A/N: About time I wrote an Author's Note. While the Halo series shows the story of the Human-Covenant War through the visors of super-soldiers like Spartans and highly skilled ODSTs/Elites, this story is about the Marines and what the war is like for them. It starts with their graduation from Marine Camp and ends with their eventual deaths or retirement.

Blah blah blah, I don't own Halo blah blah blah.

Where I couldn't find definitive info about the UNSC, I just subbed in the practices of the American armed forces, which the UNSC is based off of anyways. For example, the Marines are based in a 'Marine Corps Base Camp'. The story cuts between third person narrator sections and the writing of the Marines.

I hope you enjoy the story. Halo lore knowledge is desirable but not necessary.


Introduction


11:09 PM, July 30th, 2534

In Marine Corps Base Camp Fujikawa in Esztergom, Planet Reach

MATTHEW

Matt sits on his bed, datapad in hand. He thinks for a moment, then begins to write.

"Hi there…"


Posted on 11:20 PM, July 30th, 2534

Hi there. My name's Matt Whitesides and I'm a Marine. Two things you should know about me. I like to eat peanut butter, and I love to kick Covenant ass. And guess what? I'm all out of peanut butter, so I guess it's time for some ass kicking!

Well actually, we've got plenty of peanut butter. It's part of the rations you get here in Reach. However, its unsweetened and tastes like shit compared to the commercial brands.

I'm fresh out of marine camp, too, so I've never kicked Covenant ass before. But that'll change shortly, because I've been assigned to a ship going out of system. Exciting stuff, huh? I'm not allowed to tell you all the name or anything 'cause it's all classified. You get in the military, you find that most things are.

I'll tell you all a little bit about me. I'm 6'4, ripped, and sexy and dangerous as hell.

I kid, I kid. I'm 5'9, but the rest is all still true. I was born in Texas State in the United Republic, but I moved to Esztergom here in Reach when I was eight. My parents are both military, that's why, they were reassigned. Blah, blah, blah, believe it or not I had a normal life. Never left the planet since, until now that is.

This is the last time I'm going to be on Reach in a long while. Maybe the last time in forever. That isn't me being depressing, that's just the facts. This war is the deadliest humanity has ever fought, and our enemies are ruthless. You've seen the pictures. Elites are eight feet tall, ugly as hell, and have motherfucking force fields. If that doesn't scare you, I don't know what will.

Alright, now that I've scared you, here's how this blog's gonna work. Me and some other Marines I met in boot camp are all writing it collaboratively. Contrary to popular belief, there are in fact brains behind our thick skulls. Due to the nature of our work and the difficulty of getting messages through slipspace, we don't get to write often, so we did the math and figured it would take at least four people working together to get a stable upload rate. The other guys are Leonardo, Jordan, Carlos, and Arkady. We even got a girl, Lena. Including me that's six in total—you'll meet them all soon enough.

This blog is for the folks at home who wonder what the brave men and women of the UNSC experience out there fighting aliens. Hope you enjoy.


7:23 AM, July 31st, 2534 (the next morning)

In Marine Corps Base Camp Fujikawa in Esztergom, Planet Reach

LEONARDO

Posted on 7:23 AM, July 31st, 2534

Hi, I'm Leonardo Paulsen, but people mostly just call me Leo. I was Matt's classmate here at Base Camp Fujikawa. We were running a half-marathon when he asked me to help do this blog, and I told him "Sounds cool man." Then I puked. I'm not much for long distance—in high school I was a sprinter.

I think the blog's a good idea. That's 'cause there's so much propaganda these days that you need people who are willing to say what's actually going down and what the war effort's actually like, because ONI spreads on the shit so thick you can smell it coming from the TV. Photons and sound waves don't even have an odor, but ONI makes it happen regardless.

I'm lucky enough to have two uncles in the Marines fighting this war who tell it like it is. This war isn't pretty, but it's the best cause there ever was and I made an educated decision to join.

Which is more than can be said for a lot of guys here in the armed forces. People join without thinking. They think they're smart and know what they're getting into, but they have no idea about the bigger picture, and then they blow their brains out or something ten years down the line. Or, more likely, they get taken out by an Elite caving their chest in with one punch or by a needle to the face. Have you seen the photos of that shit? If you haven't, let me just tell you, it isn't pretty.

But there's a poetry in the struggle. People of all personalities, backgrounds, colors, prospects, abilities. United against overwhelming odds, in spite of the likelihood of a grisly death, in the greatest drama of human history. In another reality, the driver of a warthog is a plumber and the gunner is a lawyer. The lieutenant is an accountant and the rocketeer is a mechanic. The struggle is what unites them. Humanity has never been worse, but at the same time we've never been better. We're united for this fight. That's the beauty of it, and that's why I joined.

I'm boarding my ship soon. Unlike Matt my ship's assignment isn't classified. I'm going to be on the UNSC Damocles, It's a frigate bound for the Theta Doci system.

Maybe you'll see me on the news eh? Wish me luck, 'cause I'm going to need it.


10:23 AM, July 31st, 2534 (three hours later)

Three hours later, Leo had packed up and video-chatted his tearful parents on the other side of Reach, the less Hungarian side. He kissed his girlfriend goodbye who had come to see him off. After the kiss she said "Good luck" and "I'll miss you". Leo was too tired to say anything so he kissed her on the forehead and turned around. Then he went back to base, and just like that she was his ex-girlfriend. Her name was Katie and she was beautiful, but she wasn't interested in dating a Marine and he wasn't interested in dating a civvie. Matt patted him on the back with a sympathetic look. The breakup was amicable.

He ate his breakfast, which was less crappy than usual. It was pretty good actually, except for the instant coffee which was the same as always, that is to say it tasted like shit. He had a whole table to himself because it was the day after graduation and as a result most people had already eaten and rushed out to go hang out in Esztergom, have a family reunion or whatever the hell it was they wanted to do. Leo settled for sleeping in. He had already talked with his family, and as for hanging out, North Esztergom was his boot camp so he got his fill of that as a recruit.

When he finished he walked around aimlessly and ended up playing poker with some other Marines, waiting for the shuttle that would send them to the spaceport. By the time the shuttle arrived Leo had lost ten credits, which amused him. He got on the shuttle, and before he knew it he was at his new home. UNSC Damocles, the white lettering as fresh as the Marines it carried.

Leo was introduced to the ship's facilities and his squad by his commanding officer, one Staff Sergeant Kippenberger. A lot of names were exchanged, but all were forgettable. Leo supposed he'd get to know them better later on—though maybe the smart thing to do was to not get too attached. In any case, Leo didn't really care at the moment and decided they were all probably thinking similar thoughts.

He is now getting his blond hair cut by the ship's barber…it's always a crew cut. Not that it bothered him, but would it kill the military to have a little variety? Then the barber finished and Leo admired his mug in the mirror. He looked like a soldier.


11:25 AM, July 31st, 2534 (one hour later)

An hour after that, Leo was lying on the cool gel bed of a cryo-chamber, breathing stale air. "The UNSC is nothing, if not efficient," was his last thought before he tasted lime.

Then the world went cold, and everything turned black.


A/N: So they're immediately getting shipped off to the fight. That's how it was for American troops in the Vietnam War. One day they're doing pushups in Butt Fuck, Tennessee and the next they're humping it on some mud road in enemy territory. I imagine it would be even worse for the UNSC because humanity is threatened with the Covenant, not Communism, and they (the UNSC) have FTL ships. I tried to get really into the Marines' heads and show a realistic experience of what it would be like to be a UNSC Marine going to go fight the Covenant.

We're introduced to two of our main characters, Matt and Leo. I imagine Matt as a typical good guy jock type. Short dark brown hair, Texas football player. I don't imagine him all that clearly, no specific face or anything. Leo, I'll admit I based off Leonardo DiCaprio. He's competent and smart but also moody.

What do you think? Leave reviews about the direction of the story, my writing, or anything.