SPOILER WARNING: If you have not finished Halo 3, some material maybe spoiler intensive. You have been warned.
Level 23: … Check
Hammer of God
Camp Eden
Earth
Simyaldee watched the broadcast from the Sangheili Carrier, Shadow of Intent. He folded his arms as Ship Master Vadum, formerly the Spec Ops commander, gave testament to the pursuit of Truth and the Brutes through the Portal, a wormhole of some kind. Tempers flared in the room as Ship Master Vadum attempted to explain the destruction of the human cities that had been infected with Flood spores.
The female human in the room spoke up, agreeing that they should also go through the wormhole and find the solution that the damaged construct spoke of. Lord Hood objected. Yet the Arbiter humbly pointed out that the Flood may win if they do not attempt to find the solution to the Flood. With the Master Chief's agreement, Lord Hood agreed to let them disembark through the wormhole.
As Lord Hood and the others exited the room, Vadum turned to the display and nodded toward Simyaldee. "You've done well in my absence, Second."
"I'm not sure if the title Ship Master suits you, First." Simyaldee replied toward the video display. "You seem more fit leading the charge into combat."
Vadum replied. "The ordeal at Delta Halo was far worse then we could hope. I needed to rally what troops we had left. I spoke with Queen Vasmeol not long ago. Her ship will arrive shortly, but the Seed Ship will remain at the edge of the system. High Charity is also gaining momentum toward Earth. I suggest that she return to the Seed ship, but she is quite strong willed. Good to know that she has not changed much." Vadum smiled.
"Indeed." Simyaldee replied.
"Second…" Vadum began, but quickly changed his tone. "Simyal, come with me. Staying here to help the humans is pointless. Their world is doomed." Simyaldee looked to the small human female at his side as she trembled slightly from the words of ship master Vadum. Captain Monroe wasn't pleased about hearing that the fate of humanity was already sealed.
Simyaldee then looked back to Ship Master Vadum. "I have split the Mirratord assault units. My most skilled warriors will accompany you, but I will stay here with Gridol and the Mirratod Grunts."
"The Grunt King still lives?" Vadum clicked his remaining right mandibles in thought. "Why does that not surprise me? The Arbiter will need to be informed… he may not be aware that there are Unggoy who still support our separation." Vadum looked to the display and to Simyal. "Very well, my friend, but I can not say that I understand your decision in staying. My Mirratord units will be sure to do all they can against the bastard Truth. The Queen is going to spare four ships to our attack wave and the remainder will remain here with you. Supreme Commander Timnaldee will place your planet under his gun, if the flood can not be contained, he will be forced to destroy this world."
Simyaldee smirked. "You must have more faith in me then that, my old friend."
"If anyone will survive this next encounter, Second, it will be you." With a clinched fist, Vadum placed his right hand to the center of his chest as he looked into the image of his long time friend and Second in command of the Mirratord.
Simyaldee returned the gesture and nodded his head in respect. "For the honor to the Mirratord." They both stated as the line closed.
Simyaldee looked down at the small fragile human female. She looked up to him and forced a smile. "Thank you."
"Do not thank me yet, Captain. We still have much to prepare for." Simyaldee powered on the terminal displaying the course and trajectory of the remains of High Charity. "That ship has been on the edge of the system for several days, and now it is approaching."
"Siren." Captain Monroe stated.
"Yes, Ma'am?" Siren replied.
"How many ships do we have at our disposal to fight that … thing?"
"Not enough. The remaining section of High Charity, ma'am, has a mass roughly equal to the size of a large asteroid. It will be visible once it is in orbit. And if every MAC cannon remaining took aim and fired, they could not slow it down." Siren stated. "Even with the Elite Queen's assistance our only hope is that the Chief can bring back Cortana's solution."
"I can't believe that it is this hopeless." Monroe sighed. "What about a tactical nuke?"
Siren replied. "If someone could get inside, I am certain that Gravemind could deactivate it."
"How long do we have until it arrives?" Simyaldee questioned.
"Ten hours, six minutes, twenty three seconds." Siren stated. "According to its current heading it will make contact with the atmosphere directly over the portal."
"Could it be attempting to go through it?" Monroe pondered.
"It is a possibility." Simayldee stated.
Siren interrupted. "Lieutenant, I have a situation. We need to go to the Ark."
"Why?" Monroe questioned with a crocked brow.
"Simyaldee, Grimleon is there and he is waiting for you."
Simyaldee glared at the forward display, his mind full of questions but none of them seemed coherent enough to form words. He could only muster, "How do you know this?"
Siren voiced, "I had to get him off the ship, Lieutenant. I did what was necessary. And I told him that you would come to face him." Her camera's zoomed in on Simyaldee and Monroe. They both appeared troubled, bothered by her actions, and how she seemed to act without justification.
Siren appeared before them in her holographic form, allowing them something to look at in their disbelief. "Captain, I know you are not 100 trusty worthy of my abilities due to prior incidents; I have made mistakes due to my emotional subroutines. But I assure you, this action was for the best."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Monroe fumed.
"Because you would not have allowed it." Siren replied assuredly. "The portal, the Wormhole that everyone is talking about, was opened because I… no, because WE allowed it."
Monroe looked at Simyaldee with a puzzled glare. Simyaldee returned the quick look and then asked Siren, "We allowed?"
Siren lowered her head, almost afraid of what she was about to say. "Time is not constant. There are multiple paths. Cortana and I have attempted thousands of time streams to correct the mistakes… to fix what was broken. This is the only string we have left. But understanding that would mean a great deal more understanding of the influxes of spatial time distortion. Simply put; the Portal had to be opened and the Path needed to be followed. To do that, Truth needed the Luminous Key, so I gave it to him."
"Luminous Key?" Simyaldee questioned. "A ship core?"
"Yes. But not just any ship core, the Ark ship core." Siren turned to Monroe as the Captain looked at her in a gaze of pure shock. "Captain, you must understand…."
"No." Monroe softly stated. "You opened Pandora's Box, Siren. You gave Truth a power that he should not have. Now look! Look at what he's done! He went to power on the Halo's and to destroy everything!"
"No ma'am. He has merely walked the path. He still does not have the power he needs. But if Cortana and I are correct, we will be grateful that we allowed him to go. The Arbiter and the Master Chief will go and do their parts while we…"
"What in gods name could make me be thankful for giving that fanatic access to the most powerful weapon in the Galaxy?" Monroe shouted.
Siren looked away shyly and replied. "I don't know. It's up to them to decide the future now."
"Who?" Simyaldee shouted.
Siren looked into the eyes of the elite Mirratord Second in Command. "Two will come; one whom you know, and one you do not. They were predestined to come. One of War and one of Chaos. Both will lead you to the Path. Though divided they will lead you. Follow them. Follow them and survive."
"What are you talking about?" Monroe questioned with an irritated scowl.
Siren looked to her. "The Path of Reclamation, ma'am. This was stated in the Ark Data Node. I have been processing this information for days on end, analyzing and calculating every word. What I find even more interesting, is the line; One is an ancient enemy, the other is an old Friend. The Path of Reclamation was written for the Reclaimers, humans."
"Get to the point!" Monroe scuffed. She was loosing her patience with Siren's constant actions.
"The Chief and the Arbiter, ma'am." Siren smirked. "One you know and one you do not. They will do their part while we do ours. Cortana agrees. Not for her sake, but for the sake of everyone."
"We are going through the portal, both human and elite." Simyaldee added. "But none of this explains why? We would not be in danger if you had not given that Brute the key!"
"Had I not given them the key, you would all die here as food for the Flood." Siren retorted.
"And you are sure of this?" Simyaldee questioned.
"Yes." Siren answered. "Simyaldee, please, we must go to the Ark. I am certain that all of your answers will be there. As well as my own."
Simyaldee huffed. "I will go, if only to kill Grimleon and end his infernal obsession."
"Captain." Siren added. "I'm going with him. I guess that you don't care."
Monroe turned her back and began to walk off the command podium. "Do whatever you want, Siren. You always do."
"Thank you ma'am." Siren stated with nod.
Simyaldee powered on his COM. "Sergeant, assemble the Mirratord at the landing deck. We are going to the Ark."
"Me understand." Palab replied over the line.
- - - - - - - -
Ark 001 : Forge Chamber
Earth
A pulse of golden light appeared in a large dark room, followed by four more golden pulses of light. Eric stood and shook the cobwebs from his head. It was a teleportation grid and there was no way of knowing where they were; or if they were still on Earth for that matter.
"What in the hell just happened?" Kate barked as she held her spinning head.
"Hell if I know." Dave sat down, he was dizzy as well.
Eric barked, "After affects from teleportation. It'll pass." Eric was thankful that he had read Cortana's Halo report thoroughly. The Master Chief had also had a sense of dizziness his first time. Eric noticed that nearly all of his platoon leaders were with him with the exception of Gridolee. "Lieutenant, do you copy?"
".. hear you… rable one. What has happened?" Gridolee questioned over the line.
Eric was thankful; this meant that they were still inside the Ark, or whatever it was. "Things have changed. You have command of the platoon. Fall back to the entrance and stand by for orders."
"But Honorable one, do you not need support?" Gridolee ushered.
Eric looked around. He couldn't see much of anything. Infrared showed nothing but his team of Spartans and night vision also showed a blank slate. "Unknown. We don't know where we are at the moment. Fall back until we can get our bearings."
"As you wish." Gridolee replied and the line terminated.
"For a place with so much light on the outside, why is it so dark in here?" Mathew yelled.
"Reclaimers, forgive me." A voice echoed back from the void of darkness. "The Forge system has not been used until this moment. Please, adjust your visual spectrum while I modify the ambience." The lights slowly began to turn on as Eric and the others looked around. The space was far larger then they thought possible. It was big enough to hold a UNSC Marathon Class battle ship.
They all stood in the center of an enormous oval shaped chamber. The walls slanted upward and then angled back toward the top in a dome. The floor glowed as if the lights were inside the floor itself. The walls slowly began to spin around the room, so slow that it was only noticeable if they watched a point for several seconds.
"The Forge system is currently powering itself. There have been six hundred tests and zero actual uses of the Forge system since creation."
"What is this, Forge, you speak of?" Mathew replied.
The voice replied in a confused manor. "The Forge is a construction utility imprinted to respond to your needs. How can you not know this?"
"We've never been here." Eric replied.
"The Forge system, for that matter the Ark system, was well documented in the Ark Data Node. I show that there have been six hundred and fifty two accesses to the Ark Data Node since it reached full maturity two hundred and thirty years ago, according to your current star placements." The voice paused. "You should be well versed in the Ark, as well as the Forge System."
Eric held up his hands to everyone, silencing them. "You brought us here to follow the Path to the ark, correct?"
"Correct, Reclaimer."
"How will we follow the Path?"
"All of the Reclaimer ships nearby are currently defending against the Flood threat. They can not be recalled to take you through the Wormhole created by Ark 001. However the Forge System was designed to assist Reclaimers in space travel technology. Ark 001 can make a ship for you, Reclaimer. There is no time for all of these questions. I will begin construction immediately."
Eric opened his radio, "Lord Hood, do you copy?"
"Speak fast 19, I'm on my way to meet with the Arbiter and that damned Ship Master that is glassing the region." Lord Hood sounded furious.
Eric wanted to know what he meant but made his statement. "Sir, the structure is a Wormhole generator. Truth went through it, but he still can't fire the Halo's. There is something on the other side that can activate the Halo's."
"That makes sense. The flood cleaned out all of my Voi regiments since they crashed into the city. But for now we at least have the situation stable."
"It's not easy dealing with the flood sir." Eric replied as he watched thousands of constructor drones fly into the room with parts and began to assemble them. The object floated in place as the drones began to weld at a frantic pace. In less then a minute there was the appearance of a solid structure taking the form of a ship. "Once I'm done here, I'll go to Voi and be sure that threat is neutralized."
"Voi is gone, Leiutenant." Hood added. "The ship master made short work of the entire region west of Ark. He even glassed half the continent under the ship's crash course in case the flood were able to jump from the ship when it slipped in. I'm gathering troops at Mombasa to begin inspecting the neighboring regions for flood outbreaks. Once you have secured that … Portal generator… meet me there."
Though the elites caused a great deal of collateral damage at least the flood were somewhat contained. "Understood. Do you plan to send a contingent after Truth?"
"Negative. Earth is all we have left. It we go after truth and his fleet… we won't stand a chance. We make our stand here. Rally your troops inside the Gatekeeper facility, I'll be in touch after I finish briefing the ship master. It seems they found Cortana, or another clone."
Eric listened and watched in amazement at how fast the Forge could build a ship. "Roger that, sir. Also, I've found something useful. I'll inform you after your meeting."
Eric turned to his team. "Disperse by twos, full inspection of the area." He began to walk away from the team; alone. "17, you with 08. 09 and 21 watch each other. Look for a door that leads deeper into the facility."
"Reclaimer, I can lead…"
"No thanks." Eric silenced the voice. "I need to give them something to do while I think."
"I see." The voice said.
"Are you a monitor, or a keeper?" Eric questioned.
"Neither. The Keeper model is the most advanced form of Artificial Intelligence created, however, I am more sophisticated then the Instillation Monitors. I am the voice of the Ark… or that is what I told those who came before, they were quiet primitive. They demanded of me that I be informal toward the Reclaimers that entered the Ark for training. My full title is Ark Artificial Intelligence, Offensive Bias."
"Training? Who have you trained?" Eric questioned.
"I have not trained a Reclaimer in five thousand, six hundred sixty nine of your solar years." The AI stated. "The female Reclaimer was quite exceptional at her duties. She was a direct descendant of the Reclaimer's who returned to Earth with Ark 001."
"So only humans have been here?" Eric questioned.
"Oh no. The Empire settled on Earth many years before it was repurposed. Though great care was taken to remove any sign of alien life, your Ancestors prided themselves on secrecy, to protect the people from the fear of going into space before they were ready."
"And we're still a thousand years too early." Eric commented. "There are bones on Earth, skeletal remains of other creatures."
"A museum. One was created for the day you would be advanced enough to locate the Ark Data Node. Inside you should have seen the remains of numerous Species that are supportive to the Empire." Eric recalled the skeletons he had seen.
He walked to the far side of the dome shaped room as the ship above his head continued to take shape. He reached the wall and found no sign of a door. Eric then began to walk along the edge of the wall, counter to its slow rotation. "Earlier, you called me Species 001."
"Yes, Forerunner classification. Augmented Humanoid."
"Forerunner? You mean people like me built all of this?" Eric questioned.
"Not entirely. You are a Reclaimer, a member of the Forerunner Empire. You're seat was that of a ruling class."
Eric stopped walking. "I thought we weren't considered Forerunner? That's what the Monitors have told us."
"Monitor AIs are not given full data to Forerunner archives for the safety of the Reclaimers descendants and the future of the Empire. A monitor would first need to be connected to the Ark Data Node, or Installation 00, before their data is updated with the difference between a Reclaimer and a Forerunner. You have inherited all that the Forerunners left behind."
"Am I a Forerunner?" Eric sternly questioned.
"In theory. However, you are a member of the Forerunner ruling class. A Reclaimer: a Descendant of the Forerunners. They were your heirs, and you have inherited their empire. Have I not made that clear?"
Eric shook his head at the annoying answer. "Who are the Forerunners?"
The voice paused. "Your Ancestors were the Forerunners. They were also called Reclaimers. The difference, according to records, is this; augmentation. Reclaimers are Forerunners who have been given a gene which greatly increases their metabolic structure and physical size. You are a Reclaimer, who was a Forerunner. However, there are no longer any forerunners remaining. They died during the first activation of Halo, as was planned. Physically, Forerunners are smaller then you, less hair, thin build, with higher intellect. You are of a similar genetic and DNA makeup, however you have evolved into a larger more muscular form; at the cost of brain power. You, Reclaimer, are only considered a Tier 3. The Forerunners, your ancestors, were Tier 1. By process of their own destruction, the Forerunners, Species 001, have left you as the sole heir of the Empire. Thus, by terminology of inheritance, you are Forerunner."
Eric, feeling somewhat confused at the complex answer, started walking once again and attempted to ignore what he had just heard. "Where's the damn door?"
The AI replied. "It is here." An image appeared on Eric's HUD. The AI had accessed his suit and placed a marker to the door. Eric turned and saw a large pathway near the wall. It was a slanted path that led under the wall. It was not a normal doorway because the walls were moving and the doorway needed to be stationary.
Eric tapped his COM. "Found it. Everyone meet up at my marker." Eric walked to the ramp which lead downward and the AI's voice echoed.
"Please wait, Reclaimer. There are others within this corridor. I believe you call them Brutes."
Eric froze at the edge of the ramp. "How many?"
"Three."
"Can you deal with them?"
"Weapon's systems are offline do to Forge activity. The Forge uses, 78 of Ark 001…"
"I get it!" Eric shouted in protest. He clipped his COM. "Double time! Weapons hot! 08, 09 and 17 flank left of the tunnel. 21 form up on me to the right." Four green lights winked on his HUD.
Mathew was the first to sprint passed Eric to the other side, followed closely by Kate and Greg. Dave slid into position behind Eric and they all held their assault rifles at the ready.
"Three Tango's in the tunnel, moving toward us." Eric added over the COM. "Offensive Bias, are there any other brutes in the Ark?"
"No. They all journeyed through the Wormhole. It is awkward that they chose to remain behind."
Eric looked toward Mathew. "Frag when they are in range."
"Roger that." Mathew primed a grenade and held it until the brutes were visible. Kate and Dave did the same.
Eric spoke to Greg. "Once they throw the frags, you and I will go in and clear."
"Yes sir." Greg G009 replied.
Everyone spotted the movement of enemy signatures on their HUD radars and three Fragmentation grenades sailed into the tunnel. There was the sound of the frags bouncing off the ground and then three loud explosions. Eric turned the corner and Greg followed.
They leveled their rifles as they charged into the thinning smoke and Eric spotted the golden glow of a bubble shield. "Damn." He shouted as he stopped and blocked Greg's forward progress. The brutes were most likely safe, and protected from ranged fire, but Eric instantly realized that he and Greg had no form of cover in the long tunnel.
"Fall back!" Eric shouted. Greg quickly began to back peddle while keeping his gun aimed down the tunnel. Eric was fast stepping behind him, also keeping his gun locked on the bubble shield. Inside were the three Brutes, but their images were distorted by the shield. Eric fired an insurance round at the shield, to simply keep the brutes inside until they reached cover, but one of the brutes charged anyway.
Eric's heart nearly stopped as he watched the familiar image of a golden armored brute break free of the bubble shield, and made a direct charge toward him.
"Grimleon?" Eric nervously questioned under his own breath. It couldn't be the same brute that Simyaldee and Gridolee had dueled against in the desert? Eric kept retreating, and started firing into the golden hulk stampeding toward him.
Mathew, Dave, and Kate stepped from the cover of the tunnel exit and took aim over Eric and Greg's shoulders. "Covering fire!" Mathew shouted.
Eric felt the wake of the AR rounds flying over his shoulders but watched as the Brute bounded from side to side. He was fast and agile. But it couldn't be Grimleon. There were too many brutes in the Covenant for him to run into the same beast that escaped two Mirratord warriors.
Eric turned toward Greg and shouted, "Run!"
Greg dipped his shoulder and sprinted to the top of the tunnel, doing his best to avoid friendly fire. Eric was quick on his heels, but his radar was flaring brightly as the huge Brute was quickly gaining ground. Eric primed a frag grenade and dropped it at his feet. The grenade exploded just as the brute stepped over it, but it didn't slow him down.
Eric opened his team channel. "Get clear! Wide dispersal! Take him out but don't let him get close to you!" Eric reached the top of the ramp just in time to watch his Spartans scatter.
Eric spun on his heel to get out of the Brute Chieftain's path, but as he turned he felt the vice grip of a massive hand on his shoulder. He turned his AR and stuck it into the beast's chest. As he pulled the trigger a wave of static washed over Grimleon's armor; a shield generator.
Eric felt himself being flung to the ground as his HUD flashed brightly from the impact. His GEL layer pulsed to absorb the blow, but he still felt something pop. Eric didn't have time to figure out what had been broken. He stood and rolled clear of Grimleon's reach.
"Grimleon!" Eric shouted at the Brute.
Grimleon knelt low, his arms wide and glared at the human that had spoken his name. "You know my name. Then I shall ask if you know where Simyal is?"
"You'll never see him." Eric pulled down his RPG from his back holster, and affixed his assault rifle. Grimleon tilted his head as the rocket roared from the shoulder mounted tube. Smoke engulfed the beast as Eric lowered the barrel slightly. It was a direct hit.
Grimleon sprinted from the cloud, unfazed, and closed the gap between him and Eric in two strides. Eric tried to back off, but Grimleon wrapped his paw around Eric's neck and held him at bay.
Eric could hear the sound of AR fire around him. His team of Spartans was fighting back against the brute, but the brute was unfazed. Eric fought the urge to black out as the grip around his neck tightened.
Mathew rallied the team. "09 and 17, get the El Tee clear. 21 follow me and aim for the back of that Brute's head." Mathew slapped in a fresh clip and leveled the riffle. He emptied a clip into the brute and then loaded another as he charged closer. Dave was at his side, firing heavily into the brute, but its shields would not fall. Mathew, frustrated and worried about his friend, jumped onto Grimleon's arm and began to kick into the beast's ribcage. The Brute staggered backward, but only slightly, and both Mathew and Eric fell to the ground. Dave dived at Grimleon's back and slammed the butt stock of his AR into Grimleon's neck. The Brute staggered forward, but then swung back with his left hand and hit Dave across the face. Dave's gel layer swelled to absorb the impact of Grimleon's massive fist, but the blow was monstrous. Dave rolled across the floor, tumbled and came to a stop in an unconscious state.
Mathew picked up Eric's RPG and fired into Grimleon's chest. The brute roared as pain finally registered. His shields faded and he roared in protest. Greg and Kate charged with a full auto spread. AR rounds pinged against Grimleon's armor, but the Brute was far from defeated.
Grimleon side stepped, jumped and rolled clear of the chargining humans. Mathew stood and grabbed the last RPG round from Eric's holster, but while he loaded the RPG he was forced to watch Grimleon's incredible speed. The brute bounded around Greg and Kate as they attempted to keep him at arms length. Whenever they had a clear shot, he would dodge and reposition. He was fast, nimble and almost gymnastically acrobatic. It was a sight to see a creature of his size and muscle structure move so swiftly. Mathew's gut tensed up as he closed the barrel and leveled the rocket. Could one brute Chieftain really outclass five Spartans?
Greg fired while backing away from the brute but Grimleon leapt into the air and landed between Kate and Greg; sepearting them. Mathew had to hold his fire or else he could kill Kate or Greg. Greg kicked out and hit Grimleon in the back of the leg. Grimleon, unfazed, gripped Greg's leg and held him over his head. Kate fired a full clip into the brute's side, spraying its blood over the metal floor, but Grimleon seemed unfazed. He was certainly wounded, but the pain didn't seem to register in his feral state.
Grimleon held Greg's leg in one hand and then gripped his head in another. The brute Chieftain roared and brought the Spartan down upon its knee. Kate shrieked in horror as she saw Greg's back bend awkwardly over the brute's powerful knee. Grimleon dropped Greg as if he were a toy doll and then gave chase after Kate.
Mathew watched as Greg's armor signal turned into an X on his HUD. He didn't know what to think of the image. He knew Greg was dead, but seeing the image of an X display beside the name of a fellow soldier didn't quite register with Mathew. It was such a final, yet insignificant sign that Mathew wondered if Kate was also seeing the same signal. He quickly changed the X to MIA. Missing in Action felt less final, but in truth they all knew what had happened to Greg.
Mathew pushed the database off of his HUD, ran toward the Brute and fired the last RPG. It detonated at Grimleon's feet, sending the brute tumbling to the side. Kate was also hit by the blast, but her shields held and merely knocked her to the ground. She stood and ran to Mathew's side.
Mathew opened his COM. "Gridolee! Get down here, now! Bring everything we have and make it fast!" Mathew took a half step back and watched as Grimleon shook off the shock from the rocket propelled grenade and stood once again. This was too much. Mathew snarled under his breath and began to beg that the brute die.
"AI!" Mathew shouted.
"Yes Reclaimer?"
"Help the rest of our team find us! We need them here!" Mathew shouted as Grimleon pulled off his dented armor and helmet. He then unclipped his replacement gravity hammer and held it tightly in his hands. Blood dripped from his side and he slammed his fist to his chest in a display of power.
"I am Grimleon, Chieftain of the Red Clan! If you plan to call for help, human, then announce my name and tell all to tremble!"
Mathew whispered to Kate, "Get 19 and 21 to the far side of the room."
"Grimleon?" Mathew's COM vibrated as Gridolee roared in protest on the other end. "Damn you, brute! You dare to show your head?"
Gridolee turned to the platoon and shouted, "Follow as best you can!" Gridolee jumped onto the back of a Mongoose ATV and yelled to the human, "Go! Do not wait for the platoon!"
"Hang on, sir!" The ATV accelerated into the cave as the sound of the AI began to grow louder.
"You are almost in range of my teleportation grid." Suddenly Gridolee and the ATV vanished in a golden glow.
A bright flash appeared in the center of the gigantic Forge room as Gridolee and the ATV driver held their heads for a moment. Gridolee focused and glared across the massive room. "Go!" He pointed toward the brute holding the hammer, and the marine throttled.
The ATV sped across the room, while the marine at its helm began to cheer with curses toward the distant brute. Grimleon turned to face the charging vehicle. Gridolee planted his foot higher on the back of the mongoose and jumped forward. The Marine turned the ATV and got clear. He didn't want to risk being hit by the Chieftain's hammer.
Grimleon watched as the suicidal elite lunged toward him. He pulled his hammer from his back and gripped it in a batter's pose, and swung. Gridolee shifted his weight in mid air and the hammer grazed over his head. Gridolee sliced his twin blade across the brute's chest, but Grimleon back away before he could cut him.
Grimleon chuckled as he sniffed the air. "I know your stench. Have you come to die this time?"
"I am a fast learner, brute." Gridolee retorted.
"Where is the one that holds your leash?" Grimleon questioned. "Where is Simyal? I was promised that he would come!"
"Sorry, beast. He has other matters to attend to. You will face me."
Grimleon watched as numerous pulses of golden lights appeared in the center of the room. The rest of the platoon was being teleported inside the Forge room and Grimleon was not going to wait for the human's to set up there artillery.
Grimleon snarled at Gridolee. "Let us play a game, Mirratord scum. I'll kill more of your human pets… and let us see if you can stop it!" He turned and sprinted toward the gathering humans. Gridolee gave chase.
On the far side of the Forge room, Kate pulled Eric beside Dave and checked both of their readouts. Eric had a dislocated shoulder, but he was also going in and out of consciousness. "A concussion?" Kate questioned to herself. Dave was in a better state. He was knocked out from the punch, but no major injuries.
A transport hog roared up to the area and a medic jumped out. Kate looked at them and looked back as Grimleon ran toward the platoon. She had to go help them. "Set up a defense around this area. Bring the wounded here if you can."
"Wounded ma'am?" The medic asked. "These are the only two wounded."
"There will be more." She shouted as she ran toward the platoon.
She watched as Grimleon seemed to match Gridolee's pace and hurled himself into the midst of the platoon. Marines cursed and fired blindly as they attempted to understand what was going on. A warthog flipped into the air as the massive hammer slammed into its side. Gridolee dived onto Grimleon's back and the two creatures rolled for several feet. Gridolee kicked Grimleon clear of the humans and stood his ground between them.
Grimleon laughed as he stood. He was truly enjoying himself.
- - - - - - - -
"Reclaimer… why have you come back?"
Eric looked around his eyes could barely focus. He watched as a marine medic connected a data pad to his SPI armor readout port. What had happened to him?
"Reclaimer… descendant of the Forerunners."
Eric checked his own readout. A dislocated shoulder… and… head trauma. No it was something else. He couldn't focus.
"Eric… I made this especially for you."
Eric lifted his palm and examined his glove. He could see that the Medic was saying something to him, but he couldn't understand what the man was saying. Eric thought more about his armor, his new modified SPI armor. A diagnostic screen emerged. Gel Layer had spiked, it couldn't absorb the ground impact and prevent his shoulder from popping free. Eric was thankful, it could have been a lot worse.
"Eric… I adjusted the power setting so that you can use it."
The Diagnostic readout showed medium. What had Rose done to the Armor? What modifications had she done? Eric opened his mouth but no words formed. What was wrong with him? He hated that he hadn't paid more attention to the armor; attempted to understand all of its limits. Why was it set to medium and not full? Eric needed the power.
"Eric… it can up the power. I've been working on it."
What was Rose doing to the armor? She said she did it to the Mark VI, but did she also do it to the SPI? The power setting was set so that Eric and Mathew could use them. They weren't full Spartans. If they tried to wear the Mark VI MJOLNIR the weight of the suit would crush their bones if they exerted themselves. So what made the SPI armor different?
"Eric… I used the Reclaimer armor as a source…"
Rose was talking about the Reclaimer armor. But what did she mean? Eric sat up. He placed his hand on the Medic's shoulder and gave him a thumb's up. Eric watched as Kate ran toward the commotion as the brute Chieftain slammed his hammer into anything that moved.
The Medic began, "Sir, you read outs show …"
"I'm fine." Eric countered. He stood and rolled his shoulder until he heard a sharp pop, followed by the muffled sound of bone and cartilage reuniting. Eric grunted, flexed his shoulder until the soreness was only an afterthought, and then picked up an assault rifle. He watched as the marine medic pressed a series of commands on his data pad and forced Dave's SPI Armor to induce a mild stimulant. Dave shook his head and sat up as his the injection brought him forcefully out of his unconscious state.
Eric saw that Gridolee and Migpap had arrived and opened his team channel. "Gridolee, pull any mobile marines up to your side and block of that brute with a line of weapons fire. Keep him away from the platoon. 08, get the 'spits' hog and flank him. 17, form up the platoon and get them organized." Eric looked up as the constructors began to power on the covenant shaped ship above his head. Three acknowledgement lights flashed in his HUD. "Offensive Bias."
"Yes Reclaimer?"
"What's the status of the flood threat?"
"Flood forms on the surface have been mostly neutralized, but long range sensors are detecting a Flood controlled ship on approach vector."
Eric huffed. This battle was far from over. "Offensive Bias, get my platoon into that ship." Eric turned to Dave, "21. Get back to the Gatekeeper facility, and tell everyone to stand by for evacuation."
"What about that Brute, El Tee?" The medic stated as he nervously peered into the distance. One Brute was never a problem for one Platoon to deal with, but this brute, this Warhammer, was on a scale never encountered.
Eric pulled the hammer back on the AR and began to walk toward the battle. "I'll deal with it."
- - - - - - - -
Ark Excavation site //
Mombasa observatory
ONI Facility Bravo A-11092G: The Gatekeeper
Mombasa, Kenya
Lord Hood's pelican landed on the upper level elevator of the Gatekeeper facility. Vice Admiral Parangosky saluted as he descended from the bird's ramp. Hood did not return the gesture.
"Forgive my rudeness, Vice Admiral, but let's skip the formalities." Hood removed his hat and wiped the sweat from his aging brow.
Parangosky added. "Fine with me. What happened? Where are they going?"
Hood sat down on a barricade as marines created a large circle around him. "The Chief thinks that there is a way to stop the Flood. Cortana suggested that they go to the other side of that portal and find it. I'm not so sure it was a good idea."
Parangosky sat at Hoods side as one of the Gatekeeper facility's tech staff brought them cups of coffee. Parangosky took a sip and she smiled at Hood. "We have less then eight hours before High Charity arrives. We are only down one ship. If Ackerson's reports are correct, one ship won't make a difference. We won't last long."
Hood sipped the coffee in his hand and watched as the last Elite cruiser entered the wormhole. "Any record on what happened to that bastard Ackerson?"
"Ackerson? No sir. MIA."
Hood raised a brow and then looked at the Vice Admiral. "I also noticed that Major Rawlings was reported as KIA. Shot down by a brute seraph patrol."
"Yes sir." Parangosky replied as she sipped more of her coffee. That was ONIs official report on the Major. Her true crimes were burned along with her body.
"ONI always has a way of dealing with those that seemingly act on their own." Hood whispered as he shook his head mockingly. He then pulled his hat back on and looked around the area.
"We do what must be done, Sir." She replied. Parangosky knew that Hood was no fool. Ackerson and Rawlings had both went a foul of humanity and ONI, but in the end they both did what they could for humanity to survive.
Hood stood and his guard detailed stood along side him. "Then find a way to stop High Charity. Also, find out why I can't contact the Black Ops. I tried to contact 19 a few moments ago."
"Sir, they went into the Ark two hours ago. We lost communications with them one hour later. There was report of a Brute Chieftain attacking the Platoon."
"One Chieftain can't stop five Spartan's, Vice Admiral."
"We are investigating." Parangosky stood and brushed the dust from her pants.
Hood huffed. "When this mess is over, and if I live long enough, we will have a full enquiry into the Office of Naval Intelligence. These past fifteen years are full of holes, Vice Admiral. And I don't like holes." Hood turned to the Gatekeeper door and began to walk inside. "We have five functioning MAC guns in orbit with minimal support staff. That is not enough to stop High Charity. Contact Eden, Noah, Shenandoah and Yosemite. Inform them to restrict surface travel to all civilians until otherwise ordered." Hood looked into the sky, at the glowing blue portal that lead to the furthest reaches of the galaxy. "This could very well be the end of the world."
To
be continued…
Coming soon:
Level 24: ... Checkmate
Level 25: To whom it may concern --Finale---