Hello and welcome to my Mass Effect Halo crossover. Now I started writing this because I don't like how most crossovers play out on this site (with Halo curb stomping Mass Effect.) Why Halo is technologically superior (yes it is. Get over it) we know superior fire power does not always decide the battle (then again the UNSC has ONI and those scheming psychopaths can go toe to toe with the STG)
Now before I go on, let me make one thing perfectly clear: I will not be nerfing Halo tech so Mass Effect has a fighting chance. Period. Don't ask me too because it won't happen. Mac Guns will tear through kinetic barriers like a knife through butter. The Forerunner Slipstream Space Drive can go from one end of the Galaxy (not universe! Just the Milky Way galaxy) to the other end in twenty days. Energy Shields are hundreds of times stronger than than Kinetic Barriers. However please don't worry. I have no intention of Halo killing Mass Effect.
I'd also like to clear the air about how many world's the UNSC has. People, in Halo, it never says the UNSC has eight hundred world's. It says, the UNSC has eight hundred colonies, spread out across planets moons and asteroids. Now, I'm going to say for this story (I personally do not know if it is canon or not, but for the purpose of this story, I'm making it my headcanon) before the Covenant attacked, the Unified Earth Government controlled one hundred and thirty six planet's. All together, I'm going to say fifty eight world's were glassed by the Covenant. Now only two world's have been glassed to the point of where it is no longer habitual. Reach was completely glassed because humanity had colonized the planet to the extreme. Most planets only have one or two or three (maybe four) colony cities and as such, only the colony cities themselves (not the whole planet) we're glassed. The only two planet's fully glassed we're inner colony world's that had a population which spanned the planet.
This story is set in the year of 2565. Halo 4 and all it entails never happens. So without further ado, welcome to Halo Effect: Contact.
2553: The Human-Covenant War officially comes to an end. A memorial service for John-117 and all of Earth's fallen hero's is held. The Arbiter attends before returning to Sanghelios.
Reconstruction for the UNSC and the Unified Earth Government begins. Within month's, the Sol defense fleet is brought back up to code and all surviving Orbital Defense Platforms are repaired.
ONI sanctions Kilo-Five to sabotage the Arbiter and the Sangheilios so they will never again be a threat to humanity. They make contact with the Servants of Abiding Truth. They agree to give them weapons if they stage a coup against the Arbiter.
Fleet Admiral Lord Sir Terrence Hood departs twice to Sanghelios. The second time Hood saves the Arbiter and destroys his enemies that have surrounded his positions. ONI tries to save the remainder of Servants of Abiding True, but by a stroke of misfortune, the ship carrying them off of Sanghelios is gunned down by Infinity.
Most Unggoy return to the home world and breeding grounds. At the home world the Unggoy meet under the leadership of a former Special Ops soldier named Dames.
The UNSC officially returns all power to the UEG.
Reach and New California (the other inner Colony planet fully glassed) are both undertaken in a giant terraforming project to restore them to their original habitable state.
2554: The UNSC sends out to the outer colonies for the first time in twenty eight years for the purpose of peace. Most outer colonies have been glassed but few remain. The remaining have nearly all established their own military for protection. The Colonies have mixed feelings about the UNSC ranging from outright hatred, to indifference. Most are angry about being abandoned and coupled with old resentment refused the UNSC when they ask to land.
Careful manipulation on part of ONI, and the UNSC forces forcefully occupy the Colonies.
The Unggoy make contact with the Sangheili and through negotiation agree to form a union. This union is based upon need for both parties: the Unggoy request protection from increasing Kig-yar attacks and the Sangheili need farmers and workers. The Arbiter and Dames meet for the discussion and through necessity, the two species form an Alliance.
The UNSC and UEG begin talks with the tense occupied colonies.
2555: The talks with the Colonies about a peaceful return to the UEG finally gets stone walled. The colonists point blank refuse to become part of a government where they receive zero reputation in government and are subject to foreign (and often forced) rule.
The Lekgolo who have come to admire the Sangheili approach the race. Having become reliant on Covenant instructor to survive, they request aid for their race. The Sangheili meet with the Unggoy and discuss this turn of events.
The UNSC remains on the Colonies to ensure they remain obedient why the diplomatic party returns to the Sol System to inform the UEG of recent developments.
The Arbiter and Dames (along with the temporary counsel they created) agrees to aid the Lekgolo. Officially they are taking care of friends. Unofficially, they hope to manipulate the Lekgolo to joining their union.
All UNSC war ships (with the exception of Infinity) are equipped with standard Covenant Slipstream Space Drives, recreated from the one captured by Cortana and Master Chief. The old Shaw-Fujikawa drives are in use for civilian and the occasional Insurrection
Aboard the UNSC Forward Unto Dawn, Cortana, fearing rampancy shuts herself down to preserve her sanity, leaving only a small piece of her programing to keep the signal alive.
2556: The UEG Senate and House of Representatives are in a heated debate on what to do about the rebel colonies.
The Lekgolo are grateful for the continued aid of the Union. Carefully representatives approach Lekgolo leadership and offer them a place with the Union. The Lekgolo, after consideration, agree to join.
2557: The Union counsel is replaced by the newly created Assembly. For each world, member species inhabit, they receive one representative on the Assembly.
The UEG continued debate only heats up as Insurrectionist attacks become more dangerous. The last attack, with the new created Infinity (equipped with a Forerunner Slipstream Space Drive) ended with the ship almost falling into enemy hands. Rebel hands.
ONI hearing about this action, gather all remaining Forerunner Slipstream Space Drives and relocate them to Earth, the most protected planet. They are sent to Redwood Base-One.
Both Reach and New California's terraforming are a success. The planets begin recolonization. With the proof, other glassed Planets are being terraformed but not yet recolonized.
2558: The Sangheili push the Jiralhanae back to their home world and quarantine the planet.
The Yanme'e Queen makes contact with the Union coming for help. Her race is dying out. With all the other queens dead and continued Kig-yar attacks, she fears they extinction of her people. Moved by her plight, the Assembly, offers her and the rest of her dwindling race a Garden world, at the heart of Union Space. She accepts.
The Yanme'e are approached about joining the Union and eventually accept. The Union starts to aid the Yanme'e more.
The Assembly, after continued discussion, decide to rename the Union. They call it the Covenant Freehold in honor of their gods.
2559: When the Kig-Yar attacks one of the biggest Unggoy breeding ground, it is the final straw. The Unggoy petitions the Freehold for action.
The Covenant Freehold agrees and launches attacks against the Kig-Yar's home world. With the Freehold bombarding the planet and their continued holding of it's space, the Kig-Yar surrender. Why many pirate groups are unaffiliated with the government, most are made and supported by the Government. The Kig-Yar ask to join the Freehold, as an alternative to punishment. The Freehold agrees.
After years of discussion the UEG approaches the Rebel colonies with a compromise: (with the exception of Earth, who retains five) each colony world will be allowed two representatives in the Senate. Also each colony will be allowed to form a sub Government. This Government is outlined in how it will work and all the positions available. The Planetary government will be allowed to make it's own laws (as long as they follow the Federal Laws set down by the Senate and the planetary laws to not conflict with the federal ones) and forms it's own Military for protection (however anyone who is eighteen has the right to join the UNSC if they wish. The Planetary government cannot ban this) Their Military will reflect the UNSC to an extent (in the way that it is have an Army, Navy Air Force, and Marine Core) However the Planetary Navy will be constricted to it's ocean's in agreement that the UNSC handles all space engagements. The colonies discuss this.
2560: The Spartan-IV Program is limited. Having a large amount of Spartans the UNSC restricts the creation to only a few Spartans each year (no more than five.) In times of war, this act can be repealed but with the reconstruction in full swing, the program is deemed too costly to keep in large numbers.
The colonies agree to the new plan, on the condition that they get one star ship, so they can protect themselves for even a short while. The UEG and UNSC agree.
Five Star General of the Army, Fleet Admiral of the Navy and Chief Marshall of the Air Force, are dissolved. The ranks are retired, and are once more reserved for wartime.
Terrence Hood resigns from the Navy in order to campaign for Presidency of the UEG.
2561: The Covenant Freehold discover the remaining San'Shyuum. They capture the planet the San'Shyuum we're hidden upon and the Assembly convinces in what to do.
After intense talks the Freehold approaches the San'Shyuum and give them a once in a lifetime offer: they can either be destroyed by the powerful Freehold or join the Freehold as a member race. This is used to show the Freeholds mercy, at least publicly. However the real reason is the need of scientists and doctors. San'Shyuum are named the perfect candidates to fill these rolls. San'Shyuum agree to join in favor to extermination.
The Covenant Freehold approaches the UNSC and UEG for trade. They agree. However trade is not include weapons or advance technology of any kind.
Terrence Hood is elected to President.
August 13, 2565. Androva System. Slipstream Space Monitoring Station.
Nineteen year old Ensign Andrew Wilk was... Well he was board. When he joined the UNSC Navy, he pictured himself fighting glorious battles against over welcoming Alien forces and coming out on top as a hero. However ever since he graduated from the pristine officer's school he attended on earth, he's been stuck here. On this station out in one of the outer systems of the UEG.
Andrew didn't even know why they bothered to keep up this station. The Covenant, whatever they had become, were no longer a threat and honestly who was left to pose a danger to humanity?
No one, in Andrews opinion. However he was just a lowly ensign, so he took his boring job with a grain of salt, and put in his request for transfer every time he got.
So after grabbing his morning cup of coffee, he walked back to his station, preparing for another boring shift, when he spot the flashing red button. Frowning, he walked over. This had never happened to him, not since he first arrived.
Pressing the button, an image of Pluto (not the original Pluto, of course. It was destroyed by the Covenant when they invaded Sol. This ice planet was amply renamed Pluto shortly after words) appeared on the screen. Andrew half expected to see a Slipspace portal opening... But it wasn't. Pluto was... Shaking.
Spitting out the coffee in his mouth, he watched at the ice ball broke apart. It shattered and boomed and exploded and Andrew didn't know what to think.
That was, until he saw what was in the center of it. A large, object was flooring there as if it owned that piece of space.
Andrew set down his coffee (or it really slipped out of his hand) and was about to sound the alarm when the blue ball in the center of the object started to spin. His eye's widened and he watched shocked as a single spacecraft appeared out of no where floating away from the object.
No alert was made that showed a Slipspace portal being opened. If the station hadn't been built so close the object... He didn't want to think about what could have happened.
So wasting no more time, he reached forward and pressed the alert button.