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Out of the Frying Pan... chapter II
Posted By: ONI_operative_343<zattack89@aol.com>
Date: 1 September 2004, 6:17 PM
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1454 Hours, August 18, 2541 (Military Calendar)/
Epsilon Eridani System, outside Mute Tunnels Security Outpost,
planet White
What am I going to do? From where he was in the bushes, Byrne knew it was hopeless. Spent shell casings littered the ground, and plasma burns had literally melted away parts of the scenery. Something caused the tunnel on the far left to collapse at the opening; No doubt the tanks' battle he surmised. The flagpole outside the security outpost had toppled over. Byrne could only guess that the UNSC flag was at the end was burning. The trees and bushes that use to be a part of the parking lot were now smoldering piles of ash. Then he took the time to notice the bodies. At least a hundred dead Marines littered the ground and almost quadruple that number of Covenant dead had fallen with them. The Corporal saluted his fallen soldiers. Siemper Fi, soldiers. You fought hard... damn proud of ya.
But now Byrne was questioning what to do. Could he make it back to HQ? Would there be a HQ when he got there? Everything was running through his head... The Covenant knocked out the comm.s... that's why my data didn't send... they destroyed HQ... everyone's dead, wasted...
Just then a gunshot rang out. Byrne leaped to his feet; yes, a firefight was going on. He strained to see through the smoke.
There! Involuntarily he pointed towards the security outpost. The sizzling hiss of plasma weapons of the sharp retort of AR fire was echoing from that building to the outside. The few Jackals and Grunts patrolling the wreckage outside turned and looked. A few Jackals bounded toward the building. The remaining ones went back to pacing back and forth, and the Grunts curled back up to sleep. It was then that Corporal Byrne made his decision. Whether he liked it or not, reality set he. Chances are, he thought, I ain't getting off this rock. Might as well take some of them down with me. He sighed, checked his pistol to make sure everything was functioning, then broke into a run towards the nearest smashed Warthog, evading the Covenant on patrol. He threw himself against it, panting. Byrne was going to help whoever was in that building, at any cost. But first, he had to make it across this barren land of destruction, with the enemy all around him.
He stole a look around the smashed Warthog, trying to not think of the blood that was smeared across the remnants of the shattered windshield. From where he was, only 200 meters of open ground separated him from the security outpost.
Only he muttered. Yeah, no big deal.
Byrne couldn't run the distance without being spotted. The few Grunts in the area were not alert, but the four or five Jackals, Byrne wasn't sure how many, they would be more then willing to make his trip more challenging. Dodging plasma fire and returning fire all while racing through a barren wasteland complete with large craters, smashed glass, and fallen comrades was not the Corporal's idea of fun. He considered sneaking to the nearest Warthog, but he would have to run directly past a yellow-shielded Jackal to do so.
The gunfire from the security outpost was getting louder now. Somewhere inside an alien grenade was detonated, followed by more. The Grunts awakened again and shuffled over to the Jackals, who seemed to be in command. Byrne peered around the Warthog just in time to see the aliens 'huddle up.' The Jackal with the yellow shield had his back to Byrne and was waving its gun at the security outpost, directing the troops to move in.
Not today pal. Byrne pulled the pin on his last frag and sent it sailing into the air. He watched it fly... and saw as it came down and smashed against the inside of the commanding Jackal's yellow shield, and bounced into its body. The aliens had no time to react before the M9 HE-DP grenade detonated, ripping them to shreds. Their bodies blasted out from the circle in all directions, one orange-clad Grunt even smashing into the Warthog Byrne took cover behind to avoid the shrapnel blast.
He stood, checked to make sure the area was clear, and slowly crept out from behind the Warthog, his pistol raised. One unfortunate Grunt was still alive, and tried crawling away from Byrne. Its methane tank was leaking and half of its left leg had been blown off. He looked down on the creature and considered ending the poor thing's suffering, but decided against it.
There was no telling how many of his squad mates had fallen prey to the little bastard and his comrades. Byrne bent down to rip three Covenant plasma grenades from the alien's belt then kicked the thing, hard, right in the chest. It coughed and rolled over, but still not dead. Byrne moved on towards the security outpost, where the firefight seemed to be ending. He wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.
1506 Hours, August 18, 2541 (Military Calendar)/
Epsilon Eridani System, inside Mute Tunnels Security Outpost, ground level reception area,
planet White
The steel doors of the security outpost had been breached forcefully, most likely from the Covenant Wraith tank. Corporal Byrne kicked the left door which was hanging on one hinge to make the opening a little bigger for his 6'2'' frame, then stepped inside. The front reception area and metal detectors at the security checkpoint had been trashed. Three dead Marines lay twisted horribly on the ground, blood issuing from a blonde soldier's ears. Byrne turned his attention away from the sight. It didn't make him sick, he just didn't like death. He crouched down to see what weapons he could scavenge. Two of the soldier's MA5B's were busted beyond repair. Maybe they were killed by a grenade? considered Byrne.
The third was stripped of ammo, with no weapon or ammo cache anywhere in sight. Figures.
Ahead he could see another fallen Marine in front of an elevator, but next to him was an alien corpse. Cautiously Byrne approached, moving through the reception area, his pistol up and ready to fire at any unlucky victim who entered his sights. He kicked the mangled, bloodied corpse to find a Jackal with a shot right to the gut, assuming that was where the aliens' stomachs were. A plasma pistol had fallen from its hand as it was killed, which Byrne considered pocketing, until he came across the fourth Marine's assault rifle resting just within the elevator car. He checked to make sure it was in working condition, which it was, and then began to search the Marine's packs for ammo, something that disgusted Byrne for some reason. He holstered his M6D pistol and dropped the few spare cartridges he found for the AR in one of his belt pockets.
The door down the hallway on the right had a fingerprint I.D. scanner locking the door. Byrne pressed his hand against the screen, but nothing happened. It was then he realized the power was out and the emergency generator was operating. A sign depicting stairs directed him to the hallway on the left, and he proceeded cautiously down it, his only other option on this level of the Security Outpost.
1513 Hours, August 18, 2541 (Military Calendar)/
Epsilon Eridani System, inside Mute Tunnels Security Outpost, second floor,
planet White
In the stairwell red lights were flickering which put Byrne on edge. Anything could be hiding under the stairs or at the top landing, waiting for him to get careless. He went quickly but stealthy until he reached the second floor. He'd check this floor, then move up to the third. Byrne braced himself against the door, listening. Nothing. He let out a breath, then opened the door. [i[Clear his mind told him. He swept the rifle along the hallway, not seeing any sign of movement. Two dead grunts lay outside of a room off to Byrne's right. As he cautiously approached, he could see a Marine's arm laying limp half outside the door. Closer still, and he realized that was it... just an arm. No body. He paused a second then jumped into the doorway, prepared to face whatever was inside.
1548 Hours, August 18, 2541 (Military Calendar)/
Epsilon Eridani System, inside Mute Tunnels Security Outpost, second floor,
planet White
It took Byrne a little over half an hour to recon the second floor of the Security Outpost. He managed to salvage two fragmentation grenades and some M6D ammo from his fallen comrades. There were 11 and a half dead Marines on the second floor. Byrne got cold shivers thinking of that. 11 and a half... Byrne could only identify the upper torso of one UNSC Marine... he pushed the thoughts from his head. At least these guys kicked some major ass. The number of Covenant casualties was close to triple the amount of fallen Marines. It looked to Byrne like the Covenant had tried to overwhelm the Marines by sending in squad after squad... only to be mowed down by the Marine's AR fire.
Luckily the Marines had taken cover behind a barricade of pilled up desks and chairs from the various rooms on this floor, and were shooting out every possible opening. That was until the Covenant grenadiers showed up. Once the Covenant had broken through the Marine's defenses and killed a few defenders in the resulting explosion, they cornered the remaining UNSC fighters in one office. Overwhelmed and outgunned, the Marines had met their match.
So far, Byrne had yet to run into anything that was still alive in the Security Outpost, friend or foe. He slammed a fresh clip into his MA5B and proceeded back to the stairwell. Level three still had to be checked out. And even if there were no survivors from either side, Byrne had already formulated his plan for getting back to HQ. All he had to worry about now was if Headquarters would be there waiting for him, intact. Soon he would find that was the least of his problems.
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