Theta Omicron by Jesse Harz
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Theta Omicron part 1: The Siege
Date: 29 February 2004, 4:24 AM
0823 hours, September 10, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Alpha Omega System, Theta Omicron UNSC Military
Stronghold, Installation Alpha-02, planet Theta Omicron
Installation Alpha-02 is a high-tech fortress. The Installation has large plasma-resistant walls surrounding it with manned watchtowers every 20 yards a long the wall. It also has heavy machine gun nests all along the wall run by the base AI and several manned nests in the watchtowers. The installation has large Anti-Aircraft gun emplacements along with AA missiles. The Installation was also equipped with dozens of Warthog vehicles, and supported by a nearby Air Base. Most Small Installations didn't have this much protection. Even the bases on Outer Colony planets didn't have this much protection. There was a reason why the base was so protected though. It protected an underground ONI base. Although the base was Top Secret everyone at the Installation knew about it. But, it didn't matter they were in the middle of the Human Empire and the Covenant wouldn't come here.
Corporal Taylor knew the place like the back of his hand. He had been assigned to the installation because of his experience and record. He had stopped a platoon of grunts with their Elite commanders with just his squad in a Warthog vehicle. Corporal Taylor was just doing his duty. But it was also his pleasure. He wanted to make the Covenant suffer after all they destroyed. But he wasn't going to be killing anything today. His squad and three others were just going on a routine scouting mission through the rainforest near the base. His squad is made up of battle-hardened veterans. They know how to deal with the Covenant. They know where to hit a Jackal's shield to knock it off balance and they know that they should kill an Elite first so that the Grunts run away and make good targets. It doesn't matter though; they were just on a recon.
"Come on Anderson, you drive worst than a drunk Grunt on ghost!" Lewis joked.
" Yeah well, I don't see you driving this thing!" Anderson replied.
Taylor smiled. His team always got into fights when they go on recon missions. But they were too distracting. " Cut the chatter marines. We got a mission to complete."
"Yes, sir."
Taylor opened up the COM. "This is Recon Leader to Recon Squads 1-3. I have a visual on the rainforest. Lets check this place out and go home."
"Aye, sir."
The mission was going as it usually did. Nothing exciting, just a regular recon. That was, until they received a distress signal over SATCOM.
"Taylor, get your ass back to base! We just received word from a UNSC task force lead by the frigate Allegiance indicating a Covenant fleet has entered the system close to this planet!" Sergeant Carlson screamed over the mic.
"Roger that Sergeant! Recon Squads 1-3 form up. We're heading back to base." Taylor yelled over the COM. He was received with nothing more than static.
"Recon Squads 1-3 do you read me? Again there was no response. "Must be this damn jungle…"But then he saw it. "Holy crap! Anderson, turn this thing around! Now!"
"Damn! Brace yourselves!" The warthog made a full-speed turn away from a swarm of Covenant ground troops including Grunts, Jackals and Elites. The warthog began dodging plasma blasts and sped towards Installation Alpha-02.
"Sergeant, there is a large Covenant attack force closing on your position." Taylor said as he strapped himself onto the triple-barreled chain gun and opened fire on a group of Jackals.
"Understood Corporal…" A second voice broke over the COM.
"Sergeant, we have incoming fighters at 5 O'clock moving at 150 meters per second! ETA is 15 seconds!"
"Lieutenant, how long till the fighters from Airbase Delta arrive?"
Another voice broke through the channel. "Sergeant! The fighters should have been here by now!"
"Sir! There is no air support! They were wiped out en route!"
"Sergeant, fighter at 1…!" The sound of Anti-Aircraft guns drowned out the COM. An explosion was heard followed by screams. The hiss of plasma and cracking of bones filled the COM. The COM broke into static then went dead.
"Corporal we are coming up on Outpost Bravo-04. We should
"Lewis try to get the Task Force on the COM."
"Sir, the frigate Allegiance is on the COM." Lewis replied.
"Good, patch me through."
"This is Rear Admiral James Franklin commander of the Task Force. What is going on down there?"
"Sir, the situation is bad. The Covenant have a large attack force that has deployed planetside. I do not, I repeat do not believe we can repel this attack. We need reinforcements, and from the looks of things I think we need at least a Division of Marines!"
"Sorry Corporal, but we just can't spare that many troops. But I think I might have a solution…"
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