Chapter 36 Death and Glory
"Keep firing!" yelled Ian as he dropped the empty DMR ammo case before loading another ammo case into the gun. He looked down range before spotting a centurion who was trying to dig himself out of the snow. With a single shot the centurion stopped moving as its head exploded when a road which had made on Reach twenty years ago went though it's head.
"Tell me something I don't already fucking know!" yelled Alec as he fired his Assault Rifle into a group of centurions.
The UNSC was firing everything they had at the front of the Cylon army. The centurions and their front like tanks and armored vehicles where firing back.
"How long do you think we can keep this up?" asked Jun as he fired his sniper rifle though four centurions at once.
"As long as it takes." answered Noble Six as he pulled a Frag grenade out of his vest and tossed it toward Mai who threw it down range. The power of the explosion ripped apart the closest Cylons. A second after the grenade blew up a load screeching sound filled the air as Cylon Artillery reentered the fight.
"All Artillery bases fire at will we need to stop those guns." ordered Jun into his radio as the remaining UNSC firebases opened up on the Cylon forces. While the UNSC guns where more accurate and fired at a faster rate the Cylon version however the Cylons had numbers on their sides and numbers could make up for a lot of short comings.
Moving above the soldiers was a line of pelicans where firing their missiles and their heavy guns at the Cylon ground forces. The Longswords and anti air fire where holding back the Cylon Raiders. The Cylons then started do a tactic straight out of the dark days of World War II. The pelican's pilot had almost to react as the Cylon raider came in on a Kamikaze attack. The pilot pulled on the controls as he tried to avoid the attack but the Cylon raider found it's mark as it cut though the pelican's right stabilizer wing and back engine.
"This is Raven one I have been hit hard." Yelled the pilot into the radio as the pelican began to spin out of control sending small pieces of burning metal off the pelican.
"In coming!" yelled Alec as the burning spinning pelican crashed into the snow in between the lines.
"Get those pilot's out" ordered Ian as Blake and Laura got out of the foxhole and sprinted across the open ground kicking up snow with each step. The slid across the ground when they got close taking cover behind the pelican.
"ODSTs coming in." yelled Blake as he and Laura moved into the pelican to find both pilot's dead with their heads smashed into the controls and the gunner who had been firing a machine gun out of the back ramp dead. The gunner wore cord which had been holding her in the ship when it moved had wrapped around her neck. Her lifeless body was hanging with blood dripping down her uniform.
"How are they?" asked Ian over the radio
"All of them are dead." stated Laura as she checked the pilots to make sure "We are falling back."
"Negative the pelican is blocking the field of fire we are moving the lines." stated Ian portion of the line got out of the trenches and moved toward the pelican so that they would have a clear field of fire.
The Artillery fire was coming down fast and hard now, raining death from the sky. The artillery was hitting all over flipping warthogs from their hiding places and knocking out one of the Scorpion tanks. The Raiders where now actively doing Kamikaze strikes against the UNSC air force. Pelicans, Longswords and Falcons where now falling out of the sky at a faster rate as they were brought down by the Cylon forces.
Onboard the lone phantom the two grunt pilots where fighting against the controls as it took a second Kamikaze strike on its top side. That was on top of the dozens of tank shells and thousands of
"We can't stay in the air much longer." stated the pilot grunt in a high pitch voice as the elites located in the main loading bay long with the other grunts.
"Then it is time to get off this ship and into the fight." Stated Tul'Hungrel as he looked at thirteen elites which had slept on the Gates of Valhalla since Reach also preparing for battle was the eight grunts who were not needed to fly the phantom or main the side guns. The other elite was at the controls of the banshee which was in the middle of a dogfight with the Cylon raiders and thanks to being a much smaller target then the Longswords as able to dodge the Kamikaze attacks of the raiders.
"Indeed brother." stated the Zealot class Youz Luician
"Remember brothers, we do not kill humans anymore….the prophets lied to us and that lie caused us to wage war without honor." stated Tul to the elites "Regain your honor by repaying the humans by destroying their enemies and saving their lives."
The elites raised their hands in a war cry as Tul and Youz activated their swords. They were the only elites on the planet who had earned the right to carry the highest weapon in elite culture. The others were armed with a mixture of old weapons taken off Reach and some of the personal weapon supply of Tul. The Phantom moved over the Cylon's lines before in began to hover about 15 feet off the ground.
"For Death and Glory!" yelled Tul as he jumped of the phantom his sword at the ready. The other elites and grunts followed suit as they handed in the snow surrounded by Cylons, the UNSC forces where hundreds of yards away in their trench and foxholes. The Cylons had never fought against an enemy who used energy/plasma based weapons and thanks to them being so close the Cylons couldn't use artillery.
Up in space the Cylons where getting closer and closer to the two warships as the fighter screen pulled back and the Cylons where getting closer.
"Captain we are detecting radiation coming from the enemy ships." stated on official onboard the Nightingale
"They are going nuclear on us." said Captain Malhorta as the Nightingale's MAC fired again going though yet another Cylon ship cutting the number to 12 attacking with nine of ten base ships more moving in fast from over New Caprica city to enter the fight.
"NUCLEAR MISSLE LAUNCH!" yelled the radar operator "I GOT OVER A HUNDARD NUKES COMING OUR WAY."
"Calm down." ordered the Captain Malhorta "Fire five Shiva and detonate them between us then the enemy nukes."
The Captain's orders where followed as five missiles fired out of the top missile launcher of the Nightingale. The UNSC missiles where much faster than the Cylon version as the five missiles flew toward the hundred plus enemy missiles.
"By the Gods." said Starbucks as she looked out of her viper cockpit to see a wall of missiles flying toward her ship. "All Vipers we need to shot down those missiles."
"Stay back.' yelled Mobius One into the radio as seconds later the five Shiva class nukes detonate in an explosion seven times stronger than the standard nuke used by the Colonial/Cylons. The explosion caused the hundred plus Cylon missiles to exploded stopping the attack.
Onboard the Nightingale Captain Malhorta wasn't as happy as most of the crew.
"How many Shiva's do we have left?" asked Captain Malhorta
"Ten sir." stated the weapon's operator as Captain Malhorta looked at the holographic map.
'The Cylon ships are too far apart to take out multiple ships with a single strike." stated Captain Malhorta as the MAC charged up to fire again.
"Sir enemy fighters have broken though the fighter screen." stated the radar operator at the captain looked at the holographic map to show five Cylon raiders coming in on an attack run.
"Shoot them down." ordered Captain Malhorta as the AA guns of the Nightingale fired on the Cylon raiders. Three were down in seconds but two kept dodging the fire as they neared the Nightingale. The Nightingale's MAC was now fully charged as the Cylons fired on the front of the Nightingale where the MAC was located. The Cylons fired their missiles just as the MAC fired; the missiles flew though one of the opening in the armor that was located on the Nightingale so that the MAC could cool when used in the atmosphere. The missiles hit the barrel of the MAC knocking it just enough out of line to sent the MAC round cutting against the barrel of the MAC. The round slowed down until it came to a stop inside the barrel.
Alarms where going off on the Nightingale's bridge as the weapon's operator looked at his computer screen.
"Sir the round is struck in the barrel." stated the weapon's operator
"What would happen if we fire another round?" asked the radar operator
"Ever try to fire a rife with a plug in the barrel?" asked Captain Malhorta as the operator lowered his head "We're lost the MAC."
Down on the planet the Cylon artillery was falling down like rain and they had zeroed in on the human front lines.
"Take cover." yelled a Spartan IV as yet another warthog went flying into the air before landing in a mass of twisted burning metal.
"If we stay here we will be killed." stated Mai to the two living members of Noble Team, not they needed to told. As a shell landed right in the middle of the trench to their right sending bodies fly into the air.
"Remember what they told us to do in a hopeless situation with no option of escape?" asked Jun as he looked toward Noble Six.
"Attack." answered Robert as he and Jun broke from cover and started to run across the snow covered ground. For a moment all down the line every Spartan stopped firing as they watched the two living members of the legendary Noble Team run toward the enemy firing at the hip.
"What are you waiting for!" yelled a Spartan IV as the Spartans got out of the trench and followed suit. Charging across the open ground toward the Cylon front line firing their weapons everything from pistols to rocket launchers and every other weapon they had. The ODST followed suit but they stopped around the down pelican forming a makeshift line between the Spartans and the regular UNSC and Colonial Marines.
The Cylons where not excepting a charge and they weren't expecting the new weapons from the modern UNSC. Noble Six was in the lead firing his new battle rifle with Jun a few steps behind him firing his sniper rifle.
"I hope this works." thought Robert as he pushed a button above the gun safety as a six inch long energy blade shot off from a small box located under the gun barrel. This was one of the modifications made from the study of covenant technology it ran off the same principle as an elite energy sword only this was a bayonet on the end of a rifle. Noble Six ran the bayonets though a centurion with easy. The other Centurions went to turn their hand guns on Noble Six only to get mowed down by SMG rounds by Mai.
"I hope you know what you're doing." stated Mai as he duel wielding two SMGs
"The closer we get the less then can use their artillery." explained Jun as the Spartans moved into the Cylon army. A few tossing a Frag down the barrels of the Cylon's tanks destroying them or throwing a sticky onto an armored vehicle sending them flying.
Behind them the ODSTs had set up a fire line but even with the Spartans sudden charge the Centurions where still getting closer.
"Well they are a lot closer now." yelled Alec as he and other UNSC forces took cover behind the downed pelican. Bullets where bouncing off the metal sides of the pelican with pings and bangs.
"Close enough for me to use that." said Ian as he looked at a weapon lying in the snow.
"You have to joking." said Blake
"Just watch." Said Ian as he picked up the weapon and placed it on top of the pelican.
"BURN!" yelled Ian at the top of his lungs as he pulled the trigger on the M70757 Flamethrower. The flamethrower sent a stream of red hot flames that could burn though a Spartan's armor out fifteen feet in front of them. The flame burned though the Cylon metal skin but not before the less armored joint fused together.
"I think someone is channeling his inner Crazii." stated Blake
"YOU SHALL ALL BE CLEANSED!" laughed Ian as the flamethrower burned though Cylon centurions that neared the pelican as more artillery shells landed around the human forces.
Onboard the Gates of Valhalla the ship was at combat stations as they made the final checks.
"Captain we are ready." stated an aid as she looked toward the Captain
"Very well." stated Captain Reed as she looked toward Lisa Rancord who was watching the battle on the holographic map. She was trying to follow her brother but the deeper he and the other Spartans went into the Cylon force meant coverage was breaking apart add to that the fact that the UAV where now being shot down.
"Ben are we ready?" asked Captain Reed
"All systems read green and the ship is air tight." stated the smart AI Ben
"Take us up." ordered Captain Reed as a radio broadcast went out causing hundreds of small charges located in the ground around the ship to exploded freeing the ship from its rocky tomb.
Miles away in the Cylon command vehicle the line of explosions caught the attention of Cavil as he poked his head out of the hatch. His eyes widened as a large strange ship rose up from the ground, giant clumps of dirt was falling off the ship. The sides of the ship was stained dirt brown but the words "Gates of Valhalla" could still clearly be seen.
"They are trying to escape!" yelled Cavil as he reached for his wireless transmitter to send the orders.
Elsewhere on the battlefield Noble Six who had just stabbed a centurion with the energy bayonet looked up at the flying ship. It was powered by four giant rocket engines which had been patched together onboard the Gates of Valhalla.
"Go." whispered Robert as he watched the ship that held his sister, his last living family member along with thousands of UNSC civilians and hundreds of colonial civilians. The roar of the engines filled the valley as the Gates of Valhalla's main engines came to life.
"Can we jump?" asked Captain Reed onboard the Gates of Vahalla.
"We need at least five hundred feet between us and the ground to carry out a jump." explained Ben as the old transport ship gained altitude. Suddenly the entire ship rocked.
"What was that?" asked Lisa
"Nothing good, we are losing altitude." stated Ben as the ship began to fall toward the planet "We are going down."
"No." whispered Noble Six as he watched another pair of Cylon raiders slammed into the Gates of Valhalla in kamikaze attack. The ship was shaking as the engines gave way as it started a rapid fall toward the planet crashing into the side of the mountain coming to a rest on its side. Noble Six could do nothing, as small explosions could be seen coming from the Gates of Valhalla. At that moment dozens of heavy Cylon raiders flew toward the downed UNSC ship carrying dozens of heavily armed centurion boarding parties.
"What do we do now?" asked Mai
"The only thing we can." answered Robert as he shot a centurion "We fight."
Well I hope you liked this chapter and the battle between the humans and the Cylons. I figured that Cylon raiders would have no problems carrying out Kamikaze style attacks. I would like to thank everyone who reviewed and I ask that you keep on reading. Thanks Wilkins75.