A/N: Everything might be getting a lot slower for updating. I've got a very busy time coming up, but I'll update when I can. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter; unlike the updating the story will be speeding up. Keep it up! And Enjoy!

Copyrights to the Halo Universe belongs to Bungie and Microsoft.

Chapter 3: Preparations And Illusions

0154 Hours, September 23, 2552(Military Calendar)/Aboard Unknown Covenant Cruiser, Location Unknown.

Lieutenant Canias woke early next morning thanks to dreams haunted by former comrades and their last moments. Cold Sweat tinted his fatigues as he went search of Tamerai.

I decided to stray into the corridor when something weird happened "I see you've woken up, Tamerai is in the room onwards to the door on your right." came a voice from the walls around me. I panicked slightly, the voice sounded menacing. "She will be pleased" The menace tint grew thicker. It made me more nervous.

"Who are you?" I asked, looking around trying to find the source of the voice. Then it clicked, it was an AI speaking. I calmed down suddenly. The AI voice became less menacing as it spoke, sounding slightly disappointed.

"Tamerai is waiting for you." the Ai continued, ignoring the question. So I crushed my curiosity and followed the direction given to me from the foreign AI.

I came to a cavernous room, the walls lined with weaponry for every mission ever crazily made-up by the ONI or the UNSC brass. Human and Covenant weapons alike hung on every inch of the wall. His footsteps echoed repeatedly as I walked. I came to a section of the walls that were filled with melee weapons. They looked as ancient as time itself with hieroglyphs carved into the metallic stone. Glowing swords like the energy blades he saw before when he was still an Ensign. Many other wondrous objects lining the walls of the supposable entrance room glowed with soft colors and hummed lightly. I was entranced in awe. As I reached the end of the room, my instincts, which had kept me alive for so long, pricked up. I knew I wasn't alone anymore. I turned searching the room for the culprit. It was then that I caught a glimpse of something in the corner of my eye. I instinctively reached for my holster, I realized it was empty, I cursed quietly, bumping against the far wall. I grabbed a Plasma Pistol from the wall, I righted it and scanned the room. Nothing. The I heard a footfall from behind, my adrenaline spiked. I spun on my heel, forgetting the plasma pistol clattering on the floor, caught a neck and pushed it into a headlock. Finally looking downwards I saw that I caught Tamerai as she giggled almost uncontrollably, meaning that she thought she'd accomplished her goal of scaring the shit out of him. Slowly letting go, Tamerai straightened and turned, wiping a tear of laughter, with a smile plastered on her face. Distantly I could her that damn AI chortling away in the background. It was clearly in on the surprise.

"Good evening, or should I say morning." confusing herself, she shook her head and carried on. "I see that you slept well seeing your quick reflexes. Sorry about the scare, but the temptation was too much. Anyway, I would like you to accompany me during my morning training session."

"OK, as long as the Covenant don't try to kill me again." I replied jokingly. Waiting to hear a small giggle from Tamerai. When I got none, I looked up to find Tamerai on hands and knees, looking for something. Rising with a pair of what looked like cheaply made boots from Terra that seemed like they were centuries old. Then quietly waiting I slipped deep into my thoughts.

I was playing King-Of-The-Hill with my big brother and some other kids from school, and yet again, my brother was winning. He always won. It was mayhem; I scrambled up the side of the hill, the bright sun beating down on me. The light breeze swirled around me and the other kids, sending the loose sandy grit into the air, slightly stinging my cuts and bruises. A tiny fist flung out at me, smacking me in the nose forcing me to lose my balance, and to tumble back down to the base of the hill. Then a strange lady came out of nowhere and asked to talk to my brother who went off with her for a few minutes. I knew something was up. I followed them quietly, and watched as the lady flipped a really old coin, she said it was a game. And yet again, my brother won. The lady gave him the coin and walked in my direction, she had clearly not spotted me yet. I dived into a nearby bush as the lady walked past. I watched her for a few minutes as she walked back up the hill. Then emerging from the bush with sticks and leaves stuck to my t-shirt, I carried on playing with my brother.

"This way... come on, we've only got the gym to ourselves for half an hour before the Unggoy, I mean Grunts arrive and you don't want to be around there when they try shooting with Needlers and Plasma Rifles." she called as she was already out the door, jogging on the spot, waiting for me.

Following Tamerai disappearing around the corners, I reached the gym in a matter of minutes, running half the ship's length. The Gym itself was enormous, so big that you couldn't see the other end, letting it give off as an endless void. There were punching bags, targets for aiming practice, some still had unexploded needler rounds shoved into them, strange spheres, probably simulation stations, even empty rooms some with walls lined with basic Covenant weaponry probably stealth and Hand-to-Hand combat training areas.

"Come on, don't stand there all morning gawking, get some training armor on. I'm sure the Neophyte armor will fit you, it works for me." Tamerai called across the Gym as she hurled some small purple armor at me, coming dangerously close to his head. As I put on the armor of the young elite warrior, it just didn't feel right, not just the armor and it's fitting, everything, walking unharmed and unarmed around a Covenant Cruiser which had most likely glassed a number of human colony planets, strangely finding a forerunner, who, if his eavesdropping information was correct, who's race should of died millions of years ago. Even worse, he hadn't seen any Covenant at all except the corridors from the laboratory. Never mind. He pushed that series of thoughts to the back of his mind.

"You're wasting time, hurry up!" Tamerai yelled impatiently as I finished putting on the last of the armor plates, quickly jogged over to where Tamerai was waiting.

"Finally…" she exaggeratedly sighed "Carrying on, I would like you to go through one training sessions with me, if it gets too had tell me, I'll let you have a rest to regain your strength." Tamerai instructed, going straight to business. I followed her to a pair of punching bags. The one I was standing next to looked considerably lighter and softer.

"I shall demonstrate then I would like you to try." she said. I then found out why that white Elite in the Laboratory had fear in his voice. As Tamerai became a flurry of movement, elegance and beauty in every punch, kick or movement as she tore through the punching bag. If she were in hand-to-hand combat she would be deadly. Suddenly there was a thump of the punching bag hitting the floor, revealing the solid metal center. She had ripped through Styrofoam-like material, titanium and the leather-tough fabric in a matter of seconds like it was jelly.

"Now you try." Tamerai said, looking at me and the other punching bag. I stepped forward nervously and began the training that would either save his life or kill him quietly.

*****

Far away, outside the Covenant Cruiser, Forgotten Hope, all the way to the ruins of Alpha Halo, something stirred, breaking the silence of space. The Creature knew it was alive, the chosen one, the one who would save all the lives in the galaxy. And it had to stop it.