Chapter Seven
0800 Hours March 22nd, 2722 (Military Calendar)/
Slephir System, Unknown Rebel Planet
"Hawk eight peel off you've got a bogie on your tail. Hawk five and ten with me." Ordered Commander Steven Bono of the 105th fighter squadron. "Hawk eleven prepare a little welcome wagon for the second shadow." He ordered as he dodged a shadow. Hawk eleven turned it's thrusters to full power and headed toward a slow moving shadow. "Hawk eleven," said the pilot as he looked at his Longswords firing control panel and then back at the ship "Fox three." She said as a missile was fired off the wing of her fighter. As the missile approached the shadow, the shadow seemed to move faster.
Just as the missile was about to impact on the shadow, the shadow disappeared and then reappeared and struck Hawk eleven. "Oh my god, did you see that!" said a pilot as more pilots prepared to engage the shadow. Steven peered out the right side of his viewport as a UNSC ship entered the system. "This is Captain James F. Falcon of the UNSC destroyer Darkhawk. Does anybody read?" He asked. Steven looked at his control panel of his fighter and hit the intercom. "This is Commander Steven Bono of the 105th fighter squadron!" he replied as ship captains reported in. Fifty-six Longswords passed in front of the Darkhawk. "Alright ladies we do this one by the book, you with me Darington?" asked the lead pilot of the second wave of the Darkhawks fighters. "I'm with you Keller." Answered Darington. "Alright people here we go!" said Keller. The Longswords spilt up into groups of four. Steven and Hawk five grouped up with Keller and Darington. They banked right and opened up with their 50mm chain guns onto a shadow. It was to fast. "Goddammit, their to damn quick. Alright standby hellfire missiles." Ordered Steven.
"Eagle one, fox one." Said Keller. Steven and the others did the same. As the missiles approached the shadow the shadow spat two smaller shadows at the missiles and as soon as they impacted the hellfire's redirected their course at the Longswords. Darington, Keller and Bono dodged them but Hawk five was to slow. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, you god damn sons a bitches!" screamed Steven. Steven looked to his right viewport and saw shadows board the Darkhawk. "Damn they're boarding the ships everybody return to the Darkhawk. As the Longswords retreated to the ship more shadows entered the system.
They landed their fighters and sped off to the armory. They each took a Battle Rifle and ran to the bridge. When they arrived there was already a lot of security guarding the area. "Steven ran to where Falcon was and saluted him. "Welcome gentlemen." He said. He looked out the window "It's a hell of a mess out there isn't it?" Nobody answered him. "I thought so." He said as he looked back into the viewport. "Well we have enough security here so if you don't mind, I need you and your troops down in sector seven. Our troops aren't able to hold back these things." Said Falcon.
"But sir," said Bono, "How are we suppose to fight these shadows with rifles, if we can't take them out with the Swords?" he asked. Falcon looked at him and said "There ground troops aren't shadows. There these monstrous beasts with a hammer for one hand. We can kill them on the surface, but we can't kill them in space, we don't have the technology yet. Now if you wouldn't mind this is where I need you to be." Falcon turned and looked at an officer and said "Ensign." The officer looked up at him at nodded then looked back down at the control panel and tapped on his console and a holographic map appeared on screen.
Falcon turned and pointed at a red section of the ship. He turned back and saluted them knowing he may not see them again. Bono and his men saluted and sped off to sector seven.
