Chapter 3
Date: August 13th, 2552
Time: 26:30 hours
Planet: Reach
Location: ONI Tower Base
Mission: Eradicate human resistance
Scattered gunfire mixed with the electronic sizzling of plasma bolts as Voro Chonchiyo, the Elite General commanding Dagger Company, strode into the centre of Tower Base's main courtyard.
Dagger company's number one squad, Dagger-two, had claimed the courtyard several hours earlier and had laid waste to the humans defending it. The filth's corpses were scattered about the area, draped over railings and slumped against walls, all of them surrounded by blood and burnt metal.
Voro approached the courtyards centre as Dagger company hustled and bustled around him, fortifying the circular area in case the humans decided to make a desperate, last minute counter attack.
"Brother!" Called Rha, a purple clad Zealot whom was kin to Choro "This way, we've fortified our position and the Prophet's Eye is ready for use."
The Prophet's Eye was a large, rectangular table with a holographic surface display. It was currently standing on the courtyards raised, central platform which in the past had been home to green foliage, but was now empty, blackened and flat.
"Good," Voro rumbled, patting his brother's large shoulder "press the attack and send Dagger-one and Dagger-four to outflank the survivors."
He stepped up to the Prophet's Eye and tapped its surface as Rha began issuing orders into his radio. The tables surface flared into life, illuminating the darkness around them and projecting blue, three dimensional representations of the battlefield.
Scattered across the mini battlefield's surface were icons representing various pieces of intelligence. Purple icons represented the brave warriors of Dagger company and by tapping on them Voro could monitor their health status, conditions and equipment capacity. Red icons however represented the last known positions of enemy warriors.
"The orders are given brother, it won't be long now until we have eradicated the humans." Rha said, as Voro frowned at the table's display.
He tapped a purple icon with his own purple finger, and Dagger-two's information appeared in an isolate screen.
"What is it brother?" Rha asked, craning to see over his brothers shoulder.
"Dagger-two," Voro began, as he scanned through the data that presented itself "they're low on ammo, their pulses are elevated... One of them is dead."
"WHAT?!" Rha exclaimed, leaning in for confirmation "How could that be?"
The Elites of Dagger-two were the best that Dagger company had to offer, and the thought that one of them had been killed was a truly worrying through for Rha.
"Who did it?!" He raged, clenching his fists "How did it happen?!"
"I don't know," Voro responded, dismissing the data "but we have lost more then one warrior tonight, and we will lose more before the night is over."
Rha relaxed slightly, realising that his brother was right. Becoming angry over one death was foolish Whe so many others had lost their loves as well.
"What would you have of me then?" He asked, bowing his head.
"Secure the human's armoury in the east, take Dagger-nine with you." Voro ordered, turning back to the Prophet's Eye.
"What?!" Rha shouted, his voice flaring with anger "There is no honour in that! There aren't even any humans in that area!"
"Enough!" Voro ordered, with steel in his voice "Only patience, determination and vigilance will see our enemy defeated. Not honour. Now follow your orders!"
Rha turned on his heel and left without another word. Deep down he knew his brother was right, he was one of the best strategists the Covenant had to offer after all. But sometimes he couldn't help but think that maybe his brother had a little too much admiration for their enemy.
"He knows what he's doing." Rha said, reassuring himself as he moved off to recruit Dagger-nine.
"Here they come!" Tie called out, alerting Ben and Kora to the impending Spec Op Elites.
The split mouth aliens had run out of ammo several seconds earlier and were now charging towards the Spartans, the tips of their plasma swords sparking as they were dragged along the floor.
"How are those rifles coming along?" Ben asked, rolling his shoulders.
"Son of a bitch and her whore mother!" Kora yelled, punching the thick metal cages, yet failing to open them.
"That means bad." Tie chuckled, as the elite's footsteps grew closer.
"All right boys," Kora said, joining them by the door "looks like were on our own again.
An elite came barreling through the door with a yell and yelped as Tie hit it square in the throat. The young Arcadian dragged the gasping alien through the door and slammed it into a corner as one of its squad mates came through after it. Only to be met by Ben's heavy set figure.
Ben swayed out of the way it's plasma sword as Tie liberated the first elite of both it's sword and it's life. Tie tossed the sword to Kora who caught it and went to meet the final two elites who were trying to push past each other into the room.
She parried their attacks in a hail of plasma and sparks as Ben impaled the second elite. He shoved the dead alien aside and went to help Kora, though by the time he got there Kora had already finished them both.
"Ummm, wow." Ben said, appeasing her handiwork.
"What?" She asked, spreading her hands slightly.
In the background Tie was busy slicing through the locks holding their weapons.
"Nothing," Ben replied, backing away.
"Here we go." Tie exclaimed, removing three battle rifles and a matching number of pistols.
He also pulled a few small grenades from the locker, three fragmentation grenades and one flash bang. He passed one of each weapon to his squad mates and placed his own pistol on his hip.
"We've got one spare mag each and no grenades." Tie said, informing them of the situation.
"So what's the plan?" Ben asked, pointing his loaded rifle down the corridor.
"Head for the armoury," Kora replied, loading her own weapons and stowing her pistol on her hip "load up on ammo and ordinance and then make a break for New Alexandria and carry out our mission."
Their mission, which had been assigned to them several hours before the covenant had attacked Tower base, was to retrieve the data stored within New Alexandria's digital library beneath the city.
"You sure we can make that?" Tie asked, stacking up on the door's left side "it's at least three days away by air, seven by land."
"Yeah," Ben said, adding his knowledge to the argument "and if the reports from the top are true then Reach is gonna fall any day now."
"CivilIan evac is scheduled to begin in five days," Kora continued "we get there in six, grab the data and then hitch a ride off this planet on one of evac birds."
"Six days is cutting it close." Tie warned.
"Better then getting glassed." Ben argued.
"Fair point." Tie agreed.
"Cut the chatter ladies," Kora said, as Ben straightened up "Tie you've got point, I'll bring up the rear. Get us a path to the armoury and do not engage unless it is absolutely necessary."
"Not a problem." Tie said, disappearing off down the corridor.
Ben and Korea waited fifteen seconds before following suite.
"What about survivors?" Ben asked, as they moved through the deserted base, following Tie's beacon.
"No time," Kora replied, sweeping every room and checking every corner with the muzzle of her gun "they'll just slow us down. I know it sucks, but anyone who hasn't already left this base is a dead man walking, it's only a matter of time before the Covenant get them."
"Huh," Ben grunted "glad we're Spartans then."
Tie moved through the deserted base swiftly and silently, the echoing booms of far off plasma shells silencing his own quiet footsteps. It was a ten minute jog to the armoury from where they were and Tie was determined to make sure that it was an uneventful journey.
He ghosted through a few rooms and came to a reinforced door covered on scorch marks. On the other side Tie knew there was a balustrade covered bridge leading to the east wing where the armoury was located.
He aimed his rifle at the door and hit the open button. The doors slid open, revealing the bridge and it's dead occupants, it's floor slicked with their blood. The bridge was chocked with bodies, their faces frozen in twisted anguish and terror.
Tie picked his way through the mess of burnt flesh and boiled blood, staying as close to the balustrades as he could so that he wouldn't be seen by anyone below. He needn't have bothered though as the night was dark and the shadows in the sheltered bridge were even darker.
A sign on the other side indicated that the armoury was nearby and Tie pushed on, through another door and into the east wing.
A stark contrast from Tie's previous, relatively clean location, the east wing was littered with the corpses of both humans and Grunts. Fluorescent blue blood was splattered across the various room's floors and walls, mixing with the dark, red blood of the dead defenders.
Clang! Whot whot whot!
Tie ducked back behind a wall as the elite's call rang out through the corridor.
"Hey heads up," he said, speaking into his radio and dropping a marker at his location "we got elites, possibly just one but I wouldn't count on it."
"Roger that," Kora replied "we'll be there in thirty seconds, ready for a fight but do not engage until we arrive."
"Got it," Tie said, checking that his rifle was properly loaded "see you in thirty."
"Quiet!" Rha commanded, swatting the back of Nihai's head "Or do you want our prey to know we're here?"
"The humans are gone!" Nihai replied, turning to face Rha "Our brothers have seen to that."
"Rha believes they may try and make a break for the armoury," Rha said, facing off against Nihai "that means that we-"
"We what?" Nihai cut in, glaring at Rha "You follow your brothers orders to closesly, he thinks to highly of this filth, perhaps he even admires them?"
"That is enough." Rha growled, trying to mimic his brother's steely tone.
It was no secret that Nihai wanted Voro's positions. He had been vying for it for years, ever since he had been assigned to Dagger company and this was not the first time that he and Rha had come into conflict.
"I think," Nihai continued, ignoring Rha as the rest of Dagger nine watched "that his infection has spread to you. I think, that you are a human lover just like your brother-"
"RAARGH!" Rha bellowed, launching himself towards Nihai.
Bang!
Rha's vision flashed white and his ears rang as he crashed into Nihai. The flash bang had blinded the whole squad and Nihai and Rha had gone crashing to the ground. Rha scrambled to his feet, closely followed by Nihai. Their ears were ringing and htheir vision swam before them
Rha pulled his plasma rifle clumsily from his hip and before he knew it the green coloured demons came barreling into them.