Chapter XIV
—Priority Alpha—
2311 Hours, March 18, 2551 (Military Calendar) \
UNSC Vessel Nightfire, 16 Cygni star system.
Jace set his helmet over his head, clicking it into place. With an M6D in his hands, he pulled its hinge back, priming it. The Spartans of Nova Team readied themselves against the Covenant that had boarded the UNSC/ONI Day Breaker in hopes to reclaiming the alien artifact. The Headhunters, whether hell or high water, would make sure they left empty handed.
Jeremiah snatched a M45 Shotgun from the racks in the armory and began loading shells into the slot. He pumped it once, set on his magnetic back plates, and took a DMR as his primary weapon. It would be close quarters, especially in the confines of a Frigate—one of the smallest warships in the UNSC Navy. Actually fighting inside one would propose a challenge. But the Warrant Officer didn't fret; it would be a new experience.
With his weaponry selected, Jace motioned toward the single bay window in the armory, checking the position of the Covenant Assault Carrier. About two kilometers away was the alien vessel, a distance that slowly closing as the ship inched closer.
It and the Nightfire continued to exchange gunfire, swapping blow for blow. To the Lieutenant, they would need to make this quick. There was no telling how long this fight would if the Covenant decided to get serious. It seemed the only reason the Nightfire was still around was because the Day Breaker moved parallel along with the human cruiser. If the alien Carrier were to destroy the Nightfire, it ran the risks of destroying their prize as well.
Jace pulled back from the window, looking back at his Spartans to monitor their progress. Lukas had ditched his sniper rifle, swapping it for a DMR. Alex had concluded her selections as she began to fit a few frag grenades around her belt.
"Remember our objective, Nova," the Lieutenant reminded them. "Dr. Asari and the artifact are our primary targets. Anyone else are considered secondary, even the Commander."
"Doesn't mean we can't try," suggested Jeremiah, viewing Vasher as primary as the Doctor and that little alien disc.
Jace set his eyes on the Warrant Officer, seeing his point. Commander Vasher was an important asset, including CO of this ship. On the other hand, however, orders were orders.
"It's not my call," Jace explained. "Vasher gave the orders, excluding himself from them. If we're in a position to do so, we'll get them all out."
"And if everything goes south…?" Lukas put to the Lieutenant as he wiped speckles of alien blood from his helmet's faceplate.
The trio of Headhunters looked to Nova-One, waiting patiently for his answer. Jace was the leader now, and his decisions would have to be solidly based solely on the mission's success. Choices made of emotion led to failed missions, so the Lieutenant answered accordingly.
"Then we get out with what we came for, and nothing more."
Whether the rest of the team disagreed or not, they said nothing without reaction. Jeremiah kept his eyes low, however, taking into account what was said. A disobedient Spartan Jeremiah was not, but that didn't mean he didn't question his superior's orders.
Once armed, Nova Team departed from the armory, heading down into the hangar where a Pelican was waiting. Flight crew members speedily went about the hangar, prepping the craft for departure as the Spartans entered into the bay. One of the crewman looked up from inside the Pelican's troop bay, spotting the Spartans. He crawled out from the back, regaining his composure in front of the Headhunters amidst the lethal firefight against the Covenant ship beyond the ship's walls.
"She's ready to go, sir."
The crewman gave a quick "thumbs up" gesture, jogging off to tend to the internal damages the Nightfire had sustainedduring its fight. Nova Team loaded up into the Pelican, Jeremiah and Alex taking the pilot and co-pilot seats as Jace and Lukas remained in the troop bay to sort the gear. A flight crew member waved a pair of glowing batons before Jeremiah, crossing them at the tips. Until he was given the green light, the Spartan checked the Pelican's systems, leaving nothing to chance.
"Nova, this is Nova Actual," Lt. Commander Nolan announced over the Pelican's COM.
"You're clear, Commander," responded Jeremiah.
"You'll be dropping into a warzone, so you better be prepared. Use the Nightfire for cover and swing around to the Day Breaker. Be safe, Nova, but hurry this along… Covenant's playing for keeps."
"Copy that, Commander."
The single flight crewman uncrossed the batons and raced for the exit as the craft was free for departure. Upon the opening of the bay doors, Jeremiah tapped the thrust, pushing the Pelican out into space.
Crimson rays of lateral plasma streamed pass the canopy of the Pelican, striking the underbelly of the Nightfire. The read-hot metal bubbled, then cooled in vacuum. Nova-Two readily accelerated upwards, using the massive Cruiser as a shield from the aggressive Covenant ship.
The Day Breaker was further headed, just behind the Nightfire's prow. It was a straight shot, so for the time being, the Spartans were safe. Such could not be said for the Day Breaker, however. Even though the Covenant ship was unable to have free line of sight of its target, its boarding crafts did.
The insect-like crafts moved along the underside of the Marathon Cruiser and moved up to attach to the human Frigate. While the majority of them were obliterated by the Nighfire's weapons, a few were able to slip through and latch. Jeremiah clinched his teeth. They'd just have to survive a little longer.
Commander Vasher couldn't take it he was safely stashed away in the bridge, people were dying below decks. And that relic gave off energy like a hot light bulb, so the Covenant would eventually find it if they used any energy-seeking tech. In addition, Dr. Asari wasn't a trained Marine. What would happen if the Covenant found her? She knew how to fire a gun, yes, but against an Elite? The doctor would be killed and the relic would be taken. No, he wasn't just going to sit back and watch it happen.
"Captain Rivers, I'm heading below deck to the lab. Our doctor's gonna need some support until reinforcements arrive."
"All due respect, Commander, but I…"
"Save it, Captain!" Vasher spat. "This ship is basically an oversized Prowler used by ONI. Its crew is men and women who've had basic training, max. They've never been in a firefight, and even if they have, it's been from a safe vantage point. Now, get me a weapon!"
Against his better judgment, the Captain surrendered under the Commander's orders. He went over to a locked footlocker beside his quarters, tapped in the numerical code, and fished out two M6D sidearms. He handed on to Vasher with two additional clips and kept the others for himself. The Commander watched the Captain load a magazine into the gun and pull back the slide until it clicked.
"I didn't ask for you to come along. This was my decision."
Rivers shrugged nonchalantly. "This is my ship… and I'm going to defend it."
The two officers rode down in the rumbling elevator, just two decks from the desired level before the power in the shaft fluctuated and died. A red light flashed on inside the lift, preserving an ounce of power left just to open the door. The doors parted with a mild screech, snapped close, then opened again fully. Vasher and Rivers stepped out and the sight was gruesome.
Armed crewman scurried about the deck, assisting the wounded and keeping an eye out for more Covenant. The Captain went over to one of the crewman to get an assessment, while Vasher switched COM frequencies to contact Dr. Asari.
"Dr. Asari, I need a status report."
There was no answer, and this worried him. "Dr. Asari…" Robert massaged his forward, sighing as he persisted. "Dr. Asari, do you hear me…?"
Had the Covenant already found them? Was it too late? The Commander's earpiece suddenly sizzled, spewing out muffled noises and occasional whispers in the background.
"Make this brief, Commander," Dr. Asari finally responded, her tone deliberately low and sharp. "This frequency isn't secure."
Vasher held in his relief, disguising it from the others around him. "We're en route to your position, so stay low and keep quiet. Nova Team is on their way as well."
"Good to know. Look," Dr. Asari sighed, as if regrettably, "I don't know how long we can stay hidden. The relic gives off some type of energy source. If the Covenant detects it, it'll be a beacon to our position."
The Commander tightened his grip on his weapon. "We'll get there, Doctor." He severed the link. 'Better get here quick, Spartans.'
"We're coming in hot!" Jeremiah declared, trying to keep the Pelican on course to the Day Breaker's open hangar bay. "Main engines are torched. Switching to auxiliary thrusters."
A hiss of exhaust sputtered from the Pelican's port and starboard sides, keeping in line with the Frigate. Flames roiled about the bird's left wing, blown by plasma fire. It didn't take long for the mission to go to hell. Once the alien boarding crafts kept going down, the Covenant Assault Carrier deployed Seraph fighters as escorts. Any fighter that wasn't vaporized by the Nightfire's guns made a beeline from the Frigate… and Nova Team's Pelican.
To worsen the ordeal, the Pelican was basically a civilian craft in the eyes of the Spartans. It had no counter weapons. The best Jeremiah could do was evade enemy fire the best he could; and that had worked swimmingly, for they'd already lost nearly 35% of their engine output.
From inside the troop bay, Jace made his way into the cockpit, holding tight against the bulkhead as the craft jerked about.
"How much farther 'til we dock?"
"Four hundred meters. She's falling apart around us. I don't know how much longer I can keep her steady. Thrusters aren't doing crap to keep our course. Friggin' port engine keeps dipping us left!"
The Lieutenant heard the tension in Jeremiah's voice, and it was deserved. Seraph fighters zipped around the compromised Pelican, pumping plasma into the weakened hull as they passed. They needed to burn the rest of the engine's power, giving them enough power and speed to reach the hangar bay. It would be a hard landing, but it was better than exploding in space.
"Cut the port engine," Jace ordered. "And…"
"What?" Jeremiah spat. "We cut that engine and we slow…"
"You didn't let me finish," Nova-One pointed out. "Divert all engine power to aft engines and landing thrusters. Maximize their output and try to hold our course."
"That won't be a soft landing if we do that, Lieutenant," Alex commented.
"And we'll have no maneuverability," added Nova-Two. "This'll be a straight shot, so we're just making it easy for those Seraphs to hit us."
"Do it," Jace commanded. "We're running out of time. It'll work."
Jeremiah rolled his eyes with an explosive grunt. He did what he was told and killed power to the port engine.
"Better hold onto to something."
The aft engines and landing thrusters ignited to maximum propulsion. Jace was nearly sucked into the troop bay, but he dug his fingers into the bulkhead. Lukas clutched the seats around him and wrapped his ankles around the metal at the seat's bottom. The flaming Pelican streaked through space, and the Seraphs set up firing positions on the craft's sides. They pelted the hull with streams of plasma fire, completely dislodging the left wing from the main body.
Jeremiah pushed the flight controls, sending the bird into a forty-five degree downward angleinto the hangar bay. "Grab your crotches, Spartans! We're heading in!"
The Pelican crashed into the bay of the Day Breaker, its velocity flipping parked Warthogs over the craft's windshield. With a crunch, the Pelican's nose impacted the back of the bay, shattering the windshield. Flight crew members behind the cover of shielded rooms quickly closed the bay doors and restored breathable conditions inside.
Jeremiah peeked open his eyes and pulled down his arms from his faceplate.
A piece of jagged metal from the craft's windshield frame was bent backwards, just inches from piercing through his helmet's visor. Alex uncovered her head, curling herself from the tight ball she'd put herself in. The co-pilot's seat was stitched with deadly shrapnel where she had been. She glanced up at the dagger-like metal that was in front of Jeremiah, grabbed it, and angled it away from him. He motioned his head away from the metal and unbuckled his harness as he emitted a nervous laugh.
"That… that was something, huh?"
"Like hell," Nova-Three disagreed, pulling herself upright. "C'mon, we gotta move."
Jace let go of the bulkhead, removing his throbbing fingers from where he'd left impressions in the metal. He staggered over to Lukas, tending to the Spartan sniper who been flung into the opposite side of the troop bay. Nova-Four began to stir before the Lieutenant reached him. He got up on his hands and knees and shakily came to his feet. Lukas moved with a limp, a sign Jace wasn't looking forward to seeing.
"Hey," the Lieutenant said to him, "you alright, huh?"
"Sprained ankle, nothing serious," Lukas waved off.
Jeremiah and Alex stumbled into the troop bay, holding onto the deformed hull to keep their balance. Nova-Two pointed to Jace, shaking his hand like a disappointed parent. "Next time, you pilot and I'll chill in back."
"Deal," Jace agreed, tossing Jeremiah's duffle-like bag to him.
Nova-Two caught the bag of weapons, quickly unzipping it to obtain them.
"Mirage uploaded the schematics on the Frigate onto our TACMAPs," informed the Lieutenant. "Dr. Asari and the relic are position three decks up in the converted research sector. Check your fire and watch your corners." Jace switched frequencies, isolating Commander Vashers'. "Commander Vasher, this is Nova-One. We're in; heading to the doctor's position now."
"Copy that, Lieutenant," responded the Commander. "Better get there quick, son; Covenant's already tearin' up the place."
"Noted," complied Jace, switching over to Nova's TEAMCOM. He kept his eyes solely on a Longsword in the Frigate's bay—one of the few flight-capable crafts that weren't damaged in the landing.
"We use that Longsword to get back to the Nighfire. Everyone green?"
The three Headhunters pulsed their acknowledgment lights, and the team began their ascension.
Lieutenant Commander Nolan's words have never proved truer when he stated the Covenant was "playing for keeps." When the Covenant had boarded the Day Breaker, they didn't just send in average troops—Grunts, Jackals, and low-ranked Elites. No, they sent in heavy hitters only, and no one else. Each Boarding Craft supported a squad of Special Operations Elites, easily identified with their dark red armor and superior skill set.
Whoever was in charge in this op to reclaim the artifact wasn't leaving anything to chance. In the confines of the research lab, Dr. Asari kept herself glued to the floor, not even giving in to her curious nature to peek outside. She held onto the relic for dear life between her hands, counting the endless seconds as they ticked by. Dr. Erikson was by her side, his hands noticeably shaking from anxiety and fear.
Luka cut her dark eyes at him and almost laughed. This must've been the first time Malcolm had been involved in such a dangerous situation. He was your typical scientist: stuck in a lab 24 hours a day studying alien technology. Dr. Asari assumed he'd never even fired a gun, at least not at something that would shoot back. But in the event the Covenant came barging through the lab doors—which they probably would—they would need to be prepared.
"Does this lab store any type of weapon?" Luka asked Dr. Erikson.
Malcolm hadn't heard her. He was too focused on what it would feel like to have superheated plasma burning through his flesh. Dr. Asari grabbed the collar of his lab coat and pulled him close, snapping him from his trance.
"Does this place have any weapons we could use?"
Erikson knew that look in Luka's eyes, and he wasn't thrilled. "You're not thinking of actually fighting the Covenant, do you? I have you know, Luka, that we would not stand a chance against a Sangheili warrior. Their physical capabilities alone could…"
"Stop analyzing everything and think!" Dr. Asari angrily interjected.
"This is a research lab," Malcolm sarcastically pointed out, "not some…"
The sterilization chamber at the lab's entrance glowed a bluish-white as a plasma grenade went off. Heated shards of glass rained into the lab's interior, slicing and burning the flesh of scientists inside. Dr. Asari felt her heart rise into her throat with a sudden shriek.
A pair Spec Ops Elites leaped inside the lab, one possessing some type object that resembled the handheld portion of a metal detector. The alien turned its armored encased head straight at the opposite end of the lab, its eyes staring right at Asari and Erikson. It glanced down at the device's screen in its hands, seeing energy pulses skyrocket whenever it pointed it toward the human pair. Yes, they must've possessed their prize, and they would obtain it.
When the other Elite finished slaughtering the helpless scientists in the lab, the two of them stormed for the human pair, overturning workstations with ease. Glass valves shattered on the once polished tile, spilling bubbling fluid.
"Crap!" Erikson yelped, doubling back further into the lab.
Dr. Asari clutched the relic, wishing they'd had more time. Her eyes were locked onto the Elite as it approached the room, drawing its active energy sword. The ionized blades flared with steam-like vapor, and Dr. Erikson could already feel the heat venting from it. When the Elite came within striking distance of the sealed door, a pair of frag grenades rolled at their feet and exploded. The shields of the Elites flared and died from the blast, leaving them stunned.
It was a thing a beauty, something that made Dr. Asari's nerves cool. Four SPARTAN-IIIs entered into the lab, unleashing a salvo of ammunition into the Elites' vulnerable armor. Their blood blossomed against the crisp white walls as the Spartans made short work of them.
Dr. Erikson flinched at the massive alien collapsed beside him. He inched from the alien's expanding blood pool, feeling sick from the aroma. Dr. Asari stood to her feet, her heart rate thumping. The Headhunters branched off inside the lab, their SPI variants stained with alien gore and plasma burns.
Nova-One advanced to Dr. Asari, ignoring Dr. Erikson beside her. He didn't know who he was, and frankly, he didn't care. The doctor and the relic were the objective, not him.
"Are you okay, Doctor—any injuries?" the Lieutenant asked her. "Yes, I'm fine," Luka answered back, her voice and hands trembling.
"Lieutenant, I'm tracking movement… danger close," Nova-Four notified.
"Time to go, Doctor," Jace said, gently taking Luka by the hand.
The doctor, though, dug in her heels.
Jace felt the acute resistance, turned, and met the doctor's eyes. "Is there a problem?"
"Yes. We can't just leave Dr. Erikson and Commander Vasher here?"
"You're our objective, Doctor; they're not," Nova-One brought to light.
"Contacts closing on our position, Lieutenant," Lukas reminded.
Time was running out, and Jace wasn't in the mood for a debate. This Dr. Erikson would be the extra baggage they didn't need, and so would the Commander. Protecting one person in a firefight was hard enough without adding more.
"Kak," Nova-One cursed in his native-tongue. He looked over to his team, issuing modified orders. "Novas Three and Four, you're support. I want a barrier around Dr. Asari and Erikson. Nothing touches them. Nova-Two, we're assault. Clear?"
Three acknowledgment lights winked. Jace and Jeremiah brought their rifles to bear, motioned to the lab's exit, and went out.