ODST SSgt Sara Larsen Wednesday August 18th 2551
The familiar beep of the cryo pod and decompression of fluid rushes into my ears as the door unlocks and opens. I gasp for breath tasting the empty air of the ship and crack my knuckles before grabbing the handle to pull my thawed body out. The ship's emergency lights are flashing, the rest of my squad have already been awaken. The AI must've delayed my pod due to a malfunction.
"Shit" is the first word I mutter after 6 months of cryo sleep. I jump up and get to my locker. My initials S.L. still look the same as when I deployed 7 months ago. I dress in my BDU and tactical gear and stuff my dog tags in my boot. My helmet is the only one left on the rack, the wings on the side of the helmet and Valkyrie scratched on the forehead remind me of basic training in Copenhagen back when I was a marine.
"This is the Captain speaking. A general evacuation has been ordered. If you can hear this the Covenant are on Cyclone 6. Get to an escape pod." The captain's voice echoes in the hall.
"Shit." Cyclone 6 was the proposed colony for the Anastasia, a phoenix-class colonial vessel. We were sent alongside as an escort. Sounds like it really didn't matter. I only saw the Covenant in simulations. The 8ft tall Elites and the smaller Grunts and Jackals were their main combat troops. Sometimes they had massive Hunters which were hulking living battle tanks. Hopefully there aren't any hunters around.
I make my way to the ODST SOEIV pods and most of the ship is still empty. I guess we just got out of slipspace the most of the crew hasn't been awaken. The ship suddenly rocks from an impact. I stagger but use the bulkhead for support. Great the Covenant are targeting us now, we won't last long against plasma torpedoes. I pass the armory, marines and crew are busy loading as much as they can and are heading off for the hangar. I left my M7/S in my SOEIV pod but I grab a BR55 and ammo just in case.
"Hey ODST!" one of the marines shouts "throw me those M6 mags were gonna need everything down there!"
I look down and a box of two dozen pistol mags lies on the floor below the wall of battle rifles. I pick it up and dump it on the gun carriage the marines are loading for deployment.
"See ya on the ground Sergeant!" he salutes and his buddies pull the three carriages out and rush for the closest hangar.
I make my way out towards the ODST deployment bay. A few crew are in the halls heading for level D or C escape pods. I brush past them heading in the other direction.
"This is the Captain the Covenant have destroyed the Anastasia. I repeat the Anastasia and all the colonists have been destroyed."
I pause for a moment, over a hundred thousand sleeping people were on the Anastasia. Our mission was to protect them. Fuck the UNSC and its covert ops, we shouldn't have been out here on a colonization mission when a war is going on. I pass an observation window overlooking the forward hangar. A pelican with the name Conviction is one of the first to take off. I see a brief glimpse of Cyclone 6 through the hangar doors. It looks like a giant pile of ice, or it could be ocean. I'd really prefer it be an ocean planet. I always felt at home near the ocean. A deck officer and some ensigns pass me carrying a crate of biofoam canisters and other medical supplies. I grab a packet of bandages and stuff it in my breast pocket under my armor.
Finally I reach to SOEIV deployment bay. The rest of the battalion is either groundside or loading their gear into their pods now. The Lt calls me over with a few other NCOs.
"Larsen glad you could join us."
"Sorry sir AI malfunctioned did I miss anything?"
"Yeah we're getting our asses kicked. Captain sent Fox company on a boarding mission to the Anastasia. They all got killed when the Covenant showed up."
"How many ships?"
"One"
"Just one?"
"Looks like they were surveying the system. Weren't expecting a fight either. Regardless we're on our own and their guns are a lot bigger than ours. The captain ordered our battalion to deploy first and establish a FOB on the surface before the rest of the crew join us."
"Sir I saw pelicans already fueling up and leaving."
"Figures the navy wouldn't listen. Okay I already briefed the officers so just get to your pods and deploy. The grunts can learn the situation on the way down."
"Aye Lt." I head for my pod.
My gear is already inside. I got my climbing gear, cold weather gear and sleeping bag stuffed in my pack before we went into cryo. My dads old compass is tucked in the door compartment where I left it. I put my rifle in the side slot behind my right arm and climb in. My M6C/SOCOM and first aid pack make it a tight fit on my legs but I can handle the uncomfort for the next ten minutes. The rest of my squad are already in their pods also. Mcree is probably sleeping already the bastard. Pvt Lambert and Gomez in the pods beside me set up their helmet cams but the rest of the platoon hasn't yet. If I were in command I'd have their head cams on before we even woke up. The platoons alarm goes off. My door automatically closes and I finish strapping in. The floor below us opens but I can't quite get a good view of the planet. Please be ocean, no mountains this time! I check if the others head cams are on. Thankfully the rest of my squad is live and starting the countdown.
"7"
"6"
"5"
"4"
"3"
"2"
"1"
The light glows green and the platoon is ejected from the womb. The initial shock rocks my head back into the headrest. My heart rate flies up as my pod does a sudden backflip.
"Atmosphere scan complete; estimate 16% oxygen, 2% Argon and 80% nitrogen within parameters of breathable surface air." My pods computer assures me as I plummet at terminal velocity.
"We are way too close!" I nearly scream over the squad feed.
The UNSC destroyer Last Temptation is on fire flying in low orbit towards the surface. We planned for a HALO drop but the ship must've entered atmosphere as we got in the pods. The engines explode as Covenant Seraph fighters lead another bombing run on the ship. As my pod starts to straighten out I see the Covenant Corvette also in low orbit with no signs of engine thrust. We must've disabled their engines. Now they got ours. Great fucking day to be a helljumper. With both ships crippled they begin to burn up from reentry. The Lt is screaming on the feed to engage emergency protocols but the signal breaks up as my pod hits 12,000 feet. The descent flaps open but it still feels to fast. The Covenant ship crashes first. It lands hard and nosedives into a lake. The Last Temptation looks likes it gonna land flat on the far side of some mountains. Shit I'm heading for those mountains.
"Computer calculate trajectory. Where the fuck am I landing?"
"Calculations estimate platoon trajectory to land on cliffside in 120 seconds. Estimate 0% survival rate."
"Fuck! Are there any reroutes?"
"Estimating 19% change of reroute towards glacier 15 degrees south southwest of current trajectory."
"Reroute goddamit" 19% chance is better than 0.
"Confirmed." my pod shutters at the boost of thrust from the side.
"Chance of success changed to... 36... 47... 68%... reroute confirmed."
"Oh fuck yes!" I brace for impact.