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Distant Soldiers: Like Ghosts
Posted By: X Weary Gunner X<lmarvin@comcast.net>
Date: 22 February 2008, 1:33 am


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Uncontrolled Planet, Taraus System
November 12, 2527

"on battlefields too distant to be easily recalled"- Spartan-117

They walked down the cruiser's long hallway towards the briefing room. Spartan-060 sat next to his friends, and squad mates. He reached his hand up to his head and iched his shaggy red hair. To his left, was Spartan-041,Layla. Her long brown hair cascaded down the sides of her head. Only in briefing rooms, is where you can see her hair like that because when shes sniping tangos you don't even see where she is. To his right, was Spartan 73,Todd. His short black hair was bearly visbale and when he stood he towered over you.

Silence filled the room, but a creek from the door ended it when the Spartans snapped to attention.

"At ease." said Admiral Waters. The relatively sized man looked like an angel with the bright white Navy officer's uniform he wore as he walked in. "We have a new mission unlike any other you'll do. Its a planet a couple hundred miles from the outskirts of UNSC controlled space."
The team shared their different facial remarks. Some confused and others just saying no.

"An acient ruin has been discovered by colonials that are living on the planet." his voice trails off. "Then we recieved this." the Admiral picks up a remote, points it at the wall, and a voice channel message comes into view. All that was heard was screams of horror, and sobs of sadness.

The message ends and a brief silence once again fills the room.

"Could it of been those things that torched Harvest?" asked Todd.

"Thats what were thinking." replied the Admiral. "So Spartan-060 you'll lead your squad to search for survivors, and take a look inside the ruin."

The three got up, gave a quick salute and started to walk for the door. "Oh theres more." the naval officer added in. They stopped and all eyes were on him. "Your names are now erased, all info from your missions will be classified, and noone can know of your missions."

"Yes, sir." the squad replied in unison.

Walking down the hall again, they turned the corner and suited up in the armory. Piece by piece, the team put on their black armor, and equipped their proper guns. Damien looked over at Todd, He picked up a standard battle rifle, and a M90 Shotgun when things get up close. On the other side of the room, Layla was inspecting her A2 Sniper Rifle and slammed a fresh magazine into the long, slick chrome rifle.

The clanging of his combat boots to the pelican's metal floor, was music to his hears, as much as bullet fire was. He sat down, so did Layla, but Todd stood holding the handle looking down on the tree scattered terrain. Damien remembered what the Admiral said. No names, Classified info, but mostly they now had to live like ghosts, but these ghosts never die.

"LZ in 2!" yelled the pilot and the team got ready to go to bussiness.

They jumped safely into the woodland. In a triangular formation they quickly swept the woods, no resistance met. After a brief five minute walk through the forest the town was in sight.

"Gray Team has reached NAV point alpha over." Damien said into the com channel to FLEETCOM on Reach.

"Copy that Gray 1. Your to proceed with your mission and contact us when evac is neede or if you run into trouble over. said the tech on the other side.

"Gray 1 out." and he closed the channel.

A swift hand motion and the team split up, one on the left, the right, and he was in the middle. Damien panned back and forth across the street with his rifle, no contacts. The team entered the town hall where the message was sent from. As they entered, all the remained was motionless bodies covered in blood. Damien looked to his friends, and they began to police the bodies, but he already knew the results.

Among all the red fluid on the floor, a spot of blue fluid caught his eye as he listed the colony as all KIA. He followed the trail and it ended at a dead alien body. It was small, orange, and had a gun-like object clinched in his hands. They had orders to confiscate all alien technology, and take record of what they seen. The others gathered and stared at the biped creature just lying there.

Damien gave the "regroup" signal and the team left the building. Screams, echoes, and death filled their minds as they moved towards the excavated ruin. During the trip to the acient place an unknown flying object passed over their heads, not knowing they were there. They started to run in the direction mapped on their HUDs.

It was huge. It blocked the sun and a shadow was casted over them. As they approached the entrance to the temple, none of those aliens were to be seen. Damien set up his rappel line, and the others followed. Carefully, jumping down the hole in the wall, they dropped into a dark chamber.

"Night vision engaged." Damien said over the team's com link.

Now, easier to see they used their training and searched each room they came past. Footsteps were heard and the three vanished into the shadows. Todd took out his knife, and one of those alien creatures walked by. As fast as light, the combat eagle-eyed knife was lodged into the creature's head, oozing blue blood on the cracked temple floor.

While walking silently as they could more steps were heard along with some noises. Damien gave a hand gesture to Layla, and off she went. Seconds later her voice came in on the com link.

" Im on a ledge above you. I see five of those small aliens, two with shields, and one that looks stronger than the others." reported Layla.

"O.K equip your snipe and ready to fire on the strong one." ordered Damien.

"Todd arm the buckshot ready on me." he stood at the croner of the hallway and the main chamber, and right above was Layla concealed in the dark.

"Go." he said

Four 14.5 bullets entered the tall alien's body and it dropped to the ground. Him and Todd assaulted the center. Damien emptied four bursts into three of the small ones and Todd blasted the ones with the shields, obliterating them in seconds.

Gray Team gathered in the center where an object was in the ground. It was gold with some enscriptions on it.

"FLEETCOM we've got an alien relic in our possesion orders needed." barked Damien over the com.

"Extract the relic and get to the evac point."

Just as he ended the link, green bolts of hot energy, hit the wall right above his head. The team in unison emptied round after round, towards the shadows on the left.

"Let's go!" Damien shouted as he fired his BR.

They soon got to the surface, and squads of aliens swarmed the area. Then from above came purple beams bombarded the squad's position. Quickly running, the team was weak, but still emptying bullets into the bipeds. Damien stopped in mid run as a blue object appeared in front of them.

"Fire in the hole." he yelled and the team jumped away.

Damien rose to his feet, and saw Layla down, still. Todd rushed over and Damien helped him pick up their fellow squad mate.

"Only a few more yards!" Todd shouted.

Blue, green, and purple rays flew over their heads, and they knew only death resulted in them stopping to rest. Breathing heavily, Damien felt the cold feeling of death cover him, but like a miracle from the heavens, the sky teemed with hornets and carpet bombed the sea of alien fucks behind them.

All at once, the three dropped to their knees, thankful. A pelican hovered over thier position and the two hoisted Layla onto the row of seats. Damien sat at the edge as the pelican rose to the sky. Looking down, all he saw was flames. Now, Todd and him only prayed that thier friend recovered and was with them again.









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