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The Archangels: Chapter One-High Flyers
Posted By: Strayer<compgeek132@gmail.com>
Date: 11 June 2005, 6:48 AM
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Chapter One: High Flyers
Lieutenant Jack Wu avoided the debris as his Longsword-class fighter managed to destroy two more Seraph Covenant fighters with its 110mm rotary guns. Jack then fired at another chunk of debris, blowing it to bits allowing the ship the pass through the wreckage unharmed.
"How's our status Rick?" he asked his system ops man.
"We're good. Minimal damage: shields are at sixty per cent; we have seventy-two per cent of our fuel left; and our oxygen supply is ample. Plus there aren't that many bogies left," the mild-mannered technician replied.
"Perfect. Lock onto the nearest two targets. I'll take them out with our last missiles."
"Yes sir!" Rick's fingers danced over the keyboard and brought the targeting reticule on screen. "Target one...locked on!"
The Lieutenant thumbed the button on the joystick, firing missile three. The AGSM-10 missile flew through space, swerving a little bit to avoid a few pieces of oncoming debris. Although plasma blasts from the Seraph bombarded it, the missile withstood the force and ploughed through. As a final attempt, the Covenant ship veered off to the left to avoid the AGSM, flying at full speed, but failed as the missile embedded itself in the hull of the Seraph and detonated. The ship silently exploded in a flash of blue and white, almost a beuatiful sight had it not been during the middle of a war.
"Alright, one last Seraph," Jack commented. He brought the fighter into range and swereved avoiding more plasma blasts from the Covenant ship, his hands gripping both control sticks tightly, nearly breaking them off. "Rick..."
"Yes sir! Targeting...locked on, fire!"
Wu once again thumbed the missile button and the last AGSM shot forwards. It went through a similar routine missile three went through, avoiding more deebris and more plasma blasts as it homed in onto its target. The pilot of the last Seraph was smarter and began to evade before the missile was close to it. Unfortunately for it the missile pursued the Covenant fighter and finally caught up and embedded itself into the purple hull of the ship and detonated, destroying the last Seraph. The Lieutenant sighed with relief and activated his radio.
"This is Knife-Eight Three to all surviving UNSC class ships, all enemies have been destroyed. Let's head home people."
As the remaining pilots replied, Jack still had a bad feeling in his gut even though they won. However he waved off the bad feeling and flew the Longsword back to the Umbra.
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As Lieutenant Russell Crewe exited his Longsword, he was greeted by the Captain of the ship long with Fleet Admiral Wilson. They both had uneasy and stern looks on their faces, a fact which the seasoned pilot disliked.
"Sirs, what may I do for you?" he asked politely yet still in a military manner.
"Lieutenant, the Admiral here and I would like a word with you," Captain Rogers answered. Russell felt a little better; however he tensed up again when the Captain also added, "Privately."
Crewe nodded and followed the two officers, leaving his system ops man with the mechanics to work on his damaged Longsword-class fighter. As the three strode down the green-grey corridors of the Vermillion Blade the Lieutenant wondered why he was being called to the attention of the Captain and the Fleet Admiral.
It couldn't have been that recent attack. I came back with all my men and we fought off the Covenant well he thought. Then what could it be?
When they came to the Captain's office, the Admiral took Roger's chair while Russell stood at attention. Both officers were silent for a period of time. It was the Admiral who acted first, taking out a small computer disk and inserting it into the desk's computer. Immediately the monitor lit up and the Admiral tapped the new icon on the desktop quickly three times. As he did, a new file opened, the one that was on the disk the Fleet Admiral had brought with him. Wilson's eyes narrowed as he read it.
"Lieutenant, it seems you have been chosen for a special program," he said. Crewe was surprised. He expected a new mission or some bad news. However he was yet to hear the specifics of this program. "HighCOM needs its best pilots for the program. Unfortunately you really have no choice but to join. You and four other elite pilots will be brought to the space station Atlas for your briefing."
As soon as he finished his sentence, Wilson deleted the file on the disk and threw it into the trash can.
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"So we're we going?" James asked Lieutenant Michael Anderson. James was the system ops man on Anderson's Longsword fighter. Recently Fleet Admiral Wilson had made a stop and now he and Michael were being taken to the space station Atlas. James shifted the strap of his bag on his shoulder uneasily as he continued to walk with the Lieutenant.
"We're going to the Atlas for a special program. Something HighCOM's got for us. I wouldn't be too worried 'Jimbo'," replied Anderson in a friendly tone. "If Earth has any hope, this program will be a success and those Covenant bastards won't know what hit them."
James smiled as his officer and friend said those words. They always comforted him, but not as well this time.
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As Lieutenant Rita Hill stepped onto the transport ship, she saw the others were already seated. She and her system ops man were chosen for some program and now she was pushed onto a ship full of strangers going to a space station to face her uncertain fate.
Rita and Julian, he system ops man, took two seats as the transport was about to take off. While she looked around the cabin, a streak of blond hair caught her eye.
"Liz?" she asked, knowing the fellow pilot seated across from her.
The blond female pilot smiled as she saw her friend greet her. "Rita, long time no see. Guess you've also been chosen for this program as well."
"Well we had no choice," the brunette replied, uncomfortable about that fact. She and Elizabeth had been trained together. However when they reached the rank of Lieutenant they parted to fight the Covenant in separate parts of the galaxy. Now here they were, together again as they flew to the Atlas.
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Upon arrival, the pilots and their partners were escorted to their rooms and were told to be in the briefing room in ten minutes. When Lieutenant Jack Wu and Rick entered the room, everyone else was there.
The two took their seats along with everybody else as Fleet Admiral Wilson stepped up to the podium.
"Pilots, I'm glad you all made it here well. Let me start by congratulating you for your previous outstanding efforts in the war. As you know, the Covenant has us now cornered at Reach. If they get past it, all that will be left is Earth. Even though the SPARTAN II program has been a success, they have only been useful mainly as ground support. The Covenant has an advantage in space which we need. That is why you have been called here.
"You ten people have shown excellent skills in the past. You all have your own style, some plan while others charge in head first. Either way, you are all valuable. This program will give us the edge in space and airborne battles. You pilots will go through hard training while your system ops people will be tested mentally. I wish you all the best of luck," and with that, Wilson stepped down as the ten UNSC personnel were left speechless. Soon a Captain stepped up to the podium, a stoic look on his face.
"People, return to your rooms now. You'll need the rest for tomorrow you'll all start training. And may I say, welcome aboard to the Archangel program," the Captain stepped down as well, while the pilots an system ops crew were still left speechless but not clueless as they returned to their rooms.
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