117: June 19th 2545
Location: Surface of Harmony
For a moment Steven stood there floundering slightly as the Spartan 117 stood before him, his rifle leveled at his visor. "Identify yourselves." he ordered, his voice stern and commanding. Carter strode over, "I'm Lieutenant Carter 259, identify your self." he ordered, indicating the difference between their ranks.
The larger Spartan huffed slightly, "Master Chief Spartan 117, Sir. We've been trailing your team since you made landfall, who are you?" he asked. Carter stood awkwardly for a moment, embarrassed that he hadn't known they were followed. "We're codename Noble team, we've been sent down to assist in the evacuation. Are you alone?" The Chief straightened up a little, "I'm a member of Spartan blue team, my team mates are located in the buildings and streets around us keeping a perimeter, I'll call them in." his head moved slightly as he spoke within his helmet, his speakers turned off. Suddenly, Steven noticed movement around him as three other Spartans emerged.
As they approached Steven could see their numbers, 104, 087 and 058. They three were clearly cautious as they approached. The Chief turned to face them and spoke again, "This is Spartan team Noble, they've been deployed to assist with the evac." he turned back to Carter, "We've been deployed to try to slow down the Covenant to give the civvies more time, we'll flank around beside you to keep them off your back as you scan the city for more survivors, if all goes to plan you won't know we're here until we evac." he explained.
"Good idea, anything to keep them away from the civvies." Carter replied. Just as Blue team turned and headed off into the shadows Steven called out, "By the way, was the hunter you?" The Chief turned around and to look at him and nodded once, then vanished from view.
"Alright Spartans, lets move out." Carter ordered, heading off the way they had been going. As they swept through the streets they saw almost no activity save for the occasional bout of gunfire in the distance. As they rounded another corner they saw a large group of civilians boarding a Pelican. Suddenly, from the building above them there was a glint of sunlight on armour and there, standing with a rifle in hand was a long elite. "Jun!' Carter called, but the team sniper was already in position, his rifle cracked and jerked back as a single round tore through the still air and went straight through the neck of the lone alien. It stumbled forwards off the roof and plummeted down to the ground with a wet thud.
Then, almost as though a switch had been flicked Covenant troops poured out of the alleyways to either side of them. "Split!" Carter yelled and the Spartans split into two groups, Carter, Steven and Kat took the left and Emile, Maria and Jun headed right. Steven leapt into the fray, AR barking as round spat from the end into the chest of the nearest jackal. Steven tucked and rolled, slamming into the elite stood behind it and brought his fist up into the alien's jaw. He wrapped his hand around the alien's mandibles sand yanked, tearing two of them free. The alien collapsed to the ground in shock even as Steven continued on slamming a foot into the elite's chest.
Beside him he heard a roar and a fist hit him on the back, knocking him to the ground, winded. He spun around and an elite practically fell onto him, clamping him to the ground by the neck and brought up it's plasma pistol. Steven winced as the pistol began to grow green with power. Just in time, an armoured foot swung across his vision and knocked the elite clean off him, sending it soaring off through the air.
Steven looked up and saw another Spartan standing above him, printed on the armour was 087, it was Kelly. She offered him a hand and pulled him to his feet. All around him lay the corpses of the Covenant they had killed.
"Thanks." Steven muttered, wiping some of the blood off his armour. In the area stood nine other Spartans, Blue team had rejoined them in their time of need. They made their way over the Pelican to speak to the pilot who was motioning for them to come over. "Spartans, before I can get these civvies out of here I need you to take out the Covenant AA gun two blocks over."
Carter nodded, "We'll take it out, we'll need to take it out before out evac can come in as well." They headed off in the direction of the AA gun, the tip pointed over the tops of the suburbs surrounding it. As they came out into the plaza the gun was deployed in Steven suddenly recognised the design, it was identical to the ones used in the Voi area during Halo 3. The gun moved slightly to realign, aiming up into the sky. It fired off a three round salvo, impacting directly on a Longsword as it flew down a little too low into the atmosphere, pursued by a trio of Seraphs.
It span off overhead, trailing fire as it tumbled through the air. A hatch opened below the gun, revealing the power core as it vented heat out from the firing. "We can hit the power core if we attack from below after it has fired." Steven explained. Carter nodded, "You heard him, lets do this."
They charged forwards, firing up at the Jackals stationed along the balcony around the gun. Maria and Jun held back, firing off at the Jackals. Within moments most of them had fallen, dead. Once they were under the gun, out of the line of sight of the few remaining Jackals. They looks up at the underside of the gun as the power core vented again. "Any ideas?" Carter asked.
Kat piped up, "Once the hatch goes down it's only about five metres up, we could probably throw Maria up there, after all she is the smallest of us." Steven noticed Maria shoot Kat a quick glare, he could tell from her body language she didn't appreciate Kat's comment. Carter shrugged, "What have we got to lose. Steven, Emile, you're with me for the throw."
The three Spartans arranged themselves in a triangle with their arms facing inwards. The each rested their arms down and overlapped their hands for Maria to step up onto. They timed it carefully until just after the gun fired and the launched her. Steven shot up like a coiled spring, lifting with Carter and Emile to hurl Maria up. She flew up into the air, just as the hatch swung down. The reached out with her hand and managed to pull herself up and onto the inside of the hatch. Moments later it swung shut.
Maria flicked on her helmet torch and looked around at the inside of the gun. It was a mess of wires and pipes, some of which she could feel were hot even through her armour. She looked up and the power core above her and gulped. She could here the gun whirring up ready to fire, if she didn't stop it in time she would likely be fried alive by the intense heat generated.
She swung her fist as hard as she could into the core but it just bounced off the hardened surface. She muttered a curse and shook her fist to get rid of the pain, thinking quickly. She looked up above the core and saw that running up out of the core were a number of cables, each as thick as her leg.
Using all her speed and skill she managed to use the surrounding pipes and cables to swing her way up to the top of the core. She inspected the power couplings and made a quick judgment she hoped would pay off. She snatched a grenade from her belt and lodged it in amongst the cables.
She dropped off quickly and fired her rifle into the mechanism which controlled the hatch. It swung ponderously down she slid down it, using it like a slide. Just as she cleared the gap she heard the gun begin to fire and over it she could hear the whumph of her grenade.
She landed and tucked into a roll, turning around to look up at the gun. Sparks coursed along it's armoured plating and out of the now useless hatch wires and cable hung, sparking and dripping coolant and plasma. Suddenly, with a quick, audible build up of power the gun exploded, showering the area with bit from inside it.
Carter walked over and patted her on the shoulder, "Nice work up there." he said. Emile joined him, "Remind me not to annoy you sweetheart." he chuckled, putting an arm around her shoulder and pulling her gently into him with a clunk as their armour made contact.
"We need to move." Carter ordered, still conscious of the jackals in the area. Together, the six Spartans sprinted back down the hill to the evac site. High above them and rapidly approaching Steven could make out the tiny dot of a Pelican on approach. However, in the evac area was the civilian evac Pelican trying to lift off as Blue team tried to hold off the Covenant desperately trying to bring it down.
Noble team launched into action, splitting off into two groups, one going in head on to distract the Covenant while the other flanked them. Steven slinked through the shadows, silent despite his bulk until he was alongside the group of jackals and elites pouring fire onto the evac zone.
He hurled a grenade into the mix and for a moment the fire eased off. He prepared to charge in but the Master Chief's familiar voice came in over the comm, "Hold your position 294." It took Steven a moment to register he was bring addressed, he wasn't used to people using his number designation, it made him feel a little less human and he wasn't sure he liked it.
The Chief's warning was instantly explained as a rocket hurtled into the stunned Covenant, blasting them to pieces. Steven then moved in, taking care of the last few Covenant trying to crawl away. By this time the civilians had managed to get away and their own evac Pelican could be heard no far off.
Steven was careful to remember what Mendez had taught them, the last part of a mission, the evac, was where most lives were lost when people relaxed too soon. He made his way over the area where the nine other Spartans of Noble and Blue team were congregated. Suddenly, out of the shadows darted a massive figure.
Steven instantly recognised it, an elite. It launched itself at the Chief but Steven was ready, he lunged forward t intercept and punched the elite clean across the jaw. As he neared the alien he suddenly recognised it, the elite he had early disfigured had hunted him down. Behind him he heard the Pelican's engines as it lowered down and the back hatch whir as it allowed the Spartan to enter.
"Come on Steven!" a voice called from behind him. Desperately, he kicked up, connecting solidly with the alien's stomach and forcing it to take a step back. Taking advantage of this Steven turned and charged up into the dropship. It began to lift away as soon as he was onboard, rising up and away as the rear hatch swung shut.
Steven breather a sigh of relief and sat down in the nearest seat, they had made it.
…...…...…...…...…..
Moro 'Valamee growled to himself as he watched the tiny human dropship rise up and shoot off into the sky. He roared after them, "You shall die for your cowardice demon!" he spat the last bit as the insult it was. He meant every word, he would track down this Steven wherever he went next and kill him for fleeing the fight after damaging Moro's mandibles. He turned and called for a pickup over his personal comm, when it came, revenge would indeed be sweet.
Author's Note: Well there we go, Noble team and Blue team both made it out ok but now Steven has a stalker! Rest assured this elite will return! Sorry it took so long to get this done, you guys need to keep reviewing to keep me inspired, so please read and review this and my other work. Thanks!