Operation: Noah Mass Effect X Halo Crossover
A/N: I'm a very new and amateur author, please try to be civil, and give out constructive criticism, please and thank you. Please enjoy this story.
Chapter 1: A offer You Can't Refuse
"Squad leader, what is our mission objective?" asked Fred-104 to John, his squad leader for the mission to search for Black team on Installation-03.
"Black team went dark just three days ago and we have no distress signal or any signals of any kind," said John answering Fred's question.
"Take note that Black team was to be on Ivanoff station, thankfully they weren't," John said remembering what the Didact did on Ivanoff station and the horrible deaths of the local scientists, soldiers, and others that were on the station.
"Yeah. We know what happened at that station John. Hopeful we don't lose more of our fellow Spartans in arms." said Kelly-087.
John nodded in response to Kelly's notion of finding Black team alive and well.
"We are almost at the landing zone," said John grabbing his MA5D rifle and M6H magnum, while the rest of Blue team grabs their respective weapons and prepare for to disembark the pelican.
Blue team successfully lands in the desert area of Installation-03 near a makeshift camp of tents. Blue team searches the camp and surrounding area to no avail of signs of Black team, just four bed like objects formed from crates, missing weapons, ammo, and some grenades. No signs of combat on any scale is seen by Blue team. The blue team forms up in the middle of the camp for a brief debrief on Black team's whereabouts.
"John, I can't find anything on where Black team went. Just missing weapons, ammo, and other equipment," stated Linda-058.
"I didn't find anything either. No signs of combat, no blood of humans or Covenant, tracks would obvious would be lost already," said Kelly pointed out the lite breeze of the desert.
"They most likely left to go somewhere, but where?" said John not asking anyone in particular.
"We could start by heading that way," said Fred pointed towards the smoke trail in the sky, and making everyone turn to see what Fred was pointing at.
"Well, it's better than nothing," said Kelly already walking in the direction of the smoke trail.
"Linda Sc.," said John before being interrupted by kinda.
"Already on it" quickly said, Linda.
The blue team arrives at the origin of the smoke trail, to only get to see a smoldering wreckage of something that is not known to Blue team.
"Well, that's definitely not Black team," said Kelly is the first one to arrive.
"there's more up here," said Linda still scouting out the area and watching out for any signs of Black team. The rest of the Blue team quickly converge at Linda's point and see the multiple crash sites scattered across the desert.
"This is definitely not a ship crash site, too spread out no trail of the ships possible trajectory," stated Fred analyzing the area.
"Could be cargo, no they would have landed or if it's cargo for Black team drop pods," said Kelly gave herself a light nudge for it even being cargo at all.
"Yeah, they are not cargo or possibly any known ship at all," said Linda looking down the sights her sniper rifle on each smoldering wreck to confirm her statement.
"Cheif, we should radio back to HIGHCOM on the situation. We might need a full search party to scan the area," said Fred subtly employing that this meant to be a waste of the team's time or that they will need back up. Either way, this will take a while.
"We will keep searching for now. Linda do you see any structuring the area?" asked John.
"No, I got nothing...Wait!" said Linda now getting on one knee looking down her sights on something in the desert.
Everyone snaps his or her weapons to the ready to use and aim down sights in Linda's direction and joining her on one knee.
"What is it?" question, John.
"Chief, silver-blue spherical object heading our way fast! Point eight clicks out and closing!" yelled Linda.
'Silver-blue spherical object' John said questioning himself on what it is. Then he finally notices it, it was a monitor.
"Be ready, it's a monitor," said John in a deadpanned voice.
The blue team acknowledged John's order and waited for the monitor to approach them. The monitor finally approaches them and spoke to John.
"Greeting reclaimers, I am 049 Abject Testament, Monitor of Installation-03. Please hurry 859 Static Carillon and Offensive Bias desperately need your help!" half yelled Abject Testament.
"Whoa, slow down. We didn't come here to help you in any your experiments or galactic genocide super weapon," stated Kelly a little bit upset about 343 Guilty Spark lying about the Halo Array.
"Thisisaboutapossiblegalacticgenocideandyoumusthurry!" said Testament yelling and blurring his words and getting behind John lightly pushing him.
John grabs Testament from behind him and holds him in his grip tightly and question Testament.
"Slow down, what are you talking about?' asked John still hold the monitor tightly in his grip.
The monitor finally slows and the monitor catches his composure. "Every fifty thousand years there is a mass galactic genocide of a neighboring galaxy, and the time of the galactic genocide is upon us and we need your help," said Testament trying to loosen John's grip.
"We didn't come here to help you, we came here to find Black team," said John letting go of Testament, spinning out of control for a few seconds and oriented himself to John and pushed forward trying again to get John to move and come with him.
"Yes, we know. They told us that the reclaimer government would search for them," said Testament.
"Who are they?" questioned John.
"They are the team of Warriors known as Black!" replied Testament.
"Where are they?" asked John a little bit shocked that Black team's willfulness of following the monitor's story.
"They are at The Captial, and waiting for you," said Testament.
John grabs the monitor again to stop him from his futile attempt to push the Spartan. "Why would Black team help you? They know that Forerunner monitors spell nothing but trouble, and what's this about another galactic genocide?" John said questioning the monitor trying to see if it has any ill will towards them and just using the Black team as a cover.
"Around hundred fifty thousand years ago life workers detected a subsonic signal and many others coming from a neighboring galaxy, followed by a galactic war," said Testament answering John's question.
"What made the Forerunners think that it was genocide and not war, as you just stated?"
"I was getting to that." said Testament and continuing, "During said time period life workers registered what was fighting planet by planet, and leave said planets in ruins and uninhabitable. The war would continue onward until there were no signals at all, except for the subsonic signal. Offensive Bias and 859 Static Carillon can tell you more." said Testament trying a different method to get them to come with him.
John is just left thinking about what to do about Black team and them abandoning their post but also confused about why they would and why they trusted the AIs of the Forerunners for their very deceptive way of helping the galaxy just like Guilty Spark and how he almost tricked John into activating a Halo ring. John put his thoughts about Guilty Spark to the side and ponder on this galactic war, or genocide of a neighboring galaxy, and how this got the Black team to agree to help them. 'Just more questions to ask.' John said thinking to himself.
'Sigh', "Take us to them. We have questions that need answers." said John frustrated with the turn of events.
"Chief?" asked Kelly a bit of doubt in her voice.
"John are you sure about this?" asked Fred asking the question on everybody's mind.
"It's the only way to get some answers," answered John.
With a non-verbal 'Okay' from the whole of Blue team and return their attention to Testament.
"Please stand still, I shall teleport you to The Capital," said Testament jovially proclaiming his success in his mission to get the reclaimers to join them.
Maethrillin/ The Capital
"Here we are reclaimers, The Capital." said Testament finishing the teleporting process on a landing platform to an unknown building.
Blue team is more focus on the awe-inspiring city in the distance. Extremely tall buildings with geometric and angular structures dominated the view of Blue team. Small dots are flying around the large and very tall cityscape. Blue team presumes the small dots were Sentinels of all types doing whatever they did in this gigantic city. Looking up the Blue team saw a yellow dwarf star, much like Earth and Sol. They could tell it was the afternoon due to the position of the sun in the sky (Blue team can't tell that the sun is artificial). Testament ever so kindly gestured for them to enter an elevator and go down some levels.
"Unfortunately reclaimers I must return to my Halo ring. Offensive Bias and 859 Static Carillon will meet you in the council chambers. Good day to you reclaimers." said Testament teleporting back to his ring.
Now alone in the elevator, Blue team silently go down to the lower levels of the presumed government building, and walked towards a pair of hardlight doors and enter the room that looks like the House of Representative debate hall. In the center of the hall was Black team standing on a floating platform next to what they could reduce was Carillon and Offensive Bias.
"Chief." greeted Black leader extending a hand to greet him.
"Margaret." said John gripping Margaret's hand and greeted the other members of Black team: Roma-143, Otto-031, and Victor-101."Margaret, can you explain to me why you and the rest of Black team have failed to report back to HIGHCOM, and why you have to abandon your post?" said John in his very Spartan professional tone.
"Sir! We are acting on ONI Directive 65A-98805. The directive states that any and all Forerunner ships, technology, and constructs are to be successfully captured, logged, and studied by ONI, UNSC, and the UEG, Sir." stated Margaret-053 answer John's question in the same spartan professional tone.
"Acknowledged." John said before continuing, "How does this neighbor galaxy going through a galactic war, or genocide has to do with the directive of Forerunner tech?" asked John.
"We were negotiating for ONI to go unhindered with the research of Forerunner tech. On another note, we also get Forerunner made UNSC ships, medical, food, weapons, and etc... To be honest with you sir, the offer they gave us was an offer you couldn't refuse." said Otto jumping into the exchange and answering John's question.
John was a bit shocked by this for the Forerunner AIs to just give them a huge helping hand in figuring out their tech. John takes it all in," I can see how that can benefit the UNSC, but that doesn't explain your absence Black team or the neighboring galaxy?"
"You saw all of that debris right?" said Margaret.
All of Blue team nodded in agreement, and she continued.
"That debris was from the Didact's ship the Mantle's Approach."
Blue team's collective blood just ran cold, mostly John for what he had to go through. The death of Cortana was not easy on John, but having Blue team back eased the pain a little.
"We saw all that debris just drop out of slipspace over the ring and we went to investigate the crash sites, only to find the Didact himself comatose on the desert floor."
John visibly tensed up when Margaret said that they found the Didact STILL ALIVE! 'How can the Didact even be alive after what I did to him?!' said John thinking to himself. Kelly and the rest of Blue team saw John visibly tense up, and Kelly took the lead is a bit more compassionate than she follows Spartans, and put a hand on John's shoulder, "It's okay John, we're here now and we're not going."
Offensive Bias and Static Carillon stepped in finished the rest, with Static taking the initiative, "I was immediately alerted that a composer was in use. I immediately knew there was only one person alive and knew how to locate the composers, the Didact. I soon Brought a pair of Picket cruisers and a new Cryptum to the Sol system. Fortunately, you reclaimer dispelled the Didact's ship and him too. Making him going through the Composer's Abyss and bought me some time to get to him and put him in the cryptum, but there were some complications. For some reason, an Ancilla was going to the Domain and most likely going to take over said Domain and Guardian system in it."
John was a bit surprised and happy that the Ancilla that Static was hopefully referring to Cortana."That would be Cortana! Is she okay?" asked John worried for his AI companion.
Offensive was the one to speak up on the matter at hand, "The ancilla you speak of reclaimer is in a sorry state of having a large piece of the ancilla's core missing and in a bad state of rampancy. We can talk more in-depth about it reclaimer later."
"Yeah, I'm sorry John," said Victor and with the rest of Black nodding in agreement with Victor.
"Yeah, Static here basically saved our lives by containing the Didact. Then that was when Offensive Bias showed up with his super dreadnought and told us about the galactic genocide of a neighboring galaxy, and his offer," stated Margaret looking at Offensive Bias' massive AI core.
"Yes, I did reclaimer. I need all eight of you to help me to index the species of the said galaxy, and have you take your rightful place as the bearers of The Mantle of Responsibility."
John was still thinking about the possibility of Cortana still being alive, and worried about the state she was in when she died.'I will keep my promise to you Cortana' said John slightly out loud.
Fred was now stepping in as Blue team's squad leader as fell completely silent, "I would presume that the offer stands with helping the neighboring galaxy." asked Fred. Offensive Bias answered Fred's question, "Yes, that would be correct reclaimer." Fred continues with his questions, "What makes you think we can help whoever is the victim of whatever is doing this galactic genocide? How do you know if it's just a super advanced race being exterminated in this war, or it's the other way around and it's the advance race doing it? What is 'Indexing a specie' mean? How would we stop them?"
"You would, of course, have my help and I will be at your service. The Librarian and Chant-To-Green sent out hundreds of probes with my lesser Ancilla brethen The-Eye-From-The-Void to send back any information on the galaxy. From what the ancilla sent back was low to a low-high threat assessment. We know that the people who are doing this are robotic in nature, and the other signals from the galaxy are from civilizations within the galaxy. Indexing a specie would be preserving the specie in question. This genocide could be AIs going into rampancy and the creators have no idea of how to deal with it or the three laws of robotics are missing for some reason; furthermore, an older and slightly more advanced race could have gone further but fell for the same problem and on a massive scale to commit mass genocide. To stop the AIs wouldn't be the problem, but how many are there. This ... cycle of death and destruction every fifty thousand years have taken three centries on the low end, and seven hundred years on a high end." said Offensive with a hint of abhorrence towards who or what is doing this before continuing. "Reclaimers, this galaxy is cleansed of all life, we can do something about, and we will have a high success rate ."
"Margaret, did you agree to this"
"Yeah, we did," answered Margaret.
"Chief?"
John snapped out of his thoughts about Cortana and answered Fred's, "Yeah, we should go to secure Forerunner artifacts, tech, and weapons. HIGHCOM will forgive for our absence if the gift is big enough."
"We are planning on building a Fortress class-Super Heavy Battleship/ Mobile Command ship for you reclaimers to host the meeting with the galaxy's species, rapid repair station, and the ship where we will index every species of the said galaxy," replied Offensive.
"Yeah I think Lord Hood is going to love his new Forerunner made Super Heavy Battleship." joked Kelly with a bit of jolly in her voice.
"When do we leave the Forerunner's planet?" asked Linda.
"That's the thing we're not on a planet, the Capital, or Maethrillian is a space station," said Victor.
"Oh okay how big is Maethrillian, and long will it take for us to get to the galaxy."
Offensive answered Linda's question, "Maethrillian takes on the shape of an egg with ten platforms making up the shape, and at one hundred thousand kilometers in diameter and one hundred fifty thousand kilometers in height. When Maethrillian is open the station's height grows to one hundred fifty-two thousand kilometers in height. The galaxy is two months away reclaimers."
Linda was about to ask Offensive another question when a voice rang over unseen speakers, "Maethrillian's platforms are now closing, preparing for slipstream transit, approximately 3 hours until transit, repeat 3 hours until transit." said a very feminine voice.
"Who was that?" asked Kelly.
"That was 609 Helix Sole. She will be our shipbuilder and the pilot of Maethrillian," answered Offensive.
"How long will it take to index every species in the galaxy?"
"It will take up to a year in Earth days to three years, it only takes longer on the species biology."
The room fell silent for a few seconds only to be broken by Offensive.
"Is that all of your questions reclaimers?"
"Yes, shouldn't we tell HIGHCOM that both Blue and Black teams are on a mission to recover high-value Forerunner artifacts, and tech?" asked Fred to Offensive and Black team.
"We have that already covered, Sir. Static has already deployed an ONI encrypted signal stating the directive and the protocol that goes with, and that both Black and Blue teams are trying to secure a lot of Forerunner tech and artifacts," answered Margaret.
"If that's all I should be returning to my post. Have a wonderful day reclaimers," said Static with golden shimmering rings forming around his frame and disappearing seconds later.
"Reclaimers, one part of this endeavor is that I would upgrade your armor and augmentations. Let me move all of you to a nearby medical facility for the procedure," said Offensive.
The two teams agreed to the procedures and armor upgrades. They arrive at the medical facility and Offensive guided them to the stasis pods for the process of upgrading the Spartans' augmentations. The Spartans proceeded to remove their armor and undersuit, and put on specially made undersuits that would expand to the wearer's body by Offensive's disembodied voice over unseen speakers. He then introduced the Huragok that would oversee the process and make sure that everything is well. Kelly asked for the time frame of the procedure; one week was the answer and they were getting light augmentations of improving their own augmentation. Both teams were ready to get in when Offensive called out to John to go to a portal that appeared on the far side wall of the stasis pod room. John asks if this is about Cortana before stepping in as he says yes. John stepped into the portal to find a team of huragoks working on a two meter long blue glowing cylinder with countless wires connect to it. He presumes was Cortana was in the cylinder
"Reclaimer, I'll be quick with my assessment of your ancilla, it is not looking good for your ancilla. She has bathed in the Domain's abyss for some time now, we are actively trying to remove the poor souls the ancilla came across."
"Poor souls?"
"The Composer digitize the victims and turn them into the horrible creatures, Prometheans. The Didact exclusively used the Composer on humans in the now and past. To get composed by the weapon is known as seen at first hand to be very painful and the victims are actively tortured after being completely composed. The ancilla's core systems were exposed to the souls of the abyss, and we discovered a lot of souls attached to the ancilla's processing unit." stated Offensive with a bit of disgust of composing the poor souls and torturing them to no end.
"Will she be okay?" asked John now almost scared for Cortana, knowing that she might not be okay, and maybe won't be herself.
"Fixing her rampancy is the easy part, we can fix it in a couple of days. The real problem is the composed humans attaching themselves to her and cause logical failures. The composed are loading her processing unit with massive audio files of despair and pain. We must remove the composed before we can help her with the rampancy."
"Thanks, Bias." said John before continuing, "Can you give me a more detailed examination of the galaxy?"
"The galaxy has gone through multiple extinction level events that date back one hundred fifty thousand years ago when the Forerunner Lifeworkers and researchers were the first one to find the galaxy in the middle of a galactic 'war' that we later would be known by The Librarian and Chant-To-Green as a genocide by possibly rampant AIs doing this. the only thing that is disturbing is the cycle of genocide every fifty thousand years it's like... they are being consumed and harvested! Fortunately, it's not the Flood, if it was we wouldn't have anything from the galaxy."
"Why fifty thousand years for this extinction event?"
"We know only so little, but I know fifty thousand years is not enough for a civilization of a high tech tier 2, or a tier 1, even a tier zero to rise to power. This would be having the covenant attack your government when they were going to the stars. We put the UNSC into this genocide scenario, and it would put you near the tail end of the genocide. A good fifty years before the event would take place again."
"What are the tech tiers?"
"Tech tier 2 is interstellar species like the UNSC and Covenant pre-war and post. Accurate slipspace jumps, interstellar communications, portable applications of energy manipulation. Tech tier one is a World Builder species with the power to manipulate gravitational forces, fully sentient AIs, fabricate super-dense materials, super-accurate slipspace jumps, create life, and create worlds. Tech tier zero has no examples but think of it as a god-like species.
John raised a brow at the last tech tier 'God-like species. Oh great' said John, "How do we know it's not an actual tech tier zero species?"
"A transsentient species would easily dominate the whole galaxy, and even if such a species would, then why are they taking centuries to kill off the other races in a cycle of genocide, and it happens every time on the dot no miss steps. This is not a fight between two powers it's deliberately killing off all life in the galaxy."
"Thank you, Bias, I should be heading back now."
"Your welcome reclaimer, the portal to the medical facility is still open."
On that note John left to return to the stasis pods for his lite augmentations for the whole week, and possible updates to their armor and weapons,'Hopefully what Offensive Bias said is true or this is going to be a long leave of absence' thought John as he got into the stasis pod and was quickly put under from the gas that flooded the pod.
Mass Effect Galaxy
A woman that is the very model of what it is to be a hero is now caught with her heart in her mouth, scared for a close friend. This woman is the first human Spectre, Savior of the Citadel and her Council, Destroyer of Sovereign, Vanquisher of the Collector menace; this woman's name is Commander Xavierra Sophia Shepard. Shepard took a deep breath before entering Ashley's hospital room, after getting Dr. Chakaws to rejoin the Normandy for one last rodeo. Shepard now entering Ashley's room walks up to her bed and regaining her composure before speaking, "You got pretty banged up out there Williams, had me worried." said Shepard with a fake smile 'Let it not be another one' thought Shepard before speaking again, "I just wanted to check in on you, see how you're doing. Despite all this, it's good to see you again." said Shepard pausing when a light brown Human in all white with a red stripe running down his right arm entered without a word she turns her head to look at the doctor then back at Ashley, "Ash get some rest ... okay. I'll come by when you're feeling better." said Shepard now asking the doctor a question, "Doc if you need anything doc let me know." he shakes his head in acknowledgment to Shepards's question. "Okay Ash, take care." said Shepard straightening up into a more confident stance, "I have a war to win and Reapers to kill." said Shepard now turning to leave, "Wish me luck."
A/N: Now that's all of Chapter one I hope people like it and follow it. IF THERE ARE ANY PROBLEMS WITH MY SPELLING, USAGE OF COMMAS (P.S. I HATE USING THEM), OR QUOTATIONS PLEASE BE CIVIL AND CRITICAL ON YOUR ISSUES YOU BRING UP. I WILL IGNORE OR BLOCK THE TOXIC, CRUMMY, AND UNACCEPTABLE NATURE OF ANY READERS THAT ONLY INSULT ME AND MY WORK. IM DOING THIS FOR FUN, A HOBBY, NOT THE APPROVAL OF OTHERS. IF YOU LIKE IT GREAT, IF NOT OH WELL.