Just Getting Started Chapter Eight
Posted By: James Kinsella<jckinsella@redrunr.net>
Date: 29 April 2003, 2:52 AM
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Just Getting Started
Chapter Eight
2300 Hours, October 2, 2552 (Military Calendar)/
UNSC Keyes en route to Earth
As John enter the bridge of the Keyes he received the customary stares of his fellow crewmates. He knew that they were wondering how he had completed his mission, even though it had a projection rate of almost zero percent success. He knew that it was just what he did, but others didn't understand that.
"Master Chief, I want to commend you on your mission down on the ground. I don't think that we could have ever done it without you." Captain Gates said, "We are heading back to Earth for new orders. We already sent a mission synopsis ahead and the spooks seem to like the results. I suggest that you make your way to cryosleep. We will be in slipstream for a few days."
"Certainly, Captain. I just wanted to make sure we had done okay. I'll be in the cryobay if you need me."
As John left the bridge he reviewed the mission in his head. He had infiltrated eighteen Covenant ships and planted nuclear weapons on board, assassinated a Covenant leader, and probably killed thousands of Covenant with the blast. Oddly he felt a little sorry for the deaths he had inflicted. Then he thought of all his brothers and sisters, and all remorse was gone. 'Should have thought of that before you came after us' he thought to himself. Soon he was in the blank nothingness of cryosleep.
0650 Hours, October 3, 2552 (Military Calendar)/
UNSC Keyes en route to Earth
"Captain, we are being shoved out of slipstream!" Came the shout from Heimdall, the Keyes' A.I.. "The Covenant are broadcasting a frequency that degrades our slipstream route. If we don't stop we will lose control of the flight and who knows if we can survive that. I need your permission to disengage slipstream and prepare all arms. We don't know if the Covenant will be there when we get out of slipstream."
"Permission granted." Gates said. He prepared himself mentally for the fight by remembering his wife. And their life together on Sigma Octanus IV. He then allowed that anger over her loss to flood through his veins. He looked at the tactical map in front of him, waited until he saw what sensors said about the neighborhood.
Unfortunately, he saw that they were in for a fight. There were six ships in total. One cruiser, two destroyers, a carrier, and two corvettes. He wondered if this ship would hold up to its namesake.
"Lieutenant Brown, I want helm control transferred to my station, release all fighters and tell them engage the Seraphs, we're going for the big fish. Lieutenant Barker, I want you to prepare all MAC guns and get a targeting solution on the cruiser and the destroyer of your choice. I'm going after the corvettes first."
As a swarm of Dagger fighters flew out of the launch bay to vape Seraphs the Keyes swung around to engage the corvettes. As Gates launched forwards four plasma torpedoes came to greet him to the system. The Keyes reached out with her deadly embrace to take the cruiser and destroyer out. The plasma impacted and depleted the primary shields of the human ship. Using his ship as a ram Gates slammed into a diminutive corvette. Although neither ship actually touched the damage to the corvette was incredible. She would never be space-worthy again. The impact had dropped the Keyes' shields by half. As this happened another three plasma torpedoes were launched. The first was at close range and immediately depleted the rest of the shields. The other two came from far off and gave the crew a little time to run. The entire crew started to pray, knowing it was pointless.
As the last two torpedoes started to gain on the Keyes Gates thought through his options. He didn't know what to do to avoid these lethal weapons. He knew that he had relied too heavily on brute strength, and that that was the cause of his defeat. He knew it was his anger that had fueled his oversight, and wished that he could fix his mistake...
The Series is definitely not over folks. I will try to post the next one soon, but I said that last time and look how long it took. I apologize for the lapse, but life (remember, you used to have one) was calling, and I needed to answer.
P.S. Find out who Heimdall was and you can project the roll he, and the Keyes will play in the future.
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