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chapter 1: war

July 7, 2586

location: Testerossa system, planet Testerossa- Plateea

Kat walked carefully through the ruined streets of the city, in one arm she held her sidearm and in the other she cradled an infant their team had found upon entering the city. Will had given her orders to take the baby to the nearest field hospital, but didn't give her a rendezvous point for after she was finished. Kat assumed she would just have to find them after she was done, at that meant going deeper into the city where their objective lay. A hawk which crashed, carrying the NOVA III, she had the mission details uploaded to her by Linda during their last check in. It had been some time since she herd from them. Kat's motion tracker pulsed three red contacts ahead, she quickly ducked inside an alleyway and pulled the infant closer to her chest plate. Kat found some large pieces of concrete in the alley so she ducked behind them just as the contacts reached the alley. Kat set her pistol down and clicked a control from inside her armor, from her left arm came a small fiberoptic probe, one of the new features of the mark VII she was using. Very carefully she snaked the probe around the side of the rock and patched the feed into her HUD. Three forerunners were searching the street for any human survivors, shooting their antimatter rifles at human corpses, just to make sure they were dead. Kat was tempted to draw her pistol and shoot them but she still had to get the infant out of the combat zone. Suddenly the infant started to moan. Kat quickly stroked the side of the baby's face with her bare hand.

"Shh" she whispered to the baby. Kat snaked the probe back around the corner, and her face drained of all color. The forerunners must have advanced hearing because the lead one signaled the two others, and they advanced on Kat's position. Kat snatched up her pistol and held the infant as the sound of their footsteps drew nearer. Kat could feel her heart pounding in her chest, she prepared to make a break for the end of the alley but suddenly the forerunners opened fire. Kat squashed down to avoid any fire that hit the top of the slab but just as suddenly as it started, it stopped.

"Clear" a human voice cried. Kat slowly leaned her head over the top and saw a team of marines and a puma LRV standing over the three dead forerunners. Kat stood up fully and a few of the marines shot glances at one another upon seeing the Spartan cradling an infant. One of the marines stepped forward and removed his helmet.

"Sir" the marine said "if you don't mind me asking, what are you doing with a baby?"

"My squad found him upon entering the city" Kat said as she walked forward "I was taking him to the field hospital".

"We just came from there" the marine said "forerunners toasted it. We're EVACing survivors to a MASH on the outskirts of the city well within the green zone. You're welcome to tag along".

"Can I leave him with you?" Kat asked, gesturing to the baby.

"Not a problem" the marine replied "our medic is with the rest of the company".

Kat and the marines walked over to the puma in time to see seven viper MBTs roll up the street, surrounded by dozens of marines. Pumas ran close support for the MBTs. One puma rolled up in front of Kat and a marine got out of the passenger seat, Kat could see a first lieutenant bar on her HUD.

"Sir" Kat said.

"Spartan" the lieutenant replied. "medic" he cried and in seconds a navy med tech arrived and relieved Kat of the infant. She felt a little sorry to see him go.

"My company is pulling out of this sector, the forerunners own this part of town now" the lieutenant continued "that includes you too.

"Sir, I need to rendezvous with the rest of my squad" Kat said "we have a high priority mission from ONI".

"Understood, I'll get you some transportation". He made a couple of hand gestures to the marine in the puma who got on the radio. In seconds a mongoose LRV pulled up and the marine who drove it disembarked.

"You'll need this too" said the lieutenant as he grabbed an M22 rocket launcher from his puma and set it down on the rack of the mongoose. "The forerunners have been reported to be massing some heavy armor".

"I'll keep that in mind" said Kat as she walked over to the mongoose, but a corporal carrying a long range radio moved in front of them.

"Sir" the corporal said "I picked up another distress call, but it was a little more clearer this time".

The lieutenant nodded and Kat tuned in as the message played, then her heart turned cold as the voice she was hearing was Will's

"This is Spartan 043, we are severely diminished in strength and are facing vastly superior numbers right now. We request immediate assistance now!"

Kat didn't waist a second longer as she hopped aboard the mongoose and revved up the engine.

"What the hell are you doing" the lieutenant snapped "that transmission is coming from bad guy central".

"Thanks for giving me the bearing" said Kat as she gunned the LRV and drove down the way the column had came from.

"Stay off the main roads, use back streets and ditch the mongoose if necessary. You'll be a whole lot safer". the lieutenant warned over the radio.

It was an eerie silence drowned only by the mongoose's engine as Kat made her way through the desolate streets. Her motion tracker flashed a contact at her six o clock high so she looked over her shoulder to see several forerunner fighters scream overhead, escorting a transport craft. Kat drove the mongoose between a pair of buildings and left the ATV there. She proceeded on foot and looked up to guess the course of the craft and headed out. Kat drew her pistol, seeing as it was her only armament and she didn't have time to go back for the M22. Kat engaged the armor's camouflage system but it wasn't the best of systems, if the forerunners used advanced sensors then she'd be spotted. Kat checked her topography map and discovered a small square ahead, a perfect landing sight Kat thought as she scaled a fire escape of an adjacent building to get a better look. Kat crawled along the roof until she reached the ledge. Satisfied that her active camo was still working, she leaned up and zoomed in with her visor. The transport had landed and was surrounded by forerunner troops and tanks, a amp in its belly opened and several more troops emerged, they were different. They wore gold bars on their shoulders and a few carried shoulder mounted weapons.

"Must be someone important... but who" Kat wondered until she was hit with a startling revelation. Her fears were confirmed as a figure emerged from the craft wearing black MJOLNIR Mk V armor. The gold trimming had changed to forerunner symbols but there was no mistaking it, it was the chief's accomplice. Another figure emerged, this time wearing black MJOLNIR Mk VI with identical forerunner symbols, etched in gold. It was him! Kat continued to watch as the Master Chief quickly surveyed the troops and then looked around at the destroyed buildings, and then right at Kat. She quickly ducked down, afraid he'd seen her through the active camouflage. Kat quickly crawled across the roof, bounded down the fire escape and into the street. Running as fast as she could to get away.

--

"what is it?" Kelly asked.

"Nothing" John replied, for a second he could have sworn he'd seen a shimmer on that rooftop. But he quickly dismissed the thought as one of the forerunner commanders came before John and bowed in respect.

"Excellency, our troops inform me that two of these Spartan's have been killed by our forces just a short time ago the commander said. The one you seek continues to elude our patrols".

"Have them build up an increased perimeter and slowly close it in on this position, we'll herd him to me." John ordered.

The forerunner bowed again and quickly moved off, issuing orders to his troops.

"Something is bothering you" Kelly said as she put a hand on John's shoulder "what?"

"I'm wondering if she will be here" John replied.

"She'll meet her fate like the others" Kelly reassured him "your mind will be free of that terrible burden".

John nodded and was reassured none of the other soldiers herd their private COM transmission.

"You, my love have a task to complete" John said to her. It was John's other reason for bringing Kelly with him. They had intercepted a transmission indicating an enemy transport had gone down carrying sensitive cargo, which was codenamed NOVA. John still remembered all those years ago when admiral Whitcomb told him of the devices. Such a weapon would be invaluable for study so he assigned Kelly to lead a squad to secure this device.

"Remember what I said about her" Kelly said as she ran off, joining her squad. The she they had been referring to was Linda, John still considered her the most beautiful of the Spartans, and this haunted him. He wanted to be absolved of all the old feelings. And that could only be done with her death.

--

"Lets pick up the pace here" said Matt as he and Kayla supported an injured Linda between them. Karl provided cover. Neither of them could the BR55 variants as they were preoccupied with Linda, which meant they were in a bad ambush position. And with karl the only one capable of fighting it was bound to get bad, fast.

"Matt, contacts" ahead Kayla said.

"Over there" Linda said as she pointed to a manhole cover. The four Spartans made their way over and Matt set Linda down next to the cover, opened the cover and tossed a glow stick down. Kayla jumped in first and signaled all clear, followed by Karl. A rumbling sound was slowly growing louder.

"I'll manage" said Linda said when Matt tried to help her down. It took Linda a little longer due to her injuries but she made it to the bottom. Matt quickly ducked into the sewer just as he spotted a long barrel coming around the corner. He pulled the cover shut over him and joined Kayla at the bottom as she pointed her BR55 skyward, Matt and Karl did the same for their BR55 SAW. Suddenly the cover was pulled off and light shined down upon the four Spartans, completely exposed.