Disclaimer: I own nothing of "Halo." All belongs to 343. Any unfamiliar characters who appear here, however, are mine.
The Secret Files of Spartan-234
File 1
To the reader who has opened the first of this series of files, whoever you may be, allow me, the author, to offer a few choice words: Welcome. Nice of you to drop by. Whether by curiosity, or purely by accident, you've come upon some rather significant records. Then again, that might just be my opinion. Still, as for the files themselves, don't think of them as secret in the sense of containing "dirty little secrets" or anything of the sort, but rather as a personal account of the events recorded here. Before I start though, let me warn you that if you're looking for one of those mind-blowing, reality-bending notions I previously mentioned, or condemning information regarding an enemy in a war I've never heard of, you won't find either here. What I can guarantee you'll find though, is the truth, and nothing but the truth. I'm not going to take the liberty of exaggerating bits and pieces here and there like so many others probably would do for the sake of excitement. Like the saying goes, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. While my memory may not be perfect, I will do the best I can to honestly relate every important part of the story, no matter how you, the reader, might perceive it. But maybe I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. No matter what landed you in the spot you're in now, if you're willing to read on, let's begin.
First off, I think it's important that I introduce myself. My name is Helena Rosalind Carlisle, Special Stealth Soldier for the United Nations Space Command, Service Number 67053-69710, Spartan Number 234. Yep, you guessed right. The author of these files is Spartan-234 herself. Now, before you ask why I'm writing down my own story, continue reading, because you'll soon find out. But, as with most stories, I think it would be best if we started at the beginning. I entered the world on July 2, 2540 (according to the Military Calendar). And when I say "the world," I mean the one I grew up on. I'm now twenty years old as I write this, just to let you know. If I sound mature for my age, then the only explanation I can offer is that what I've seen and experienced have made me grow up faster than most. Who knows? There's probably a good chance that, by the time you're reading this, I've long since died.
My father, Troy Carlisle, was a UNSC Corporal, who, as a cadet, was credited with saving two dozen of his fellow men and women when their school was invaded by Insurrectionists. My mother, Lenore O'Shaughnessy, was a Petty Officer. My parents didn't marry until they were both in their thirties, as they were both dedicated to their military work. By the time I was born, my dad was already forty years old, and still young (in his words at least). I was their third and last child, and the only girl. Not as bad as you'd think though, because, to be perfectly honest, I couldn't ask for a better pair of big brothers. The first, Curt, was six years older than me. The other, Parker, was three years older. I can't tell you now if they've got positions in the UNSC, or even if they're still alive as I write this, because both revelations would only spoil the story.
As for my planet, I can tell you that even though I, one of her inhabitants, am still alive, my home world has long since died a violent death at the hands of the cruelest aggressors. Even now, as I write, UNSC hasn't completely recovered from the loss. The world I grew up on, now famous among my elders and superiors, was called Reach, and served as the battlefield of one of the most devastating fights of the Human-Covenant War. I heard not too long ago that attempts were being made to salvage and even revive what little was left. But even though it's been years since I last set foot on it, I haven't returned. Why? Because I know that even if those attempts were successful, it wouldn't be the same.
My native city of New Alexandria, which was burned to the ground, wouldn't be the same. Neither the rolling, evergreen hills and mountains which I always woke up to. And especially not the relationships with all those people I knew and loved, who died. Oh, I have dreams about it every now and then, of how happy and fortunate I was, how lucky I was to be innocent. Yet I also dream about the battle that overtook my city, about all the unforgettable sights and sounds I saw and heard. It's almost funny. It seems like no matter how much I'd like to forget, part of me still wants to remember all the good memories along with the bad, both of which I guess will forever be a part of me.
But I think the best one to choose in order to really begin my story would be not too long after my twelfth birthday. I remember it like it was yesterday (cliché saying, I know, but it's the best way to describe it). I was knee-deep, literally, in a bitter conflict in which the odds were against my side, clearly in favor of the enemy's. Both of us were after a great and powerful artifact located only a short distance from where I stood. I was hiding in the shrubbery and green afforded to me in my environment, surrounded by numerous tall trees, most of which soared up to five times my own height. But I knew I couldn't hide for long. The enemy at any moment could come my way, and two of my comrades had recently been ambushed. Now it was all up to me to complete the mission, and the ones after me had knowledge of my special skills. I remember how my pulse nervously beat throughout my body, how sweat began to form on my forehead, and how the blood eased out of the fresh wounds I'd sustained.
But despite my age, my lesser experience, and the odds being stacked against me, I was determined that they would soon be tipped in my favor. I was going to remind these enemy soldiers just who they were dealing with. If they wanted to win this fight, they were going to have to go through me, whether on the ground, or from above. Though I knew they were headed in my direction, I decided to put the idea that had just emerged in my head to execution. Using every ounce of my strength, I took hold of the tree in front of me with both hands, and began my ascent up the strong trunk. After a few rough inches upward, I jumped right to the nearest branch before pulling myself up and then grabbing hold of the branch above me. Fortunately, it was strong enough for me to stand on, and, bless my luck, there was a small alcove inside the trunk in which I could hide. I quickly sat down and eased back in as far as I could, and not a moment too soon, because as I did, I heard the running footsteps of those pursuing me.
When they all stopped, I leaned my head out minimum safe distance, and widened my eyes to see that they'd stopped directly below my spot. Immediately, both fear and excitement struck me at once. Fear that all of my enemies had gathered underneath the tree, outnumbering me three to one. I watched for as long as I could while they looked every way except up – again, bless my luck – and listened as they wondered aloud where I could have possibly gone. Excitement, on the other hand, at knowing that I was now one step ahead of them, whether they knew it or not, and whether they liked it or not. But I also knew I couldn't stay where I was forever, otherwise I'd be discovered. Taking hold of my magnum from its holster, I slowly and quietly stood up, looked down on the heads of the enemy soldiers, swiftly put my fear aside, and jumped.
I began firing even before I hit the ground. The moment I took my leap, I shot at the heads of two of my opponents, both of which quickly fell to the leafy forest floor. As soon as I landed, I grabbed the outstretched arm of the third, rammed my elbow as hard as I could into his shoulder, and spun before delivering a kick that sent him down. Wasting no time, I then took off running at top speed, my magnum still firmly in my hand should one of my adversaries try to shoot me down. As I felt the wind whip past me and heard the otherwise gentle sound of leaves making their way to the ground, my eyes remained locked on the path ahead of me, which only seemed to be made of forest after forest. Even so, I continued to hurry as fast as my legs would allow, for not only could one or more of my enemies still be after me, but I also knew I was close to the artifact's location.
And I was right. Before long, my eyes widened again as I laid eyes on it at the edge of an open field, beyond which lay a cliff to a lake below. In spite of everything that had just happened, all I knew now was that if I could take up this artifact, my team would win the day. As I continued to head toward it, I stretched my arm out and opened my hand, ready to snatch it up in my grasp. I overestimated my chances, because just as I was inches from grabbing it, I felt a powerful hit in my back, causing me to fall head first to the ground below. There, I lay in the dirt, my head almost reeling yet allowing me to wonder why this had to happen, when I felt a hand grab my shoulder, and then flip me over on my back. The face that greeted me was that of the adversary I had felled just moments ago, and as glorious victory donned itself on his face, it seemed that now was his turn to revel in the step ahead he'd achieved.
"Your trick may have worked back there," he said, letting me feel his breath on my face, "But even you can't outrun a gun!"
He pressed his magnum into my side, causing me to let out a choking sound, both from the force of his weapon, and from knowing what he was going to do.
"I guess I win again huh?" he asked. And though I hesitated at first, I slowly found myself agreeing with him. He had me pinned down, ready to fire his weapon, and all I could do was beg for mercy. But despite everything that had just happened, despite all of our efforts against each other, knowing well who my opponent was, as well as what was coming, instead of letting a frown of loss cross my lips, I couldn't help but replace it with a slow smile.
"Maybe," I replied, "But, are you really going to shoot your own sister?"
Seconds that felt like hours went on as we continued to stare at each other as if that alone could throw the other off. I mentally pressed him further with each passing moment, daring him to go through with his planned course of action, my smile never once relenting. And eventually, either by that or a decision of his own, the young man above me put away his magnum, never taking his own eyes off me.
"No," he replied, "I'm gonna do this!" Before I could react in any way or say anything else, his hands were on me, making me scream not in terror, but in delight. And while my brother Parker is "torturing" me, allow me to address your concerns. Your probably thinking by now that everything I mentioned earlier was made up, meaning I broke my promise. Well, I gave you my word to be honest. I did and I didn't make it up, making you both right and wrong. My enemies were my brother and his two friends from school, the weapons were filled with paint rather than live ammo, the artifact was a tall flag, and the conflict itself was only the attempt to get it before the other team could.
Now, to answer your question as to why I referred to all three as I did, let me assure you I have a valid explanation. Growing up, I attended what would be considered an "average" school. Average in most ways that is, except for the things added to the subjects, especially physical education. Reach was a significant planet to UNSC, and most of its population was made up of military men and women, so it was natural that we kids as soon as we turned six received basic training. By which, I mean martial arts moves that could pin down an enemy, playing games that mimicked military missions, even learning how to handle weapons, with an adult present of course. When one turned eleven, one could learn these things and more on an advanced level if they wished. I was one of those individuals. But I'll wait for a more appropriate time to explain why.
Parker continued to tickle me while I tried to fend him off, somewhat disappointed despite my laughter that he knew and was taking advantage of one of my most crippling weaknesses. Still, against my better judgment, I continued to scream and laugh at the same time, until we heard the sounds of several footsteps making their way toward us. Both Parker – who by now was laughing too – and I looked up to see that both our teams had found us. My teammates, Ashleigh and Dana, friends of mine from school, were frowning, but I could tell they were trying not to smile at the scene in front of them.
Still attempting to get them to smile with my own, I finally managed to get on my knees and say, "It's all fine. Game over." I then looked over at my brother and his teammates, Brian and Luke, his own friends from school, and let my smile drop slightly at knowing how they would react to what I would say.
"You guys win," I said anyway. As I expected, Brian and Luke gave each other an immediate and triumphant high-five. I even watched as they turned to my friends and smile smugly as they crossed their arms.
"Looks like the guys win again," Brian said to Dana, his equally as dark-skinned sister.
"Yeah well we would have won if you hadn't ambushed us," Dana, always a bit impulsive, retorted bravely.
Luke shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Hey, those were the rules. You're shot, you're dead."
"Whatever," Ashleigh suddenly spoke up, "We do this all the time at school anyway. Look, can't we ever play a game that, doesn't involve killing people?"
"Like what?" Luke asked as he raised his eyebrows in curiosity.
"Um, I don't know," she replied at first, "Maybe…maybe, chess?"
"No way, no way!" Luke immediately protested while Ashleigh crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows suspiciously. I couldn't help but wonder if she was thinking the same thing as I was. Not only did Luke think of chess as boring, but the last time Ashleigh challenged him to a game after we caught the flag that day, he accepted, no doubt thinking it would be easy, only to lose all of his important pieces in less than five minutes at the hands of one of the smartest girls on Reach, at least as far as Dana and I were concerned. What I did know for sure now was that Luke was wise to refuse.
"Come on guys," Parker then said, "Can't we all be good sports about this?"
"I thought we were being good sports," Brian replied, "We're all alive aren't we?"
"I thought you shot us," Dana reminded him, "After all, you're shot, you're dead, right?"
No one spoke after that. For all I knew, like me, no one else knew what to say. Before I knew it though, one after another, all of us soon broke out into laughter, whether in reaction to what Dana said, or the fact that we were all having a good time. In fact, I don't think I can remember another time like that, or at least, one like it right before Reach… Well, we continued to laugh until we heard an older voice, one I immediately recognized, behind us say, "Alright guys, break it up."
Both Parker and I turned our heads to see my other brother, Curt, making his way up the hill toward us. He smiled at Parker, who was now holding the flag in his hands, and asked, "Let me guess, your team won again?"
"And proud of it," Parker replied as he crossed his arms in a bit of a prideful manner. I couldn't help but smirk and roll my eyes, but when I looked at Curt again, while I still saw the amusement on his face, I also detected some growing concern.
"Well you can be proud of it on the way home," he said, "Mom and Dad sent me to find you."
"You mean, it's almost five?" Brian asked. As if to offer a reply, all of us looked up to the cloudy sky I just then noticed was getting somewhat dark, as soon as we heard what sounded like multiple jet engines. Just then, we all found ourselves looking at what I instantly knew to be pelican ships. I had seen them, and even bigger ships belonging to the UNSC, fly over New Alexandria throughout my childhood, and though I'd never been inside one, I always wondered what it would be like to actually be ride in one. Not today, because these pelicans had been flying over the city at the same hour for almost every day now, signaling to the citizens below that their curfew was approaching. Everyone had to be home by five in the evening, as a part of taking precautions against the forces encroaching on us.
"Sounds like it," Dana replied to her brother as the pelicans flew further away.
"Yeah," Ashleigh nodded a bit nervously in agreement, "I was gonna say we'd better be going."
"Well, we should at least not anger our parents," Luke said as he stretched his arms, "I'll see you all later." He then waved his goodbyes and then turned in the direction of his home, while Ashleigh said goodbye to me and Dana, and then went the opposite way, toward the spot where her parents were left waiting. Parker and I then watched as Brian and Dana went off together before we turned back to Curt, knowing now that it was our turn to leave. Neither of us moved though before feeling a few sprinkling drops of rain. Immediately I felt disappointed, because while I knew it was cloudy, I also knew we'd be sopping wet by the time we got home. Still, Curt quickly caught on to both the rain, and maybe also my own growing sense of urgency.
"Well come on," he said as he waved anxiously, "We better hurry if we want to beat the weather."
Both Parker and I nodded, and we quickly hurried after our brother down the hill, through the remaining greenery, fields, and spaces of forest, all of us intent on finding the street that would take us home. While we do that, let me offer an explanation, hopefully not a lengthy one, regarding my decision to further my military education. While I had a choice to go for a normal schooling, when I turned eleven, I took the option of learning more about the physical and intellectual capabilities of UNSC soldiers. Though I'm sure I have a dozen reasons, ones I can name and others I can't, I suppose one of the main reasons was because I was inspired by the stories my parents told me when I was younger. Stories about their days in service, about what they'd learned and experienced along with the achievements they made in spite of the hardships they were forced to endure. I found I wanted a taste of that heroism for myself. In fact, one of the coaches suggested I go to the academy to become a marine, but I ultimately chose not to. How could I if it meant leaving my family and friends? Leaving the games my friends and I almost always played with my brother and his friends at this point, even if they were just for fun? Maybe I wanted to be a hero, but I was still just a girl not yet in her teens. My mom told me afterward that I'd made a wise choice.
I hoped that same wisdom would serve both me and my brothers as we continued to hurry home in a desperate attempt to escape the rain. I instantly breathed a long-awaited sigh of relief the moment I saw the concrete road and adjoining sidewalks, because now I knew we weren't far from home. And I was right. After a few more yards of non-stop running, all three of us were finally able to breathe when we finally saw the front door of our old familiar house. Before any of us could punch in the security code or give our thumbprints to gain access, the door was opened for us by none other than our dad, who stood tall with a strong build, even at his age of fifty-two. He sported dark brown hair and imposing grey eyes, which Curt directly inherited, and a few scars here and there from injuries he'd sustained as a military man. Dad quickly rushed us inside before letting the door close again, and quickly addressed my oldest brother.
"About time you all got home," he said sternly, "I was about to go out in the rain and find you myself."
"Hey," Parker said as he took off his soaked-through jacket, "it's not even five yet."
"Doesn't matter," a feminine voice suddenly spoke behind us. In walked my mom, who was only a few inches shorter than my dad, and still retained a bit of youth in her face even though she was now fifty. Her still fully black hair fell to her shoulders, and her authoritative eyes were hazel in color. Parker took directly after her both in the looks department, and the humor, which he tended to exploit like crazy no matter where he was or what was going on around him.
Just in case you're wondering which one I looked like, I can say that I'm a mixture of both my parents. I'm definitely sure I got my height from my dad, because I was always the tallest girl my age in my school. I also inherited his brown hair, which stretches to my shoulders. My eyes though, are hazel like my mom's, which, even now, I don't know whether to regard as a compliment or a detriment. Either way, I was, and still am, happy to resemble both, even if it's only physically. As for their other, more untouchable qualities, I don't know if I'll ever acquire them for myself, either naturally, or through effort.
"When the UNSC imposes a rule," Mom continued to speak, "especially one I'd impose, you'd be wise to obey it."
"Let's just hope that those Covies don't drop in," I then heard Parker mutter.
Apparently, everyone else heard him too, because we all turned our heads to Dad the moment we heard his fist come down on the table near the door. "I would not talk like that if I were you young man!" he exclaimed at Parker, his eyes burning with both frustration and seriousness.
We all knew the cause of his behavior. "Covies" was Parker's term for the soldiers of the Alien Covenant, which the UNSC had been engaging in conflict with long before I was born, and this was our first recorded encounter with intelligent life other than ourselves. Why they seemed to be after humanity, at this point we didn't know for sure. All we learned at school was that they had invaded several colony planets, including Harvest and Circinius IV. The only major planet that had yet to be invaded was Earth, the original home planet for the human race, and the one planet we were not permitted to learn about. And based on calculations done by the Office of Naval Intelligence, there was a chance that Reach itself could also be invaded, making all of us inhabitants, military or civilian, to take all necessary precautions.
Being a former military man himself, my dad had valid reason to be concerned about everything he heard regarding this prospect. Still, Curt tried to bring down the heat emitting from him a degree or two. "Well, forgive me for saying so Dad but, Parker may have a point," he said, "I'd hope the enemy at least attempts to think reasonably, no matter how capable they are."
"That's all very nice son," Dad admitted in a calmer tone of voice, "But concerning how much damage has already been done, there's no reason to think it'll be any different this time."
"Hmm, you may be right," Curt sighed as he looked down in disappointment.
"And as long as they keeping fighting us," Dad added, "We'll continue to return the favor."
Curt nodded and attempted to smile as he laid his hand and Dad's shoulder. "So will I," he then said. And if I was smiling at all, that simple remark made any semblance of one drop. Just a few months ago, Curt had made his decision that he decided to go join the marines soon known, and he was met with mixed reception by all of us, especially me whether he knew it or not. Although he was old enough and I knew from the time I was little that he would make a good soldier for UNSC, something about him leaving all of us, with the too prevalent possibility of never returning, made my heartbeat painful. And now that he was mentioning it again, that, combined with the knowledge that the Covenant had been ruthless to any UNSC in their way, caused the pain to return, and with twice as much impact as before. I knew I couldn't stop him from leaving, but I also knew I couldn't keep my true thoughts to myself forever.
Feeling the need to say something, yet anything except thoughts regarding what was previously mentioned, I quickly said the first thing that came to mind, causing all eyes to turn to me. "But why would they want to attack Reach?" I asked, "We have tons of UNSC personnel and weaponry."
I then felt a hand on my shoulder, and turned to see that it was Mom. "That may be," she replied, "But not only might they have the same amount in both, but determination can combat any firepower we throw at them. I've seen it myself, with different enemies at least."
I said nothing else. I didn't doubt her words at all. And yet, she must have seen the concern that I myself was ignoring, because she wrapped her arm around my shoulder, and pulled me close to her side, making me smile at least halfway. Addressing not just me, but my brothers and dad as well, she then said, "But I see no need to worry prematurely."
"Well," Parker suddenly spoke up, "if I was in UNSC, I'd teach those aliens a thing or two about thinking twice." He pressed a fist he made hard into his left hand for emphasis, making both me and Curt chuckle slightly. But Mom and Dad still failed to see the humor in the situation.
"That's enough Parker," she reprimanded him. She then turned back to the rest of us and added, "In fact, I think it's time we changed the subject."
We all promptly agreed, even Parker, which I was immediately thankful for. As kids, if there was one thing we learned about Mom, it was that you didn't argue with her.
Before another two hours went by, the sky had grown completely dark, causing most of the city lights to be shut off. And before two more hours went by, we were all in bed. But while everyone else to my knowledge had long since fallen asleep, I myself couldn't seem to stay asleep, no matter how hard I tried. Whether it was because of the rain I could still hear pelting the roof outside, the unnerving conversation I had with my family earlier, or even a conversation of both, I woke up twice within the same hour. The second time, I went into a cycle of turning on the left side of the bed, then the right. But no matter how many times I tried, I couldn't fall back asleep. Instead, I laid on my back with my hands under my head, staring up at the ceiling with barely blinking eyes, and occasionally looking out the window, even though the blinds were almost completely closed.
I'm afraid I don't remember how much time passed since then. All I knew was that only a long, sleepless night awaited me, whether I liked it or not. The blackened room offered little to comfort me, but oddly enough, I was growing steadily used to the unsettling feelings. Suddenly though, my eyes widened and I turned my head to the door as soon as I heard what sounded like heavy footsteps going down the hall outside my room. My anxiety rose all the more when I saw a tall shadow through the opaque glass door. I knew though that it couldn't have been an intruder, because the house was well equipped for dealing with such problems. But knowing I wouldn't be falling back asleep anytime soon, that, along with the growing urgent need to find out what was going on, convinced me to climb out of bed, slowly walk toward the door, open it, and look ever so slightly down the hall to see who it was.
To my relief, it was someone I recognized. It was my dad, who was now standing at the end of the hall, letting out an exasperated sigh, and putting his head in his hand. Even from where I stood, and in the dimly lit area, I could see that something was wrong. Something, other than mere tiredness, was making Dad weary. And instantly, whether out of concern or the childlike need for excitement, I felt the desire to know exactly what. And so, after looking both left and right like one about to cross a busy street, and seeing no one to oppose me, I slowly and quietly stepped out of the safety of my room and into the hall. Then, after taking a slow breath to calm myself, I began tip-toeing down the hall in the direction I saw Dad go, never once looking back.
Now, you're probably guessing now that I have a thing for sneaking around, and, in keeping to my promise, I'll say you're right. For as long as I can remember, I had a deep fascination with the idea of going around places without being detected. No matter how many times I imagined going into missions involving stealth, or even translated those imaginings to real-life, it always thrilled me. I sometimes employed my talents, like today, when playing games of flag, either near home, or at school, and they almost always served me well. Even now, with the atmosphere heavy enough to make some weak in the knees, I couldn't help but smile knowing that I was on a mission – even if only I called it that – to find out what was bothering my dad so much.
Fortunately, I didn't have to wait long. After easing my way down a second hall, then a third, I finally spotted the closed door that led to the room my parents shared. But imagine my eye-widening surprise when I saw that I wasn't alone. Next to the door stood both of my brothers. Either I apparently wasn't the only one who had trouble sleeping, or they too saw Dad walking around alone in the halls outside their rooms. For a moment, I wondered if they'd wave me off as a way to tell me to turn back, like most big brothers who like to take care of business themselves would. But, instead, Parker waved at me to come forward. In spite of the situation at hand, I couldn't help but smile at the notion of my brothers valuing my involvement. So I hurried as quietly as I could to my own side of the door to join them.
Leaning myself against the wall, I asked them both, "What do you think's going on?"
"Shh!" Curt quieted me, "Listen!" I instantly closed my mouth, not only to obey Curt, but also to hide my surprise, since he was usually opposed to eavesdropping. Now I knew for sure that something heavy was going on, even before I heard one word either of my parents spoke inside the room.
"Okay," I suddenly heard Mom say, "Something's wrong. You might as well tell me."
"Might as well," Dad repeated in agreement, "For some reason I couldn't sleep. So I decided to go look and see if I got any messages from the guys." His comrades he meant, people he served alongside with during his days in UNSC.
"And…?" Mom asked, concerned. A heart-stopping silence followed for the next few seconds before Dad replied with an answer that made us all completely quiet if we hadn't already been before.
"Well, Lenore, there's some news from ONI. They're saying there's a real possibility that within the next few weeks, we could be facing real invasion from the Covenant, maybe even earlier than when they predicted."
Hearing those words not just from my dad, but in a tone that made him sound almost anxious, made my mouth fall open with disbelief. I looked at my brothers to see their reactions, but then I heard Mom speak up, and so turned back to the door.
"You're sure of this?" she asked, "You think we should wake the kids?"
"No," Dad replied in the negative, "We can wait till morning." He then let out a heavy sigh before he said something I immediately found puzzling. "You know, I just can't help but think that all of this might have to do with…" He trailed off, making my heart beat all the more nervously as I silently urged him to continue.
"With what?" Mom asked, doing it for me.
"Nothing," Dad replied. Another silence followed, though I thought I heard the faintest sound of Mom sitting down on the bed, most likely next to Dad, before I heard her say, "Well, 'nothing' can't prevent the inevitable. We're just going to have to wait and see what happens and do what UNSC tells us to do."
"You're right honey," Dad agreed, "I just, I just wish it didn't involve our kids this time."
"I know Troy," Mom said sadly. In fact, she sounded on the verge of tears. "Me too."
Following that, we heard nothing else, though I kept pressing my ear against the wall, desiring to hear more. Even so, I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder, and turned to see Curt, who by now looked the most solemn I'd seen him all day. "Come on," he whispered, "We've heard enough, let's go."
Feeling a bit comfortable that he was now back to his usual self, I stood, and began following my brothers quietly back down the hall to our own rooms. But unlike before, where my eyes were concentrated on the path ahead of me, I hesitated, and then looked back for a moment or two at the door, longing to satisfy my anxiety. But reason pulled me back, causing me to turn back around, and catch up to Curt and Parker again.
All three of us walked further into the forbidding darkness silently together, but it wasn't long before I felt the need to say something. Turning toward Curt, who was usually the more serious one in situations like this, I asked, "So, the Covenant really is coming?"
"Guess so," I heard a voice on my right reply. I looked to see that it was Parker, who, to my surprise, looked about as grim as Curt. Now I knew for sure that the situation had truly taken a turn darker than the black of the halls that always greeted us with every step we took. Just then though, I turned back to Curt as I heard him speak.
"Look," he said while he stopped in his tracks, causing the rest of us to stop beside him. Even in the shadows, I could see the grave tone his eyes carried, making any smile, no matter how small, flee from me. "We're just gonna have to do like Mom said okay?"
Both Parker and I nodded, when I suddenly, and inexplicably, recalled another issue that had begun to plague me earlier that day. Apparently the similarity of the situation made it rise up in my mind again, and it was going to stay there until I brought it up.
"Curt?" I said, trying to keep all worry out of my voice, "I know you were planning on leaving in a few weeks but, if this happens, promise me you won't leave us."
I saw Curt try to smile, but all he could do was let out a small sigh, put another hand on my shoulder, and look me directly in my hazel eyes with his own grey ones as he replied, "I promise, Helena."
Despite his own inability to do so, a small smile crept back up onto my lips. Soon though, we found ourselves again walking through the house to our rooms, and I realized I was beginning to feel thankful for the surrounding darkness, because my brothers wouldn't see my thoughts transfer to my face. I first began to wonder what Dad was going to say if he hadn't stopped himself, what this possible invasion had anything to do personally with him. Had he done something in the past to incur the wrath of the Covenant against him? And did I not know about it? I wondered if Curt would keep his promise. And above all, it still didn't make any sense to me why the Covenant would target Reach in the first place, no matter how much of my education I tried to put to use. Although they'd attacked other colony planets, Reach always seemed untouchable, until now at least. All I knew for sure, based on what I just heard, was that something heavy, dark, and sinister was about to unravel. And, let's just say, I still wish I was wrong about that.
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P.S.: If you're wondering how she can be a Spartan and stealth soldier at the same time, check out the art posted at my DeviantArt page, "LadyInTheMask710."