"DO YOU APES WANT TO LIVE FOREVER" – Unknown Sergeant Charge of the 7th during the battle of Monte Casino
M5267
Murmurs could be heard throughout the shuttle as everyone prepared for what was to come rail guns held in clenched fists nerves running rampant. Private Eric Daniels had grown up hearing stories of the Orion war the tales pasted down through the generations. Stories of brutal trench warfare, heroic final stands and bloody close quarters boarding actions they all remained in the forefront of his mind as the transport he was in began entering the atmosphere of the alien world, would he die here unremembered except for weeping parents and siblings he was to scared of that answer as the sound of gunfire echoed outside the shuttle walls. Lurching back and forth as the shockwaves knocked it around like a pinball many soldiers lost their lunch under the pressure. Vomit pooled and slid across the floor of the shuttle stinking up the air. The shuttle shook violently as it began touching down on the planet the front ramp opening up into a hailstorm of fire. "MOVE OR DIE SOLDIERS COME ON" the Sergeant shouted although it well have been a whisper as loud as the world around them was soldiers knocked into each other as they rushed through the exit ramp, Looking around him Eric saw chaos soldiers charging across the field incoming artillery and heavy weapon firing carving ugly scars in the landscape and killing any soldier unfortunate enough to be hit by them. The weight of the fuel tank on his back felt heavy on his back. In the skies above he could see tens of thousands of transports still entering the atmosphere as warships engaged in close quarters broadsides blasting away at each other.
Hefting his P-Flamer (plasma flamethrower basically) and steeling his nerves Eric broke out into a sprint. ARES MBTs rolled across the battlefield Hive Rounds sending tens of thousands of tungsten pellets at supersonic speeds towards enemy infantry leaving the bodies mangled and mutilated. Ground Attack craft from Union Carriers unleashed White Phosphorus munitions on the heavily entrenched alien forces the smell of burning flesh filling the air of the battlefield. He could see a bunker just a few dozen meters away spraying rounds into the hoard of union soldiers Running as fast as he could towards once he was a few meters away he switched to walking and after muttering a prayer for forgiveness he pulled the trigger on his P-Flamer. Purple iridescent fire arced towards the bunker coating the outside and flooding through the openings burning the occupants alive as the plasma latched to their armor and exposed flesh he could hear screams of agony and pain echoing from it as the plasma burned away everything inside he didn't he had only fired for a second but that was more then enough time for the plasma to do its work. He tried calming his rushing heart as he stared at what he had done only to be jolted out of his trance when his sergeant grabbed his arm. "Come on kid we got more bunkers to clear out" he said before jogging back towards the fight.
They spent half an hour cleaning up the drop zone burning out any remaining bunkers and readying the area for the heavy transport ships. Hundreds of them descended from the skies massive ramps descending onto the ground with a large clang. Millions of soldiers were being deployed here massing at designated rally points in preparation for the next stage of the invasion. But he was to exhausted to truly care at the moment having witnessed the true horrors of war for the first time his mind was still struggling to cope with what he had done to living sentient beings he had killed them burned them alive with plasma fire and was given praise for it. He didn't see any glory or honor here just brutal carnage and bloodshed the ground stained cobalt in many places. The bodies of the aliens were being piled up inside their bunkers to free up space for the disembarking second wave. He wanted to go home though he felt scared not of death though now he was afraid of what he had done the screams echoing in his mind. Did the ones he killed have family to mourn them would they have children made orphaned because of him how many lives had he broken he couldn't get that question out of his head.
6 hours post landing
In the temporary barracks Eric began making a letter for home telling his parents how much he missed them asking what had happened or if anything had changed while he was gone. He wrote of his fears and doubts of what haunted him and what he had seen and most of all he asked for guidance and help. He was alone in the barracks as he typed his message his hand hovered over the send button as he contemplated whether to send it or just delete it before finally he sent it. The intercom went off signaling the next phase of the offensive. Stilling his shaking hand Eric went over to his locker and began putting on his Armor each piece clicking into place as latches engaged slowly sealing him from the outside world. All that was left was his helmet he stared into it cold visage before turning it around and pulling it over his head everything was dark for a few seconds before the hud lit up and began to reboot statues reports covered the screen as it began running self diagnostics taking no more then a few seconds to complete. Once it was done he turned towards the door and walked out to the armory to grab his P-Flamer and fuel tank. The entire base was a hive of activity the big push was going to happen soon the start of the biggest battle since the end of the Orion War and they were a part of it nerves and excitement in equal measure filled the base as he reached the armory. Inputting his assigned code the door slid open with a his. Entering the Airlock the system began cycling the atmosphere before a green light appeared over the inner door followed by it sliding open.
"only the dead have seen the end of war" – Plato
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