The Battle of Evermore Part 1: Ambush
Posted By: Gruntkiller<ttavenor@nf.sympatico.ca>
Date: 24 August 2003, 9:49 PM
Read/Post Comments
|
The Battle of Evermore
Part 1 of 3: Ambush
Sigma Octanus IV
Pvt. Erik Jones zoomed in his scope on a small Covenant camp 2 Km up the valley. The camp had been put there by a recon force to serve as a forward communications center to their ship in orbit over the planet.
The rainforest valley known as Evermore was a highly strategic place for both the UNSC and the Covenant. The valley carved out by a glacier thousands of years ago connected the seaside city of Ashton to the northern flats, which held large oilfields and numerous cities. On either side of the valley ran a huge mountain rang impassible by ground vehicle and even low flying aircraft had a dangerous route maneuvering around the many huge peaks. Ashton to the south was currently held by the Covenant and seemed to be preparing to make a push up Evermore to the Flats.
Erik Jones was part of a 4 man team set out to scout the area, so far besides the communications center the patrol found nothing. Not a single Covenant soldier was seen anywhere, even in there comm. Center. It made them worry, if they were being watch right now through the scope of a Covenant weapon as it prepared to fire.
"Guys, lets get back to forward command," said the Team leader in a hushed voice as he scanned the area. "We'll call for a bomber on these coordinates once we get back."
The squad quickly packed up its equipment and made it back to the Forward Command.
~
Forward command was a large military checkpoint that ran the width of the valley near the half way mark. It consisted of two parallel walls about 700 meters from each other dividing the road to make it easier to defend. A large metal gate closed off the road, on either side of the road there were large towers which housed a .50 caliber machine gun and several snipers who watched the road constantly. Between the walls there was a small sized base with 12 tanks and 20 warthogs along with 500 Marines.
Erik and the rest of the patrol came up along the road. The road was 8 lanes (4 heading south and 4 heading north), and constructed of a specially designed asphalt designed to last longer. As they approached a smaller door along the wall opened up allowing them to pass through without the time consuming process of opening the 200 ton gates. They reported immediately too the debriefing room and reported on the enemy communications center.
~
Erik walked out of the debriefing room still carrying his rifle, it was near 7:00pm and he was starved.
"You heading to the movie hall tonight, I heard they finally got a new film in," said Pvt. James King, another member of the recon team.
"Can't I got watch at 2000 till 2400," said Erik.
"Oh, do you think they'll make a move."
"They didn't put that communications stuff out there for nothing."
"Well hope they don't strike before we get those reinforcements."
"Yup"
~
At 1950 Erik grabbed his rifle and made his way out to the watch east watch tower, the night was humid with not even the slightest breeze. He quickly made his way out the small door in the wall and the watch tower.
"Thunder," said Erik.
"Flash," came the reply. That was the all clear signal and Erik climbed up the ladder with his rifle slung over his back, when he reached the top he walked into the small hut containing the communications and watch equipment.
"Hey, anything new," said Erik to the sniper he was replacing.
"Nothing, we saw some movement looked like a grunt but nothing since."
"Ok"
Grunts were no stranger to the area, every day or so one would be spotted scouting the rainforest, it was determined to not worth firing at a single scout because it would give away sniper nests and machine gun positions.
~
2300
As the night wore on the watch equipment stayed clear with nothing out of the ordinary at all.
Erik sat out side the hut on a chair smoking a cigarette, one of the crappy ones issued to them with their rations. The sky was clear with the stars shining bright. Erik sat wondering what battles were being fought thousands of miles away on some other planet. He looked back down at the rainforest that lined the valley, he tracked the road with his eyes as it snaked to the south. Suddenly there was a flash of blue about 200ft from the wall.
"Hey I just saw something," said Erik still looking down at that spot.
"What did yah see?"
"It looked like a shield about 200ft from the wall"
"Check it the equipment is picking up nothing"
Erik picked up his rifle and zoomed in, he clicked on the night vision. He found himself peering at covenant crawling out of a hole in the ground.
"Sound the alarm we got covenant coming out of some sort of tunnel!"
"Oh Shit!" said one of the guys inside the hut as he dialed up the CO and gave a report. The other sniper grabbed his rifle while the machine gunner ran and clicked the safety of the .50 Cal.
From inside the base an alarm began to sound followed by vehicles starting and the shouts of officers to their troops.
Erik took a shot at a covenant climbing out of the tunnel killing it, the others seeing that they were spotted scattered into the brush. All of a sudden in a line through the rainforest Jackal shields powered up creating cover for the others.
The Marine on the .50 Cal opened fire raining dozens of bullets per second down on the enemies below. The other tower quickly opened fire too.
Below the glow of charging plasma weapons could be seen and soon charged shots scorched through the air towards the towers.
"Duck!" yelled out Erik as a charged plasma bolt went for the machine gunner.
It was too late though the plasma bolt hit the gunner in the upper right side of his chest melting through flesh and bone killing him. Along the road ghosts could be seen speeding up from the south, the fighting was about to get a lot more intense.
Along the top of the mall Marines using sniper rifle and light MM9b light .30 CAL machine guns set up and began to fire down upon the covenant on the forest floor. The covenant kept on flowing out of the tunnels and Drop-ships could bee seen coming in from the south. On the ground the Covenant set up several light plasma grenade mortars and began lobbing grenades over the wall with them creating havoc inside the base.
Plasma streaked past Erik's head and several Covenant were trying to melt the towers supports with plasma grenades. There were too many on the ground and more kept on coming. Suddenly the tower shuddered as the rear supports gave away and the tower began to fall backwards into the wall.
Erik grabbed on to the edge of the steel platform that encircled the hut and held on as the watch tower fell backwards into the wall which slowed its fall to the ground.
There was a sudden jolt as the tower hit the wall causing Erik to loose his grip and plummet the remaining 20ft to the ground where he landed hard on his back slamming his head on the ground. Suddenly everything around him fell out of focus and he blacked out. All around him Covenant charged up to the wall and began setting explosives next to the small door.
Next: Break
|
