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Marooned Chapter 18
Posted By: Steve_Ollett<steveoll@fsmail.net>
Date: 30 January 2005, 7:46 PM
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M A R O O N E D - CHAPTER 18
-----------------------------
2201HRS 08-OCT-2252 (MILITARY CALENDAR)
UNDERGROUND HANGAR, SECOND PLANET OF ACKWAZE SYSTEM
"Keep a cool head, remember your training." Ryan mumbled to himself as he aimed the barrel of the MA5B and squeezed the trigger. The muzzle flashed bright orange as the rifle spewed a hail of bullets whilst kicking hard against his grip, like a wild animal trying to wrench itself loose.
Two Grunts toppled over backwards as the 7.62mm armour-piercing rounds tore through their bodies.
Ryan stepped forward over the twitching bodies, his gaze swept from side to side, looking for the next target. Presently he advanced towards the next point of cover - a large crate, pockmarked with bullet holes and plasma impacts - Ryan crouched down there and slammed another magazine into his rifle.
"Keep moving" Ryan announced through his helmet comms over the sound of duelling plasma and bullets, "We're almost there!"
"On my way," Corporal Stocks replied over the radio, as the sound of the S2 AM sniper rifle that Stocks carried rang out in the chamber. "One less Covie Bastard for us to deal with!" he added.
-----
2235HRS 08-OCT-2252 (MILITARY CALENDAR)
UNDERGROUND HANGAR, SECOND PLANET OF ACKWAZE SYSTEM
The Covenant dropship stood still - silhouetted against the night sky - The lack of illumination emanating from the dual hulls indicated that it was not in a flight-ready condition.
Bodies of fallen Covenant in various states of dismemberment littered the ground at the mouth of the hangar, and out on the landing pad.
"There's our ride home, gentlemen." Dr Armstrong said triumphantly, waving his M6D pistol in the general direction of the alien craft. "In a couple of hours' time you could be back in your bunks, laughing this off, or spending some quality time with your bed-side pinups." he smirked.
"Funny guy." Private O'Shea whispered whilst rolling his eyes.
"Let's go get her, boys!" Armstrong announced as he began to rise to his feet.
"Hang on." Ryan hissed as he grabbed the older man's arm in what seemed to him to be a moment of Deja' vu. "More haste, less speed Gramps" Ryan continued, as the rest of his team attempted to stifle their laughter, "remember what happened last time."
"Of course Sergeant," Armstrong replied, "I am forgetting the agreed chain of command that we have here... at the moment. Continue as you see fit."
"That was one hell of a fight we had back there." Stocks said as he checked the magazine of his sidearm, "I'm out of rounds for the S2 AM, and only got two magazines for the pistol. I might have to condescend and use this Covenant shit they call weapons."
"Hey they're not too bad," Private Collins piped-up, "This Needler is the dogs bollocks - we could learn from this tech."
"Yes, and we have already learned a lot from Covenant technology," Armstrong interrupted, as he and Dr Muller exchanged uneasy glances at each other, "but this will be for nothing if we hang around any longer. Sergeant Ryan, we have get off this rock!"
"Alright! Alright. We'll go." Ryan said reluctantly, "I have a bad feeling about this, It just seems to easy!"
"Too easy?" Armstrong replied incredulously, "Too easy? You haven't seen what we faced down there and what we had to get past to get up here, but believe me it wasn't easy!"
"Perhaps its' time you let us in on this big secret of yours..." Ryan replied, raising his voice, as he moved to the snatch the aluminium case from Dr Muller, "...Starting with what you are carrying in that case!"
Ryan stopped short as the barrel of Dr Armstrong's pistol was pressed hard against Ryan's left temple. "I warned you not to interfere with what doesn't concern you Ryan, and I've had enough of your curiosity!"
"Hey!" Ryan exclaimed as he lowered his hands - the sidearm still planted against the side of his skull. "I need to know what I'm dealing with here."
"You're dealing with me Sergeant!" Armstrong said coldly as the colour visibly drained from the older man's face. He leaned in closer to Ryan and continued to speak. "This goes way above any clearance you may have had on this op. Section three has given me complete autonomy as far as my mission goes. Just think yourself lucky that you are still useful, as I will not hesitate to put you down when your services are redundant."
Ryan's team stood agape, stunned at the events unravelling before them.
"Section three" Stocks whispered to himself, "He's a god-damned ONI spook. What are they doing here?"
"Ah, Corporal Stocks... John... with a service record like yours - an impressive sniper like you - it's hard to believe that you are still in your lowly rank." Armstrong said with a hint of sarcasm, whilst lowering his weapon and signalling to Private Johnson. The large man moved towards Ryan and confiscated his rifle. "Sorry man," Johnson said sheepishly, "I'm under orders."
"No problem." Ryan replied flippantly.
Dr Armstrong advanced menacingly towards Stocks, his pistol pointed at the Corporal's forehead, "Like your good friend the Sergeant here, I heard that you also have a problem with the chain of command. Are you going to cause me problems, Corporal?"
"No Sir!" Stocked shouted in reply.
"Good, I see that you are learning to keep your smart comments to yourself and your fat mouth shut, even if it is because you are staring down the barrel of a gun."
Dr Armstrong turned to face the rest of the group. "Anyone else feel the need to express themselves?"
Stunned silence followed.
"Good." Armstrong said as he beckoned the group to move off. "It's days like these that I really feel a sense of achievement!" he announced loudly.
-----
The group slowly picked their way through the Covenant carcasses towards the dropship. Sergeant Ryan led the group as Private Johnson prodded him along with the barrel of Ryan's confiscated Assault Rifle.
Just as the group was about to reach the silent craft a loud roar emanated from the left troop compartment.
Ryan instinctively dove for cover as the blur of large, almost glassy figure jumped down from the craft swinging a glowing blade, the weapon completely slicing through Private Johnson at torso level.
"Arrrgh" Ryan yelled, as the whirling energy blade followed through from Johnsons' severed form and caught him on his right shoulder. Ryan rolled away under the fuselage of the floating craft grasping his shoulder in agony.
"Where is it?" Stocks yelled, as he and the rest of the group backed off as fast as they could without falling over the dead Covenant soldiers littering the ground, "It's turned off the sword - I can't see it!"
"Go to Infra red!" yelled Private O'Shea as he whirled his weapon around nervously.
"I can't," replied Garrett "No helmet!"
"Everyone get down!" Private Collins yelled as he raised the Needler he carried and began to fire a spread of needles. The pink shards were already in flight as he heard the sound of the sword activating some metres behind him.
Pivoting on his heels, Collins continued to discharge the Needler's arsenal as the bright blue energy blade erupted into life.
The needles swerved mid-flight - their unknown targeting system had locked onto the cloaked Elite - and embedded themselves into the glassy form.
"There!" Stocks yelled as he emptied his pistols' magazine into the now visible Elite - the embedded pink needles now betraying the alien's location.
Garrett and O'Shea joined in with their assault rifles as the Elite attempted to continue its' lunge at Private Collins.
Private Collins attempted to side-step the lunge, but the blade caught his left leg as the hail of bullets finally brought down the Elite.
"Son of a bitch!" screamed Garrett as he charged over to the dead Elite and emptied the remainder of his magazine into the creature's skull. "That'll team you to mess with us; Fucker!"
"Collins? You still with us?" Stocks asked as he rushed over to the fallen soldier and quickly fished for the medi-kit.
"Yeah, and we got the bastard!" Collins replied through gritted teeth, "How bad is it mate?"
"Sliced through most of your thigh," Stocks replied as he finished putting on a pair of surgical gloves. Leaning closer to the wound, Stocks continued, "Looks like the blade cauterised the incision so you haven't lost much blood to speak of but we need to get you back to the Sheffield and into the Infirmary."
"Will he make it?" called Ryan as he slowly got up from under the dropships' left troop compartment.
"Yeah," replied Stocks as he injected Collins with the most powerful painkiller he had in the medi-kit, "But this shot will pretty much put him out action for a while, so let's not get into anymore fights. You'd better get O'Shea up here to fire the ship up before more reinforcements arrive. How's the shoulder?"
"Fucking kills." Ryan grimaced as he tried to examine the wound himself.
"Leave it." Stocks said as he finally finished dressing Collins' wound. He rose to his feet and approached Ryan with another syringe.
Stocks swiped an exposed area of Ryan's skin with a surgical wipe before sticking the syringe in his arm. "This is the same stuff that I gave to Collins" Stocks announced as he pressed the needle's plunger, "It'll kill the pain, but you'll feel like you're drunk, so don't try any balancing acts."
----
2309HRS 08-OCT-2252 (MILITARY CALENDAR)
CAPTURED COVENANT DROPSHIP IN ORIBITAL ASCENT OVER SECOND PLANET OF ACKWAZE SYSTEM.
In the dim light of the Covenant dropship, Ryan closed his eyes. The low whine emanating from the vehicle's anti-gravity propulsion system had a calming effect on him. If it weren't for the small view-ports along the side of the troop compartment Ryan wouldn't have realised that the craft was making a steep ascent into orbit.
He leaned back against the uncomfortable seating in the craft as Karen lay her head against his chest. He put his arm around her and leaned forward to kiss her on the crown of her head.
Corporal Stocks, sat with Private Collins at the other end of the compartment, both trying to get some shut-eye.
Dr Armstrong has elected himself to join Private O'Shea in the cramped cockpit of the craft to oversee the flight back to the Sheffield whilst Dr Muller and Private Garrett took the left troop compartment on the other side of the craft.
Ryan's eyes felt heavy as the full effects of the pain killers came into effect. For the first time in almost two days Ryan let himself drift off into sleep.
What ever was to await them as they approached the Sheffield, or what further altercations he might have with Dr Armstrong did not concern him at this time. He had guided them through an ordeal and for the most part, been successful.
Ryan allowed his eyes to close and he slipped into a deep dreamless sleep.
M A R O O N E D
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T H E - E N D
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