In Response To: Redemption (FF) (Tycho [OSC])
> “ Awww crap “
> “What now Marine?”
> “Sir, we have incoming sir….”
> “FIRE AT WILL!”
> The sound of gunfire was not foreign to Pvt. Galen Kell. The
> covenant flyers passed overhead, raining death and destruction
> on the marine search party. The covenant flyers swooped in gain,
> coming in from the sun. Pvt.Kell thought that they looked like
> the riders of the apocalypse, the reflection of the sun playing
> off their surfaces like fire and blood. Pvt.Kell snapped out of
> revelry as hot plasma scorched the earth around him. 2 covenant
> flyers were shot down on this pass. The marines surprise had
> worn off. The remaining marines of the search part watched the
> last remaning covenant flyer retreat with grim satisfaction in
> their eyes. They had taken 2 flyers for 1 marine. The marines
> remounted the search for survivors of the 101st massacre.
> The battlefield they searched gave no indication of the hard
> battle that had been fought, as all of the bodies had been
> removed to another location. Only the charred hulk of a tank
> remained on the field to attest to the fact that there was
> actually a battle 2 days ago.
> “This is going nowhere sir,” said a Pvt. From the rear.
> “Shut your hole marine, keep looking – go search that tank!”
> “SIR YES SIR!”
> Nothing was to be found in or near the tank save a few spent
> shell casings and a marine helmet. Their wasted efforts in
> searching out the survivors were increasingly frustrating the 9
> marines of the search party. No bodies were found, let alone
> survivors in 2 days of searching. The marines took the helmet
> from the wreckage, and decided to head back to base empty
> handed. The walk back to HQ was quiet and remorseful, each
> marine reflecting on the loss of a comrade and a friend.
> The marines looked to the sky as a loud boom echoed above them.
> Fearing another ambush the marines spread out and assumed combat
> positioning - they’re training taking over. The only thing to
> greet them was a torrent of rain. Just what they needed, rain to
> accompany their already dour mood. The marines got back into
> formation and resumed the long hike back to camp. The marines
> had no idea that there had been survivors from the battle
> before. The marines continued on in silence.
> The marines reached the base and trudged into the briefing room,
> sullen and mad at the days unrewarding efforts. The marines were
> debriefed and sent back to their bunks to wallow in their own
> private thoughts. Every marine on base was completely unaware of
> the events unfolding at the very same time at a location far
> away.
> The covenant troopers failed to fell the hard to hit shadow in
> the woods. The shadow had been thwarting their efforts to kill
> it for the past 3 hours. The shadow would disappear, then
> reappear only to kill one of the troopers hunting it. There was
> no clear hunter or hunted in this skirmish. The shadow
> disappeared gain into the thick woods, sing the beating rain to
> mask its footsteps. The lead covenant motioned for the rest to
> hold and take cover. The leader knew it was out there, he could
> smell it. The smell of humans never left a covenant after they
> experienced it. It was putrefying, a violation to the very holy
> spirit itself. The covenant waited for the elusive shadow to
> strike again.
> A single report broke the silence in the woods. The lead
> covenant didn’t even look back, knowing that he would only find
> a dying trooper. The covenant motioned for 2 of his troopers to
> go in the direction of the sound, knowing that the shadow had
> already moved. He could not have been more wrong. A second
> report filled the air, another trooper died. The second trooper
> sent to investigate charged headlong into the dark grove from
> which the sound had come. The lead covenant motioned for the
> rest of his team to follow. No sound was heard coming from the
> grove. When the whole party reached the grove all they found
> were two dead troopers, one from a large bullet wound and the
> other from having his throat slit. The lead covenant roared his
> hatred into the air. Another report sounded, followed by three
> quick thuds as three troopers hit the ground.
> “How nice of em to line up for me” spoke the shadow quietly as
> it emerged from the undergrowth 10 feet away.
> The covenant leader was amazed to find that one marine, covered
> head to toe in gore that was not of his race walk from the
> shadows. IT was just one marine, it could not have possibly
> killed off an entire hunt team. Yet the marine had. The covenant
> leader emitted a low, guttural growl meant to strike fear into
> its enemies. The bloody marine just grinned. The covenant
> charged, ready to rip this marine limb from limb like he had so
> many others in the glorious battle 2 days previous. It was as
> the covenant charged that he saw the head of his beloved
> commander that had led the assault on the slaughter hanging on
> the marines belt. The red colouring had faded to look more
> greyed out. The covenant only charged faster, eager to shed the
> blood of his commander’s assassin.
> The charge would never make it to the standing marine. A long
> knife, encrusted with blood met the covenant in mid charge,
> halting his advance. As the covenant fell to his knees he looked
> at the 2 feet of glimmering steel protruding from his chest. The
> covenant looked up only to see a pistol barrel aimed at his
> face. The covenant saw no more.
> It had been too long since the hunting party sent out to find
> the cause of all the disruptions around this sector had reported
> back. The covenant HQ was worried. Was this another marine
> offensive, and if so – why hadn’t they heard about it? The
> covenant ordered another patrol sent out to investigate. Just as
> the base doors opened a large light filled the complex. Many
> gunshots were heard, and they were of the covenant type. When
> the light faded all the patrol was dead at the base of the
> doors. The covenant inside the base was unarmed, never expecting
> an attack. Fog slowly crept into the base. Nothing was seen or
> heard for more than a minute. Then something that took the
> covenant completely by surprise happened. From the fog could be
> seen a figure coming closer. From the fog emerged a lone marine,
> covered from head to toe in gore, carrying a covenant assault
> rifle in each hand. The marine had a red covenant head on its
> belt. Then he fired. It was all over in less than 15 seconds.
> The covenant tried to get around their workstations and charge
> the lone marine, but all attempts were met with a ferocious hail
> of murderous plasma. Soon, no covenant were left alive in the
> main room of the complex. The lone marine dropped the two spent
> assault rifles, and drew his pistol. The lone figure continued
> into the base in silence.
> No warning was given. One minute the group was playing a game at
> the table, the next a figure had appeared in the doorway. The
> figure threw a red covenant head down onto the table and opened
> fire on the stunned onlookers. The rest of the resting troopers
> in the bunk hall got up and reached for their weapons – only
> realizing that they had none. No time was given by the figure in
> the doorway, only death. Soon, the marine dropped the spent
> pistol to the ground, and drew his three-foot long combat knife.
> The light played off the knife; casting evil looking shadows on
> its wielders scarred face. The human grinned, the last covenant
> trooper in the room charged. The fight didn’t last long, the
> unarmed covenant no match for the fury the marine fought with.
> The marine dropped his remaining explosives onto the floor of
> the barracks, setting the time delay to “remote”. The marine
> walked out, as silent as he had walked in, only pausing to
> reattach the red head back to his belt.
> The marines of the base got ready to send out another search and
> rescue party. The base was shrouded in fog. Remorse and failure,
> not accepting the loss of two days previous permeated the mood
> of the marines. A lot of friends had been lost. With the
> destruction of the 101st and the appearance of a red “leader
> covenant” served to usher in despair and hopelessness. The
> marines on patrol were glad that the rain had subsided, but none
> to happy that a heavy fog would join them on this mission.
> “Alright you jarheads, saddle up – we have marines to rescue!”
> “SIR YES SIR!”
> The marines were just about to the edge of the bases fence when
> they stopped short, jaws agape. Out of the fog and past them
> limped a single marine. He was covered in covenant blood,
> carried a marine issue sniper rifle decked out scores of kill
> markings, and a red covenant head attached to his belt. The
> sniper passed the marine patrol without a word or glance. The
> sniper went straight to the center of the base, and stopped.
> “Here are your missing marines, there are no survivors. Here is
> your leader covenant.” The sniper said as he dropped a bag of
> bloody dogtags and the covenant head to a table. The sniper
> grabbed more ammo for his rifle wordlessly. Marines emerged from
> the buildings to look upon the unknown warrior in awe and
> amazement. The numbers 101 were visible on the marines shoulder
> pad as he finished gathering his ammo. Then he walked again into
> the fog, as silent as he had walked in.
| 
