Operation: Stingray Ch. 2: --Desperation--
Posted By: Nick Kang<digitai430@yahoo.com>
Date: 31 March 2004, 3:35 AM
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: This may seem not as good as the first one, something is nagging at me that it isn't as good, but I read it over several times and couldn't find any ways to improve it. So for those of you that expected more, I'm sorry for disappointing you.
AUGUST 2, 2552, 1100 HOURS
SAINT JOSEPH BEACH, FLORIDA
CURRENTLY UNDER COVENANT SIEGE
Field Commander Dallano 'Rootamee surveyed the great landscape that stretched on for miles; ending at the blaze his warriors had started. No doubt the Humans had already landed soldiers at this position to tackle the inferno. But they would get a surprise. A big one. He turned around and proudly inspected the three rows of Wraith mortar tanks. Yes, they would indeed get a big surprise. As five Banshees took off to patrol for the Human LZ, 'Rootamee chuckled to himself.
Though half a mile away, the great hellfire warmed Bradley's face, distorting his features with shadows that danced across his armored body. His face was already half-numb with cold from the great winds that whipped across the shore, and the small amount of warmth from the distant blaze was comforting.
A Scorpion MBT rolled by as the vehicles were unloaded from the Retribution. Five Warthogs and three Scorpions were lined up on the beach, their weight causing the soft, wet sand to sink under their wheels and treads. Grunts and murmurs could be heard from the SFs currently digging the trench around the LZ, the ditch growing bigger with each shovel-full of sand and dirt.
Just as Bradley was about to turn and walk into the Retribution for a bite to eat, a high-pitched shriek split the air. He looked up to see five purple, bulbous shapes clear the tops of the trees. Banshees. Bradley smiled and removed the safety of the MA5B. He had been getting bored.
As the five shapes came into focus, Benson wished he had brought his battle rifle along for the mission. Four Brutes and an Elite slowly marched toward his squad, covering three feet with each huge step. Luckily, they hadn't noticed the Humans yet, but the fleeing Grunts were quickly approaching, and were bound to tell the stronger Covenant about their situation. Benson made the 'fall back' hand signal to his men, and the eleven snipers quickly ran the direction they had come from, barely making a sound.
Veteran Mottrie 'Uzukamee made out nine small shapes running toward his recon party, mud splashing up with each step. They appeared to be Grunts, and by the speed that they were running, something was wrong. 'Uzukamee quickly activated his energy shield generator and watched as the glowing blue barrier faded into view and then slowly disappeared. Raising his Needler, 'Uzukamee swept the area behind the running Grunts, looking out for any Earthlings. The four Brutes 'Uzukamee was in command of also seemed alarmed, raising their grenade launchers and observing their surroundings for hiding enemies.
The nine Grunts reached 'Uzukamee, and began gasping for breath from their methane tanks.
"We...were...ambushed by the Humans..." one of them said between wheezes, "I...don't know how many there were...but they killed our squad commander along with thirteen others. We never even knew what direction they were coming from. One second we were patrolling, the next we were standing in a puddle of gore with our dead squad mates laying around us! We were attacked over there," he said pointing the direction they had come, "We gotta get outta here! Retreat!" he then finished. The nine Grunts huffed and puffed down the trail towards the HQ, one of them clutching it's arm, bright blue blood oozing from a bullet wound centered on the forearm.
"We should take out the new threat." 'Uzukamee suggested, "Perhaps this new enemy will satisfy our boredom. Perhaps."
Bradley fired a burst at the head Banshee, watching the bullets ricochet off of the armor in yellow sparks. Blue plasma lanced from the five Covenant vehicles. The bolts hit the sand, leaving small platforms or glass resting on the beach.
The Retribution's anti-air cannon swung around on the turret with the grinding of metal. The cannon's reports echoed through the woods as it fired 90mm slugs, fire sprouting from the steel barrel with each shot. One of the rounds punched right through one of the Banshees, sending it spiraling down into the beach with a fine smoke trail growing from the nose. It hit the beach and slid forward, smashing into a boulder that was protruding from under the sand. It exploded in a mushroom of fire, enveloping six SFs that were unlucky enough to be close to the crash.
Bradley watched as one of the Banshees flew closer, the great blaze reflecting off the shiny armor. He raised his assault rifle and held the trigger. The rifle bucked in his hands and tightened against his shoulder. Empty shells flew from the bolt as it rocked back and forth, landing on the sand where a thin trickle of smoke sprouted from the hollow end.
The bullets sparked on the vehicle's armor, but caused no visible damage. The rifle stopped firing and began making a clicking sound. Bradley hit the clip release and watched the empty metal slab slip out of the rifle. He fished around in his clip holder and brought up a new one. He ripped off the foil paper and jammed it into the clip hole. The Banshee was almost upon him now, and the fuel rod cannon was beginning to glow a sickly green. Bradley brought the rifle back up and held down the trigger again. The bullets once again pinged off the armor, but this time they hit something vital. The Banshee disappeared behind a curtain of flame, its gutted skeletal structure sailing over Bradley's head and landing in a foot of ocean.
A rocket hit another Banshee in mid-air, causing it to explode. Trailing smoke and fire, it collided with the Retribution's main hull, punching through and hitting the engine. A sprout of fire filled the smoking hole the Banshee had made, and the anti-air cannon blew off the turret, landing with a thud on the soft sand. The hull began to erode from heat, and boiled away. Large chunks of it chipped off the bridge as personnel and security guards onboard dove off and swam for the shore. So far the secondary hull was holding, as the ship was still afloat, but barely. The three remaining Banshees swept in for an attack run, firing their fuel rod cannons in unison. The green blobs impacted the secondary hull of the Retribution, exploding in a greenish mist and melting the metal. With a final gurgle of escaping air, the fine destroyer drifted out several hundred feet and disappeared under the calm waves.
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