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Halo: Combat Re-evolved; Moonbase Alpha
Posted By: Steele<hoffmansteele@hotmail.com>
Date: 4 August 2003, 2:29 PM


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Halo: Combat Re-evolved; Moonbase Alpha

0500 Hours, December 1, 2552 (Military Calendar)/
UNSC Pelican Transport en route to the Moon.


      The Master Chief gripped his MB6C Battle Rifle tighter and moved closer to the Pelican's launch door. Outside the capital ship battle between the UNSC and the Covenant had grown fiercer. The UNSC had an advantage in the Super MAC guns, but the Covenant's superior numbers and technology evened it out.

      The only thing Earth had in her favor of extended survival was her defender's determination, desperation, and superior 'groundside' tactics, but when the Covenant were glassing sections of Earth, the superior groundside tactics didn't come into play.

       "Intel?" the Chief asked.

       "Moon base Alpha was recently assaulted by Covenant forces. An ODST regiment is holding them off, but they won't last for long. The Covenant keep landing more and more reinforcements. We must hold that base. It's the only thing keeping the Super MAC guns operational, but the Covenant don't know that. They probably think the generator is based groundside, like on Reach," Cortana replied.

       "Covenant forces?"

       "At least a brigade's worth. Standard infantry, no light or heavy armor support. They have captured Dome 1, but suffered heavy casualties. The generator is in Dome 2. Wait...I'm receiving a message."

       "This is Colonel James Hubbard of the 339th ODST Regiment. We need reinforcements. Shit! They just got my XO. Repeat we ne—"

       "Hurry up, Lieutenant," Cortana said to the pilot. "Chief, we'll touch down just beyond the engagement."

       The Master Chief nodded and turned back to the Pelican's bay door. The Pelican touched down, the bay door opened, and the Chief jumped out, his armored feet leaving deep imprints in the soft, white surface of the moon.

       In the distance were four large baseball stadium-size domes. They were set up in a collinear line with two small tunnels leading to connecting them. The Master Chief took off toward the nearest one, Dome 4. The blast door opened at Cortana's command and the Chief, looking around, stepped in.

       Dome 4 was obviously some kind of hangar that was being used as a place for the sick and wounded. Dozens of ODSTs lay dying or wounded. Blood was everywhere. A corpsman ran up to him and saluted. "Ahhh...sir the CP is in Dome 3."

       The Chief nodded his thanks and jogged across the dome. He hit the exit and quickly sprinted through the long tunnel. Entering Dome 3, he realized Dome 2 had fallen. A few dozen ODSTs were gathered about the two tunnels, firing. A tall ODST at the rear shouting orders turned and noticed the Chief.

       His silver visor gleamed as he turned and faced the Chief. "Where are the rest of the reinforcements?"

       "I'm it, sir."

       "Damn. Well at least you're a Spartan." A sudden shout made him spin back around. An ODST was lobbing Fragmentation Grenades down the tunnel like there was no tomorrow.

       "What is it, Chavez?" Colonel Hubbard barked.

       "One of those giant shield things again, sir."

       "Sonuvabitch! You better take a look, Master Chief."

       The Chief nodded and stepped up to the tunnel entrance and peeked his head in. About a hundred yards away was a giant silver shield. It was almost like the kind Jackals used, except it was a lot bigger and stronger. "Jackhammer?"

       "Nope. We ran out of rockets ten minutes ag—"

       "Sir! Another one is coming down the other tunnel."

       The Colonel looked resigned. "We're going to have to fall back. On my comma—"

       "No," the said the Master Chief said.

       "Excuse me?"

       "I'll handle the shields, sir."

       "Alright. Cover him, Helljumpers!"

       The Chief spun and ran down the tunnel, charging the shield. He could see the Covenant behind it; a large Brute was carrying the shield. When he was close enough to touch the shield, the Chief pulled the pin on a frag and tossed it behind the shield. It exploded, shredding the Brute and causing the shield to glow red momentarily.

       Purple blood splattered the inside of the shield and it fell forward. The Chief stepped forward and picked off a fleeing Grunt, before crushing the shield's mechanism beneath his heel. The shield disappeared and the Chief took his leave of the tunnel.

       When he turned the corner he saw that the second shield had cleared the tunnel and Covenant were spilling out from behind it. Suddenly, from somewhere deep inside him, the Chief felt a red, boiling rage coil up within himself. He had been trained to forget emotion, but he was too angry too care.

       He pivoted and brought up his Battle Rifle, the butt turning a Brute's head into something like an exploding purple tomato. In the same smooth motion, the Chief reversed his rifle and fired a three-round burst at point blank range into an Elite's chest.

       The alien fell down, his torso ripped and bleeding. The Chief spun out from behind the shield and kicked it back down the tunnel—but not before slapping a Plasma Grenade to it in the process. It exploded in a flash of brilliant blue, taking three Grunts with it.

       The rest of the Covenant high-tailed it back down the tunnel. The Chief back toward the Colonel as an ODST yelled, "Sir, charges are prepped. Ready to detonate on your command."

       Colonel Hubbard nodded. "Shut the tunnels and do it."

       The blast doors on the tunnel shut and an ODST pulled out a keypad and punched in a sequence. Five seconds later, the Chief heard a loud roar and shrapnel striking the outer dome.

       "Why blow the dome?"

       "To wipe out the Covenant and conceal the entrance to the MAC generators. Helljumpers, fall back to Dome 1; we're going to take some armor to the sorry Covenant sonsabitches!"

       The ODSTs cheered loudly and retreated to the first dome. As he walked in, the Chief noticed a group of Warthogs hidden in a section of the dome. Their armor gleamed. It was time to roll.

       "Chief we have twenty 'hogs. We'll hit the Covenant on the left flank in a wedge formation. You'll lead the vanguard."

       The Master Chief nodded. "Yes, Colonel."

       Jumping in the nearest Warthog, the Chief flipped the ignition. The Warthog roared to life and the Chief gunned the engine, accelerating out of the dome. A dozen 'hogs followed him, all of them fully armed.

       The Warthogs left a cloud of Moon dust behind them as they accelerated around the dome. As soon as they came within sight of the Covenant, the gunners opened fire, spraying lethal 12.7mm rounds, Jackhammer rockets, and fire everywhere.

       Grunts were torn in half, Jackals were knocked down and ran over, and Elites were slaughtered by the ferocity of the attack. It took the Covenant completely unawares and unprepared.

       The Chief ran over a couple of Grunts and cut the wheel to the left, taking an Elite out with the Warthog's rear. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, the Chief saw one Warthog surrounded by Covenant, but the custom-model Flamethrower on the back kept them at bay.

       The fight didn't last long. The Covenant Infantry couldn't withstand a mounted charge. They immediately started to retreat, but the Warthogs chased them down. There where no survivors.

       The human casualties were high, but the humans still held Moonbase Alpha.





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