1659, September 11th, 2547 [MILITARY CALENDAR]/Colonist planet[TUNGSTEN II], local water treatment plant
An explosion to my right nearly sends me to my knees and an explosion to my left almost deafens me. Radio chatter from the nearby Marines drowns out any intelligent thought. Instinct kicks in and I dart behind a rock and press my back against it. The surface heats up and starts burning me as the Hunter's plasma beam begins melting it. Pink needles slam into the dirt just inches from my left boot and I am forced to run into the open. My chest burns as an Elite's Beam Rifle tears into my shields and nearly drains them before I can get back into cover. The whine of a nearby plasma grenade forces me to crouch down and shield my helmet as the explosion completely drains my shields and showers me with dirt and pebbles.
"211, where are you? We're getting nailed down here. Covies got the beach pinned," I yell into my helmet's COM. The chingun fire from an overhead vehicle answers my question. The roar of the Falcon's engines is almost unbearable as it sweeps in low over our heads, kicking up dirt and causing a mess. Its afterburners kick off abruptly and the bird quickly rises high into the air. Secondary fire from the turrets opens up and the fire from the towering structure quickly ceases. The tinkling of the shell casings is rythmatic once the spent ammo falls nearby.
"Paller, you're green to move up," I say once the Hunter's final cries fade away. "Copy that," the Marine replies. Fifteen ODST's charge up the hill, moving quickly before the overhead fire opens up again. I come up behind them and drop down to one knee and scope in through my Magnum to give them covering fire. I spend an entire magazine before having to duck back into cover to reload. "We're up, Jackson," Paller reports. Through the feed I can hear the drone of someone providing fire with an SMG. "Got it. I'll make my way around," I say and cut the channel.
Taking a deep breath, I take a smoke grenade and throw it on top of the small dirt hill in front of me. I count to five before going around the smoke. Confusion fire peppers the area around and inside of the smoke. But once they see me, the fire becomes more focused. Once again my shields are drained and the sting of plasma digs hard into my arms and legs. Had the way up been more barren, I'm not entirely sure I'd have made it. But there was enough cover by the rocks and abandoned barricades that I was able to successfully make it into cover beneath the low ceiling of the overhead walkways.
Glancing to my left, I see that one end of the building stretches far into the nearby ocean. The roar of the hydroelectric engines nearly drowns out the firefight happening above me. But I know my objective lays further within the facility, near its heart. Hiding myself beneath the staircase, I decide to contact the rest of my team.
"211, Kia, report," I say. It takes a few minutes for them to reply, which worries me at first. "Jackal Snipers and AA fire nearly brought us down. We're coming around for a wide sweep. We'll meet you inside," 211 replies. There are alarms blaring inside of the Falcon's cockpit which is a little worrying. "Set down and hoof it up if you need to," I say.
"Jessy and I are almost to the water plant. Arnold is still with 211 and Jacobs is on the east approach with Zeke and the Marines. They're under heavy fire from rooftop snipers. The Grunts aren't making it easy for them, either. Damn suiciders everywhere," Kia says. "Keep your heads up and keep an eye out for stealth Elites. I'm headed inside with Paller. Meet me at the rendevous," I tell them and cut the channel again.
I quickly head up the stairs and find the ODST's fighting in a large room filled with what looks like three very large generators and double leveled platforms which ring the rear side of the room.
Two ODST's lay slumped against the near wall, one of them moving and the other not. A scorch mark paints the doorway and a few of the ODST's look shaken. "Suicide Grunt. Got us before we could stop it," Paller says, not even bothering to turn around from his firefight. "What's the situation?" I ask and peek through the door from the right side and nearly get struck by a needle, followed by a quick Plasma volley from the Elites. "Not good," he answers. "Jackals have us pinned from above. The Elites won't even let us through the door."
I peek around again and spot a shallow set wall that sits near to the left side staircase. I pull back inside before I'm blasted again and look at the remaining ODST's.
Out of the original twenty Marines, only fifteen survived the initial charge. And now that they had gotten inside, thirteen were left. But that would be plenty to cover me. "Paller," I call. The ODST squad leader pulls back and looks at me quizically. "Sir?" he asks. "I need you and your men to give me covering fire. I'll take out the Snipers and as soon as I give the all-clear, you focus on the Elites. I'll stay behind and take them out," I say and put my DMR onto my back. "Seems a little ballsy," Paller says, looking me up and down. "I just need you to cover me. If my team were here, you wouldn't need to. But I have to trust you," I tell him. "You're insane, Spartan," Paller says, shaking his head. But the grin on his face tells me he likes it. "But we can give you that cover."
It only takes a second to get from the door to the barricade-like wall. But it feels like minutes when you are hammered by enemy fire. From the time that I sprint out of the doorway and slide into cover, my shields had been dropped and I had taken a few hits to my side.
My back slams into the wall and I take a few calming breaths as I zoom back into real-time. The sound of the ODST's and the Covenant soldiers' firefight is deafening. And if I wasn't as well trained, it would be panicking. But fortunately I'm a soldier.
I take my Magnum from my hip and click the safety off. I then carefully swivel out of cover and aim for the overhead lights. One by one I shoot them out until the entire room is plunged into darkness. The cries from both the ODST's and the Covenant tell that none of them were expecting that.
As soon as the lights go out, I spring into action. Carefully and quietly I move up the left spiral staircase and step right behind a line of Grunts. I can hear their labored breathing and the hiss of their methane and smell their terrible stench. I'll only have a few seconds to get to the Snipers, but fortunately I chose the right staircase. It took me up to the second level where the Jackals are nested.
I can hear their worried chattering, muffled slightly by their helmets, and the clack of their nails as I draw nearer. I stop and crouch about twenty feet away. All five of the sharpshooters are in my sights, along the hallway. Just as I ready my pistol, I hear an Elite a floor below shout out several orders. They're reordering. I need to move.
I turn on my nightvision and the deep shadows of the path ahead are removed and bathed in an ominous green. The Jackals are highlighted in a faint outline, giving me an easy target. "Lights out," I whisper and pull the trigger five times.
Five bodies drop, one after the other. After my own silence, the shots almost startle me. I am about to give the all-clear when I see the sixth Jackal. I hadn't seen it, I had messed up.
It turns the barrel of its gun to face me and hisses. I bring my own gun up at the same time and pull the trigger once. The bullet flies and embeds itself into the Jackal's head. It dies noisely and I know I'm in trouble because it had just given me away.
"What's going on up there, Jackson? The Elites are moving to the second level. We don't have a shot. Whatever you're planning, you had better do it quick," Paller says over the COM's. After checking the bodies, I begin moving around the far side of the room. "Situation compromised. I missed one. Pull back and get your men to safety," I respond. "Shit. Get your ass out of there, Spartan. I don't want another dead soldier on my hands," Paller says after a second of silence. "You won't have to worry, sir," I say and cut the channel.
I can hear the roaring challenges of the Elites as they climb the stairs, and soon the thump of their feet on the metal floor as they race their way towards me. I take a grenade and prime it before throwing it in a low arch down the hallway. Just as I see the split mandibles of the Elites, the grenade explodes and gives me a temporary means of escape.
Turning on my heel, I take off at a full-out sprint and just make it to the end of the hallway before a glowing plasma grenade sails over my head. I can feel its heat as it safely clears me and lands somewhere near the back door.
I had seen a door on my way in but it was on the first floor which had been filled with Grunts and Elites. But now the Grunts are dead and the Elites are clumsily following me from overhead. I have a clear shot to the door. But I will have to act quick, and I will be completely screwed if the door is locked.
Once my boots hit the floor, I duck behind the support beams and run behind the cover of the whining machinery. The floor beneath me is slick with alien blood and I find my footing less than satisfactory in most places. I accidentally kick a plasma pistol and it skitters a few feet before bouncing off a wall and coming to a stop. I do the same to a Plasma Rifle, but that almost trips me.
Once I reach the door I waste no time in reaching for the handle and pulling. But my heart sinks once the door jerks and doesn't open. Had the Elites not been chasing me, I could have broken it open. But in the few seconds it would have taken, they would have killed me.
So instead, I take a breath and turn around. The red dots on my radar stop moving and pulse ominously. Without my night vision, I would hardly be able to see the stealthy aliens. But the glow of their weapons illuminate them easily, harshly outlining their grinning faces.
"So. You think you can kill me?" I ask, offering a challenge. I drop my pistol and quickly grab the Energy Sword hilt on my thigh. The Elites snarl as the blade flashes on, the focused energy sparking noisely. It's been a while since I've used it. I had left it on the Faithful because I hadn't felt I was ready to use it. But since I have no one to teach me, I figured it was high time to start dragging it around. It's proved useful before. So why not now? Plus hearing the reactions of those Elites is worth bringing it out.
"Are you going to let this thing stop you? Oh come on," I say, my eyes darting to each alien. There's a long silence where I worry about how many ways they're thinking of killing me. But finally, an Elite dressed in maroon armor steps forwards. A Zealot, I realize.
He curls up his fist and his arm recoils slightly as a single bladed energy sword springs to life out of the top of his gauntlet. His mandibles split open and he snarls a challenge. "Lets dance," I say and make the first move.
My sword lashes out and aims for the Elite's arm. He gracefully steps aside and slams his elbow into my back. The blow sends me rolling forwards and nearly into the ring of waiting aliens. The Zealot roars once again but doesn't charge me as he waits for me to get to my feet. "One point to you," I say once I steady myself. The Zealot watches intensely as I plan my next attack. But I guess he thinks something through before me because he suddenly lunges forwards.
The blade lances through my shields and nicks the corner of my chestplate, searing it and cutting into the metal. I jump back, gritting my teeth against the heat from his attack. I've never been in a sword fight before and I'm extremely clumsy and I'm doubting if I'll even be able to survive.
The Elite comes for me once again but I meet his blade with my own. The two swords clash with a small show of electric sparks. I force his arm back with my sword and finally find my chance to deal some damage. Once he staggers back, I take no chances and stab my blade right for his chest. With a mighty roar, the Zealot grabs my arm and shoves it away from him. The sword only glances off of his shoulder but it drives right through his shields and into his skin. I can hear the flesh sizzling as I pull away.
It's a tense stand-off as the Zealot finally realizes that I'm an equal match. Something changes in his stance. It becomes more serious than before. I think he really wants to kill me now.
I'm not sure how long we fight for. It might have only been a few minutes. But it felt like an hour. We traded blows and we were both injured more than once. And in the end, I finally cornered the Zealot. I had slashed into his gauntlet and cut it free of his arm. The energy blade failed and he was left defenceless.
After realizing he was defeated, the Elite lowers his arms and gives a low grunt. And at that moment, when our eyes meet, I realize that these creatures aren't just mindless machines waiting to kill you. They're actual sentient beings with traditions, religions, and feelings. But I forget all of that once I realize that this is war.
It's over in a second. And I find myself standing over the dead body of another Elite on another planet and in another deadly situation that has to be dealt with.
I turn to the other Elites and my eyes flash to the door. They are obviously still in shock because they don't react nearly fast enough to stop me from grabbing a hold of that door handle and ripping it from its frame. Once they start firing, their shots slam harmlessly into the metal door instead of my armor.
I back into the next room and I then turn around and take in my surroundings. It's a big open room with a domed roof and what looks like a mainframe sitting near the middle stretching from floor to cieling. Consoles ring the back of the room and they blink rythmatically.
But the bad part? There are at least twenty aliens who look up. And they aren't happy.