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Memories of a Dying Soldier - Chapter Five
Posted By: Spartan Elessar<spartan_elessar@yahoo.com>
Date: 10 April 2006, 2:58 pm
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Chapter 5:
A pleasant memory
January 5, 2535
UNSC Armory, grid twenty by eighteen
Planet Jericho VII
The Spartan and three marines traveled non stop - silently. They were two miles away from the armory and the sky darkened as the sun disappeared behind the horizon. Logan could see the outline of the forest that surrounded the armory. He and the two other marines were traveling behind the Spartan, as Kelly took the lead. He was admiring the way the Spartan moved. Her movement was so soft and silky. He has never seen anyone move this smooth. Even though her armor was no different from the other Spartans, the way she interacted was definitely feminine.
His eyes were lingering on Kelly's back rather than on the surrounding. On the other hand, Jen shot a brief glance on the Spartan for every few seconds, as if expecting an answer from her for his unmentioned question. Ray was professional or just feeling less. He just ran with his eyes all around the place, expecting a sudden attack.
Kelly stopped abruptly and motioned her followers to halt. The four Soldiers took a cover behind an old tree. Kelly looked ahead and watched silently. The marines tried to follow her glance, but it was too dark for them to figure anything out. They were exactly one hundred yards away from the armory. And they yet to know why they stopped here -caution maybe?
Kelly turned around and looked at the marines. "I am going to take a look around and see if the place is clear. If they the place is too hot, I am going to neutralize them. In the meantime, please wait for my signal. When you get mine, enter the armory from the back and join the marines who are pinned inside. Once I clear all the targets from our HQ to the LZ, then I will signal in. Then you take the wounded and the remaining marines to the LZ. I will cover your back. Is it clear?" she finished in a clear tone. Her voice was not more than whisper, but it was crystal clear.
The trio nodded their heads in agreement. Then Kelly nodded back and sprinted into the darkness like a bullet – a silenced bullet.
"Jesus, look at the way she ran – like a wind," whispered Logan
"I have never seen anyone move that fast," agreed Ray
"Definitively," added Jen still looking at the path the Spartan flew away.
The three marines sat silently with full alert. They had their rifles ready and their eyes were jumping from a shadow to shadow. The trio looked like a tiger crouched behind a bush ready to charge.
The darkness covered the forest and the air grew warmer. They could smell the salt on their lips; the air was less humid and tense. The night was so quite, they could hear the distant roar of the sea. The dark sky was filled with stars and the moon was unusually big, it lit the valley. The quite night was interrupted when the marines' radio opened.
"Come in Blue team, over," Master Chief's voice broke in
The marines straightened a bit in reflex. Chief's voice had nothing but power and control. Even those Covenants will cover before him. Even among the Spartans – he was the best.
"This is Blue team over," Kelly replied
"Your status Kelly," Chief asked
"Sir, I am engaging the enemy through stealth. The area is not too hot; within minutes my blue team will enter the base and cover the rest of the survivors. We will reach our Pelican before 1900. Over," she said
"Good. We have neutralized the enemies. We will reach the Pelican approximately 1900, met you there. Be careful Blue Team," Chief said
"You too John," replied Kelly through the radio
"John? Is that Chief's name?" whispered Logan to his team
"No it's my father's name," whispered back Jen- sarcasm alert!. Logan hates when Jen does that, so he just shut his mouth.
The radio was silent for few seconds, then another male Spartan voice broke in, "I am driving the Pelican Kelly. Just say you know." His voice was very friendly but not unprofessional
"Yea sure," smiled Kelly.Once again Chief voice came in, "Alright Blue Team, take care, Spartan-117 out." The line went dead.
No more conversation came through the marines' radio. So they once again shifted their attention to their surroundings.
"Have you really seen a Spartan's face?" started Logan
"I have never even seen a Spartan before," replied Jen and Ray showed his agreement too.
"I bet she has a very pretty face inside that rock-hard suit of hers," said Logan distantly
"You better not flirt with a Spartan Logan, or you will probably end up in a ditch with minus head," said Jen grinning
"I am not flirting here. I just stated my opinion," replied Logan who was turning red.
After few longing minutes, Kelly's voice broke through Blue Team's radio. "Blue team come in over."
"This is Blue team over," Jen replied
"Alright Team, prepare to move in on my mark. Be silent and wily," she paused for a second and continued, "One more thing - please turn off your radio before making a private conversation Gentlemen."
"Yes ma'am. Sorry ma'am," staggered Jen, unsure of what to say
"Sorry ma'am," added Logan, who turned complete red due to embarrassment.
"Ok, wait for my Mark," and she disconnected the line.
Jen made sure twice that his line was switched off and sighed. Logan, who was at the peak of embarrassment, tried to change the topic by saying, 'The night was very clear.' Unfortunately it didn't work, Ray burst out into a silent laughter for full sixty seconds until tears came out from his eyes. Jen looked away trying to hide his laughter inside his palm. Logan stood there like an idiot unsure of what to do or what to say.
The radio opened again. "Team move in," Kelly ordered and the marines obeyed.
They silently proceeded towards the armory taking cover behind trees and bushes. It took twenty minutes to reach the back of the armory due to their sneaky ness. Since they approached the structure from the south, they were facing the back of the building, which stood inside the forest clearing covered with shadows.
Two Elites and three grunts laid down dead in front of them. They searched for any other visual targets. There was none – they couldn't find either a Covenant or their team leader.
The back door was buried inside an open pit that had five feet of depression from the floor.
The three marines approached the door in a triangle form, covering each others back. Logan took out his lock breaker and opened the metal door. It gave away easily with a soft screech noise. Then all the three marines entered the structure, it was as same as before, with one single hallway intermittedby several rooms. They switched on their lights and moved in slowly. The hallway was dark minus the moon light that entered from open front door. The only sound that was audible was their soft foot steps. Jen gave out an UNSC "All-clear" signal through his open channel. After few minutes he received one back.
"They are in the basement," whispered Jen. "This is Blue team. Come in Blue team leader, over," heradioed
"This is Blue team leader," Kelly's soft and calm voice came in, "What is it?"
"The marines are in the basement, we are going to approach them ma'am," he said
"Good. Neutralize any threats that stands between you and your objectiveand bring back the marines topside on the double. We are running out of time. I have cleared our pathway to the LZ, just for now. I think we will have company soon," she announced
"Yes ma'am, I understand. Jen out." He switched the radio off and signaled his partners to follow him.
They silently swiped the hallway and the staircase with their rifles and descended towards the basement. Jen and Ray took the opposite side of the basement door, when Logan stood on top of the stair watching the hallway.
The double door was closed and the place was dead silent. Jen once again gave an 'All clear' sign and asked the Omega team to open the door. He didn't receive an answer right away, after few silent minutes the door popped open. The basement was quite dark, Jen and Ray switched on their night visions and peeked inside.
"Thank goodness to see you sir. We thought we were going to be dead in here. I never knew you would get our signal," said a marine who came forward from inside. Eight other marines stood near him, all except one were badly wounded.
"Where are the others?" Jen inquired.
"They didn't make it sir. We were attacked from two fronts, one from inside - that back basement door - the one you followed and from the topside. So we were pinned in here for almost five hours.A couple of hours ago there was a huge fire fight between us and those bastards. We were running low on ammo, so we used the lotus mine to blow up the other side basement door." It was true, the door Jen and his team investigated on the noon was completely collapsed. Nothing can go in or out. "So we successfully sealed the that side.
"We were just wondering why things up there were awfully silent. Now we know why, you guys must have cleared them all," said the marine with a tone of relief which was shared by the other eight, too.
"The enemy is neutralized, that's true Marine, but we didn't do it, nor did we pick up your distress signal. In a matter of speaking we were rescued too. We three are just assisting the ones who saved us and they are here to save your team too," said Jen honestly
"They, Sir?" asked the marine questioningly
"Yes, the Spartans are here," he announced
At the mention of their name, all nine marines snapped into attention and looked at the doorway expecting to see a Spartan standing outside.
"They are here sir?" the marine asked
"Yes, but right now we have to hurry. One of the Spartans – our current team leader, is standing outside covering our backs. So let's hustle up, a pelican is waiting for us," he hurried. Jen and Ray helped few marines, who were badly wounded to walk on their own and started to evacuate.
"Is the top side clear Logan?" Jen asked
"So far so good, hurry up," he replied back
The nine marines and Jen and Ray came topside and stood at the entrance of the armory. None of them could spot the Spartan, she was totally invisible. All they could see was this huge massacre -Elites, Grunts and Jackals laid dead on the ground under the moon light. To their surprise, a pair of Hunters laid dead near the doorway.
"Ma'am, we are topside. Awaiting your orders," Jen announced in his radio
"How many wounded do you have Blue team?" Kelly asked
"I have nine wounded ma'am. I don't think they can move on their own and it will be darn difficult if the LZ is too far," replied Jen
"Not to worry Blue team, this is the LZ and the Pelican is on the way. Hold your position," she said
"Roger that," and all the marines stood behind the entrance door and waited.
After two painful minutes they heard a distant rumble, unmistakably a Pelican's engine approached them from east.
"This is Spartan-043 over," came in a male voice through their radios. More Spartans how splendid, thought Logan who was supporting two marinesunder his arms.
"Come in Will, this is Spartan-087," Kelly replied back
"Is the LZ clear Kelly?" asked Spartan Will. His voice was rough but not unfriendly.
"It's clear, you can land any minute now," Kelly assured him
"Roger."
After a small circle around the armory, the Pelican landed in front of the structure. The aft doors opened and two green armored, half ton Spartans stepped outside from the Pelican's cockpit.
Out of nowhere Kelly came out, startling two marines to their deaths. Then the three Spartans, along with Jen, Logan and Ray, loaded the Pelican with their wounded.
"What about Chief?" a nearby Spartan spoke. It was not Will; it was another female Spartan who came with him.
"Chief said he will be here approximately 1900 Grace," said Kelly. The marines in spite of their pain, they silently sat and watched the Spartans closely, who stood outside and talked with their weapons ready.
"It's almost time,"replied the male Spartan, whose eyes were darting from the armory to the forest.
A huge explosion echoed out of the armory. The Spartan's pointed their weapons lightening fast at the entrance door.
"It must be the basement door. I think the Covenant must have broken our barrier sir,"announced an Omega Team marine.
Will signaled Kelly and Linda to enter the Pelican's Cockpit and he moved slowly towards the entrance. Kelly and Linda strapped themselves into the pilot and co-pilot seat and waited silently. The marines looked around nervously gripping their weapons.
Will stopped in front of the entrance and lowered his weapon because three more figures came out. They were bigger than normal humans, but they were not Covenants – Spartans. Chief and his red team exited and walked towards the pelican followed by Will.
He and his team were covered with dirty Covenant blood. Jen and Logan wondered how they cleared that whole area single handedly. Maybe, the stories about Spartans were true, Logan thought. He still had nothing but admiration to these special heroes, who were thought to be the ones who will change the tides of the war. Especially the one who leads them – John 117.
Every one loaded the Pelican and strapped themselves into the compartment seats except for one, Chief. He was the last man to load the pelican; he stood motionlessly on the edge of the aft compartment and watched the other passengers.
"Is every one of the marines rescued Spartan-087?" he asked
"Yes sir, our objective is complete," replied Kelly from the cockpit as she prepared to take-off the Pelican.
Master Chief nodded in satisfaction and said, "Mission accomplished."
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