MetroidxHalo 2 TOM Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Rogue Agendas

“Now that was a nice-sized explosion, if I do say so myself.” The Chief said, shielding his face from the debris that rained down around the two super-soldiers. As they waited for Samus’ ship to maneuver its way over to them, the Chief had been experimenting with his matter-conversion device with some…typically Spartan results. He had a rocket launcher hefted onto his shoulder, and had been blasting ever-increasing piles of grenades and other explosives into dust.

You might wanna be careful not to over-do it, Chief. Cortana warned, dividing her attention between the Mjolnir armor’s systems and the Chief’s activities. The converter seems to be drawing its power primarily from your shield generator, so there’s a momentary dip in protection each time you use it. You don’t want to go making yourself vulnerable in the middle of a fire-fight, or worse, burn it out completely.

“What was that last bit?” The Chief said as the dust from another explosion settled, obviously enjoying his newfound abilities. Cortana sighed, but more amused than anything else. Just…when I say ‘Get your head down’, just do it, ok?

Samus, standing some distance away, couldn’t help but feel like she was intruding. Understandably, the Chief and Cortana were making up for lost time after however many weeks they were apart, but Samus had a hard time ignoring the little voice in the back of her mind that said “What about me? I haven’t seen you in MONTHS.”

Shaking her head, the bounty hunter pushed it out of her mind; now was not the time for getting preoccupied with personal feelings. A large shadow passed over her head, signaling her gunship’s approach. As it set down a few feet away from her, she turned her head and shouted out over the combined roar of landing engines and more detonations “Chief, enough goofing around! It’s time to go!”

She tapped a few final commands into her suit’s console, remotely lowering the gunship’s access elevator, and was about to walk towards it when a strong hand clamped down onto her shoulder. Samus turned her head to see the Master Chief standing behind her. “Chief? Something wrong?”

For a moment, she was worried that he had suddenly fallen under the influence of the Phazon corruption again, but then she heard him clear his throat. “Look, Samus, I, uh…*ahem* I know you didn’t have to…you know…I mean, I’m used to getting myself out of sticky situations, so I don’t want you to think…” He stopped himself and thought for a moment. “I…guess what I’m trying to say is…thank you. You didn’t have to come looking for me, but you did anyway and…I appreciate it.”

Samus smiled (though the Chief couldn’t actually see, as her helmet was on) and said “Don’t mention it.” The Chief nodded and murmured as he moved on ahead “Yes, well…just…needed to be said…didn’t want to seem ungrateful…” As he walked towards her gunship, it suddenly occurred to the bounty hunter what had just happened, and she smacked her forehead, wincing. She had been waiting for him to open up to her, and when he finally does, the best response she could think of was “Don’t mention it”? She was momentarily tempted to let the Chief be corrupted and rescue him again just so she could get a do-over on that conversation.

Squeezing herself into the elevator next to the Chief, Samus tapped her console and the elevator rose into the gunship. The Chief glanced around the equally Spartan-esque spaceship; aside from the pilot’s chair, some storage lockers and read-outs of the ship’s systems, the vessel’s interior was bare and featureless. “You said you live in here, right?” He asked.

“That’s correct.” Samus answered, stepping out and moving towards her pilot’s chair.

“Cause it’s rather…minimal for someone’s home.” It occurred to the Chief that, given his own attitude towards his living quarters, the same could be said for his own ‘home’. It felt odd to view the situation from the opposite perspective.

“I’m low maintenance.” Samus was about to ask why he seemed so concerned when her pilot’s console began to beep loudly, signaling another incoming message. “I take it there’s been a new development, Admiral?” she said, answering the call.

“That is a bit of an understatement.” Admiral Dane replied, sounding somewhat irritated. “Your business on Aether better be finished, because we’re bringing the Olympus around to pick you up. It’s time to go to work, Samus.”

“We’re all finished, sir, what’s my assignment?”

“Just get your ship into orbit and ready to meet us; we’ll brief you enroute.”

As Samus closed the connection, the Chief asked “Something wrong?”

“Given my employment history? That'd be a good bet.”

***

It hadn’t taken long for the Olympus to arrive, and the ship had jumped right back onto its course as soon as Samus’ gunship had docked. Whatever was about to go down was big; the Federation marines were so preoccupied with hurrying Samus and the Chief to the capital ship’s bridge that they had forgotten to be afraid of them. When the two arrived at the Aurora Unit’s chamber, Admiral Dane’s mood was grim. He observed the Chief wordlessly as they entered, finally saying “So, this is the friend you were in such a hurry to find?”

“Yes sir.” Samus answered. “He’s…not from around here.”

“Spartan-117, sir.” The Chief said, bowing his head respectfully.

“I take it you’ll be assisting Samus on this mission?”

“If I can, sir.” He said, briefly glancing at his companion.

“Good,” Dane replied “because she’s going to need all the help she can get. 242, why don’t you bring these two up to speed?”

“Of course, Admiral.” The Aurora Unit replied in her usual monotone voice. “12 hours ago, one of our observation posts detected some unusual activity in the Nessus system. While the disturbance was brief, a more focused sweep of the area was ordered. Closer inspection revealed a large Space Pirate outpost stationed around the system’s central planet.”

“That system has been under Pirate control for quite some time, hasn’t it?” Samus asked. “This isn’t that unusual.”

“No,” Admiral Dane replied, turning to a nearby console “but this is.” An image of the planet appeared on the large screen near him, revealing a mostly-constructed circular object in the planet’s orbit. Samus’ eyes widened behind her visor, while the Master Chief took a deep breath; it was the same planet that he had been on when Dark Samus had attacked him. If he could see Cortana, they would’ve exchanged looks; with the object closer to construction, they were now able to recognize it for what it truly was.

“Whatever this thing is” Dane continued “it’s generating massive levels of Phazon radiation.”

It’s called a Halo, Admiral. Cortana said, finally making herself known. Dane looked confused for a moment, but then recognized the voice as the AI from the ship they had picked up. It’s a large space station capable of maintaining its own atmosphere, but that’s not even the half of it; the Halo is actually a weapon, capable of wiping out all organic life in a radius of several light years.

Before Admiral Dane could answer, Aurora 242 spoke up first. “Preposterous. In all previous engagements, Dark Samus has made her intentions well-known; that of corruption and conquest, not genocide.”

Hey, listen lady, don’t write me off like that just cause I came down with a case of the crazies the last time we talked. Cortana shot back, mildly insulted. The Chief and I have been dealing with these things for a long while now, and I know a Halo when I see it.

“Whatever the case may be,” Dane interrupted, trying to avoid an argument “a device of this size in Space Pirate hands is bad news for the entire Federation. There’s a large fleet of ships protecting the installation, so we’ll need to get a bit creative during your deployment. 242, what’s the status on all fleets closest to Nessus?”

“Patrol vessels Demeter and Tethys are currently stationed in the Galfar system. The battleship Hephaestus is currently coming off of assignment near the Ooromine system. A fleet containing three Olympus-class battleships and six Griffon-class frigates is acting as garrison in the Daipho system, currently under siege by Space Pirate forces. All fleets listed can be within the Nessus system in under 2 standard hours.” The admiral pondered the information for a moment, but 242 continued before he could finish. “However, I do believe your presence is required on the main bridge. It seems there is a battle underway above Nessus.”

Dane looked up in surprise. “I didn’t give any ships authorization to engage the installation!”

“There does not appear to be any Galactic Federation vessels involved in the conflict. Sensors indicate Space Pirate craft and foreign vessels exchanging fire with the fleet defending the installation.”

The room fell silent as all three humans processed this information. Admiral Dane stepped down from his console and turned towards the bridge. “You two had better come with me.” Samus and the Master Chief complied wordlessly.

As they arrived on the main bridge, they could see through the main viewport that the Olympus had arrived at the Nessus system, and the tell-tale flashes of light and explosions of battle could be seen around the planet. The admiral turned to the nearest officer monitoring the situation. “Report.”

“Sir! The Space Pirate fleet defending the-“

Dane waved him down. “I know all that already. How are they doing?”

The officer nodded. “Yes sir. The attacking fleet is outgunned, but not outnumbered. They possess a large number of frigates and transport vessels that are running interference for the larger warships. It’s a dead-even fight right now.”

Admiral Dane stared silently at the distant battle for a few long moments before he turned to Samus and the Chief and said “Get down to your ship, both of you; I have a plan. It’s a bit risky, but do you think you can pull it off, Samus?”

“Of course.” The bounty hunter replied without hesitation.

“Good. Now get going, time is of the essence. 242 will brief you once you’re ready to take off.”

As they left the bridge, Samus overheard Dane speak into an intercom “Stiletto squadron Achilles, report to your ships immediately.”

***

“The plan is a relatively simple one, Samus.” 242 reported as Samus fired up her gunship’s engines. “The enemy fleet protecting the installation is currently preoccupied, and now is an ideal time for you to attempt a landing on the installation. The conflict lies directly between us and the installation, so you will be forced to fly through the battle in order to reach the Halo.”

“And the Achilles squadron?” Samus asked.

“They will be flying escort for your ship.”

“I appreciate the thought” the bounty hunter replied “but this will just be a straight run, and my gunship is a bit faster than standard fighter craft, even Stilettos.”

“The combat zone is extremely hazardous, Samus. Achilles squadron will be providing you with formation cover, not fire suppression.”

“Formation cover?” Samus blanched at the mere mention of the maneuver, which she remembered from her days as a Federation recruit. Ships running a formation cover were essentially undergoing a suicide mission, using themselves as meat shields for the escorted craft. Recruits trained with such a maneuver in simulators, and even though the escorted craft usually made it out of the simulation in one piece, the casualty rate for the ones running the cover was always devastating. “You can’t possibly think that I’ll allow this, 242. I’d rather take my chances in there alone than have an entire squadron throw themselves to the dogs.”

“With all due respect, Ms. Aran, you’re not getting much of a choice.” A new voice answered over the comm channel. “Wing Commander Griffith, at your service.”

“I hope you realize there’s a good chance none of your men will be coming back from this mission, Commander Griffith.” Samus said, her indignation seeping through her voice.

“I realize that there’s a good chance our squadron will get wiped on every mission, Ms. Aran.” Griffith replied. “Achilles squadron doesn’t exactly take the safe and easy missions. It’s why Admiral Dane tapped us for this job. We all knew what we were getting into when we signed up for this job, and I don’t think giving our lives in defense of the legendary Samus Aran is such a bad way to go, do you?”

The bounty hunter ground her teeth and settled into her pilot’s chair, while the Chief found a good spot to brace himself for the bumpy ride. “Let’s just get this over with.”

***

The battlefield was absolute chaos. Capital ships swerved back and forth to try and avoid the bigger guns, while fighters swarmed around all ships involved like angry hornets around their hives. Stray weapons fire tore dogfights apart and blasted gaping holes in the larger ships. With so many ships performing so many frantic maneuvers, like a team of synchronized swimmers all trying to perform different routines at once, collisions happened often and with explosive results, as demonstrated by a Space Pirate frigate colliding head-on into a Covenant battleship, annihilating the smaller ship and crippling the larger one.

“And we’re flying right into that.” The Master Chief commented, shielding his eyes from yet another blinding explosion. “Wonderful. I’d forgotten how much I hated riding along during a space battle.”

“Space combat not your forte?” Samus asked.

“Oh, I do fine if I have my hands on some weapons.” The Spartan answered “But I just get antsy if I have to sit back and do nothing. Something about death coming from any direction and not being able to see it coming, much less do something about it, just doesn’t sit right with me.”

“7 kilometers to the target and closing.” Griffith announced. “Achilles squadron, move into formation. Ms. Aran, please reduce your speed by 15%.”

Two Stiletto fighters moved in front of Samus’ gunship, while four aligned themselves next to the gunship’s top, bottom, both side and its rear. The six other members of the squadron dispersed themselves among the closer members, forming a physical barrier between Samus’ gunship and any outside attacks.

“5 kilometers and closing. We’ve just entered weapons range; keep on the lookout for stray fire.”

As the squadron moved closer and closer to the battle, they began to draw undue attention to themselves. “3 bogeys approaching from 10 o clock, Commander.” One of the wingmen reported.

“Achilles 8 and 9, throw some missiles in their direction. Tell them messing with us isn’t in their best interests.” Two of the Stilettos fired a volley of their warheads at the oncoming fighters and destroyed one, but the other two were undeterred and returned fire. “Hit ‘em again, you two. Everyone else, keep moving.”

At three 3 kilometers, they entered the battlefield proper, and were greeted with a warm welcome; debris from a frigate that exploded near them ripped right through Achilles 4, while attacks from additional fighters took out Achilles 11.

“Keep it together, people.” Griffith called out. “There’s a gap between the two battleships ahead of us, increase throttle and let’s move before our window closes.” The formation moved closer to the ships, but a sudden attack on the top ship caused it to lurch to one side, forcing the formation to swerve to avoid it and causing Achilles 6 to occupy the same space as a damaged fighter right in Samus’ path. “Left!” Griffith shouted over the comm system. “Left! Move behind it!”

They were really in the thick of things now; several times the squadron was forced to take an alternate route to avoid blasts from heavy capital ship guns, large debris and fighter groups surging back and forth. In fact, it was the latter that proved to be the most problematic. “Commander, bandits on our- Auggh!” Achilles 10 managed to say, altering her allies to an attack from behind, before going out in a bright flash of light.

“Keep moving, folks, evasive maneuvers, we can’t stop and deal with them or we’re dead!” Their pursuers would not be denied, however, and Achilles 9 died jumping in the way of a volley aimed at Samus’ gunship. As his signal disappeared from her radar, she pounded her fist on the console. “Dammit! They’re just going to pick us off if this keeps up!”

“Do you have any better idea, Ms. Aran?” Griffith asked, unable to contain his own irritation.

“My ship’s missiles could deal with them if I didn’t need to concentrate on holding formation!”

“Any way I can help?” The Chief asked. Samus thought for a moment, then quickly indicated an elevated hatch on the gunship’s right side. “That’s the manual override for the missile system. You’ll need to lock in targets yourself, but you’ll be able to shoot while I keep us steady.”

“That’s good enough for me.” The Chief replied as he climbed into the hatch and disappeared from sight. Achilles 7’s engines were blown out and he spiraled away from the group right before several missiles shot out of the claw-like hatches in the front of Samus’ gunship. The missiles flew in a shaky trajectory, far removed from the normally smooth Samus-guided movements, but they struck their targets, wiping out the Pirate fighters behind them. “I’ll stay here, see if I can’t make this easier on us.” The Chief called down from the hatch.

Finally pushing their way through the battlefield, the squadron was left with a straight run to the Pirate-built Halo. “Alright everyone, throttle up and prepare for atmospheric entry. We’ll get Ms. Aran to a safe landing zone, then take the long way back to the Olympus.”

“Commander!” one of the wingmen called out “Energy surge from the station!”

I can confirm that. Cortana added. Time to see if that giant brain-in-a-jar was right…

8 points on the inner surface of the Halo suddenly glowed a bright blue, then blue beams of energy that all met in the empty space at the Halo’s “center” surged forth from the points. The energy then seemed to condense, and with a bright flash shot out and into the depths of space, out of sight. Though the blast didn’t hit any of the ships currently wrestling with each other in the station’s orbit, the force of the blast sent the spacecraft reeling; even the massive capital ships shuddered from the resulting shockwave. Samus’ gunship and Achilles squadron were sent flying backwards, their control over their ships momentarily lost. “Gah! Everyone alright?!” Griffith shouted, still somewhat disoriented.

“Commander, incoming bogeys!” One of the wingmen answered in a panicked voice.

“What?! Their fighters should’ve been shook up as much as we were!”

“Not the fighters, sir!” The wingman corrected. “The capital ships! They’re heading straight towards us!”

The Pirate and Covenant fleet that had previously been on the offensive was suddenly executing a bizarre maneuver; all of their frigates charged right towards the defending fleet at ramming speed, while a tiny handful of battleships and cruisers made a beeline for the Halo…with Samus and Achilles squadron caught right in their path. Achilles 12, 5 and 2 were unable to regain engine controls in time to avoid being crushed under an advancing battleship, while the others were atleast able to limp out of the way. Quickly reforming the tattered remains of their squadron, the group struggled to stay ahead of the capital ships closing the distance behind them. Pushing their engines to their limits, they finally managed to enter the Halo’s atmosphere seconds ahead of the Pirate/Covenant fleet hot on their heels.

This close to the Halo’s surface, the squadron was finally able to see the work the Space Pirate had done on their replica; rather than the lush, organic appearances of the Forerunner-made Halos, the Pirates had gone for a much more no-frills approach, with metal plating and mechanical systems covering the “landscape”. Though much of it still resembled the canyons, mountains and valleys of the traditional Halo, it was cold and lifeless…a quality that, it occurred to Samus, wasn’t exactly out of the ordinary for Space Pirate designs.

“Keep your eyes peeled for a good landing zone, it’s not going to be too long before-“ Griffith’s command was suddenly cut short by a broken starship engine unexpectedly falling out of the sky and striking his Stiletto, sending the broken fighter craft spiraling off into the distance, and immediately accompanied by an entire hail storm of battleship debris raining down on a wide area around them. Apparently, one of the capital ships leading the Halo’s defense had tried to pursue the remains of the attacking fleet, and it had not occurred to its captain that the oncoming frigates would not stop their kamikaze charge simply because his back was turned.

The resulting rain shower of debris caught the remains of Achilles Squadron and escortee unprepared, leaving them without an opportunity to get completely out of the way and their chances of survival completely up to chance. Samus swerved back and forth madly, praying to whatever Chozo god that might be out there that they survive their mad dash to the surface through gritted teeth, when the sound of metal tearing apart derailed her train of thought. A large piece of sheet metal had just torn its way through the right wing of her gunship…including the hatch that the Master Chief had disappeared into to man the missile launcher. “CHIEF!!”

Through the gunship’s front window, Samus could see the detached wing section plummet towards the surface miles below, but couldn’t tell if her Spartan companion had survived the impact. Cursing, she had to remind herself that she needed to worry about herself first; with her gunship operating on only about half of its engines, there was no guarantee that she would survive her own landing. She urged the gunship towards a canyon with several crevasses, the surviving members of Achilles Squadron nowhere to be found, and disappeared into the dark depths of the Halo.