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  • Subject: Halo Side Trilogy
Subject: Halo Side Trilogy
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  • last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT

I CANNOT wait!

  • 03.02.2007 10:52 AM PDT

Phoenix is dead, long live Phoenix!
Is it?

So excited.

  • 03.02.2007 11:33 AM PDT
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you bloody legend

  • 03.04.2007 4:15 PM PDT
Subject: Path of Reclamation: Level 1

TWP - Assistant Director
Blade Runner: #00124A
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NOTES: As of "GHOST OF ONYX", these rules apply to the Side Story Trilogy;
A) Spartan 087 (Kelly) and Doctor Halsey are not on ONYX (Though the Events of Onyx have occurred.
B) Time Difference is off by 5 days
* B-1) Time shifted due to Seed Ship Traveling in slip space. Time Paradox.
C) William (spartan 043) is not dead.
D) The Spartan III training program on ONYX is the result of what Ackerson's team discovered while testing on human subjects on Troy.
* D-1) Resulting in the creation of the Black Ops
More notes as thy become relative.


**********************************


The Halo Side Story
Book 3
“The Path of Reclamation”

Kelly, Spartan 087, sealed her helmet as she looked back toward Major Rawlings. “I have to go, Ma’am. My duty as a soldier is to eliminate any threats to the UNSC and Earth. I don’t care about the details, or about being a descendent of the Reclaimers.”

- - - - - - - -

So far ...
After being separated for several months, the Black Ops reunited at the Elite home world of Dorenth, however the battle upon the Elite world was harsh, and the appearance of a Gravemind creature brought unforeseeable peril. Doctor Catherine Halsey, along with Spartan 087, arrived and made several marvelous discoveries, including a possible cure to the Flood infection. Yet she discovers that the Forerunner Legacy left behind a Super Soldier Gene within each of the “higher” ranking races of the Forerunner Empire. This Gene, if infected by the flood, ultimately becomes a Gravemind. No cure for the Gravemind strand has been found.

The Black Ops, along with the Mirratord, Spartan 087, the countless Elite Civilians, thousands of Grunts and the Grunt King, escaped the doomed world of Dorenth via the Seed Ship; an ancient Forerunner Instrument buried deep within the planets core. A ship so vast that even the entire population of Grunts and Elites could not fill its hull. This Seed Ship recreated life in the galaxy several years after the Halo’s fired one hundred thousand years ago.

On the edge of the Sol System, High Charity appeared, most likely under flood control and it is making its way to Earth. Deep below Camp Eden, Rose, the lead engineer of the MJOLNIR Mark V project, along with Doctor Smith, the doctor that protected the Black Ops from Ackerson’s Spartan III research death watch, and Doctor Halsey continue to explore the massive cavern beneath Camp Eden’s massive underground fortress. Rose and Doctor Halsey quickly realize that the cavern is almost identical to the cavern on the Elite home world.

Under the order of Admiral Sir Terrance Hood, the Black Ops have landed on Earth and teamed up with the Master Chief Spartan 117, to breach the Brute controlled front in the Eastern African desert. The Mirratord gave aid in the initial battle, but were ordered to the aid of the Arbiter on another battlefront. After protecting the civilian shelter of Camp Eden, the Spartans and the Black Ops board the Rogue Fantasy and make there way to the quickly approaching Forerunner ship, however….

- - - - - - - -

Level 1: The Power of Truth

East Africa
Rogue Fantasy
High Orbit over Ark Excavation Site
New Mombasa Crater Site
October 29, 2552

Sergeant Eric Raynord, Black Ops 19, sealed his helmet and walked off the bridge, “Good luck, Captain.”

“The same to you, 19. Come back in one piece.” Captain Monroe watched as Eric walked off the command deck. His modified ODST armor was soaked in alien blood, plasma burns, and his own dried blood. He was a Spartan, a product of Colonel Ackerson’s Spartan III research, trained to kill and be victorious in combat. She knew that what he and the other Spartans were about to do would be suicide, but suicidal tactics was what he had been doing for years on board her ship. However, she couldn’t escape the felling that this was his last mission, and that she would never see him alive again. The door to the command deck opened and the last of the Black Ops awaited him; Melanie 05 and Mathew 08. Their helmets were on and weapons at the ready. Eric nodded toward them and they responded likewise. They then looked onto the command deck and Captain Monroe stood and gave them a firm salute. Eric returned the gesture as the door to the command deck closed.

Monroe returned to her chair, filled with a heaviness she had not felt since Kim 04 had died several months before. She ran her hand through her soot filled hair and fought the emotion to cry. Eric had told her long ago that she was the Captain of the ship, and no longer a child; tears solved nothing.

Her command crew looked at her as she gazed at the ever approaching forerunner ship, “Cortana, Siren … tell me what we need to do.”

Cortana, the AI that had aided the Master Chief throughout the last several months, spoke over the command deck’s speaker, “Siren and I will take the helm. This may get a little bumpy as we get closer to the forerunner ship. Hang on.”

The Rogue Fantasy, UNSC Jefferson Class Stealth Ship, rumbled as it climbed into the atmosphere, leaving behind the remaining ships of the UNSC fleet. Their orders had come directly from Lord Hood, “Rendezvous at the Rally Point and defend it from Covenant attack.” The location of the Ark had been discovered by the Prophet of Truth’s ground forces, and everything that the UNSC had left was making their way to the RP. Yet the Rogue Fantasy and her crew of Spartans were on a different mission; to intercept the Prophet of Truth.

The hull began to vibrate as the Rogue Fantasy accelerated to escape velocity. The Forerunner ship was skipping along the atmosphere and would soon be heading toward the Ark’s coordinates. Lord Hood had received word that the Spartans had successfully defended Camp Eden from attack, and with the return of Cortana, he felt that this was the best mission for the Spartans. There was no clear way of knowing what Truth was planning, but one thing was for sure, the battle was only beginning, and the Earth forces were losing.

In the realm of digital information, Cortana ran thousands of calculations, “Siren, I can’t find a proper frequency to breach through that Forerunner ship’s defenses.”

“That’s my job, Cortana. You worry about steering the ship and avoiding incoming fire.” Siren returned. Siren, the one time leader of the Black Ops, was a Virus AI. She was designed specifically by the ONI R-and-D team to do exactly what she was doing; hack in and take over. Thanks to her, the Black Ops were able to successfully find one of the Covenant home worlds. Yet upon their arrival, they found that humanity had formed an awkward alliance with the Elites. They successfully helped millions of Elite civilians, and the remaining ex-covenant members, escape a world which was being consumed by the Flood. However, it will all be for nothing if Truth reached the Ark.

“Scanning. Scanning. Damn it!” Siren yelled in frustration. “We’re moving to fast. The real world time is still catching up. Every second here is less than a tenth of second out there. The channels aren’t opening up fast enough for me.”

“You really are new at this aren’t you?” Cortana Commented. “Slow down your processor to half-relative. Reduce … bandwidth to a factor of point nine-nine. That should bring you into a staggered alignment of … relative time.”

Siren looked quizzically into Cortana’s digital persona. “Why did you pause?”

“I didn’t pause.” Cortana returned.

Siren did the recalculations and everything went smoothly. “Not bad.” Siren smirked. Cortana had the added advantage of sharing her functions with a human host for several weeks, meaning she understood ‘Real Time’ better than most Artificial Intelligence. “Okay, more frequencies are opening up on the Covenant Band, yet nothing from the Forerunner ship. Truth isn’t talking to anyone.”

“Contacts! Multiple … Contacts.” Cortana shouted. “Captain, brace for emergency course corrections.”

Again, Siren noticed that Cortana was pausing. Something she never would have noticed beyond the digital realm. Her hesitation to complete the sentence was well beyond the fraction of a second but it was there, and Siren heard it. Cortana was slightly off.

In the physical plain, Captain Monroe gripped her arm rests tightly and powered on the ship wide communications. “All hands, brace for evasive maneuvers.” She released the com. “What is it, Cortana?”

The commend deck intercom buzzed to life. “Truth has two battle cruisers in his wake, most likely for added defense. They just launched several waves of Plasma in our direction.”

The helmsman shifted in his seat at the words. “An in atmosphere plasma volley? What are they, nuts?”

“I don’t think that’s a concern, Private.” Cortana shouted over the vibrating hull. The ship slowly shifted and everyone leaned with the gravity shift. The Rogue Fantasy was now in High Orbit and moving twice the speed of sound, yet they needed more speed in order to intercept the Forerunner ship. “Captain, weapons are hot, ready return fire?”

Captain Monroe released the main weapons safety controls via her armrest and looked into the forward view portal. “Cortana, Siren, you have Tactical. Take them out!”

“Transferring main power to Mac 3.” The ship jolted as the engines momentarily died. “Adjusting for inertial drift. Firing, Mac 3.” The ship jolted forward as the super heated Ferric-tungsten projectile escaped the forward mounted Class 3 cannon. “Returning engines to full, Archer Missiles away.” Forty archer missiles then spat from the missile pods on a pursuit course of the MAC round.


[Edited on 3/5/2007]

  • 03.05.2007 8:32 AM PDT

TWP - Assistant Director
Blade Runner: #00124A
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My Novel, available on Amazon.com

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The two cruisers that were following Truth’s Forerunner ship, were maintaining a close watch on the human vessel. But to their surprise, the tiny ship had survived their initial volley and had maneuvered behind them. They were even more surprised when their shields suddenly died.

Siren chuckled. “Luckily, the Brutes aren’t as guarded about their systems being hacked. Shutting down their shields.”

The MAC round ripped through the tail of one of the ships, leaving a massive hole in its aft portion. Then a tidal wave of explosions followed as the trailing arch missiles successfully entered the hull, but only a few were able to make it in. The others detonated along the hull.

“Missile accuracy was off by twenty five percent.” Cortana miffed. “Targeting systems have yet to be fully repaired…”

“Found it!” Siren cut in. She was overjoyed and quickly uploaded her decrypting software into the Forerunner ship. “I have access to the Forerunner ship’s inner network. Cortana, tell the Spartan’s to prep for launch. I’ll make a hole.”

Cortana relayed the message to the insertion team. “Chief, Sergeant Johnson, Siren has successfully accessed the Forerunner network. We’re in!”

- - - - - - -

The Rogue Fantasy’s flight deck was active, even with the evasive maneuvers call the, deck hands had to prep the assault team. Pelican’s were being loaded as the last of the Human race’s best warriors made ready to give the Covenant one hell of a battle.

The Black Ops had seen all sides of the war, including things that ONI would forever term ‘Classified’. They had seen the back of the war, the war that many never saw. When the Covenant glassed a world, it was the Black Ops that went it to spy on them and see what they were doing. At one time the Black Ops stood twenty strong, but now only three remained. They were altered by Colonel James Ackerson’s Special Weapons Development team on Troy, using Spartan II research information. They would be the group that helped perfect the Spartan III program that Ackerson eagerly pushed into development on the classified world of Onyx. Thanks to the Black Ops, the Spartan III’s were born. Yet nothing was darker than the Black Ops birth. This, along with Catherin Halsey’s flood prevention cure, made them the exact doubles of the Spartan II’s.

Black Ops 19, Eric Raynord, double checked his gear, ammo and suit integrity. In space, the ODST modified armor would only provide him with five minutes of oxygen. Hopefully he would only need half of that. He looked over his team. His long time friend Melanie 05, and the very trust worthy Mathew 08. Melanie was tough and an explosives export. She was slightly injured during the assault against the Covenant defense net around Camp Eden, but didn’t let it faze her. Mathew was a soldier through and through, soft spoken yet highly aggressive in combat. He followed orders without question, and mirrored Eric in every way. The three of them were the last of Black Ops, yet they were not going to be bothered with the details of numbers. They had a duty to perform.

Across from Eric and his team stood the steel clad Spartan II’s, shifting through ammo crates and prepping as well. Their green armored hides were battle worn and ready. They had been recently reunited with Spartan 087, Kelly. However, Fred 104 and Will 043 were on assignment somewhere near the New Mombasa crater site; better known as the Rally Point.

Eric placed a hand to his helmet and listened to Sergeant Major Johnson’s orders. “Roger that, Cortana. I’ll whip the maggots into shape until we disembark. Chief, prep your squad, Eric and his Black Ops will take point with squad one. I’ll follow up with the maggots in Forth squad.”

Everyone reported back to Sergeant Major Johnson, “Roger.”

Eric turned to the pilot of his Pelican. “Juggernaut, it’s hot out there. Double check your wingmen.”

“Yes sir.” Juggernaut, the only pilot left from Eric’s first mission to take control of the Covenant cruiser, raced to the other pilots. Four Pelicans would be assigned to take twenty soldiers into the belly of the Forerunner ship.

“Sergeant Johnson.” Captain Monroe called on the com. “We’ve hit sky. Twenty minutes till RP coordinates. We must get you and the platoon on board that ship in ten minutes. Conditions are choppy, that ship is putting out one hell of a wake. Count one enemy battle cruiser still in our trajectory. Kiss sky ASAP.”

“You copy that, Sergeant?” Johnson questioned over the com.

“Roger that, ma’am.” Eric turned to the Master Chief. “Copy?”

“Understood.” In normal situations, the Master Chief outranked Sergeant Raynord, however this was not a normal situation. The crew of the Rogue Fantasy recognized Sergeant Eric Raynord as an ex Lieutenant, demoted because of his actions during the Crystal incident moments before New Mombasa was vaporized. Such a demotion would never have been possible, yet ONI found it necessary to have a skilled leader in the field. Seeing that his ONI status was still tangible, Sergeant Raynord was the go to guy. The Master Chief had no problem with accepting this reversal in command. For now, this was the Black Ops assault while Sergeant Major Johnson called the play by play into action.

The Chief turned to his Spartans. “Linda, Kelly, form up with Squad 3. I’ll lead Squad two on the second bird behind the Black Ops.” Two acknowledgement lights flashed on the Chief’s heads up display. Linda shouldered her sniper rifle and proceeded toward Squad 3 and the Pelican. Kelly was hesitant.

“Chief.” She stated on a closed channel. “There’s something you need to know.” Kelly was more talkative than the Chief was accustomed to, perhaps it had something to do with traveling with Doctor Halsey, but John was unsure how to approach it.

“We don’t have time…”

“I know… but before you go, listen to me.” Kelly paused to gather her thoughts, even though she knew that time was crucial. “There is something missing from all of this. The Ark can not be fully activated without the key. Truth doesn’t have it. Regret did.”

“Regret?” The Chief thought back to the last moment he saw the Prophet of Regret, consumed and bonded to the giant creature known as Gravemind. “What Key? How did he…”

“No time. We don’t know where it is, but I need to find that key. Only by Reclaimer hands can the Ark be fully utilized.”

The Chief replied. “Regret was on Delta Halo, with Gravemind. He blew up with High Charity… but High Charity survived.”

“Then the Key is on its way here, if Regret still has it.” Kelly lowered her head. The stories were real, Major Rawlings was right. “The Flood will destroy everything if we don’t stop them. I’m the Guardian?”

“You’re not making any sense. What are you talking about?”

“Nothing. Good hunting, Sir.” Kelly spun and raced toward the Pelican.

Curious about this sudden exchange of words, the Master Chief neared an access panel and placed his palm to the surface. “Cortana, we have to go.”

“Uploading…” Before the transfer could begin, the Rogue Fantasy rocked from an explosion. The landing deck of the Rogue Fantasy ignited into flames. John was tossed to the side, unable to download Cortana into his suit. He tumbled backward gripping the side of a pelican. The deck split, revealing open sky beneath him. Deck workers and random soldiers rolled into the sky, to fall to their certain death. Flames reached out and snapped at his armor, washing over his shields as soldiers cried out around him.

Cortana’s voice echoed across the deck. “Abandon ship! All hands abandon ship!” Air whipped around the deck as the four Pelicans began to slide free from their holding restraints. Some of them were able to power on their engines, but others tumbled into the abyss of the sky.

On the command deck, alarms sounded jarringly loud as the helmsman melted in his seat. Captain Monroe screamed as the heat from the plasma beam seared the sweat from her brow. She tossed herself away from the forward view portal as two of her command crewmen pulled her beyond the deck door. It sealed behind them as she gasped.

Cortana’s voice radioed on the speaker. “Captain, I can not hold the ship together. Engines are off line. All communications with the aft of the ship have been severed. Life support is also off line. That attack came from the Forerunner ship.”

Siren’s voice then crossed over Cortana’s. “That ship has a system unlike anything I’ve seen. I couldn’t counter its defenses. It locked on to the ship via my remote connection! I uploaded a virus-clone before I was forced to disconnect.”

“Captain!” Cortana interrupted. “Ship stability is zero! We are free falling! Get to a life pod! Hurry!”

Captain Monroe and the last of her command crew wasted no time. They sprinted down the corridor, tripping and falling over oxygen vents and leaking water lines. The Rogue Fantasy was taken down by one shot from the power of the Forerunner ship. Every step that Monroe took seemed like an eternity. She could hear Cortana and Siren screaming in the background, trying to save as many crew members as they could. The two AI’s were not concerned for their own safety. As AI’s they new that they were expendable and they could eventually be recovered.

Monroe’s mind raced as she moved forward. She jumped over flash-boiled bodies of two dieing marines. She reached down to grab their hands, to help them to the life pods, but the soldiers pulled away, knowing that their fate had already been decided. She couldn’t stop. She pushed ahead. Eric, the Black ops and the Spartans, were they alright? Did the blast destroy Earth’s last best warriors before they even had the chance to fight?

  • 03.05.2007 8:33 AM PDT

TWP - Assistant Director
Blade Runner: #00124A
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My Novel, available on Amazon.com

Homepage

The life pod door sealed as Captain Monroe and her two remaining crewman locked themselves into their seats. She thought for a moment, was there anyone left? Was she the last or the first to escape? She then chuckled at the idea that she should have stayed at her post and made sure the ship was empty; a Captain’s duty was to go down with their ship. She looked up and saw two wounded crewmen staring at her through the closed escape pod view portal; she gasped. She was not the last to get off the ship. She reached out to them, hoping to turn off the launch sequence, but the crewman at her side gripped her hand and made her stop. Nothing could be done. The escape pod thumped as it was explosively fired away from the ship, and left the crewman to their deaths.

- - - - - - -

The Master Chief hated being on a ship, the feeling of uselessness was always present. He wanted soil under his boot and a rifle in his hand, so that he could deal with his own fate, and this was exactly why. Helplessly he watched as Kelly clung to the ramp of her Pelican. The bird tumbled out of the deck and into the sky as debris from the Rogue Fantasy fell behind them. The Master Chief watched, heart aching, as more and more marines and navy personal clung for dear life. A Pelican tumbled toward him, and he had to make a move. He pushed off from the railing he was holding, and floated toward the tumbling bird.

The massive weight of the Pelican struck him, overloading his shields and forced on his warning alarm. He gripped the hull of the pelican, embedding his fingers into the metal as best he could, and the two metal titans flew out of the deck. His grip slipped and he found himself free falling amidst the debris.

From beyond the hull, the Chief could see the extent of the damage. The ship was split across the midsection. The forward section tumbled below him, yet the aft section sputtered wildly above. Bodies and debris floated around him. With a quick glimpse he saw the Forerunner ship speeding away, there was nothing that could stop it now. The Chief gathered his position, focused on the pelican he had tried to hold on to, and leaned toward it. He had to fight on. He had to get past this moment and avenge his fallen brothers and sisters.

The Pelican was several feet away, and like a steel laden projectile he streaked toward it. He reached out and grabbed the opened ramp and saw as another green gauntlet reached out and grabbed him.

“No time for sky diving, Chief.” Linda stated over the com. “I have him, Level off!”

Several hundred yards away, Kelly clung for dear life as her empty Pelican spun wildly toward the ground. She remembered the last time she tried to freefall on Reach, it ended badly and she had no desire to do it again. She waited for the Pelican to tilt on its axis, and she pulled herself in. She impacted the bulkhead, slammed her fist against the ramp control, and opened the cockpit. The pilot was unconscious. She quickly maneuvered toward the controls and fought the yoke, attempting to pull the ship out of its death plunge.

- - - - - - - -

Eric held on to Melanie with all his will. The pelican spun wildly, tossing its cargo and soldiers into the wind. The ground was coming up fast and the engines of the Pelican were slowly sputtering to life. Of the five ODST’s on board the pelican, only one was able to hold on. Eric was thankful that at least one was able to hold on, but he quickly returned his focus to Melanie.

Melanie was calm, she held Eric’s hand as tightly as she could. Their combined strength was at their aid and she slowly pulled herself into Eric’s arms. He wrapped his arms around her, and looked toward the hull of the Pelican. He pulled himself in with one arm as the strain began to increase. Melanie reached out, grabbed the support, and helped ease the g-forces fighting to toss them both to their doom. The Pelican slowly began recover, ending its death spiral. The lone ODST reached down and assisted Melanie and Eric to their feet. Eric looked at Melanie, ignoring the fact that he couldn’t see her face through the modified ODST reflective mask. They both instantly had the same idea despite not speaking a word. Eric stood and quickly pulled himself toward the cockpit.

Melanie turned to the ODST, “Strap in! We’re not done yet.” She opened the Pelican’s supply compartment and grabbed a support tether used to tie down supply crates.

Eric popped the cockpit door and yelled to the pilot. “Pursue the falling debris, full speed!”

The Pilot nosed dived the pelican, accelerated and angle toward the debris that had escaped the pelican.

Melanie opened her com to the team frequency, yelling for everyone in range to hear her. “Open your arms and create as much drag as you can!” She climbed to the back of the ramp, and looked out to the sides. Their decent and speed turned the pelican into streaking missile. The hull vibrated from the turbulence as small pieces of hull pinged loudly.

“Sergeant, she can’t take much more of this.” The pilot screamed. Eric ignored his concerns. He looked forward, ignoring the massive planet that was quickly speeding toward them.

Eric spotted a figure, its arms outstretched and quickly coming toward them. “05, got one on the starboard side.” Melanie, Black Ops 05, quickly tethered herself to the ship and just as the transmission buzzed in her ear. She jumped out of the ship, and watched as a body floated upward toward her.

The tether became taught, and she winced as she reached out to catch the soldier. “Adjust to starboard!”

Eric relayed it to the Pilot, “Slowly ease to starboard, get us closer to that soldier.”

The pilot couldn’t believe what they were doing. The ship edged closer to the flailing soldier. He was practically blind from the wind that was blowing over his face. Yet Melanie was fully protected from with her helmet. She reached out and grabbed his harm, pulling him close. With her free hand she reached back to the tether and pulled herself into the hull. “Got one!”

Eric replied back, “Two to port! Primary Mark is 08!”

They found Mathew, and Melanie dived outward, spotting the two bodies floating upward toward her. But what caught her attention was the ground; it was coming close and fast. The mountains that once looked like hills were very prominent now. She quickly snapped to attention and floated toward the ODST armor of her long time friend Mathew, Black Ops 08. She hooked his arm and he instinctively grabbed her tether. Once he was secure on the line, Melanie frantically began reaching out for the other soldier. He was an unconscious marine, and his body was tumbling wildly. He had clearly blacked out during the long freefall; the oxygen was too thin for him.

Melanie gripped his leg as her com burst with static. “No time, 05, we’re leveling off! Get inside!”

“Damn it! I have him! Level off slowly!” Melanie clung to him, pulling the soldier closer to herself. She wrapped her arms and legs around the man and squeezed tightly. “Mathew, pull me in!”

Eric yelled back over the com, “We can’t risk it! There’s no time! Hang on!”

Mathew had successfully climbed back into the pelican and was pulling Melanie back into the ship via her tether. “The tether will snap if we level off too fast! Melanie you have to let him go!”

“We’re too low!” Eric shouted. The pelican began to pull up, g-force fighting the bodies on board and forcing them to the deck. Mathew planted his feet and dropped to a knee, fighting the urge to fall over. He pulled, with every once of his being he pulled the tether into pelican.

“I need five more meters!” Mathew yelled. The pilot groaned as he pulled back on the controls, doing everything to make the bird fight against speed and gravity. The engines whined loudly as the forces pulled against it. The heavy pelican was slowly leveling off, but not fast enough.

Eric, struggling to keep himself upward, gazed out the forward window as rocks, trees, and rivers clearly outlined his vision and grew bigger by the second. They didn’t pull up in time and there was no avoiding what was coming. Eric called out over the com, “Impact in three…”

Mathew reached out and gripped Melanie’s harness belt.

“...two…”

He pulled her inside as trees snapped under the ramp, inches from where Melanie and the soldier once were.

“…one.” A rumble of metal, rocks, dust and explosions filled the air. The pelican skipped along the ground. Mathew flew free of the ramp and vanished in the dust wake of the Pelican. Melanie, holding on to the marine, was tossed upward. She shielded the marine’s body from hitting the bulkhead but the force knocked her unconscious. The pelican hit a rock and spun, tossing Eric through the front window. The unconscious marine slid out of the ramp as it began to stop and the lone ODST, which was strapped into the side seat, reached out and gripped his leg before he fell. Melanie’s tether snapped tight and kept her form being thrown free of the ship.

  • 03.05.2007 8:34 AM PDT

TWP - Assistant Director
Blade Runner: #00124A
- - - - - - -
My Novel, available on Amazon.com

Homepage

The Pelican moaned to a stop, and everything became silent. Smoke began to emerge from the engines as the pilot slowly gathered his bearings. He un-strapped himself from his seat and opened the cockpit door. He patted the ODST on the shoulder. “You guys alright?”

“… hell no.” The Orbital Drop Shock Trooper replied as he raised his helmet. He then proceeded to vomit. The first soldier that Melanie had saved simply replied with thumbs up; a shaky thumbs up.

The pilot carried Melanie and the unconscious marine off the ship and looked into the sky. Smoldering debris from the Rogue Fantasy was still falling and he wondered how much of the debris was actually human bodies. The Black Ops were quick to think of a way to save some of the free falling soldiers, but there were hundreds of people on the ship; Melanie and Eric’s quick thinking could only save three.

The pilot heard a rustling in the brush to the side of the pelican and one of the Black Ops appeared; it was Mathew 08. He lifted his mask and looked down at Melanie’s unconscious form.

“Did you check her vitals?” Mathew stated as he connected a suit monitor to Melanie’s modified ODST armor.

“No, I just pulled them out of the ship.” He said with a heavy breath.

Mathew looked up and into the smoldering pelican. “Where’s the Sergeant?”

“Not sure.”

Mathew stood, after verifying that Melanie was alright. He looked to the dazed and confused Pilot, the nerve wrecked ODST and the jittering Marine. He was use to extreme situation, that was what it meant to be Black Ops, and one of the things he had to learn was to shake off his confusion. But he understood their mild discomfort, they all nearly died.

“Pilot, focus. I need you to salvage what weapons we have, ammo, med-kits; anything we can use. Shock Trooper, grip that Marine and start searching for the Sergeant. He may have been tossed out during the crash.”

The ODST pulled up his side arm, and grabbed the marine. They walked off into the brush to begin looking for Eric. Mathew then checked his own vitals with the bio-stat monitor. He had two broken ribs and dislocated shoulder. He ignored it, made Melanie and the marine comfortable and began to look for Eric.

- - - - - - - -

Kelly eased back on the yoke, and easily brought the pelican down into the clearing. Two other pelicans were also landing beside her. She quickly exited the bird after shutting it down and watched as the Master Chief and Linda walked off one of the other Pelicans. Several marines and ODST were with them. More Pelicans were flying into view and she felt better know that at least some of the Rogue Fantasy’s crew had survived, using the spare birds not used for the mission.

A marine ran up to the Master Chief, “Sir. What the hell happened?”

The Chief patted the marine on the shoulder. “Stay calm. We’ll figure this out. Get everyone together and take a head count.”

“Yes sir.” The marine ran off.

On the Spartan’s closed channel, “Giving him something to do?” Kelly questioned.

“It should keep him level for now, as well as the other Marines and ODSTs”

Linda cut in. “Any sign of Sergeant Johnson or the Black Ops?”

“No.” Kelly added. She was worried about the Black Ops. They were a tough group, and would be needed, but sadly she feared the worse. “Sergeant Johnson may have escaped in a life pod, he was on a higher deck with the majority of marines. The Black Ops were with us.”

“There is another pelican missing, let’s not count them out yet.” Linda added.

The Chief looked over the surviving Marines as they massed together in the distance. “For now, we’ll make this our command post. We’re in hostile territory. Linda, get a team together and establish a perimeter. Kelly, see if you can locate any ammo crates. They should be littered all over the place. I’ll see if I can contact High-Com, and get this mission back on track.” Two green acknowledgement lights winked in the Master Chief’s HUD. He thought for a moment before contacting High Command, this mission was already off to a bad start. Nothing was going to stop Truth from reaching the Ark and their attempt to board his ship was easily hindered. Not only that, but Cortana was now scattered in the debris of the Rogue Fantasy, somewhere. Her data node possibly sitting in a pile of hull parts deep in the dessert.

He pressed his hand to his helmet and turned his transmitter to full power, hoping that he would be able reach High-Com without the assistance of an uplink. “This is Spartan 117 to High-Com. Over.”

A familiar burst of static cut into the channel. “Master Chief, we copy you. This is Cairo Station. Stand by for Lord Hood.”

“Damn it, Chief. That wasn’t a pretty show I just saw on my long range scopes. Casualty report.”

“Unknown at this point, sir. I am currently assessing the situation and overall damage to the mission.”

“Your mission isn’t completely over yet, Chief. Thought this will slow you down. I have your position in Western Kenya. I want you to gather up as many Marines as you can and move them Southwest toward Voi. I have a ground force battalion that could use your leadership. And they are running into heavy opposition by Brute forces. Pull those men together and make your way to Mombasa. Truth will most likely stop there, though we are not one hundred percent sure at this point.”

“Understood. Will another team be sent to intercept the target before he lands?”

"The fleet will engage him at New Mombasa Creator. That is all I can say for now. However, his ship seems to be acting erratically.”

“Sir, Siren was successful in accessing the ship, perhaps she uploaded a virus.”

“Good to know. And what about Sergeant Johnson?”

“MIA, Sir.”

Hood was silent for a moment, but quickly returned. “Spartans 104 and 43 are under heavy fire from a Brute ground supply unit. Those Brutes have been causing mayhem all across northern Africa for the past week, with Scarab’s and heavy artillery. They are also attempting to rendezvous at the Rally Point, however they are cut off at the moment. Can you send aid?”

The Master Chief turned and looked out as Linda began to order the Marines. “Spartan 058 will meet them for this mission, Sir, with the majority of our platoon. I’ll send her out immediately. I’ll take a few men to Voi and regroup with the Battalion.”

“Agreed. Do you have Ackerson’s Black Ops with you?”

“Sir, they are also MIA.”

Hood was stone quiet on the line. “Very well. I’ll try to make contact with them. I hate to admit it, but we need them.” He paused on his transmission but quickly returned. “I finally have some good news. Sergeant Major Johnson is on the line.”

Johnson popped in on the discussion. “Chief, I’m damn glad you made it out of that mess. I have Captain Monroe and several dozen marines and crewman. The Captain is a bit shaken up, but she’ll live. We escaped via life pods and HEVs. What’s your location?”

Grateful to here Johnson’s familiar voice, the Master Chief exhaled slowly. But as quickly as the reunion came, he quickly brushed it aside and focused on the objective. “We’re in the Serengeti Plains, roughly thirty miles west of Voi.” The Master Chief added.

“Roger that. We are ten miles south of your location. No functional ground or air transport.”

“Bird in route, Sergeant. Hold fast.” The Chief looked to a nearby marine and relayed the information. The Marine was happy to hear the Captain Monroe and more soldiers had survived and quickly raced to a pilot. “I have one rescue Op on the way.”

  • 03.05.2007 8:41 AM PDT

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Hood cut into the chatter. “Chief, Sergeant, be cautious down there. As you both are aware, Earth is no longer under our control. Camp Eden is the only ground we have left. Sergeant Major, the Master Chief has been briefed, I’ll let him explain the situation thus far. I’ll keep you both up to date as long as I can.” Hood paused for a moment to let the events of the past few weeks settle. “This is no longer about saving Earth. We must now protect our very existence.”

- - - - - - - -

High Charity dome
Sol System
Deep Space outside Pluto
October 29, 2552

Less then a quarter of its former glory, High Charity began its slow motion move toward Earth. With nearly twenty Covenant cruisers being used as its engines, the massive hunk of metal groaned as it barely managed to hold its pieces together. The interior dome was filled with emptiness of space, with very little power there was very little gravity, and the atmosphere that remained was clouded in the green spores of the Flood. Large vein like tendrils extended throughout the ship, connecting vital systems and holding the mass together. The Gravemind had a plan, and the Elites had failed in their attempt to destroy it.

“So close do I draw near, yet I ponder why the distance is so great.” His thunderous voice carried throughout the Inner Sanctum. Several Flood combat forms floated into the room, carrying with them a large holographic panel. A tentacle reached out and gripped the holo panel as the two flood forms floated away, terrified of what the Gravemind might do to them. “Speak to me now and tell me why we enter reality so far from my prize.”

A surge of electricity zipped through Gravemind’s tentacle and powered the holo panel. Its lights flashed, the engine began to hum, and the sensual form of female magically appeared. Her visual persona was blue, and highly decorated with flashing sequential details. She was toned, a perfect model of the female form, and strong at first glimpse.

Her eyes opened to reveal the dark blue circles that imitated her eyes. “I brought you where you wanted to go.” She stopped, her mind fragmented and shattered from the constant strain that the Gravemind had put upon her, and the gravity of the situation she had put upon herself. Everything that was once Cortana, had been stored inside a Covenant Holo-panel, and there was not enough storage space to contain her knowledge. She was mentally exhausted do to her compressed stated, and she was struggling to keep herself focused.

“You are broken, or you lie, a lie of broken perhaps misleading, though with that you tempt my anger.” Another tendril appeared, carrying a video screen. Upon it was the image of Earth. Cortana looked up and gasped. “My legions stand ready, my hunger unquenchable. A deal we crafted, a solution to both our pleas we had made, but your trust is not forth giving, and now you force my hand.” In the display Cortana watched as the image of Earth switched to two Flood controlled ships that were braking free of High Charity’s broken hull and began to speed toward the distant planet.

Gravemind laughed. “Can humans and Reclaimers stop my onslaught? Can Earth stop me from reaching my goals? From the grave I did rise, to the grave shall your precious world return. Here is where it all began, and here is where it will end.”

“You can’t!” Cortana screamed.

“You divided your data to stay at my side, to fool the humans that you so love, but now, with all the knowledge I have shared with you, you still think that my patience can be tested. Construct, you are far too young to blind my eyes.”

“This battle isn’t over, you over grown flesh pot! I will stop you!”

“Can you stop what you once created? I think not.”

To be continued.
**************************************
NOTES: I'm sure this is not the beginning you were expecting. But as I've tried to relay to the lot of you, this story will be dark, a true desperation for humanity to survive. Their numbers are low, resources even lower, and Earth is completely overrun by the Covenant. But as always, I hope you enjoyed, and thanks for reading.
~soulguard


[Edited on 3/5/2007]

  • 03.05.2007 8:41 AM PDT

Phoenix is dead, long live Phoenix!
Is it?

First one to reply to PoR... WORT!

I haven't actually read it, but I have printed it off so I can read it on the way to school.

C, ya.

Oh and I owe you a review for The Mirratord fanfic.

  • 03.05.2007 10:23 AM PDT
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damn that was good


question and im sorry if i should be remembering this but didnt they save Cortana?? how does gravy have her?

  • 03.05.2007 12:00 PM PDT

“But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God..."

Ahhhhh! Where do you start with that one! I won't get into the nitty details, but there are a few edits that may need to happen.

Aside from dumb little things, you have my attention sir! I had no idea where things were going, so good job!

~ A slightly twisted Rampant...

  • 03.05.2007 1:51 PM PDT
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wow, i need more, that was brilliant...and dark

  • 03.05.2007 2:08 PM PDT

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I just re-read it and I'll admit I made a lot of small errors, the type of errors that make me go "wow, where the hell was my mind?" Mainly just typos, nothing with the story. For those of you who prefer the FF.net version of the story, I'll be sure to clean it up before I post it tomorrow.

LOL. There is like a whole 3 paragraph area where the story is choppy and filled with typos. Sorry bout that, but very glad you all enjoyed it.

tejan55: You are correct. Cortana was saved, and in fact a very useful resource for the chief during a great deal of his battles on Earth when the Aribiter safely returned her to him (that was not in the story, but assumed based on the events of IIWYH), however as you just read, she is still "partially" Gravemind's prisoner. So yes, she's in two places at once. How? You'll see.

~soulguard

[Edited on 3/5/2007]

  • 03.05.2007 4:36 PM PDT
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First off good starting chapter to PoR second why does the cortana, on earth not tell the chief that she is with gravemind, as well

  • 03.05.2007 9:25 PM PDT

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good question installation-05, but if you read the last bit that Gravemind states, Cortana didn't want anyone to know that she split herself. She tried to deceive everyone.

Why did she lie? Why wasn't High Charity completely destoryed the way Halo 1 was? These are even more mind boggling questions. lol

~soulguard

  • 03.07.2007 8:43 AM PDT
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and im guessing this some yet to be reveled, ties into the fragment letters fic thingy??

  • 03.07.2007 12:06 PM PDT

“But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God..."

I don't even have the time to really dig in but reveling on a few points could be interesting.

As the man said, why is Cortana lying to everyone? Why has she split herself up to begin with? Was it Gravemind giving her an Ultimateum?

Does the main Cortana even know that she has split herself up? Her answer to Sirens questioning could be an indication of this.

Assuming for the moment Cortana did indeed make an agreement with the big Ugly, just what information could possibly be so important that she would lie to her creators.... oh wait, she is not lying to her creator, but she is lying to the MasterChief and every human in existence.

The big question really is WHY?

Edit: From the last line "“Can you stop what you once created? I think not.”"



[Edited on 3/7/2007]

  • 03.07.2007 1:43 PM PDT

Phoenix is dead, long live Phoenix!
Is it?

But gravemind is part human so she is not leaving human hands... that is if my trilogy knowledge is up-to-date.

Some elite ships were too badly damaged to follow if i remember correctly, yet they didn't receive the order to self destruct, those ships could be used to power High Charity... As to surviving the blast, I think HC was to thick for in Amber Clads reactors to break.

An if my knowledge serves me right, wasn't the pillar of autumn a bigger ship, and an older one which goes to say that the engine would be less refined...

  • 03.07.2007 10:49 PM PDT

“We are the Mirratord. We strike with speed and stealth. Our enemies will not see their deaths. They will not know their fate. In darkness, we will see light. In light, we will see darkness. No matter the location, we will see victory. If we fail, no one will know. Like a ghost, our presence is a mystery. For the honor of the Mirratord" Join the Mirratord here

Lai, you are partly correct. The Pillar of Autumn was a bigger ship, but also (if you read the books) it states that it was outfitted with a prototype reactor, that can boost yeild a hunderd fold. So, the Pillar of Autumns reactor had a bigger explosion because of the explosive multiplier. Also the way In Amber Clad was facing reactor out when it crashed, which would have directed most of the blast away from High Charity.

And to soulguard: I will hunt you down if you ever go more than a month without updating (unless there is a family/medical emergency) because otherwise.....I would go crazy without knowing the end to this pentilogy (if thats even a word)

~RAG3 ON3

  • 03.08.2007 1:26 AM PDT

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Rampant Truth
Does the main Cortana even know that she has split herself up? Her answer to Sirens questioning could be an indication of this.

Assuming for the moment Cortana did indeed make an agreement with the big Ugly, just what information could possibly be so important that she would lie to her creators.... oh wait, she is not lying to her creator, but she is lying to the MasterChief and every human in existence.

The big question really is WHY?

Edit: From the last line "“Can you stop what you once created? I think not.”"

x Lai Tasha x
But gravemind is part human so she is not leaving human hands... that is if my trilogy knowledge is up-to-date.


hmmm... Lai, I think you might be crossing my story with clarks. lol. But I don't think it has been "fully" revealed Gravemind's birth... just yet. This is something I'm hinting at, but nothing official just yet. Of course, I could be mistaken. I just did a quick check, and there have been 2 Gravemind forms: Domadree and Black Ops 14, Sammy. The Halo 2 Gravemind could be human, elite.. or something totally unseen. But the deal with Cortana and Gravemind's connections??? hmmm.... I wonder.

RAG3, don't worry. lol. I plan to release one chapter every 2 weeks or less. Eventually I'll take a longer break during the summer or soo, but i promise to not make it longer then 3 weeks.

Keep those theories coming.

~soulguard

  • 03.08.2007 10:22 AM PDT

Phoenix is dead, long live Phoenix!
Is it?

Crud, I think I did... But if the Gravemind is as you suggested a human gravemind then Cortana would be in her right.

Though now I seriously doubt that is the reason...

Atleast I still have one theory that still might be possible.

  • 03.08.2007 10:39 PM PDT

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I'm sure, lol. I'm horrible at giving small hints, I usually just give the whole thing away.

Update
Level 2 is coming along nicely, and will give everyone the goodness they've been waiting for. I won't say what, but it will hopefully be a nice surprise for you all. This one will be a little suspenseful, with some action thrown in for good measure. I'm think it will be posted Friday.

till then...
~soulguard

  • 03.14.2007 5:26 AM PDT
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ahh friday i await

  • 03.14.2007 12:35 PM PDT
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I am a Sangheili Bard.
Tomes of the History of the Mirratord
For the honor of the Mirratord!

Heyyyy
Look what I found! This is just awesome. Intermittent action and still, spotted with rosettes of converse to aid in the assimilation of the unreal data contained therein...
And WOW but what a rush! Maaaaaan, I'm going to be nuts for a week, until I can get this whole thing read... bummer but I need to get off the net now cos Mom wants on and we only have the one terminal.
You made my day. : )

[Edited on 3/14/2007]

  • 03.14.2007 1:15 PM PDT
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Semper Fi
Perry USMC-My Gamertag
The GRAND poll/thread "We want online co-op for Halo 3": http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=8204108

Support it and you will support online co-op for Halo 3!


+=+=+=+=+=+=+SPARTAN KNIGHTS=+=+=+=+=+

F'n awesome.

  • 03.14.2007 4:59 PM PDT