 |
About This Site
Daily Musings
News
News Archive
Site Resources
Concept Art
Halo Bulletins
Interviews
Movies
Music
Miscellaneous
Mailbag
HBO PAL
Game Fun
The Halo Story
Tips and Tricks
Fan Creations
Wallpaper
Misc. Art
Fan Fiction
Comics
Logos
Banners
Press Coverage
Halo Reviews
Halo 2 Previews
Press Scans
Community
HBO Forum
Clan HBO Forum
ARG Forum
Links
Admin
Submissions
Uploads
Contact
|
|
|
We come from the sky. by Why do we talk?
|
So lost..
Date: 30 September 2009, 9:44 pm
NEW MOMBASA—4 days after first orbital drop
YEAR: 2552
TIME: 5:42 A.M.
CHARACTER: JACKSON
AGE: 23
DIVISION: 105th …helljumpers
"Damnit Backlash!! You filthy Sangheili, fucking piece of SHIT!!!" Jackson swung his fist as hard as he could at the elite's face, but failed to make a hit. Backlash let out a growl and threw his elbow in Jackson's face knocking him to the ground.
" You will never stop us sky leaper!" Backlash yelled as he began to walk to pick up his weapon. Jackson stood up and spit blood from his mouth then chuckled a little. Backlash grabbed his weapon and pointed it at Jackson. The two looked at each other for a bit, each seeming to try and understand the other. "You know I can read your mind human. We followed your species…..every move….to now." Jackson looked hard at the elite, the ash from the sky falling like snow around him. Backlash grunted a bit then began to walk slowly towards Jackson. "I know you think of her alone on your second world of Reach. I know that it burns you to know that she just might be!" Jackson clenched his teeth just for a second then turned away, "I should have never protected you from the Flood. You're just going to kill me aren't you?" Explosions could be heard all around from a distance. It was like they were the last one's left. The elite laughed as loud as he could then lowered his weapon, "No.. I will not kill you like this human. You will run away from me and I will hunt you. I want your death to be hard to find. I want you to walk these city steps and listen to your brother's fall all around you, and then I will find you." Jackson looked back at the elite and frowned, "I guess we are even after I walk away right?" Backlash glared at him, his eyes cold like the ones who brought him to Earth, "Yes. After you walk away you will be my enemy again." Jackson took a deep breath then began to walk towards his helmet the elite ripped off about an hour ago. The sky was red with the dawn and ships could be heard flying around overhead. Backlash watched Jackson retrieve his helmet then walk away, he muttered to himself, "You will burn.."
"YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GO!" Claire yelled her eyes full of tears. Jackson turned to face her, and then lowered his eyes, "I have to. I am apart of this." He turned and slipped his chest armor over him. Claire whipped her tears and looked out the window to see the pelicans landing in the rift zone. She put her hands in her hair as if to pull it out, "What about the Spartan? You know… The one you always hear about?" Jackson chuckled and looked towards his helmet on the floor next to his tags, "He will not be there." Claire breathed out as if all hope was lost. Jackson grabbed his helmet and tags and turned to her, "Please don't worry Claire. The dropzone I am landing in his miles from the front. Our mission is simple." Claire walked up to him and looked up with her water soaked blue eyes, "If you leave. We will never see each other again." She glared at him in anger and waited for his response. Jackson looked down at her and squinted his eyes as if a dagger ripped his spine in two. She glared at him as he did not say a word and walked out of the room. She looked around as if trying to figure out again what was going on.
Jackson sat in his seat awaiting the pelican to take them to the cruiser. He knew she did not mean it, he knew this.
Claire ran to the field screaming for Jackson, the wind was cool and dusk was approaching. The tall grass around her blew with the wash of the pelicans. She looked up not knowing which one he was on and tears filled her eyes. She fell to her knees and looked at a small insect trying to escape the chaos, "I'm sorry Jackson."
That memory ran over and over threw Jackson's mind as he ran through the debris filled streets of New Mombasa. He had found a battle rifle and was holding it like he would Claire. He knew that Backlash would find him if he did not relax and try to form a plan. He rounded another block and saw a few jackles lurking near car. Jackson threw himself back against the wall and sighed quietly trying to catch his breath. He peeked around and read their stats in his HUD. They were at 100% health and pissed. The sun was almost up so and it was too bright to use his VISR. He checked to see if the rifle was ready and turned the corner and began firing. The jackles fell to the ground and let out screams of pain. Jackson hearing this ran to them and stomped their jaws in to shut them up. He looked up and around, "This was too easy."
The sound of large feet could be heard coming from the east. Jackson turned and looked towards the sound in time to see a Brute flip a car his way. Jackson began to run down the street dodging cars and debris in his way. The Brute yelled chasing him, "YOU WILL NOT GET FAR HUMAN!" Jackson jumped down a ramp that lead into another alley. He knew it would take time killing this creature with just a few short burst of his rife. He looked franticly somewhere to ambush the Brute. He found a weak door and threw himself into it! The Brute was just around the building. Jackson stood up and saw a small child hiding under a chair. Blood was on her face as she looked to him with frightened eyes. Jackson put his finger over where his mouth would be on his helmet then slowly took it off. The Brute at this point had stopped running and was taunting for Jackson to face him. The child watched as Jackson put his helmet on the ground then checked his rife to see if it was ready to fire. The girl pointed to a mantle that had a large dagger on top of it. Jackson looked at it then towards the girl. He grabbed it and slammed his body next to the doorway breathing and sweating heavily. The Brute seemed to shadow the window as he crept by it. Jackson could feel the Brute looking towards the doorway. He gripped the dagger and closed his eyes. Claire was all he saw, her hair on her shoulders, laughing and looking playfully at him. The Brute put his front leg in the door then began to step inside. The girl put her hands over her face as she heard Jackson through his hand as high as it could go reaching the Brutes neck with the long blade. The Brute let out a gargled scream then began firing his weapon all over the room. Jackson yelled and put his rife on the Brutes belly and began pumping rounds in it! Blood from the brute sprayed all around the room, Jackson spit some of it out of his mouth. The girl took her hands from her face to see the brute on his knees leaning against the doorway, its eyes dead but glaring at her. Jackson slumped down next to it breathing heavily, shocked that he survived. He looked toward the girl and smiled just a little. She glared back at him as if she was upset that he killed the beast. Jackson cocked his head then noticed a flicker on the girls face. He pointed his rifle at the girl and fired a round into her forehead only to see it hit the wall behind her. The girl smiled with an evilly then spoke," Now I have you sky leaper!" The girl vanished and Backlash burst from the closet slamming his energy sword near Jackson's feet. Jackson screamed then kicked the elite in the chest sending him back against a chair. Jackson stood up and leaped at Backlash the dagger in his hand! The elite threw up his hand and wrapped it around Jackson's arm, "I knew you would kill the brute. They are clumsy creatures!" Backlash spun Jackson against the window launching him onto the street. Grunts could be heard running up the street to see the commotion. Jackson stood up and felt the sun hit his face, the cool morning air reminded him of Claire and leaving her behind. Backlash stepped through the window and began to laugh, "Look human! You will have an audience witness your death." Jackson slowly looked around to see grunts and more platoons of elites emerge from the city streets. They all screamed and cursed him as he knelt in the street. Backlash raised his arms as if to take all the attention, "See how pathetic the human race is! Even on their own world they bow to us!" Jackson spit more blood from his mouth and stood to his feet. He looked at Backlash then to the covenant army surrounding him. Backlash pointed his gun at Jackson's forehead then smiled, "You have earned your death Jackson. No Spartan will save you today. You will fall forever in burning furry! We will destroy everything you humans call home, and I will see that the one you love dies just as fast." Jackson looked up at the elite and noticed a beautiful sight speeding towards them. The UNSC finally made it to the party. Jackson then looked in to Backlash's eyes and smiled, "Like I said, I should not have saved you from the Flood." The pelicans began dropping warthogs and firing on the covenant forces that gathered to watch Jackson die. Backlash flinched and Jackson reached for his weapon and ripped it from his hand. Backlash screamed and reached for Jackson but fell to his knees when the blast ripped through his stomach. Jackson frowned looking down at Backlash as the blaster cooled off. The elite looked up to see Jackson and the ships above him, "I was going to be a hero. The prophets were going to grant me status above all." Jackson knelt in front of him looking into the elite's eyes, the battle raging all around them, "You will fall forever." Backlash growled and watched Jackson stand up and run towards the battle. He fell to his side and died in his own blood.
TO BE CONTINUED…
So lost... prt 2
Date: 4 October 2009, 8:33 pm
REACH: Evacuation camp to a secret location.
YEAR: 2552
TIME: 10:41 A.M. ----NOVEMBER 3rd
CHARACTER: Claire
AGE: 19
//CIVILION LOG//>>>>redirect.
The covenant has destroyed most of Reach and has sent squads to in circle the planet. Civilian casualties are counted in the hundreds of thousands. The UNSC has ordered that all survivors still left on Reach leave now or stay to suffer. Heavily guarded Evac camps have been placed with intel, showing certain survivor zones. The survivors have no idea where they will be taken…
Claire gathered what little belongings she could and walked out from under her tent. The Evacuation camp was utter chaos at this point. UNSC Marines ran from tent to tent hurrying people to gather what they could and get in the Evac line. Claire put her backpack down and put her hair in a pony tail and scanned the crowd for William. He was her best friend and he knew more about the secret evacuation mission than anyone. William was the one who had come to her apartment and told her about the evacuation mission to get the surviving colonist off Reach.
"The covenant has gained all sub atmosphere and space channels all over Reach! The other side of the planet is already destroyed! It's a wonder we are still alive!" Claire looked at him then out the window, "So where will they take us?" William frowned and looked about as if thinking he was being followed.
"I heard that there was a secret ring, like the one we heard about that got destroyed. It has not been activated yet. Something about, a lost project that UNSC found a few years ago. The covenant has no idea it exists."
He lowered his eyes as a few people walked by the window. Claire turned to him and grabbed his arm,
"Are you serious? We are being taken to a place started most of this war?"
William put his finger to his mouth, "Shhh you idiot! You have to keep this to yourself!" He looked around frantically as if he was about to get shot.
"Look if you want to survive you need to come with me tomorrow to the evacuation camp. It is our only chance to live. The covenant will soon be dropping their forces in this area of the planet. You will not live if you stay."
Claire looked at him then thought of all she has lost in just the past month. Her eyes scanned his looking for some sort of reminder of Jackson.
"Ok. Where do I meet you?" William smiled and clinched his fists in joy, "Here because we will have to stay the night at the camp sight for a day because our cruisers will have to stealth pelicans down to each camp." Claire smiled and nodded then gave her friend a hug, "You know, for as much as you know about all these secret missions. Why did you not join the core?" William frowned and looked in her eyes, "I wanted to live." He said simply.
Claire continued to look for William scanning the crowd as best she could. Some pelicans at this point had already lifted off. She was getting nervous and the people screaming and running to hurry and get to their ships was growing on her. A warthog drove by and splashed some mud on her legs and she stomped her feet in frustration.
William ran up beside her catching his breath, a terrified look on his face. Claire looked up and saw him breathing and hit him on the arm as hard as she could.
"Do not ever leave me alone! Do you understand!?" She screamed. He looked at her and then grabbed her arm as hard as he could, "We need to get the hell out of here now." He said calmly.
"Why?" She asked trying to figure out the terror on his face. William turned facing towards the large snow capped mountains and muttered, "They found us." Claire peeked around him in time to see a large covenant flagship peer over the mountain.
It was to far away for people to notice just yet, it was no wonder the marines were hurrying people to their ships!
"Oh my God, Oh my God!" Claire began to panic and loose her breath. William cupped her mouth with his hands and told her just to walk to the pelican they were assigned.
They got in line and Claire had her head hidden in his arms. People began to scream when they finally saw the flagship headed their way.
"Everybody calm down!" A marine yelled trying to keep people in order. Warthogs and scorpion tanks began to charge up a hill to engage the banshees that would soon hit. William looked behind him and saw a few dozen dots coming from the covenant flagship. He sniffed and looked down to Claire, "We have to get out of here right now!" He began to pull her towards the pelican, shoving people out of his way. People where forcing there way into the pelicans overtaking the marine's guarding them.
Claire screamed as someone grabbed her by the hair pulling her back, "You can't fucking cut you bitch!" The man yelled. William turned around and threw his fist in the mans face knocking him out cold. The banshees could be heard firing at the camp. The marines began to fire back defending the pelicans. A few pelicans were shot out of the sky and crashed into the forest. William got to the pelican and threw Claire on board. He jumped in behind her and sat them down in a seat. A marine jumped inside the pelican, her arm was bleeding heavily. She kicked the emergency shut button preventing anyone else getting on board.
"Get this thing airborne NOW!" The pelican was shacking and rattling all over from the banshee attack. Claire peeked out the window and saw the flagship charging its ground laser to obliterate the forest and fields. William screamed to the pilot, "TAKE OFF!" Claire closed her eyes and imagined Jackson holding her and telling her everything was going to be ok. She felt his presence around her.
The pelican rocked then lifted off the ground, slamming into a banshee. William turned and looked out the port window and saw people burning and screaming for the pelicans to return. He turned away and sighed, his eyes watering up. The covenant flag ship shot its beam onto a lake, evaporating it immediately. Claire watched in horror as the camp was incinerated in seconds.
"All those people…All of the children." William tightened his grip on her and pulled her close. Claire turned and looked towards the marine and saw that her bleeding had not stopped.
The pelican rocked as it went through the atmosphere and space became visible. The marine stood up and walked to the front looking out over the covenant blockade, "They know we are trying to escape. We need to hurry." The pilot turned to her and grunted, "They won't even see us sergeant!" He flipped a poorly wired circuit and the pelican cloaked mirroring the space around them.
The marine smiled and went and sat down across from William and Claire. She took off her helmet and let her hair down. She was very beautiful; her eyes scanned the pelican looking at only seven people on board. She had a small scar near her left eye that in a way seemed to fit like it was there from birth. William glared at her and began to ask a question but was cut off by her strong willed voice,
"It will be about 2 hours before we reach the Helspherel." She grabbed a biofoam can and sealed her wound with it. She did not seem to care what was happening back on Reach. Her mind was somewhere else. Claire turned and saw the rest of the survivors crying and holding each other. She turned back to the marine, "What about the rest of the survivors?"
The marine looked up and sighed putting her hand on her head, "There is nothing more we can do. The battle has begun." William stood up and walked towards the marine glaring at her, "That's it? That's the best you can do? There are still people dieing and suffering down there and its over!?" The marine frowned and looked up to William, "Do you understand how many men I lost there just now? Do you know the time and effort it takes to organize a massive evacuation for thousands colonists! We did the best we could under covenant blockade!" William stared at her biting his lips. The sweat was rolling down his head.
"I'm sorry." He said softly. Claire pulled him down next to her and put her arms around him. The marine put her assault rifle down and began to take off her chest armor. Claire watched her and could not help but feel a since of safety around the marine. There was a time when she wanted to join and see space and the other core worlds, the stories of the halo rings that the UNSC got to explore threw her mind almost every time she heard them. Claire put her head on Williams shoulder and began to speak to the marine.
"What is your name?" She asked softly, never taking her eyes from her. The marine looked to Claire setting her chest armor down next to her, "Lakein, but my friends did call me Lake for short. I think its some kind of French or something…I don't know." Claire smiled at her and went to sit next to her, "I'm Claire and that's William over there. We have kinda been under a lot of stress." Lake nodded to William who didn't seem to really care at this point. Lake pulled her hair back and leaned against the seat.
"So are you two together or what?" William looked to Claire who bit her lip and looked to the ground. Lake smiled and turned to William, "Heh. Did I touch a nerve or something?"
Her words were hard and pronounced, strange coming from someone who was as pretty and small as her.
Claire thought of what she had said to Jackson before he left for Earth to fight the covenant. She smiled and looked to Lake, "No, William is like my brother. He helps me out a lot and watches over me." William smiled a bit, wishing more would have been said about him. Lake laughed and pointed at William, "Aww! Your in the friend zone aren't you buddy!" William's face got red and he turned to look out the small port window. Claire chuckled awkwardly glancing at William, "It's nothing like that.." She implied making sure that William was not to upset.
Lake sighed still smiling at her joke. She put her hand where her wound was and squinted her face just a bit. Claire wiped her eyes thinking she had tears, "No uhh.. I am with someone and he is on Earth right now in New Mombasa."
Lake stopped smiling and glanced towards Claire. She cleared her throat and muttered, "Really?" She could hardly get it out without choking on the words. William turned back hearing a change in Lake's voice.
Claire nodded and smiled a bit, "But its ok, I know he is fine." Lake continued to stare at Claire trying to catch some hint of hope that would maybe come from her voice.
Lake leaned in more and asked, "What unit is he in?"
Claire was happy to tell someone about Jackson. It helped her adjust to him leaving again, and maybe find peace some how in what she had said before he left. Claire sighed, "He is in the 105th. The helljumpers. Feet first and all that good stuff you know." Lake smiled and grabbed Claire's arm, "You got yourself and ODST don't yah!" Claire smiled and laughed a bit then put her hands in her face.
Lake stopped laughing and looked to William who at this point was asleep. Claire began to sob and lifted her head out of her hands, "The last thing I said to him before he left Reach was, if you leave we will never see each other again. I said it in a way that I would leave him." Lake saw the anguish in her eyes and put her hand on Claire's face,
"Look sweetheart. I have known a lot of men in the service, and if they have a girl at home then they understand that sometimes we say things that we do not mean, in your case never seeing him again. I haven't known many ODST boys but I think they all understand that we do not mean the words we say when they leave." Claire sniffed and turned her head to Lake, "I just hate that I said it."
Lake nodded and whipped some of the tears from Claire's face, "He's not even thinking about that right now." Claire laughed and looked to Lake's chest armor, "Why are you not on earth?" Lake yawned and put her head back down on the head rest, "I was stationed on Reach at an outpost camp near Gana. When the big boys got word of an attack on Earth I wanted to go but they had what troopers left here help with the evacuation. The Hellspere is helping out by redirecting survivors in frigates to get them out of Reach space." Lake looked to her rifle and muttered, "I lost everyone I have ever known this past month."
"I am so sorry Lake." Claire replied softly, "If it makes you feel better, you're the first girl I have talked to in a long time." Lake smiled and looked at Claire, "Its not often you can make a friend I guess in these days." Claire and Lake continued to talk on their way to the Hellsphere.
------------Redirect---- 5 MILES OUTSIDE NEW MOMBASA>>>>>UNSC OUTPOST---CLASSIFIDED
Jackson grabbed his battle rifle then looked to Chuck, "You know this is stupid don't you?"
Chuck Laughed and handed Jackson the gravity hammer he took from a chieftain earlier that day, "That's why I'm giving you this! You'll need it more than I will!" Jackson smirked and took the hammer and threw it onto his back, "Its crazy that this thing is as light as a feather! You'd think it would hold you back." Chuck sighed and spit out his snuff then cocked his sniper rifle, "The covenant is full of which craft!!" He yelled laughing.
Commander Epps slapped Chuck on the back of the head then stood in front of the two, "Listen boys, I got bad news. The evacuation on Reach was leaked. The covenant did a planet wide raid on what was left of the colonies there."
Chuck looked to Jackson who didn't show any emotion on his face. Commander Epps frowned and motioned for Sgt. Hays to come over, "I have to go underground so before you leave Hays here will finish debriefing you about the Evac failure."
Chuck turned to Jackson and put his arm on his shoulder, "I am sure she got away safely. I don't think William would leave her behind." Jackson nodded and picked his helmet up, "She is ok. That installation is pretty much the last place of peace we know of." Chuck smirked a bit then turned to Sgt. Hays.
Sgt. Kristen Hays was apart of UNSC intel. She helped coordinate the Evac and oversaw it from Earth. She stood in front of Jackson and Chuck and fiddled with her papers, "As you know now we have lost all transmission with Reach command and the Hannible. The Hellsphere is going to see the last of the frigates jump to the hidden installation." Chuck frowned and grabbed his assault rifle, "Sorry Kristen I can't hear anymore right now. I have to get my mind in order." Kristen nodded and watched Chuck walked around her to the others.
Kristen turned to Jackson who was glaring at her biting his lip. She smiled a bit then walked up to him, "What you guys are doing is what you're trained to do. We have a chance to learn why the covenant is burning that city up." Jackson looked down at her and saw the vulnerability that Claire would show. Kristen was a very beautiful young woman and was also missing someone she loved from Reach. Jackson put his hand behind him to feel the hammer Chuck gave him; he then laughed and wiped his face, "I'm going to slam this hammer on every covenant mother fucker I see today!" Kristen smiled and looked into his blue eyes, "I'm going with you guys."
Chuck yelled from inside the pelican, "Come on you bastards! You want to live forever?!"
TO BE CONTINUED---end transmission>
|
