1610 HOURS, APRIL 14, 2553 (MILITARY CALENDAR) \ ABOAR CAPTURED COVENANT VESSEL CORRUPT HEART \ EN ROUTE TO HARVEST SYSTEM
The ship had entered slipspace as soon as they detected Sean's move. "What the hell is in the Harvest system?" Fred asked once he'd been briefed.
"You're guess is as good as ours Fred." James said as he performed a quick routine check on the systems of the ship.
"Actually, I believe I may have some insight to this recent conundrum." Rick interjected into the situation. "There is an abandoned research facility in orbit around Harvest, a select few know about it. I believe that his rescuer or rescuers is taking him there."
"Being saved by a bunch of ONIs, I doubt Sean was happy about that." Will said checking weapons and weapons systems.
"I'll go get Kate." Fred said as he began to leave.
"Hold it." Linda said stopping him. "We'll wake her up once we're finished with the jump, she's been awake for three days now and she needs rest. I know I promised to keep her posted, but I'm concerned for her safety that a lack of sleep could endanger her."
"I agree, I have been monitoring her the past few days and have noticed a lag in her movements and personality due to her lack of sleep." The Arbiter said. "Any more sleep deprivation will present a major hazard should we need her in combat. Now, about this research facility."
"Ah, yes, the station." Rick said as he brought up a file on it. "It was made by a company as the first research station in the history of mankind. It has since been renovated and enlarged and was since abandoned when Harvest was invaded. I theorize that the person or persons in question have been using it has a base."
"Yea, but just who are they?" Fred asked as Rick announced they only had fifteen minutes 'til regular space.
1616 HOURS, April 14, 2553 (MILITARY CALENDAR) \ ORBITAL STATION FRUITCAKE IN ORBIT AROUND HARVEST \ MEDICAL WING
He awoke to a bright light as he shielded his eyes from it. "Oh good, you're awake." He heard Kelly's voice say as she finished inserting a tube into his wrist.
"No, it's not good that he's awake, he should be asleep regardless of the hyper sleep we put him in aboard the ship." He heard Dr. Halsey say as he could feel his lightheadedness slowly disappear and the rest of his body felt a little better. "There, that should make up for the blood loss you've suffered over the past week. Though the fact that you lost that much just proves how brutal Covenant torture is."
"Please don't remind me." He said as he attempted to wake up but a sharp pain in his shoulder caused him to fall back down and clutch it.
"That wound is next on my list, it hasn't been properly treated and if I don't move now you might receive permanent damage to the muscle there. Now just relax and think of something else." She told him as she removed his armor around it and went to work.
***
Sean sat up as instructed and felt the bondage strip on it. "Now don't overexert yourself like you normally do." She told him as he armored back up.
"Don't worry ma'am, I won't." He reassured her.
"That's what you always say, and then you go and screw it up again. It's a wonder how little damage you've done to your body." She marveled at him. "Now, please follow me." She instructed him as he got up and carried his helmet with him. "Doctor, just where are we?" He asked her with great intrigue.
"Ah, this place is a Science orbital research station, the first ever built, and it's been our base of operations ever since we left.
"This station was built to further research as well as human technology back in 2068. It originally orbited the Earth, but as we advanced further outward, and the company grew more cautious, it was moved to Harvest system a year after its discovery.
"Now, we have no knowledge of whatever the hell happened in this place, but one thing we are certain of is its vast array of technology." She said as the elevator halted, allowing the doors to open as Kelly greeted them sitting in one of the specially crafted seats she had made for herself. "Welcome to the bridge Sean." She said happily as he looked around. He was about to ask her a question when a blinking red light caught her attention. "Inbound Covenant ship exiting from slipspace." She warned them as the doctor took her seat and Sean stood over her shoulder. "Scanning now…….odd."
"What is it Kelly?" Dr. Halsey asked her.
"There are only six life forms aboard the ship's bridge. As well as what seems to be an AI." The blinking light turned blue as Kelly began to worry. "CRAP! They found us!"
"Relax Kelly." Sean said putting a hand on her shoulder. "They're friendlies."
1623 HOURS, APRIL 14, 2553 (MILITARY CALENDAR) \ ABOARD CAPTURED COVENANT VESSEL CORRUPT HEART EN ROUTE TO ORBITAL STATION FRUITCAKE \ COMMAND BRIDGE
"Alright, let's find out just who these people are." Fred said with his arms crossed as he stood before the communication screen.
"Sending the signal now." Rick told them.
"Not before they could scan us." Will interjected.
"We're on the same side, like it matters." Fred said back to him. "Besides, the low number will help justify that, now let's get them on main screen."
"Establishing a COM link now." Linda said as everyone looked towards the view screen and saw a woman with graying hair and a few wrinkles, but they all recognized her just the same as they all stood and saluted. "Well this is a surprise." The doctor said in astonishment as she saw her Spartans in front of her. "And who's the elite hiding in the back?" She asked as the Arbiter materialized.
'How'd she know?' He wondered to himself as he knelt down. "I am the Arbiter; it is a pleasure to meet the mother of my companions."
"Wait, if you're there," Linda began, "then shouldn't-"
"Hey guys!" Kelly said as she came into view from the side of Dr. Halsey with a face of happiness. "Don't worry, we got Sean here also." She said as she dragged him in front of the screen.
"We can reminisce later." Rick interjected. "I'm detecting another Covenant cruiser approaching. It's in our best interest that we head into the station at once!"
"Understood." Dr. Halsey said as they all saw a large opening appear in space. "Dock in the hangar and come up to our level on the bridge, and be quick about it." The transmission cut out.
"You heard the lady, set us down inside Rick." James ordered as the AI obeyed and turned the ship towards the opening and they felt the ship lurch forward. "ETA in three minutes at 150% engines output, that's as best as I can push it without risking a meltdown."
"Good. I'll be right back." Fred said as he left the bridge. He then opened up a private channel once he was sure nobody could hear him. "Hey Kate, wake up, we found him." He said into the helmet as he got no response. "Hello?" He was about to try again when he saw her pop out from the corner and sprint towards the bridge. The doors parted and she ran in and noticed the screen was blank.
***
"Alright, let's go roll out the red carpet." Sean said as he began to leave but stopped upon hearing Dr. Halsey clear her throat. "Something up?"
"Yes," she said as she got up and walked over to him, "please do not do anything stupid. Namely reopening your injury or touching anything on this station."
"You got it."
"I don't think you do. This is a serious matter, if the AI were to be reactivated on this station,"
"All hell would break loose." Kelly finished the doctor's statement.
"Precisely." She said as she pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose.
"OK, I get it, I know what to do." He reassured her stepping onto the elevator. "Now let's go."
1630 HOURS, APRIL 14, 2553 (MILITARY CALENDAR) \ ABOARD RESEARCH CENTER FRUITCAKE IN ORBIT AROUND HARVEST \ CORRIDOR C-17
Dr. Halsey was observing the hangar camera through her data pad and once they had landed inside she sealed up it up and repressurized the hangar to make it breathable. They then walked into the hangar to find the bottom of the ship to open up and drop a platform that slowly sectioned itself into a staircase. Sean became overcome with joy as he saw Kate rush down them and he ran to meet her. She immediately jumped into his arms as they hugged each other and shared a short kiss. "I missed you so much." He said remembering the days of torture he'd endured, all in the hopes of seeing her again.
"I have too." She said as she saw him cringe in pain. "What is it?"
"He did exactly what I told him not to do." Dr. Halsey said as she smacked the foolish Spartan in the back of the head. "Aggravated his shoulder."
"Dr. Halsey!" Kate exclaimed in joy as she saw Kelly right behind her. "It's so good to see you guys again!"
"Same here." Kelly said as the rest of the crew vacated the ship.
"Hey, Sean." Fred yelled from the stairs holding the katana. "You dropped this." He said tossing it to him.
"I'll be more careful next time." Sean said as he sheathed it. The Arbiter then finally stepped out and his eyes seemed to pop out of their sockets when he saw both the doctor and Kelly. "Wait a unit, you're-!"
"Yes Arbiter, it's good to see you again." Everyone else fell silent.
"Wait a sec, you two have met before?" Will asked a bit puzzled.
"Indeed, it was only a few of your earth months ago." The Arbiter confirmed.
"It's time I told you all just why I left you. Please, follow me to the lounge; there we will discuss this matter."
***
Dr. Halsey sat there in her chair as Kelly and the Arbiter stood behind her on both sides. The remainder of the Spartans stood in an even row before her with Rick back inside Sean's armor. "Ok then, where to begin?" The doctor asked herself as she took a sip of coffee. "Ah, now I know. This takes place roughly a day or two after I left.
0050 HOURS, SEPTEMBER 20, 2552 (MILITARY CALENDAR) \ ABOARD DECOMISSIONED CHIOPTERA-CLASS VESSEL \ EN ROUTE TO SANGHELIOS VIA SLIPSPACE
Dr. Halsey sat at the command chair as Spartan-087, Kelly, walked through the doors behind her. "So ma'am," she began as she rubbed her eyes with one hand and held her helmet with the other, "mind telling me one more time what we're doing?"
"Fine, if you insist." She said as she rotated the chair around to face her chosen Spartan. "Rumors are going around about the elites being replaced after the near destruction of their entire fleet by the explosion from their supply ship. A race called the brutes, are being fitted to take their place. It is our job to feed this and turn the elites to our side and enact a coup to destroy the rest of the Covenant."
"How do you know they won't just blow us out of the sky the second we show up?" Kelly inquired a bit questioningly.
"Because, I've managed to get a source in there." The doctor replied slyly as Kelly's mouth dropped.
"You're kidding! You convinced an elite to join you?!" She asked in pure shock. Dr. Halsey simply smiled at her as she turned around and the ship exited slipspace. The elite home world came into view as a single ship was there waiting. A single elite popped up on the transmission screen. "You are the one they call Doctor Halsey I presume." He asked.
"Yes I am, it's a pleasure to finally meet you Arbiter." She replied calmly.
"Likewise my human comrade. We will have your ship dock in our hangar and escort you personally to our capital." With that the transmission ended and Kelly's jaw looked as though it was about to be dislocated. "Unbelievable, simply unbelievable." She said in astonishment. "And exactly how have you convinced him to join us?"
"Simple; he was disgraced by the brutes and the Covenant, so naturally he would like to join a resistance against it. He's been trying to convince the others to join us and they're starting to come around." They then suddenly felt the ship lurch forward as they were surrounded by a lavender beam of light as Kelly slipped her helmet on. Within minutes, they were on board the ship and were greeted by the Arbiter as they exited the ship. "Please, come." He said as he gestured for them to follow.
They followed him through a maze of corridors and rooms as he took them to the control bridge. All along the way they saw elites just about everywhere, occasionally a grunt or two, all of them looked at them with mixed looks, but none of them raised a weapon. "I have arranged for us to meet with the council of higher ups and attempt to convince them of our plan." The Arbiter said as they stepped onto a lift. "I have been working them over the past few days and I believe today will be the day we convince them." He told them triumphantly as the lift halted and they arrived on the bridge. "I just need to make one final preparation and then we shall be off." He told them as he punched in a few commands and what appeared to be a confirmation message showed on the screen.
"Excellent, they are ready for us." He said as he led them back to the lift, and eventually the hangar once more as they entered his personal phantom. The ship took off out of the hangar and turned sharply downward as it entered the atmosphere and approached the elite capital. It touched down just outside the front gates of the capitol building as the three exited the ship and the guards immediately drew there plasma rifles. "Identify yourselves and the manner of your visit!" The first shouted.
"I am the Arbiter, and I have permission to speak with the higher ups, now please let me through." Ordinarily, he would've been tested by DNA and such, but the armor he bared signified his identity, so they allowed him to enter without another word. "Ah, Arbiter, a pleasure to see you again." The elite leader known as Quila' Falamee said from his throne as he gestured for them to enter.
"Your Excellency." The Arbiter said as he knelt before them. Dr. Halsey and Kelly showed the same gesture. "Please, rise." Falamee instructed them as they did so. "To what honor do I bestow this visit?"
"I believe you know the intent of my visit Excellency." The Arbiter replied. He knew Falamee was fully aware of the manner of the visit.
"Ah, yes, your talk of us joining the humans in an effort to destroy the Prophets." Falamee said as he scratched the bottom of his mandibles in thought. "Please, continue."
"Well your Excellency," Dr. Halsey began, "our leaders believe that with your assistance, we can end this war within a matter of months. We've also seen a few changes in how some of the captured soldiers react to one another."
"As you know well," the Arbiter began, "the brutes are going from a simple reinforcement to replacing us in the Covenant army. I have seen time and time again their abusive ways against our kind in particular on the field."
"It's true." Dr. Halsey chimed in. "The brute POWs that I've seen have often ordered elites to do the work for them on the field, and have nearly killed those who disobey."
"I've even witnessed a few beaten to death for fun. If you do not believe me, then observe." The Arbiter said as a projection was shown before them all in the middle of the room. It was his own recording of him observing from the field. An elite walked up to two brutes that looked enraged at him. It tried to speak, but was met with a powerful punch to the face. Grunts and jackals all turned to see this display as the second brute kicked his fallen form in the stomach and caused it to overturn. The elite coughed up a mix of greenish-blue blood as it struggled to stand and was instead stomped on the same spot where he felt the kick. It wearily turned its head as a massive foot came down and it's head was no more. All of the council cringed at the display, as Falamee looked on, horrified. "That was my blood brother." The Arbiter finally said when it was over; everyone could detect the sadness and rage in his voice. "He had done nothing wrong, yet they placed the blame of the loss on him."
"You need not show or tell me anymore." Falamee spoke up. "If this is what is happening to our brethren, then I am going to put a stop to it. We will meet with the human leaders in secret in a few days."
"Your Excellency!" A messenger elite said as he came in. "Three brutes have come to see you."
"Show them in." Falamee responded. "I shall confront them with this evidence and teach them some manners."
"Come with me you two." The Arbiter said as he ran behind a pillar to the side of the room, both humans following. "If anything happens, we will intervene." Just then, the doors leading to the chamber opened, and three brutes approached. The two in the back wore olive green armor and carried plasma rifles. The middle one was a different story. He had white hair, a hammer on his back, and no helmet was on him. "Excellency." The white-haired brute said as if he was in a hurry.
"What is your name brute?" Falamee asked as he showed no signs of fear.
"I am Tartarus, and I have come here to deliver a message from the Prophet of Truth." He said as he produced a small cube. He then walked up towards the elite with the cube in hand. The elite accepted it and thanked him. "There is one more message to be delivered." Tartarus said. Nobody saw what happened next coming.
In one swift motion, the brute brought out his hammer and drove it right into Falamee's head. His skull immediately collapsed as the small explosion the hammer produced killed him instantly. "EXCELLENCY!!" The Arbiter shouted in distress. All hell broke loose from there. The elite guards brought out their rifles as the two other brutes made short work of a few and ducked behind cover. Tartarus made a run for the rest of the council as he felt projectiles bounce off his shields and armor. He turned to find the source as the butt of an assault rifle was jammed into his face. He absorbed the majority of the blow and ran. "WE'RE DONE HERE!" He shouted as the rest of the brutes left. Kelly fired at them the whole way as she managed to kill one. The Arbiter approached his fallen leader's disfigured body and his fists shook from rage as he examined it. "By my name, I swear to see that fiend die before my eyes!" He shouted in rage as the surviving council members hung their heads mourning.
This attack had just awakened a warrior's true rage, and it was about to go head on against the Covenant and see to its destruction. From that point on, the elites were officially enemies of the Covenant. Kelly and Dr. Halsey in the meantime went to take care of other business.
1725 HOURS, APRIL 14, 2553 (MILITARY CALENDAR) \ ABOARD ORBITAL RESEARCH STATION FRUITCAKE IN ORBIT AROUND HARVEST \ LOUNGE AREA
"After that happened, we left for a planet known as Onyx, where something extraordinary happened and we were trapped in a slipspace bubble." Dr. Halsey concluded. Everyone simply stood there in silence as they took it all in. Rick was the first to speak. "OK, so that would explain the sudden elite assistance we received in the war." The AI pieced together. "I never knew that it was one of our own who attempted to convince them."
"Yes, it was with our combined efforts that they had decided to join us, Tartarus' actions merely put a period on it and made it official." Dr. Halsey told them.
"Wait a second, Dr., you said Onyx right?" Sean asked. "I thought that's where the Spartan III's were trained."
"Yes, that is correct, we ran into them shortly after crash landing there, and were trapped after I received a transmission from Cortana." The Dr. replied.
"Yea, some sort of ring got activated and sent us into a slipspace bubble; we were trapped for a week or two before getting out." Kelly told them as Sean's face suddenly lit up.
"HA!! I knew it did something!" He shouted in joy as everyone else just looked confused.
"The hell are you talking about?" Fred asked him a bit worried at his sudden outburst.
He pulled up a map from his ship's logs and pointed out a large red X with a label to it. "Wait a minute, Project Icarus? What the heck does that have to do with anything?" James asked him.
"What are you two talking about?" Dr. Halsey asked them with intrigue.
"I was working on combining our slipspace drives with Covenant ones to make a super drive." Sean told them. "But the test engine got too hot on its first jump and was about to blow up. We shot it out of an airlock and it detonated on that X." He told them as it suddenly all made sense….to Dr. Halsey at least.
"I get it now!" She yelled. "The slipspace drive detonated, which ordinarily would cause a large explosion anyways. But when you combined the technologies, it must've turned that explosion into a slipspace bomb."
"And that explosion negated the bubble we were in long enough for us to escape the planet." Kelly finished.
"I don't believe it." Kate said as she buried her face in her palm.
"See Kate! You said it was a complete failure, but this just proved you wrong." Sean said a bit arrogantly as Kate punched him hard in the chest and knocked out his shields. "Right, sorry."
"One moment, I'm detecting the pursuing ship exiting slipspace now." Rick warned through the speakers in Sean's helmet. "I suggest we abandon the station and take off for our secondary objective post haste." Linda thought about this for a moment. "What makes you so sure they'll find us?"
"This station cannot sustain orbit or operational systems without giving off enough energy to be detected on a scope." The AI replied. "They will be here in exactly five minutes. We should head back to Corrupt Heart and head towards our secondary objective."
"I gotta agree with him, Rick brings up a good point." Fred intervened. "Even if we were to fight, it's a flagship we're fighting, a simple ship or orbital station's defenses won't be able to fight that without more fire power."
Frustrated with the logic, she reluctantly agreed with them. "Alright, let's get out of here while we still can." Everyone nodded and immediately took off for the hangar while Dr. Halsey downloaded all necessary files with her data pad and initiated the her Cole Protocol to wipe the facility's data. "Everything's ready." Once they made it to the ship, they ascended the stairs and sealed up the ship in preparation for takeoff. Sean ripped Rick's AI chip out of the back of his helmet and inserted it into the control panel. "Rick, warm up the slipspace generator and get ready to take off ASAP." Fred ordered.
"I'm on it." The AI responded as the ship rose up a few more meters and flew out of the now open hangar. It exited as the hangar sealed again so they could try and conceal it from the Covenant. Maybe they'd be too busy to check for it? The Covenant flagship came into view as they saw all the weapons were hot and aiming straight at them. "Rick, get us out of here, NOW!" James shouted as a salvo of plasma was fired at them. Everything on the view screen seemed to stretch and become distorted as they entered slipspace straight past the flagship and towards the coordinates that the Arbiter supplied them with.
"Well, that was a close one." Will said with a sigh of relief as something turned up on the screen. "Ok, what's that?"
"A transmission we received just as we jumped, I'll try and translate it." Rick said as his hologram had symbols scroll across it.
"No need, I can read it just fine." The Arbiter said as he walked up to the screen and read it. As he got towards the end, everyone saw his eyes look like they were going to leap out as he stepped back in terror. "No, it can't be!"
"What is it?" Linda asked a bit confused? "What's it say?"
"I'll handle it." Sean interjected as he placed his hand on the Arbiter's shoulders to reassure him that he was safe. "It says 'Mortals are weak; they lack the strength in order to transcend perfection. Gods are strong; they have steeled themselves and done what has been required of them.' What's it mean?"
