Crime and Punishment

February 22nd, 2522

Gladsheim, Harvest, Epsilon Indi System

0352 Hours

"This is the police! Open the door, we have a warrant!"

In his home, 22 year old UNSC Army officer reservist Jacob Orenski woke up to the sounds of loud pounding on his door. Standing up, he walked over to the door, some of the boards creaking beneath his feet, and placed his eye to the peephole. Looking out, it was evident these men were not the constabulary. The man still pounding on his door wore a balaclava, military fatigues, tactical gear, and, most telling of all, was wielding an HMG-38, the mainstay of rebel forces, especially Harvest For Harvesters.

"Oh no..." Orenski thought to himself. Several days before, while going to Utgard for regular training, he had spotted a rebel base disguised as an orchard on the frontier, and immediately reported it to the authorities. Soon after, he heard it had been attacked and destroyed. By some way, the rebels had discovered it was him who had given away the information, and now they were coming for him.

"You have thirty seconds to open this door Jacob Orenski!" yelled the lead man as he pounded on the door some more. In a lightning movement, Orenski grabbed the Misriah Armories M90 shotgun that he had in his bedroom, took up a prone position in front of his door, and waited. As the rebel said, after the time was up, several gunshots sounded, and the door was kicked off its hinges. As the first rebel fighter moved in, Orenski fired his shotgun, hitting the man dead center in his chest, knocking him into his fellow. A stupid tactic for the rebels to perform, but before he knew it, Orenski had three more right on top of him, and felt a sharp pain on his shooting hand as he saw a tan boot fall on top of it, and his weapon was yanked away.

"Get that bastard on the truck!" he heard the wounded leader yell as a rifle butt slammed into his skull.

As Orenski awoke with a throbbing pain in his skull, he saw, through his blurred vision, and felt that he was being dragged down a hallway by two Harvest For Harvesters fighters. Through his pain, Orenski could hear them talking in hushed voices.

"So, this Orenski guy, should we take him to the commandant for interrogation?"

"Why? We got him, let's kill him now!"

"And if they find the body?"

"Body? What body?"

After hearing only a portion of the two's exchange, Orenski blacked out again, and when he awoke, he was bound and gagged, and the two soldiers were standing over him. "So, you're awake." said one of the fighters. "Now, we're going to keep this nice and simple. You are Jacob Orenski?"

"Fuck you." Orenski said.

"Poor choice of words." responded the rebel as he whacked Orenski in the ribs with a pipe, causing a sharp pain to race up Jacob's side. "You are him?" he asked again. This time Jacob said nothing, and the rebel, once again, hit him in the ribs with the pipe, harder this time. "Are you?" he asked once more. At this point, Jacob knew it would not matter. "Yes." he said, "I am he."

"Good." said the rebel as he motioned to another man, and soon after his confession, Orenski felt a liquid running on top of him, and smelled rubbing alcohol. Looking back up, the last thing he saw was the rebel who had interrogated him throwing a match on him, and the flash of an HMG-38.