This was one of my favorite levels in the trilogy by the by.

The situation on the homefront was looking grim. The UNSC's orbital defenses were decimated. A glassing campaign could have decimated humanity's home planet at any time. Even so, the Covenant was relegating their excavation efforts to a narrow range in eastern Africa. This gave humanity time enough to regroup and refocus. Homura-117 would lead the ground vanguard. They set up a base of operations at the edge of the crater to pave the way for one last, desperate effort to kick the Covenant off the continent.

The Chief took some time to check in at the forward command base. Wounded marines flailed about on medical beds as medics tried mending their plasma wounds. Homura kept her helmet on when amongst he fellows. Research showed it enhanced the Puella Machinae's mysterious image.

In the base was a radio apparatus. The speakers were ever crackling as numerous battalions and a few surviving capital ships organized the assault. ONI recon claimed to have eyes on an unidentified cruiser in low orbit.

"What's the active range on this radio?" Homura asked, voice distorted by the helmet.

"With the Crow's Nest down this radio is organizing all offensive maneuvers on the continent," explained the technician on hand. "You lookin' for someone in particular, Chief?"

"Doctor Junko Kaname. What's the word on her location?"

"Nothing has changed; Doctor Junko's been missing since Reach." The tech said.

"I see."

"We're running tight on supplies, but we could get you some biofoam. Maybe some technicians to look at that suit?"

Homura shook her head. "Unnecessary."

The doctor was needed for something more than routine maintenance. Homura's steely soldier persona served as quite the poker face. In reality the Master Chief was at her whit's end.

Flashes – memories, perhaps – were at the forefront of Homura's mind during every lull in the fighting. At first she mistook these flashes for some ghost image of her AI Madoka. Now she suspected them of being something more, evidence of some deep and repressed secret too horrible to acknowledge. Junko Kaname, if she was alive, was the only human being capable of sorting out the kudzu patch that was Homura's memories.

Another episode hit Homura on her way out of the command center.

I am your shield; I am your sword, echoed an all-too familiar voice.

Who was this woman with Madoka's face? Each vision was so lifelike – the girl's voice whispered almost at her ear. The chief thought she could cope right up to the point where her fellow soldiers had started to notice.

Only battle could keep these thoughts at bay. Homura broke through an abandoned warehouse and massacred an entire pack of brutes aided by two hunters. A brute chieftain defied her for a time, but one swift punch with an armored fist broke the brute's weak armor and shielding. Homura dodged a high swing from a gravity hammer then finished it off with one quick headshot from her magnum.

Fighting was fiercest outside. Homura kept up unrelenting pressure even as her marine escort dwindled. Homura alone survived to neutralize a Covenant anti-air position.

++2++

In the end, the human counterattack arrived just in time to watch the Covenant activate a portal and hurry off into the unknown. The forces of humanity fell back to regroup.

After the fighting was done, a lone cruiser warped in over the savannah. Something seemed immediately off to the Master Chief; the ship was exuding some kind of decay as it fell.

As the sun began to set, Homura felt an old, familiar feeling come about her. An old, familiar enemy had just sent a calling card. Earth was safe for the moment, but Homura's personal battle was just beginning. It was a fight she would see finished.

I do believe we're nearing the end, both of plotstuffs and of the concurrent chapters our collaboration managed to churn out. Cheerio, all who have managed to make it this far~

And to the old collaboration chum, that offer still stands :3