1327 Hours, December 31, 2525
En route to Epsilon Eridani system, UNSC Halcyon-class Light Cruiser, Persian Gate
(Third Person POV)
Sam paced inside the Persian Gate gym, troubled by their previous mission. While John and the others moved on, Sam couldn't shake his frustration. With a powerful punch, he shattered a nearby punching bag. Their mission on Alpha Corvi haunted him; they had to abandon the planet, its people, and their unlikely allies.
Sam felt conflicted for the first time. Trained in viewing Insurrectionists as enemies, he now regretted leaving them to their fate.
Captain Whitaker and his band of local insurrectionist militia, even though had every right to shoot them on sight, helped them instead to complete their mission and to fight a common enemy, the covenant. And as much as he hated to admit it, he, John, Kelly, Fred and Linda would have probably never made it off were it not for them.
Sam simply could not believe that they were not allowed to EVAC from the pelican just because they weren't UNSC personals, because they were insurrectionists, sure he didn't trust them as they were innies, but as the saying went, 'Fate made us enemies, but this battle will make us brothers'.
Commander Yao, the officer in charge of the mission, dismissed the protests about abandoning their allies. John and the others were not pleased with this decision. If it weren't for Doctor Halsey, Sam might have confronted the Commander.
Sam left the gym through the entrance and walked down the hallway, passing by crew members and marines.
They all looked at him intently, as if he were a lab specimen or an anomaly. This scrutiny was now a common experience for him and the other Spartans.
As Sam entered the barracks and laid down on his cot, he only wondered if Aedan was having the same issues as they were. 'It's only been a month, and I am already missing him…everyone is' Sam thought as he closed his eyes…the one thing that would have probably helped him cope with this dilemma, this emotion that he was unfamiliar with, would probably have been Aedan.
January 6, 2526, 1145 hours
Location: Touchstone system, Andesia, UNSC Paris-class heavy frigate, Macron
Aedan had been leading Kilo-2 for a month, finding them reliable through various small operations. He understood their traits well: Elijah Agar was level-headed and friendly, specializing in heavy weapons and explosives. Elizabeth Kristine was the accurate sniper and scout, calm and blunt. Martinez Garcia, the joker and troublemaker, excelled in close combat and agility, reminding Aedan of an old friend.
The team gathered on the Macron's bridge, with Captain Rodriguez explaining their mission. The hologram of Andesia showed an outer colony colonized in 2450. In 2523, a rebellion supported by corporations there broke out, fueling its war efforts against them.
"The 10th Shock Troops Battalion was deployed in response to the outbreak of the insurrection. As of today, the colony remains at a stalemate, with neither side making significant progress," stated the Captain as he looked directly at each member of Kilo-2, starting with Aedan, who stood at attention like a statue, and ending with Elizabeth on the far right. "Your previous operations have necessitated your dispatch to address this insurrection."
Elijah raised his hand and requested, "Permission to speak, sir."
"Permission granted," replied the Captain.
"Sir, how are we expected to end a two-year-long insurrection?" Elijah inquired. Aedan had similar thoughts, understanding that even for a Spartan, neutralizing a full-scale planetary insurrection was a daunting task.
"Good question, marine," the Captain acknowledged as he pressed a button on the Holotable. The hologram of Andesia zoomed in closer, revealing the detailed topography of the planet's capital, Noctus, with its towering buildings reaching into the clouds.
"This is the capital city of Noctus on Andesia. It houses the main facilities of AMG Transport Dynamics and Traxus Heavy Industries. The ODSTs have already succeeded in neutralizing the AMG facilities, but one Traxus Heavy Industries facility remains intact," explained the Captain. Aedan inferred that their next mission would likely involve dealing with this remaining facility.
"The Hell Jumpers have tried and failed in the past to neutralize this facility, it is highly guarded and defended with a formidable garrison and an array of M12 light reconnaissance vehicles or Warthogs and two M808B Scorpion main battle tanks which these insurrectionists, if Intel suggests is correct, stole and repaired from scrap yards."
"A tough nut to crack, and that's where you four come in" the Captain says as he looks at them, "In the pass month you four have shown exceptional teamwork and stealth capabilities, I will be honest, I was skeptical of the Master Chief's idea to lead you three, but your past ops have proven me wrong" the Captain applauded, Aedan silently sighed of relief, he wondered if he, made the right choice by taking these three ODSTs under his wing.
"You will be dropped via drop pods near and around your targeted location, expect heavy resistance as the insurrectionist here have a knack for urban guerilla warfare " the Captain paused for a moment before continuing, "Good Luck, and Dismissed!"
All four of them Salute, "Yes, Sir!" all four of them said unanimously and filled out the bridge one by one, as they walked down the corridor of the frigate, Martinez couldn't help but speak, "Sure as hell was a boring briefing, at least I'll be able to crack me some innies".
"I am surprised you were able to stand quietly while the briefing was going on" Elizabeth said in a deadpan tone. Elijah simply snickered. Aedan held in a chuckle as well, he had grown fond of these three and their dynamic.
In the Armory, Aedan quickly grabbed a DMR, dual M6D magnums, and secured his knives. Elizabeth picked up her SRS99C sniper rifle, while Elijah took an MA5B assault rifle and a Jackhammer. Martinez chose an M7S SMG and an MA2B assault rifle. Elijah commented, "Two weapons? You sure you'll use both, Marty?"
"Two is better than one," Martinez replied, grabbing ammo. "All done, Boss."
Aedan nodded in agreement, "Let's proceed," he stated as he headed towards the entrance, with the three others following closely behind.
The journey to the SOIEV launch bay, referred to by the team as 'Hell's waiting room,' was brief. Aedan entered the first pod, Elijah took the second, Elizabeth occupied the third, and Martinez boarded the fourth. As the hatches sealed, Aedan activated TEAMCOM and instructed, "Ensure your IFF tags are enabled."
"Roger," confirmed Elijah.
"Affirmative," responded Elizabeth.
"Understood," acknowledged Martinez.
Aedan leaned back against his seat; this was his second deployment. Yet again, he would find himself in combat against fellow humans. Although he did not harbor ingrained animosity toward the insurrectionists, he recognized them as terrorists—a lesson instilled in him by his father, who believed that terrorists were uncompromising adversaries.
"Drop pods ejecting in 5...4...3...2...1," announced the ship's AI before Aedan felt his pod begin its free fall. "Here we go again," Aedan thought.
"This is going to be a loud landing." Elijah said through COMs.
"Isn't this what we Hell Jumpers are meant to do, making sure the place we are dropping in is crowded, haha!" Martinez commented with a bark of laugh.
"You take it way too seriously and lightly, Martinez" Elizabeth said.
After a few seconds of freefall, they deployed their chutes, slowing their descent onto Andesia. "Drop the chutes in 3...2...1," Aedan said through COMs as they ejected their chutes, descending onto another conflict-affected world, though not as severely as those under covenant attacks.
"Here we go," Elijah said through SQUADCOMs.
"Time to proceed with the mission," Martinez said.
"I agree with him on this one," Elizabeth said.
The pods then all landed, causing a significant impact which moved Aedan slightly. 'That was worse than my previous landing,' Aedan thought as he kicked his hatch open. As he exited, he pulled out his DMR and scanned the area. His HUD showed the locations of his team; Elijah was 30 feet away from him to the north, while Martinez and Elizabeth seemed to be near each other 40 feet to the west.
They landed in woodland, with Noctus's skyscrapers visible ahead. "Kilo-2 report in," Aedan said through TEAMCOM.
"Elijah here, all green, sir."
"Elizabeth here, green as well, sir."
"Martinez here, greener than grass, boss."
"Regroup at Elijah's position," Aedan instructed as he moved towards Elijah, who was behind a fallen tree. Despite being far from their target, gunshots and explosions echoed around them. Aedan knelt beside Elijah and was soon joined by the others.
"It appears we missed our drop," Elijah said as he prepared his assault rifle.
"Indeed," Martinez replied sarcastically.
Elizabeth, who had been silent, looked at Aedan and asked, "What is the plan, sir?"
Aedan looked towards the city ahead. "We will walk there," he said, standing up with his DMR ready. "Stay alert," he added before starting to walk towards the city, making sure to slow his pace so the others could keep up.
After a minute-long walk through the woodland, they emerged into an open field. The field was marked by craters from explosions and artillery, and some parts of the ground were charred black from previous skirmishes. Aedan heard Martinez mutter something but did not pay attention to it. As they continued, they heard distant gunfire ahead. Aedan immediately halted and signaled with his hands. Elijah and Martinez, already on alert, took positions at his flanks while Elizabeth stayed behind Aedan.
The four of them moved forward, weapons aimed and ready. As they got closer, the gunfire grew louder until they had a clear view from behind some trees.
Cadmon took cover by leaning against a wall, his M6C on one hand and his other hand slamming another mag into it. He was hit on his left shoulder; his entire team was already all KIA. The damn insurrections had taken them all by surprise, picked them off like flies.
"Damnit" Cadmon cursed under his breath. With the insurrectionists swarming his position and him already injured on his shoulder, he knew he wouldn't make it. He could hear the footsteps of oncoming innies, their weapons drawn, Cadmon took a deep breath in and thought 'Well, this it for me, hope you have a better run than me little bro.'
As he was about to get up and leave his cover to go out with a bang and joining his fellow teammates, gunfire came from behind him, and he had to duck back down to cover behind what used to be a wall. As the gunfire went on, he heard the innies behind the wall go down one by one, their bodies hitting the floor and them groaning and grunting as they got hit. Cadmon wasn't a religious man but for once he thanked God for sending whoever it was to save his ass.
Cadmon was expecting Marines or ODSTs to be his rescuer but the first person that approached him was a 7-foot-tall black armored individual with a dome shaped red tinted visor with a skull carved into it. 'Am I hallucinating?' he thought.
As Aedan approached the injured ODST he noticed the guy staring at him. He remembered that the Spartans still weren't public or hadn't been seen often. 'I can only imagine what's going through his mind' Aedan thought as he kneeled beside the ODST, "You hit marine?" Aedan asked.
Cadmon snapped back into reality and shakes his head a bit, "Uh, well uh no, sir, I mean yes." Cadmon fumbled his words as he was still dumbfounded at the fact that a 7-foot tall mech was the one that saved his life.
Elijah was the first one after Aedan to move in onto their position, his assault rifle aimed towards the direction where the insurrectionist came from, Martinez followed behind, his SMG also aimed, then finally followed by Elizabeth who reloaded her sniper as she reached their position.
"No more innies in sight, sir." Elijah said as he looked at Aedan.
Aedan nodded then returned his gaze to Cadmon, "What's our name, marine?" Aedan asked as he noticed the wound on his shoulder.
Cadmon, still visibly shaken by Aedan's presence, realized he was being addressed. "Cadmon, First Lieutenant Cadmon Lasky, sir," he responded. Elijah simply observed Aedan while Elizabeth and Martinez exchanged glances before looking at Cadmon.
Behind his visor, Aedan's eyes widened in surprise, but he maintained a calm exterior. "Where is your squad, Lieutenant?" Aedan inquired, aware that technically, Cadmon outranked him, but not correcting the situation given the urgency.
"All killed in action. I would have been too if not for you and your team," Cadmon replied, placing his right hand over his left shoulder. "That was quite a hit," he muttered under his breath.
Aedan retrieved his medkit and combat knife. "Hold still, Lieutenant," he instructed. Cadmon held his left arm, biting his lip to suppress his pain. With precision, Aedan removed the bullet embedded in Cadmon's shoulder. Cadmon grunted and hissed as the bullet was extracted. Aedan then applied biofoam to the wound.
"I never expected to be treated by a seven-foot-tall, armored guardian angel," Cadmon remarked, testing the movement of his still-numb left arm. Aedan chuckled, and Martinez let out a brief laugh.
"Trust me LT, this won't be the last." Elijah said as he helped Cadmon up.
"Can you use a weapon?" Aedan asked as he picked up his DMR.
"Probably, but I only have a pistol with two mags left." Cadmon said as he took out his M6C.
Aedan pondered for a moment until Elijah spoke, "Hey Marty hand the LT your unused MA2B."
"But I could need it…" Martinez sheepishly argued.
"Just shut up and give him your gun already." Elizabeth said as he smacked Martinez on the back of his head.
"Fine." Martinez grumbled as he rubbed the back of his head and pulled out the MA2B and its mags.
"Thanks, it's been a while since I last used this." Cadmon said as he puts his MA6C back on his waist and takes the MA2B and its mags, strapping it.
Aedan watched briefly, thinking how much had changed. "Lieutenant, I can't command you, but would you join us?" he asked. Elijah looked stunned despite his polarized helmet; Elizabeth was unreadable, and Martinez was as usual.
"This might be my only option," Cadmon said, scrubbing his chest piece. "I'll probably be demoted after this."
"Why is that?" Elizabeth asked.
"Well, my whole squad is dead." Cadmon said with guilt, "And I am the only one left, the leader, they'll probably blame me for getting them killed."
"Command can be rough sometimes." Elijah said as he patted Cadmon on the shoulders, "But cheer up, you're still alive and you can still carry your team's legacy with you…I mean, that's what a soldier would do."
Aedan assessed the cover. Their target facility was two kilometers ahead. If they encountered no issues, it would take ten minutes; if they did, thirty to sixty minutes.
"Let's move," Aedan said, leading the way. Elijah followed, with Cadmon behind him, Martinez taking the rear, and Elizabeth on the flank.
"What's our objective?" Cadmon asked via TEAMCOM.
"The intact Traxus heavy industries facility," Aedan replied.
"That place is heavily defended," Cadmon noted.
"We know," Martinez said. "Any idea how many enemies?"
"Between 400 to 700," Cadmon estimated as he scanned for ambushers, determined not to repeat past mistakes.
As the group walked through Noctus's desolate streets, smoke rose from distant skyscrapers. Aedan was amazed by Noctus's size; it was the first city he had seen since entering the Halo universe.
Their journey to the facility was uneventful, with no insurrectionists in sight. Aedan knew this usually meant either a trap was set, or they were being observed from afar. He hoped for neither.
The rest of Kilo-two, including Cadmon, shared his unease. The silence was unsettling, especially for Elijah, who kept his finger close to the trigger. Approaching a highway, Elizabeth noticed the lack of air vehicles. "Are the skies usually this empty?" she asked.
"Certainly not, it would be filled with Pelicans, Falcons, and Hornets flying around both UNSC and the insurgents," Cadmon responded. This only further confirmed Aedan's suspicions, but there were no alternatives; the mission remained the top priority.
The facility was now visible from the side of the highway; however, the highway stood 121 feet above where the facility was located. "Liz, please survey the exterior of the facility," he instructed.
Elizabeth acknowledged with a nod and proceeded to the edge, positioning her sniper rifle and observing through the scope. After a few moments, she gathered her equipment and returned to the group. "It is vacant, there are no guards outside," she reported.
Aedan simply turned to look at the other three, who looked at each other and nodded. This was now one hundred percent a trap. "Do we still continue?" Cadmon asked.
"We should go if they set a trap for us," Martinez said. Despite the risk, they had no choice but to proceed with their mission.
"How do we get down there?" Cadmon asked.
"Aedan gestured to Elijah. "Elijah," he said.
"Got it, sir," Elijah replied, securing a rappel at the edge. "It's ready."
Aedan, Elizabeth, Martinez, and Cadmon approached the edge. "I'll go first," Elijah said, descending the rappel. After a solid twelve-second drop, he landed on his feet and gave a thumbs up.
Elizabeth slung her SRS99 sniper on her back and went down, followed by Martinez and Cadmon. A small push from Aedan got Cadmon to descend as well.
"Hey boss! How are you gonna get down without breaking the rappel?" Martinez shouted from below.
Aedan leaped off the edge, activated his thrusters to slow his fall, and landed safely. "I forgot you have that," Martinez said sheepishly.
"How many cool things do you have in that armor?" Cadmon asked, amazed.
"A lot," Elijah replied.
The facility they approached resembled a factory, complete with multiple warehouses and garages. Evidence of defensive positions remained outside, including sandbags and tracks from Warthogs and a Scorpion. The main entrance—a large, sealed double door—was blackened and dented from previous engagements, although the number 03 was still visible.
As Aedan surveyed the expansive facility for an alternative entrance, Elizabeth drew his attention by nudging his arm. He looked down at her in response.
"Sir, there is a ladder leading to one of the windows," she indicated, pointing towards a ladder positioned above some containers. The windows it led to were broken.
"Let's get climbing," Martinez said, securing his SMG and using nearby crates to reach the top of the container. Elizabeth handed her sniper to Martinez and climbed up using the same method. Elijah needed help from both Martinez and Elizabeth due to his heavy load. As Cadmon joined them, he spoke through COMs, "I never got your names."
Elijah scratched his head, "Our bad. I'm Elijah, that's Elizabeth or Lizzy, and the gung-ho guy is Martinez." He pointed at Aedan, who easily jumped up thanks to his augmentations and height, "And that's the boss."
"Just boss?" Cadmon asked confused.
"We just call him that because he's our leader," Martinez said simply. "He'll introduce himself later. Right now, we have a job to do," Elijah added, climbing the ladder. Elizabeth had already entered, followed by Martinez and Cadmon, who glanced at Aedan before climbing. Aedan then followed them inside.
The insides of the facility looked more and more like a factory, they had entered into what could be said as the storage unit, multiple crates left untouched, forklifts parked and transport trucks, "Damn, the innies are either stupid or ballsy to not take all of this" Elijah said.
As they got down Aedan couldn't help but notice whom the crates belonged to, 'Misriah armory' Aedan thought, if he remembered correctly Misriah armory was the main corporation responsible for producing almost all UNSC infantry weapons and ground and aerial vehicles.
"Holy shit, some of these are marked as High explosives!" Elijah exclaimed as he examined a few of them, indeed some of the crates did have the designation of High explosives on them.
"Now this is straight up cocky, innies never leave any high valuable equipment like these behind." Cadmon said as looked around the storage unit, if it wasn't already clear, he was highly alarmed now.
"But why are crates from Misriah armory here in a Traxus facility?" Elizabeth asked, and Aedan had wondered the same question, but the more important one was why they left this behind.
"They are filled up as well" Martinez said as he tried moving one only to struggle due to the sheer weight of each crate.
Aedan continued to examine the area, sure there were many more crates here, but the question was, where the insurrectionist were at. He got an idea as to how this mission could be completed easily. "Elijah, how many satchels do you have?" he asked.
"Well, about seven of them" Elijah said as he removed his backpack which he had been carrying this whole time.
"Good, Liz take point, the rest of you put one satchel on each of the crates, we're going to send this place ablaze" Aedan said as he grabbed one of the satchel and placed it on one of the crates, lifting it up with ease. "Let's do this".
"Hell yeah!" Martinez excitedly said as he took one of the satchels.
"Oh, it's going to be beautiful" Elijah said as he took two satchels. Cadmon simply shrugged and grabbed done as well
As the three of them placed the Satchel, Aedan was the one that placed the crates right next to the facilities weak points and joints which held the place together. It took a solid 7 minutes to get everything set; Elijah had timed all the satchels, giving them all about 30 minutes to get clear of the area.
"Well, that took longer than I expected." Cadmon said as he let off a huff and panted. "Let's get clear of this place, we won't want to be caught up in the blast".
"Yes, although I am rather disappointed that we did not have many opportunities to fight the innies," Elijah said as he ascended the stairs to where Elizabeth was keeping watch.
"Fucking pussies if you ask me" Martinez said from behind. Aedan quietly followed from the back as well. "Ay Lizzy, how's it looking out there?"
As they reached the place where they had first entered from, Elizabeth was ducked behind cover, gestured her hand telling them to 'stop'. Aedan and the others immediately halted with Aedan and Cadmon drawing out their guns and taking position against the wall. Martinez and Elijah simply ducked down as well.
"We got multiple contacts outside, all innies." Elizabeth said through TEAMCOMs.
"How many?" Aedan asked.
"Platoon, possibly Company size." Elizabeth said as she peeked out slightly to have a small look. Aedan looked out slightly as well, and just as Elizabeth said there were about 60 to at least 150 men outside, all armed, Warthogs were starting to drive in as well.
"What the fuck!" Martinez cursed, "Were they having some kind of lunch break or something, why are they showing up now?"
"Because it's like we anticipated, a trap" Cadmon said as he also took a peek.
"Well, what now? We can't just waltz out there and take on a hundred innies; we may be good but not that good…" Elijah said as he took out his assault rifle.
"We're Hell Jumpers, we can't run away from this juicy fight, and we can get some much desired innies to kill." Martinez said as he readied his SMG.
"Not good," Elizabeth stated, "They probably have snipers around the buildings, and we wouldn't last even ten seconds if we walked out."
Aedan silently acknowledged Elizabeth's point. Despite being a SPARTAN in full Mjolnir armor, he understood his limitations. He recalled difficult moments from previous missions, particularly the challenging encounters with highly accurate Jackal snipers.
Aedan considered his options: he could either attempt to break through aggressively, hoping no one would be harmed in the process; eliminate the threat one by one from inside the building, although this risked triggering satchels; or use his thrusters to escape, though this was less feasible in a descending scenario with more people to consider.
His thoughts were interrupted as he noticed a warthog approaching the entrance. Instead of the usual M42 light anti-aircraft gun, it was equipped with two large speakers.
The man on the passenger seat got up and looked directly up at the large entrance; it didn't take a genius to figure out that he was probably the guy in charge.
The man grabbed a loud speaker holding it near his mouth, "Attention all UNSC personals inside, you are surrounded from every direction and have no route of escape, lay down your weapons and come out with your hands up, we guarantee that if you surrender you will be treated with just, if not you will join your fellow comrades, you have thirty seconds to consider before we begin the assault and take this facility back." As he finished the warthog reversed backwards and insurrections took position, their weapons aimed towards the entrance, the turrets on the Warthogs also tainted towards the metal entrance.
Aedan cursed under his breath. He had 30 seconds to choose between going out with a bang or surrendering, and he disliked both options.
"That guy is deluded if he thinks we'll ever surrender," Martinez said.
"For once, you're right," Elijah chuckled.
"Elijah, how much time before this place is rubble?" Aedan asked.
"About 12 minutes and 17 seconds," Elijah replied, checking his wrist timer.
"They're bringing in a scorpion now," Elizabeth said as she peeked out slightly. Aedan did the same, and indeed, an M808B scorpion main battle tank had just rolled up in front of the entrance.
"That is not good," Elijah said.
"Indeed," Martinez replied sarcastically.
Cadmon was deep in thought, considering possible solutions, then he suggested, "We could use the sewers." This suggestion gained him a look from everyone. "I saw a manhole inside the facility."
"Where?" Aedan asked.
"It was beneath one of the trucks," Cadmon said. Martinez and Elijah looked at each other.
"Boss, I know what you're thinking, but I'm not getting in there," Martinez stated. "I can handle aliens and all, but entering a sewer is not something I'm willing to do."
"What do you mean by aliens?" Cadmon asked. This was a reasonable reaction as the Covenant threat had not yet been made public to avoid causing widespread panic, though this was inevitable.
"I'll explain later," Aedan said. "Can you lead us to the manhole?"
"Right this way," Cadmon responded, taking the lead down the stairs. Aedan followed closely, with Martinez and Elijah taking the flanks and Elizabeth at the rear. As they moved toward the location Cadmon indicated, Elijah checked the timer, noting that only 6 minutes and 11 seconds remained.
Cadmon pointed out the manhole beneath a freight truck. "I can't squeeze down there," he said, peering at the small gap.
"No worries," Aedan said, walking to the back of the truck. With a deep breath, he pushed it away from the manhole.
"Are you even human?" Cadmon asked, astonished.
"Trust me, he is," Elijah replied. Aedan then opened the manhole and looked down, already dreading what lay ahead.
"Who's going first?" Aedan asked and all eyes were now on Martinez who backed away a bit.
"Now hang on a minute." Martinez said but was stopped by Elizabeth go pushed him forward, "We can talk about this boss, I am su-" he was cut off as Aedan picked him up and sent him down the manhole, his screams could be heard as he fell.
"I'll check on him." Elizabeth said as he slung her sniper over her shoulder and started descending the ladder.
"See you on the other side boss." Elijah said as he went next.
As Cadmon was about to enter he stopped and looked at Aedan, "I just wanted to say... thanks for saving my ass, you're a God sent angel, sir" he went down as well.
As Aedan was about to enter, he heard loud noises coming from the main entrance. He decided it was time to act and entered the manhole, closing it behind him.
Outside, the insurrectionist officer checked his watch and gave the order to move in. Six insurrectionists approached the entrance and placed satchels, while their Scorpion tank positioned itself directly in front of the entrance. Despite being given an opportunity to surrender, they chose to continue fighting.
The satchels went off the door still remained intact, he ordered the Scorpion to open fire, as the tank fired its 90mm cannon, the door was starting to break open, and after the second shot, it blasted apart, creating a massive hole.
As more and more insurrectionist moved inside the officer could only smirk, his scouts had informed him of the five man squad that was heading towards the facility, but what caught his attention was the presence of a tall armored giant, he had heard rumors of these tall soldiers, how a few months earlier a group of them had captured Watts, although his superiors and peers in the URF dismissed these claims, calling them 'UNSC myths', he had his suspicions, it was why he had set this trap in the first place.
"Sir, the facility is empty, no one in sight." one of his men approached him.
"What? Have you checked everywhere?" he questioned, this was not what was planned, he had made sure to cut off every possible escape route and even if they did slip away from a small hole his scouts would have informed him, as he walked into the facility he looked around the place, his men went around checking every corner, checking every room, every place they could possibly hide.
As he walked next to one of the pillars, he heard a strange beep. His guards stopped, and he motioned for them to check it. The guards proceeded ahead with their weapons drawn, leaving him by the pillar. The beeping grew louder as he stood there. He turned around and saw a pile of high explosive crates, which they had taken from the Misriah armory facility on the planet. The sound came from that direction. As he moved some of the crates, he noticed a timer counting down: 10…9...8…7…6...5…4.
He realized what it was and backed away, "MEN, GET CLEAR O-" he shouted but was cut off as the explosion went off. Explosions went across the facility as Aedan had stacked the crates to cause a large enough explosion to turn this place to rubble, the building started to collapse, as fire engulfed the insides, even those outside were not spared as the debris and rubble took them out as well, while burying the tank and warthog in rubble in the process.
As Cadmon and the three other ODSTs made their way through the sewers underground, they could feel the ground shaking due to the explosion, "Damn that was a big one." Elijah said as he ran through the disgusting sewers. Aedan was quite a bit behind them but was catching up as well, 'Thank goodness I can't smell anything inside the Mjolnir' he thought.
"Great, I'll have to clean my gear," Martinez cursed as sewer waste splashed his visor.
"We'll have time later," Elizabeth replied.
"Do you always do these crazy things?" Cadmon asked.
"Yes," Aedan answered, catching up.
"Welcome back, boss," Elijah said. "How long are we staying down here? The smell is awful."
"There's the ladder," Cadmon pointed out.
"I go first," Martinez stated, climbing the ladder, followed by Elizabeth and Elijah.
"Why do you always go last?" Cadmon asked, gripping the ladder.
"Someone has to cover you," Aedan explained.
"That makes sense. How did you get so... big?" Cadmon asked.
"Classified," Aedan said.
"Guess I tried. See you up there," Cadmon said, climbing the ladder.
As Aedan emerged from the manhole, he saw a billboard; the facility was gone, but the highway remained. "Damn ads survive everything," Martinez muttered, looking at a burger ad.
"Those corporate bastards probably bribed both sides," Elijah joked.
"At least something made it," Cadmon replied.
"You saved us back there, LT," Elijah said, giving him a fist bump.
"Just doing what's best to survive, I couldn't let another team go fully KIA, especially the one that saved me," Cadmon said. "And your boss is why we escaped."
"Take some credit, LT. The Chief wouldn't want all the praise," Elizabeth added.
"Chief?" Cadmon asked, looking at Aedan.
"Master Chief Petty Officer Aedan 001," Aedan introduced himself.
"Wait, I've been taking orders from a Master Chief?" Cadmon asked, surprised. "Wow, I didn't know the Navy had giant armored individuals like you."
"Trust me, we reacted the same way when we first met him," Elijah said.
Aedan stepped away, opening his COMs channel. "Sierra 001 to Macron, requesting extraction at marked coordinates."
"Affirmative Sierra, a Pelican will pick you up shortly, ETA four minutes," a voice replied.
Aedan checked his DMR mag; he had only fired eight shots today. 'I'll have to ask Dr. Halsey about this,' he thought, feeling more reserved and distant.
"You alright? You've been standing there for a while," Cadmon asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. "What's your armor made of? Surely that's not classified."
"Titanium-A, weighs about one ton," Aedan replied.
"Holy- how can you even move?" Cadmon exclaimed.
"Some extreme measures, most of it classified," Aedan explained.
"I can guess. What did you mean by 'alien' back there?" Cadmon asked.
Before Aedan could respond, his COMs crackled to life. "Pelican Lima 2-7 to Kilo-2, do you read?"
"We read you. How long till arrival?" Elijah's voice replied.
A Pelican then appeared overhead, landing right in front of them. "Right here, trooper," the pilot answered.
Martinez jogged over and boarded, followed by Elijah and Elizabeth. "Let's go," Aedan said, heading towards the Pelican.
"Wait, hold on. I'm not even part of your team, nor am I stationed on your ship," Cadmon stated as Aedan paused and turned to face him.
"Just get in. You were crucial to the mission's success, and you saved our lives too," Aedan replied, placing a reassuring hand on Cadmon's shoulder. "So please, board the vessel."
"Hey! What's taking so long? Get in already; I need to clean my equipment!" Martinez called from the pelican.
Despite his reluctance, Cadmon boarded the aircraft. Declining a request from a towering, seven-foot armored individual was clearly not an option. He took a seat opposite Aedan and the other three crew members. The ramp of the pelican closed, and it swiftly ascended from the ground, heading upwards to depart the planet's atmosphere.
Inside, Cadmon sat silently, reflecting on the day's events. From narrowly escaping death to being rescued by a group of ODSTs and a tall individual in heavy titanium armor, joining them on their mission, assisting them, making an escape through the sewers, and now being taken for a debriefing.
"So, what did you all mean by aliens? I still haven't gotten my answer," Cadmon asked, looking at the three ODSTs. They exchanged glances before directing their attention to Aedan, who removed his helmet.
"Holy shit! You actually are human," Cadmon noted, remarking on the day's unusual events.
"Told you he was human," Elijah said.
"So…about the aliens," Aedan continued, turning his attention back to Cadmon.
Cadmon sat there, gazing into his brown-grey eyes. He had to acknowledge that his appearance was somewhat unsettling: slightly tanned skin that appeared to have been deprived of sunlight recently, hair as crimson red as blood, and particularly disconcerting eyes. What was most surprising was that he seemed no older than 16, the same age as Cadmon's younger brother. Cadmon patiently awaited the answer to his long-anticipated question.
Cadmon had removed his helmet to get some fresh air after a long and perplexing day. His mouth was open, and his eyes appeared ready to bulge out as he displayed various emotions including confusion and surprise. As he regained his composure, he looked at Aedan, who maintained a calm expression, seemingly in disbelief. "So, if I understand correctly, the UNSC, or humanity, is at war with an advanced alien race or empire called the Covenant?" he asked.
"Yes" Aedan reaffirmed.
"And they want us all dead like dead, dead?" Cadmon asked.
"Mhm." Aedan confirmed.
"And they have plasma weaponry which can melt Titanium like it were made of clay?" Cadmon asked, clearly puzzled.
"Exactly," Aedan confirmed.
"How are we supposed to win against that? If their weapons can melt through Titanium, then we marines would be at a significant disadvantage," Cadmon exclaimed.
"Calm down LT; they may have better guns but we have highly skilled troops," Martinez said confidently.
"That is debatable, but I can agree," Elijah said. "We managed to destroy one of their ships by boarding it."
"You did what now?" Cadmon asked, the more he heard them speak the more baffled he became, Hell Jumpers were crazy, but these guys were a whole different level.
"You heard him, Lieutenant," Elizabeth said. "While they may possess superior weaponry and technology, they are not invincible. We have already demonstrated that, largely due to the Chief's assistance."
"Indeed, without his presence, we would not be here," Martinez added.
"He also saved us, Lieutenant, so you are not alone in your gratitude," Elijah remarked. Cadmon glanced over at Aedan, who was methodically cleaning his DMR. Initially, Cadmon had thought of Aedan merely as an exceptionally strong individual, but now his respect for him had grown significantly.
"I suppose with individuals like him on our side, we may actually have less to worry about," Cadmon conceded.
"That's the spirit, Lieutenant!" Martinez commended.
"We're preparing to land. Marines and Chief, welcome back," the Pilot announced over the speaker.
Aedan replaced his helmet and secured his DMR on his back before standing up. Cadmon followed suit, rising from his seat, along with Elijah and Elizabeth. Martinez reluctantly got to his feet.
"Well, it's time for another uneventful debriefing," Martinez sighed.
"Don't fall asleep, the captain might assign you pushups at the bridge," Aedan remarked, prompting Elijah and Cadmon to laugh.
"I may be lazy at times, but I'm not that slow," Martinez responded.
"Let's proceed and complete this task quickly," Aedan instructed. The pelican opened the ramp, and all five of them exited.
January 6, 2526, 1307 hours
Touchstone system, Andesia, UNSC Paris-class heavy frigate, Macron
The debrief was typically boring. Aedan had to give a detailed account of their missions and any important intelligence gathered.
Cadmon's part was the most confusing. The Captain praised him for helping Kilo-2 but also rebuked him for getting his squad killed. Although not technically under his command, the Captain followed protocol and demoted him from First Lieutenant to Gunnery Sergeant before dismissing them. Aedan stayed behind at the bridge and told them to meet him in the locker room.
Cadmon sat on a bench, expecting worse—court-martial or demotion to private or corporal. Instead, he was only demoted to Gunnery Sergeant. The Captain allowed him to stay onboard until he decided his fate since Cadmon wasn't part of the ship's crew.
"Is everything alright, Gunny? You seem somewhat out of sorts," Martinez inquired with a hint of levity.
"Leave it, Marty. He was demoted, naturally, he would be feeling down," Elijah interjected in Gunny's defense.
"I was merely attempting to lighten the atmosphere, given that our superior is not present," Martinez explained.
"You often jest, even in his presence," Elizabeth noted.
Cadmon was saddened by his demotion, but he had expected it. The situation reminded him of his old team and how he ignored his superiors' warnings about a probable trap. As a result, his team suffered. Now, he had to follow Elijah's advice: "Carry their legacy by being alive."
The door hissed open, drawing everyone's attention as Aedan entered. Cadmon stood while Elijah approached. "Anything new, boss?" Elijah asked.
"Yes," Aedan replied, pointing at Cadmon, "It's about him."
"What is it?" Martinez inquired.
"Probably a transfer back to Andesia," Cadmon guessed.
"He's coming with us," Aedan said. Cadmon froze. 'Going with them,' he thought.
"He's coming with us?" Elizabeth repeated, confused.
"Yes, he'll be joining Kilo-two now," Aedan explained. Cadmon's eyes widened.
Martinez slapped Cadmon on the back and grinned. "Welcome to the team, Gunny."
"How is that possible?" Cadmon asked, bewildered.
"The captain talked to your superiors, and they agreed," Aedan explained. "Kilo-two needs more people, and you're perfect for it."
"Thank you, sir," Cadmon responded, still surprised.
Aedan pulled him close with surprising strength. "Welcome to Kilo-2, marine. We'll make a great team," he said, releasing his grip.
"Amen to that," Martinez added.
"Welcome to the team, Gunny," Elijah said, giving him a respectful nod.
"Welcome to the group," Elizabeth added as she lightly patted his shoulders.
Cadmon felt like he was dreaming. He had recently lost his own team and now found himself joining the team that had just saved him, and they accepted him without hesitation. It seemed almost too good to be true, but he allowed himself to laugh as he was warmly welcomed by Kilo-2. 'This must be my second chance,' he thought as he received heartfelt greetings from individuals who had been strangers only a few hours ago. 'Battles indeed have a way of turning strangers into brothers,' he reflected.