 |
About This Site
Daily Musings
News
News Archive
Site Resources
Concept Art
Halo Bulletins
Interviews
Movies
Music
Miscellaneous
Mailbag
HBO PAL
Game Fun
The Halo Story
Tips and Tricks
Fan Creations
Wallpaper
Misc. Art
Fan Fiction
Comics
Logos
Banners
Press Coverage
Halo Reviews
Halo 2 Previews
Press Scans
Community
HBO Forum
Clan HBO Forum
ARG Forum
Links
Admin
Submissions
Uploads
Contact
|
|
|
The Battle for Avalon: 2nd Platoon.
Posted By: Sgt. Hardick<thug13669@yahoo.com>
Date: 13 October 2006, 1:25 am
Read/Post Comments
|
The Claxons and Alarms where blaring as the first of the Covenant drop ships appeared over Avalon. Triple A fire greeted the phantoms and U's as they approached the surface. Skyhawk jump jets and Pelican's loaded with missile pods went up to engage the enemy. Myks platoon had received orders to move from the forest to the City's Government House, and defend it at all costs. As they crossed the last 100 meters of open terrain from the Jungle to the Concrete, signs of damage where already evident.
A skyscraper in the distance began to collapse as a phantom crashed into the side, and subsequently exploded. Civilians were running in every direction, trying to find the nearest shelter. Myk ordered his platoon to split into squads, and precede down three parallel lanes that lead straight to the city center. Seun took 2nd squad and went left, while Derrick took 3rd squad and went right. Myk would stick with Rob and 1rst squad all the way to GH. They crossed the next five blocks without incident, however as they rounded the next corner they walked into a war zone.
A Covy phantom had deposited it's troops in the center of the street, and they had deployed energy shields and 4 shade turrets to defend it. A squad of marines was trying to retake the position however they where being decimated by overwhelming fire. " 3rd squad, attack their right flank with smoke and frags, keep them occupied. 2nd squad, hit them from the left flank, try and take out their shades with your snipers. 1rst will go head to head with them and try to do our part." There where 3 aye, sirs as the squad leaders relayed the information. The covy right flank exploded as 10 frags went off in the center. One of the shades was sent flying, and several grunts were killed, however fire continued to pore from the other shade.
Myk saw a flash from atop a building and quickly knocked Sgt. Rob to the ground. The beam rifle round hit his ankle armor, causing it to smolder and partially melt away. Pvt. Wilson put three rounds from his S2-AM through the jackal, and quickly ended the threat. 2nd squad had already managed to eliminate almost all the defenders on the left flank, and had advanced right up to the covys face. Myk ran up to the corner of the building and took cover. He primed to frags's. He quickly tossed them round the corner, taking out 3 grunts and the last shade. His motion tracker showed movement, and he turned around just in time to be smashed aside by the elite's blow. He stood back up and pulled his 3 bladed knife from his holster. The elite charged forward, so Myk sidestepped. He lunged with all his might and jabbed the knife into the elite's neck. It fell to the ground trying to stop the bleeding, grasping for air. Myk drew his side arm and aimed it at the elites head. He fired once, and the blood splattered his faceplate.
In the 3 minutes he had fought for his life, his platoon had retaken the intersection, and finished off all surviving covy. He walked over and met up with Seun. " We've got 2 WIA, and no KIA, so id consider it a mission success." Considering the frontal assault Myk had expected more casualties. "What about the other marine squad?" Seun tallied the roster for a second, he had to talk with the other squad leader. "He says he's from Charlie Company, 2nd platoon. He's got 5 KIA and 3 WIA." That wasn't good, the squad probably would have been completely decimated if it hadn't been for his men. "Alright tell the Cpl. To have his KIA grouped together and marked for pickup, we'll leave the wounded men here to defend this position, call in for a medical extraction ASAP. Tell the 2 remaining men to hook up with 3rd squad to take over for Valence and Schroder.
They gathered weapons and ammo from the dead, and Myk stopped to swap up his ankle armor with one from a KIA. "Alright lets move out platoon, same formation and street assignments. Only 8 more blocks till GH." The rest of their jog was uneventful, except for the occasional whoosh of a drop ship, either Covy or UNSC. When they arrived at government house the 31 men deployed in the best defensive positions available. Command had given them 5 Portable machine guns and 2 warthogs. So he focus a gun in each tower on the four corners, giving them a good field of view. The last was positioned so that it could cover the rear door. The two Hogs where covering the front door.
Minus the 15 men assigned to vehicles, Myk positioned the rest of his men accordingly. He had five on the roof with snipers, and 2 on each side. The remaining three, himself, Seun, and the squad leader they had rescued, Cpl. Drew Hall, were going to act as a reaction force, moving from action to action, and also acting as ammo carriers. 2 hours went by without incident, then his radio chirped indicating an incoming message. "Sir this is Derrick, I think you should come take a look at this." Derrick was on of the snipers on the roof, so Myk went upstairs. Derrick indicated the street that lead straight to GH. Myk brought his Binoculars up and saw at least 100 grunts, preparing to charge the building.
Contact all units, North side, I repeat North side, Northeast and Northwest towers free to engage, hogs free to engage, 4 snipers engage, remaining cover rear. Reaction team reinforce North wall. East and West wall send one man each. The men got into position and prepared to face the coming assault. The gunners on the hogs pulled back the arming bolts, sliding the first 20mm round into the 6 barreled gun's. The arming bolts of 10 MA5B assault rifles clicked as each round entered the chamber. All four S2-AM rifles opened up on the enemy, engaging them well outside of their range of fire. Myk was happy to see that the anti-material rounds easily over penetrated their targets, causing Methane tanks to explode, and killing many more grunts.
The ground shook as the grunts charged forward, howling for human blood. "Wait till their in range, wait for it, NOW." Shouted Myk. The tracers light up the night sky and grunts began to pile. More Methane explosions killed dozens of grunts each time. Of the original 300 perhaps 50 made it within 100 meters. They where quickly killed by the chain gunners, and it became very quiet again. The defenders went back to their original positions, and heavy machine guns where reloaded. Myk went up to the rooftop and watched as hundreds of tracer rounds went up to greet the covenant invasion force.
The 120mm triple A guns where massive, and he found it hard to believe that anything could survive. It remained quiet all night, and by morning word had reached the platoon that clean up operations could now commence. At roughly 0800 hours, a pelican arrived in front of GH. Captain Mitchell and Major Baker stepped off the troop deck. Myk and Seun both walked over to meet the officers. Major Baker started talking. " Good work today Gentlemen. You did me proud." The Major stared out at the dead grunts, then turned back towards Myk. " How many casualties did you take?" Myk wasn't surprised he asked this question, however was quiet proud of his answer. " Zero KIA, one man with a minor wound to the arm, Sir". The Major had a look of amazement on his face. "Well im glad to hear that at least some of my platoons did alright. Ill let the Captain tell you the bad news."
Cpt. Mitchell wasn't looking his best, his helmet was cracked, and parts of his armor where almost completely burned away. " 1rst platoon was completely lost, 31 KIA. A phantom crashed onto their position and completely engulfed them. 3rd platoon is down to half strength, with 10 KIA and 5 WIA. 4rth platoon has 15 MIA, and presumed KIA." Myk couldn't believe what he just heard. Out of a Company of 125 men, with a presumed 51 KIA and 9 WIA. That was almost a 50% casualty rate. The Major went on. " As such Delta and Charlie Companies are now joining together. Charlie lost all its command staff, and suffered an almost equal number of casualties. Mitchell now has command of the renamed Yankee Company." Myk was saddened by this news, that meant that odds where casualties where this bad all over the planet. " Myk, you are now Yankee's companies second in command, congratulations, First Lieutenant."
It wasn't much of a rank difference, but it gave him a gold bar instead of a silver one. "First Sergeant Seun, you are hereby given a battlefield commission and the rank of Second Lieutenant. You will command 3rd platoon. Sgt. Derrick, you are promoted to Second Lieutenant and given command of 4rth platoon. Sgt. Rob, you are promoted to Second Lieutenant and given command of 1rst platoon. I know its not the best way to be promoted, but you have earned it. Congratulations." Mitchell and Baker re boarded the pelican, and now the job of reconstruction would commence.
EARTH NEWS BROADCAST:
TOTAL CASUALTY REPORT FOR THE BATTLE OF AVALON, 2nd Through 4th Marine Divisions:
2nd Division, Alpha Company- 65 KIA, 32 WIA.
2nd Division, Bravo Company- 45 KIA, 27 WIA
2nd Division, Charlie Company- 55 KIA, 20 WIA
2nd Division, Delta Company- 51 KIA, 9 WIA
3rd Division, Easy Company- 75 KIA, 3 WIA
3rd Division, Fox Company- 23 KIA, 62 WIA
3rd Division, Good Company- 56 KIA, 32 WIA
3rd Division, Hotel Company- 49 KIA, 51 WIA
4th Division, Indigo Company- 125 KIA, No WIA
4th Division, Juliet Company- Off world, Zero KIA, Zero WIA
4th Division, Kilo Company- 69 KIA, 12 WIA
4th Division, Lima Company- 33 KIA, 45 WIA
TOTAL KIA/MIA: 646KIA/293WIA TOTAL CASUALTIES:939/1500 Troops. 63% Casualty Rate.
|
