Rifleman Archive
Thread: Semper Fidelis .... The Story of a Rifleman ....
Semper Fidelis ~ Always Faithful
To the Rifleman …. The backbone of combat.
Whats your best story IC or OOC of being a Rifleman?
Summer, 2004
Tatoo System, Anchorhead Bluff
A Morning ….
The suns of the Tatooine System were rising, it was hot and dry. Even the sand was growing warm; I could feel it through my composite armor. I could feel the sweat forming under my armor, and lugging around this Rifle only depleted my strength. But as I gripped the handle tighter, I felt comfort. I felt protected as this old T-21 had been with me through many battles and we had always managed to come home together. She was the original T-21 issued to me by the Empire. I named her Neemo, after my wife. The unbreakable half Human half Zabrak who had saved my life. Just like this old T-21 had done many times before.
Bestine Command had been maneuvering Imperial units into the area for the past two hours. Vectors being relayed over the voice communications as team commanders were coordinating the pre-attack plans. Looking down at my tactical display, I knew all of my units were in position. We were ready for the largest assault Tatooine had ever seen. Around me was the best the Empire could muster in this forsaken wasteland of a planet. Twelve Imperial guilds, all ready for the attack.
A few civilians began making their way out of a few structures along the bluff line of Anchorhead. The sun was rising; the day was beginning for them. Unfortunate I thought, but necessary causalities of war. We had orders. Our orders were simple. Wipe out everything behind those gates of Anchorhead.And we knew what was there, the largest Rebel force to see the Outer Rim since the civil war had started. And we were out numbered two to one. I couldn’t think about that now, it was too late for a numbers game.
“Black Star 3 move your team about 20 meters to the south. Stand ready for engagement.” I said over the voice system.
“Roger sir. Team 3 ready.” Lieutenant Ledo’mo reported, our Teras Kasi Master. And one of the few I trusted more then any other.
“Imperial Command, Black Star is ready and waiting.” I reported to the others.
“Roger that Commander, we’ll move on your orders sir.” A voice piped up over the voice system.
On my stomach, I peered up over the bluff line. It was too bad those civilians would end up dying. Dust blew across the bluff in a moment of peace, the last moment of peace this bluff would see until tomorrow morning sometime. I gripped my T-21, around me were seasoned and green soldiers alike. My stomach twisted as I thought of who was around me. The Pistoleer, the Carbineer, the Combat Medic, the Fencer, the Pikeman, the Teras Kasi … and the Rifleman. The Imperial soldier’s who stood as the pillars of the Empire.
Static!
A yell!
“AXIS is engaged!” A voice yelled over voice.
“We’re spotted!Moving on target!” Another voice yelled.
A breath.
A look.
“All units engage!”I yelled.“GO GO GO!”
The dust settled, then more dust rose as TIE fighters screamed overhead. The towering explosions of turbo fire slamming into the towers of Anchorhead lined the path of our attack as the TIE fighters arched up into the morning skies of Tatooine. The dark black pillars of smoke began rising before us. Imperial soldiers rose like a mountain side avalanche as we stood and began sprinting over the bluff! Our boots causing the ground beneath to vibrate. Soon the glowing balls of poison arched over our heads like titanic artillery fire exploding into the Rebel force coming to meet us on that bluff. Ahead, the enemey; the cloud of red that was Anchorhead. I dropped to one knee as a target appeared into view, he was in range. A quick break and I opened fire.
The ground shook as my T-21 emanated a hail storm of red hate from her barrel. At 65 meters my rounds slammed into his body sending the unknown Rebel soldier flying backwards to his death. I had released him, the first who would fall on this bloody day.
An impact!
I’m hit!
I shifted to my right as I sent another volley of T-21 fire into the cloud of red coming at us. A chunk of my composite armor sprang off my shoulder piece as the rifle’s recoil ground into my body! The power of my Rifle sending another body to the ground as I comboed a knockdown. The bodies rushed by as Imperial’s flung themselves into the grip of war!
I shifted my eyes to my left picking up another target moving in around our flank. As I sent another ground shuttering volley of red T-21 fire her way, I saw it. The long beat up barrels of other Rifleman. Two standing, one kneeling next to me facing the Rancor pack of Rebels heading our way! Their barrels just as seasoned as mine from carrying the Imperial war fighting machine on our backs. The war would rage on for another two hours as Rifleman lined the parameter of the Anchorhead bluff slaughtering the enemy, just as their Rifleman were doing to us.
An impact!
I’m down!
My body rolled as I came to my aching feet; pulling the butt of my T-21 off my hurting shoulder I turned it slamming it into the face of a Fencer!His body flew back slamming to the scorched ground around me. I pulled the butt of the Rifle back into my shoulder pressing the muzzle to his armored face; I released him from his duties as a Rebel soldier.
An impact!
“I have you now Commander!” A voice screamed through the chaos and smoke.
A body rounding a corner at a full sprint!It was him!
The man who was the thorn in my side.Deuce Wildcard, the leader of GHOST.
Our game of chess went on for what seemed like an eternity as we traded T-21 rounds. One after another, our armor breaking around our bodies from the scorching impacts of Rifle fire. We traded blows, our health growing critical at each shot, our heads ringing out in pain as chunks of our helmets blown off.
Headshot!
Headshot!
Snipershot!
Next thing I knew, I was being dragged through the blood soaked dirt by a Combat Medic. The smoke from the battle so thick, I couldn’t even see her face. My head was pounding as I stood; my heart sank as my T-21 was still in my hands. She hadn’t left me that faithful Rifle, not this time. Always faithful, unto the end. I looked as a wisp of smoke cleared and there his body rested, he had incapacitated me as my sniper shot hit him. I had released him …. This time. Deuce Wildcard … he is a Rifleman.
My personal shuttle landed back in Imperia Tiberius the next morning, most of my armor in need of repair. Standing around me, thecomposite uniforms of Black Star soldiers, black with a white left bicep.And they looked as bad as I did, but we stood proud. The bloody dirt of Tatooine still in the corners and creases of the composite armor, still stuck to the burned barrel of my always faithful T-21. I dreaded reading the causality reports from the past day of war. I had myself lost several soldiers under my command in Black Star. And entire Imperial Garrison wiped out. But we had won the day, but at a cost. After being driven out of Anchorhead, after battling hand-to-hand through the street’s of Bestine, after pushing them back and out of the old ruins. We pushed them back into Anchorhead for a twelve hour battle in the tiny back allies, buildings and repair facilities of the small Tatooine community. We had slaughtered everything in Anchorhead; we had fulfilled the Emperor’s orders.
I wonder who those civilians were I thought to myself as I entered my small house. I pulled my helmet off, my body aching, wounded, and torn. I just let the helmet fall to the floor as my hand held that T-21 as tightly as I did when peering over the bluff of Anchorhead. My shoulders slumped; I looked at the small house that was mine. Sitting quietly on the couch was Neemo, tears in her eyes as she saw me covered in blood, desert sand and burn marks across my composite coverings.
Turning, I wiped the dirt off that old T-21 and hung her on the wall, when my armor was off I would pull her off the rack and disassemble that old rifle and clean it readying her for the next time …. The next time I would join other Rifleman as the backbone of the Imperial Military Machine.
Around her on that rack, was every other Rifle I ever owned. As proud trophy’s, to a proud tradition and heritage.
I am a Rifleman … We, are Rifleman.We are the backbone of war … and we carry our Rifle’s honoring our enemy and brother alike.
Always faithful …. Semper Fi to the Rifleman -
Message Edited by Valion310 on 11-04-2005 10:44 AM
Like a true Marine who is off duty, I am Drunk.... 
Semper Fi Mike Oscar Tango Hotel Echo Romeo Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo Echo Romeo!
This is my rifle, This is my gun.
This is for Fighting, This is for Fun.
