 |
About This Site
Daily Musings
News
News Archive
Site Resources
FAQ
Screenshots
Concept Art
Halo 2 Updates
Interviews
Movies
Music
Miscellaneous
Mailbag
HBO PAL
Game Fun
The Halo Story
Tips and Tricks
Fan Creations
Wallpaper
Misc. Art
Fan Fiction
Comics
Logos
Banners
Press Coverage
Halo Reviews
Halo 2 Previews
Press Scans
Community
HBO Forum
Clan HBO Forum
HBO IRC Channel
Links
Admin
Submissions
FTP Uploads
HTTP Uploads
Contact
|
|
|
Chapter 7: Massacre on High Charity
Posted By: RogueDragon
Date: 16 November 2006, 10:51 pm
Read/Post Comments
|
Author's Note: Just completed this chapter, if you read please review.
I don't mind what kind of feedback, good or bad, just please review
Chapter 7: Massacre on High Charity
Fleet Master Koro' Putreere smashed his fist down on the control panel leaving a large dent; one of the minor Sangheili hesitated then said, "Over two hundred dead Excellency."
Putreere looked at the screen of all the dead bodies in the room then back to the Prophet of Solace casually sitting there not worried about how many people his new creation hand just slaughtered mercilessly. It was then that Tai' Nakita pointed to the screen showing the body of the Prophet of Malice, "what in the Forerunners is that."
Councilor Suku' Nakita walked closer to see the screen; unfortunately she strolled to close to one of the Jiralhanae Honor Guards. The beast lunged forward locking it hairy arms around her bringing a threatening Plasma pistol to bear near her face, simultaneously the other Jiralhanae Honor Guards raised there weapons at the Sangheili in the room.
The Sangheili directed there weapons back towards the Jiralhanae guards averting there aim so they didn't hit the Councilor should a firefight break out, positioned behind the Jiralhanae guards was the Prophet of Solace.
Fleet Master Putreere stepped forward growling, "Solace, what in the Forerunners name are you doing" he shouted pulling his Plasma pistol from his holster and pointing it at the Profit. A sadistic smile crossed the shriveled lips of the Prophet, "I will be taking my leave now and so will the Councilor, you don't follow us and no one will be harmed", he nodded to one of the guards who opened the door, they began to back away towards it.
Ship Master Eva' Korrander stepped forward, "You arrogant abomination of nature, your afraid, afraid that this thing that you've created is going to come after you so your fleeing."
The Prophet grinned before replying, "I am mealy fore filling the wishes of our lords, too many Prophets have died this day, I must insure that I am safe to lead the Covenant when Truth is gone."
Tai stepped forward, "Let her go you filthy beast."
The Jiralhanae laughed moving its paw like hand up to the Councilors neck as they pulled back through the door, the Prophet then sneered "I will take my leave of your company now."
As they edged out Councilor Suku' Nakita rammed her elbow into the Jiralhanae's stomach, the aliens mouth opened and it let out a long grown loosening its grip on her. Suku grabbed the guard's wrist and flung him over her shoulder slamming him into the ground; she then withdrew her Plasma sword and in one sweeping motion brought it down through the Jiralhanae's chest spattering herself and the walls with blood. She ducked as the Jiralhanae and Sangheili opened fire on each other, several soldiers were hit by stray plasma bolts, the Jiralhanae honor guards and Solace pulled out through the corridor and out of the area.
Tai and one of the Sangheili honor helped Suku up, she stood to see them all looking at her surprised, "What, I was in special ops for six years I handled worse then a dumb Jiralhanae in that time" she said.
"I can see that" replied Korrander.
Just then a large human warship flew overhead inside of High Charity's dome.
"What in the Heavens" Fleet Master Putreere gasped as the ship smashed into a tower a few miles away, its front half disappeared into the tower.
Putreere turned to the minor elite manning the consol, "How did that ship bypass our defense grid."
The minor elite scrolled over his instruments, "I do not know Excellency, I'm not detecting any life sign's on it."
"Then who was operating it." Putreere growled.
"There" one of the Councilors said pointing at the screen, all the Sangheili turned there attention, hundreds of flood forms were emerging from the wreckage as well as dozens of dropships launch from its hangers.
"What in the Forerunners" Korrander muttered, "We have to pull out; this place is no longer safe."
Councilor Suku' Nakita pointed to the display screen, "Look, on Malice's chest."
All the Sangheili in the room turned there attention to the display screen, upon was the dead Profit of Malice; inscribed on his chest were a number of strange symbol's.
"What does it mean" said one of the Councilors folding his arms and frowning.
"It's nothing, just gibberish Nemesis used to make Malice suffer before it killed him" Putreere said.
"No it's more then that" Tai replied looking closer, "what if it's trying to tell us something."
"That's imposable, that abomination is mealy a weapon, why would it try to tell us something secretly." Said a Councilor
"What if it's not Nemesis" Tai replied "what if it's the host Solace used as the catalyst that's trying to communicate with us"
"That's imposable" replied another Councilor, "The Prophet of Solace said nothing of it survived."
Korrander turned to the Councilor, "It's not the first time he's been wrong" he said thrusting a slender finger at the display showing the dead Prophet of Malice, the Councilor looked at it clenching his mandibites.
Suku stepped forward placing a clawed hand on the shoulder of one of the minor Sangheili, "Run those symbols through all the Prophets databases which has information on any human symbols."
The Sangheili turned to the Fleet Master slightly nervous, Putreere nodded to him and he turned to the consol typing in several commands, data began to flow across the screens.
"There" stated Korrander pointing to one of the screens.
Councilor Suku moved closer before saying, "It's the symbol for lightning, a sizable burst yield."
"Is that how we kill it" said one of the Councilors", excitement in his voice.
"I doubt that, electricity didn't stop it before" replied Korrander folding his arms, "But the burst you're suggesting hear is ten times a strong, maybe it would cause some damage."
"We should move" said Putreere activating his Plasma sword, "we're wasting time".
High Charity, Ceta District, Streets of High Charity
Raven moved quickly down one of the alien streets barely a blur to the naked eye, as he rounded the corner he came to a street where numerous elite's and grunts were trading shots with brutes and jackals. He leapt up fifteen feet rebounding of the wall and landed right in the middle of the enemy soldiers, he ducked as one of the brutes made a swing for him, coming back up he drove a bladed elbow into the brute's neck killing it instantly. An elite came up behind him and swung its arms attempting to crush him, Raven spun around dodging the blow and driving a plasma blade into the elite's stomach. He brought up his arms and fired in all directions as his enemies fell, one by one, his pin point accuracy not leaving a single Covenant soldier alive.
He quietly left the street and proceed deeper into High Charity, over head there was a mighty explosion as a Covenant Frigate took a direct hit to its bow, it lunged as explosions erupted all down its glossy hull. All around High Charity Covenant ships engaged one another in battle, the left side of the Frigate burned a magnificent spectrum of red and white flames before it smashed into the domed side of High Charity. In the distance a Destroyer rammed into a Cruiser, there shields flickered then went out as they were both swallowed up in a massive ball of flame.
Raven made his way to the edge of a street corner and leapt up grabbing hold of a ledge, using his robotic limbs he propelled himself up several feet and landed on the roof, he made his way over the roof top and came to the other side. Down below was an area stretched out to maybe the width and length of twenty football pitches. Filling this area were hundreds of elites and brutes, thousands of grunts and jackals and dozens of hunters, the area was a blood bath, everywhere dead bodies rotted and plasma scarring pieced the once colorful metallic material making up the interior of High Charity.
Raven leapt down into the battlefield, a brute immediately approached him with speed howling in rage. Raven swung his arm out smashing the brute in its hairy face, blood streamed from its cracked skull as it fell sliding across the floor and smashed into a formation of Jackals. An elite approached him from behind attempting to smash him to the ground, unfortunately for the Covenant soldier Raven was faster, he dodged the elite's blow and grabbed him by the arm hurtling the alien nine foot in the air and slamming it down to the ground cracking its spine.
Raven weaved in and out of the warring factions slaughtering dozens of soldiers using the sophisticated weapon systems imbedded in his armored body. A massive hunter fell after being hit by a well placed shot from Raven just below its head, its bond brother charged at him attempting to bring the full weight of its shield down and crush him. Raven ducked down and rolled forward coming up right in front of the hunter, leaning all his weight forward his smashed into the living tank knocking the creature to the ground. Raven pointed his arm towards the hunters exposed chest and emptied and full charge of searing hot plasma into it, orange blood splashed over him, the hunter let out a painful groan before dying.
Suddenly an explosion erupted at the far corner to the left of the battlefield from the large colorful buildings the flames engulfing dozens of grunts and jackals fighting there. From the black smoke emerged hundred small yellow sacks scraping across the floor along with dozens of decapitate forms, 'the flood' Raven thought turning with every other warrior on the field in unison.
The flood charged head on into the soldiers, the rattling and hissing of automatic and plasma weapons filled the air along with the sounds of screaming as warriors from both factions fell before the flood onslaught. The elites and brutes stupidly charged at the enemy seeking glory to fill there blood lust, hundreds fell before the flood offensive. Raven picked his targets and fired with pinpoint accuracy, dozens of flood forms fell but hundreds more took there place.
Raven turned to look to his right then his left; he was detecting motion, lots of motion all around the perimeter of the battlefield. Suddenly the buildings surrounding the field blew apart in a massive display of flame as large chunks of debris blew into the field; Raven leapt backwards landing crouched over as a chunk of debris smashed onto a squad of grunts. Raven stood up and looked over at the edge of the field, thousands upon thousands of small yellow sacks came swarming out like a tidal wave advancing on all fronts. Accompanying them were hundreds of mutilated flood forms that fired into the remaining Covenant forces as they advanced, they washed over the Covenant troops pushing them into the middle of the field.
Raven crouched down and leapt up into the air, his wings folded out and for a moment he resembled an angel of death lifting of from the field of destruction, his wings stretched out as far as they would go. As he flew through the air backwards he back flipped in mid air to avoid the fire from down below and landed on a nearby roof with perfect pin point precision.
He stood up and looked into the field; the flood now covered the massive field, only a small peace of light red floor could still be seen were a hand full of elites and grunts fired everything they had into the flood tide surrounding them. They screamed, slashed and fired as they shouted incompressible curses at the flood surrounding them. The elites discarded there drained Plasma Rifle's and Carbines withdrawing there Plasma Pistols and fired standing back to back. The flood stopped for a moment and pulled back before launching a final inevitable wave overrunning the remaining elites pulling them down. Raven saw the last elite, a red armored soldier get pulled down but keeping it arm stretched out as if wanting to reach out into space and escape, the long claw like figure's slowly stopped moving and the flood pulled the arm back in.
Raven looked on in amazement; the flood covered the entire field like a sea of greenish water, hundreds more poured out from the buildings making them build up higher. Deformed elites and brutes rose from the flood, horribly mutilated, the bodies of the dead being conscripted into a vast army.
Raven turned around and walked away, he leapt down from the roof onto a lower platform landing hunched over, he leapt once again landing on a street, he would have to move quickly if he was to evade the flood.
As he began to move his enhanced vision caught movement in the darkness of an open building to his right, he slowly turned and walked towards it. Equipping his weaponry he entered the building, suddenly lightning sprung out from hidden emitters in the walls shocking him on all sides. He pulled out from the door still cracking the static electricity when someone rammed into his back tackling him to the ground.
Ship Master Eva' Korrander plowed into Nemesis from behind throwing the entire wait from his body into the tackle driving his enemy to the ground. Around twenty Sangheili surrounded them equipped with specially designed Plasma swords adapted to emit a powerful electric shock. Nemesis spun around beneath him facing him, Korrander pinned his arms to the ground trying to keep him down. He then felt a sharp pain up his back as the beast beneath him sprung its tail up smashing into the Sangheili's back, Nemesis drove its fist into Korrander's chest winding him, it then drove its foot into his stomach sending him flying. He landed a few feet away crashing to the ground, he pulled himself up as Nemesis leapt up, an Honor Guard charged at him in an attempt to strike him with his sword, it dodged the blow grabbing the honor Guard by the arm snapping the bone and hurtling him to the ground.
A female Honor Guard charged it head on swiping her blade, the beast ducked, her swipe completely missing, Nemesis drove a foot into the Sangheili's shin smashing the bone, she dropped down clutching her leg in pain. Nemesis rose to its feet activating a Plasma blade preparing to drive it down into the Sangheili's skull.
Councilor Suku' Nakita charged forward grabbing him by the wrist and driving her own fist into its head driving it back. Nemesis slowly turned its head slowly back to her silently regarding her, a snort was heard from it before it charged at her choosing to fight hand to hand without the assistance of any weapons.
She dodged his initial attack as his fist smashed into the wall behind her, his fist punched straight through; she shot up blocking his next punch and drove her fist into his chest. The two of them began to grapple furiously in brutal hand to hand combat, unfortunately Nemesis proved to be faster utilizing Suku's weaknesses to his strength's, he knocked out her legs from under her causing her to fall to the ground. Tai' Nakita drove into him protecting his mother and forcing him back, Nemesis grabbed his arm and twisted him round before throwing him to the side.
Tai struggled to get up as he saw Nemesis approaching him, just as it neared he drew his modified Plasma sword striking at him in the chest. Nemesis let out a scream like sound as sparks of electricity ripped across his body, at the same time Suku and Korrander supported by two Honor Guards drove there Plasma Swords into him from all directions.
Electricity surged all across Nemesis, his head jerked from side to side his green eyes beginning to flicker then suddenly he let out an earsplitting roar before finally collapsing to its knees, its arms fell to its sides.
Korrander slowly approached the fallen warrior equipping his Carbine pointing it at its head; the dark green glow from its eyes had faded and was replaced by a simple pale white. As every other Sangheili in the street leveled there weapons he approached taping the warrior on the head with the nozzle of his Carbine, suddenly its head leveled up looking at him strait in the face, Korrander visibly jumped as all the soldiers leveled there weapons.
"That weapon isn't necessary Ship Master, I will not move against you" Nemesis said in a calm rational voice.
"You are the one named Zeke" replied Korrander leveling his weapon by his side but still keeping it pointed at the crouched warrior.
It nodded silently before replying, "I apologize for the soldier's I have killed, I had no control over my actions."
Tai stepped forward and asked, "Then how did you produce that message for us to follow."
"I was able to seep into his unconscious mind and plant an order without him knowing it, it took much concentration." Zeke replied turning his head to the side slightly, "I have very little time left"
Fleet Master Koro' Putreere stepped forward growling, "Foul Demon, how did you corrupt Solace's programming, and who is this, 'he' you keep referring to."
Zeke looked up slowly and replied in a deep voice, "It was no accident that the Prophet of Malice stumbled upon those plans, they were planet in the UNSC system and left for him to find. A stored consciousness was placed with the data that was stolen from the planet. Upon the weapons activation it was programmed to overwrite all current orders and kill the Prophet's of Malice and Solace, his name is Raven."
Councilor Suku' Nakita sighed shaking her head, "Very smart, the humans couldn't produce such a weapon themselves so they got us to do it for them, by counting on the Prophet's greed for power."
Korrander stepped forward and said, "Tell us, why were you placed here, mealy to assassinate two Prophets or something more."
Zeke shook his head, "I was sent here as the Vanguard."
"The Vanguard of what" growled Putreere strengthening his grip on his Plasma rifle.
Zeke looked up to him before replying, "An invasion force."
The Fleet Master broke out in a deep thick laugh, "Your pathetic human UNSC military doesn't have the strength to launch and invasion of our Great Covenant, you are a lying…"
He was cut of by Zeke who spoke quickly, "Not the UNSC."
Councilor Suku frowned, "then who"
Zeke became more agitated, his voice becoming more fragmented, "The ones who will invade are, are… own know", he began to turn his head from side to side as if he was concerned someone was spying on him.
Suku stepped forward and asked, "Who, Zeke, who will invade."
Zeke looked back at her, although she could not see his face she knew if she did it would be one of fear and worry, "It's too late, he's resurfacing, I can't hold him back." Zeke jerked his head to one side, his shields flared once but then deactivated and he bent his head down slightly. "Kill me, if he resurfaces I won't be able to stop him again, Kill me now, do it."
The Sangheili looked at each other, even Fleet Master Putreere looked surprised by this request to end his life, Councilor Suku stepped forward, "Wait, we don't have to kill you, there must be…"
She was cut of by Zeke, "There is no other way, you have to kill me, please, I can't live like this, cold, not alive, not dead just something in between, trapped inside a metal cage unable to live and unable to die. Strike the neck, it is the most venerable place, do it now, you won't get another chance like this", a faint green glimmer returned to his otherwise pale white eyes.
Ship Master Korrander stepped forward activating a Plasma Sword tearing of the electric charger on the side, a bright blue flame of energy emerged as he lifted it in the air preparing to strike.
He brought the blade down with speed putting all his strength into the swing, suddenly Zeke's armored hand shot up grasping Korrander's wrist and drove his sword into the ground. He leapt up twisting in the air then landed on his feet, his head rose to look at the Sangheili before him, the dark green color returned to his eyes.
"Well, I fear that I may have underestimated Zeke's strength in this matter" he said in a deep calm voice.
Suku stepped forward but was stopped by an Honor Guard, the other Sangheili pointed there weapons at the warrior before them, "Raven" she growled.
"Yes Councilor, I apologize but Zeke's presence in this matter is no longer required, he has served his purpose as have your Prophets."
Fleet Master Putreere then growled, "Who sent you Demon"
Raven mealy stood there returning the gaze not giving anything away, "I'm afraid I cannot reveal that information, you understand Fleet Master, Orders."
Putreere growled in anger but did not say anything, Commander Tai' Nakita glared at him and growled, "Foul Demon"
Raven turned his head to him, if he had a mouth a wicked smile would be set upon it, "Who was it who secured Zeke for Solace's plan to be put into action."
Tai paused unsure what to say, Korrander answered for him, "He was ordered to."
"No, you stole Zeke, you slaughtered the defenseless colonists and you obtained the programming implementing the orders to overwrite Solace's programming which lead to Malice's death, I exist because of you both."
All the Sangheili looked at each other unsure what to do, before any could reply a building at the far end of the street exploded, dozens of flood forms charged out into the street supported by hundreds of smaller bulbous flood sacks. They began to charge down the street firing there weapons at the large group of Sangheili assembled at the street corner. The Sangheili and Raven took up positions on either side of the street and returned fire, Councilor Nakita found herself close to Raven but he did not attack but instead spoke, "It seems this area is no longer safe, I suggest you leave."
Suku narrowed her eyes, "and what of you."
She heard what she thought was a chuckle from him before he responded, "One Prophet down, one to go."
With this he leapt up into the air, his long wings spread out and he rose into the sky of High Charity and Suku could not help feeling slightly awed by his slender figure ascending into the air. He flew of into the dark night time of High Charity becoming a silver speck in the darkness shrinking into the distance.
Ship Master Korrander then shouted, "Councilor, we must pull back before this area is overrun."
She nodded and signaled for the soldiers to move back, they slowly passed back keeping up a constant stream of firing in the direction of the mutilated flood forms. They pulled back to one of the barracks in the city, abandoned as many soldiers were evacuating High Charity, the gate flung open as they pulled inside.
Tai moved to one of the control panel's ripping it off and fusing several of the systems together, the doors sealed shut, Suku knew they would not open now unless they were forced apart.
"Those doors won't hold them back for long" Tai' Nakita said, "We need to move."
Council Accommodations
Lara woke up to the sound of footsteps from many people; she remained silent pulling the covers over her. The footsteps did not produce the clean clicking sound the elite's hooves made but instead a dull thud of heavy flesh hitting the ground, the footsteps got closer, louder and she heard the heavy breathing and grunting of the owners of these footsteps.
The footsteps stopped outside the door, she heard it open and a foul stench enter the room, the stench of Brutes. The footsteps stopped by her bed and there was silence, suddenly a fury hand grabbed her by the throat pulling her from the bed like she was a feather.
|
