Time for the author's note thing that everyone probably skips over. I just realized that chapter 12 was posted on 12/12/12. Just an FYI, I try to get accurate information, but not having read the books, you might kinda understand if I mess up. Without further ado, Chapter 13!

CHAPTER THIRTEEN : PLANNING

What the hell?! Tallert jerked upright, awakened by a gunshot and searching for his Assault Rifle. It was next to his armor, which he had dumped in a pile at the foot of his sleeping bag. He crawled over to it fumbled a clip into it, and held it up, ready to fire. Most other Marines had done the same, and had their rifles aimd around, looking for the source of the shot. Then, they noticed Captain Keyes standing a few meters away, Magnum aimed toward the sky, smoke coming from the barrel.

"What the hell, sir? You scared the shit out of us," one Marine said, with his MA5B aimed at the ground.

Keyes looked out into the Marines and lowered the pistol. "I have good news and bad news. The good news is that the Spartan will live to fight another day." Some Marines cheered, others high-fived. A small few took some money out of their pockets and handed it to their friend. But they did it with relief on their faces. "The bad news is that with the info we got from the Covie ship, we have two separate operations that will be launched today. Most of us will be fighting alien bastards soon." This got groans from most of the Marines. They had gotten up on the wrong side of the sleeping bag. "Armor up, get your weapons, and be ready in half an hour."

Emile was standing in the armory, which was actually just a bunch of guns leaning against rocks. He picked up an M90 Shotgun and aimed down the sights. This one could hold twelve shells opposed to six shells that the one he had left on Reach could. Emile thought back to that day. He left his shotgun in the drivers seat of the MAC cannon. Fail. He put the M90 across his back next to his MA5B, grabbed a few handfulls of shells and put them in the pouch strapped to his thigh, and left the amory.

He walked over to the surgery Pelican and peered through the window. Six was laying on the floor, having three blankets cover him from the waist down. His armor's undersuit was crappily folded and set on the floor about two feet away from Six. He had a breathing device strapped tightly over his mouth.

"You know that the oxygen mask is to help his cloned lung function right. Without it, his other lung would have to do all the breathing, which would cause lack of oxygen."

Emile sighed at the voice that came through his. "I know that, Cortana. I'm not stupid."

"I didn't say you were. I was making some chitchat."

"You should know that you shouldn't try to chitchat with a Spartan. We're not talkative."

"If you think that you're not talkative, you should try to talk to Chief. It's like talking to a brick." Cortana paused for a minute. "I accessed both yours and B-312's files. Yours was quite interesting."

"And Six's?" Emile said flatly, wanting to get off the subject of his file.

"This was more interesting. There was quite a bit of black ink. I tried to get through, but being stuck on Halo doesn't help."

The word was new to Emile. "Halo?''

"Didn't the Captain tell you?" That's what this ring is called, according to the Covenant. Keyes is going to tell the rest of the whole sheebang to the Marines at the debriefing in...three minutes."

"Perfect," Emile muttered as he walked toward the congregating group of Marines, only to find out that they weren't gathering for the debriefing.

Six threw the frag at the ground. It hit the ground and rolled slightly to the left. It exploded, taking a good chunk of the oncoming Brute's torso out. It was a bloody mess. He was in New Alexandria on Reach. The city had fallen under attack by the Covenant. Six turned around and did a head count of the civilans that he was escorting. Thirty-three. Two had died. Six saw the corpses on the stairs. One had gotten his head taken off by a Gravity Hammer. The other was blown in half by a Concussion Rifle.

Wait, Concussion Rifle...

Six turned and aimed his DMR at the walkways above him. Then a Brute Major jumped out of cover and off the walk way, firing the Concussion Rifle rapidly at the civilians. It got a full clip off be fore it it the ground. "Get to cover!" Six shouted at the civies as he fired three shots. Two hit the Brute in the chest, one in the leg. The Brute turned to him and fired three shots. Six fell to the ground, but he felt his arm that held the DMR get jerked backward. The Spartan heard Needle Rifle expolsions in the background. He let go of the weapon, and watched as it flew a few feet and hit the ground with a melted barrel. It had taken a direct hit fom the Concussion Rifle.

Six grabbed his Magnum off of his hip, and formulated a plan. Then he executed it. He dove out of cover, firing like hell. "Die bitch, die bitch, die bitch," he screamed as emptied the rest of the clip into the Brute. Six chunked the last grenade he had at the Jiralhanae. It tried to jump away, but was killed by the frag. Six picked up the Concussion Rifle. "All right, let's move." He turned to face the civilians, but all there was was pools of blood and dismembered bodies.

A needle hit his shoulder, taking part of his shields out. He fired the alien weapon at the offending Jackal snipers, killing them both. He looked at the civvies. It was a terrible scene. Disfiugered bodies everwhere. There was a man with his chest blown open, a woman behind him, her head a bloody mess. Worst of all, there was a little girl, not more than five years old. She had a hole through her face, and a blood-covered sticker on her blood-covered shirt. The sticker said: Birthday Girl. Six tried to hold it back, but he couldn't. He let the single tear roll down his cheek.

Six opened his eyes. That was the third time he had had that nightmare since they had landed on the ring. He was in the back of a Pelican. I couldn't save them. They all died because of me. It had been troubling him since it happened. It's not my fault. Forget it. The last few hours were a blur. He took the oxygen mask off and stood up. There was a sharp pain in his side. Then he remembered. The plasma dagger and passing out in the Spirit. Glancing around, he saw his undersuit. He went toward it, limping and breathing heavily. He put it on and opened the Pelican's hatch. Light flooded in, blinding him for a short time. He covered his eyes with his left hand, using the right to clutch his side.

"Hey! Guess who's awake!" It was a woman's voice. He was beginning to see again, and looked toward the source of the voice. There were several blurs, and one was taller and greener than the others. He blinked a few times and his sight returned to normal. Marines had gathered around him, patting him on the back, and trying to shake his hands. "Where's my armor?" he asked, drowzily. A Marine pointes to some oddly shaped lumps under a blanket. "Thanks."

He limped over to the blanket, lifting it up to reveal his armor. He sat down on a rock and proceeded to put his armor on.

"Six, it's good to see you moving." Six glanced over at the approaching Spartan. ''How are you feeling?" Emile had a sense of relief in his voice.

"I'm fine, Emile," he responded as he put on his blue leg armor. "Anything interesting happen?"

"Nope. Keyes got some info from the guards in the Covie ship. They call this ring Halo."

"Fitting," Six commented as he put the last piece of his leg armor on. He was now armored to the waist. "Can you help me put on my shoulder armor?'' Emile did the latches while Six held his Grenadier shoulder armor. Then they moved on to the other shoulder. "Thanks."

"Keyes said we'll be fighting Covies soon. He says that there is a possible way off this ring," Emile said as he handed Six his chest plate. Six winced as it pressed against the wound, and after a few seconds the pain died down. Six stood up, stretched his arm and making sure the armor was on right. He glanced down at his blue Mark V helmet, the last thing he had to put on. He picked it up, and looked at it the same way he had on the day he joined Noble Team. He put on the helmet.

"How you doing, B-312?" The voice said over the com.

"Well, Cortana, I feel pretty shitty," Six responded, limping toward the armory. Emile was following behind him. "How about you?"

"I've been so bored," Cortana complained. "So I started reading through everyone's files. Did you know that Private Tallert M. Phillps was born on Earth?"

"Really?" Six asked with mock awe. He had reached the armory and was looking at a DMR. A few Marines were born on Earth. It was rare, but not unheard of.

"Well, it explains the whole Thanksgiving ordeal. His family is one of less than fifty families that still celebrate that holiday. And don't forget Christmas is coming up."

"Yeah, so?" Six had heard of Christmas. The holiday started out as a day to give presents to one another to celebrate the birth of an important religious figure. The holiday had gotten over commercialized and the ture meaning was lost. Everyone was so intent on buying stuff for their families and friends, and non-important stuff too.

"Well, you should keep in that in mind. I have to go, Keyes needs me for the delayed debriefing." Cortana left Six alone, and Six grabbed the DMR and attached it to his back once he saw the Marine in charge of the armory was dozing.

"Why was it delayed?" Six asked Emile.

Emile shrugged. "Don't know, but why don't we find out?" They headed towards the forward operating rock. It was just that. There were a few portable hologram projectors on it, along with some radios. Keyes was looking at a projection of an island, and then at a hologram of a jungle, with an entrance leading into a hill. The Marines had gathered on one side of the rock, with Keyes on the other. Chief was standing behind Keyes, also looking at the projections.

"I repeat. This is Echo Four-Nineteen. Found some more survivors during the scouting mission," came through one of the radios. "Best part is, they're Helljumpers." That certantly help lighten the already tense mood around the camp. ODST's were legendary, but not as legendary as Spartans. "ETA five minutes."

"Execllent work, Foehammer," Keyes said into the radio. He looked up and saw Six and Emile walk over. Well, actually, Six was still partially limping. Keyes smiled when he saw them. "How are you doing, Spartan?"

"I've been worse, sir," Six replied.

Keyes turned back to the the Marines. "All right, the mission is simple. There will be two teams. Team one will be headed to this location." He pointed at the jungle hologram. "Our scouts have...scouted it, and this might be the weapon that Halo has is stored." Some Marines gave a confused look. "I learned from the guards abord the Covie ship that they call this ring Halo, and that it has a weapon of some sort," Keyes explained, then he continued. "Team one will consist of squads One and Two, the Helljumpers, and myself." Now that was interesting. "Team two will land on this island. Somewhere on it is a map room that will show the location of Halo's control room. Squads Three and Four will lead by the three Spartans. Unless Serria B-312 isn't up for it."

Everyone was looking at Six. "I can handle it," he said.

"Good,'' Keyes replied, " Squad Five will remain here to hold down the fort. We move out as soon as the ODST's get here. Three minutes later, a Pelican soared over head. Keyes headed over to the Pelican landing zone, which was the largest area of flat land on the plateau. The Pelican landed, and the hatch opened. Seven black clad soldiers stepped out. Keyes greeted the ODST's, and then went right to filling them in on the plan.

"I don't like them," Emile said as he jumped in the back of a Peilcan. Six counted his DMR rounds as he climbed into the hatch. The other Marines were flicking their weapon's safties off, pulling the bolt back, and checking their clips.

"Just be glad we don't have to work with them," said Chief as he got on board. The Pelican began to move, and Six watched as the other Pelicans receeded into the distance.

Sorry for the late chapter. I spent so much time proofreading it and all. Now to clear up some things.

Cubed ice: No harm done. Your review did help, and I appreicate you pointing out some things that I hadn't considered. Thanks!

Chapter 14 will probably be posted on Chirstmas day, just an FYI. It's going to be epic, and I look forward to hearing from you. So, on that note, Peace out!

-SL

R&R Please and thank you( for those who do )!