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My Sins: Part 1
Date: 7 April 2005, 10:17 PM
Chapter 1
"The sins of the past will come back to haunt you..."
A line my mother told me rang through my head as I began to come to terms of what just happened. I crawled towards the window of my Longsword fighter. As I rose, I saw an amazing sight: the ring world that had been my hell for the past two weeks broke itself apart. At that moment I just broke down and cried, remembering all that had died at the hands of the Covenant and those monstrosities known as the Flood. I knew that those who survived the boarding of the Covenant ship trying to escape the ring world would never make it home, and I knew that the same fate awaited me. I got up off the floor and sat back in my pilot seat, beginning to point the ship towards Earth.
"Well, let my sins be told," I said to myself.
"Open log entry: date-- September 22, 2552. Sergeant Marcies Francisco Zealot." A red record symbol appeared on the screen of the small terminal.
"Well, since I appear to be the only one around to tell this story, let it be told." I looked to see if it was still recording and then resumed speaking, saying, "I just hope it will enlighten anyone who finds this craft. I was a solder on the UNSC Pillar of Autumn."
I went into a flashback to the day we found the ring world. My mouth continued to speak but my mind drifted into the past..
As I rose out of the cryo tube, soft mist spilling from it and drifting across the floor, I saw a large gray room. Opened cryo pods lined the walls, emptied of their contents long before. In front of me, typing quickly on a keyboard, was a tech checking me for freezer burn.
I spoke up, "So I take it we are out of slip space?"
"Yes sir," the tech replied as he continued to look me over.
"Well we must be under attack then, or you would have no need to wake me, or most of the people in this bay, for that matter."
"That would be another yes, sir."
"So, in that case, get me some clothes and a gun," I told him, predicting the grim battles to come.
Two minutes later, I was briefed and sent to the armory to stock up on guns and put on armor. Nine other marines and eight ODST's were following suit.
Being the senior officer in the armory, I took command. Standing on bench, I yelled, "TROOPS!"
All of the solders snapped to attention and I looked into their eyes; some were filled with fear, others excitement, and others still a craving for vengeance for their fallen comrades. "I am Sergeant Marcies Francisco Zealot, your commanding officer."
I looked over my troops, all of them ready to die for me, then resumed my speech. "Now most of you I don't know, but you are in my platoon now so let's get ready to KICK SOME ASS. These Covenant bastards have boarded a ship of the UNSC, the greatest army the universe has ever known. Are we going to let the Covenant take our ship with out a fight?"
"NO SIR!" the marines responded in unison, their voices clear and strong.
"Well then, let's march from the front to the back of this great ship and KILL ANY COVENANT BASTARDS THAT GET IN OUR WAY!"
I heard one single yell as they all responded, "YES SIR!"
I finished grabbing my weapons: four frag grenades, a M30 Shotgun, dual M6D's, a combat knife, and my 2001 Magnum revolver.
"OK, marines let.s move out!"
As we moved from the armory towards the pelican bay we encountered little resistance. However, The pelican bay was massive, with two stories and a single pelican near the launch bay. The marines and I were standing on the second level, looking down into the bay. The bottom level was swarming with Grunts, Elites, and Jackals.
I split the squad into two groups: one on the left and one on the right. I was planning for us to flank the enemy, until I noticed that there were large creatures that looked to be eight to eight-and-a-half feet tall with a shield in one hand and what appeared to be a large gun in the other. Four long, blue spines stretched out from their backs, and they were clad in bulky blue armor.
I was in awe, but then I began to wonder, "How are we going to beat those monstrosities?"
I turned towards my troops and asked, "Do any of you know what those things are?"
An older ODST spoke up, "Hunters, sir."
"Hunters, huh? Well, solder, since you know what they are, do you know how to kill them?"
"Yes sir", the ODST replied.
"Tell me."
"There is a fleshy area at the base of their spine. If you shoot there, then it will kill them, sir."
"Alright," I said, ending the conversation.
I opened up a COM channel and relayed the info to blue team.
"Take out the Hunters, then high ranking Elites and work your way down."
I took out one of my MD6's and looked through the scope at the Hunter. Its orange flesh pulsed softly.
"Come on, turn around.... BINGO!" I said as the Hunter turned its back to me. I put the orange fleshy area in the middle of my sights and shot.
The bullet struck home, entering the back and tearing through the other side in a spray of orange blood. The alien let out a loud roar and toppled to the ground, dead. However, I didn' have time to kill the other Hunter, and it prepared to open fire with its devastating cannon.
"SHIT!" I said out loud. "RUN!"
We all ran for cover as the Hunter and the other troops around it opened fire. We all scattered and ran for whatever cover we could find. I switched to my shotgun and began to rain buckshot down on the Covenant, taking out grunts and a few Jackals in a shower of neon blue and purple blood. I sought shelter behind one of the support columns and took time to reload my shotgun. I primed 2 frags and threw them off the ledge and counted to three. I heard 2 consecutive explosions, followed by the screams of Grunts and Jackals. I leaned out from behind my cover to survey the damage; the Hunters were down along with one-third of their attack force.
"OK marines, lets mop them up," I hollered on the COM channel.
My command was quickly followed by a hale of gun fire onto the Covenant troops, drooping them all to the ground in a matter of seconds.
"OK men, let' get down there and get a ride."
All I heard was a chorus of "yes sir" as I walked down the stairs towards the ground floor.
I walked over to pelican and began to open the hatch. As I did, I was tackled to the ground by an unseen force. I pulled my combat knife and plunged it deep into the camouflaged Elite that I knew was hiding there. I heard it howl in pain as I pulled the knife up its body, tearing the Elite apart.
The active camouflage dissipated, showing the long gouge I left in its body. It ran from its groin area to its neck. Blood started flowing from the wound onto my armor.
"GET THIS OFF ME!" I yelled.
Two ODST's grabbed the dying Elite by it's arms and pulled it off, throwing it to the side. It growled in protest, but the sound was weak and wracked with pain.
"Goddamn, that sucked," I said as I wiped blood off my armor.
"Well, troops, we have a ride. Load it with provisions, attach a scorpion tank and let's get on that ring."
After twenty minutes, three Covenant attacks and the loss of two marines, we were ready to take off. We rocketed out of the Autumn and into space. I looked out the window to look at her, then sat back in my seat and drifted into a deep sleep.
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