Hello this is my second fanfiction so i hope you enjoy. Please review if you like.
Disclamer: I own nothing except my own characters. Everything belongs to its respective owners.
Helljumpers
Key:
A Line Of / / / / / / / / / / Equals Gap In Time
Chapter 1:
There was a loud noise as the ship shuddered again throwing several men into their consoles. Personally I hate ship to ship battles, with fire so thick you could walk on it, with me and my men sitting here unable to do a thing except wonder when were going to get blown up. Me and the other ODSTs on board didn't fear death from a straight fight but dying in space held no honour.
I'm currently on the bridge with the captain as he is about to make some use of the ODSTs on board.
"Major Torkov, We are facing unbeatable odds," Captain Haverson told me. As he pointed to a screen that showed their current position and the position of the four Covenant frigates, one destroyer and the carrier that's in orbit over the planet below.
"Mac offline plus archer pods K to S have been hit" Serina the ships A.I. informed the Captain.
"Reactor temperature critical. Dumping coolant to buy some more time." An Officer shouted.
"Major, I'm going to drop all ground forces to the planet below us to aid in civilian evac. While you help the local militia, we will do our best to lead those ships as far away as possible. Do your best until UNSC reinforcements arrive." The Captains plan did make sense as we would be of more use down there but what about boarders.
"Sir, with all due respects what about enemy boarding crews?" I asked in curiosity.
"We will decompress any non-essential areas. I almost forgot Serina will be accompanying you and your team on your journey as capture or destruction of an A.I. is unacceptable. She is currently transferring herself to memory crystal." He said handing me the crystal containing the mighty A.I. "Now assemble your men and secure an LZ for the pelicans."
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The ODST leaders were informed on the plan, so that only left my team of fifty men and women to be filled in on the plan. I gathered my team over a map of the area.
"Our designation is Alpha team. Our LZ is here. This area is full of Anti-Air turrets. We have fifteen minutes after landing to cause as much havoc as possible so the rest of the ODST can land safely and secure this area here for an LZ. After we're finished we are to regroup at the LZ and wait for the pelicans and marines to reinforce us." I waited to let this half sink in. "After this we are to assist in the civilian evac and generally bugger up the coveys plans until more UNSC ships arrive in system." I look up to see many of them grinning at the suicidal plan of hot dropping into a nest of AA guns.
"If there are no questions, you have thirty minutes to prepare your gear then meet back here." I shouted at the men as they began to move out.
I made my way to the impressive armoury onboard. As I got there I quickly changed into my ODST armour with a modified helmet. This helmet has an UA/CNM upgrade. This upgrade is common for ODST commanders. UA stands for and Up-Armoured extra plate that covers the area above the visor and CNM stands for Command Network Module. These upgrades would prove invaluable in the field.
Then I preceded to the weapons cabinets and grabbed an MA5B assault rifle, HE pistol and a Jackhammer Launcher. I grabbed several extra magazines for the pistol and assault rifle. Then I grabbed another few rockets for the launcher and five frag grenades.
Finished, I jogged to the launch bay for the HEV pods only to find all the ODSTs waiting for me. I opened COM with the ODST, "Listen up, The Captain has grown tied of our company and wants us to leave this tub. There's a planet down there, complete with an atmosphere, gravity and the one thing marines love like beer, and that's dirt beneath our feet." I paused to look at the almost identical face plates for a second. "Most of the crew, not to mention your fellow marines, will be leaving this ship in pelicans. They'll ride to the surface in air-conditioned comfort, sipping wine, and nibbling on appetizers." I paused again to let everything sink in.
"Not you, however. Oh no, you're going to leave this ship by a different method. Tell me, boys and girls … How will you leave?"
It was a time honoured ritual, and the ODST Marines roared the answer in unison. "WE GO FEET FIRST, SIR"
"Damned right you do," I replied. "Now let's get to those drop pods. The covenant is holding a picnic down on the surface and every single one of you is invited. You have five minutes to strap in, hook up, and shove a cork in your ass." It was an old joke, one of their favourite, and the ODSTs laughed as if they had just heard it for the first time.
The ODSTs began to split up into their squads and find their HEVs. I quickly found my team. Then I began to split the massive team into squads of ten. After this was done I turned to look at all the ODST in the launch bay. It was a very large room that just a few seconds ago contained all two hundred ODSTs. Although they could all fit in here they had split into Blue, Red, Green and Yellow teams and have moved to their launch bays. Every ODST had their own HEV pod.
I chuckled at the thought of all two hundred ODSTs raining down on the city below and I quickly found my pod. Mine was upgraded to hold and A.I.. Although this was common for commanding officers to have a low grade A.I., Serina however was no low grade A.I..
After placing my weapons in the HEV weapon lockers to protect them from the impact, I took out the memory crystal and placed it into the HEVs computer system.
"Plotting trajectory Major" Serina's voice said out of the speakers
"Make sure I arrive on the ground first Serina"
"Major, that would make you a bigger target."
"I know Serina. Just make it happen." It was tradition for the commanding officer to arrive first as we lead by example and so we can assess the situation as soon as we land.
There was a loud thud as the ship released my pod followed by lots of other thuds which I knew where the pod of my fellow Helljumpers. The air in the HEV began to increase in temperature as we fell through the atmosphere.
One of the Blue team squad leaders began to play the ODST anthem as we hurtled towards the planet. This is usually against regulation but today it felt right. Using the CNM upgrade on my helmet I opened a private COM channel to the Captain above.
"Sir, we've started our decent. Release RED, GREEN and YELLOW teams."
"Your men our on their way. They're about fifteen minutes behind you. We will hold this position for thirty minutes so you can clear an LZ, which I will use to deposit the rest of the ground forces. But we cannot wait any longer." The Captain surprised me with his calm voice even in this hopeless situation.
"Thank you Sir and good luck." With those last words the COM was full of inaudible shouts until.
"Major, launching all ground forces and evacuating all personal. Were taking to much damage. Sorry we can't be of any more use. Your in charge now." After he finished that the COM was full of static.
"The destroyers gone. However I'm tracking several life boats and pelicans on decent. They will arrive in time with Teams RED, GREEN and YELLOW." Serina informed me by using the onboard scanners. "The pelicans can slow down and land at the landing zone but those lifeboats have limited steering. We'll have to find them. Calculating their trajectories for later retrieval."
The event of the last four minutes had changed the plan drastically. However one thing was still unchanged, BLUE team still had to clear those AA gun emplacements.
I quickly checked the ETA. Six Minutes. The temperature inside the pod had risen to almost dangerous levels. I activated the parachute to slow the pod down.
As I did this the view from my window was full of other pods all activating their chutes. Suddenly there was screaming over the COM as one of the HEVs lost their chute and the ODST inside began to scream as she hurtled towards the planet with no way of slowing down. The ODST began to scream down frequency two until I cut her off.
Somewhere on the planet below she was about to face a grim death that all ODST feared but never spoke about. She was about to Dig Her Own Grave.
This was one on the list of reasons why ODST was a complete volunteer section. The HEVs armour plating would strip itself off during the entry of the atmosphere and could cook the inhabitant of the HEV. This is what earned then the nickname HellJumpers as it took a whole new kind of crazy to sign up.
With this last thought my pod started weaving around unstably and I realised that the parachute must have been damaged either on re-entry or from all the plasma fire filling the air.
"Parachutes been hit. Brace yourself Major were going in hard. No control were heading in fast." Serina warned me through the pods Com system.
As soon as she had finished speaking the pod crashed into ground leaving its disorientated. I retrieve Serinas chip and place it in my ammo pouch. No safer place in this upcoming blood bath. I always had a knack for sensing when operation were going to go wrong. Then again when had this one ever stared going right.
The hatch hissed and flew open revealing that I had landed in a civilians house. It did not look like the insides of the common skyscraper homes. No this looked like a small bungalow. Something caught my attention in the corner of my eye. A small family huddling in the corner waiting for the covenant to find them.
"I am Major Torkov of the UNSC were here to help with the evacuation of civilians of the city north of here. I would advise that you follow me until we can safely extract you." I told them as I slowly approached.
"Sorry Major but we've decided to stay here together as a family so if you would so kindly leave before you attract there attention" The man who I assumed to be the farther.
I respected the mans decision and went back over to my pod. I only have a few seconds until my team hits dirt as well. I opened my weapon lockers and removed my assault rifle and pistol quickly checking them for damage. Then I went to obtain my rocket launcher but for some reason it was stuck. I looked closer and saw that the barrels were twisted leaving it stuck in the storage locker.
I decided to leave it and step outside to great my family onto the surface of our new home.
I opened the front door to look up and see hundreds of HEVs all impacting on the red soil. I quickly assessed the situation noticing the anti-air batteries were to the north with what appeared to be a rain cloud surrounding them. There was at least seventy covenant that I could see from my location. This mass of covenants ranged from simple grunts to towering elites roaring there challenges to the newly emerged enemies.
I checked my squads vitals and then my teams. Turns out that only three people were lost in the insertion so far. But I wondered how much that casualty figure will escalate by the end of today.
"Sir, we are closing in on you location." Zoey, my second in command shouted down the mike to be heard over the sound of other squad leaders shouting there orders nearby.
This was just my first chapter and i aologise if it was not all you expected but if you did enjoy it please fell free to review or message me to tell me what you think or how to improve my writing.
Next chapter will be up soon.
