Reporting for Duty
0115 Hours (Ship's time), September 19, 2552 (Military Calendar)/UNSC Cruiser Pillar of Autumn, location unknown.
A white haze filled Kevin's vision, like a fog. He blinked a few times, and the haze vanished to be replaced by three yellow-suited Cryo technicians around him. He saw the name KOHLBECK printed on the tag of one officer, followed by PETTY OFFICER 2ND CLASS. He blinked again, and struggled to remember.
He remembered the battle for Reach. The Autumn's escape to slipspace. He remembered being ushered into cryo sleep.
He peered through the chamber's plexiglass window and saw dozens of other Naval and Corps personnel in cryo chambers.
The chamber opened, and a Naval rating handed him his uniform.
Kevin tried to breathe, but instead coughed violently, and a thin transparent fluid drained out of his mouth. He coughed a couple more times, then stood and donned the uniform. The technicians strapped every manner of wire and sensor to him and ran their post-cryo tests, then told him to gear up for combat.
0145 hours
As Staff Sergeant Geibe walked into the #7 launch bay, he was overcome with noise and activity. Armored Marines ran this way and that, gathering weapons and medkits. Warthogs and Scorpions were loaded aboard the Autumn's fleet of Pelicans.
He strode over to the nearest weapons locker and picked out a brand-new MA5B assault rifle. He slammed a fesh clip home and snatched up five more. He next opened up red-striped locker and grabbed out an M90 Shotgun and 60 magnum 8-gauge rounds, plus three M9 HE-DP fragmentation grenades. He clipped the grenades to his belt and dumped the ammunition into separate pockets.
He set his weapons down and pulled out two fiberglass boxes, each large enough to contain a person, and dumped weapons, ammo, food and medkits into both. He then labeled them Delta 729 and the other Gulf 473. He loaded them onto a nearby robotic dolly. The robot beeped and he ordered the dolly to Pelican dock 24, and then to 34. The dolly rolled away, toting the boxes.
He gathered up his weapons, slung the rifle over his shoulder, and armed the Shotgun, then entered lift c8 and went down to the main floor of the bay.
Corporal Clay Johnson entered Bay 7 and immediately spotted his platoon. The other men of squad 4 were busy checking their armor and weapons, when Staff Sergeant Geibe and 2nd Lieutenant Benjamin stepped in. The Squad saluted and lined up into two columns.
Lieutenant Benjamin casually walked down the middle of the two rows, looking the squad over, and then proceeded to brief them.
0200 hours
Staff Sergeant Manthey had almost reached the HEV deployment room when a plasma blast incinerated the area beyond the bulkhead. He backed away as the emergency blast doors slammed shut and locked.
"Guess we're not going in the heroic way." He said.
Sergeant A. C. Lettow was only halfway to bay 7 when the Autumn shook beneath his feet. The ship rattled and crewmen shouted at eachother. Adam bolted down the corridor and ran into a trio of Grunts. He grabbed his pistol and fired at them. The first slug caught the lead Grunt in the head and shattered his breathing mask. The other two took hits in the torso, and went down under another volley.
He continued to the bay, much faster than he was previously going.
When he arrived, his platoon was already leaving, so he had missed the briefing.
"Nice of you to show, Adam" Geibe said.
"Ran into some Grunts. Sorry sir." Adam said, "So whats the 411?"
"Pelican ride, that last hit took out or HEV's. Too bad, I was looking forward to dropping in."
After about fifteen minutes of uninterrupted travel, the stranded ODST's met up with the Covenant boarding parties.
There were atleast five Elites crammed into the corner junction, with Grunts and a pack of Jackals to support them. The Marines opened fire with full auto and grenades, killing the Elites and half the Grunts. The remaning Grunts and Jackals returned fire, and were put down by 7.62 mm rounds.
Lieutenant Hansen had just cleared bay seven when the Pillar of Autumn began its reentry burn. To his starboard side was Delta 729, with Lieutenant Berge at the helm. His Pelican veered left and vectorwed toward a desolate mountain range. Sam followed, but lost time when he had to dodge escaping Covenant boarding craft. He punched the throttle and the Pelican accelerated toward a vast ocean, half a kilometer upspin of the mountains.
"Change of plans, you guys are headed for the beach." Sam shouted over the COM.