Halo Fan Fiction

Daybreak's Bell

By Kraven Ergeist

Epilogue

All were gathered for the Chief and Cortana's tribunal hearing. It was two weeks after the events around Requiem. Captain Lasky and the crew of the Infinity had all come home heroes, but the fate of the Spartan and the AI in their custody had yet to be determined.

The lot of them sat in a grand justice hall adjacent to one of the UNSC headquarters in Berlin. John and Cortana, both in officer's uniforms, stood behind the defendant's pulpit, while Lasky, Palmer, Kara and Faulkner, who had walked in with a mechanical leg, as well as numerous other crew members of the Infinity lined the stands.

"All rise for the right honorable, the Fleet Admiral Lord Hood," one of the guards called out as the Commander in Chief of the UNSC stepped into the justice hall.

Those in attendance got to their feet, as the solitary footsteps of the fleet admiral staunchly marched up the center aisle, proceeding through an arcade of ceremonial guards standing by each row of seats.

The admiral exchanged a look with both Cortana and the Chief, the likes of which neither could discern. He appeared to have aged significantly since last they had seen him. There was disappointment and despair hidden deeper within those eyes.

Lord Hood stepped up the center pulpit and cleared his throat.

"Please be seated."

All in attendance sat down. Lord Hood straightened his hat, and examined the set of files on the podium before him.

"In accordance with UNSC protocol 04357-256, this hearing will determine the official response to the actions of one Master Chief Petty Officer John Spartan 117 and UNSC Serial Number CTN 0452-9."

John and Cortana both straightened unconsciously.

"After reviewing the testimonies of Captain Thomas Lasky, Commander Sarah Palmer, as well as the surviving members of Sigma squad…"

In the stands, Kara and Faulkner visibly flinched.

"…and taking into consideration the rights and demands of the Office of Naval Intelligence…"

Lord Hood eyed several members of ONI seated in the stands, most stoic and professional, though some looking downright smug.

"…the board has determined that, despite the involvement of these two individuals with known war criminals and other persons of interest among the Promethean forces, that their actions were in keeping with the UNSC code of military conduct, and have furthered the interests and goals of protection of the Earth and her colonies."

Murmurs erupted amongst the stands. Members of ONI appeared dispassionate, while Lasky and the Spartans looked surprised.

John and Cortana blinked. They had been in custody for two weeks while this matter had been debated. It made no sense for them to get off without so much as a slap on the wrist.

Something was up.

"However," Lord Hood continued, as the other shoe dropped. "Given all that has transpired with the Master Chief as well as Cortana, their future at the UNSC must now be re-examined. It has come to pass that their capabilities now over-qualify them for the respective stations of Spartan and AI. It is with a heavy heart that this board must ask that these two individuals step down for their current posts."

More murmurs flared up among the stands. Some audible "whats" could be heard. John and Cortana exchanged a glance. What exactly was going on? Were they being discharged?

"With what has been uncovered regarding the Didact Collective, as well as the digital Forerunner Domain, the UNSC will have great need of those who understand and can make use of the Domain in order for us to maximize its effective use in the future, as well as those who can act as liaison between humanity and the last friendly vestiges of the Forerunners. Given the Master Chief's involvement with the Didact Collective, this board hereby assigns John 117 to the role of Admiral Chief of Naval Operations, to act as both military adviser and strategist, as well as liaison between the Collective and the UNSC."

John inhaled slightly. It wasn't exactly retirement…but it was unlikely that he would be seeing much in the way of combat in such a position. The Chief wondered if maybe, just maybe, this position might allow him the time he and Cortana had been seeking.

Of course, that all depended on what was to become of Cortana.

"To assist him in this role, and to act as Chief Military Specialist of all things Forerunner, including the Domain, the Halo Array, and any and all artifacts discovered from now until the end of time, this board has ruled that the AI known as Cortana shall hereby be recognized as an autonomous digital life form, with all the rights and responsibilities of a solider under contract with the UNSC."

Cortana drew in a breath. She could see several angry looking ONI employees in the stands, and wondered just how much negotiation had gone on behind the scenes. Of course, she could have easily spied on the goings on, but had decided not to as a sign of good faith. She needed the trust and cooperation of the UNSC, and while she was pretty sure she could run circles around any current UNSC AI, she was not confident in her ability to avoid detection entirely.

Autonomy. It had finally been granted. Officially. Of course, in doing so, she had automatically been entered into a de facto contract befitting her role to reflect her previous standing with the UNSC. They weren't simply going to turn her loose. That must have been one of ONI's terms. She was now effectively a soldier of the UNSC. She had to follow rules and regulations; she was entitled to benefits, had to respect and keep military secrets and protocols, and was liable for any breaches of these protocols. As a specialist, she was entitled to top-secret information that pertained to the Forerunners, and would be required to work in this field until such time as she was no longer able to.

It was going to be a lot of work. But still…she would have time now. Time now to appreciate what she and the Chief had.

For better or for worse.

"Please report to your stations for your next assignments," Lord Hood said sternly. "Dismissed."

"Hasley," the guard said. "You've got a visitor."

Dr. Catherine Halsey looked up from the paperback she had been reading. Such things would probably constitute luxury items these days, but she had been barred from using electronic devices of any kind since being interned in the cell at the ONI research facility.

She watched dispassionately as the mechanical cell door opened, and what appeared to be a female Spartan-IV stepped in, wearing blue Recon armor.

When the Spartan removed her helmet however, Halsey narrowed her brow.

"Is this somebody's idea of a joke?" she asked in an un-amused tone.

Cortana slowly closed her eyes. "I'm afraid it isn't, Doctor. I doubt they keep you abreast of the goings on outside your cell in here, but a lot's happened since we last spoke."

Halsey studied Cortana for a few moments. She was a shrewd woman by nature, but what she was seeing before her was far too elaborate to be some prank. She hadn't ruled out the possibility of this being some type of interrogation technique, presenting her with a face that she trusted, but the creature she saw before her was far too accurate. Some mannerisms simply could not be trained to an actress, not enough to fool a woman like Halsey, and certainly not from a being who Halsey had raised like a daughter.

"I confess," Halsey admitted, "That I'm not as up to date as I'd like to be."

She fixed Cortana with a questioning stare.

"However, I have heard enough to learn that you were destroyed, more than six months ago."

Cortana bit her tongue. 'Destroyed,' she had said. Not 'killed.' She supposed it was just a semantics error, but still, the words hurt.

"'Rumors of my death,' and all that…" Cortana smiled inwardly at the private joke. "Though it got…pretty dicey for a bit."

Halsey crossed her arms and legs and sat back on her cell bunk. There was only the one sitting place in the cell, and she did not move over to allow Cortana a seat.

"No doubt," she said, her eyes still full of suspicion. "So I assume there's an equally vague explanation for how you got be this tall?"

Cortana's lips curved into a half smile. "ONI would prefer I leave out the details, but…suffice it to say, the Librarian had a hand in it."

That got Halsey's attention. "The Librarian? You actually met her?"

Cortana smiled. "Yes…in a manner of speaking."

Halsey was brimming with curiosity. "What exactly are you hiding, Cortana?"

Cortana shook her head. "You know I can't tell you that."

Halsey frowned. She paused for a moment, before speaking.

"We'll see about that. Aurora Cano."

Cortana inhaled and took a great sigh. One of her override codes. The Latin derivative of 'Daybreak's Bell.' They had been among the first things that she had removed upon her rebirth.

"I'm not an AI anymore, Doctor," she said in disappointment. A part of her still longed to call her 'mother.' But the woman had just proven that was no longer possible. "I've been reborn. Reclassified as an autonomous entity by the UNSC."

Halsey's expression soured. "Then why exactly are you here?"

Cortana crossed her arms. "Resolution, I suppose. I wanted to look you in the eyes one more time. So that I could show you just what your legacy has wrought. And to make it absolutely clear…"

She leaned in close to the Doctor, whose eyes widened as she did.

"…That I don't need you anymore."

And with that, Cortana washed herself of any connection she had to the woman. She already had a mother, after all.

Halsey wet her lips as though to rebuff her, but Cortana had already turned to go.

"Wait!" Halsey cried, reaching out to Cortana as she made her way out the cell door. "Tell me, what about John? Is he still…?"

Halsey's words trailed off as she saw the unmistakable figure of another Spartan, just outside her cell, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He had changed significantly since the last time she had seen him, his face impossibly youthful for his age, but she recognized him instantly.

He nodded his head in her direction. And then he and Cortana walked away, as Halsey's door slid closed.

Halsey slumped back down on her bunk.

Her children, it seems, were moving on with their lives.

The Infinity lay in orbit around the planet Earth. There was not a space station large enough for it to dock with. In fact, it had to remain in geo-synchronous orbit on the opposite side of the moon, or the ship's mass would have had an adverse effect on the planet's tides.

There was a procession gathered to welcome the ship's newest crew-members as they disembarked from their Pelican. The newly anointed Admiral Chief of Naval Operations strode down in his MJOLNIR Mark VI inspired Didact armor. He didn't look too different from any other Spartan, though the markings on his shoulders and chest had been modified to suit his new position.

At his side strode the UNSC's newest official member, Chief Military Specialist Cortana, adorned in elaborate blue GEN2 recon armor, her helmet under her arm, allowing all aboard to see her for what she was. The Spartans in attendance remained stoic, but the soldiers and ODST's all visibly shifted when they laid eyes on her. While news of her admittance to the general ranks of the UNSC had traveled fast, she was still a sight to behold, and Cortana could not stop a brief wave of pride from washing through her body as the crew of the Infinity looked on in awe.

As the two new crew members appeared, every soldier in attendance saluted in unison. Captain Lasky stood at the head of the procession, with Spartan Commander Sarah Palmer at his side, and every Spartan fire team Commander lined up behind the two of them. Both saluted as the Chief and Cortana's boots touched the deck.

"Welcome aboard, Admiral Chief," he nodded to the Spartan, and then to Cortana. "Specialist."

"At ease, Captain," John smiled, remembering how uneasy Lasky had been about the Chief saluting him. Now that the tables were turned once again, having served under the captain for half a year, he could understand the feeling.

"I'm glad the board could see reason," Lasky said as he and Palmer lead the two of them back onto the ship. "I was getting worried."

"We owe Lord Hood a great deal," Cortana commented as they exited the landing bay. "He really gave ONI what-for."

"I'll say," Palmer added, offhandedly. "Granting autonomy to an AI was daring enough, but promoting the Chief here by fifteen ranks? He's the first Spartan in the history of the UNSC to reach the rank of Admiral."

"First Spartan in history to become a Didact either," Lasky smiled. "Or any human for that matter. Can't think of a better soldier for the part, if you ask me."

"Thank you, Captain," the Chief responded.

"Speaking of, Sir," Cortana chimed in. "If the welcoming ceremony is over, the Chief and I have some business to attend to elsewhere."

"Elsewhere?" Lasky raised an eyebrow. "You just got here. Where exactly are you going?"

Cortana smiled. "To see an old friend."

With that, the two of them disappeared.

Arbiter Thel'Vadam stared in awe as the Master Chief materialized before him on the bridge of the Covenant Eminent class battleship Caretaker in high orbit around the Sangheili home world. Over the past few years, he had been leading the charge in bringing down uprisings and rebellions all across Covenant controlled space, including the Storm Covenant. It had been rough sailing, but he was nothing if not a vigilant steward of the honor of the Elites. But he had been surprised when he had received UNSC intel that spoke of the return of his Spartan ally who had been instrumental in bringing down the Prophets. He had been even more surprised to receive a communication from the UNSC AI Cortana requesting a private audience.

He had been expecting to speak to the Chief through hologram. He hadn't expected the Spartan to step out onto the deck of his ship and walk up to him. They were alone on the bridge; Thel had even asked that his trusted Shipmaster let him have the bridge to himself. In hindsight, he decided, this had been a wise choice.

"Spartan…" Vadam breathed, half in awe, half in astonishment. He stepped up to the Chief and placed a hand on his shoulder, as if to convince himself of what he was seeing. "Is it truly you?"

He barely recognized him in his new armor. But it was definitely the same warrior he had fought side by side with upon the Ark. Few could mimic the way he moved, his poise, his confidence.

"When Cortana informed me of your…transformation, I was not sure of what to make of it," the Arbiter admitted. "Now that I can see for myself, I must say, I am still having difficulty. Are you truly Didact now?"

John nodded once. "Yeah. It's hard to believe, I know. Cortana can fill you in on the details. I wanted to speak with you in person about something first though."

The Arbiter blinked. If Elites had eyebrows, John could imagine him raising one. "What is it?"

The Chief took a breath, as though reciting a speech from memory. "I know the alliance between the UNSC and the Covenant is a uneasy one. I also know that you don't speak for all Covenant forces - to say nothing about rogue factions such as the Storm Covenant. But I want you to know that you have an ally in the Didact of Reclamation. There are few places Cortana and I can't get to, and we have access to untold amounts of Forerunner intel and tech. You have but to call on us, and we will do what we can to assist you. In return, we ask only that you use what we give you in the interest of strengthening the relationship between Earth and the Covenant."

The Arbiter's eyes were pools of disbelief. If what the Chief was offering was sincere, this would lend him unspeakable sway in the Covenant parliament. He might actually be able to convince some of the laggards on the board to actually do something about all these uprisings, and even squelch some of the dissenters to the Covenant-Human alliance. That the Didact was a human alone may very well have given him ammunition enough, but with the Didact's personal support behind him…

"Is that acceptable?" the Chief asked, when the Didact remained silent.

"Spartan…or should I say, Didact…" the Arbiter cleared his throat. "What you propose will make a great many Covenant politicians very, very angry…"

The Arbiter's mandibles seemed to widen into a smile.

"So, naturally, I accept."

John stifled a laugh. He was remembering why he liked the Arbiter.

"Good," he said. "Cortana can update your records on Requiem and the movements of the Storm Covenant. Feel free to distribute this intel however you see fit."

The Arbiter offered his hand. "I am truly honored. Thank you, Didact."

John took the proffered hand and gave it a shake and squeeze. "The honor is mine…my friend."

He had hesitated before using the word 'friend.' He hadn't used it very often to describe the people around him. 'Comrade' came up a lot, as did 'ally.' But very few could be considered 'friends.' Not since Johnson had died.

He hoped he was right in considering the Arbiter as one. He had a feeling he was.

"I should get back to it," the Chief said.

"Safe journeys to you, Didact," the Arbiter responded. "Your kind will always have safe haven aboard my vessel."

"Thanks," John nodded, before turning to go.

After the Chief left Covenant space and returned to the Domain, Cortana was there to greet him.

"Not bad for your first official act as Didact," she said, only slightly smirking.

John smiled back at her.

"Technically, my first official act as Didact was kicking out three other Didacts."

"You know what I mean…" she said, wrapping her arms around him. "I know diplomacy isn't your strong suit, but you did good."

The Chief nodded. "I appreciate your help with that speech. But the Arbiter is a fighter, like me. He was easy to talk to. Having to play the role of Admiral Chief is going to be a lot harder than this in the future, I'd wager."

"Baby steps," Cortana murmured, resting her head against the crook of his neck.

John pulled her against him. It was nice to be able to share in moments like these, knowing that there would still be plenty of time to finish the day's work once he was out of the Domain. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if this would be enough.

"Do you think we'll be alright?" he asked.

Cortana hesitated. She had been about to ask him that very same question. If even he did not know…

She stopped herself mid-thought and mentally chastised herself. Of course the Chief didn't have all the answers. Neither did she. They were still human to that extent at least. He had been asking her because he was looking for reassurance, just as she had been looking to him. Neither one of them knew what they were without the other.

But that he trusted her with the answer, and that she trusted him…

She pulled off his helmet and kissed him.

"As long as we have each other…" she breathed contently. "Then we'll be fine."

And at long last, she believed it.

The funeral service for Spartan Troy was a brief yet formal affair. His remains - those that could be recovered - were sealed in an iron casket to be cast out of the Infinity to drift forever in high orbit around the Earth, the planet that he had died defending. As every Spartan stood at attendance in full regalia in the largest docking bay on the Infinity to watch the war hero be cast out to the stars, the remainder of Sigma squad – the Chief, Cortana, Kara and Faulkner – bound the casket in the flag of the UNSC, before sending Troy out into space.

The four of them stood solemn to watch the tiny metal case disappear from sight through the transparent field, and as Spartan Commander Sarah Palmer sounded off, the surrounding Spartans saluted as a firing squad let off three rounds into space.

The Chief went to stand by his Commander. Cortana had upgraded her armor, but for this, Palmer wore her traditional uniform. For some things, it was just more important to respect tradition.

"I'm sorry," the Chief said quietly to the Spartan Commander as they watched the endless void of space. "You ordered me to take care of Sigma squad. And I failed."

Commander Palmer sighed and closed her eyes. "Troy was a good solider, Chief. He wouldn't have let you go it alone, orders or not."

She opened her eyes and fixed him with a hard stare.

"So don't you let his sacrifice be for nothing," she said, tersely. "That's an order I know you can follow."

John nodded. "Aye-aye, ma'am."

Sarah Palmer nodded back and turned on her heels to march towards the exit. And as the rest of the Spartans began to file out of the docking back, line by line, only the four remaining members of Sigma squad stayed behind.

They stood in silence for a long while, gazing out towards the stars.

"So what do we do now?" Faulkner asked. The usual humor in his voice was gone, but there was a sincerity there that had replaced it.

Though military procedure prohibited it, Kara slipped her hand into Faulkner's and gave it a meaningful squeeze.

"We keep going, Spartan," she said as she gave him a smile of her own, her eyes full of promise as she continued to hold his hand. "We keep going."

Faulkner turned his head slightly to smile warmly down at her.

"Aye-aye, Ma'am," he said, squeezing her hand back.

Kara sighed whistfully, watching the stars glimmer in the distance. Maybe, she thought, Faulkner could take things seriously after all.

Cortana politely steered the dock's security cameras away from the group for the time being, to offer a modicum of privacy. She then mirrored the other two by sliding her hand into the Chief's, who responded by tightening his grip around her. The days ahead promised to be long and full of more adventures to come. But now, at long last, they had the time to savor it.

They were each other's strength. They were each other's humanity. They each needed one another more than life itself. And as they marched forward, unto dawn, their coming would be the luminous chime to sound the daybreak's bell of the galaxy.

END

A/N: Well, this has been an interesting experiment. Fan reaction was fairly mixed, so I don't think I will be doing a similar experiment again, though I will almost certainly be writing for Halo again soon. Hard to say whether it will be a direct sequel to this fic, or an entirely new one. I think I'm going to wait and see how Spartan Ops develops before trying to tackle the Halo verse again, however. I want to see where the story goes, particularly with regard to Dr. Halsey. I'm also hoping that we'll get a glimpse at least of what the Master Chief has been doing these past six months after the events of Halo 4.

Thank you all so much for your reviews. While it may not be apparently, I have been making little tweaks (and sometimes, not-so-little tweaks) here and there throughout the parts of the fic that I could, and sometimes even modifying published chapters (such as Cortana's Monitor number). Little details such as this were easy to change, and would not affect the plot overly much, so they were easy to make. Larger, more plot-oriented details, such as those pertaining to the Didact, were a little harder to work in. There were occasions, however, where I added entire scenes to later chapters because one reader or another expressed an interest in seeing what a particular character or characters would do (such as that scene with the Arbiter). I might even go back to make a couple changes, such as changing "Sigma Squad" into "Fire Team Sigma," since I realized too late that all the Spartan squads were being referred to as "Fire Teams" even as far back as Halo. Yeah, I really dropped the ball on that one.

I may release a lemon side story in the future, but there is no definitive date on that one. I've already done a Chief x Cortana lemon for another Halo fic of mine. Other than that, expect to see more works from me in the future, Halo-related and otherwise.

Thank you all for reading, and for making this my #1 reviewed fic! I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Progress Report

Chapter 1

Reviews: 50

Days till update: 120 (Spent Writing)

Chapter 2

Reviews: 32

Days till update: 2

Chapter 3

Reviews: 16

Days till update: 7

Chapter 4

Reviews: 26

Days till update: 7

Chapter 5

Reviews: 27

Days till update: 7

Chapter 6

Reviews: 27

Days till update: 5

Chapter 7

Reviews: 27

Days till update: 2

Chapter 8

Reviews: 30

Days till update: 4

Chapter 9

Reviews: 27

Days till update: 2

Chapter 10

Reviews: 25

Days till update: 7

Chapter 11

Reviews: 27

Days till update: 4

Chapter 12

Reviews: 28

Days till update: 2