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Long Time Gone 32
Posted By: grylsy<grylsy@hotmail.com>
Date: 4 January 2005, 6:53 AM
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Long Time Gone Part 32: Death From Above
January 14th, 2551, Space surrounding Reach, Quail MAC gun platform, female officer quarters, 1036 Hours
Alison sat in front of the monitor; her face illuminated by it. Chris' face was on the monitor, he had just woken up; his hair was a mess and his eyes were droopy. Alison had sent the call to talk to him to see what was happening on Chris' end.
"Well, I'm an ODST now if that's any good news," he said pointing the camera at his uniform lying on his bed, "we got a training exercise tomorrow though, something to do with surprise drops, I don't know really, I'll tell you about it next time I suppose."
"I'm going with my Commander down to the planet today and staying a few days, maybe we could get together?" Asked Alison, she knew it probably wouldn't happen but it was worth a shot.
"Maybe, Alison, maybe," said Chris rubbing his chin; a small amount of stubble resisted his hand's motion then he turned around and yelled something at someone of screen.
"What was that about?" She asked generally concerned, her brow was wrinkled in a worried look.
"Oh, Jeebs was just wondering if I was talking to my girlfriend..." Chris' cheeks blushed as he tried to look away from the monitor but he soon stopped.
"What did you say?" Asked Alison looking into his pixelated eyes.
"Well, I said I didn't know if she was; are we even going out?" Chris leaned closer to the screen.
"Well I was under the impression that we were, weren't you?" Chris leant back and scratched the back of his head and smiled; one of innocence.
"Well I haven't been chasing anyone else if that's what you mean," his face broke into a wry grin, "you know I love you..."
"I love you to..." Chris turned around and was being talked to by someone, he said he had to go so he put a hand to the screen, Alison did the same.
"I'll see you soon, I hope..." He said as he cut the call. Alison sat back in her seat, arms behind her head, thinking.
"Yo, Parker..." A voice interrupted her before she could really start to think.
Alison turned and saw a Marine standing in the door way to her quarters, "the Captain wants to see you, ma'am..."
Alison gathered her uniform and put it on; the Captain was a real tight ass. She walked the corridors of the Quail, she knew where she was going, she said hello to nearly everyone she met, she knew almost everyone aboard or at least knew what they had to do.
Eventually she found the Captain's office. His aide or secretary what ever he preferred to be called told Alison to wait; the Captain was in the middle of a phone call now.
"... Don't threaten me!..." Was yelled from his office, "... I've got stuff on you and I'll go to Fleet COM with it if keep hounding me..." Alison was intrigued by the conversation. She had heard Captain Williams angry but never like this.
Five minutes later the phone was slammed down Captain Williams' aide went into his office and came out soon after, his eyes wide in terror and said Alison could go in.
"Ah, Parker..." Said Williams in a friendly voice as she came in, "please take a seat; I need to talk to you about tomorrow." Alison was going to ask him about the phone call but left it out.
"As you know, we're going down to the planet this afternoon," Williams looked extremely worried, "if I had a choice in the matter I would prefer to have stayed here and protect the station but ONI in all it's wisdom wants to talk to me."
"What do you need four platoons for then?" Asked Alison, she had seen the list of who was going down to Reach today; four Marine Special Forces platoons were going down to the planet and Alison was to command them, her platoon of Shock Troopers were to stay on the station.
"I don't feel safe at the moment to tell the truth, there are things going on that I don't want to talk too you about, if you knew they would probably be after you too," Williams wiped his brow. His eyes were very shifty; he looked from side to side very quickly, scanning his office for danger.
"I understand, sir," said Alison, she didn't really, but it seemed to comfort her Captain, "I'll make sure the men are on their best guard."
"Thanks, Parker," said Williams, "oh and I'll send down the lay out for the outpost we'll be staying at until the hearing, you need to be ready for anything..."
Alison left the office and went back to her quarters.
"What the fuck is going on..." she said to herself as she entered her quarters. Alison started to fill out a store room docket on what she and the Captain's detail would need.
"We'll defiantly need some heavy defences if the shit hits the fan..."
January 15th, 2551, Reach, Drop ship bound for ONI drop pod vessel, 1131 Hours
Chris sat in his seat on the Pelican and looked at the men and women in his squad. They had been picked to do a training exercise scheduled for this afternoon. They were told that they'd be given stun rounds for the exercise. The outlines of the mission were to be told when they got aboard the ship they'd drop from.
Chris wasn't in charge of the squad; Major Newman had come along and in doing so, removed Chambers from the platoon for the time being.
"Don't worry, McAllen," said Newman, "this will be a breeze and then we can get into the serious stuff..."
Chris was soon aboard the ship but his men hadn't been briefed, Newman said they would be briefed in their pods before the jump; it would be a test of their resourcefulness.
January 15th, 2551, Reach, Outpost Bravo-Zulu-Foxtrot, 15 km south of Camp Hathcock, 1345 Hours
The ramp dropped and Alison was the first Trooper on the ground, soon all 48 men of the detail was on the ground; spreading out around the five Pelican drop ships that had landed in the Outpost. The place was practically deserted except for a small five man garrison that manned the nearby anti-air battery.
A large two story structure was in the centre of the base. Around the barb wire fencing around the inside buildings hugged the fence all the way round. But the area in front of the command centre was a good 80 metres square. It had been enough for the Pelicans to land.
The Pelicans took off one by one, heading back for the Quail.
"Parker," said Captain Williams looking around and shielding his eyes from the dust, "you know what to do, Parker. My office will be in there." Without another word he walked off with six men in tow to the Command centret.
"Alright guys let's get to it!" Said Alison, "I want interlocking fields of fire from all the em-gees, a roving patrol around the perimeter and the emergency fall back point is the two storied command centre, OK?"
"Yes, Lieutenant!" Her men barked and broke off into separate tasks. Alison watched them for awhile before heading off to the command centre and found herself a room and got some rest.
January 15th, 2551, Reach, ONI acquired Drop Vessel 'Hell-Fire', 1636 Hours
Chris lead his ten men to the pods, they had just visited the armory and got the training rounds for the exercise. They entered the pod bay where they were confronted by Major Newman.
"Hello, squad," Newman patted a pile of crates he was sitting on, "there's been a slight change of heart this exercise..."
Major Newman had gotten them to replace the training rounds with live ammunition.
"I'll brief you when you're in your pods, no turning back now people!" Chris kept several training magazines with him and put them in his belt near his M6C.
"Alright, people," said Newman when he saw everyone was in their pods. "Today is our first test for the ONI. They gave us our first target..." An image appeared on everyone's HUD, "this is our target, a Captain Todd Williams, and it seems Mr. Williams here has been threatening the ONI with something he shouldn't know."
Major Newman got in his own pod.
"We'll be dropping practically in their camp so expect some fire if they know we're coming but we should have the element of surprise, any questions so far?"
"Sir," said Chris, "are we using lethal force on everyone?"
"Yes," sighed Newman, "no one must be allowed to escape, no survivors, quick in and out, any of you get wounded try and head for the main gate to the complex, we'll pick you up when extraction comes, extraction is by Warthog lorries that will come in on my signal."
"How many 'enemies' are there, sir?" Asked another Trooper.
"Not many, according to the reports from yesterday he only travels with a platoon of Marine Spec Ops, so piece of piss for us..." The green light came on, "alright people this is it! Lock and load before we drop, you won't have a chance on the surface!"
Then the pods launched in order of rank, Newman, then McAllen, then the Gunnery Sargeant, etc.
Chris gripped the hand rails above his head in his pod. He flipped the reflective visor down over his face and closed his eyes, trying to not to think about the 8 or so gees going through his body.
"Impact in twenty seconds, 'chutes deployed!" Said Newman.
January 15th, 2551, Reach, Outpost Bravo-Zulu-Foxtrot, 15 km south of Camp Hathcock, 1659 Hours
Captain Williams yawned, he was bored yet he felt secure, protected by the men and women of his detail.
"Sir!" Said a Marine busting into his office, "we got incoming!"
"What, who!?" Said Williams jumping up and running out the door.
"ODSTs! Looks like a full platoon!" Cried the man pointing up at the 12 sets of parachutes with canisters attched, coming down to the surface.
"Everyone on alert!" Cried Williams retreating back to his office.
Alison was wakened by the noise of scrambling Troops. She jumped out of her cot in full dress and ran to a window... Just as the first pod fired its thruster and smacked into the ground.
Alison watched as a second, then a third, then a forth pod hit the ground. She couldn't look away; they had an aura about them she couldn't resist.
January 15th, 2551, Reach, Outpost Bravo-Zulu-Foxtrot, 15 km south of Camp Hathcock, Inside ODST POD #2, 1702 Hours
Chris secured his M7 SMG to his thigh holster and loaded his K50A1 in the small space.
"Sir," he stated, "do we go?"
"No," said Newman, "we don't have surprise anymore, wait for my go..." Just then a large mass of machine gun fire raked the pods, "don't worry, these were designed to be launched from space, that won't do shit to us, just wait..."
The mass of gunfire pounded the pods for thirty more seconds.
"Sounds like there are a few out there, McAllen," said Jeebs, loading his sniper rifle.
Chris heard the scuffing of boots on gravel approach his pod, "sir, they're right out the front of my pod! Request permission for go!"
"Wait McAllen, we'll have our fun..." Newman tightened his grip on the M7 SMG; he also heard noises outside his pod, "get ready..."
"GO!!!"
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