Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Chapter 2

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The Marines were fighting it out back on Earth. Sergeant Kern Choong, survivor of the atrocities of Halo, Delta Halo and even the scouring of Earth, was a revered man, and was the only normal Marine to have ever used an Energy Sword to great success. He had fought on the frontlines with the Master Chief Spartan 117, had faced the parasitic Flood with Captain Jacob Keyes, fought Tartarus with Captain Miranda Keyes and even fought alongside the Arbiter to take on the Forerunner ship with John 117. This was probably the first ever alliance between the Covenant and the Humans. Thus, the Sergeant was the most revered Marine to have ever fought on the frontlines, and had earned the unofficial status of "Supreme Survivor". His almost magical regenerative capabilities had rendered him virtually invincible, and was the only Marine to have ever chewed on the same cigar for 20 years. Now, he was back on the frontlines, facing the Brutes in hand-to-hand combat and actually managing melee kills. He was the only one to have ever surpassed John's record of 10, 000 kills with 10, 879.

The Marines were fighting a losing battle. Retreating to the wall of tanks that surrounded the capital, New Manhattan, only the Sergeant stayed on to defend the bunker, and he did it very well with the large collection of weapons that surrounded it. After three hours of gruelling firefights, the Sergeant was forced to retreat back into the bunker, ammo supply exhausted, and the numerous wounds on his body already healing rapidly. But this was no Alamo; the human race was destined to be victorious over the Covenant. Just then, the Sergeant looked up, and through the large skylight embedded in the ceiling, he saw a human drop pod fall from the sky, and landing in the battlefield, it instantly decreased the ranks by 10, and with a crash, the door burst open. The Master Chief, Spartan 377, jumped out, and started spraying fire. The saviour had returned; the Marines now had a better chance of driving back the Covenant. But what the Marines enjoyed the most was the impact of several more ODST drop pods; the doors all burst open to reveal 45 Spartan IIIs, and out of the last pod, a dark figure stepped out into the light. As the light burst forth and reflected off the Spartan's green armor and his opaque visor with a dazzling shine, Marines were overcome with wonder. John 117 was back; and he looked better than ever.

m_ho returning to base at 8:44 pm

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Wednesday, April 06, 2005

The Prophet of Truth lay gasping on the floor. One of his lungs had imploded, and his breath came in great, short gasps. He was about to die. As his dilated pupils turned up, the Master Chief raised his Titanium A Armor plated boot, and brought it down on his face. The Prophet would never foresee the future again.

"Truth eliminated." the Master Chief radioed to the In Amber Clad. As it hovered over his position, preparing to suck him up via the grav lift, he looked around for one last time, and locating the Forerunner ship that stood in the distance, the Master Chief was grateful for the Master Chief that came before him, the legendary Spartan 117, who destroyed Halo and the Ark, and had forced the Forerunner ship back to High Charity. As the Spartan 377 was beamed back up into the ship, he thought of the Spartan 117, the legendary first Master Chief. Melvin 377 had been whisked away by the In Amber Clad while they were in New Manhattan, and the last he saw of it was a giant explosion caused by a Covenant bomb. 117 was there when it happened; the Master Chief had been fighting alongside 377. Since that fateful day, 117 was never seen again; he was rumoured to have been vaporised by the explosion. If that was not the case, the Marines said, then he was sure to have been killed in the resulting holocaust. His name was now marked as KIA.

"Spartans never die - they just go to hell to regroup." the Spartan 058 thought, but he knew that he would never see 117 again. He saluted the bravery of the Spartan, and as the ship prepared to jump to slipspace, he wept. Spartans never cry - this was one exception.

m_ho returning to base at 4:00 pm

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