Pink mist – written by Daniel A. Bolstad.
Prologue
- Last thoughts of private Pat Sajak, third grade. Defense of civilian planet Eradinus VI, 2448, Eradinus system -
This is what I'd prepared for. This is where 10 years of training would pay off. It was cool and foggy. The sound of gunfire echoed, even before the battle. Was it my imagination? I felt that I could take on the entire freak armada by myself. Then again, what made me different from the marine next to me? Luck? Hell no. Fuck it! I don't want to die, but if I had to, this sure as hell would be the way for me to go.
Dying as a hero defending Eradinus VI. Yes, that would be the title. It's a shame that I wouldn't be able to witness my family being proud of me.
Heck, what choice did I have? Die fighting for Eridanus or die running from Eridanus.
The fog was thicker then ever, but blue lights were shimmering even through the fog. Had the covenant defeated our first barricade so quickly? Scorpions, pelicans and even a naval crusier. Could the gunfire be from the few minutes where a thousand men and women had fought and died?
I leveled my standard issue assault rifle. I let the years of training kick in. I checked that everything was in order and shouted to my superior sergeant, Thomas "Bricks" Jonathan Jackson. "Hey, uh… Bricks – any orders?"
"Yes, Pat! Shoot!"
I widened my eyes. Two-three thousand covenant troops lead by elites in golden armor closed in on our position, revealing themselves as ghosts through the fog. Radars had been knocked out by orbital bombing just a few hours ago and other supplies had been cut so we couldn't see them coming. The elites were followed by hundreds of Jackals hurtling behind shields. Their vulture like faces snapped to attention and they started charging their plasma pistols. Overhead were Banshees. Jet fighters for the covenant.
"Shit!" – I ducked behind the concrete barricade just in time to avoid a shimmering green glowing blob melting whatever stood in it's way. Thousands more passed overhead seconds later. "Command? Command, do you read?" They are more then we thought! Thousands more! There's no chance to hold 'em! We'll have to pull back! Do you copy? I repeat, do you copy?"
Static, and static only. I rolled around to grab the Assault rifle, when all my worst fears came to life… A kilometer long covenant destroyer hovering inside the atmosphere. They were going to glass the planet. I'd seen it before, on harvest. These waves of soldiers were just here to clean up. A Banshee flew overhead and dropped a superheated plasma rod. The green glowing glob closed in 500 meters a second. A searing heat burned through my skin. Then black. Darkness.