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  • Subject: Soldier's Journey
Subject: Soldier's Journey
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"If something is easy, broken, cheap or can be abused, majority of the population will support it as a legit and or skilled concept/idea. Whatever people like and or love, they will thrive on it because no matter how broken it maybe, they do not like change."

Death was everywhere when I went inside the Zanzibar Hotel. Inside, looked more like a tombstone than a lofty hallway. Bodies of Grunts, Elites and Jackals laid everywhere along the dim lit hallway. The coagulation of their blood meant something more terrible than a battle rifle shot to their cranium. As I walked out the other end of the Hotel, I noticed an Ivory Tower just across the street with Alpha Squad posted inside of it. All that was left of my squad was me and a pouch full of dog tags waiting for a sanctuary for their final resting place.

Their commanding officer approached me and debriefed the situation in three quick sentences. It was now clear that this was our UNSC turf, but we have to fight here and bring containment to the outspread of the Covenant threat.

I had been posted in the building next to Alpha squad. As I sat next to a shattered window on the second floor, I laid my eyes on a Waterworks Co. water container. I had forgotten my thirst for sometime now and now realized the need for it. I got up off the crate and walked over to the dusty container. The floor creaked and cracked, for the foundation of the building seemed to have almost reached its peak in its state.

The ground shook as Phantoms thundered the sky over the area. Almost immediately I gripped my battle rifle and crouched next to the wall. I was so close to tasting water, but war is upon us soon. Three phantoms covered in the sky as I peered out the window for a glimpse of the situation, the midship had departed all of its battle crew then the other two followed. The building that I laid low in towered closely to the left Phantom. I had a crazy strategic idea that might work if executed perfectly. Time was running out and I hastily decided to go for it.

My heart pounded twice as fast as normal as I ran across the room and planted my right foot firmly on the window sill for a split second to have the right jump ascension onto the ship.

My body felt heavy but the jump was short enough for an O D S T soldier to land inside the opening where the Grunt handled the plasma cannon. My body rolled into the ship as the Grunt quickly turned around and yelled with a squeaky high pitched voice ''Intruder!''

With my rifle still in my hand, I quickly head butted the Grunt off the ship. The sound of the Grunt faded quickly as other voices arose from the ground. My instinct we're to ignore the chaotic voices from groundside and focus on the task at hand. My eyes quickly spotted a terminal as I looked around for any communication devices. Weird symbols flashed blue then purple making a mechanical sound. I knew very well I was lockout of the system and I had to make sure this ship does not make it back.

The door behind me opened making a very crisp sliding sound. Almost instantaneously my hand gripped my battle rifle and I quickly turn to face my foe. The elongation of his neck immediately captures my attention. An Elite, with white and silver colored Armor. The Elite quickly let out a battle cry as he energized his sword that he carried in his left hand. I had no other option but to fight him head on. I had strafed what little space of the wall behind me to gain as much distance as I could against the Elite. He closed in on my slowly making a chuckle of a laugh as I searched for a plasma grenade along my waist. I felt a round shaped device on the right side of my waist. My hands shook and I grabbed the grenade and activated it.

With the sword held in front of him he charged at me with his full speed. With not a moment to waste, I quickly dived towards the plasma cannon and stuck the Elite with the plasma grenade on his left shoulder. He exclaimed at the pain as the explosion blew apart of the deck off. My hands held onto the floor of the ship as my body hangs from the ship. The Phantom tipped sideways a little bit due to the explosion as what was left of the elite slowly fell out of the ship and dropped into the backwash of the waters.

I looked under the ship to grasp a good sense of my location. My eyes quickly spotted a burial mounds and a colossus of a ship. Using all my strength I climbed back up the half destroyed deck of the ship. My eyes noted the desolation of the ship which calmed my thoughts. The ship still soared through the skies which did not change my plans to destroy this Phantom. Through the door I treaded slowly to the drop room where all the Elite and Grunts would depart the ship. My eyes caught something embedded on the front wall, a few symbols in golden color that most likely had a significant meaning. Using my portable translator I quickly decipher its meaning. ''Gemini'', an interesting name for such a small ship that served only as a transport.

As I approached the front of the ship, I heard two voices chattering with one another. I looked at my ammo and my grenades to make sure I had enough for another confrontation. Two fragmentation grenades and one plasma grenade with a full clip of Battle rifle Ammo. I paced myself back away from the cockpit door and squeezed the trigger twice to alert the pilots.
Moments later the door begun to open as the voices became clearer. Using the frag grenades, I quickly threw them into the corridor as the door opened. The explosion rocked the ship as I aim and shot at both Elites.

They grunted weak sounds as death filled their veins. The Phantom had become unstable and arced downwards for a crash. I gazed into the cockpit and spotted out the window of the pilot's seat a headlonged UNSC ship. I tumbled onto my back as the ship quickly spiraled downwards. As the ship rocked back and forth, I made my way back to the plasma cannon deck and gripped onto the ripped floor. I lifted my body out the ship with my hands holding onto the deck once more. With my left hand I grabbed my last grenade, armed it and threw it onto one of the engines on the back of the Phantom.

After my fingers let go of the alienated relic known as a ''Phantom'', my descent into the waters of the African Ocean was relieving and relaxing. It had felt like the weight of the world had been taken off my shoulders for those few moments. The work I had done today might of been questionable by nature, but I did enough to have one less operational Covenant ship on my home: Earth.

  • 04.04.2009 10:13 AM PDT
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"If something is easy, broken, cheap or can be abused, majority of the population will support it as a legit and or skilled concept/idea. Whatever people like and or love, they will thrive on it because no matter how broken it maybe, they do not like change."

My eyes cried out pain as my hands got a hold of the hard floored bed that was behind the bars that imprisoned me inside the brig. Two MP's stood in front of the jailed cell as I faintly overhear their conversations. The armor had been stripped from me, and my helmet was nowhere to be seen. As I coughed, my throat had become dry from my descent from the Phantom into the ocean. My body ached with pain and my movements we're sluggish but just enough strength to pull myself up right.

The two MP's outside the brig snapped a crisp salute to the commanding office that approached them. I had forced my hand to give the same respect to him despite my situation. He had looked at me as if he was scanning my whole body for any evidence to send me to Halzberg UNSC Detention Center. I had assumed that's where all traitors went according to the rumors went around. He wore crisp clean Captain's issued attire and his medals presented to the left of his front.

''Do you know why you're here son?'' He commanded his question quickly.

I had thought of an answer quickly, but then hesitated to reply with such a rationed statement. A few moments later I answered to his command.
''If I were to attempt a guess, I would say my report.'' I replied with the truth of my best answer. Although I had almost wished I never gave the report that I was needed to give.

''Son, you have deserted Alpha Squad in the pursuit of a single Covenant transport ship
That already jettisoned its main crew for battle.'' He quickly fired his response than paused for a few moments to breathe in and then exercised more of his mouth. ''Our reports indicated nothing more than a skeleton crew on that ship after they deployed twenty-five of the Covenant's Brutes, Grunts and Jackals in the area where Alpha was positioned.''

His breathe ran dry after that sentence reached my ears. My shoulders felt like two worlds had been weighing on top of them after the Captain shot his mouth at me.

''Captain Korven, with all due respect-'' I had tried to protest, but he interjected my sentence before I could finish.

''I'm not finished with you yet.'' He yelled. His eyes expressed fury and anger at the same time as he firmly pointed his finger at me. ''So your whole squad was KIA then you receive orders from Lieutenant Venler to stay behind the Zanzibar hotel. Then you thought it was better to go gallivanting onto a Phantom to defeat a skeleton crew than stay and fight like you were told?'' He listed then exhaled deeply with disappointment.

''I judged that to be the right situation to take down a craft that could have carried more Covenant in the future.'' I replied as I stood firmly to take in what he was about to throw at me.

''Your judgment, contradicted orders and you turned your back on all those who died in your squad. I'm going to confirm the report with Alpha squad in sixty minutes, then I'm going to send you to a place where you'll never step foot on the battlefield again.'' He quickly responded.

Captain Korven exited the brig then the doors closed behind him. His words pierced my mind but didn't change how I felt about what I did. With Alpha squads report as evidence I was well on my way to another jail cell.

  • 04.04.2009 10:26 AM PDT
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"If something is easy, broken, cheap or can be abused, majority of the population will support it as a legit and or skilled concept/idea. Whatever people like and or love, they will thrive on it because no matter how broken it maybe, they do not like change."

The docking bay of the UNSC ship Halcyon, had been filled with Pelicans, Scorpions, Longswords and Worthogs. Some vehicles and ships were being repaired from recent battles and other being deployed back into the midst of war. Work crews and Marines ran across the dock left and right like ants scavenging for food. A Pelican emerges from the entrance of the bay and promptly lands on the cold steel floor making a rumbling sound.

The two MP's from the brig accompanied me towards the Pelican as I wondered the purpose of my presence in the docking bay. The Captain appeared from behind a Longsword along with two pilots and an ODST soldier. The sound pollution inside the bay made it hard to make out what was said but, I knew he was giving orders. After a few moments the Captain Korven approached me and gave me a smudged look. With no intent to return any gesture, my eyes looked elsewhere at the crew departing the Pelican. It was Alpha Squad.

''Lt. Venler of Alpha Squad, as you requesting Sir!'' He snapped a salute as he stated his name & rank.

''At ease soldier.'' The Captain commanded.

Korven seemed quite happy to actually see Alpha squad here. He was intent on locking me away for good. It had occurred to me that not all soldiers of the war had the same outlook and the same enthusiasm as I did.

''I'd like to first congratulate you in your victory in defeating the Covenant forces around your area.'' He continued as he gestured a handshake to the Lieutenant.

''Thank you, we had the strategic advantage and well placed explosives.'' Venler replied. ''We did suffer two casualties but their death was not in vein, Sir.''

The Captain motioned me to step forth and present myself to Alpha squad.
''Is this one of your casualties?'' Korven asked.

''Private Lukas?'' The Lieutenant replied. His expression spelled out amazement and curiosity. ''I had counted your death as KIA along with Private Nolar since we could not locate you after the battle had ended.''

Captain Korven cleared his throat then presented the report I had given to him. ''Private Lukas was found in the waters of the African Ocean.'' He answered. ''After we picked him up, he reported that he engaged a Phantom and disabled it after the battle crew was dropped.''

The other soldiers from Alpha squad looked over to me with a very intimidating look. Looking at their faces, I couldn't discern their reaction to what was just said.

''Are you implying that Private Lukas deserted us on purpose?'' Venler wondered. He looked as if he was now both shocked and surprised.

''I had them send you my way to confirm his report, so we can send him on his way.'' The Captain replied. ''It seems he's telling the truth.''

''Well, I can say only this Captain.'' He responded respectively. Venler paused a brief moment then looked straight at Korven. ''Private Lukas, on behalf of Alpha squad, I'd like to thank you for providing us a distraction and helping us disable a Phantom. The ground troops were easily distracted due to your diversion on the Phantom, if that is indeed your doing. We were able to disable the other two Phantoms and the ground troops were easy to pick off with our well placed Lotus mine that set up in the middle of the streets.''

The Lieutenant extended his hand towards me to congratulate me on the success of the mission. I was inclined to return the same sentiment, but my gut had had hesitation written all over it.

The Captain looked at me like he wanted my head on a shiny silver platter for dinner. I finally forced my hand towards Venler for a handshake.

''I'm glad I could h-'' I answered as the floor shook wildly.

Many crew men and pilots fell to the floor as the ship rocked rapidly. The Captain rushed to the intercom to get a sit rep from the bridge.

''What's our status?'' Korven barked into the intercom.

A few moments later, someone answered on the other side as static filled the channel.

''We're under attack.....Coven-.......forces straight ahead......Estimat-.....ten Phant-.......sixteen Banshee and one Flag shi-. Captain to the brid-....'' The officer reported.

The intercom went silent for a few moments then static filled the channel. Korven turned around and started issuing orders to the Longsword and the Pelican pilots.

''Suit up, looks like this battle isn't over.'' Venler said. His hand was on my left shoulder as he smiled upon my face. ''Welcome to Alpha Squad.''

  • 04.04.2009 11:23 AM PDT