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"Two to the south, sir. Four to the southeast. A grunt patrol." Whispered Lieutenant Harley into his radio. Master Sergeant Hein saw harley give the hand commands for the squad to spread and assume firing positions. The squad quietly and efficiently moved into the foilage surrounding the grunt patrol, and raised their MA5B assault rifles.
"Wait for my mark," said Hein into the team freq. All around safteys clicked off and fingers rested on triggers. One Private, Foley, trembled as the adrenaline coursed full blast through his veins. His heart rate rapidly increased and sweat began to pour down his face, further dampening his already soaked combat fatigues.
"Easy Foely, take it easy," said Hein. The young Private was inexperienced, and jumpy. He had been transferred to Eagle Company right before they had shipped out on this mission. Hein eyed Foely and willed him to remain calm.
Hein opened the team freq and began to give the signal, when a sudden peal of screaming tore through the air, and Foley began firing wildly. He stood and screamed with fear and crazy stupor. The MA5B dropped to the ground, smoking, and empty. The grunts yelped in suprise and some turned on heel and ran. Several, however, began to open fire on the crazed Marine. Foely reached into his satchel, ignoring the plasma blast the slagged half of his thigh, and drew two frag grenades. He glanced at Hein, right in the eyes, and a demented smile cracked across his bloodied features.
"Hit the deck!" shouted Harley as Foley primed the grenades and let out one final gout of laughter that drew on until it was cut out by the double WHUMP! of the fragmentation greandes. The jungle was whipped aside wildly as chunks of shrapnel tore through trees and branches. Several grunts survived the blasts and lied in the dirt, screaming in agony and attempting to pry free the white hot shrapnel from their wounds. Some had simply been obliterated. Only small pieces of their armor and various limbs lay strewn about.
"Sir!, Ozeranski's been hit!" called Josten, the company medic, as he crouched at the wounded Privates' side. Hein examined the crater where the crazed Marine had killed himself and endangered the lives of his fellow soldiers. Sergeant Hein fell to the ground, his face contorted in grief. His rifle fell at his side. He curled himself into the fetal position and simply wept. The anguish, and death, it was overwhelming. He had seen countless soldiers die in battle, some right next to him. He remembered the cold fear that washed over him when he stepped into the Pelican that had taken him to his first mission, and the inky tendrils of pain that he had felt the first time he had been hit by plasma fire. Memories of battle and death washed through his mind,
Sounds of battle roared across the jungle, it had started, and he had to get his company to the city by nightfall. He pulled himself together, rose to his feet, gathered his rifle, and wiped the tears from his face. His sins and their consequences would have to wait. No more tears, no more fear, it was time to do battle with the Covenant. It was time to win.
A loud BOOM! resounded over the complex as a Scorpion MBT fired it's main cannon at a nearby Wraith mortar tank. The shell pierced through the Covenant tanks' hide and detonated just under its armor. The tank shattered into a million fiery shards. Several Marines whooped and threw their fists into the air, then continued to lay down fire onthe Covenant troops within the complex.
An elite roared in defiance, firing it's plasma rifle wildly at a Marine fire team. The small squad returned fire and cut the elite down, but not before one of them was killed by a plasma bolt. The bolt caught the unlucky Marine inbetween his shoulder blades, and another slagged his right shoulder, the Marine fell to the ground. He had died instantaneously. The remnant of the fire team moved to Hein's position, ducking plasma fire and attempting to return fire at the same time.
"Covering fire!" shouted Hein as what remained of the fire team hurtled the barricade and took up firing positions near Hein. The Eagle Company opened fire in unison at the advancing Covenant forces on the black top of the complex. The sharp staccato cackle of machine gun fire roared and the sheets of lead cut down the Covenant soldiers. The steady crack of the Company snipers pounded out over the air. Grenades flew and detonated in the midst of the enemy, sending limbs and bodies through the air in wild arcs.
As the last of the soldiers fell, a monstrous Covenant dropship roared overhead, it's cannon strobing. Two of Hein's riflemen were cut down by the powerful energy blasts. The company rocket jockeys fired a slavo at the ship. Most detonated harmlessly on it's hull, but two hit the cockpit position and the ship lurched towards the ground. One of the spokes on the fork-shaped prow stabbed into the ground, and sent the dropship tumbling end-for-end across the hardpan. It finally exploded as it plowed into a superstructure at the opposite end of the complex. Cheering went up all around, and Marines fired their rifles into the sky.
Two Warthog LRVs skidded to a halt in front of Hein's position, and a dirtied Corporal jumped from the passenger seat of the rear jeep. The Corporal jogged forward and Hein went out to meet him.
"Afternoon Corporal, how's command?" inquired Hein as he rested the butt of his rifle on his hip.
"Command came under attack at 0600, we were able to repel them, but Command is in tatters. We have people rebuilding, but it will take well into the night before we can stand at 100 percent readiness." answered the Corporal.
"Alright, I'll move my company in to reinforce Command, but we'll need a ride." said Hein, shooting a look over his shoulder at his anxious, and weary soldiers.
"Roger that, we'll call in for transportation, just sit tight." The Corporal snapped a slaute and Hein returned it. The Corporal hopped back into the Warthog and the two jeeps sped off back towards Command.
To be continued...
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