13/07/2534

13:48

The sound of boots crunching filled the alleyway, the dull thud of plasma & the sharp crack of gunfire echoed in the distance, the UNSC was on it's last legs on this outer colony and everyone knew it.

"Keep your eyes and ears open boys, watch your corners" Staff Sergeant O'Brien whispered down COMs.

4 acknowledgement lights winked blue on his HUD. The Staff Sergeant led his ODSTs down the alley and paused at the exit, looking through he could see an open courtyard leading to a highway, tree abandoned HuCiv Genets sat parked with their doors open, the previous occupants lay on the grown surround the cars, in pools of their own blood, covered in burns. "Poor bastards" O'Brien thought as he signalled his squad to move up and follow him. The courtyard itself was clear of any living thing, except birds who were taking advantage of all the meat, both Covie & human, ready for them to harvest. The rooftops and windows showed a similar, empty picture, just without the carnivorous birds nor the dead bodies. After a quick scan of the courtyard the squad moved up to the Genets, one of them still had it's engines running.

"Something doesn't seem right boss," Lance Corporal James Collins announced as they inspected the vehicles. O'Brien gave him a curious glance. "I mean this courtyard is in the middle of some private businesses and law firms but these people don't seem the business type; I mean judging by their gear and their work they're just photographers... What the hell were they doing here after WINTER CONTINGENCY was put in effect?"

As much as the Sarge hated to admit it Collins was right, the nearest evac point was a starport two clicks east and judging from the local map downloaded to his HUD, their office was a click north of the starport. O'Brien shook his head, he didn't have time for this. He had his orders and they were to make his was to a rally point near the City Hall and to get on a pelican headed for the carrier UNSC Atlas which was holding station in low orbit. He had to get his men off this rock no matter what and some dead photographers weren't about to get them all stranded on this doomed planet out of curiosity.

"Jay, Williams, your with me. Collins, Ramirez and Hathwood take the 2nd Genet. Lets get the hell off this rock Marines!"

A simultaneous "Oorah!" sounded from his squad as they moved to their vehicles. O'Brien couldn't help but smirk to himself when he saw the City Hall creeping into view; they had all lived to fight another day and they had killed a whole load of Covenant. Although the UNSC had lost the planet and a lot of good men, women & children to the Xenophobic aliens, they had done their part, a minor victory in their eyes.

18/09/2528

00:42

"Welcome to Harvest boys & girls." The Captain said to his company of fresh and mostly untested marines, Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion 10th Marines to be exact. He looked at Private First Class Daniel Jay dead in the eyes with a look of pity on his face. "Or for some should I say welcome back home."

The Captain then gave the company their orders, to push the Covenant back in this sector with 2 other infantry companies, two armoured platoons featuring Scorpions and Cobras and 3 squadrons of AV/14s, known simply to most leathernecks as Hornets. He took one last glance at his men, deep down he knew this was probably the last time they would all be in the same room healthy & alive. He had heard horror stories from previous COs who had taken part in the Harvest Campaign over the last couple of years. They told stories of how entire bases had been wiped out in seconds thanks to the Covenant Destroyers which always seems to be in atmosphere or in space battling the poor swabbies that got sent here to try and hold the covies back. Those purple, bulbous ships were like a god damn plague.

Daniel looked up when he heard his platoon leader address his platoon.

"2nd Platoon listen up, you got 7 hours to prep, get clean, fed and rested and make sure you gear is in order and if you haven't got everything you need then let the Platoon Sergeant know." Daniel nodded waiting for him to say that oh so special word. "Dismissed."

The Private First Class walked out of the makeshift HQ that used to be a police station 3 years ago. Being back on Harvest was bringing back memories, some happy, some sad. Even though he had lived here for 8 years prior to first contact with the bastard aliens who haunted nearly every child's dreams, he had never really known anyone here, it was as if he just wanted to get off the rock as soon as he was old enough to join the Marines. Even that hadn't gone to plan though, a week before leaving for a medical & fitness test he tore a muscle in his shoulder. Whilst he was recovering he heard rumours of a Colonial Militia group being formed in a few months on Harvest. So he signed himself up for that since it would give him a bit of a head start when he eventually joined the Marines.

The rest of his time on Harvest was a blur of being trained by a pair of hard ass Marines, under the watchful eye of Captain Ponder, and fighting his way to the safety of a cargo container on the tiara. Daniel had the pleasure, and misfortune, of being in Staff Sergeant Johnson's platoon. God that man was a tough son of a bitch. The militia trainees often joked that if Johnson got hit by a truck that he'd just flick it away and brush himself off without a scratch on him, followed of course by some witty remark.

He chuckled to himself as he remembered his training here on Harvest. He used to get boiled alive running miles in the midday heat, sweating his ass off and now he wore thick, insulated fatigues to stop himself nearly freezing to death. Danny wasn't sure which extreme he preferred.

"Hey man," Aaron said with a beaming smile on his face. "You ready to kick Covie ass... again I mean."

"Hell yeah!" Daniel replied smirking. Truth is he didn't care about "kicking ass", he just wanted to kill every last alien fuck head for trying to destroy his species; and also for attacking his tree house which he spent 8 months building when he was 16... and now it was ashes. "Fuckers," Daniel thought bitterly to himself. "You can burn my house down, mess up my garden but touch my tree house and prepare to face the end of a MA5B. Ok, I definitely have issues!" Danny checked his gear was in order and then laid on his bunk to get some much needed rest, as the morning was going to be a test of his, and everyone else's strength.

"Night Aaron."

"Night DJ."

07:50

"Wake up Marines, this is it. Get your gear to the Warthogs. We move out in 10."

The simultaneous sigh of 20 now awake marines filled the tent, followed by the quick sprawl of everyone getting their gear together whilst trying to have some breakfast. Things were about to get interesting.

3 hours later

2nd platoon sat in their convoy of 7 M12 Warthogs, most had chain guns on the back but a the first and middle hogs were fitted with gauss turrets and the last hog had a rocket turret to deter any bad guys from getting too close to the rear of the convoy. Daniel sat shotgun in a hog a third of the way into the convoy. Everybody would rather they got dropped into their target area from a pelican but the Covenant had made that an impossibility thanks a wall of AAA guns. So until those guns got neutralized it meant no air support, no medivac and a gruelling drive to their target, a covie forward observation outpost.

"I still can't believe we ain't got no medivac, what a load of shit. Sometimes I reckon the brass has no idea how to plan an Op, I mean seriously this sucks balls!" Private James Collins shouted at Danny. Whilst he wasn't the easiest person to get along with, James was an excellent driver. But unfortunately that didn't make up for his short comings as a human being.

"Yeah but till we get rid of this outpost and stop them from calling in artillery on the rest of our guys & gals we can't go for the guns. You seriously expect an infantry platoon to be able to destroy 6 triple A batteries and a base full o' covies with no back up or armour support? What ever you're smoking, I'd love some." Aaron said back, chucking to himself as he manned the hog's turret. James grunted and focused on the road ahead. Suddenly everyone's COMs came to life. It was Lieutenant Havers, the platoon leader.

"Whiskey Hotel Actual to all Whiskey Hotel units, Covenant vehicles have been sighted up ahead, so far it looks like we just got 2 ghosts and a spectre. I want us to break into two groups. Fireteams Alpha through Charlie take the next right you'll take their flank. Fireteams Delta through Foxtrot stay on course, but bring the rocket hog up front, it's time we got that baby in action. Everyone be prepared to break formation should we need to. Whisky Hotel Actual out."

Daniel grabbed the M19 rocket launcher from the netting behind his head, he pressed the test button to check everything was working. He looked behind him to see the rocket hog racing past everyone to settle in front of his warthog. He was glad he wasn't leading the charge. James opened his mouth, preparing to spout yet more words of great wisdom! "Why did the LT address us all as warthog units but then call us by our fireteam designations, seems like it could get a few people confused that's all."

Daniel looked at him with a glare that could have made a Brute have a heart attack. Hearing this guy's shitty comments that half the time made no sense for the past 3 hours was really taking it's toll on Danny's humanity. "Dude, shut the fuck up and drive. Don't even think of driving badly to get us killed otherwise I will shove this jackhammer so hard up your ass you will walk like you've been bending over in the showers and been taken by every gorram marine in the battalion... at the same time." Satisfied by his disgusting comment Danny focused on looking out for the ghosts while Aaron was laughing so much he was trying hard not to fall off the turret. The COMs cracked to life yet again followed by the sound of gunfire.

"This is Fireteam Alpha to all units * Static * they have heavy arm * Static * I repeat, they have Wraiths. We can't hold position, requesting permission to fall back and re.." The COMs cut off abruptly but the explosions coming from the road to their right told everyone all they needed to know. They had just lost half of their platoon.

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