Halo: A Spartan Story

[La_Reina]

​

There was only one Army now. Everyone on the planet was focused on killing the Convenant or Horde, an alien race that seemed to come into the Milky Way galaxy and wanted to kill every human on sight. We're still not sure why. We just know they hate us and are hell bent on wiping us out. Humans have scattered to the far recess of the galaxy and still the Horde finds them and kills them. The human race is almost extinct. We're a dying breed. We can't keep fighting. So they made us. Spartans. Elite soldiers trained since they could walk or talk. Given the best drugs, the best armor, and augmented so that we were faster and stronger than even the strongest man or woman. We could jump higher and shoot impossible shots. We were Spartans.

Liz was a third generation Spartan. When she was a child she had thought she was special and would help turn the war around. Now, she wasn't so sure if this was a war they could win. Humans weren't breeding as fast as they were being wiped out. Liz walked into the meeting room feeling as if she was on trial. She was the third Spartan to make it and from the way they looked at her she knew that they knew she was the newbie in the room. She easily recognized 112 from his red suit of armor. His armor a deep red it looked as if it was stained in blood. It caused many people distress when they saw him. Liz knew for a fact that armor was just paint and that the alien race didn't bleed red. 112 got off on making the humans nervous. Though he could have worn bright pink armor and the humans would still stare or shy away from him. From all Spartans. We weren't loners, because we liked to brood in silence. We were alone, because no one wanted to come up to the 7ft muscle bound guy or girl with her hand always on their gun ready to fight at a moments notice. It was like an unspoken rule to never speak to the Spartan unless spoken to first.

Liz walked right up to 112 and nodded. However, she spoke to 137. "Who else are we waiting on?"

137 barely glanced her way. Not out of disrespect to her, but he was bored and Liz could tell he was more than ready to get back into the fight where they could be useful instead of in an office. "Anyone who can make it. Though 127, 114, and 216 are MIA."

Liz heart dropped. Spartans never died in combat. It would bring down morale. Instead we were listed as MIA or Missing in Action. Sometimes we truly were and would be found. Sometimes we never were; and never would be. "Fuck."

"Yeah," 112 agreed with her. "Fuck."

"If I could," said Dr. Catherine Halsey, basically the woman who raised all of the Spartans. We trusted her more than any adult. She was honest with us. Always. "I would like to begin." There were a few grumbles about waiting a few more minutes, but when 3 pair of Spartan eyes settled on you like ice you learned to never mess with Dr. Halsey.

"We're losing this war," she began. "We will lose this war. Humanity is lost if we cannot get 3 important things. We need 2 artifacts that are in the outskirts of this galaxy and behind enemy lines." She brought up a hologram showing the various parts. "This one is basically an engine. This one is a guiding system and this." She made the third item enlarge. "Is the alien version of some sort of crystal that drives all of their technology. We will use this alien weapon to glass them. This is how they have been glassing (destroying with one shot) our planets and ships. We can copy this, but we need these 3 things."

There were a few murmurs, but no one said anything outloud. "137 and 112 I need you two to sneak behind enemy lines and get these parts off of planets that are probably crawling with the Convenant. You will be on your own with little to no ODST (human soldiers) to back you up. If you fail. We all fail."

Both soldiers saluted the Doctor who nodded back. She never saluted. She was a civilian and not a soldier, but she was honored like a General when it came to us. They left without saying a word or protest. She gave the order they would carry it out. "252," Dr. Halsey said to Liz. "This crystal is the key. We cannot do anything without the key. This key is on their home planet which we pinpoint some galaxies away. You are faster than any spartan and more accurate than any Spartan before you. We will need your stealth to go through the enemy, even hide on one of their crafts going home, and get to their planet."

Liz started to salute her, but the Doctor shook her head. She wasn't finished. "As fast, as stealthy, and as good as you are with a gun you are not the strongest and this mission will require at least 2 Spartans." Liz could hear the grumble around her. Spartans were usually sent by themselves. It was consider wasteful to have more than one spartan on the same mission. "I had hoped 117 would be here, but he may be held up on another mission."

Liz or 252 as most people knew her from the huge number of 252 painted on her left shoulder nodded. She understood the importance of this mission. If she was to fail than another would carry on in her place. Plus she could tell the High ranking officers on this board hadn't done the math. Dr. Halsey said a few galaxies away which meant this might be the last time she would see the good Dr. Or anyone else. It would take a lifetime at warped speed just to get to the alien's home planet. Liz was betting that the Dr. was banking that the aliens had a faster way of getting home than the humans had ever thought possible.

"I can do this on my own. I won't fail you. We must leave now. I don't have time to wait for whoever was next in line on this mission."

 

[wraith232]

- deleted -

 

[La_Reina]

Liz glanced at 232 and her mouth dropped open. You couldn't see it through her helmet or see the distress on her face as her mind faded back. Back to the years of training and seeing the man inside the armor. He never joked, never smiled, he was by all rights creepy BEFORE he became a Spartan and with the augmentation nothing changed except maybe he was more of a lone wolf and more socially awkward. Liz nodded still haven't said a word to 232 and did her own version of stalking out of the door.

She knew where the hangar was and with Joe's little speech she knew what ship to take. As soon as she was on board her AI Zeek greeted her. She closed her eyes and breathed much calmer. Her AI already knew why she was distressed and thankfully didn't ask any questions. Instead he told her of the plans that had arose for her and for Lieutenant Joseph-B232 to take. Liz closed her eyes at his name and felt a wave of embarrassment assault her as she remembered how he had looked at her throughout the Academy even on graduation day. She felt he had never thought she was good enough to be a Spartan and should have been washed out. He more than anyone had made her feel not good enough with his near perfect record.

"I don't care what orders have been made. The best course of action is to hide out on one of the outer colonies that we know the Convenant frequent to kill off the last of the colonist than sneak on board. That's what Dr. Halsey thought was a good idea and I do to. Otherwise we'll be wasting time trying to find their home planet and with their ships all around waiting for a home invasion." Liz shook her head at Zeek arguing with him. He wanted her safe and the safest course was for him to accompany her on a ship and try to search the most likely places for the alien's home world. Liz knew she didn't have the time nor the patience for it and wanted to do the more crazy plan.

"It's suicide if you go on their ship, Sgt Major Eliza-B252," Zeek screeched in her ear using her full title. A sign that she knew meant he was frustrated with her. "The best course of action is to use these coordinates and whittle them down to the most likely place for their homeworld which I calculate is ... 304 different places."

Liz sighed. "No. I've made up my mind. I'm sneaking on board one of their aircrafts."

"And what about Lieutenant Joseph-B232"

"I don't care what 232 thinks," Liz yelled. There was a slight difference in her communication and she realized that Zeek had opened her com up. Which meant that Joe had heard her last remark about her not caring what he thought. Liz sighed. "I should erase you," Liz said knowing that her com was still open.

She was speaking to Zeek who laughed gaily. "You don't have the clearance for that." He turned off her com and left her alone.