Bleeding Out

Disclaimer: I do not in any shape or form own Halo. It belongs to Bungie, 343 Industries, and Microsoft, nor am I associated with them in any way. This is a non-profit fan work written solely for the purpose of entertainment. This is in no way canon. This should be obvious at this point, but just in case.

Responses to questions or statements:

-The Awesome Guy 2: This was still part of mission nine, The Package. Once this is done, I'll probably go back to writing Unbreakable or rewrite it, as I read it again and there's a few things I'm not happy about with it. That is if I have the time for it.

-The Project Artemis: Thanks for understanding, man. Hope you found this update satisfactory.

-Gwynx: Glad you like it!

-Mythic Imagination: You'll see :).

-Nato: You'll have to read to find out. No spoilers.

-Guest: Should be good now.

Chapter 17

(Time: August 29, 2552)

(Location: Babd Catha Ice Shelf, Eposz)

The strike team moved through the initial man-made constructs before eventually passing through hallways that were of human design. Passing through the markings and maps placed on the walls as they moved to find Halsey.

"Their is a medical bay to your left," Halsey informed the group as they came upon a fork. "You can treat your wounded there, Sergeant Devon. Spartans, proceed straight ahead."

The team leader of the Airbourne recon team gave Carter a look.

"Go ahead," the senior officer nodded. "Treat your wounded, we'll be fine."

Devon gave a nod of his own as he helped his remaining teammates carry Chafflin and Granger down the hallway as the Spartan's proceeded forward. Not lowering their guard in case of a potential ambush.

Eventually, they found the leader of the Spartan-II program, inside a illuminated room with holograms and alien hieroglyphics scattered about, with blue cords and lines all over the room feeding directly into the terminal. With her working on a laptop with what looked to be a purple hologram of a young woman that looked awfully like her in her younger days.

"What is all this?" Emile asked awestruck at what he was seeing along with Kat who seemed to be doing her best to take as much in as she could.

"Knowledge," the elderly scientist replied. Not even looking at him as she continued working on whatever she was working on. "A birthright from an ancient civilization."

She then moved to looked to be a housing drive for a smart AI. "All the information has been downloaded into this AI, and she has chosen you to be her custodians."

"Chosen?" Jun asked with an brow raised from behind his scout helmet. "By an AI? I don't know whether I should be flattered or not..."

"You should feel flattered." Halsey deadpanned as she continued working. "Her measure of you carry's as much weight as my own. Perhaps more."

Jorge gave the AI a look, knowing that that was a phrase Halsey didn't use lightly.

"You are to take her to the UNSC managed shipbreaking yard in Aszod. There you will find a halcyon-class cruiser standing by to take her off world.

"I understand." Carter replied curtly.

"Do you now?" Halsey asked, briefly glancing at him before turning back to the AI, continuing to speak much more gravely. "Mankind is outmatched. When Reach falls, and it will fall, our specie's annihilation will not be far behind. Unless... we can glean from his artifact a defense against the Covenant. A game changer. On the level of the conical bullet in the nineteenth century, or faster-than-light travel in the twenty-third."

"And what if we can't?" Kat asked as she moved to stand besides her team leader.

"An apt question, if there was somewhere else to place our hope into. In which there is not." Halsey replied bluntly as she gazed one more time at the purple hologram. Giving her a warm, and even loving smile, before turning off the hologram projection and removing the drive.

Holding it tightly she began moving towards the team's latest addition, who in turned moved before the two of them met halfway. "Take it Lieutenant, she had made her choice." She handed it out for him to take.

Turning back to look at his team, who all gave him a nod in response to his silent question He raised his armored and gloved hands and placed them on the device.

Before he could fully take it, the good doctor held onto it much more firmly with a worried look in her eyes. While it was quite easy for Six to just take it if he wanted, with him being a young and augmented super human and Halsey being an elderly woman with no such enhancements, he made no such move. Fully aware of what she was thinking and what she was going through."

"Do you have it?" She asked, with a slightly shaky tone of voice. An almost pleading look in her eyes as she stared directly at the singular optic embedded in his GUNGNIR helmet.

"I have it."

And with that, Halsey released the AI Six already knew as Cortana, the artificial intelligence that he knew would be instrumental in ending the Human-Covenant war and the soon-to-be partner of the legendary Spartan-II, Master Chief Petty Officer John-117. Securing it tightly via a magnetic lock on his back.

With that, Halsey bid farewell to her lab as she deleted all remaining intel and data in the closed off mainframe, while Noble team smashed all electronics and equipment's in the lad. Sure, one could say it was unnecessary given that the place was about to be flooded and total via the heavy-duty demolition charges already in place, but they needed to be certain that even if the Covenant could get their hands on one of those computers, they would be unable to access anything on it.

Noble Team then escorted Halsey to the two landing pads embedded on the side of the cliff, where two fully fueled D77-TC Pelican's were waiting along with the Pathfinder team they had came in with. With Chafflin having half his face bandaged from the burns he received from the stray plasma round and Granger who moved around stiffly on account of being shot with a spike almost the size of a rebar. Given how painful the injuries they received where, it was frankly impressive that both men were still capable of moving and fighting even with modern medical technology advances and a testament to how tough they were.

"Dr. Halsey, Noble Three and Sergeant Devon's pathfinder team will escort you to CASTLE base." Carter informed as they stepped onto the pad.

"I require no escort, Commander." Halsey declined, but Carter wasn't having any of it as he turned to his team's marksman.

"Jun, ensure that NOTHING falls into enemy hands." He said, with the implication being clear to everyone in the room.

"I'll do what's necessary sir." Jun responsed with a nod. "Good hunting."

"You too, rifleman." Carter said as the team said their goodbyes, knowing full well this might be the last time they see each other, before Jun and the Pathfinder troops moved to the dropship on the other landing platform. With Casper entering the Pelican first followed by Carter while everyone else continued pulling security, keeping an eye out for enemy combat air patrols. While Dot did say that they current flight trajectory and airspace was clear for now, they weren't taking any chances.

"Maybe it's best if you let me fly, Casper." Carter offered as the two super-soldiers entered the cockpit of the transport with Six sitting down in the pilot's seat.

"With all due respect , sir, I'm a better pilot than you." Six said as he began powering up the dropship. Slowly starting up the engines and powering up the avionics. "You read my file though so you should already know that. It's just a little flying, boss. I can handle it."

Carter considered his words before nodding. "Alright, have it your way, Six." He conceded as he hopped into the co-pilot's seat. Yelling at everyone to get on board, which they did with Jorge behind the last one as he got on the M247 GPMG that was mounted on the ship's cargo bay's weapon's mount, racking the charging handle as he readied himself to fire at a moments notice.

"Give me a heading, Dot." Noble One ordered as Six took off from the pad. With Carter turning on his terminal as he pulled up a TACTMAP of the area compromised of the latest intel and data of Covenant movements in the region. Which, hopefully it was still up to date with.

"At three kilometers north, turn right, heading zero-five-zero." Her monotone voice filled his COMMANDO helmet.

"Which leads to...?" He trailed off as he began plotting a course where hopefully they wouldn't run into any Covenant bandits or anti-aircraft elements along the way.

"The ship-breaking yards in Asźod. The only off-planet extraction point left on this continent. Small-scale air attacks have decimated many convoys en route. An armada of Covenant cruisers is hastening on site as well. UNSC cruiser Pillar of Autumn is awaiting your arrival." The dumb AI informed as the ground below them rumbled, signifying the detonation of the explosives.

"Wouldn't be much of a Noble mission if it was easy." The team leader boosted as the alien complex and what was left of SWORD base collapsed in on itself. With the surrounding waters rapidly pouring in which began flooding the excavation area. With the Pelican carrying Halsey, Jun, and the Airbourne troops heading in the direction of CASTLE.

Author's note: That's it for now. Bit of a shorter chapter this time and not much deviation from the original, but I hope you all still enjoyed it. But, we're coming up on the endgame. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and thanks you all again for checking in.