Halo: Front Lines [BOOK ONE]

Chapter Eight - The Silent Shadow

With assault rifles raised, Alissa and Brown breached the doorway and found themselves in the center of a bustling Forward Operating Base. Above them, a UNSC Frigate broke through the cloud layer as it plummeted towards the planet. Secondary explosions erupted throughout the ship as it became a five hundred meter long fireball. The surviving FOB personnel began a controlled, yet rapid evacuation. Non-commissioned officers assumed their roles while rear-echelon units, aka non-combatant military personnel, helped the ODSTs evacuate in any way they could.

"That's our ship..." Brown said. He was utterly taken by a mixture of awe and horror as the vessel made its ungainly final descent.

"Damn it, that's my stuff!" Gray exclaimed angrily as he helped Anthony with an incapacitated Jalen.

"Stow it! Brown. We need a ride outta here, my Prowler's too far, you got any bloody ideas?" Anthony asked the Lieutenant as he approached.

"I'm on it!" Brown said, snapping out of his trance. "Pelican Five-One, we need a pickup."

"Already on station-" The pilot said as his drop ship shot overhead in a green blur. His words were drowned out by the roar of the Pelican's twin engines. The sweetest sound that Brown had ever heard. With ease, Five-One circled around and  landed just inside the perimeter of the FOB. The rear bay door was let down and Five-One's Crew Chief came into view. She beckoned the team to come aboard with one hand while she held on to her helmet with the other.

"C'mon, let's go!" Anthony said. Gray grabbed Jalen by the boots and the two began running towards the Pelican as quickly as they could manage. Suddenly, a red blade ignited beside the rear opening of the Pelican, and a second Elite appeared. It, just like it's counterparts inside the FOB, was dressed from head to toe in bright red armor. An emotionless, deep blue visor cut across the brow of the creature's helmet. In one swift motion, it severed the Crew Chief's arm, then split her down the middle and made its way towards the cockpit.

"Open up!" Anthony frantically ordered as he and Gray ran forward. "Slot that bloody thing!"

He was promptly answered by Sarah, Brown, Alissa, and Devonte all opening fire at once. However, the Silent Shadow warrior was much faster, smarter, and better trained than its standard Elite counterparts. It swiftly cloaked itself and rolled out of the way just as the hail of bullets began pelting it's personal shield.

"Five-One," Brown warned as the team cautiously continued their advance. "You got a cloaked enemy combatant on the starboard side!"

"Understood. Get down." Five-One said grimly. He put the Pelican into a hover just over the ground and put the engines on a full burn. A wave of fire engulfed the area around the drop ship. The Elite's shields and cloaking unit were overloaded, forcing it to reveal itself. It gave the team the opportunity they so desperately needed.

They opened fire again, drowning out the ear splitting roar of Five-One's engines with a devastating barrage of lead that seemed to melt away their elusive adversary. Two DMR rounds punctured the alien's visor, a hail of 7.62mm rounds ripped through its abdomen. With a pain-filled groan, it collapsed in a heap of its own gore.

"Did you see that?! It took our whole team just to take down one of them-" Gray began as he and Anthony boarded the Pelican with Jalen.

"Shut it. Help me secure him." Anthony interrupted. Then to the rest of the team he sternly ordered: "Everyone get on board, now! Five-One, get us the hell outta here!"

Everyone jumped aboard and strapped in, except for Sarah, who took great care in laying the Crew Chief's mangled corpse on the floor. She took one of the body bags from an overhead compartment, unfurled it, and draped it over the fallen soldier's severed halves. Then, as the Pelican lifted off and the cabin was pressure sealed, she grabbed onto a handhold and stared out of the rear viewport.