Halo:battle for Equis

Exodus

August 22, 2552

On route to Summer Solstice's evacuation site.

In the distance three warthogs, one being a passenger carrier and two having a machine gun are driving through a battlefield filled with corpses. Dismembered body parts and guts, it was a scene from hell.

"We need to get to the evacuation ASAP!" Comet yelled.

"We'll get there in 15 minutes max," Viper said in a calm voice.

"Shit. 5 banshee coming from behind us," Heatwave said.

"On it, Firebrand let’s do it!" Storm said as they aimed the machine guns to the group of Banshee that started to fire on the warthogs. Two of the five banshees were destroyed and they crashed into the ground. The rest scattered and started to fire their fuel rod cannons, but can't hit them.

"Damn it, can you hit them Storm!" Firebrand yelled.

"No, these asshole are moving too fast, Star, can you use your rocket launcher?" Storm said to Star.

"Yeah, just stop rocking the 'hog so I can get a clear shot," Star said.

He took aim with his rocket launcher and waited for the lock-on. He fired at a banshee that hung too close and was blown up. Star took aim at another and fired, taking out the other banshee. The last one flew away after seeing its squad destroyed.

"Okay, I hope it's the last of them," Phoenix said.

"It is because we're at the evacuation point," Viper said.

What the team saw was absolute chaos. Soldiers were trying to get as many civilians into pelicans as fast as possible.

Then a sniper yelled, "Phantoms inbound!" Which made the non-military personnel to take cover while the marines and ODST started firing at the covenant troops.

Viper then told his team "Firebrand, Flame, and Comet, get to the snipers to provide fire support. The rest of you, come with me to help those soldiers out."

A lot of "yes sir" and "understood" were said.

As they ran to the evacuation point, Viper went to a sergeant and asked, "When is the next pelicans coming?"

The SGT said, "In about 20 minutes." He then went to a high point and took his sniper rifle and started firing at the covenant. Viper took aim and fired a round at a Zealot elite. The round hit his head and it turned into a spray of blue blood and brain matter, causing the grunts to run in terror. While this is happening. The team at the evac point were being pushed back to the lift pad, which they start to lose cover. Firebrand started to pick off the Jackals and brutes with deadly precision.  It was a blood bath, both human and alien, covering the ground and fresh corpses were everywhere some with guts hanging out, which made some troops and civvies sick.

For the last 18 minutes for every human soldier that died, so does 16 covenant troops, then a group of pelicans came and wiped out the rest of the covenant soldiers.  They started to land so they could pick up all of the civilians and the soldiers, including Viper and his team.

Viper asked the pilot, "Where are we going?"

The pilot said, "To the Summer Solstice"

"Well?" Callie asked. "Where are we going?"

Viper answered, "To the Summer Solstice. Why?"

Storm butted in and said, "Last I heard, it had a covenant slip space drive and shielding in it."

After the conversation, the pelican landed. Everyone was aboard the ship and started to unload the passenger's.

Then the captain spoke over the PA system, "This is the captain speaking, we're about to jump in 30 minutes. All non-personnel, please report to the sleeping quarters."

Viper, Marcus, Ryan, Brandon, Blake, Callie, Andrew, Jaeden, Alex, and Luke went to the bridge. There was a captain in his early 50s with gray hair. His name was Captain Jackson. After meeting the Spartans, one of the ensign told them that a group of corvettes and a CCS-Battlecruiser was heading towards the ship.

"Anya, how much is our M.A.C cannons charged?" Jackson asked. Anya, the ship A.I. was in service for 4 years.

"They will be ready in 5 minutes and they're sending boarding parties to stop the ship Captain," she said in a calm and leveled voice.

"Damn, get the deck cannons,AA guns online and launch all archer missiles. Tell all fire teams to repel boarders," Jackson told Anya.

She saluted him and dissipated to give the orders. The Captain then turned to Viper and his team and said, "I want you and your team to help out those fire teams and repel those boarders," they all saluted and ran to the three locations. One is at the infirmary, another is at the hangar, and the last is the crew's sleeping quarters.

Viper sent Marcus, Ryan and Brandon to the infirmary. Blake, Callie, and Andrew to the hangar. The rest were sent to the crew's quarters. As they head to their destination, they started to feel vibration telling that they've been boarded. Marcus and his team made it to the infirmary where a firefight started only moments earlier. They started to unleash a barrage of bullets to the group of Elites and Brutes. The rounds hit them and tore through flesh and organs, killing most of the brutes. The rest took cover and started to take pot shots at anyone outside of cover.

Both sides were firing blindly, only the cries of pain telling them that they hit someone. Eventually suicide Grunts ran through the door with plasma grenades in hand. Some marines saw this and killed the one inside, blowing up anyone inside the room, which covered everything in blood and plasma burns. After they thought they were winning, a familiar snapping hiss was heard, confirming their fears. A Zealot squad was in there. The fire team looked for them, but couldn't find them, until a Corporal’s head was cut in half, spewing blood onto the ceiling and other soldiers.

This made them close in a circle to ensure no sneak attack. Marcus heard a trash can fall over, causing him to shoot in that direction. To his surprise he hit one of the three Zealots, which angered the elite and his squad tried to kill him. Unfortunately for them the rest of the fire team saw them and fired, causing their shields to drop, leaving them helpless against the bullets, ripping through flesh and muscle. Riddled with holes everywhere on their bodies. When they ran out of rounds in the clip, they went back to the infirmary, helping the nurse with treating the wounded and putting the dead into body bags.

As the battle raged on, Callie and her group were able to defend the hanger long enough for the defense turrets to be turned on, but it came at a cost. Out of 120 defenders, only 15 are left alive, excluding Callie, Blake, and Andrew. The walls were covered in blood and floors littered with guts, bones, dismembered limbs, and headless corpses. It was a site from Hell itself. Callie and the rest of the survivors were moving the covenant bodies to throw to space and the human bodies into body bags for cryo freeze to bury on a planet.

After 20 of minutes fighting the quarters were secured. Having little civilian or soldier casualty. As the team regrouped to the bridge, Cpt. Jackson gives them an after action report.

"When they launched the boarding craft, two sister ships, U.N.S.C Omaha and Blitzkrieg, came to our distress beacon after it was activated. They have the same upgrade as our ship, so they are joining us in leaving the planet. Before they stop communication, they sent us coordinates to a system far away from covenant reach. So that’s where we're going."

After a couple minutes of silence, Jaeden asked, "So we're going to an uncharted location with no chance of returning?" The captain nodded.

"All right then, if anyone needs me I'll be in the gym," as he started to walk away the other eight followed him, leaving Viper, who went to the cafeteria. Ten minutes later the three ships enter slip space and left Reach in order to save the lives of the ships, but little did they know they will find a certain lost ship from Harvest