Chapter 1: Stranded
Location -Tomahawk Valley
Time -1600
Explosions and gun fire echoed through out the valley, plasma shells rained like giant and sinister meteors that would remind one of some strange form of armaggedon but in reality this was to be the beginning of the end of the battle of Reach.
As bullets wizzed by the 2 marines scrambled to take cover behind the burned out shell of a scorpion, with each step bringing them closer to cover each step brought them closer to death, As the Jackal sniper fine-tuned his aim as he shot at one of the marines missing him by inches.
"Egurkal" he swore in the Jackal language just before a mortar from a cobra blew him to pieces covering the earth in blue, plasma like blood.
"*** dude were screwed WERE SCREWED" complained Patterson (who the Jackal missed by inches), "No were not look scorpions" replied the marine only known as Shadow for his silent forms of killing and calm manner. Patterson saw them to, about 20 of them traversing the rocky and hilly terrain about a mile away. They would need a minute before the reached us thought Patterson, Shadow hoped they would last that long.
"****GET DOWN" Shadow screamed, interuppting his train of thought, as he tackled him knocking him to the ground seconds before a plasma shell exploded not 5 yards away sending a shock wave that knocked their heads together and temporarily stunning them for a few seconds before Shadow regained control and shook Patterson from something known as Shell Shock.
"Your lucky to be alive" Shadow said
"what the hell are you talking about you tackled me and whacked my head jackass" he quickly retorted "now my it hurts like hell"
Shadow knew that the shell had knocked his head against his so he replied with "Look behind you"
Patterson turned pale as a ghost as he saw that crater left from the plasma mortar."Oh thanks sorry for that"
"never mind just concentrate"
The scorpions would never reach them.
"Yes here they come" Patterson said with great enthusiasm. "I would not be so sure" said Shadow looking doubtful. "Are you always so doubtful" Patterson inquired. To bad Shadow was right
Thats when Patterson heard it too. A high pitched wail that sent a shiver down his spine. "BANSHEES" he yelled to Shadow who was in a crater a few yards away shooting at a couple of grunts hiding behind a rock.
The banshees descended to about 200 hundred feet, high enough to be out of The Scorpions vertical range but low enough to be untrackable by the wolverine AA vehicles that had recently been dominating the battle for the Skies of Reach. Two of the banshees fired plasma bombs at the lead scorpion instantly destorying it in a fiery explosion that could be felt 50 feet away. The marines on the machine guns were quick to react blowing 3 out of the 15 banshees out of the sky but 4 more scorpions were lost as soon as 2 more banshees were killed. This continued untill there was one tank and a single, wounded banshee left. The Elite inside the Banshee knew he wouldn't live much longer anyway so he ascended to about 1000 feet activated the thrusters quickly descending right onto the Scorpion slamming into the turret causing instant death to anyone inside the tank or banshee.
"NO GOD DAMNIT" Patterson muttered under his breath. "Hey Shadow you got com set"
"Ya why"
"Radio for a pelican"
"Already did" he said just before an Elite with a sword charged and impaled him with a sick gushing sound. Shadow fell to the ground lifeless.
"NO" screamed Patterson as he pulled out his shotgun and charged the Elite with the sword blowing his head off, quickly spinning around to face the other two and blew a shot right into the chest of a blue one. He heard a Pwisshhh sound immediatly ducking as a sword that would have decapitated him skimmed his head knocking off his helmet off he then felt a large hand grab his back and throw him to the ground. He turned around and saw an Elite standing above him laughing.
The Elite said "Foolish human you cannot defy the prophets will of the great journey"
Patterson responded with "What the hell are you talking about ***"
Still laughing "Ha ha ha your insolence amuses me. Be gone" with that he drove his sword into Patterson or so he thought he would.
The Elite's upper torso was filled with holes as the Pelican filled him full of hot lead from its machine gun saving Patterson a slow painful death.
A voice from the Pelicans mic said "did someone call for an evac?"
"that be me" Patterson replied
"where is your buddy?"
"Dead" he said "Elite stabbed him"
"Ok get his body and hop on"
FRIGUS VALLEY- TIME 1630
The lone pelican hurtled across the sky at 250 mph cruising speed. Little did they know that they were flying into an ambush. Patterson was tired from the days events but sleep was impossible in the pelican it rattled and shook to much. So he sat back and enjoyed the flight, a flight that would soon be cancled.
"So whats going on" asked Patterson
"The entire planet is being evaced" said the pilot
"why"
"the covies are over running just about everything you are on one of the last pelicans on Reach your lucky we were nearby"
"lucky me, are we some of the last still here"
"yep the last transport leaves at 2400"
"how far are we"
"about 3 hours dont worry will make it what can go wrong"
Just ask Murphies Law Patterson thought
"*** covenant AA all over the valley" said the copilot
And there it is
"Avoidable" asked the pilot
"Negative sir it seemed to pop up out of nowhere"
And again
"Great, begin evasive manouvers" the pilot ordered
"Yes Sir" the Copilots said in unsion.
A single plasma SAM rocketed across the sky heading straight for the pelican, impact was unvoidable but hopefully non-fatal. The SAM slammed into the Pelican with enough force that it shattered the nose of the pelican killing the pilot and copilots and sending the Pelican into a terrifying tail spin. The two other marines were screaming as the pelican crashed into the ground skidding about 200 feet knocking all three of them unconcious and disengaging the warthog causing it to tumble but thankfully land right side up sadly for the pelican it was perched dangerously close to the edge of the of a cliff to which there was no end.
Location- Sangringanga Cliff
Time- 1845
Patterson woke first and felt the tipping pelican's balance become more uneven as he slowly crawled toward the front to inspect the damage. "Were screwed" he said noticing the broken button that opens that hatch that had trapped them in there "Were screwed"
STAY TUNED FOR CHAPTER 2:RESUCE