Kinnix

O-MEMORIES-O

"Captain Kinnix! Fifth Platoon is down, fucking spikes wiped the entire forward bunker with an orbital strike!"

The young infantry officer merely nodded, keeping his focus on the evolving firefight in front of him. As he hustled along the shallow plastcrete wall buttressed by sandbags, he tapped the comm pendant linked to his cellphone. "Kinnix to GroundTac, any ETA on GTS fire? Those fucking cruisers are about to paste us down here!"

All he got in reply was static, even as bright streaks of light lanced down again from the vault of heaven, slamming into the ridge-line behind them. Fountains of earth, stone, and black smoke towered into the air in almost delicate geysers, marked here and there with burning debris.

The second lieutenant next to him paled, his hands shaking as he gripped his Lancer rifle. "S-sir...that was headquarters..."

Kinnix nodded. "I know, son. Move Third and Fourth platoons back towards Rally Point Alpha...and have the Master Chief come up here."

The lieutenant scuttled away, and Kinnix lifted his binoculars, sighting and ranging the heavy spike infantry slowly making their way forward. He was working the range in his head when he heard the exotic, sonorous voice of Master Chief Ava Pérez behind him.

"You called, Cap?" Ava stood almost as tall as Kinnix, her frame still very feminine despite having the muscles and build of a Terra Novan native born in 1.5 G's. Dark hair had slipped free of its bun, and her helmet was missing, a splash of cobalt blood and dark discoloration proof she'd already been in a fight with the enemy. Her dark skin was smudged here and there with more blood, and her Arclight machine gun was still trailing smoke from overheating.

Kinnix pointed behind him. "HQ just got pasted and I think the ground to space guns are probably not getting commands through. The spikes are slowly driving us into this box canyon with orbital bombardment while their infantry line is too thick to drive through."

He pulled out a map, the paper covered in waterproofing, and pointed. "We need a squad to bypass the flanking turian forces here, rappel up the fucking mountain and get to the GTS guns, and then to target the cruisers. If we can drive them off, we can slip east past Collins Mountain and get to the secondary fallback area with the 442 still has armor assets, and then the spikes have to march into our line of fire."

She rubbed her chin, the scar occluding half her face crinkling as she smiled. "One problem with your plan, boss. No one in the 939 knows shit about GTS guns. I'm sure I can figure it out, but it is going to take a lot of time."

Kinnix exhaled. "I know. You'll take Sixth and Seventh Platoon – Yrans and Ciersbowski were rated naval guys and Lavosier and Smith were artillerymen. Best I can do."

Ava looked him in the eyes, her features twisting. "...and what will you be doing, sir?"

Kinnix folded his map up almost reverently and handed it to her, along with his binoculars. "These binocs belonged to my dad. Make sure he gets 'em." He met her gaze, and after a long second she blew out a breath and put the items in her carrypak.

"...it has been an honor, Captain." She saluted, and he returned it. She pivoted on a heel, bellowing orders, and Kinnix tapped his comm bead again. "LT's form on me please."

He waited until his remaining lieutenants showed up, several wounded and muddy. "...boys, I'm going to tell it to you straight. If we don't punch out of here in the next hour we are all dead. I sent the Master Chief with two platoons to get to the GTS guns and knock those cruisers down. Once that's done, her platoons along with the bulk of the force will fallback to the 442's position."

He looked at each face in turn – young, frightened, tired. "I need fifty men to hold position here with me and keep the turians tied up."

Lieutenant Silva was the first to speak. "Sir...you aren't going to lead the men out?"

Kinnix shook his head. "I don't fucking run, son. Not from men, not from fucking tanks, and sure as fuck not from goddamned aliens. If they kill my men it will only be after they've gone through me." His voice lanced through the air, and the men tucked into cover and firing back at turians in the distance stiffened.

Lieutenant Kale spoke next, pushing his helmet back and blinking."...If you don't mind, sir, I think the Terra Nova boys would deserve the honor of fighting beside you." He squared his jaw, forcing down any panic or fear, and Kinnix placed his hand on his shoulder.

"...you sure about that, son?"

The lieutenant bowed his head. "Gotta wife and kid back in Novatown, sir. I don't want him to grow up without a father." He looked up, dark eyes blinking back tears. "But he won't have a chance to grow up at fucking all if we don't stop these bastards."

Kale shouted. "Terra Nova boys! The Cap needs an escort to dance with the spikes! Are you fucking hot!?"

The answer was thunder. "Hot locked and ready to rock!"

Kinnix smiled, even as a part of his soul died to see such sacrifice. "Silva, Jones, Sierra, Jax. Form up in long-range defensive at the cut near the mountain, in cover against those cruisers. Kale...get your men ready."

Kinnix turned away, and not ten seconds later a hard smile crossed his face as the soldiers began to sing the kamikaze.

O-MEMORIES-O

From the Esteemed Office

of the Secretary of Military Affairs and Correspondence

by the Grace of Victor and our Lord Jesus Christ

Let it be known that

In pursuance of the highest expectations and valor of the Systems Alliance Marine Corps, Captain Jason Thomas Kinnix was witnessed to have done the following:

Upon receiving command of 4th Infantry, Terra Novan Division, upon the death of Colonel Alexander Kampier, moved his command directly in the path of the oncoming turian heavy infantry group despite being outnumbered over three to one. He repelled no less than six attacks with heavy casualties, only falling back under extremely heavy orbital bombardment.

Captain Kinnix then did order the bulk of his force to fall back, with a smaller detachment to traverse the mountainside and manually operate Ground-To-Space defenses to allow the unit to escape piecemeal. To cover this action, Kinnix and less than fifty Marines engaged the main body of the turian heavy infantry at a charge and then in pitched melee.

The arrival of the 2nd Fleet with drop pods and the landing of the 3rd Solguard prevented his group from being completely annihilated, but Captain Kinnix and his brave men engaged upwards of four thousand turians and tied them up in combat for more than twenty five minutes before relief.

Upon the landing of the Solguard, the filthy alien scum utilized anti-armor weapons against Kinnix and his men in an attempt to murder them despite their bravery. Kinnix jumped in front of Lieutenant Jeremy Kale and was most grievously injured, saving the young lieutenant's life.

Captain Kinnix lost both legs, an arm, an eye, thirty percent of his skin, and suffered nearly life-ending damages to his body. His selfless sacrifice in the face of overwhelming danger, unflinching leadership in crisis and his defiance of the odds are nothing less than the highest example of what it means to be human. His men, enraged at his fall, gave themselves to the spirits of the divine wind and charged.

More than thirty of the marines that fought with Captain Kinnix died, but the Solguard estimates they took down nearly eight hundred turians and two turian war-truck vehicles. Kinnix's bold plan stopped the advance on Novatown long enough to allow evacuation of the population.

By unanimous decree of the High Lords of Sol, with affirmation from the President and the Systems Alliance Congress, Jason Kinnix is promoted immediately to Colonel, and will receive the Star of Terra and a knighthood in the United Knights of Earth. His bravery, dedication to service, and relentless determination should be an example and an inspiration to all of our Marines.

Let none be found wanting, and Repensum Est Canicula.