Why is this now labeled complete? I'm sure at least a few of you noticed this detail and have asked yourselves this question. Well, dear readers, this that you see here is the final chapter of our epic tale. It's been quite a journey, and I want to thank everyone who's followed along the whole time, or who read the whole story in a mad rush yesterday after noon, or who may find this days or even months from now. I couldn't have done it without all of your encouragement.
Special thanks to FalloutGuy1986 (for helping make Sarge sound like Sarge), and even more thanks to lilfoxkit, for being the most awesome human I've ever met as well as my expert on Sangheili culture (any mistakes in that department are the fault of me not listening well enough).
PS, see end of chapter for important note.
It isn't hard to convince the Covenant we didn't know about Gold and Nick. They already believed Gold was still working for mom. It's simple enough to say Rho is too. I'd already told them before that we lost her on a mission, and now I explain further that Nick had been the one holding her, and he'd claimed she was taken by Gold. It doesn't take much to hypothesize that he was lying, and he let Gold take her because they were working together. It's easy to convince them, but it's not easy to say. It's not easy to know that I'm branding them as traitors, in order to ensure their freedom.
We each play our parts well, my family and I as well as the reds and blues; each feigning confusion over Nick and Gold's disappearance, and agreeing with the theories the Council presents us with. In the end, it's decided that they're both traitors, and that Rho's gone rampant, and it's none of our faults. I hate that I have to let them believe it.
I know there are already teams looking for Nick, Gold, and Rho. They're still considered war criminals, guilty of terrible crimes. Still, the trial for mom goes quickly. It's important to the Covenant that she faces justice without any further delays.
They sentence Dr. Han to execution, as I knew they would. Too many of them died for her to merely be kept in a prison, and that isn't really their way. The event will be broadcast to every Covenant world and fleet throughout the galaxy. We're invited to watch, me and my family. Most of my siblings refuse, simply wanting this to be over. I'm the only one who chooses to attend. It's not that I want to watch her die, though. I just know I won't believe she's gone unless I see it for myself.
I'm reminded once again just how small humans are, when she's lead to the podium. Her Sangheili escort is at least two feet taller than her, and the grunts screaming to her from every direction are nearly as tall as she is. Compared to all of them, humans are this and frail. And yet, somehow, she doesn't look small. Her back is straight, shoulders high, and her hair is still in that smooth, flawless bun I always remember.
It doesn't surprise me that she maintains her dignity, even now. Emotions were never useful to her in any point of her life, so why would she show one like defeat now? It's much more fitting that she walks the ways she does, like she's better than any of the aliens around her.
Once she reaches the podium, her charges are read, as well as her sentence. She doesn't try to argue. Dr. Han simply accepts that it's true, when they accuse her of wanting every Covenant species to be extinct. This statement is greeted with screams of rage from the crowd, and the execution commences.
It seems like her eyes are fixed on me as the electric cuffs are secured to her wrists. I know this can't be the case. I'm too far away, behind the whole crowd of screaming, jeering, riotous Covenant. She doesn't really see me. She can't, not with normal humans eyes. She's simply staring ahead, ignoring the fate about to befall her.
Still, the moment the cuffs turn on, I'm sure her eyes lock onto mine. It's just for a moment, but I'm sure it happens. Green irises, nearly identical to my own, reflected across the vast space of the room, before they finally shut in pain.
I don't look at her, once it starts. I stare at the crowd gathered behind the stage, trying to tune out the screams. They aren't screams of anger or even anguish. There are no pleas for mercy. There's simply a primal, pain filled sound that can signal only death. It's a few long moments before this noise finally stops, and Dr. Han falls limp to the ground. The crowd cheers. I simply stand and leave, glad this is finally over.
I hear the sharp slap of skin against skin, followed by a high pitched shout. I look over my shoulder to see Franc and Rubi playing, the boy clapping to let her know where he is while she chases with her eyes closed, squealing in playful delight every time he slips through her fingers. I smile, watching them run through the grass of Valhalla. I decide that this is a good place. It's good that they can play somewhere that isn't a lab.
I look up from them to the base on the other side of the canyon, and the city beyond that. I've been told it's called Pantheon. Most of my siblings want to live there, which seems appropriate to me. This planet is just starting to be settled. It seems like a good place to start our lives. And it just so happens to be the home of the Spartan Academy, which is convenient.
After a lot of thought and research, and carefully discussing it with everyone, we decided the academy would be the best place for the kids. The rest are already there, and Tinu's going to take Franc and Rubi tomorrow. I hate sending them away, but it's close enough that we can visit from the city, and I know they'll get the help they need there. I just hope all the kids understand that too.
Everyone else seems to be working out their own plans for the future as well. Simmons and Yttri are standing on the other side of the base's rooftop, side by side as they talk. Donut and Tinu are on a rock by the riverside, expressions more serious than I've ever seen them before as they discuss the clothing store they plan to open. Sarge and Caboose, of all people, are off a little ways, seeming to be deep in conversation, or as deep as a conversation can get with Carbon. I haven't seen Wash in a little bit, but I suspect he's somewhere inside the base, looking for anything left over from his time here in the past. I take a moment to enjoy this sight of my friends and family starting off their futures. I feel bad for Nick, Gold, and Rho for a moment, but push the feeling away. I know they'll be okay, and I suspect they're happy with this outcome. None of them really liked the idea of settling down anyway.
All in all, it looks like everything's going to be okay here. I just have one more thing to take care of.
Simmons rambles excitedly as he explains his plans. "That guy from the city's council said they've wanted to buy this property for a long time, ever since they started building. The generators in the base were built by the forerunners, and they could potentially power half the planet. I was thinking if we sell power to them, we could make enough money to start our own company!"
"That sounds like a pretty good plan," Yttri says, threading her fingers through his.
Simmons pauses, swallowing down a lump in his throat at the sudden contact. He still isn't used to that, and doubts he'll ever be. "A-anyway," he continues nervously. "We should be able to incorporate the bases into the main facility, though if more cities get settled around here, we'll need headquarters in each. I was thinking aside from selling energy, we could have some sort of research and development aspect to the company. Design new tech and stuff like that."
"Really?" Yttri asks, facing Simmons as she steps a bit closer to the redheaded man. She rests a hand on his armored arm, hearing the mechanisms in the prosthetic working as he shifts.
"Yeah," Simmons squeaks.
"Sounds to me like you'll need some sort of inventor to help with that," the curly haired woman explains, reaching up to pull his helmet off.
Simmons gulps. "W-would… would you be willing to?" he asks hopefully.
Yttri hums thoughtfully as she lets the maroon piece of armor drop to the ground. "One condition," she finally decides.
"What's that?" Simmons whispers, sure he'll start hyperventilating any second.
There's a brief flash of a grin before lips are suddenly pressed to his own. Simmons spends a moment too shocked to do anything before tentatively placing a hand on her shoulder and pulling her closer. His last thought before Yttri pulls away is that she smells a bit like motor oil, and he finds it oddly fitting.
"More of those, as well as a share in the company, and I'm all yours," she bargains, eyes full of mischief and something that makes Simmons a bit terrified, though he thinks it's in a good way.
"Deal," he says instantly. She pecks his lips again, and this time he's sure his bran short circuits. "You, uh, know Grif's going to own part of the company too, right?" he babbles without thinking.
"Really?" Yttri says, pulling back a bit and slipping her hands into his hair.
"Y-yeah," Simmons stammers. "He owns the property too, so anything I do with it has to involve him. I'm pretty sure he's going to let me run everything, though. That slob wouldn't know how to help anyway."
"Sounds like a great deal," Yttri says. "He'll get money without having to work for it, and you'll get to run the company without his interference."
"And you get somewhere to work on your inventions," Simmons adds proudly, glad he'll get to keep her close while she does what she loves.
"And you," Yttri says, leaning close to whisper it in his ear. "I also get you, cyborge." She tries not to laugh at the shade of red that spreads through his cheeks.
Nick's eyes flick over the controls in front of him, momentarily glancing to the man in the pilot's seat from time to time. "Where are we going?" he asks for the third time in the past hour. He's all for running from the Covenant and finding an adventure, but he'd like to know what the plan is.
"Spore," Gold answers distractedly. "I figure he'll be able to help us find a job."
"Last I remember, Spore doesn't live anywhere near here," Nick points out.
"I've tracked him to a small storefront on the Malevolent Depths," Rho supplies. "We're going the opposite direction from there," she adds when Gold doesn't adjust their course.
"There's something I need to do first," the blonde says, refusing to look over at them.
"Gold," Nick says carefully. "Are you okay?"
"Yes," he snaps before taking a deep breath. He lets it out as a sigh. "Yeah, I'm fine," he assures. "It's just… this is important to me. Please, just trust me."
"Alright," Nick agrees, leaning back in the copilot's seat. He's beginning to suspect where they're going anyway, and if he's right, then he knows why Gold cares so much. He'll trust his brother.
Less than an hour later they're landing in a very familiar hangar in a frozen base. Nick steps through the pelican's bay doors and has a moment of déjà-vu, remembering standing in this very position while Tinu was crouched behind some boxes a few feet away, fighting Gold. He glances at his brother who's now fully in control of his own mind and smiles.
Gold doesn't waste a second before sprinting further into the base. Nick does his best to keep up, though he soon loses track of the faster man. Rho provides him a map of the base, as well as a mark on his HUD to track Gold.
They finally catch up to him in the middle of a long corridor. A dimly glowing and heavily damaged man canon and scorched, partially blown out wall show that there was once a fight here. Gold is kneeling by an old pool of blood, looking lost.
"He's gone," he says, muttering it to himself like he doesn't believe it.
Nick steps around him and sees where Boron once lay, streaks of blood showing where he was dragged down the hall. The trail fades out after a few feet, but there's no body.
"I'm sorry, Gold," he says, resting a hand on his brother's shoulder.
"We have to find him," Gold decides, standing again. "Mom had a bunch of monsters here. She let them all loose when you attacked. One of them must have gotten Ron."
"Gold," Rho says carefully.
"I'm not leaving him," Gold says in a near shout. His next words come as almost a whisper. "I can't just leave him here like this. He at least deserves a burial. Please."
Nick nods agreement. "We'll help you look," he promises, beginning to follow the trail. He knows Gold hasn't taken his partner's death well. He hopes laying Boron to rest will help him somehow. He knows it won't really do anything in the end, but he thinks Boron deserves it, after everything he went through. It's really all they can do for him now.
Grif is standing on the small beach behind the base, grumbling about how the waves are pathetic here, as I approach.
"Ready to go?" I ask, catching his attention. The orange armored man glances over his shoulder before looking back out over the water.
"Go?" he asks in confusion, helmet tucked under his arm. His hair shifts a bit as the wind blows across the water. "Go where?"
"To find you sister," I explain. "I made a promise, remember? My family's all taken care of now. It's time to find yours."
"Wait, you're serious?" Grif asks, turning to face me fully.
I nod. "If you still want to find her, that is."
"Of course I do," he says suddenly. "I just… I don't even know where to start. Lopez said he shot her. At least, I think that's what he said. He's kind of hard to understand sometimes."
"We'll start where you last saw her, in Blood Gulch," I say. "From there, we'll figure something out. She can't have just disappeared."
Grif nods agreement. "Do you think she's still alive?" he asks, voice carefully void of any feeling. I know the tone well. I've used it enough times myself, when I don't want to sound too hopeful and disappoint myself.
"I think we won't know until we look," I answer. I don't want to promise anything. I know the chances of someone surviving this long alone, especially if they're in a barren canyon without any supply drops. Still, I know how it feels to not know what's happened to someone you love. There are still a lot of my own siblings who are missing, like Yttri's partner Helium, and Titanium and Hydrogen. I'd give anything to be able to find them, and I know Grif must feel the same about his own sister, even if he's trying not to show it.
"Well, let's get started then," he says, showing more energy than I'm used to seeing in him. "I want to get this done soon, so I can keep an eye on Simmons. These bases belong to both of us, and I don't trust him to use their power wisely on his own."
"You would run this company into the ground!" came Simmons shout from the other side of the base.
"There is no fucking company yet, you neurotic nerd!" Grif shot back. There was a moment of silence. "What? No come back?"
"I'm just shocked you know the word 'neurotic'," Simmons admitted, sounding a bit awestruck.
Grif makes an apathetic noise as he gestures rudely in the base's general direction. "Well, what are we waiting for?" he asks, looking at me again. "Let's go find Kai."
I agree and we start making our way to the pelican in the middle of the valley. Wash is standing by the bay door when we arrive.
"You're leaving?" he asks before I have a chance to speak, face neutral. Grif continues into the ship, head ducked as he tries his best to ignore us while muttering something about awkward couple conversations.
"I have a promise to keep," I say with a slight shrug. I don't know how else to explain. I told Grif I would do this, and I'm not ready to stop yet. There's still more I need to do. I still have people I need to find. I plan to look for them as well while I'm gone.
"Do you want some help?" Wash asks, stepping closer.
I shake my head, knowing I'd love to have him with me, but I need him here. "I think I've got this covered," I answer.
"Si," Wash starts. I hold up a hand to silence him.
"I need someone to keep an eye on them," I explain. "My family's never been civilians before. They don't really know how. I want to be here to help them settle in, but the longer we wait, the colder this trail gets. I don't really have a choice but to go now."
Wash nods reluctantly for a moment, knowing I have a point even though he hates to admit it. "It's been a long time since I've been considered a civilian," Wash says thoughtfully. "But I'll try to help them. I'll do whatever I can. I promise."
"I know you will," I say as I smile up at him. "I trust you, Wash."
I start to walk past him to the ship when he grabs my wrist. "Wait," he says quickly. I'm about to ask what's wrong when he pulls me forward and kisses me, hand sliding to the back of my neck as he holds me to him. I return the embrace, one hand on his shoulder as the other finds the back of his head. There's a quiet mutter from Grif about us getting a room before the back of the pelican closes, locking him away from the sight.
Wash and I hold like that for a drawn out moment before he eventually pulls away. "So you'll remember to come back," he whispers in explanation, thumb caressing over my cheek as he cups my face.
"How could I ever forget?" I return, pressing my forehead to his. A moment later there's a muffled shout from inside the ship, signaling Grif's impatience to get going, though he phrases it as boredom. I laugh, feeling foolishly giddy for a moment, and step back from Wash. It takes less than a second and a deep breath for my face to turn serious again.
"I will come back," I promise, seeing a hint of fear in his eyes. He's lost people before. He's used to people leaving. He doesn't want that to happen again. "You're here, and my family's here, and the reds and blues are here. There's nowhere else I'd rather be. So of course I'll come back," I reason.
Wash nods, hands finally falling away from me. "Just be careful," he says. "Things are never as simple as they seem with these guys."
"Through no fault of their own," I assume, remembering the stories about the lucky idiots from Blood Gulch.
"Exactly," Wash laughs. "Just be ready for anything."
"I always am," I assure, smiling at him. There's a few moments of awkward silence, neither of us wanting to be the one to finally turn away, before the pelican opens again.
"For the love of god," Grif mumbles, grabbing my arm and tugging in the direction of the vehicle. "Enough with the teenage love stuff. Just say goodbye and let's go." He seems to give up after a few halfhearted tugs, deciding actually dragging me to the ship is too much work, and instead chooses to glare at me until I leave.
"Not goodbye," I say adamantly, looking at Wash. "Just later."
"Later," he agrees.
I press a last, quick kiss to his lips before finally walking into the ship, knowing if I wait another second I won't be able to leave. I don't look back as I walk up to the cockpit, trusting Grif to seal the bay door instead. Once I'm in the pilot's seat I waste no time in starting the engine and taking off. Just one last mission, I tell myself. Then it's just a normal life for you and your family… and Wash.
And that's a wrap. Wow, this took a long time. But don't worry, there's definitely more where this came from. Me and lilfoxkit have been thinking up a storm of sequels, some of which should start being posted within the next few weeks. Keep your eyes peeled for those in the near future, and once again, thanks for being awesome.
-Jaden Silver