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Fred and Lucy crouched, hefted SPNKr missile launchers, and fired.
The missiles streaked up and detonated on the cockpits of the incoming dropships. The ships hobbled out of control and crashed into the dome wall.
The other four dropships landed hard; Elites jumped out, took position behind the hulls, and opened fire.
The air filled with crisscross patterns of needier shards, plasma bolts, and streaks of MA5B and MASK tracers.
Kurt didn't want to leave the FENRIS warheads behind, but there was no way they could hold this position. Their cover was poor, and they'd have to contend with more air support soon. He started to order their retreat, but Covenant plasma spattered nearby, and a square meter of their dropship's hull blasted away.
A Hunter pair emerged and they hunkered down behind their overlapping battle-plate shields.
Linda took aim at the monstrous pair and waited for them to present a target.
One Hunter eased its fuel-rod cannon around the edge of its impenetrable shields—green energized rounds glowing with deadly radiation—and fired.
Fred jumped from cover, his MJOLNIR armor ablaze as if it was burning phosphorus.
The Hunter hit him dead center in his chest, a blast that would have destroyed their dropship. His energy shields flared brighter, failed, and Fred crumpled to the floor, his armor smoking.
"Cover fire!" Kurt shouted.
The Spartans sprayed the Elites and the Hunters, who turtled behind their shields.
Dante and Lucy darted out and grabbed Fred, dragging him back.
A fire team of five Elites popped from cover and unleashed a torrent of plasma and needles. They were riddled with bullets and dropped—but one managed to shoot at Dante and a plasma bolt glanced his side. He flinched, but didn't stop pulling Fred to safety.
The Hunter pair peeked around their overlapped shields.
Linda fired methodically—orange blood spattered from one Hunter's exposed midsection.
The Hunters dropped behind their shields, screaming, but still standing
"Over the edge, everyone," Kurt ordered.
One by one the Spartans slipped to the edge and jumped into the darkness.
Kurt set three grenades on the floor, grabbed a zip line, and rappelled down. One wide swing into the open and he pendulated back, landing on the curve of spiral stairs under the platform.
Dull explosions whumped overhead and the ropes fell away.
Kurt saw that Dante and Lucy supported a groggy Fred between them. Fred's MJOLNIR armor was carbonized black. His bio signs were erratic but strong. All their bio signs were pushing the redline.
"Blow the dome," Kurt told Dante.
Dante nodded, passed Fred over to Mark's shoulder, and he limped to the far edge of the stairs, remote detonator in hand.
Kurt motioned for Olivia to take point, and the rest of the Spartans followed her down the stairs.
Thunder echoed off the dome walls, and chunks of rock thudded onto the landing platform overhead. Elites screamed and blue plasma detonations lit the air.
Three revolutions around the stairs and Olivia held up a hand. They all halted.