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Subject: Halo Fanfic: If I were your hero

Path to Reclaimation....withdrawal....effects.......must.....be.....p atient..........must stay.............cold.............turkey....!!!!!!

  • 08.21.2007 12:28 PM PDT
Subject: Path of Reclamation

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Posting now... hold comments

~soulguard

  • 08.21.2007 1:38 PM PDT

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Level 18: Preparing for the last stand

Brute Camp
Sixty Miles West of Camp Eden
November 10, 2552

The Red Clan gathered together in the center of the camp. A fire raged amongst the various group packs, but the brutes all came together at the massive fire of their Chieftain. Grimleon, the former Warhammer of Truths attack force, gathered his kin, his clan.

The nighttime sky sparkled overhead, dimmed by the blaze of the fire that they encircled. Smoke sailed high as the unarmored brutes roared with the excitement of the feast to come. Snarls, roars and growls of excitement signaling the bond they all shared of being from one clan, one powerful clan. The meaty animal roasted in the pit. The humans called it an Elephant, but whatever, it was meat and the Red Clan was hungry. The succulent fatty juicy spilled into the flame and sent the aroma into the wind. A heavenly smell and the brutes drooled for it.

Grimleon paced about the camp. He was uneasy. An enemy he once thought extinct, hoped was gone, had resurfaced. Had he made the right choice in letting him heal? With each passing generation, the House of Yal grew stronger. This Sim’yald, this Mirratord Elite, was wounded but still proved to be a highly skilled combatant. There was no honor in killing him if he was not at his best. The House of Yal had always been worthy prey, and this would be no different.

Grimleon smiled.

His clans roar grew as he approached the cooking meat. They silenced slightly as he stood in front of the beast and smelled it. “Its smell fills me with delight.” He said as he turned to his clan. “The Red Clan has grown thin in these few days of fighting the humans, but we will no longer sway to the Hierarchs wishes until our own goals are met. We will find the last of the House of Yal and it will be his flesh that we next feed upon.” The younger brutes cheered as Grimleon slammed his fist into his thick chest. His graying fur stood on end from the power. He turned and ripped the cooked elephants trunk off and sank his teeth into the perfectly cooked meat. He tore off a hunk and roared in approval. Once the chieftain had taken the first bite, the rest of the clan joyfully fought to take pieces of their own.

The feast had begun, and the next day would bring the joy of battle.

- - - - - - - -

The Hammer of God
November 10, 2552

Simyaldee stretched, his wounds were finally fully healed, and he began to do a light workout in order to work the kinks out. With his twin Mirratord blades extended, Simyaldee did the basic combat techniques taught to him by Commander Vadumee. Relying on speed and flexability, Simyaldee danced around the training room without concern of his surroundings. Each move was graceful, powerful, and frighteningly fast. His hoofs were in perfect control, each placement exact and never off stride. His arms responded flawlessly and his vision was crystal clear. For the first time since they had arrived on Earth, Simyaldee felt whole.

Simyaldee did his work out without any armor on. He wanted to feel the rhythm of his movements. Sweat dripped from his pores and stood in a relaxation pose. He breathed deep as he let his arms hang slightly to the side, but not fully limp. He held his head back, looking up so that air ways would be fully relaxed. He breathed slowly, under control, and in a steady rhythm.

The door opened behind him and he didn’t bother to look at who it was. He focused on his breathing, but powered off his twin blades. “Yes?”

“Second, Gridolee is reporting in.” The lower ranking Mirratord replied. “He says that they have disembarked with the honorable human. They will be out of radio range in several minutes. Are they any orders for him?”

Simyaldee lowered his head and turned to face the young warrior. “Tell him… to fight always with honor, respect and penitence.” Simyaldee wiped his brow with the back of his hand and began to dress. The young Mirratord officer left the room, not sure what the Second meant by his words. Such things were the basics of the Mirratord, something that should not need to be reminded, but he did not question the Second. No one questioned Simyaldee.


- - - - - - - -

Ark Excavation site // Mombasa observatory
ONI Facility Bravo A-11092G: The Gatekeeper
November 10, 2552

Kelly sat naked on a bench, water dripping from her still wet form. She held her head low as stared into the metal floor. It had been a long day with numerous armor changes, and lots of testing. Rose was a slave driver, but her attentions were good. She was determined to unlock the secret of the Reclaimer armor, and after finally uncovering how to use of the under armor it was now a race to figure out the trick to making it work.

Kelly was not physically exhausted, she was mentally worn out. The new suit designs and configurations to the under armor relayed directly into her, similar to her old armor, however the speed of which everything responded was incredibly fast. She was finding it hard to keep up with the suit on a mental level.

“Doc Halsey will clear it up.” A voice stated from the door. Kelly hadn’t realized someone had walked in. She looked up as Rose walked towards her. “Once she gets here, she’ll know what to do. I’m at my limit. There’s nothing more I can do without a better understanding of how the current flows with your unique genetic code.” Rose sat beside Kelly and was dwarfed by the female Spartan’s seven foot frame. “The under suit I modified allows for the gel layer and your body to regulate the power for the Mark VI, but … I’m missing something.”

Kelly sighed and stood as she began to dry off with a towel. “Until Doctor Halsey arrives, I’ll go assist the Spartan III’s. Those shield placements you added should give them a little more staying power in combat.”

“It’s not the same as a Mark VI shield unit, but it will hold against direct fire. They just need to remember that it is only one directional, forward. They are exposed in the rear.”

“You’ve told them that plenty of times. They understand. That’s why I’m working with them. They need to be able to use their shield enhancements as if they were second nature.” Kelly walked toward her locker and grabbed the modified under armor and began the tedious method of putting it on. Rose sat silently on the bench.

After a few minutes Kelly fastened the final strap and began to move toward her armor, but noticed that Rose hadn’t move. “Ma’am, is there anything else you need from me?”

Ma’am? Kelly was older the she was. “No. I was just lost in my thoughts. Wesley sent me a message saying that the Black Ops and a few Elites are in route with Halsey.”

“The Black Ops are leaving Eden?”

“The Mirratord will guard it until Eric gets back.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“Eric’s coming.”

“Yes. He is the leader of the Black Ops.”

Rose looked at Kelly and sighed. She wished she could see it that simple. Rose didn’t see Eric as just the Black Ops leader, he was… more. “You’re right.” Rose forced a smile. “I’m thinking too much about it.”

- - - - - - - -

Several levels above the Spartan training area, Wesley paced around the room. It was a steel room with dim blue lights on one wall, and a several video displays on another. The round table where he and Colonel Ackerson sat still had a warm cup of coffee sitting upon it. He was waiting to debrief the one woman that had ever made him feel inferior.

The door parted and a congregation of six highly decorated Non-Com officers entered. Following them was Major Elizabeth Rawlings. Wesley powered on the light over the round table and saluted as they approached. Several of the men and women sat at the table, but Major Rawlings sat on leather couch to the side. Wesley thumbed his suit and made sure it was firmly pressed and adequate. He hadn’t made a speech like this since his first assignment; which was following Rose while she was being recruited for the Mark VI project.

Wesley pressed a button on the wall and a door on the opposite side of the room opened. In walked several women in formal dress carrying trays of snacks and data pads to take meal orders from the Bras. Grilled tuna seemed to be the big request.

As the young ladies departed with the Brass’s orders, Wesley turned to Major Rawlings and she stood at his side. He hated her. She made his guts quiver. She made him come to the Gateway in order to deliver his ‘final’ report. Final, the word seemed to echo in young Wesley’s mind.

Major Rawlings raised her nose to the group at the table, “Good afternoon Ladies and Gents, I hope you don’t mind if we keep this meeting as informal as possible, considering the nature of why we are here. For the past three months the Black Ops have been … watched, for lack of a better term.” Several of the Brass seemed stunned.

“Black Ops?” A older man with glasses questioned. He wore the strips of an Air Force Chief of Staff. “Never heard of them.” Others nodded in agreement.

“Without question,” Rawlings continued, “I would be surprised if you had. I was only informed of them several hours after the destruction of New Mombasa last month. But I will try to stay on point. The Black Ops were being watched by one of Section III’s inside men.” She turned and looked at Wesley. “He is an agent that you are all quiet familiar with. I certain each of you have in some way included him within your payrolls.” Rawlings turned and walked back to her couch. She sat, crossed her long legs and adjusted her skirt. “You have the floor, Wesley.”

Wesley sighed. “Sirs, forgive my untimely report. The mission with Charley Company and Red Squad lasted far longer then expected, and once we returned to Earth I realized that had to do my part in helping protect Camp Eden.”

  • 08.21.2007 1:41 PM PDT
Subject: Path of Reclamation: level 18

TWP - Assistant Director
Blade Runner: #00124A
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One of the Navy Brass leaned closer. She was an older woman roughly the same age as Rawlings. “You reported to me last week that the Sangheili Homeworld was destroyed.” She adjusted her glasses and read from a data pad in her hand. “A Gravemind form had completely taken over the planet, with the aid of the … Mirratord, the creature was held back long enough for the Seed Ship to be filled with Sangheili Civilians and fled. The planet was then destroyed by our prototype stealth ship the Rogue Fantasy. They deployed a Nova bomb on the planet’s surface.”

Another member of the brass blurted out, “The Rogue Fantasy? Wasn’t that the ship that Lord Hood ordered to break off from the Fleet in order to intercept Truth?”

The female member of the Navy Brass replied. “Yes. It was destroyed several minutes later. The Master Chief and several valuable officers survived.”

“What about the Seed Ship?” Another member questioned.

“It is completely under the control of the Sangheili.” Wesley firmly stated. “Currently beyond Sol space.”

The room was quiet. Wesley was aware that several of the members of this board desperately wanted to capture the Seed Ship. It was the reason why the Black Ops were sent to Dorenth with the Rogue Fantasy secretly in tow. He looked back at Rawlings and she smiled smugly. Wesley knew that she was also one of the ones that wanted the Seed ship, along with Ackerson.

A man from the front of the table sighed heavily and began to smoke on a cigar. “So what you’re saying to us, is that humanity is on the verge of extinction, and the only way to save our live is under the control of the stinking Split lips? This is a bad joke.”

“They are our allies, sir. They left some of their best warriors behind in order to help. Including the Arbiter.”

“Allies?” The man laughed. “Son, let me explain to you the thin line between a Truce and an Alliance. A Truce means we won’t kill each other so long as we have a common enemy. An Alliance means we won’t kill each other so long as we both get what we want. Screw what the text books say. And forgive my tongue, but I have no planes to be Allies with those elite bastards. This is a Truce. Truce! If we survive this, my boys will easily turn their guns at those big four jawed freaks and wipe the mud with’em.”

“Sir.” Wesley commented. “I hate them as well, but they are the sole reason we are still able to fight.”

The man pulled his cigar from his lips and stood from the table. “The sole reason we are still what?” He was angry. Angry to be told that humanity wasn’t strong enough. Wesley could feel the tension on the man. He was a Brigadier General, and Career Marine, and to be told that his forces weren’t up to the challenge was a direct slap to the face. Screw the facts, this man prided himself in being the best, his soldiers were the best, and he didn’t care if all of humanity died because his Marines would still be the best.

“Calm yourself, Douglas.” Another Marine General added. “We came here to hear what we didn’t know. Let’s let the boy talk.” The General sat down, but noticed the Wesley didn’t flinch at his threat. The other General then added. “Tell me about this Mirratord, and the Black Ops.”

Wesley turned to Rawlings. She nodded, approving him to relinquish classified intel. “Sir, the Mirratord can best be described as a military secret service. From what I’ve learned of them, they do not-did not take orders from the Prophets. They answered direcectly to the elite’s governmental body…”

“The Sangheili High Council.” Rawlings added.

Wesley agreed. “Yes. The Council. They work much like the Spartan IIs. However, their fighting method is mostly in stealth. They also exist within different ranks of the elite military, occupying status’ as Rangers, Zealots, Ship Masters, and Spec Ops. In fact…” Wesley turned to a video on the wall skipped to a section and froze it on a picture of a white armored elite. “This is the leader of the Mirratord. He is called the First.”

“That would be R’tas Vadumee.” The female Navy brass added. “He was with Sergeant Major Johnson when they first arrived back on Earth, along with the Arbiter. Does this mean that we should not trust him, or this Mirratord?”

“No ma’am. On the contrary. I suggest we trust the Mirratord more then we trust the normal elites.” Wesley exhaled. “The Mirratord have an honor system which is deeply rooted in the traditions of their race. They thrive in combat, but are loyal to the death. If they plan to betray us, they will, in fact, tell us.” Wesley hesitated to talk about the Black Ops but found his nerve. “The Black Ops … were the test subjects for Ackerson’s Spartan III program.”

“Test subjects?” A Colonel in the back of the table questioned. “Everything about the Spartan III is based on Halsey’s studies, correct?”

“No Sir.” Wesley felt a warm hand on his shoulder and he stepped to the side.

Major Rawlings stood in his place. “Do you all remember then EaMP Program submitted under the guidelines of one Doctor Carolyn Smith and Colonel James Ackerson?” Several of the Brass nodded in agreement. “That program was designed to provide more super soldiers, not quite Spartans, in under six months. It was a success. However… Doctor Smith violated every surgical law known to us.” Wesley glared at Rawlings sternly. She was blaming Doctor Smith? Doctor Smith was following orders, Ackerson’s orders! He wanted to protest, but what good could the protest of a spy do in a room full of so many high ranking Military big wigs?

Rawlings added. “She used cloned tissue samples from the Spartan’s in order augment the fifty volunteer soldiers in the project. Twenty-five survived.”

“Major Rawlings.” The room fell silent as an older man sighed from the edge of the table. Of the group he was the only Navy man without a rank. His suit was clean giving him no indication of name. Like Wesley, he was a spook, and judging by everyone’s response to him he was a man that ranked high. “I remember when Ackerson pitched this idea to ONI. I remember how desperate he was to out class Halsey and get the money for that grant to do his research. I was the head man in charge of overseeing the Castle Facility on Reach. I clearly recall all of the blood samples that Ackerson had my men … acquire from Halsey’s lab.” The man looked at Rawlings; his face stone. “Doctor Smith is a mere patsy in this dilemma-none the less, she is a part of his, meaning Ackerson, crimes. The Black Ops proved that successful muscle recovery can be performed. The Spartan’s III survival rate was tremendously high because of what Carolyn Smith learned.”

Wesley felt vindicated.

Major Rawlings flexed her jaw and exhaled calmly. “The surviving members of the EaMP program were cleared for activity duty and classified into the ONI Black Ops initiative. They were dead. They no longer existed. Their history files were wiped and they were given deep space operations.”

The female Navy officer perked at this information. “So that was what the Rogue Fantasy was used for. The ship was built and never fully commissioned. I knew it was ONI project, but you can imagine my surprise when it was suddenly shot down over Western Kenya a few weeks ago, as I never recalled the Secretary of the Navy actually commissioning it.”

“Yes.” Rawlings added. “The ship was never fully commissioned, to avoid the paper work and keep the ship off the official roster. According to all records the ship was still docked at Mars awaiting commission.” Rawlings picked up a cup of coffee. She knew this discussion was headed into a direction she didn’t want to go. But there was no denying that the group was going to put the pieces together. “The Black Ops duty was to observe the Covenant and there actions. When our forces abandoned a world, the Black Ops went it to watch what the Covenant would do.”

The female Navy officer pulled up a data pad and examined her notes. “Major, I have six ships showing “Dry Dock” status and “to-be-commissioned.” Do we have more Black Operations in action?”

Major Rawlings sipped her coffee. This was bad. Not the coffee, but the discussion. “Commander Hue. Forgive me for being formal, as I said that I would like this meeting to be as informal as possible. This is an exception.” Rawlings put down her cup of coffee and stood at full attention. “Commander. Under the grounds of ONI code Beta. I can not state for you the status of those ships. Sir!”

Commander Hue and several other naval brass stood, stunned. “There are six ships, Major!” Hue roared.

“We are on the verge of being extinct!” Another man fumed. “To hell with ONI codes and this Black Ops bull! We need every man!”

Another officer blurted. “Section III authority Beta. Classification OMEGA. You will tell us everything you know, Rawlings! Now!”

The Major turned to Wesley and smiled. “Would you be so kind as to leave the room and stand guard at the door? No one must enter until I call for you. Code Six.”

Wesley stood. Saluted and walked to the door. Major Rawlings held her smile the entire time. Wesley exited the room closed the door and held his post. His stomach tightened and he leaned into a trash can, spilling what little breakfast he had eaten. He wiped his mouth and stood firm. Wesley was aware that ONI had Secrets, but he had no idea that ONI had secrets within its own organization. His stomach was doing twists. He had just stood before a firing squad, and Rawlings gratefully took his place. And she seemed unfazed. What was he doing here?

  • 08.21.2007 1:43 PM PDT

TWP - Assistant Director
Blade Runner: #00124A
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The officers that were preparing meals began to approach with plates of food. Wesley put up his hand, halting them, and pulled out his sidearm; letting it hang at his side. “Take the food back and keep it warm. I’ll call you when you can enter.” The young women were stunned to see him holding his sidearm. Wesley took notice of their shock and added, “Code Six.” They suddenly understood. The words being spoken in that room were top secret. Hearing them without clearance would result in death. Code Six was a general ONI order for anyone below a B grade rating to stay away, and Wesley had full right to shoot anyone that attempted to defy that order. He wasn’t worried though, he kept his safety on.

Minutes ticked by and Rawlings opened the door. “Stand down. We’re done. But everyone’s hungry. Is lunch ready yet?”

“Uh? Yes ma’am.” Wesley seemed bewildered. He wanted to ask how it went but before he muster the words he was already moving toward the kitchen.

Shockingly, Major Rawlings was following him. “Ma’am, you don’t have to come with me. I can at least handle this much.”

Major Rawlings waited until they were near the door and she smiled at Wesley. “I am sorry.” She placed his hands into her own and looked down at Wesley. Wesley had forgotten how tall she was until right at that moment. “I only wanted what was best-what I thought was best for everyone. Once everyone is done eating, I need you to go up to the landing bay and await Halsey and the Black Ops. When 19 arrives bring him here. Don’t hesitate. Everyone inside will be waiting for him.” She looked into Wesley’s eyes and smiled again. “I am terribly sorry.” She turned and walked down and opposite hallway toward the elevator.

Wesley shook off the odd sensation he had just received from the Major and walked into the kitchen to bring the brass their meals.

- - - - - - - -

The door to the Elevator closed and Major Rawlings leaned back against the wall. There was silence with the exception of the humming elevator hydraulics. She was going down to the lower levels, to see Kelly. She had to hurry, despite the fact that time was already crucial, she had to hurry. She wiped a tear from her eyes, sniffled, and tried to forget the meeting. She had to push past it. She told herself that it could have been worse.

No. That was a lie. This was the worst possible scenario.

The elevator reached the lower level and as the door opened she could hear the sound of muffled weapons fire. She walked into the vehicle bay and motioned toward the work areas. The sound of power tools echoed throughout. She watched as Rose examined a table of parts, most likely Mark VI variant pieces. She looked around even more. The weapons fire was coming from the test cave beyond the wall. She walked near the bullet proof window and watched as a steel clad Spartan II, with over twenty years of combat experience, ran the course against three Spartan IIIs.

Rawlings smiled as she watched Kelly run circles around the Spartan IIIs. She was faster, more agile, and a better shot. The Spartan III and their SPI armor could instantly camouflage themselves with the rocks of the cave, but their limited experience cost them greatly. Kelly was always a step ahead of them. Even cloaked she could find them, and not Even Rawlings was able to figure it out. Then she noticed that the Spartan III’s had shields.

“Shields on the SPI armor?” She questioned aloud.

“You like it?” Rose added as she walked up to the Major’s side.

Rawlings looked away, made sure her eyes were dry and then turned back to Rose. “The SPI armor can’t support a shield generator. How did you bypass…”

“I didn’t.” Rose smirked. “They are basically modified Jackal shield units. I affixed each of the SPI armors with a self charging Jackal Unit. The R.D. unit here has several hundred on reserve. But in order to have them recharge, I did tap into the SPI armors’ power cell. The energy drain is nominal. The only side effect is that the shield is only in the front. They are still exposed from the side and back.”

“But still, this is a great advancement.” Rawlings was pleasantly shocked. Rose was stunned. “This will give them more of a fighting chance. I’m glad my Body Guards can be of some use to Kelly now.”

“Glad you like it. According to Kelly, they are sharp, and better then the average Marine, but they are green. They only know combat training, and not the real thing. Plus, Kelly thinks that Kate may be a little too aggressive. She’s out to prove something.”

“Kate, G017, yes, she has a bit of a temper. She wants to fight, and hates the idea of being a bodyguard. But she never questions and order.”

Rose was silent. She had never heard Major Rawlings talk so… casually.

Rawlings exhaled slowly. “I hate to interrupt their training, but I need to talk with Kelly.”

Rose pressed the cave intercom. “Kelly, Major Rawlings is here. She needs to talk with you.”

Kelly didn’t have to say a word, and even if she had no one would have heard it, but the expression she gave as she trotted back to the garage door clearly read ‘why her?’

The door parted and Kelly stood at complete attention before Major Rawlings. “Sparton 087, reporting as ordered..”

Rawlings seemed to chock. “How goes the modifications?”

“Ma’am, they are progressing smoothly. Doctor Santos could explain it more thoroughly. Sir.”

“I … wanted to ask you. To hear it from you.” Rawlings grabbed Kelly by the hand and attempted to pull Kelly into a more private location. Kelly didn’t move. “Would you please follow me?”

“Ma’am. I have work to do.”

“Kelly…”

“Major. If this is not pertaining to the training of the S IIIs or preparations for stopping Truth, then there is nothing much we have to say.” Kelly paused, putting her attitude in check. “Sir.”

Rawlings turned her back to Kelly and lowered her head. “I… wanted to ask… to ask you.” Rawlings was silent for a moment. She then turned and faced Kelly. Kelly could see the red in her eyes; the pain in her. “Spartan 087,” She said more formally. “You have new orders. At Zero Nine Hundred tomorrow morning, you and Doctor Halsey will be reporting to the last known coordinates of Blue Team. They were headed to the ZETA Doradus System, a Planet called ONYX. Blue team was able to send one last transmission before we lost contact. They are between Slip Space.”

“Ma’am?” Kelly seemed confused. “Why am I …”

“Those are your orders! Spartan!” Rawlings was firm. “You will go, with Halsey, and you will uncover why they are missing.”

“Sir. I can not accept those orders….”

“Then you will spend the rest of this war in a brig!” Rawlings glared into Kelly Reflexive EVA mask. “You have until then to help Rose figure out what needs to be done with the Reclaimer armor.”

“What in the hell?” Rose screamed. “Then why did you bring us here if you aren’t going to give us enough time to finish?”

“Things change, Miss Santos.” Rawlings walked toward Rose, and towered over her. “We made new discoveries, new evidence. Nothing ever goes as planed in the middle of a war. And unfortunately, we can not rely on our future plans. If the Master Chief and the Arbiter fails, humanity will be extinct. Kelly and Halsey are the only ones who have had direct contact with that Forerunner Seed Ship and numerous other Forerunner installations besides the Halos.”

Rawlings walked away, moving toward the elevator door. “We received a warning from the Elite fleet, Simyaldee sent word this morning. We have stumbled upon something that we must not fully explore. We must not seek the path. That is all that Simyaldee could really on the hard line from Eden. Halsey will explain it more once she arrives.”

“But you said that we only have…” Rose blurted out, but Rawlings cut her off.

“Halsey will be landing within the hour. Once the Brass is done with her, she will report to you. But she will be leaving at Zero Nine Hundred tomorrow, as well as Spartan 087. I advise you to become more comfortable with he Spartan IIIs.”

  • 08.21.2007 1:44 PM PDT

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

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Rose ran toward the Elevator but it closed before she could get there. She slammed her hands against the door and cursed, “You -blam!-!” She turned and looked at Kelly. “What is going on? You can’t possibly be leaving Earth? We need you!”

Kelly turned to walk back into the training area. “I have my orders, Rose. And so do you. We don’t have time to question them.”

Rose kicked a bucket and stormed back toward her work desk.

- - - - - - -

Rawlings cried. She put her hands to her face and struggled to hold back her outcries, but nothing could hold it in. She hoped to God that she had done the right thing. She had to do something before her time was up. This was her only intervening act on ONIs decision. She dried her eyes on her sleeve as she arrived on the main floor.

The door parted and two men stood at the hallway as she steeped off the elevator. It was Wesley and the other ONI spook without a rank. Rawlings forced a smile as a tear rolled from her eye.

“Wesley. Do you accept my apology?”

Wesley lowered his head and the looked up at her. “Yes Sir, I do.”

The other Spook, the older man wearing an unmarked Navy uniform stepped forward. “On the crime of deceiving ONI Section III, how do you plead?”

Rawlings chocked, as she placed her hand to her mouth. She forced back her emotions and stood tall. “Guilty.”

“On the crime of lying to the Section III board and the Chief of Staff Committees, how do you plead?” He added.

“I was trying to ensure the future of humanity….” Rawlings muffled.

“How do you plead?” He questioned again.

“… guilty.” Major Rawlings was clearly shaken.

“Indeed you are guilty, Major Rawlings.” The man added. “With the rights given to me by Section III and the Joint Chiefs, and the Board, and Major Standish….”

“Standish?” Rawlings muttered softly.

The man continued, “I am here to deliver your sentencing.” The man held up a data pad. “Perjury, theft of military personal and equipment, and aiding in the classification of Black Ops projects without consent of the board.” The man passed Wesley his data pad and pulled up his side arm. He flicked off his safety and his face became rigid. “May God have mercy on your soul.”

Major Rawlings starred into the weapon. She never heard it fire, but it did.

The man pocketed the weapon and examined Major Rawlings still form. “She’s dead. Punishment carried out.” Wesley felt sorry for the Major. He didn’t like her, but she didn’t deserve this. The man walked up to Wesley and looked at him. “Get someone to clean this up.”

“She simply made the wrong decisions. She never deserved this. She was a soldier… she’s human. We can simply kill our own so easily.”

“She is a commissioned officer for the UNSC and an ONI operative. She’s broken more rules then a demon in a church. And she rightfully denied to share with us any information that she has that could assist in ….” The man paused, shook his head, and walked away. “clean it Wesley. It get back to your post.”

Wesley lowered his head, leaned against the wall, and prayed.

It could have been him on that floor.

To be continued...

****************************
NOTES: Really short, but a lot happened. Now before you all go CRAZY about Halsey and Kelly, it has to be done, but don't worry... you'll understand it once we get back into the main story. But I'm sure you all understand that it is mainly to tie in that Kelly and Halsey are trapped in the Dyson's sphere.
Things that will be focused on is the whole "Seek the Path" issue and the 6 day event... if there really is such a thing. But also, Major Rawlings involvement in this section. I think she played her part fairly well and things ended on the same token. As always, comments are welcome and thanks for reading.
~soulguard

  • 08.21.2007 1:48 PM PDT

Phoenix is dead, long live Phoenix!
Is it?

Nice. Just in time for me to print off to read in class.

  • 08.21.2007 2:02 PM PDT
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what the hell????

soooo good but soooo many questions??? what the did she she tell them? was she trying to seek the path? is that why she was guilty? she was a watchman or at least part of the reclaimer family. damn i need more, more i tell you


a few spelling mistakes like attention instead on intention but real good need more

  • 08.21.2007 2:20 PM PDT
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I am a Sangheili Bard.
Tomes of the History of the Mirratord
For the honor of the Mirratord!

Absorbing.

~Aardvark

  • 08.21.2007 6:48 PM PDT

Phoenix is dead, long live Phoenix!
Is it?

Okay... I enjoyed the chapter, but I didn't like the end, I felt that it was played out incorrectly. Yes Rawlings still could of been shot, but the timing and sentencing were off. I believe when you do your full edit of the story you need to change the last part of the chapter.

Personally... I would have the guy explain the sentencing in greater depth. I think you do need to have a witness to the act, to verify a) she is who the guy thinks she is, and b) she was actually executed. Remember the saying, everything in triplicate, and with an execution of a major, the guy will want to have his arse covered.

You could still keep the suspense, and the shock, in fact I think you need to play it up more.

Waiting for the next chapter.

[Edited on 08.21.2007 9:57 PM PDT]

  • 08.21.2007 9:45 PM PDT

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Posted by: x Lai Tasha x
Okay... I enjoyed the chapter, but I didn't like the end, I felt that it was played out incorrectly. Yes Rawlings still could of been shot, but the timing and sentencing were off. I believe when you do your full edit of the story you need to change the last part of the chapter.

Personally... I would have the guy explain the sentencing in greater depth. I think you do need to have a witness to the act, to verify a) she is who the guy thinks she is, and b) she was actually executed. Remember the saying, everything in triplicate, and with an execution of a major, the guy will want to have his arse covered.

You could still keep the suspense, and the shock, in fact I think you need to play it up more.

Waiting for the next chapter.

Yeah, I wanted to play it up more, and with the research I had done for the Legality of an Execution of a commissioned officer there needs to be three witnesses and at least one of those witnesses needed to be a high ranking officer. However, as I was writing out the scene I thought to myself that the "depth" of his case against her was too deep. It was a long list and all the military rules, though nice, was have slightly been ... well... unnecessary to a degree. But you are right. Had this been a chapter of a book that I was publishing I would have invested the time to input more details in it, but basically I got lazy. :D

Mainly I was simply trying to express that A) she was wrong despite the obvious good intent and B) a lot happened in that room when she closed the door. I want to put more information into the next chapter, basically detailing "to a lot of people" why she was killed. But I also wrote that scene and posted it in under 2 hours. No edits, no reread. lol. Major Standish, who sat in the room silently, had given her a few minutes to gather herself. Sentencing was to be carried out immediately. Defying ONI and the Board was unacceptable and she was jeopardizing humanity. The board voted after she left on her punishement and wesly and the unknown spook were sent out to do the execution. Rawlings knew it was coming and she went to say goodbye to Kelly, however... well... Kelly was duty bound and not a big fan of Major Rawlings. A small excerpt of what Wesley is going to tell Rose in the next chapter. I wanted to add more of this, but I felt that the ending of the chapter was a nice point. This is why weekly releases sort of hurt the story, because in a natural book, you would simply jump into the next chapter and the explanation would be eventually revealed.

Thanks for the comments though, Lai. As always, keeping me working hard. :D
~soulguard

  • 08.22.2007 5:02 AM PDT
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I will hold off here as I want to go back to reviewing on ff.net. Dunno why, just like it there.. LOL. Glad to see the new chapter though.

  • 08.22.2007 4:36 PM PDT
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  • Exalted Heroic Member

Aozora Blazer Raigan

First time posting on the halo 2 forums: Standish...wasn't he in a car accident or was that someone else, I was sure he was dead, oh well I guess I need to listen ILB again. Keep it up Soul!

  • 08.22.2007 5:02 PM PDT
Subject: Halo Fanfic: If I were your hero
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Man that was great

Im new here but ive followed your posts for sometime and they are stupendous
keep up the good work.

whats your gamertag mines {NBK}Psycho

  • 08.23.2007 3:14 AM PDT
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whats your gamertag mines {NBK}Psycho


Just an FYI, you can see people's gamertags by moving your mouse pointer over their avatar.

  • 08.23.2007 7:27 AM PDT
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I am a Sangheili Bard.
Tomes of the History of the Mirratord
For the honor of the Mirratord!

Is the next chapter going to be next week or the week after?

~Aardvark

  • 08.23.2007 10:36 AM PDT
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hold up when Second (i cant spell his name) found out about the seed ship did he find out bout his mate?????

  • 08.23.2007 1:33 PM PDT
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havent read it yet (wwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhoooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!)

  • 08.24.2007 1:04 PM PDT
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stupid -blam- man k1ll da -blam-sterd

edit:great chapter

[Edited on 08.24.2007 1:43 PM PDT]

  • 08.24.2007 1:41 PM PDT
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Good chapter Soul, and I liked how you included Blue Team in the story, I miss Fred and Linda. It's a shame that Will died though.

[Edited on 08.24.2007 6:58 PM PDT]

  • 08.24.2007 6:46 PM PDT

|| Terminal Discussion.|| Where is Master Chief?|| Avatars and User Skins||

I hide my Gamertag because I don't want to play with you :).

"With great mustache, comes great responsibility"

I read half of it, sorry Soul gotta go to bed, I saved it so I can continue reading it first thing in the morning, another great installment.

  • 08.24.2007 10:33 PM PDT

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I hide my Gamertag because I don't want to play with you :).

"With great mustache, comes great responsibility"

Awesome installment Soul, too bad Major Rawling s had to die, I kinda enjoyed her story, but hey thats how it is. Keep me posted!

  • 08.26.2007 9:08 PM PDT
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sorry soulguard but if you don't like it i will remove it anyways, everyone go show your support here plz :)
Peter Marks

  • 08.27.2007 12:30 PM PDT

|| Terminal Discussion.|| Where is Master Chief?|| Avatars and User Skins||

I hide my Gamertag because I don't want to play with you :).

"With great mustache, comes great responsibility"

Off-topic, but touching nonetheless, my regards and prayers to Peter Marks

  • 08.27.2007 2:38 PM PDT
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I was watching a Halo Wars gameplay movie and they said the AI in the game name is Siren. I think they copied you.

  • 08.27.2007 3:10 PM PDT