May 15, 2533 (Military Calendar)
LP-424
Captain Hicks
"Naomi, what do you mean you can't reach them?" Hicks said, turning to face the A.I. who was tapping her foot impatiently.
"Exactly what I meant, Captain. They're transponders have been in the same area for the past hour and I cannot reach them on their comms. My belief is that they have been captured by the Insurgent forces."
Hicks sighed heavily and looked out the window to the station; eerily dark and only the docking lights were lit; casting shadows across the plating. He could have sworn he saw one of the shadows move, but after rubbing his eyes he saw it was in the same place.
"Dammit, getting old."
"Captain, I'm picking up a signal from the station." An ensign shouted from his station.
Turning in his command chair, Hicks faced the ensign. "Is it Echo?"
Shaking his head, the ensign tapped a series of commands. "Negative, but it's pinging like crazy; patching it through."
The screen in front of Hicks' chair lit up and a man wearing sunglasses appeared; a cocky smile on his face. Shifting in his chair, Hicks flipped on the audio.
"This is the UNSC Iron Justice, who are you?" Hicks said, watching he man for any signs of hostility.
"You can simply call me Colonel and you shouldn't be making the demands. I currently have your entire squad of 'elite' marines as my hostages." The man, 'Colonel', sneered. "If you do not adhere to my demands then you will watch them die."
The Colonel signaled to someone off screen and there came a sickening thud and a marine, private Parker, came tumbling on screen. His face was bloody and blood seeped from a dozen lacerations crisscrossing across his chest. The Colonel grabbed Parker by the scruff of his neck and tilted his head towards the camera.
"Say hello, private." The Colonel said, patting Parker on the head.
"Fuck you, prick!" Parker responded like any marine would and spat blood onto the Colonel's face.
Cursing, the Colonel pulled a shock baton out and slammed it directly onto Parker's neck and the marine couldn't help but scream in agony.
Hicks couldn't help, but to watch as steam began to waft up from the continuous burn and finally Parker lost consciousness and fell to the deck. The Colonel ran a hand across his hair as if making sure it was still in place.
"As…as you can see, I do not like it when I'm not obeyed. So this is the plan, you will allow my crew and I to leave on that nifty little prowler that's docked and jump to slipspace." The Colonel reached forward and grabbed the camera, panning it over and revealing the rest of the squad.
They were all bloodied, especially Kaipo and Banner, who were both bound with wire. The corpsman, Marx, was limp and laying at the feet of Banner who was seething with anger as he stared at the camera.
"Otherwise your squad of misfits will be killed and, oh, this is fun; your entire crew as well."
Laughing, Hicks leaned back in his chair. "You have no bargaining power here; even with that prowler you couldn't dent our plating. So, here's my condition." Leaning forward, Hicks pointed a finger at the screen. "You take that baton and switch it to the highest setting and shove it in your ass! No one threatens my crew and expects to get away scot free."
The Colonel looked at the screen and slowly, in the most odd sort of way, began to chuckle. His laugh echoed across the bridge as his laughter was joined by those off screen.
"Oh, captain, you have it all wrong. I can do much more than scratch your plating." Signaling off screen, the Colonel smiled. "Enjoy these treats."
The screen turned to static and Hicks sat back. "Helm, prepare-
"Sir! Moray mines, spotted off the port bow!" The Helmsman shouted. "Shit, they're homing in on our signal!"
"Take evasive action!" Hicks shouted, slamming a fist on his chair. "Naomi, send the marines in and-
Hicks didn't get to finish as the ship was suddenly and violently rocked back and forth. Cursing, he was thrown from his chair and slammed to the floor; emergency alarms sounding out as the bridge lights went red. He shook his head to clear the haze before the ship was rocked again and he passed out.
Banner
I stared out the viewport as the Justice continued to be bombarded by the mines; the plating already beginning to vent atmosphere. Glaring at the woman who had betrayed us to the terrorist known as Colonel, I silently pried at the bonds holding my wrists.
Ha, bastards wrapped it to fast; always check the hostage.
Glancing at Marx, she stirred once, twice, before becoming still again. She would need a doctor as soon as we got back on the ship; if there was still a ship.
"So, Colonel, what now?" Dr. Pearly asked, her arms slipping around the Colonel's.
The Colonel only smiled before a silent cough echoed out and the doctor's lab coat blossomed red. I couldn't see her face from my angle, but I'm sure she was plenty surprised. She collapsed to the ground, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
"Dear doctor, you have outlived your usefulness; you were great in the sack though. " The Colonel said as he aimed his silenced M6 and fired another round; shattering the woman's skull and splattering blood everywhere.
"You're a maniac, you know that?" Kaipo said as the Colonel stood and wiped bits of skull off his trench coat. "I bet you're just some prick who never got enough attention as kid, I bet-
"Shut up."
I screamed in horror as the Colonel squeezed the trigger twice and two holes exploded in Kaipo's chest. His armor didn't hold at that range and I could see the blood splatter out. My best friend collapsed in a heap of limbs and Dell scrambled as best he could before another Innie slammed his rifle butt into his skull; knocking him flat.
"You BASTARD!" I screamed, tearing my bonds and leaping forward.
The Colonel, I'm glad to say, looked shocked as I tore the M6 from his grasp and slammed an armored knee right into his gonads; eliciting a girlish squeal from the man. Pivoting, I fired half the magazine into the guards standing above Kaipo and Dell; themselves shocked as the rounds tore through their unarmored jackets. Dell twisted around and stood stomping the throat of one of the Innies still breathing.
"Prick…" Dell spat on the corpse. I ran over and tore the wire from his wrists, slapping the M6 into his palm as I rolled Kaipo over and ripped his armor off.
Two holes were there, but what confused me was that they couldn't have been deep enough to kill; odd as that sounded. I couldn't believe myself, so I shook Kaipo roughly.
"Kaipo, come on you sonofabitch, get up. You're not dead!"
A single eye popped open and Kaipo turned his head around and took a look around the room. A smile broke across his face as his deep laugh drowned out the beating of my heart in my chest.
"You idiot, I thought you were dead!" I said, standing and pulling him to his feet.
Brushing his chest gently, he grinned again. "Nah, just playing. Gave you the time you needed to free yourself; surprised the guards didn't see you pulling at your ties. So what's the plan?"
Sighing, I picked up one of the Innies M7s and walked over to the limp body of Marx. Kneeling, I shook her gently and sighed with relief as she came too; her eyes hazy and unfocused.
"Eric, what the hell happened?" She asked, struggling to sit up. "My head is pounding."
"We got ambushed, remember? We're going to be fine." Motioning to Kaipo, I stood. "Kaipo carry her, Dell…Dell?"
I turned around and I couldn't help but curse everything in the universe as I found Dell with the Colonel pressing his sidearm into his neck. The Colonel backed away towards the airlock and closer to the prowler.
"Haha, you're good, Banner, oh…I'll give you that. Your friend is tricky, yes, you both are. But no more!" The Colonel pressed the barrel harder against Dell; making the marine hiss. "You're going to let me go now or I'll kill your squad mate. Your decision."
Dell gasped as the Colonel pressed the pistol deeper; the still-hot barrel burning his neck. I glanced from right to left, making sure the doors leading out of the bay stayed shut. Kaipo slowly maneuvered over to another rifle; gently picking it up. I couldn't see what Marx was doing, but I could hear her breathing heavily behind me.
"What about your friends, Colonel? An officer doesn't leave his men behind, right?" I joked, trying to buy Kaipo time to get around and flank the man.
Sensing the plan, the Colonel pivoted and fired a round at Kaipo's feet; sending him diving to the floor. Dell reached forward and grabbed for the pistol; grappling with the Colonel as I rushed forward. I didn't have a shot.
"Dell, get back-
Another cough, then another, then another. Dell staggered backwards as the Colonel fired again and Dell's back seemed to explode in a shower of blood and bone. Neglecting the Colonel, I dropped my M7 and caught Dell before he hit the deck; blood coating me and the deck.
Dell grasped the clasps of my armor in a vain attempt to rise up. He coughed twice and I could see the blood rising up in his throat and then spilling out over his chin.
In the corner of my eye, I could see the Colonel fleeing through the airlock and into the prowler; the ship rocketing off seconds later. I didn't notice the quick exchange of gunfire as Kaipo cut down the remainder of the Innies who had barged into the bay. I didn't notice when Marx's hand rubbed m shoulder…I didn't notice when Dell looked up at me for the last time.
"Gunny…I think I'm going to…It's finally over…" Dell said before staring off into the distance. His eyes looked like he had found something. "I knew it."
Dell's hand fell from my armor and his eyes closed, but the bloody smile remained as I cradled the body of my friend in my arms. I didn't know what to do, it was Nikki again, Nylund, and Frankie smiling before they were blown from the world. Another ghost to haunt my dreams.
Another friend lost to a war none of us wanted. And it wasn't even the Covenant who killed him, but another human. Weren't we fighting for survival?
"Banner? Son, you have to let him go…let the docs do their job. You've done enough."
I looked up to see Captain Hicks, his arm in a sling, kneeling beside me. He gently pried my hands away from Dell with his remaining hand and, with Marx, pulled me to my feet. I didn't even realize when the docs stabbed a needle into my arm and I drifted off.
Kaipo-Two Hours Later
"Sir, what do you mean?" I asked, quietly, disbelieving the man.
"Naomi, explain." The captain muttered, his hand rubbing his brow.
The A.I. turned on the pedestal and blinked; images of the slipspace drive appearing. They looked normal except that over half of the drive's components were flashing red. Naomi actually looked sad as she turned to the bridge crew and the squad, consisting of Marx and me as of right now.
"The slipspace drive is in disrepair; our techs are going over it as we speak, but as of right now…it's literally broken." Naomi stated, looking at the stunned faces of the assembled group.
A lieutenant stepped forward. "What about the station? Don't they have parts?"
Naomi shook her head. "The insurgents made sure to destroy any usable tech on the station…it seemed they planned to maroon us here. The captain has decided to-
"Enough Naomi, I'll take it from here." Hicks said as he stood. "I have decided to set a course for Reach while the crew will be put into cyro for the duration."
"Sir, wouldn't that take…years?" I asked, a knot growing in my throat. My wife…my little baby.
Sighing heavily, the captain only nodded. The entire room burst out in confusion, shouts, and anger. The captain seemed to wilt in the face of it all; the stress of command hammering down on his aged body. I summoned the courage as I forced the faces of my family out of my mind.
"SHUT IT! All of you!" I barked, doing my best impression of a drill instructor.
The room didn't quiet down immediately, but eventually it did and that's when I stood on my chair and looked at the small crowd. Most were young officers, but there were a few veteran NCOs standing in the back; they would understand…hopefully.
"I have a family…a wife, daughter...and a little boy born a week ago. I want to see them again just like you all want to see your families again. The captain is giving us a chance by sending us into cyro and you all know it. Do the smart thing and obey the orders of your captain; get to your damn pods."
I pointed at the door and Naomi triggered the door to open as I did so. The crowd stared at me silently before a single sergeant walked out, then another, and then the entire group left. Naomi nodded her head before disappearing; her voice broadcasting over the ship speakers.
"All personnel except engineering report to the cyro bay. I repeat, report to the cyro bay."
"So, Kaipo, how haven't you gotten your stripes yet?" Marx asked as she looked up at me.
Forcing myself to laugh, I jumped down and walked to the captain. "Sir, you should get to your pod."
Looking up, the captain shook his head. "Negative, son. I'm staying up with the engineers; gotta keep them hard at work."
Nodding my head, I slipped my arm around Marx's shoulders and pulled her out of the room with me. The hallway was deserted and so was the cyro bay; except for a few cyro techs not a single person was occupying the room. I helped Marx into her pod and patted her pod gently as she smiled and fell asleep. Turning to the pod beside her, I rapped my knuckles on Banner's pod; sighing heavily at the sight of his still-bloodied face asleep and frozen.
"Corporal, time for cyro." A tech said, a datapad in his hands.
"Yeah, I know." I said as I climbed into the pod; the gel layer sticking to my skin and I settled in. As the pod closed over me, I stared down at the photo in my hand; my wife and daughter smiling at me. April's belly was swollen beyond belief and Rebecca was dressed as a bumblebee. I knew I wouldn't rest until I found them again.
In this life or the next; I would find them. That's what I promised myself as I closed my eyes and fell asleep. The last thought that passed through my mind would give me nightmares.
How long would we sleep?
End Part I
Wow, I'm sorry for the late chapter, I honestly forgot to write cuz of college and everything going on. I hope yall can forgive me!
Twists, deaths, and more twists. How long will they sleep? When will they get back to Reach? Give me some creative ideas and criticism and we'll find out!
Shout out to RobbieLexington, MAXIMUS, the guest, Axds123, and the Awesomeone! Your reviews make this all worth it.
Part one is done, I will continue as soon as I can. Thanks to all my loyal readers! FalloutRanger out!