CHAPTER 9
0746 Hours, August 14, 2553 (Military Calendar)/ 15 miles West of Daygars
Foehammer circled the sky, hovering in place, searching for survivors of the Warthog incident. The Lieutenant and his remaining two men were strapped in their seats, moaning from their inner pain. The loss of their comrades. The Spartans, however, were busy wondering what happened to Farr.
"It's not like we're not sure he was there," Bryce said, looking at the Commander.
"And we also know that Farr was the only Covenant Rebel there. That was reported to us by Farr himself when he briefly spoke to us as we were arriving. The last place we heard from him was around three miles west of our location. I suggest, Commander, that we go and look for him," Jason said, biting his lip under his helmet.
James looked out a window, scanning the snow for signs of Farr. "I agree," he said finally. "Even if we have been reassigned by a Marine that outranks all of us, it doesn't mean we can't continue to interfere. He told us that we were reassigned to Jarrisno. But what would happen if Foehammer were to accidently spot something better, and we decided to check it out?"
A wry smile appeared on Jarrett's face, which no one could see but could definitely know was there. "Of course!" he said, jumping up, dropping his pistol. "Look out that window! I see a figure lying there in the snow!"
The five Spartans peeked out and, sure enough, there was the form of an Elite lying in the snow, nearly buried. Snapping into action, James ordered Gary, the jump director, to open the hatch. Then, he told Jarrett and Jason to hook themselves up and retrieve him.
Nodding, the two men hooked themselves up to rappel ropes as the door to Foehammer hissed open. They readied themselves, taking MA5Bs in their hands, and slowly let themselves fall over the edge.
The remaining Spartans watched as Jason landed on the snow and bent to hook Farr up. To all their surprise, a plasma bolt ripped into the ground, tossing Jason over. He landed upside-down and quickly righted himself as Jarrett came in front of him to provide cover, rifle ready.
A Covenant Shadow came driving up, holding two Elites and five Grunts. The Grunts laughed and hopped off, running towards Jarrett. Holding the rifle in both hands after slamming a fresh clip into the slot, Jarrett squeezed and held the trigger. The Grunts screamed and fell as the bullets ripped into their suits, methane bubbling out from their broken outfits.
James and his crew watched from above as the Shadow swerved around the two Spartans. Jarrett switched to his pistol in a flash and aimed it at the Elite. When he pulled the trigger, the bullet was a bulls-eye, and the Elite died instantly as the bullet went through his shield and into his head.
Jason hopped back up and hooked Farr up to his rope. Then, he yanked on it, and he was pulled to safety.
On the ground, Jarrett took one last precaution as the plasma gun fired at him. He pulled the pin of a fragmentation grenade and lobbed it after the Shadow, which exploded in seconds and toppled to the ground, its anti- grav device destroyed. With another yank, Jarrett, the hero of the moment, was hauled back into Foehammer.
Farr was laid in four chairs lying in a row. His massive height prevented him from being laid any other way. The three Marines winced as the imposing Elite was laid in his place. The boarding ramp hissed closed as Foehammer raced back towards Daygars.
"Let's hope we can revive him," Jason said as he unhooked a med kit from the wall. Pulling out some medical equipment, he put together a syringe containing some revival meds, and injected them into Farr's shoulder. Within three minutes, Farr's eyes fluttered open and he saw the blurry form of Jason above him. "Erehw ma I?" he asked himself in his own tongue.
With his superior strength, Jason easily helped Farr sit up and buckle himself in. Then, Alex and Bryce approached him on James's orders. The Commander was in the cockpit of Foehammer, working with the pilot to get back to Daygars. "How do you feel?" Alex asked.
Farr rubbed his throbbing head where 'Kolkee had struck him. "I think I'll be fine," he mumbled in English. "But my head hurts."
"The meds will make that pain subside in time," Jason said as he pulled back, allowing Alex and Bryce to come forward and talk with him.
"What did you find out from that party you were with?" Alex asked.
Farr thought. "Not much. 'Kolkee was my commanding officer, so he is our only link to the things he told his Grunt and Elite troops."
Alex recoiled. "That Elite Captain?" he asked. "I killed him on the Warthog when he leaped over to try and kill us. I knew it wasn't you, so I figured killing him on the spot was the best option."
"You did us well," Farr said. "'Kolkee was messing in the Rebel plans. He knew some of us were rebelling, and he interfered with our plans all the time. It was just best that he was killed in battle."
"Anything else?"
Farr thought. "I meant to ask you something before I left last time," he said. "Did you lose one of your crew? I was just wondering."
Alex lowered his head. "Yes. Sergeant Brent Ashley was killed by a Banshee that landed on top of him."
Farr was shocked. "Was he a bit large?" Alex nodded. "I was there at the battle. I was the Elite that was in that Banshee. When the grenade hit me, I bailed and landed several meters away." Alex was confused.
"Then why did you shoot at us if you were a Rebel?"
"I had no choice!" Farr protested. "I was ordered by 'Kolkee to fly the Banshee and kill the Spartans. I purposely missed you so that the team would be able to survive and get into Daygars. I thought it would look real and I wouldn't get into trouble."
"Did you get into trouble?" Bryce asked.
Farr shook his head, something he'd picked up from humans. "No. 'Kolkee never confronted me for it."
"But what of Brent? He was incinerated. We saw it happen," Jarrett said as he came forward, assault rifle twitching in his hand. "He was killed. We all saw it happen through those closing doors."
"The doors were closing?" Farr asked. "So you didn't actually see him explode?" Jarrett hesitated, then nodded. "I saw your man jump out of the way at the last minute. The force of the Banshee knocked him over the side of the bridge. Here, I even recorded it." Farr produced a holo-recorder and activated it.
Brent Ashley leaped nimbly to the side as the Banshee erupted into larger flames as it hit the door. The force of the explosion propelled him forwards over the edge. Reaching up, he snatched the edge of the bridge and hung for dear life.
Farr approached him, took a nervous glance around, and hauled the Spartan up, tossing him onto the bridge. "Get out of here, Spartan!" Farr grumbled as he took off back across the bridge.
Slowly standing, Brent readied his assault rifle and moved back across the bridge to where Daygars was situated. Around a foot of land was between the edge and where the compound was, so he moved along the edge of that, eventually disappearing around the corner.
Jarrett leaned back. "Brent is still alive!" he cried happily. "We have to find him before he's killed again!"
Alex looked at his brother. "It may already be too late. That was yesterday. Who knows how he survived overnight. Without a way into the base, he had to survive all night on his own out there!"
Jarrett put on a confident face. "Brent is still alive! I just know it!"
0746 Hours, August 14, 2553 (Military Calendar)/ 15 miles West of Daygars
Foehammer circled the sky, hovering in place, searching for survivors of the Warthog incident. The Lieutenant and his remaining two men were strapped in their seats, moaning from their inner pain. The loss of their comrades. The Spartans, however, were busy wondering what happened to Farr.
"It's not like we're not sure he was there," Bryce said, looking at the Commander.
"And we also know that Farr was the only Covenant Rebel there. That was reported to us by Farr himself when he briefly spoke to us as we were arriving. The last place we heard from him was around three miles west of our location. I suggest, Commander, that we go and look for him," Jason said, biting his lip under his helmet.
James looked out a window, scanning the snow for signs of Farr. "I agree," he said finally. "Even if we have been reassigned by a Marine that outranks all of us, it doesn't mean we can't continue to interfere. He told us that we were reassigned to Jarrisno. But what would happen if Foehammer were to accidently spot something better, and we decided to check it out?"
A wry smile appeared on Jarrett's face, which no one could see but could definitely know was there. "Of course!" he said, jumping up, dropping his pistol. "Look out that window! I see a figure lying there in the snow!"
The five Spartans peeked out and, sure enough, there was the form of an Elite lying in the snow, nearly buried. Snapping into action, James ordered Gary, the jump director, to open the hatch. Then, he told Jarrett and Jason to hook themselves up and retrieve him.
Nodding, the two men hooked themselves up to rappel ropes as the door to Foehammer hissed open. They readied themselves, taking MA5Bs in their hands, and slowly let themselves fall over the edge.
The remaining Spartans watched as Jason landed on the snow and bent to hook Farr up. To all their surprise, a plasma bolt ripped into the ground, tossing Jason over. He landed upside-down and quickly righted himself as Jarrett came in front of him to provide cover, rifle ready.
A Covenant Shadow came driving up, holding two Elites and five Grunts. The Grunts laughed and hopped off, running towards Jarrett. Holding the rifle in both hands after slamming a fresh clip into the slot, Jarrett squeezed and held the trigger. The Grunts screamed and fell as the bullets ripped into their suits, methane bubbling out from their broken outfits.
James and his crew watched from above as the Shadow swerved around the two Spartans. Jarrett switched to his pistol in a flash and aimed it at the Elite. When he pulled the trigger, the bullet was a bulls-eye, and the Elite died instantly as the bullet went through his shield and into his head.
Jason hopped back up and hooked Farr up to his rope. Then, he yanked on it, and he was pulled to safety.
On the ground, Jarrett took one last precaution as the plasma gun fired at him. He pulled the pin of a fragmentation grenade and lobbed it after the Shadow, which exploded in seconds and toppled to the ground, its anti- grav device destroyed. With another yank, Jarrett, the hero of the moment, was hauled back into Foehammer.
Farr was laid in four chairs lying in a row. His massive height prevented him from being laid any other way. The three Marines winced as the imposing Elite was laid in his place. The boarding ramp hissed closed as Foehammer raced back towards Daygars.
"Let's hope we can revive him," Jason said as he unhooked a med kit from the wall. Pulling out some medical equipment, he put together a syringe containing some revival meds, and injected them into Farr's shoulder. Within three minutes, Farr's eyes fluttered open and he saw the blurry form of Jason above him. "Erehw ma I?" he asked himself in his own tongue.
With his superior strength, Jason easily helped Farr sit up and buckle himself in. Then, Alex and Bryce approached him on James's orders. The Commander was in the cockpit of Foehammer, working with the pilot to get back to Daygars. "How do you feel?" Alex asked.
Farr rubbed his throbbing head where 'Kolkee had struck him. "I think I'll be fine," he mumbled in English. "But my head hurts."
"The meds will make that pain subside in time," Jason said as he pulled back, allowing Alex and Bryce to come forward and talk with him.
"What did you find out from that party you were with?" Alex asked.
Farr thought. "Not much. 'Kolkee was my commanding officer, so he is our only link to the things he told his Grunt and Elite troops."
Alex recoiled. "That Elite Captain?" he asked. "I killed him on the Warthog when he leaped over to try and kill us. I knew it wasn't you, so I figured killing him on the spot was the best option."
"You did us well," Farr said. "'Kolkee was messing in the Rebel plans. He knew some of us were rebelling, and he interfered with our plans all the time. It was just best that he was killed in battle."
"Anything else?"
Farr thought. "I meant to ask you something before I left last time," he said. "Did you lose one of your crew? I was just wondering."
Alex lowered his head. "Yes. Sergeant Brent Ashley was killed by a Banshee that landed on top of him."
Farr was shocked. "Was he a bit large?" Alex nodded. "I was there at the battle. I was the Elite that was in that Banshee. When the grenade hit me, I bailed and landed several meters away." Alex was confused.
"Then why did you shoot at us if you were a Rebel?"
"I had no choice!" Farr protested. "I was ordered by 'Kolkee to fly the Banshee and kill the Spartans. I purposely missed you so that the team would be able to survive and get into Daygars. I thought it would look real and I wouldn't get into trouble."
"Did you get into trouble?" Bryce asked.
Farr shook his head, something he'd picked up from humans. "No. 'Kolkee never confronted me for it."
"But what of Brent? He was incinerated. We saw it happen," Jarrett said as he came forward, assault rifle twitching in his hand. "He was killed. We all saw it happen through those closing doors."
"The doors were closing?" Farr asked. "So you didn't actually see him explode?" Jarrett hesitated, then nodded. "I saw your man jump out of the way at the last minute. The force of the Banshee knocked him over the side of the bridge. Here, I even recorded it." Farr produced a holo-recorder and activated it.
Brent Ashley leaped nimbly to the side as the Banshee erupted into larger flames as it hit the door. The force of the explosion propelled him forwards over the edge. Reaching up, he snatched the edge of the bridge and hung for dear life.
Farr approached him, took a nervous glance around, and hauled the Spartan up, tossing him onto the bridge. "Get out of here, Spartan!" Farr grumbled as he took off back across the bridge.
Slowly standing, Brent readied his assault rifle and moved back across the bridge to where Daygars was situated. Around a foot of land was between the edge and where the compound was, so he moved along the edge of that, eventually disappearing around the corner.
Jarrett leaned back. "Brent is still alive!" he cried happily. "We have to find him before he's killed again!"
Alex looked at his brother. "It may already be too late. That was yesterday. Who knows how he survived overnight. Without a way into the base, he had to survive all night on his own out there!"
Jarrett put on a confident face. "Brent is still alive! I just know it!"