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The battle for Duroom.
Posted By: Seth Elkins<xboxboy13@cfl.rr.com>
Date: 2 April 2007, 9:21 pm
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This is my first short story, there might be some grammar errors but I enjoyed writing it, and the people who have read it enjoyed it, so I guess this is the real test, will other hardcore halo fans like it?
The UNSC Destroyer Jericho was one of the finest in the fleet. She was stationed on the planet Duroom to protect one of the last human outposts on the outer human colonies. Duroom and Octanus 4 were the last defenses before the inner rim, and earth. Though we didn't have to worry about anything getting in through this battle cluster, Duroom was one shaped into a UNSC stronghold after the fall of Reach. She had nearly 100 UNSC battle ships in orbit, and 7 super MAC cannons armed and ready to launch a 2000 ton projectile at any covenant ship that decided to get in its way. These MAC guns could easily take out a covenant vessel in ONE shot, ripping through shields, hull, decks, you name it.
The UNSC Destroyer class ship named Jericho however, that was another reason this planet need not fear an assault from an on coming covenant fleet. She was armored with nearly 3 meters of Titanium A plating, from stem to stern, this ship could take a beating. She was armed to the tooth, 3 magnetic accelerator cannons, or MAC guns for short, were lugged onto her bottom, left, and right. These MAC guns however, were special, they had an upgraded recoiling system, an internal coolant placed in each loading chamber, and carried enough ammunition to punch a hole through a planet. In English, these little devils could fire 3 rounds to every cannon, that's 9 700 ton MAC rounds per charge. It also was armed with A through T Archer missile pods, and 7 Shiva nuclear warheads primed and ready to detonation.
Jericho was the first of her kind, not only armed and ready for combat, but had one of the BEST crews for the job. Her commanding officer was Captain Jessica Barber, she was one of the best in her filed. She was a bridge officer of the UNSC cruiser class Stalingrad, and one of the few survivors of the legendary battle at Reach. Her strategic intelligence, dare I say brilliance, saved millions of lives in countless UNSC to covenant encounters. There was no one more fit to command this vessel.
Her lieutenants were some of the best. On the weapons system was Lieutenant Jerald Freeman, a man who had seen much combat, well experience and head smart. He was a former ODST and had seen his share of ground combat, he had a scar shrieking across his face, where a covenant elite had tried to kill him but he moved at the last second, at that point and time he decided it was time to join fleet, things on the ground were getting to hot, so here, on the commanding deck of one of the finest ships in the fleet he stands. There were lieutenants Miranda Hobbs, and James Delton, of navigations, communications, and radar.
That was the bridge crew, but below decks, many other hands worked to keep the ship running. Including the 700 marines on board to prevent boarding. And there was even a squadron of B-24 Spy Hawk Fighter vessels in the launch bay. These were also the finest of there kind, the pilots were the best, along with the ships. Among the ranks of the fighter pilots was Sergeant Major Seth Elkins, an intriguingly handsome young man, who's hair was somewhat longer than regulation would have liked, but the men and women in his squadron didn't think much of it because of his efforts in the sky.
Captain Jessica Barber was reclining in her command seat, doing some minor calculation on the MAC trajectory, (the MAC cannons had always peaked her interest) when Lieutenant Delton turned from his post, looking somewhat startled and said "Ma'am reading a good 50 incoming vessels, and not picking up friendly ID numbers, looks like we got us an incoming covenant fleet!" The arrival of a covenant fleet of this size didn't surprise the battle hardened commander, she knew they would come for Duroom eventually, in order to get to earth they had to get past Duroom, but she was gona make darn sure they didn't. "Divert power to the MAC cannons Lieutenant Freeman, I also want Archer missile pods A-D armed." The bridge officer turned to his station and began taping in codes and replied with a firm "Aye Captain". "I want you to hold fire with the starboard MAC gun and the Archer missiles until I give the order, feel free to unload on the first covenant ships that come in sight with the other MAC'S Lieutenant Freeman." "Aye aye Captain" The lieutenant replied.
"Lieutenant Delton, get me the Spy Hawks on the horn, tell them to be ready to launch when needed, we may need some point defense from enemy seraph fighters." "Aye Captain" he replied calmly and began typing on his keyboard, suddenly a voice came over the bridges speakers. "Captain, good to hear from you, how can I be of help?" Said Major Ryter. "I need your birds ready for action in 10, can you do that for me Major?" "Yes Ma'am, We'll have it done in 5." The single squad of spy hawks could make all the difference if the ship was boarded by enemy troops. A first line of defense so to speak.
Sergeant Major Seth Elkins Primed his "Bird", climbed into the cockpit and awaited orders. Soon as the order was given, the spy hawks bay would open and up up and away into the vacuum of space.
The first of the Covenant ships dropped out of slipspace, then another, and a dozen more followed, and two dozen after that, until a total of 64 enemy ships had dropped out of slipspace. Before the good captain could speak she saw 7 streaks of what looked like lightning burning a hole through space itself. The Super MAC guns orbiting around Duroom had fired, and within the blink of an eye, 7 enemy ships were now dust in space. The MAC rounds tore through shields, and hull, from stem to stern, and the ships detonated.
The other ships around Duroom opened fire, in total there were about 94 UNSC ships defending the planet. Captain Barber watched as the two MAC guns on her ship's bottom and right side opened fire, 6 MAC rounds shot at 2 Covenant vessels. The first round impacted an enemy destroyer, its shields flickered to life, shook, and dispersed, as the other 2 MAC rounds tore through its hull, the ship was ripped in half, the bottom half exploded and the top half was burning. The other three rounds also hit there target, first round impacted the shields and destroyed them; the next two destroyed the ship, except this ship was blown to smithereens, like the ones that the Super MAC guns hit.A small victory for Captain Barber.
Out of the 64 enemy ships that dropped out of slipspace 7 had been destroyed by the orbital MAC guns, and 18 by the other UNSC ships. 39 Covenant vessels still standing. The remaining ships returned fire on the fleet, plasma bolts streaked across the open space, impacting, and destroying UNSC ships. One of the captains good friends was a lieutenant on the cruiser Thermopile. Jessica watched as the ship was impacted by 4 plasma bolts, the ship was ripped into 6 sections. She looked but no life boats made it off the cruiser. She put the thought of her friends death in the back of her head, there would be a time for morning…after she got her revenge.
10 Covenant seraph fighters came into view on the view screen. A perfect time to unleash the Spy Hawks.
The green light on Seth's HUD blinked on and off, the hangar doors flew open, and his ship took off into the nothingness of space. The group of Spy Hawks that had been nick named "The gun blazers" for there actions on Octanus 4. The squadron saved 3 UNSC ships because of there ability to get up and go. Long story short the entire squadron was on R&R when the red alarm on base was raised, they WILLINGLY ran to there ships and took off into combat guns a blazing in under 3 minutes, fought off 40 enemy seraph fighters, and nuked an enemy carrier all in a days work, saving millions of lives on the planet below, not to mention the 3 outmatched UNSC cruisers.
Seth spotted the first of his targets, this seraph had been in combat many times before, the marks of 70mm rounds had been traced all across the hull, apparently this ship fought a UNSC spy hawk…and won. Comforting news to the battle hardened sergeant, he bit his lower lip and began to lock his target. He griped the handles of the Hawk's cockpit and prepared to fire. Sweat began to trickle down his face as he realized the seraph had a buddy with him. Blood ran from his lip to his chin from biting to hard as he got closer to his targets. 20 meters, close enough for a hammerhead missile, Seth launched 2 of the half ton rockets at the enemy fighters. The first one impacted the ship behind the veteran, and detonated. One ship enemy ship down, a small victory for Seth, but he would have to wait before he could tattoo another alien skull onto his arm.
The veteran and Seth over shot each other, Seth took evasive maneuvers as the incoming plasma impacted his ship. The sergeant began to get hotter and hotter inside the cockpit from the plasma impacts on the hull of his ship. When he came back around to hit the enemy ship he had two options to destroy it. He was out of hammerhead missiles so he would either A shoot him down with the two 70mm machine guns mounted on his ships bow, which was unlikely…or collide with the alien scum. They were approaching the 20 meter mark, Seth was positive he was on the brink of death, in a final act of desperation, and heat of the moment, he released a loud battle cry over the squadrons com channel. As the rage of battle over took him, all that came from his mouth was an anger filled roar. He squeezed the triggers to the 70mm machineguns. And the enemy ship exploded…way before the bullets could have impacted the Covenant vessel. Not 2 seconds later three Spy hawks passed through the smoke from the explosion. "We got your back kid, always will" Major Ryter said in a victorious voice. "That's all the Seraphs around Jericho, continue to patrol the ship, don't dock, not at these speeds." A loud and confident "Aye aye" roared through the COM channel.
Captain Jessica barber was out of options. Her ship had been boarded whale her Spy Hawks were occupied by the seraph fighters, and in the larger picture, the battle didn't go well. The orbital guns were still firing there 7 rounds every 4 minutes, but 47 out of the 94 UNSC vessels were destroyed. And there were still 28 covenant ships to deal with. She would have to force the idea of her ship being violated by the alien slimes footprints to the back of her head for now, she had a battle to win.
Sergeant Mathew Kenyon, an ODST squad leader, was charged with defending a deck with 7 escape pods, 4 in which had been launched. His orders were to hold the fort until 6 of the pods had launched, then have him and his squad hop in the last one. He was a battle hardened soldier, he once got into hand to hand combat with an elite, the elite cut down on him with his plasma rifle, hit Matt in the face, he shook the blow off, grabbed his 7 inch boot knife and shoved it right between the 7 foot monsters eyes.
His squad was made up of 13 ODST soldiers, there was 10 left guarding the pods. And one of them had given into insanity, he wouldn't move, huddled up in a corner and constantly whispering the same thing to himself over and over "greens for marines, metals for machines, but ODST jump feet first into hell." It obviously made no sense to anyone who tried to talk to him. They were sad for there teammate, but there was little they could do.
Matt leveled his MA5B Assault rifle, he spotted a dozen grunts run out of the left hallway and opened fire. The methane breathing creatures screamed in confusion. Methane burst from there environment suits, and the grunts were enflamed. The sergeant laughed at how easy it was to kill so many. He stopped however, when he heard elites running down the right hallway. "Take up positions! Mendez, Holloway, Jenkins, Ryan, Holfman, and Jacobs. Open up on the elites, Carmine and Joyce, follow me.
The sergeant led the other two marines up to the left hallway. Looped them around through a few doors and halls until the ended up in the right hallway that led to the pods. Kenyon turned a corner and there he was. A split faced covenant elite, sitting there, as if he knew Matt was coming. Matt dove into the torso of the elite and began punching into the vermin's abdomen, before he knew it he was ripping out flesh and blue and purple blood was splashing up into his face and around his arms. The elite roared and fell dead on the floor, the two marines with Kenyon were stunned, as they should be. They just watched a man rip into the soft organs of an elite's torso.
They continued down the hallway to find there fellow ODST soldiers dead. Confusion ran through the young sergeants mind, how did 6 of the best trained soldiers in the UNSC fall for 2 maybe 3 covenant elites!?! Anger overtook him, as he spotted them… Hunters, FOUR hunters, he raised his weapon and with the three men together, they opened fire. Bullets bounced off the first hunters armor. The monstrous beast charged into the soldiers, lifted up his sword like shield, and brought it down on Joyce's mid torso, Matt heard ribs crack, the hunter turned to meet the sergeant and carmine as it crushed the skull of Joyce with his boot. Kenyon turned to find a way out but saw only 3 other hunters surrounding him. He pulled out the same boot knife he used to kill the elite all those years ago, and charged into the first hunter, the one that killed Joyce. He stabbed and stabbed until he felt bones crack, the hunter had punched him in his side, ripped him off, and threw him on the ground. He saw the Carmine was dead, his body, mangled. And as he turned his head upward, the last thing he ever saw, was the bloody boot of a hunter crushing down on his skull.
The battle was going to hell and there was nothing Jessica could do to stop it, she continued the firing of her remaining MAC gun, the other two had been destroyed. All the archer missile's had been launched, much hope was lost for this battle, when she saw it. Her mind opened up, and her strategic brilliance had come into play. She saw an opening in the covenant fleet, a position where a Shiva Nuke could be deployed, and wipe out the whole Covenant fleet. However, a diversion was needed…the Spy hawks.
"Lieutenant get Major Ryter on the horn ASAP" "Aye aye Captain". The Major's voice cracked over the speakers. "You called Ma'am" Ryter said. "Yes in fact I did, I found an opening in the covenant fleet, a position where there point defense is just barely weak enough to fit a Shiva Nuke. But we need someone to go take that barely and turn it into fact, we need you to take out the point defense turrets guarding the rest of the battle group, and keep them off the nuke till it gets there." "Aye Ma'am, Ryter out".
With the push of a button the Shiva nuke was launched, the pilots were sent, and already engaging the turrets guarding the spot that the nuke was launched to. The stars and space itself was ignited with fire as the nuke was detonated, the bright light pushed toward Jericho's screens. Miranda squinted her eyes, James cheered in victory and joy, and Jessica saluted in respect for the good men she had just sent to there deaths. All in those 5 or 6 seconds of silence when the nuke detonated, a planet saved, but at what coast? Thousands of good men and women dead, Seth, Matt, Ryter, Carmine. Jessica would live on to tell her children about the battle of Duroom, and the brave men and women who gave there lives there.
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