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The Edina Campaign by Steele
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Assault on Edina 2
Date: 9 March 2003, 5:16 PM
Assault on Edina II
0600 Hours, October 13, 2552 (Military Calendar)/
UNSC Agonizer, Seridnafer System, Planet Edina Orbit
Captain Smith listened to Major Harland's report with satisfaction. So far everything was going as planned. The Marine Expeditionary Taskforce (MET) had been ordered to retake the Planet Edina. Edina was located in the inner colonies. It was a very important planet. It was the only planet in the inner colonies, to contain durasteel. Durasteel was the strongest metal discovered, it was also extremely light. Not surprisingly the planet had been taken by the Covenant. For some strange reason the Covenant had not glassed the planet, like they did to all the other planets. Instead they had occupied it with an invasion force.
The MET was about to enter phase three to retake the planet. Thus far resistance had been minimal, but the marines had only encountered Covenant outposts. But of course, phase three required the rest of the invasion force to be deployed. The invasion force was one of the largest forces assembled to retake a planet in two years.
The One-One Marine Division, part of the MET, was attacking the northern hemisphere. It consisted of 10,000 marines, without support personal. They were relying heavily on air superiority for resupply and reserve deployment.
The One-One Division was a Mechanized Infantry-Tank Heavy force. This meant all the marines were transported by either M54037 Razor APCs or Scorpions and Warthogs. Along with a 205mm Heavy Mobile Howitzer Artillery unit, the One-One would put a serious hurting on the Covenant's Rear Flank.
The plan was for Divisions One-Two and One-Three to attack in a frontal attack. One-One would attack from the rear, hopefully turning the Covenant's flank, allowing the marines to roll them up.
"Good work, Major. The One-One is deploying now, ETA—ten minutes. Hold your current position and report to General McCasky when he arrives. Captain Smith out," Smith said.
"Aye aye, Captain," Major Harland replied.
Captain Smith Grunted in satisfaction and turned back to his bridge crew. "Lieutenant Moore, bring us about to heading One-One-Zero, deploy the first division."
"Heading One-One-Zero, aye, deploying division one now," Moore returned, his manner crisp and sharp.
Smith smiled and eased himself into his command chair. It was going to be a long day.
Corporal Webb eased his Warbow ATV through the forest foliage and let it slide down into the miniature gully. He slipped off the seat and slithered, as smooth as a snake, to the edge of the forest. Lifting his AED binoculars, he peered out over the rolling hills and sighted the enemy. Two Covenant Ghost Reconnaissance Vehicles, crested a hill and sped over the terrain, heading on a course that was obvious of a scout. Webb had no fear of being detected. He was wearing scout armor. The armor had the latest of Covenant stealth technology. It looked like standard marine armor when it wasn't activated. When activated it acted just like the Covenant's active camouflage, except it lasted a lot longer, and adapted to the surroundings better. His Warbow was cloaked in a similar fashion, and had a device that masked all sound. Both his suit and armor had motion sensor jammers.
After spotting the enemy he clicked on his COM, and got his company commander, Captain Wesley. "Captain, this is Scout-three reporting enemy sighting. Two Covie Ghosts, appear to be scouts. Permission to engage?"
"Copy Scout-three, I've got your sensor feed. Permission to engage granted, make it quick and silent. Wesley out."
Mike Webb let a predatory grin creep onto his face. Ever since the last engagement, where he had lost two of his best friends, he had transferred to the scout company. Then he had chosen the most dangerous position: First Contact Lone Scout (FCLS). He preferred to be by himself. That way he had no one else to look out for.
He pushed these thoughts out of his mind and snaked back to his Warbow. He switched his Advanced MA5B for a SPNKr Jackhammer Rocket Launcher. He went back to the tree line and laid down on his stomach, lifting the Jackhammer over his shoulder. He aligned his sight with the gliding Ghost and waited for the guidance system to lock on.
It did so with a silent chirp. He gently squeezed the trigger. The rocket exploded from the barrel in a flash and darted toward its target. The HE warhead slammed into the front of the Ghost, engulfing the nose in fire and flipping it upside down on the ground. The second Ghost immediately swerved to avoid the first Ghost.
Unfortunately, the Elite's piloting skills weren't up to par. The left wingtip, snagged the other Ghost's flaming wreck, spinning it around and causing the right wingtip to dip into the ground, catch on a rock, and dump the Elite on the ground. Before the elite could stand all the way up, another rocket slammed into his torso. Webb watched the Elite disintegrate into a violet mist.
Webb popped the catch on his SPNKr's ammo hatch and inserted another pair of rockets. Once again he keyed his COM, "Captain this is Scout-three, Covenant recon picket eliminated, repeat, Cove recon picket eliminated."
"Good job Corporal, continue scouting, and engage any Covenant patrols. Do not engage any large force. When you encounter the main force, pull back, and call for an Artillery mission," Captain Wesley ordered.
"Sir yes sir," Webb answered. Clicking off his comms gear, Webb hoped on the back off his Warbow and gunned the engine. His ATV leapt out of the ditch and scrambled up the other side. He left his cloaker on, and allowed his vehicle to speed up.
He bounced over a hill and sped down the other side. Hundreds of feet away he noticed another pair of Ghosts heading straight toward him. Luckily for him his stealth systems were keeping the Covenant from noticing him. But that wouldn't last for long, his rate of closure was rapidly increasing. At close ranges he would be seen.
Acting swiftly, he flicked on his Warbow's 7.62mm autocannon and held the trigger down. The first Ghost caught the full burst. The bullets pierced the craft's nose, kept going, and tore into the Elite, ripping his torso open, and spilling dark purple blood over the controls. The Elite slumped out of his vehicle, which plowed into the ground, throwing up dirt.
The second Ghost turned and spun 60 degrees. The Ghost's nose was now tracking Webb. He slammed his right arm forward, spinning the Warbow around to face his enemy. His finger immediately tightened on the autocannon's trigger, vomiting ammo at the Covenant. The Teflon-coated rounds tore through the Ghost's wing and punctured the Ghost's power source. Before Webb could fire again, plasma fire impacted on the front of his Warbow. The ATV gave a sickening lurch and slid to a halt, smoke pouring from its engine.
Webb lifted his MA5B and prepared to take on the Elite. There was no need. The Ghost exploded outward in a blue-tinted explosion. Webb dropped and covered his face as shrapnel pinged off his armor. A large chunk of purple metal caught him in the helmet and the force of its impact knocked him backward.
When the lead stopped flying Webb got up and checked out his helmet. A large gash wound itself up to the top. "Well, I'll be damned..." he muttered to himself. He turned to check out his Warbow. The plasma blast had hit the vehicle right in the shocks, kept going, and hit the engine and cloaking device. Looking at it, he realized he wouldn't be able to repair it. He flicked on his COM and opened a channel to his Company Commander.
"This is Scout-three, I encountered another Covenant Recon Picket, eliminated, but my Warbow is inoperable and irreparable. Request a Scouthog with support be delivered to my position."
Captain Wesley Grunted, "Alright, I'm sending one now, make sure your ATV is destroyed, we don't want the Covenant getting that stealth technology. I want you to find the Covenant's main force, report, and then stick around to call in accurate Artillery fire."
"Yes sir," Webb answered. "Can you give me an ETA on the Hog?"
"Ah...yeah, about five minutes. Anything else, Marine?"
"Semper Fi!" Webb yelled into the COM channel.
"Hoo-roh, Wesley out...oh and good luck, Mike," the Captain, said his voice softer than usual.
Webb clicked off his COM and started to remove his weaponry from the Warbow. He then set a C12 charge for a minute, and sprinted over a hill, lugging a private armory with him. He got behind the hill and dropped, panting from the exertion. A minute later he heard a loud boom and watched one of the Warbow's wheels go flying by overhead.
He got into a good position and watched for any sign of the enemy. He saw none. A few minutes later a Warthog variant pulled up beside him. The Scouthog, looked just like a standard Warthog, except in its color and armament. The Warthog was painted with Active Camouflage paint. From a distance the Warthog was nearly invisible. The jeep didn't have a cloaking device like the Warbow because it was too large and fast for the cloaker to work effectively.
The standard 50mm chain gun had been replace with a silenced 50mm Sniper Cannon (50SC). The 50SC had a higher range and velocity than the standard chain gun, but its rate of fire was drastically decreased. With a skilled operator it was more effective that the chain gun, plus it was nearly silent and left no contrails.
A private jumped out of the driver's seat and walked over to him. "How in the hell do you manage to get your ass whooped by a couple of Covenant pansies?"
Webb grinned, "You're one to be talking, Nick. From what I remember in the last engagement you fought hand to hand with a Grunt—and lost!"
Private Nick Troy had to fight to keep his face from turning red with embarrassment. "Those Grunt-dudes are a lot stronger than they look."
"Yeah, whatever you say," Webb chuckled.
"I saw the whole thing, Mike," said Specialist Zack Squires. "His rifle jammed and a Grunt attacked him. He managed to disarm the little chump, but then the Grunt starts hitting him upside the head. Nick falls down and then the Grunt is on top of him, punching him in the face a few dozen times. Lucky for him I was able to put a bullet in the Grunt's skull."
"You've told the story a dozen times, Zack," Webb said, tossing his weapons in the Warthog's small cargo space. "Alright boys it's time to get down to business. I take it you already know our assignment?" They both nodded, so he continued. "We're going to approach through the tree line and avoid enemy contact as long as possible. Nick you drive, Zack you gun, so let's roll."
The Marines jumped in the Warthog and drove up in the woods. Branches snapped and cracked under the vehicle's weight. They cautiously made their way through the forest until their motion sensors picked up an enemy contact.
"Stop, I'm going to see what's up ahead. Make sure your cloakers are on, oh and don't get trigger happy, don't fire if you can avoid it," Webb ordered. He grabbed a S2 AM Sniper Rifle with a silencer and flash suppressor, and made his way to the edge of the forest.
He laid on his stomach and got into a good viewing position. He put the rim of the scope up to his eye and looked for the enemy. About 500 yards away was a Covenant Infantry Column. They marched along a large path. Thousands of Grunts walked in perfect formation. Hundreds of Jackals, shields not activated, but at the ready occupied the front and middle of the Column. Elites patrolled the outer edges on foot or in Ghosts. Behind the Column lumbered the Covenant's armor: Wraith Mortar Tanks.
Webb whistled in amazement. A moment later an Elite patrolling not 200 yards away from him peered over in his direction, as though he had heard the whistle. Webb froze; no one knew just how sensitive the Elite's senses were. For all he knew he had been heard and was about to be spotted. He looked around and noticed the Elite was at the rear of the Column and wouldn't be missed.
He made sure the silencer was firmly attached and zoomed in on the Covenant. At this range he could count the Elite's teeth. He dropped the crosshairs on the Elite's head and gently squeezed the trigger. The rifle's recoil slammed into his shoulder, causing him to wince. The 14.5mm armor-piercing fin-stabilized sabot bullet wasn't even slowed by the Elite's shield. The round impacted into the aliens head with a meaty slap.
The Elite fell back and crumpled into a heap on the ground, his imploded skull spraying a fine purple mist. Webb smiled in satisfaction and made sure no Covenant had detected the Elite's downfall. He quickly made his way back to the Warthog and told his Marines what had happened.
"Follow them, while I get an Artillery mission," Webb commanded. He then flicked to a different COM channel. "Scout-three to Devil one-one, over."
"Scout-three, this is Devil one-one state your priority and request, over."
"I copy Devil one-one. Priority Alpha and a request for fire mission over."
"Devil one-one copies and validates, give coordinates and grid, over."
"Grid B, section 7, coordinates are: 134 degrees by 76 degrees. Shift and fire for effect, over."
"Firing sighting shots, adjusting for effect, Scout-three."
Webb and his Marines crested a hill, a kilometer distant and waited for all hell to break loose. Seconds later the ground itself seemed to explode. Explosions ripped through the Covenant formation, killing Grunts by the hundreds. Many fled in panic as more artillery shells rained down. Then the proximity shells hit. They exploded at about chest height, releasing tons of shrapnel. The Covenant infantry didn't stand a chance; they were cut down by the score. Purple and blue blood stained the ground. Within minutes the only surviving Covenant were those in the Wraith Tanks and Ghosts. The tanks were completely invulnerable to anti-infantry artillery, but not to Hammer cruise missiles.
A hundred long, slender missiles arced above the horizon and plummeted down on the Covenant tanks. The first missile hit a Wraith and went all the way through before exploding. The Wraiths were ripped apart like tinfoil. Webb and his Marines sat and watched the massacre with a grim satisfaction. They were finally getting a chance to pay the aliens back for what they had did to the Outer Colonies.
After the artillery barrage, the remaining Covenant, very few, just stumbled around, suffering from shell shock. Not that they were allowed to stumble around long, though. Razor APCs and Warthogs roared down the hill. The Razors stopped and their cargo compartments opened, spilling out Marines. The Warthogs drove around, taking out Elites and Ghosts. The Marines ran about, covering one another and methodically cutting down the remainder of Covenant.
Major Harland marched in the Command Center and crisply saluted General McCasky. The General returned it and motioned for him to sit beside down beside the other battalion commanders. Harland did so.
McCasky looked at them, his voice grim, "As of 0200 hundred yesterday Covenant forces showed up in system and began a major assault on Earth." He looked around and waited for what he said to sink in. When it did he continued, "We've been ordered to immediately retreat and reinforce Earth. To finish up here we're going to initiate Operation Sigma II.
"Most of you already know of the Sigma Octanus campaign and how the nuke was planted. Well we're going to do the same thing. A team will infiltrate the Covenant Perimeter and plant a HAVOK nuclear bomb. Any questions?"
Harland raised his hand, "Ah...sir the original nuke was planted by a SPARTAN II team. They were all eliminated at Reach, sir."
"Well, not all of them were defeated at Reach. There was a survivor, he's currently helping push back the Covenant invasion force on Earth. Apparently there is another group of SPARTAN II's. They were never at Reach and they don't exist, if you know what I mean. Anyway, we will pull back to orbit, and wait for the SPARTANs to complete their mission." He looked at his watch. "They should arrive shortly. I want you men, to start the pull-back to orbit."
Assault on Edina 3
Date: 15 March 2003, 10:57 PM
Assault on Edina III
0300 Hours, October 14, 2552 (Military Calendar)/
UNSC Pelican Dropship en route to Planet Edina surface
Lieutenant (JG) Marvin Williamson thought the cloud cover thick enough to land his Pelican on. He peered through the clouds, trying to get a good view as to where the ground was. He knew he had to be careful, for failure wasn't an option. If he failed the whole plan to retake Edina would come to pieces. But he had an added incentive not to fail. He was an Edinanian. This was his home planet. He had watched the holos of the planet's population get slaughtered by the Covenant. He wanted revenge.
His COM chirped. "Whiskey Four-0-Eight calling Tacoma One, over."
"Tacoma One, listening Whiskey Four-0-Eight," he responded.
"Alright Tacoma, we're popping green smoke on Grid Seventeen by Twenty, over."
"Gotcha Four-0-Eight, green on Seventeen Twenty. The Team will be down soon."
"Be advised Tacoma One, Banshee and Seraph patrols are increasing."
"Well, keep those SAM batteries up and we should be OK."
"Negative, Tacoma, the SAMs were the first to pull out in the recall, you'll be on your own."
"Damn, well, it won't be the first time. Tacoma One—out."
Well that sucks, Marvin thought to himself. It would have been nice to have the Surface to Air Missile batteries up to handle the Covenant's Fliers. He clicked on his intercom, "Major, you might want to buckle up, we might encounter Covenant Air Patrols."
The Spartan's voice drifted back over the channel, steady, and all business. "We copy, Lieutenant, we're already in the acceleration couches."
Marvin nodded to himself. The Spartans had always freaked him out. He admired them. He wanted to be one. But they still freaked him out. He went back to the task at hand, studying the sensors. Two minutes later, his IR sensor went off, indicating two heat sources heading straight for him. The readings said they were ten miles out.
"Major, we've got company, hang on, I'll try to get us out of this alive," he hastily said over the intercom. He wasn't expecting a response.
"I'm sure you will, Lieutenant."
Marvin flicked his weapons selector switch over to 'missiles' and immediately got the blaring in his headphones, signifying a lock-up. He gave a feral smile, and depressed the trigger. Two Anvil-II missiles darted out from the Pelican's Weapons Bay and disappeared into the clouds. Seconds later a target dropped off his sensors. The other one dodged around, and stayed. Apparently it had out-maneuvered the missile. That was a rarity; the Covenant pilot must be pretty good.
Marvin knew he didn't have enough time to shoot another missile, so he flipped his Weapons Control over to 'gun.' He knew he had to take the Covenant out or he would drop around behind him and plant either a plasma torpedo or fuel rod blast up his six. His sensors now identified the enemy as a Covenant Banshee. He breathed a sigh of relief; glad it wasn't a Seraph.
Suddenly, the Banshee became an increasingly growing speck. He aligned his targeting reticle on the Banshee and held down the trigger. His 40mm autocannons had a longer range than the Covenant Banshee's Plasma Cannons and he was counting on that to keep him alive. His finger tightened on the trigger.
Hundreds of HE rounds were vomited at the enemy Banshee. The majority of bullets missed; but two or three hit and that was all it took. The explosive rounds tore into the rear of the Banshee killing the pilot and turning the fighter into a flaming wreck. But not before the Covenant had came within range and launched a green fuel rod blast at him.
Marvin slapped his control column to the side and yanked it back, while shoving the throttles forward into maximum thrust. The Pelican inverted and dove. Marvin was pressed into his seat at the force of the Gs. It was like having a ton of bricks dropped on you. But it passed when the Pelican's inertial compensators kicked in. He flipped the Pelican back right side up and searched for any more targets. They were none.
He clicked on the intercom, "Major, is everyone alright?"
"Yes Lieutenant, did you give our old friends a warm welcome?"
"Yes sir, I just hope they appreciate my generosity. We're two minutes from the LZ, recommend you get ready for a hot-drop. The One-One division is in the process of pulling back and the Covenant are pushing forward."
"We are always prepared, just make sure you're prepared."
"I'm a Marine, sir, prepared is my middle name. We improvise, overcome, and adapt."
"I'm well aware of what Marines are, Lieutenant," the Major responded, as if talking to a child.
"Yes sir, of course you do. We're down, LZ is under friendly control. Dropping bay door now," Marvin replied, slightly subdued.
He watched the Spartans leave through the rear-facing monitor, particularly the one called the Major. He was taller than the rest, yet not as bulky. He had more of a lean look about him and moved slower than all the rest. Yet he obviously wasn't slow, he seemed to exaggerate all his movements. Marvin cut the vectored thrust nozzles downward and gunned the burners to military power. His Pelican's nose pointed straight up. He took one last look at the Major.
He never saw him again.
The Major walked over to where there was a group of Marine officers milling about around a 3D holoprojector. His movements were fast and precise, yet at the same time slow and graceful. When he was close enough he snapped to attention, straight as a ramrod and saluted sharply.
The Marines turned to look at him and a few gaped at his MJOLNIR armor. He stood as still as stone. Finally one of the Marines returned the salute.
"Spartan193, reporting for duty, sir," he said.
"At ease soldier, Major," General McCasky said. He proceeded to walk around the holoprojector. "You already know your mission and you have all the intelligence info we have."
"Yes sir."
"Well then, I'll leave you and your men to prepare for your mission." The General seemed slightly flustered, but he stuck out his hand. "Good luck, Major."
"We'll do our job, sir." With that the Major saluted again, about faced, and walked away. The General never saw him again.
The two Warthogs leapt the hill and slammed down on the other side, their shocks bouncing. Driving the first Warthog was the Major. He was following a route already predetermined by Marine Patrols for the least chance of being detected. He turned to the left, the Warthog's tires kicking up dirt, and parked the vehicle in the tree line. The other Warthog followed suite.
The Major got out of the Warthog as his other Spartans did so. He spoke. "Let's roll."
There was no need to say anything else, the Spartans already knew their mission. He didn't even need to give directions. They knew everything by heart. They made there way through the forest, not making a sound. When they reached the ridgeline, the Major was amazed at what he saw.
Below them spread out like a great map was the Covenant encampment. Hundreds of dome shaped buildings populated the grassy meadow. Thousands of Elites, Jackals, Grunts, Hunters, Brutes, and even a few Prophets strolled about, performing alien tasks on alien equipment.
He'd already seen previous footage from Recon Marines, yet he was still shocked. He turned to his Spartans and gave the signal. They retreated back into the woods, hitting a small button on their forearms in the process. As the Major pressed the button, he watched his shield go dead and his appearance started to change.
His armor turned golden and he seemed to shoot up to over eight foot. His skull became long and flat, his face seemed to melt into the face of an Elite. A device on his arm did not change; instead a bright blue Plasma Sword sprang to life.
The Major looked down at himself and grinned; the cloakers worked. He turned to look at the rest of his Spartans. Standing around him were five very tall Jackals. All their shields were yellow and they were busy getting Covenant materials out of the Warthogs.
All the Spartans grabbed Plasma Grenades, Plasma Pistols, and Jackal Shield generators. They actually grabbed two of those, seeing as the cloakers drained all their shield energy. They then turned and walked toward the Covenant.
They strutted on through the Covenant encampment, and on one seemed to bother them. All the Grunts and lesser ranking Elites got out of the way. They made their way to the middle of the encampment, to the largest structure there. Two sword-toting Golden Elites, their blades held at the ready, guarded the door.
The Major attempted to walk in, but one of the Elites stepped in his way and hefted his sword menacingly. The Major knew he had to get in this building to plant the HAVOK. The rest of the Jackals had already dispersed taking up positions so that if he were discovered they wouldn't be also.
He didn't have the time to sit around and find another concealed place to plant the nuke. He thought about planting it elsewhere, but decided against it, this would be good enough. The Major spun a complete 360, while bringing up his Plasma Sword. He thrust his blade straight into the Elite's chest. It went all the way through and out the other side, purple blood misting off the blade. The Elite gave an agonized gasp and collapsed, his blood pooling out around him.
The other Elite seemed shocked, but quickly got over it, charging the Major and swinging his blade in a flat arc, meant to take off his head. The Major ducked and thrust at the Elite. The Elite parried the blow and counterattacked at his face.
The Major knew he probably wouldn't be able to defeat the Elite with a Plasma Sword. He had just put one on not long ago, whereas the Elite had probably trained for years. But he did have one advantage, he was faster. He also had to hurry up before other Covenant decided to help.
The Major rolled under the next attack and kicked the Elite's legs out from under him. The Elite toppled into a heap, his sword arm trapped under his body. The Major leaped up and slammed his sword into the back of the Elite's head. His skull cracked in half and violet blood and gray brains leaked out on the ground.
He turned and darted into the large pink and purple building. Inside there was one large room and in the middle sat a large Prophet. The Prophet spun around and gawked at him. The Major didn't waste no time, he ran up to the alien and decapitated him, blood spraying everywhere.
The Major kicked the Prophets corpse out of the chair and set the HAVOK nuclear bomb down. He set it for radio detonation. He rigged a relay in case a COM signal wouldn't penetrate the building itself. He then flicked over on his COM channel speaking in it, "The present has been delivered, rendezvous at Arrival Point."
Lights winked on in his HUD, in acknowledgement. The Major looked around and realized he had to get out of here—now!
Assault on Edina 4 (Conclusion)
Date: 26 March 2003, 1:09 AM
Note: if you read this and don't know what bloody well is happening I would recommend you type my name (Steele) in the search thingy and read everything with the title Assault on Edina. Hopefully you will enjoy them.
Assault on Edina 4
0425 Hours, October 14, 2552 (Military Calendar)/
Middle of Covenant Encampment, Edina Surface
The Major sprinted out the front entrance and came face to face with a large Hunter hefting his Fuel Rod Gun in his direction and looking decidedly aggravated. The Major decided he didn't want to go that way, and dove back inside before the Hunter could fire.
He searched for another exit, but couldn't find one. "Guess I'll just have to customize this place," he muttered to himself, as he pushed his Plasma Sword into the wall and cut a large square section out.
The superheated metal glowed a pinkish hot, and fell to the floor with a loud clang. The Major darted through and scanned the area around him. No enemies, just more purple tent-like things. He took off to his left and clicked on his COM, "Group you might as well leave without me, I'm not going to make it."
One of his Spartan's voice came back to him, choked, "No, Major we leave no one behind. Either we all get out together or we all stay here."
"You are going to leave without me whether you like it or not, Spartan. You need to live to fight another day. Now, I'll give you twenty minutes before I detonate the present, you got me?"
"Yes sir," the Spartan replied, his voice laden with sad resignation. Good luck, we'll...we'll make you proud, Major."
The Major clicked his COM in acknowledgement and darted into a nearby building before a Jackal spotted him. His cloaker was almost drained. He knew it wouldn't do him too much good anymore, so he switched it off.
Immediately the 8 foot 6 inch Golden Elite melted into a 6 foot 6 inch Iridescent Green Spartan. The Major activated his shield bar and felt the air around him sizzle and pop. He was glad to have his shield back, without it he felt exposed. He checked his inventory. He had six Plasma Grenades, a Plasma Pistol, a Plasma Rifle, and the Plasma sword. He clicked off the sword and readied his Plasma Rifle, taking up a good defensive position in the building.
The building was small and empty, excluding the two rows of stationary shield generators. They couldn't take that much damage, but lined up in a single row they could last a while. He lined them up, and got ready, waiting for the Covenant.
He didn't have to wait long. A pair of Grunts just happened to be strolling by and spotted him. Before they could warn any other Covenant, the Major snapped off a trio of bolts at the first one.
The blue Plasma bolts hit the Grunt in the face. The first one melted his breathing apparatus causing it to adhere to his face in a congealed mass of methane, blood, and bone. The second and third bolts hit the Grunt in the top of the head. His head snapped back from the force of the blow and his skull exploded, throwing out bone fragments, brains and blue blood.
The Major immediately aimed at the other Grunt and scythed Plasma Bolts across his torso. The Grunt collapsed, his chest armor melted and pierced, in a pool of thick blue blood. The whole thing had taken less than two seconds, and neither Grunt had gotten off a shot. The Major sallied forth and retrieved their bodies and equipment without notice. He dragged them inside and dropped them in a corner.
It wasn't long before an Elite noticed the Grunt's disappearance and came to investigate. He stopped outside the purple building and looked down at the pool of blood on the ground. His head slowly turned to the side, looking directly at the Major.
The Major took aim and released a burst of Plasma rounds at the Elite. The Plasma hit his shields, turning them an electrical gold, and sent the Elite scurrying out of the way. The Major heard him hollering outside the building, presumably for reinforcements.
He grabbed a grenade and waited for the next enemy to stick his head around the corner. A minute later two Jackals stormed in, their shields at the ready. The Major lobbed the Plasma grenade right behind them. They dove for cover.
He sighted on the first one laid out on the floor and held down the trigger. The Jackal jerked sporadically on the ground, blood splattering the ground behind him. The Major spun to the left firing at the other Jackal. His Plasma bolts hit the Covenant shield and turned it a bright red. He was about to aim around the shield when the Plasma Grenade went off, picking up the Jackal and throwing him against a wall, staining it purple.
The Major tossed another Plasma Grenade around the corner, causing an Elite to jump out of the way—right in The Major's line of fire. The grenade had already weakened the Elite's shields, and the Plasma Rifle rounds ripped right through him. His shields flickered and died. He feel over as the Bolts tore into his guts, leaving him to die in excruciating pain.
The Major checked his watch. Ten minutes to go until it was time to blow the nuke. He looked up to see two Plasma Grenades come flying inside. One bounced off the shield, the other landed right beside him. He had no place to go and no cover so he did the only thing he could do. He shot the Plasma Grenade. It stopped glowing and turned into a black charred piece of useless metal. It didn't explode. He breathed a sigh of relief as the first one exploded, wiping out the stationary shields.
This was a prelude to the Covenant storming inside. Fortunately only two could fit in the doorway at one time. The Major vomited Plasma fire at them. Two Jackals came in first and were cut down by the volume of fire. Next came three Grunts who all got the same treatment, although one managed to snag the Major with Plasma fire.
The Major's shields absorbed the blow with a small decrease in energy. Next was an Elite who ran in and tripped over the bodies of the fallen Grunts. The Major took this chance to smack a Plasma Grenade between his shoulder blades.
The Elite rolled over and tried to reach the grenade, while screaming in an alien tongue. He was shot straight up when the grenade exploded. He slammed into the ceiling and fell back down, at least what was left of him.
The Major knew he wouldn't be able to remain in here long before he was overwhelmed, so he shot out the door, activating his Plasma Sword. When he passed through the doorway he fired to his left, gunning down a Grunt, and swung his Plasma Sword in a flat horizontal arc that caught an Elite in the throat.
The Elite reeled back, his nearly severed throat gushing dark purple blood. The Major spun and tossed a Plasma Grenade at the Covenant milling around in surprise. It landed in their mist, and sent them sprawling for cover. The Major ran around another building before the grenade exploded, but he heard the screams of pain.
He passed another corner and came face-to-face with a Golden Elite. Instinctively he brought his Plasma Sword up in an uppercut meant to split the Elite in half from groin to skull. His blow never landed. The Elite's own Sword came up in a parry and knocked his aside. The Elite then kicked him in the chest, which sent him tumbling.
The Major came up in a crouch and fired his Plasma Rifle at the Elite. The Elite's shields absorbed the blow and then he was right on top of him. He lifted his Sword and blocked the attack, but the force of the blow sent him to his knees.
The Major rolled out of the way as the Plasma Sword cut the ground where he had just been standing. He vaulted up and swung a backhand slash at the Elite that caught him in the back and bisected him in half.
The Major checked his watch. He only had to survive three more minutes. Suddenly, Plasma Fire ripped into his shields and knocked him back. He dodged to the left and shot a volley of Plasma bolts at the Grunts who had shot at him.
One of the Grunts stumbled back and just sat down when he hit a wall, leaving a streaky trail of blood on the wall behind him. The other Grunt was spun around when the bolts slammed into his left shoulder. The Grunt collapsed in puddle of blood and didn't move.
The Major looked down and noticed his Plasma Rifle was about empty. He tossed it aside along with the Plasma Sword and retrieved two Plasma Pistols. He equipped one in each hand and darted off looking for more Covenant to kill with his few minutes of remaining life.
The Major dove around a corner, firing at two Elites and a Jackal. Time seemed to slow as he arced through the air. His shots scored an Elite in the face and blew his face open, spewing out violet matter, and gray brains. Plasma flew by him, but none hit. He hit the ground and came up running.
He charged the remaining Elite and dodged to the left as Plasma fire whipped by him. He spun, fired, and punched the Elite in the facemask. The Elite seemed dazed, so the Major followed up by grabbing the Elite around the neck and using him to block the shots coming from the Jackal.
The Jackal unwittingly blew his own ally into oblivion. The Major dropped the body of the Elite and ran at the Jackal, firing the whole way. He reached the Covenant and pivoted, bringing up his right foot. His booted leg reached out and lashed the Jackal's shield away. The Major followed up with a three round burst that popped the Jackal's head like a pulpy melon.
The Major turned and crossed his pistols, gunning down two Grunts firing at him. His shields where about gone and he knew he was going to stay alive too much longer. He checked his watch. 24 seconds to go.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a Hunter preparing to fire. The Major made ready to dodge the blast but was hit by another Hunter before he could. The Fuel Rod Blast evaporated his shield and propelled him into the nearest building.
The Major hit the ground and felt pain. Everywhere. His vision was a red haze. He couldn't feel his left arm. Yet he knew what he had to do. He pulled out the HAVOK Tactical Nuke detonator and punched in the proper command sequence.
Five seconds until complete annihilation of the Covenant camp. He smiled his last smile. He had won.
Lieutenant (JG) Marvin Williams rotated his Pelican and watched as the five Spartans hit boarded. He clicked the intercom, "Major is this everyone?"
A new voice spoke back to him, subdued and sad, "The Major won't be joining us, he is doing his duty, Lieutenant. Now get us off this planet before we do our duty too."
Marvin stood his Pelican on its tail and firewalled the engines as a large mushroom cloud grew behind him in the distance.
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