Chapter 14
0630 hours, January 24, 2552 (Military Calendar)
High Charity/ Capital Ship landing bay
Ando Mormoslee and the Commander hurried out of the Fabled Prophecy with Ando's squad of grunts, elites, and newly adorned hunters. From what High Charity's security system told, Ando and the Commander could tell that the parasite, also known as the flood, was wreaking havoc in the Holy City.
Just as well, the brutes, jackals, drones, and what shocked them the most, the prophets, had betrayed them. Thousands of warships were fighting each other over the holy city at that very moment.
"My brothers," Ando started. "We are to fight our way through High Charity and make contact with a squad of elites that was sent down here an hour ago. Any brute, jackal, or drone in our way is to be conquered, they have betrayed us and we shall show them our wrath! The next thing we need to discuss is the Flood, if one of your team is taken and infected by the Flood, you must kill him before he can spread to any other life forms. Whether it be your best friend or even your Commander, you must neutralize the threat immediately. It may seem harsh, but we cannot risk the Flood spreading. Should the Flood cross your path, the weaponry to use against them is the Energy Swords and the fuel rod cannons. Grunts are forbidden to use the Energy Swords," he said, turning to face them. "You are to use only fuel rod cannons. Hunters," he indicated towards the metal behemoths, "you have your Fuel Rod Cannons."
The team of covenant raised their guns in compliance and followed Ando to the hangar door.
"Ando," The commander said. "I shall stay here and protect the ship with the others. Good luck."
Ando nodded and went through the hangar door.
Ando and his team had entered a large room where many brutes, jackals, and drones were fighting against the flood. The jackals fired ineffective plasma at the flood while drones flew all over the area firing their plasma pistols. Beserking brutes were ripping apart their foes like the animals they were but were abruptly put down when fuel rods impacted the entire battleground. Seeing a new enemy, the flood started to open fire with an assortment of weapons, Covenant and human. Yim Yam took out his plasma pistol and shot an infection form that had flown straight at his face.
"Grunts!" Ando yelled. "Use your plasma weapons to destroy the infection forms. Leave the combat forms to us! For the New Covenant! Fight my brothers!" The elites cut apart the flood with their powerful energy swords as the giant hunters raised their shields and fired bright green beams of light from their fuel rod cannons completely burning the flood in emerald flames.
"Help! Yim Yam, help Pi Pi!" Pi Pi cried as an infection form attached itself to the grunt's face. Yim Yam stood there frozen in fear, the grunts then squeezed his eyes shut and pulled the trigger of his pistol…
Kyle silently stealth killed the two brutes guarding the dropship onboard the Fabled Prophecy and sent the all clear signal. From what he and his team saw onboard the carrier… it was that the brutes, jackals, and drones were fighting against the elites, hunters, and grunts.
"Get inside this dropship; it's time to get outta here!" Kyle said. Bastila had told them over the COM that Andrew and the others had escaped already.
Spartan- 211, the team's vehicle specialist, sat down at the dropship's controls and jabbed at many different buttons.
"You sure you know how to pilot this bird?" Monica asked raising her eyebrow.
"Um…" 211 pressed another button and the spartans could feel the dropship float up. "Now I do."
"Okay, gear up spartans! Squad leader's AI reported that the Flood is currently on this "Holy City", energy swords and shotguns work exceptionally well on them." Soon each spartan had been equipped with at least a Covenant energy sword or a shotgun. Kyle, who had chose to dual wield energy swords, told Spartan-211 to get ready.
"There are three turrets on this ship, who wants to have some fun?"
The commander and his team had been so busy holding off the flood invaders and the brutes that they didn't notice the dropship leaving the hangar bay…
"Bastila… whatever you do, don't fly into that hangar." Andrew said quietly.
"Why's that?" Bastila replied.
"Because the Flood is in that hangar and are WAITING FOR US! TURN AROUND!" Andrew yelled as rockets and boiling plasma shot straight at the dropship.
"Hang on…" Bastila replied, her voice was thick with concentration. Andrew and Smith grabbed the side of the prison cell, just in time too. The dropship made a sharp turn and made Evan fly to the other side of the dropship where he lay unconscious.
"Jesus, he must be drinking on the job again…"
"What the hell… Andrew, look at that." Bastila said awestruck. Andrew peered out the window and saw a UNSC ship had crashed into a wall. Below the dropship, a pelican had crashed onto a landing platform where countless flood fought against two unlucky brutes.
"Get inside that ship Bastila, there might be humans in there." Andrew said.
"Or flood." Bastila replied grimly.
"Spartan-249 to spartan-283, do you copy?" Andrew said over the COM.
There was a pause then Kyle's voice said, "Andrew? Where are you?"
"Just meet me in the crashed UNSC ship, it's near a landing platform, got it?"
There was another pause and Kyle finally said, "Got it." Then there was silence.
The dropship entered the UNSC ship, In Amber Clad's, single hangar bay. Inside there were seven regular pelicans and 8 Longsword fighters. Andrew, Smith, and a revived Evan exited the dropship looked around. Besides a couple of stray infection forms, there was no movement. Weaponless, the three spartans walked around the hangar until Andrew ran across two dead marines. One had been armed with a sniper rifle while the other had two magnum pistols. Andrew tossed the sniper rifle to Smith and a magnum to Evan, now armed with a single pistol, the three spartans waited for the other's arrival…
The burnt remains of the infection form fell to the ground and Yim Yam sighed in relief. Pi Pi was alive although he was severely wounded. Yim Yam took out a med pack and handed it to Pi Pi, the grunt then took out his fuel rod cannon and sighted a group of Flood.
"Big bad parasites aren't so tough now!" Yim Yam chuckled.
But then a new enemy joined the battle.
Ando Mormoslee looked up and saw a flock of Sentinels fly in, they then opened fire with their blue and red sentinel beams. Flood forms burned, Covenant died, yet the team still stood strong. Two grunts fired their fuel rod cannons at the flock and took out three before the sentinels converged on them. Yim Yam was standing near a wounded grunt shooting his fuel rod cannon rapidly at the sentinels.
"Regroup! Elites, use your plasma rifles! Destroy these machines with everything you've got!" Ando roared. At the other end of the room, a door opened, and out came a single, white ultra elite followed by one hunter and 11 grunts. They also opened fire upon the machines until there was no more.
Ando looked at what remained of his squad. Two elites, three hunters, and seven grunts… the rest of his squad had fallen in battle.
"Gold commander," The white armored elite said, rather surprised. "You have been sent to find the missing team?"
"Yes, have you seen them?" Ando replied.
The elite looked down and said, "I am what remains of that team. I ran into this squad when I was making my way through the Holy City. The prophets have escaped."
"And what of this ring world?" Ando asked.
"The prophets were wrong, the Arbiter informed us that the Sacred Rings are used to destroy all life."
"The Arbiter? I haven't seen him for years!" Ando said having once served under the elite. "Where is he now?"
"We lost contact with him a while ago."
Suddenly Yim Yam waddled over to the elites and said, "Transmission coming from commander sir!"
"Gold commander," The commander of the Fabled Prophecy said. "Have you made contact with the team?"
"No, well, actually, in a matter of fact, yes. Only the CO survived though." Ando replied.
"Damn, well, we need you to return to the Fabled Prophecy. We have something to show you."
"Yes commander." Ando answered. "Okay men! Return to the Fabled Prophecy!"
Suddenly, a Flood-like screech sounded somewhere behind the door in which the CO had came through.
"Gold Commander…" The CO started. "I must make up for the blood I have spilt. I shall stay behind and stop the Flood from passing this room."
Ando stared at the elite for a second and nodded. With that, the white armored elite went back through the door.
"Okay men! Let's move out!" Ando yelled.