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The Croton Chronicles: Chapter 6, Take your orders and shove em'!!!
Posted By: Earl Hershberger (Funkster) & Trevor White (Boxer[subnova])<twhite1721@hotmail.com>
Date: 26 February 2004, 6:49 PM


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-The Croton Chronicles: Chapter 6, Take your orders and shove em'!!!-

      It had been five hours since Renner and his squad, heavy one brand spanking new Covie buddy, had returned to 'The Junkyard' and it had been nearly five hours since Renner's debriefing had started.
"...and that's why we were late, we had to go back and rescue Pvt. Shandor" Renner said, concluding the tale of the adventure his squad had just had.
"And that's where you meet this 'Elite'?" Jamison, Renner's CO, asked.
"Yes sir, as I said before, he's the reason Shandor is still alive."
"Alright Captain, we're through here, I want a written report on my desk tomorrow morning first thing."
"Yes sir."
With this Renner stood at attention and somehow managed a salute. He would have rather taken out his pistol and put a full clip into Jamison's head but protocol prohibited such things, especially when it was in your CO's office. Renner walked out of Jamison's makeshift office into the makeshift waiting room where his personal errand boy sat behind a makeshift desk. Everything was makeshift in 'The Junkyard'. Renner started the long cold walk back to the barracks where his squad was being housed, and of course it was makeshift too. Before Renner had made it half way across the compound a runner, who aptly enough was named Pvt. Runnings, began to yell for him to stop.
"SIR, WAIT SIR!!!"
'Maybe if I don't acknowledge him he'll go away' Renner thought.
"SIR, I'VE GOT ORDERS FOR COMMANDER JAMISON FOR YOU!!!"
Upon hearing this Renner stopped dead in his tracks.
'Great, just what I need, another assignment'
"Whew, I'm glad I caught up to you," Runnings said "I've got important orders for you from Commander Jamison."
Renner just stared at the young Pvt. like a cow stares at an oncoming train.
"Sir, are you okay?"
"Oh, yeah, I'm just fucking dandy" Renner said as yanked the envelope out of the Pvt.'s hand.
He opened the envelope and took out the orders that it contained. They read as follows:


       General Orders from Commander Jamison to Squad Leader:
       Your orders are as follows:
       - Depart HQ via Pelican @ 06:00 hours
       - Proceed to map grid A5
       - Longitude: -81.4394
       - Latitude: 41.0342
       - Secure and inspect possible Forerunner ruins in the
       vicinity.

       Primary Objective:
       - Secure any Forerunner technology by any and all means.

       Commander Jamison



"You've got to be shitting me" Renner said out loud.
"Excuse me sir?"
"Just thinking out load, you can go now Private."
The private snapped to attention and saluted.
"For Her" he said with great enthusiasm.
"For Her" Renner said, with zero enthusiasm.
'For Her' had become a popular slogan with new recruits ever since the fall of Reach.
Renner continued the long cold walk back to the barracks, now he had to think of a way to tell his squad that their rest was about to be cut short.

      When Renner got back to the barracks he found that his squad had found several ways to keep themselves occupied. In one corner Seton and Grater were taking turns punching each other, presumably to see who would be the first to pass out. On her bed, Andrea had a stripped down MA5A assault rifle. She appeared to be cleaning it, why she would clean a self cleaning weapon was beyond Renner's comprehension. Finally, in the center of the room stood Shandor, Hillock, and Yashoon they all appeared to be playing some sort of game with what looked like a Needler.
"Alright, so what you're saying is that if I can hit you with just one of these pink needle things I win?" Shandor asked.
"Yes, but you must do it within five of your minutes" Yashoon responded.
"That sounds easy" Hillock added.
Yashoon handed the Needler to Shandor and took a few giant steps backward.
"Go ahead, try and hit me" Yashoon said to Shandor.
Telling Shandor to shoot at something, in any case, usually ended up with him hurting himself. So, Renner just stood back a watched. Maybe he'd get a new radio-man out of this whole thing. Shandor stood and leveled the Needler at Yashoon and, in what could only be described as the dumbest thing he'd ever done, Shandor pulled the trigger. Shandor has barely even touched the trigger when out of what looked like the muzzle of the Needler dozens of bright pink crystal needles flew with mediocre speed. The needles flew in a tight group for about five feet then they started to separate, that's when the shit hit the fan. The needles broke their formation and began to spread out farther and farther. Several of the needles had 'locked on' to Yashoon and were streaking towards the big blue Elite at a lethargic pace. Yashoon easily dodged the needles that came flying at him, they were not a problem. The real problem was the other 75 needles that were flying about the inside of the barracks. Several of the needles embedded themselves in the titanium-A battle plating that made up the walls, ceiling, and floor of the barracks and exploded with tiny pops. The rest of the needles had broken off into several groups, each group having targeted somebody in the barracks. Everyone scattered as the needles flew towards them, beds were flipped over and used as makeshift barriers. About 30 needles embedded themselves into one of these barriers and exploded with tremendous force, the bed was torn to shreds. The needles that hadn't yet found their targets detonated in the air, each one with its own tiny pop.

"THAT WAS AWESOME!!!" Shandor yelled, still standing in the middle of the room holding the Covenant weapon.
Renner, emerging from behind the bed barrier, walked over to where Shandor was standing and with the coolness and level headedness that had earned him the title of Captain, he began to choke Shandor and showed no signs of stopping.
"YOU DUMB SHIT!!!" Renner yelled into Shandor's face.
"WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING!?!"
At this point Yashoon pulled Renner off of Shandor.
"It is my fault, I allowed him to use my weapon."
Renner stood there in shock; he couldn't believe what had just happened. The Elite had saved Shandor's life, again. There were no words that Renner could think of to counter the alien's statement. There was dead silence in the barracks for about five minutes. Then, as though he were talking to a child, Renner finally spoke.
"Well, don't let it ever happen again."
"SQAUD, FALL IN!!!"
Upon hearing this, the entire squad, all five of them made there way to where Renner was standing and stood at attention.
"Alright ladies, we've got new orders from Jamison."
"We're going to recon a possible Forerunner facility 12 hours north of here."
Groans could be heard from the squad.
"Why us sir?" Andrea asked.
"Because the Universe hates me, mostly because Jamison hates me."
"We don't move out until 0600 hours, that gives you plenty of time to rest."
"Sir, what about Covenant activity?" Hillock asked.
"No intel has been provided, so we're going in blind, unless Yashoon can tell us something."
"I have no knowledge of this facility, it is likely that the Covenant don't know about it either" Yashoon said.
"We've been working on his English" Shandor added.
"Did I give you permission to speak?"
"No sir."
"Then shut the hell up."
"Alright, everyone get some rest and be ready to move out at 0530" Renner said addressing his squad.

      Renner's squad immediately went back to what they were doing with the exception of Shandor, who had been ordered to clean up the mess he had caused. Renner on the other hand went over to the desk that had been placed in the barracks and began to fill out his mission reports, accident report, and proper requisition forms needed to get a new bed for Shandor who was forced to give his up after having totally destroyed Hillock's.





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