81Ceta_Deta wrote: ↑Fri Apr 10, 2020 1:32 pm
The Monster Inside Us - Part 1
The pelican landed in the hangar, its large frame a relaxing sight to Nigel. The sounds of crews and engineers working on the other ships in
By Dawn's Light filled his ears, but he quickly shut off the audio system to his helmet and turned on the squad's communication system.
He turned to the other spartans around him.
Like Nigel, they were bulking men, covered in miscellaneously colored armor and carrying assorted weaponry, from M739 SAWs to M392 DMRs. Nigel himself preferred a DMR, but the others preferred something more
heavy .
The scout, armor laden in Crimson paint and silver detailing, as per the spartan's choice, spoke first.
"So, what the heck are we doing here?"
Z-19 grumbled, his voice rather static-y over the helmet comms.
"Well," the recruit, Murp-873, responded, "We're here to look for Insurrectionists and their *** alien allies."
Z-19 scoffed, barely audible, but loud enough for Nigel to pick up on.
"I don't get this. We're way the heck out in the middle of nowhere, on what, account of some [dang] Smugglers doing business?"
Joe, the blue spartan, whose armor was rather similar to Nigel's armor as they both chose the exact shade of blue, spoke up.
"Look, Z, we all know why we're here. We're a team of five Spartan-ivs. The UNSC spared us for one recee op and a potential clean house. Just to weaken any hostile defenses," and at a slight cut-off, almost disappointment Nigel noted, added, "then the marines take 'em."
The final member of the group, Survivor-11, chuckled a bit, a grim sound Nigel rarely recognized as good.
"That's if this influx of activity is even anything," he noted.
"If," Nigel emphasized. The loadmaster made motioning movements at the team, and Nigel turned back on his comms.
"Well. Here we go," Survivor muttered, and took the lead. The Fireteam followed Survivor onto the pelican, his white armor appearing as though silver in the lighting of the hangar bay. They walked up the ramp, their boots echoing loudly against the metallic grates.
Nigel sat down on one of the seats, and drooped his head backwards.
"All comfy back there?" The pilot said, an Italian accent clearly present as she started up the pelican and turned it out of the hangar.
The Fireteam removed their helmets, dropping the helmets, alongside their weapons, on the metal flooring of the ship.
"All right. Here's the mission," Survivor said, flicking on a holo-display image. It zoomed in on a town, rather large, but still far behind in the day and age.
"This is where the majority of activity has been noted. UNSC command believes this town to be a staging ground for ex-Covenant and Insurrection forces as they plan to lead a fresh campaign," he stopped, and added darkly, "
believe." A stuttering Z-19 stopped as he heard it emphasized, and pulled out his dagger, fidgeting with the curved weapon in his hands. Nigel always wondered the story behind it, as it seemed to he of sentimental value to the man.
But, he realized, it was probably an heirloom from a passed family member or some sort, so he shrugged it off for most times.
"Nigel and I will scout the town, and the surrounding area will be scouted by Murp, Joe, and Z. Report back at 1600 hours. Rondevous at beacon upon established time. Got it?" Survivor continued.
"Yes, sir!" The fireteam said in unison, their voices echoing through oust the hollow pelican.
"All right, gents, we're nearing Dordus. Comms'll be silent so send activate the beacon and I'll come pick you up."
Nigel looked down at the large crate laid on the floor of the pelican, the communications beacon and array. The pelican slowly began its decent to the planet, and Nigel reached to his helmet. He picked up his DMR, and the team got into formation as the pelican slowed, eventually a loud series of thuds implying the landing gear had been deployed, and the ship stopped.
The ramp eased downward, a series of hisses and creaks as the metal moved downwards and eventually dug into the soft soil of Dordus, finally stopping.
"Move!" Survivor shouted, and the team jogged out of the pelican, taking up defensive positions.
"You never know when disaster might strike," Wally always said to Nigel.
Nigel thought Survivor took that ideal a bit too far, but nonetheless, the team secured the surrounding hillside and came to the conclusion no army of half-armed men would charge shouting "Bonazai" and wielding magnums would attack them, as Joe had put it.
Sometimes Nigel worried about that man. The team got to work setting up a beacon. It was a rather large antenna with a control console.
This would be where they would meet up later.
"Well, what're yall waiting for?" Survivor snapped as they finished, and the Fireteam dispersed.
The planet was beautiful. As Nigel and Survivor followed the holomap to the Capitol, Nigel took in the breathtaking countryside.
It was beautiful. Pink and blue flowers blossomed everywhere, with a wonderful orange sun shining onto the planet, and small animals much like a rabbit grazed through the meadows. Hills rolled up and down the planet, with the flowers and tall grass littering it, with an occasional pink and green tree sprouting up. Nigel noticeably admired it, and was very confident Survivor, too, was admiring it, despite his silence.
It was near 0100 hours when they reach
the Capitol. Light shone dimly through the night, and upon closer inspection Nigel realized it was rather of poor design.
It had walls around it, most likely to keep predators out, and the buildings themselves appeared to be small, wood and stone built structures with very little interior space.
"So?" Nigel asked as they set up camp, breaking out some MREs and watching the city on a cliff.
"So i think it'a the perfect hiding spot," Survivor said, and began to explain.
He noted the mass of freighters and the metal spaceport, but the lack of metal anywhere else besides the occasional house, which he described as the largest, and most strategic house as each house had cover for bombardment from above, was positioned perfectly to be a bunker, protecting what he couldn't tell, but probably a command center as the building seems to be laden in heavy metals.
Nigel took this interestingly, intrigued and impressed.
"Get some sleep," he said, standing up and grabbing his rifle for watch.
He stood, fidgeting around, tossing a fee stones around as he stood watch, Survivor sitting upright, miraculously asleep. Nigel heard the stories.
Survivor had lost his team on Earth during the Invasion and failed to save them, as he had been asleep when the attack happened. Nigel had heard from a few ODST that Survivor had sworn never to let a fellow soldier die for a dumb reason in combat.
Nigel reasoned this as to why Survivor seemingly volunteered the new Fireteam for this mission, and why he was taking it so seriously.
The next few days went by without a hitch, an occasional communications exchange with the others as they watched and observed. A camp had been found by Joe, weird enough, but was just another settlement.
But then, on the fourth day, a shocking transpiring happened. To Nigel's surprise, a Survivor "I told you so" and a few hours of red eyes from Nigel rubbing them, a phantom had appeared.
A Covenant phantom had arrived on Dordus.
And it carried warriors.