In a desert surrounded by sand for miles, the Pillar of Autumn laid, burnt, dented, and various holes around.

Chief and Y/n's Banshees fly in, barely managing to stay in the sky.

Y/n: Chief, our ships are coming apart!

Chief: They'll hold.

Cortana: We're not gonna make it!

Chief: We'll make it.

Y/n: (straining) Come on! Pull up, you piece of-!

The Banshees drop just before reaching the Bumblebee slip and smashes into the side of the Pillar of Autumn, sending debris and fire hurling out madly.

Y/n then gets thrown in the slip, making him cry out before he rushes over and helps Chief climb in.

Cortana: (sardonic) You did that on purpose, didn't you?

Y/n: (points at Chief) Him? Yes. (points at himself) Me? No.

Cortana: We need to get to the bridge. From there, we can use the Captain's neural implants to initiate an overload of the ship's fusion engines. The explosion should damage enough systems below it to destroy the ring.

Chief and Y/n encounter numerous Covenant, Flood, and Sentinels before finally making it to the bridge.

Cortana: The bridge. We made it. Let's get to work.

The duo clear out the Covenant Spec Ops team guarding the bridge.

Cortana: I need you to upload me into the control systems. The terminal is located next to the main view screen.

Chief takes Cortana's chip from his helmet and inserts it into the cylindrical terminal near the front of the bridge. Cortana's avatar appears above it.

Cortana: I leave home for a few days, and look what happens. This won't take long.

She concentrates for a moment, and the main screen flickers to life. "Self Destruct Sequence Initiated" is displayed across the top, and numbers begin counting down from what is, as far as we can tell, a random starting point between five and fifty-nine minutes.

Cortana: There. That should give us enough time to make it to a lifeboat and put some distance between ourselves and Halo before the detonation.

Chief moves to unplug Cortana from the terminal, but stops abruptly when they hear an all-too-familiar voice.

Guilty Spark: (COM) I'm afraid that's out of the question, really."

Cortana: Oh, hell.

Chief and Y/n aim their weapons, looking for the source of the Monitor's voice.

Guilty Spark: (COM) Ridiculous! That you would imbue a warship's AI with such a wealth of knowledge! Weren't you worried it might be captured? Or destroyed?

Cortana: He's in my data arrays, a local tap!

Elsewhere on the ship, Spark is scanning a console.

Guilty Spark: You can't imagine how exciting this is! To have a record of all of our lost time! Human history, is it? Fascinating.

Guilty Spark flutters around Engineering, as groups of Sentinels hover around, and scans another console.

Guilty Spark: Oh, how I will enjoy every moment of its categorization! And to think that you would destroy this installation, as well as this record. I am shocked. Almost too shocked for words.

Y/n: I'd like to shock you with an EMP right up your-

A tone sounds over the ship's speakers and countdown timer freezes.

Cortana: He stopped the self-destruct sequence...

Guilty Spark: (COM) Why do you continue to fight us, Reclaimer? You cannot win! Give us the construct, and I will endeavor to make your death relatively painless and-

He is cut off as another tone sounds.

Cortana: At least I still have control over the comm channels.

Chief: Where is he?

Cortana: I'm detecting taps throughout the ship, Sentinels most likely. As for the Monitor ... he's in Engineering. He must be trying to take the core offline! Even if I could get the countdown restarted ... I don't know what to do.

Chief: How much firepower would you need to crack one of the engine's shields?

Cortana: Not much. A well-placed grenade perhaps, but why-

She turns to see Chief, who is calmly tossing a frag grenade up and down as Y/n also holds up a rocket launcher he'd snagged from a dead Flood corpse.

Cortana: Okay, I'm coming with you two.

Chief reaches for Cortana just as a squad of Sentinels descends from above and take position along the shattered windows of the bridge.

Cortana: Sentinels!

The Sentinels open fire, shattering the main display and touching off Chief's shields. Y/n ducks quickly drops behind cover, as Chief removes Cortana from the terminal and places her into his helmet, raising his rifle with Y/n.

They quickly take them down and exit the bridge.

Cortana: The ship was heavily damaged when it crashed. Head to the cryochamber. We should be able to get to the engine room through there.

The pair head for Engineering, fighting past more Flood, Covenant, and Sentinels. Along the way, they make a brief detour to the ship's armory to stock up on weapons. Several cloaked Flood were there as well, but they took them down.

They finally make it to Engineering.

Cortana: Engine room located. We're here.

They enter Engineering, which is crawling with Flood and Sentinels. Guilty Spark is there as well.

Cortana: Alert! The Monitor has disabled all command access. We can't restart the countdown. The only remaining option is to detonate the ship's fusion reactors. That should do enough damage to destroy Halo. Don't worry; I have access to all of the reactor schematics and procedures. I'll walk you through it. First, we need to pull back the exhaust couplings. That will expose a shaft that leads to the primary fusion drive core.

They make their way up with Spark flying after them.

Guilty Spark: You would destroy this installation, as well as this fascinating record?

Y/n: I swear to God, if you had a mouth, I'd have shot you in it by now!

Chief opens the manifolds.

Cortana: Good! Step one complete! We have a straight shot into the fusion reactor! We need a catalyst explosion to destabilize the magnetic containment field surrounding the fusion cells. Use an explosive. I recommend a grenade or a rocket. If you run out of explosives, there is an armory station located near the engine room's entrance.

Chief and Y/n knock out all four reactors with two rockets and grenades.

Cortana: That did it! The engine's gone critical! Based on the current rate of decay, we should have fifteen minutes to get off the ship; we don't have much time! We should move outside and signal for evac. Accessing schematics... there's a service lift at the top of the engine room! It leads to a class-7 service corridor that runs along the ship's dorsal structure. Hurry!

Y/n: Hear that, Sparky?! That's the sound of Robot Satan knocking your door! Hahaha!

They reach the elevator which has a mass of Spec Ops Covenant to meet them. They defeat the Covenant and start the long ride up.

Cortana: (COM) Cortana to Echo 419, come in Echo 419!

Foehammer: (COM) Roger, Cortana. I read you, 5 by 5.

Cortana: (COM) The Pillar of Autumn's engines are going critical, Foehammer! Request immediate extraction! Approach the crash site and be ready to pick us up at external access Junction 4C as soon as you get my signal!

Foehammer: (COM) Affirmative. Echo 419 going on station. Echo 419 to Cortana. Things are gettin' noisy down there. Everything okay?"

Cortana: (COM) Negative, negative! We have a wildcat destabilization of the ship's fusion drive core. The engines must have sustained more damage than we thought! (off radio) Analyzing... we have six minutes before the fusion drives detonate. We need to evac now!

They reach the top of the elevator.

Cortana: Activating final countdown timer. When it reaches zero, the engines will detonate. The explosion will generate a temperature of almost 100,000,000 degrees. We don't want to be here when it blows.

Y/n: Warthogs! I got the turret!

Chief drives down the corridor as Flood, Covenant, and Sentinels are fighting all around them. Eventually they near the site where Foehammer is supposed to extract them.

Cortana: (COM) Cortana to Echo 419! Request extraction now, on the double!

Foehammer: (COM) Affirmative, Cortana. Foehammer inbound.

They then arrive at a wide open platform.

Cortana: Wait, stop! This is where Foehammer is coming to pick us up. Hold position here.

Echo 419 appears, banking around the hull of the Pillar of Autumn, listing badly and flaming at the engines. The Pelican approaches them with a pair of Banshees closing in on the Pelican from the rear at both sides.

Cortana: (COM) Cortana to Echo 419! Two Covenant Banshees are approaching on your six! Evade! Say again, evade!"

A loud explosion erupts from the Pelican's starboard wing dips sending it into a shaky dive, ablaze and out of control, Foehammer yells into the speaker as she passes under the platform.

Foehammer: (COM) I'm hit! Mayday! Mayday! Rear port thrusters have been shot to hell! I can't hold her! I can't hold-!

Foehammer continues to yell into the speaker, her words becoming inaudible as the roar of the damaged engines are heard. The Pelican flies into the distance, still ablaze, the Pelican struggles it's way down and out of sight with flames and smoke trailing.

Y/n: NO!

Cortana: Echo 419! ...She's gone. Calculating alternate escape route. The ship's inventory shows one Longsword fighter still docked in Launch Bay 7. If we move now, we can make it!

Y/n: Put the pedal to the mettle then, Chief!

Cortana: Chief, up ahead there's a gap in the trench! At top speed, we should be able to clear it!

Chief clears the gap as Y/n whoops.

Y/n: Yeah, baby!

As they reach the bay, heavy fighting between the Covenant and Flood is seen. A Longsword fighter is docked at the end. A barricade forces Chief to stop the Warthog and he and Y/n book it for the ship.

Cortana: That's the ship! Move! We need to get aboard now!

Chief and Y/n make a break across the platform for the Longsword, the Flood closing in behind them in a vain attempt to stop them. They makes it through the open door just before them, and slams the hatch closed as they run through.

Cortana: We're cutting it close!

Chief sprints for the cockpit, but is jarred by an explosion and braces himself against a wall, and also throwing Y/n off his feet. Chief reaches the cockpit, jumps into the seat, and quickly punches a series of buttons, and takes the controls in his hands. Y/n hops in the co-pilot seat straps in, hanging onto his chair for dear life.

Chief: Here we go.

The Longsword rises above the platform slowly, turning to face the open end of the bay, and lights its engines, rocketing away from the exploding ship. The Pillar of Autumn burns and explosions flare all along its length. A horde of Flood stumble slowly towards it, and the Longsword arrows from the starboard side of the ship away into the sky. The Longsword clears the atmosphere, flying away from Halo. Chief stares straight ahead as Y/n scrunches his eyes shut. Chief pilots the fighter as quickly as he can. Halo is drowned out in a blinding explosion, which grows and grows, and then a massive shock wave sweeps across the ring, shattering it into sections. In the cockpit, a screen beeps and displays: "ENGINE TEMP CRITICAL."

Cortana: Shut them down, we'll need them later.

Chief flips a few switches and the Longsword's engines die, leaving it drifting. Debris from the blast hurtles past it, still hot and glowing.

Cortana: Fancy a look?

Chief rises from his chair with Y/n close behind and move to one of the Longsword's windows. Halo has broken into a few dozen large fragments, all of which are slowly spinning away from each other. As Chief watches, one massive fragment comes swiftly from the far side of the ring and collides with another, closer one, splitting it in half, and the two go spinning off in a giant gout of fire and debris. Silent explosions spread throughout Halo's remains. The ring has been destroyed.

Y/n: (pleadingly) Cortana... please tell me somebody else made it.

Cortana: Scanning. Just ... dust and echoes. We're all that's left.

Chief shakes his head as Y/n falls to his knees. Surprisingly after everything that's happened in the last few days, he cried. He ripped his helmet off and tossed it across the deck of the Longsword. Y/n covered his face, sobbing profusely.

Cortana: (consolingly) Y/n, you know we did what we had to do ... for Earth. An entire Covenant armada obliterated, and the Flood... we had no choice.

Y/n: (sniffles and wipes his eyes) I know. But... just us? The Captain, my team, Echo 419, all of them gone along with every single Marine from the Autumn... I should be dead with them.

Chief: Y/n, don't say that.

Y/n: I should be! I nearly died and fucked up so many times and yet somehow, I'M STILL ALIVE AND NONE OF THOSE OTHER SOLDIERS ARE!

Y/n stands up and paces furiously before punching a bulkhead repeatedly as his hands began to hurt, and Chief grabs his wrists.

Chief: That's enough!

Y/n: I... (sobs) don't deserve to be here. I'm worthless.

Chief: That's not true. You survived, Y/n.

Y/n: Because I had you! I would've died on that ring if it wasn't for you! You deserve to be here, Chief! You're humanity's sword and shield! I'm just a waste of existence!

Chief: Y/n, look at me!

Chief shakes Y/n to make him stop rambling, and the teenager looks at the Spartan's visor.

Chief: This is hard for you, I know. So hard because we're the only ones left. But we need to keep going! For all of them! You and me are the only ones who can honor their memories and sacrifices by living! You aren't a waste of existence, you're here! And you helped me save Earth! I couldn't have done this without you.

Y/n: Yes, you could've.

Chief: No, I couldn't. You had my back through it all, and we stopped them all. Together. And we will stop the Covenant permanently once and for all together... okay?

Y/n sniffs and nods before clutching to the green-armored Spartan. Chief was surprised and unsure of what to do at first, but exhales and wraps his right arm around Y/n's head and his left around his back. Y/n silently cries, continuing to cling to Chief before speaking.

Y/n: Chief... this might be a lot to ask, (sniffles) but promise me you won't die on me. You and Cortana are the only friends I have left.

Chief didn't know what to say. As he said previously, sacrifice happens in war, and he was always more than ready to die for others. Finally, he answered.

Chief: I promise, Y/n.

Y/n exhales in relief before he and Chief let go of one another and he nods at him. They both sit down at Longsword's seats.

Cortana: Halo ... It's finished.

Chief: No...I think we're just getting started.

Chief removes his helmet, and Y/n sees the Chief's face for the first time ever.

(OKAY, I KNOW THIS IS PABLO SCHRIEBER, BUT I LOOKED AND LOOKED FOR A GOOD HELMETLESS MASTER CHIEF AND THIS IS THE BEST I CAN DO! AND DON'T GIVE ME COMMENTS ABOUT HOW TERRIBLE THE SHOW WAS, I AGREE THAT IT COULD'VE BEEN BETTER, JUST DON'T WANT SEE HUNDREDS OF COMMENTS ON HOW STUPID IT WAS!)

Y/n stares at Chief for a few seconds and smiles, making Chief look at him confused.

Chief: What is it?

Y/n: Nothing. It's just nice to see a good man under all that armor.

Chief smiles as they both stare out at the empty void of stars.

(AND THAT'S IT! COMBAT EVOLVED IS FINISHED! NOW FOR HOW 2 IS GONNA WORK, I JUST PLAN TO DO THE CEREMONY SCENE AND CAIRO STATION AND THEN Y/N IS ORDERED BY LORD HOOD TO JOIN BUCK, DARE, AND THE REST OF THE ODSTS. Y/N WILL NOT BE THE ROOKIE, AND I PLAN TO HAVE HIM JOIN IN FROM DUTCH'S STORY THROUGHOUT!)