Honors and Dishonors Part 2*
*Six POV*
The deck violently shakes, throwing everyone except the Spartans to the floor.
"We have taken damage on decks A through B," Cortana's voice echoes through Six's helmet, "and we're venting oxygen and taking casualties. Sealing the breached levels now." She falls silent then appears on the console in her holographic, purple figure and reports the situation to the crew. "Boarding crafts are heading our way, Admiral. Their trajectories suggest they are going to try and assault Cairo, Athens, and Malta."
Lord Hood sighs as he looks at the battle screen in front of him, "And so it begins."
Six lowers his head. Earth is it; this is where humanity was born, a place that humans often considered untouchable. With the Covenant here, how long until they start glassing? There is no way the humans could last long against a Covenant fleet. Even if it is Earth, everyone knows in the back of their minds that this is the beginning of the end of the human race.
"Lieutenant." Six stands at attention as he hears Lord Hood say his name. "Master Chief." The other Spartan stiffens as well. "Defend this station."
Six and Chief nod their heads. Six pushes the bleak thoughts out of his mind. He has been trained to ensure that humanity will be safe and secured, and he's willing to die trying to defend it to his last breath.
Master Chief turns to the Sergeant and says, "I need a weapon."
He chuckles and waves his arm at the stairway. "Right this way."
The two Spartans follow and enter the lower level where racks full of guns and grenades line the metal walls. Marines and Sailors frantically grab what they can and stuff ammunition into their spare pockets.
"If we live through this day," Johnson says as he removes his cap and hefts a portable heavy machine gun from the racks, "I'll never call the squids paranoid again."
"Agreed," Six says, as he glances at the rows of weapons as well. He settles for the M7 SMG and the BR55 battle rifle. Suddenly, he remembers Emile during the final defense of Reach. Honoring his teammate, Six picks up another SMG and clips both guns to either thigh, deciding to dual wield them.
He grabs a handful of magazines but hesitates when he looks at the grenades. He feels eyes on him and looks up to see the Master Chief staring at him. He seems to be debating something before he reaches back into the weapons locker and takes out another SMG and clips it onto his belt, just like Six. The III smirks. Then another tremor rocks the station.
"The first boarding craft just impacted on deck E," Cortana reports. "Another is homing in on your position."
"Where," Master Chief asks.
"The second craft is going to land next to the recreation room."
This time, Six turns to Johnson and asks, "Where's the recreation room?"
"It's right through there."
"Then let's move." Chief leads the way through the portal, and Six follows close behind while the Marines and Sailors trail after them.
The door opens revealing a small hallway, and the Spartans sprint to the door opposite of them. Its large metal doors slide open to reveal a computer room where the station's air, water, and food supplies are allotted and monitored. The group of humans are on top of a stairway, while half a dozen computers form a parallel line below them, leaving a lot of space for infiltration. As Six scans the room, a long shadow creeps through the window.
A Covenant boarding craft attaches a protruding tube with tentacle-like arms onto the ship in the next room. The floor shudders again; the craft has locked onto its prey and is now spewing out its load of Covenant foot soldiers.
Master Chief steps up next to Six, both staring at each other when Six asks, "What's the plan?"
The Chief stops and thinks for a moment.
"You're a marksman, correct?"
"Affirmative."
"Stay up here with the machine gun and help lay down supportive fire." He then points downwards. "I'll lead the rest of the men and repel the troopers."
Six nods. "Got it, Chief."
He rushes down the steps with a dozen Sailors and Marines following closely behind him. Meanwhile, Sergeant Johnson runs up to and stops next to the Spartan, his face glowing yet stern as he drops his LMG on the floor. He deploys the small stand and the foldable pole that supports the gun, allowing him to fire a spray of bullets in a one hundred eighty degree angle.
"Finally," Johnson says as he braces himself against the gun as his finger dances close to the trigger. "Something to do."
Six watches Chief divide the human defenders into different squads, each covering a different firing angle of the room, while he unclips his twin SMGs and stands at the ready in the center of the lane. Six lowers his own rifle as he waits as well. Throughout the whole station he can feel the constant tremors of hundreds of Covenant troops invading.
His thinking turns to Shress. He hopes she is safe from the invasion, although he knows the brig isn't anywhere near something important for the Covenant; so, chances are, they won't find her.
Probably.
He snaps back to reality when sparks begin to flare around the door in front of them. The Covenant is trying to cut their way through. The defenders brace themselves and raise their weapons. Six is expecting the door to be slowly sliced open; instead, there is an explosion of heat and fire. Artificial dust and a blue flash blinds everyone except the Spartans. Like specters in a fog, the Covenant floods through the opening. Four elites command over a dozen Grunts, forcing them forward.
Six hesitates upon seeing them. He knows they are different, but every Sangheili he sees reminds him of Shress. Then they raise their plasma rifles, and he banishes the thought. With that he catches the head of a Sangheili in his sights and fires off a burst.
The shot throws the Elite backwards and knocks down its shields. He fires two more bursts and each one finds its target: one hitting the chest, while the other nails the head. The Elite falls with blue blood leaking from its mouth.
It's a surreal moment to Six who feels as if the whole world came to a stop. He killed a Sangheili, and, for a moment, he actually feels for it, as if he has just killed a fellow human being.
A purple streak flashes by his faceplate. A chaotic scene is unfolding in front of him. The Grunts are discharging plasma and needles, while the Elites release their savage war cries and unleash hot bursts of plasma. Johnson and Master Chief are mowing them down, and the sight of these two fighting forces Six back to action.
The invaders didn't stand a chance. The Marines and Sailors try to copy the Spartans' marksmanship but fall short compared to the enhanced, armored warriors. Chief fires the shot that kills the last Elite, and everyone beholds the bloody scene before them. Corpses of alien bodies dot the floor around the breached doors.
The Marines show their relief, while the Sailors start throwing up their lunches. For them this is their first time in actual combat.
A slight movement catches Six's eye. Gracefully, he brings up his rifle and fires again. The Grunt peeking around the destroyed doors squeals as the rounds tear through its skull, flopping to the ground. The humans turn and gaze at the spartan, unable to believe how honed his senses are.
"Spartans, you're needed in the hangar bay," Cortana shouts over the comm. "Johnson, take your Marines and secure the atrium."
Six leads the way as they cut around the corner and head for the hangers. They slow their movement as they hear the echoes of combat through the long and narrow hallways. Alien roars and human screams travel through the air ducts, seeming to surround the Spartans. They check each and every corner with caution. Years of experience and training takes over as they move.
The Spartans pause when they stumble upon the occasional carnage, most of which leaves few, if any, human remains. Bloody pulps, mutilated and decapitated bodies, and spineless forms litter the hallway, but so far there is no contact.
As they near the hanger, thumps and booms echo down the hallway from behind the closed doors. They perform one last check around them before taking up positions on either side of the door. They both take out their twin SMGs and load them before they look up at one another, Six giving Chief a quick nod.
He nods in return before reaching for the control and opening the portal. They both race in, guns held high, as they scan the messy scene before them. It's madness. The hanger bay is cluttered with Pelicans, Short swords and Broadswords, some working, some being repaired while others are pushed into the corner. Boxes of gears, tools, and equipment are sprawled across the floor in heaps of messes, all ignored due to the raging firefight.
Two forces struggle to topple the other, but, from where the Spartans stand, the battle looks well matched for once. The humans lack the firepower of the Covenant, but they are able to band together. The small group of Marines, pilots, and Sailors find suitable cover behind a damaged Pelican as they open fire upon the invaders. The Covenant troops, in turn, fight the same as they always have: Grunts first, Jackals second, and Elites last. However, among the Grunt ranks, four of the creatures are hoisting fuel rod guns and are blasting away at the humans.
As Six and the Chief sprint into action, they hear a piercing squeal. One of the Grunts has spotted them and fires off its fuel rod.
With matched grace, the two superhuman rush forward, somersaulting into the air before landing on the floor of the hanger right as the green projectile explodes above them. Their shields flash as debris rains on them.
They look at each other briefly, and it's as if they are now connected. Six rushes left, while the Chief sprints right. With the two of them firing twin SMGs, they devastate the alien's ranks.
The sight of the Spartans helping to even the odds cause the humans to cheer as they leave the cover of the Pelican and slowly advance on the Covenant forces. After slaughtering the invaders, the hanger falls to an eerie silence as the humans come together in front of the open bay doors.
Six looks among the soldiers and asks, "Who's in charge here?"
They bicker among each other wearily before a CPO steps up. "I think I am sir."
The Chief steps forward and says, "The hangers are the Covenant's primary target. Set up defensible positions around the entrances and prepare for assaults from any and all angles."
The CPO swallows, and opens his mouth when Cortana's voice comes back on through the PA system. "Spartans," she says. "You might want to listen to this."
There is an explosion of static before Hood's voice is heard, "—are you sure Commander?"
"Affirmative sir!" a relieved and happy voice answers. "The Covies turned and ran! We won!"
The Covenant running?
"Cortana, where's this coming from?" Six questions.
"From Athens station behind you, Lieutenant."
Everyone turns their heads and cannot believe their eyes. Almost a thousand miles from where they are standing is another floating space station, Athens, with sections engulfed in flames and dozens of purple spacecraft fleeing from the station.
The humans start to whoop, but the Spartans remain silent. In all their lives they have never witnessed the aliens ever retreat. So what is it that—
Athens is abruptly consumed in a fire storm that appears to have come from nowhere. Pieces of the space station come apart in chunks, and the MAC gun's massive barrel falls into Earth's orbit alongside thousands of pieces of falling metal and glass. Everyone gasps at the show of destruction except for the Spartans; instead, they analyze the situation. Athens wasn't hit as far as they know. In fact, Six is sure he saw the inferno erupt from within the middle of the station.
"Cortana," the Chief says into their private COMM channel. "That blast didn't come from outside the station. It looks like it came from inside."
"Correct, Chief," Cortana responds. "Video log confirms your observation; this leads only one other explanation: a bomb."
A bomb? Since when has the Covenant fallen into insurgent style warfare?
"There's also another problem," Cortana reports. "I'm detecting foreign substances that were released from the Athens explosion. I just cross-referenced the material and confirmed that there are traces of the same dangerous chemical emitting from Cairo and Malta."
Six wets his lips. "Cortana, are you saying…"
"I'm saying there's a possibility that there is a bomb on Malta and Cairo," Cortana responds solemnly.
"Spartans," Hood's commanding voice booms. "New mission, locate that bomb and get it off Cairo."
Both Spartans stand straight as if the man is present and say, "Sir."
The deck shakes again.
"Spartans," Cortana yells. "We have a massive boarding party in the midsection of Cairo, and the Covenant has just taken over the secondary hangar. Without the second hanger, we can't evac all Navy personnel if needed; and, with the boarding party, it will make things a bit hazardous if anyone tries to go through the middle of the station."
The two Spartans look at each other. Six waits for Master Chief to respond when he remembers that he is the one in charge. In the past few moments he has seen the Chief as a fellow Spartan and not a lower or upper rank, but now that leadership is needed it is up to Six to make the decisions.
"Chief, clear the hanger. I'll handle the boarding party."
The two Spartans both turn on their heels and spring in opposite directions. Master Chief heads towards the hangar, while Six dives further into the station.
*Shress POV*
Shress twists and turns, but the booming keeps her from drifting off into sleep.
What are those humans doing now? she wonders as she finally lifts herself up from the bed.
Tenderly, she puts her feet on the ground and stands, hissing slightly as she does so. She can stand, but there is an irritable pain originating from where the metal, electrified batons have struck her.
Carefully, she makes her way to the door and leans against it. She recoils as she smells the aroma of smoke.
Has there been an accident? Maybe one of their human ships malfunctioned after a battle and exploded, or something just as tragic is happening.
"Shress, are you awake?" A light hearted voice sounds from outside the door. She recognizes it instantly as Jaka.
"Yes," she replies..
"Glad to see you're still able to move around. I've been praying for you…"
Shress mutters a "Thank you" and lowers her head. The crippled human has been more friendly to her than any members of her race, save for her mother.
A minute passes, and then Jaka speaks, "I heard what happened to you. What those ONI Agents did."
Shress starts but is cut off.
"Don't worry. They're in a cell next to yours. They will be in there a long, long time."
Silence envelopes both of them. Then a tremor shakes the station, almost knocking both of them to the ground.
"What is happening? Was there some kind of accident?" Shress asks as she slumps herself against the wall.
"No," Jaka's voice becomes grave, an edge of defeat peaking through. "It's the Covenant. They found Earth."
Shress collapses. Images of the Prophet of Regret and the glassing of Reach flash through her mind. She remembers the sounds of Covenant soldiers marching over decapitated humans, and brutes impaling civilians. As she slowly picks herself up, Jaka is calling out to her.
"Hey, are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I think I just need to sit down."
She takes a step away from the metal door; then, as she turns back around, she stumbles and catches herself, her weakened state making every step a chore.
"Jaka, can you open that hatch in the door that you use to drop food?," Shress says.
"Sure, why?"
"Take this." She disconnects the small cloaking device from her armor and hands it to him through the hole. "If the Covenant come here, use this and leave immediately."
"But you might need—"
"No. I won't need it. Promise me you will leave if they come here."
After a while, he promises, and she instructs him how to use it. He fades and disappears momentarily before shimmering back to view. He seems pleased with himself but gives her a worried look as he stares at her through the small window in the door. She knows that look. Fear. His eyes tell it all. They remind her of the fallen soldier she sang to so long ago.
The sound of human and Covenant gunfire erupts in the distance. The Covenant has found them.
*Six POV*
Six fires burst after burst as the Spec Op Elite charges him. Its cloak vanishes with the first volley along with its shield after two bursts, but now it is upon him, growling as it raises an energy sword. Six ducks underneath the swing and shoves the barrel of the rifle against the alien's throat. Blue blood sprays across the wall as the Spec Ops remains standing for a moment, gagging before stumbling to its knee and landing face down against the cold floor.
Six returns his gaze out the atrium window as he observes ensuing battle. The Grunts are making steady advances against the Marines, but upon his arrival he was able to turn the tide. Now the Grunts cower behind the cover of the atrium's trees while their commanders shout to them to advance. One Grunt gingerly looks up the moment Johnson blows its head off with his machine gun.
"You know," Johnson grunts. "I had the situation under control before you came along."
"Of course you did," Six says as he bends down and checks his weapons. He has run dry on ammunition for his SMGs, but he has a few magazines left for the rifle. He hopes it's enough for what he plans.
"Sergeant," Six says.
"Yeah?" Johnson replies before firing another chattering shot.
"Hold the line here. Keep the kids from running off." Six loads a fresh clip into the BR55. "I'll be back."
"Back?" Johnson grunts as he fires. His eyes widen as he looks back at the Spartan. "You're not going to—"
Before the Marine could answer, Six takes a running start and jumps out the atrium window before landing on his feet and springing into an all out dash. He rushes past trees as he makes his way to the other side of the massive room. Occasionally, a plasma round squeals as it flies around his head, or a blue grenade explodes next to him as he leaps, ducks, and slides away. A lone Jackal peeks around from a tree trunk right when Six passes. He raises a fist and punches its beak, knocking it unconscious and throwing it across the room in a twisted mess. Finally, Six weaves through the last bunch of trees before making it to the other side of the atrium. Standing before him are three Elites: two Minors, and one silver Ultra who seems surprised.
He rushes the Ultra first, figuring it would be the biggest threat to face. The Elite attempts to defend itself, but it can't react fast enough. Six kicks out the alien's jutting knee, causing a loud crack as it hunches over. Once it's at eye level, he grabs its head and twists, nearly tearing its head off as it's neck is snapped.
The other Elites turn and roar as they rush the lone Spartan. Six raises his hands and manages to deflect a few strikes before he's knocked to the ground, shields down. One jumps onto him and immediately gets kicked off while Six unclips his twin SMGs and frantically unloads a full magazine at point blank. It loses its shield as round after round pummels its chest. The Elite stumbles backwards and hits the wall, so the Spartan turns his attention to the remaining Minor. It attempts to grab Six's leg, but the Spartan rolls backwards. As the Elite moves, its momentum carries it forward within the Spartan's reach. He grips the alien's arm and pulls it closer, eventually getting his free arm around its neck, choking it to death.
Six scans the gruesome scene and sees one of the Minors, the one he shot, slumped with its back against the wall. It's faintly breathing, blood dripping from the wound in its chest. He cautiously walks over to it. Its eyes are locked onto his visor, burning like red stars. It mutters 'demon' as its head droops, and its chest stops rising and falling.
How many more pointless deaths before they understand?
He's lost in thought for a moment before turning his gaze back to the atrium. Not much has changed. The Marines are still pinned down, but now that the Covenant squad's leaders are dead he can pinch their remaining forces and tip the odds in the human's favor.
With that, Six finds his rifle under one of the Minors and holds it in one hand while taking out a grenade and priming it. He flings it to a cluster of trees where he is sure he has seen a group of Jackals. Sure enough, there is a chorus of screeches as the creatures are blown into the air. Six then races into the open, locks onto his target, and opens fire.
The Grunts are stirred into a panic when they realize they have been flanked and aimlessly run into the open. It soon becomes a shooting gallery for the Marines as they finish the job. The battle, if it could be called that, is over within minutes.
Six exhales deeply. He isn't tired by the combat; this feels more like a workout session compared to what he went through on Reach; However, he couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed that the Marines seem to be in a constant need of help.
He watches as Johnson comes down the stairs with a rifle in his hands as he looks at the bloodied corpses.
"Well, that was easy," he finally comments.
Before he can respond, the Spartan feels a powerful tremor, one more severe than ever before, run through the steel floor. If slight shaking signifies the attachment of a boarding craft, what does that more energized vibration imply?
The radio crackles to life. "Noble Six," Cortana says. "Malta has just been destroyed."
Six tightens his fists. "Was it a bomb?"
"Affirmative, which means there has to be a— brace yourself Spartan! The MAC is coming online now."
"Wonderful," Six mutters before looking at the Marines and shouts. "Brace yourselves!"
All of them drop to a crouch and tighten their muscles in anticipation while Six stands tall; other than assuming a wider stance, he makes no preparations.
Finally, there is a resounding boom. The sound of a mighty thunder clash resounds throughout the hallways. The sound of firing of the mega weapon.
As Six counts up to fifteen seconds,there is a loud rumble and the station shakes again. However, this time is different. The entire world seems to be falling apart. Trees shake from their place in the soil, doors open and close, and the Marines, who were crouching, fall to the ground. Even Six loses his balance and stumbles a bit but regains his footing.
For a brief moment, Six thinks the bomb has detonated, but the shaking finally ceases, and all is still.
"Cortana," he asks. "What was that?"
"A super carrier just flew past the wreckage of Malta and is heading to Earth," she gravely reports.
Six curses under his breath. A super Carrier has enough firepower to glass an entire continent and has more than enough troops to invade multiple cities.
"Lieutenant," Cortana says. "We have another situation."
"What is it," Six responds, wondering how things could get worse.
"There's another landing party. They have landed on the lower levels."
Six's very world tilts. The lower levels… where the brig is.
"Sergeant, take over," Six orders before sprinting for the nearest stairwell.
*Shress POV*
Shress waits to see what is to become of her as she kneels and begins to meditate. She hopes to clear her mind, but her curiosity and the unknown keeps her from calming down.
Endless screaming coming from all around, human projectiles bouncing off shields, plasma whizzing through the hallways, and this looming sense of anger and resentment fills the air. She has grown accustomed to, even enjoyed, the heat of battle. It was her escape. She felt an invisible sense of appreciation, but that changed after spending time with Michael, feeling only warmth of affection instead of the coldness of combat.
She shivers when she hears the human screams becoming more and more frequent.
She soon begins to worry for Michael. With him being a Spartan, there is no doubt the humans will want him to be on the front lines and battle the invaders. She wonders if her alien suitor has anything to do with the constant tremors she feels or the massive boom that she heard earlier.
She stiffens as she hears another explosion. It seems to have come directly from the hallway outside. She waits and hears it again, the blast of human projectile weapons, and the whistle of Covenant plasma weapons.
She stands and trudges forward before resting against the door frame and listening. She can feel the thumping of weapons and the pounding of flesh while the creatures scream. She hears the roar of a Sangheili, a whine from a Kig-Yar, and the cries of humans.
Have they fallen back to hand to hand combat? She waits and listens, wondering what this will escalate to.
Almost as soon as it started, the noises cease.
Shress tries to listen, head against the wall, but there is only silence, a first in a long while.
Have the humans repelled their attackers, or are they all... dead?
That thought extinguishes when she hears a thumping sound, beating with a careful repetition. There are few creatures large enough to make such a resounding racket.
It must be Micheal, right?
The footsteps come to a halt right in front of her door.
She leans away slightly before calling out, "Michael?"
Without warning, the door disappears within a cloud of black smoke and Shress is thrown off her feet and lands on her back, stunned by the sudden explosion.
She lifts her head up and stares into the grey clouds that block her vision while its pungent smell hampers her sense of smell.
"Michael," she confusedly whispers into the smoke-filled room, unable to make out a shape.
Out of the black fog, something presses against her throat and pushes her down. Her eyes wander downwards and see the barrel of a Carbine. Her eyes widen in disbelief as she stares at the Sangheili Ranger above her.
"Greetings, heretic," growls Dinjit.
*Six POV*
Six blasts away at the Grunts and Jackals, not even stopping to seek cover as he races by.
He ignores the balls of stray plasma that hit him; all his thoughts are focused on reaching the lower levels and ensuring that Shress is safe. He knows the Covenant kill humans brutally because they don't share their view of religion, but he can't even begin to imagine what the Covenant does to traitors.
He reaches another stairwell where two Jackal snipers are positioned one level above him. Simultaneously, they fire their beam rifles. One purple laser misses, while the other grazes his shoulder, causing Six's shields to flare, but he doesn't slow down; Instead, he rushes the aliens. They fire again and miss as the Spartan dodges and slides beneath the rays while he soars up the stairs, closing in on the snipers.
As he leaps towards the alien pair, they screech what Six guesses to be curses at him. He grabs one by the neck, and, in one fluid motion, he throws it over the railing and down below at the bottom of the station. The other jumps back and readies its weapon to retaliate, but Six is faster as he raises his rifle with one arm and fires. One round hits the Jackal's chest, the second strikes its neck, and the final round snaps its head back. It falls to the steel floor.
Six is filled with determination as he grips the rail and swings himself over the side. He falls at an angle as he drops down three levels before he reaches out with his hands and narrowly grabs the railing on that level. He climbs over it as he rushes forward and punches the controls on the wall, forcing the door to open.
The hallway of cells is lined with human and Covenant remains. Red, blue, and purple blood is splattered floor to ceiling. He notices a group of Grunts standing in front of a blasted door where Shress's room is located.
Glancing to the left for only a moment, that the door he punched not even a day ago is smashed apart. The room is dark; and, through the electric sparks of the shot lights illuminating the inside, the spartan knows that those two got what was coming to them.
The Spartan breaks into a sprint as he raises his rifle and fires at the Grunts, who start screaming after his first burst. But he doesn't hear them. The fear of losing Shress encapsules his mind. By the time the last Grunt falls, Six skids to a halt before the cell.
The entrance is blown open, and soot covers the destroyed room. The table, chairs, and bed lay in disheveled pieces, and the metallic floor and walls are contorted and dented. Six's heart skips a beat. He stares in horror at the specks of blue blood speckling the floor and walls.
No, no, no this can't be happening.
Humanity may be facing extinction, yet the thought of Shress dying…the mere thought alone is enough to cause the Spartan to shake with emotion.
"Cortana, Is Shress still alive?" Six's voice wavers slightly as he shouts into the comm.
Before the AI could respond, a familiar voice calls out from the room.
"They didn't kill her."
Looking up, he watches as the form of Jaka fades into existence in front of him. The wounded marine is violently clutching the familiar form of a Covenant active camouflage module, his knuckles turning white from the pressure.
"They didn't seem happy to see her, but she wasn't killed. They dragged her off…"
Six feels nothing but relief at those words. If they haven't killed her yet, then he has a chance to save her.
Once again turning to his communications, he says, "Cortana?"
"She's alive," Six's relief is cut short when she finishes, "The Covenant is taking her back to their ship. They're in the next room."
Six takes off again. He feels his muscles strain as he moves faster than ever before. He thinks of her bruised and battered body covered in blood as he nears the door at the end of the hallway.
He slams into the door full force bending the steel and creating a small hole. He wedges himself through and finds himself in another hallway. Then he sees them. The Covenant troops are reentering the boarding ship. He doesn't see Shress but assumes she is already inside the shuttle. He raises his rifle, ready to fire, but the last Grunt enters, and the doors seal themselves.
Emotions overpowering him, he races and grabs the door frame just as the boarding craft pulls away from the station. The air then rushes out of the ship whipping with the force of hurricane winds. If it wasn't for his augmented strength, Six is sure he would have been blown into space.
He hangs onto the frame with a death grip before finally pulling himself back into the brig's hallway. He grabs the already twisted door and molds it back into its original shape as he blocks off the rest of the Cairo from the breach.
He stands there panting. Panic and exhaustion overwhelm him.
Shress is gone… and he can't do anything.
He feels tears starting to make their way down his cheeks before he shakes his head.
No. He won't give up, not now. He's a Spartan. There's one last thing he can try.
*Shress POV*
Shress breathes heavily, her limbs aching from the struggle. She looks up at her captors with a grim smile. Although she was injured, it still took five Rangers to subdue her, all receiving some kind of wound. She made sure to punch Dinjit the hardest.
She turns her head and sees him caressing his lower left mandible which now hangs limply. She is sure that she dislocated it from his main jaw structure.
The pleasure from her small victory disappears as she looks out the window. The human station is growing smaller as they travel closer to the massive Covenant ship.
She thinks of Michael and can't help but wonder where he is. He said he would be there. He said he would protect her.
She tries not to let her tears show as she thinks of what will happen to her now. No doubt she'll be tortured and openly dishonored by the Covenant before suffering a slow and painful death.
She feels anger towards Michael; anger that gives way to sadness. She knows she'll always care and harbor feelings for him.
If only he knew how much he meant to me, she thinks as she lowers her head, thinking for the first time of the one word she wished she had told him before they stole her from him.
I love you my suitor, my Michael, my Spartan.
*Six POV*
Miranda Keyes has changed out of her dress uniform and into her grey coveralls, but Six barely notices as he rushes onto the frigate's bridge.
"Commander," he puffs. "We need to get after that ship now!"
Keyes turns from her seat to look at Six, surprised from the Spartan's show of emotions. "I assure you Noble Six I intend to do so," she gestures to the station. "We are waiting for Cairo to release us—"
"Well tell them to hurry. We need to go, now," Six says.
Keyes raises an eyebrow, and a deep chuckle echoes from the side. "My, my Lieutenant. Ready for another around?" Sergeant Major Johnson remarks.
Six turns and isn't too surprised when he sees him in full tactical gear standing just off the podium with an unlit Sweet William cigar hanging from his mouth.
Six slows his breathing and coldly says, "We have high priority personnel on that ship. We need to go before they—"
"Commander," Lord Hood's voice cuts in via comm. "You are now clear to depart."
"Finally," Keyes mutters before looking down from the command podium. "Lieutenant Wei, pull us from the station and set course for Earth."
"Roger, Commander," the officer responds as the crew jumps to perform their duties.
Six watches a nearby camera as the Frigate, In Amber Clad, pulls away from the station. Security locks break, fuel lines disconnect, and walkways retract. With nothing holding them, the ship slowly slides into space for a few moments before the thrusters engage, and they barrel towards Earth.
Six knows frigates are light spacecraft, and thus are the fastest in the fleet. He is still anxious to set course, his mind tortured with the thoughts of Shress. An overwhelming guilt is starting to bloom within him.
If she dies, will I be the one responsible? he wonders to himself.
"Well that might be a problem."
The Sergeant Major's words pull Six out of his bleak thoughts, and he looks back at the monitor. His guts twist at what he sees.
Total war surrounds Cairo space station. Navy ships engage with Covenant shuttles that have broken off from the main fleet. MAC guns fire, Archer missiles streak through space leaving trails of dust, plasma torpedoes burn and, in the distance, a nuke explodes.
Six always despises this. When it comes to ground engagements, the Spartans are usually the ones who are victorious, just as they have been taught to be. But once they are in the air that all changes. Spartans can only watch space battles.
Suddenly, a large alien craft breaks from the line and flies downwards towards Earth. Cairo's gun tries to shoot it down but merely clips it, letting it descend to Earth while only sustaining little damage. "Ma'am, if another Covenant ship breaches Earth's atmosphere, then the Covenant will have more than enough ships to glass the planet," a sitting crew member calls.
Keyes nods silently to herself before pressing a button on her command chair.
"Cairo," she says. "This is In Amber Clad. I'm requesting permission to engage the enemy shuttle."
Hood's voice responds coolly, "Negative, Commander. Not against a ship that size, not on your own."
There is another spark of static before a new voice enters the conversation.
"Sir," the Master Chief says. "Permission to leave the station."
"For what purpose Master Chief?" Hood inquires.
"To give the Covenant back their bomb."
A heartbeat of complete silence passes before Hood says, "Permission granted."
"Wait, what is he going to do?" Keyes says in disbelief.
Six reaches for the monitor's controls and switches the view back to Cairo station as he says, "What any Spartan would do." He looks back at her. "Finish the fight."
Keyes seems puzzled and opens her mouth to speak when one of the crew members gasps. They all look back at the scene and, aside from Six, are surprised at what they see.
A green clad armored human is dropping through space while holding onto something as some sort of anchor. It looks like chief is riding a purple, Covenant bomb
The Sergeant chuckles. "I knew it," he says as he breaks regulation and lights his cigar. "He is suicidal."
They watch in silence as the Chief falls until he disappears from view behind the Carrier as it slowly chugs towards the planet. Six feels himself holding his breath as he waits to see what will happen next, wondering if Chief will be able to do it. Chief disappears from the monitor. Then reappears, empty handed and hurtling towards Earth. Not a second later, the Covenant ship erupts into a series of miniature explosions, sending bundles of burning scrap metal into space. Some get caught and glide into Earth's atmosphere, shining like little yellow stars.
Chief continues to fall. Soon he gets so close to the camera that his entire green frame blocks the crew's and Six's view. They all look to the ceiling as a loud clang rings from the top of the Frigate. "For a brick," Johnson says. "He flew pretty good."
Keyes touches the same button and speaks into the comm again, "Chief, get in here. We've got work to do,"
Yes we do, Six thinks with curled hands as they descend towards Earth, following closely behind the fleeing super carrier.
-- Author's Note --
Hi, I'm WhateverRex.
I'm taking over as editor in Verbus' absence. I fully edited the chapter and added some new scenes along with PyreElegy.
Please review and tell us what you think of the changes!
Hi Jtf0012 here. Sorry for the long wait. Shit has hit the fan in my life. To those who posted a pm asking if any of my stories are dead. The answer is no. Im currently restructuring my plans. Planning out next chapters and being hounded by plotbunnies. I have been hit by the Naruto bug and have decided to put pen to paper.
