Chapter 8 NAME "Shit Happens" Part 4

Dormii wrote:

Hey ,Silver, it's Dormii. Can you send me to the airfield?

(Silver Light)
Understood. Sending you now.

(Jason)
Okay, I'll have Silver send you to the cell blocks.
=I contacted Silver, and gave him the instructions=

(Silver Light)
Right away.
There was a lot of teleportation going on today.

(Fatet)

=I nod again and take off running to the cell block.
When I arrive I pick up my SMGs and check they work, I the check my Ammo pouches and make sure I have spare magazines.
I rummage through my rucksack for a few minutes and pull out a new visor for my helmet.

About 5 minutes later I put the newly fixed helmet on and go to meet Jason.=

(Dormii)
=i was sent to the airfield via teleport. Once I managed to orient myself, I headed off towards the shuttle. i saw maybe three or four soldiers there, waiting around casually=
Mount up! I'm your squad leader.

=one of the soldiers outside the shuttle saw Dormii, and was about to ask on who's orders, when the order came down from Jason=
Understood sir. Should we wait for the Admiral sir?

(Jason)
=I met up with Fetet and his guards, and we ended up heading for Alpha Base's airfield=

(Molly)
=While my team and I were getting set to take off, I almost dies when I saw Dormii and a squad of soldiers outside a shuttle=
Okay, just stay calm. He hasn't seen you.

(Fatet)


=As I walk I fiddle with my locket, opening it and looking at the picture of a brown haired girl with blue eyes, behind my blue visor I fight back a tear and remind myself why I'm still fighting=


Get a grip Fatet... Dont lose it up there... And make all Of New Jerusalem proud...

=Vera stood up off the Hanger floor to go back to the hanger. On his way there, he noticed that the elites and jackals and even the grunts had a certain feeling of pride about them. He walked onto the bridge, and almost immediately dropped to his knee, his head bowing=

I- i apologize, Hierarch. I was not informed that you would be present aboard my ship.

=A minor prophet floated on the bridge where he normally stood. It was not the same prophet that was leading the assault, but it was a prophet nonetheless. He was about three feet off the ground in a sitting position, with his legs crossed, and his arms resting on them. His robes were long and red, and were just barely off the floor=

"Rise, Zantomee."

=Vera stood and faced the prophet=

"It has come to my attention that your ship possesses a certain super-weapon designed by the XNNO's, dubbed 'The Uberglasser'.

Yes, my lord. The Uberglasser was made by the 808th, as was this ship itself.

"That would explain the size. The 808th have a habit of making very large ships, but very few of them."

=Vera remained silent. He was very nervous, but he kept his look of calmness=

"So then. Explain this weapon to me."

The Uberglasser is ten times the size of a normal covenant glassing beam, able to shred a fleet of ships or reduce a planet to molten slag in minutes. But...

"But what?"

There is a slight problem with it... Two, actually. The first, is that the beam can only be sustained for a short time before it must be allowed to cool down, otherwise the cannon will overheat, and the results are something we would rather not experience.

"It explodes, doesent it?"

Y-... Yes, my lord.

"Hmm. Go on."

The second, is that the cannon is actually large enough to pilot a banshee into, similar to the 808th Hellfire cannon. However, unlike that cannon, this one does not lead to a bomb-bay or loading platform. This leads directly to where the beam is produced. If a fighter were to crash into it, the resulting explosion could vaporize the ship in an instant.

"Hm. Pity. Well then, Zantomee. I trust that you will be able to prevent these mishaps during the attack."

Yes, My lord.

"Good. Then i shall retire for now."

=The prophet floated off the bridge and met with two elite honor guards, who took him back to where he was staying on the ship. Vera breathed a sigh of relief that the prophet was satisfied with what he had to offer the mission. He went back to his console and began giving orders to soldiers and crew throughout the ship=

(Dormii)
Admiral?

(Jason)
=Fetet, Jeremy and I arrived at the airfield, and I saw the shuttle, with Dormii and the other soldiers standing outside. A few seconds later, and we arrived a few feet away from them=

=the soldiers see Jason, and they immediately snapped to a salute=
Admiral on deck!

(Jason)
=I frowned a little, then gave a look at Dormii that read "Believe me, it wasn't my choice."=
At ease.

(Molly)
Oh fuck! Now Jason's here!

(Dormii)
=i was glad that I had my visor polarized, but a giggle or two may have escaped. I tried not to laugh, but I was never any good at it. I took off my cable and blade and twirled it lazily next to me in an effort to distract myself=
So, we all set?

(Jason)
Yeah. Everyone, on the shuttle.
=I touched Dormii's arm lightly=

I'll be on in a sec. Just need to call Miranda and Molly.

(Dormii)
=i nodded and put the hook-cable-blade back around my arm. I got onto the shuttle and sat down next to one of the soldiers=

(Jason)
=I contacted Miranda=
Miranda, are you there? We have to talk.

(Miranda)
=I was in the armory of the Serenity when Jason called=
Jason, what's going on?

(Jason)
The Covenant are here Miri. They found Haven. I'm...I'm heading up, to the Silver Hawk, to direct the fleet. I don't.....I don't know, how this will all turn out. But if things go badly, I just wanted you to know, I lo--

(Miranda)
=I cut him off=
Tell me when you get back, okay. You get back here, alive, and tell me that.

(Jason)
=I almost felt some tears in my eyes. She was one in a million=
Okay. I'll come home.

=the call ended. I was about to contact Molly, when as I was looking around, I saw a squadron of planes on the runway, moving to take off. Now, that would have been fine, if it wasn't for the fact that one of the pilots, even from here, looked strangely familiar=
Oh. My. God. She didn't.

(Dormii)
=i took off my knife ring from under the plasma blade Senox gave me and swung it around on one finger, careful to not hit any of the other soldiers=

(Jason)
Please don't be her, please don't be her.
=I called molly, and a few seconds later, the pilots hand moved to their ear=

(Molly)
Hello?
Please don't be him, please don't be him.

(Jason)
Molly, you mind telling me why you're in one of those fighters?
=I was barely able to keep the rage out of my voice=

(Molly)
Oh fuck me sideways.
Uh, hi Jason. Listen, I asked Silver to help me get a spot on one of the squadrons.

(Jason)
What!? Are you telling me, that you asked the monitor of Haven, to falsify records, and place you into a squadron, when you've had no real training?

(Molly)
=I bristled at the words=
Excuse me? No real training? I'm the pilot of you ship, and I've taken the sims on how to fly a jet. Or have you forgotten?

(Jason)
Molly Borden, your father placed me in charge of you safety. He died, so you could live. This seems a very poor way, to repay his sacrifice.

(Molly)
=That hurt me a little, but it wasn't going to stop me=
Haven is my home now Jason, and I will defend it. Whether you like it or not, I'm an adult now, and I should be the one making these decisions, not you.

=I ended the call right there, and continued down the runway, with the rest of my squad=

(Jason)
=I just stood there, mouth slack open=
Unbelievable. Borden's turning in his grave, I just know it.

=I got back on the shutte, and took a seat next to Dormii, a sour look on my face=

(Dormii)
=i put the knife ring away and noticed Jason's face=
That bad, huh?

(Jason)
=I looked put, towards the now rising fighter squadron=
Molly's on one of those fighters. She illegally joined the military, by having Silver falsify her records.

(Dormii)
Oh, yea, that'd be bad. Want me to put a program into her fighter to monitor her status?

(Jason)
=I almost smiled. Almost=
Nah. Despite what I may feel about how she got in, she's right: She is, one of the most talented pilots I have ever seen. And, this is her home now. She has every right to fight for it.

=I stared back into the sky, as the shuttle doors closed, and we rose into the sky=
Take care Molly. Go dance with the Angels.

(Dormii)
=i nodded and stayed quiet for the rest of the trip=

(Jason)
=it was maybe a few minutes, before we boarded the Silver Hawk. The hangar, while not as large as that of the Trophaeum, was still huge; there was room for hundreds more like the shuttle to land. The door opened, and we exited the ship=


=Meanwhile, within Haven, the people stayed home, or they stayed close to bunkers that had been hastily built. The security forces were out in the streets, while Sentinels patrolled the skyline. The Council Tower was now set in a fixed area, swarms of Sentinels flying around the floating tower. The Council itself, remained within the main chamber, Anderson and Nagasae aiding in coordinating the efforts of the Military. At the same time, an order was given: all entrances to the interior of Haven, were to close. Barriers of energy would form, and an impenetrable wall of hard light would be formed=

(Dormii)
=to Jason=
So, what's the plan, other than board 'em and destroy 'em?

After about a day of tinkering with dosages and formulae I cracked it. I mean, granted, I was in the middle of a forest, On the outer side of the Shield World. But, I had a way of getting in. Or so I thought.

I had only one way of testing this, I had to shock myself. Not shock as in scare, shock as in electrocute. I had a small battery configured with wires that should provide a safe enough jolt to kick things into gear. So to speak. Theoretically.

"Nothing ventured, Nothing gained."

I proceeded with my test.

(Jason)
=I walked for the bridge, and motioned for Dormii and the others to follow=
We'll wait for the Covie fleet to exit slip-space, and enter the little surprise we have prepared for them: a minefield. Once they've entered it, we'll deploy an initial assault of Sentinels, something to keep them occupied. Now, while the Sentinels have their attention, you and the other teams will take your own smaller transport craft, and get as close as you can to a Covenant ship. Hopefully, the Covies will be so preoccupied with the Sentinels, that they won't notice you. Now, there is a drawback: the ships you'll be using, have been cut-down, to make them less detectable. This also means that they will have no life-support. You and your men will be exposed to vacuum.

=I looked over my shoulder, and felt an apologetic look on my face=
Sorry, but we were running out of time. What matters is that they're fast, and they'll get your tems to the ships of your choosing. After that, my fleet will engage the Covenant.

(Dormii)
Will their armor hold up to hard space?

=i gestured to the soldiers in my squad=

(Jason)
=we entered the bridge=
Yeah. Your men will be given Class 2 Combat Skin, as well as Forerunner weapons. Their armor will hold up to the vacuum.

(Dormii)
=i nodded again=
Got it.

=One of the bridge officers addressed Jason=
Sir, sensors are detecting slip-space ruptures at the edge of the system.

(Jason)
Then they're here. Dormii, get your men ready, and head to the hangar bay. You'll know which ships are your's.
=I looked around the bridge. Many of the people there, looked at me with strange looks. Some of them had fear in their eyes=



Alright everyone, this is what we have been preparing for. We've only had a week, but I know that we are more than prepared to face this threat. It's not just a planet we are fighting for. Haven is our home. It is the home of our families, our friends. It is the place where you have all made new beginnings.

=I was unaware of the fact that one of my staff had turned on the intercom, and connected me to the entire fleet, the airforce, and every military base o Haven itself=

(Molly)
=My squadron and I rose past the atmosphere, and we joined the other squadrons in the fleet. I heard Jason's voice over the comm=

(Jason)
You all survived great things before you came here. Your colonies were burned, your people had been killed, and you had been taken prisoner and turned slaves. And despite all that, you rose above it, and made a home for yourselves here. You have thrived here. You have given birth here. You have all lived here, and I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that you will not let the Covenant, destroy all that we have built here. What we have here, is more than just an ancient Forerunner world. What we are fighting for here, is. Our. Home.

(Dormii)
=i waited for Jason to finish his speech before turning and heading to the hanger bay with my squad. It took a while, but once there, they got their suits and armor and we prepared for our boarding attempt=

=At the edge of Haven's system, space rippled and pulsed, like a stone hitting water. Only there were hundreds of stones. Hundreds of portals opened, many of them even combining to become massive portals. The Covenant fleet exited slip-space, all 250 ships=

*Prophet of Humility*
=there it was. His prize, his key to domination, and to the Great Journey. Once this world fell under his command, he would end this ridiculous civil war. He would end the Great Schism=

(Fatet)

=I double check all of my gear and load my SMGs with a trained proficiency, which draws a nervous look from one guard and an angry one from the other.=

"I promised Jason that I'd have you with me but if you don't keep pace with me I wont wait for you."

Guard 2 : No, you do what we say and when we say it, got it?

Fatet : Like hell I will, if you don't keep up you wouldnt have done a very good job of guarding me.

Guard 2 : Dont push me ONI.

=At the word ONI I felt a surge of anger and lashed out at the guard with my fist, sending him sprawling.=

Fatet : I. Am. Not. Fucking. ONI.

= The other guard raises his weapon, a little more nervously than before.=
Fatet: I have no intention of hitting you OR running so lower the weapon.

= He does but keeps his hand on the handle of the weapon

I turn to Jason.=

"Sorry about that, his nose will heal before the battle, which way to my squad?"

(Jason)
You'll meet them in the hangar bay. Look for orange team. It's led by Lt. Tucker, he'll be your commander.
=I looked at the guard with a concerned look, but at the same time, something dispassionate=

And just remember, your trying to earn my trust here. Striking out at my people, isn't exactly helping. And as for you four: Do your best to show him some proper respect.
=the four guards nodded=


=The Covenant fleet began to move forward, towards the planet=

=after the sensors detect the slipspace ruptures he comms jason=


sounds like you got a lot of company need any help saying hello?

(Fatet)

=I nod and leave for the hanger. Going over the map of a typical covenant ship on my VISR=

so we land here... And the shipmaster will be here unless he joins the welcome wagon... Meaning we have to go through the engine room to avoid those methane tanks...

=I arrive at the hanger and look for orange team=

(Dormii)
=i feel the jolt as my transport lifts off and flies out of the hanger. I talk with each of the squad mates and learn their nicknames. "Hardcase," "Totem Pole," "Bullets," and "Bombs." I gave them my way of running a squad, and we bonded, kinda. Well, as much as you could in a few minutes=

(Jason)
=I got zeru's request=
Feel free, but do not engage. We already have a plan set up. Just stick with the fleet, and await further instructions.

=I considered for a moment, then decided=
If any of the Covenant ships fire at you, then feel free to return the favor. But don't break fleet formation.

(Fattet)

=When I find orange team They're already boarding the shuttle, I sit in silence for the most part of the journey, fiddling with my locket again, until one man asks me my name=
"I am Fade."

= None of the men look happy about having me with them butt hey seem to tolerate my presence because I have offered to help.=

=The Sin of Wrath exited slipspace last, easily dwarfing the other Covenant ships around it. He had received his orders, and was anxious to execute them. The ship came out of full lockdown, and it's weapons primed for combat=

Finally. The hour has come...




=Xazhi was on the bridge of the Eirav Wing when what seemed to him like a million ships came in from both sides. He wasted no time moving the small vessel out of the way and towards the Haven Fleet. He gazed in awe at the forerunner fleet, wondering what power it possessed. He then looked towards the Covenant fleet, and was equally impressed. The Eirav Wing approached the Siver Hawk. He tried to comm them=

This is RSS-1210, requesting permission to dock.

(Jason)
=my communications officer sent me the request, and I hailed the RSS-1210=
Attention vessel. You are cleared to land in hangar two. Sending directions now. I must ask though that once you land, you remain within your vessel. We have a battle to fight=


=the Covenant fleet drifted closer, the Prophet's Super Carrier at the center. A few minutes later, and they drifted into the minefield of Sentinels. Now, these Sentinels did not have the explosive power of a nuke, or even the explosive power of a thermobaric bomb. However, once the restraints on their energy cores were removed, they had enough explosive force to rip through a Scorpion tank. And there were hundreds of thousands of them. Once the Covenant fleet got far enough in, they detonated=

=The Eirav Wing came into the hanger just as instructed. He responded via comms=

I am a trained RSS Spartan. If you need any help, i would be more than happy to assist in any way i can.



=Vera's hand hovered over the controls to the Uberglasser, waiting anxiously for the order to fire. At the front of the ship, the cannon opened up, and a bright light began to form inside. The cannon was now primed to fire. He stared eagerly at the panel before him=

(Dormii)
=my transport headed towards our designated ship, sticking close to the rear of our ships to avoid even the slightest chance of detection. I could tell we were in vacuum, as all sounds were gone, save for breathing, and the faint static of comms=

Don't get shot, don't get shot, don't get shot...

=has the ship br brought up to full combat status and charges the haddren anc makes sure the shields and PDF's are online but keeps the pulse lasers offline=

no worries if you want we could provide and shield for the smaller ships

(Jason)
=I commed Xazhi=
Alright, you can leave your ship, but make sure your ready. I have a slight feeling that the Covenant may try to board us.

=I responded to zeru=
They'll be fine.

=I commed Silver=
Silver, launch the Sentinels.

=I turned to one of my bridge staff=
Hail Dormii and the others. Have them launch, and tell them to follow the Sentinels.

=they nodded, and the orders were sent=

=From behind the fleet, the swarms of Sentinels flew off towards the Covenant fleet, to draw their fire, and conceal the boarding parties=

(Dormii)
=the sentinels flew past and our Transport followed behind them. I drew my staff and flail from off my back, so I would be ready when we got on board. The Other in my squad did the same, only with their own respective weapons. Hardcase had an SMG, Totem Pole had a Carbine, Bullets also had a Carbine, and Bombs had what I guessed was a shotgun. I opened a comms to them all=

Callsigns 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 1-5. 1-3, 1-4, stay in the rear and provide cover fire. 1-5 and 1-2 will be up with me. I want quick accurate shots. Don't hit me out there.

=i pointed to each one individually when I said their callsigns=

=He replied=

Yes, Sir.

=He checks his armor and throws on his Helmet. He takes his MCR-II and ELS and heads down to the lower deck, and out into the Hanger=

=the initial explosion of the mines weakened many of the Covenant ships, destroying most of the smaller ships. Still the fleet did not stop moving, even when the Sentinels came closer. Their lateral lines warmed to bright red, and they fired their plasma torpedoes, as well as their pulse laser turrets. The larger ships, the destroyers and carriers, fired their energy projectors, but not at the Sentinels. They aimed at the fleet over Haven. Bright, thin lances of energy shot across space, and impacted the larger ships. The shields held, but barely. The Sentinels reached the Covenant fleet, and they fired. Hundreds of thousands of Sentinels opened fire on the Covenant fleet, their beams hitting the shields, and even breaking through them in small areas=

=The Sin of Wrath opened fire with its many large cannons, hitting sentinels and landing hits on some of the larger ships as well. Vera still waited for the order to fire the Uberglasser. He was becoming impatient=

(Fatet)

=I place my locket in the pouch on my chest and stand up with the rest of the attackers and draw my dual SMGs before telling the L.T:=

" If I am running faster than a grunt on drugs screaming run, I suggest you do, I have an affinity for blowing things up."

=He nods, unsure whether I'm serious or not.=

= =opens every missile launcher on the top of the troph and fires the huge volley at the covie fleet=

(Dormii)
=they nodded and we reached one of the Covenant vessels. The transport flew into one of the hangers, knocking aside transports that were about to leave and causing tbem to crash into walls and other vessels. I jumped out, and landed almost perfectly on an Brute. I quickly stabbed him in the neck, severing the spine before grabbed his spiker and firing, one handed, at the enemy. My squad jumped out as well, but up on a higher level. They opened fire and set everything into chaos=