We'd been fighting for days since Johnson had dropped us off. The elites still scared me--they looked like monsters--and I remembered the days when my friends and COs fell all around me by their hands. Dead bodies... everywhere. I remember the days when hate filled my mind. I still remember their laughs while I cowered under the bodies of my fellow soldiers. The fight had lasted days and we'd had to resort to using our machetes because our BRs and pistols were empty. When the mission started there were 24 of us. We failed to clear out the base... and then we started running. The elites no longer filled the air with intense heat from their rifles--they even hung up their swords. Eventually they cornered us... and thats when the horror began. I heard my friends cry in pain as they were torn and eaten by those bastards. There was nothing I could do--I knew that in my mind, but I still felt unconsolable guilt for my inaction. I remember vowing to make every last one of the elites pay...

That was all a distant memory now. Animals that they were, they had been decieved by a lie. Now they fought with us--saved our lives... it was confusing for me at first. I fought the forgiveness that wanted to pour out of me for them, but then I met Osla Namaree. His ferver for our cause softened my heart...

Now, on the Ark, we fought for ourselves and more importantly, for eachother. We'd found the Covenant quickly enough--they were guarding these huge AA batteries that we spotted from the sky. We used our snipers to try and take em down at range, but they had their snipers too. First the sergeant fell--then the corporal and most of the elites. The brutes were too strong for us--and too many. I saw them charge us, not even firing their weapons. Our bullets just bounced of their armor... and their thick hides. When they reached our defilade they just meleed us with their weapons and their fists... they were unstoppable. Osla pulled out his sword and cut down three of them. He inspired me and I primed some grenades to help him. I thought we had gotten them all so I tossed an unarmed grenade to the side--thats when an injured brute fired at Osla... His shields crackled and failed. I huried to throw a grenade but several rounds hit... Osla fell.

With all the brutes down I knelt down over Osla and pulled out a stim shot for him. He weezed and started trembling--a spike had hit his spine... he looked at me and nodded... and then he relaxed and his breath left him...

And so, my CO died... and my brothers died... and i was all alone--baking in the sand--waiting.

BELIEVE