A/N: Wait a minute! Weren't there two other blokes who came with the Admiral? I wonder how they are doing…
Chapter 14: Not Very Well
"Commander, might I remind you that just because some AI is telling you 'no' is not an excuse for not getting this damn door open!" shouted Major Melchior as a trio of brutes ran down the hall, showering the two unfortunate soldiers with plasma fire.
"I'm working on it, the whole system is locked down. You'd think that the planet was being invaded."
"It IS being invaded."
"Well that explains it," countered Brinks as he typed in a new series of commands into the console. Melchior sighed, bracing his custom sniper rifle against his shoulder. Quickly diving out of cover the mercenary artfully put two of the brutes down with headshots. The third roared in anger as a bullet tore through it's left ear.
There was no time to bring his rifle to bear as the brute charged, raising its arm for a crushing blow that, even with quantum armor, had a good chance of crushing his head. Dodging to the right, Melchior drew one of the many combat vibroknives from his belt. With one clean slice the brute's head was hanging by a thread and its body smashed into the still-sealed door.
"Boom, headshot," Melchior said to himself, sheathing the vibroknife. The red arrow on the door suddenly turned green as a triumphant cry arose from Commander Brinks.
The cry of triumph quickly changed into one of anguish as the green energy of a fuel rod cannon struck the Commander on the chest, enveloping him in a blinding light and hurling the limp body up against the wall. Unlike Melchior, who had the sense to wear full battle armor, Brinks had only worn a breastplate. Not much help against the pair of hunters who had been lying in wait on the other side.
"Dammit!" Bile rose to his mouth as he changed his sniper rifle into an assault rifle. The first hunter charged through the doorway, its sharp spines cutting canyons into the ceiling. The metal slugs easily tore through the hunter's normally impregnable armor, leaving exit holes the size of car wheels in its back. Jumping back to keep from being crushed by the hunter's corpse, Melchior failed to avoid being blindsided by the other.
Stars exploded as Melchior was slammed into the opposing wall, his rifle torn out of his hands and lying on the ground by Brink's burnt body. And I'll be dead like him too if I don't get up. Leaping to his feet just in time to dodge an energy bolt Melchior drew his vibroknives, hoping to get close enough to use them.
The two warriors circled each other, the hunter trying to fire a killing blow, and Melchior trying to find an opening. If only I could get my gun. The knives wouldn't work, he knew that, but they where his only option. I need my gun. He looked past the hunter at his rifle; the hunter had been smart enough to keep the human from getting his hands on it.
Suddenly the hunter lunged forward, gun raised and charging. I need my gun NOW! Cool metal slid into Melchior's grip, the rifle seemed to act on its own, pulsing lead into the hunter's surprised face, splattering the ground with orange blood. With a sickening crunch the covenant behemoth died.
Without looking back, without questioning how he had reacquired his gun, Melchior ran through the doorway and into the sunlight.