Halo - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Halo Chronicles: Saving Squad Midnight ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Halo Chronicles: Saving Squad Midnight

Callisto

 

The black sun of a distant planet, Archemidis, flared blue and pulsed with a green glow. The beings of the planet watched in awe, the humans -cowards by nature- ran to hide. The animalistic beings, standing nearly seven to eight feet tall, all gazed at the black and green ringed orb. The beings were known as anthros, created by human technology and animal DNA. Atop their heads or near their posteriors were indications of their oddity, some had tails or animal ears; or both. They appeared to be animals standing on their hind legs, and having hands instead of front paws. Graceful by nature, and the main species of the planet. Near a diamond walled building stood a young girl with long brown hair, her bright blue eyes were trained on the black orb like the anthros. Her hair fell to her hips and her sapphire eyes reflected the image of the sun, nothing like this had ever happened before. It was another mystery about Archimedes, like everything here. The golden grass was shining brightly, the black sun gave off white light, and diamonds were very easy to find. A dream for the anthros, and a nightmare for the enslaved humans.

“Kossandra! Get in here!” A high pitched voice shouted to the young human, a feline anthro was glaring at the girl from inside a nice looking house. Blue eyes reflected the glowing orb, and her body moved toward the sun. It was calling her, she could feel the energy of the orb wash through her. She was the one granted to feel this special power, and she wanted more. A furry, clawed, hand grabbed her shoulder and. The small hand on the little girl lightly was placed atop the graying furred hand, and the small girl gripped the feline's hand. A crack was heard as the bones shattered, and the hand was ripped clean off the arm as Kossandra ran toward the sun. She dropped the appendage, and climbed up a diamond ladder to a rooftop. Below, humans revolted, and anthros fought back with all their power. Kossandra threw her arms out wide, the power surged through her as a white hot glow encased her entire being. When the light faded nothing was left, no Kossandra, no fighting races, no Archemidis. The girl, and the planet, had vanished from space.

 

/REACH Space Clean-Up Office/

 

A man stood firm as he observed a monitor with complete attention. He had a mobile controlled ship picking up debris that he spotted, this time he would get more then he bargained for. His name tag read `Ensign Lovell' and his face remained glued to the screen. He noticed movement and stirred the joystick in his hand, getting closer o the mass. On his sensor screen it glowed with blue light, flaring green after a few seconds. He paused, it was a body. The person, a female, looked young. Silvery hair that faded to white at the tip flowed behind her, her eyes closed as she floated through space.

“Admiral Stanforth, there is a body in the vacuum.” Lovell called through a COM link, a response was given after a moment of pause.

“Roger Lovell, confirmed. Sending a craft now.” The COM link cut almost immediately. Never had a body appeared without a notice of a battle, or failed ships. But, the biggest mystery was the light. On his sensors she glowed with a white hot light that flared blue and green on occasion, but she was dead right? Lovell sighed, this was too confusing. Maybe he was imagining it, he decided he was. He gathered his equipment as a Pelican came to pick up the silvery haired female, he was going to take a nap. He blinked rapidly however, when he gave one last glance to the corpse. He swore her hand twitched, it had to of. Her fingers hand moved, but she still wasn't awake. Ensign Lovell shook his head and cupped his forehead, leaving the room to go to his quarters. The suited men pulled the body into the Pelican, and again her fingers twitched as the pressure around her decreased.

 

/REACH Laboratory 2-3/

 

The second basement floor laboratory was active as a woman stood inside, gazing down at the body on the stretcher. The body was a female with long silvery hair, the last two inches were white as fresh snow, and her skin was a pale ivory color. Dr. Hasley gave a deep sigh, the girl was dead. But the sensor screens on the lab showed a white hot glow that sparked blue or green every now and again, her heat signature was off the charts. But, she didn't feel hot, for Dr. Hasley had brushed the smooth skin of the girl's arm. She was at normal body temperature, and lighter than a body that would have hit rigor mortis. Her genetics were even more confusing, she didn't have normal genetics. Her genes seemed to be enhanced, she couldn't be older than seven and already she stood at 5 foot 9 inches. Dr. Hasley jumped when she noticed jade and opal orbs looking at her, she had spaced out and didn't notice that the girl was now standing up.

“Where am I?” The silvery haired girl asked, her voice soft and gentle, her movements quick. Dr. Hasley was amazed, the girl was in the vacuum, and she should have died. Dr. Hasley stood with an open mouth, and the girl cocked her head to the side in confusion.

“You were in the vacuum! How are you alive?” The older female exclaimed, the silvery haired girl blinked. She seemed to be thinking, and Dr. Hasley watched her. This girl was a danger to her Spartan II program, and if Ackerson found out about her the Spartan II's would be unable to continue. So it was decided, Dr. Hasley looked to the female. Another candidate for the Spartan II program.

 

/REACH 10 Years Later/

 

Jade and opal eyes glittered as a young female stood with many others her age, her long silvery hair tied back in an elegant knot and her eyes focused on a man standing before her. He had buzz cut brown hair, his eyes were focused on her. John gazed at Kossandra, his larger hand placed on her cheek gently.

“I understand you are eager to help, but don't risk yourself like that.” His voice was stern, and the female nodded. She had messed up, their mission was a simple escort mission. An attack had happened so she had joined the physical combat, leaving their charge alone. That alone was a huge punch in the gut to her ego, and she was ashamed.

“I understand sir.” She responded, her head lowered. The male pulled her face to his view again and used his thumb to gently stroke under her eye. She was soft, but strong. Her skin felt like silk, and her emotions were worn on her sleeve. Kossandra was impulsive, brash, highly intelligent, adorable, and he could never think foul of her. She always completed a mission, and was the first to under-go the Spartan process. She had survived, and now she was possibly the best Spartan. But, John liked to argue that he had all the honors and she didn't, both of them were proud and always in competition.

“Dismissed.” He commanded after pulling away, Kossandra saluted and walked from the area. He watched her go and sighed, what was this feeling? All he wanted was to be near her, and to make her happy. He didn't understand, was it because he was the Squad Leader? John turned and went to the shooting range, marines watched him with fear. He was accurate, and he was dangerous. A few of them men nudged each other and began to whisper, leaving the room. He hadn't heard what they said, so he didn't care. He aimed at the fake targets, and fired several more rounds to relieve his stress.

 

/REACH Cabins/

 

The three female Spartans smiled as they exchanged stories, Linda and Kelly listening to Kossandra. The silvery haired female was talking about a dream she had seen in cryo-sleep before.

“It started with me sitting down. Standing before me were these strange creatures that stood about as tall as John, and they had animalistic features. One I distinctly remember is a cat like creature, it stood on its hind legs and had hands instead of front paws. There was a tail and ears too, it had a head of hair and wore clothes! Then, I think it was the sun, but it was black. So, the black sun began to glow with a blue light, and flashes of green appeared as well. I felt it pulling me, calling to me. I climbed onto a building and there was a bright flash of light, I felt power surging through me. I wanted more, it felt amazing, and then I woke up.” Kelly and Linda whistled, both were polishing their favorite weapons. Kelly was polishing and caring for her MA5B Assault Rifle, while Linda polished and cared for her Sniper Rifle. Kossandra was cleaning her combat knife, and she watched Kelly and Linda. Kelly's brown hair hadn't grown back after the augmentation, and she was the last to recover. Linda had her hair cropped short to required maximum, and her sniping skills had gotten better by far.

“Wow, that sounds so cool.” Kelly whispered in awe, then she grinned.

“So what did John say? When he pulled you aside?” Linda asked, they both knew what had happened on the mission. How she had goofed.

“He told me not to risk myself like that again.” Kossandra explained, Linda chuckled and Kelly laughed. Kossandra rolled her eyes.

“There is nothing going on between John and I.” She laughed out, while Kelly and Linda shook their heads. Neither of them believed her, so Kossandra just laughed with them. Their eyes all changed to the door as it opened, nobody came in. Kelly grabbed a handgun and moved to the door, but a smoke grenade made her jump back. The three Spartan female coughed and ran to the window, jumping quickly. Kossandra wrapped her legs around a pipe and grabbed Kelly's left ankle, her combat knife in her other hand. Kelly held her assault rifle and held Linda's ankle, who had her rifle aimed up. All of them heard men laughing, and it wasn't the other Spartans. Kelly rocked back and forth, swinging Linda up into the air. The female shot the men with her gun, and as she fell Kelly grabbed her ankles again. They swung dangerously around the pipe, and Kossandra held onto the metal for dear life. They looked down as a Warthog drove into REACH, and Linda shot near the tire. The driver was Sam, he turned and gaped.

“Help us out will ya?” Kelly called, the male Spartan nodded and called for John and the others. Kossandra cursed and Kelly gave a gulp, the female lost her grip on the pipe. They were falling, and the ground was coming fast. All three of them felt a jolt to their sides, and blinked. Three male Spartans, John, Sam, and Fred, had jumped form the second floor window and changed their path. The males landed on their feet, setting the girls down gently, Kossandra held John tightly as she thanked him.

“What happened?” John demanded, the females looked to him.

“We were talking in our cabin, and the door opened. I went to check it out but a smoke grenade was thrown into the room. We jumped from the window so we weren't caught by surprise, and Kossandra grabbed the pipe with her legs and my ankle. I grabbed Linda, who I swung up. She shot the men and fell again, so I grabbed her again, and then we saw Sam.” Kelly explained, John nodded. He would have a talk with the Marines of UNSC. The Spartan females followed the males back to their room, the bodies laying on the floor. They weren't dead, just unconscious. The male Spartans picked up the men and walked away, telling the females to rest.

“A day at REACH is never boring.” Linda chuckled, the other two nodded as they re-cleaned and cared for their weapons and equipment again. They were wondering what John, Sam, and Fred would do.

 

/REACH Training Facility/

 

The three male Spartans walked with brisk steps to the office of the Admiral, whom greeted them with surprise.

“These men attempted to assault the female Spartans.” John spoke with a harsh tone, Stanforth frowned. They all had the tattoos of the `Helljumpers' and looked very gruff. He would have to have a talk with Silva.

“I see, thank you for bringing this to my attention.” The Admiral spoke, the Spartans deposited the men to the floor and saluted in perfected unison. The Admiral nodded his head, and watched the Spartans drop their arms to their side.

“Dismissed.” He spoke, they left in a loose group, and they were in position to easily grab their weapons. Admiral Stanforth grimaced, his screens flickering to life as he turned to receive a message from Jericho VII.

 

/Kossandra's Dream/

 

The female was walking through bright golden grass, and diamonds littered the ground around her. Her long brown hair was blown to the right slightly as the breeze caressed her ivory face. Two bright sapphire eyes looked around her, and she took a deep breath. She was home, Archemidis. But, it didn't feel right. This place just wasn't home, she blinked as the lands changed. The grass changed to normal green, sandy beaches, and what looked to be destroyed buildings. Her eyes widened as a monster charged her, its body covered in armor. There was a flare of white and it was gone, but the image burned into her mind.

“Help.” She managed to squeak out, her voice sounded so foreign to her. She sighed and looked up, her gaze fell upon the large structures around her. Buildings, she moved inside of one, and looked around. It was abandoned, at least she hoped it was. There were guns everywhere, she tried to pick up a MA5B Assault Rifle but it was too heavy. She sighed and grabbed extra frag grenades and a pistol, moving slowly. As she exited at the top of the base the sky darkened to black, a white pulse infiltrated her vision. There was a black circle outlined in white, and it flared blue and green. Her weapons fell to the ground, her breath caught in her throat. She moved toward it, and held out a hand. The power radiating from it was spectacular, causing her own body to pulse.

 

/REACH Cabins/

 

Kossandra blinked awake and sighed, she had that dream again. This time, she decided to take a shower, she walked to the bathroom and looked into the mirror. She held in a scream as she gazed at her reflection, her eyes. They were black, pure black. Everything was black, the outline of where her iris and pupil should be was white. Her iris' flared blue and green on occasion, Kossandra fell to her knees in shock. What was this? She shook her head, she had to have been hallucinating. Slowly, she closed her eyes and stood, opening them hesitantly. Jade and opal orbs blinked as she looked again, okay so she had been hallucinating. She sighed deeply and moved back toward the showers, her head pounding in confusion. She heard the door open, and stopped. Her shirt had been removed, and her weapons were out in the main room. Kossandra slid the fabric onto her torso again and jumped from behind the wall, she was ready to punch someone. Nobody was there, she blanched. Pressure stunned her as she turned, a Helljumper had tried to knock her unconscious. She swung her own fist and he flew into the wall, he was out cold. She felt a shock travel through her body, and collapsed against the open window. Down below her she could see Marines training, and fellow Spartans as well. She turned her head, there were seven Helljumpers behind her, and they didn't seem to have a fun game in mind.

“Someone help!” She called, several people looked up at her voice. The Spartans kicked into gear, as did the marines. They were coming up, the Helljumpers administered another electric shock. She felt herself go limp, consciously aware of all that was happening. They began to carry her, only to be stopped by the super-human warriors. There was a scuffle, and the last Helljumper holding her smirked and grabbed her arm, dropping her. The way he was holding her arm, and the way he dropped her, were different directions. There was a loud snap, and Kossandra felt pain shoot through her body. Silence was deafening for several moments before a bullet pierced the noise, and Kossandra felt her arm release and she hit the ground. Her eyes clenched closed, and her arm hanging limp, she was shaking from the electric shocks administered. People rushed to her side, Marines and commanding officers alike were hollering. Someone screamed for a medic, and a white ring blinded the vision of her closed eyes.

 

/REACH Medical Room/

 

John was pacing, while the other Spartans uttered very impolite curses. A Helljumper, no several Helljumpers, had tried to neutralize Kossandra. Silva, the commander, was being interrogated right now. The doors remained closed, and the sound of cracking bone was all too horrible for the male to bear. Why? That was all he wanted to know, he blinked as a door opened. Admiral Stanforth, Silva, and Keyes were walking in. Silva looked surprised, Keyes looked grim, and Stanforth showed nothing.

“How is she?” Silva asked, all Spartans turned to him. Keyes shook his head lightly, they had been tense. Most of them relaxed a bit, all but John.

“Nobody has informed us yet.” John spoke, his voice gruff. He hadn't slept since the incident, which had been days ago. Nobody had been allowed to see her other than Dr. Hasley and the medical staff, there was an audible click. Dr. Hasley emerged from the room, and the Spartans noticed her smile.

“Kossandra is going to be okay, I am impressed though. After the first hour of setting the bone back in place she seemed to heal on her own, which greatly impresses me.” Everyone blinked, they had set the bone and she had healed within an hour? The Admiral and Silva were speechless, Keyes smiled.

“Well, that is impressive. Hasley, this Spartan program sure was a good idea.” Dr. Hasley nodded, but inside she was going through an argument of her own. Only she knew that Kossandra was not of the SPARTAN II project, and of her strange energy signature. Was this a result of the strange energy? She couldn't say, but if it was that would be spectacular.