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Close Combat by Drew Pazz (Anrkey)
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Close Combat: Infiltration
Date: 24 May 2001, 7:39 pm
Pvt.Ryles never minded field assaults, cause usually the marines would be dominant in numbers and able to corral the covenant up and take them out all at once, but within this alien structure fighting the Covenant in close corridors, never knowing when he'll be forced into a firefight or a trap, Pvt.Ryles would have preferred attacking 50 Covenant on his own outside any day.
Pvt.Ryles
Out on the Beach we surrounded the Covenant and killed the majority of em. We even were able to run a few down with our jeep, but some escaped into the structure we were sent here to investigate. Inside we had to brake off into groups of four as we all headed in multiple directions of the maze like insides of this alien structure.
Going down the first couple of passages was easy enough, we only had to engage two Covenant warriors who were already wounded from the battle outside and tried to run instead of fight, but were quickly cut down in a rain of bullets from our pulse rifles.Now we stood in a dark enclosed corridor leading to a large room of some sort.
Plasma fire erupted from within the room ahead as I watched it slam into the girl to the left of me. She instantly screamed as it created a hole the size of a fist in her right side. I pushed her around a corner quickly firing off a few bursts from my rifle at the incoming hostiles. Covering her while she removed her shattered chest plate, she moaned in agony. One Covenant was brave or shall I say, foolish enough to try entering the corridor where we were entrapped. I responded to this by tossing a frag grenade under his feet, eventually exploding behind him. The explosion threw him headfirst passed me slamming onto the metallic ground clearly dead. The girl was examining her wounds as I was looking for someone to flash me a smile at my recent victory. All I got was a face full of distress as it looked like we'd only get her out if two of us were able to carry her out by her hands and feet. That would only happen if we could kill every last one of these Covenant bastards.
The incessant streams of plasma that poured from the doorway of the room ahead was only responded with a few bursts from our rifles showing that we were still alive in here. Constantly glancing at the ammo gauge on my rifle I fired in quick bursts barely aiming to hit anything. Remembering my two other squad mates I looked across the corridor just in time to see the one closest to me take a plasma shot to the face, replacing it with a charred hole all the way through his head. Obviously he won't be helping me drag the girl out of here. Noticing his dead comrade next to him, the only living guy on the other side of the corridor tossed a grenade directly in the room stopping the plasma fire momentarily as I pictured the covenant ducking for cover. He then turned to me, "Quickly get her the hell out of here, I'll hold em off as long as possible. Hell, I might even see you guys again*" The smirk of a hero lit up on his face for only an instant as he fired off another round in the Covenant's direction.
I helped the girl off the ground as she leaned her weight onto my shoulder and her ankles dragged along the ground for she was on the verge of going unconscious on me. Hearing another grenade explode as the heroic guy across the corridor tossed one to stop the enemy fire so we could escape, I started out from my cover heading back up the corridor to safety with my wounded comrade. The sound of the battle going on behind me had barely faded at all before I heard the screams of my second dead squad mate echo down the corridor to where I was helping the girl up a ramp. She motioned for me to set her down in a relatively safe place just beyond the doorway to the ramp. She regrettably said, "I can't go on any further, leave me here. If one of us doesn't stop those bastards from following us we're both dead." I saw that she was trying to be a hero so I could escape. I replied with, "Yes one of us must*and I'm not gonna let you die down here." I left her there as I proceeded back down the corridor to kill every last one of those god damn sons of bitches.
I ducked around a corner when I heard the weird vocals of a covenant at work, talking to the rest of his kind. Probably telling his men to head in different directions to find me and the girl cause we had passed multiple conjunctions to other passageways on the way back up. I heard one of the covenant's footsteps getting closer and closer. I drew back into a very dark corner, drawing the pistol from my belt aiming for where the covenant's head was soon to be.
Of course I saw the tip of his plasma rifle first, then a foot and finally*his head. We a loud thump the Covenant's body dropped to the floor motionless as my pistol had quickly blew a hole through the side of his head. Almost as quickly as I dropped the warrior, I heard another one shout out and open fire trying to scare me away while he looked for cover. I turned the corner with my rifle on my shoulder, unleashing an entire clip onto the remaining Covenant. I watched in enjoyment as a few of my bullets pierced his skin spouting out his neon blue blood onto the floor. He was well wounded by my fire before he was able to dodge behind a corner. I turned back around my corner searching for another clip to my rifle, "God damnit!" I muttered as I realized I had just fired off my very last clip at him and didn't even kill him. I lifted the shoulder harness off and dropped the pulse rifle onto the floor. I brought my pistol out from being holstered and was about to turn the corner to fire upon the Covenant again when my attention turned to the other Covenant's corpse. Lying beside it was the plasma rifle he had been holding. I grinned and dodged across to the other side of the corridor firing off three rounds from my pistol in order to force the wounded Covenant to hide just a little longer. I switched my pistol to my right hand and I grabbed the plasma rifle out from under the dead covenant with my left hand, then raised it to my side as a volley of plasma started towards me from the wounded Covenant. I hid behind the opposite corner from where I started and holstered my pistol once again to grip my new toy with both hands.
I reached out from cover and pulled the covenant corpse closer to me to provide me with some cover. I crouched behind it and started to open fire on the wounded Covenant. I saw his head quickly dodge back around the corner because my aim was quite good with the plasma rifle. It left the metallic surface of the wall charred black from the plasma. I couldn't help but smile. I could hear the wounded covenant mutter something, probably complaining about how I stole his friend's weapon. Which only gave me even more confidence as I lifted myself out from cover and ran towards his position firing burst after burst from my plasma rifle at him. He finally turned the corner to return fire when I caught him with a burst of plasma to his chest, killing him. I leaned over the corpse surveying my kill. I then started to look how much ammo was left in my weapon just like I would've done if I were still carrying my pulse rifle. "What the hell, Where is it?" I whispered out loud as I scanned the plasma rifle for the location of the ammo gauge. I couldn't find it all*wait a sec*the gun has unlimited ammo. Holy shit, I just hit the god damn jackpot. I glanced around for any signs of nearby enemies as I continued to examine the features of my new weapon. I noticed there was a second trigger on it which I was itching to use. I stealthily headed back down the corridor to where my former two squad mates had given their lives in this god forsaken war.
I saw a Covenant warrior standing over the bodies of the two fallen soldiers probably holding the position till the rest get back from finding the girl and me. I slowly crept up to him trying to catch him by surprise. I was close enough to open fire now and so I felt like trying out the second trigger on this baby. Pressing it I heard the rifle start to churn, the Covenant heard it to and looked in my direction. In that moment a huge blast of plasma erupted from my rifle slamming into the Covenant knocking him backwards onto the wall. He was covered in plasma, charred from head to foot. His smoking remains slid from off the wall onto the floor. I think I just realized why the Covenant may have been winning this war.
Looking what the fate of the hero was I saw, judging from the direction of the blasts, he had been first hit on the shoulder then as he leaned against the wall they stood over top of him and fired down into his chest. "Poor guy." I thought. I just then was reminded that now that most of the Covenant on the chase for us were dead, I should head back to check on the girl. Maybe I can even brag about my new plasma rifle too*
Perhaps Pvt.Ryles won't be so happy when he sees what fate has beheld his last remaining squad mate*tune in next time for part two of Close Combat*
"Close Combat: Survival"
Close Combat: Survival
Date: 25 May 2001, 4:41 am
Note: Be sure to first read Part 1 of Close Combat, "Close Combat: Infiltration" before beginning this one.
With most of his squad dead Pvt.Ryles returns to his last, wounded squad mate to show off his new gun and escort her to safety-
Pvt.Ryles
As I headed up the ramp to see how the girl was doing, I noticed a faint green light illuminating from within the doorway. It was a Covenant, but this one was different from the rest, he carried some kind of energy-based sword in one hand and held a plasma shield in the other. He was standing over the girl getting ready to strike when I opened fire with my plasma rifle. His attention immediately turned to me as he directed his shield to protect himself from my fire. He began to run down the ramp towards me with the shield between the two of us. I noticed the primary fire wasn't doing much to the shield at all so I pulled the second trigger on the rifle to try and destroy it. The rifle churned once again and shot the large blast of plasma towards the Covenant. He braced for the impact as it slammed into his shield. The shield withstood the attack but started to flicker, finally fading away. Raising it's head, the Covenant let out a large growl and started towards me faster than ever. I began holding down the primary trigger but, "What the hell?" The rifle felt like it was on fire, it had overheated. As the Covenant neared closer and closer I was filled with fear and quickly tossed the rifle to the side and tried going for my pistol. My hands were trembling so much I couldn't seem to find the pistol at my side and I grabbed the first weapon I could reach, the Machete. I raised it up in a defensive position as the Covenant lifted his sword up for the attack. I tried backing up and found myself backed up against a wall. In that moment I could see the anger in his eyes and no doubt he saw the fear in mine. His sword struck down onto my machete as I closed my eyes in a reaction to try shielding myself from death.
I stood completely still for a moment and I felt nothing. Nothing-I was still alive! The machete blocked the sword from reaching my head and probably searing it clean off. The covenant let out another growl and lifted it's sword for a second attack. I took this time to prepare a counter-attack and struck out towards his chest. He was caught by surprise as he was barely able to block it. Exchanging blows for what seemed like an eternity, finally I was able to knock the blade from his hands. Noticing he was unarmed the covenant tried lunging at me with nothing but his fists. I leaned back and held the machete below my waist preparing to deal the final blow. His hands were nearly at my throat as he jumped towards me. I quickly pushed the blade upwards jamming it straight into the Covenant's ribcage, that is if they have ribcages. I could see the look in his eyes as he realized he was dying, he lost all hope. Blood trickled down from his mouth, he tried pulling the machete out from his chest. I pushed it in harder, it's body stiffened and drew in tighter. He was fatally wounded. I drew the machete out from it's chest and watched in delight as he fell to his knees grasping at his wound. I watched the life fade from his eyes. His hands fell limp and his body fell forward onto the cold, metallic ground.
Standing their stunned at my surprising victory, I was only awakened by the sound of the girl's voice. She was murmuring something about, "Oh please, God save me." I walked up the stairs trying to comfort her. The sight of me filled her eyes with happiness thinking it was I, who died. She stretched her arms outward to grab a hold of me. I helped her to her feet as she stood there grasping to me. "Let's get the hell out of here." I whispered to her. Her eyes were watering and she lifted her hand up to wipe away the tears that followed. She replied with, "Yes, let's." I slowly helped her through the corridors and out into the welcoming light of the sun. A soldier guarding the Warthog greeted us as I ordered him to get a first aid kit. I helped her into the Warthog and took the first aid from the soldier. She smiled as I started to bandage her wounds.
"You've saved my life more than once now, Pvt._?"
"Jake."
"Pvt.Jake?"
"No, Private Jake Ryles-and you?"
"Kali"
"Nice meeting you Kali."
"You too, Jake."
We talked for a while as I finished tending to her wounds. We had to wait for any other soldiers who might've survived inside. Eventually a squad of three came out the structure saying that it was secure. We called in a dropship to come pick us all up. The Pelican arrived with a couple technicians and a large squad of soldiers to investigate the secured structure for whatever the hell Cortana was looking for. The survivors of the assault, including me and Kali, boarded the Pelican. During the flight I never left Kali's side as we exchanged stories of our origins and battles we'd taken part in. After we had landed Kali was taken to the med-lab to further heal her wounds. That was the last I saw of her. I was issued to another attack platoon and during our attack the Covenant had counter-attacked our camp and killed everyone, including Kali. I remind myself that your not supposed to form relationships with anyone during war, but isn't love the only thing that keeps us going. Without our emotions I'm not so sure I could tell the difference between us and the Covenant.
Well a sad and miserable ending to a great story-I just hope you liked it-
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