I do not own Star Wars the Clone Wars or Halo; they belong to George Lucas/Disney and 343 Industries respectively.

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{Sangheili Crusader-class Brigantine Heavy Carrier Warrior's Courage}

Fleet/Shipmaster Hara'-Sharem looked out from his command chair through the ship's forward view port. His mandibles formed in a grin as his Weapons Officer called out "Fleetmaster, we have locked on to two of the enemy Battlecruisers coming up on our starboard bow."

Hara' flexed his hands in anticipation. "Then let us unleash Hell upon these traitorous mongrels."

A few seconds later, he felt the ship rumble as two large Plasma Beams shot out from the Brigantine towards its intended victims. The twin plasma beams sheered right through the enemy Battlecruisers, causing them to buckle and inflate before erupting in bright purple flashes of light.

The bridge then erupted into bellows of victory, with the Shipmaster twitching his mandibles in satisfaction. The chortling died down as the crew resumed their duties. This was exactly what Hara' expected from his fellow brethren. Well trained and focused in the heat of battle, and equally as fierce and determined under the wrath of the enemy's fleet.

Though this was also in no small part to the design and capability of their ship. The Sangheili Crusader-class Brigantine Heavy Carrier was one of the oldest ships in the Sangheili Naval Forces since the birth of the Covenant so long ago. While it was not as modern as some of its fellow vessels, the Brigantine was cleverly designed so that it could easily be upgraded with additional armor, shielding and weaponry. This was put to critical use after the end of the Battle for Gracemaria in 2551. With permission and support by the Gracemarian military, the Warrior's Courage was upgraded with Forerunner-based shielding, armored plating and energy weapons similar to yet far more powerful than plasma-based armaments.

By the end of its refitting, the Warrior's Courage was larger, more durable and far more heavily armed than even its successor the CAS-class Assault Carrier. With its vast arsenal of pulse lasers, plasma cannons, 2 Energy Projectors and one Heavy Energy Projector; twin forward Forerunner-based energy projectors, tractor beams and Slipspace engines; and with a contingent of 5,000 Nor'illema warriors and hundreds of ground vehicles, gunships and fighters, it was by far the single most powerful frontline warship in the Sangheili navy.

And the Covenant were now experiencing the full extent of the Heavy Carrier's wrath.

One of the helmsmen growled as he turned his head around. "Fleetmaster, one of our Heavy Corvettes is falling out of position. The shipmaster is evacuating his remaining crew to one of the Carrack merchant ships.

This caused Hara to frown as he turned to look at the starboard view consoles, where he saw the Corvette slowly fall apart before erupting in a bright ball of flame. Several Seraph fighters had broken off to escort a small number of Phantom gunships fleeing for the nearby Carrack merchant vessel.

This was what had been going on for the last thirty minutes. The Sangheili Assault Fleet had managed to inflict heavy losses upon the Covenant Remnant Fleet, with seven Destroyers and six CCS Battlecruisers having been destroyed. However, this was at the cost of three of their Heavy Corvettes destroyed, one Corvette Runner incinerated and two CCS Battlecruiser's crippled.

This tit-for-tat rate of losses did not bode well with the Sangheili Shipmaster. He recognized the precarious position of his ship and the rest of the Assault Fleet. Unless they could break the deadlock, the Covenant would escape with their prize, with his brothers trapped and unable to escape.

"Shipmaster, the enemy forward Carrier is changing course. It's angling its hull 45 degrees to starboard, heading for course zero-point-four-three."

Hara's head snapped back to attention towards the forward view port. The enemy Carrier had indeed begun to move back towards the human satellite, while it's Destroyer and Battlecruiser escort had started manoeuvering to form a screen against the remaining Sangheili vessels.

The Shipmaster frowned as he pondered the enemy's intentions. His mandibles and eyes then widened in realization. The Carrier was angling its hull to bring its full broadside to bare on the Task Force…and to clear a path for its fellow Carrier to make a slipspace jump.

With War Master Joram and his warriors still onboard the besieged Carrier.

"Helmsman, divert all power to the forward shields and weaponry, and increase engine speed to all ahead flank. We have to take that Carrier out now before it can engage us. Order the rest of our fleet to form a battle line around the remaining escorts; we cannot allow that second Carrier to escape."

The helmsman's fingers raced across the holo-panel. "By your word Shipmaster; increasing speed and diverting full power to forward shields and weaponry."

"Shipmaster, the enemy Carrier is bringing its weapons to bear on us; it's charging up its primary plasma rotors. The two remaining Battlecruisers are moving in to flank us."

"Hold course and increase power to the engines," the Shipmaster's glare was focused on the forward view port. He could see several lines of energy forming at the forward weapons ports. They intended to launch a spread of plasma torpedoes while firing the energy rotors at the Battlecruiser. "What's the distance to the target?"

"Distance to enemy Carrier, twenty-four thousand meters."

"Shipmaster, enemy ships are readying their forward weapons; they're waiting for us to get closer."

Of course they were. At such close range, there was no way to avoid the plasma torpedoes. Like Hara'-Sharem, the enemy Fleetmaster was no fool; he would recognize that the Warrior's Courage was the greater threat of the Sangheili Assault Fleet. Take it out, and the rest would be easy pickings for the rest of the Covenant Fleet.

"Hold course until I give the word, and keep diverting power to the engines. Take it from internal gravitation and life support if you have to."

"Distance to Carrier, twenty-one thousand meters."

"Shipmaster, engines are running at one-hundred and ten percent."

"Then give me one-hundred and twenty-five percent; we must close the distance before they fire upon us."

"Distance to target, nineteen thousand meters."

"Engineering is doing everything it can to boost our speed, but they're worried that it might overtax our Slipspace drive."

"More power to the engines, and ready our forward projectors."

"Distance to target, fifteen thousand meters."

Hara' kept his eyes on the enemy Carrier. He knew from personal experience the effectiveness of the plasma torpedoes – once they locked onto a target, only the most radical manoeuvers could break their lock. And even then it was at grave risk of putting excessive strain on the primary engines. But regardless of the risks, the Plasma Torpedoes were feared/respected throughout the UNSC and Sangheili battle fleets.

But the Warrior's Courage had a few surprises of its own to through into the mix.

"Weapons officer, prepare the forward pulse lasers and plasma projectors. Once their shields are lowered, target their bridge and forward weapon ports. Then fire our forward Energy Projectors at the Battlecruiser approaching on our portside."

"What of the other Battlecruiser?"

Hara's mandibles formed in a fierce grin. "If they wish to challenge us, then we shall grant them what they desire. Prepare for emergency manoeuvers, and alert the crew to brace for collision."

The helmsman hesitated for a moment…until his mandibles also formed into a fierce grin. "By your word, Shipmaster."

"Nine thousand meters."

The next few moments passed by with tense anticipation. The crew held their breath as they waited for their commander to give the word.

Like the old human saying goes, the hard part about playing chicken…was knowing when to flinch.

"Distance, forty-five hundred meters."

"Enemy's lowering their shields; they're preparing to fire!"

There.

"FIRE ALL WEAPONS! LAUNCH TORPEDOES! HELMSMAN, HARD TO PORT." Hara' bellowed.

The Warrior's Courage forward weapons turned the space in front of it into a fiery light show, raking the enemy Carrier's bow with deadly arcs of purple and silvery light. Several struck the primary torpedo ports, causing the gathered plasma energy to detonate within the ship's weapons ports. The resulting explosions seemed to ripple through the bow of the ship, creating secondary explosions near the Carrier's weapons energy chambers. Soon, the entire bow of the Covenant ship was crippled and in flames.

Then the ship shuddered as the forward Energy Projectors fired twin bright beams of energy at the approaching Battlecruiser, gutting it from bow to stern before setting off its primary plasma projectors. The ship literally fall apart from the explosion, shedding large pieces of hull plating and engine

And the Warrior's Courage wasn't finished yet, as its own torpedoes soared from its forward tubes. The plasma projectiles raced towards the enemy Carrier's energy projectors like fiery demons hell-bent on claiming their next victims. The torpedoes struck the ventral and dorsal portions of the Carrier…

Just as both projectors had reached their full charge.

The following detonation was so spectacular, the shockwave could be felt throughout the entire structure of the Warrior's Courage. Most of the bridge crew, including Hara', were forced to shield their eyes from the bright flash of plasma energy. When they could look back, they saw the resulting damage of the explosion.

The entire central and dorsal portion of the Carrier was gone, completely incinerated in the massive explosion. And the secondary explosions had caused the remainder of the ship to buckle and break until, finally, erupting into a bright flash that left little more than miniscule pieces of metal and debris.

The bridge crew had little time to celebrate, as they turned their attention towards the remaining Battlecruiser, which had only just realized its predicament. The Covenant ship began taking evasive manoeuvers of its own, desperately trying to avoid the oncoming seven kilometer behemoth of a warship.

But it still wasn't good enough.

While the Battlecruiser was built for speed and manoeuverability, the Crusader-class Brigantine warship, especially the Warrior's Courage, was designed for durability and firepower. Its purpose was to charge straight through the enemy's frontlines and overwhelm them with its mass fighter screen and hundreds of support gunships and heavy bombers.

So when comparing their individual pros and cons between the two ships in an all-out brawl, only one of them would emerge unscathed.

Simply put, the Warrior's Courage had its Covenant counterpart completely outclassed.

The Battlecruiser seemed to literally disintegrate under from the impact with the Brigantine warship, exploding in a bright flash of purple as the Warrior's Courage plowed right through it.

The entire bridge erupted into a cacophony of bellows and cheers at the sight of their now vanquished foes. Even Shipmaster Hara' let out a loud roar at the sight of their recent victims. He took a moment longer to revel in their victory…before turning his focus back the matter at hand.

"ENOUGH!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs, though it took a second attempt before the crew finally settled down. He couldn't blame them, for they had just struck a critical blow to the enemy fleet. "Helmsman, what's our status?"

"Minor plasma wear to our engines but the Huragok are already at work repairing the damage. The enemy's counter-fire struck the armored belt on the ship's bow, and we are only reporting some minor injuries with no fatalities."

"Shipmaster, the enemy Carrier is charging its forward projectors. It appears to be…it's firing on the remaining Corvettes."

The helmsman was correct. The entire bridge watched as the Covenant Carrier fired upon its own brethren, easily cutting through the Heavy Corvettes

Hara's mandibles formed in a smirk. It was only too clear what had happened. "It seems Joram and his warriors were successful in their mission. Contact the satellite. Inform the humans that the enemy has been eradicated, and our forces are moving into formation around the station."

"Helmsman, set course for the remaining Carrier. Send out a flight of Seraph fighters to provide cover for Joram's gunships." A series of affirmatives echoed out as the bridge's crew worked away at their respective duties.

They had struck a crippling blow to the enemy's forces. Now he was left the task of preventing the Covenant from escaping…and getting his fellow Sangheili and the Spartan Prime off of that ship.

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{Covenant CAS Assault Carrier Unyielding Resolve}

{Minutes before}

Michael fired his M90 Shotgun at a pair of Heavy Grunts, their dying gasps deafened by the sound of the gunshot. Next to him, an Elite Lancer Ranger made quick work of a Loyalist/Remnant Elite Major and its Jackal escort.

The assault team had made quick work in clearing a path to the bridge; he and Joram had split into two separate groups to attack the CIC from both entrances simultaneously. The Carrier's vast network of hallways and junctions provided plenty of positions from which the ship's crew could ambush the strike force. This resulted in several brief, but fierce skirmishes between the Nor'illema Lancers and the Loyalist infantry.

But the Nor'illema Lancers were masters of close-quarters, and both Michael and Joram were considered to be the highest ranking members of said group. And Diana's connection to the ship's battle net enabled them to avoid the most significant enemy defences, while at the same time she sealed off the doorways leading around the assault teams. As such, while the Covenant defenders suffered heavy losses, the Nor'illema Lancers hadn't suffered any serious losses thus far.

Michael glanced back to see a pair of Lancers take out a team of Heavy Grunts, while another cleared out a small side-room with her Storm Rifle – The Nor'illema were one of the very few clans on Sanghelios to allow females to join their ranks. For the Nor'illema Lancers, their gender mattered little so long as they were skilled enough with a blade.

A pair of Skirmishers wielding Needle Rifles forced the Lancers to deploy their personal shields. One of the Lancers used the plasma phalanx as cover as she aimed her Carbine. With quick precision, she sniped the Skirmishers before they could get back into cover. The Lancers kept their shields up as they progressed down the hallway. A few Lancers held back to double-check the fallen Loyalists; there was the chance that some were merely wounded and could come back to hit them in the rear.

A Lancer Guardsman pulled his sword from a Loyalist Elite's chest as he turned to the Spartan. "Spartan Prime, the control room lies just beyond those doors. The enemy will be lying in ambush for us, if these guards are of any attestation."

Michael nodded as he pumped a round into his shotgun. "Indeed, they were meant to delay our advancement so they could prepare their defences." He then activated his helmet's comm. "Diana, can you see what waiting for us in there?"

"There are twenty-seven bridge crew and their security on both the main deck and balconies. A number of Ranger and Zealot-class elites are patrolling the lower and upper balconies, with an Elite General and his four man Ultra escort standing next to the command chair. Joram's team is at the other entrance and preparing to breach on your mark."

"Then let's not keep them waiting." Michael ended the link as he pumped another shell in his Shotgun. "Alright comrades, this is it. Once we go through this doorway, there's no going back. Our brothers are counting on us to turn this fight around, so we will take the CIC…or die honourably with the blood of our enemies staining our blades and armor. For Honor…"

The assembled Lancers readied their Repeaters and Swords. "For Glory…"

The doorway then opened, revealing a pair of dark-red armored Loyalist Zealots with swords drawn…

Only to be met with a hail of shotgun bullets and plasma.

"FOR SANGHEILIOS!"

Michael rushed into the CIC, tossing a frag grenade toward a pair of Zealots armed with Needle Rifles. Both managed to evade the grenade, but one was quickly cut down by Joram as he entered the fray from the opposite entrance. Soon the battle was joined as the Nor'illema Lancers and the Loyalist Zealots engaged in close-and medium-range combat. One Lancer slashed through a Zealot's head while using his shield to block another's sword. Two Lancers used their agility to outflank a pair of Rangers that had jumped up from the lower platform. Another threw and stuck a plasma grenade to the face of a Loyalist Ultra. Said Ultra barely had time to grasp at the glowing sphere before it engulfed his head in a bright ball of plasma.

Four more Rangers used their jump packs to leap towards and over the Spartan, who replaced his shotgun with his energy Sword and Battle Axe. He threw his Axe at one of the Rangers, pinning him to the wall behind him. He ducked one of the Ranger's sword and thrust his own Golden-rod blades into the chest of the third. He then grabbed the fourth's Sword arm, using its momentum to impale the second's abdomen. Finally, Michael activated his wrist gauntlets and thrust them into the neck and head of his final opponent.

All this barely took ten seconds. Spartan Time.

He caught a glimpse of a distortion right next to him, nimbly ducking under the swing of a stealth-equipped Zealot. He leapt up and Bear-wrapped his arms around the Elite's neck. The Ultra attempted to pull him off, but a quick thrust of the Spartan's left wrist plasma blade ended the Ultra's life. He then jumped backwards over the second cloaked Ultra's sword slash. As he landed he grabbed the Ultra's head and twisted sharply, causing a satisfying 'snap' as the Ultra's neck broke under the force.

He turned his head to see Joram engaged in a fight with two remaining Ultra's and the Golden-armored Shipmaster. He easily decapitated one of the Ultras and used the second's momentum to lift and throw him down onto the lower platform. The Shipmaster rushed Joram in a forward charge, only for Joram to stop him with a grappling hold. The Shipmaster beat his fists down on Joram's back, but it was no good. The Nor'illema Combat Master lifted and threw the Shipmaster to the ground, leaving the winded Elite helpless as he activated and thrust his Golden-rod blade deep into his unprotected chest. The sound of armored footsteps behind him caused Joram to turn around…and slash through one of the CIC Elite helmsmen approaching him with its own energy blade drawn.

"We've secured the control center, Joram," one of the Lancers reported as the last of the Loyalist crew fell lifeless to the floor.

"Secure the entrances and search the other levels for any signs of life. We must remain alert, for the enemy will send reinforcements to retake the bridge."

The Lancers dispersed throughout the CIC, most investigated the upper levels for any hidden threats while some took up positions at the control consuls. Stepping over the Rangers' bodies, Michael examined the CIC with an analytical eye. Some of the consoles had been destroyed or shut down prior to their assault, but the navigation and weapons-targeting system were still operational. It seemed that the Covenant were intending to blast through the Sangheili Assault Fleet in order to make a slipspace jump out of the system.

The Lancer at the weapons-targeting console began typing the coordinates of the remaining Covenant ships. "Joram, we have firing solutions on three enemy Destroyers. They are forming around us and are within striking distance."

"Excellent" Joram said, then he activated his helmet comm. "Choral, Raptor; we have secured the bridge, and are in range to strike at our foes. See if you can locate a viable view port, should you desire to witness our enemy's destruction."

"We hear you, Joram. There is a decent energy barrier with a view of the battlefield close to our position." The warbled voice of the Spec-Ops Commander responded.

"This is Raptor; my brothers and I await your judgement of these treacherous curs." The Ranger Commander's voice dripped with eagerness and anger.

Joram then turned to the Lancer positioned at the weapons consul. "Our Brothers have spoken; let us unleash our enemy's own weapons against them. Burn their cowardly hides!"

A few seconds later, a deep rumble echoed through the Carrier as its forward plasma projectors fired. The gathered Sangheili and Spartan watched as the hologram showed both Destroyers and the Battlercruiser being dissected by the plasma beams. The sight caused the Lancers to roar in elation, with both Michael and Joram smirking in satisfaction.

Joram then turned to the Lancer monitoring the ship's communication systems. "What's the status of our brothers on the battlefield?"

"The Covenant fleet has been destroyed. Shipmaster Hara'-Sharem managed to destroy the forward Carrier and its Battlecruiser escorts just before we took the bridge."

The gathered Lancers 'worted' in satisfaction at their comrade's actions. One of the Lancers grasped at her arm while trying to keep a painful grunt from escaping. Unfortunately, it still slipped out. Michael approached the Lancer and examined her injury. "You should get that examined once we return to the Courage. It won't do you any good if it gets infected as a result."

The Lancer hesitated for a moment, but relented when she saw Joram turn his gaze towards her. "As you wish, Spartan Prime." She then turned toward one of the other Lancers, who began patching up her injury with a med-patch.

"Not to interrupt your attempts to blow us all to Olympus and back" Diana's hologram appeared at the central holotable, with a very amused/aggravated expression on her features. "But Fleet-Master Hara' wishes to speak with you, assuming we are not too busy gorging ourselves with the enemy's entrails."

Joram and Michael shared a brief look as the Spartan shook his head in bemusement. Receiving a nod from the War Master Ultra, Diana opened a communication link to the Warrior's Courage. The face of the Sangheili Fleet-Master soon appeared on the ships forward communication display.

"War Master Joram, Spartan Prime; once again we have proven our mettle against our former brethren. The Covenant Fleet has been eradicated, and the remaining enemy ship is under your control. Though my crew is slightly disgruntled that you decided to steal their victories from under our and the Covenant's noses."

"Indeed, though many of our brothers and sisters fell in our seizing this ship, and I'm sure your warriors will be quite satisfied with the victories they've already achieved this day." Joram's mandibles were formed in a smirk, though his eyes showed his sorrow at the loss of his brothers and sisters in arms. "We have indeed secured the bridge, and have located the human artifact stolen from the satellite. We intend to return it to them once a suitable crew has arrived to take control of the Carrier."

"I believe that can be easily rectified. Two of our Battlecruisers sustained heavy damage in the battle, and their crews are faltering in their efforts to save them. I shall inform them that they shall assume control of the Carrier, and I hope that the humans on the satellite are feeling…tolerant of the Blood-Brother's presence here."

The assembled Elites turned a compassionate glance at the lone Spartan, whom simply glanced at the two Sangheili Commanders before spoke. "With all due respect mates, I've accepted the fact that my presence isn't going to be well accredited. It won't be the first time, and I doubt it will be the last."

Joram hummed in discontent. "All the same, it shouldn't lessen the role and achievements you performed in this battle. Your actions saved many of our warriors from those Goblins, and you protected our Blisterbacks from those Wraiths earlier on. Had we lost those, our attempts to take the hanger and the bridge would have be far more difficult."

"The War Master speaks the truth, Spartan Prime" the female Lancer spoke up, her arm now wrapped in a bronze-purple med-patch bandage. "You are a compassionate and honourable warrior, and you have continued to prove your rightful place as a member and Brother of the Nor'illema Warrior Clan. Those other humans are fools to think any less of you, when they themselves have often cowered and fled in the face of such obstacles. And someday, they will realize too late that they were wrong in casting you aside. How it was by their own actions that their downfall will become of them. And as their names will eventually fall into dishonour and disgrace, yours shall rise up above all else…and cry out to the stars and heavens of what you have done."

The assembled Elites worted in agreement with their sister in arms, some of them activating their Energy Swords and thrusting them into the air in salute. Despite only being an honorary member for barely a year, they had accepted him as one of their own. A comrade in arms. An ally and friend of the Sangheili.

A Blood Brother of the Nor'illema Warrior Clan.

Michael gazed around the CIC, noting both Joram and Hara' nodding and smirking in agreement. He turned to see Diana looking at him with compassion and pride. She crossed her arms with a look that dared him to try and deny their claims.

He felt a small smile tug at his lips as the Sangheili continued chanting, though they died down when he raised his arms in mock surrender. "Alright, I get it. Thanks sister, and to all of you. I guess I couldn't call myself much of a warrior if I let those snotty pencil-pushers get to me. And you're right, they made their choice and are most likely paying the price for it. And while I would like nothing more than to rub their childish mistakes back in their own arrogant faces, there wouldn't be much else left for me to do if I did."

"And besides, knowing that my joining all of you made the UNSC and ONI's blood boil…" Michael paused as the assembled Elites worted in amusement. "…is more than enough for me." So what say you that we return this package back to the satellite, with our heads and swords raised high in triumphant. And of course I'm certain there might be a few Covenant scumbags still on that satellite that deserve a royal ass whooping."

That got the Lancers smirking in anticipation. Joram nodded in agreement as he turned back to the comm. screen. "It seems that our brothers and sisters are still blood drunk my friend. Can we count on you and the fleet to secure the Carrier?"

Hara' nodded. "I shall inform the Battlecruiser Shipmasters to gather their crews and redeploy to the enemy Carrier. They shall deal any remaining Covenant forces on that ship once you have departed." And with that, Hara's image disappeared.

"Joram, Spartan Prime; we have found something." Michael and Joram turned to see a pair of Lancers approaching…with a massive data sarcophagus hovering between them. They approached the sarcophagus, which was easily large enough to hold a suit of armor or weaponry. The outer plating was comprised of Forerunner metallic alloys, and the internal systems were powered by a hard-light energy core. Most notable was a hard light energy barrier covering what seemed to be the primary storage compartment.

"What do you make of it, Spartan Prime?" Joram questioned as the Spartan kneeled before the cargo. Michael looked over the sarcophagus with an analytical eye. "This is definitely highly advanced UNSC technology; practically top of the line." He activated the data pad and began typing at the holoscreen. "The encryption is pretty sophisticated, but I might be able to gain access to its data files; maybe find out what's so important about it that the Covenant would go to all this effort to capture it."

Joram hummed in deep thought. "The Covenant would not deploy in such large numbers simply for a thrill. The defences we faced upon our arrival shows that they were more than ready for an attack. Especially if they gained access to two Goblin battle teams with heavy escort."

Suddenly, the sarcophagus began shaking violently, causing the assembled elites to raise their weapons in readiness. The artifact ceased its pulsation for a moment…before unleashing a bright energy pulse, knocking the assembled warriors back and momentarily shorting out the Spartan and Lancers' armor and weaponry. At the same time, a concentrated beam of blue light scanned Michael from head to toe before it disappeared back into the container.

The disgruntled Lancers let out a few choice words as they pushed themselves back on their feet. Joram shook his angled head while Michael bumped his head to make sure his systems weren't too distorted from the pulse. He glanced back to the artifact…

Just as a small, light blue feminine figure appeared before them. She was dressed as a 21st Century RAF pilot with goggles and a yellowing jumpsuit. On her hips were a pair of holsters for her SAS Sig Sauer Sig 226 Pistols, one of which she twirled in her hand.

"Hello there luvs; guess the cavalry's finally here."

The assembled Sangheili and Spartan could only stare at the blue holographic figure before them. Said figure gave a humorous smirk as she placed her hand on her hip. "Came to crash a party without inviting me? How beastly of you luv, and I thought you Sangheili were beings of honour and pride."

Joram leaned forward to examine the digital woman "You are…"

The female figure saluted him. "UNSC Research and Logistics TCR-2076 Smart A.I. 'Tracer' at your service mate." the female AI saluted to the Ultra. She then turned back to the lone Spartan in the group, her eyes glazed over with relief and affection.

"It took you long enough luv, I was beginning to lose hope."

Michael looked over the holographic figure, not quite certain as to what he should say. The Spartan then took note of the A.I.'s words. "You were…waiting for me…why?"

"I've heard so much about you, what you've accomplished in your life. Both before and after your…fair trial…I can see why she wanted you to help us above anyone else."

Michael froze at her statement, noting how she said 'fair trial' with venom in her voice. "Tracer, How did you come to be in ONI's possession? Where exactly did you come from? That is, why were you stationed this far out from UNSC space, and not at a major facility such as New Amsterdam or Earth."

Tracer gave a light giggle. "Well luv, I was first created by ONI in 2552, and put into service just after the end of the Covenant War a year later. I was tasked with analysing and cataloging the Black Mamba energy pulses; gave me a few bloody migraines I'll tell ya. The UNSC wanted to see if we could find any livable planets in the system that we could colonize. They wanted me to analyse the full extended range of the energy pulses, so they would know what armor and shielding our colony ships would need while travelling through this neck in the woods."

"And then, just a few months ago, an unknown UNSC ship arrived and dropped off some cargo for the crew to analyse. Left without even explaining what the cargo was. So I may have decided to…take a little peak at what was under the wrapping. And boy was I surprised to find another Artificial Intelligence; but she didn't seem that annoyed that I was trying to peak into her business. As it turned out, she was more than friendly enough to allow me access to her files. Most of which included quite a number of runes and hieroglyphics recovered from the Forerunner ruins on Gracemaria."

Michael and Joram's eyes widened in surprise but they remained silent, prompting the A.I. to continue. "She had been tasked with analysing and cataloging the Forerunner runes and symbols located throughout the North and South Ionian continents. A lot of the uncovered ruins were damaged and too eroded to construct a clear transcript. But some of the runes were still translatable, including those describing how the Forerunners first discovered Gracemaria so long ago. They had built massive metropolises, ship construction and repair yards, as well as civilian and military facilities."

Tracer's voice had risen in excitement as she spoke, but then seemed to mellow out. "But ONI, the Gracemarian branch that is, didn't care for all that. They only cared for whether or not there was any technology that was still accessible in or under the ruins. Some wanted it to help fight the Covenant, give humanity a chance to stem the tide. But that still wasn't enough, not for them…not for her! Oohh how she would go on and on about some bloody old wanker named Stauffer and how she kept going on about cleaning her tracks so to speak."

"Stauffer?" Michael interrupted the A.I.'s tirade, "As in…Colonel Jocelyn Stauffer."

"That's the name." Tracer frowned in discontent. "The poor thing had been tasked by Stauffer to decipher the runes to see if they could lead her to what she called 'The Great Temple'."

"And she would do anything to attain something that could boost her authority and power." Michael's voice was raw with discontent.

Tracer nodded grimly, "She managed to sway some of the scientists and anthropologists to her side, and eliminated anyone who disobeyed her. She even used her authority to raise her own unit of 'Spartans' – not that they could be called that. More like bloody psychopathic guns for hire. Trained and raised from birth to become Jocelyn's hounds, obedient to her above all others. They would even turn on their own if ordered to."

"She referred to them as Harbingers, though a lot of people simply called them…"

"Abominations."

The venom in Joram's voice made the very air turn cold. The other Sangheili growled and twitched as their anger reached a point that equaled that of their brother. But for all there righteous rage, Michael's fury towards the Harbingers easily outshone theirs.

"You've faced them before, haven't you?" Tracer's voice seemed saddened as she spoke. Her gaze was solely on the Spartan before her. "The A.I. told me what they could and would do. And how you suffered so much for it…your comrades, teammates…family."

Michael clenched his armored fist in anger. He remembered all too well what the Harbingers had done before, during and after the Covenant invasion. One time he came across the remains of a UNSC Marine training facility. All of the men had been brutally ripped apart…and the women beaten and raped until they were completely broken. A similar fate was dealt upon a civilian refugee camp, with all the men slaughtered and the women and children raped and beaten. The same fate befell all those who faced the Harbingers, including Michael's close childhood friend and fellow Marine…and later girlfriend/fiancé.

So was the reputation of the appropriately called Abominations. They laid waste to anyone who stood in their way, be they UNSC or Covenant. There were witnesses who claimed that a group of Harbingers watched from a distance as an entire Marine Battalion was wiped out by Covenant artillery and gunships…and openly laughed and chatted like they were watching the still popular Earth Super Bowl.

Michael eventually encountered one of the Harbingers on the final day of the Battle for Gracemaria. Michael was part of a joint Spartan-ODST strike force tasked with destroying a Covenant jamming-teleportation tower. Once it was down, the UNSC could launch a coordinated assault against the Covenant forces in space and on the ground. But they were ambushed by a Harbinger on route to the target, with all but Michael lying dead within minutes. After a brutal fight, the lone Spartan II.5 managed to destroy the Covenant tower's power core…before throwing the Harbinger into said power core when he tried to strike him from behind. There was nothing left of the dark hunter after the explosion.

"…Tell me…how do you know all this? I thought ONI A.I. weren't allowed to share classified information, in case one of you were captured by an enemy party."

Tracer let out a cute, but mournful sigh. "When the Covenant arrived on Gracemaria, they learned that ONI had deciphered some of the Forerunner hieroglyphics. They hit the ONI Headquarters with an orbital strike, wiping almost all of the Harbingers out before they even left their laboratory. During the strike, a Covenant plasma round hit and damaged a nearby Forerunner structure, which sent a power fluctuation throughout the facility's structure. The A.I. was downloading the last of the decrypted Forerunner runes into a Forerunner sarcophagus; a 'life pod' if you will. That's when the energy pulse hit, causing the sarcophagus to malfunction. Some of the runes were downloaded into her matrix, causing her to go into temporary shutdown. Turns out my attempts to peak into her matrix file managed to jump start her power core. Since then, she downloaded and documented everything she had deciphered into my matrix. Including the data from the Forerunner memory core, dating back nearly one hundred thousand years before humanity took to the stars."

"But it was too much for her. Between the back lash from the energy pulse and having to download so much information, her matrix had become increasingly unstable. The poor lass had entered an advanced form of rampancy, and she only had months if not weeks before she broke down completely. So she began downloading all of the data into my data chip for safe keeping. Once that was finished, she sent out a distress beacon in hopes that the information would reach the right hands."

"Let me guess" Michael spoke up, "the Covenant intercepted the message and arrived here first."

Tracer nodded. "Got it in one, big guy. She had just finished downloading the data into the sarcophagus when the Covenant arrived. The satellite security managed to hold off the boarding parties for a while, but it was only a matter of time. Fortunately, your fleet managed to pick up her message, and she was ecstatic to learn that you were still a full fledge member of the Nor'illema Warrior Clan." Tracer looked up at the Spartan as she spoke. "And before you ask luv, she was keeping track of your history before and after joining the Nor'illema since she first arrived here. Seems you made quite the impression, considering what you've accomplished before and after your discharge from the UNSC."

Michael frowned behind his helmet. "I take it that the other AI didn't survive the final transfer before you were brought aboard this ship." Tracer's silence was all Michael needed to hear; yet another innocent life snuffed out as a result of Stauffer's ambitions for power.

"Tell me, construct" Joram spoke up, "when this other A.I. spoke to you, did they provide in-depth information about the Abominations and their maker?"

The construct's downcast expression was instantly replaced with a fierce grin. "I've got better than that, luv. Seems Stauffer was a little too trusting with her security system. My counterpart managed to download every single detailed file she had on her personal computer. I've got not just all the Forerunner runes and scriptures, as well as all the background data on Storm Shadow, but also every known Forerunner structures on the other planets attacked by the Covenant before Gracemaria. Plus, the bloody grouch had intentionally leaked the coordinates of a few Inner Colonies to the Covenant, in hopes that her dirty dealings would be covered up for good. And, for the topper, I have all of Stauffer's past and current dealings within the Insurrectionist factions throughout the entire Inner Colonies."

"…"

Michael could only let out a heartfelt "Jesus Christ" as his mind whirled at the mother-load of information he and his comrades had just uncovered. There were of courses rumors and speculations of Stauffer's dealings. But this was way beyond what anyone could've imagined. She had willingly compromised the locations of so many planets, doomed millions upon millions of innocent lives, all for the sake of covering up her own fucked up projects and operations. Hell, this kind of shit made Dr. Catherine Halsey and her SPARTAN-II Program seem like the workings of a holy saint in comparison.

There was absolutely no need for debate. This was way bigger than a mere smash and grab. This was a matter of intergalactic security.

"Diana, please tell me you recorded that?"

"Every word Michael." The Amazonian AI appeared from a nearby holotable, her face showing her shock and shame "I knew that ONI had become corrupot over the past few years. But by Hera…"

Tracer jumped at the appearance of the Amazonian A.I., taking but a moment to analyse her before her eyes and mouth widened in surprise. "Blimey! You're a Combat AI aren't you? How the blankety blank did you end up with this lot luv?"

Diana merely crossed her arms and gave a knowing smirk. "Well, someone had to keep an eye on our residential Spartan; who knows what sort of trouble he would find himself in. I certainly hope my presence doesn't bother you."

"Are ya kidding? The more the merrier I say! Though you probably already know this…name's Tracer, pleasure to meet ya luv."

"And I am Diana, it is a pleasure to meet you as well."

"Well at least they're getting along just fine" Michael shrugged at the Ultra. "A good thing too; I'm not sure if we have the time for a cat fight right now."

"OI! I'm not that bad mate!"

"Don't worry, he's only kidding. And he'd better make sure to not make any puns about this until after we finish this mission. Understood?"

Michael rose his hands in surrender as he turned to Joram. "We have to get to that satellite; once we clear out the Covenant, we can use its communication array to send a message to the UNSC. We can share everything we have about Stauffer and get ready for any Covenant reinforcements at the same time.

Joram nodded as he spoke into his helmet comm. "This is War Master Joram to all members of the Nor'illema Clan. Raptor, Choral, there's been a change in plans. Return to the hanger and prepare the Lich's for immediate departure. We have recovered an artifact that possesses knowledge of the human Stauffer and her Abominations."

"We are aware, Joram. The artifact linked with our comm.'s just before she shared her tale." Choral's voice was low, his anger turning his words into deep growls.

"Cursed Abominations" Raptor's hatred could easily be heard, along with several other Rangers and Spec Ops listening in over their comm. "They'll pay for what they did to our brothers and sisters on Gracemaria."

"Well, I dare say that the vote is unanimous." Michael turned to the female A.I. "Miss Tracer, I realize that this is only our first meeting, but I'm afraid you'll need to vacate the premises until we can find you much better accommodations."

Tracer's smile faltered for a moment before she nodded. "I understand perfectly, Michael. Just pull my chip and let's get the bloody hell out of here."

Michael nodded as he leaned forward and pulled the data-crystal from the sarcophagus, causing Tracer's image to disappear, and loaded it into his left wrist-mounted 'Artemis-I' unit (Halo 5 reference). He then typed a few commands on the data pad, causing the sarcophagus to whirl and shift as it shrank into a small, rectangular data pack.

"Hmmm, oh blimey this feels so good luv." Tracer's voice rang out in his helmet. "Now I know what Diana gets to experience every time she does this. I'll admit I was nervous about this a moment ago; now I'm bloody envious of her right now."

"Just try not to get too used to it. I still want my Spartan back when you're done with him…unless you intend to share him."

"Who knows luv; maybe I do."

Michael and Joram shared a chuckle at the A.I.s' conversation, with the Ultra turning back to his fellow Elites. "Then let us go forth my friends. While our Fleet secures our latest prize and readies it for redeployment, we shall go to the human satellite and finish what we set out to do. We shall secure the second artifact, reveal all that that cursed wretch has done to our people and her own, and send her and her followers into the fires of damnation…FOREVER!"

The Elites bellowed out loud and raised their Binary Rifles and Energy Swords in excitement and anticipation for what they assumed would be the last battle for the day.

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Here's the second chapter of the third attempt at this story. I'm really hoping it works out better than my last two posts.

Please Read & Review.