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The Story of a marine; Ch. 2
Posted By: Ugly Wimp<uglywimp@gmail.com>
Date: 28 May 2007, 12:32 pm
Read/Post Comments
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Chapter 2
0912 Hours, October 19, 2551 (Military Calendar/)
Epsilon Erandi System, Reach Military Complex, planet Reach
"Pushups, pushups, go, go, go!" the drill sergeant screamed at the recruits again.
After being taken to a former passenger ship, the recruits went to Reach, and arrived at the training facility. They were woken up with buzz batons and had not stopped moving since. Andrew was not a weakling, but this was insane. They just kept going and going, and he himself did not know how he was able to keep bringing himself up after feeling sure that he could not do any more, and would have his face smashed in by the sergeant.
His training was just like every other soldier who had ever passed through Reach. Various exercises, obstacle courses, weapon training simulation, and everything else that would make an ordinary civilian into a top-class soldier. The training was more abbreviated; the UNSC needed twice then men in half the time to replace all those lost in combat, but very few people actually knew this.
Like most foot soldiers, he would be equipped with an MA5B Assault rifle, two fragmentation grenades, and an M6D Pistol. But unlike most soldiers, he was sent in as an individual replacement, rather than a new unit, and was sent out to the Zeta Corliss System, where he was stationed on the only habitable planet, Lars Grannus II.
"I don't understand you," Ray Beavers, a member of Andrew's new squad, said with a laugh. "I have never seen anyone so obsessed with birds. Seriously, do you ever look at anything else?"
"They said the Jackals look kind of like birds. I'll watch them," Andrew replied with a smile.
"Look," Sergeant McKinney said, "the important thing here is that you don't do anything stupid. That means don't try to be a hero and use your assault rifle full auto. It's a good way to die. Use controlled bursts, they are the most effective. Other than that, listen to me and to me only. Also, ignore Roberts."
"Hey!" Roberts said with mild indignation. "I think we should ignore you Sarge.
They were stationed in Kruger, the Planetary Capital, and Waldron was surprised at how little action there was. There were reports from other planets on occasion. Target practice, some drills, but other than that, they had a lot of time to themselves. "This is kind of boring," Waldron said one day.
"Boring?" Roberts asked. "Well you haven't been in real combat. You'll be glad for moments like these. You won't understand until the Covenant come. But I wouldn't worry about it. We are one of the farthest planets, so they should be here soon…"
April 11, 2552 dawned like any other day. Andrew stood outside the barracks, watching some of the planet's native birds, when a private ran out and shouted, "The Covenant, they've been spotted in space!" Soon a similar message was broadcast over the loud speakers. A chill ran through Waldron's blood. He ran to the locker room, put on his armor and helmet, and realized he was shaking the whole time.
"Platoon 54 and 56, you are to move out to the motor bay and take a convoy of Warthogs to escort a Scorpion MBT to destroy a Covenant heavy plasma turret in the Kruger planetary wildlife refuge," said the voice over his helmet speakers. They moved out and mounted up.
The `Hogs set out and made decent time to the refuge. About halfway there, they received a report that a Covenant unit was closing in on their rear, so several `Hogs stayed behind, and Andrew was in one of them. They set up a defensive perimeter, and soon the Covenant came calling, arriving in their odd U-shaped drop ships, charging, and getting beaten back. It did not take long before the battle was over…
[If you have not, read the prologue now]
The Scorpion drove down the congested causeway, swamped with civilian vehicles, all attempting to make it to the city and off the planet. Andrew was not in the mood for another battle. The whole thing was way to frightening, and he did not want to do it again.
"What happened?" Sergeant McKinney asked. "To everyone else, I mean."
"Well," The marine said, "we got to the gun, and it hit the fan. There were heavier defenses than we thought, so we had to send the `Hogs in first, and pretty soon they were all blown up. Well, the four of us came in, only I came out. We hit the gun and picked you up. Not much more than that." There was silence.
They drove along, and soon came in view of the Lars Grannus II Planetary Library of Records. The once majestic building was embroiled in combat, and even at a distance of a mile, he could see the flying bullets and plasma bolts. Suddenly, a stream of Pelicans flew in, and began air lifting troops, while Short swords, Long sword, and Sparrow Hawks provided cover.
"That's the plan of our guys," the marine said. "The Covenant landed on the planet to try to get info from that planet side database. But the Cole Protocol says planet side data base are to be cleared, but we were fightin' like it was important. Now we spring the trap." Then, a stream of 30 Archer missiles shot from the sky, and impacted on the building. The explosion was enormous, the sound, deafening, and then a swarm of bombers and fighters mopped up the survivors.
"We don't have long before they check a personal computer, and see it's clear too," the marine whispered. They pulled off the road onto an exit ramp, and headed down an empty side street. Empty was an understatement. Abandoned was a better word.
Soon though, two shadows rounded a corner. A split-second later, the tank fired, and one of the vehicles exploded, and sent bodies flying. After a series of clanks, a second round fired from the tank gun, and the second shadow blew up. Then, a wraith came around. "Get off the tank!" Beavers shouted as an orb of plasma issued from the top of the odd vehicle. It came down, right behind the tank. The other marine was dead.
They ran. The tank fired one shot, as did the wraith. The tank's shot hit the wraith, and the vehicle smoked, but was not destroyed. The Scorpion fired again, and this time, the wraith exploded. But the wraith's second shot came down a split-second later, and hit its mark. The Scorpion detonated.
"Come on," Beavers said, "We have to get out of here," They ran down the street, toward the center of the city. Then, they came upon a group of Covenant soldiers, slowly advancing on a group of marines.
"Hold up," McKinney said, "arm grenades, and throw on my mark. Then mop them up while they're confused." They each pulled out a frag grenade, and got ready to throw. "Now!" McKinney shouted. Three grenades landed at the feet of the grunts and Jackals, and exploded, sending bodies flying and blood spurting. Then, they opened up with a barrage of AR fire, which cut through the survivors. But they were too late. All the other marines were dead.
"Look!" Waldron said. "There's still a Warthog." They got in, and it was a short ride to the city center.
The place itself was crowded with Pelicans, Albatrosses, and the civilian freighters were all being loaded with civilians and military personnel. An annoyed looking staff sergeant walked up to them, "Unit?" he asked them.
"Platoon 54, though this isn't our `Hog. Everyone else in our and platoon 56 is dead." Sergeant McKinney said without even the slightest wavering of his voice.
"Damn," the staff sergeant muttered. "Command was hopping for no complete KIA's. Alright, get on transport 45." They found their way to the pelican, and found it loaded with children. The pilot heckled them about children being more important, but McKinney showed him the orders, so they got in and took off
The pelican climbed rapidly into the outer atmosphere, and soon joined up with the carrier New York. It was a massive ship, and the loading bay was filled with people. As the bay door opened, a private on personnel control grimaced at the sight of another heard of children. "Go into barracks 256S, get settled there," was the command they were given. They quickly dashed to the location, where there was a view screen, with many men clustered around it.
"What's happening?" Andrew asked.
"The Covenant are closing, maybe attacking," someone said. Everyone watched attentively as a group of odd shaped sleek white ships closed on the ten destroyers that surrounded the carrier. There were only four Covenant ships on the attack, but another two were hovering near the planet. Then, six more Covenant frigates exited Slipspace, and turned toward the human fleet.
Then, all the ships shuttered as Magnetic Accelerator Cannon rounds fired from their guns, and pounded the closest four ships, their shields sparkled and died, and two were destroyed in the barrage.
Suddenly, the carrier and tree destroys turned around, and fired their Archer Missiles. The camera view switched to the aft camera. The two remaining Covenant ships opened fire, and two destroyers were destroyed. A salvo of Archer missiles from the departing ships finished them off, and then the carrier jumped into slipspace.
"Do you think they'll win?" Andrew asked.
"Win?" a marine asked quietly. "They are going to hold the Covenant long enough so they can't follow us into slipspace. They might take a few of them with them though."
Silence followed. Waldron lay down in a bunk, and was surprised he was alive.
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