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Sparkling Angel
Posted By: PeterPiperArbiter
Date: 28 February 2005, 4:21 PM
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Aboard an UNSC Cruiser, Sparkling Angel.
"Hey, I heard that Master Chief is on Cairo..."
"So, we have waited, and waited.. Are they coming or not? Not that I wish they'd come but.."
"No way. You must be cheating. That's NOT live ammunition! I mean, it can't be.."
The door shut behind Captain Miranda Atkins, effectively muffling the blabber in the hallway. None of the crew had any experience in battle. Sparkling Angel was new. Newer than it's crew. Newer than any other ship in it's fleet. Actually, if you really wanted to know how new it was, you could go outside and poke the fresh paint. Currently it was on routine patrol near Mars, on it's maiden voyage.
"Liandra, E.T.A. on Earth orbit?", Miranda asked from the ships A. I. Smart A. I., as some said they were.
"Approximately 3 hours and 20 minutes..", a frail voice replied. A weak, female voice was deceptive. On target practise, Liandra was better than any other current A. I. installed on any vessel. Except Cortana, the A. I. which destroyed Halo along with Master Chief. Everyone knew their name for that.
Then. There was something familiar she saw from the observation room. Although the ship and most of it's crew were fresher than yesterdays apples, it's captain wasn't. Slipspace ruptures. Not too far away from Earth. As soon as she realized what was happening, she was running towards the bridge. Few marines here and there watched in awe as the woman who was supposed to be in charge of them, practically just flashed in their eyes and then was gone. A few hundred meters later, she was having a hard time to breathe and communicate with UNSC Command.
"Slipspa.. Space rupt.. ruptures. Let me catch my breath." A few seconds later she continued; "How can't you see them? I could throw a rock at them from here, if it helps!"
An UNSC official sighed on the other end. "Let me confirm this. Please wait."
After two awful and almost deadly silent minutes, the ship's comm received a message.
"Invasion confirmed. Proceed to Earth at full burn. Enemy units are reported currently boarding some of the battle stations, but for now we have the situation under control."
The moment everyone had feared was at hand.
"You heard him! Maximum speed, now." Miranda was nervous. After a moment of gathering herself to sound tough, she said: "Liandra. Relay what I say to everywhere in the ship. Now."
After she heard the speakers turned on, she began to speak with almost unnaturally calm voice.
"This is your captain, Miranda Atkins. We just got confirmed reports that the Covenant has begun it's attack against Earth. We are proceeding with maximum speed to assist. We are there in about one hour. Do whatever you think is necessary. Prepare for battle. Marines, now you have your chance to show if your training is worth anything. Most of you will be landing to Earth as soon as we get in range. Some of you will stay in the ship to repel possible boarders. Liandra will relay your orders to you all soon. Good luck. Miranda out."
Something happened yet again, only a few seconds after the speech. Explosion ripped the hull and rang like a thousand hammers hitting an anvil.
Red lights started to blink everywhere, then when the electric currents stabilized, there was romantic red glow on the bridge, along with numerous blue panels also lit up with red and orange colours.
"Damage report!", Miranda said as she jumped on the commanders chair.
"Main reactor offline. Auxiliary power on. Auxiliary reactors coming online.", Liandra's frail voice replied.
"Weapons. Do we have any weapons? I assume this was no accident.", Miranda said in return.
"You assumed correctly. There's a single Covenant cruiser behind us. And it seems, not just any cruiser. For what I can tell, it's a flagship."
"A Flagship?! It could have already destroyed us, even with the first shot. Something's not right.. Perhaps we should play dead. Liandra, shut down all non-essential systems."
Soon it was dead silent. People on the bridge held their breath as the gigantic and oddly beautiful ship slowly slid by the presumably dead ship. Then a crewman broke the silence.
"There's something very fishy about this. They should have seen us. Their technology is far superior, I can't believe they didn't notice us at all."
"Liutenant.. Johnston. Have you ever heard the phrase; Arrogance is a prelude to doom?", Miranda replied.
"No."
"Neither had I. Liandra, are we on safe distance for a power-up? If so, bring the MAC gun online. As well as all combat -systems. Then, get me a encrypted channel straight to UNSC Command."
"Affirmative.", Liandra said, and her voice sounded to any human being, scaringly calm. Well, she wasn't technically alive, so what she had to worry.
"No visual" read on the communications panel.
"Go ahead, and be quick. We have quite a situation on our hands, unless you haven't noticed.", an unknown male voice answered.
"Well, you're gonna have something bigger on your hands soon. A covenant flagship is coming your way and in about 20 minutes you should get ready for it. Our ship is alone out here and severely damaged, and it will be a lucky sprint if we can catch it. We'll do the best we can. If we don't survive.. Make sure this ship didn't give it's best in vain."
The person on the other end of the line was silent for a moment.
"Acknowledged. Thank you for the heads up. We'll make them pay. Good luck.. Sparkling Angel. May the God be with you."
"All right. Let's give 'em hell. Anyone who wishes not to risk their lives, there are escape pods all around the ship. You are free to leave and will not be prosecuted by me."
A few pods launched, and the people inside them watched as the Sparkling Angel accelerated as much as it could. It was crippled after it's first walk in the park.
After fifteen minutes, Sparkling Angel was gaining. The battle raged all around them, but their sole destination was that flagship. Every possible help the ship could launch to the ground, was launched. ODP's launched from the ship as too the few Longswords it had. Pelicans were the last to leave.
"Are we in firing range? Fire at will."
Sparkling Angel got a one shot out and missed by a few hundred meters off the Covenant ships presumed bridge. It hit, but it seemed in nothing critical.
After this, the enemy ship retaliated with a plasma beam, and at that moment, Sparkling Angels engines spat their last thrusts. It was dead. It's crew could only cry inside it and hope for the best. It was on course to the Sun, and it could not stop. No-one had the time to help them. Those who could, made their way to the remaining escape pods, but there wasn't enough for everyone.
A few moments later, the ship they were trying to destroy, blew up in a blue ball of energy. It could be seen from the aft observation room, and the message went through the ships inner comm.
"We just heard.. That those of us who can't leave, we won't die for nothing. We perhaps saved thousands by that shot, that seemed so insignificant. Someone from the UNSC personnel informed us, that Master Chief was able to get inside from the initial hole we made, and later our Longsword wing, "Black Mamba", enlarged.
We should rejoice. Who knows, perhaps we tipped the scale just that little bit enough on our side? Let us pray.
"Our Father,
Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.."
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