Halo Smothered Flame: The Chronicles
The Commander
Prologue
A computerized female voice announces, "August 9th, 2554. Project number 4, subject: 0001, Name: Harvx, Alden William. Rank: Major, Military Branch: ODST, Type: Volunteer.
Blast shields open on a set of windows overlooking a table with a man on it, medical and injection equipment, and one lab technician preparing the injection.
Two men are looking down at all of this, then one of them speaks, "You know the public will find out about this eventually?"
" Yes. And, in till then, we will continue the project." The other says. "How are the other subjects doing?"
"Fine I guess, same progress as Harvx, as ordered." The first one sighed.
"Excellent...When will the injections being?"
"In one hour."
"Good, have them prepared for first mission after that and promote the Major to Commander."
"But, the injections won't take effect for another month!"
"They still need to be in shape by then. Besides it's only training assignments."
"Yeah, with live ammunition!"
"Stop whining, they'll pull through. And besides they're soldiers and they volunteered for this."
"Roger that." Hatefully said.
A pelicans' engine whined in the background and ten fully armored soldiers sat staring at nothing in particular.
"It felt strange," one begins, " being injected like that."
"I thought we agreed on radio silence, 2." Harvx said.
The group fell silent again. The engine whined louder and the pelican pitches to the right.
The door in the back opens and one by one they jump out.
Harvx sprints through the forest. He is fast but quiet. He comes to a halt at the edge of a clearing. Looking across the clearing, he sees what appears to be a fuel depot. A quick glance at the field between him and the depot, he counts at least 8 soldiers patrolling there.
A glance at his H.U.D. Shows 9 red lights all connected to numbers, not including his light or number. He winks once and a light in the top left changes from red to yellow. Within seconds seven other lights change. Five minutes pass and the last two change.
In a split-second of the change, Harvx sprints out of the forest, firing a quick burst from his rifle. The quickness surprised the soldiers on patrol, but as soon as the burst hit the first soldier, the others sprang into action, firing back at Harvx. Expecting this Harvx, he does a quick roll to the right, coming up into a crouched position and firing another two bursts, killing two more soldiers. He glances at the top of his H.U.D to see a bar that is a quarter full. Seeing this Harvx decides to change tactics and charges the closest soldier. He does a quick jab at him with the butt of his rifle. His momentum and strength cause the soldier to reel back and would have fallen to the ground if Harvx had not grabbed him and used him as a meat shield. The soldiers that remain empty their clips into the now dead body and Harvx. Harvxs' top bar is flashing red now and the soldiers are now bunched closely together. Harvx uses the bullet ridden corpse as a detraction by throwing it at the group, which knocks three of their weapons away and lands on the forth. Using this opportunity, Harvx jumps forward, pulling a knife from his leg armor, stabs one in the throat, pulling it free, he uses the downward momentum to slice open the second ones stomach and then kicks him back, then throws the knife into the back of the third while he reaches down for his rifle. The soldier drops to the ground and Harvx steps over him, leans down and snaps his neck.
The last soldier removes the body on top of him just as Harvx walks by and with pistol in hand Harvx puts a bullet through his head. Keeping his pistol out, Harvx jogs the distance to the depot. Kneels down next to the first fuel tank and plants a high explosive charge.
Just as he finishes, he hears an engine roar to life. He immediately recognizes it as a M808 Main Battle Tank and then sees it roll out of its fuel housing. Harvx knows two things : One, that tank was not suppose to be there and two he can't let it get away. Harvx sprints after the tank, but the tank sees him coming and turns his turret towards Harvx. Seeing this Harvx jumps towards the tank just as the turret is fulling facing him and uses his forward momentum and using his free hand, grabs hold of the turret and spins around it and comes to rest on the barrel. The tank stops, Harvx jumps, the tank fires. Harvx lands on the main chassis of the tank, next to the cockpit. Harvx then rips off the pilots' canopy and places his pistol on the pilots' head, then fires.
Harvx hops down from the tank and looks back towards the depot. He then puts his pistol back on his thigh, grabs another HE charge and plants it on the tank. He then turns towards the front end of the tank and begins walking. He changes his status light from yellow to green. He then sees another light change as well, as he hears an M12LRVs' wheels skid on dirt and then comes into view. Harvx stops walking and the vehicle skids again and stops, passenger seat toward Harvx. Harvx climbs in and looks to his left to see a armored soldier looking back at him, there is a waypoint above him, it reads 0002.
0002 then floors it and turns back the way he came.
"Remember what you said on the pelican five years ago?" Harvx asked.
0002 glances at him and nods once.
"I agree." Harvx said as he turned away.