Chapter 3 - The Rescue
The blades of the helicopter, coupled with the engine, roared noisily out of the base. Within it were Shane and Master Cheif with a squadron of rebels, each carrying a "Manos Del Dio" Hand of God Chaingun while Shane prefered the Blacksaw Assault riflr used by Mantel, Cheif carried his own pair of SMG's as well as a few plasma grenades as well. Shane peered through the slit in the door to check if they were nearing their destination, the minute he saw a glimpse of a tower, he yelled at the pilot to land.
- Okay, do you guys know what to do? - Said Shane
The rebels shook their heads.
- I see you guys weren't there for the breifing. Oh well, here's what you have to do, I'm going to disguise myself as a mantel trooper and I will start to infiltrate the fortress, hopefully finding our informant and what information he has for us. Everyone else besides Master Cheif will Take hidden positions around the fortress, in case something goes wrong. Cheif, I need you to make sure no one is gaurding both the front door or back exit after I enter. Oh, and do it quietly please.
Both the rebels and Master Cheif nodded and scattered to their positions. Shane walked down a hill and waved to the mantel gaurds who were positioned at the front entrance. Cheif watched Shane conversing and bopping shoulders with the two soldiers and had successfully infiltrated the base. Cheif slowly snuck to the side of the base, carefully and quietly sneaking past the light fixtures and gun turrets on the roof. He leaned against a wall and peered around the corner to see the two soldiers taking their gaurding positions.
- After this war, I'm coming back here for a vacation. - Said one
- I never want this war to end dude! - Said the other
- You know what? Me too! -
Both bopped fists and took their position again. Cheif dove from around the corner and tackled both troopers as well as disarmed them. One tried to reach for his pistol but Cheif saw him at the second and snapped the soldiers neck. The other one tackled Cheif and started punching his helmet, nearly cracking it. Cheif blocked a swing and swung his fist to the soldier's face, breaking the helmet, and blood spewed from the man's nose. The soldier backed up and ran for the alarm and Cheif jumped on top of him and dug his combat knife into the soldiers neck. He put his hand over the soldier's mouth to keep him quiest and the soldier slowly sunk to the ground, dead. He then ran over and dodged more lights and backed up against another wall. He peered over and noticed a lone soldier gaurding the door. Cheif took out his knife and the soldier immeditely turned to look in Cheifs direction.
- I know you're their you little bitch. - He said as he raised his rifile.
- Shit, he's using that drug. - He snarled as he turned from around the corner with his hands up.
- Oh well looky here, its a little green guy from outerspace. What's wrong buddy? Miss the stars? I'll give you stars! - He said with a laugh
- This guy is insane! - Cheif thought.
The soldier slowly stepped closer to Cheif still pointing the rifle at him, and poked Cheif's armour. The soldier made a vulgar comment about how his armour should go on a woman and tried to disarm him. Cheif immediatly knocked the gun out of the soldier's hand and grabbed the man's neck and lifted him off the ground. The soldier gasped and choked as Cheif tightened his grip. He jammed his fist into the soldier face and sent him to the ground. The soldier lay unconcious and blood stained his teeth.
- Tch, who's seeing stars now? - The Cheif smirked as he leaned agains the door.
- It's all up to you now Shane, you had better not mess up. - Cheif thought
Inside the base, Shane searched many corridors as well as the rooms in the corridors. He even asked some soldiers where the prisoners were kept, all shook their heads. "Why don't the soldiers know where the prison is?" Shane thought to himself. He searched more of those hexagoned, black and neon yellow rooms and noticed a staircase leading to what appeared to be a bottom floor.
- Hm... this must be were the informant is kept. -
He slowly walked down the stairway and entered into a dark hallway, the walls made of stone and dozens of cobwebs surround him. He walked down the hallway to find himself standing infront of a cell door. He peered through the slit in the door and saw the shadow of a figure in a fedal position. He couldn't see very well through the darkness of the room and called out to the figure.
- Hey, you in there? Are you okay? - Shane said
The figure looked up and Shane saw the small glitter of shine from a helmet. It was a person! The person walked over to the bars and Shane found himself staring into beautiful crystal pupils. He tried to speak but he couldn't say anything. The person spoke.
- You don't sound like those men. All talking like immature college students. - The person whispered
- I'm here to free you. How do I open this? - He said has he pointed to the lock in the door handle
- You need a combination... Find the prison keeper, he'll tell you if you can beat him in a duel. - The person said even more quietly
- I'll get the combo and get you out of here as quick as possible, you can trust me. And stop whispering, it's sound proof in here. - Shane smiled
The person nodded and Shane ran out of the basement's dark hallways and up to the second floor. He tried to maintain his disguise acting like any other trooper would act when on nectar. Just like old times, too bad they were horrible rather than good.
FLASHBACK
Shane remembered his first day at the academy, he walked down into the training facility and saw many soldiers that were of his age doing military drills. A man about his age stuck out his hand to him.
- Hey, you must be the new guy, I'm Lance Teare, but people just call me Teare for short. - He smiled
- Hey Teare, nice to meet you. Are you new too? It sucks having to be laughed at by the other guys calling you an FNG. What's an FNG? - Shane asked
- Heh, "Fucking New Guy". Don't worry, It'll die down once you get a higher rank. - Teare said.
- I wish'd die now. - Shane shook his head
Teare laughed and and told him to follow him to the training ground. Many years passed since then, and Shane then found himself in the new mantel carrier that the company bought. He saw Teare and some other soldiers walk up to him.
- Hey buddy, I'm Seargant Morgan Duvall, but just call me Duvall. This guy over here is Peshy, and the skinny guy over here is Watchstrap.
- They call me watchstrap cuz I'm skinny, like a watchstrap see? - Watchstrap made gestures showing how thin he was
- I think you already know me. - Teare said.
- Of course, Corporal Teare. - He smirked
Teare sarcastically laughed at Shane's joke because he knew he was one rank lower.
- Shane, there's something I gotta tell you. Wait, before I do, your nectar gauge is a little loose, let me fix that. - Teare said
He reached over and Shane heard a few clicks and soon felt a rush of andrenaline. He noticed the others effected by it as well. The feeling was amazing, it felt like he was invincible!
A plane was shot down and Shane's team had to retrieve the nectar crates inside it. Teare had to leave as to what Duvall had mentioned he "wasn't ready".
Later on after a few months he was with the Promise Hand. As he found out the truth to Mantel and their lies, he searched a container ship and found Teare with his armour covered in blood. He was alive though, as he stoop up from the where he was sitting. He told Shane all about how Mantel was just using them for profit, and didn't care about any of the people who were dying because of this.
- Shane, you have to go to the observatory and dissable the machine that controls the nectar. Only you can can put an end to it. -
- You can join us, fight along the right side. -
- I can't, I'm too weak to even move around. Look Shane I have to tell you one mor- -
A gunshot was heard and Shane stared at Teare wide-eyed as Teare fell to the ground grabbing his chest. He looked up and saw the sniper ready to fire and went behind cover. Teare, gasping for breath reached over to Shane.
- Once... you have all the... information... it's...easy to... make the right... decision... -
Teare died, and Shane felt himself overcome with rage. They lied to him, shot him, and insulted him, and now they killed his best friend. They will pay for what they had done! Shane ran through open crates and shot down the soldiers swarming into the cargo hold, blood spewing left and right, Shane's armour started to become covered in it as well as he gruesomely ripped a soldier's neck and stabbed knives through many of them. He found the sniper too, He shot off the sniper's leg and lifted him by the throat. He choked the soldier till he was gasping for air. He pointed his pistol at the soldiers face.
- Burn in hell! -
Shane laughed and repeatedly shot the soldier's head til there was nothing left of his skull, dropping the body and fired more bullets into it. He pulled out his knife and repeatedly stabbed the body. The rebels tried to get Shane to come to his senses, he soon realised what he had done, his laugh soon turned to tears and grabbed his head and cried. One rebel soldier patted Shane on the shoulder and told him to move on and finish the mission, for his friend. Shane stopped crying and looked to the sky, he promised that he will stop Mantel and it's corruption. He assured Teare's death won't be in vain and lead his team to the observatory, and soon the carrier, where the supposed final confrontation soon happened.
END FLASHBACK
Shane shook his head. "Teare... I'm still keeping my promise." He thought to himself. He ran to the top floor and entered what appeared to be the Prison Keeper's headquarters. There stood a tall, heavily armoured mantel trooper with his helmet slightly different than the other soldiers and held a large shotgun that seemed to be as long as Shane's leg. The Keeper stood over him and bellowed.
- Who are you? State your name, rank and reason why you're here. - The Keeper snarled
- I'm Seargant Sh- ... Josh Taylor... I'm here to escort a prisoner held here to another base. Rumour is someone is trying to retrieve him. -
- No one, leaves this base. The prisoner stays here, and you should go back to your position, Seargant. - The Keeper responded
- But, the leader sent me to escort her. - Shane replied
- Then the leader should know that I keep the prisoners weither he likes it or not. I don't believe the leader would want anything to do with trash like that. - he said as he sat down in his large chair.
- Look, if I beat you in a fight, will you let me leave with the prisoner? - Shane asked
- Your bet amuses me Seargant. Fine, if you beat me, I'll gve you the combination... but if you don't, well... I'll keep you here as well. - The Keeper laughed
- Let's dance. - Shane said as he went into a fighting pose
The Keeper charged and swung his large fist at Shane. He dodged the punch and nailed his fist to the Keeper's helmet. The Keeper stepped back and shook off the puch as it were nothing, and charged again, this time he launched himself at him. Shane dove to the side and the Keeper smashed through a wall. He got up and rotated his head, Shane could hear the popping in his neck.
- Not bad Seargant. But it will take more than speed to beat me. -
He smashed his fists to the ground and the floor shifted apart, causing Shane to fall through the rift it created and landed on the lower floor.
- Ouch... that guy packs a wicked headache. - Shane said to himself and got up
The Keeper jumped down and charged again. Shane dodged to the side again and jumped ontop of the Keepers back, covering the helmets eye slits. The large soldier stumbled and swayed as he could'nt see where he was going and smashed into another wall. Shane leaped off and stood near some explosive crates, he smiled.
- He Keepy, looks like you lost. - Shane smirked
- Oh? And what makes you say that? I'm just getting warmed up. - The Keeper said as he regained his footing
- Exactly. -
He stabbed a knife through the barrel and threw it at the Keeper's boots. The crate exploded and cause the large soldier to crash through several floors of the base and landed on the hard steel floor on the first floor. Shane ran down and stood over the Keeper's body.
- The cobination is... Nectar. - He said as he slipped into unconciousness.
Shane ran down to the prison cell and stared at the lock. He frowned, the padlock didn't have letters. How will nectar open it? The informant walked over to the slit in the door ans Shane found himself staring into those beautiful eyes again.
- I have the combo, but... it doesn't match the lock pattern. - Shane said sadly
- What do you mean? - the Informant asked
- The combo is Nectar... but the padlock has numbers. - He frowned
- Try using the letters of the alphabet as numbers. - the Informant suggested
- Huh? - He said confused
- You know. A 1, B 2 and so on. -
- Oh! Why didn't I think of that? - He blushed as he entered the combo and opened the door.
The Informant walked out from the darkness. Shane's jaw dropped and saw that the informant was not man... but a woman, and an attractive one at that. The woman wore some kind of enviro-suit, in a bright purple as well as mesh covering area's of here body. She wore a helmet that covered her face but Shane could see she her eyes and skin. He noticed she was not human, due to the fact her face had deep purple skin and her eyes were... amazingly beautiful and glowed through the helmet. Shane couldn't speak or move. The woman walked up to him and hugged him.
- Thank you for saving me. I am very grateful. - She said
- Um... well... yeah. - He stammered.
- Forgive my rudeness... I am Tali. And you are? - She asked
- I'm Shane Carpenter. But call me Shane. - He said
- You are human yes? My species is close to yours... except, there's one problem. -
- Really? What problem. Is it the suit? - He said as he checked his armour
- Not yours, mine. I unfortunatly can't make body contact or expose my body anywhere in the world. I have a weak immune system. -
- Then I'll keep you safe. Just follow me and stay quiet. By the way... why are you telling me this? - He asked
- So you would be more cautious. - She said blushing under her helmet
- I see. - He said as he raised a brow
The two quietly snuck past gaurds and went for the back exit. Shane prayed that Cheif had eliminated the gaurds, and peeked out from nehind the door. He saw one gaurd unconcious and Cheif standing by the door. Cheif turned and smirked.
- Well, it appears our informant is a femme fatale. A girlfriend of yours Shane? - He snickered.
- Shut up and help me get her out of here. - He snarled
- Now I know why you took so long. -
- Didn't I tell you to shut up? Now let's go! -
Shane grabbed Tali by the wrist and ran with the Cheif to disappear into the forest. The rebels returned, disappointed they couldn't shoot anything the entire day. The helicopter reappeared and the group flew off to the rebel base.