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 Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 8:56 pm
Sergeant Kio Liengod
ODST Medic
UNSC ARMORED PRAYER
Prepping for launch
Kio Liengod had just begun lifting a weight when the alarm to prep for launch went off. He looked around in surprise, "The hell?" He asked, then began running towards to tubes. His equipment would be next to one. As he arrived in the launch area, he pulled off his sweaty clothing and placed his armor on. He then grabbed his Sniper Rifle, SMG, and frags. Lastly, he placed the helmet on his head. He looked towards the other soldiers answering the call, then stepped into the small pod and closed the top. He hated this part. They could be in there for a long time all for nothing. Actually, that tended to happen a lot. He settled into the seat and waited.
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Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 4:22 am
1st Lieutenant Mika Jokinen
UNSC Armored Prayer
Uh oh...
Mika panted and stretched his muscles. Beating the record had been a tough job, but now he felt victorious, and a step closer of getting the acceptance of veteran members of his unit. Then the alarm went off.
"Helvetin perkeleen vittu!" Mika yelled in Finnish, slammed his towel against the closest gym-machine and leaned against his hands for a few seconds. If the alarm had went off just two hours later he wouldn't have an issue, but now it meant that he'd have to limp to the pod and hope his stamina would last. The pressing forward had been a stupid idea.
"Allright guys, move your asses!" he yelled after regaining his temper. He ran to the armoury, took out his combat suit, put it on, all sweaty and armed himself with a sniper's loadout. The rifle weighed more heavily than usual, but Mika could only blame himself for that. He practically dragged himself to a pod and thought about it being his grave. It was the risk of being an ODST, burning in atmosphere, crashing against a hard rock or something else.
After setting himself in the uncomfortability that was SOEIV, Mika asked every ODST to report to him.
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Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 3:39 pm
Sergeant Major Scott Mitchell
> UNSC ARMORED PRAYER [AP.ACTUAL]
>> Launch Bay 1
All Hands Report to Action Stations. Repeat, all hands to Action Stations!
The report, coupled with the klaxons and the flashing strobes drove home the point. Something had gone horribly, horribly wrong on the surface, and so they were sending in the remaining Marines and the ODSTs. Normally this sort of drop would have a prearranged plan with designated points of egress, extraction details, recommended kit load outs, and contingency plans. But this was an emergency, and those things would have to take shape on the fly. Mitchell was already in full combat gear by the time he reached the drop pods. The ODST launch bay doubled as a personal armory complete with holographic situation tables. The LT was already present, as were the rest of the squad. Mitchell's visor wasn't polarized at the moment, he would handle that later. All he knew was that Baldur would handle the firing vectors for every pod. Once free of the ship, they could alter the trajectory manually if they needed to with an emergency burn. This wasn't often done, as the precision of ODST drops relied on computers and AI support. Without those elements, it was like guiding a rocket at supersonic speeds to a target the size of a pinhead. Not exactly something Marines were trained for.
Mitchell made a point of ensuring that the replacements were locked in nice and tight. For some of them, their only experience with hot drops had been in ODST training. They were all talented veteran Marines, but combat drops were something new entirely. Once the rest of the squad checked out, he strapped in to his own pod. The Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle, or SOEIV was perhaps the most comfortable piece of equipment that the UNSC had designed. This was before the pod was fired of course. Once it left the tube, the SOEIV became a bucking coffin that was claustrophobic and hot. The windows on the hatch didn't help much if you were afraid of heights, but then ODSTs weren't afraid of heights. The pods had storage for all standard UNSC infantry weapons and several empty pods could be launched with specialized gear if needed. As soon as Mitchell was strapped in safe and sound, and Baldur registered that the ODSTs were ready for drop, the hatches swung close on every pod. The latches holding the drop pods in place slowly rotated 180 degrees as the blast shielding and airlock doors closed shut behind them. The launch tube doors cycled open as the compartment vented atmosphere. The red waiting light on the upper right hand of the SOEIV's hatch turned on, and the pods were lowered to firing position. There was a three second count-down and the light turned green with a chime and he felt his stomach fall out the top of his head. The Pods launched along the line sending the Armored Prayer's two full teams of ODSTs into combat.
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Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 9:31 pm
Sergeant Kio Liengod
ODST Medic
Launching
Kio's stomach lurched into his mouth as he was cut from the artificial gravity of the Armored Prayer. He was off. He began counting, allowing his mind to concentrate on something other than the fact that he might be dead in a few seconds. He felt himself beginning to be pulled by the gravity of the planet, a normal occurrence when the out layers of the atmosphere begin to brush against the hull of the small landing craft. Suddenly, he hit a wall of gas surrounding the planet, encasing the black pod in fire. The SOEIV began to shake violently as the planet tried to protect itself from the foreign objects. After only a few minutes, the shaking loosened, but was replaced by the sound of wind passing by the craft. Just like that, he was jerked forward as the small parachute launched from the back of the pod, slowing his decent. Only a few more seconds.. He lost all sense of time as his pod smashed into the ground, creating a small impact crater. He was fine, and he breathed a sigh of relief as the small explosives launched his door away and he jumped out, SMG in the ready position. He looked up and saw more Hell Jumpers. 'Twas a good day to die.
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Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 11:13 pm
1st Lieutenant Mika Jokinen
ODST CO
"Shot down"
From experience, Mika cut the microphones shut before launch. He'd still hear them, but they couldn't hear him. He started to slowly curse, as he realised that the pod had stopped for three seconds, the moment before weaker men crapped their pants or fainted. Light changed, and for a second Mika hoped the pod would jam in the launch-bay. No such thing, and Mika quickly inhaled some air before he felt being torn from the safety of Armored Prayer.
"Viii*****uuuu!!!" Mika yelled as the pod rammed itself against the atmosphere that wasn't exactly the most welcoming one. He actually felt the rush through his legs and arms, a chilling sensation that was the main reason he had stayed with ODSTs. There had been several offers of well-paid, more safe jobs to do, but they didn't offer a SOEIV insertion.
After a few quick moments Mika landed. For a moment he panted inside the wrecked piece of equipment and remembered his SOEIV instructor back at Earth:
"Okay, skidmarks, listen up! What ever you do while inserting, do not do three things. One, don't crap your pants. Two, don't cry. Three, don't faint. If you manage these three you'll be just fine."
Mika laughed and thought about the pride his instructor would bear if he saw Mika now. He had managed.
After a few quick checks he took his equipment and started to inspect the surroundings. Other Helljumpers were emerging from the ground and visible pods, like undead in an old movie the Lieutenant had seen.
He saw Liengod, one of the new replacements and opened the radio again. "Allright, Liengod, start checking people for insertion traumas. Be merciless, I don't want limp people slowing us down when we move, understood?"
He felt his muscles easen up after the adrenaline-rush, and for his delightment he noticed they didn't ache from the running. Perhaps, just perhaps, he'd be able to pull this through without noticeable limping. "And give me a headcount!"
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Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 11:27 pm
Sergeant Kio Liengod
ODST Medic
Harvest Surface
Checking ODST's
Kio jumped slightly as his radio crackled to life. "Yes, sir!" He shouted back, immediately checking a soldier close to him. He seemed well enough, and Kio continued on. He repeated this for a few minutes, would occasionally have to slap a few people in the face, and finished the tally in his head. Everyone had made it down, which was good, and they'd had only one injury. Someone had broken their leg on the impact into the ground. They'd be fine, but they were already done here. He pressed his side of his helmet. "First Lieutenant Jokinen. This is Sergeant Kio Liengod, we sustained one casualty. Broken leg. I've taken the liberty of splinting it and calling a EVAC for the soldier. Ready for orders, sir."
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Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 1:17 am
Stone, Harold | UNSC Marine O-3
Harvest
Heading towards ODSTs
The driver was instructed to go towards the nearest ODST, it slowed down and marines surprised to of seen the pods fall into the snow covered rocky plain. The Warthog came to a halt nearby, and the ODST turned around in surprise it seems. Captain Stone hoped out while being handed a Battle Rifle and ran over to the ODST. While he got out, it was notable that Sentinels were flying up into the air, but they looked different, they were much larger. They were going towards the location of the ships above.
But the Captain was more concerned about the matter at had. Sentinels were coming towards Alpha Base, and they seemed to be pissed. He walked up the ODST.
"Where is your CO soldier? He probably needs to know what is going on." The soldier looked around, and then called it in.
"He should be on his way soon sir!"
"Good." He turned and gestured the marines in the warthog to carry on to Alpha and then looked back to the ODST.
"Round up all ODSTs around here, We really do need them."
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Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 1:56 am
1st Lieutenant Mika Jokinen
ODST CO
Getting briefed
Mika walked over to the Warthog, looked at the scene before them and then answered Liengod's call: "Fine, then. Make sure he is okay until Medevac arrives."
He saw captain's bars and saluted their bearer. "Sir, we have arrived", he said stating the obvious; craters here and there were a proof enough. "What is the situation like?"
He run some info through his HUD and waited for the Captain to answer. He wasn't overly impressed of the stature that the O-3 bestowed, but a superior is a superior, and by the looks of it they really did needs some extra punch ODSTs could provide. The helljumpers were slowly assembling behind Jokinen, but he didn't care to check their status. He trusted them to be well enough to fight with the skill required from ODST units.
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Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 2:46 am
Stone, Harold | UNSC Marine O-3
Harvest
Just north of Alpha. Briefing CO.
"Situation?" The Captain looked around the gathering ODSTs. "Well, you guys being here, we obviously in the crapper Lieutenant." He had already noticed the one silver bar, which looked like it was freshly put on. He took a awhile to think of what actually just happened.
"Well, lets just say, the guy standing in front of you, is the cause. But you guys, are the solution. Sentinels are coming towards Alpha Base, they were overwhelming us at the structure, so we retreated back. Commander Hammer should be on his way." Now he wished he had stayed on the Amnesty. But there was no time for wishful thinking, he was a Captain for a reason.
"Well, get your soldiers ready Lieutenant. We are getting every human being off this piece of rock and you are here to help." He actually looked different, he sounded different. He was Captain Stone, he was no longer slouching, but standing tall now over the soldiers in front of him. Warthogs drove pasted ever so often. The Sentinels were only a few miles away.
"Here they come."
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Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 12:22 pm
Corporal Oleksy Lebenov
Location: Alpha Base
Status: Assisting in setup of a machine gun nest
The corporal piled sandbags quickly around the are where the machine gun would be mounted, two privates next to him doing the same. Their captain having told them to set up machine guns around the perimeter of the LZ. Uniquely, an issue the had to account for was the machine gun's upward rotation, or lack there of, and having to set up the nest for them to be mounted at an angle.
As he and the privates finished their nest, one of three, another marine brought a mounted machine gun and began setting it up. Oleksy took the moment to lean back on the sandbag wall, and take some deep breaths. He was exhausted, he had been running all the way to the warthogs, and immediately after getting to alpha base been set to work on the nest.
The heavy gun was set in place and the corporal got behind the trigger, aiming at the mass of metallic bodies approaching the base. He hoped the sandbags would hold up to the beams of light that cut some of his comrades to pieces.
((hey guys you know that write a post and leave for 5 hours thing I do, I did it again))
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Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 11:07 pm
Sergeant Kio Liengod
ODST Medic
Harvest
Kio looked towards the arriving Marines. "Yes, sir." He responded to the ODST CO, then cut the line. He watched as the the soldiers who's leg was broken get pulled into one of said Marines Warthog. He signed, thinking of what that ODST must be feeling right now, then looked back towards his CO, who was being confronted by a Marine Captain. He stood behind Jokinen, then used his Visor to zoom onto the moving Sentinals. They were bigger than records from the Halo Battles would indicate. He checked his SMG, making sure it would be ready when he needed it.
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Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 10:40 am
1st Lieutenant Mika Jokinen
ODST CO
"Well, certainly. I was just wondering how deep in the crapper we are, sir", Mika said and scanned to the Sentinels. "Uh-oh..."
That moment was the moment when Mika decided to drop formalities after a quick salute and left Captain to his own devices. He had ODSTs to organise. "Allright, folks", he began and pointed towards the machinery. "Those things there needs to be taken care of. Quick bursts, ambushes, the normal. I want fast movement, rapid responses and small teams supporting each other. Sentinels look fierce enough to eat you for breakfast, so work for it!"
He grabbed his sniper rifle, turned to meet the enemy and then added a small afterword: "And remember, above all, that the Marines are watching!"
He ran to the left and took a spot that was nice enough for a sniper position. He knew that movement was the key, but if he got just one shot to draw attention...
"Captain, if you wish, we can try to pull them elsewhere so you'll have an opening."
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Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 5:10 pm
Stone, Harold | UNSC Marine O-3
Harvest
Just north of Alpha.
He just got his orders from Commander Hammer as he got beside the ODST Lt."Sounds good." He paused. "We'll need until sunset." He fired some rounds from the Battle Rifle at a random sentinel coming their way and then went under cover once more. "Think you can handle that?"
(I will probably edit it....
Also, it is around 1330-1430 hours, and 1530 is about sunset...)
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Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 7:30 pm
Rear Admiral Christopher E. Hoffman
> UNSC Amnesty of God
"Admiral, you need to see this."
The AI seemed to fidget slightly where she stood on the pedestal just a short ways away from where he was standing and looking over information from the ground. The marines and now ODSTs were in quite a tight spot, and he had begun making arrangements for when they would be evacuated. But Alia had broken his concentration, and forced him away from the task at hand.
"What is it, Alia?"
The display screen nearest to him lit up, showing the Armored Prayer. Alia zoomed in the image, and large almost sword shaped objects came into vew around it. Hoffman frowned as he examined them floating around the ship.
"Sentinels?"
"I believe so, sir, but there is no information on these that I can find."
The Sentinels floated around the ship for a few moments longer, and as if on que, the red 'eye' in the center of each Sentinel began to glow with a fierce light. Alia brought up three smaller images of different parts of the Frigate. Some of the 20 foot Sentinels were burning away at the hull, while others began shooting projectiles, and more merely began pulling the ship apart.There was nothing Hoffman could do, but watch.
"We're getting the hell out of here. Now." Hoffman barked, nearly startling a member of his bridge crew.
"Aye sir," The AI along with the navigations officer said softly.
He brought up a COM link with the Ardent Wind and Shades of Gray a moment later.
"Ardent Wind, Shades of Gray, this is Admiral Hoffman. If you both haven't noticed what's going on with the Armored Prayer yet, I suggest you take a look. We need to get out of here now."
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Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 1:48 am
1st Lieutenant Mika Jokinen
ODST CO
Dedicated
Mika looked at the Sentinels, thought about his ODSTs, his own condition and then the time needed until sunset. Mika nodded. "So be it."
He didn't agree that they could do it. It seemed pretty impossible, but then again, they were the elite, the last resort. "Just start an EVAC, and don't hang around like you Marines usually do", he added with a light-tone. He pressed the trigger, sending a Sabot round towards a Sentinel. He opened ODST channel: "Allright, let's begin our business! Fire at will, move, do anything you need to survive! We need to give time to the rest to evac."
They had to keep the Sentinels busy until sunset. Perhaps they'd manage that. Perhaps not.
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