Chapter 8- What happened at Reach?
-Cortana…are you sure? Aren't there any other planets where you can make contact nearby?
-No, Chief. We have to go Reach
-Wait…wasn't Reach glassed? I saw on the news, "Reach glassed by the Covenant". If we go there, we will die! – says Chips Dubbo
-Reach wasn't glassed, that was a lie that UNSC told to everyone. Reach was taken and the Covenant benefited from the fauna and the flora of the planet. – says Chief
-So Reach is a Covenant colony now?
-Something like that.
-Sir, what really happened in there? – asks a Marine
-What happened in Reach? We all know what happened in Reach.
-Well, I used to believe that Reach was glassed by the Covenant. So there is clearly some things that I don't know about Reach. Tell us, what happened at Reach?
-That's a long story. It all starts in Earth in the year of 2552. Lord Hood was announcing the Spartans as the last hope of humanity:
It is a beautiful day on Earth, it is spring, and the trees are colorful. Lots of people are reunited next to a big stage. Those people are afraid, they need hope. After Harvest, they don't want to lose another planet. Lord Hood shows up in the stage, there is lot of different soldiers behind him, each of them in lines. Lord Hood check the microphone and starts talking:
-Ladies and gentleman, this is the Spartan Project, the front line warriors of our war. They are the strongest, fastest and they are the best ones. The Spartans will make the Covenant regret attacking us. Let me introduce you to the Spartan groups. There are three groups: Group A, Group B and Group C. Each one of them have their missions and their own quality level. Am I right, Spartans?
-Sir, yes Sir! – All the Spartans shouted.
-Group A, also known as Light Team, is led by the notorious Spartan: John-117 aka Master Chief. Group B, also known as Noble Team, is led by Carter-A259 aka Noble One. Group C, also known as Monitor Team, is led by S4-AA aka Sam. They will protect us in these dark times.
They were announced in all the human colonies, in each of them, they saw a different hopeless face. Group A was a family, Chief would die for them and the rest of the team would die for Chief. They were unstoppable, nothing could win them, they had the highest scores in the training sessions and they always had the best grades in logical tests.
One day, the three groups received the order to get aboard on a cruiser to Reach and expel the Covenant from there. They got aboard on a cruiser that was going to Reach, a cruiser called UNSC Forward unto Dawn. The cruiser made a slip-space jump to Reach, the Spartans waited for the call on an escape pod. Lord Hood sent a message to the three leader saying:
"Spartans, good luck on your mission, you can use the escape pod now."
Carter releases the escape pod and they pass through a battlefield of human cruisers and Covenant cruisers. They land on the middle of a battlefield. They get out of the escape pod already shooting the Covenant. Chief says:
-Group A we are going to the New Alexandria communication center. Group B go and check New Alexandria residential area. Group C go to the New Alexandria UNSC spaceport.
-Sir, yes Sir! – says Sam and Carter
Chief and his group run through the battlefield. An Elite throws Chief in the ground and starts punching him. Linda, a Spartan from Chief's group, shoot the Elite in the head with a shotgun. There is a Needler Covenant turret, Linda starts using this turret and killing every Covenant on Group A's way. They keep running and shooting. They finally get to a calm place, is in the way to the communication center, it is a trail with trees around it. All the Spartans are tired, so they decided to rest in the middle of the trail. Chief starts talking to Linda:
-Thank you for what you have done back there. If wasn't for you, I would be dead by now.
-A family protect each other, you protected me all this years, and this was just my retribution.
-I remember when we were teenagers, that the Insurrectionists stormed our training. You and the rest of the team were afraid, but I wasn't. Together, we fought against them and reached the ending of the training.
-I remember when I was way younger than you, and I had a bad dream. Scared, I ran to your room and asked if I could sleep next to you. I thought that if I slept next to you, no one could hurt me, because you would protect me.
-I remember…let's get some rest, tomorrow it's going to be a big day.
-You're right, let's get some sleep.
Both them sleep, looking to the battle in the sky. In the next day, they wake up with the sound of plasma grenades. They quickly grab their weapons and aim to the place where they heard the sound. They see suicidal Grunts coming in their way. Instead of shooting them, they run away from them, saving ammo. They run through the trail and get to the communication center. The communication center is destroyed, there are bodies lying in the ground. They go inside the communication center and they see a men sitting next to a map. Chief gets close to him and ask:
-Sir, what happened in here?
The man opened his eyes, which are black. He breathe with his mouth, which is bleeding. He says with a weepy voice:
-They…attacked us…we had…no chance.
-The Covenant attacked you?
-Yes. Take…her.
-Take who?
-Cortana…take her…to the…Pillar of…Autumn.
-I'll do it.
-Thank…you. Don't…let…her fall…in…wrong hands.
The man points to the place where Cortana is. He stops breathing and die. Chief goes next to where the man was pointing and see Cortana. Chief asks her:
-Are you Cortana?
-Yes, Sir
-We are taking you out of here.
-It was about time, thank god that the Covenant just ignored me.
Chief connects her to his armor and she says:
-Your architecture isn't that different from the one here at the communication center.
-Cortana, give us the localization of the Pillar of Autumn.
-There is a Warthog next to this communication center. Find it and I'll guide you to the Pillar of Autumn. Group A get out of the communication center and find this Warthog hidden behind the bushes. It is a transport Warthog. Linda says:
-Oh god. I hate transport Warthogs. Who had this awful idea?
Chief looks to her and say:
-I hate transport Warthogs too.
Chief turn around and sit on the driver's seat of the Warthog. He start the Warthog running and asks to Cortana:
-So, where should we go?
-You might go to that trail over there.
Chief looks and is the same trail where they came from. He says:
-But…that is the same way from where we came.
-Just go.
They go all the way back to the battlefield and the battle is still on. They get in the ending of the human area and Cortana says:
-Do you know the way to the New Alexandria spaceport?
-Yes, I know.
-Why didn't you told me already? We are going there!
-You could have told me that we were going there.
-I thought that this was pretty obvious.
-Well, we can meet with Group C there. – says Linda
-You're right Linda. Maybe they can help killing the Covenant. I'll contact the other groups.
Chief start calling Group B:
-Noble Team, do you respond?
-Master Chief, Sir! Residential area is totally evacuated, I repeat, the city has been evacuated.
-Good job, Noble Team. Go to the UNSC New Alexandria base and get some ammo.
-Sir, yes Sir.
Chief starts calling Group C:
-Monitor Team, do you respond? Monitor Team, do you respond? Group C, can you hear me? Do anyone copy?
Chief stops calling them and he says:
-Strange…Group C won't answer, maybe there is some big trouble at the spaceport.
-Maybe they are dead. – says Linda
-They aren't dead.
They near the spaceport and they see lots of Covenant over there. Linda sees a different type of Elite, he is wearing a golden armor and he is holding a purple energy sword. Linda, surprised, says:
-Oh god, that can't be…
-What is it? – asks Chief
-It's an Arbiter!
-An Arbiter? Are you sure?
-I'm pretty sure that the Elite in the golden armor is an Arbiter.
-Yeah, it looks like that Sam and his crew got themselves in trouble. – says one of the Spartans
They go nearer to the battle with the Warthog, but suddenly, the Warthog crashes. They go on foot and start shooting the Covenant troops. The Arbiter go for Linda, Chief is attacked by an Elite. The Elite throws Chief on the ground and he pulls his energy sword out of his back. He points to Chief's neck and say:
-You and your demon horde will fail, and where you have failed, the Covenant will succeed.
Chief kneed the Elite's belly and punched his face right next. The Elite flew away from Chief, but his sword fell next to Chief. He grabbed the energy sword and finished with the Elite. He looks behind him and see the Arbiter punching Linda's face, making her fall in the ground. The Arbiter pulls his purple energy sword and raise it up. Chief runs as fast as he can and stab the Arbiter's back. The Arbiter gasps, drop his sword and fall on top of Linda. She pushes his body away, Chief says:
-Take my hand, let's go.
Linda holds Chief's hand and stands up. Both of them run to the spaceport entrance, where there is a human turret. Linda starts shooting with this turret, Chief runs to through a big hall that leads to the Pillar of Autumn. Chief look at Linda and say:
-Linda, let's go!
-Oh no!
A yellow energy sword stab her belly and raises her up. Chief looks at this and he drop his weapon in the ground, he can't see who done that to her. Chief turn around and starts running, like nothing matters. He sees the other Spartans being shot in the back by a yellow bullet. He pulls a grenade, pull its pin off and throw behind him, without looking back. He hears the noise of the explosion and he keeps running. He reaches the Pillar of Autumn and there is only 2 Spartans of his team alive. Chief gets close to the Pillar of Autumn's entrance door with another Spartan, and he says:
-I'm not leaving any of you!
-Goodbye, Sir.
The Spartan kicks Chief in the belly, making Chief fall inside the ship. The Spartan press the button to close the Pillar of Autumn's entrance door. Chief is a little dizzy, but he sees this Spartan taking a shot in the head and falling in the ground, while the door closes. When the door is fully closed, Chief starts punching the door, shouting:
-OPEN IT! OPEN IT!
Chief gets out of balance and fall on the ground when the cruiser starts flying. Chief keeps lying on the ground, until Cortana says:
-Take me to the Captain. His name is Jacob Keyes.
Chief stands up and slowly walks through the cruiser, until he gets to the control room, where he finds Captain Keyes giving orders. Keyes sees Chief and say:
-Is she alright?
-Yes, she is.
-Great, thank you, Master Chief.
Chief connects Cortana to the Pillar of Autumn's system and Keyes say:
-Get some rest, I'm sure that you had a tough day. Mendoza, take Chief to the Cryo 2.
-Sir, yes sir! – says Mendoza
-Wake me, when you need me.
Chief walks through the cruiser and go to Cryo 2. He enter his cryogenic pod and starts sleeping on it.
Back on Johnson's pelican, all the Marines are surprised and some of them thrilled by the story. Johnson looks to Dubbo and he sees him crying. Johnson asks laughing:
-Chips, are you crying?
-Sir, no Sir. I'm having an issue with my eyes.
-You are crying, Chips!
-No, I'm not!
-Admit it, you're crying.
-Ok…I'm crying.
-Ha! I knew it.
Chief realizes something and he says to Johnson:
-Johnson, remember where the experimental labs are?
-No, but I remember where the farming station was.
-Land there.
-Why?
-Because I'm saying to you to land there.
-Chief, what the hell are you going to do.
-Finish this fight.