Taming of the Hunters, Part two Contact
Posted By: John Ackerson<colonelackerson@yahoo.com>
Date: 2 January 2007, 9:24 pm
Read/Post Comments
|
Kolomee had been called to the bridge and when he got there where many high ranking Elites where on the small bridge. Kolomee became ridged and saluted the Field Masters and Ship Masters in front of him. But they all went to one knee and lowered there heads toward Kolomee. Kolomee looked over his shoulder there was no one behind him he taught to himself " Why are they saluting me". A fleet master in his purple armor stud up and said " Welcome Arbiter ". Kolomee was dumbfounded and scared all at the same time. The Fleet Master told another Elite "get his armor for him". Kolomee didn't talk or move while four blue armored Elites dressed him in his armor. The armor was grey and had may engravings forerunner script. The Elite who became the Arbiter was to be a great hero strongest in faith not an Elite who questioned his faith. But to refuse the armor and the title of Arbiter would be a death sentence. All the Elite officers before him started to smack there hands together. Everyone in the room was happy except. Kolomee forced a smile onto his face. The naming of an Arbiter was more a religious ritual then a military one. Kolomee was forced to parade the ship all the Elites saluted him the Grunts cheered and the Jackals bowed and showed there respect to the new holy warrior. Kolomee had seen his friend Rosolmee he didn't look too happy that Kolomee had become Arbiter. It weighed heavy on his mind Rosolomee was the only Elite Kolomee had ever voiced his lack of faith to. If he was jealous enough to tell on Kolomee he would lose his life and be labeled a traitor to the great journey. Kolomee was sad because he felt he was walking toward his death being the Arbiter was a death sentence too. All the Arbiters before him died in the conflict they where made to solve. So he would have to fight till he died in the conflict to tame these beasts.
Kolomee finally got some time to himself when his entourage left and he was in his private room. He would be dropped to the surface of the planet tomorrow and would lead the first of many waves of Covenant ground troops on to the planets surface to make a landing zone for other waves to land on. All he could was pray for was a quick death in the up coming crusade. The next morning Kolomee was thinking about running and taking a phantom and getting away from all this responsibility he had dumped on him. But after leaving his quarters he was not alone for one moment. There was holocams around him at all times. He was forced into a phantom's troop bay with six other Elites that where in white armor. Kolomee hoped being around these professial soldiers he could have some silence and the attention would be off him. But he had no break they asked him hundreds of questions. Like "How can I become an Arbiter, And how many kills do you have so far". He gave short answers hoping they would see he didn't care and they would stop asking him questions. Light flooded in as the troop bay doors opened up and Kolomee made his way out to avoid his adoring fans. The landing site was a dried up lake that was now a valley. Kolomee could see Grunts setting up plasma tents and defenses over the Elites who where all crowding around to see the new Arbiter. Kolomee would have given anything to not be the center of attention. But there was one Elite who wasn't trying to see the new Arbiter and it was the one Elite Kolomee wanted to see the most. Rosolmee was helping a pack of Grunts to set up a Shade. Kolomee was lead to a plasma tent where a Field Master was waiting for him he was in shiny gold armor and it reflected the sun. And by reflex he saluted the Field Master he was still getting use to being the Arbiter. The Field Master was planning out his defenses with a display and had a computer running simulations to test his defense plans. The Field Master said "First I don't care your the Arbiter I'm in charge here". Then he shouted "My loyalty is to my Elites ". Kolomee liked this Field Master usually an Elite would be offended this field Master taking charge. But he was glad to give up command. Kolomee didn't want to have to plan the defenses he was not the great warrior everyone thought he was. And it seemed like this Field Master could see that. Kolomee said "Yes Field Master you are in charge just tell me where to stand". The Field Master was dumbfounded he thought the Arbiter would be some self righteous Elite but he wasn't. Kolomee made his way to the armory to got a plasma rifle, plasma pistol, and plasma grenades but it also let him get some time alone. It was getting dark and he went back to the command tent to find it empty. Kolomee was interested in what the defenses looked like so he activated the table display screen. And hundreds of symbols came up there was shades on the perimeter and Wraiths in the center and Ghosts as a rapid response force. On the display there was over two hundred ground troops more then half where Grunts. In the morning the Field Master had planed for patrols to go out from the camp to search for the creatures. But he had to get some sleep he had his own plasma tent with his own guards two special ops Elites. It was a peaceful night he had a few dreams he couldn't remember.
But at dawn he was awoken by loud thuds then explosions. One of the guards came into the tent and said " Get up Arbiter where under attack ". Holomee got up out of his bed and he came out the tent to see spears raining down on the valley and boulders where coming down from the west and east slopes of the valley. Kolomee was afarid when he could see a Grunt running from a boulder the size of a Wraith mortar tank and the small creature fell and was engulfed by the giant rock. Kolomee noticed a wall of storage containers forming a makeshift blockade and there was many Elites and Jackal behind it seeking cover. Kolomee ordered his guards to help Covenant troops hiding behind the blockade. The three Elites reinforced there comrades. In front of them was a wall of the armored creatures where in a phalanx formation and where advancing slowly. The Thirty Covenant troops around Kolomen fired there weapons at the massive creatures. There armor was melting away but the giant creatures where not stopping. Kolomen counted more then twenty of the creatures coming toward them. And there was still spears and rocks coming from there flanks. By now the Field Master most have sent the Ghosts up the slopes of the valley. Behind Kolomen he could hear a Wraith coming up many of the tanks where out of action from large boulders before the Covenant troops where aware of the attack. The Wraith fired a plasma mortar at the advancing wall of armor the mortar landed in the middle of them and it killed one of the creatures and knocked down two mothers. But the injured creatures got up. There was no way to stop these creatures. Kolomee fired his plasma rifle and it over headed several times but the creature he was firing at just would not go down. Once they where in range all the Covenant troops began to throw plasma grenades and more plasma mortars landed in the creature line. The armored creatures reorganized and filled the holes in there line. When the creature where a few units away they charged the Covenant troops line there spear impaled some of the Elites in front of Kolomee. Kolomee was hit by one of the creatures left shield arm and it knocked him on his rear end his shield alarm sounded. Kolomee fired into the creatures mid section where the creature was armor less. Orange blood came out of the wound and the creature fell backward. There was a patch on his back where there was no armor and on the stomach area. Kolomee tried to shout over the chaos and said "aim for the mid section and back". The creatures where walking all over the Elites. Kolomee got up and could see one of his guards hit by a shield arm his personal shield fell and the creature jammed a spear into the Elites chest. A wall of Jackal made a formation like the Creatures had and they fired there plasma pistols at the creatures. Many Elites where hiding behind the wall of shields. Kolomee told all of the Covenant troops around him over the communication system inside his helmet "focus your plasma on one of those creature at a time". Two of the creatures ran at the shield wall and over twenty plasma weapons fired at the first creature and out of the hundreds of plasma bolts a few managed to hit it's stomach and drop the creatures. The other fell just how his brother in arms did. The Wraith's pilot had to choose it's target carefully because he may hit some of his comrades now that the enemy was close in now. The creatures that had broken the Covenant's greatest warriors began to fall back and seemed to melt back into the jungle where they had come from.
The Arbiter looked around and in every direction he could only see death and destruction around him. The Arbiter watched as the sun came up and lite the scene of death up around him. He had never felt this type of anger before but all he wanted was to get revenge. So he gather the Elites around he followed the enemies tracks into the jungle. It wasn't hard to follow the large creatures all they had to follow was the broken trees smashed bushes and deep foot prints. The Arbiter tripped on these holes more then once trying to follow the enemy. After a few units of following the tracks they came to a clearing. There was fires all around and poorly created shelter made from fallen timber from the jungle nearby. The Arbiter was astonished to see hundreds of the creatures this most be one of there village. One of the Elites with the Arbiter raised his rifle to fire but the Arbiter put his hand on the rifle and forced it down. The Arbiter only said "Not yet we can learn more by watching them then fighting them". The novice Elite did as he was told. The Arbiter reviewed the Elites he had taken with him and he was in luck there was an eye of the Prophets with him. He told the Elite behind him "Use your surveillance equipment to watch the creatures and broadcast it on the battlenet". The other Elite was professial and said "As you order Arbiter". The creatures had seemed to be in pairs and the Arbiter was surprised but they where very social. They had fires and seemed that each member in the village had his own job some where gathering wood, other making armor over fires, and others where hunters. They had where a simple hunter gathers. But the Arbiter was still looking for the any sign of rank or class structure. In the Covenant the color of your armor showed your rank and role in the Covenant. Then he looked at there armor though a looking glass there was identical markings on there armor it may have been religious or tribal markings it didn't show rank all of them had it on there armor's chest plate. This tribes symbol was a circle with two spears dingle of the circle. Finally one of the creature came out the creature was wearing an elaborate headdress and then a second came out. Even there leaders where in pairs all of there social interaction was in pairs and in the time the Arbiter had been watching the creatures he could see these creatures eat, drank, and worked in pairs. Now that he had found a way to identify the creatures leaders they finally had an advantage over the creature if they killed the leader he may be able to pacify the others in the tribe. The other Elites had become restless one rose to his feet the eight foot tall Elites was easy to see by the creatures. The Elite fired his plasma rifle at one of the creatures. The Elite was hit by several spears and his shield shone a bright white then fell. The next spear hit the center of his chest then was hit by several others. The Arbiter told all the remaining Elites under his command to fall back. There was no point in staying and fighting against a more powerful enemy that outnumbered them ten to one it would be a massacre. The other Elites broke rank and ran for the Covenant base camp and safety. The Arbiter looked at the Elite who was to zealous to fight he had gotten himself killed he was died in a pool of his own blood.
Making it to back to the base was easy they followed the tracks back to the Covenant base there was Phantoms landing on the base drooping more troops and equipment. The Arbiter only wanted to go see Rosolmee to see if he had survived the raid. But first he would have to find the Field Master to get the causalities list. It would be easier then just looking for one Elite in the mist of this chaos. The Arbiter had the eye of the prophets follow him to the command tent the info he had would chance this conflict. These creatures had all the advantages before more troops, knowledge of the landscape. But the Covenant had better technology and where much smarter then these beasts. But these things had made the Covenant over confident. The Field Master was by himself usually he was surrounded by support staff of Grunts and minor Elites. He was looking at a blank display screen with his hands on the sides of his angular head. the Arbiter told him "I have some info that will help you a lot Field Master". The Field Master didn't respond and didn't let his gaze leave the screen. The Arbiter asked the Field Master "How many did we lose". The Field Master said "The numbers don't matter we lost". The Arbiter and the Field Master just stud there in silence and the eye of the prophet said nothing. The quiet was broken by a deep voice it was another gold armored Elite behind them. The Elite said "His career is over the council is upset that a Covenant commander lost to a group of barbarians". The Elite took a deep breathe "I will replace him and ill make sure you and this eye of the Prophet take that information to the council they will be seeking answers and don't worry they already have there scape grunt".
|
