CHAPTER
1:
Jared looked at Ryan sitting in the chair in front of him. Ryan slept silently the whole ride. Jared couldn't remember how much he had drank the night of graduation, but, he guessed by the way Ryan had collapsed in his chair and dozed off immediately he may have had a pint too many. The troop transport finally settled down in the grass of a huge clearing surrounded by jungle. His whole platoon had been called to this green planet, but he couldn't remember the planets name for the life of him. It was one of the weird names followed by a number.
"Welcome to Octanus Three, your home away from home!" came a voice over the drop ships COM system mockingly.
"Hey there sleeping beauty, get your scrawny ass up!" Jared said to his unconscious friend.
"What?" Ryan mumbled as he slowly came to. He lifted a heavy arm and wiped the eye crud from his face. Ryan didn't seem to notice the drool on his shoulder where his head had rested.
"Sleep well?" Jared asked, as he undid his flight harness and retrieved his gear.
"Like a baby!" Ryan answered. He stood up, and stretched his cramped limbs. Several joints popped as a result, causing Ryan a sigh of relief.
The two men got in line and marched out of the ship. The new ODSTs fell into formation. A tall muscular Colonel marched out in front of them. He was one of the biggest men Ryan had ever seen. He had two men behind him armed with MA2Bs.
"Welcome to the last place you want to be." The Colonel called loudly. "I am Colonel Frank Wethersby!" Many troops stood straighter as soon as they realized they had a Colonel in their midst. "As you undoubtedly know, a new enemy has threatened the UNSC. We have dubbed these Mars invader wannabe's, the Covenant. They have attacked three of our patrol ships, leaving one badly scarred survivor. Information from this sole surviving ship, the Heracles, suggests the enemy ship sustained fair amounts of damage during the fight, and is expected to make camp on this planet for necessary repairs." The Colonel paused, and looked at the rugged ODSTs gathered around him. "That's where you boys.and girls, come in. We intend on delivering a surprise assault on the grounded cruiser, and show them why they fucked with the wrong race!"
A large roar echoed throughout the crowd as the ODST were beginning to feel a pre-combat adrenaline rush. The soldiers were ready to kick some ass, forget about taking names, and find another ass to kick.
Austin and Alex couldn't help but cheer with the assembled crowd as Wethersby gave his little pep talk. The two made their way into the midst of the fresh recruits, trying to get an idea of their new squad mates.
Ryan was making his way out of the crowd with Jared on his heels. The Pep talk had pumped him up a little, but he didn't care about anything but a warm bed and a few hours of peace.
The boys got through the perimeter of the group, and soon found their tent. With a sigh of relief, Ryan and Jared threw their belongings inside, and were about to enter themselves when a battle scarred soldier grabbed them by the shoulders.
"Howdy bitches!" he said in a coarse roar. "You fresh little recruits gonna' help the real soldiers are ya now?"
Ryan looked at Jared, "Yeah, I looks that way doesn't it.pal!"
"You getting' mouthy ya little punk?!" the soldier boomed!
"Maybe." Ryan replied casually.
The soldier's cocky smile turned into a vicious scowl as he grabbed Ryan by the neck, and cocked back his fist.
Austin looked up from the crowd in time to see Sergeant Ron James start a "friendly" conversation with two of the newcomers. Austin and Alex both new how stubborn Ron was, and headed to the three men. The last thing the ODST needed to be doing was fight each other.
Austin stood silently behind Ron, as he drew his fist on the newbie. Ron had just started to throw the punch, when Austin grabbed his arm, twisted, and threw the Sergeant to the dusty ground. "Made friends already?" Austin said coolly. "How 'bout you head back to your own tent!"
Ron looked a little scarred and angry as he got up. Austin was easily one of the biggest Marines on the planet, and most of the ODST new better than to start something with him. "You got it, Sarge!" Ron grumbled angrily as he trotted to the southern end of Romeo Base.
"Thanks." Ryan muttered quietly to the higher-ranking soldier who had just saved him the inconvenience of a broken nose.
"Not a problem, just try and stay outta' trouble from here on out!" The Gunny said with a smile. "The names Renfroe."
Ryan extended his hand, "Courtney." He answered. "Oh yeah and this dumb ass is Vencil."
Austin shook Ryan's hand and introduced Alex, and then headed back to their tent. Both Alex and Austin had had enough excitement for one night and were ready to hit the hay.
Austin hoped he would sleep well, knowing full well that tomorrow; he would be fighting an unknown species on unknown territory.
Ryan and Jared settled in, and wasted no time falling asleep. Both men, unwilling to admit it, but both feeling at least a little scared of the days that lie before them.
Jared looked at Ryan sitting in the chair in front of him. Ryan slept silently the whole ride. Jared couldn't remember how much he had drank the night of graduation, but, he guessed by the way Ryan had collapsed in his chair and dozed off immediately he may have had a pint too many. The troop transport finally settled down in the grass of a huge clearing surrounded by jungle. His whole platoon had been called to this green planet, but he couldn't remember the planets name for the life of him. It was one of the weird names followed by a number.
"Welcome to Octanus Three, your home away from home!" came a voice over the drop ships COM system mockingly.
"Hey there sleeping beauty, get your scrawny ass up!" Jared said to his unconscious friend.
"What?" Ryan mumbled as he slowly came to. He lifted a heavy arm and wiped the eye crud from his face. Ryan didn't seem to notice the drool on his shoulder where his head had rested.
"Sleep well?" Jared asked, as he undid his flight harness and retrieved his gear.
"Like a baby!" Ryan answered. He stood up, and stretched his cramped limbs. Several joints popped as a result, causing Ryan a sigh of relief.
The two men got in line and marched out of the ship. The new ODSTs fell into formation. A tall muscular Colonel marched out in front of them. He was one of the biggest men Ryan had ever seen. He had two men behind him armed with MA2Bs.
"Welcome to the last place you want to be." The Colonel called loudly. "I am Colonel Frank Wethersby!" Many troops stood straighter as soon as they realized they had a Colonel in their midst. "As you undoubtedly know, a new enemy has threatened the UNSC. We have dubbed these Mars invader wannabe's, the Covenant. They have attacked three of our patrol ships, leaving one badly scarred survivor. Information from this sole surviving ship, the Heracles, suggests the enemy ship sustained fair amounts of damage during the fight, and is expected to make camp on this planet for necessary repairs." The Colonel paused, and looked at the rugged ODSTs gathered around him. "That's where you boys.and girls, come in. We intend on delivering a surprise assault on the grounded cruiser, and show them why they fucked with the wrong race!"
A large roar echoed throughout the crowd as the ODST were beginning to feel a pre-combat adrenaline rush. The soldiers were ready to kick some ass, forget about taking names, and find another ass to kick.
Austin and Alex couldn't help but cheer with the assembled crowd as Wethersby gave his little pep talk. The two made their way into the midst of the fresh recruits, trying to get an idea of their new squad mates.
Ryan was making his way out of the crowd with Jared on his heels. The Pep talk had pumped him up a little, but he didn't care about anything but a warm bed and a few hours of peace.
The boys got through the perimeter of the group, and soon found their tent. With a sigh of relief, Ryan and Jared threw their belongings inside, and were about to enter themselves when a battle scarred soldier grabbed them by the shoulders.
"Howdy bitches!" he said in a coarse roar. "You fresh little recruits gonna' help the real soldiers are ya now?"
Ryan looked at Jared, "Yeah, I looks that way doesn't it.pal!"
"You getting' mouthy ya little punk?!" the soldier boomed!
"Maybe." Ryan replied casually.
The soldier's cocky smile turned into a vicious scowl as he grabbed Ryan by the neck, and cocked back his fist.
Austin looked up from the crowd in time to see Sergeant Ron James start a "friendly" conversation with two of the newcomers. Austin and Alex both new how stubborn Ron was, and headed to the three men. The last thing the ODST needed to be doing was fight each other.
Austin stood silently behind Ron, as he drew his fist on the newbie. Ron had just started to throw the punch, when Austin grabbed his arm, twisted, and threw the Sergeant to the dusty ground. "Made friends already?" Austin said coolly. "How 'bout you head back to your own tent!"
Ron looked a little scarred and angry as he got up. Austin was easily one of the biggest Marines on the planet, and most of the ODST new better than to start something with him. "You got it, Sarge!" Ron grumbled angrily as he trotted to the southern end of Romeo Base.
"Thanks." Ryan muttered quietly to the higher-ranking soldier who had just saved him the inconvenience of a broken nose.
"Not a problem, just try and stay outta' trouble from here on out!" The Gunny said with a smile. "The names Renfroe."
Ryan extended his hand, "Courtney." He answered. "Oh yeah and this dumb ass is Vencil."
Austin shook Ryan's hand and introduced Alex, and then headed back to their tent. Both Alex and Austin had had enough excitement for one night and were ready to hit the hay.
Austin hoped he would sleep well, knowing full well that tomorrow; he would be fighting an unknown species on unknown territory.
Ryan and Jared settled in, and wasted no time falling asleep. Both men, unwilling to admit it, but both feeling at least a little scared of the days that lie before them.