Cairo Station

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Ash, Chief and Sgt. Mjr. Avery Johnson step from the tram into a crowd of cheering Marines, robot cameras hover around.

"You told me there wouldn't be any cameras." Chief says to Johnson.

"And you told me you were gonna wear something nice!" Johnson says. "Folks need heroes, Chief. To give 'em hope." he raises his cap, adjusts his hair, puts the cap back on. "So smile, would ya? While we still got something to smile about!"

"Eh, I'm not good with Press." Ash says. "ONI likes to keep their secrets, secret."

Ash looks out to the cheering Marines and spots an ODST, with his helmet off. He has his blonde hair down with bangs covering his forehead, and Silver eyes. And next to him is a female ODST, a couple heads taller, with blonde pixie cut hair, with a few bangs, she has pale blue eyes.

The male is cheering loudly with a big smile, while the female is just clapping.

'Hey, its the ODST from Reach.'  Ash says in thought. 'Glad he survived, but how did he get off the Ring?'

"Who's that one in the red?" A Marine asks his buddy.

"I don't know." Another Marine says. "Never seen him before."

At High Charity, Tartarus and two of his men walk Thel 'Vandamee down a walkway leading to an oval-shaped ledge that sports a pair of pincer-like columns. The Anodyne Spirit can be seen in the distance. 

Elite Honor Guardsmen are stationed on either side of the walkway. Covenant Unggoy, Kig-yar and Mgalekgolo have also gathered along the path and begin to heckle Thel.

"He-re-tic!" The Grunts chant. "He-re-tic!"

Thel looks behind the crowd and spots a Field Marshal with Purple armor and pink lights slowly walking in the back, hidden in the shadows.

He treis to get a better look, but a Brute pushes him forward.  They then reach the ledge, which overlooks the city. Across the chasm are multiple stadium rows, all filled with roaring Covenant aliens. Thel stands on a seal between the two curved columns. The Jiralhanae fix his arms onto floating cuffs.

"You've drawn quite a crowd." Tartarus says gleefully.

"If they came to hear me beg, they will be disappointed." Thel says bitterly.

"Are you sure?" Tartarus says malevolently. 

The crowd cheers as the floating cuffs charge up and unleash bolts of electricity across Thel's body. He starts to shake in pain and lets out a roar.

Back at Cairo's bridge, dozens of Navel officers cheer as Master Chief, Noble Six and Sergeant Johnson approach Lord Hood at the end.

The three salute Lord Hood and he salutes back.

"Gentlemen, we're lucky to have you back." Lord Hood says, then an Officer walks up and whispers in his ear. "Go ahead, Cortana, Xi."

Cortana's and Xi's avatars appear on a nearby holotank.

Cortana's and Xi's avatars appear on a nearby holotank

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