Phoenix Squadron
Posted By: VegasSpartan<VegasSprtn@aol.com>
Date: 13 July 2005, 3:55 pm
Read/Post Comments
|
Flt. Lt. Chris Hayes was just finishing his lunch when the alarms sounded.
"All personnel to action stations! Covenant fleet approaching Earth! This is not a drill!" Hayes jumped up and ran to the preparation room. He threw on his pressure suit and sprinted to the hanger bay. He found his Longsword and his co-pilot, Flt. Lt. Richard Parris.
"This is gonna be a big one," he said.
"We'll be fine!" Hayes had a hard time believing that himself. They strapped in and powered up.
"Phoenix Squadron, check in!" It was Flt. Cmdr. Jacob McCrary, their squadron leader.
"Phoenix-2, ready to go, sir," Flt. Lt. Nick Webbs reported.
"Phoenix-3, powered up and ready to go, sir," Flt. Lt. Donald Divers reported.
"Phoenix-4, ready to kill some Covies," Hayes reported.
"Let's kill some then!" Hayes followed the squadron out of In Amber Clad. He found it strange that it was still docked at Cairo Station. They formed up with the fleet.
"This is Fleet Admiral Harper. All Longswords will engage those fighters!" There was a flurry of acknowledgements as squadrons engaged the Seraphs.
"Pheonix-2! There's one on your tail!" Barbara shouted.
"I can't shake him! I need some help over here!"
"Pheonix-4 on the way! Hang tight!" Hayes threw the control stick to the right, barely missing an oncoming Seraph. He dove and found Webb's Longsword.
"Got a tone!" Richard reported.
"Send 'em to hell!" Richard fired. A trail of smoke came from the Archer missile as it flew to its target. It impacted just below the cockpit, vaporizing the pilot. The ship's engine went critical and it exploded in a blue-green fireball.
"One down, a thousand to go."
"Let's get started then!" Hayes looked at his tactical display. There were targets everywhere. He noticed that some Seraphs were going for a Pelican. He tuned to its frequency.
"Mayday! Mayday! Pelican Alpha-375 requesting assistance! We are under attack by Seraphs!"
"Roger, Alpha-375. This is Pheonix-4. Hold on we're on the way."
"Affirmative. Hurry!" Hayes gunned it and sped off towards the Pelican. Sure enough, it was under attack by four Seraphs.
"Got tones."
"Fire at will!" Four Archers launched. Four blue-green explosions.
"Thanks guys! I owe ya!"
"Naa. That's what we're paid for: saving Pelican's asses." The pilot laughed and continued on his way to Earth. Hayes rejoined the battle above.
"Everyone form up, follow my lead!" Admiral Harper radioed. Hayes broke off from a Seraph and got into formation with the fleet. MAC rounds and Archer missiles flew. They impacted and tore a huge hole in the side of the ship. It turned, and red light started to collect on the side.
"Uh-oh… Sir! Requesting permission for evasive maneuvers!"
"Negative, Pheonix-4! You are not abandoning your station!"
"Yes… Yes, Sir." Hayes was no coward, but he was sensible. He didn't like being between a Covenant assault carrier and a Human fleet. He watched as the plasma torpedo launched and collided with the Admiral's ship, the Crusader. Parts of the ship glowed white as the hull melted and failed. The torpedo traveled from the bow all the way until it finally exited near the engine room. A few seconds later, the ship's engines overloaded and went nuclear. The ship vaporized, taking two smaller destroyers and many Longswords with it. The carrier continued on, blowing right past the fleet and into orbit.
"Cortana to Longswords: the Master Chief has gone EVA with a Covie bomb with intent of delivering it to that Carrier. Requesting escort."
"Yes, ma'am! Phoenix-3 and -4 on the way!" Hayes formed up with Divers and they flew towards the ship. A Halcyon-class Cruiser flew over it, and was destroyed by a purple beam of some sort. Hayes could see the Spartan with an oval, spiked object hurtling towards the carrier.
"Let's open a door for them!"
"Roger that!" The two Longswords fired and the missiles tore open the ship's hull. Hayes watched as the Spartan flew in. A few seconds later, the ship detonated in a dazzling display of blue-green fireballs.
"Attention! This is Captain Carlson of the Liberator. I'm taking command of the fleet. Form up! There are still five Cruisers out there that need destroying!" Hayes and Divers formed up again and met the rest of the squadron with the fleet.
"Longswords! You will engage the Covenant ships after the first salvo of MAC rounds have been fired." Hayes and the others acknowledged and awaited the first salvo. It came fast. Forty-nine white-hot slugs ripped across space and impacted the Cruisers. Three were completely destroyed from the outset, the other two crippled, but still firing.
"Let's go!" Hayes followed his squadron into the fray. Pulse lasers and missiles flew. Seraphs and Longswords alike exploded.
"Pheonix-1! You've got a Seraph on you!" But it was too late. The Seraph fired and the Longsword's starboard engine exploded.
"I'm hit! I'm hit! My gunner's dead! The cockpit's breached!"
"Eject! Get out of there!"
"I'm tr-" The Commander never finished his sentence. The Longsword detonated into fiery shards. Hayes stared in disbelief as the fire faded and only some molten metal remained. Richard slumped back into his seat.
"What happened? Is the Commander okay?" Divers radioed.
"Negative. The Commander is… dead."
"Well, now what?"
"We finish off these Covie bastards!"
"Roger that! Phoenix all the way!" The squadron continued the attack. Richard fired their last missiles into the remaining Cruiser as it went nuclear.
"Good job everyone! All capital ships will return to the MAC stations for repairs. All Longswords report to your ships." Hayes acknowledged and then opened a channel to his squadron.
"We not only lost a Commander today, but we've lost two of our friends. May they rest in peace. Let us continue on and win this war not just for them, but for the billions of colonists, Marines, and sailors lost during the war. We may just be Navy flyboys, but we can still kick Covie ass!" There was a roar of cheers and applause from the other pilots. But Hayes still wondered: Would they win?
|
