I do not own Halo or any of the characters

*Special thanks to Sabere Commander for giving me advice and creating the name of the story*

Halo: Rookie No More

"The impossible is done with the Lord's help and a few good men and women"-Unknown U.S Marine

The Promotion

Sydney Australia-February 9th 2553

Admiral Hood impatiently checks his watch for the tenth time that day. It's getting late; he needs to return to Cairo station before midnight, he has important matters to discuss with the Arbiter concerning the construction of the new embassies.

"Don't worry sir; they'll be here soon," another officer said as he steps up next to the Admiral. He is wearing a clean white dress uniform just like the Fleet Admiral; only his insignia is lacking a few stars, marking him as a Rear Admiral.

Hood sighs and shakes his head slightly, "They are already five minutes late Derek, and now I'm running late."

"Sir, please believe when I tell you this, my team has something that may interest you," pesters the Rear Admiral.

Hood doesn't doubt that. He, as well as everyone else in the Navy, knew Derek Gretna is a glory hound, a person who would give anything to have Hood's job one day. He purposely takes needless risks, puts the lives of his men and women on the line and he always abuse his naval power on those of lesser rank. The only reason Hood keeps the man around is because he can get results unlike most people who was made an officer in the past decade. Gretna hardly has any true victories, but when he does, it's usually a large success, like the time he won a naval battle against a Covenant destroyer with just two frigates. However, this doesn't always make up for the Admiral's risk free nature.

"Your team?" questions Hood, "and might I ask who your team is Admiral?"

Gretna shrugs, "Oh just some ODSTs I picked up, nobody important."

He stops when Hood gives him an evil glare before saying, "At this point and age Admiral, every life is important, including the men you send into the fray."

Before Gretna could mutter a responds, a young navy man ran up to them, salutes and says, "Sirs, we have an inbound Pelican one mike out, their call signs and serial codes marks them as the Alpha One Squad sir."

Gretna instantly swells his chest as he replies with, "Thank you Warrant Officer," before turning back to Hood, "See, my task force is almost back with their cargo."

"And what, pray tell, is their cargo?" asks a slightly weary Hood.

Gretna only smiles as he says, "Now that's the question, isn't it?"

Hood just sighs before walking over to the guardrail and leans on it. The only good thing about this whole situation is that whatever it is, it's big. Hood can tell that Gretna is just giddy with joy over whatever it is that's coming.

He hears a low pitch whistle and looks up at the evening orange sky, dully noting the ocean softly lapse against the beach that the base is erected on. The runway is clear saving for a few deck personnel who are rushing back and forth in preparations to bring in an inbound flight.

With age eagle like eyes, Hood stares up into the sky, looking for any sign of an aircraft when he sees it. It's a green pelican, but he can instantly tell that there's something wrong. A small fire is burning on the left wing, black smoke is being pump somewhere from out of the rear and every so often the ship would tilt forward as if it's about to plunge into the sea but it would always leans its nose back and continues on its ways towards the base.

Hood begins to wonders whether this mission was a success or a disaster, either way, they'll learn of it soon enough.

Steadily, almost dramatically, the Pelican makes its way closer and closer to the airstrip. Finally, with it five yards away and a few feet in the air, it lowers its landing gear as it comes down to the runway.

Suddenly as soon as the wheels touched down, the left wheel snaps off, causing the aircraft to hit the asphalt. With its front and right gear shift still rolling, the left side of the Pelican is drag along the road, causing sparks to ignite and fly. The left side soon acts as an anchor, causing the Pelican to turn until its spinning out of control, resulting with the rest of the landing gear being ripped off. With a thunderous crash, the Pelican collapses on the ground and skids off the road for a few meters before finally coming to a halt, smoke now being emitted both from the cockpit and the rear.

Hood curses before rushing down from the raised platform he is standing on and hurries over to the downed bird where a rescue team is already hard at work.

The paramedics are wearing firefighting suits and are slowly tearing the door open, careful to ensure an inferno won't erupt due to the sudden presence of oxygen. However instead of flames, a hand shoots out and grabs a rescue man as the figure pulls itself out of the wreckage.

At first Hood thought the figure was covered in ash before realizing he is wearing a black armor set with an ODST helmet placed on the person's head, the blue visor shining brightly in the dying lights of the day.

A Corpsman tries to remove the helmet, but the trooper pushes him away and Hood hears the man say, "I'm good dude, get off of me."

While the naval doctor tries to examine the man, another trooper crawls out of the wreckage. He bends over with his hands on his knees, but when paramedics try to help him, he pushes them away like the Marine before him. He then turns back to the ship, reaches in, and pulls out another Trooper.

They gave each other a high five before turning to the ship, both reaching in, and yanks out a forth. But this man is different; he is wearing tattered civilian clothing, has cuts and bruises on his bearded face and is handcuffed from behind. Following him out is an ODST with a M7 SMG trained on the shackled person. Keeping the gun on the man, the ODST reaches behind him, back into the smoking Pelican and pulls out yet another trooper.

The squad rallies together and looks one another over for injuries before becoming aware that the famous fleet Admiral himself is standing a few feet away from them; watching. They all snap into more respectful postures, save for two who are keeping a close eye on the bound man.

One of the shock troopers, whose armor has a silver highlighter marking the top of his helmet, walks forward and snaps a salute, "Admiral Hood sir," the man said before looking to Hood's left, "Admiral Gretna, sir."

Hood turns to see the Rear Admiral who must have come up on his flank without being seen.

Gretna has a smug look on his face as he says, "Report Gunnery Sergeant."

The Sergeant switches to a more at ease stand before reporting, "Sir, we captured your man, hiding out in the Outback just as you said."

"Excellent," Gretna said as he waves the rest of the ODST team over. They walk forward while one lags behind, keeping his gun pointed at the prisoner's back. Another trooper grabs the man by his collar and kicks his legs, forcing the prisoner to a kneeling position once they are in front of the Admirals.

Gretna then gestures at the man as if he is unveiling a big surprise, "Admiral Hood, I give you Norman Wright."

Hood's eyes widen a bit before stepping forward to get a better look at the man. It is hard to identify the person with the messy and overgrown hair and beard, the blood and bruises didn't help either, nor the fading sun light.

As if sensing the Admiral rousing doubts, one of the troopers takes out a data pad and hands it to the Admiral. It shows the intergalactic terrorist Norman Wright, but in the picture he is clean shaven and had close cropped hair. Hood keeps glancing between the picture and the man before him, slowly seeing the resemblance; the black hair, the low cheek bones, the cleft in his chin and the fire of hatred and loathing in his dark brown eyes.

Slowly the gravity of the situation hits the Admiral. After twenty-five years, they finally caught their slippery foe. The man has been nothing but grief to the UNSC, he caused explosions, led raids, killed officials, and worse of all he forced the Navy to split its resources as it fought the Covenant on one hand and hunted him with the other, leading to the faltering of staples and men that was needed for the genocidal war that they just survived.

"Well Mr. Wright," Hood drawls out slowly, "I can't particularly say I'm happy to see you, but I am happy to see you will no longer be causing us any more trouble."

The man glares at Hood before lowering his eyes, whether in defeat or shame, the Admiral didn't know.

Hood then looks up at the ODST leader and says, "Good work Gunnery Sergeant, one less crack head to worry about."

It is then that Gretna steps forward and says, "Yes Hood, but need I remind you who it was I that gave the team their coordinates for the initial take down."

Hood does his best to keep his eyes from rolling as he says, "Yes, yes Gretna, very well done," he then returns his attention back to the Gunnery Sergeant, "how exactly did you nab Wright? From what I hear he is usually surrounded by his rag tag army."

"Ask him sir," the sergeant says and points with his thumb towards the trooper holding the machine gun to Wright's back, "the Lance Corporal was the one who grabbed him."

Hood turns to look at the soldier in question. He briefly looks up at Hood before returning his gaze back to watching the prisoner. The Lance Corporal seems to be reaching six foot status and from what the Admiral could see he has a somewhat skinny yet full frame, but that could just be his armor that appears to fill him out. He has on regular gear with no modifications added; even the highlighter on top of his head that most troopers would spray paint is the plain color of grey, the color that is standard issued. In short, there appears to be nothing really remarkable about the trooper.

Putting that aside, the Admiral walks closer to the Marine and asks, "Well, how did you do it son?"

The trooper is silent before replying in a shallow voice, "Lots of bullets, lots of luck and lots of experience."

This isn't the type of response the Admiral was expecting, he would have thought the Lance Corporal would be all to please to start bragging about making the biggest catch in the recent decade.

One of the other troopers steps up next to the Admiral and whispers in a rough voice, "Don't mind him sir, he has seen the worse side of the war first hand, it had a strong effect on him."

Hood slowly nods his understanding. It isn't uncommon to meet a person who was affected strongly in the Covenant war, there are even those who have apparently lost their sanity to the horrors they were exposed to. If this Lance Corporal saw that horror and yet is still here, soldiering on and making a difference as he just had, than maybe Hood could use him.

The Admiral looks at the trooper again and asks, "Was it difficult?"

The trooper is silent before saying "no."

"How many rebels did you have to face?" Hood asks next.

"…Unknown," the trooper replies.

"Make a guess," the Admiral says in a slightly exasperated voice.

With his helmet on Hood couldn't tell if the trooper is annoyed or in a state of shock from talking to the Admiral, but he soon answers dully, "sixty-three."

Hood's eyes went wide before turning to the Gunnery Sergeant who says, "just about sir, Rookie here took out a whole load of them single handily, we were all shooting, but he was the one rushing in, throwing grenades and slices whoever got in his way."

Hood mauls this over as he observes the trooper some more before asking, "Was it too difficult for you trooper?"

The ODST simply known as Rookie is silent before saying, "if you want it done, I'll get it done sir."

Hood feels his eyes slightly widening at these words, it was almost like he knew what Hood is thinking.

Deciding he shouldn't prolong it, he then says, "trooper, stand before me."

The ODSTs and even Admiral Gretna seems unsure what is happening, but the Rookie just shrugs, hands the SMG to the trooper standing next to him and walks forward and stands at attention before the Admiral.

They stood staring at each for a time; Hood in his crisp white suit and the Rookie in his dented armor.

Finally Hood speaks, "I am unsure if I am making a mistake or not, but one thing I am sure of is that we need leaders like you. Unafraid, uncompromising, and wiling to do what must be done no matter the price."

The trooper is silent before saying or rather ask, "Sir?"

Hood clarifies for the Lance Corporal, "I'm planning on making you a platoon Lieutenant, I know this is a big leap up the ladder, but like I said, we are short on good leaders; we need all the help we can get."

The surrounding audience stands in stun silence; even Gretna has his jaw hanging open. The Rookie may be a Marine, but they all know as Supreme Commander and hero of the UNSC Navy, Hood can promote any man he wants, and this is some promotion, to go from a grunt to a commanding officer is something rare.

Hood however keeps his attention on the Trooper before him who doesn't move or even appears to be breathing, making the Admiral unsure how he feels about this.

Finally the man simply known as Rookie asks, "Sir, when do I start?"

Just to let you know this is like a side project to me, it's not really a primary focus of mine so it'll be updated here and there, if it becomes popular though I will try and update on a regular basis, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed.