Chapter 6

Devil,Apache and Behemoth companies of the UEN Marines set up in several buildings near the huge AA gun that was blasting flak rockets up into the air. As long as that gun was active, armor and air support for the local ground campaign was impossible to get planetside.

Devil company was on the roof of what was during peacetime, a general market, with their sister companies set up in similar positions. Lance Corporal Jackson Allen was sitting with his back against the rail at the edge of the roof, waiting for his sergeant major to give the order to open fire on the ROM troopers surrounding the gun, roughly 45 or so meters away. He was still winded from the earlier engagement with the machine gun, but he was ready to keep trucking.

He looks to his right, seeing Dusty holding up five fingers. Once a second, he pulls one down. After five seconds pass, he thrusts his arm down, giving the order to open fire on the crew and guards of the gun. Jackson moves and turns around, propping his rifle on the railing as he uses the connection between his rifle's ACOG scope and HUD to zoom in on the enemy position below and opens fire in semi-auto, taking precision shots at the power armored ROM troopers, the tungsten core ammunition punching through their armor with little effort on a direct hit.

He shifts his aim from target to target, putting two or three rounds center mass on each hostile before moving on to the next, as he was taught in boot camp. "Every marine is a rifleman" they said, and this holds true. The ROM soldiers, too surprised to properly respond to the ambush, desperately try to run for cover or look for where the fire is coming from, but can't before they themselves are riddled with 6.8mm bullets.

His aim moves on to another ROM soldier, though this time, Jackson hesitates. This enemy trooper isn't wearing the helmet worn with typical power armor, likely not having had the chance to put it on before the ambush, allowing jackson to see his human features through his gun scope. He's young, maybe 20, likely new to the army, with short cut blonde hair moving with the desert wind of Trade 304. Even through his scope, jackson can see his eyes. Deep Blue, and full of fear. Clearly not a combat veteran either.

During the war against the Vaukrin , he never had this issue. He was fighting xenos. Alien Foxes from another planet that thought they could nuke a UEN city without retribution. He never had a problem with putting down those four legged freaks, even made a bit of a sport from it, carving his kills as tally marks on the stock of his weapon. Earlier against the ROM troopers manning the machine gun, they all had their full power armor on, their human features concealed under a layer of titanium and ceramic plating.

But now, jackson couldn't lie to himself. He wasn't fighting alien foxes or some otherworldly threat. He was fighting his fellow Humans. Misguided with a demented desire to bend to xeno whims, but Humans nonetheless. 'Breath and squeeze. Breath and squeeze.' he thought, slowly putting pressure on the trigger of his rifle. He's a marine. It was drilled into him that emotions have no place on the battlefield. When you go to war, you kill your enemy. No excuses, no remorse.

'Breath...and squeeze...'

The round leaves the barrel, flying through the air and hitting its target. Jackson forgot that to see the details of the man he was firing at, he was aiming right at his nose. The bullet tears through his face, going through his skull and flying out the back faster than the blink of an eye, blood and bone sprayed behind onto the sandstone of the road. The ROM trooper drops to the ground, lifeless. Not even a twitch.

The rest of the engagement goes by in a blur. The marines neutralize the remaining resistance, taking control of the AA gun with no casualties on their part. They've moved down to the gun itself, ensuring the area is secure.

Sergeant Major Dusty turns on the radio. "High Horse, this is Devil company. We've taken the gun. I say again, we've taken the gun. You're clear to drop armor and reinforcements, over."

A reply quickly comes through. "Good work devil. We're sending down some ships with armor and troops. Take a few to get re-upped. Nice work gentlemen."
Jackson looks from dusty to the trooper he killed. He can't get the fear from his eyes out of his mind, the event playing out in his mind again and again, without pause. Dusty looks to Jackson, seeing where his eyes are locked. He walks up to him and grabs his shoulder, taking his attention from the body.

"Listen son" he begins. "I know how it feels. I fought the rebels during the fable Sector Uprising. I know it isn't pretty and probably sucks to hear...but you will get used to it."

He gives a thump to jackson shoulder plate before walking off to debrief the CO's of behemoth and Apache. Jackson looks to the body one more time before going to rejoin the rest of the team, waiting for pick up.

'I picked a hell of a career.'