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Attack on Sol (Part 3)
Posted By: Slit Throat
Date: 14 May 2004, 11:37 PM
Read/Post Comments
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I know; most of this section is taken off the E3 demo but bear with me, there will be a more original entry next time. -Slit Throat
The tiny lifeboat shook as it passed through Earth's atmosphere and the interior became very hot. Evidently the pod had not been made for atmospheric flight. John was flung from side to side as the pod bounced and rattled. The lifeboat impacted with the surface and threw the Spartan against the armored control panel, denting the surface.
John slowly stood and checked his equipment. Both his Battle Rifle and his M6D were undamaged. He climbed out of the escape pod and looked around.
"Cortana, do you have any idea where we are?" asked John.
"I do not have precise coordinates but I believe we are within 500 kilometers of New Mombasa," replied the A.I., "the Covenant seem to be particularly interested in this area. I'm reading a cruiser in the city, as well as several thousand troops. There are a few platoons of Marines nearby but they are scattered."
"Well then," decided John as he began jogging in the general direction of the city, "we'll just have to help them out."
As the Spartan topped a small hill, he saw a battle before him. Off to his right, a small platoon of Marines was trying to hold off a Covenant assault several hundred soldiers strong. The Marines had taken cover behind a rise and had piled dirt around the crest as extra protection. The Covenant were pushing the Marines hard but had not yet seen the Chief.
Once more into the breach, thought John as he charged down the hill readying his Battle Rifle.
The Covenant had no idea that he was coming. John opened fire on the unsuspecting aliens killing Grunts and Jackals by the dozen. He dropped the spent clip then turned and threw a plasma grenade at a red Elite. The grenade stuck to the alien's faceplate and when it went off, killed several other Elites close by. The Covenant began to react and brought their full force to bear. The Spartan was falling back, his shields at 1/4 charge when a scream split the air.
The pinned Marines had charged out of cover and attacked the other Covenant flank. Now being hit from both sides, the Covenant began to panic. Some tried to run only to be brought down by accurate shots from the Chief. Frag grenades went off inside the enemy formation, killing scores of soldiers. Finally, the entire Covenant force broke and ran. The Marines and Spartan continued firing until the last aliens stumbled and fell.
John approached the surviving Marines. There were only 7 left and most of those were wounded. John was surprised that any had survived at all. But that was not so surprising when he realized who led the platoon. Sgt. Avery Johnson was one of the few survivors of Halo and a friend of John's.
"Master Chief," acknowledged Sgt. Johnson. "Glad you showed up. We were getting overrun. Those Covies just dropped out of nowhere in one of their dropships and started shooting!"
"I'll call in some evac Sergeant," assured Cortana over the Chief's speakers.
Soon, a Pelican dropship flew over the battle site, circled once and set down. The Marines piled aboard with John bringing up the rear. Sgt. Johnson climbed into the cockpit. As soon as everyone was in, the pilot lifted off.
"Where to Sergeant?" asked the pilot.
"New Mombassa," answered Sgt. Johnson, "we have some business to take care of with our little Covie friends."
The Pelican flew through the city of New Mombassa, dodging buildings and plasma fire. John looked out through the dropship's main hatch. The city was a mess. Most buildings had large holes in them from mortar fire and more than a few lay in piles of rubble. Occasionally there was movement or flashes of gunfire but for the most part, the Covenant owned the city. Off in the distance, the Chief could see the cruiser that had entered New Mombasa.
"They took two in the nose and dropped into the atmosphere" said Cortana, monitoring John's line of sight.
"Who was first contact?"
"Oral Fifth out of Diego Garcia," answered Sgt. Johnson from the cockpit, "but don't expect a big welcome; the Covenant wiped most of them out before they hit the ground."
A voice suddenly blared over the loud speaker as the Pelican banked for a landing:
"Grid kilo two-three is hot, recommend mission abort."
"Roger recon," acknowledged the pilot as he pulled up the dropship. "Your call Sarge."
"We're going in!" announced Sgt. Johnson. He glanced back toward the troop compartment, "get tactical Marines!"
The Pelican's main hold was suddenly filled with Marines loading weapons, and putting on armor. As soon as the Pelican touched down, Sgt. Johnson yelled "lets go Marines, go, go, go!" All of the Marines, and the Master Chief, leapt from the Pelican ready to retake New Mombassa.
The Chief walked over to a nearby Marine who was shielding his eyes from the dust caused by the Pelican's engines. The Marine looked up as John approached.
"I'm Corporal Perez, 8th Company, CP's this way" said the Marine and began to jog away. The Chief followed him. They passed several tents filled with wounded soldiers laying on operating tables. Corporal Perez stopped by one such table out in the open.
"The Lieutenant got hit as soon as we dropped in," Perez said.
"Who's in charge now Corporal," asked Cortana through the Chief's speakers.
"Sergeant Banks ma'am," answered Perez, "he's pinned down out front. Come on, I'll show you."
The Master Chief followed the Corporal up a short ramp to a broad doorway where several Marines were waiting.
"Parsons, is it clear?" yelled Perez to another Marine outside. A large explosion shook the ground beneath the Chief's feet.
"You tell me," Parsons yelled back wryly. Perez muttered to himself, then said "friendlies moving out; covering fire."
The Marines and Spartan charged out of the doorway to the railing of the walkway. They opened fire on the Covenant below, some of whom were trying to cross what had once been a parking lot. A flash of blue light drew the Chief's attention to a large Covenant mortar cannon. That had to be neutralized, and fast.
The Chief jogged farther down the walkway to a ramp and threw a grenade at the Grunts at its base, quickly killing them all. He walked down the ramp while reloading and moved at a crouch to where Sergeant Banks sat against a wall.
"We asked for reinforcements, I didn't think they'd send a Spartan," said Banks through gritted teeth. He had a wound in his side. A large explosion drew the Chief's attention back to the mortar cannon. it had fired again at a nearby building.
"We have to take that thing out; cover me!" groaned Banks. He moved over a few meters.
"Tech HQ this is Sergeant Banks. I've got hostile artillery 200 meters north of my position; create some smoke, over!" he said into a walkie-talkie.
The Chief crouched behind a low wall and opened fire with his Battle Rifle. The Grunts went down quickly while the Jackals took several shots to bring down. He stepped up to a nearby chain gun and unleashed a hellish rain of lead on the enemy positions.
"Dammit HQ, is anybody on this freak?!" exclaimed Banks.
"Sergeant, this is Major Easly. Hang tight, we're inbound."
The Master Chief looked up as several Longsword fighters tore across the sky. Bombs dropped from their cargo holds hit the mortar cannon and destroyed it in a flash of blue light.
"Verified delivery of ordinance on target," reported Major Easly.
"Dead on Major!" agreed Banks; he turned to the Chief.
"Take my weapon, you'll need it," he said handing him a sub- machine gun. The Chief took the proffered weapon and followed the other Marines in an attack on the Covenant position.
The organized charge took the enemy by surprise and the Marines quickly broke through. After clearing an almost destroyed passage, the Master Chief found himself on a low platform overlooking a street. A formation of six Jackals was making its way slowly along supported by a Covenant ground vehicle similar to a Warthog called a Shadow. The Chief immediately opened fire on the Jackals.
Two Warthogs suddenly plunged through the enemy formation. One stopped and the Marine riding shotgun yelled, "we could use a gunner sir!"
The Chief jumped off the platform and climbed in behind the auto cannon that had replaced the chain gun. He opened fire on the Shadow, destroying it in a few shots. The new gun had power. The driver floored it and the Warthog leapt forward. The Master Chief focused on the enemy Shadows and Ghosts, killing each in just a few rounds.
Suddenly, a large purple ship glided overhead.
"A Phantom," cried Cortana. The ship began firing its underside plasma turret, leaving pink splotches in the road. Large, hulking shapes began leaping from the Phantom and no sooner did Cortana exclaim "Brutes!" than one landed on the front of the Warthog. With two sweeping punches, the monster killed both the driving and shotgunning Marines.
The Master Chief jumped from the back of the jeep and circled around as the Brute leapt off the front. The Chief smacked the alien several times then planted two rounds in its chest. The beast lay still. He fired a few rounds to get the others attention, then fired at a nearby car, which exploded, killing all but one of the Brutes. The other was put down with a head shot.
"Ghosts, to your right," said Cortana. The Chief turned, switching to his SMG's as he did. The first Ghost sped by, but the second did not. The Chief jumped onto the front and kicked the driver, a Brute, off. Quickly turning the Ghost, he mowed down a few more Brutes.
"The Marines won't stand a chance if those Phantoms double back, try to draw them off," suggested Cortana. The Master Chief fired a few plasma bolts at each then sped off with both Phantoms and two Ghosts on his tail.
Zigzagging to avoid obstacles and enemy fire, the Chief made his way down damaged highways. Ahead, he saw a sign crumple and fall as the result of Phantom fire. He quickly turned right and heard a large explosion behind.
A blinking red sign read 'HIGHWAY ACCESS DENIED'.
"Chief," warned Cortana as a large blast door ahead began to close.
"Hang on," replied the Spartan. He dove through the narrow opening and slid for several dozen meters. Behind him he heard two explosions from what he assumed were the pursuing Ghosts. Slowly he stood and looked around. About a kilometer away he saw the cruiser hovering with a gravity lift extended.
"Look," exclaimed Cortana, "there's the cruiser now all we need to do is...., she trailed off as small pods by the hundreds came hurtling down from above. Eight landed around the Master Chief.
The front panel burst open on the closest pod to reveal a black armored Elite. The Elite climbed out and saw the Spartan. It worbled something and activated an energy blade. The Chief pointed both SMG's at it, but before he could fire, he realized that all of the other pods had opened too, revealing more sword toting Elites. The squad began circling him, so there was only one thing to do. The Master Chief pulled out and activated a plasma grenade.
"Bet you can't stick it," teased Cortana.
"You're on," answered the Chief, and he threw the grenade at the closest Elite.
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