Chapter 6: On the Offensive
Marine Defense Line
"You're not serious." Karla gaped as Mackenzie explained his plan to her. "Counterattacking the Covenant while we're in the middle of a holding action?"
"I know, it's not pretty." Mackenzie replied, "But it's the quickest way to end this conflict. I don't want you or any of my other Marines getting torn apart in this civil war."
"What if the Covenant that so politely allied with us decide that we're not worth keeping around?"
"Then we'll blow their asses to hell along with the rest of them." Mackenzie said humorlessly.
Karla sighed and looked around the command tent. It was filled with both human and Covenant staff, all trying to coordinate their movements with each other. It didn't really help that neither side spoke the same language or thought the same way, but as long as they could form some semblance of a line and shoot in the right direction, things just might work out.
Meanwhile, there was still fierce fighting in multiple points on the line, especially at the human/Covenant flank. The Loyalist Covenant were still determined to try and break that section, thereby severing the Separatists from their human allies and allowing them to annihilate both forces at their leisure.
As if the Marines would ever let that happen.
"Damnit." Paccone cursed as he saw yet another Loyalist convoy approaching the line. "How many rockets do we have left?"
"Uh, just the ones you're carrying with you, sir." Kumi said sheepishly.
That meant two M12 rockets to hold off a convoy with over a dozen armored vehicles.
"Where the hell are those Shades? I thought they got them up and running again!"
"We've got three, and that's about it."
"Son of a bitch. At this rate, we'll have to hold off these tanks with our bare hands."
There were a couple of thunderous cracks, and two of the leading Loyalist vehicles suddenly veered of the road and crashed.
"At least it looks like Sam's still having fun." Kumi grinned.
Miller Memorial Hospital
Sam sighed as she shot through yet another Wraith tank. Sniping tank crews had its kick at first, but soon Sam realized that it wasn't really that much of a challenge shooting a big slow tank and quickly grew bored.
"I hope you've found something more interesting to shoot, Leo."
"Oh yeah, as if my priorities were pleasing you over living to see the next day." Leo grumbled, "Besides, after the last ten tries, I don't think the Covvies have any officers left to lead an infantry charge, or at least any with enough guts to come out in anything other than an armored vehicle."
Suddenly, an energy beam pierced the window of a nearby room. Sam and Leo had purposely set up a fake firing position in that room to draw potential enemy fire, and it appeared to have worked.
"Yes!" Sam smiled, "we've got competition. You see where that beam came from?"
"Yeah." Leo had managed to trace the beam back to an office building several blocks away. If Covenant snipers had one severe flaw, it was the fact that their weapons left a very obvious way to reveal their positions.
"Got him." Sam grinned as she saw the Jackal's head evaporate. "What an amateur."
Suddenly, a fusillade of beam rifle shots peppered the hospital walls and windows, sending glass and concrete debris flying everywhere. Obviously, the first Jackal had been bait to try and lure out the sniper that had been causing them so much trouble.
"Numbers over skill, typical Covvie thinking." Sam sighed as she pulled away from the window. "To the next hiding spot I suppose."
Marine Defense Line
"Bad news." Kumi ducked as Paccone fired his final rocket. "We've got no sniper support. Sam and Leo are pinned by Covvie snipers and they're still trying to get to a new firing position."
"Lovely. Looks like we've got do things the old fashioned way then." Paccone got up and ran over to where Alvarado and the remains of his squad were positioned.
"Well, good to see that you're still alive." Alvarado said as he fired several rifle bursts down the street. "As you can see, we've picked up a few extra teammates."
Paccone glanced over to see an Elite and a knot of Grunts taking positions alongside Alvarado's men. No matter how he looked at it, Paccone could not shake the surreal feeling of the situation.
"So what can we do for you?" Alvarado asked.
"Do you remember that instructional seminar that taught us the basics of commandeering Covenant vehicles?"
"Yeah..." Alvarado said somewhat cautiously.
"Well, I think it's time for us to procure our own ride. What do you say?"
"I'd say you're fucking insane. But then again, I'm covering an Elite's ass right here, so I don't really know what classifies as sane anymore."
"Good." Paccone patted Alvarado on the back. "Now we just need something to draw the Wraiths' fire."
The Elite raised his head and apparently understood what Paccone wanted to do. He turned to the Grunts and yelled something at them in his garbled alien language. The Grunts hesitated, looked at each other, and began doing what looked like a Covenant version of rock paper scissors.
"Looks like they're trying to see who's turn it is." Alvardo pointed out.
Finally, one Grunt stepped away from the group, took a deep breath, and ran screaming across the street. Plasma fire began to trace the running Grunt, stitching the ground with blackened pockmarks until the Grunt miraculously reached the safety of the other side of the street. Determined to finish the job, a pair of Wraiths slowly lumbered down the street.
"Now!' Paccone yelled as he scrambled from cover.
The first Wraith was relatively easy to take, as its commander had left the hatch open to get a better view. Paccone climbed to the top of the Wraith and physically yanked the commander out of the hatch, where Alvarado and his men finished him off. Paccone then leapt into the vehicle and gunned down its hapless crew.
Meanwhile, the Elite and his Grunts swarmed the second Wraith. The Elite pried the hatch open. Plasma fire erupted from the open hatch, catching a Grunt in the face. Before its body managed to tumble off the vehicle, the other Grunts were already swarming inside, plasma pistols blazing.
"So do you know how to drive this thing?" Alvarado asked.
"Nope, I just plan on pushing random buttons and switches until something happens." Paccone replied.
Meanwhile, in the next street over, Shiela was fighting desperately for her life as Wraiths began closing in on her.
"We're running low on shells!" Shion said nervously.
"Scottie! Get us an escape route!" Wrall yelled.
"Where do you want me to go?!" Scottie yelled back, "We got tanks in front of us, tanks behind us, and walls to either side! It's not exactly a country drive, you know!"
"We're in a goddamn Scorpion tank! Plow through something!"
Kazi groaned, "Don't tell me we're going to-"
Paccone and Alvarado watched in amazement as Shiela smashed through the concrete wall in front of them. Their momentary disbelief was replaced with alarm as they caught sight of Loyalist Wraiths trying to enter the breach.
"Fire!" Paccone yelled to Alvarado, who was at the gun controls.
"I'm trying to figure out which one it is!"
"Just push the big blue one in the middle!"
"Is that it?"
"I don't know," Paccone shrugged, "what else can it possibly do?"
Alvarado hit the button. The Wraith's plasma mortar suddenly whined to life and fired, but the shot was high and slammed into the side of a building, raining molten debris down on the Wraiths. The Elite commanding the second Wraith was more successful, managing to score a direct hit on the leading Wraith. The stricken tank crashed, blocking the opening in the wall. With their entry point blocked, the rest of the Wraiths were forced to find an alternate route.
"Thanks for the assist there." Wrall said over the radio, "Though you could've given us a bit more warning. I damn near would've shot you if I had any shells left."
"And I missed you too, Wrall." Paccone replied. "Now turn that hunk of junk around and show these Covvies what the Marines can do!"
Miller Memorial Hospital
Sam fired one shot, killing a Jackal, but was quickly repaid with several dozen energy beams splashing against the windows and walls. Sam cursed and ducked behind a hospital bed.
"That's one down!"
"Yeah, at this rate, we'll probably have the rest of them by the end of the week." Leo replied, "There's got to be a better way to do this."
"I think I've got an idea." Sam activated her radio, "Sarge, you still alive?"
"What do you think, Private?" Paccone replied cheerfully.
Sam frowned. There was some sort of odd humming noise in the background, but she couldn't quite identify it.
"I've got a favor to ask. You've got any heavy firepower with you?"
"Heavy firepower? I'm sitting in the middle of it right now." Paccone laughed. "What do you need?"
"A little fire support on that office building a few blocks to the east of my position. The big green one."
As soon as the words had left her mouth, Sam saw several plasma bolts slam into the side of the building, melting concrete and shattering glass.
Leo looked on and said, "You don't think…"
"Oh, it's very possible."
"Well, in any case," Leo glanced through is sights, "I don't think those Jackals are going to give us any problems."
An energy beam suddenly shot through a broken window and obliterated a water pitcher sitting on a nearby table.
"Well there are obviously a few of them left." Sam aimed her rifle and snuggled her sights over another Jackal's head…
Marine Defense Line
Kumi suddenly realized that she was all alone.
That was the worst feeling ever, to be alone in the middle of a warzone. Sam and Leo were of in their little hiding spot, and Paccone had disappeared the second she looked the other way. The only friendly people she could see were Covenant and Marines she hardly knew.
"Come on soldier, we're moving forward."
"What?" Kumi looked up and was startled to see Nicole standing over her. Kumi was both amazed and scared at how a person in such heavy armor could move so quietly.
"New orders." The Spartan continued coldly, "We're pushing forward."
"What about the reinforcements?"
"Well, they'll just have to catch up with us." Nicole slammed a fresh clip into her battle rifle, effectively ending the conversation.
Command Post
"I hope you know what you're doing, sir." Karla said cautiously as she observed the allied forces moving forward. "If our offensive is pushed back, well, I don't want to think about what would happen."
"It's a gamble we have to take." Mackenzie said confidently.
"I'm going."
"What?" Mackenzie turned around just in time to see Karla leaving. "Where are you going, Captain?"
"Somebody has to lead the charge in, sir, and frankly, I really can't trust anybody else to do it." Karla turned on her radio and said, "Williams, Tarin, get the Warthog prepped and ready to go."
"Roger that, Captain."
"Captain, what do you want us to do with the Elite?"
"What?"
"You know, the one called Mako."
"What does he want?" Karla frowned.
"He wants to come along with us. He's got his own Ghost and everything. Keeps saying something about 'fulfilling a promise' to his brother."
Karla stopped and thought for a second. She still wasn't quite sure if Mako was trustworthy or not. Even though he seemed to be swayed by the fact that his own species had split from the Covenant, she didn't want to take too many chances.
"Ah, to hell with it." Karla muttered to herself. She could use the extra firepower. "We can bring to him along, just make sure he doesn't try anything funny."
"Roger that, Captain."
Karla sighed and glanced at the fighting going on all along the defense line. If this half-assed counterattack managed to break the enemy offensive, maybe, just maybe they'd live to see the next day.