Halo: Shattered Fate
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He had spent the past couple of hours examining the weapons stored in his arsenal. Regardless of whether he had used or inspected them before, every weapon—pistols, rifles, rocket launchers, and even railguns—was scrutinized with precision. Every component was checked, from the triggers and barrels to the magazines and firing mechanisms.
It was uncanny how pristine they appeared, as though they had just been brought out of the factories. Not a single scratch or blemish marred their surfaces, nor was there any sign of wear and tear.
The Chief couldn't help but wish that the soldiers of the UNSC had access to something like this Noble Phantasm. The difference it could have made in the countless battles humanity had faced against the Covenant and other threats was staggering to consider. The lives that might have been saved would have been countless.
That thought lingered with him as he methodically reassembled one of the pistols, his hands moving with practiced ease. John was acutely aware of how impossible it was for anyone else but himself to gain access to this magical armory. Its existence was tied to him, a unique extension of his being as a Heroic Spirit.
Still, the idea brought him pause. Perhaps his fellow Spartan siblings might possess it. The thought brought a fleeting sense of comfort, that just like himself, they, too, were Heroic Spirits. They deserved it, for all the sacrifices they had made.
But that warmth didn't last long, with the notion immediately overshadowed by a far more troubling thought.
If they were Heroic Spirits, summoned into the world, they would inevitably find themselves entangled in the petty machinations of magi. Reduced to tools in a war for a wish-granting device, their dedication and sacrifices would be twisted into service for a conflict that paled in comparison to the war they had fought to save humanity itself.
For him, the Holy Grail War was little more than a glorified skirmish compared to the existential struggle against the Covenant. To see his Spartan siblings reduced to pawns in such a conflict was an affront to everything they had stood for.
John's hands stilled momentarily, gripping the now reformed pistol firmly in his hand before he placed it in the magnetic holder for his right leg.
He knew there was little use in dwelling on hypotheticals, yet the thought lingered in his head.
"You understand that there's no need to bring a weapon, right?"
Fortunately, Hope's innocent comment offered him an opportunity for him to escape from his thoughts.
"You never know what will happen." The Spartan answered in a simple manner, his voice calm as he remained seated on the ground.
Despite his words, John gave further consideration to the AI's remark as he leaned back slightly, with his hands settling down on his knees.
She wasn't wrong. In truth, there really was no reason for him to be armed, after all, he could just as easily summon a weapon at any time he pleased. And then there was the fact that he was only supposed to have a conversation with the current director of Chaldea.
Nevertheless, John much preferred to go with a weapon at the ready. It just was the simple fact that he felt more comfortable with a gun nearby in case the situation called for.
Besides, it wasn't like he had opted for something excessive, like a rocket launcher or a rail gun. A single sidearm like the M6G pistol he had was discreet, practical, and unlikely to raise too many eyebrows. At least, that's what he told himself.
And so, seated with his hands resting firmly on his knees, he waited in the stillness of the room. Other than inspecting his weapons, there was little else left for him to occupy his time. With nothing urgent to attend to, the only action he could perform now was to wait patiently and quietly until someone arrived to fetch him.
It didn't take too long, or at any rate it didn't for John, who had spent the hours or minutes which had gone by with his eyes shut tightly shut. He had not fallen asleep, he would not do so in a facility like this, surrounded by people he didn't yet fully trust. Instead, he occupied himself by silently pondering everything that had transpired in France.
The fact that he had become a Heroic Spirit.
That he was dead.
Getting to meet Marie and Amadeus.
To have saved Ritsuka, Mash and Jeanne.
Rescuing Siegfried, and fighting with Lancelot.
To have lost Marie.
Having fought with that Archer, and with Vlad the Impaler.
Defeating Gilles and retrieving the Grail.
And having arrived in Chaldea.
That contemplation was brought to an end once the Chief listened to the sound of someone knocking on the door, prompting him to rise up from the ground and walk over to the computer.
"Let's go." He said as he reached out with his hand toward the screen.
"I'm with you, Chief." Hope replied with a bright smile. Her figure shimmered briefly before vanishing from the computer screen, reappearing as a little flicker of light within his armor's HUD while he felt the familiar cold sensation on his head.
With Hope once again safely inside his armor systems, the Chief made his way towards the door of his quarters, the motion tracker displaying a yellow dot on the other side of the door.
So it was either Ritsuka or Mash that had come looking for him. His bet was placed on the former.
Once he had opened the door, as it turned out, his assumption proved correct. Standing in the hallway was Ritsuka, who greeted him with a casual wave of his hand and a small, easygoing smile.
"Hey, Chief." Ritsuka said. "Good morning."
"Good morning." John replied in kind, his tone even but polite.
Admittedly, he wasn't even aware that it was morning.
Not only had he not actually bothered to track the time, but he'd spent the majority of the time reviewing the background information on Chaldea that Hope had managed to gather.
And not content with just a single reading, he had to make absolutely certain that he hadn't missed a single word, which is why he had read it several times.
John was somewhat impressed by the degree of detail that certain sections contained, particularly the sections that had been authored by one Cerejeira Elron. From her first name, he surmised she was likely Portuguese, or at the very least, had roots in the country.
Her reports were remarkably thorough, the kind of precision and insight that would undoubtedly draw the attention of someone at ONI.
"So, are we going?" The young man asked, unwittingly pulling the Chief out of his thoughts.
John blinked, grounding himself in the present moment.
"Yeah, lead the way." The Chief replied simply, stepping out of the room and letting the door slide shut behind him.
Ritsuka smiled faintly, seemingly unfazed by the Spartan's stoic demeanor. "Great. Da Vinci said she'd be waiting for us in her workshop. It's not far."
The Master Chief nodded silently, falling into step beside Ritsuka as the Japanese boy began walking through the hallways.
The two of them walked down the corridors soundlessly, with John making sure to turn at every corner whenever the boy did so. In the hours which had elapsed after Da Vinci had departed from his room, the idea of asking Hope to provide him with a map of Chaldeas had slipped from his mind.
Regardless of that, John had already begun making one in his mind, committing to memory the route they were currently taking towards the Florentine inventor's workshop.
There were unfortunately not many things to provide him with little in the way of landmarks, but even so, the Spartan would be quite sure to memorize every turn of the corner they took.
As they walked, Ritsuka glanced up at him, seeming to debate something with himself before speaking. "So, uh... how are you finding it around here?"
Glancing down at him, John considered the question for a second before answering. "I had no problems so far."
He had only just arrived here yesterday, after all.
Outside of the small talk with Da Vinci, not much had happened, as he spent the rest of the time locked in his quarters.
"I'm glad to hear that." Ritsuka commented relievedly, his remark provoking him to slightly tilt his head sideways in confusion. Apparently his motion was noticed by the Master, as he quickly explained to him what he was referring to. "Oh, I just meant that I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable here. You're… well, you're in the past, after all."
Ah. Now John understood what the boy was trying to convey.
Although his concern about his own well-being struck John as rather... odd. It wasn't something he was used to hearing, especially not in such a straightforward manner
Yet, he found himself appreciating the sentiment.
Unnecessary as it might be—considering he could adapt to just about any situation—it spoke to the young man's character. There were signs of a good leader in him, he had already noticed it back in France, and if given the opportunity, John might be able to help him hone those instincts into something exceptional.
"Chaldea might pass as something from my time." The Chief said, the words leaving him before he fully realized it, getting the young Master's attention. "Or perhaps of a few centuries back."
The young Master then gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Well, when I got here, I thought all this tech was from the future, like something out of a sci-fi film."
The Spartan silently agreed, understanding the perspective. From Ritsuka's time, it was easy to see how Chaldea could feel like something out of fiction.
And while John himself had never seen a science fiction movie—he didn't categorize the educational lectures from Déjà as entertainment—he was aware of the genre and its themes.
So, it would fit the description of Ritsuka.
Ritsuka. Ritsuka. He repeated the name a couple of times in his mind, as if he was sampling it. Ever since he had first met him, he had been using his given name. However, the other Spirits had preferred to address him by his last name, or even Master.
Should he start calling him Master? The title aligned with the Servant-Master dynamic they shared, but John found the term somewhat disagreeable. It didn't sit well with him. In his experience, addressing someone was either done by their rank—when such a structure existed—or by their name.
But Ritsuka had no rank. Assigning him one seemed neither appropriate nor practical. And even if he were to consider doing so, what rank would he even choose? Captain? Sergeant? Commander?
John paused, weighing his options. Using a military rank felt unnatural in this context, where the traditional military hierarchies didn't quite fit. He valued respect and clarity, but forcing a rank onto Ritsuka seemed forced and out of place.
Ultimately, he concluded it was better to stick with "Ritsuka." At least for the time being. The boy had not demonstrated any indication that it bothered him that he was using his name, so he would be sticking with it.
After falling back into silence, this time being somewhat more comfortable and peaceful, the two continued along their way until they finally arrived at their destination.
One could easily recognize that this was Da Vinci's room just by looking at the doorway. Unlike his, or any other doors he had seen in the facility, this one was framed in a wooden design, intricate and elegant, with vibrant red and blue stripes weaving through the edges. At the center of the door stood a design of a bird, its wings spread openly and its head pointing skyward.
John found it puzzling to understand to what purpose she had created the design, but then again, her eccentricity was all too obvious, therefore this was likely just another one of her peculiarities.
In hindsight, it mattered little. It was no concern of his what the others did, no matter how puzzling their actions were.
Wordlessly, Ritsuka took a step closer to the door, reaching out his hand and knocking on it three times.
"Come in!" Da Vinci's voice quickly beckoned from within the room.
Right as the door opened, the young Japanese boy was the first to step inside, with John following suit less than a second later.
The door slid shut behind him, and John took a brief moment to survey the interior.
Precisely as he had foreseen, Da Vinci's room was utterly distinct from his own. The floor was a rich, polished wood, so impeccably clean that he could almost catch a faint reflection of himself on its surface. The walls were covered with blue ceramics, while the ceiling was painted in a shade of green. Shelves filled to the brim with books ranging in type from art to crafts, and various supplies, both for painting and mending.
Shelves lined the walls, packed to the brim with books spanning an large array of subjects, from the fine arts to detailed tomes on craftsmanship. On the desks were a great variety of supplies, such as canvases, brushes, paints and even tools for repairing and constructing, all neatly arranged.
Usually nothing within the room should have come as a surprise to him, but two things he managed to notice prompted one of his brows to lift up faintly in some intrigue.
The first was a painting hanging prominently on one of the walls. It depicted a woman with dark brown hair, her arms folded gracefully, her right hand resting lightly atop her left. What stood out most was her gaze, which seemed to follow whoever happened to be observing her, in this case himself.
The Mona Lisa. It was unmistakable. John never had the opportunity to witness it in person, he was only shown a holographic recreation in one of the classes at boot camp, with the subject in question being Leonardo Da Vinci and his inventions.
From what he had gathered about Da Vinci's personality, it might be prudent not to bring that particular memory up.
Sliding his eyes to the other thing that attracted his attention, John's gaze fell on the three windows lining the left side of the room. However, it wasn't the windows themselves that captured his interest, but rather what lay beyond them.
Sunlight. As far as John knew, Chaldea was blocked off completely from the rest of the world, the outside shrouded by a continuous blizzard. So the idea that Da Vinci's workshop actually had natural sunlight seemed implausible.
That left the origin of the light to something artificial. Initially, he suspected powerful floodlights, but the way the exterior was illuminated resembled sunlight far too closely.
After a moment's consideration, he concluded that the source was likely a combination of advanced technology and magic. Of which type, he had no guess.
That thought led him to believe that perhaps he should request Da Vinci to provide him with some foundational information about magic. Understanding its principles might help him prepare for potential confrontations with Casters, especially given the variety of unknowns surrounding this field.
Indeed, the Chief would do that, as soon as he was through with the discussion he was about to engage in.
His focus returned to the present moment, and John quickly shifted his gaze to the four figures in the room.
First, his eyes landed on Da Vinci, who was seated behind a table, her bright blue eyes fixed squarely on him. On the opposite side of the table sat Romani and Mash. The former seemed to be more nervous than the latter.
Mash appeared relaxed, her posture slightly leaned back as she gently stroked Fou, the peculiar creature sprawled across her lap. As if on cue, the small animal narrowed its gaze at John once again. John couldn't help but conclude that the rodent harbored a dislike for him—a sentiment he found baffling, yet strangely mutual.
After all, his instincts always seemed to warn him that there was more to the rodent than met the eye.
A sudden shuffle on the part of Mash finally made Fou withdraw his gaze away from him and shut his eyes. Yet, John remained doubtful that the peculiar creature would refrain from paying attention to the upcoming conversation.
Then, Mash waved warmly to both him and Ritsuka. "Good morning Senpai, Chief-san."
"Morning Mash." Ritsuka replied, while John offered her a simple nod in acknowledgment. "Good morning to you too, Roman, Da Vinci."
"Fujimaru-kun, Master Chief, good morning." The doctor greeted warmly, then gestured toward the two chairs beside him. "Please, have a seat."
John's gaze shifted to the chairs, his expression going blank as he quickly calculated that he wouldn't fit into either of them comfortably.
"O-Or you can just stay standing! It's not a problem!" Romani quickly stammered, evidently reaching the same conclusion as John had.
"I'll do that." The Chief simply stated as he stepped closer to the group.
Da Vinci was chuckling to herself, clearly entertained by the situation as her amused gaze flicked between the two.
Meanwhile, Romani was doing his best to compose himself. He drew in a few steadying breaths before attempting to put on his most professional demeanor.
It left much to be desired.
"Okay." He began, his voice steady enough but not without a hint of awkwardness. "I appreciate you coming. I guess you're wondering why we asked for this conversation."
Not really. John recognized that his presence at this point in time was odd, both on account of him being from the future and because apparently his background was not accessible to the rest of the Servants.
Nevertheless, he did not interrupt the doctor, remaining in silence as the doctor continued to speak.
"The truth is that your presence is very irregular. Both because you originate from the future and because Da Vinci cannot find any reference to your legend. And I mean none—which, it's important to note, should be impossible. Or, well, it was. So, if you're willing, could you answer a few questions?"
The Chief's gaze shifted briefly to Da Vinci, who still seemed thoroughly entertained by the conversation, but with a touch of seriousness underneath her eyes.
He stood silently as he contemplated how to respond, when he suddenly listened to Hope's voice booming from within his helmet. "Chief, can I speak directly to them?"
The unexpected request caught him slightly off guard, and he blinked in surprise. After a moment of contemplation, he concluded there was no harm in allowing it. Everyone in the room was already aware of her existence, and there was no compelling reason to keep her hidden.
Without a word, he extended his hand forward, drawing the attention of everyone present. In that moment, Hope's azure-blue figure shimmered into existence above his palm.
"Hi." Hope greeted cheerfully, her holographic form turning to address the gathered individuals. "I thought it might be easier if I joined the conversation directly."
Da Vinci's eyebrows rose in interest, her eyes practically lighting up as she smiled, focusing completely on her. "Well, hello there little one. I am Leonardo Da Vinci, Caster Class Servant of Chaldea, but you probably already knew that."
Hope inclined her head slightly, a gesture of polite acknowledgment. Her serene smile broadened a little as she responded to Da Vinci. "Of course, Leonardo Da Vinci, the famed polymath and inventor. Your reputation precedes you even in the records I've accessed. It's a privilege to meet you."
"Likewise." Da Vinci chuckled at the response, clearly amused.
Before the two could continue speaking further, Romani cleared his throat, clearly trying to reclaim the spotlight as he adjusted his posture.
It was a good thing he had done it, since John was already preparing to do that himself, and he questioned whether he could have done so in a kindly fashion.
"I don't mean to interrupt your fascinating exchange, but I should introduce myself as well." Romani began, sounding just a bit self-conscious under the circumstances. "I'm Romani Archaman, the acting director of Chaldea. You can just call me Dr. Roman. I guess you could say I help keep things running around here."
Hope tilted her head, her holographic form swiveling slightly to face him. "Nice to meet you too, Dr." She said, before shifting her eyes over to the two teenagers. "I have previously met both of you, unfortunately the situation prevented us from talking too much. So, once again, it's a pleasure to meet you both."
"You as well, Miss Hope! It's nice to meet you." Mash replied with once more an amazed stare, as Fou peeked out from her lap to examine Hope intently, narrowing its small, piercing eyes.
Meanwhile, Ritsuka seemed much more composed compared to Mash, offering Hope a polite nod. "As Mash said, it is very nice to meet you."
"Thanks." Hope replied with a bright smile, though her expression quickly turned a bit more awkward as her gaze shifted upward to John. "We should probably get back to the main topic, shouldn't we?"
"Yeah, we should." His voice came out drier than he would normally expect, but it at least helped her to understand what she should be focusing on.
"Roger that." She said, her demeanor instantly turning more professional as she faced Romani. "Before anything else, we would like to ask you some questions, if that's okay."
Romani blinked, seemingly caught off guard, before straightening up. "Oh, uh, of course! Fire away. What would you like to know?"
Hope nodded in thanks. "First of all, why is it so strange that the Chief is actually from the future? The Throne of Heroes exists beyond time as we know it, so it would not be an impossibility for him to be recorded."
Upon listening to her question, Da Vinci leaned forward slightly, obviously being the one who would be answering it. "You're correct. In itself, it's not entirely impossible for someone from your time to be engraved on the Throne of Heroes. However, the issue lies in how extraordinarily difficult it is for it to happen. It's so rare that it's practically unheard of." She gestured lightly with her hand as if emphasizing her point. "For instance, I can count on my fingers the number of Heroic Spirits originating from the 20th century. Neil Armstrong is among them—he reached the moon, after all—but even he isn't ranked among the top-tier heroes, despite such a monumental achievement."
Her blue eyes were locked on him once more. "What I'm trying to convey is this: whatever you accomplished during your lifetime, it must have been profoundly meaningful to humanity. Not just significant—but pivotal. And that's not something I say merely from your parameters, though they are impressive. No, it's also because you've been granted the designation of a Pioneer of the Stars."
A long, quiet pause followed, while the words of the Florentine polymath settled in the minds of everyone present in her workshop.
The reactions he took the most notice of were those of Romani and Mash, whose faces shifted from confusion to disbelief, before settling into outright shock. Ritsuka, on the other hand, seemed more puzzled than anything, his brow furrowing as he alternated his gaze between John and Da Vinci with a half-confused look on his face.
It looked as though the young Master was about to ask what this was all about, but before he could, Romani sprang to his feet and his eyes widened as he turned to Da Vinci, his tone both incredulous and panicked.
"Hold on, hold on a second Leo! A Pioneer of the Stars!? Are you absolutely certain? How is that even possible!?"
Da Vinci let out a small sigh of exasperation, though the smirk on her face hinted at her amusement. "Yes, I'm serious, Doctor. I verified it myself. But… how is it you don't already know? I made sure to send you the file and everything."
The doctor froze for a split second, a bead of sweat forming on his temple, before Da Vinci's eyes narrowed knowingly, her smile becoming just a tad sharper. "Don't tell me you skipped reading it because you were too busy watching that Idol of yours again?"
"H-Hey!" Romani stammered, his face quickly turning crimson. "She's not just some Idol! Magi Mari is an inspiration! Her life-saving advice has touched the hearts of thousands! Maybe even millions!"
His voice wavered slightly as he noticed the varied looks he was receiving from everyone else in the room.
Da Vinci's gaze was amused but carried a frosty undertone, her smirk practically mocking him. Mash, meanwhile, looked scandalized, her lips curling into a grimace of disgust. And then there was Ritsuka, who was failing miserably at suppressing a grin, clearly finding the entire situation highly entertaining.
John, as always, stayed silent, though internally, he couldn't help but wonder what the hell was an Idol, and why it had managed to distract the doctor.
"Back to the subject." John flatly said after a few seconds had ticked by, with Romani sitting down as he covered his flushed face with his hands. "Pioneer of the Stars is one of the Skills I possess. Why is it important?"
"Ah yeah, sorry, but could you guys explain it to me. I don't think I've seen that in any of Da Vinci's lectures." Ritsuka asked, rubbing the back of his head.
This time, it was Mash who answered, adjusting her glasses as she spoke. "Senpai, Chief-san, Pioneer of the Stars is a highly unique Skill. It's only granted to Heroic Spirits who are considered to be pivotal turning points in human history. The figures who possess it have accomplished feats that fundamentally shaped the course of humanity's future. The only Servant we've previously confirmed to have it is—"
"Yours truly!" Da Vinci interrupted cheerfully, raising her hand high and grinning broadly at John. "It means we are fellow Pioneers! Isn't that fantastic?"
"Yeah, it does." John's expression didn't change in the slightest, his voice as monotone as ever.
The woman was pouting at his distinct lack of excitement, but before she could utter a single sentence Romani spoke, having regained some of his composure. "As Mash said, Pioneers of the Stars are incredibly rare. Honestly, I'd argue that you having that Skill is stranger than the fact that you're from the future. No offense, Chief. It's just… you must have done something monumental."
Romani swallowed hard, appearing to brace himself before he posed a question which John already guessed what it was. "If you don't mind, could you share with us what you did in the future?"
There it was.
Even if John hadn't anticipated the question, it would hardly have taken him by surprise. It was an inquiry that any curious mind would have posed, given the peculiar circumstances of his presence.
And since he already foresaw it, the Chief figured out what approach he should adopt when it came time to answer. He thought about it all night, spending hours mulling over each different type of approach he might choose to take, weighing up each of their advantages and disadvantages.
It didn't make it any easier now when he was supposed to be answering, though. The Spartan stood there in silence for a moment, considering each word that would come out of his tongue. Each one had to be selected with the utmost thoroughness, so that they would not be able to reveal any more than John intended them to.
At last, John spoke, his voice measured and deliberate as the carefully selected words left his mouth.
"I am a soldier of the United Nations Space Command."
It only took a few seconds for the three of them to connect the dots. Once again Romani stared at him in stunned shock. Da Vinci's expression, on the other hand, lit up with a mixture of awe and curiosity, her body leaning forward as though on the verge of launching into an interrogation. Meanwhile Mash and Ritsuka both wore looks of utter astonishment.
John, however, raised a hand, a simple gesture that asked for silence. And, despite their obvious eagerness to speak, they obeyed.
"On February 11, 2525, a war broke out that had ramifications throughout the whole of humanity. It raged on for twenty-seven years, ending in 2552." John continued, deliberately withheld specifics about the enemy or the war's exact consequences, believing it would be a lot to digest for them. "I fought in the war practically from the beginning, right up to the closing battle."
By the time he was done speaking, he concentrated on scanning their faces for signs of understanding.
There were. Mostly troubled expressions, most likely due to the prolonged duration of the war. Moreover, it was noticeable how much their moods had been dampened.
"If the war lasted as long as you said, it does make some sense that you'd become a Heroic Spirit if you were actively fighting for most of it." Da Vinci remarked, being the first to regain her bearings. The Italian polymath gave a moment's pause, then offered him a faint smile of gratitude. "Thank you for sharing that with us."
"It's no problem." He replied simply. Well, at the beginning it was, but having had plenty of time to contemplate it, he thought that this approach wasn't wrong. Offer general information on events, but steer away from specific things. "If there's anything else you're curious about, feel free to ask."
The atmosphere shifted immediately as everyone turned to look at him after hearing the last bit he added. He imagined they wouldn't hesitate to take him up on his offer, though he was prepared to deflect any inquiries that ventured too close to sensitive topics.
The group exchanged brief glances, seemingly debating who would go first.
To his surprise, it was Mash the one who spoke up.
"Chief-san, were you born on Earth?" She asked, her lavender eyes sparkling with a curious gleam.
John paused, musing what he should answer. It was a simple question, but one he had never been asked before. The classified nature of his origins had always made the matter irrelevant, even among those closest to him.
There was no harm in answering—it was an innocent question, after all. Yet the instant the answer to the girl's question surfaced in his mind, his mind was frozen for a very brief moment in dubiousness.
He knew the facts. He had been born on Eridanus II in the Eridanus System, a detail etched into the scarce memories of his early childhood before he was enlisted.
But somehow, saying "Eridanus II" felt insufficient. It felt wrong. He mulled it over several times, searching for what was amiss with that, until the issue surfaced in his mind.
Reach. Reach was where he had been forged into what he was. It was the planet where he had trained, where he had met his Spartan siblings, where his life as a soldier truly began.
Eridanus II was the starting point for his body, but Reach… Reach was where his essence, his purpose, had been born.
His helmet rotated slightly as he turned his gaze to Mash, and after another fleeting moment of contemplation, he responded to her question.
"No, I was born on Reach." The Chief replied, having just passed a brief moment since Mash had raised the question. "It is a planet that is 10.5 light years away from the Solar System, in the Epsilon Eridani system."
"And how is it?" She asked.
"Outside of Earth, Reach is one of humanity's most significant planets. It was among the first to be colonized during the 24th century, part of the initial wave of extrasolar colonization. On the civilian side, it became humanity's second-most populated colony, and because of its proximity to Earth, it served as a vital gateway to the outer colonies. Industrially, it was essential. Reach was humanity's main provider of spacecraft—civilian and military alike—and its role in the defense of the colonies made it a cornerstone of the United Nations Space Command."
Mash's amazement at the description of Reach was evident, her lavender eyes wide with fascination. For a fleeting moment, part of him felt a minute twinge of pride at how they were interested in the information from his home planet.
That feeling was swiftly buried, as John couldn't quite comprehend why he'd felt it in the first place.
Then, it was Ritsuka's turn to speak his query, the boy raising his hand up as if he were a schoolboy. John noted the gesture with a slight tilt of his head, realizing that, in some ways, the boy was still technically a student despite his role as a Master.
All the same, the Chief gave a small nod to him, granting him permission to freely make his inquiry.
"What was the planet itself like? I mean, was it Earth-like or something else entirely?"
"There were notable differences. Reach was larger, measuring about 15,273 kilometers in diameter compared to Earth's 12,756. Its day lasted 27 hours, and its year spanned 390 days. It also had two moons, Tudul and Csodaszarvas."
Ritsuka let out a low, impressed whistle, his expression soon shifting to one of seriousness that hinted he was about to ask something incredibly significant. "So… do you guys have Gundams?"
John blinked, staring blankly at the young Master, that word being an unfamiliar one to him. Simultaneously, Romani let out a soft groan and palmed his forehead, which he ignored. "What is a Gundam?"
The Master looked positively crestfallen, which is when Hope decided to chimed in. "I think they are some kind of giant robots, like the Guar-"
"I understand." The Master Chief cut her off firmly.
Hope immediately recognized her mistake, her eyes wide with a silent apology as she gave a small, sheepish nod. The Spartan decided to let the matter rest, though he mentally noted the need for a private discussion later about what could—and couldn't—be said in future conversations.
He then brought his concentration back to the question at hand.
Robots. Giant Robots.
...John couldn't see a reason for why anyone would be interested in them specifically. It was perhaps due to the military aspect, in order to determine if he possessed them in his arsenal. A cursory glance informed him that, unfortunately, he was tied up only with the weapons. A shame.
However, a persistent part of his mind suggested that Ritsuka's inquiry might not stem from practical interest but rather from something more trivial—yet it failed to pinpoint exactly what.
Frustrated by the pointless speculation, the Spartan dismissed the thought and addressed the question directly.
"If you're referring to powered exoskeletons, then yes, there are a few. Some are significantly larger than standard designs, although the last I heard, they were not widely deployed. My armor also technically qualifies as one."
"Awesome!" Ritsuka exclaimed, his face lighting up with excitement, only to falter a moment later as he noticed the amused expressions from the others. "Uh, sorry. But thanks for sharing."
The Chief offered a slight nod in acknowledgment before turning his attention to the other two in the room who had thus far remained quiet. "Is there anything else?"
"Oh, I have plenty of questions, trust me." Da Vinci admitted in all honesty, grinning at him as she waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "But I'll drop it for now, we can discuss that later. Right now, there's just one thing I'd like to ask."
Standing in silence, he allowed her to continue, mentally knowing that there was no non-lethal way to escape the enormous Italian's curiosity.
"You mentioned that humanity has outer colonies, so it's clearly not just a handful of planets that were successfully colonized. Just how many worlds are we talking about here?"
John considered the question carefully, categorizing it as harmless. After a brief pause, during which he calculated the numbers, he finally spoke. "Taking into account the number of outposts and space stations for the habitable worlds, there would be around 800 colonies, roughly speaking."
"800? That is a larger number than I was expecting." Da Vinci repeated, strikingly composed, unlike Romani who now seemed to be blankly staring into nothingness. "Still, at the minimum 100 or 200 of them must have been the outposts, is that right?"
"Yeah." He confirmed with a simple nod.
"Eight hundred colonies… That's… a lot. I can't even begin to imagine the effort it must've taken to build and maintain all that." Romani muttered, his gaze still fixed on the void.
He was thoroughly overlooked.
"Alright." Da Vinci interjected brightly, clapping her hands together. "I think we all have plenty more questions, but I suggest we call it a day for now. Thanks again for sharing, Chief."
Being thanked was starting to become a repetitive occurrence. Even so, John found himself silently appreciating Da Vinci's suggestion. Without it, he had no doubt that the questions would keep coming, and he wasn't prepared to endure another round just yet.
The Italian rose from her seat, her tone taking on a more thoughtful edge. "If you don't mind, Chief, would it be alright with you if we shared what you talked about here with the rest of the staff?"
The Chief hiddenly scowled in bewilderment, not understanding the reason underlying that. "Why?"
"For one, it might help ease some of the tension. You've noticed, haven't you? There are plenty of people who are unnerved by your presence. If they understand you better, they'll probably leave you alone." She paused, her expression growing more serious. "And secondly, we have mages among the staff—mages who, to put it kindly, don't take 'no' for an answer. You're essentially a gold mine of information about space, other planets, and the future. Trust me, if they think they can pry that out of you, they won't stop trying."
John's gaze remained locked on her, his posture unmoving as he processed her words.
"It's better to get ahead of it." Da Vinci added. "If we present this information on your terms, it'll keep the more curious types—and the more stubborn ones—away from you."
A momentary silence stretched on, and then the Spartan gave a curt nod of agreement, sensing the logic behind her argument.
Did it mean he liked it? No, not even a little bit. He would much prefer that anything related to him be shrouded in secrecy, but if it meant the rest of the staff and the mages stayed away from him, he would accept it with some measure of reluctance.
"Thank you," she said with a smile, her tone lighter. "I'll make sure it's handled carefully, and no one will reveal anything when all this is done, I promise."
A small feeling of relief went through his body as he listened to her promise, even though he had certain doubts that she would be able to fulfill it.
Despite all of the casualties from the betrayal that Chaldea had experienced, there were still more than sixty workers alive, and having to monitor every single one of them after this whole crisis was over would be more than a little complicated.
Nevertheless, that was certainly better than nothing.
(====)
AUTHOR NOTES:
I loathe writing dialogues. I first tried to write it in English, but it came out wrong. Then I tried to write it in Spanish, but it came out wrong. In the end, it worked out like this.
I decided that the Chief would take an approach that was honest, but left a lot of things out. At first I also decided to have him say the number of casualties from the Human-Covenant War as well, but it struck me as too heavy-handed for the first conversation. As for his armor, I plan to have Da Vinci look at it in the near future. I won't always type up his analysis of the questions, just the ones he finds intrusive.
As for the number of humanity planets, it's a mess that's been around since before Halo CE was released, so my headcanon is this. Plenty of outposts and stations, with at least 400 to 600 planets with at least one city.
I've been asked two questions privately, so I might as well clarify. Commissions: No, I don't do commissions, I don't even think I could write another story. I had some ideas before (And even wrote some chapters) of crossovers between Tsukihime and DXD, or with BNHA, but those are stuff I wrote years ago and don't have a rating of them that I consider appropriate to publish, plus my focus is fully on Halo now. There was also one of Revan being born in the Prequels era, no memoir or anything, but I don't quite understand the character so I stopped writing it.
The other thing, translation into Spanish: I don't plan to do a translation, I write the chapters in Google Docs and translate the paragraphs once I finish writing them. But if someone is interested in doing it, contact me privately, we'll see if we get to something.
As for Pioneer of the Stars, I consider the one John has to be at a higher level than Drake, but lower than Tesla and Da Vinci. I'll leave it there, it will be seen in the future.
Next comes the invocation of some Servants. They will be well-known faces, so don't expect big things. Down the line will come some new people, specifically a character that I love.
N.R