Carolina's P.O.V.
Caves of Chorus
I stepped forward with Locus on my six and then Kimball, Maine, York, Wash, The 3 injured soldiers, and Agent Nevada bringing up the rear as they all fell in line behind me as I edged out of the cave towards the buried tanks as I threw a grenade out to check for any movements of enemy soldiers. The grenade went off as I looked for little ripples from the imperfect active camo to see nothing there. I then held up my hand as I saw a ripple of motion and I knelt and looked again for the ripple. After about another minute I took down my hand as the freelancers all flashed their Acknowledgement Lights. I continued forward as the last Scorpion Battle Tank blew up right next to us as we were thrown to the wall from the force of the explosion as the other squads streamed out and surrounded us as all of the medics assessed us. My left ear was ringing from the blast and my shield system was wailing. I then pulled up my squads to see a few broken ribs and elevated pulses. I then pulled up my own to see internal bleeding in my stomach and a partially collapsed lung. I then started to see my vision go dark as I fought to stay conscious as York came over to me and grabbed my hand sending me into a flashback of him by my side after my procedure for the AI implantation. I then gasped and opened my eyes as my sight cleared up as York withdrew a syringe. He held up a finger in a hush gesture as he helped me up and I then walked to the front of the group. I then headed out again as I then stopped and saw the ripple again. I shook my head and decided my mind was playing tricks on me.
I then proceeded as I saw the cryopod containing Allison in it to see it had been broken open and the body was gone. I then sent a yellow flash to everyone to proceed with caution as I boosted my motion detector range to 200 meters to see nothing ahead. I then pushed onwards as the rest of the people followed me. I then zoned out as I thought back to the argument I had with Kimball about the reliability of the teleportation cubes. I snapped back into reality when I almost tripped and I caught myself. Wash opened a private com with me and sent a message.
"What is going on Carolina? Why are acting so erratic? You took a heavy hit from the explosion."
"I'm fine, I am fine okay?" I continued walking forward as I terminated the private chat. After another hour of walking through the caves I held up my fist as everyone stopped and I heard some voices.
"What do you mean the Reds and Blues are hurt, were they actually taken down?"
"Yep, they are hiding now, Sarge, Doc, Simmons, Griff, Donut, and Caboose are all captured and being held captive somewhere onboard. Tucker and Lopez are still free and hiding somewhere."
I felt myself filling with fear and hatred as I ran into the opening to see a Spartan team. I paused and sent a red light to hide and not come forward. A Spartan walked forward to me as his visor unpolarized and he said, "My name is Spartan Jerome, I am here to save you guys and the citizens of Chorus by direct orders of Admiral Omega."
The world started spinning as I collapsed and looked up into the visor of Jerome who then injected Biofoam and he then removes my armor as the other squads ran in and fired at the Spartan team when I activated my bubble shield and passed out. To see Spartan Jerome activate a healing unit around me.
Tucker's P.O.V.
Malcolm Hargrove's ship.
"Caboose!" I yelled as a grenade blew up that threw caboose to the wall. I ran over to Caboose to check his vital signs to see him fine as I activate the. Healing unit as more troopers streamed in. Then Doc took a hit and collapsed as Sarge rushed forward and took out 3 more troopers to get knocked out cold as I then yelled the last command I could think of. "Scatter and hide now!" and we all split up running as I then stood my ground and activated my personal shield and I then charged them as I took a shot to my left shoulder and I then activated an emo and I ran past them to be tripped by a soldier and hit by a trooper. I then rolled and sliced him with the energy sword. I then ran down a ball and entered a door and closed it behind me as I collapsed and started to cry. I kept thinking I failed them as I saw more and more biosigns flat lining and missing all together. I then just broke down. The door slid open and I jumped up ready to fight when I noticed it was Lopez, I then hugged him and pulled him inside as I steeled my resolve and pulled out my energy sword.
Admiral_Omega's P.O.V.
UNSC Pillar of Ice in Orbit above Chorus
I wiped sweat from my brow as I launched a Mac round at Hargrove's ship. "Proceed to ram them and push the engines to 300% for 30 seconds then turn is around."
"Aye sir"
"I want all crew evacuated out of the bridge now," as all of the crew stood up and left I then took over all the controls and I turned the ship around and then fired every Archer missile to hit Hargrove when an EMP nuclear missle was fired and shorted out all the circuits. I overrided the normal controls and entered in a command to open a slipspace portal as the Spartan team was launched. I then jumped in to slipspace as the ship shuddered from another hit. I then did a check on the ship as I eased the engines back to a normal level to see breaches in several sections but no casualties. I then set a course for the remnants of Harvest as I walked to a hangar to enter the prowler and left a note for the crew. I then left the ship and flew back in the Prowler to Chorus without anyone else. I was tired of people dying on my orders.
Carolina's P.O.V.
Crash Site Alpha
I woke up on a cot looking up at a rocky overhang when I heard movement and I reached instinctively for a weapon to find I wasn't wearing any armor and I gasped at a sharp pain in my chest. Kimball put her hand on my shoulder "Relax, we are safe, everything is okay, we got out of the caves with the other Spartan team. They assisted us and are now attempting to contact the Pillar Of Ice to evac is out. You did it, you saved us. You got the message out to the UNSC."
I shook my head, "No, this isn't right, why are we back here in the open? Where is everyone? Why is it so quiet?" I ask feeling nervous to see not a single person.
"They are in the ship and I brought you out here in the sunlight for comfort. Your armor is on a pedestal in the shipwreck. Everyone else is in the ship trying to patch the communications." Kimball slipped off her helmet and then took my hand as she looked me in the eye, "You saved my planet, but you are in no shape to fight right now. You have a partially collapsed lung and several broken ribs, you need to lie low. You have done more than I could ever ask for us. Just hang in there okay?"
I faded out of consciousness again as the world went black again. I started to dream about my childhood. I remembered the morning I became a freelancer. I was 6 and my family and I lived in Colorado. My father woke me up with a gentle kiss on my forehead. He looked concerned so I asked him what was wrong. He then ran his fingers through my hair and he laughed.
"Nothing is wrong when I have you my dear. Do you want to go on a vacation?"
I bounced up and down on my bed feeling very excited, he smiled and pulled out a map of the United States and told me to pick a state, any state I wanted and we would go there. I remember being confused at first so I had pointed to a Canadian Province. He then proceeded to laugh.
He then pointed all 13 Canadian provinces and said "these are not states you silly duck. These are provinces."
I loved it when he called me a silly duck cause I loved ducks. Then I remembered the beach house we had in North Carolina with the massive painting of a beautiful duck. I then started searching for the small text that spelled North Carolina and I got real excited and pointed to it. "Can we go back to the Beach House Dad?" I asked while looking at his face when my mom came in.
My mom smiled with joy but I saw sadness in her eyes, then I noticed she was wearing the UNSC navy fatigues. "No mommy, you can't leave me again! I won't let you leave!" I started crying as she scooped me up and hugged me.
She then told me "Well at the very least guess where I am going honey,"
I looked into her green eyes, "Are you going to go fight the bad aliens on Planet Reach?"
"No I am not, I am going to help out the state of Texas. They are under attack from those big bad aliens." She then rubbed her nose on mine and hugged me tighter.
We all got in the car and I sat alone in the back row. My Dad turned the car on as an automated voice said, "Good Morning Mr Church, Where will I be taking you this fine morning?"
My Dad then squeezed Allison's hand, "We need to go to Denver Military base F.I.L.L.S."
The car pulled out of the driveway soundlessly.
I woke up with tears in my eyes as I noticed the familiar feel of my armor on me as I turned and saw Wash and the other freelancers watching over me. I noticed we were back in the ship wreck.
I sat up and noticed I felt a lot better and my chest no longer hurt. Then I saw Dr. Gray cleaning her medical equipment. As she was walking out the ground shuddered and I heard the screaming of the Chorus Natives fill the air as the ship went black. And a malevolent voice filled my head, "You saw me before," I looked around to notice it was a private com link, "that is right Agent Carolina, those ripples you saw were me, I almost killed you when I blew up the tank but now, I can finish the job." I panicked and rolled out of my cot as the cot was smashed to pieces.
"Everyone turn on night vision and thermal!" I shout as I feel a fist hit my stomach as I gasped in pain when the lights came back on and I heard a pair of footsteps running away but I only saw a tiny shimmer from active camo.
Wash ran over to help me up as I see Maine with a knife in his back along with a pool of blood. I then collapse as I black out and I notice my visor is cracked.
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Hope you all enjoyed this chapter as the climatic ending is nearing closer. I have already made some ideas for part 3 of the saga, including some art for the new cover. But this was a special chapter where for the first time a look into Carolina's family is revealed. The end is approaching in anywhere from 1 to 6 chapters depending on how I do the next chapter. As always feedback is always appreciated. Until next time, read on, like, comment, and share.
Ω out.