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"Are you sure this is a good idea? That is, they could have some sort of tracking device planted on this ship." At first he had been willing to go along with Cortana's plan, but now that he had thought it over, he became skeptical. I've done a thorough scan of the ship, Cortana replied. I'm sure we're untracked. "But what about cryo chambers? The trip could take weeks!" the Chief argued. Covenant ships have always been fast. I estimate it will take two days to reach the nearest human colony. Besides, you can use one of the Elite cryo chambers if you prefer that to standing around. After that, Cortana spent a few minutes figuring out how to send the ship into Slipspace. When she finally found out how, the ship disappeared in a flash of green light. MC had a hard time deciding what to do for two days. The weapons and shields of the cruiser however, fascinated the Chief. He had long hated ships for being cannon fodder for the Covenant. But with defenses similar to that of his suit, he could feel safer against the plasma bombardments. Besides, the scientists would be interesting in an intact Covenant ship, not to mention a live Elite. He also toyed around with the weapons, which were obviously more powerful than the UNSC's. Suddenly, he remembered Reach, were he had left all his teammates and friends. They were probably all dead by now, so he tried to shove those thoughts out of his mind. Cortana was busy with her own projects. She had mastered controlling the vessel and was itching to fire a weapon or two. The form of FTL travel that the aliens used intrigued the AI. It allowed more pinpoint adjustments in Slipspace, unlike the sometimes inaccurate Slipstream generators the humans used. It was also much faster. After she grew bored of doing that, she accessed the ship's coordinate databank. Suddenly she remembered the mission the Chief was really sent on. Chief! CHIEF! Did you forget our original mission? We were supposed to board a Covenant vessel to find their homeworld! I think we just did that accidentally! MC jumped up suddenly, as if hit by plasma. "You're right! We could do it now!" NO, we couldn't! First we have to get back to human civilization. We can tell someone first that we're still alive and what happened on Halo! Also, if we were destroyed, I have lots of information, you, well, you're the Master Chief, and this vessel and the Elite could be interesting for the researchers! We could develop ship-based shields, our own plasma weapons- "All right, we'll go back first. But we have to do it someday. We have the information, and it has to be used," the Chief interrupted. After a while spent exploring the ship, MC decided to try out the Elite cryo chambers. He remembered the disgusting "nutritious" inhalant and decided not to ask Cortana about it. He climbed into the tube and had Cortana activate it. *** The cryo tube hissed open. Rise and shine, Chief. How did you enjoy your alien sleep? "Not much difference," the Chief replied. "One thing I like about it-none of that sickening mucus-flavored inhalant. Well, are we near a colony yet?" Yes, we are near the colony Sigma Octanus IV. You've been here before, haven't you? "I have. Oh, and before landing, identify us to avoid any confusion. It's not every day that humans pilot Covenant cruisers into a colony!" he suggested. Affirmative, Chief. They've confirmed our identity. Unfortunately, there aren't any docks big enough to fit this cruiser. I propose we pilot a Longsword down. Before long, the Chief was back on solid ground again. The commanding officer in the area was a Captain, Richard Jones, who rushed up to greet the Chief. MC saluted. "At ease, soldier. I thought all the Spartan-IIs were destroyed when Reach fell. And what's with the Covenant ship?" the Captain asked curiously. "It's a long story, Captain. I need to get in touch with the existing command group of the UNSC," the Chief cut through the questions. "Well, FLEETCOM was destroyed, along with Reach-let me see here-from what I see, the current command center is a cruiser, the Maw, which is in orbit around Earth with the remnants of the UNSC fleet. I'll send them a message. Follow, please." The Captain ran off to the COM station. Inside the station, Captain Jones patched a message through to the Maw. He relayed the responding message to the MC's Longsword. "Chief, the commanding officer is Admiral Stanforth. He has commanded a cruiser before, the Leviathan, so he has considerable experience. He was one of the few who escaped from Reach. He requests you rendezvous with him in the Earth system as soon as you can get there. He was also surprised that you captured an intact Covenant cruiser and is eager to see it. Jones out." The Longsword's viewscreen shut off as the Chief took off, heading for the cruiser. Upon arriving, he rushed up to the control room, where Cortana waited. "Cortana, our orders are to-" I know, Chief. I was listening in on the message. I've finally figured out how the COM systems on this ship work. Anyway, I'll send a message to the Maw to let them know we're coming. "So, how long will it take for us to arrive?" the Chief wanted to know. "I mean, whether or not I have to get in a cryo tube again." I estimate five, maybe six days. I think you should get in a tube. I also found out that their cryo tube does not require inhalant to keep your nutrients up, so you can be happy about that. I'll wake you when we arrive. Once again, MC clambered into a cryo tube as the cruiser shot in a flare of green light. Five days later- The Chief awoke and headed up to the brig to check on the Elite. It was still alive. The Chief found food and drink for it, and left it in the cell. Bound by the plasma chains, it glared at him as the cell doors activated back on. Running back onto the bridge, he watched the image of Earth on the holographic display screen. Around it, three cruisers, six cruisers and ten frigates orbited, along with 15 Mark VI Super MAC guns, which had even more power than the Mark Vs that had defended Reach. On the moon, he saw two enormous guns, each the size of a cruiser. What powers those things? wondered the Chief. My analysis indicates there is a large fusion reactor that feeds them with power. "Oh, ok. Cortana, put this ship in orbit with those other ships. Then we'll take the Longsword and dock with the Maw," MC ordered. Suddenly, a large explosion rocked the ship. "What's going on? Did that Elite break loose and do something weird?" They saw all the MAC guns in orbit and the ones on the moon glow red as the magnetic accelerators powered up. He realized that it was the small fleet, firing at him! The Chief turned on the COM channels to stop them, but instead he heard, "What the hell is THAT doing here? Blow that SOB to pieces. NOW!" "No, wait! It's me, the Chief! And Cortana! We're sending identification data now. Hold your fire!" the Chief yelled urgently into the COM system. "WHAT? I thought you were dead! And you come back? WITH A COVENANT SHIP?" the voice of a Captain. "Aw man, I'm never eating mess hall meals again, they're giving me hallucinations!" "It's NOT a hallucination, it's real! I got a message earlier, and I told you it WASN'T an enemy! Master Chief, report to the Maw as soon as possible." Admiral Michael Stanforth's voice could be heard on all the COM channels. Cortana maneuvered the cruiser into orbit with the other ships. The Chief yanked out the chip, placed it back in his helmet and ran to the shuttle bay. Within minutes he was on the Maw, standing in the Admiral's office. He was relieved to be in there, because he passed hallway after hallway of gaping Marines and crew. "Well, Master Chief, you're still alive. It's a good thing you captured that Elite and cruiser. We might get a lot of good things out of it. We already have scientists working on engineering shield tech for our own ships. Oh, and there's one thing I should mention-" Another Spartan, wearing the same suit as the Chief, stepped into the room. MC recognized him immediately, even though he was in armor. "James? What? I thought you were dead when your jetpack got hit over Reach-" his voice trailed off as he looked at his long-lost teammate. James smiled beneath his helmet. "Me? Dead? That's an insult! I was picked up by a passing dropship before my oxygen supply ran out. I probably would have died in the next few minutes, since I was already unconscious. So, what's your story?" The Chief sat down and took a deep breath, then told them all. About their escape from Reach, Halo, the Flood, the battle for survival, the fate of Captain Keyes, setting off the Pillar of Autumn's reactors, the capture the Covenant cruiser, and the return to civilization. |
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