Halo: A World's End

Chapter 4

With new agony lancing through his body Sam fought every impulse and instinct to talk. Using all of his military training and discipline he absolutely refused to talk. Another bolt of lighting lanced through his body. Adrenaline pumping through his body Sam flexed and pulled. He pulled his bonds straight out of bulkhead he'd been chained to. His Elite interrogators jumped him with their form of tazers, a long rod-like object with an oval shaped bulb at its end. This little bulb was what made it the ultimate interrogators friend. It spewed lighting and had pain amplifiers on the tip of the bulb. Wielding these and shocking him almost into unconsciousness they chained Sam back up. Finally regaining a sense of himself, Sam yelled as loud as he could, a breath for every word, "I. Will. Not. Talk!" Either sensing he wouldn't give them what they wanted that day or tired of their sport, they ordered a Hunter and a number of Jackals to take him back to his cell. Going through twisting corridors and slipping into unconsciousness he arrived at what had been his home for the last five years.

Coming to in his cell, Sam gasped in agony at the pain rushing through his body. It felt like his nerve endings were raw. No wonder I passed out he thought. Dragging himself to the back of his cell and propping himself up Sam wondered were the hell he was in the galaxy. He thought of everything that had happened to him the last 27 years of his life. Of how John and Kelly had left for dead back on that Covenant ship. And the reason why they left him. They left because he had been to slow. They left him because he hadn't reacted fast enough when that Jackal had shot at him. Then he thought of how the Elite commander dragged his limp body to the escape pod and how after activating the stealth shielding escaped only to end up in another hell. The first ship he was held captive on was led by the most religious SOB he had ever met. Aboard his ship the cruiser-class Righteous Justice, Sam experienced hell that would make CPO Mendez's training sessions look like a walk in the park, yet he endured. Thinking he had experienced the worst of it, he was then transferred to a Minor Prophets ship. After five years aboard Righteous Justice and thinking his tour of Hell was over and Sam was hoping the Prophet would be more lenient in his torture than the Righteous Justice's commander. Oh how he was wrong. The Prophet in question was so fanatical in his pursuing of the 'Great Journey' that the mere mention of a Human sent him into a berserking frenzy. Bringing him so close to Death and so often Sam could have had running conversations with him. After getting to close one time, the Prophet of Truth ordered him to transfer me to the Sangheili Honor, the current ship I was aboard. Aboard this ship he experienced a Hell on a whole new level. This commander and his interrogators didn't pull and twist body parts; they didn't allow him to meet death. They used an entirely different method of torture. They messed with his mind not his body. Sure they tied him up and shock the living shit out him but that wasn't all. They whispered things into his ears while he slept and when they tortured him. Things so twisted and so close to the truth that half the time Sam believed them. Finally drifting to sleep and dreaming, Sam dreamt of the day he'd escape and see his fellow Spartans again.

Jolting awake at the sound of his cell door sliding open Sam braced himself for the inevitable. Instead of the usual Hunter and the five or so Jackals were three Elites. One was gold armored while the other two wore the white armor of SpecOps operatives. In short, gruff sentences that were somehow translated the gold Elite explained what was to happen to him, "You're sentenced to execution. You will die today in three of your 'hours',"

"So after all our time together your just gonna kill me? Well glad to know ya," said Sam with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"You had better curb your tongue infidel before I remove it," snarled the Elite.

"Whatever you say split-jaw," With that the Elite jumped at him. Snapping completely awake with adrenaline pumping in his veins Sam pivoted to the right, aiming a vicious uppercut to the Elites head. Before he could connect however, the two SpecOps Elites leaped forward grappling their commander and pinning him down. Staring, dumbfounded with shock, Sam watched as the two Elites pulled the other one out in to the corridor and slammed him into the bulkhead. Only catching part of the conversation before the doors slid shut Sam heard them say, "Control your anger or we will be forced to execute you along with the infidel. He is not worth eternal shame, your honor, your family, or your command. Control yourself or we'll put you in..." Adrenaline fading from his veins Sam sat back exhausted. Knowing he was to die in the next three hours really didn't mean much to him anyway. After aboard that Prophets ship and coming so close to Death it really didn't bother him that much. Everyday had been the same hoping against hope that they'd either finish him off or better, his fellow Spartans would come to rescue him. Knowing one of his hopes had finally come to pass Sam resigned to what fate had in store for him. Sitting back thinking this is surely the last time I'll ever sleep Sam fell into his first peaceful sleep in the last 27 years.

Waking two and a half hours later Sam heard five thumps going off in quick succession. Thinking some Covenant has banded together and started mutiny Sam inched over to the left side of the door. Waiting for what seemed hours Sam watched as the doors opened. Readying himself to lunge at the first person or thing that walked in Sam waited for them to walk in. Seeing a Plasma Rifle poke through the doorway Sam lunged. Using his forward momentum Sam twisted the rifle out of his adversaries grasp. Turning and using the rifle as a club Sam leaped at his attacker. Seeing something green flash out and catch his wrist with unexpected strength Sam dropped the rifle. Twisting inside his assailant reach, Sam used his attacker's wrist grab to simultaneously roll him over his back and fling him into his cell wall. With his attacker across the cell Sam finally saw who it was, "James how...where...what..."

"Damn Sam you still kick my ass when we go at it," Striding over to him Sam helped his friend up. James. James had been one of his fellow Spartans back when they were training on Reach. "Sam com'on we have to leave. Josh, Cassandra, and Adam are rigging the reactors to blow,"

"Wait James what about my gear?"

"There's no time we got 2:37 till the reactors blow. We have a Pelican in the port docking bay ready for liftoff,"

"Alright I'm with ya, lead the way," With that James turned and started running down the hall. Not having been able to get a decent workout in decades but nonetheless fit, Sam was soon panting and sweating like a new trainee during the first day of boot. Turning back to face Sam, James saw how much Sam was struggling to keep up. Slowing down to match his speed James commented rather sarcastically, "Remember when you used to beat me at this sorta stuff? Now look at you, huffin' and puffin' like the big bad wolf,"

"Shut the hell and keep running James, you do remember there is a bomb on board,"

"Aw you're such a spoil sport,"

"Whatever let's just get the hell out of here,"

"Alright this way," Turning down the corridor they reached the port docking bay only to see ten Hunters and five SpecOps Elites standing around their Pelican.

There was an uneasy silence as each side sized each other up. Just then three Spartans came from the other side of the bay. Two of them pulled out M19 SSM rocket launchers while the other one, most likely Adam pulled out a S2 AM sniper rifle. Four muffled coughs were heard and four of the ten Hunters were down. Reloading quickly Adam dropped four more Hunters while simultaneously signaling Josh and Cassandra to fire. Four Jackhammer rockets roared out of their tubes and struck the last two Hunters in the head and the caught the Elite formation unawares. A single Elite was all that had survived the barrage. Sam, sprinting forward tackled the Elite head on. Knowing the Elite was stronger than him unless he had his Mjolinir armor, Sam punched out the Elite shield systems. Pulling him up and placing the Elite in front of him Sam pushed the Elite forward. Right on cue James fired a three round burst into the Elites throat, taking off its head amidst a fountain blood. Spitting out the purple blood that had somehow managed to get in his mouth Sam turned to the other three Spartans in the room, "Josh, Cassandra, Adam. Good to see ya,"

"Save the pleasantries Sam. Move out," Ordered Adam. Hoping aboard the Pelican and going to the cargo bay Sam waited while the others made ready. With a throaty rumble the Pelican took off. Taking off and pushing her for all she was worth to try and escape the blast radius, the Pelican shot out like a bullet. With :30 to try and escape the blast they would be cutting it pretty damn close. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, a brilliant flash of light lit the black of space. Momentarily blinded and with nothing to protect his eyes Sam gasped in pain as pure white light hit his retinas, threatening to burn them out of his skull. Still blinded ten minutes later Sam heard James say, "The Sphinx is dead ahead. ETA thirty minutes."

After a thirty minute ride to the corvette-class Sphinx Hunter Sam finally arrived on the first thing resembling anything that had to do with his old life. The Sphinx Hunter wasn't your typical UNSC fleet ship. It had been specially upgraded for Spartan missions that required stealth and a small running crew. The Sphinx Hunter also sported two miniature MAC guns that took half the time to charge up but something was different. Turning to James, Sam asked, "Who's in charge and why the Sphinx feel 'different'?"

"Well as you know you've kinda been away for the last three decades. The Sphinx has had it's MAC guns upgraded, prototype shields installed and well the running to crew has been reduced from ten to four so it may seem a little 'lonely' till you get used to it,"

"Can you fill me in on what has happened the last few decades?"

"Follow me. This is a long story and well you may no like one bit,"

"Okay I just need to know what has happened," Leading him down the corridor and to the briefing room James sat him down and began to explain all that had happened.

He explained how John and Kelly left him for dead. How Reach had fallen and how he came to be where he was. He explained that he had been blown off the docking ring and flung into space. Then of how he hit a Covenant drop ship and was knocked unconscious and how he had woken up a few hours later a prisoner. How he had been transported to the edge of the galaxy and held prisoner for a month. He then explained how Josh, Cassandra, and Adam had by listening to Covenant comm channels, that he was held captive. Upon rescuing him they set raiding Covenant till they had found him. Upon ending his story Cassandra stepped in, "Sir we have word that we are at peace with the Elites, Grunts, and Hunters. We also have received word that John, Linda, Fred and Will are alive,"

"Oh shit we just took out some allies. Oh well look what they did to Sam. Plot a course Earth," relied James, his voice thick with sarcasm.

"Sir what about Cole Protocol?"

"Well they already know where Earth is don't they? That's what we got from the comm chatter right? So if they know where it is what's the point of jumping around for hours or days till we get there? As it is it will take a week to get there,"

"Sir, yes sir,"

"They know where Earth is?" Sam barley choked out. In that one sentence all he fought for, all he shed blood for was it all for nothing?

"It doesn't matter anymore Sam. Chief and the others are there and with us four we will be able to take anything out, now go get some shut eye,"

"Sir, yes sir. One more thing what am I going to do about my armor? It was aboard that ship,"

"Don't worry we'll send down a request to Section III to get you something to wear,"

"Thanks," With that Sam got up, and thought of his new predicament. James was now missing his arm below the elbow on one side but was still going strong. The others seemed fit as ever and were still the top of their game. Faced with ceaseless wondering on what was going on back home, he decided it was time to hit the cyrotube or a week on uninterrupted sleep.