I confess. I have been cheating on Last of an Ancient Breed with my Walking Dead fanfic. It was very alluring and I couldn't resist its advances. That one is going very strong though with six chapters so far, so if you want to see more awesome goodness check out A Life of Service on The Walking Dead tab in the game section. Or check through my profile!
But now I'm back….from outer space….eh screw it!
So, this may just be one of my most ambitious chapters to date. Remember how the last four chapters have mostly been about Kyle and his perspective? Well…I decided to peek into some of the other squad mates' thoughts. It is still a work in progress to explore them as characters, but I figured I'd start somewhere to get them going. Sometimes there is no better way to develop than to keep writing!
The one drawback to this ambition? The chapter ended up being FREAKING LONG! So…to make it easier on the reader, I have broken it up into three parts instead of two. I figured it would help pacing as well. On the plus side too, it makes up for the months I haven't posted in some way. Three chapters for each month without an update! Hehe!
As always, feedback and suggestions are welcome. And as always, my continued thanks are to be given to DinoJake for his terrific source story The Last Spartan as well as his reviews for my drafts (heaven knows I would have made several huge mistakes if I didn't have him check my drafts first).
So let us now commence with this epic tale. In the previous chapters, we retold the Chief's awakening from the perspective of Kyle's squad. Now they are returning to Earth to bring him home. The story will diverge from familiar ground to cover new areas of the universe's lore and the details of Kyle's squad. Hope you enjoy it!
...
0845 Hours, February 22nd, 2683
SSV Mt. Everest
Orbiting Earth
Sol System, Forerunner Cluster
...
Earth: the first frontier. The one place humanity was guaranteed a home regardless of race or creed. The place humanity began and, preferably not too soon, would end. There was no other planet in the system like it and Kyle wouldn't want it any other way.
It was hard not to feel nostalgic as Kyle admired his home planet through the window of one of the Mt. Everest's rooms. Being stuck on a sterile ship for months can end can drive even the most hardened soldiers stir crazy. Sometimes you needed to slip off your shoes and feel Earth sol between your toes to regain your bearings.
He continued to watch the planet as it grew larger millimeter by millimeter. He could see the crisp blue oceans hugging around the continents like a security blanket. The clouds swirling and amassing on all corners of the globe. The chunks of darkened land side by side with civilized areas shining so bright they could be seen for miles. Even the satellites, space stations and cruisers orbiting the planet couldn't obscure to beauty. Now he was starting to sound like a travelogue.
Out of the corner of his vision, Kyle saw the other ships of the Fifth Fleet assemble and make preparations for the last leg of the journey. Something nagged at the back on his mind that he should be somewhere right then, but he didn't feel like leaving. He shut off his comm. a few minutes back to give himself a little 'me time,' something also severely lacking from being on a ship too long.
He figured the rest of the squad didn't need him right now. The brass had been working everyone on the ship overtime to prepare for the Chief's arrival back on Earth and everyone knew what they needed to do. The Chief's shuttle had been picked out, the hour of arrival for the fleet had been set and the port where the Chief would land out was pretty much decided the moment they started the trip.
And why wouldn't they go to New Mombasa? Ever since the end of the Human-Covenant War, it had become a symbol of humanity's survival and perseverance. Despite all of the Covenant's best efforts to destroy the city with their Slipspace portal, the people who survived endured. A century later, it was an even larger and most prosperous commercial spaceport than before, unrivaled in the entirety of the African continent. So it was an obvious poetic choice for the Chief to take his first steps home there, but no one would complain.
Well, except for everyone in the Fifth Fleet who wouldn't be there to see it. Admiral Hackett and Captain Anderson would give the Chief a private escort to a smaller terminal while the fleet arrived at the main port terminals. Kyle understood the reasoning, but it would undercut the accomplishment of everyone who found the Chief. Why couldn't they get a hero's welcome too?
Maybe it was for the better. After that little mishap at the firing range, Kyle took Beckett's advice to cut down on the showmanship and give the Chef some room. He still couldn't understand why that woman was so patient with him, but he thanked God for it every day. So he went on like nothing had happened and the squad did too for the most part. He could still sense La Rosa judging him though...
As for the Chief, Kyle did his best to avoid him. That wasn't hard, since the Chief kept to himself for a majority of the ride and barely interacted with anyone else on the ship. Kyle sympathized with the weight of what the Chief was dealing with, but he was glad he didn't have a chance to make an ass of himself in front of the Chief more than he already did.
A few more minutes passed with Kyle having some alone time with his thoughts and Earth filling ups his view. His frustrations and embarrassments seemed to melt away watching the planet, creating a soothing zen in the room. It was the closest thing to a spiritual moment he had felt in months.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
Kyle turned around quickly to see Anderson enter the room. The Captain was dressed in his blues and looked even more dapper than usual. Kyle figured he was in for a talk for avoiding everyone for so long, but Anderson didn't seem upset or concerned at all. That damn Poker face of his!
"Sir," Kyle said saluting.
"We can talk as friends here, lieutenant," Anderson said walking up to the window.
"Of course," Kyle said awkwardly lowering his hand and motioning to leave. "I should probably-"
"I would have told you to leave already," Anderson said still calm as ever. "I just want to talk."
Kyle sighed slumping his arms. Great...another 'talk.' He had been avoiding Anderson since the firing range incident too, but it looks like he couldn't avoid it now. It was probably best for him to initiate that chat.
"Sir, I'm...I apologize for my behavior the other day," he said looking back out the window.
"Nothing to apologize for," Anderson said. "Water under the bridge."
Kyle raised an eyebrow. That...went better than he expected.
"But the next time you want to be a show off, pick your battles better," Anderson added.
And there was the other shoe! Kyle groaned softly, apparently to Anderson's amusement.
"Hey, I get it," the Captain said. "You were tying to push the Chief to his limits. That's what a good teacher should do. And I got to say, that was some daemon good marksmanship."
"Oh?"
"You got a complement from the Chief for almost catching up to his speed. I call that an achievement."
Kyle paused and nodded in reply. He felt it was more a courtesy response to his own half-assed compliment, but he wasn't going to argue if the Chief actually meant it.
"How are you feeling, Kyle?" Anderson asked.
"Fine," Kyle answered quickly. Maybe too quickly…he decided to add on to that. "I mean, yeah, I'm fine. Just…enjoying the view."
"Yeah. It's nice to be reminded of what you're fighting for. Got any plans for your leave?"
"My sister and her family are flying out from North America to visit."
"Just like that?"
"Yeah. They, uh…have a little extra cash to spare for travel."
"Well, that's good. Your sister must be very excited."
"Not as much as her kids."
"You're close to them?"
Kyle shrugged. "I'm the only uncle they got. The most they usually see of me is the occasional vidmail or two. So it's kind of a big deal to see me."
"Fair enough."
For the next minute, they stood in silence. Something was on Anderson's mind more than just talking about family. Kyle had an idea what, but he figured Anderson would initiate it when he felt like it.
Which he did right then. "So…did Ralston tell you?"
And that's exactly what Kyle thought it was. He nodded.
"That man's a real blabbermouth sometimes," Anderson said with a sigh and a light shake of his head.
"When were you going to tell everyone?"
"I just did," Anderson said. "It was a memorable experience. You should have been there."
Kyle crossed his arms as he looked out the window. Great, he thought to himself, a little bit of me time and life just passed him by.
"It was out of my hands," Anderson continued. "I wouldn't have accepted the transfer if it wasn't for the circumstances."
It probably didn't hurt that he would get a chance to travel with the Chief, Kyle thought to himself.
"It's going to be tough. If i could, I would have brought everyone I trusted with me," Anderson said.
"Didn't stop you from picking all those other people ," Kyle noted. "Guess there's no need for ODST with the Chief 'round?"
"It's...more complicated than th-"
"Classified, yeah I get it," Kyle interrupted.
The two of them stood in silence, watching the fleet outside prepare themselves as they neared Earth.
"It's not easy being a cog in the machine," Anderson said. "No matter how high you climb, someone higher up still views you as a part that can be swapped or replaced. They forget how important it is for every piece to work neatly together. Displace one part and the machine struggles."
And now Anderson was waxing philosophically, but it was a nice sentiment.
"I know where I should fit in the machine and what parts work alongside me," the captain continued looking to Kyle.
"Well," Kyle said. "When has efficiency been a priority for the Alliance? I'm surprised this hunk of junk is space worthy."
The two of them chuckled. Kyle was still disappointed that he wouldn't be considered for the Chief's journey, but maybe Asha was right. The Chief was the hero of his own story. Kyle would have to find his own place in that narrative. It's a big galaxy after all...and Kyle would have to explore it one transfer at a time.
"Think you can stand being with the Chief that long?" Kyle asked.
"He may be a hundred years older and a few hundred pounds heavier, but he's still a soldier and a good one at that. I doubt I'll have any problems."
"I'm more worried what you'll do to him," Kyle teased. "The Chief doesn't know what kind of hard ass is watching his every move."
Anderson laughed. "You would certainly know."
"Approaching Earth's atmosphere in five," the ship's helmsman said over the intercom. "All hands prepare for landing."
Anderson motioned for Kyle to follow. "You better get back before someone reports you as AWOL."
Kyle nodded as he switched on his comm. and the two of them left the room. A few servicemen passed by them heading to do whatever they were assigned for landing preparations. As they entered a hallway with another window looking out into space, Anderson stopped the two of them.
"It has been an honor working with you again, lieutenant," Anderson said stretching out a hand.
Kyle decided to eat some humble pie and shake the Captain's hand back. He had to assume Anderson meant what he said that the crew choice was out of his hands. Anderson had been nothing but honest with him, so he shouldn't doubt him now. Besides, he figured they would start the Chief off easy with some crap shakedown runs. Nothing that would require a crack ODST squad.
"The honor's mine, sir," Kyle said breaking the shake. "Maybe we'll work together again someday."
"Lord knows we'd make a good team...as long as you behave yourself."
"Hm," Kyle scoffed jokingly. "Don't ride the Chief too hard. I'd hate to see a living legend broken down into a panicked greenhorn."
"Only one way to find out," Anderson replied as the two of them saluted each other. "Dismissed."
The Captain then rounded a corner and was gone.
Kyle sighed as soon as he felt he was out of earshot.
Kyle took a moment to realize maybe this wasn't terribly enviable. Anderson was getting a privilege by watching over the Chief and he knew it. Still, it was a privilege that had huge ramifications. Whatever example he set as a captain was what the Chief was going to accept as the example the Alliance set in this century. Kyle wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of any backfiring there!
He switched on his comm. and walked away. He had better things to worry about at the moment.
Everything after Kyle and Anderson parted went without any hiccups. The Master Chief was given his VIP escort on a private shuttle and the Fifth Fleet landed in the spaceport. After a quick headcount, Kyle and the rest of the crew made their way out of the terminal to the main gate. He knew that there would be the usual crowd waiting outside of family members, journalists and others who come for military shore leaves. It was a tradition, but it was a welcomed tradition.
It was strange to see everyone in their casual military outfits though. Not a single hard suit or weapon in sight, aside from that duffel bag of antiques Tangilanu was holding. The crew all had a few days off while the fleet was being refueled, rearmed and given ship maintenance checks. Kyle didn't know what his family had planned for him, but he was willing to go with the flow. At least he knew that his brother-in-law would put them up in a nice hotel.
He felt a nudge to his side and saw Beckett walk alongside him. "Got to keep my eye on you," she teased.
Kyle chuckled. "I was just practicing. Until further notice, you will be seeing very little of me. I release you from my control."
"Thank God," La Rosa replied sarcastically before turning to Tangilanu. "So yeah, you promised me one of those, remember?"
"I know, I know," Tangilanu said as if La Rosa had reminded him many times. "I got your address on my omni-tool."
"Good!" La Rosa said proudly. "Not like I'm going home anytime soon, but nice to know it'll be waiting for me." He then gave a pat on Engelbrektsson's shoulder. "Got any fun plans while you're out?"
"If it involves being far away from you, then they will be," she deadpaned.
"Ooooh!" La Rosa scoffed feigning a burn on his arm. "The viper's venom doth burn."
To be honest, Kyle figured it would be good to get away for a while. His squad mates were good people, but too much of anyone for a long time could grate on your nerves. Maybe that's why he enjoyed seeing his family when he did. It was easier to appreciate something when you only had it for so long.
The main gate opened and the crew exited to meet the crowd. It was mostly what Kyle expected. There were the family members with signs waiting for their soldiers. There were the news reporters with their floating cameras and extranet bloggers commenting on the moment. There were the police men and spaceport security who….seemed to have more people on site than usual. In fact, it seemed there was simply more people than on a usual shore leaves. It was strange, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
He peeked over the crowd to see a local high school band lined up in rows playing a classic UNSC military anthem. That song had become a staple in military events even before the Human-Covenant War, with its thunderous intro and steady rhythm that was stupidly catchy. It was a nice piece, even if the brass section of this band was off.
La Rosa whistled as he saw the crowd. "Next time they should just roll out a red carpet."
"Do they usually do that?" Resolme asked naively.
"Oh all the time!" La Rosa teased. "Didn't you know that ODST's are celebrities?"
Just then, the group heard a loud booming voice shout from over the crowd.
"TU'UTA!"
Everyone looked to the source to see a tall Polynesian man push through the crowd. He wore a causal button up shirt that was a size too small to show off his rippling muscles and some halfway decent dress slacks
"TU'UTA! FOTOTEHINA!" The large man said as he ran over and wrapped his arms around Tangilanu, lifting him off the ground in a giant bear hug. "Fuoloa 'e fepulingaki!" Kyle figured that the man was speaking Tongan since he looked like Tangilanu except a head and a half taller. His accent was also much stronger than any accent Tangilanu had.
"M-Mosese…" Tangilanu said with concerned surprise as the man set him down. "Mosese, what are you doing here?"
"I was stationed in Acre when I heard your ship was landing in New Mombasa, so I jumped on the first transport I could find," Mosese said barely containing his exuberant excitement.
Kyle was impressed. Acre was up in Ghana, which was still a good distance away from the Mombasa Island. The fact this guy could just leave work like that was impressive.
Mosese wrapped one of his big arms around Tangilanu's shoulders and turned to the squad. "So these are the kaungame'as who helped you find the Master Chief, huh?"
That little remark threw everyone off! Hackett had explicitly told the crew not to discuss the Chief until after the brass made a formal announcement.
"What!" Kyle snapped at Mosese.
"Yeah," Mosese said defending himself. "The news stations announced it yesterday." He noticed everyone's befuddled expressions. "What?"
Kyle turned to the squad with an accusing glare. La Rosa and Englebrektsson shrugged. Beckett shook her head. Tangilanu was still stuck in Mosese's hug, but he didn't appear to know any more than they did.
"Don't look at me," Resolme said with his hands up.
Mosese chuckled. "Wow, you guys really didn't know?" He let go of Tangilanu and pulled out his own omni-tool. "Here, there should be something about it."
After a few taps, a live local news station feed came up. The person spoke some dialect of Afrikaans as the footage followed Hackett, Anderson and the Chief exiting their transport and walking through a huge crowd of humans, Sanghelli. Unggoy and other bystanders. Kyle knew somebody was going to have a very bad day if Hackett found out whoever leakes the news.
"This isn't a publicity stunt right?" Mosese asked gleefully. "That's the real Master Chief?"
Kyle looked to Beckett, who gave a shrug. Well, there was no point hiding it anymore. "Yup, that's him," he confessed.
"And you guys who found him specifically?"
Kyle paused. That was unusually pointed. "Well…more or less."
"Whoo!" Mosese shouted and turned to the reporters waving his arm. "Yo, these are the guys who-"
Tangilanu quickly turned him back around. "Mosese! Please!"
"What? Just want everyone to know you guys found him! You guys are heroes!" Mosese defended innocently.
"I know! Just…not now," Tangilanu said glancing at the group. La Rosa and Resolme attempted to contain their amusement at his discomfort. "Yeah, uh, this is my cousin Mosese."
"Cousin?" Mosese said amused as he gave a hard, friendly slap on Tangilanu's back. "There's no Tongan word for cousin, fototehina. Every Tongan is a brother or sister no mater the relation."
Tangilanu rubbed his back. "Well, by definition…ah, forget it."
Kyle would have also sucked some enjoyment from the family reunion…until he saw some familiar faces in the distance. "Ok, so we'll meet back here tomorrow. Have fun and don't cause any trouble," he said to his group as he rushed out.
As he left, he pat Mosese on the back. "Oh and nice to meet you. Bring him back in one piece!" He chuckled.
And so he left them to their own devices. So it looked like everyone at least had something to do. Most of them would probably make calls to loved ones, party in some strip club, buy any personal items they needed and generally do…whatever they all did. Hopefully not all at the same time.
Right now though, Kyle had his sights focused on three small children running towards him.
"Uncle Kyle!" The oldest one shouted cheerfully.
He couldn't believe how much older they all looked. Sandra was probably thirteen now and her blond hair looked just like her mother's. Joseph was definitely ten and his freckled face was just as amusing to look at as before. And little Emma was eight and Kyle could see how her mother was spoiling her with those curly locks they worked on together.
He bent down and wrapped his arms around all three of them. It was a good feeling having them close again.
"We missed you!" Joseph said excitedly.
"How was space?" Emma asked.
"Did you fight any bad guys?" Sandra asked.
"Me too, its good and yes!" Kyle answered all of them with a laugh as he stretched his hand a head above Joseph. "It's been so long. Last time I saw you, you were this big. Are you not eating your vegetables again?"
"You're lying!" Joseph chuckled.
"Me?" Kyle teased as he faked putting a hand on a Bible. "Noooo! Soldier's honor!" He spotted their parents in the back. "Come on! Let's say hi to your mom and dad."
"We say hi to them every day," Sandra said. "You say hi to them."
"I guess I will then, smarty pants," Kyle smiled as he walked over.
He was fortunate enough to have one sister growing up. He was several years older than her, but they got along well regardless. While he followed the tradition of every man in the family serving in the ODST, she went the old fashioned route of being a housewife. And for being such, she had aged gracefully. Her long blond hair draped over her shoulders. Her soft blue eyes looked like shining jewels. Her skin was at a nice tone where it was neither too dark nor too light. And she had the figure of a woman ten years her junior. People used to joke how they didn't even look related, but that was just how the gene pool worked.
He gave her a long embrace. "Good to see you, Kim!"
"You too, Kyle," she said as they broke the embrace and looked over to the crowd of people. "Looks like you guys are super popular for once."
"Well not exactly," the man to her side said as he approached them. "This time they brought a celebrity with them, so people finally found a reason to care." It had taken a while for Kyle to warm up to Kim's husband, but David Walker was a good guy. They met during college and dated for two years before he proposed. Now he was living it up as a successful producer and director for serialized vids. Sounded like a catch to Kyle.
"Aw, knock me down when I'm feeling good about myself," Kyle joked. He knew Hackett would still chew out whoever spilled the beans, but he might as well own it. Not like he had a time machine. The two of them gave a quick friendly embrace as the kids gathered around them.
"Alright, who's hungry?" David said to the kids, who all raised their hands. "Hope you don't mind Korean, Kyle. We've been trying to broaden the kids' palette lately."
"I'd eat anything that's not nutrient paste," Kyle said totally not joking. "Lead the way."
The kids followed David to the rental vehicle as Kim walked beside Kyle. "You know David's going to talk your ear off about the Chief, right?" She said.
"Ever since the news broke out, he's been contesting for exclusive rights to your story. He's hoping to go with a documentary of some kind."
Kyle smiled. Perhaps Resolme's little video recording could be put to use after all. He'd have to clear it with Anderson and the brass though, meaning it wouldn't happen anytime soon.
"I'll make sure we can keep that to a minimum," she added. "Don't want to have the Master Chief dominating our day with you."
"Thanks," Kyle said gratefully. As they approached the rental vehicle, his thoughts went back to his crew. He hadn't really asked what any of them had planned. He just hoped they would use their time wisely….
Codex Entry: (Humanity and the Systems Alliance) New Mombasa
Located on the Mombasa Island south of Kenya, New Mombasa rose to prominence after becoming the first "tether city." An orbital elevator was built as an efficient way of lifting heavy ordinances to space without the need for booster rockets. This became the heart of New Mombasa's economy and helped it expamd into one of Africa's richest cities.
The city also has the distinction of being a primary target in the Covenant's invasion of Earth. In the course of a day, the city was invaded, occupied and eventually destroyed by a Slipspace rupture. The extensive civilian and military casualties can be found in human archives.
Following the war, the city became a rallying cry for reconstruction. The loss of the orbital elevator gave way to the New Mombasa spaceport, utiliizng mass effect technology to become Africa's largest commercial port. Commercial tourism also played a significant role, turning horrific battle scenes into inspiring memorials. The ruins of the orbital elevator, the remains of buildings sucked into the Slipspace rupture, various monuments, museums and the famous Spartan Hill remain iconic representations for the cost of war and the hope for survival.
To learn more about New Mombasa tourism and historical reference, consult your local extranet hubs and Alliance databases.
And that is the set-up. On to Part 2 to see how most of the members spend their day off!