Location: Nearby a Covenant Citadel
Azelia Territory, Beaumontia, Epsilon Eridani system
March 16th, 2549
11:01pm
"Walk me through your last mission with Shadow Team."
"Valentine gave us the mission details."
"Your mission, dear Shadow, is to destroy a Covenant Citadel that has began to make its home at the outskirts of the town of Azelia. You will have to place two remote detonator charges at the base to destroy it."
Valentine, the team's AI related the mission to the three remaining Shadow members. With their objective clear, they suited up, prepared their weapons and made their way to the Citadel, which was still in construction as evidenced by the orbital beams over two of the seven building sites. It was the perfect time to attack and take it out before it would start producing the more nastier stuff.
Beaumontia's moon hung over the base, bathing it with his luminous glow. It was located next to a lake, with the only access point being a downward ramp. The base was also surrounded by cliffs of different heights. The three Spartans stood over the tallest cliff that loomed over the base, studying the patrol patterns of the guards. Trying to accomplish this missions using stealth was going to be a great challenge. With the base still setting up, there was no doubt that the Covenant soldiers were going to be on high alert.
High-ranking Elites and two groups of Grunts were strolling all around the base. Jackals took sniper positions on the lower cliffs. This was the same situation as yesterday and the day before.
Ryan turned his head to his other team members. "We need a plan and it needs to be a damn good one. Anybody?"
"A good ol' fashion distraction?" Celestina coined. "It just takes one of us to throw them off."
"True, but not while those snipers are around," Jun said.
"Alright then. Celestina and I will take out the snipers and Jun, once we give you the green light, you cause the distraction. We'll do whatever it takes to plant the charges and meet up with you later."
"You ready to start a firefight, Celest? Those snipers were just a warm-up."
"Really, now? Well, I hope we're gonna keep score."
"You can take the Grunts, if you'd like."
"Such a gentleman, Ryan."
"Thank you!" The Commander smiled cheekily behind his brown-colored CQB helmet. "Jun should be providing our distraction right about..."
A collection of frag grenades exploded about a short distance from the front of the base. All alien heads snapped to the direction of the noise.
"That's it! Let's go!"
Ryan got the jump on the nearest Brute while Celestina tossed a grenade at the nearest of the two groups of Grunts. She hopped off the cliff she was on and fired her twin Sub-machine Guns at the second group. Once that was done, she hurried to assist her Commander with the remaining Brutes. She tossed one of her two combat knives at a Brute and emptied her SMGs into another.
The area seemed… clear. There was not another alien in sight.
That feeling of uneasiness made its home in Celestina's gut. Why only have five Brutes, two groups of Grunts, Jackal and Elites snipers to guard a Citadel in construction? Should there not be more? Like high-ranking Elites on the ground, instead of just the low-ranking ones in sniper positions?
"Come on, let's plant those charges." Ryan's order tore her away from her troubles thoughts.
"I just knew something was wrong. They always say you should trust your gut. I wish I had said something."
They planted the two charges on opposite sides of the Command Center of the Citadel. The charges were supposed to be enough to destroy the base entirely and send a message to the Covenant on Beaumontia. There was no way another planet was going to fall to them.
"You have the detonator?" Celestina questioned, once she hooked up the charge.
"Guarding it with my life," He said. "Now come on. Let's get out of here."
"Race you!"
They ran past the front of the base, heading for the ramp that would take them to their meeting point. That was when two cloaked Elites revealed themselves, blocking the ramp - Special Operations Elites.
The two Spartan stopped dead in their tracks, only to realize that two more were standing right behind them.
Ryan and Celestina were pointing their Assault Rifle and twin SMGs respectively at the two Elites in front of them. All of the Elites responded with a collection of Energy Swords, Plasma Rifles and Carbines. The female Spartan was the first one to break the silence. "What the fuck?"
"It's a trap," Ryan said stoically. "You guys know that this is not going to end well, right? We can fire, you can fire. Either way, we'll all die." Jun knows he can't do anything. One shot and bullets and plasma are gonna start flying. None of us will make it out alive.
"There is no way out of this, humans," One of two Elites in front of them, standing in front of Ryan wielding an Energy Sword, said. "Surrender now for inquisition."
"You're crazy if you think we're doing that. Four of you against the two of us? Hardly seems like a fair trade, isn't it?" Celestina's mind ran wild, trying to come up with a plan.
"You failed to include the… assassin you have hidden within the cliffs," The other Elite, standing before Celestina, then spoke, his voice even more gravelly than the first one.
Ryan kept his composure, but he knew for a fact that Celestina will struggle if that Elite mentioned anything more. "What assassin?"
"He has already been eliminated. If you wish to suffer the same fate, then by all means, attack." The first Elite was practically taunting them.
Hazel eyes widened in complete shock. Jun? The grips on her SMGs loosened and she was about to lower her arms.
"Celestina, do not lower your weapons!" Ryan commanded as soon as he got sight of her hands faintly quaking. "They're lying. A trick to lower our guards. Jun is fine. He's probably slapping around whatever's attacking him."
"Make your choice, humans. Live? Or die?"
Immediately after that statement, soft static poured through their internal helmet speakers. "Guys? Are you there?"
That was when Celestina's eyes lit up.
"I've got eyes on your position. Ryan, I'm gonna get the Elite on your six. After which, it's weapons free. I can't see any other way out of this."
Ryan sucked in a deep breath and proceeded to lower his weapons. Celestina followed suit. "Okay," He said out loud. "Do whatever you have to do."
That shot from Jun's Sniper Rifle tore through the silence of the night and the Elite standing behind the Commander fell like a ragdoll. Celestina tossed both her SMGs at the Elite in front of her, spun around and stabbed the Elite behind her using her sage-colored combat knife.
The Spec Ops Elite that was in front of her grabbed her by the shoulder and yanked her back a few paces, pointing its Plasma Rifle at her. She ran at it, her shields taking the plasma bolts before she drove her shoulder into its midsection. They both fell to the ground, Celestina elbowed it in the face and then pulled out her black-colored combat knife and thrust it into his neck.
Celestina then overheard a sharp grunt to her right, disturbingly similar to Rhonda's cry when she was stabbed by that Energy Sword…
… She witnessed Ryan attempting to keep that Elite from pushing its Energy Sword deeper into his side.
"It was a cruel repetition of what happened to Rhonda."
No sooner did she turn her head, that Elite took a sniper bullet right through the side of its head.
Ryan fell to one knee and Celestina instantly got to his side, one arm around his back. "Ryan! Oh no, no, no!"
With an incredible amount of resistance, Ryan pulled out the sword from his abdomen and tossed it aside. Celestina immediately sat one hand over the wound. "Ryan, it's gonna be okay! I'm gonna get you out of here!" She re-established contact with Jun immediately on the team's COM channel. "Jun!"
"Celest, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there are couple of Phantom dropships heading to our location!"
"Then the... the two of you need to make a run for it..." Ryan then spoke, not without gritting his teeth at the pain.
Celestina glanced at him as if she had been slapped her across the face. "What? We're not leaving you here! We can get you out!"
Ryan practically ripped off his helmet, revealing a small blood trail from the corner of his mouth. "I can distract the Phantoms, give you two enough time to run to the extraction point."
"You're nuts, Ryan!" She cried out.
To her surprise, he gave her a little smile. "I thought I was your brother?"
She originally thought that he was going to say something stupid in an attempt to change her mind, but she was not expecting this sudden statement. She had no answer for that, except for the tears brimming in her eyes. "You can't..."
"I have to, Celest. It's the only way you two will make it out alive."
"So you're gonna destroy the base? Taking out the Phantoms and yourself?!"
"Better to go out with a bang, right? Look, Celest," He placed one hand around the back of her neck. "These few months have been great. You're one heck of a Spartan and friend. This is not your place, or Jun's. You two need to get out of here. Not me. I've got Rhonda waiting for me."
Her eyes dotted upwards to the black sky, catching sight of a few flying objects in the distance. She was running out of things to say to convince her Commander to leave with her.
So Celestina pulled off her Scout helmet and gave him a quick yet loving hug. He reciprocated with a pat on her back. "Tell Jun to that if he doesn't take good care of you then Rhon and I are gonna haunt him in his sleep."
She couldn't help but giggle at that.
"Always have and always will, boss."
Ryan definitely felt better after that sentence from Jun. Celestina pulled back and picked up her helmet. Ryan gave her one last smile before saying, "See you guys someday."
"We won't forget this," She said, her voice cracking as she got to her feet. "Love you, boss."
"Right back at ya."
"And that's when I turned around, shoved my helmet back on and ran like my life depended on it."
A/N: Well, I always take my time with action scenes because it's not my best quality. Either way, I hope you all like it!
This is supposed to be the last chapter to the Shadow Team flashback but I never anticipated that I'd write so much! So I'd have to split it into two. Stay tuned for the next chapter! :)