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The Siege of Zion Base; Part Two: Siege - Chapters 6 & 7
Posted By: Scimitarex<scimitarex@omegacell.net>
Date: 17 February 2004, 9:55 PM
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Part Two: Siege
Chapter Six
1320 Hours, December 8, 2552
Sinai Star System, UNSC Test
Facility, code name: Zion,
planet Genesis
John had been trying to reach Cortana for twenty minutes before he had finally made his way back to the laboratory where she and Dr. Mathis had been working. The attack had begun by complete surprise he had thought at first that the Covenant seemed quite inclined to sit in orbit and pummel the planet into rubble. Though after the initial assault, the attacks had ceased. He wasn't sure why, but he felt that something else was going on.
John felt useless on the ground while the fighting was in orbit, so he made himself useful by clearing pathways into the damaged sections of the medical wing so the Marines could search for survivors. His superior strength enabled him to reach the interior of the damaged wing and the Marines were able to evacuate the seriously wounded. Several dozen were already dead.
John had been about to go back into the building to search for Dr. Mathis and Cortana when a general alarm sounded a large, pulsing wail. It meant that the planet was going to be invaded. He was torn between staying to help or going to battle in the city. He knew his best chance of finding Cortana was now, before the structure was hit again.
He made up his mind: he went inside. After several minutes of clearing rubble and searching through different rooms he finally found the laboratory the doctor and Cortana had been using. He entered it to find the lights flickering in the darkness. Several fires had broken out where the power lines had ruptured. He searched everywhere and found nothing.
Maybe they hadn't been here when the attack happened, thought John. His mind raced. He tried raising Cortana on the TACCOM, and PERSCOM but to no avail.
His last thought was to check in with the Marines who had evacuated the survivors and see if the doctor had been picked up. But if Cortana and Dr. Mathis were trapped in the in the building, they wouldn't be able to get out without his help.
There was nothing else for him to do so he was about to start back when he heard a muffled sound. He turned toward the sound and listened. "Is anyone there?" he asked.
There was a faint sound, just barely enough to be perceived by his super sensitive ears. He walked over fallen support beams and pieces of concrete until he got close enough to discern that the sound were voices coming through a wall.
No... not a wall. Part of the roof had caved in and landed upright giving the appearance of a wall. The slab was big enough that it was hard to tell it apart from the real wall in the dim, flickering light.
He began punching through the slab, which was too big to move, until he had chipped enough away to hear the people on the other side. He quickly finished removing enough of the wall to step through into a dimly lit room. The slab had fallen in front of a doorway leading to an adjacent room which most of the lab technicians had been working in when the attack had happened. The technicians were astonished at the way the massive Spartan had punched through the wall to rescue them. One of the technicians stepped forward to lead the others out of the hole back through the path that the Chief had made.
John turned to one of the lab scientists and asked, "Have you seen Dr. Mathis? Or an AI named Cortana?"
The scientist nodded, "They left just before the first explosion. They were going to another wing of this building when the first salvo hit."
So they were alive, hopefully. He knew to search for them now would be fruitless, he had to get these people out of here.
He led the way back to where the Marines had set up a temporary trauma ward. He helped the wounded get settled in before he headed off to report to Colonel McLeod. He had to find out where the Covenant were invading and get there to help repel them. Cortana and Dr. Mathis would have to wait.
John made his way into the main city from the base. The actual Zion base was on the outskirts of a larger city that served to meet the needs of the people who lived on the planet. It was much like any other human city, with towering skyscrapers and busy streets, but much smaller in size due to the few thousand people living on the planet instead the millions of the larger colonies. He had to report to the military command center where he would link up with a squad and find out where the fighting was.
John had no weapons, and was about to try to find some when the first signs of invasion began to manifest. A trio flight of Banshees, the Covenant's signature atmospheric combat craft, streaked over the city. They made strafing runs through the skyscrapers shooting at the troops crowding the streets making their way to the combat zone.
He needed a weapon, and fast. No telling when or where an attack could happen upon his location and he did not want to be caught without a weapon.
He ran from the base and found a vehicle that could take him to the command center in the city faster than on foot. It wasn't much, a civilian ground car that was almost too small for his massive size. He had to squeeze in but finally found a comfortable position that allowed full range of motion. He found a set of extra ignition keys in a small compartment under the driver's seat and started the car up. He sped off into the city streets to find the command base.
He only hoped he wasn't too late.
# # #
Ebyo stood in the command cabin of his small ship. The stealth ship had just departed the Ray of Purity with the space fighters before the ship had entered the atmosphere and was making it's way to the planet's main base and city structures. He and his team were to set down on the outside of the city and proceed on foot in stealth to find and kill the human that was their target.
The ship flew through the atmosphere, lower into the clouds, and finally down far enough to where Ebyo could see the city. It was small, only large enough to serve a few thousand or perhaps ten thousand people. Most of the city's occupants were likely to be non-combatants.
He wondered how long it would take to find the human. He knew that if they failed, then the ships in orbit had orders to disengage the main opposition and proceed to the planet for orbital bombardment. The only reason they weren't doing so now was because they still didn't want the human to know that this whole trap was specifically for him. Any other damage was a bonus. They could bombard the planet after they were sure that the human was dead.
Ebyo turned and looked at the threat signature readouts. Their forces were landing on the north end of the city, just west of the military base on the eastern side of the city. The base to the east overlooked the plains below the plateau that contained a human airfield, which was scrambling its complement of aircraft for the defense of the city.
He also saw that the planet's forces were already converging on the invasion forces' landing site. Artillery, infantry, and aircraft combat was sprouting up all over the northern half of the metropolis.
Wraith tanks were dropped to level the buildings, and Banshees were deployed to cover them. The infantry forces were conveyed to the surface through the gravity lifts of three large capital ships, including the Ray of Purity, along with their attack vehicles. Drop ships and Phantoms were deploying shocktroops to key locations that could be held to make an invasion corridor into the center of the city.
"Sir, we are nearing our landing zone. Shall I give the order to prepare for landing?" said Damacus, the Brute, behind him, his voice a deep guttural growl.
Ebyo turned and saw their landing zone, a small urban housing district with few clustered areas, and enough clear space to put their craft down on. "Yes, give the order to land."
Damacus nodded and made his way to the forward cockpit to tell the pilots to land. After a minute he came back and nodded. Ebyo walked back the cargo bay where his team was prepared to depart. Damacus followed him and took his place in the line beside Varadel and 'Labadee.
Ebyo stood before his troops and began to speak, "Today, we go into battle with the fiercest of our enemies. We may not survive, but if we do, and succeed, we show these humans that their precious super soldiers are not invincible once again. We destroy the one human who gives them hope the most. We crush their hero!"
Grunts and howls of impatience bellowed from the Brutes. They were stifling for a fight. 'Labadee simply nodded in his own silent show of approval.
Ebyo picked up his weapon and equipment. He raised his weapon over his head and yelled, "This day, make us worthy of the gods! To battle!"
# # #
Chapter Seven
1343 Hours, December 8, 2552
Sinai Star System, UNSC Test
Facility, code name: Zion,
planet Genesis
John was having a hard time making it to the command center. At almost every turn he was being pelted with debris and ash. The buildings around him were beginning to become more and more damaged from the onslaught of the Covenant's invasion forces.
He drove until he finally saw a company of troops making their way through the streets toward the forward engagement line. He figured he would be better off with them than mewling about in a small useless tin can. As he approached the troops he saw them turn toward him and look on bewilderedly as he approached them in a civilian car. He stopped a few meters away from the main body of troops comprising the center of the company and opened the door. The expressions of the Marines turned from bewilderment to awe as he stepped from the vehicle and moved toward them.
"Who's in charge here?" asked the Chief.
A man in a Sergeant's uniform pushed through the line and stood before the Chief. The man was of medium stature and age and wore a standard issue Marine commander cap, which covered his white, shaved head; the figure of an eagle emblazoned on the front.
"I am," the man stated and stuck out a hand, "Sergeant Major Lincoln Winsor. You must be the Master Chief. I was told you were back at the main facility."
The Chief shook the man's hand. "I was, but I figured I'd be more useful in the fight. Where do I report?"
"To me for now. We're making our way to the northern part of the city, the Covenant seem intent on capturing the facility intact. Our job is to repel the Covenant's secondary invasion corridor leading from the north to southeast. Go get yourself a weapon and rendezvous with the forward squad. Then hop in one of the transports and we'll head out."
"Sir, yes sir!" saluted John, then turned to find the weapons cache. The cache was in the back of a stripped-down M12 LRV Warthog; the M41 LAAG removed to make way for crates of weapons and ammo. He surveyed the weapons and chose one of the Marine's newly issued Battle Rifles. The Battle Rifle's scope and 9.5x45mm ammunition would be useful for ranged targets. He then picked up a Sub-Machine Gun for close up work, the 5x23mm caseless shells were devastating at close range, and fired extremely rapidly making it ideal in close quarters. He strapped it to his right leg in its holster grip.
He picked up some extra ammo packs and fragmentation grenades and headed to the front of the company. He counted two standard M12 LRV Warthogs, in addition to the stripped down 'Hog, with M41 light anti-aircraft guns for aerial protection, a refitted M12A 1 LAAV Warthog, which had a 102mm SC-HE triple barreled rocket launcher replacing the standard M41 LAAG. A M808B Scorpion main battle tank added muscle for heavy firepower and headed up the rear of the column heading down the street.
The column moved forward and John jumped aboard the leading Warthog and manned the LAAG. He began watching the skies for incoming threats and spotted a flight of Banshees bearing down on their position from the left side of the column through a crossroads in the street. The Banshees dove into the urban canyon and opened fire with their plasma cannons. He opened up with the LAAG and spewed hundreds of 12.7mm slugs into the air surrounding the Banshees. The other Warthog's gunner fired his own stream of metal slugs at the incoming Banshees. The Banshee's plasma fire burned into the column and vaporized Marines, pavement, and whatever else got in the way. The return fire from the Chief's gun found it's mark as a Covenant pilot veered out of the way of the Marine's return fire to run head-first into his. The Banshee exploded, showering the street with debris and fire.
The other Banshees broke of their run and retreated back out of the range of return fire above the city. The column continued forward until it met with the main Covenant ground forces advancing toward the main Zion facility. Battle irrupted instantly and plasma fire lit up the darkening light in the city streets. The Chief continued to pump shells out of the LAAG and completely devastated the Covenant's advancing infantry line.
Ahead, the street split down the middle, the right going up to the upper level of a two-leveled bridge and the left half of the road continuing on under to the lower level. The bridge spanned a small rift in the plateau on which the city stood. It was, in effect, a small canyon dividing the city for a few blocks over which the Covenant had to make their way to get to the other side without having to go around. On the upper level of the bridge, the Covenant's anti-armor vehicles came into view. Ghosts made up the front of the line, followed by Wraiths and Shadows, which were, in turn, followed by troop transports known as "Creeps". The Covenant's infantry were making their way across the bridge on the lower level, emptying out into the street.
The forward Covenant forces fired into the Marine lines and the column broke up into smaller groups to avoid the falling plasma bombs of the Wraith mortar tanks. The Chief's Warthog drove suddenly to the left and turned off to drive on the side of the street. The Warthog slowed to a stop at the corner of the street crossroads just in front of the bridge. The other forces took cover around buildings, parking garages, and made their stand there at the front of the bridge.
The Marines made their way into the surrounding buildings to hold the bridge and force the Covenant into a bottleneck. The Covenant Ghosts charged the line and attempted the break through the street. The Scorpion tank put a stop to that with its 90mm high-velocity shells and mounted machine gun. The Marines did a fine job of repelling the initial assault but John saw that all the Marines were going to do was be worn down by sheer numbers and that they needed to find an edge.
While John was busy covering the street with the LAAG, he saw that the crossroads the Marines had fortified was an opportunity. The street was facing the north toward the bridge and the east turnoff to the right led to a road that curved upward and left attaching to the upper level of the bridge. While the Covenant's infantry that were pouring through the lower level posed no immediate threat, if the Covenant's vehicles on the upper level made their way down that curved road, the Marines would find themselves in a crossfire. He decided that the best way to take out the vehicles on the upper level from moving down the front road was to take the curved road up towards them and flank them.
He dismounted the Warthog's gun and told the Marine in the passenger seat to take his place. He made his way through fallen rubble and through the street to find Sgt. Winsor. John found him and his squad pinned down behind a few toppled cars and buses by a few Jackals that were protecting black armored Grunts with their overlapping wrist shields. The Grunts were lobbing Fuel Rod Guns over the Sergeant's cover and he couldn't make any headway with that kind of firepower bearing down on him. The Chief unhooked two frag grenades and armed them. From his position to the Jackals right he could throw them behind the Jackal's shields. He aimed and threw both grenades. He watched as they landed behind the surprised Jackals and Grunts and exploded, sending their twisted, bloodied bodies into the air. Sergeant Winsor immediately ordered his troops to move forward to stop any further advances from that angle by the Covenant.
"Thanks. Those guys had us pinned down," said Winsor as John approached.
John immediately told Winsor of his plan and his need of the Scorpion tank, and LAAV Warthog. Winsor nodded and replied, "Well, the Hog's pinned down, but the Scorpion's free. Take a few rocket launchers and get some men together. The plan's all yours, just make sure you bring the tank back in one piece. If it gets destroyed we're done for here."
John nodded and moved to get his plan in order. His switched to the TACCOM band and ordered the tank to begin moving into position to take the bridge from the curved road. He ordered some M19 surface-to-surface missile launchers and operators to rendezvous with the tank and wait for him. He grabbed a few Marines along the way who were waiting for orders and took them with him. John made his way across the battle torn streets toward the turnoff, which would take them to the upper bridge road.
Suddenly a large explosion blew through the building in front of them. The Covenant had blown through the building from the other side with a Wraith tank that had made it's way from the upper level of the bridge down into the main street. John immediately opened fire with his Battle Rifle at the Grunts, Jackals and Elites that spewed through the opening. He activated his scope and dropped Grunt, after Jackal, after Grunt, blood spewing from their bodies. The other Marines opening fire at the infantry that moved out of the hole in the building with heavy machine guns and assault rifles.
The Wraith that had blown through the building began to emerge from the wreckage. The Marines armed a Jackhammer missile and fired at the Wraith. The first rocket exploded on the outer armor, denting and destroying the outer layers, but it wasn't enough to stop it. The Marines were about to fire another rocket when the Wraith began to charge them to run them over. At close range the Wraith's plasma mortar was nearly useless and the pilot obviously thought that running the Marines over was a better option. Marines were about to be flattened between a building and the Wraith when a 90mm HV projectile slammed into the side of the Wraith, obliterating the pilot and overloading the main plasma cannon, which exploded in blue fire. The Marines were covered in fire and hot metal but their armor saved most of them from serious injury.
The Scorpion had made it way to the rendezvous just in time, and had saved them from certain death. The tank made short work of the rest of the Covenant who were pouring though the building's wreckage. After a few minutes of mop-up work the Chief was able push on with his troops.
John switched his channel to the SQUADCOM and gave orders to his troops. "Okay, that upper level on the bridge has most of the Covenant's heavy vehicles on it. They've been lobbing plasma down at our forces that are holding the crossroads directly in front of the bridge. We are going to take them out."
John pointed at the curved road leading to the upper level. "We need to take that off-ramp before the Covenant find it and flank us. It'll put us right behind the Wraith tanks and we can pummel them from behind with the tank and rockets. Any questions?" asked the Chief.
No one said anything and John gave the order to move out.
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