Broken pieces of Installation 04 are still burning. Groups of Covenant Ket-pattern battlecruisers prowl amongst them.
A CAS-class assult carrier flies towards High Charity.
Covenant Holy City, High Charity
Ninth Age of Reclamation
Hundreds of Covenant ships swarm around High Charity.
Inside the Council Chamber. Rows of Sangheili Honor Guardsmen stand at attention. A single Sangheili Zealot stands at the end, facing two High Prophets.
"There was only one ship." Supreme Commander Thel 'Vadamee informs.
"one?" Prophet of Truth asks. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. They called it the Pillar of Autumn."
The gallery seats are filled with Sangheili and San'Shyuum Councilors, who are muttering amongst themselves. An Elite Field Marshal with dark purple armor and pink lights, leans against a wall in some shadows.
"Why was it not destroyed, with the rest of their fleet?!" The Prophet of Mercy asks in anger.
Flash back to the UNSC Pillar of Autumn escaping Reach as Covenant ships glass the planet.
"But I followed with all the ships in my command." Thel says.
We see a Covenant Cruiser approach Installation 04, several dozen smaller ships are already in orbit above it.
"When you first saw Halo, were you blinded by its majesty?" Prophet of Regret asks through a holographic image of himself next to Prophet of Mercy.
"Blinded?" Thel asks.
"Paralyzed? Dumbstruck?"
"No."
Prophet of Regret grows angry. "Yet the humans were able to evade your ships, land on the Sacred Ring, and desecrate it with their filthy footsteps!"
Thel tries to explain. "Noble Hierarchs, surely you understand that once the parasite attacked-"
The Council members mutter angrily. Thel looks around at them. Mercy bangs his fist down on his chair.
"There will be order in this Council!" Prophet of Mercy yells.
The Prophet of Truth comes forward between Regret and Mercy, and raises his hand. The room falls into complete silence.
"You were right to focus your attention on the Flood." Prophet of Truth says. "But this Demon, this 'Master Chief' And the Reaper, 'Noble Six.' ...."
"By the time I learned of the Demon's and Reaper's intent, there was nothing I could do." Thel states.
The San'Shyuum Councilors stand up and yell angrily. "He's a traitor!" one yells.
The mysterious Field Marshel looks around, and huffs.
The Sangheili Councilors mutter to each other. Tartarus, standing nearby, chuckles to himself.
Prophet of Regret whispers to Truth. "Noble Prophet of Truth, this has gone on long enough. Make an example of this bungler. The Council demands it."
Truth holds up his hand, silencing Regret. Then he speaks to Thel. "You are one of our most treasured instruments. Long have you led your fleet with honor and distinction. But your inability to safeguard Halo... was a colossal failure."
The Prophet of Objection stands up and shows a fist. "Nay, it was heresy!"
The Councilors yell. Thel looks back and fourth between them.
"I will continue my campaign against the humans!" Thel says to the Hierarchs.
"No!" Prophet of Truth says. "You will not."
Truth glances at Tartarus, and the Jiralhanae Chieftain barks a command. Two Jiralhanae warriors approach 'Thel and try to grab him, but the Sangheili shakes them off and growls. He starts walking to his fate willingly as they escort him out of the chamber.
The Field Marshal growls quietly and leaves the room.
"Soon the Great Journey shall begin." Prophet of Truth states. But when it does, the weight of your heresy will stay your feet. And you shall be left behind."
View fades to a new background. The circular ornament on the Prophet of Truth's headpiece is replaced by Earth's moon. The view then pans to Earth itself, focusing on three orbital MAC stations in orbit. A few UNSC ships fly past.
Earth Defense Platform, Cairo
10.20.2552 (Military Calendar)
"Both your plating was about to fail, there's vicosity througout the gel layer..." Master Gunnery Sargent says.
In the Armory of Cario Station, the officer handles equipment on a table.
"Optic - Totally fried." The Master Gunnery Sergeant says. "And let's not even talk about the power supply. You know how expensiveness this gear is, sons?"
The Master Chief picks up his helmet off the table and puts it on. He's wearing new armor.
"Tell that to the Covenant." Chief states.
Ash walks over and opens and closes his new robotic left hand. Ash is also wearing new armor.
(He doesn't wear that knife on his chest.)
"Yeah, they don't seem to care." Ash chuckles.
One Size Fits All
A Master Gunnery Sergeant inspects John-117's and Ash-142's new armor. "Well, I guess it was all obsolete, anyway. Your new suit's a Mark VI, just came Seongnam this morning. Try and take it easy till you get used to the upgrades. Let's test your armor first, Chief."
The Master Gunnery Sergeant tests Chief's armor, then he steps off to the side.
"Okay, now your turn, Lieutenant.".
Ash steps up to a table.
"Okay, let's test your targeting." The Master Gunnery Sergeant says. "Please look at the top light."
Ash looks at the top light.
"Good. Now look at the bottom light."
Ash looks at the bottom light.
"Alright. Now look at the top light again."
Ash looks at the top light.
"That's it. Now the bottom one."
Ash looks at the bottom light.
"Stand by. I'm gonna offline the inhibitors. Move around a little, get a feel for it. When you're ready, come and meet me by the zapper."
The Master Gunnery Sergeant walks off to the side. Ash looks down at his new armor and rolls his arms a little.
"How is it?" Chief asks.
"A little different then what I'm used to." Ash states. "But I could get used to this."
Ash then moves over to the shield recharge station.
"Pay attention, 'cause I'm only going over this once. This station'll test your recharging energy shields. Step on in, I'll show ya."
Ash steps into the recharge station.
"Your new armor's shields are extremely resilient, very efficient. Much better than the Covenant tech we used for the Mark V."
Ash presses a red switch. The machine zaps Ash's shields, and they quickly recharge.
"Bingo! As you can see, they recharge a lot faster."
The elevator door opens, and Sergeant Major Johnson steps out wearing a dress uniform.
The Mastery Gunnery Sergeant continues to explain. "If your shields go down, find some cover, wait for the meter to read fully charge.
"That, or he can hide behind me." Johnson says. "You done with my boys here, Master Gunns? I don't see any training wheels."
"Their armor's working fine, Johnson, so shut your chili-hole. You're both free to go, just remember, take things slow."
"Don't worry, I'll hold their hands."
Ash chuckles as he and the Chief step into the elevator with Johnson.
"So, Johnson, when you gonna tell me how you made it back home in one piece?" Master Gunnery Sergeant asks.
"Sorry, Gunns." Johnson. "It's classified."
"Huh! My ass! Well you can forget about those adjustments to your A2 scope, and you're sure as hell not gettin' one of the new M7s!"
The door close and the elevator rises.
"Well, he's in a particularly fine mood." Johnson says sarcastically. "Maybe Lord Hood didn't give him an invitation."
The elevator stops, the door opens and the three get out to board a small tram. It starts to move, with a view of the crew of Cairo Station going about their business and a backdrop of windows displaying the station and the stars.
The planet Earth comes into view. As the tram starts moving, Sergeant Johnson comments on the things passing by the windows.
"Earth..." Johnson. "Haven't seen it in years. When I shipped out for basic, the Orbital Defense Grid was all theory and politics. Now look! The Cario is just one of three hundred geosync platforms. That MAC guns can put a round clean through a Covenant capital ship. With coordinated fire from Athens and the Malta, nothing's getting past the battle cluster in one piece."
Ash looks out to Earth. 'It's so pretty, I've never seen Earth in person before.'
Several UNSC ships drift past the station.
"Ships have been arriving all morning." Johnson informs. "Nobody's saying much, but I think something big's about to happen."
The tram stops, and they walk out to join a crowd of cheering Marines.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
08-24-2023
1332 words