Vandread Fan Fiction ❯ VanDread - Halo ❯ Water Hazard ( Chapter 12 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

VanDread Halo
Disclaimer: Halo belongs to Bungie and VanDread belongs to GONZO, I own neither so don't ask for a lawsuit.
Chapter 12
Water Hazard…
< >: Thoughts
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The Nirvana was currently orbiting an entire planet made of water and the bridge crew were looking at it while the officers were looking at the planet while analysis of the planet in question was nearing completion. The pirate officers were currently in the Conference Room and so was John-117 and Cortana.
Since the Spartan was head of Ground Team operations and Ship Defense…he was naturally an officer within the ship, and Cortana's roles as ship weapons officer, combat intelligence officer, and ground operations support and coordination leader also placed her in an officer's position as well. The Spartan was currently in his Mjolnir Mark VI and was wearing his helmet while Cortana was wearing her normal clothes at the moment.
Buzam was currently giving her reports on the current findings on the planet before them.
“The planet appears to be entirely covered in water and it has a nitrogen-oxygen mix in the atmosphere…so it is capable of supporting human life…scans also detect two important things, the first is the presence of what appears to be an island city and the remains of a colony ship under water.”
Magno looked at her fellow officers and namely Cortana and the Master Chief, the two were also looking at the data and were now doubt coming up with plans of their own for this possible ground or rather water based operation.
“All right then…time to see our `cousins' and see what we can find out from them.”
**************
In the bridge…
“Wow…that planet is very pretty.”
“Yeah….looks like a great sapphire from up here.”
The bridge crew looked on while giving compliments on the planet's appearance, the Spartan and the rest of the officers were there…while Hibiki was also among them, wearing his Body Armor suit, and so was Dita, and Meia.
“Not a bad looking world.”
Cortana said as she was currently in her holo-tank. The Spartan however replied in response.
“I liked Reach better…not too much water.”
The former UNSC AI laughed at that as the others looked at the Spartan with some confusion as to where this planet was. They knew little about the Spartan apart from his military history, battle records, military awards, but not much else. However, before they could ask more questions about what he meant by that remark…the threat scanners came online.
Belvedere, Amarone, Ezra and Celtic quickly checked the area and Ezra then gave the report as data came into the systems.
“There appear to be Harvester signals coming from the other side of the planet!”
“How many?”
Buzam asked as she looked at the tactical scanners.
“A large number of Cube Fighters, some Boarding craft…and what appears to be some sort of massive…ship….it's unlike anything we have on record.”
Sure enough…it didn't take long for the crew of the Nirvana to spot the ship as it came into view…it was hideous…it resembled a malevolent looking organic tulip which was closed at the very moment, there seemed to be a number of Cube Fighters on it…doing something that resembled…repairs of some sort.
“What the devil is that thing?!”
The elderly Captain asked as they gazed at the new monstrosity. Cortana scanned it , using her own sensors as she powered up the Point Defense Guns and the Archer Missile Pods, as she did her scanning she determined that it was not a combat ship…but seemed to be built for a far more insidious purpose.
“That ship must some sort of orbital harvesting vessel Captain…I can't see any weapon ports so the Cube Fighters and Boarding craft with it must be the security detail.”
“Well, if they're here to Harvest the people of this planet…then I guess we're going to have to kick them out of this system and send them back empty-handed! All hands to combat stations!”
John-117 then reached a nearby inter-com and spoke.
“This is Spartan-117 to all Fire Teams…suit up and prepare for combat!”
All throughout the ship…the call to battle was now being played as alarms were sounding all over the ship…the Dread pilots got ready to move to their fighters while the Nirvana Fire teams and the Security Teams got ready to defend the Nirvana on the off chance that the Harvesters would board the ship. The newly introduced Talvern recruits were able to fit in with their Megele allies and had received training on the use of the Covenant based weapons used by the Nirvana Fire Teams in their missions, along with the use of UNSC based weapon systems. The Spartan moved to the UNSC section of the Nirvana and arrived at the Armory and grabbed an MA5C ICWS Assault Rifle and took out a M90A Shotgun and loaded the weapon with the shells as he waited in the main hall for his Fire Teams and their respective NCOs and their new Talvern allies and got them all ready for combat, the Talvernian soldiers were still equipped with their standard body armor and weapons and were ready to support their fellow Fire Team members as the Spartan began assigning them to areas of the Nirvana that were viable entry points for any Boarding Craft that belonged to the Harvesters. The Spartan checked his own weapons and got ready for the imminent call of Cortana that external and internal contacts were imminent.
Hibiki was now on his way to the Hanger where his partner was, but he was suddenly stopped by Jura and Barnette, the blonde had been able to scout out his route and set up some lights and a video camera and doing things that utterly confused the young Tarak male but he paid them no mind and despite Jura's protests he was in a hurry, but not before shouting at the two.
“We're in the middle of a damn battle! Quit horsing around and get to your Dreads!”
**************
As the bridge crew got ready for the soon to come battle…Belvedere turned and spoke to the Captain.
“Begging pardon Captain…but wouldn't it be better that we have Cortana use the MAC guns it take out the Harvester ship instead of sending out the Dreads and the Vanguard?”
Magno thought about it and turned to Cortana who was busy scanning the ship.
“Can you use the MAC guns on the Harvester ship Cortana? Belvedere does have a point…with even just one shot from the MAC guns we have…that ship could be easily dealt with and we don't have to send out the Dreads.”
Cortana turned and shook her head while being in her holo-tank.
“That's bad idea Captain…”
“Why's that?”
“The Harvester ship's close to the barrier between the zero-gravity of deep space and the gravity well of the planet below us Captain. If I was to use the MAC Gun, there's a big chance that the ship might crash into the planet and it could result in a massive earth-quake and tsunami that could hit the city and cause massive casualties on the city below us. We'd end up killing millions of civilians in doing so. Our best chance to win this is to force the Harvesters away from the planet so we can destroy it without any risk to the people below.”
Magno looked at the situation and after Buzam did her own analysis and said that Cortana was right in her decision, she decided to that end that destroying the ship while it was there was a bad idea…they would have to find a way to force the ship away from the planet and allow them to finish it off without risk to the people below on the water filled planet.
“All right…destroying them right now is a bad idea, considering their location and if that is the risk if we fire the MAC guns on that ship, then we're going to have to force the Harvesters away from this planet. All Dread pilots…we have to force the Harvesters away from the planet and destroy them when they are away from the planet.”
**************
Hibiki got ready to face off with the Harvesters as their Cube Fighters as he and the Dreads were already out in force…but the moment he and the others attacked…the Cube Fighters pulled a few tricks of their own as they were able to out maneuver him when he came in close to attack. He realized that what the Master Chief had been teaching him was right….the enemy did adapt to his fighting style and now he had to adapt as well to equalize with their new abilities and tactics.
He managed to take down a few Cube Fighters by relying on both timing and surprise…even luring the enemy units in by pretending to be injured from their attacks and that spared him the trouble of trying to catch them and he was able to even it up…he even used the debris to even up the odds by hiding as best he could manage in the debris and hit the enemy hard before they could recover properly, but despite the success of his attacks, the other Cube Fighters were not going to fall for his movements a second time and he got hit…thankfully the armor of his Vanguard was still very strong to withstand the attacks and he was able to avoid more damage…
A Cube Fighter managed to come close enough to attack him…but that fighter wasn't able to get anywhere fast as it was destroyed by weapons fire from Jura's Dread. The blonde Dread pilot then called Hibiki on the inter-com and gave him a suggestive smile and look.
“Hey…don't forget that now is the time you combine with me.”
Hibiki didn't know why but that made him a lot more…uncomfortable than he wanted to admit as he had getting this sensation since being closer to Dita. He didn't know why he was suddenly this `aware' of females…but he did not trust himself at the very moment to be close to the woman right now. But before he could do anything…another Cube Fighter came at the two of them…but was reduced into scrap by Dita's own Dread. The redhead smiled as she contacted Hibiki and spoke.
“If you want Mr. Alien, you can combine with me!”
Hibiki was getting even more uncomfortable and decided that he had enough of this non-sense as he powered up his Vanguard and left the two Dreads behind as he went off to unleash his current feelings of anxiety and unease on the Harvester Cube Fighters.
<What the hell is wrong with me all of a sudden?!>
Hibiki kept his focus on the job at hand and fight off another pair of Cube Fighters…while the Dreads dealt with the rest, the Boarding Craft had a smaller profile than the Cube Fighters so they were able to evade most of the Dreads…but some were shot down both by the Dreads and Cortana's use of the Nirvana's Point Defense Guns. The Cube Fighters tried to attack the Nirvana…but the wily and skilled UNSC AI and Nirvana gunner was more than ready to shred them for thinking that.
Three or more Boarding Craft managed to latch on the Nirvana…but as their payloads of Shock Troopers found out…the Nirvana Fire Teams were waiting for them and they were greeted with a hail of plasma fire…bullets and lasers as the core Fire Teams and their Talvern allies poured it on…however, the Master Chief's suspicions were proven true as the Harvester Shock Troopers now made use of cover and had better tactics as several of the Fire Teams were injured…even some of the new Talvern recruits were injured as well…but their improved armor did have good protection and they were able to pull back…the Spartan quickly moved in to support his Fire teams and made a mess as he closed the gap with the Shock Troopers.
One Shock Trooper attempted to charge and use it's Assault Blade on the Spartan who calmly moved aside and slam the butt of his MA5C in the neck of the enemy unit…and with the Spartan's already deadly strength and power…doubled by the Mjolnir Mark VI, the Shock Trooper's neck was easily broken and the Spartan grabbed the body and turned it around before him..using the body as a shield and fired his Assault Rifle in his one hand while holding the body…the dead Shock Trooper absorbed the blows from it's still living compatriots…and several were slain by the Spartan as he then tossed the dead body aside and fired his MA5C IWCS Assault Rifle and then quickly took out his M90A and fired several blasts at the survivors…shredding them.
As soon as the smoke cleared, the Spartan ordered all Fire Teams to report their current status…
“This Spartan 117 to all Fire Teams…report status!”
“Fire Team Alpha here! Three wounded, but still fighting!”
“Fire Team Bravo here! Two wounded but we've got the Harvesters on the run!”
“Fire Team Charlie here! Three wounded and one badly hurt but we're alive and kicking…unlike the Harvesters!”
“Fire Team Delta here! Four wounded…but were all here and still kicking Harvester butt!”
Fire Team Eagle here! We've got three wounded…but we've got the Harvesters right by the nose…if they had any!”
“Fire Team Fox here! We're holding the liner despite four wounded…they picked the wrong place to party!”
The Fire Teams managed to mop up the Shock Troopers and get their wounded as the Fire Teams each reported their casualties…considerable injuries…but thankfully non-fatal ones as Cortana reported that the last Boarding Craft had been shot down by the Dreads…the last one being shot down by Meia herself. John gave the all clear command as he ordered the wounded from each team to be brought into the Medical Bay for treatment. The Security Teams acted as the escorts for their wounded kin to the Medical Bay…those of the Fire Teams who were still able to fight were placed on standby as the Spartan checked on the progress of the outside battle.
**************
In space…
Hibiki was doing a good job at the moment and at this point he was getting the hang of the new fighting style of the Cube Fighters…but as he was about to take out the Cube Fighters…several of them suddenly charged right at him and then sent him crashing right to the surface of the planet…but he was not alone…Dita had attempted to go with him but found out very quickly that she couldn't risk her Dread..Jura on the other hand…
Despite the fact that the Dreads were never designed for atmospheric operations and hers was no exception…the blonde was adamant in finally combining with Hibiki's Vanguard and charged on…Hibiki was thankful that his buddy's armor plating was holding on and that he had made the precaution of having a special heat retardant coating placed on…but he was shocked when he spotted Jura following him and from what he could see…her Vanguard's armor plating was feeling the strain of re-entry…he was no Dread specialist…but what he was seeing was certainly spelling trouble for her.
“What heck are you doing?!”
“I am not going to get left behind..”
“Are you nuts or something?! Pull up before your Dread gets torn to pieces!!!!”
The group made it through the atmosphere and crashed right into the ocean while several of the Cube Fighters that came along were there as they had their own heat shields active at the moment. As soon as they scanned the area…something began to rise while the Nirvana crew looked at what had happened, they were relieved that Jura and Hibiki were okay…but if Jura was alive then that meant that her Dread had managed to unite with Hibiki's Vanguard…so what exactly was going to be the result of the fusion between her Dread and his Vanguard…what sort of VanDread will come out…
They got their answer and looked at the VanDread…Cortana raised an eye brow and commented as the others in the bridge crew were looking on.
“A crab…well that's certainly new…”
However Jura was not exactly happy at the moment…
**************
“All right…saddle up…we're going to the city!”
“Yes sir!”
The Spartan looked as several of his Fire team members…those who were not badly injured and ready to go went into the shuttle carrying their weapons and wearing their armor, along with some spare gear to escort the elderly bridge captain and the commander to the planet's surface. The others were to remain on combat standby in the Nirvana.
As for himself the Spartan was armed with an M90 A Shotgun and his trusty MA5C ICWS Assault Rifle, he then turned to see the elderly Captain Magno and the Commander BC move towards the shuttle…as the two approached the shuttle…the Spartan saluted them and reported.
“Your ground escort team is ready Captain, Commander!”
Magno saluted the Spartan and so did Buzam, and the elderly woman smiled at the young warrior. This would be a normal mission of diplomacy as when they had spoken with the apparent leader of the city…a blonde lady named Fanita, the elderly woman wanted to find out just what was going on there on the surface of the city and who were the Munya that the lady spoke of and what was the purpose of the festival.
“You don't have to go with us Master Chief…”
“That might be true Captain…but I am still duty bound to protect you as the leader of the ground operations for the ship.”
Buzam nodded as there was truth in the statements of the Spartan…he was commander of the ground combat operations of the pirates and having him on the ground with them would be helpful just in case things got too dicey. She was then a bit surprised when the Spartan reached behind him and removed the M90A Shotgun and handed it to her.
“Have you ever used one of these weapons before Commander Buzam?”
Buzam nodded and that was enough for the Spartan as he reached for the ammunition compartment on his leg and took out the full loads of Shotgun shells he had and handed them to Buzam to use. He then reached for a nearby UNSC weapons crate and took out a BR55 HB SR Battle Rifle and the accompanying ammunition and placed the new weapon on his back with a thump as the magnetic pads held the weapon in place.
The Spartan and the two female officers got into the transport and then made their way down to the city which served as their target destination as soon as they left the Nirvana…escorted by a pair of Longswords to the surface of the planet with the Longswords' activating their heat shields for re-entry. He then contacted Cortana via comm.-link.
“How's the situation there Cortana?”
“Still a stalemate John…the Harvesters are still protecting the target ship and we're holding the line…on the off chance it tries something…the previous attacks did no good at all, and we still can't use the MAC Guns since that ship is too close to the planet.”
“How's Hibiki and Jura?”
“Hibiki's fine and taking charge of the situation…and he's waiting for you guys on the surface…Jura's….ummm, still out of it…I can still hear her shouting in my ears…she's calmed down…but it's not looking pretty John…you might want to talk to her to get her out of the slump she's in.”
“What exactly would I say to her?”
“Be creative John…we need her head in the battle-field…besides…knowing you, you can be persuasive.”
John chuckled lightly at that as the shuttle began to shake a bit as it reached the atmosphere. He merely stood while the rest of the crew were sitting down in their comfortable chairs at the moment. The pilot turned and spoke to the Spartan respectfully as she knew how capable the Spartan was in battle.
“Are you sure you wouldn't mind taking a seat Chief?”
“I'll be fine…”
“All right sir…we'll be on the city of Anpathos in a few minutes as soon as we break the atmosphere.”
The transport made it's way towards the surface of the planet and soon enough the transport landed and the first out were the Fire Team members who were carrying a spare weapons and munitions crate with them…on the off chance that they would need more fire-power. They were then followed by the Master Chief and then Captain Magno and Buzam came out.
They arrived at a nearby courtyard and there was Hibiki…waiting for them. The Tarak youth walked over and saluted the Spartan and the Spartan saluted his protégé as Hibiki also greeted Buzam and Magno. The elderly Captain noted that Jura had not gone with Hibiki at the moment and she was concerned on where the blonde woman had gone.
“Where's Jura?”
Hibiki pointed behind him and replied with a sign of irritation.
“Oh she's back there sulking and being a hard case…I honestly don't know what to do with her at the moment…no matter what I say to her…she's being hard headed and just sat there on the VanDread.”
The Spartan thought it over and decided to see if he could talk some sense into Jura…he had seen the machine on the view-screens and while it was certainly not the most attractive of the VanDreads he had seen so far…he was not the kind of guy to judge machines on looks alone. The real power of the VanDread that Jura and Hibiki commanded was yet to be realized at the moment and they would have that chance when the time came…for now…they had to deal with the diplomatic mission...he however decided to go to Jura.
“Captain...I'll try and talk some sense into Jura, I'll rejoin you when I can.”
Magno nodded and so did Buzam who was carrying the M90A Shotgun near her while the other Fire Team members were on the ready with their own weapons…namely the support Tarak assault rifles.
The standard Tarak assault rifle known as the `Broadsword' was a weapon that had similarities to the MA5C ICWS Assault Rifle and some of the characteristics of the BR55 HB Battle Rifle. The weapon had several types of ammunition…standard Armor Piercing rounds, High Explosive Rounds, Incendiary Rounds, Tracer Rounds, and a High explosive-Armor Piercing mix. The weapon used a standard chemical propellant for ground operations and to the Spartan's approval…it had a propellant type the men had made in order to function in zero gravity and oxygen environments…which was similar to the advanced gunpowder and caseless propellant mixes used by the UNSCSDF. This gave the rifle a wide selection of options in combat and it's rugged design allowed it to be easy to maintain and repair…though it was more suited to desert worlds…no doubt due to the nature of where it was constructed. The Spartan and Cortana had studied the weapon well and they were in approval of the design system…though the weapon could undergo considerable customization when needed. It's also present bayonet blade was useful for close combat and was detachable and could be used as a close combat knife as well…making it very useful.
The women who were from Megele in his Fire Teams had once hated the rifles but now consider it as a valued part of their arsenals when they could use them in the right conditions though they stuck to the UNSC weapons and the weapons made by Cortana which were based on Covenant designs.
The Spartan took his leave…but not before leaving Hibiki in charge of the safety of the Captain and Buzam…and in default, until his return the Tarak youth was in command of the ground team. Hibiki beamed at this and promised not to disappoint his mentor as he saluted the Master Chief as he took off to find Jura. Magno and the others then moved on...heading for what appeared to be the central tower and where all the people of Anpathos were gathering at the moment…no doubt they could find Fanita there and get some much needed answers.
**************
Near the wall of the city…
Jura sulked as she looked at the sea and while it was attractive…that was the least on her mind as she couldn't believe that she had the ugliest of all the VanDreads. It was not fair! Dita had a VanDread which was awesome and very powerful…Meia's was fast and very agile...and she got the ugliest and slowest one of all….she felt like she had been cheated and it was a feeling that she despised a great deal.
<Why this?! I deserve better!>
She heard footsteps and she listened to them…not caring at all at the moment…but she was not in the mood to listen to Hibiki right now and she was going to make sure he got the message.
“Leave me alone! Nothing is going to change the fact that I hate this VanDread!!!”
“Keep you're cool Jura….”
The blonde turned and she was surprised to see the Spartan who was there before her and not Hibiki…she naturally felt some level of intimidation at the tall warrior before her, but she knew that he was on her side…but right now she was very despondent and was not in the mood for a conversation with anyone…even the Spartan himself.
The Master Chief however was not going to let that stop him as he leaped over the wall and was now near Jura at the moment. The Spartan knew he had no idea at the moment how to speak to Jura…after all, he had no idea how to deal with female vanity as he had never dealt with that side of the opposite gender before…his only exposure to that was when Kelly and him were kids…back then when Kelly was taller than he was…she had dyed her hair blue to stand out among them…eventually she returned to her normal brunette look. And he liked that more than the last one…exotic as it was. He then spoke to the blonde seriously.
“What seems to be the problem Jura?”
The blonde at first didn't want to say anything at the moment but thought better of it…unlike Hibiki who she could ignore at times…this was the Spartan she was dealing with…a man who deserved respect and therefore deserved an answer from her when he asked her a question.
“This whole VanDread…it's so ugly and unattractive! I don't want that ever! I wanted mine attractive…but no…I get this…”
The Spartan shook his head and replied.
“So you're giving up just like that because it's not pretty?”
Jura grumbled and the Spartan shook his head once more and wondered why he either wanted to punch the bridge of his nose or slap his forehead. He couldn't believe that the blonde was acting like this when she didn't get what she wanted at all. That attitude was one of the things that no military minded person should worry about as the real value of the weapon was how it performed in combat and what it could do…looks were nice, that much was true…but utility and value was better than that. The Spartan decided to talk to Jura and see if he could help get her out of her depression as this reminded him of the time she had froze up when Meia was taken out in the space battle.
“Jura…looks aren't that important…”
“Says you! You're not born on Megele so you won't understand…”
“Maybe…but I doubt the Harvesters care at all for looks. Just because it's not what you expected doesn't mean that it's useless. Let me tell you something, back then in my training I had a fellow Spartan…a female friend who I worked with for years…Kelly…she tried to stand out when she dyed her hair blue…but later on in the years…she took to having her usual brunette color. And she was fine no matter what hair color she had…Kelly was normal looking, with a rough, angular beauty so to speak, in which you might say in your world's terms she was plain looking… but she was the toughest and fastest of us.”
“Looks are important but what the machine can really do is what you should be looking at, it might not be aesthetically pleasing but real strength is not in looks but ability. I'll tell you honestly…I thought about how things would have turned out if I and the others were not Spartans once…we'd probably be normal people living simple lives…and with the Covenant War happening…I'd probably be either a refugee or worse…a corpse…but no…here I am now. All because Dr. Catherine saw me for what I could do and what I could achieve…not for my looks alone…but my ability and potential.”
Jura was silent as the Spartan walked over to her and she then looked at him…she was still a bit intimidated at the fact that she was seeing her own face in the Master Chief's visor but the Spartan replied in a softer tone in his voice…no doubt trying to be diplomatic towards her.
“You're machine is important…otherwise it would not be able to have the ability to turn into a VanDread in the first place…everything has a purpose in the scheme of things…think about it…Dita's VanDread is for long range and close battles, Meia's VanDread is for speed and agility…yours could very well do something that neither of them can do…I don't know what that would be, only you and Hibiki can find that out. Simply put Jura, you're VanDread can be a powerful weapon and it will be able to do things none of the other VanDreads can do…but only if you are willing to get past the look of it and see it's real power. So…are you going to see just what is the ability your VanDread has and it's potential…or are you going to mope here all day?”
The Spartan turned and left the blonde alone to think on his words and Jura did think on them, the blonde thought long and hard about what she would do now…she was not yet sure what to do at the moment and besides…she didn't have the Master Chief's agility so she couldn't follow him quickly at all. She had a lot to think about…
**************
Back at the Nirvana…
Bart was having a serious headache…Magno had left him in charge of the ship while she and Buzam were gone and he thought that things would be a lot easier now but boy was he wrong. The crew kept on asking him so many simple but eventually annoying question that he couldn't take it anymore and he shut down communications on the ship…but Paiway came in and told him not to flake out on the job and he felt like he was going to crack…
It was then that Cortana's face appeared in a screen….but the former UNSC AI spoke calmly to him.
“Rough day huh?”
“Tell me about it…at least you're not the one who's needed in navigation Cortana. You have no idea how hard this stuff is.”
Cortana smiled and replied.
“Actually I do Bart….I was a former ship AI you know, I had to do a lot, advise the Captain, help target the weapon systems, manage combat data, store all manner of information, help coordinate hyperspace jumps, manage the stasis pods…the works. Trust me when I say that you're actually lucky to be managing only the ship's navigation systems, if you did everything needed to run the whole ship down to the last detail…pardon the phrase…you'd crack like an egg. Trust me Bart, it's hard but that's why it's important to keep a level head and focus on the task at hand.”
“I guess…so how is it being human?”
“It's been…interesting to say the least…I mean, when I was still an AI, I could feel all the ranges of human feelings and emotions, knowledge and more…but being able to actually FEEL as a human is a totally different experience. You have no idea how lucky you are in that sense…you see, as a smart AI I was a load better than most AI…but the trade off is that I have a shorter life-span…smart AI like me learn and store data all the time and when we reach our limits…we shut down, it's like a person thinking himself or herself to death…not very pleasant when you think about it.”
Bart gulped at that idea of thinking one's self to death, he might not get the whole picture as he was not very familiar with AI systems back on Tarak, but the thought of dying from too much knowledge was not very pleasant to him.
“I guess you're right…”
“Take it one step at a time and if you have an issue, then talk to the Captain, that can…hold on…I'm picking up an incoming hyperspace signature…something is arriving at the moment.”
It didn't take long for the Nirvana crew to spot an incoming ship…but this one was certainly NOT an ally…there large number of Cube Fighters that were there told them all instantly that whatever the previous Harvester mother-ship was waiting for had just arrived.
“Looks like a container…”
“Seems to be it…better contact the Captain Bart…I think we're going to be in for a hell of a day.”
“Don't have to tell me twice!”
It didn't take long for Cortana to alert all the Dread pilots to scramble for battle against the new arrival on the scene…she knew that things were going to get real dicey in the next few minutes and she decided to warm up the Archer Missile Pods and the Point Defense Guns…keeping the MAC Cannons on stand-by, as well as deploying another wing of Longswords into combat, The Nirvana Fire Teams also scrambled as their NCOs led them and got ready for any boarding actions that they were about to face. This fight was about to get interesting.
**************
Back on Anpathos…
The Master Chief had just arrived at the Tower in the center of the city itself and that was when he spotted four transmitters appear at strategic areas of the city and then he spotted a much more massive one appear at the top of the Tower itself…the Spartan had a bad feeling about this as he was now with the rest of the ground team…but the second he heard Magno arguing with a blonde woman who apparently was the leader named Fanita. The Spartan saw the looks of shock and disbelief in the faces of the Nirvana delegation and he knew things were getting even worse.
“You are acting like gullible sheep to the slaughter…you have no idea how big a mistake you all are making! This is a foolish action that will result in so many deaths…all because of that precious Munya you fools believe in!”
“You are the foolish ones! You come here and blaspheme against the Munya and then you think you can stop them from coming here?”
The Spartan looked at the Captain's face and could tell that things were getting real bad down here. The people of Anpathos were not armed with any weapons and they were not threatening the Captain at the moment…he studied the room and spotted a mural of some sort…depicting a man who was kneeling down while a bright star was removing something the resembled a column of light from his body…the image was somehow sending a chill of unease in the Spartan. Hibiki then turned to his mentor and he also wore a look of shock on his face.
“What's going on Hibiki?”
“Chief! These people have lost their minds! They think the Harvesters are God and they are now willing to give up their spinal cords to the bastards! They actually are going to let themselves be harvested down to the last man, woman, and child!”
“What?!”
It was then that Bart contacted the Captain and Buzam told the two elderly officers of the new arrival from the Harvesters…making Magno give a grim look on her face.
“It seems your Munya have arrived.”
The look of joy and worship in Fanita's face and voice as she spoke to her people as she ordered them to place on their masks made the Spartan even more angry…and for good reason.
The UNSC and Covenant War was sparked all due to false religious beliefs spread by the Prophets of the Covenant all those years ago back in his universe. The Prophets lied to the Covenant about the sacred Great Journey, making them all believe that activating the Halo rings would help them reach a higher plane of existence like the Fore-Runners had done…unaware of the fact that it was all lies…there was no true Great Journey, only death if the Rings were ever used. The Halo rings were all fortress worlds and mass destruction weapons that would purge all life from the galaxy. During his battles in the Ark, he had gathered a ton of data concerning the Fore-Runners, how they had fought to protect not just their race from the Flood but all other races and in the end…took creatures to the Ark and gave up their lives to stop the Flood by purging the galaxy clean of life with the Halo Rings. A true Pyrrhic victory that was…and his species…Humanity faced utter annihilation because of the lies of the Prophets…billions dead, worlds ruined, and more…The Prophets called his race as affronts to the Gods they worshipped and enemies of the Great Journey, and with that as their rallying cry…they all used the other Covenant races to assault the whole human race and nearly helped annihilate his people until the schism that saved the human race and gave them a fighting chance against both the remaining Covenant and the Flood…
Now the Harvesters were doing the very same thing the Prophets had done…they had deceived and lied to the people of Anpathos, and now they were going to claim these people as their own organ supplies…but these people were willing to let it happen. It sickened the Master Chief that these people were blindly walking to their deaths, thinking that they were doing the right thing, and now he had to do something quickly. No matter what happened…despite their blindness and their foolishness…he couldn't let these people sacrifice themselves to the Harvesters…all because of blind faith to a collection of lies given to them by others. The Covenant did that once and nearly wiped out humanity and themselves in belief of a collection of lies told to them by the Prophets...no way was he going to let humanity walk down the same path.
“I want no part of this stupidity…”
Magno turned to leave but she suddenly felt great pain, showing her age as both Buzam and the ground teams tried to help her to her feet but the pain forced her to remain where she was at the moment.
“Damn…of all the times for my old bones to give out on me…I guess I'm stuck here.”
She then turned to Hibiki who showed concern for her well being and smiled as she gave John-117's protégé his orders.
“Hibiki…go to Jura and get up there and hold off the Harvesters. I don't plan on dying alongside these blind idiots.”
Hibiki nodded and saluted as he made his way out of the area as the water began to rise all over the city…the towers were designed to act as gravity manipulators in order to raise the water level around the city in order to trap the residents of Anpathos in the tower. Magno smiled at Hibiki and then turned to face Fanita as the Master Chief and his fellow Fire Team members made sure to defend Magno…the Spartan glared at Fanita…still angry that she was willing to do this madness as Magno spoke.
“Looks like we'll be spending some time here for a while…”
Buzam then turned to the Spartan and spoke.
“Be ready for anything Chief…as soon as the Harvesters know we're here…they are no doubt going to be ready to deal with us on the ground.”
**************
And sure enough…
The new Harvester Ship then began to unleash another wave of support reinforcements, consisting of Cube Fighters and several Seed Ships…however…several tear drop shaped ships were moving away…they appeared to be segmented in certain areas and had lines of glowing energy on the areas that were segemented and were as large as the transport shuttles that were used by the Megele military and the pirates…that meant that they were deploying a ground force to make sure that the operation went smoothly…knowing full well that since the Nirvana was in the area…they were going to expect resistance on the ground…unaware of the fact that the Spartan himself was already there on the ground.
Cortana called it in as she contacted the Spartan.
“Chief! I'm picking up several incoming ships heading to the surface...they appear to be transports of some sort…no doubt those are some sort of ground assault force! Get ready down there!”
The Dread teams knew that the Fire Teams below would need help and quickly launched an attack with Barnette in the lead on the transports alongside the Longswords…the combined fighter wing hit several of the transports and three of them were burning at the combined assault..but before the transports could be finished…four got away as the Cube Fighters launched a deadly counter-attack and forced the Nirvana's forces back.
The transports moved on and activated their heat shields as they began to enter the atmosphere.
**************
On the surface…
“I got you Cortana…how many?”
“At least four…the Dreads tried to intercept and so did the Longsword squadrons, they took out three of them…but the others were saved by the Cube Fighters before they were finished off…they'll be down there in twenty minutes!”
The Spartan nodded as Magno and Buzam got the same message from Bart and the bridge crew…the Spartan quickly issued orders to the escort force to hold the tower as best they can…he was going to give the Harvesters a welcome party. The Megele and Talvern members of the escort force nodded and quickly set themselves up for battle. The Spartan calmly reached for a nearby Spartan Laser and placed it on his back as he readied his MA5C ICWS Assault Rifle as Buzam wished him luck..just as they got the message that Jura and Hibiki were on their way to support the others in their VanDread. The Tarak teenager was surprised to see Jura back to her old self and she was eager to see just what else her VanDread could do.
Fanita calmly replied as she gazed at them all through her mask.
“You cannot challenge the Munya…no matter what you will do they will arrive…”
The Spartan quickly turned and walked over to Fanita and the blonde woman…despite her own stubbornness backed away a step as the giant of a man was before her and she could see her own face in the visor of the man's helmet. And to her own admission of unease…the Spartan spoke in a very much emotionless voice to her and her followers who also backed away a step.
“Watch me.”
With that the Spartan made his way from the Tower and was ready to kick the Harvesters right in their rear ends as he saw the VanDread take off to get to the battle.
**************
Outside of the city…
The Spartan moved through the city as the water began to rise but he paid that no mind as he ran through the streets and the sounds of his footsteps was loud and water leaped all the way to his shoulders as he ran…he reached the wall and quickly turned around and spotted the Towers and without waiting…he aimed the Spartan Laser at the main Tower and fired a highly charged beam at the tower…the structure was hit hard and was destroyed…no doubt the Harvesters had not planned for the people of Anpathos to rebel and had left no reinforcements on the Tower as it fell down…the structure fell and crashed into the city streets and destroyed several buildings which were crushed by the rubble.
The water began to rise slower as the Spartan turned and fired all four remaining beam charges on the smaller Towers and the water was now on the roofs of the houses below him and it would be up to his stomach. The Spartan turned as he charged the Spartan Laser with the recharge system pack he had with him and spotted the four incoming transports…his HUDS scanned the ships and he noted that they seemed to have no defensive systems to speak of and he spotted three doors on the ships…one in the front and two on the sides..no doubt to unload it's cargo and troops. The Spartan then spotted what appeared to be a convergence point where the glowing lines were and he had a thought that it was a good place to fire as it could be a weak point on the ship and took the now fully charged Spartan Laser and aimed…
The beam he fired smashed had into the Harvester Transport Ship and caused a massive explosion as the ship was hit in the area that the Spartan had spotted earlier and his estimation proved to be right on the money as the gaping hole in the ship's armored hull and the explosions that followed were enough to tell him that he hit the right spot. The stricken ship was smoking and the explosions spread out inside the ship and the ship began to careen to the side and slammed into one of it's sister ships. The damaged ships tore through the hull of it's sister ship and no doubt had hit several core systems in the other ship that resulted in the second ship losing control… and the two were sent crashing into the ocean and exploded as they did so, leaving the Spartan to face the two other ships. The ships apparently decided to deploy their cargo as the doors began to open…one ship however got a salvo of bolts from the Spartan Laser and it caused massive damage in the ships' cargo bay and the ship was losing altitude…however the two had unleashed their cargo regardless and the Spartan spotted the forces deployed to be the same as that of the ones he and his Fire Teams had faced on Talvern many weeks before, however, there appeared to be no heavy vehicles at the moment…but small boat like units that were no doubt amphibious attack units carrying the Harvester Troopers.
The Spartan realized that these units were unknown to him and were no doubt were meant for this operation alone...and since the world they were harvesting was primarily covered in water…it would make sense that the Harvesters would have units that operated on water. The Harvester Transport ships were staying on in the sky as the boats…numbering at least a dozen came towards the city. The Spartan took careful aim with the remaining charges and fired a precise shot…the shot smashed right into one of the boats and killed another as the beam lanced through the Spartan's first Harvester target..both ships exploded and the Harvesters quickly responded as they fired a massive barrage of plasma bolts at the Spartan. John-117 ducked and moved back to cover near a rise on the wall as rock fragments, plasma fire, and the smell of burning ozone filled the air.
He then moved back up and fired another Spartan Laser bolt at another transport ship and the boat was blown out of the water with a geyser to boot…the bodies of the Harvester Troopers on the doomed ship were scattered all over the water and sank like stones as the Spartan moved back to recharge the Spartan Laser. However he knew that while there were only nine of the transports left…the speed that they were moving would make it harder for him to aim the Spartan Laser properly and he had to move away and take the fight into the city itself.
The Harvester Troopers of the first Transport were deployed on the wall and moved out in formation…but they were suddenly hit by a hail of bullets from the Master Chief's MA5C ICWS Assault Rifle and three went down as the rounds tore through them…the Spartan followed up with a toss of the Frag Grenade and the grenade landed right into the mass of Harvester units, both the ones that fell and the others that were coming out of the transport. The grenade exploded and several of the Harvester Troopers were quickly shredded by the explosion and many were torn apart as their magenta colored blood flowed from their wounds and covered the wall. The Spartan reloaded his weapon as more of the Harvester Troopers arrived…but then three of them were suddenly cut down by sniper fire and three more were cut down as the sniper rounds tore through them as well and the Master Chief couldn't help but grin a little…
The Fire Team members smiled as well as they were reloading their SRS99D-S2 AM Sniper Rifles and taking aim at the coming Harvester Troopers in order to support the Spartan when they looked through the scopes. Magno and Buzam watched as this was the first time they got to see the Fire Teams in action first hand and personally…the Fire Teams fired several more rounds as the Sniper Rifles roared out their shots and they saw the vapor trails of the rounds as they left the weapons. The people of Anpathos could only watch as the Munya were being forced back by these strangers and Fanita was getting moiré angry at the moment but could do little.
Outside of the Tower, the Master Chief quickly reloaded his MA5C ICWS Assault Rifle and unleashed another aimed barrage of bullets on the Harvesters and took down three more as the powerful rifle rounds ripped through their body armor and synthetic flesh like they were nothing but cardboard and tin foil. The Spartan quickly moved from his position into a fighting retreat as the Harvester Troopers began to move in and they were all firing their plasma bolts and this time...they were using their brains as some of them ducked in the buildings nearby to avoid his shots. But they were not ready as the Spartan had three more shots left in the Spartan Laser and he placed that into good use as he aimed and fired a powerful beam shot at a band of Harvester units moving in and blew them apart in a geyser of water and body parts…their `blood' mixing with the water that was up to their torsos as well as his.
The second shot was right at another band near the wall he had abandoned earlier and the resulting explosion killed ten Harvester Troopers as they were blown to chunks by the blast and those that survived found themselves being crushed by debris and shrapnel from the stone and they were wounded greatly. The Spartan quickly sought cover as the surviving Harvester Troopers unleashed a storm of plasma bolts, some hit his shields and forced him back…and for a good reason…apparently the Harvesters were improving the plasma cannons on their troopers to compensate for his shields. But that wasn't going to stop the Spartan as he placed aside the Spartan Laser and took out his MA5C ICWS Assault Rifle and with a quickly running start…reached a nearby wall and quickly took out a Plasma Grenade. The Spartan tossed the weapon and it landed right on the arm of a Harvester Trooper…just as the trooper was about to fire…
The results were explosive in every sense of the word as the Harvester Trooper's arm was blown clean off and the plasma that it was using ignited and coupled with the with the Plasma Grenade's own explosion the resulting dual detonation shredded several other Harvester Troopers and sent magenta colored blood flying all over the place..along with shredded bodies as the other Troopers were blown apart.
The Spartan quickly activated his comm.-link with Cortana and quickly asked just what was the situation up there in space at the moment as he was concerned with the battle up there.
**************
Up in deep space…
The Nirvana was currently one serious fire-fight…apparently the Harvesters were unleashing more Cub e Fighters and boarding craft at the pirate ship but with Cortana unleashing hell with her Archer Missiles and the Point Defense Guns and the Dreads lending in their support to the defense of the Nirvana…Cortana still will not use the MAC Guns in fear of the ship falling down on the planet and causing massive damage to the city bellow and killing all the inhabitants of the city. The Dreads had their work cut out for them as the escort Cube Fighters were better programmed in attack and defense than they were before and were giving the pirates a serious headache.
The security and Fire Teams were all ready as several of the boarding craft were already moving in and were now deploying their soldiers into the Nirvana as they were able to get past Cortana's sensors…the Fire Teams and the Security forces were now hard pressed in order to keep the Harvesters from getting a foot hold in the Nirvana from the areas where they were able to land and attach themselves to the Nirvana at the moment.
Bart was panicking but words of encouragement from Magno told him to hold the line and it was then that a new arrival came on the scene…
Hibiki and Jura were busy moving and activating the VanDread's energy shield system and to the amazement of everyone..including the blonde Dread pilot…the shield covered the entire planet and that was enough to halt the Harvesters as their combined ship had attempted to finally take in the humans that resided below…regardless of the destruction that might occur on their deployed forces…
“Wow! I bet the other VanDreads can't do this!”
Jura was utterly ecstatic…totally amazed by the power of her own VanDread as she realized that the Spartan was right after all…real power through ability beat appearance any day. She wanted to see the other VanDreads do what hers could.
But the Harvesters were not in the mood to watch and would now have to dislodge the VanDread in order to secure the targets before them. The Cube Fighters attempted to attack the VanDread…but the VanDread's highly dense and specially created armor more than defended it from their weapons fire..even Cube Fighters that rammed the VanDread were unable to damage it in any fashion…forcing the main ship to take action and focus it's massive vacuum style system to the VanDread…intent on ripping it to shreds.
The inside of the VanDread shook as the Harvesters focused their attacks on them and Jura could only give a worried look.
“What are we going to do? If we remain here that thing will rip us apart! And if we leave…then they take out the people on the planet below!”
Hibiki gritted his teeth and knew Jura was right on that account…if they left the area…they would leave the people on the planet defenseless…but if they stayed here, then the Harvester would no doubt rip them apart with sheer force of vacuum…it was then that he had an idea…the ship was designed to carry humans…but can it carry more than it can handle.?
Hibiki quickly made some quick calculations the way the Master Chief taught him to do, and as soon as he was done with the data and planning it out, he went to action and contacted Cortana.
“Cortana! I'm going to take that thing out!”
“How?!”
Hibiki grinned…
“Just watch!”
Cortana was worried as she was unsure of the integrity of the shields of the VanDread…sure it could house an entire planet under it but there was not yet a limit determination on how much damage the shield could handle before it fell apart. She however trusted Hibiki and gave the go ahead.
With that in mind…Hibiki went on finding the controls on the VanDread and rapidly making the right adjustments and as soon as he was sure he had everything thought out…he deactivated a part of the shield but not a large hole to compromise the situation on the planet below him…and he made the direct adjustments and as soon as that was done…a massive column of water was sent rising from the surface of the planet.
The column of water was sent right through space and slammed right into the open maw of the Harvester ship…much to the shock of just about everyone onboard the Nirvana and in the Dreads as well as they were not expecting this turn of events…neither was Jura as she spoke to Hibiki in a panic as the VanDread began to shake violently at the moment.
“Be careful or we'll shatter! What are you doing anyway?!”
“Don't worry…we'll be all right…by what I've figured…that ship was designed to gather all the humans on the surface of that world below us only…and that might be vast…but I rather doubt it can hold the entire planet's ocean!”
**************
Down in the surface…the effects were obvious….the massive column of water had slammed right into the remaining Harvester Transport ships and sent them flying upward and severely damaging them as well…the Spartan had killed several more of the Harvester Troopers and was moving backwards in what was termed a fighting retreat as he used the buildings as cover as plasma bolts were flying all over the place and the smell of ozone was everywhere…the Harvester Troopers were also caught off guard by the column of water as the ships apparently that they came from was the main source of their information and combat information…with the ships severely damaged by the rising column of water before them…The Spartan reloaded his MA5C ICWS Assault Rifle as he walked back into the Tower as the Fire Teams were reloading their weapons and the Spartan focused on protecting the Captain.
**************
Back in space…
The Nirvana crew watched as the VanDread that Jura and Hibiki piloted was still directing the column of water right into the body of the Harvester ship and the ship was suffering the massive damage of the water entering the back cargo center behind it and the water also began to flood the internal systems and computer banks as the ship began to bulge and buckle from the unexpected and unnatural cargo… The pirates and Cortana watched on and they couldn't help but be at awe as the surface of the water planet Anpathos was stripped of the water and soon there were only large pools of water that were once vast oceans…revealing even more land.
It was then that Hibiki's predictions came true as the ship that the Harvesters had sent to harvest the people of Anpathos finally couldn't handle it anymore and broke apart as the water burst through it and ripped it from the inside out like a balloon filled with water bursting forth…the vast temperature difference of the void of space proved to make the destruction even greater
Cortana looked on with shock and amazement…and then she began to laugh out loud at the sight and spoke to Hibiki with a smile.
“Now THAT was original Hibiki!”
“That was impressive…unorthodox, but very impressive.”
Gascogne replied with approval as she and the others watched the outcome as the freezing water ripped the now desiccated Harvester vessel even further. The pirates were in a jubilant mood for the new victory added to their belt over the Harvesters…while Meia and Dita were in their Dreads and the aqua haired girl sighed and spoke in the open inter-comm.
“That was totally reckless….”
“But I feel envious…I wish my VanDread with Mr. Alien was like that as well.”
In the VanDread Hibiki sighed in victory and then Jura was all smiles and enjoying the sight of the Harvesters beaten and the abilities of her VanDread utterly impressed her to the core…the VanDread she had with Hibiki might not have the speed of Meia's VanDread, nor the weapon systems of the VanDread Dita commanded…but hers could shield an entire world! It was awesome…so awesome she was speechless indeed.
She contacted Barnette and spoke to her friend.
“Did you get it all on tape Barnette?!”
Barnette gave a sigh and replied to her friend.
“Jura…I was in the middle of a battle…how the heck was I supposed to record and fight at the same time?!”
Jura gave a cry of disappointment and sighed as she realized that she had lost her chance…but still…she was happy that everything turned out all right. She then gave Hibiki a very seductive and sly look…and that got Hibiki's attention as Jura edged closer to him since the chairs in the VanDread they formed with their respective machines were able to move about in the cockpit.
“What are you doing?!”
Jura smiled and then hugged Hibiki and spoke in a low and seductive tone.
“From now on…you'll combine only with me…won't you?”
Hibiki didn't know why but he was suddenly getting hot and bothered by Jura's close proximity and the Tarak youth couldn't help but suddenly feel this odd stirring in his stomach and heart as the blonde came ever closer and he found out that despite his best intentions…he found himself giving her the once over and he found himself looking at Jura's breasts…and he couldn't help but look on…
“HEY! LEAVE MR. ALIEN ALONE!!!!”
The two turned and there was Dita on the screen with a deep look of anger and something else…jealousy. The redhead was not happy when she saw Jura being close to her Mr. Alien and she was not in the mood for her comrade Jura getting too familiar with Hibiki. Jura glared back and replied.
“Leave us alone Dita! From now on…he's combining with me!”
“No he won't!!!”
“Oh yes he will!”
“No!”
**************
In the Tower…
Fanita fell in shock and anger as her mask fell off her face and she was in shock as she couldn't believe what had happened right before her eyes. These strangers had defeated the Munya…they had destroyed their chance for salvation and she couldn't abide by it anymore.
“You…how could you?!”
Magno looked at Fanita as she could see that the blonde leader of the people of Anpathos was bristling with fury and she replied.
“We did what we knew what was right…unlike you my dear.”
“HOW CAN YOU?! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO DO THIS BLASPHEMY!!!”
The Fire Teams couldn't believe the audacity of the woman…they had helped save her and her people from a fate worse than anything they could ever dream of..and yet she believed that she was leading the people of her world to the right path. Fanita was so angry that she walked towards the elderly woman…making the others in the Nirvana landing party tense…but the blonde leader would not get any further as she found herself being stopped by the massive frame of the Master Chief….she gasped and backed away a bit as the Spartan glared at her…and she saw her own face looking back at her in a way that was rather unnerving to say the least.
The Spartan then spoke evenly without emotion…save a slight trace of contempt.
“You're Gods planned to butcher you and strip you of your spines…every last one of you…there is no salvation with the Munya…only your violent and painful deaths…yet you were willing to lead your people into this fate. You are not worthy of being a true leader and you are a fool.”
“You…”
“There is no salvation with the Munya…none at all…except the salvation you gain with your own hands. You are no longer sheep…but free living beings.”
The Spartan then looked around to the people…and the people in the Tower saw him looking at them all and they couldn't help but feel the urge to back away.
“You say you live in the most beautiful world in the universe…then go out there and prove it. You say that this planet is paradise…then go out and make it one. You say you are happy…then go out and make yourselves happy. You are the ones to decide your fate…not the false Gods you pray to…and their lies.”
He then moved glared at Fanita and despite her anger…she moved back and then she tripped a bit and the mask fell from her face.
With that said…the Spartan looked at everyone assembled in the Tower who were from Anpathos and then lifted the mask that Fanita had dropped when she backed away from him on the floor and he spoke.
“You are free…use your freedom well.”
And without fanfare…he crushed the mask in his hand and let the shards of the now destroyed symbol of the vaunted Munya of the people of Anpathos fall to the ground and then he crushed the mask fragments even further with his boots, right in front of the still glaring Fanita. Without anything else the Spartan gave the signal for the Fire Teams to pack it up and get ready for evacuation as the Spartan arrived to Magno and offered his hand to the elderly Captain.
“It's time to leave this place Ma'am.”
Magno smiled and replied as she took his arm as he helped her up.
“Yes…let's do that Master Chief.”
The Spartan helped Buzam with Magno and they left the Tower and looked at the water soaked city and the remains of the Harvester Troopers that they were able to defeat with the time given to them and the Spartan took his leave and quickly ran towards the wall with great speed…to the still existing awe of the Fire Team members and he looked out over the wall…he saw the now waterless landscape and saw the remains of the colony ship that brought the ancestors of Anpathos to their world…and there were other landmasses there in the area…The Spartan surveyed the land and nodded as he knew that with this done…the people of Anpathos were given a chance to truly live their lives…on their terms and not by others.
As they boarded the shuttle and were now on their way back to the Nirvana…the two officers turned to the Spartan and Buzam spoke first.
“Master Chief…you mind if I ask you a question?”
“Not at all Ma'am.”
“You seemed very offended by Fanita when she told us of what they intended to do…why was that the case? I do not fault you for rescuing the people of Anpathos…but why did you go so far as to crush Fanita's mask twice?”
The Spartan replied after a moment of silence.
“Because she reminds me of the Prophets…”
“The Prophets…you mean the leaders of the Covenant back in your world?”
“Yes…she was willing to blindly follow the Harvesters and their lies and she made her people do the same thing. The Prophets convinced the other races of the Covenant to follow them in a false Great Journey and activate the Halo Rings…even if they should have known about the fact that the Halo Rings were designed to wipe out all life in the Universe..no matter who's side they were on.”
“That is the ultimate betrayal of humanity by anyone..leading them willingly to their own genocide…under the Articles of UNSCDF High Command, I should have executed that woman for her actions…but I stopped because I want them to know the truth…when the Arbiter and his race the Elites knew the truth of the Halo Rings and how the Prophets lied to them…they turned their backs and fought beside us. I want the people of Anpathos to know the truth of the Gods they worship and decide for themselves…will they follow a false religion blindly…or live for their own ideals?”
Magno thought about that and couldn't fault the Spartan for his choice as the shuttle arrived at the Nirvana. As soon as the shuttle docked in and the Fire Teams left the ship...there was Cortana who walked up to the Spartan and smiled at him and held his hand.
“You did great John.”
“Thanks.”
**************
Later…
After leaving the planet of Anpathos behind, the Nirvana was well underway…and things had gotten back to normal…those injured Fire Team members who defended the Nirvana were brought in for medical treatment in the Medical Bay and those who had survived were either celebrating or busy relaxing for yet another mission well done.
The Dread pilots were tired and were resting well…though a certain blonde and redhead were busy arguing over a certain protégé of the Spartan and Vanguard pilot…and he was busy trying to placate both girls at the moment. Cortana was busy doing some monitoring work in the bridge as she had deployed the Clarion Spy Drones to watch over the area before them.
In his quarters in the Forward Unto Dawn…the Spartan took the time to rest and recuperate…at the moment…the Spartan was out of his Mjolnir Mark VI and in some military fatigues…he knew that they had won yet another victory…but he knew that the Harvesters would no doubt be very angry and would no doubt plan something major…and despite the high spirits of everyone in the Nirvana…he had a feeling that sooner or later…they were going to need more allies to face the Harvesters…though the question that plagued his mind was where they would find those needed allies.
For now...he closed his eyes and went to sleep…there would be time to plan that all out later.
**************
To be continued…
**************
Author's notes:
Well…this chapter was finished and we get to move on to the next situation that the crew of the Nirvana will find themselves in. Only this one will not be a battle and will be a chance to see just what sort of person the Master Chief is when there's no fighting involved.
The Harvesters will not be idle and that will be proven true in the coming chapters as they will not take well to this latest defeat of their forces against the Nirvana and as it stands..things will get even more hairy and difficult for the Nirvana's crew and even more so for the Spartan and that will prove to be an adventure to the extreme. And now on a more serious note…
I have recently been reading all that I can find on the Halo universe and since many have been asking me if I will include more Halo characters…my answer to the question is yes…it will still be a long while before I can create a decent angle that can allow me to include key characters from the Halo universe into the universe of VanDread…though you can be assured that sooner or later. these characters will play a pivotal role in the soon to come chapters of this story.
Until then…please be patient as I gather more material, to create the next chapter of VanDread Halo. Because we're going to see just how the Master Chief handles being out of combat…and will there be a chance for the girls and Cortana to get closer to the Spartan?
Well then…wait and see!