The spartan stood still beffore wiping their blade clean and sheathing it. their hands reached to their own helm and the hiss of the pressurized suit cut the silence between them. The helm was held in one hand to the side. Pale rose skin scared on one side twisting the mouth into a permanent grin. Sea green eyes met firey red framed in short red locks of hair. She glared daggers at the astartes as he held out his hand.
Chapter 2
The Empire
The Spartan woman kept her gaurd up. Her helm held in her hand. Her power armor was unlike anything the Astartes had seen. He could see the craftmanship needed to produce such armor. Form fitted under suit that acted as a second skin. the mudular armor would provide a near full range of motion. Crimson painted metal with black trim. Her chest plate over lapped armor with fabric pouches.
Her right shoulder pad was tall and thick wher her left had three bullets strapped to it. Her wrist had a blue screen light up with something before going dark. What appeared to be a medical kit was strapped to her right thigh armor. Her helmet appeared to have extra armor and a external range finder attached to the side. a narrow silver visor went over both eyes of the helm.
They stood silently before the woman spoke. "I've never see a human look like you... what are you? Your armor isn't anything like I've seen either."
Her accent was impossible to place, not lining up with any world the Salamander had visited before. "I am a Astartes of the Salamander Space Marine Chapter. My name is Regulas Drakefire. I serve the Imperial Empire of Mankind."
"Empire? Astartes? Space Marine Chapter?" she muttered under her breath. "I'm Spartan B312. Other wise known as Noble 6. I serve humanity in the war against the Covenant alliance who seek to destroy mankind. I am a Warrant officer in the United Nations Space Command. I escaped the Destruction of Reach and I must return to my duties. I don't know what your Empire is, or where we are."
"You... don't know about the Imperium? The Empire of mankind spans the Galaxy. We are on the world of Yulua 13 within Imperium Sanctus. Perhaps my commanders could help?" Regulas offered. But something was clearly off with the stranger. Referring to herself with numbers, not using a proper name. Could she be the creation of a unknown splinter faction of the mechanicum or a human faction in a distant part of the galaxy that wasn't concured in the ten thousand years of Imperium?
Noble 6 donned her helm and kept a healthy space between herself and the space marine. He turned of his external Vox and called to his Brothers. "This is brother Regulas I reached the wreckage. I found a human woman killing the last xeno of a faction called the Covenant. She says she's a member of United Nations Space Command, and is a classification of soldier as a Spartan. She claims to have been defending a world called Reach that was under siege by the Xenos."
"Thank you brother. Bring her to the sargent. We will relay this info to him immediate." Brother Yokan replied over the vox channel.
The two warriors marched in silence. their heavy footfalls on the ground. In the distance great storms raged over the wastes. Noble six came to ledge and pulled her self up, but nearly list her grip when her tight grip shattered the surface. "What the...?" she said once on the cliff side. Brushing the dust off revealed a thick layer of black glass. "This world was Glassed..." she said... "There's plant life..."
"Yes... part of why my squad was sent to this world is to escort archeological researhers. They can tell you more about the history of the world." Regulas said easily leaping up the ledge. The ground shook and shards of glass and stone shttered.
"I see..." she stood up to look over the valley below. "While we head to your base, what can you tell me about this Imperium?"
"Well Its the Empire of Mankind, we hold dominion over the vast majority of the Galaxy... at least until the great Rift that formed with the Fall od Cadia that split the empire in half. So far there's been no communication with the worlds on the other side."
"Can't say i heard of it. I was trying to escape the world of Reach as the Covenant burned the world, Glassing the surface. To purge all signs of human life. They burned hundreds of worlds and Reach was the last gate to our home... I have to hope the Pillar of Autumn and her crew can make it in time." she said, almost sounding exhausted.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Xeno species are vile, uncaring monsters. To burn a single human world is a unforgivable act." Regulas said as they marched forward.
Soon they reached the camp and after the gaurds let them in they were brought straight to the Sargeant.
The two of them were brought to a large green command tent labbled with the emblem of the Salamander chapter. A Salamander pulled the fabtic door to the side to allow them to enter. inside was a large table with loval and large planetary maps.
"Brother Regulas, Report." The giant of a man ordered, his skin just as black as Regulas and his eyes the same deep red.
"Yes Sargeant Hadur. I spotted a crashing Xeno ship approximately 5 kilometers from our position. after request permission to investigate I encountered our Guest. Nobel 6 as they refer to themselves. There I witnessed her depatch a unknown Xeno. According to her story she is a member of a human faction known as..."
"The United Nations Space Command... yes... aside from what you sent of the vox." Sargeant Hadur said impaitently as he narrowed his eyes at the new individual.
"The Covenant and the..." Regulas started.
"UNSC." Nobel 6 cut in.
"Are at war with the UNSC losing worlds to the Covenant as they are set out to eradicate this human Faction. According to Nobel 6 the Covenant utilize a methodof planetary destruction called Glassing. And that this world has at some point undergone that destruction." Regulas finished.
"Strange... the glass layer on this world is dated back too..." Hador started when the tent door were thrown open by a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus, their vox distorted voice prainung the machine god. "Astartes, we have descovered what we came for. Technology of a time long gone." following the cyborg came a older woman with something wrapped in a thick blanket and setting it down, ignoring the stranger in the room.
"It predates the darkage of technology. One of humanites first power armors." They said excitedly as the blanket was pulled aside.
inside was a heavily eroded helmet, metal panels either missing or semi melted. but the distinguishing freature was the visor. it was the entire face and all the way back, the some surface cracked and missing some shards but... what was there has a skull carved into it, one that stared back at its enemies. It didn't resemble an Astartes helm. "It was dated to M2550. This is the single oldest artifact recovered from humanities past that didn't reside on Terra!" the woman cheered. "It' almost 40,000 years old!"
There was a his as a helmet was removed. "Emile... I'm..."
Nobel Six had returned to Reach in the Far future.
Hope you like this chapter, if you did, leave a review.
