"Gentlemen, I don't know whether we are going to make history tomorrow, but at any rate we shall change geography." 

"We're comming in too fast!" Cortana yelled as the escape pod shook and shuttered. "Damn! Airbrake failure! They blew too early!" The pilot yelled as the front thrusters flared in a desperate attempt to slow their descent. 

"I'm losing her! Brace for impact!" The pilot yelled as the pod hit the ground, skidding along the ground. Finally, it came to a stop. Three disorientated marines filed out, with one throwing up. "Ah shit! Is that what happens when a drop pod's chute fails!?" A marine asked. 

"Nope." A voice says, coming from the pod. Out stepped it's owner, Lance Corporal L/n. "It's worse." He said. "Well, guess I can forget about transferring." Another marine joked as the four of them shook it off and started looking around. 

"Alright, you, with me. You two, make a perimeter." L/n started ordering before turning around and going back inside with a marine. 

Your POV 

I got to one of the Spartans, Chief. "Cortana, are you, are they?" I trailed off. "I'm fine. The Spartans locked their armor, which should be unlockingggggg now!" She said, the Spartans rigid frames relaxing before they got up. 

I helped Chief up, who nodded at me. "How many survived?" She asked. I looked to the marine who was checking the pilot, while 058 shook her head at a corpse. The marine looked back and shook his head. "Six of us in total. Overall, better than expected!" I said as we exited. 

"Warning! I've detected multiple Covenant drop ships on approach. I recommend moving into those hills. If we're lucky, the Covenant will believe that everyone aboard this lifeboat died in the crash." Cortana spoke. "Then let's move!" A marine yelled, running towards the hills. 

We followed after him, crossing a bridge made of metal of unknown composition. We watched as a drop ship dropped off some troops near the pod. We didn't keep looking, needing to move. We trekked up to a ravine like formation, seeing an elite minor and some grunts staying guard. 

"You know the drill people! Light em up!" A marine yelled as we charged. I layed down covering fire, while Chief led first. Whether by fatigue, or still suffering from the crash, mine and the marines aim was lacking. I only managed to kill a grunt, the marines two, and the spartans the rest. 

I cursed as we trekked on, going down a drop that prevented us from going back. "I'm reading a lifeboat beacon over the next hill. We should check to see if there are any survivors." Cortana informed us. After another drop, we found ourselves behind some Covenant who were busy attack marines. 

They didn't even last a minute before we mowed them down. As the last one fell, two marines ran up to us. "Good to see you all! I thought we were the only ones to make it off of the Pillar of Autumn!" One said before the other, who my HUD reconized as SSG A. Johnson took a sigh. 

"It's a mess. We're scattered all over this valley. We called for evac, but until you showed up, I thought we were cooked." He explained. "Don't worry, Sergeant. We'll stay here until evac arrives." Cortana said. I was about to say something when a voice spoke over comms. 

"Heads up! I got a Covenant dropship headin' in, over here!" 

I shut my trap and followed the Spartans who ran over that way. And from then on it was a fucking wave game. They drop in, we open fire. Unfortunately, nobody packed a rocket launcher, so we couldn't shot them outta the sky. However, it seemed like the Covenant finally gave up. 

I kicked the corpse of an elite as another voice came on comms. "This is Echo-419. Anybody read me? Repeat: any UNSC personnel, respond." A female pilot said. "Roger, Echo 419. This is fireteams Charlie and Hotel. We read you. Is that you, Foehammer?" Cortana asked. 

"Roger, Charlie and Hotel. Good to hear from ya!" Echo-419 said. "Foehammer, we need transportation to the Command Shuttle." Cortana said as the survivors started making their way to Charlie's crashed pod. "I'm on my way!" 419 said as multiple escape pods crossed the sky. 

"Aw shit, when those things touch down, the Covies will be waiting." I voiced my concerns. "I was thinking the same. Foehammer, disenguage your warthog, we'll need it." Cortana told 419. "Roger Cortana." 419 said as she flew in, dropped her warthog, and landed next to it. 

"Warthog deployed! Saddle up and give them hell!" 419 exclaimed as me and the Spartans boarded it. "Roger, Foehammer. Stand by to evac survivors and transport them to safety." Cortana said as I hopped in the passenger seat. Linda took the gunner while Chief the driver. 

"That's affirmative. Echo 419 staying on station. Foehammer out." 419 explained before the connection was cut. I could finally relax a bit as we drove off. We drove down into a hold, and turned to see a giant cave with metal walls, ground, and roof, like the bridge. 

"Chances are good that leads somewhere, ma'am." I pointed out. The spartans didn't utter a word as we entered. Cortana, on the other hand. 

"I've hacked into the Covenant Battlenet. They're actually broadcasting tactical data on unencrypted channels! We should show them who they're dealing with. Master Chief, I'm going to use your suit's transponder system to monitor their chatter." 

I decided to make a little joke as we navigated the tunnel. "Dear diary: We just lost Reach, and now we're trying to regroup on a giant metal hula hoop. What the ever loving fuck?" I said. "This war has surprised us time and time again. It was statistically likely this would happen." Cortana said. 

We stayed silent until we came upon a large chamber, with a gap in the middle, and tons of Covenant. Ok, maybe I was exaggerating. We gunned them down, and were stuck. "Two a'clock, up." Linda suddenly spoke. We looked and saw a floating terminal thing. 

Chief got out, and went to activate it. I was left alone with Linda. It was an awkward silence before I spoke up. "Hey, uh, thanks for what you did in the lifeboat." I told her. She nodded. The silence wasn't given a chance to come back as some poles came out from each side, and a hologram bridge came on. 

"Wait, are we gonna cross that?" I asked as Chief came back. I lowered myself into my seat as we drove forward. I felt a pit in my stomach as we got closer to it, and then we went onto it. We didn't fall through, and continued to the other side. "Touchable holograms. Another to the list." I said. 

We entered another tunnel when Cortana spoke. "New traffic on the Covenant battlenet... a lot more crew made it off the Autumn than I had predicted - the Captain really gave them hell! If we can find Captain Keyes and other survivors, we have a chance to coordinate an effective resistance." 

"Hell yeah! Something's finally going our way!" I exclaimed as we left the tunnel, and into the open. We drove up an incline and saw a glint nearby. "Lifeboat, 10 o'clock!" I alerted. We drove through the stream, and up to it. "Lifeboat detected. No sign of survivors." Cortana said. 

"A sniper rifle, but no bodies. Looks like they packed up and left." I pointed out. Linda, upon hearing about the sniper rifle, jumped off the back and picked it up. She fiddled with it before putting it on her back and jumping back on. 

"There's a structure on the other side of this rock wall. Go back to the edge and turn right." Cortana informed us. And we did just that, killing a few jackles on the way. We approached the structure, already under assault from Covenant. 

We drove around, gunning down multiple Covies until it was mostly silent. Suddenly, ANOTHER voice came on comms. "Hey, is somebody up there!?" They asked. "Yes. It's safe to come out now. Echo-419, I've put a nav point for more survivors ready for dust off." Cortana said. 

"Roger Cortana. Cortana. On my way. I've spotted additional lifeboats in your area. One near the rock slide, and another near the head of the river. Hard to see from my altitude, but it looks like there are more survivors." Echo-419 informed us. 

"Acknowledged. We're on our way." Cortana said. 

"Hey, this is Echo-422. We'll take over the rock slide." Another voice joined the comms. "Roger 422, we'll take the river head. Good luck." I decided to join in. We drove up river, doging attention from two banshees who decided to join the party. 

"Warning! I've picked up reports that the Covenant have located and secured the Pillar of Autumn's crash site. The good news is the Captain's still alive. The bad news is that the Covenant has captured the entire surviving command crew. Let's hurry and find the final lifeboat, so we can link up with the rest of the survivors." Cortana informed us. 

"Captured? The Covenant don't usually take prisoners. And where are all the brutes?" I asked. "Maybe they weren't accompanying this battlegroup. We should still hurry." Cortana answered. 

We drove up another incline, and saw another of those structures. "There's marines in the hills above! Do what you do best!" Cortana informed us. We drove up the hill, and hopped out. Linda used her sniper to harass the Covies downhill. 

A marine came out and up to us. "You're a sight for sore eyes, Chief. We're in a bad way. We've got wounded here." He informed us. "I've called in a dropship to pick them up. Spartans, Helljumper, secure the area." Cortana spoke. 

I jogged over to Linda, and then slid down the hill. Firing as I slid, Chief join in as Linda head shot any split lips dumb enough to poke their head out. In a few minutes, and another Covie dropship, the area was secure. "That's the last of them." I informed. 

"I've arrived. Get to the lifeboat so I can get us out of here." Echo-419 said over comms. As we approach the pelican, Cortana decided to chip in with some wonderful information. 

"New traffic on the Covenant battlenet. I've found Captain Keyes! He's being held on a Covenant cruiser, the Truth and Reconciliation, a ship I disabled before we abandoned the Autumn. The Truth and Reconciliation touched down on a desert plateau roughly three hundred kilometers up-spin."

I hopped aboard 419, then turned to help an injured crewman inside. Once everyone was in, we took off. "We should move out lieutenant, and then we'll need your help on our rescue mission." Cortana said. 

"Roger that. And Helljumper? Major Silva want's to talk when we get to Alpha base." 419 told me. "Roger. Just hope he won't talk me ear off." I responded as we took off to better pastures. 

And since Reach, things started looking up. 

(1848 Words. I hope you enjoyed this, and I'll see you next sunday. Happy thanksgiving!) 

PS: I got this screenshot while playing to get the chapter more accurate: