As we arrive back on base, we are greeted with weapons fire as it seemed General Shepard had told the entire base that we killed our fellow Spartans, and now they are after us. As we continue slogging through, trying not to fire upon our fellow marines, we find the general asking where the hell we are in his base, as I step forward spin him on his heels and punch him right in his goddamn face. " T'zeul had allot to say about you when we had him begging for his life... Do you think a covvie pushover would stop us? You just pissed us off." Shepard seemed to take my bluff as he stepped back and attempted to chuckle, after he composed himself he began to explain what he did and how he bribed the Covenant to kill us, so he would have no resistance to his plan, that he knew the Covenant had already won it was a mater of time. That he was trying to save us, by selling us out. Ringer signaled me when he was recording and streamed Shepard’s whole little plan right to HQ, meaning Spartans are on the way. So, we take our chance to tell him T'zeul's real plan "Oh, sorry to say that your friend also told us a little chunk of information, that this world is going to burn, you were never going to be spared, you just became another pawn in someone else's game for what cost, General? My brothers? My squamates? Your soldiers?" I move forward to detain him, his arm slips from my grasp momentarily as he lands a punch into my visor. I stare at him through the cracks, anger swelling inside as my grip tightens on his shoulders. "That is enough from that traitor!" I pick up his smaller frame and throw him onto the holo map as I have Ringer tie him down with straps from his survival pack. The General continues to struggle, until the hammer clicks into place of the revolver that he finds himself staring down. "You know as well as I do, that I would never kill a superior officer, purposefully." The revolver tracks down to his left leg where a sharp bang rings out followed by pained screams, "That’s for Rock star..." The revolver moves to his right, "and this is for Brutal", I shoot him again. and then aim for his heart "This is for Rookie you son of a bitch!", I try to squeeze the trigger but I hesitate, this man, this monster has stolen everything from us, but killing him is not by our code, it is too easy for a scum as him. I lower the sidearm, finding its way back into my holster. I walk towards the door, waving for Ringer to stand down, as I open them Marines rush in clearing the room and concerned of the situation they have found themselves in. Thankfully, Ringer had already sent out the video, meaning those here knew of the General's treachery. The two of us walk away form the table, as the marines work to undo the straps and move the General into custody. As we approach the edge of the compound, a risen platform above the roaring sands that we had marched across, the telltale sounds of Covenant forces begin to echo from within. We knew this moment would come, but both of us would rather have all of us here to see it through. We begin checking the HMGs and stashing the barricades with explosives and ammunition. We are greeted by supportinve marines who join us at the line, bringing crates and water to help us get the defenses back up to par. We explain to them the risks, they nod and point to a lifting transport ship, where a now demoted General sits with most of the marine company stationed here following behind. We realize we cannot argue with them further, and just accept the help, some even brought some pieces from our bunks to create small makeshift graves for the rest of our brothers, so that we will all have our perfect fall together. I guess that was the goal after all, to find the fight that would give us our glorious end, to protect humanity, and finish the fight our enemies started.

  The marines assist in finishing the last preparations as the familiar roar of elites grew closer upon our horizon. I give the command to the lines, and the sound of rifle checks fill the air, followed by feeding the HMGs and other heavy weapons we have attached to our bastion. My eyes turn upward through cracked glass as I watch the last pelican take off with what remained of the homebound marines, the thrusters turn red hot as the engines scream with effort and lift towards the ships in orbit. My view is cut short by the sound and rumble of footsteps belonging to the Covenant. Marine gunners begin to spin up the barrels on their weapons, bolts closing down the line in synchronized technique. As the line awaits for the order to fight to the last man, a large Hyperion-class frigates soars over the compound and into the horizon, and for a moment all of my despair, my doubt, washes away, as if I can see the big picture I was helping put together, that because of us, we will give hope.

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  Awry plasma charges fly by us, the marines begin their drills of engaging with the force as myself and Ringer follow suite, casings fly into the ground, as explosions and shrapnel envelope the first wave. As the waves continued to push, marines becoming injured, ammunition's running low, the sky begins to glow a bright violet light as we see the carriers start to charge plasma weaponry capable of destroying this world. In a moment, the beams come down in the distance and begin to burn the very soil into glass, evaporating everything that once existed there. The beams slowly advance, not giving hesitation to their own troops, the infantry that has been fighting us has scattered their commanders trying to wrestle them back into control. As the fighting stops, I try to convince the marines that are left to leave, to survive, they refuse. They want to finish what they started. A marine grabs my arm and starts to pull me towards something, he tries to speak but his words do not make sense, he finally points to a mound and I see an arm stacking out of the mass. My blood runs cold as I reach for it, pulling on it with all of my remaining strength to reveal Ringer, as I look for his wounds, his hand reaches for my arm and stops it, then points to his helmet. I help him with his seals and remove the helmet from his face, his skin is dirty and damp from the air around us. He stares out into the horizon, the beams lacing the landscape, a simple smile begins to form on his face. I believe he could feel my confusion, as he reached up to my visor, I removed the helmet and he grabbed onto my hand, as I already started to feel his muscles beginning to relax. He could see the tears forming in my eyes, I never wanted to be the last one alive, I didn't deserve to live where my brothers could have taken my place. He suddenly jerks me down so that he can easily see me, "no more death, no more pain... we give them hope... heroes...". With that, I feel his hand slip away from mine, hitting the dust and unsettling the ground around it. I shove his rifle into the ground, draping his helmet on it next to him, as I replace my own. I turn towards the cascading beams as the sound of a reunited force begins to make it's way here. As the beams sweep closer, with the enemy closing in, I look to the marines standing with me, a window to the past of my brothers before we fell, now we stand once more against the tide. As we wait for the enemy to rush our line, to fight in desperation for their own lives, all I can think is about the word hope, and that I know this war will end, at the hands of a man who will be the hope of our race, a spartan. I raise the rifle above my head, the 3 dozen marines mirroring my actions, the last noise any of us here as we charge at the enemy is all of us in unison "Semper Fi!" as the beams creep every closer to us, and before the noise is replaced by the silence brought down by the beams a single thought crosses my mind, one of solace and a twisted happiness, I will see my brother's again... I will bring hope...

  CONNECTION LOST...

  ...

  Name: Seer

  Location: Firebase 127, REACH

  Date of Death 10/18/2552

  Class: Spartan III Mark V

  ...

  Remaining Spartans in sector: 1

  Location: The Hushed Casket