Disclaimer: You must know what the Covenant is, the basics of each Covenant race, basics of each Flood form, and should know what the SPARTAN-IIs and MJOLNIR armor are for this to make sense.

------------

Section I: Halo

----------------

Chapter One

Ninth Age of Reclamation, Step of Silence / Covenant Holy City "High Charity" Sanctum of the Hierarchs

-------------------

The Covenant elite Ttoa 'M-bosee stood before the Prophets of Truth, Regret, and Mercy. The three High Prophets were majestic in their tall crowns, and always kept their gravity belts on. 'M-bosee's fellow elites had not been admitted. He had to speak on their behalf, as the leader of the Sescorheisa squad.

"What happened to the transmission?" Prophet Mercy asked him.

"It was cut off from the source. I believe that your hunters realized somehow that the human ship was intercepting it." 'M-bosee answered calmly.

"Why didn't you destroy the human cruiser when it intercepted the transmission?" Regret asked him angrily.

"By the time the ship was in range, the transmission suddenly ended. I targeted the ship with my plasma turrets, but it jumped out system at the last moment. I was unable to follow it; my Slipspace reactor was damaged in the battle. I was able to pick up enough of the transmission to decipher the coordinates." 'M-bosee explained.

"What happened to the Forerunner artifact?" Truth asked the elite.

"I do not know. I had to leave the system as fast as I could. I was able to get around the planet, and there my crew and I fixed the Slipspace reactors enough to get us here. I'm amazed I even survived." 'M-bosee told him. "Why do you ask?"

"So far, we have not heard from the hunters who were tasked to retrieve the Forerunner artifact." Mercy told him.

"I will take a fleet to the system, and decimate -" 'M-bosee began.

"No! No. You will not take a fleet to the Sigma Octanus system." Regret informed him.

"We have another task for you. Go to the coordinates from the transmission, and find whatever it is that the Ancients left there for us. The humans must not desecrate the Ancient's artifacts with their filthy footsteps." Truth said.

"However, you have proven that you cannot successfully command a fleet, so we have decided to remove you from command. You and your Sunghiesa will be half-commanders in the Lightbringing Hierarch. We will be sending one of our lower prophets with you. Now go with our blessing."

-----------------------

The Lightbringing Hierarch left Slipspace near a gas giant known as Threshold. In between them and the planet, however, was a strange object of unknown origins. It was a ring, of huge proportions.

"So this is what the Ancients left here. One of the sacred rings." Ship Master Obsi 'Pacolee muttered to himself.

"Let us go down to the ring, and find out how to activate it." Oporome Suchora, a lesser prophet, said.

"Prepare dropships. We are going down to the surface to find out how to activate the sacred ring." 'Pacolee said over the comm. to his half-commander Ttoa 'M-bosee.

'Pacolee looked up at the display, studying the ring that appeared in front of them. Suddenly, the prophet next to him screamed. 'Pacolee looked hastily at the rest of the screens before him. When he saw what was on the aft camera, he froze.

"Cancel that order. Fire all plasma turrets at that alien ship." 'Pacolee had no idea where the human vessel had come from. Then he recognized the ship as the same one that had intercepted the transmission at Sigma Octanus. They must have acted on the coordinates relatively quickly, in order to have arrived so suddenly.

"Send out the seraph fighters. We don't want the aliens desecrating the great ring." 'Pacolee scrutinized the hologram of the human ship. It had one MAC gun, and twenty-six Archer missile pods. If used in coordination, they could destroy the Covenant ship easily. A wave of plasma flew away from the Covenant ship. A moment later, a heavy round shot from the human ship, and a wave of rockets followed. The heavy MAC round impacted immediately and the Covenant ship's shields fell to zero.

"Fools." 'Pacolee said to himself. "By the time the rockets hit, our shields will be back."

The rockets hit, and the shields fell back to zero. At the same time, the wave of plasma torpedoes hit the human ship. It was burned in several places, and 'Pacolee could see small holes in the ship.

Once again, the human ship fired a wave of rockets at the Covenant sent a wash of plasma.

"Focus all shields on the front of the ship." 'Pacolee ordered.

Just before the rockets hit, the humans fired a heavy round. The MAC round obliterated the Covenant's shields, and before they could recharge the rockets struck.

"What's the damage to our ship?" 'Pacolee demanded.

"Sir, the forward levels have sustained heavy fire. Most of the upper levels are ablaze. There are scores of punctures in the outer plating. Venting atmosphere now." 'M-bosee called through the comm.

"Sir," Ewsa 'Dneolee, one of the Sescorheisa squad, announced, "the leader of the seraph fighters is calling for a retreat. The human's point-defense system is wiping them out."

"Order them to -" 'Pacolee began.

"Load the dropships immediately." The prophet stood next to the controls, and a hologram of a section of the ring floated in front of him. Small dots labeled "Human HEV Drop Pods" fell through the atmosphere. Behind them were larger dots labeled "Human Lifepods." Just behind the lifepods were five figures labeled "Human Pelican Dropships."

"Bring the seraphs above the ring." The lesser Prophet ordered. "The humans are landing on Halo."

3