Disclaimer: I don't own anything from either the Halo or Mass Effect universes. Sadly I probably don't even have the claim over Karen because though I created her, she is everything Commander Shepard from the game is. As always enjoy and please feel free to leave a review.

Author's Note: Firstly I want to thank everyone for the reviews, good and bad. They really help me keep working on this story when life has me down. I'm happy so many of you seem to like it so far, continue to let me know your opinions on it. Secondly I apologize for the massive amount of time it took for this chapter to get posted. Apparently the manager that works opposite of me doesn't want hours, so I work more than I would like sometimes. That and I can't shake this damned depression that has me by the balls. Holidays and grandparents in bad health doesn't help either. A new years resolution though is to spend more time on this story, for the pleasure of all of you. As always enjoy the read and feel compelled to leave a review.

P.S. If anything in this chapter seems out of place it's because I made it a little shorter than I wanted to. I just wanted to get it out so the momentum picks back up....I hope. Regardless it will all come together in the next chapter or two I promise.

Bradley McCloud: Thanks for the warning but I would like to hope I won't be singled out for this when TONS of other authors do the same thing. However I'll hope the nice people of Fanfiction would warn me before deciding to punish me.

The Silent Orion: I didn't give that much thought to be honest. However if we can all assume that ALL humans/forerunners/protheans in the universe were killed except for a few on earth, then we can assume that NO buildings survived and they devolved into cavemen. From there it is simply that they had different thoughts as they grew and advanced. :)

Wolfkey13: That really all depends on if Chief gets comfortable enough to take off his helmet. He did that how often between the books/games?

Punk Rocker Fairy: That is a little too predictable isn't it? Or is it?....

Rogue Ordo-Fett: I'm glad you like the strong silent type of Chief I do and I want to try to keep him like that for awhile. However a main piece of this story will be his adapting to a new universe where he is a Spec Ops guy with no rules to obey.

grasshopper named octavias: I really hope it does help. Will that count as community service?

the wizard of 619: I'm glad you approve. I wasn't sure of it until the end and I was hoping for the responses I got.

BrazeRancor: I had the same thought as I typed it, but I gave the elevator the benefit of the doubt. You know, for the sake of the story....

Lunatic Pandora1: That would involve some dismantling and reverse engineering of the MJOLNIR. John isn't going to let that happen, case and point.


John looked down disapprovingly at the multitude of weapon parts on the table before him. Cortana had explained everything to him earlier and he was at a loss. Someone, whether the late Protheans or a current Council Race, had found a way to do what the UNSC of his time had failed to do. Someone found a way to fit the power of the UNSC MAC Gun into pistols and rifles. Studying each part carefully he found himself wondering what source of power they were using to retain the force of the projectile but pack it in such a small weapon. Deciding to just have Cortana explain it to him later John went back to reassembling his weapons. As he slowly and methodically put the guns back together, piece by piece by piece, John took the time to take in every small detail of each part. 'Know your weapon.' It's one of the fundamentals taught to every Marine, and SPARTAN's were no exception. In fact John had never seen anyone take such good care of their weapon as a SPARTAN. John knew without a doubt that before the Normandy arrived at Therum he would know these guns inside and out. Several minutes later he was done assembling the last of his weapons and gave them all a once over to inspect his work. Satisfied with his work it was time to repeat the process until he could do it with his eyes closed, only then would he set to cleaning his MJOLNIR.

Karen had just spent the last thirty minutes listening to Joker and Cortana argue over calculations she couldn't even begin to comprehend concerning the Mass Relays. The ego of the best pilot in Citadel Space against the ego of an ancient Smart A.I. Whoever the winner was, Karen's sanity was sure to lose. Feeling an oncoming migraine she set off toward her room downstairs. Walking past the Mess Hall Karen noticed the Master Chief disassembling and reassembling his newly acquired weapons. 'Perfect chance for some information extraction.'

"Hey Chief, enjoying yourself?"

"Moderately" John turned his head to face her as he replied. Karen watched with intrigue as his hands continued to assemble the gun he currently held, at speeds which she knew she wouldn't be able to reach without making mistakes. The Chief however made no mistakes, and was already assembling the next gun. Once he had all his guns put together John stopped and looked at Karen, who was now sitting in the chair across the table from him. "Need something ma'am?"

"Oh, please. Don't call me ma'am or sir. You could easily rip me in half, so Shepard or Karen is fine." John said nothing but nodded in acknowledgment. Karen sighed and lowered her head for the mountain she was about to climb. It might take awhile but she swore she would get Master Chief to loosen up. Every soldier could be broken down, it was just a matter of outlasting their stubbornness to cling to the rules. The Chief was obviously a lot more set on that than most, but he had to understand that they were Spectres, and they didn't have any rules to follow.

"You do understand that you're not part of a military right now right?" Now Karen was usually a brash person who didn't think before she spoke. This time she kinda of wished she had.

"Yeah, I kind of realized that." John's voice didn't sound any different than normal, but his shoulders had drooped.

"I think I know what your problem is."

"I've been told I have a lot of problems, but go ahead."

"When is the last time you had a good fuck?" Karen asked with a grin.

"I'm sorry?" It wasn't very often that John was caught off guard by something. Back on one of his first missions to infiltrate a building to retrieve a valuable he first made contact with a Hunter, and that hadn't phased him in the slightest. Nobody had ever asked him anything close to this question, much less in such a rash and vulgar way.

"You heard me."

"I did, but I'm not quite sure I see the point."

"How long ago did you" Karen pointed at John "plow a woman?" Karen indicated her breasts as she said the last part.

"Never. I don't see how that is my problem. My sexual drive was all but killed during the augmentation process I described earlier."

Before Karen opened her mouth to respond Joker came over the Normandy's intercom system. "Commander please come up here, please! I can't take this stupid-" Joker's voice was cut off and Cortana's voice took it's place. "Just ignore him Shepard, everything is fine up front."

Karen sighed and rubbed her temples briefly before getting up and walking away, leaving John to finishing playing with his toys.

Disinfectant and oxygen floated out from the airlock as the doors slid open. As the cloud of disinfectant dispersed John's massive green form stepped out of the airlock followed by Karen and Ashley. John stepped over to the edge of the docking platform they were at and looked out. Aside from a few sky reaching pillars far in the distance nothing but a sea of clouds stretched out before the Spartan's vision.

"What did you say the name of this planet was?" Cortana asked over the MJOLNIR's external speakers.

"Feros." Karen said as she watched the airlock doors shut and lock behind them.

"Feros? Hmm, give me a second."

"Giver her a second for what?" Ashley asked John, he just shrugged in response. A second later Cortana's voice returned to the speakers.

"Feros, colonized in 2178 by the ExoGeni Corporation. The surface is covered with Prothean ruins which, while in good condition, are pretty unstable. The only colony is Zhu's Hope, funded by ExoGeni, which get it's water from Prothean aqueducts which get their water from the polar caps."

"Great, a real thinking, talking, showoff of an encyclopedia" Karen sighed and waved her hand around dramatically. "What else can you do?" she added sarcastically.

"I can tell you to take cover because your about to get shot at" Cortana said smugly as several bullets flew through the air past the three of them. Both women dove behind a few barrels sitting along the side of the pathway they stood on. John looked down as a bullet impacted with his shields and dissipated. "Cortana?"

"Your shields are built a bit different than the ones in this era Chief. Your's was made to stop plasma and bigger projectiles, they can withstand more than what you were used to against the Covenant."

John committed the new knowledge to memory and brought his rifle to level. His helmet, linked to his new toys, clicked and zoomed in to two times magnification. In the split second before he squeezed the rifle's trigger he took notice that the Geth were indeed very robotic. John's vision was filled with an exploding head and a shower of sparks as the attackers body crumpled to the ground with a clang. The two remaining Geth shared a brief look and began a slow walk toward their green target while firing. John took aim again quickly downed one of the remaining Geth with a short burst of fire. He turned his attention to the last but only to see it ripped in two from a short range shotgun blast.

"I love dispensing revenge!" Ashley shouted at the corpse of the Geth she just blew to pieces.

"Alright pack it up Williams, lets go."

"Those things were pretty agile for robots."

"As much as any other Human or Turian or whatever" Karen replied as the three walked down the pathway toward Zhu's Hope. They were stopped by a man who was walking toward them quickly.

"Excuse me, are you Commander Shepard?" The man was huffing, obviously out of breathe.

"Depends on whose asking."

"My name is David, I'm only here because Fai Dan wanted to speak with you."

"The leader of Zhu's Hope?" Cortana asked through John's external speakers. David looked slightly taken aback by the comment, though John wasn't sure if it was from Cortana knowing the answer or because a feminine voice came from his large frame.

"Yes he would like to talk to you" David gestured in the direction of the colony.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll see him" Karen said while walking past him. "It's where we were heading anyways."

As John followed behind Karen and Ashley, winding their way through the run down settlement, he felt a tad bit more comfortable there. It was probably due to the reactions he was getting, the uneasy cautiousness he was accustomed to. While he was amidst his own thoughts they had found their way to Fai Dan.

"You're Commander Shepard I take it?" Fai Dan asked directly.

"Yeah. The savior of all who want help for free" Karen said sarcastically. She followed up with "like I have a damned choice" under her breath.

"Yes well we could really use your help with a small Geth problem."

"As long as it's something worthwhile, like destroying Geth, thats fine. You're going to give me access to the Skyway in return though."

"Of course Commander Shepard. There is a small Geth outpost near the Skyway elevator, destroy them and the Skyway is all yours."

"Skyway?" John asked.

"Highway in the sky Chief" Cortana replied matter of factly.

"Why do I get the feeling you're making fun of me Cortana?" Her only response was a giggle. Their short little argument was broadcast over the MJOLNIR's external speakers though, leaving Fai Dan looking on confused.

"Is he, she, it talking to itself?"

"Forget it" Karen said and began walking away. "It's a long story. Lets go guys."

John and Ashley walked up the stair like ramps toward the Skyway behind a whistling Karen. John silently questioned himself about the fact that she was making such noise as they neared an enemy outpost. However Karen was obviously not concerned about it, so he dismissed it.

"Chief there-" Cortana started to say something, but John already knew the reason.

"I noticed." John tapped Karen on the shoulder to get her attention, hoping to inform her that nearby Geth were jamming his radar. Karen however simply turned to face him, winked, and resumed her whistling. Seconds later John watched as a grey blur leapt across the ceiling.

"Got you, you sneaky bastard!" Karen held an outstretched hand as the leaping Geth was suspended in the air. She turned to John and smiled "want to see something cool?" John simply shrugged in reply. Karen turned her attention back to the Geth and ripped it apart, sending pieces flying every which way.

"Impressive" Cortana said in awe. "Chief you don't think I could talk you into-"

"I think my body has been altered enough Cortana."

"OK, OK." Cortana sighed "I just figured that if it was possible-"

"Drop it" John said bluntly.

"Alright quit bitching" Karen stepped in, hoping to quiet them. "I think that Geth outpost is at the end of this corridor."

"Why do you think that Shepard?" Ashley asked.

"Oh I don't know" Karen answered and rolled her eyes. "Maybe the Geth walking around by that portable military cover." Looking down the corridor there, sure enough, was a few Geth, who luckily weren't looking their way.

"I think the best step here is to" Cortana started but was cutoff by the sound of a gunshot.

"No time" Karen said and took another shot. As soon as the first shot was fired John had leveled his rifle and fired several bursts into a Geth that was reaching for it's weapon. After the first two Geth dropped John got his first look at a fiercer type of Geth.

"Juggernaut!" Ashley yelled and pointed as it walked into view. John stared up at the hulking, eleven foot tall, red Geth. The Juggernauts red eye light affixed itself on the three of them as it fired its weapon.

"Move!" Karen shouted and shoved Ashley before leaping to the side herself. John was a little closer to the wall than them and didn't have much room to run. The rocket that was fired landed almost squarely at his feet and flung him back the way they had come, his shields flaring as he hit the ground and slid a few feet. Ashley watched John go flying and land before stumbling to her feet. Once on her feet she bent over to grab her rifle and as she grabbed it was hit by the large shoulder of the Juggernaut.

Karen shook her ringing head as she sat up from the blast of the rocket. As her disorientation began to fade she looked around for her rifle. It was found quickly, but her double vision made it take several attempts to grab it. Karen grasped the weapon and pushed herself to her feet, leaning against the wall for support. No sooner did she reach her feet then she was lifted off of them by the Juggernaut. Looking into the eye of the large Geth Karen cursed her showboating. She would normally just use her Biotics to destroy the giant pest, but ripping that hopper apart to impress John had given her one hell of a migraine.

"Wake up Chief, you've taken much worse spills than that" Cortana spoke inside John's head to rouse the Spartan.

"I'm fine" John replied checking his shields. "The gel can still take an impact I see" John commented as the Hydrostatic Gel inside his armor depressurized.

"That's great chief but the Geth is still up." John grabbed the shotgun off his back, deciding not to waste time looking for his discarded rifle, only to realize it had shattered under his bulk since he had landed on his back. Guessing his pistol wasn't going to bring the Juggernaut down John rose to his feet and ran toward it, hoping his augmented body was stronger than the Geths.