"A what?" Gabe looked at Charlotte over his bacon.
"A join operation!" The other Pandora seemed offended that he didn't know. "You know, with those new Valkyrie units!"
"Fuck's a Valkyrie?" Gabe asked, earning laughs from the others at the table.
"The new Pandora project," Devon answered. "They did a demonstration while you were under lockdown. These girls tore apart a dummy like it was nothing! They brought in some of the best Pandoras in the world to work with the Valkyries and create the ultimate fighting force. Everyone's been talking about it, almost as much as they've been talking about the UNSC!"
"And so why do we have to be there?" This was asked by Gabe through a mouthful of bacon. Charlotte rolled her eyes at the ODSTs terrible table manners.
"Because! Four teams made of the best Pandoras West Genetics has to offer will be fighting alongside the Valkyrie team. A major corporation has set up a huge training field for us as well. It's going to be a huge event!"
"Yeah, but it doesn't concern the fourth-years, does it?" Gabe had swallowed his mouthful and was working on a second by this point. "Why can't we study or train or something?" There were a number of things he could see as being far more beneficial to him than watching some new toy.
"Because it's our Pandoras that'll be out there! The best third-years will be out there giving it their all, so we have to go support them." Charlotte looked back to her own breakfast at this point as if the discussion was over.
"Whatever... Hey, anyone seen Alexis this morning?" Gabe glanced again to the spot beside him where the Pandora normally sat. Today it was empty. From the looks he saw exchanged around the table he guessed that nobody else had seen her either.
"Maybe she's not feeling well?" Sophia suggested.
"Exactly! She's probably feeling sick or something. As smart as ever, my dear Sophia." Devon was clearly trying everything to get back in his Pandoras good graces... and he was clearly failing. Sophia had seated herself between Lina and Gabe, although Devon had elbowed Ivan out of the way to sit across from her. The Pandora was now avoiding Devons eyes at all costs.
Gabe stood up, picking up his plate and taking it with him. "I'm gonna go look for her... Something just feels off." He turned and headed for the door, stopping to place his plate and such in the bin meant for dirty dishes.
"Don't be late to the operation!" Charlotte called after him.
Gabe combed the entire campus, searching high and low for Alexis. He even managed to miss the opening of the Valkyrie/Pandora joint operation, although he hadn't seen her among the students heading for the event anyway.
Finally, he decided to do the only thing he could think of. He'd knocked on her door but heard no answer. Now, he was out of options. The ODST returned to the fourth-years girl's dorm, finding his way to room 343. He tapped on her door again but got no answer. And so he tried the door.
At some point Alexis had forgotten to lock the door and so now it opened easily. The armored ODST entered the room, his VISR giving him a clear view in the low-light conditions. A green outline was sitting in the corner, hugging her knees.
"Alexis," Gabe muttered as he knelt in front of her, pulling off his helmet. "What's wrong? Why are you just sitting like this?"
The Pandoras tearstained eyes found the ODSTs. "Why are you here?" she asked. "Just... just go. Go back to your ship before I get you killed too... I don't want to be a homewrecker on top of being a murderer."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Gabe reached out and put a hand on her shoulder only to have her jerk away from him. "Alexis, did I do something? What's going on here?"
"Vanessa," the Pandora whispered. "That's her name, isn't it? Your wife."
For a second Gabe felt as if she'd slapped him across the face. The ODSTs eyes closed for a second and he tilted his head back. After a moment a cold laugh broke forth from him.
"What's so funny?" Alexis muttered.
"Vanessa, huh? I'm guessing you saw that on my knife." He shook his head. "You're actually gonna rip into me about that even though you've got no clue who she was or what she was to me or where she is now."
"Then why don't you tell me, Gabriel Kinkaid?" Alexis' voice was louder now in her anger.
"Vanessa and I had been friends since we were kids," he said quietly, turning around and sitting next to Alexis. "Her dad was filthy rich, and he was my dad's boss. We were inseparable back then. Wherever one of us went the other wasn't far behind. Once we got old enough to notice eachother as a man and a woman we became even closer. I was strong, brave, and a little bit wild. She was beautiful, well-bred, and good at pretty much everything she did. We started dating in seventh grade and everyone said we were perfect for eachother. It was pretty much predestined that we'd get married. But when I was sixteen I got a chance to join the Corps so I took it. She promised to wait for me. Then about a year and a half ago I got picked for the ODST program. She expected me to give that up and settle down with her, start raising a family and whatnot. Didn't particularly like it when I told her I was going to be a Helljumper. We had a huge fight and she told me she never wanted to see me again. I said 'fuck it' and went through with the ODST training, figuring the six months apart would cool her head. But then my first mission as a Helljumper ended in our homeworld getting glassed. She was still planetside." He sighed, suddenly feeling a hell of a lot older than nineteen. "I don't know if she ever forgave me or not. Not that it matters anymore."
Tears began to flow even more as Alexis listened to the troopers story. "I'm.. I'm sorry Gabriel," she whispered. "I just saw the name on that knife, and when Samantha told me you were married I just.. jumped to conclusions.."
"Wait... van Houten told you I was married?" Gabe felt himself getting angry again. "She's probably still pissed about me kicking her stupid ass.. she's fucking dead if I get my hands on her!"
Alexis nodded, thinking about the other thing that Samantha had said. 'Your partner isn't even cold in the grave and you're already chasing someone else!' Those words came back to her, ripping into her heart like bullets.
"Gabriel..." she began.
Meanwhile, UNSC Ace of Spades Bridge...
"What do you mean, they're reactivating?" Admiral Lucia Hartman asked of her ship's AI.
"According to Chevalier radio crosstalk, it would appear that the dummy Nova their Valkyrie and Pandora units were supposed to fight against have reactivated themselves after being destroyed." Lodestones nearly emotionless synthesized voice belied the serious nature of the situation.
"What's the situation on the ground?"
"Nearly all of the Pandora units have fallen into chaos. Reports are unclear, but it appears to be some sort of mental assault, possibly related to the unexplained phenomenon that has appeared over the battlefield."
Admiral Hartman gave a glance through the ships forward viewport. A gigantic figure-eight of light could be seen in the distance. "What can you tell me about the phenomenon?"
"Very little is known about it, ma'am. Chevalier records indicate a similar phenomenon appearing over the Evolution Pandora Research Facility in Alaska not long before we arrived in this world. In that case, the phenomenon appeared to cause a rampant Pandora to leave Nova form and return to her human state after absorbing the self-destructing detonation of a Nova, although it cost the life of one of their top Pandoras." The AI was quiet for a moment. "I am receiving Chevalier crosstalk, ma'am."
"Play it."
A series of panicked voices came over the ship's speakers, the voices of various Pandoras in the field below. Some were crying for orders, others reacting to whatever they were seeing down there.. others just screamed in terror.
"Ma'am, it would seem that a new contact has appeared," Lodestone said. "Identifying... Sensor readings are unclear, but the target may be a Nova."
"Have the Marines on standby but do not deploy," Hartman said. "Charge the MAC gun capacitors." This caused several of the crew members to exchange surprised looks. "Get to it, people!"
"Ma'am, if I may inquire about the reasoning behind this decision.." Even the AI sounded confused.
"I won't put lives at risk for no reason," the Admiral said. "But if that thing is actually a Nova and the Chevalier can't put it down, we'll get the job done." 'Maybe then they'll stop dancing in the shadows,' the Admiral thought to herself after she'd spoken.
"At once, ma'am. MAC cannons charging. All Pelican crews are mobilizing and Marines are mustering in their designated drop bays. ODST teams are prepped and ready to deploy at your word." The AI paused again, 'listening' to reports from the soldiers. "Ma'am, the Marines are requesting information. Where should they deploy?"
"I haven't given orders to deploy yet. The troops will receive their orders if and when I decide that orders need to be given." Hartman watched the monitors that showed what was happening down below, waiting.
West Genetics fourth-year girl's dorm, room 343
"Gabriel.." Alexis said. "I... do you think I'm wrong to partner with you?"
Gabes eyes found the Pandoras face once more. "What do you mean?"
"It's just..." her voice faded away for a moment. "It's just that.. James has only been gone for a short time," she whispered. "A Pandora and a Limiter are a bonded pair... but James was more than that to me. He was everything to me. Now that he's gone, I just... I just don't know." Tears fell from the girls eyes as she dredged up her biggest worries. "I don't know if it's right that I'm partnering up with you so soon after he died. It's like I'm betraying him.."
Gabe sat in quiet thought for a moment or two. "Well," he said finally. "It sounds to me like James was a soldier who knew his duty. If he wasn't he wouldn't have gone down in battle the way he did. And if he was the soldier I think he was, he would've wanted to make sure the mission was complete. I know that's how I feel." He leaned his head back against the wall, eyes on her ceiling. "Every time I went into battle against the Covenant, every time I dropped into a warzone, every time I pick up a weapon, I know I might not make it home. But no matter how bad it gets or what the mission requires, I know that my life doesn't matter in the face of the mission. I don't want to die, but as long as it gets the job gets done I'm more than willing to give it all. If James was even half the soldier I think he was, he'd agree with me."
Alexis rested her face against her knees. "So you're saying he'd want me to move on?"
"I'm saying he'd want to make sure the job got done. I don't think he gave his life so that you could waste yours sitting in a dark room crying over him. I know that's not why I put my life on the line to protect you that night we met." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "If you ask me, I'd say he'd be happy knowing that you've moved on and that the job will get done."
The Pandora nodded, thinking on his words. Eventually she sighed and leaned against him. "I'm sorry for being so unstable, Gabriel." She gave a small laugh. "You probably think I'm the most useless partner you could've possibly gotten."
"Nah... you're just not cut out for war." He put an arm around the girls shoulders and rested his head against hers. "Someone with a heart as big as yours doesn't belong in a battlefield. It ought to be left to messed-up jarheads like me." At his words the Pandora gave him a shove in the ribs but returned to her comfortable position with her head resting on the bit of undersuit visible between his shoulder pauldron and his chestplate.
Meanwhile, UNSC Ace of Spades bridge...
Radio crosstalk still pumped from the ships speakers, giving a gruesome yet confusing image of the situation below.
"Lodestone, what the hell is going on down there?" Admiral Hartman asked.
"The Nova that arrived earlier is splitting itself into smaller humanoid forms. In addition, a new unknown form has appeared floating approximately fifteen feet above the Nova. It is human in structure." There was a moment of quiet, then the AI spoke again. "Alert. The smaller portions of the Nova are increasing. Their numbers are already over five hundred and still rising." Most of the radio chatter had become screaming at this point: horrifying sounds of Pandoras begging for help while being torn apart.
"What's the status of the Chevalier forces?"
"Allied forces are being expended at an alarming rate. Pandora and Limiter teams are having difficulties destroying the humanoid forms. They're losing soldiers rapidly. A detachment of regular military Pandoras has been deployed but they are having the same difficulties as well."
"Ma'am, what are our orders?" This came from the ships weapons officer.
Hartman glared at the screen, listening to the carnage on the ground. On one hand, she didn't want to put her soldiers at risk. But those people down there were dying, and without them the Earth would be even more vulnerable...
"Ma'am, I'm tracking more of the humanoid forms. It appears that they've begun moving towards the Genetics facility." Even Lodestone sounded a little worried at this point. "The Academy is running on a skeleton crew. Most of their forces have already been deployed. I estimate that their current forces, including Corproal Kinkaid and SPARTAN-102, would be overrun within four minutes of combat."
Admiral Hartman finally spoke at that point. "Deploy Marines at the Academy. Orders are to fortify the position and hold back the Nova at all costs. Have SPARTAN-049 and his team move to assist the Chevalier forces in the field. Contact SPARTAN-102 and Corporal Kinkaid, I want both of them ready to fight." She stood up and walked to the forward viewport. "Move the ship into position above the Academy. We'll provide covering fire with our guns. Launch fighters for close air support."
Alarms began to sound throughout the ship. Almost instantly transports and starfighters began launching from the ships hangars. ODST pods fell from the belly of the warship on a course towards the West Genetics academy. The ship itself began to lower, settling just over the Academy in a protective manner. For better or worse, the UNSC had mobilized for war.
West Genetics fourth-year girls dorm room 343...
Gabe heard the sound of sudden impacts in the distance and stood up. He grabbed his helmet as he moved towards the window and opened the curtain. What he saw made his jaw drop in shock. Hundreds of Pelicans were deploying soldiers any open area they could find in the school. Scorpion tanks and Warthog LRVs drove this way and that, heading for the nearest gate. Above them the Ace of Spades loomed like a deadly shadow, her guns spewing death at distant targets. Whatever was going on it was big.
"Come on," Gabe said to Alexis as he slipped on his helmet. "I think we're under attack!"
As the two hurried out into the hall Gabe began listening to the radio chatter. From what he could gather something had happened at the joint operation. ODST teams seemed to be dropping around the school as a first response. There wasn't much to be heard of the Genetics Pandoras but screams.
As they exited the building they found SPARTAN Tess-102 in her armor moving to join the rest of her team. Gabe and Alexis caught up to the supersoldier as she was boarding a familiar graffiti'd Pelican.
"What's going on?" Gabe asked.
"Pandora forces are being wiped out." Tess-102 sound cold and mechanical at this point, typical of a SPARTAN in the field. "My team is being sent in to perform rescue operations."
Gabe glanced at Alexis, who nodded. "We're with you, SPARTAN." Tess-102 nodded and climbed into the back of the Pelican. She turned once aboard and held out a hand to help Alexis into the craft. Gabe climbed aboard easily on his own, having done so many, many times in the past.
Pelican F290 took off and made for the battlefield, flying over the wall of the Academy. Gabe, sitting in the end seat, watched the operations below. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of Marines were digging in as fast as possible. Foxholes had been dug, sandbags piled to make bunkers and cover, and mounted guns had been set up just outside the walls of the school. Tanks had been positioned along the line of defense and Gabe could see a number of Warthogs waiting to jump into the fray. Overhead, Longsword fighters patrolled like buzzards waiting to seize their prey. Even this far above them Gabe could feel the tension that surrounded the Marines as they perpared for battle.
Further ahead, the Pelican began to pass through some sort of thick fog. What Gabe could see through the fog gave him the chills. Dozens of Pandoras and Limiters lay dead, having been literally torn apart. Among their corpses walked hundreds upon hundreds of... things. They were easily taller than a SPARTAN, unarmed but possessing large claws and wicked-looking jaws. Gabe didn't need a closer look to know that, whatever the bastards were, they were connected to the Nova. A prickle of fear crept up the ODSTs spine. Just as he had on the night the Ace had arrived on this world, Gabe found himself with a bad feeling about this mission.