CHAPTER 11
0932 Hours, August 14, 2553 (Military Calendar)/ Large open area inside Daygars compound on planet Raiek
Foehammer dropped off the Spartans and Farr, the Rebel Elite. The Rebel could now stand and walk, so he decided to lead them to where the rebels were hiding. It was a simple place right under the Covenant's noses. That underground tunnel the Commander and his crew had met the Howlers in contained a small panel in it that could slip away. When the first of the rebels on Raiek had discovered this, they began to tunnel, and within three years had a large cavern in which to reside away from the Covenant. They stole equipment and computers and radar devices from the Covenant and placed them in their hideout. In certain words, they used the Covenant's own technology against them.
After prying the panel off, the six warriors crawled in, on all fours, and within moments emerged into a large cavern. Grunts and Elites were crawling all over the place. There were hundreds of them. Essentially, it was just one large room filled with equipment and other such necessities.
Farr led the Spartans to a Grunt named Kakay, who was working on something. "I believe he is trying to duplicate those MAC guns your UNSC ships carry. And once he does it, he'll try to put it in a smaller form." The Grunt nodded. "He is far from succeding, but he believes he's on the right track."
MAC's, or Magnetic Accelerator Cannons, were some of the most advanced weaponry the UNSC had. Each frigate and battleship was armed with one. The guns charged a large ball of molten slag on their tip and then fired the resulting chunk at a target. Ingenious idea, Farr had always thought.
James was standing next to Farr, marveling at the teamwork the hideout used. "How are you planning on stopping the Covenant from firing their plasma cannon?"
"They have one on Raiek, and one on the moon, so therefore," Farr started, looking down at the Commander, "I think we'll use Raiek's cannon to destroy the moon, and then spike Raiek's own cannon, effectively destroying it and glassing the planet as well."
Alex was quizzical. "Do you and your Rebel forces have a way off the planet?"
Farr frowned. "No. No, we don't. But we are prepared to die along with the Covenant should that have to be the case. I am also prepared to die alongside my people if that is what the Prephets believe should happen."
Moving through the devices the rebels had fixed up, Jason came upon one one in particular. He held it up. "What is this?" he asked.
Farr took the device and strapped it onto his wrist. "Lately," he said, "the Grunts have started work on a device similar to Elite shielding. It also is much like what the Jackals carry. Since we have no Jackals in the rebel forces, we are forced to copy that of the elite shields. This device is much like the Jackals'. Let me show you."
Farr tapped a blue button on the device, and a large shield popped open. It was much larger than anything the Jackals carried. The shield was almost as tall as Farr himself, towering at over seven feet. "I believe this device will help us turn the tides. The Grunts and Elites are mass- proucing them for our own benefit."
Then, a Prophet's voice boomed out above the rest. It was speaking in their native tongue, and none of the Spartans understood was he (or perhaps she, who could tell?) was saying. But all the rebels stood, mystified, even Farr did, until the talking ceased. After the Prophet was done, Farr turned to his new friends.
"That one feels that the time has come to stop the Covenant. We will attack tomorrow morning."
James stopped Farr as he left. "How many rebels are we taking?"
Farr hesaitated. "All of them. The plan is for you and your crew to sneak into the underground tunnel, obliterate all in your path, destroy the moon, and then spike the cannon itself."
"Where will you be?" Jason asked.
"Leading the rebel forces outside. It will be a distraction to what you are doing so that not many Covenant forces can get in your way," Farr stated simply. "If you succeed, I want you all to get off of Raiek before it explodes. Also, when you spike the cannon, make sure to properly jam the controls so that no one can undo what you have accomplished."
The five Spartans nodded. "We will do whatever it takes to destroy this place," Bryce said.
"And we will save as many Rebels as we can," Jarrett said.
James raised a hand. "Attention," he said gruffly. The Spartans all stood at attention in unison, and saluted the brave Elite. Farr nodded, obviously flattered. But he stayed where he was and returned the strange human custom he'd learned. "At ease, Spartans," James said. After the saluting had been carried out, James took Farr aside for a moment to speak to him as his Spartans spread out to look for things to busy them, which consisted mainly of getting in the rebels' way.
"What are you doing? Put that down!"
"I will if you tell me what it is."
"Get back here with that?"
"What does this button do?"
"Looks like a fork..." one Spartan commented as he picked up a tiny device.
"No, it's actually a..." the Grunt never got to say, because the forklike object flash green and exploded in the Spartan's hands, crumbling away. "Never mind," the Grunt muttered, turning back to his work.
"Where are you holding the battle?" James asked, putting a hand on Farr's shoulder.
Picking up a plasma sword from a table, Farr lit it, admiring the plasma-powered weapon. "Right in the middle field, Commander," he stated simply. "And if I do my job right, we'll stall enough time for you and your Spartans to destroy the moon and Raiek."
James clapped Farr on the shoulder. "And after the battle is over, we'll have a party. Just the Rebels and the Spartans. The two armies. You and I at the head of the table. What do you say, Farr?" James asked, a smile on his face.
Farr looked forlorn. "I'm afraid that will not be possible," he said, and quickly walked off. "Doog yad, Redanmmoc." James knew he had said 'good day, Commander,' in his own language, but he was not sure why Farr was so emotional.
As James moved slowly along, three Hunters passed him, talking amongst themselves. All three of them were dressed in full combat armor. Come to think of it, he'd never seen a Hunter without one. What was under that tank of armor was beyond all of them.
Sort of like the Spartans and Farr. He had never seen the faces of the majority of the Commander's Spartans, and yet he trusted them enough to share everything he had as a General of the rebel forces. He was the highest ranking officer besides the Prophets.
The Prophets! Everyone had said of their psychic power. Perhaps they had told Farr he was to die in the next day's battle. If that was true, he had to make sure Farr lived, for everything the Elite had done for them. On his word as a Spartan, he swore Farr would live.
He would come to regret that swear.
0932 Hours, August 14, 2553 (Military Calendar)/ Large open area inside Daygars compound on planet Raiek
Foehammer dropped off the Spartans and Farr, the Rebel Elite. The Rebel could now stand and walk, so he decided to lead them to where the rebels were hiding. It was a simple place right under the Covenant's noses. That underground tunnel the Commander and his crew had met the Howlers in contained a small panel in it that could slip away. When the first of the rebels on Raiek had discovered this, they began to tunnel, and within three years had a large cavern in which to reside away from the Covenant. They stole equipment and computers and radar devices from the Covenant and placed them in their hideout. In certain words, they used the Covenant's own technology against them.
After prying the panel off, the six warriors crawled in, on all fours, and within moments emerged into a large cavern. Grunts and Elites were crawling all over the place. There were hundreds of them. Essentially, it was just one large room filled with equipment and other such necessities.
Farr led the Spartans to a Grunt named Kakay, who was working on something. "I believe he is trying to duplicate those MAC guns your UNSC ships carry. And once he does it, he'll try to put it in a smaller form." The Grunt nodded. "He is far from succeding, but he believes he's on the right track."
MAC's, or Magnetic Accelerator Cannons, were some of the most advanced weaponry the UNSC had. Each frigate and battleship was armed with one. The guns charged a large ball of molten slag on their tip and then fired the resulting chunk at a target. Ingenious idea, Farr had always thought.
James was standing next to Farr, marveling at the teamwork the hideout used. "How are you planning on stopping the Covenant from firing their plasma cannon?"
"They have one on Raiek, and one on the moon, so therefore," Farr started, looking down at the Commander, "I think we'll use Raiek's cannon to destroy the moon, and then spike Raiek's own cannon, effectively destroying it and glassing the planet as well."
Alex was quizzical. "Do you and your Rebel forces have a way off the planet?"
Farr frowned. "No. No, we don't. But we are prepared to die along with the Covenant should that have to be the case. I am also prepared to die alongside my people if that is what the Prephets believe should happen."
Moving through the devices the rebels had fixed up, Jason came upon one one in particular. He held it up. "What is this?" he asked.
Farr took the device and strapped it onto his wrist. "Lately," he said, "the Grunts have started work on a device similar to Elite shielding. It also is much like what the Jackals carry. Since we have no Jackals in the rebel forces, we are forced to copy that of the elite shields. This device is much like the Jackals'. Let me show you."
Farr tapped a blue button on the device, and a large shield popped open. It was much larger than anything the Jackals carried. The shield was almost as tall as Farr himself, towering at over seven feet. "I believe this device will help us turn the tides. The Grunts and Elites are mass- proucing them for our own benefit."
Then, a Prophet's voice boomed out above the rest. It was speaking in their native tongue, and none of the Spartans understood was he (or perhaps she, who could tell?) was saying. But all the rebels stood, mystified, even Farr did, until the talking ceased. After the Prophet was done, Farr turned to his new friends.
"That one feels that the time has come to stop the Covenant. We will attack tomorrow morning."
James stopped Farr as he left. "How many rebels are we taking?"
Farr hesaitated. "All of them. The plan is for you and your crew to sneak into the underground tunnel, obliterate all in your path, destroy the moon, and then spike the cannon itself."
"Where will you be?" Jason asked.
"Leading the rebel forces outside. It will be a distraction to what you are doing so that not many Covenant forces can get in your way," Farr stated simply. "If you succeed, I want you all to get off of Raiek before it explodes. Also, when you spike the cannon, make sure to properly jam the controls so that no one can undo what you have accomplished."
The five Spartans nodded. "We will do whatever it takes to destroy this place," Bryce said.
"And we will save as many Rebels as we can," Jarrett said.
James raised a hand. "Attention," he said gruffly. The Spartans all stood at attention in unison, and saluted the brave Elite. Farr nodded, obviously flattered. But he stayed where he was and returned the strange human custom he'd learned. "At ease, Spartans," James said. After the saluting had been carried out, James took Farr aside for a moment to speak to him as his Spartans spread out to look for things to busy them, which consisted mainly of getting in the rebels' way.
"What are you doing? Put that down!"
"I will if you tell me what it is."
"Get back here with that?"
"What does this button do?"
"Looks like a fork..." one Spartan commented as he picked up a tiny device.
"No, it's actually a..." the Grunt never got to say, because the forklike object flash green and exploded in the Spartan's hands, crumbling away. "Never mind," the Grunt muttered, turning back to his work.
"Where are you holding the battle?" James asked, putting a hand on Farr's shoulder.
Picking up a plasma sword from a table, Farr lit it, admiring the plasma-powered weapon. "Right in the middle field, Commander," he stated simply. "And if I do my job right, we'll stall enough time for you and your Spartans to destroy the moon and Raiek."
James clapped Farr on the shoulder. "And after the battle is over, we'll have a party. Just the Rebels and the Spartans. The two armies. You and I at the head of the table. What do you say, Farr?" James asked, a smile on his face.
Farr looked forlorn. "I'm afraid that will not be possible," he said, and quickly walked off. "Doog yad, Redanmmoc." James knew he had said 'good day, Commander,' in his own language, but he was not sure why Farr was so emotional.
As James moved slowly along, three Hunters passed him, talking amongst themselves. All three of them were dressed in full combat armor. Come to think of it, he'd never seen a Hunter without one. What was under that tank of armor was beyond all of them.
Sort of like the Spartans and Farr. He had never seen the faces of the majority of the Commander's Spartans, and yet he trusted them enough to share everything he had as a General of the rebel forces. He was the highest ranking officer besides the Prophets.
The Prophets! Everyone had said of their psychic power. Perhaps they had told Farr he was to die in the next day's battle. If that was true, he had to make sure Farr lived, for everything the Elite had done for them. On his word as a Spartan, he swore Farr would live.
He would come to regret that swear.