VALOUR: A HALO STORY
Episode 1
Processing Warehouse,
Cadaver's Moon,
Outer Colony.
2530 CE
She darted out of the darkness of the cargo elevator and had her back pressed against a container as the guard walked by. Her movement was swift and precise thanks to her new upgrade. She was still tracking the guard's movement, amused by the façade they managed to put up, when the hairs on the back of her neck stood on ends, she rolled forward before the butt of a gun slammed into the container. She drew her pistol and fired at her heavily armoured attacker, it pinged off energy shields. He lurched forward and she jumped back, holstering her pistol. She surveyed for the quickest exit and started to move. The attacker made a move for her, she moved to the side and gave him a round house kick to the back of the head. She made her way to the door and two figures blocked the exit and another tried to surprise her, she braced herself, caught his arm and slammed him into a container in one swift motion. She tried to move forward but another armoured figure came up behind her and grabbed her. He took her off her feet and she struggled to get some leverage, she kicked off another container and the both fell, she got up first and started running. She hopped up a stack of crates and started jumping from one stack to another as her attackers clamoured beneath her. She saw another, exit a window, she withdrew her service pistol and shot at the glass, there was a gap between the window and the last stack. She braced herself and took the leap, she was almost home free when some grabbed her leg and slammed her into the ground. As darkness crept into her vision she struggled to look at her attackers, the one that grabbed her leg didn't take of his helmet, he just looked at her carefully. Another came up to him, helmet taken off, a bearded man
"Nice job kid, didn't know you had it in you" the bearded man said to the man with a helmet "shit she's still conscious"
"Easily remedied" as she turned to track where the voice came from, she got knocked out.
She was looking her feet, she still had her combat trousers on but no shoes, she was seated and restrained. She tried to say a couple words but all she did was mumble, it was coming to her. Someone used her hair to pull her head up and she was looking at a man, gruff and grey haired, he wore military overalls, he didn't have any stars to designate rank but he looked like a man in control. His voice gravelly, years of smoking at work
"Captain Isabella King of the ODST 105th division" the man said "that is you?" she just blinked slowly "I'm Theodore Coldwell. I hate to tell you this but you are…a long way from home"
"Nah, I'm pretty sure I'm where I'm supposed to be" Isabella tried to smile but she got punched in the face.
"Mr Banks, calm yourself. You don't hit her with full armour, we don't want her to die…"
"At least not yet" Isabell replied with blood in her mouth
"I suspect you are a hard woman to put down, seeing as you are still conscious" Theodore looked her over "what are you miss King?"
"Nobody, just a soldier trying to do her bit to stop the Insurrections"
"We are freedom fighters" one of the armoured men said. For the first time she really took them in. six of them spread out in the room, each just about or above 7 feet tall, only Mr Banks had his helmet off. Their armour looked different from anything she had seen before, their helmets didn't have visors just four illuminated symmetrical lines. The metal parts of the armour contoured nicely with the body especially around the legs. It looked advanced, beyond the insurrectionist, beyond the UNSC, maybe Covenant but about at this point, nothing surprised her.
"I'm sure you are" Isabell replied.
"Ms King we can make this quick, you don't have to suffer much. What have you told superiors?"
"Nothing"
"But you store the recordings of your findings. Where?"
"Everywhere, just in case something like this happens"
"I don't have time for this. Last chance Ms King, please tell me where you keep your data cache"
"I have to thank you, I had no idea you guys had gone this far" she laughed "I'm guessing this your surprise for the UNSC the next time SPARTANs show up"
"Very astute"
"So this is the dumbed down version, let's call them iSPARTANs" another punch to face and some shots to the stomach "look…can we just skip the formalities and kill me already?" Theodore thought about it for a while and for the first time the armoured soldier at the door, turned around and she recognized him "hey kid, nice catch. I owe you one"
"Sir, what are your orders?" Banks asked
"We don't kill, get her to talk, there are ways she can still broadcast her message and I want to stop her before some automated process goes into effect" Theodore replied
"Yes sir" Banks got to work immediately as Theodore crossed the room heading for the exit.
"The rest of you with me, we have places to be"
"Hold on, hold on" Isabella struggled to say between punches "don't I get a say in….." that's when she felt it, for a fraction of a second, she felt lighter. She knew what it meant "did anybody feel that?"
"What Ms King?" Theodore replied
"Weightlessness…" there was a panicked look on her face
"No" Theodore was headed for the door when there were blood curdling scream and some loud thuds. An explosion tore open the wall on the floor below and Grunts poured through firing wildly. Alarms wailed over a mix of assault rifles and plasma based weaponry fire. The iSPARTAN at the door calmly walked into the room and allowed the door to shut. He clutched his rifle –it too looked different- and addressed his commander
"Sir, we have Covenant, what do we do?" He asked
"Give me your side arm" Theodore replied and got it "we have to get out of here and defend this moon. Am I clear?!"
"Sir, yes sir" the iSPARTANs echoed
"Let's move"
"Sir, what do we do with her?" The quiet soldier said
"If there is a window we take, if not...now let's go soldier" plasma fire peppered the tempered glass of office and it started to melt. The insurrectionist advanced tactically. More plasma rounds scorched the walls and she heard the heavy thuds of armour walk down the catwalk, away from her. She froze with anticipation as the massive silhouettes of two Elites moved with frightening speed across the office windows
"There goes my window..."Isabel said out loud. She tried to wriggle her way out of her binds but only the ropes around her feet gave away and she was able to wiggle them free. Heavy, deliberate steps came up the stairs. The gunfire outside had lessened to an extent but there was still some fighting, maybe the Covenant were winning. Another massive silhouette started to walk across the windows, it was about half way down when it stopped. Isabella knew why and she sat still hoping she was wrong, barely breathing. When the silhouette doubled back and stopped at the door, she started to really struggle with all she had in her. The light turned green and the door slid open and the Elite inched into the room, looking at Isabella quizzically and barking at her. Seeing her fighting her binds, he raised his plasma rifle and cocked his head to the left. Isabella stopped fighting and focused of the rifle, a mixture of fear and defiance. The Elite changed its mind, holstered his rifle with a magnetic snap and withdrew his Energy Sword. It cracked and screeched into shape, waves of smoke pouring over it. The Elite moved forward slowly, taunting her with every step. He aligned the blade next to his face, soft light of the sword highlighting his features as he prepared to stab her. She sprang forward with her chair and flew into the Elite chair first, they both fell, the chair gave and one of her hands was free but it hurt like hell. She got to her feet, the Elite had a tougher time doing so, she swung the chair and hit the alien in the face, it screamed and a wave of pain flowed through her but she continued hitting the being until there was just an arm rest. She was out of breath and the alien was barely conscious, it reached for the blade but she kicked it in the face again. She retrieved the Energy Sword, got on the alien's back as it laid sprawled on the floor, the blade cracked to life as it retook its shape and she ran the into the creature's skull. She let relief flow through her before looking for her gear and picking the Elite clean.
It was quieter outside the office and she could only hear some people screaming obscenities at someone then going quiet. The two Elites from earlier doubled back barking to each other in conversation. Isabel turned off the lights, something they'd obviously see and waited, steeling herself. The first through the door got a blade through the chest and a drop kick that sent him tumbling out to the catwalk and over the railing. The second was a bit more cautious so she rolled out the door and thrust the energy sword upwards, then she cut upwards as she stood. She ducked back into the room as the first round peppered the area around the door. She took out her pistol and fired into the crowd bellow. Loud barking and squawks followed she had to move and quick. She primed a grenade and tossed it at the top of the stairwell, the explosion destroyed any chance the Covenant had of getting up on foot. Isabell turned and ran down the catwalk, away from the stairwell. There was a broken window down the way
"Somebody stole my exit strategy"
That was her ticket out
"Get to the river, that's how I survive this mess"
She was already out the window when she noticed Grunts patrolling the area, she crashed into a Grunt, shooting it in the head, much to its surprise, she retrieved its plasma pistol and in her stride tried to group her shots and kill the ones closest to her. It didn't take long before return fire started, she dropped the plasma pistol and ran as fast as she could, darting whenever possible.
She could hear the river, Elites and Jackal giving chase, the trees provided enough cover to block their shots. She ran towards the cliff and jumped into the river below. Her attackers ran to the edge of fall and barked in frustration. Isabella couldn't hear them behind the waterfall, she stayed there watching for shadows.