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Halo: Speed of Darkness (Chapter Two)
Posted By: Thanatos 117<thanatos_117@yahoo.com>
Date: 28 July 2004, 3:33 AM
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CHAPTER TWO
0613 Hours, October 22nd, 2494 (Military Calendar)/ UNSC Minotaur, Eridanus Star System
"Status report, now!" Captain Garson ordered Lieutenant Jameson.
"Where hit! We got fires on almost every deck. The nuke hit, sir. It only took out two of the ships. One appears to be destabilized." Jameson replied.
"Sir, we got drop ships entering Eridanus 2!" Ensign Goatherd advised.
"Damn it! They were distracting us, get the Marines ready. We're sending them in." Garson said.
"Aye, sir, they'll be on the surface in about thirty minutes." Lieutenant Dwain said.
The captain knew it wasn't going to be enough. There were more of them, they were prepared, and there aren't too many military personnel ground side. The only hope would be assistance and that wasn't going to happen any time soon. Even with faster then light travel it would take up to two weeks for anyone to get here. Garson needed time, which was in short supply.
"Sir, reports coming in point out that the rebel soldiers are approaching the bridge!" Communications officer, Ensign Dominique said. "We only have so many soldiers between us and them. We better hope for a miracle."
"Noted, Dwain, I want you to concentrate on one ship at a time. Hopefully our comrades will get the same idea." Garson ordered.
"Aye, sir" Lieutenant Dwain said.
More and more missile's lanced across the blackness of space. The UNSC Cheyenne turned and fired at the largest rebel ship. Missile's came from behind the ship, tracking its progress and exploded inside one of its massive engines. It tilted upward and exploded from the inside out.
"Damn it, one of ours just got hit. Its going down, sir! We're not going to last much longer out here." Dwain said.
Before the captain could reply an explosion sounded from behind them. It originated from the metal doors and bullets flew through the new opening.
"Keep firing!" Harland ordered. Another grenade went off near by and shrapnel flew everywhere. "Get somebody down here! We need reinforcements now!"
"Yes, sir" Private Banks shouted over the hail of bullets.
Another rebel soldier rounded the corner and charged guns blazing. Harland shot him three times and lobbed his last grenade around the corner. There was an explosion followed by blood leaking around the corner.
"Fall back to secondary positions!" Harland ordered.
There was an explosion up ahead. There were five rebels charging onto the bridge of the Minotaur. Harland and his team of three others put them down.
"Cover our six, I'll get the captain." Harland said. He jogged up a short ramp to find Captain Garson. "Sir, I strongly recommend that we evacuate. It's only us that are holding them off from taking the ship over."
"Your statement has been noted. The other UNSC ships have been retreating to a fallback position near Eridanus 2. Just hold them off as long as you can, reinforcements have been dispatched to the bridge. Once we're clear I want all available soldiers to head to the planets surface to stall the ground invasion." Garson explained. His junior officers glanced at him nervously but they quickly returned to their tasks.
"Yes, sir, we'll do our best." Harland said and a few more rounds popped off from the doorway. Harland approached his team and three more dead bodies hit the floor.
"Where is the captain Corporal?" Private Langley asked.
"We're holding our own here. We should expect reinforcements soon, and then we're going to Eridanus 2 to repel the ground forces accordingly." Harland replied and slammed a fresh magazine in his MA2B.
Langley nodded drew his pistol. After ten more bodies he heard voices approaching. "Friendly, cease fire."
A man approached Harland. "Is the captain fine?"
Harland nodded. He noticed the brass collar insignia of an officer. He snapped to attention and saluted. "Yes, sir, his orders are to hold the bridge and drop to the planet to repel ground forces."
"At ease, I'm Lieutenant Riley, commander of Omega Company. I know about the Captains orders Corporal; looks like you're going in hot with us."
"Sir, what do" He began to ask the Lieutenant but he cut him off.
"Hot? ODST boy, just suck it up, you'll be fine."
Harland heard of the program. They basically put you in a can and throw you into hell. The ODST program was new to the Marines. It took a special kind of crazy to join up with them. Larger vehicles were subject to anti-aircraft fire and could take out several Marines, which is why the UNSC invested in the ODST program so if a pod got hit only one Marine would be killed instead of twelve.
"Yes, sir" Harland replied and picked up his rifle.
"Carter, Jay, Kowalski, and Smith, you'll be on guard for the bridge. Fourth squad will rendezvous with you here. We'll go to the planets surface and get Harland and his team where they belong." Riley ordered.
"How come we got to stay back here, sir?" Jay asked.
"Because you're expendable cannon fodder, move out people." Riley said.
Harland followed the squad through the maze like passageways of the Minotaur shooting a group of rebel's here and there. By the time the squad reached the "Hells waiting room", as the Hell jumpers called it, the rebel's would be pushed back far enough from the bridge to put in reinforcements and backtrack to the planet and hold them off for another hour or so.
When Harland and his team arrived with the Hell jumpers the Lieutenant briefed everyone. "There's a rebel invasion force trying to take back their home down there, killing everything in their path that'll lead them to victory. Tell me, how are we going down there to greet them?"
Together all the Hell jumpers replied, "WE GO FEET FIRST, SIR!"
"Alright, saddle up. You have two minutes to strap in, hook up, and shove a cork in your ass." Riley said and the Hell jumpers all laughed as if it was the first time they heard the common joke.
An ODST named Dawkins ran through how to put on the standard ODST uniform to protect them from the extreme heat that occurs while in the pod and entering the planets atmosphere. Then he ran through the functions, capabilities, and commands for the standard HEV pod so it wouldn't fall apart around them.
"Engage those drop ships as they enter the atmosphere, Lieutenant Dwain." Captain Garson ordered, "Once you're close enough to the planet I want you to start engaging the ships. As that happens turn the ship around to face the enemy, Lieutenant Jameson."
"Aye, sir" They both replied and started issuing commands through the computer.
"Sir, the rebel fleet is still on our six and closing. Other UNSC ships are covering us though as we target the planet." Jameson said.
"Noted Lieutenant, keep on this vector." Garson replied going over the ships status with his hand held computer. The main engines operated now only at fifty percent, ordinance was running low, and there were fires on all decks but they're being taken care of and put out. If the whole UNSC battle group was like this then there was little chance that they could stand a chance.
The rebel faction opposed the UNSC and their politics by using guerilla warfare mostly. But now they worked everything out to the point where they corner the enemy and destroy it. By the time Reach High Command figures out what the hell happened the rebels will have taken this system and fortified their positions.
Rebels have taken the primary ordinance room on the Minotaur as well. The other two nukes on board were disarmed and non-responsive. The engine room was under attack as well, simple rebel tactics, send a ton of soldiers to board the ship, take out the ships weapons, take out the engine room, and take control of the bridge and they've got themselves a perfect UNSC warship.
Each ship the rebels captured was another addition to their arsenal and adds to their growing power. After a stunt like this, the UNSC will most likely completely eliminate the rebel faction and their existing "hidden" planets.
The Captain pinched the bridge of his nose; he knew that this was a lost battle and will eventually have to retreat. The best he can do is eliminating the ground force, take back his ship, and take out as many ships as he can. "What's the status on the Marines, have they left yet?"
"Marines are now entering the planets atmosphere and en route to Fort Caesarea, Monrovia, Elysium, and Durango cities. ODST troops are now leaving the ship to Fort Caesarea and we have a squad protecting the bridge, a platoon on the engine room, and a squad taking back the ordnance rooms. Other UNSC forces are now landing on the planet and additional security personal holding primary military bases."
"Captain, we're nearing the planet. I'm moving to two, eight, five, coming about to face the rebel fleet." Jameson said.
"I'm beginning to target the fleet, sir. We're running low on ordnance, we got enough to hold them off though... but only for a while." Dwain said.
"While our Marines may be able to hold off the ground forces we're still going to have too much trouble up here. Can we communicate with ground forces?" Garson asked.
"Yes, sir, the rebels eliminated our communications with any other ships but we have communications to our ground forces. My best guess is that we have something aboard each UNSC ship that the rebels figured out how to disable so we can't call for help." Ensign Dominique said.
"Well why don't we send our boys out and have them send the signal?" Garson asked.
"Every UNSC ship has this software built into the communications, sir. While our ground forces can contact us, they can only send signals out so far. Sure we can send our distress call but it would take years to reach the nearest UNSC controlled world."
Harland backed himself into the HEV pod and pulled the shoulder straps over and secured them to his belt and brought the waist straps around and secured them and tightened their grip. He typed a few commands into the computer in front of him. He ran a systems check, removed a series of safeties, and armed the ejection tube.
All he had to do now was hold on and prey that the heat shield would hold up against the intense heat from entering the planets atmosphere. He eyed the small screen in front of him, ten seconds.
When the timer hit zero the pod dropped and his stomach lurched and the pod continued to increase speed towards the planet. After what seemed like an hour the pod shook violently and it became more and more intense. Then he felt a wave of heat wash over him and sweat soaked his uniform as it became hotter and hotter.
Finally there was a moment of freefall and the outer layer of the pod broke away revealing the crash cage containing an assortment of equipment. The chute deployed above his head and the harness dug into his shoulders and chest as it slowed and cool air came. He heard a snap over the com followed by somebody screaming, but it was cut off. It was a death Harland had feared himself.
He looked down into the clouds below; once they passed he could see a massive city with sky scrapers and even a few stratosphere scrapers as some people referred to. When over population occurred sometimes the only place to put people was in the sky, so tall buildings would hold a cities needs. He stared down past the buildings and saw small explosions erupting and the dull sound of automatic weapons fire.
Other pods floated around him across the sky. Suddenly there were hails of explosions that littered the sky and shook Harland's pod. It was rebel flack; they were trying to bring the pods down. All he could do is hang on and prey that he won't die.
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