Travis Murphy

== Origins ==
Born Travis James Murphy in 2529 to Michelle and Glenn Murphy. Travis' father was a Captain in the Navy and his mother a Major in the Marine Corps. He is very connected to his parents and his brother Jackson. They were from Mars and had resided on the red planet until Travis' and Jacksons' 18th birthday when they both enlisted in the UNSC Marine Corps. Both Travis and his brother went to basic training at Fort Wayland on Earth and graduated with honors earning them the rank of (E-2) Private First Class. Travis' MOS was an 0311 rifleman and Jackson was an 0331 machine gunner. Both of them were sent to the School of Infantry in eastern URNA and deployed with 1st platoon, Kilo company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment. 
== Early Military Career ==
=== Battle for Alluvion ===
Travis was immediately deployed to the UEG world of Alluvion and sought to its defense along side the 12th Army group. The battle started when Travis' platoon was sent on a scouting mission to investigate the suspected covenant landing zone. During this mission Travis' platoon was ambushed by skirmishers and took heavy casualties before being forced to pull back. His platoon was able to ID the coordinates of the landing zone before being ambushed. When his platoon returned to friendly lines only 10% unit integrity remained in his platoon. After a debrief over the next 3 hours UNSC Army assets would fight a desperate defense against the the vastly superior Covenant. Over the next few days Travis and Jackson would score their first few covenant kills and even took down a Elite Major. After his unit took heavy casualties in the fighting the decision was made to abandon Alluvion.
After many other deployments Travis was promoted to (E-3) Lance Corporal and was assigned as his platoons radio telephone operator. Travis was now in charge of his entire platoons outward communications relayed by his platoon commander, Gunnery Sergeant Phelps. Travis' skills were put to the test during the [Redacted] when he was forced to radio extract under fire after his platoon commander was killed and saved his platoon. After the engagement Travis was awarded the Marine Corps Commendation Medal and a Bronze Star for his actions and put him on a fast track to (E-4) Corporal.
=== Battle of New Llanelli ===
Corporal Murphy deployed to New Llanelli and aided in evacuating and fighting in bare grit combat. His Battalion fought in a straight up fight against the amassed Covenant armies that his Commanding Officer described as "The fairest fight to ever occur." which raised moral in Travis' unit. Corporal Murphy and his platoon were defending an entrenched position and we're holding firm in the crashing wave of Covenant. The marines were entrenched on the edge of a forest with a burning city all along the horizon. A highway ran along the western side of their position. An ODST sniper team nested there along with the forward command post. A fierce battle was raging and the Marines were holding firm, They had already been fighting for sometime. Travis and his company were outmatched and they slowly began to wear down. The firefight started to turn into a close quarters battle as the Covenant encroached on the Marines. Travis was dragging back a wounded marine when he was hit in his torso by a plasma round, burning through his Body Armor and into his chest. During the final stages he was medivac'd off world along the hundreds of other recovered wounded marines.
== Battle of Skopje ==
After recovering from his wounds Corporal Murphy deployed again with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment to Skopje and assisted in evacuating civilians. He was assigned the northern hemisphere and his company evacuated village after village until they were caught between 2 battalions of Covenant infantry and light vehicles. The last of the pelican dropships fully loaded with civilians and wounded soared away when the attack began. His company immediately took casualties and scattered to take cover in the village buildings. The battle raged and the situation was dire, Casualties mounted and ammunition was running low. Travis was wounded in the arm and the abdomen. The Covenant were getting dangerously close on their position. The Marines were stacking bodies and were on the verge of being overran. Dozens of Marines were fiercely fighting for their lives. An unnamed SPARTAN-II saved Travis and his platoon from the massacre and got away by commandeering a couple of warthogs. While Travis and what was left of his company were being debrifed, He was informed that he was being promoted to (E-5) Sergeant and Platoon Sergeant. 
== Siege of Paris IV ==
When the Covenant found Paris IV, Travis and his Marines were immediately deployed to counter the siege. He was stationed in the city of Mimir. They dug in along the southwest portion of the city and engaged Covenant infantry in close quarters fashion. The Marines of the 1st battalion were evacuating civilians and fighting for every inch they could. Travis and a few other Marines held a strong point against a massive group of Covenant infantry. When Covenant armor started to engaged the Marines the fight turned south. The Marines were taking heavy casualties and the fighting dragged outside the city and into the green grass fields where the Marines were all massacred. Few survived and went on to barely escape the planet. Sergeant Travis J Murphy is the sole survivor of his 23 man Platoon. After the battle Travis took leave from the battlefront and went on to attend Officer Candidate School back on Earth. 
== Officer Candidate School ==
Corporal Murphy was accepted at Officer Candidate School and was sent to Earth to attend the OCS school at Quantico, URNA. When Travis arrived at OCS he immediately was feeling a rush of emotions as other Marine Officer Candidates walked off their transport. Talking about all the "Action" they had seen this made Travis twitch at the thought of these other Marines glorifying the war. Nonetheless Travis' first few days at OCS were rough, It had been like he was back in basic training again. Murphy struggled through OCS and failed his semester test, but he didnt graduate and instead was instated at a WO-1 - Marine Corps Infantry Warrant Officer. He was reassigned to the 1st Recon Marines and after a break from the combat redeployed again in late 2551.
== Sol System Campaign ==
=== Reach: ===
WO Murphy was stationed on the fortress world of Reach attached to the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion. Fort Bannister was their staging ground and WO Murphy was put in command of 200 force reconnaissance Marines. They conducted joint training's with UNSC Army Airborne and Special Forces for the next few months until the Covenant discovered the planet. Travis was immediately deployed along side his Marines to the front. He and his Marines first fought the Covenant at the city of Manassas, The Covenant targeted civilian hardpoints and massacred thousands. Murphy and his Marines fought ferociously in street to street fighting, Casualties were mounting and the situation was looking grim. The UNSC forces could not hold the city and were forced to abandon it, What was left of the 1st Recon Marines were pulled out and redirected towards Fenix Air Force Base. When the Marines arrived the base was in full siege, Their arrival was greatly timed as a team of SPARTAN-III's had also arrived alongside them. The base command tower was nearly destroyed and the tarmac inoperable, The Airfield was also on fire. Covenant infantry and light armor smashed on the base perimeter and the Marines and Army troopers dub in, They fought for 3 days until they could no longer hold their position and were forced to scuttle the base. Towards the final days of the Reach Campaign after news of all major cities along and most installations destroyed the order was given to abandon the planet. 1st Recon Marines made their final stand at the ship breaking facilities on Aszod. Murphy was severely wounded and miraculously survived the battle by crawling into a small concealed dry cave. There he tended to his wounds and stabilized himself with biofoam which had saved his life. 2 days later he emerged from the cave only to be rescued by a recovery team. 
=== Earth: ===
October 18th, 2552
After the Fall of Reach, Travis was aboard the UNSC Winter of Discontent and was recovering alongside many other wounded Soldiers, Sailors and Marines. Travis walked slowly down the halls of the Winter of Discontent, Walking past the wounded and the dead. He entered the hanger bay and he couldn't believe what he saw. Rows upon rows of wounded and deceased Marines and Army troopers. Travis began to slowly limp down the rows and medical personnel were rushing around tending to the wounded. "Hurry put him over here." He overheard a medic shout as Travis limped down passing by endless streams of wounded as groans and screams of pain filled the air. He slowly looked down and noticed that many of his fallen comrades were missing limbs and covered in their own blood. Travis stopped at the end a row and saw medics draping cloth sheets over the deceased. As more wounded were carried and dragged into the massive trauma center in the hangar. Travis walked towards a hatch leading out of the hangar as he stopped and looked back one last time at the seemingly endless bloody rows of his fallen comrades. "Quickly, he's bleeding out" A Sergeant yelled as he carried in a wounded Marine whom has two spiker rounds protruding through his torso. He then looked back towards the hatch and exited the hangar bay. 
November 17th, 2552 
Roughly a month after arriving on the UNSC Winter of Discontent and a few weeks after arriving at Earth. The Covenant arrived at Earth and began their assault on humanity's last bastion. WO Murphy was mostly recovered and stationed with his Marines in the town of Voi, Kenya. 
1400 Hours 
Rain fell upon the Marines as they dug into their positions in the town of Voi. The sounds of war echoed in the distance as WO Murphy was standing inside his Company's forward observation post where he was speaking to a Scout Sniper team. "Tell me what you see out there, Corporal" Murphy quickly asked. "Sir, I spot lots of Covenant activity towards the west, Heavy smoke rising from 1-3's Position" The Corporal explained. "3rd Marines must be taking a pounding, won't be too long before they move our way, We're moving to alert level Alpha." Murphy quickly explained as he walked back towards his platoons location. 
1520 Hours 
Murphy was smoking a cigarette as light rain now fell on their position. He never smoked before but deep down he felt that they would soon be overran. His thoughts came true as banshees flew over their position and multiple phantoms on approach. Travis quickly tossed out his smoke and radioed his platoon into action. His men quickly readied themselves in their positions. Wraith rounds came crashing in around the Marines as the phantoms deployed Covenant ground infantry. "They've deployed ground infantry, locate and neutralize!" Murphy quickly said over their platoon radio. His Marines started to open fire on the approaching Covenant troops. Explosions came all around Murphy as he fired his BR55 relentlessly. 
1600 Hours 
Murphy and his Marines were being slowly pushed back and his unit began taking casualties. "Fire your weapons, Pour it on them!" Sergeant Lisowski yelled as rounds came crashing towards his position. "Let them hav..." Lisowski began to yell as he was struck and killed by plasma rounds. "Sergeant Lisowski is down, They've exposed our left fl.." Private Tiller was cut short as he too was killed by plasma fire. "Marines, Pull back to my location, This is where we stand!" Murphy ordered as what was left of his Marines rallied on him. Murphy quickly positioned his Marines on his position and they began to fire their weapons at the encroaching Covenant. The Marines fired their weapons endlessly as Murphy picked up a radio handmic and quickly spoke into it. "This is Chosen 9-5 to any friendly units on this net, My unit is on the verge of being overran and require immediate assistance, over!" Murphy quickly said into the mic. Plasma and needle rounds came crashing onto the Marines and one by one the Marines fell. "Chosen 9-5 this is Firebird 1-1, flight of two GA-TL1 Longswords in holding pattern over grid vicinity Sierra Delta 45674432, Over." A voice came over the raido. Murphy turned and was struck in his shoulder by a plasma round, grunting as it burned into his flesh. "Solid copy, My location is Sierra Delta 46084532, Altitude 1100, Covenant infantry on my location, Request you drop your ordnance on my location, Over." Murphy hastily said as a spiker round struck him through his torso knocking him onto his back. After a few seconds Murphy looked down and grasped the smoking spiker round sticking through his body and shouted out in agony. A faint voice came over the handmic and Murphy leaned onto his side and reached out. He felt his fingers touch the handmic and he grasped it with what strength he had left holding it up to his ear. "Repeat, Request ordnance on friendly location, Over." The voice said. Travis holding the handmic to his ear looked around towards his fallen Marines and muttered "Affirmative, Chosen 9-5, Out." His final words as the rain fell onto him and his lifeless Marines around him. Covenant troops swarmed over his position and began overturning the bodies of the Marines and shot them dead. Travis, with one last glimpse, looked towards the sky and saw the two longswords release their payload onto his position. "Angels on our shoulders." He thought as fire and explosions engulfed him and his position. 
Warrant Officer Grade 1 Travis James Murphy, Confirmed 'Killed in Action' on November 17th, 2552 at 1600 Hours in Voi, Kenya. Category:UNSC Marine Corps Personnel