Chapter 14: No Greater Love
Six POV
The planet was slowly dying as the purple ships floated lazily over the surface, raining flaming hot molten energy upon it. Reach was falling, yet the Spartans were still being hunted, still fighting.
The spartan's pelican rocketed through the crimson air with Covenant forces right on their tail. They were less than twenty miles away from the Pillar of Autumn, but they were under heavy fire. They lost most of their pursuers as they pushed the Pelican to go faster, but a Phantom and five Banshees still followed closely behind.
Six and Emile stood in the back, shooting and ducking behind what little cover the lowered ramp doors could provide. Six fired a few bursts from his assault rifle while Emile fired a grenade launcher. A barrage of plasma bolts shot through the back opening and Six heard a grunt of pain emerging from the front of the Pelican.
Fearing the worst, Six made his way towards the cockpit. He reached the front just in time to see the helmet drop from Carter's hand onto the floor with a soft thud. The sight wasn't good; the bolts tore through the pilot's seat, ripped through Carter's body and splattered his blood on the forward windshield. The Spartan Commander was losing a lot of fluid, the red matter was already leaking from his mouth and eyes. Six could see his eyelids drooping, yet there's still a fire of determination alight within them.
Before Six could further examine or help him, Carter said, "I'm not sure how much more she can take, Lieutenant. You're going to have to get off here."
Six had an idea what his Commander was going to say, but he asked anyway, "Sir?"
"You don't want to know," Carter said in a pained voice before turning towards the back and shouting, "Emile, go with him! It's a ground game now!"
Emile fired out the door with the grenade launcher and watched in pleasure as the Banshee he hit slammed into another flying close to it, causing both of them to explode in midair, buying them some breathing space.
Emile checked for another grenade before making a dissatisfied snort, throwing the launcher out the hatch as if he was trying to blow up the Phantom with it. He turned and placed a fist over his chest, bowing his head slightly.
"It's been an honor sir."
"Likewise," Carter said as he turned back to look where he was going. "I'll draw their fire off you boys as long as I can."
Six nodded before turning and walking back to the rear of the ship. Carter was going to lead the Covenant away from them, nobody wanted to voice it, but they all knew the chances of Carter getting out alive were slim.
"Six," Carter called out, causing the Spartan to turn and look to his commander, "That AI chose you…She made the right choice." Six tried to look Carter in the eye, but the Commander kept his gaze on the skies.
Feeling a heavy weight suddenly falling on his chest, Six lifted himself higher and walked to the back, determined more than ever now to succeed. He felt the ship lower its altitude as it dove between natural rock formations; he saw the bulky Phantom trying to follow them, grenade launcher stuck in between the engine and the main body, but it was forced to pull off due to the tight spaces, leaving only the Banshees to follow in pursuit.
"Nice throw." Six laughed, impressed that Emile managed to make the weapon sail that far.
"You should have seen what I would have done if I had a grenade left," Emile grunted.
Emile then knelt next to the opening of the ramp, and Six joined him. Both of the spartans had to grab the floor so they wouldn't be bumped off the ship too soon. They waited for the right moment to jump, all the while ducking whenever a plasma shot came in too close for comfort. The ship lurched to the right after a mortar round struck against the side of the ship. Six almost fell off the Pelican but Emile's hand shot out, grabbed his arm and pulled him back into the aircraft.
"Thanks," Six said, before asking frantically, "Is the package still there?"
"Yeah, You're good."
The ship levels itself; signaling that the time is here. The two spartans rose slightly as they waited for their Commander's orders.
"On my mark," Carter ordered as he held up three fingers. Six and Emile watched the hand. One by one, the fingers went down. When the last digit was gone, he pumped his fist and shouted, "Mark!"
They didn't have time to say goodbye, as they followed his final command. As they fell, Six folded his arms against his chest and snapped his legs together in an attempt to prevent himself from sustaining broken limbs when they hit the ground. He had no idea how long they dropped or how high up they were to begin with, but it's only seconds until they slid across the rocky cliffside.
Despite his flaring shields, Six knew he was going to find bruises in the morning. As got up, there was a distinct whine of plasma, waiting for a hail of fire to rain down; instead, he watched the impact of plasma bolts on metal and looked up just in time to see the Pelican, wing covered in flames, limping away as the Covenant ships chased it down.
Six wished he hadn't left the Commander; he and Emile could have continued giving cover fire, but out here, the mission came first.
At the thought of his current objective, Six reached behind him and pulled out the container. There were no fractures on it and the chip was still glowing, he hoped this meant that it was fine..
"You ok Miss?" Six asked sarcastically.
Unexpectedly, the chip sparked a bright indigo.
'Was that a response?' Six thought to himself before replacing the container on his back and observing his surroundings. 'Maybe Halsey wasn't as crazy as I thought she was…'
They were in a spiraling canyon, and the sky was darkening fast.
"Six," Emile called. The Spartan turned and saw Emile, shotgun in hand, waiting by an opening in the wall of rock, motioning for Six to join him. The Lieutenant walked up next to his fellow teammate and looked out from the gap in the canyon wall.
Approximately ten miles away, Six could see the outline of a human Cruiser resting on the ground.
"Is that…" Six started to ask before Emile answered, "Yes, it is Six, the Pillar of Autumn…"
They both stared at the ship as the evening sun slowly dipped behind it, further outlining the space shuttle. Six then heard scuffling originating from below them and looked down.
A squad of elites, jackals, and grunts roamed and patrolled the grounds between the Spartans and the ship.
"Only one way to get past them," Emile said as he cocked his shotgun.
Six nodded grimly, removed his rifle from his back, and pulled back on the hammer until he heard a round being chambered.
Shress POV
Shress's world was in chaos. She was being ordered to hunt down her human friend, the Hierarch's impatience becoming a growing concern in the back of her mind even as she did so. Not helping, the males of her race were seemingly taking out their pent up agitation against one another, and the Zealot brother she was standing next to just wouldn't stay silent.
"How is it that the humans even know how to steal the holy relic's secrets?" The young Zealot asked, clearly agitated at the mere thought of humans. "I would have thought they would be too stupid to be able to steal anything, let alone a holy artifact!"
"Silence." Shress responded curtly.
Despite her clear irritation at his behavior, the Zealot kept talking, "They are like the kig-yar, nothing but thieves with no respect, values or honor."
"Silence," Shress said again, growing more annoyed as she finally turned to glare at her 'brother'.
The Sangheili kept talking, "The vermin all deserve to be burned alive, especially their pet demons, and they should all rot in the blackest, deepest pits of–"
Feeling suddenly defensive for her human ally, Shress growled "Silence!"
The Zealot flinched, then looking angry with himself as he stood straighter and demanded, "Who are you to command me, female?"
"I'm a Zealot just like you, brother!" She yelled in undisguised disgust. "Or are you? You're acting with the maturity of a minor who has yet to learn his chain of command!"
"Are you trying to insult me, female?"
"If you don't know, I'm not telling you."
The Zealot was now shaking with rage when the pilot's voice echoed through the Phantom, "Brothers…and sister," he said in a reluctant voice, "We have arrived."
"Arrived?" the male in front of Shress asked, "Arrived where?"
Shress groaned, earning her the Zealot's attention again, "We are back on the Reviving Faith. Do you need me to remind you why we are here?"
The male said firmly, "I do not need your help."
They were both silent for a heartbeat before Shress said in a matter-of-fact voice, "You don't know why we're here do you?"
The male snarled but didn't say anything.
After sitting in silence for a unit, Shress sighed.
"We're here to resupply and… to prepare to chase down the demons if need be." Shress said, hoping the Zealot didn't notice the catch in her voice. The male did give her a strange look, but before he could say anything, the door opened, and, without thinking, Shress was the first one out.
As soon as she stepped off the Phantom, her eyes widened. Sitting on his hover throne in front of her was the Prophet of Regret, with a smug look as he asked, "Did you have a nice trip Zealot?"
Shress wheeled in her mind, trying to come up with something to say, but the Prophet turned his chair around and casually said, "Follow me, my child."
'Not again,' Shress thought.
The Prophet led Shress in silence until they reached the end of the corridor.
"I hear that there was another encounter with the demons," he looked at her and asked, "Is this true?"
Shress gulped but calmed herself.
'He must have received a transmission from the planet.' She thought confidently.
"Yes, it was an… unforeseen encounter." She said, eyeing his reaction carefully.
"Indeed," The Hierarch replied instantly. "Which is quite a surprise, considering they were supposedly killed some time ago."
Shress stayed silent at that, trying to decipher the hidden meaning behind his words.
'How was it that he knew Michael and his team were in that city she glassed that night?' she thought, knowing now that there had to be something she was clearly missing about this situation.
"I envisioned their destruction upon seeing the cleansing beam striking their world." he continued, "I was most disappointed to have been told otherwise," he said in a dull voice.
'That's not it,' she thought. She knew for a fact that his so-called "visions" were false now. How was he able to know of Michael's location and her secret friendship with him?
"Tell me Zealot, do you still believe our cause to be just and noble?"
Shress shook off her thoughts, but even as she contemplated his words, her mandibles refused to move. Does she think the purge of thousands of innocent beings for the sake of a faulty belief system is noble?
"You hesitate, Zealot." the Prophet commented, leaning forward in his hover-throne in a strange mix of amusement and undisguised contempt.
Shress instantly shook her head. "Of course Hierarch… please forgive me… I'm just weary from the day's battle."
"I thought you and your Zealot brothers had not engaged with the demons yet," Regret challenged, his sharp teeth meeting air in a smile.
Shress cursed lightly in her mind at her slip up before adding, "What I meant to say, your Holiness, is that–"
"No matter," Regret said and gestured in front of them. It was then that Shress noticed that they were standing in front of the portal to the command center. Checking her motions, Shress reached out, pressed the controls, and the doorway unraveled. Sangheili crew members' bowed at the arrival of the Prophet but soon after returned back to work. Standing along the path that led to the central podium was a legion of Sangheili honor guards, standing at the ready with their energy spikes held high. Following Regret's lead, Shress walked forward and glanced at the silent warriors flanking her. Shress followed slowly, trying not to wonder what it was that the Hierarch had planned for her.
They came to a stop in front of the projector, which began to hum and shift at the command of a nearby unggoy worker. Shress was startled at what she was looking at after just a moment. The orb floating in the middle of the air was hideous; its barren landscape was marked by rolling deserts, the skies were choked with smoke, and she could clearly see what appeared to be the wavering atmosphere as only an outline against the hazy destruction of the planet. Red hot rocks boiled and festered on the surface as well, making it into a cauldron of destruction. The planet that she once looked upon was gone; the vast expanse of grasslands and silver oceans were nowhere to be seen, nothing but a desolate wasteland remained.
"At least it will no longer be used to house heretics." Regret said, but she was unwilling to turn to him for fear of her feelings on the matter showing clearly.
Regret pressed some controls on his chair. Soon after, the miniature planet in front of them enlarged until one portion of the surface was shown; it was the only region left on the entire planet that was currently displaying life.
She could see something that didn't appear to be naturally made. It was big and reflective, and it didn't take her long to realize that it was a human ship. All around the spacecraft small firefights raged as Covenant troops closed in on the human defenders. As she watched, Shress then spotted something of interest: another battle was being waged not very far from the human ship. A small group was attacking Covenant battalions and were on course to reach the ship.
She figured they wouldn't last long, but they continued to endure wave after wave, leaving a trail of destruction behind in their wake. Only one kind could be responsible, and Regret knew it too.
His eyes narrowed and he called out, "Shipmaster Voro, send a transmission to the planet, informing all ground warriors that the demons that possess the stolen artifact are making their way to the human ship."
Shress feels her stomach wrench as Voro follows the Prophets commands; he pauses though, looks up and asks, "Sire, do the demons need to be taken alive to reclaim the holy artifact?"
Regret shakes his head, "No. In fact, annihilate them."
The Shipmaster shifted back to the terminal, then said, "There is a Scarab close to the demons' location. If you wish, we can have it destroy them."
Regret nodded his head in affirmation.
Feeling helpless, Shress asked, "Noble Hierarch, it appears that I am no longer needed. May I return to the hangar and prepare to reenter the battle?"
"No, Zealot." The Prophet said and looked at her. Shress felt fear wash over her as Regret smiled, "I wouldn't want you to miss seeing the destruction of the demons first hand."
Six POV
The wraith fired another mortar at the spartan, but Emile outran the slow-moving projectile easily. The brute behind the plasma turret let out a roar of frustration and fired another burst of fiery death. Little did he know, this was what Six was waiting for; the brute was now focused on Emile–unaware of the second Spartan.
Six rushed forward from his hiding place behind a boulder and jumped on top of the Wraith. The Brute heard him but couldn't react in time and was met with a mouthful of lead from a shotgun blast. The Spartan crawled upwards like a spider until he was positioned over the hatch of the Wraith. When the door opened, Six dropped three grenades inside to the abject horror of the brute operator inside.
Six slammed the hatch shut and jumped off the alien tank. The hatch frantically swung open when the grenades went off, the thumping muffled cries of the brute through the armor plating reaching his ears, as a multi-colored mist rose from the cracks around the wraith's interior.
The Spartan took a deep breath and scanned the area. The small portion of the old highway to New Alexandria was now completely deserted, save for the corpses of Grunts and Brutes.
Emile walked out of the cover of a burnt out car and headed towards Six.
Six pumped his shotgun and said, "This is a great gun."
"Yeah it is," Emile said in a light voice before holding out his hand and ordering, "Now give it back."
Six chuckled but handed the gun back to Emile. He then pulled his DMR off his back and checked his HUD before reporting, "There's a small crevice a little off the highway road. It should lead to The Pillar of Autumn which is now two miles away."
Emile looked around before pointing towards the rocky wall to their right.
"Well what are we waiting for? An invitation?"
Six shook his head, and together the Spartans ran towards the wall of stone. As they approached, they soon saw the hole within the sedimentary formation, leading to a trail of sorts, which unsettled the two soldiers.
Six crouched down and examined the trail, "Looks like men with boots maybe went this way, judging by the imprint and how deep the tracks are. I guess they were carrying heavy loads and were in a hurry."
"How do you know all that?" demanded Emile as he tried to read the prints himself.
"Before I was assigned to Noble Team," Six said as he started to walk on the path, "I can't tell you how many times I had to read footprints over the years in my line of work."
Emile shook his head and caught up to Six, both with their weapons level and their eyes constantly scanning the area.
"A headhunter eh? Guess that explains why your file was nothin' but black ink." Emile finally said before scoffing, "Whatever, I'm not one for looking at the ground anyway, I'm the type of guy who prefers–"
"Spartans," A voice called over comms. "You've got a roadblock on your path, I'm enroute to assist."
It was Carter.
Noticing his tired voice, Emile replied, "Sir, I'm sure whatever it is, we can–"
The Spartans stopped walking as a deep rumble shook the ground, scattering dust from the rocky walls into the air around them. They walked forward cautiously until they peeked behind the corner of a bend and had a look at what lay ahead of them.
Positioned right on their path was a Scarab, resting on top of a nearby mesa, its deadly emerald eye blazing as it readies to fire. The purple plating glared at the spartans, its ten story height giving it a bird's eye view as it scanned for targets.
The Spartans paused in their advance and stared at the challenge before them. The massive machine was blocking their quickest path to the Autumn.
"Mother…" Emile began to growl before getting back on the comms. "We can get past this sir."
"No, you can't," replied back Carter. "…Not without help."
The Scarab must have honed in on their position, as it began to make its way to the Spartans. Six trained his rifle on the massive target while Emile continued to talk.
"Commander, you don't have the firepower,"
The Scarab's eye began to charge, and Six knew they weren't going to make it when a loud screeching filled the air. A burst from a turret slams against the armor of the Scarab, not damaging it but gaining its attention. The Scarab tried to turn and look for the attacker when a pelican, Carter's pelican, swooped down and flew around it.
"I've got your back."
"Solid copy," Emile said in a strong, respectful voice. "Hit 'em hard for us."
"You're on your own Noble," the Commander said as he brought the Pelican back around, barring down on the Scarab. "Carter, out."
The spartans watched the sudden display of fireworks, flames, and light, transfixed by the spectacle and the selflessness they just witnessed. The pelican burst into a raging explosion, large enough for it to actually lift the thousand ton titan off its feet and fall to lose its footing. A line of explosions unfolded; soon, its legs, head, and back were sprouting flames. Finally, the busted legs could no longer support the weight of the super mechanical marvel. The left forefront leg collapsed, and the whole Scarab fell to its side and rolled off the cliff, landing with a crash that shook the ground beneath the Spartans feet.
The remaining Noble Team members stood in shock. Their Commander had just given his life for them. The man they thought that the Covenant could never kill just gave his own to protect the remainder of Noble team.
Emile spoke first with an edge to his voice, "It's clear to the east." He lifted his shotgun. "Let's go."
Six didn't say anything as he followed Emile further down the trail, getting closer to their objective by the second.
Soon the improvised road led the Spartans to a cave, slightly dark, but with their night vision settings they were able to see and made their way inside. As they walked, Six minds began to wonder.
'Almost everyone in Noble Team was gone except for me and Emile, maybe Jun, but with the whole world falling apart, who knew?' An even more chilling thought entered his mind. 'Could they do it? Get the package to the Autumn?'
Suddenly, Emile held up a fist and Six raised his DMR, but lowered it when he saw what Emile was looking at. Lying in front of them were bodies of UNSC scouts and troopers, all slain—viciously torn apart.
Six lowered himself and examined them closely. Six thought it was the work of Brutes but discarded the idea almost immediately, remembering they tore their victims' limb from limb; here it looked like the poor souls went through a shredder.
Before Six could ponder on the subject some more, Emile nudged Six and said, "Let's keep going Six."
Together the Spartans pushed deeper into the cave before coming out into a cavern. The dipping sun was casting a multitude of colors on the wave-like patterns on the walls. The Spartans' feet splashed as they landed in water, causing them both to freeze and listen. For a few moments, there was no sound, but with the rushing of the wind came the threat.
Flying from around the corner was a swarm of Drones, bug-like alien insects with wicked claws capable of shredding a being to pieces and intelligent enough to know how to use small firearms. No doubt this was the alien force that killed the soldiers. They started firing on sight, but the Spartans were quick to respond as well.
The two comrades' took aim and let out a burst of semi-auto shots, each attempting to take out the Drone's body mass. Acting like the insects they were, the green aliens flew in circles, all firing their plasma pistols. The pistols wouldn't usually critically damage a Spartan's armor, but when there's so much being used then it could get dangerous.
Six fired almost mechanically, easily taking down a drone with a single shot, scoring headshots every second, thinning out the hive. Finally, the last drone was dropped, leaving the Spartans standing alone in the cavern as they reloaded.
Suddenly the enclosed area was filled with light and sound once more as unknown hostiles opened fire. The Spartans evaded the energy weapon projectiles and scanned for targets. Standing at the end of the cavern were three Jackal snipers, standing in the open with apparently no fear.
Within thirty seconds, the trio of Jackals lay dead and the two super soldiers proceeded down the passageway. When they exited the end of the cavern, they were met with a chaotic sight.
The Pillar of Autumn was lying right in front of them, separated by a small mineral excavation facility. They could see muzzle and plasma fire within it and knew they were in for another fight. Despite this, Six kept his eyes on the ship; the end of his mission was within reach.
Shress POV
The entire bridge crew watched as the human aircraft slammed into the side of the Scarab and witnessed its tumble into the chasm. Shress winced when she thought about the poor troopers within and wondered if the human who was piloting the ship was one of Michael's brothers. She had witnessed the sacrifice of the one called Jorge. She had no doubt in her mind that the other so-called 'demons' were just as willing to give their lives for one another and for their species.
Regret smashed his frail hand against the armrest of his chair and yelled in weak but loud anger. She stepped away from the Prophet as everyone else nervously observed the Hierarch, never before had they witnessed one of their holy leaders lose their composure.
Regret was breathing hard when he pointed a boney finger at Shress and hissed, "You…" his dark eyes bore angrily into hers. "You will go down there, and kill this demon, this Michael, once and for all!"
The on-lookers glanced at one another in confusion while Shress felt her eyes widening in shock at what she just heard.
She waited until Regret's breathing calms down before asking, "Hierarch, who is this Michael you are referring to–"
"Don't play games, female!" Regret shouted, "You know perfectly well who…" Regret stopped, closed his eyes, and let out a deep breath. He kept his eyes closed before speaking again. "La'Vdamee," he said carefully, "you will go…to the surface, and kill these remaining demons once and for all." He opened his eyes. "Do you understand?"
"Completely, my liege."
She turned and started walking out of the control room, thinking of what to do, when Regret called out to her, "La'Vdamee."
She looked over her shoulder as the Prophet spoke, "I will know if you fail or succeed. I have eyes and ears everywhere."
'Wait,' she thought to herself, 'Is it possible, could he…'
Shress bowed to the Prophet before leaving the deck, ironically feeling excitement taking over. She might have just figured out how Regret knew the truth. She could go to Michael's aid without giving him an advance warning about it—that was if her theory and newly erected plan worked.
With that she started walking down the corridor at a fast pace, she needed to organize a strike force soon to give the impression she was readying to deploy to the planet, but first she needed to find Kova.
Six POV
Six and Emile fired at the same time, the blast from the shotgun and repeated shots of the DMR rifle caused the Brutes head to explode in a spray of blood and gore.
With that threat out of the way, the spartans rushed forward until they came to a split in their path. One corridor led to the platform where a pelican was to rendezvous for their exfil. The other corridor led upwards towards the rooftops. A small sign indicated that an Onager Mass Accelerator Cannon was set up on top.
The two team members looked at each other before Emile spoke, "Our boys in the air are going to need some help clearing the skies."
"But the Pelican is going to pick us up," Six protested.
"You clear the deck, and I'll clear the skies; there should be a way back to the platform from the gun,"
Six hesitated before asking, "You'll be there, right?"
Emile gave a mock salute before saying, "Don't get all sentimental on me now." Then he went running down the right path. Six watched Noble Four disappear behind a corner, as he sprinted to the left himself. He moved through the hallway keeping his rifle level. Finally he reached the pressure doors leading to the outside; he opened it and stepped out into what could only be described as a nightmare.
He was on the platform attached to the facility, about five hundred feet from the ground and a couple of yards away from the Pillar of Autumn, but it was a gruesome sight. Blood, human blood, was splashed all over the floor and walls of the building. A stairwell led to a small plot of land to the side of the facility where the bodies of troopers were laid out. The few trees that shade them were losing their leaves as massive heat waves tore them from the branches. Above Six, human and Covenant aircraft engaged in a devastating dog fight, missiles streaked through the air, and plasma torpedoes screamed as they shot through the skies and the cries of the dying echoed all around the Spartan as he watched the world descend into annihilation.
Six suddenly heard a gruff and looked to his left. Five Brutes, four minors, armed with spike rifles while their leader, a chieftain, wielded a gravity hammer in his hand. The two species stared at each other, daring the other to move. Finally the head Brute gave a roar and the Minors charged at Six, semi-conscious of their projectile weapons they were holding in their hands.
Six knew he should back away, keep his distance and take out the Brutes from afar, but all he could feel was pure rage as the world burned around him. Deciding that if the world burned, then so will they.
Six raised his rifle, firing full blast at the closest Brute, the shields flared after Six emptied half his magazine before emptying the rest into the Brute's face. A Brute within grabbing distance reached for Six, but the Spartan leapt to the side, twirled in a circle as he flipped his rifle around and clubbed the alien with it. Stunned, the Brute took a step back, unaware of how close it was to the edge. Six finished it by leaping into the air, twisting his body and roundhouse kicking the savage alien, pushing it over the edge. Its enraged roar was cut short by the thump of its body impacting the bottom.
Six faced the final two adversaries but they were already upon him. One went for his legs while the other swung at his upper torso. With the grace of a dancer, Six jumped again, and twisted his body so both alien's meaty hands missed him. As he fell, Six lashed out, he kicked one Brute in the knee while kicking the other in it's jaw, causing a spray of blood to erupt as their bones were pushed outwards. Both creatures howled in agony, but before they could recover, Six hand shot forward and grabbed their Spike rifles that were clipped to their belts. He took one rifle in both his hands and fired point blank once more as red hot metal spikes buried themselves into the Brute's hides. The two bodies were still smoking as they fell to the ground.
Six was still breathing hard when he heard the bellow and looked up to see the advancing Chieftain. Its golden armor casted a menacing gleam as it approached Six, hammer raised and snarling what sounded like a challenge. Six let the two empty guns fall to the floor as he faced down the monster that was almost twice the size of an average Jiralhanae. This time there was no hesitation as they both sprinted at each other.
The Chieftain roared and took a sideways swing at Six, but the Spartan dropped and slid beneath it. As he went between its legs, Six slammed a fist against the creature's knee, hoping to shatter it but the Brute only growled in response as its shields flared. The Spartan jumped back to his feet once he was on the other side and turned to the Brute again, but this time he had to jump backwards as the Chieftain swung the one ton hammer at the spot where the Spartan had been standing only seconds before, causing a small explosion of energy. While the hammer was down, Six unsheathed his knife and rushed forward. The Chieftain took a swipe at him with its paw but Six jumped over its head and with all his strength, he plunged the knife deep into the back of Brute's neck. It howled but it didn't die, far from it. It only became angrier. Seeing the hammer as a burden, it dropped its weapon, faced Six and began throwing punches. Six answered the challenge instead of backing away; he got closer to the monster and began jumping in and out of its blind spots. Every time the Brute threw a punch and missed its face would be brought closer to Six's who would send a Spartan powered fist against its skull. Six landed nearly a dozen successful strikes, destroying the brutes energy shielding, before the Brute roared and jumped up in an attempt to squash Six once and for all. The Spartan rolled out of the way, but not before dropping a primed grenade in his place.
The Brute lands on top of the grenade, seeming to be unaware of the threat. A flash of lightning and thunder exploded against the monster's chest, exposing its destroyed torso. It looked and gawked at its wound, as if unable to comprehend that it had been hurt. Seeing that it wasn't heeding to its wounds, Six went for the forgotten gravity hammer. Bracing his body, Six bent down, grunted and picked up the massive blunt weapon. Six could barely hold it at hip height, but without further ado, he spun once in a circle and hurled the hammer at the brute. He watched as the weapon slammed against the stunned Brute's chest, the energy powered weapon sending a blast against the creature, thrusting it from its place. The Chieftain was knocked off its feet and flew off the end of the platform. This time there was no scream, only the sound of a distant thump a thousand feet below him.
Six took a breath, and he searched for his rifle. As he searched he heard the shriek, the only warning he received. Six rolled across the platform as energy bolts began striking the area. Six crouched behind some left over ammunition crates and stayed low as some Covenant aircraft fired its payload at him. Six was tempted to run back into the open and look for a weapon to fight back with when he heard the boom. The sound was so close and so loud that it made Six's heart quiver, as if a thunderbolt just struck close to him. That seemed to be the case when he heard an explosion and the plasma fire stopped.
Risking a peak, Six looked up and was met with a gratifying sight. Phantoms, Spirits, and Banshees were being blown out of the air as a strange force riveted across the skies and caused whatever it touched to explode. Six was slightly confused before it dawned on him what was happening and looked at the rooftop of the facility.
On the very top Six could see it, a large MAC gun was set up on the roof, spanning over a hundred feet, with its barrel pointing towards the skies. Covenant ships peeled off to destroy it, but they barely got off a shot before the MAC gun cleaved the ships. Six watches in awe as Covenant fighters were blown to smithereens before looking around once more to retrieve his rifle.
He was just loading it when Emile got on comms, "Captain, Package is ready to be picked up and the platform is clear, over."
There was a heartbeat of silence before a strong and aged voice responded, "Noble Four, this is Captain Keyes, nice work. I am currently enroute to personally retrieve the package, stand by."
Six squinted at the Cruiser, seeing if he could spy any movement. A flash of light catched his attention and he looks upward just in time to see a Banshee explode.
Then a realization struck Six, he reaches for his radio and says, "Emile, there's still enemy fighters in the sky."
"Yeah," replied Emile. "I kind of noticed," he finished by sending another blast into the air.
Six waited a moment before stating rather than asking, "You're not coming?"
There was silence on the frequency, long enough for Emile to fire off a few more shots.
"Pelican is inbound, Six," he said in a lukewarm voice.
Sure enough he could see two green dots approaching, growing larger by the second.
Unsure what to think, what to say, Six just said, "Emile."
"It's alright, Six," for the first time since he met him, Six was hearing Emile speak in a reassuring voice. "I've got your back."
Six didn't know what to think as he watched the Pelicans approach. He did it; they did it. The package had been delivered, but at the cost of his team. His team. Six realized he had long since stopped thinking of himself as a lone wolf, he was a part of a team. He had friends.
He moved his hand to his neck and felt the absence of his tags.
'More friends than I thought I had.'
Six moved his hands to his back and removed the container and once more gazed at the chip being held within.
"You'd better be worth it."
This time, he wasn't surprised when the chip sparked, there was something fiery about it.
Six looked up just in time to see the first pelican set down while the other continued to hover in the air, protecting the one on the ground. The hatch of the grounded Pelican opened and out files a few ODSTs in their black suits, rifles raised as they scanned the area.
In the pelican, stepped out a figure that Six instantly identified. The person was wearing the official suit of a Captain, white uniform with his badges attached. The star and strip insignia shined brightly off the man's coat as he confidently walked towards the Spartan. His hair had a salt and pepper look, his skin looked like leather and his eyes showed hurt, yet power at the same time. Six often saw this kind of look in fellow Spartans IIIs, people who had been through pain, yet were able to live through it.
Six nodded his head, unwilling to salute while in a combat zone and said respectfully, "Captain Keyes, sir."
"Lieutenant," Keyes said as he took the package from Six's hand. As the container changed hands, Six noticed that the chip sparked brighter than ever.
"Nice job, Lieutenant," Keyes continued. "Your actions should be commended."
"Not just mine, sir," Six replied.
Keyes placed a hand on Six's arm, slightly startling him. People are usually afraid of Spartans. Most don't want to be near them, and yet Captain Keyes, was treating him as if he was an equal.
'This must be how Shress feels,' Six thought before suddenly feeling his heart ache, more painful than ever before. 'What's wrong with him?'
"They will be remembered, son," Six barely heard Keyes before he removed his hand and looked to his right and the Spartan followed his gaze. Gliding towards them was an enormous Covenant Cruiser, nearly blocking out the sky. it was tilting slightly upwards, trying to rise higher as it powered the glassing beam.
Keyes must have had the same thought as he shouted into his comms, "Cruiser! Bridge crew, get ready to launch," Keyes gestured to the Pelican, "Lieutenant," He stated before getting on himself, clutching the container tightly.
Six paused for a moment before getting on the radio one more time, saying, "Emile."
"I've got your back Six," Emile repeated, this time his voice was solid; he was ready for the inevitable.
Six signs and turned to board the Pelican himself when someone on the radio shouts, "Watch out!"
Six hardly registered the words when the second Pelican bursts into flames as a Phantom comes up from beneath it and releases its salvo of Plasma rounds. The Pelican soon caught on fire, causing explosions to spread along its side as it began to spin out of control. The Pelican on the ground jerks to the left to avoid being hit by the falling bird. Seeing the falling aircraft angling towards him, Six leapt out of the way just as the Pelican crashed.
Six grabbed his rifle and aimed it at the Phantom, but before he could do anything, he watched as the side doors opened and out jumped two Zealots, landing right on top of the MAC operating station. The glass hatch that kept Emile safe from the Zealot as it tried to slice its way in using its energy sword, but it prevented Emile from escaping.
Just as Six thought that, he heard a loud bang over the frequency, and, using his scope, he watched as the top of the hatch shattered as bullets struck the Zealot. The Elite fell, squirming around in pain as Emile emerged from the destroyed cot pit and fired his shotgun into the Sangheili's head.
"Who's next?" The Spartan demanded, and before Six's very eyes an invisible Zealot switched off its active camouflage and ran Emile through with its sword.
Six could only watch in horror as Emile, Noble Four, his teammate, his friend, went limp on the energy sword. The Elite was starting to pull the blade out of the Spartan's body when Emile came back to life. He freed himself from the sword and shouted, "I'm ready!" he twisted around and in that single motion; he pulled out his Kukri knife, "How about you?" The Elite tried to subdue Emile again, but the Spartan was too fast, he pulled himself closer to the alien and plunged the knife into the Zealot's neck. The Sangheili stumbled and began to fall off the operating station, but not before reactivating its sword and plunging it back into Emile as they fell. Six didn't see them land, but he heard Emile wheeze before going silent, filling the radio with emptiness.
Gone, Six suddenly felt numb, They…were all gone. Six felt a mixture of emotions take over, fury, sorrow, regret, and pride. Fury at the attacking aliens; sorrow for the death of his comrades; regret for all of his private wishes he made to go back to being a lone wolf; and pride, for the Spartans went out the way they would have wanted: fighting for humanity.
Six continued to look up at the now unoccupied MAC turret when the Pelican repositioned itself in the air and came back slowly to the platform.
"Lieutenant!" A marine from the Pelican shouts, "Come on! We gotta get the hell out of here!" he yelled, holding out a hand to Six.
"Negative," Six replied, "I have the gun." Six took a deep breath. This was his moment now. If his friends were brave enough to go down that path, then so could he.
Six made brief eye contact with Keyes, who looked grim, but nodded to Six. With that, the Spartan headed to the MAC gun. As he went he heard Keyes voice over the frequency one last time, "Good luck to you, Spartan."
Six wasted no time, he no longer cared if he ran into danger, he began to sprint. True to Emile's earlier claim before they split up, there was a stairwell that led to the roof.
As he went, he glanced over his shoulder at what was left of Reach. The planet was in its spring season, but now…now everything was dead. The trees were nothing but withered skeletons, the rivers were bone dry and the grass was gone, replaced by sunbaked sand. They had lost Reach, no point denying it now. But they could still fight.
"Never surrender," his old DI used to tell him. "Even in the face of Armageddon."
Six finally made it to the rooftop; he was still sprinting when he saw the flash of green light. He slid just in time; the Fuel Rod missed his head by centimeters. He glanced right and saw his targets, two Zealots, one with a Fuel Rod and the other with an energy sword. The one with the sword stood back while its comrade with the cannon continued to fire at the Spartan.
Six knew he didn't have time for this, so taking the direct approach, Six rushed them. The Elite with the cannon continued firing but Six dodged and fired his rifle, trying to dismantle the alien's shield. Seeing Six getting closer, the Zealot with the sword positions itself closer to its comrade and makes ready to cleave the Spartan. Six then changed tactics, he stopped a few feet away from the aliens and threw his grenades, Human and Covenant alike. The Zealots threw themselves out of the way, splitting them up just as Six wanted.
He leapt forward and attacked the one with the sword. It was barely standing when Six slammed into it. He started to pound his fist against the Elite's skull and kicked its legs, trying to keep it down. When his scanner started beeping like mad, he jumped out of the way just as the Green bolt flew by. It missed him and instead struck the semi-stunned alien, blowing it to pieces.
Six glanced at his remaining target, no longer wanting to waste time, Six aimed his rifle with one arm and took out his pistol with the other. The Sangheili tried to fire off another shot but the Spartan pulled the trigger and released the bullets from the two guns. The Zealot's shields were already weak; it dropped after the first few rounds before it failed entirely; allowing its body to be hit by the multitude of bullets.
Six fired one more bullet into its brain before turning and continuing on with his new mission…his last mission. He turned the corner that led to the MAC gun and came to a halt. Slumped against the railing was Emile, the grinning skull design staring at him. Emile was gone, he's getting no reading from his suit, no heartbeat.
Six sighed and climbed the ladder to the controls of the gun. The command system was a little box set next to the gun, with multiple controls that were easy to operate, what unnerved Six though was that the buttons and switches were now doused in Emile's and the Zealot's blood. Six ignored this as he squished himself into the small box and began pressing buttons.
"Lieutenant!" Keyes called out on the radio, "The Cruiser is right on top of us!"
Sure enough, rising through the clouds like a specter; the ghostly figure of the large ship broke the cloud coverage as it positioned itself over the ship. Six now worked as fast as he could, aligning the shot, powering the magnetic coils, and making sure he wasn't touching the wrong buttons.
The underside of the ship begins to turn blood red, the laser was powering up.
"Lieutenant!" called out Keyes again.
"I've got your back, sir." With that, Six typed in the firing code and leaned back. The main conductor began spinning to full power, the barrel lit a pathway with blue electricity as the gun shook and with the familiar flash of thunder, the round was flown away. Straight as an arrow, the fifty ton slug hit the Carrier right in the center of the beam, first there was the anticipated explosion, but suddenly secondary blasts soon followed. Plasma began to bubble and burst out from the side of the ship as it slowly fell out of the heavens.
Satisfied, Six crawled out of the command box when he paused and looked at the human cruiser. Booster rockets came alive, washing the ground in extreme heat as they pushed the megaton vessel off the ground. The electric hooks that held the ship steady released as the vessel began to move. The booster rockets were then released, the canisters falling to the ground as the primary engines of the Autumn turned on, burning brightly. With a final push, the ship blasted away into the atmosphere
Six watched as the gray giant flew higher and higher until it finally disappeared into the ash-filled skies.
The radio chatter died, the gun fire ceased and Six was alone, alone on a planet full of Covenant forces.
Six climbed out of the gun and looked at Emile, his fallen comrade, and rested a hand on his shoulder before kneeling and taking his dog tags. Six didn't know why he did this, there's no one to turn them over to, no higher rank now, just him.
Six sighed again before jerking his head up at the sound of approaching drop ships. Sure enough, what looked like hundreds of Covenant ships were heading to his position at a fast speed. They lost, they knew it, but it's apparent they wanted revenge.
Six looked around before his eyes settled on an abandoned military facility to the right of his position. A sandstorm was starting to close in on the region but he could make out sturdy walls, convenient cover, and what looked like a crow's nest.
That was it, his hard point… his last stand. He only had one objective now.
Survive.
Shress POV
"You sure it'll work?" Shress asked as she stared at the strange object in her hand; it looked like a regular plasma grenade to her.
Kova nodded his head, "Yes, Commander, all you need to do is prime it and make sure the target is within the explosive area."
Shress wasn't very confident in this piece of technology but Kova had yet to let her down so she nodded her head anyway as she pocketed the device.
"Thank you, Kova, you are a wonderful assistant." She said truthfully.
Kova seemed to be caught off guard by the high praise and bowed his head, "You are welcome Commander…But do you mind me asking. Why is it that you need this device?"
Shress considered the elderly technician before speaking, "I think I found a weakness in the Demons." At this Kova looked up at her. "I'm hoping that this device is able to help me slay them once and for all."
Kova bowed again, "You have nothing to fear Commander. Tonight we shall celebrate this victory over the humans."
It took all of Shress's being not to balk at this as she became truthful and said, "Actually Kova..." She paused, wondering how to proceed, "I do not believe I'll be returning from this mission."
"But Commander, I'm sure you would be victorious. You have survived such encounters before–"
"No, Kova," Shress interrupted. "Not this time… the Prophet of Regret himself told me of a vision he had of my future." She didn't like to lie to Kova but she knew that if he knew the truth then he wouldn't hesitate to call her a heretic.
She sighed before continuing, "I will be victorious…but my time among the Covenant is at an end," she looked Kova in the eye as she finished, "You've been a wonderful companion Kova, a warrior that any Commander would be honored to serve with."
Kova couldn't help but swell with pride before he said, "Thank you, mistress."
"Farewell Kova," She said as she walked out of the engineering room.
"Farewell Commander," Kova answered back before the portal closed behind Shress.
Once outside, the Zealot walked down the corridor, needing to make one last stop before heading to the hangar bay. As she walked, she passed the near panic stricken crew as they rushed back and forth, answering calls, delivering messages and other such chores. Shress hardly paid them any mind, still trying to think through her newly formed plan.
She stopped and entered the room she was looking for: her room. She glanced around sadly, knowing this might be the last time she would ever see it. It was not as if this had always been her sleeping quarters, but it represented what had been her goal all her life. She wanted to move up in the ranks and become one of the greatest female warriors to have ever lived. Now she was going to leave it all behind: her title, her people, and her identity.
She walked in slowly and looked through her belongings. There really weren't that many. A small bag that she had made in her youth, a gemstone that she had found on one of the human colonies, a sling that she used to hunt small vermin on her planet for sport and finally a family relic, a necklace supposedly blessed by the Prophets.
She held the necklace in her hand; a small stone held by wire, the heirloom was given by a Prophet to an old warrior of her family's past. Her mother gave it to her, hoping the blessing would keep her safe during the war. Now Shress knew that it was just another useless ornament, even less efficient than the metal tags that the human warriors wore.
She carefully wrapped her things in a bundle and laid them on the bed. She can't take them, not without sparking suspicion, she had to leave them here… along with her old life.
She gently touched the bag containing her old belongings once more before walking out the door, not looking back.
She only felt hollowness within her as she walked down the corridor once more, this time heading to the hanger bay. She was deep in her thoughts when she arrived in the hanger and stopped short at what greeted her. Regret was sitting in his anti-gravity chair, while his twin guards flanked him. She tried to keep her nerves in check as she walked forward, noting that Regret's face was twisted with rage.
Shress bowed her head. "Hierarch–"
"Zealot," he hissed, "I know everything." Shress opened her mouth to defend herself when the Prophet cut her off again, "I know about this Michael, your alliance and about this so-called 'friendship'." Shress felt her insides starting to churn faster than ever as the Prophet spoke. She felt her entire being on the verge of shaking as Regret leaned in and whispered, "You will bring me the head of the demon Michael, or your entire line will be wiped out and disgraced for all eternity… And your entire family will be left behind upon the eve of the Great Journey."
Shress wanted to cry out that the Journey was a lie but kept her mouth shut as she nodded her head and muttered, "I understand."
"Do you?"
"Yes."
Regret continued staring at her form before moving his chair to the side and gesturing to the phantom behind him.
"Then finish it."
Shress bowed again and walked onto the ship. She turned her head and looked at Regret, who had a wicked smile on his face, before the door closed, sealing her off from her old world.
'Don't worry Michael. I'm coming.'
Six POV
Desert sands moved in on what once was a prairie. A blazing sun baked the carcasses of fallen men and aliens alike. The wind blew smoke and dust into the air. There was a distinct smell of death.
Six observed all of this from his crows' nest, set up at least fifteen feet in the air over an overrun base. The buildings were all dilapidated, filled with holes still smoking from the recent carnage and hidden by the cloud of sand. Spread out across the area was what remained of the fighting men, Six was surprised when he first arrived and found that they weren't men; they were Spartans.
Six shivered. Their bodies laid around him, like glaring omens foretelling his future. If a large number of Spartans could be killed, then how long did humanity have left before facing the very end?
The spartan's thinking was interrupted as he heard the unmistakable sound of a low flying Phantom. He turned in a complete circle and saw that he was surrounded. Phantoms and Spirits closed in on him, not firing their turrets but swooping in, skimming close to the ground. The map in his HUD indicated massive troop movement as the drop ships released their hordes of aliens.
Six breathed steadily, just like his teammates, his time had arrived. The Spartan, no, the lone wolf reloaded his rifle, checked his grenades and stood tall. When he died, he wished to take as many Covenant soldiers as he could down with him.
First he heard the excited squeaks and toots of Grunts approaching. Following them was the sound of heavy footsteps mixed with the casual commands of aliens, elites. He heard shrill screeches and shrieks of nearby jackals as well. Not far off he could hear the somewhat muffled roars of Hunters. Noble Team had poked a hornet's nest, and Six wasn't annoyed at all with the fact that it was up to him to clean up as much of the mess as possible.
Six waited, wondering which direction they would come in from. The small squeal of a Grunt alerted him to his right flank. He adjusted quickly and aimed. Sure enough, a squad of Grunts being led by an Elite met his eyes as he pulled the trigger.
The grunts all fell beneath his hail of bullets, but the shields of the elite protected it as it leapt around, trying to get at an angle that would allow it to shoot the spartan. Six spent every round of his DMR rifle and reached into his pocket for another magazine but found it empty.
Six dropped the gun. Upon seeing this, the elite rushed forward, now believing its prey was helpless. Six waited until the alien was a mere few yards away before bending down and picking up the machine gun he found earlier. He held it the way he'd seen Jorge do it, aiming from the hip and letting out an explosive blast. The Elite now saw the weapon but it was too late as the massive weapon blasted the alien away.
Six stumbled back from the recoil and heft the gun, grunting a little as he did so. He paused as he heard the whine of a plasma weapon, a very large one. Six threw the machine gun over the side and jumped out of the crow's nest just as a green bolt destroyed the entire top portion of the tower.
Six rolled after he hit the ground and began scrambling for the machine gun that had fallen a few meters away from him. Six ran forward and retrieved it, but plasma rounds immediately emerged from the dust cloud surrounding him and slammed into his armor. Not really seeing his targets, Six kneeled and raised the gun a bit before firing into the swirl of particles. There were cries of pain and the oncoming fire decreased. Still shooting his weapon in that direction, the spartan stood up and began to move away, trying to find shelter. He edged his way through the storm towards the place where he last saw a building. However, a startling barrage of plasma and crystal shards began firing on him from all different directions. Six twisted in different locations, firing into the brown clouds, determined to find his targets.
Suddenly a powerful blast hit his knee and forced him to the ground. He grunted as he felt pain blossoming as plasma heat seeped through his armor. He tried to rise back to a fighting stance but a concentrated beam of light struck the massive gun out of his hand. In pain and weaponless, Six grabbed four grenades, primed all of them and sent them in the four cardinal directions. After hearing the explosions and the reduction of fire, Six sprinted into the swirling clouds and almost ran into a wall of a structure. He felt around the exterior before finding a hole in the side and climbed in.
The place was ransacked and destroyed. There was another opening on the other side and in a spot of the structure where he assumed the door was originally.
Lying in the middle of the floor was a Spartan, spread eagle and unmoving. Six inspected the fallen warrior but already knew it was too late. However, Six grabbed the Spartan's weapons and rearmed himself. He had a shotgun with a few shells left and a Magnum.
Soon more blasts of fire shot through the gaping hole in the wall. Not wanting to waste the bullets for the shotgun, he instead threw out grenades where his senses told him there's a large concentration of enemy combatants.
He popped his last grenade when a silhouette passed out of the corner of his eye. Taking no chances, he flung the grenade behind him. A Jackal tried to jump out of the way but it got engulfed in the blast. As the dust settled, a group of Grunts ran in next. Six leveled his weapon and fired, pumping in a new slug after firing a round. After the last grunt went down something jumped behind Six. He ducked just as an alien fist flew overhead. He pressed the gun against the abdomen of the Elite behind him and fired twice. The first shot destroyed its shield while the second blew its guts out of the elite's back side.
Six rose to his feet as he tried to reload the depleted shotgun. Then he heard the whirls and suddenly a dozen plasma grenades sailed into the building, sticking to the floor, walls and what remained of the ceiling. Their pulsing's became frantic, warning him of immediate detonation. Without a second thought, Six threw himself out the window of the building. He was about to land on the outside when the building exploded.
Six was thrown over a span of five yards before he crashed onto the ground. His head banged against a massive stone as he rolled across the surface before skidding to a halt after sliding an additional five yards. Six gasped as he tried to recover from the explosion. his eyes quickly became occupied as his HUD began to go haywire. There's a huge crack in the upper left hand corner of his helmet, as messages saying 'warning' and 'error' flashed across the glass of his faceplate. One last message read 'shield generator disabled' before the entire system crashed, leaving him with no map, no messages and no shields.
Plasma and crystal fire began to cross overhead; bringing Six back to his senses. He jumped to his feet but flinched as pain shot up his leg. He looked for his shotgun but the blast must have thrown it in a different direction for it was nowhere in sight. Six started moving with a slight limp as he turned and ran away from the incoming fire. Soon the area behind him began firing shot after shot in his general location as he dodged and hopped, trying to avoid them. He was unable to see where they were, prohibiting him from using his Magnum less he wanted to waste precious bullets on nothing.
He almost tripped over something that he almost ignored before realizing it's the body of another spartan with a weapon. Six didn't hesitate as he picked up the gun, a sniper rifle with two clips to go with it. He checked to see if it had a working IR setting, which it did. He switched on the setting and soon he could make out the heat signatures coming off the different alien species hiding in the billowing sand. He swung it around to get his bearings and saw he had what looked like a hundred Covenant troops closing in on him.
Realizing he had no other choice, he opened fire, trying to score headshots. He only shot one bullet into the ranks of the grunts, making them panic and causing confusion among the massive attack force while Six picked off the more threatening warrior class aliens. He fired headshots at the elites and jackals, who were clearly unprepared for they had left their shielding tech off. He fired off the four rounds before ejecting the spent magazine, slapping another into the rifle and continuing firing.
Suddenly a needle shard caught him in the chest, forcing him back and making him remember that he no longer had shielding tech either. Six shouldered his rifle and began scrambling for another hard point. He stopped when he saw the Phantoms in the air, they did not engage him, however they came in close, making Six realize that they were dropping more troops in front of him.
Six looked around for another weapon when plasma and needles now rain down on him from all sides. He leapt, trying to avoid it, but he's caught in the open, encircled by enemy combatants, and with no hard point, he realized that the sun backed patch of earth he was on was his final battlefield.
With that in mind, he took out the Magnum and fired into the clouds surrounding him, hoping to score a kill. The screaming of the aliens confirmed that he did.
Somehow sensing his end was near, the Covenant troopers emerged from the sandstorm and tried to rush him. In response Six removed the sniper rifle from his shoulder and began firing once more at the closing forces. His primary targets were jackals and elites, but he only killed seven of them before the gun ran dry. He took a page from Emile's book and threw the gun, watching it fly away but not before it smacked into a Grunt and knocked it out cold. Six brought out the Magnum once more but when he fired, only one bullet escaped before the clip ran out.
Seeing this, the Covenant troopers closed in. Six dropped the empty weapon and searched for another; however, a shot from a concussion rifle hit him square in the chest, causing the Spartan to gasp. Before he could retaliate, another Concussion blast hits him in the head, causing the helmet's screen to be blackened and the crack to enlarge; both effects making it more difficult for Six to see anything at all.
Gasping for air, Six slipped off his helmet and threw it to the ground. That motion signified to the world as much to the spartan that he knew what was coming and accepted his fate. Without the helmet, he allowed the world to see his face, sweaty, bleeding and slightly crack skin from the recent blast. Six now wished more than ever that he could wipe the perspiration from his eyes, but he ignored that impulse as something caught his eye.
He couldn't believe he missed it earlier, but resting close at hand was an assault rifle, with the ammo counter indicator saying it already had a full magazine inserted. Stumbling slightly, Six reached down and picked it up. He looked up in time to see an elite trying to advance on him, the spartan responded by stepping forward to meet the challenge and fired the newly claimed weapon. The elite kept advancing, its shield bursting after a moment but it kept coming until the bullets struck its face.
Six stared in wonder, trying to figure out why the alien just kept moving forward when he heard movement behind him. Six leaned forward just as an energy sword missed him, Six held the rifle in a different position before running and slamming the end of it against the attacking elite's face, knocking it to the ground. Weak from the day's nonstop fighting, Six stumbled but caught himself before wiping out on the ground.
Soon, more plasma and crystals streaked towards him, and this time he was too weak to fight back. Six just responded the only way he knew how; he faced the direction where the shooting was originating from and fired. However, plasma bolts and shards found their marks as they slammed into Six's chest. The spartan clutched his injuries, the armor stopped most of the bolts but not all of it, and he felt blood flowing down his front as pain began to spread like fire all across his body.
Six kept firing, however, trying to bring as many Elites down as possible. Suddenly breaking from their screen cover, three elites rushed him. Six fired on each of them, taking down all but one. The last one barreled at Six, he fired at the alien only to hear a click. Too weak to properly defend himself, he just made it easier for the Elite to slam into him and push him to the ground. It jumped on top of the fallen warrior, trying to point the plasma rifle into his face, but Six kicked the alien back.
He tried to get up, but the pain was becoming too great, even by Spartan standards. Then he realized he was surrounded, elites, grunts, and jackals all watching, all chanting in their alien dialect. Six didn't have to be a professor to know they were calling for his death. Though he was ready, he wished to take some of them with him to Kingdom Come.
As if answering his wish, an elite rushed forward, a Zealot. It raised its sword and plunged it downward to carve Six in two. The Lone Wolf avoided it; he twisted and grabbed the alien's wrist. He turned it counterclockwise and squeezed until he heard the snapping of bones, causing the alien to drop its energy sword. The elite howled as Six pushed it away. The spartan started to look around for the fallen sword the Zealot had dropped when two more aliens came upon him.
He tried to punch them, to kick them, to break their bones, or elbow them, desperate to do something to break their grasp. He was still struggling when a new elite approached him. The lackeys holding Six parted slightly to allow the newcomer to come closer. Six continued to struggle, wanting to attack whoever it was that had just arrived. He freezed as he stared at the figure standing over him.
Standing there, in flashing armor, full of confidence and what looked to be pride was Shress. She looked down at Six and he felt his heart start to ache. She didn't smile, or frown, or cry, she just stood there, emotionless. Her eyes were shrouded by the shadows of her helmet.
She said something, but Six was in too much shock to decipher what she had said. The two elites hoisted Six up and pushed him to his knees and held him there; he didn't resist. He continued staring at Shress, wondering what she was doing, wondering if she was going to help, but nothing was giving him any indication of what she was planning to do.
No longer caring about his death or the aliens around them he speaks in a tired and almost pleading voice, "Shress?"
The Zealot finally moved; she looked him up and down once as if expecting a prize. She then reached for the twin blades in her belt and unclipped them. As she activated them, the small crowd cheered, all eager to see what was to happen next.
Feeling more confusion and a shred of doubt starting to surface in his mind, Six again tried to speak but was caught off when Shress crossed the twin swords and held them against his neck, close enough for him to feel the heat radiating off them.
It was then he realized what Shress was planning. She's there to kill him. For the first time in his whole spartan career, Six looked down as a feeling took over, one that he had suppressed for years but now finally let it roam free. Six… felt defeated.
Now he truly lost all of his friends.
Tears gathered in his eyes and then spilled over and flowed down his cheeks. His entire body felt numb and it was not because of his wounds.
The aliens were now going wild; chanting even louder and faster than ever before, all calling for what Six assumed was his death. Shress then shouted something that caused the different species to become silent. Soon all Six could hear was the wind, softly blowing. Unsure whether he's going crazy or not, he suddenly started comparing the sound of the wind to the sound of music being played. The sound of nature was to be his death song.
He watched as the dark silhouette of Shress pulled the blades back, getting ready to plunge them into Six's body.
Six took a shaky breath and closed his eyes, something no Spartan would ever do, but at the moment he was feeling so much pain that it was incomparable to any he had ever experienced before; it was just too great for him to face.
"Good bye," he whispered in Sangheili.
BONUS SCENE
Carter POV
"Six,"
Despite all the attention I needed to keep the damaged drop-ship in the air, I still call out to the newbie.
The blue clad Spartan turns back and looks at me, polarized faceplate gazing straight at me, my vision unobstructed without my helmet.
"That AI that chose you…she made the right choice."
The newest member of Noble Team only continues to look back at me before he turns and, with my signal, jumps with Emile out of the rear hatch. As swiftly as I could I continue to dodge the vibrant plasma blasts that the tailing Phantoms threw my way. Anger and determination were at war inside of me.
"Damn alien bastards."
I keep grumbling as I struggle with the stiff controls of the pelican. It feels unwieldy and crippled as it limps through the air, wing still on fire, trailing thick smoke, a clear marker for predatory eyes. But I was no prey. I am the predator.
I launch my last remaining ANVIL-II missile from its pod at an oncoming phantom as I yell in triumph at its destruction, though it left my pelican with only the ammo for its nose mounted M638 auto-cannon. Not that it made any difference to me.
"Come on you alien fuckers! I'm not going down without a fight!" I yell, my normally professional air of command is shattered once no one was around to hear it.
I watch as the last remaining members of my team fight through an elite squadron. Use a mongoose to evade two scarabs, and blow up a wraith. Then the remnants of Noble Team disappear from my sight into some caves as I have to dodge even more enemy fire from behind. Minutes pass as I attempt to keep the still on fire pelican in the air, while simultaneously shooting down banshees with what remained of my ammunition. When I finally saw Six and Emile they were running toward the exit of the canyon. They were so close to the end now.
If I can just save these two, then it will be worth it.
I dodge another shot from my otherworldly followers as I continue to protect my team. Out of the corner of my eye I could see that the covenant had brought out all the stops as I spotted another one of those crawling monstrosities known as a Scarab, creeping it's way over to them. With a flick the comm is on once more.
"Spartans... You have a roadblock up ahead. I am en-route to assist." I say through clenched teeth, fighting through the pain of my injuries.
I pop the joystick in the direction of the crevice that my team is in and hear a corresponding whine from the stressed engines. I began thinking back to all the missions I and my team had completed. From those first missions with Kat and the first group, all the way down to what is currently left. Countless suicide missions and battles that have built brotherhood amongst us all. I had seen and heard some crazy things over the years, but when I heard my team's newest member, Six, informed me about his 'informant' Shress… A Covenant Zealot...
"Sir. I am sure whatever it is we can-" Emile cuts himself off before he could finish his sentence.
I watched as the giant purple machine started to move off the ledge and toward my Spartans, entering their view. I chuckle as I can almost hear Emile swear all the way up here. Although he remained remarkably restrained over the comm.
"We can get past it sir."
"No you can't…"
I feel more anger at the alien bastards who dared to attack my home and my people and now my squad. I quickly check my ammunition, leading me to realize that I only have ten more bursts of my M638 before the entire aircraft runs dry. Not nearly enough to take down a machine like that. There is only one choice before me that would allow my team to continue fighting. Our species' only chance at survival now rested with Six.
"... not without help."
Emile spoke up over the comms even as the Scarab began to power up its green eye. "Commander, you don't have the firepower."
With one fluid motion I brought the injured bird around as fast as I dared and launched two bursts from the nose cannon. I knew it wasn't going to do a damn thing to the armor plating, but I knew it would get its attention.
"Come on… follow the birdy you ugly son of a bitch."
The scarab tries to turn and look for whatever dared to attack it while I swoop around the massive machine and fly circles around it. Still I had to carefully avoid the back mounted cannon that's attempting to get a bead on me.
Switching on the comms with one hand I hold the controls with another.
"I have your back."
I circle around and fly directly at the one thing that dared to stand between my team and survival. Emile responded a second later, the respect in his voice clear.
"Solid copy. Hit 'em hard for us."
There was so much I wish I could say to them but I know there was not enough time. In the end though I suppose there was one last thing to say.
"You are on your own, Noble…"
I lean my head back into the seat and take a deep breath while staring at the alien form of the Scarab. I realize that I am ready for what is to come, and have made my peace with it. All that was left was to sign off, one last time.
"...Carter out."
With one hand I flip off the comms. My last thought as I look toward my rapidly approaching demise through the cracked and blood stained glass was that I hope Six was right to trust that Sangheili. Before the pelican smashes into the scarab, and I see no more.
-Author's Note-
Alright so, story followed by serious question:
How many of you guys would be okay with less edits and just hardcore skipping to the most recent chapter via the almighty power of control C control V?
I am asking because I, the one who decided yo adopt this, have been waiting a long time for my editors to get to the stories, only for me to double check the results and most of the wording being slightly altered to sound better.
I feel bad that it's taking so long… Not that I've been particularly better. I've been dealing with college mixed with housing instability. (A recipe for depression and a cut back on all things deemed unimportant until now, with my new apartment)
I would just like to continue the story, all of my stories really, at this point now that I have finally gotten my crap together IRL. I was always the author and creative one who was intended to write more rather than an editor, but even so I was the one combing this chapter in the end for minor spelling errors and what not.
So, basically, I'm asking this: Should I care less about the edits and more about actually catching up at this point due to the lack of consistent help? It seems like for the most part, with one notable exception, my editors have abandoned ship and… I'm on my own noble.
Pyre out.
*Crashes*
…
*Gets up from crash*
Since I didn't have as much help with this one, feel free to point out any glaring mistakes. I'm not really an editor. More of a first draft then skim kinda author… *Shrugs*
*Pulls rubble back over self*