Halo - Legacy

by CaptainFox1

Happening just after the events of Halo 3, a SPARTAN-III operating on the planet Indicative is mortally wounded and captured by the Sangheili just as they learn of the Great Schism. Going against what the UNSC teaches as basic laws of war, he decides to help the Sangheili in their own civil war, and ignore the dangers of betraying his own species.

1. Sacrifice

Chapter One: Sacrifice

Planet Indicative, December 12th, 2552…

The crackle of gunfire was a major part of the sound in the province of New Riviera, along with the occasional explosion and the collapse of a building. The Covenant attack on Indicative was one of the hardest in the war, with hundreds of thousands of troops pouring into the atmosphere of the densely-populated planet, and dozens of ships in space. I stood in a courtyard in the northern part of Ashcliff City, bordering the planet's capital city with a sheer cliff into the blue ocean waters below. Bullets sprayed from my MA5B Assault Rifle, pelting the oncoming Covenant forces driving us into a choke point between an apartment building and the cliff. I stood against the Covenant with three other Marines, ODSTs, battle-hardened soldiers who knew almost as much about the art of war as a SPARTAN.

I'm a SPARTAN, a III to be exact, one of the last ones created, SPARTAN-158, and I'm one of the last ones left. I'm fresh from Reach, and left only a few days before the whole planet was glassed by the Covenant. I don't remember who I was before I was a SPARTAN, I just know I was reborn to save what little humanity remains in the galaxy. Even to my death.

An Elite Zealot charged forth, drawing its Energy Sword with a piercing battlecry. A group of Skirmishers followed the Elite, darting back and forth with their Plasma Repeaters out and charged. Shifting my Assault Rifle to one hand, I drew my M6C/SOCOM pistol, firing both weapons into the complex shielding of the Elite, the hexagonal energy barrier shimmering over the smooth, red armor. The armor burst just as my mags ran out, and I sprinted forwards, using the boosters on the back of my armor to jump forwards to smash my fist into the stunned Elite's mandibled face, splintering the fragile bones. The Elite roared and slammed a balled hand over my back, snagging the crevice between my Commando Armor and my jumpsuit, picking me up and throwing me to the ground. One of the ODSTs jumped in, firing an SMG in short bursts at the Elite. The Elite ignored me for a moment to charge the ODST, which was my chance to jump on its back. I pulled out a second SOCOM and fired into the back of its head. The Elite fell with a heavy thud, drips of purple blood splattering the ground.

"Sir, behind you!" Another ODST yelled to me through the comms. During the brawl with the Elite, I had not been looking at my radar. Two red dots pulsed behind the yellow triangle representing me. I whirled around, my SOCOM already pointed behind me. Two Skirmishers ran towards me, firing their Repeaters in my general direction. I grabbed my combat knife from its sheath on my chest and jumped towards the Skirmishers, whose charge faltered as they saw half a ton of killing machine plummeting towards them. I plunged my knife into the forehead of one Skirmisher, slashing it out to strike the other, who jumped to the side and barked, calling two more over. I groaned and darted back, snatching my Assault Rifle from the ground next to the body of the Elite. I slapped a new clip in and fired at the three avians. One fell, four bullets slitting through its thin, feathered skin. The other two jumped from side to side, trying to evade my attack. I grabbed a frag grenade from my belt and flicked the red switch, counting to two and tossing it, giving me three whole seconds to get out of the way. Either the Skirmishers weren't exactly up to date with human weapons or they didn't see it, but they didn't move when the grenade bounced across the ground in front of their feet. I dove behind an instacrete barrier as they fired plasma bolts at me. I heard the low thud of the grenade blowing, and I peered out from behind the barrier. In the apartment building, a Jackal Sniper crawled to the window holding a Focus Rifle, its position given away from the red laser on the front of its helmet. Next to me was a DMR, and I grabbed it, quickly aiming at the oblivious Jackal who was popping a new battery into the rifle. I fired once, twice, three times, and the Jackal fell from the window surrounded by shattered blue glass. Across the courtyard, a cafe disappeared in a cloud of dust and rubble as a Wraith charge smashed into it. The large, purple Covenant tank glided over the destroyed building, the Elite gunner scanning the battleground with the repeating plasma cannon mounted on the front above the cockpit.

"Wraith!" An ODST shouted, diving behind the cover where I was, reloading his MA37 Assault Rifle with AP rounds. I nodded and handed him a grenade, standing up and firing at the Wraith. The shields flickered at the arms fire, and the pilot swiveled the floating vehicle in my direction. I cursed and grabbed the ODST by the arm, heaving him away from the wall. I knew it was too late to jump away myself, so I activated my armor-lock and hoped for the best as I heard the plasma blast surge from the main turret on the top side of the Wraith. The ground around me shuddered and broke, the paved street smashing into chunks under me. My vision was blinded for a moment by bright pink light. My armor-lock discharged, and I fell to the ground with a metallic thunk before I could put my arm out to steady myself. I pushed myself up and grabbed the DMR, sliding it over my back, switching it out for my MA5B. A few Skirmishers jumped from rooftop to rooftop above us, holding Carbines.

"Soldier, do we have any reserve Jackhammer missiles?" I asked the ODST Tech Specialist. He nodded and threw me a launcher with two missiles preloaded in it. I took aim at the Wraith first, whose shields had been weakened by persistent weapons fire, and fired. The missile streaked from the metal tube and smashed into the purple armor plating, erupting in bright flame. The Wraith, already damaged, fell to the ground from its floating state, its core blowing up as the system gave out. I smiled and pointed the launcher at the rooftop where the Skirmishers were taking aim. One noticed me and jumped back, gesturing at the others to move. Too late. I fired the missile, and the rooftop disappeared completely. The ODSTs cheered for a moment as the remaining Covenant troops looked around confused. A Spirit Gunship glided over the battle, flying towards the city center, the largest UNSC stronghold in the city. Suddenly, the gunship exploded in purple flame, pieces of it dropping to the ground. I looked behind me to see the Tech Specialist holding a smoking Jackhammer missile. I nodded to him in approval and turned back to the Covenant troops, whose eyes were glued at the fading explosion. I opened fire again with my Assault Rifle, followed by the other ODSTs. Three Jackals and eight Grunts fell before the Covenant turned their attention back to us, trying to fight back as we bested them. Two Field Marshal Elites, the leaders of this certain group of soldiers, jumped down from the second story of a building on the opposite side of the courtyard from us, both of them activating Energy Swords. They, along with the few remaining soldiers in the courtyard, charged at us blindly, falling one by one as a wall of bullets struck them.

The Covenant, especially Elites, were a lot like the ancient Samurai of Old Japan, never giving up, fighting until their last breath to uphold their leaders and beliefs. I admired them, to be honest, for their honor and persistence in battle. I watched both of the Field Marshals fall in battle, one falling heavily injured but not dead, and turning its own sword upon itself. This battle was won - here, at least, and I radioed for evac. We kept our guard up and held the position until one ODST announced he could see a dot in the distance. I looked up to the roar of a Pelican as the green dropship touched down in the center of the courtyard, kicking up a cloud of dust. Two Marines jumped from the back, checking the perimeter with their BR55 Battle Rifles. Another figure jumped from the dropship holding a prototype M6J Magnum Carbine. The person was eight feet tall and wore mechanized combat armor. A SPARTAN. I walked over to the SPARTAN and noted the dark, navy blue armor, a color not used by any fireteam before.

"SPARTAN Taylor Hall, Oh-Two-Zero. ONI Section Three." The female SPARTAN introduced, reaching out a hand. I took the hand and shook it firmly, looking her over. Her armor was of a new design, with no visor but a large jutting mechanical membrane. The word GUNGNIR was inscribed in black letters in small font on the corner of the membrane under a red dot.

"SPARTAN Zachary Reynards, One-Five-Eight. UNSC ODST Special Forces." I replied, securing my MA5 next to my DMR on my back. The four ODSTs walked up to us, cradling their weapons.

"Good, another SPARTAN. You may've just won this battle, but we need all the forces we can get at the city center. I need you to come with us." She said, pointing in the direction of the distant gunfire.

"Sir!" One of the marines yelled, pointing upwards. Two Banshee Fighters were flying towards them quickly. I jumped to action and snatched the DMR, aiming through the scopes for the thin connection between the wings and the fuselage. I fired twice, breaking off one wing on each fighter. They careened to the ground, falling just short of the cliff, smashing into the limestone wall and plummeting into the sea below. Two of the ODSTs cheered and clapped.

"Nice shot." The other SPARTAN stated. I climbed into the dropship, helping my ODSTs in.

"Get us out of here." I ordered to the pilot, who keyed the engines. Hall jumped into the craft swiftly, followed by the two marines, who kept their guns pointed outside until the airlock door swung closed. The Pelican lifted off, the four engine pods pointed straight at the ground for the best vertical takeoff. Abruptly, the dropship shot forwards, jarring me from my feet, I snagged a handhold and pulled myself up, grunting in annoyance. The ship shook as a few plasma bolts connected with the Titanium-A armor plating. I glanced into the cockpit and out of the window at the battle ahead. The battle was thick with smoke, and aircraft circled around the burning skyscrapers, letting loose salvo after salvo of gunfire. The airlock door opened, and we all mag-locked our feet to the ground so we could stand without falling out. I walked to the edge, still holding the handhold while I gazed at the battle.

"Sirs, the LZ is too hot, you'll have to jump into the battle!" The pilot announced over the wind. Hall nodded and stood up, opening an overhead compartment, revealing single-use jump packs. She handed one to each of the soldiers, except me of course, since I already had boosters on my armor. The troops strapped the metal rockets to their armor, flicking a red switch on the sides to activate the crude jet system.

"Alright, jump on my mark." Hall ordered, peering out at the ground below. "Three, two, one, MARK!" She jumped first, her lithe body gliding through the air until she activated the booster, setting her down on the ground gently. Everyone else followed, jumping from the dropship. I sprinted forwards until my feet touched air, where I went into an optimal air-drop position. I watched the altitude monitor on my HUD closely, waiting for the perfect moment to boost. My armor had only a two second boost at a time before it had to recharge, and I had to time this exact. If I went too soon, I would plummet to the ground like a flying brick. If I went too late, I would boost myself into the ground and make a nice SPARTAN milkshake. The red letters went from 200 M to 50 M in half a second, but because of my improved reflexes from the SPARTAN augmentations, it seemed like two seconds. Twenty-five meters was the perfect boost point for me, with enough fall time for me to grab my weapon before I landed.

43 M.

36 M.

26 M.

I looked at the booster icon on my HUD, and the eye-movement recorder system picked it up, activating the single-use jet. I was jolted into an upright position, and I swiftly grabbed my MA5 and SOCOM, going into a battle position as my feet hit the ground. The hydrostatic gel took most of the impact, and I darted forwards when my body was attuned to the ground again. I had landed behind enemy lines, and behind a tent. Only a single Grunt noticed me as it waddled to the front lines holding a plasma pistol. It barked, and I killed it with the silenced SOCOM. Peering behind the fence, I looked over the front lines. Four Wraiths, eight Spectres, and fourteen Ghosts lined up and pouring fire over the fortified UNSC stronghold. I saw the other soldiers, including Hall and my ODSTs behind the UNSC barriers, beginning to open fire on the Covenant attackers. I heard movement inside the tent, and the heavy breathing of an angry Elite. I bolted back behind the fabric just as it burst through the curtain door holding a Plasma Rifle. It sniffed at the air and looked around the corner for the source, to be met with a hand down its throat. It's cries were suppressed by the battle and my hand, and I threw it to the ground. I punched it repeatedly, bringing down its shields with my bare hands. I got out the SOCOM and fired once into its forehead, silencing it for good. I looked around to see if anyone had noticed me. I scoured its body and found and Active Camouflage cartridge, which I took because they are very useful in battle, and two Plasma Grenades, which I could use to take down the Wraiths. I activated the Camouflage and crept behind one of the Wraiths, activating a grenade quickly and sticking it into the exposed exhaust vent on the back, sprinting away quickly before the camouflage ran out. I ran into an alleyway and heard an explosion followed by alarmed barks and screams. A fire ladder was on an apartment building bordering the alleyway, and I went up it, taking three steps at a time. I kicked open a window on the forty-second floor and clambered in. I was at eye-level with most of the air battle, and I ducked as a flaming Banshee barely missed me and crashed into the side of the building ten feet across from me, falling to the ground in smoke. The inside of the room I had gotten into was dark, with furniture and small items like paper and glasses strewn across the floor.

I rounded the dark corner leading to the door to see a Grunt bending down over a dead human completely oblivious to my presence. I grabbed its head and snapped it to the side, killing it instantly. The body was of a civilian male in his mid-twenties to early-thirties, he was holding an non-military type M6C in his limp hand, and a Needler crystal was sticking out of his chest, mostly exploded. He was leaned on the wall next to the door, which was blood splattered and dirty. I kicked open the door and blew into the hall, to be met with nothing. There was some smoke near the ceiling, bodies and rubble on the floor, and a Covenant Vampire support fighter lodged in the building at the end of the hallway, burning. Crawling over the Vampire, I peered out from a moderately-sized crack between the fighter and the remainder of the wall at the ground battle. I took out my DMR and looked through the scope at the Ghosts and Spectres. From this height, I could snipe the drivers without being in front of it, which would not be the best course of action. I put in a new clip of AP rounds in the gun and took aim at the Grunt and Elite drivers. I fired four times, killing four soldiers. The hovering crafts floated to the ground, and the surrounding Covenant looked around in confusion. I reloaded and fired again at the other vehicles. Four more floated down. Now for the hard part, the Wraiths. Wraith tanks had two weak spots. One being to hijack it and stick a grenade on the exhaust like I had down for the first one, or to hit the exhaust from a distance, which was optimal for me at the moment. It took two shots to open the port, and one to destroy it. I looked away from the scope and down my leg, where I had magazines clipped to my armor. Eight left. That means I would have enough to knock out the last two Wraiths on the front lines. I looked through the green-lit scope at the back of the Wraith, searching for the glowing purple hole on the armor plating. There! I fired three times, the bullets going out of the barrel faster than a Battle Rifle, and the first Wraith exploded into a million flaming bits. The second whirled around, firing a plasma burst at the opening where I was. I jumped back as the outside of the building exploded, and the Vampire slid out of its stationary position to the ground below. The hole was now, of course, bigger - the Vampire had made quite a significant hole - and I only had two options of what to do. One was to stay here and try to take down the Wraith from the front and most likely be obliterated, or two, to find a way upstairs and catch the Wraith by surprise from a higher vantage point.

I chose the latter, and ran back into the hallway, dodging another blast from the Wraith's cannon. A staircase was on the opposite end of the hallway, leading upstairs. I sprinted up the creaking metal stairs and burst into the next floor. Two Grunts waddled in my direction, stopping when they spotted me, pulling out their Plasma Pistols in surprise. I fired twice with the DMR, killing them. In ran to the window on the far side, exactly above the one where I had been. I broke a small hole in the window and slid the barrel of the DMR out of it, setting the scope to a slightly farther range. The Wraith scanned the side of the building once more before turning back to the battle, where it was still being pelted with bullets. I aimed at the back and fired thrice more, destroying the fragile exhaust vent and overheating the core almost instantly, blowing up the purple vehicle. Without the support of the Wraiths, the Ghosts and Spectres were knocked out quickly since all human weapons fire was concentrated on them now. I kicked out the window completely and scaled the wall down to the ground, jumping off from the twelfth floor and landed in the middle of the battle. I kicked down a Grunt I ran past and jumped over the barricades, almost running right into SPARTAN Hall.

"Was that you that took down the tanks?" She asked me, still firing on the Covenant behind me. I nodded silently and whirled around, swapping my DMR for my MA5 in a millisecond, opening fire in full-auto at the alien soldiers. She shrugged and lobbed a grenade, blowing up one of the remaining Spectres. A Phantom dropship fell from the sky above as one of the vertical boosters blew up, smashing into the Covenant lines.

"All soldiers, charge!" A Marine Sergeant yelled to the small amount of troops at the Ashcliff City capitol building. The Army and Marine group charged forth, overwhelming the stunned and dazed Covenant troops as they tried to fight back. They were cut down easily by our weapons, and from strafing fire by Hornets overhead. I jumped an Elite Ultra as it ran for a rack of weapons, wrapping my hands around its neck, pulling it back. It let out a gurgling sound and elbowed me in the stomach. I loosened my grip slightly and it wriggled free, whirling around and grabbing me by the throat, lifting me up. I tried to get out by kicking and lashing out with my arms, but the Elite just swatted the attacks away. It grabbed its Energy Sword with one hand from its belt, while the other hand tightened around my neck. Darkness clouded the outer edges of my vision, but I did see the Elite stare me straight in the eye, its reptilian pupil unwavering as it sought for my eyes through my helmet. All that was running through my head was I'm going to die! and I need to get out! The Elite plunged the superheated sword into my stomach and twisted it. I cried out, but I couldn't even hear myself over the pain. I could feel my blood running out of my blood vessels, but being stopped as it was instantly cauterized by the plasma. The Elite pulled off my helmet and nodded to me slightly, so slightly that it would be invisible to anyone else but me. It lowered the sword, and I slid off the blade to the ground with a sickening thump. As I fell, the sword caught on another part of my body, but I didn't notice as I fell into unconsciousness.