This Curious Gorge

''December 11, 2552. The Ark''

The Pelican had gone down in some gorge west of the target Citadel. They had been trying to make an ammunition run to the forces assaulting the surrounding towers, but were caught by a pair of Banshees and blown out of the sky. Pilot was dead, co-pilot's ribs were broken, two Marines were crippled. There were two structures at both ends of the gorge, and Covenant troops were making their way towards the crash from both sides.

1st Lieutenant James O'Neill ducked behind the Pelican's dismembered wing as plasma slammed into it. He quickly turned and fired a burst from his BR55 before ducking back behind the wing.

"Davis," he called to the only other ODST, a younger kid with a sniper rifle. "Take out that fuckin' Bravo Kilo standin' near the river!"

Davis turned and nodded, lining up a shot. There was a crack as an anti-materiel slug left the rifle barrel and drilled through the Brute's head. It fell with a thud on a nearby Grunt, crushing it and sending the two remaining methane-suckers fleeing.

The Pelican's crew chief called from behind them.

"Sir! I've got a hold of the Sergeant Major!"

"Patch him through!" O'Neill replied as he fired a burst towards the fleeing Jackals. The earpiece in his helmet crackled briefly as the Sergeant Major's gravelly voice began to speak.

"Lieutenant, we've got our own problems here, we're not gonna be able to get you a bird, how copy?"

"Solid copy, Sergeant Major. Not sure how long we can hold out. Get us something if you can, over." He fired another burst, sending spray from behind a Grunt in the river.

"Will see if we can send one of the Elites' Phantoms your way, over."

"Understood. Sending out coordinates, big gorge, two structures, shoot up flares occasionally. Can't miss it. Good luck."

"Likewise, Lieutenant."

The connection cut as O'Neill finally managed to land a killing blow on a fleeing Grunt. A few seconds after, Davis fired once more, this time towards the structure, taking the head off of a Jackal sniper. This satisfaction was cut short by a jolting scream from behind them.

O'Neill turned to see a Marine getting his face caved in by a Brute's bulky elbow, and another jumping backwards as he fired his assault rifle. The 7.62mm rounds managed to bring down the Brute's shields before the poor bastard was pumped full of plasma. The terrified crew chief, sitting with the wounded co-pilot nearby, hastily pulled her M6C and began firing on the Brutes.

O'Neill and Davis both turned and opened fire. Davis's first shot missed, but O'Neill's quartet of bursts hit home. The unshielded, more vulnerable Brute suffered three bursts to the chest before being finished off with a final one to the head. The combined fire of O'Neill, Davis, and the crew chief quickly managed to bring down the second Brute.

But their troubles weren't over. A Grunt hopped up onto a large rock near the crash, followed by four more. They all began firing their plasma pistols down towards the remaining humans.

O'Neill maneuvered to the opposite side of the Pelican's wing and squeezed off two more shots from his battle rifle, taking down one Grunt, before it finally clicked empty. He quickly dropped the spent magazine and slammed another one in.

Both Davis and the crew chief had run dry as well. Davis through his sniper rifle aside and whipped out his sidearm, while the crew chief panicked and simply dove to the ground. A plasma shot slammed into Davis's thigh, sending him screaming to the ground. O'Neill desperately and hastily fired several more bursts, most of which missed entirely, before being forced back behind cover by a plasma grenade.

Amidst the chaos, he could hear the sound of a Phantom.

Please be the Elites, for the love of Christ, be the Elites.

He turned back around to see a green Phantom's cannons opening up on all sides. The Grunts were cut to pieces as the Phantom neared the crash site.

O'Neill, now far freer to move, picked up Davis and helped him towards the Phantom. Three Elites hopped out, one of which helped O'Neill and Davis into the Phantom. The other two carried the wounded co-pilot and directed the crew chief towards their ride out.

Davis plopped himself down onto the Phantom's deck as the other two Elites, followed by the frightened crew chief, stepped aboard. O'Neill stood at the edge of the bay, rifle ready, as the Phantom took off towards the sky. He joined the craft's cannons in firing down at the few remaining Covenant forces before it darted away. The rifle's ammunition readout read "00" as the last rounds were sent out. One of the Elites approached him.

"Calm yourself, human. That was a close call you had there. You and your soldiers are lucky to be alive."

"Not all of us," O'Neill replied, lowering his rifle.

"Take consolation in the fact that this war is mere minutes from its end. They did not die for nothing."

O'Neill simply nodded as the Elite disengaged the conversation. Exhausted, he pressed his back against the wall and slowly sat down, heaving a heavy sigh of relief.