Chapter 4

I had to set my alarm clock really early for today. We've been here just under a year, and I don't think I've ever been more tired, sore, and unsure in my life.

But today has been the spot on our calendars burning a hole in our minds since we got here, not that we HAD calendars. Today we were going to be loaded into the cruiser 'Emperor'. Sometimes I wonder who names these stations and ships? Then after we are loaded onto that ship, we will be sealed into pods in its assault bay, and dropped, from the atmosphere, to a covenant held position on a planet. That's right, no more training, no more drills, we are literally being dropped into the shit, the real thing.

I can't wait. I hope that thought was warranted.

Because once we finished suiting up we were outta there.

"I'm ready," I said. Only to look up and see Regg and Nicole standing by the door waiting for me.

"Oh…shut up".

We made our way, weaponless, to the docking bay. A door slid open in front of us and we walked into the docking bay. Onto the Emperor, and waited.

A voice came over the intercom, I think they must really like doing that.

"ODST personnel, report to the drop bay once the Emperor has reached escape velocity, and good luck".

"Preparing to disengage docking clamps in ten, please brace yourself until anti-grave thrusters are go, then await further instructions".

The ship's AI said.

"If the ship flares its main engines while docked, it would blast the Installation to dust, and probably do some not fun things to the planet". I overheard someone say.

"Five, four, three, two, one,"

The Emperor began to shake violently, and the air filled with the humming of its reactor coils.

We waited for a while for the shaking to stop.

A few minutes later the shipboard AI came over the intercom again.

"The Emperor has escaped the planets atmosphere, all crew may return to their stations, all ODST personnel from Installation 7447 must report to the drop bay".

Again, we moved through the rail elevator to the ultra cool looking drop bay.

The hatches opened and we got in. They instantly sealed. I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my body. It was like it had replaced my blood.

"Staff Sergeant Layne, locked in and ready for drop"

"Sergeant Shooter, ready for drop"

"Sergeant Thomson, ready for drop" I said while banging my fist once on the inside of the door, in response to one of the other ODST I had made friends with in training.

"ODSTs, hold onto your boots, we're a go, I repeat, we are go, beginning launch sequence, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five"….

I began to sweat profusely inside my suit. I beat away my fear and I said a prayer in my mind that I wouldn't burn up on entry or something.

"Three, two, one, Drop clamps disengaged, prepare for free fall, good luck".

That was it, right that minute when the clamps let go and the capsules began to fall. I've never been more terrified before in my life, ever. It felt light at first, followed by a few minutes of EXTREME weight. Then the parachutes kicked in, and jarred me upward. I had to swallow a bit of bile I had in my throat from the G forces.

I felt light for a while, then I hit. I could heard other pods crashing down all around me, my door exploded off and I readied my rifle. INSTANTLY I stood face to face with a covenant Jackal, my crosshairs on my HUD turned red, like I needed my visor to tell me this bastard was about to die. I squeezed off a burst of ammo into his head before he could fully comprehend what had just happened. Keep in mind I use the term 'he' loosely, I have no idea what that thing is. I don't even know if the Covenant HAVE gen – shit, an Elite popped up behind me.

He made the mistake of roaring when he greeted me.

"EVEN WITH ALL THOSE JAWS YOU STILL CAN'T EAT METAL CAN YA SQUIDFACE!" I taunted as I smashed the butt of my rifle into his face upward, brought it down again into the top of is skull, then smacked him with the most blunt end in the side of the head. This downed his energy shield, knocked out a shit load of teeth, and broke 2 of his four mandibles. I then pulled my pistol, stick it in his mouth, angled it up and blew a six inch hole in the top of the fuckers skull, and right through his blue armor.

I spun around catching a grunt in the teeth with my boot, I stuck the butt of my rifle between his neck armor, twisted it as fast as I could until I heard a snap and kicked him away. Up ahead I saw a group of three Grunts trying to take on one other ODST. Of coarse they didn't stand a chance, but I wanted kills, I switched my rifle to fire single shots, aimed carefully, and shot off the gas intake valve of one of the Grunt's methane tanks, the bastard suffocated.

"HAHA! EAT THAT YOU GAS SUCKING MIDJET!" I yelled while re-loading.

"Oh SHIT! Guys we got a problem!" I heard on my intercom.

I spun around about 180 degrees to see a Hunter tear through a brick wall. These things are fucking HUGE, 12 feet tall, in their combat state they crunch to about eight or nine. Huge fuel rod cannons directly integrated into their arm, and shields that cover most of their body on the other arm, they swing these things FAST. One of the other ODST opened up on it with both of his sub machine guns, the beast reared up and swung his shield from left to right, literally tearing the Soldier in half.

"Oh fuck, they got sharpened shields this time!" I heard over the com.

I looked up to a small structure that had been reduced to rubble to see one of our Snipers taking pot shots at the bugger.

I hear rumbling. Right behind me the wall collapses, the second Hunter barrels through, I sidestep his charge, extend to bayonet on my rifle, and run it through his exposed back all the way to the scope. The beast roars in pain letting off a fuel rod into a cluster of debris, sending dust metal and rock flying all over.

I withdraw my rifle and run like HELL. This thing is pissed, and has its eyes on me. Our Sniper sees it running towards me and fires a shot through its chest, that it left foolishly exposed by not using its shield.

It winces and stops for a few seconds. Regg skids past me dropping a frag in front of it. The beast looks at me, I see its cannon glowing green, the grenade goes off, its arm flies off and fires a shot RIGHT over my head, I duck slightly down as the top part of my shoulder armor is shredded. The beast twists its head and drops to the ground.

"YEEHA! ONE DOWN!" Our sniper screams over the com.

"LOOK OUT!" I hear, as the Sniper's perch is torn down by a fuel rod shot, lucky me I'm standing right beside it. I dart away as fast as I can, then go back to help pull the Sniper out.

"Jim! My leg, my left leg! It's holding me under!"

I look down, and try to pull the slab of concrete off his leg, another ODST comes over and helps me get it all the way off.

"Light it up Nic!"

I look behind me to see Nicole firing her flame thrower into the Hunter, Regg is over her shoulder going off full automatic on it. The beast drops.

Everyone looks around, a few shots ring out and some Jackal snipers fall off the roof, some Grunts lose their heads.

"CLEAR!" Members from each team begin yelling.

"ODSTs, regroup, reload, do a casualties report, lets wrap it up, the 'Rines are coming in! GO!" The Squad Commander yelled over the Com.

I got up from helping our Sniper out, and looked around.

"We kicked their ass…" I said quietly to myself.