[Authors note - Well, here we are, at the end of our journey once more. I will be working on Haylo: Boot Camp next, then Haylo: Among the Stars, then Haylo 2.]

The pelican slowly hovered into the hanger and gently landed on the metallic floor. Several squads of Marines ran up and surrounded the pelican, their weapons at the ready. The bay door lowered, as four of the Spartans jumped out. Another Spartan trotted out, supporting an engineer, as well as an O.D.S.T., who was carrying an injured O.D.S.T. A glowing red orb floated out behind them, humming absentmindedly to itself. Several Marines carrying stretchers jogged up to them, as Backdraft and Sweetie Belle gently placed the injured onto them.

"This one looks critical, lots of blood loss." A corpsman stated, looking over Isaac. "We need to hurry!" The Marines quickly ran into an elevator, the doors closing behind them.

"Spartan-053, I need you and your team on the bridge A.S.A.P." Luna's voice boomed over the intercom system.

"You heard the Captain. Let's go." Sweetie Belle said, as she placed her SMG's on a nearby table. The Spartans and Backdraft did the same, taking the magazines out of their firearms and disassembling them. The team began walking out of the hanger, they stopped dead in their tracks when they heard someone shout out.

"Contacts!" A Marine shouted out. The team turned around to see several necromorphs climbing out the pelican. The Marines surrounding it opened fire, literally ripping apart the necromorphs in a matter of seconds. A Marine armed with a flamethrower walked up to the bodies of the necromorphs, burning the remains. It was finally over...

"Good job, Spartans. I'm glad to see everypony got out alive." Luna said, looking over the Spartans. The Spartans shot off a salute to the Captain, which she returned.

"Ma'am," Backdraft began as he stepped forward, holding out a computer chip to Luna, "I found this on Commander Rarity's body. I believe it contains intel on what happened on board the Nightingale."

"Thank you, Sergeant. I'll take that." The Captain said, taking the chip from Backdraft's hoof. "I really hope something like this doesn't happen again."

"You and me both, Captain." Backdraft agreed.

"Alright, you're all dismissed. Get some rest, you all certainly deserved it." Luna said.

The group stood at attention and saluted, trotting out of the bridge. Luna looked over the chip and inserted it in a nearby holodrive. The form of a basic necromorph appeared, nicknamed a slasher. The monitor floated behind her, looking at the green, glowing form.

"We must destroy the Marker!" It exclaimed.

"We did. Nothing could have survived that." Luna stated, moving onto another necromorph, called a puker.

"No! The only known way to destroy a Marker is to expose it to extreme heat, such as a star."

"So you're saying that..."

"Correct. The Marker is still out there."

"I'm sure Command will take care of the problem." Luna stated, sitting down in her chair as she continued to look through the list of necromorphs.

"You alright?" Backdraft asked, sitting in a chair next to Nova's cot.

"I've been better, but thanks for asking." She said smirking.

"How's the wing?" He asked.

"It's still a bit stiff." She replied. The two shared a small laugh, before silence surrounded the two.

"I am glad you made it out okay." Backdraft finally said.

"I certainly don't feel okay." Nova muttered.

"You know what I mean."

Nova smiled to herself and looked into Backdraft's eyes.

"Thanks." Nova said.

"For what?"

"For getting me out of there. You could have left me, but you risked your life to get me out of there. I owe you."

A smile spread across Backdraft's face. "I'll find a way for you to return to favor."

"I already found a way..." Nova whispered.

"And that is?" Backdraft asked.

"This." She said as she pressed her lips against his, wrapping her forelegs around his neck and pulling him in for a deep, passionate kiss. Backdraft succumbed to it, his hooves running through her mane as they continued to kiss. After a few long moments, they separated.

"I think I will need more than that." Backdraft said, winking.

"Oh geez, wait until I am out of here, Casanova." Nova said as a deep blush emanated from her cheeks.

Backdraft stood up and placed his hoof on her shoulder. "I can't wait. Get some rest, okay? I'll be back."

"Bye..." She whispered as he trotted out of the room.

"This is your Captain speaking, we are about to make a slipspace jump. Please secure all loose items immediately, and prepare to enter slipspace. We will be making a blind jump, then return to Earth." Luna's voice boomed over the intercom. Backdraft looked out a nearby window to see a slipstream portal appeared in front of the Equis, as it drifted inside of it. The portal soon closed behind it.

Several Months Later...

"Sire, we found an artifact!" A brute minor called out. The shipmaster rose out of his chair and walked up to the waiting minor.

"Lead me to it." He ordered.

"Yes sire." The minor replied, as the two brutes walked out of the bridge. They walked through the hallways of the cruiser they were inside, making their way into the main hanger, where a large spire covered in red, glowing symbols towered above them.

"The Marker..." The shipmaster muttered. He walked up to it and placed his gigantic hand on it. A series of symbols flashed through his mind as his body started to spasm, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. A few brutes ripped him away from the Marker, causing him to collapse onto the floor. The shipmaster rose up, lifting his gravity hammer above his head and releasing a loud roar at the brutes, before crushing them under his hammer. He took a plasma grenade out of his belt and threw in the middle of a group of grunts, killing all of them. Several brutes raced forward, raising their spikers and plasma rifles, before aiming and firing at the shipmaster. The shipmaster charged forward, his gravity hammer at the ready, and crushed one of the brutes. His power armor failed at that point, as the brutes surrounding him blew him away with a storm of plasma and spikes.

"Take his body away!" The highest ranking of the brutes ordered. A few minors picked up the shipmasters body, walking away. As he walked away from the bloody scene, he swore he saw his mate leaning against the Marker, who had died years earlier from a fever. Little did he know, he wasn't the only one experiencing this.