Elbe (Part One)

For lack of a better thing to type up, I decided to throw another snippet of Shock Squad BETA on here. It's partially because I'm too lazy to type something up and mostly because I want to save processing speed - I'm having a massive data organizing session between my external hard drives and a brand-new one I got to help ease my lack of data space.

Anyway, here. A bit of the first episode.

Shock Squad BETA

Episode 1:

“Elbe” (WORKING TITLE)

SSB 001D1

CAST (in order of speaking appearance):

Human 1

Human 2

Human 3

Elite

MC2 / MCR Victoria James

GySgt Tanya Zerstörer

Cpl Adrian Summers-Bocage

HN Laney Mitchell

PFC Lazarus Boutanco

LCpl Oxnard Eagleclaw

2ndLt Yake ‘Dolan

IS3 Jeffrey Alexander III

LTJG Tsuruya Eric

FADE IN to various shots of SOLDIERS getting interviewed (see Band of Brothers for the idea).

HUMAN 1:

According to the Office of Naval Intelligence, the 7^th Isis was a Naval Special Warfare detachment created a year after the Human-Covenant War – and that’s everything you would find in the record books.

HUMAN 2:

No post-combat reports. No logistical data. No personnel files. They didn’t exist. We didn’t exist.

HUMAN 3:

They formed the 7^th about… a year after the Human-Covenant War ended. At first, I thought it’d just be the UNSC’s cream of the crop, but man, was I wrong.

ELITE:

I laughed when Thel ‘Vadam announced of this “7^th Isis” group. A Special Operations force consisting of the mighty, superior Sangheilian race and the feeble, pink, and hairless apes? I thought the great Arbiter was joking!

HUMAN 1:

Turns out High Command wasn’t kidding. Next thing you know, there’s a company-sized detachment’s worth of soldiers stationed at Earth, listening to some speeches from Fleet Admiral Hood and that “Arbiter” Elite.

HUMAN 2:

Something about “being the first of our kind to contribute in this endeavor” and “a huge step towards galactic peace” and some other crap like that. I didn’t really pay attention because I could’ve sworn that the Elite next to me was snarling at me – couldn’t sleep right for weeks.

HUMAN 3:

So while I looked at the lines of standing people clad in gleaming armor suits, I realized that saying “lines of standing people” was only about 75 percent right.

ELITE:

I couldn’t believe it. I was working with humans – the very species that we had barely begun calling “allies!” My fallen brothers must have been rolling in their tombs.

FADE OUT.

CUE MUSIC SHORT CLIP and FADE IN TITLE CARD:

Shock Squad BETA

 “Elbe”

FADE OUT TITLE CARD.

FADE IN to JAMES as she begins her narration.

MASS COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST 3^rd CLASS VICTORIA S. JAMES:

Sunday, March 17, 2554 would forever be immortalized as the “Elbe Day” of the Human-Covenant War. While the conflict had ended a year prior with the UNSC and the Covenant Separatists as uneasy allies, it was only now that both sides began to embrace each other as potential friends.

FADE TO and TRANSITION THROUGH various photos and videos relating to JAMES’ words.

MC2 JAMES [V.O.] [CONT’D]:

The day also was the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the 7^th Isis NAVSPECWAR Detachment. Conceived in September 2553, this avant-garde Special Forces unit would take the best of both the UNSC and the Elite Separatists and place them in the first-ever official Human-Sangheili integrated unit. To most of the military commanders bearing witness to the event, the 7^th looked more like a vanity project than an actual Special Forces unit. A vanity project which, in reality, was a powder keg waiting to be lit.

FADE TO JAMES.

MC2 JAMES [CONT’D]:

It was like impulsively buying a wild stallion for a horse race. Initially, you’re happy with your business venture, but once that horse throws you off the saddle and nearly tramples you to death, you started wondering why the hell you even made the investment in the first place.

FADE TO shots of a military base. Overlaid on the bottom right is a right-aligned subtitle reading:

SUN 17 MAR 2554

1145 HRS

Earth – UNSC NAB Point Mugu

MC2 JAMES [V.O.] [CONT'D]:

Many squads of the detachment were finding it very difficult to adjust to this dramatic change – let alone each other – but Shock Squad BETA was the exception.

A duo of SOLDIERS (SUMMERS-BOCAGE and ZERSTÖRER) is seen. They can be heard arguing at each other.

MC2 JAMES [V.O.] [CONT'D]:

Out of the 24 squads in the 7^th, BETA started out as the untamed steed that downright kicked you in the face when you tried to say “hello.”

GUNNERY SERGEANT V. TANYA ZERSTÖRER:

…I’m not going to say it again, Corporal: I don’t date any of my subordinates, so BACK OFF and stop hitting on me.

CORPORAL ADRIAN Z. SUMMERS-BOCAGE:

It’s not “hitting on you”; it’s “buttering you up for conversation.” Cut me some slack, sexy.

As the squabble continues, the camera focuses on ZERSTÖRER.

MC2 JAMES [V.O.]:

Gunnery Sergeant Tanya Zerstörer was BETA’s second-in-command and the squad's designated marksman. The Zerstörer name had quite a military reputation with the UNSC, so it was no surprise to see her with the 7^th.

The camera then begins to focus on SUMMERS-BOCAGE. The duo is still in heated dispute.

MC2 JAMES [V.O.] [CONT'D]:

When it came to vehicular maintenance, Corporal Adrian Summers-Bocage was who BETA called on. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, his spoiled, narcissistic personality conflicted with his team… practically every day.

Cpl SUMMERS-BOCAGE:

…you really expect me to believe that you’re not even the slightest bit interested in me? I highly doubt you’d pass up the greatest opportunity the UNSC could ever throw your way.

GySgt T. ZERSTÖRER:

Oh, I don’t plan on passing up “the greatest opportunity” the Corps threw me. I, Gunnery Sergeant Tanya Zerstörer, in charge of the snot-nosed son of the great General Amadeus Summers-Bocage and trillionaire CEO Hilary Zeostone?

Cpl SUMMERS-BOCAGE:

Damn right. You’ve got the sexiest, richest, and best-looking soldier the Sol System has under your command.

GySgt T. ZERSTÖRER:

And I intend to make sure I savor every tortuous moment of it, soldier. Now shut up, you swine! That’s an order!

Cpl SUMMERS-BOCAGE:

Why don’t you make me, bitch!?

Another SOLDIER (BOUTANCO) walks up.

GySgt T. ZERSTÖRER:

Oh, I will, Corporal Summers. [gets face-to-face with SUMMERS-BOCAGE] Mark my words: when I'm done with you, you'll wish you never got out of bed this morning.

Cpl SUMMERS-BOCAGE:

Heh. That's what she said.

GySgt T. ZERSTÖRER: [clearly offended]

Why, you little - !

BOUTANCO clears his throat to get the attention of the bickering pair of soldiers. T. ZERSTÖRER turns to the PFC.

GySgt T. ZERSTÖRER [CONT'D]:

What!?

PRIVATE FIRST CLASS LAZARUS M.H. BOUTANCO:

…erm, pardon my interruption, but I was told to get you two to meet our Commanding Officer at Motor Pool Three. You done berating the Corporal, Gunnery Sergeant?

Short silence. T. ZERSTÖRER looks at SUMMERS-BOCAGE, then looks back at BOUTANCO and sighs.

GySgt T. ZERSTÖRER:

For now… yes. Come on; let's go before my blood pressure starts spiking. Summers, MOVE!

ZERSTÖRER and SUMMERS-BOCAGE start walking away, continuing their argument. BOUTANCO just watches them.

Cpl SUMMERS-BOCAGE:

Like hell we're done. I'm telling you you're losing out –

GySgt T. ZERSTÖRER:

On absolutely nothing. Now shut it, Corporal!

Cpl SUMMERS-BOCAGE:

Like I said: why don't you make me?

BOUTANCO just keeps staring. He sighs, and then slowly starts following them.

PFC BOUTANCO:

God, this is gonna be a horrible day…

MC2 JAMES [V.O.]:

Private First Class Lazarus Boutanco was fresh out of Boot Camp when he joined the 7^th. Not much else is known about him, because he was a quiet man who only spoke out of necessity or when things hit the fan.

PFC BOUTANCO:

I'm just hoping that the rest of my squad isn't so psychotic.