Death of a Soldier
Posted By: Althalus<9en3@qlink.queensu.ca>
Date: 05 April 2001, 7:42 pm
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I was on one of the last drop-ships down to the surface of the huge ring-like construct. As the ship shuddered back and forth every one of us was thinking the same thing, "Damn those aliens for forcing us here from Reach." I absentmindedly checked my weaponry during the long decent, pistol hanging at my hip and assault rifle slung over my shoulder.As we touched down my Sergeant told us to get our asses out of the drop-ship in case the aliens were waiting in ambush. Luckily everyone got off without incident and we approached the base set up in a large cave. The Commander assigned each of us to a squad, I was placed in one of the scouting squads. Our standard mission was to wander out from base for about two weeks looking for signs of the aliens. Every once in a while we would come across one of their patrols, but our orders were to just observe and not engage. Most of the boys were getting a little antsy for some action after we met up with our third enemy patrol. The next day we got new orders from HQ, we were permitted to engage the enemy only if we thought that we could do so with minimal losses to our squad and no danger to the base.
After about a week of sneaking around larger enemy contingents we found a small patrol unit and our Sergeant let us engage them. Their strange weapons fired at us continuously but eventually we downed them all, their strange colored blood pooling on the ground beneath them. They were certainly ugly sons-of-bitches. We then made the trek back to HQ for a debriefing and hopefully a new mission.
When we got back to base all the grunts were called to the briefing room, it was more of a large cave than a room but it served. There the Commander told us that the aliens were getting ready to mount an attack on one of our smaller, but more important, bases. Then he gave an eloquent speech about how we were probably the last hope for our race and that we must not let the vile aliens gain control of the ring construct. This base that was about to be attacked housed some scientists who were studying the technology of the ring. It was built right over a shaft that led down into the construct itself and was providing invaluable insight of its function. If the aliens controlled the base then they would have access to the ring's inner secrets, whatever these might be.
I was just your basic field grunt, but thinking about these evil aliens destroying our beloved race caused a rage inside so acute that I almost cried out in pain. After the briefing I requested a transfer to one of the Berserker squads. The Berserkers were the first ones to the battle and usually had the most kills, mostly because they had no fear for their own lives and were fighting to preserve our race. Even though 90% of the Berserkers died each battle, they still had the highest kill to death ratio of any squad. After seeing the glint of hatred in my eyes, my request was granted and I was told to report to Sector One for new weaponry.
For this battle the Berserkers got a new type of weapon that the techies had developed while on the construct. When fired it launched a multitude of sliver-like projectiles at velocities nearing the speed of light. These slivers would slice right through any aliens caught in their path. After some practice with the weapon and some drills with my new squad, we all went to rest before the upcoming battle.
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The time for battle had come at last. At last I would be able to slaughter the aliens who threatened our race. They would die, all of them.Most of the troops had been moved to the base the aliens were planning to attack the night before under the cover of darkness and an overcast sky. Everything was prepared; all we waited for was the arrival of the enemy. Soon the strange sounds of their heavy armaments could be heard in the distance and we all rushed to our stations; snipers up on the walls, Berserkers out in front, with the regular troops and artillery behind. As they came over the hill I could see that they were throwing a good portion of their troops at us.
Our artillery units exchanged fire with theirs as their shock troops came running down the hill. We Berserkers charged in, slicing them to pieces with the new sliver weapon. Soon we were, all of us, out of slivers and covered in the strange stuff that flowed in their veins. Still the battle raged on. As a Berserker I was in the middle of enemy troops, using my pistol to slaughter as many of the aliens as I could before I went down. My sacrifice would help to preserve our race. As I ran through the alien troops I killed and in between kills I dodge their strange weapons. It seemed that the battle was in our favor and I began to think that I might be one of the few surviving Berserkers, to be held in high regard by my fellow troops. Just then my chest exploded, covering me with my own fluids. I fell to the ground silently and rolled to my back. Looking into the face of my executioner my last thoughts and words were this; "My brothers will avenge my death and you will be destroyed, the Covenant shall last Forever!"
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