cнαρтєя 9 - α мσηυмєηт тσ αℓℓ уσυя ѕιηѕ
A/N: Yeah, uh, I'm sorry for the lack of inspiration, I guess, with Emile & Carter surviving. I didn't know what else to do.
The ride in the Pelican had been gone smoothly, until a Phantom and Banshees caught sight of them and began chasing. Emile had grabbed a spare grenade launcher from the Pelican's hangar, and began defending them, firing at the Banshees. Cate had also helped, firing at the Banshees with her Magnum.
Kat, who had been watching Emile and Cate's attempts, looking over at Carter, who had been largely silent during the chase. His newer helmet was on, but he suddenly threw it off, his hands dropping weakly by his side. There was blood splattered on the windscreen in front of him.
"Commander!" Kat cried, rushing up to him. "You're badly injured!"
Carter coughed slightly, and turned to face Kat; his face was bleeding badly. "I have to get you off." He weakly said.
Kat shook her head, about to reply, when Dot interrupted, "Noble Leader, seek immediate medical attention."
"She's right," Kat said to Carter. "We have to get you sorted."
Carter looked at Kat sadly, before turning back to the controls. It would appear that he wasn't going to abandon ship.
"Noble Leader, please respond." Dot said again.
Carter shook his head. "I'm not sure how long she's going to stay together. I've got to get you all off."
Scarlett, hearing this, headed over. "We've not losing you, too." She argued.
"Commander, you have to-" Kat began, but was silenced by Carter waving her off.
"No. It's important you all continue without me. The Autumn is going to need that Package, and Scarlett is going to need help getting there."
Kat paused for a moment, before responding, "Then I'm staying."
Carter sharply turned around. "What?" He replied.
Kat frowned. "I'm staying." She repeated.
"Kat, you can't!" Scarlett said in reply.
Kat turned to Scarlett, looking sad. "It's okay. I'll find a way off with Carter. And if not, then it's important you three go. You were always the most likely to survive all this."
Carter sighed, reluctantly agreeing with Kat. "Noble Four, Noble Five, Noble Six, I am ordering you off this Pelican."
"Commander!" Emile argued.
"That's an order!" Carter replied sharply.
Emile sighed and dropped his grenade launcher. "It's been a honour, Sir."
Carter turned back to the controls. "Likewise," He responded. Scarlett began walking towards the hangar, before she was stopped by Carter calling out her call sign.
"Six!" He cried. Scarlett turned around. "That AI chose you..She made the right choice."
Scarlett nodded. Carter began slowing down the Pelican over a cliff edge, leading down to lower ground. Cate crouched on the Pelican's hangar, Emile behind her. Scarlett stood by them.
"On my mark..3..2..mark!" Carter ordered.
Emile wrapped his arms around Cate, making the jump with her, whilst Scarlett jumped alone.
They landed roughly on the ground, the impact of the fall breaking their shields. Scarlett pulled out the canister she had been clutching and inspected it, checking it wasn't damaged. Seeing no visible damage, she reattached it to her back, before looking up at now burning Pelican, being chased by more Banshees. "Still with us, Commander, Kat?" Emile asked over COMMS.
"Stay low," Carter replied. "Let me draw the heat. Just deliver that package."
Emile nodded, before pointing at the Pillar of Autumn, which lay in the misty foreground. "There's our destination, girls; the Pillar of Autumn. Race you to her." He said. Cate chuckled slightly at this, before head shoting some grunts from her position. Emile headed down the cliff side with Cate, whilst Scarlett dealt with some Covenant from her position.
Eventually, the three made it to an abandoned building with two mongooses parked outside. Knowing the journey to the Autumn would be longer, Emile knew it would be quicker to drive.
"We got transport." He notified the girls, hopping into the drivers seat of one.
Cate got onto the back of Emile's mongoose, whilst Scarlett drove her own. After turning a corner, a loud thumping sound was heard, and the ground shook slightly from the pressure.
"What is that?" Scarlett questioned, alarmed.
A few moments later, and a scarabs leg appeared on the dirt road, followed by another, and then the whole thing.
"Scarab!" Emile yelled, shocked himself. "Do not engage!"
Drop pods fell all around them, grunts jumping out of them. Carter, seeing the scarab, began shooting at it in an attempt to distract it from the other three.
"Get the package out of there, remember your objective!" Carter ordered.
Emile stepped his foot harder on the pedal, in an attempt to speed up and get away quicker. Finally, they turned a corner and were out of the firing range of the scarab. They came across a bridge that had been blown in half.
Emile gritted his teeth, before coming up with a plan, "Bridge ahead is out..We'll have to jump it."
"Jump it?!" Scarlett questioned. "Are you crazy? What if we don't make it?"
"Just put your foot on the pedal and drive," Emile hissed in reply. "The faster we go, the more likely we are to make it."
Scarlett rolled her eyes, but obeyed nether less.
Despite being thrown off their mongooses, they had made it safely. A last-attempt barricade had been made with metal poles, blocking the bridge from the leading dirt road. It was too large for vehicles to get through, but people could get around the side of it.
They would have to walk the remaining distance.
Meanwhile, in the Pelican, Carter was trying his best to give covering fire to Emile, Cate and Scarlett, whilst Kat tried to think of a plan to get herself and Carter off safely.
"Noble," Carter suddenly spoke to the three on the ground. "Enemy forces are blocking the road ahead."
It appeared that Carter was watching them closely.
"Alright, Commander, I have an idea," Kat spoke up suddenly, after pounding the problem for quite some time.
"Let's hear it." Carter responded, still piloting the Pelican.
"We should try and get the Pelican to the Autumn. If we can give those three covering fire, and guide them to the ship-breaking yard, then we can get the Pelican onto the Autumn, and get back out there."
"That's a good plan, Kat, but what if the Pelican can't make it? You've seen the mess she's in."
Kat was silent for a moment. "Well, the Pelican's system should give us some sort of warning. And when it does, we jump. Simple. Let the Pelican crash into something. Just as long as we lock our armor, and get onto safe ground, we should be fine."
Carter sat silently for a moment, fiddling with the controls. Finally, when Kat thought he wasn't going to say anything at all, he replied, quietly, "Alright. It's crazy, but alright."
Emile inspected the area. To his right, the dirt road lead to a tunnel. But it was blocked. So the only way now, was through a cave system, to the left.
Emile wasn't sure if it would be quicker or slower, but it was the only way, and so it'd had to do. "Alright, the tunnel is blocked, so we're gonna have to go through those caves." He explained to Scarlett and Cate, who nodded.
Cate took point, but before long, they came across trouble. Jackal snipers and suicidal grunts.
They managed to kill some of the grunts before they got too close, but one did. It hit the ground, dead, with thanks to Emile's shotgun, but the grenades landed by Cate's feet. Cate began to move, but Emile dived in, grabbing her and moving her out of the way with him.
His shields took most of the impact, but he was largely uninjured. Emile's arms were still around Cate's waist as they stood up. Cate titled her head slightly, almost confused, and smiled.
"Uh, I hate to break up the little romance thing here, but we've still got a mission to do, guys!" Scarlett called over.
Cate and Emile immediately tore themselves away from each other, embarrassed.
After getting rid of the remaining Covenant, they travelled through a cave, until they found an opening. They were about to continue around another corner, when Carter's voice crackling over COMMS stopped them.
"Noble...You've got a...Situation." Carter informed them.
The scarab, again, towered over them. "Mother- ..We can get past it, Sir!" Emile argued.
"No, you can't. Not without help." Carter sternly replied.
Emile shook his head. "Commander, you don't have the firepower." He sighed, walking back slightly in hesitation.
"I've got the mass. You're on your own, Noble." Carter took a deep breath and said what he thought would be his last words, "Carter out."
Before he could even speed up the Pelican to slam into the Scarab, he was pulled out of his seat by Kat.
"Lock your armor." She sternly ordered. Carter nodded slowly and did so.
Together, hand in hand, Carter and Kat dropped from the Pelican, letting it smash into the Scarab, and landed safely on the ground below them.
Now all they had to do was find a way to the Autumn.
The scarab was about to fire. Scarlett grimaced and closed her eyes, ready for the impact of the plasma from the scarab..That never came.
The words, "Carter out", had snapped her out of this and forced her to open her eyes. She stood up straighter and watched as the burning Pelican slammed itself into the Scarab, destroying it. Tears welled up in her eyes. First Jorge, and now Carter and Kat..together?
'That's how I should've gone,' She thought to herself. 'With Jorge.'
Emile turned around to face Scarlett and Cate. He swallowed hard, before saying, "Crevice is to the east. Let's go." He knew he hard to be strong now. He had to get Scarlett and Cate through this. They both nodded in reply, and followed him.
Just around the corner, they came across possibly the most annoying species in the Covenant. Drones. "Buggers," Emile said quietly. "Go quiet."
But as soon as they came into view of one drone, it screeched, alerting it's comrades of their presence. Being quiet just wouldn't do.
After coming across another wave of drones and being irritated by them, Emile, Cate and Scarlett made it to an opening. Ahead, they saw the Sinoviet Facility. "If we get through there, the ship-breaking yard should be on the other side." Scarlett informed the other two, who nodded.
"SPARTANs! Over here!" A female trooper shouted, having realised their presence. An Elite General leading a large attacking force faced a small number of troopers.
"You two, head down and give those troopers a hand," Scarlett ordered Emile and Cate. "I can deal with the General from here."
As Emile and Cate joined the troopers, Captain Keyes suddenly spoke up over COMMS, "This is Captain Keyes of the Pillar of Autumn. We are tracking you, Noble and have begun our launch sequence. Proceed to drydock, platform D. I'll be on it myself to receive the package."
"We'll be there, sir." Emile replied confidently.
"You better be soldier."
"We've got to get to the dry dock," Emile informed Cate and Scarlett. "Priority One."
Once Scarlett had successfully killed the Elite with her DMR, she headed down to assist Emile and Cate. After getting through a sustainable battle, Scarlett, Cate and Emile headed to the factories.
"Spartans!" A trooper suddenly piped up. "Dry-dock's through that structure. Punch through. We'll back you up."
Emile assessed the area, before reporting back to Scarlett and Cate. "Alright, we've got two ghosts on the ground, four shade turrets, two Elites, and a shit load of grunts. What's the battle plan?"
"I'll head upstairs and do some sniping," Scarlett spoke up. "You two try and deal with the ghosts and the grunts."
Emile and Cate nodded. A ghost sped towards them, but before it could do any damage, Cate managed to successfully hijack it, pushing the Elite out.
The Elite roared in anger, and began charging towards Cate. However, Emile was able to swoop in and kill the Elite with his shotgun.
Meanwhile, Carter had successfully managed to arrange a Falcon to pick them up. Right now, both Carter and Kat were on the Autumn, Carter stressing about the safety of Emile, Cate and Scarlett.
"They are on their way, Noble One," Keyes firmly told him. "They'll be fine."
Carter frowned. "Are they even going to make it off-planet? You know the Covenant are going to glass."
Kat patted his shoulder sympathetically. "They'll be fine. I'm sure of it." She told him.
"Meanwhile, we should get your armor updated and refitted," Keyes suggested. "Please, head to the armory." He gestured with his hand.
At last, Emile, Cate and Scarlett had made it to the landing pad. "Noble to Keyes," Emile said over COMMS. "We're at the pad."
"Copy that," Keyes replied. "On my way. Clear an LZ. I'll meet you there."
"Alright, you two..." Emile said suddenly. "This is it. I'll man the big gun. You just make sure that package makes it to Keyes."
A few moments later, and Emile shouted, "I'm in position! I'll take out as many drop-ships as I can."
After seemingly endless waves of Covenant attack, Emile finally informed Keyes that the LZ was clear, "Noble to Keyes. Pad is clear."
"On my way." Keyes replied over COMMS.
"Alright, you two. Time for you to leave. Get the package to the pad, and get your asses off this planet," Emile said, then added, more quietly, "I've got your back."
Jorge's words, 'Don't worry, I've got your back.' Played in Scarlett's mind. He had always said that when he sensed Scarlett was nervous in the battlefield. It was a weird contrast having Emile, of all people, saying it now.
"This is Keyes on hot approach to Platform Delta," Keyes informed them, just as the Pelican landed. "Ready to take possession of the package, Noble."
Scarlett and Cate walked towards the Pelican. The hangar door opened, and Keyes stepped out, followed by a few marines keeping watch.
"Good to see you, Spartans," Keyes greeted them. "Catherine assured me I could count on you."
"Not just us, Sir." Scarlett responded, looking away sadly, after handing him the package.
"They'll be remembered." Keyes responded, patting her arm in a comforting gesture.
Suddenly, he snapped his head up, seeing a Covenant Cruiser inbound. "Cruiser, adjusting heading for the Autumn! Noble Four, I'm going to need fire on that Cruiser, or we're not getting out of here. Do you copy?"
"You'll have your window, Sir." Emile replied confidently.
"Bridge, this is the Captain," Keyes informed the marines on the Bridge. "We have the package. Returning to the Autumn."
"Copy that." A marine responded, just as Keyes stepped back into his Pelican.
Suddenly, a Phantom overhead began firing at the Pelicans, destroying the wings of the Pelican that had been escorting Keyes, causing it to crash onto the Platform, Keyes' Pelican quickly jerked back from the platform, whilst Scarlett and Cate dived, barely being missed by the burning Pelican. The Phantom began hovering over Emile's position. Cate was about to fire at it, to give Emile some assistance, but was stopped short as a turret on the side of the Phantom fired at her, forcing her to find some suitable cover. The Phantom dropped off two Zealots, one of which lands on top of the cannon, causing Emile to yell out in surprise. The Zealot raised it's Energy Sword, about to strike. Scarlett and Cate held their breath, knowing there was nothing they could do. Emile quickly shot the Elite with his shotgun, dazing it temporarily. It fell to the floor, and Emile, taking this advantage, finishing it off once and for all.
"Who's next?!" He shouted, his cocky attitude showing.
Suddenly, the second Zealot snuck up from behind him, stabbing Emile in the back. The sword went straight through him, and the Elite grabbed Emile off the sword, and held him tightly by the throat.
"I'm ready! How 'bout you?!" Emile acted quickly, grabbing his knife, and stabbing the Elite in the neck.
The Zealot fell backwards, still clutching Emile.
Scarlett, knowing that Emile was surely a goner, turned and faced Keyes' again, who still hadn't retreated back to the Autumn.
Cate shook her head, still looking up at the Canon where Emile had been only moments before. She couldn't believe he was dead.
"Lieutenant, get aboard, we've got to get the hell outta here!" A marine on Keyes' Pelican shouted out, holding out his hand. Scarlett shook her head.
She had to get on the Canon and secure the Autumn a safe passage out. There'd be no chance for them otherwise.
"Negative," She replied. "I have the gun." She suddenly turned around to face Cate. "You should go, too." Scarlett advised Cate.
Cate shook her head. "After what they did to Emile? I don't think so," She stepped forwards slightly, facing Keyes. "We're both staying. Good luck, Sir."
Keyes' facial expression grew sadder. "Good luck to you, Spartans." He replied quietly, walking to the back of the Pelican as it took off.
"Noble Six, get on that Mass Driver and clear me a path!" Keyes ordered Scarlett, just as a group of grunts lead by another Zealot appeared at the doorway leading to the canon.
After encountering yet more Zealots, Scarlett and Cate finally made it to the MAC canon. Cate shook her head at the sight of Emile, leaning against the rails of the platform, surrounded by blood. Two Zealots lay by him, one with his knife still stuck in its neck.
Knowing that if Emile was somehow still alive, he would want his knife back, so Cate did what she thought was best, and pulled the knife from the Zealots neck, and placed it back in the holder Emile had kept it in. Scarlett watched silently, before clambering into the MAC canon and firing at Banshees and other enemy aircraft that came into view.
"Cruiser, moving into position! I need it dead!" Keyes ordered over COMMS.
Soon enough, the Cruiser began charging its ventral energy projector, ready to glass the area.
"Fire now, Spartan!" Keyes shouted. "Hit her in the gut!" Scarlett did so; the MAC canon's shot hit the Cruiser, causing it to tremble to the side, and eventually, crash.
"Good guns, Spartan!" Keyes praised Scarlett. "All stations: brace for cast-off."
Scarlett climbed down the ladder from the MAC canon, and watched the Autumn prepare for take-off.
A few hours had passed and Scarlett and Cate were long gone. They had left the canon, and where now just trying to survive out there.
Emile groaned, sitting up from his slouched position. He looked up to see a marine looking at him closely.
"Holy shit!" Emile shouted, causing the marine to jump back in surprise. "Who the hell are you?"
The marine regained himself before answering, "I'm from the Autumn. We believed that you weren't dead, so I was sent back to check. Your life signs were steady, but you were unconscious. I would have moved you onto the Autumn, but you're too heavy. So I had to wait until you're awake. Now you are, so I'll arrange some transport."
He turned away from Emile, and began talking into COMMS, arranging for the Pelican to drop by and pick Emile up.
A few minutes later and Emile was loaded onto the Pelican, bound for the Autumn.
"Where are Cate and Scarlett?" Emile questioned.
The marine shrugged. "We're sending a squad out later to search. They could be any where by now."
A/N:
So I had to change Keyes' dialogue, so that he didn't say "my countdown is now abort", as I have plans for everyone to make it onto the Autumn.
Jorge returns in the next Chapter! Yay!