I don't own these characters.
Chapter 1
Worlds Collide
Unknown Author, Installation 00, Date: 29,823 BCE
It disturbs me to admit, but I always feel a wash of ennui after dismantling one of the Librarian's ship-seeds. As with all my master's designs, architecture and function balance in perfect harmony. It seems such a pity to put it back in the box.
It is as if a mighty archer has flexed their muscles, drawn back the box to full strength and then suddenly frozen in full pose. The tension remains, the action and all potential postponed, perhaps never to be realised. The temptation to launch it and to break the stasis is strong, so I must busy myself with other tasks. However, every Refugia has some buried inert marvel of technology: weapons, ships, power sources - all patiently waiting to be put to use once again.
This is the way of things, and at least the ship is in sympathy with this installation. As with all the Librarian's plans, Installation 00 has performed admirably, but now it lays dormant, sleeping. It is my task to watch and maintain this installation should the threat arise once again.
Unknown Author, Installation 00, Date 12/13/2552
Recently I have had troubling thoughts.
I am caretaker of this installation and it is my duty to maintain the natural balance of things, and I have performed my taks admitably. But what I have learned from this experience, this war, is the terrible cost of peace.
For millenia, all was quiet and still and the wonderful designs of this installation meant I had relatively little to do except making improvements and the occasional minor system repairs. The paradox is that the better I perform in my job, the less I have to do. As a result, I am conflicted by the recent events on this installation.
The damage caused by the invaders and their war horrifies me, but it has given me a purpose once again. The one constant is that this installation is the most important thing in the galaxy and I must protect it at all costs. The destruction that scars the place I am duty bound to protect has focused my thoughts for the first time in centuries, and so it is once again through conflict that I have found a renewed sense of purpose.
Unknown Author, Installation 00, Date 12/14/2552
I have marshalled my sentinels to construct a protective quarantine shell around the crash site of the object once known as High Charity. If the Flood were to escape and infect this installation, then everything we fought so hard for so long ago would be jeopardized. This installation primary purpose is to create the only weapons capable of stopping a mass Flood outbreak. Upon sealing the shell, my Sentinels will raze the perimeter and modify the refuia to ensure that no sentient life survives nearby. I must deprive the Flood of any host bodies in close proximity to their prison. When all this is done, I will keep a battalion of Sentinels on patrol in the vicinity, not only to guard against the Flood, but to guard against future invaders bent on self-destruction.
The destruction is regrettable, but I consider it a responsible pruning, necessary to the greater good of this installation. I only wish I had the resources to repair the rest of the damage wrought by the war. The moon at the center of the
Foundry has been largely depleted, and without necessary support structures in place there is no way for us to find fresh sources for raw materals.
More frequently, the same thought occurs to me; this installation's purpose is to safeguard the galaxy, and therefore must be preserved against all threats.
But the inhabitants of the galaxy themselves have proven themselves time and time again to be the biggest threat to this installation, their self-destructive actions apparently impossible to curb.
I shall pursue this paradox, for it is only a matter of time before I will be forced to address it tangibly.
Unknown Author, Installation 00, Date 2/19/2553
High Charity has been successfully sealed, the perimeter has been razed, the Sentinel defences put in place, and the Flood contained. I allowed myslef a small self-congratulation for a job well done, but now that the dust has settled I find my mind wandering into forbidden territories again.
Therefore, I have set myself the task of cataloguing and researching the Flood and its myriad forms. Of course this installation has full databanks on the Flood's history and the war my creator's waged against it, but there is always a small chance of new discoveries, even if it is simple reassessing old knowledge with the context of recent events.
Many regard the Flood as the ultimate representation of chaos, traditionally thought of as the enemy of the n atural balance of the universe, a direct threat against the Mantle itself. However, with all things, what is chaotic can form patters and purpose when viewed from a far or close enough distance. In fact, the most disturbing thought is the single-mindedness of the Flood, it sone goal to subsume all sentient life, to make all as one.
From records I have studied, as the Flood grows closer to the critical density it absorbs the knowledge and intelligence of its hosts. As it grows in strength, coordination and self-awareness, it forms Proto-Graveminds and then finally the Gravemind itself. Once a Gravemind has been created, the Flood's race memory is re-established and it becomes almost unstoppable. This scenario is what led to the creation of the last Halo Array so many years ago.
From the perspective of the Flood, is this not attempt at bringing order to the galaxy rather than chaos? It is a dangerous line of thought, and I know there was another who fell into this trap and indeed became instrumental in the downfall of my creators civilization. Fortunately, my loyalty and duty to this installation precludes me from following that path.
My conclusions are still disturbing. The Flood are indeed the great threat to the galaxy my creators feared, but they are the truest to their nature.
The Forerunners, the San'Shyuum, the so-called Reclaimers all declare peace through unity and civilization, yet endlessly make war amongst themselves and others. Wars fought in defense of their own independence while each forcing their own ideas of unity upon their enemies.
I stand here as a guardian of that chaos. It is an uncomfortable truth.
Unknown Author, Installation 00, Date: 01/14/2555
Once again, the humans have damaged Installation 00 with their war, like chidddlren allowzed to run rampnt and uncheckedd.
Correction: [Like children allowed to run rampant and unchecked]
Are these truly the ones destined to carry the Mantle? Perhaps it is heresy to question the Librarian's plans, but one's thoughts do tend to wander and dwell on forbidden thoughts when one has been left alone for so lone
Correction: [long]
How long has it been now? No matter. I cannot help but question the wisdom of my masters. After all, there have been countless battles and each time the only difference seems to be the names of those involved.
Can the universe really be shod and bridled like some common beasts simply to serve the wants and needs of petty organic life? I have had time to do little but watch as events unfurl and to my senses there has been no advancement. If a rock is cast into the water, no matter the weight or the force of the one who hurls it, it creates a few ripples quickly subsumed by the calm of the lake itself.
Is the purpose then to simply upset the stillness, albeit temporarily? If so, then surely it is a selfish, prideful need for immortality in the sentient beings. A need which we should not encourage. After all, they only hurt themselves.
No, the real truth is that the universe is cyclical and must maintain its stillness, infinitely returning to the source. Installation 00 must be maintained and returned to its former state and those that have done it harm must be dealt with.
It is time for me to get to work.
In order to enact his revenge, 000 Tragic Solitude, the monitor of Installation 00; the Ark, sent out Sentinels across the Milky Way to search for planets to harvest for new Halo rings, Installation 04C was already complete from the remains of the last planetoid left in the Ark's core. However, he needed a new planet to harvest to create Installation 05B after the Rtas 'Vadum had ordered the ring to be glassed from orbit to prevent a further Flood outbreak and have the ring intact to fire it. Unfortunately for Solitude, he was destroyed by a joint team of the UNSC and the Swords of Sanghelios on the Ark on March 20th, 2555. Despite their master's destruction, the Sentinels that Solitude had sent continued on their mission.
One had found a planet. Had Tragic Solitude still been alive, he would've been extremely surprised and intrigued by what the planet contained. Humans. Solitude had beforehand had made it clear, it did not matter to him weather the planet was inhabited. All life would die with the activation of the rings once more.
The Sentinel that had found the planet sent the signal for delivery of the planet to the Ark's core. But due to Solitude's death, there was no response to the signal, triggering a timed Dead-Mans switch response, programmed into the Sentinel's by the monitor should he not respond or be destroyed. Unfortunately, due to the AI's Rampancy, he made the time delay too long.
Four years pass, and the response to signal is finally triggered...
Korra and Asami had hardly been back from the Spirit world for a day and already they had their hands full. Republic City was currently trying(and struggling) to recover from the destruction caused by Korra's battle with Kuvira's superweapon.
Many people's homes had been destroyed in the battle and they were forced to live tightly packed together in camps. The many gangs of the city were fighting each other in a major turf war. Wonyong Keum of Keum Industries now owned the land around the new spirit portal, planning on turning it into an amusement park, causing tension between both the Airbenders and the Spirits. Finally, President Raiko was too busy concentrating on his re-election rather then rebuilding the city.
And now, Korra found herself back at the new spirit portal, but not for another confrontation with Keum. Jinora had contacted them via her projection ability and told them that something had appeared at the portal. Something they could not identify.
Korra, Asami, Mako and Bolin arrived to find Jinora, Opal, and a few other Airbenders just standing near the portal, staring up at something.
"Jinora, what's the problem?" Asked Korra.
Jinora didn't even turn her head, she just pointed upward. "That."
The four of them looked upward to see... well, they didn't know. Whatever the thing was it was just floating there like a spirit would, though it's appearance was anything but. The thing seemed to be made of metal, which gleamed in the light of the spirit portal and the evening sun. It's appearence was vaguely insect like. It had a head on top of a curved underside, with two arm-like appendages on its sides, with what barely resembled hands on the ends of said extremities. It had glowing blue lines running across its body in various places, most notably on the front of its underside. Could it be a machine?
Bolin was the first to speak, "What is it?" To which, no one had an answer.
Asami had the most experience with machinery, but even she didn't know what it was exactly, "It's…some sort of machine, but… I don't know where it even came from, or who made it."
The Sentinel that had found the planetoid had flown down to the planets surface upon receiving the response from the Ark. Over the course of the four years it spent waiting, it had witnessed great energy fluctuations all over the planet. One in particular event had covered the entire planet, then subsided. And the most recent spike, which just appeared a few days prior, had occurred in a certain part of the planet, but unlike previously did not dissipate. It found itself drawn to the source of the strange energy coming from a city on said surface. Upon approaching the source the energy, a column of swirling green and yellow light, it began to do a more in depth scan. The energy emanating from the column was rather high on the readings scale, and the signature was one it could not immediately recognize. It's scans also showed humans nearby, but such things were irrelevant due to Tragic Solitude's directives.
If this planet was to be transported and used, the energy emitting from this... portal could prove to be a potential disruption to the process. Which, had to be corrected. The Sentinels sent from the Ark were just starting to arrive, and a solution to this potential problem would soon be carried out...
The group hadn't been staring at the strange machine for long until a quite audible humming noise caught everyone's attention. They all turned to see more of the same machines flying towards them, dozens of them! They all then proceeded to encircle the portal. A moment passed, and all the machines then proceeded to fire out beams of light at the portal, much to everyones surprise. This action, understandably, incited a reaction from the Spirits.
The same Dragon Eel Spirit that had Korra had met a few times before, and had held her responsible for protecting the new portal, swooped in. "Spirit's, protect the portal!"
As other spirits came to the defense of the portal, the dragon eel flew towards the nearest machine and phased right through it, causing it to spark and explode. But this action did not go unnoticed by the other machines. More machines proceeded to fly in, and these ones were on different course. One fired its beam at the dragon eel, who used its serpentine body to dodge the attack. Another machine fired from another angle and this time found its mark. The dragon eel didn't see the attack coming as it was struck by the beam, causing it to fall to the ground with a cry. The machine didn't relent and kept firing its beam, a few more joining in on the onslaught. The dragon eel screamed in pain as it's very essence was ripped apart and it dissipated into thin air.
"No!" Jinora was horrified by what just happened, as tears came down. She dropped to her knees in sadness at what had just occurred.
The shear sight of the dragon eel's apparent death was enough to snap Korra and her friends out of their trance. Soon a combination of air, fire, earth, and water was launched at the machines. But unlike the spirits, the benders attacks were virtually ineffective. All their attacks seemed to hit this strange glowing barrier that surrounded each machine, protecting it from harm.
The spirits trying to protect the portal weren't faring much better either. Like the dragon eel before them, many of them fell to the machines beam weapons. And for every machine that the spirits were able to fell, more would just come in.
Korra had just about enough of this, "I'm ending this, now!" Her eyes began to glow and the winds picked up as she rose with the air, as she activated the Avatar State, and just as she was about to put the smackdown on the strange machines, a massive shadow loomed over them all as a new machine came above them, that even grabbed Korra's attention… and she wasn't sure she could take this one on.
The large Retriever Sentinel that had arrived shortly after one of the Aggressors was destroyed, to turn the tide against the attacking humans and odd energy-based creatures, and now it locked onto the one human with the higher energy level and shot a single blast with minute power. Enough to disable her temporarily and knock her out of this elated state, but not enough to kill her outright.
Korra suddenly felt the power she drew on, suddenly shut down on her as the beam made contact with her skin and she couldn't use the Avatar State, "W-what?!" Asami rushed over to her to see if she was alright, "Are you alright?! What did that machine do to you?!"
"I-I don't know..." She patted herself down to see that while she appears fine on the outside, but on the inside, she had no clue. But she was interrupted by Bolin's voice.
"Guys, the portal!" Bolin's panicked tone turned everyone's attention back to the portal. To their shock and horror, under the continuous onslaught of the machines beam weapons, the portal was starting to shrink. And rapidly so, the portal proceeded to grow smaller and smaller. Everyone in the city could see the green light it produced gradually fade.
Then, under the sight of everyone present, the new spirit closed and vanished into nothingness...
Everyone just stared in absolute shock, especially Korra as Asami helped to her feet. The Avatar wasn't shocked that the new spirit portal was now gone, but rather that these otherworldly machines were somehow able to not just close it, but destroy it completely. Korra knew that was a feat only she was capable of. And yet she just witnessed something close the portal. And just as quickly as the machines had appeared, they left.
The group watched as the machines all turned to the sky and flew off. Leaving everyone to digest what had occurred. Mako voiced what everyone was thinking, "What the hell just happened?"
And this was only the beginning...
Soon, on both poles of the world, Sentinels swarmed around the portals. Using their beam weapons at a certain frequency, the Aggressor Sentinels fired on the portals while larger Protector Sentinels defended against the creatures that had similar signatures to the portals, making them a potential threat, one that had to be eliminated.
Before long, the portals began to close, causing the lights in the sky to fade away, with the northern and southern Water Tribes being only able to bear witness, as the portals linking them together were destroyed forever.
The Sentinels then all proceeded to fly off, vanishing from sight in order to deliver the planet to the Ark's forge. Interlocking together, countless Sentinels formed a temporary Dyson sphere around the planet, shrouding it in darkness in order to bring it through Slipspace. Thousands of other Sentinels began to encircle the perimeter of the planet beneath it where the portal lay ready to bring it down into the Ark's Foundry. Everyone around the world could feel the world shake as it moved against its own accord.
In the Fire Nation, a country whose Firebenders needed the power of the Sun itself to fuel their bending, where suddenly cut off from the warm source.
The Earth Kingdom having been recently united, and then going through the process of splitting into a democratic nation ruled through elected people, were on the verge of rioting in the panic.
And those of Republic City, whose homes had been destroyed, were cowering in fear of what was happening, despite all the effort Tenzin and the other members of the Air Nation were doing to keep the peace. Tenzin held his wife, Pema and his other children, Ikki, Meelo and Rohan together as they stared at the Sentinels that formed over their planet, "Please, be okay, Korra. After this, the world will need you more than ever."
Thus, setting in motion events that would be two similar yet radically different worlds together...
The Ark
Atriox stood in his barracks, looking over a holo table. Upon the Banished's arrival on the Ark, his forces had destroyed a human reasearch outpost. In the few weeks that followed, his forces begun to spread all over the installation, making it virtually his. Decimus, his right hand Jiralhanae, had begun laying the ground work and already started to link the installation's portal network together, allowing easy access across the station. Shipmaster 'Volir had the Enduring Conviction and the accompanying ships within the best positions to provide aid and fire support to ground forces, and was placing numerous orbital satellites to provide battle strength whether it be the Orbital Designators, or Glassing Beams. Colony was investigating numerous Forerunner sites to pillage and prove its worth to him, as it obeyed only his commands. Yapyap the DESTROYER was proven capable of command after hunting down the last of the human survivors down and bringing them in for sport or meat or information, which was always useful.
And with the Ark cut off from the rest of the galaxy due to its portal shutting down, no one even knew that the Banished were here. This gave the Banished the ultimate element of surprise. Everything was ripe for the taking, and all he had to do was seize it.
The Banished Chieftain didn't turn from his focus on the table when Decimus entered, he knew well enough to know who it was.
"Report, Decimus." He commanded in his no-nonsense tone.
The white haired Brute walked over to the opposite end of the holo table in order to talk face to face with his superior.
"I have successfully connected the portal network and our forces have secured several strongholds on various points on the Installation. We have encountered no resistance."
Atriox nodded. "Excellent. Securing the station was only the first step in our conquest. Now we must utilize it. Finding anything of use here will be the next step."
"With this being a Forerunner Installation, finding anything shouldn't be too much of a challenge." Said Decimus.
Atriox nodded once again in agreement, turned away from the holo table and started to walk out of the barracks. Decimus followed.
Atriox stopped on the edge of the hill overlooking the valley where his massive legion of Banished stood. Jiralhanae, Sangheili, Mgalekgolo, T'vaoan Kig-Yar, and Unggoy, all armed for war with heavily armored and armed vehicles to back them up.
"The zealotry of the Prophets blinded them to the true potential use in these great weapons. We will not make the same mistake. And once they are ours, no one will be able to stand against us." Said the Banished Chieftain as he looked down upon his army.
Decimus gazed as well. He only glanced up momentarily towards the artificial sky, but that little moment was all it took for him to see it. "Atriox, look."
Atriox turned his vision upwards, and sure enough, there it was. A portal in slip space was opening up, right in the middle of the Ark. The two Jiralhanae watched as the slip space anomaly gradually grew in size, the size of an average planetoid. The portal lingered for several moments more, and then vanished. Leaving in it's wake an average sized planet, the size of the humans home world.
Atriox, and his entire legion stared at the newly arrived world, the event was probably witnessed by the Sangheili Shipmaster up in orbit as well. Atriox immediately saw an opportunity.
He turned to his second. "Prepare Phantoms, and round up a scouting party."
"For what reason, Atriox?" Asked Decimus.
"One does not simply ignore a potential resource when it lands in front of oneself." Explained Atriox. "Now, prepare ships and gather a scouting party. Go!" He ordered once again more firmly.
Decimus promptly went to carry out the order and Atriox countinued to look upon the newly arrived planet, intrigue gleaming in his red-orange eyes as Sentinels began to fly towards it.
Little did he know what he would encounter on the new world, for better or worse...
The first story I ever read on this sight was Halo: Ancient Elements by Asgardian Dovahkiin, I recommend any Halo and/or Korra fans here check it out and it's four sequels, and ever since I read that I wanted to make a HaloXKorra crossover of my own. But I could never decide on who or what it was going to feature. Halo Wars 2 finally helped me decide.
And I'd to give out a special shoutout to my good friend and fellow writer SierraBN312. Who's been a huge help in me writing this. And I HIGHLY recommend any Halo crossover fans here checkout his HaloXMass Effect story, The Roads of War. Best HaloXMass Effect crossover I've read, by far.
For those of you who are wondering, those italic paragraphs are all Phoenix Logs from Halo Wars 2.
Your also probably wondering, how could Sentinels close a spirit portal? Well, if the Forerunner's were able to build great constructs like the Ark and Halo rings, build artificial worlds, and move entire planets, then closing a few small portals should be no problem whatsoever.
And the transporting of the Avatar world was kind of tricky to figure out, because it's never really been described in detail, to my knowledge. So I just went with what I thought seemed right.
Please review, if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask. And no flames please, only constructive criticism.
Up next: First Contact with The Banished.
