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Archive - ChapterTwo: Reason (Part 1)
Posted By: Bodie<bodie_bumm@hotmail.com>
Date: 2 November 2006, 10:48 pm
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"Keep up, Sang." Hope whispered into her mouthpiece, smiling. She heard a grudging reply, and the Marine at the rear of the six man group ran a little faster.
She paused, and the ceasing of the soft ruffling of the leaves on the forest floor behind her told Hope that her team had paused too.
Wood slowly shuffled his way to the front of the group, to where Hope was crouching.
"What is it?" he asked quietly.
'I saw motion, to the left of our position. I couldn't see how many there were, but we should wait until what ever it was passes." Hope cautiously replied.
"Could it be more Marines?"
"No. We're the only patrol in this area."
Hope didn't need to say anything more to make Wood fear the worst. He knew this area was littered with Covenant camps, but he didn't think they would meet any in the forest.
Wood issued an order over the team frequency, "OK, lets move; quietly."
The group trekked on for a few more minutes, pass tall tropical trees and small winding rivers, before Hope stopped them all again.
"Get down!" she hissed over the com. Her team flattened themselves on the lush green ground.
The chirping and whistling of the normally active beetles and bugs in this forest was unnaturally quiet.
The sounds of heavy feet trudging in front of the group made them all hold their breaths. Seconds passed, and a lone Grunt appeared, walking slowly, a plasma pistol in its small blue claw.
Of all the species of Covenant, it was the Grunts Wood hated the most.
"Barbaric scum," ran through Wood'######, as a look of disgust crept into his normally stoic face.
Suddenly, as if Wood was not in control of his body, he got into one knee and hefted his silenced BR55. He had the element of surprise, and the Grunt was just starting to turn its small head, when three armour piercing bullets tore through its body. It was dead before it hit the ground.
After a few moments of astonished silence, Corporal Tudor from the rear of the group whispered;
"Nice job, sir!" Wood smiled and stifled a laugh.
"Let's keep going."
Satellite reconnaissance of this area showed a small system of caves that Hope's team could rest for the night. And almost all of them were perfect spots for them to watch the small Covenant camp they were sent to spy on.
Early reports told of a small number of Grunts inhabiting the camps, and judging from the five small, super cold structures seen in surveillance pictures, it was possible that there were at least fifteen Grunts in the camp. Hope's team were the third team to watch this spot, as the UNSC were planning an attack against the Covenant on this planet.
The planet Germaine was a forest world on the border of the inner colonies. It was not a military used planet at all; it was used for farming and environmental studies. That still didn't stop the Covenant from landing and destroying cities. They hadn't started glassing any sections yet, only using ground troops to secure certain areas.
ONI concluded that they were looking for artefacts, similar to events Sigma Octanus IV and Reach. The UNSC decided not to launch a full blown attack on the Covenant fleet until the ground situation was fully, or at least mostly, understood.
Lieutenants Hope and Wood were to lead a small group of three Corporals and one Lance Corporal to the caves and then to watch this particular camp, designated Gamma Camp. Their orders were specific; they were not to directly engage or alert the Covenant inside the camp of their presence. Fortunately, and miraculously, the Covenant was oblivious to the UNSC forces slowly creeping through the thick forest of the once peaceful world.
Hope was laying down on the edge of the cave lip, feeling the heat of the rock beneath her. She propped her upper body up with her elbows, and looked through the sniper spotter scope again. Wood walked up to her from behind, hearing the faint swishing sound of a camera taking photos.
"Any activity, Hope?" he asked.
Hope rolled over and lied on her back.
"Not much,' Hope replied, an aspirated sigh escaping her lungs, "A few Grunts moving about. No signs of Elites anywhere."
"Gamma seems pretty useless." Wood quietly said.
"Useless? In what way?" Hope creased her brow.
"There are no Elites; just Grunts in the camp. How would that be useful to the Covenant in this situation?"
"The Covenant is…" Hope couldn't think of a word, "weird. I mean look back at Sigma Octanus, Reach, Constantinople. They were all strange engagements and they all had something to do with those mysterious artefacts."
"Yeah, but I'd just like to know whats going on inside of those Prophet's heads. Everything would be so much easier."
"Heh, if only." Hope sniggered. It was getting darker.
"You want me to take over? You deserve some rest." Wood said, taking in a deep breath.
"Yeah, why not. Thanks." Hope got up, and put her hand on Wood's shoulder.
"Don't stay out too long." She said with a smile.
It was quiet when Hope walked into the cave. Corporal Birchall and Lance Corporal Sowell were playing cards in one corner. Sang and Tudor were using the small stove to heat up some canned beans; their dinner. Hope sat on the left side of the cave.
"El-Tee, anything out there?" Tudor asked.
"No, its all clear. We'll go on a short perimeter patrol tomorrow. Until then, we just have to wait." Hope tiredly replied. She looked around the cave. The brown rock was worn away and parts were covered in grime and spider webs.
"Is the accommodation not what you expected, ma'am?" laughed Sowell.
"It's good enough for this op. That reminds me; make sure you leave no trace of us being here. If the Covenant gets nosy, they may search these caves."
They all nodded, and returned to what they were doing.
Minutes passed, and Wood entered.
"It's getting too dark to do anything. I think we should leave it for tonight." He reported.
"Yeah, I was just telling them about the perimeter search tomorrow." Hope said, inclining her head to the marines.
Hesitantly, Wood spoke. 'Speaking of that, I think one of us should stay here. Keep watch in case Gamma's situation changes."
"Good call. But who will it be?" Hope asked with a smile.
"Wait here." Wood crept out of the cave. Moments later, he returned holding two sticks.
"Whoever picks the shortest stick stays here?" Wood asked.
"Sounds fair."
Wood tossed the sticks to Birchall. "Catch!"
Birchall caught them with two hands, and rearranged them behind his back.
When he held his hands out in front of him, grabbing the two sticks, there was no way to tell which the longer one was.
"Ladies first, ma'am" smiled Birchall, bowing his head.
Hope reached out for the left one, but changed her mind. She took hold of the right one and slid it out of Birchall's hand. It was short. Birchall revealed the other stick; it was longer. Hope was staying at the cave.
"Ah well," Hope smiled, "Who else is hungry? Lets eat!"
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