Chapter Twelve – Rain
0717 Hours, August 30, 2552 (Military Calendar) /
Epsilon Eridani system, Orbital Defense Generator
Facility A-331, planet Reach.
A light drizzle had begun.
Jack activated his HUD magnification from atop a hillside southwest of West Bunker and zoomed in on the ridgeline. Three Banshees sped towards the main facility in a delta formation, their wing pods aglow.
Still watching them approach, Jack activated the COM and spoke to the other squad leaders.
"3rd and 4th squads, keep your eyes on those Banshees. Hold your fire until I confirm the order to attack. It may be Alpha Team. I'll try and signal Red-One."
He did. There was no answer.
"3rd, 4th, and 5th keep turrets trained on those things. Rockets hold fire until they are within optimal range. We can't afford any misses. 2nd squad, prepare to blow these things out of the sky if 3rd and 4th are in trouble. Wait until my mark to fire."
Four acknowledgement lights blinked back from all four squad leaders.
"Roger that, Green-One," Logan added. He seemed excited to use the tanks. But Jack also knew he would hold out until he gave the order. They had plenty of ammunition. But Jack wasn't sure yet how great of an assault they would be facing. Hopefully Fred and the others were in those Banshees with good news.
The Banshees dipped down towards the main facility in attack formation.
"Hold your fire..." Jack nearly whispered into the COM, then shouted, "Red-One, respond! This is SPARTAN-067. Confirm identification..." He simply refused to believe that Fred, Kelly, and Joshua were dead. He had to know for sure before...
The Banshees opened fire.
Three brilliant green plasma torpedoes arced from the Banshees, one towards each bunker, and the third towards the main facility. Three emerald explosions sent chunks of concrete through the air; metallic surfaces fused together as they melted.
"OPEN FIRE!" Jack shouted into the COM, as he raised his SRS99C-S2 AM sniper rifle and sighted through the scope at the lead Banshee. He heard Rachel fire her own beside him; the round pinged off the craft's armored side. Jack fired his own round.
The lead Banshee's left wing pod shattered, and the alien craft began a screeching spiral towards the main facility, just as the Spartans opened fire with their turrets. The Banshee was shredded apart by the combined fire and exploded, showering SPARTAN-144, Daniel, in hot debris and washing him in fire and plasma.
The other two Banshees swerved as two rockets raced from West and East Bunkers to meet them. One hit its mark and the Banshee exploded instantly. The other just missed its target. The third and final Banshee began to open fire with its main cannons, peppering East Bunker with blue plasma bursts.
Boom!
A tank shell punched the Banshee out of the sky, courtesy of Logan.
Jack cursed and activated the COM.
"Squad leaders, damage assessment," he said, forcing himself to sound calm. He had to look in control, despite the fact that he'd hesitated too long to order the squads to open fire, that it was his fault they'd been hit so hard.
"Green-Seven reporting, sir. 3rd squad is alright here at West Bunker. That plasma torpedo took out one of our turrets, but Eric was able to avoid the blast."
"Good. Green-Nine?"
"4th squad is green, sir. Plasma torpedo shook us, but it missed by a good six meters. Turrets are operational. I won't be missing again with this rocket launcher anytime soon, sir."
"Of course. 5th squad? What's your status?"
"Green-Sixteen reporting, sir," Daniel said, coughing, "Their torpedo missed as well. I was hit by some debris, but my shields took the brunt of it. I'm alright."
"Good to hear, Green-Sixteen. 2nd squad?"
"Alive and here whenever you need us, Green-One."
"Alright then," Jack began, when Rachel put a hand on his arm and pointed towards the ridgeline.
"Look," she said through her external speakers.
"Hold, Green Team," Jack said as he hit his helmet magnification and peered at the range of hills beyond the valley to the south.
Two more Banshee trios soared over the crest of the ridge. Only this time, Jack noticed, eight of the smaller hills below moved.
Wraiths.
The Covenant tanks cruised slowly across the open plain as both Banshee squadrons pulled ahead. They were going to pin the Spartans down while the Wraiths got within range. From there, it would only be a matter of time before the generator complex was bombarded into rubble. Jack keyed the COM.
"3rd, 4th and 5th squads prepare to take out those Banshees. Do not hesitate to open fire. 2nd squad, I want you in position to open fire on those Wraiths. Get out there and hit them before they are within range of the facility."
"Sir," Logan said, "What about our Spartan on the 'Hog?"
Jack thought a moment, then responded.
"Have him pick up 3rd squad's extra man. Let Eric take gunner. Have Green-Nine at East Bunker join you in passenger with the rocket launcher. Perhaps he needs to get up close and personal to use that thing properly," Jack said sarcastically, but the Spartans didn't have time to laugh at the joke, "You three will take the Warthog and assist 2nd squad in taking out those Wraiths. Understood?"
Acknowledgement lights confirmed the order.
"Move out, Spartans," Jack said. He was bargaining here. Giving up 4th squad's rocket support to assist the tanks would weaken East Bunker's defenses. At the same time, 2nd squads tanks would be sitting ducks to those Banshees without some swift cover from the Warthog. Jack just hoped he was making the right decision. He promised to help cover East Bunker with his sniper to make up for the lost man.
Jack sighted on the first trio of incoming Banshees. He tracked the eastern-most one, but couldn't get a clear shot. Rachel, who had moved further along up the hillside from where Jack now stood, did however.
She fired once, twice.
The third shot hit home.
The round found its mark through an opening in the back of the Banshee and tore through the Elite's armor within. The Banshee's pods ceased glowing as the craft powered down, the pilot ejected from its bulbous cockpit, lifeless. Jack didn't have the satisfaction of watching the Elite plummet and smack upon the ground.
Instead, he now watched the other two Banshees swerve to avoid machine gun rounds, opening fire with their own weaponry. A rocket from West Bunker took out the Banshee closest to them. The final one launched its plasma torpedo, which detonated against one of the main facility's turrets in a wash of green fire. The Spartan manning it was thrown several meters backward. The Banshee was ripped apart by all eight remaining turrets.
Jack didn't have time to check on his fallen comrade, and instead tracked 2nd squad's progress through his sniper scope. Logan and SPARTAN-090, Akiko, each rolled their tanks from behind one of the bunkers, Logan from West and Akiko from East. SPARTAN-021 Grant had picked up Eric and Green-Nine, Andrew, from both bunkers. The Warthog now sped ahead of Logan and Akiko, straight down the middle of the valley towards the eight Wraith tanks.
Jack heard the whine of a Banshee and threw himself to the ground. A plasma torpedo exploded above his head, splashing him in hot green magma and chunks of blistering rock.
o o o
Eric held on tightly to the chain gun as the Warthog picked up speed, spewing grass and dirt behind it. The approaching storm had begun to increase in intensity; rain now pelted Eric's visor from a nearly horizontal direction. Far out of range to shoot at the Wraiths yet, he swiveled the gunner position to face behind them and watched as the first trio of Banshees was taken out.
He heard first, then saw the next trio fly overhead. He aligned the machine gun's targeting reticle and opened fire on the one closest to him. The bullets pinged off its rear, but did little damage. The Warthog was already speeding out of range. For better or worse, the Banshees had decided to leave them alone and go after the facility. One of them tilted and glided for Jack and Rachel's position in the western hills.
Eric swiveled forward again and tracked the nearest of the Wraiths. He was determined to do everything in his power to take them down. Even if he had to leap from the Warthog and board one himself.
Logan's voice echoed over the COM channel to them.
"Akiko and I are almost in range. When we hit those things, see if you can flank them and gut them from behind. If it gets too hot, pull back for a while, then strike again. Can I get a 'sir, yes sir!'?"
Everyone on the Warthog winked their acknowledgement lights instead.
"Fine. Then cover your ears. This'll be loud."
A tank shell thundered over their heads and detonated against one of the Wraith tanks. The dark blue, armored beast rotated to face the new threat...then sighted on the incoming Warthog.
Another Scorpion round soared in from the East, catching the Wraith in its side. The shell lanced through the alien tank, wrenching debris and blue fire out from the opposite side. Smoke belched from the Covenant artillery and it moved no more.
Three more Wraiths turned towards them.
Two of them each sighted on one of the Spartans' tanks from afar and launched great, shimmering orbs of blue-white plasma into the sky. The third Wraith drifted towards the Warthog. The last four Covenant tanks proceeded across the valley towards the generator complex. The Wraith now approaching the Warthog opened fire.
Grant spun the wheel and the Warthog swerved to avoid the blast. Eric opened fire with the turret, peppering the vehicle's armored front. Andrew sighted on the Wraith with his rocket launcher.
"Get me closer," Andrew demanded calmly, holding perfectly still despite the jumble of the Warthog.
Two more tank rounds crackled overhead, and one of the Wraiths exploded. Logan's voice broke in over the static of the COM.
"Akiko, bail, now!"
They heard a distant explosion. One of the Wraith bombs had found its mark.
"Akiko!" Logan screamed. His Scorpion barely rolled out of the way of the other Wraith blast, and the explosion took out his right treads. He was grounded, but aimed the tank's cannon nonetheless and opened fire again.
The Wraith tracking the Warthog was hit, but still intact. Grant spun the jeep out to the side, then turned sharply back in, passing the Wraith by two meters. Eric continued a steady barrage of lead, puncturing the Wraith's side and disabling it. As they passed behind it, Andrew let loose a rocket into the backside of the Wraith, blowing it apart in a bright blue flash. The last one, however, unleashed another airborne blob towards Logan's distant tank.
Grant hit the accelerator and sped them towards the remaining Wraith. Eric opened up anew with his machine gun, hoping to draw its attention. Another shell echoed from Logan's tank, and the Wraith took the hit without flinching. However, it now shifted towards the incoming Warthog.
"We need to get out of here!" Eric shouted over the rattle of the machine gun, as the Warthog closed in on the Wraith. His previous determination had vanished in the face of cold reality.
"Hold on..." Andrew whispered over the COM, sighting on the Wraith. "I have the shot..."
"Grant! Get us out, now!" Eric repeated.
Grant seemed torn between both options. He decided to trust Andrew instead, and put the Warthog at full speed towards the Wraith. They had to destroy it before it fired another shot. At this range, it wouldn't be missing. Eric kept his finger tight on the trigger, hoping to hit a weak spot on the metallic monster somewhere.
"Andrew, shoot it!"
"Just a little closer..."
"Andrew, NOW!"
The Wraith fired.
o o o
The Scorpion's cannon belched one more round. Logan hoped to give Eric and the others a better chance at killing the Wraith tank. He quickly popped the hatch and crawled out, just as the simmering collection of plasma reached the peak of its curve and began its descent.
Logan leapt from his damaged tank and ran as fast as he could. He felt the explosion behind him as the Wraith bomb impacted and the Scorpion exploded. The Spartan was thrown to the ground, his shields drained.
He rose and watched as two of the second trio of Banshees were blown out of the sky by the other squads. Where was the third one?
Logan looked back at the last four Wraiths now positioned within range of the generator complex. They opened fire, hurling orbs of plasma skyward. Logan turned his gaze towards the Warthog now accelerating towards the Wraith that had destroyed his Scorpion tank. The Wraith fired.
o o o
Grant slammed on the emergency brake and swerved to the right, placing himself in front of the sphere of plasma. Andrew's rocket streaked forth in a plume of smoke and flew wide, missing. Eric held on tight to the turret as the Warthog slid sideways through the mud and the blast hit them.
A blue flash, a ripple of searing heat, and Eric opened his eyes.
The world spun in loops before him. Everything felt slow as the Warthog spiraled through the air. Eric felt them crunch into the ground, bounce, and continue tumbling. His shields flared and faded, and the last thing he heard was the blaring shield indicator and the grinding crunch of steel.
o o o
Jack's shields flickered red, and he rose to his feet in a dash for new cover behind another outcropping of rock. He heard several sniper rounds crack from Rachel's rifle, and he looked behind him to see the Banshee turn its nose in her direction.
No.
Jack slid to a stop, then charged back after the Banshee, now hovering slowly above the ground. Rachel ducked behind the boulder as the alien craft fired sizzling blobs of blue plasma at her. Jack felt his shields begin to recharge as he leapt atop the Covenant aircraft, grabbing hold of one of its wings with one hand and reaching out with the other to pry open the hatch.
The Banshee rolled sharply to the side, out over the cliff edge hundreds of feet above the valley. Jack nearly lost his grip, but clamped on tight as the alien pilot tried to shake him off. Jack knew that Rachel watched him now, unable to try and help him lest she shoot him or damage the Banshee. It was up to him, and him alone, now.
The Banshee stopped resisting and angled to shoot at Rachel on the hillside. Her rock cover wouldn't last too long against a sustained barrage of plasma, let alone one of the torpedoes. Jack tried to strike the wing pod and send the Banshee off course, but it was just out of reach. His sniper rifle had been left behind on the hill. He was running out of options.
Jack remembered something the Chief had taught him about options.
He activated his deep space thrusters and held on tight. The Banshee spiraled out of control, screeching sharp loops in the air. Jack felt himself slipping and shut off the thrusters. The Banshee realigned itself and pulled into an upwards back flip. As the flier righted itself, it activated its boosters and accelerated forward at an alarming rate. Jack struggled to maintain his grip on the back of the wing. With a sudden jolt, the Banshee whiplashed out to the side in a roll. Jack lost his grip and was flung into the air.
The ground waited hundreds of feet below.