Chapter Two
The APEX (Forerunner Shield World), 2531
An Ultra came charging at Alice with an energy sword at his hand, Alice thought for a split second and side stepped to the Elite’s left and elbowed him right at his mandibles. The sudden move caught the Elite off guard. He raged and swung the sword widely at the Spartan. Alice was too quick for him; she ducked, planted a plasma grenade at his foot and back flipped. The explosion from the grenade tossed the elite off the ramp and plummeted to the depths below. The explosion also threw Alice fifty feet back, knocking her shields off.
Jerome pumped his shotgun and blasted nearby Elite, who tried to take advantage over Alice’s brief downfall. The shotgun rounds just merely damaged the elite’s shield, but didn’t stop the Elite from pulling the trigger over his plasma pistol. Jerome acted quickly; he withdrew his knife and pitched it towards the Elite. But the Elite grabbed the knife midair and gave a malice smile at the knife’s owner. However this gave Alice enough time to recover. She gave a hard kick at the elite’s knee, which caused him to buckle down on one knee. Alice stood up and gave an upper cut at the elite’s jaw and Jerome finished him off with another shot from his shotgun.
Douglas was spraying some solid rounds at his enemies with his dual SMGs, taking the heat off of Alice and Jerome. When the Spartans came to the last remaining elite, Douglas dropped his SMGs and picked up an energy sword and said, “He is mine.” The other two Spartans stopped as Douglas advanced. When the last Honor Guard saw one of the Spartans came at him with an energy sword, he immediately dropped his needler and withdrew his energy sword. Douglas and the Honor guard exchanged glances for a split second before they sprinted towards each other.
Both the swords clashed midair, causing plasma ripples at the point of collision. Both the Elite and the Spartan caught hold of their opponent’s other free arm. The Elite stood a foot taller than the Spartan. For a second it looked like the height gave the elite the edge it needed. Jerome looked concerned, but Alice had a small smile at the edge of her lip. Before the Elite could overpower his opponent, Douglas suddenly crouched and kicked the elite’s midsection and tumbled him over his head. Before the Elite could recover from the shock, the Spartan slammed the ground with his sword at the elite’s throat.
The three Spartans turned around and walked towards the FLT reactor. Their mission was simple; plant the FLT reactor and detonate it, causing the shield world’s sun to go supernova and destroy the planet. That was the reason the Red team and SGT. John Forge was here. When the Spartans came near the reactor, which they were defending from horde of Elites, saw SGT. Forge and an Arbiter dueling. The Arbiter threw Forge with his one hand as if he was tossing a doll. Douglas instinctively made a move, but Jerome stopped him by holding his shoulder. Douglas gave a quizzical look at his partner. But Jerome just said, “It is his fight.”
Forge might not be a Spartan, but Jerome knew he was every bit like his fellow Spartans, both in honor and bravery. So he didn’t want anyone to steal his glory, especially when it came to finishing off an Arbiter, the Covenant’s greatest warrior.
The Arbiter glanced at his opponent whom he just threw to the ground. He withdrew his Sword and said, “There will be no female to save you this time.”
“Look me in the eye and say that,” Forge challenged the Arbiter and spat on the ground.
“As you wish,” the Arbiter said and grabbed Forge by his neck and lifted him off the ground, crushing him as he did so. Before the Arbiter could raise his sword, Forge stabbed the Elite’s neck, which was the exposed part of his mighty silver armor, with his knife. The Arbiter slammed to the floor, dropping the sergeant reflexively.
“And for the record, I would have kicked your -Yoink- the first time if the lady hasn’t stopped me,” Forge said mockingly at the fallen elite and kicked him. Douglas carried the Arbiter’s limp body and threw it off the ledge. Alice and Jerome helped Forge in shifting the FLT reactor to the nearby gravity lift. Jerome fiddled with the reactor’s core controls, making it ready for detonation, however there was a bad new.
“Sir, it is already overheating. I have to separate the core and the line manually in order it to blow,” Jerome said. He was more than ready to stay back and remote detonate this core. He was happy that as the Red team leader he has brought his team until this moment. Now only one final job is left to secure this victory and he was ready.
But Forge kept his hand over the Spartan’s shoulder and said, “Son, I have a feeling before this is over, we will need every last Spartan in this fight. I can do this, report back to the ship.”
Jerome stood there frozen. He wanted to object but it was an order. “Good luck sir. It’s been an honor,” he said to his Sergeant and tried to suppress this weird feeling of leaving a soldier behind. But it has to be done. Someone had to be left behind. He wished it was him. He stepped out of the lift as the doors closed shut between him and Forge. ‘A true hero,’ Jerome thought and gave a nod of appreciation and respect towards the sergeant and Forge nodded back with a smile on his face.
Jerome ordered his team back to the pelican, now they have a very narrow window to reach the Spirit of Fire, which was orbiting above them, before the sun went supernova. Alice took control of the pelican and lifted it off.
“Punch it,” Jerome ordered. Nothing is simple in a war, just like once John, his fellow brother, told him, “A soldier sleeps only when he is dead.” He and his team are not dead, that means the fight is not over yet.
September 11th, 2533: Cryo Room 4
“A soldier sleeps only when he is dead,” were the last words that were running in his head as Jerome was thawed out. It only took him few seconds to shake off his disorientation. Alice and Douglas were already awake and were sitting at the foot of their cyro beds. Douglas looked like he was about to throw up and Alice looked pale as a ghost. Serina appeared on a holographic deck near the team leader.
“Sorry for the quick thaw,” she said without any emotions. Jerome looked at her and asked, “What is it Serina?”
“We got trouble Spartans. Captain wants you and your team on the bridge on the double,” Serina said.
Immediately the three Spartans stood up and Jerome said, “Suit up Spartans. Time to work!”