Space E-war

[dinoman666]

Huka's shielding was drained to a sliver by the punch, but it didn't overload. The Elite got to his feet, glaring at Serephir. "So now you call me by my rightful name, human?" he snarled. "And a human Force-user, no less. Ripa will be pleased to gain your head." He clenched his right fist, and a small, more compact version of the Energy Sword emerged from the gauntlet plate on the back of his hand. "Enough defense, human filth! Come and face me like a true warrior, if you dare."

[The Kingpin]

"You should save your breath...you're going to need it" responded Serephir, drawing one of his swords, twisting it in hand before moving forward, seemingly casually walking, though his blade, at his side, had it's edge facing forward, and was held to the side slightly, ready for use in attack or defense. "I've brought tyrants and criminals to their knees for a long time...a shame the member of the so called noble Sangheili must join their ranks" said the General...

[dinoman666]

Huka bared his fangs at Serephir, offended. "You dare call me ignoble, human?! I will show you your place!" With a roar, he charged forward, right fist raised to stab Serephir in the chest...

[The Kingpin]

Serephir sidestepped, swinging his blade up and into Huka's arm as he came, severing it and disarming the Sangheili, Serephir roundhouse kicking the elite in the back, launching him forward as he reassumed his stance...

[dinoman666]

Huka howled in pain as he fell, purple blood leaking from the wound. With a grunt, he managed to get to his feet, left hand clutching his Plasma Repeater again. Hefting the rifle, he glared hatefully at Serephir and prepared to fire. Suddenly, a voice came in from Huka's helmet radio, loud enough for everyone to hear: "Huka 'Ardumee, fall back immediately! I have a doctor coming down to save your life! Do not throw it away now!" "But... Field Master..." "Do not disobey me, Major! Leave, now!" Huka coughed and gave one last glare at Serephir, spitting purple blood at his feet. Sangheili, as a people, hated doctors. Blood was symbolic of a warrior's honor, and doctors took this honor from them without a fight. It disgusted Huka, but he knew he couldn't disobey his superior. Turning, he limped away as quickly as possible, back down the bridge.

Lissarkh made no effort to stop Huka, not wanting to kill a helpless foe. "Come on, let's..." she began, before the soldier standing next to her was hit by a bright orange beam of energy that burnt through his armor and simultaneously pushed him back. Looking to the side, Lissarkh spotted a group of Sangheili on jetpacks, hovering toward them from the distant wall. One was firing the rifle that produced the continuous beam. "Take those guys out! Now!" She shouted as the Rangers drew within firing range, many of them firing Plasma Rifles carried in both hands...

Huka was covered by the Elite Rangers' attack, heading deeper into the base to rendezvous with his commander. A lone figure watched him through a sniper's scope as he walked through a room with a high catwalk lining the right wall. Huka disappeared through the door, unaware of the sniper...

[The Kingpin]

Serephir's eyes narrowed, annoyed by the interruption, the Ranger that had fired the first shot suddenly imploding in on himself, the jetpack detonating violently, the force contained in a pea-sized, blazing white sphere, before blowing outwards amidst it's bretheren, as a horde of plasma rounds streaked forward from the Vardian Commandos' assault rifles, a Vardian Sniper crouching, a deep, audible boom being heard, a round ripping right through one of the Rangers and out the other side in an explosion as the round breached the jetpack's fuel injection system, the blue tracer streaking onwards and into the wall on the other side of the massive chamber, a white hot crater left where the round hit, molten rock and ore pouring from the hole...

[dinoman666]

A second Ranger, also armed with a Focus Rifle, fired on the sniper from the safety of the back ranks of the incoming Sangheili. The beam slammed into the sniper's face, blowing him backwards and melting through the helmet like a hot knife through butter. The rest of the Rangers focused their fire on one of the Commandoes, intent on bringing him down under the withering barrage of superheated plasma rounds...

[The Kingpin]

suddenly, silvery orbs streaked forward from the Vardian ranks as the soldiers moved behind as much cover as their position could provide, the silver plasma orbs slamming into several of the enemy horde, the sheer force of the blasts wiping them out by the dozens, as other orbs detonated prematurely, blown remotely by the gunners...

[dinoman666]

The Rangers soon scattered, their purpose served. The remaining Sangheili flew off, back to their perches and out of range. Watching them flee, Lissarkh scratched her head. "Well... that was easy. Any casualties?" she asked.

[The Kingpin]

"two men...one has breeches in his armour, but the Life Support systems are administering first aid...he should be ok" responded the Commander of the Vardian Commandos. "OK. Lissarkh. My guess is this 'Huka' is probably heading for his higher ups. I say we follow the chain to the Leader of this operation" said Serephir as he sheathed his sword, drawing his assault rifle

[dinoman666]

Lissarkh nodded in agreement. "From what I know about the Covenant ranking system, a 'Field Master' is a likely candidate for the leader of this base. It might be this Ripa everyone's been ranting and raving about. Come on, let's go find him." She walked down the bridge, picking through the corpses of the fallen Covenant bridge guards and heading through the door on the other side...

The room (which happened to be the one Huka had just passed through) was mostly bare, and the purple light emanating from the ceiling did little to brighten the place up. Lissarkh looked around cautiously. Something wasn't right. They were being hunted, she could sense it, but by what? Taking a step out back onto the bridge, she silently beckoned Serephir and his men over...

[The Kingpin]

Serephir moved back, the soldiers having yet to enter themselves, the General having sensed that something was watching them...what, exactly, was a fact he had yet to find out...

[dinoman666]

Lissarkh activated her Lightsaber, granting an extra bit of illumination in the dark room. She looked up at the catwalk, spotting movement, and saw the last thing she expected.

A Geth Trooper stood on the catwalk, Sniper Rifle ready to fire. However, it didn't look like any Geth Lissarkh had seen before. Its head cowling was made up of separate metal flaps that acted like eyebrows. One clicked up, as if the Geth was confused, before the two top ones folded forward, sticking up in the back as the Geth prepared to fire...

Lissarkh raised her Lightsaber in defense as the Geth fired, but the shot was nowhere near her or Serephir. Instead, it hit something behind the Trandoshan, and the massive form of a Brute Stalker materialized out of thin air, collapsing to the ground with a neat hole in its head. Two more shots, and two more of the cloaked aliens appeared, dead before they hit the ground. The attack took less then 5 seconds to complete, and the Geth stood straight and lowered its rifle, its blue, glowing eye fixed on Serephir.

The Geth simply stared at the pair for a moment, before it spoke in a strange, buzzing voice: "Serephir-General."

With that, the Geth hefted its rifle and walked away, walking through a door in the wall and disappearing from view...

[The Kingpin]

"Well that was interesting. Geth helping us...did it say what i think it said?" said Serephir as he eyed the place the sniper disappeared to...

[dinoman666]

"Yeah... Apparently, it knows who you are," Lissarkh replied. "I had no idea Geth could talk. I thought they were about as smart as Varren." After watching where the Geth had been earlier for a moment, Lissarkh added, "Well, we're not going to find anything out standing here. Let's go find that Field Master."

[The Kingpin]

Serephir walked on, slinging the sniper rifle of one of his fallen men over his shoulder. he'd make sure to put a bullet through Ripa's head with it...nothing infuriated him more than the loss of his men. it was one of the reasons his men admired him so much. each life was important to him, and he made sure to make his enemies suffer for the lives they had ended...

[dinoman666]

They didn't have to go far to find the Field Master. The adjacent hallway was mostly bare as well, but surprisingly wide, able to fit four man standing abreast. In the middle of the corridor a short way down, a single Elite sat, back to the group, sitting in an odd, cross-legged position. His armor was a burnished gold, with a splaying crest for a helmet. Huka stood nearby, Plasma Repeater in his hand, a bandage wrapped around what was left of his upper right arm. He snarled at Serephir as they approached. The gold-armored Elite did not move. Instead, he growled, "You are the human who bested one of my veteran warriors in combat, are you not?"

[The Kingpin]

"Observant, I see" responded Serephir. "And who might you be?" he inquired, an assault rifle held in one hand and the hilt of one of his swords, ready to draw it in an instant...

[dinoman666]

Huka growled, "You are not worthy to hear his name, hu--" The gold-armored Elite raised a hand and cut him off. "Enough, Huka! If you must know, human, I will honor you with my title. I am Field Master Noga 'Putumee." Lissarkh whispered to Serephir, "Since I doubt a Sangheili would lie about his name, I we'll have to get through him to get to Ripa." Noga, hearing the Trandoshan's comment, chuckled. "You are confident, if not foolish." Noga placed his hands calmly in his lap and continued, "Considering you made it past my ambush, I assume you are worthy enough to engage in an honor duel, human, no?"

[The Kingpin]

Serephir glanced over his shoulder at his men, telling them to secure the area, but not to interfere, the General once again securing his equipment, handing the sniper rifle to the Squad Leader of his Commandos, the General walking forward, crossing his arms in front of him, his swords sliding from their sheaths, shimmering silver though a faintly blue aura could be seen around them, the blades entering his hands. "Let the outcome decide worthiness" he said simply...