"Green light. UNSC Ostrada you are green to drop."

Staff Sergeant Miller felt his drop pod turn in its fastening, and, out of his forward 'Y' shaped viewing glass, he saw the planet below. The horizon was filled debris of a Covenant destroyer that the UNSC Ostrada, a Valiant class Super-Heavy Cruiser, and UNSC Trinity, a Pillar of Autumn class Heavy Cruiser, had destroyed in a battle just minutes earlier. The Ostrada's complement of B65 Shortsword bombers and GLA-T2 Longsword interceptors had scored multiple critical hits while skimming just under the Covenant ship's shield and successfully knocked down the barrier, opening the ship up for the two ships' salvos of M58 Archer and Shiva-class missiles, along with the 40 or so dual barreled 50mm guns on each ship. The Covenant vessel had split into three sections, one of the rear fin superstructures falling to the planet below; the other pieces remaining in orbit somewhat close to each other, parallel to the UNSC ship.

The pod shook, jolting Miller from his thoughts. He looked down at the two screens to either side of the window and saw members of his division being cycled through as the pod automatically checked connection feeds. Some looked to be doing checks on their gear, while others sat back holding onto the sticks that protruded out of their pod's chair arms, nearly emotionless. One or two like himself seemed relaxed and ready for what was coming. There was a reason they were called "Hell Jumpers," right? He knew the answer because he and countless others had been the reason for years now. They had put the name to the test during the campaign on Harvest and then again just before the Fall of Reach. Both times, they had come out with high casualties, but both times, they came home with their objectives completed. This was only another time to show that they earned the name. That they sacrificed for it. That they lived for it.

He looked just outside of his pod to others hanging above the open bay doors to the planet below. A green light shown above a pod on the very end of the bay to his right and it dropped seconds after. Then the next. And the next, all miliseconds after the other.

"Alright, ladies and gents. It's party time." He heard Staff Sergeant Taffman say over his helmet's comm system.

Next he heard, "Pod number 0328, releasing in three." Miller's heart rate picked up in speed, adrenaline beginning its speedy entrance into his bloodstream. "Two," he gripped onto the chair's handles to his sides. "One," he took a deep breath, closing his eyes and lets it out, looking straight ahead out into the emptiness of space between him and an unknown planet. "Drop."

He felt his pod lurch downwards as the mechanical fastenings released their hold on his pod. The metal teardrop shaped husk hurled toward the surface, along with the others, and entered atmosphere. Miller watched as he passed several pieces of both the covenant destroyer and the Ostrada entering atmosphere glowing red. The pod that was carrying him, itself, began to heat up as the planetary gases became thicker. He could see the tips of yellow flames from reentry through his window and just in front of him, another pod with its lower portion covered with the heated gases of entry to the planet. He shut his eyes and focused on his hands gripping the handles and the static and weak sounds coming into his com system.

"Hold for bolts." An operator in the Ostrada watching their descent said. "Blow them in three. Two. One."

Miller lurched forward and flipped two switches and, as it turned green, punched a button just above him. He immediately brought his hand back to the handle and his back went straight against his seat as the pod lurched, its heated outer hull separating from its main body.

"You're still coming into fast! Pull chutes on my mark." the woman said.

Miller brought his hand up to a handle, gripped it tight, and waited.

"Mark!"

He pulled hard on the handle and felt the pod lurch upward as a carbon fiber drag-chute deployed out of it's top.

"Alright, you're back on course. I'll update if anything changes." He heard and then silence. Through his window, he could see the Trinity's ODST pods landing at their designated zones. He wondered if their objectives would coincide with eachother, but ultimately just watched the tiny dots on the horizon, falling towards the surface with him. The only sound that he was able to hear was the shaking of the pod as it shot through the upper cloud layer.

"Detach." he heard.

He punched a large red bolt release beside where the handle he had pulled met the wall of the pod and felt the chute separate. The routine had become just that. This was his seventh drop and he had heard most of this before. There were only two more things that could be done to slow the pod and now that they were going terminal velocity, his mind felt at ease.

His options had only been expended once and that was on Reach, when everything went wrong with the drop. His first ship, The UNSC's only super carrier, Trafalgar, had just taken out six Covenant cruisers that were just above the planet and had then moved above the city of Ezhtergom. His entire battalion of five hundred twenty seven ODSTs were dropped from the Trafalgar in a rush to secure the spaceport before it was over run by Covenant ground forces. Unknown to him, it was also an attempt by the commanding officer to save the lives of as many crew as possible.

Trafalgar's hangers had been almost emptied of its Longsword bombers and her complement of Pelican Dropships were taking off and heading to the surface, transporting the ship's Marines and non essential crew to both reinforce ground assets and also to other ships retreating from the system. Miller was mid-atmosphere when he saw the Trafalgar, his home, launch its last salvo of missiles into a Covenant supercarrier, which effectively blasted it in two, and fire its dual MAC cannons into another before ramming one last Covie cruiser and going nuclear, taking out several covenant vessels near it and knocking another, a Corvette-class, into orbit. The Corvette couldn't recover its trajectory in time, and consequently slammed straight into the planet's surface. The explosive shockwave of both the trafalgar going nuclear and the Covenant corvette blowing its reactor from impact, sent his pod, and likely everyone else's, off course, scattering them like a dandelions seeds into the wind.

Even with his chute deployed, reverse thrusters working on overtime, and even blowing the blast shield, he spiraled through the atmosphere and bounced to a stop when he hit the ground. Luckily his pod landed within walking distance of the spaceport they were assigned to hold. The spaceport had remained secured by Miller and what ODSTs survived and had made their way there until most of the civilian transports were safely out of Reach's airspace. It was later found that out of the five hundred twenty seven, only sixty one had survived the drop. The rest were either confirmed KIA or missing in action when the planet was glassed.

When the order to evacuate came, him and the what remained of his unit were extracted by two of Trafalgar's Pelican dropships that had remained on station and an Ezhergom Police rescue Pelican to a Pillar of Autumn Class cruiser waiting in low orbit, sending out a homing signal for evacuees and taking distress calls. Once they were aboard the ship and the final pelican had returned full to the cargo door with wounded Marines, other ODSTs, and civilians, they jumped through slipspace randomly as per the Cole Protocol, and then jumped directly to the Sol System.

They linked up with the Earth Defence Force and were transferred yet again to the Ostrada which had just come out of a ship construction yard in orbit after years of refitsand modifications. The ship ran on virtually a skeleton crew as the war raged on in other fronts, but later the next year became equipped with the best engineers, soldiers, equipment, ordnance, and full replacements for Miller's entire Battalion, bringing them up to six hundred men and women. The Ostrada also took on a SPARTAN II named Kim-306, which had gotten home on a commandeered ONI Prowler from Reach. Soon after her arrival aboard the Ostrada, Miller could feel his men's morale getting boosted by the just the proximity of the supersoldier.

Now, as they dropped into the atmosphere of a world on the rim of UNSC space, Miller wondered what the Spartan was thinking in her pod. He looked down to the two screens, watching the helmets of his fellow ODST's cycling through. One of them, the name on his helmet reading Montinegro, looked down at him and gave him a thumbs up. He did the same. The two were one of the survivors of the spaceport on Reach and friends out of combat. Another flashed on screen in his place. This one's name read Bukowski, another one of his close friends from Reach. Alternatively, he had his pinky, index finger and thumb extended. Miller, again, returned the gesture, smiling.

The images kept flashing and before he knew it, the ground was less than a thousand feet below him. He held onto the sticks on the end of his armrests and watched as the pod finally hit the ground, splashing dirt and rock outward. He grabbed his silenced SMG out of the hold next to his seat and waited for the bolts to blow the cockpit off. It separated and he stepped out before moving into a sprint for a treeline that was nearby. Him and a few other pods, which had to be the men and woman that was his fireteam, had landed in a grassy meadow that seemed to stretch for miles in every direction, save for the patch of trees they had landed next to. The figures that exited the other pods followed his direction; sprinting into the trees, keeping low in the grass and out of sight from any wandering eyes that may have been near by.

The first of the fireteam that made it to his position was Ball. A tall, honorable man with huge muscles that could outbench most in the entire division. He didn't brag like you would think, though. He only showed it on the field and in the weight room. In fact, the only words he was usually heard saying were "yes, sir" and "no, sir." Next came Zaryn; the teams marksman. He showed patience and cunning while he was on the trigger, but the direct opposite when off. He wasn't known as "Zippy" for being calm and quiet. Finally, came Markus and Robin; the replacements. Markus had about as much personality as a donkey hitting its head on a post and not giving a shit, while Robin was talkative and a social butterfly. In the four years since being assigned to Miller's Division, she had become the so called "voice" of the team. Even though Miller gave the orders, it was Robin who kept the men together when they were down on a tough mission. Both had proven themselves assets valuable to the team.

"Fireteam Charlie to Ostrada; we have touchdown. Zero contact. You sure these are the right coordinates?" Miller said into his helmet comms system.

"Affirmative, Charlie, you are at your designated DZ. Hold position until nightfall and move Northeast at a heading of 9-5-0. You will come into contact with Marines from D Company, 28th Division off the UNSC Marder, a Frigate that went down two days ago in confrontation with a Covenant light cruiser. Two additional ODST Fireteams are being dispatched to their position. I will fill you in on further after you link up." A few moments passed. "Confirm you're holding, Charlie." The woman's voice from mid atmosphere answered.

"Confirmed. Holding Position." Miller said, switching to his local comms. looking up to his fireteam. "Alrighty boys," he looked to Robin midway,"and girl; We're holding position for a few hours and then heading Northeast."

Zaryn spoke up. "Are we sure that there's Covies here, sir? Doesn't look like it. Maybe they're underground or something. Could be watching us as we speak!"

"You're a little baked, ain't yuh, mate?" Markus said, shaking his head.

"No, I'm just thinking of the possibilities here, man. You never know when a fucking Covie will just pop up and wham! Plasma bolt to the face. Or a sticky grenade." He hissed as if in pain. "Oh, I hate those. You know, Bradley in Foxtrot got his whole arm taken off by one of those things."

"Right. Well, orders are orders. Get comfy 'cause we're going to be here for a little bit." Miller said.

Four affirmations followed and they fell out to positions that covered the fields around them.

Miller checked on each of them every few minutes, watching out in the grass, looking for movement and moving low, himself, as he moved among the trees.

Sidling up to Ball, he could tell the giant was dedicated to keeping watch on his sector. On one knee with his weapon at a low ready in between two wide trees.

Miller took a knee at a tree just beside the Corporal. "See anything yet?" He said, looking over to the trooper who simply shook his head no, keeping vigil in case that were to change. Ball kept his VISR on, the gray polarized faceplate hiding his facial expression. Miller rose, patting Ball on his shoulder before scurrying to his next squadmate.

Markus was leaning on his shoulder against a tree, his assault rifle's stock against his hip and legs crossed. "Nothin' yet, Sarge." He said as if he knew Miller had been there all along.

Miller placed a hand on Markus' shoulder pad and pulled him down hard, making the shorter man buckle and fall to his ass. "Stay the fuck down, you idiot." He heard Markus grumble under his breath. "Lock that shit down and get your eyes up. Could've been a sniper sighting us in and you'd've been none the wiser."

Markus cleared his throat and pulled himself up to a kneeling position with his stock now tucked into his shoulder. "Aye, Sa'ge." He said as his VISR activated, hiding his face.

He could hardly find Zippy without his friendly indicator on. In the short time they had been there, the marksman had already concealed himself in the tall grass and under a fallen tree. Miller didn't know until he turned on his VISR and saw he was just about to step on the back of the Corporal's knee.

He got low in the grass to where he had Zaryn's view. "See anything yet, Corporal?"

"That's a big ole' negatory, sir. Nothin' but grass in the wind." When Zaryn shifted his helmet, it looked as though the ground moved; a patch of grass moving just barely noticeable to the untrained eye. He turned to Miller by just inches. "Which, by the way, is blowing at a steady 11 knots Eastward. Oh, and you still owe me for that game on Reach, ya know."

Miller chuckled just under his breath. "Yeah, yeah, I know. What were we at? Three coffee rations and a cookie, right?"

"Four coffee, a cookie, and some of that chocolate spread you know i love so much." Zaryn cackled into his mic, "You tryin'a hold out on me, Sarge?"

"Just checkin' in on it. Seeing if you forgot." Miller sneered at him through his helmet.

"Ha, well, i tell you what." His hand came up from his sniper rifles stock handle and pointed to the Staff Sergeant. "We get to where we're going and get this shit done, I want another game. Give you a little chance to redeem yourself."

Miller could see the smile on Zippy's face even if it was blocked by his VISR. "Alright, bud. For now, you do what you do best."

Zaryn laid back flat against the ground, becoming virtually invisible as he was before. "You got it, boss."

Miller patted the back of the Corporal's shin and moved on turning off his VISR.

He came to Robin last. "Hey," he patted the top of her helmet. "You in there?"

She shook her head, "Yeah, I'm here, Sarge."

"What's up? You're being awfully quiet. Even for your standards."

She scoffed, "Tell that to Zippy." They both smiled. "What are we doing here, Sarge? There's nothing here. Its a gross misallocation of military resources. I mean the way i see it, put me and Zippy within a mile or so of any Covie bastard you can find." she looked out into the field, "Pack your bags, war is over."

He chuckled and joined her in scanning the horizon. "If only it were that easy."

"I just have a bad feeling about this one, is all. And you know me." She turned to him. "I don't get these feelings easily."

"I'll keep an eye out. Just focus on your sector." He nudged her shoulder plate. "Until we get on the move, you've got nothing to worry about." He stood up to move back to his spot, covering their Northern flank and occasionally the setting sun.

A/N: See if you guys can find the Saving Private Ryan reference lol. But hey, this is my first attempt at Halo, so go easy if i'm off on the lore slightly. If you follow me for another story, don't worry, i'm still writing those! they'll ALL be updated soon. I'm gonna try and update them all in the same night, so patience! Must have patience. This chapter is kind of short and i apologize. Tell me if you like it, what you think, and follow if you want more. This is really just to kind of test the waters of viewer interest, so let me know if this would be something you guys would like to see in the future or would it just be some side-thing that you wouldn't really pay much attention to. Thanks guys!