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AN ANCHOR IN THE STARS by Sketcher
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AN ANCHOR IN THE STARS: Chapter 1
Date: 25 October 2003, 12:29 AM
The grim hand of darkness squeezed its bony fingers around the planet of Athena. Contact had been lost with the terraforming station of Vista Montana. The Convenant
had been reaching out in all directions, not only with vast armadas, but with smaller units,taking out lone outposts and stations.
A lone Pelican flew in low over the barren landscape. Pilot, Mike Green gazed out
at the land below.
"Well it looks pretty grim down there," he said turning his head to Captain Dan Oakes sitting in the back.
"Always does, Covenant or no Covenant," Dan said flexing his hands.
Terry thought for a moment then said, "You Earthlings don't really like it out here do you?"
"I'm Naval Infantry, I am ordered with the UNSC, that is where I intend to be," the young captain stated, doing a recheck of his MA5B.
"The station is coming into view," Mike called up from the front.
Dan stood up and walked to the cockpit.
"Place looks deserted sir," the copilot said.
"That'll be the day the Cov decide to leave the place without blowing up anything," said Dan.
"Should we land?" asked Mike.
"That is what we came to do, isn't it?" the Captain asked.
"Well yeah sir, looks like a good spot ahead," replied Mike.
The Pelican slowly dropped toward the landing strip.
"All right, we hit the LZ, we are going to dismount as fast as possible, keep low,and keep your eyes open," Dan ordered and began walking toward the ramp.
The craft struck down on a concrete landing pad and the eight naval commandos piled out. The Pelican then quickly made for a higher orbit. The commandos switched on
the night vision goggles and scanned the area. Their navy blue BDUs hid them in the blackness of the planet. Dan was the one exception he sported an old pattern Tiger Stripe
shirt. He had always stuck out from the rest, he rarely wore a helmet, and instead sported a black bandanna, even his assault rifle was unique, sporting a scope over the screen. He was the only Earth-born human in the home base, that alone was enough to make him stick out. As the team silently advanced, one more detail about him began to shine. He could seek and destroy Covenant as well as a Spartan, some claimed.
The team walked along a narrow corridor further into the complex. Though there had been no guards around the landing pad, all felt for sure the Covenant knew their
progress. Dan made a quick hand motion down a section of hall way. His soldiers followed his orders well. They usually knew what he was thinking, before he said a thing.
An overhead lamp sparked and flickered as its bulb attempted to work, despite having a fault in the circuitry. At the end of the corridor, stuck inside the sliding doors, was the body of a civilian technician. His face was stuck forever in a gasp of pain and horror. Terry was swift about getting the door open. The next hallway was full of bodies and flickering lights. Doors lined the sides. 'Perfect place for an ambush,' Dan thought.
They crept slowly, all senses were taking in the environment, one false step and they'd either have Covenant swarming them or an echo in an empty station. Had they
been Marines, they would not have even gotten this far.
Dan blinked at a familiar form ahead. He knew the Elite would wait till his men where directly beside it, then switch on its sword. He weighed his chances and decided to take him out. He drew his pistol, brought the scope to his eye, and in one shot dropped the creature. The thump of feet ahead sounded the approach of Grunts. The creatures hobbled into the hallway. The four of them hadn't even charged their pistols, when eight seeming dead bodies rose, four striking the Grunts down with the butts of their weapons.
The Captain switched on his throat mic. "This is Team Neptune requesting immediate evac."
Ahead of them, the sound of Elites could be heard echoing off every wall. Dan motioned to Sepp who quickly triggered a small explosive, then planted it under one of the unconscious Grunts.
"This is Pelican 364, inbound for extraction," the voice of Mike entered Dan's ear.
Dan quickly moved his hand to move out. As the others began running, the Captain picked up one of the Grunts and planted the silent creature over his shoulder. He then followed the others toward their exit. Dan could hear the Elites gaining on them, so he withdrew a fragmentation grenade. He kissed the small explosive before pulling the pin and rolling it back the darkened hallway.
The team rushed out the door as the grenade went off. Dust rose about as the Pelican dropped for pick-up. The ramp dropped and they piled in. Mike glanced behind
his seat.
"What in God's name is that, a souvenir?" he asked, startled by the Grunt.
"Nope, just a little present. Now let's pick up shall we, that nuke may be small, but we are close enough, we wouldn't be going home."
"Yessir," Mike answered and pulled back.
The drop ship lifted up into the night the sky and very soon became a small gray speck in ebony. All hell raged through the passages of the station, frying all Covenant and effectively knocking out the facility. The Navy had made its mark on space.
Dan glanced at his watch, it was nearly four in the morning at the Naval base of Aquarius. He was the only one up, aside from a few sentries. He glanced around the roof
of the barracks a cigarette clenched in his hand. One of the oldest sins had changed little in nearly a millennium. Dan thought back to the Grunt he had brought in a few hours
before. The creature had remained asleep and by now was in the clutches of doctors and interrogators.
He heard the distinct hum of a drop ship, guessing it was either FNGs or possibly KIA and WIA from the distant front. Though the Marines stole much of the press, the
Navy was doing its part to keep Earth safe. Though it lacked the fancy Spartan program, it still had soldiers with enough balls to do much the same things without complex
programs and dangerous surgeries.
"Thought you quit?" Terry's voice came behind him.
"Oh hey, do it every now and then," Dan replied.
Terry was about a year or two younger than him. Had she been born in a different time, she would have succeeded as a model or an athlete, but in this age she chose Navy. Her choice was forever scarred by a deep cut to her left cheek, from a fight with Covenant
when her ship was stormed.
"How long has it been Captain?" she asked.
"Since what?" Dan asked.
"Since we first became a unit," she replied.
"Two months, that's all," he answered.
"Felt longer," she said, looking down at Dan who continued to gaze out over the base. "Can I ask you something?"
"Yeah, what?"
"What did you always want to do with life?"
"Always was in the Navy, I was born with one foot on deck. I can draw, won't get you that far though," he answered her, glancing back. "You?"
"I was trying for becoming a doctor, but, well, the studying was really pushing it. So well, here I am," she explained.
There they were, stuck in the eternal grasp of space, their lives forever changed by war. The Navy to them had been only one option, a far cry from the death and the Marines as the others open to them. This was what they chose, for Dan, it was career, for the others, they hoped one day to get out and pursue something else. The Covenant
however, had other plans, plans which involved Earth, plans which would forever change the UNSC doctrine and the lives of Team Neptune.
AN ANCHOR IN THE STARS: Chapt: 2
Date: 26 October 2003, 2:24 PM
About a week later Dan sat in Admiral Richard Lloyd's office. He had been called
in to discuss a new mission, one of the highest security. His concerns at the moment,
however, were fixed on a piece of paper carelessly dropped on the floor. Being in a high
ranking commander's office discouraged him from moving it.
Hurried foot steps came from the hallway. A troubled Lloyd stepped through the
doorway. Dan, out of uniform and in civilian clothes, stood at attention.
Lloyd half saluted and then said, "As you were."
"Yessir," Dan replied.
Lloyd put his hands behind his back and slowly walked toward the window. His
face grew solemn as he turned his head.
"Earth, that is where they are going. What in the hell am I supposed do to about
it? If I was a younger man, I'd be there, but....ah....Well, why are you here?" he asked.
"You sent for me sir."
"I did, oh yes, I forgot. Well, what do you think about it?" the Admiral asked the
stunned Captain.
"About what sir?" Dan asked.
"Well the Covenant's target," he replied.
"Well sir, it was destined," Dan answered.
"Destined. A way to look at it. You are aware of the Cole Protocol, correct?"
"Yes sir, who isn't?" the captain replied.
"Reach fell and one ship made it out, some rust bucket called the Pillar of Autumn.
It followed it the protocol to a core. Lost contact with her a few days ago. But the
Covies found their way. How? Who knows. That is where you come in. Captain, I need
you and Team Neptune on full alert, the moment the first Phantom opens its ramps, I need
your people flying in to meet them. Any questions?"
"No sir," Captain Oakes answered.
"All right, now get the hell out of my office and get your uniform on, don't need
you looking like civilian scum," the Admiral ordered.
"Yessir, good bye sir," Dan saluted quickly, then walked out of the office.
Dust blew across the base as he walked from the Headquarters' building. A
Warthog packed with three Marines drove past. The Captain picked up his pace and ran
toward the Naval Infantry barracks. The door slid open at his approach. He stepped in
and shook the dust from his dark hair.
"Sir," said Fish, who was attempting to shave without a mirror.
"Where is everyone?" Dan asked.
"Well, Terry and Gordon went to grab some beer. Mark, Christian, and Sepp
took the Warthog for a joy ride. And well Jackson, he is, well, go look for yourself,"
answered the soldier, motioning toward the bathroom stalls.
Dan walked in ready to break his neck if he needed to. Jackson stood by the sink,
his hands were covered in blood. His face looked as though somebody had attempted to
pull it off.
"Jackson, what in god's name happened to you?" the Captain asked.
"Sorry sir, but you know that Marine pilot I was dating?" Jackson asked, holding
back the pain.
"Yeah."
"Well she obviously didn't tell me about the Marine she was already dating," he
said, staring down at the floor.
"Son, now I hope you won that fight," Dan told him.
Jackson grinned, "Well sir, that I did."
"Good man, well, at least we still have our reputation. Now get yourself cleaned
up, and mop the floors," the officer ordered.
"What sir?" the stunned soldier asked?
"You heard me, you're lucky I don't have the MPs after you, but I need you right
now. The Covenant is heading for Earth, we have been placed on standby. Now get your
shit together," Dan said before walking out.
He sat down on his bunk and began to clean his MA5B. Jackson stepped out and
found the mop and the bucket. Fish smiled slightly and shook his head. A hard knock
suddenly interrupted them. Fish stood up from the bed and hit the button to open the
door. An angry Marine Sergeant with a Prussian mustache glared at Jackson.
"You, come here now!" he ordered.
Dan stood up from the bed, "Hey Sarge, go back to your own barracks."
"Excuse me boy," he replied, his expression growing tenser.
"You heard me, walk yourself back to your bunk before I kick it back there
myself, that is an order" the Captain ordered.
"An order, you think you can boss a Sergeant around?" the Marine asked.
"Sergeant, you think you back talk a CAPTAIN?" Dan asked standing up.
"Sorry sir, I just didn't see rank. Sir, this soldier of yours beat up one of my men,
for no reason," the Sergeant said, growing weaker.
"No reason, I bet, look Sarge, I have the situation under control, now walk
yourself back to your barracks now, before I have to have you cleaning the toilet of every
ship that comes in here for the next week!" Dan ordered once more.
"Yessir," the Sergeant saluted then nearly ran back to his barracks.
Dan calmly sat down and continued to clean his weapon.
Miles above Earth, the Covenant armada had arrived, in the birthplace of
humanity, the source of their most hated enemy. The forces of Earth were mobilized and
the Cole Protocol lost its effectiveness. The threat was great and both sides knew that the
coming battles would be the worst yet. The fate of a species and an entire history hung in
the balance as the tides came in.
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