Halo Battle Buddies: The Ghosts of War

Chapter 5: Returning to Sword Base

After nearly dying, they searched the evac site for a means of transportation and red beams from the sky hit the ground and the sound of impacts and fire can be seen in the surrounding area across the valley.

The Covenant were constantly scorching the surface of Reach and Noble 6 and Echo 5 had to find somewhere safe to hide in case their enemies decide to come back and finish them off.

They survey the area for anything to use for transport, anything that wasn't destroyed in the merciless onslaught. Fortunately for the 2 Spartans, luck was on their side as a damaged, but functional UNSC Warthog was found.

Noble 6 and Echo 5 inspect it to see what was damaged. Jaesa look at the damage and Noble 6 tries to turn on the engine. "Hmmm....... the windshield appeared to be smashed by a Brute and the rocket turret is pulverized, and one of the tires is flat......." Jaesa said to Noble 6 aka 'Ryan'.

Noble 6 managed to turn on the Warthog after 3 tries. Which relieved the two Spartans. "Well, at least the headlights work, and the body work isn't too severe. But this will do." Jaesa joked to ease the tension.

She took off her damaged helmet as her visor was hard to see out of. Jaesa then looks at her partner, perplexed at what to do next. "There's one final detail......."

Noble 6 looks at her confused. "And what is that?" She smiled at him trying to be funny. "Who's going to drive this trainwreck? I can drive vehicles just fine, but this poor Warthog is at Death's door."

She even found 2 battle rifles in the passenger seat with a small cache of ammo on the floor as finished inspecting the vehicle. "Fortunately who was the previous driver of the Warthog, left us some goodies."

He gave a light chuckle at Jaesa with a half-smile. "Hey at least we now have weapons, and the Warthog has a full tank of gas. But I'll drive this trainwreck." She nods with a smile, approving of Noble 6's initiative. "Look at you......tanking charge already, and we've only been reunited for only a half an hour."

He jumped in the Warthog and honked it's horn twice, to annoy Jaesa. "Then get your fine ass in here, so we can get to Sword." Echo 5 laughed adorably at her best friend as she embarked in the passenger seat. "After all this time......and you've haven't changed a bit Ryan." She inquired with a brighter tone in the middle of a battlefield.

"Neither have you......Jaesa. Let's get out of here." She sits back in the seat to get comfortable for the journey ahead. "Agreed....."

As the 2 Spartans drove away from the horrific sight of war sprawled out in all directions, Noble 6 left behind his helmet on the ground of where the bodies of the 12 Spartans and hundreds of slain Covenant remained. A footnote in history towards the bloody conflict of survival.

They head North to where Noble 6 remembers the location of Sword Base as it became midday under the thick smock of burning fire, brimstone and 'cleansing' from the Covenant cruisers glassing the planet's surface continued.

A hellish landscape among the beauty of the planet Reach itself as the road trip to salvation had begun. From the what remains of the evacuation site, through destroyed civilian towns.

Jaesa looked over onto her right of the Warthog as they rode through ghost towns of where life took place. Sadness engulfed the female Spartan 3 for what horrors the 2 have discovered. The very view of destruction, corpses of men and women, even Covenant were littered everywhere.

It was a lot to bear, as this made Jaesa distraught as she was a Spartan, her duty was to protect humanity from harm, even now she felt so useless.

The Warthog stopped and Noble 6 placed his hand on Echo 5's armor plated left shoulder as she looked over to him in a quick pace with tears running from her eyes. "I know that this a lot to take on......Jaesa, I know that this is hard to overcome such darkness....... We're only human........and I'm here by your side, and don't ever think that you're nothing....... or alone in this...... We both have been through a lot....."