The timeline might be a bit confusing so to clarify, At the respective notes dictating so, it is 1 year later for Kyle from the last chapter and 2 years later for Steele, making Steele 1 year ahead of Kyle. The timeline will be easier to figure out later, but I hope that helped.

Kyle's POV

Present

Hurrying down the hall, I turned a corner to the cryo-tubes. The news about a distress call possibly from The Master Chief had spread fast. Everyone was hurrying to their cryo-tubes to make a slip-space jump to the signal coordinates.

As I reached the cryo area, the alarms started going off. It was time. The reason we were going in cryosleep was because the journey would take quite a while and it was the best way to preserve supplies. As for how long, they didn't exactly tell the normal soldiers stuff like that so I had no idea.

I slowed to a walk as I looked for my tube. Found it! I put on my cryo-suit and got in. I laid back and the hatch closed, as did everyone else's who had arrived already. I subconsciously waited for the knock on my tube, a bit concerned as I continued waiting, but then I finally hear a hurried knock and quickly knock back as Slash runs to his tube. The overhead countdown finished and the cryo-freezing process began. The cold air came in and I drifted off peacefully in silence, a stark contrast to the chaos that was about only a few minutes before.

....

Almost 1 year later

.....

My subconscious slowly picked up a soft hissing. I felt a breeze on my face, my senses slowly coming back to me. Opening my eyes, I slowly looked around and saw a case around me. I panicked and pounded on the glass once before realizing I was in a cryo-tube and relaxed. The hissing stopped and the hatch opened. I closed my eyes as the influx of light and calmly breathed in the fresh air. Stepping out, I realized the light was coming through the windows. That must mean we were near a sun, and the presence of a sun means that there must be planets nearby. Combined with the fact that we've been awoken from cryosleep and therefore have exited slip space meant... that we were near the coordinates of the distress call!

The people around me also stepped out of their cryo-tubes as well and swarmed by the windows at the realization of the presence of a star. Many inevitable came to the same conclusion I had just made and the area was a frenzy of commotion similar to the initial announcement made before slipspace. A couple started cheering and a few smaller children of scientists on the ship started laughing and jumping in the air while looking in awe out the windows.

I walked down the hallway near the bridge( the command center). I could see a surge of activity inside as well as directly outside the main doors and I could hear orders being dished out like crazy. People ran in all directions, holding papers or tablets. As I began to pass the door and could see further inside, I saw what appeared to be the most officers I've ever seen gathered in one place standing near a map and the monitors, with a few looked out the front viewing window.

I inched closer at the sight, barely avoiding a sergeant coming out the door. I figured after coming out of slipspace I wouldn't be needed for a while and decided I wanted to take a look around. Most people still had their cryosuits on so I wouldn't stand out. I then walked in like I belonged there and looked around. Through the massive windows I saw a giant metal planet next to the star that was giving off the light we saw through the windows. There were a few lights and a large ring-like structure facing us on the surface, at least thousands if not hundreds of thousands of miles wide. As I passed by the main group of Officers, I caught the Captain saying," ...signal seems to be coming from inside planet of Forerunner origin. Attempting to enter." into a radio.

Inside! The planet's hollow?! How is that possible? And Forerunner? How did the chief end up here? And why would we go inside a planet! There's no telling what could happen!

I was about to do something incredibly stupid and tell the Captain my concerns, but all of the sudden there was a blast of orange light that projected itself at the ship. It seemed to be some kind of semi-translucent beam that made a screeching metal sound as it passed through me and the whole ship. I looked down at myself as it passed, confused at the sensation and cringing at the loud noise. It felt weird, like a ghost. I shivered and looked back up at the planet as the orange light finished what it was doing and vanished.

All was quiet for a moment, not a single person spoke as we all looked around and at the planet. Then the planet started opening. Giant metal spikes spiraled outwards from one point in the center of the ring I had observed before. There was a few cries and gasps as the lights in the ship flickered and then abruptly went out. I watched in horror as the ship lost power, and the only light illuminating the room came through the shaded front windows from the star. Everything sparked and shorted as it shut off and the ship slowly dipped towards the opening, a loud metallic groaning coming from the straining metal as it was pulled in.

People began screaming and finally the backup generators kicked in, plunging the command center into a red haze. I cried out as the ship tipped more, the gravity of the planet providing the downwards force now that the ship's artificial gravity was offline, and other people started panicking as they ran for the hallway. The captain was shouting out orders but I wasn't paying attention as I was made aware to my own immediate peril of slipping towards the front of the ship.

I grabbed onto a rail as my feet left the ground and began to be pulled towards the planet. I barely caught the words ",caught in some kind of gravity well, going down," that Captain Del'Rio sent out over the radio before we began gaining speed and things somehow got more chaotic in the command center.

I started slipping and desperately repositioned my grip for a better hold. Looking around as I hung there, I saw others loosing their grip and falling towards the front of the ship, hitting things hard and getting knocked unconscious or hurt by the fall.

The gravity of the planet increased and my palms were sweating, making it harder to hold onto the rail. My fingers began to slip and then I fell, writhing in the air to grab something, anything, before I became the next victim. I grabbed a desk but my hands were yanked off of it by the speed I was already traveling at and I fell off. Screams rang in my ears as I dropped past frightened and desperate personnel clinging onto things for their own lives. I curled into a ball and closed my eyes tightly, preparing for the worst as I hurtled towards the front of the ship. The ship itself continued falling faster and faster, passing the horizon of the opening and heating up as it began to enter the atmosphere and plunged into the planet.

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Steele's POV

2 years after the present day at the beginning.

....

I watched the cadets closely as they proceeded across the training course. That used to be me running those obstacles, but a lot had changed in the past couple of years. In terms of Atrius's status, the last few years had been tense. Covenant activity and attacks had been reported all over the planet and from distant neighboring planets as well, which everyone worried was an omen of war. Now it seems as if they are gathering their forces for one last major strike, but no one has any clue of where it might be. As of today it was July 12th, 2559 and my physical status was pretty much perfect. As for my leg, it healed pretty quickly, only within a couple of months after the initial incident. The doctors couldn't believe that it healed so fast and would have kept me for research purposes if my training wasn't more important.

I was a much more mature and capable person now too. I spoke with newfound confidence and could be counted on to be prompt with my tasks, honest, and dependable. Remembering back to how I had been 2 years ago, it felt like I was a completely new person now. I could remember it like it was yesterday. I had reported to the training room for my first responsibility, training the other cadets.

I awaited my sergeant's orders, thinking about how great it was that I was a petty officer 2nd class and excited for the new opportunities that now awaited me. I still had crutches but I could rest my foot on the ground. The Commander finally entered the room and I straightened and saluted as he did so. "At ease Officer Steele." He said and stood in front of me. I dropped my salute and we both sat down.

"Usually there is a class for this but I'll just give you the short version. The majority of your duties as a 2nd Class Petty Officer involve training other cadets alongside a sergeant or on your own. For the first few days, the Drill Sergeant will help you with the paperwork and customs for training." He started.

I nodded. It was nice to know that I wouldn't be completely thrown into my new role on my own and be expected to figure things out.

"As an important part of your responsibilities, you will also report all cadet fights, back talking, refusing command, etc. Even small things. I want weekly reports on this delivered on paper to me or the Sergeant Major. You have a few other minor tasks, but a summary of them has been delivered to your quarters along with a roster for the squads you will manage. Your first squad will be here in a few minutes, as will the Drill Sergeant who is assisting you. That is all for now." He said and I nodded. He walked out as I saluted once again. Almost simultaneously the Drill Sergeant came in before I could drop my salute and dismissed it. He stood in front of me, sizing me up for a second before ordering, " Okay, come on, time to get ready for the cadets." He said and lead me towards another room along the hallway of the first one.

I looked around at the large area we had just entered. There was training equipment of all sizes and shapes all around me. Everything you could possibly need, weights, obstacles, etc. The Drill Sergeant grabbed the closest thing, cones and tied rope, and began walking around. I watched with interest as he put two cones out at opposite ends of the room, and the rope next to the coned-off area.

"Okay Steele," he started and dusted his hands. "The training exercises you will be overseeing each day will be varied and different. When you use equipment, you'll use the stuff in the front first and when you are done make sure to place it at the back of their respective rows for cleaning and maintenance. Today we will have the cadets perform a number of drills and after each drill, they will go through the ropes. Simple enough?"

I nodded. "I understand. I assume these are standard drills, which is basic Petty officer knowledge."

"Great to see you prepared before-hand then. I guess for now you are good to go. I will supervise to make sure things are proceeding smoothly, but you will be in command of the cadets." He said. I nodded, and, right on time, the cadets came in and lined up. I walked in front of them, observing them for a second before speaking.

"From now on I am in charge. You will follow my orders or bear the consequences. Today we will be doing drills. First, your standard workout regimen drills, and then the ones I call out. Go!" I said and blew the whistle, watching each cadet closely as they started to ensure they performed them correctly.

....

I sighed and was taken from my thoughts by a Crash! Looking up I saw that a cadet training with a staff had gotten frustrated and thrown his staff against a stack of weapons. I blew my whistle for them to stop and walked over. "What is the problem here!?" I asked sternly.

The cadet came to attention and said, "I couldn't master a move and I let my anger get the best of me. Sorry sir, won't happen again."

"You got that right! Because I'm gonna teach you what happens when you take out your equipment and show you how it's done. Grab your staff and stand on the mat." I said and grabbed a staff.

He returned with it. "Now, which move was it?" I asked while getting into a stance and positioning the staff. The other cadets had formed a crowd.

"The double cross strike with an overhand blow sir." He said while also getting into a stance.

"Well then, try it on me."

He hesitated. "Now cadet." I commanded.

He immediately started forward swung his staff at me. Sidestepping, I moved aside and as he stumbled, I knocked him down with the opposite end of my staff.

I stepped back as he got up, now slightly angry. He came forward and we clashed. Avoiding a double strike (hitting with both staff ends in succession), I delivered a back-hand strike and swiped his feet out from under him.

He reacted quickly and rolled backwards while striking my arm and got to his feet.

Closing the distance quickly, I struck him across the back and completed the move he couldn't. Front hit, back hit, and finally, overhand to the back, knocking him flat on his stomach.

The cadets cheered and I stepped back, fixing my uniform. "Get back to training." I commanded. The cadet wiped his mouth and climbed to his feet. "Maybe now having been on the receiving end, you'll get it now. Continue." I said and walked back to my place where I was standing before the outburst.

Well, I better report this. Reaching to press a button on a thing in my ear, I was interrupted by a voice. "Officer Steele, report to your sergeant's quarters pronto." It said, coming from the device in my ear.

I pressed the button and spoke, "I read sir, over." I told my assistant to take over and walked out. There were salutes and nods in my direction as I passed. I could never get used to that.

I walked into his quarters, surprised to see him waiting. I saluted and he said, "At ease officer, I understand that you are 14 now. Am I correct?"

I nodded. He continued, "Well then, this must be a special year for you."

Confused I said, "I don't understand."

"You don't remember? Starting tomorrow, you'll be receiving your first augmentations." He said, smiling ever so slightly.