A dry wind slowly wound its way through the metal jungle that is Teritum. The once bustling city is eerily quiet. A slow rumble builds up...which suddently becomes a load roar as five S-19 'Roaring Thunder' Fighter-Bombers flew over Yuri's head. He briefly looked up, and then went back to looking through his scope. He was stationed on top of one of the skyscrapers in South Teritum. The UNSC has posted him there to watch for any possible covenant attack against the now weakened lines. He sighed. After six hours on top of the metal construct, he had seen all of nothing, and was hating it. He keyed his mic.
"HQ, this is Yuri. I confirm five S-19s"
"Roger that, Yuri. Keep on station."
"As always, Base. Yuri out."
He looked over at his spotter, Mike.
"Got anymore bars?"
"All of 'em. Man, I have no frikin clue how you live after eating these things," he said, tossing his partner a power bar "thier deadly."
Yuri gave his Mike a smile, ripped open the easy-to-open covering, and took a huge bite. He then turned again to his scope.
"Yup, there go the S-19s. Total fighter jock like. See that one? He doing a barrel roll. Show-off."
Mike, now alert, looked into his high-powered monoscope.
"Mano, those are evasive manuve....****! One just exploded!"
Yuri cranked up his scope's power and looked again. Yes, there was ground fire. The S-19s where dodging for all they were worth, but one started smoking and vibrating.
"Crap! Get HQ on the walkie! Tell 'em that Grid 20-by-52 is hot! Looks like a large covie force!"
Mike didnt heasitate a second. He grabed his mic, hit the button, and screamed into it "Grid 20-by52 is hot, I repeat Grid 20-by-52 is hot! God damn we got a fighter down!"
Static met him.
He turned to look at where base camp was supposed to be....and saw thousands of explostions. He turned back to Yuri.
"Base camps gone!"
Yuri looked back.
"Oh **** this isnt good.....well, what are you standing there for, get Firebase Delta on the horn right the Fudge now!"
As he buised himself with that, yuri turned back to look at Grid 20-by-52. Only two S-19s were still flying. Luckily, they were both out of range from ground fire. Unluckily, they were both loosing altitude at a fast rate. Yuri looked at where they might be able to land....and his building was one of the candidates, along with a large plaza just a stones throw away. Yuri turned to Mike.
"Put a flare down. I dont want them to be ripped up by those...things...down there."
Mike stoped fiddling with the radio, grabbed a flare from one of his pouches, lit it, and dropped it to the rooftop.
Both planes suddently turned thier way.
"Good' Yuri murrmered "come to us."
"Ghost, five o'clock." Mike said to Yuri, his voice hoarse from screaming."Why dont we welcome it here."
Yuri gave another smile, this one one that a predator might give to his prey, totally devoid of emotion. He flipped the saftey off of his rifle and sighted in...
Chapter One: Answered Prayers
Lt. John 'Buckeye' Reardon ran. Every part, every atom of his body screamed at him to stop, but he wouldnt allow himself to stop. Those *******s had hit Alpha base, and whiped it out. He yet again thanked God that he had been out on patrol. He shuddered, reliving the moment. As he and his marines had gotten back to where the first line of Alpha's defenses had been, they met only destruction. Somthing told him to turn back, but he ordered the 'hogs forward to Alpha base. After passing line after line of ruined defenses, they came to the heart of Alpha base. It lay in ruins, with thousands of grunts, hundereds of Jackals, and many Elites stoping around, shooting everything. He yelled at his driver, PFC Donaho to get the hell out of there. He turned the hog around and revved it. Thats when those *******s in those freekish Ghosts gave chase. He had gotten about 2 miles from Alpha base when they blew up Johnsons 'hog. He then got everyone out and started a run for Delta base. He only had five men with him.
This wasnt gonna be fun.
He looked behind him and saw yet another ghost. Donaho saw it to.
"Damn it!" he screamed "I gave you the slip, you *******! How the **** did you find us!"
"Less talk, more run!" Buckeye screamed in reply. "Get to that ruined building! Right now!"
He and what was left of 2 platoon, five battle-weary men, sprinted for the cover of the building. He looked behind him. The ghost was gaining to fast. They wouldnt make it.
"RUN FASTER!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.
A sharp crack echoed through the metal conyons.
Alive, Buckeye jumped behind a piece of rubble, and turned to look at the threat. Or what was left of it.
Half the head had caved in, with brains splattered everywhere. After that, the freak had falled down and been smashed by his own vehicles anti-grav fields.
Private Eeclon looked at the seen to, and started laughing. He then turned to the Lt.
"Wow, sir, I didnt know you where such a good shot."
Buckeye looked at him strangly.
"I didnt shoot..."
Eeclon looked at him, looked back at the now dead elite, and then back at the Leutenant.
"Then, sir, who shot?"
A note of static stoped Buckeye from responding. He looked down at his mic.
"He.......ell.....wh....is....?"
He cranked up the broadcast/recieve strength.
"Hello, hello, is anyone there? Who is there?"
"This is Lt. Reardon, who am I speaking to?"
"Buckeye!? Its Yuri! Where are you!"
He heaved a sigh of relief. Yuri was one of his fellow boot-camp survivors.
"Were lighting a flare."
"Negative, negative, do not light fare, I repeat, do not light a flare. Were trying to guide some aircraft to our position. Were on the Skyscraper near Tugnizalia Square. On second thought, come towards us."
"Roger that. Glad to see you lived, Yuri."
"Nice to see your among the living to. Now come one up here, we've got energy bars."
A collective groan went up with that, but it was a groan of happyness.
Whadda ya think?or
?
~The only time evil men succed is if good men do nothing
'I made an airplane out of stone. I always did like stayin home'-Shel Silverstein, Falling Up
Why are you here?! Because of you my country is in ruins! -Man, Bejing, Famous picure of him standing in front of a line of tanks.
PROUD MEMBER OF THE RIGHT WING CONSPIRICY!