Recording:
Pvt. R. Hunter
Military date,
19/02/2538
Recon:
Private Richard Hunter stared blankly out at the drab green landscape. The cargo Warthog jostled as it hit another pothole when it came around another corner of the old dirt road. Alpha IV had been a UNSC military base of operations since late 2510, and it had seen little action since. He sighed and stared at the driver, an older major.
"Why the hell do we always end up on recon?" He said with a tinge of annoyance in his voice. "Does command have a grudge against us, or do we just suck that bad?"
"Bah, I don't know," the older man said, pausing to veer around a corner. "But someone sure has something against us. Remember sewer patrol last week?" He sighed and shook his head, "I don't know why they even send us out here. The Covenant hasn't been seen in this sector for months. I mean, why would they? This backwater dirt hole isn't even noticeable without us here, let alone with all the debris we send up. It looks like garbage dump."
"Stow it marines, you know the C.O. checks those tapes." A taller man with dark hair leaned up from the back seats. "We haven't got a damn choice whether we're out here or not."
Hunter laughed, the situation was bleak, but what else could you do? He turned his attention out of the windshield into the forest ahead of them. He noticed something moving up the road. "Stop the jeep, I think I see something."
The Warthog slowed to a halt as Hunter levered himself on the side of the vehicle. He brought a pair of combat binoculars to his eyes and looked up the road where he saw the object. A large blue creature lumbered slowly up the road, large plates covered its sides and grass hung loosely out of its mouth. He laughed to himself and turned to the driver again.
"It's one of those damn Tataglas. Pull up, it'll move when we get…" He paused, staring past the driver into the forest. A green glow formed, getting brighter fast. "Get out of the car, now!"
The men threw themselves from the warthog as a ball of superheated plasma impacted it. The metal melted into a puddle, pooling under what was left of the vehicle. Hunter spun, facing the attacker. A large blue creature stomped out of the forest and onto the road. Spikes ran down its back and a large plate was attached to one arm. Attached to the other arm was a grey cylinder, the tip glowing a bright green. It stood a good 12 feet tall and didn't look like it would fall very easily.
The creature lifted its plated arm and smashed it into the Warthog, sending it rolling into the forest. Hunter stood, intent on getting away from it. He spun around, looking for the other men. They were gone, to where, he didn't know. The creature roared, the sound muffled for lack of a mouth. Hunter turned and ran, running as far into the forest as he could. His leg tangled in the undergrowth and he tumbled over. A large weight rolled him over. He looked up at the creature, studying its features in the last moments of his life. The last thing Private Richard Hunter ever saw was a large metallic foot coming down toward his head.
The war had come to Alpha IV…
Recording terminated
Reason unknown ?KIA?
Video transmitted to closest UNSC vessel
Target found
File sent to: UNSC Frigate Relevance