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Halo: Speed of Darkness (Prologue) by Thanatos 117
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Halo: Speed of Darkness (Prologue)
Date: 2 February 2004, 2:25 AM
PROLOGUE
0947 Hours, February 8th, 2492 (military Calendar)/ Sigma Octanus III, Grid twenty-three by forty-four
"Contact, Rebel infantry and tanks are moving in. I want demolitions on that right flank now." Corporal Harland whispered as he eyed the first wave approaching the compound.
"Copy that. Can we expect air support Corporal?" Private First Class Fincher replied.
"Unknown. Reports indicate most of the major airfields were bombed from orbit." Harland said.
He took a moment to look around. "Red team, I want sentries set on the left flank." He said to his team. "Move out."
He climbed over the trench wall and approached a hollowed out building that got hit by a B-12 rocket a few weeks before. One by one they moved into the trees and strategically placed the four LAAV M-18 belt fed guns. He looked across the field to see if he could spot blue team. Three teams of two were spread out laying out claymores and mines across their position.
"Claymores and mines are good over here, Corporal." Fincher said.
"Roger that, rendezvous at the commissary building. I want overlapping fields of fire once we get there. ETA on first wave is five minutes. Let's move." Harland replied.
Harland could hear the enemy soldiers talking amongst themselves as they approached his team. He waited for a distinct explosion to open fire. He could hear one of the tanks coming to his position. He could make out a click out of all the noise and then an explosion followed.
He took a deep breath and sat up and fired into the oncoming wave, as did blue, green, and foxtrot teams. Under the sudden hail of lead, sniper rounds and a few rockets their first armored platoon fell.
"Engage according to operation parameters!" The Company commander said to the team leaders.
"Follow me!" Harland said over the continuing sound of automatic rifles.
Over thirty other soldiers came out of trenches, buildings, and any other possible hiding place and charged into the forest.
"Fincher, set off those claymores now!" Harland yelled into his comm. A few yards ahead he could hear explosions followed by yelling and dying. Harland came to some mangled remains of bodies and continued on.
Two rebel soldiers with rocket launchers ran out of some trees and Harland put three rounds in each. One fell and unintentionally fired a rocket into the air.
Three more followed out of the trees and fell to the ground under fire. Harland switched magazines and said into the comm., "Fix bayonets." He continued toward the clearing.
Harland found his way into a creek bed and shot an enemy soldier in the heart and slammed the butt of his rifle into another soldiers head. He brought out his M6D Pistol and shot him in the face. Up ahead were five bunkers. Fire rained down on them as Harland threw a grenade into their midst.
A rocket came from behind Harland and impacted onto one of the bunkers ahead and it erupted into a ball of fire. "Hold position. They probably have their lines protected with claymores and mines." Harland said to all the other advancing teams.
"Roger that, holding position." Blue team's commander, PFC Fincher replied.
The comm. was chaotic. Commanders shouted orders, people requested assistance, and the sound of gunfire hailed through. Around Harland were the bullets flying through the air and distant explosions. But he could make out something else... something he didn't think he would hear.
It started as a low rumble then turned into a scream as a Longsword bomber flew by over head.
He looked ahead to see fire and smoke rising into the air. Another one was approaching close.
"Cover!" He yelled and lay down in the grass and mud as hot ash and fire erupted near by.
He sat up and something hurt near his stomach. There was no more gunfire and no more grenades going off. His helmet was gone. He could still hear people calling out to each other. He heard a crackle and Fincher's voice on a radio. "Harland, come in over. Harland this is Fincher with Blue team over." He searched and found a body with a long distance radio. He picked it up.
"This is Harland, I got you." Harland said.
"Good to hear from you Harland." Fincher replied back. "We got trouble. Second mobile infantry is on its way. They're inbound to our position, ETA is thirty minutes. SATCOM wants us to evacuate, over."
Harland felt his stomach and red blood poured out. Everything went black.
Halo: Speed of Darkness (Chapter One)
Date: 6 February 2004, 3:45 AM
CHAPTER ONE
0449 Hours, October 22nd, 2494 (Military Calendar)/ UNSC Remote Scanning Outpost Archimedes, on edge of the Eridanus Star System
Lieutenant Junior Grade Wallace walked fast pace trough the metal sliding doors straightening his tie.
"This better be good Petty Officer." Wallace said as he approached him.
"Sir, this is remote telemetry in the slip space. From what we are seeing we have an unscheduled large group of either a reconnaissance group or combat group. It may be a large asteroid but that's rare." The petty officer replied.
"Let's do a diagnostic check and confirm. Send another probe out there to check its progress." Wallace ordered.
"Yes sir. Probe away. We should expect it to arrive in five."
It was very rare that an asteroid got into the slip space. Astrophysicists couldn't figure how they got there. There was no need to worry about them. When in slip space your ship or object would be in an alternate part of space but still on the same route as in real space. So the object, or in this case, and asteroid, would simply pass "through" a planet if it was on a direct route to it.
"Probe is returning sir. Receiving telemetry from the probe"
There was a short pause while the petty officer typed furiously across the keyboard, typing in commands.
"From what I have the large body is on a vector for the..." Petty officer Sandoval paused. "The Eridanus Star System, that's us, sir."
"I don't like it. Send out a message to Fleet Com HQ and notify them to put on an alert in this system." Wallace said.
"Aye, aye, sir, Message is away." He said.
0533 Hours, October 22nd, 2494 (Military Calendar)/ Epsilon Eridani System, Reach Fleet Command, planet Reach
"I don't like this at all. Our intelligence confirms that the fleet is gone right?" Commander Wilson told him self as he looked through the massive amount of information.
"Our scout shows that they're gone from that system. Various contact delays are now accruing for an unknown reason. It must mean on thing, assault sir." Ensign Bremond replied.
"We don't know anything yet. It just may be a downed beacon or something." Lieutenant Halverson stated.
"No. It's too much of a coincidence. I'm not about to let a rebel disaster slip past me. Put the fleets together. Send them out on recon to these star systems until we are positive that it's just a coincidence." Commander Wilson said.
"Yes sir. I'll notify you on our progress." Bremond said.
0533 Hours, October 22nd, 2494 (Military Calendar)/ UNSC Minotaur, Eridanus Star System
"Get me a slow orbit of the planet Lieutenant." Captain Garson ordered. "Then make the jump back to Fleet Com. I want to know why we don't have any com links."
"Aye, sir, moving zero, one, and five." Lieutenant Jameson said acknowledging the order.
There was a slight fluctuation in the artificial gravity as the ship turned to face the planet. The Lieutenant typed a few commands and the ship started toward the planet.
"Sir, I'm detecting a large number of unknown ships entering the system edge. Sir, it's a rebel fleet! They're coming inbound to our position. I count nine rebel ships inbound." Ensign Goatherd warned.
"What? Get me eyes on them. I want to see this." The captain said.
On screen nine ships appeared and came together. As one they started toward their ship.
"Do we have communications yet? I need them now Ensign." Goatherd ordered.
"Sorry sir, they must be jamming us somehow so that no one else knows that they're attacking." The ensign replied.
"Damn. Hold this position Lieutenant. We'll hold our own here and hope for a miracle." Garson said. "Let me know if they change course."
"Aye, sir, holding position" Jameson said.
Nine to one weren't very good odds. But there were other ships in system on the last recorded data. If they're still in the system they most likely are aware of the fact that a rebel assault is underway. Plus if the communications are down Fleet Com will most likely send someone to investigate.
There is a problem though. Fleet Com is at Reach which was in a different system. It will take a while to mobilize and send them here. Even with the Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine it would take days to get to this system. That left only a limited number of possibilities for the captain.
"Sound the alarm. I want everyone battle ready. We're going to win this fight."
There was a slight metallic grind each time the stone stroked the blade. The stone was set down nearby; the blade was wiped with a rag. A fluctuation in the ships gravitation made the stone slide of the bench and fall to the floor.
Harland picked up the stone and tossed it into the air and caught it again. Something was wrong. He could feel it.
"You're obsessed with that blade, man." Henson said shaking his head. He aimed his assault rifle and took out the magazine. He set the rifle down on the weapons rack and looked at Harland. "Who needs a knife in a gunfight?"
Harland tossed the knife into the air and landed in the wood near Henson's hand. "The enemy can't pull a trigger if he doesn't have a hand." Harland simply replied and pulled it out and holstered it.
Henson's hand shook. "That wasn't funny man." He said with a shaky voice.
Then the alarm sounded. "Damn it. I hate these damn drills. I swear they're just sounding it whenever they get bored up there." Private Bosky said.
"This is the captain speaking. I want everyone at their stations. This is not a drill. Good luck, Garson out."
"What was that?" Henson said to Bosky. Bosky just smiled and slammed a fresh clip home.
"So much for R and R," Harland said to no one in particular.
Harland opened up his weapons locker. Since there was little info on this particular mission it was hard to decide what to take with him. He grabbed his MA2B Assault Rifle, three grenades, a M4D Pistol, and three magazines for each weapons. He put on his battle dress uniform (BDU) and hefted his gear.
"Attention, officer on the deck!" Someone called out and everyone formed into a perfect row and stood at attention.
Second Lieutenant Davison entered the room and looked everyone over. He walked to the middle of the room. "At ease," he said and everyone relaxed just a little.
"At ease" was an understatement. In live combat facing a superior officer was never really comforting.
"I've looked over the available information on this and I'm sure you have a lot of questions. We've detected a large fleet that entered the system some time ago. They're heading straight for us. We also have no communications so we're all by our lonesome. I want DCS and tactical weapons stowed and by the ready. We might have internal contact imminent. Lock and load people, rebels will most likely try to capture as well as destroy this ship. Move out."
Captain Garson looked at the screen again. They were still coming. He tapped a button on his hand held computer device. All weapons were armed. Including the three tactical nukes that will most likely come in handy.
"Sir, we have incoming. UNSC controlled ships are inbound. We still have no communications though. I think they get the idea on whats up though." Ensign Goatherd notified.
"Confirmed, we're not entirely alone now I guess." Garson mumbled. He looked at the screen that pointed on the UNSC ships. Three ships joined the Minotaur.
"Rebel ships have just launched a salvo of torpedoes heading for us captain!" Lieutenant Dwain, weapons officer, advised.
"Respond with torpedoes A through D. Spread their shots to four of the ships." Garson said.
"Aye sir," Dwain said, "Firing."
Torpedoes lanced across the darkness of space and crisscrossed each other. The rebel ships spread out still moving toward their position though. The torpedoes followed and struck across the hull of their ships just as torpedoes hit their marks on the UNSC ships.
"Let's move to them Lieutenant. I want to engage these guys at point blank range. It's our only chance." Garson ordered. Lieutenant Jameson typed a few commands and the ship sped forward. The other three ships behind the Minotaur followed but spread out.
"Dwain, fire one of our nukes right in the center of these bastards. Let's take as many out as we can while they're still close together." Garson said, "Make sure we're not in the blast radius. Even the EMP could take us out."
"Aye sir," Dwain replied. "Nuke is away."
"Sir, boarding parties are inbound!" Jameson told the Captain, "I count over fifty. It's time to get the Marines ready."
Harland ran around the with his assault rifle leveled ahead. He stopped at the life boat entrance and waited. His team lined up across the wall ready.
"Boarding parties inbound to our position. Man your battle stations." A voice said through the speakers.
After a long pause he heard a clank and a slight shutter in the floor. "As soon as these bastards come through toss a grenade right through that door." Harland said to Bosky. He nodded and put his thumb into the ring with one hand while the other still clenched his assault rifle.
Thirty seconds after the clamp there was a loud bang and Bosky pulled the pin tossed it in the direction of the explosion.
"Fire in the hole" he yelled.
Halo: Speed of Darkness (Chapter Two)
Date: 28 July 2004, 3:33 AM
CHAPTER TWO
0613 Hours, October 22nd, 2494 (Military Calendar)/ UNSC Minotaur, Eridanus Star System
"Status report, now!" Captain Garson ordered Lieutenant Jameson.
"Where hit! We got fires on almost every deck. The nuke hit, sir. It only took out two of the ships. One appears to be destabilized." Jameson replied.
"Sir, we got drop ships entering Eridanus 2!" Ensign Goatherd advised.
"Damn it! They were distracting us, get the Marines ready. We're sending them in." Garson said.
"Aye, sir, they'll be on the surface in about thirty minutes." Lieutenant Dwain said.
The captain knew it wasn't going to be enough. There were more of them, they were prepared, and there aren't too many military personnel ground side. The only hope would be assistance and that wasn't going to happen any time soon. Even with faster then light travel it would take up to two weeks for anyone to get here. Garson needed time, which was in short supply.
"Sir, reports coming in point out that the rebel soldiers are approaching the bridge!" Communications officer, Ensign Dominique said. "We only have so many soldiers between us and them. We better hope for a miracle."
"Noted, Dwain, I want you to concentrate on one ship at a time. Hopefully our comrades will get the same idea." Garson ordered.
"Aye, sir" Lieutenant Dwain said.
More and more missile's lanced across the blackness of space. The UNSC Cheyenne turned and fired at the largest rebel ship. Missile's came from behind the ship, tracking its progress and exploded inside one of its massive engines. It tilted upward and exploded from the inside out.
"Damn it, one of ours just got hit. Its going down, sir! We're not going to last much longer out here." Dwain said.
Before the captain could reply an explosion sounded from behind them. It originated from the metal doors and bullets flew through the new opening.
"Keep firing!" Harland ordered. Another grenade went off near by and shrapnel flew everywhere. "Get somebody down here! We need reinforcements now!"
"Yes, sir" Private Banks shouted over the hail of bullets.
Another rebel soldier rounded the corner and charged guns blazing. Harland shot him three times and lobbed his last grenade around the corner. There was an explosion followed by blood leaking around the corner.
"Fall back to secondary positions!" Harland ordered.
There was an explosion up ahead. There were five rebels charging onto the bridge of the Minotaur. Harland and his team of three others put them down.
"Cover our six, I'll get the captain." Harland said. He jogged up a short ramp to find Captain Garson. "Sir, I strongly recommend that we evacuate. It's only us that are holding them off from taking the ship over."
"Your statement has been noted. The other UNSC ships have been retreating to a fallback position near Eridanus 2. Just hold them off as long as you can, reinforcements have been dispatched to the bridge. Once we're clear I want all available soldiers to head to the planets surface to stall the ground invasion." Garson explained. His junior officers glanced at him nervously but they quickly returned to their tasks.
"Yes, sir, we'll do our best." Harland said and a few more rounds popped off from the doorway. Harland approached his team and three more dead bodies hit the floor.
"Where is the captain Corporal?" Private Langley asked.
"We're holding our own here. We should expect reinforcements soon, and then we're going to Eridanus 2 to repel the ground forces accordingly." Harland replied and slammed a fresh magazine in his MA2B.
Langley nodded drew his pistol. After ten more bodies he heard voices approaching. "Friendly, cease fire."
A man approached Harland. "Is the captain fine?"
Harland nodded. He noticed the brass collar insignia of an officer. He snapped to attention and saluted. "Yes, sir, his orders are to hold the bridge and drop to the planet to repel ground forces."
"At ease, I'm Lieutenant Riley, commander of Omega Company. I know about the Captains orders Corporal; looks like you're going in hot with us."
"Sir, what do" He began to ask the Lieutenant but he cut him off.
"Hot? ODST boy, just suck it up, you'll be fine."
Harland heard of the program. They basically put you in a can and throw you into hell. The ODST program was new to the Marines. It took a special kind of crazy to join up with them. Larger vehicles were subject to anti-aircraft fire and could take out several Marines, which is why the UNSC invested in the ODST program so if a pod got hit only one Marine would be killed instead of twelve.
"Yes, sir" Harland replied and picked up his rifle.
"Carter, Jay, Kowalski, and Smith, you'll be on guard for the bridge. Fourth squad will rendezvous with you here. We'll go to the planets surface and get Harland and his team where they belong." Riley ordered.
"How come we got to stay back here, sir?" Jay asked.
"Because you're expendable cannon fodder, move out people." Riley said.
Harland followed the squad through the maze like passageways of the Minotaur shooting a group of rebel's here and there. By the time the squad reached the "Hells waiting room", as the Hell jumpers called it, the rebel's would be pushed back far enough from the bridge to put in reinforcements and backtrack to the planet and hold them off for another hour or so.
When Harland and his team arrived with the Hell jumpers the Lieutenant briefed everyone. "There's a rebel invasion force trying to take back their home down there, killing everything in their path that'll lead them to victory. Tell me, how are we going down there to greet them?"
Together all the Hell jumpers replied, "WE GO FEET FIRST, SIR!"
"Alright, saddle up. You have two minutes to strap in, hook up, and shove a cork in your ass." Riley said and the Hell jumpers all laughed as if it was the first time they heard the common joke.
An ODST named Dawkins ran through how to put on the standard ODST uniform to protect them from the extreme heat that occurs while in the pod and entering the planets atmosphere. Then he ran through the functions, capabilities, and commands for the standard HEV pod so it wouldn't fall apart around them.
"Engage those drop ships as they enter the atmosphere, Lieutenant Dwain." Captain Garson ordered, "Once you're close enough to the planet I want you to start engaging the ships. As that happens turn the ship around to face the enemy, Lieutenant Jameson."
"Aye, sir" They both replied and started issuing commands through the computer.
"Sir, the rebel fleet is still on our six and closing. Other UNSC ships are covering us though as we target the planet." Jameson said.
"Noted Lieutenant, keep on this vector." Garson replied going over the ships status with his hand held computer. The main engines operated now only at fifty percent, ordinance was running low, and there were fires on all decks but they're being taken care of and put out. If the whole UNSC battle group was like this then there was little chance that they could stand a chance.
The rebel faction opposed the UNSC and their politics by using guerilla warfare mostly. But now they worked everything out to the point where they corner the enemy and destroy it. By the time Reach High Command figures out what the hell happened the rebels will have taken this system and fortified their positions.
Rebels have taken the primary ordinance room on the Minotaur as well. The other two nukes on board were disarmed and non-responsive. The engine room was under attack as well, simple rebel tactics, send a ton of soldiers to board the ship, take out the ships weapons, take out the engine room, and take control of the bridge and they've got themselves a perfect UNSC warship.
Each ship the rebels captured was another addition to their arsenal and adds to their growing power. After a stunt like this, the UNSC will most likely completely eliminate the rebel faction and their existing "hidden" planets.
The Captain pinched the bridge of his nose; he knew that this was a lost battle and will eventually have to retreat. The best he can do is eliminating the ground force, take back his ship, and take out as many ships as he can. "What's the status on the Marines, have they left yet?"
"Marines are now entering the planets atmosphere and en route to Fort Caesarea, Monrovia, Elysium, and Durango cities. ODST troops are now leaving the ship to Fort Caesarea and we have a squad protecting the bridge, a platoon on the engine room, and a squad taking back the ordnance rooms. Other UNSC forces are now landing on the planet and additional security personal holding primary military bases."
"Captain, we're nearing the planet. I'm moving to two, eight, five, coming about to face the rebel fleet." Jameson said.
"I'm beginning to target the fleet, sir. We're running low on ordnance, we got enough to hold them off though... but only for a while." Dwain said.
"While our Marines may be able to hold off the ground forces we're still going to have too much trouble up here. Can we communicate with ground forces?" Garson asked.
"Yes, sir, the rebels eliminated our communications with any other ships but we have communications to our ground forces. My best guess is that we have something aboard each UNSC ship that the rebels figured out how to disable so we can't call for help." Ensign Dominique said.
"Well why don't we send our boys out and have them send the signal?" Garson asked.
"Every UNSC ship has this software built into the communications, sir. While our ground forces can contact us, they can only send signals out so far. Sure we can send our distress call but it would take years to reach the nearest UNSC controlled world."
Harland backed himself into the HEV pod and pulled the shoulder straps over and secured them to his belt and brought the waist straps around and secured them and tightened their grip. He typed a few commands into the computer in front of him. He ran a systems check, removed a series of safeties, and armed the ejection tube.
All he had to do now was hold on and prey that the heat shield would hold up against the intense heat from entering the planets atmosphere. He eyed the small screen in front of him, ten seconds.
When the timer hit zero the pod dropped and his stomach lurched and the pod continued to increase speed towards the planet. After what seemed like an hour the pod shook violently and it became more and more intense. Then he felt a wave of heat wash over him and sweat soaked his uniform as it became hotter and hotter.
Finally there was a moment of freefall and the outer layer of the pod broke away revealing the crash cage containing an assortment of equipment. The chute deployed above his head and the harness dug into his shoulders and chest as it slowed and cool air came. He heard a snap over the com followed by somebody screaming, but it was cut off. It was a death Harland had feared himself.
He looked down into the clouds below; once they passed he could see a massive city with sky scrapers and even a few stratosphere scrapers as some people referred to. When over population occurred sometimes the only place to put people was in the sky, so tall buildings would hold a cities needs. He stared down past the buildings and saw small explosions erupting and the dull sound of automatic weapons fire.
Other pods floated around him across the sky. Suddenly there were hails of explosions that littered the sky and shook Harland's pod. It was rebel flack; they were trying to bring the pods down. All he could do is hang on and prey that he won't die.
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