The Spartan Effect

A Day in the Sun

Pelican drop ship Echo 287, 01:00, Installation 01

     The back of the pelican held two squads of ODSTS and a single spartan in green armor. The troopers talked between themselves, not having seen Captain Thomas' face before, and placing bets on his age. 

     "I don't know. Cryo has to have delayed it. What do you think, sarge?" One of the lieutenants asked his squad mates. 

     "I think you should be lucky the cap ain't tossed you out the back yet and made you swim. You know he can hear everything you've said, right?" The following silence was sobering for the troopers who had forgotten just how far the Spartans had been augmented. Thomas didn't often take his armor off for a multitude of reasons, but he did enjoy the feeling of wind and the smell of clean air. He turned and addressed the sergeant then.

     "Long as it's not taken too far, I could care less. You and the men ready?" The half dozen troopers rushed to put their helmets on, and the rest chuckled at the embarrassment of their fellow soldiers. Thom took a deep breath, lifted his helmet to his head, and sealed himself inside with a twist. When he turned to look back at the troopers, he felt the Pelican shudder from the impact of AA fire. The pilot spoke over the radio, letting them know they were in for a firefight.

      "Batarians got AA on Plateau's, can't get around them." Thomas moved to the cockpit, opening the doors and peaking out past the pilot at the multitude of flak rounds whizzing at them. Thomas pointed at the canyons running around and below them, then hatching an idea.

     "We'll go under them, dive into the canyons, then yank us up and over the edge. Once we're out, dive back under and well call out when the AA's been dealt with," The nod he got from the pilot told him they weren't happy with the plan but would follow it. Headed back to the hold, he quipped to the troopers, who all had heard the plan over the radio. 

     "Hope you all skipped breakfast." The comment was punctuated by everyone's stomach leaping into their throats as the nose of the pelican violently dove into a canyon to avoid the AA fire. The next minute was filled with hard turns and more than one loop as the pilot, nicknamed "Daredevil," proceeded to show he had a blatant disregard for everyone's breakfast. When their hearts dropped into their boots, they all got ready to move. The Rear of the Pelicans drop bay opened and showed the sheer vertical drop below them as the ODSTs held on for dear life. Once the Dropship leveled out, the sound of gunfire could be heard, and the red flashing light above the rear door turned green. An auto turret deployed from the ceiling, and the pilot swerved around the bird. The second the ship began turning, all of those in the bay had stood up and began moving for the exit. In a move that had been practiced over a thousand times, and before the turret even got a lock on, the troopers had booked it out the door and engaged the enemy. The auto turret only opened up once everyone had cleared its line of fire, and even then, it only got a short burst off before the pilot closed the door and deactivated it. 

     "Echo 287, dive back down. We'll take care of the guns." The pilot gave a short affirmative and took off back into the canyon after the spartan gave the order. The team pushed to the meager cover afforded to them, scattered crates and makeshift camp walls. Clearly, the batarians thought they would be here for the long term. The ODSTS were poking out from the cover every few seconds and took down several of the hostile contacts when one of the officers began shouting orders out. 

     "Release the varen. We aren't going to let the mutts sit on their asses while we get shot," the order was quickly followed by the sound of howling and shouts as the alien dogs began bearing down on the troopers. The ODSTs had not been prepared for a pack of vicious creatures to charge them, and it became difficult to target and take down the numerous wild animals.