[Here is chapter 2 for Halo: Nova! I hope its alright considering it jumps around quite a bit. I see it as a necessary bridge between chapter 1 and 3. Some pretty important things do occur in this chapter so it's definitely worth a read or else the following won't make sense. Anyways, there are a few questions I feel I should answer: 1. Clayton's energy sword acts like a lightsaber, it doesn't have an amount of charges indicating how many times he can swing it. 2. Echo Company is an OC company I made. The story behind it was ONI decided that another batch of S-IIIs were required but they didn't want them to be as expendable as traditional S-IIIs. Therefore, Echo Company is a middle ground between S-II and S-III, being better than most S-IIIs but not able to exactly match S-IIs. Moving on from that, you may realize that even though Clayton is a Captain (Marine Corps) and still calls Olecksi Sir even though their rank is somewhat similar, it's merely because of Olecksi heading the ship Fireteam Nova deploys from. With all that out of the way, on to the chapter...]

Spartans Clayton and Joe stalked through the forest with an unimaginable grace. One would think the clunky armor that was the Mark V. (which acted as a base armor for Spartan personnel unless they choose to utilize the full Mark V.) would hinder their ability to maneuver. While it did prevent certain basic actions, like the simple act of shrugging, Mark V. was in no means restricting to a well trained Spartan. The pair had found themselves stuck outside the boundaries of Stellar City, two confirmed KIAs, and no certain way of making it home. But that never stopped ideas from being formed.

"There it is." Clay stated as he observed the small Covenant encampment. Joe and himself had hidden in a bush at to top of a hill that sloped down into the small outpost. The Phantom that had passed over them just a few minutes ago was still hovering just above the ground. Unggoy and Sangheili unloaded supplies while Kig-yar were posted as snipers watching the surrounding area. Every Covenant in this sector must of heard of the four demons that arrived at the city. However, while these aliens were on guard, they showed more signs of content rather than concern. The deaths of Nathan and Preston must have reached them as well.

"What do you suggest?" Joe asked, careful with how he was holding his SRS so the barrel didn't stick out of the leaves. He had the hood of his Tactical/Patrol chest plate up over his helmet. Joe's armor was comprised of mostly white color with a hint of silver detail, something that doesn't exactly camouflage one while in a forest. The past two years of Nova fighting rebels consisted of a surprising amount of winter warfare, thus Joe's coloration. He had grown so used to it that he simply refused to change his color. Many thought him suicidal or stupid, but Clayton knew him. He was good at covering up tracks. As for the hood, Clay concluded that it had simply become instinct.

"We need to find a point of entry where we won't be detected. I'd like to get aboard that Phantom without any Covenant noticing us."

"Discreet. Got it." The Spartan of white responded.

Clayton continued to observe even the simple things. Where one specific Kig-yar always looked, when there wasn't any Covenant carrying cargo out of the ship, and the surrounding area. A thick tree with with a high canopy stood fairly close to where the Phantom hovered.

"Got it. We climb that tree and wait for it to take off. Once it does, we leap into the troop bay from the branches. Any poor son-of-a-bitch inside will get popped." Clayton explained.

"Sounds good. I'm ready." Joe responded.

Clayton jerked his head to the side, silently indicating his friend to follow as he moved through the bushes around the encampment. They pairing stealthily moved through the bushes, watching their footsteps. A single snap of a twig could instantly give them away. They Spartans eventually made it to the base of the tree. Clayton lifted his DMR and placed it on the magnetic clamp located on his back. The Spartan grabbed a hold of the lowest tree branch, tugging on it to ensure how safe it was. Figuring it was safe, he hoisted himself up and continued his climb, Joe not far behind. Luckily, the tree had many branches to cling to. Clayton periodically looked to the encampment, making sure they hadn't been noticed. If they had been, which they weren't, both of them would've been caught completely exposed.

"Now we play the waiting game." Joe stated once they reached the desired height.

Almost the second he said that, the Phantom lifted off the ground. "Nevermind, I swear things happen in spite of me."

Clayton leapt from the tree branch. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. His armor scrapped down the side of the bay doors as they shut. Joe and him had successfully infiltrated the gunboat, but unfortunately for them, they weren't alone. At least, unfortunate for the Covenant. A single Sangheili stood before them, only to have an energy blade cut its throat open. The wound was instantly cauterized and the Elite fell to the floor. The thud instantly drew the attention of the other three Sangheili in the troop bay, one of them being an Zealot. The holy warrior drew its energy blade and moved for Clayton, it's Minor-class counterparts engaging Joe. Clayton's energy sword clashed with the Zealot's, creating a brilliant flash of blue light. The Sangheili attempted to jab the Spartan's lower rib cage with it's wrist-mounted energy dagger. Clayton caught the alien's hand, using his might to keep the protruding blade at bay.

"You think your so clever." Clayton said.

The Sangheili cocked it's head to the side before raising it's hooved foot and kicking Clayton backwards. The Spartan merely stumbled before colliding blades once more. Clayton possessed this sword for twelve years, but that didn't mean he had skill with it. He was obviously struggling and he knew his assailant was aware for the Elite was toying with him.

'Whats so hard about swish, swish, stab?' He thought to himself.

Clayton acted, planting a punch firmly on the side of the Zealot's armored face. The alien shifted to the side, shaking it's head. It glared at him and roared. Charging once more, the Sangheili hopped in the air and attempted to plunge the blade through Clay's chest. Time seemed to slow as Clayton's advanced reflexes analyzed the situation. Quickly thinking, he drew his knife in his left hand and raised the sword in his right. The blades met, redirecting the path of the Zealot's weapon. Clayton's knife was driven into the alien's side. It howled and Clayton retracted the metal blade, following it up with a swift swipe of the sword through his enemies leg. Collapsing to the ground, the Elite howled in anger before Clayton silenced it's cries. He pulled the sword from its abdomen and deactivated it, placing it back on his hip.

Joe held one of the Minors in a strangle hold. The second one was lying on the floor but quickly stood back up. It began to charge, only for Joe to use his spare hand to grab his knife from it's sheath and throw it. The knife dug into the alien's skull and it collapsed to the ground. Joe turned his attention back to his captive and grabbed a hold of it's mandibles. Once his hold was secured, he swiftly pulled back. A loud snap originated from the Minor's neck and Joe let it fall to the floor.

"Good?" He asked as he looked up.

Clayton nodded. "You know how to fly one of these things?"

"You really think I'd know how?"

Clayton tried to shrug, but gave up on it. "Well, I guess we just wait for the pilot to get us clear of the jammed zone, call The Voyager, and hope they can come get us."

"Sounds good. I'll just go take a nap in the corner." Joe said, setting his rifle down and sitting against the wall.

"I'll stay on watch, make sure that no one else appears from nowhere."

"Plus you got the nap on the way here." Joe pointed out.

"Fair enough." Clayton answered with some amusement.

"This is Clayton Echo-159 of the UNSC Voyager, does anyone read?" Clayton asked for about the millionth time. His index and middle finger rested on the side of the helmet.

Clayton shook his head when no one replied. He was afraid to set up a beacon, not wanting any Covenant to trace it. Joe still lay in the corner, snoozing. Clayton hoped to god that someone managed to get word out. Winter Contingency? This was insane! Covenant on the most fortified Human world other than Earth! Reach would be no pushover, but Clayton honestly feared the worst. Stellar City marked the first time Clayton engaged Covenant in the field and Nova had lost two members and Clayton's armor wasn't exactly in excellent condition. His chest plate was charred and his right EVA shoulder pad had a deep cut in it. He would definitely need to get his armor reconfigured when he got back to the cruiser, but in a time like this it wasn't exactly a good time for a wardrobe change. However, it's a little hard to fight with damaged Mjolnir armor.

Clayton looked to Joe. His friend looked peaceful, it reminded him of when they used to sleep against a tree in the middle of summer before the glassing of Freedom. Sadly, good things must come to an end, but Clayton's childhood met a very abrupt and horrid one. Suddenly, his comm went alive, albeit static.

"Come in! Spartan Clayton Echo-159! This is Captain Olecksi! I'm currently tracking your suit. What are you doing on a Covenant Phantom?"

"Needed a ride home, sir. Covenant jammed the comms at Stellar City."

"I see. Where is Captain Preston?"

"KIA, along with Nathaniel."

There was a moment of silence between the two.

"Sorry to hear. We are sending a Pelican to retrieve you now. I'm sending coordinates to your HUD telling you where to jump from the Phantom."

A blip popped in the corner of Clay's HUD.

"Received. See you soon, Captain."

"Likewise, Lieutenant."

Clayton almost forgot, he was unofficially a Captain now. He would catch up Olecksi upon his return. He turned back to his partner and approached him. The Spartan lightly kicked the resting body.

"Yes." Joe replied with little emotion.

"Come on. Olecksi contacted me and gave me coordinates for where we need to jump." Clayton explained.

"Well, we can't open the bay doors. What about the bottom drop hatch?"

"My thoughts exactly." Clayton said as he turned towards a small switch near the rear of the Phantom.

He had read the coordinates and compared it to the mini map he had of the sector. They were just about to match up. He struck the button with a fist. A circular door in the flooring opened up, revealing the terrain below.

"Ready to go...Joe, what are you doing?"

The sniper was placing frag grenade inside of a panel he had taken off the wall near the anti-gravity engines.

"Giving them a little parting gift." He said.

Pulling the pin, he quickly ran over to the hatch and pencil dived through. Clayton looked up at the panel briefly before jumping himself. Both Spartans landed with a thud on the dirt. The area was a small clearing surrounded by trees. The Spartans stood, watching the Phantom fly off before exploding in the distance. It's engine ignited in a brilliant purple flame before disappearing beyond the trees. A loud rumble followed. The pair looked at one another.

"When did they say the drop ship would get here?" Joe asked.

Clayton cocked his head to the side before having his attention drawn by a roaring sound coming towards them. The Pelican emerged over the trees and descended in front of them. The bay door opened and a two Marines hopped out. They pointed their battle rifles in a multitude of directions before noticing the Spartans before them. They saluted as the towering warriors moved past them into the troop bay. Clayton nodded to both of them before boarding. The Marines climbed aboard after them and the bay door sealed shut. Clayton took a seat and removed his helmet. He let out a deep exhale as he set it to his right. Joe sat to his left and the Marines sat across from them.

"Looks like you took a beating, Spartan."One of them said. Clayton's brown eyes met the Marine's own blue. "Yeah, I suppose we did."

"Great! No way in hell we are surviving this." The other Marine remarked.

Clayton shook his head. "Don't talk like that. It's negativity like that that gets people killed and losses wars."

The Marine nodded. He was breathing heavily. "You ok, Marine?" Clayton asked.

The Marine had tears welling up in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Sir. I have a wife and a daughter on Earth waiting for me to come home. If the stories are correct, the odds of surviving a Covenant invasion are not very good."

Clayton had a sympathetic look on his face. This man may never see his loved ones again. He was no where near the first in a war that's claimed millions.

"I'm sorry. But Reach isn't a outer colony. Be lucky your here and not on, say, Harvest. Your odds are greater on this world."

The Marine tried to act like Clay's words were soothing, but the Spartan knew damn well that they weren't. He had small portions of understanding surrounding this scenario, his mother dying and all, but someone's wife and child was completely different. Clayton had zero understanding of that.

The Pelican soared into orbit. A vigorous orbital battle was underway against three UNSC cruisers and two Covenant corvettes. Clayton could hear the pilot barking into his communications system in the cockpit as the Pelican shook violently. Clayton stood up and slid his helmet over his head. He moved towards the cockpit and placed his hand on the pilots chair. The battle was raging around them, Seraphs chased after Longsword strike fighters.

"Captain Olecksi! Prepare the hanger for our arrival!" The pilot yelled, swaying the Pelican to the left to dodge Covenant flak from the leftmost corvette.

"It will be done. Be quick, we can't risk the Covenant boarding the ship!" The Captain replied.

The pilot pushed forward on a lever. The Pelican gave a burst of speed as the barreled past explosions and allied/hostile fighters. The ship approached The Voyager at a quickened pace. The pilot flew through the hanger shielding and pulled the lever back, bringing the Pelican to a sudden stop as it hovered over the titanium floors.

"Captain. You may seal the doors." The pilot stated.

The bay doors emerged from the far left side of the gap. Door after door ejected from the larger prior to it until the hanger was sealed off.

"Confirmed, thank you for bringing my Spartans back home." The Russian responded.

"Your welcome, Sir." Clayton heard the pilot respond as he marched back to the troop bay. The Pelican opened itself up, revealing the bustling hanger bay of The Voyager. Clayton stepped out and began to run towards the bridge, Joe close behind. The pair maneuvered the hallways, sprinting past several Marines and other personnel scurrying around to get to their positions. The Spartans ran into an elevator that brought them downward to the bridge. The doors opened and the command center was revealed to them. Clayton started out in a slight jog, making his way around a holo-table used for strategy and other needs, then proceeding down a narrow path elevated with two sections of terminals lowered in the floor flanking it. A figure in a UNSC Navy officer uniform stood, his legs spread the length of his shoulders and head held erect as he observed the battle before him.

"Captain?"

The officer turned. His face was quite stereotypical for a Russian. "Lieutenants!" Olecksi greeted the pair. "You look like hell, Clayton." The man observed the Spartan's damaged armor.

"Apologies for not dressing up, Sir." He responded.

"Yes, you'll need a full workup in order to effectively lead Nova into battle." Olecksi stated as he placed his right hand on Clay's armored shoulder.

"Sir? How did you..."

"Preston left it in his file. Should anything happen to him, you are to take command. So my apologies for using your old rank, Captain." Olecksi interrupted. The ship captain shook Clayton before proceeding, the ship slightly rumbling due to cannon fire.

"Sir, the Covenant corvettes are retreating into slipspace!" One of the women on the terminals reported.

"Excellent, allow the point-defense system cool down and keep the archer missiles primed." Olecksi responded.

"On it, Captain!"

Captain Olecksi turned back to the Spartans. "As for you, Clayton, you need armor repairs."

"Sir, I'd like to request a new configuration."

The Captain stared at Clayton with curiosity. "Marathon-class cruisers are not just equipped with various sets of Mjolnir armor, I'm sure you know this."

Clayton nodded, however, Olecksi spoke up. "But your lucky. We have a prototype helmet that is compatible with Mark V. bases. Don't worry, it comes with shoulders, a chest plate, and so on. ONI wanted it to be field tested and it seems like your the perfect candidate. Not to mention the perfect environment." The Captain commented, looking down at Reach of which was undergoing invasion.

"Thank you, Sir. You will not regret your decision." Clayton stated, expressing his gratitude.

"I know I won't. Echo Company was designed to be the middle ground between S-IIs and S-IIIs, therefore I have full belief that you will show no issue with this armor, nor do I believe you will falter on your leadership role. Come, we must get you armored. Additionally, I have two extra surprises for you. Actually, if you count individual bodies, I have five." Olecksi smiled as he marched past the Spartans.

The pair exchanged a glance, Joe raising his hands indicating he didn't know what the Captain was talking about. The both followed the Olecksi from the bridge and into the lift. The doors shut and the elevator started upwards.

The armory had a single machine with a multitude of mechanical arms resting the far end. A single engineer operated at a terminal. He turned, taking notice of the Captain and the two hulking Spartans.

"Clayton E-159, I presume?" The man inquired.

The Spartan nodded. "Correct."

"Alright, please step onto the indicated pad and I will proceed with the armor transfer."

Clayton did as he was instructed, stepping up onto a small platform and turning towards the group. He made sure his feet were correctly positioned before nodding to the engineer. The man typed in a program and the mechanical arms came to life. The worked on his shoulders and arms first, unhinging his EVA shoulders and the armor beneath it, followed by the forearms. A screen before him instructed him to raise his arms. The Spartan complied as the machinery went to work on his chest plate and back armor, removing the supplemental armor near his groin and waist as it went. Other arms had already eliminated his thigh and calf/shin armor, his knee pads being removed with it. An extra set of arms extended from above and latched onto his EOD helmet, hoisting it off his head. His facial features were revealed to group: Brown eyes and hair accompanied by a broad, strong face.

Then the arms returned, this time holding pieces of armor. A brand new Mark V. base was strapped to him, replacing his previous battle damaged set. Once the base was applied, the additional armor permutations were applied. Multi-threat shoulders were applied as well as a tactical pad on his left forearm. Additional hard pouches were added to his chest plate with the commando variation, a combat knife being placed to the left of his collar. His leg armor had been full restored and a helmet of unknown design descended over his head, latching on and pressuring. His HUD came online and he noticed and instant difference. The visor of his EOD helmet was more streamlined and cut, while this helmet allowed for more broader vision. It had the same CNM module he utilized with his previous helm, which he was thankful for.

The arms retracted and the engineer signaled him that it was OK to step off. The Spartan stepped off. No synchronization time was necessary as it was still at heart the Mark V. The Spartan stood with a stoic appearance, his armor looking more authoritative then his previous.

"Will this configuration suffice for your needs in the field, Sir?" The engineer asked.

"Yes, it will. Thank you. Out of curiosity, what helmet is this?"

"A prototype Mark VI. Your one of the first to utilize it in a combat scenario. They will be widespread to mostly S-IIs shortly."

Clayton nodded before turning to Olecksi. "Captain, you said something about presents?"

The Ship Captain smiled. "Follow me, Spartan."

The three of them marched through the corridors of a calmer Voyager. Everyone had returned to their original stations. It was odd, Reach's orbit seemed fairly peaceful compared to the surface. A war was already raging down below and, judging by the way Clayton was moving, he intended to be a part of it. Captain Olecksi led the towering figures up to through the halls.

"So, Captain, tell me more of these surprises." Clayton asked.

"Well, its obvious that Nova is not at full strength. So four of the surprises are four Spartan-IIIs. You should work well with them though, all four are from Echo-Company so the skill set should be remotely similar. No gaps to bridge." He explained.

"Excellent, we can get right to work then."

"One issue, Clayton. They aren't exactly on board with someone being thrusted into a position of authority because of a sudden loss. While they are willing to work it out, some more than others, you WILL need to earn their respect. I wouldn't expect anything from them at the moment besides results." The Captain elaborated.

"Nonsense, they will learn of his capabilities soon enough." Joe stated.

Clayton looked back at his friend. "I understand where they are coming from, Joe. I will have to earn as much from them as they'll have to from me."

Joe nodded in agreement as the turned down a hallway to their right. A small ways down the hall was a door marked as the 'Strategic Planning Holo-room.'

The group stopped when Olecksi turned to them. "I'm going to give you ten minutes to get acquainted with them. After that, you launch to New Alexandria. City is under intense siege and the Army officials are requesting a more...elite...force to assist in the evacuation. I'll explain more once you've finished up."

Clayton nodded silently as Olecksi left the area to attend to other matters. The black-and-orange Spartan pressed his finger to a keypad, opening the doorway. Four armored figures resided in the room. All bore their helmets, turning their heads as the two additional Spartans walked in and shut the door behind them.

Clayton took a moment to observe. One was sitting near the holo-table, another was leaning against the far wall, and the other two were standing, obviously mid-conversation when Clay had walked in.

"So I guess the UNSC doesn't require subordinates to snap to attention when an officer is around." Joe stated.

The two Spartans speaking to one another almost immediately snapped to attention. The one sitting down was delayed, but made her way to the position in line with the other two. The fourth remained on the wall until Clayton's visor covered gaze landed on her. She returned the look through her own helmet, a Mark VI. like his own.

'She must be testing it out as well.' He thought to himself. Otherwise, her yellow armor was bare.

The woman grunted. "I'd rather have a more seasoned leader in a time like this."

Joe stepped forward but Clayton raised his arm. "There is still a thing called common respect. I expect you to at least grant me that before I earn otherwise." He said with a calm tone.

The woman continued her gaze before finally submitting. She walked up to the line, joining the rest with her fists at her sides and staring straight ahead. Clayton scanned the row of Spartans.

"Remove your helmets."

All four simultaneously removed their headgear, revealing four human faces.

"My name is Clayton Echo-159. My compatriot here is Joe Echo-178." Clayton introduced the both of them to the group. He walked up to the first Spartan in line.

He was of a darker ethnicity, skin color wise. There was a bionic arm present in lieu of an organic, indicating a previous decapitation during his operation history. Extra shotgun shells lined his chest plate and a larger shoulder pad was home to a kukri knife. His helmet was EVA, indicating an affinity with vehicle or space warfare. A mild red, comparable to a brick, colored his armor with small amounts of black detail lining his arms and legs.

"Name?"

"Harris Echo-134, Sir."

"Like knives?"

"I do, Sir."

"Got some CQB training under your belt?"

"Lots, Sir."

Harris spoke with a deeper voice but no accent. If anything, he spoke plain American English. Clayton lifted his hands and removed his own helmet, staring into the Spartan's eyes. He nodded. "I won't ask about the arm if it's a touchy subject." Clay's voice was no longer muffled but clear.

"A story possibly for a later date, Sir."

"I'll respect that." Clayton turned and faced the second in line.

A larger man bearing a light orange Grenadier chest piece and helmet stood before him, slightly taller than Clay himself. He was bulky, not just in armor. An AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun rested behind him.

"Heavy weapons guy?"

The Spartan nodded. His head had a clean buzz cut and and was cleanly shaven. A scar ran over the bridge of his nose.

"Take a hit on the nose there, Spartan..." Clayton trailed off, indicating that he wanted him to finish the sentence.

"Spartan Jacob Echo-097. Took a nasty hit from a Brute during a campaign on Juda IV." He answered.

"At least one of us have fought Covenant before." The snippy yellow Spartan butted in.

"Ash, you don't have to be so harsh." Jacob said, looking past the pink colored Spartan in between them.

Clayton looked to Ash and then to Jacob. "Know of each other already?"

Jacob looked back to him. "Cousins. Lost our home when the Covenant struck Mimba."

"My apologies. Lost ours as well...Freedom." He gestured towards Joe. Clayton's thoughts trailed to his now glassed homeworld. "We are all here for roughly the same reason." He finished.

"Ramses never stood a chance." Harris added, shaking his head in remembrance if his homeworld's final moments. Clayton looked at him with sympathy before moving on.

He moved to the Spartan in pink. She had short, black hair that extended down to her shoulders and an olive skin tone. A small scar marked her cheek. Two bandoliers of grenades clung to her chest piece and a Commando helmet dangled from her right hand. Minus he armor and a slightly lighter skin tone, she reminded him of someone he knew back in boot camp. But he hadn't seen her since graduation. She always seemed more...clingy towards the Spartan.

"How about you?" He asked.

"Samantha Echo-160. Demolitions, Sir." She responded with intensity.

Clayton smirked. "I like this one. What weapon you use?"

"M319 Grenade Launcher, Sir." She held it out in front of her, snapping it in half using the break-action function. She stowed it on her back. Clayton nodded as he moved on.

Last but not least, Ash.

"Name?"

"Ashley Echo-056, Sir." She said plainly.

He looked down at her armored thighs. Twin M7/Caseless Submachine guns rested on the magnetic clamps.

"Specialties?"

"Martial arts and CQB."She answered.

Blonde hair lay draped over her left eye. She had a fairly clean face for specializing in CQB, something that requires a finesse with knives and the human body.

"Don't you worry about my capabilities. I promise I'll try my best." He said to her.

"We'll see." She answered.

Admiral Olecksi walked through the doorway, all Spartans turning their attention to him. He held a peculiar object in his hand. It was some form of data chip.

"Clayton, place this in your helmet drive."

The Spartan reached out and took the data chip from the Captain's hand. He reached behind his helmet and slid it into the port.

"Hello!"

Clayton nearly jumped out of his Mjolnir set. "What the hell?!"

"I'm your new artificial intelligence, Savanna!" The AI was ecstatic.

Clayton looked at Olecksi. The Ship Captain chuckled. "She is quite the handful. I think you can handle her."

Savanna appeared on Clay's HUD, taking form of a vibrant young woman wearing something similar to the style in the 21st century. It appeared that she wore pants called 'Spandex' and a plain sweatshirt. She had a gorgeous face and long hair which cascaded down to hear rear.

"It's my pleasure to serve Spartan Clayton and Fireteam Nova in the field!"

Clayton stifled a chuckle at her enthusiasm. "Glad to have you aboard."

"Now, we have some business to attend to. Is Fireteam Nova ready to deploy?"

Clayton turned to his new team. All of them slid their helmets over their heads and weapons were retrieved from where they rested. He turned back to Olecksi.

"Sir, Fireteam Nova is ready to deploy into the fight for Reach."