Ch. 3 The Hunt

Somewhere in a different time and place…

A small fission appeared in the middle of space, and from it appeared a group of three smoking ships. The dark emptiness contorted as the small hole slowly closed.

" Give me a status report!" barked the Admiral. " Where in sam hell are we?"

" No idea sir," yelled a tech as he slowly checked over his monitor. " No known planets or stars to confirm location."

" Sir!" yelled Jacob. " I've just gotten reports that both carriers have sustained even more damage during that transition. The sudden speed multiplied by their boosts already functioning has caused a huge tear in the armor. Half the engines of the carriers are damaged and the Falcon's power source is low."

" Admiral," yelled another personnel. " Our own ship has deep gashes that have penetrated through armor 1 to 3. An engine has combusted and one of the MAC guns burned while charging."

" Timberlake," growled Hanson. " I don't know shit about ships but I think it would be a good idea to find a marine's favorite turf. Ground."

" Scanning radius…" muttered Jacob. " I've got a planet on my readings sir."

" Well, let's put our asses down here," said the Admiral. " Don't wanna drift dead in space."

The three ships slowly entered the planet's atmosphere and descended on the planet. Lush valleys and streams filled the windows of the Battleship as the marines surveyed the view. Hills rolled towards green forests as a mountain jutted out miles away, a waterfall cascading from its top.

Just as the navigator yelled that they would hit a good LZ in 20 seconds, plasma fire pounded on the side of the ship. The Master Chief sprinted towards the monitor and looked down.

Three plasma cannons manned by blue Elites were bombarding their ship with fire. The Elites were on top of a small tower that scanned over the valley. As the Elites began to rotate their stationary guns to get a better angle, a missile from the Battleship streaked towards the three and blasted them into flesh and blood. Two Ghosts that had been nearby hummed to life and beat a hasty retreat.

" I'll bet you twenty bucks I know what planet this is," muttered the Sergeant as he pulled the safety off his rifle. And I sure as hell know that it ain't Mars."

The ship shook as it impacted on the soil. A cloud of smoke mixed with dirt and heat sprayed in the air as the huge Battleship and the Carriers reached a gradual halt.

" Marines!" yelled the Sergeant. " Looks like it must be my birthday. And do you know why?"

" Sir no sir!" complied the marines in unison as they cocked their rifles and stood to attention.

" God seems to have decided to 'accidentally' send his beloved marines to the Covenant planet. Now, instead of having to lay in fear of those disgusting plasma suckers we can bring the fight to them. And oh, we will ensure that we will leave our mark on this planet! I want regular diaries telling me how many kills you've stocked up a day! Any marine that gets below thirty will get KP duty. The highest killer gets ice cream. The Master Chief doesn't count," he added as he looked towards the hulking Spartan.

The docking bay doors opened as the marines piled out onto the planet. Scorpion tanks and Warthogs rolled out of the Carriers as Pelicans were flown off for reconnaissance.

" So Master Chief," said the Sergeant as he took out a huge cigar. " What's your plan of action?"

" To search and destroy," replied the Master Chief. " I'm going on a hunt."