A/N: First time doing POV so apologies if it is lacking.
We'll head for the portal, and we'll all go home. That's what the Master Chief said. Even now as I'm providing over watch with this pelican gunship, shooting down flood controlled Banshees. His words still echo in my head, this was the final stretch of the war, this was the moment… This is the hour.
"Ack! Damn bastards! Just don't know when ta quit!" Chips shouted as he flew into my gun sight, only to be replaced by two more Flood controlled Banshees following close behind him.
"Going guns!" I fired off two short bursts of 40mm rounds, the first burst slapped into the lead Banshee sending it careening to the Forerunner structures below in a ball of blue flames. This alerted the other Banshee but with smart targeting systems calculating its escape vector, my second burst arced into the Banshee as it tried to pull out of its attack run.
40mm's of pure armor piercing explosive ass kicking tore through the purple hull, setting the craft ablaze before detonating into a ball of purple and blue explosion.
"70 percent Chief!" Cortana warned with explosions and… Music? In the background of her transmission.
Oh wait that's right Sgt. Johnson took a copy of Commander O'Donnell's music library just before we headed through the portal. Ha-Hah crazy… Just damn crazy "Cortana, mind telling me what you're blasting on the radio?" I asked, blowing up a flight of three Banshees with the last of my air to air missiles.
"It ain't named, Trooper! But we're gonna call it [The Warthog Run] if we make it back!" Sgt. Johnson barked with gunfire roaring in between the explosions and whine of the Warthog.
"HA what a coincidence! I'm also listening to that file too! File 9 track 25- 07, you know what I'll just broadcast it to you Juke" Chips… Sometimes I wonder, if you're just naturally ballsy to do something like sending music in mid dogfight or the universe is covering your ass.
In an instant the sound of a choir, drums, and piano sounded through the cockpit sound system, increasing in crescendo, followed by a frustrated grunt "Ugh damn! I'm dry on everything" Chips then broke off from pursuit of his target, allowing it to chase after the Master Chief.
"Roger that, just get back to the Dawn I'll take care of what's left!" I confidently stated as I strafed a Flood controlled Phantom, blowing it to smithereens with six Anvil missiles. Though not rated for air to air combat, but for usage against ground units, they do the job nicely against aerial units, that is, if they hit.
As I broke off from the smoldering Phantom, I did a quick check of my sensors and followed the closest hostile contact indicator popping up in my HUD.
Following the Chief with a steady stream of blue plasma, the Banshee that Chips let go, was following closely behind the Trio firing off more bursts of plasma, while taking fire from the Warthog's minigun along with small arms fire coming from the passenger seat, and followed by a small glowing object that was thrown from said passenger seat.
Wait, isn't that a plasma grenade? I questioned myself, wondering if I was seeing things due to the constant fighting, but the slightly bigger explosion of the banshee only confirmed it.
"Corporal! Your rear!" The deep bass voice of the Arbiter warned me, just as my Pelican shuddered underneath plasma fire.
I didn't know where I was taking fire but I banked hard left with my thrusters going into an 80 degree angle to sharpen my turn, at the great expense of experiencing high levels of G-force.
"Juke, get back to the ship, I say again, get back to the ship! The Ark is at 90 percent! Firing sequence initiated!" Cortana warned, but between the Flood controlled Banshee's and disobeying an order that may just leave me here in Halo's destruction…
I disregarded her warning.
A quick check of my systems showed nothing out of place, so I gunned the Pelican into an intercept course with the Banshee responsible for shooting at me, who might I remind you was already starting its strafing run on the Warthog but was cut short as the Chief, Sgt. Johnson, Arbiter, and Cortana jumped over metal berm. Forcing the Banshee to pull up to avoid crashing.
Lucky for me, as it pulled up my 40mm rotary cannon opened up on the thing, turning it into another purple-blue explosion of fire and smoke as I zoomed past it following close behind the Chief.
"Cortana, I've opened the main hangar door! And I've already started warming up the engines. Just waiting for you lot to get on!" Chips said with ragged breath. With the bay door opened, I increased the angle of the thrusters while reducing their output, slowing me down as the Chief came closer to the edge of the chasm.
"GUN IT CHIEF JUMP! FLOOR IT! RIGHT INTO THE HANGER!" I heard Cortana shout, only then to see the Warthog zoom off from the ramp at the bottom of the slope toward the Dawn's open hanger door, music blaring in all its glory.
God was it so fucking cool, thank god our helmets have personal recorders.
"This is Juke I'm-" Before I could say anything else I felt like someone tugged at the Pelican, it was just a short jolt before the entire nose of my Pelican began to point upward toward the void of space.
"What the hell?!" Chips voiced out.
"Its the Ring- augh, Cortana!" Sgt. Johnson groaned.
"I got ya Sarge- Whoa!" Chips exclaimed.
After leveling out the Pelican I gunned it toward the open bay doors, landing on the belly of the ship skidding across the deck floor before coming to a stop midway into the ship at an angle.
Almost immediately the engines cut out upon impact. Thankfully they didn't go out when I was still flying.
I glanced up from my console and saw the Master Chief glance toward me only then to nod in affirmation, to which I myself replied with a nod of my own.
If there's one thing I know about the Master Chief, it's that he's a man of few words and a man of action.
Instantly after seeing my nod, the Chief ran over to the closest ship console and plugged Cortana into it "Hang on!" She cried out as she took control of the ship, putting its thrusters at full burn to get us to the portal, back to Earth.
As we accelerated away from the Ark and the collapsing Ring, I found myself along with the Master Chief being pulled out of the Hanger, toward the Ring.
"Cortana, doors!" Chief ordered while hanging on to dear life, yet glancing over his shoulder toward me, worried for my safety.
"I can't! The gravitational pull is- JUKE!" And all of a sudden a Warthog crashed into the side of my cockpit throwing myself hard against the pilot straps and slamming my head against the side of the cockpit, leaving me in a daze unable to comprehend that the Pelican ,with me in it, was slipping toward the Ring.
But as luck would have it, the Pelican's right side rear thruster flap clung onto the floor ramp's hydraulic cylinder, used for disgorging supplies and armor when in atmosphere, as was done when we punched a hole right through the Prophet of Truth's defense network.
"Chief!" Cortana called out, drawing my dazed self to glance out the left side of my cockpit, catching a glimpse of the Master Chief using his bare hands to carve a line through the titanium-A floor panels just to reach me.
His metal boots thudded against the side of the Pelican, jolting the craft from its place "Juke, the outer explosive bolts are not responding" Chief said, prompting me to try on my end.
"Its- Its not working… Stand clear!" Chief did as warned, as I pulled my M6 Socom off my right thigh holster and fired three rounds at the glass panel.
Three distinct bullet impacts were left on the glass panel like spider webs, and again the Pelican shifted itself, this time with the cockpit pointed close toward the vast open void of space.
Reality of the situation then dawned on me as I stared at the Ark and the massive glow of energy that was being built up at its center.
"Cortana, how much further until we're free from the gravity well?" Chief asked with urgency in his voice.
"Not far enough! At most 2 minu-" A sudden impact broke the damaged glass, scattering small broken bits of glass onto the console and me.
"Not fast enough!" Chief stated as he began to pry open the window, cracking the frontal glass panel.
Just as he began to pry it open, the Pelican jolted again, unbalancing the Chief as his left fist punched a hole in the floor, creating a anchor point for him as the floor now acted as a slanted wall for him.
Reaching into my left thigh ammo bag, I pulled out a red cloth sack that jingled with the slightest movement "Chief! Take it!" I said sticking my arm through the open panel towards him.
Chief took it in his hand and gave it a quick once over before sticking it into one of his many armor compartments, but before he could get back to prying open the cockpit, his arm shot back into the hole he previously made watching me as I plummeted back toward the Ark.
"Jake!" Chief and Cortana called out helplessly.
In a vain attempt to try and get back to the Dawn, I furiously pushed the ignition key on the Pelican to restart the engines, but was only met by the all too familiar sound of the engines sputtering and cutting out.
This is it I thought to myself, there was no frustration, no cursing, crying, or panic, I just sat there watching Halo prepare its final charge up before firing.
Its strange, after fighting in this war for so long I think I know what peace feels like... I know it sounds corny but I survived until the end, I didn't die mid mission without knowing if we succeeded in stopping The Prophet of Truth. Nor did I die before the Chief and everyone else got off the Ring! Hell I have front row seats to one last bang of the war!
Though It is depressing that I won't be able to celebrate with Chip, Sarge, or Chief, but this is one helluva send off for those who fell during the assault against Truth.
"Send me out… With a bang…" I stated aloud to myself, and as if Halo heard my request, it's built up energy detonated, blinding me in a brilliant white, piercing through my visor and eyelids blinding me.
I am Little Sister, I am searching for parts for my Big Sister. She has complained that she has not been feeling too well to play with me because of her parts not working correctly.
So I went out without her permission in search of spare parts that would fix her. I am scared of going alone outside of our home by myself but I want to help my big sister.
She would be happy if I am able to find parts for her. Big sister will then be able to play with me again with new parts, and she will be happier.
Outside of our home isn't too scary, but bad machines are everywhere and are dangerous. If they weren't so close around, Big Sister and I could explore more.
The bad machines are also looking for parts and taking them from other bad machines by fighting them and winning.
Muuuuuh, outside is scary… Big Sister, I miss you.
So many dangerous machines, but also scary are androids who are taking parts from both machines and androids who sleep forever now.
Big sister said that they are asleep forever because something important broke and it exists in everyone. I don't know what it is but I do not want my Big Sister's important part to be broken! I need to find parts to help her before her important part breaks!
After leaving the city and searching close by the outskirts close to the forest I managed to find some spare parts, but I had to remove it from a sleeper as it was cut in half.
I don't know what put this machine to sleep forever but I do not want to stay here any longer. Now that I have some parts, maybe these will help Big Sister!
Once I put the parts away into my backpack, which my Big Sister gave me as a present, I began to walk home, making sure that no bad machines or scary androids saw me.
One time when I went out by myself a bad machine followed me back home, but was stopped by Mr. Headband who put the scary machine to sleep permanently.
I felt sorry for the bad machine but Mr. Headband told me it was waiting until I stopped walking. It was scary to hear that if I had stopped while walking home, the bad machine would have hurt me.
When Big Sister heard about that, she scolded me for a long time, until Uncle Pascal stopped her, showing my bag filled with parts and oils.
She wasn't happy about me leaving but after talking with Uncle Pascal she hugged me until I stopped crying.
After that Big Sister would always make sure to know where I went or when I was going to leave the village with Uncle Pascal.
Just when I was walking back home, I heard a loud whining noise. At first I thought it was my joints but when I listened closely the sound grew louder.
Did a machine follow me?! When did it see me and how long has it been following me?
I didn't know, but the sound grew louder as I stood there waiting, but then remembered I had to bring these parts to my Big Sister to fix her!
"I'm coming home, Big Sister!" I cried out on the verge of tears.
I ran as fast as I could but the sound turned into a loud whistle as the machine flew over me, toward the village.
Oh no, did it know after following me?! No no no no no no no no! Big Sister!
Anemone sighed in finality, the reports from today were finally finished. Patrols hadn't encountered any machine forces other than the occasional lone unit which ended without a problem, other than expenditure of munitions, but it was better than what she had to experience just months ago.
Lost patrols, encroaching machine forces that searched for their base. Constant losses of supplies and able bodied androids, with heavier losses for Yorha units who launched counter assaults, raids, recon, and the occasional rescue mission.
Most importantly, morale was at an all time low with desertions becoming a constant occurrence. Luckily most who did, returned two to three days later apologizing for their cowardice, even if they had good reasons too Anemone wouldn't hold it against them.
Anemone once had such thoughts and desire long ago, but with the weight of responsibility over six thousand or so androids. She carried on, and kept her force together even at their lowest point to their highest.
"If only you were still here Rose… Maybe things would be better under your command" She muttered, filing away the paper reports from inside of her command tent.
"Anemone we have a transmission coming in from Yorha HQ! They say it is of utmost urgency! Level 5 clearance" the communications officer, Lantana, reported.
Anemone stared wide-eyed at Lantana "Patch it through!" She ordered, before quickly going toward her own communications equipment inside of her tent.
Minutes passed before the console Anemone activated shot to life with a grainy and tan colored screen appearing mid air in front of her.
Lantana quickly left just as the display appeared, knowing full well that this was between the two leaders of their respective forces.
"Commander White"
"Commander Anemone"
The two leaders stared at one another, unblinking, and silent. Until Anemone posed a question "So what is it this time?"
"They have returned" White wasted no time and went straight to the point, surprising Anemone who expected a cordial greeting between the two to start.
"What do you mean? Has Human-" She was cut off as a video recording replaced the image of the blonde haired Yorha leader, White, her image becoming a small frame on the top left corner of the projection.
"As of 0600 hours, our sensors detected an unknown anomaly appearing within the edges of our sensor range close to the edge of the planet's atmosphere. At first we had believed it was a faulty sensor picking up space debris from the early days of Humanity's attempt to reach space. But in the next few seconds…" White's voice trailed off.
In the next few seconds a blinding flash of light blinded the camera, its mechanical eye doing its best to adjust to the blinding light until the darkness of space slowly returned.
Then it automatically darted around the void of space, zooming uncontrollably until it slowly zoomed out and paused, the faded colors slowly returning to normal. Anemone didn't know what she was looking for but soon the camera zoomed onto a dark object entering Earth's atmosphere with ease.
Although the image was blurred and marred by faded colors Anemone knew what it was "I assume you have a projected trajectory?"
The video then shrunk to a small frame as White appeared with a visible look of anxiety "Yes… In your North west quadrant, close to the outer edges of the Sand Zone in sector C6. I have a squad of Yorha units already dropping through orbit, along with any and all Yorha ground units on high alert to report contact against the enemy… Anemone this fight will be brutal beyond reason"
"When is it not?" Anemone sighed "I know what we are in store for, I'll notify my people of the situation… I hope this time the tide is in our favor"
White solemnly nodded before bringing her left hand over her chest, above where a human heart would be "As do I… Glory, to Mankind"
Anemone curtly replied "Glory, to Mankind"