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The Dark Future by mr chief 17
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The Dark Future Pt. 1 (Prologue)
Date: 5 May 2005, 5:45 PM
PROLOGUE
HUMANS-- The year is 2563, and the Long War is nearly over. Following the first defeat of the Covenant in 2552, there was a two year period of peace and rejoice on Earth as the Covenant had been presumably defeated. The fleet was rebuilt, colonies reestablished, and the military reinforced. Prosperity ensued that had not been seen since before the Covenant. The period of peace though, was short lived as a covenant fleet of over a million ships jumped into orbit around Earth. After a shourt year of fighting and forcing the Covenant back, the Human fleet was defeated. During a short relapse in the fighting in which the Covenant fleet was unheard from. THe last remaing MAC cannons were dropped from Orbit to defend Earth.
The surface was now a barren waistland, filled with the skeloton hulls of the Human and Covenant fleets. Most of the plan life was dead, and the breathing was very difficult across the surface. In a last ditch effort to save the planet from the fire of the Covenant fleet, ONI scientist unleashed a Neutron storm in the atmosphere, which disolved the plasma before it hit the ground. What was a technology in progress became a desperate atemt at delaying an inevitable fate. It was estimated that the research was less than a year away from becoming an effective means at combating the Covenant.
So the Covenant were forced to invade by foot, where the Humans were able to form an effective resistance. Millions were slaughtered in the following years, as humans began guerilla fighting from city to city. As time passed, ground was lost. Seemingly instantaneously, the last human strongholds were Old England and France.
The fighting became heaviest in France as control of the country continued to bounce back and forth. Covenant ships no longer entered the atmosphere anywhere near the countries as the grounded MAC cannons easily destroyed any incoming vessels. The forces of the Covenant were forced to land on the Covenant side of Europe, and invade by infantry.
The Marine forces of the UNSC were eventually overwealmed, and assumed the Elite role left by the elimination of the Spartans, (117 had been killed in the waking weeks of the second assult on Earth) and a volunteer force had stepped forward as the main fighting force of the UNSC.
In the twilight years of the human race, the survivior look for the research team on Coral to bring them salvation in the form of new weapons and technology. However, all contact was lost with the team over six months before the retreat from orbit, and hope is quickly fading for the beleugered defenders.
COVENANT-- We have finally found the homeworld of this troblesome species. The prophets have expressed anger with our efforts in destroying them. It was supposed to take us little more than a month to eliminat their species, and still they fight. Perhaps they are more clever than we originally estimated, but such speak is heresy.
Annoyingly enough, they have saved their planet from orbital elimination by some form of Neutron Storm. We have lost thousands of good Elites in the fight for their last vesteges of land.
Following the short lived civil war, the Brutes were ejected from the forces of the Covenant, and the Elites placed back in their rightful place as the right hand of the prophets. Truth was murdered by a Brute assasin, and Devotion has taken his place as High Prophet. The Elite's agree with him, and admire him more greatly than we have any Prophet since the Founding Years. The Jackel's have been accepted back into the order, though they are now a class below the Grunts as far as status is concerned. Through the acquisition of new worlds into our empire, the Humans have been weakened even more.
Among them is a species akin to the Hunters, but posessing far more intelligence, bulk, and strength. Our engineers also, seem to have gone through an evolution, able to complete tasks twice as fast, able to communicate with us, and able to feel complete and total devotion to the cause of the Great Journey, though they are without the knowledge that they shall not participate in it. The Prophets deem them unworthy and unfit to participate, along with the Grunts, who do know, and seem not to care. Their great journey appears only to be finding their lost Homeworld, and fleeing the toils of war.
The humans will be eliminated by the end of the year, as their army is inevitably being weakened by the day as our reinforcements continue to poor in. They should be pitied, in a way, as they are limited by the maturation of their youth, and our forces stretch across the stars.
Soon, the last remnants of land they posess will fall, and the Ark will be ours. They Great Journey will begin, and I will be at the forefront of it.
I am Talet P'Tolamee, Field Commander in the offense of Earth, right hand of the Prophets, and chosen of the Forerunner.
The Dark Future Pt. 1 (Prologue) {revised}
Date: 9 May 2005, 5:15 PM
PROLOGUE
HUMANS-- The year is 2563, and the Long War is nearly over. Following the first defeat of the Covenant in 2552, there was a two year period of peace and rejoicing on Earth as the Covenant had been presumably defeated. The fleet was rebuilt, colonies reestablished, and the military reinforced. Prosperity ensued that had not been seen since before the Covenant. The period of peace though, was short lived as a covenant fleet of over a million ships jumped into orbit around Earth. After a short year of fighting and forcing the Covenant back, the Human fleet was defeated. During a short lapse in the fighting in which the Covenant fleet was not heard from, the last remaining MAC cannons were dropped from Orbit to defend Earth.
The surface was now a barren wasteland, filled with the skeleton hulls of the Human and Covenant fleets. Most of the plan life was dead, and the breathing was very difficult across the surface. In a last ditch effort to save the planet from the fire of the Covenant fleet, ONI scientist unleashed a Neutron storm in the atmosphere, which dissolved the plasma before it hit the ground. What was a technology in progress became a desperate attempt at delaying an inevitable fate. It was estimated that the research was less than a year away from becoming an effective means at combating the Covenant.
So the Covenant were forced to invade by foot, where the Humans were able to form an effective resistance. Millions were slaughtered in the following years, as humans began guerilla fighting from city to city. As time passed, ground was lost. Seemingly instantaneously, the last human strongholds were Old England and France.
The fighting became heaviest in France as control of the country continued to bounce back and forth. Covenant ships no longer entered the atmosphere anywhere near the countries as the grounded MAC cannons easily destroyed any incoming vessels. The forces of the Covenant were forced to land on the Covenant side of Europe, and invade by infantry.
The Marine forces of the UNSC were eventually overwhelmed, and assumed the Elite role left by the elimination of the Spartans, (117 had been killed in the waking weeks of the second assault on Earth) and a volunteer force had stepped forward as the main fighting force of the UNSC.
In the twilight years of the human race, the survivors look to the research team on Coral to bring them salvation in the form of new weapons and technology. However, all contact was lost with the team over six months before the retreat from orbit, and hope is quickly fading for the beleaguered defenders.
COVENANT-- We have finally found the home world of this troublesome species. The prophets have expressed anger with our efforts in destroying them. It was supposed to take us little more than a month to eliminate their species, and still they fight. Perhaps they are more clever than we originally estimated, but such speak is heresy.
Annoyingly enough, they have saved their planet from orbital elimination by some form of Neutron Storm. We have lost thousands of good Elites in the fight for their last vestiges of land.
Following the short lived civil war, the Brutes were ejected from the forces of the Covenant, and the Elites placed back in their rightful place as the right hand of the prophets. Truth was murdered by a Brute assassin, and Devotion has taken his place as High Prophet. The Elite's agree with him, and admire him more greatly than we have any Prophet since the Founding Years. The Jackel's have been accepted back into the order, though they are now a class below the Grunts as far as status is concerned. Through the acquisition of new worlds into our empire, the Humans have been weakened even more.
Among them is a species akin to the Hunters, but possessing far more intelligence, bulk, and strength. Our engineers also, seem to have gone through an evolution, able to complete tasks twice as fast, able to communicate with us, and able to feel complete and total devotion to the cause of the Great Journey, though they are without the knowledge that they shall not participate in it. The Prophets deem them unworthy and unfit to participate, along with the Grunts, who do know, and seem not to care. Their great journey appears only to be finding their lost Home world, and fleeing the toils of war.
The humans will be eliminated by the end of the year, as their army is inevitably being weakened by the day as our reinforcements continue to poor in. They should be pitied, in a way, as they are limited by the maturation of their youth, and our forces stretch across the stars.
Soon, the last remnants of land they possess will fall, and the Ark will be ours. They Great Journey will begin, and I will be at the forefront of it.
I am Palek P'Tolamee, Field Commander in the offense of Earth, right hand of the Prophets, and chosen of the Forerunner.
The Dark Future Pt. 2 Chapter 1
Date: 11 May 2005, 5:49 PM
The Dark Future Part Two
Chapter 1
Captain Marcus Sanchez and his two hundred insurgents had been holding the New France Bridge for nearly seven hours now. They had already repelled four assaults, and the Covenant bodies littered the bridge, exposing little walking room between them. The bridge was actually a massive Covenant Carrier that spanned across the vast chasm that once was the English Channel. There was not a drop of water left in that ocean, a testament to the might of the Covenant horde. The only ways across the void were transport vessels or the bridge. It was perhaps the most important strategic point left on Earth, as the Scorpions and MAC cannons took care of Covenant transports attempting to get to the island. It was the only land crossing into Old England, and it was to be defended at all costs.
Human troops had just evacuated New France following a massive Covenant offensive. It was Marcus's job to give the beleaguered troops time to reach England. He was in a good defensive spot with a tall wall facing the Covenant front. There were plenty of turrets that could help dispatch foot troops. Two Scorpion tanks and several rocket jockeys would aid in the destruction of enemy armor. The most recent wave of Covenant forces had been larger than the previous ones, and the volunteers were reeling with the strain of the attack. A Wraith had nearly destroyed the Titanium Gate guarding the entrance to the wall before being destroyed by the combined might of the Scorpions. Hasty repairs were being made, and Marcus had dispatched several men to salvage weapons, armor, and anything else useable from the dead Covenant below.
The exhausted Captain sat down and leaned against a makeshift parapet, glad for the temporary moment of silence. He put the red helmet of an Elite that he had killed back onto his head. That's what it had come to these days. Anything that was useable was used. Troops exploited all armor and weapons from dead aliens whenever it was available.
His thoughts began to drift as he wondered why he was brought into the world at this period in history. He cursed loudly in self pity, and momentarily questioned his reasoning for not withdrawing his pistol and ending it all here.
"Besides," he thought, "even Hell has to be better than this."
He quickly shook the notion as he remembered what they were fighting for. There was still hope, and Marcus wanted to be there when salvation came at last. He stared up wearily into the darkness that now governed both night and day, as the roiling clouds billowed and thundered overhead. Six hours of sleep would do him and his men good right now, as they were all now accustomed to twenty minutes or so at a time.
The roaring of a Pelican's engines suddenly became audible, coming from the Old England side of the chasm. He stared hopefully into the black, where the outline of the transport could begin to be seen. Reinforcements would be a welcome asset indeed in the defense of the nick-named Great Wall.
The vessel touched down, it's chin mounted chain guns rotating and sweeping the area for the enemy. The back hatch opened, and Marcus yelped in joy and surprise as a fatigue-clad Marine Sergeant stepped out and looked about at Marcus. His dark face was lit faintly by the glow of a cigar clutched in his teeth. He was the last remaining veteran from the beginning of the Covenant war, decorated with more medals of honor and purple hearts than could be worn on two dress uniforms.
Staff Sergeant Johnson looked at the Marine, smiled, and said calmly, "Don't look so happy to see me son.
Talet P'Tolamee strode confidently down the hall of his ship Coming of the Light. The vessel was a War Carrier, more than four miles long, and two miles wide. He was newly assigned the vessel, coming off a smaller post after a promotion. The Elite was thankful for that, too, as his old vessel had been destroyed not two days after his transfer in the war against the Huargguay, a new species that would be inducted into the legions of the Covenant shortly.
Talet was now stationed in orbit above Earth, charged with ending the Human thorn, and finding the well hidden, and guarded Ark. The White Clad Elite batted a Grunt out of the way who did not dodge fast enough. The Grunt lay there, unconscious, or perhaps dead. His companion whimpered, scampered out of the way quickly, and cowered in a corner.
Talet marched onto the bridge where the Elites and Grunts immediately snapped into attention and bowed in reverence.
"We are to deploy our troops in sector five, three miles removed to the bridge. The prophets demand that we eliminate it by next week. It is well defended, but should fall with the garrison of this ship," he informed his second in command.
The smaller Elite bowed his golden head in acknowledgement, with the knowledge that he would be at the forefront of the assault.
Talet turned to the navigation officer and commanded that he drop further down in orbit, and prepare to deploy the troops.
The Admiral knew that millions of Grunts and Elites waited in the hold for the final assault on the bridge, which was the gateway into the human's last country.
The Dark Future Pt.3 Chapter 2
Date: 13 May 2005, 5:47 PM
The Dark Future Part 3
Chapter 2
"Listen up Marines! We've got a mission to do. I know you were told to stay and hold the bridge, but those orders have been changed. Those sons-of-bitches up at ONI say that we've got a shit load of Covenant coming our way, and we're to fight them off. After we do that, which we will," he said as he glared at a private who was vomiting in despair, "we are to push into New France and retake it. I don't know about you, but I agree. We need more than one country to our name.
"So, there are a few hundred soldiers stuck in France, trying to hold down the forts until we can get there. There are two hundred of you here, I brought sixteen marines with me, and we should have reinforcements coming soon. So buck up and face your future, men. If you go out, at least you'll go out fighting, which can't be said for those dumb bastards we'll be killing in a few minutes. Don't think it's the end of the world, marines. If they thought we were going to die here, they wouldn't have given us a second mission. So shut up, and make bets on how many you're going to kill, OK?"
And so the defenses were once again prepared. The turrets were manned, that gate was repaired and welded shut, ammo was retrieved from the Pelican, and men prayed for their lives. Sergeant Johnson and his men deployed at the center of the wall, over the gate, where the fighting would be heaviest. Marcus and his men deployed along the length of the wall.
In the ensuing silence, the tremendous importance of this mission began to sink in, as each marine accepted it in his own way. Some started praying again, furiously and loudly. Others simply stared blankly into the gloom, or shed silent tears of fear. Sergeant Johnson and his marines seemed excited to be in the action, apparently, without fear. But Marcus Sanchez just stared at the picture of his wife and children. He said her name over and over. "Helen, Helen, Helen." All Marcus wanted was to see her face again, one last time before the end. But, as Johnson had said, this wasn't the end. ONI wouldn't have given them a second mission, and they sure as hell would have sent more men to defend the Great Wall if they thought it was needed.
From the grim darkness looking into France, a rhythmic marching could be heard. A clear, alien voice sang a battle hymn that was frightening beyond expression, and yet eerily beautiful at the same time. Marines began to cower, before Johnson snapped at them and brought them to the realization that hiding would serve no one. About a hundred feet in front of the wall, the horde halted, simultaneous with the end of the hymn. The song, as could now be seen, had been sung by an Arbiter. Marcus cringed in terror. Humans had fought Arbiters only once before, and the effects had been devastating.
The anciently-clad Elite barked a quick order, and the soft hum of Covenant vehicles began to come from across the bridge. No less than fifty Wraiths appeared behind the Covenant army, as the scream of Banshees became audible also.
Marcus aimed his battle rifle at the Arbiter as he saw Johnson doing the same with his sniper rifle. The rocket jockeys took aim at various Wraiths and Banshees, Grunts chattered with excitement, and the Arbiter roared the command to charge the wall.
Talet laughed in anticipation as reports from the battle at the bridge began to channel through. The humans had utterly and fatally underestimated the weight of the attack. The army that attacked them now was no more than a minor distraction force, drawing the Human's attention away from the thousands of craft landing in New France, inserting the largest Covenant army ever assembled on the Human's doorstep.
His gold clad subordinate turned to him, bowed his head and asked, "Why must we send nearly our whole Empire to the Human's doorstep, when they are at the brink of defeat?"
"Fool," responded Talet, "These humans have lasted longer than anyone could have predicted. Do you not know what is housed on this planet? The Ark you fool. The Prophets are becoming impatient to start the Great Journey. And, O yes, the Prophets are on their way."
In the asteroid field that was the remnants of warring fleets around earth, several hundred pieces of debris suddenly sprung away in all directions, as a planet-sized vessel jumped into the system. The High Charity was nearly the size of Earth, and overshadowed nearly the whole of the Covenant fleet.
Devotion's voice rang loudly across the intercoms on each ship.
"Worthy followers of the Great Journey, I am come to bring holy fire to this world, to purge the human menace, and propel our great Covenant into the Divine Beyond!"
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