Chapter 19: Pep Talk

Valhalla
On the edge of Republican Space

Keyes watched in awe as one after another, more ships began to drop out of Slipspace and form up with the fleet that was waiting for them. By now, all of the fleets that had unconditionally committed their fleets had arrived. Now, only stragglers, and other fleets that were straddling the fence were arriving. Sensor crews noted brief contacts on the edge of their range which would persist for a few minutes before blinking out as quickly as they had appeared. Obviously, the more cautious fleets were sending scouts in order to assess whether the transmission was a hoax or the real thing.

"What's the count?" Keyes asked Ackerson, who was manning a data console nearby.

"Eight hundred and counting." Ackerson said. "Not as much as we'd hoped, but still enough to take the fight to the Covenant."

"No…" Keyes growled. "Even with the Republicans backing us up, we'll still be short."

"We've already sent word to every fleet we know of. Whatever decides to come in is all we're getting." Ackerson said.

"Not exactly."

Keyes and Ackerson both turned to see Lynn and Sanah standing behind them. Lynn had a bit of a sly grin while Sanah, as usual, looked very worried at what Lynn was planning.

"We call in the Scavengers and the other rogue Exiles." Lynn said. "They've got enough ships to run small fleet."

"That's preposterous!" Keyes gasped. "You're suggesting that we use thieves and criminals to retake our home?"

"It's their home too." Lynn retorted. "Besides, the reason why most of them do the things they do is because they have nowhere to go. I'm sure that if you offer them an opportunity to make a change in their lives, they'll take it."

"The girl has a point." Ackerson nodded.

"It's a rare thing to see you agree with her." Keyes said coldly.

"People like those have their uses." Ackerson smiled.

"Then I assume you have a way of contacting them."

"Of course. How do you expect me to do my job if I didn't have these matters taken care of?"

"Then take care of it." Keyes sighed. "Lynn, you'd better get some rest. We can't keep a huge gathering like this secret for long, so we'll have to mobilize soon. I want you rested and at full strength when we do."

"Yes sir." Lynn nodded.

Residence Deck 1

"Wonderful." Lynn grumbled to herself. She had the power to read minds and throw objects around just by thinking it, but she couldn't even find her own stupid room. This was made slightly worse by the fact that Valhalla was a very new and fundamentally different ship than the Pegasus. Keyes was nice enough to have all her belongings moved here, but unfortunately, navigation of the interior of the ship was apparently something he had taken for granted, and forgotten to mention that to Lynn. As she continued exploring the unfamiliar halls, she rounded a corner and ran into Kyle.

"Hey there, you lost too?" Kyle asked, mildly surprised at the encounter.

"Hopelessly." Lynn sighed.

"Well come on, we can be lost together."

The wandered the hall for a few minutes in awkward silence until Lynn finally spoke.

"Kyle, what are you going to do once this is all over?"

"Huh?" Kyle stopped in his tracks. "What are you talking about?"

"If… I mean when we get Earth back, what are you going to do?" Lynn asked, her eyes gazing into his. "Ever since I've known you, you could never stay in the same place for longer than a day. Are you just going to land, take in the sights, and then just blast off for new unexplored places?"

"Why are you asking?" Kyle asked, bewildered. "Wouldn't you know?"

"Well, the problem is that not even you know the answer to that particular question right now." 

Lynn jabbed her finger into Kyle's forehead. "Plus, you should know that I always ask questions because I want to actually hear the answers coming from you."

"Well, that's a really hard one to answer." Kyle frowned. "I've never actually thought that far ahead, but I've always been questioning myself about what I would do if this situation ever came up. Part of me wants to stop moving around, ending up on dead end planets and getting shot at, while the other half is afraid that settling down will just mean I'm doomed to a mundane existence."

"Now that's just silly!" Lynn scoffed.

"I'm sorry, that's the best answer I can give you." Kyle shrugged.

"Well then, come back to me when you come up with a better one." Lynn said sadly. "And I think I found my room."

With that, Lynn kissed Kyle on the cheek and disappeared down the hall. Kyle stood still in his spot, slightly bewildered at what had just happened.

"Hey, what was all that about?" Kay appeared, snapping Kyle of his trance.

"Uh, nothing." Kyle said, wondering why Lynn had seemed so solemn at his answer.

For one of the few times in her life, Lynn felt scared and uncertain about the future, a rare thing for a telepath like her. She didn't want to say it out loud, but she desperately wanted Kyle to stay with her. Now, she didn't quite think that they were lovers per se, but she did immensely enjoy the times whenever he was around, and she was pretty sure it wasn't because he had always had trouble tailing him in the form of angry Covenant or rival scavengers. She had tried to divine the possible outcome of their success, but besides the reclamation of Earth, she could not sense anything about her or Kyle. This was what scared her the most. Though the absence of vision could mean anything, the uncertainty made Lynn fear for the worst. What if this meant one or both of them wouldn't survive the upcoming battles? She needed to know, she needed to be sure.

Suddenly, she felt a familiar sensation and reached into her pocket to pull out a folded piece of paper that wasn't there before. She hastily unfolded it, desperate to see what was written.

The paper was blank.

Valhalla Hangar Deck

The small, innocuous shuttle landed in the middle of the landing deck among rows of fighters and dropships. Non-essential crew was already evacuated and the few that stayed were sworn to stay silent about what would happen. In addition, there was a heavier than normal Marine presence in the hangar. Three full assault squads, handpicked by Ackerson, lined the landing deck as the shuttle slowly settled down. The landing ramp slowly lowered with a soft hiss and two figures strode down, wary of the amount of guns pointed at them.

"My, you certainly know how to make guests feel welcomed." Former Governor Jiles said humorously as he stepped onto the deck.

"It's just a security precaution." Keyes said, standing at the head of the "honor" guard. "And who might this be?"

"This is Captain Warren." Jiles motioned to the military looking man standing next to him. "My personal bodyguard. A necessity in my line of work."

"Well hopefully we won't need our guards." Keyes affirmed.

"So what was this offer of a deal, then?" Jiles asked.

"You don't want to discuss this somewhere else?"

"I'd rather we do this here. I've learned to keep my trust in others to a minimum level."

"Alright then." Keyes nodded. "You're aware why there's such a large fleet massed here?"

"I would assume because you've finally found this 'Earth' that you and your fleet have always been preaching about." Jiles sighed. "And what a coincidence, my station was destroyed by a merry little band looking for it, as well as by a group of Marines that oddly resemble yours…"

"I believe this shouldn't be the time for throwing around accusations." Ackerson stepped forward, deflecting Jiles' vague accusation. "Right now, there's a situation that both of our groups can gain from."

"And what would that be?"

"We're asking you to get in contact with every person with an armed ship that you know, and convince them to join our fleet." Keyes said.

"What?" Jiles laughed. "That's preposterous! You've spent the last few decades hunting us down, and now you want us to join up with you? What can you possibly offer us that will 

convince us to agree with this?"

Keyes showed Jiles a holopic of Earth. "What I'm offering is a full pardon for anybody who participates, as well as settling rights."

"So, assuming this planet exists and assuming we win, we get to make our home anywhere?"

"Within reason."

"What do you think?" Jiles whispered to Warren.

"I believe he's telling the truth." Warren replied. "They have no reason to lie to us, if they need us this badly. Plus, wouldn't having some dirt beneath your feet be infinitely better than scraping a living in space? Especially since the station is destroyed?"

"Well, it looks like we have a lot to gain from this." Jiles smiled. "You have a deal, Admiral. I'll relay the word to my contacts, and you can expect us to send a reply in a few days."

"Good." Keyes smiled back.

After the shuttle took off and left the hangar, it was now business as usual. The normal deck crew returned to work and the Marines returned to their posts. With his work done, Keyes strode out of the hangar, with Ackerson following close behind.

"I appreciate your ability to woo Jiles over to our side, but I'm having a hard time figuring just how you got this past the other fleets, much less the ship captains." Ackerson said.

"Well, it's a simple thing really. I've never actually told any of them."

"My my, taken a page from your second in command?" Ackerson grinned.

"I've learned that there are instances were some tactics work better than others." Keyes said diplomatically.

Gym

There were simultaneous groans and cheers as another would-be contender was literally thrown out of the wrestling ring. Many Marines and crewmen were attempting to test their mettle against John, seeing if any of them would be strong enough to overpower the Spartan. This was of course, a preposterous idea, but it didn't stop them from trying, and the people making money off of the bets certainly didn't want it to stop either.

Even without his armor on, John was still a monster of a man, easily a foot taller than normal men. His was a disturbing pale, almost pallid color due to spending so much time within the confines of his armor. However, everybody present was more concerned with his brute strength and near invulnerability. The attending medics had to treat numerous knuckle fractures after an unlucky punch hit a titanium rib, or a thick band of muscle as hard as concrete. John, however, faced not such limitations, and more often than not ended his fights with only a single blow, or opted to merely pick up his opponent and literally toss him out of the ring like a rag doll.

John himself didn't really mind. These sparring matches, easy as they were, still provided valuable practice for his close combat skills, and at least the Marines seemed to having a good time with it too. However, such a thing was not to last. Over the large ruckus, John's advanced hearing picked up the sound of the gym door opening. He sneaked a quick glance at the door, letting his current opponent get a punch into his gut. Though powerful by human standards, it felt as if the man hitting him with a stuffed animal.

"Alright ladies, playtime's over!" A gruff, stern looking officer yelled as he marched into the gym, flanked by a pair of armed provosts. "We're officially on alert level one! All of you maggots get to your posts and prepare for immediate mobilization!"

"YES SIR!" All of the Marines yelled instinctively and marched out of the gym.

The officer looked at John, and was about to bark an order at him too when Lynn suddenly materialized behind him. Startled, the two provosts whipped around and aimed their weapons in reflex, only to have the officer glare at them and gestured for them to stand down. Lynn whispered something in the officer's ear. He nodded, motioned to the provosts, and they marched out of the gym, leaving John alone with Lynn.

"Do you have time for one more?" Lynn asked, stepping into the wrestling wing.

John looked around at the empty gym and shrugged. "Let's get started then."

John was a little more excited with the prospect of sparring against Lynn. Unlike the Marines, Lynn had been trained by John himself, and she was a lightning fast learner. In just a few weeks, she was already fighting on SPARTAN level, and even though she wasn't nearly as strong, she very easily made up for it with her speed and reflexes. However, this time, something appeared to be off about her. Her attacks were sloppier than usual and her reflexes and speed seemed to have dulled. It was terribly easy for him to sidestep one of her punches, grab her arm, and flip her over, slamming her on her back.

"I assume there's something wrong." John said as he helped Lynn back up to her feet.

"Something's been bugging me." Lynn said gloomily. "I really need advice."

John suddenly wondered what ridiculous series of events happened that turned him from a soldier to a counselor.

"What's the problem?" John sighed as he sat on a nearby bench.

"Well…" Lynn sat down next to him and shuffled nervously. It was a bit awkward talking to somebody over a foot taller than you. "Have you ever had to deal with the fear of never seeing one of your friends after a battle? I mean, I'm sure you have…"

The words suddenly sparked a memory from deep within John's mind. The memory want back years, centuries technically, but it was still long ago…

Years Ago

John grimaced as he looked on at the Covenant armored column slowly trundling up the road four kilometers away. The original plan was to attack the Covenant force and lure them up into the mountains, where John and his fellow Spartans were waiting in ambush. However, the snag was that the Covenant force they were planning to attack was seven times the size of the original estimate. Instead of the two thousand troops they were originally tasked to destroy, the Covenant force swelled with nearly fourteen thousand troops.

"Well that's great, more targets." Kurt said, with an edge of humor in his voice.

"Shut it, Kurt, it's serious time now." Fred snapped.

Kurt pantomimed closing a zipper across the mouth of his helmet, signifying he was shutting up.

John ignored their antics and continued observing the Covenant force. Against the fourteen thousand enemies, John had ten Spartans at his disposal, including himself. Of course, he had his Blue Team with him, the best of the best that he had personally handpicked. Fred, Linda, Kelly, and Kurt were all there with him. In addition, Joshua, Grace, Isaac, and Vinh were present as well.

"Options?" John turned to Fred and Kurt. Besides John himself, they were the most capable leaders among the Spartans, and John often turned to them for tactical advice.

"Well, it's a safe bet that they're not going to come to us." Fred brought out his map and pointed to their current position. "There's three passes along these mountains, and only two of them are large enough to accommodate a force that size. And guess what…"

"We got the short straw." John sighed.

"That's right. Even though we're on the straightest line through the mountains, they'll just pass us by to the other passes. Even if we attack them, it's not guaranteed that they'll follow us, seeing as they have alternatives."

"Then we take them away." Kurt chipped in. "We've got enough explosives to cut off those passes and force them into ours."

"But there's no way we'll be able to destroy such a huge force." Fred pointed out.

"You're right, we don't have nearly enough bullets."

The Spartans chuckled at Kurt's quip.

"But in all seriousness, we can't expect to destroy them all." John said. "This is a holding action."

"But what are we holding for?" Kurt asked.

"Briefing mentioned that there's a Marine about ten kilometers from our position." John marked the spot on the map. "They're carrying a load of HAVOK nuclear warheads we can use, but the catch is that they're under strict radio silence. They can't receive or send anything due to the sensitivity of their cargo."

"So how do are we supposed to-" Fred paused and glanced at Kelly. "Never mind sir, I'm an idiot."

"Kelly! Front and center!" John yelled.

"What is it, Chief?" Kelly was there in a flash, a testament to her characteristic speed.

"Role switch." John pointed to the map. "You're going to be a runner instead of a rabbit. Get to this position, make contact with the convoy there, and bring them back here as fast as possible."

"What about you?" Kelly asked.

"We can't afford to let the Covenant through these mountains. The rest of us are staying behind to perform a holding action."

John and Kelly glanced at each other for what seemed like an eternity, though to anybody else, only seconds would have passed. Nobody but John and Kelly themselves could guess what the 

other was thinking.

"You'd better still be here when I get back." Kelly said.

"Of course." John picked up his rifle and flipped the safety off. "Who the hell do you think I am?"

Present

"My best piece of advice is to stay confident." John said. "My fellow Spartans were more than fellow soldiers and friends, they were like family. The only way we could deal with repeatedly going into battle was to believe that we'd be able to make to end."

"Did it work?"

"Most of the time." John said solemnly.

Edge of the Sol System
Two days later

In the depths of space, a battlefleet of a size not seen since the apocalyptic war between the Foreunner and Flood had gathered. Over sixteen hundred ships of varying size, class, and affiliation were flying in formation under a single cause. Some were not even human, but were just as determined to fight with them. At the head of this massive fleet was the Valhalla, with Admiral Keyes in command. He viewed the grand vista and couldn't help but smile. Finally, after all these years, the scattered bands of human survivors had finally found a cause to unite them.

"Soldiers, crewmen, and civilians of the United Exile Fleet." Keyes spoke, transmitting his speech on the fleetwide channel. "Today is the culmination of two centuries of exile. Today is the day we finally stop bowing to fate and create our own. Today is the day we finally return home!"

There was a gaggle of cheers and whoops across the various channels, mostly coming from the most loyal ships. Keyes grinned and continued.

"However, I cannot guarantee that this will be an easy battle, or that we will succeed at all. There are many challenges that lie ahead of us, and I know that some of you believe that our predicament is bleak, but we must stand firm! We don't know how many enemies we will be facing, so we assume we're outnumbered a million to one. We don't know what enemies we'll be facing, so assume it's against the very Prophets themselves. We don't what are chances of 

survival are, so assume that they are zero. We may never set foot on Earth, and we, along with the last hope of Humanity's future, may be wiped out. Nobody may know of our great deeds and heroic sacrifices, and we may never be buried under solid earth, but know one thing." Keyes paused and took a breath. "If we can't make a memorial on Earth, then we'll build one here! We'll build a memorial out of the enemy's shattered starships and piles of corpses! We may not be remembered by our fellow Exiles, but we enemy will! We will hurt them so badly, that they will remember us and what we did to them until every star burns out and the universe goes cold! Don't fear loss, my friends, for we have already won!"

This time, the cheers were louder and more numerous, as if the speech had stirred the inner fire of the rest of the fleet. Satisfied, Keyes cut the transmission and turned to Ackerson.

"Is everything ready?"

"As ready as it'll ever be, sir." Ackerson acknowledged.

"All ships, prepare to jump on my mark." Keyes paused for a brief second to get a good look at his bridge crew. He could see the determination in their eyes, and he knew that the end was coming. What exactly would end, though, was still up in the air.

"Mark!" He yelled.