Halo: Gauntlet

Chapter 1

Spartan Lee carefully inspected his helmet. He his eyes flashed over his rugged, scarred face reflected in the weathered silver visor. He attempted to wipe away the dirt and grime, but the marks on the helmet persisted the same way they had for the last 5 years. It was still the same, aging helmet and armor he had gotten when he was first assigned to a Spartan company. By this point, his armor was considered by most to be obsolete, but he made sure to have it refurbished every so often, denying every offer for a new, shiny model. 

"Lee? What are you still doing here? Kuzo and Klace are already at the bridge."

Lee glanced up, coming face to face with the fresh-off-the-line Spartan IV, Lance. Ever since the Battle of Reach, Lee had only worked with two other Spartans, men he considered his closest friends. But it all changed when their last assignment, a simple infiltration and elimination of a Covenant stronghold, became a three-hour-long holdout in the center of the enemy. After they made it out with major complications, the UNSC decided that this three-man group absolutely needed a fourth. Lee expressed his frustrations heavily, but it all fell on deaf ears. One month later, Lee found himself transferred from training duty to the Houston, with Lance in tow. 

"Just doing a quick armor diagnostic. Go ahead without me."

Lance shook his head, "No, it's fine. I can wait." He stood straight as an arrow in front of the door, like a puppy waiting for its owner.

Lee sighed as he stood up, grabbing his trusted semi-automatic DMR as he left the barracks. He and Lance strode through the long hallways of the ship, frantic crew scrambling around to fix broken pipes and sparking wires, and medics monitoring bodies lying motionless on stretchers. When Lee followed Lance into the lift,  the door suddenly began to slam shut on him. He ran right to it right before it sealed shut and stuck his fingers through the gap, lifting the door back open. He got a good look inside and noticed that a startled officer and several marines were watching him. Lance was there too, signaling the marines to make room. "Excuse me," Lee said to them as he stepped in, letting the doors close behind him. He tried to ignore that they were still staring at him. A marine coughed and led everybody (including Lee) to turn and look at him. He cleared his throat and looked down, quietly saying "Sorry." 

One more silent minute went by before the doors finally opened again. Both Spartans exited the lift, leaving the marines behind. This deck of the ship was no different than the last, the people on it were just as tired and desperate. Yet nobody said a word, the silence in the air broken by the footsteps of the Spartans. Lance turned to ask Lee, "Do you know how many casualties?", Lee responded with a cold, "I stopped knowing a long time ago." 

Lance backed away muttering to himself, "That's depressing."

"You'll get it eventually. Or maybe you won't, I don't know."

To their left was a view window that stretched all the way down the hall. Lee took a passing glance out, his mind drifting elsewhere, but then something in his mind clicked, and Lance pulled ahead as Lee suddenly stopped in his tracks. 

"What's wrong?", asked Lance. Lee shifted his eyes out the window once more, staring in awe as he took in the looming view in front of him. Lance's eyes became fixated as well, both of their jaws agape.

"Holy, sh-" 

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The door opened, and Lee stormed in. The rest of the team was already there, the two other Spartans standing off to the side of the room. Captain Taylor was pacing around the center console, displaying a rotating holographic image of the Halo with Paxton standing next to it, circling in the opposite direction. The bags under his eyes seemed to grow into bowls, and his hair was frayed and messy. One of the Spartans, with olive-green armor and KUZO printed in small block letters on his chest, cleared his throat, muttering to the captain, "Lee's here."

Taylor looked up, seemingly relieved. "Bravo One. Bravo Four," he added, greeting Lance. Lance responded with a salute, but his arm was pushed back down by Lee.

"Is that what I think it is?", Lee asked. He gestured to the hologram. 

"Excuse me?", Taylor replied.

"Is that a Halo?", he repeated louder. By now the entire bridge was watching, eyes wide. 

Taylor, muttered something under his breath, looking at Lee and answering solemnly, "Yes. Yes, it is."

Lee's expression was unreadable through his helmet, but his stance was firm and rigid. Despite this, Lance could notice his slight, nervous breaths.

"Is it active?"

"I hope it isn't, Spartan. But... there is a chance."

Paxton finished the Captain's statement. "When the crew of the In Amber Clad deactivated the 'Delta Halo', it primed every other ring to fire, both remotely via the Ark, and manually on site. The ring's probably active," he added bluntly.

Taylor walked back, scratching his hair again and scrunching his eyes. "Brave men downstairs got our long-range comms working. Fleetcom has given us one mission now. Disable the ring, and prevent it from firing. If we fail, then destroy the ring. No matter the cost. If the Covenant find this place, they're going to fight like hell to make sure this ring doesn't end up in our hands, so we have to fight just as hard. We don't have an entire fleet behind us. We don't have the Master Chief. So I need every one of you to put in everything you have. Do I have everyone's understanding?"

Lee calmed down, his arms falling to his sides. Jaw clenched, he stepped over to join the rest of his team, slightly separated from them, his hand twitching behind his back, yet still standing tall. 

Everyone in the room, from the helmsman, communication officer, engineers, and even some of those outside eavesdropping, all responded with a determined, "Yes sir!"

A slight smile crept up Taylor's face, and with firm confidence, he responded. "Then, here's the plan, gentlemen."