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(part 1) Memories...
Posted By: Gasman
Date: 20 June 2004, 12:05 AM


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"This is the end"
The marines stared out into the sea of oncoming soldiers. Grunts,Elites,Jackals,even a few Hunters lumbered near the back. Captain Joe Silverstone thought back to his first day of combat as he looked into the eyes of the covenant warriors...

A rigid Colonel Havers stood in the front of the pelican,"Allright men, We've been in this platoon for a long time, I've seen yall grow up from maggots to men. I'm lookin' into each of yalls eyes and you know what I see? I see warriors, warriors wanting to kill,warriors wanting to make things bleed,to make things die! When your feet hit the dirt and the bullets start to fly,remember that you are marines! You do not die without permission from me! You kill,you don't get killed,I'll be right there with ya, Now let's get out there and do our job!"
The pelican's dropship hatch fell open and sunlight poured through, Private Joe Silverstone shielded his eyes and watched as his commanding officer jumped out of the ship,rifle blazing,the rest of the marines piled out as well,ecstatic and terrified at the same time. Joe's metal boots sank into the soft wheat field,he quickly surveyed the land.
The field streched out into a small clearing,in the clearing was a small encampment,he could barley make out the outline of snipers in the guard towers potruding from the walls. This base would be tough,but it was badly outnumbered. He looked at his fellow marines,fifty total,and saw that many were doing the same thing. One marine cried out,"oh God,look at those damn snipers!"
Joe noticed that Colonel Havers was directing marine snipers to take thier shots. The deafening roar of the S2's sounded out through the field,streams of white soared toward the enemy camp. Half of the enemy snipers fell, the rest answeed with a round of thier own. Bullets streamed toward the platoon of rookie marines. Havers methodically ordered everyone to get down,Joe quickly dropped to his feet,he winced as a round kicked up dirt near his head. Havers gave the order for the snipers to fire again. The remaining enemy snipers were picked off quickly.
"Move up marines!" Havers yelled loudly
Joe pulled himself to his feet and began to run toward the encampment. He focused soley on the marine's backplate in front of him. As rounds flew past his head he bravely continued at top speed, the sound of sniper rifles still boomed in his ears. He was nearly ten feet from the wall when it happened,the marine he had been following burst open from the shoulder to his stomach. He collasped and Joe tripped over his fallen comrade's body. Ignoring the dirt and grime that forced it's way up his nose and face he pulled himself over to the marine.As the wounded soldier turned his head,Joe recognized him as Sgt Samuel Kalopski,he was part Russian.
"Medic!" Joe yelled
Another marine ran over,he was equipped with a MA5B standard assault rifle that he quickly shouldered. The medic leaned over Sam and pulled out a field IV pack. The needle smoothly slipped through the marines leg,and Sam's chest stopped heaving. Joe looked down as something wet dripped into his kneepad,he found that he was kneeling in Sam's blood. As he drew his knee back the medic said to him,"there's nothing you can do here,move along"
Joe started the sprint back to the wall. He found that over thirty of his fellow marines had also made it. Havers yelled for the demolitions team and a three man squad ran to his side. They fixed a large bomb onto the door adn yelled "get down" The second man hit the ignition button and the door vanished in a flash of white. "flash,"Havers yelled. Two marines,one on each side of the door,tossed flashbags through the opening and shielded thier eyes. "Move in!" Havers yelled after the blast rang out. The thirty marines swarmed through the hole,guns throwing ot all they had. As Joe cleared the wall and made his way through he surveyed the inside of the encampment,the wall surrounded the entire base,he could make out two machine gunners on the far end,a modified civilian warthog was lumbering toward them,and,oh god,a scorpion tank was idling near the left wall. "Tank!" he yelled out just as the first blast took out five marines. Joe sprinted to the cover of a nearby building that he quessed was a barracks,he kicked open the door and was greeted by three unhappy guards. He dived behind the nearest table and watched in amazemant as about thirty bullets tore through the back wall. Priming a frag grenade,he got ready for the throw,it would have to be quick or he would lose his life in the process. He yanked out the pin,waited a few seconds,and tossed it over. "Look out!" a stunned guard yelled. The grenade blast was deafening in the confined room. Wood splintered in every direction and Joe cried out in relief. Making his way outside again,he saw hat the marines were having a hard time shaking the scorpian off,many were crouched behind buildings,others were hiding behind the civilian warthog,which was now smoldering and pocked with bullet holes. "Joe, tank out that tank,we can't get a clear shot!" a marine yelled as he slid a rocket launcher across the dirt. Joe reluctantly picked it up and holstered it behind his back. He grunted under the weight and slowly made his way around the back of the building. The ground rumbled as he neared the mechanical beast. As he rounded the building and slid the launcher up into firing position he felt a ping of fear. He was a marine,no time for fear. The feeling couldn't be shaken off as he closed the sights on the back of the tank,at least it was turned the other way,that was one good thing. The scorpion slowly started to turn in his direction. In pure fear his finger jerked the trigger and the rocket flew wild. He pulled the trigger a second time,CLICK,the rocket launcher was empty,the other one must have been used on the hog. As the tank's barrel swung wildly toward him. He pulled out another grenade,dropped the launcher,and started sprinting toward the tank. His other hand methodically unholstered the MA5B as he climbed onto the scorpion's side. The tank's barrel pivoted around looking for him, unaware that he had boarded. He pulled the pin on the frag,yanked open the driver hatch,and dropped it in. As he jumped off the machine from hell he could almost hear the men screaming inside it. KABOOM! he was pulled into the air and landed hard onto the packed dirt. His ears ringing,he slowly looked up. Haver's stern face looked into his,smiling. He stuck out his hand,"Get up kid"
Joe was pulled to his feet and the Colonel slapped him on the back,"good job"
Joe stared in bewilderment as the tank,which had been an impossible obstacle,lay dead,the barrel in the dirt.





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