Disclaimer: I do not own Halo, never will, or any characters in this story.
Halo: A Soldier's Story
Chapter One: The Pillar of Autumn
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Explosions shook the Halcyon-Class cruiser The Pillar of Autumn as Private Wallace A. Jenkins linked up with his squad, Fire Team Zulu. "Mendoza! Washington! Cover that doorway!" yelled Sergeant Major A.J Johnson, Fire Team Zulu's squad leader.
The sound of melting steel echoed across the Pillar of Autumn's hangar. Jenkins primed his MA5B Assault Rifle, as the door was about to break. The door gave way, and white-hot plasma rained forward towards the defensive covered position.
Jenkins pulled down on the MA5B's trigger as the Marine next to him got his arm hit by a plasma bolt. "Oh no! Not me! WHY ME!" the poor man cried as he went into shock. Jenkins dropped his rifle and pulled the Marine under cover. A half dozen other Marines had been KIA by the strike team of Elites and Grunts.
Jenkins shot down a wayward grunt that had made it halfway to his position. Private Mendoza primed a frag grenade, and tossed it into the doorway. The grenade exploded, and the plasma stopped coming. "Mendoza! Perez! Move it up!" Sarge said after the skirmish was over. The two marines moved through the doorway.
"All clear Sarge!" Mendoza yelled back to Johnson. Jenkins reloaded his MA5B and followed closely behind the Sarge. Luckily, none of Fire Team Zulu's Marines had been wounded. The long corridor was completely devoid of movement, save for 3 dead Marines and a gaggle of dead grunts. Jenkins picked up 3 of one of the Marine's MA5B clips.
One of the Marines in Jenkins' squad of 12 Marines ran forward to a "T" intersection. When he came to it he got gunned down by 10 blue plasma bolts. "AHHHHHHHHHH!" the poor Marine cried (his real name is Corporal James Whitman). "Corporal!" Jenkins yelled after his body fell to the deck.
Sarge motioned for everyone to throw their frags through the hallway into the intersection. BOOM! "Go go go!" Sarge yelled. The squad ran around the corner, guns blazing. The 2 surviving Elites were mowed down like a fresh lawn in the hail of the bullets. Jenkins again reloaded his rifle as the squad ran down the hallway into the cryo bays. "Alright. Jenkins, you and Blackman secure the cryo bay. Everyone else, hang back!" Sarge told the squad of now 11 Marines. Jenkins moved up, followed closely by Private Blackman.
"All clear Sarge! No hostiles detected." Jenkins yelled back to Johnson. The squad moved up to the cryo bay's exit. Suddenly, the door exploded, sending the squad hurtling back. "Sound off if you're still alive!" Sarge called out. All of the Marines replied, but one was missing! "Nichols! Where is he?" Sarge asked. One the squad members, Corporal Jeffrey White, replied: "Sarge! I found him, but he's KIA!"
Sarge shook his head solemnly. "Lets move." He mumbled. Then, as they neared the lifeboat area, Captain Keyes said over the chatter: "Report: All units evacuate on the double. Repeat: all units evacuate the Pillar of Autumn!" Sarge looked around at the dumbstruck squad. "Well, you heard him! Let's move!" He yelled over the chatter. The squad took off to the nearest lifeboat, strapped in, and the lifeboat launched from the ship.