Disclaimer: Mass effect belongs to Bioware, Halo to Bungie [or is it 343 industries now?]
[Start data log]
2553- official end of the Great War
-Assessment of UNSC strength begins
-Insurrectionist movements lay down their arms.
2556- full assessment of UNSC strength is completed {report follows}
-170 colonies are intact
-Human population stands at 20 billion [Per-war estimates stand at 43 Billion]
-Food shortages are wide spread
-UNSCDF Fleet strength estimated at 80 ships {2 carriers, 6 cruisers, 20 destroyers, 25 frigates, 25 corvettes, and 2 re-outfitted Colony ships}
-Rearmament is believed by ONI to be paramount to survival
2559-Separatist forces with the "disappearance" of San'Shyuum defeat remaining loyalist forces driving them back to their home worlds.
2562- Human population has grown by one billion
-End of food shortages {due to growth in new technology}
-Fleet strength increases with the completion of 40 ships
2563- Start of the second Human-Flood war with loss of over a dozen colonies by the end of the year, separatist (Shagheili, Unggoy, Mgalegolo, and Huragok) are also attacked by flood.
Parmenion Kerensky, Sarah Kerensky, Cass Adrevich, Derek Young and the other members of Delta Company are bourn.
2567- massive flood attack drive Humans off of earth
{UNSC worlds lost by this time: 70}
-Creation of S-III Delta Company is authorized and trained by surviving Gamma Spartans
-UNSC/ Separatists governments dissolve in face of heavy losses and reform into Coalition of Species.
2575- Delta Company's training is completed {strength: 450}
-A pre-historic Human Vault is uncovered on Sigma Octanus IV; a cure to the flood is located within along with a vast Armory and a fleet of ships, along with cloning facilities.
2576- ODST/spec ops/Spartans launch pin point strikes on flood hives across the Orion arm delivering the cure [units suffer near 100% losses} and are deemed a success.
- OPERATION: Terra liberation commences with Delta Company's deployment to earth
-Delta Company is wiped out save 27 survivors.
2577- victory over flood is absolute with deployment of cure.
-Under the directive of Coalition Naval Intelligence [CNI], Delta Survivors reform into the first CBTF [Counter Bio-Threat Force] to cover up the revival of the Spartan Program
-Omega squad [Parmenion-D382, Sarah-D383, Derek-D387 and Cass-D389] is sent to Sangheilios to "assist" with counter Loyalist operations and to continue training.
2580- Artifact is uncovered near Loyalist space; coalition sends a strike team and science teams to investigate.
[End data log]
First Lieutenant Parmenion-D382 De-activated off his Data pad and began to fiddle with his SPBA armor. Semi-Powered Battle Armor Mk 3 located within the uncovered vault was one of the most powerful armors known to date save for the fully Powered variants; increased reaction time, speed and protection of the user, equipped with a VISOR mode, Motion Tracker and Shields. Aesthetically it appeared the armor had a Gungnir helmet, while the rest appeared Identical to ODST body armor, and was semi-powered. The vacuumed sealed fabric was inter-twined with titanium A3 weave and unlike all other models Parmenion's had a subtle little gift.
His musing was interrupted when a familiar voice began to call out "C'mon Par its our turn to go out for patrol" getting up from were he was sitting Parmenion recognized the voice as none other than the CQC Specialist of Omega squad, Omega III Cass-D389.
"' 'Bout time you got here" Cass stated, " you decided to interrupt my musing a second time today, why not any one else's'?" Parmenion replied as he reached for his Type-51 Plasma Repeater.
"What do you think that thing is?" Cass asked ignoring her squad leader's question and referring to the uncovered object.
"It could be any thing, remember what Derek had said earlier" Parmenion paused before continuing "it has two prongs reaching sky ward, the center assembly is empty, so it could be a MAC of some kind, who knows, but what I don't get is the low level security here" he finished.
"Four Mgalegolo, a dozen Shagheili spec ops, several Unggoy gun operators, a banshee patrol and our squad is low level security for an object smaller than a Scorpion and all of it underground to top it off?" She asked teasingly.
"I'm not the one who is only armed with a energy pistol and an energy sword" Parmenion replied
"Well-" what ever she was going to reply with was interrupted with the sounds of alarms and semi-distant sound of explosions.
Parmenion shouldered his plasma repeater, while Cass drew her plasma pistol, "COMs?" she asked him
"The channels are jammed, It's gotta be Loyalists, I say let's be useful, link up with the rest of the squad and go defend the artifact" he replied, They both moved into the base when the sound of plasma fire and spiker fire began to erupt from the far side of the compound.
By the time they had gotten 15 meters two familiar shapes appeared, Omega's II and IV, Sarah-D383 and Derek-D387 "where should we head to?" Derek asked while he drew his grenade launcher.
"To the Artifact, and regroup with any other defenders over there" Parmenion replied, the squad turned the corner and began the sprint
When they got to the chamber where the artifact was housed the members of Omega squad found a trio of Shagheili including a Major Domo guarding from just inside the entrance behind several portable covers. "Friendlies coming up" Sarah called out before they could fire on them as they entered the chamber.
Recognizing one of them, Parmenion asked the Major Domo for a status report.
The Major Domo glancing at the Spartans and replied by stating "The banshee was the first hit, several Unggoy gunners had seen several dozen brutes moving up when it had happened, our Ultra ordered the three of us to guard the Artifact, and the science teams are their quarters, that was the last we heard before communications became jammed." She finished.
"We'll stay here and assist you in defending the artifact" Sarah replied as she disconnected her Sniper Rifle off of the magnetic clip on her back, the four Spartans then fanned out moving to cover near the artifact, and were left waiting for the on coming attack. Seconds later the gunfire that had once been deafening died out save the occasional scream and spiker shot.
"Here they come" the Major Domo called out, there were 12 of them all were Brutes; one was a particularly large chieftain, a captain and eight Minor Domos followed by two Major Domos.
Both sides fired simultaneously plasma bolts, sniper rounds and spiker rounds crisscrossing,
Parmenion ducked under cover as a his shields flared when they were recharged he popping out again and fired on one of the exposed Minor Domos cutting it down after firing several burst of plasma at it.
The squad was far equally as well, Sarah managed to take down the two Major Domos before being forced to reload, Derek focus on the Minor Domos cutting two of them down with his Launcher while Cass supported with her energy pistol by firing overcharged shots.
The fire fight continued as one of the Shagheili Minor Domos was struck several times by the Capitan's brute shot, the other fell when spiker rounds over whelmed his shields and riddled his chest killing him instantly.
Omega I began to get a sinking felling as the brutes simply took shot after shot ignoring the wounds they suffered. The Brutes continued to advance as if unhindered and oddly un-enraged.
Time seemed to slow when he heard a cry to his flank, it was the Major Domo drawing her Energy sword, The Major Domo enraged blindly charged the Chieftain attempting to avenge her fallen brothers, the attack was cut short when the Chieftain reduced her to a pulp by slamming his Gravity hammer into her when she got into reach.
By the time the Major Domo fell the four Spartans had managed to kill four of the seven remaining Brutes, Omega squad had their backs against the Artifact. Parmenion realized what made their attackers gain the resilience that they had, but it was too late to act on it now.
The brutes began to advance on the four when a hum began to resonate around behind the Spartans, along with a steadily growing soft blue light, the last thing anyone saw was a blue flash and then every thing was gone.
Glancing across the Presidium Commander Shepard sighed as he along with Cerberus Operator Lawson and Operative Taylor walk away from Andersons office, he could get his mind off of the fact that Ashley was alive but out of reach, The council hadn't reacted well when he told them he was working with Cerberus, at least the meeting with the rest of the council hadn't been a total loss he had gotten re-inducted into the specters. Shepard as continued to think about the meeting with the council, he was interrupted when a familiar blue light and hum came from behind.
Turning around he saw that it was the conduit; the prothean built mass relay it was activating. Diving into cover Shepard watched, as the spectacle lasted no more than a minuet resulting in the appearance of seven figures. Four of the armored figures wore armor painted a shade of brown quickly stood up raising drawn weapons, while the other three massive figures slowly stood up, whose leader was a good ten feet tall and wielded a massive hammer while the others were just above eight feet tall and held oversized pistols.
The peace lasted less than a second as the three massive creatures let out unnatural screams and began to mutate, Shepard watched in shock as their skin swelled turning a sickish yellow an arm on each of them moving into a unnatural position and were replaced by a sickish yellow-green tentacle.
The commander was Paralyzed, He had seen what happen to people placed onto dragons teeth, seen thorian creepers, and he had even died. But this froze him in place and unfamiliar naught of fear began to grow in the pit of his [belly].
It didn't last, the moment the creatures altered one of the four armored figures shouted out to his companions "infiltrators" and the fight began. An armored figure wielding a grenade launcher fired into the chest of one of the creatures while another followed up by firing a massive gun dropping the monster.
Another one of the armored figure wielding a two prong blue glowing sword and a small odd shaped pistol charged and fired; the bright green bolt that emerged slammed into the other blue armored creature, the armor it wore sparked and fell off, the armored figure followed up by stabbing into and bisecting it.
Shepard watched as the last armored figure charged the last remaining Monster, firing blue/violet bolts from his rifle, The hammer wielding monster closed the distance and swung outwards only to miss when its prey rolled out of the way, the monster whipped out at the figure with its tentacle striking him but only for him to glow gold, none the less Shepard watched as the figure fell over from the force of the blow.
The ten foot tall creature walked out to him in the chaos of battle dropping its hammer and reached out with its tentacle-like arm wrapping it around the figures neck the Monster brought him up to eye level five feet in the air; and with its free arm yanked off the helmet to reveal a human face- a young human face.
Before Shepard could do any thing the small human formed a fist with his right arm and drove it into the tentacle but not before a blue light emitted from his wrist, the blade sunk in the tentacle cutting it off. The Commander watched in awe as the now freed human dropped onto a knee and in one fluid motion stabbed into the right thigh of the creature and sprung up to stab the spot on its chest where the yellow swelling was greatest killing the massive creature instantly.
Hopping off the armored human reached for his belt grabbing a grenade and incinerated the creature; another armored figure walked up to him and tossed him his helmet and rifle. The four regrouped and only then noticed their surroundings.
The sound of running feet and sirens announced C-sec's belated arrival, Shepard watched as the armored figure looked at him and asked "Where are we?" Shepard nor his team could answer.