Sharp Shooter

Operation: JackRabbit

Four days past before the KA fleet came up on us. That morning Sorra and I had barely made it out of bed when the Master Chief met us. He had exchanged his blue fatigues for desert based digital and was wearing a black combat vest, carrying a Superior Combat Assault File with a scope and a suppressor.

"Specialist Raziel", he said, "report to your commanding officer, Operation Jackrabbit is commencing."

I nodded and then Sorra and I took off down the hall. I entered my room and pulled my uniform and equipment on as quickly as I could. I grabbed my helmet and my Rifle and then met Sorra in the hallway.

"Where's Vortex at?", she asked.

"Cargo hold", I said, "don't worry about her though, until I comeback Task Force Stalker takes orders from you, I want you guys on this carrier in case the KA tries to board us."

She nodded and pulled me into a kiss.

"Just promise me you'll come back?", she asked.

I nodded, "I will, stay safe sweetheart."

"You too", Sorra replied before taking off down the hallway.

I turned in the opposite direction and ran for the hangar, When I got there, everyone was running last minute checks on their equipment, so I used the time to run through the action on my weapons, I was just getting the Dragonov back together when Vortex nudged me with her tail.

"Ready to gun down some insurgents?", she asked.

"I darn well better be", I said clicking the receiver closed and working the action, "we need to protect this fleet...and Vortex?"

She turned and looked at me.

"I get you wanted to take the job, and the only reason I kept it from you was because I was under orders", I said, my voice beginning to return to normal, "I'm sorry."

"And I'm sorry for trying to drown you", she answered, "granted I wasn't going to kill you, but still."

I could see that her Ego was getting in the way of her apology, just from the way her voice sounded, but it was good enough for me. I finished getting my firearm together and then Vortex turned to the others.

"Listen up team!", she barked, "as soon as we get the okay from the Captain, we fly to the clouds, follow our HUD's and drop the bombs on the ships. We'll keep at it until the USS Texas arrives and when she gets here we guard underneath from subs and keep at it until we beat those bastards back!"

"FAIR GAME!". It was our own version of the Marine's Oo-rah, adopted from the Hellhounds, personally, I loved it.

We walked out of the hangar to the deck of the boat. There were several humans on the deck of the carrier reading large, Fuel-Air bombs that the Master Chief had told me could burn through several feet of solid titanium. The EOD Specialist explained how to arm them and then the Ferals and the bigger Anthro's started picking them up quite easily, but I didn't fare so well. The things were easily as long as I was tall and I figured that had at least 50 pounds over me, after I put my equipment on. It would be an achievement if I could pick it up, to say nothing of being able to get off the deck with it.

"Ren", Vortex said taking it from me as if it were a stick, "your too small for that."

"Then what am I supposed to do?", I asked.

"Get on my back", Vortex said, "you can take down anyone you see."

"Your certainly not a conventional CO", I said using my wings to boost my jump, "but your certainly a good one."