Halo 2: Jupiter (Chapter 3)
Posted By: Chi Zhang<superchink316@hotmail.com>
Date: 22 July 2002, 8:19 pm
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This is Ch. 3 of Halo 2: Jupiter. I thank everyone for helping me out with giving me advice and such. Please continue to help me improve upon my story. SuperChink316@hotmail.com œ email address.
As I stared into that black crater, I couldn't help but think of all the people that will have to die in this word. I cursed the covenant for dragging all these innocent people into such a conflict. Didn't they know that these marines had families??? Then I cursed my stupidity. Of course they knew...even though the covenant were the lowest scum in this galaxy...they still had families. I just didn't understand why they hated humanity so much. It was times like these I missed my father because just looking at him would give me strength.
Our pelican docked into the hanger of our cruiser. Luke was sent to the infirmary for 1st degree burns and Sam went because her faceplate was cracked after a hand-to-hand match with an elite. All of the stolen vehicles were also docked into the hanger and were being studied by the scientist. I was told to report to the captain's quarters. When I got there I found him sitting in a chair reading an official UGD memo.
"Sit down Steve"
"No thank you sir....You wanted to see me about something?"
"Yes...the news of your performance has reached UGD command. And they are impressed by your leadership capabilities. They are also impressed with your company's performance destroying the fuel station and collecting the data. Admiral Dirmingale wants to put you in command of the company. Of course you will still lead the Alpha Cats, but you will also command the company. Do you wish to lead this group?"
"Yes sir I would like to. Thank you sir."
"Oh...before I forget...go down to the Spartan labs...they have something for you."
I saluted him and walked out the door. I kept thinking about me being the commander of the entire company. Am I up to the challenge? What if I screw up? What perks do I get? The questions kept coming until I faced the Spartan lab. I walked in and headed to the top scientist.
"The captain told me to report here for something"
"Ah yes...look what the UGD has sent you"
He pointed to 5 MJOLNIR battle suits but they were all black. He told me that his is a Mach 6 suit. All things were improved. The suit's shields and armor was stronger. It also had a build in zoom scope. The suit also injects neural and muscle enhancing drugs when the adrenaline level reaches a certain point. I was told to distribute all of these new suits to my teammates. When they saw the new armor, they were in awe. It was as if they were 6 year olds in a candy store. We each changed into the new armor and began to examine ourselves in the mirror.
At 0600 hours the next day, all Spartans were to report to the briefing room. Commanding admiral Relcov had news for our lance. He reported that the UGD had obtained the tactical coordinates of the primary staging ground for all covenant activities in this quadrant. Their primary base was on an A-3 class planet. This planet was mainly swamp with a large lakes dotted across the whole planet. The crucial difference was that this planet's gravity was three times earth's gravity. We were told that training would commence for this mission in one hour. Our lance met up with beta and gamma at a Jade, a similar class planet. We did 3 days of parading for swamps and gravity training to get used to the gravity. We couldn't use or gravity generators because the covenant would be able to detect the excess energy use. The last day was to memorize every step of the plan and what to do if something got screwed up. My lances primary goal was to download crucial information about world inside covenant space. Beta was to destroy all barracks, vehicle, and ship hangers. Gamma would join with the marines directly assaulting the main covenant complex, which would hopefully direct attention away from us. After the training, each of the lances returned to their flagships. Our three ships slip jumped simultaneously toward the red juncture point. When we arrived we saw a UGD armada. The bridge's tactical display showed 130 battleships, cruisers, carriers, and frigates. On the long-range scan, there were five large blue masses. This was the half of the UGD's space armada....a total of 650 ships. This was truly a major operation. All of the covenant strongholds would be under direct assault by ships, marines, and Spartans. The blue dots on the map started to move and I realized that the assault force was moving into position. The collective armada that we were in held position _ a light year away from Alexandria, the planet we were to infiltrate. Long-range sensors detected a covenant fleet surrounding Alexandria, no doubt to guard if from attackers like us. At 1400 hour, our fleet would slip jump to the northwester hemisphere of the planet because it had the lowest number of patrols and defensive orbital stations. Of course our jump would be detected so the whole armada heated up the Streaker Mac Cannons, armed the Havoc missile pods, and powered up the shields.
We slipped jumped and were instantly taking and returning fire. There were 25 covenant ships in patrol in that area. Our armada caught them by surprise and we rained down fire on them. Six ships were obliterated in our fist volley. I saw the Streaker Guns from our ship tear through the hull of a covenant cruiser. Our havoc missiles tore through on of the torpedo pods, which apparently detonated the dormant plasma torpedoes. The explosion created a shockwave, which knocked some of the other covvie ships out of orientation. Cheers could be heard throughout the corridors of the ship. The covenant retaliated swiftly by sending a volley of plasma charges and torpedoes in full spread. Our ship was hit by sever bolts and one torpedo, which was enough to damage our Streaker Cannons. I looked outside again to see many ships taking fire and returning fire with a vengeance. One of our frigates was spinning out of control and slammed into a cruiser. There was an insinuating explosion and there were only bits and pieces of the frigates while the cruiser had suffered a giant hole in its side. The armada eliminated the remaining covenant forces without sustaining much more damage. Sirens wailed from the walkways and I knew I was being summoned. Covenant forces were already closing on the armada's position. I met up with the rest of my lance at the Ironfist (which was a longsword designed to accommodate the things we needed for this mission). Although the Ironfist could defend itself easily, with its mini Mac guns and Havoc missiles, three pairs of Guardian fighters escorted it to the rendezvous. From the ship I saw 2 more Ironfists descended from two other battleships. Our small little fleet entered the atmosphere and prepared to hover over a lake for deployment. A group of banshees and silences came out to meet us at 12 kilometers in the air. The Guardians immediately recognized the enemy and began to pump out Streaker rounds. This brought down 1 silence and 2 banshees. The remaining forces (which consisted of 4 silence and 8 banshees) struck back with plasma rounds. One of the silences turned around toward the covenant base. We didn't want any more reinforcements so we chased after it at full impulse. Three Havocs were launched to insure immediate destruction. One missed the target but the other two struck the base of the vehicle, which cause an instantaneous explosion, engulfing the entire vehicle. As we turned around to help our companions, we noticed that all of the enemy aircraft had destroyed. Many of the guardians had been damaged, one had an engine blown out and was leaking coolant, so they return to the ships. Gamma's Ironfist was slightly singed on a wing but it could still fly.
We descended over the lake and unloaded the Aquaticas, a marine hovercraft vehicle used for aquatic assaults. It offensive weapons contained STS and STA havoc missiles, and a full series of gauss chain guns. There were four aquatics brought down, and each could fit two Spartans. I choose to operate an Aquatica with Sam as my gunner. The remaining Spartans would provide cover fire from the Ironfists and destroy any enemies that got in the way. I could feel neuron and stimulant drugs begin to pump through my body. If everything goes according to plan, we could have all the information we need to bring the covenant to their knees....well...the ones that had knees anyways.
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