“You said the way to Engineering is crawling with aliens,” Liam questioned. Mike and Dave had to take turns carrying Jack around. Private Ryan, covered their six while Corporal Alice took the lead followed by Liam, and Dr. Caldwell.
“No, I said the direct route is. We have wounded, and going through these service tunnels isn’t exactly easy or safe,” Alice replied as the group navigated the cramped tunnel network. They followed the markings on the wall to avoid getting lost. Several times they had to take detours as exit doors were blocked, or entire sections had collapsed due to the ongoing conflict.
Finally, they reached the Engineering via a storage room. As soon as the door opened however, gunfire filled the opening, and the group had to hug the wall as pistol shots pinged on the other side. By sheer luck, the bullets did not ricochet and embed themselves in the metal.
“Blue! Blue! Blue!” shouted Alice as she recognized the sound; it would be quite unusual if the aliens started using human weapons. Soon, the Corporal moves out into the room, understandably upset, and finds the mechanic who fired at her, punching him in the face. “The fuck is wrong with you?!” she shouted angrily, not even realizing there are more people hiding here. From there, the group made their way to the repair bay and Engineering.
Tom stayed behind. He wasn’t that interested in drinking anyway, as he wanted to see what kind of repairs would be done to their slipspace drive... so he could do it himself next time. The ship 'Are We There Yet' had been a civilian ship for a long time, and Tom had made various modifications to it over the years. It took the repair crew almost an hour just to remove the ship’s shell, as it no longer shared the dimensions of its factory base. Once the repairs were done, Tom had to help rebuild it back into one piece.
Tom inspected the ship from top to bottom. Once the mechanics left, like a child in a candy store, he began repairing everything he could see. He used up the station's supplies and power tools. Hours had passed, and Tom was still at it, with heavy-duty ear protection on his head, oblivious to what was going on around him. Suddenly, he felt someone strike his head, dislodging the earmuffs. "The hell?!" he exclaimed angrily. He turned, only to find Dave standing right beside him, clearly far more angry than he was.
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As soon as the Solemn Penance descended onto the planet, Banshees and Phantoms began to swarm the skies. The Prometheus tried its best to continue its task but being the closest UNSC vessel from the frontlines, the Prometheus began accepting anything and everything that isn’t alien into its hangars. This of course earns the ire of the Covenant who began sending dozens of their own aircraft to harass the Prometheus, heavily taking damage from being assaulted numerous occasions. This also delayed deploying ground forces considerably.
AC-220 Vultures, AV-22 Sparrowhawks and AV-14 Hornets would escort D82-EST Darters, D96-TCE Albatrosses, D20 Herons and T77-TC Pelicans throughout the sector. For each lost, two more would take its place as aircraft from various battlegroups or air wings would land on to the Prometheus either because they became too damaged to continue to fly, unable to locate their respective ships or airfields at the surface were destroyed by the enemy. Regardless, Captain Irons would commandeer these and give them a different tasking, before sending them back out once they are repaired, rearmed and/or refueled.
“Hold still! Hold still!” shouts Dr. Laura Bennett to the man in a coveralls. According to the log, someone administered biofoam into his wound a while ago but it's clear that the numbing agent is already starting to lose its effect. Struggling at first before a corpsman assists her in securing the wounded man in place. If it was a simple wound, this patient could’ve been loaded onto one of the Auto-Doc beds much like countless wounded others on her sick bay.
Dr. Laura Bennett is in her mid-40s, her chestnut hair, now graying at the temples, falls just below her shoulders, usually tied back in a practical bun during her duties. She usually takes great care to keep her medical uniform immaculately clean and well-pressed; however it's currently covered in stains and blood from various patients. She soon pulls onto the bindings to secure the patient on the gurney so she could begin the procedure.
This patient has a large subanese crystal on his shoulder. Also known as Blamite, it could detonate and send shards everywhere when handled incorrectly. The man has lost quite an amount of blood and Dr. Bennett had to go to surgery right away in order to save his life as well as to protect the other patients. Laura mutters something about ‘bomb defusal’ as she slowly cuts through the man, trying her best not to disturb the pink glass.
Meanwhile in the Combat Information Center of the Prometheus, Lieutenant Commander Nathan Price was coordinating the ship's defense as the tactical officer, Price's short-cropped dark hair and piercing hazel eyes reveal a man who thrives on challenges and critical decision-making. He is known for his quick thinking and strategic prowess, attributes that make him an invaluable asset in the heat of combat.
He diverted a squadron of Sparrowhawks into escort duty, flying around the ship to fend off alien attackers. He glanced at various instruments in the CIC when he spotted an unusual reading. "Captain! We have an incoming prowler! Bearing 223! They are requesting fire support!"
Samuel briefly considered ignoring the request, given the multitude of tasks he already had on his plate. However, as he checked the approaching prowler on radar, he also saw the legion of fliers chasing after it. It was becoming apparent that these ONI operatives might have something of value. "Elizabeth, prepare to broadside! Apollo, give us a firing solution!"
"Understood, Captain!" Ensign Mitchell took control of the massive ship, slowly turning the Prometheus to expose its starboard side to the approaching enemy. Apollo calculated firing solutions for all guns, with thousands of trajectories uploaded to the fire control computer. Coil guns and rampart point defense batteries were aligned to bear on the enemy's positions, getting ready for a coordinated attack.
“Fire at will!” Weapons fire erupted as salvo after salvo streaked toward the Covenant fliers. The sounds were noticeably louder than usual in the atmosphere, lacking the vacuum's silence. The prowler approached and finally touched down on the ship's open hangars, but the enemy continued their relentless assault, and the ship's gun batteries couldn't eliminate them quickly enough.
Samuel ordered a recall of all nearby fliers. "Mitchell, bring us here," he pointed at the holomap. Three frigates were stationed near the enemy carrier: the UNSC Paris, Redoubtable, and In Amber Clad. Any of them should be able to provide the necessary fire support, as the Prometheus was ill-equipped to counter such a sustained attack.
As they got closer and closer, they hailed neighboring ships for assistance, but before they could respond, Commander Hayes shouted, "Radiological Alarm!" Energy began to surge around the carrier.
"Apollo! Emergency course correction now!" Suddenly, control was wrested from Mitchell's hands, and the ship ascended at a steep angle. Irons caught glimpses of the cloudy sky as the ship groaned, struggling to halt its forward momentum and escape into space. However, Banshees began bombarding the ship's rear with plasma bombs, causing one of the secondary thrusters to detonate, sending everyone aboard tumbling.
As the ship fought to regain control, Irons watched the Solemn Penance jump into Slipspace. "EMP!" he yelled as soon as the portal collapsed, a powerful shockwave sent everything not bolted down flying, knocking him to the floor. As a blinding white flash engulfed his ship, he stood up as quickly as he could, eventually the light died down, allowing him to look outside, only to see the ground rush closer and closer.
"Apollo!" Irons shouted. However there was no response from the AI. With numerous instruments displaying ERROR messages, he could only imagine how many systems were damaged due to the EMP blast. Irons grabbed the intercom and made a grim announcement. "This is your Captain speaking. All hands, brace for impact."
