Chapter 28: Honors and Dishonors part 1

Six POV

Six was still in an irritable mood, but that didn't stop the excitement that spread through him as he observed his newly armored body.

The Spartans were in the armory, inspecting the new state-of-the-art MJOLNIR exoskeleton suits. They were Mark VI battle armor, never before seen and never field-tested. Their HUDs were powered with a direct link to command, a liquid crystal layer had been added as another barrier against any fatal blast, and a bio-foam injection system was designed to inject the wearer with the sealing substance should he or she take any external damage. They even had Neural Interface Integration installed in the backs of their necks, just like the Chief's old armor, giving all the Spartans the ability to carry AIs like Cortana if needed. The Spartans were already walking war machines, but now, in their titanium-alloyed shells, they appeared to be virtually invincible.

"Nice, aren't they?" Master Gunnery Sergeant Greco asked with a grin.

The Spartan IIs nodded their heads in silent agreement, leaving Six as the only one to say, "They're quite nice, Master Guns. Thanks for handling them so well."

He shrugged, focusing on the III. "It was nothing, Lieutenant-"

"Noble Six," the Spartan said. "Or just call me 'Six' for short."

Greco frowned slightly before asking, "Why Noble Six? Are there more of you?"

Six sighed as he looked down, pretending to inspect his gauntlet. "Negative… I just got used to people calling me Six."

The Gunny nodded in understanding. "So it's like your nickname, right?"

"I guess you can say that," he said with a smile.

Greco then turned to the other Spartans. "So, are they all working well? No malfunctions or anything?"

Again, the Spartans remained silent as they shook their heads, all except Six, whom the Sergeant immediately swooped down upon.

"Anything wrong, Lieutenant?" he asked.

"Well…" Six replied hesitantly, trying to figure out a way to say it nicely before bluntly asking, "is there a way to modify our gear?"

"Why would you want to do that?"

Six shifted uncomfortably, avoiding looking at the IIs.

Greco snorted. "You want to be a unique Spartan? Get a tattoo, but don't mess with your systems. It's beautiful just the way it is."

Six crossed his arms and looked down again. The first thing he had done when he received his first MJOLNIR model was paint it blue with white highlights and add his own upgrades to strengthen what he believed to be his strong points. Now, however, he appeared identically to the other spartans; he was wearing green alloy with an orange faceplate. Only his height revealed the small difference between him and the others. Before anything else could be said, their comms activated, and Cortana's voice filled the channel.

"Spartans, report to the launch bay for departure to Earth," she reported.

Six suddenly became alert as he stood and did one last rundown of his suit, double-checking the equipment, until Cortana spoke again.

"Except for you, Chief."

The mentioned Spartan looked up in confusion. "Why me, Cortana?"

"Admiral Hood is presiding over an awards ceremony and wishes to award you for your actions after your last engagement. You as well, Lieutenant."

Six felt dumbfounded. Him being honored? By the leader of Humanity himself? After what he had kept from Hood? This was unheard of to the III; no third-generation Spartan had ever been honored before. They didn't even receive the Purple Heart—the medal given to those who had been injured in combat—and Six knew for a fact that almost all the IIIs had been injured at one time or another. There were also security reasons to consider. IIIs were supposed to be the UNSC's top-secret weapon. If he stood before a crowd, then everyone would know of the secret Spartans' existence. Maybe he would get lucky and be mistaken for a II since, as far as armor systems went, they were quite similar.

The Master Chief's face was hidden from Six, so he had no idea what he was thinking, but eventually, he said in what sounded like an annoyed voice, "Roger that, Cortana. I'll see my team out, and then the Lieutenant and I will report to the bridge."

"Copy that, Chief. Make sure you wear a tie."

Six knew the AI would smirk if her hologram had been present. The II said nothing in return. Instead, he looked to the other Spartans and appeared to be having a private conversation on a secured comm channel.

The Sergeant turned to Six. "I don't mean to be rude, but you seem to be the odd man out."

"I'm used to it. I just hope this won't happen on the battlefield."

The Gunnery Sergeant nodded before saying, "I'm going to get some chow, and I'll come right back. We still need to perform the mobility test on you and the Chief's suits to make sure your coordination relays are working."

Six rolled his eyes. He was pretty sure he would have noticed a malfunction by now since he had been walking around for a few minutes with no issues, but he knew it was standard procedure to test an exoskeleton before it was sent to the field. The Sergeant turned on his heel and walked out of the armory, leaving Six alone with the IIs once more. A relentless silence filled the air as the IIs continued speaking only to each other. Six had no idea where he and the others stood now. Once again, it was as if the small moment of mutual understanding had dissolved, creating a rift between the two classes of Spartans. The lone wolf could tell by the small movements of their visors, that they were keeping a close eye on him, causing yet another barrier between them. He only hoped they wouldn't remain divided like this for long, considering they had to depend on one another on the battlefield.

Finally, the Chief looked back at Six as if remembering he was in the room before saying, "I'm going to see my team to the launch bay, then come back up, sir."

Six groaned inwardly. The fact that the Chief continued to call him 'sir' and 'Lieutenant' only went to show how firmly he remained locked onto the military way and closed off from the III. Six just nodded his head in acceptance of this arrangement. The Spartans then marched to the exit, but Fred, Will, and Linda—the departing team—turned and gave Six a quick salute. Figuring it was only right, the III stood up straight and returned the gesture. The IIs dropped their arms before turning and marching out, with the Chief behind them.

Six watched them go, but before the doors closed, he called out, "Good luck, Spartans."

Will was the only one to look back at him before the door closed. Six sighed again and leaned against a workbench, hoping they knew how sincere he was being. They were different, yes, but right now, they were the only existing Spartans as far as he knew, and he had learned from recent experience that they should bond whenever they got the chance. You never knew when a plasma shot would get lucky and find its target. Six looked to the wall and saw something that caught his eye. He stood and walked over to the shelf he was staring at and removed two cans of spray paint. One was dark blue, and the other was bright white.

He grinned behind his visor.

Shress POV

Shress breathed calmly and carefully as she examined her body again. After Michael's visit, she had drifted off into a fitful slumber, but it had still reenergized her… relatively speaking. Her exposed skin was now covered in strange markings that looked like broken glass. From her thighs to her face, a small web of scars branched from where the baton had struck her skin. She stared at her arm, where a dark stain marked her flesh. It looked like ash, and Shress soon began to fear that was what it was. It wasn't long before another bout of dizziness overtook her, and she was forced to lie back down and stare up at the ceiling. This was one of the things she had grown to hate about her prison; she had plenty of time to think to herself. She tried to ward her wandering mind off certain subjects, but with nothing to distract her, she was left with nothing but her worries. Her primary concern at the moment was not about herself, nor was it about Michael, but about the people of the V'damee Keep.

She shivered, for she knew exactly what would happen. Her father would be stripped of his rank within the Covenant and excluded from the alliance. Her people would be shamed. The younglings within the Keep would be taught of this disgrace, and it would hamper their chances of joining the Covenant. Even though Shress knew this wasn't an honorable war, many Sangheili would find it disgraceful not to be able to join the 'righteous' struggle. Neighboring fiefdoms would no longer wish to do business with them, believing that whatever blight had caused the Keep's daughter to fail was contagious and must be avoided at all costs. Worse still were her parents. Her mother would retain her position as mistress of the house but would be ordered not to produce any more offspring with her father or any other males. Though this was the fate Shress wished to escape, she knew bearing young was a traditional and well-respected trait of being a female. To be ordered not to use this gift was a great shame no female could endure.

A shame that her mother would surely suffer.

'Have I made a mistake?' Shress questioned herself. 'I've sacrificed and destroyed everything I ever loved just so I may be with an alien.'

Michael… her opinion of the male kept shifting with each encounter. She wanted to be angry with him, to even go as far as to hate him for all he had done. But she knew it was she alone who had made the decisions and who now had to answer for them. His interference had preoccupied her to the point where she could no longer focus on her duties within the Covenant. Worse, she could now no longer kill a human without further tarnishing her conscience. She had worked, trained, and endured so much—a lifelong dream to make her father proud, a goal that now could no longer be accomplished.

She had practically thrown it away for him. For her suitor. For her human.

She growled but it soon turned into a whimper. Whether she liked it or not, this human was all she had left and now she wished for him to be there. Her talons began to dig into the tender insides of the bed as she picked at the enigma known as Michael. He was strong, honorable and filled with righteousness. He was sensitive, comforting, and caring. He was something that many females would love to have; he was someone who her father could appreciate and someone she knew her mother would approve of.

'But he is a human.'

She smirked; she knew it was impossible for her to imagine her parents ever accepting Michael; it would be a miracle for him to be in their presence without them trying to kill him. She sighed at the thought of her parents. Her stubborn father and considerate mother would be horrified and enraged at what has happened to their daughter, beaten, imprisoned. She knew males would display any battle wound proudly, but among females, to be marked by combat was considered an ugly shame. What kind of male would want a damaged female? Shress knew the answer; the only male that would still want her would have to be human. She was afraid that Michael would see her as a dreadful sight because of her scars.

Her thoughts darkened as she began to think of one feature that may take her suitor away. She shuddered in fear and sorrow at the thought. She should have told him when she had the chance and see if he would still accept her despite that one flaw that many females would have seen as a curse. And in a way it was. She knew not many people would approve of her decisions in life, she most certainly didn't at the moment, but she could not change it. And, truth be told, she wouldn't change it even if she could. Though she had faced many trials and pain, she would never regret meeting and being with Michael.

All she could do now was lie in wait and let body heal. She wanted to talk to Micheal again. As she stared at the door in anticipation, she wondered what he was doing now.

Six POV

The Master Chief walked back into the armory, but the presence of the legendary hero of humanity was not enough to distract the Gunnery Sergeant as he continued his furious tirade.

"What on Earth did you do to it?!" he shouted, "It's ruined!"

All that Six could do was hold his hands out as he tried to defuse the situation. "I didn't do anything Gunny," he said in a calm voice. "I just painted some pieces of armor. That's all."

This was true, for Six had painted blue and white stripes onto his armor. Blue streaks along the sides of his arms, down his legs and a large unfinished stripe ended on his main chest piece. The only white highlighter was placed on the top of his helmet, starting from the back of his neck and ending right above his orange visor. He was still overall green, but at least now there was a way for him to be distinguished from the II's. Six would have preferred to add some upgrades as well as fully color himself blue in the likeness of his old armor, but decided to leave it like this, hoping that the Gunny wouldn't mind too much. The red faced Marine, however, destroyed any past hope of that.

Six turned to the Chief and asked, "Do you really think colored stripes would affect a mission's outcome?"

The Spartan was silent for a few moments before replying with, "No." Six felt a victorious smile starting to form on his mouth but it died when the Chief continued, "However it is against protocol for any and all UNSC personnel to upgrade, dismantle, or interfere in any way with equipment provided by the UNSC Special Warfare group." Six seethed from behind his helmet; he should have known there was something in the manual and the Chief was just the person to find it. The Chief moved forward and said, "Can we take the mobility test now, sergeant? We're being paged to the control room."

The Sergeant casted one last glare at Six before gesturing for them to follow him. The Spartans fell in behind the man as he entered another sector of the armory. The room looked more like a storage area rather than an armory. Here, shelves were stocked full of equipment; some areas were thoroughly organized, others displayed disheveled piles of destroyed gadgetry. In the middle were two raised platforms. One had an open screen in front while the other was facing some sort of turbine hanging from the ceiling. Six glanced out a nearby window and saw the blackness of space. From this angle he could see the rest of the station, more specifically, the giant MAC gun it was built around. It was nothing more than a long tube pointing into the black void, but the Spartan knew this machinery had enough destructive force to blow a hole through the moon. Six returned his gaze to the room and spied something on a nearby table. He recognized a power generator, a prototype shielding matrix and what looked like a melted down helmet.

He raised an eyebrow beneath his helmet before looking at the Gunnery Sergeant and asked, "What happened to this equipment?"

The sergeant just grunted before jerking his head at the Chief, "Ask him, this all came off his armor," he then turned and faced the two-meter giant, "Do you have any idea how much this equipment costs, son?"

The Chief shrugged. "Tell that to the Covenant."

The sergeant shook his head before pointing with a finger at one of the platforms. "Chief, get on that one." He then turned to Six. "Lieutenant, get on the other one."

Six couldn't help but smile as he walked to the indicated machinery. Another good thing about painting his armor was that now Gunny appeared to have lost the respect to call the Spartan sir; which, ironically, was a relief to Six. The Spartan III stepped onto the podium that was positioned in front of the turbine while the Chief was facing the giant screen.

"Alright," began the Sergeant, "Chief, I'll be testing your vision and helmet movement," he twisted his head towards Six, "and Lieutenant, you're going to test how well your new shielding tech works."

"What?" No sooner did the words leave his mouth, the giant turbine started to hum and began to circle the III at a fast pace. Yellow rays appeared and soon entrapped the Spartan within, growing brighter as the vibration grew. Six knew what was coming, but that didn't prevent him from feeling the sting. The ray released a powerful electric shock that had enough volts to stop a man's heart from beating. Thankfully the armor prevented that from happening to the Spartan. After the initial shock, the turbines slowed to a crawl before finally coming to a complete halt. Six stepped off of the podium, walking normally, but felt shaken from the encounter.

He leaned against a wall in a slight daze and watched the Chief complete his test. Unlike Six he wasn't performing a life or death test, instead he was looking up and down, left and right, following the blinking light that would glow alongside the frame of the screen in front of him. Finally there was a beep and Greco nodded, "Alright Chief, you're good to go," he then turned to Six. "And how did your armor test out Lieutenant?"

Six grunted, "Considering I wasn't electrocuted, I think it worked well."

The Gunny gave a small bark of laughter before saying, "Yeah, that's the idea," he suddenly became serious as he said, "Now remember, your shields are stronger and more endurable, but you're not invincible, so you might want to find stable cover while your shields recharge."

"That, or they can hide behind me."

The Gunny turned in surprise, but not Six and Chief. They heard someone walking in, but it wasn't until now did they see who. It was Sergeant Major Avery Johnson, a tall and rather courageous figure, by Marine standards of course, but Six couldn't help wondering what kind of Spartan the Sergeant would have made. Despite being a Marine, he was wearing the white dress uniform of a Navy Sailor. He probably lost his Marine uniform a long time ago, but he still had a chest full of medals nevertheless.

"You done with our boys here Sarge?" he asked as he looked over Six and Chief. "I don't see any training wheels."

The sergeant looked insulted as he defended himself, "Their armor works fine Johnson, they've all but been field tested."

Johnson laughed at that, "Not for long they won't," he then turned to the Spartans, "Come on guys. They're waiting for us."

'Finally,' Six thought to himself as he got up and followed the Chief to the elevator. 'After the ceremony I should have enough time to talk to Hood about Shress, one way or another, I'm getting her out of the brig.'

The two Spartans stepped on board with the lone Marine as they waited to descend.

Gunny stepped up next to the threshold and asked, "By the way Johnson, when are you going to tell me how you got back home in one piece?"

"Sorry guns," Johnson said with a grin, "it's classified."

"Well then you can forget about the modifications to your A2 scope that—" He was cut off as the small cart began its journey down.

Johnson chuckled to himself, "Well it looks like he's in a fine mood. Maybe we should have sent him an invitation."

Six crossed his arms over his chest and said, "He would just criticize how everyone is dressed."

Johnson looked the Spartan III up and down. "I can see why," he said as he bumped into Six's elbow in a vain attempt to get the limb to move, but Six didn't budge an inch.

"So what about you Chief? They didn't have your favorite color in stock or what?"

Six smiled as he looked at the two men. The Sergeant appeared to be one of the few who didn't fear the Spartans; in fact, he looked comfortable being around them.

The Marine's happy demeanor didn't affect the II in any way though, the Chief looked down at the Sergeant and said in his usual deep voice, "Protocol stimulates that the decorating of UNSC property is considered vandalism, but it is acceptable by some standards."

Johnson regarded the Chief with furrowed brows before looking to Six who could only shrug to answer the Sergeant's silent question. It looked like nothing could penetrate the wall of solitude the Chief had placed around himself. Finally the cart came to a halt and they were on the main floor of the station. Lying before them was a trolley that ran the entire length of Cairo; it was the fastest way to travel to the command center. Without saying a word, the trio made their way to the glass box and sealed themselves within as they stood in the middle of the contraption. It was then that Six looked up and saw they were positioned beneath a wide window that showed them the planet.

Johnson sighed as he stared at the world as well.

"Earth..." he said rather dreamily, "Haven't seen it in years."

The planet still looked exactly like the postcards Six had seen. Deep blue water covered most of its surface, green and brown landmasses floating within it, and the top and bottom portions were covered in small ice caps. Here and there he could see spacious greenery of forests and jungles, brown of the untamed deserts, white of the merciless winters and the grey of urban sprawl. He could see the scars of natural disasters and the stains of human warfare, despite people doing their best to cover it up; there would always be evidence of man's mistakes. The trolley gave a little jerk to the left, then they rolled down smoothly to the center of the station. As they traveled, they passed multiple windows showing the outside of the station. Cairo was considered an example of one of the most advanced technical marvels ever built by man, a fully operating superstation with artificial gravity on all the time, a massive gun that required the power of an entire city grid to fire and a crew of the smartest people alive. Six glanced down at one point and watched as they passed the atrium, which was filled with trees to provide the station with actual air—not the recycled oxygen that was often used on Navy ships.

Finally, after nearly ten minutes of traveling, they arrived outside of the command room, but Six frowned at what he saw. Standing outside the massive doors was a large group of battle ready Marines and Sailors, all watching with obvious anticipation as the small cart pulled up. As soon as the trolley doors opened, they released a thunderous cheer that Six was sure Shress could hear from three levels below. Everyone started to shout, whistle, and whoop as the three men stepped out; a Marine, a Sailor, and a Soldier, all of whom were being hailed as champions of the human race.

Johnson smiled broadly as he straightened his cap and stood straight. The Spartans on the other hand became as still as statues in a hopeless attempt of being ignored by the army of admirers. Six had no idea why the Chief was uncomfortable, he's already a legend among the fleet; maybe it was a Spartan reflex to avoid detection. Six, however, felt like he was a special case; he was raised and trained to be a lone wolf, a secret weapon, taught to evade attention and to disappear from public view. As if to further mock him, small video drones appeared out of nowhere and began to orbit the three as they recorded this moment forever.

"You said there wouldn't be any cameras," Six was sure he could detect a hint of contained annoyance within the Master Chief's words.

"And you said you were going to wear something nice!" Johnson responded as he led the way to Central Command, forcing the two Spartans to follow.

"Folks need heroes, more than ever now." They halted in front of the door as Johnson removed his dress cap to pat down his buzz cut hair, "So smile will you, while we still have something to smile about."

He just finished his words when the massive doors peeled open and bathed them in blinding light as they walked in. When they entered, Six instantly wished he could disappear. The Command deck was a cavern made of the most advanced machinery and tech to have ever been built by human hands. There were five entire decks filled with clapping Navy personnel, along with officers wearing white ceremonial dressings. Before the newly arrived warriors was a long narrow path made of high ranking officials that led to a podium where an officer was standing in front of a large blue screen with a large window showing the stars of space behind them. Six swallowed his nervousness before he started walking in sync with the Master Chief and Johnson. This seemed to spur the crowd on for some reason, now they started to cheer and wave their arms with complete enthusiasm.

Six felt horribly exposed in the large room that was packed full of celebrating people, and he judged from the Chief's silence that he felt the exact same way. Johnson remained as cool and as collected as ever; he even had the nerve to blow kisses at some of the female Sailors they passed. Six was starting to have a sinking suspicion that the Sergeant was now mocking the stoic Spartans. Six's feet was running on autopilot now, his mind too petrified with fear to really give any commands to his body. Every step they took brought them closer and closer to the podium, but each slow second felt like another agonizing hour being spent within the public eye. Finally, with greatly concealed regret, Six felt his body relax as they marched up the small flight of stairs onto the small platform and saluted the officer before them.

It wasn't until Six was standing before the man did he realize that he was yet again before the most powerful man alive. Admiral Hood returned the salute, and in unison they all dropped to a more relaxed pose.

"Gentlemen," the Admiral said in his deep voice, "I'm sorry to say this, but we have to make this quick."

Six instantly tensed. It was almost as if there was a voice whispering in their ears that something was about to happen.

Hood turned to a terminal and said, "Update, Cortana."

There was a flicker of blue light before Cortana's transparent figure appeared with her hands behind her back as she reported, "Another whisper, sir. Near Io, we have probes en route."

Hood sighed before nodding and turned away to consult with a Captain standing nearby. Cortana then looked at the three men and said, "You look nice."

"Thank you," Johnson began when the Chief simultaneously said "Thanks." The two men looked at each other and Six couldn't help but release a small chuckle at this near comical scene.

Hood then turned back around and said, "Keyes, step forward."

The Spartans and the one Marine turned in surprise, wondering if they had heard Hood correctly. They scanned the line of white colored men and women, looking for the face of the courageous captain that they all met and respected, but he wasn't there. How could he? Both the Master Chief and Johnson reported that the Captain was killed in action, murdered by the Flood parasite. Their surprise doubled, however, when somebody did step forward, but it wasn't the famed Captain. It was a woman, a rather young woman from the looks of it. She had her brown hair cut to military standards, looked to be about five foot ten and no older than thirty or maybe even younger. She wore the uniform of a combat officer with a few medals pinned to her chest, while the symbols on her shoulders proclaimed her as a Navy Commander.

She took a place next to the three men and thought it was seemingly impossible due to how stiff they already were, the two Spartans stood straighter. The Commander was standing next to Six so he was able to observe her as long as he didn't turn his head thanks to the polarization of his helmet. He didn't want to be seen as a stalker or anything, but with her being so close he couldn't help but see that there was something familiar about the young lady. She had a serious expression along with hardened eyes and an aura of command surrounding her. She seemed entirely focused and remained rigid with well set eyes, clean face and light complexion. That was when Six realized it. her features mirrored that of Captain Keyes.

Six's thinking was interrupted when Admiral Hood turned to face them before turning entirely to an officer he had spoken to earlier by his side who was holding a wooden box. Hood looked in each of their faces before stepping in front of Johnson, the first in line.

"Sergeant Major," The Marine stood tall as the Admiral spoke his name, "For your valiant efforts and never ceasing courage in the face of a relentless enemy, I present you with the Naval Cross of Combat Heroism."

He reached into the box and pulled out a bronze medal cross hanging onto a blue and white ribbon. On the cross was a person holding a rifle in one hand while also holding a flag in the other, Six's eagle-like vision allowed him to see the minuscule details portraying the UNSC flag. The medal was carefully pinned on to Johnson's chest. Six was sure the Sergeant was about ready to burst with silent pride.

The Admiral then moved along and stopped in front of the Chief and said, "Master Chief Petty Officer," the Chief remained absolutely still as Hood gazed into his faceplate, "For your unbelievable show of strength, stamina and will that represents the true colors of humanity, I reward you the Naval Cross as well."

He took out another prize the same as the one that Johnson had received, but the Admiral appeared stumped as to what to do with it since there was nothing for the ribbon to be pinned to. The Chief answered by holding out his hand that seemed massive to Hood, who dropped it into the Spartan's palm. The Chief stared at the medal for a millisecond before opening a hatch on the side of his hip and pushing the small reward within its folds before closing it again.

Hood next moved to face Six and said slowly, "I hope you don't mind getting an award from an Admiral and not a General, Lieutenant."

"No problems at all, sir."

Hood nodded at this before reaching into the box and pulled out a different medal. This one was bronze and was held by a ribbon as well, but the shape was different. The Cross was of different origins and it had the UNSC Eagle branching out its wing as if it's taking flight.

"Lieutenant," the Admiral said in a much louder voice, "I present you with the Distinguished Service Cross for your courage as you defended Reach. You and your team reminded us why we fight and how far the human spirit can carry us." he reached out and Six's hand meets his as he presses the reward into Six's gauntlet, "In more ways than one," he said quietly, making Six's eyes go wide before Hood continued in a louder voice, "Accept this on behalf of your team, who's brave sacrifices will not go in vain."

Six could only nod and say, "Thank you sir," before copying the Chief and placing the award in his mechanical pocket. He actually felt something stirring within him after the Admiral's words and the true impact of Reach finally hit him. His entire team had given their lives to ensure that he would live, not so he could get a medal but to continue the fight. Six wished he could say something, but that would break the Spartan's code of silence and besides, if Emile ever saw him give an emotional speech he would no doubt call Six a sissy for the rest of his life. Finally Hood moved to the young woman at Six's flank.

"Commander Miranda Keyes," he paused as he reached within the box and removed the reward. This next award was indeed different. It held a multitude of stars on the ribbon while supporting a bronze medal stare with the image of a person saluting with the planet Earth rising like a moon behind him.

Like the Spartans before her, Miranda held out her hand while the Admiral placed it within her palm, "In memory and honor of your father's great service to the human race," Hood said in his solemn voice, "I give to you the Medal of Honor in remembrance of his dedication and his strong conviction of justice that made him the man we all needed in our darkest hour."

The Commander breathed in a shuddering breath before closing her tiny fingers around the cool metal and tucks it into her pocket. She looked greatly shaken, but she kept her composure, aside from that small stuttering breath, she stood with absolute resolve. Six could see why someone so young got promoted to a Commander; good leaders who knew how to keep it together were hard to come by, even in the best of times.

Hood, having finished allotting awards, now looked at each of the men and woman as he nodded towards them and spoke, "I speak with confidence when I tell you that you made the people of the UNSC proud with your show of valor and courage." He ended with a salute, to which the honored line of warriors salutes back.

Suddenly, the whole station shuddered and the lights flickered while a boom sounded in the distance. Miranda Keyes began to fall forward, but Six quickly caught her by the shoulder and brought her back up to her feet.

Hood had his feet braced before looking to the same console and says, "Cortana—"

The A.I appeared and was already speaking before Hood had finished his sentence, "Admiral, we have contacts entering the Solar system." behind Hood the massive screen flickered to life and displayed a series of symbols. Earth was a large half circle on the far right of the screen while tiny blue dots surrounded it, the UNSC forces. Opposite of the blue was a contingency of crimson spots, all of which were ten times bigger than the azure dots.

Six immediately felt his insides freeze as he looked along the line. Johnson's eyes were wide and Keyes looked stunned while the Spartans remained immobile. But Six knew what it was that the Master Chief was thinking, what he was feeling. An emotion of rage and surprise took over Six as they all looked up and out the nearest portal. Through the glass they saw them; over dozens of bulbous purple ships were making their way towards the space station.

The Covenant had found Earth.