Attack on Sol (Part 16)
Posted By: Slit Throat<halo_boy16@yahoo.com>
Date: 23 August 2004, 12:18 AM
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Hey, I'm back! Sorry about the long drought but I've been busy for a while. I've had these parts sitting around for a couple days but with ten hours of band camp each day for the last week... you get the idea. Same scenario next week, oh well. Enjoy!
Yato 'Murlamee stood between the Human hanger and a fence and wondered what in the name of the gods he was doing there. There was nothing in the building except for a medium-sized personnel transport ship he had heard the Humans call a Cormorant. It did not seem important enough to send an entire squad of Special Operations soldiers to defend. But then, Yato was only a soldier, not given to the machinations of the Holy Ones.
Suddenly, Yato heard the sound of gravel crunching beneath armored feet. He squinted into the bright sunlight and was startled to see four tall, green armored figures walking toward him. Yato turned his head to shout an alert, but then heard another, more frightening sound. The sound of a plasma sword activating.
Yato turned back just in time to see one of the figures raise a plasma blade and plunge it into his armored body. He fell to the ground as the plasma burned through his armor and into his flesh. Yato tried to call for help, but only a gurgle escaped his mandibles and a moment later, life left him.
The Master Chief shut down his energy sword and stepped away from the Elite's body as it convulsed in its death thoroughs. He turned and motioned for the Marines and officers to move up.
"Admiral," he said, "keep your squad here until we verify the area is clear. Then we can secure the ship." Admiral Hood nodded, unholstered his sidearm and stood against the wall of the hanger near a door with Ackerson and Hopler beside him. The five Marines covered both flanks.
The Spartans walked to the corner of the hanger and peered around. There was a small patrol of Special Ops Grunts walking up and down the small walkway between the hanger wall and fence. An Elite was watching the patrol with his back to the Spartans.
"I've got this one Chief," murmured Fred as he backed up to get out of Covenant earshot. He pulled out his energy sword and activated it. The hiss of the sword activating went unnoticed among the Covenant.
Fred crept back up to the others and, after watching the Grunts patrol back and forth several times, moved into the open. He crept up behind the Elite, who was still oblivious to his presence, raised the blade and cut straight down the Elite's spine. The alien dropped without a sound.
Deactivating and dropping the energy sword, Fred pulled out an SMG and opened fire on the unsuspecting Grunts. They spun around, looking for the shooter, but very few actually saw Fred before they fell. The entire patrol was downed within thirty seconds.
The Chief moved up next to Fred followed by the other Spartans. "These things work really well," said Fred, holding up the energy sword. The Chief nodded, then walked to the next corner. The walkway beyond was clear as was the front of the hanger.
When they arrived back at the Admiral's location, Hood asked "the area secure?" The Chief reported that it was and walked over to the door that lead into the hanger.
The hanger had been the storage place for extraterrestrial transports used by the Marines stationed in New Mombasa. The only ship left inside, a Cormorant, was usually used for stealthy insertions, perfect for getting to the Fleet. The sleek black ship was fast and armed with four 120 millimeter cannons and three Anvil II missile pods. It had two passenger compartments, one on either side of the craft, that could hold twenty Marines apiece
Will climbed into the cockpit of the forty meter long craft while the officers and Marines got in the port passenger compartment. The Chief, Fred and Linda occupied the starboard compartment.
Will contacted the hanger's computer system and opened the ceiling door, then brought the ship's engines online and nudged the Cormorant up and out of the hanger. Will spun the ship so its nose angled up and boosted the engines to full power. The Cormorant rumbled and shot up as if eager to escape the pull of Earth's gravity.
When the Cormorant cleared Earth's atmosphere, there were only two Covenant ships in sight, both of which were what appeared to be tugs. They were dragging wreckage from destroyed ships into a large area roughly located over the Rocky Mountains. The Chief could barely make out small shapes moving around on a platform already half a kilometer across. Just like at Reach, he thought.
Will's voice suddenly came through the overhead speakers, he sounded confused. "Looks like the area is clear of enemy warships Master Chief. I'm heading to the Fleet's last known coordinates."
"Roger that Will," responded the Chief. "Everybody get some rest, we should be arriving in about an hour."
Forty-five minutes later, the Chief woke with a start and realized the ship had slowed down. He had been dozing while leaning against the bulkhead separating the two passenger compartments. Fred and Linda were still asleep a little further down the twenty meter room.
The Chief got to his feet and walked to the door leading into the cockpit. Will was still sitting at the controls, but the computer was flying the craft. He turned around at the Chief's entrance.
"Chief," he said, "I was able to make contact with the Fleet a few minutes ago. They've managed to keep themselves hidden from the Covenant in system. I told them we had Admiral Hood aboard and Rear Admiral Garten agreed to send out an escort of Longswords. They should be arriving any minute."
Even as Will finished speaking, four blips appeared on the motion sensors. A few seconds later, the four Longsword fighters came into view. They quickly formed up around the Cormorant and matched its speed. The lead fighter's pilot contacted them over the com.
"Spartan-043 do you read?" the pilot's voice was tense.
"I read you," responded Will, "thanks for the escort."
"Our pleasure," said the pilot, "now I'd like to get back before the Covenant figure out we're here."
"Sure thing," said Will as he boosted the Cormorant to full power.
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