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Installation 05: Part 3 (Besieged)
Posted By: System Failure, SeverianofUrth<haloknight2003@aol.com ,residentpark@aol.com>
Date: 31 August 2004, 3:52 PM
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0920 Hours, September 19, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Forerunner Installation 05/ Surface, Offloading.
Pelican Drop ship Bravo 97/ Swamp
Two warthogs, specially designed for swamps, pulled up behind my team. They were both modified troop transports. While still being able to hold eight passengers, the rear was extended to fit a 50mm LAAG, which pierced the steel and mesh cage, meant to protect the occupants from debris and rollovers. The transport nearest to my team was empty, and the driver called me over.
"Need a lift Sgt. Williams?" he asked.
I nodded, and clicked on my speakers. "Bravo team," I said looking at them. "Change of plans, we're riding to the campsite. Load up, double quick!"
Pleased mumbling came from the Marines as they jumped in. I helped Nades load the gun cases into the warthog before getting in my self. I banged on the cage wall, and the driver hit the gas. My com link the teams at the base clicked on.
"Bravo TL this is Sgt. Arroyo of Alpha, we need you here ASAP. Our watchdog, frigate Aries, has confirmed covenant landing craft inbound." The Sergeant voice seemed very calm, despite the fact that covenant forces were closing in. "Do you read me?"
"I read you, Sgt. Arroyo," I said, pausing to place nav markers of the camp in all of Bravo teams HUDs. "ETA three minutes and counting, over."
"Roger that, Bravo team, out and over."
The warthog splashed through the muck, leaving twin waves in its wake. The trees above had runners, which bounced of the cage with little thumps. The air coming in through my scrubbers was thick hot. I could only guess how hot it was out side. The Warthog hit a log and jumped two meters before splashing back it the water. A Marine shouted "yeeahh!" as we landed. "Damn" I thought to myself. "We got to get there faster."
After another minute we reached the camp. Situated fifty meters from the structure that we were trying to explore, it proved the best place to get attacked from. My motion sensor picked up four, large enemy contacts. After hearing the whine of it engines, I knew what they were. "Phantoms," I whispered to my self. They were in a wedge formation and coming in low, right above the warthog.
0920 Hours, September 19, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Forerunner Installation 05/ Surface.
Marine Base Camp/ 50 meters from Target Structure.
The phantoms came in low, just above the tree line. The corporal had done good. Three rocket-launcher wielding Marines stood behind me. I had me hand raised, as it was signal to hold fire. When the lead ship was completely pass the tree line I dropped my hand, in seconds six rockets hurtled at the target.
That's when a warthog burst through the thick foliage, sending vines and runners
flying. The first volley hit right after the Warthog passed under the Phantom. They made no real damage but caused the Phantom to slow do down. The fourth and fifth hit, the former another dud, but the latter hit an anti-grav pod, and caused the alien ship to lean forward. Just as I thought the other teams were safe I noticed another warthog, this one just starting to reverse. This is when the last rocket hit. The remaining three attacking phantoms were in the process of going around this doomed one when it exploded. The phantoms going around the sides of the blast were both crippled, one side of their ship, limp. The remnants of the first drop ship crashed into the water, causing a huge column of steam to rise up.
This is when I saw the other warthog emerge seemingly unharmed. Then without warning, the fuel tank in the wreck blew. The warthog was flung into the air. All its passengers spilled during its twists and flips. It landed up side down, sinking down to its hood. "Holy, shit" I said to my self. "This is fucked up!" The Marines, while frazzled got up and started running. This was with great cause as the last phantom opened fire.
Williams
After a few loud thumps, I counted six rockets tracking the lead phantom. Its main gun started to glow, a warning of immediate discharge. The first four rockets hit, blowing charred hunks of purple metal off the huge ship, but caused no real damage. The fifth rocket hit one of the anti-grav pods, causing the Phantom to bow forward, aimed right at our motion- less Warthog. The remaining Phantoms passed slowly by it, as if they were going into dock, not a firefight.
"Back the fuck up!" screamed a Marine, situated directly under the Phantom.
The driver hit reverse, and just as the warthog started moving, the sixth rocket hit. The Phantom detonated several seconds after impact, creating a harsh blinding white light. My suits polarization lens turned almost black to compensate. The blast had caused the warthog to be turned sideways, with its left side, my side facing the explosion. As the light faded, it was clear that two of the remaining Phantoms were crippled, making them easy prey.
The phantom ahead of us was resting next to us, and the driver had already started to move it again, when the drop ship exploded. The warthog was flung into the air, its passengers thrown free. I was in the air, about six meters up, for a few seconds for landing. I went under the swamps surface, and then pulled my self up. "Thank you dirty swamp water," I thought to myself, patting it. The two wounded phantoms were shot down. Taking only three rockets a piece. The remaining one, unluckily, was also the only one to have shielding.
Marines around me, and myself opened fire on this final transport. The bullets bounced off the ship, creating tiny sparks, but nothing else. It continued to drop, as if it were unaware, of the dozens of Marines firing at it. Pvt. Dalton came along side me wielding a newly developed thermobaric rifle.
Looking at me, he smiled, and said, "Hope this shit works." I nodded silently and continued to fire. The drop ship rotated now, the troop bay door now facing us. The shield, now shimmering from the impacts, was visibly thinning around the door. The door started to slide open, and the outlines of aliens ready to jump out, were faintly visible. The door was full open now, the Phantom, now at un-loading height, about 2 meters, started to fire its secondary cannon.
The hot plasma was chasing Marines around, playing with them more then trying to kill them. A brute charged out the door and was at the height of his jump, when Dalton fired. The phantom disappeared in a blinding flash, the mangled body of the Brute thrown clear. It hit the ground and crumpled, the groans of the dying covenant in side, growing louder. Dalton re shouldered his gun, and fired again. The bullet detonated and covered the area in flame. When they died out, several seconds later, the moans ceased.
Arroyo
As the boys from Bravo team took this last phantom out, six more came from cover. They came from all sides, only they area near the alien structure behind me was clear.
I clicked on my com. "Get all the shit and run!!!!!" I screamed into the mike. Marines ran around frantically, stuffing ammo, weapons, food, and supplies into the remaining 'hogs. They had all the essentials and a few extras, i.e. turrets, packed on the warthog.
The phantoms had dropped their payloads of covenant forces and didn't stay for the fire works. "Why did they leave?" I said to myself while jumping in one of the transports. The driver hit the gas and we were off kicking huge waves in our wake.
"I hate this shit," said Cpl. Reynolds who was sitting across from me. "It always something. Look at us." He said using his hand for emphasis. We're running from scores of bad tempered covenant into an, alien, ancient, and damn scary looking building."
A few Marines nodded in reply second before we entered the installation. The doors shut behind us, and we were pitched into darkness.
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