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Crystal Carnage by Osiris
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Crystal carnage pt.1
Date: 25 June 2005, 3:41 am
Please bear with me the real action starts in pt2.
Date: July 28th 2552, 2300 hrs.
Location: On board UNSC frigate Cerberus, Task force Trinity in high orbit around the planet Beta Deneb, Deneb star system 3294 light years from the Sol system.
I hate being this far from home……Earth. To this date it's been 3 years and 287 days since I left the sol system and I haven't been back since. My name is lieutenant Marcus Ryan UNSC Marine Corps. One of the 150 marines aboard the Cerberus and CO of Delta squad.
Why are we here? Beta Deneb is a backwater mining colony, about 500 000 settlers, that's probably why the covies missed it. Quite recently however the miners discovered some kinda crystal that's got the ONI brain boys going out of their minds. Apparently it amplifies light better than any other crystal, natural or synthetic that's ever been found, perfect for making high powered lasers. I've heard rumors that it amplifies them so much so that space based lasers may even be possible with them. Personally I couldn't care less about crystal mining but if it'll help make a weapon to bbq some covies I'm all for it. Now, about 4 days ago a covenant scout ship came across this system, scanned it and then jumped, for reinforcements most likely. We're here to provide security and get as much of those crystals off this rock as we can before things get really hot.
Task force Trinity comprises of the frigates Cerberus and Manticore 150 marines, 12 ODSTs each, the destroyers Jormugand and Neptune 190 marines, 20 ODSTs each, the Cruiser Bellerophon, 250 marines, 40 ODSTs, the science vessel Quasar and four heavy transports Colossus, Santa Ana, Strong Arm and Claymore. All told 930 Marines 104 ODSTs.
We've been here been here for 2 days and the loading of the heavy transports is well under way but the uncomfortable thing is that the covenant aren't. By all account they should have been here by now. Captain Padfield told me after returning form a meeting with Captain Abrams, the captain of the Bellerophon in overall command of the task force, that the covenant probably don't consider this backwater a high priority. 500 000 settlers aren't much of a threat. I wish I could see the look on their ugly faces when they show up here and find our taskforce waiting for them, assuming they show up before we get the crystals and evac the colonists.
July 29th 2552, 0600 hrs
In tense times like this, breakfast with my squad offers a little relief from all the stress of war. My squad consists of Sgt. Terence Wallace, Corpral Maria Alverez, Pfc. John Mitchell, Pfc. Thomas Jones and Privates Xander Freeling, Jason Woo and Peter Eamon. A damn fine squad, all combat veterans, together we've been through 5 battles with the covies. Wallace has survived 10 and I'm glad to have him as my second in command. Jones, Freeling and Alveres were making jokes about grunts when Sarg leaned over and said "L.T. I got a bad feeling today." " Sure as hell those covie bastards'll show up and they're do it soon." The Sarg has a 6th sense about these things so I said "Ok marines, Sarg's 6th sense is kicking it so finish your meals, head to the weapons lockers and be ready for anything." They all acknowledged the order. Five minutes later klaxons started blaring and the com jumped to life " this is Captain Padfield, two covenant ships have been detected at the systems edge." "Thermal imagery confirms one scout ship and one assault carrier." " ODSTs prepare to drop, marines gear up and head for the pelicans, you're going planet side, security details to your stations, if it's a fight these alien bastards are looking for that's exactly what they're gonna get, Padfield out." Sarg was right again, the covenant had come.
Three minutes later, we were all strapped into a pelican, Alverez with her S2AM and 2 M6Cs, Eamon rocket jockeying what a BR55 for backup, Woo was carrying and SMG, an M6C and a backpack full of C12, 2 lotus antitank mines and detonators (he's a really big guy), Jones was carrying dual SMGs , a pistol and two belts of nades (incendiary and frag) , the rest of us hard BR55s, a belt of grenades and assorted small arms. Delta squad would be dropping with Sierra squad (also in the pelican) to help 6 ODSTs headed by Major Harley to secure one of the larger mining camps on the planet. Seconds later we were rocketing towards the planet, looking out one of the viewports I saw the taskforce moving into a defensive formation. The battle was about to begin.
Crystal carnage pt.2
Date: 28 June 2005, 3:18 am
Date: July 29th 2552, 0620hrs. Deneb star system 3294 light years from sol system.
Aboard Pelican Tango 12 en route to Nelson mining camp.
Orange ionization clouded the veiwports and then cleared as we entered the dusty atmosphere of Beta Deneb. " Pilot, give me an ETA." I yelled over the noise of the roaring engines. "We're 2 minutes out sir." I turned to my squad , " Alright guys time to lock and load, we get in, buy the miners the time they need and then signal for evac. Hopefully, if things don't go sour in orbit, then ten cavalry will be on the way." Sgt. Wallace shot me a nervous look and then went back to staring at his feet, he didn't like flying. "Take it easy sarg, we'll be on the ground soon enough."
" Sirs my long range scanners are screaming red! Looks like there are covie dropships inbound, probably from that assault carrier," yelled the pilot. " Roger that son" replied lieutenant Hawkin of Sierra squad, "Radio Major Harley and inform him that we'll be having company." He then look over at me smiling and said " well Ryan, it looks like we'll be killing lots of covies today." "Looks so hawk." I replied.
July 29th 2552, 0622 hrs
The pelican touched down on a landing pad in the middle of a large walled compound that was mining camp Nelson. The camp was situated at the base of a large mountain range and looked out onto open savannahs, it was surrounded but a 14 foot high concrete wall that was 10 feet wide. The instacrete wall seemed to be the newest addition to the camp and would provide some amount of protection. The towering mountains provided a bit of a problem, it would be like fighting with your back against a wall and if the covies landed a large enough force in the savannahs we'd be in a tight spot.
Major Harley came up greet us as the pelican was lifting off. "Nice of you to join us, we ODSTs are modest, wouldn't want to share ALL the glory." he said smiling. "Good to see you too sir" I replied. "Ryan, didn't expect to see you here." "I go where the work takes me sir." I answered. The major had taught me at the academy and was a little sore because I hadn't signed up for the ODSTs yet.
" Well I heard company's coming." "Yes sir, they're not too far behind us 10 minutes give or take."
"We've got a gauss hog and a regular one covering the entrance to the camp, there are a few foxholes further in and ofcourse the buildings for cover. If those alien bastard breach our perimeter, before the miners are done and evac arrives, we fall back into the tunnels, a few of them lead up into the mountains, there's a plateau about a mile to the north along the range, we can evac from there."
During the next 10 minutes we all took up out positions. Most of our forces were placed on the wall, our snipers (Alverez included) were place in some of the observation towers in the courtyard, Woo had placed demo charges along the road leading up to the entrances and on the entrance wall itself, if they covies breached it they'd get an unpleasant surprise. Just as the last marine radioed that they were in position the first phantoms descended onto the savannahs and dropped jackals, grunts and elites who quickly but cautiously started to advance towards the entrance jackals first holding up their shields. I keyed Alvarez on the com, "Pick off the elites first, gold and white armor have priority, then red, then blue."
"Roger that sir." Major Harley then said "ok boys and girls they're just probing, we'll draw them in close, snipers'll go for the elites, rockey jockeys you got ammo to spare so you'll break the jackal formation, the rest of you pick out targets of opportunity, fire on my signal…………wait………………wait……………let the bastards have it!"
Rockets raced towards the jackal line and impacted before they had time to react sending them to their graves in a hellish inferno. Gunfire erupted along the wall as the grunts and elites behind the jackal line became vulnerable. Within the space of a minute there were none left alive. As the last elite fell I looked up only to see a sigh that would dishearten the most seasoned marine. A formation of 2 phantoms, headed straight for us. The speed at which they closed the distance was frightening.
Within seconds three phantoms closed on the wall, screening the others hovering in the savannah and opening up with their plasma cannons. Nearly everyone was sent ducking for cover, the rocket jockeys fired at the guns and took them out but not before one of them was hit in the chest, leaving a gaping hole. Eamon got a few plasma burns along his left arm but was otherwise ok.
The remaining phantoms lifted off while laying down covering fire. As I looked into the savannah, I saw hundereds of covenant advancing on the wall…………hunters first.
"Eamon take those bastards out before they reach the wall!" I yelled. " Copy that." He replied, pain from his burns was evident is his voice. "Alvarez, concentrate on the elites, look for any that seem to be in command!" "You got it sir." she calmly replied.
Explosions shook the ground as Woo detonated the charges closest to the covenant. Grunts, elites, jackals and parts of grunts elites and jackals were sent high into the air.
Despite the merciless fire the covenant were under the steadily advanced heedless of casualties. "It's gonna be a busy days LT." said Sgt Wallace who was nest to me. " Too busy sarg." I replied Just then Woo detonated a second set of charges, then a third and then a fourth. The rapid succession of explosions was devastating to the covenant but the kept coming. " Eamon more hunters," I yelled as the sarg and I openied fire on a gold elite racing towards the entrance gate energy sword drawn. As the elite fell I looked towards Eamon as he stood and fired the first rocket, as he was about the fire the second holes started appearing in his chest and blood spatter as the projectiles exited his back. "NOO!!!" I yelled in anguish as he fell to his knees, "fuckin elites" were the last words he gasped as he fell. I quickly turned back to Sgt Wallace " keep low, watch for elites with carbines."
The fighting continued relentlessly with the covenant taking massive casualties but still advancing. Jones took a plasma bolt in his left shoulder and was taken off the wall to the inner courtyard, another marine was incinerated as a fuel rod exploded in front of him. Major Harley keyed everyone on the wall, "alright boys nades over the wall and then get the hell off before we're all fragged." The order was heeded without hesitation at the same time Woo detonated the last of the demo charges. Alien cries of pain were sent up into the air….. along with the aliens themselves. " Alright sarg lets get our ass off the wall." I said. "I hear that." Replied Wallace sounding relieved. Just before I left I glaced once more into the sea of covenant on the other side of the was to see a pair of hunters reach the wall and start to dismantle it with their fuel rod cannons. The wall was about to be breached.
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