Chapter 2

From what Chris managed to pick up the humans were in a melee war between the Elites, the Brutes, and the flood, none of the sides were making much progress, but everyone was suffering losses. Chris walked around the headquarters picking up ammo for his shotgun and assault rifle. Chris then asked John a question that made prefect sense to him.

"Why do we fight at all then? The Elites are now bent on killing the flood and the brutes, why not let them kill each other and come in to take victory later?"

"Orders for command are that we have to sweep the city kill all the foes in the way." Said Fred.

"I'm talking to an admiral about that. That's just crap." Chris said.

"That's what I mean," Said Kelly to John. "He isn't afraid to do what we call 'insubordinate' because he wasn't one of the chosen so he wasn't given training. He is loose unpredictable and our best chance for winning this war when it come down to it."

"Is that an insult or a compliment?" Asked Chris, he was joking of course but he didn't wait for the answer. He flicked on his helmet's COM system.

"This is Spartan 106, request permission to speak with your Admiral." Chris didn't know what ship he was talking to, but he got his answer.

"Putting you on his connection now sir." Chris sighed. He had a feeling this wouldn't end well.

"Spartan 106?"

"Yes sir!"

"This is Admiral Lopez."

"Well sir, I had a question about your orders."

"Did you understand them?"

"Yes sir. I just didn't find them the best solution to our current problem."

"Didn't you now? Are you an Admiral of the Fleet?"

"No sir."

"Then I don't care what you think, your here to follow orders, not to question them." The connection ended.

"That son of a bitch." Said Chris. John and Fred agreed with him. Linda said that he must of had his reasons. Kelly simply agreed but said that it was no use trying to change the admiral's mind.

Chris turned to a marine. "Get me a small ship, a one-man fighter will do."

"Yes sir, smallest we have is a Pelican drop-ship."

"That'll do fine." Chris said.

"What are you doing?" John asked.

"Saving humanity's sorry ass." John shook his head and sighed. Chris hopped in the front seat and set Nitro in the main system.

"Take me to Admiral Lopez ship."

"Yes we'll reach the target in 3 mins." Replied the AI. Chris took to laying back and thinking about what he would do when he got there.

"Sir, T minus 5 seconds."

"What? Oh, ok." Chris got up and walked up and exited the drop-ship and saw the marines. He didn't bother answering questions.

"SPARTAN what in the hell are you doing? I told you to be on that planet! These marines are pressing me to let them go and I can't do that until you clear those street. They overestimate their abilities."

"No, they don't, you underestimate them." The marines cheered at his words. Chris smiled underneath the helmet.

"You respond to me while you are in my army!"

"I respond to me, and earth's and humanity's need, not to some piss-ant old man who doesn't know anything." The Admiral was shocked.

"Why you ungrateful stupid--" His sentence was cut short as Chris punched the man across the face.

"Marines! Where is the rest of the fleet, and is it active on any other planets?"

"Sir the fleet is staying near Soales. And It's not busy anywhere."

"Good, get our men off this planet and then towards Soales."

"Sir, yes sir!"

Two hours later any living marines and the other four spartans were on board the ship and heading towards this Soales. John was none to happy about what Chris had done, the Admiral was on the medical table.

"What on earth did you have to go and knock him out for?" John asked.

"What would you have done oh all-knowing-king?" Said Chris mocking him starting to get very angry.

"Shut up! It was about the stupidest thing you could've done!" Called Linda.

"Answer the question John. What would you have done?" Asked Kelly.

"I would've followed my orders." John answers.

"You would have ran into such a death blindly without a thought?" Chris asked.

"If I honored humanity? Yes, and as it happens to be, I do favor humans surviving." Said John.

"You brainless fool! You don't even bother to think for yourself." Chris shouted.

"That's just dumb, you don't think any of the Admiral's of the fleet haven't given thought on this fight for hours?" Asked Linda.

"You seem to thing all Admirals are saints or something, you think that no matter what they are always right. I'm with Chris, we can't risk fighting outright in another war." Said Kelly.

"Doesn't matter," Said Fred joining in the argument. "We are here to follow orders, not to do as we want."

"We are here to save humanity. I looked at the charts soales isn't far from Earth. Even with that the Elites, Brutes, and flood are to busy killing each other to pay attention to a race that has appeared to have given up." Said Chris.

"You don't know what the enemy thinks." Said John.

"Think for about a minuet. If you were in an Elite's position what would you do? Chase the Humans and suffer from the two greater threats or would you focus on killing the two threats and try to get the humans later?"

"And after they manage to kill the flood and the Brutes?" Asked Linda.

"If they win, they shall be weak. Therefore to easy to eliminate." Said Chris.

"And if they all die." Asked Fred.

"Then the brutes and flood fight until one side, likely the flood, wins."

"And when the flood beat the brutes?" Asked Linda.

"If the flood beat the brutes and the elites. Then I said we try to get them all on one planet, or contain them all on one for they are all on one right now I assume." Began Chris.

"Yes they are sir." Said a marine.

"So then we steal a convent ship because it will be unused and glass the planet." Chris finished.

"Fine, do as you want. But I'm following my orders." John said. He looked at Linda, Fred, and Kelly.

"I'm coming, I still like the chain of command." Linda said.

"I'm with you too." Said Fred.

"Kelly?" Asked John.

"No, I agree with Chris. We are still capable of thinking for ourselves, and I think we shouldn't die in a useless battle." Said she. John didn't look at Chris. But signaled to Linda and Fred then headed to the drop pods.

"Shame to lose them like this." Said Chris.

"Marines! Head for Soales."

"Yes ma'am." The ship turned. Chris sat and removed his helmet, and took a long look at the planet, he thought he saw three small drop pods land on the planets surface.

"Don't worry," Said Kelly looking at him. "They'll be fine. John can command even if he's a little thick headed. Linda's a fine shot with a sniper rifle, and Fred's a great fighter. We will come pick them up later." Chris nodded.

"All the same, I don't like letting them go into a bad fight."