Star Wars: the Covenant

Chapter 13

Cris skimmed the Saurora over Abian IV's barren landscape. He pushed the thrusters on full and felt the resulting speed increase force him back in his chair. He stared out of the view screen at the wasteland below them. Lord Trepid was right, he realized this world is dead.

"Can't this thing go any faster?" Helen said impatiently in the co-pilot seat.

"I'm going as fast as I can. Can you tell me again why we're even doing this?"

Jason stood behind Helen's seat, gazing out at what was left of a once beautiful world. He ruffled his hair, bringing himself out of his thoughts. "I'm not sure exactly. All my Master said is that if we don't stop the Covenant from finding whatever they came here to find, then the entire human race could be wiped out."

Cris breathed deeply, "Stang, that's some heavy stuff. Lord Trepid, how far are we?"

The Sith closed his eyes and relaxed himself in his seat, "I don't know. I can't find the Covenant squad anymore. There is a battle occurring near where I last sensed them, so the presence of so many beings could be masking them from me."

Silence filled the cockpit as everyone took this in. Helen squinted her eyes, realizing she could already see the battle off in the distance. Lights danced across the horizon, which continued to get brighter and brighter as they drew closer.

They were now flying over a small restoration settlement, which seemed to be the target of the Covenant. A lone Phantom drop ship flew from the nearby battle, but they paid it little attention as they took in the carnage that spread out before them. Several Kilometres away, the majority of the battle was taking place. Three large Republic weapons platforms shot high concentrated lasers at two massive Scarabs, their shots taking huge divots out of the Scarabs' purple metal armour.

No Covenant troops were left standing, allowing hundreds of Republic soldiers to fire everything they had at the giant machines. They watched as the Scarabs powered up their own weapons and shots and streams of plasma at the Republic army.

Unfortunately for the Covenant, one of the weapons platforms had done some serious damage to the head of second Scarab, causing it and the entire machine to explode in a flash of light from a power overload. With only one Scarab standing it made things much easier for the Republic.

The lead platform adjusted its main laser and fired. The energy bolt gutted the Scarab from head to tail. The machine shuddered from the impact, its head leaking superheated plasma. Then, just like the other, it exploded. Bits of metal and plasma flew high into the air, forcing Cris to swerve the Saurora out of the way.

The Saurora flew down and landed beside the lead platform. The four of them exited the ship and marched across the grey soil toward floating fortress. Around them stood hundreds of republic soldiers, many cheering that the battle was won, some silent and reflecting on the horrors they had experienced over the past two hours.

As the four of them made their way through the crowd toward the command center, Jason was filled with sorrow. The last time he had visited this world it had been full of life, even in the midst of a war. But now, ten years later, it was a husk of what it once was.

Jason was snapped out of his imagination as a hissing sound cut through the cheers of the soldiers. He looked up and saw a hatch on the side of the command center opening wipe, a small ladder descending to the ground from the center's interior.

A man in his late sixties popped his head out of the hatch to examine his surroundings, a satisfied yet tired look on his face. Jason found the man oddly familiar, but didn't know where he knew him from.