Chapter 30: Forward Unto Dawn
Well, this is it. The end of Halo 3, and the ¾ mark in the book. Thanks to all of you for sticking around this long, and if you're just now getting into the book, that's fine, too. But that's all that fluff BS, so let's get to the action, but not before I respond to reviews!
Winter's Sentinel: So there are others who watch it! I knew it!
Guest: I hope it's decent.
SpartaLazor: Good point. By the way, I have probably 10-12 chapters left.
Anonymous Flamer (not an actual user, just my nickname for a guest reviewer): You started off well! But I had to do it to get opinions. Protocol dictates Action! As does past experience. And what do you have against Kat?
Trollface41: He had to. Think about it: He had just gotten a gut full of Gravity Hammer and slammed into Forerunner glass, and he could barely even stay standing. There was no way in hell he was going to carry or drag a half-ton Spartan with him.
I think that's it. If I missed anything, let me know. And if I didn't respond your review, I will
Installation 04B.
The Chief and James pried open the doors out of the control room. Outside, The rest of NOBLE Team, along with Sgt. Johnson and the Arbiter, stood their ground as waves of Flood surged at them.
"Let's get the fuck out of here! This ring is going to go!" James shouted.
All 8 primed grenades and threw them into the mass of Flood, the combined blasts punching a big enough gap for the group to start moving.
In the cramped corridors of the control room accessway, the team had little room to get good shots, so it was up to The Chief, Johnson, and the Arbiter to clear a path forward. The three hammered the Flood forces back while NOBLE fought to stop the Flood from flanking them.
"Fucking die already!" Johnson shouted at the parasites.
He finally had had enough of this shit, and pulled out his Grenade Launcher, already loaded with one of his own grenades.
"Don't! You'll kill us all!" Emile shouted.
"Not if I fire it far enough ahead!" Avery retorted.
The Sergeant did just that: he fired. The grenade arced into the air and came crashing down into the swarm, decimating their ranks. None of the humans or their Sangheili cohort ended up dead.
"Kat, we've activated the ring. We need you to get a Pelican to the control room and pick us up, ASAP." Carter ordered over the comms.
"I'm on it, Commander. ETA: 5 minutes."
"We'll be dead in five minutes." Jorge said after the link had closed.
"Spartans never die, Jorge. They're just missing in action." James rebuked.
Five minutes seemed like five years as the group held off a renewed assault by the Flood, and now Forerunner Sentinels, on the cliffs outside of the control room. A Pelican began raining hell down on the Flood and Forerunners, and descended to the group.
"Ride's here, boys."
The Spartans jumped in first, with Johnson and the Arbiter stepping in as the Pelican lifted off for the Dawn and their ticket off of the ring.
The Pelican landed in the hangar bay as the ring finished its charging sequence.
"To the bridge! Go!" The Chief ordered as he, James, and Emile secured the hangar.
The rest went to get the ship off of the ring. The Dawn's engines flared and the ship began to leave the surface.
The Chief plugged Cortana's data chip into the AI pedestal nearby, and she assisted the group on the bridge.
The Dawn left the ring's atmosphere as the firing sequence neared completion, and as they made it to the portal back to Earth, the ring fired, shaking itself to pieces. The shockwaves created instability in the portal, and it collapsed as the front half of the ship made it through.
-X-
Planet Earth. March 3rd, 2553.
The remains of NOBLE Team stood at attention alongside Sergeant Johnson, the Arbiter, and a squad of marines as Lord Hood stood in front of the memorial to all those who died in the Human-Covenant War.
"For us, the storm has passed, the War is over. But let us not forget those who journeyed into the harrowing dark, and did not return. For they made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that we may begin to rebuild. And as we do, this hillside will remain barren, in memorial of heroes fallen. We will never forget."
The Admiral removed his cap as Carter barked out a crisp order.
"PRESENT ARMS!"
The assembled soldiers aimed their Battle Rifles into the air and a 21-gun salute rang out through the evening air.
The Admiral walked over to the Arbiter.
"I remember how this war started, what your kind did to mine. I can't forget that. But… you have my thanks, for standing by them to the end. Hard to believe they're dead."
Hood extended his hand to the Arbiter, and the Sangheili shook it.
"Were it so easy."
Everyone but the Spartans left. They walked over to the memorial.
"What now, sir?" Jorge asked.
"Well… I don't know." Carter responded.
"What can we do? There won't be any more fighting for a while. I guess we just become civilians." Jun said.
"I know one thing we can do." Kat said as she took her combat knife out of its sheath.
She cut into the stone, etching the service tags of the Spartans of NOBLE who died on Reach and Halo.
B-312.
A-239.
S-005.
S-117.
She stood up and rejoined the others.
"I know you weren't an official part of NOBLE, Master Chief, but your name will be remembered forever in our history." Carter eulogized.
"You were true heroes, all of you. I'm honored to have served with you." Jorge added.
"You all made the phrase 'Spartans Never Die' seem all too true." Jun put in.
"And you ended the greatest threats to humanity. You are true Spartans." Kat added.
"I only hope that we can aspire to be like all of you." Carter finished.
"Attention!" He ordered.
The team all stood to attention and snapped a long and respectful salute to their fallen comrades across all branches of the UNSC.
As they left, Carter's TACPAD dinged as he received a new message.
"Huh?"
It was from Colonel Holland. Apparently, he had made it back to Earth, and now ONI wanted all Spartans to report to an orbital station for a new assignment.
"Looks like we have a new mission, NOBLE."
"Where are we headed, Commander?" Jorge asked.
"An ONI station in orbit. All surviving Spartans are being called there."
"Then let's not keep the spooks waiting. Shall we?" Jun indicated to a Pelican that had three other Spartans, II's, inside.
"Welcome aboard, NOBLE." One of them said as the team embarked.
"Who are you three?" Carter asked.
"I'm Maverick, this is Barnes, and he's Aztec. We're Raptor Team. What's left of it, anyway."
"You three know anything about what's going on?"
"Just as much as you do." Aztec replied.
The Pelican took off for the station.
-X-
3 days earlier.
UNSC Forward Unto Dawn. Aft Section.
The ship was dark. Light shone from the hangar bay, and inside, Emile, James, and John were adjusting to the lack of gravity and atmosphere.
"Cortana, what happened?" The Chief asked.
"The ring fired. It caused the portal to collapse. We made it through just in time."
The AI planted a NAV marker in the Spartan's HUD's. The endpoint was the ship's crew deck, cut clean in half.
"At least, most of us."
"Good goddamn." James commented.
"That's a big hole." Emile said.
The three backtracked to a cryo bay, where Cortana had prepped three pods.
"I'll drop a beacon, but it'll be a while before anyone finds us."
The Spartans climbed into the pods.
"Years even."
"Wake us. When you need us." The Chief told the AI.
"I'll miss you." She said as the door sealed and frost covered the glass.
The three Spartans descended into cryosleep, unaware that in four years' time, they would be called upon once again to save humanity.
That's it for this, folks! Next up: NOBLE's induction into the IV's, and a few short stories about their training on the Infinity. After that, a chapter dedicated to Cortana and the Chief's recollections about their adventures on the first Halo, and then we move into the final section of the book, Halo 4.
