A Rarity of a soldier

by Lon35hadow

Journey

"So, what did you guys do after that?" Spike asked.

"Well, due to the fact we were on the same Phantom as the Arbiter and Sierra-117," Twilight said, "we were in the bridge of the Shadow of Intent with them when it was decided what would happen."

---

November 27-2552-Shadow of Intent bridge

Diamondback and Heretic were on the edges of the group within the bridge of the former Covenant ship. "Will it live, Oracle?" the Shipmaster, Rtus 'Vdum, said to the Forerunner monitor known as 343 Guilty Spark, who was scanning a Covenant memory storage device that held a UNSC AI. "Can it be saved?"

"Uncertain," Guilty Spark said, his voice having the robotic tone that Resolution said. To be expected. "This storage device has suffered considerable trauma. Its matrices are... highly unstable." Spark then glanced at Shipmaster and Lord Hood.

"Perhaps one of our technicians-" Hood began before being cut off.

"That will not be necessary," 'Vadum sternly said. Here, the memory storage unit lit up, and a blue hologram of a woman, with code and data streaming across her body.

"Chief," she said.

"Success!" Spark exclaimed.

"High Charity, the Prophet's Holy city, is on it's way to Earth. With an army of Flood. I can't tell you everything. It's not safe. The Gravemind... it knows I'm in the system." The hologram flickered, and stalled.

"It's just a message," 117 said as he turned to the Shipmaster.

"Let it play," 'Vadum said.

Spark fired a beam into the unit, and the message continued. "But it doesn't know about the Portal, where it leads. On the other side, there's a solution. A way to stop the Flood, without firing the remaining Halo rings-" the message said before the image of Cortana lit up, and clutched its head as it fell. Softly, it ended, "Hurry, Chief... the Ark... there isn't much time."

"I'm. . . sorry," Spark said.

"No matter, Oracle," 'Vadum said. "We've heard enough. Our fight is through the portal, with the Brutes, and the bastard Truth!" The various Sangheili, Ruso included, roared in agreement.

"Fine," Hood wearily said. "We'll remain here. Hold out as long as we can."

"Did you not here?" 'Vadum said. "Your world is doomed," he said, his chair descending. "A Flood army, a Gravemind," he said, standing up and clenching his right hand, "has set you in its sights. You barely survived a small contamination."

"Hate to see a large one," Jacob muttered.

"And you Shipmaster," Hood angrily said, "just glassed half a continent. Maybe the Flood isn't all I should be worried about."

Just as angrily, 'Vadum retorted with, "One single Flood spore can destroy a species. Were it not for the Arbiter's counsel, I would have glassed your entire planet!"

Hood raised his fist, but before he could do anything, Miranda Keys interrupted. "Sir, with respect," she said, "Cortana has a solution."

"Cortana?" Hood asked. "Did you see her condition? How damaged she is?"

As the two argued, Rarity saw 117 bend down and observe the hologram, frozen where it had stopped, in pain. "She could be corrupted, for all we know," Hood exclaimed. "Her 'solution' could be a Flood Trap!"

"We should go through the portal. Find out for sure," Miranda said.

"What we should do Commander," Hood said, "is understand - clearly - that this is Humanity's final stand - here - at Earth. We go, we risk everything; every last man, woman and child. If we stand our ground, we might just have a chance."

"No," 'Vadum said in a deadpan. "If your construct is wrong, then the Flood has already won."

Here, 117 entered the conversation. "I'll find Cortana's solution," he said, standing up. "And I'll bring it back."

"Earth. . .is all we have left," Hood said. "You trust Cortana that much?"

"Sir. Yes, sir."

Hood sighed. "This is either the best decision you've made or the worst," Hood said. "Hell if it is, Chief? I doubt I'll live long enough to find out." With that, Hood turned and left the bridge, but not before one last glance at the group.

"Well," Twilight said, "that could have been worse."

"Indeed," Hades said. "Come, we need to prepare for the coming fight."

"Agreed," Nightmare said.

From there, the two squads made their way to the hanger, where the Forward Unto Dawn was, along with its entire marine continent.

"The Ark's where the Halos were made, right?" Rarity asked.

"According to legends," Hades confirmed. "And it seems that out fight will end there."

"Which seems quite appropriate," Ruso said. "Where Truth believes the Great Journey will begin, he will meet his end."

"Me never like Truth," Pawas said. "Me hope he die slow and painful."

"You and every human and Sangheili, Pawas," Josh said. "As well as Hades and Sawn."

"And my brother, if he's still alive," Sawn said. "He was in Truth's fleet when it arrived here."

"What's his name?" Nightmare asked.

"Seth," the Kig-yar replied. "He's a scout, and only fought for the Covenant to help our mother. Our society may be matriarchal, but even former shipmistrisses have hard times. He never believed in the Journey."

"Then we can only hope he knows that we're coming," Tony said. "And that you're able to convince him to get out."

Here, a Sangheili came on over the intercom. All warriors, prepare for Slipspace travel. We travel to the Ark!

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[Titan Commander Sebaste]

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