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Crystal carnage pt.2
Posted By: Osiris<osiris187@hotmail.com>
Date: 28 June 2005, 3:18 am


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Date: July 29th 2552, 0620hrs. Deneb star system 3294 light years from sol system.
Aboard Pelican Tango 12 en route to Nelson mining camp.


Orange ionization clouded the veiwports and then cleared as we entered the dusty atmosphere of Beta Deneb. " Pilot, give me an ETA." I yelled over the noise of the roaring engines. "We're 2 minutes out sir." I turned to my squad , " Alright guys time to lock and load, we get in, buy the miners the time they need and then signal for evac. Hopefully, if things don't go sour in orbit, then ten cavalry will be on the way." Sgt. Wallace shot me a nervous look and then went back to staring at his feet, he didn't like flying. "Take it easy sarg, we'll be on the ground soon enough."
" Sirs my long range scanners are screaming red! Looks like there are covie dropships inbound, probably from that assault carrier," yelled the pilot. " Roger that son" replied lieutenant Hawkin of Sierra squad, "Radio Major Harley and inform him that we'll be having company." He then look over at me smiling and said " well Ryan, it looks like we'll be killing lots of covies today." "Looks so hawk." I replied.

July 29th 2552, 0622 hrs

The pelican touched down on a landing pad in the middle of a large walled compound that was mining camp Nelson. The camp was situated at the base of a large mountain range and looked out onto open savannahs, it was surrounded but a 14 foot high concrete wall that was 10 feet wide. The instacrete wall seemed to be the newest addition to the camp and would provide some amount of protection. The towering mountains provided a bit of a problem, it would be like fighting with your back against a wall and if the covies landed a large enough force in the savannahs we'd be in a tight spot.

Major Harley came up greet us as the pelican was lifting off. "Nice of you to join us, we ODSTs are modest, wouldn't want to share ALL the glory." he said smiling. "Good to see you too sir" I replied. "Ryan, didn't expect to see you here." "I go where the work takes me sir." I answered. The major had taught me at the academy and was a little sore because I hadn't signed up for the ODSTs yet.
" Well I heard company's coming." "Yes sir, they're not too far behind us 10 minutes give or take."
"We've got a gauss hog and a regular one covering the entrance to the camp, there are a few foxholes further in and ofcourse the buildings for cover. If those alien bastard breach our perimeter, before the miners are done and evac arrives, we fall back into the tunnels, a few of them lead up into the mountains, there's a plateau about a mile to the north along the range, we can evac from there."

During the next 10 minutes we all took up out positions. Most of our forces were placed on the wall, our snipers (Alverez included) were place in some of the observation towers in the courtyard, Woo had placed demo charges along the road leading up to the entrances and on the entrance wall itself, if they covies breached it they'd get an unpleasant surprise. Just as the last marine radioed that they were in position the first phantoms descended onto the savannahs and dropped jackals, grunts and elites who quickly but cautiously started to advance towards the entrance jackals first holding up their shields. I keyed Alvarez on the com, "Pick off the elites first, gold and white armor have priority, then red, then blue."
"Roger that sir." Major Harley then said "ok boys and girls they're just probing, we'll draw them in close, snipers'll go for the elites, rockey jockeys you got ammo to spare so you'll break the jackal formation, the rest of you pick out targets of opportunity, fire on my signal…………wait………………wait……………let the bastards have it!"
Rockets raced towards the jackal line and impacted before they had time to react sending them to their graves in a hellish inferno. Gunfire erupted along the wall as the grunts and elites behind the jackal line became vulnerable. Within the space of a minute there were none left alive. As the last elite fell I looked up only to see a sigh that would dishearten the most seasoned marine. A formation of 2 phantoms, headed straight for us. The speed at which they closed the distance was frightening.
Within seconds three phantoms closed on the wall, screening the others hovering in the savannah and opening up with their plasma cannons. Nearly everyone was sent ducking for cover, the rocket jockeys fired at the guns and took them out but not before one of them was hit in the chest, leaving a gaping hole. Eamon got a few plasma burns along his left arm but was otherwise ok.
The remaining phantoms lifted off while laying down covering fire. As I looked into the savannah, I saw hundereds of covenant advancing on the wall…………hunters first.
"Eamon take those bastards out before they reach the wall!" I yelled. " Copy that." He replied, pain from his burns was evident is his voice. "Alvarez, concentrate on the elites, look for any that seem to be in command!" "You got it sir." she calmly replied.
Explosions shook the ground as Woo detonated the charges closest to the covenant. Grunts, elites, jackals and parts of grunts elites and jackals were sent high into the air.
Despite the merciless fire the covenant were under the steadily advanced heedless of casualties. "It's gonna be a busy days LT." said Sgt Wallace who was nest to me. " Too busy sarg." I replied Just then Woo detonated a second set of charges, then a third and then a fourth. The rapid succession of explosions was devastating to the covenant but the kept coming. " Eamon more hunters," I yelled as the sarg and I openied fire on a gold elite racing towards the entrance gate energy sword drawn. As the elite fell I looked towards Eamon as he stood and fired the first rocket, as he was about the fire the second holes started appearing in his chest and blood spatter as the projectiles exited his back. "NOO!!!" I yelled in anguish as he fell to his knees, "fuckin elites" were the last words he gasped as he fell. I quickly turned back to Sgt Wallace " keep low, watch for elites with carbines."
The fighting continued relentlessly with the covenant taking massive casualties but still advancing. Jones took a plasma bolt in his left shoulder and was taken off the wall to the inner courtyard, another marine was incinerated as a fuel rod exploded in front of him. Major Harley keyed everyone on the wall, "alright boys nades over the wall and then get the hell off before we're all fragged." The order was heeded without hesitation at the same time Woo detonated the last of the demo charges. Alien cries of pain were sent up into the air….. along with the aliens themselves. " Alright sarg lets get our ass off the wall." I said. "I hear that." Replied Wallace sounding relieved. Just before I left I glaced once more into the sea of covenant on the other side of the was to see a pair of hunters reach the wall and start to dismantle it with their fuel rod cannons. The wall was about to be breached.





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