The Battle of Arcadia City
"Serina? Situation update, please." The Captain says once he gets on to the bridge. Jerome, and I step around him to go stand near a wall. Serina pulls up a hologram I think, and it's a planet with markers around it.
"Two Covenant vessels came out of slipspace near Arcadia. The Belfast, Pillar of Autumn, Texas, and Armstrong engaged immediately, and caught one with its shields down. We lost Texas, and Belfast, the Armstrong is venting atmosphere. The Second vessel is engaged in surface activity."
That's a lot of Covenant forces. Were they looking for whatever the Professor found? Speaking of, where is she?
Jerome, and I shift to stand at ease paitently waiting for orders.
"What kind of surface activity?" The Captain questions moving around the image.
"Unknown" she begins, " Wait. I'm getting a Signal. Audio only."
"We're being overrun! Alien forces are inside the city limits, and approaching the spaceports. We're still evacuating civilians, we need help!"
Guess I was wrong.
"Getting visual now Captain."
Captain Cutter steps over to a monitor, and I tense hearing gunshots. The Captain watches for at least half a minute before turning around, "Serina, launch pods. Bring the ship to alert. Spartans, ready your teams. You have three minutes until launch" he says looking at us.
Jerome, and l race out of the bridge.
"Red-kilo prep, and stand by in the launch bay. We're taking pods" I tell them.
"You ready for this?"
"To fall out of a ship at several thousand feet going several hundred miles an hour?" I ask, "Bring it on"
"Never done it either, but at least I can teach you" He says as we reach the bay. Ian tosses me my DMR, and pistol. I take extra rounds too. I jump in the pod, and strap in. I can do this. I know how to.
Serina launches the pod, and I grip the sides tightly. I hold my breath until I can't then repeat this as the surface zooms closer, and closer each second. It makes me picture dying.
I can see the ground, and feel the handle crack beneath my grip. For some reason I can't remember what to do, so I start to freak out. Looking around I can see a magnet holding my weapons before I spot a red handle above the glass. It says emergency release on it, so I feel some relief.
I don't know how to descend, or release the thing to slow it down.
"Dylan, lever at the top. It's yellow, small, and right at the center." I tense hearing Destiny's voice in the pod. I find the lever, and twist it before pulling it down. Something releases outside before it slows.
The pod crashed down, and I pull the release before stepping out on to the ground to look around the city. I step out grabbing my weapons before I look around.
"Roll call" I announce over the com-link. I feel better hearing their voices, and tell them to rendezvous with me.
"The center is due West about 20 meters. The transports are waiting" Serina says. We sprint pass the arches, and lift things to spot a large building with a gaping whole in it. It looked destroyed, but the whole was actually a massive archway.
I begin firing with my magnum moving slightly closer as I take out targets. There are police officers covering behind a barricade as we approach.
The grunts begin to scatter as they are left without leadership, and they become easy pickings. As the area clears I start to see the fleeing bodies of civillans as they rush towards the transports.
"Divide, and Conquer. Tango on my six."
"Ian," I shout before he looks at me, "Transport one, and redevous at two. Keep your com open."
We race down the sidewalks, and I spot Forge's Warthog. It's a guass hog with a rocket marine as the passenger. I pause to take out two jackals standing on a tower then I can see the civillans.
Big group of about ten, or twelve. Mathew, being a bit faster than me, catches up to them first. I motion to him as we reach them.
"Ed-" I began before correcting myself "Sophie join Mathew, and we'll meet up at the transport" I tell her while we circle back making sure the path is clear.
As we spot the massive building again I see more groups of civillans fleeing, and I sigh. It makes me wonder how many people are hiding in there that we have to evacuate.
"Is anyone out there?!" Banshees are trying to take us out!" I hear, and turn around.
"Serina, where's that coming from?"
"Transport two"
I sigh, "Kaleb, Tiffany. Hold transport two."
Kaleb breaks formation leaving Destiny, and I to return to number three. Sure enough there are three banshees here. We open fire as the plasna bolts rain down.
"Try to aim for the cockpit. There might be a gap between it, and the Banshee itself" Destiny says. We have to move behind cover, and still manage to fire back at least until it does the plasma mortar. That one's explosive, and will do a lot of damage.
After bein shot at the Banshee boosts towards us and into the ground. I pause looking at the purple twisted metal, and it kinda makes me curious on how they built it.
"Boss, two questions?" Destiny says, and I stiffen. Being called boss is weird to me. I look at her then spin around as the next group of civillans make their way to us.
"The transports leave in thirty minutes, so how are we going to get more ammo? And what are we gonna do about that?" she asks, and I shift my attention to what she's looking at.
'Oh you got to be shitting me'
Two Wraiths followed by a pair of Hunters, and grunts.
'You better think fast'
'Shut up. Okay I'm getting there'
"Grunts, and Gunners" I spit out switching to my DMR for better range. The Wraiths began firing mortors at us at I aim for the Elite in the plasma turrent. A couple rounds beaks the shield, and another three finish it.
Moving back to find cover I keep shooting at the Wraith to keep its fire on me, and not on the civillans.
"Cover them" I tell her taking out a Grunt as the Wraith itches forward after me. Waiting for it toew boost I swerve moving towards it then backwards.
Ready I sidestep the Wraith as it quickly lunges in my direction, so I decide to climb onto the hull. Finding the driver's seat I break open the top before my knife plunges into another Elite's skull.
Both hands grip the body, and tug it out of the Wraith to drop it on the concrete.
"Uh okay. Probably a stupid decision" I mutter climbing down into the seat. Grasping the two joysticks I watch the shadow or the Wraith gun opening its doors. Turning the vehicle I press the buttons at the top of the joysticks to release a mortor.
Ducking out if instinct I pull back to avoid one from the other Wraith.
"Mind if I hitch a ride?" Destiny says hopping infront of me. I fire back at the other Wraith, but hit too low. It hits the front of the hull leaving a scorch mark in its place.
Still constantly moving I trade shots with the Wraith as Destiny fires the turrent. She seems to be leaving more of an impact than me.
"Wait, this is for the gun" I say pulling back the second joystick, this is how they aim so far" I say testing it again.
"Boss more civillans" She cuts in as I try to aim more accurately. Turning sharply the other Wraith speeds at me, and I press hard on the buttons to fire. Pulling back as the mortor explodes on to the vehicle.
The Wraith explodes as I keep pulling back. Adrenaline rushes, and I feel excited. The Wraith is helpful for dealing with smaller groups of enemies at long range. It makes dealing with Hunters easier too.
Banshee I let Destiny deal with because hitting them is very difficult for me.
"Hey why don't you just steal it?"
"Hijack" she corrects, "the word is hijack."
"Get a stupid Banshee how about that?" I reply.
She goes, and picks up a plasma pistol among the Grunt bodies as I provide cover. We have nineteen minutes, and counting. More Banshees arrive, and I have to move around to get them to aim away from the civillans.
"Role Call Spartans" I say opening the channel before a small echo of voices sound through the speaker.
"We have a little less than nineteen minutes. Hang in there team" I tell them as more Covenant approach. Unfortunately that's easier said than done.
Little crab things start lasering the Wraith, and I weave to move behind a lift. Destiny above is firing at them. Playing chicken I fire a motor then move back to cover. It takes us several tries to destroy it.
"Locust. They're building destroyers" she says before I even get to ask.
"What the hell!" I exclaim as suddenly the transport engines power up. Without warning the ship climbs off the ground leaving the dock. Watching the ship tear off in the distance.
"We still have fifteen minutes!" she yells throwing her hands up.