Chapter 1

Chapter One

0900 Hours, June 4, 2563 [Military Calendar]/

Theta Uradis System, Madilion UNSC Military

Complex, Planet Madilion, Johnson Cadet Academy

     One more year, Jake thought. One more long year then I can move to ODST Training.

     Two years of basic knoledege of the Covys. Most of this stuff he knew his first year here, but went though it anyway. He sat on his bunk, now six feet tall, thinking about home.

     "Jake," a cheerful voice broke his thought. He looked up and saw his friends, walking into the sleeping chambers. Mallory Lopez, the one who called him, walked between Jacob Sanders and Hank Walker. Mallory, the shortest of the friends is five foot-ten, athletic build and smooth brown hair. She, as some would say, has the face of an angel, but she knew her way around a Sniper Rifle.

     Jacob Sanders, the tallest one, he had the bulkiest muscles ever seen by Marine standards. At his height, six foot-four, he could be mistaken as a Spartan in training. He was a master at heavy weapons and has a soft spot for just about everything. Hank Walker was the master egghead, any lock could be picked by him. He is five foot-eleven, and has a slim body. What he lacks in build and height he makes up in brain power.

     "Hey guys, 'sup?"

     "You know, just waiting for them to call us in," Hank replied. He lays down on his bunk, two to the right of Jake; the others sit on the bunk directly next to his. It was Carter Smith's bunk. He graduated Jake's first year at the Academy. Last time he was seen here he was five foot-ten, a strong build, smart, and was the coolest one at the academy. He was the coolest; since his graduation, Jake had taken over as the best of the best.

    Today was the day when the new recruits came in, that was the best part. Meeting the new recruits, hearing their stories.

    "Yeah, can't wait," Jake said. "I hope I get a good partner this year. God, my partner last years was such a d****e."

    "Hey!" Jacob yelled. "I was your partner.

    "I know, just messin' with ya man."

    Their conversation was interrupted by the piercing sound of the thirty year old intercom. The melodic sound of the female base AI, Omicron, came on, "All cadets are required to report to the Landing Bay immediately."

    They get groan and get up. Jake leads the group the to the Landing Bay. They got there first and sat around the empty space. Jake lied on the ground and watched the sky, other than the Falcons that guarded this place it was empty. A few minutes of solitude with his friends was broken to the uproar of the mass others who flooded onto the field. Jake sat up and looked at the mass of soldiers to be, they were, a group of third years and second years.

    There is a way of telling second years from third years. Second years have a medium amount of muscle tone. They are around five-ten and have a soft look on their face, as if they have never seen battle. Third years, however, stand at about or more then six feet. They have a medium/heavy muscle tone and could possibly have scars on their face or body. The third years have a face like they could take on an Elite no problem, problem is most of them think they can.

    A third year broke from the herd and headed over to Jake. "Matthews," he said with a sly smile. "Didn't suspect to see you here early."

    "Well Philip you know what they say. The early Moa, gets to choose this favorite spot."  

    Phillip laughs, "Yeah, I guess so." He walks back to the group and they clutter around the middle of the asphalt area. They start to whisper and it escalates to yelling over each other. The sound of a Pelican stops them and all stare at it. It's burners slow and it turns one hundred-eighty degrees and lands. They back of it hisses open and the recruits wait at the door. Twenty or so first year cadets walk out and look around; the nervous/excited looks on their faces brought a smile to Jake's. As the last cadet got off the door hissed again as it closed, and took off as swiftly as it came.

    "Lieutenant on deck!" A third year yelled and all the cadets snapped into attention. The first years kind of jumbled around for a bit, then finally dropping their stuff and got into attention. The Lieutenant walked straight through the third and second years and went right over the new cadets; he looked one straight in the eyes. Him, he's the trouble maker.

    He holds his gaze, "Welcome to the Academy. I am Lieutenant Chris Norman and for those of you who don't know, I outrank you. Cadets! At Place!" The third and second years split and grouped together. All the thirds are the right of the Lieutenant and the seconds to his left.

    "These," he continues. "Are your new teammates, mentors, and rivals. Each of you will be given a buddy; at lunch you will find him or her and get acquainted. After lunch you two will go play in a game of Capture The Flag.

    "The second and third years know what's at stake, so good luck to you all. Lunch is in thirty minutes." He saluted, turned then left.

    The cadets relaxed and the first years started an uproar of conversations and questions. Jake slipped through the crowd and headed back to his bunk. He gets there and Mallory is already there, laying on his bunk.

    She scoots over and he lays next to her. He stare at the ceiling and she rests her head on his chest. He sighs and kisses the top of her head. He starts to play with hair, "So, are ready to lose this year?"

     Mallory sits up and lightly hits him on his arm. "I will not lose, I just let other people win," she says confidently.

     "Well," he gets up. "You let me win all the time. Last year I placed higher than you."

     "You got second."

     "We got cocky," he starts to trail in thought. She snaps her fingers to get him back. "Sorry, I just was thinking." He tilts his head and thinks again. "I can't to see my buddy, but truthfully, I want to get the cadet the Lieutenant was staring down."

     "Jake," she sounded worried. "Don't get into something you can't handle."

     Jake scoots over to her and rubs her on the back. "I won't, don't worry." He gets up and stretches. He turns and looks at her, she gets up and runs into his arms. They hug each other and they hear the door open. They pull apart quickly and jump to different bunks.

    Jacob enters the room, he has blood on his right hand and a bruise the size of a golf ball on his right cheek. Parts of his clothes were ripped and he blood trickling down the back of his left leg. He was walking with a slight, and hobbled to the middle of the room. "Really?" His voice was kind of shaky, as if he was sick. "I think everyone knows that you two are in love."

    "Jacob, the hell happened to you?" Jake asked as he got up.

    He look at himself in the mirror across the room. He was shocked to see the blood running down his leg and his torn clothes. He turned and faced them, "Damn first years. One of 'em little meat sacks got cocky and said 'I can take any third year one-on-one in a close quarters fight.'

    "He walked up to me and said 'Even you big guy.' So I socked him in the jaw and he fell. Some of his friends jumped me and other third years joined in. We got them off and the Lieutenant stopped the fight and luckily we got off clean."

    "Dude," Jake says. "You are messed up. Take a shower, we all need to be at lunch. Which," he looks at his watch. "Is in ten minutes." Jake stands up and heads over to Mallory and helps her up. The walk out of the door hand in hand and Jacob heads for the showers.

    Jake and Mallory got their lunches and headed to sit with Hank, William Hagen, Steven Perez, Barbara Johnson, Jacob, and Matthew Brown. On the way to the table Jake spots the first years that were in the fight. Already three of them had broken bones, scars on their face and arms. Jake lived as a hunter on Madilion and could hear the tiniest sounds, and could tell that they had a few broken ribs. He saw that one of them had a neck brace, a broken nose, two black eyes, a busted lip, a jaw brace, and by the sound he made, a couple of broken ribs. Unlike what Jake thought, it wasn't the cadet he wanted.

    Jake sat with Mallory and started eating. He look about his table and stared at his friends. He thought about his last two years here. He thought about his friends and family. He though about Kim. If he got a good partner, it would guarantee him graduating.

    A bell rang and broke Jake's concentration. He looked up and saw his friends looking at him. Mallory was shaking him; his face changed from thought to confusion. He cocked his head to the side.

    "What?" he asked.

    "Jake," Mallory said. "You've been staring off into space all of lunch. Are you okay?"

    Jake looks at his untouched food, he had taken only one bite. His mind starts to wonder again. Had I been out for that long? He trails off again and Mallory snaps her fingers in front of him. He shakes his head and looks back at the group. "Was I doing it again?"

    "You need to get your s**t together," Will said. "The first years are starting to walk around."

    "Ya, in a few minutes the tournament will start," says Steven. He took a swig of his bottled water, "and all hell will brake loose." They all took a second to process what he said, and soon after, in almost complete unison nodded and sighed.

    The first years stumbled around and moved aimlessly about the cafeteria. They meet with their partners and chatted a storm; Jake saw his friends walk off laughing with their buddies. He sat at his table, alone, nervous, waiting for his little buddy.

    He heard the sound of someone walking up behind him. He was tapped on his shoulder and he turn around and he saw that cadet, he saw stare down the Lieutenant. "Thank you," he said under his breath.

    The cadet was five foot eight, regulation buzz cut brown hair and clean shaven. He had little muscle tone but, resembled that of a nerd. His skin was a lighter tan, his eyes were green, and he wore a steel wristband that had "Cinna" written on it.

    "Are you Nathan J. Matthews?" He asked. His voice was calm, but had a serious tone too.

    Jake chuckled and stared at the kid, "Yes, but I go by 'Jake', Nathan is just too serious. So, Cinna, we're you from?" Jake gestured for Cinna to take a seat but he declined.

     He was shocked, how did he know my name? "I'm from Memorius," he answered briskly.

    Jake thought for a moment, "Don't they have their own military complex?"

    "Yes, but most everyone there have signed up to join UNSC. I was one of the hundred sent to a different planet." He stared at Jake, "I've also read your service record."

    "Oh you have?"

    "Yes, I understand that second year missions are off the complex. Hitting small covenant held areas, usually guarded by grunts and jackals. But your team completed mission meant for third years, and completed them in the required time slot, of not better.

    "I also read that you're a native to this planet and were raised as a hunter. You were raised in the wild for more than thirteen years and were brought into the city and lived the civilized way for  the rest of your time being there. Your eyes resemble that of an eagle and and I can tell your hearing is that of a wolf. Most likely you can her the conversations clearly in theirs room."

    Jake laughed, and got up to look at the cadet. "You read too much," he laughed some more. "Now let's get ready for the match, I want to win this year." he taps Cinna on the back and they head to the bunks.

    

    Ten minutes before the tournament begins, millions of thoughts are racing through Jake’s mind. He stands next to Cinna, and Mallory and her cadet walk up next to him. They hug and Jake holds her hand, she is shaking a little, "Nervous?"

    She hits him in the shoulder and gets closer to him. Soon after the rest of the cadets walk in and crowd together. They wait and look up as a big screen comes down and stops two feet above them.

    Omicron's voice comes up and the screen changes from black to blue, "Hello everyone, I hope you are all excited to be here for the 103rd annual CTF tournament. On the screen, names are being picked to be in each room. Their are two sides, the left and right. Winners of each side will advance, and the losers will have to stay back and watch. In a few minutes you will begin the tournament. So good luck to you all!" Her voice clicked off and they screen stopped. The names were chosen.

    Jake looked for his buddy's and his name, and stopped dead in his gaze. He was going up against Anderson Cooper, a six foot-eight, two hundred and twenty pound, athletic third year and his cadet was the one that started the fight, Benjamin Cooper.

    Jake looked at Cinna with a look of lost hope, "Remember when I was pumped?"

    "Yeah?"

    "I...it's gone now."