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Third Marines in Harvest: Chapter Five- counter attack
Posted By: Andres<andres_vera2000@yahoo.com>
Date: 26 January 2005, 4:42 PM
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"Don't move buggy, they are right on top of us." Whispered Lance Corporal Tommy Malone to his wounded friend as he pressed the wound on his chest, a needle from a unseen enemy struck him during the previous battle. Is this how my life is going to end, though Tommy to him self. He had left his perfect life behind, to come to fight this alien threat far from home, in a planet that no one in his social circle new. He was on college studding medicine when he got drafted, leaving his fiancé back home, god is she going to miss me. He had been rejected from Officer Candidate School only because he had no connections in the Corps, forced to serve as a mere grunt.
"Relax Buggy I'll get you out of here," Private Frank "Buggy" Scholarly took three beams to the chest, the only survivors from the sniper section of first platoon Fox Company, the Covenant had deciphered their battle tactics perfectly and attacked right in the Marines Achilles heel, the overconfidence. The Marines didn't expect to be attacked by Ghost, invisible creatures infiltrated their lines and engaged the Marines in the rear, the results were obvious for Covenant and human, the battle flied was now a grave yard.
Fox Company was charged by over a thousand Covenants, from every flank, it was a miracle that they held, or not. For the sounds the two Marines cloud hear the battle was still raging somewhere to their flanks, it was a decoration to the woods, the roar of jets overhead indicated a major air battle was taking place. The terrifying part of the carnage was the artillery shells, both human projectiles and covenant plasma randomly hit the woods. People back home will not believe this crap, Tommy couldn't tell Buggy who was on the ground what was going to happen shortly after, a Covenant patrol approached them, five grunts, two Jackals and a scarlet Elite on burial detail, checking the carcasses of both human and alien, they found none alive.
"Five meters away buggy, we are screwed." Tommy whispered as he grabbed his M-6C .51 pistol, his arm shaking for his battle stress. The nearest Grunt headed his way, to the foxhole were the platoon lay dead, he tightened the grip on the pistol.
Spartan 007 Todd scanned the battlefield with his helmet magnification. Bunch of amateurs , thought the Spartan of the Covenant and the Marines, the art of war had turned into attrition, not what the Spartans have been taught.
"Athena this is Zeus come in." Called the Squad leader, Spartan John 117.
"Athena one to Zeus." Called Todd to John.
"Hector Queen called for a sweep for survivors, you have Foxtrot Charlie area of Operation."
So HQ wants to check the graveyard for survivors. Yes, lets see if there are Marines Ok. Todd grabbed his shoot gun from the ground, gently swinging it on his back. "Athena team prepares to move out, go invisible." Todd pulled the silenced pistol from the holster in his tight; the four Spartans in Athena team followed his leader moves.
The team advanced crouched, checking the dead Marines in their paths, finding none alive, Spartans grabbed the equipment of the Covenant dead they found intact, an order from ONI. "Contact, 01-niner 76," called Denton, Spartan 032. There was Covenant bearing 019 at 76 meters. As there was contact the whole team froze, not moving a muscle.
"I count five Grunts, two Jackals and one Elite. Classify formation as a squad size element; I see neither trailers nor pointers. Easy target," reported Todd to the team. "Graveyard detail," reported Spartan 051 Grace.
"Ready to engage," reported the Team Sniper, Spartan 002 Carlos, ready to fire his 30mm breech loader sniper rifle. He had two rifles, the S-89T breach loader and the M-79D .64 sniper rifle, he had learned that the 30mm round for the Elites worked quite efficiently, he set the bipod on the ground, going into prone position, setting the muzzle break.
"Negative Athena five, let's do them silent." Todd analyzed the situation, eight contacts, looking for survivors, not expecting a fight, he couldn't place it easier if he cloud. "Ambush, U shaped. Athena Five, cover fire. Two with me, right flank. Three and Four, left flank," the Spartans broke formation and followed orders.
"Buggy can you shoot?" The wounded Marine grabbed an assault rifle, placing it on his chest. Looking into the eyes of Tommy showing not a trace of fear in his face.
"Good bud, we will go to heaven together. Ten meters now," the nearest Grunt advanced with his needler on his right arm, kicking the bodies of the Marines in its path, no reaction from any of the carcasses. The Marine removed the safety from the pistol.
Three shots in the right flank, Todd turned his head, the Grunt fell. Snag, he thought, there were Marines alive, they were to be protected, he would do so. "Athena Five, engage. Athena team prepares to charge!"
The muzzle blast of the 30mm rifle was noticeable for all, Covenant and Human. The massive round reached instantly into the head of the Elite, the shields didn't spark as they cloud not take the APFSDS, the head immediately disappeared from the body, and the remaining Covenant had no chance.
The four Spartans in the flanking teams moved to the Covenant squad in a pincer movement, Todd watched through the Thermal Imager System in the helmet of his armor how the Jackals moved into the hoplite formation unaware of the four Spartans at their left and right flank, ironically this formation was how the original Spartans in ancient Greece fought.
He picked as his target the leader of the formation, a Jackal with a yellow energy shield. He pulled the trigger, the three rounds flying through the air, hitting the Chicken in the head. The rest of the Spartans joined him with their MA5T rifles, the .308 rounds slamming into the unaware aliens; they were all dead the half of a second. The Marines unaware that the Spartans were friendly trained their weapons into the Spartans; the Marines confused them as Elites.
"Cherry, Cherry!" Todd screamed the Identification of Friend or Foe tag to the Marines as he covered behind a tree.
"Pie," said a weak voice, the Marine raised his head to see the two Spartans approach him.
"ELITES!" Tommy screamed as he aimed at the Spartans, believing they were Covenant. A Spartan kicked him on the hand, and made him throw the gun away.
"Take it easy Marine," said Spartan Grace as she surrounded him with both her arms, securing him for any further hostile action.
"You fucking Covenant! I will kill you all!" Tommy screamed as he tried to release from the grip of the unnaturally strong female.
"Marine, my name is Petty Officer Todd of SPARTAN II. You are ok buddy, you are ok, and where is your unit?" Asked Todd, looking straight at the Marine eyes through his helmet.
"Are you blind, look around they are fucking dead!" Said Tommy, irregardless that the Spartan outranked him.
Todd turned around, pressed a button on the right side of the helmet enabling the comm. System. "Zeus this is Athena, copy? Over."
"Talk to me Todd," said the deep voice of Master Chief Petty Officer John 117.
"Two survivors, one mentally broken a one Whiskey India Alpha. Over."
"Roger that 007. Pull out to friendly lines Six Marine Regiment just arrived," ordered the Commander.
"Roger that sir." The two Marines were ready to move, they were out of here.
Two hours before
"Enemy incoming." Whispered Lieutenant Miller at the Marines as seven hundred grunts formed into attack formation in front of them.
Bradley stared at the spectacle, showing his head over the shell hole where the squad was hiding, the rest of the 62 men and woman of the Company holding a line of two hundred meters, hiding in the same way they where, on shell holes. Bravo and Fox companies were holding the line on the flanks, two more companies were heading here from forward operations base Bravo but they would not reach in time for the battle. All news were not bad tough, the CO from Bravo Company had gently attached a platoon to A Company; witch Captain Muller placed on the right next to first "platoon" of twelve men strength, HQ had deployed a FASCAM (Family of Scatter Able Mines) with artillery, over two hundred mines lay between the Covenant and the Marines. Three ILGM (Indirect Laser Guide Missile) pods were set up on the flanks; no Grunt was going to survive this.
There was a depression in front of the lines of the marines, then turned into a small ridge, where seven hundred grunts formed into attack formation half a click away nearly on the top of the hill, in four columns parallel to each other, one column behind the other. The Grunt that looked like the leader, a black armored little puke, cheered them on, screeching and laughing, the grunts responded yielding in their own annoying voices, behind them Jackals formed into a Hoplite, ready to attack as well. The grunt leader turned to face the direction of the Marines. It fired a single shot of plasma into the Marines lines, a bad mistake.
Tommy Malone a designated marksman from Fox Company watched how the green dot hit a tree in the Marines on the lines; the Marines did not return fire as they were ordered, maintaining the discipline that characterize them.
"Designate Marksman, take the shooter down." Ordered the CO of the Company. "Roger that Captain Moore." Reported Tommy, he released the safety of the .30 cal M-39A1 rifle, centered the DM-21 sight on the head of the beast, pulled the trigger, the bullet left the muzzle at thirty thousand feet, the bullet killed it on the spot. The grunts shut up, then charged down hill.
"Get ready Marines, shoot on my mark." Ordered Captain Karl Muller over the radio as he ran through the lines, positioning him self with the Squad, the grunts charged down hill, the captain waited until they were three hundred meters away from the Marine positions, starting to climb the depression. "Let's get them!"
The blasts of five hundred rifles toured into the waves of covenant, ripping their first lines apart. Two streaks of smoke headed for the formation of Covenant, Jackhammer missiles from Fox Company though Bradley. David Bradley didn't need aim; he simply swung his rifle left to right spraying bullets into the Covenant formation. The Grunts, as usual started to pile, over two hundred of them pilled on the center, the remaining six hundred rolled to the flanks like a wave that met an obstacle. The grunts opened fire on the Marines once they left the pile of dead Covenant behind, thousand of plasma beams hitting the shell holes and trees were the Marines hid.
"Delta, Iowa, Mike!" called Lance Corporal Finch over the radio. The lotus mines were going to blow up.
"Drop!" said a random Marine, as the Marines dropped the mines detonated, a combination of fragmentation and heavy explosive charges propelled out of the ground, detonating over the unsuspecting Grunts.
"The are all gone pal!" said Perry as he raised his head over the foxhole. "We got more coming in!"
Bradley stood up, watching over five hundred Grunts charged over the remnants of the previous formation of Grunts, getting closer by the minute, the number diminishing to two hundred when they were "danger close" to the Marine lines.
"Marines! Get ready to frag 'em!" said First Sergeant Brown as he pulled a grenade from his harness.
Bradley ripped the grenade from his harness, pressing the arming button until it blipped, enabling the impact fuse, he did the same again until he had a grenade on each hand.
"Dude, don't do any heroics!" said Albert Thomas as he reloaded his rifle.
"Nah pal, don't worry. Just cover me!" The grunts were a mere fifty meters now.
"I have your ass!"
"Again with the ass kissing!" said Squad leader Perry.
"Throw them Marines!" ordered Sergeant First Class Brown, Bradley aimed his first grenade at the closest Grunt, threw it directly in its path, the grenade detonating on it. He took the grenade on his left arm with his right hand, throwing it again. The grenades they hit them in the center, every Marine threw at least a grenade. Only fifty grunts remained, they mingled with the Marine lines. Bradley grabbed his assault rifle immediately shooting it into the Grunts; one was only five feet from the shell hole holding a blue ball on his hand. He placed fifteen bullets on the creature, the grenade landing three feet from the shell hole.
"Get down!" He told to the squad. The grenade detonated, killing the nearby Grunts. Two plasma grenades landed on the shell hole, Thomas stared at the blue spheres, freezing, Bradley had to tackle him away from the grenades.
Bradley was stunned by the shock of the grenades, he slowly recovered, he checked Thomas to see if he was alive, placing his finger on the neck of Albert, his heart was beating, the pulse however was weak. He grabbed a grenade of Thomas belt, his and Bradley's last one, he pressed the button until it blipped enabling the contact fuse threw it into the grunts that were slowly approaching the hole, the Grunts looked at the Grenade, puzzled by it, once they realized what was happening they threw their own grenades, the grenades felled short of the retreating Marines. Bradley turned around and ran, dragging Thomas. The blast nock him over, he stood, looked for his brother in arms, Albert Thomas, not finding him. He turned around, limping away for fifty meters until some one tackled him.
"Calm down Marine," said the voice of a female, a Medic.
He looked around, there were at least fifty Marines aiming the first lines where he had pulled out.
"Who are you guys?"
"1st Field hospital, 3rd Marines. Shut up. Help us," she gave him an M-5C, .50 cal side arm.
The only one from the company he cloud see was Thomas who was retreating now, besides him no one was retreating from the front lines, just dozens of incoming covenant grunts, with Jackals not that far away.
Fifty meters away, Bradley waited for the Marine to reach the friendly lines. The Marines locked and loaded, "Open up on them!" ordered who looked like the commanding officer.
There were five .50 cal machineguns, and two jackhammer launchers. Bradley grabbed the hand gun, with his right arm squeezing the trigger, the fifty cal cartridge heading into the Covenant creatures. The Echo Tangos responded with all the fire power they have, together with their massed numbers, there was no stopping them. The only hope was that the Jackhammer gunners cloud reloads fast enough, but they were medics not combat marines. Ten meters away now, Bradley emptied another magazine having little effect on the vast horde. The Grunts as now a standard procedure in the ground fights started to pile up, in the rear tried to climb through the mountain of their dead comrades.
"Loading!" informed the loader of one of the .50 cal.
A dozen plasma grenades appeared over the mountain of corpses.
"Take cover!" ordered a Navy medic wearing a Lieutenant patch on his shoulder as he ran away from the position. One of the .50 cal gunners took one grenade on the helmet, he was right in front of Bradley, and he ran towards him ripping the belts that strapped his helmet to his head, throwing it over the mountain of carcasses. The grenades went of, all around them, throwing Bradley away landing on top one dead Marine. He was simply lost, he couldn't make out where or how he was.
"Wooort!" the voice of one the Elites made his spine tingle. They jumped over the pile of dead grunts , Bradley felt as the weight from the beasts shocked the ground. He cloud hear the laughs from the beasts as they broke through the defending Marines, he cloud hear also the distinctive sound of plasma rifles going of, he moved his head around, spotting two rows of plasma appearing out of no where. All the hope for the Marines were gone, they had lost.
"We need any kind of support here, our lines are broken, send help..." whispered the lieutenant into a head set that hung from a radio in a dead Marine back, before one of the cloakers kicked his head, killing him or simply making him lose consciousness.
Bradley tried to crawl away but some one stepped on him, he slowly turned his head halfway around and saw nothing, the thing on his back pressed him to the mud. He could see three foot prints stamped into the ground, one of them released the pressure on the ground as they stared kicking him. He felt as two of his ribs cracked like cookies by the strength of the blows, this much pain regularly would make him scream, and he couldn't do it, he had no breath.
There is no way out of this one, an earthquake shook the ground uncontrollably; the odd thing however was that it only lasted five seconds, the beasts that were kicking him stopped by the quake and the confusion. Bradley slowly regained his breath and turned around; fifteen Human Entry Vehicles had landed in this position. The doors popped, revealing the soldiers inside. They were not Helljumpers, they stood taller than any men he had ever seen, their shiny green armor having SPARTAN II sign in the chest. Oh my god, they are for real , thought David Bradley. One of them had an assault rifle on one hand and a submachine gun in the other, he aimed one at each side, shooting to nothing apparently in the eyes of Bradley, however two energy shields appeared from nowhere, hovering over the earth, sparkling electricity rays, the elites behind them appeared gradually as the shields faltered, the bullets hitting the beasts.
Both of them crumbling to the ground next to Bradley, his two attackers laying dead on the ground. Bradley turned his head around, watching the Spartans kill the other cloakers the same way. Dear god, we can win this , Bradley was now filled with a new feeling, hope. An energy sword appeared behind one of the Spartans, the Spartan somehow realizing this and turning to face the threat, the sword flying straight for him, he aimed his shoot gun to the sword and pulled the trigger, the hundred shots revealing the elite. The now visible elite swung his sword in a cutting movement, the Spartan ducked, the sword cutting the air over him, he then flipped the shot gun in the air, catching it by the barrel, slamming it by the butt stock in the elites stomach, its shields disappearing, he then hit it five times in fast movements. The beast crumbled into the ground, the Spartan moved his arm up and then lowering his elbow down, celebrating the astonishing kill.
With a single head movement from the Squad leader the fifteen Spartans jumped over the mountain of dead grunts. Bradley tried to stand; the pain on his chest was too much. He collapsed on the ground, hearing hundreds of shots from the Spartans and surviving Marines, it lasted for five minutes. The Spartans returned to their drop zone, checking their vaults for the rest of their gear, once secured they checked the bodies of the Marines.
"Any Marines alive," said a Female Spartan.
Bradley looked at the Spartan. "Fuck!" he shouted. The Spartan knelt right next to him. "It's ok Private, we will protect you now," said with a soft, lady like voice. She grabbed a device that looked like a nose drops container; she gently placed it inside one of the nostrils of Bradley, squeezing it, releasing an anesthetic gas. She grabbed the Marine like a baby, walking to an aid station on the edge of the forest, the marine slowly fainting by the effects of the gas.
UNSC Colony Dijon.
Galilee Continent.
FOB Juliet.
1st Battalion, 3rd Marines Command Control Post.
Colonel Daniel Harley stood in the C2 stations. Reports of the battle came in, it was an orgy of disasters, and they have underestimated the Covenant. The Marines had been stopped cold, in every front; the Covenant forces were tougher than we had expected. Dam for those ONI assheads, thought the Colonel. This continent was the flashpoint of the campaign, in the other two continents the fight had not been this heavy, not because they were wining, and it was because there was not much of the Covenant.
1st Battalion had lost the half of its men, 3rd Marines one quarter. Even though his men had killed allot of covenant the casualty ratio was simply unacceptable. TF Helen had reached its LZ; they only had one surviving company sized element.
He looked at the map, red dots every where blue dots decreasing by the second. These woods had no tactical objective, there was a highway on the opposite side of it that headed into the city, the Marines cloud take it with out even looking at the forest but the orders from ONI were clear, secure the forest hold it and await further instructions. The S-4, the intelligence officer of the regiment, had come up with some hypothesis, the first was that if their were that religious the woods might be a symbol for them, the second one was that their tactics might dictated the use of woods type terrain, the third was that they maybe are stupid in a ground fight. No, they've underestimated the covenant before, if he had to bet, they were protecting something.
"Attention on deck!" reported the military police sergeant guarding the room.
Two colonels entered the room wearing their dress blues, ONI ribbons in their chests, one of them had a briefcase hand cuffed to his right hand. They were escorting a Civilian, Dr. Parlov head of naval intelligence; he was wearing a black suit.
"Nice to see you Colonel," Said Parlov.
"This is Colonel Ruddock and Ryan, they have something to show you," hand shakes followed the doctor words, Colonel Ryan pulled a chain from his neck, the chain had a key, Colonel Ruddock placed the briefcase on the table, Ryan entered the key on a lock on the briefcase, opening the briefcase.
"This is for your eyes only," said Colonel Ryan.
"Every one except the ONI spooks out of here," ordered Dan Harley. A holographic image appeared over the briefcase. It showed a UNSC Cruiser and four destroyers chasing a damaged covenant vessel, twice the size of the largest human vessel, it headed to the Dijon Colony. Once near the planet, too near thought Dan, hundreds of drop ships abandoned the ship, heading for the planet. They all looked the same, except one larger than the others. The colonel noticed the different kind of ship, it looked like a giant tear drop and the other ships formed a perimeter around it. The human ships opened fire on the Covenant vessels, shooting at least two hundred archer missiles, all the ships tightened the perimeter around the teardrop shaped shuttle taking the hits for it.
"I can see you noticed the ship, we estimate the ship crashed or landed in the woods," Doctor Parlov pressed a button in the briefcase, showing now a satellite reconnaissance picture. It showed a crash site, the ship looking almost intact but its bow was pinned to the ground, it had opened a huge hole in the woods.
"This was taken ten minutes later," it showed the Covenant vessel now flat on the ground, its bow out of the ground.
"This was taken thirty seconds later," the ship was not there.
"Where did it go?" Dan asked.
"Its still there, don't ask us how we now, buts it still there. They are using some kind of camouflage -he pressed the button again, this time it showed all kinds of Covenant creatures putting a screen over the crash site, simulating the forest- as you can see. They are hiding something or some one."
"That's why we send the ODST to secure the woods. That's why they are defending it so hard. Sorry we didn't tell you earlier," said Colonel Ryan.
He had send de Marines into battle expecting a milk run. It turned out to be something worst, he looked at them closing his fists and crossing his arms.
"So, you want this ship."
"Indeed my dear Colonel, we think they are protecting something, or some one inside the ship. You need to secure that ship, I'm giving you the men of the SPARTAN II project, use them wisely, they are already on the field."
"Ok," the Colonel was puzzled wit all this.
"There is one more thing" the Dr. Said. "I shouldn't be telling you this. We now one thing that there is on that ship, you will now what is when you get to it, I'll tell you, you will be surprised".
UNSC Colony Dijon.
Galilee Continent.
Forward Operation Base Bravo
Field Hospital
A slap in the face awoke private David Bradley. He slowly opened his eyes, he saw the face of a civilian medic in a green surgeon dress. "How are you feeling David" he said, his face almost on top of Bradley's one.
"I'm not the sleeping beauty so don't you dare kiss me," said Bradley as he stood, the pain on his ribs now gone.
"Don't worry David, get up. I need the bed, we have more wounded coming" he said, John Dorian stamped on the surgeon dress. He turned around and gave Bradley an ice cream. "Get out, your company is on barracks twelve. Hope I never see you again, at least here" said the doc as he helped him put of the bed. "Exit is that way, the pain killers will wear of in two hours, then your ribs will hurt a little, take these -he placed a capsule carrying twelve shots- as long as you take it, your ribs will be Ok" he didn't new it, but he had been operated, his chess had been opened, his ribs placed together again, covering with a special gel that hardened, lasting until the ribs heal.
David walked out of the field hospital. He looked around; there was a row of five ton trucks extending from the entrance to the exit, heading to the woods. An MP stood by the entrance to the hospital. "Were are the barracks twelve?" he asked the MP.
"Hold on a second, I'll get a transport for you," he turned around, opened a box next to the entrance of the hospital and grabbed a phone "Hey Hall, I have a pick up for you at the Hospital... roger... Ok, I wait for you here," he hung up the phone and looked at Bradley. "He will be here in a minute".
The pickup arrived, an unarmed warthog stopped next to hospital. Bradley saluted at the kind sergeant, and then jumped into the passenger seat of the vehicle. A private was in the driver seat, he was in the dress uniform, the elegant brown uniform used out of the field.
"Man, I imagine the carnage you just been through. Wounded had arrived all morning. The good news is that six Marines just arrived in planet; they are already in the fight. Third has been pulled out, I regret to inform you that two thirds of the regiment are casualties, only four MIAs"
"How is the fight going in the woods?" asked Bradley as the vehicle hit a cross road, stopping there as the MP directing the traffic ordered them to.
"Well, I'm not sure. An hour ago over a hundred pelicans headed there, I only counted twenty when they returned. I don't know if they shoot down eighty of them or they are still there, I think its going well. Half of six Marines is still here, if they were needed they would have been dispatched," the vehicle turned right at the cross road, passing the base armory, taking another right.
"How about elsewhere?" asked Bradley.
"Supposedly it's lighter than here, it seems ET is concentrated here," said the Private, they arrived at the barracks. Bradley shook hands with the Marine, and then unloaded. The barracks were actually a large metal box built for field housing, Bradley had to recognize, and even if they picked on the engineers they sure made the great field housing. He entered the barrack; he counted sixteen on a barrack designed for two hundred.
"I'm back baby!" Bradley shouted as every Marine in the barrack awoke.
"Shut up, asshat!" said Perry as he sat on his bed.
"Nice to see you too pal" said Bradley. He walked to Perry's bed, sitting next to him. "Is this everyone?" he asked, feeling sleepy as well.
"No, we have fifty WIA. Some are fixable, others are critical" he said, exhaling deeply as he finished the sentence.
"Thomas?" asked David, expecting the worst.
"He's ok, at field hospital. He has several plasma burns, he should be here by tomorrow" he said, Bradley expression of relief was too obvious, and he didn't care, his bro was ok. "Our platoon is the lucky one. Lieutenant Miller and Walsh are Ok, at the officer quarters. Monique, Cruz, Thomas, you and me from our squad. Corporal Woods from 2-1, the only survivor from second platoon. Watson, elle tee Potter, Fox and Commons from third and some guys from fourth, I only now Dawson. Captain Muller is also ok; first sergeant Brown is alive, on the field Hospital. Those Spartans really saved us... man I have to sleep, you too, we will talk tomorrow" David didn't question, he walked to the next bed, collapsing there.
Bradley and Perry entered the barracks after the afternoon jug; they were in their PT gear. The average men in the company had slept thirteen hours, after that they would go to the mess hall for chow. Bradley and Perry visited their buddies at the hospital; all of them were deeply sedated. They left the hospital and ran five miles, draining some of the pain from their minds. Lance Corporal Carl Finch sat on his trunk, his radio on his bed, receiving the incoming transmissions from the battle in the woods.
"... they have to move, they are going to get pinned down!"
"negative lieutenant, echo tangos have them flanked, I'll try to suppress them, other wise they need to remain in cover... static... watch the right flank"
"Overrun attack on our perimeter, requesting a heavy squad" reported the first voice they have heard
"Cloakers in the lines!" reported the second voice.
"Three Elites, by the tree line, get some one to take them out!"
"They are rolling over us! We are gone!"
The radio turned off; the battery pack had run out of power. Bradley looked at Perry, obviously six Marines was not doing ok as he had been informed by the MP. He placed his hand on Finch's shoulder, squeezing it, in a way congratulating him for the job well done. "So, what now?" asked Bradley.
"First Battalion personal report in full gear at the motor pool," reported the loudspeakers.
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