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Galactic Conflict by MC117
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Galactic Conflict,Part One:Sigma Octanus IV
Date: 26 February 2006, 2:42 pm
The long line of Grunts marched through the rainforest.
Their leader held a plasma rifle, and scanned the forest for enemies.
His name was Ganag, and he was the only truly alert Grunt in his squad. Behind him, his squad bickered, grumbled, and trampled loudly over the lush foliage. Jungle birds sounded their cries, and one flew overhead. It was quickly shot by a no-brained Grunt, and it exploded. "Don't waste your ammo, Ranat." Ganag snarled at the junior officer.
There was a rustle in the bushes.
Ganag turned and sniffed the air. Through the familiar smell of methane, he smelled something...different.Something hostile.
Human flesh.
He lifted his plasma rifle and fired a burst into the bushes. White-hot plasma seared through the thick plants, leaving them smoking and burnt as the bolts passed through. Ganag smelled nothing but scorched leaves, now.
"Ranat, I want you to take half the squad and scour the bushes. I'll take the other half and-"
Before he could finish, a hole suddenly appeared in his forehead, and he collapsed on the ground, limp as a ragdoll.
************************
Corporal Jones watched the Grunt fall. He raised his silenced pistol and fired at another, and blood burst from its chest, trickling over its body armor.
Silenced weapons suddenly went off all around the squad, sending it into confusion. Finally, only one Grunt was standing. It groveled in fear, trembling on the ground.
The Marines rushed forward and secured its hand with a tight peice of cord."Now for some questioning..." Seargent Ross said, pressing his sniper rifle against the Grunt's head. He prodded the creature with the long barrel of his weapon, and it became clear the little gas sucker had fainted from fear.
"Sir, we're picking up readings of more hostiles. The Covenant is sending out patrols. Ever since they invaded this planet, they've been trying to hunt us down, one by one." Jones said matter-of-factly.
"I'm aware of their little hunting parties," Ross said, "and I'm also aware that as long as our fleet is up there fighting their ships, we aren't going to receive a special package from the Covies, with love."he snarled, looking specifically at a Private who had been moaning about the planet going to be glassed.
"Sir, about the matter at hand. How the hell are we going to evade those Covenant patrols? They won't send Grunts this time, they'll send Elites. They have damned good sniffers, they do, and they have shields. Our weapons can't possibly take them out fast enough either, not before they sound some sort of alarm." Private Nicholson said, slinging his MA5B over his shoulder.
"Your weapons can't, but mine can. I'll work on their shields, and when those are down, they're sittin' ducks for you guys to pick off. Put some space between yourselves, so one well-placed sticky won't kill you all." Ross said, and the Marines moved out.
Sure enoguh, along came a patrol of five Elites, led by a red-armored veteran. The veteran gave the signal to stop, and sniffed the air. He smelled humans. He gave the Elites the signal to break off and spread out, just as Seargent Ross fired his first-and last-shot into the scaly bastard's skull. The head exploded, and its corpse fell to the ground, squirming.
The Elites saw the trail of smoke the sniper left behind, and all at once fired at where it came from. There was a sharp cry,and the Seargent fell from the tree where he had been hiding and hit the ground with a sickening crack.
"Marine's let's roll out the welcome mat!"Jones said over the com. The Marines fired their assault rifles at the Elites, who charged into the bushes recklessly. Jones emptied a full clip of pistol ammo into a nearby blue-armored Elite, and the shields flickered, then went down in a crackle of energy. He had no time to reload as the Elite charged, firing its rifle. A searing bolt of plasma brushed his arm, and the Elite closed in for the kill. Jones slammed the butt of his pistol into the Elite's chest as hard as he could, the armor cracked, and it coughed up purple blood before it fell to the ground, dead.A second patrol of Jackals and Grunts heard the sounds of battle, and had come rushing to see what had happened. A hail of bullets greeted them, and half the Jackals were cut down almost instantly. The Grunts turned and fled, but they too were gunned down. The remaining Jackals were killed by a frag blast, and guts and blood spewed everywhere.The remaining Elites were cut down one by one in the thick foliage.
"We should pull out. And we should do it now." Nicholson's deep voice said over the com, over the yell of a dying Elite."I've picked up even more Covenant patrols, and this time two large contacts are with 'em. My guess is they're Hunters.
"Roger that. We'll swim through the river on our way back to Alpha, and that'll hopefully erase our scent. If we encounter any hostiles, slip on your silencers and take them down. Quickly and quietly. Holmes, you call for an ordnance drop just North of our co-ordinates. That'll hooefully eliminate the rest of those patrols."Jones said, placing the silencer on his matte black M6D pistol. There was a splashing sound coming from the river, and Jones saw a Grunt toying with water. There were two quick muzzle flashes from his pistol, and baby blue Grunt blood tainted the river a sickly colour. the corpse of the Grunt washed downstream, on its way to the waterfall.
They soon saw a small fort, guarded with multiple turrets, several Warthogs and Pelicans. There was a large barracks, a shooting range, and a large, one story building in the centre.
Alpha Base.
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