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The Patrol
Date: 16 July 2004, 4:53 AM
Sergeant Donnellson had begun today just like any other. But as the day went along, he could see today was nothing like the other days the company CP. The air was buzzing with activity, with orderlies going to and fro. Then his Captain approached him.
"Finally," thought the Sergeant. "Now I'll get my orders."
"Donnellson, I want you to take your platoon on a combat patrol. We have had reports from a few Recon platoons that Covenant are moving in from several directions. Find and engage any enemy units you encounter"
"Sir," asked Donnellson. "Will we have any reinforcements available?"
"I don't think so son, we are concentrating most of our forces for a flank guard. The Covenant have been pecking at our rear for the better part of a month. We need all available forces to hold there."
"Yes sir."
He walked quickly towards his squad's barracks. "Just one platoon, with no reinforcements, against an unknown force, going on a combat patrol? This is insane," he thought to himself. As he entered his barracks, he told his men what they were doing.
They were as amazed as he was. He had no heavy weapons in his platoon, either. All he had were normal riflemen. "Who knows," he thought. "Maybe we won't make contact."
Later that afternoon, and into dusk, he and his men patrolled through the woods and rock formations around the camp. As they were nearing the end of their shift, he felt relieved. He hadn't made contact; none of his men had been killed or wounded. It was getting to be night, and they were running out of light. He gave the order to return to camp, but warned them how they weren't out of the woods yet, literally. Just then, they heard a snap of a twig in the woods behind them. They whirled around, switching off their safeties as they turned. They were face to face with, a wounded marine! He fell to the ground, bleeding from a stomach wound.
"They came out of nowhere," said the wounded man. "We just couldn't stop them. I was the only one who got out alive, as far as I know"
"What's your name Marine?" asked Donnellson.
"Krinjeck sir. I was with 2nd platoon, Dog Company"
Then he passed out.
"Harper, Harris, O'Neill, set up a perimeter!" yelled Donnellson. "Bandos, Discipio, help him up." "Alright, the rest of you, cover this area while those two move him back. I'll escort them back, along with Blake. We'll be back, hold here guys."
As they moved back towards the base, they could here gunfire erupting from the woods they had just left, cries of Marines getting hit, as well as warbles and screams from the Covenant who were attacking and getting hit. The five men entered the base. Donnellson had Bandos carry him to the company aid station, and he and the other two marines moved back to the position that the rest of the platoon was holding. Just as they were returning a flash of a plasma grenade went off, blinding Donnellson temporarily. Luckily, only a few of his platoon were wounded, but they were beginning to run low on ammunition.
He radioed to the CP desperately "Foxtrot CP, foxtrot CP, come in. This is Sgt. Donnellson of 3rd platoon. We have made contact with the enemy, but are running low on ammunition and supplies. Request reinforcements if possible, supplies at least. Donnellson out."
He wasn't sure if his plea for help would be answered, but he soon found out the horrible truth in one message: "Attacks coming on -static- fronts, assistance -static- impossible, all units -static- gaged. Hold as long as possible -static- You are cut -static- ff. No -static- retreat."
He was scared out of his mind. "Oh no," he thought. "My platoon has just been condemned."
He turned to break the news to his men. "Guys," he said. "Look at me. We're cut off. We have no chance of rescue. We have been ordered to hold as long as possible. We have been ordered to hold to the last man, which makes sense seeing how we can't retreat as it is."
His men gave a light chuckle. Even in these improbable odds, Donnellson still had somewhat of a sense of humor, no matter how dry and unpromising it was. He felt he needed to reassure his men that even though they were doomed, they needed a sense that they would be okay.
"Listen. We're gonna make it. As long as we can just hold here, I'm sure command will get us some reinforcements. Conserve ammo, shoot at only what you can hit. We will get out alive."
The Patrol - Part II
Date: 18 July 2004, 3:07 AM
Back at the Company CP, marines were running left and right, trying to hold the perimeter. The Covenant were attacking on all sides. Amidst all of the confusion, one marine was standing there at attention. He was Bandos; the marine Donnellson had left at the camp with the wounded Krinjeck. Company F's commander walked over to the man and glared at him.
"WHAT'RE YOU DOING MARINE?!" Screamed the captain.
"Waiting for you, sir. I need to get back to my unit. They're stuck out in the woods in the middle of this. I wanted to ask you to let me take a warthog, any extra ammo, and two men with me to help 'em out."
"Well son, I'd like to help you and your platoon out, but I simply can't spare the manpower." He looked at the Marine. He was staring at the Captain intently, completely serious. "Tell ya what. If you can get two men to volunteer, and you can scrounge ammo, and you can manage to commandeer a Warthog, then you can go." He figured that this marine could never convince two marines to leave the camp and go on a suicide mission; he turned and began to stride away.
"Sir." Said Bandos. "I have already found two men willing to go, a warthog, and plenty of spare ammo. Can I go sir?"
The Captain spun around. "Well. Then I guess you can go." Said the bewildered captain. Not only had this marine done what he asked, he did it before he asked him. "I gotta remember to promote that boy when he gets back," he thought to himself as he walked away. "If he gets back."
Bandos and the other two marines, Locke and Alsheimer of Company A, climbed into their warthog and placed spare ammo anywhere there was room.
"We ready?" said Bandos.
"You bet!" yelled the two marines.
The warthog slammed into gear, and tore out of the camp. Immediately they came under fire, and both of the new marines began firing to the left and right. Bandos pulled out his pistol, and began driving with one hand and shooting with the other.
Back in the woods, 3rd platoon was having difficulty holding their position. Some of the men were down to their last mags, and some took their side arms from their holsters and began firing. Suddenly Donnellson heard a familiar voice come over the radio.
"Sergeant Donnellson, Sgt. Donnellson come in over."
"This is Donnellson. Is that you Bandos?"
"Yes sir, good to hear you're still alive. Listen. We're headed towards your position in a warthog; we got spare ammo and supplies. ETA about 3 minutes."
"Good to hear Bandos, we need some help here." Wait a minute, he thought. We? "Who's with you Bandos?"
"I got two volunteers from Alpha Company sir, Locke and Alsheimer."
"Well, good to hear, we would use a few extra fighters".
As he said those words, his radio was hit by a bolt of plasma and melted immediately. "Oh crap." He thought. "Oh well, we'll at least have the warthog's radio."
"Listen up guys, Bandos and two other marines are headed here right now in a warthog. They got supplies, ammo, but best of all, them coming means that the CP is still up. We gotta keep fighting."
He gazed over his bleeding and miserable marines. He knew they couldn't keep fighting for very long, especially without any hope. He suddenly regretted telling them that command couldn't give them reinforcements. If he hadn't told them that, he could have at least kept a lie going that they might be saved. Now he had no chance. They had no chance.
Back in the warthog, though, the three marines were having plenty of trouble of their own. Bandos was discovering how difficult it was to reload a pistol and still drive straight, Locke was discovering how difficult it was to fire an assault rifle from the passenger seat of a warthog, and Alsheimer was discovering how easy it was to keep a solid stream of fire going from his machine gun. Dodging the streams of plasma flying past him constantly was a different story. He had to jump, duck, and contort his body every which way to avoid them. Finally they pulled into the circle of tree and rock 3rd platoon had cover inside of. Locke jumped out of the passenger seat, and Bandos jumped out of the driver seat. Alsheimer sort of slid out of the gunner seat. All of the bumps they had hit made his legs a little woozy, so he just slid up to a rock and sat down.
"Good to have you back Bandos; I thought you were just going to stay back at CP."
"Well, you know me sir, I like to stay in the thick of it." Replied Bandos. Just as he said that, a spray of plasma flew over the platoon's heads.
"Find some cover, find some cover!" Yelled Donnellson. "Everybody grab a few extra mags. We're holding this spot!"
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