Halo: Ghost of the Spartans

0600 Hours, November 02, 2525

Epsilon Eridani System, UNSC Military Complex, Planet Reach

The Spartans had all been gathered inside the amphitheater, all of them were wondering why they had been gathered. They had been called to muster in their dress uniform only one time other time, which was during the funeral of the Spartans who had not made it through augmentations and had died.

John was awarded the Purple Heart because of the injuries he suffered during the mission to capture Colonel Watts. Indra had received the Silver Star for his bravery and success in acquiring the Intel from the asteroid base, although he had not donned it on his uniform yet, to hide the fact that he had received a medal from his fellow teammates.

Indra sat at the edge of the second row next to Kelly, with Sam on her right. John, Fred, and Linda sat behind them in the third row.

Soon Chief Mendez entered the room and marched to the center platform. He, like the Spartans, wore his black dress uniform. His chest was covered with multiple Silver and bronze stars, three purple hearts, the Red Legion of Honor award, and a rainbow of campaign ribbons. He had also recently shaved his head.

All the Spartans rose and stood at attention. Doctor Halsey entered the room and made her way onto the stage.

"Vice Admiral on deck!" Mendez announced.

The Spartans immediately stood at attention, their postures becoming more erect. A man approximately six years senior to Doctor Halsey entered the room and took his place at the center of the stage. His short, silver hair resembled a steel helmet.

His gait exhibited a peculiar loop, often referred to as Space walk by crew members, a result of extended periods spent in microgravity. He was dressed in a simple, unadorned black dress uniform of the UNSC, devoid of any medals or ribbons. However, the insignia on the forearm of his jacket clearly identified him as a Vice Admiral.

"At ease Spartans" he said. "I am Vice Admiral Michael Stanforth, head of ONI section III."

The Spartans then took their seats. "And this is Beowulf," Vice Admiral Stanforth said, gesturing to the Avatar of the AI. Stanforth's voice was calm, and he continued, "He is our AI attaché with the Office of Naval Intelligence."

He turned away from the AI. "We have several important issues to discuss this morning, so let's get started." The light in the room dimmed. An amber sun appeared in the center of the stage with three planets closely orbiting it.

"This is Harvest," he said. "With a population of approximately three million, this colony, despite being on the edge of UNSC-controlled space, remains one of our more productive and peaceful settlements."

The holographic view zoomed in, showing grasslands, forests, and fish-filled lakes on the planet's surface.

"As of February 4th, at 1423 hours, the Harvest orbital platform detected this object via long-range radar," Vice Admiral Stanforth said, as a blurry object outline appeared. "Spectroscopic analysis was inconclusive. The material is unknown."

A molecular absorption graph with spikes and jagged lines indicating element proportions appeared on the side screen. Beowulf raised an arm, darkening the image, and CLASSIFIED-EYES ONLY flashed over the data. Vice Admiral Stanforth glared at the AI.

"Contact with Harvest was lost shortly thereafter," he said. "The Colonial Military Administration sent the scout ship Argo to investigate. The ship arrived on April 20 but only confirmed their exit slip space position before going silent. Fleet command then assembled a battle group, including the destroyer Heracles led by Captain Veredi, and frigates Arabia and Vostok. They entered the Epsilon Indi system on October 7 and found this."

The holograph of Harvest changed from lush fields and rolling hills to a cratered, barren desert with thin gray sunlight reflecting off a dusty crust and isolated regions glowing red. Indra heard Kelly gasp and Fred murmur behind him, "The hell."

"This is what was left of the colony" The Vice Admiral paused for a moment to stare at the image and then continued. "We assume all inhabitants are lost"

Indra closed his eyes, grit his teeth, and clenched his fists until he was bleeding from his palms. 'Son of a BITCH!' he thought as he opened his eyes, and looked at Kelly through the side of his eye and saw her roll up her fist in anger. Indra then continued looking at the stage as the Admiral continued, "And this is what the Heracles Battle group found in orbit" he said.

The blurry outline that was still visible, hanging in the air, sharpened into a crisp focus. It looked smooth and organic and the hull possessed an old, opalescent sheen it looked more like the carapace of an exotic insect than the metal hull of a spacecraft. Recessed into the aft section were pods that pulsed with purple-white glow. The prow of the craft was swollen like the head of a whale.

"The unidentified vessel launched an immediate attack on our forces." Vice Admiral Stanforth said. Blue flashes strobe from the ship. Red motes of light then appeared along its hull. Bolt of energy coalesced into a fiery smear against the blackness of space.

The deadly flashes of light impacted Arabia and flashed across its hull. Its meter of armor plating instantly boiled away, and a plume of ignited atmosphere burst from the breach in the ship's hull. "Those were pulse lasers." Vice Admiral Stanforth explained, "and if this record is to be believed some kind if self-guided, superheated plasma weapon."

The Heracles and Vostok launched salvos of missiles towards the craft. The enemy's lasers intercepted half of them before they reached their target. The remaining missiles impacted and detonated into a burst of fire, which quickly dissipated. The ship shimmered with a semitransparent silver coating that then vanished.

"They appear to have some form of reflective shield," Vice Admiral Stanforth remarked, taking a deep breath as his features hardened into a mask of grim resolve. "The Vostok and Arabia were lost with all hands. The Heracles managed to jump out of the system, but due to the damage she sustained, it took several weeks for Captain Veredi to return to Reach."

"These weapons and defensive systems are currently beyond our technological capabilities. Therefore, this craft is of nonhuman origin," he paused and then added, "This is a product of a race with technology far more advanced than our own."

As the Admiral finished, murmurs broke out among the Spartans, Indra could hear Kelly and Sam conversing next to him while John and Fred could be heard behind him; he continued looking at the stage with a look of hatred.

"We have developed several first contact scenarios," he said, "and Captain Veredi followed our established protocols. We had anticipated that contact with the new race would be peaceful. However, this was not the case—the alien vessel did not open fire until our task force-initiated communications."

He paused before continuing. "Fragments of the enemy's transmissions were intercepted," he added, "and a few words have been translated. We believe they call themselves The Covenant. Prior to opening fire, the alien ship broadcasted the following message clearly."

The Admiral gestured to Beowulf, who nodded. A moment later, a voice was heard through the amphitheater's speakers.

"Human, Your destruction is the will of the Gods…and we are their instruments"

'Damn bastard' Indra thought as he continued glaring at the stage. John, who was behind him, stood up from his seat, his hand raised.

"Yes, Spartan?" Stanforth said.

"Sir, is this a translation?" John asked.

"No," the Vice Admiral replied. "They broadcasted this to us in our own language. We believe they have some kind of translation system to prepare the message, which indicates they have been studying us for some time."

John then took his seat.

"As of November 1st, the UNSC has ordered us to full alert," Stanforth said. "Vice Admiral Preston Cole is mobilizing the largest fleet in human history to retake the Epsilon Indi System and address this new threat. Their transmission clearly indicated their intent for conflict."

"Due to this UNSC-wide mobilization," Vice Admiral Stanforth continued, "Your training schedule will be accelerated to its final phase, Project: MJOLNIR."

He stepped away from the podium and placed his hands behind his back. "Regarding this, I have another announcement," he said, turning to the chief. "Chief Petty Officer Mendez will be leaving us to train the next group of Spartans. Chief?"

Indra observed the others' reactions; John held onto the riser in front of him while Sam tightened his hand.

Chief Mendez then approached the podium and firmly grasped its edges.

"Trainees," he began, "Soon your training will be complete, and you will attain the rank of Petty Officer Second Class within the UNSC, with the exception of 001." He directed his gaze towards Indra, who acknowledged him with a nod. "One of the first lessons you will encounter is that change is an integral part of a soldier's life. You will form and lose friendships, and you will move forward. This is inherent to the role."

Chief Mendez surveyed the audience, his piercing eyes resting on each individual. He nodded, appearing content with what he observed.

"The Spartans are the finest group of soldiers I have encountered," he continued. "It has been an honor to train you. Always remember the principles I have imparted—duty, honor, and sacrifice for the greater good of humanity are the qualities that distinguish you."

Mendez paused briefly, searching for additional words. Finding none, he stood at attention and saluted. "Attention," Indra heard John command from behind him. The Spartans all rose and saluted the chief.

"Dismissed, Spartans," Chief Mendez said, concluding his salute with, "And good luck." The Spartans lowered their arms in unison, hesitated briefly, and then slowly exited the amphitheater.

John and Indra were the only ones that stayed behind. Both of them wanting to have a final talk with Mendez, Doctor Halsey spoke briefly with the Chief and Vice Admiral and looked at Indra who gave her an 'Okay' nod and then she and the Admiral left. Indra was the first to approach Chief Mendez and saluted.

"At ease 001" He said. "It was a pleasure knowing you, Chief" Indra said as he offered the man that had trained and helped him since he was a child, to which Mendez accepted.

"Doctor Halsey and the Vice Admiral wish to speak with you. They are waiting for you in the hallway," he stated. Indra acknowledged with a nod and proceeded down the corridor, briefly exchanging nods with John as he passed. After a few minutes of walking, Indra reached Doctor Halsey and Vice Admiral Stanforth, who were engaged in conversation.

Indra approached them and saluted, saying, "You requested my presence, Doctor, Sir?"

"At ease, Spartan," responded Stanforth, prompting Indra to lower his arm. "You must be Indra-001; Doctor Halsey has spoken very highly of you."

"Your recent success in obtaining Intel from the Eridanus system insurrectionists was quite an accomplishment," Stanforth said.

"Just following orders, sir," Indra replied.

"Indeed, you are," Stanforth nodded. "Now onto why I called you here," he said seriously. "We have a new mission for you."

Indra was puzzled. "New mission, sir?"

"The Spartans will head to the Chi Ceti system to receive Project: MJOLNIR," Halsey explained. "However-"

"There have been reports of an unidentified ship moving in and out of the system," Stanforth continued. "We suspect it is the Covenant."

Indra realized what the mission was likely going to be.

"You will be leaving on board the UNSC Commonwealth. Once you have arrived inside the system, if you encounter the ship, you are to try and board it and, if possible, collect data or samples of the enemy's technology," Stanforth said.

"Understood, sir," Indra replied.

"As of now, you are hereby promoted to Chief Petty Officer," Stanforth announced. Indra acknowledged the promotion, which he had been informed about earlier, but did not expect it to be to the rank of CPO.

"Yes, sir," Indra said, standing at attention. "Good luck with your mission, Spartan," Stanforth said before leaving Indra with Halsey.

"Why a Chief Petty Officer?" Indra asked Halsey.

"You've earned it. Your performance, tactical knowledge, and leadership qualities set you apart," Halsey explained.

"But Doctor, I don't even have a team. I am part of Blue Team; I cannot just take John's position," Indra protested.

"You're a temporary member. After Project: MJOLNIR, all Spartans will be reassigned," Halsey replied.

"Any idea where I'll go?" Indra inquired.

"That's up to command. Now get ready; we leave on November 6th," Halsey instructed as she walked away.

Indra muttered, "Things are only going to get worse," and followed her.

1700 hours, November 26, 2525

En route to Chi Ceti system, UNSC Paris-class Heavy Frigate, Commonwealth

As the cryo-pod lid opened, Indra gasped for air, wearing his black bodysuit. A technician helped him up. "Sorry for the quick wake-up, sir. Your pod malfunctioned," the technician said.

"It's ok. What is the date? Are we there yet?" Indra asked, thinking, 'Damn, this is shit happened again.'

"It's November twenty-sixth, sir. We're still a day away from the Chi Ceti system."

"Alright, you need to run tests on me?" Indra inquired, and the technician nodded.

After the tests, Indra headed to the barracks, found his locker, and changed into fatigues. He looked at the wrist bag Chief Mendez had given him when he first arrived on Reach.

"At least I'll have something to remember him" Indra said under his breath and soon went over to his bunk and laid down and tried to fall asleep.

1745 hours, November 27, 2525

Chi Ceti system, Chi Ceti IV, UNSC Paris-class Heavy frigate, Commonwealth

Indra woke to see Kelly about to nudge him awake.

"I see I didn't have to wake you," Kelly said with a smirk. "John was called to the bridge; he wants us ready."

"Got it," Indra replied, heading towards the lockers with Kelly. 'It's happening now,' he thought, spotting other Spartans preparing their gear. Suddenly, red alarms blared, and flashing lights activated. John's voice came over the intercom.

"Sam, muster teams in bay alpha. I want that pelican loaded and ready to drop in fifteen minutes."

"We'll do it in ten," Sam replied. "Faster if those longsword pilots clear out."

"Okay, you heard him," Kelly stated. "Let's move!"

The Spartans promptly doubled their efforts on the equipment and began exiting the area. Kelly and Indra were the last ones remaining, with Kelly waiting for Indra.

"You can proceed, Kelly; I will follow shortly," Indra stated as he collected his equipment. Kelly observed him briefly, showing reluctance, but she nodded and left the room.

A minute later, Indra completed gathering his equipment and proceeded towards hanger bay alpha. However, just as he approached the door, an explosion shook the ship, and the hallway was suddenly engulfed in flames.

Indra quickly took cover just as the flames attempted to enter the room but were thwarted by the safety door sealing shut, enclosing him inside.

"Of course this would happen to me," Indra muttered. He decided to take the long way around and opened the other door. As he stepped out, he saw the ship's hallways were empty.

"It feels like a ghost town here," Indra thought as he began to sprint, hoping not to be late. Upon entering Hangar Bay Alpha, he observed that the Pelicans were already loaded, with some of them departing. "This must be a joke," Indra thought, but was quickly brought back to reality when someone tapped his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Doctor Halsey standing behind him.

"It appears that someone is running late," Halsey remarked.

"Indeed, it seems so," Indra responded. "May I accompany you, Doctor?"

"Certainly," Halsey replied as both she and Indra boarded the Pelican, which promptly closed its hatch and began its departure from the Commonwealth.

1845 hours, November 27, 2525

Chi Ceti system, Chi Ceti IV, Damascus Materials Testing Facility

Indra stood next to Kelly and John alongside the other Spartans, all waiting to see what Project: MJOLNIR was about. They were inside a well-lit hangar with an obstacle course at the far end, featuring walls, trenches, dummy targets, and barbed wires.

Three technicians and at least a dozen AI figures were working in the center of the room. Doctor Halsey cleared her throat, causing the technicians to turn and the AIs to disappear.

In front of them were 35 Plexiglas mannequins arranged in rows. Each mannequin had a suit of Mjolnir MK IV armor, all colored olive green with the same shape, design, and orange-golden visored helmet.

"Project MJOLNIR or the Mjolnir MK IV Power armor," Dr. Halsey said, snapping her fingers to display a holographic schematic of the armor.

"The shell is a strong multilayer alloy with a refractive coating to disperse weapon attacks," she pointed inside the schematic. "Each suit has a gel layer for temperature regulation that changes density reactively, a moisture-absorbing cloth suit against the skin, and bio-monitors to adjust temperature and fit instantly. There's also an onboard computer interface with your neural implant."

She collapsed the schematic to show only the outer layers. "Most importantly," Halsey said, "the inner structure is made of reactive metal liquid crystal, doubling strength and increasing reaction speed fivefold."

She waved her hand through the hologram. "There is one issue. The system is so reactive that our previous test with unaugmented volunteers was unsuccessful. Normal humans lack the reaction time or strength needed to operate this system," she explained. "However, your enhanced musculature and the metal and ceramic layers bonded to your skeleton should enable you to utilize the armor's power. There has been insufficient computer modeling, so there will be some risks. You will need to move slowly and deliberately until you become familiar with the armor and its functions. It cannot be powered down, nor can the response be scaled back. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Ma'am," the Spartans answered.

"Any questions?" she asked. John raised his hand. "When do we get to try them on, Doctor?"

"Immediately," Halsey said. "Volunteers?"

Every Spartan raised their hands. "You've always been lucky, John," Halsey said, "Let's proceed."

John stepped forward as the technicians began fitting him with the MJOLNIR system, under the watchful eyes of Indra and the other Spartans.

"Please breathe normally," Dr. Halsey instructed, "but remain absolutely still."

John complied, holding himself as motionless as possible. The helmet was then placed over his head.

"Listen carefully, John," Dr. Halsey said. "I want you to only think about moving your arm up to chest level. Stay relaxed."

John's hand and forearm moved swiftly to chest level. Dr. Halsey inquired, "How do you feel?"

"It feels like it was made for me," John responded.

"Excellent. Petty Officer, proceed to run through the obstacle course," Dr. Halsey directed. "We will begin fitting the other Spartans shortly. We have limited time remaining."

John saluted and his hand bounced off his helmet.

"Carefully, Petty Officer very carefully, please" Halsey said "Yes, Ma'am" he said

After 30 minutes, all the Spartans were fitted with their Mjolnir armor and stood at attention, except Indra.

"Uh…Doctor, what about me?" Indra asked, drawing everyone's attention.

"Ah, saving the best for last," Halsey said, snapping her fingers. Another set of armor was brought in, distinct from the others. It was Steel Grey with thrusters on the back and a helmet with a smaller, sleeker visor, colored golden orange.

'Oh yeah, that looks fucking awesome!' Indra thought as he laid eyes on his MJOLNIR armor.

"This is the brand-new prototype the Recon variant of the Mjolnir MK VI armor" Halsey explained. "It's a specialized variant specifically designed to provide better stealth capabilities and with little or no loss of endurance, specifically by reducing its infrared signature, reflective surfaces, and Cherenkov radiation emission. Recently it was fitted with a total of 8 thrusters which are powered by a power core that recharges automatically after being depleted. The thrusters if used all at once can last about ten minutes before the power core needs to recharge." Halsey explained.

"Holy shit." Sam who was standing next to Indra muttered, while Kelly simply bumped into him lightly.

"Looks like someone's getting their own special armor" Kelly said playfully, probably with a gin under that helmet. "Jealous?" Indra asked. "Maybe" she said.

"Now Indra, if you may," Halsey said as Indra stepped forward. Technicians began fitting him with his armor piece by piece. Once his helmet was on, he could still see well through the sleek visor.

"Try moving your arm, Indra. Very slowly," Halsey instructed. Indra complied, touching his visor with each hand before lowering them.

"How does it feel?" Halsey asked.

"Like I'm wearing normal clothes," Indra replied, making Halsey smile. "But why is it Steel Grey?"

"They ran out of paint; this was all that was left," she explained.

"I guess I'll have to make do. Should I try the obstacle course?" Indra asked.

"No need. Aside from the stealth capabilities and reduced infrared signature, it is the same as a regular MJOLNIR," Halsey said. Indra nodded and joined the blue team.

Suddenly Captain Wallace's voice broke over the COM channels. "We have contact with the covenant ship, Ma'am. Extreme range, their slip space engines must still be damaged. They are moving towards us via normal space."

"Your repair status?" Halsey asked.

"Long-range communications inoperable. Slipstream generators offline. MAC system destroyed. We have fusion missiles and twenty Archer missile pods intact. Armor plating is at twenty percent," the static hissed. "If you need more time, I can draw them away."

"No, Captain," Halsey responded. "We'll fight... and we must win this time."

"Spartans, let's go," John ordered, as they left the room, except Indra.

"You know your mission, Indra," Halsey said.

"Yes," Indra replied. "Don't die trying," Halsey added.

"I won't, Doctor," Indra assured, making Halsey smile. "But what are we to do if our suits are breached?"

"Good question," Halsey said, bringing over a briefcase with metallic spheres. Handing one to Indra, she explained, "These Prototype Vacuum seals for Mjolnir armor dissolve into solid tungsten to cover breaches, lasting one to three hours for small breaches or 30 minutes for medium ones."

"Eh…if it works it works" Indra said as he took about six of them.

"What prompted you to ask this?" Halsey asked.

"Let's just say Chief Mendez's lesson of always expect the unexpected has taken root in my heart" Indra said as he strapped the spherical seals on his waist and looked at Halsey.

Halsey's eyes widened for a bit before going back to normal. "That's…alright make sure to give me some feedback so that I can improve it in the future." She responded.

"Yes ma'am," Indra said as he left the room.

Inside the back of the Pelican Indra sat at one of the seats, with him locked and loading his DMR, his M6D on his waist and a pair of combat knives on the thighs, he also had two frag grenades. Next to him was Sam who was examining his MA5B. Kelly sat opposite him checking her MA5B, while also giving Indra occasional stares. The other Spartans did similar things.

"You know, your helmet makes you look like a badass assassin." Sam said as he got up from his seat

"What? You don't like it" Indra said, pretending to be offended.

"I do, but your helmet makes you stand out a lot." Sam replied.

"Good, at least the covenant would be terrified before they have a bullet to their face" Indra said as he put his DMR on his back. To which Sam snorted a laugh.

John soon came out of the cockpit, "We'll get only one shot at this" he said, "Plot an intercept trajectory and fire your thrusters at max burn. If the target changes course, you'll have to make a best guess correction on the fly. If you make it, we will regroup outside the hole, if you miss we'll pick you up after we're done"

Indra didn't listen to the rest and instead he moved towards the hatch and when John was finished with his pep talk, he joined Indra near the hatch as well.

"Nervous" John asked.

"Not really" Indra answered, although it was half a truth as in reality, Indra was having second thoughts.

"Sometimes I wish I had your confidence" John said and Indra laughed. "What do think we will face inside?"

"Ugly Aliens probably" Indra said John simply nodded and then turned to everyone

"Everyone ready" John asked

John soon exited the cockpit and stated, "We'll get only one shot at this. Plot an intercept trajectory and fire your thrusters at max burn. If the target changes course, you will need to make a best guess correction on the fly. If you succeed, we will regroup outside the hole; if you miss, we'll pick you up after we're done."

Indra moved towards the hatch while John completed his instructions. When John finished speaking, he joined Indra near the hatch.

"Are you nervous?" John asked. "Not really," Indra replied.

"I sometimes wish I had your confidence," John said. Indra responded with a laugh.

"What do you think we will encounter inside?" John inquired.

"Quite possibly ugly aliens," Indra speculated. John nodded and then turned to everyone else.

"Is everyone ready?" John asked.

There was a chorus of "Yes sir" but Indra being himself only gave him a thumbs up. "I'll be going first since my armor is best fitted for these types of missions." he said, to which John nodded.

Soon, the hatch to the pelican opened, and Indra activated all eight of his thrusters, moving at a high speed.

Indra felt an exhilarating sensation akin to Icarus soaring through the air as he skillfully evaded pulse lasers, maneuvering in space with precision. He directed himself toward the rear of the ship and successfully slipped under the shields, quickly making contact with the hull. "Let's proceed inside," Indra stated as he navigated across the hull of the Covenant ship and approached the opening.

Sam soon joined him, and Indra assisted him in moving closer. "Thank you, Indra," Sam remarked as he observed the interior of the ship. "There's certainly a lot of purple," he noted.

"Indeed," Indra replied. Shortly thereafter, Kelly and John joined them.

"Are there any more?" Indra inquired.

"No, I believe we are the only ones who made it," Kelly responded.

"In that case, let's proceed," Indra said. "We wouldn't want to keep the Covenant waiting."

John led the way through the breach and collapsed on the first deck as he entered the ship's gravity field.

"Gravity?" he asked.

"Must be artificial," Indra replied, moving down the deck with Kelly and Sam behind him.

"Weapons check," John ordered.

They examined their rifles, relieved to see they were intact. Indra took out his DMR and said, "I'll check the path," before cautiously advancing through the corridors. Once he confirmed there were no hostiles, he reported, "Clear," through COM. John, Sam, and Kelly joined him, and they continued until they reached a turn.

As Indra peaked a little through the corner, he saw two small aliens with a weird cone on their back just standing there. 'Damn, these are some ugly little things.' Indra thought and he turned towards John who was behind him. "Two hostiles right around the corner, we could sneak past them if you want." he said.

"Stealth option seems better," John said.

"Go ahead first I'll keep an eye on them." Indra said and John nodded moving across the corner to the other side without being noticed, followed by Sam and then Kelly, when it was Indra's turn one of the Grunts suddenly turned around towards him and saw him, the grunt squeaked in fear and started aiming his plasma pistol but Indra was a quick draw simultaneously throwing a knife and firing his M6D, killing both of them.

"Damn that feels good to kick some alien ass." Indra said as he looked at the dead grunts. He approached them and grabbed a plasma pistol. 'This should probably be enough for ONI to be satisfied' Indra thought as he put the plasma pistol on his hip and grabbed his knife before he started heading towards where John and the others went.

As Indra reached the doors of what he thought was the reactor room, the doors open and it reveals John, Sam and Kelly standing near the core, as Indra looked around he saw a bunch of dead jackals. He joined John and the others. "What's the situation?" he asked.

"Well…my suits breached" Sam said grimly. "I'll have to stay behind and hold the room until the bomb takes care of the ship" As Indra turned his head he saw the breach on Sam's left chest, it had blackened the area with a medium size hole in it.

"Well…it was nice knowing you Ind-" As Sam was about to finish when Indra walked up to him and slammed the metallic sphere where the breach was located. As Doctor Halsey said the sphere dissolved into a solidified layer of Tungsten. Sam's face, although hidden by his helmet, looked surprised by Indra's action and the fact that the breach had sealed up. "What did you-"

"Vacuum seals, got it from Doctor Halsey before we left" Indra answered. "You got thirty minutes to get back to the Pelican so you better hurry."

Sam simply laughs. "Guess I won't be dying after all" he said as he gave Indra a fist bump. "Well, we better hurry then, wouldn't want to immediately die after Indra worked so hard to save my ass." he said jokingly.

"Yeah, yeah whatever, now hand me the bomb, I'll set the timer." Indra said and Sam handed him the bomb. He then looked at John and Kelly. "You guys should get going, I'll be right behind you." he said, and John nodded and started walking towards the exit followed by Sam. Kelly, however, stayed behind. "You should go, Kelly"

"No, what if you get killed here, Sam nearly got killed as you just saw." She said her voice pleadingly.

"I'll be fine, plus I am just as fast as you if not more so…. I will be out in no time." Indra reassured her and Kelly hesitantly leaves the room giving Indra one last glance before running off.

"Alright now, fifteen minutes should give me and them enough time to get out and hopefully make it back to the Pelican." Indra said. Suddenly the other door to the engine room opened and as Indra looked up to see what it was his blood froze at what he saw…a bigger bipedal horse looking alien with a weird mouth that had multiple mandibles. 'The golden armor has got to mean he is some sort of elite fighter for the aliens.' He thought.

'Holy hell, this Elite has to be at least 8 feet tall.' Indra thought as he placed the bomb down and quickly aimed his DMR at the Elite. The Elite then ignited his energy sword and got into a stance ready to attack.

'Either I die here, or I blow up here, either way I die.' Indra thought, soon the zealot charged him, and Indra fired 5 shots off his DMR which ricocheted off the Elite's shields. 'Fuck' he thought and soon slide down and dodged the initial slash. Indra dropped his DMR and took out his combat knives.

"Alright motherfucker, it's time to dance." Indra said as he took a position with his knives held in front of his body, the Elite did the same, both stood at opposite sides their blades drawn. The Elite was the first to charge and Indra followed suit as both of them neared each other the zealot went for a side slash aiming for his head which Indra dodged again, this time by jumping above him doing a flip midair and with the Elite's back turned, he stabbed his knife into the back of his neck. As Indra landed, he turned and saw the elite roaring in pain and soon stumbled over and fell dead.

'Holy shit, that was close' Indra thought as he went over to the dead elite and took his knife out of his neck, the knife now covered with its purple blood.

'Damn, this looks like purple goo.' he thought, Indra's eyes were currently eyeing the energy sword which the Elite had dropped upon his death. He went over and picked it up and as he held it in his hand, he accidentally activated it igniting it.

"Fuck yeah! This looks cool as hell." Indra said as glanced over the sword. As he prepared to leave, he heard more noise behind him. As he turned around, he saw two more elites.

"You have to be kidding me" he said as he got his knife and the energy sword ready. The two Elites ignited their energy swords as well and charged in an instant.

Indra did the same and as he closed the distance he threw his combat knife directly into the eye of the elite on the left side, it screamed in pain and stumbled dropping its sword back while Indra clashed his sword with the other elite from the right, he noticed the dropped energy sword and grabbed it in one swift motion igniting the second energy sword and stabbed it through the chest of the second Elite.

As Indra removed the elite off of his sword, time seemed to have slowed to a halt, as he noticed the first Elite did not die from the stab in the eye and had raised his weapon to aim, but just as they fired off the first two shots, Indra dove and rolled out of the way. He then shot up from the roll and to his feet accelerating towards the Elite like a lightning strike and stabbed him with his own energy sword from under his jaw and through his head.

As Indra checked the room one last time, he saw the two dead elites and went over and grabbed his knife from the dead Elite. He noticed a plasma grenade as well and decided to grab it for his other mission as well. As he looked at the bomb it showed '6 minutes remaining' "Fuck." he said sprinting towards the exit that he came in through.

As Indra sprinted through the corridors of the covenant ship, he held his knives in hand and as he passed by multiple grunts and Jackals, who reacted too slowly to hit Indra, had their necks sliced as he ran. Indra had never run this fast; it was almost as If he were running at 90 km/hr.

Indra finally saw the hole they had entered through and jumped into space, activating his thrusters. As he cleared the Covenant ship, it exploded in flames. "Hell yeah," Indra said, meeting John, Sam, and Kelly outside. "Sorry I'm late, ran into some guests."

"At least you're alive," John replied, floating towards him. "Glad you're okay."

"I won't die today," Indra said, glancing at Kelly. "I just got my armor after all… unlike Sam."

"Hey! At least I made it out" Sam retorted

"Thanks to Indra, that is" John corrected.

"Well…I'll give him that" Sam said as he floated towards Indra as well and gave him a small head bump. "Thanks for saving my ass."

"Anytime." Indra said.

2020 hours, November 27, 2525

Chi Ceti system, Chi Ceti IV, UNSC Paris-class Heavy frigate, Commonwealth

Inside the hangar of the Commonwealth, Dr. Halsey, along with the Spartan who had been rescued in space, awaited the arrival of the last Pelican which finally landed. As the hatch opened, four individuals emerged, one distinctly noticeable due to his sleek visor and unique coloration. John, Sam, Kelly, and Indra exited the Pelican and promptly saluted.

"Mission accomplished, Ma'am," John reported as he lowered his arm, followed by the others.

"I can see that," Dr. Halsey acknowledged. "Excellent work, Petty Officer."

"Ma'am, I must attribute the success to Indra," John stated, prompting Dr. Halsey to regard Indra, who merely shrugged, before turning back to John. "He was the last to leave the ship, and it is because of him that we did not lose a Spartan today."

Halsey's eyes widened briefly before returning to normal. She noticed the charred area on Sam's armor and looked at Indra, who nodded. "I see… Get some rest, all of you deserve it," she said, as the Spartans, including John, Sam, and Kelly, left. Indra stayed behind to talk with Halsey. "Well, Indra," she said, looking at him, "let's talk in my office." Indra complied, and once inside her office, Halsey sat behind her desk while Indra just stood.

"When you said you were expecting the unexpected, I didn't think the one possibility affected would be well, Sam." Halsey said.

"Like they say, prepare for every eventuality." Indra said.

"So…did you...?" she asked

"I got three" Indra said as he pulled the Plasma pistol, Plasma grenade, and one of the energy swords and placed them all on the table.

"The blue looking ball is a plasma grenade; it sticks onto things before it blows up so it's quite deadly"

"And this" Halsey points towards the plasma pistol.

"This is a Plasma pistol, one of the main frontline weapons of the covenant; it fires a heated bolt of green plasma which can easily melt through titanium as you saw with Sam's armor"

"Fascinating…good work, Indra" Halsey said engrossed in the weapons that Indra had managed to bring. "Now what about the last one? That does not really look like a weapon."

"I call it an energy sword; these were only used by the bipedal horse like aliens that I call Elites." Indra asked. "Wow…interesting, excellent work Indra." Halsey said

"So, what is next?" Indra asked.

Halsey sighed, "Command has decided to split most of you up, they believe one Spartan is more than enough to change the tide of battle on a single planet." she said, the annoyance was clear on her face.

"You will be transferred to the UNSC Macron; I have talked with Captain Wallace. The Commonwealth will rendezvous with the Macron somewhere near the Zufor system." she continued.

"Well, I guess that's my luck then…and blue team?" Indra asked.

"I'll be going with them and most of the Spartans will be coming along, the UNSC Persian Gate will arrive here soon to pick us up" She said. "It will take time for you to be reassigned to blue team…possibly years even."

Indra nodded. While a small photo holder on her table caught his eye, it was the picture of a baby with Halsey holding her.

"Is that?" Indra said as he looked at the picture.

"My daughter, yes" Halsey said as she looked at the picture as well. "She was born on reach on February twenty-eighth; legally she would be your little sister since I did adopt you as my child… Her name is Miranda"

"Who's the father?" Indra asked already having a guess.

"You already know…or do you not?" She said to which Indra slowly shook his head. "Well then it was Lieutenant Jacob Keyes now Captain Keyes"

Indra looked at her for a moment before joking, "So I have Dad who has his own ship?"

"I do not think it classifies as 'His' ship." Halsey said with a small smile on her face. "I hope that you will not be reckless and will make sure to stay safe while you are out there."

"I promise, I won-" Indra said before getting cut off by Halsey.

"Don't make a girl a promise, if you know you can't keep it" she said as she raised her hand motioning Indra to stop.

"I….promise I won't do something stupid…you can trust me in that." Indra reaffirms to which Halsey gives him an actual smile.

"Go now, you should take some rest after your eventful day." Halsey said as she started working on her data pad.

Indra nodded and soon walked out of her office and went towards the barracks. As he reached the barracks, he did not see anyone surprisingly. 'Most are probably with John and the others' Indra thought as he sat on his bunk, the bunk surprisingly being able to handle the weight of the MJOLNIR. As he sat there, he thought about the close call he had with the Elite inside the engine room, 'I wonder why there were so many Elites that came into the engine room.' Indra thought, he was soon however snapped out by a voice.

"Mind if I sit with you." Indra looked up to see Kelly standing next to him.

"Not at all" he said and Kelly sat on his bunk, next to him. "I spoke with Halsey not too long ago…I'll be shipping out soon."

"I heard John saying the same." She said.

"It'll be a while before I get reassigned back to Blue team." Indra said while staring at the wall. What happened next kind of surprised him, Kelly who was still wearing her armor and helmet rested her head on his shoulder.

"We, almost lost Sam today." She said in a quiet and remorseful tone. "I…was too slow to prevent him from getting hit."

Indra wraps his arm around her and comforts her. "Hey, it's alright now, Sam made it out either way." he said. "Everyone makes mistakes; it's our job from then on to learn from those mistakes."

As Indra awaited Kelly's answer, he was surprised when he didn't get any, so he turned his head to look at her he realized that she had fallen asleep, 'Am I that boring.' Indra thought.

As he continued staring into the wall another group of three Spartans entered the barracks and approached Indra. He recognized them as Jai, Adriana, and Mike.

"Quite the fun you guys had inside that ship." Adriana said jokingly.

"Yeah, it was quite the party, Sam nearly died because of how amazing it was." Indra jested, joining in on the fun.

"So…what were they like?" Jai asked.

"What you would expect aliens to be, uglies." Indra said. "The small ones were about 5 and a half feet tall, had a hunch back type body and used some kind of tank to survive, there were bird like ones as well with humanoid bodies, they were about 6.2 to 6.8 feet tall"

"Any idea on what type of weapons they used" Mike asked.

"Plasma, they mostly used a weapon that shoots green plasma, it's deadly and can melt through Titanium as you saw wit Sam's armor."

"Wonderful, exactly what we needed our new alien friends to have." Adriana sarcastically said.

"So, where are you guys being shipped off to." Indra asked.

"ONI wants us for specialized missions, so most probably we'll be somewhere on Earth or Reach maybe? Or sent on some reconnaissance missions." Jai answered.

"Nice, well I'll be shipped off to the Macron once the commonwealth leaves Chi Ceti, probably solo ops for a while." Indra said.

"Good luck to you." Jai said, "Hey if you ever need a team to be a part of, Gray team has an open spot for you."

"I'll think-" before Indra could finish Kelly suddenly woke up and spoke.

"Back off Jai, he's with Blue team." Kelly hissed at him.

"No fair Kelly, can't we share." Jai said

"No!" she reaffirms.

"Aw, but hey the offer still stands if you ever consider it." Jai said before leaving the barracks with Adriana and Mike.

"Jerk." Kelly said under her breath.

Indra chuckled. "Aren't you being a bit too hard on him only for teasing you" he said.

"Hmph, he deserves it" Kelly reaffirms.

"So…I'll still be a part of blue team?" Indra asked.

"Of course, you will your spot will remain untaken in blue team." Kelly said.

Indra smiled under his helmet. "Thanks Kelly." he said as he hugged her, to which she hugged back.

'This feeling again' Kelly thought.

Meanwhile unknown to both of them, Sam was watching through the corner, 'Yep…those two are going to be couple one day' Sam thought as he leaned against the wall and smiled under his helmet which morphed into a grin.

'No need to worry Indra, I'll make sure to hook you up with Kelly, it's the least I can do for you saving my life' Sam thought as he watched the two still hugging.