AN: ARGH! Well, good news and bad news. Bad news, the comp where I had my next chapter of Long Road Home had its display get fried, and it won't be back for a week or two, and I'm too demoralized to try and rewrite it all from memory. Good news, the hard drive will most likely stay intact so I can restart it once I get it back. In the absence of this fic, I've decided to start the new one I've been planning a bit prematurely, so enjoy!

Chapter 1: Respect Your Elders… Or Else

Earth
Year 2448

Anthony Bellarius, 18 years old, marveled at the sight of Earth when the transport exited Slipspace. As part of a student exchange program, Anthony was one of the lucky three hundred thousand Outer Colony teens to be transferred to Inner Colony colleges and universities. As the star liner Nile's Bountydocked with the Venezuelan Space Elevator, Anthony reached into his pack and pulled out a picture of his grandparents.

They were originally UNSC pioneers, tasked with surveying unexplored planets and judging whether they were suitable for habitation or terraforming. Eventually though, old age caught up with them and they retired to Corona, one of the colonies that they helped found. Meanwhile, Anthony's parents had taken up the family profession but were killed in a freak radiation storm during a routine survey. Anthony's grandparents then took care of Anthony until he graduated high school, where they managed to get him in this special exchange program.

He sighed as he watched the docking collars make contact with the ship's hull. Chances were, by the time he would be able to leave Earth again, his grandparents would be long dead. They were painfully aware of this fact, and had left him with everything they had. Anthony was determined not to squander this chance and to make something of himself.

March 8, 2550

Anthony sighed as he looked out the window of his penthouse suite, which offered a marvelous view of New York that rivaled his first glance of Earth all those years ago. Pity this would be his last time to see it.

Anthony Bellarius, 120 years young, was the sole owner of the Bellarius Conglomerate, a galactic megacorporation based on over thirty worlds and with operations on nearly a hundred more. Anthony had his hands in everything: titanium mines in the Orelean Cluster, Warthog and Scorpion factories on Orestes, rubber plantations on Seravee, contracts for the hundreds of MAC stations in orbit around Earth, and even the space elevator based in Venezuela that had brought him down to Earth 120 years ago. Through clever political, financial, and corporate maneuvering, Anthony had his own miniature empire which he owned 99.9 of. His net worth was estimated at trillions of dollars, but Anthony knew the true number. Adding his personal financial reserves, the corporate accounts, and his hard assets, Anthony's net worth was five hundred sixty two trillion dollars, rounded down, of course.

But even with all of his success, Anthony could not be exceptional at everything. He quickly found out that his weakness was maintaining a family. Keeping track of the nuances of a galactic megacorporation was well within his means, but when it came to dealing with his five ex-wives and sixteen children, he had no answers. Over the years, Anthony had picked up a number of wives, and pretty much all of them were in it for the money. The marriages never lasted for more than a couple of years. His children and grandchildren really weren't any better. They were all sycophantic, spoiled little money grubbers who didn't have a single clue on how to hold onto a dollar for more than two seconds. The only people Anthony had any semblance of a positive relationship with these days were his lawyers. They've actually been incredibly busy for the last few months, for one enormous reason.

Anthony Bellarius was going to die.

Though the specifics were never publically revealed, the media soon began to catch on that the 120 year old entrepreneur's age was finally beginning to catch up to him. The tumor in his head was not responding to conventional treatments, and his body was beginning to reject his flash cloned organs. The overriding issue now was to decide what will happen to his corporate empire when he passes away.

That was the biggest problem.

Anthony had no intention of leaving any of the money to his descendants. They would just drive his empire straight into the ground on spending sprees and horrid financial decisions. He knew that his ex-wives and half his children were currently unemployed, and that the other half were working in dead-end jobs or suffering from bad investments, and were running on the last dregs of cash Anthony had provided through charity donations and divorce settlements. He didn't really want to leave his money to the UNSC either. It would just get torn apart through a combination of nationalization, greed, and corruption. Fortunately, he had a third option. It was a massive risk, but it was the best one he had.

During the past few months, Anthony had dropped numerous hints and implications that he would be dividing his wealth equally among his descendants. This caused his estranged family to rub their hands in anticipation for quick, easy cash. As he tossed their "Get Well Soon" and "Thinking of You" cards into the shredder, Anthony knew they were just counting the days until he died. Well, they didn't have to wait long.

With his final will and testament finished, Anthony set the paper down on his table, along with a data crystal. He then hobbled over to the balcony and took one last look at the New York skyline. He then stood on the edge of the balcony, arms spread. It reminded him of base jumping off Standoff Point.

With one final breath, Anthony Bellarius vaulted over the edge of the balcony and fell over a hundred stories to the ground below.

Fifteen Minutes Later

Nobody was sure what had happened at first. It was the beginning of any normal day, with commuters trying to beat the morning rush hour to get to work or return home from the night shift. Suddenly, there was a wet smack, a woman's piercing scream, and the shrill whine of a car alarm as Anthony Bellarius' body crushed the vehicle's roof in. Nobody knew who it was at first, even the people who worked in Anthony's building, since man had not been seen in public for over a year. Within minutes, paramedics arrived and ran a DNA scan, and confirmed that the man who had vaulted himself from the hundred story building was in fact Anthony Bellarius.

David Kenson was used to getting emergency calls. As Anthony Bellarius' personal attorney, who get them very often and he had worked out a way to get from his law office to Anthony's penthouse in just under twenty minutes. However, he wasn't expecting to see a huddle of spectators and media surrounding a lone ambulance.

"Are you Mr. Bellarius' attorney?" A frazzled policeman asked David.

"That's right. David Kenson." David confirmed. He then motioned to the girl behind him. "This is my assistant, Amy Benson."

"Follow me." The policeman said hastily, plowing a path through the spectators. "Your client just fell out of a window, and we need authorization to enter the premises."

"And you'll get it, Officer…"

"Thomas."

"We just need to confirm the identity of the body first, Officer Thomas." David said.

"Right this way." Officer Thomas nodded. He led the two lawyers to the ambulance, where paramedics were loading Bellarius' pulverized corpse into the vehicle.

"That's definitely him." David said, gagging at the sight. Behind him, he could hear Amy coughing loudly as she fought to keep her breakfast down.

Anthony Bellarius' Penthouse

"I'm sure you understand, we have to confirm whether his death was accidental or not." Captain Louis Phelps of the NYPD explained as David punched in the authorization code to open the penthouse door.

"I'm aware of the nuances of NYPD standard procedure." David said.

Once the doors opened, the NYPD investigators swarmed in, taking pictures and looking for evidence. Meanwhile, David and Amy made a straight beeline for Anthony's office, with Captain Phelps in tow.

"May I ask what you're doing?" Phelps asked.

"As Mr. Bellarius' personal attorney, it's my duty to take possession of all of his legal documents, including his final will and testament." David glanced at Anthony's desk. "And it seems as if Mr. Bellarius has anticipated these chain of events."

David walked forward and saw the will laid out. On top was a data crystal with a little note attached saying "Please view first, with two witnesses. Eyes only."

"Captain Phelps, would you please lock the door? This is strictly confidential matter."

Phelps nodded and slapped the lock command on the office door, sealing the trio in. David then picked up the crystal and inserted it into a nearby player. A fuzzy holographic image of Anthony materialized in the air. According to the timestamp, the recording took place only a few minutes ago, shortly before Anthony's death.

"David." Anthony's techno-ghost spoke. "If you're watching this, then you've probably already found my body lying somewhere on the street in front of the building."

"I guess that rules out accidental." Amy whispered to Phelps.

"In front of you is my current will and testament. I've already taken the liberty of signing it first, though it needs the signature of a legal official and at least two witnesses. If you would, please sign the will, but do not divulge its contents for a month. That is all."

The holographic image then winked out as the recording ended. David walked forward, picked up the will, and read it. It was incredibly simple, short, and to the point, lacking much of the legal jargon that defined most wills.

To those whom it may concern, this is my, Anthony Bellarius', final will and testament.

All of my personal wealth and assets will be given to my daughter Jennifer Vail. She is currently a Private in the 109th Orbital Drop Shock Troops, who have been deployed to the Rama system.

I name my attorney David Kenson as the executor of this will, and he is free to use any resources or means to carry out its terms.

David's hands trembled. Though the will was barely a paragraph long, what it was demanding would very much shake the foundations of the corporate world, as well as every single one of Anthony's descendants. Amy took a look at the will and gasped.

"Wow, so he really is giving it one of his descendents." She remarked.

"Not exactly." David shook his head. "I know all of them, and there is not a single Jennifer Vail among them."

"Wait…" Amy cocked her head curiously. "If she's not part of his family, how can she be his daughter?"

"There are a lot of things about the old man we don't know." David shrugged. "But that's what the will says, and we're legally obligated to carry it out."

"May I ask what's going on?" Phelps asked, confused.

"You know Mr. Bellarius' family, right?" David asked.

"Oh yeah, a really colorful bunch." Phelps nodded. "Had to deal with some of them myself a few times."

"Basically, what this will does is screw them all over." David explained, using rather unorthodox language. "None of them are getting a single cent, and all the money is going to this mystery daughter of his."

"Wow." Phelps whistled. "The guy must've really hated his kids."

"Like you wouldn't believe." David grinned. "Do you realize what's happening? By telling us to keep the will secret for a month, that's a month for his descendants to go on a spending spree because they think they're getting the inheritance…"

"...and they'll only dig themselves deeper into debt." Phelps gasped. "Your boss sure is a real bastard."

"A magnificent bastard." David nodded. "I've already signed on as the attending legal official. I just need two witnesses to sign."

"Well, that's pretty much my job." Amy drew her pen.

"How about it, Captain?" David turned to Phelps.

"Well, how many times can you be a part of history?" Phelps shrugged. "Give me a pen."

Two Days Later

David grinned as he sifted through the news reports. The media was in a firestorm about Anthony's death and the upcoming inheritance drama. The fact that the will was being kept secret just added to the fire and speculation and rumors raged. Meanwhile, David's personal investigators were reporting a massive surge in spending on the part of Anthony's wives and descendents, all according to his twisted plan. An outsider would feel almost sorry for them, but David, having rather intimate knowledge of them and their activities, felt so such remorse. Actually, he felt a sort of perverse sense of glee. David had also met with the Bellarius Conglomerate's board of directors and assured them that they had nothing to worry about. It was obvious they were scared stiff that a financially inept fool like Jules Bale or Tony Marks would take the helm.

However, David was only distracting himself from the real job, finding Jennifer Vail. The Bellarius Conglomerate, due to its massive manufacturing capability, had contacts on virtually every level of the UNSC government and military. It wasn't difficult to dig up records on Private Jennifer Vail and her unit, though there was something odd about her record. There was no picture attached, the records only provided the bare minimum required, and there was virtually no background information. The officer in charge of handling the data for that unit insisted that was all the data. However, what worried David more was where the 109th ODSTs were deployed. There had been recent news coverage of the disaster that was Rama II, the second planet of the Rama system. The Marine transports tasked with dropping the ODSTs on the planet were ambushed by a Covenant battlegroup, forcing them to disgorge their troops early. The result was ODSTs being scattered all over the main continent on the planet in no predictable or controllable pattern. It was just a complete mess, and there was no indication that Jennifer was even alive or not.

"So, what do we do?" Amy asked, as she perused though the data. "Do we go in ourselves?"

"No, we're lawyers, not soldiers." David shook his head. "We wouldn't last two seconds down there. Plus, we're all loaded down with our current duties and jobs. I can't afford to lose some good clerks and lawyers to a wild goose chase."

"How about we hire a PMC, or have the UNSC send a representative?"

"We need a person with a proper legal background to give her the notification. Plus, I don't trust the UNSC to handle a job like this."

"Wait, what about Dan?" Amy suggested.

David's face lit up. "Daniel Avers? Perfect!"

Daniel, who was a practicing attorney in David's firm, was once a Marine. Though he had never actually seen combat, he did receive full training. Unfortunately, after a freak accident during a Pelican training mission, Daniel was crippled. Even though he would eventually recover through therapy and flash cloning, the UNSC decided that it wasn't worth waiting for Daniel to recover enough to be restored to frontline status, so he received a disability discharge. With a path in the military ruled out, Daniel instead decided to try his hand at law and eventually ended up in David's employ, where he made a good living at handling class action lawsuits and liability damages.

Also, since Daniel was about to end a month-long leave of absence, he had no other work to be worried about.

"Where are you going?" Amy asked as Daniel picked up his coat.

"To the airport. Daniel needs a ride home, after all."

John F. Kennedy International Airport

"You know, I was awfully surprised," Daniel said as he ducked into what used to be Anthony's personal limousine, "I came here expecting a cab, but this is a bit much."

"You obviously don't get much news in Mombasa, do you?" David smiled.

"I spent most of my time out in the grasslands and plains outside Mombasa. I've never actually gone into the city itself very often."

"Well then, I have a surprise for you." David handed Daniel a stack of files.

"What's this?" Daniel asked.

"Your next job." David said. He then pressed a button, which activated the limo's "quiet" mode. It basically ensured that any conversation within the vehicle could not be spied upon. "Our biggest client, Mr. Bellarius, just died."

"That's terrible." Daniel blanched. "Tumor finally get him?"

"Actually, he threw himself out a window."

"Ah."

"But that's not the point. The main thing here is that he's named an heir, except finding her is going to prove a bit… difficult."

"I'm not liking the sounds of this."

"You probably won't." David sighed. "The problem is that this particular heir happens to be in the Marines, a Helljumper in fact, and she's ended up in a rather nasty battlezone."

"And because I'm an ex-Marine, that makes me the most qualified in the firm to pursue this."

"Exactly."

"Well, I've had worse jobs." Daniel sighed and reached into the limo's minibar. "It's okay if I try some of Mr. Bellarius' personal stash?"

"It's not like he's around to complain."

"So, what do I have to do?" Daniel asked as he took a sip of brandy that probably cost more than the entire limousine.

"Just read up on those files and wait for my call." David said. "Don't worry, me and the firm will take care of the small stuff."

March 20, 2550

Today was the big day, Daniel thought to himself as he drove the long, winding road that led to one of Anthony Bellarius' private starports. He had studied all the files and data David had given him, but found that there were many crucial areas that were woefully incomplete. Daniel knew that David had some of the best information gathering resources available, so that meant if he couldn't find it, then the data most likely didn't exist. Still, it would've helped if Daniel at least knew what Jennifer Vail looked like.

"Daniel! You finally made it!" David smiled as Daniel got out of his car.

"So how is this going?" Daniel carefully eyed a large steel case.

"I'm sure you'll find most of this equipment familiar." David opened the case revealed a large stock of military-grade equipment.

"Nice." Inside, Daniel could see a full Marine combat load. There was the standard Marine carapace armor, though it appeared to be ODST rather than standard pattern. There was an MA5B assault rifle and M6D pistol with accompanying ammunition, as well as basic supplies. However, there was one item he didn't recognize. "What is this?"

"Ah, that's a rather ingenious little piece of technology." David picked up the small, phone-like gadget. "It's a portable Slipspace communication device."

"You're shitting me." Daniel blanched.

"Oh, you'll be surprised what some of the tech companies under our wing have been cooking up." David smiled. "It basically shoots an encrypted radio signal through Slipspace, allowing for near instantaneous communication with any similar device."

"How much is it?" Daniel wondered.

"Right now? About two hundred billion dollars. We'll probably be able to whittle it down enough to make it viable for commercial use in a few decades."

"Any reason why you're trusting me with such a valuable device?"

"Because I want you to notify me the moment you find Miss Vail." David said. "There's a lot riding on how soon we can find this girl."

Daniel had read about Anthony Bellarius' death, as well as the surprise beneficiary.

"Anyways, I have to warn you." David whispered. "Once you hit the dirt, you might have more to worry about than just the Covenant."

"Like what?" Daniel asked suspiciously.

"Even though they may all be failures at life, Anthony's family members are still incredibly dangerous individuals." David said. "They're going to fight tooth and nail to try and get this will legally thrown out."

"Well, I know that's never going to happen with you around, but that's not what you're talking about, is it?"

"No." David shook his head. "In my personal opinion, they won't be above looking for extralegal methods to resolving this issue."

"You're saying that they might send assassins." Daniel narrowed his eyes.

"There's a reason why we chose you." David said. "Not only as legal counsel, but also as a de facto guardian. It's our duty to see that Mr. Bellarius' final will and testament is fulfilled."

"I got caught in a real big mess, haven't I?" Daniel sighed.

"Well, I'm definitely glad I'm not in your shoes." David laughed. "You'll be ferried up to a Bellarius private shuttle. It'll rendezvous with the UNSC Solomon's Fury, where you'll meet your contact."

"I guess I'll see you on the other side." Daniel said as he boarded the shuttle. As the airlock closed, he couldn't shake the ugly feeling that things wouldn't go as planned.

On second thought, they usually never did.