Prologue

Museum of humanity.

Earth. Sol System

2613

I looked at the diorama made for the Siege of Paris IV, silently remembering every moment of the battle. Off to the side reporters and cameramen all stood talking over the commotion. Today was the sixtieth year anniversary of the end of the war And as such cameras, news crews, and even the occasional Sangheili historian were asking questions and taking pictures or filming, though hectic they were not overly loud. Still, I paid no mind to them, who would want to hear the story of a man like me anyway.

I continued to look at the model. It was a down to scale picture of the final Covenant push. More importantly, the final evac form the planet's surface. Unlike the Believe diorama, this was a model of the whole city. The soldiers were mere dots and there were so few of them, but you can still feel the raw emotion of the battle, from every broken building to every downed transport. I remember every moment of the battle too... evrey... moment...

Paris IV. Paris System

2549

Pvt 1st class: Grayson T. Young

105th Orbital Shock Drop Troopers

I ducked as bolts of plasma flew over the trench. Fifty yards behind me I heard a scream of pain as a bolt found its' mark. I clutched my BR5B tighter to my chest. I looked over to the torn remains of my squad mates. Damn aliens. Not even an hour in and already my entire unit was KIA. I turned to the soldier next to me and gave him a nod. We each cocked back the bolts of our rifles and readied ourselves for the next wave.

At first the battle for the planet was going smoothly. Until some fucker decided to blow the generators powering the Big Sticks. Basically giving the planet to them. Now all we could do was try and get as many people off world as we can. That's where my unit came in. We were assigned to stall the hostile ground forces moving in on the city. Intel said that there were two lead commanders. One for the monkeys and one for the Split-chins. And knowing my luck we were sent ageist the Elites. And not just that but the center of the fucking shit storm.

As soon as we touched down we were under fire. The Sgt was hit first, poor bastards' head exploded form a beam from a sniper. The fucker responsible had received several rounds in the face for the crime. Soon after all the rest of the Non-coms and officers were dead from sniper fire, lucky plasma shots and the over all destruction that came with war. Those who died within the first hours included the rest of my squad as well as the majority of the more experienced soldiers. Leaving me with thirty seven Marries and Army rangers who were equally scared, green, and leaderless. I was put in the strange position of power when they all asked me what to do. Hell, how was I supposed to know? I was a privat, so I answered like a jarhead would. I told them to shoot any fucker that tried to rush us. It worked for thirty minutes.

And as a testament to how efficient our unorganized tactic was, the ground in front of us was littered with bodies of grunts, jackals, and elites, flaming wrecks of covenant vehicles also doted the road, many of the buildings had collapsed creating pockets of rubble that the advancing army used for cover. In short it looked like hell. Chances are never in a million years will this happen again. Us lasting this long that is.

I peeked over the trench and saw movement. They were sending grunts up, how original. But unlike the videos of hordes of grunts charging all at once. These bastards moved from cover to cover. I took aim at the nearest grunt and let loose a burst of rounds as it left from an overturned truck. The soldiers around me followed my lead and fired at their individual targets.

The grunts returned fire but were unable to hit us because our position had near perfect cover. If we had any hope of living, it was the trenches. The army boys had dug them and were they efficient. There were three trenches, one after the next. The way that they had been dug was so that they sloped behind us as so not to give the Covenant an advantage if they took the trench. It also gave us in the first trench a way to escape.

I switched targets to a grunt who had his side open to my line of sight. It fell dead, holes riddled the poor creatures body.

"Grenade!" A marine yelled. I looked up only to see a blue sphere land on my visor. I screamed and grabbed my helmet, flicked the latch and tossed it back at the attackers. I smirked when I saw an elite open it's eyes in surprise before it vanished in a blue flash. Still my heart was beating faster then before. I was scared there was no other way to describe it.

I looked over to the soldier next to me. "We need back up! Were about to get over run!" I hollered. My deep voice snapping him out of his killing spree. He was the radioman of his platoon and sadly the last one of said platoon. He quickly got on and tried to call command but was cut off when plasma bolt sheered the antenna off of his pack.

He looked like he just pissed himself, heck I might have too. I guess we are on our own. There were two marines on the other side who were taking potshots at the advancing grunts, only caring about killing as many of those assholes as they could. On the other side three army troopers laid down suppressing fire on some unseen enemy.

In all there were seven of us in the first trench. But there were more dead than alive at this point. I risked a look over the edge. They just kept coming. Soon we would run out of ammunition and have to fall back. Either that or get overrun.

I checked my ammo, fifteen rounds left. I took a breath to steady my breathing and waited a second.

I left cover and took aim and let out three controlled bursts killing three grunts who were making a break to cover. I switched targets and focused on a jackal sharpshooter, I let out a single round and hit him in the eye socket. Would have been a textbook kill if not for the danger I had missed.

In my peripheral vision I saw a Grunt with his arm missing at it's shoulder lob a sticky grenade in my direction. It landed on the radioman. He let out a scream before I pushed him away. I only had a moment to turn before it detonated ending his scream with blast of super heated plasma. The force of the blast threw me on the other side of the two marines, landing on my stomach.

My body felt like it was on fire. More over my back felt like it was on fire, everything else just hurt. I forced my arms to push me from the ground, but one gave out on me sending me to the bloody mud again. Something grabbed the arm that had gave out and forced me onto my knees. Boy did that sting.

I looked up and saw a marine moving his lips, There was no sound, Come to think about it the only sound was the loud high pitched ringing. Well fuck I'm deaf. He was pointing to the second trench when his head exploded from a overcharged plasma blast. His buddy next to him shot the bastard responsible and charged up the trench dying in a hail of plasma. Stupid fucker.

My hearing came back in force after that. The sound of the raging battle caused me to flinch. The roar of fires that raged unchecked, the constant explosions from some other part of the city, the screams of fighters flying over head.

I picked up the dead marines' rifle and pulled back the bolt. I let myself smile when a new round entered the chamber. A grunt came over, I aimed and puled the trigger only to have a single round eject and slam in the center of its' eyes. I didn't have a chance to moan in annoyance as another grunt came over the trench, my adrenaline forced the pain away as my legs pushed off the ground and bashed the rifle over the poor creatures' head, causing it to cave. It collapsed in a heap, dead. A jackal came over next and it let out a screech as it aimed his pistol at me. I threw the empty weapon at the bird and simultaneously pulled out my pistol. His shield was knocked away for a split second, Just long enough for me to let off a round in its' head. Killing it in a spatter of brains and skull fragments.

I bent down and picked up a fallen Saw LMG from a dead soldier and lifted it up and started spraying at the enemy soldiers who were now swarming over the trench on my left flank while killing the few that tried to advance on my front with my pistol. If I was going to die then they were coming with me.

My pistol clicked empty as an Elite welding a plasma sword jumped in the trench where the three army troopers were holding the line. I watched in horror as it sliced one in half causing his intestines to come out. The two remaining soldiers opened fire on him at the same time but he simply charged at them. One had the misfortune of getting slammed into the trench wall. Blood spattered out from his mouth as his ribs and lungs were crushed. His buddy rolled away but was impaled by a needle fired from a grunt wearing black his face twisted in pain before the shard detonated ripping him apart.

My attention was brought back to me as the LMG clicked empty. The elite then looked at me, and let out a rawr that caused the grunts and jackals who were aiming at me to focus on the second trench. He charged at me with a angry growl, his sword arm poised to take the final plunge into my chest...

..."Sir?"

I snapped out of my memories as I realized that a young marine had been standing there asking me a question.

"Yes?" My overly deep voice caused the marine to take a step back out of what I guess was surprise.

"Are you Captain Grayson Young Sir? I've asked around and every one says look for the big mean looking guy." He asked me, he seemed like a nice boy. I guess I could forgive him for that wise crack.

"Why? Do I look mean?" I asked him my voice slightly rising, in mock anger. But he doesn't know that. I said I guess I could not will. He visibly pailed. "Ah.. No sir! sorry to interrupt you. Sir!"

That made me smile. "Relax marine," I started to chuckle at his reaction. After I let myself have a moment of enjoyment at the misfortune of the Marine in front of me, I nodded my head. "Yes I am Captain Young. What can I do for you?"

He let out a sigh of relief and straightened himself out fast enough to make me to give him a ghost of a smile. He handed me an envelope. "This is for you sir. You are also to report at the rotunda of heros.

I scoffed at the ridiculous name. The rotunda of heros? Who would come up with a name like that? But hey I wasn't the one to design the building. so I cant complain. "Thank you...?"

"Privet Tarkov Sir." He answered with clarity.

Tarkov? "Are you related to Major General Tarkov?" I asked.

"Yes sir. He's my grandfather, Now I hate to do this sir but I am needed to deliver the rest of these."

I nodded and allowed him to leave. I looked at the envelope he had given me. On the front was the seal of the UEG. I puled out my knife and slit the top open and I pulled out the paper inside and read it.

Captain Grayson Thomas Young:

00131-46732-MS.

Retired.

Today, marking the sixtieth year anniversary of the Great War's conclusion. We ask that you join us in remembering and honoring the legacy and the lives lost to the horrible conflict. We have contacted the remaining members of the 105th and have put aside multiple hours to honor you and those who are lost. The reason this has come to you in paper and not electronically is because the project we wish to complete is a documentary of the soldiers who fought.

There are so few of those that most of the public record is empty and those dead deserve to be remembered. Please help us remember them. If you do not wish to be apart of this we will not hold it against you. But you are a soldier of humanity and as such have a voice that must be heard if we are to avoid a tragedy like the one we suffered.

Thank you.

Sincerely Chairman of C.C.S Herbert T. P.

After I was done reading the note I folded it in half and placed it in my coat pocket. I sighed. I looked one last time at the Diorama. That was were it started for me.

I turned around and started walking down the path that would lead me to my destination. The Rotunda of Heroes.

The layout was simple really. Easy enough to find your self yet not so simple as to negate the importance of the building. A center rotunda with five hallways leading to the outer ring which would encircle the whole building, in between the hallways were rooms. such as the weapons vault, The diorama room, and the motor pool, plus two others that were technically still in construction. Like the Believe monument the architects of the building didn't want to have to rely on machines to construct it. So it took nearly two decades to complete the structure itself. But That was only the tip of the ice. Etched on every inch of stone are the names of every man woman and child who was killed in the war. The cost was enormous but in the eyes of the public it was worth it.

As I walked through the hall of the Navy. I stopped. One thing that I found funny was our creativity with names. I mean the Hall of the Navy who would have thought of that? I looked around to see people snapping photos and soldiers standing guard at certain points, Children staying too quiet. I couldn't be all surprised this was hollowed ground after all.

I scanned the paintings until I looked at the most historic battle in Human history. Cole's last stand. I smiled and gave it a solute, and continued to the rotunda unaware of what was awaiting me.

Author's note.

This is my first halo story, It was created by me using inspiration by the Author of The Life Casquis. Check it out if you haven't already. And Casquis thanks for the motivation.

If you like it, Review, any and all will be appreciated. Thanks.

Good Hunting.