[b] Near the T-Intersection of Maynard and Fremont [/b]
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The attention the Covenant patrol had been paying to the pinned down McCoy was now aimed directly at the trio of Ghosts to the west. As thunder and lightning continued to flash over head, the two remaining Jackals moved forward to provide cover for the remaining members of the group, while simultaneously laying down a sustained blanket of fire. The two armored Elites moved to take up firing positions behind the Jackals, laying down their own sustained fire.

As the last four Grunts attempted to move back and set up in similar fashion behind the two protective Jackal shields, one of them was caught clean in his snout by a burst of Battle Rifle fire from Corporal Anders. Spinning around on one leg before dropping to the ground, there escaped a soft gurgle of blood before the creature finally died.

Having noticed their dwindling numbers, the three remaining grunts panicked, and began to turn and run back down the street, but not before another was caught with one well placed DMR shot to the mid-section, dropping to the pavement. “We’re done for!” barked out one of the panicked Grunts as it threw it’s arms up into the air, and began running.

Growling angrily at the cowardice of his Grunts, the Zealot turned his plasma rifle back to the trio of Ghost to the west, and he opened fire with several four round bursts. He turned to his blue armored comrades, and hollered orders at them. Then, as he resumed moving closer to where McCoy’s position was, he felt the peppering of sustained weapons fire from one of the Ghosts, and his shields flashed and flickered as they defended him.

Trying to duck behind the two Jackals for cover, his shields snapped out, leaving him vulnerable to harm. Unaware of the movements of McCoy, he focused solely on the Ghosts to the west, barking out orders to his squad. That is until he felt something smack against one of his mandibles, and singe the soft tissues of his mouth. Brining a clawed hand to his face, he pulled a burning flare from his jaw, and tossed it to the ground as he growled in agony. As he saw the flare burn the ground, he also noticed his own purple blood, and one of his mandibles on the ground. The flare had torn it from his face, maiming him in a severe manner.

Growling angrily again, he turned back to the trio, then to McCoy, and then to the street behind him. Deciding on a hasty retreat, he barked a barely discernable command at his two subordinate Elites, then he switched on his active camouflage, disappeared into thin air, and made for the south to regroup.

His patrol however didn’t follow suit, and maintained their assault of Tenjer, Anders, and Brewer. The two blue armored Elites split up as they approached McCoy’s position, one heading west to continue firing on the western group. The other began bearing down on the sprawled Ghost, following his Ship Master’s orders to kill the one that had injured him.

The blue armored Elite raised his weapon to shoot at McCoy, barely twenty or so feet from him. But before he could fire, a hail of bullets peppered his shields until they flashed out, then penetrated his chest armor and flesh underneath. In all at least ten rounds had penetrated, and with a great bellow the Elite sprawled backward and fell onto the street, purple blood oozing from his wounds.

Releasing his just spent magazine, Jameson retrieved another from his ammo pouches and slapped it up into the receiver, and charged another round into the chamber. “Move!” he hollered out to Croft as he fired on full-auto at the three remaining Covenant troops, getting the two Jackals to turn in his direction, exposing their backs to the western trio.

Lance Corporal Croft then climbed up over the same mound where Jameson was perched and firing from, and moved over to help McCoy up to his feet, moving him back to the alley, where he’d at least be free from fire.

“Waste'em!” hollered Jameson in his comm at Anders, Tenjer, and Brewer.

When the Jackals turned, they were met with another brilliant flash, as Brewer’s flashbang went off, and blinded the snarling creatures, who were now entirely defenseless.