Halo: Gauntlet

Chapter 3

1 hour later

The plumes of smoke bleeding out of the Houston had greatly diminished. Its engines flared as workers and deck crew tested their rushed repairs. Most importantly, the little ship was no longer alone. An Autumn-class heavy cruiser hung next to it, the two sizeably different ships connected via one long bridge where medical teams, repair workers, and fellow marines joined up to heal the beaten-down Houston. This was the Hammer of Dawn, the flagship of the Sangheilios battlegroup, a small force with the power of a large fleet, renowned for its tendency to beat the odds and annihilate its targets. Diverse with destroyers, frigates, corvettes, and cargo ships, the miniature fleet was prepared for anything. The ring loomed over them, casting a dark shadow over the humans. Lee was carrying a stack of crates across the bridge, full of food and much-needed medical supplies. He saw Kuzo heading towards him, passing a rolling forklift and nearly stumbling into an officer disorganized and distracted by the frantic environment.

"Hey," Kuzo greeted.

"Hey," replied Lee. They placed their loads onto the truck, which sputtered off with a loud rumble. The two sat on some empty crates in the cargo bay of the Houston, exhausted.

"So... you okay?", Kuzo asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

He shrugged. "Haven't seen you like that in a while."

"I'm fine," Lee reiterated, "Just a little on edge. Too much stuff going on." He looked across the room and noticed Lance, laughing and joking with marines, waving his hands about as he detailed them with stories he had kept in the back of his mind. Kuzo noticed, commenting, "Lance seems like a good kid."

Lee scoffed. "Sure."

"Just promise me you'll give him a chance. The kid's got potential."

Lee scoffed again. "You said that about the last guy too."

Behind them, a forklift dropped its load and tipped over, crashing to the ground with a thunderous clash. Lee flinched under his helmet, his eyes twitching furiously. Kuzo didn't notice and continued. "You requested he get reassigned to a different team. We can't keep doing this, Lee. One way or another, we're getting a fourth." Kuzo's tone went from aggressive to almost pleading. "Come on. I like Lance. Klace does too. I got faith in him."

Lee paused in silence for a few seconds before glancing down at his gloves, remembering the last time he had heard that. He ran his tongue around his mouth, slowly bouncing his knee to a nonexistent rhythm. His mind flashed back to the past, if only for a brief moment, to a different time in his life.

"Okay."

"Hm?"

"I'll give him a chance. It's not like I've got a lot of alternatives right now."

"There you go," Kuzo remarked. He sat up and playfully slapped Lee on the back, "That's the Lee I know. I'm gonna go find Klace, see you 'round." Kuzo sauntered off, leaving Lee behind. Lee stared blankly off into the distance, the raucous environment slowly dulling in his mind as he lost focus. The shouting and machine rumbling morphed into shouting and gunshots. Screams and cries echoed in his mind, his hand clenched around his still-bouncing knee, and his breathing quickened with anxiety.