Chapter 22
The Truth Unravels
08:08 Hours, Earth Time
AESIR Main Facility
ODST Spec Ops Unit, November Six, aka Nova Team
Personnel: Commanding Officer Trent Miles
Location: New Mombasa, Southern Kenya
[Play Jade Empire Theme on YouTube]
The two stood there like statues as Lt. Miles Mind began racing at a million miles a second, as he gaze upon the loving expression of the woman he just ran through. The loudest of which was something inside of him demanding that he turn off his energy saber. As the vibrantly colored blade sticking out of her back vanished Lady Sergei began to fall forward as if the blade impaling her was the only thing keeping her on her feet.
Lt. Miles's body moved on its own, catching her and lowering her to the ground as she fell. He immediately moved her into a sitting position. She coughs, "Very Impressive. You adjusted the angle just before the moment of impact to avoid hitting any of my vital areas." The lieutenant tries to respond but to his surprise, there is a lump in his throat catching the words he wanted to say.
Slowly the ODST of the Nova team make their way around, as the building continues to crumble around them. Armin kneels beside Lady Sergei removing her helm so she could examine the wound with her own eyes. Armin couldn't make any sense of it but for some reason, this felt just like that day with Katrina' like she was losing something important all over again. She rages, "After all that shit you said, no way is this enough to kill you!" She howls as the tears began to well up, "I'm bringing you in alive!"
Lady Sergei places her hand on Armin's cheek catching her off-guard, "I see. So some part of you does remember me, I'm glad. But now is not the time for tears my dear kitty cat." She moves her gaze to the lieutenant, "After all, I have a promise to keep."
Slowly the lieutenant releases her from his grasp leaning her up against a nearby piece of debris. She places one hand over her wound to slow the bleeding while using the other to prompt herself up still trying to exude strength. "Ask your questions, Lieutenant."
[Play Two Steps from Hell - The truth Unravels on YouTube]
The chaotic storm of Lt. Miles' mind became a mellow breeze as he looked into her pearl blue eyes. He spoke aloud the first thing that came to his mind, "How do you know who we are?"
"Know you? I practically raised most of you with a few exceptions." Lady Sergei began, "My job was to turn those that the galaxy had forgotten into the harbingers of humanity's inevitable evolutions." her eyes drifted to the side ashamed, "Many of you... did not survive."
"Child Soldiers." The lieutenant whispered under his breath.
"You didn't gather a bunch of street rats and scoundrels out of the goodness of your heart." Armin added, "Who was pulling your strings?"
Lady Sergei smiles, "You ask questions that you already know the answer to." She looks over to the lieutenant.
"The Director."
She nods, "In the year 2547 the Office of Naval Intelligence unveiled the Spartan II program to the public news of this project boost the morale of Humanity in its entirety across the galaxy." She looks up to the sky, "But few would ever know the dark secret behind this mad-made salvation."
"You don't mean?"
"Each and every spartan II. Child soldiers; all of them. In exchange for committing one of humanity's greatest sins, We were rewarded... No, we were cursed with the greatest generation of spartans, even to this every day. During a similar timeframe, a little girl was discovered who was said to have borderline supernatural cognitive abilities. This ability would be coined Absolute Perception, although the Director had a habit of referring to it as God's Eye because of the Blue hue of the eyes accompanying the ability. He believed those eyes could Lead humanity to a proper future."
"Who was this little girl." Lt. Miles asked his voice shaking a little.
"Janet Hawkins." As the name left her lips the entire team was taken aback, The first person ever to be recorded with this ability was the first Commander of Nova Team Lt. Janet Hawkins. The troopers didn't want her words to be true but the more she spoke the more things started to add up. "Initially there was nothing that could be done, she was a child after all ONI couldn't touch her, but that doesn't mean they were out of opinions. They were allowed to run basic tests and background checks on her with little resistance. She was a refugee from a destroyed colony. It wasn't a huge leap in logic to assume that if we could recreate the circumstances of her awakening we could replicate them."
"What about the rest of us? How do we fit in?"
"To complete his vision the Director was willing to work with the lowest of the low. Even Slave traders."
"Dexen." The troopers all said in unison.
Lady Sergei's eyes grew wide before a cocky smile made its way to her face, "I see if you're already aware of his name then he is more than likely dead."
"No, we turned him over to the UNSC, same as we're gonna do to you." Lt. Miles interjected.
A serious look erupted in her eyes as she made eye contact with the lieutenant, "Believe me when I tell you these words. HE'S ALREADY DEAD..."
"Regardless," She continued, "Dexen was used to gather promising youths forgotten by humanity. The Director find those that believe their future held only darkness and gave them the motivation to become the light themselves. Children are rather easy to manipulate after all."
"Dexen" Lt. Miles whispered under his breath, "what he said before..."
"You were then given to me." Lady Sergei continued, "I trained each and every one of you. I broke you down physically, mentally, and emotionally i did anything i could think of to get you all down to your lowest. In everything other than name you lot are the true successor of the Spartan II. Where the Spartan II program focused mainly on the body, ours was to expand the mind of humanity to reach new horizons."
"But there is just something about children even when times are at their worse they still somehow find a way to smile. " She looks up at all the troopers standing before her. "Training you lot was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Too good for a demon in human skin like myself."
"But it was a failure wasn't it?" Armin interjected, "Monero, Holden, and me... we can't do what the lieutenant can."
Lady Sergei nodded, "Despite our willingness to commit the greatest sins of humanity, despite the loss of many young Lives Project Archangel was eventually deemed a failure. All those years, those young lives wasted." Silence engulfs the room."At the time even your lieutenant was a failure, he wouldn't grow into his ability until much later. So much later in fact that I, myself wasn't aware of it."
"She's gotta be full of it." Holden says trying to convince the others, "I mean I still have my memories; I remember, I remember mama's Sweet potato pies and How I was with my Granny when she died."
Lady Sergei lowers her eyes to the ground a somber tone engulfed the room, "Implanted memories."
"But my Sister came over to visit my kid's last Thanksgiving..." Monero added.
"Actors... After the project failed I pleaded with the Director to give you all some sense of normalcy; I guess that's what he came up with."
"But that doesn't make sense how did he know we would all join the UNSC and all be on the same squad no less."
"That's where my knowledge of your situation ends he didn't tell me what he did with each of you after you left the project. But, like I said Children are easy to manipulate, My guess is just had to give you all a reason to fight and let your deaths on the battlefield against the covenant hide the evidence of his greatest sins."
"Who is James?"
"It appears that for some of you, he took more than just your memories, he took your identities." She could see the confusion in Lt. Miles's eyes as she continued, "Go find your father, I feel as tho all your remaining questions should be answered by him."
"Father?"
The room was quiet except for the sound of Lady Sergei's labored breathing. The Troopers stood hovering around her, their eyes wide with fear and confusion as they watched her struggle to speak.
"Lieutenant." she coughs, "Do me a favor, have Chambers come by to see me, I'd love to give that girl a good talking to. After all, I've been waiting so patiently."After the troopers were filled with doubts and dreads but as she said those words and a small smile made its way to her face, they felt a faint sense of relief even on this battlefield bath and blood and ash.
"I'm sure everyone would love to hear what you have to say. Gideon and Radd too."
"Who..."
[Play Halo 4 Atonement on YouTube]
Just then an explosion could be heard echoing across the battlefield deafening the Sound of Lady Sergei's voice. The troopers looked up only to see the Covenant carrier hovering above them in low orbit being blown in two huge pieces as chucks of debris peppered the battlefield. The troopers admired the shares of the covenant ship falling towards the Earth's surface like shooting stars signifying the end of the conflict. Suddenly a trail catches the corner of the lieutenant's gaze. He knew this trail well and similarly, he knew he was powerless to protect its target. A moment that should have been used for celebration was the moment that the troopers realized the hole now oozing blood in Lady Sergei's forehead and her body fell limp. Lt. Miles's eye instinctively looked in the direction of the origin of the trail only to see that it originated from the huge hole in the roof that was collapsing during their battle.
As the sound of the carrier's explosion dissipated it was replaced with a scream. The scream of Armin realizing the life that had disappeared right beneath her gaze. In one motion Lt. Miles quickly signaled for Holden to grab Lady Sergei's body and retreat as he took up arms and started firing in the general direction the sniper trail had led although he had no idea where the enemy was. He Saw several Phantoms flying over the opening but it looked as though they were retreating more than anything.
As Holden carried her. Armin and Monero would be at his six as the lieutenant walked backward providing suppressing fire on what for all he knew was some kind of ghost.
In the hangar, the trooper found a very alive and very frightened Dr. Uberti hiding in the driver seats of one of the warthogs. "Move!"Armin said seriously as she pushed her into the passenger seat. Monero helped Holden get Lady Sergei's body into the vehicle before hopping in himself. Lt. Miles grab the back of the warthog and stood on its rear bumper before Armin stepped on the gas narrowly escaping the collapsing building.
As the team made it out of the building they could see the phantoms retreating and the last of the Heretic and AESIR forces being gunned down or captured by the approaching UNSC forces. One Warthog is driving faster than the rest toward the troopers. Upon getting closer Lt. Miles could make out his 2nd in command Ssgt Chambers accompanied by Gideon. Quickly he motioned for Armin to stop. As she Did Chambers exited her vehicle and made her way towards them. Jumping off the back of the warthog the lieutenant was the first to make contact with her. She could see the somber expression on his face as he looked back to the warthog behind him. Holden was the next to exit the vehicle Lady Sergei's body still in tow with Monero close behind. Armin stayed back as if glued to her seat.
Holden presents Lady Sergei to Chambers as if holding out some small hope that something could still be done. However, as Chambers examined the Bullet wound her eyes made her way to the ground as she placed a fist over her heart, as if saying nothing could be done. She placed her hand on Lady Sergei's face and proceeded to close her eyes. Holden nodded as he and Monero walked past her. Each trooper's face was hidden stoically behind their helms as emotions Spiral chaotically behind them.
Chambers' eyes made their way back to the lieutenant as he finally said, "Have you ever seen her before?"
Chambers was taken aback by the sudden forwardness of the question, but she could only answer honestly. "No... Never."