Halo: The Nameless War
Chapter 8: The Flood Gates Open
When they team next opened their eyes they were stood in the Halo Control Room. Guilty Spark spoke to James Williams.
"I now must leave to aid another. In exchange for one of your AI constructs I will leave Sentinels to help you guard," Williams handed over on of the Covenant AI that he had taken and put in his pocket, "the Flood are nearing this area. Shut down the systems from their use and then leave here. Goodbye."
With a flash of yellow it was gone. Leaving both teams with fourteen of the grey robotic Sentinels.
"It's sending a transmission," called Williams, "he says to guard this place until he returns with the Chief and more Sentinels. The best place will be the main corridor because there are Plasma Shields everywhere and the Sentinels are able to update them. They used to be Sentinel technology."
They left Williams and the Beta Team Electronics expert in the Control Room to reconfigure the panel against intruders. They knew Williams was likely to leave pockets of entrance for himself all over the place, but it would not be obvious to anyone other than himself. They went out into the corridor and locked the far door before reorganising the Plasma Shields in a line. The Sentinels began to alter them themselves using their laser devices. When they had finished a stronger, yellow layer was covering the shield.
It was not long before the doors opened slightly. The Flood began to head in, swarming in huge amounts. The Flood had half filled the corridor before the Covenant arrived. At first came seven Banshees, soaring over the Flood and past the Flood until they were hovering in front of the oncoming army of Flood. The Banshees now looked much like purple Sentinels now that they could see properly. The Banshees, as one, fired their pulse cannons. The Flood blew backwards, struck hard and falling. The Banshees continued firing their Plasma mounted Rifles. From the doorway came three Ghosts, blasting at the Flood from behind, and after them came the army that the two teams were dreading. Across the AI, James Williams ordered the Sentinels down.
The mounted Covenant broke through the Flood in lines, blasting at everything they could get at. The Banshees rode down, blasted, and then soared back up. The Covenant army, Grunts, Jackals, Elites and Hunters, were all surrounding the Flood slowly. It was the first time and humans had seen all four of the known Covenant factions working together. They complimented each other perfectly. The Flood were working mostly against each other. They were shooting very randomly, as well as swinging their whip-like fingers at every Covenant they could. As a Ghost made a pass one got lucky and with a wild swing, yanked an Elite from the Ghost. The Flood swung again, still attached to the Ghost and knocked it upwards. The first Banshee dodged luckily before launching its Pulse Cannon again.
The Covenant mopped up the last of the Flood with amazing accuracy and turned towards the two teams. The Banshees moved towards them but were dispatched in seconds by the much higher number of Sentinels. The Ghosts met the same fate before the Sentinels ducked behind the shields again. The Covenant battalion moved forward, blasting randomly, but were soon turned when their back end was hit by three Rockets. The Flood had sent another attack wave. The Covenant and the Flood charged at each other, hitting a wall of the other near the middle of the corridor. The battle raged on, with several small groups of reinforcements coming through the doorway at regular intervals.
The two teams saved up their munitions; there was little chance their position was well fortified. Their only luck was the Sentinels, and they weren't even sure what they were. The battle raged on without them. They didn't seem to be needed in it. The Flood and the Covenant were making work of each other and only each other, leaving the two teams to set traps all along their section of the corridor.
In the midst of the battle, the missing Williams made a transmission, "I've had word from Guilty Spark. He's picked up the Master Chief and is on his way to stopping the Flood. He's sent us some of the weaponry the Flood have dropped that the Chief hasn't used. I've had the Beta Team guy sieving through it while you guys haven't been in trouble. I've got rid of the Plasma Pistols, there was so many of them there was just no point. We've got Assault Rifles and ammo I'm sending, they should be good to use against the Flood. There's so much ammo you won't have any trouble. There are a few Shotguns for close range as well as Plasma Rifles for long. Thyme says the Sniper Rifle doesn't work against Flood so I've only kept two. There's also about three Rocket Launchers and I've left roughly twelve Needlers. This place is protected so I'm coming through. It'll take a while to get all these weapons though."
Miller sent the less required units back to help Williams and the Beta Team Electronics expert. Thyme went, as did, unwillingly, Jerkin. They moved the weapons quickly, organising Rocket Launchers so as to present the best defence. They had Assault Rifles everywhere behind the shields, with a ton of ammo all around them. Miller thought these best to use against the heads. The Beta Team captain was shocked at the organisation skills of Miller. But, as all of Omega Team realised, if you listen to Miller he'll do you no wrong.
They had only been ready a short time when the battle ended and the Flood engaged them.
Rockets were instantly sent out, obliterating the front of the flood wave. More Rockets were launched, now empty. The Sniper and Electronics moved to reload them while the other team members now moved to their Assault Rifles. Firing was random. It didn't matter where they hit the Flood as long as they hit them and they wouldn't have to worry about munitions. The Flood troops were ripped apart by the continuous onslaught, but they still ran forwards. The Sentinels moved upwards, out of the protection, and began firing just as the second barrage of Rockets was sent out.
Gainer described it as loveable carnage. With firing their Assault Rifles the two teams were able to keep the Flood back and every time any enemies got even close a barrage of Rockets would go out. The Sentinels were an added bonus, flying at the Flood and shooting to behead. Every once in a while, if Miller felt the Flood were getting too close, he would call for a wave of grenades. This would knock the enemies back a large distance before the team would open fire again. The only thing to worry about was the possibility of running out of munitions.
Miller called for grenades again and the team threw them, however, this time Beta Team hung back. Miller called for the Beta Team to act but they refused. Their sergeant had told them to stop taking orders from Miller. The Flood moved forwards, Beta Team still only using Assault Rifles. They launched both of the Rockets from their Rocket Launchers straight away. The captain called across.
"We have to clear this area as quickly as possible before the monitor comes back so we can escape if it is on their side."
Miller countered, "if so the Sentinels wouldn't be helping us. We're due to get reinforcements, the best thing against the Flood, escape is the last thing we need to do, SHIT!!"
He blasted with his shotgun, blowing apart the combat Flood that had leapt across at him. He swung at another that was on its way before a Sentinel blasted across at it. To Miller's horror, the Sentinel fell. The next fell also, not from shots, eventually they all fell.
"What the hell's going on?"
Williams of Electronics answered, "their power has run out, the Monitor says they are ready, we should leave now."
"How exactly are we going to do that if we haven't cleared it yet?" shouted across the Beta Team captain.
Across the way, a Covenant team broke through the doorway and sent across blasts from Hunter weapons. The Flood disintegrated before blasting, and also disintegrating, the shields the two teams were hiding behind. Yellow strips engulfed the team and they could hear yells from Beta Team, but Omega Team were gone.
Chapter 8: The Flood Gates Open
When they team next opened their eyes they were stood in the Halo Control Room. Guilty Spark spoke to James Williams.
"I now must leave to aid another. In exchange for one of your AI constructs I will leave Sentinels to help you guard," Williams handed over on of the Covenant AI that he had taken and put in his pocket, "the Flood are nearing this area. Shut down the systems from their use and then leave here. Goodbye."
With a flash of yellow it was gone. Leaving both teams with fourteen of the grey robotic Sentinels.
"It's sending a transmission," called Williams, "he says to guard this place until he returns with the Chief and more Sentinels. The best place will be the main corridor because there are Plasma Shields everywhere and the Sentinels are able to update them. They used to be Sentinel technology."
They left Williams and the Beta Team Electronics expert in the Control Room to reconfigure the panel against intruders. They knew Williams was likely to leave pockets of entrance for himself all over the place, but it would not be obvious to anyone other than himself. They went out into the corridor and locked the far door before reorganising the Plasma Shields in a line. The Sentinels began to alter them themselves using their laser devices. When they had finished a stronger, yellow layer was covering the shield.
It was not long before the doors opened slightly. The Flood began to head in, swarming in huge amounts. The Flood had half filled the corridor before the Covenant arrived. At first came seven Banshees, soaring over the Flood and past the Flood until they were hovering in front of the oncoming army of Flood. The Banshees now looked much like purple Sentinels now that they could see properly. The Banshees, as one, fired their pulse cannons. The Flood blew backwards, struck hard and falling. The Banshees continued firing their Plasma mounted Rifles. From the doorway came three Ghosts, blasting at the Flood from behind, and after them came the army that the two teams were dreading. Across the AI, James Williams ordered the Sentinels down.
The mounted Covenant broke through the Flood in lines, blasting at everything they could get at. The Banshees rode down, blasted, and then soared back up. The Covenant army, Grunts, Jackals, Elites and Hunters, were all surrounding the Flood slowly. It was the first time and humans had seen all four of the known Covenant factions working together. They complimented each other perfectly. The Flood were working mostly against each other. They were shooting very randomly, as well as swinging their whip-like fingers at every Covenant they could. As a Ghost made a pass one got lucky and with a wild swing, yanked an Elite from the Ghost. The Flood swung again, still attached to the Ghost and knocked it upwards. The first Banshee dodged luckily before launching its Pulse Cannon again.
The Covenant mopped up the last of the Flood with amazing accuracy and turned towards the two teams. The Banshees moved towards them but were dispatched in seconds by the much higher number of Sentinels. The Ghosts met the same fate before the Sentinels ducked behind the shields again. The Covenant battalion moved forward, blasting randomly, but were soon turned when their back end was hit by three Rockets. The Flood had sent another attack wave. The Covenant and the Flood charged at each other, hitting a wall of the other near the middle of the corridor. The battle raged on, with several small groups of reinforcements coming through the doorway at regular intervals.
The two teams saved up their munitions; there was little chance their position was well fortified. Their only luck was the Sentinels, and they weren't even sure what they were. The battle raged on without them. They didn't seem to be needed in it. The Flood and the Covenant were making work of each other and only each other, leaving the two teams to set traps all along their section of the corridor.
In the midst of the battle, the missing Williams made a transmission, "I've had word from Guilty Spark. He's picked up the Master Chief and is on his way to stopping the Flood. He's sent us some of the weaponry the Flood have dropped that the Chief hasn't used. I've had the Beta Team guy sieving through it while you guys haven't been in trouble. I've got rid of the Plasma Pistols, there was so many of them there was just no point. We've got Assault Rifles and ammo I'm sending, they should be good to use against the Flood. There's so much ammo you won't have any trouble. There are a few Shotguns for close range as well as Plasma Rifles for long. Thyme says the Sniper Rifle doesn't work against Flood so I've only kept two. There's also about three Rocket Launchers and I've left roughly twelve Needlers. This place is protected so I'm coming through. It'll take a while to get all these weapons though."
Miller sent the less required units back to help Williams and the Beta Team Electronics expert. Thyme went, as did, unwillingly, Jerkin. They moved the weapons quickly, organising Rocket Launchers so as to present the best defence. They had Assault Rifles everywhere behind the shields, with a ton of ammo all around them. Miller thought these best to use against the heads. The Beta Team captain was shocked at the organisation skills of Miller. But, as all of Omega Team realised, if you listen to Miller he'll do you no wrong.
They had only been ready a short time when the battle ended and the Flood engaged them.
Rockets were instantly sent out, obliterating the front of the flood wave. More Rockets were launched, now empty. The Sniper and Electronics moved to reload them while the other team members now moved to their Assault Rifles. Firing was random. It didn't matter where they hit the Flood as long as they hit them and they wouldn't have to worry about munitions. The Flood troops were ripped apart by the continuous onslaught, but they still ran forwards. The Sentinels moved upwards, out of the protection, and began firing just as the second barrage of Rockets was sent out.
Gainer described it as loveable carnage. With firing their Assault Rifles the two teams were able to keep the Flood back and every time any enemies got even close a barrage of Rockets would go out. The Sentinels were an added bonus, flying at the Flood and shooting to behead. Every once in a while, if Miller felt the Flood were getting too close, he would call for a wave of grenades. This would knock the enemies back a large distance before the team would open fire again. The only thing to worry about was the possibility of running out of munitions.
Miller called for grenades again and the team threw them, however, this time Beta Team hung back. Miller called for the Beta Team to act but they refused. Their sergeant had told them to stop taking orders from Miller. The Flood moved forwards, Beta Team still only using Assault Rifles. They launched both of the Rockets from their Rocket Launchers straight away. The captain called across.
"We have to clear this area as quickly as possible before the monitor comes back so we can escape if it is on their side."
Miller countered, "if so the Sentinels wouldn't be helping us. We're due to get reinforcements, the best thing against the Flood, escape is the last thing we need to do, SHIT!!"
He blasted with his shotgun, blowing apart the combat Flood that had leapt across at him. He swung at another that was on its way before a Sentinel blasted across at it. To Miller's horror, the Sentinel fell. The next fell also, not from shots, eventually they all fell.
"What the hell's going on?"
Williams of Electronics answered, "their power has run out, the Monitor says they are ready, we should leave now."
"How exactly are we going to do that if we haven't cleared it yet?" shouted across the Beta Team captain.
Across the way, a Covenant team broke through the doorway and sent across blasts from Hunter weapons. The Flood disintegrated before blasting, and also disintegrating, the shields the two teams were hiding behind. Yellow strips engulfed the team and they could hear yells from Beta Team, but Omega Team were gone.