Welcome to my first attempt at a serious fanfic. I had tried many times and on different accounts but this time I am attempting to take the road seriously, so I would appreciate if you showed your love and appreciation, as well as any criticism, advice and lore horrors I might commit, I also did some slight changes to the lore, as you will see on this initial chapter. I am not a lore master so I will ask for some leeway and point out any mistakes I might commit. Without further ado, let us begin!
Earth was going to be lost, I was sure of it.
For I was not always the ruler of mankind, I also used to be its advisor.
I was addressed back then by the name of Alexei Kowalsky, a measly low admiral, unknown to most people, just a back thought, a footnote, someone in a position of power, but nowhere near the power of the upper echelons of the then known as the Unified Earth Government, my participation was no less important however, for I was the responsible of multiple advancements for many years, adopting different forms and names, whispering on the ears of those in higher seats than me, gently swaying the will of the mortals towards thegreater plan of making humanity the sovereign of the stars.
However, even with my efforts, there was always an evil creeping in the darkness between the stars.
Some time in the final years of the XXV century, the Insurrection began, a gigantic conflict between the centralized government of Earth against its outermost colonies, this was no mere fight of independence however, but one of the earlier attempts of chaos to start breaking the resolve of Mankind, the minds of their leaders were influenced by the horrible taint of the dark gods, which they followed and worshipped. They clearly knew about me, and wanted to break my resolve, but I knew about them as well, for the wounds that they had left in humanity every time they attempted to bend it for their will were always felt and sound. It was something I could not allow to fester, so I acted, I whispered. Approaching the upper heads of the organization, I suggested the reactivation of a program named Orion, a program created under the premise of creating better soldiers a few centuries back, which while effective in the beginning, it did not hold out on the long term, the methods were too archaic for the current date, and eventually, the program was discarded, but its faulty development proved ultimately useful for the future developments, and with this, I picked a new target.
I whispered again, this time, to one named Catherine Halsey, casual conversations, the woman was very smart, but also arrogant, I mentioned the tragedy of Greece, the city state of Sparta, and the three hundred soldiers who lived and died for their nation in Thermopylae, the possibilities of one such soldier, augmented by the power of genetic engineering and outfitted with the best gear mankind could produce. The best of the best. These ideas gradually influenced her mind, until the concept of the Spartan II program was created.
Funnily enough, three hundred were the candidates for this program.
With the sails in motion, I just needed to wait, the Office of Naval Intelligence, while interested in the project, did not have the faith in it that Halsey or I had, and so, the candidate number was divided in quarters by the end of the year. But despite the initial setback, these Spartans of the New Era were heading in the direction of becoming humanity's sword. Seventy five children were handpicked by doctor Halsey, and once the time was right, these children were abducted and replaced by flash clones, which would become sick and die later, a grievous method, but with a justifiable end. A few setbacks arose with time, especially during the augmentation phase of the operation, where a good portion of the candidates rejected them, even despite my aid, the deaths and crippling of those children were an unavoidable consequence, but ultimately necessary.
Among the augmentations, there was the hardening of bone, improvement in the nervous system, thickening of the muscles, and an implant on their brains, one that filtered the influence of chaos, this disguised as a way to integrate artificial intelligence with their minds.
Those that survived the operation table become capable of razing cities, into what humanity needed. They became the tools to defend us against the threat of the insurrectionists, the threat of chaos.
However, an unexpected development happened in the Outer Colonies, something that would change humanity for the better. Even though it brought it to the brink of extinction.
Harvest, ever a small agricultural world up to this day, had anomalous readings from the edge of the system, something pretty unusual considering its location. Contact was lost shortly after, and when a fleet was sent to investigate, it was brought to light that xenos had attacked, pillaged and glassed the entirety of the planet, they nearly destroyed the expeditionary fleet, sending a message through all available channels. A declaration of intent.
Our destruction was the will of their gods, and they were their instrument.
And for the coming twenty seven years, mankind was presented with a ruthless war of extermination, every time the xenos found a planet inhabited by humans, they burned it, no questions, no hesitation, no mercy. Humanity was bleeding, but its resolve remained unbroken, unwilling to die without fighting. Furthermore, despite the cunning and slippery threat that chaos posed, even the separatists had to give in, for they were not spared by the Covenant either, and thankfully, these cults burned under the cleansing plasma of the xenos eventually, and were forgotten altogether.
I made sure that history remembered them as just another rebellion.
Despite all the efforts that the United Nations Space Command did, it was futile, world after world fell, more refugees, more suffering.
Then, in the final year of the war, Reach fell.
The jewel of the crown, the pride of humanity, the largest fortress that the United Nations Space Command had, defended by millions of soldiers, defended by the Spartans, those of Halsey and the new generation created by one James Ackerson, which while inferior, they were still quite numerous. The largest shipyard in the UEG, orbital stations, a large fleet stationed in orbit.
The Covenant burned it all in less than a month.
The news came fast, not only because of how terrible the news was, but the fact that Reach was very close to Sol, the threat was looming over the cradle of our civilization.
But then, all the machinations of the Covenant suddenly started to unravel, even as the xenos menace was glassing the homeworld. And soon the reason was made clear.
Even before the augmentation process, already some of the infants soon began to shine as the leaders of their generation, I remember the names to heart.
Jerome, quite one quarrelsome boy, ended up being one of the most outstanding leaders and strongest spartans and leading up his own team, I remember he was sent to support a retrofitted colonial ship, which disappeared, never to be heard from again. He went missing in combat.
Kurt, he was one of the most versatile soldiers, he always looked after his Spartans, working alongside several of his battle brothers and sisters, he was considered missing, but I heard that the Office of Naval Intelligence took him to train the expendable Spartans of the third iteration of the project. As expendable as they were, they fulfilled their duties, I stopped hearing from him when Onyx was destroyed. He was presumed missing in combat, but now I was certain of that assessment.
Naomi, she did not stand out as a great leader, but as a hyper-lethal vector, she became yet another of the Office of Naval Intelligence "acquisitions" from Halsey's project, even for my capabilities, I could not completely clean the black ink on the documents of her whereabouts.
Kelly, a rising star, the fastest of them all, the first one to sprint to a battle and the last to leave, the vanguard of upcoming doom. She joined the forces going at the Battle of the Ark, she is presumed missing in action.
Linda, the best sniper that the program could produce, with exceptional precision, she could target and eliminate or cripple the enemy from kilometers away, better than any xenos marksman. She wan injured during the Fall of Reach, but she was put back in service during the last moments moments of the war. She was presumed missing in action.
Frederic, the second in command, was always eager to fight for a good cause, his leadership skills were commendable, and he acted always to benefit the team, taking the role where they were lacking. He was sent to the Battle of the Ark where he was considered missing in action.
And John... Well, what's there not to say about John?
He was Halsey's favorite, he's got everything that his fellow Spartans had and more, he was a deadeye, a brawler, a leader, and much, much more, he was given the most dangerous tasks and always managed to pull through, all alongside the members of his team. He saw the beginning and the end of the war. He saw the best and the worst of Mankind, he saw to what extent the xenos were capable of reaching when the tides began to turn... He was the catalyst for the tides to turn.
He was deployed on the Ark, and after great trials, he finished the fight... However, him and his team disappeared. The ship that was meant to bring them back to Earth was split in half, leaving them in the unknown.
He was considered missing in combat.
Earth was going to be lost... If it wasn't for him.
In the wake of the war, billions had perished, dozens of planets had burned, thousands of ships were destroyed... But humanity endured, and thanks to the research done to craft each Spartan and their gear, further advancements were possible, the MJOLNIR Power Armor became the slate for future combat armors and other protective gear made for hostile environments, the original creators and its wielders were forgotten by our kind, they forgot that one of its wielders had saved us from possible extintion, us, and all life in the galaxy with it.
One of the xenos races, the Sangheili, a former Covenant race which was betrayed by their comrades in the end, was one of the first races to join humanity on its walk through the stars, and one that would become very important during the Age of the Federation.. and it would become extint on its wake.
The Unified Earth Government also started heavily developing their artificial intelligences, which I allowed, thinking that they would help in our progress. This turned out to be a mistake that mankind would pay in blood millennia later, during the end years of the Dark Age of Technology.
And the xenos constructs, as our civilization continued advancing, we began understanding how they worked, and as we grew, we learned of the times before our race came to the stars, the looming threats that these forerunners fought... that our ancestors fought, and how in the end, despite being the catalyst of their destruction, the forerunners sought and found redemption in extintion. Now, the remnants of the terrible evil and those that fought against them remains locked up under my Palace, where my Custodians make sure it never leaves confinement...
The feats of the Spartans were long forgotten, lost in time, as each of them died or went missing, several of them I knew died, despite the attempt of the Office of Naval Intelligence to cover it, however, despite their disappearance, I kept the names of those that were never found.
Jerome, Alice, Douglas, Jorge, Frederic, Kelly, Linda...
And John.
One soul that never knew fear, a long time before my Legiones Astartes marched through the stars.
So much time had passed since then, humanity rose, and was crushed several times, however, with my crippling injuries, no longer being able to directly control the Imperium, it was more than evident that this might be the final fallout, one that was going slowly, darkness creeping around the carcass of my Empire, chipping away slowly, rotting from the inside and outside.
No longer was my Imperium one of reason and science, but one of extreme fanatism, prejudice and blind prayers over my figure. Oh, what an irony. Horus very likely would be soaring over this.
This is not what I wanted, nor what my people deserved.
However, recently, I noticed something, a fleeting whisper on the border of my reach, a small beacon, souls on the edge of my domain, one of unyielding resolve beyond anything that my sons could have produced, this soul was resting and, from what I was able to tell, it was for a long, long time. A silent fire, waiting to be unleashed.
A soul loyal to humanity before anything else.
So, I sent the call... My Custodians will travel again across the stars, hunting for the men and women that once in the past crushed the threats upon mankind, and they shall do it again.
Rise, Spartan John, Son of Eridanus, your duty is not over yet, lead your vectors of doom across the galaxy, and smite those who would damage the Imperium.
This is my will. The will of the Emperor.
And it shall be fulfilled.
Calliston Seth was quietly meditating, somewhere in the Palace, the Blood Games were about to begin once again, he required all of his focus to act accordingly; this time, he found himself on the offensive team, so he would be deployed outside the Palace in about six minutes and 34 seconds... Now 32.
After the previous games, his defense with the help of his shield was commendable and praised even by Trajan Valoris himself, for he had managed to stop on his tracks to several of his brothers and sisters with quite unorthodox methods. That way of thinking outside the box was something that was appreciated amongst the Order of the Ten Thousand, that way, they could defend humanity and the Emperor better.
He who sits on the Golden Throne on Terra... He was relatively new, he didn't march with the Emperor during the times or the Great Crusade, he didn't see His fall, nor His enthronement. He only have heard the tales of His feats, His accomplishments or His sons... And their betrayal.
Calliston bashed those thoughts away as he focused back on his meditation, pondering in the past as part of the Adeptus Custodes was necessary, for the previous attempts in the Blood Games could take precedent for future tactics and attempts, those that could not currently be used on his favor were temporarily discarded however. He had to focus on the mission at hand...
But then, his clear mind started to get blurry, he could not focus on his prayers, and he started hearing voices, voices too lively to be a simple mind trick. Something was off.
And then, he suddenly felt a rise in the pressure and temperature of the area, this disturbance adding up with the voices threw the Custodian slightly off.
He opened his eyes.
He was no longer in the Imperial Palace, on his dependencies, he found himself standing in the middle of a natural rocky formation, he would look up and could see the blue sky, the brown rock and the green of plant life, he would look anywhere else and he could see the reason for the voices. He was surrounded by humans, all of them scattering around, rushing, unaware of him, as if he wasn't there. He could hear the cries of distress, all speaking in a sort of Low Gothic dialect, the sounds of pain, the stench of blood, burns and chemicals, as well as the soft smell of nature, one that could not be smelled in Terra. Mortals were running around helping to tend a few wounded, from what they were wounded by, he did not know, but it was evident he was in a sort of bunker.
Calliston stepped around, looking and thinking about why he was here, why the Emperor was showing him this, he could see the base constructed inside the cave, carved into the stone, he walked around and could see a lot of doctors working in the open, he could spot a soldier without an arm, and another blinded, both of them resting after procedures. He walked into the landing pad, wondering why it would be hidden within nature like this
And it was soon made evident that it was going to be put into use soon, he could hear the sound of an engine, it was far from here, but closing fast. He stepped out of the way slowly as he observed his environment, nobody seemed to notice the lumbering golden titan, even though he was literally standing in front of one.
Soon, a vessel appeared and lowered across the sky opening down to the landing pad, it was reminiscent of the thunderhawks that the Adeptus Astartes used, but more sleek, more bird-like, painted olive green like the regiments of the Cadian Shock Troopers, emblazoned with a single headed eagle with open wings, stylized, standing over a circle and with a band or a banner with four letters; UNSC.
Whatever this acronym meant, it had something to do with a union of sorts, a military branch or team, for a moment he thought this could be an Imperial fortress world under attack. Maybe even Cadia, but the language spoken didn't correlate with the Cadians, the accent was too soft, and the uniform of these guardsmen didn't match at all. It made no sense, where was he?
The hatch of the shuttle began opening up slowly, revealing a few figures from the inside, first, a few guardsmen stepped in, wearing the same armor in grey and olive tones, their armors had clear marks of combat, and fairly recent as there were circular burns and strange crystal needles still sticking on their armors, two of these men were wearing helmets and one wearing a cap, this last one, furthermore, was smoking a big cigar, the scent reaching Calliston where he was standing. He could discern tobacco, menthol, and a few other additive substances to make the flavor more intense and sweet. The man himself seemed rugged, veteran of a thousand battles, with dark skin akin to those from equatorial areas, and had a thick mustache.
The man carried himself with a lot of confidence, despite the fact that he looked as if an Ork had belated him down to a pulp.
Next, came something that dragged the Custodian's attention.
Four tall armored figures started walking down, all these figures wore olive green armor, but they did not look at all like the other humans, these were taller, their armor, as he could hear, was mechanized, powered, the servos were quiet, almost akin to those Corvus Pattern Power Armors that some members of the space marines still wore up to this day. They were not as smooth as those however, their design was more angular, more sleek and aerodynamic. He could not tell from this distance but these four individuals didn't seem to be using auramite, adamantine or ceramite, no, they were using simpler metals, some titanium alloy most likely, something that would put it barely above a standard flak armor. But again, unless he took a closer step he wouldn't be able to tell.
However, what he could tell, was the light.
It was imperceptible for those around him, but Calliston could feel a certain energy coming from these four, an energy that brought some familiarity, a golden aura that slightly hugged these armored individuals as if they were bending the world around them, the one at the front, with a 117 printed on his chestplate, had one stronger than those of his companions. It didn't inspire dread, it inspired hope, and if any of the reactions from the mortals said anything, he knew that he was right.
"Hey... Check it out" Say one man.
"No way... Spartans?!" Said another.
"For real?" Said the blind man, moving his head around trying to catch anything. "You better not be-"
"No man they're here! We're gonna be alright!" Cheered the second.
He knew then, that his Master was responsible for this, this bore the Seal of the Emperor.
The one last figure left the shuttle and...
Calliston instinctively felt his hand clenching against his Misericordia's handle.
The fourth figure was taller than the humans in power armor, plated, of a dark brazen color, it did not seem like an armor made for void operations, however, it wasn't this that made all the alarm bells ring, but it was its figure, digitigrade legs, bent in no way a human could, humped forwards, its head long and tapered, ending up in four mandibles, autonomous from each other. This xenos was visibly armed too, there were weapons strapped on its hips and back. Dangerous.
What was this xenos doing here with these humans?
It seemed like he would need to approach them, he could listen to their conversations from where he was, but he wanted to see these specimens from up close.
And keep an eye on the xenos.
Calliston walked in the direction of this group, these individuals met with two more humans, a woman with straight brown hair, a round face and pink fair skin, and a man with black short hair and a beard with angular features, both of them wore grey uniforms with black accents, with trims on their shoulders, these were most likely officers of some branch of their military, by the time they started speaking, the towering golden giant was next to these two individuals.
"Where did you find them?" The woman asked with a clearly relieved demeanor, the man with the cigar removed the bundle from his mouth to respond.
"Napping" The gruffy man said casually. "Out back"
Unprofessional, but neither officer didn't seem to care, but smiled instead.
"Heh, classic Blue Team I'll say, it's good to see you again, chief" This time, it was the man who spoke, extending his hand to 117, who gladly accepted into a handshake.
"Likewise sir, ma'am" The chief responded, and son did the other three, now this close, Calliston could see that the other ones also carried a number on their chestplates; 104, 058 and 087. The Custodian could only wonder what this denomination went for, they were clearly special forces, akin to the Adeptus Astartes, but he wouldn't be able to tell how strong these men and women actually were in comparison to the Emperor's Angels.
"Let's get you all to speed" Said the woman before starting to walk to one of the halls, likely going inside the base, Calliston decided to follow.
He walked next to the xenos, he could see its scaled face, its vertical, yellow eyes, its stench, standing next to it felt more like an offense, why did it seem like these humans were so acquainted with this alien?
What had it done to earn the right to stand among them?
As they walked through the halls, Calliston was made aware of the situation these people found themselves in; wounded soldiers were scattered wherever they could, settling down next to the walls, sitting down, laying, groaning in pain, with varying degrees of injury, he could smell sedatives, blood, ammonia, feces, the stench of infection, necrosis, gangrene. Whatever clinic they had probably was in top capacity, they couldn't even spare a stretcher to let their wounded rest. It made him wonder what sort of foe this group of humans were fighting, and where, for the Emperor seemed to want him to see this for a reason.
The dark skinned man was seen helping out some doctors pick one wounded with a missing leg up, as well as give some water bottles to the heavily injured. A pair of soldiers were loitering, chatting, complaining about the horrible food they were being fed with before they noticed the group passing by, they straightened up and saluted the officers and the armed soldiers before stepping away.
"The Prophet of Truth's fleet breached the Lunar perimeter" The woman began. "Smashed what was left of the home fleet"
Lunar... The only thing that came to mind was either he found himself on a planet with a natural satellite... or he was being shown Old Earth, the former would make more sense than the latter, why would his Master want him to look at the past? And if it was Old Earth, then there were a lot of things that Calliston was unaware of regarding its past.
The Emperor had shared several tales about Ancient Earth, the beautiful green, the hills of Anatolia, the vastness of the Himalazians. All the beauty that the world had to be before mankind stripped it clean.
This is something new entirely, however.
The xenos looked around, the same soldiers that were chatting looked over to it, then lowered their heads, he could sense the astonishment, the hidden hatred for the alien, it was common nowadays.
"Terrestrial casualties from the subsequent bombardment were..." Everyone stepped to the side to allow a stretcher to be dragged away in a hurry, even the Custodian stepped aside, even if this was a vision, respect should be shown to those that give their lives for their homeland. The woman continued. "...extreme. Truth could've landed anywhere, but he committed all his forces here. East Africa. The ruins of New Mombasa. Then, they started digging."
Truth, that name again, was this the name of the leader of the foe these humans were fighting? He could not help but furrow his brows in surprise a little when he heard the name of Africa though, that was the name of one of the continental masses that Terra had, not only that, but it used to be the cradle of our species; nowadays massive hives sprawled from the old Sahara and the different mountains. There was no doubt now, he found himself in Ancient Terra, years before the green of plant life withered and the terrain was flattened to give space to the hive cities now covering the entirety of the world.
He once again wondered about all these words, New Mombasa, as well as why this so-called Prophet of Truth was digging through its ruins... And why such a city was in ruins in the first place.
Plenty of questions, but no answers.
"What about Halo?" 117 asked.
"We managed to stop it" The male officer began. "But we just bought some time, the Prophet of Truth now is looking to find the Ark, whatever that is, and fire the entirety of the Halo Array..." This man... It unnerved Calliston, his words denoted worry, concern, however, his body was as calm as the seas of Chogoris, this was a stark contrast with the female, who seemed to be in a bit of distress.
"Chief, if they succeed, the entirety of mankind, the Covenant, any sentient race in the galaxy..." The woman began.
"The rings will kill us all" 104 finished, a male voice speaking. "We will not let that happen"
By then, they had reached what seemed to be the command center, the air smelled like recycled oxygen and moisture, there were some screens at the bottom of the room showing the tactical display of their war, which Calliston absorbed, and he knew it was not good. Furthermore, he was analyzing this new information he was given. New questions without answer flooded his mind; the Covenant, Halo, the Ark, the possibility of a galaxy size destruction weapon, all the way back during the times of Old Earth. He had to wonder why a xenos race would construct such a weapon were it not for the fact that they must have been fighting something. He didn't know what they might be combating, but a stark guess he had were first Tyranids, then Rangda, maybe even old Chaos or Mind Enslavers, it didn't make any sense, but constructing something that would cause the cleansing of sentient life from all the galaxy was not built without motive.
Even the Necrons had a reason to build what they had, for all their faults.
"Ma'am? Sir? I've got Lord Hood on the line" One of the mortals said.
"Patch him through" Said the officer.
Soon, on the screen, a man was displayed, this man was old, pale, wrinkled, probably above the hundred years mark, he also looked tired, and considering what he's learned, there was a reason for that. The man wore white uniform, a navy cap, as well as medals emblazoned on his chest from previous awards, he was very likely of higher rank than those within the room.
"Good news, commander Keyes?" Lord Hood, Calliston assumed, asked.
As good as it gets, sir" She replied curtly, nodding in acknowledgement.
"I see, I hope admiral Kowalski isn't being much of a challenge to deal with" He continued making the male officer chuckle a little.
"Oh, I was just getting started, get me a few bottles of rum and I will run them over myself" The male replied, this man continued to unnerve Calliston, he didn't seem tired at all, he didn't seem to fully fit the picture, as if there had been a modification in a recording.
Nobody seemed to notice though.
"The admiral had proved to be quite valuable in the effort against the Covenant, but there's so much even he can do" Keyes complimented, which Kowalski didn't reply but seemed flattered.
"Good to hear" Lord Hood said, before turning to the team in power armor "What is your status, Blue Team?"
"Green, sir" The four of them said, one after the other, it turned out that two of them, 058 and 087, were female.
"I'm glad to hear it" The old man replied. "The commander and admiral had come up with a good plan, but without you, I wasn't sure we could pull it off".
Calliston looked at the group, once again, the admiral Kowalski stood up like a dissonant choir note in the offices of the Astra Telepatica, the Custodian approached this man to look at him better, his step barely making any sound, he passed in front of the xenos, of course, it wouldn't be able to notice his presence, but he couldn't help but feel the urge of kicking this impious creature.
He always considered he had a very moderate doctrine when it came to xenos, but right now he was standing next to one he didn't know what its capabilities were, if its agenda ever aligned with the humans in the room, or what he was thinking, so he always kept an eye on him.
Of course, attempting to slay it with his Misericordia wouldn't really do anything here.
"Truth's ships are clustered above the excavation site, and his infantry has deployed AA Batteries around the perimeter" Keyes began, walking forwards as she put everyone in the room up to the plan. "But if we manage to neutralize one of those guns..."
"I'll initiate a low-level strike" Lord Hood concluded, a spark of hope in his eyes. "Hit 'em right where it hurts, I only have a handful of ships, Master Chief. It's a big risk, but I'm confident-"
Suddenly, the surroundings became dark, his eyes and visor quickly adapting to the lack of a light source, Calliston looked around, first landing his gaze into the xenos, who just seemed as confused about this development. He continued looking around, the people of the room turning on torches to see in the dark, there were some cries of distress, adrenaline filling the air, commander Keyes and admiral Kowalski assessing the situation and ordering alternative power to be put online, it was eerie. They were left defenseless without power.
And then, the screens in the room lit up, and Calliston felt his hands clenching again, his gauntlets creaking under the pressure.
Before him, broadcast on all the screens, a figure stood, a xenos very different from the one in the room, this one was foul, horrible, like a twisted, mutated form of a human, nearly bald, with barely any hair over its two ears, flat nose, two nostrils, wrinkled and bulging eyes, too spread to be useful, humped, neck bent forwards, crippled. The offenses to the eye did not stop there, for this creature wore a crown, robes of red foiled cloth, and an ornament akin to an iron halo in a fractal design, several other decorations of gold and jewels. Gilded, rich, a veil of wealth covering the rotten insides, this was beyond anything the High Lords of Terra could muster, and the look of pure condescension was almost enough to make him grit his teeth.
This was abhorrent. But then the alien spoke.
"You are, all of you, vermin, cowering in the dirt, thinking what, I wonder?" Its rugged voice was spat, not spoken, through the speakers. "That you might escape the coming fire? No, your world will burn until its surface is but glass! And not even your Demons will live to creep, blackened from its hole to mar the reflection of our passage... The culmination of our Journey!" It raised its hands to emphasize its words. "For your destruction is the will of the gods! And I? I am their instrument!"
Then, the transmission shut, and the light returned. The room remained in a quiet, tense silence for a few seconds, before someone broke it.
"Cocky bastard" The dark skinned man said, puffing a small cloud of smoke. "Just loves to run his mouth".
Calliston couldn't agree more.
"Does he always talk about us, commander?" 058 asked, her voice curious.
But the Custodian didn't think it was a big deal, no, he knew there was something up with the threat given by this filthy xenos, it was a declaration of intent, the sudden blackout made clear that they knew where they were, they were being targeted in the near future, and with so many wounded within these premises, it would turn into a massacre.
And it was evident Keyes came to that realization as well.
"Get the order, we're closing shop" She ordered a vox technician, who turned around in disbelief.
"Ma'am?" He asked.
"We're about to get hit" She said. "Get all the wounded out of here"
"Aye aye commander" The man replied before broadcasting all the orders given through the intervox channels, the Blue Team regrouped in a side and started discussing within the concealment of their suits. Concealment that didn't work with him, they were talking about the implications of this, about Halo once again, and about something named the Flood. Their silent chatter was interrupted by the dark skinned soldier, who let them know that he was joining them, and that they needed to get going.
"Are you going to stay behind, Alexei?" Keyes asked.
"Someone has to keep an eye on those bastards, I'll be more useful here than outside" He answered, he didn't seem particularly tense about the prospect of imminent doom, which still caused some concern, and while Keyes tried to convince him, it was clear it was his final decision.
"You'll be remembered Alexei, as a hero" The woman assured, but the man waved him off.
"I won't... I know I won't... But if I can make a difference, that's enough for me" He curtly replied. "It was an honor serving with you, commander"
He saluted, which the woman, with a single tear sliding down her cheek, saluted back.
"Likewise admiral" She pulled out a weapon when she broke the salute, a pistol, and checked the slide. "When we meet again in hell, do me a favor and invite me for a drink, will you?" She said before she stepped away, the xenos was the last one with Kowalski, and surprisingly, bowed its head with respect.
"An honorable death, admiral, well met" The xenos said before departing, the admiral nodded in return as he leaned over the console, just Calliston and Kowalski remaining alone in the room.
And the Custodian was about to depart, before something gave him pause.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
Calliston turned to face the admiral, the bearded man was facing in his direction with a neutral face. He then turned to fully face the golden titan and crossed his arms.
He was waiting for a response from him.
"What is beautiful?" Calliston asked, his hand slowly reaching for his Misericordia, he didn't know what to expect.
"Old Earth, will of humanity. Their resolve... There is a lot to appreciate back at this time, Calliston Seth" The admiral replied, using his initial names, this almost sent the Custodian into overdrive, however, he then noticed something; a flash of white coming from his eyes, a brief show of power and grace that he didn't think he would be able to see in his life, for he was not there during the Great Crusade, but he remembered the description of such power.
Soothing, warming, unyielding. The power of humanity, compressed in two white orbs of light.
And Calliston knew.
"My liege!" He exclaimed, bending a knee before the man, feeling the shame of not recognizing the Master of Mankind and almost considering attempting over His life, his heart was beating faster.
"Rise, my Custodian, you need not show me these formalities, not now" He said, looking over to him. "Your feats have reached my ears, Calliston, your participation in the Tyrannic Wars are commendable. I understand your hatred for aliens, for they were the responsible of your old Shield Host's destruction, but I also know that you understand xenos better, and that is a skill I look for in this mission"
"Why are you showing me this, my Lord?" He asked, ashamed about asking, but not wanting to be left in the dark. His Master didn't seem to mind though, but appreciate that he asked.
"These men and women fought a war against a foe stronger than we are now, that foe is now gone, but the soldiers I created are still out there, missing, waiting to be unleashed... The technology back then was rudimentary in comparison to now, but the soldiers are exceptional, and with the potential of building over them, the possibility of making them better than my sons ever were"
The ground shook, and so did the cave, small pebbles of debris fell on his armor making soft clinking noises against the auramite. The attack had begun.
"Where can I find these soldiers, my liege?"
"Baal, you have seen their aura, gather your shield, follow the light, and bring these Spartans to me. That is my Will, Calliston, and you will fulfill it."
Finished with his words, the place trembled again, this time, the lights flickered out, putting the whole place back in darkness.
Then, he opened his eyes.
He was back in his chambers, the servitor in the room approaching him, it was clear that it had noticed his absence, and was scanning him. He briefly checked his timer.
Only eighty-one seconds had passed.
He stood up and picked up his Castelan Axe and his Bolt Caliver and Pistol from their displays, and turned to look at the servitor.
"Inform my shield, the Blood Games will be postponed, the Emperor had spoken to me, and his will must be fulfilled"
A single message repeated on loop within the barely powered carcass of the Forward Unto Dawn, it was a simple message.
"John... I am reaching the end of my life... Nine years..." There was a brief chuckle, there was no image feed, but there could be heard some rustling. "I held as long as I could, but I cannot risk continuing like this, I feel the rampancy creeping up to me, if I don't end myself... There's a very large possibility that I hurt you, or I hurt your family..."
In the cryogenic bay of the Dawn, there were four pods, still resting peacefully, unaware of what was being said.
"I held as long as I could... But I will ensure that you are found, the four of you, you are like a family to me... Heh... I am rambling again, right?" Another rustling sound, this time though, it sounded more like static. "I will ensure your safety, you'll live, even if I don't... I wish you the best, take care of this one Fred, don't let him get into trouble... And you girls, keep Fred away from trouble".
Another burst of static... Now the voice was tattered, glitched.
"And you John... I wish we could have spent more time together... But life sometimes isn't fair, is it? Oh well... This is the end for me, this is CTN 0452-9 Cortana... Logging out for the last time... Happy hunting Blue Team".
And the loop cut, thirty seconds of silence before it was looped and repeated.
The four soldiers of the Blue Team slumbered peacefully as their vessel slowly floated away, not too far from a sand red planet and its two moons...