New items:
Needler
Fuel rod
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"FIRE!!" Ambros yelled as Covenant advanced to us. The turrets immediately started lighting them up.
The relatively small group of jackals and grunts who had ran in front of the Elite, who was still just standing out in the distance.
I held my fire and looked ahead; this didn't seem to be a very aggressive push by the Covenant. Their forces seemed to barely even coming at us. This couldn't have been what caused Sergeant Forge to have us lock down. I had seen scouting parties bigger than this. Something else had to be happening
I scanned the battlefield. They Covenant were already retreating from the base back into harsh snowfall out of sight.
"I told you there was nothing to worry about," Ambros said as he got off the gun he was on "Piece of ca-"
whump
whump
whump
whump
"Fuel Rod!" Some yelled
Five massive Blob of green energy slammed into one of the large remote control turrets
The Alien Fuel Rod. Their version of a rocket launcher. Though not as destructive as our own rockets, their quick succession fire and quick reload time defiantly made up for it.
"There" I yelled firing at the Elite that had been standing back earlier. He must have been testing the bases' defenses when he sent those troops earlier.
It sickened my stomach to think of a commander using his troops like that like there were literal pawns to be wasted.
Ambros turned his turret and started lighting up the Elite as he tried to reload his fuel rod.
I watched as the first few bullets bounced off the energy shields I knew each elite used during combat. Low-rank low shields I though as the elites shields failed and the high powered ammo ripped right through the body, the force of the bullets causing the elite body to skid back a little.
"The Left gun is down" the man in the room that I had taken up position up next to yelled.
"Dam it those bastards were testing us with that first wave and planned their attack to take out the turret on the side with the stairs leading up here" Ambros cursed "you boys not on the turrets, get your asses to left side and make sure none of those alien scum sets foot on this wall.
"Ambros I think I can fix it quickly if I get down there" the who been guy controlling the turret said
"Its too risky Jake, when they charge again you would be a sitting duck" Ambros replied
"And if there a large enough force were going to need that gun up and running" Jake replied, "come on I can do this."
Ambros took up his binoculars and looked out "You got five minutes then back up here."
Jake ran down the flights of stairs straight to the gun and immediately started working on it. Though the gun was smoking and sparking, it hadn't been completely blown up by the fuel rod.
I took up position half way down the stairs while two more soldiers ran down with Jake covering him while he worked on the turret.
He climbed the top turret using the ladder attached to the shaft of the turret and immediately started working furiously on the gun.
He was working fast too and after 2 minutes and heard the screech of the gun trying to move.
Jake quickly climbed down the tower and opened a fuse box near the base of the turret, which immediately sparked and smoked.
Then I heard another cry of another elite.
"Times up" Ambros yelled while getting back on his portable turret. He yelled something else after that, but his turrets gunfire drowned it out.
I looked ahead this force was a lot larger than the first one and with one turret down there were making a steady advance toward the gate.
I sprayed at the enemy, focusing on the grunts I saw trying to throw their grenades at the other working turret
"We have to get out of here man, there coming hard this time" I yelled to Jake over the loud sounds of gunfire overhead
"That's exactly why we need this gun up, and I'm almost done" he yelled back without even looking up from his work.
Just then a plasma bolt from grunts gun flew right next my head and it the wall next to me. I quickly lighted up the grunt who shot me.
Man, I do anything for my helmet.
One of the soldiers who was protecting Jake wasn't as lucky as I was because seconds later a few rounds needle from one of the grunts needler's hit him in the chest, the sharp heat seeking needles stick half out his chest as he fired his last bullets while falling into the ground.
Damn it. The needler was a tough gun to survive a shot from since it shot long piercing needles donate a small blast causing even more damage. And if that wasn't bad enough if enough needles make it into the target at once, the needles will supercombine, synchronizing their explosions for massive damage that is pretty much-guaranteed death.
The other soldier immediately dropped to the ground and picked up his fallen comrade slinging him over his shoulder as tried to drag him over to the stairs.
I ran the rest of the way down the stairs spraying my battle rifle, trying to draw the fire of grunts that were focused on the other soldiers.
I ran behind the turret Jake was working on to reload my rifle.
"How's it going their man," I asked
"Two minutes" he replied
"You've got one," I said
He nodded and continued working.
The Covenant were still advancing slowly through the other turret had drawn most of their fire away from us there were still a few coming our way."
"How you doing there" I yelled while shooting a grunt that was getting ready to throw a plasma grenade at us. As the grunt died the already armed grenade drop out of his hand right in the middle of a group of grunts whose bodies went falling as the plasma grenade blew up right in their faces.
"Almost there," Jake said
I didn't even have time to reply as the other turret got blown to smithereens by the alien grenades, which meant the there next target was to get up the stairs. I rushed and grabbed Jake by his shirt collar and pulled him back to the stairs as they started firing at us.
"Wait the wiring is out, the turret go easily go up in flames and blow up" he protested as I pulled him back
"Well let's use that to our advantage," I said while taking one the grenades he had attached to his belt "get up the stairs" I yelled.
"Just a little closer," I said to myself as I waited at the bottom of the steps, occasionally blind firing from behind the cover. When there right on me I through the grenade straight at the turret.
The elite that was leading the charge rolled out of the way as the grenade landed but it didn't matter I had hit my mark and with a few seconds the grenade blew up and a second later the turret blew as well adding the force of the blast and taking out Covenant right in front.
"Booyeah" I shouted as I ran up the stairs, jumping three steps at a time until I reached the top, almost bumping into Jake had he just reached the top as well.
I looked at the soldier who had been hit with the needlers was laying on the ground. Eyes closed, and arms across his chest.
The other soldier who had brought him up was sitting right next to the body just blankly staring forward. I looked away. I couldn't take seeing his face anymore
Before I could, even catch my breath. Someone yelled they were making their way up the stairs. I reloaded and aimed for the bend in the stairs they would have to go around to get up.
Before I could even fire the wall shook throwing me off balance.
For half a second I thought the Covenant had blown through the wall but I realized it was the gate opening up.
I looked over the wall as UNSC troops poured out the base pushing back the Covenant attackers.
The wall erupted in cheers as reinforcements came to the wall. As they helped the more seriously injured I saw Mark come up the stairs decked fully in body armor.
"Think you might want these," he said while giving my combat vest and helmet
I quickly armored up." I had never missed this helmet more in my life" I said slipping it on and turning on the HUD.
"Well good cause your day ain't even close to over. We are moving out now."
"What's going on," I said while following Mark back down the stairs
"Sergeant Forge had been looking the location of some troops he had lost contact with. What he found that Covenant were excavating a site a few clicks from here."
"What are the excavating" I asked
"We don't know, but if it's important to the Covenant we can't let keep it now can we," Mark said as we reached the where had blown the turret, the fire was just being put out by a soldier.
"So where attacking their position?"
"Well, the main force is. We have been ordered to locate the missing troops and bring back to base is possible and as well as investigating some area of interest."
"So search and rescue and reconnaissance?"
"Exactly, good news is that there are only three locations and its a three squad force, so it is one squad per locations "
Just then the rest of the squad came into view. There were huddled around hologram set out in the saw with some other soldiers.
Mark jogged ahead and began talking to, who I can assume where the commanders of the other two squads present.
I ran over to where Alex was kneeling intently looking at the map the squad leaders were staring at.
"And he lives" I heard Luke said in the group with the other Raze squad members while patting my shoulder. This rest of the squad followed suit; patting my shoulder and saying some variation of 'glad you didn't die today' as I regroup with my squad mates.
"Alright Raze, Geyser and Fall squad, our mission is we push forward with rest force " one of the commanders started while pointing at the hologram. It zoomed into to the end of the snow cliffs let led in wide snow planes with few mountains dotting the landscape.
"From there we break off from the main force and head some clicks east until we reach here, Delta point" the commander continued the holographic map showing the path as he spoke. " At that point we will break until our squads, and each goes to one of the location shown here."
The map zoomed out again from the break point.
"My Geyser squad will be headed here" the map zoomed into a snow cave south of the break apart point. "It is believed that some soldiers on patrol in warthogs may have taken refuge in the caves.
"Raze, you guys, will be head here" he continue as the map shifted going even further east than Delta point. "When St.Forge was returning to base he received a transition for here he believed from UNSC troops scouting the area, you guys going to check it out."
Fall squad you be going here" As the map once again move, this north of Delta point. "We have picked up a lot of Covenant chatter from this point; your job is only to scout the location and report back in."
"After each team has down their job you move Northwest to here where the main force should be assaulting the location here. Everyone got that?"
"Woah" everyone there replied
"Alright get ready to move out. Stick to left flank and break away as soon as possible" and with that he ran marched off with his squad behind him.
"Well you heard him boys let's get going."