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Zanzibar:The Waterworks-Chapter 12
Posted By: 343 Salty Beans<hockyfreak5@yahoo.com>
Date: 30 June 2004, 6:08 AM
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Author's Note: Seems like my work got a little worse...again. Anyway, the next section will contain some REAL action...promise. And it'll be fairly long. Don't feel bad to complain or give me bad ratings, because I enjoy getting criticism to correct my work. It's my first series, remember?
You may also notice that the first part of this chapter is short and mostly boring. However, since I recently released a personality guide, i figured I might as well give a decent Spartan example. Plus, I really couldn't think of anything good to write for Blue Team's situation.
Anyhoo, enjoy the thing, and gimme some feedback in the comments section, or send me stupid comments at hockyfreak5@yahoo.com.
Kelly advanced cautiously down the corridor, checking her path before she took a step across open area. She had always fought as a unit, not as a single soldier. She felt naked and exposed knowing that there was no one watching her back.
A pair of Jackals stepped out of a hatch in front of her and trotted nonchalantly down the hallway. She melted into the shadows, waited for them to pass, and struck one of them on the neck. The snapping bones could be heard as it dropped to the floor. The other spun, but failed to unholster it's plasma pistol. Kelly ripped off itss headguard and pulped its face.
Fred's nav marker pulsed insistently on her HUD, and she stepped up to the door he was behind. The hatch slid silently open, and she stood face-to-face with an SMG barrel.
Fred replaced the weapon to it's thigh strap. "Sorry, but I had to be careful. Let's go get Blue-Two."
Kelly felt better with a teammate. Now I know how John felt on Halo, she thought to herself.
After fighting through the maze of tunnels, John and his team huddled below an entrance to the vast cavern. He keyed his COM unit. "Blue-Two, activate your camo and patch me a view to that cave." Linda nodded, twisted a knob on the active camo slung over her shoulder, and vanished. A blur moved up to the entrance and kneeled. Grace leaned casually against a wall and said nothing.
Grace had John worried. She seemed sulky and distracted. She hadn't said a single word on the whole mission. She had always been quiet, but not like this. He couldn't afford an unconcentrated teammate; mistakes on this mission were unacceptable.
He turned his attention to the tiny square that had appeared on his HUD. The Covenant forces had tripled since he had last seen the security cam (which had been disabled shortly after his first glimpse of the facility). Banshees flew in V formations across the humongous space, Wraiths sat stationary and kept silent vigil, and Ghosts hovered and zipped nimbly along patrol routes. He watched Covenant busses unload squads of Elites, cadres of Jackals, and gaggles of Grunts near the structure. Engineers also piled out of the 'Creeps', and John presumed they were to study the structure.
"Two," he ordered, "Zoom in and show me some individuals, particularly the structure itself." Linda complied instantly, and he wished she hadn't. Hunters lumbered around in pairs on the massive concrete balconies, hefting their fuel rod guns like they were feathers. Their armor was black, too-he hadn't seen that before. Brutes in white were stationed on walkways high above the cave floor, slug throwers at the ready. SpecOps Elites were patrolling in Shadows, carbines slung over their shoulders. Linda's sniper rifle zoomed in on a Covenant sniper, stationed on a ledge in the cave wall.
Williams gave a low whistle as the scene played across his eyepiece. "Looks like we've got our work cut out for us, Chief."
John slashed a hand across his throat, and the operative fell silent. However, he secretly agreed with the SPO-the Covenant were ready for whatever hit them, and they wanted the generator badly. He knew that the reactor was unrecoverable; so they had to do what Spartans did best-blow it the hell away.
"Red-Two," he ordered. "Get into position. Use your silencer and muzzle flash suppressor. After we either get into position or our cover is blown, take out those snipers, and as many Brutes and Hunters as you can." He severely hoped that the latter situation wouldn't happen.
Linda replaced the shimmering mirage hovering closer to him. "Roger, Red-One. We've got two snags, though."
John swore. "Elaborate," he said.
"First, I need more rounds. I've only got six clips left for my sniper, and ten for my battle rifle. Second, the Covenant are already stationed on the ledge I want."
John knew they all faced ammo shortage, but they didn't have time to get more. Unless...
"Cortana, is there any ammo storage or weaponry in this facility?"
"None," she replied, "but there is one in the construct itself. It was updated with new rounds for the latest weapons three days ago."
The Chief swore again. Linda could only support them for a limited time, then she'd have to come down and go into close combat. It would have been nice to have cover getting in, and going out, I guess you can't have everything, he thought to himself.
"I'm giving you three minutes to get into position, then we move out. Every minute we stay here is another minute the Covenant has a chance to spot us."
"Cortana, I want you to cause havoc in the Covenant Battlenet the moment they are alerted of our presence. Keep them in the dark for as long as possible."
"The Forerunner generator is unrecoverable. Officer Williams, contact FLEETHQ and let them know that we will have to blow the generator."
He surveyed his team for a moment, proud of each of his Spartans. The ops team saluted, noticing his silent reverie. He returned it gratefully; at least they knew he was in charge now. "Let's go." Linda nodded and activated her camouflage unit, then began her silent ascent.
John gripped his rifle tighter, scared of what was to come. Then he relaxed; emotions weren't going to win this op. Action was.
Field Master Tuka 'Nosamee slammed his fist into his Underling assistant in utter frustration, and the little creature squealed as bluish-white blood leaked out of it's wound.
In the last five hours, havoc had been reeked in his sector. The humans had taken his base, obliterated one of the side passages, and generally caused chaos among their own base.
Furthermore, another problem had arisen. The outer patrols of the Ancient Ones' heavenly structure hadn't reported for over an hour. If the humans regained that position, he knew his painful execution would be written in the into his family battle hymn.
The High Prophet of Truth had personally given him this mission. He had been warned specifically not to fail. If he did...
He shuddered and put the thought out of his mind. He would not fail. The forces he had placed in and around the structure were experienced and well-equipped. No one could pass into the facility undetected.
He was ready. The humans would come, fail, and die at the Covenant's feet.
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