-Intercepted Communications transmission-
"The Covenant are moving towards our position? Where the hell is the good news in that?!"
>> "Sir, you've heard the rumor that has been flying around? About the Spartan-IIs?"
"Get to the point."
>> "I think I can prove them right."
"You mean...?"
>> "ETA: Ten minutes. We're expecting a warm welcome."
A M274 Ultra-Light All-Terrain Vehicle, better known as a Mongoose, sped across the mostly savanna-like terrain. At the wheel was a Spartan, cloaked in the heavy duty gear that was the MJOLNIR Mark VI armour, the green colour paint faded and scorched in some places, completely gone in others. A figure that almost every single surviving Marine and Navel officer recognized. Master Chief Petty Officer Spartan John-117. The same man who thoroughly weakened the Covenant by destroying one of their 'scared rings'(known as Halos) while also figuring out the rings purpose. He is the same person that protected the Super MAC Gun platform known as the Cairo, killed a Prophet on yet another Halo, infiltrated their 'holy city' and made it home in one piece.
On the back of the ATV was... an Elite. Armed with a Plasma Rifle, the silver clad creature gripped onto the small handle in the back. He was the Arbiter, an Elite that John had apparently disgraced during his first Halo assault. This disgrace cause him to be promoted(didn't make sense to John, either) to a seldom used rank in the Covenant hierarchy. The Chief didn't ask for details. They had met up in the jungle that they were currently leaving behind, after a small misunderstanding. And John holding a pistol to the Arbiters neck. Trailing behind them was a Banshee.
The driver of the Banshee was unknown, due to the odd design of the aircraft, but it wasn't firing at them, so it was obviously friendly. Farther behind was a single Pelican, which carried at the very least Miranda Keyes, former Commander of the UNSC frigate In Amber Clad, and Sergeant Major Avery Junior Johnson, a surviver of the first Halo attack. The group, minus the undamaged Banshee, had braved the Tsavo Highway in order to get this far. And relieved they were when they found no more Covenant 'Loyalists', as the Arbiter called them, were around to hinder them.
There was a visible decrease in tension as they neared the base, glad to see that it had not been wiped out. "Let's hurry up, people. It would be rude to be late." A female voice said over the comm, having finished a conversation with one of the higher ranking officers at the base. "We should get to the Voi base in approximately ten minutes. Provided that nothing holds us up."
The small caravan of vehicles arrived at the Marine holding a minute ahead of schedule, but were greeted with a normal military reaction none-the-less. As soon as they were within the walls of the base, every Marine the was in the welcome party pointed a gun at the Arbiter. They ignored the Banshee only because it read as friendly on everyones heads-up display. The Elite, however, was still seen as an enemy, and would be treated as such. "Gah, I knew this would happen. Everyone, stand down, he is an ally!"
"Easy for you to be calm, you're up in that Banshee." One Marine commented with a obvious Mexican accent. The female voice sighed, annoyed, and the Banshee lowered. The crafts anti-gravity pods touched the ground with a soft clang, and the top lifted to let out the pilot.
A/N: And that's all you're getting right now. I know, it's a tragedy. But you'll get over it. I know you are saying right about now 'what about the rumor?' Well, you'll find out about that... next chapter. I personally think it's glaringly obvious, but that's just me. I'm writing the story. Feel free to guess, though. Oh, I don't own Halo or any of the related copyrights and stuff. Just this. Anyway, please read and review. And stuff like that.