Jack Rell crouched behind the lifeboat, hearing the sound of marines on the other side screaming and firing, coloured streams of sizzling energy flying overhead, some slamming into the lifeboat and sending molten steal in a arch around him. The Covenant had seen them before they had crashed onto the ring, and already had been waiting once the lifeboat rattled to a stop. He risked a look around the side, and blood sprayed the side of his face as a marine had a plasma bolt slice trough his chest, his M6D Pistol falling to the ground, just inches from where Jack was cowering, trying to wipe off the blood.
Dear God, how did I get myself into this, he asked himself, realizing he was only spreading the blood further over his face. Jack was an engineer, who had more or less no battle skills, at least, not any military. He had spent the beginning of his life living in a very rugged part of Earth, in the East. He had learnt how to use most weapons, and treat minor wounds but his heart had always been the running of ships. He had thrown a huge party when he had been told he would be working with the engine on the Pillar Of Autumn.
He was suddenly brought back to reality when a plasma blast blew through the side of the lifeboat, just inches from his head, singeing a few stray hairs on his head.
"Hell!" He yelled, dropping from his knees to the ground, staying flat. The sound of plasma firing was getting stronger, but the sound of automatic, gas-powered rifles were still roaring away.
Since Jack had joined the Navy, he had never seen a Covenant creature up close before, unless looking at one through a telescope counts, until one loomed out from behind a tree not far away from Jack, behind the lifeboat. It wasn't tall, but it wasn't short either. It was wearing a yellow suit; sticking up at the back like it was made of hard metal. The creature was wearing a gas mask, and was carrying a glowing green object in its left hand. Jack recognized it instantly through the squeals it was making, gesturing towards him with both arms. A Grunt with an overcharged Plasma Pistol.
Jack instinctively rolled to the side, moving out from behind the lifeboat and entering the firing range of the Covenant shooting at the marines. The Grunt fired the pistol, the charged bolt melting part of the lifeboat where Jack had been. He reached over, grabbed the pistol, and turned back, towards the Grunt. The Grunt aimed the pistol at Jack, the green charging again. He pulled the trigger, a 12.7 mm bullet covering the distance between the Grunt and the pistol, and slammed into its head, spraying its brains onto the piece of armour behind its head. It fell backwards, the shot going wild. Then two more Grunts came out from behind the trees.
"Dammit." Jack cursed. He turned, and ran around the lifeboat, plasma flying overhead. He sprinted to Sergeant Rae, the current commanding officer.
"Sergeant, we have Covenant getting in behind us!" Jack yelled over the gunfire. Rae stopped for a second and looked at him, sheer hatred in his eyes.
"Right then!" He yelled in his British accent.
"Soldiers! Grab everything you need for a few days hike and get the fuck over to those hills in that direction!" He screamed, pointing towards a set of hills in the designated northeast set just after a large forest. Everyone fired their last few shots, then ran into the lifeboat, grabbing med kits, ammo and anything else they were able to grab.
Sergeant Rae stood outside the door, firing at anything that didn't look remotely human. They had been on the ring for the past two days, constantly being attacked by the covenant, not given a chance to leave the boat and get anywhere. There had been night raids, day raids, Elites in light bending camouflages, and a Ghost attack, which was stopped with two rounds from an M19 SSM Rocket Launcher.
The launcher was grabbed by a marine, Private Chuck MacGilly. The soldiers and Jack then ran out of the lifeboat, Rae screaming harsh, British insults at the Covenant, cutting them down on both sides. Marines were able to fire three or four shots from their MA5B Assault Rifles but not without dropping them from the shots, causing one to stop and pick his up, leaving him vulnerable to be picked off by an Elite armed with a Needler.
The man was literally blown apart, blood splattering the ground around him. Jack's eyes were wide open, his left arm holding the pistol, his other holding onto a box of food, some medical supplies and a few packets of cigarettes, ordered to hold for Sergeant Rae. The Marines ran into the line of trees of the forest, the light slowly dissipating through the leaves.
The squeals of the Grunts, and roars from the Elites were lost behind them, as the men ran through the trees, heading towards the hills in the background. As the men moved forward, a strange mist seemed to settle in, making it hard for them to know which way to go.
"Sarge, where in hell are we?" An Indian, Harij, asked, his arm holding his rifle swinging in every direction. Rae strode over to Harij and pushed him forward slightly, everything in his arms falling to the ground, including the rifle. Rae spun him around and grabbed him by his throat, slamming him against a tree.
"Every time you open your mouth to ask a stupid question, you give our position straight to the five camouflaged Elites around us, who are looking away. Do you understand, marine?" Rae growled, almost inhumanly. Jack looked around, hoping not to see shimmering movements in the mist. However, he did raise his pistol and fire at a black object moving in the distance. It didn't have a specific shape, but it didn't look human. Everyone spun around and faced Jack.
"I saw something!" He cried out, slowly backing away from the direction he had shot in. Rae looked around, Harij picking up his rifle again, as well as everything else he had been carrying.
"Okay, we continue to move towards the hills, then we might be able to find a way to see if anyone else is alive." Rae ordered, after not seeing anything in the distance. The Marines began to move again, moving towards the hills. The mist intensified, and the light continued to diminish. Rae pulled back and walked alongside Jack.
"What did you see?" He asked. Jack thought about the black figure.
"It was a dark shadow. It was big, bigger than a human, but I couldn't see its full shape, just a blur." Jack explained. The sergeant thought for a while.
"And ever since this fog set in, I've been getting this feeling of being watched…from every angle." He added. Rae nodded.
"Don't worry, I've been having the same feeling." He said quietly. All of a sudden, everyone stopped, nearly trampling the man at the front, who stopped first.
"Where's Harij?" The man suddenly called out.