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The Battle for Rackma VI by gwinnalex
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The Battle for Rackma VI: Part 1
Date: 9 March 2003, 7:56 PM
"Move, move, move! Hit the sand!" yelled Sergeant Charlie Perkins. His squad hit the beach and within minutes had secured the area. In Eighth Squad were six Privates and two Corporals, brothers Bill and Ted McDoogle.
It was seven months since the Master Chief had destroyed the Halo. Every Marine in the Core regarded him as the ultimate in perfection. The Covenant still had a commanding grip on several colony worlds. Among these was Rackma VI. This planet was almost completely ocean. There was one island in this vast sea. It was approximately 2756 square feet of land.
Years ago, this island was home to a large colony of humans. Constant Covenant attacks wore down the Marine defenses, until two weeks ago, when the attackers finally prevailed, and the colony fell.
Eighth Squad was one of ten sent in pairs to five key points on the island to reclaim it. Not too far down the beach, Seventh Squad had also secured a landing point. "Drop ship Pelican Delta 117, this is Sergeant Charlie Perkins of Eighth Squad, we have secured a suitable area for an Operations Base, begin landing supplies," Perkins ordered into his helmet's communicator.
About half an hour later, Seventh and Eighth received enough supplies to build a small hut for Commanding and Communicating, not to mention enough weapons and ammo to kill every Marine on that island twice over. Everyone knew that all five teams were getting that much, and that it probably wouldn't be enough. They spent the rest of the day and most of the night building the base.
In the morning, they radioed all the other teams to check how their landings went. All had set up bases, except Ninth and Tenth Squads. "Ok, men," said Sergeant Alex Schoop, commander of Seventh Squad, "Ninth and Tenth Squads are hold behind a dune at their drop zone. We're the closest team to them. It's our job to bail them out. Corporals Ted McDoogle and Bill Reinhart, each of you pick two Privates, you'll be staying here and guarding our base."
They chose Privates Rudy Chapman, Marty Sinclair, Arnold Jones, and Harry Monroe. The rest grabbed everything they could carry, and started down the beach. The rest started back towards the base. They thought that they would sit around until the others got back.
They watched as the others disappeared over a dune, and at that moment plasma began to fly. "It was an ambush!" Ted yelled. "Rudy send a distress signal!" "Sir, they are jamming our communications!" Rudy yelled back as a Platoon of Covenant appeared on the horizon. "Ok, take cover, and don't stop shooting!" commanded Corporal Reinhart. They kicked over a long metal table from the base and dragged the supply box over to them, Assault Rifles blazing.
The Covenant were now fifty feet away, commanding them was a gold sword Elite. In the distance was another Platoon. "Fire in the hole!" yelled Private Sinclair, as he hurled a grenade. It landed unnoticed in the Covenant ranks. Three seconds later, Private Jones was hit with a blue foot. The gold Elite was still alive, along with five Grunts. The grunts were dispatched with Pistols, and the Elite with a Shotgun. The other Platoon was still advancing, and four hundred meters east, an armored column was advancing, with a Wraith and four Ghosts.
They had been hold down for almost two hours. "Private Monroe, ready the Rocket Launcher," said Ted. "The Wraith must be jamming our communications." Harry fired, and the Wraith went up in smoke. Ted tried to contact Earth's main operations base for this sector. "This is Corporal Ted McDoogle, on Rackma VI, we are at 47 North, 89 West, we need reinforcements." "Copy, we are sending two Spartans, over." Ted turned to his men and relayed the news. "They can get us out of this," he said, " we just have to stay alive until then."
Twenty minutes and two Grunts and an Elite later, a Pelican dropped off two Spartans. "Corporal McDoogle, I'm John 117," said one. "The Master Chief..." said Ted in awe. "And this is Sergeant Paul 098," said the Chief, "what's the situation?" "Two Platoons and an armored column are dug in up there," Ted answered. They went to the base, where the others were firing like mad. The Spartans pick up assault Rifles and grenades, and beg an to advance on the Covenant. It was about this point that Ted looked back and noticed that Private Sinclair's body was dislodged from his head.
They had to fall back to the base. On the horizon were the Marines that had left earlier. When they arrived, Sergeant Perkins explained what happened, "We saved them, with one casualty, Ted your brother is dead."
The Spartan's continued to fire, but to Ted, it didn't seem to matter anymore.
To be continued...
The Battle for Rackma VI
Date: 11 March 2003, 2:16 AM
Corporal Ted McDoogle turned away from Sergeant Charlie Perkins upon hearing the news. His brother couldn't be gone. He just wouldn't accept it. Their mother had been opposed to them joining the U. N. S. C. Marine Core. She thought that the Covenant threat would pass. She said to leave the vermin to the real Marines. Then, in 2126, when everyone knew that the Covenant wouldn't simply fade away, Ted and his brother snuck to an enlistment camp while their mother slept. They never saw her again, she died the next year. If only she was here now, he thought, she would see how wrong she was.
He thought about why lives had to be lost to recapture this seemingly worthless island on this God- forsaken ocean planet. If this bloodied island was all the inhabitable rock, why waste the lives of Marines to get it back.
While he pondered this query, the two Spartans sent in to help with the Rackma VI landings at this drop point, Sergeant Paul 098 and John 117, the Master Chief, fired at the advancing pair of Platoons and armored column. Sergeant Paul yelled, "If you're done with your tea party, kill something!" Ted knew they were right, and dove behind the metal table with the rest of Seventh and Eighth Squad.
He loaded his trusty Assault Rifle and Pistol and readied a slew of grenades. It was twelve Marines and two Spartans against all those Covenant. Ted picked off three Grunts, while the Spartans got four Elites. To his left, Private Perry Jenkins had become a charred tribute to the effectiveness of plasma as a weapon. Then an explosion rocked the area. From the way Private Jones's had become separate from his torso, Needlers were also very effective.
They all knew that to stand a chance, they would have to eliminate those Ghosts. "Grenades away!" The Chief yelled. There were ten men left, and ten grenades came over that table. The grenades exploded, and the gold Elite that was apparently leading the attack was no more. Only two of the four Ghosts were left. Ted's friend, Corporal Alex Schoop, managed to pick one off with a Rocket Launcher.
In all this mess, no-one noticed that Paul 098 had been gone for a long time. He snuck around the table, and dropped a box of Plasma Grenades. "When they are in combat," he said, "they don't keep an eye on their supplies." Ted grabbed one, and stuck it to a Grunt's face. The little Covenant immediately ran to two Elites for help, then all of them were gone. He turned his head in time to see a blue spot explode on the last Ghost.
There were now only three terrified Grunts left. The eight Marines and two Spartans advanced and easily dispatched them. "What now Chief?" asked Ted. "The drop ship's out of communication range," replied John, "Stock up with all the ammo and grenades you can carry. I assume you are all aware of the mission at hand, we have to capture the base at the center of the island. I've contacted all the other groups, they are moving towards it. We lost some time. That means we should be the last ones there. They are going to take defensive positions until we arrive, let's move out!"
In the distance, they could see a forest that surrounded the base. They moved up the beach, taking out the scattered Covenant forces. They soon reached the forest. "Cortana told me that there were several Covenant forts that we would have to take out," said John.
In the forest they soon came to a small Covenant scout patrol: three Grunts, two Jackals, led by two black Elites. They took cover behind a fallen log. Luckily for them, they did this entirely unnoticed. Paul threw a grenade, the Elites and a Jackal dove out of the way, the rest were not so lucky. An Elite threw a grenade, which struck Private. Bravely, he jumped over the log at the Elite who threw it just in time. He, unlike many Marines, had got his revenge.
Ted took out the Jackal, while John snuck around and melee attacked the Elite in the head. The first fort they came to was easily stormed and taken. They ran through the forest until they came to another scout patrol. This one was dispatched in the same manner as the first, but with no Marine deaths. The second and third forts were also taken easily. When the finally emerged from the forest, they saw all the other Marines fighting Covenant. "Hold on!" yelled the Chief, "They're gonna need some help!"
To be continued...
The Battle for Rackma VI: Part 3
Date: 12 March 2003, 11:27 PM
When the seven Marines and two Spartans emerged from the forest, they surveyed the battlefield. Dug in in a ditch were what was left of the Marine forces. About fifty meters away, the Covenant were on top of, and in strategic positions around, the base which they had to capture. They made a run for the ditch, losing one man to an overcharged plasma bolt on the way. The remaining eight dove into a catch twenty two. In that ditch was Heaven, they could not be fired upon until they poked out their heads. There was also an Underworld. There were seven dead bodies, some scorched, some in multiple pieces. Ted was used to this, but a new recruit stood up to vomit, and was immediately cut down.
Ted was disgusted at this violence, but when he turned his head and saw the twenty eight other Marines fighting for their lives, he picked up his Assault Rifle and fired with a passion. He struck down an Elite, with the help of one other Marine. There were now three Jackals, two Grunts, and an Elite. The Grunts were easily dispatched, and the Jackals likewise. Paul 098 threw a Plasma Grenade, which hit the Elite in the face. The way in was now clear, but they all knew that the interior of the large structure would be heavily guarded.
"What now?" asked Sergeant Charlie Perkins. "Paul 098 will take fourteen Marines and sneak around the exterior of the structure," replied the Master Chief, "From there they will fight there way into the center of the building, where they will meet the rest of us, who will enter through that door." He pointed towards a shield door on the structure. "Ok, move out!"
Corporals and friends Ted McDoogle and Alex Schoop both went with the Master Chief. He had never met the rest of the Marines that went with them. "Panel on this door's broken," the Chief said. "I'll get it," a new Private said. He threw two grenades at the door. When the smoke cleared, they entered a large room.
At the far end, a light on a small door was blinking. They all knew what this meant. The Chief yelled, "Take cover, it's gonna be hot!" Everyone took cover behind several large pillars. They all waited with weapons drawn, slowly, ominously, the large door began to open. Ted moved forward next to the door to throw grenades. The sweat dripped from his forehead, it ran down his hands, he could not calm himself. He began to twitch. Suddenly, the gun dropped out of his hands!
It was at this moment, simultaneously, the Chief ran to him, and the doors slid open. All Ted could do was stare. He went for his Rifle, but it was too late. The yawning Grunt stepped through the door. The Marines were frozen. The Grunt looked up, in to the horror stricken face of Corporal McDoogle. They stared at each other for a moment, then they both went for their holsters, the Grunt was quicker. "Get down!" yelled someone from behind. Ted dove out of the way, just as the wall was painted with Grunt's brains.
"Well that was easy," said Ted. Just then a siren began to blare, and a red light began to flash. "Take cover!" the Chief commanded. They all dove back behind the pillars, as five Elites ran into the room. "They're mine!" yelled a demolitions expert. He fired his Rocket Launcher. The rocket managed to take out all but one Elite. It roared a roughly recognizable no. The demo expert felt the twenty needles enter his flesh. He had seen their explosive powers in action, and dove away from the other Marines just in time. As his limbs tore away from his torso, he knew the galaxy would be in good hands if all Marines were willing to give their lives for the cause.
"Open fire!" yelled Sergeant Perkins. Thirteen Assault Rifles and one Pistol fired at the Elite, and cut it down. Ted had done this dozens of times, but this one felt strangely different. He thought about how he always knew that he had to kill his enemy for his friends and family. For Earth. Then he realized that that Elite was fighting for his friends and family. For his home world. Ted shook this off, realizing that, if given the chance, that Elite would have slaughtered his friends and family. But still, would not he have done that to the Elite's loved ones...
"Ok, through the door, we have to meet Paul 098 and his men," said Corporal Alex Schoop. As he ran through that door, into the Covenant filled corridor, he wondered if this war had changed him in any permanent way.
To be continued...
The Battle for Rackma VI: Finale
Date: 15 March 2003, 1:19 AM
As soon as the men stepped into the hall, plasma began to fly over their heads. An overcharged plasma bolt hit a Private in face, sending flesh, teeth, and blood flying in all directions. As a Corporal wiped blood from his face, six needles hit him in the neck. "Somebody get that Rocket Launcher! Take cover!" yelled Master Chief. Ted ran back into the empty room, and found the recently deceased demolitions man's Rocket Launcher. He ran back into the hall pulled the trigger, and fired. He killed half of the Covenant. "Sir, it's out of ammo!" he shouted to John 117.
A Private shouted that he had ammo, and Ted threw the Launcher to him. A Grunt saw this shot, completely annihilating it. "Grenades!" yelled Corporal Alex Schoop. They all threw fragmentation or plasma grenades. This easily eliminated the rest of enemies. "Ok, move out," commanded the Chief. Then, sounds like an earthquake came from around the corner. The Chief was the only one who knew what that meant. The hunter rounded the corner.
"What is that?!" yelled Alex. "Hunters. Aim for the orange flesh part on the back," said the Chief. As the Hunter rounded the corner, it already had it's fuel rod cannon charged. "Open fire!" yelled Ted. Next to him, another Corporal, First Class, was hit with the shot. It threw him backward into the wall of the corridor. Alex let loose a grenade. It knocked the Hunter off balance long enough for the Marines to unload salvos of fire into it's backside, bringing it down.
That brought them down to one Spartan and ten Marines. They ran farther down the corridor. They turned a corner and found a small passage. One Private took the lead. He moved slowly down the corridor, look up and around the whole time. Too bad he didn't look down. He fell over the trip wire, and grenades began to fly out of the walls. Only Corporals Alex Schoop and Ted McDoogle and John 117 managed to dive out of the way. They were showered with chunks of meat.
The three continued down the corridor, looking down as well as up. They jumped over four trip wires. "Ok, we're at the center of the structure, let's wait for the others," said the Chief as they entered a large room. They walked over to a metal table in the middle of the room. They sat and waited for five minutes. At that time a door began to flash. Finally, they all thought. They were about to ask what took so long, when the gold Elites ran through the door.
The humans and the cyborg dove behind the table. They fired like mad. An Elite went down, then the other one. Then they heard the roar of engines. Two Ghosts came out of the door. Ted threw a grenade, and a Ghost exploded. The other one drove around the table, and it winged Alex. The Chief took it out, but Alex was in a bad way.
The Chief felt his rib cage. He walked over to Ted and whispered, "His rib cage collapsed into his lungs. He probably has an hour to live." The news struck Ted dumb, he had already lost his brother on this God- forsaken piece of rock. To lose his new best friend... no, he couldn't think of it.
The Master Chief turned to Alex and said, "Your gonna be just..." before he got cut off. Schoop could barely speak, "Can... the... crap... I know... I'm... gonna die... capture the... island." Ted yelled "NO!!!!" and cradled Alex's head. "Good... bye..." as the life left his friend.
Ted could barely hold back the tears, he had lost friends before, but this one was different. He knew he was in the Core now. He knew that this was the life he had chosen.
It was then that Paul 098 and Charlie Perkins ran into the room. "Ok, there's four of us left. We need to finish eliminating the Covenant," said the Chief. They all ran through a door that neither group had come through. They ran though the hall until they came to a large group of Covenant. They took cover and began to fire. Ted fought with a passion, with a blood lust that he had never felt before.
"This on is for my brother!" he yelled as he killed an Elite. "This is for Alex!" as he struck down a Jackal. He continued to fire until he blew the leg off a Grunt. It began to crawl away, but Ted ran up and stood on it's stump. The Grunt curled up into a fetal position. It reminded Ted of a baby, he blew it's brains out. It was then Ted realized that he had changed for the worse. He could never go back to civilization.
While this sunk in, he was shot in stomach. He fell to the ground and watched as the others finished them off. They tried to lift him, but he declined. He knew that all the Covenant on the island were in this building, he knew that he had thermal charges. The others called for evac. He set the thermal charges. The last thing he saw was a blinding light, and he thought about if his sacrifice mattered.
The End
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