Chapter 1:The Tides of Change
000
The change of fate did not go amiss, the Milky Way galaxy was doomed to be annihilated of all sentient life other than the Flood overlords. As the mighty explosion of energy shockwaves vibrated through a part of the Galaxy, those who were unaffected either felt or observed the beautiful synergy of power and majesty of the ancient Forerunners; and as if they understood, they revered it, knowing that somehow, their continued existence and the existence of their descendants were ensured.
The stars rang out a peaceful lullaby, one that was heard only by a select few. When Sergeant Avery Johnson lay on the cold floor of Installation 04 with death drawing closer, his mind felt peace as he grasped at the memories he held so dearly. Every Saturday, his Ma would make chicken pie that had a terrible taste, but he would give anything just so he could bask in the tenderness of his mother when she passed away. His Pa would always try his best to be his ever watching guardian, he missed those times when he would undergo one of the worst times in his life and Pa would always be at the staircase of their humble apartment, always knowing where he would be to comfort him and give him advise he already known but nonetheless appreciated.
"Send me out, with a bang." I want this, go. Get out of here, make sure you live well kid, you deserve it.
Upon witnessing the Chief escaping the control room, he sighed and closed his eyes. He felt so cold until he thought of her. Her naivety and stubbornness was something he had come to rely on for hope. The way she smiled made his old heart flutter like a teenage boy. Suddenly, he felt warmth; the sounds of the self-imploding Installation was drown out by a peaceful tune he had never heard before. Ironically, he had never felt so alive as he listened intently to the Song of the Stars, with one last breath, he whispered, "Miranda…"
000
It was late at night. Lord Terrance Hood had not slept since the reappearance of the Master Chief and the eventual Flood invasion. In all his years he had never felt as lethargic as he did now. After much persuasion from his AI assistant, he finally decided he would relent for now. His bones ached from old age and the stress he endured, he sat on a chair and used its support to twist his back until he felt a most satisfying crack. "Ah! Omph! That felt good." Letting his thoughts slip through his tongue. Taking another look at his surroundings, he realised he had never been back home for too long and it felt alien to him to actually relax in such an excruciatingly long time. The warm atmosphere of the house made him picture an 18th century British brick house with extended arms running towards him with blue annotations of 'Welcome Home!'
In a very long time, he smiled, genuinely. He now remembered where he got his childish impression from, it was an advertisement that had fascinated him as a child back when any of the Wars had not started and everything was peaceful, mostly. The tired Admiral looked at himself in a virtual mirror that was produced from a hologram projector from his clothing wardrobe. Wrinkles plagued his face and the evident signs of stress and lack of sleep had taken a toll on the once handsome Admiral. As he stared at himself, an idea crossed his mind. "Hey there gramps, you must be lost, let me go get good old Harley May to cheer you up!" he continued to amuse himself by imitating his favourite childhood cartoon characters. I guess the war must have hit me harder than I thought. Hah!
Lord Hood slowly made his way to bed and he laid there for what seemed like hours. He tried closing his eyes, flipping from side to side and to no avail, his heart was pounding faster as he heard gunshots and plasma discharge. His own voice yelled within his mind, as he remembered the tragedies he had witnessed. Multiple screams seemed to fill his mind, causing him to cringe on his own bed, leaving him sweating profusely as he remised how the Flood had infected the people he had promised safety to. Man, woman and child, their bodies violated by the despicable parasite, their faces scarred and rotting, but still recognisable. Civilian families devoured by their own infected members and their cries of betrayal and agony rang loudly in his mind as they were murdered by their own. He cringed again as all of the sudden, the smell of putrid flesh entered his senses, as he envisioned- no remembered burning carcasses of people that littered the streets. He had witnessed the Brutes eating his soldiers while they begged for mercy or remained fiercely resilient. One by one, their limbs were viciously ripped apart, until a pathetic heap of their victims' remaining body were left, in some cases they were still alive until they succumbed to death with their eyes opened, as they were gorged upon again.
The memories haunted him, guilt festered deeper into his soul and he hated himself for not preventing their deaths. He was troubled and now he wondered, why was it that he, of all people, was chosen to lead and protect Humanity's true and last home. As he laid on his bed he forced opened his eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling, the voices always seemed to die down whenever he did this. After a while, he heard a strange and yet comforting tune. His eyes darted to and fro, searching relentlessly to find the source of the music. The tune calmed him, soothing his aching soul and imbued him a renewed vigour. The tune left him smiling and he was convinced that he was indeed going insane, because he figured that the tune resonated from the stars.
The next morning, he was rudely awakened when his AI assistant, Kroniid, informed him urgently. "Admiral, your attention is needed right now! The frigate, Forward Unto Dawn has appeared through the Ark's portal, visual analysis dictates that the Frigate has suffered tremendous hull damage, only an estimated 68% of the Frigate remains intact. Its air-brakes are unresponsive and the frigate is crashing as we speak."
"Get emergency response teams ready to cushion its fall. I don't want it crashing onto us and I want any survivors inside abstracted." Lord Hood responded. Kroniid nodded, "Already done Admiral. However fall damage the Frigate would receive could only be reduced by 33.769%. Furthermore, thermal sensors indicate that the interior temperatures of the Frigate has reached up till 350.15 kelvins, there will not be many survivors. Provided that the Flood has not already contaminated the Frigate, if not, protocol dictates that the survivors be quarantined or subjected to termination as of immediately and their bodies disposed by incineration."
The Admiral clenched his teeth, eyes burning through the walls of his house for he dared not hope.
000
The clouds were marred by the smokes of the burning wreck of the Forward Unto Dawn, a sense of foreboding plagued the hearts of those that observed it crashing down into the scarred earth of which the Ark's portal was surrounded by. The image of peace seemed to be only a mirage in these lands, where battles were fought and blood was spilt. As UNSC engineers pried open the metal hull of the destroyed Frigate, a lone figure emerged. Shrouded by smoke, the figure emerged like a warrior hell-bent on vengeance, his reptilian eyes had stroke terror into the hearts of the engineers that had managed to safe him. He walked out of the searing heat of the wrecked Frigate, leaving its charred remains behind and the awe-struck engineers that stared at his figure as he ventured forward. From the engulfing flames that were produced from the burning remains of the Forward Unto Dawn, the Arbiter emerged, triumphant, but his eyes signalled an air of defeat.
Upon arriving by the side of the waiting Admiral, he stared blankly into the human's eyes. My brother was left behind. The Arbiter had no need to explain anything, his blank and weary eyes allowed the Admiral to comprehend immediately. The war was over, peace had been achieved, victory was ensured, but it had to dawn in fire for that to happen. The lives of men, women and Sangheili alike were sacrificed to allow the rest of the Milky Way Galaxy its continued existence. As Thel 'Vadam walked away to re-join his own kin that were waiting silently for him in a distance, he looked behind once more and placed his hand over his chest and nodded solemnly, respecting the dead that now lie far beyond in the Galaxy.
As the evening approached, the Arbiter was informed by Kroniid that he was invited to attend a ceremony to honour the dead. His blood boiled, screaming for vengeance as his mind accused them of betrayal. How could they have so little faith in the one that has never failed to prevent their impending demise? By the ancients! How DARE they insinuate that my BROTHER has ceased to exist. Were they not the ones that held so tightly to the believe that Spartans never die? Abhorrent, dishonourable fools! Sensing his internal turmoil, the Special Operations Leader, Rtas 'Vadum, went by his Arbiter's side.
"Brother, let not those impudent humans control your mind, we must remain clear in our hearts if we are to achieve peace. If they lack in honour, then be reminded that these humans are complicated beings. They show great honour and valour when the time is nigh for them to do so. They respect the Spartan in their own manner and we should honour their ways of mourning but we need not forget our own ways of doing so." Rtas said. The Arbiter now held firmer control of his emotions and nodded.
"You truly believe that the Spartan will return?" Rtas questioned once more. "Yes, indeed I do brother."Thel replied with conviction. Heaving a sigh, Rtas said once more before leaving the Arbiter to ponder alone," Then I will provide any assistance I can, Arbiter. I trust your judgement, but let not your emotions control your mind, we must remain faithful to our cause, but it would be unwise if we were to become ignorant."
Approaching the console panel of the Shadow of Intent, the Arbiter sent a message in reply to Kroniid. Adjusting his posture to one that made him revered in the eyes of his brethren, he said," Tell your leaders, I am coming."
000
The sunset in the distance provided the last moments of warmth before the world seemed to plunge into the cold, cruel darkness. The sun's light slowly receded as darkness seemed all too eager to engulf the land once more. The last remaining rays of light were what gave some hope that a new day would come, but an impeding darkness had to be conquered and thus, the light they now received would remain brightly in their hearts and souls, proving the warmth, comfort and hope they need to continue. Until dawn emerges.
It seemed fitting, that the Forward Unto Dawn was the Frigate sent by the UNSC in a last ditch attempt that was borne from the burning hope that Humanity had always held tightly onto. With the death of Truth, the Human-Covenant War was no more. The eradication of the Gravemind and its legion of flood armies had meant that the Milky Way Galaxy was now safe again, from the parasite's wrath. As they stood, the guards of honour, the Arbiter and the Admiral basked in the warmth of the receding sunlight. In front of them all was a piece of the Forward Unto Dawn, left mostly untouched. Plastered onto it were numerous photos of the deceased, Miranda Keyes, Sergeant Avery Johnson and so on, and so forth.
As they stood silently at the monument, their eyes were captivated by the inscribed number on it, 117. There were no photos that could be used to present the hero that had done the most for humanity as they remained heavily classified, there was no mementoes or personal belongings that could bring forth memories of the legend that had fallen. There was nothing to help future generations of Humanity's children to remember the hero, the warrior, the legend, the soldier and above all, the Spartan. But there was no need to, for he would be remembered by the stories that will foretell his adventures, he would be remembered by Humanity's continued existence for he had personally ended so many dangers it had faced. But above all, he would be remembered, not as the child that was abruptly separated from his family and forcefully adopted by the UNSC, but as the Spartan that had undergone countless trials and tribulations, entering a life of insurmountable dangers and had spat in the face of death multiple times. John-117 was remembered as the man who had been feared as the Demon by his foes and the salvation of his allies, he was remembered as a hero who had sacrificed all to do his duty.
When the time was nigh, they stood at attention, heads held up in pride, for they know the deaths of these fallen heroes had not gone in vain and they were proud because it reminded them of the resilience of Humanity. As they witnessed Admiral Hood taking off his military cap as a sign of respect they knew it was time.
"For us, the war is over. But let us never forget of those that travelled into the howling dark and never returned." He looked up with pride and inspiration. "For their decision required courage beyond measure. Sacrifice and conviction had convinced us that their fight…" no "…our fight was elsewhere." He gave pause and listened to the whistling winds, surprisingly, the smell of burnt metal and rock was no more. Peace…
"As we start to rebuilt, this hillside will remain barren, a memorial to heroes fallen. They ennoble all of us… and they shall not be forgotton." Their legends will be sung, for millennia to come.
The Admiral put his cap back on, ready to proceed with the final rites of their heroes and gave a salute. "Present arms!" the drill master yelled. In perfect synchronisation, the guards of honour took their battle riffles and fired a single shot into the sky above. The voices of the shots that honoured the fallen echoed far and wide into the tundra, signalling an end of things, with memories never to be forgotten.
With the closing of the ceremony, the Arbiter walked towards the Admiral. With each footstep, the echoes of the gunshots ran louder in his head and with it came clearer understanding of the Humans. He began to forgive them for their transgression of giving up on his Spartan brother, now realising that the humans had always understood that Spartans die, but they honour their sacrifice by letting their spirits live on in their hearts. In a strange sort of sense, Spartans never truly died. As he approached the Admiral, an odd sense of understanding had come across the two, once foes now turned allies. But they never forget, how could they?
"I remember how this war started." the Admiral spat. "What your kind did to ours." The venom in his voice increased in potency. The Arbiter remained in silence as guilt had sealed his jaws shut. But in a strange turn of events the Admiral's face gone softer and so did his tone," I can't forgive you, but you have my thanks." As he said that, he turned to look into the eyes of the Sangheili warrior, hand outstretching. Thel 'Vadam knew the meaning behind the gesture and he was honoured that at some point, he had gained the leader of the human's respect. He reciprocated the action, knowing that the winds of change will be coming again after today and perhaps someday, the scars of war would be mended and the two races would remain strongly united until the end times. "For standing by him until the end… Hard to believe he's dead."
The Arbiter's respect of the human before him had grown, but his own heart had questions unanswered, a memory had flashed past him when he thought of the time they met each other again on Earth. His words at that time may have held hostile intentions, but it bore many meanings. Thus, he said the same words he had to his Spartan brother in what seemed to be a lifetime ago. Its words the same, but the meaning had changed.
"Were it so easy..."
The clouds broke apart as the magnificent Covenant Super Carrier, Shadow of Intent, descended from the heavens. The Arbiter walked away, from the sun's receding rays, into the shade the carrier had provided. Lord Hood stared into the back of Thel 'Vandum, before his thoughts drifted elsewhere. Maybe forgiveness may not be so hard after all.
000
The darkness that shrouded the other half of the Earth approaches pervasively as the sun's life giving light receded. Dusk has ended, the night approaches and with it comes an ancient observer, shrouded in the shadows of the Sol System. It has only approached the glistening blue planet when its masters called for it every millennia, but this time, its masters demanded for more information when a piece of a Human Frigate approached their doorstep. Multiple scans were issued by the observer, collecting information while Humanity remained oblivious. The AI piloting the observer felt proud of his creators when their judgement was proven correct again, the Humans as predicted, had ended the Flood threat and life in the Milky Way had not ended like it once did. However, his creators had also foretold that Humanity would not change, their ways of life would always lead to war, their destiny was paved with blood and fire. For that reason alone, his creators had ended Humanity before, the ancient Humans proved to be a worthy foe, but it was too late when his creators did not learn the threat of the Flood from the Humans.
Through his eyes, the overseer of a distant star system saw it all. The Humans and their Sangheili brethren had accomplished what they could not, but a question lingers in his mind. He was unsure of what he was to do about the lone human that was drifting in his courtyard. The AI that accompanied him was oblivious to their presence and he was certain that this was the same defiant AI that had stolen the key of Installation 04 from Guilty Spark 343. However, he was interrupted from his thoughts when the observer he had sent out had discovered an anomaly in his readings. This had never happened before, their technologies were too sophisticated for any current beings in the Galaxy to rival and of this he was sure. But repeated scans had led to the same results, he was curious, could Humanity have been able to rival their technology so quickly? Were it not for the use of sight, an area of the Earth would have been invisible, as if that portion of land and sea was non-existent. The overseer was intrigued by this discovery as he continued to watch closely as his observer followed protocol to issue more powerful scans.
What the overseer uncovered next was spectacular, the Human faction, the UNSC, was no longer the dominant faction Humanity had. The Human population of the UNSC now accounted to less than 0.23077 percentage of the total Human population of Earth. There were 13 billion people living hidden within a secluded area where the Humans referred to as Asia, he was indeed captivated as to what was about to happen next.
Turning his attention to the floating debris that had intruded his home, he muttered in his own language," Now human, what am I to do with you?"
000
End
A/N: Hey guys! Do tell me if this chapter has been too short because personally, I felt that it was. Anyway, it's been a pleasure writing again, when I had received my first two reviews and follows I was bouncing with elation. The feeling is a glorious one and I do hope that I would get even more encouragement. Nevertheless it was fun writing and I long to hear from you guys how this chapter fared. I was aiming for a mesmeric/captivating/philosophical style. Do tell me if the story managed to give you 'vibes' when you read it. Well see you all again in the next chapter.
P.S: If you managed to figure out where I got the name "Kroniid" from, I applaud you.