Chapter 1 Eden Prime

Sean Goodman stepped off the troop transport and stepped into a new world. He could not help but think that this must be how Armstrong felt after that first step on the moon. On Jump Zero space station there are thousands of troops all going in different directions but there is a subtle sense of harmony to it all.

"Goodman!" He felt a swift kick from a boot that set him to the floor and right on his face.

"Quit goldbricking Goodman and report to your division!" Said Gunny Ellison

"Y-yes sir" Sean said with a slight stutter.

Sean found his way to his new division with little effort which was surprising for the amount of traffic on the station. Sean always had a talent for never being seen or heard in big crowds and he could always just flow through them with great ease. He was to join the 2nd Frontier Division on Eden Prime. He felt lucky to be sent there and not somewhere closer to the Terminus systems. Eden Prime is a paradise for both soldiers and civilians. Most soldiers never even have to fire their weapon outside of the firing range.

Sean reached the transport for his new division and there stood a tall very slender man who seems like he should be playing basketball back on Earth. He was calling out names and which squad they were assigned to. The transport shuttle to Eden Prime was a lot smaller than the other transports and the soldiers much older. Was this a retirement planet he thought to himself?

"Goodman 212" the slender man shouted.

He headed to the row slated for Unit 212 and they were all at least ten year older than he was. Then he looked around the transport and the other units had men his age ready and eager to get into a real fight. The 212 look like they are praying that they never see anything bigger than a water pistol. Why is the 212 so much different than the rest of the 2nd Frontier Division he thought? If there is real action can he count on these Marines to have his back?

He sat down next to an Indian woman who obviously never had the anti-wrinkle treatment that most women undergo once they turn eighteen. She has a locket wrapped around her fingers and she is clasping to it as if her life depended on it.

They touched down on Eden Prime and the troops stormed out of the transport in perfect formation then broke off into their individual units. The planet was more of a paradise than Sean ever imagined. The hills are green, the buildings are tall, and the people are human it is just like Earth but there is something off. Sean could not put his finger on it but it is there like the oxygen in the air.

The 212 was the only one that did not have their commanding officer greet them they were just pointed to their barracks and told the Chief will meet them there. Were they this bad that their C.O. did not even want to see them.

Sean lead the group of six into the 212 barrack which was separated from the rest of the units like this unit has a virus. Sean opened the door slowly and no one was there. The barrack was worse off than his basic training barrack on Titian. He thought is this all a joke is this a way to be discharged because every other marine standing in this room certainly deserved to be. Then the door is kicked open and in comes a woman in Phoenix Armor obviously a marine from head to toe. The others get to their feet and salute Sean just stands there day dreaming as he often does.

"You're going to have to buy me dinner first to stare like that marine," the Chief said.

"Sorry maim" Sean said while saluting her.

"You all are now part of the 212 some call it the B company but if I ever hear any of you call it B company I will shove this boomstick so far up your ass you will be sniffing discharge" she looked as if she enjoyed that.

"Maim" the 212 barked in unison.

"I can't believe those assholes send me on a patrol when the rooks touched down! They might as well cut my legs off." The Chief grunted to the man behind her walking in.

The next day they had an early morning patrol of the northern farmland and the nearby small town of Genesis. Sean was awaken by the sound of the Chief coming back into the barracks from our morning run. Sean could not help but think how beautiful she looked even after a sweaty morning run.

"Is this going to happen every morning at 4 am." Sean said in a semi serious way. He rolled out of his cot and started to walk towards her standing in the doorway of her quarters.

"Marine I can make you run with me" Sean could not tell if she was making a joke of giving an order. Sean quickly changed subjects because the idea of running at 4 am didn't seem pleasing.

"So why do people call it B company anyways?" The chief turned and looked at him with a stare that could melt his skin. "I mean I wouldn't ever call it B Company but why would other people call it that… Not me"

"Relax kid I think me sticking something up your ass is against the rules of fraternization anyway so your safe." Sean couldn't read her which scared him. He wore his emotions on his sleeve and what kind of soldier hid their emotions. Even though he was afraid of her but unlike Ellison he has to get to know her better. "They call us B Company because we are the rejected so they can send up to our deaths if there is any really fighting here so they can kill two birds with one stone. By the way what is your name anyway?" Then she walked to her desk and grabbed some files from the top drawer.

"Sean Goodman maim and I can see why everyone else here is the rejected but why are you and I part of this unit?"

"I lead this unit and you will have to tell me about you but my guess is because you can't move and that is why you are running with me from now on. Let's see if I can make a marine out of you. Now get suited up for patrol"

"Y-yes Maim."

Sean got suited up and they got into an ATV and rolled out to the northern fields while the rest of the unit went into the town of Genesis. Sean drove the ATV and the only reason being because he got to the ATV first back at camp. Then Nirali who was the Indian women from the transport is on the main gun. The Chief sat in the front seat monitoring the radio for the off chance of an order. Then Dmitry was from somewhere near Russia at least that's what his accent sounds like and he is on the rear gun he is a little off. He saw the opportunity to be on Eden Prime was to find a beautiful wife and have many kids.

"So what are we looking for out here?" Sean asked

"Beautiful girls" Dmitry said laughing

"Shut up back there. There is a reason why we put him in the back. Eden Prime doesn't have a formal justice system so it is under martial law so anything that is punishable by regular law." The Chief explained.

"I always wanted to be a cop but they didn't go into space so it seems fate is funny. I can't wait to tell my husband." Nirali said.

"Just remember whatever happens never leave a marine behind." The Chief demanded

The rest of the patrol went on without a hitch and it wasn't surprising because Eden Prime is the safest place in the Galaxy.

Three months of boring routine movements passed and Sean felt as if his talents were being wasted. He was the top shot on Titan even Ellison said it was the one thing he actually did not mess up. But there was something about being under the Gunnery Chief's command that brought out the best in him more than Ellison could ever do. He was now a fully trained marksman he could get three shots into a target before they could target him. Also with the Chief's help his time on the obstacle course was cut in half.

This morning was like any other except the heightened security because of the recent unearthing of a Prothean beacon. The 212 was out on the morning patrol of the southern farm fields. There had been a recent outbreak of theft and apart from the usual farm equipment some military supplies have gone missing. This put the Chief on edge she seemed to have a heightened sense of danger which was going to waste on Eden Prime. As they rolled through the moist hills the Chief got a call.

"Gunnery Chief Williams there is an unusual heat signature two kilometers east of your location it maybe the thieves"

"On our way there now Williams out"

Sean stepped on the gas hoping for his first combat since arriving on Eden Prime. Has they came closer to the location they could see smoke rising up. As they arrived on scene it was the burning remains of the 232's ATV. The 212 jumped out of the ATV and secured the area.

"Hold your fire we may have friendly's around" the Chief commanded

"Do you think the thieves could have done this?" Nirali asked

"No they had not stolen this much fire power" she explained.

Then a huge drop ship flew over head and the 212 just sat and waited for the order to fire. It was too late they started raining troops all over and the open fired.

"Weapons free! Weapons free!" the Chief screamed.

Sean started to return fire from the side of the ATV then the soldier next to him fell. It was Nirali she was almost unrecognizable from her wounds. Sean was shocked by the sight he did not realize he was no longer firing.

"Heavy weapon!" the Chief screamed. Then a tug on his arm pulled him away from the vehicle just before it burst into flames. They rolled down a hill to where he could see the extent of the attack and it was massive.

"We were not prepared from this." the Chief said with desperation in her voice. It was the first time Sean read her actual emotions.

"No one could be."

They caught up with the rest of the 212 who were in a firefight with the enemy. Sean started to return fire and the Chief tried to get a message out about the attack. She finally got an emergency vid up and was reporting the situation when a deafening horn sounded that could be heard around the world. Followed by a massive ship trying to land on the planet's surface the sight made the entire 212 stop and stare.

"Missile!" Chief screamed then dove into cover down the hill. She was the only one still staring at the ship. At that moment an explosion sprayed the unit across the hillside. The explosion threw Sean down a hill. He finally stopped rolling near the Chief who was still shaken by the explosion. The explosion burned his right leg and there was no way he was going to be able to move.

"Goodman… Goodman" Williams said with such desperation that Sean could barely recognize her voice. Even though he was still alive he knew that the Chief would never leave a fellow Marine behind so he laid there motionless.

"Damn synthetics" the Chief yelped as she punched Sean's chest and he could not help but tense up to receive the blow. As she rose to her feet she pulled her Volkov rifle and left it at his side. Then she ran off, Sean waited till she was out of sight then grabbed the rifle then started to crawl towards a hole then propped himself up in a shooting position. He looked down the scope of the rifle in opposite way the Chief ran and saw what looked like a civilian impaled on a metal spike and at the base was a three of the enemy troops. They were about to load a young women onto the spike he had to save her. But if he would kill the first the other two would find him and kill him for sure. Then in front of him that mothership started to take off and that was the opening he need the sound of the ship can damper the sounds of his shots.

One, two, and three they all went down but unfortunately she was either unconscious or dead and he was in no shape to check. This took a shot at his will and with no other enemies in sight he closed his eyes and drifted into unconsciousness.

Sean woke up in a medical station somewhere with his leg wrapped up to his thigh. He tried to get up from his bed but a doctor ran into the room.

"You can't leave yet you still have a few more days till you can have full motion in that leg" the petite nurse explained.

"Ok but where am I" Sean asked

"You are on the Calnus and we are head to the Citadel so you can be debriefed by Admiral Hackett." She explained

"Why does he want to talk to me?"

"Probably to describe the events of Eden Prime and to explain how we found a person who was reported KIA alive."