Chapter 9
Package
Sword Base, Babd Catha Ice Shelf, Eposz
August 29, 2552 26:16 Hours
We see a burnt and destroyed landscape outside Sword Base, in the Farragut Station area. A Falcon flies overhead as Noble Six walks out from a small hill. Six walks down the rocky terrain.
Holland COM: Noble One, this is Noble Actual. Noble One?
Carter COM: Go ahead.
Holland COM: We need that base taken out, son. What's your status?
Carter COM: Still outside. Thermal on the interior shows standing-room-only. We're gonna have to thin 'em out or we'll be way too popular.
Holland COM: Copy that, Noble One. Holland out.
I jump over some boulders and land beside three ODSTs.
Carter COM: We've got a job to do, so let's stay focused and get it done. Six, are you in position?
Six: Affirmative.
Carter COM: Good. Execute.
I signal "halt" and then "follow me" with my left hand.
Six POV This was a operation: Torch and Burn situation, we enter the area and destroy everything making sure the enemy get no intel
"Covenant own this sector now, and are defending for a major strike, not a small-group infiltration. Eliminate all hostile anti-air defense so the rest of Noble can land at Sword Base for the torch-and-burn. Keep a low profile, we'll take 'em by surprise, this'll be a helluva lot easier." "Spartan, we'll follow you." The ODST in charge said to me while we moved down the flooded Farragut Station in front of a Covenant outpost, comprising of a deployable lookout tower, a Shades, a Ghost, and some infantry. I noticed a Falcon had crashed in the water between the generator and transmitter buildings."Falcon down. Watch for bodies."
I move to the right walking up the small path and kill a grunt causing me to be shot at by everything there. I quickly took cover targeting the jackal in the tower then targeting the grunts in the shade turrets. I ran ahead and killed the grunt piloting the ghost then I saw grunts retreating and nailed each of them in the head. "Kat was right. It does seem like overkill. Sending us back here for a simple demo op?"
"ONI thinks it's worth it. That tell you something?" "It tells me things ain't so simple." The ODSTs and I kept walking forward. In front of us was a scorpion on the left was another tower. I got in the tank and turned towards the tower and blew it up, the ODSTs and I drove past the tower and shot down another tower and shade turret continuing forward I blew up another turret and a few more ghosts and more troops. "That was for Jeorge" I said to myself. Driving forward turning left and moving up the hill in the distance was a Tyrant AAT shooting down UNSC ships. I fired 8 shots into the core of the first one then moved up shooting down a few banshees before taking out the next Tyrant AAT. "Nice job, Six. Falcons, commence descent. Meet you inside the base, Lieutenant." I heard Carter say over coms.
I drove straight ahead past a ledge then meeting a couple ghosts that I quickly destroyed then continued driving forward to a small bridge there met by a revenant that was blown up. A couple banshees tried shooting me but were taken out of the sky. I swivel to the right destroying a shade turret before moving up and targeting a fuel rod shade on top of the hill ahead of me. With the turrets down I took down a few more banshees in my way before getting rid of the revenant. I hopped out of the tank and ran down the left side that was open and sprinted uphill and arrived just in time to help take care of the pest problem. I ran up to the elite minor and dug my knife into its neck, killing him, I turned my attention to the second minor and shot my DMR 6 times, killing him. While I was busy with the elites the rest of Noble and some marines took care of the remaining forces on the ground. Emile, Carter, Jun and I moved down killing the two grunts on turrets and moved up to the elevator which was broken 'Just my luck' I thought to myself before Carter told us we had to go through maintenance.
Walking up to the door, it slid open and I picked up the shotgun on the ground and made my way into the next room, and engaged jackals moving up the ramp I killed the two jackals then kept moving up each level killing the jackals on each level taking a couple hits a few times before Noble team and I reached the top. I walked into the vent, the door slid open revealing a destroyed ONI office reception. "Where we going now, boss?" Emile asked "Dot?" I heard Carter say "Please proceed to the prearranged coordinates." "Cryptic..." "You know as much as I do, Noble Four." Walking up to the next door opening there were cloaked elites, I tossed a grenade at the one ahead of me and killed it. We engaged the other two elites and got rid of the spec ops elite. Then it was the engineer from what I read on them they are slaves than anything else, I ran up to the engineer but was knocked back by an elite general. Noble team focused on the elite while I killed the engineer and got rid of it shortly after we killed the general. Walking up the ramp we continued to our destination going past a couple doors before I pressed the button opening the door which was our destination.
*Cutscene*
Noble Team enters a corridor littered with dead bodies and destroyed equipment. An unmanned turret stands behind some sandbags.
Jun: Looks like they got themselves cornered.
Carter: Or were committed to the position.
Emile continues through the corridor: a dead end.
Emile: I'm going with cornered. There's nothing here.
Jun: No load-bearing columns, either. Sir, if we're supposed to blow this place, this ain't the spot to do it from.
Carter accesses his TACPAD.
Carter: Dot, check your vector.
Dot: Vector confirmed, Commander. We are precisely where ONI has directed-
Dot: Apologies. Coordinates revised. Please confirm?
Carter: Revised...?
Dot: By an AI of unknown origin, whose clearance is well above my own.
Jun: Well, it's pointing us a klick and a half east and two thousand feet underground.
Emile: I didn't bring my shovel, Commander.
Jun: Sir, I say we go AI-free on this one. Obviously, these coordinates are junk, and the longer we go chasing them-
A sudden grinding noise cuts Jun's sentence off. Everyone raises their weapons. A wall in the dead end opens, revealing a secret passage. Emile stands in front of it, securing the way ahead.
Carter: What is this, Dot?
Dot: Our revised route, Commander.
Carter: Alright... We came this far.
Carter signals Jun to take point, and the rest of the team follow them into the hidden corridor. The team continues down the tunnel and finds a tram. View turns to a security camera watching Noble Team entering the tram.
Carter: Your new AI friend tell you anything else, Dot?...Dot?
Dot: She's been expecting you.
Emile: That's perfect.
The view switches into the tram as it starts to move. Dr. Halsey appears on a viewscreen.
Dr. Halsey (Video COM): Apologies for the unusual security measures, Commander, but the stakes demand it.
Carter: Doctor Halsey. Casualty reports have you listed as-
Dr. Halsey (Video COM): Yes, well, as they say, news of my death has been greatly exaggerated. I only wish the same could be said of the rest of Noble Team.
Carter: We all do, ma'am.
Dr. Halsey (Video COM): It may please you to learn the data module Noble Two procured from Visegrad station contained precisely what my scientist promised: a latchkey discovery. It has unlocked, at last, the secrets of this excavation.
Carter: Not sure I understand.
Dr. Halsey (Video COM): Your orders were a pretext to bring you to me and have been overridden. You are here, Team Noble, to assure the delivery of this vital data to a secure location.
Carter: Doctor, our orders are to destroy all sensitive material-
Dr. Halsey (Video COM): Others will handle the demolition.
Carter: I'll need to confirm this new directive with Command-
Dr. Halsey (Video COM): Colonel Holland will be briefed. You belong to ONI now.
(Camera pov) a camera overlooking the elevator traveling down to an ice cave. (Six pov)Cut to Noble Six's view, and the rest of Noble Team looking at the Forerunner cave complex.
Dr. Halsey COM: Before you is an alien artifact neither human or Covenant in origin. Advanced beyond our comprehension... until now. Thanks to Noble Two, the decryption of its data is nearly complete.
Crumbling sounds shifted Six's attention to a few falling boulders from the cave's ceiling.
Emile: Whatever we're doin' down here, we better do it quick.
Carter: Have your data ready, ma'am. We're coming to you.
Dr. Halsey COM: The decrypting data is still underway...
Carter: I don't think you understand. We're out of time. If it isn't portable when we reach you, it's gonna get buried.
Dr. Halsey COM: Bury any of it, and you bury mankind's best chance for survival! Commander, you've been wondering what your Spartans died for? They died for this. Please. Buy me all the time you can.
"Let's find Halsey's lab. Move!"
"Commander, I'm seeing turrets already in defensive positions."
"ONI was expecting company?"
"Noble Team there are four defence turrets setup to defend the lab, get them online and quick"
Six walked down to turret C and activated it, he continued down the hill turning right heading to turret B then ran across where B was and activated turret A then ra back up hill and to turret A. Six made his way to the rest of Noble team killing a few grunts and jackals along the way.
Six POV
I regrouped with Noble team right outside the lab and defended it. I flanked left killing a few grunts, then tossing a couple grenades to take down the spec ops elites shields before killing them with my DMR. Brute after brute I kill them, 'I really wish I had rook right now hopefully whatever mom is doing in there, needs to hurry up' I said to myself after killing a dozen more elites, jackals, grunts and brutes. I retreated to the right side as a wraith shot at the left side, "Package is almost ready. Just a little more." Halsey said over coms while I picked up the rocket launcher and targeted the Banshees in the sky and blew the first one up with ease but the second was challenging, he evaded my next three shots before I destroyed it with the final rocket left. I ran to the weapon locker on the left to pick up a Assault Rifle and a grenade launcher to help take care of the elites and hunters that just landed in front of us. 'Well shit just got worse really could use Jorge's chain gun right now' Just then a elite general along with another wave of covenant drop out the phantom in front of us, I focused my attention on the general and his elites while the rest of noble team focused on the jackals, grunts, banshees, brutes and wraiths. I charged the elites taking out three of them before emptying a clip into the final two before chucking a grenade and shooting the general, killing him.
"Well done, Spartans! I'm opening the laboratory door." Halsey said over coms,
"Door's opened, Noble Six. Get to the lab." Carter said as I walked up to activate the pad. The lab door opens.
"The blast door opens and NOBLE Team rushes in. They quickly reach the corridor's end - Dr. Halsey's lab. A large sphere-shaped Forerunner artifact hovers outside the lab."
*Cutscene*
Emile: What 'is' this stuff?
Dr. Halsey, still in the middle of preparing the "Armored matrix/Package," she then moves to another monitor.
Halsey: Knowledge. A birthright from an ancient civilization. This AI is its custodian, and she has chosen you as her couriers.
Emile: Chosen? By an AI?"
Halsey: By this AI, yes. Her measure of you carries as much weight as my own...
Halsey moves away from view, revealing Cortana an AI on a "holotank" analyzing Forerunner data.
Halsey: ...Perhaps more. You are to take her to the UNSC ship breaking yards in Asźod. There, you will find a Halcyon-class light cruiser Halcyon'-class cruiser waiting to get her off-planet
Carter: I understand.
Halsey: Do you? Mankind is outmatched. When Reach falls - and it will fall - our annihilation is all but certain. Unless...we can glean from this artifact a defense against the Covenant. A game-changer. On the level of the conical bullet in the nineteenth century, or faster-than-light travel in the twenty-third."
Carter: And what if we can't?
Halsey: An apt question, if there were somewhere else to place our hope. There is not.
Dr. Halsey looks at Cortana one last time and shuts off her projection. Jun curiously looks at the lab as Dr. Halsey pulls out the data storage unit. Halsey, holding the Package securely with both hands, walks forward as if she is approaching Carter, but passes him and holds it out to Noble Six instead.
Halsey: Take it, Lieutenant... She has made her choice.
Six looks at Carter, who nods in response. The Spartan places his/her hands over the Package.
Halsey: Do you have it?
Six: Yes.
Halsey: Say the words, please.
Six: I have it.
Halsey lets go of the unit as Six looks at her.
Halsey: I have one more thing, while working on her I was also upgrading your own A.I Spartan
Halsey walks over to her desk to grab another small chip with the works 'ROOK' engraved onto it. She hands the chip to Six and Six puts it into the back of his helmet
Rook: Welcome Lelouch or Noble Six
Six: Good to see you Rook.
Halsey: Using the ancient civilizations technology I upgraded rook and now he's the second key to mankind's future if we are to win the war.
Noble Team and Dr. Halsey walking out of a tunnel leading to two Pelicans. View switches to the team and Dr. Halsey. The data storage unit, now attached to Six's lower back, emits a dim blue glow. Carter turns back to Halsey.
Carter: Dr. Halsey, Noble Three will escort you to CASTLE Base.
Halsey: I require no escort, Commander-
Carter: Jun, make sure ''nothing'' falls into enemy hands.
Jun: I'll do what's necessary, sir... Good luck.
Carter: You too, rifleman.
Jun and Dr. Halsey climb into one Pelican while Carter boards the other. Emile and Noble Six slowly walk back, securing the area. *Cut to the cockpit of Carter's Pelican.* Carter climbs into the pilot seat.
Carter: I need a heading, Dot.
Dot COM: At three kilometers north, turn right, heading zero-five-zero.
Carter: Which leads to...?
Six walks into the troop bay while Emile sits down on the tail of the Pelican. Both Pelicans take off.'
Dot COM: The ship-breaking yards in Asźod. The only off-planet extraction point left on Eposz this continent. Small-scale air attacks have decimated many convoys en route. An armada of Covenant cruisers is hastening on site as well. UNSC cruiser Pillar of Autumn is awaiting your arrival.
Carter: Wouldn't be a Noble mission if it were easy.
Emile sits back as explosive charges detonate beneath the ice shelf, destroying the Forerunner complex and Sword Base's remains. The surrounding waters rapidly pours into the opening, flooding the excavation site.
AN: Sorry for the very late upload but I've been focusing on school right now and haven't been doing much writing, I was able to push out two one shot stories during a couple weekends which I also worked on this story as well as Code RWBY and a new 2 act 5 story crossover with a lot elements in it so I've been writing what all happens in the story.
Second thing is happy late Canadian Thanksgiving to all my Canadian readers.
Next chapter is Pillar of Autumn where the end will be drastically changed but not to the point where it doesn't make sense/fit the story. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and today October 20th is Halo: Shadows of Reach's release day. I'm really excited to get that book soon because I really want to include the Banished in this story but that will be held off till next year when Infinite comes out.