Chapter One- Sneak Attack: Part II
Posted By: Firestorm
Date: 28 February 2005, 10:45 PM
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2123 hours, January 17, 2553 (Military Calendar)
Ellis Island, New York City
Planet Earth, Milkyway System
U.N.S.C. Marine Derrick Sunner scanned the crowds milling about below his tower, then he looked out over the water toward Liberty Island again. He'd just been informed that they were having radio trouble, two of their satellites were down, and communications were down for the entire city police contingent on the island. Nonetheless, he'd been assured that it would be fixed shortly. It had better be, he said to himself. Four U.N.S.C. Marines were heading there now by boat to check the situation out.
Down at ground level, the U.N.S.C. secretary general was finishing his speech.
"We must never forget," the secretary general said, "that even though we are here, safe at home, that others out there fighting are for us. Do not forget these brave men and women out there. But if the Covenant show up near us we'll be ready. Now it's time to cut some rug."
Applause and cheering filled the air.
At that moment the fireworks started. Red and green streamers shot into the air, the explosions echoing over the water. The display was scheduled to last for six minutes, six very long minutes as far as Sunner was concerned.
He continued to scan the crowd and the distant Statue of Liberty, now illuminated even more with the blues and reds and greens of the fireworks.
Something was wrong. He could sense it.
He just didn't know what it was, and calling an emergency based only on his gut wasn't something he could do.
The fireworks lit up the whole island. Then he saw it. He was sure this time because the image didn't go away.
Down by the shoreline he saw the unmistakable shape of an Elite. The eight foot muscular form was visible in the light of the fireworks. It's mandibles clicked as it moved up the beach. It was followed by Grunts, Jackals, Drones, and more Elites.
He flipped a switch and gave the order over the speakers so that everyone could hear. "Code One. Evacuate. Covenant have landed on the island.
Below him people stood at first not knowing what to do. All of a sudden people started to move at once. U.N.S.C. Marines moved as a tight unit towards a nearby armory, and not far behind them the rest of the security forces and most of the men and women followed.
He smiled as he opened a hidden compartment near revealing a S2 AM Sniper Rifle. The Covenant had just landed near almost one-hundred marines. They were ready to give them a very warm welcome.
Along the road that led back from Ellis Island and all the way into the city, Derrick knew all traffic was being cleared. The cars were going to pour off this island far, far faster than they had come onto it. The evacuation procedures had been worked out to the last detail, practiced again and again. He just hoped it was going to be fast enough.
The Covenant soon came into area were they were having the dance and were met by intense fire from every direction.
Derrick aimed the rifle the head of a Jackal and gently squeezed the trigger. Its head evaporated in a cloud of blood. He quickly fired off the next three shots. He stopped to reload and find his next target.
Suddenly the next tower over exploded in a green flame. He shielded his face from the intense heat. What the hell happened? He looked to see Grunt with a Fuel Rod Cannon aimed at him. He did the only thing he could do, he jumped the fifteen feet to the ground. The tower he was in vanished in a green flash.
He felt the impact through his back as he landed on a table breaking it in half.
"Shit, going to fell that in the morning."
He looked around and noticed that he left his rifle in the tower. He grabbed the Magnum that was hooked onto his waste and quickly squeezed two rounds into the head of the Grunt that shot the fuel rod at him. He rolled to his feet crouched-walked to were a women was hiding behind a table. He sat down beside and gave her a weak smile.
"How's it going?" he asked her.
She looked over at him and smiled back. "I've had better nights." she replied.
"So, how many we got?"
"Those two Grunts with the fuel rods caught off guard and with no armor we have taken heavy casualties," she said looking at him. "There are no Drones left, at least thirteen Grunts, and five Jackals." she looked over the table and fired her Battle Rifle. "Make that four Jackals. The Elites are down to three. Two blues and a red."
"Well then lets join the party." Derrick said.
The battle last for only five more minutes before the last Grunt dropped. Cheers erupted from the remaining marines.
Suddenly all of the cheering stopped as everyone stared up in the air. The sky was being blocked by hundreds of black clouds moving across the sky.
Covenant drop ships.
Pods began raining down from the sky into the city. Drop ships were landing everywhere. Plasma was being fired in nearly every part of the city. It was a full scale invasion.
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