Britta felt herself getting pulled up, and jerked her head towards the offending source only to get an eyeful of rugged snarling sergeant. Turning into another direction only earned her another death glare from none other than Lieutenant Middleton himself. If glares could kill, this one could definitely have killed her before any enemy bullets did up above the trench. She forced herself up proper and got ready her weapon, cradling the barrel of her machine gun as she lined up with the others and got ready for the inevitable to happen. Thankfully, she wouldn't be among the first to charge, that would fall upon the ranks of the shock troopers and the rank and file riflemen. As she gazed towards Jean, she thought that she'd seen him glancing towards her way, but their eyes didn't meet as his were turned away by the time hers landed upon him.
Britta wondered how the poem-loving lance corporal would do in the upcoming battle. How would fate deal with him? Would he be dealt a severe blow and die the moment he rushed up top? Or would he live towards the end as he brought the rest of the platoon to victory? These thoughts were not going to be answered anytime soon and by no one in particular. She simply had to wait and see. If she even had the luxury to afford to do so. Perhaps she may even not have the chance to do so. She tried to keep her spirits up thinking of how many Imperials soldiers she could kill later on. While the other soldiers began to fix the bayonets to their rifles, Britta tried her best to remain as stoic as ever, giving her best attempt to keep the fear away from her face. Despite that, her heart was thumping rather loudly in her chest.
She reckoned that it was a mixture of anxiety, fear and trepidation that made it ever so loud, like beating drums echoing in her ears. Machine guns weren't calibrated to be fixed with bayonets like all other heavy weapons and her best bet was to keep her distance as far away from the enemy as possible, hopefully mowing down enough so that they didn't have the chance to get close. If that happened, all she had was her trench knife. Hell, why didn't they even had a sidearm, a pistol? Britta unsheathed her knife, taking a quick look at its recently sharpened blade and sheathed it back once more. She hoped she didn't need to use it just yet. It was supposed to be a weapon of last resort.
To deter any of the soldiers from thinking of retreating, the Lieutenant had picked a young innocent looking girl (who looked way too young to even be on the battlefield) and gave her the orders to shoot anyone returning from the front lines that wasn't an officer. Such equality they had there. So officers were allow to retreat then? He probably officers like him were too valuable to kill if they were the retreating type. Britta stifled a snort just as it was emerging, turning it into a half-snort instead. Turning grim and serious again once more, she hoped that she would not find herself in a situation where the younger girl would have to shoot her. Their target was Hill 58, and that alone was quite a challenge to get there before they could even contest it. There was quite a bit of open land where swaths of gunfire would be ready to mow them down, and even as inexperienced as she was, Britta knew that plenty of them would die before the outcome of the Battle of Hill 58 would be decided.
The moment finally arrived as Britta heard the loud squeal of the officer's whistle. Shouts and yells filled the air as the men and women began climbing up the trenches as they charged into the battlefield. It wouldn't take very long at all before the first casualties of the battle began racking up. Some didn't even had a chance to take more than a foot onto the war-torn land, struck by the wave of bullets that flew through the air. Eventually it came to her turn to go up the ladder, and with her heart still thumping ever so loudly, she hefted her weapon and charged into war.
The group's hearty conversation was interrupted by none other than Lieutenant Loud-voice aka Middleton. He announced ever so loudly in that voice she knew he loved to hear so much that the advancement had been moved way up, and they would all be leaving in fifteen minutes. He even threw in court martial in there as well, because what use is a loud order if there isn't any harsh punishment to go along with it?
A short while later, their time was up and Britta headed together with the rest of her squad and company as they all made their way to the front lines. All of them moved slowly through the rear lines before emerging into the entrance of the communication trenches. The boom of arranged artillery fire that used to sound so distant before was now a whole lot closer than she'd like. If she thought that the trenches in the back were bad, nothing could prepare her for the unworldly stench that hit her when she step foot into the trenches that marked the front lines.
The stench of the dead bodies of the fallen soldiers and the dying was near indescribable. The closest thing she had ever smelt that could even compare to such a thing was way back at home on the farm, when she'd come across a dead cow with its carcass rotting ripely open in the sun, already savaged by predators and carrion. That had been the worst thing she'd ever smelt in her life. And now this wasn't even close. If anything, it was like a hundred dead cow carcasses, or perhaps maybe even thousands, if she had to use anything to describe the smell.
The artillery fire soon stopped, and silence fell over the trenches like a blanket. It seemed to be to quiet now, her ears having got used to sound of gun and cannon fire. The ghastly faces of the soldiers who had been here before them was a sight to behold. Most of them were stoic, and had no expression regarding their reinforcements. You would think that they would be happy, and maybe they actually were, and being at the front lines too long had a way of taking away the power of your emotions from you. Britta didn't know what else to do.
She gathered herself and moved towards Jean, Isaac, Paloma and the others and simply found a place she could sit while she waited. The lull of the battle where you didn't know what to do was often the worst. She had no choice but to depend on Jean and Isaac and the rest of the squad if they were all going to make it out of here. Preferably alive. But war always has a nasty way of twisting things.
Poetry. Lance Corporal Charpentier, or Jean as he would like to be called, was writing Poetry. Britta didn't know much about poetry, if anything at all. She wasn't educated very much, even her writing and reading skills were something that was taught and learnt by her own efforts from her friends back in Westershelde. She made that known to him. "I don't know much about poetry. Maybe even nothing at all. I grew up in a farm. Poetry is not something people do around there." Brushing a stray lock of hair away from her face, Britta nodded.
"Hmmm..Jean it is then." The other Lance Corporal also followed suit, and requested her to call him by his first name as well, and she simply gave a nod to that. Jean and Isaac. It was always good to know the names of your leaders. Britta nodded in response when he pointed out the fact that she was a gunner as well. Both of them would be the squad gunners and their comrades would be depending on them, as far as fire support is concerned. Two was always better than one. Plenty of fire support was never a bad thing for an infantry squad to have.
The dark skinned lad with the dark hair introduced himself as Jonnie, and slowly but surely, Britta was starting to get to know the rest of her squad. The more names she knew the better. She most probably would remember them all now, but it was still worth trying anyway right? Jonnie also mentioned that he could help them carrying extra ammunition if they needed, and that earned him a thumbs up from her. That would always be good. These guns tend to eat up plenty of ammo, and who knows how much ammunition they'll need before the battle ends.
The crowd was beginning to get bigger as each minute passed. The newest one to join them was a pretty blonde by the name of Paloma Violetta. She even gave them a salute and all. Fancy. Thought they only saluted officers though. She did a mental shrug at the thought. Seems like Paloma knew something about Poetry unlike her. Britta would remain silent as the more educated folks began the talk about poetry. Not long after, another newcomer approached. Judging by the weapon he carried and his introduction, this one was a marksman. A sniper. Mikael.
Adjusting to the military lifestyle wasn't as difficult as she had originally thought, but that could also be attributed to her ease of adapting to new situations. For a girl that lived on a farm, Britta found that she didn't have too much difficulties in getting used to life in the military. Training was tough, yeah but it wasn't nothing that she couldn't grit her teeth and clench her fist until she pulled herself through it.
The plucky lass thrived in the face of adversity, and this was just yet another of the challenges she faced in her life. Whenever she had moments of doubt or despair, she would think about her family back home, and remind herself why she was here. True, the deciding factor in her signing up to join had been the money, but then she realised that being able to fight for her country and its people from the Imperials wasn't bad either.
The routine had been different, and it had been uncomfortable in the initial adjusting phase, but once she managed to work out the routine, Britta quickly got herself used to the rigors of military life. She'd learnt how to operate and shoot a rifle, gone through obstacles courses and ate dry rations along with everyone else. It was only after basic training, that she was selected to undergo specialised machine gun training before becoming a full-fledged gunner. She had to get used to carrying around the heavy gun and its ammunition which was no joke.
Keeping physically fit was an absolute must, as a machine gunner must relocate with their equipment to a secondary position to avoid being zeroed in or flanked by the enemy. She did like the role of providing fire support for her fellow comrades, knowing that the crucial fire support they receive could make all the difference in a difficult combat engagement. Supporting her friends and teammates was just up her alley.
Britta soon found herself attached to the 15th Atlantic Rifles and got into a truck with several riflemen, filling up all the unoccupied seats on the back of the truck. The machine gun she had with her was configured into a light support weapon with a folding bipod detachable drum ammunition container. As the other soldiers assembled and readied themselves for the First Lieutenant to give his speech, and oh what a stiff serious guy he was. Well she didn't know him enough to know if he was really that stiff and serious all the time.
Finally they were dismissed and the groups dispersed as they began to spend what little free time they had left before they all headed to the front. Britta recognised the two Lance Corporals that were introduced earlier, and headed towards them to introduce herself, and it was also there that she realised that the Lance Corporals without the book had a gunner insignia as well. "Morning Lance Corporals Black and Charpentier! Britta Hagen." She said as she pointed at herself. Peering over towards the scribbling guy, she asked. "What ya writing?"
Appearance Britta stands at 5'6" and is slim and physically fit from the plenty of time outdoors she spent as a child growing up. She definitely isn't overly muscular of any sort, more or less leaning towards the athletic side of things than anything else. Her skin is fair and creamy with a hint of golden undertones from a healthy dose of being out in the sun. Her ash grey shaggy bob coupled with her azure eyes does however tend to give off a rather comely appearance that most would find attractive. Her hair is usually kept as neat and tidy as she can manage, but spending time outdoors and in combat on the front lines tends to hamper her efforts, so usually she just goes with whatever she can afford.
Stronger and fitter than most of her peers, she boasts quite a remarkable amount of stamina and strength, fully able to carry heavier equipment around in combat. Her sets of uniform differ from the clean ones that are recently washed, to the dirty mud-covered ones fresh from the front lines. The rank badge of a private is sewn onto the shoulder of her uniform, a gunner patch sewn just below to indicate her role in combat.
Personality Britta has always been a highly energetic lively soul who can't hardly sit still in any given situation. As a child, she was often seen playing outdoors, running around in the open fields or swimming in the streams or rivers. She'd always been a wild and free-spirited girl who did whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. Her parents were the easygoing type and allowed her the freedom to do whatever she liked so long as she did not do anything dangerous or got herself into trouble with the law. It is needless to say that the girl knows how to have fun. She was brought up to be very open-minded and accepting of everyone, regardless of social standing, fame or rank.
In tense situations, she is known to be calm and level-headed, not being one prone to panicking or losing one's self in the situation. Despite her steadiness, Britta is not without her fears. She is afraid of losing her loved ones and dying. Honestly, the thought of war and frontline combat has never not terrify her, but she knows that there is no running away from it. She is afraid of getting shot, lying wounded and alone to die, with people ignoring her as she slowly bled to death alone. While she is not afraid of death, what she is terrified of is dying alone.
Nightmares have plagued her so after nights in the front, but she has told no one of it for she had thought this would be common. On the more positive note, Britta also has a strong camaraderie with her fellow comrades, always looking out for her squad mates to check if they are alright. Once gained her trust, she is known to be very loyal to the point of unbreaking.
Fierce Determination: Britta has never been one to stop or quit something halfway, and that isn't going to stop now. Her grit and tenacity will plenty of good in seeing them through this. Sometimes all you need is a good ol' determined resolve to push you through.
Heart of a Lion: With plenty of courage to spare, whenever no one else is able to step up in fear of the task in hand, Britta has no problem volunteering for it. While she does still have her fears, she does not let it control her.
Thinks too much: There are times where Britta just thinks too much, and spends too much time in her head. She needs to spend more time of actually doing something, instead of just going over and over situations in her head worrying about the outcome needlessly. This isn't saying she needs to be more rash, but rather to stop being so overly cautious in everything without reason.
Biography Britta Hagen was born in the countryside of Westershelde, in 1869EC, to a lower class family. Her parents were Gunther and Sonja Hagen, and they were a farmer and a miller respectively. The entire family lived in the family's farm which included a windmill, and the Hagen family lived a simple and contented life. The rural life suited them fine, and the vast outdoors with its rolling green hills and the blue shining rivers were the children's playgrounds. They helped out in the family's farm and mill as soon as they were able old enough to. The family lived off the crops they grew, and whatever money they earned from selling the sacks of flour they sold to the city and whoever else needed them.
Exploration and creating her own fun was something that Britta and Hans had to do on their own, for the family wasn't that well off to afford them many fancy toys. That wasn't a problem for any of them. They had plenty of playing space, and they could do whatever their imaginations allowed them to, so long as it wasn't overly dangerous that is. As she grew older into her teenage years, Britta would go along with her mother with her cart full of flour-filled sacks that she would bring into the city to sell. It was there in the city that she would open her eyes to a whole new world as the country girl exposed herself to the bustling affairs of city life. She eventually made friends from the city, and it was there that she found that she had both a thirst and hunger for learning about things that hadn't bothered her before, like the world powers, military affairs, how the city worked, etc. Her parent were not educated enough to teach her, so she had to learn all she could from her city friends.
The country girl had dreams of visiting and exploring other countries, and wondering how different they would be from her city here in Westershelde. Unfortunately, the Great War happened, and that kinda put a huge dent in her plans. She was out in her usual errand in the city when she happened to come across a recruitment officer advertising good money for those that signed themselves up to fight in the front lines. Her family had gone through a really hard period, and money was scarce, and the money she got from this would be a great help for her family. Without informing her parents, Britta went ahead to sign up before going home pretending as though things were as usual.
The night before she had to leave, she wrote a letter to her parents and brother asking them to take care, and that she did what she thought was the best thing in their circumstances. As fate would will it, unknown to Britta, her younger brother had thought and done the exact same thing a few hours after she left, and so that left both the Hagen parents distraught and helpless as both their children went off to war.
Appearance Britta stands at 5'6" and is slim and physically fit from the plenty of time outdoors she spent as a child growing up. She definitely isn't overly muscular of any sort, more or less leaning towards the athletic side of things than anything else. Her skin is fair and creamy with a hint of golden undertones from a healthy dose of being out in the sun. Her ash grey shaggy bob coupled with her azure eyes does however tend to give off a rather comely appearance that most would find attractive. Her hair is usually kept as neat and tidy as she can manage, but spending time outdoors and in combat on the front lines tends to hamper her efforts, so usually she just goes with whatever she can afford.
Stronger and fitter than most of her peers, she boasts quite a remarkable amount of stamina and strength, fully able to carry heavier equipment around in combat. Her sets of uniform differ from the clean ones that are recently washed, to the dirty mud-covered ones fresh from the front lines. The rank badge of a private is sewn onto the shoulder of her uniform, a gunner patch sewn just below to indicate her role in combat.
Personality Britta has always been a highly energetic lively soul who can't hardly sit still in any given situation. As a child, she was often seen playing outdoors, running around in the open fields or swimming in the streams or rivers. She'd always been a wild and free-spirited girl who did whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. Her parents were the easygoing type and allowed her the freedom to do whatever she liked so long as she did not do anything dangerous or got herself into trouble with the law. It is needless to say that the girl knows how to have fun. She was brought up to be very open-minded and accepting of everyone, regardless of social standing, fame or rank.
In tense situations, she is known to be calm and level-headed, not being one prone to panicking or losing one's self in the situation. Despite her steadiness, Britta is not without her fears. She is afraid of losing her loved ones and dying. Honestly, the thought of war and frontline combat has never not terrify her, but she knows that there is no running away from it. She is afraid of getting shot, lying wounded and alone to die, with people ignoring her as she slowly bled to death alone. While she is not afraid of death, what she is terrified of is dying alone.
Nightmares have plagued her so after nights in the front, but she has told no one of it for she had thought this would be common. On the more positive note, Britta also has a strong camaraderie with her fellow comrades, always looking out for her squad mates to check if they are alright. Once gained her trust, she is known to be very loyal to the point of unbreaking.
Fierce Determination: Britta has never been one to stop or quit something halfway, and that isn't going to stop now. Her grit and tenacity will plenty of good in seeing them through this. Sometimes all you need is a good ol' determined resolve to push you through.
Heart of a Lion: With plenty of courage to spare, whenever no one else is able to step up in fear of the task in hand, Britta has no problem volunteering for it. While she does still have her fears, she does not let it control her.
Thinks too much: There are times where Britta just thinks too much, and spends too much time in her head. She needs to spend more time of actually doing something, instead of just going over and over situations in her head worrying about the outcome needlessly. This isn't saying she needs to be more rash, but rather to stop being so overly cautious in everything without reason.
Biography Britta Hagen was born in the countryside of Westershelde, in 1869EC, to a lower class family. Her parents were Gunther and Sonja Hagen, and they were a farmer and a miller respectively. The entire family lived in the family's farm which included a windmill, and the Hagen family lived a simple and contented life. The rural life suited them fine, and the vast outdoors with its rolling green hills and the blue shining rivers were the children's playgrounds. They helped out in the family's farm and mill as soon as they were able old enough to. The family lived off the crops they grew, and whatever money they earned from selling the sacks of flour they sold to the city and whoever else needed them.
Exploration and creating her own fun was something that Britta and Hans had to do on their own, for the family wasn't that well off to afford them many fancy toys. That wasn't a problem for any of them. They had plenty of playing space, and they could do whatever their imaginations allowed them to, so long as it wasn't overly dangerous that is. As she grew older into her teenage years, Britta would go along with her mother with her cart full of flour-filled sacks that she would bring into the city to sell. It was there in the city that she would open her eyes to a whole new world as the country girl exposed herself to the bustling affairs of city life. She eventually made friends from the city, and it was there that she found that she had both a thirst and hunger for learning about things that hadn't bothered her before, like the world powers, military affairs, how the city worked, etc. Her parent were not educated enough to teach her, so she had to learn all she could from her city friends.
The country girl had dreams of visiting and exploring other countries, and wondering how different they would be from her city here in Westershelde. Unfortunately, the Great War happened, and that kinda put a huge dent in her plans. She was out in her usual errand in the city when she happened to come across a recruitment officer advertising good money for those that signed themselves up to fight in the front lines. Her family had gone through a really hard period, and money was scarce, and the money she got from this would be a great help for her family. Without informing her parents, Britta went ahead to sign up before going home pretending as though things were as usual.
The night before she had to leave, she wrote a letter to her parents and brother asking them to take care, and that she did what she thought was the best thing in their circumstances. As fate would will it, unknown to Britta, her younger brother had thought and done the exact same thing a few hours after she left, and so that left both the Hagen parents distraught and helpless as both their children went off to war.
"That still only counts as one!" Name Anya 'Hex' Taskov
Gender Female
Age 24
Place of Birth Kenosha, Mars
Military Branch UNSC 105th Marine Expeditionary Unit - [SOC] ODST
Appearance Blessed with youthful-looking genes, Anya does tend to give off a young girlish look. She stands at 5'7" somewhere among the average for women in the helljumpers. Her locks are a shade of honey blonde that falls down her shoulders that she tries to maintain as best as she can in her circumstances. Her eyes are a lively shade of sky blue, and they are often expressive, revealing her emotions as often as they come. Her nose is slender and her lips a healthy shade of pink. In times of happiness, darling little dents of delight appear on her youthful visage, the dimples ever present whenever any form of smile or grin makes itself known. Her built is slim and toned, but nothing to overly boast about, but it is still more than physically fit to cope with the demands of being an ODST.
Attire Anya utilizes the Sharpshooter variant of the standard ODST BDU. The standard right pauldron is removed to give her more flexibility and mobility in combat, allowing her to move and aim more freely, while the standard left pauldron is switched to a larger plate to protect the sniper's arm from counterattacks. She is also issued with an optics device attached to the helmet, which the Oracle scope on the SRS99 can uplink to her HUD.
Weaponry - Sniper Rifle System 99D-Series 2 Anti-Matériel (SRS99D) - M7s Caseless SMG, with Silencer and reflex sight. - M6C/SOCOM Magnum with suppressor - Combat Knife - First Aid Kit - Flashbang x3 - M9 Frag x3 - Multi-Tool - Tac-Pad
>1st Lieutenant Winston Harwood
>Fireteam Leader - Dependable and well-liked leader. A great friend loved by many. The key person in raising the morale of the squad. - K.I.A.
>Staff Sergeant Helen Vinter
>Fireteam 2IC- General Purpose Specialist - An all-business soldier that always took things ever so seriously. Also tended to be kind of a bitch, but secretly also always has the squad's interest at heart. - K.I.A.
>Sergeant Boris Sokolov
>Close quarters specialist - A loud typical Russian man that loved his booze as much as he loved his shotgun. A great soldier who did his job really well. Well-liked by everyone in the squad. One of Anya's closest friends. - M.I.A.
>Lance Corporal Marcus Lee
>Combat Engineer - Another one of Anya's closest friends since childhood, the two of them have always been around one another, and decided to be join the UNSC and be an ODST together as well. - M.I.A.
>Private Jeff Goldman
>Rifleman - Bookish fellow that always had a book with him, and could always be found reading whenever he had any free time. Quiet, and often preferred the company of his books to talking. - K.I.A.
Rank Corporal
Specialisation ODST - Designated Marksman
Personality Quiet but focused, and competent at what she does best, Anya is a confident and efficient ODST trooper. Singled out for her exceptional accuracy and marksmanship since the very beginning, it has always been something she took great pride in. Although she may not be the talkative sort, she is easy enough to get along with and tends to have great teamwork and strong feelings of camaraderie with her team mates. Highly loyal, she does what it takes to save her friends and team mates, even going beyond protocols if necessary. Known to have a competitive streak within her, that can sometimes be a double-edged sword that can affect her performance at times if she does not reign it in herself or have anyone else to remind her to do so. She has a stubborn persistence once she sets her mind on something and her self-determination is definitely not to be under-estimated.
Biography Anya Taskov, also known as 'Hex' or 'Witch' in reference to the ancient meaning of the word which used to mean a magic spell, or curse upon someone. She gained the nickname after her uncanny accuracy, for once she sets her sights upon you, she'll get you at costs. This applies to when she is behind the scope of her rifle, and without. Her team mates know better than to get on her wrong side in fear or angering her for real. She is the daughter of a UNSC Colonel and Major. Coming from a military background, there was never any doubt that she would follow in the footsteps of her parents. She knew that her parents would be enrolling her into a military academy as soon as they could.
She performed admirably well in both her studies and sports, although she did have some issues where she ended up in fights whenever she had to defend one of her friends in their fights. After graduating with honours, Anya managed to convince Marcus, a close childhood friend of hers to enlist in the UNSC as well. It wasn't long after she enlisted that she discovered her aptitude and natural talent for marksmanship. She could hit most of the targets with any weapon, and was even more lethal when she was allowed access to a sniper rifle. After graduating from Marines basic training, she was slotted into the sharpshooter role within a squad, assigned as a designated marksman, providing fire support for her team mates. During the Red Devil campaign, she and her platoon managed to hold off waves of Covenant troops from overrunning a crucial forward base that was essential in the attempt for the final push of Covenant forces off the planet. Providing sniper support from her perch, she was able to turn the tide, pushing the odds to their favour. After the victory, Anya applied to join the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers and was subsequently accepted into its ranks after extensive training.
She was assigned to the UNSC 105th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and took battle in several battles and campaigns against the Covenant and travelled across many worlds. Her last known mission before Operation Grey Axe was Operation Blue Sword where she and her team was to play a key role in assisting other grounds teams in eliminating a Covenant supply base.
>Notable UNSC Marine Operations
>Red Devil Campaign: Operation Crimson Light >Ground support. Joined infantry units in the front line to assist in holding back invading Covenant forces. -Resounding success with overwhelming force.
>Red Devil Campaign: Operation Yellow Thunder >Objective-Based insertion. Provide support to defence forces overwhelmed by waves of invading Covenant forces threatening to overwhelm a crucial forward base needed for a counterattack. - Pyrrhic victory.
>Notable ODST Operations
>Operation Blue Sword >Ground-Support Elimination. Attacked fortified Covenant supply base with other UNSC ground teams in a bid to stem the flow of Covenant counterattacks. -Success with moderate casualties.
>Operation: Grey-Axe >Assassination mission against a high-ranking Covenant Fleet master - Presumed Failure..