The General: World War III Chapter 12: Broadcaster America, a halo fanfic

June 20th, 25529:57PM

It felt good to get out of the jungles of Brazil. My feet hurt bad, my legs didn't feel any better. We had walked from the rally point, which was at the bottom tip of Brazil and made our way half way up the nation on foot. We had gone though dence jungles, crossed rivers, and went though more jungled areas. The worst was a swampish area. The ground was slimmy looking and filled with mud, plus we had to lead a convoy though it. Vehicles kept getting stuck in the mud and it had rained hard on us that day too, it was like trying to pull a car against a continuous baskwash, but we somehow managed.

I had made out a strange light out in the distance a way when we crossed the swamped lands. I looked at it is as we had gone by and made out a strange structure with a gargoyle on it. It seemed to be the only structure in the area and I thought it was pretty strange that it would be a only building in that kind of area. I didn't say or think much of it and had ignored it.

We took back the capital shortly after leaving the swamplands, there was no resistance. We rolled into the city streets on tanks and carried big guns. The civilian population was near gone, we believe the civilians formed a coordinated militia and tried to stop the advance and had been slaughtered. We believed this cause we found small groups of civilians laying dead along the side of the roads with weapons by them as we made our way in.

I was now on a Pelican inflight over Mexico. We had been told that about four hours ago the Chinese had taken Mexico City and where almost at the American border. The air convoy was going to land just outside of Mexico City and launch an offensive to take it back, except for members of the 7th Mechinized Infantry and 15 Airborne -- us. We where going to continue on to hit the enemy from the rear as they attacked our troops of the 23rd Infantry and pockets of troops from the Canadian Division at the border of Texas along the newly formed city of Turf. Thats where we held our main defenses was along Turf, we believed thats where the enemy was to attack.

I glanced among the others. Some where sleeping, other talked, and two people played cards as best they could. I watched as they played a game of simple goldfish. I leaned out and looked into the cockpit and found both piolts asleep. They must of had it on a preset AI flight, but Ryan sat there by the piolts and made sure we wouldn't fly into something. I took my helmet off and put it out into the middle floor area infront of me and souched into my seat and put my feet ontop of my helmet. I closed my eyes and went into deep thought.

I thought about how far the war would go. Would it end all mankind? China had already used a nuclear weapon, though it was believed it didn't kill anybody. Nonethelesss, they still had used one and I wondered if it would soon just break out into a small nuclear warfare. Sure the nations of the world only had five nukes each, but it was good enough to cause massive destruction.

I thought about the upcoming invasion of American, my homeland and how our allies where begining to fall to the Chinese. Would we be next? Would America somehow fall to the oncomming Chinese attack? I seriously doughted a nation our size would fall to a army of a few million, but anything was possible. I wondered how big the border defense would be and if they could hold off the attack long enough for us to arrive and America to get the rest of its military organized to repel the invasion.

We couldn't simply send our entire military down there, then the enemy would be able to invade on a diffrent front. This put us in a bad spot. I thought about the 23rd infantry troop. It was a fairly well trained army with someone good numbers, about eighthundred thousand or so. How many troops where arriving from Canada to help repel the attack I questioned as I layed there.

What if they didn't come? The 23rd would easily fall do to the numbers of the Chinese attack and America would be fully invaded. I continued to think about what would happen if we didn't arrive in time to help.

My thoughts began to change into odd images and half of my mind lost track of reality, the other half told me I was half asleep. I let my other half go and I was soon fully asleep.

I was asleep for probaly two hours or so. "Everyone get up!" a voice yelled out. It didn't fully wake me, I was still asleep but could sence what was happening around me. I could feel the presence of someone walking up to me and I suddenly awoke and turned to meet the person. It was Ryan. I sat back up stright in my seat and streched out with everyone else, we had all been asleep, we had all grown tired from all the walking we had done.

I reached out and picked up my helmet and snapped it back into place on my armor. Ryan walked back off into the cockpit and we talking to the piolts, they where now awake too. A voice played over the dropships inner speaker. "It has been comfirmed that the attack on American soil is from the Chinese. Currently, armed forces of the American and Canadian Divisions are in combat around the city of Turf in Texas against the invaders."

Ryan stepped out. "Its the WWMF national front radio station." he said. "We had new reporters on the front now as we go to them... Tom, are you with us?" asked the raido man. "Yes I am." a shaky voice replied, gunfire could be heard in the background.

"Tom, can you tell us whats going on?" asked the radio man. "Well, about a hour ago, the armed forces of both The Republic and Peoples Republic of China invaded all along the city line. The entire 23rd American infantry stood ready in fortified positions out infront of the city. The enemy has not yet breached though the fortified lines where I stand. I have also been told that members of the Canadian armed forces are here as well, I don't know if you have or have not been informed of that yet. There is also a extremely small group of troops from the British army. That is all I know at the moment."

"That was our new reporter Tom Blood that you just heard down at the front. May h s ." The raido began to break out into static and remained there for awhile. We left it on to see if we ever catch the signal again. "How far are we?" someone asked Ryan. "About forty minutes away from our LZ. "Wheres that?" he asked again. "About a twenty mintue walked to the enemy lines... Where going in as close as a mile on this one." Ryan finished.

" jut ecieved that a unknown force has into sight over the eastern shores of America." the raidoman said as the signal returned. "Again, we have just recieved reports that an unknown aerial force has suddenly appeared over the eastern shores of America. The force is making it way in the direction of Turf." We sat there greatly confused. Ryan made his way into the cockpit and got on the radio and made contact with command.

He gave out the needed information and got though. "Command we just got word that a unknown air team has been sighted over the easten shores of America, can you confirm and give intel?" Ryan asked over the raido. We couldn't hear the broadcaster while the main radio was in used, it blocked it out. Ryan was on there for a few minutes. He put up the raido when he was done and made his way to the back with us, the radiomans voice returned over the speakers.

"Tom." the broadcaster said when the main radio was put up. "We have reports that the Chinese have broken though the left part of the lines and entered the city. The enemy has been sighted moving in on the terminal district where yet many people are waiting for the next bullet train to be evacuated. Members of the..." the reporter suddenly stopped talking and explosioned took over the radio. Static soon was the only thing that came over the speakers.

The static went off. "That... was.. our reporter... Tom Blood at the front... May he rest in peace. He will be greatly missed." the broad caster said. There was some commotion going on between the broadcaster and another man. The signal was soon shut off from the source. We sat there in disbelief of what had just happened.

The signal soon came back on. "My name is Nathan Jones and I am replacing Been Davison as broadcaster for the meantime. We go life to our affiliate who is at the Mississippi Naval Bay where naval ships are being prepared to be sent off. Jonna?" the broadcaster finished. "Yes Nathan. I am here at the Mississippi Naval Base where a small fleet is being prepared to be sent off to bombard enemy positions that are still held up in Mexico. We have been told that a few minutes ago, armed forces from Antarctica launched a counter attack on Mexico City where they have been meet with stiff resistance."

We now knew that the troops where on the offensive for Mexico and that the enemy was still there. "We also saw a large convoy of members of the WWMF American National Guard inbound to Texas pass by about thirty minutes ago." she added and finished. "Has.. Has the person in command given in reasons for such a slow responce to the attack or anything?" the broadcaster asked. "We have not asked him about that Nathan." she answered. "Alright and thank you Jonna."

"We now go live to another affiliate who is inside the city of Turf. Lets see if we can get though to him... Rick? Are you there?" There was a pause for a moment and a voice replied. "Yes Nathan im here." "Rick, what can you tell us whats happening down there?" Nathan asked.

"Five minutes!" yelled the piolt durring the pause on the raido. "Well Nathan. We where forced to evacuate out of the city when enemy artillary started to bomb the forward lines. We where at the allied command located in the rear of the city. We are currently just north of the city... Uhhh, we know that the enemy has overrun the forward line and are now in the city. The allies have retreated on almost all front of the city, we believe half of the city is under our control."

"Now what about numbers. Do you know if many soldiers remain on both front?" Nathan asked. "Ehhh, I asked about numbers to the enemy commander before the enemy bombardment. He said it was believed that the enemy had about two or three million men in strength. He refused to tell us how many where on the allies side but we know by research that the twenty-third infantry consists of ninehundred-thousand men."

I listened on a bit longer than froze. I started to sweat alot and my heart began to race, I started to notice something and listened on.

"We where told that reinforcements where on the way from Mexico as we speak, consisting of members of the seventh infantry and fifthteenth airborne. They are to arrive soon if they haven't arrived already."

My head turned slowly to Ryan. He was standing completely still. He turned and looked into the cockpit. "Alert the others for a detour now! Find a new landing zone!" he yelled to the piolts, "They know where coming from the south!" I locked and loaded my gun. "How do they know where coming!" one of the piolts yelled back. "Just do it!" Ryan replied.

I knew how they would know. It was a public broadcasting network, meaning our military radios shouldn't be able to pick them up. If ours where than so where the enemies, they heard everything. They now knew who and where reinforcements where coming from, how strong the resistance of the 23rd was, and where the command post was located.

"Abort LZ, abort LZ, detour to the east. Enemy knows where coming." our piolt said over the radio and Nathans voice disapeared. Our dropship suddenly cut right and I was thrown against the wall more. We made such a sharp turn that the others across form us fell out of their seats and landed on us. I heard an explosion outside. The dropship strightened itself out.

A soldier lay in my lap. He got up and stumbled back to his seat, others made their way back to theirs. Another explosion filled the air outside. "We got stick in the wind!" the piolt yelled, meaning we had enemy anti-air fire on us. There was a loud noise, almost like someone hit a gong. The dropship kicked to the right a bit. "We're hit!" the piolt yelled.

I grabbed my rifle tight and we prepared ourselfs for a crash landing. Time went by and we remained in the air, we lossened up a bit. We started to sway to the right, AA fire still chasing us. "We got ourselfs a new LZ!" the piolt yelled. "Its going to be hot!" The dropship started to decend and the backdoor ramp started to open. We stopped decending and continued on.

I made out a street and cars on the side of the road as it opened, even in the night sky. We had entred the city from the flanking side. Soon we passed over a tank and infantry. The infantry fired at us, we soon left them behind. The dropship nose pulled upward and we started to come to a stop. The Pelican began to decend a small bit again. The Pelican made a right turn and a building came into sight. We where navigating though the city buildings.

We came to a stop in the air. "Alright, where going to land here!" the piolt yelled. We started to go down to land. I prepared to get ready to dash out the back with the others. "Armor!" the copiolt yelled. "Move!" he yelled afterward, but it was to late. There was an explosion and the dropship barrelrolled to the left. We crash landed thirty feet down ontop of a car, crushing it to the of my knee and down the rest of my leg.

I flipped around inside the back of the dropship with the others. We bounced off the car and rolled about twenty feet along the sidewalk, taking out small trees that where there. The dropship came to a rest. I could hear voice yelling out in the distance, in a language I didn't understand. I was still alive. I looked around but couldn't see anything though the smoke.

"Dave...Steve...Jake...Anyone?" I called out in the dark as I moved feeling around with my right arm. Blood filled my visor some, I had a hard time seeing out. My chest felt like it had been dented in and my heart hurt everytime it beated. My legs supprisingly felt fine. I heard coughing and others moving around. "Is everyone alright!" I heard Ryan call out. "Im okay, I think." I called back. Others began to answer too.

A Pelican came into sight down the street and dropped off troops. They dashed down toward our position. When they arrived they began to help us out and get everyone organized. I felt a hand pull me up stighter and my arm being forced around someones neck. We made our way over a broken fence and into someones yard where I was layed up against the wall of the building.

Gunfire filled the air and rained down upon us suddenly. The enemy was in a building on the opposite side of the street. Troops from our side began to fire back. I got to my feet and headed back for the wreckage. Men took cover behind the smashed car and chunks of the dropship and where firing back at the enemy held up in a large building across the way.

I looked around for my team. A bullet flew though the smoke and hit the ground by me, I didn't even flinch, I was to focused on finding my team to care about it. "M19, scatter!" someone behind the car yelled and everyone began to bolt from it. The car exploded second later throwing metal though the air. I found a soldier laying dead on the ground and I walked over to him. I rolled him to his side so I could see his insingina better... It was Jake.

I grabbed him and pulled him up to me. "Jake!" I yelled crying. I started shaking him, hoping it would start his heart up and be alive again, but I knew better. I was pulled away from him by another man. "Let go!" I yelled and made my way free. "We got to go, now. Where all moving out!" the voice yelled, I recognizedit as Ryans. "One sec!" I yelled and grabbed Jakes body and threw him up over my shoulder.

Together we made our way into the nearby house with the others. We kicked open the back door and made ourway into the back yard and into a alley. We quickly made our way down it. Houses where to our left and a wodden fence to our right. I ran with the others, Jakes dead body hanging over my shoulder. We didn't know where we where, or where we were going.

I and many others didn't have any weapons to use. We did all we could do, run. We stopped at the sight of the enemy walking across the alley way down at the alley end. We decided to scale the fence and make our way though the cover of buildings and trees that where on the other side. People began to scale the fence. I layed Jake against the wall. "This is where we must depart." I said to him. I didn't want to have to leave Jake, but I knew he would slow me down and I wanted to make sure I got revenge for him. "Until we meet again." I finished and saluted his dead bod and scaled the wall, leaving him on the other side.

My heart hurt from his loss and having to leave his body behind, rather than the crash. We made our way though the back yards. We had all become trapped behind enemy lines.