- supersoup
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- Senior Heroic Member
Posted by: xMaJoR cRaBsx
Dreams of being the one and only soup that people enjoy. Or wants to be a hero that dishes out hot scolding soup to evil.
Prologue -
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Location: Training Grounds outside of Camp Currahee, Planet Onyx, Zeta Doradus System
Time: 0834 hours, Oct. 24th 2552 (Military Calendar)
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The tranquil forest glade remained undisturbed as the Spartan Team moved silently through the trees, on their way to higher ground. Well trained and agile from years of conditioning, the five soldiers each moved as part of a whole; they formed an elegant weapon to be wielded in the defense of Earth and all her colonies. The pointman dropped to a knee, sensing an unseen danger, and signaled for the rest of the squad to halt. He visually searched the area from the ground to the treetops until he found what he was looking for.
"Eyes up. Hold your fire." He gestured into the thick green canopy of leaves just ahead of their position, and the rest of the team quickly identified the first hostile of the day. He was wedged high up in the fork of an oak tree, bracing his sniper rifle with his left forearm and staring intently through the scope. More hand signals set the squad in motion, and they quickly fanned out amongst the ferns carpeting the forest floor. They formed a half circle, with those on the edges covering the flanks while the three in the middle kept their eyes on the target. Two green acknowledgement lights blinked on the pointman's wrist mounted tac-pad; the area was secure. A single round from his simulation MA5K slammed into the sniper.
"Threat neutralized. Let's keep it going, Spartans." The sniper climbed painfully down from his perch, resting his simulation SRS99 AM beside himself as he laid down amidst the ferns. The pointman slapped a neon green adhesive flag onto the sniper as he passed by. One down, nine more to go.
Team Gladius was one of three SPARTAN-III teams remaining on Onyx, each composed of five members and currently competing for the top honors of Gamma Company. The pointman of Team Gladius, Spartan-G048, was known as "Jack" by his fellow Spartans. He was raised on a distant colony world, living a simple but satisfying life on the family farm that was passed down through the generations on his father's side. When the Covenant attacked, Jack was given the last seat on an evacuating Pelican, and watched his parents die on the tarmac at the hands of Elites as the Pelican took off. When an ONI operative came to his orphanage on Reach, offering a chance to join the third generation of Spartans, he accepted without hesitation. None of the rigors or trials of the Spartan training program could dim the fire of vengeance that burned within his heart. Though it was hard to watch the rest of Gamma Company deploy team by team, he knew his day was coming soon.
Jack checked his surroundings. The sniper's team, identified by the shoulder patch as Team Katana, must be nearby. A rubber bullet impacted the ground at his feet, spraying dirt into the air. Jack swore as he dived into a naturally formed foxhole of moss and gravel. He was beginning to believe he had walked his team into a trap.
"Laura, fall back and circle around!" Spartan-G067, Laura, broke from her position on the right flank and fired in short bursts as she backpedaled into the glade. Jack leapt to his feet, providing covering fire for Laura as he attempted to spot the enemy team in the thick underbrush. He was distracted from his search by the sight of Spartan-G063, Rosie, standing in the open with her gun at her side.
"Rosie! Find cover!" Jack's shout galvanized Rosie into action, and she dived into the foxhole with Jack.
"Sorry, Jack. I thought I saw him . . . "
"Now is not the time!" Rosie's interest in the pointman of Team Katana was common knowledge within Gamma Company. Jack heard Spartan-G032, Roger, chuckle over the team's radio frequency.
"Tim, time to make it hot." A green acknowledgement light blinked on Jack's tac-pad in response to his order. Jack tapped Rosie, and they both rose to their feet as one, overlapping their fields of fire. Spartan-G091, Tim, stepped out from behind a thick birch tree and sidearmed a grenade in one fluid motion. Roger eliminated a Spartan on Team Katana's right flank with a well placed shot to the Spartan's center of mass before the grenade disappeared into the ferns. Four seconds later, there as a dull thump, accompanied by a sudden lull in the firefight.
"All clear." Laura's voice cut through the tense atmosphere. Team Gladius breathed a collective sigh of relief as they emerged from their hiding places.
Laura greeted the team with a triumphant grin, one foot propped on the prone form of a Spartan. Two of the downed members of Team Katana had clearly been eliminated by the grenade; they looked as though they had bathed in yellow paint. The one Laura was resting on, however, had no visible marks.
"Took out their grenadier just in time." Laura gestured to the grenade lying in the ferns, pin still firmly in place.
Jack nodded. "Good work, Spartan. Team Gladius, let's take their ammo. To the victor goes the spoils." Jack smirked at one of the supine Spartans as he collected the fresh magazines from their belt; the Spartan rolled his eyes and sighed. Tim picked up the grenade, while the rest of the team divided the ammo evenly. As they set the ammo into their belts and packs, Jack noticed Rosie glancing at Team Katana, smiling shyly. He snapped his fingers and spun her around by her shoulder.
"Hey, hey! We've still got another team to worry about. I need your attention here." Rosie blushed and thumbed her magazine release, slamming one of the fresh magazines into place.
"Yes, sir."
"Good, thank you." Jack glanced around the edges of the clearing, before addressing the team. "Let's take the fight to Team Saber. Keep it close and quiet."
There was a chorus of agreement from Team Gladius. They set off toward a nearby hilltop, blending into the environment and leaving no trace of their presence except for the defeated members of Team Katana.
Chapter 1 -
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Location: Mess Hall, Camp Currahee, Planet Onyx, Zeta Doradus System
Time: 1245 hours, Oct. 24th 2552 (Military Calendar)
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"I still can't believe they pulled it off," Jack muttered, gazing gloomily at his freshly rehydrated, MRE-grade lasagna. "It was a simple plan, but executed with perfection. There were so many ways it could have gone wrong . . . "
"Face it, Jack, they're the best team. That's why we placed second again." Roger hadn't touched his food, choosing instead to spend the lunch hour sizing up Team Saber from across the cafeteria, trying to determine what exactly secured their position as the highest ranking team. Time after time, Gladius and Katana had changed strategies, studied Saber's methods, and done everything short of teaming up, which was strictly forbidden by the rules of engagement for the competition.
"If they had brought it up as a tactical option to Chief Mendez, he would have said it was crazy and told them to reconsider."
"He might have called it crazy, but crazy seems to be a requirement of being a Spartan." Roger finally sunk his fork into the cardboard-like pasta, bringing it back to his mouth without taking his eyes off of Team Saber. Laura made her way over from the lunch line and sat down next to Jack, her tray piled high with the vegetarian option: crisp caesar salad with a farm-fresh, hard boiled Moa egg on the side. Noticing Roger's stare, and Jack's overcast expression, she poked them both with her fork.
"Guys, let it go. We've tried, and failed, four times to dethrone Saber. Let's just be glad they're on our side."
"We were going to win this time- I mean, I thought we were. We had them flanked, and we were attacking from higher ground." Jack's hands curled into fists.
"That's exactly why we lost," Rosie said, sitting down next to Laura. "We had divided our strength when what we needed was to concentrate our efforts in one area. Did anybody notice they left their rear unguarded?" Suddenly, Rosie had the attention of everyone at the table.
"They're so confident and headstrong, they don't even plan for an attack from the rear. They trust in their ability to meet their opponents head on and overwhelm them with a show of force. Next time, we stick together, find a good hiding spot, and let them pass by. Take them by surprise." Though prone to fits of whimsical romance, Rosie continually reminded Jack of her tactical mind and photographic memory, both useful assets for a Spartan to have.
"We'll have to work on that and refine it, but we've got a week until the next competition. I think it just might work, Rosie." Rosie smiled, pleased that Jack had accepted her idea and hoping she had atoned for her loss of focus during the battle with Team Katana. After a moment of quiet contemplation for everyone at the table, Tim walked up and sat down next to Roger, his tray piled high with the rehydrated pasta product.
"Woo, it's lasagna day!"
[Edited on 08.04.2011 10:08 PM PDT]