By Tamera Gallani
Chapter 5: Attempted Kidnapping1251 Hours, September 25, 2552(Military Calendar)/Aboard Covenant Cruiser Forgotten Hope, Location Unknown
Tamerai watched as the Landmate armor, with Junior Lieutenant Aaron J. Canias inside, activated from it's continued standby. Strange, she thought to herself, that through all my bad luck I manage to stumble across the perfect subject for my project. Maybe her luck has change for the better, about time too. Noticing that the Landmate had finished its warming cycle, she keyed the mike and began the walk-though procedure.
"I'll bring up a holofield so you can test it out." She walked over to the built-in holo-drone system and powered it up. In a nearby screen you could see a grassy savannah of a nearby world appear. It would do for a test-run. Going back to the control panel, she re-keyed the mike and spoke.
"I'll be helping out in the training, giving tips and the basics, now the system is run through brainwaves and movements. Now you use your arms to control the larger arms and your legs, the same, the computer itself along with the camera on the ear-like piece of metal. The computer system's for targeting enemies, activating and deactivating the Chimera, unfortunately I don't think you can use grenades in it but I think the seeker missiles that I put in it the shoulders should compensate. Go try it out, but don't get too crazy with it or you could really hurt yourself." She warned. A hiss from the pressure-door alerted her to a new presence in the room. Turning she saw 'Tsunamee striding in. Turning on the training program she greeted the young Spec-Op.
"If I know you well, which I think I do by now, you've come to report something bad." Tamerai asked despairingly.
"Unfortunately yes, Tameria has heard that the Prophet of Damnation has found the apparently lost schematics of this ship, and has sent a large amount of troops, all comprised of Jiralhanae, Kig'yar and Yan'me soldiers to investigate. Also, I believe that the High Prophet of Truth has issued a order of Death against you, they are saying that you are a wanted convict for mingling with the Humans, you're as wanted dead as much as the Demon."
"Lovely, more mindlessly destructive enemies," Tamerai sighed "How long until the enemy forces arrive?"
"Five minutes maximum, ma'am." Tameria butted in, "They're too close together for my software to pick up. But looking at the size of the mass, they want you good and dead."
"Thank you, Tameria." Locking the doors of the Armory, and with a series of hisses the door's inner and outer door lock-downed, sealing them inside and the oncoming horde out.
"'Tsunamee, load up on anything you might need. The shipment of grenades from the Forgotten Hope's other armory is over there, behind those control panels." Nodding quietly, 'Tsunamee proceeded with cracking open the grenade case. I turned around to the nearby Weapons Locker, and picked out 4 Energy Sword hilts, a Garrote (A trophy from killing a Ossoona) and my prized weapon, a M90 Shotgun with special plasma-coated rounds. Adjusting these to my camouflaged armor, I turned back to 'Tsunamee. The young Sangheili was grinning madly, and on his armor was an incredible amount of grenades, they covered him from head to hoof with his eerie white armor barely showing through. I giggled slightly; the once shy Minor Domo had change dramatically in the last few years. I remember when he was sent to me he was a zealous sangheili, barely out of had change dramatically in the last few years. I remember when he was sent to me he was a zealous sangheili, barely out of the Warriors Academy. Now looking at Quava, he was a well-muscled, handsome yet grizzled veteran just coming up to his prime. He was an almost perfect specimen of a solider. Full of honor, and well respected. He would have been the perfect bachelor for any vying female, would have been; but in all his years of service to me, he shared my reputation for a heretical demon-god who criticized the Great Journey.
Suddenly there was a crash against the access airlock from outside. The door wouldn't last, I could already see dents and it was only the first impact. Damn, I should have got my Huragok to strengthen the door. The Yan'me have probably sent them to their bloody deaths by now. Another crash echo around the room, the dent turned to a bulge, glaring ominously. I heard the radioactive hiss of the Fuel Rod Cannon behind me, cocked in ready for the onslaught. Another crash of the battering ram, a scream of stressed metal from the door. My hands slid to my side, grabbing the energy sword hilts attached to my belt, ready them into a balanced battle-ready stance, with my middle finger twitching just beyond the activation switch.
Boom! An explosion from outside alerted me that the enemies had abandoned the battering ram in exchange for grenades. Boom! Boom! Boom! Multiple explosions sounded, I glared in mockery at the enemies behind the door. As much numbers they have compared to us, the strategic advantage they have, they have made their task one of the most difficult, they were practically giving us the advantage, they had given us the element of surprise. Behind me, I heard the growl of 'Tsunamee, I stared back at the door and saw the malevolent eye of a brute, a berserking brute.
The door exploded inward at us in bits of ragged metal. The oncoming force charged in like the waves of the sea during a violent storm, relentless. Flashes of plasma fire and soaring grenades woke me from my almost constant slumber. The blades at my sides gleamed with thirst. Silently, I threw myself at them, my blades tearing through the dense flesh of the Jiralhanae. I heard them shrieking in pain as I stomped on their fragile skulls. I saw 'Tsunamee's graceful figure through the crowds of enemies, I became distracted in his health, making sure he was unharmed. I felt a burning pain as the Jiralhanae attacked my back, slamming his beastly paws into my skull, I feel the AI chip of Tameria fall out of my head, sending a cool sensation down my spine. The flood spores started to cloud my vision, sending me back into blindness. My training stepped in, I listened to the fist going on around me, to the enemies quick breaths of overconfidence to 'Tsunamee's strong heavy breathing. The swords in my hands leaped out, almost instinctly, to slice into my attacker's back. It's torso slipped away. I lashed out at all the enemies' beating pulses. Silencing them one by one. I heard 'Tsunamee scream of pain as he sunk to the floor; it's echoed around me, leaving me paralyzed. This moment of carelessness was enough of an opportunity for them. I feel the enemies bodies crowd around me as my swords' flickered and died. They grabbed at me, beating me back into the blackness. As I slipped, I felt the flood beast inside me growl in satisfaction.