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Freddie's War: Chapter Two
Posted By: Jason Nash<rjnash@optusnet.com.au>
Date: 21 May 2005, 6:20 AM


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He was too drunk to move, but he knew what it was.


Freddie watched the blast arch towards him, the color of it illuminating the desert sand in an eerie glow. Freddie, now totally immersed in watching the blast fly towards him, didn't notice John run towards him and push him off the structure.
Freddie felt the force of John's shove, causing Freddie to stumble off his stool and fall to the ground. John followed after him. Freddie had himself winded for a few seconds, while John lay on the ground, his face buried deep in the sand.
Freddie felt the ground shake as the structure blew apart in a massive green explosion. Stone debris showered the camp, ripping holes in the sides of tents. Several of the other troops were already running around, searching the perimeter for Covenant.
The Banshee that had fired off the shot was now turning back towards the camp, ready to take a shot at the Human soldiers.
Freddie got up and too out his M6D pistol. Freddie was highly experienced in the use of firearms and a good shot as well. But being drunk changed a few things, including accuracy.
Freddie used the M6D's scope to zoom in on the Banshee. Knowing that bullets wouldn't do much to it, he aimed for the pilot. He fired off four rounds, two of them hitting their mark.
The body of a dead Elite came falling from the now pilot-less Banshee hit the ground in front of Freddie. He had managed to knock out the Elite's personal shield with the first shot and kill the Elite with a well-placed shot with the second. The Banshee crashed into the side of one of the slopes alongside the valley, exploding in a large fireball.
Freddie looked down at John, who had been knocked out cold by the fall. Landing on the ground head-first wasn't such a good idea.
Freddie looked down the valley. He and his division waited and waited, by the attack never came.


Morning came to one half of the planet of PT-569, a.k.a 'Scorcher'. The half Freddie and his division were on got the daylight, and so began another day of a stale-mate between the Humans and the Covenant.
Freddie, now just recovered from a severe hangover, stood surveying last night's attack's damage.
The stone structure, which had looked not to be built be Humans but by something else had been totally obliterated with the blast from the Fuel Rod Cannon. Only one and a half of its walls were left standing. The rest was just rubble.
Freddie, looking upon the rubble, had a few memories creep back into his head...


Fifteen years before...
The operation was supposed to be simple: They land, ambush the small group of Grunts and Elites and take back the scientific lab.
Sitting in the Pelican drop-ship, Freddie stared across at his brother, who was sitting in front of him.
"Okay men, it's simple: we land, recon the Covenant forces then regroup back at Point Zero. We then spend one night planning out our attack. Then first thing the morning after, we attack," Freddie's brother explained.
Freddie looked outside. They were flying over an ocean, on their way to a coastal area. The planet they were on was called Hampson III. It orbited one of the giant Halo rings that seemed to be all over the galaxy.
Freddie and his brother had been fighting together for years, and had always stuck together. Little did Freddie know that this battle was to be his brother's last.
"Three minutes till landing, Redgum," the pilot said through the intercom.
"Alright men, prepare for action," Freddie's brother said. Everybody locked and loaded their rifles.
"Now, everybody has to look out for each other. We shall stick together until the end."
Freddie saw land suddenly appear underneath them, and heard the sound of the landing rockets being fired...


"SIR!"
Freddie felt his heart lurch. He suddenly saw a young, clean-shaven Private standing in front of him. It was Private CC Fletcher.
"Yes?"
"I just came to ask: where do you want us to put up our mounted machine gun?"
"Oh, um...put it in the middle of the rubble."
CC walked off. Freddie scratched his head, and then walked back into his tent.
Freddie checked the crate full of bottles of wine he had stowed away under his bed. There was only three bottles left, and if he conserved it, that would last him about a week. Freddie put the crate away and straightened up his teddy bear, which had slumped forward. It felt so peaceful, but Freddie knew that the battle wasn't over yet. But right now, it was time to help clean up.





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