HALO 2: Not even me

It all happened so quickly, I’m not even sure how they missed it coming towards me. Those vile Brutes, always be mindful of those so quick to betray another species.

I was assured the Elites would merely be cast out, not murdered in their droves. But for power, I lusted for power. For the final end of all others, of the Ark’s salvations from the Flood and the destruction we wrought.

I yearned for Halo’s cleansing flames to absolve me of my sins. But there is no salvation here. A regretful being am I. Mercy was my name, I gave none even though I craved it the most. Ironies of a wasted life.

All of the most careful planning and faith in the Path has led me to this point, clutching my neck as a Parasite digs its tendrils deeper. I will not yield to it. I will not give it the satisfaction.

Truth, Regret and I. We plotted and preyed, twisted and betrayed, and for what?

Regret is dead. Truth has betrayed me, the Elites. It’s all gone, dust to the winds. Tartarus was called from my side as he reached to save me. I am alone on this landing pad, suffering the failures of my grand designs.

The Great Journey waits for no one, not even me.

The Demon strides to my side, staring in the direction of the departing ships.

“Your pal, where’s he going?” His faceless visor stares down at me.

My last gasps of clean air, choked only by the Parasite’s tendrils allow me a parting shot: “Earth...to finish what started. And this time...none of you will be left behind.”

He pulls the Parasite from my neck, but the damage is already done. A scream is all I can manage before the end.

Truth’s last words ring in my head: “The Great Journey waits for no one, brother. Not even you.”

Not even me, and for once Truth wasn’t lying. 

HALO 2: Cairo inbound

Nervous twitching among the Grunts at the front of the landing craft. Suspicious amounts of human presence around this supposedly uninhabited world. But we place our faith in the Prophets and the promise of the Great Journey.

The journey to this system was planned as a routine search for artefacts left behind by the Forerunners. Now we find ourselves facing a huge Human fleet and orbital defence networks.

Simple plan. Waves of landing craft hit the orbital defence stations. One carries a bomb into the main hanger, the others are distractions to draw the defenders away from it. We’re one of the distractions.

30 seconds out. Grunts adjust their packs. Jackals check their shields. Us Elites get behind them and marshal the troops. Two of the other orbital defence stations explode, rocking our craft. Time for some choice words.

“Stay strong, keep your sights clear. Inflict as much damage as possible. We know we are here as facilitators of the Great Journey. Salvation awaits us all.”

10 seconds out. Docking claws unleash themselves from their housing. The troops go into a ready stance.

Docking claws engaged. “Engage the enemy.”

We pour out of the landing craft’s exit and into the hanger, there’s a fire fight already going on. Another landing craft hit right before we did. Our feet hit metal, we scatter, firing as we do so.

Green armour hits the deck in front of me. The Demon is here! I die for the Great Journey.

HALO 3: Forward unto wondering what the fuck

Five years. Five. Long. Years.

Seen more people die along the way that I’d care to relive.

Five years I been fighting, and the Covies found Earth anyway. What the hell are we going to do?

I’ll tell you what we’re going to do. We’re going to hoist ourselves aboard the Dawn and head through the big portal in the sky.

You accepting this? You hearing this? A portal in the sky. Turns out there was a massive, ancient machine under New Mombassa capable of making a portal. In the sky. Yep, I’m not kidding.

And now I’m sitting here in the back of a Pelican, just across from that SPARTAN while he eyes up the sand dunes below us.

Dunes? Where on Earth are we? No, we’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy. We’re through the portal flying around a massive floating installation called the Ark.

And you know what? All the other soldiers are just getting on with shit or making excited comments.

Am I the only one who’s worried about how we get home? I don’t see another massive portal open on our side. Apparently I am the only one worried about it.

Everyone else is dangling out the back of the Pelican and whooping, while that SPARTAN just stands there holding a gun looking all moody.

And now we’re landing and getting out. Seriously? Am I really the only one worried about any of this? These other guys have some serious poker faces.

Maybe I should ask if that galaxy in the sky is our galaxy...or not, someone else just did.