To be a Spartan

by Faldon113

Not all Spartans want to be Spartans. Some want nothing more than to choose their own path. Several tried. Only one succeeded. This story is now abandoned, but I am in the process of re-writing it in a way I think will work better and not drive me crazy. The story is called A Soldier's Heart, and will be posted shortly on Archive of Our Own.

10. Strike Back Part 2

Strike Back Pt 2

Time: Date Record Anomaly\Estimated 0510 Hours\

September 23, 2552\

Aboard Captured Covenant Flagship, Epsilon Eridani System

Sighing in frustration, Kaine glanced over the bridge to the arguing group again. Why they were still discussing what to do, she didn't know. It wasn't like Chief was gonna sit on the ship with that signal repeating over and over. Granted, no one else knew why those six notes were so important, but surely they could see how determined he was. He was going down there, the only question that remained was who would go with him. However, that question had dissolved into an ongoing argument that had driven the ODST across the bridge to help one of the Engineers repair a console.

"I forbid you to go to the surface!" Haverson finally yelled, face nearly purple in rage. As fun as it was to watch the man lose his cool, the redhead officer couldn't help but frown at his outburst. Why he was having such a hard time remembering that he wasn't the highest ranked person on the ship was beyond her. ONI was supposed to be better at this.

"I wasn't asking permission, sir," John replied, voice calm to everyone that didn't know him. To Faldon, it was obvious that he was about ready to tear the man apart with his bare hands. "There are Spartans down there, and they are my main priority. If I have to go down alone, I will, but there is no way I'm leaving them here."

"Like hell you're going down alone," Kaine cut in, finally leaving her location to saunter back over, ignoring the Lieutenant's glare. "Didn't you mention on Halo that Sierra-104 was one of the Spartans you lost? He's saved my life more times than I care to admit to; if there's a chance he's still in that hell hole I'm coming along." Okay, so he hadn't actually said that, but it wasn't a stretch to make the assumption. Fred usually took over Blue Team when Chief couldn't be there, and she had heard that Blue Team had been on Halo.

"I follow the Commander," Locklear instantly chimed in, not surprising the redhead at all. After so many years, she was pretty used to the absurd loyalty that every ODST had towards her. Besides, no self-respecting ODST would pass up a chance to piss off an ONI agent.

"As do I," Johnson grunted, throwing a wink in Kaine's direction, unaware of the quick glare that the Master Chief threw him. "Never met a Faldon that wouldn't protect the soldiers under them with their very lives if need be. Anything I can do to help out, I will in a heartbeat."

"Guess I'm in too," Polaski sighed, smiling wryly. "After all, you're gonna need someone that knows how to fly."

"Then we're decided," Faldon said firmly, giving them all a small smile before turning to face Haverson full on. "Lieutenant? Will you be joining us?" Noting the fact that the man was grinding his teeth in frustration, she still accepted it when he grudgingly nodded. "Very well. Master Chief, it's possibly your Spartans down there; you have tactical command."

"Cortana," the larger Spartan said instantly, clearly wanting to make up for lost time. "We'll need to rendezvous at a–"

"Coordinates already optimized," the AI cut in, projecting a map on the displays. "Enemy patrols miss this nine-thousand-cubic-kilometer region. Further optimization reveals that all ships will be farthest from this point at oh-seven-fifteen hours. I suggest we meet there at that time." Kaine had to cover a snort when everyone stared at the display in surprise. It was possible Cortana was just that good, but with everything the poor data construct was going through, she'd probably started the calculations the moment Chief had said he was going down.

"Very good," Haverson finally said reluctantly, looking over her calculations. Rolling her eyes, the redhead decided to let him pretend he was in charge a little longer, instead choosing to watch her husband as he tilted his head. She wondered if he even noticed that he always did that; tilting his head slightly to the right whenever he spoke to Cortana over a private COM. Still it wasn't her place to judge, as she apparently raised her right eyebrow whenever she communicated with Vincent.

"Let's move," John barked, grabbing his weapon as he loped off the bridge, Johnson hard on his heels. Allowing Polaski and Haverson to go next, Kaine fell into step with Locklear. She could tell the Corporal was glancing at her nervously, and he had good reason to. Over the last few hours, she'd been less than happy with him several times.

"I know you held Major Silva in high regard," she said at last, keeping her eyes forward and senses on alert. There was no telling how many Covenant were still on the ship after all. "He was an excellent officer, though a bit power hungry and blinded by personal issues, if you ask me. Some of that was my fault; I gave him a lot of slack because I knew his cousin, Chyler Silva, who died at Corbulo. But this silent war between yourself and the Master Chief ends now, Corporal." Finally glancing at the young soldier, she frowned darkly. "The rivalry between the ODSTs and the Spartans was stupid to begin with, but now that Reach is gone we can't afford to fight amongst ourselves anymore. You may not like him personally, but that man will protect you with his life, so the least you can do is give him some respect."

"Yes, Commander," Locklear replied instantly, before yelping when she quickly stepped in his way and spun towards him, forcing him to slam on his brakes.

"Don't 'Yes, Commander' me," she snarled. "One more slip up, one more badly veiled challenge to the Master Chief, and I'm going to kill you myself, so don't say 'Yes, Commander' until you are damn sure you can keep your word. Because I can't mediate between the two of you down on that planet, so if you're going to be a potential distraction I will wipe you out as fast as I'd wipe out an Elite." Not giving him time to reply, she quickly turned and resumed her trip down the halls, listening to him quickly try to catch up. They reached the launch bay before he could say anything though, the rest of the group already aboard the dropship. Without a word, Faldon pulled herself in and took a seat on the floor in a corner, trying to hide her wince. The patch job on her shoulder that she'd finally received on Halo was starting to fail. It hadn't been the best patch to begin with, and now she could feel blood starting to seep through the sutures. Her only hope was that John wouldn't notice before they managed to get to Reach, or he'd send her right back to the ship.

With an ease that didn't reflect on her lack of experience at all, Polaski smoothly flew the Covenant dropship out of the hangar and started towards Reach. The interior of the ship was silent as every human struggled with their own fears and doubts, though Chief stood calmly throughout the trip. It made Kaine want to roll her eyes, but she resisted the impulse so long as her helmet was off. Instead she focused on her shoulder, keeping it moving in small and subtle circles to prevent it from seizing up.

"They're pinging us," Polaski said quietly from the cockpit that was left of the redhead, barely audible to Kaine so she knew Johnson and Locklear hadn't heard at all.

"Nice and easy, Warrant Officer," Haverson whispered back, barely masking the fear in his voice. "Just use the programmed response Cortana gave us."

"Aye aye, Lieutenant," Polaski replied, sounding only vaguely confidant. As she tapped something on the controls, Kaine checked with Vincent one last time about the accuracy of Cortana's message. He admitted that it wasn't the best in the world, but it should buy them the time they needed. "Sending now." Crossing her fingers, the redhead waited.

"Cortana's got this stuff wired tight," Johnson suddenly said from her right. "No worries."

"I got plenty of worries here," Locklear muttered back. "Man, I'd rather be in a HEV pod on fire and out of control than up here. We're sitting ducks."

"Stow the whining, Corporal," Faldon hissed, throwing a glare his way. "Or we'll see just how big of a crater you'd make if I threw you out at this height."

"Quiet," Haverson snapped, voice low as he glared back into the holding area. "Let the lady concentrate." The silence stretched for several uncomfortable seconds as everyone waited to see if they'd be blown out of the sky. "Is that an attack vector?" the spook suddenly asked, completely unaware of the statues he suddenly had in the back.

"I don't think so," Polaski replied. "But it's hard to tell with those things."

Out of the corner of her eye, Kaine saw Locklear take a breath that he didn't release, and her concern spiked. The only thing worse than an on edge ODST was an on edge Spartan, but both could cause phenomenal damage. However, before she could step in, Chief put a hand on the ODST's shoulder and said, "Relax, marine. That's an order."

To the redhead's shock, Locklear obeyed, running a hand over his shaven head. "Right...right, Chief." He hadn't even looked to her first, and that fact made her celebrate internally. Seemed he was taking her words on the ship to heart.

"Collision warning," Polaski suddenly said as a red light started flashing. She was unaware of Kaine's groan or Johnson's quiet cursing, instead reaching for the yolk to move out of the way.

"Hold your course," Haverson ordered instead, trying to project confidence and only partially succeeding. "Hold your course. They're just taking a closer look and there's nothing to see. Nothing to see at all." It would have been a lot more believable if he hadn't sounded like he was trying to convince himself. For several long seconds the ship was deathly silent, and then Polaski released the breath she'd been holding and everyone relaxed. Disaster avoided yet again.

Running a hand through her hair, Kaine noticed that John was observing Locklear, though anyone not familiar with Spartans probably wouldn't have noticed. She knew better than to say it, but she thought the two men were actually very similar. Locklear had the same fire and determination as any of her siblings, though he was a bit more emotional than she was used to. It sometimes made her wonder just how different that Spartans actually were from the men she led every day. Eric had sometimes joked that the ODSTs she trained were turned into mini-Spartans, but maybe the truth was that Spartans were simply humans with awesome gadgets. Maybe there was no difference between them.

When Polaski suddenly sighed in relief and slumped forward, Locklear was quite suddenly beside her, offering a clean bandana from one of his pockets. Out of respect, Kaine made special effort to not eavesdrop on their conversation, but she still gave her soldier a look of fond disbelief, chuckling at his slightly embarrassed shrug. So long as he didn't allow his newfound emotions for the pilot interfere with the mission, she wouldn't say anything.

"Locking onto the signal source," Haverson broke in, sounding much better now that the majority of the danger seemed to have passed. "Course two-three-zero by one-one-zero."

"Two-three-zero by one-one-zero, aye," Polaski echoed, flying the dropship smoothly into the smoke cloud that was obscuring most of the planet. There was a quiet beep before some sort of filter was activated and they could suddenly see the planet surface on the screens. Everywhere they looked, there was raging fires and the scars they left behind. In her little corner, Kaine could barely believe the sight. She'd trained in those woods for years; they'd been her refuge when she'd escaped the program too. Now there was nothing left but blackened trunks and the stench of death. Now, she truly had no home.

"The canyon," Haverson stated, pointing to an ugly scar on the planet surface. "Scanners are just picking up surface information. Let's get a closer look."

"Understood," Polaski chimed, pulling the ship around and spinning it, happily ignoring the complaints from the back. With the same unnatural ease she'd demonstrated the entire flight, she dropped into the canyon and flew along, never even coming close to the edges. As she flew, the ONI spook pulled out the COM system that had been removed from the Longsword. He tuned the system to pick up the six-note signal again, finding that it was still going strong. The sound helped Faldon relax into her seat a bit more; she'd been afraid that it would vanish as they'd traveled. Like Chief, she wasn't sure she could survive if all of their siblings was simply gone.

"Open a channel on that E-band, Lieutenant," John said, a slight hitch in his voice that no one other than Kaine would catch. "I'll need to send the counter signal."

"Channel open, Chief. Go ahead." The Spartan tilted his head to the left again, meaning that he was talking into his mic. No one in the dropship could hear him, but the redhead knew what he was saying. 'Oly Oly Oxen Free. All out in the free. We're all free.'

The signal stopped.

"Signals gone," Haverson said, turning to stare at the Chief in surprise. "I'm not sure what you just told them, but whatever it was, they heard you."

"Good. Set us down somewhere safe. They'll find us."

"There's an overhang ahead," Polaski reported, already moving them into position. "I'll put us down there." Spinning the ship around easily, she backed into the small shelter and set the dropship down. It was all so smooth, Kaine barely felt it. Despite her inherent dislike of flying, she was starting to think that Polaski had been a godsend after Halo.

"Open the side hatch," John told the pilot, subtly crouching in a way that would loosen his leg muscles. "I'll go out alone and make sure it's safe."

"Alone?" Haverson questioned, clearly unhappy with that answer. Rising from his seat in the cockpit, he turned towards the giant Spartan, frowning. "Are you certain that's wise, Chief?"

"Yes, sir. This was my idea. If it's a trap, I want to be the one to set it off. You stay here and back me up."

After several long seconds, the ONI agent nodded. "Very well, Chief."

"Hell no, Chief," Kaine broke in, getting to her own feet and tugging her helmet on at last. She knew when her husband turned towards her he was glaring, but she just smiled and tilted her head. "Spartan or not, no one is going solo on this lump of rock. I'm coming or you're staying, take your pick." For a moment it looked like he would argue, but then he gave an annoyed huff and nodded sharply, turning back to the now open hatch as she fell in behind him. They went down the ramp together, senses straining for the first hint of a trap. For a second, everything seemed calm, and then John pulled his pistol and crouched, triggering Faldon to do the same.

Then a Spartan stepped out from behind a rock and the redhead breathed a sigh of relief. Standing back up, she noticed the way the new soldier glanced around and smiled. If that wasn't Anton, she'd eat her helmet. When the Spartan gave Chief the signal for a smile, she finally stepped out from behind her husband, watching as her younger brother jumped. Knowing that Anton hadn't been on Sigma Octanus, and therefore hadn't seen her when the other Spartans had, she pulled her helmet back off and gave him the biggest smile she could, noting distantly that it made her cheeks hurt. But it was worth it when he gave the signal again to her, this time with a little bounce that meant he was barely controlling himself.

"Good to see you, too," John said, adding Kaine to the comm channel. "How many are left?"

"Three, Master Chief, and one other make up our team. Apologies for the disabled FOF tag, but we're trying to confuse the Covenant forces in this area." Anton looked around again, clearly uneasy being so exposed, and no one could really blame him. After the hell he must have gone through the last few weeks, it was a miracle he wasn't a gibbering mess. "I'd rather not give a full report in the open." Faldon didn't need her helmet to know that Chief flashed his acknowledgement light at that, and the trio carefully jogged to the side of the ravine, keeping wary eyes on the rim of the canyon. Only when they were concealed in the shadows did they dare relax even slightly, though Kaine did allow herself a giggle when Anton pulled her into an unexpected hug. It only lasted a fraction of a second, but it meant the world to her.

"You okay, Chief?" Haverson's voice suddenly said over the COM, making the redhead glance back at the ship. She could barely see Locklear peering out of it, eyes focused on the spot where the Spartans had ducked into the shadows. Maybe someday she'd tell him that he was looking at empty space; they were long gone.

"Affirmative, sir. Contact made with a Spartan. Stand by." Anton was leading them into a tunnel so dark that Kaine could barely see her hand in front of her face, forcing her to put the helmet back on. As they trotted in, Chief and the redhead spotted two more Spartans, each manning a chaingun and guarding the entrance. With such poor lighting, Faldon couldn't be sure of their identity, but she guessed that the one that followed them into the tunnel was Grace, based on the almost unnoticeable limp.

Entering the interior of the cavern, John and Kaine winced at the sudden, blinding light. Blinking the spots from her eyes, the ODST glanced around before noticing the man in the Navy uniform. Chief had already stiffened, snapping a salute and saying, "Admiral, sir!" She just shook her head, unable to fully repress her mirth. If anyone was going to survive Reach being glassed, of course it was going to be Vice Admiral Whitcomb. The man was built like a bear and had a temper to match, so it was no surprise he was too stubborn to die.

"Master Chief," the man said, saluting back and probably knocking the Spartan for a loop. Not many officers saluted back like they actually respected the soldier, but Whitcomb certainly did. "At ease, son. Damn good to see you." Shaking the Chief's hand, an experience Kaine knew to be potentially very painful, he nodded. "Welcome to Camp Independence. Accommodations ain't four star...but we call it home." Then he glanced at the ODST, sharp eyes easily picking out rank and branch, before giving a blinding smile. "Well I'll be damned; Commander Faldon. Haven't seen you since you were Eric's glorified secretary."

"You always know what to say to make people feel important, Admiral," she chuckled, pulling the helmet back off. Ignoring the surprised shuffles from Grace, she smiled and offered her own hand to be shook, grunting in surprise when she was instead pulled into a bone-crushing hug. Biting her lip, she felt the wound on her shoulder reopen and cursed fluently in her mind. Now there was no way the Spartans wouldn't notice, dammit!

Right on cue, Grace, the only Spartan on the correct side to see the sudden pool of 'wet' on her uniform, stepped forward. "Commander, you're injured." Feeling John's gaze instantly drilling into the side of her skull, Kaine sighed, trying not to flinch when Whitcomb instantly jumped back.

"It's an old injury, Spartan," she said, trying to smile and knowing none of her siblings were buying it. "The patch job just failed, that's all."

"Well, we don't have a ton of medical supplies, but we should be able to at least close it up again," the Admiral said, giving her a look that was just daring her to argue. "Spartan 093, will you help the Commander fix herself up?"

"Of course."

Rolling her eyes, Kaine allowed her sister to drag her away, sitting on a crate as the Spartan dug through their supplies. For a few seconds she could feel everyone staring at her, each with various levels of frustration, but then Whitcomb turned back to John. "I'm happy to see you Chief, so don't take this the wrong way, but what the hell are you doing here? Keyes had orders to take you on a mission deep into Covenant territory."

"Yes, sir. It's...a long story."

Raising an eyebrow, Whitcomb made a show of twisting his mustache and looking at his antique wristwatch before smiling. "We got the time, son. Let's hear it." With a barely audible sigh, John sat on a rock and started telling his story. Part way through, the others from the dropship arrived, each one slightly surprised to realize that the Chief had been right about Spartan presence. Locklear looked like he would have a fit when he saw his Commander being treated by Grace, but the withering glare the redhead gave him kept him silent and away.

As the story came to an end, the Admiral gave a long, low whistle. Knowing the man better than any of her siblings, Kaine knew it meant he was beyond impressed. Frankly, she was too. That any of them had survived Reach was a miracle, but add Halo, the Flood, and capturing the Covenant ship, and they were surely taxing the limit on how much good luck they could have. Then again, this was John she was talking about. His well of luck never seemed to run dry.

"That's one hell of a tale," Whitcomb finally sighed, rubbing a hand over his bald head. "And if it had come from anyone but you, I'd order a psych exam." He started pacing, face contorted in a frown as he mentally wrestled with something. "I believe it all...but something still doesn't add up. Can't quite put my finger on it, though."

"Sir?" Haverson cut in meekly. "Pardon my asking, but how is it you are alive? Here?"

"Well, that's another long story, Lieutenant," the older officer said with a smile. "Let me give you the short-and-sweet version. The second those Covenant bastards entered the system I knew Reach was history. The Covenant don't do anything halfway. Everyone planetside was evacuating – which was the right thing to do – but I had to stay behind. We'd been working on a new bomb, called the Nova. It was a cluster of nukes, each with a lithium triteride casing. Now, these things, in theory, when they detonate, not only make a big bang like you expect a nuke to – but they also force their tritium cases together into one big superheated and pressurized center. Boosts the yield a hundredfold. Planet killers. We had planned to use these things in space battles to level the playing field.

"Well, things didn't quite turn out as planned, and we got caught flat-footed with those Novas on the ground. So I decided to repurpose them." When Haverson frowned in confusion, Whitcomb rolled his eyes. "Think, son. All that ordnance around with plenty of Covenant to blow up."

"I'm sorry, sir," the ONI agent said, shaking his head. "I still don't understand."

"Intelligence officer, huh?" the Admiral snorted, turning to smile at Kaine when she chuckled. Then he turned to Chief. "What would you have done?"

"Arm them, sir," came the reply, no hesitation to be heard. "Activate the fail-safe tampering detonators and start a countdown timer. Say, two weeks."

"I gave it only ten days. There's no need to give them too much time to tinker. See, there are two possible outcomes to this plan, Lieutenant. Either the Covenant pack up the Novas and take them home for study – a possibility I pray to God happens. A bomb like that would crack their home world in half. Or the bombs stay here and they'll stop the Covenant on Reach."

"I see, sir," the agent whispered, glancing down at his watch nervously. "This was how many days ago?"

"Got plenty of time left," Whitcomb said with a smile that made Kaine groan and hit her head against the wall, ignoring Grace's quiet rebuke. "Around twenty hours." The redhead could hear Haverson's nervous gulp from across the cavern. "There's just one snag in that plan, though." If the Admiral noticed every Spartan and ODST flinch at the S-word, he didn't call attention to it. "I had a team of Marines – Charlie Company – that got wiped out before we could get to those Novas. Brave kids; a damned waste of good men. That's when I picked up Red Team on coded COM. I 'convinced' them to lend me a few of your Spartans. We got to the Novas, armed them, and we've been raising eight kinds of hell down here with hit-and-run exercises – just to keep everyone busy, you understand. Wouldn't want to get bored." Very true; a bored Spartan was a disaster waiting to happen.

"And the rest of Red Team, sir?" John asked, barely concealed hope in his voice. He nearly wilted when Whitcomb shook his head.

"We got one last transmission from them before they said they were falling back." Walking over to the table, the officer unrolled an old paper map and pointed at the Menachite Mountain. "Here. Where ONI had their CASTLE base." He paused, looking at the Chief. "But the Covenant are tearing that mountain apart, rock by rock. I want to believe they're still there...but we've counted at least a dozen companies. Those Covenant have air support, close orbit patrols, and, on the ground, armor. The place is a fortress. Could anyone survive?"

Scrutinizing the map for several seconds, John was dangerously silent until he nodded firmly. "They're underground," he said. "The CASTLE facility. We did a lot of training there." It was the first Kaine had heard of it, but she supposed her siblings had had to be kept somewhere between augmentations and the war against Covenant. "The Covenant can fill up those tunnels with only so many search parties."

"Then you think they all have a chance?"

"Yes, sir. More than a chance. I'd guarantee they're in there. That's where I'd be."

Nodding, Whitcomb looked back at the map, tapping the Menachite Mountain with his finger, thinking, before suddenly looking up again. "You got into this canyon in a captured Covenant ship, right? A dropship?"

"Yes, sir." That hadn't been mentioned in his report, but the Admiral was a smart man. He could figure things out on his own.

"Then we'll go get them, son."

"Sir!" Haverson broke in, clearly upset. "With all due respect, sir, our first priority should be to get back to Earth. The intelligence we've gathered on the Halo construct, the technology aboard the flagship we've captured...Cortana's Slipspace calculations alone could turn the tide of the war for us."

"I know all that," Whitcomb grunted, clearly a bit irked at the ONI agent's attitude. "And you're three hundred percent correct, Lieutenant. But I won't leave a single man or woman behind on this planet for the Covenant to tear apart for sport. No way. And that goes double for a Spartan. We're going in."

Haverson clearly wanted to argue again, but cut off with a meep when a hand suddenly slapped right over her mouth. Startled, everyone turned to look at Kaine, her shoulder freshly bandaged and a scowl on her face. "One more word, Haverson," she growled. "One more damn word and I will kill you myself and tell Parangosky you got killed by a Grunt. You've been trying to run the show since Halo, arguing with myself and the Master Chief more than any of us can afford. I don't give a crap that you are ONI. I don't give a crap that you prize information above every other damn thing in the universe. You have your orders; follow them." It took far too many seconds, but the Lieutenant finally nodded and Faldon backed off.

"I assume you're in command, Commander?" Whitcomb asked, smiling cheerfully like nothing had happened.

"Nope," the redhead replied, shaking her head happily. "Master Chief has tactical command. Right now, I'm just one of his soldiers." No need to explain why every Spartan in the room just gave her the same look. "However, if I might suggest we get a move on? I'd rather not be here when those Novas detonate." Nodding, John quickly started barking orders, having everyone grab supplies and shuttle them to the dropship. When Kaine went to grab a crate she was subjected to multiple glare, so she instead left the cavern and relieved the Spartan at the entrance, also taking the time to learn he was Li and reconnect with him in private.

A short time later, the dropship was flying back out of the canyon, loaded with the larger combat group and several crates of weaponry. Kaine helped Anton and Li lay everything out, ignoring the small cluster of officers near the cockpit. "We shouldn't have any issues with weaponry," Anton was saying proudly, ticking off the inventory on his fingers: "Shotguns, a fuel rod gun, Jackhammer rocket launchers, plasma and HE pistols, and every type of grenade – take your pick." Shifting back so the others could have first dibs, Faldon couldn't help a smile when Locklear tried to pick up the fuel rod gun. There was a reason most Covenant couldn't handle the weapon, and almost every species was stronger than humans. Although she did roll her eyes when Grace took the overly heavy weapon and shouldered it with ease. Show off.

"Make sure you grab a handgun," Chief told Locklear as Kaine finally grabbed the weapons and ammo she wanted. "We'll be in close quarters underground."

"Roger that," the Corporal replied easily. The redhead was mildly impressed; he must have taken her threat on the ship to heart. She hadn't had to mediate between him and the Spartans once.

"We're close," Whitcomb called, drawing Chief back to the front. In the silence left behind, Faldon noted that Anton was glancing at her. When she looked his way he tapped his helmet once, silently asking her to put hers on. With a mild look of disgust, she slipped it on.

"Couldn't believe it when I heard you were alive," Anton's voice said through a private COM, clearly carrying the smile he had to have been giving, "but it's even better to see you. I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say you've been missed, Wildcat."

"I second that," Li announced, though he hadn't moved from his position by the wall. "Just about had a heart attack when you came out of the cavern, though. A little warning next time, please?"

"Hopefully I don't have to come back from the dead ever again, but your request is noted," the redhead chuckled as the dropship suddenly went dark. Glancing forward, she didn't see anyone panicking, so she stayed where she was. "So, CASTLE. New version of the playground?"

"Something like that," Grace drawled, coming over to sit next to her sister. "We got transferred in after we accidentally killed a couple instructors. ONI had underestimated just how enhanced the augmentations made us. Speaking of, how did you re-acclimate your body without leaving a body trail? I mean, we had every tool available to help us keep control and we left a bloody path behind us. You were on your own."

"For the most part," Kaine agreed, though she shrugged. "An ODST I knew took me in. He had a cabin in the middle of nowhere, so that's where I stayed. Hard to leave a body trail when there were no bodies." Harsh whispers from the cockpit were keeping her on edge, but she forced herself to relax enough to lean on Grace. "I've missed you all too."

The ship suddenly lit up again as they reached the end of the tunnel. As though the light had been a signal, everyone that had been on the floor was instantly on their feet, ready for orders. They weren't long in coming. Whitcomb came back to them, mustache nearly vibrating with excitement. It made him look like a slightly psychotic bunny. Looking at Li, he nodded. "You're our rear guard, son. Stay here and guard the ship with Polaski. Sorry."

"Sir! Yes, sir," the Spartan answered, a touch of bitterness in his voice. Like any Spartan, he hated being left with what he thought was the 'safe' or 'easy' duty. But he had his orders and he would obey.

When the dropship hatches opened, everyone except Polaski and Li jumped out. Kaine went with Whitcomb's group, landing between Sergeant Johnson and Grace. She was keenly aware of John and Anton on the other side, but she kept her focus forward. They had the element of surprise, but it would not last long and she couldn't help but wonder how the Admiral planned to get them out. "Move, everyone," the older officer growled, pointing quickly at Grace and Locklear. "You two, fire long-range weapons. Everyone else, haul ass. Take them out, people."

Grace and Locklear obeyed quickly, firing the fuel rod gun and Jackhammer rockets, respectively. Everyone else started jogging forward, eating up ground quickly, but moving in a solid formation to better cover each other. Ahead, the Covenant was in chaos, but it wouldn't last long. "Keep moving," Chief called. "Move while they don't know what hit them." Out of the corner of her eye, Kaine saw Anton kneel for a brief second, before hearing him say that Kelly had been in the area. Quickly opening her COM to include Red Team's frequency (and she really needed to talk to John about how predictable his teams were getting with the radio bands they used) she heard, "Kelly? Fred? Will? Spartans, acknowledge this signal." There was no response.

Suddenly, "Down!" Chief yelled, diving to one side. Everyone else followed his example, Grace barely dodging a barrage of plasma fire. Glancing around the boulder she was hiding behind, the redhead spotted the cluster of Jackals and Elites that her husband had spotted. The shield phalanx was tricky to break, but she was sure he already had a plan.

"Grenades – up and over those shields, Spartans," Whitcomb bellowed before Chief could say anything. Rolling her eyes, they really didn't need another officer that kept forgetting he wasn't in command, Kaine went ahead and tossed her own plasma grenade to join her siblings' weapons. There was a blast as the tiny balls did their job, and then Grace blew the rest of the formation apart with her fuel rod.

"Rad counter at max dosage," the female Spartan called, dropping the heavy weapon. "This thing's too hot to use anymore."

"Back away!" John yelled. "Those things have a fail safe!" Grace barely obeyed in time, springing back. She wouldn't have made it at all if Kaine hadn't grabbed her arm, using the Spartan's momentum to spin her around the boulder. The fuel rod gun blew with the force of a frag grenade, raining hot and blackened metal on them. In the confusion, a pair of battered Elites tried to get up. Faldon had barely spotted them before their chests exploded, as though they'd been shot from behind. Looking at the boulders the Covenant had been trying to clear, the redhead saw three Spartans. Just from the markings, she knew they were the ones they'd come for.

By the time Kaine had gotten to her feet, pulling Grace up as well, John had raced forward, so obviously happy it was nearly painful. Every Spartan cared for every other Spartan, but no one ever mattered more than teammates, so to suddenly have Fred and Kelly back must have been the most wonderful thing Chief could have ever had.

"Anton?" Fred said, his voice rough even over the suit speakers. "Grace...John?" He sounded like he wanted to believe what he was seeing, but couldn't. Faldon couldn't blame him.

"It's me," John said, coming to a stop before them as Grace, Anton, and Kaine jogged in behind him. "I wish I had time to explain everything. I will – later. Let's get the hell out of here first." Kelly took a quick step towards him, drawing the smile sign across his faceplate, before turning to greet the others. She visibly jumped when she saw Kaine, and instantly reached out to repeat the gesture. Protected by the hulk of her siblings, the redhead returned the gesture, unable to wipe the smile from her face.

Then Admiral Whitcomb was skidding to a halt beside them, followed closely by the rest of the group. "Is this everyone?" he asked, clearly unwilling to spend a second longer down there than he had to.

"No, sir," Fred replied. "There's one more." He turned back to the tunnel they'd emerged from, holding out his hand. "Ma'am? It's safe to come out." Even before anything moved, Kaine knew who he was talking to, so when Dr. Halsey appeared the redhead already had herself under control. Anger was simmering under her skin and she wanted to scream at the infuriating woman, but she held her tongue. There would be time to work frustrations out later.

"Admiral Whitcomb," the ONI doctor said, acting like absolutely nothing was wrong, " a pleasure to see you again. My thanks for the rescue. It was far timelier than you could imagine." Then she was looking at Chief, a slight smile on her face. "Or is it you I have to thank for this daring operation, John?" Faldon stiffened, bristling at the flippant use of her husband's name. As children it made them all feel so happy that the Doctor always saw them for who they were and not a number, but after everything that had happened, no one outside their siblings could use their given name so casually.

Unfortunately, the slight movement as Kaine stiffened had not gone unnoticed, and Halsey looked at her, picking out the uniform easily. She should; she'd seen it less than a month before. "Commander Faldon," the older woman said, voice suddenly sharp and cold. "I see you've managed to cling to life stubbornly." The other Spartans shifted nervously, torn between who to support. "And I suppose you'll want my thanks as well, for your no doubt minimal contribution?"

"Thank anyone you want, Catherine," Whitcomb cut in, voice tight. "Throw us all a party if that'll make you happy...once we're out of here." He clicked open his COM. "Polaski, get down-" He paused when Sergeant John suddenly grabbed his arm and nodded to the far wall. "What is it, Sergeant?" the Admiral asked, but his voice died in his throat. Everyone spun to face the indicated direction, eyes straining to see something. At first, they didn't. And then, "No one move," they did. Kaine felt like ants were crawling over her skin as she stared upon the thousands of Covenant that were standing on each of the twelve balconies. She'd never known the aliens could stand so still.

Not a single human moved; they all barely breathed, except for Locklear's single heartfelt expletive. Realizing that there was no way out, no chance of survival, Kaine shifted just enough for her arm to brush against John's, feeling him lean back into her for a fraction of a second. Then a pair of Hunters suddenly roared and fired.

Kelly moved before anyone else, stepping in front of Dr. Halsey in a blur of motion. John and Fred moved to flank their teammate while Anton grabbed Whitcomb and Locklear, throwing both men behind him. Faldon was vaguely aware of Will shoving Johnson to safety before Grace had grabbed her and spun her around, covering the smaller ODST with her own body. Then there was a roar as the fuel rods struck the Spartans' shields, bright green light spilling over everything. Kaine could feel the heat all around her and she closed her eyes tightly, wondering if it was really the end for them. And then the heat was gone and she was able to break free from Grace's hold, spinning to face the group. Her relief at seeing everyone still standing vanished when she realized Kelly was down, her armor smoldering and hydrostatic gel boiling out of the emergency release vent along her left side.

The whine of a thousand plasma weapons warned them all that more was coming, and John dropped into a crouch over his fallen sister, but when Kaine looked up at the enemy, she realized they weren't shooting at the humans. They were shooting at the Hunters. The creatures were powerful, but they could not withstand the barrage. With a flash and roar, they were destroyed, along with part of the balcony and a dozen or so aliens that had been standing too close to the pair. "What the hell is this?" Johnson breathed, eyes wide. "Shouldn't we be dead by now?"

Far above them, an Elite in golden armor raised its sword and bellowed. Kaine's translator kicked in, quietly echoing, "Take them – but the next one to fire at the holy light will be skinned alive! Go!"

"The crystal," Halsey whispered, capturing everyone's attention. "They're after the crystal." Taking note of the blue stone the woman was holding, Faldon nodded, mind racing ahead. The Covenant was insanely religious; of course they would kill anyone that opened fire on an artifact. Fortunately, it gave the humans the advantage, so long as they held onto the thing.

"Polaski," the redhead roared into her COM, moving quickly to kneel beside Kelly, heart racing with fear for her sister's life. "Get down here, ASAP! We need immediate extraction!"

"Roger that," was the calm reply. The Covenant was already closing in on them, forcing the Spartans to form a perimeter and start firing. Johnson, Locklear, Whitcomb, and Haverson formed an inner ring, throwing grenades everywhere they saw danger while Kaine and Halsey hunkered over Kelly. The redhead sighed in relief when the doctor confirmed that the Spartan was still alive, if only barely. When John turned to try and pick of his teammate, Faldon spun to stand in his way, picking her sister up with a barely audible groan. She didn't care that Halsey was staring at her, she didn't care that she should not have been able to do what she did. Kelly needed to get out and they needed every able Spartan in battle to accomplish that goal.

The dropship reappeared from the tunnel, coming straight at them as fast as possible. With a yell, Kaine shifted to the side, Fred hard on her heels. Once the ship was low enough and the side hatches were open, the Spartan leapt on and Kaine passed Kelly up to him. Turning back around, she bellowed and Halsey came running. Barely taking care not to hurt the older woman, the redhead nearly flung her aboard, though she was much more respectful with helping Whitcomb scramble up. Anton and Grace followed, then Locklear and Haverson. However, when Will finally reached her he refused to get on until she'd scrambled up the ramp, her brother hard on her heels. Sergeant Johnson and Chief were the last to board, Polaski lifting off the second the pair were even vaguely secured. For a moment, Kaine could see the cavern and felt her skin crawl. There were so many Covenant; they looked like a hive of angry ants. But then the hatches slid shut.

Looking around, the redhead saw that John was helping Halsey strap Kelly in, the strange crystal floating next to them. Like, seriously floating. Weird.

Spotting Locklear and Johnson in a corner of the ship, the ODST made her way over. She was nearly itching to check the rest of her siblings, but she knew they could take care of themselves. It was her soldiers that she was worried about. However, before she could say anything, the ship lurched, like it couldn't decide if it wanted to go up or down. "Li!" Whitcomb yelled from the cockpit. "Crawl topside and launch a couple of Jackhammers up this pipe." The Spartan was all too happy to oblige, but Faldon frowned when she heard the Admiral's mutter. He didn't think it would work.

It didn't matter what he thought, apparently, as Li opened the hatch and the interior of the ship was flooded by the purple light of the grav beam. That wasn't the important part, though. The important part was that damn crystal Halsey had had, shifting to look like a blooming flower. It almost seemed to absorb the purple light and then it pulsed green for a sparse second. Just like that, the grav beam vanished and the ship lurched, Polaski barely gaining control again to fly them out. "Gravity," Dr. Halsey said, staring at the innocent looking stone. "This thing warped space when we first approached. It apparently has an effect on artificial gravity fields as well. I can't wait to get this into a lab."

The ship emerged into open air, the crystal shifting back into a shard as they left the grav beam. However, they were surrounded by enemy ships, including six massive cruisers. "Out of the frying pan," Locklear muttered.

"They've got weapons lock," Polaski announced, her voice cracking just slightly.

"They won't fire," Whitcomb said confidently, and Kaine had to agree. "They want whatever the doctor and her team discovered...and they want it bad enough to let us shoot at them and not so much as spit in our direction."

"Sir," Chief cut in, glancing back at Kelly again. "We're to rendezvous with Cortana and the captured flagship at oh-seven-fifteen hours. That gives us only twenty minutes, sir."

"Understood, son. Polaski, get us out of here. Plat a course to your rendezvous point – and make this crate fly as fast as you can!"

"Aye aye, sir," the pilot replied, angling the ship up and gunning the engine. The Covenant controlled dropships followed, forming up around in an attempt to stop them. "They're boxing us in," Polaski said, edging back the speed.

"Warrant Officer," the Admiral said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Ram them. Full speed."

"Aye, sir." The dropship lurched forward as she maxed their velocity, the Seraph fighters around them falling back sharply to avoid a collision. Whitcomb was right; they'd do anything to avoid possibly damaging the crystal.

"Does anyone else think it's a little crowded up here?" Locklear asked from the back, getting Kaine's attention. Surprised, she looked at the port display he was focused on and gulped. There had been a dozen small warships circling Reach when they'd gone down, but there were three times that number lying in wait. Forget the frying pan and the fire, they were going through each level of hell.

"Cortana's been busy in our absence," Haverson noted, pointing to the debris that was scattered about. As much as Faldon agreed, she was worried. If Cortana had been so busy...where was she?

"Singleships, drones, and Elite boarding parties on intercept vectors," Polaski announced. "Inbound – Jesus. They're inbound from all directions."

"Get us to the rendezvous coordinates," Whitcomb ordered sharply. "And don't spare the horses."

"Sir, these are the rendezvous coordinates." No matter what screen was looked at, the flagship was not be seen. They were alone, facing down what felt like the entire Covenant fleet. Kaine could see John wilt, and felt her heart clench at the sight. Almost without thinking, she sent him a short message over their HUDs. It'll be okay. Then –

BAM!

– the flagship appeared right before them, attached to a UNSC ship Faldon recognized as the Gettysburg. Seemed Cortana had been busier than they'd originally thought. "Chief," Cortana said through the dropship's speakers, sounding very pleased with herself, "your ride here."

"Acknowledged," John replied, sound perfectly at ease, as though he hadn't been staring into the face of certain death just a second before. The Spartans weren't fooled though, they could see the way the strength nearly went out of his legs with relief. Polaski wasted no time flying into the open bay, setting the dropship down with a sound of pure joy as the bay shields slid shut behind them, protecting the interior from attack.

"Locklear, Johnson, sweep the area; make sure no Covenant bastards broke in while we were away," Faldon barked, taking command. "Master Chief, take two of your Spartans and get to the Bridge; lock it down again. Everyone else, I don't care how, I don't where, just find all the medical supplies you can." Everyone leapt into action, running about to follow her orders. At least, until they saw what was happening outside the bay. They were supposed to be in Slipspace but...something wasn't right.

"We jumped to Slipspace, didn't we?" Haverson asked nervously, hanging close to the dropship as John ventured as close to the bay's shields as he could.

"Yes," Dr. Halsey answered, a frown on her face. "And no." Pulling the crystal out of her pocket, she revealed that it had changed form again. "We jumped, but not to the Slipspace we know."

"Secure that, Anton," Chief barked, turning back to them and nodding to the stone. "Get it into the reactor compartment of the Longsword." The Spartan obeyed instantly, not caring that Halsey was reluctant to release her prize. "There was a radiation surge, Doctor," John explain, following his brother's movements. "And that thing is the source."

"Whatever it is, it warps space," Halsey said, grudgingly scrutinizing the world outside their shields. "When we first approached it in the great room, space curled around the crystal. And again the grav beam, it dispersed that field potential."

"And now?" Whitcomb asked, coming up behind the pair. "This thing is affecting our passage through Slipspace?"

"Apparently so."

Nodding, the Admiral shifted his gaze to the Covenant ships that had joined them, noting the red turrets. "Can they even fire those things in Slipspace? If they can, we're sitting ducks." As though in response, the closest enemy ship released a barrage of burning plasma that shot straight toward the conjoined ships. Everyone in the bay braced for impact, but the shots suddenly swerved away at the last second, seemingly out of control.

"What the hell is this?" Johnson asked, having joined the small group near the entrance. "I didn't think their ships could fire in Slipspace. Ours sure as hell can't."

"Normally, they can't," Halsey agreed, removing her glasses. "If they can fire, then logically, we're not in Slipspace. And wherever we are, the rules have changed."

"Cortana," Whitcomb barked, face screwed up in a frown. "Whatever you do, do not return-" Too late. The conjoined ships returned fire, adding a new set of uncontrolled weaponry to race about. Three of the wandering shots splashed into a Covenant ship, taking it out, and Johnson cheered, but it was cut off quickly when Halsey reminded them they were all in the same danger. Those bolts could take out the flagship as fast as they took out a cruiser.

"Cortana, drop the launch bay blast doors!" Chief yelled suddenly, taking a hasty step back. "Now!" With a groan, the three-meter-thick door started sliding down. Not a second later, a plasma blast shot right past them on a parallel course, so close that it raised the temperature of the air by twenty degrees, despite the ship's shields. John, the closest to the door, was unharmed, but his armor was covered by tiny bolts of static electricity and his shields were humming. Another fireball exploded across the shields, making them flicker and fade, but they held. Barely. And then the blast door was down, sealing in with a subsonic thud.

"Blast door locked and secured," Cortana announced.

"Let's get this boat under way while we still have a boat," Whitcomb ordered, looking around with a frown. "Chief, lead the way to the bridge."

"Yes, sir," the Spartan said, but before he took a step, he turned towards his Spartans. "Fred, Will, you stay with Commander Faldon and take care of Kelly. Everyone else, follow me." Saluting, the two Spartans stepped back as everyone jogged out of the bay.

"Anyone else have a bad feeling about this?" the redhead sighed, pulling her helmet off at last, rolling a kink out of her injured shoulder. She could feel the blood starting to seep through the bandage, but resolutely ignored it. "Come on, help me get the medical supplies sorted."

"Right," Fred agreed, tugging off his own helmet as he jumped back into the dropship. Grabbing the crates that Whitcomb and crew and loaded up, he pulled them out, quickly sorting through the supplies, pulling out anything even vaguely medical. Will helped him out while Kaine settled next to Kelly, keeping an eye on her biomonitors. "Hey Klare?" The redhead looked up. "It's good to see you again."

"Same," she smiled tiredly before looking back down at her sister. "Now focus; we can celebrate later." The trio fell into a barely comfortable silence until, suddenly, the interior bay doors slid open again. John and the Spartans jogged back through, Polaski hard on their heels. "Master Chief?" Kaine called, jumping out of the dropship to meet them. "What's wrong?"

"We need to head out, do some repairs," her husband replied, tense and clearly worried. "I'm sorry, but I'll need Fred and Will back."

"You got them," she replied, nodding firmly. "Just help me get Kelly off the ship and somewhere slightly secure." Without waiting for his reaction, she turned around and climbed back onboard, making a beeline for the downed Spartan. Moving quickly, she undid the straps before John joined her, then helping him pick up their injured sister and carefully walk her down the ramp. The other Spartans had jerry-rigged a stretcher that Kelly was laid upon, each one giving the unconscious Spartan a whispered farewell before following Polaski onto the dropship. Chief and Kaine were the last, and they took advantage of their solitude to share a heartbreakingly short hug before he took off and she stepped away. Feeling her danger sense clawing its way through her mind, she watched the dropship leave and suddenly knew she wouldn't be seeing all of them again. "Goodbye," she whispered. There was no reply.

Settling down beside Kelly, Kaine sighed, resting her head on her bent knee for a brief moment. She'd been going non stop since the attack on Reach began, and she was starting to feel every scrape and bruise she'd accumulated. Her body was screaming for sleep, but her skin was crawling with danger warning and she couldn't stop moving. So, with a pained grunt, she got back to her feet just as the door slid open again, revealing Sergeant Johnson. "Commander," he said gently, nodding to her. "Dr. Halsey requested Kelly be brought up on to the bridge so she could start treating her wounds."

"Right," the redhead sighed, rolling her shoulders to loosen them up before grabbing her helmet and slipping it on. "Grab one of the green bags; they have the medical supplies." The Marine obeyed, not asking when she picked up the other two, slinging them over her back. "Take the head, Sergeant, and I'll grab the feet. We're going feet first, so keep an eye open for anything nasty behind me."

"Yes ma'am," Johnson said, moving quickly to the top of the stretcher. Crouching at the head, he lifted when Faldon did, grunting in surprise at the weight but noting that the Commander didn't seemed bothered at all. Carefully, the pair started walking through the halls, making sure not to disturb the downed Spartan any more than they had to. When they reached the bridge, Halsey had them set Kelly down to the side, instantly kneeling beside the injured soldier. She barely reacted when Kaine handed her the medical bags, focused fully on her charge. In that single aspect, the redhead couldn't hate the older woman. No matter what, she knew the scientist would do anything possible to protect and save a Spartan. Except, apparently, admit that her project was wrong.

Glancing at Whitcomb, the ODST felt a sliver of curiosity curl in her chest. She knew the man from before; he'd been a good friend of Eric's and always had a smile and kind word for her. However, it was her first time seeing him in combat situations, and she had to admit, she was impressed. He was handling the situation with all the skill and dedication of a Spartan, not letting anything faze him for more than a second. Admirable, but she wondered how he did it.

"Doctor Halsey," the Admiral suddenly said, not looking their way. "Clear my bridge of the wounded, ASAP." If he felt the redhead suddenly start glaring at him, he didn't show it.

"Admiral," Halsey argued, face knitted in a frown. "I don't want to move her. She's not entirely stable."

"Do it, Doctor. She's a distraction. We have a battle to fight here." From the looks the older man was receiving, he would be dead in short order, though if he'd be killed by the doctor or the ODST was up in the air.

"Ma'am, there's an escape craft just off the bridge," Haverson cut in, trying to keep the peace. Going over to the needed hatch, he popped it open and scanned the space beyond, pistol at the ready, before turning back. "It's clear. Locklear, Sergeant, please give the doctor a hand with her patient."

"Yes, sir," Locklear said. "Happy to sit this battle out in an escape pod." His tone indicated his sarcasm, saving him from the fiery tongue of his commander, though she did glare at him slightly.

"Come on, Corporal," Johnson said, moving into position by the stretcher, "shake a leg and gimme a hand. The lady in her armor weighs more than your last date." Grunting from the effort, the pair were able to lift the Spartan and move her off the bridge, Halsey following like a thundercloud. When the hatch sealed shut again, Kaine turned sharply and left the bridge, feeling her anger simmering under her skin. She knew the Admiral had a reason for removing Kelly from the bridge, but she didn't have to like it and nothing was forcing her to stay. So she stomped back down to the launching bay, heading straight to the Longsword. Despite everything, the cryotubes were still inside, and if she couldn't sit with one sister, she'd sit with another.

"Hey, sis," the redhead sighed, easing herself down to lean against Linda's tube and pulling her helmet off once more, chucking it towards the front of the ship. "You have no idea how badly I wish you were here right now. You always knew what to say to make everything seem better." Falling silent, she let the stillness of the bay wrap around her. She knew that things weren't as peaceful as they appeared; they were flying through a dangerous firestorm in space and Covenant was literally all around them. Whether she admitted it or not, they were in a bad spot and the odds of survival were much lower than she cared to think about. Her brothers and sister were outside the ship, trying to repair something she wasn't sure could be fixed, and all she could do was twiddle her thumbs. "I'm scared," she whispered, wishing beyond anything else that Linda could hear her. "It was bad enough to hear about everything you guys were doing, knowing I wasn't there to help, but that was also better because I'd know if you made it or not. This...this sitting and waiting thing...it's killing me. We weren't trained to do this sort of thing. It's not in our nature." Looking over her shoulder, she could see the iced helmet, and she felt like that same ice was wrapping itself around her heart. "I hate being helpless, sis. I hate being scared." Closing her eyes, she lay her head down on the tube, feeling the cold bite at her cheek. She was so tired...so tired...

"Commander Faldon!" Jumping, the redhead woke suddenly, cheek burning from the cold it had been pressed against for so long. Before she could get upset about having fallen asleep, she could hear pounding on the side of the Longsword, followed by, "Commander! Are you in there?!"

"Locklear?" Kaine called back, getting back to her feet stiffly and crawling back through the hatch. "What the hell is wrong?" Any anger she'd felt vanished when she saw the Corporal's panicked face.

"Sir, it's the Spartans," her ODST said before she could ask anything else. "They repaired the breach in the conduit and we defeated the Covenant before dropping out of Slipspace, but now the Spartans aren't responding to any of our messages. Cortana says she can't pick up any biosigns and the external cameras were all damaged." Taking a deep breath, the redhead forced down the panic that was instantly clawing at her. She couldn't help her siblings if she was paralyzed with fear.

"Are you qualified to fly the Longsword?" she asked instead, mind leaping ahead. Her suit could function in a vacuum for a short amount of time, but she'd need someone to fly her out to the site. Vincent could, but that would expose him far more than she could afford with Haverson sniffing about.

"No, sir," Locklear answered, worry on his face. "Polaski was the only one that could fly one of those things." Growling, Faldon raked a hand through her hair. So much for that plan.

"Fine, then get back to the bridge and distract Haverson; I don't care how. Just buy me some time." Nodding, the ODST ran off as his commander climbed back into smaller ship. "Vincent, plot a course that will get us close to the Spartans' last known position."

"Already on it," the AI answered instantly, still sounding a little strained. His time on the Halo ring had bogged him down, but he was able to section the new data off to continue functioning. "Please remember, your suit will only last a couple minutes in space. You'll need to move fast."

"I'm a Spartan," she growled, closing the hatch and quickly sealing her armor. "I'll move fast enough. Just get me there." Her resident voice-in-her-head chose not to answer, instead working his way into the ship's controls and starting the engines. "Do I need to ask Cortana to open the bay doors?"

"Negative," Vincent sighed, giving her a mental look of exasperation. "I can manage a simple act like opening a door on my own, thank you. I'm not that handicapped." Choosing not to answer, Kaine finished with her armor, sliding the helmet on last and making sure the seals activated. There was a brief second where she couldn't breathe, and then the stored air started flowing, bearing a faintly plastic taste and smell.

Strapping down the cryotubes, the redhead attached her tether to the Longsword's deck before she started pacing as her AI flew the ship into position. Forcing herself to remember Mendez's lesson on retrieval in zero-G environments, she mentally talked herself through the process again in an attempt to stay calm/sane. However, she couldn't deny a spike of dread when the interior light suddenly flashed and Vincent announced they were in position. Bracing herself against the weapons locker, Kaine let her AI open the hatch, felt the air explode out violently, and then she was moving, looking outside.

Right away, she knew things were going to be bad. From the scorch marks and melted metal, it was clear that a plasma bolt had overtaken the group. There was no sign of the Covenant dropship, which meant Polaski was gone. That was going to hit Locklear hard, but the officer didn't have time to worry about him. Instead, her focus was on the suits of armor that had been tethered to the ship's hull, now floating freely. Four. Six Spartans had gone out, and she could only find four suits. Despite being able to pick John out easily, Kaine still felt her heart break a little more.

However, she shoved the pain aside as she quickly pushed herself away from the Longsword, angling herself to hit one of her siblings. Back in training, they'd all worked to the point where they had about a fifty-fifty chance in hitting their target on the first try in zero-G, but the ODSTs were a lot pickier, and she'd been drilled until she never missed. Although that didn't stop her wince when she made contact, feeling the impact jar through her. "How the hell are you guys heavy hitters when you're unconscious and floating?" she grumbled, quickly freeing the Spartan from their tether and adding them to her own before pulling herself back into the Longsword. It took several seconds to figure out how to lash her sibling to the ship, but once she had them secure she went back to the hatch. Ignoring the warning from her suit, she picked her next target and launched. Refusing to think about how much time she had left or the fact that none of the Spartans were reacting to her presence, she repeated her actions until every one of her siblings was stored safely inside the ship. "Vincent, seal the hatch and get us out of here."

"Right away. Be advised, we've received orders to dock with the UNSC Gettysburg as it has a functioning medical bay. Cortana is not even aware of where the Covenant infirmary is, let alone if those supplies could be of any use. Locklear and Johnson are on their way to the launch bay as we speak; they will help you carry everyone through the halls."

"Acknowledged. Now move." Watching as the hatch closed and sealed, the redhead waited for the ship to pressurize again before ripping off her helmet, resisting the urge to curl in a ball. Her muscles were cramping badly, side-effect of the exposure to zero-G for so long. Despite all the enhancements of her suit, she couldn't stand being in space for extended periods of time. Certainly not as long as the Spartans could. However, she couldn't pass out yet. Besides freaking out Locklear and Johnson, it would mean Halsey would need to examine her, and that would blow up in her face in two seconds flat. So she forced herself to remain awake as her AI piloted the Longsword into the bay.

Feeling as the ship settled and gravity reasserted itself, the ODST quickly got to her feet, frowning when things didn't feel right. "Cortana has restored partial gravity to the section of the ship, but not full so that it will be possible to carry the Spartans. She also warns that this section of the ship is structurally unstable and suggests we move as soon as possible."

"Easier said than done," Kaine sighed, checking her siblings and finding them in the same state as before. Unresponsive. "Open the hatch and lower the ramp so we can move." Vincent didn't respond, instead following orders and revealing the concerned ODST and marine that were waiting outside. "Locklear, Johnson, grab a Spartan and move, we don't have time for delicateness." They obeyed without a word, neither one mentioning when she grabbed John and nearly threw him over her shoulder. She was very aware that her siblings could be injured, but the suit would protect them from further harm and they needed to move.

Running through the halls, the redhead tried really hard to keep focused, moving at a pace any other human would consider fast but, to her, was painfully slow. Every second that passed made her worry increase, thinking about the Spartan and cryotubes they'd left behind. Spotting the medical wing, she hurried over, grateful that Halsey hadn't arrived yet. "Set your burden on a bed and get back to the ship for the others," she barked, laying her husband on the cot closest, refusing to admit that she was scared. Without waiting for either man to reply, she flew right back out the door, running as fast as she dared. She had not, however, realized just how much damage had been done to her body, which slowed her down significantly. By the time she'd pulled herself back into the Longsword, Locklear and Johnson had arrived. "Johnson, grab the last Spartan; Locklear, you get the cryotube. I'll fly the Longsword back to the Covenant ship where it will be safe."

"We're on it, Commander," Johnson said with a little wave, quickly grabbing the last Spartan and running back off the ship. Locklear took a little longer, giving his commander a worried look before hurrying to obey. Only when they were gone did the redhead allow herself to slump, allowing Vincent to fly them out. She was silent as the AI flew them back to Ascendant Justice's launch bay, muscles screaming profanities at her. It was probably a good thing John was unconscious.

Exiting the craft as it settled onto the alien deck, Kaine started running through the halls, heading for the bridge. Halsey was no doubt on her way to the Spartans, but Admiral Whitcomb would most likely remain in a command center. Somehow, she knew that any fight that would occur over the Spartans would be with him, and she wanted to head that conflict off as soon as she could. Her siblings couldn't afford to wait. "Admiral," she barked the second she stepped onto the bridge, "we need to talk about the Spartans. Now."

"I've already sent Doctor Halsey to treat them; what more needs to be discussed?" Whitcomb replied, frowning in confusion.

"You lost two Spartans on that damn repair job," the redhead snarled, not bothering to hide her emotions because, dammit all, she was exhausted and injured and she'd just lost two siblings! "I'm not even sure if the four we dragged back in are alive, and every second that goes by we come closer to losing the one that was injured. I understand that you're trying to think of the big picture here, but I'm sure I'm not exaggerating when I say that our best chance of survival depends on the Spartans. With two down we need to prioritize the treatment of the remaining five and the resurrection of the dead."

"I was under the impression ODSTs dislike Spartans," Haverson said, voice holding more than a hint of skepticism. "Why are you so concerned, Commander?"

"Let's just say I owe them more life debts then I care to dictate to ONI," Kaine growled, eyes flashing in a way that made the Admiral take a step back. "Most of the friction between ODSTs and Spartans started long before I signed up and I've never given a shit over it; they are just as human as my men and if no one else in the UNSC is going to remember that I will. Besides, Spartan's are under ONI command, so you should be the one arguing for their care. Since you're not, it falls to me as the highest ranked person on this ship. Now back off before I remember that you are not essential to our survival." Ignoring his look of shock, she focused back on Whitcomb, wondering if he'd caught the veiled threat. The entire time since Chief had rescued the small group, the redhead had kept quiet. She followed the Spartan without complaint and never threw her rank around, except to put Haverson back in his place. That didn't mean that she'd forgotten about the stars on her shoulder. She was still slightly uncomfortable with holding her father's position, but she'd use it to get the Spartans the help they needed.

"I'll discuss the situation with Doctor Halsey once she has assessed all of the Spartans," Whitcomb said, nodding slightly. Just like Haverson, he'd probably forgotten that she outranked him, even if just barely. "If we can treat and revive them all with the supplies and time we have, we will." Nodding sharply, the redhead turned on her heel and stalked away, needing to work off some of her frustration. Following Vincent's instructions, she made her way through the alien ship and finally crawled through the connection Cortana had forced, emerging in the battered remains of the Gettysburg. There was a brief moment when she felt a twinge of pain that the thought of the formerly magnificent ship. Eric had sung her praises when the ship had taken her maiden voyage, but now all that was left was twisted metal and haunted halls.

"Commander!" Startled, Kaine glanced over to see Locklear jogging toward her. "I was just coming to find you. Halsey said to report that all four Spartans you brought in are alive, though injured. She's started treatment for them and Johnson and I are to bring the other Spartan up as soon as possible." A coil of worry that had been settled low in the redhead's gut loosened and she allowed the relief to show for a brief second. However, that expression didn't last long when she recognized the look on Locklear's face. "Sir, was there...did you find any signs of...?"

"I'm sorry," Faldon whispered, feeling her stomach fall again as she thought of what she'd seen outside the ship. "There was no sign of the dropship or Polaski. We lost her." She watched as the grief washed over her soldier's face, unable to do anything but wait. Every ODST reacted to loss differently, and as an officer she'd learned to help them through the pain, but she knew treating them the wrong way for their reaction would cause more harm than good, so she waited. It wasn't until Locklear's face crumpled that she moved, laying a hand on his shoulder and squeezing gently. She chose to remain silent as words were useless, and she knew it very well.

"You're a Spartan, aren't you?" The redhead froze, brain refusing to understand what was just said. But then Locklear was giving her that same look, the one that Lea had given so many years before, and she had to admit that he had in fact said what she thought he'd said. "That's why you follow the Chief, why you always have his back, why you care about them so much."

"You seem pretty calm about it," Kaine drawled, though she was cursing herself slightly. Her squad had proven themselves to be very supportive of her past, but Locklear was a very different case. Not only had he been trained by and served with Major Silva, but she'd also been overly rough on him ever since John had reappeared in her life.

"I'm not really," he admitted, shrugging. "I'm upset, but I can't figure out if it's because of you being a Spartan or..." His voice trailed off as he clearly thought about the female he'd lost. "Truth be told, I wasn't sure if you were one of them until I saw the relief on your face just now. But it's not like you've been acting any different since the Chief saved us. You're still you, still my Commander, so it can't be all bad, right? Besides," he tried to smile, "I'll just go shoot up a room to work everything out."

"Don't get hit by ricochets," Kaine chuckled, barely relaxing. There would be fall out, she was sure of it, but it looked like her ODSTs loyalty would outweigh his dislike for the Spartans.

"Yes, sir," Locklear said, nodding before looking serious. "And I'm ordering you to bed and sleep." Blinking, the redhead could only stare for a second before sighing with a wry grin. Years ago she'd given the ODSTs a standing order to order her to sleep if they ever caught her pushing herself too hard. Most of the time it was her squad to call her on the abuse, but seemed Locklear was stepping in.

"Is it that obvious?" she smirked, unsurprised when he nodded. "Alright, duly noted, Corporal. I'll go find a room with a bed that can support life and you go find someplace to rage in private. But you come to me if you need anything, understood?" He nodded, his face a little tighter, so Faldon stepped aside and let him pass. Her heart clenched at the thought of what he was going through, but this was a part of the process she couldn't help with.

"The crew quarters are one deck up," Vincent chimed in, sounding a little rough around the edges. He was likely exhausted with all the work he'd been doing, on top of the data download. "Structural integrity is sound in that section of the ship, so it is safe for you to rest there. I'll wake you if anything happens." Sending him a tired confirmation, Kaine tiredly trudged through the hall, taking a lift to the next deck and choosing a room at random. Barely noting anything other than the bed, she stumbled over before simply falling onto the mattress. She was asleep before she could think to remove any of her uniform.

"I'm sorry, but it's time to wake up, Commander." Groaning, the redhead rolled over, burying her head under the pillow. "You do realize that's not going to make a difference with me literally in your head, correct?"

"It makes me feel better, so shut up," the ODST sighed, reluctantly removing the pillow and sitting up. "How long was I asleep?"

"Not long enough, but you've got about five hours of rest," he answered. "You should know that John is awake and being stupid; he's on his way to the bridge as we speak. If you move quickly, you can get to the lift and cut him off." Muttering under her breath about idiotic husbands, Kaine got to her feet and hurried out of the room, feeling her muscles give a residual twinge. That zero-G expedition was going to screw her over the rest of the trip.

Slamming her hand against the lift call button, the redhead waited impatiently until the doors slid open, revealing the Master Chief. For a few seconds they just stared at each other, not caring that there was a HUD between them; they'd never needed to actually see each other for there to be understanding. Knowing better than to tell the man that he should be resting, especially since she should be as well, Kaine settled for stepping in beside him, letting the door slide shut. They were silent for several seconds before John sighed. "Covenant knows where Earth is," he said quietly. Startled, the ODST looked up sharply, eyes wide but then clouding as Vincent agreed.

"It had to happen," she muttered, leaning against the back of the lift with a tiny growl. "I just always hoped it wouldn't be now, you know?" There was no answer, but she could feel the Spartan shift to lightly press against her.

Then the lift arrived at it's destination and the doors opened, allowing the pair to step out. Looking around at the enormous bridge, Kaine felt a deep sorrow invade her mind. That section of the ship should have held over thirty people, but instead it had was occupied by only Admiral Whitcomb and Lieutenant Haverson. "Commander Faldon, Master Chief," the older officer said, clearly surprised to see them.

"Sir," John said briskly, snapping a salute as his wife gave a little wave. "Permission to enter the bridge."

"Granted, son."

"What's your status, Chief?" Haverson asked, a look of concern on his face. "Doctor Halsey told us it would be days before you recovered."

"I'm one hundred percent, sir." A snort from behind made him turn and glare, silently warning the ODST to hold her tongue. To be fair, she couldn't really argue with him after all the stuff she'd done with her injured shoulder. Which, honestly, she needed to get fixed soon. Then the taller Spartan tilted his head and she realized he was talking on his private COM. No doubt it was Halsey, demanding he return to the medical bay; an order he would ignore despite the fact that he really shouldn't.

"Get over here, son," Whitcomb said with a nod, turning back to the giant map he was standing before. "We're in something of a tough spot."

"Cortana briefed me, sir," Chief admitted, though he obeyed and moved to stand beside the Admiral. Kaine ignored them all, boosting herself up to sit on the main display board. She knew Haverson was glaring at her, but Vincent needed the contact to fully interface with the ship's systems and hopefully find a way out for them, as well as helping Cortana manage the data she'd taken from the Halo. "The Covenant know Earth's location and are on the move, most likely preparing a massive attack."

"That's the gist of it, I'm afraid," the ONI spook agreed, clearly tired. "To complicate matters, we can barely navigate. We've been working around the clock to restore our ships, but we'd need an engineering crew of a hundred and a space dock to get these wrecks into fighting shape."

"Another trick is that the crystal we picked up on Reach emits radiation in Slipspace," the Admiral cut in, apparently trying to appear positive. "Enough to kill everyone after only a few more hours to exposure. But we're hanging on to the alien device. It changes the properties of Slipspace, as you already saw – but with one more twist. In the few minutes we were in that tangled version of Slipspace, we traveled here," he drew a circle on the map, "which under normal circumstances should have taken us days."

"We attempted to briefly jump again," Haverson admitted, "but nothing extraordinary occurred. This unusually long jump may have been caused by the energy added to Slipspace by our battle with the Covenant."

"Or it could be the crystal is just a finicky bastard," the ODST drawled, earning another glare from the Lieutenant and a look of exasperation from her husband. "The thing is a deadly mystery and must be Forerunner or Covenant wouldn't be so interested in it. We may never understand what triggers it and what won't."

Gritting his teeth, Haverson clearly restrained himself and focused on the map, touching one of the star symbols near them. A scroll of data appeared and he scanned it quickly before sighing. "This system was glassed in 2530, so there's no chance there would be anyone to help us there. And the other two systems..." he shook his head. "Uninhabited."

"Hell," Whitcomb groaned, tugging on his mustache. "We pulled out of this region of space almost as soon as the war started. The Covenant came in, burned Eridanus and the other Outer Colonies, and then moved on without batting an eye."

"Eridanus?" Chief echoed, making Kaine perk up. She knew that tone in his voice; hope. "I know this place, and there is a human colony there, sir – just not one that the UNSC cares about anymore. If I had to guess, I'd bet that the Covenant never found it, either. We might be able to expedite repairs there."

Confused, the redhead got back to her feet, moving over to look at the spot on the map that John had tapped. The Eridanus planet was gone, she knew that, but there had to be something there to catch his attention. A vague memory pulled at her, hearing reports of a Spartan mission back when she'd been recovering from augmentations. Hadn't she heard something about an asteroid belt? "You sure?" Whitcomb asked John, clearly concerned. "Sure enough to bet our lives and Earth on the hunch, Chief?"

"Yes, sir. I'm sure."

"If the Chief says there's something in that area, we should check it out," the ODST cut in, heading off any argument. "Cortana, get us there as fast as possible." Looking over her shoulder, she waited to see if Whitcomb and Haverson would argue. They did not.

"Course plotted," the female AI said from the ship's speakers, flicking into view on a nearby projector, giving the redhead a look that could not be translated.

"Very well, Commander," the Admiral conceded, though he still seemed skeptical. "But in the meantime, I highly suggest you get some more rest. From the reports I've been hearing, you've been going full tilt since the Battle of Reach started. That, plus your wound, means you should conserve as much energy as possible." Kaine wanted to argue, she really did, but the glare she could feel roasting the side of her head from her husband was enough to make her hold her tongue and nod.

"Admiral, Doctor Halsey has requested that I speak with her; I can escort the Commander to the medical bay." Okay, okay, she deserved that. No Spartan was good about going for medical treatment, but she was probably the worst. So instead of glaring at John like she wanted, she nodded and quietly followed when he left. Though she made sure he knew she was mad as soon as the doors to the lift slid shut. "Don't argue with me, sir. You need the help."

"Vincent has already rewritten your recording systems," the redhead sighed, glaring at last. "You can stop censoring yourself."

"Alright, fine," the Spartan snorted, relaxing and looking down at her with his own glare. "I can forgive you getting injured during the Battle of Reach. I can even forgive you for not getting treated on Halo. But your utter disregard for your own well-being is going to result in your death, and I'm not willing to give you up just yet. You should have gotten treated while I was unconscious, but you managed to weasel your way out of that-"

"I was sleeping," she hissed, going toe-to-toe with him and cursing the augmentations that made him so much taller. "And I can't get my wound treated, because Halsey would be the one to patch me up and you know damn well why I can't allow her to figure out who I am. This might come as a surprise to you, but I do know how to take care of myself; I've done it for decades. I've done what I can on my own and I haven't pushed myself to any dangerous point since we got the Index, so back off." The lift came to a stop, doors sliding open without a sound, and Kaine took off, her rage giving her the strength to stomp away despite her body's protests. At least, until a large hand wrapped around her arm and pulled her back.

That turned out to be a very bad idea as the action triggered the smaller Spartan's training. Without thought, she reached back and grabbed the offending arm, twisting to draw her husband over her waist and throw him down the hall. There was a loud crash as he slammed into the metal walls, leaving a good sized dent, followed by a clatter as he fell to the floor in a heap. For several long seconds, the pair was silent until the redhead stomped away, leaving John to sort himself out on his own. Ignoring the small part of her mind that felt bad for throwing the man, the ODST wandered the halls until she found a room with a pair of beds. Giving Vincent strict orders to not bother her, she crawled under the covers and curled up in a ball, trying very hard to will herself back to sleep. She could still feel the call of unconsciousness nipping at her, but despite her best attempts, she could not settle down. Now that the edge of her exhaustion had been taken off, her battle senses were maintaining an aggravating buzz.

When the door slid open an unknown amount of time later, the redhead barely cracked an eye open, glaring as John stepped in. He didn't say anything, instead coming and sitting by her bed silently. Neither moved for the longest time, but Kaine grudgingly admitted that having him there was helping her relax. Even when they were in the middle of a fight, they managed to calm one another down. So long as they kept silent, of course.

"I brought supplies to patch your shoulder permanently," the Spartan finally said, voice much quieter than many people would believe a person his size could manage. "I'm not as good as Halsey, but I promise not to lecture while I treat."

"I'd make the deal just for that," the ODST sighed, slowly getting up, finally allowing the pain from her shoulder to show through. "Please tell me you also grabbed Spartan-strength pain meds." He offered a bottle. "Those aren't yours, are they?"

"No," he chuckled, weak smile on his face. "I have my own bottle. Fred and Kelly had picked them up in CASTLE and left them with the supplies when we landed. There's enough for everyone." Suspicions assuaged, the redhead took the bottle, popping a pill out and swallowing it dry. "Can you remove your armor so I can reach the wound?" Wordlessly, she obeyed. If she hadn't been so damn tired, she probably would have shivered when the large warrior rose up to sit beside her, fingers gentle as he removed the blood-stained bandage and probed the wound. "You said you got this on Reach? It hasn't healed at all."

"It was a Needler round," she mumbled, already feeling the pain killer kicking in. Fast and potent was nice but damn if it wasn't knocking her on her ass. "I thought it was just a graze but I haven't managed to get a good look at it. Maybe something's still in the wound?" He probed a little deeper, pulling back when he pressed against something that made her jerk away with a hiss. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Felt like a sliver," he said, triggering his helmet lights to illuminate the wound. "The round might have fractured, leaving a shard behind." Tilting his head to improve the light, he was silent for a second before nodding. "I can see it; the piece is deep and looks like it's wedged in an artery, though a minor one. That would explain the continuous bleeding, despite the compression."

"Can you get it out?" Kaine muttered, feeling things shift as she became lightheaded. Probably should have taken the pain pill after she got treated.

"Yes," her husband replied, not bothering to tell her it would hurt like hell. She already knew that. "Can you hold still, or do I need to restrain you?"

"I'd probably punch you if you tried to tie me," she admitted, giving a pained chuckle. "Let me try holding still. If that fails, we'll think of something else."

"I can have Locklear come in and sit on your chest," John offered, making her laugh, though she also shook her head in rejection of the idea. "Alright, grab my knee and lock your arm." She obeyed without complaint. "I know the drugs are kicking in, but try not to fall asleep; I don't want a black eye because you drift off before I can try to remove the shard."

"You have your helmet on," she mumbled, though she knew he was right and tried to force herself back awake.

"And you'd manage to punch right through it," John huffed dryly. "Do you want me to keep talking or should I keep quiet so you can focus?"

"Quiet," Kaine sighed, reluctantly focusing on the pain she could still feel as she closed her eyes. She knew the burning would grow when he started digging, but until then she'd need every scrap of discomfort she had to stay awake. "Just...warn me before you do anything."

"Will do." The pair fell silent for a few seconds before, "Alright, I'm going in with tweezers. 3...2...1..." The first touch of metal inside the wound made the redhead want to throw herself away, but she locked her body down. Except the occasional pained groan or hiss, they stayed silent as John worked the tweezers in and tried to remove the shard without causing any more damage. "Bleeding's going to increase," he warned just before he pulled the sliver of Needler free. Sure enough, the redhead could feel a flood of warm liquid run down her arm. Before she could become concerned, the Spartan had the biofoam can out and was filling the wound, politely ignoring her flinch considering her arm didn't move. "Alright, that should do it," he sighed, grabbing the bandage and quickly wrapping her shoulder again. "Let me know if you have any more problems."

"Don't hold your breath," Kaine sighed, managing a weak smile for him. Even with the helmet, she knew he was giving her one of his deadpan looks. "Fine, if there are any more complications you'll be the second to know, right after myself. Now, can I sleep?" Instead of answering, John pulled off his helmet and lay back, pulling her with him. Huffing about how hard his armor was, the redhead still settled herself as comfortably as she could on top of her husband. The room fell quiet again as she allowed the pain meds to take over, but she still managed a muffled, "I love you, John."

"I love you too, Klare."

---

"Hate to be the bearer of bad news, you two, but it's time to wake up."

"I swear, Vincent, I am going to delete you one day," Kaine muttered, rolling off John. Unfortunately, her husband was just as asleep as she was, so he was unable to catch her when she realized that she was rolling the wrong way and she fell off the bed with a loud yell. Hitting the ground hard, she indulged in a heartfelt expletive as stars danced before her eyes. When they cleared she could see John looking down at her, expression a mixture of worry and amusement. "Not. One. Word," she hissed, trying to glare but more than aware that she was probably smiling. Raising his hands in silent surrender, the Spartan sat up fully, giving her time to get to her feet, rubbing the back of her head. "At least we know your patch job worked," the redhead huffed, looking down at her shoulder. The bandage was still clean and the pain had all but vanished. "Of course the damn wound refused to behave until you took over."

"I think it has more to do with finally having the time to actually treat the wound properly," John chuckled, though he reached out and gently pulled her closer, scrutinizing the bandage himself. He must have liked what he saw, because he smiled slightly. "I agree; everything's looking good. And you seem rested now." Looking up at her from the bed, his hazel eyes were hard to read for a few seconds before they cleared. "I was wrong. You do know how to take care of yourself. I'm sorry I didn't listen before."

"You're in charge of the Spartans and a male. If you ever did listen to me the first time, I'd probably die of shock," Kaine huffed, still smiling. "But you always manage to work things out yourself and catch up with me, so I guess it's not too bad. Now come on, Vincent wouldn't have woken us without a damn good reason." Nodding, John finally rose off the bed, towering over the redhead but knowing full well that she could kick his ass anytime she wanted.

The pair were silent as they moved through the halls, but this silence was comfortable. There was a moment of mirth when Chief offered to let his wife enter the lift first with an extravagant bow. Normally she would have punched him but she felt good enough to just chuckle and roll her eyes as she passed. Admittedly, there was some playful elbowing as the small container rose, which came to an abrupt stop when a nearly silent ding warned them that they'd reached their destination. By the time the doors slid open, they were completely professional and they stepped onto the bridge. Whitcomb and Haverson were on one end of the bridge and the Spartan made a beeline for them while Kaine spotted the newcomer and hurried over. "Spartan-104," she greeted, smiling as he turned to face her. "Good to see you up and moving."

"It's good to be back," Fred replied, giving the smile signal twice. His cheeks must have been hurting to smile that big. "I hear we have you to thank for the rescue off the ship."

"Had nothing else to do," she shrugged, smirk firmly in place. No matter how many years went by, she knew he would understand her. Zach and Luna had been her closest siblings to be sure, but Fred had been hard on their heels. If there was one Spartan she loved as much John, it was Fred.

"Systems check," Admiral Whitcomb called, cutting through their banter.

"Residual radiation fading," Haverson reported from the ops console. "Navigation systems and scanners coming back online."

"Reactors at sixty percent," Fred chimed in, that strange mix of playfulness and professionalism in his voice. "Slight hysteresis leak in coil ten. Compensating." As he typed the commands into his console, Kaine knew the Spartan was watching her. It was becoming common place amongst her family ever since she'd 'returned from the dead' but there was an edge to Fred's hidden gaze that worried her. When the unease grew enough, she looked around the bridge, spotting a pile of gear in the corner. No doubt Johnson and Locklear had moved everything they needed out of the Covenant ship, which meant her helmet would be somewhere with the rest of the supplies. Despite her dislike of the thing, she had a feeling she'd need it, so she reluctantly walked away from everywhere and started digging through the pile.

After a couple minutes of frustration and wondering just how the hell they'd managed to pick up this amount of supplies, the redhead finally spotted her helmet and tugged it on with a muffled sigh. Getting to her feet, she was just in time to hear Haverson say, "I didn't even know the Spartans were around in 2525." Scowling, the ODST stomped back over, noting how John gave her another worried look.

"Yes, sir," Fred answered easily, very comfortable with the fact. "We just didn't have MJOLNIR armor or the advanced weaponry we have today. We looked like any other NavSpecWar team."

"I very much doubt that," the ONI spook muttered under his breath, probably aware that every Spartan on the bridge had heard him clearly. Luckily for him, they all silently agreed to let the moment pass.

"You mean five people made a zero-G vacuum infiltration into this space station?" Whitcomb asked, eyebrows arched high enough to display how much he doubted the validity of the report. "And then exfiltrated with a prisoner who happened to be the guy in charge of the place?"

"Yes, sir," Chief said with a small shrug. "That was the basic plan."

"I suppose it went of without a hitch?"

There were several seconds of silence before John shook his head, clearly remembering what had happened. It made Kaine wish she'd gone ahead and hacked the Spartan database back then to figure out what had happened. Even Eric hadn't been able to get much on the mission. "No, sir. There were enemy casualties. And we had to blow their cargo bay to escape."

"So they're not going to happy to see a UNSC ship knocking on their front door?"

"I wouldn't expect so, sir."

"Faint emissions on the D-band detected," Cortana broke in, arms crossed over her chest on the small projector. She looked like she was doing a little better; maybe Vincent had been able to help after all. "Come about to new heading three-three-zero."

"Aye," Haverson called, tapping commands into his station. "Three-three-zero."

"It's gone now," the female AI continued, frowning, "but I definitely heard something."

"Keep on this course," Whitcomb ordered. "We'll run it down."

"There's one thing I don't understand," Haverson muttered, gaze sweeping over the monitors as he scrutinized the asteroid field. "Why are these people even here?"

"Pirate and insurgents," the Admiral answered shortly, scowl firmly in place. "They hijack UNSC ships, sell arms, and trade black market commodities. You're probably too young to remember, Lieutenant, but before the Covenant War not everyone wanted to be part of an Earth-ruled government."

"I'm fully aware of the rebellion," the spook retorted, unaware of the dark looks he was receiving from the Spartans. 'Aware' their asses; they'd actually lived it and it deserved more recognition than that. "But why continue to stay separate from the UNSC forces when the Covenant War started? Surely their chances of survival would be better with us?"

"Some people didn't want to fight, son," Whitcomb snorted, equal parts angry and amused. "Some just wanted to hide...in this case, literally under a rock. Maybe they think the Covenant won't bother with 'em. Well," he smiled, "we're about to change all that for them."

The lift opened suddenly, startling every to turn and look. Dr. Halsey stepped on to the bridge, looking utterly exhausted in a way usually reserved for soldiers. She removed her glasses and rubbed at her eyes before looking up, locking right on the Master Chief. Every Spartan held their breath until she said, "She's fine. Linda will make it. The flash-cloned organs took."

Releasing a sigh of relief, John glanced at Fred and nodded, the boys sharing a private moment of joy. Kaine remained on the outside, knowing she couldn't join in without compromising her security. That didn't mean she wasn't over the moon. "Thank you, Doctor Halsey," Chief said, though the civilian waved off his gratitude, making the redhead frown. It almost looked like she regretted saving the female Spartan.

"Damn good news," the Admiral agreed, beaming. "We could use another hand on deck."

"Hardly," Halsey snapped before Kaine could voice any protest. "She'll need at least a week to recover – even with the biofoam and steroid accelerants I have her on. Then she'll barely be able to get on her feet. She won't be combat ready." And she was going to bitch about the entire time, knowing Linda.

"This region is the source of the D-band signal," Cortana interrupted smoothly, catching everyone's attention. Three rocks appeared on the screens, each one massive. "There are three possible candidates based on the size parameters you gave me, Chief."

"Which one is it?" Whitcomb asked, face serious once more.

"Only one is rotating fast enough to generate a three-quarter-gravity internal environment."

"That's it," John said, nodding to the rock in the center. He must have recognized it, as his AI hadn't said which asteroid was moving at the correct speed. Feeling the electricity starting to buzz under her skin, Kaine frowned and moved so she could gently nudge her husband, warning him. This was a trap. All their years of silence paid off as the Chief glanced at her quickly through his helmet and nodded. "Admiral?"

"I know, Chief," Admiral Whitcomb sighed. "They've baited the hook and we're taking it...at least that's what it's supposed to look like. Cortana, power up every turret on out Covenant flagship."

"Let me remind you, sir," the AI chimed, "that of the three working turrets, two are offline. I have no way to aim the plasma. The magnetic-"

"I know, Cortana. But they don't know that." Realizing what the Admiral planned to do, Kaine shook her head fondly, smiling behind the helmet. Well, if anyone was going to bluff, it would be Whitcomb. However, she also knew that she was no longer needed on the bridge, so the redhead left quietly. With any luck, Halsey would remain with the others for a while, allowing the ODST to check on Kelly, Will, and Grace. But first things first. Namely, Locklear.

"Locklear is three decks down," Vincent said before she could ask. "He's found the Gettysburg's training room and has been working out whenever Admiral Whitcomb doesn't have work for him. Johnson is there as well, though he is asleep."

"Thank you," Kaine smiled, giving him a mental hug and laughing at the feeling of disgust he sent back. Now that she was fully rested, their conversations were going much smoother. "Please keep Cortana up-to-date with where we are in case they have need of us." Feeling his agreement, she made her way to the lift. Riding it down, she took a few seconds to plan out what she was going to say; there was no doubt that most of her soldier's sadness had turned to anger and she was probably going to take the brunt of it. So long as none of her siblings decided to take offense on her behalf.

Trotting out when the lift doors opened, the redhead made her way to the training area. Even from a distance she could hear the sounds of someone in the middle of a fight. Looked like Locklear had gotten a head start on working out his frustrations.

Stepping into the large bay, Kaine looked around. She spotted Johnson sprawled out on the mats, but her attention was focused on her Corporal that was currently beating the hell out of a punching bag. "Want an opponent that hits back?" she asked, making her way over carefully. Locklear glanced at her for a second, pausing in his attack. When he stayed quiet, she shrugged. "I'm not stupid enough to believe that you aren't upset with me, Locklear. That, plus your anger and sadness, means you have a lot of aggression to work off. Hitting an actual body drains those negative feelings faster."

"You know a lot about dealing with anger, sir," the ODST said, voice tight.

"I was trained as a Spartan," she replied bluntly. "We had years of training in studying emotions: how to control them, how to channel them, and, unfortunately, how to ignore them. I'm bad at the 'dealing' part and tend to go straight to the ignoring stage, but I recognize it's unhealthy. Now, do you want a partner or not?" He said nothing, settling for staring, until he gave a jerky nod and moved away from the bag. Toeing off her boots and removing her helmet, the redhead got onto the mat with him and settled into a defensive stance. "You're the angry one, Locklear. You hit." Without any hesitation, he did.

Despite the anger fueling each hit, Kaine stood her ground and blocked each strike. She knew she would have bruises, but it was nothing she couldn't shake off, so she held her tongue. Instead she allowed her mind to sink into the meditative state that every Spartan used during standard sparring. At least she did until the wall screen chimed, lighting up with Cortana's face. "Commander Faldon?" Twisting, the redhead caught Locklear's kick without looking. "Admiral Whitcomb, Lieutenant Haverson, Master Chief, Sierra-104, and Doctor Halsey are going to the asteroid to meet with Governor Jiles. The Admiral requests that you remain aboard to keep an eye on the ships and remaining crew. If anything happens, you are to contact him immediately."

"Was that an order?" the ODST asked, a dangerous edge in her voice. She was tired of playing the shrinking officer.

"No, a request," the AI corrected, giving a tiny smile. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go back to the Chief. You know how to contact me." Nodding, Kaine waved her away, turning back to Locklear and realizing that she still held his foot. Releasing it, she watched him stumble back, a strange look on his face. For a moment they just stared at each other, and then the Corporal sighed and backed off.

"You really are the same," he huffed, a wry smile on his face. "Last time you used that voice I though Major Silva was going to shit himself."

"In my defense, Silva was being an ass," the redhead smirked, folding herself to sit on the mat. Gesturing for him to join her, she waited for Locklear to settle. "I know you're still unhappy about my past, but have you worked out enough of your anger to talk through the rest?"

"Nothing left to talk about," he shrugged. "You were a Spartan, but now you're an ODST. I'm sure you had a reason for keeping the secret from us."

"To be fair, I kept the secret from everyone," she informed him dryly. "I have an ONI execution order hanging over my head, so I didn't tell anyone that I survived the augmentations. You should have seen the Spartans when they realized I was alive and well. Got a split lip both times I made a reveal." Ignoring his chuckle, she smiled slightly at the memory. Come to think of it, she still had a faint scar from Luna's punch. "So now that we have that covered, how are you doing?"

"I'll be okay, Commander," Locklear answered, a clearly fake smile on his face. "It's not like I wasn't aware that the whole fling might not end badly. Though I would have enjoyed having a chance to give it a try."

"I know," Kaine said softly, gaze lowered. "Polaski was an amazing soldier; her loss hit everyone hard. All we can do now is try to fight all the harder for her. And I know those words don't help much right now, but until we reach the point where words do help, I'll be here to work you through anything you need." He nodded gratefully, to chocked to say anything. "Alright, let's get back to sparring. You still have grief to work off and my brothers are being idiots, risking their lives again. It's either show you some moves or beat them black and blue with a pillow."

"You can't bruise someone with a pillow," the Corporal argued, startled when she burst out laughing. "Wait, can you?" The redhead just grinned, getting back to her feet and settling herself in a defensive stance again. "Sir?"

"I promise not to bruise you," she chuckled. "Now get up, that's an order." He scrambled to his feet. "Alright, now grab my arm and try to stay relaxed or this is going to hurt. Not bruise, but hurt." Gulping, Locklear obeyed, only slightly surprised when he was suddenly flying through the air, landing hard on the mats. Dazed, he looked back, noting that he was upside down as his Commander was standing on the ceiling. "Very good, now get back here and I'll teach you how to do that throw." He scrambled to obey.

The pair fell into an easy time of teaching and throwing before Kaine suddenly jerked upright, eyes wide. "Fuck!" she yelled a second later, ignoring the Sergeant that leapt to his feet with a cry. "Covenant!" the redhead called, scrambling for her boots and pulling them on. "Both of you, get ready for combat." Not giving them time to reply, she grabbed her helmet and bolted down the hall, heading toward the lift. Vincent had already alerted Cortana to the ships he'd picked up and she'd replied that they were on their way back, but there was still a pit of dread in her chest. This battle was going to be messy.

Jumping into the lift she punched the button for the bridge and waited anxiously as it rose, pulling the helmet on and pulling up every combat program she had, including a link to John's HUD that let her keep track of him. A second later the link was accepted and she saw the connection symbol pop into existence. The doors barely opened at her destination before she was bursting back out, glaring at the screens that were already displaying the enemy ships. Growling under her breath, she waited tensely for the others to show up, nearly self-combusting before the lift doors slid apart again and the asteroid group bounded off. Cortana's image flickered into existence on the pad, frowning severely. "Covenant cruiser is only two hundred thousand kilometers away," she reported. "Closing fast on an intercept course."

"Fred, take the Engineering station," Whitcomb barked, glancing at Kaine to make sure she didn't disagree; she backed off with a slightly bowed head. In this battle, she would bow to his command. "Haverson on NAV, and Chief, you're on Weapons Station One; get it up and running and see if there are any systems we overlooked. Commander, you know where you're needed most; feel free to jump in anywhere you see need. Lieutenant, move us away from the enemy on course one-eight-zero by two-seven-zero."

"One-eight-zero by two-seven-zero, aye," Haverson called, strapping himself into his station and quickly inputting commands. "Coming about, Admiral." The redhead could feel the floor vibrate as the ships moved, giving her a very bad feeling. It was a miracle the conjoined ships had survived as long as they had, but that left her wondering when everything would fall apart around them.

"We have a problem with the Spartans," Vincent chimed in her mind, finally sounding back at fully capacity. "I'm not sure what, just that there is a disturbance."

'I'm not doing any good here,' Kaine replied, sending Chief a quick message before racing off the bridge, tempted to forego the lift and just jump down the shaft. Good sense kept her from following that urge, but she still ground her teeth in annoyance at how slow it was going. 'Vincent, do you know anything about the disturbance?'

"If I had to guess, I'd say one of the Spartans is trying to return to active duty and Sergeant Johnson is attempting to stop them. Not having much luck, I'd like to add." Muttering mutinously about idiotic siblings and Spartans that thought they were immortal, the redhead burst from the lift as it came to a stop at last. Racing down the hall, she spun around the corner in time to see Will shove past Johnson, snarl on his face.

"Stand down!" the ODST roared, making everyone jump and spin. Will's eyes went wide at the sight of her and he actually shrunk back a little; he knew that tone of voice better than the others. Despite not talking to the Spartans for six years, they all remembered that tone. It usually went hand-in-hand with someone getting cracked over the head with something very hard. "What the hell is going on here?!" the redhead snapped, stomping towards them. If her emotions were visible, she'd be surrounded by miniature lightning bolts. "Sergeant, report!"

"Spartan-043 wished to return to duty, Commander," Johnson replied, backing up when he saw how nervous the Spartan in question was. "We had a disagreement on if he was fit to do so." Turning on her brother, Kaine glared through her helmet, watching him gulp nervously. She wanted to lay into him, but that would reveal much more than she could afford to.

"Spartan, we are in the middle of a battle every law of reality says that we can't win. You throwing a temper tantrum is not helping at all. There is absolutely nothing you can do to help right now; there is nothing I can do that isn't being covered. So get your ass back into bed before you become the distraction that ends up killing us all."

"Yes...Commander," Will said slowly, eyes still wide and drooping slightly. He backed up a little further before pausing, a strange look appearing on his face. "If you aren't needed on the bridge, we could use your help here, sir." Doubtful, but he was giving her the excuse she needed to stay with her siblings. Since she hadn't had a chance to come check on them before the Covenant ship had appeared, she nodded once. Looking at Johnson, she waited for him to argue, but the marine just grinned and gave his own nod before running away to wherever he and Locklear went while everyone else was busy. Hopefully, they wouldn't blow anything up.

"You're all idiots," Kaine huffed, stepping into the medical bay and removing her helmet so she could glare at her siblings. "I thought rule #3 of combat was to rest if you're injured."

"Yeah, but rule #4 is to get back to the battle as soon as possible," Grace joked, smiling weakly from her bed. "And you're one to talk, Klare. You always skipped over rule #3 unless we held you down." Not able to argue that, the redhead shrugged, giving in to the smile that was tugging at her. "How bad is it out there?"

"Bad, but Chief's on the bridge," the ODST said, pulling herself up to sit on a bunk. She knew everyone was aware that she was observing them, but they made no sounds of complaint. All things considered, they looked pretty good. Kelly was awake again, sitting up without support, while Grace carefully stretched her muscles and Will made his way back to a bed. His gait was a little stiff, but not anything horribly apparent. Hell, even Fred was limping more than Will, though it was possible his limp came from an older injury. "Everyone knows that John has luck to spare, so we might just pull out of this one." The ship shuddered, making everyone tense for a second before relaxing. Never, ever, let it be said that Spartans enjoyed being on ships.

"How's your Spidey-sense?" Kelly teased, a weak smile on her face. She outright laughed when Kaine rolled her eyes at the nickname. Of all the ways her interest in antique Earth entertainment could come back to bite her in the ass, the Spartans picked that subject.

"Buzzing, but subdued," she still answered. "I'd say our chances are good." The ship shuddered again, setting off a round of flinches. "Considering we don't destroy ourselves first." Knowing that they were in a fight for their lives, the group fell silent. Still, it wasn't as nerve wracking as some of the waits they'd been subjected to. At least this time, they were together.

And then, "Spartans, this is Admiral Whitcomb," the intercom squawked. "The Covenant ship has been neutralized, but you can bet more are coming. Please report to the Gettysburg's machine shop to make any repairs to weapons or suits that you need, as well catch at least six hours of sack time. The Master Chief and Spartan-104 are on their way down now. I'll send Commander Faldon to you to help out, as requested by Chief.. Acknowledge."

"Acknowledged, Admiral," Kaine cut in, ignoring Will's snickers. "I'm already with the Spartans; I'll accompany them to the machine shop." Cutting the connection, she mocked glared at her overly amused siblings, fighting to keep the grin off her face. "Alright, you lot, let's go. Don't make me march you down there."

"Would dream of it, Commander," Will chuckled, getting back to his face with a grimace. Grace also rose with a groan, but Kelly had a look of worry on her face as she swung around. Without a word, the redhead walked over and offered her hand. There was a moment when the larger Spartan clearly struggled with her pride, but in the end she took the offer and held on as Kaine hauled her up. Once on her feet, Kelly was much more stable and was able to limp after her brother and sister, choosing to not mention how her smallest sister kept careful pace with her.

By the time the small group reached the machine shop, John and Fred were waiting for them. They all entered the large room without a word, Chief and Kaine moving instantly to set up lights and gather tools. In minutes they had the place lit, bouncing high-intensity spotlights off the walls to give softer and cooler illumination to the area. As they'd worked, their siblings had set up a work area, pulling crates together and gathering the tools they knew they'd need the most. "How are we going to do this?" Fred asked as John and Faldon rejoined them.

"Boys should sleep first," Kaine answered instantly, though she still glanced at her husband to see if he would argue. "Chief and Fred have been the most active, and Kelly, Grace, and I know how to repair weapons the fastest. We'll switch off after a few hours." For a long moment she and John engaged in a stubborn staring contest, before he sighed and nodded. Without a word, the boys went to the side and laid down, willing themselves to sleep quickly. Just as quickly, the girls quietly gathered their weapons and started making repairs, as well as patching small systems in their MJOLNIR armor.

Losing themselves in the work, time flew by until Vincent silently informed Kaine it was time to switch. Signaling to her sisters, the redhead watched as they moved to the sleeping Spartans, waking them quietly before settling down to sleep themselves. With hidden yawns and stretches, the trio joined the ODST and started their own work.

Near the end of the second sleep round, the doors slid open again, startling the awake Spartans. When Linda limped in, barely able to support herself, Kaine didn't know whether to be amused or angry, but she certainly wasn't surprised. "Guess I should thank you for waiting as long as you did," she grumbled, on her feet and by her sister's side before anyone could remember to move. Not giving the younger Spartan time to argue, she grabbed her hand and carefully supported her over to the work area they'd set up. The moment the injured Spartan was down, Fred and Will were helping her strip off the damaged sections of her armor. Though it hurt them all to see the new scars all over her body, the look in her eyes prevented them from saying anything.

Once all the damaged pieces were off, Will and Fred started repairs while Linda pulled over a sniper rifle and started breaking it down, eyes sharp. She didn't complain when Kaine settled next to her, and simply shifted when the smaller redhead turned to lean back on her bigger sister. No one mentioned their actions; every Spartan had known there was a unique bond between the two redheaded females. Despite both being loners, they always managed to find a comfort when near each other. That feeling was probably something they both needed after Linda's short foray through death.

Without looking up from the rifle she was working, Linda joked, "Now I know what you have to do to get a couple of days' R-and-R in this outfit."

"I heard that you spend the whole time sleeping, too," Fred chided back, smiling over at her.

"That's why she likes to snipe," Will chuckled. "I caught her snoring last time she posted in that tower on Europa." John didn't join in, likely feeling that he needed to keep his distance as the leader of the Spartans. Kaine didn't really agree, but she understood where he was coming from. Eric had always maintained a certain distance from the ODSTs, though he had allowed her to get as close and emotionally invested as she wanted. It was a practice she wasn't entirely sure she could continue...if she managed to get back to her Corps at all.

With a muffled groan, Kelly rolled over and woke up. Nudging Grace, she sat up and shook her head. "0400," she grumbled. "That was six hours."

"Felt like a fifteen-minute nap," Grace muttered mutinously, though she also got up. "I just closed my eyes. You're kidding, right?" The pair looked over to the small awake group, noticing Linda and giving her the smile sign. In return, she gave them a rare real one.

A click of metal had every Spartan on alert, drawing weapons and spinning towards the door as it opened. Sergeant Johnson and Locklear stood in the new entrance, correctly frozen in place. "No one told me this was target practice," the ODST muttered, glancing over at his commander and noticing how she was relaxed. Hopefully that meant he wasn't in danger. "Else I woulda painted a bull's-eye on my chest."

"Master Chief, reporting as you requested," Johnson said, ignoring the man beside him.

Nodding, John lowered his weapon, signaling the rest of the Spartans to do the same. "Come in, marines. I wanted you both down here to help us discuss our tactical options." Deciding not to mention that a conversation like that should likely include Admiral Whitcomb and Haverson, Kaine waved her soldier over beside her, unsurprised when Johnson followed gamely. Still, she got a little bit of sadistic glee when she pulled the younger man to the ground and he yelped.

Before the Chief could continue, the COM turned on an Halsey's voice came through. "Master Chief?"

"Yes, Doctor?"

"I need Kelly to report to Medical Four. She requires one last injection of dermacortic steroids. And I could use her assistance in another matter."

Shrugging, John nodded to Kelly, who stood and stretched slowly. "I'll be right back," she told the group, flexing her hands despite the burns. "Don't plan the overthrowing of the Covenant Empire without me." Waving a slight goodbye, as well as subtly signing for Kaine to take care of everyone because she was the only sane one (Locklear and Johnson were very confused about the muffled groan every Spartan gave), she left the room.

"She's on her way, Doctor," John reported, and the COM snapped off. Turning to the others, he continued, "Let's go over what we know and see if we've missed anything – any way to exploit the enemy's plan." Setting down a data pad, he revealed it had a star map on it's surface. "The Covenant are on their way to Earth. They are gathering at a battle station and then jumping en masse to the Sol system."

"What happens then?" Fred asked, though everyone in the room had an idea. Sad to say, not a single idea was good.

"Assuming we get to Earth first," Linda mused, "our Fleet will be waiting for them and-" she pulled back the bolt of her rifle with a sharp clack "-they'll give them a warm reception."

"But what chance will our forces have?" Will inquired, coolly logical. Kaine noted that Johnson and Locklear seemed shocked at how nonchalant the Spartans were being about utter annihilation, but they kept quiet. She didn't have the heart to explain that they had to be this way; no long term plan based on emotions worked very well. "You saw Cortana's report. There will be hundreds of Covenant warships. I don't think our Fleet or even Earth's orbital MAC platforms can repel a force that powerful."

"No," Chief agreed. "They can't win. They'll try. But the Covenant will eventually take down one of the orbital MACs, slip through, and pick off the ground-based generators. Just like Reach." Fred visibly flinched at that, making Kaine's heart ache.

"So we get to watch another fight in space?" Locklear hissed, his bright with rage as he twisted the bandana on his arm; the one Polaski had given back to him. His hands were shaking with rage, but he was holding together enough that his commander didn't bother bringing it up. "There has to be a way to get to those bastards first – on the ground where we can win. Hell, I'd even take my chances in hand-to-hand combat. Anything but floating in zero-G and watching Earth get burned." It was a sentiment echoed by them all.

"What about our original mission?" Linda asked. "Find the Covenant homeworld?"

"Our priority has to be to warn Earth," John answered. "Admiral Whitcomb would insist...and he has the authority to scrub our mission."

"And I have the authority to keep it going," Kaine reminded, though she slightly agreed with the Admiral. The only chance Earth would have depended on giving them warning.

"Too bad there's no ground between here and Earth where we can take the fight to them," Locklear sighed, unclenching his fists and dropping his gaze to the deck. "Sometimes," he whispered, "I really hate this war." Silently, the officer reached out and squeezed his shoulder, offering the little support she could.

Johnson echoed her actions, a strange look of pain in his eyes. "Stand tall, Marine," he whispered. "Try to-" His gaze fell to the star map and he froze. "Hang on a second. What was it you said about no ground to fight on between here and there?" He grinned, picking up the pad. "What's this?" Tapping a dot, he squinted as he tried to read the tiny print. "This...'Uneven Elephant'?"

"Unyielding Hierophant," Chief corrected, ignoring his wife's snickers at the alternate name. "According to Cortana, it's a command-and-control center, a mobile space platform where the Covenant fleet will rendezvous before their final jump to Earth."

"Well, there's your ground," Johnson shrugged, evil grin on his face. "On this 'elephant' thing."

"It fits with the timetable," Will agreed, getting up to look at the star map himself. "This station is on the way to Earth."

"We can drop out of Slipspace in a smaller craft," Fred cut in, hopeful for the first time. "Go in and-"

"And do what you Spartans do best," Locklear finished, a spark of life back in his eyes. "Infiltrate, kill, and blow shit up." Glancing at his commander, he nodded firmly, holding an entire conversation silently with her that no one else could follow. "If there's room in this operation for an ODST, pencil me in."

"Same here," Kaine agreed, sharp smile appearing. "Covenant's wracked up a substantial bill with me for everyone they've taken out of my life. It's time I collected." Sergeant Johnson didn't say anything, but his stance communicated everything they needed to know.

Apparently, that was enough for John. "Fred, Will: Get Linda's suit back together ASAP. Locklear, you're on weapons detail again. Scrounge every pistol, rifle, ammo bag, and scrap of explosives on this vessel and haul it to Ascendant Justice's launch bay. Grace, Linda, and Sergeant Johnson: Get that spare Covenant dropship ready for its last flight. Reinforce the hull for a Slipspace-to-normal-space transition. And Faldon and I will take this plan to Admiral Whitcomb – make him see that it's the only way. We're going to take this fight to the Covenant. We're going to launch a first strike."

Everyone scrambled to obey, filled with hope for the first time in days. Without a word, Kaine fell in behind John as he trotted out of the bay, following him easily. Reaching the lift, they entered and waited, albeit impatiently, before stepping back onto the bridge. Haverson and Whitcomb were staring at the displays of the Weapons Station One and Engineering. "Sirs," Chief called, getting waved over by the Admiral even though the older man didn't look up. Rolling her eyes, Kaine decided to make her displeasure known by skipping across the empty space, ignoring her husband's look of disbelief.

"Cortana," Whitcomb said, crossing his arms over his chest, "give me an update on our power."

The holopad beside him flickered on, showing that she was mimicking his pose perfectly. "Status is nearly identical to my last report five minutes ago, Admiral. Tests on Ascendant Justice's reactor and the Gettysburg's engines are in synch, and will be completed in forty minutes."

"Hurry," the Admiral snapped, glaring at the screens. "I don't want to get stuck without power when unfriendlies show up. I want to get under way to Earth. Weapons status?"

"Aye, sir," Cortana said calmly. "Plasma turret one is obliterated; no possibility of repair. Plasma turrets two, three, and four are repaired, and although I'm waiting for power to test them, I have run three hundred twelve virtual test-firings without incident. Turrets five, six, and seven, however, require parts Governor Jiles does not have in his inventory. Two Archer missile pods on the Gettysburg have been refilled. That gives us sixteen missiles hot and ready to go, sir."

"I'd like to know where Jiles got those missiles," Haverson muttered. "They're UNSC military contraband."

"He is a pirate, Lieutenant," Cortana drawled.

"Good work," Whitcomb told the AI, ignoring the muttered argument between the ONI spook and computer program. "Keep me posted." Turning to the Spartan, he continued, "You had something, Master Chief?"

Before John could say anything, Haverson moved, pointing at a screen. "Admiral." There was a small ship moving away from the Gettysburg's launch bay. "I thought Jiles was staying on board to oversee repairs."

"So did I," Whitcomb said darkly. "Cortana, did you catch Jiles leaving on surveillance?"

"No, sir, but you might be interested in this." A video appeared on the screen, showing Halsey and a Spartan on a gurney loading on to the ship that had been on the screen previously while Locklear helped. "Locklear left them at the ship, sir. Doctor Halsey and Spartan-087 departed."

Kelly.

"Cortana, hail that ship. Now!"

"Hailing."

"Admiral?" a man said, his face appearing on a forward screen, nervous smile on his face. "I just saw my ship leave the launch bay. Perhaps you can explain why you commandeered my personal property when I have showed nothing but good faith in this-"

"Hold on to your shirttail, Governor," the Admiral snapped. "I'm in the middle of finding out who took your ship and what precisely is going on. Cortana, any response to our hail?"

"An automated code, sir," she replied, looking astonished. "UNSC Code Three-Nine-Two."

"Three-Nine-Two?"

"Admiral," John said, his voice rough with some sort of emotion. "That is an official 'non response' code, sir. Special Warfare teams use it to ignore hails...due to a higher priority mission."

"God damn it!" Whitcomb yelled, grinding his teeth. "You mean the good doctor just told me to go to hell?"

"Not in so many words, but yes," Kaine growled, feeling her own anger peaking. How dare Halsey steal Kelly? How dare she lie to all of them? And how dare her own soldier help?! The second she got her hands on him, she would wring his neck.

On screen, the small ship, a Chiroptera class, suddenly jumped forward, light spearing around it before it vanished. "A Slipspace transition," Cortana announced.

Slowly, Whitcomb turned and pinned Haverson with a glare that could kill. "I thought you told me that that ship was locked down. That vital components were removed when it was decommissioned. That there was no way it could make a Slipspace jump?"

"Yes, sir, I did."

"And would you care to explain why that ship just disappeared, Lieutenant?"

"Yes, Admiral. I was wrong." At least the man admitted it, though he was looking down at the time. "Doctor Halsey apparently found a way to circumvent the ONI lockout on the ship's systems."

"This is most unfortunate, Admiral," Jiles chimed in. "I expect to be compensated-"

"You bet it's unfortunate," the Whitcomb snapped. "If I'd known there was a chance we could have used that ship to jump to Earth...I would have done it hours ago. Cortana, what was her trajectory?"

"Not Earth," the AI replied easily. "Doctor Halsey's course points to no known system in my database."

Falling silent, the Admiral glared at everything for several seconds, fuming, before having to admit defeat. "I want Corporal Locklear on the bridge ten minutes ago. Lieutenant Haverson, have Cortana locate him. Then I want you personally to escort that ODST up here."

"Absolutely not," Kaine cut in, making everyone jump. "He's my soldier and my responsibility. I'll get him. You'll have him after I've chewed one of his ears off." Stalking towards the lift, she vaguely heard when Cortana told her that her wayward ODST was on B-Deck, medical storage, and was not answering her COM. That was all she needed.

Growling promises of pain and torture, the redhead rode down on the lift and moved quickly through the hall. She would have outright run, but if she reached the Corporal before she calmed down at least a little she'd probably break his jaw and that would get them nowhere. As the door to medical storage finally came into view she stopped for a few seconds, taking deep breaths. Deafening the man probably would be a bad idea too.

The next thing she was aware of was a large blast and dropping to the ground. Alarms started blaring instantly, bring the redhead back to her feet. The storage room's door was gone, blown off, and there was soot and small fires everywhere. Ignoring the pounding in her head and the warning from her AI, the redhead raced in and looked around. There was damaged supplies everywhere, including a badly malformed dolly, but what caught her attention was the body. Feet suddenly feeling like they weighed several tons, Kaine limped over to all that was left of Locklear, falling to her knees beside him and gently touching his charred neck, needing to confirm what she knew. He was gone.

The ODST stayed where she was, not paying attention to the passing of time. She knew she was falling into shutdown, but she couldn't stop it. Over the years, she'd come to realize that shutdown was a technique she couldn't control anymore. It could be put off, on occasion, but she'd been shoving it off since her father had died, but now it was overtaking her. However, a hand grabbing her shoulder brought her out enough to look back and see Fred. He was looking down at her with sad eyes, clearly visible since his helmet was off. "I could have saved him," she croaked, feeling tears burning in the back of her eyes. "If I'd been just a little faster, I could have saved him."

"You don't know that," the Spartan argued gently, sitting down and pulling her into his arms, worrying when she went willingly. Ever since learning his sister was alive, he'd wondered many things about her life, but one of his chief concerns had been about the shutdown technique. The Spartans had learned just how dangerous that technique was and had trained themselves out of it, but Klare had been alone. From her reaction and the swiftness of her fall, she had become dependent on it. "If you'd been any faster, you might be dead too."

"Why would he do that?" the redhead asked numbly, staring at nothing as she curled up in his lap. "Locklear isn't the type...wasn't the type to kill himself, especially before a battle. So why?"

"I might have figured it out," Vincent suddenly said, popping into view on a nearby screen. He glanced at Fred once, imparting something that Kaine didn't catch, before vanishing, being replaced by a video. It showed Halsey and an unconscious Kelly. Locklear walked into the room a second later, frowning.

"Hey, Doc. Cortana said you needed me?" He rubbed a hand over his bald head. "I'm kind of busy right now, so if this can wait-"

"Whatever you're doing, this is more important," Halsey cut in, nodding towards Kelly. "I need your help getting Spartan-087 to the launch bay."

"Is she okay?" the ODST asked, actually worried as he approached.

"She's fine, but I have to transfer her to the asteroid base. They have a piece of equipment necessary to complete her treatment."

"But I just saw her-" Locklear said, clearly skeptical.

"She's fine," the doctor assured, waving off his concerns. "Just sedated. This procedure is...unpleasant, even for a Spartan." After a second, the Corporal nodded, and moved to wheel the gurney out of the room. The video jumped to the camera in the hall, revealing the trio exit the room, move down the hall, and enter the lift. However, when the video shifted to there, they saw Halsey turn to Locklear. "Your hand, please." He looked confused, but obeyed. When she placed the crystal in his hand, he flinched. "This is what the Covenant so desperately want. They tore up Reach to get it. They followed us into Slipspace. And Polaski died protecting this thing." That drew out another flinch."

"And what the hell am I supposed to do with it?"

"Keep it safe," she answered. "Guard it with your life, because if the Covenant ever get it, they'll be able to jump through Slipspace a hundred times faster than they can now. Do you understand?"

"Not really, Doc," the ODST admitted, closing his fist around the stone. "But I can take care of it. But why me? Why not ask one of your Spartans?"

"'My' Spartan could be ordered to hand it over to Lieutenant Haverson. And he'd risk getting it back to ONI Section Three – even if he had to gamble that the Covenant might get it."

"Well, as much as I don't like El-tee White-bread," Locklear snorted, "I'd hand it over if ordered too. What's the big deal, anyway? We're almost home."

"Almost," Halsey agreed. "But the moment you jump, this crystal emits radiation like a signal flare. The Covenant will find this ship...and maybe this time they'll win the battle in Slipspace." The ODST grimaced. "So I know you'll do whatever it takes to prevent this object from falling into enemy hands."

"I read you, Doc. Loud and clear. I know what I have to do...count on it."

"Good."

The video ended abruptly, leaving a horrible silence in its wake. Fred could only stare, horrified. Halsey, the woman that was like his own mother, had not only drugged and kidnapped Kelly, but she'd also manipulated Locklear into a position where he thought suicide was the best answer. In doing so, she'd hurt Klare deeply. That wasn't something he could forgive easily.

"That bitch," Kaine said, voice deadly quiet. It was the only warning Fred received and he barely let her go in time before she launched to her feet with a roar. Faster than the Spartan could track, she'd punched the wall, leaving a massive dent as she screamed in rage. That was when Fred knew that she, at least, would never forgive Halsey. And he couldn't blame her.

"Spartan-104, Commander Faldon, please report to the Officers' Club," Cortana chimed, voice only. "Admiral Whitcomb is having a meeting with all remaining crew members there to discuss options and plans." Breathing hard, the redhead rolled her shoulders a few times, pulling her emotions back under tenuous control. Carefully, Fred got to his feet and waited, deciding that he would not leave her side. She'd been on her own too long as it was. So when she gathered the crystal fragments she could find and stalked out, looking like a thunder cloud with red lightning, he followed silently.

Stepping into the O-Club, she was just in time to hear Whitcomb say that they'd had one small blessing. Gritting her teeth, she held up the bag she'd put the shards in. "And here's evidence that Doctor Halsey's crystal was indeed destroyed," she growled, tossing the bag towards the Admiral. "I found Locklear exactly where Cortana said he would be: B-Deck, the medical storage room. Overloaded electronics at the site are consistent with a high-energy radiation burst...as are the burns on the Corporal's body." Grimacing, she was aware that the Spartans were watching her worriedly, but she ignored them. Her rage would keep her moving for a while at least, and she wouldn't give up until she'd found Halsey and got revenge for her soldier. "If it means anything to anyone but me, his death was quick. And these," she tapped the bag before picking up an abandoned glass to play with, "are crystalline fragments that I found at the site. At first glance they appear to be a match to the shard found on Reach, but what I found isn't sufficient mass to account for the entire crystal. So unless it was atomized and left no trace, a fact inconsistent with the presence of these larger pieces, then the rest of that crystal has to be somewhere else."

Tapping her foot, Cortana thought for a moment before shaking her head. "If the radiation burst detected before our jump correlates with the destruction of Doctor Halsey's crystal, then there is an alternative explanation. The timing between that explosion and the radiation flare was only forty-seven milliseconds. Since the crystal had unusual space-and time-bending properties, the missing fragments may have been 'squeezed' out of the ship and into Slipspace."

"You mean," Haverson asked, incredulously, "pieces of the greatest scientific discovery in human history are lost in Slipspace?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, Lieutenant." Kaine wasn't. If she had to lose a soldier, at least he'd accomplished what he'd set out to do.

"At least the Covenant can't get to it anymore," Whitcomb sighed. "Or if they do, they're only going to find a bunch of busted fragments."

"I just wish I knew why Locklear did it," Haverson mused.

"The boy was a little on edge," Johnson said, shaking his head in equal confusion. "After all he'd been through, you'd expect that. But he was an ODST – tough as nails and twice as sharp and used to getting pounded. He wouldn't crack. He had a reason."

"Doctor Halsey," the ONI spook guessed, eyes narrow. "She had to have set this up." The Spartans made moves to argue but froze a second later when the glass Kaine had been holding shattered in her grip. Her face was stormy and no one had the courage to ask. Although Linda did cross over and grabbed her sister's hand, carefully lifting it and forcing her fist to uncurl so she could remove the shards.

"Let's not start this," the Admiral said briskly. "I don't want anyone's perceptions colored by us discussing the 'whys' and 'what ifs' of this situation. Save it for the debriefing they're going to give us when we get back. From here to Earth it should be smooth sailing, and we can finally relax."

"Permission to speak, Admiral," Chief said, making Faldon tense. She knew what was coming.

"Granted. Speak your mind."

"I don't wish to contradict you, sir, but perhaps it shouldn't be smooth sailing. And maybe we shouldn't relax."

"I have a feeling I'm not going to like this...but explain yourself," Whitcomb sighed. Quickly, John outlined the plan he'd made to attack the Unyielding Hierophant, but Kaine ignored him, focused instead on the blood dripping from her hand as Linda pulled out the last sliver. She could feel 'shutdown' in the back of her mind, wanting to pull her under, but she kept her anger burning hot to beat it back. If she had to deal with it, she'd do so after the attack.

"Mission request denied," the Admiral said once Chief was done.

"Bull-shit!" Faldon yelled, anger snapping. Pushing Linda away, forgetting that she wasn't supposed to be able to do that, she cornered the older man like a wolf about to make a killing blow. "Alerting Earth isn't going to do any good against that number of enemies; this is our only chance of buying the UNSC time to prepare. The Chief's plan is our best bet, so we're going with it. If you are that damned determined to get back home, fine, we'll exit Slipstream on our own and you can go about your merry way. But this mission is going through, so get used to it!"

Silence reigned for a few seconds before Cortana shifted, frowning. "I'm not sure you could come on the mission, Commander," she said. "The Spartans in their MJOLNIR armor should be able to survive the shearing stress and radiation levels, but you probably won't."

"My ODST armor is based off early MJOLNIR designs," the redhead bit out. "I know the reports you're referring to with the probes, and the stress is well within this design's parameters. And you know I'm not like most humans." It was as close as she could come to mentioning her Spartan background, but the message clearly got through as the AI nodded and backed off.

"Commander, you'll need Cortana to get past the Covenant security systems," Whitcomb argued. "She has to make it to Earth. With the data she's carrying on Halo, the Flood, and Covenant technology, she's far too valuable to risk."

"There might be another way," the blue female cut in. "I discovered a file-duplication algorithm in the Covenant AI on Ascendant Justice. I successfully used to to reproduce my language-translation routines. I might use it to copy portions of my infiltration programming into the memory-processing matrix in the Master Chief's MJOLNIR armor. It won't be a full copy – there are replication errors and other side effects – but it would give the Spartan team access to some of my capabilities. Enough, I think, to get them through the Covenant security barriers." Grinding her teeth in frustration about not being able to tell them all that Vincent could handle everything, Kaine held her peace.

Sighing like he was releasing all the air he'd breathed in his entire life, the Admiral actually slumped."You realize, Chief, that you and your team will be on your own? That my first, my only priority, must be to get to Earth?"

"My team is willing to accept the risk," John answered.

"The risk?" It was a whisper. "It's a one-way ticket, son. But if you're willing to do it, if you can slow the Covenant assault on Earth, then, hell, it might be worth the trade."

"Lives spent versus lives wasted," Kaine said, just as quiet. Everyone but the Spartans looked at her in confusion, but she ignored them. "We're going, Admiral, with or without your blessing." The tension held for several seconds as the officers glared at each other, but Whitcomb was the first to cave, looking away in defeat. With the conversation clearly over, the non-Spartans trickled out of the room, somehow not questioning how the ODST was included in the small group.

Searching around for something he could say that would get the redhead farther away from 'shutdown', Fred looked around and noted the pictures on the walls. Remembering Klare's fascination with photography back in training, he casually said, "These photos are pretty cool. Daguerreotypes, right?"

Snorting, the redhead spared a glare for him, knowing full well what he was trying to do, but she took the bait anyway. "First, daguerreotypes were made long before the Civil War and were rarely used in the 1860s. It's clear those are not daguerreotypes because they are positive images, which was not possible with the daguerreotypes process. Second, because of the material, it's more likely that these images are tintypes. They are more durable and cheaper to make back then. Finally, in the 1860s there was no photographic process that could work fast enough to capture movement, so all those images of charges or cannon fire could not have been taken." Scowling playfully at their teasing smiles, she admitted feeling a little better, until 'shutdown' rushed forward when her anger died down. Gritting her teeth against the darkness, Kaine tried to fight her way back. For a moment she feared she wouldn't be able to, but then a large hand settled on her shoulder, forcing her to focus on the moment.

Looking up, she stared into Linda's face plate, feeling that she should fake a smile, despite knowing that it would only worry everyone even more. "No," she said instead, voice quiet. "I'm not okay."

"We noticed," her sister admitted, carefully guiding the smallest Spartan over to a nearby bench and gently pushing her down. Only once the redhead was seated did the other Spartans approach, sitting on the floor around her. Taking a couple deep breaths, Kaine tried to steel herself for the conversation she knew was coming. 'Shut down' was never supposed to be a solution, and the only way to get past it was to talk, but no Spartan enjoyed making themselves vulnerable, even if it would save them. But if she couldn't open up now, surrounded by her brothers and sisters, there really was no hope for her.

"You all know Eric died just before the Battle of Reach," she whispered numbly, feeling the pit that she was only barely keeping herself from. "I didn't have time to mourn him. There was the official ceremony to make me Commander, the memorial dedication, I found out I have an execution order on my file, and then Reach was attacked. On Reach, I'd worked with Noble Team, and I received the report when Jorge died. But then I had to help the rest of Noble get Cortana to John, and ended up losing them too. Halo...the Flood...my ODSTs..." Her voice wavered and she could feel tears burning, but her chest was numb and she felt like she was falling. "There was just...no time. I couldn't deal with anything; if I wanted to live I had to keep moving forward. Then coming here, getting Linda back, finding out that there were survivors on Reach, losing Li and Anton and Polaski," her voice cracked, "I couldn't deal with it all. Sleep was my escape, and it gave me some control back, but now...with Halsey kidnapping Kelly and Locklear killing himself-"

With an almost audible snap, the redhead's control shattered. Clutching her head, she doubled over and screamed. All the fear and anger she'd been bottling up came pouring out in a violent rush. There were tears, though she wasn't sure how they'd escaped when her eyes were closed so tightly. For a long, horrible second, she was sure that she would shatter into a million pieces too small to be put back together.

Then there were arms around her and she could feel a face pressing against her neck. She was being held, the person curling around her like they were trying to protect her from everything. There was no need to open her eyes to know that it was John; before she was really aware of what she was doing her hands had released her head and was wrapped around his arms, holding him as close as she could. Another body was pressing against her exposed side, hard and protective. Actually, if she focused, she could feel that she was surrounded. The thought would usually trigger a panic attack, but she knew these people. They were her siblings; they'd never hurt her. So, instead, Klare let go of her control for the first time in years and just cried.

---

Time: 1600\

September 25, 2552\

Slipstream

"I'd tell you how insane this entire plan, but it's too late to stop, so I'll just settle for reminding you that your shoulder is still injured and your suit was not actually built to handle this amount of stress, despite the designs," Vincent said, sounding infuriatingly calm. Kaine would have cussed him out, but she was too focused on simply surviving the damn trip. Every Spartan had known that Slipspace was not usually a smooth journey; the strange not-Slipspace Halsey's crystal had formed didn't count. They had not, however, expected to feel like they were in a tiny ship in a maelstrom.

The Covenant dropship was rolling and bucking, completely out of control. Some of the carbon-molybdenum steel I-beams had already snapped from the stress, painting a very grim picture for the future. There were no lights inside the ship; they'd thrown in a few activated chemical light sticks before they'd left the main ship, but those plastic containers had cracked and there were now millions of microscopic blobs of bioluminous fluid floating about in the zero-G environment.

"Now I know why only big ships travel through Slipspace," Linda mused, sounding pretty calm herself. However, the Spartans had true MJOLNIR armor, complete with hydrostatic gel to make the entire experience bearable. The ODST wasn't so lucky, but she wasn't going to bring it up if she didn't have to. Her break down in the O-Club had backed her away from 'shut down' significantly, but it also left her raw and emotional. Not a good state to be in just then.

"You know those SS probes?" Fred asked, continuing on the conversation. "They're almost solid Titanium-A."

"Status?" John called. Kaine knew he was receiving acknowledgement lights and thumbs up, but she couldn't move. Her joints felt like they were being pulled apart and her head was throbbing after a particularly powerful roll had sent her helmet slamming into the bulkhead behind her. "Klare, what is your status?" Gritting her teeth in a silent snarl, the redhead jerked her hand in a parody of the 'surviving' signal.

"This isn't so bad," Fred called, clearly trying to make her feel better. "The last insertion I made, we hit the ground before the dropship. Now, that was a rough ride. We were-" His story was cut off abruptly as the dropship lurched, cracks appearing in the hull as the lead melted, and then it threw every Spartan forward before slamming them back. The ODST's helmet hit the bulkhead again, hard enough to make stars appear before her eyes. The darkness of unconsciousness was nipping at her mind, but she struggled her way back. Some of her drop pod landings had been worse, so it wasn't too hard to get her mind aware and focused again, even with the throbbing in her skull.

Looking around, the redhead was met with nothing but darkness. She was just about to trigger her suit's external lights when there was a sudden flare of bright from her left. Wincing, she closed her eyes for a few seconds before slowly opening them again, turning to see the Master Chief looking right at her. Triggering her helmet to go transparent, she smiled weakly at him, nodding once. All things considered, she was okay.

He must have gotten the message, as he nodded back before releasing himself from the quick release harness and floated free in the dropship. Copying his actions, Kaine untangled herself from her seat and moved to the more open section of the alien vessel, slowly stretching her aching limbs. Making a note to never enter Slipspace in such a tiny vessel again, she watched as her husband went to each Spartan, giving them a shot of what she assumed was a stimulant to help them come back from unconsciousness.

"Where are we?" Will asked groggily, head in his hands as he floated.

"There's only one way to find out," John said, having glanced at the dead monitors. "I'll take the portside hatch. Fred, you're on starboard."

"Roger, Blue-One." Watching her brothers pull themselves through the ship, the ODST felt the first warning twinges from her body as it finally started recognizing the fact that she was in zero-G. If she somehow managed to survive everything that was coming, she was going to be confined to bed for a month. But she wasn't going to survive, so she didn't think about it too much.

"Cortana," Chief said over an open COM shared with every team member. "How many ships are we looking at?"

"Two hundred forty-seven warships. Estimation of the total population based on the sampling from your limited field of vision puts that total number at more than five hundred Covenant warships." Kaine froze, feeling the pit of dread drop out in her stomach. Five hundred? There hadn't even been that many enemy ships at Reach! It didn't matter if Whitcomb managed to get to Earth first; the entire planet would be obliterated by the opening salvo.

"You say they've pinged us three times?" John asked.

"Affirmative. They've been curious about our status, but not as much as you might expect. There's a tremendous amount of COM traffic. They're probably only interested in us as a navigation hazard."

"Send a signal and explain that our engines are crippled and we'll need assistance to move. Let's see if we can get them to take us to this central station for repairs."

"Sending message now."

"Time to wake up," the Chief told the rest of the Spartans, sending a video feed to every HUD so they could see what he was seeing. "Armor and weapons check on the double." For several seconds no one moved, but then Blue Team sent their acknowledgement lights and Kaine sent a quick confirmation message. Checking her fears and worries, she tried to regulate her breathing, wondering if her body would seize up before they could get somewhere with gravity. As it was, she wasn't entirely sure she'd be able to keep up with her siblings.

"Covenant C&C responding to our request," the Cortana-copy announced. "Ferry en route to take us in for repairs. They were a little confused about which warship we belong to, but I simulated static to cover our ship's registration ID. They're too busy to take a closer look at us."

As John pulled himself back into the dropship, Will approached Kaine and drew a circle with his index finger. It was standard procedure to check suits visually as well as digitally, so she spun around and let him examine her armor. A light touch on her injured shoulder indicated a potential problem there, but there was nothing they could do, so they both let it slide. "You're good," her brother finally said, allowing her to face him again before he turned around, letting her check him over. Unlike her suit, his MJOLNIR had weathered the trip just fine. Clapping him on the shoulder, she gave him a thumbs up, smiling for good measure since he could see her for a change. The finger swipe she got back was the cherry on top.

"Ordnance load out," Grace called, opening the duffel bags they'd tied to the hull. Each weapon had been wrapped with lead foil, layers of thermal padding, and then covered in a layer of utility tape. "Heavy or light?"

"We go in heavy," John answered. "Except Linda." When the Spartan in question made to argue, he held up a hand. "We'll need you to hang back and cover us with your sniper rifle. I want you fast and deadly. Take a close-range weapon, extra ammo, and whatever you need to keep your sniper rifle working in the field."

"Roger," the redhead said, voice brittle and cold. The sound made Kaine shiver, though it was also slightly reassuring. It meant she was getting ready to do what she did best: kill with a single shot.

"The rest of us will take whatever we can carry," Chief continued, sparing only a glance for his wife, knowing she had her own set of weapons in the bag and would likely stick to them. While she was as strong as any Spartan, ODST training had made her an expert in certain areas, and for this battle they needed every ounce of skill they'd all developed. "Once we're in I have a feeling we won't be able to come back. If we have to, we can always lighten our load." Everyone nodded before they started passing around the ordnance.

Once everything was distributed, John ordered radio silence and moved back to the hatch, keeping watch. A few seconds later there was the clang of metal on metal echoed through the damaged dropship, and then Kaine could feel a shift in her stomach that meant they were moving. When Fred turned and gave the signal for 'plan working' she knew it was the Covenant tug. They were moving for several minutes, Chief keeping lookout, but then he pulled himself back in and closed the hatch, drifting back to huddle with the rest of them. It hadn't escaped the ODST's notice that she and Linda were the farthest back, protected by the others, but there was no time to complain when there was a sudden sensation of gravity. Atmosphere started leaking in through the cracks of the ship. As everything settled, Fred and Grace covered the starboard hatch, weapons ready, while John and Will took the port side. Bracing for a fight, every Spartan waited as the port hatch cracked and squeaked open.

When a rubbery tentacle pushed through, Kaine worried that she would actually burst out laughing. She saw John signal to hold fire as the Engineers floated in, happily ignoring the hulking Spartans as they observed the alterations made to the dropship with sounds of dismay. One Engineer did pause by the ODST for a second, peering closely at her injured shoulder in a way that had every Spartan looking at her as well. There went any hope of hiding the damage done by the Slipspace trip. But the nice thing about being surrounded by Covenant was that no one could yell at her.

Though she couldn't hear her husband's huff of frustration, she could see the movements and she grinned at him before he eased up to the side of their craft and used his fiber-optic probe to peer outside at what type of welcome they were about to be subjected to. A second later he turned back to them, pointing at Linda and Will before signaling that they should go out and up. With nods, they obeyed, vanishing out the entrance. After a few tense moments, the remaining Spartans relaxed and Kaine knew they'd made it safely. Motioning for the redhead to follow him, John signed that they'd do the same, Grace and Fred bringing up the rear. Nodding, the ODST waited for the larger soldier to move before she was hard on his heels, flipping up onto the top of the craft with him and hurriedly climbing up a dangling cord. Because she was lighter than him, she reached their siblings first and swung up to join them, already sweeping the rest of the area for danger. Other than a few thousand Engineers, she didn't see much of any other alien life.

Once the last two Spartans joined them, John signaled for everyone to spread out and look around; he didn't want to be caught off guard. Kaine, though, he signed to stay close and cover him as he used his HUD to look farther than anyone else could see. She tried really hard not to fidget as she sat still, sweeping the bay constantly. Unlike many in the UNSC, she actually liked Engineers, but seeing the sheer mass of them still made her worry. Just because she'd never met a violent floating alien didn't mean they didn't exist. Because of the rarity of seeing them, she'd assumed there weren't very many. That assumption was clearly in error.

A muffled click over the COM caught her attention, and she looked over in time to see the Chief point to a distant junk pile, hold up two fingers, and then point to the alcove right beside the pile. Knowing what he was ordering, the redhead waited for Fred and Linda to drop to the deck, startling a pair of Engineers, and race for the alcove. Grace followed, and then it was the ODST's turn. Unlike her siblings, she landed without a sound, but she wasn't as fast without the MJOLNIR armor and she had to utilize cover whenever possible before she reached the junk pile, hunkering down behind a large piece of metal. The second she was safe, there were two loud thumps, and then John and Will arrived, taking shelter behind a plasma coil that was as big as a Warthog. When her husband pointed at Fred and Linda, Kaine knew he wouldn't need her right away so she focused on peering through a small hole in the metal. She could see a pair of Grunts in the distance, but they were they only non-Engineers in sight.

"I'm in," Cortana's voice suddenly said over the COM, making the officer jump and turn. John was beside a data terminal she previously hadn't noticed; that must have been why he'd gathered them all there. "I have secured our own channel and encrypted the signal so we're free to use the interteam COM."

"Good work," Chief said before turning to throw a hidden glare at his wife. "How bad is your shoulder? And I swear, if you even think of glossing it over-"

"Slight bleeding only," the redhead spit back, eyes narrowing. This really wasn't the time for this conversation. "Biofoam isn't flawless. Don't you have a job to do?"

"He's your husband; his first job is to look after you," Fred muttered before muffling a yelp when Grace casually reached over and slapped the back of his helmet. Thank god the only aliens around to see them were Engineers.

John was clearly still unhappy, but he turned back to the terminal and let Kaine be. "Is there a central reactor in this station?" he asked Cortana-copy. "How well defended is it?"

"Stand by. I have to move carefully. There are Covenant security AIs in this system." Waiting, albeit impatiently, the group held it's collective breath. "I have schematics for the station. The good news is, each lobe has a central reactor complex with five hundred twelve-terawatt units similar in design to the pinch fusion reactors on their ships. Apparently this energy is used to power a shield generator that can repel the collision of a small moon. I can overload one reactor, causing a melting in its field coils, which will saturate the surrounding-"

"Will it explode?"

"Yes – an explosion of sufficient force to vaporize both sections."

"That's the good news? What's the bad?"

"The reactor's control system is isolated. I cannot reach it from this terminal. You will have to physically deliver me there." Chief glanced back at Kaine, clearly in question, but she was already shaking her head. Vincent was moving a bit slower than Cortana-copy because he was inside her, but he had the same report. There was no way to trigger an explosion without actually being at the reactor.

"Where is there?"

"The nearest reactor-control access point is seven kilometers farther into the station's top lobe."

John fell silent for a second, clearly thinking through this new information. Personally, Faldon didn't see the point. They'd come for a job and they weren't going to leave without trying. "Is there a way to leave in the central system until we have need of you?" he asked instead. "It would be handy to have you monitor the Covenant security systems."

For three full seconds, there was no answer. And then, "There is a way. When I was copied from the original Cortana, the duplicating software was copied as well – it becomes an inseparable part of all subsequent copies. I can use this to copy myself into this system."

"Perfect." No, John. It was too perfect; there was no possible way anything could ever be that easy for them! This was a bad idea!

"There are risks, however. Each successive copy contains aberrations that I cannot correct. There may be unforeseen complications associated with using a copy of a copy."

Don't do it, John!

"Do it." Groaning, Kaine hit her protected head quietly against the wall, knowing that she was getting odd looks from her siblings. The electricity under her skin was growing, but not enough to cause her any real fear. Just some overly dramatic concern. "I'll take that chance, but I'm not willing to take a chance on crossing seven kilometers behind enemy lines without a way to bypass their security systems."

"Stand by," Cortana-copy said. "Working." An entire minute passed before the data chip ejected from the terminal. "Done. I'm in. There's an exit to this bay thirty meters to your left. I will black out the security sensors there and open the door in twenty seconds. Hurry."

Grabbing the data chip, Chief reinserted it into his armor, ordering the team, "Move out. Stay low." Kaine was just about to sarcastically ask how the hell she was supposed to keep up with them when Grace suddenly scooped her up in her arms and ran. The redhead barely managed to see the access panel slide open and then they were through, the rest of her siblings hard on their heels. By the time the door snapped shut, they were all safely through.

Unfortunately for everyone that was not an ODST, the path they would need to travel was small. At some points they could crawl on hands and knees, but sometimes they had to go on their bellies. Certain sections were so small, the Spartans had to power down their shields and still barely managed to scrape by. Kaine alone had an easy time, leaving her in the front so she could move ahead, scout the area, and then turn around and report. Though that also meant to got to dodge the blades of giant circulation fans and edge past transformer coils more too.

She was also the first to find that their path ended in an unexpected dead end. When the rest of the group arrived, it was to find her, helmet removed, rhythmically hitting her head against the obstruction. Eleven hours. They'd been moving for eleven damn hours, and then this happened. "It must be a repair not logged into the station manifest," Cortana-copy announced.

"Options?" John asked, moving forward and gently grabbing his wife's head before she could hit it again. His hand was smacked away, but the next time the redhead's forehead touched the metal, it stayed still as she leaned into the coolness.

"I have only limited mission-planning routines. There are three obvious options. You can blow the obstructing plate with a Lotus anti-tank mine. You can return to the repair bay where we might find a less obvious way in. Or there is a faster, alternative route, but it has drawbacks." That's the one they were going to go for, then.

"Time is running out. The Covenant aren't going to stick around much longer before they strike Earth. Give me the faster route." Called it.

"Backtrack four hundred meters, turn bearing zero-nine-zero, proceed another twenty meters, and exit through a waste access cover. From there you will move in the open for seven hundred meters, pass through a structure, and then down a guarded corridor to the reactor chambers." Right, because that sounded super easy.

"What do you mean 'in the open'?" Grace suddenly asked, voice low. "This is a space station; there should be no open spaces."

"See for yourself," Cortana-copy replied. The Spartans must have been seeing something on their HUDS, because they all fell silent while Kaine continued to sit still, her head against the metal. Vincent had already explained the situation to her, and she knew it was going to get very dangerous, very fast.

"Let's take a look," John eventually said, sounding reluctant. Without a word, his wife pushed away from the blockage, quickly squeezing past the group and going back, tugging her helmet back into place as she moved. Her actions worried all of them, but they didn't dare bring the subject up. None of them could forget how long she'd gone without talking and how violently she could get if they tried to force communication. No matter how worried they were about her 'shutting down', they knew they had to back off just then.

Moving quickly, they reached the new access panel in a short amount of time. The ODST moved over enough for her husband to move up and use his probe to look outside, but she was clearly still unhappy. Then again, she hadn't been happy since the Engineer had noticed her wound. However, she did stir when John suddenly poked his head out of the panel. His movements indicated confusion, and that was never a good thing on missions. When he didn't pull back in after a couple seconds, every team member felt a pit of dread open in their bellies. This couldn't possibly be good. Then he was crawling out of the small tunnel, completely unaware that a certain redhead quite suddenly had her heart lodged annoyingly in her throat. Dammit all, if he ever accused her of being reckless again she was going to-

"Okay, Blue Team," he said over COMs. "Get oriented...as much as you can. Our target is the columned building at one o'clock. I make it to be a three-hundred-meter sprint across open ground. We'll make a break for it. Unless anyone has a better plan?"

Linda was the next out, and she was also quiet for a second before saying, "Permission to post on the rooftop and provide cover." That good, huh?

"Do it," Chief ordered. "Let me know when you're in position and ready." Not able to wait any longer, Kaine exited the tunnel and looked around. It was...not what she'd been expecting. The station was mostly hollow, with a beam of blue light shooting right through the center and illuminating the area like it was daytime. All around on the inner curved surface were needle-thin spires, squat stair-step pyramids, and ornate columned temples. The catwalks and transportation tubes that Vincent had indicated on the map he'd drawn for her were there as well, carrying aliens about.

There was water, flowing in inward-spiral patterns down the walls and then waterfalling 'up' into large hollow towers. Flocks of headless birds and enormous clouds of butterflies flew about, as well as a group of Banshees in a certain section of the space. No wonder her husband had amended his comment about getting oriented.

"You know I'm not going to be able to keep up with you," the redhead finally said while Linda climbed above them on a hanging rope. "Your suits enhance your speed too much." And her body was still trying to even out after that extended period in zero-G. "I'd do better from the shadows."

"We're not splitting up," John growled, but he couldn't stop himself from stepping back when she spun on him, lips contorted in a snarl and a growl hanging between them. Alright, probably not the best thing he'd ever said to her.

"Try and stop me, Master Chief," Kaine hissed, spitting his rank in a way she'd never done before. Not giving him time to do just that, she spun on her heel again and sprinted to the cover she'd already chosen; an alcove farther down that would give her a better view of what was happening above and below them. She'd barely gotten into position before the remaining Spartans broke from their dark corner, heading straight towards the needed temple.

"You're good so far," Linda said over the COM, clearly keeping an eye on everything while the ODST brought her rifle open and triggered the scope. She didn't have the range that her sniper sister had, but the Corps had drilled her in this type of shooting until she was nearly as good. For now, she'd settle for being backup. "There are Elites, but they're unarmed. No, wait. A Hunter pair is advancing on your position. Stand by."

"Left," Kaine said calmly, already having the indicated alien in her sights. She fired off two rounds; one to collapse any shields and the second to pierce the gap in the armor. Another two shots from above took out the other alien and it dropped.

"Threat neutralized," the larger Spartan announced, a strange note of warmth in her voice. It wasn't often she got a partner that could match her in skill. "The rest of them are scattering. Banshees approaching. I'm moving."

"Covering," the ODST replied, narrowing in on her moving sister. "Path left and down is clear for the next twelve seconds." Watching as Linda followed directions, the smaller redhead felt the buzz of electricity grow stronger. That made sense, considering Covenant certainly knew they were there now, but something told her it was worse than that. So when there was suddenly a very large explosion from the direction of the temple the others had gone to, she wasn't surprised. Worried, most certainly, but not surprised.

There was nothing she could do, though, because it was like the floodgates had been opened and there was Covenant pouring in from everywhere. She'd already lost sight of Linda, though she was positive her sister had gone high; no sniper worth their rifle passed up an opportunity to get higher. The problem wasn't with the Spartan, but with her. With so many aliens moving about, she couldn't move and her shelter was far from ideal. Personally, she didn't want to be in the situation at all, but they'd spent too long in those damn tunnels; there was no time for her siblings to slow to her pace. That didn't mean she was happy with what she'd said, in any way.

The minutes dragged on, punctuated by distant explosion and the occasional alien randomly dropping dead as Kaine took her frustrations out on the unsuspecting enemy. She paused only once, and that was when Vincent informed her that Grace's biomonitors had flatlined. The pit of 'shut down' roared as she stumbled back towards it, but the ODST forced herself to work through the pain, channeling it into a hail of bullets that decimated a Jackal formation. That stunt forced the officer to then quickly change cover, barely managing to avoid being seen. Despite the danger, her rage burned bright and she started taking greater risks, having to be saved by the unseen Linda a couple times when she did something she really shouldn't have.

As deep as she was in her anger, the smaller redhead had lost track of time until she suddenly heard John say, "Linda, do not reply. The Covenant are triangulating on our signals. I'm hoping they do and send a few of those Banshees to reconnoiter. When they get close to the heat-exchange plant, take them out – we need their vehicles." Knowing her sister wouldn't reply, Kaine looked up warily, but she nearly laughed when she finally caught sight of the Spartan in question. Her sister was dangling by a rope, dangerously close to the light beam but looking perfectly at ease. The Spartan's left forearm and right leg were wrapped in the rope, keeping her steady, while she fired off every shot with her one free arm. An impossible position and beyond impossible shots, but Linda had never missed a target before. She wasn't going to start now.

The first two shots at the Banshee pilots were all Linda, but the third was out of her shot angle because of the light beam. Without a thought, Kaine stepped free of her cover, went to her knees, and fired. She saw the vehicle crash and felt a rush of joy before her danger sense screamed and she threw herself to the side. A Brute's hammer (because what else would it possibly be?!) slammed into the ground where she had been, leaving a crater almost deep enough to bury her in. Hopefully, her sister would be able to cover their brothers' retreat, because the odds of the ODST getting off the station alive had just gone down exponentially. After all, it wasn't like she could call for help, what with Covenant triangulating their signals.

With a roar, the Brute swung its hammer after her, forcing Kaine to leap back. However, she had miscalculated the distance to the wall and she struck it hard, knocking most of the air out of her lungs. Her body had learned to function with her relatively low level of activity after the zero-G trip, but this fight would push her over the dangerous edge very quickly. In reality, she was damned if she did and damned if she didn't but the same determination that had kept her going in training despite not being the twin chosen made her get back on her feet to meet the alien head-on. Smiling behind her helmet, the redhead felt the rush of adrenaline that came with every battle, but there was something new this time. She was filled with an intense joy, and it took a second to realize why. For the first time, she didn't have to hold back. The only humans that would see her were her siblings; there was no way ONI would learn what she did on the alien ship. For the first time in twenty-seven years, she could be herself.

Dying like that wouldn't be too bad, actually.

"Let's dance," Klare grinned, ducking easily when a wild swing came in her direction. Shifting on light feet, she waited for the Brute to lift its arms before suddenly launching an open-hand strike at its center, feeling bone cave under her hand. The shockwaves of pain that came up her arm warned that such a move should not be done twice, but it bought her the time to put some serious distance between herself and the enemy. There was some chatter over the COM, including what she was sure was the Oly Oly Oxen Free call, but every scrap of focus she had was on the alien that was already recovering.

With another roar, the Brute lifted its hammer to chase after her, but it suddenly jerked twice before falling over. For a long second, Kaine could only stare, ears barely registering that they had heard two gunshots. Then a Banshee suddenly careened to a stop before her, John hunched over the controls and Linda balanced on his back, a curl of smoke still coming from the barrel of her rifle. The ODST had serious doubts about the Covenant vehicle being able to fly if all three of them were aboard, but there was no time to argue. So, knowing she'd regret it, the redhead rushed over and slid between her husband and the actual metal of the Banshee. It was the only place she had even a vague hope of not falling off right away when Chief gunned the engines, and gun them he did. None of them would ever know how the small vehicle was able to move so damn fast with two armored Spartans and an enhanced ODST on it, but it did.

"Coming in hot," John called over the COM, dodging any shots fired his way. "Open the door and get ready for a quick exit, Blue Team. Cortana, breach those airlocks. Now!" Nothing happened. "Cortana, the airlocks."

"Apologies, Chief," Cortana's voice said through all COMs, though it sounded...off. "I've spun off a dedicated copy to...to...speak with you."

"Override the airlock safeties, Cortana. Open the external and repair bay doors."

"Working, Chief. There's too much system COM traffic. So many of us. Near saturation level. Have to fight to get...stand by..." Worried about what she was hearing, Kaine silently asked Vincent to jump in, and she didn't like his answer. The Cortana copy had copied itself so many times, there were literally thousands of Cortana's in the system. He wasn't even sure he could get in.

An explosion ahead of them at one of the windows was apparently going to be their way out, but there was one problem. The window was cracked, yes, but it held. That shouldn't have been possible after a Lotus anti-tank mine, but the evidence was right before Kaine's eyes. They were stuck. "Cortana!" John yelled, the first hint of fear in his voice. "Cortana – it's now or never!"

"In..." the female AI's voice said, very faint. "Intersystem failure 08934-EE. Global system error 9845-W. Resetting. Inner doors open. Override in progress. System lockdo-" The COM went dead. However, a surge of success from Vincent gave the ODST a faint feeling of hope.

Beyond the cracked window, she could see the atmosphere of the repair bay turn white and then clear. Every twenty meters along the bay walls, airlocks were opening, revealing the blackness of space beyond them. Fred and Will suddenly appeared beside the trio, their own Banshees matching speed. The cracks of the window had grown when the airlocks had opened, but it hadn't shattered. John and Fred used their vehicles plasma canons to try and blow it, but the transparent material remained stubbornly intact. Their only choice was to ram it. Seconds before they hit, John curled in over Kaine, covering her as much as possible

Despite that, she still felt the impact, followed instantly by the intense vacuum of space as the atmosphere vented violently through the open window. The Banshee hit the deck hard, rolling several times before bursting out of the airlock and finally drifting peacefully. Some point during the whole thing John had gotten knocked off the vehicle, but he was tethered to the device and was able to pull himself back. His wife, on the other hand, had a death grip on the Banshee, and that wasn't much of an exaggeration. Her eyes were closed tight as she fought off the urge to scream in pain. If they got out of there alive, she was going to give standing orders to shoot her if she ever volunteered to go into a zero-G environment without the proper suit again.

Kaine was so focused on keeping herself together, she hadn't been aware of the Banshee moving until it ran into something. Cracking her eyes open, she noted that it was an abandoned dropship and that Linda was already scrambling up to open the access hatch. John carefully peeled the ODST off the alien vehicle and held her close as he pulled himself up and into the ship. He was the last one in, so he sealed the hatch behind him before noticing that the dropship had been partitioned off. Before he could ask, the area they were in suddenly pressurized, atmosphere and gravity reasserting themselves. Worried that he'd made a mistake by thinking the vessel was dead in the water, Chief full out flinched when a section of the wall slid aside; he turned to shield his wife while every other Spartan had weapons instantly aimed. But then there was a quiet coo and he knew what was aboard with them.

Seeing the Engineer still made him pause, because there was clearly something wrong. It wasn't floating. In fact, it looked like some of the sacks on its back had been punctured. However, it seemed friendly enough, though it instantly reached a tentacle out towards the officer in his arms. She reached out to lightly grab it, apparently just as fascinated by the gentle alien as it was of her. Looking up at John, she triggered her helmet clear, even knowing it meant he would see her pain. "Leave me with it," she said, barely able to form words. "You need to get us to safety." He clearly didn't agree, but there was no argument he could make, so he reluctantly nodded and set her down carefully by the crippled alien. Hesitating a fraction of a second, the Spartan gave a quick sign that didn't really mean anything, though it conveyed happiness and love, before moving to join the others.

Moving carefully, Kaine painfully removed her helmet, taking in a breath of 'fresh' air with obvious relief. A gentle hum from beside her had her turning to smile weakly. She wasn't sure how much the creature understood, but her mother had always said that smiles were universal. From the happy chirp and the way the Engineer nuzzled her cheek, that theory was true.

Feeling the dropship start to move, the redhead looked towards the cockpit where Linda was piloting. Fred was manning the ops station, while John stood behind them both and Will made his way back to sit beside the ODST. Everyone knew that when the Unyielding Hierophant exploded, it would take out everything around it. The question was if there was safety anywhere nearby. From the way Chief and Linda were shifting, it was clear they were in private communication, but if that was good or bad couldn't be answered.

"What's this?" John suddenly asked over the team COM, pointing to something on Fred's display. Kaine couldn't see what he was indicating, but the flare of hope in her belly made her hold her breath.

Fred looked at the screen before inhaling sharply, clearly surprised. "If the translation software is working right, that's the E-Band...it's one of ours," he whispered. He snapped on the external speakers, and the dropship was suddenly filled with the six tones that every Spartan knew like the back of their hand.

"Oly Oly Oxen Free," Chief breathed, voice dripping in shock. "Fred, send the countersign.

"Aye, Chief. Sending now."

Everyone waited in breathless anticipation until suddenly, "It's about time you showed up," Admiral Whitcomb's voice drawled over the COM. "Switch to encryption scheme 'Rainbow'."

"Decryption online," Fred announced, running a shunt from the Covenant COM to the data port in the back of his helmet.

"Admiral, with all due respect, sir, why are you here?" John asked, tilting his head like a confused puppy.

"Lieutenant Haverson suggested we drop out of Slipspace on the edge of this system – hide in the Oort cloud and gather a little intel." Whitcomb sighed, sounding older than he actually was. "Well, I took one look and figured that even if you took out that station...hell, son, there'd still be a couple hundred Covenant ships within spittin' distance of Earth. Me getting there and warning them about it wouldn't make a lick of difference. So I'm going to do something about it here and now. You've done your part, Chief. Leave the rest to me." There was a long pause, then the Admiral asked, voice low and serious, "You did get it done, didn't you, son? You got that station rigged to blow?"

"Yes, sir," the Spartan answered. "Four minutes thirty-two seconds and counting."

"Perfect, Master Chief. Bring 'em on back to the barn. Stay on your heading. Your instincts are dead on. We're on the far side of the moon and are waiting for you." The dropship sped up.

"Waiting, sir?"

"Whitcomb, over and out." The COM went dead, and the pit of dread opened in Kaine's chest again. With a grunt, she pushed herself to her feet and stumbled forward, nearly falling until John whirled around and caught her. He must have seen something on her face, because instead of lecturing like he usually would, he just held her, letting her lean on him. As the dropship circled to the dark side of the moon, the battered form of the Gettysburg appeared...but it was alone.

"Where's Ascendant Justice?" Chief whispered.

Linda landed in the Gettysburg's launch bay without issue, quickly powering down the dropship and popping the hatches open. For the first time in her life, Kaine didn't complain when John scooped her into his arms and carried her off the ship, though she did glance back to see Will getting the Engineer to wrap its tentacles around him so he could carry it. The small group moved through the halls quickly before reaching a lift that would take them to the bridge. Worry was still gnawing at the smaller redhead, and it turned to outright fear when they stepped onto the bridge and realized that the only human in sight was Sergeant Johnson, Cortana standing beside him, surrounded by a mathematical scrawl that none of them had a hope of understanding.

The Sergeant looked up when the group exited the lift, frowning when he realized that not all of them had come back. However, he shook the moment off, forcing a sarcastic smile as he nodded to the viewscreen that displayed the command-and-control station. "I'm not sure what that thing is," he joked. "Don't look like any 'uneven elephant' to me – more like two squids kissing. Whatever it is, damned glad it's going to blow up. Nice job – almost as good as if we sent in the Marines."

"Where's the Admiral?" John asked, moving forward slowly to lower his wife into one of the padded seats. "And Lieutenant Haverson?"

Johnson's smile vanished. "I'll show you." He moved over to Weapons Station One. "A Clarion spy drone is nearly in position." The viewscreen that had displayed the Covenant ship switched to static for a second before displaying the Ascendant Justice moving out of the shadow of the moon. Kaine could remember what the ship had looked like at Halo; what she saw now was barely a shadow of the once powerful vessel.

"I don't understand," the Spartan leader admitted, head tilted in confusion. "What's going on?"

"Stand by, Chief," Cortana replied. "I'm attempting to attune Ascendant Justice's Slipspace drive to the Gettysburg's mass and profile."

"That's what we were up to while you were off sightseeing," Johnson chimed in. "We pulled the Slipspace matrix out of our piggybacked ship and slapped it into the Gettysburg." The ODST looked at him in horror. The Covenant ship couldn't jump? So it was a decoy? Or worse...

"Not a decoy," Chief whispered, coming to the same conclusion. "...a lure. Sergeant, get a signal to Ascendant Justice. Bounce it off that spy drone if you have to."

"Roger, Chief," the Marine said, typing in a command. An error warning blared at him, making him shake his head in confusion and type again, going slower to not make a mistake.

There wasn't time for this. "Linda, take the NAV station. Fred, you're on Ops. Will, give the Sergeant a hand at Weapons One."

The Spartans jumped to obey. Will carefully nudged Johnson aside, but before he could do anything, the Engineer on his back reached forward and tapped three buttons, resulting in a beep. "COM patch established," the Spartan announced. Giving the alien a friendly pat, he continued, "On viewscreen two."

The bridge of the Covenant ship appeared, revealing Admiral Whitcomb and Lieutenant Haverson on the raised dais. Noticing the COM connection, the Admiral smiled. "Glad to see you made it safely aboard, son."

"Sir, that fleet will destroy you before you can fire a single salvo."

"I don't think so, Master Chief," Whitcomb replied easily, tapping a holographic display. A slim blue crystal shard appeared – a copy of the one Locklear had destroyed. "I'm sending this image to every ship in the system and letting them know it's theirs for the taking...if they dare to board this ship and face Earth's best warriors." He laughed, the sound a bit raw. "I think that'll appeal to those Elites and their overinflated sense of honor."

"Yes, sir. It will," John had to reluctantly agree. Kaine could only shake her head, burying her face in her hands. The pit was screaming at her, trying to swallow her whole, made stronger with with loss of Grace and the imminent loss of an officer she felt nothing but respect for. She was so lost in her internal fight, she lost track of what was happening around her until a hand suddenly grabbed her shoulder and shook lightly. Startled, she looked up into Chief's helmet before looking at the viewscreen again. Admiral Whitcomb was still there, a gash on his forehead and sparks flying from the sealed entrance as the aliens tried to force their way in. But his eyes were on her, so she forced herself to straighten and listen.

"I was wrong, Commander," Whitcomb said quietly, eyes soft. "You were right to pull this mission. So I want you to promise me something. Promise that you'll keep doing what you know is right, no matter what people of authority might say. Because if humanity is going to survive, it's going to be because of people like you." Fighting back the tears, she nodded, unable to say anything back. "Promise me you'll also look after the Spartans. They need someone that sees them as humans first."

"I promise," she croaked out.

"Thank you, Commander. And for the record? I think Eric would be so damn proud of you right now. I certainly am." There was nothing she could say to that, but there was something she could do. So, bracing herself again the Master Chief, Kaine got to her feet, held herself tall, and saluted. Without a word, Vice Admiral Whitcomb returned the gesture. They both held still until the doors to the bridge burst open and Elites came pouring in. Everyone saw Whitcomb spin around, firing a machine gun they hadn't noticed, and then the viewscreen went to static.

It didn't change back.

The small group watched in silence that the command-and-control center finally exploded, destroying the ships lured close the Whitcomb's suicide charge. Large chunks of molten debris shot out, impacting other enemy vessels that had not been close enough to be fully destroyed. Several pieces nearly hit the spy drone, forcing John to order it back behind the moon for safety. "Cortana," he asked, voice numb. "Is the Gettysburg ready to jump?"

"Slipspace capacitors charged, Master Chief. Ready when you are."

"Stand by." The bridge fell silent, no one willing to say anything. "Will, bring the drone back out."

"Roger, Chief."

The viewscreen shifted, showing the area that had once held hundreds of enemy vessels. Only a dozen had survived the blast and ensuing hail of destructive debris. Those that could move were slowly limping away, while others drifted dead in space. "A brilliant strategic victory," Kaine whispered, using a phrase the Admiral had been very fond of. John could only nod before turning to his AI.

"Cortana, get us out of here." The AI didn't reply, but the screens suddenly went black and the ship shuddered as they made the jump. They'd have to go to a random location before they could head to Earth; Cole Protocol was still in effect, despite having evidence that Covenant already knew the planet's location. It was still such a mind boggling thought.

"I can't stay here," Kaine suddenly said, voice quiet and tight. "Johnson, help me find a room with a bed." None of the Spartans argued as the Marine looped one of the redhead's arms over his neck and walked her out, though the pair did stop to collect the injured Engineer from Will. Off the bridge, the ship was frighteningly quiet, but the ODST barely noticed. Her mind was drifting, which was rarely a good thing. "You've done this before," she whispered, startling the older man. "Carried me."

"Not carrying, so much," he shrugged, "but I did support you. Surprised you remember; you were drugged up to your gills on Insurrectionist truth serum." He noticed her flinch but didn't pursue the subject. "Come on, Commander. The personnel quarters are right up ahead." She only nodded, gaze lowered. There was no reaction when he gently pulled her into a room, nor when he lowered her to the bed, though she did help the Engineer climb off her back and settle on a mass of blankets on the floor. "I'll send the Master Chief to you as soon as he can be spared," the Marine said, smiling crookedly when she gave him a confused look. "Commander, I ain't stupid and I ain't blind. I see how the two of you are with each other, and I saw the ring all the way back when you weren't sure which way was up and if I was Lillian or Takoda. The love you two have is so disgustingly obvious, I expect little hearts to pop up any second. And it's clear you need him. So, I'll send him down."

"Thanks, Sergeant," the redhead sighed, relaxing slightly into the bed. "For everything."

"Think nothing of it," he replied seriously. "You remember how you said you follow the Master Chief? Well, I follow you. You ever need me, I'm there." She nodded slightly and he ruffled her hair for a second before walking out. The room was dark, with only a dim glow from the damaged lights providing any type of illumination. Despite the pain and fatigue dragging at her mind, Kaine stayed awake. 'Shut down' was too painfully close, making her fear that if she fell asleep, she'd never wake up.

And then the door slid back open and John walked in. He gave the Engineer a pat on the head when it cooed at him, but shook his head when his wife patted the bed beside her. Before she could get upset, he started stripping off his armor, piece by piece. The redhead could only watch. She knew how complicated MJOLNIR armor was to take on and off. Usually, the process was only attempted with machines, since there were several delicate details that needed to be addressed. But the Chief was moving with the ease of long practice until he stood free of the metal in only his under-clothes. Leaving the pile on the ground, he finally got onto the bed, pulling Kaine has close to him as he could. She went willingly, breathing in the scent of him that she'd never really forgotten, but couldn't remember smelling that good. When she felt his heartbeat against her cheek, the tears finally started flowing, but they were tears of relief. Despite everything: Reach, Halo, the Flood, Ascendant Justice, the rescue at Reach, the Unyielding Hierophant; despite it all, they were alive. Not all of their siblings had survived, and the time of mourning would come. She would have to let go of all the pain she'd been holding, but that was in the future. In the present, she just reveled in the simple fact that her husband was with her.

They were alive.

---

Babble Time: This chapter is based off the second half of the book First Strike. This chapter WOULD NOT exist without the incredible support/encouragement/threats from Mira and Dragon. I honestly thought this monster would kill me; it HAS caused more than its fair share of agony and tears. It hasn't been edited much, so if there's any mistakes you catch, feel free to say something. Also, I'd like to note, that rant about the photos is legit; I'm a photo student and just about flipped my lid when I'd read the book for the first time. Sorry, not sorry.

Last note; I've decided to open up an option to everyone to everyone reading. Do you want me to go back and cover entire games/books/movies instead of just parts? You can either answer in a review or the poll that I'm about to put up. You have until the next chapter comes up.