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MARINES: Operation 2
Posted By: Matt Anderson<RaptorV22@hotmail.com>
Date: 12 March 2003, 3:01 AM
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MARINES
Operation 2: Feet First into Hell (part one)
Jim stood at the back of the pelican, gripping an overhead handle. The pelican shook so much it was almost as if it would fall apart. It always did. It was dark outside. The rumbling of the jet engines filled the room with a constant noise. Ryan sat harnessed to one of the chairs that formed a long row down the left side of the craft. Other paratroopers did the same. Charlie company was part of the 105th Helljumpers. Able company was what earned the group its infamous cowboy reputation, in the battle of Signi. They were on a mission toward which they had been training. Fleet Command had cut their training short to deal with a crisis that needed their immediate attention.
A group of rebel Covenant sympathizers, calling themselves the Hammer of Light, made them selves known by bombing many key locations, which were not disclosed. They had seized control of France and parts of Germany, and were retaliating against the UN Hegemony. On top of that, Covenant forces had jumped in-system and were being momentarily held off at Jupiter. The 105th- Including Charlie team, were being sent in behind enemy lines, much as the 101st did on D-Day nearly 600 years before. As far as they knew, they were going in hot.
Other marines filled the pelican, 13 in all. Twelve other pelicans flew along side them, containing other companies. Ryan ran his fingers over over his necklace, shaped in the form of a cross. Other marines did other things to prepare themselves mentally. They were all terrified. This was their first mission, and their training that had been cut short made them all dangerously green.
A marine awoke to the sound of a bang. Ahead of them the clouds flashed with lightning. One of the two pilots looked outside. The clouds passed, and revealed the flashes to be the onslaught of possibly a dozen FLAK cannons. The pilot thumbed a button.
Jim looked as he saw the red jump light come on. He turned around and faced the others. He held up three fingers. "Get ready!" he had to yell to be heard over the scream of the engines. The marines looked up at him, and struggled to fasten their helmets as they bounced around from the shaking. Jim lifted his hand palm up. "Stand up!" Immediately every soldier stood, gripping something for support. The room was filled with red light. He motioned again, this time with his finger hooked. "Hook up!" A succession of metallic pangs, and each one was tethered to the safety rail above them. "Equipment check!" each marines turned around, and checked each others harnesses and straps. "Sound off for equipment check!" each marine called off their numbers.
"Ten OK!"
"Nine OK!"
"Eight OK!"
"Seven OK!"
"Six OK!"
"Five OK!"
"Four OK!"
"Three OK!"
"Two OK!"
"One OK!"
A blast rocked the plane, each marine braced himself. The FLAK was getting closer, the shell barely missed the plane. Across the fly, other pelicans were in the same situation. A blast hit under the wing, severely rocking the plane, but the wing remained intact. Marines fell over from the shock, others staggered.
Jim jumped back as a blast almost hit the door, a wave of heat fell over him. He looked back outside. The other pelicans were no better off. The pelican next to them was hit directly in its middle. The hull collapsed upon itself, exploded, and fell off towards the ground.
An explosion shattered one of the windows; glass flew into a marines face, and he screamed as blood leaked from the wound. "Guaaahh!! I've been hit! Christ!" other marines attended to him. Another blast rocked the plane. The pilot looked out the side. Flames licked out of the engines, then spread and covered it. "Jesus.. Tell him to get them out of there!" his co pilot nodded, and flicked a switch above him. A pelican in front of them's wing exploded, and it fell straight in to their flight path. The pilot tried to swerve the plane, but the crippled pelican fell out and spiraled towards the earth at the last second.
The light went green. "GO, GO, GO!" Jim stepped back, and "helped" the other paratroopers with their fears by nudging them as they passed. One by one they jumped out, their parachutes opening almost immediately. "Jump, jump, jump!"
A shock rocked the craft, and a marine was thrown out. His parachute didn't open. Finally, when Ryan and the others had jumped, Jim jumped out. He tumbled for a second, found his rip cord, pulled it, and felt like he was being yanked back as it opened. Flack blasts exploded in every direction; their explosions illuminating the dozens upon dozens of paratroopers in the air. Some themselves got struck. A blast exploded nearby, barely missing him, but striking a marine above. Finally he passed the safe point, where the flack couldn't touch him. He looked down, the ground seemed to grow, and he felt a wave of vertigo. He hung there, watching the scene in front of him. He hit the ground, rolled, and immediately got up and struggled to get his chute off. He did so, kneeled, and went through his supplies. He had lost his gun, and one of his packs on the way down. A marine dropped next to him, Paren, from his company. Jim ran up to him, kneeled. Paren struggled with his gear, hurriedly trying to unfasten everything. Jim helped him, clipped off his parachute. He nodded to a pack around his waist. "Loose that pack, soldier." "Yes sir! I dropped my gun on the way down , sir! And my radio, and my batteries..." "Yeah? Me too." they looked around, Jim waited for Paren to catch his breath. It was pitch black, except for the constant flack explosions. The sound of the turrets and the planes overhead filled the air. Jim patted Paren on the shoulder. "Follow me."
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