Post by MrKill on Jun 26, 2019 23:20:35 GMT -6
A small group of Marines were able to leave the In Amber Clad before the warship crashed into a nearby tower, narrowly escaping certain death by using a lightly refueled Pelican as a life-pod, but it has only delayed the inevitable. They're running out of fuel and their communications are down, so they're unaware of the fire-team plus one sized unit operating inefficiently within the city ship.
Meanwhile, one level above the Master Chief, the five Marines witness a pelican slam into the platform and spew out dozens of infection forms, infected naval and marine personnel. Moving to link up, the Marines are forced away from the gravity lift by nearly two dozen infection forms jumping and dancing over each other to reach the startled Marines. They go up another level, leaving the Chief behind...
SSGT. AMIBEK
405th Marine Infantry Division
In Amber Clad
High Charity
"God damn it," Staff Sergeant Amibek stated, stepping away from an ammunition crate as an infection lurched towards the hastily produced defenses. "Toss a 'nade down that corridor, Private!" The Staff Sergeant barked, slamming a fresh magazine into his assault rifle before sending a quick burst into the balloon-like creature. The crew of the In Amber Clad - or what was left of them after Lieutenant Commander Keyes had been captured - had been infected and converted, and the Staff Sergeant held the only ticket out of the formerly human-held warship.
The Marine Private he had yelled at tossed a frag grenade as the In Amber Clad rapidly decelerated. WHAM!
The smoke hadn't even cleared before more of the infection forms had pushed through, popping out of the fading cloud like a nightmare.
"Did we just leave FTL?" A Lance Corporal asked through his automatic rifle fire, he wasn't asking the Staff Sergeant, his voice was over the frequency they were sharing with the pelican pilot still spooling his engines up after the emergency refuel.
"Looks like it," The pilot replied. "The 'Clad is accelerating though, looks like the bridge has set a collision course!"
Amibek knew they wouldn't last much longer anyway.
"McCawley, get on that turret and buy us some time!"
One of the few remaining ODSTs scrambled from his firing position, leaving a section of the line defenseless, and manned the turret. The M427 HMG roared with cracking defiance, but the belt of ammunition wouldn't last much longer. More of the flood had pushed through the passage and into the hanger bay, spreading left and right as they pushed closer towards the Marines, their concentrated fire now starting to divert away from the doorway in order to engage the flood.
"Focus on the door way!" A Lance Corporal yelled, recognizing the same thing Amibek had. They were swarming us, and if the Marines had stopped shooting into the mass pushing through the door to engage those who had slipped through the hail of gunfire, they'd push through nearly instantly.
"Keep the pressure up!" The Staff Sergeant hollered, producing a frag grenade from his pouch and tossing it towards the door. The explosive went off, popped a few of the infection forms that had pressed through the doorway, and completely demolished a Covenant combat form that had decided to try its shields out from his former host. It didn't end well for it but the sight sure was satisfying.
"Left side!" A marine shrieked as a half dozen pods leaped through the air. One of them managed to attach themselves to a Marine, and before anyone could really react, both the Marine who had made the call-out and the initial victim were mutated freaks suddenly turned towards their squad. The line was breaking, and if the Pelican wasn't ready to go soon they'd all be dead.
WHOOSH!
Gunnery Sergeant Allen, mortally injured by the melee whip of a combat form, had sent the two unfortunate leathernecks to an early grave. The rocket launcher he held rotated, another 102mm rocket ready to fire. The explosion caused some injuries, but the price of being alive was well worth it.
"Holy fuck!" Some Marine shouted.
"Hey Gunny, fire that last one into the corridor!"
The Gunnery Sergeant was more than willing to comply, stood up wearily using the pelican as a support, and the Marines cleared the firing line while still engaging the flood. Another rocket burst from the launcher and exploded in the hallway beyond, followed by a secondary explosion. For a moment there was a lull, and the fighting in the hanger bay seemed to stop. Two more thumps! sounded as the Marines tossed grenades into the corridor, but McCawley knew better and kept his fire up. The M427's barrel was searing red now, and the Staff Sergeant knew the belt-fed machine gun would soon be out of ammo.
"Hey cowboy," The Staff Sergeant said. "Time to go, fuel or no, we won't last any longer."
Without even complying the pilot opened the ramp.
"I'm expired, Staff Sergeant." The Gunnery Sergeant said, slumping back down into a pool of his own blood. "There's a pack of C7 in the crate under the wing, get it for me."
Amibek complied, grabbed the plastic explosives, and gave it to the nearly dead Gunnery Sergeant.
"Scramble."
The NCO didn't need to be told that order again. "Everyone on the Pelican... now!"
McCawley stopped firing, turned and ran into the pelican faster than most Marines had managed.
It wasn't soon after infection forms had danced through the door again.
Another grenade exploded, killed those who had managed to break through, and bough the Gunny some time.
The Staff Sergeant took a quick look at the damage done to the door, the corridor beyond, and the plating on his side of the hanger bay.
The Flood had used the hanger bays to board the In Amber Clad and most of the remaining personnel focused their efforts on protected the bridge and engine room. They had failed, but Gunnery Sergeant Allen was wise enough to defend the last pelican instead of reinforcing the ailing crew. They were supposed to reinforce Keyes and Johnson with their last Pelican, but Corporal Parez radio'd just in time they they had been captured by the Covenant and the index was lost.
The ramp slowly closed as the engines spooled up and the hanger bay doors opened. The pelican gunned it forward, leaving the Gunnery Sergeant behind, and within a few seconds the hanger bay exploded in shrapnel and fire.
The pilot controlled the momentum, steadied the bird, and opened the ramp. Everyone had to bear the burden of watching the In Amber Clad slam into the tower.
"Jesus."
[[OOC: The above post is the available Marine reinforcements should someone land on that number. Without any further interruptions, we are awwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy!]]
