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A Soldier's Duty by Hashey
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A Soldier's Duty: Part I
Date: 5 November 2004, 4:55 PM
Part One: Paradise
1930 hours, October 15, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Aboard Pelican Delta-327.
Sarum system, planet Tanis.
As the sun was setting down, Pelican Delta-327 flied over a small river, heading towards the capital city of Tanis. Lieutenant Joey Hall and his fire team who were in the back, had been fighting for several days in the hills close to the capital. Finally, Hall and his squad could get some R&R. As the Pelican made his final landing approach, Hall took a seat next to one of his noncom's. Hall looked like a mess. With his age of twentythree and his young look, he didn't seem to be long in the UNSC, but he was in the UNSC for almost three years now. As he thought of back home, he looked to his hands. They were covered in mud and dirt from the long days of fighting in the hills.
Still thinking of back home, Hall looked out the back and saw that they were entering the city. Most of it was in rubbles now, because UNSC forces had to take the city from the Covenant. The southern part of the city was still in good shape and the UNSC used it for the most part. Almost everything was there. Armory's, Barracks, motor pools and even more things an army needed. The pilot saw the LZ coming up, pushed a couple of buttons on his keyboard and prepared to land. The Pelican's engines powered down a little, put the landing wheels out and, with a little turbulence, it touched down on the landing pad. The squad stood up and walked out of the back and saw a Corporal waiting for them.
Looking around as he stepped of the ramp, Hall noticed there weren't many hospitals around. I guess there hasn't been a fight here for a long time, he thought. With this in his mind, he saw the Corporal walking towards them. The Corporal stopped right before Hall and gave him a salute. Hall was happy enough to give on back and so he did. "Sir, Commander Muvo asked me to show you around in this paradise." the soldier said in irony. "Follow me, and i'll show you your wonderfull suite." A small laughter was heard among the Marines and, as the Corporal walked away, Hall ordered everyone to follow. "Party time," Hall said.
While the Marines choose their bunks, with a little fighting of who got top and who got bottom, Hall got onto his own bed and started reading letters from back home. He didn't read his letters for a month now so he was glad that he had the free time now. As for the rest of the men. Some were playing games and others lied in their bunks. After he read his letters, Hall decided to go to the mess hall and have some food. He jumped out of his bunk, walked towards the door and exited the building. When he stepped outside he noticed that the rain was pooring from the sky and Hall rushed towards the mess hall. He hated to be in the rain. It takes him to long to get dry again.
Hall entered the mess hall, saw that more soldiers decided to get a snack and walked towards the end of the line. He grabbed a plate of the stack at the beginning of the 'buffet table', as some called it, and started to get his food. As Hall exited the line, he could see three soldiers of his own fire team having their food to. He walked over towards the table where they were sitting and took a seat next to them. "Good evening guys." He said while he sat down. "Enjoying your dinner?" . "Yes sir," all three soldiers said back in chorus. "Ah don't call me sir here. It's our time off so act like we are the same rank. But this is only for the time off, do you three understand?" The three soldiers laughed a bit and went back to eating their food.
After eating their food and talking about the last months, Hall and the three soldiers went back to the barracks. As they walked in, one of the three soldiers which he had joined in the mess hall yelled, "Ten-Hut." All the other soldiers formed a single line and saluted. "As you were," Hall yelled across the room. The soldiers relaxed and went back to what they were doing. He walked over to his bed, jumped on it and fell in a deep sleep..
1000 hours, October 16, 2552 (Military Calendar)
UNSC Camp #3, inside the Capital City.
Sarum system, planet Tanis.
The sun was already in the sky as Hall woke up. He stepped out of his bunk, wrubbing in his blurry eyes while looked around the room. He saw that some of the Marines were already awake and some were still sleeping. Hall walked towards the shower and turned it on. He waited untill the shower was warm, took his clothes off and stepped under the shower. After a couple of minutes, Hall stepped out and dried himself off. He walked back into the room with the bunks and headed to his closet. Reaching for the suit of battle armor, he slipped his feet into the self-adjusting leather boots, zipped up the gray jumpsuit around his muscular figure, and placed the armor plates into their ports on the suit. As he took another look around the room, he noticed that all the soldiers were awake and ready to go.
Hall walked outside the barracks and looked in the air. The sun was shinning brightly and there were almost no clouds. But in one moment, he saw a blue plasma ball flying into the sky, and falling down. Hall closed his eyes as he saw that a small group of Marines got blown to pieces by the mortar. When the small group got hit, the alarm of the base sounded and Hall rushed back into his barracks to get his fire team ready. "Get your asses moving," Hall yelled. "We've got the welcoming party incoming. Ready your weapons." The fire team started running through the barracks, soldiers bumped into eachother and after a minute everybody was ready.
The Marines ran out of the barracks, standing in a single line, with their weapons at the ready. "Listen up," Hall said. "We've got Covenant forces in the city and the CO wants to throw them the hell out again. Their coming in from the east and we got a dropship ready to take us there. Alright boys, lets get this party started then." The fire team yelled 'Aye Sir' in unision and started making their way to the landing pads.
Marines from all sides started to march towards the landing pads and the Pelican's. Hall's fire team had given Pelican Delta-327, the same Pelican who brought them to Camp #3 inside the capital city. The group of soldiers ran up one of the landing pads, which was where Pelican Delta-327 was waiting, and jumped in the back. They all took a seat and Hall gave the pilot a signal that everyone was aboard. The pilot pushed a button, making the Pelican push more fuel into the engines, and lifted gently off the ground. Now slightly in the air, the pilot pushed the throttle in full and the Pelican started to get speed and lifted higher of the ground.
Hall stood up from his seat and walked to the back of the Pelican. He looked out the back and saw the fighting in the streets below. Hall could see flashes from the MA5B, M6D and Covenant weapon fire. The Pelican was now flying swiftly through the air, entered the eastern part of the city and Hall noticed many buildings were destroyed. We could use them for cover, He thought.
Pelican Delta-327 was now flying in the eastern part of the city and started to make it's descend to drop the fire team. The pilot pulled back on the throttle, making the Pelican descend slowly and started to slow down. The Pelican stopped moving inches above the ground and the pilot talked through his microphone. "Touchdown. Pile out Marines." And with these words, the Marines jumped out the back of the Pelican.
1030 hours, October 16, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Tokawa Street, eastern part of the Capital City.
Sarum system, planet Tanis.
"Ashley. Jonesy. Take two mean each and get behind those broken walls," Hall whispered over the team freq. on the radio. The six Marines ran silently across the street, and entered a bombed out building. Hall had heard Covenant forces heading towards Tokawa street and immediatly ordered an ambush. Some minutes ago, Hall heard the voices of Grunts and ordered his Marines to set up an ambush. Hall had positioned his Marines on both sides of the street and they were armed with MA5B Assault Rifles and S2 Sniper Rifles. Waiting for seven minutes now, Hall looked to a corner to his right when he saw a large group consisting of Grunts, Jackals and Elites coming around it. He switched to the team freq. on the radio and whispered, "Listen up gents, we got a group of Covenant coming around the corner from the West. Wait untill they get close and take 'em out. Snipers, your targets are the elites. Take them down first, then concentrate on the Jackals. Rest of you guys, use your rifles to take out the Grunts and support the snipers with the Jackals." Hall could hear his squad leaders comply and now they had to wait for the Covenant to get into perfect fire.
"Open fire," Lieutenant Hall yelled over the team freq. while pulling the pin out of a HE grenade and threw it into a group of Grunts. Blood and pieces of skin flied everywhere, making new decorations on the bombed walls of Tokawa Street. Corporal Thomas Carson, one of the two snipers in the group, aimed at an Elites head. He exhaled and softly pulled the trigger. The rifles recoil slammed into his shoulder as he could see the Elite at who he aimed, took a shot in his head and fell down face first, and died. He immediatly regained control of the rifle and aimed at a Jackal. Carson saw that it was taking fire from another Marine and quickly aimed at his back. Again he softly pulled the trigger making the rifle slam into his shoulder. The bullet left the barrel, hit the Jackal's spine, ripped it apart and let the alien die before it even touched the ground.
With almost all Covenant forces dead and running away, the Marines came out from their hiding places. Hall walked out of his own and took a seat on a large piece of wall. He looked around himself, saw many Covenant bodies and two or three Marines lying dead on the ground. Suddenly, his COM. started to come to life and he could hear Corporal Carson whisper, "Sit still, Sir." Carson aimed through his scope, aimed at something and pulled the trigger. Hall could feel a wind next to his head and a liqiud flying on the back of his head. He looked around surprisingly. A dead Elite lied on the ground, a hole in his head with blue blood coming out of it. "Jesus Christ." Hall yelled. "Thanks Carson."
Lieutenant Hall gave his Marines a five minute break. He walked towards the three dead Marines, crouched besides them and took their dogtags. He took one last look and ordered the Marines to move out towards the park next to Tokawa Street. They entered the park, walked to an open clearing and secured the area. "Ashley, get over here." Hall said over the team frequentie. Private Martin Ashley ran towards Hall and took a seat next to him. "Get HQ on the radio and call for some LRV's. I think we can use them." Ashley nodded set up the radio and attached it to his microphone in his helmet. "HQ, this is Private Ashley of Unit six-nine, Fire Team Echo. We request seven LRV's at our position." Ashley waited for a reply. "Roger that six-nine. What's your position?" a young voice said back. Ashley looked over towards the entrance of the park. "Our position is Unicom Park, West of Tokawa Street." He waited again and a few seconds later the young voice came back."Roger, LRV's are en-route. HQ out."
The Marines waited next to the clearing in Unicom park. Moments later they could hear the engines of Pelican Dropships. The Pelicans flew in, hoovered two meters above the ground and dropped the Warthog LRV's in the clearing. "Mount up!!" Hall yelled. Marines of the fire team came running from under the trees and manned the LRV's. Hall jumped in the drivers seat of the leading warthog. He switched to the team freq. on the radio, said, "Follow my ass gents." and pushed his feet on the gas pedal. The LRV rushed towards the West, exited Unicom park and entered the central part of the city.
1200 hours, October 16, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Central part of the Capital City.
Sarum system, planet Tanis.
The LRV's raced through the streets of the central part. Most of it was cleared of Covenant already but still there were some morons that just wouldn't give up. Fire Team Echo took a right into a large street and Hall could see Marines behind a warthog which lied on its side. On the otherside though, were Covenant. And lots of 'em. Ashley, who was in the back of Hall's LRV, noticed the Covenant and pointed the M41 LAAG at the Covenant position. Hall had already switched his communication freq. to the channel the pinned down soldiers used, and said to them, "This is Unit six-nine, we are inbound to your position. Hang thight."
The pinned down Marines looked around them, and saw seven LRV's racing over the street, towards the Covenant. At the back of the leading warthog, Sergeant Ashley gently pulled the trigger, and let the machine gun fire his 12,7X99mm ammo. The Covenant, which didn't notice the warthogs until they fired at them, looked surprised that the chances had turn now. They began firing on them, without effect and were soon ran over by the large wheels of the LRV's. As Hall ran two Elites over, Ashley yelled trought the team frequentie, "Yeehaa, who want's roadkill?" Some Marines replied over the radio, too amuse Ashley.
Hall pulled over next to the Marines and asked, "Need a ride boys?" The Marines laughed and the leader replied, "Thanks for the assist. We could use some transport back to base." Hall's radio came to life, "Lieutenant Hall, this is HQ. All Covenant forces have been eliminated or are running away. You are clear to return to base." Hall looked over to the Sergeant and nodded. "Ok Sergeant. Get you're men together and we'll move out." The new troops piled up on the warthogs and drove back towards the Eastern part of the city, back to base.
- End of Part One -
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