After The Covenant AA had been eliminated the ODSTs held the line until the Armored Marine Battalion landed once they had landed the ODSTs were recalled to the UNSC Through the fire to regroup and refill the Squads with replacements as well as getting the elite shock unit a bit of rest before they were to drop in again

The few replacements they would get did not arrive yet so the Companies Alpha and Bravo who both suffered heavy casualties and reduced to about Platoon strength were merged into Alpha Company erasing Bravo Company from the books the total strength of Aloha company? 100 Men most slightly wounded but combat operable their next deployment wouldn't happen until at least a day or two so the Shock Troopers used the moment to relax

They mostly spent their time in the Drop Bay and the Mess Hall for every other place was full of wounded Marines, Civilian Refugees and Navy Engineers trying their best to keep her afloat 

One of the ODSTs in the Mess Hall was Lance Corporal Oskar Scheffler skipping a few ranks due to his heroics in the Stella and Sinus Towers his helmet now had 7 Energy Blades painted on its side for the Seven Elites he killed 

But he wasn't alone at the table the other members of Alpha 6 also sat there 

Alpha 6-1 Sarge McKinsley
Alpha 6-2 Ash
Alpha 6-3 Miller 
Alpha 6-5 Tapken
Alpha 6-6 Devil
Alpha 6-7 Luki 
And of course himself Alpha 6-4 Osi
His old nickname replaced with Osi 

Miller, Tapken, Devil and Luki were playing cards 
Sarge was busy staring into nothingness 
Ash was eating and I was staring at Ashs booty 

From Sinus Group no one besides Osi is still combat able they are all KIA, MIA or WIA

The other Groups fared a bit better since they didn't have 95% casualty rate now he survived his first drop he's a veteran now not just a Rookie but a Man who has been in the shit seen the shit and survived the shit and to be frank he couldn't wait for the next drop to kill Xenos again to hear them scream the last moments of their lives before they choke on their own blood or get the mercy knife cutting open their stomach while they're still breathing to make their last moments as miserable as possible to give them a bit of a feeling of what they did to us 
Yes he missed the Frontline the constant adrenaline the wins the losses 
And he'd get back to it sooner than he would have thought for they were to be deployed as soon as the replacements arrived which they intact did just this second 

It appeared our 3 replacements to bring the squad on full 10 men strength were just Army Rangers put into our Battle dress we'll see if they're capable enough to earn that right the three we got were fresh out of school boys barely 18 honestly I don't even waste my energy remembering their names I know they won't make it past this drop or I won't make it past this drop and If some of them make it and I make it I can still ask their names 

They seemed to be motivated but undertrained, inexperienced and they don't yet realize what we're fighting they think oh it's just the Midget things we'll shoot them no problem they haven seen ONE Elite kill their whole squad or a bunch of scavengers/skirmishers eating your battle buddy alive 

But they'll learn and they're better than nothing 

"Officer on deck!" Someone shouted and everyone in the Bay Saluted

"At ease Helljumpers. New mission for you fuckers."
Everyone dropped what they were doing and grouped together around the officer and the Holo maptable 
"1st Platoon is to drop at this boulevard to support the nearby encircled 5th Infantry and assist Armor in getting them free."
The whole of the 1st Platoon beside the Officers got their gear in order and filled their pods to the brim with Ammo and Grenades 

"The rest is to free the Chakwas Hospital on this hill and hold it 
It will serve as a rally and evac point.
Dismissed besides Alpha 6."
Everyone besides the members of Alpha 6 left to fetch their gear and otherwise prepare for the upcoming mission

"Alpha 6 you're the most experienced squad we have as your job requires you are to drop near ONI Headquarters and meet up with a Sierra to ensure the destruction of sensitive data in the storage rooms of the Complex. Questions?"

"Sierra team or Solo?"

"Solo if we had a team of Sierras we wouldn't need you. That all?"

"Why don't we just nuke the place?"

"Morale. If we use a nuke on our own held territory after 2 days of covi landfall that ain't good for morale."

"When is the drop?" Osi asked 

"30 Hours get some rest you'll need it. Dismissed."

Alpha 6 Saluted and left

"I want you in the Bay in 29 hours, the rest is off duty. Get some rest if we are attached to a Sierra it's gonna be a tough one." Sarge said

The 3 Rookies went somewhere together 
I couldn't care less where 

I went to the Mess Hall to meet up with the remnants of Sinus Group 

They sat together at one table Petrova In a wheelchair, Dane in a wheelchair, Polo with a bandaged head, Fontaine with a bandaged shoulder and Niki with a bandaged Leg they chatted and played cards 

"Mind if I sit here?" I ask and without even looking they say "Of course Osi."

I sat down next to Petrova 

"How's the leg Petra?"
She stared at me for a few seconds before replying "Off the limits." 

"Do any of you know if it's possible to get some Fuel on board?"
They shook their heads or didn't reaction at all beside Polo
"Engine room they're always fueled. How was the briefing?"

"New mission, some spooky shit, least for Alpha 6. The rest got the good shit, defending a hospital, relieving an encircled infantry Regiment. That's how it went Marco." I explained

"Ain't that fantastic? They don't send you in the Grinder, you just have to shut your mouth and shoot some civilians."

"I wish. A Sierra is involved."

"What should we tell yer Mom? Not that we'd do that." Dane asked

"That you're a cunt. Should I push someone to engineering or am I alone?"

"If ye don't mind, ye can push me down there." Dane said

So I stood up and pushed him in his wheelchair out of the Mess Hall 

In the corridor 2 metres wide Refugees said along the walls lying on matts and Blankets trying to get some rest 
Most didn't look up bit some did at the sight of two ODSTs walking by a group of three civilians looked pretty mad at them god knows why

"They look pretty mad. Did we do something to their daughters on Shoreleave?" Dane asked 

"I don't care i'm busy enough doing important things rather than deal with some pissed of civis." I replied

Then they got up from where they sat 
"Where the fuck were you? Huh? Were you also on board doing nothing while we had to survive down there? Feeling all high and mighty because you got your badge?"

"Wanker. How dare ye insult us like that being on Boards very dangerous I lost me leg playing pool!" Dane replied in a way to make fun of the Refugee 
Enough for the civi to snap he pulled out a knife from his boot and charged at us his buddies did too

I pulled out my M6 and slammed it against his head knocking him out I shot his buddy in the leg and held the Gun in his other buddies face

"Fucking Tangeners all raised bad because their fathers went buying milk. This Man here in the wheelchair killed more Xenos than you can probably count and lost his leg in the process of clearing a fucken evac point. Might I say that that mission had a 95% casualty rate? And this is how you thank him? I saw my buddies getting cut to pieces blown to pieces eaten alive and worse all so that you for the war effort useless fucks get another chance at life on another planet that will be invaded too and so on am I fucken glad that I've got only 2 campaigns left until discharge not that I'd survive this long with all these pesky arsehats who attack me on my way to get mission prepared. If it were up to me we wouldn't even evac any civis would make survival easier."

"Oi Osi that's enough or we'll have to fight thet whole corridor. Let's just get thet drinks." He said while lighting a Fag

They walked further "Pretty sure that's against the regs." Dane made a snort

"Want one too?" At first Osi thought it was a joke since he was a vehement anti Smoker 
"Gets things off yer mind."

That sounded pretty good for the screams of Josephine were still on his mind
"Aight." 
He said taking the fag Dane was offering him but he had no fire 
"Got a flame for me?"
They took a turn and there was a sailor welding a plate in front of a hole in the wall

"Oi Arsehat!" Dane shouted at the Welder 

The sailor replied while still welding "What the fuck do you fucking scottish piece of Brits shit want?" The sailor fulfilling of the welder Stereotype in every way said

"Me mate need to light het fag. Ye cunt."

"The fucking Welds still fucking hot now keep getting on me balls and I'll throw you outta the next airlock."

Osi took the clue and lighted his fag on the weld
"Wouldn't be the first time falling from board to floor. Mate." 

"Fucking ODSTs heard you got your assessment handed to you harder than we spaceside."

"Not we thet were the others. Thanks for the light mate."

"Yeah now fuck the fuck of."

They went ahead to engineering 
"See that's how ye light a fag."

"Tastes like shit." Osi comments

"Theyre not supposed to taste good. They fuck yer lungs but that ain't my Problem no more won't do much walking anytime soon."

Haha

They arrived in engineering and were greeted by Engineers welding and screwing everything back together after the previous beating the Through the Fire had gotten

"So Dane, where do we get fuel here?"
He pointed at a corner of the room we were in in which half a dozen Sailors took a break with their canteens in hand 
"There."