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       John M. Higgins looked at the men on either side of him. A 23 year old Sergeant in the Marines, Higgins was as tough as leather. Young, fit, and restless to fight is what made he and the rest of the men in his platoon great. John had only seen one battle, and was waiting to see more. He was standing in a line, shoulder to shoulder with other Marines.
      An older Lieutenant walked down the line of men. Searching for a flaw, a reason to jump on some maggots back. But there was none. The Lieutenant walked back a few feet and turned to face them.
      "You are a fine bunch of Marines. Cream of the crop. I tell you when they told me I was getting a platoon of boots from the academy, I was not expecting this. You make me proud men. What also makes me proud is to tell you all that we are to be taken off security of this embassy and put into real action." A roar of applause erupted over the Lieutenants voice. He could not keep his face straight if he tried. "We are to report to the Octavian at 0700 tomorrow. So pack your gear, and don't forget to change your underwear. Dismissed." The Lieutenant left the courtyard and went back into the embassy. John couldn't contain his excitement and threw his hat into the air as he had done on graduation day at the academy. Many others followed suit.
      "Well it's about damn time. Best platoon in the battalion and we finally get recognized. I've been hoping for the day we leave this god forsaken embassy and finally go into real action." John slapped hands with his best friend in the corp.
      "Jesse you and me are gonna be heros. I remember ever since I was ten I couldn't wait to see battle. To fight those Covie bastards for everything they've done. And now I get to. Now we get to follow the foot steps of the great heros before us. Now is our time." Jesse slapped him on the back and they both walked into the embassy.

      Midday arose, and the sun beat down on the little African city. John and Jesse were laid back on the picnic tables in the court yard. Others from their platoon were doing the same as the sun heated the Earth.
      "It's freaking 98 degrees out here. Man I would rather be in cryo sleep then run another mile in this." He unbuckled his web belt and laid it beside him.
      "Seven miles in full gear. The Eel-Tee really wants us in top shape for tomorrow." John removed his helmet and ran his hand over the band of hair on his head. "Now all we have to do is pack. That I can do."
      A shrill alarm arose and John looked up from strapping his boot. He and the others grabbed their helmets, and other gear they had shed, in a hurry. The Lieutenant came out the front doors and filed us all of them up. There was a worry about his face. John glanced up into the sky, where he could usually see the floating MAC stations, now saw bright explosions illuminate the sky. His heart skipped a beat, and his hands began to sweat.
      "Higgins pay attention!" John snapped to, "The Covenant have entered our air space, and it's possible for them to come ground side. So the city has been put on Red Alert, and I'm sure you all know what that means."
      "Sir yes, sir!" The line called out.
      "What does it mean Marines?" The Lieutenant antagonized.
      "We meet them head on, sir!"
      "Damn right. And I'm sure you'll now thank me for having you run in full gear." John snickered, even though he was burning up. "We are to hold the embassy, and when worst comes to worst evac them. Recon will post at grid Two-Zero-Three and report on all activity."
      "Sir. Here they come." One Marine called out, John looked up with the rest of the platoon to see a sleek, silver Covenant Capital ship tear through the atmosphere. The nose turned orange, then red as it tore through the layers until it hit open air and stabilized. They followed it to where it settled over top of New Mombassa. A purple beam split the air and slipped to the ground.
      "Oh were in big shit now. Get to your positions now. You get SATCOM up, we need some Pelicans out of here. Higgins, you and Jesse get out there quick." John saluted and grabbed his pack. Jesse followed along, his S2 sniper's rifle hung on his shoulder.
      "Which building should we post on?" Jesse asked jogging along side as they rounded a corner. The distant scream of a plasma engine caught his ear.
      "The grocery store should be good. The ventilation housing on top of the store should give us some cover." They rounded another corner and ran to the dead end of the ally way. There a metal door with a keypad entry sat dormant. Jesse ran up to it first and tried a series of buttons but the door stayed closed. He beat on the door twice and it opened to the face of a frightened old man. He ushered them in and immediately showed them the stairs to the roof. John tilted his head courteously as he ran past the rest of the family crouched in a corner of the store.
      Jesse forced the door open into the sunlight. The roof was not very open with a large air cooling and ventilation system demanding its own concrete house. That very house had enough of an over hang to allow both of them cover.
      "Set up, I'll check the COM." John tapped a button on his helmet, switching on the radio freq. He pulled a cable from the COM station in his pack and hooked in into his helmet.
      "Grid Seven-Two and Eight-Two are hot. Repeat Covenant presence in areas Seven-Two and Eight-Two." John pressed a button and shifted through the different freqs.
      "Sir, we are escorting the ambassador to the landing pad. Will keep you posted." John knew instantly that the voice over the COM was that of his platoon leader. He took a mic from the bag and tapped the feed button.
      "Fox Trot, Fox Trot. This is Recon Alpha in postion, awaiting further orders, over." There was a pause, and them a ruff voice fighting to be heard over the gun fire.
      "Recon this is Fox Trot. Turn to our position and see if you can get a visual, over." John relayed the order to Jesse, who then went to the opposite corner to his left. He zoomed in twice and then spotted a fire fight in progress. He held up his thumb as a sign of the visual.
      "Roger Fox Trot we spot you." The voice came up once again over gun fire, and a lone explosion.
      "Report how much infantry is on our left flank." John once again relayed the order to Jesse who went to counting.
      "I see three squads of Grunt with four Elite and one, two. Damn it I can't count em'. Tell the Eel-Tee to pull out now and head for the ally ways. He's clear for five hundred meters to his rear."
      John sent out the answer and the response came back in a long stream of curses that were drowned out as a Pelican flew over head. Jesse fired four rounds into the crowd of Covenant and killed six of the little bastards.
      "Recon pull out and find some better cover. Those Covies will be converging on you as soon as we dust off. Find a hole and stay put. We'll come to you. Fox Trot out." Static filled the freq as the Pelican threw up dust. Its auto-cannon tore through a line of Jackals and Grunts. John unhooked all the equipment and threw it over his back. Jesse was letting loose a steady clap from his rifle. John tapped his helmet and Jesse zoomed out and shouldered his rifle and gear.
      They ran back down the stairs to where the scared family was hiding. The old man was standing behind the store counter with an old shotgun in hand. He nodded them as they ran past back out to the door. At the door John stopped.
      "Jess we can't leave them." He turned around and glared at John.
      "What?! Did you see that man, he's set. That shotgun of his will hold off any Covenant that presents themselves."
      "We can't leave them. It'll go against everything we've learned. We'll just take them to the nearest stronghold." Jesse looked down the ally way and then back at John.
      "Get em'. The nearest bomb shelter is two blocks away." John ran back into the store to gather the family.
      "Sir get your family ready, your coming with us." The man acted like he had been waiting for this and his family was the same. They sprung for the door; John tried to move as fast as they did. Jesse had pulled his side arm and held it clenched in both hands. He took one off and dug it into his ear.
      "You think they'll ever turn off that damned alarm. Well now's not the time to bitch. Sir you stay right behind, John you take the rear. We move fast and quiet. Got it?" The family nodded and John pulled his Sub Machine Gun from his pack. He pulled back the hammer and fed a round into the chamber. Jesse gave one last nod to John and took off down the narrow path. The old man followed just as fast along with his wife and two young granddaughters. John waited a second and then followed.
      Jesse peered around the corner and spotted three Grunts fighting over what looked to be a dead cat. He turned around to John and signaled the threat with his hand. John walked up to him and crept around the corner. He raised the run and brought the three Grunts into his sight. His finger pulled back the trigger releasing a hail of silenced projectiles. Thirty rounds tore through the weakly armored bodies with ease. The first one hit wore the red armor of a Major. The first round his the side of the large tank on its back, erupting a fire that engulfed his fragile body. The methane that was in the tank exploded just as the second Grunts was hit in the back of the head and had his arm tore to shreds. The third one was only alive long enough to see his brothers fall before spilling his own blood as five rounds tore through his soft flesh. Its body slumped to the ground and its head splashed into a pool of bright blue blood.
      With gun still smoking, John motioned the other forward. Jesse took off to the corner where the three Grunt bodies bled. The family was close on his tail, and John once again waited for something to present itself before running to the others. Jesse peered around the corner to see a wide open street only occupied by a car and moving truck. He knew the vehicles would be good cover.
      "Old man, take your family behind that truck and stay down. John follow me up to that car. We should be able to spot the bomb shelter." He rounded the corner and ran head long for the car where he stopped and crouched, gun at the ready. The family ran to the closer moving truck and crouched down as close as they could to the ground. John ran quickly to the car and crouched along side Jesse.
      Jesse stood up and raised his rifle, clicking the zoom twice. He spotted, three hundred meters away, a small squad of men fighting off a wave of Covenant. He scanned the area to see the enemy trying to advance on twin fire of thirty caliber machine guns. He then watched as a line of them turn around and run down an ally.
      "There it is, three hundred meters off. I'll throw smoke and you..." He stopped mid sentence as the scuffling of boots against the ground echoed along the walls. Distant barks of Grunts gave away what was coming. "Screw the plan. John take the family and run. I'll bring up the rear this time." John ran back to the family and rushed them forward. He ran to Jesse and tossed him his gun.
      "Bring it back. I like that gun." Jesse patted him on the shoulder, and John took off. The family was keeping up with his pace easily as they ran the three hundred meters of open ground. Plasma fire soon was focusing on them.
      Jesse took aim and fired as the first Grunt rounded the corner. Five rounds penetrated its respirator and ignited the methane within. He primed a grenade and tossed it just as the body fell and a blue Elite came around the corner. The grenade hit the Elite on its shield right at its chest. It stopped and looked at the explosive knowing its death was there. Jesse threw himself back as the grenade went off with a thump and rumble. A piece of shrapnel slit his cheek. The rest of the shrapnel engulfed the Elite and three Grunts, tearing their bodies to a dark violet paste.
      Jesse pulled himself from the ground and ran as fast as he could toward the bunker. The Covenant fired at this new target running in clear view.
      The old grocer saw as Jesse ran over the open hard pan. He then saw as a lone glassy shard imbedded itself into his leg and explode with flesh deforming results. The old man quickly glanced at his wife, who saw what he was about to do. The old grocer then ran back into the open and grabbed up Jesse who had one hand on his leg and the other firing the ammo depleting SMG. Wrapping his bloodied arm around the old man Jesse fainted from shock, his body going limp as blood still poured out. The old man ran as fast as he could with the extra weight back to the bunker. He fired futile shots into the crowd of advancing Grunts. A gunner turned his 30 cal and wasted the group into a blue pool. The old man huffed the last meter and dropped Jesse to the ground. John quickly ran over and checked his friend.
      "The legs not to bad. Some Bio-Foam and laser stitches should fix him right up. Help me get him inside."
      "Fall back, fall back." A private from inside yelled his hand on the hatch door. John hefted his unconscious friend over his shoulder and followed behind the fleeing family. He looked to see the gunners still firing into the advancing line, now thin and far spaced. John passed through the threshold, not followed by anyone else, and the doors slid shut. A clink sounded as the doors locked. John set Jesse down easily and ran over to the Private.
      "Open the door, there are still men out there." The Privates eyes showed fear, and his stare was endless. John shoved the boy out of the way and tried to access the door.
      "It won't open unless I use my finger print and code. Nothing else is gonna get through that door." He laughed a short, frightful laugh.
      "Open the damn door now!" He shouted at the Private. But he just stood there staring at nothing. John stepped back and drew his pistol. Putting it to the forehead of the Private. His eyes went up to look at the lethal metal configuration pointed at his head. He gulped deeply and reached over to the console. And with a swift hit broke the casing, and destroyed the sensitive touch electronics. His hand came up bloody, its flesh ragged.
      "You son of a bitch!" John pulled the trigger and sent a 12.7mm bullet into the Privates head. John saw the boys eyes focus for once more then roll into the back of his head. He stood for a second, swaying, then fell to his knees and the floor. Blood rushed from the wound and pooled on the floor. John just stood there, his arm still raised, finger still on the trigger. He felt little droplets of blood run down his face. The others in the room stood still, shock flooded all their senses. He finally, after what seemed a life time, dropped his arm and looked at the faces staring at him.
      "This man condemned two men to their deaths. So I condemned him to the same." He holstered his pistol and picked his wounded friend once more.
      Three flights of stairs led down into the Earth where a squad of medics were trying to save the lives of their wounded brothers.
      "I need more morphine over here." One yelled as a soldier sat up screaming in pain.
      "Come on Marine stay with me." Another medic was violently pushing down on the chest of a flat lined man. A free one ran up to John and helped him get Jesse into a bed at the far end of the room.
      "He'll be fine. Go see the Major for further orders." He pointed to a door leading into another part of the bunker.
      "Tag him and bag him. I did all I could." John looked back into the room as he left. The smell of blood wavered through his nostrils. The next room was only occupied by three men. One man stood examining a large screen filled with moving symbols on it. The others were working on a damaged radio trying to contact any aid. The Major turned around and walked over to John.
      "Welcome to the club house Sergeant. It's not five star but it'll do. Well by the looks of you, you've been through a lot and so have we. Every Marine you see in here is what's left of two Platoons from my Company. We were sent in to secure civilians and transport them to a safe zone. Well we had twenty-three civilians and my Platoons high tailing it out of danger when two Phantoms swooped in and cut my rear to pieces. Everything turned into chaos after that. The Phantoms dropped off infantry and a set of those damn Hunters. The civilians were wasted along with fifty-seven Marines. Damn shame, well what about you?" He looked up at John from the table map. John hesitated a bit before coming out with it.
      "I from the Bravo Company, third Battalion. My companion and I were recon for second platoon. We were sent out ahead to watch for enemy movement. My platoon was stationed at the British Embassy in third sector. The damn Covenant hit the embassy and wasted a lot of my platoon. My friend and I then fled, bringing a family with us. We made it here just fine, but inside I was forced to take the life of one of your men sir." He then looked up sharply, anger in his eyes.
      "An insane private locked two men outside. He then destroyed the command consol so the door could not be opened. I acted out the sentence of treason sir." The major looked him up and down. He saw the blood drip down John's face. He exhaled slowly.
      "I knew that boy was trouble. You did what you had to. I'm just sorry that you had to do it."
      "Sir, we've got SATCOM." One of the men called from the radio. The Major walked over and took the mic the man offered him.
      "SATCOM, SATCOM, this is Major R.J Bradley. We are bedded down in fourth sector with civilians and multiple casualties in need of immediate medical attention. Requesting pick up immediately." There was a response very quickly.
      "Roger Major, Pelicans in bound to your position. SATCOM out." The Major tossed the mic on the table and patted one of the men on the shoulder.
      "Get everyone ready for evac. Sergeant you come with me."
      "Yes sir." John followed the man back up the steps into the room where the dead Private lay, now covered by a shaggy blanket. As we entered a rhythmic thump shook the ground. It soon stopped, but was immediately followed by a high pitched cry of machinery.
      "Get away from the door!" The Major yelled and two men jumped from the large slab of metal. The whine erupted into an ear rattling whale, and an impact echoed the room as the door began to glow red hot. The wale stopped after seconds and the rhythmic thumping began once more. John picked himself up from the floor and looked at the smoldering door. A four foot wide hole had melted away, revealing the out side once more.
      "What the hell was that?!" The old grocer asked helping his wife off the ground.
      "Scarab. The Covenants ultimate mobile death machine. Luckily it wasn't aiming right for us. We just got some spare plasma." John ran over to the door, the heat still radiated off it.
      "We need something to cool this off." He said shielding his face from the radiating heat.
      "Here, try this." A Corporal handed him a red canister filled with a freezing mixture used to put out plasma fire. John took it and pointed the hose at the hole, and released a stream of clear liquid that clung and froze to the molten metal. The chemical ice melted but cooled the metal until it was good enough to touch.
      John looked out the hole and saw blackened glass cover the ground. He stuck the hose out and finished off the can onto the destroyed land. He turned and gave a thumbs up. Crawling out through the hole, he noticed now that the city was different. Buildings now lay in ruin, and bodies littered the ground. The charred glass cracked beneath his boot, releasing more heat. A crater now lay where the two gunners had fought until their deaths. Others followed out through the hole, into the now barren landscape. The Major helped out the family John had saved and then followed himself.
      "Damn bastards. I never thought that they'd come here." John walked out into the street where Covenant bodies lay slain.
      "No, but I think its time we help them leave." John looked up into the sky and watched as three Pelicans came into view. "Major, I think it's time for a little payback." The Major smiled and picked up a fallen rifle at his feet. He pulled back the hammer and fed a round into the chamber.
      "You know what, I think your right."

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