One shot story

A Job to do

The pelican shudder as it took fire from two pursuing banshees.

The pilot and co pilot struggled to shake them off as they flew through the remnants of a war torn city, weaving between buildings and crumbling skyscrapers.

"Hold on back their, things are going to get rough!" The co pilot shouted from the cockpit.

I quickly pulled down the guard rail and fastened myself in. I double check to see if the package was safely secured, check.

My intercom came to life as my squad leader order for a SITREP.

"What's going on rookie?"

"On my way to the objective, Sergeant. We're being pursued by two banshees" I hastily tell him as the pelican violently shook.

"We're in pretty bad shape, I don't think we'll-"

"You'll make it rookie!" The Sergeant cut me off. "We're not far behind you. If you go down turn on your tracker."

"Yes, Sergeant"

A new voice filled my COMMS.

"Hey, shank!"

"Doyle, how many times do I have to tell not to call me that..."

I could make out someone chuckling over the banshees gunfire.

"Uh never. Maybe you shouldn't of cut me with your combat knife, eh?" I could tell he was smirking.

"Maybe you shouldn't be so ugly that I'd confuse you for a covie!" I fired back.

"Can it both of you!" The sergeant jumped in. "How many people are with you rookie?"

"Just me and the two pilots, Sergeant."

"Wait, you sent Shank ahead alone to the objective!" Doyle cried "that's suicide!"

"I know, Corporal!" The sergeant snap. "We didn't have much of a choice, incase you didn't remember the covenant was right on our ass!"

Doyle growled "Shank, we're two kliks behind you, stay alive got it!"

"Gee, Doyle I was really planning on dying today!" I said sarcastically as the pelican shuddered.

"Shank..."

"I got this Doyle, don't worry" as if on cue the pelican took another hit and pelican shook violently.

"Jesus Christ!" I shouted through my helmet.

"What's happened!?"

"I'm gonna have to call you back" I said as I stared at the flames trailing from one of the Pelicans thrusters.

"Pilot, what's going on!?"

I heard a bunch of aggravated mumbling going on in the cockpit.

"We lost our right engine, losing too much power!"

"Shit..." I muttered

Pelican violently shook again. This time the pelicans interior began falling apart, cargo and metal plates began flying out of the pelican. I could make out the screeching of more banshees and their weapons firing at us.

"Shank!"

"Rookie!"

"What's going on?" Doyle demanded.

"We're going down, switching on my tracker!" I quickly said as I fumbled for the switch to activate my tracker.

"Wait what!" Doyle was droned out by a loud explosion.

Flames appeared within the cargo hold of the pelican.

"Shit, shit, shit!" I cried.

"Rookie, keep. That. Package. Safe. That's an order!"

"OH SHIT, PULL UP, PULL UP!" The co pilot screamed.

"Shank, we got your tracker. We're-

The pelican violently shook and shuddered as it skidded across the roof of a building and off the other side. Everything fell into chaos, the pelicans warning sirens were blaring over the roaring of the flames which were larger than ever.

I gritted my teeth wishing for this hell to end as the ship constantly shook and rumbled.

"Sergeant, we're down, we're-"

There was a loud bang as if something exploded and everything was suddenly black and very quiet. Was I dead?

I started seeing images dance across my vision, a silhouette standing over me, fire, flashing lights. I quickly realised I wasn't dead, I was being dragged out of the wreckage of the pelican by one of the pilots. I could make out the bronze autumn leaves attached to their trees all around me and the golden sky created by the setting sun.

"Pretty" I mumbled.

"Trooper, you still with me!?" The pilot removed my helmet exposing my face to the cold air. I could smell the smoke from the flames. The pilot shook me by the shoulder.

"Come on, we still gotta get that package to ONI"

I slowly looked around. The banshees were gone, probably think we're dead. As for the pelican we crash landed into a city park, smoke was billowing out of the pelican and there was a path of uprooted trees from were we crashed.

I slowly get up, as I got to my feet I fell back down to one knee as a sudden sharp pain shot through my body. I look down to see a small metal bar protruding from my abdomen.

"That's just great" I grunt as I slowly pulled it out and threw it away. I wasn't bleeding intensely since the armour prevented most of the damage but I still needed to find a first aid.

The pilot was back in the pelican dragging out supplies.

The park was quiet, there were no birds or any animals just the wind and the occasional clank from within the pelican.

"This is not good" I walk over to my helmet and put it back on.

"Sergeant, do you copy?" I looked towards the sky half expecting to see their pelican fly over.

"Sergeant!?", "Doyle do you copy?"

There was static for long while.

I sighed, looks like we're on our own for now.

I turned to the pelican, I was about to walk back when I heard the quiet hum of a Phantom. I dived into a nearby bush. I had no weapon so I just pulled out my knife and waited, waited for the enemy to arrive.

"I just hope the pilot heard it too" I thought to myself.

The sound of the phantom was drawing closer and there was still clanking coming from the pelican.

"Fuck it!" I sprinted towards the pelican as I ran in, the pilot turned around with a confused look.

"What's wro-"

I pulled him away from the cockpit windows.

"Stay still and be quiet" I whispered.

The pilot nodded.

Thirty seconds later the purple ship passed over the pelican. For a second I thought it slowed down, almost as if it was searching for something.

"It's looking for us" I whispered to the pilot.

"What do we do?" If the pilot was scared he didn't show it.

"We wait for my squad to get here, they shouldn't be far off now"

The purple ship disappeared over the trees.

"What, we can't wait here trooper!" The pilot protested.

"My squad isn't far away, they'll be here. If we try to run we'll be hunted down and killed!" I retorted

"We're just as bad staying here. Hell we might as well just shoot ourselves!"

The pilot began pacing the ship.

Suddenly I remembered something.

"Where's the co pilot?" I questioned. The pilot stopped pacing.

A minutes of silenced passed between us.

"He's...he didn't make it"

"I'm sorry" I muttered.

"Yeah well we all got a job to do" he muttered as he went back to searching through cargo.

"Pilo-"

"My names Dan"

"Dan, there's a FOB 20 kilks north of here, if you keep moving and don't stop. You might make it before nightfall"

I spot my M6C on the floor and go to pick it up.

"There's a base 12 miles from here?" The pilot turns around.

"Yes." I hand him my M6C. Dan just stares at it for a few seconds before slowly taking it.

I jerk my head toward the pelican exit. "Get moving, if you want to make it before sun down."

Dan goes to leave the pelican but stops and turns to face me.

"What about you, you'll die if you stay."

"We all got jobs to do" I repeated.

Dan nods and runs off into the trees.

"Good luck " I whisper.

An hour passed, I noticed the light was quickly fading. I was rummaging around looking for a first aid. When I found one I quickly pulled out the antiseptic and poured it into my wound. I winced as the liquid stung like a son of a gun.

"That'll have to do for now." As I chucked the empty bottle away.

"Right, time to turn this heap of scrap metal into a death trap" I say to myself in an attempt to keep my moral high.

More time passed as I pulled empty crates towards the pelicans entrance using them to block the entrance off.

"Now to leave a little gift for them..."

Once everything was set I found a spot within a bush and waited for them to arrive. I hand my M7S, combat knife, grenades and the detonator.

It didn't take long for them to find the crash sight.

First it was grunts with a few jackals.

"A scouting party" I thought to myself.

I watched them stalk towards the pelicans entrance.

One of the jackals made a screeching noise and pushed the crates over.

"That's it...walk in you dumb fucks"

As the scouting party gathered near the pelican I flipped the safety catch on the detonator revealing the red button.

"Surprise!"

I press my thumb down on the button there was a clicking sound followed by the pelican exploding into a ball of fire enveloping the grunts and the jackals.

"Well that woke the neighbours" I muttered as everything kicked off.

The entire tree line light up with green plasma rounds firing all over the crash sight.

I got down in a prone and watched where the shots were coming from and began picking off the hostile with my M7S. My hud was alight with red dots.

"Did they bring the entire damn covenant to this ship!" I thought to myself.

I heard movement behind me and quickly spun around on my back to see a blue energy sword come down on me.

I rolled to the side, aiming towards the sword and releasing rounds into the elite. Purple blood splattered on the the nearby trees.

I heard a thud as the elites body hit the floor.

I decide that my spot is compromised and decide to make dash towards the pelican.

As I left my spot I quickly did a combat roll barely dodging two green plasma rounds.

I unclip a grenade and remove the safety pin. Once I was close enough I launched the grenade into the tree line and hid behind one of the cargo crates that were flung across the clearing by the explosion. I heard the panicked yelling of grunts quickly silenced by an explosion.

I checked my mag in my M7S, happy with the amount left I clipped it back in.

Grunts began suppressing my cover. The cargo crate jerked every time a round it hit.

"Can't stay like this forever", "where the hell is my squad!" I grunted.

pointing my M7S around the corner of the crate as I sprayed en prayed.

I heard the all too familiar clicking sound of an empty mag.

As I reloaded a blue flare landed next to me, it took me a second to realise what it was.

"Shit!" I shouted as I got up but was too slow, the grenade went off flinging me across the clearing.

I landed on my back with wisps of smoke coming off my chest.

A black silhouette slowly walked up to me and ignited its blue energy sword.

I was to weak and dazed to move or reach for a weapon.

The silhouette raised its arm ready to plunge the sword into my chest.

The package is compromised, the covenant will take it. I just hope my squad get here in time to rescue it.

A second silhouette quickly came into view this one was smaller than the first. It pointed something at the elites head and the elite froze.

"This for my co pilot you son of a bitch" there was a bright flash followed by the elite falling to the ground.

"Trooper, get up. We got a job to do, remember!?" Dan offered me his hand.

"You came back" I said as I got pulled up.

"Yeah well, couldn't leave your stubborn ass here alone" Dan mocked.

Dan jabbed a thumb at himself "Plus, you're still technically under my duty of care"

"Your pelican is scrap metal" I deadpanned.

"Still"

I pulled out my knife since I lost my M7S in the blast.

Dan cogged the M6C "You ready to kill some ugly motherfuckers?"

I nod in acknowledgement.

I heard the sound of an energy sword being ignited and spotted the first elite across the clearing from us.

"This ones mine" I ran at the elite, it swung its sword towards my head, I managed to roll underneath it and plunge my knife into the elites Lower leg. The elite roared in pain as I stood up and brought my foot down on the aliens knee cap.

The sicking snapping sound made the elite cry in pain even more.

I pulled my knife from its leg and plunged it into the elites head.

Silencing it forever.

I turned towards Dan as he dropped a elite with the M6C, another one came out of camo a meter in front of him and sliced the gun out of the guys hand and swung the sword across his chest.

Dan cried out as the sword cut into his chest, elite kicked him to the floor to finish him off.

"Dan!" I grabbed my knife by the blade and threw it at the elite. It embedded into the monsters sword arm. The elite pulled out a plasma rifle, I began closing the distance between us. The elite raised its plasma rifle at me, I quickly kicked it out of his hand, he swung his sword and I grab the wrist holding the blade, with both hands. We were face to face.

"Pathetic human, this world will burn just like the rest of your worthless colonies. The great journey will be completed!"

The elites sword was inching closing to my face. I'm not sure how long I can keep this up.

"Give me the artefact and I might let you live" it growled.

Over...my dead...body I grunted.

"As you wish. Die now human"

I saw my knife still embedded into the elites shoulder. I quickly grabbed it by the hilt and dragged the knife across its shoulder to the elites throat.

The energy sword plunged into my shoulder and I cried out in pain as I kicked at the elite, pushing it back.

It clutched at it's throat as purple blood sprayed out.

I examined my shoulder. The wound was cauterised by the heat of the blade.

The elite collapsed to the floor, unmoving.

I take a few seconds to catch my breath.

The bushes rustled again, with the sounds of grunts.

I dived for the plasma rifle, grabbed hold of it, spun around and began firing at ever last one of them.

Their blood coating the fauna around them.

"Rookie!?", "Rookie, do you copy?"

I quickly pressed down on the COMMS button.

"Sergeant, I'm here!?"

"The package is it safe?"

I checked to see if it was still attached to my back.

"Yes sergeant"

"Outstanding, we're moving onto your position, standby!" The COMMS went silent.

I let out a sigh of relief.

"We did it" I chuckled to myself.

"We...Dan!"

I turned to face Dan when another shot was fired. The sound of a familiar beam rifle echoed across the park.

My eyes go wide as I watch a purple beam tear through my chest and hit the side of the pelican.

I lost all control of my body as I fell to the ground.

I was struggling to breath, I can't see properly, am I dying.

I don't want to die. I still have a job to do. I'm scared.

I could make out footsteps running towards me.

The bastards have come to finish the job.

"Shank!?" One of the figures removed my helmet.

I had lost track of time. Had it been minutes or seconds, I couldn't tell anymore. What's happening to me?

"We're losing shank, where's a medic!?" Doyle was putting pressure on the wound.

"D-Doyle... the package, take it" I coughed as I finished the sentence. I could feel a warm liquid around my mouth.

"I got it, rookie." I could feel the package being removed from my back.

"You did good, kid" The Sergeant tried to stay positive but looked away when he saw my wound.

Doyle grabbed my hand. "Come on, Shank. You told me you weren't planning on dying today."

I laughed. It hurt laugh. Everything hurts.

"Do you remember that one time we were out on a night patrol..." Doyle began telling a story.

I did my best to listen, everything felt as if it was fading.

"...and I came around the corner and you freaked out thinking I was the enemy"

Doyle chuckled. "I still got the scar from where you stabbed me, shank"

I stared at the night sky, it was completely covered in white dots.

"Pretty" I whispered.

I could see Doyle's lips moving but I couldn't hear anything.

The Sergeant came over and put his hand on Doyle's shoulder and said something to him.

Doyle looked down at me and pain crossed his face. He leaned down and brushed two fingers down my face and everything went black.

It's okay now.

Everything's okay.

My job is done.

I can rest now.

Hell jumper hell jumper

Where have you been?

Feet first into hell

And back again.

If I die please bury me deep.

Place my MA5 down by my feet

Please don't cry.

Don't shed no tear.

Just pack my box full of PT gear.

Because one early morning.

Around 0,5 the ground will

rumble.

There will be lighting in the sky.

Please don't worry.

Don't come undone.

It's just my ghost.

On a PT run.