A/N: Everything will tie in…

This chapter has been Co-written between me and Aznboi52

XXxxXX

"I'm not saying that she's calm, but she's thankful for Lasky's intervention. You gentlemen have done a lot to bring her back. Thanks."
-(Formerly) LTCOL Essingdon Dominic Keyes, thanking Second Element (I) and Eighth Element for gathering intel which led to Doctor Catherine Elizabeth Halsey's rescue

XXxxXX

SERPENT NEBULA, CITADEL II, PRESIDIUM, COUNCIL COMMITTEE CHAMBERS (COUNCIL TOWER)

Lasky gazed back and forth over the green pulsating committee. There were groups of diplomats representing ever faction recognised by the Council sitting at the first level, and reporters from hundreds of networks sitting at the second level.

This was a moment in history that many did not want to happen, but it had to be done. Reports from political and intelligence analysts strongly indicated that if this event was to go through, then ONI would have a hard time keeping the Insurrectionism under control.

Tom was worried, but calm at the same time. He was concerned about the future. And for the first time in a long time, he felt like things were about to turn for the worst.

"The Coalition does not have a seat on the Council, let alone the UNSC," Irissa said. She was the new Asari Councillor, and from what the reports have told, Lasky knew her to be colder than her predecessor, striking whenever the opportunity presented itself. It was evident that she wanted humanity off the galactic stage and out of Council affairs. "If the Alliance is to merge with the UNSC, humanity's seat on the Council will be forfeit; however you will still be able to have an embassy."

Ruthless bitch, Lasky pondered. He could feel Hood tensing in his seat, clearly sick of what was transpiring. Tom couldn't blame him, hell, if the Fleet Admiral decided to pull out his sidearm and shoot the asari, he'd probably join in.

Trying to pass time, Lasky shifted his gaze to the assortment of plants and water features around the room. Relaxing, my ass… he said inwardly. The ornaments were supposed to ease nerves that probably worked when people weren't discussing politics.

"What of current human Spectre, Commander Jane Shepard?" Ambassador Richard Enderfield asked. It was clear his patience was near its end. Such a "simple" matter should not involve the bloody Council.

"She will still have her Spectre status," Quentius said.

Lasky had taken a liking towards the new Turian Councillor. He was reasonable, and an open supporter of Shepard. He was a visionary much like Enderfield. Thanks to him, relations between the Coalition and the Council will not deteriorate.

"Pardon me," Tom interrupted, leaning forward in his chair, "but with all due respect, why does the merger require Council supervision?"

The Councillors were stunned by the question. It had merit in it considering the context of the situation. Did they have a right in meddling with internal human affairs? On some grounds yes, but given what had transpired over the past few weeks, no. The Alliance Parliament and Defence Committee had been annihilated in their entirety. Only a few high ranking senior officers and administrative officials were running things.

A merger between the UNSC and Alliance would be beneficial for the foreseeable future, but it could give the Insurrectionists more ground to "continue" their campaign. They could twist so much towards their favour. And from what Lasky had been told about the conference, some people were unhappy to have learned that the UNSC abandoned people back on Earth many centuries ago.

I hope to god this all goes well, he said inwardly.

"This merger," Irissa began, turning her gaze towards the Admiral, "is important to the interest of the wider galactic community. The path humanity travels down plays an great role in our future."

Lasky felt his stomach turn. Oh the filth the asari councillor was spilling was borderline unbearable.

Admiral Hackett stood up from his chair and walked to the central table with the declaration printed out on paper. "The Alliance was once the UNSC," he said, "it's time for humanity to reform once more."

XXxxXX

ABOARD UNSC NIGHT HORSE, TERMINUS SYSTEM

Keyes stared out of the view port, looking at the heavily battered Forerunner shield world. Seconds before the detonation of nuclear warheads, spikes of Chekhov radiation was detected, indicating a large slipspace jump.

Analysts believed that a large number of Flood units may have "escaped" the planet, bound for unknown locations. Was he scared? Of course he was. Recent events that had led up to this moment were more than mere coincidence.

He turned back to the panel of observers and intelligence analysts, scanning through documents and reports from the archives.

"Any leads?" he asked.

"Nothing yet, Keyes," Anna Greenfield said.

Donnie pivoted to face the central table, displaying information about all of Parangosky's known activities.

Operation Surge; observe Flood behaviour… ship of recommended; Mona Lisa.

Data handed over to ONI by Sixth Element revealed an eerie picture of the former Head wishing to gain control over the Reapers.

Force estimates had put the Reapers somewhere in the millions. A force like that would be devastating if used properly. But why would Parangosky want to control the Reapers and not tell High Command about it? Why would she create Cerberus and not tell anyone about it?

Good people had gotten killed over such petty things, it was depressing and frustrating. The former Admiral's move did not make any sense, she may be a heartless cow, but not evil.

Keyes flicked his eyes over to the screen displaying all of the findings on the Flood.

Contrary to popular belief, the Flood can control the rate of assimilation. Tests have shown that Flood infection can remain undetected for a few generations until abnormalities are noticeable.

Then it hit him… the revelation made his back prickle his heat, and the room uncomfortably hot.

"Oh my god," Keyes uttered. He recalled Margaret's "fascination" with the Flood. She had orchestrated the events surrounding the Mona Lisa. She wanted a way to stop the Parasite conventionally should the need ever arise.

Cerberus was a means to that. It was her way of monitoring the galaxy, because with everyone worrying about the Insurrectionists and pirates, who was going to bother about Earth? Answer, no one of importance.

Now thinking about it, Essingdon guessed why Parangosky kept Cerberus quiet. High Command would probably get a bit too nosey and get in the way, or reduce funding, which would hamper the Human Supremacists capabilities severely.

"What's wrong?" Greenfield asked.

She beelined Keyes's line of sight and soon reached the same page. Quickly, the entire room caught up, and what was once a place of discussion, had rapidly shifted into a deafening silence. This was the most plausible lead they had.

"You mean to say, that Parangosky at some point in time, went under the Flood's influence?" Fhajad asked.

Keyes nodded slowly. Everything was laid out in front of him. Research trends in assimilated life forms, parasitic behaviours, Flood tendancies, Cerberus research patterns and operations. All of it, pointed to that one notion.

This was a game changer. Essingdon could feel his chest constrict as his wide eyes darted back and forth between screens. His brilliant mind possessed higher cognitive abilities than the average human; conclusions like these were difficult, but undeniably accurate.

Parangosky's contingency plans for Omega caused it to crash inside of Bindur, and she knew that. She would've, she made it to Director after all. But why would she want to destroy the station? Strategic value maybe, or something even more sinister. The Adjutants found there could be the tip of the ice berg, simply removing the station would cover her tracks… and take out a large number of experience Arcani Operatives along the way.

The picture was become increasingly clearer now. If Parangosky was under the influence of the Flood, it would be like someone being under the influence of the Reapers. They would believe that what they were doing was beneficial to all life as a whole. The same could be said for Margaret, in her hubris or miscalculation at some point in history, she came into contact with Flood spores.

This would've set her onto a declining path. It was more than likely that she was past the point of delusional. Cerberus was a means for her to monitor the galaxy and investigate the Reaper Myth. If the Reapers were true, then they would be an excellent source of firepower. Thus Cerberus's research into Reaper technology.

"Fhajad, get everyone on alert, mobilise what you can," Keyes ordered in a calm fashion. "Initiate reinforcement protocols, I want all our people operating at full capacity."

The Spartan-II gave a nod before heading out of the Faraday Caged room to relay the orders. He soon returned back to get his coat and straighten his tie. "Orders been relayed, we got to go to the funeral now."

There was a silence in the memorial hall, an eerie silence that hung like a deafening sound. Jane gazed across the faces of all who were present. It was time for commemoration, the first of many. In the short time the Commander had been around the UNSC, she knew that they had an entire myriad of dress codes unlike the Alliance.

The remaining few ONISAD were clad in all blacks, suit and tie, with gloves, ceremonial cap, ultra-light armoured vest and shoulder pads, all devoid of rank and insignia save for the white trim. On their heads they wore hoods that covered their entire face, leaving only the blue eyes to be concealed by the slim angular sunglasses. They stood out in such a contrast to the rest, for they instilled fear and awe.

Shepard found it odd that ONISAD would have such things in their wardrobe considering their field of expertise, but she had to admit, they looked certainly fearsome and spectacular in their immaculate and streamlined clothing.

UNSC Officers, including Miranda Keyes, stood beside ONISAD in the ceremonial dress respective to their affiliations. Palmer, Rook, and Wizard wore the Spartan-IV dress blacks, adorned with their medals and original service branch.

John's dress blacks however, were different, as it had a tie. Jane wasn't sure if it was purely aesthetic or symbolic, probably both. The tie seemed to represent something in the UNSC. But he wasn't the only one in the Spartan-II dress blacks, an old friend was with him as well, Fhajad. Even Cortana was here, dressed in a formal black outfit. The AI's face and mannerisms were filled with sadness.

Shepard gazed back and forth the polished black coffins draped in the Flags of the UNSC and ONI. Some of them were empty; others were barely filled with remains. The wreaths that lay upon them were white, and surrounded by blood red roses, they stood out in dark contrast against the onyx timber. At the front of the stage, on the white marble floor was a glazed glass panel, which read; Innominatam, et Inferus mox poni ad requiem. Roughly translated into The nameless and the faceless will soon be put to rest.

The culture within ONISAD was an unspoken taboo, people did not join up for the glory, they never did. Most of them joined because it was either a job promotion, better pay, or suited to their skill set. Many attempted to know what they were getting into. But by the time they realised the cost, it was too late, they couldn't go anywhere else, not with the dark secrets and horrors held deep within their minds. That was what the plaque represented. A price paid beyond what could be given.

Shepard knew that John understood this world. He was originally created for this world. She could see him tense up as his soft eyes washed across the glass pane and the coffin. It was like a painful reminder to him.

Keyes stood at the podium, dressed in a blackish grey uniform, with a tie as well. His eyes glinted in the soft light as he began to address those who had come to pay their respects. A few hundred or so people, most of them work colleagues.

"The men who lie here, are the nameless and the faceless," the Director said solemnly, "they do what they do out of a sense of purpose and an inkling of patriotism. These men walk the fine line of light and darkness, devoting their lives to keep families safe at night."

Essingdon breathed before gazing back down to his script.

"I will not lie, when these men first joined, they could barely grasp what kind of world they were entering. But regardless of what caused them to become one of us, they stayed for the very same reason as the people beside did. They give than more that can ever be given, and we will remember the sacrifices they have made. We will honour them, and let them rest, for they have deserved it."

Shepard noticed Keyes making eye contact with Arca. In the ranks of uniformed ONISAD Operatives, Jane could tell which one was Adrian; his stance was slightly slouched and depressed than the rest. It was barely noticeable to the unknowing eye, but she knew, they all knew.

"As for us who are still here, the hunt is not over, it's far from over. A storm awaits us, and we're going to do everything we can to pull through."

The procession slowly left the stage as the ceremony came to a close. An orchestra filled with classical instruments began to play an age old hymn. The Paramilitary Officers who were familiar with the tune began to sing along in Latin. Slowly, the hall began to sound like a Cathedral during mass; Jane found it comforting but slightly eerie. It was a reminder of the pain humanity had to endure.

People who had come to honour the fallen broke into smaller groups, as Shepard followed the Chief towards the coffins. Adrian, Sarah, Riley and Gabriel stood in front of Etrius and Bryce's coffins which had been laid side by side.

Greystone's body hadn't been shipped back to the Ark for confidentiality reasons, and neither had Bryce's. Shepard could only imagine the pain Adrian was going through.

Soon, Miranda and Essingdon arrived with sorrowful expressions on their faces. The Head of ONI beckoned the masked Arca to have a private word with him.

"Yeah?" Adrian sighed.

"We've never been hit this hard before," Keyes said. "I'm reforming teams, and at the same time, I'm giving you, Chief, Palmer, Thorne and Sanderson some shore leave. Shepard can come along if she wishes."

"Get to the point," Arca said sharply. Bitter knowledge of the deaths of his childhood friends burned deep inside him. First his original team, then Edmund, followed by Etrius and Bryce. Shepard knew that it wasn't something that could be easily coped with. Hell, she was still having a hard time getting over Ashley, Chambers and Chakwas's death.

These losses happened only a few weeks ago, but it felt like lifetimes away. That was what fighting does to a person.

"On Deck-Five-Charlie, there is a new batch of Arcani waiting to be sorted. Grab how many you want, then take a day or two off at the Citadel."

Adrian turned and gestured towards the coffins. "What about them?"

"I'll give you three days then," Keyes said.

"And the Chief?"

"I'll give him some R'n'R." There was a long pause, "Remember to tell Julia."

"I will," Adrian said.

"And talk to your family."

Although his face was covered, it was obvious that the Officer was glaring at his friend.

"It's for the best, Adrian."

"Fine."

Arca promptly left the hall, walking down the walkway with Sandman in tow. Ever since Riley had been discharged from hospital, he always remained in close proximity to Adrian, just as a safety precaution.

Shepard had to admire that characteristic. The care and bond that the men shared, it was a strong brotherhood, forged in more than just fire. But she noticed that Adrian did not stop by the coffins for too long, maybe it was too painful for him. It was hard to tell with his face covered, he had forced his body language back to neutral, unreadable.

Keyes walked over to Jane, and spoke in a low voice. John had moved up to Bryce's empty coffin to pay final words.

"His armour has been showing signs of increased stress," the Director said.

"I can tell," Jane said. "It's not that hard."

Keyes raised an eyebrow.

"I want to thank you for keep an eye out for him, if it wasn't for you…" there was a long sigh, "I don't know what would've happened. Probably don't want to."

"Glad I could help," Shepard said nonchalantly.

"I'm serious," Keyes emphasised. "Just keep an eye on him, he takes these deaths just as hard as the next person."

But doesn't show it.

"I'm aware of that," Jane said, "he's been thinking about Blue a lot recently."

"I don't blame him," Keyes said, tugging his sleeves. "Down time is a bitch to all of us."

"Don't worry," Shepard reassured, "I'll look out for him."

"Thanks."

Jane breathed a sigh of contentment. This was really the first time anyone had said thanks to her. A fully sincere thank you, it was a small gesture, but the fact that someone had taken the time to say that, well it meant a lot. She knew that John was grateful for her when she came a long, but the nature in which he grew up in, made it difficult for him to display any small measure of sentiment.

Keyes was a good person, and ONI's future looked bright with him at the helm. She just hoped he knew how to steer through the storm.

XXxxXX

"Let me put into perspective of how powerful Spartans are. They twenty-fourth century allows the common citizen to be superhuman, by twenty-first century standards. Superhuman or transhuman is now human by the twenty-sixth century. So what is actually superhuman in the twenty-sixth century? My Spartans of course."

-Doctor Catherine Elizabeth Halsey

XXxxXX

A/N: This chapter serves to answer any questions with what's happening.

Anyway, please review and let me know what you think.