Unknown Date (Military Calendar)
Unknown Location
Normally I dreamed of the war and how my squad died. Recently, I began to dream of the Insurgent attack and the first human life I took. Weird thing is…it wasn't either of those.
This time I was back on Mars and riding along the outskirts of my parent's ranch outside of New Paris. The mare rode well as we crossed over the expanse of the ranch. Holding the reins in one hand, I waved to my parents as they sat on the porch of the house; sipping on sweet tea. Pointing past me, I turned in the saddle and found my brother, Ian, riding his gelding as fast as he could with my older brother Timothy trailing right behind him.
In the corner of my mind, I knew that this was a memory. This was the day before Tim shipped off to Basic Training…before everything changed. Turns out that the Covenant would attack at about the same time Tim graduated from Advanced Infantry Training and he was the first off the Pelican he was so excited. He lasted about a week on Harvest…against an enemy that we didn't understand; against an enemy so brutal that we had to have a closed casket at his funeral.
"Eric, you ugly son of a gun; where you been?" Tim asked as he reined up next to me; his own gelding huffing madly.
"Dad had me check the herd before I came in." I replied as I fixed the cap on my head. "You lost again? Thought Ian was giving you a break this time?"
"Hell no, if he's going to be a jarhead, he's goin have to get used to hard stuff. I'm helping him." Ian laughed as he fanned his face with his cowboy hat.
The heat on Mars was always terrible around this time of the year; I remembered that much. Damn, it had been too long since I had been back home…since I had ridden or had my mom's sweet tea. God, the Covenant messed up so many things; taken so many things.
"Yeah, yeah, just wait till you're in Basic. Your cocky ass will be in the grinder as much as mine will." Tim muttered; shoving Ian as they both began wrestling on their saddles. "So, Eric, you decide yet?"
"Yeah, New Paris Tech said that they'd give me a full-ride scholarship playing gravball. I can't give up my education to follow you two just yet." I said, rubbing my face slowly as I spoke. "I got a chance to go professional."
"Ah, come on. You know the Corps is going to be better than college; the Innies are going to run scared when we hit the dirt." Ian said as he began leading his horse back to the house.
Our parents in the distance got up and went inside; I almost shouted to them to come back; to get their horses, but I knew they wouldn't. I remembered that my mom went to bed early that night and went to the doctor the next day. I remember Tim leaving with a huge grin on his face; excited to serve. I just wish I could stop it all.
"Yeah, we three brothers; always together. Innies' are going to tremble in their boots!"
That's when I woke up.
I realized I was lying on my back in the most uncomfortable bed I have ever been in and the white lights on the ceiling stung my eyes. There was a distinct beeping which had to be my vitals and looking down I saw that I was clothed in a flimsy hospital gown. Looking around the room, I saw a few flowers in a vase and a sleeping form on the floor; curled up underneath a blanket.
"Well, this sucks." I groaned, my mouth dry from lack of water. My arm stung as the IV in my arm shifted slightly and I felt the uncomfortable patches on my chest pulling as I sat up.
I had always hated hospitals and did all I could to annoy the nurses; so I pulled my vital monitor patches off and laughed as the monitor began to blare that I had flat lined. What I didn't expect was a mess of brown hair coming out from underneath the blanket and was instantly at my side.
"You're awake!? Dammit, Eric, don't pull shit like this!" Marx hollered as tried to put the patches back on while slamming her fist into the side of the monitor to get it to shut up.
"I'm alright, I'm alright." I said as the nurses came rushing in and began prodding me and pushing Marx out of the way. "Dammit, keep your hands to yourselves ladies. Marx, what happened?"
"You got your ass kicked by an elite, brother."
I grinned as Kaipo, Dell, and Parker came walking in. I noticed that Jones stayed near the door, but her face at least showed she cared I was awake. A bandage covered part of Dell's head and Parker had his arm in a sling. Kaipo seemed fine, but I noticed a slight limp as he walked.
"Well, what's the damage?" I asked, turning to one of the nurses.
"You have two shattered ribs from hitting that Spartan, a concussion from the elite punching you, and two lacerations from its claws. Your ribs have been replaced by Titanium alloy which will make them stronger and the lacerations may scar; we can't be sure yet." One of the nurses said as she turned off the vital monitor and picked up a clipboard. "Also-"
"Seriously, more?" I said in disbelief.
"Yes, you also have a sprained thumb. Uh…keep the…exertions to a minimal." The nurse blushed before walking out; followed by the others.
"Ha, looks like handrieeta is going to be lonely for a few days." Marx joked as she sat at the foot of the bed. "How in the world are you going to cope?"
" . . ." I said through clenched teeth as the room broke into laughter.
"I'm serious!"
Xxxxxxxxxxxx
May 11, 2532 (Military Calendar)
A day later I found myself exercising inside the gym of the UNSC Everest as it traveled through slipspace. Turns out I had been asleep of about two weeks and now I had to make up for lost time. Sansar was a lost cause as it was glassed by the Covies a week after I was evacuated off the planet. Turns out Commander Parks and Lieutenant Jones were commended for their actions of holding the trenches while the wounded and I were evacuated. Figures that I miss everything while I'm asleep…
The gym of the Everest was massive compared to that of the Iron Justice which was in dry dock at Reach for repairs; the reason that Echo had been reassigned to the flagship of Admiral Preston Cole. Holy shit; it just got real.
I glanced in the large mirror that lined the walls of the gym and shook my head at the two claw marks that wrapped around the side of my scalp. They weren't too bad, only about four or five inches long and were an angry red color; etched right above my left ear. I thought they looked pretty sweet and was happy with the fact that I was still alive.
Hopping off the treadmill, I wiped my face with a towel before moving to the dumbbells where Kaipo stood waiting for me.
"So, you feel like taking me on yet?" He said as he lifted hundred pound dumbbells in each hand.
"Bro, I just woke up and even before that I couldn't keep up with you. Stop being mean." I replied as I began curling the weight; my muscles beginning to burn from the third set.
"So, any word on when we get out of slipspace?" I asked before putting the weights back on the rack. "I'm getting tired of recycled air."
"Cole made a ship-wide broadcast a few days before you woke up. We're making a stop by Mars before returning to Reach." Kaipo replied; wiping sweat off his brow. "Lt. said that we'd get a couple of days for some R your parents live on Mars don't they?"
"Yup, still got the ranch outside of New Paris."
"Good, then the squad has a place to stay."
Kaipo on a horse…that poor horse. And what about Jones?
Xxxxxxxx
Shifting my duffle bag on my shoulder, I waited in line for the phone at the docks. The Everest had docked in orbit and we had all made our way by Pelican to the surface. We hadn't been able to convince Jones into coming along, but the rest of the squad was looking forward to spending time with my family…if I could ever get ahold of them.
"Staff, you get the phone yet?" Dell called from the bench they had claimed.
Marx sat eating a bag of chips while Kaipo and Parker sipped on soda. I grinned as I watched the dock workers walking around with their ball-caps and Stetsons. I was truly home. Turning back to the phone, I noticed that the guy was still on it; laughing about something. Screw it.
"Screw it, y'all let's go." I said as I made my way over to them. We shouldered our bags and began walking out of the terminal; a crowd of workers and civilians passing between all of us.
"What about calling your parents?" Marx asked, her mouth full of chips.
"Ah, my mom could use a surprise. Come on, let's catch a cab." I said, raising my hand and whistling.
"Oh, yeah, cuz there's nothing like a squad of Recon marines showing up on your front porch." Parker said as he adjusted the front of his cover. He whistled at a few female dock workers as they passed; their jumpsuits accenting their assets perfectly.
"Oi, leave the troops alone." I said, leaning backwards and watching them go.
"Hey, eyes up!" Marx said, her cheeks burning red for some reason. She slapped the back of my head lightly before jumping into the taxi that pulled up. "Get in another."
"Bu-you don't even know where…ah, screw it." I muttered, tossing my hands up and hailing another cab. "Just follow us."
Getting inside, I handed the driver my address and moved over as Dell and Parker squeezed in beside me.
"You boy's marines?" The cab driver asked; turning around to show his scarred face. He was older but the scars still stood out; looked to be from a fire.
"Yes, sir." I said, reaching up to shake his hand.
"I served…oh, bout twenty years; earned this little treat on a backwater colony." The scarred driver said as he began driving; Kaipo's and Marx's cab trailing behind us. "Best damn years of my life; you three have a free ride today. Semper Fi."
"Thank you, sir." Parker said as the cab streamed past car after car; a majority of them were Army trucks filled with troops.
"What's going on? Army grunts moving around?" I asked as another truck full of troopers passed.
"Ha, get this. The governor of the planet is mobilizing the planet's garrison to be shipped out to the front lines. Everyone, infantry, armor, air…hell, even the hospitals are shipping out their more experienced surgeons." The driver said as we took the ramp off; the taxi taking the road out of the city.
"Damn Covies…" I said looking out the window at the parts of Mars that were still barren. It was to remind the colonists of how much we had worked to settle on the planet.
"Got that right, son. So, where you boys been?" The taxi pulled off the main road and began bumping along the dirt road leading to my family's ranch.
"Not at liberty to say. Sir, this is it, we can walk from here." I said, opening the door and stepping out as the taxi came to a stop.
The dirt crunched under my boots as I breathed in the Martian air; never got old…except for the smell of fresh horse shit.
"Thank you again, sir. Have a good day." I said, shaking his hand and slipping a credit chit into his palm.
"Son, I told you-
"I know, but I'm not taking no for an answer. Thanks for the ride."
The taxis pulled away in a cloud of dust as we began our walk down the long driveway to my house. Kaipo whistled at the horses as they passed by in the pasture; my old mare grazing alone as a couple of ponies frolicked nearby.
"Can we go riding while we're here?" Parker asked as we passed another pasture, this time full of cattle. "Moooo!"
"Haha, yeah, but quit that. Sounds like two of them mating." I said as the porch came into view.
Even from this distance I could see my dad sitting in his chair; a glass of tea in his hand. I grinned when I noticed him shifting and then stand. As he began running forward, Kaipo slapped me on the shoulder; jerking his head forward.
"Thanks bud." I tossed my bag at him and began to jog forward. Kaipo fumbled my bag before tossing it to Dell who cursed softly as it knocked his cover off.
Tearing my own off, I crashed into a massive bear hug as my dad lifted me up in the air; his laugh echoing across the pasture.
"Holy shit, dad. Ease up, can't breathe." I laughed as he finally released his hold on my ribs which had begun to ache. "Hi."
"Hi, yourself. Lord, it's good to see you; why didn't you call? I would have come and gotten y'all." My dad said as the rest caught up.
"Ah, you know me. Too lazy to wait for the phone." I said, my hand resting on my dad's shoulder. "How's mom?"
"Good, good. She's actually feeling better today so she made cornbread and tea. Now, who is this bunch?" My dad said with a grin on his face; his teeth shining behind his salt and pepper beard.
"Dad, meet Dell, Parker, Kaipo, and-
"Oh, you must be the lovely Brooke that Eric has told me all about…what?" My dad trailed off as everyone's face paled and looked at Marx who only smiled sweetly.
"No, I'm Sam Marx. Corpsman assigned to this lovely bunch; did you say something about cooking cornbread?" Marx asked.
"Yes I did, little miss. Go right on in, kitchen's straight back; all of ya get on inside." My dad said, waving the group inside.
"Oh, New Paris Tech won the Regional Cup this year. Their gravball team has been doing well." My dad said as we made it up the steps. "Still wish you played for them longer."
I was about to reply with a snide and sarcastic remark when the front door swung open and out stepped a pair of black boots. What was worse was that the boots were attached to a pair of legs which happened to belong to someone I know.
"Hey, big bro."
Wow, it's been awhile since I updated which is why I apologize for the lateness. School has been crazy. Well, looks like Eric finally made it home and guess who decided to show up? Come on guess, it'll be fun.
So, I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter and if you did, well then why don't you give me a nice little review, for old time's sake.