The 106th: The Story of Serina Daniels and The Fall of Reach

She looked down the scope of her SRS99D sniper rifle. It was just her and three other ODST’s now, pinned down in the heart of New Alexandria.
She, like most others, couldn’t believe this was happening. Reach was falling.
The Covenant would stop at nothing until they pushed humanity into extinction.
Once Reach falls, only humanity’s home, its last line of defense would stand in their way.

“How far?” Anthony’s voice buzzed in her ear. Captain of the 106th, she could only imagine what he was going through right now. Seeing his squad die in front of him and his home falling to the Covenant war machine.
“Targets out in the open, seven hundred meters and closing.” She whispered, adjusting her sights. “Take the shot.”
That was all she needed to hear. Lining up the shot, she fired. The first shot took the Zealots shields down. She fired a second shot, the fifty caliber bullet piercing through the alien’s skull. Brain matter and purple jelly like blood spraying out the back as it fell to the ground.
Anthony and Zach opened fire on the remaining Grunts, shots from there DMR’s ringing out through the courtyard as the scattered and screamed in the street below.

She rolled onto her back as the last Grunt fell in a shower of blue jelly. She exhaled deeply as she set her sniper on the ground. Anthony patted her arm. “Nice shot kid.” She blushed, knowing he couldn’t see her face behind the darkened visor of her helmet. She found it funny that he called her ‘kid’ despite them being only a year apart in age. “Thanks Cap.” She said softly as she sat up.

There was a roar overhead. “Fuck! Phanto…” Zach went silent, cut off mid sentence a blood sprayed out the front of his helmet. “Shit! Sniper! Get to cover now!” Anthony yelled to her as the both jumped to their feet. He fired off a few shots at the Phantom, managing to hit the Grunt using a mounted plasma cannon and causing it lose balance and fall to the ground.
They two of them ran for a nearby office building. Bits of concrete spraying up around them as plasma pelted the ground.

She dove head first through the glass door, pulling into a roll and taking cover behind a giant stone pillar in the buildings front lobby. Anthony slid down beside her as plasma pelted the front of the building, breaking the windows that were still intact. “You picked a hell of a time to join up you know that?” He said to her, panting as he reloaded his rifle. “Guess I did.” She whispered.

It was just the two of them now. Soon, the aliens would storm the building. They would die, but she didn’t mind, as long as Anthony was at her side. In the short time she’d known him, she knew that she wouldn’t want to die with anyone other than him.


2 Days before Covenant Invasion of Reach

“Welcome to the 106th.” It was something she’d been waiting to hear since she joined the UNSC’s Orbital Drop Shock Troopers. Excluding the Spartans, they were the best that the UNSC had to offer and she was glad she finally made it into a squad.
She shook the man’s hand. Anthony, that’s what he said his name was. Anthony Taylor, Captain of the 106th Hell Jumpers.
There was something about him, something she couldn’t explain as she looked at him. Whether it was his bright blue eyes or his soft but experienced facial features she didn’t know. He looked back at her and she moved her dark green eyes down to the floor, blushing slightly.

“You’re file says you’re a sniper.” They walked through the long quiet halls, heading for the barracks. It was there she would meet the other members of 106. “One of the best in your class.” She nodded as they rounded a corner. She could feel the eyes on her already as they walked past a group of marines.
She brushed her black hair out of her face. It was shoulder length, crimson red dyed tips.

They stopped in front of a large door, a metal sign reading ‘barracks’ hanging from it.
“I think you’ll fit in just fine here Serina.” It was the first time he said her name. She smiled, blushing slightly. The way he said it brought back that unexplainable feeling again.
“Let me know if the guys give you any trouble.” He chuckled as he turned and walked away.

She was no stranger to the jokes and flirting she received from her fellows marines, and she knew that being an ODST would be no different. Only this time the jokes would be more direct, the attitude of the ODST’s in general was to live each day as if it were the last, and it usually was for those who made the drop, feet first into hell they would say. Part of her knew he was just being nice, looking out for the rookie, the new kid. But another more dominant part of her felt that it was something different. She knew the ‘looking out for the rookie’ wasn’t entirely needed though. She’d seen her fair share of fights with amongst her own, the ones who decided to get too close.
She ran her fingers over the scar on her right cheek. A three inch long gash she’d gotten during a fight with another marine a few months ago. He went to make a move and she floored him, the onlookers hooting and cheering, cracking jokes about how he just got floored by a girl.
The man got back up, pulling a switch blade from his pocket. “Like it rough do ya? I like rough.” He came at her, the knife slashing her cheek. Falling back against a table as he pinned her down. She thrusted her knee full force into his stomach. He doubled over, stumbling back as the knife fell to the ground. She kicked away and punched him, her fist connecting with his jaw with as much force as she could. He fell backwards onto the floor. “Thought you liked it rough? Or was that too much for you.” She said coldly, walking away as the onlookers cheered.
She’d needed stitches to close the gash on her cheek, a small price to pay in her opinion.

She thought about that memory for a moment, thinking about what Anthony had just said to her before she gathered her thoughts and pushed the door open.

“Well would ya look at this.” One man called out. She glanced over to see a man around the same height and build as Anthony with buzzed black hair, dark brown eyes and a slight shadow of a beard.
The man beside him looked up at her, she smiled back softly. “Looks like the rookie is here, didn’t think she’d be a looker though.” He chuckled. The second man looked shorter than the other one and had a heavier build. He was Brazilian from what she could guess.
“I aim to please… names Serina.” She replied to the two, smirking slightly. “First names already?” The first man chuckled. “Alright, I’m Zach.” He walked over to her and held out his hand. She grabbed it, shaking firmly. “Firm grip, no wonder you’re a sniper.”
She chuckled slightly and looked over at the other man. Zach chuckled. “She doesn’t bite.”
Serina smirked. “Not that you know of.”
The two of them started laughing. “Well at least you know how to go along with it, I’m Juan, got another guy with us too but you’ll probably meet him later.” Zach punched her arm lightly. “Yeah, Damien’s a real ladies man.” She punched him back harder. “Good thing I know how to take care of myself then.” The three of them started laughing.


A few hours later

Still no sign of the mysterious Damien, not that it really mattered to any of them as they sat around a table in the mess hall.
It was sharing time, something the 106th did when they got new members.
As she suspected, Juan was indeed Brazilian. He was born into a military in Sao Paolo Brazil. Seven generations of his family served in some form of military ranging from the Navy to the Air Force and everything else in between. He signed up as soon as he was old enough and was the first in his family to become an ODST.
Zach was born on Harvest and was the first in his family to join the UNSC. Both parents were farmers and he had two brothers and a sister, all of which joined when they were all old enough.

“Your turn rookie.” Zach leaned back in his chair smirking.
She smiled at him. “Gladly… I was born on Reach, lived here all my life. Parents came here from Earth after my brother was born, neither of them served in the military but my brother does.” Juan tilted his head slightly. “What does he do?”
She looked at him and shrugged. “No idea, something to do with ONI and a section three.”
Zach and Juan both looked at each other for a second, then back at her.
There was a long couple seconds of silence between the three of them.
Zach was the first to say anything. “You do know what section three is right?”
She shrugged, shaking her head slightly. “Should I?”
Anthony came up from behind then, pulling a chair out and sitting beside her. She looked over at him, their eyes met for a second before she looked away, blushing slightly.
He leaned forward in the chair. “Part of ONI’s section three is responsible for the Spartan program.” His voice was almost a whisper as he looked around the table at the three of them.
She shook her head slowly. “No… that’s… that can’t be right… he…” She looked down at the table.
There’s no way this could be true, her brother wasn’t a Spartan. He would have told her, wouldn’t he?

“Did he ever say anything to you about it?” Zach’s voice was as low as Antony’s now.
She didn’t answer, just sat there. When she didn’t answer, Anthony did. “No, he wouldn’t be able to even if he wanted. He looked at her then back at the others. “I think that’s enough for now guys, head back to your bunks… we got an assignment tomorrow at oh three hundred so rest up troopers.” And with that, Zach and Juan left. It was just her and Anthony now.

“You alright Serina?” He put his hand on her right shoulder softly. She nodded slowly. “Yeah… I’m fine.” He patted her shoulder gently before getting up to leave. “Sir?” He stopped, turning to look at her.
“Guys bugging you?” she chuckled softly. “No their fine… I just… I wanted to know about you is all.” He nodded. “Fair enough.” He sat back down beside her. “Like you, I was born on Reach. Orphaned at an early age, I learned to survive on my own until I was old enough to sign up with the marines. Went through basic and my drill sergeant took my aside and told I’d be better as an ODST… and here I am.”

He smiled softly before standing up. “Get some sleep… your gonna need it.”