*Written on Jan 1st*
Hey guys, Azores here. Before the chapter starts, I just wanted to say thanks for all the support that's been given to this story. Since, this story's first chapter was published there have been some 107,811 views. (And ironically, has been added to 7 Communities.)

...I'm not gonna lie. I never thought I'd have a story this popular. I kinda started this off as just a little side hobby that I thought I would move on from after a couple months, but after seeing all the support and feedback I'm getting from everyone, (Apparently, I don't suck at writing as much as I thought I did, lol.) it's made me just want to keep writing more. The problem is, I'm honestly making this up as I go. I'm trying to make this story as good as possible for your sake, which in turn causes delays in when each chapter is published.

But, I must be doing something right cause you all keep coming back for more. Regardless, I just wanted to say thank you all for the support and I look forward to providing more for you.

-Azores


I don't Halo or Mass Effect.

Bold-My Own Words

Bold & Italic-Locations, Time & Calendar

Normal-Narrative

"Normal"-Person Speaking

'Normal'-Thoughts

"Italic"-Foreign Languague

'Italic'-Radio Chatter

/Italic\-AI/Computer typing


24th Age of Doubt (07.27.2122)
Terminus Systems
Hoc System
Virmire
New Charity; Council Chambers

"When was this discovered?!" Hurok demanded, as he continued to overlook the data regarding a planet that, according to Rallen's offspring, was home to several billion members of the Covenant. Sangheili, Kig-yar, and Mgalekgolo to be precise. Though he was very much pleased that they had found others, to say he was shocked would be more accurate.

Jani'Rallen, was pleased with herself, knowing she had done extremely well. "As I said, Noble Hierarch, this was only discovered a few hours ago. I spent the last couple hours confirming its authenticity. After making sure that the data was indeed accurate, I knew I needed to show you this right away."

"We need to get to them right away. The sooner we bring them back into the folds of the Covenant, the better chance we have surviving a future war with the Council." Hurok replied, his eyes fixed on the hologram of the planet.

Quarian Hierarch Dullen'Rallen, however, didn't like that statement. "Hierarch Wattinree, surely there's no need for a war with the Citadel."

"It's not a matter of if we want one or not. I honestly would prefer it if the Citadel Races would mind their own business and leave us be, but with the Council's mindset, it's only a matter of time before a war erupts between us." Hurok commented, looking back at his fellow Hierarch. "Make no mistake, my friend. War is coming. One on a scale not seen in a long time. And when it does, I will personally glass that floating space station that they are so fond of."

"N-Noble Hierarch, I believe that we're getting off subject." Jani replied. It was moments like this that made Jani nervous around the Sangheili Hierarch. That flatout disregard for the enemy's civilian life. If there was one thing she had learned about the Sangheili in her time working with them, was that when it came to war, everyone was a potential enemy. It reminded her of the Turian mindset for war, just much more ferocious.

Noticing the Quarian's discomfort, Hurok spoke, "Calm yourself, young one. I do not intend to start any conflict. Though we pride ourselves as warriors, Sangheili do not go actively seeking a fight unless it is with good reason. Plus, you are correct. We are getting off subject."

Nodding, Jani spoke up, "Right. Well, according to the data, Sacred Refuge is roughly 12,000 Light-years from Virmire, situated roughly between the Attican Beta and the Nubian Expanse. If we sent a fleet to those coordinates from our bases or colonies in Attican Beta, we could reach it in roughly a week's time."

"But we can't afford to weaken our fleet strengths in the Attican Beta. It's one of the 3 Relays that lead to Virmire." Rallen replied, crossing his arms.

"True, but we also cannot afford to delay. We must establish contact as soon as possible. Therefore, tomorrow I shall lead a Battlegroup from Virmire to this planet and establish contact." Hurok declared. He turned to look back at the hologram of Jani'Rallen.

"Scientist, is there anything else that needs to be shared at the moment?"

"A few things, but with respect, I would prefer to go over and verify the data before I send it to you. It shou-n't tak-" The hologram started to cut out, Jani's voice becoming staticy. There was suddenly a loud noise from the hologram's end. The hologram flinched and looked around, "Wh-t's goi- o-? We'-" The signal suddenly cut out, the hologram winking out of existence.

"Scientist?/Jani?!" Both Hierarchs spoke, confused as to what just happened. Rallen began tapping on his Omni-tool, attempting to reestablish the connection and contact whoever was in charge of long-range communications. Hurok looked over to Rallen, "Rallen, what's going on?"

"It's not us." Rallen replied as he continued to type on his Omni-tool, "It must be something on their end. All our communication relays are operating fine."

"They're under attack." Hurok muttered out, loud enough though to have Rallen hear him. The Quarian's blood went cold. Several Sangheili Honor Guards came into the room, wondering what the disturbance was.

Snarling, Hurok turned to the Honor Guard leader and roared out, "Get into contact with the closest Fleet near the Fathar System, now! We cannot allow the Archive to be destroyed or lost!"

The Honor Guard leader turned and ran back out with a couple guardsmen. "I don't understand. Who would be stupid enough to attack a one of our Outpost, even if it's under strength?" Rallen questioned as he typed a few more commands into his Omni-tool.

Turning to him, Hurok growled out, "I know exactly who it is. And they are going to burn for it." The Quarian could see a look of pure rage in the Sangheili's eyes. That alone, sent a shiver done his spine.


24th Age of Doubt (07.27.2122)
Terminus Systems
Hoc System
Virmire
New Charity; New Rannoch District nearing Muloqt District

If one was to describe the city life and architecture of New Charity, it could best be described as multicultural, as well as culturally divided. Cultural influence from all species of the Covenant could be found in the architecture of the City, ranging from Sangheili, Unggoy, Kig-yar and such. Sections of the city had become divided into their own little sections, with each one have a dominant culture and population of a certain species. One such example is Sanghelios District, which was primarily a large Sangheili District, as well as the main Sangheili District in New Charity, complete with a Sangheili Keep and buildings typical of a Sangheili world. Wattin Keep, the keep inside Sanghelios District, was a large keep founded by members of the Wattin Clan in the Fleet of Divine Fury, though the District has several Sangheili Clans and Families living within it.

Another massive District that had become rather well known was New Rannoch District, where some 18% of the entire Quarian Population called home. In the center of the District, one of the three Liveships that once provided food and supplies for the entire Migrant Fleet, now provided those same services for the Quarian population of New Charity as well as the entire Quarian Population of Virmire with the other two Liveships. Here was where many Quarian customs and traditions, long lost and abandoned after the Quarians' exile into space by the Geth, have been given new life as for the first time in several centuries, the Quarian population was rising steadily and a desire to reclaim the heritage that's been lost by the Quarians had taken grasp of most of the Quarian population. Because of this, the Quarian's Pilgrimage, which had been largely the norm for nearly 250 years, was now quickly becoming an uncommon occurrence amongst the Quarians.


For Lieutenant Yulren'Hamr, formerly Yulren'Lovik, who was riding in his squad's Type-29 Shadow APC /Troop Carrier Variant\ towards Muloqt District, a Kig-yar District, this had become his new life. Ever since that fateful encounter with the Covenant 17 years ago, his life had done a complete turn around. And his opinion, for the better. He had a new found fire lit inside him, a desire to not only to protect his people, but to also excel and show the galaxy that the Quarians were back on the rise, thanks to their friends in the Covenant. If it hadn't been for them, they would most likely still be travelling the galaxy in the Migrant Fleet. Because of Kolre Uzinaree, he had found his own courage. The two had both taken part in many missions together over the years, with Kolre and the other Spec-Ops Sangheili acting as mentors of sorts.

Thanks to Kolre, not only did he find within himself courage and experience, he had also helped the Quarians gained an ally, and himself a friend.

And then, 4 years ago, his unit was reassigned to be a military police unit stationed on Virmire. For the next 8 months afterwards, they underwent retraining in order to adjust back into a more civilian lifestyle. Though he was somewhat disappointed that he would no longer be working alongside his friend, the rotation to what was basically a policeman with military gear was a rather nice change of pace, plus neither he nor his wife and three kids could complain about the large pay raise he received after being promoted to Lieutenant.


While still recognized as a part of the military, the Quarian Marines had largely been repurposed as a military police force, enforce law and order throughout the Covenant and its colonies. Only about 5% of the Quarian Marines are still active in frontline service of the Covenant Military, most of those being special forces units. The Covenant were more concerned about losing a valuable engineering asset to their hegemony, as Quarians had proven time and time again to be some of the best engineers in the galaxy, save for the Huragok.

With their help, the Covenant have recovered strength far faster than they ever would have by themselves, now that the guidance and knowledge of the San Shyuum was no longer available to them. This was the problem of coming to rely on one species for handling everyday life management, such as farming, construction, etc. Thankfully for them, the Quarians were able to fill that gap to a degree, and now the other members of the Covenant were relearning how to conduct everyday tasks. Though it was a slow and gruelling process, the Covenant were slowly back on the rise. But their biggest problem was still the issue of population.


'Demois Squad, this is HQ, over.'

"HQ, this is Demois Squad. Go ahead, over."

'Demois Squad, we have reports of Kig-yar clan fighting going on in Muloqt District, over.'

"Ah, Bosh'tet." Lovik muttered, knowing that they were now more than likely getting ready to enter a firefight. The other Quarians in the Shadow heard it as well.

Kig-yar could end up being alot of things, but one could never seem to remove the Bandit/Pirate Heritage from the Kig-yar altogether. And Muloqt District was notorious for the numerous gangs and hostile Kig-yar clans that inhabited it. If a human were have visited Muloqt District, they would have most likely compared it to early-mid 21st Century Mogadishu, Somalia. Drugs, violence, and clan warfare were all typical of the District, so much so that the Hierarchs had permanently stationed a Covenant Spec Ops Unit in New Charity in order to help crack down on the District.

"Roger, HQ. How bad is it, over?"

'Confirmed shots fired, moderate collateral damage. We've already requested two other units to move in for assistance, over.'

"Roger, HQ. We're moving in, out."

With the comms going silent, his Omni-tool suddenly opened and showed a map with his location and the destination in Muloqt District. Closing it, he then looked over his gear, an environmental suit made of the same alloys as the Sangheili's armor, and his weapons, which consisted of a Type-52 Carbine, a Batarian Terminator Assault Rifle he picked up nearly a decade ago, and an M-3 Predator Heavy Pistol, standard issue amongst the Quarian Forces. He also had a stun-gun and restraint equipment for criminal apprehension. The other Quarians were checking their own gear as well, prepping for what they knew was going to be a firefight.

"Okay, so everyone here has either heard the stories or have been to Muloqt District beforehand. Therefore, I shouldn't have to tell any of you just how dangerous Muloqt District is. When we depart the Shadow, find cover immediately and watch your backs. Don't trust a single Kig-yar in this District. Understood?"

A chorus of "Yes, sir." rang out from the 11 other soldiers in the vehicle, as their vehicle turned a corner, entering the Muloqt District. Almost immediately, they heard the sounds of gunfire echoing further down the street, indicating that the Kig-yar clans were already going at it. Outside, civilians of several different species were fleeing the fighting.

As their vehicle slowed down, the sound of bullets pinging and splashing off the Shadow's hull could be heard, as well as the gunner up top firing with the Shadow's Type-42 DESW. "Get ready! When the door opens, run to the nearest cover." Yulren shouted back to his fellow Quarians as they all braced themselves. They could hear several Kig-yar yelling and screeching outside, gunfire all about.

The doors quickly slid open, and the Quarians all rushed out, bullets flying all around them. Yulren and a couple other Quarians slid into cover behind a civilian model Revenant, popping out to get a look at the scene. There must have been some 50 or so Kig-yar in the streets firing across the street at one another or clashing in the streets with various melee weapons, with many more in the buildings firing away as well. Several more laid dead or dying in the streets. He could see the clan markings and coloring of three major clans that all resided in Muloqt District. The Rin, Thor, and Zur Clans. All of which were known drug dealers, smugglers, and thieves.

"Looks like they all decided to eliminate their competition." A Quarian Marine spoke as he pop out of cover and fired a burst from his Assault Rifle. Yulren grunted in annoyance, "We've already got our hands full with the Moz'Zhun Syndicate, last thing we need is another one rising up."

A trio of Kig-yars advanced on their position, firing away with Plasma Pistols and a Needler Rifle. Yulren stood up and fired a burst from his Terminator Rifle at the Kig-yar with the Needler Rifle, dropping the avian with quick succession before returning to cover. The other two Kig-yar dove into cover. The Quarian next to Yulren tossed an electric-stun grenade at the two Kig-yar, an electric discharge reaching out and shocking the two Kig-yar unconscious.

Yulren looked back and saw that the Shadow's gunner was still firing away at the Kig-yar positions, as two other Shadows were driving up behind it, unloading their own contingencies of Quarian Marines. Some of the Kig-yar turned their attention to the encroaching Quarians, firing the various Plasma and Mass Effect weapons they had. The Quarians returned fire, and both sides began to take casualties as they exchanged fire with one another. The Quarian next to Yulren was already typing into his Omni-tool requesting for more reinforcements at their location.

Yulren cursed under his breath, as he pop out of cover again and fired several controlled burst at a group of Kig-yar. This was going to be a long day for them.


07.29.2122
Local Cluster; Outer Colonies
Draco System
Draco IV

When the Alliance colonized their 14th Star System in 2115, the Alliance Parliament proposed dividing the colonies into two separate orders, the 'Inner' and 'Outer' Colonies. The setup of this system was every Star System within 10 Parsecs (32.61 Light-years) of the Sol System were to be colonized and established as Alliance territory, which totaled up to some 414 Star Systems that could become potential colonies. All systems that were within 6.15 Parsecs (20 Light-years) of Sol were considered 'Inner' Colonies, with totaled up to potentially 150 Systems minus Sol. The other Systems outside of this sphere were to be represented as the 'Outer' Colonies. The idea was that this would allow the colonies to be more easily managed by the Systems Alliance.

This, however, didn't stop some colonist from setting up colonies further away from the established Alliance territory, setting up what are called 'Frontier Colonies'. As a Frontier Colony, which were typically further away from Sol than most, the Alliance had less influence and authority on these worlds. Some of which, became havens for Insurrectionist and Terrorist Organizations because of this lack of influence. Though the Alliance were doing their best to counter the growing threat of the Insurrectionist, the Alliance Military simply didn't have the numbers, both in soldiers and ships, to be everywhere at once.


Draco IV, in the Draco System, was a Frontier Colony and the furthest Colony from Sol, lying some 46 Light-years from the Sol System. Formally know as 26 Draconis throughout the 21st century before being officially surveyed in 2113, the Draco System was colonized back in 2114, due to it's large quantities of heavy metals and alloys that dotted the System. Originally colonized by settlers mostly of Iranian descent, Draco IV was found to be a foreboding world to colonize, it's dull charcoal-colored surface nor the Triple Star Orbit, which resulted in temperatures averaging from 100-155*F, not helping promote the image of a colony friendly world. The atmosphere was somewhat breathable with the help of a rebreather, however large scale terraforming operations had to commence if the planet would be able to support any significant scales of life. Water is incredible scarce and typically found in large underground springs, which results in very minor plant life, and the largest native lifeforms on the surface are no larger than a housecat. Almost every colony on Draco save for mining and industrial complexes had biodomes to provide breathable atmospheres for the 24 million colonists that called Draco IV home.


Draco IV was a known haven for Innies and Terrorist alike, particularly one group of extremists called the Federal Islamic Republic of Draco, a subgroup of the larger United Islamic Revolutionaries. The UIR, who were founded back in 2109, are considered by many to be the succession of the Islamic Terrorism that plagued the Middle East back in the early 21st Century, having been linked to numerous attacks and bombings throughout Alliance Space, including the infamous Jovian Moons Campaign. Having grown in strength over the years throughout the colonial sector, they began to branch off and create proxy groups in which to further their goals within the Alliance, namely of which is the unification of Humanity under an Islamic Caliphate in the name of Mohammed and Allah. This is the reason why FIRD, one of those proxy groups under the UIR, was created.

Founded back in 2118 by various extremist factions on Draco IV, FIRD has been linked to numerous attacks and bombings not only in the Draco System, but other nearby colonies as well. And now, the Alliance was receiving reports that FIRD was planning a coup on the local Government of Draco. If that happened, then Draco IV would turn into a UIR Fortress and breeding ground. Despite the significant number of Alliance Troops on Draco IV, they had been unable to dislodge FIRD or the UIR off Draco IV.

Which is why Alliance Command sent in their best to eliminate the threat. Spartan Red Team.


Malaraz Station, Draco IV
Market District

'Spartan Team Lead, this is SSV-Oliver Cromwell, what's your status, over?'

"SSV-Cromwell, this Sierra-092, we've touched down and have infiltrated Malaraz Station via the Market's back alleyways, over." Jerome-092 spoke as the three-man Spartan team moved through the market's back alleyways, their experimental cloaking units, which were largely reversed engineered from Covenant cloaking units, kept them hidden from the naked eye.

'Understood, Sierra-092. Proceed with mission. Out.'

Out on the main streets, the Spartans could see numerous people going about their everyday lives, a large number of which were dressed in Arabic-styled clothing and garments. Various stores selling all kinds of goods dotted the streets, ranging from household items to firearms. Hundreds of people clogged the streets, walking about to their destinations, completely oblivious to the 3-man team of Super Soldiers that were nearby.


Malaraz Station was just one of many stations that dotted Draco IV's surface. Roughly 90 miles South of the Planet's Capital, Salifar, the station of roughly 19,000 was a small mountain community, set up as a waypoint between the capital and another major settlement, Omidan, 45 miles to the station's East. Numerous markets and small factories made up the majority of the settlement, though some of the largest buildings were the two Mosques, whose large, decorative pillars rose up some six stories into the sky. Stations like this made perfect hideouts for insurgents and rebels, who would often use these places as meeting points.

Red Team, however, weren't here to eliminate the insurgent presence inside the town.

Moreover, Red Team's mission was to link up with another group of agents on the ground, one who's been tracking the movements of any key figureheads within the FIRD, and find their main base of operations for several weeks. From there, they would eliminate the site and any of the local leadership that was on site. If this mission succeeds, then FIRD's, and in essence the UIR's, influence and grasp on Draco IV would be heavily reduced, and the various factions that made up FIRD would shatter with their uniting factor severed.


"How much further to the rendezvous?" Alice-130 questioned as she sweeped another alleyway to her left before continuing forward with the other two Spartans.

"About 200 meters in one of the industrial warehouses." Douglas-042 replied. Despite being camouflaged, the Spartans were careful not to make any movement that would draw attention towards them. The last thing they needed was the town's militants coming after them, as this would immediately alert the FIRD to their presence and cause their leaders to scatter.

"Did Command tell us who the contact was?" Douglas asked Jerome.

"Negative, didn't want to blow the operatives' cover if FIRD found a way to listen in. All they said was that the operative had been able to track down the location of FIRD's main stronghold on Draco IV, and supposedly the base had the location of other FIRD's other two strongholds." Jerome replied.

"So then, we find this base and it'll lead us to the other FIRD strongholds in the mountains." Alice spoke.

"And that'll be one step closer to eliminating the UIR altogether." Douglas summed up.

"Right, so it's imperative that we find this operative and locate the facility ASAP." Jerome finished, as Red Team rounded a corner and came upon several large warehouses lined up next to one another. Taking cover behind some crates, they could see a few workers and guards walking and working on various things and machinery. Several of the workers were loading up several large crates and machinery onto several large trucks, each with the logo and name 'Morad-Sadiq Industries' on the sides of them.


"Morad-Sadiq Industries?" Douglas questioned, noting the cargo trucks as he scanned their surroundings.

"Pakistani-based Corporation, specializing in the Industrial and Manufacturing Sector, with some degree of terraforming tech. Most of the development on Draco IV was done by them. They've secured a couple contracts for Alliance Military for shipbuilding, hence why there's a Shipyard here on Draco IV." Alice replied, looking over the Tac-pad built into her arm's armor.

"I see. So, anyone else getting the feeling that we should be suspicious of those crates and machinery?" Douglas replied.

"Agreed, but we'll deal with that later. We need to locate the contact." Jerome finished, as he stood up and moved towards one of the warehouses as he scanned an open door with his MA5C, before motioning his teammates to move up behind him.

They entered the warehouse, which was full of crates, construction vehicles, and even a couple Cyclops Exoskeletons Units, as well as a massive cargo container with its doors open, already halfway loaded up. But what was suspicious about some of the gear was that none of them were marked. All the other equipment outside had the Morad-Sadiq logo on them, but these were devoid of any markings whatsoever. Which meant they might have located some equipment that was planned for use by FIRD.

"This is the warehouse. Mark a few of these crates. They may be going to the insurgents." Jerome ordered, as they all decloaked their camo.


"No need." The three Spartans immediately turned to the source of the sound, weapons drawn. The source of the signal was a 8-man team of men, all dressed in military hardware and gear. The lead soldier stepped up and spoke again, "We've already marked them. Alliance Spec Ops?"

The Spartans slowly lowered their weapons and ease up. "Affirmative." Jerome replied.

Nodding, the lead soldier walked towards the Spartans, his men spreading out and watching the doors to the room. "Artyom Chkonia, Sergeant Major. Blue Suns Security. This is my team, Fireteam Razor." Artyom jerked his head back to his squad.

"Blue Suns? New group of Mercs or something?" Douglas questioned, the distaste in his voice evident that he didn't approve of the Alliance setting up Private Security groups.

"We're not Mercs." one of the Blue Suns growled, "We're bound by the Rules and Regulations of the Alliance Military just like you are."

"Were you able to locate FIRD's stronghold, SGM?" Jerome quickly asked, deciding to get back on subject before they got into an argument, but not before giving Douglas a glance. Douglas got the hint and backed off immediately.

It appeared to work, as Artyom, with a sigh, replied, "No, but we've learned that several of these warehouses, and from what we figure several others places as well, send supplies and gear to wherever their base is."

"The best course of action, then, would be to hitch a ride on one of these shipments and then sneak into the stronghold." Alice spoke.

"And then pop the signal and let the Alliance clean house. Simple as that." Artyom spoke, as he lifted his FN-82A2/SOCOM onto his right shoulder.

"Tch, not likely. Knowing our luck." Douglas joked.

"How are they transporting the supplies to the base?" Alice asked.

"They're using massive cargo containers and ferrying them somewhere via large trucks." A Blue Suns Operatives spoke. "They send them out by at least a dozen at a time every few days."

"Any unusual flights in the area?" Jerome questioned.

"No, none in the direction that those trucks go, the mountains are heavily magnetized, which screws with the sensors and makes aerial navigation damn near impossible. It's why they use trucks instead of aircraft."

"Good chance the Stronghold's underground then. Less chance of being discovered by anyone looking for them." Alice commented.


They suddenly heard voices and movement from outside getting closer to one of the doors. The Blue Suns Operatives all made their way into the cargo container, while the Spartans activated their camo once more. As soon as they disappeared from the naked eye, several men entered the warehouse, some carrying crates, other looking around with guns in their hands. Everyone of them were speaking Arabic or Persian, but the Spartans and Blue Suns' Universal Translators built into their helmets allowed them to understand the men perfectly.

"Is this the last of it?" One of the armed men spoke.

"Yes." A crate carrier replied.

"Good. Finish loading up the goods into the cargo container. I'll call Khan and inform him we're on our way." The armed soldier spoke once more, before turning to leave. The other personnel went about inspecting crates and moving various items both inside and outside the warehouse.

As the soldiers listened in, Jerome heard Artyom's voice over the comms, "Did that guy just say Khan? As in Mohammed Bedario Khan?"

"Yeah." Jerome whispered.


Mohammed Bedario Khan, known by his followers as 'Ghengis' Khan, was a notorious and infamous terrorist. One of seven leaders of the UIR, as well as the leader of FIRD, the Egyptian-native is a ruthless and cunning tactician, owed to by his time as a Major General for the Colonial Guards' Egypt Corps, before his defection back in 2112. Since then, he has been the mastermind behind numerous attacks, bombings, and massacres, so many, that the Alliance has him placed at number 3 on their list of the 10 most wanted criminals.


"If Khan is here..." One of the Blue Suns Operatives muttered under his breath.

"Then our mission has changed to high value assassination." Alice spoke up. The Spartans made their way, slowly, over to the container.

"Shit. And this mission was already going to be difficult enough as it was. Now this. Fuck." Artyom cursed.

The Spartans made their way, stealthily, into the container with the Blue Suns Operatives, then proceeded to stack a few crates in front to conceal them before several workers came over, each carrying boxes of various tools and equipment. The Draconian natives outside continued to carry out their work, oblivious to the Alliance Operatives inside the container they were loading up.

"I guess our only option now is to sit tight and see where this thing takes us." One of the Blue Suns spoke.

Jerome looked back at her and nodded. While they could easily fight their way out if needed, doing so would result in FIRD immediately being alerted to their presence, and their best chance at eliminating one of the most wanted men in the Alliance wasted. No, all they could do now was wait and see where this took them.

As the container's doors were closed and the sound of clamps being attached to the sides could be heard, they did the only thing they could do at that moment. Sit back and enjoy the ride. And make ready for whatever was awaiting them.


24th Age of Doubt (07.31.2122)
Terminus Systems
Jerlys System, 8,700 Light Years North of Lorek
Inside Forerunner Facility orbiting Gas Giant Zulzirk

Darkness. That was all he saw at first. Nothing but a dark, blurry vision. He could hear, faintly, some voices around him, but they sounded so distant, so far away. His body shook slightly in a slow but constant motion, removing some of the grogginess from his mind. The room around him was still so dark, he could barely see what was around him. At that moment, though, there was one thing he knew for certain.

Somehow, Kolre Uzinaree was still alive. Broken and battered, but alive. But he might not for much longer.

Memories quickly returned to him, reminding him of where he was and what was happening. The Archive on Lorek. The STG. The Facility. The Flood. He remembered it all now. He was on a Forerunner Facility that was now getting overrun by Flood due to the Salarians' foolishness. And now, he was in the belly of the beast.

The grogginess that plagued quickly replaced itself with alertness, as Kolre tried to figure out why his whole body shook occasionally. At that moment, he noticed that the room was moving slightly, before realizing it wasn't the room moving, but him. Something was dragging him. He looked up, expecting to see a Flood Form dragging him to whatever oblivion, but was surprised.

Instead of Flood Creatures, he saw a trio of Salarian STG dragging him, whispering amongst themselves. Though surprised they had somehow survived, he disregarded it immediately. There were more pressing matters, such as finding a way out of here. He struggled to move, but pain quickly overwhelmed him. While his spirit was still full of fight, the same couldn't be said for his body.

He heard one of the STG speak, "Why would the Enlighten One wish to speak to him?" he could hear the disdain in his voice when referring to him.

"He wishes to spread the truth to this one as he has with us. Who are we to question it?" another one replied.


Kolre looked up and looked at the Salarians. He noticed something about them. Physically, there wasn't anything wrong with them. They didn't look infected at least, but something felt off about them. Like they weren't right in the head or something. The way they looked around the room or the way they whispered to one another. It was extremely off putting, and if he dare admit, just outright disturbing somewhat. Something was definitely wrong with them.

As sensing his discomfort, one of the Salarian's looked down and smiled at him. By the gods, the smile was even more off putting than the other stuff.

"Don't worry, he wishes to merely speak with you and spread the light of his wisdom."

Kolre just looked at him dumbfounded. Speak with him? What the hell was he talking about? Who?

"What? What are you-"

Before he could finish his sentence, they went through a door and entered a massive room. The size and scale of it was incredible, lights dancing around the room. Numerous geometric shapes and designs decorated it, but only one thing in the room had Kolre's attention at that time. The massive... thing in the center of the room, along with some 11 other Salarians in front of it, some whispering, others bowing to it.

Immediately, his mind thought Flood. It had the look of one. It was hideous, 'standing' 15 meters tall, with limbs bent at unnatural angles, the bodily shape of what he could only describe as a sort of crustacean, and eight tiny glowing eyes, all of them looking right at him. At least, that's what he thought.


"We have brought him as you have asked, Enlightened One." The Salarian said almost too happily. Kolre was set onto the ground before the massive being.

"So... our plan has succeeded after all? Excellent, Mendicant... you have done well with your choice." the being spoke, not even regarding the Salarian that had just spoken to it.

Plan? Mendicant? What was this thing talking about?

"Now... it is time... for us to conduct the second part..." the being continued. It looked down at Kolre, almost looking like it was studying him. Kolre himself was trying to figure if this thing was Flood or... something else.

"Sangheili... your presence here was not by chance... you are here... by our design..."

"Either kill me or leave me be, Parasite! Do not waste my time with talk!" Kolre snapped, having enough of this. If the parasite's plan was to talk him to death, then it was working. Considering all that's happened today, he's lost the ability for patience.

"There... is much talk to be had... killing you... would be counterproductive... especially after all the trouble... we went through to arrange this... Kolre Uzinaree..."

That gave the Sangheili pause. "What do you mean? How do you know my name?"

"My power is beyond your comprehension... a billion lifetimes of knowledge and wisdom flow within me... learning of your kind through Mendicant Bias... was mere child's play, as the saying goes..." the being spoke, it's voice deep and resonating.

"What... are you?" Kolre hesitantly asked, feeling incredibly small at the moment as this thing seemed to tower over him.

"I... am among the last of those... who gave life to many across the universe... those who gave life to the Forerunners... I am what they called a Precursor..."

"Lies! The Forerunners are gods! To say that they were created by such impure and fiendish creatures as yourself is heresy!" Kolre spat out, disgusted by this being's claim.

"Gods, you say... do you honestly believe that?"

The question caught the Sangheili warrior off guard. "Of course I do! I am a devout follower of the Great Journey and-"

"You're lying... I can sense it... the doubt... ever since you've arrived here... it has festered in your mind... the years passing by... and the lack of your... gods' relics... only adding to the doubt that plagues it..."

"S-Silence! I will not be questioned on my loyalty and faith by a Parasite of all things!"

"And when... did I ever say... I was one of the Flood?"

Despite his injuries, Kolre did his best to stand up. If he was going to die, he wasn't going to die on his back like some helpless Unggoy. He was going to die fighting if anything. He rose slightly on one elbow, before the pain was simply too much and caused him to toppled back down. With labored breaths, he looked around the room and noticed that the Salarians had quietly stood by and watch the entire time.

"Though they are... similar to me... we are not one in the same... they were once Precursor... but now are tainted... impure... corrupted..." It's voice rumbling at the last word, echoing across the room. The Precursor slowly made it's way over towards Kolre, who did his best to rise, only to fail once more. The massive being grasped him with its arms and lifted him to eye level, despite the Sangheili's resistance.

"I am not... concerned with whether or not... you choose to continue... following your misguided faith or not... all I am concerned with... is that you are revealed... the truth..." It's eyes began to glow green. Kolre struggled in vain as he felt something entering his mind. His vain attempt at resistance was swept aside as his world suddenly turned white.


Everything around him changed into what seemed like an infinite expanse of stars and galaxies. It was a beautiful display of many vast and different colors, shapes, and expanse, some of which he couldn't even describe.

"Many eons before your first ancestors were even born... we traveled the universe... seeding it with many vast and wondrous lifeforms..."

The sight before him changed into an image of a countryside, on some far away and long forgotten planet. Hundreds of different lifeforms could be seen, going about their daily lives, while above them, a massive vessel, one Kolre couldn't even to begin to describe floated overhead.

"This continued... for many eons... far more than you could count... as we paved the way for life to flourish throughout the universe under the Mantle of Responsibility..."

The view changed once more, showing what could only assume were the other Precursors, spreading throughout a Galaxy, planting numerous worlds with life and observing their growth and development. This continued over and over again as they seeded galaxy after galaxy with life, until reaching one in particular. While he was unfamiliar with this galaxy, for some reason.

"When we reached this galaxy 1.24 Billion years ago... we had nurtured life and allowed it to flourish in hundreds of galaxies... but with this one... we decided to try something we had never done before with a species we created..."

The sight changed to the Precursors landing on a planet largely covered in oceans, with few splotches of land dotting its surface. The Precursors, with their incredible and indescribable methods, proceeded to create lifeforms which would inhabit this world. But one in particular stood out from the others, one that several Precursors were giving rather significant attention. It was some kind of massive aquatic creature, similar in looks to a squid but with a bony carapace. Kolre watched as the Precursors set several into the oceans of the planet.

"What you saw... was what would be come to called Leviathans in your language... at least, what their name, Vlut'uohle, would translate to..."

"Leviathans?"

"Yes... they were the first sentient race of this galaxy... the ones that we chose to uphold the mantle of responsibility within this galaxy... and guide other races into peaceful coexistence and harmony... which was why... we gifted them with some of our grand powers..."

Another sentient species was shown to have later evolved on the lands of the ocean world, some kind of four legged, two armed reptilian species. He noticed, though, that the Leviathans were manipulating and controlling the land sentients, providing them with vast knowledge that allowed them to traverse the stars, which in turn allowed the Leviathans to expand across the cosmos as well, absorbing new species into servitude as they continued to expand their 'empire'. The various sentient races they had gathered had eventually become nothing more than slaves to the Leviathans. Some of the more resilient races were forced to give living sacrifices to the Leviathans in order to keep them from unleashing their wrath.

"We were not aware of these events that were transpiring... for we had already left... to seed other galaxies that were devoid or lacking of significant life..."

"This doesn't explain anything! You claimed to have created the Forerunners! I've yet to see any proof!"

"Tell me... are you even aware... of what a Forerunner even looks like?"

"I... the... the Covenant has some idea of what they looked like..."

"Such uncertainty... allow me... when we arrived to your galaxy 50 Million years ago... the galaxy had already a vast diversity of lifeforms living within it... regardless, we chose to seed it with our own designs as well... here at 15 Million years ago..."

The image changed to show the Precursors entering the atmosphere of a lush and beautiful world, full of life and diversity. The Precursors were seen adding a species to the planet, a tall humanoid species standing roughly 8-9 feet tall.

"One day... they would become what was known as the Forerunners... as well as the harbingers of our doom..."

Kolre's mind was suddenly assaulted by thousands of memories. The Precursors creating numerous species within the galaxy, including his own, the rise of the Forerunners, their war with the Precursors, their expansion and domination of the galaxy. Forerunner war with ancient humans, the Flood, the firing of the Halos, much to his horror as their true nature is revealed. The reseeding of life in their galaxy, and events leading to the present day.

Kolre was confused, angry, and saddened all at once as these memories flooded into his mind.

"It is all true... we created the Forerunners, then were in turn destroyed when they rebelled against us... the Flood were our weapon of vengeance against them for their deceit... but by then the damage was already done... the few of us that had survived the war fled to other galaxies... I myself retreated with several others to this galaxy... only for the Forerunners to appear and capture me and several of my kind...The Forerunners having slowly begun to explore other galaxies... their curious nature getting the better of them, but choosing not to interfere with the progression of other galactic species... this was the only reason they learned of my survival... some time afterwards, they ceased the majority of their exploration, save for a handful of other galaxies... but all forms of exploring other galaxies ceased when my brethren unleashed the Flood upon them... leaving behind these few relics you now seek..."

Kolre could hear the pure hatred in the being's voice at the last part, as he saw numerous metal monsters, all looking like a Leviathan of sorts, descending from the heavens and attacking a developed world of some forgotten civilization, killing scores of thousands indiscriminately as they and their metallic legions of monsters went about and slaughtered all organics, then proceeded to harvest them, as they had done on millions of other worlds before. Kolre could see an angry red eye glaring at him, before the metal monster bellowed out its warcry and enveloped him in red light.

Kolre could feel the immense anger seeping off the ancient being's conscious as it continued to speak.

"Some time after they had left, several of my brethren were freed by travelers that discovered the Forerunner sites... only to discover what the Leviathans had wrought in our absence..."

Kolre could hear the pure hatred in the being's voice at the last part, as he saw numerous metal monsters, all looking like a Leviathan of sorts, descending from the heavens and attacking a developed world of some forgotten civilization, killing scores of thousands indiscriminately as they and their metallic legions of monsters went about and slaughtered all organics, then proceeded to harvest them, as they had done on millions of other worlds before. Kolre could see an angry red eye glaring at him, before the metal monster bellowed out its warcry and enveloped him in red light. "For several eons of these cycles... every time one of us was located and freed, we would try to help the rising powers break the cycle... but our powers... our strength was taxed and waned from such prolonged conflict with the Forerunners... Along with the fact that every one of the galactic civilizations we encountered were too reliant on this Element Zero, making them unable to break out of the Reapers' Cycle... we were a shadow of ourselves... one by one, my brethren fell to either the sands of time or to these metal abominations... until I was the only one left..."

Kolre watched as the image changed to that of the station they were on now, the Precursor being placed in a stasis chamber by the Forerunners. There were several samples of fine dust, which Kolre realized were the remnants of other Precursors, stored in vast jars.

"The Forerunners had slowly begun to explore other galaxies... their curious nature getting the better of them... as well as the only reason they learned of my survival... but all forms of exploring other galaxies ceased when my brethren unleashed the Flood upon them... leaving behind these few relics you now seek..."

He could see the Forerunners leaving the station, returning to their home galaxy as the Precursor was left in solitude, guarded by legions of Sentinels and Forerunner automatons, as well as an Oracle, or what the Forerunners called a Monitor. He watched as the eons passed, before the Precursor spoke once more.

"Over these eons... through my manipulation of this station's Ancilla... a former ally was able to establish contact with me... the Forerunner Ancilla... known as Mendicant Bias..."

Kolre was shown a familiar image. It was from High Charity, inside the Forerunner Dreadnought, where the sacred Oracle was located. The massive room which housed the colossal Oracle, to be precise.

"The Oracle of the Forerunner Dreadnought?"

"Nothing but a mere fragment... of the entire Forerunner Ancilla... with his assistance, I was able to learn of the situation within your galaxy... to which aided me in my decision of recruiting you and your fellow warriors, along with others, in aiding me..."

He was shown the Battle of Psi Serpentis, that fateful day when their lives were changed. He saw the human ship detonating its super weapons into the gas giant's core, causing it to ignite. The massive supernova racing towards them as their fleet made an emergency jump in a desperate attempt to save their lives. His view suddenly changed to the view of the metallic Leviathan once more, its red glowing eye glaring at him. Its metallic bellow was heard, resonating through his body before everything was enveloped in red. Then, the next thing he knew, he was back in the room on the Forerunner Facility, with the Salarians and the... Precursor. He was on his hands and 'knees', breathing heavily. Somehow his wounds had been healed, likely the creature's doing. In truth, he had never felt better, just physically and mentally exhausted.


"So, enlighten me... what truths have you concluded?"

Kolre's mind raced, the surge of memories filling his mind. He didn't want to admit it, he couldn't, his devotion to the gods wouldn't allow it, but every one of the memories he had witnessed, every fiber in his body kept telling him the same thing.

"You... your kind... created the Forerunners... you created us... and the humans..." Kolre spoke, his eyes darting lazily back and forth, as if he was visibly looking through the memories given to him. The Precursor silently waited for him to continue.

"You originally... intended for... for the Forerunners to inherit the..." He paused to make sure he had the words right, "Mantle of Responsibility? But, they didn't develop... a-along a path that you approved of, so you then chose the... humans... to inherit it. But the Forerunners learned of this..."

"And then proceeded to wipe out my species as a whole... leaving only a handful of survivors that escaped their grasp..." The Precursor calmly finished, as Kolre resumed to talk.

"This lead to the Flood... which lead to the Forerunners creating Halo... lead to the death of all life in the galaxy... reseeding? Humans being made the... Which means..." Kolre's voice trailed off as the pieces all came together, and the truth finally began to set in. Everything he believed in, his faith, the Covenant. All of it.

"The Great Journey... was a lie?" His voice came out so soft, it sounded as if he was questioning himself.

"From what I gathered from your mind... rather a well constructed lie... conceived by the San'Shyuum... who have always been masters of deceit and manipulation... in order to have power over the other members of your... Covenant..."

Kolre's thoughts quickly filled with distraught and despair, a part of them wanting him to kill himself out of shame. Not only of the fact he had been revealed the truth of Forerunners, but of the hundreds of massacres on the humans he had participated in under the deceit of the Prophets. They were the rightful inheritors of the Forerunners' legacy, and the San'Shyuum had attempted to kill them to keep the truth quiet. How many others knew of this truth, he wondered.

No matter how much he tried to convince himself it wasn't true, every bit of his mind was telling him it was truth. It just made too much sense. The lack of Forerunner sites, the lack of contact from their fellow Covenant, the different aliens. Somehow, this thing had brought them to another galaxy, far from High Charity, from Sanghelios, from everything they've ever known. Not only that, everything he had ever had faith and believed in was nothing more than a lie.

For the first time in his life, Kolre Uzinaree was unsure of himself. Unsure of what to do.

"This does not mean, however... that all is lost... you and the Covenant can still do much good... by aiding me..."

"Aid you? How?" He looked up at the massive being.

"Make no mistake, Sangheili..." the Precursor's voice rumbled as it stepped forward, looking up towards the large shaft on the ceiling, "The Dark Ones are coming... one day, soon... the Reapers will return... and once they do... they will resume the cycle... harvesting and annihilating all sentient life in the galaxy... unless something is done to break the cycle... an outside variable... you... your task will be stopping the Reapers..."

"How? If they are as strong as you claim-"

"In comparison to races that followed their evolutionary design, yes... but their armor is in truth only moderately strong... they can be destroyed like any other being... their true strength lies in their shielding... their main weapons... and their ability to indoctrinate organics... your technology, derived off the Forerunners... are and will be a match for the Reapers..."


He watched as the Precursor began to climb up towards a massive vent on the ceiling, its Salarian followers proceeded out one of the doors. Continuing its climb, the Precursor's voice rumbled around the room as the massive creature squeezed into the shaft, compressing its body in order to fit. Kolre slowly rose to his feet, a labored breath escaping him as he did so. Looking up to where the Precursor was, he could hear it speak.

"Remember... your mission, now, Kolre... you must help break the cycle... do not worry, though... I have left an imprint on your mind... so that I may help you and guide you along the way... hurry, now... time grows short..."

He suddenly heard the unmistakable shrieks of the Flood off in the distance somewhere, turning his body to face the source of it. He cursed his luck, however, as his weapons were gone. He noticed, though, that on his hilt, he still had his Energy Sword. He looked back up to the shaft, only to see the Precursor was gone, leaving him alone in the room.

'And I do not know... if my children will leave you be...'

He could hear the creature speak from within his mind, startling him at first as he initially didn't know where it was coming from. Igniting his sword, he cautiously made his way over to one of the doors. The Sangheili warrior entered the hallway, coming upon a divide in the hallway.

He wasn't sure of which one to take, but suddenly heard the Precursor speak in his mind, 'To the right will lead you to the lift...'

Hesitant, as he was still uncertain of whether or not he could trust this creature, he slowly proceeded down the right hallway. Kolre didn't know whether trusting this thing was a good idea or not. But at this moment, it was in truth the only option he had. With a horde of undead abominations running loose, it was either take a chance or die.

And Kolre prefered to live.


Forerunner Facility orbiting Gas Giant Zulzirk
Covenant Landing Zone

"Keep these bastards away from the wounded! We have to hold out till the Phantoms arrive!" Lt Zeetor'Feezu roared as he fired away at a Elite Combat Form charging him, it's pained shrieks filling the air as the Quarian Marine peppered it with rounds from his Terminator Assault Rifle. After several gruelling seconds of sustained fire, the Flood form finally went down, rolling down the ramp leading up to the landing zone, though he wished it had fallen over the edge into the gas giant beneath them. Feezu fired into its corpse to make sure it was actually dead. With a shriek, the monster rose back up, only this time was cut down by the combined fire of 2 other Quarian Marines as well.

Feezu cursed. Plasma weapons seemed to be the only truly effective weapon against these monsters, but there weren't that many to go around, and Feezu's own Plasma Rifle was depleted. He knew he should have went and grabbed the new Quarian Combat Armor back on Virmire, where they were given a recharger system built into their armor at the waist and back for Plasma Weapons. But, like a fool he chose to put it off, thinking he could do it when he got back.

Now, he might not get the chance.

A monstrous cry snapped him out of his stupor as he was suddenly slammed into by some massive being. Being thrown to the ground, he looked up and saw a Krogan Combat Form looming over him, preparing to maul him. He raised his Rifle to fire, but was beat to the punch by the roar of Urdnot Wrex and his Claymore Shotgun, tearing into the abomination and ripping its left arm up to the shoulder off completely, a sickening sound following it.

The Krogan Flood Form bellowed as it charged Wrex, but the Battlemaster's already built up momentum proved the stronger of the two as the Krogan slammed into his opponent with a Biotic Charge, sending the creature flying over the edge and into oblivion below.

Looking back to Feezu, the Krogan spoke, "On your feet, suit-boy. We got more coming!" he finished by tossing the Quarian a Shotgun, before turning back to face another onslaught of the undead nightmares charging their position. The remaining Covenant Leadership had gathered their surviving forces and had ordered them to pull back to the landing zones while they waited for the Phantoms to extract all the wounded personnel before evacuating the remaining troops.

That being said, the Flood weren't making it easy for them.

Feezu couldn't recall when he had last seen any STG, chances were they were all dead or... converted. Any that were still alive were probably off the station by now, fleeing to what was left of their Fleet in orbit. He knew that both sides had suffered some serious casualties in this battle, and were now both fighting for their lives against these... things.

Feezu couldn't help but wonder just what the hell these things were. The Sangheili had told him what they were, the Flood, but what he wondered was just where did they come from? Did somebody make them? Where they some kind of biological weapon that these... Forerunners were keeping stored here? If so, then why? All these questioned filled his mind, but he could save that for later. Right now, he needed to focus on getting everyone out of here.

"Lt! One of the Landing Zones is getting overrun!" A Quarian Marine shouted from his position.

"Dammit! Where the hell are the Phantoms?!" Feezu cursed as he fired his new shotgun at a Salarian Combat Form, tearing its body to pieces. He could hear on the comms the sounds of several Covenant Soldiers, Krogan, Quarian, and Sangheili, shouting and screaming as their positions were overrun or they were killed by the Flood Forms.

Cursing, he lifted his shotgun and slayed another Salarian Combat Form charging him, before tossing out a plasma grenade at a surge of advancing Flood Forms. Several with ripped apart or simply sent flying upon the grenade's detonation. Beside him, he could see Wrex in the heart of the carnage, slaughtering any who challenged him, either by his guns or his biotics, or even just a good old fashion melee. If there was one thing Feezu could say to describe the Krogan Battlemaster, it would be a killing machine. All the more reason he was glad they were on the same side.

But, it didn't change the fact they were slowly getting overrun.

"Wrex, we can't keep this up for much longer!" Feezu quickly ducked into cover as ME rounds suddenly slammed into his Kinetic Barriers.

"Then roll over and die, already. You'll be doing them a favor." Came the Krogan's retort, as he crushed the chest of a Sangheili Combat Form before firing into another one with his Claymore. "Meanwhile," He grunted out, "I'll be sitting here killing everyone of these undead freakshows. Because I plan on living." Wrex roared out the last part as he lifted a thrashing Salarian Combat Form and tossed it over the side of the platform.

"But, Wrex, even you have limits. We need to get out of here before they overwhelm us!" Feezu popped out with a couple Quarians and a Sangheili Minor, firing off multiple rounds at the Flood horde.

"And the only way that's going to happen is if we hold out until the Phantoms arrive." Wrex replied, casting a Biotic Warp at a group of oncoming Infection Pods, the singularity ripping through their fragile bodies. He turned and fired his Claymore Shotgun again, bisecting a charging Krogan Combat Form, which thrashed about on the floor before Wrex fired another round into it, effectively killing it. "So, quit whining and start shooting!"


Feezu could tell the Krogan was pissed off. More so than usual. He had heard about General Uzinaree's death at the hands of some sort of Flood Monster inside the facility. While this had saddened him, as he had much respect for the General, he had come to suspect that the Krogan, though he would never dare admit it, taken the lost rather bad, too. While the two would constantly get under the other's skin, largely due to the fact Wrex would constantly poke fun and question the Covenant's Religion, when it combat they worked in perfect unison. Twin dealers of death that complemented one another.

A part of him believed that, though Wrex would again never admit it, the Krogan probably saw the Sangheili as an comrade of sorts, if not a friend.


Feezu was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard screaming coming from his left. Turning towards the source, he was greeted by a horrendous sight. A squad of Quarian Marines had been overwhelmed by Infection Pods, the small creatures swarming each of them by the dozens. While their environment-sealed suits offered some protection, the Flood were quick to find weaknesses in the armor. One poor bastard had an Infection Pod latched onto his visor, the creature attempting to bypass it in order to reach its victim inside.

The Marine screamed out as he attempted to rid himself of the creature, crushing one under his foot before another latched onto the small of his back. The Quarian was eventually forced to the ground by the added weight, as the Infection Pod latched to his face succeeded in penetrating the visor, ripping off and sinking its tentacles into the screaming man's face.

Another Quarian was shot at point blank range with a shotgun by a Sangheili Combat Form, causing the Marine to double over. The Flood Form then swung it whip-like tentacle and wrapped around the man's head, before being slammed repeatedly into the ground.

Other members of the squad met similar fates as the Flood Forms overwhelmed them. Feezu cursed and pulled out his Terminator AR, before firing in bursts at the horde along with several Sangheili SpecOps. The hordes numbers, as well as the infected corpses of his men, were annihilated under the sustained fire. Though it was better than the alternative, Feezu still didn't like the fact that his men were dying.


'Attention all ground forces, you have Phantoms inbound to your locations.' the comms suddenly roared to life. Feezu looked up to see several Phantoms on approach. Three of them came flying in, firing away with their guns at numerous Flood creatures. While the Flood Forms returned fire with various weapons, they were largely cut down by the superior firepower thrown their way as the Phantoms descended.

Several Squads made their way towards the descending craft, as the Phantoms' strafing fire kept the Flood forces at bay. Feezu bolted towards the nearest Phantom, with Wrex beside him. "Get the wounded aboard, first." He ordered, as several squads helped load up the wounded onto the Phantoms. He looked back to see Wrex staring back at the facility, a scowl, or the Krogan equivalent to one, prominent on his face.


Feezu, knowing that the Krogan was in a fowl mood, cautiously walked up to him. He could hear a growl rumble out of the aged Battlemaster. "Wrex, come on, we've got to go. There's nothing left for us here but death."

Grunting, the Krogan Battlemaster turned towards the dropships, silent as he walked pasted the Quarian. Deep in thought, the Krogan didn't hear the comms going off, not bothering to listen as to who was speaking, nor did he actually care at that moment.

Feezu didn't hear it either, as the voice was too garbled to identify. Taking one last look at the facility, reminiscing on the hundreds of soldiers who have died, he too finally turned and walked towards the Phantoms, as the last of the wounded were brought aboard. As they and the other survivors piled onto the Phantoms and took off, the comms went silent once more.


Forerunner Facility orbiting Gas Giant Zulzirk
Inside Facility

Kolre cursed as he received no reply from the comms. He was probably too deep within the facility to effectively communicate, that or his comm unit was damaged. Likely both. Raising his newly equipped Plasma Rifle, recently acquired off a Flood Combat Form, he scanned the hallway ahead of him as he continued forward. His motion tracker was clear for the moment, but he knew that could change in an instant when it came to the Flood.

He wondered how many people were even still alive on the station. There couldn't be many left. He knew that any Covenant Forces still alive would have pulled out by now, as the situation was now too large to merely contain with the number of troops they had. More than enough encounters with the Flood had taught them this first hand. The Salarian STG on the other hand, he couldn't say. The Sangheili General doubted they've fared any better, but he wasn't sure about how they would react to such a threat that was now so significant.

At this point, though, it probably didn't matter. The station would be annihilated by the orbiting Covenant Ships to prevent the Flood Outbreak from spreading. Containing the Flood was now the top priority, above all else.

Even his own life.

Which meant he needed to find a ride out of here and fast. He was certain there was at least something here to use, he just had to find it.


His motion tracker suddenly lit up, showing two blimps moving towards him from the front. The hallway in front of him split off into two directions, the motion tracker showing the unknowns were coming from the left. Raising his Rifle, he readied for combat once more the contacts neared rounding the corner. He could hear them running, their breaths ragged and spent.

To his surprise, instead of two Flood forms rounding the corner, two Salarian STG came barreling out of the corner, before one of them noticed Kolre and both came to a complete stop, staring at the Sangheili Warrior. Kolre kept his weapon trained on them, not wanting to take any chances. Behind the Salarians, nightmarish screams could be heard, causing the two Salarians to look back.

"Go! Run, run, run, run! They're right behind us!" One of the STG shouted as they both sprinted towards the Sangheili. Sure enough, several Flood forms came rounding the corner, shrieking their cries as they chased after their prey. Kolre snarled as he raised his Plasma Rifle and fired at the advancing horde of undead nightmares. The two STG, who had run past him, turned and each took a knee as they both fired as well, mass accelerated rounds streaming out of their Assault Rifles.

Several of the Flood forms fell under the combined fire of the trio, while several of the others returned fire with whatever weapons they had on them, ME rounds and Plasma Bolts striking Kolre's shields and forcing him to dodge and weave from the incoming fire. The Salarians were forced to do the same as their barriers offered no protection from Covenant Plasma Weapons.

The two STG each primed a grenade before flinging them at the approaching horde. Twin explosions devastated the Flood forms, as the trio then proceeded to finish off the stragglers that had survived.


After the last of the Flood forms fell to the trio's firepower, silence filled the station once more. The next thing, Kolre knew, the two Salarians trained their weapons on him. He snarled as the STG kept their distance. He could see they were uncertain as to what to do with him, probably having half a mind to shoot him.

"What do we do with him?" One of the Salarians asked.

"Just shoot him and be done with it, Rukon."

"But he helped us, Zadarf."

"Out of self-interest. He'll turn on us if we let him live." Zadarf snarled, keeping his Assault Rifle trained on the Sangheili General.

"This is foolish talk, Salarian. We stand a better chance of survival if we work together." Kolre interjected. In truth he wasn't too concerned with either choice they made. His shields were still strong enough to shrug off their fire if they chose to try and kill him, which in turn would only result in their deaths. However, he didn't like the prospect of being alone on a Flood infested station by himself. If it meant getting out of here alive, he had no quarrel working with the enemy, albeit temporary.

Zadarf, however, didn't seem to have the same mindset. The STG stepped up and shoved the barrel of his gun into the Sangheili's face, "Shut it, Split-lip! He may not know who you are, but I do full well, Demon of Jalnor." Kolre couldn't help but narrow his eyes in annoyance, and somewhat surprise. It had been a long time since he had been called that name.

"Demon of Jalnor?" The Salarian identified as Rukon questioned.

"Yeah, Rukon. During the Covenant-Batarian War, Kolre Uzinaree here partook in the Fall of Lorek. He lead the counterattack at Jalnor, some 1,000 Batarian and Turian dying by his own hands personally in that battle alone. Made a nasty habit of using captured Turian and Batarian POWs to lead him and his men to other units hiding out, only to kill them after their usefulness had passed. Went on to stack up some 3,000 kills by the end of the campaign on Lorek. He'll do the same thing to us once we're clear of the Flood and this damn station."

Kolre grunted in annoyance. While what the Salarian had said was true, the kill count was largely and often times exaggerated by the Citadel Races about his exploits in the War. In truth, he had killed maybe 300-400 soldiers during the Fall of Lorek. That being said, a good number of those were by his blades. This probably helped build up his reputation as a unstoppable demon on the field. That, and his units' clever use of their cloaking technology, which often times had allowed them to enter right in the midst of the Citadel forces and in turn annihilate them. This devastating technique, amongst other things, had earned him the nickname the 'Demon of Jalnor'. Not that he was particularly fond of the name.

"If we even get off the station. Our chances would be better if we work together to get off this station before my ships destroy it."

"Rot in hell, Covenant-" Zadarf never finished his sentence, as a shriek cut him off. Kolre caught movement to the left of him and immediately lunged out of the way. Zadarf, however, hadn't been quick enough, turning just in time to see a Salarian Combat Form tackle him and pin him to the ground. Shrieks from both respective creatures followed as the Flood Form proceeded to tear into the down STG, tearing at his chest before biting into his neck and ripping out a massive chunk, green blood spurting everywhere.

Kolre was quick to rise and fired his Plasma Rifle, plasma bolts ripping the creature apart and sending it sprawling to the ground. Rising back to his feet, Korle fired a few more bolts into it to make sure it was dead. He looked over to see Rukon, his back pressed to the wall, a look of pure terror on his face. The Salarian's Rifle was trembling in his hands as the STG stared at the mutilated corpse of his companion. The whole ordeal had occurred in only a few seconds.


Rukon's mind was racing a thousand thoughts a minute.

How could they have been so foolish? What if these things got loose off the station? Could they really escape? What if this was his fate? Was he really going to die here? Converted into one of these monsters?

He could feel his heart racing, his body trembling, and his breath shaky. Every part of his body was racked with unadulterated terror. The terror in possibly turning into one of those things or being ripped apart by one, the scenarios playing out in his head over and over and over again.


Growling softly, Kolre walked over to one of the other fallen Flood forms, looking amongst the weapons that they had. Finding what he was looking for, he grabbed the Carbine and its ammo, before walking back over to the traumatized Salarian and tossed him his Plasma Rifle. This had snapped him out of his stupor and caused him to looked at Kolre incredulously.

"On your feet, Salarian. If you wish to avoid his fate, then I suggest you follow me." The Sangheili General spoke, before turning back towards the dividing hallway and walking towards the right one. The Salarian, uncertain of what to do anymore, shakily rose to his feet, took one last look at his dead friend, and after several seconds, slowly walked on to catch up with Korle.


'Hurry, Kolre... your brethren are no doubt preparing to fire on this station. The fate of the galaxy rest on you leaving here alive.' The Precursor voice rung in his head. Kolre still wasn't sure whether to trust the creature or not, but for the moment, he didn't have a choice but to believe.


Orbit of Forerunner Facility
CCS-Battlecruiser 'Kindled Spirit'

"Shipmaster, nearly all of our forces have been evacuated off the station. The fleet is awaiting your order to fire." One of the stations reported to him. Kida 'Vazamee nodded as he received the news while observing the the hologram of the battlemap, showing the location of his ships and the Salarians. The STG had largely been wiped out, the remainder, two ships, were now fleeing the scene, realizing the battle was lost. He had lost all of his Frigates, but none of the Battlecruisers had been lost, meaning they still had a significant amount of firepower to destroy the station.

Taking a deep breath, the Shipmaster spoke, "All ships. Charge Plasma Torpedoes and Energy Projectors and prepare to fire on the station on my mark."

"Are we really about to destroy this relic? Probably one of the only examples of Forerunner tech we'll find for sometime." He heard a quarian speak lowly, uncertainty plaguing his voice.

"Prevent the Flood from spreading takes priority over all, even the retrieval of our lord's' creations. The Gods will understand our decision. Prepare to fire." Kida assured, as he readied to destroy the station and rid the Galaxy of the Flood Threat once and for all.


Time is running out for Korle. Will he escape? Find out in the final chapter of Halo-Mass Effect: Altered Destiny.

The Final Chapter will likely be significantly longer than previous chapters, as alot of things need explaining and closure, so I can't say when for certain the final chapter will come out, but hopefully won't take like 6 months.

I would like everyone to know that I'm going to go ahead and release the Prologue Timeline of Halo-Mass Effect: Contact (Book 2). This decision was made because I'm honestly not sure when the first chapter will come out following the conclusion of H-ME:AD. The reason for this is because I'm wanting to put more time in my other stories and build them up as well. All I can say for certain is that Book 2 will come out some time in 2016.

Again, constructive criticism is welcome. Also, Thanks once more for all the support that you, the fans, have given to this story and I hope you do the same for any of my other stories that you like as well.

See ya then!

-Azores