Level 6: Family Matters

Camp Eden
The Box // Military Sector Alpha
Central Egypt
November 2, 2552

Rose pulled up her welding mask and sat back from the table. She tossed her arms into the air and stretched. She was covered in grime and sweat; the side effect of being miles underground and in an underdeveloped room. ONI neglected to inform Rose that they chose not to install Air Conditioning or adequate lighting in the Box in order to 'preserve' its contents.

"Gibson." Rose stated as she returned to welding a circuit board. "Time check."

A voice replied over the room's speaker system. "The time is now 0430 hours, Doctor. You have been working for nearly seventeen hours straight. You must rest. I can assign your current task to another member of your development team."

"I'm fine, Gibson." Rose smirked. She was content with what she was doing, happy to be doing her part to save humanity, and she knew that she couldn't afford to let time be wasted. Her current project was a terminal that would decrypt the software used within the Reclaimer armor, and give her more knowledge into the software of the Forerunners. "What's the status of the MJOLNIR gauntlets and leg units we shipped out two days ago?"

"Currently, Spartan 117 has received his enhancements, database, and new under armor layer. Spartan's 043, 058 and 104 received only the database enhancements prior to being sent to Cuba."

Rose sat up and pondered the location. "Cuba? Isn't there another Orbital Tether located there?"

"Yes. Your security clearance allows for me to tell you the status of their situation. The enemy has been using the Oribital Tether to transport weapons to and from the Earth's surface. The Spartans were sent to retake control of the station."

"Even though the Prophets want the Ark, I guess they still need to deploy their forces all over the world." Rose smirked as she examined her latest circuit board.

"That information is not available." Gibson replied. A smart AI would have been able to carry a conversation, but Gibson was a generation behind.

Rose chuckled at the words. "What about the Black Ops?"

"The Black Ops mission was a failure. The Rogue Fantasy was destroyed on October 31, 2552 at time index …"

Rose jolted up from her work "What?"

"The Black Ops mission was a failure. The Rogue Fantasy was…"

"What happened to the Black Ops, Gibson?" Rose angrily questioned the AI.

"Black Ops 05, 08 and 19 survived the destruction of the Rogue Fantasy. Black Ops 19 is currently completing surgery at Eden Medical facility 4114. Would you like to see the relative data?"

"No." Rose sat down as her mind became divided on her duty and her affections. She was grateful to hear that they were alive, but Eric's injuries sounded severe. She looked around the spacious interior of the Box and suddenly realized that she was alone. Only the flickering lights of the Tree of Life and the mysterious Reclaimer battle armor gave her company. She pushed away from the table and began to unbutton her dusty and sweaty jump suit. Because of the heat and humidity she wore very little clothing beneath the jumpsuit. Sweat stains lined her sport bra as she pulled her arms from the sleeves of her jumpsuit.

Rose let the upper section of her jumpsuit fall to her midriff as she tied it off around her waist. "Gibson, I will return in a few hours. Tell someone to finish working on the circuit for me, and I need it to be finished by the time I return."

"Yes Doctor. But Doctor, what time should I inform them of your return?"

Rose was loosing her patience with the AI. "Damn it, I don't know! I'll be back sometime before midday."

"Yes Doctor. But Doctor, such a time frame is not sufficient for your demands. In order to complete the task before you return, you must notify the workers of a better time frame."

Rose walked to the door and waved for it to open, but Gibson would not let her pass. "Damn it, Gibson! Open the door!"

"Forgive me Doctor, but you must give me a time to relay to your team."

"1200 hours! Okay?"

"That is sufficient."

The door parted, and a flow of cool air brushed over her Rose as she stormed out. She quickly jogged through the cave site and climbed the metal stairs to the elevator. The door opened and she stepped inside with the three unknown soldiers. Wearing only a tied off jump suit and bra, Rose planted her hands to her hips and put her back to the soldiers. Rose was never shy about exposing herself in public.

"Where are you headed, Doctor Santos?" One of the mysterious soldiers questioned through his helmet's external speaker.

"A Spartan III that can speak? I'm shocked." Rose quickly returned. "Why are you asking?"

The Spartan III remained motionless as he answered. "Major Rawlings orders. You haven't left the box since your arrival, and she would like to be aware of all of your activities."

"I'll tell you, if you tell me about that armor you're wearing." Rose answered smugly.

A female voice sounded from one of the Spartan III's "She has clearance. She designed the MJOLNIR." She was young. Rose could tell by her voice that she was most likely still in her mid twenties.

Rose countered, "I was head of the MJOLNIR project, but I only designed the Gauntlets, internal circuits and HUD. I pulled together the designs and the diagrams, but I rarely touched any of the actual parts. In fact, my first time seeing the full armor was in Port Said."

"Still, you have clearance, ma'am." The female Spartan Replied.

The male added. "Semi-Powered Infiltration Armor, or SPI Armor for short. It is equipped with photo-reactive panels, ballistic gel layer, active HUD and motion sensors."

"SPI armor you say." Rose added as the elevator door opened. She stepped off and turned to the young soldiers. "I guess Colonel Ackerson found further funding for his project after all. I remember the details of the SPI program while I was putting together the team for the Mark VI. It was proposed as a cheap and …" Rose caught her tongue, as she looked at herself in the golden reflective armor of the SPI armor. They were kids, just like Eric, Kim and Melanie had been when they were pulled into the Black Ops program. The UNSC had dark secrets; the type of secrets that were never spoke of in public. "I'm headed to Eden, to visit a friend in the hospital. If the Major is looking for me, tell her I will return by noon."

"Yes ma'am." The elevator door closed and Rose quickly walked to the showers.

"I told them that the SPI Armor was a waste of time." She fumed. "Those poor kids… 'a cheap and disposable army'."

Rose was one of the many protestors of the SPI armor program, as it took more of her budget away from the MJOLNIR project. But also, she knew it had its limitations. She felt that if the battle armor provided no additional protection then it was a considerable waste of time and resources. Being the head of the MJOLNIR project, she had gained many supporters, but even more enemies. However, what Rose was not aware of was that the SPI armor had already been in service since 2531, and stopping its production was not possible. Once the plans to create the Spartan III had been approved, there was no looking back. Eric and the Black Ops were a direct result of the first stage of the Spartan III research. Colonel Ackerson's research team boasted that for the price of one Mark V, they could build forty SPI armors. Yet Rose Protested that one Mark V could do the work of fifty Spartan IIIs wearing SPI Armor. Her view was understandable, but the ONI brass didn't see her terms. Simply put, SPI Armor could not protect a Spartan in a serious firefight against the Covenant.

Rose quickly walked toward the Section III bunks, removed her dirty jump suit, tossed it into a pile and walked into the co-ed military showers. The cold metal floor and open shower stalls was a huge contrast to Major Rawlings private quarters. Several other female officers were in the shower and they gave a solid nod as Rose entered. She replied and turned on the shower.

It was apparent to the other officers that Rose wasn't a soldier. They commented that Rose didn't fit the body structure of a grunt, and that 'desk jockeys' didn't use the showers in the barracks. It was at this point that the girls began mumbling that Rose was perhaps an ONI spook. They didn't know how close they were to the truth. Rose tried to ignore the young women's constant mumbling, but the echo in the shower made it easy for her to hear every word they were saying. She let them talk, and enjoyed the cleansing water while it lasted.

- - - - - - - -

Camp Eden Medical Facility // Civilian Refugee Camp
Camp Eden
Beneath Central Egypt
November 2, 2552

The hospital doors parted as Melanie and Mathew walked out. Melanie strode ahead and Mathew silently followed. They said nothing to each other, but knew that they wanted to. Eric would survive, that was all that mattered for now. Melanie patted the flask on her hip pocket, and was reassured that it had been filled by the ongoing 'celebration' she had just left. Above her head was the lighted interior of the massive cave ceiling. A few Pelican transports soared over the city, carrying supplies for the civilians and VIP personal. Camp Eden was always a paradise for the UNSC forces, but now it was a huge civilian refugee camp. Millions of survivors lined the city streets and wilderness beyond. It was hard to imagine that nearly all of humanities survivors had retreated to this one location, but it were only the lucky few who could afford to travel. Rumor floated amongst the military that bands of non-military combatants were still fighting against the Brutes in various locations all over the world.

Corporal Hall ran from the medical facility and raced up behind Melanie and Mathew. "Chief!" Melanie and Mathew turned as he approached. "I just wanted to thank you two again. You guys kept us alive; we should have died out there. I'm being assigned to the 501st platoon in a few hours, and before I ship off to the west, I wanted to say good luck."

"Give'em hell, Corporal." Mathew stated as he shook the man's hand.

"Where are the others?" Melanie questioned.

"They've all been reassigned to various platoons, except for Tsueng. He volunteered for a pelican shipment to that Spartan heading toward New Mombasa."

"The Master Chief." Melanie smiled as she lowered her head in thought. "He called us Spartans when we fought beside him."

Hall smiled. "Doesn't surprise me much, I've seen what you can do."

Overhead the roar of a phantom could be heard and the group looked upward. Mathew smiled, "There's our ride."

But Melanie turned and watched as a man in a naval uniform raced toward them as well. "He cleans up pretty good." She instantly recognized the clean shaven face of young Wesley Williams.

Wesley stopped and saluted firmly. "Chief, I have orders from Section III. They've finished analyzing Siren from the recovery mission, and they need Spartan 087. Major Rawlings demanded that she return to Camp Eden, but… well… Spartan 087 says she will not abandon Abu Simbel."

"Kelly disobeyed a direct order?" Mathew replied.

Wesley sighed. "She's been acting weird since the moment she put on the Mark VI. According her record, and Doc Halsey, she's more in tune with the armor then any of the other Spartans."

Melanie looked at Wesley awkwardly. "You really are a spook, aren't you? Were you spying on us as well?"

Wesley smirked. "I'm not at liberty to say at the moment, Chief. But I can say that I've never lied to any of you." Wesley looked up as the Phantom powered on its gravity lift. He knew Gridolee was inside and instinctively unfastened his side arm. "We tried to contact you two via your com frequency, but you haven't turned on your radios. Your orders are to extract Spartan 087 and return her to ONI command on level 41."

"And if she says, no?" Melanie asked.

"She's a Spartan, she won't say no."

Melanie sighed and flipped up her face mask. "And if she says, no?" She questioned more forcefully, glaring into Wesley's eyes.

Wesley looked away nervously. "If she says no, then you have to convince her that she must come back. Orders are orders, so if you have to force her… well." He understood how futile that sounded.

Mathew stepped forward. "Force a Spartan? Force a Spartan wearing MJOLNIR Mark VI battle armor. A Spartan that could actually kill every last soldier in a battalion if she so pleased. You want us to force her?" Mathew lifted his mask and looked at Wesley curiously.

Simyaldee and Gridolee descended from the gravity lift of the Phantom, and Simyaldee addressed the humans. "Palab is still being examined by the human, Doctor Halsey. She will examine him further, but she seemed most concerned for his condition. We came to speak with the Honorable human, Sergeant Raynord. Is he well?"

Melanie nodded. "He was coming out of surgery when we left. We were headed back to the front lines to join your defensive. Your timing was perfect."

Wesley looked at Simyaldee as he ignored Gridolee completely, but never removed his hand from his side arm. "What happed to Palab?"

"He was infected by the Flood." Simyaldee replied, as he noticed that Wesley's hand was affixed to his weapon.

"But the cure should have prevented any affect of the Flood spores." Wesley pondered.

Simyaldee added. "The human Doctor Halsey is unsure of the cause, but the Flood spores are not dieing within his system. Nor are they spreading."

"This needs to be reported to command." Wesley whispered, but his words were heard by all.

Melanie gripped Wesley by the collar and pulled him close. "Doctor Halsey can handle it. If you tell Command or Section III, they'll kill Palab, and you know it." Corporal Hall stepped back in shock, knowing that the situation could get out of hand.

Wesley glared at Melanie's hand as it clung to his shirt. "Sorry Chief. It comes with the territory. I have to report this because Dr. Halsey sure as hell won't! We have to consider the safety of the civilian populace down here."

Simyaldee clinched his mandibles at the words. "I understand. To protect your civilians you must do what must be done. The human doctor has been most resourceful in the past and she will figure this out as well."

Wesley pushed Melanie's hand from his collar. "Not my problem. Chief, you have your orders. Simyaldee, shouldn't you be at the front line with your team?"

Simyaldee turned on his heel, ignoring the human's tone. "Very well. I will forgive your words because fear has consumed you."

Gridolee looked at Wesley but did not speak. He followed Simyaldee into the phantom's gravity lift and they waited for Mathew and Melanie.

"You little punk." Melanie said dryly as she pulled down her visor. "Have you forgotten what the Elites sacrificed to be here? They watched their home become obliterated by the Flood, and the last of their race just left them here… maybe to die with us. You have no right to talk to them like that! I know Gridolee hurt you… but still. We owe them."

Wesley looked at her sternly. "Did you forget that the Elite's killed your sister?"

Mathew gripped Melanie's hand before she could bring it up to punch Wesley. He then turned to Corporal Hall. "Tell 19 to get on his feet quick, we need him. Good luck to you on the western front." A quick salute and Corporal Hall raced back into the medical facility. Mathew pulled Melanie to the side and then turned toward Wesley. He also felt the urge to hit the young man, but there was no time to get into a heated debate. As long as Wesley branded the bars of an ONI officer, his orders were law. "We have our orders, Sir! Permission to disembark?"

Melanie wasn't so humble. "I swear to God, Wesley, you better get your head clear. Next time Mathew won't save you … Sir!" She hated this version of Wesley. Without Rose around he was more of a pain in the ass. Rose was his weakness, although he showed signs of disliking her, in secret he loved her deeply. But whenever she wasn't around, Wesley became a true ONI Section III operative once again.

Wesley clinched his jaw and nodded toward the two Black Ops. "Dismissed." Melanie and Mathew quickly boarded the phantom and they proceeded to soar toward the massive cave exit in the distance.

Wesley was a spook, a cloak and dagger operations specialist under the disguise of ONI Section III; the top secret projects division of the Office of Naval Intelligence. This was the group responsible for executing the Spartan Programs, and Project ORION. Before joining with the Black Ops and losing the crystal, Wesley was a young Section III rookie, and had been reassigned to Rose during her recruitment period to lead the MJOLNIR program. He shadowed her for many weeks, going everywhere she went in order to make sure she didn't reveal any information to potential spies. But Rose was everything that Section III needed to complete the Mark V and lead the Mark VI. It was at this point that Wesley's connections to Section III began to fade, but it was only externally.

Wesley watched as the Phantom flew off into the distance, his ordeal with the Elites, the Black Ops, and the Flood was finally over. He decided to embrace his duty as an operative, and do his job to the best of his ability.

He looked over his shoulder at the dusty metal walls of the medical facility. Lines of civilians sat in huddled shantytowns along the street. Water trucks slowly rolled through the 'town' passing out rations of water and food, as people nervously begged for more.

"This is nothing like Dorenth." Wesley snarled to himself. "The Elites didn't have a weapon buried beneath their planet. The Elites didn't have food and water rationing. They didn't have a centralized government attempting to deceive them and make them think that everything was going to be alright."

Rose quietly appeared and stood at Wesley's side. "You're right." Wesley was startled at seeing her. "The Elites could survive on their own without the aid of others. We are far weaker then they are. They are natural hunters, and collected their own food from the numerous plants and animals that lived in their Inner Sanctum. But look at humanity. We're pathetic." She looked at Wesley and smiled. "We sit on the top of our food chain, yet while we are in this cave we complain about being hungry. We are surrounded by wild animals, dogs run up and down the streets, cats eat our scraps, but yet we complain that we are hungry. Birds fly over our heads, cattle graze a few miles beyond this city, and fish swim in the lakes to the North. But we say we are hungry."

"Rose…"

"Look around you Wesley." Rose sighed as she looked at the civilians sleeping in the streets, in cardboard boxes, empty ammo crates, and vehicles. "This is all that is left of humanity. The strong continue to fight, but the weak sit here and complain about being hungry and thirsty. The smart ones left the city to live in the forest, or near the lake, but the majority of us humans have gathered here hoping for handouts from the military. You hate the Elites and I can't blame you, Gridolee was wrong in his actions, but I admire them. They embraced the technology of the Covenant, but they have not forgotten the pride in their past. If we live through this, I'll be living in the forest and walking back and forth to the city in order to finish my work. We will need to eventually rebuild this 'alien' world."

Wesley was once again docile in Rose's presence. "We aren't that weak. The Forerunners thought we were strong enough to be the leaders of their military."

"No. They thought we were 'smart' enough to lead their forces." Rose commented. "Humanity is cunning, elusive, thinkers, and that is why we led the Forerunner military. If they wanted strength, they would have used the Brutes or the Elites… hell, even a Grunt is stronger then the average soldier. Sorry Wesley, humanity is quite sad without our mental capacity."

Wesley slipped his hands into his pocket. "Well if you like the Elites so much, why don't you live with them?"

Rose laughed. "I guess I struck a nerve." She looked at Wesley and smiled. "Have you been inside to see Eric?"

"No."

"Well, let's go."

"No. I have some work I need to do." Wesley began to walk away but paused. "You said you would rebuild this 'alien' world?"

"You know about the Box, right?" Rose questioned.

"Yeah. What of it?"

"There are fossils of Elites down there."

Wesley walked closer to Rose and glared at her deeply. "Who else have you told this?"

"No one. I'm not in the business of giving away secrets… unless it's a crystal." Rose laughed.

Wesley sighed. "Keep everything you see in that box to yourself. Don't talk about anything… you still haven't earned Major Rawlings' trust." Wesley turned and waved his farewell.

Rose said a soft goodbye to the young man and continued into the Medical Facility. She approached the front desk and began to speak but the receptionists cut her off.

"They are waiting for you on the third floor, Doctor Santos." The nurse then gave Rose a badge with a photo ID on it. "Follow the signs on the wall until you reach the Military ward. Someone at the military branch can assist you from there."

Rose clipped the ID to her shirt and proceeded to the military ward. After following the signs she arrived at a Military checkpoint. A guard asked her to have a seat and soon a naval officer approached.

"Doctor Santos, it's been a while." A younger woman stated as she extended her hand. She wore the uniform of a Naval Officer and the stripes of a Captain, but her age and rank didn't match. Rose recognized the woman as she struggled to recall her name.

"Captain… Monroe?" Rose said as she took the captain's hand and gave it a soft shake. "It has been a while. I think we spoke only briefly on the Seed Ship."

"Yes." Monroe smiled. She had never fully looked at Roselyn Santos, and now she understood why there was such awkwardness around her. "You're not Eric's type." She laughed.

"Excuse me?" Rose sarcastically questioned.

Captain Monroe simply smiled. "It's something Kimberly Peters told me once. We were off duty, and she was drinking and she mentioned how Eric chased after you while you were in college. Whenever Kim asked Eric about you he would always say that 'you weren't his type.'" Monroe laughed. "Come on, he'll want to see you. He just came out of surgery."

"Shouldn't he be resting?" Rose questioned as she followed Monroe down the hall.

"You really are shy around him, aren't you?" Monroe smirked. "You know him better then that. Eric will be on his feet in no time." They turned a corner and entered a more secure wing of the Military Ward.

Monroe continued, "Kim was like a big sister to me, in fact all of the Black Ops are like my family; particularly Kim, Mel and Eric. Despite the fact that I am their C.O., we all worked together. Kim told me everything, and Mel usually filled in the blanks. But you, you were an enigma. Kim would say one thing while Mel would say another. Eric rarely mentioned your name… well, until Kim died." Captain Monroe and Rose stopped at Eric's door. "Kim would say that you were a fierce Lacrosse player, and that you had the eye of everyman on campus. But Eric was the only man that made you nervous."

"Kim and I shared a great year together as roommates, but then she followed Eric to war." Rose stood motionless. "I wasn't shy around Eric, I was distant because I knew how Kim felt about him."

"That was the piece that Kim never told me." Monroe smiled. "It doesn't matter now. Major Rawlings sent word a few minutes ago that you would be coming. Don't expect any privacy, Rose. Eric is a valuable asset to many people. You aren't the only one that's worried about him."

Monroe stepped forward and the door parted. The atmosphere inside the room was far from quiet and peaceful. Numerous officers, and soldiers littered the small room. In the center of the room lay Eric Raynord, bandaged heavily and with an Intravenous drip in his arm. Captain Monroe walked in and was greeted by a young male officer at the door.

"Hey Captain, where'd you go running off to?" The man laughed.

"I had to get more meat for the party." She smirked as she wrapped her arm around Rose's waist. She then looked at Rose and winked.

The young officer smiled at Rose. "Well hello, love. Were you on the ship with us?"

Monroe cut in, "She was, but she went ashore during the Camp Eden defense campaign. She missed the fun."

"Lucky for you, love." The officer stated as he tossed back a shot of liquor.

The color and smell of the strong alcohol swept across Rose's nose. "Scotch." She looked around the room and noticed that they were all drinking at six in the morning, with the exception of Doctor Carolyn Smith.

The oldest woman in the room, Doctor Smith, examined Eric from head to toe. Rose had never seen the woman before, but she knew who she was by reputation only. Melanie had told her about the Doctor that made the Black Ops and saved their lives, but she had never seen her before. Even in her mid sixties, Doctor Smith was a beautiful woman. Rose began to move toward the bed but Captain Monroe cut off her path.

"Here." Monroe gave Rose a shot glass of scotch. "Melanie said you'd like it. She just left for the front line a few minutes ago. You must have just missed her."

Rose smirked at the irony that Melanie left before she arrived. "What made her think that I would like Scotch?" Rose took the small glass.

"She said you helped finish off her last hint of Whisky. They're in the same family." Monroe smiled.

"Not really." Rose stated as she examined the liquor. "Scotch-Whisky should never be connected to plain whisky. It's either Scotch-Whisky or just plain whisky. Besides that, aren't you all on duty? You shouldn't be drinking. And on top of that, it's too early to be drinking." Rose placed the small glass to her lips and let the bitter-sweet liquor race down her throat. The tingle burned up her nose, but she embraced it, letting the sensation fill her. Rose preferred the heavier burn of generic whisky, the cheap stuff that she drank often while in college to drawn her worries, but in her opinion Scotch was the better whisky; the difference was its Scottish roots.

Monroe cheered. "I won't comment on the irony of you drinking right after that statement. Besides, somewhere on this planet it is time to drink. Plus we are celebrating the lives of our fallen comrades, and us lucky few who survived."

"But, this is a hospital." Rose sighed. She quickly found that she was being passed another shot. As she gripped the glass she began to remember the parties of her college nights, and how shot after shot after shot kept coming her way; the next morning was usually painful.

"Well, if we're going to break the reg's we should do it in the most obvious of locations." Captain Megan Monroe was young for a navy captain. She had bad luck with her commanders in the past, which was the main reason Colonel Ackerson recruited her to lead the Black Ops. She was nineteen when she was first approached with the idea of being a Commander in ONI. Usually this meant being a pencil pusher for the higher ranks, but in Megan's case she was going to be given her own ship. Her youth and inexperience showed over the years, but over time she learned and adjusted thanks to Eric's mentoring. He was ten years older then her, and it was another reason why she respected him so much.

"You really are young spirited." Rose took the shot and waved off the offer for a third; the men seemed eager and excited to see her drink. "How old were you when you became Captain?"

Monroe downed her second drink. "I think it was about two years ago. It was thanks to Kim, really."

"To Kim!" A very intoxicated man shouted after overhearing the captain's words. Everyone raised a glass and took a drink.

Monroe continued. "Her recommendation to ONI earned me the promotion. We had just successfully tested the Rogue Fantasy's cloaking engine. We slipped past an entire Covenant fleet, right down the middle of their formation, undetected. It was the first test of the cloak." Monroe smiled as she thought about the memory. Obviously she had more memories involving the incident that she didn't want to share. She then looked at Rose with an awkward glance. The scotch was starting to take its toll. "Sergeant Raynord is waiting for you. Quit your staling!" With a quick nudge Rose stumbled past a few 'happy sailors' and stopped at Eric's bed side. Monroe had already gripped another shot, and was waving Rose away as if she were a bad puppy.

Rose looked down at Eric with an embarrassed gaze. "It looks like they're using your quiet time in order to have a party."

Eric mumbled. "That's because I can't order them to get out." He winced after attempting to laugh. Rose reached out, her heart filled with concern, but Doctor Smith placed a hand on Eric's chest to calm him.

"Eric, say the word and I'll kick them out for a little while." Doctor Smith mumbled. A few comments rumbled from the crowd and Captain Monroe clearly 'booed' out loud. Although the officers of the Rogue Fantasy were talking amongst themselves, they could still hear some of the conversation at Eric's bedside.

Eric patted Doctor Smith's hand. "Everyone in the room is the only family I have left, Doc. Let them be." Eric sighed.

"You see, that is why we love you man!" An officer near a window shouted. The atmosphere returned to its carefree nature.

Corporal Hall walked to Eric's bedside. "Sir, I wish I could stay, but I have to dispatch to the 501st. 05 says that you need to get on your feet, fast. They need you."

Doctor Smith cut in as memories of the 501st quickly appeared in her mind. "You'll be under Colonel Ackerson's command. Word of advice; ignore him. He's a prick, a desk jockey pushing for power. He wants to win this war just like the rest of us, but he'll do anything to achieve it as long as he gets recognized for it. If you happen to face him, agree with everything he says, and then report to Captain Brain Haden. He's the captain of the Inner Power. He's about the only man that Ackerson will honestly listen to."

Eric saluted loosely. "You heard the Doc. Watch your ass, Corporal."

"Sir, it has been an honor." Hall turned, took a shot glass from a soldier and held it high. "To 19!"

"To 19!" Everyone repeated as they tossed back the drink.

Rose watched this familiar display; how all of the soldiers that had survived the Rogue Fantasy's crash had gathered around Eric and were morning and celebrating. Eric always had a magnetic personality. People followed him no matter what. Even in college he was able to convince his closest friends to join the military and help protect their homes. He was a natural born leader, the type of man that anyone would follow and willingly respect. Rose knew the feelings all to well.

Though she chose not to follow him to war, Rose struggled hard against the decision to remain in college. A piece of her heart had left when Eric, Kimberly, and Melanie joined the UNSC, but she made a conscious decision. She could still visually recall the day she found out Eric and the others were dropping out of school to join the military. She could still feel her heart sinking as she raced across campus to say goodbye to Kim and Eric. She could remember her frustration of fighting through the crowd of sports reporters, which had blocked her path to the campus tram station and prevented her from saying her farewell.

Fate brought Eric back to Rose, yet at the cost of Kimberly's life.

Rose watched as Eric talked softly to the Doctor, they had known each other for well over fifteen years, and talked on a level that Rose knew she couldn't understand. Rose sat silently at Eric's side, listening to the happy comrades gossiping around her. This was Eric's family, the soldiers he had been fighting with for all of these years. She looked around at all the inebriated faces and smiled softly. It was at this point that she realized she was holding Eric's left hand. She nervously looked downward at her hand, and felt the lock of her fingers within his. She became nervous. How long had she been unconsciously holding his hand?

Rose looked around the room again to see if anyone had noticed, or cared. Eric did not seem phased by it, as he continued to talk with Doctor Smith. The other officers in the room continued to talk and drink, occasionally looking toward Eric, but not making a fuss. Was this okay? Kimberly was their leader, the Black Operation's Senior Chief Petty Officer, and their friend. Clearly they all noticed that she was holding his hand, a sign of replacing Kim, but they didn't care.

Rose lowered her head, and focused on Eric's hand. It was scarred badly from the surgery that made him into a Spartan. She rubbed her finger over the scars, gently messaging the wound. Eric rolled his head over and smiled toward her, Rose softly returned the gesture, and Eric returned to his conversation with Doctor Smith.

Apparently it was alright for her to hold his hand. But was it really okay to be trudging over Kimberly's grave?

- - - - - - - -

Troop Supply Territory
Camp Eden Civilian Defense Net
Abu Simbel, Egypt
November 2, 2552

The sun burned brilliantly overhead as transport ships landed and took off from the nearby airfield of Abu Simbel. In the distance, nothing could be seen, but every Marine, Grunt and Elite knew what lay further to the South. The Flood would arrive, and it seemed that nothing could slow this particular wave down. Not even the mighty Nile River would slow their onslaught. Once the Flood crossed the River, they would literally be in Camp Eden's backyard.

Several Grunts sat in a circle, quietly resting as a red armored Elite paced around them. The Elite focused his attention toward the south, knowing that the creatures would come. He then looked to his left and watched as more humans began to rest in the shade of their vehicles. It was hot, and the sun was beating down on them, but the Elite was not going to become relaxed; the wealk humans would not last a day under his command. The Elite then watched as the armored human, the Demon, sat atop the massive Scorpion Battle Tank. The Demon's gaze was like his, staring toward the south in anticipation of the coming battle. Clearly, the Demon was the only warrior in the human military.

Kelly sat motionless, her eyes focused on the southern plains beyond the mighty Nile River. Yet in her mind she replayed the events that had occurred a few moments before.

"I gave you a direct order!" Major Rawlings had fumed over the line. "Return to base, immediately!"

"I can not obey that order, Major." Kelly calmly replied. "Defense of Abu Simbel is top priority. The Elite commander of this defensive has not returned, and I can not leave this defensive front without adequate seniority."

"Kelly, this is bigger then you. Your mother understood, and even though she was reluctant to give you to me, she knew it could not be avoided. This is the future of humanity we are attempting to save."

"From what I can tell of the situation, you are attempting to use me in order to further your own motivations. I'm a soldier defending the Earth from a threat. I remember the stories you told me when I was young, but I have come to the realization that I am nothing like the woman in your story. If I am forced to choose between the path she chose and the path of a Spartan… I choose to be a Spartan, ma'am. My duty is to eliminate this threat and lead my unit. You trained me, made me, and gave me the tools to be a Spartan, not a Reclaimer. You should know this."

"You aren't listening." Major Rawlings sighed heavily. "You are the last of us who is able to…"

"Major, the com channels should not be used for personal chatter. If I survive this defensive we can talk when I return." Kelly cut the line, losing her patience and tolerance for Major Rawlings lack of understanding what she is forced to decide. Her constant spats about the Ark, the Crystal, the Reclaimers, and humanity. Kelly only wanted to focus on the now, her duty. Humanity had to come first, and right now the only humans she cared about were the ones standing at her side on the front line of Abu Simbel.

She understood what the Major wanted. Kelly remembered the story of Elena, 'The Guardian of the Luminous Key', and what it meant. It was a story which had been passed down for centuries throughout her family, and it was clear that it was more then just a story; it was history. Kelly's heart grew even heavier with this burden. She was no longer a simple soldier, created to be the most powerful weapon against the Covenant, she was the last of an ancient clan whose sole duty was to protect a powerful ship buried underground. A ship that recreated humanity and controls the most powerful weapons system the universe has ever seen, Halo. And according to the history of her family, it was time for her to defend and use it. She was being called to activate Halo and fulfill her duty to the universe.

The red armored Elite approached Kelly's side. "Spartan, do you feel the approach of the parasites?"

Kelly stayed poised but replied. "I do. But there is something else that is troubling me. Where are the Brutes?"

"They are with the Prophets, attacking the human defenses around the Ark."

"Not entirely. There are scattered reports of Brute sightings all around the world, and several supply transports have been shot down recently."

"Lieutenant Simyaldee will return shortly. He will have more information with him."

Kelly stood from the top of the Scorpion and jumped down to the Elite's side. "I understand he's your superior, but he may not have any additional information. The Brutes must have been aware that the Flood are still coming toward us. Strategically, they should take advantage of this."

"The Jiralhanae are many things, but strategists, they are not." The Elite replied.

Kelly returned her gaze to the distance. "Yeah, but they aren't the ones running the show. Truth is. And that's what has me concerned."

A marine jumped from the shade and called out to Kelly. "Sir, Juggernaut is on the box! It's urgent!"

Kelly walked toward the marine. "Patch him in."

"Chief?"

"Go ahead Juggernaut, I'm here."

"Sir, we can't get near the Flood for our bombing run. It's the Brutes... they have a line of Seraph interceptors blocking our path. I've lost … three birds already. Requesting backup." A large explosion sounded in the background. "Mayday, Eagle-109 is hit… damn it! This is Eagle-109, we're going down… all fighters break off and return to base! Get out of here! … "

"Juggernaut?" Kelly shouted into her com. "Eagle-109 can you get clear of the Flood's path? Juggernaut?"

The marine pulled his hand from his helmet earpiece. "We lost him, sir. Juggernaut's gone." Another ally that had survived the mission on Dorenth had been killed. Juggernaut was a great pilot, but eventually everyone ran out of luck.

"Patch me into the fighter squadron." Kelly ordered to the marine. "All remaining fighters report to Zone 2 and standby. If the Brutes pursue you have permission to engage." Kelly then turned to the Elite. "Do you have any ships on standby?"

"Yes. Several Banshee pilots are ready to fight, but we do not have anything strong enough to compete with a Seraph squadron."

"Get your pilots in the air for a bombing run against the Flood. I'll send my Longsword fighters against the Brute's Seraphs."

"Understood." The Elite radioed his pilots.

Kelly changed frequencies. "HighCom, priority Beta. I repeat, HighCom priority Beta. This is Spartan 087, requesting command override for Longsword Squadron operating under Echo-109, call sign Juggernaut."

A male voice replied over the com. "Override accepted Spartan 087. Status."

"Echo-109 has been shot down. Longsword Squadron is in full retreat from Flood bombing run. The Flood is under possible Brute protection. Requesting that the remainder of our Longswords engage Brute seraph squadron, while Elite support attempts a bombing run on the Flood."

"Stand by 087." There was a long pause over the com. "Negative 087. I repeat, that is a negative. The Longswords will be rerouted to provide air support over Abu Simbel …"

"Sir?" Kelly fumed over the line. "With respect, sir, that would be letting the Flood get too close. Surely Fleet understands that…"

"087, Abu Simbel is not the last line of Defense for Camp Eden. We are well aware that there is still two hundred kilometers between you and Camp Eden. We can not allow the Elites to split their forces to attempt a futile bombing run."

"Sir, we are trying to stop the Flood from reaching our last supply station!" Kelly's frustration was growing drastically. "And this is a clear sign that this is a Brute controlled wave of Flood. They are using the Flood as a shield to mask a later advance. If we loose position here…"

"087, our Longsword fighters will be on standby to provide air support of Abu Simbel defensive. Do not use Elite support. I repeat, do not use Elite air support. Focus all of your troops to possible ground engagement. HighCom out."

The line cut and Kelly held her anger behind her tongue. "Cancel your last order."

The red armored Elite turned. "The squadron is ready, the plan is worthy, why should we cancel?"

"I have my orders." Kelly silently replied. "We are to hold here and prepare for ground engagement." Kelly knew what this was really about. The Major was forcing her hand and Fleet HighCom was not happy about having aid from the Elite forces. Hatred was still running deep between the two forces, something she completely understood.

The Elite tilted his head in confusion. "But the Jiralhanae will be providing air support for the Flood."

"I know."

The marine spoke, "Sir, doesn't HighCom know that this is a trap?"

Kelly stood at the Scorpion's side and gazed into the distance. "We can't worry about that. After the Flood cross the river, they will hit us first, with the Brutes engaging from overhead. If we survive the Flood's initial charge, we'll only be hit by another Brute ground assault." She zoomed further into the distance and focused on the edge of the massive Nile River crossing. She had blown up the bridges hours ago, but now she was thinking of another strategy.

The red elite stood at Kelly and the marine's side. "It would seem that your leaders do not clearly understand this situation. Or, they do not want our aid."

"That's the polite way of putting it." Kelly mumbled. Kelly had seen the Elites fight and she had watched as the Elite lead Covenant overwhelmed her fellow Spartans. She hated them, but for now they stood by her side and she would work with them until the flood and the Brutes were dealt with. She knew that the Elites didn't respect humanity, they considered humanity 'weak', but none of them had a choice in the matter at this point. Humanity and the Elites would need to work together, and look beyond the thirty years of hatred that clung to their hearts. It would seem impossible, but it would have to be done.

After studying the terrain once again, Kelly turned to the Elite. "This will have to be a dual sided battle. And we will have to concentrate all of our firepower at the river. This is the only shot we'll get."

To be continued…

Note: Those of you not familiar with the story "Guardian of the Luminous Key", you do not have to read it in order to understand what is going on in the future of this story. However, if you are interested, you can find the story on my homepage. Click on my name at the top of the page. Thanks for reading.