Last hours of the Aegis VI / Lian III

Spartan program was all about converting the ideal to a reality, a pursuit to recreate the mythos of perfection.

Previous generations tried but only one truly matched the ideal results.

The so called Spartan III's, the program's most controversial project, where for the sake of salvation a line was crossed and a program, for that one generation, was manufacturing state approved child soldiers. Not many lived on to be adults and fewer lived today.

Fred. Linda. Kelly, were that few, and the chief was that one.

Flying in a tremendous speed, the feel of velocity was ignored by the V-shaped formation the remaining spartans flew in, crossing vast blackness of space, the ship in sight was closing in rapidly with that formation was stretching at the centre, it's lead was accelerating, everyone was at their limits but the Chief kept on pushing his, seeing the curved out hull of the Aegis and how it had aged and waned by the scaring ripples of previous enemy fire, but that was a quick glance, the eyes were trained directly on the spot of their intended area.

Their intentional route would had led them fly-pass the nearest cluster of "non-combatants" but they were more than that to him, The Master Chief did know where they were meant to be going but he chose differently, soon the Infinity will note the change in his path but he'll deal with that consequence when it was time. Breaking in and making spearhead to engineering was the objective but so were the people on-board that were seemingly herded towards what the rampant alien surge was. Closing in on the skin of the hull their visors gave Blue team a clearer display. A concentration of people rounded towards something that was drawn in to the rampant alien surge It was no coincidence that the rampant foreign surge t was heading their way and that the alien invaders were directing their captors to it.

'Blue team. We're crashing in' Ordered the Chief.

'Roger that' Said Fred, speaking on everyone's behalf.

The line turned effortlessly in their G-zero flight going from a 'V' formation towards a single file, nozzles of their rifles pointed towards the window of a point that was situated between extremes, the exit of the left point was the direction of this surge that was coming in, and to the right was the remaining crew towed in by an unknown adversary, while in the centre of that point a number of the invaders who yet to be aware of their incoming presence.

The now single file of Blue team descended to the point and took aim at the window, violent flashes of ammunition lit and the projectiles hitting directly at the window, streaks of tear creeped around it before the Spartans smashed their way in coming from the depths of space to making contact with their magnetic boots. Fred immediately cursed, the aliens in question though surprised, still reacted, their feet still gripped onto the floor till the window that was broken apart was now barriered by a sheet of metal the environment and gravity was normal but the enemy was still here.

'Next time' Muttered Fred while cutting loose, his shots hitting a heavy skin of electric light, making it quickly apparent these invaders had personal shielding also, here was a chance that this could prove fatal given what limited time they had. The Master Chief reacted accordingly, seeing the flash points surrounding the aliens, within the first few seconds of the fight and deduced without second thought where the vulnerability could lay. Ignoring where it protected the centre mass and face and delivered heavy fire towards the legs, the longer limbs guessing correctly the energy was less concentrated on those parts. A roaring creature wailed before hitting the ground with a thud.

This was picked up by other members of blue team, there was no dialogue between the other besides their trained killing instinct and a trust without doubt allowed the team to show their true superiority in their efficiency. Combining their accuracy and precision with their quick volley of shots, killing and finding out just how many it takes to bring one down before moving onto another, honing their skills over each kill.

Blue team's opposition seemed to be carrying more powerful weapons but they were now fighting someone who was more fearless and more coordinated than they were. Flashes of energy rounds screamed across the room, exchanging the the heavy gunfire of the Spartans.

1-2-3-4

That was roughly the number of precise shots taken to bring one down, synched, out flanking and closing in on the remaining aliens in the room. The chief counted the seconds in his head since the fight. A room three times their number taken down in just under twenty seconds, but they had to be quicker than that. The last of the Aegis depended on them.

'We're moving' Said Chief quickly, acting even as the last sound of gunfire echoed away. 'Kelly, Linda, reinforce the left. Fred; we're breaking the right.'

Chief ran with Fred following who had a solid idea of the layout of the structure, the Aegis was uniform in its design with those of the same class, he envisioned the likelihood were some of these aliens would be positioned, his mind thought only on the vital areas to strike while his body was taught with instinctive experience of warfare to react without thinking, they moved fast, feeling no weight from their gear while igniting their jet boosters and slammed the door down with a powerful combined kick, entering in an environment full of panic and movement.

The aliens had weapons ready and shielded themselves by the captives they held but the spartans fired regardless, point blank precision with their shots unfazed by enemy fire, some came close where Fred could feel the heat of plasma burn away the skin of his shield where he wondered if John ever acknowledged the danger or just outright ignored it.

Amidst the screaming and running of those wanting cover the two Spartans focused only what was important the armed enemy, the sound of screaming weapons fire made it feel like to john he should bunker in his own suit but he was too focused on competing to keep up with john. The man was unstoppable, retaining his efficient killing spree on the enemy as Fred focused on those not initially shot by John including one creature that try to blow up the windows and take everyone else out. He fired and hit a few times despite the range giving john the chance to take the kill by a flank, truth be told some hesitation crept up in Fred decision making, beside the fear of missing his mind was not like john he couldn't just keep counting how it took to kill before moving onto another, not on an indefinite mechanism that John seem to go by, at some Fred needed to breathe and given this would be a long fight he don't think he'll get that chance anytime soon.

Eventually the only sounds of the panicked survivors of the crew, the enemy had fallen, at least this side have. A heavy bang on the doors to the left said this was only part of the fight with Linda and Kelly running back.

'We sealed the points-' A sound of heavy strength made a strike against the doors enforced by shielding, the, frame was intact but did not disguise the significance of the sound. 'But I can't say for how long'

'It'll quickly try to find a weak point; all of you push this group to the hangers via H-route.'

From their intel at briefing the hangers seemed intact and were the secondary escape route once the race to engineering was complete, there was a change in that but it was more on the Chief's choice in going alone that drew the concerns.

'The alien device in engineering needs to be destroyed, infinity is on the line-' Reminded Kelly her tone was challenging the order given and was cut quick by the master chief.

'I can do it. Get these people to H-route.'

The hand was forced by the Chief's immediate departure leaving them with the survivors to move out, Fred put a hand to Kelly's should, a sign to trust John as he had trusted them to get the job done.

'Trust him'

Kelly paused and turned to face him giving a nod from her suit. 'Alright I will'

'Great, now let's get everyone on the move! Go! Go! Go!'

Safeguarding the survivors they three now began their rushed charge towards the destined route, unaware a camera seemingly inactive from the ceiling was very much active as a man in a helmet marked had been surveying the actions of these little "Spartans" after getting the last intel out of the formerly "departed" Commander of this ship. He managed to extract the rest of Lincoln's data easily and deleting everything behind him. It was the key reason why nobody knew who he really was. And he was proud of it to hold so much classified as well as personal knowledge felt almost like owning a soul, it was control at its finest. And he loved that feel.

What didn't go accordingly was how these little spartans came and interrupted his attempt to record data on the assimilation of the survivors by the surge. That will lower his bonus money and he couldn't have that.

Looking at the footage he wondered which of the Spartans would be worth targeting if he could disrupt their heroic little scheme then maybe he'll have something to bring back once picked up from the planet when this business is all well and done.

He looked at the lead of the three, looked beatable because he had seen him fight and it looked pathetic. There was a smugness within that mask, the Spartan looked very beatable.

He broke the screen and activated his unique weapon his focus was now on the one he was confidently on not just beating but brutally doing so, the Spartan named Fred, who knows maybe he'll have more info to extract, collect and delte leaving him the only keeper of his Identity.

His digital soul.

Chief made his move. Running quickly and breaking down any obstruction they could quickly and while the planned route was still clear of hostiles. From his visor screen it had a small segment picking up on any channels within the Aegis, enemy frequency, his teammates or with a confirmed contact, another personnel of the Aegis that picked him up.

'Hello. Who is this?'

'Spartan John-117, Master Chief. You alright?'

'Yes my name is Anji, I need help, everything has gone to hell-'

'I'm on my to engineering, if your close, head to-'

'Wait, you have to know there's something patrolling there, it's big, about four meters high and carried some form of armour, roughly thirty point four centimeters all round. It tore through walls like nothing!'

While conflict brought changes and surprises he himself was not expecting a significant scale of adversary, this was something else. His mind hesitated "Anji" sounded terrified, yet she remained analytical in providing detail of height and armour, a rigid sense of duty was stabling her mind. Just.

'You know the engineering layout?'

'Yes sir. I inspect the interior hull on a daily basis, I'm not too far from it'

She couldn't hear the actions of the chief who whilst hurrying down came across a small pod of the aliens, before the three had chance to lay raise were shields were overwhelmed by the quick hand to hand savagery of the spartan. Has she known his punches decompressed their skulls and rammed their bodies against the walls rattling and shattering their skeletal frame within leaving them to crumble to the ground she may have spoken fearfully to him instead of some hope. He didn't even breathe heavily when done, he simply moved on.

'Send me your location. You'll be tagging me soldier'

'You're going to fight it?'

'Everything has a kill point, I'll find one'

Veronica ventured into another hallway dreading that they didn't come across whatever it was that tore passed metal to where ever it was it headed, Miles was shaking a little, the wound wasn't getting any better.

'You know I just be dead weight, right?'

'I kinda guessed that'

'Huh. Thanks'

'Well you asked'

Peering round the corner there was nothing out of the ordinary, so far. 'We can't be that much further from engineering' The look didn't last pulling back she swore, dread in was centred in her eyes, he could tell what she saw, there was one of them out there.

'How many?'

'Two.' She looked at her weapon, 'I haven't got enough rounds to break their shields. Shit!'

'...You have enough if they didn't have any?'

Veronica's eyes widened, realizing what he suggested, her objection too late as he moved himself to the open staggering acting in a way that he hoped the aliens expected their captives to be like. 'PLEASE I SURRENDER! I SURRENDER!'

Veronica caught a glance of the aliens saying something between each other, one grabbed him and the other marched past surveying tapping the fingers on the opposite arm, itching for to find something to fire. It was close, whatever the plan was it wasn't working! She considered her options as did Miles who lashed out at the alien with him, surprising it by revealing he had more fight in him. It grabbed the attention of the other that spun round and raised its weapon. Veronica stepped out, aimed and squeezed the trigger, a fiery burst escaped from the chamber of her gun, bullets hitting squarely at the back of the creature's neck. It screeched and staggered, but the charge of its weapon was still there, running she grabbed the weapon and hit the sensory trigger, the result was enough to fire a discharge that engulfed the face of the alien that finally overpowered miles. Her focus was on the dying alien and pressed the gun to its neck and it ended it here and now. She stepped back and breathed, it wasn't human but the warm flow of liquid coming from the alien's fatal wounds was still all the same blood and an unpleasant one for that. She saw Miles getting up slowly and raised her anger at him.

'That was your plan?!' With a jab to his arm, refraining from hitting Miles square in the jaw.

'Appreciate it that it worked, ok?'

Veronica swore under her breath in response. In spite of that the door before them led to the upper deck of engineering. Their looked to be less numbers around, maybe they took their share of casualties as well as being tasked with something more unsavoury.

Regardless their swarm rush was over leaving the majority to chase up on any remaining pockets herself and Miles, despite the dominance they were seemingly spread out, enough for the two to pry through the heavy doors into engineering. Once inside they saw the first stationary post within the zone and noted considerable space lacking any visible threat. Miles was visibly unsettled.

'What the hell is going on? Traps?'

'Probably, who knows what their attention is mainly on'

'I don't think they have any intention on simply staying here'

Veronica swore she heard something, some kind of commotion, from afar, the abandoned station was surrounded by walls and the corridor for the rest of its twenty feet stretch but the hostile exchange could be vaguely be heard, she wasn't sure if there was a word in it as well. She looked to see the floor design illustrated on the walls confirming they were on the max level while looking around and thankfully saw a thrown out but useable med kit. It was a box that lit up hope in miles weakened eyes. Grabbing out of it a silver kit with a jelco like feel, she applied the foam gun to it and in defiance of her trembling hands applied the substance over Miles wound. All the while her ears were on alert in case they were hears, if that was the case then all she had was a prayer.

The gel ran it's course as miles bit his lip feeling the sting take effect but notice for now the wound held he was about to instinctively oblige thanks when Veronica with a finger to her lips suggested he thank her later. Miles looked a bit pale by the blood loss but for now he wanted to fight as they began treading their feet carefully across the corridor and checking what little ammo they have left. Veronica peered out first seeing railings on walkways, stairs with rails and lifts with rails.

The UNSC, always thinking about safety first, or was it thinking about safeguarding against future claims first, she mused cynically.

Their exploration did not go far, she briefly caught a glimpse of the ground floor of engineering, a lot of items were discarded and made space to connect to some kind of large device that was not UNSC build. Eyeying as well two characters that sounded like the commotion they first heard. Miles tapped her shoulder and pointed to a group of the things they faced earlier except these ones had a more "elite" look to them, armour looked stronger, and sharp, they were slightly bigger as we're their guns. They crawled quietly beneath the rail height and in between any item that obscured them long enough to walk down to the floor below. They found a hiding spot and noted for now that though few, were still outnumbered on each level though some of these creatures were just watching what's below.

'-IS THAT ALL?!'

The two immediately froze before peering over, much clearer they could see something big, an armoured giant of metal and most likely the thing that nearly tore down the walls as it ran the corridor opposite to them en-route here. The mind boggled however as how this thing was not the biggest in the room, that belonged to the winged creature depicted in a holographic light as the armoured giant pleaded to it.

'-The humans are somewhat more adept then we anticipated Ridley'

'Oh? Who's "we" exactly?

"Ridley" Noted Veronica sounded very offended that he was tagged into the failings of another. Miles saw an opening as another group of the aliens that were meant to be on guard directed their attention to the onwards interaction. While it was mad to do so the two quickly moved down another floor to where they were closer to the alien object that had to be destroyed but was also close to the supposed guardian and it's more terrifying leader.

'If anything's been established…Is that you are breathtakingly consistent in your incompetence!' Ridley snarled.

'It's not that they are not weak my commander, but have a very defensive mentality, the war of the covenant is still fresh in their heads'

'Upsillion' The armoured creature and at the same time revealed only they were not the enemies of old. These were different with Veronica and miles contemplating their actions while Ridley was too wrapped up in humiliating it. 'Your very presence alone should have subdued this vessel from the go!'

'We'll make things up once we hit the surface' Something they didn't escape the attention of the two humans listening in.

'No!' Ridley retorted just "You" you will make up for this novice approach!-'

The voice abruptly stopped then spoke with the same loudness. 'I have yet to see movement above me.'

Despite his arrogance Ridley was beginning to show a level of caution that fringed on paranoia scanning round the area, Miles breathed slowly and looked at veronica, did the thing know they were here?

Upsillion clearly didn't.

'There's no more trouble to worry about my Commander, our troops have secured this earlier'

Ridley surprisingly nodded seemingly in agreement. ' I suppose you do have a point, the troops here look to have everything covered…'

Veronica peeped from the hiding spot, there was no movement from elsewhere save the elite closest, while the creature was alien its movement looked...unnatural. As if there was a fight against the movement. She looked back to Ridley and the holographic light of him staring deeply at the alien she had just saw move. Initially she refused to believe the outlandish absurdity her mind was telling her, but seeing the alien on the same floor twisting and stumbling and that Ridley stared deeply at it made her wonder if-

And just like that she believed her initial speculation as the alien against it's own will tore out from it's belt a circular device that emitted a two second flash before unleashing a scream pitched sharp boom of an explosion. They fell from their initial safe zone, hear sound of hot shrapnel speeding past and their hearing temporary numbed before noticing they were in the open with Ridley staring while angrily speaking at the armoured giant.

'You really are consistent aren't you? Kill them!' Screeching out his orders the elite looking aliens made their move with veronica and Miles not finding a way out of this hell, they had an advantage at first given the first few shots were terrible but then Upsillion made his move. It was a towering motion of violence and power, breaking everything in sight and with a hand something generated by it's palm, a growing and burning sphere of energy almost like a miniature sun.

Veronica and miles both felt its power and their faces could not disguise the fear of being struck by it, they had nothing but desperation left as they raced towards and jumped down a floor that was torn open by unwilling actions of one of the aliens by Ridley's command.

The jump was just timed as the blast screamed above and the loudness of the bang blacked them out as they crashed to the floor leaving them alive but ultimately helpless, they had nothing against this kind of power.

They could just hear Ridely berate Upsilion for nearly hitting the device he was to protect with Miles slowly waking himself and trying to drag veronica to her feet, they staggered on despite knowing one of the smaller "elite" looking aliens running up close, everything seemed inevitable now as a shot came, and passed.

They spun round in shock to see their pursuer fall dead, and looked back where that shot came from, seeing, as did the aliens, a lone spartan with the faint markings of '117'

AN: This took a lot longer than intended as I had other projects and work to attend to, so I'll try to catch up on this long absence.

(just to note Upsillion is the alternative name for omega pirate from Metroid, and that Veronica and Miles are characters from halo novels in order to expand on halo and Metroid lore as mentioned before) Hoe spartans behave in battle is guesswork, I haven't read other halo novels in how master chief and blue team act when under fire but I imagine like all spartans are meant to be on paper to be efficiently ruthless.