightweight and ideal for guerilla combat. In addition to being a superb sniper weapon, the rifle was designed to accommodate a variety of scopes, equipment and ammunition ranging from the standard hollow point rounds to high explosive rounds designed to take down armored targets without the high velocity the S2-AM offered.

     "Hurry up Jacob, this isn't a tea party." Said Reeves as he stepped out of the tent.

     "Sometimes it feels like one sarge." Replied Jacob.

     Jacob quickly retracted the butt stock of his SMG and attached it to his belt. He then grabbed his battle rifle and stepped through the door to join the rest of fire team Tango.
     The sky was a dull gray and the air was filled with the tension that came before a storm. Fire team tango's tent had a perfect view of the waterlogged marshes that boarded Whiskey outpost and stretched out for two miles. It wasn't a beautiful view, but it was a decent change to the claustrophobic feel of the base near the granite cliffs.
     Wisps of mist swirled over the marshes, obscuring the silhouettes of a boarder patrol. As Jacob slowly walked over the wet gravel that filled the gap between the tent complex and the street, the wind began to pick up. For a moment the marshes became completely visible. Shallow pools of murky water, dead moss covered trees and large flat patches of yellow-green plant life could now be clearly seen. It wasn't much of an upgrade from the flat obscured view, and had the tendency to depress Jacob.
     I wonder when we'll get off this backwater planet and see some action. Thought Jacob as he walked towards the street. This mud ball is giving me a headache. It's just so damn uncompromisingly depressing.
     A transport variant of the Warthog was parked on the rain soaked street that ran parallel to the Pelican landing pads. The vehicle was more robust than the standard LRV, and replaced the chain gun with two benches with a three man capacity each. The Troop-hog LTV was an extremely dependable vehicle and was a welcome alternative to wading through the many marshes of Haven.
     Otto Schwartz, Tango's support and driver, and Mendez, Tango's tech and demolition specialist were loading ammunition and a large quantity of electronic equipment onto the Troop-hog.

     "So Reeves, what's our objectives?" Asked Jacob.

     "That's sergeant Reeves to you, Marine." Replied Reeves. "You damn kids these days have no respect for authority."

     "Sorry old man." Apologized Jacob. "I forgot you missed the good old days."

     Reeves shook his head and then began to speak.

     "Less than one hour ago, sensory grid whiskey-nine went off line." Said Reeves. "The Comm grid in the town of Nine Mile went off line simultaneously. All evidence points to sabotage."

     "So we investigate Nine Mile and bring sensory grid whiskey-nine back up?" Asked Lee. "And then what, wait for it to go off line again."

     "Our primary objective is to bring the sensory grid back online." Said Reeves. "But before that we'll make a quick stop at the Savanna tavern. The owner knows everything about every one. If someone has sabotaged the sensory grid and the Comm grid, then he's bound to know something."

     "So what if it was sabotage, and what if we catch the guy" Asked Lee.

     "Sabotage of UNSC equipment is treason, even if it is on a backwater planet." Replied Reeves. "If the perp is over eighteen, then he's looking at an execution sentence."

     "I got a bad feeling about this one, sarge." Said Lee. "Fighting aliens is one thing, but executing civilians... that's completely different."

     "I don't like it anymore than you do, Lee." Said Reeves. "But we have a job to do. Let's load up, we're moving out."

     Jacob quickened his pace to the Troop-hog and pulled himself up onto the right bench. Otto got into the driver's seat and Reeves took the seat next to him. Mendez, Lee and Mullins pulled themselves up into the back of the Troop-hog along with their weapons and equipment.
     Jacob looked down the road, where it ended at a large blast door boarded by two pillboxes and several scattered machinegun nests. No one but the brass and ONI knew what went on behind those doors, but recently Jacob had seen several coffin sized crates marked with a biohazard sign exit through those doors accompanied by six heavily armed ONI Marines.
     As Jacob curiously watched the blast doors, the Troop-hog accelerated. The MP station slowly drifted by. The soldiers inside were bathed in a warm yellow light, and seemed to be enjoying a game of cards and a bottle of vodka. Jacob wasn't jealous. He was glad to be leaving the outpost, even if he was going to a rundown cross roads town.
     The one aspect of Nine Mile that Jacob liked was the Savanna tavern. The bartender and owner, an ex Marine, was a good friend of fire team tango and was a reliable informant for the right price. In addition to that, he never watered down the alcohol he served, unlike the other tavern's in the area.
     Jacob also needed to repay a debt to Lee. He owed him a pack of cigarettes, after he lost a bet. How could anyone who would force twenty-three cookies into his mouth just to win a bet become a sniper. Wondered Jacob. Though Lee acted like an idiot most of the time, Jacob had to admit that when it came to business, he was an efficient, brutal and unforgiving soldier.

     "Yo Jacob, got enough ammo?" Asked Mendez.

     "Three clips for my MA7B, two for my MP20." Replied Jacob. "If you got a few seventy-two round banana clips, I'd be happy to take em."

     "You got it." Said Mendez as he opened up a medium sized dull green crate marked with yellow letters.

     Mendez went through the contents of the crate and retrieved three SMG banana clips, four flares and a small compact medical kit.

     "Take these too." He said as he handed the equipment over to Jacob. "We may be out here for a while, and you know how it gets here at night."

     "So, how many sensory stations are we looking at here?" Asked Jacob as he took the ammunition and equipment.

     "six." Replied Mendez. "All of them are up in the hills. We'll have to go on foot."

     "Great." Said Jacob. "Nothing but Shanks and backwoods shut-ins in those hills."

     "Look on the bright side." Replied Mendez. "Maybe we'll score some moonshine."

     The Troop-hog sped past the final check point of Whiskey outpost and down the narrow rain soaked road. The road was carved into the granite outcrop that contained the marsh. Tall intimidating granite cliffs rose up on either side of the road, creating the sense of an impending avalanche.
     Soon the towering cliffs disappeared as the road merged with a natural gorge carved out by a mountain stream. The Road followed the stream all the way into the city of Wayland. The city was relatively small and clustered around the rich titanium mines. From the mountain stream gorge, Jacob had a perfect view of the city. It was one of the few cheerful places on Haven.
     Wayland was bathed in a reddish purple glow at night, which could be seen for miles. The streets of Wayland were lined with storefronts, and overshadowed by the sprawling industrial complex owned by the Wayland Mining Company. Unfortunately for Jacob, he wouldn't be going to Wayland.

                         *     *     *

     The ride had taken eighteen minutes to get from Wayland to Nine Mile. Driving became somewhat difficult around this time of the day on Haven. When dusk came, the fog came rolling down the mountains and hills where it settled in the valleys. The safest way to travel at dusk was by train, but taking the train would be more trouble than it was worth.
     Nine Mile was a small cross roads and railway hub town. The only highlights of the town were an ore silo complex and a rum factory. The town was named Nine Mile, because it was nine miles away from all the other towns and cities that connected to it by road.
     As the Troop-hog passed the Quick Stop refueling station on the outskirts of Nine Mile, Jacob noticed it was vacant. Usually there would be a car or two being refueled, and the owner was always there. Now the refueling station was completely empty, except for the owner's car which was still parked in his driveway.
     As the Troop-hog approached the town, it became abundantly clear that Nine Mile was completely vacant. Abandoned cars still lined the streets, and most of the stores still had "open" signs hanging in their windows. A few shop windows had been shattered, but other than that there were no signs of combat.

     "This sure as hell isn't right." Said Reeves as he grabbed hold of a handle bar and stood up. "Park the hog here, behind those crates."

     Otto maneuvered the Troop-hog into position behind a large cluster of crates and construction supplies which were neatly stacked outside the Savanna tavern.

     "Otto, Lee, you two stand guard outside." Ordered Reeves. "Mullins, Jacob and Mendez are with me. let's try to keep a low profile, so don't drop the first thing that moves."

     Otto grabbed his MA5B assault rifle as he exited the Troop-hog and took up a defensive position behind a dull blue crate and a stack of timber beams that stuck out into the two lane road. Lee took up a sniper position with a large sturdy crate on his six in the nearly pitch black alley. The alley ran parallel to the Savanna and was covered by dark opaque tarp that failed to keep the rail out.
     A small stream of water trickled down the dirt floor of the alley and pooled in a hole near the sidewalk. Lee cautiously scanned his surroundings for any sign of hostile activity. Nothing moved in the grassy field that separated the road from the river at the left side of the valley. Lee saw nothing out of the ordinary in the dark pine forest that covered the steep slopes of the hill. The old warehouse and deli were clear as well.

     "Open and clear." Said Reeves in a hushed tone.

     Jacob and Mendez took up positions on either side of the door and mullins prepared to open it. A second later, Mullins kicked the door open and the four Marines rushed in. Mullins went straight forward while Jacob went left and Mendez went right. They were closely followed by Reeves who immediately went behind the bar counter.

     "His shotgun is gone." Said Reeves as he finished looking underneath the counter. "The money is still in the register too."

     "Something must have spooked him." Commented Jacob as he helped him self to a small bottle of dark rum.

     The interior of the tavern was dark. The window blinds were all down and all the lights except those in the glass liquor cabinets were turned off. The only other light source in the tavern was a large television which was turned onto the sports channel.
     Jacob was about to take the bottle of rum when Reeves snatched it from his hand.

     "I'll take that." Reeves said as he put the bottle into a pouch located midlevel on the right side of his armor his armor.

     Just as Reeves finished buttoning up his pouch, Otto rushed through the door.

     "We've just spotted twelve hostiles." Said Otto in a urgent tone. "Jackals, four support, eight regulars."

     "Shit." Said Reeves. "Mendez, call Whiskey and tell em we've got a problem."

     "Roger that sir." Answered Mendez as he grabbed his portable Comm unit.

     "You three take up defensive positions outside." Said Reeves, gesturing to Otto, Jacob and Mullins. "Don't fire until I tell you."

     Otto, Jacob and Mullins rushed out the door as Mendez tried to contact Whiskey outpost.

     "Whiskey outpost, Whiskey outpost." Said Mendez as he spoke into his Comm unit. "Come in Whiskey outpost."

     Mendez didn't get a reply. All he heard was white noise. He hit his Comm against the counter in a futile attempt to get it to work.

     "What's wrong Mendez?" Asked Reeves.

     "I can't contact the outpost." Replied Mendez. "I only get white noise."

     "Give us some support fire from that window." Said Reeves as he pointed to a window at the far end of the tavern. "We're gonna have to fight this one ourselves."

     Reeves stepped out of the Savanna and scanned the street for the Jackals. He saw all twelve of them at the fork in the road, less than two-hundred feet away. Two of the Jackals wore bronze uniforms, designating them as officers, and the others wore dark blue uniforms. The two Jackals in the bronze uniforms were talking, while the other Jackals slowly moved around on the road. The Jackals seemed confident that they had the town under control.
     The two Jackal officers finished talking and the group split evenly. One support unit and five regulars started to walk down the road towards fire team tango. The Jackal support unit was carrying a deployed energy shield and a plasma pistol. The regulars did not carry shields. Without the bulky energy shields, they were free to carry heavier weapons. The regulars also had additional armor, and all wore pure white helmets that looked like skulls.

     "Lee, Take out the support." Ordered Reeves as the contingent of Jackals unsuspectingly advanced on the position

     Lee lifted his sniper rifle and fired. The crack of his rifle fire was muffled by the weapon's silencer, as the hollow point round punctured the support Jackal's head and exploded out of the side. Dark purple blood and brains spayed out of the Jackal's ruined head as it fell to the ground.
     The remaining Jackals rushed for cover and began to return fire.

     "Let em have it!" Shouted Reeves, as the first plasma bolts struck the crates, creating molten craters in the metal.

     Jacob peered down the scope of his battle rifle. Two Jackals had taken cover behind a dumpster. They occasionally left the safety of the dumpster to return fire, but Lee had them pinned down most of the time. He had already fired five shots, but the Jackals had managed to evade all but one of the shots. Lee had tagged one of the Jackals in the shoulder, but the alien was still able to fight.
     As Jacob waited patiently, he saw the front of a plasma rifle stick out from behind the dumpster. The plasma rifle inched forward slightly, but just enough to expose several fingers. The Jackal was careless, and Jacob took advantage of that. He squeezed the trigger and a three round burst erupted from the muzzle of the battle rifle.
     The three rounds hit the dumpster in rapid succession, but one of them managed to punch through the weak metal and sever several of the Jackal's fingers. The Jackal screeched in pain as it flailed it's wounded hand. Dark purple blood trickled down the Jackal's arm and dripped down onto the concrete sidewalk.
     Jacob fired eighteen more shots from his battle rifle to suppress the second group of Jackals which were firing at the fire team from a storefront. He heard another silenced shot, and then saw a Jackal fall to the ground with a hole torn in it's side. The Jackal screeched in agony as it violently spasmed, forcing pieces of blood soaked intestines onto the cold concrete.
     The Jackals increased the amount of fire the used to suppress fire team tango. As the pressure increased on the fire team, a plasma bolt hit Otto in the leg. He fell to the ground and quickly dragged himself to the safety of the crate. He pulled out his medical kit and began to dress his wound. The plasma had burned through the armored plate on his thigh, all the way through his pants where it left a nasty burn in his leg.

     "I'm hit." Grunted Otto.

     Reeves stood up to provide suppression fire so that Mullins could help Otto. As he did, a bright purple blur impacted the middle right part of his torso at a steep angle. Reeves fell backwards and clutched his side. Mullins was there in an instant.

     "Let me see." He said, trying to conceal his nervousness.

     Reeves removed his hand to reveal a small hole in the black pouch he had put the bottle of rum in. Dark brown liquid poured out of the hole.

     "It's just rum." Sighed Mullins. "You had me scared there for a moment."

     Mullins looked back at the hole, and then the color drained from his face. The dark brown rum was replaced blood that was nearly black.

     "Shit." Said Mullins in an urgent tone. "He's hit bad, in the liver."

     Reeves was in obvious pain. He coughed violently as the pool of blood beneath him became bigger by the second.

     "Morphine." Was all Reeves managed to say.

     Jacob grabbed his medical kit and ripped it open. The contents fell to the ground and scattered. Jacob frantically searched for his morphine syringe until he found it.

     "Lee, cover us!" Shouted Jacob as he rushed to Reeves' side

     He then quickly injected the contents into Reeves' arm.

     "It's worse than I thought." Said Mullins. "The Celiac trunk has been severed, and I can't stop the bleeding. I don't have the right gear."

     "Come on Reeves, stay with us!" Shouted Jacob. "Don't die on us."

     Reeves' breathing was now ragged and shallow. It gradually slowed down, and then stopped altogether.

     "God damnit, don't die on us!" Shouted Jacob.

     It was of no use. Reeves lay dead in Mullins' arms. Fire team Tango's sergeant was dead, making corporal Otto Schwartz the new CO. There was no time to mourn for the dead. The second Group of Jackals had been called back to reinforce the first group. They were now on the fork in the road, and advancing on the fire team.
     Jacob searched for a grenade on his belt, but came up empty handed. Then he checked his vest. What's this? Thought Jacob as he felt a cylindrical object in a pouch on his vest. He reached in and brought up a flash grenade. Just as he pulled the grenade from his pouch, a brilliant purple streak impacted the tavern wall right next to his head, burning a neat hole into the brick.

     "Lee, there has to be a sniper out there." Said Jacob. "I've got a flash grenade. I blind him, you kill him."

     "Got ya." Lee responded.

     Hear that Mendez?" Asked Jacob. "Flash out!"

     "Loud and clear." Replied Mendez immediately after firing a burst from his SMG.

     Jacob primed the grenade as the rest of the fire team took cover. He tossed the grenade into the street, and an instant later it detonated. The flash grenade reaped havoc on the extremely sensitive eyes of the Jackals, blinding and disorienting them.
     Lee burst out from behind his cover and rapidly scanned the area for the sniper. Then he saw it. Between two large air conditioning units a Jackal crouched, shielding its eyes. The Jackal had been sniping from the cold storage facility on the right hand side of the fork in the road. On the roof beneath the Jackal lay a beam rifle. Lee took the shot and put a hollow point round it the alien's head.
     As the Jackal sniper's body toppled off the roof, the effects of the flash grenade began to wear off. Lee shot another Jackal who hadn't concealed it's self in the head, but to his surprise, the hollow point round bounced harmlessly off the alien's helmet. The concussive force of the round was more effective than its hollow tip. The Jackal was knocked back, and its helmet was loosened.
     Lee was forced to take cover as the three support Jackals locked their shields together and advanced down the road, firing their plasma pistols. As Lee was forced to hide, Jacob saw a new target. The Jackal Lee had hit was struggling to get up. He fired a three round burst at the Jackal's head, knocking the helmet off and puncturing the its head.
     Mendez emptied the remains of his SMG's clip into another Jackal who had emerged from the storefront before retreating back into the tavern. Plasma withered away the metal windowsill where Mendez had been a moment earlier as the wounded jackal clutched at its chest and staggered backwards.
     With the help of their support units, the Jackals were now on the offensive. They slowly moved down the street, occasionally darting to cover as fire team Tango tried to stop them. There wasn't much hope of stopping the advancing Jackals. The three remaining support units were a moving pillbox

     "Fall back, into the Savanna." Ordered Otto. "I've only got one grenade. We'll use it to cover our retreat.

     Otto primed the fragmentation grenade and then tossed it into the street.

     "Frag out!" He shouted as the grenade left his hand and bounced on the hard pavement.

     An instant later, the grenade detonated, sending shrapnel flying through the air and forcing the Jackals to take cover. Mullins grabbed Reeves' corpse and quickly dragged it into the Savanna, followed by Jacob. Otto limped after them with the help of Lee.
     Just before Lee stepped into the Savanna, he saw three u shaped Covenant Dropships lazily fly over steep pine covered hills, adjacent to the river. He quickly rushed inside and slammed the heavy metal door shut.
     "Shit!" Shouted Lee. "They've got reinforcements inbound. Three Dropships,"

     "What now?" Asked Mendez. "Wireless communication has all been jammed."

     "There has to be a phone line somewhere in this town." Said Otto. "I'm sure the Covenant wouldn't know about it, so it should still be intact."

     "The most likely place for an intact emergency line around here would be the fuel station." Said Mendez. "But that's at least three hundred yards away. The police station might have had one, but seeing how the cops were the only ones who could have put up an effective resistance, they're probably dead. And the police station is most likely destroyed or crawling with Covenant."

     "Jacob, the guy who owned the Savanna, he was nostalgic right?" Asked Otto.

     "I guess so." Replied Jacob. "You think he may have a phone line?"

     "Let's hope so." Said Otto.

     "I think he might have kept an emergency phone under the counter, next to his ammunition cache." Said Mendez as Hurried around the corner of the counter.

     Mendez crouched down and brushed aside an empty box of shotgun shells. The ex Marine kept a clutter of emergency supplies underneath the counter. Mendez pushed away a small pile of old flares and found what he was looking for.

     "Got it." Said Mendez as he stood up, holding a military style phone in his hand.

     "Make it fast." Said Otto. "The Jackals aren't gonna wait while you make your phone call."

     Plasma shot through the window, confirming Otto's statement. A second later, a deafening explosion shook the tavern. The lights flickered for a moment before the died.

     "Shit! They got the hog!" Shouted Otto. "Is the phone still working?"

     "Yeah." Replied Mendez as he dialed the access number to whiskey outpost."

     "Whiskey outpost, Whiskey outpost!" Shouted Mendez into the phone. "We have multiple Covenant contacts in grid whiskey-nine! Fire team Tango requesting immediate reinforcements! I repeat, Covenant contacts in grid whiskey-nine!"

     "Covenant? Shit!" Exclaimed the operator who had received Mendez's call.

     "We need reinforcements ASAP!" Shouted Mendez, as the fire team returned fire on the Jackals. "We're pinned down by a contingent of Jackals and they've got more on the way."

     "Roger that fire team Tango. Reinforcements inbound ETA two minutes." Said the operator.

     "Two minutes." Said Mendez as he hung up the phone. "Just two minutes."

     Jacob couldn't hear a thing above the load noise of rifle fire. He emptied his second battle rifle clip into the street, wounding a Jackal. He didn't bother reloading his rifle. Jacob immediately grabbed his SMG, extended the butt stock and opened up on a new target.
     Lee's sniper rifle was useless in the current situation. He had pulled out his magnum and was now systematically picking off wounded Jackals. He had already killed the Jackal who had gotten its fingers shot off, and was in the process of taking down another wounded Jackal.
     Suddenly the shrill whine of Needler fire made itself heard. Lee jumped behind an overturned table, just in time to dodge a flurry of pink needles. Mullins' reaction was a second too slow. One of the razor sharp needles cut through his arm. An instant later it exploded, spraying blood and tiny pink shards into the air.
     Mullins screamed, clutching his arm, as he fell to the hard wood floor. His wounds weren't immediately life threatening, but they were extremely painful.

     "Lee, give me a hand here." Moaned Mullins as he increased the pressure on his blood soaked arm.

     Lee rushed over to Mullins' side and pulled him behind the overturned table. As he dressed Mullins' wound, the Jackals made one final push.
     The front door burst open, revealing a support Jackal, its neon blue shield illuminating the dark room. The support Jackal rushed through the door followed by two regulars. Otto turned to face them, and opened fire with his MA5B. As armor piercing rounds ricocheted off harmlessly off the Jackal's shield, the ones behind it returned fire.
     Just as Mendez grabbed his shotgun, two more Jackals rushed in through a second door that lead deeper into the tavern. Mendez raised his shotgun and fired, sending buckshot flying into the chest of the support Jackal who had point. As the support Jackal flew backwards, Mendez dropped to the ground.
     The second Jackal that had entered though the side door was wielding a Needler. It fired a burst of needles at Otto. The needles impacted just above Otto's knee, causing him to stagger backwards. As he slipped, he ripped at the needles with his hand, slicing it open on the razor sharp edges.
     Otto was lucky enough to slide the needles out of his leg, avoiding internal injury. As the needles detonated sending bright pink shards into the air and into Otto's wounds, Mendez fired his shotgun through the wood walls of the counter, sending a spray of buckshot and splinters into the Jackal's legs, severing one and seriously damaging the other.
     As the Jackal screamed in agony, Otto grabbed his SMG and fired at the remaining Jackals, but only managed to to kill the support unit. The two other Jackals Darted for cover as they fired their plasma rifles. Jacob and Lee fired at the two fleeing Jackals, killing one, but the other had already taken cover behind a wooden crate adjacent to the counter.
     Mendez stood up and shot the cowering Jackal with his shotgun. As he pumped a fresh round into the chamber of his shotgun, the final Jackal came running down the stairwell directly across form the counter. As it reached the bottom, it fired its plasma rifle at Mendez. The plasma struck Mendez in the stomach, causing him to double over in pain.
     Jacob swung his SMG in a wide arc, hitting the Jackal in the stomach. The Jackal staggered backwards struggling to breathe. As it struggled, Jacob shoved the muzzle of his SMG into the Jackal's chest and squeezed the trigger. The Jackal screamed as armor piercing rounds punctured its torso, spraying dark purple blood onto the walls.

     "Lee, Mendez needs help." Shouted Jacob.

     Lee nodded and jumped behind the counter, carrying Mullins' medical kit.

     As the smoke cleared from the dark room, the reality of the situation hit Jacob like a ton of bricks. Reeves was dead, and wasn't coming back. Since the first day he set foot on Haven, he had wanted to fight the Covenant rather than guard an outpost. Now the Covenant were here, and they had taken the life of his friend.
     Jacob used to think that the number thirteen wasn't an unlucky number. He had always thought it was superstition, until today. He knew now that thirteen was infact a very unlucky number, because that thirteenth Jackal had cost sergeant Reeves his life.

Fire Team Tango-chapter II
Date: 21 May 2005, 4:34 PM

Fire Team Tango Chapter II "Meat Grinder"


1825 Hours, August 10, 2552 (UNSC Military Calendar)
Planet: Haven, Wayland County, Covenant Occupied Town of Nine Mile.



           Jacob starred down at Reeves' corpse. Less than an hour ago Reeves had been his friend and leader. Now he was just another casualty of war. Jacob was about to leave when he noticed a thin white object tucked away in Reeves' armor. He grabbed the object and pulled it out.
           Jacob held the object and looked up at it and saw it was a photograph. He looked closer, and then quickly dropped the picture. After seeing the images on the picture, Jacob couldn't stand to look at it any longer.
           As the photo lazily drifted down, caught up in the air flow, Lee saw it for an instant. The picture was of Reeves, his wife and son. It was dated July seventeenth, 2552.

           "I'm gonna go outside, and wait for the Pelicans." Said Jacob, trying to mask the grief he felt.

           Lee decided not to intervene. It was Jacob's problem and he would have to deal with it on his own.

           "What's wrong with Jacob?" Asked Mendez.

           "He just found a picture of Reeves' family." Replied Lee. "He's been wanting to see some combat ever since we got here. Now he feels guilty about Reeves' death. I guess he never expected one of us to get killed."

           Jacob slowly strolled across the road. He no longer cared about whether or not there was another sniper, or if the Covenant had sent more troops to pick off the rest of the fire team. After wanting to see combat and then seeing Reeves get killed, Jacob had complete contempt for his life. Whether he lived or died no longer mattered to him.
           The faint sounds of Pelican Dropships caught Jacob's attention. He looked up into the tall weathered cliffs that bordered the right side of Nine Mile. Jacob could just make out the cliffs' silhouettes through the dense fog, but he couldn't see the Dropships. He checked his watch and saw that the reinforcements were two minutes late.
           As Jacob looked back up at the cliffs, five Pelican Dropships gracefully flew over them. The thick fog swirled around them as they drifted forward, towards the grassy field just across the road from the Savanna. When the five Dropships were over the field, they began to descend.
           Jacob ran over to the Dropships as they touched down on the wet grass. As he ran, he realized that acting the way he did after Reeves' death would only tarnish his memory. If I keep going on like this, i'm just going to get someone killed. Reeves taught me better than that. Thought Jacob. I guess I owe it to him to stay alive and keep fighting.

           "Where's the rest of you fire team, Jacob?" Asked a Marine who had just exited one of the Dropships.

           The man was Staff Sergeant Kaplan, one of Whiskey outpost's quarter masters. He was tall, and wore heavy armor designed for shock troopers. This made him look intimidating. When it came to proper weapons handling and cleaning, the man was a nightmare.

           "Reeves got hit." Replied Jacob. "He didn't make it. Mendez Otto and Mullins got hit, but they'll be all right if they get proper medical attention. Mendez needs it more. He took a few hits in the stomach."

           "How about Lee?" Asked Kaplan. "Is he still able to fight?"

           "Lee is fine." Replied Jacob. " All we need is some ammo, and me and him will be able to go back into combat."

           "Good." Said Kaplan. "We could use another sniper and we can always use more troops."

           "Me and my squad will go help Lee with the rest of your fire team." Kaplan continued as he handed Jacob a small military style laptop. "Take a look at these. We only got about fifty percent before our communications were jammed."

           Jacob took the laptop and looked at the screen. On the screen were arial images on Nine Mile. It showed several location where the covenant were dug in. Near the ore silo complex, a few hundred feet away from the Savanna was what appeared to be a Covenant supply cache. On the bottom of the image was a serial number and then the words UNSC Frigate Excalibur.
           Jacob scrolled to the next image. The old refinery next to the ore silo complex had been fortified in some places. The Covenant had also set up a medium sized camp in the ruins of the refinery's left side. What the hell did that? Thought Jacob as he examined the ruins. Looks like some kind of heavy weapon punched right through it. Could the Covenant have armor in the town?
           There were only a few more images on the laptop that showed a strong Covenant presence in and around the warehouse complex that blocked off the refinery from the rest of the town. Outside the complex was what seemed to be a communications relay station surrounded by several small generator modules. The infra red image of the picture showed a huge spike in thermal activity right where the alleged relay station was.
           I've seen these before. Thought Jacob as he studied the Covenant equipment. Back on Sigma Octanius four, just before we were transferred. Jacob went on to the last picture which showed the cold storage facility. The large titanium and concrete structure had been retrofitted with covenant technology. Behind the structure six large spherical structures had been set up by the Covenant. The Covenant structures linked up to the equipment retrofitted into the back of the cold storage facility.

           "They're dug in pretty deep, huh." Said Kaplan as he returned, helping Otto walk to the Dropship.

           "Yeah." Replied Jacob. "They're all centralized though. If they hadn't jammed our communications then we could just have one of the fire bases shell them."

           "The Covenant are jamming the communications with local hardware, sine they don't have a ship in the area to do so." Said Kaplan. "Our primary objective is to take out that hardware so we can start coordinating our assault. The brass also wants us to take out their relay station and the supply cache. If we can do that then we'll starve them of their local supplies. It won't do us much good if the Covenant start airlifting supplies in."

           "Hey Kaplan. if the Covenant don't have a ship, then where did the the troops and supplies come from?" Asked Jacob.

           "Our sensors didn't pick up a thing orbiting Haven, except for UNSC equipment and the orbital facilities." Replied Kaplan. "The Covenant can cloak their smaller ships, but nothing big enough to carry enough troops let alone Dropships, or carry weapons to take out our installations. They probably managed to get a substantial amount of troops and supplies here from one of their capital ships and then left em here."

           "Its really weird now that I think of it." Said Jacob. "Where did the civilians go? I suppose the Covenant could have killed them all before they escaped, but that would be quite a feat. They would have to do it covertly, but then why bother to kill civilians if this is a covert ops? That would just attract attention. Why do all that and then make their presence here obvious?"

           "I haven't a damn clue." Replied Kaplan. "Now if you'll be so kind as to excuse me, I've got to get mister Schwartz on a pelican."

           Jacob and Lee watched as the Pelican carrying Mendez Mullins and Otto lifted off the ground and sped towards Whiskey outpost. As the Dropship left, Jacob checked to see how much ammunition he had left. He found only one clip left for his battle rifle and three for his SMG.

           "Hey Kaplan, got any spare ammo?" Asked Jacob.

           "What do you need?" Replied Kaplan. "I've got mostly BR55 clips here. A few MA5B clips and some eight gauge buckshot shells."

           "I just need a few BR55 clips." Stated Jacob.

           "One moment." Said Kaplan as he retrieved two clips from the crate.

           "Kaplan, look for some hollow point rounds for my S22." Said Lee. "I've only got twelve rounds left.

           "Sorry Lee, looks like you'll have to make do with what you've got." Replied Kaplan. "You and the ONI Marines are the only ones with S22s."

           "Guess I'll have to ration these." Said Lee as he made a slight adjustment to his scope.

           "Fire teams Fox-trot and Oscar are gonna need your help taking out that supply cache." Said Kaplan as he handed the two BR55 clips to Jacob.

           "Fire team Oscar's CO is over there." Kaplan continued as he gestured towards one of the two Pelican Dropships that remained.

           "Thanks for the ammo." Said Jacob as he and Lee walked towards fire team Oscar's CO.

           As Jacob and Lee walked across the field, several Marines were digging foxholes in the rain soaked ground. Others were setting up machineguns, camouflage netting and metal barriers in and around the foxholes.

           "Sir, Staff Sergeant Kaplan told us that your fire team may need help with destroying the Covenant supply cache." Said Jacob as he approached Oscar's CO.

           "That's correct soldier." Said the Sergeant. "This is gonna be everything but easy. We have no communications and no updated intel. All we're doing is softening up Nine Mile for the troops on the Excalibur."

           "So, where's this supply cache we have to take out?" Asked Lee.

           "In between the ore silo complex and the refinery." Replied Jacob.

           "Fire teams Oscar and Fox-trot are deploying now." Said the sergeant. "You two are with fire team Oscar."

           As the Sergeant finished speaking, the Marines under his command assembled around him. In the distance, the sounds of a fire fight could be heard. A moment later, fire team Fox-trot arrived.

           "Fire team Fox-trot will move through the drainage ditch that runs parallel to the train tracks in order to flank the Covenant." Said the Sergeant as he briefed the two fire teams. "Fire team Oscar will move up through the fields in a direct assault. Red smoke will signal the assault. Keep your heads down and don't fire until I give the order. We need Fox-trot in position before the Covenant are aware of us. From there on we may have to defend the cache until we can arm the demolition charges."

           "This won't be a cake walk. The cache its self will most likely have a substantial amount of defenders, and we can expect them to have addition reinforcements nearby." Continued the Sergeant. "all right, lets move out."

           Jacob and Lee closely followed the two fire teams as they jogged to the alley that ran along the side of the Savanna. The interior was dark and wet. Occasionally a shaft of dull light cut through the darkness, but it didn't do much to illuminate the alley. The sound of rain hitting the tarps that covered the alley intensified as the Marines inched forward.
           When the Marines reached the far end of the alley where it joined another, the Sergeant gave them the hand signal to stop. He then motioned for two of his men to clear the new alley. Two Marines quickly moved forward and rushed into the alley, covering both ways as they did. They paused for a moment and then one of them spoke.

           "Sir, you should see this." Said one of the Marines as he lowered his rifle.

           The Sergeant stepped forward and then stopped in the intersection. The rain began to fall even harder. Wisps of fog slowly drifted over the alley as he began to speak.

           "Looks like we've found some of the civilians." He said in a depressing tone. "They're all dead, children too."

           Jacob and Lee moved forward to see the civilians. There were fifteen of them. Most of them were adults, but three of them were children. Lee stepped forward to examine one of the bodies. It had a clean yet deep slash across the throat, but other than that there were no other injuries, not even signs of plasma caused burns. Lee went on to the next body and found the same thing.

           "All their throats are slit." Said Lee as he looked back up at the Marines. "No plasma scoring, no signs of Needler wounds, no blunt force trauma. Just the slit throats. An odd way to execute fifteen people."

           "Apparently they wanted to be discrete." replied the Sergeant. "Looks like this was the work of special ops."

           "It would explain why no one called for help or alerted any of the other towns," Said Lee. "but that would mean that the entire population of Nine Mile was killed like this."

           What the hell is going on here? Thought Jacob as he looked down on the corpses. He no longer felt remorse for the dead. For the first time since he joined up, Jacob had seen the war for what it really was. There were none of the propaganda images of Marines bravely fighting and dying to push back the Covenant, only desperate battles fought not for glory but survival. Countless lives had already been lost, and Jacob decided his name wouldn't end up on the long list of casualties that grew day by day.
           No remorse, just survival. Thought Jacob as he shifted his gaze away from the bodies. Now's my chance to make a difference on this rock, and I'll be dammned if I'm gonna miss it.

           "We'll get these cleaned up later." Said the Sergeant. "Move out, we still have a supply cache to take out."

           "Lee, you think the spec ops are still in town?" Jacob asked his friend.

           "I don't see a reason for them to stay." Answered Lee. "Maybe this was just a diversion. Maybe the covenant are interested in what ever Oni's been doing here."

           Jacob decided not to continue the conversation and walked on down the alley. The alley was defined by the building on its left side, and the old wooden fence on its right. The packed in dirt that made up its floor still kept its form, even with all the rain. The rain was channeled into a set of tire tracks which ran down the center of the alley and ended at the messy construction site which blocked it off at its end.
           The Marines cautiously moved forward as they approached a section of the fence that had large gaps in it. Opposite the gaps were three large dumpsters which were bathed in the light from the neon red sign above them. This section of the alley was covered by metal sheets which amplified the sound of falling rain. All the other sounds were drowned out by the rain hitting the metal sheets.
           Fire team Fox-trot moved out of the protective alley and into the grassy field that bordered it and the rest of the town. They took up defensive positions behind two train tracks that were elevated by gravel. Right on the other side of the train tracks was the ditch that fire team Fox-trot would use to flank the Covenant. It was undoubtedly filled with thick mud and pools of stagnant water, but it offered concealment and cover.
           As fire team Fox-trot took up their defensive positions, Jacob, Lee and fire team Oscar hurried across the train tracks. A large expanse of grass, shallow pools of stagnant water, and concrete vent structures lay between the Marines and the Covenant supply cache. The vent structures released hot air from the automated subterranean complex below the refinery, causing the fog around the town to swirl up into the sky. During the hours of dusk, the town was circled by thick fog, giving the impression of a siege. This only added tension to the already nerve wrecking situation.
           As fire team Oscar spread out and slowly advanced into the the marsh-like field, fire team Fox-trot entered the drainage ditch. If everything went right, fire team Fox-trot would be able to assault the Covenant from the side while fire team Oscar hit them from the front. The plan was lacking only one thing which was updated intelligence. The Marines knew that if there were unexpected reinforcements or additional defenses around the supply cache, the assault would most likely fail and the casualties would be high.
           Jacob pushed this thought into the back of his mind as he trudged through the shallow pools of water littered with broken timber, small bits of obsolete industrial hardware and rusted out barrels. The marsh-like field was a dumping ground littered with an array of rusted metal broken glass and cracked plastic. Larger pieces of rusted out industrial hardware were nestled within tall groves of reeds which dotted the landscape.
           The area was also home to a large shallow creek that was used to dump the town's sewage. Concrete sewers retrofitted with vent structures and old hardware were buried only a few feet beneath the saturated soil. The marsh-like field was crawling with a wide variety of insects, large worms and other forms of pests that made their homes in the trash that had been carelessly discarded.
           The supply cache was now less than a hundred feet away. It was nestled beneath the towering rectangular ore silos and bordered by the refinery on one side and a complex of abandoned shipping crates on the other. The supply cache itself was surrounded by short barrier made of stone and empty supply modules. Two large plasma turrets were set up to cover the exposed sections of the cache and in the center, a large circular tower had been deployed.
           The defenders were a mix of Grunts and Jackals. They slowly walked around the supply modules that had been neatly stacked together. All together there were twenty-four Covenant troops guarding the supply cache. Eighteen of them were Grunts, and the rest were Jackal regulars.
     The Sergeant motioned for the Marines to stop and hold their positions. He then crept over to lee who had taken up a sniper position behind a rusty refrigerator that had been overgrown by reeds and grasses.

           "See the Grunt with the red armor?" Asked the Sergeant in a hushed tone. "He's in charge. Target him, but don't take him out until I tell you to."

           The Sergeant then made his way back to the rest of the Marines. He crouched down behind another vent structure where Jacob was ready to bring down a Grunt in orange armor if given the order to. The Sergeant pulled out his binoculars as saw fire team Fox-trot at the end of the drainage ditch.

           "Stay here and give us covering fire." Instructed the Sergeant. "Keep those turrets targeted. If you see the Covenant go for one of em, then drop him before he gets there."

           Jacob looked back down his scope at the Grunt he had been targeting a moment earlier. As he did, the sergeant pulled out his smoke canister, pulled the pin and threw it out into the field. Bright red smoke began to pour out of the canister moments after it hit the ground.

           "Take em out!" He shouted as he ran to his troops.

           A second after the order had been given, a hollow point round punched through the commanding Grunt's head. Neon blue blood spouted from a horrible wound in the alien's head, drenching its crimson armor. As the Grunt died, two more fell from a hollow point round wound and a burst of armor piercing rounds.
           The supply cache erupted into chaos as the Marines charged in. In the first few moments, two Jackals and another three Grunts died as well as four Marines from the two fire teams. Lee fired the last two shots in his clip at a Grunt who had been spraying Needler fire down on fire team Oscar. As Lee reloaded his weapon, frantic movement near the refinery caught his attention.
           As Lee peered down his scope at fire team Fox-trot, he saw two of its Marines get ripped apart by a nearby explosion of plasma. The three remaining members of the fire team panicked and ran as a Wraith advanced from the rail yard adjacent to the refinery. It fired a second shot, killing two more Marines. As eight Grunts rushed passed the Wraith towards the supply cache, it directed its attention to what remained of fire team Oscar.

           "They've got armor, fall back!" Shouted Lee as the Wraith fired.

           The massive orb of plasma gracefully arced upward and then started its descent. Jacob looked up at the plasma mortar round and the scrambled into the complex of shipping crates. The mortar round hit the vent structure causing the concrete to crack and cave in. It was held together by a few bars of metal that had survived the intense heat, but it didn't look like it would hold for long.
           As the Wraith directed its attention away from him, Jacob ran towards Lee, but when he got to the vent structure it collapsed, taking him down with it.

           "Lee, get me out of here!" Shouted Jacob as he tried to unearth himself from the rubble.

           As Lee got up to help his friend, a bright purple blur passed right in front of his face. Lee fell backwards into the damp grass. As he did, he could still feel the heat and electrical charge from the beam rifle bolt that had just missed him.

           "They've got another sniper!" Shouted Lee as he scrambled across the grass to cover. "You're on your own Jacob."

           Lee wasn't going to stay and fight. The assault on the supply cache had fallen apart the moment it started, leaving Lee up against the remnants of guards, their reinforcements and a Wraith. He got up and ran back towards the train tracks, to more suitable cover.

           "That bastard sniper's gonna get more than he bargained for." Muttered Lee to himself as he ran.

           Lee quickly cleared the distance between his former position and the train tracks. He leapt over the drainage ditch and scrambled up to the train tracks. Upon reaching the top, Lee rushed down the other side and burst into the alley. He struggled to gain enough traction on the slick soil to run. As Lee slipped and scrambled towards the nearest door, a second beam rifle bolt cut through his arm. Lee didn't pay attention to the pain. He was intent of taking out the Jackal sniper.
           Lee kicked open a large metal door that joined the alley and rushed in. Just as he got inside, a beam rifle round punched through the door, leaving a molten hole in its wake. Lee stopped for a moment to catch his breath and get his bearings. He breathed a sigh of relief, convinced he was safe inside the building he had entered.
           Lee looked at the interior of the building. He saw more bodies hastily pilled alongside neatly stacked crates and boxes. Crimson blood pooled beneath the bodies. Their throats were all cleanly slashed. Lee saw he was in a storage room for one of the stores in Nine Mile. He quickly scanned the room for an exit. The large segmented door at the loading section of the room was locked, and the door leading into the store was locked as well.
           There were only two more options. A door on the side of the room that lead out into a parking lot and three windows above that lead out onto the roof.

           "All right, the parking lot's too risky." Muttered Lee. "Besides, the sniper will probably have that covered. I'll have to go up."

           Lee paused to think and then remembered the grenade he had taken from one of the supply crates earlier. He quickly came up with a plan and began to put it into motion. Lee ran to the door and opened it slightly so that it was left ajar. He then climbed the crates to the opened windows above. As he reached the top of the crates, Lee primed the grenade and threw it at the door.
           As the grenade exploded, forcing the door to fly open, the Jackal sniper fired. Lee rolled out of the window and spotted the sniper. He fired, hitting it in the waist and tearing a large hole in its soft flesh. The Jackal staggered backwards, and was hit in the head by a second hollow point round, which ended its life.
           The threat the sniper posed was gone, but Lee didn't want to stick around. He decided he would fall back to the Pelicans' landing zone where the Marines had dug in.

                         *     *     *

           Jacob felt a sharp pain in his leg. He looked down to see a jagged piece of sheet metal protruding from a gash above his knee. Jacob grunted as he pulled the piece of metal from his leg. He looked up and saw a long dark corridor. Jacob got up and began to walk down the industrial corridor. It was designed to vent steam on hot air, but it also housed large pipes and pumping equipment.
           Each step Jacob took caused more pain in his leg. The medical pack he had been given lay scattered on the sidewalk next to the Savanna tavern. The bleeding wasn't serious, but the wound was painful. Jacob braced himself against a large pumping station and reached for his battle rifle. Then he realized he didn't have it any more. No use going back for it. Thought Jacob. Its just gonna cause more trouble.
           Jacob grabbed his MP20 and folded out the butt stock. The SMG was more suited for this kind of environment than the BR55, so Jacob didn't mind the loss of his primary weapon. I'll just get another when i get back to Whiskey outpost. Thought Jacob as he continued to walk down the corridor. Kaplan's gonna give me hell for loosing it.
           Something further down the corridor caught Jacob's attentions. Something was causing barely visible movements in the faint steam that filled the corridor and occasionally disrupted the environment. The hell is that? Thought Jacob as raised his MP20 and crept forward.
           The disturbance in the environment was moving deliberately. There was no doubt in Jacob's mind about that, but he never seen something like that before. As Jacob crept closer, the disruption stopped moving and seemed to shift. There was an excited yelp followed by a burst of plasma.
           Jacob dropped to the floor as the plasma shot above him. He fired his SMG at the disruption. Several round impacted the disruption, causing a transparent silhouetted image to appear for a moment. Jacob knew it was a Grunt immediately, because of the neon blue blood that was streaming down an unseen mass from unseen wounds.
           The disruption began to move erratically. It ran and staggered forwards, swaying from side to side. Jacob fired at the disturbance again. The grunt's transparent silhouette became visible again as the rounds from Jacob's SMG punched through its body, spraying neon blue blood on the walls and floor. The Grunt made a short squeak and then fell to the ground. As Jacob watched, the transparent silhouette melted away revealing the Grunt. Its dull gray armor was stained with neon blue blood and the leathery skin of its legs was riddled with bullet wounds.
           Jacob checked the Clip of his MP20. He saw there were only fifteen rounds left. Jacob discarded the old clip and loaded a new one. As he finished loading his weapon, he noticed a faint humming sound originating just ahead of him.
           Jacob continued on down the corridor until he reached and intersection. A second corridor joined the one Jacob was in at an angle. As jacob entered the new corridor, the humming noise intensified. He continued along the new corridor, mesmerized by the sound.
           The corridor soon opened up into a small runoff reservoir. The reservoir was empty, but tucked away in the corner was a strange object. the Object looked like a smaller version of the Covenant cargo module, but instead of transporting cargo, the object was bristling with computer terminals. It was painted a dull maroon color and at its top was an array of three antennas that curved inward. The antennas were doted with colorful lights, and occasionally bright purple energy surged along them and dissipated at their tops.
           The odd object was surrounded by two plasma batteries. The circular objects gave off a humming noise as electricity danced throughout their mechanical innards. Could this be what's jamming the communications? Thought Jacob as he examined the object. I guess it wouldn't hurt to take it out even if it isn't.
           Jacob raised his SMG as he slowly walked backwards. Once he felt the cool wall at his back, he emptied the clip into one of the plasma batteries. Electricity surged around the damaged battery as sparks flew from destroyed circuitry. The electricity intensified until the plasma battery was torn apart by an explosion. The explosion of the first battery caused an explosion in the second.
           Jacob watched as the electrical discharge from the two batteries swarmed over the object, damaging its computers and the heat melted the metal that encased it. Convinced the object was destroyed, Jacob continued down the corridor. As he walked, he reloaded his MP20.
           Suddenly a disturbance darted in front of him. Jacob fired a burst into the disturbance as it shifted. A second transparent silhouette of a grunt appeared. It staggered backwards, clutching its chest as neon blue blood poured from its wounds. Jacob was about to finish of the alien when a loud roar of anger caused him to turn around.
           Jacob saw a third disturbance. This one was much bigger than the other two and coming closer at an alarming rate. Jacob could barely make out the upper part of the body. The torso was hunched over, but the disturbance managed to run down the corridor with ease. In its left arm appeared a brilliant white flash which soon formed into a two pronged sword. Jacob emptied the remains of his SMG's clip into the oncoming adversary.
           Bright blue waves of energy cascaded around the transparent silhouette of an Elite as the SMG rounds bounced harmlessly off. Jacob was out of combat options. He dropped his weapon and ran the other way. The Elite was fast, but it wasn't able to stand upright and Jacob had a head start. He managed to keep himself far enough away from the Elite so that it wouldn't be able to cut him down, but it was a mere twelve feet away.
           Jacob saw a faint light pouring in through a rectangular hole just ahead. He ran as fast as he could towards the light, intent on escaping the Elite's blade. As Jacob got to the exit, he pulled himself up and squeezed out of the small opening. As soon as he was free, he rolled sideways, nearly missing the Elite's final attempt to end his life. The energy sword cut into Jacob's arm and traveled all the way down to his wrist.
           Jacob gritted his teeth in pain as crimson blood poured out of his wound. As jacob lay on the could wet pavement, a medic rushed over to him and with the help of another Marine, dragged him behind a large metal barricade. The agonizing pain made Jacob oblivious to the intensive fighting that was taking place all around him. Jacob felt a bold of plasma impact him, but he no longer felt pain. he began to slip into unconsciousness.

                         *     *     *

           Jacob awoke to see the ceiling of a tent above him. A faint blue light poured in from a flap in the tent.

           "Glad to see you're awake." Said Lee as he entered the tent. "Looks like that Elite nearly got you."

           Jacob remembered the battles he had fought at Nine Mile and the run in with the Elite.

           "How are Mendez and Otto, and mullins, are they okay?" Asked Jacob.

           "They're fine." Replied Lee. "You, Otto and Mendez have to take it easy for a bit, but every one's fine. Purple hearts all around."

           "Every one in the team got hit?" Asked Jacob.

           "Yeah." Answered Lee. "Mine and Mullins' wounds were a lot worse than they looked. I nearly had my artery thing severed. I forgot what happened to Mullins, but he's fine now. Oh, before I forget, a brought you some of last night's dinner. UNSC grade mystery meat, mmm. Sounds tasty, doesn't it?"

           "I think i'll peel that dead leach off the floor and eat that instead." Replied Jacob.

           "Well, if you don't want it, then I suppose we could make some of the new recruits eat it." Said Lee. "Its been out all night, and i'm sure they'll have a hard time keeping it down. We can bet on who has the will to eat the most old mystery meat."

           "Yeah, and then who ever you bet on will end up getting the whole plate full shoved down his throat by you." Replied Jacob

           "Yeah, you're right." Said Lee. "I probably would do that. Well, then I suppose we could paste the Colonel's head on war crimes posters and put them up around the base."

           "The Colonel would freak out if we did that." Replied Jacob. "I'm not ready for a life's sentence of latrine duty."

     

           "So, what happened?" Continued Jacob. "What happened at Nine Mile? We took it back right?"

           "Yes and no." Replied Lee. "The Whiskey outpost forces were out numbered, out gunned and had no way of communicating with each other save messengers. To put it bluntly, we were slaughtered. Eighty percent casualties. We didn't take out the supply cache, the command center or the base camp. Although the wireless communication came back online, we evacuated all out personnel from the town. It wouldn't have made much of a difference any way, but it made it a hell of a lot easier for the Excalibur's troops. They're still fighting to take the town back, but they got the Covenant on the run."

           "That bad?" Asked Jacob, who was obviously surprised.

           "It gets worse." Replied Lee. "The Covenant still have a strong presence here. The civilians panicked when they heard about it. ONI came in a declared marshal law. The whole county is under lock down."

Fire Team Tango-chapter III
Date: 15 June 2005, 7:05 PM

Fire Team Tango Chapter III "Divine Intervention"


1200 Hours, August 13, 2552 (UNSC Military Calendar)
Planet: Haven, Wayland County, City of Wayland: Currently Under Martial Law.



      A Troop-hog slowly drove through a vacant street in the city of Wayland. The city had been under martial law for nearly three days. Its population usually stayed inside, and today was no different. Only a hand full of civilians walked along the sidewalks, past makeshift outposts set up by the Marines from the frigate Excalibur and the battle group that had accompanied it.
      Fire team Tango sat in the rear of the Troop-hog, surveying the city. ONI had lost several expeditionary teams in the abandoned mines over twelve hours ago, and contact with the investigation teams was lost nearly six hours ago. The abandoned mines were under lock down, and the UNSC had begun to expand their operations into the surrounding area.

      "This place is nearly a ghost town." Commented Jacob as he watched vacant storefronts drift by. "I thought there would be protesting and stuff like that."

      "Not when ONI's calling the shots." Said Otto.

      After Reeves' death, Otto became fire team Tango's new Sergeant. Mullins inherited Otto's old rank of Corporal. He didn't care about moving up through the ranks. All he wanted to do was keep his friends alive. Reeves' death had effected the fire team more than anyone wanted.

      "So, explain to me why we have to trudge through the sewers all afternoon." Said Lee as he cradled his S22.

      "The brass believes the Covenant entered the mines through the sewers via a forced entry." Replied Otto. "The mines are connected by extensive natural caves. We've got Marines searching the caves, so we're bound to run into friendlies."

      "Looks like Nine Mile was a diversion after all." Said Lee. "When do you think they got here?"

      "Probably while we were taking back the town." Replied Otto. "I'm sure they've got some operation going on down there. The expeditionary teams probably found out about them and were killed. That or the Covenant found the expeditionary teams. According to the brass, either way we'll be dealing with special operations troops."

      "More Elites?" Asked Jacob as he rubbed his arm, remembering the camouflaged Elite that had attacked him.

      "I hope not." Replied Otto. "But if we do run into one, we take it down as a team. No heroics."

      As the Troop-hog mad a right turn in the intersection, flashing red lights caught Jacob's attention. He grabbed hold of the railing and stood up. Parked in front of a locked bulkhead was an ambulance, its red emergency lights illuminating the storefronts. Two paramedics were loading a stretcher holding a body bag into the back of the ambulance, overseen by four ONI Marines. Crimson blood was splattered in the bulkhead, interrupted by the occasional bullet hole.
      What the hell happened here? Thought Jacob as he surveyed the scene. The rest of the fire team was watching the paramedics load the body into the ambulance as well. Every one knew what happened, but no one wanted to believe it.
      As the Troop-hog came to a stop in front of a restaurant, Jacob leapt out. He walked towards a round glass table occupied by three ODSTs.

      "What happened here?" Asked Jacob, wanting to confirm his suspicions.

      One of the ODSTs looked up, the others just ignored him.

      "A couple of civilians started to protest the marshal law." Replied the ODST. "The ONI Marines gunned em down the instant they started."

      The ODST had a British accent and a crazy look in his eyes. Not even the sanctioned execution of the protesters bothered him.

      "Lance Corporal Johns." Said the ODST.

      "What?" asked Jacob as he tore his gaze away from the scene in front of him.

      "I'm Lance Corporal Johns." Replied the ODST.

      "Private Jacob Stanton." Said Jacob as he shifted his gaze back towards the ambulance.

      "Just a heads up." Said Johns in a hushed tone. "Don't think ONI will stop at the protesters."

      "You think they're gonna continue this?" Asked Jacob.

      "I'd better shut up now." Replied Johns. "That ONI guy is giving me a nasty look."

      Jacob looked at the ONI Marine and then walked back to his fire team. They were standing around a small access tunnel to the sewer. The thick metal hatch that sealed off the sewer was opened, and the hole was marked by bright yellow construction tape.
      Lee was the first to climb down into the sewer. When he reached the bottom, he grabbed his S22. Lee had removed the long barrel of the standard configuration and replaced it with a shortened version that was combined with a different receiver. The shortened barrel used a series of linear magnets rather than the old gas operated system. This made the new configuration perfect for 'wet work'. No sound and no muzzle flash gave Lee a huge advantage when it came to being stealthy, but the configuration was not without its drawbacks.
      The new barrel was shorter which caused two problems. Accuracy was diminished because of the lack of rifle groovings inside the new barrel as well as it's length. In addition to that, the individual rounds did not have the velocity the gas operated system offered. To make up for the drawbacks, the clips that went with the new configuration were extended to hold thirty solid core tungsten rounds.
      The new configuration didn't make Lee's S22 much of a sniper rifle, but considering the environment he would be fighting in, it was the perfect weapon.

      "How's the sewer?" Asked Mullins as he peered down the access tunnel.

      "Cold and damp." Replied Lee. "Just like everything else on Haven."

      "At least its just a run off sewer for the mines." Said Mullins as he began to climb down the ladder. "I'd hate to trudge through the city's shit all day."

* * *

      After walking for several minutes, the fire team reached the wall breach. The two thick layers of concrete had crumbled around the large opening. The broken chunks of concrete that littered the damp sewer floor were all scorched. Parts of the chunks and slabs had been splintered into paper thin shards which coated the ground around the breach.
      Three Marines were stationed around the breach. They stood around several large unmarked olive green crates.

      "There's your entrance." Said one of the Marines, motioning to the breach and the cave behind it. "We've charted it only to the drop off, so the rest is up to you. We'll hang back and watch your six while you're down there."

      "Thanks." Said Otto. "We appreciate it."

      The fire team entered through the breach in the thick concrete walls of the sewer into the narrow cave. It was chocked with roots and only big enough for one person to fit through at a time. In the center of the cave, the roots had been hacked apart, making a small path. The idea of an Elite struggeling to squeeze through the crampped cave was ammusing, but if they did manage to fit through, it would mean that Jacob and his fire team would have to fight them.

      "Jacob, you take point." Ordered Otto.

      Jacob complied with the order and raised his MP20. The path was lit with neon yellow glow sticks. The Marines had only charted a small portion of the cave, but had determined it had been dug out by the covenant. The Marines had ended their survey where the cave ended in a drop off. Only a single glow stick marked the bottom.

      "How come we didn't know about this cave?" Asked Jacob as he pushed through the tattered roots. "Even though the Covenant did have to dig it out a little, its right next to the sewer."

      "It was probably formed by runoff. The roots are all exposed and I'm pretty sure that wasn't by design." Replied Mendez. "I don't know how the Covenant found it, but It probably leads to what ever they're looking for."

      The fire team continued on through the cramped cave, brushing past tattered roots and passing bright glow sticks. They had been walking for several minutes, and the cave had gotten systematically darker with each step. Every one was equipped with night vision goggles, but at the moment they did more harm than good.
      Along with all the other equipment at Whiskey outpost, the night vision goggles were the best the UNSC had to offer. They were designed around the standard light amplification technology, but were also capable of providing illumination with out the use of light. their ability to do so was a mystery to Jacob, but he had never taken the time to inquire about it.
      Jacob pushed forward through the roots. The next glow stick was only a few feet away. The glow stick was a neon red and marked the location of the drop off.

      "We're at the drop off." said Jacob as he peered down to see a faint yellow glow stick at the bottom. "It widens out along the edge, so we don't have to go one at a time."

* * *


      The only light source was the faint glow stick. Fire team Tango had ended up in a foot of ice cold water. The Cave had been blocked off by debris consisting of thick slabs of rock, dark mud and gnarled roots. The water that had flowed along the edges of the cave had been stopped by the debris, causing it to form a shallow pool.
      Jacob pulled his night vision goggles over his eyes. The pitch black world was suddenly bathed in green light. The solid mass that had made up the cave walls became a detailed image of craggy dark green rocks and a tangle of thick twisting tree roots. Small crustacean-like creatures crawled among the roots, occasionally stopping to feed on the liken that covered them.
      The creatures were everywhere, curled up together within the protective roots, crawling on the slick cave walls and squirming through the pools of cold water that formed among the sides of the cave. Each creature gave of a phosphorescent glow, lighting it up like a Christmas tree in the light amplified world.
      As Jacob continued to walk down the cave, a long worm like creature dropped from the roof above and landed on his shoulder.

      "Oh God, It looks like a tape worm." Jacob said in disgust as he scooped the pest off with his knife.

      Jacob threw the pest down to the hard cave floor and watched it writhe on the cold jagged rocks. After a few moments, he stepped on the worm, crushing its exo-skeletal plates and squeezing its soft entrails onto the rocks. As the worm died, it gave a shrill squeak that echoed down the cave for what seemed like an eternity.

      "Nice job." Said Lee sarcastically as he raised his S22 and peered though the scope.

      The entire fire team took up defensive positions, each member hoping that Jacob's blunder wouldn't be costly.

      "Tell me what you see, Lee." Whispered Otto.

"Movement ahead." Replied Lee. "Can't tell whether its wildlife or Covenant. Its too blurry"

      "Take it down." Ordered Otto as he starred down the cave.

      Lee squeezed his S22's trigger. In an instant three rounds shot forth leaving only ripples in the air. The tungsten rounds impacted their target and punched right through it. As the rounds hit their mark, flashes of light erupted from the target and began to pool on the floor.

      "Looks like a Grunt." Said Lee as he examined his kill through the scope.

      "Wait." Said Jacob as he searched the ceiling of the cave. "Hear that?"

      "What?" Asked Lee.

      "That pulsing humming noise." Replied Jacob. "Its faint, but it sounds like its coming from the ceiling.

      As Jacob finished speaking, the humming noise became louder. His night vision goggles filled with static as the noise intensified. The humming had a striking similarity to a heart beat.

      "What the hell's happening sarge?" Asked Mullins nervously.

      "I don't know." Replied Otto. "Just hold your positions until it passes."

      A chorus of chirps and screeches echoed through the walls of the cave. Panic slowly crept over the fire team as the sounds intensified yet again. The pulsing humming noise was now nearly unbearable.
      Jacob stood up and swept the area, frantically looking for a target. Every one wanted to run, but their military training took hold and forced them to stay.

      "What the hall is this?" Frantically demanded Jacob.

      Otto didn't respond. He was breathing heavily and had tensed up. The sounds were effecting every one in different ways, but each one was terrified.

      "Contact!" Shouted Lee as he began to fire wildly down the tunnel.

      As Lee began to fire, the rest of fire team Tango opened up, not bothering to aim. Jacob's static filled light amplified world became blinding as he and the others fired wildly in every direction.

      "where the hell are they?!" Shouted Jacob as he dropped his SMG and whipped out his pistol.

      "I don't know, just keep firing!" Shouted Otto.

      The sounds ended abruptly, leaving the fire team in a state of panic. The static ended and their world was once again washed over with uninterrupted shades of green. The creatures that had been feeding of the roots moments earlier were gone and the adversaries that had haunted them left no trace of their presence. The only evidence of the fear induced fire fight were the spent shell casings that littered the ground.
      Jacob took a step forward. As he planted his foot on the ground, a violent tremor shook the cave. Debris began to fall from the ceiling as the tremors increased. Jacob quickly stepped backwards as the solid rock floor beneath him shifted. He quickly grabbed his MP20 and slammed a fresh clip into the receiver.

      "What the hell do we do now?!" Shouted Jacob as the rock walls split apart.

      "Lets get the hell out of here." Said Otto as he rapidly stood up.

      The fire team turned and ran back towards the exit. Only the faint glow stick guided them. As the rushed forward, the cave walls began to crumble, sending large slabs of rock falling to the ground and tearing the thick roots apart.
      Suddenly the slick rock floor melted away, revealing a large rectangular shaft surrounded by automated machinery. Molten rock pooled around the machinery as the moister on the surrounding rocks evaporated.
      Steam obscured Jacob's view as he rushed forward with no regard for the danger ahead. He and the rest of the fire team just wanted to get out of the caves. Something terrifying was down there, and now the cave was shifting, sending heavy slabs of rocks falling to the ground.
      As Jacob approached the strange rectangular shaft, a bright circular symbol appeared on it. The metallic covering split apart revealing dark gray machinery covered with dancing lights. Jacob came to a halt, right in front of the machinery.

      "What the hell is that?" He asked as the tremors died down once again.

      "I don't know." Said Otto as he stopped to catch his breath. "Just keep going."

      "You think it's safe to cross?" Asked Jacob as he cautiously took a step forward.

      "Test it." Said Otto. "I'll pull you back if anything happens."

      Jacob stepped onto the flat panels decorated by circuits of light and the circular vents that composed the machinery. The molten rock on either side of the machinery bathed it in soft orange light. It was still to dark to see clearly, but the amplified light of the molten rock caused severe navigation problems. Jacob was caught in-between the world of natural light and a world of tinted green light. At the moment he felt safer with his goggles.

      "How dose it feel?" Asked Otto. "Sturdy?"

      "Yeah." Replied Jacob. "But we should go one at a time."

      Jacob took another step forward. As his foot connected with the hard surface, three red circular symbols appeared. The were decorated with both curved and straight lines which shifted their positions regularly.

      "What just happened?" Asked Jacob as steam burst out of the vents, creating a loud hissing noise.

      A second later, the rectangular column of machinery slid out from under Jacob's feet. As Jacob fell backward, the column of machinery retracted into the ground revealing a dark shaft that angled downwards at forty-five degrees.

      "Shit!" Shouted Otto as he made a grab for Jacob.

      It was too late. Jacob was already on his way down the pitch black shaft.

* * *

      As Jacob came to his senses, he saw he was in a large chamber. On either side, flat geometrically shaped machinery and vents were built directly into the cave walls. A solid wall stood directly in front of him. Parts of it were covered in glass where circuits and small intricate pipes could be seen. Right In the center of the wall was a large shaft that extended several feet back before sloping upwards at a perfect forty-five degree angle.
      Suddenly a bright white light appeared further down the tunnel, causing Jacob's night vision goggles to blind him. The light amplifying components of the goggles made them useless. The hell is that? Thought Jacob as he tore the goggles off his head and cautiously stepped backwards.
      As Jacob slowly retreated from the wall, three mechanical objects drifted out of the shaft. Two of the objects flanked the one in the center on either side. They were geometrically shaped, like their surroundings, but made of a shinny metal rather than the dull compound that machinery was composed of.
      The two mechanical objects flanking the third were composed of several angular fins that attached to an oval shaped body. Beneath the bodies hung large weapon like objects attached by wires and exposed circuits. Are these some of ONI's new toys? Thought Jacob as he starred in amazement at the three objects.

      "A Reclaimer? Here?" Said the cheerful object that was hovering between the other two.

      The cheerful object looked similar to the others, but it was slightly larger and covered with small lights. In addition to that, it possessed what appeared to be several probes. A bright white glow surrounded the object, making it easily distinguished from the others.

      "What the hell are you?" Asked Jacob.

      "I am 525 Divine Intervention." Replied the cheerful object. "I am the observer and director of this experiment. And these are my Sentinels. Quite useful and ingenious inventions if I do say so myself."

      "What experiment?" Asked jacob. "Does this have to do with ONI?"

      "ONI? I am unfamiliar with that term." Replied the Observer.

      "The Organization of Naval Intelligence." Said Jacob. "They have some operation going on in one of the abandoned mines. That's how I ended up here."

      "Interesting." Said the Observer. "One of our storage and containment facilities went off line many cycles ago. I've always attributed it to Flood activity, and saw no reason to investigate. I never knew it was in fact Reclaimers such as your self who were responsible

      "I'm a Reclaimer?" Asked Jacob. "What do I reclaim?"

      "You mean you do not know?" Questioned the Observer. "Then why would you have come all this way if your purpose wasn't to oversee this experiment your self, and destroy the Flood?"

      "What experiment?" Asked Jacob who was getting more and more confused by the minute. "What the hell do you mean by Flood? We just came here to colonize this world and harvest its resources."

      "You mean there is a colony of Reclaimers on this world?" Asked the Observer. "Oh how marvelous! Though it is quite unfortunate that they will perish when the Flood is released."

      "Why don't you just tell me about this Flood and this experiment instead of answering my questions with more questions." Said Jacob.

      "Very well." Replied the Observer. "You must forgive my excitement. Never before have I seen an individual Reclaimer, let alone a whole colony of them."

      "The Flood are parasitic organisms." Continued the Observer. "If they find a host with enough bio-mass and calcium deposits, they infest it. The infestation is started when a parasite takes control of the potential host's nervous system. From there the parasite takes control over the host's mind and begins to burrow in the chest cavity. Once safely nestled inside the host, the parasite rewrites the DNA and transforms the host into a new life form. The host still keeps its original traits and form, but becomes much more powerful and consequently, deadly. If this host has enough cognitive capability, the parasite is able to do what its host remembers."

      "You're gonna release this thing?!" Exclaimed Jacob.

      "That is the experiment's purpose." Replied the Observer. "To study the Flood's behavior when uninterrupted by advanced life forms. Every two hundred and thirty-eight years the Flood is release and contained. With hosts that lack cognitive capability, let alone the mental capacity for creative thought, the parasite is relatively harmless and easily contained for the next experiment."

      "You have to stop the Flood from being released." Said Jacob. "If they're anything like you said, then we won't stand a chance against them."

      "That is not up to me." Replied the Observer. "If you would like, you may abort the experiment in the control room."

      "And where the hell is that?" Asked Jacob.

      "I am not a tour guide." Replied the Observer. "You must find it on your own."

      "Fine, then you abort the experiment!" Shouted Jacob.

      "That is impossible." Said the Observer. "I am not programmed with that capability. Now if you'll excuse me, I must attend to some urgent matters."

      "Where the hell are you going?!" Shouted Jacob. "Don't just leave me here!"

      "Containment is my first priority." Replied the Observer. "In order for you to colonize this world, you would need ships capable of space travel. these will undoubtedly fall into the Flood's hands and must be destroyed. I must also purge as much of the Reclaimers' population as possible, for they would be a great threat if they were ever infested."

      "I will let you live." Continued the Observer. "If you can prevent the release of the Flood, then I will have no reason to purge the Reclaimer population, nor its ships."

      As the Observer finished talking, it turned around, back towards the shaft. Without another word, the Observer and its two Sentinels disappeared into the shaft. Jacob was left alone in the pitch black chamber. As he reached for his night vision goggles, he heard a noise behind him.
      Jacob quickly turned around, but without his goggles, he saw only darkness. He frantically searched for the flashlight mounted below the barrel of his MP20, but before he could activate it, a large mass hurled into him, knocking him unconscious.

* * *

      Jacob slowly awoke to see he was in a medium sized chamber. The rock walls were bathed in warm yellow light. In the center of the chamber lay a wounded Elite, and standing around the wounded alien were six more Elites. Their armor was a shinny black, dotted with occasional lights. On their backs, they displayed illuminated symbols much like the ones Jacob had seen earlier
      Jacob tried to move, but he found that his arms and legs had been bound. He decided not to struggle for fear of angering the Elites who had obviously taken him prisoner. Jacob began to watch them intently. As he did, one of them began to speak. He couldn't understand a word they spoke, but he listened to the conversation regardless of whether he understood it or not.

      "" Asked the commanding Elite in the special operations squad.

      The Elite in command of the special operations squad was Squad Master Orna Rolomee. He was a veteran of many operations and had the reputation of completing his missions without a single casualty in his squad. The Humans that had wounded one of his soldiers had ended this reputation. He had been appointed Squad Master of the special operations unit just before the operation on Haven began.

      "" Replied his second in command who was standing over an unconscious and severely wounded Elite. ""

      The wounded Elite was Ado Oslomee. He was losing blood very rapidly. His comrades had dressed his wounds several times already, but each time, the dark purple blood seeped through the bandages and sealant. The warrior's entire right side had been torn open.
      The second in command turned his gaze towards Jacob. He was Squad Advisor zurrik Xamnnee. The tall muscular alien had a bad temper and a sever lack of respect for his new Squad Master.

      "" Said Zurrik. ""

      "" Said Orna in a commanding tone. ""

      "" Demanded Zurrik. ""

      "" Said Orna who had become angered by his second in command. "You heard as well as I that our lords have a plan for this one. To kill him now would be heresy."

      "" Snarled Zurrik.

      "" Said Orna, his voice rising. ""

      Orna knelt down and retrieved his Carbine from the cave's floor.

      "" Said Orna. ""

      "" Asked an Elite.

      "" Replied Orna. ""

      "" Replied the Elite.

      Orna turned towards Jacob and violently jabbed him in the ribs with the barrel of his Carbine. Jacob rolled over in pain as Orna began to talk.

      "Get up." Orna ordered. "If you wish to remain intact, then you will do as I say."

      "You speak English?" Grunted Jacob as he struggled to rise.

      "If one such as your self were to spend as much time in the field as I then you would learn the enemy's language." Replied Orna.

      "Why don't you just kill me now." Said Jacob. "I don't have any valuable information and I really don't want to be tortured for nothing."

      "Your life will be in the hands of my superiors." Replied Orna. "Given the information we have obtained, they will decide whether or not your life is significant to our lords."

      "So tell me, Elite, where are we going?" Asked Jacob.

      Rage washed through Orna when Jacob called him an Elite. The idea that a human would label him as such was sickening. With out a word, Orna backhanded Jacob, knocking him to the ground.

      "I am Squad Master Orna Rolomee!" Snarled the enraged Elite. "You will address me properly or not at all."

      "Jacob Stanton, pleased to meet you." Replied Jacob sarcastically as he rubbed the side of his head where Orna had hit him.

      Orna knelt down besides Jacob and grabbed him by the throat. Jacob struggled, but the Squad Master only tightened his grip.

      "You are fortunate that your life is worth something, but that can change in an instant." Said Orna. "Do not test my patience with your disgusting labels."

      Orna retrieved a small oddly shaped syringe from his belt and injected it into Jacob's neck.

      "What the hell did you just stick me with?!" Shouted Jacob as he thrashed about in a final attempt to break free.

      Jacob's vision began to blur and his muscles involuntarily relaxed. His thoughts were slowly snuffed out one by one, as he drifted into unconsciousness.

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