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Heroes and Legends: Chapter 1 - It All Starts Somewhere
Posted By: Odin of SoS.<kavika86@yahoo.com>
Date: 28 May 2005, 1:23 AM
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India Company, Third Batallion, Seventh Marine Regiment had been tasked to help defend a small system on the outskirts of the Inner Colonies. That plan was launched out the window when the full scale invasion of Earth began. The first wave of Covenant was beaten away with devastating losses on both sides. All available ships were being called in system to help defend the inevitable second wave. Over two hundred UNSC fighting ships gathered around the Human homeworld. Independence was one of them. Fighting had been going on for weeks. The Covenant would assault and deploy ground troops. Super MAC platforms, fitted with new shield technology, fended off wave after wave. UNSC ships fought valiantly defending each platform. Marine and Army ground forces fought with unbefore seen tenacity defending the Super MAC generators. Almost all twenty generators were being constantly assaulted. Each of them buried deep below the largest cities of Earth, the defenders of humanity were having a tough time fighting off the onslaught. Paris had fallen first, New Baghdad's situation was unknown, and Boston was overrun but, the Covenant were having militia problems and hadn't found the generator yet. All other generators were secured.
First Sergeant Daley had taken full command of India Company when the CO was killed just days after the invasion. India Company was stationed in the small town of Warrensburg, fifty miles outside Kansas City Metropolis II. A generator was in KC and Warrensburg was on one of the main roads leading there. It had been a full week since the Covenant last assaulted the small town. Most of the civilians had been evacuated and Daley had had time to prepare the town for another assault. Seriously damaged buildings were knocked down, alleyways and side streets were blocked off, to keep the Covenant on the main roads only. The old high school had been turned into the company headquarters and billeting. Stolen Shades and machine gun turrets were mounted on the roof and at all of the entrances to the school grounds. Barbed wire and concrete dividers were used to cordon off the area and secure the vehicles. The flag pole still held the UN flag, the US flag, and was now accompanied by the gold and crimson Marine Corps flag.
Six Warthogs pulled out of the perimeter and drove towards the outskirts of town in a tactical column. Corporal Tran was in the lead Warthog, sitting in the passenger seat. The wind whipped at his clothes as they sped down the road. His hazel eyes were protected from the wind by his Oakley ballistic goggles. His dirty blonde hair was covered by an M832 Kevlar Combat Helmet. An ear and mouth piece extended from the helmet connecting him and his squad through COM.
Almost all of the downtown and residential areas had been completely leveled. A few houses with blown out windows and busted down doors still stood defiantly. Although no person resided in the houses, they appeared to live on their own. Nothing could be heard through the streets, except for the rumble of engines and grinding of gravel on asphalt. Debris littered the streets and directed the convoy in predetermined paths. Cpl. Tran nodded to the Marines dug in on the outskirts of the town. They had been there for weeks with but a few precious hours of sleep. Patrols were sent out regularly to look for incoming Covenant.
Outside the town, the roads followed along rolling, green hills, and fields of four foot tall wheat fields. The Warthogs disturbed the blissful silence of the country area. Cpl. Tran admired the terrain. He would have liked to live on a farm, if he ever had the chance. The convoy pulled up to a rally point and rolled into a coil, providing full security. Tran pulled a laminated map from his cargo pocket and examined the area. He opened the door and hung one leg out, giving himself more room. He looked out into the fields and imagined having a family, little baby Trans running around on their little farm house. His COM cracked on and shook him from the daze.
"Odin one one, Odin one one. This HQ over." The COM snapped back to a low hum waiting for a responce. Cpl. Tran neatly folded the map back up and stuffed in his cargo pocket. He pulled his leg back in and shut the door before pressing his chin mic.
"HQ this is Odin one one, send it over." Tran pumped his hands palm up in the air signalling the convoy,"We're Oscar Mike." He shouted to the Warthogs behind him.'
"Odin one one, we just got word from FLEETCOM that Covenant have broken through with dropships in this area. Head back to base double time. How copy, over."
Tran sat up straight and looked into the sky. "Roger HQ, that's a hard copy. We're on our way back. Odin one one out." He scanned the skyline and looked through the clouds for anything. His adrenaline was pumping out of his eyeballs as he told his driver to head back. "All trucks, all trucks, this is one one, we are heading back to town. Be on the look out devils, we got incoming Covvies."
Lance Corporal Jack Glass and his fireteam were waiting inside a fortified two story house on the outside of town. The front doors and windows were barricaded leaving only the back bottom deck hatch and any second deck window for an exit. His entire squad was strung out in similar houses on the same street. The other side of the street was lined with barbed wire and concrete baracades every twenty meters. Beyond that, Lotus Anti-Tank Mines were planted two hundred meters out. A single road was left untouched. It led Glass's temper was about as fragile as that, his sanity too. He once bit a man's cheek off in a bar fight, and ate it while beating him with a stool. That is why he is no longer a Sergeant. Fighting the Covenant soothed him.
He stared feverishly out a second deck window, looking for Covenant, or a Marine convoy, hopefully being chased by the Covenant. His squad leader radioed in a few minutes prior, telling Glass about the incoming Covenant. He had been sweating anticipation every second since. He see fire in the sky from the battle miles above. At night Glass would lay back and stare into the sky hoping to catch a glimpse of the space battle. If they didn't win up there, no point in winning groundside. He hated the idea of relying on sailors to win the war.
Glass's thoughts were cut short when he spotted dust clouds rising in the distance. "Get ready boys! We got some visitors." He yelled out the window. His Marines in the windows below him charged their weapons and sighted in. Glass unslung his BR55 and racked a round. He leaned it against the wall and pulled his M6D pistol from his chest holster, loaded a mag, racked a round, and reholstered the sidearm. Jack shouldered hs battle rifle and placed his eye in the scope.
The dust cloud looked about two and a half klicks out. The vehicles looked like ants in the distance. Glass lowered his rifle and pulled a cigarrette from his pocket. He removed the safety strip and lit the white tube. Smoke wafted in the air. Nicotine entered Glass's system. A slight feeling of euphoria came about him. His shoulders slumped as tension was relieved. His COM chirped static. Glass tapped his headset pointlessly as he took another long pull. Static crackled to jumbled words. Jack took another long pull as his COM burst into life.
"...that motherfucker down. One two, get the fuck up here. I repeat, all posts, all posts, we got Covenant inbound. Creeps, escorted by Banshees. Batallion size element. Inbound north by northeast. Grid two one zero five five eight. Relay to all posts. Odin one one CAT two incoming with Covvies."
Jack's cigarrette dropped from his mouth as excitement exploded from his body. He shouldered his rifle and looked for the convoy. They were only one and a half klicks away now. He could see two Banshees shooting down onto the convoy. Rounds tore through the sky in response. The lead Banshee's port grav pod exploded as a round from a gauss cannon connected. The alien aircraft spiralled downwards and crashed in a blue and purple explosion. The second Banshee pulled skyward as all remaining Warthogs concentrated their fire on the singe attack craft. Bullets riddled the hull and the ship combusted in midair, shapnel and a large burning hulk dropped from the sky.
The convoy drove down the unmined road and button-hooked onto the street in front of Glass. Glass looked down from his window as the lead Warthog skidded to a stop in front of his building. The rest of the vehicles dispersed themselves down the road. A Marie jumped out of the Warthog and took cover behind its frame. The driver dove into a downstairs window and the gunner oriented his weapon towards the horizon. Jack looked around as Marines took up defensive positions. The sun was high and to his back, leaving the horizon as clear as can be. Miniscule figures appeared in the distance. Jack lifted his rifle and sighted through his scope. Creeps lined the field, dozens of them. Banshees menacingly flew above them. Warrensburg was about to come under seige. Glass lowered his rifle, and smiled.
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