Location: Halo Ring Installation, Unknown Island
Time: Early Afternoon
The Pelican skimmed just above the water, the sound of its engines thrumming through the hull like the pounding of a drum. The weight of everything that had happened, everything that was about to happen, pressed on my shoulders. I wasn't just Daniel Smith anymore. That person had faded, leaving only the mission and the armor—Master Chief. This world didn't care about who I used to be. Now, I was tasked with saving it.
Ahead of us, the island came into view, rising from the ocean like a fortress. Its jagged cliffs were shrouded in mist, but beneath the surface lay the Silent Cartographer—a map room that held the key to Halo's control center. The Covenant had beaten us here, and now it was a race to see who could reach the Cartographer first.
Foehammer's voice cut through the tension, crackling over the comms. "We're approaching the LZ. It's hot. Get ready to come out swingin'!"
I tightened my grip on the assault rifle, the cold metal of the gun grounding me. Around me, the Marines shifted in their seats, their faces hard and focused, though I could see the flickers of fear in their eyes. For some, this was just another mission. For others, it could be their last.
The Pelican dipped lower, the coastline rushing toward us as the engines roared. I could see the Covenant forces already entrenched along the beach—Grunts, Jackals, and a few Elites, their positions fortified, waiting for us to land.
"Touchdown! Hit it, Marines!" Foehammer barked.
The troop bay door slammed open, and chaos erupted. Plasma fire lit up the beach before we even hit the ground. The sand exploded into clouds of dust as blue and green bolts of plasma energy slammed into the shoreline, searing everything they touched.
I was out of the Pelican before the Marines, my boots sinking into the sand as I sprinted for cover. The air was thick with the acrid smell of burned ozone and the hissing sound of energy weapons. We had barely hit the beach, and the Covenant were already trying to pin us down.
I dove behind a boulder, my rifle raised, and fired into the nearest group of Jackals. Their energy shields flared as my bullets slammed into them, but I aimed for the exposed gaps, dropping two of them in quick succession. Around me, the Marines returned fire, pushing forward against the Covenant's fortified position.
"Keep moving!" I shouted over the roar of gunfire. "We need to break their lines!"
The Elites barked orders, rallying their Grunts and Jackals, but we were closing in fast. I swung my rifle toward a group of Grunts trying to flank us, putting them down with a burst of controlled fire. One of them managed to lob a plasma grenade in our direction, but it landed short, exploding harmlessly in the sand.
"Area's clear!" a Marine called out as the last Covenant soldier fell, its methane mask hissing as it collapsed.
I stood up, scanning the battlefield. The beach was littered with bodies, both Covenant and human, but for now, we had the upper hand. The Marines were already regrouping, checking their gear and preparing for the next push.
"Echo 419 inbound," Foehammer's voice crackled over the comms. "Somebody order a Warthog?"
The Pelican roared overhead, dropping a Warthog onto the sand with a heavy thud. Private First Class Hosky laughed as he ran toward it. "Now that's what I'm talkin' about!"
I waved two Marines over. "You're with me."
Hosky jumped into the passenger seat while another Marine manned the turret. I slid into the driver's seat, the engine rumbling to life beneath me. As we peeled out, sand kicked up behind us, the Warthog barreling toward the cliffs that led to the Silent Cartographer.
The island's terrain was rough, the narrow paths winding up toward the Covenant's main installation. As we rounded the first bend, plasma fire erupted from a Covenant patrol above us. I swerved hard, narrowly dodging a plasma mortar that exploded nearby, sending debris and sand into the air.
"They're dug in tight!" Hosky shouted, firing his rifle from the passenger seat. "We're not gonna make it through like this!"
"We don't have to make it through them," I replied, steering the Warthog toward a nearby outcropping. "We just need to get inside."
Cortana's voice chimed in, her tone urgent. "Chief, I'm detecting multiple Covenant signatures inside the facility. The Cartographer is somewhere below ground. If we can reach it before the Covenant locks it down, we might have a chance."
I gunned the engine, heading for the entrance. As we approached, a massive Elite Zealot stepped out from the shadows, its energy sword crackling to life.
"Don't let them lock the doors!" Cortana warned, but it was too late. The heavy Forerunner doors sealed shut with a deafening clang, cutting us off from the Cartographer.
"Great," I muttered. "Now what?"
Cortana's tone was sharp, calculating. "The Covenant must have a security override nearby. If we can find the control room, we can disable the lockdown."
I turned the Warthog toward the cliffs, looking for a secondary route. The Covenant would have reinforcements on the way, and we didn't have time to waste. As we ascended the narrow path, more plasma fire rained down on us from above. I swerved again, dodging another mortar blast, but the Covenant were relentless.
"They're bringing in more troops!" Hosky yelled, pointing toward the sky. A Covenant dropship descended from above, reinforcing their position with more Elites and Grunts.
"We need to move fast," I growled, pushing the Warthog harder. The vehicle bounced over the rough terrain as we sped toward a secondary entrance to the facility. "Cortana, find us that control room!"
"I've already marked it on your HUD," she replied. "But you're not going to like it. There are Hunters guarding the entrance."
"Of course there are," I muttered.
The path led us to a plateau where the security substation was located. Just as Cortana had warned, two massive Hunters stood between us and the entrance, their fuel rod cannons glowing ominously.
"Take the wheel!" I shouted to Hosky, sliding out of the driver's seat as the Warthog came to a stop. He scrambled over as I grabbed the shotgun from the back.
The first Hunter fired, its fuel rod blast slamming into the ground near me, sending a shockwave of debris into the air. I rolled to the side, dodging the blast, and fired my shotgun into its exposed back. The Hunter roared, stumbling forward, but it wasn't down yet.
The second Hunter charged, its massive shield raised. I dodged again, slipping behind it and unloading two more shotgun blasts into its side. It collapsed with a thunderous crash, the ground shaking as it fell.
With the Hunters down, I sprinted toward the control panel inside the substation. Cortana's voice guided me through the process, and within seconds, I felt the security locks across the island disengage.
"Good work," Cortana said. "That should open the door to the Cartographer."
Before I could respond, the comms flared to life with a distress call.
"Mayday, mayday! Dropship Bravo 022 taking enemy fire! We're losing altitude!"
"That's Bravo 022!" Hosky shouted, his voice tense. "We've got to help them!"
Cortana's tone was sharp. "If Bravo 022 goes down, we'll lose the heavy weapons we need to breach the Cartographer. Chief, we need to move now!"
I turned back to the Warthog, my heart pounding. There wasn't a second to lose. I gunned the engine and sped toward the crash site. We needed those weapons—and we couldn't afford to fail. Not here, not now. The fate of the mission depended on it.