4

"Scarab's back!" Coombs shouted. "This time it means business!"

Hearing this, Stacker started shouting out orders.

"Bravo, flank and cover! I want everybody supportin' the Chief, he'll take it down."

Banks replied, "Roger that, moving into position."

Carson was right behind him, then Stacker, whose vehicle was by far the most damaged. Meanwhile, the Demon, Coombs, and the Red Twin all waited in the rear for the Scorpions to advance. The plan was for the Scorpions to all split up and draw the Scarab's fire while the Demon and his escort moved in on it. It didn't exactly happen like that.

Banks hadn't even rolled completely out from underneath a naturally formed stone arch in their path when a slew of painfully green explosions rocked against the side of his tank. The two Marines that were sitting on that side got flash vaporized by the projectiles, and the turret gunner swiveled around to fire on the attacker.

Attackers, they all soon found out. Plural. At least four Brutes armed with fuel rod cannons were lying in wait to ambush the Scorpions, and now, clearly, their trap was sprung. The Ghost and Warthogs all frantically weaved around the slow moving Scorpions, but each driver knew that they couldn't make the distance in time. Knew that despite their efforts, their speed just wouldn't be enough to save Banks and the remainder of his tank crew before the rapidly reloading Brutes fired again.

"Ah, shi-" Banks cried.

In a matter of seconds they completely demolished his Scorpion. Banks was gone. Everyone had to go around his burning, unmoving wreck and the Brutes immediately started firing on the next tank in line.

"Taking rounds!" Carson yelled as he fired off a single tank shot.

Less than three seconds later, Mar zoomed out from under the arch to deal with the Brutes himself. When he got there though, he saw that they'd already been dealt with. Carson's turret gunner was busy peppering their corpses.

Mar turned in his seat to see the Demon and Coombs drift past Carson and accelerate out into the open, splitting up. And for good reason too. The Scarab was charging its main cannon, and it was looking right in the team's direction.

"Don't get bunched up!" the Demon growled.

Coombs shouted, "Scatter, scatter!"

An unmatchably loud, bloodcurdling roar emitted from the Scarab. Mar gulped down air. Not too long ago, there had been a time when he was on the other side of this type of situation. He knew exactly what type of damage that thing was capable of dishing out.

Unlike other vehicles in the Covenant's arsenal, the Scarabs were actually living, breathing creatures closely related to the Hunters. In fact, the Mgalekgolo were simply legions of Lekgolo worms that continued to accumulate mass. With more mass came conscious awareness, and as power hungry organisms, the Lekgolo worms would often accumulate so much mass that they couldn't support the disproportionate weight and because of this, would collapse over on themselves. The resulting halves of the original legion would then go on to become bondmates and form pairs. Mitosis in its scariest form.

These same Lekgolo worms controlled the newer model Scarabs, like the one Mar was currently looking at. The only way to stop the Scarab would be to kill the Lekgolo worms at its power core.

"Move, move!"

"I can't! He's got me locked!"

The Scarab unleashed a wide green laser that streamed across the canyon and pierced Carson's Scorpion like a knife through styrofoam.

"Son of a bitch!" Stacker cursed in his southern twang.

Before he died, Carson managed to get off one last tank shot. It struck the Scarab right in one of its armored 'kneecaps', causing the Scarab to wince slightly, but noticeably. Whoever hadn't caught on was quickly made aware of the new plan.

"Hit it in the knees, people!" Stacker yelled.

The team didn't need to be told twice. Mar, Dubbo, and everyone else focused fire on the same leg joint. Still, the giant four-legged monster was recharging its laser cannon for a second shot. It was aiming directly at Stacker.

"No, no!" the esteemed staff sergeant yelled in frustration.

The Scarab shot forth another green beam, but it was cut short as Stacker's last, desperate shot destroyed the knee that everyone was targeting. The Scarab buckled and swayed, struggling to stay standing, but eventually succumbed to the damage and lowered itself to the ground.