Spartan 058 - The Tale of a Sniper
Chapter 5 - Outside of MAC Station - Athens
"Fred, the Covenant have got a bomb, they're trying to break through the guns." Linda replied with a sense of haste. "We've got to try and warn them, before it's to late."
Fred just turned around and calmly replied, "I think it's to late for that now."
Linda watched as a small troop ship started to leave the station, leaving the bomb and it's Elite protectors, "Fred we need to leave, there's nothing we can do, I could take out the Elites but that wouldn't diffuse the bomb, and by the time we got there we'd be blown away with the rest of the station." Linda replied with said with sadness on her tounge. "Come on, lets try to hitch a ride, push of the wall when you think the time is right, and above all else hold on."
The two propelled themselves off into the blackness of space as the dropship came their direction, she bounced off the front edge but managed to grab a handhold on the topside, Fred had latched onto one of the ship's stubbly so-called wings. Linda second questioned her decision as a voice burst through her speakers, "I don't believe it! Their retreating, WE WON!"
Linda could only close her eyes and mourn for those who would be lost soon enough and for Will who was most likely as dead as the rest of them, those arrogant fools, didn't they know that the Covenant never retreated? She would never hear that answer as the station exploded and enveloped in flames, next thing she knew a hurtle ball of metal exploded on the aft section of the craft and sent her into unconciousness, her last image was of Fred straining towards her, with his armor smoking up a storm.
"Linda, wake up we've got to move," Fred urged her as she regained her thoughts, "We crashed, I finished off the surviving Covie's and tried to radio in some kind of evac, John's ok, he managed to stop the Covenants bomb and is en route to here, Will's a different story, there was a problem with his suit so he had to come planet side for repairs, he's ok, but he's halfway around the globe."
"How long has it been since the station blew, I remember hearing the man on the COM and seeing the Malta blow, and then the Athens went, and why do we always have to land hard?" Linda replied, her eyes still somewhat blurry.
Fred could only let out a weak chuckle, "We haven't had a good landing in awhile have we? It's been about forty-five minutes since we were hit, I heard over the COM that the Covenant were only landing here in New Mombassa, strange isn't it, everything is strange about this op."
"Sometimes strange isn't such a bad thing, look at us."
The techie stood behind Will installing the last components to his armor, "I'm sure they got off that thing before it blew," the man said in a comforting voice.
"They did, I can feel it," Will said with a cool tone.
"Hey when they get back don't worry I won't stand in your way," the tech said.
"It's not that, it's just that they are my brothers and sisters, they are the only family I've ever known."
The techie just nodded his head, "Well you're all done, I hope things go good for you, good luck out there."
"Will come in, we're planetside and we're in New Mombassa, try to find the Chief, he's landed somewhere near our location awhile back, last we heard he was heading for the Covenant's Scarab, wait hold on," Linda's voice broke the silence in Will's mind. She paused for a second as another channel forced its way into Linda's helmet, "Ok Will, that was Cortana, she says they are going after the lone flagship over New Mombassa, she said something about escape."
Just then Will's COM went silent.