Author's Note: Hey readers thanks for taking the time to read my fanfic. I've been a little slow to update recently because of schooling and work. Anyway, I would love to hear what people think about my stories.

PFC Andreas, D. Day 2, 0200 Hrs

The only two remaining members of 1st squad, 2nd platoon, Alpha Company were PFC Andreas and LCpl Gordon. After they had evacuated their last casualty, the two men were pulled from the decimated platoon and ordered to defend the company TOC. Immortal Company was still holed up in the crashed Covenant corvette, and Captain Ragland had made the ship's bridge his own command post. The two Marines stood post at the port side entrance to the room.

Captain Ragland was a heavily built man whose size came naturally to him. His face was dark and he spoke with a deep, booming voice. His mannerisms and speech were conducted with refined intellect. That was no surprise to the Marines because many knew he had come from a rich upbringing. He had let none of the circumstances of his earlier life grant him any military privilege however, and amongst the infantry, he proved himself to be a capable commander.

Andreas listened from beside the door as Cpt Ragland spoke into the radio to Delta Company. A hardly decipherable squawk of static came over to him from the other end of the line. Cpt Ragland said, "Paladin 6, you are coming in broken. Say again, over."

Static replied, and then the signal adjusted. Paladin 6, Delta Company's commander, answered back, "Immortal 6, we are taking light contact and are moving in for pick up, over." The rush of a Warthog's engine was heard behind the sound of his voice.

"Good copy Paladin 6. We'll be standing by, over."

"Paladin 6, out."

Cpt Ragland looked over at LCpl Beufort, his RTO, and said, "Beufort. Inform the platoons to get ready to move out. Once Delta gets here we're gonna pile onto their Warthogs any way we can."

"Yes sir," Beufort said before calling the Immortal Company platoons over the radio on his back.

A blast was heard outside, and both Gordon and Andreas stood on their toes and eyed the bulkhead they guarded. The sound of gunfire followed. The combined forces of second and third platoon were engaging the Covenant again. Soon, first platoon's position began engaging the Covenant as well. Overhead, Banshees zipped above and around the crash site.

Beufort came back to the captain with a sitrep from first platoon. The platoon leader was shouting into the radio, "Immortal 6, we are taking contact inside the building. Covenant forces are mixed in with our troops. We need to pull back, over!"

"Negative," Cpt Ragland told him, "Your position is vital. Hold your ground Marine. Evac is inbound. How copy over?"

"Roger," the platoon leader answered. The sounds of urban combat echoed over the radio. "Immortal 1, out."

Andreas watched the door intently as the battle resumed outside. Being posted in the TOC gave him access to the messages and orders that he would not normally be privileged to hear. Both he and Gordon had learned that the rest of the battalion had pulled back to Firebase Olympus downtown. Delta Company had finally broken through to them with a few transport Hogs from H&S Company trailing along. As soon as the two units linked up within the apartment complex, Alpha Company would load up and abandon the crash site.

Their position was useless to them now. The intel that ONI had grabbed from the database had been retrieved long ago. Andreas wondered how the ONI team had managed to fare heading to the star port on foot. Shrugging his thoughts aside, he continued to vigilantly watch the door.

Paladin 6 came back over the radio. "Immortal 6 this is Paladin 6. We are holding position at the RV coordinates. Break. We are taking contact from all sides. Hurry up and get out here, over."

Cpt Ragland answered back, "Copy Paladin 6. Be advised, we will be coming from the northeast, over."

"Roger that. Paladin, out!"

Ragland turned back to Beufort and said, "Initiate the evacuation."

Andreas kept his eyes focused on the hall as Beufort began communicating to the other platoons. He caught a flicker of lighting outside the door, just as he heard first and second platoon begin to retreat. Squinting his eyes and wondering if he had even seen anything at all, Andreas tightened his grip on his MA5.

A sudden flash of blue plasma erupted from the empty air and flew dangerously past his face. He ducked from the doorway as fast as he could. On the other side, LCpl Gordon opened fire. His assault rifle sent a deadly hail of rounds ricocheting throughout the interior bulkheads. Several of the rounds exploded into fiery sparks against the energy shields of a now-emerging, black armored Elite. It fired a long burst at Gordon as it ducked behind a corner for cover.

Gordon leaned back behind cover. This time, Andreas fired his weapon out into the hall, keeping the Elite's head pinned down. Behind them, Cpt Ragland and LCpl Buefort had taken defensive positions and the former was taking loudly to the different call stations over the lance corporal's radio. Eventually, the captain stood up from behind cover and shouted out to Gordon, "Marines! Evac. Now. Let's go!"

Obeying, Gordon and Andreas broke contact with the Elite at the door. Just as they made their way to the captain, Gordon pointed his rifle upwards and shouted, "Look out sir!" He fired his weapon as a figure rapidly descended from above.

The figure twisted around, powering an energy sword and slashing LCpl Buefort across the torso. The Marine screamed as the weapon sent him to the ground. Gordon had run out of ammo and hastily began to reload. Andreas raised his rifle to fire but plasma fire from behind caused him to duck and return fire upon the portside doorway.

Captain Ragland shouted something loud and incoherent amid the noise of the fighting. He brought his assault rifle up and fired his weapon at the sword-wielding Elite. It roared as the bullets rippled against its shielding. Fighting its way directly into the stream of 7.62 rounds, the alien slashed at Ragland's weapon, severing it in half. The captain stumbled back as he dropped the assault rifle. He ducked as the Elite swung at him and backed off, reaching for his M6D magnum.

Before the fight could continue, Gordon opened fire on the Elite. The shields fluctuated under his attack, bursting around the Elite as several rounds struck heavily against its armor. Rolling swiftly to the side, the Elite quickly found cover and disappeared from view.

Andreas ducked and reloaded his assault rifle. When he peered back up and scanned the room for targets, he found none. The room was silent aside from LCpl Gordon talking to Cpt Ragland. Andreas continued scanning the room, searching for any signs of the Elite's optic camouflage. He watched intently for a while, then out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement to the left of him. Turning, he brought his rifle around and squeezed off a burst. He wasn't fast enough.

Dual plasma rifles fired at the PFC from the exposed flank of his cover. The large Marine doubled over as multiple rounds struck him in the chest. Sharp, searing pain shot through his body as the plasma fire cut through his body armor. He fell with a heavy thud, grasping and struggling to stand and raise his MA5. The smell of his burning flesh came at him from dozens of smoking wounds across his upper body. He screamed out in pain.

A frag grenade detonated where the Elite had been standing. Andreas saw Gordon and Cpt Ragland standing over him, firing heavily at the enemy as they pulled Andreas away from the battle. When they reached the door, only Gordon was pulling Andreas. The lance corporal was having trouble moving the large Marine, but he gave the effort no pause.

Behind them, Cpt Ragland suppressed the Elite, barely avoiding plasma fire as he did so. He took a grenade, primed it, and tossed it out into the room. Turning back to the two Marines just as it detonated, he shouted and motioned at them. "Go! Go!" he yelled. Just as he entered the doorway, the burning light of an energy sword burst from his chest. He was lifted up and kicked off the blade. Andreas watched with fading vision. Gordon pulled at Andreas without a look back.

Cpt Ragland, still alive, began to grab at the deck and drag himself forward. He trailed blood as the Elite hovered ominously over him. With his right hand, he reached for his M6D. The Elite, taunting him in its alien tongue, shouted something before bringing his sword down and beheading the fallen Marine officer.

By then, Gordon had taken Andreas outside the ship. His consciousness fading quickly, the PFC observed a wild firefight within the heavily damaged apartment complex. Dozens of Marines were cut down on their way to the waiting convoy. The convoy itself was being hammered by Wraith artillery and Banshee strikes. The LAAGs would fire powerfully into the air, bringing down several of the alien craft but many more replaced the fallen ones. Fuel rods and streams of plasma fire struck Warthogs, sending them bursting into flames and shrapnel.

Andreas could barely hear anything. He kept drifting in and out of consciousness. He felt himself being loaded into the back of a Warthog. Gordon tapped him on the feet and turned away, rushing back into the fight to aid the rest of their company. A corpsman sat beside Andreas, pouring biofoam into his wounds and checking his vitals. She shook her head to herself as she continued treating him.

Beside the Warthog, Andreas could distinctly hear a familiar voice speaking calmly. The Banshees swooped in again. The Warthogs focused their fire and took out a formation of the enemy fliers. Yet plasma fire still strafed the convoy, striking dozens of Marines and their vehicles. The person speaking beside Andreas was talking into a radio.

He said, "Artemis, Artemis. Enemy positions are at grid: Oscar Tango three five seven two, two one four six. How copy over?" It was the voice of Paladin 6, Delta Company's captain.

"Good copy Paladin 6. Artemis is on station. Hostile foot mobiles located around Objective Gold Mine. Engaging." Andreas watched as a barrage of cannon fire and missiles rained down from the sky upon the crashed corvette. His former position went up in flames as Covenant troops were torn apart by shrapnel and the continual fire from Artemis.

The Warthogs began to move out. Andreas felt himself falling asleep. His vision began to darken, and soon he shut his eyes completely. Lying back within the bouncing Warthog, he breathed out what few breaths he could. The corpsman beside him pressed two fingers to his neck again. She cursed and then began compressions on his chest. Andreas felt none of it. It was too late and she already knew it. Private First Class Andreas had died of his wounds.