- Agustus
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- Exalted Legendary Member
Some can come away from reading "War and Peace" thinking it a simple adventure story, while others can read the ingredients on a gum wrapper and unlock the secrets of the universe.
Chap 2
As a Spartan, I was never alowed room to think, to question. I learned to follow my orders even if it would likly lead to death. The mission was everything, the death of one soilder seemed a small enough sacrifice. They said that before you die your life flashes before your eyes. My logical mind new this was simply caused by the phisical trauma of death. Completly and perfectly explainable, possible and slightly exagerated.
"Sir, Just got through to the fleet. There sending all available help. A MAC bombardment is out of the question, they have there own problems up there."
This was perfectly expected and therefore I hadn't banked on it. After calmly sniping of two blue elites 100 meters off I turned to the Sergent. Group our main forces on the outside of the hill. Make sure you can't be seen, give up ground if you have to. "Ay sir" said the marine thinking he knew what the towering spartan had in mind. The marine paused as if he had more to say. "Speak your mind Sergent". "Sir, where will you be?" "I'll remain here , with ODST units 593 and 610. Its nessasary for victory." I once again lined up the sniper rifle and took aim. The shot was dead on, hitting a piece of an exposed plasma battery half a foot in diameter 323 yards away. The resulting explosian took out the attached mortar gun along with 3 wraiths and countless infintry.
The flash was that of a strange coin. flying through the air. I had to get it right to win the game. There was a picture of a person on one side and that of a wiered looking building on the other.
"Sir?" a nearby marine said. I snaped out of the vision. "yes private?". "nothing sir, you just looked a little detached for a few seconds." "I'm fine private." As acting Lieutenant I coudn't show weakness. Coudn't show fear.
Looking through his sniper scope I could see marines pulling back to the outsides of the hill like he had requested. The Covenant forces where where gaining ground. Good he thoght,
let them think we've lost. The uncoming surge of covenant banshees was also bashing into the hornet line. I gave them 15 more minutes untill they reached air supremacy. The long swords where unable to get in close enough to make precisiton strikes due to the AA turents the covenant had began setting up after the initial strike. Most of the tanks and supporting vechils had been wiped out by artillery fire and a scarab, which had been quickly overcomed by a goup of hawks and shortswords. Now it seemed the covenant where regouping for the final assult. From this view pioint I knew we where out numbered and out gunned. "Sir!" the Sargent had returned. "Did as you requested". "Good" I said. "Here are your new orders"...
Every action was smooth, clam, deliberate. Upon pulling the trigger my arm quickly pointed my rifle at another target. My aim never wavered. Every pull of the trigger was one shot, one kill. The ODSTs I had requested where stationed ahead of me. The majority of the Covenant forces where about 2 clicks away. This included there wraiths and heavy vehicles. The Hornet force above had held of the banshees longer than I had initialy anticipated. good I thought, that buys us more time. We still had 25 Scorpians, 10 wolveriens, 32 Warthogs and 10 Cobras. They where the few that where still fully functioning.
The ODST where holding off the relentless covenant, barley. Looking through the scope of my sniper rifle I aimed at a running grunt. Despreatly trying to escape the carnage. I had been in enough battles to know covenant behavior so i patintly followed the grunt. Seconds latter as I had anticipated a large elite that was previously behind cover steped to block the grunts path. Grabing the grunt by his head he lifted him up to make an example. I didn't need a cue. The shot was heading right for the back of his skull, when it stopped in midair. It had hit a another elite standing directly behind him. Camouflaged.
The huge elite spun around and jumped aside before I could get another shot. The now free grunt stood routed to the spot, confused. It's stupidity would be the end of it. After killing the grunt I resurveyed the battle field. The ODST where getting clobered at the base of the hill. I activated my radio. "Srgt. Pedeske, come in, over." There was static for a second and then a slightly out of breath voice answered. "Yes, Sir?". "Whats your status?" I replied. "Holding up sir. But its getting a bit choppy here. Requesting to fall back to the base of the hill.". I was afraid of that. They coudn't reatret yet. The soilders would have to stay there ground if victory where to be possible. "Negative, Stay your ground. I'm sending renforcements". "Sir? what renforcements?". There was a brief pause. Then I spoke once more. "Me."
I remembered the first day. For the first time in years I thought about it. I was thrown around by men. Me and the other kids i didnt know. The A.I. showed us the 300 Spartans and the battle of Thermopylae. I was six then. I didn't understand where I was or why I was there. I still Don't.
I arrived at the front lines quickly. The battle field was continuesly alive with the noise of explosions and artillery shells. Depositing my Sniper Rifle in the arms of a suprised ODST, I picked up a shotgun from a crate and salvaged a Battle rifle from the ash covered ground. There was dried blood on the butt of the rifle. I spotted the Sargent yelling into a radio over the sound of the gunfire. "I DON'T GIVE A DAMN IF YOUR RUNNING OUT OF AMMO KEEP THEM BU-" He stop mid sentence upon seeing me. Like the other soilders he was covered with ash, which had not stop falling from the darkened sky sense we had arrived. He snaped to attention. Looking at him for a moment I said "This isn't the moment to be wasting time on protocal soilder, at ease. Whats the situation?. "Sir," shouted the sargent. "Our men are running out of ammo. There scaveging both human and covenant corpses for weapondry. Our Tanks and Cobras are doing well. There holding off the main Covenant vehicles anyhow. The Hornets are dropping like flies and when that happens there phantoms will be all over us. Sir, I still think we need to recall some of our air forces to back us u-". "No" I cut him off. "Either way we will lose this battle. We need to reserve our forces in order to counter strike. If we order them all into battle they will be killed and nothing will be accomplished." The sergant stood there nodding his head.
"If your really going through with your plan sir then I will continue organizing the fron-". "sergant". I cut him off again. "You need to get out of here. Make your preperations and take on of the evac pelicans out of here. Regroup with the rest of the army at the rally point. You know what must be done." "Sir" the sargent retaliated "I can't do that". "Thats an order soilder" I calmly replied. "Now get the hell out of here". He stood blankly for a moment. "Its been an honor Sir." He saluted and hurried off to the landing zone.
I began slowly moving up the front lines. Using my Battle rifle against squads of grunts and jackals. My presence seemed to energize the soilders. A moral booster. "A spartan", they probably thought. "We can't lose now". That was how many thought of him. Some kind of unconquerable warrior. But he knew better. I had seen another fellow spartan killed at the hands of the covenant myself. I knew to well I was only Human. Now gazing upon the onslaught before me. I knew these soilders could only last so long. Just a little longer, he kept thinking. Just a little bit more time... But time it seemed. Was the last thing he had.