Chapter 2

06.08.Tuesday

It was about a week now and they still hadn't taken the command center. The confederation troops waited patiently for a chance but every time they tried to forward an attack they would get pushed back. They had called for air support, something to give them a little push but none came from ops. They had to take the field and take the command center, they had already bombed everything on the ground and still the rebels came out of their holes.

Zack stood now, readying his gauss rifle for an attack. He and his squad were stuck behind a brick wall for cover, in behind them was an abandoned factory where a battle ready goliath mech assault warrior lay. A line of at least 50 assorted troops was laid down a long a huge position to Zack's left. A lone scout (who was a ghost) shuffled his way to a huge pile of rubble and there he stood with binoculars in one hand and a pistol in the other. He was scanning for the enemies on the ground and quickly found them, laying behind a shingle (which for incase you didn't know was just a long straight man made hill for troops to get cover on). Behind the shingle was a short and small patch of burnt forest area and before the forest lay a command center.

He quickly and un-noticeably de-cloaked behind the safety of the rubble of building he was situated behind and waved a signal to the troops.

Zack's sergeant received the command and turned to his soldiers "Ok ladies, we're gonna push our way up that hill and make our way down it with suppressive fire, once we do that go the nearest cover and await my orders, a mech will be assembling beside us so let's not everyone try to get their cover behind it ok, it's there for killing not for squashing you bugs." Explained the bearded sergeant that was commanding the squad behind the brick wall.

"Sir" asked Zack "how long till the mech arrives sir?"

"About a minute, so when he does listen for a sharp whistle blast, that'll mean it's attacking, once we've seen it go by the wall we'll cover it from behind and the make our way up the hill behind it" he explained.

Zack looked around him, the soldiers were shaky, like leaves ready to fall off from a branch. Zack was medium build, clean shaven and had fairly long hair for a marine. He was still a boy in the mind of his friends and family but was actually almost 25! He looked up at the still orange sky and wondered why it hadn't changed since yesterday? This planet was awkward, the weather was cold and biting, and the scenery was desolate. Suddenly an explosion rang through their ears, the Soks were probing them for weaknesses, they were trying to find out where they were hiding, the mech had to hurry.

The ghost behind the rubble was nearly cut to pieces by the shrapnel coming out of the siege shell. A piece tore through his arm, he almost screamed at the pain but he had to remain quiet, a ghost's training was very severe and he remembered it well. With a straight face he sucked it up and continued to wait with the others, his canister rifle was strapped to his back and was ready to take it out once the attack took place.

Zack was rubbing his gloved finger down the smooth barrel of his rifle when he suddenly and unwarily heard a whistle sound. Oh no he thought, they were starting to attack. He cringed at the thought as suddenly the line of marines were lifted up in unison and began to lay down fire. No not yet he though not now, I don't want to die, my life is just starting. He was terrified at the thought of getting shot and was curled up behind the wall waiting for it to all end.

The mech descended from the abandoned building and started pouring down auto cannon rifle fire over the wall on the pour saps behind the shingle. An array of shells cleanly went through a large group of marine helmets before the other rebels realized what had happened. They weren't prepared for this.

The frightened Zack closed his eyes as the line of 20 marines started to fire at the hill, dirt and rock flew everywhere, they were doing a pretty good job. Zack with eyes still closed tried to forget everything that was going on around his head and started to sink into nirvana, until he realized that he had a job to do and wasn't going to hide like a rat in a sewer. Zack slammed down on the stim pack button on his chest and a sea of stars blinded his eyes. He was shocked at the effect rate and was getting surprisingly angry. The medicine was taking affect for the stars began to clear and Zack found himself standing upright staring over a sea of death.

He was pumped and ready for action, chatter filled his ears and blood filled his veins, Zack quickly took point behind a large slab of rock. He pulled the trigger on his weapon and started to shoot with incredible accuracy and speed. The enemy marines about half a kilometer away were already gaining reinforcements. One guy to his right, BANG, 2 guys to his left, BANG BANG. 2 of them went down and the other round bounced of the marine's battle suit. The marine ducked back bellow his shingle realizing he was being fired at.

Zack looked at the confed marine on his left and noticed he was very calm and quiet about the combat. He shot short 5 round bursts at the enemies and hadn't even used his stim pack yet, though he was shooting almost better then Zack was! Zack looked to the man on his right and watched as a round flew through his armored head, blood trailing out of the wound. The casualty hit the floor with a thump, making a muddy indent in the earth. Zack felt a round bounce off his own arm pad leaving an engraved mark of it's presence. No matter for Zack, his suit was full of power and so was he. He continued to fire at the enemy troops until the glorious killing machine of a mech started to ascend down the hill.

The troops flooded from behind the wall, bullets still trailing off of their locations. The sergeant was right in front of the action. He was shooting here and there, left and right, making his presence well known to the enemy troops. The mech span around on it's metal torso, spewing hell from the mouths of it's twin auto cannons, the weapons made a godly sound like repeated thunder hailing down from the heavens.

The machine was being worn down as almost all enemy fire hailed onto it's powerful armor. Machine was smoking out clouds, it had almost had it. The mech was screaming out indications that is was getting destroyed as a flurry of missiles cried out of their holsters. The missiles flew down the hill creating huge fireballs of explosions on impact. Metal and fire flew out from the ground, and marines flew out from their holes, battle suit parts jumping off their backs. A handful of men and metal landed hard on the ground, bones snapping and necks braking. The smoldering ruins of their battle suits smoking profusely.

Zack made his way down the hill, he (along with 10 others) took cover behind the legs of the huge mechanical Goliath. Troops started dispersing from the machine as they realized it was about to blow. Zack widened his eyes and looked behind him, the mech was still fighting hard and whining with pain more than ever now. Zack sprinted to his feet as the bionic legs gave him a quick and powerful boost.

Zack leaped out of the way as an enormous fireball waved to the tortured sky. Zack went flying, the power of the explosion gave him such a huge push that he was thrown a good couple of yards away. Zack's gun flew out of his hand and landed with a chatter on the ground. Zack could sense the laughter coming from behind the shingle. The enemy was getting a good advantage for the confed's main support had been destroyed.

The confederation troops were totally disoriented, they shuffled and stumbled hear and there. Another volley of rounds came raining down on the marines that were unlucky enough to not get some cover. Their armored battle suits were set on fire as round after round impaled though their heavy armor. The bullets flew through them like butter after even more bullets had softened it up. Large fiery explosions thundered from the backs of brave fire bats turning them into torturous kamikaze bombs for the Sok's advantage. They were turning the confederate's own troops against them. Zack stumbled to a pile of rubble just a meter away from where he lay. Bullets ricocheted off of his leg armaments as the confederacy casualties started piling up.

Zack was now back to his frightened un-moving self again, he was un-able to move, un-able to speak, he was mentally paralyzed. Fright had took over his mind, war had took over his body witch was hidden under thick red armor. He was in a sub-conscious world now, sounds slowly faded into nothing as they echoed through his brain. His eyes fluttered closed and he pictured himself on a farm in the outskirts of Antiga prime. Nothing could bother him, he was care free, dogs and birds made their normal animal sounds, no screams, no explosions, no machine gun chatter, no nothing, just peace and quiet. The farm was almost magical as it lay at the bottom of the valley. Everything was slowed down. Family and friends awaited him at the bottom of the grassy hill, he ran to them but couldn't reach them. He let out an arm but they just moved back, oh no, he was cutting out of his dream!

No he couldn't cut out now, it was just starting, sounds could be heard and they were not peaceful. No, no more screams he thought but it was too late, the world was crushed as he faded back into the hell he was brought into. Suddenly an explosion landed a yard away form his feet.

"SHIT" he yelled as he shielded his face and chest from the flying debris. It ricocheted off of his now worn out battle suit. The system readings on his visor showed 40%. Good he thought at least it's not at dangerous. Bullets started flying past his head as he quickly ducked even more to shield himself from the stirring combat. Zack scanned his surroundings and located his weapon. It had been blown away from his location and bent from the explosion. His face quickly turned to a hopeless frown as he realized he was un-armed and in the middle of a battle. He didn't know what to do now, he didn't have a pistol for it was lost when he arrived at this field, and that was 2 day's ago! Zack was surprised that he had lived this long.

Zack was loosing hope but as a last resort started thumbing through his utility belt. He was becoming un-successful at finding anything but his face soon lit up as he felt 3 concussion grenades latched to the left side of his hip.

"Yes, thank god" he said to himself and found that the remaining marines started to lay down an organized volley on the cocky enemies. The rebels were so sure that they would win, they started to stand up from the shingle and move around. They soon found that move to be a bad one for 15 of them went down, a big confidence booster for the confeds. Zack peered over the side of his rock, the enemy marines started to pile up and lay down as the confederate troops reloaded for another round.

This was Zack's chance, he pulled the grenades from his belt with a click, ripped out the pins and flew all 3 of them at the now preparing rebel troops. The Soks now locked and aimed their weapons, ready to kill and ready to die for their organization. They were about to fire before the right side of the defense line looked up in horror at the little gray balls flying through the air. Some screamed out "GRENADE" others just leaped out of the way as the tiny metal object exploded on impact with a roar.

A huge wave of yells erupted from the unwary crew of rebel troops as legs and arms flew from their torsos, blood trailing their flight. A victory roar sounded from the confeds as they came out of their hiding holes and right into the heat of battle firing and yelling away at the rebel troops.

Though some fell, it was a glorious move for the advancing marines, the grenade's smoke cloud quickly cleared and a flood brave of confederate marine troops flew over the hill of the shingle. The marines rained hell down on the line of rebels. Un-suspecting and un-aware they fell to their deaths as the line of troops that were so safely behind a dirt ground shingle now tried desperately to gain control of it back. But it was no good for the wave of almost 25 confederate troops flooded over the hill pressing rounds of bullets to the rebels skulls and searing plasma flame to their bodies.

Those firebat's that were left offered helpful assistance to the fighting marines. Zack ascended the scorched field and came out of hiding as a gush of marines flew past him in dotted formation of attack. He looked around him on the ground for a weapon because the rebels were still fighting for their lives. He found a gauss rifle laying on the ground a bout a meter away from his feet and quickly picked it up. Crusted dirt fell from the weapon as he shook it off and ran with the wave of troops. They had taken the shingle, behind it was the command center, he noticed troops and naked regulars flood out of the main doorways only to quickly be shot at by Zack's friendlies. Some of them got a few shots in before they were ripped apart by the fire upon the command center.

That was it, it was over, Zack looked around at the troops flying by him, running into their victory. The rebels gave up and waved their white flag to show their defeat. Zack was filled with happiness, the battle was over, for now. For their was still a much larger battle to be won, this battle would last for days, they had to take they field along with tens of other command centers and barracks. He had won the battle but he hadn't won the war.

Well this is how it goes down, I think I might have about 13 other chapters to this story until the battle is over. You might not hear from Zack in a little while for the next chapter is on yet another character. But just keep waiting, AND KEEP REVIEWING because this is the only way I'm going to write anymore is if you keep reviewing. So please read and enjoy my saga.