All's Fair in Love and War

Chapter One:

Circumstances

"Corporal, you're from Navium, aren't you?" the corporal remembered Major Hoover asked him in the briefing room. His name was Matthew Franklin, he was a Corporal in the UNSC Marine Corps, and he was an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper. This was what he remembered about the briefing, he wasn't a squad leader, and he wasn't even the second in command. He was just a rifleman in his squad, and the Covenant found his home.

He had enlisted into the Marines when he was eighteen, in 2549. He has done a year in the regular marines, and had the volunteered to be an ODST. It was 2552, and he was a twenty one year old, three year veteran of the Human-Covenant War. He found it to be more than a little messed up.

Navium, his home, was among the inner colonies as a largely scientific and academic colony. The cities were big, and there were some mountains and forest left. The planet looked like Earth, they say, but it was the size of Venus, which was only just smaller than Earth. His Lieutenants's words came to mind before leaving the ship. They weren't in SOEIV, single occupant extratmosphereic insertion vehicle, drop pods or HEVs for short. No theirs had been taken by some ONI spooks and there weren't enough left spare for them. "Gentlemen, we are still jumping." he paused, "Just not in the way that we are used to. You know how a HALO jump works, and since we are in a Pelican," another pause. "It seems like we can parachute down. It isn't as fast as I'd like. And because of that it is a little more dangerous because if the Covenant see us, most of us won't make it to the ground alive." That was five minutes ago, and he had stood up and was getting ready to jump out of the dropship.

Before the jump, he quickly took out a picture. It was of a young woman, about nineteen of twenty years old. The picture was of the girl and the corporal standing next to each other, she was holding on to him, and they were smiling. The corporal had a girl waiting on him, on the ground below him. "Corporal! Stow the paper! You'll kiss her when you kick the Covenant in the teeth off your planet!" the Lieutenant yelled. Franklin put the picture back in his pocket and nodded in agreement.

"With pleasure, sir." Corporal Franklin said with certain coldness. A green light came on in the pelican bay and the rear door opened. Corporal Franklin was going to be in the first pain out of the pelican.

"Altitude: thirty one point four kilometers above the deck, Lieutenant." The Troopers looked back at their commanding officer. The put his helmet on and went to the rear door, in front of the corporal. "You ready corporal?" Franklin nodded and gave a thumbs up. He checked his gear once more. He leaned slightly out or the rear and looked around, a Pelican on either side of them, Troopers already jumping out. "Go! Go! Go!" The Lieutenant called out suddenly and Corporal Franklin hurled himself out of the Pelican, he had beaten the Lieutenant out of the gate, it gave him a slight feeling of satisfaction. He turned his gaze planetside and, after a few moments, glanced at his altimeter on his wrist: thirty kilometers. In addition he was already falling at terminal velocity, and frost began to form on his armor, he moved his arms legs and head to makes sure he didn't stiffen up. He looked at the altimeter on his wrist, a wire trailed from it to his paracute module on his back. It reported that he was at twenty five kilometers and falling rapidly, that he was falling at terminal velocity, that it was extremely cold but the temperature was rising, and that the pressure was dangerously low but rising.

"Thank God for pressure sealed armor." he said to himself. After a while he and the twenty nine other Orbital Drop Shock Troopers were insight of their intended landing zone, a park in a major city, Ethius. It was an administrative city, the Covenant would want it and they did. As the Troopers go lower and lower they saw evidence of battles all around the city. Their objective was to secure information in the Colonial Governor's database, it was night still on this side of the planet so they would be safer on their drop. They would also go in before the drop pods would. His altimeter sent a message to his head up display. "1,000 meters to parachute opening. Stand by…" A few moments passed by before the chute opened automatically. "Parachute opened successfully." He checked his altimeter: two hundred meters above the ground. "They mean low opening don't they?" he asked himself. His boots were on the ground shortly after and he unstrapped his parachute and secured his weapon, an M7S suppressed caseless submachine gun. His Lieutenant landed near by a few seconds later, he ran over to him.

"We clear Corporal?" the Lieutenant said securing is MA5C assault rifle.

"I think so, sir. We didn't take any incoming fire." he switched on his VISR mode and scanned the immediate area with his M7S. Other Troopers landed and began gathering. Once his squad was assembled, he called his executive officer over.

"Sergeant Jackson, get the TacComp." The Sergeant came over and knelt next to him with a small folding computer. The rest of the squad took up positions around them to secure a perimeter. Franklin looked back at them, they were discussing something. After a few minutes, "Alright squad, split up. Way points popped up on their HUDs, Franklin's was over Sergeant Jackson. This meant that he was with the Sergeant as the team split up. When the squad members gathered around their team leaders, the Corporal counted and uneven number, there were only four of them, The Sergeant, two private first classes, and himself. The other team moved off without a word. Sergeant Jackson took them off in another direction.

"Alright Troopers, we are going to secure a secondary objective. Tangent with the main objective, it is actually in the Colonial Governor's office, they will need an access code transmitted to secure the database. Let's move Troopers." The ODSTs nodded and checked weapons, all of them had an M6C/SOCOM suppressed magnum pistol and a combat knife, and the Sergeant, and one of the PFCs, and the Corporal had M7S suppressed submachine guns, the other PFC had a BR55HB SR battle rifle, their designated marksman. They all carried three M9 HE-DP fragmentation grenades and a smoke canister for emergencies. The team walked north for about an hour until they reached the entrance to the primary administrative sector.

Corporal Franklin looked at his comrades. Sergeant Antonio Jackson was a quiet soldier, very reserved, the squad's executive officer for a good reason; he was at his best under pressure. Private First Class Ted Williams was also a quiet guy, specialized in stealth and hand to hand combat, also he was good with computers. Private First Class Allen Thompson, a little more talkative, was both qualified designated marksman and an expert with an M90 shotgun, and also had an affinity for hand to hand combat. He carried a battle rifle now but he preferred a shotgun. Corporal Franklin himself also was qualified to be a designated marksman, but was more comfortable as a rifleman in most circumstances, ironically with a BR55HB SR, he was as good of a shot, or better on some days, as PFC Thompson was, and they had both declined sniper school opportunities.

"So, uh, how far off are we, Jackson?" Thompson asked aloud.

Jackson produced the TacComp, opened it and looked at it and typed in a command. A waypoint appeared on their helmet's HUD. It read 1,139.7m due NNE. "That far," the Sergeant turned and looked back, "The waypoint is to the Governor's Office front checkpoint. Let's go, we have less than a mile to go."

Drop pods began to come down around the city's outskirts. The team knew they were fighting the Covenant close quarters. By the time they stopped coming down about the time the team saw the target building. The waypoint read 308.2m on Corporal Franklin's HUD. "Hey Jackson." PFC Williams said finally, "Isn't it weird that there isn't anyone on the streets? No looting? No panic? No noise? And no evidence to show that there has been any of that. It doesn't make any sense." The Troopers exchanged looks through their depolarized visors. Worried looks. He was right and they all wondered why they hadn't noticed it sooner. "I man its night and I'm sure there is a curfew, but the damn Covenant's here! People usually go out of their fucking minds by now…" Williams trailed off and he scanned the area.

"Jackson, think something's up? I don't even see movement towards the Governor's Office." Corporal Franklin said after a few moments of silence.

"I don't know, keep your eyes peeled." Jackson answered as he polarized his visor and turned his VISR back on. "Let's move up, only 300 meters left." he said as he moved, low and quietly. He looked around as he went, his M7S moved with his gaze as he swept the area. Williams followed him two meters behind, Franklin two meters behind him, and Thompson two meters after him. After a time they reached the abandoned checkpoint, the waypoint disappeared from their HUD. The team crouched behind the outer wall, and stacked up and entered the courtyard, hopping over the still lowered bar to stop cars. There were two people in the courtyard, standing over something and when they saw the ODSTs walk toward them, they cursed and ran away.

"UNSC! Fuck! Run!" the two bolted off and over the outer way.

"Jackson," Thompson said after watching them run and jump the wall, "I don't like this."

"Agreed." Jackson said. "Enter the Office, keep quiet. If the shit hits the fan, don't fire at something that isn't shooting at you. We have to be careful in there."

"Yes, sir." the three Troopers acknowledged.

"Jackson, I don't think we should go in the front door then," Jackson looked over at the Corporal. "If this has gone FUBAR, we shouldn't walk into an area that could be covered by the enemy like the front entrance. Maybe a window or other unexpected point of entry?"

Jackson nodded, "That's a good point Franklin. Let me see what the TacMap shows." he said as he brought up a tactical map on the HUD via the VISR database. After a few moments, "Uh, there's an emergency fire exit on the backside of the building, stairs up to the third floor. If it has hit the fan it'll be guarded." The team then circle quietly around to the backside of the Office and, sure enough was a lone guard at the top of the fire escape, there was a dim light from behind him and he held a long, battle rifle-like weapon.

"Tango?" Williams whispered.

"I… I don't know. I can't tell from down here, even with the VISR." Jackson said looking through his M6c/SOCOM's 4x smart-linked scope. "VISR says he's friendly, according to IFF." Jackson lowered his pistol and holstered it on his armor's hard point. "Williams, Thompson, go up there. Quietly. If he jumps the wrong way, put him out cold, got it?" The two nodded and slowly ascended the stairs. After about five minutes they were at the top and began to approach him. The sentry jumped and raised his rifle, and was disarmed and grappled.

"Jackson, these guys appear hostile, he didn't know we were ODST and he went to fire on us. No warning. He's not military either, maybe militia, it seems. He's alive but I rendered him unconscious. He's carrying UNSC Army equipment, an M392 DMR. Wait a second," there was a long pause. "Jackson, we got a problem. Meet us up here, this guy is UNSC Army. He's got dog tags." Thompson reported. Jackson exchanged a look with Corporal Franklin and they ascended the fire escape stairs. The dim light had been turned off by the time they were at the top. "This isn't good."

"Maybe he went AWOL, maybe it's just him and some looters." Jackson said, "Or maybe he was just guarding the Office."

"Then he would've given a warning, or would have said something once he knew we were ODST." Williams said.

"He knew?" Franklin asked. Williams nodded. "How?"

"By the time I had him in the choke hold he got out, 'ODSTs? Shit!' Then he passed out."

"James? You ready to switch shifts?" the team heard from inside.

"When he comes out, grab him. We'll find out what we need to know." Jackson said taking Corporal Franklin and the soldier down a flight of stairs. Williams and Thompson took up positions on either side of the door, out of sight.

"Yo, James, why'd you cut the light out man? You sleeping again? The sarge will have your ass." he said this as he stepped out and Thompson grabbed him and Williams covered the door with his M7S. "Shit…"

"Not a word. Not a sound. Alright?" The soldier nodded with malice, but complied due to the knife at his throat. "Good, let's take a walk." as he said this he took the soldier down the steps and passed the Corporal who went up next to PFC Williams. Sergeant Jackson led them down stairs and away from the fire escape on the ground. Williams and Franklin covered the door, they had taken the first sentry's M392 Designated Marksman's Rifle and the second's MA37 assault rifle, which is essentially an MA5 redesignated for the UNSC Army. The two weapons were stacked against the wall in case they were suddenly needed. They heard a few voiced, entirely males, they guessed they were other soldiers.

After a wait, fifteen minutes or so, the Sergeant and PFC Thompson returned to the top of the stairs. "Alright, he wouldn't talk about Colonial Militia ops on the whole, but his squad was tasked to guard the Office by the governor. The governor issued martial law and a total curfew. Twenty four hours, shot on sight deal. We need to get to that data, and he didn't seem to think that they were going to let us walk in there. Try not to kill, but to wound, but fire on anyone that might appear hostile, and try to find a radio, the Lieutenant needs to know about this." The Troopers nodded. "Thompson, you take point." Thompson stood and was followed in by Corporal Franklin. The others followed, and they brought the two rifles with them.

They peeked into the next room, with all the voiced, three militiamen, all with a MA37 rifle, but not armor. Thompson reported this via COM channel to Jackson. "Incapacitating shots, take out their legs." A nod from the two, who were on either side of the door, Corporal Franklin laid down and fired at their legs that were hidden under the table, Thompson fired on the others whose legs he could see and to cover the door. A burst of fire and screams.

"Three tangos down sir. All alive but they won't walk for a while, if ever again." Franklin reported.

"Mortal injuries?" Jackson asked.

"Dunno, Jackson. I aimed at knee level, but I suppose that if they don't get medical attention eventually they have a chance of bleeding out. But they're alright for now. Well," he paused, "relatively speaking."

"Good, move in." Jackson replied. More burst of fire, more screams, return fire from assault rifles and shotguns.

"Sergeant, they aren't happy." Williams commented sarcastically.

"Well, let's try this," Jackson said, switching off of the COM channel. "Hold on! We're UNSC! Hold your fire! Hold your fire!" There was a pause as the militia held their faire for a moment.

"What the fuck! Why are you opening fire on us?"

"We figured Insurrectionists!" Jackson lied.

"You killed those guys!"

"Negative! Legs shots, they might need a medic, but they'll live."

"Come out, we'll hold our fire. Get a couple medics in there!" Jackson handed Williams a fragmentation grenade as he passed him and took a step out with is weapon aimed up and his finger off the trigger. "Shit, ODSTs! How many of you are there?"

"Four, of us. You guys?"

"Twenty five in total." The medics cautiously entered the room, keeping an eye on the ODSTs in the room who were watching them and their Sergeant's back.

"These guys are fine!" one of the medics called out.

"Good, so what are you guys here for?"

"The database access codes." Jackson replied calmly but with purpose. There was a pause, a long pause, and a lot of whispering.

"Uh, yeah, sure." the militiaman stood out of cover and motioned them to a door, "C'mon it's upstairs." One of the militiamen sent something over his personal radio.

Jackson clicked on his COM channel, "I don't like it, safeties off, stay frosty. Prepare for an ambush. Acknowledge."

"Acknowledged." came from the other three.