User:Impurest Cheese/Plans in Motion

Chapter 6 – Plans in Motion
The journey to the Eradinus System went without any other major incidents. This puzzled the crew as Brutes were well known for their aggressive tendencies when surrounded by humans. Red Team even deployed search teams that covered the entire ship and Willow had not even come out of the computer system since the incident on the bridge.


 * “I know you are in there” Matt said to the empty holo tank, “so you may as well come out of there”


 * A nearby computer flickered and letters flew out of the depths, “I can’t every minute I stay the closer I come to becoming that thing.”


 * Matt nodded as he remembered watching the report Willow had produced, “You won’t I will make sure of it” he replied.


 * “Promise”


 * “I will never let you become that” Matt answered. He turned to see her avatar appear on the screen. She reached out her tiny hand to Matt and smiled.


 * From the vent on the wall there was a splutter and the Brute Ossoona attacked howling and firing its plasma pistol so fast that Matt could not dodge the rain of green plasma that caused his shield to flare. The Brute charged knocking him back into a console. The beast charged and pulled out a large gun like weapon and placed it over the holo tank. Matt looked up as Willow screamed as her avatar faded into static.


 * The Brute turned as Matt ran into a flying tackle and punched it in the groin. The Brute reacted by smashing Matt in the jaw knocking him back into the console. It advanced on him armed with the strange weapon when the timer went off. The charge that Matt had planted on the Brute’s armour detonated. Matt activated the tint on his visor to see through the flash to see the Brute retreat without its weapons back into the vent.


 * It took the crew of the Summer Mist a good hour to cut through the emergency blast doors that had been triggered by the destruction of the consoles. It eventually took two high energy cutting torches and a Cyclops Exoskeleton to first weaken the door and then open it. Inside the bridge was a mess, with most of the consoles and bridge crew destroyed or dead. It was lucky Keith thought that Captain Cage had been down in the cargo hold smoking when the attack happened. Matt had been able to free Willow from the Brute’s weapon and although unable to maintain her avatar she was able to communicate through the few remaining terminals that were intact.


 * The clean up would have to wait however as the Summer Mist was nearing the rendezvous at the Eradinus System so Captain Cage switched the command to the auxiliary bridge. As they exited Slipspace three ships emerged from the asteroid field and almost immediately opened communications.


 * “This is the URF Frigate Revolutionary you will either surrender or be destroyed” the enemy ship reported.


 * Keith looked out to the three enemy ships and noted that flanking the Revolutionary were two Mako Class Corvettes. The URF were a rebel front that was intent on overthrowing the UNSC or as they deemed it the Imperial Filth. Red Team had encounted the rebels before and had gravely underestimated them resulting in the capture of Anya 613 whose execution had been made public in retaliation for the UNSC invasion of Ferrus II.


 * “Open fire with the MAC on that Frigate and fire Archer Missile Pods A to J on the two Corvettes I want them down before they can even fire.” Captain Cage ordered.


 * “Wait No.” Willow shouted her avatar jumping onto the screen, “I am picking up UNSC transponders on that Frigate.


 * “Damm it.” replied Cage and then adding, “Cease Fire”


 * “Sir my team can rescue those prisoners sir” Keith answered.


 * “Fine but Spartan 221 is too injured so you will need a fourth man to go with you” Cage added.


 * “I will aid you in this fight Spartan” Kerst’ answered, “We will rescue all those held against their will.”


 * “I want you in and out in 45 minutes tops or I am blowing the scum out of the sky.” Cage answered.


 * It was quite on the flight check as the Spartans and Kerst’ entered the hanger bay. There was only one other figure standing at attention next to a Pelican Dropship. The figure herself has tall with short brunette hair and was wearing the typical UNSC Pilot jumpsuit.


 * “Heather?” Claire questioned, “Is that you.”


 * “Damm right Red Team.” Heather answered, “Nice to see you again.”


 * “We have no time for reunions human.” Kerst’ added, “We have 45 minutes to rescue the prisoners can you land in the ship.”


 * “Of course.” Heather answered as she entered the Pelican


 * As the Pelican flew out of the hanger bay Keith saw the Summer Mist’s auto cannons firing on the single ships deployed by the Revolutionary as the two corvettes slid into flanking positions on the Frigate. Avoiding a flight of Fransisca Fighters, Heather was able to land the Pelican into the hanger bay. Red Team dropped down and was immediately attacked by several URF troops. The missile pods on the Pelican flashed and the two turret encampments that were supplying most of the fire were destroyed.


 * The Spartans and Kerst’ ran into the corridor as Heather activated the rotary chain guns to mow down the pursuing infantry before picking up a shotgun and following them into the frigate. At the first junction more soldiers attacked with SMGs and Assault Riffles but were soon were defeated by the more accurate Red Team. Using the built in HUD and directions from the Summer Mist they soon came to the bridge. The URF had left a skeleton guard outside as well as what looked to be a strip down 50mm Cannon as mobile artillery.

Without Matt, Keith thought these enemies could significantly stall their progress. Turning to his team he saw Kerst’ ready a bubble shield and a plasma grenade. Fascinated by the ship masters actions he watched as the Elite threw the bubble shield. The device deployed over the cannon and the grenade detonated disabling the turret. The blast triggered the operators frag grenade triggering the cannon’s remaining ammo clearing out the area behind the barricade.


 * “We have fifteen minutes on the clock before they fire the cannon.” Cage told the Spartans over the helmet comm.


 * “Already on the way out Captain.” Keith answered.


 * Of the prisoners only four were alive by the time the Spartans arrived. There were three marines who were very malnourished and in the fourth cell was a woman. Claire couldn’t believe her eyes as she helped the woman up, she looked just like someone she had known from a long time ago.


 * The clock reached five minutes when they reach the hanger. The prisoners were loaded and given immediate medical care as Heather began to start the Pelican’s engine. Keith and James were about to board when a Cyclops Exoskeleton came up the cargo lift and threw a heavy crate at the Pelican crippling the chin mounted chain gun. James and Keith opened fire with their BR55 Battle Riffles but they hardly made a dent in the mech’s armour.


 * The Cyclops reached them in a mater of seconds throwing Keith against the Pelican. James back-pedalled but the huge machine grabbed him and began to squeeze his shields trying to repel the attack before failing leaving the armour his only defence. Keith got back up and jumped slamming his combat knife into the wrist joint of the exoskeleton trying to paralyze it before it killed his squad mate. In retaliation the Cyclops swung him into what had been the ruins of a chain gun. Picking up the remains of a .30-caliber machine gun or Confetti Maker as it was known and started firing striking the Cyclops causing it to drop its prisoner.


 * Keith ran out of ammo just before the Cyclops reached him crushing the machine gun and throwing him towards the Pelican. The Cyclops marched towards him each thundering step causing Keith’s head to pound. The mech raised its foot and began to press down on his head causing the pain to increase. His shield flared as a shot run out and he blacked out.


 * Claire lowered the sniper riffle as the Cyclops driver slumped forewords causing the machine to fall backwards crashing to the deck. At the same time the weapon systems of the Revolutionary went silent as if by magic.


 * “What have you done?” Captain Cage asked, “The Frigate is dead in the water”


 * “The ship was on automatic Red Team must have disabled the activation relay.” Willow answered.


 * “That’s great but now we have another pair of Corvettes coming out of the asteroid field. We need some help here.” Cage replied.


 * “If Red Team can get to sub level 14, there is a gun battery that could aid us.” Willow answered.


 * “We are on it.” Claire answered as she helped James load Keith into the Pelican, “Heather can you get the wounded back to the Summer Mist we can escape in one of the Fransisca Fighters.”


 * “Affirmative and Good Luck Spartan.” Heather replied as she reversed the Pelican out of the Hanger Bay.


 * Upon reaching the gun battery the four Corvettes were firing their main artillery guns at the Summer Mist’s hull. A stab on yellow lightning struck out destroying the nearest Corvette as the guns of the Revolutionary’s Auto Cannons opened fire. Heading up a deck Kerst’, James and Claire were desperately trying to wake up the computer that controlled the MAC Cannon when another four Corvettes headed into the fray.


 * The odds were looking bad when Kerst’ looked up and smiled and said, “There are seven hostiles, Shipmaster.”


 * A split second later a Covenant Assault Carrier ripped out of Slipspace and an Elite Voice replied, “I see them Shipmaster, Shadow of Intent out.”


 * The first Corvette was destroyed by the Shadow of Intent as the other scattered heading back to the relative safety of the Asteroid Field. One Corvette smashed into a large asteroid as the Summer Mist and Revolutionary fired there Archer Missiles and the Shadow of Intent fired a wave of Plasma Torpedoes the remaining five Corvettes joined it in a cloud of superheated steam and metal.


 * “Area secured.” Captain Cage broadcasted, “Come on down Arbiter we are ready to receive your Special Ops Team and Nightshade.

Characters

 * Spartan Red Team
 * Spartan 115
 * Spartan 182
 * Spartan 219
 * Spartan 221
 * Captain Alex Cage
 * Shipmaster Kerst’ Ledane
 * WLW 0291-6
 * Heather Owens
 * Unknown Brute Ossoona

Planets

 * Eradinus Asteroid Field

Weapons

 * Type-1 Anti Personnel Grenade


 * BR55HB SR Battle Rifle




 * Confetti Maker

Vehicles

 * L780 Fransisca Fighter


 * D77H-TCI Pelican Dropship


 * Cyclops Exoskeleton

Other

 * None