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"The Sniper"
I was lying on my stomach face down in the grass, just fine -tuning the scope that was atop my S2-AM Sniper Rifle. As I was lying there I was thinking about the events that were about to unfold. My Rifle steady, I panned around the area checking for any sign of Covenant Forces, but no sign, just quietness. It hadn't felt this calm since the events that took place on Installation 04.
The events that took place on Installation 04, or Halo, were the worst I have ever seen in my life, and in my entire United Nations Space Command career. This strange alien race showed up just outside of REACH, a planet that the UNSC had embraced because of overpopulation of Earth. The Covenant as they were called ripped apart all civilized life on REACH. The entire Spartan-II project was almost lost in complete devastation. The Spartan-II project consists of Genetically Engineered human soldiers, which can handle all types of battle.
The UNSC had set in place the Cole Protocol just after the covenant's attack at REACH. Upon leading the Covenant away from Earth, they had stumbled upon an ancient forerunner structure, they called it Halo. On that dreadful ring we found enemies that even the Covenant were afraid of, they were called the flood. The Covenant then made their way back towards Earth to unleash a hellacious battle between Earth, Humans, Covenant, and the Flood. It was one event I can't bare to remember.
While sitting there, alone, I was hoping to find an area where I could pick up the signal for the UNSC Command Center to see if Cole Protocol was initiated. If in fact it was, all remaining ships in the area would have to lead the Covenant away from Earth. The UNSC had ordered me to come to Mt. Kilimanjaro, set up camp and a sniper position in case the Covenant Troops decided to advance on the UNSC position. But, only at a certain point could I fire.
It's been about 3 weeks since I have set up camp on Mt. Kilimanjaro. It's been long, but not as long as the stay I had had on Installation 04. I had no one to keep me company, the only person around was Chris. He was the only other UNSC sniper that was ordered to take this mission. He was the only shooter in the UNSC that could take out Covenant, one right after the other. Also, he is one of the best friends that I have met in the UNSC. Little did he know, there was a great war about to take place here, and I'm the only one who knew?
I was cleaning the lens on my sniper scope, when I heard a loud noise come from somewhere in the distance. I pushed my scope up through the blades of grass, just in front of my position. I had no time to think when a purple beam passed by my head. It was one of the Covenants most feared and sought after Jackals, the Sniper Jackal. I knew that if I made one wrong move, he would do me in.
I tried not to think of it, so I pushed my scope up through the blades of grass one more time, this time I watched as the .50 caliber round with stabilizer fins left a contrail through the air. It echoed through the valley, about .010 of a second later, I watched in awe as the bullet sliced through the Jackals head. There were two grunts coming down to see what had taken place there. They saw there fallen comrade lying there, motionless, and lifeless on the ground before them. By this time the Covenant troops in the area had heard about it and were congregating at the foot of the mountain.
Four Elite's stepped up in front of the established warriors, and looked as if they were trying to group up. I could see one of the Elite's standing there with the fallen Jackals beam rifle in his hand, and looking up to where he thought the shot had been fired from. He panned the area as if he recognized what had just happened. The rest of the troops pulled out there weapons, mostly close-medium range weapons and started there way up the mountain. I knew if I didn't move now, they would reach my position in less than 6 hours.
So, I crawled backwards until I was out of sight, then I jumped up and sprinted with my gun draped across my back, as hard as I could back to where I had sat up camp. As I reached camp, a transponder went off in my helmet display; it was Chris he had been trying to reach me on radio for at least 4 hours. I grabbed the radio up as if though it was of some importance and tried to pick up Chris's radio signal. I didn't get the signal first try, only was it on the 3rd try I finally reached him. He said that the Covenant was now advancing upon his position, and we needed to get out of here, and fast. I told him we would try to regroup before sunset.
The day was almost dead, and I had to make conscious decisions on how I was going to complete this mission before nightfall. Was I going to stay here and possibly let the Covenant kill me, or pack my things and head towards Chris's position. Whatever I was going to do I had to do it, and I didn't have time to screw around either. As I was heading towards Chris's position, I stopped, pulled my Rifle out, and looked across the valley to see if I could spot the Covenant who was heading for my position. I could barely spot the Elite's and Grunts who was part of the congregation below, but couldn't make a shot, so I grabbed my stuff and made for the regroup point. I had to at least make it to his position before the sun went down.
I now have somewhat of an idea of how to complete this mission at least before night falls. The plan is to get Chris to go and carefully sneak up behind them, while I go up in front of them and try to ambush them. If that does not work, I'll have to call in a Pelican Drop ship to clean them up. All I want is just to finish this fight and get the heck out of here as soon as possible. I sure hope that I find Chris before the Covenant finds him, or worse captures and kills him. We don't need anymore dead heroes in this war.
With only a few hours until nightfall, I try to make it down to my fellow Spartan's position as soon as humanly possible. He is probably wondering where I am, because the location I'm currently at has no transponder or radio signals for miles. I just pray he is ok, and the Covenant have not captured and killed him. I don't even want to think about that, like me he is a Spartan also, our armor lets us make it through the toughest of battles. Let's not forget the devastating atrocity at Installation 04, or halo, I was called to duty for. It is tough leaving home to go to war, but to leave Earth and travel to a distant galaxy and fight on an ancient forerunner structure, which is another thing. Its not easy being a marine, but having the Spartan-II MJOLNIR makes us nearly invincible.
Speaking of nearly invincible, it's a good thing, because up in the bushes I could see something. I'm not sure what it was, but it was something something green, and bulky. I cautiously walked over to the bush, while being as quiet as possible, I peered into the bush. It was Chris, but I didn't want to just say something, I could scare him into shooting the crap out of me. I had to do something so he would know it was me. Back when we were about 15, at the Spartan Training Facility based on REACH they taught us a call so we could find each other. I backed away from the bushes, and then I quietly said three times, Olli Olli oxen free, Olli Olli oxen free, Olli Olli oxen free. Just then I heard a voice, it was Chris, he could not believe that I had gotten here as quickly as I did. All I told him was that it was in us, our Spartan abilities allow us to move a lot faster than the marines.
Now that I and Chris were back in a group, we could try and ambush the Covenant congregation that was working its way, fast, up the mountain. This was the point that Chris and I had to focus; we could not let the Covenant overpower us, but most definitely could not let them win this war against us and all of humanity. It just can't happen, I won't let it happen to us, the Covenant will not destroy Earth. Ok now that we were traveling again, I could regain some thought and try to pursue my mission against the Covenant forces. However, it may take longer than I or the UNSC expected.
Chris and I had just topped the crest of the next hill, and what was on the other side, didn't look too good. Off in the distance, as far as we could see, there was Covenant, lots of them. This just turned my plans for survival upside down. An explosion rocked the Earth and deep thunder rumbled. It came from far off in the distance, but it was still ear piercing. It sounded like one of the plasma cannons located on the bottom of the Covenant Capital ships, and they are ear piercing. It had to be one of them that we heard.
All the Covenant forces that were located in the valley below were watching the top of the hills, they were looking for there congregation group that they had sent up to try to find us. They knew that we were here; we just had to make it look like we had left. Knowing the ways of the Covenant forces, that would be difficult to accomplish, but it wouldn't be impossible. All we had to do was outsmart them, but even that would be a difficult task. Chris and I knew that with the UNSC forces they were sending to help us we could complete this mission within 2 or 3 days, but I was not sure how much time we had.
We were now more then halfway down the mountain, when the Covenant resistance was getting stronger. They were grouping up like they had done at REACH, only there were more of them, lots more. There were at least 50, 000 troops present, and I don't know how many more there were in the Capital ships and Cruisers. Chris and I just stood there for a few minutes just staring at the hordes of Covenant that stood before us; both knowing in our minds that it would take a lot of well executed tactics to survive this one.
As we reached the base of the mountain, the covenant had already spotted us from about halfway down. They were assembling ambush parties that were headed for our location. Here they come with their Plasma Pistols and their Needlers, and we got Sniper Rifles and MLRV Turrets on the Warthogs. This was going to be an interesting war. I stopped to think about how similar this was to the war between us and the Covenant on Halo, and the Flood.
Chris and I were talking to each other about the massive size of the Covenant Armada that was before us. When all of the sudden, completely, out of nowhere, it starts. All hell breaks loose within a matter of seconds. There were Particle Beams whizzing over our heads, complete with Plasma Rifle fire, and Needlers too. They had Plasma Grenades, just an arsenal of extraordinary weaponry, so many more years of advanced weaponry than us, how could they have achieved this. Even at the battle on Halo, they did not have this kind of destructive fire power.
Then it all became real to me. I looked at Chris and I told him that even today we could die here, but we will not let that happen under any circumstances. Within these few hours, all could be fine, or the whole planet earth could be devastated. It was up to us and all of the other UNSC Personnel to finish this fight. After all, we were just sent in to accomplish a very risky Sniper mission, but we haven't completed the checklist yet.
I had found another dip in the trail that maybe we could find some cover in. We crouched, but then we fell to our stomachs as Particle Beam fire was coming at us again. I crawled forward and peered over the edge of the rise. A lush green valley stretched out before me. In the distance, the silvery reflections of the Big Horn River twisted through the thick forest. Aside from a flock of birds that wheeled overhead, there was no activity below. The Covenant had ceased fire for now. I inched back to a blackened, hollow tree stump and crawled inside.
Chris and I sat inside the hollowed-out cedar stump. It muffled our conversations and insulated them from the Covenants' Hunters. I whispered to Chris that it was all clear for now. We couldn't just set here and let the Covenant get closer to reaching their ultimate goal: Destruction of all human life! No we had to stop them for the sake of Earth, and we wouldn't have it any other way.
Time has moved steadily by since the days that I dealt with the Covenant that dreadful day on Mt. Kilimanjaro. I look back and see how far, but yet awful close, we took the war to save Earth and all of humanity that day. What was a simple Sniper Recon mission, turned out to be one of the UNSC's most sought after fights against the strange alien race that called themselves the Covenant. It was a difficult yet rewarding victory; I could not imagine what it would be like without earth. I think maybe that's what the people on REACH were thinking when they were being attacked by the enemy that feared nothing.
I have moved on to becoming Master Chief of the UNSC's newest 117th Sniper Recon. On May 26, 2562, which was last year I was awarded the medal for most kills for using only an S2-AM Sniper Rifle in the war at Kilimanjaro. I look back on those days and know that the Covenant could return at any given time. Chris has just recently received a medal for best marksman with an S2-AM Sniper Rifle, and has become a second ranked Sgt in the 117th Sniper Recon. I still keep in touch with him, but we try not to talk about the war, we just see how everyone is doing.
--"I sure hope no other UNSC Marine has to see any events like the events that I witnessed at Halo and the war at Mt. Kilimanjaro. I know that Humanity is safe for now…"—
-Justin Icenhour
Master Chief (UNSC 117th Sniper Recon)
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