Chapter 34

October 27, 2552, 1830 Hours Kenosha, Tanais Region, Plant Mars

The intensity of preparation in Kenosha continued unabated. Reports of Covenant activity continued to pour into the control center at the military command center. The main element of Covenant forces expected to continue on towards the Tanais region unexpectedly shifted to the south taking a longer and more circuitous route and it appeared as if another battle group would hit the area. Regardless of why it happened the top brass breathed a sigh of relief since it gave them more time to prepare countermeasures.

All of this was lost on Mike Nantz as he sought to settle into the flow of activity. On the dot at two hours the commander of the Wolf Pack reported to Colonel Ackerson as ordered. As he'd expected there'd been no real orders to give, it seemed more like he was exerting his influence on the Spartan team. They were to be on 15 minute notice to move as the firewall at Kenosha for the Tanais region was established. There might be new assignments beyond that so be ready, do take some time to recover though, blah, blah, blah.

The Lone Wolf wondered why General Sheridan had given the senior officer overall operational control on this region when there were other, seemingly more competent, officers to lead the way like colonel Tolliver of the 8th. It wasn't his to decide so once he'd gotten the gist of what the Army officer was ordering he allowed his mind to drift to more pleasant thoughts like the coffee he'd just had with Natalia.

The reflective man could still taste the sharp blend and that helped with his recollection. Natalia had been eager to talk and so he'd let her. She'd touched his arm and held his hand often which Mike liked. There seemed to be a new intensity within her towards him and a renewed eagerness to be with him which he liked. He wondered if they might have the opportunity to be alone anytime soon. The thought made him nervous but as he recalled the beautiful and excited woman before him he figured they'd just take things as they came. The experienced Spartan was also proud of Natalia and how she'd handled herself during the battle for Losantiville and had told her so. The compliment made the woman blush slightly but she'd beamed broadly and he wondered if he'd even seen the billionaire's daughter happier. Before being pulled with the rest of the command element hers had been a cool voice over the city command comms giving reports and updated information. That she'd been vital to the success of the fight was evident but it still surprised him. Regardless, she'd made correct threat assessments and was able to process the information coming in despite how rapid it was arriving at times. Yes, he was proud of her.

Only one dark cloud had hung over the light of their short time together.

Mike thought back to Reach and how happy he'd been with her before her father had arranged through ONI to have her pulled out.

And that was before he'd watched all his new friends in Noble Team be killed.

The scene played through his mind as Natalia eagerly chattered away and he wondered when the Pelican would arrive to take her away. With the attack on Earth this had a lower likelihood of happening but he couldn't help but think of it. Still, he reminded himself that event wasn't her doing and she'd not wanted to go. It didn't seem any more likely now that she wanted to go either. Now that she was working for Ackerson the likelihood dropped even more.

Ackerson.

Mike knew he had to check in with his team and boss again so had reluctantly ended the pleasant time together but each was eager to see the other again. He expected an interlude before combat resumed since the Covenant seemed to be in no hurry to capture the planet so they might just find that alone time.

Ackerson finished his briefing; Mike gave him a crisp salute then wheeled about and left the headquarters to find MacGregor. Yes, they'd find the time.

It was obvious to even those without medical knowledge that the main military hospital on the base was preparing for a large number of casualties. This was not lost on the four Spartans who sat beside the bed of their wounded comrade. But at least for now there were few bed occupied save those from the rear guard from Losantiville. Word had already gotten around about the Spartans and their ODST colleagues who'd held the line so already they were being looked at with deference. This had no real impact on the teens who instead waited for the chance to see their colleague.

And finally what all had hoped for happened.

Matt opened his eyes and as they focused the burly Spartan saw his teammates standing around him.

"Hey, what's all the fuss about?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant. He shifted position to see the group better and a wave of pain lanced through his body despite the painkillers and alterations that had happened to the teen to make him impervious.

"We almost lost you buddy," Terrell replied with genuine concern. "If 'Maia hadn't gotten to you…well," he let the sentence drift off.

"Maia…," Matt repeated, as he began to collect his thoughts.

"Yea, she came and pulled you out then protected you until the medics could get to you," the team's machine gunner explained.

"Is she okay?" Matt asked with genuine concern as he processed what he'd been told.

"I'm here and I'm fine," the shy girl with short brown hair answered, coming to stand beside the bed and into his view.

"Thanks Maia," the wounded Spartan said, his usually harsh voice soft. "I remember now. You came from cover. I saw it…didn't know what you were doing at the time," his voice suddenly had a hitch of emotion in it. "You risked yourself…for me."

"It's no big deal," she replied, looking away in embarrassment.

"But it is," Matt countered with as much force as he could muster. "I've treated most of you like crap and yet you came and saved me. I don't get it. Why would you do that?"

"Because we're a team," Maia answered, passion rising in her voice, "because we're a family and that's what we do for each other."

"Family…" Matt repeated and let the word hang as his eyes became glassy with realization. "Did everyone else get out okay? What about Adam?"

"I'm here, Matt," Adam responded, stepping from the side of the room to stand beside Maia. "We all got out okay. Mike's getting quarters and stuff sorted out for us. The Wolverines got beat up pretty bad though. We lost a bunch of guys."

"That sucks," Matt declared, closing his eyes and sinking back into the hospital bed as the reality sunk in, thinking of those who he'd once thought of as the enemy but now were brothers.

"It was a tough fight," Terrell added.

"But we got out and made it to Kenosha," Adam continued, his tone becoming more upbeat. "There's a large force and well-supported battle group forming here to make our stand."

Alissa snorted derisively but said nothing.

"Looks like you're being well looked after here," Terrell changed the subject, noting Alissa's growing agitation. This was a regular occurrence with the volatile female Spartan.

"Yea, they do since I'm going to be here for a while," Matt replied, his confident mood dropping.

"That stinks," Maia commented. "But you'll be back, right?" she added.

"Try to keep me away," he responded with a smile towards his teammate. "And it's not all bad. I get to lay back and relax, get three squares a day and all the Smoothers I want."

The others, save Alissa, all laughed at the comment.

"Speaking of which," Adam stated, "it's almost time for our next cycle."

The others groaned.

"Listen, you get well soon, okay, Matt," Alissa said, moving from the infirmary. "I've got some stuff to do so I'll see all you guys later."

Family.

The word continued to resonate and agitate Alissa. She was already in an aggressive state due to her depleting psychological condition. The Gamma Company Spartan's extra enhancement to make them more impervious to pain and the strain of combat had the negative side effect of extreme aggressiveness that needed to be balanced with a regular antipsychotic drug. It worked well to keep the super soldiers in balance as long as you took it.

The problem was Alissa was only taking a 1/3rd dose.

The strong-willed woman saw the drug as a leash and didn't like the idea of being controlled. She'd had enough of that in her life and always rebelled. When she'd joined the Spartan program to fight back against the Covenant she hadn't agreed to have her mind altered, just her body. When the reality of the new circumstance was discovered the others had rolled with it since there was little that could be done but Alissa had fought back by cutting down on her dosage as soon as they'd been allowed to monitor their own intake.

Unfortunately it hadn't gone so well thus far.

She'd found herself having difficulty controlling her anger and clashed often with her teammates. In combat she'd found her concentration and focus slipping as well. Until now she hadn't cared, she'd wanted to beat this, to unlock the leash but for the second time this idea of family had come up.

Moving out of the infirmary and into the light of day the Spartan got swallowed up in the hustle and bustle of a military base preparing for attack. But she was oblivious to all this around her, instead she intently focused on the thought gnawing away at her.

There was something bigger than self and even what had happened to them all going on. It was bigger than the impending loss of Mars and even perhaps the potential for losing Earth. It was an ideal that had caused her diverse teammates to gel together, that had brought someone like Matt and Maia together. It was that they were a family and so they risked and sacrificed for each other. Much was not in their control but some things were and that's what her teammates, or dare she say friends, seemed to have chosen to focus on.

That also was a choice she could make.

Alissa took the little pill out of the container each Gamma Company Spartan carried and looked at it. She'd already skipped the last two cycles and had planned on skipping this one too. But the idea of family continued to resonate deep within the lonely teen's spirit. This wasn't just about her. There was more going on than her own narrative. She was part of something bigger. The thought that the UNSC had altered her mind and turned her into this still caused the proud girl to rage with anger but there was something more going on. She saw in her mind Maia running to Matt. It had irritated her since it was a tactically foolish act but now she saw it in a different light. They were family; they set aside their own selfish goals and ambitions for a greater good. That's what family did.

A new resolve entered into Alissa, the resolve to do everything she could to help and protect her family. With that, she popped the Smoother into her mouth and swallowed it.

The Covenant continued to move troops around but as of yet none had come anywhere close to the Tanais region so while Kenosha stayed on high alert there was a sense of calm before the storm. This allowed Mike to fulfill a promise that had formed in his mind back on Reach and now was in the position to fulfill. That was to honor the fallen.

"Group stand atten-tion!" Gunny MacGregor barked and the collection of Spartans and ODSTs came to ramrod straight as one.

A UNSC Marine Chaplain then went to the row of shiny coffins assembled before the collected troops to begin to perform the burial rites. Besides the Wolf Pack and Wolverines a number of others who'd gotten out of Losantiville because of these troopers sacrifice came. Word had spread around the base of the impending funeral, something unusual of late especially considering the volume of casualties. Many others came out because they were curious about what would happen but the vast majority came to pay their respect for the dead and by extension the dead they'd known from the past couple of years. It was something the chain of command had not authorized but Mike had done on his own initiative, finding a sympathetic chaplain and organizing it himself. By the time word had gotten out none would dare oppose it.

So several hundred military personnel stood respectfully before the collected coffins that represented the sacrifice of so many in the fight against the Covenant. Mike was deeply pleased to see so many come out to pay respects to the fallen but he was more personally pleased to see that Natalia had come as well. She was standing opposite the main body and looking intently at him with eyes filled with compassion. Though it was obvious the woman was moved by the unfolding ceremony Mike could also tell the pained looks on her face were for him and must reflect how he looked.

How wrong he'd been about her.

Natalia, the one he'd called a 'spoiled little brat' and then later had accused of abandoning him for an easy life. No, she'd proven herself time and again that privilege meant nothing to her and he instead was at the center of her heart. When would he see it? When would he put aside his insecurity and pride to embrace the opportunity before him?

A new resolve entered in as he looked at the coffins and thought of those who lay within that'd never have the chance to love, laugh or live again. He knew all of them, knew not only their names but could see their faces. How could he honor them? Then it came to him- by seizing every single second given to him and turning it into a lifetime. And Natalia Misriah, gorgeous, rich, and powerful billionaire's daughter wanted to share that with him. He almost laughed at the craziness of the thought but remained stoic out of respect for the dead and the ritual carrying on.

Then as the chaplain finished the rites he looked over to Mike to say a few words which caught him off guard. The Lone Wolf had been looking at Natalia and not really paying attention, wondering instead what she would be like if he had been one of the ones lying there in one of the caskets. The fact that he wasn't seemed to give him a call to action in their relationship.

The chaplain cleared his throat and Mike got the point.

"We're here today to honor the dead," Mike began, seeing Natalia smile and urge him on with her deep emerald green eyes, "not only because it's the right thing to do but also because we can. Though an evil force seeks to annihilate us and would have us hide and cower we do not and will not. These men died so that we may all have another day, another day to live and another day to fight. We honor them by fighting on and living this day to the full. As we think of our fallen comrades may we not think of them in death; they have passed on to a better place, but may we think of them in life and the lives they lived. May we take from their example and grow and live so that their sacrifice of giving us another day may be honored."

Mike paused to take a breath, realizing he'd forgotten that and now noticed the hundreds gathered were hanging on his every word, as if looking for encouragement or hope. Resolve he'd not felt before entered in, a resolve to give those gathered the same kind of hope swelling up within him.

"None of us know our appointed time," he continued, "but may we look to it neither with fear nor anticipation but instead may we push back against those who would seek to rob us of the joy of this gift and instead stand up and stand out and yell WE ARE HERE," his bellowing voice had a visible, physical effect on the crowd who seemed to stand a bit taller, "and we're here to stay facing the sun until that times comes and not one second sooner. So their example will cause us to carry of." He paused and his eyes scanned the crowd, knowing the understood. "For the dead, we will remember and we salute you." With a somewhat sheepish look on his face for how emotional he'd become Mike raised his hand in salute.

"Group, present arms!" MacGregor ordered and all hands snapped up into crisp salutes.

Three sharp reports from Battle Rifles went up in honor of the fallen and then a trumpeter played the Last Post, following a tradition carried on for centuries. Though it could be done easier electronically the Marines had doggedly stuck to the old tradition.

With that the short, but moving ceremony ended. There was nothing more to say or that should be said.

"Group, dismissed to your duties," Gunny MacGregor ordered. "Stories and toasts to the fallen will happen in the Junior Ranks Mess at 2100 hours tonight barring a call to assemble. First round is on the senior NCO's."

The gathered troops cheered at the news then broke into clusters and began to wander off to their duties or free time activities.

"You think anyone will be around to do this for us when it's our time?" Terrell asked as the group dismissed to return to quarters.

"Doesn't matter," Alissa broke in. "We do it when we can because it's the right thing to do and it's within our control. We do it because we're family. "

The stormy Spartan then walked off leaving the rest of her teammates to watch her go in wonder.

"What got into her?" Adam asked, impressed with her passion but taken aback that she finally seemed to care about anything.

"I'm not sure but I think maybe she's starting to believe in something," Terrell answered, a knowing smile growing on his face.

Mike listened to the conversation as he walked away from the ceremony and couldn't help but smile. Despite the injury to Matt who'd be out for at least a week the team was in good spirits and coming together.

"Sir!"

The voice interrupted Mike's train of thought and caused him to stop. The rest of the wolf Pack stopped as well, curious to see who'd sought to stop their CO.

Mike turned towards the voice and saw a tall, muscular Army trooper with close cropped black hair looking at him eagerly.

"Yes, what can I do for you?" the Lone Wolf asked.

"Sir, the names Thorne, Private Gabriel Thorne," the trooper with sympathetic brown eyes identified himself. "You fought alongside my unit in New Alexandria back on Reach," he stated.

Mike was taken back to that unpleasant time right after Natalia had been extracted and he left to watch the remainder of the team die.

"I do remember you," Mike responded, looking more carefully at the soldier who'd been at the service and remembered him fighting bravely. "You fought well if I remember. Did they ever give you a medal?"

"Actually they did, sir," Thorne responded a bit sheepishly. "But that's not important."

"Well then what can I do for you, Thorne?" Mike asked, curiosity peaked.

"I see your team is down one until your man recovers."

"Okay, that's true."

"Well I'd like to volunteer to take his place until he's fit for duty," the young Army private asked brashly.

The other members of the Wolf Pack couldn't help but laugh at the audacious request.

"As if," Alissa, commented derisively not caring that the young soldier heard her remark.

Well, that's a generous offer, son," Mike ignored the comment, "but my team is hand-picked and Spartans only."

"But…"

"No buts," Mike cut him off before he could argue. Then he saw the genuine look of disappointment in the young soldier's eyes and also the spark of something stronger and remembered how well the man had fought on Reach despite the odds. "Listen, Gabriel, you may not fit in the Wolf Pack but my ODST team is pretty banged up. I know you're not a Helljumper but do you think you could keep up?"

"He's not even a Marine, sir," Alissa interjected.

"Hell yes, sir," Thorne answered enthusiastically, ignoring again the female Spartan's comment.

"Gunny," Mike called.

"Sir!" MacGregor responded, trotting over to join the group.

"This is Private Thorne, gunny, he'd like to join the Wolverines, that is as long as it's okay with his platoon commander."

"Really?" MacGregor responded cynically. "He's not ODST, he's not one of us," the senior NCO stated bluntly in front of the young soldier who didn't flinch at the perceived insult. "And he's not even a Marine."

"Told you," Alissa added sassily.

"I know but we fought together on Reach." Mike paused, remembering the heroism the young soldier showed. "I think he can keep up and should be given the chance. Besides, your numbers are down so now's not the time for interservice rivalry. You're going to have trouble filling the platoon back up even in Kenosha and good men are hard to come by." Mike looked as his cynical senior NCO and added, "If he can't keep up you can punt him back to his unit. Is that fair, Thorne?"

"Totally, and I won't let you down," Thorne added.

MacGregor removed his cap and scratched his black hair. "If you say so, sir." Then he turned to Thorne. "My office is over there," he pointed to the building the Wolf Pack and Wolverines had been given to set up in. "I want authorization to transfer on my desk in ninety minutes or no deal. Is that okay with you?" he turned and looked hard at Mike.

"Totally," Mike answered.

"Thank you sir, thank you gunny," Thorne responded joyfully.

"Clocks ticking, boyo," MacGregor stated and with that Thorne got the hint and ran off to find his officer.

"You sure about this?" MacGregor asked, hands on hips.

"I know its irregular, Hank, but I get the feeling we're going to need everyone we can get fighting with us real soon," Mike responded, watching the young Army trooper sprinting away.