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The Empire (Episode-1)
Posted By: Jon Michael Marlowe<jedipiranha@hotmail.com>
Date: 10 January 2003, 4:06 pm
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The Retreat
1 year after the fall of Halo the Covenant attack forces are in full retreat, do to lack of manpower. The Armada destroyed when Halo was taken out was needed to sustain an attack on Earth. That attack still came but was not successful, half of the attack force was destroyed before they got to earth. They continued the attack thinking that there backup would come. What they didn't know was that the armada coming to rescue them was already destroyed. After this happened the Covenant army was in a desperate situation, and was forced to flee. The Humans however not knowing that the Covenant where in this desperate situation started to protest against the system of government.
The Split of The Empire
5 years after Halo fell there was a split in the human forces (those protesting against, called the Alliance, and those who protected the system known as the Empire). By now the Spartan technology was being set up all over the Imperial controlled systems. The Alliance didn't stand a chance against the Spartan technology so they started experimenting on humans to enhance their performance. They fought fiercely and many humans where killed. They scattered through the galaxy claiming systems for there cause. The Covenant then came back into the scene, they where outnumbered by the humans but still fought with great bravery. For the first time since the Covenant came the human race fought its own kind, their brothers, the ones that they loved and protected.
Surfing again
10 years after the fall of Halo In a performance enhancer project testing facility. 5 hours after receiving a transmission from HQ that there had been a breakthrough and to immediately start production of the super soldiers using the formula that came with the message. Commander Jack Mercutia is helping oversee the final stages when Doctor Charles Dibatchy comes up to him and starts talking. "Sir the tests are almost done another thirty seconds in that Yellow gunk and the first squad of our super soldiers will be ready for deployment." As Jack takes the information in he doesn't understand why the doctor came over here to tell him that. But decides to overlook it and hoping to get the answer he replies quickly "Good, how are our volunteers doing in their Doc." "Well sir I am curios about these soldiers." Jacks feelings that something is going on is justified and so naturally he wants to know what it is that his friend here wont tell him straight on "Oh and why might that be Charlie." Charles eager to answer starts talking as soon as the commander is finished "Well sir it's odd, the subjects strength and speed have increased dramatically. However our scanners have discovered something strange." Jack wondering why the doctor isn't telling him the whole story yet decides to keep it calm and give an answer "Well can't it give a reading." Charlie pauses and turned to the tubes holding the subjects as he starts to explain "Yes sir but that's just it the unknown thing is attached to the subject and can't be part of the subject himself." Something is stuck to the soldiers, great, so "And this is a problem because? Is this thing dangerous?" Charlie seeming stressed replies quickly "Not as far as we can tell but the thing is, it gives of the same signs of DNA as the subject. It's as if this thing is becoming part of the human." Becoming part of the subject? That can't be. I mean what thing decides to become part of something else, unless. Suddenly it hits him and he immediately starts talking "Or the human's." The commander is interrupted because of the glass tubes breaking open and mutated human bodies jumping out killing everyone they can reach. Stunned to one place Jack finishes his sentence that has just been confirmed "Becoming part of it."
Jack swiftly grabs his assault rifle and fires at the attacking mutant. The mutant falls to the ground with at least two clips of ammo blown into its body. As they run to the commanders office Charlie starts the conversation again "I don't understand what happened." "I don't know but what ever it is we've got to report it." Jack says in reply to stop the talk and start the work. It works, Charlie gets the hint and decides he wont talk unless he has to. Another mutant jumps up behind the doctor who shivers with fear. But luckily for the Doctor Jack has an excellent aim and pops the creature in the face three times. Charlie slowly goes up to the dead body while Jack gets out his shotgun, walks into his office, and sends out an emergency transmission." As he examines the body he has a sudden urge to talk and so he does "Well what do we say." I'm not calling them yet, first we need help dork, oh well I've got to answer him so "Simple we say it went." Charles cutes Jack short while screaming "It's still alive." Jack knowing that Charlie is dead finishes his sentence. "WRONG!"
The Test
Meanwhile not so far away on an Imperial Command Center looking for a hidden Alliance base somewhere in the area, which was reported as one of the main testing facilities for the performance enhancers, our good old buddy MC the same Spartan that blew up Halo and saved the earth is in a training session with his Spartan Squad C.A.T. "B-1, what is your position?" Says MC wondering where his only ally was. The answer soon follows "I'm right behind a Scorpion Tank B-Lead." MC as he is basically trapped, is relieved and answered "OK well unfortunately we have 8 more guys to drop and we're on our own." A response followed immediately "Well sir I got three right here. Should I take them?" MC now knows that he's out this round and has no hope but still if Nathan can take some down then that's fine "Yeah and pick me up in that tank." Under all the chuckling Nathan managed to say one sentence "I'm on my way sir." Nathan then tried to figure out how he could take these three guys out. The one in the tank won't be a problem as soon as I drop that sniper up there. Then the one in the Ghost I can take out when I get the tank, or I could pistol snip him. Nathan Then took out his sniper riffle aimed for the snipers head and within 5 seconds since Nathan took out his weapon the sniper had a hole in his head. He then jumped up on the tank and hit the driver with his pistol. Then he started getting into the tank when he sees plasma flying over his head. "The Ghost!" He dodges the incoming blasts and then falls to the ground while a Ghost flies right over his head. He turns and fires two clips into the driver. "Sigh, tank now MC." At that very moment MC started shouting in to his com-link at Nathan "What's taking so long I got a Whorthog firing bullets up my ass." Nathan quickly replied just to tell MC he was there "Sorry, coming." The bullets stopped and a man's voice could clearly be heard "B-Lead, this is R-Lead, give yourself up you've lost." MC gives up and in a disappointed manner says "I surrender."
He slowly gets up and starts walking away from the rock he was hiding behind. When the ground begins to shake and a large tank comes out of nowhere. The red team starts to cheer in victory, that is the four by the Whorthog and Jason, designated R-Lead. When MC sees that there is only a driver and no passengers he says "I'd stop cheering." Jason laughing hysterically replies by saying "And why is that, we've got our buddies in the tank coming here with Nathan's body." There's a pause. Nathan fires the cannon of his tank right at the Whorthog, MC jumps back behind his rock as the Whorhtog is blown sky high, all the men stop cheering mainly because the only one left standing is Jason who is simply standing there and firing randomly at the tank. Nathan brings the tank up next to the rock. As he fires the chain gun on top of the tank, and runs Jason down. As the tank roles by the rock MC screams out "TAXI!" And jumps on the side. As he gets in Nathan asks him "Where to mister." "I was thinking the red teams base." MC replied with roaring laughter. Nathan then drives the tank over to the red flag and MC pulls it out. "End Simulation." says Cortana. The room goes dark and once again the squad is standing inside the ship Battle Axe. The same ship they have been training on since three years ago, with their trainer MC.
The panic of the enemy
As the young men that just finished there training get out of their training gear Cortana sys to MC "There's an incoming message from an unknown building on the fourth moon. MC replies to her by saying "Lets see it Cortana." An unknown Alliance officer could be seen in-front of the screen As the figure was obviously in a hurry and started talking after a short pause "This an emergency transmission from a secret Alliance testing facility, any human ships in the area please assist. Our experiments have gone terribly wrong. The labs have been infested with creatures that seem to be sticking themselves to our dead, and I fear." The man is distracted by a noise and the view-screen goes blank for about three seconds until you see the lab facilities, on the screen MC sees his greatest fear or at least he thinks he does. The screen goes blank again but this time for good.
All of the men are stunned by this transmission even MC is completely silent until Cortana breaks the silence with the words "End transmission." "Cortana Where those Flood?" Asks MC still staring at the emptiness of the room in front of him. "Afraid so." Answered Cortana quickly. "But...how?" MC insisted. "I don't think we want to know. I mean does it make a difference?" was Cortana's reply to the questions. "No not really, did you get a trace on that building?" Asks MC as he steps out of his trans. "Yes, but we'll be to late. By the time you can get a strike team assembled, armed and ready to leave for the facility, there won't be anything left." Says Cortana. "Then we'll have to use a team that's already assembled and happens to be right next to the armory." Was MC's quick reply to the negative remark of Cortana. There was a short pause as Cortana searched in her data what squad of men where assembled and near the armory. It suddenly hits her and is forced to protest. "No, you're not taking these rookies out against an unknown foe. It's against the code." "Do you see any other options." Was the quick response of the Master Chief. Nathan then interferes with the discussion "Just say the words sir." He says as if there Cortana's words mean nothing. "Ok suit up!" MC says after a short hesitation. The squad immediately goes to the ready room for briefing. MC gives the young rookies a report and mission profiles which he quickly whipped up when the men where getting suited up. "Now listen carefully, you are going to be the first squad that gets to meat up with these creatures. I'll tell you right now to bring either a shotgun, pistol, or both, these guys won't drop easily with anything else. This post we're about to rescue is the same one we've been looking for, and I know that the Alliance is an enemy, but right now we need each other. We'll be divided into three groups, Alpha commanded by me, Beta commanded by Jason, and Delta commanded by Nathan. Beta will make a frontal assault on the base so that Alpha and Delta can sneak in. After Alpha and Delta get in it's Beta's job to provide escape routes for later. Once inside Alpha will move up onto the second floor while Delta checks out the main floor. Then Alpha and Delta will secure the basement together. Do not enter the testing facilities without my permission. Understood? Good, move out. Alpha and Delta members must have a shotgun or pistol at all times.
The Basement
All went according to plan Beta caused a diversion while Alpha and Delta slipped in with little resistance. They secured the main and second floor with ease. Then they grouped up and entered the basement, which was sealed of from the rest of the base. It's dark, the only light comes from sparks flying from the broken electrical wires which are sparking. "Turn on your lights." Orders MC. Everyone turns on there lights and see how cluttered the stairs are that they're walking down. Cluttered with dead parts of bodies, a leg here an arm, maybe a torso somewhere, a truly gruesome site. It looks worse with the light on but still I leave it on. I can tell that my cover, Delta-2, is about to puck all over his armor. Then finally we get to the bottom. It's not in much better state than the stairs. However I do see a howl body, sitting on the side dead as can be. "Huh" I say as I continue to look at the body. "What." Says MC quickly as if my life depended on it. "Uh nothing I'm just being paranoid." I say, the truth is I was so caught up with my self that I didn't hear him. "Delta-1 tell me what it is." He persisted I told him what I saw as if we where all going to die if I wouldn't tell him so I tell him as I walk over to the dead body. "I could swear that body moved." All of a sudden the dead body jumps straight for me I fall back and fire my shotgun 3 times into the body, which then flies back and falls back to the ground. Before I now it MC is right next to me blowing more holes into the body. "Sir it's dead!" I scream as he continues to blow holes into the body. "No it's not." He answers coldly and angry. MC fires on more time and I hear a big moan. Now I'm feeling nocuous, tired, dirty, and scared. I can tell that the howl group is shivering in fear. Except for MC he seems completely calm, like he's done this before. I don't get it. I get up slowly and stand next to MC. I don't think we where ready for this stuff yet, we should have listened to Cortana. "Be more careful, I doubt there is a friendly thing down here." Says MC to me even though I wasn't expecting him to talk. I simple node my head, I can't reply. We walk down the hall blasting a few of my attackers mates. For some reason they aren't as resistant to bullet fire as the Cheerful Charlie back there. Actually now that I think about it I think the nametag on his lab coat did say doctor Charles Dibatchy. How ironic. we find that the hallway ends in a fork. There are three doors in front of use, well two doors and one busted open piece of metal. For some reason MC doesn't even hesitate. He walks straight over to the busted open door and throws himself through it. He vanishes in the darkness. We hear some bullet fire and a thump then we all cautiously walk to the door. Everyone's looking at someone else as if to say I not going. I decide that if these pussies wont go I will. So I walk up to the door and jump through headfirst, hit the floor and do a roll. When I come out of the roll with my pistol ready see something right in front of me and smack it quickly with the butt of m pistol. "Ah! That hurt!" Yelled MC at me with a little anger. "Sorry sir." Was my reply, I couldn't think of anything else at the moment. When the others hear us talking they all start jumping in. Together we walk down to the end of the lad room we just entered. On the right-hand side there is a constant row of tubes that have been broken open. Still we can tell that they where filled with a yellow liquid. Now and again there is another one of these things we now call Flood. Why? Well last time we where attacked MC screamed out Flood on the right, so we call them Flood. When we get to the end of the hall, MC just turns around and runs back to the smashed door. We all follow him. We jump back through the hole and we see MC standing there with his hand on second door. "Ready for a close encounter with the "third" kind." says MC with a laugh. He then opens the door and tells everyone to follow. Before we even get to the door though we encounter a great amount of Flood coming straight through. Everyone starts firing at the charging dead bodies. After a fierce firefight with the dead we get through, there's still Flood everywhere. By the time we had cleared the second hallway, five of the 12 Spartan's we had come in with where dead. We walked back to the third door, and opened it. To our surprise there weren't all that many Flood attacking us, some were severely wounded. Now that the door was cleared we started to go in when suddenly we heard Jason through the intercom. "Alpha, Delta we need to get out of here. Meet us at the escape vector." "We need more time." Says MC irritated. "Sorry sir but we can't wait." Came the reply. MC sighs and thinks for a moment. He then says "Leave a craft suitable for at least 4 people at the back up escape route. That's an order" "Ok, fine but get out of there. Beta out." was the final reply we got from Beta during that mission. I can see that MC is trying to think. "Delta 1, come here. The rest of you get to the escape vector. Now!" He says. Everyone but MC and I simply salute and run of to the stairs. "Uh sir what are we going to do?" I ask as if I am kind of afraid that he is going to suggest something crazy. "Where going to clear this last lab." He says in return, a reply that justifies my instinct. Hearing those words stunned me, the fact that we are going to do what we barely could do with 12 men. And He's calm. "Coming? Or do I do this on my own." He says as I stand there. Even though I know it's crazy I decide that I should. "No let's go." We walk through and start blasting Flood left and right, taking down all we can. When we get to the end we are both out of ammo and have still eight Flood coming for us. All of a sudden we hear a shot coming from an elevated office on the side of the lab. It continues to fire as we run towards it. We jump in and see an Alliance commander sitting on his own blowing away the Flood. We see that there are bullets all over the floor and boxes of ammo everywhere. We take some and join him in blowing the Flood in pieces. When I glance over at MC he isn't there. I start panicking until I hear a very familiar voice scream "Duck." I do exactly as I am instructed and feel a rocket fly right over my head. My feelings are confirmed when I see an explosion take out the remaining Flood. I jump up and through down my assault rifle. I then pick up a plasma rifle in its place. I find myself examining the lone man they had found. He seems to be called Jack, at least that's what it says on his name tag. That's the same man that was in the transmission. "There's no time for that now, we need to get our asses out of here before there is no here." Says MC concerned. "What do you mean no here?" I say in horror. "Let's go no time to explain." Says MC plainly. "There are two Whorthog's at the East entrance." Says Jack, obviously he agrees with MC. "That's where we'll go then, lead the way Merc." says MC, why I don't know, but for some reason it shocks the commander and so Jack hesitates and takes a long look at MC, one of those what did you just say kind of looks. I quickly fire a shotgun round at the ceiling, to snap him out of it. He runs over to a door and opens it with his access code, runs through it and gets on an elevator. "This will take us to the control room." Said Jack as he activates the elevator. MC and I jump on. I notice almost immediately that MC is looking up. All of a sudden he fires. I look up and to my surprise a hole bunch of those little egg like things are falling straight at me, so I join MC with shooting at them. They stop almost immediately. The elevator comes to a stop and the doors open. As we step into the control room we see that it's covered with green and red blood. "New paint job?" says MC as he walks over to Jack. "I'm not satisfied, that red spot shouldn't be there". Says Jack in response, and points at a big splotch of red blood. "Why are we here Jack." MC asks him. "To activate the self-destruct sequence. Or did you want those things to walk all over the universe again?" Says Jack as he puts his hand on a fingerprint ID reader. "Self-destruct sequence activated, please vacate the premises." "Let's go." I say as the two oldies look at each other. Jack looks at me and nods. He runs to a side door and opens it with his code. He then walks down another colored hallway. As he opens a much larger door I see a shot fly right by my head. I look to the side and see an Alliance soldier laying on the floor with his pistol drawn. He's shaking and fires every time something moves. I walk up to him and see that he's out of ammo. I start to pick him up when the door opens. "Put him out of his misery, he's going mental." says MC calmly. I stand up. Take the pistol, smack the marine in the head he falls to the side but isn't dead. I start walking to the door when MC walks up to me and whispers into my ear. "I know you don't want to but take him out. I had to do it to a friend who had gone mental to. Just kill him." Then MC walked out of the door and fallowed Jack by jumping down. I look at the guy laying there, walk up to him and with the remaining shot in the pistol I shoot him right in the head. I drop the pistol and run through the doors, jump down and land in the back of a Whorthog. I look at MC and nod. Jack starts the Whorthog and starts driving. "Go to this NAV point." says MC.
Do you like your flood scrambled or boiled.
On the way to the NAV point there was next to no resistance. A few men that hid during the attack and making about two dozens men in total that they encountered while in the Whorthog. We know join MC, Nathan, and Jack as they pull up to the ship waiting at the NAV coordinates. "Get on board, in 45 seconds the entire instillation will be blown sky high." MC says as we runs into the ship and starts it. "Come on Jack let's go". I say to the man that if we had met in other circumstances would no longer be living." I grab him and say "If it's between dying without use, or living in captivity I'd choose to trust my enemy." "You're cutting it close" I hear Cortana say as I continue to drag the Commander behind me. The plain closes up and begins to exit the atmosphere. As we leave I can hear the explosions behind me. Even though most of the sound is filtered out by the engines, I can still hear and imagine the base that we where just in blow sky high. I close my eyes to get rid of the visions, but it doesn't work, the images just get stronger. I can imagine being one of the young Alliance soldiers that I didn't kill in the Whorthog. I can just imagine how scarred they must be, if they're still alive.
Coffee break
"Nathan, get up." I can hear MC's voice in the distance. As I think about it, I know that he's right there. Why does he sound far away? I open my eyes and see an array of light come in. It's so bright I can't make anything out. as everything comes into focus, I see an imperial medic kneeling at my side. I then realize that I'm laying on the floor. It isn't the floor of the ship though, it feels like the floor of the Command Center. How did I get on the floor I ask myself. "Am I on the floor of the Command Center?" I ask the medic. "Yes sir, you sure are, it seems you blacked out do to a bullet hole in your suit that was sucking oxygen out and must have given you a major headache." I feel fine and try to take of my helmet. It wasn't there of course. I just got up and walked to the window. I could see the planet where the hidden base was. It had then hit me that the explosions where still going on. The medic walked up to me and said that a fleet of imperial flagships jumped in with orders to do a complete planetary bombardment at the request of the Master Chief. As I took in this new information, I suddenly realized what MC meant when he said "no here." I repeated those words then walked away. The medic followed saying "are you ok?" "I'm fine" I replied. "What did you mean with, no here? I could here you mumble those words and was just wondering if there where any military orders that we civilians should know about." The medic was still standing there as I started to say the word civilian, but she interrupted. "I'm not a medic, my father is and I was just trying to help. You see I was here and my father gave me his coat as he ran to docking bay-B. There where some injuries in Beta squad and he was sent to. Why are you looking at me like that?" I then noticed that I was staring. "Oh sorry, I just realized that you're a girl. I've got to go now, I need to file my report and get out of this suit." "Oh I'm sorry I hadn't thought of that." She replied. As I walked away I turned and sed "Yeah, that'll only take a few minutes. Would you like to join me for a cup of coffee when I'm done with my report?" "I'd like that." She replied with a slight laugh.
Joke: The hero is standing helplessly face to face with the villain. There is no nothing around he can use for a weapon accept for one thing. the hero swiftly picks up a ruler that was laying on a desk nearby and held it up like a weapon.
Hero: "Stay back or else!" Villain: "Or else what? You'll straighten me out."
At the time of Halo, humans have founded a modest interstellar empire. There are at least a few dozen, but more likely one or two hundred, colony worlds within human-explored space. Some of them, if not most, are relatively heavily populated, suggesting that these colonies have been around for quite some time.
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