- Rotagila88
- |
- Exalted Legendary Member
Can someone explain this to me so that it makes some goddamned sense?
First, I would like to say that this is the first short story in a small string of short stories I am all writing. This is Part I out of a five part short story, with the Parts being various lengths.
Second, I would like to say that this is not the final version; it will be revised multiple times before it is finished.
Finally, I would like any feedback on this that you may have.
Operation: Nightfire
Harvest, Epsilon Indi
0200 Hours
Omega Squad
Part I
++Three contacts, 2 o'clock++
The report of two high-caliber rounds sounded.
++Contacts eliminated++
++Good, proceed with the mission, Archangel++
Silence envelops the valley as I wait for a reply.
++Acknowledged, proceeding with the mission++, said Archangel.
Archangel and Shadow moved away in the brush, silent and all but invisible in their camouflaged Recon-pattern armor. If I hadn't already known where they were, I would have never seen them slip away through the brush. Me and the rest of Omega Squad moved forward in a four-foot deep gully along a roughly parallel course to Archangel, keeping an eye out for any more Covenant patrols.
++Archangel, Elite patrol mov-++
I watched as Archangel and Shadow severed the two Elites' vertebrae with their combat knives as the patrol moved past their concealed position.
We continued North towards our objective through the fog-leaden valley, keeping an eye out for any more Covie patrols.
++Hold++,said Archangel, ++Two Shades, three hundred meters east of your position. We're going to have to take them out++.
He was right: they had overlapping fields of fire covering the route we were taking to our objective.
++Acknowledged++, I said while turning to Unlucky, ++Unlucky,move through the trees on their right flank and give them a reason to complain about the heat.++
++Yes, sir.++ He said as he lumbered forward through the brush and into the trees, his heavy flamethrower poised to incinerate any threat unlucky enough to come across him.
++Slummy, Omar, move up onto that small bluff and prepare to provide covering fire for Unlucky++,I said as I indicated the aforementioned bluff roughly 40 meters ahead of us.
++We'll report back when we're in position++,said Omar as he and Slummy began their slow crawl across the dew-covered grass in between them and the bluff.
++Shadow, any Covies near the Shades?++ I said while moving to get a better view of the Shades.
++Just one 'leet and an understrength squad of Grunts;four Grunts, to be exact++
++Prepare to take out the 'leet on my mark++
++Acknowledged, preparing to take out the 'leet on your mark
++Almost in position++, said Unlucky, ++About another minute and I'll be ready.On mark, right?++
++On mark++, I confirmed, ++Archangel, the four Grunts, if you wouldn't mind++
++Acknowledged, the four Grunts on mark++
Nothing like a well-planned ambush to begin the morning, I said to myself.
++In position, ready to provide suppressive fire on mark++, said Slummy.
++Confirmed++, I said while I gave the signal to move back into cover to the rest of the squad.I glanced over to where Unlucky was supposed to be and saw the pilot light on his Heavy Flamethrower flicker to life.Now or never.
++Mark!++
I slid back into cover as I said it. Immediately, two synchronized high-caliber bullets whizzed through the air, followed by another one and a hail of 7.62mm rounds.
The first round tore through the Elite Minor's skull, painting the area around it a vivid purple-blue hue and brain matter. The second and third rounds dismembered the four Grunts and washed their surroundings in a sea of blue blood.
The two Shades rotated towards Omar and Slummy's position and opened fire. Rock chips flying all around them from the impact of the plasma, Omar and Slummy didn't become deterred and kept up the suppressive fire. Distracted as well as they will ever be, Unlucky moved out of the cover of the forest and unleashed a blazing torrent of flames upon the closest Shade.
The flames rushed to meet the Grunt occupying the Shade, utterly engulfing both it and the Shade. The Grunt let out a blood-curdling scream as it was cooked alive in the 1500 degree flames, alerting his companion to his fate.The other Shade started to rotate to face this new, closer, and much deadlier adversary.
It was to be the Grunt's final mistake. As the turret completed its rotation and was preparing to unleash the powerful weapon's fury upon Unlucky, a high-caliber round punched through the back of its head and came out of its face mask in a blue mist of blood.
++Thanks Angel, glad to have you covering my back++, said Unlucky as he was moving back to regroup with the squad. The flames engulfing the first Shade were starting to die down, revealing black ashes drifting away in a slight breeze of what used to be a Grunt. Such was the intensity and fury of the flames that part of the Shade had turned to molten slag, most of which was now cooling on the ground immediately surrounding the it.
++Any time, Unlucky++, said Archangel as he and
Shadow adopted a better over-watch position.
++Jacobs, Omar, Slummy- secure the perimeter++, I said, cutting Archangel and Unlucky's conversation short.
++Archangel, Shadow, make sure no Covie gets within 60 meters of my position++
++Already in position to cover you, sir++, said Shadow.
++Be prepared to move out in about 10 minutes++
Knowing Shadow and Archangel were not going to respond to that last message, I took off my helmet and pulled out a piece of folded-up paper from the tactical hardcase attached to the armor on my thigh.
Five-minute break I signaled to the rest of Omega after I made sure I had the right paper.
"Unlucky, with me", I said after pausing for a moment to inspect my helmet for any damage.
We walked over to a small slab of rock with a flat top loosely parallel to the ground. It was close enough to the still-flaming wreck of the first Shade as to provide us with light to see, but far enough away to where we partially blended in to the shadows.
I unfolded the map-ONI's symbol of office emblazoned in white on the midnight blue backside of the map-and laid it out on the rock, making sure Unlucky could see it from where he was standing.
"Looks like we are about Eight Kilometers from Alpha squad", I said to Unlucky after he had taken off his helmet, too.
"If the drones were accurate...", said Unlucky while he studied the map.
"Assuming they are, how long do you think it will be until we link up with Alpha?"
"At the pace we're moving at right now? Probably another hour or two."
The valley fell silent for a moment, except for the sounds of the indigenous wildlife and the wind, until Unlucky spoke up.
"Sir, if you don't mind me asking, why did you ask me to come over here with you? Any of the other Rookies could have told you when we would link up with Alpha."
After a moment, I opened the tactical hardcase and took out a photograph. The image was grainy and slightly distorted, but the subject of the photo was obvious-it was an Elite Field Marshall.
"This is our primary target, notice anything in the background?"
Unlucky took the picture and held it in the light to get a better look at it.
"Is that a Spartan behind the Marshall?!?"
"Yes, it is. We are heading for the Covie's Field HQ to do two things:
1. Kill the Marshall
2 .Find out the status of that Spartan"
"Isn't that a suicide mission?"
"Son, we are Helljumpers. Every mission is a suicide mission"
Before he could make a reply I retrieved the picture and map, stowed them in the hardcase, and put my helmet back on.
++Break's over. Expect heavy resistance after we link up with Alpha and start the final run towards the Field HQ. Watch out for Spec Ops Elites and Jackal Snipers++
++Hell's coming to the Covenant, Marines, and there to jump into it feet first are the HELLJUMPERS!++ Said Archangel, none of us knowing how literal that was going to end up being.
A roar of approval came from each of the Helljumpers, most of them recruits to fill in as temporary replacements for Omega's losses earlier on in the war. Good, I thought, let them have this small victory before the real implications of war-loss, misery, pain-settle in.
++Forward, Helljumpers, first to Alpha, then to the HQ!++ I said, after which, we began our race to meet up with Alpha.
[Edited on 12.01.2010 5:21 PM PST]