Chapter 6: War on Harvest
Iso'tolla stood up from his chair and examined his enhanced feed from the ships telescopes.
" Not even one defensive measure. What a disappointment. Harvest will be like killing a Grunt- a big waist of time and not impressive."
The Blue Elite spoke, " Your excellency, Enemy Space vessel on other side of the planet, permission to engage?"
Iso'tolla yelled, " Wart Wart Wart!"
With that the shields activated and the ship glided over towards the other side of the planet. The Carrier launched it's wave of spoon-like fighter craft called Pitch Fork Fighters. They ascended towards the Covenant cruiser and opened fire. The missiles and 60mm bullets bounced harmlessly off the ship's shields. Plasma cannons fired into the carrier, ripping it open, but the PF fighters kept on coming.
Back down in Portsmith, Harry, Sarah, and the baby pulled off the highway and went into a bar. The bar was empty, accept for one man behind the counter, he was dressed in full combat garb, and had an M3HA assault rifle slung at his side.
The man spoke, " I am not looting, this is my bar, I am also part of the National Guard."
Harry had his shotgun at his side, and Sarah was holding the baby. Thunderous shots echoed through the sky, louder than thunder.
The bartender yelled, "I am goin up on the roof to see what is up."
Sarah sat down with the baby while Harry and the other man went into the back room and climbed up a ladder. They got outside and Harry got a good glimpse at the man. He was Hispanic with dark skin and black hair. He looked to be in his 40's and he was muscular.
" Look!" the man yelled to Harry.
They both stared up at the sky as it erupted from light blue to dark orange. One large ship could be seen in the atmosphere, a human ship, the other, a sleek purple alien ship. Herron ships fired rockets and explosions followed at Covenant drop ships exploded. Tiny black dots could be seen in the skies around the two ships, like bees swarming around their nest. A battle was raging above the city. Two Spook drop ships started hovering over towards the bar. The Hispanic man ducked and told Harry to do the same.
The man yelled into his radio, " This is scout Pedro. I need back-up, infantry spotted on Williams and Brons street intersection."
The radio crackled and than a voice came on, " Roger Private, Herrons in bound."
Just than a Seraph fighter sprayed the street with plasma fire, melting the road's and the wall of the bar facing the street was melted clean off.
Pedro cursed, " Damn! They are clearing a path for their infantry to land on. Can you use a gun?"
Harry raised his shotgun, " Hell yes!"
Pedro sighed, and pulled a 45 caliber machine gun from his belt, " Take this, your shotgun can not reach that distance. I take it you know how to use a gun. Spray the street."
Harry answered, " I will go down below, my wife might be hurt, and the baby."
" Okay padre!" he said as he sprayed the street, taking down a few short aliens.
Harry climbed down the ladder with his shotgun slung on his back and the sub-machine gun in hand. Sarah was under the counter with the baby. Harry yelled at her,
" See those stairs, get down in the basement, your not safe hear, I will protect you."
Without even hesitating she ran with the baby down into the basement. Harry threw down a shotgun and told her to use it if necessary. He than closed the trap door and shoved a liquor cabinet over the door, concealing it. He pulled the bolt back and aimed the gun at the burned opening in the wall. He saw a blue, tall alien spray the roof top with his rifle. Then the short aliens started to race for the hole in the wall. Harry hid under the counter, waiting to surprise them. He could hear them sniffing and barking. Harry looked up from under the counter at the mirror behind the counter. He could see four short aliens, and they where armed with purple, spiked weapons and green little hand-held weapons. They wore some sort of mask. He waited until they where all together than he sprang out from behind the counter. The two grunts in front fell, the other one primed a plasma grenade but dropped it and blew himself up. The remaining one fired his needeler as Harry ducked back behind the counter. The needle like things splintered the wooden counter.
" Okay you little bastard!" Harry yelled as he checked his ammo, only two thirty round clips left. He dove over the counter, trying to pry the needler from the grunt's paw.
Harry grabbed the creatures face with one hand, while the other hand kept the grunt's gun hand pinned to the floor. He ripped the creature's mask and looked at the creatures black, beady eyes, and it's razor sharp teeth. The grunt hissed and spat as he suffocated. Harry then grabbed the needler and dove back under the counter. He looked at the mirror, only to realize the grunts had shot it into pieces in the last fight. He could hear scraping on the floor again. He slowly poked his head up and felt the heat from a plasma bolt veer over his head. Harry fired the purple weapon in the general direction of the creature with the bird like head and the glowing hand held shield. The needles homed in on the jackal and the force of the needles hitting the shield knocked the creature over and the shield disintegrated. A humming noise could be heard as the jackal over charged his plasma pistol and came at Harry. Harry whipped up his sub-machine gun and literally cut the jackal in half under a hail of bullets. 15 more rounds left in the clip.
Pedro yelled something from upstairs, but it was muffled. Harry steadied his gun and looked down through the small scope. A blue, squid shaped head was right on his sights. The creature growled and showed his teeth as he clicked his mandibles. He raised his plasma rifle and fired blue bolts rapidly across towards Harry. Harry ducked behind the counter, but he could feel the plasma impacting, and it was rapidly melting through the wood. The counter caught on fire and Harry dove away with his gun in hand. Harry hoped Pedro would come down but knew it would not happen, he could hear gun fire upstairs still. The elite tried firing again, but the gun over heated and the elite angrily threw it at Harry. It burned Harry and he screamed in pain as it hit his chest. Harry fired into the elites chest, and it's shields gave out, but Harry ran out of ammo. The elite grabbed Harry by the throat and began choking him, clicking his mandibles in delight. Suddenly, the liquor cabinet flew up and the trap door opened. The elite whipped around and raised his hands just in time to get blown away by a shotgun blast.
Sarah breathed heavily as she cradled the gun in one hand and her baby in the other.
" Harry..." she panted, " I just wanted to have our baby grow up with a father. Harry laughed and she dropped the shotgun as they hugged, and he kissed baby Tomas on the head.
" I understand Sarah, thank you." Harry wiped his sweaty brown hair back.
Pedro ran down the stairs with his gun. Pointed toward the hole in the wall. " Things are heating up, vamanos!" He yelled, " Oh my God... What are those?" Pedro muttered as the huge blue beasts with shields bashed down the other wall, leaving another hole.
"Run padres!" He yelled as a green blast shot out from the creature's hands and blasted Pedro's flesh all over the back wall.
Harry grabbed Sarah by the arm and took his shotgun from her. He discarded the sub-machine gun as they ran out the other side of the wall. Just than a 11 foot high square metal car with wheels and quad 20mm turrets pulled up. 10 soldiers dismounted. They quickly hurried Sarah and Harry into the back of the car.
Harry tired warning them, " Huge monsters!" he yelled, just as a green blast killed them all. The man on the turret of the vehicle shouted, " You bastards, eat some!" he fired and the bullets pinged off of them as they raised their shields and their guns started to glow. He yelled into the com in his helm, " This is troop deployment car 90. Requesting air strike on our position."
"Roger car90, PF fighters in-bound. You might wanna get out of there now."
" Understood." he said as he ordered the driver, " Punch it." The car sped off down streets filled with ghosts and creeps.