Sixteen: Revenge and Determination

It didn't take the Spartans and Forerunners long to clear the immediate area of Brutes and their allies. They swept the nearest rooms twice to be sure, then the humans took a moment to breathe while the aliens stood guard.

Well, most of them did. One of the others approached them and laid down their lightrifle, then turned their helm transparent so the Spartans could see their face.

His face; this Forerunner was male, or looked to be anyway. He was short too, about their height, and seemed incredibly familiar.

It was Linda who recognized him first. She shot to her feet and gasped, "Lieutenant Night?!"

The others rocketed upright as well, but he just smiled. "Hey, guys. Long time, no see. Can I look you over, or is this too much too fast?"

Kelly eyed him for a long moment, then stepped forward and turned, lifting an arm so he could get at her injured side. "Ambrose Night isn't really your name, is it."

"Close. It's Ambience-of-Night. I'm actually a Forerunner, but I am a medic. We call ourselves Lifeworkers." He carefully peeled back the patch on her techsuit and the biofoam underneath. "And these are Sharp-Wind-from-the-North, Shattered-Shields, Sight-in-Darkness, and River-of-Stars."

"Call me Sharp."

"Shields."

"Dark."

"Stars is fine."

"They're all Warrior-Servants - soldiers," Ambi explained, then gestured to the remaining Forerunner, "And this is Lightness-of-Being, another Lifeworker like me."

"It's an honor to meet you. Please, call me Lightness," she said, her voice gentle like Ambi's, "Is there anyone else who's injured?"

After a moment, Adriana stepped forward and held out her left arm. A quick scan from the Forerunner's armor confirmed that she had torn a muscle or two in the fighting, but the Lifeworker took care of it without even removing the Spartan's armor. Kelly's side was cleaned and sealed up in less than thirty seconds, and Ambi patched her armor as well, smearing what looked like black tar in the gap - until it rippled before their eyes and became just another segment of the techsuit, smooth and unbroken.

"Give it a minute to set, but after that you'll be good to go," Ambi told her, standing up and taking a step back. He tilted his head up. "Commander, we're ready."

"Good to hear." Smith again, though it seemed that "John Smith" really was a fake name. "Mendicant Bias, Beggar after Knowledge, can you hear my voice?"

Another voice came over the COM, smooth and genderless. "I hear you. You are the commander of the Fleet of Shadows."

"It's Supreme Commander now," the man replied, "The Ur-Didact died with the Firing, and the Iso-Didact passed the title on to me before the Exodus. We are all that remains of the First and Second Ecumenes. But that is not important. There is a San'Shyuum on board the Anodyne Spirit; it should only be the one. Will you guide the humans and Forerunners to him?"

"I hear and obey," the ancilla answered, so at odds with their last interaction before the Cataclysm.

The Spartan's HUDs flickered briefly, before a nav point appeared some distance away in the ship, with another closer one leading out into the hall. They lifted their weapons and led the way out into the ship proper. As they went, the nearer nav point continued moving on ahead, leading them to an internal lift. Before they descended, Shields keyed open a concealed side hatch, revealing a small armory of Forerunner weapons.

"Precursors, these things are old," Dark said, "Are they even compatible with our models?"

"That's what we're going to find out." Shields ejected an empty clip from her rifle - which the Spartan's HUDs registered as a Z-750 Binary Rifle - and slapped a new one home. "With the Commander's luck, it shouldn't even be a problem."

After a moment, she nodded and said, "We're good. Load up."

The Forerunners took as much ammo as they could carry, and gave the Spartans a quick tutorial on anything they cared to take for themselves. Then they stepped onto the lift, and it carried them down several levels. "Apologies," Mendicant Bias sighed in their ears, "but the San'Shyuum's position is not fixed. Be advised that intel will not always be current; I will update as I can."

"Acknowledged," said Sharp, "Thank you, Mendicant."

"San'Shyuum?" Mike asked, pitching a pulse grenade down the hall ahead and into a knot of Covenant.

"The formal name for their species, like how the Elites are Sangheili, the Grunts are Unggoy." Ambi huffed out a short laugh. "It's ironic. Believe it or not, but a hundred thousand years ago, the San'Shyuum were humanity's allies in your war against us."

"No."

"I tell you yes."

"Then how did we all end up like this?"

"The only constant in the universe is change. But even we don't know the full story, not yet, though we hope to find out very soon. If we can capture Truth and interrogate him, we may get an answer."

Mendicant Bias directed them through a transport bay; there was a Phantom docked inside, with swarms of Covenant all around. The Spartans and Forerunners killed them as quickly as possible and jumped down to the lowest deck, then headed through a hatch towards the Prophet.

The Forerunner ancilla came over the COM again as the humans and their allies fired down another hall at a trio of Brute Captains trying to charge them. "If I may make a suggestion."

"Go ahead, Mendicant."

"With only a small deflection off the present direct course, you will arrive at the central security station. It can give you real-time locations of everyone on the ship, more accurately than I can do so at present. I am only a fragment of a greater whole and so do not have my full strength and skill."

"Thank you - Mendicant Bias, is it?" Fred said, half questioning.

"Affirmative."

"Thank you. Go ahead with directions to the station."

Another nav point appeared on their HUDs, this one much closer than Truth's. Of course there were a shitton of Covenant in their way, but they were no more of a challenge for seven Spartans and a handful of Forerunners than they had been for one. But as they advanced towards the security station, Truth moved further away, deeper into the ship, meaning it would take longer for them to reach him even when they did know where he was.

They pressed on. The live locations of everyone on the ship would make up for any inconvenience.

There were Brutes in the security center, but they didn't seem to know what it was any more than the Spartans would have if Mendicant had not told them. When all the enemy aliens in the room were dead, the ancilla directed them to the central console and walked them through opening up the system.

At the center of the chamber, a hologram of the Anodyne Spirit appeared, with dots moving all throughout. Most of the dots were red, but theirs were blue - and Truth's was gold. "The San'Shyuum and his escorts appear to be making their way to the bridge," the ancilla reported, "although they are taking a very circuitous route."

"Can we get there faster?"

"Affirmative. There are three possible routes."

"We'll split up to maximize our chances. Blue Team will go one route, Gray Team the second, and the rest of you the third. But someone will have to stay here and keep an eye on this in case Truth changes course."

"I will do it," said Lightness, "I am trained in combat, but I do not truly have the heart for it; I fear I will slow you down, or worse, become a liability."

"I will remain here," said River-of-Stars, "let nothing pass."

That seemed to amuse the Forerunners for some reason, but they split up to head to the bridge. As they ran, the Spartans received another call from Earth. "Blue Team receiving. This is Sierra One-Oh-Four, over."

"Affirmative, Sierra One-Oh-Four. Lord Hood is requesting a status update, over."

"En route to the bridge of the Forerunner vessel. A Covenant Prophet is on board, exact location unknown but also en route to the bridge. Also be advised, we have friendly Forerunners on board."

"Say again, Sierra One-Oh-Four. Sounded like you said 'friendly Forerunners'. Over."

"Affirmative copy, over."

"Uh… acknowledged, One-Oh-Four. Stand by."

"The xenos are gonna have a field day with this," said Adriana.

"We will gladly talk to your scientists - within reason of course," Lightness replied, "We all have secrets to keep. Four Jiralhanae and sixteen Unggoy around the next bend, Gray Team."

"Acknowledged."

-------------------------------------------

Truth changed direction, because of course nothing could ever be that easy. One of the Brutes seemed to have reported in, saying that the Spartans were moving to intercept him, or so Mendicant Bias reported back. "Just keep us pointed in his direction," Fred said.

"Acknowledged," said the ancilla, "but be advised, the Anodyne Spirit is preparing for atmospheric entry, destination-" He said a word they didn't know.

"Africa," Ambi translated, "Specifically east Africa. They're going for the Portal Generator. That's behind enemy lines - there are going to be thousands of Covenant coming aboard. We need to get off this ship."

"The Portal Generator?" Kelly repeated, "Is that exactly what it sounds like?"

"Indeed. The Librarian had it built here a hundred thousand years ago, in order to save humanity from the Flood. Although I imagine she thought you would be the ones to use it, not this - false Prophet. Mendicant, reroute. Direct us all to the closest airlocks, please. Commander, are you there?"

"Affirmative."

"We need extraction. Truth's going in sooner than expected."

"Acknowledged, but I don't know if we'll be able to evac all of you in time. Prepare for EV atmospheric entry just in case."

The Spartans automatically flashed an acknowledgement - and received one in return, much to their surprise. Their nav points changed, and they followed them to another transport bay, killing all the Covenant in their way. As they went, another voice came over the COM. "This is Forerunner ancilla Ironheart of the FoS Out of Shadow, inbound for Anodyne Spirit. FoS personnel, Gray Team, Blue Team, prepare for extraction."

But even as she spoke, the UNSC came over another channel to warn them that a MAC platform was going to be firing on a Covenant cruiser near their position. The debris field would be huge, which would make it extremely difficult for the stealth corvette to extract them; it was bigger and tougher than any UNSC corvette, but large enough pieces could still batter them quite harshly.

And there certainly were big enough pieces; unlike the other two teams, Blue Team emerged on the side of the ship nearest the firing and saw the MAC gun destroy the Harbinger of Piety.

"Out of Shadow, be advised, Blue Team is attempting EV entry; no need for extraction."

"Acknowledged, Blue Leader. We've already picked up our team; en route to Gray Team's position. Good luck. See you on the surface."

**********

You asked me once, what happened to those who vanished?

You asked me, why did we survive where our fathers fell?

You wished to know how we ever let it happen –

A scourge that consumed the galaxy,

And the cure that was worse than the cancer.

You asked me once about my intent,

And the spot that would not wash out.

I promise you the answers lie in the Ark.

Find me there in the dark,

For that is where I abide.