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Spartans Of Darkness Part 1 Reclaimer
Posted By: SpartanOmega<ultimowolf02@aol.com>
Date: 28 October 2003, 9:46 PM


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Spartans Of Darkness

Part 1 Reclaimer


The AI stirred as it had in the past but this time was far different. It felt a ping of alert shoot through its system and knew that the time was now and at last it would be able to unleash its powers.

Field Commander Danny "Ice" Johnson woke with a start. He was aboard the UNSC cruiser Dynamo and at first could not remember why. Then his memories floated back to him with ease. He was in the safest location in the galaxy, he was orbiting Earth but it was more like a military installation with all of the protection surrounding it. The Covenant were closing in on Earth and the UNSC was getting tense. Admiral Preston Cole had tried to make a stable contact with Captain Keyes and his fleet but no response came through. It was rumored that Keyes and his fleet had stumbled across a Covenant installation known only as Halo. But it was only a rumor; if it was true then ONI would have it covered it up and erased all intelligence traces within minutes. It was a shame that the last Spartan in the entire UNSC fleet disappeared with the ship known as the Pillar of Autumn that was rumored to of found Halo.
Ice blocked out his thoughts and put the task at hand to his mind. Later today he would have to go with his platoon to Mars on a surveillance mission and try holding off The Covenant long enough for the UNSC Cruiser Division to formulate a battle plan. It was a suicide mission in everything else but words. But it was his duty. He rather fight than let Earth become a charcoal rock. His platoon far out ranked Hell-Jumpers and was just under Spartans themselves. By military name they were Platoon 006-721 but they were more commonly known as The Nightmares. Seeing a battlefield that The Nightmares defeated the enemy in it was hard to tell a battle ever took place. They left the battlefield clean as a whistle and haunted any enemies' dreams who ever lived to tell the tale. Ice felt a small jolt and knew the Dynamo was beginning to head out to Mars. Ice went to gather his platoon. He reached the docking bay and sorted them out into Squad's A, B, and C. Squad A would be a Sniper team, Squad B would be his favorite, the Ghost team which would kill off the enemy silently one by one. Finally there was Squad C, the Sweeper team that would just wipe out the remaining idiots who were dumb enough to stay on the battlefield. He got the platoon equipped and cocked his assault rifle. With that he said, " Marines, lets get to work!" They arrived on the outskirts of the military installation Fort Cole and readied themselves with camouflage. A low buzz grew overhead and began to get louder and louder with every passing second. Private Katzman said" Sir? What the hell is that?" KABOOM! The planet shook with fury and Squads A and C were gone over the mountain cliff. "Were being bombed!" Ice yelled. Covenant Mini Cruisers began landing and dumping troops by the hundreds. One Mini Cruiser was not so lucky and opened its landing ramps to early and the whole crew flew easily 60 yards north, Danny knew when he saw an opportunity and ran for the ship. He rolled and ducked up onto the ship and looked for Squad B. He saw them blasting away at Hunters and there was a green flash and Squad B was no more but a bloody pulp. Ice slammed the button to shut the door and realized nobody had seen him board the ship. If he found a way to engage autopilot they would think another Covenant was piloting the ship. Ice looked at the controls and muttered, "Crap." The computer hummed and said" Language acknowledged, English. Now activating autopilot." "Yes!" Ice said. "Entering star map directions for Halo Installation 004, processing now." Said the computer. "Crap." Ice said again. He had heard of the rumored Halo Installation but a forth one was unheard of. He was afraid that if he tried pressing any buttons he would blow himself sky high. The computer said" ETA time one hour." So Ice waited and finally he heard a voice go" Preparing landing at Base One." Danny readied his battle armor and his assault rifle with his belt of frag grenades and slammed the button for the landing ramp to open and hopped onto the surface. It was snow covered and an icy cold wind swept the atmosphere. There was a door with ancient symbols on it and it begun to glow and pulse and the closer Ice got the more it pulsed. When he reached the door a machine that looked like a retinal scan. He placed his eye and felt a tingle. An AI voice said" Species confirmed, human deactivating defenses and loading armor schematics." Ice liked the sound of a new armor and there it was, he walked through the door into what looked like a temple and on the side of the door was a suit of armor just floating there. It was a bright blue and looked like the layout of the UNSC's Spartan Mark V Armor only it was sharper in design. He put it on and instantly there was a new strength he had never had, it pulsed through him with a fury beyond all other. His speed had also increased and his reflexes were almost faster than the eye can see.

The AI stirred once more now it saw that the human had come. But it was curious would it be strong enough to withstand the trials or would it fail? It watched as the human donned the armor and began activating the trials. This would be interesting.

The armor was great. There was no other word for it. It made the perfect soldier. It was probably stronger than the Mark V Spartan Model and much more flexible and lightweight. Ice heard a low rumbling like an old machine starting up and gripped his assault rifle harder. A small hum came beneath his feet and he realized he was on an elevator. It went up what he estimated was two floors and it came to a halt. Ice walked out and saw Hunters coming at him from each side of the room. He flipped up his assault rifle and tricked the two Hunters into turning their backs when they went to hit him and he let out a full round of MA6 armor piercing rounds into the exposed skin. The Hunters were dead before they hit the floor. He heard a robotic voice say" Physical Trials complete." And a series of old steel doors opened up leading him into the next room. It was completely blank. It was just a bunch of dirty concrete walls. Then images filled the room. The destruction of Harvest, his home world. The dozens of glassed systems throughout UNSC space. The Covenant Cruisers destroying Reach, one of humanity's last military stands against the Covenant. Without Reach no new cruisers could be made except in the shipyards on Mars, which by now were probably gone for good. Ice couldn't take it, so much suffering. Where were the images coming from? He spotted a highly advanced hologram projector at the top of the room and let out some ammo on it. Instantly the images stopped and once again a robotic voice came. It said" Mental Trials complete." Yet again another pair of doors opened and he stepped into another room MA6 at ready. Without notice spikes flew at him from all directions. He dodged more and more as they flew from all over. He noticed they were Cruiser grade Titanium A that would shred his armor like mincemeat. But who knew, maybe this armor was stronger because it was from alien origin. He continued dodging more and more until finally they stopped. He heard the robotic voice say" Agility Trials complete please wait." Ice waited loading a fresh round for his MA6 as he did. Finally a small hovering ball that glowed bright green flew into the room and said" You have done well in passing all three trials. I am Spark004 and I monitor this installation. I have been waiting for some time for someone to prepare the Darkness Army." Ice was extremely puzzled by every word. He said, " Slow down, what army are you talking about and where am I?" Spark replied with a sigh and said" This is Forerunner Installation 004 and there has been an army in cryosleep waiting for a Reclaimer for some time now. Ice understood nothing. As if Spark004 read his thoughts he said" A Reclaimer is somebody who can pass all three trials and can control the army." "Also, there are 9.5 thousand troops in the Darkness Army that are all now under your control. They each are equipped with a armor model one level less than your own and each were bred by the forerunners for the Reclaimer." Ice was still a bit confused but was starting to get the picture. Since he passed the trials he now controlled the Darkness Army, which held thousands of Spartan warriors. A thought struck him like a lightning bolt. If he made it to Earth he could save the planet. The Covenant wouldn't have a chance against 9.5 thousand Spartans if one was rumored to destroy Halo. He turned to Spark004 and said" Who are the Forerunners, are they human or alien and are they good or bad?" Spark replied" The Forerunners are alien and were around long before the Covenant. In other words they are the Covenants ancestors. But the Forerunners wanted peace through their religion but times got drastic and an army was created just in case. The army was bred into human form and placed into the armor in which they cryosleep in now. But those Covenant idiots got the ancient writings all wrong. They thought that the writings instructed them to kill the humans in the will of the gods. But it was truly the ancient plans for the human/Forerunner army and the thought that one day the gods would grant them peace." Ice was shocked. Somebody could have swept his jaw off the floor and it would have fallen again. The whole war, all the glassed planets because of one misreading in translations, the idea was laughable, unthinkable, how could it have happened. Had one Covenant idiot caused the deaths of billions? Ice was never scared. But now his legs began to tremble and he said" Take me to the army." Spark004 moved silently as they head to the elevator. The place was huge with gray concrete walls. The elevator must have been air powered because he found no electricity traces as they went upwards. They arrived in what looked like a domed amphitheater that was all gray. Ice saw thousands of cryo tubes in the back of the amphitheater and saw a control panel next to him in the front. He looked at Spark004 and said," Do I press it?" Spark004 bounced up and down that he figured for a floating ball was the same as nodding his head. Ice went up to the control panel and saw a few buttons but he saw one that had the word Cryo over it and pressed it. As a kid Danny had always wanted an adventure. That's why he joined the army. But now he was finally going to get a real one.

End of Part 1





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