Flesh Wounds

Chapter 17.6 "Sneak and Beak"

Maxx Pov

"We will organise two teams. One will enter the top and move through the weapons and shield systems sneakily. We will call that team 'Sneak'."

"And the other team?" One of the ODSTs asked me.

"A ground force will move through the thick of their forces with me. We'll need a bigger group, for 'Beak'," I ordered, with a little bit of humor behind the team names.

"Sneak, and, Beak," One of the ODSTs sighed out as well, "I get it."

Kate had stepped up a few feet away from me, "A group of at most ten. We need a smaller force for being stealthy."

"And I'll need a force of at least twenty. We'll need some to stay behind and watch the pelicans as well," One of the pilots were about to speak up but I had interrupted them, "That guarantees the pilots to stay themselves."

After a little while we had a stable force and the groups were set up.

"See you on the other side Kate," I said and set the destroyed heat vent off to the side.

Three ODSTs with shotguns went in and she turned to me, "Good luck with the direct approach," She was gone and the rest of the of the soldiers followed her.

I turned to the group loyal to me, "Let's go and leave none standing in the end of this raid," I gave a little speech and then took out my Assault Rifle.

"Get some of the medics in the back and on standby," I hear one of the leading soldiers command from behind me as the team gets ready to breach.

There was a bunch of chatter coming from the ODSTs, "Get the breaching charges up here the door has a heavy lock on it!"

It was hard not to over hear the conversation of two shotgunners next to me as the explosive team set up some controlled explosives.

"Once we're done here I get my actual retirement form."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. I plan on going back to Earth, go to Paris. Find me a girl there."

"Charges have been set!" The demo announced and backed the group up, "Everyone get ready!"

I got to the right side of the door and readied to rush straight through.

"Now!" The demo yelled then the door was blown off in a giant explosion.

Most of the other troops were thrown off but I made sure I was first in. I jumped through the flames and into the fire.

"Yeah we've got contact!" I shouted and held the trigger on my Assault Rifle. There was two elite guards that were watching the door until the explosion ended them. I ran over them and took aim at shield jackals to my right.

A quick burst on the hand and they staggered back, giving me an easy shot to their head, thus ending them quickly.

I was followed in by the ODSTs aiming to prove themselves better than a Spartan. They fired SMGs, taking out grunts, jackals, and elites.

A cloaked elite catches my eye from the corner of my vision and I step back, reaching for the shotgun on my mag-pack.

The elite made the true mistake of rushing a shotgun. They flash out of cloaking and their sword cut through the air- to meet the bludgeon of my shotgun; temporarily stunning the elite and then ending it by hip firing the weapon into their chest.

I cock the shotgun now with a second hand open and watch as more ODST flood in to take out the enemies.

I swap back to my AR and reload a new mag. Cocking the stick and then rushing back to battle.

Kate-13 Pov

As we made our way through the ventilation and servers I wasted no time in navigating through the complex architecture.

'Left' I heard 13 ring out inside my head and I complied by telling the Shotgunners in front of me, "Left."

"Looks like a dead end," The ODST in front said and turned around to look at me.

"That's why we go up," I perqued and holstered my SMG.

I started clambering on to the protruding covenant tech. "Hell, you mean we're gunna climb that?"

"No, she means we're going the other way," A sassy ODST makes a remark and starts the climb behind me.

After a while of climbing we had reached the top where the way continues on forward.

"Guns forward," I commanded and had the original three ODSTs take the front. The longer I seemed to look at their backs though the longer the dark purple lights seemed to engrave itself into my mind.

'We are reaching the deck, scanning heavy defenses up ahead. Use breach and clear tactics,' 13 gave me the heads up and advice.

I took the advice and thought until I could see what she meant, "Guys, this is our stop," I implied and kneeled, making sure that I had some mags at the ready for the next room behind the vent we'd smash down.

"What're we expecting behind there?" An ODST came to my shoulder and asked, sounding more interested than concerned.

"Deck crew; shipmaster and gunmasters," I informed, more to everyone than him.

"Well shotguns beats most things right?" He asked and backed away.

"Blue stop being annoying and let's get ready," A different ODST ordered him and he left me to get near the vent.

"Alright, if we're going to do this then I'm going to charge into the vent and go in first, you all pile in behind and we'll have the surprise."

"Now does this sound easy because it is, or?"

'I think it's going to be the or part of their guess,' 13 made one of her rare human comments.