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Crystal carnage pt.1
Posted By: Osiris<osiris187@hotmail.com>
Date: 25 June 2005, 3:41 am


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Please bear with me the real action starts in pt2.



Date: July 28th 2552, 2300 hrs.
Location: On board UNSC frigate Cerberus, Task force Trinity in high orbit around the planet Beta Deneb, Deneb star system 3294 light years from the Sol system.

I hate being this far from home……Earth. To this date it's been 3 years and 287 days since I left the sol system and I haven't been back since. My name is lieutenant Marcus Ryan UNSC Marine Corps. One of the 150 marines aboard the Cerberus and CO of Delta squad.
Why are we here? Beta Deneb is a backwater mining colony, about 500 000 settlers, that's probably why the covies missed it. Quite recently however the miners discovered some kinda crystal that's got the ONI brain boys going out of their minds. Apparently it amplifies light better than any other crystal, natural or synthetic that's ever been found, perfect for making high powered lasers. I've heard rumors that it amplifies them so much so that space based lasers may even be possible with them. Personally I couldn't care less about crystal mining but if it'll help make a weapon to bbq some covies I'm all for it. Now, about 4 days ago a covenant scout ship came across this system, scanned it and then jumped, for reinforcements most likely. We're here to provide security and get as much of those crystals off this rock as we can before things get really hot.
Task force Trinity comprises of the frigates Cerberus and Manticore 150 marines, 12 ODSTs each, the destroyers Jormugand and Neptune 190 marines, 20 ODSTs each, the Cruiser Bellerophon, 250 marines, 40 ODSTs, the science vessel Quasar and four heavy transports Colossus, Santa Ana, Strong Arm and Claymore. All told 930 Marines 104 ODSTs.
We've been here been here for 2 days and the loading of the heavy transports is well under way but the uncomfortable thing is that the covenant aren't. By all account they should have been here by now. Captain Padfield told me after returning form a meeting with Captain Abrams, the captain of the Bellerophon in overall command of the task force, that the covenant probably don't consider this backwater a high priority. 500 000 settlers aren't much of a threat. I wish I could see the look on their ugly faces when they show up here and find our taskforce waiting for them, assuming they show up before we get the crystals and evac the colonists.

July 29th 2552, 0600 hrs
In tense times like this, breakfast with my squad offers a little relief from all the stress of war. My squad consists of Sgt. Terence Wallace, Corpral Maria Alverez, Pfc. John Mitchell, Pfc. Thomas Jones and Privates Xander Freeling, Jason Woo and Peter Eamon. A damn fine squad, all combat veterans, together we've been through 5 battles with the covies. Wallace has survived 10 and I'm glad to have him as my second in command. Jones, Freeling and Alveres were making jokes about grunts when Sarg leaned over and said "L.T. I got a bad feeling today." " Sure as hell those covie bastards'll show up and they're do it soon." The Sarg has a 6th sense about these things so I said "Ok marines, Sarg's 6th sense is kicking it so finish your meals, head to the weapons lockers and be ready for anything." They all acknowledged the order. Five minutes later klaxons started blaring and the com jumped to life " this is Captain Padfield, two covenant ships have been detected at the systems edge." "Thermal imagery confirms one scout ship and one assault carrier." " ODSTs prepare to drop, marines gear up and head for the pelicans, you're going planet side, security details to your stations, if it's a fight these alien bastards are looking for that's exactly what they're gonna get, Padfield out." Sarg was right again, the covenant had come.
Three minutes later, we were all strapped into a pelican, Alverez with her S2AM and 2 M6Cs, Eamon rocket jockeying what a BR55 for backup, Woo was carrying and SMG, an M6C and a backpack full of C12, 2 lotus antitank mines and detonators (he's a really big guy), Jones was carrying dual SMGs , a pistol and two belts of nades (incendiary and frag) , the rest of us hard BR55s, a belt of grenades and assorted small arms. Delta squad would be dropping with Sierra squad (also in the pelican) to help 6 ODSTs headed by Major Harley to secure one of the larger mining camps on the planet. Seconds later we were rocketing towards the planet, looking out one of the viewports I saw the taskforce moving into a defensive formation. The battle was about to begin.





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