Halo: Golden Kill

 

 Prologue: Twilight 

Gem Chrystal System/Planet of Thyme

April 7th, 2537, Mile outside city of New Eden

The boy stood firmly against the soft soil, mushed between two rows of bare pink toes, coupled with dirty toenails. The spinning wind rustled through the cracks of the boy's loose hair, flopping strands in every direction. The long grass swayed and tickled the boy's smooth skin, giving the false intrepretation of small insects buzzing on his arm. The sweet air was moist with freshness and the boy breathed in numerous times, letting the honey baked air swirl through his body and exterminate out his long and pointed nose. The submerging sun, now dipped half-way below the horizon, cast across its dying sunlight, striking the young boy and illuminating his dirty and mud caked face. This was his one moment where he found salvation in a world smothered with war and death, struggling between the lines of morality. The boy knew this event happens always, on many planets, but one thing was special, here life was untouchted. Diverse indeginous animals strode, oblivious to the outside knowledge of the cruelty and death that cripples and strangles the very moral of each individual. The boy's everlasting wish was to look across this golden sea of plains and hope one day life will forgive one another and all creatures can live in harmony. One thing that will never happen.

A noise surged across the plains, snatching the boy's attention away from the miraculous hour of twilight and pinning his stare to a young girl approaching. The noise again, this time the boy could understand his name.

"Over here, Lecia," the boy's young and energetic voice replied.

The young girl glided closer, her face warm with a cheerful smile, revealing the rows perfect white teeth. The boy could smell the girl's sweet scent, a wonderful sugar diluted with a contingent of strawberries that seemed enriched by a chocolate background. Her long black hair relfected the dying sunlight and produced a brilliant saphire reflection, enamating her beauty. Wrapped around her peach smooth skin, was the traditional customs dress, a long piece of clothing looped multiple times around her body, letting the access couple of feet drag gracefully over the grass. Intricate designs of inner connected flowers crawled along the dress, strecthing from the very depths of her ankles to the bottom of her neck, radiating bright hues.

"Carlos, what are you doing up here?" Her voice full of a sweet harmony.

The young boy sliently smiled as his ears where filled by a sweetness, "Looking at the sunset. Its great, take a look." Carlos, the young boy, extended an arm that seemed to infinately stretch above the golden grass and touch the dipping sun, as the last of the light disapated from the area, allowing the prevailing darkness to swallow the orange sky.

"Sorry you couldn't see more of it. Its really great....," Carlos trailed off, a nervous twitch in his voice, ".....you could come with me tomorrow if you want."

A perfect smile parted Lecia's beautiful face, her eyes lit up as if the sun were no longer leaving, but returning with a brand new reign of golden sunlight. She twirled to face the darkening plains, not longer emitting their golden luster, and peered at the flustered looking boy through the corner of her eye.

"Sure, tomorrow is great. I can't wait," Lecia calmly replied and stepped closer to Carlos. Their eyes met in a endless gaze, while each moved in closer, like the entire process was natural. Once the space between them was filled, Carlos broke the gaze and leaned in, as well did Lecia, both preparing for a sweet filled kiss that would finally satisfy both.

The ground shook voilently, sifting the loose soil across the ground and over Carlos's feet. Lecia lost balance, but Carlos in a lightning snatch grabbed a fistful of her dress and prevented her fall. Above their head, high in the twinkling stars a great white light ripped apart the endless black void, creating ripples popping along the tear. A rounded egde of a massive object squeezed through the opening, causing the trees to rattle and the grass to vibrate. In mere seconds the full body of a destroyer sized Covenant ship filled the dark sky, erasing all evidence of stars. Lecia grabbed ahold of Carlos and the boy held her trembling body, as both young children had the voice stripped of themselves as they stared upon the massive war ship prepared to end their planet.

Omega Centuron System/Planet of Helion Prime

April 15th, 2537, Military Orphan Preparation Camp

Christopher Travers fell beaten and bloody to his knees, a dark red liquid oozed from his mouth and nose, dribbling off the boy's chin and onto the concrete basketball court below him. Chris glanced as his attacker, his vision slightly blurred, the images lagging in his brain but he manged to squint out the boy who hit him. He other was quit doughy, with a massive frame for a 12 year old, who bore a cap of thick red hair and was coupled with a fair complextion and small red freckles. Chris grunted and spat a clunk of blood from his mouth, splattering the ground and stood up, stiffining to crisp posture, his fists balled at his thighs.

"C'mon then, you little whancker, throw a punch and see what happens," the doughy boy said, thickened by an almost uncomprehensible Irish accent.