(Iv noticed everyone telling me that it was their shield technology that gave the 3:1 Covenant the advantage in space and you are correct but as you know their shield technology is incredibly susceptible to superheated plasma. So these plasma missiles in which the UNSC now have access to detonate with the same damage output as a covenant plasma torpedo except much like their archers the UNSC ships can fire off a hundred of them in seconds whereas Covenant ships have a comparatively slow recharge time. So with these new weapons but no shields it is an even battle because both ships would be mutually capable destroying the other)

The new weapons were just enough to turn the tide. The battle of Sanctum has been christened the UNSC's greatest strategic victory of the war. The new development in technology came just in time as two months after the Navy upgraded all existing ships with the new plasma missiles the Covenant attacked planet Reach. Fully utilizing these weapons and new tactics in space the UNSC Navy was able to repel the attacking Covenant fleet despite heavy casualties on both sides. With Reach held new warships could continue to be constructed and naval losses replaced. The slip space coordinates decoded by Dr. Halsey after the battle were then used by the Pillar of Autumn to investigate what could hopefully be another development in the human's favor. Taking no chances the UNSC sent a battle group of six ships including the Pillar of Autumn under the command of Capt. Jacob Keyes. There was also the Heavy Destroyer Ace of Spades, three light frigates, and a Phoenix class ground support ship. The Autumn was armed with a new experimental weapon powerful enough to destroy a planet called the Nova bomb. Not only was this battlegroup a force to be reckoned with in space but also carried a large ground force. 6000 combat ready Marines as well as Spartan Blue team including the Master Chief himself were prepared for anything the Covenant could throw at them.

Nobody could have guessed as to what they would find on the other side of this slip space jump. They had found Halo. However it soon became apparent that the Covenant had found it first. Sources believe that the Covenant were able to copy and decrypt the original data during their occupation of Cote D'Azur which led them to discovering the ring world only a few days prior to the humans. The Covenant presence was limited to a survey force that was too busy with their business on the ring world to immediately notice the human ships approaching. The UNSC vessels rushed the scattered Covenant force and caught them off guard. In desperation they deployed hundreds of Spirits, Phantoms, Banshees, and drop pods to the ring world below in an attempt to establish a strong ground force.

After a failed attempt to regroup the Covenant ships were quickly destroyed and one captured operational with 3 of its Huragok rescued alive. The space around the ring was secured at the cost of one frigate. Following this victory UNSC and Covenant ground forces clashed on the large-scale of Halo's surface. With support from orbit to destroy Covenant heavy weapons such as the scarab these battles always ended in a human victory. Following these victories, from the depths of installation 04 emerged the flood. The flood soon began attacking and infecting both human and Covenant forces alike. While large-scale evacuations of UNSC ground forces began small groups stayed behind to continue on missions such as investigating the purpose of Halo. Eventually Spartan John 117 and the rest of blue team would encounter 343 Guilty Spark's. After securing the activation index from the library blue team would return to the control room only to discover Halo's true purpose. Realizing the destructive power of the ring blue team returns to the battle group to inform Capt. Keyes of what has transpired.

Knowing that it was only a matter of time before Covenant reinforcements arrived Keyes knew he could not take the risk of them being able to activate the Halo. He ordered the Nova be used on the ring to ensure its destruction and that no one could use it to wipe out all life in the galaxy.

Upon returning to Earth with a captured enemy Corvette Keyes and his task force were given the hero's welcome. Work on reverse engineering the technology from the captured ship began immediately. With a mostly functional ship to study firsthand and the assistance of the liberated Huragok, improved versions of Covenant shield and slip space technology were integrated onto every ship in the UNSC within three weeks thus bringing the odds of space battles up 3:1 in the UNSC's advantage. The humans also soon began using the existing Huragok to create new ones and establish a colony. The hope was to have one of these biological supercomputers on every ship within 3 to 4 years.

While these innovations renewed the humans fighting spirit. It did come at a cost. The Covenant found Earth. Monitoring stations had detected slip space whispers that matched those used by Covenant ships. UNSC HIGHCOM knew full well this was going to become the battle that keep humanity fighting or end their resistance. Either way the Covenant were in for a fight. Planet Earth was well defended by the orbital defense grid consisting of 300 SMAC platforms supporting a home fleet of over 500 warships and ground forces numbering in the millions.

13 Covenant ships exited the slip space void not expecting such an armada. Both fleets faced off each other just outside weapons range almost as if the Covenant were hesitant to attack. But as history would repeat itself they charged. The 13 Covenant ships charged the defensive line using their cruisers and smaller ships as a shield for the carriers. Only one carrier was able to break through to reach Earth's surface relatively unscathed while the other 12 ships were completely destroyed by the defensive fleet and the orbital guns.

The super carrier that had avoided its own destruction landed in the East African mega-city of New Mombasa. Almost immediately Elites, Brutes, Jackals, grunts, and hunters began pouring into the city from their flagship attacking civilians on sight. After discovering the Prophet of Regret was present aboard the very same ship trapped in Earth's atmosphere the UNSC made his capture priority one. Marines were deployed immediately to the city and swiftly began driving the covenant into an enclave beneath the carrier. As the humans were about to make one final assault to end the battle and capture the ship it prepared to jump to slip space. With Spartan blue team aboard the frigate In Amber clad Commander Miranda Keyes ordered her ship to pursue.

The battle for Earth would rage on with Covenant forces pouring in more and more ships in a desperate attempt to break the defense grid but Human forces refused to yield. After sustaining tremendous losses the Covenant saw no other way but to make one final forced charge. Two thirds of their entire Navy was committed to this assault. Using the same tactics they had to breach the orbital barrier the first time the Covenant were able to push dozens of ships in atmosphere where they took a defensive position outside the damaged city of New Mombasa and began excavating the relic hidden deep beneath the surface.

These actions would not go unnoticed as the excavation fleet would find itself under constant air and ground attack from UNSC Army, Marine, and Naval forces.

Meanwhile Commander Keyes had followed Regret's ship to Delta Halo. Upon arrival both factions began deploying ground forces to carry out their agendas regarding the ring world. Spartan blue team was the first to deploy in support of ODST first platoon followed after by additional ground forces. After fighting their way through Covenant forces blue team and supporting Marines had reached the Citadel where the Prophet of Regret and his honor guard made their final stand completely unaware that the entire Covenant Navy that wasn't committed to the assault on Earth had just arrived. Within minutes of breaching the structure Regret met his end from a clean headshot fired by the Master Chief's BR55 battle rifle.

Upon exiting the Citadel the surviving humans discovered a massive Covenant ship preparing to destroy everything in the area. Both the Spartans and Marines jumped over the side of the platform holding the Citadel overwater in an attempt to reach safety. The Marines who didn't die in the jump or after the bombardment were captured and brought to POW camps on the ring. The Spartans however were captured by a very different foe. The Gravemind.

Blue team was not the only prisoner of this being as it had also captured Thel Vadam. More formally known as the Arbiter. After revealing the truth behind Halo and the Forerunners the Gravemind used the ring world's teleporters to send Blue team to the holy city of High Charity to eliminate the remaining Covenant leadership and the Arbiter to a location near the control room to stop Halo's activation.

In the city of High Charity blue team found themselves chasing the two surviving prophets throughout the station supported by a dozen rescued Marines. Eventually after fighting their way through hordes of Covenant loyalist as well as separatist forces the In Amber Clad had entered the station through a slip space jump carrying with it an army of flood. Now combating an enemy even more deadly than the Covenant the surviving humans hurried to find the Prophet. However when they arrived all they found was a flood infection form about to kill one of the San'Shyuum they had fought so hard to do the job themselves. As blue team, Cortana, and surviving Marines weighed their options they decided that Cortana would stay behind to detonate the reactors on board In Amber Clad in case they Halo was activated while the Spartans and Marines would search for a way to stop Truth and get back to Earth.

Upon moving through the waves of flood a crashed UNSC pelican dropship was cleared out and found in working order. The four surviving Marines use the dropship to escape the station and locate friendly forces while the Spartans stowed away on the Forerunner ship Truth was using to spearhead this fleet.

The Arbiter had found himself in a mountainous area near Delta Halo's control room. While he and other separatist forces battled their way through the forerunner structures and even rescuing the Sangheili high Council members they encountered humans being held captive by brutes. In the confusion of battle the Marines had stolen enemy weapons including a scarab tank and began fighting alongside the elites.

With the combined forces of the surviving humans in a scarab and separatist air forces the covenant loyalists guarding the outside of the control room were completely overpower. The pelican dropship that had escaped the flood on High Charity located the human IFF's and began to provide support. After rendezvousing outside the control room's doors it was decided that UNSC marines and separatist Sangheili would work together to stop the chieftain Tartarus from activating the rings. After successfully stopping Halo's activation and securing the index 343 guilty spark's elaborates that all other Halos have entered a standby mode in the only place where they can be fired or deactivated is the Ark.

Upon their return to Earth Keyes, Johnson, and other human survivors would rejoin the battle to save their species home world. Shortly after their return the forerunner ship Truth used to escape High Charity would also find its way to Earth carrying with it Spartan blue team. After being reunited with UNSC forces Spartan teams Blue, Red, Gold, Noble, Chariot, Predator, and Slingshot would aid Marine and Army ground forces to enact Commander Keyes plan to wipe out the remaining Covenant forces on earth.

Just as defeat seemed imminent for the Covenant loyalist, Truth activated the relic on Earth opening a massive portal leading directly to the Ark. With no time to waste the UNSC and Covenant separatists gathered the bulk of their military strength for one final battle. Sending through hundreds of ships this new alliance would find themselves in a location outside the Milky Way galaxy. After breaking through Covenant defenses in space ground forces began mass deployment to the surface.

Within hours the last of Truths forces fell back to an enclave at a location referred to as the Citadel. Just as an assault on this site was about to commence a slip space rupture opened carrying the flood infested city of High Charity. Outnumbered and outgunned the once mighty Prophet of Truth met his end at the hands of the warrior he had made an Arbiter.

The arrival of the flood had forced the UNSC and Covenant separatists to once again withdraw all major ground forces back to space leaving only capable spec ops groups. Seeing this as their best chance to retrieve the AI Cortana the members of Spartan blue team using commandeered banshees infiltrated the crashed city station in search of her.

After fighting their way through hordes of flood infected Covenant and even what was once the crew of the In Amber Clad they had succeeded in finding Cortana. Knowing that High Charity's destruction was their best chance to delay the flood from spreading blue team destroyed the nearby reactors causing the power system of the city to become unstable. After barely escaping with the Arbiter on a recovered pelican dropship a plan was conceived to use installation 4B to exterminate all the flood on the ark.

The dropship crashed a short walk away from the control room. Sgt. Johnson had landed the frigate forward unto Dawn quite a distance away but within reach for extraction. Battling the flood every step of the way the Arbiter and Spartan blue team would reach Halo's control room where they would be betrayed by 343 Guilty Sparks for attempting to activate the ring prematurely. However he would be quickly destroyed by the Master Chief.

With the ring set to activate two pelican dropships quickly picked up the group with Thell and John in one and Fred, Linda, and Kelly in the other. On their way back the pelicans began taking fire from both the ring's sentinels and flood armed with covenant weapons. The Chiefs pelican was shot down halfway to its destination with its only survivors being himself, the Arbiter, and two Marines. Luckily the warthog in tow had survived the crash and the four piled in with the chief driving, the arbiter had shotgun, one of the Marines had the chain gun, and the other strapped himself in with his back to the chief's seat.

Chief drove their way through what felt like an obstacle course of unfinished artificial landscaping with the other pelican providing cover fire. The surface panels that had connected the hangar of the Dawn to what was supposed to be ground had collapsed leaving the warthog's crew one chance to make it on board. Driving at full speed chief ramped off the panels crashing into the hangar bay. The Marine on turret had suffered a broken arm but nothing critical. While the arbiter made his way to the bridge, the other Marine helped his friend to the med bay. Chief stayed in the hangar to plug Cortana's chip into the ship so she could take over.

Upon seeing forward unto Dawn ascending through the atmosphere the dropship made its way inside. They were the last ship at the ark the as rest had returned through the portal knowing already that the mission was accomplished.

On Earth the front half of forward onto Dawn had splashdown carrying a surviving crew of Thell Vadam, Spartans Fred, Kelly, and Linda, and two dozen Marines including Sgt. Avery Johnson and Commander Maranda Keyes. The Master Chief and Cortana's chip were last seen in the hangar bay which had been severed by the collapse of the portal.

Notable UNSC losses during the battle of Earth and the Ark include.

67 Spartan III super solders. KIA.

72 war ships lost.

500,000 military. KIA.

1,500,000 civilians. KIA.

Catherine-B320. KIA. Killed by a Brute Chieftain during an infiltration of a Covenant base on installation 00. Kat received massive trauma to her vital organs after being struck by a gravity hammer. Her body was recovered by Noble team for a military funeral on Reach.

Jorge-052. KIA. After being critically wounded by flood combat forms while assisting the evacuation of Marines in Voi. Jorge was transported onto a dropship by the men he saved sparing him the fate of infection. He died of his injuries moments later. His body was returned to planet Reach for a military funeral.

Isaac-039. KIA. Killed and infected by flood infection forms in Voi. The combat form that was once Spartan Isaac-039 was killed and identified by a group of UNSC soldiers after he had attacked their defensive position. His body is presumed to be completely incinerated during the glassing of Voi.

William-043. KIA. Died in space over installation 00 when his pelican dropship was destroyed by Covenant Seraph fighters. His body was never recovered and presumed to be destroyed by the activation of installation 04B.

Grace-093. KIA. 30 minutes after being sent on a mission to board and destroy a Covenant cruiser from within the ship exploded in the skies above New Mombasa. The explosion occurred in the engine area where she had instructions to plant her charges leading to the presumption that Spartan Grace-093 was unable to exfiltrate from the enemy ship and decreed it better to destroy the target with her. Her body was eventually recovered and given a military funeral on Reach.

John-117. MIA. After activating the ring the Master Chief was presumed lost. We currently have no leads as to his exact location.

Covenant losses are as fallowed.

3,000,000 military. KIA.

600 war ships lost.

Political/Religious leadership. KIA.

Location: In slip space en route to planet Novus.

Date: March 12th 2556

4 years after the battle of Sanctum Capt. Wallace finds himself in his ship's quarters recalling the last few years that had changed everything. He had seen so much during the Human-Covenant war. All the battles fought, the discoveries made, the enemies vanquished. Nelson Wallace had joined the Navy to explore the universe and uncovered its secrets. Only to find that most of its secrets could kill him in more ways than he could count. This didn't matter to him. He was an explorer at heart with more optimism than most people can imagine possible for a man to have. This desire for peaceful exploration however never interfered with the reality of his career. Nelson stood up and walked over to a display of his military awards. The Colonial Cross and Medal of Valor were his prize awards with several lesser metals below them. He took pride in these accomplishments as they recognized his service and conviction to humanity.

The Ace of Spades wasn't on a special mission or some kind of top-secret assignment. It was simply a routine patrol. For years Sanctum was the only planet colonized in the system for the purpose of not attracting unusually large or little attention. However with the end of the war the Crest system became much more open for travel and colonization. Including Sanctum, three of Crest's nine planets were already habitable and beginning to see small numbers of homesteaders making a life for themselves.

The planet his ship and crew were heading to was called Novus. It was scarcely colonized by civilian settlers and only had one sizable city plus an Army base. There really was no major concern for it. However in the past and even today it has been known for insurrectionists to set up hidden bases on lightly populated worlds. These bases could serve a number of purposes from bomb making to training areas. Hence Ace of Spade's mission.

Wallace had never fought other humans in an actual combat scenario. He wasn't old enough to have seen the fight against the rebels firsthand before their war with the Covenant started. The very idea of humans fighting other humans seemed almost unreal. Having lived most of his life at war with an alien empire he could only think of the enemy being something else. It also made him wonder if there is any intelligent life in the universe that isn't looking for a fight.

His train of thought was interrupted when Joan contacted him on his earpiece. "Capt. your presence is requested on the bridge. We're about to exit slip space."

Wallace straightened his uniform and walked towards the door. "Thank you Joan I will be there shortly."

By the time he had made it to the bridge they were already about to reenter real space. Wallace looked to his second-in-command. The recently promoted lieutenant commander Rioichi Lee. "What's our status?"

"All systems green and ready Captain."

Moments later the Ace of Spades exited slip space. From the view of the bridge you got quite a sight. The planet was estimated to be about 70% water and 30% land. Most of the land on Novus was green and fertile rendering it perfect for agriculture. This made it easy to assume that it would develop into a garden world. Two of its three moons were visible from the ship's position. The first was orbiting the planet closely from its Northern continents. The second was probably hiding behind the planet. The third moon orbited barely within the planet's gravity well. It was still within sight of the bridge but could barely be spotted by the naked eye.

"Well let's begin routine….."

The Captain was interrupted when the third moon suddenly began to crack and shake as if it was about to explode. Joanne noticed this and pulled up a closer visual on the main screen. "What the hell?"

Was all Wallace had time to say before the moon shattered leaving behind an oddly shaped construction. It looked almost like a massive railgun with a glowing blue core.

Joan was the first to break the silence. "Captain I'm detecting massive energy fluctuations coming from that object. It's like nothing ever seen before"

Wallace retorted. "It has to be Forerunner."

Even Jones avatar looks confused in her French knight armor. "I'm not sure. It doesn't match any known architectural patterns. I think this is something else."

"All right this mission just became a lot more complex. Set course for that object and let's find out what it is."

"Captain wait! I'm picking up contacts. Lots and lots of contacts."

As she said that in real time hundreds of lights flickered into existence around the object. Hundreds soon became thousands with no sign of relent as more and more kept appearing. A closer inspection revealed these lights to be ships as if they were using the object as a means of transport.

One of the junior lieutenants looked to the Captain waiting for an order. "sir?"

Wallace stared blankly at the phenomenon. "We have a job to do people. Let's make contact."