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Last Stand

Ethan activated his Type-4 and opened the hatch just enough to look around. Seeing it was clear, he climbed out and sealed the hatch again, then began to run, Maria guiding him toward Sarah's location. Finally, he reached the top of a cliff just as a Lich below him exploded, courtesy of Sarah's helmet, which was stuffed with grenades. However, as it crashed to the ground, Sarah landed on her back, skidding to a stop in front of a trio of Grunts and an Elite. Ethan dropped, landing behind them and slashed with his Hardlight Sword, killing all four of the hostile aliens, then deactivated his Type-4.

"Ethan, what are you doing here!?" Sarah demanded.

"You have a traitor among your Spartans," Ethan said, helping her up. "I checked Ray before leaving Lasky with her, but she's clean."

"Checked her how?" Sarah asked.

"We can interface with a Spartan's neural implant to view the Spartan's memories," Ethan said. "It's quick but not painless, plus it's not exactly something I can pretend is just Maria or a suit upgrade, so I don't publicize my ability."

"But you'll be able to find the traitor," Sarah reasoned.

Ethan nodded, and Sarah pulled her Magnums off of her thighs again as they ran to catch up with the others. However, as they ran, the bridge began to give way as they Lich crashed down on it. They swore, firing the thrusters in their armor to speed along the bridge, using their feet to stay upward and almost skating along the walkway. Then, just as they neared the end of the bridge, a pair of Elites tackled them. Scruggs instantly killed the one holding Sarah with his combat knife as Ethan killed his own with his Hardlight Dagger.

"Nice work, Scruggs," Sarah complimented him.

"Any time, boss," Scruggs nodded. "Why are you here, Ethan? I thought you were supposed to be with Captain Lasky."

Ethan pulled his helmet off, glancing at Sarah. "Lasky ordered me back here. He feels the delegates' safety is more important than his life."

Scruggs nodded. "Sounds like him."

"Commander Palmer," Admiral Hood said, walking over. "Before we leave?"

Sarah motioned her consent for whatever he wanted to do, and Admiral Hood nodded, kneeling beside one of the dead Elites and beginning to search him.

"I guess you're not looking for his wallet," Sarah said.

"I'm fishing, admittedly," the Admiral admitted, his voice low. "But I don't like how conveniently those Covenant happened to find us the second we stepped out into the open."

"There's a traitor," Ethan said quietly, pulling his helmet back on. "It's why I came back to this group. Ray's ours, through and through. She'd never question anything Sarah tells her to do, especially."

"Is that right?" Sarah smirked. "You got competition?"

Ethan laughed. "She certainly wouldn't be opposed, but I'm not worried." His voice turned serious again. "I'm thinking it's a member of Jackknife."

"Why?" Admiral Hood asked, searching the other Elite.

"Commander, we good to go?" Scruggs called back to her.

"Take Jackknife ahead," Sarah called back. "We'll be right behind."

Scruggs nodded, turning and walking away.

"How do you know it's Jackknife?" Sarah asked.

"Because we changed meeting rooms," Ethan said. "Originally, we were going to have the meeting in the command center, but at the last moment, we changed locations to the mess hall, but our enemies still knew exactly which wall to shoot out. Only you, me, and Jackknife were there."

"How do you know it wasn't Lydus?" Sarah asked.

"Because Lydus is a Brute," Ethan said. "He's a warrior, not a spy."

"Then we have to assume a member of Jackknife is the traitor," Admiral Hood nodded.

"But aside from DeMarco, we can't assume that Bailey are innocent, either," Ethan said. "It's possible one of them is in on it. No one ever said there could only be one traitor."

Both of the others nodded, just as Admiral Hood pulled a datapad out of the Elite's armor, a UNSC emblem proudly emblazoned on the back.

"Is that...UNSC?" Sarah breathed.

"Seems like an odd choice for a group that professes to hate all things Human, doesn't it, Commander?" Admiral Hood asked, turning on the datapad and scrolling through the files. "Profiles of me...you...your Spartans...and a surprisingly accurate one of Ethan, with nothing covered by black tape."

"Impressive," Ethan said. "What about the Elites and Brutes?"

"Nothing that I'm seeing," Admiral Hood shook his head.

"So it's not political," Sarah understood.

"If these guys are just guns for hire..." Admiral Hood mused, "someone still leaked them the whereabouts of the negotiations. Ethan is right. We have a traitor."

"Great," Sarah sighed. "Now I feel like I need a shower. I hate traitors."

They walked after the others, catching up to Fireteam Bailey quickly as the Arbiter was continuing negotiations with Lydus. It was fitting that the warriors' negotiations would happen in the midst of a battle. However, just as they rounded a cliff and saw the redoubt, several long strings of gunfire and an explosion echoed.

"Fireteam Jackknife, Scruggs, report!" Sarah snapped instantly.

As Scruggs began to respond about automated security, Ethan narrowed his eyes.

"Maria, identify what type of gun that was," Ethan said.

"Already done," Maria said. "It was a SAW."

"Jackknife reports the location is secure," Sarah reported.

"No," Ethan said. "Jackknife didn't. Scruggs did. That gunfire was from a SAW. The only two people on this planet with a SAW are Ray, who has mine right now, and Scruggs."

"You mean..." Admiral Hood trailed off, and Ethan nodded.

"We have to assume that Fireteam Jackknife is down," Ethan said, typing quickly on his Miniature Assembler Vat and producing a Type-4 for everyone who didn't currently have one, passing them out. "Everyone keep yourself cloaked. I'll walk in, visible, and claim I'm being sent in to make sure the site is actually secure. If Jackknife really is dead, I'll kill Scruggs. If they're okay and it really was automated defenses like he said, which the Arbiter claimed were decommissioned, then I'll call you all in."

Everyone nodded, and they all vanished, Ethan activating his Promethean Vision Mod, as did the other Spartans, except Sarah, as she'd sacrificed her helmet. Instead, Ethan generated the normal Promethean version of the mod, upgraded to power itself for up to an hour and to be able to be used at the same time as the Type-4, and handed it to her, Sarah activating it instantly. Then, they all moved into the facility, except for DeMarco, who Sarah sent to check out the AA-guns. Ethan walked ahead of them, looking around, but there were no turrets or enemies around them. He motioned for the others to follow at a distance, and they complied.

"Scruggs, what's your location?" Ethan asked.

"Upper mezzanine, far side of the redoubt," Scruggs responded. "Setting a waypoint."

"I copy," Ethan said. "Wait there. I'm on my way in to make sure you didn't miss any of the automated defenses before we bring in the VIPs."

"Understood," Scruggs responded.

Ethan walked ahead of the others, hearing Admiral Hood, Lydus, and the Arbiter talking in hushed voices, and signaled them to hang back a little further, out of Motion tracker range and hearing distance, and they complied, but kept following. A few minutes later, Ethan stopped as Scruggs stepped out ahead of him, leveling his SAW at Ethan.

"So, you really are the traitor," Ethan mused. "What are you going to claim? I got sloppy? That the Covenant used automated defense turrets that fire bullets?"

"I'm sure I'll think of something," Scruggs assured him. After all, you're arrogant and overconfident, so it's not impossible for you to slip up.

Ethan chuckled. "You have no idea who you're talking to, Scruggs. You really think you've got me all figured out, but you missed one important thing."

"What's that?" Scruggs asked, smirking.

"You really think Commander Palmer would send in one man to a potentially dangerous facility to deal with the possibility of automated defense turrets using an Assault Rifle while she and the VIPs wait out in the open?"

At that moment, Sarah appeared beside him, hurling a combat knife, which stabbed into Scruggs's arm. Scruggs shrieked in pain, lunging forward and beginning to beat him bloody. Scruggs ripped the knife out, moving to stab her with it, only for her to take it back and drive it through his throat.

"Maybe we should have taken him alive so that we could find out why he betrayed us," Ethan pointed out.

"Just have Maria jack into him real quick," Sarah said. "His neural implant should be good a few more minutes, and I'm sure you'll survive letting him borrow your helmet for a minute."

"True," Ethan said, pulling off his helmet and putting it on scruggs, using it as a cover to mine his memories, then, once the process was done, he removed the helmet and put it back on himself. "Oh, I see. He was an insurrectionist. He lost faith in the UNSC and believed that our relations with the other species made us weak and corrupt. How cute." He dropped Scruggs' body as the others all deactivated their Type-4s. "He already sent our position and wiped out Jackknife. We're about to have company."

"Commander Palmer, this is Lasky!" Lasky radioed urgently. "Come in, over!"

"This is Palmer, go," Palmer responded.

"You've got multiple Covenant ships moving on your location!" Lasky warned. "Infinity's got reinforcements inbound, but they're too far out to count on!"

"Roger," Sarah acknowledged. "We'll hunker down and wait for-"

"You're looking at ten heavy cruisers, all extremely motivated!" Lasky interrupted her. "Hunkering down isn't going to cut it!"

"Tom, keep the line open," Sarah decided, she and Ethan walking back to the others. "DeMarco, sitrep!"

"AA-guns are intact, but their targeting systems must have been sold for parts at the end of the war," DeMarco reported. "We can probably get the batteries online pretty quick, but best case scenario, you're looking at manual control only."

"What about transports?" Sarah asked.

"Place is cleaned out," DeMarco reported. "There's a cargo tug, strictly small freight and about as dangerous as a toothpick."

"Catch all that, Tom?" Sarah asked.

"Sarah, closed channel," Lasky said.

Sarah swapped to a secured line. "Alright, channel's secure."

Ethan only caught her side of the conversation, but from what he caught, it wasn't a pleasant chat. He sighed, setting his rifle against the wall and beginning to stretch. They'd have to fight, and they'd probably be left behind.

"Ethan, get the VIPs onto the tug," Sarah ordered once Lasky had disconnected.

Ethan nodded, lifting his rifle, and pulling off his helmet, holding it under his arm. "You heard the lady. All aboard."

"You intend to stay, don't you?" the Arbiter asked.

Ethan glanced at Sarah, who was explaining the inevitability of their deaths to DeMarco.

"Here," the Arbiter said, holding out the DMR. "I suspect you will need this more than I do."

Ethan hesitated, than accepted the weapon. "I'll get you out of here safely."

The Arbiter nodded, and he and Lydus walked onto the tug. However, as they did, Ethan walked away from it, over to Sarah.

"Why aren't you loaded up?" Sarah asked, only for Ethan to kiss her. "Ethan, no!"

"I'll be alright," Ethan assured her. "Maria can compensate for the missing aiming systems, and once the Infinity's reinforcements arrive, I'll catch a ride with them. Or I'll hotwire a Phantom. I'm not dying here."

Sarah hesitated, then kissed him again. "You had better come back."

"I will," Ethan promised. "I'll see you soon."

Sarah nodded, and Ethan took his Spartan Laser back from her before pulling on his helmet and heading up to where DeMarco was manning an AA-gun. He rested his hand on it, and Maria linked to it and all of the other AA-guns.

"What happened to no self-sacrifice unless it's the absolute last resort?" DeMarco asked.

"I have no intention of dying today," Ethan said. "I just stayed to make sure you don't go looking for a blaze of glory to die in."

"I appreciate it," DeMarco smiled. "It's more reassuring than I can express having you here."

Ethan smiled. "You turned out to be a pretty good Fireteam Leader, DeMarco. It's been a pleasure."

"The honor's all mine, Ethan," DeMarco said. "I'm sorry for how I acted when we met."

Ethan shook his head. "You've made up for it. Maria will compensate for the missing targeting systems, but she can't fire them all herself. She'll highlight where to aim, though."

DeMarco nodded, passing along the information to the others, then waited in silence, Ethan holding his Spartan Laser at the ready. Demarco began to fire quickly, but a blast from a passing Phantom covered the control room of the AA-gun he was occupying in flames.

"DeMarco!" Ethan called out from off to the side where he and his Spartan Laser were blasting Banshees as quickly as he could.

"I'm good," DeMarco responded, then grit his teeth, ignoring his injuries as he continued to fire his gun.

"DeMarco, we've got a bird on our six we need you to make go away!" Sarah radioed.

"Got him, Commander!" DeMarco responded, beginning to turn the gun after the Banshee pursuing the tug.

"DeMarco, it's Hong!" one of Fireteam Bailey's Spartans radioed. "You've got incoming! Get out of there!"

"Actually...I'm good where I am," DeMarco said, taking his shot just as Ethan took his own.

Both Banshees erupted into purple balls of fire, and DeMarco breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Ethan," DeMarco said.

"No problem," Ethan said, walking into the control room with a fire extinguisher he'd found. "Gonna be cold for a second."

He began to extinguish the flames, including those still burning on DeMarco's back and shoulders. Once he was finished, he walked back out, continuing to pick off Banshees. However, the charge on his Spartan Laser was too slow, and before long, one of the other AA-guns had been blasted. Then another. A pair of blasts from the two remaining AA-guns took down a Phantom heading for DeMarco, and Ethan blasted a Banshee escorting it. Then, the Covenant were offloading troops onto the roof of the redoubt. A lot of them.

"DeMarco, we have incoming!" Ethan warned. "Lots of incoming!"

DeMarco swore, grabbing his Battle Rifle and turning away from the console, firing out the door rapidly with Ethan. Between the two of them, they were efficient and skilled at laying waste to the Covenant forces trying to reach them, but they were far from effective at stopping their advance. Finally, Ethan growled in annoyance, using his Miniature Assembler Vat to form a Pulse Grenade before sticking it to the DMR and hurling it out of the control room. The resulting blast cleared an enormous section of the hostiles and forced them to retreat a ways just as the other AA-gun was blasted.

"DeMarco, focus on the AA-gun!" Ethan said, swiping his Battle Rifle.

DeMarco complied instantly, Maria focusing on his targeting system, and he began to rapidly blast the ships around them as Ethan stood just behind him to cover him from the Covenant's incoming fire. There wasn't a lot, as Ethan's Hardlight Shields were holding, but it was working for the most part. Ethan fired the Battle Rifle rapidly, dropping Covenant troops quickly, but after a moment, he swapped to his Spartan Laser and fired a single shot out of the control room, blasting a wind off of a Banshee and sending it exploding into a Phantom, which erupted into flames and crashed down among the Covenant forces below it. Ethan grit his seeth, setting the Spartan Laser next to DeMarco, returning to firing, this time using his left hand for the Battle Rifle and sacrificing a little accuracy in favor of adding his Assault Rifle in his right hand. For a moment, it was working. Until DeMarco grabbed the Spartan Laser and stuck a Plasma Grenade to it before flinging it out of the control room. Then, he grabbed Ethan and spun, hurling him out a moment later. Then, just as Ethan's back hit the ground, the Spartan Laser erupted into a much bigger explosion than the DMR's ruptured Hardlight power cells had. But that wasn't the part Ethan cared about. He'd considered doing that himself, and he approved. What he cared about was the single, massive blast that shot down from a Covenant Capital ship and obliterated the AA-gun in its entirety. The explosion hurled Ethan away, and he bounced and rolled along the roof of the redoubt before finally skidding to a stop just as the Covenant fleet turned to flee, the Infinity finally arriving.

Ethan lay there, staring at the ships as they pulled back and grit his teeth. He'd failed. He had only needed to keep DeMarco alive for a few more seconds, but he'd failed. Finally, he pushed himself up as a Pelican flew down to get him. Ethan put his Assault rifle away and stared down at DeMarco's battle Rifle, then sighed.

"I'm sorry, DeMarco," Ethan said. "Thank you for saving me."

The Pelican landed, and Ethan walked onto it, sitting in silence as it flew back up to the Infinity. A memorial service was held once all of the bodies were recovered, all except DeMarco. There hadn't been anything left of him. And for the first time since they were together, Sarah wrapped her arms around Ethan in full view of the crew, not caring about appearances or protocol.

"I was so close," Ethan said softly. "If I'd just kept him alive a few more seconds..." He stared at DeMarco's empty casket.

"There was nothing you could have done," Sarah said. "The ship that fired that shot was already retreating when it fired. It was just trying to be spiteful. And the shot powered up. DeMarco saw it coming. He chose to save you at the cost of his own life. He didn't sacrifice himself for the Elites, or the Brutes, or me, or the mission. He sacrificed himself for you."

"I know," Ethan said, pulling back from the hug. "That just makes it worse."

Lasky walked over to them, but Sarah didn't even look at him.

"Tom, you're one of my best friends," Sarah said. "But right now, you need to get the hell away from me."

Tom nodded, turning and walking away.

"Those diplomats were never going to agree on anything, you know," Sarah said, Lasky stopping and looking back at her.

"Maybe not," Lasky admitted. "But that wasn't our job."

Then, he walked away, and Ethan sighed, taking Sarah's hand. They stood there in silence for a long while before finally heading to the Armor Bay, then their room.

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