Back to the Fight

(Disclaimer: I don't own Halo)

James strode down the deck hallways until he reached the Captains quarters and knocked politely trying to contain his irritation. He was ready for bed, but he had a feeling that he was about to miss sleeping this cycle. The door was opened by Captain Ambrose who greeted him with a weary smile. James thought he looked on edge and was immediately on guard.

"Welcome Corporal, please come in," the captain said graciously, "I assume you've met Captain McNair." James nodded and eyed the young captain before turning his attention back to Captain Ambrose, who seated himself behind his desk. "I've got some bad news for you Corporal."

"Planet getting glassed bad, or another mission bad?" he asked with a wry grin. The Captain's both responded with a chuckle.

"Good to see you in somewhat of a good mood," Captain Ambrose admitted, "I had thought you'd be morose and depressed after such heavy losses." James just shrugged and waited.

"War Games managed to get out a dozen life pods before crashing," Captain Ambrose explained. "Six have been picked up without problems, their members banding together until we could get there. Four were found without survivors, some killed in the crash others possibly killed by the Covenant before our arrival. A squad was dropped to one of these four and was wiped out by a large force of Covenant along with the survivors. We have two others we need to pick up and luckily enough they crashed fairly close to each other. They were moving to join forces when one group was intercepted and pinned down in a valley. They have a good defensive position but the enemy presence is still heavy. The other group made it to the rendezvous point where they were then pinned down and find themselves in the same circumstances. We need re-enforcements to rescue the first group and then evacuate them before continuing on to the second group. Want the job?"

"I only have two men fit for duty sir," James pointed out. The Captain lowered his eyes in thought.

"I can give you however many you need," Captain McNair said to both of them.

"We drop you and whichever men are fit for duty," Captain Ambrose said planning it as he went. "If we catch the Covenant by surprise could you clear us a landing zone for a squad of Marines to assist?"

"Possibly," James allowed, "I can make four if Menendez is released from medical. Bunker is broke so he can't go." He turned to Captain McNair. "I don't suppose we could ask for volunteers to drop with us?"

"It never hurts to ask Corporal," he answered, "But be ready to go by yourselves." James nodded his understanding. Most Marines thought the ODST to be crazy.

"We go now sir?" James asked and received a nod, "Thirty minutes we can be in our pods ready to launch."

"Can you be ready any faster?" Captain Ambrose asked and James paused before answering.

"We probably will be but we have to function check our suits and then draw weapons and munitions before heading down to the pods," he explained, "Any volunteers can meet us there." He turned to Captain McNair, "We'll drop as soon as we get there so if they're any volunteers to drop with us we need to know before we get there."

Captain Ambrose stood up suddenly with an evil grin on his face, "Then let's get to it."

James returned his grin and turned for the door sprinting his way back to the squad bay where Donald and Tyler were already in their suits. "They radioed down for us to get ready," he explained helping James jump into his suit. The intercom crackled to life and they heard to announcement to general quarters.

"All hands to stations," said the ships AI over the intercom. "We will be dropping pods in twenty minutes. All hands to stations, first rotation to the bridge." The first rotation was the bridge crew that was on duty whenever the Captain was on. That meant that Amy and Sarah would be jumping into flight suits and running for their stations.

"Let's go," James said to his two men. "Donald go get Menendez from medical if he's not delirious. Meet us at the pods we'll have your weapons. We all have food right?" They both nodded. "Alright lets go." As they stormed out of the door Menendez came running up looking a lot better than he did earlier.

"Thought I was about to miss it," he said, "Doc didn't want to let me go so I just left." He said the last with a huge grin on his face.

"Uh-huh," James said, "Donald was about to come get you. We're heading to the armory."

They all ran for the armory where they drew weapons, grenades, and ammunition. Donald even grabbed a few mines with remote detonators. They all left with double ammo and grenades. They ran for the Human Entry Vehicle pods stowed in the bottom of the ship. This ship only had twenty but it was more than enough.

The ships AI came over the intercom in the room and spoke to James. "Captain McNair has six Marines coming to join you. They are drawing weapons now. Two squads are on standby with four Pelicans for pickup and air support. Captain Ambrose wishes you good luck." The intercom cut out and James began checking his teams gear stowed in their pods and made sure they were strapped in visually and physically checking all the safety features he could think of.

"Relax," Donald said through his helmet depolarizing it as James stuck his head in, "We'll be fine." James nodded and then spotted the six volunteers.

"Come here," he shouted to them. They approached him in the doorway of Donald's pod in the second position.

"I bet their all boots," Donald said to James who was unsurprised to find out that he was right.

"Have any of you seen combat before?" he asked and got no reply. "Take a look inside here. This is how you strap in. I'm going to check each of you before giving the clear to drop. The big button to your right is the door eject. When you land and clear your head you punch that to blow the door clear and come out shooting."

"Don't clench your teeth," Donald advised, "You'll be seeing the dentist afterwards if you don't knock yourself unconscious and miss the fight. Don't tense up, just go with it." He searched for some other piece of advice to give them before grinning. "And don't piss yourself either; it makes for a bad day when you can't change."

James shook his head and looked over their scared faces. "Get to a pod." He went behind them checking their safety features and explaining a few functions to them before sealing them in with a 'good luck'. He walked back along the row studying the names of his dead teammates stenciled on the doors of the pods. He paused at Menendez's pod fourth in line and read off Corporal Johnson's name out loud. "I'm sorry man," he whispered before passing his in the third position which now held Tyler and then Sergeant Kerner's which Donald was now in. He entered the first one which had been SSgt McPherson's pod.

He buckled in and sealed the door before activating the screens on either side of the door. Captain Ambrose showed on the left one with Captain McNair over his shoulder. Donald showed on his right screen. He would be showing with Captain Ambrose on all the other pods and could cycle through pods if he wanted to which he did with the right screen.

"We're ready sir," he said pulling on his helmet. Captain Ambrose nodded.

"I've never actually sent men into combat this way before," he admitted. "You launch in thirty seconds."

"Don't worry sir," James said, "Its actually kind of fun." He was nervous as hell and the captain knew it. The ten second countdown started.

"Good luck Marines," he said as James pod settled into the chute and was locked to fire.

"Three, two, one," the AI paused before saying, "Pods away."

James' jerked as the pod was shot out at incredible speeds for the planet's surface. He swallowed hard and tried to ignore the shaking jerking motion as the pod sped up even faster as it entered atmosphere. He kept his face calm and just breathed, wiping his mind of every other thought. They were headed for another fight and James cursed as he suddenly realize that he could lose more men this day.

***

Amy Dawn was wide awake when the call came across the intercom system. She jumped up and into her flight suit and was out the door in moments. She jogged to the bridge where she found Captain Ambrose assuming command from his executive officer. She relieved a junior Lieutenant from the Communications station and buckled herself in. When they were all present the Captain spoke to them all.

"I apologize for taking you from your beds," He said in a command voice while walking around the bridge so they could all have eyes on him. "But we're sending men into combat and I'll not sleep while our men our dying."

Amy was jerked to a sudden realization and locked eyes with Sarah. The countdown sequence began and it struck both of them with worry. Marines died just from the drops let alone being out numbered when they hit the ground.

Amy tried to concentrate on her work and linked to James pod where he was talking to Captain Ambrose. "Good luck," the Captain said and James polarized his face shield. She heard the final countdown and then launch. Her heart leapt into her throat as James jerked in his pod.

'Oh my god," she thought fighting the panic for who know how many times that day, 'He's going back in. He's really going.'

She watched him sit calmly in his pod as it jerked again entering atmosphere. She got a message from Sarah. 'All we can do is wait with our fingers crossed' the message said. She nodded and tried to stay calm. 'All I can do I wait and see.' She thought as she leaned back in her chair watching James in his pod.