Halo 2: The Forerunner Chronicle Part III
Posted By: Velker<velkerskater@msn.com>
Date: 28 February 2002, 7:26 pm
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The Chief pumped his shotgun again to chamber another round. There was a click as the shotgun ran dry. "Cover me. I've got to fall back and reload!" called the Master Chief as he backpedaled and crouched behind a 'hog, reloading his shotgun with some explosive shells. The shells produced a small explosion upon impact. He stepped out from behind the jeep and thumped a Flood warrior. The whole group that was clustered around it flew down. They were vaporized by more laser fire.
"Knight here! We can get you guys as soon as you blow that door. The hole's not big enough. Until then, we're stuck outside."
"Roger that Knight. Boomer!" John called to the demolitions expert. "Satchel charges! I want that door slagged now!" As soon as the MC stopped speaking, two high-explosive satchel charges flew overhead. "Now!"
"Acknowledged Chief!" shouted the large Spartan. He yelled, "Take cover Spartans!" Everyone dropped back behind the Warthogs. Boomer pressed a little red button on the detonator and the door blew in with a resounding crash, vaporizing all the Floodies within fifteen feet. The Pelicans swooped through the wreckage and around to the very back of the catwalk. Knight himself fired up his thrusters and came down right over the Floods, setting about half the remaining Warrior Flood alight. There was one last volley of laser fire and then the Flood were gone.
"What were those things Chief?" asked Knight as John clambered about the Pelican.
"Those were the Flood. They must have been let loose by someone and they've taken some Forerunner hosts. We've got to get back to base and get everyone back aboard the New Jersey now. If those things get a hold of a biological form, they can take it and use it. I don't want a half division of Marines turned into Floodie warriors."
"Aye, sir. Returning to base right now," Knight said as he fired up his thrusters and throttled up back towards HQ.
When they got back to the HQ, they found everything the same as it had been when the Spartan/scientist team had left. It took five hours to get everyone and their equipment up to the New Jersey. When the Master Chief got back up to the carrier, he found Captain Orus waiting.
"What is the meaning of evacuating the Halo?" he asked as soon as the Master Chief climbed off the dropship.
"The Flood, they've been released." He pulled a chip from his helmet. "Here's the recording if you want proof."
"I'll take your word for it Chief. What do we do about it?"
"We send only Spartans down to the surface from now on. Our Mjolnir armor will protect us from infestation. We'll go down and find out who released the Flood, and then we'll find away to stop the infestation. If all else fails, there's got to be a self-destruct somewhere on the ring. Talk to Jones and see what he says about it."
"Sir!" an aide ran up to the Captain and Master Chief. "I've got three Covenant ships on approach. One frigate and two troop carrier ships."
The Captain cursed. "This mission just got a lot more complicated."
"Let me talk to them." The Captain and John sprinted to the bridge's COM station. "Put me on an open broadcast that'll reach those Cov pigs."
"Will do sir," said the communications officer. "Do you want visual sir?" After John nodded, the bridge officer said, "You're on."
"To all Covenant, this is the Master Chief. If you want to know who killed your armada at the first Halo, it was me. I did it. I killed every single one of your soldiers there."
"Then why shouldn't we kill you right now human?" came an Elite's bass-pitched voice over the COM.
"Because, I have the power to kill you all right now. And then there's the matter of the Flood. They've just been released on the Halo. After what happened before, I don't think you want to call my bluff."
"Puny human...your soldiers may not be well-trained enough to survive against the Flood, but ours are."
"Think whatever you want to think scum. But remember what I did at Halo and I was only one Spartan. I have a hundred with me, they may not have as much experience as I do, but I assure you, one Spartan is the equal of a hundred of your Hunters and Elites."
"Pah," spat the Elite. "Helm! Bring the Death's Kiss by their ship and we'll show them who the Masters of the Universe are!"
The Master Chief acted quickly by yanking Cortana out of his helmet and putting her into the ship's computer. "Cortana!" yelled John after thirty seconds of Cortana's shouting at him. "Fly the ship and kill that Cov cruiser!"
"Yes Master Chief." John and Captain Orus watched as Cortana's hologram appeared. The hologram started shouting orders to the Longsword pilots, her voice amplified by the intercom. "Longsword pilots! Launch now! Attack any Covenant boarding ships. Marines, prepare to be boarded. Weapons, charge the MAC guns now. Fire starboard laser batteries as the frigate passes. When the MAC guns are charged give me a firing solution on those transports!" Watching Cortana yell was like watching a master chef cook.
The ship accelerated and headed on what seemed to be a crash course with the Cov frigate. Cortana opened fire with the forward laser batteries at the same time as the Covvies opened up with theirs. To the Master Chief's surprise, the first bolts started flashing off the shield. "Launch Archer missiles in starboard pods A to E as the frigate passes." Just as the two ships were about to crash, both swerved away from one another. The starboard batteries opened up at the same time as the five Archer missiles fired, slamming into the Covenant ship. The Cov pigs had no chance to shoot down the missiles and all five hit the frigate, blasting a tremendous hole in the cruiser's side. It limped away like a wounded pig. The rear laser batteries opened up on it at that same moment, before the shields could recharge. "Launch Archer missiles in pods F to J now!" Five more missiles blasted the crippled Covenant cruiser into oblivion. A cheer went up around the bridge.
"Cortana!" shouted the weapons officer. "The MAC guns are hot! Firing solution on first transport ready."
"Fire now!" ordered the AI. Three tremendously huge MAC rounds shot out of the carrier's guns. The MAC rounds blasted through the transport, blowing a hole in its core. The transport exploded in a burst of plasma energy thirty seconds later.
"Look!" said the Captain. Escape pods, cargo modules, and dropships were launching from the Covenant transport, headed Halo's surface.
"These Covs keep making things harder," commented the Master Chief. "Now we have to go down there and destroy them."
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