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Minutemen: Battle of Boston Chap. 7
Posted By: Azrael<tondorf@bc.edu>
Date: 2 December 2004, 2:40 PM
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Minutemen: The Battle of Boston Chapter 7
edited by Helljumper
53rd Massachusetts Militia (Minutemen)
Evacuated City of Boston
Midway through Covenant invasion of Earth
Night
Seamus Connor had seen more death this day than he had seen in his whole life. The redheaded Irishman who claimed divine protection had survived several close encounters through the day, including several intense attacks from Covenant ground forces with armored support. The price for victory so far had been unbearable. Two of his three younger brothers had been killed in action, and almost a dozen Minutemen were casualties of the street battle. Their cries for help blended together in a tragic chorus that still played in his mind.
Both the demolition expert and his squad leader, 1st Sergeant Mahmoud Tonsi, were taking cover in a side alley, while two Covenant Banshees were patrolling the sky above the street. The flyers occasionally began laying down suppressing fire on the Minutemen below. Seamus Connor peeked his head out and looked above at the alien aircraft.
"For Christ's sake, Dad, it's like they're cheating up there. How long can the fuckers fire?" Seamus used the term of endearment for his commanding officer. It would have been ludicrous to think the tall, lanky Middle Eastern officer was in any way related to the short, stocky Irish immigrant.
"I don't know," the 1SG replied, "but I bet you we can shake 'em." The Connor brother watched as Tonsi reached into his rucksack and pulled out an interesting looking device. Connor's eyes lit up as he took in the ingenious contraption. Seamus was about to devise a plan until he was cut off by a panicked voice on the Minutemen communication channels. "Those Banshees are taking friendly fire!"
Both demolitions squad members turned around and stared at the pink-purple plasma impacting against the side of a firing, hovering Banshee. While Tonsi stared incredulously at the sight, Connor immediately traced the fire to a lone Shade stationary gun and realized why he had heard his brother, Rory, yelling Seamus' battle cry just a few moments ago. Seamus was out of the alley yelling at his last brother before Tonsi had a chance to say otherwise.
The Company First Sergeant immediately knew Rory was doomed. The boy was a brutal, efficient fighter and a bane to Covenant all over the city, but this attack was more than foolhardy, it was worthless. It was useless sacrifice, and while Tonsi could do nothing about Rory's choice, he could do his best to save Seamus' hide. As the Banshee that was being fired upon swooped down on Rory Connor's position low to the ground, the second Banshee swiveled around to target the now-exposed Seamus Connor. The second Banshee fought with the winds for just long enough to allow Mahmoud to form an attack.
With what little time he had, the 1st Sergeant grabbed a remaining M19 SSM man-portable launcher, his last plasma grenade, and a packet of C-7 foaming explosive. The grim determination was imprinted on his face as it always did in dark and high-stress situations, Tonsi didn't need any rockets to do his job. Opening the first firing tube, Tonsi applied the foaming, semi-solid adhesive explosive inside the launcher's firing chamber. In a blur of motion, the former UNSC Marine activated the plasma grenade, dropped it down the first tube, aimed, and set off the small packet of explosive. The grenade launched from the tube before impacting the Banshee. The blue explosion that followed caused the Banshee to explode from the inside, bathing the street in a second or two of blue light, illuminating the way for Seamus to get a better view of Rory Connor's death.
From the seat of the plasma turret, Rory Connor could see the purple curved hull swoop away, level off, and perform a miraculous barrel roll no more than ten feet off the ground. There was no way in Hell the Minuteman's turret was going to catch up with the Covenant fighter. Rory pushed the turret to its' limit, his spiky red hair bouncing back and forth with the recoil from the weapon. "Bring it on, you fuggin' Covie bastard!" He yelled above the discharges. "Bring it on! Bring it on!!!" In the last seconds of Rory's life, he was able to see the Banshee fire off its' fuel rod cannon and track the glowing green ball all the way towards him.
"Noooooo!" Seamus Connor, the last surviving brother wailed as the street was lit green, the Shade turret flipping twice in the air, his brother's body flying off as the Banshee screamed overhead into the sky.
Braving exposure to enemy fire, Seamus made his way over to the mutilated corpse body of his brother. Kneeing next to the blackened body, Seamus gave into the rush of emotions as tears flowed down his darkened face. His entire family was dead, leaving him alone in a war torn world. He knew only one optioned remained. He ripped the pistol from his brother's holster and pulled the trigger of the M6D until the barrel wafted smoke and fell from the Irishman's hands, clacking on the ruined pavement.
Captain Jack O'Shea was watching his salvation get literally blown out of the sky. Both Pelicans were trailing smoke and flame, unable to evade the Banshees in the tight urban quarters. The Captain switched on his radio and tried to get an advantage, any advantage from the transmissions between the Pelicans.
"Evasive maneuvers, man! I'm lit up!"
"I can't shake the bastards, X-Ray. Damn it, I just lost my rear boosters and the chin gun's offline. I'm going emergency drop and crashing this bird. All ground personnel, clear the street. Marines, emergency deployment in ten! Tuck and roll, boys!"
O'Shea watched as Pelican X-Ray climbed in altitude, trying to make some way behind the Banshees. Pelican Golf dipped suddenly, reversing the thrusters in order to slow down the aircraft. It leveled off only a meter above the ground. The area behind Pelican Golf was lit by the aircraft's engines, dimly illuminating twelve UNSC Marines dropping one by one to the pavement, their bodies collapsing and rolling upon impact with the street. Before the last two Marines could jump, the Pelican succumbed to its wounds.
The nose of the Pelican dipped slightly, but just enough to strike the upturned concrete from one of the craters. The front of the aircraft pitched upward, then slammed down on the ground, throwing the back end of the transport up and spinning it around. Skidding across the concrete streets, it finally came to rest upside down on the side of a building as flames and smoke billowed out. Electricity sparking out from the demolished cockpit marked the end of the Pelican.
O'Shea watched as Pelican X-Ray was trying to clear the street's airspace but instead drew the wrath of the remaining Banshees. From the rooftop, two vapor trails clipped wing stabilizers on two Banshees, sending the Covenant craft into spinning and cartwheeling descents before impacting with the ground below. "We'll handle the downed Pelican, sir." Parsons voice came over the radio, "you take care of those Marines." O'Shea watched on as the two Banshees that survived concentrated their power on the fleeing Pelican, and with a low boom, the surviving Pelican's wings exploded in flame, and trailed smoke all the way to the ground, crashing out of the Minuteman's sight.
O'Shea looked down the street as the Marines made their way to the Captain's position. Even after the harrowing ordeal, they appeared calm and professional. With minimal shouting and quick-issued hand signals, the scattered squad located the two Banshees that had taken down their other Pelican. Two Marines lugging rocket launchers sighted and fired, their new man-portable units tracking the enemy craft relentlessly and lighting the sky with subsequent explosions.
O'Shea watched two black blobs appear out of the darkness and move toward the Marines. After a brief silence, the Marines fell in behind the Minutemen Reynolds and Sohn. The UNSC Marines formed tactical columns with weapons at the ready as they followed the exhausted Minutemen escorts. The detachment arrived in front of O'Shea's position.
The Marines were wearing the new issue urban camo, and within a few seconds' inspection, Captain Jack O'Shea realized just how out-of-date the Minutemen's own gear was. The squad leader removed his helmet after catching O'Shea's gold Captain bars, and saluted. O'Shea, reluctantly, returned it. That action caused the Marine Gunny Sergeant to pause, and even in the darkness, O'Shea could tell the Marine was now inspecting him.
"What...?" The Gunny stuttered. "You aren't UNSC!"
"Correct, Gunnery Sergeant," O'Shea replied. "We're Boston militia. I'm Captain Jack O'Shea, and these are the Minutemen. You boys have been tricked into helping us out. My apologies, but it was our only option. My men, and the people of this city, need your assistance. Stick with us, and we'll get out of this alive. My minutemen have intimate knowledge of the area, but you Marines are fresh bodies. We're going to need both to get out of this jam."
Carl Sohn stood at the rear of the meeting. He nodded his head in agreement. "Bad ass Marines and crazy Minutemen, maybe we'll survive this after all." He said to Reynolds with a smile. Following that statement, Sohn fell forward, the back of his helmet caved in and steaming from the plasma blast that had just entered his head.
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