Lebenden_Toten

A Feeling of Importance

Chapter 10

Believe me when I say that I am just as excited as you guys when I finally get an update out! I actually really enjoy writing this and love all of your wonderful feedback. So first of all I would like to address all of the reviews that I haven't been able to respond to by PM (because guests). Also I got GTA V for the PC… So much fun.

My Steam: [AOD]Lebenden_Toten

My League of Legends: Drakeal

Question: Blah Blah Blah

Answer: Blah Blah Blah

Guest: This is great and I'm enjoying it immensely however...
I still have a question regarding the mass effect tag? Will this arc start soon or later in the halo verse like at the end of halo 3 of him disappearing with Jorge in the reach campaign etc etc

Answer: Thanks for the feedback I love to hear that people enjoy my writing. As for when the Mass Effect stuff will come in… this chapter is going to be a lot of time skips methinks! In other words SOON (believe me I want it to come)

As for the other guests who left all the kinds words for me, thank you. I'm humbled that you all take the time out of you day to read my little story here on fanfiction!

Last little note, I'm gonna change Andrew/095's (in other words me) armor set up, looking back I'm not too happy with my original idea on the armor configuration.

Question for you guys! Have any of you heard of Rammstein? They are a German industrial metal band (I know I'm crazy) and oddly enough I normally listen to them while I write (don't know how, it just works for me).

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/A few months later/

(My P.O.V.)

The light was blinding as we stood on the stage. This is it, I can't believe this is actually happening. The other SPARTANs and I looked out over the auditorium at the various high ranking military personnel that were seated there. As we stood there, all in a line, standing at attention a host of trainers, techs, and doctors, all of which had been a part of the SPARTAN project in some way came up to a podium that was situated off towards the left of the stage. At the podium they spoke about their experiences in the program and how it charged them, so on and so forth.

After about an hour of the various members of the project staff speaking Dr. Halsey and Chief Mendez took to the stage. There was one major difference in what they said compared to the others when speaking of their experiences. They didn't speak about us as weapons, but as people, as the teenagers that we technically still were. They tried to show that under the image of a perfect soldier was actually a human being. This made me have an even greater respect for the two of them.

After all the speakers were finished it came time for promotions. Chief Mendez moved down the line of SPARTANs pining on the ranks and saying a few words to each of the now official soldiers. Eventually he came to stand in front of me. He smiled at me, an almost sad look coming into his eyes as he begins to speak. "SPARTAN zero nine five, Andrew, you came into this program by means of a rather unique series of events," After saying this he paused at the quite muttering that started to come from in the audience. Once they quieted he continued. "Your skill and dedication is admirable and it is with pride that I promote you to the rank of Staff Sergeant.

What…The…Actual…Fuck… The SPARTANs are a naval asset, Staff Sergeant is a Marine rank…

"You will be put in charge of an ODST element on the UNSC Dresden." Needless to say I was in shock. They are assigning me to a different station than the rest of the SPARTANs. I had grown close with the rest of the SPARANs over the past few months. I would spar with Fred, run with Kelly, and talk leadership things with John. After another sad little smile Mendez moved on down the line.

Well Shit…

/Three weeks later/

Well needless to say, the UNSC Dresden was big, well considering the fact it was a Marathon class heavy cruiser I would have been worried if it wasn't. The promotion ceremony earlier in the month had surprised me to say the least. Upon getting into the SPARTAN program I had expected to stay with them for the duration of the human covenant war, assuming I survived that long. Instead it seems as if I will be parading around as the leader of a squad of ODSTs, which will probably go just splendidly considering my last encounter with the Helljumpers…

As I had been thinking to myself I had been moving towards the hanger bay that the ships company of ODSTs were currently hanging out in. My armored boots creating a steady thumping rhythm as I walked down the brightly lit hallway of the ship. I already had my ODST kit on, helmet and all (the helmet is the command variant). I eventually made it to the hanger and was met by the sounds and sounds of a, "friendly" brawl between two troopers. I skirted around the edges of the crowd that had gathered to while listening to the insults that the two fighters were throwing back and forth.

"Your mother is a whore!"

"You're a waste of sperm!"

"If you were a real trooper you would have blocked that!"

"Are you serious man? I already apologized!"

"No Sirius died in the fifth book you fat fuck!"(if you don't get that I feel bad for you).

Eventually I made it through/around the crowd to a trooper that looked like the Units CO. "Staff Sergeant Braun reporting for duty sir!" I said while giving him a quick salute, which he lazily returned.

"Ah so you Jamison's replacement, good luck with that. You squad is over there." He said while he pointed to a group of ODSTs in the corner of the hanger. They looked to be joking around together as they all double checked their gear. Looks like a tight knit group, this should be interesting.

I thanked the officer and started to make my way over. As I neared they looked up at me, quitting their earlier joking.

"Hey Shiny (because of new armor), what the hell are you doing over here, the new blood is on the other side of the hanger getting an introduction to the rest of the company."

I looked at him realizing that was probably what the "fight" I saw was about. After turning back to face the trooper that spoke I answered his question. "I am over here because as of right now I am taking command of this squad. Staff Sergeant Braun, pleasure to meet you all." After I finished they all exchanged looks and I even saw one start to whisper to another. Yep, definitely a close group.

"Ah shit…" said the ODST who had first spoken to me. I had to agree with him, his words pretty much described how I felt at the time.

/A few years later/

"ALLRIGHT HELLJUMPERS, HOW DO WE GO?"

"WE GO FEET FIRST STAFF SERGEANT!"

"You damn right we do, OORAH MARINES!"

Just as we finished our normally pre battle ritual the docking clamps holding our HEV pods in their tubes let go. Down we went rushing towards the planet surface below.

"YIPPI-KAI-YAY MOTHER FUCKERS!" came the voice of Lance Corporal Mark Campbell over the coms.

"Campbell I swear to God if you yell any louder my ears are gonna give out!" grumbled Private Joey Rodriguez.

"OI cut the chatter, we are approaching the DZ." The coms went silent as my order went through. After a few more seconds my pod hit the ground followed by the rest of my squad. We were here on this mission by request of some high up ONI civilian resource. After seeing the mission parameters I had a pretty decent Idea of who that would be.

"Spread out and secure the area, the VIP and their people will be here soon," I said to my squad and they quickly moved to comply. Originally when I had started working with them the relationship was rather rocky, now though we all moved with the precision of a well-oiled machine. A few conflicts with the insurrectionists and later the covenant made quite sure of that. Funnily enough after all the time I spent with my squad no one had yet learned of the fact that I was a SPARTAN. I mean a 7'4 guy that weighs a little over 290 pounds, almost all of it muscle, isn't exactly common or normally. I love the guys in my squad, but hell I never said to anyone they were the sharpest tools in the shed…

After a few more minutes of waiting the roar of a pelican could be heard. Soon it came into sight. I walked out into the clearing we were in and popped a blue smoke grenade to signal the landing zone. The pelican touched down with a light thud and the ramp began to lower. After it did the passengers made their way out. I couldn't help but smile as they did, I recognized each and every one of them. Before me stood all of the remaining SPARTAN IIs, (excluding myself of course) and if I was right it was time for the SPARTAN program to take its next big step… The MJOLNER armor system.

"Well, surprise to see you all here," I said while walking thwards the group. A few of them shot me confused looks at this. Oh yea, forgot im in ODST armor, SPARTANS and ODSTs don't exactly get along after all… I looked back at my ODSTs, seeing them a bit twitchier than usual. They told me about some story circulating around the ODST community about some other Spec Ops soldiers killing a group of ODSTs in a boxing match. The story had changed some, but it was definitely about the time that John and I had accidentally killed those troopers while recovering from our augmentations.

Looking back at my time with the ODSTs I found it funny that my squad hadn't really learned much about me. They did notice though the occasional loss of control I had while fighting. It had happened a few times but not that often. Thankfully I had never fully lost control of myself. It had only ever been the affects similar to those that I experienced while fighting the ODSTs with John, red tinged vision and an increase in pain tolerance as well as strength.

Anyway after a few awkward moments of the SPARTANs and I staring at each other I thought it was time to my helmet off. When my helmet was finally off I saw a few of the SPARTANs fight to hold back a small look of surprise. After seeing that I looked towards the head of the group. There stood Dr. Halsey, a grouping smile on her face.

"I had a feeling it was you who requested my squad." I said as I surveyed the group before me. "Glad to see I was right."

"Yes, I'm glad that Captain Michaels came through on his promise."

Wonder what she could have done for the Captain of the Dresden to owe her a favor. I thought to myself, a slightly questioning look coming across my face.

"Anyway we must really be going, there is a Covenant ship in the system so we are on a strict time frame."

"Right you are." I quickly replied as I slid my helmet back on. "Let's go troopers, diamond formation, I've got point." I shouted to my men as I began to moving towards a navigation marker placed by Halsey. They started following and soon after the SPARTANs fell in behind them.

"This is taking foreeeevvvvvveeeerrrrrrrr…" said one of the troopers in my squad.

"Shut your mouth Rodriguez," I said in reply. The cargo lift we were on was going quite slow, that doesn't mean that complaining about it will make it faster. That doesn't mean that I was enjoying the long elevator ride. I was excited, there was a Covie ship nearby and the SPARTANs, hopefully myself included were about the get their MJOLNER. Hopefully Halsey has taken some of the advice I gave in that message last year, it would be great if the Mark I started with shields…

The elevator finally came to a halt. When it did Dr. Halsey walked to the front of our mismatched little group and gestured for us to follow. I couldn't help but let my anticipation grow as we made our way through the complex system of tunnels. Apparently the doctor noticed my excitement.

"Please Andrew, I know you are exited but try to restrain yourself from jumping around so much."

"Uh… yea, sorry just a little bit exited," I replied a bit sheepishly. She just looked at me, an amused look on her face as she continued on walking.

Eventually we arrived at our destination. A vast hanger like room spread out before us. In the middle of the room were a bunch of pedestals surrounded by machinery and other equipment. On top of the pedestals, stood the MJOLNER. It wasn't just the regular MK I from Halo Combat Evolved. There were different variations, all in different colors with various specialized components. All expect one. That one is obviously Johns, he has always been a relatively simple guy.

"Now," began Halsey. "I was originally going to ask for a volunteer to go first… there happens to be a certain individual," she shot me a quick look at that. "Who I suspect would like to start a bit more than the others." She then gestured for me to come to the head of the group.

"Hold this," I quickly said as I roughly shoved my rifle into Campbell's hands before rushing to Halsey. Once I stood beside her she pointed out a stand, off to the right side of the display of armor sets. On it sat what was presumably my armor. The most surprising part about this whole thing, the armor was WAY more advanced than it was at this time in the books. Probably my fault considering all the stuff I told Halsey in those messages. I mean this stuff looked like the SPARTAN III armor from Halo Reach. THIS IS SOOOOOOO COOL. Wait, calm down, calm, the fuck down. Anyway on to the looks of the armor itself. The helmet was the UA/HUL variant of the Recon Helmet. The left shoulder was A CQC shoulder, not surprising considering that's my specialty, and the right an ODST model, it even had the Helljumpers emblem on it. The chest was a UA/MULTI THREAT. Knees were the FJ/PARA and there was a tactical soft case on the right leg.

In any case I was ready to armor up, the Covies won't know what hit them.

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REVIEW PLS LONGEST UPDATE YET :P