Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo - Mechwarrior/Battletech crossover. This is the second chapter that I am uploading today, as a thank you to those that have continued to support my Halo - Terminator crossover. Again, thank you for your support and I look forward to continuing to impress. As always, leave a review and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Halo or MechWarrior/BattleTech franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of Microsoft Game Studios, 343 Industries, Bungie, FASA Corporation, FASA Interactive, Catalyst Game Labs and Piranha Games Inc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their respective developers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises is of my own invention. I do not own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to it's original composers and/or artists.
Quarantine Zone
Delta Halo
20th Age of Reclamation
The Revenant Thel and Bero were in roared as the Arbiter gunned the throttle, eagerly shunting the vehicle forwards. Moving through an entrance, they were about to drive inside when the multi-panel doors opened, with a Super Sentinel coming out. "Watch out," R'tas shouted. "Do not drive underneath it unless you move fast. It will pull you upwards and smash you between the pincer arms. I know because I lost some men because of it."
"Got it," Thel replied, backing up as he did so. Moments later, the Super Sentinel began to fire what appeared to be small mortar shells, as they detonated on impact with the ground explosively. One explosion jarred Thel when it impacted the Revenant, tearing off some nanolaminate armor plating in the process. "Look out," he told the others. "The machines fire small missiles! Don't let them hit you!" Following his advice, the other Elites scattered, with the Ghosts and the Spectre moving around erratically to avoid being hit.
Taking the initiative, Thel fired off the Revenant's Plasma Mortar, sending a red-white plasma bolus at the Super Sentinel. The bolus of superheated plasma tore into the shields, downing them in a single strike and exposing the Super Sentinel's superstructure. Even then, Forerunner metallurgy was extremely tough, as the metal took the impact with ease. It took Thel roughly five more blasts to down the thing; during that time, it fire off more of the missiles, though Thel's erratic evasive maneuvers meant that none of the shells hit. As soon as the thing crashed to the ground, the Elites began to move up, driving around debris and massive holes in the ground as they drove inside.
The door split into it's multiple panels, with each one slanting outwards before they were pulled upwards on the rails they were on. Moving inside, Thel found himself and the others entering a well lit tunnel; it was narrow, with barely enough room to fit a Spectre, but they were able to manage it. Finding another door, they drove on through to the other side.
Looking around, Thel could see that they arrived in a vast chamber, with the vehicles he and his men were in hovering over a large, metal plaza. The plaza was split into multiple sections by walls that crisscrossed various sections of the plaza, with a large metal wall before them that had a section cut out of the middle, with the left and right ends being open to the rest of the plaza. Ahead was a more monolithic wall, with only a small gap in the top that allowed Thel to see a Super Sentinel that was firing on an unseen enemy, with the sides, again, being open as exits. Looking to the left and right, Thel could see that the plaza had half walls that prevented people, or certain vehicles for that matter, from falling over the edge, either intentionally or unintentionally.
His musings were interrupted when a group of Sentinels opened fire, scorching the Revenant's nanolaminate armor plating. Swiveling his vehicle to the right, Thel opened fire with the main cannon, while Bero fired on any Sentinels coming at them from the rear. The Spectre that R'tas was piloting also lent assistance, with the Elite firing the modified Plasma Turret at the Sentinels.
Thel's plasma mortar struck the Sentinel with devastating force, tearing the thing apart. As it did so, though, Thel was surprised when it generated an EM Pulse, shattering his shields and temporarily shutting down the Revenant. "Damn," he shouted. "Don't use plasma mortars on the Sentinels. The EMP shut down my vehicle. Use conventional weapons instead."
"Copy," one of the Elites shouted, firing his Ghost's plasma repeaters at the Sentinels. Fortunately, those weapons were safe to use, as the Sentinels merely fell to the ground before detonating. Going through the restart sequence, Thel was relieved when the Revenant powered back up, with no sign of any fried electronics. After testing the controls to make sure they were operational still, he continued to drive forwards.
Moving out of the overhang they were in, Thel got a better idea of just how large the chamber they were in was. It was massive, with enough room to house a Corvette if it was compressed to fit inside, with large platforms that were on either side of the chamber. The plaza he and his men were on continued forwards, with a smaller shelter that was located in the center of the forward section. A number of sections bulged outwards, indicating they were for observation or some other purpose. The plaza came to an abrupt halt up ahead, with ramps on either side leading down to another level of the plaza that led to another door like the one they had just exited.
However, it was clear that the Sentinels and the Flood were locked into mortal combat with each other, as Super Sentinels and normal Sentinels were everywhere, firing on Flood controlled vehicles that were firing back. "We can't go around them," Bero told Thel, "and we can't avoid them. We'll have to blast our way through and fight."
"I agree," Thel replied. Moving the Revenant forwards, he was about to fire on the Super Sentinel when a Flood controlled Ghost fired on him, the plasma rounds impacting the Revenant's armor plating. Turning the vehicle in that direction, Thel fired a single plasma bolus at the Flood piloting the vehicle, blasting it and the heavily damaged vehicle apart. Refocusing his attention on the Super Sentinel, Thel fired off more plasma mortar rounds. Nearby, R'tas' Spectre began firing on another Super Sentinel, the plasma bolts tearing off one of the pincer arms in the process.
The Super Sentinels were, understandably, caught off guard, with each one quickly turning around to face their new attackers. Before Thel could warn one of the Ghosts, the Super Sentinel charged forwards and hovered over the vehicle, sucking the Ghost upwards. It began to lift both pincer arms in preparation to smash the Ghost and it's driver in one, fell swoop. Oh no, you don't, Thel shouted mentally, firing his vehicle's Plasma Mortar moments later.
The distraction was just enough to cause the Super Sentinel to drop the Ghost, allowing the driver to flee to safety. Dodging more mortar blasts, Thel destroyed the enemy Super Sentinel, watching with satisfaction as the chassis of the machine fell to the ground, fire streaming out from various sections. Changing his COM's channel, he asked the Ghost's driver, "Are you alright?"
"I'm OK," the Elite in the Ghost replied. "Thanks to you. I tried to move the Ghost, but that machine reacted too quickly for me to anticipate. If it wasn't for you, I'd be dead now. Thanks."
"You're welcome," Thel replied. "Just remember to leave the Super Sentinels to me and R'tas. We can handle them better than you can." A nod of agreement came from the other side, with Thel engaging the boosters on the Revenant in order to catch up to R'tas and provide support.
R'tas seemed to be handling the combat well, as his men's aim was spot on, with many Flood Combat Forms being killed in the fight. Spotting an enemy Wraith, Thel watched as it turned and aimed at R'tas and his men in preparation to fire. "Thel," Bero shouted to him. "Boost at the Wraith! I have an idea!"
Following Bero's instincts, Thel boosted at the Wraith, allowing the young Elite to jump into the air and land on the vehicle. Using his abilities, Bero enhanced his strength, allowing him to pull the pilot compartment door off and get inside. Thel watched as the vehicle bounced around, jerking and rattling as though a naughty child was kicking it around, before a Flood Combat Form was tossed out of the vehicle, disintegrating on impact with the ground. Moments later, the Wraith, now under Bero's command, began firing on the enemy Ghosts in the area. "Now we have heavier firepower," Bero remarked.
With the increased firepower, the squad was able to terminate the Flood and Sentinel forces more efficiently, allowing them to clear the area out. Once all hostiles were gone, they began to drive through the door and to the other side. The tunnel was almost too narrow for the Wraith to enter, as the small wing boosters on either side of the Wraith scrapped against the walls, sparks flying in the process. Fortunately, Bero was able to maneuver the vehicle well enough that he got it through the tunnel.
Exiting the tunnel, they found themselves entering another area, with a monolithic wall on one side, and a series of transparent walls that were framed with Forerunner alloys on the other side. The metal floor ahead of them was covered with snow, with even more falling down from the sky to blanket the area underneath heavy snow. The sky above them was cloudy and dark, with the overcast sky promising more snowy weather to come.
As soon as they entered the area, a Super Sentinel charged overhead, completely ignoring them, or so it seemed. Instead of charging forwards, Thel waited for a few seconds, just as some Combat Forms landed on the ground before him. Firing the Plasma Mortar, he promptly disintegrated them, just as the Super Sentinel came back. Charging out, Thel moved out of the tunnel, allowing Bero to fire the Wraith's plasma mortar at the Super Sentinel. Compared to the Revenant, the Wraith's main weapon was significantly more effective, as it took just two shots to down the thing for good.
Moving forwards, Thel looked to the right to see where they were. Looking around, he found that they had entered a large, spiraling ramp that led to another part of the area down below, with gates in the wall that was on the left side. There was a large hole in the ground below, which glowed a cyan-teal color that reflected off of the snow. Up ahead, he could see another overhang that had a gap in the center. "We've got more enemies inbound," Thel warned the others. "Remain vigilant." With those words, he continued forwards.
Just as he thought, more Sentinels came into view, flying in from under the overhang he had spotted up ahead. Firing the Plasma Mortar, he made sure he was a good distance away, ensuring that no EMP could temporarily disable his vehicle. That proved to be a wise strategy, as the Sentinels exploded harmlessly, with Thel driving forwards once more. More of the paneled doors opened, with Super Sentinels coming out of them and flying forwards. Pulling back, Thel allowed Bero to handle the Super Sentinels, while he, R'tas and the other Sangheili fired on the Flood and other Sentinels. That strategy proved to be the correct one, as Bero was able to neutralize the Super Sentinels, allowing the group to continue moving forwards.
As they reached the bottom, R'tas said, "Arbiter, I just detected Human COM signals in the area. I managed to catch this transmission. Standby for the playback."
Moments later, Thel heard a human voice speaking over the COM channel. "SLS Fort Worth, this is Sigma 3 Actual, we are landing on Delta Halo near the Quarantine Zone. We're seeing a lot of Flood and Forerunner activity in the region. Request permission to launch a Scout Lance. Over."
"Copy that," was the reply. "Permission granted. Assault class 'Mechs only; those Super Sentinels can strip armor of off lighter 'Mechs pretty quickly, even with shields up. Do you have any Assault 'Mechs with you?"
"Rodger that. We have four Atlas-IV BattleMechs ready for deployment. We've also got the Mjolnir's Twin landing nearby. They're deploying their Mad Cat-IVb as well as their Nightstar-IV and other Assault class 'Mechs they have."
"Rodger that. Deploy an Assault Scout Lance and move up towards the Library. The Covenant are going to try to get at the Index before we can. We'll have to stop them, but we can't do that if there are too many Flood and Sentinels in the way. Be advised, the Sentinels have fired on SLDF personnel. You are cleared to engage them."
"Rodger that. Deploying our Assault 'Mechs to the region. We're also deploying some Manticore-IV's, as well as two Challenger-L HBT's, as well as some Scorpion-IIa's to the Quarantine Zone. Sigma 3 Actual out."
"Solid copy. SLS Fort Worth out." With that, the COM channel fell silent.
"That's not good," Thel remarked to R'tas. "Things just got a lot more complicated. We'll have to be cautious from this point onward. If those humans catch sight of us, they will not hesitate to take us out."
"I agree," R'tas replied. "I'll have some Phantoms run interference while we proceed forwards. I know, it's not exactly an honorable thing to do, but if those humans spot us, they will fire on us. We'll have to proceed swiftly forwards."
"I agree," Thel replied. "We'll continue on towards the Sacred Icon. The humans must not get to it first." With that, they continued to drive onward, while R'tas got his Phantoms into position. Spotting another exit, Thel drove through, with the door opening to let him through moments later.
If the chamber he was in was large, then the area before him was massive, able to comfortably house a Corvette with room to spare. The area ahead was divided up into a series of bluffs that were connected to each other by tunnels that were barely in usable condition, having had holes and gashes cut into them from seemingly years of combat. Between each bluff, Thel could see that same teal-cyan light streaming up from below, and he had no desire to find out what was causing the glow. The walls of the canyon were covered in snow, with holes spread throughout the rocky cliff faces. It was clear that this conflict had lasted a long time for such damage to take place to the region.
If the fighting in the chamber was intense, then the fighting out here was almost on the verge of overwhelming. Everywhere he looked, Thel could see more Flood and Sentinels duking it out with each other, with Incineration Beams and plasma bolts cutting through the air with lethal effect. Nearby, Thel could see a Wraith that was firing plasma mortar bolus' at a Super Sentinel, with the latter raining down more explosive firepower on the Flood controlled vehicle. Moving forwards, Thel descended down the ramp he was on and fired the Revenant's mortar at the Wraith.
The impact damaged the Wraith considerably, as the vehicle was already in poor condition from the constant fighting. Turning around, it was about to retaliate when Bero acted first, destroying the Wraith with a well aimed plasma bolus to it's main gun, penetrating the main gun and destroying the power plant inside. The enemy Wraith fell to the ground as the plasma in it's power plant vented into the atmosphere, causing the Wraith to detonate explosively. Nice shot, Thel remarked.
Thanks, Bero replied. Not for the last time, Thel shook his head goodnaturedly. The young elite was good, he had to give him that, but his telepathy meant that he could hear everything he was thinking. Still, it was a small price to pay for his newfound talents, so he smiled ruefully and continued driving onwards. Spotting a nearby arch in the canyon wall, he traveled through it, bypassing any enemies that he might've had to fight.
Turning right, he proceeded down one of the tunnels in the area, making sure to drive on undamaged sections of the tunnel. Reaching one of the bluffs, he spotted one of the holes in the area ahead of his position, just as Flood Combat Forms jumped up from where the hole led. Firing his plasma mortar, he vaporized the infected Covenant immediately, destroying the Flood's initiative in the process. Spotting an incoming enemy Ghost, he fired on it as well, destroying it in the blink of an eye.
As if fate was taunting him further, a Super Sentinel happened to fly over just as his vehicle exited the tunnel, with the massive Forerunner construct turning around to fire on him. It, however, had made the grievous error of firing on the Revenant, as Bero and the others had just exited the tunnel as well. Firing on the Super Sentinel, the combined firepower of everyone shooting at it quickly destroyed the machine, sending it's metallic carcass into one of the chasms that riddled the area.
Continuing to move up, Thel and and the others fired on any more Flood and Sentinels that were proceeding through the area. They weren't one sided engagements, as one of the Ghosts traveling with them detonated due to a mortar impact, with the Elite barely getting clear of the blast in time. Stopping his vehicle, Thel allowed the Elite to get onboard before driving forwards once more, with Bero killing the Super Sentinel with his Wraith. Looking at his vehicle, Thel could tell that it was taking damage, as parts of the armor were pitted and cratered, with the edges glowing a light orange color. He could also see parts of the wings were coming off, though they still remained attached, a true showing of Sangheilian engineering resilience.
As they drove onward, Thel was about to engage another Super Sentinel, when it was suddenly blasted apart by a fast moving projectile, nearly turning the thing inside out. A loud PEW-BANG echoed through the air, with the Flood and Sentinels briefly stopping to spot this new entry into this war of theirs. Looking behind himself, Thel's heart sank when he spotted a Scorpion-IIa on the edge of the cliff, it's main gun charging up for another shot. Realizing it would fire on them sooner or later, he shouted, "MOVE IT," before gunning the boosters on his damaged Revenant. Spotting the Human tank, the others immediately complied, moving erratically to avoid being killed by the tank's Heavy Gauss Cannon.
Apparently, the tank's operator had spotted them, as the tank quickly reaimed and began firing at them. Fortunately, the erratic evasive maneuvers proved to be effective, if only just barely. Thel nearly shouted when a Heavy Gauss Cannon slug shot past his vehicle, the projectile being close enough that he actually saw the ovoid ferro-osmiridium slug passing by. The slug promptly impacted the ground, ricocheting into the air before smashing into the canyon walls.
On top of that, the Human's Assault Scout Lance had arrived, firing their compliment of weapons as well. Thel dodged and wove through the pathways as Pulse Lasers, Missiles and A-UAC/20 shells impacted all around his men, with most avoiding the deadly salvo just barely. Unfortunately, one of their own wasn't lucky enough, as a A-UAC/20 HV-HEAP shell impacted his Ghost directly, tearing the vehicle apart and splattering the Sangheilian all over the ground.
As soon as that happened, the rest of the squad entered a tunnel that R'tas had spotted earlier, with Thel and the others following their lead. Realizing that he was an easy target, Bero got out of the Wraith and hopped onto the ground, before running as fast as he could. Shape-shifting once more, he turned back into the Korovang that he had been when fighting the Flood earlier, as that species were also extremely fast runners. He entered the tunnel just in time, as a Heavy Gauss Cannon slug tore through the Wraith, blasting it apart into a million small pieces.
Clambering onto R'tas Spectre, Bero shape-shifted back into his normal form, his chest heaving as he gasped for air. "That… was close," he gasped, his breaths coming more slowly as he recovered from his dead man's sprint. "If I had been a little slower, I'd-"
"Relax," R'tas told him. "You'll be fine. What happened to your armor?"
"I've got it," Bero replied, with a large tentacle holding the suit in it's coils behind him. "I'll need a minute."
"We'll all need a minute," R'tas replied. "Fortunately, the area up ahead appears to be clear." Keying his COM, he said, "Arbiter, we'll need a minute to catch our breaths. That was too close of a call."
"I agree," Thel replied, his voice sounding strained as well. "We'll stop here once it's clear and take a few minutes." Moments later, they exited the tunnel. The clearing up ahead used to be a Forerunner structure, but the seemingly endless war the Flood and Sentinels had been fighting had destroyed it, causing it to crash to the ground and come to rest here. Even now, fires were still streaming from the interior, with a smaller hole at the bottom allowing for entry inside.
Getting out of their vehicles, the Elites made sure the area was clear, then they sat down on the ground, with Bero collapsing onto the ground after he put his armor back on. "Does anyone have food," he asked, his stomach growling loudly.
"Here," R'tas replied, tossing over some food rations to Bero. The young Elite immediately tore the packaging apart, devouring one ration before tearing into another. "Hierarchs, Bero," R'tas gasped, surprised by Bero's voracious appetite. "Be careful. You'll give yourself heartsburn if you eat too fast."
"I'll live," Bero replied, devouring his third ration in the process. After a moment, he said, "Sorry about the appetite. My shape-shifting ability consumes a lot of energy, so when I did that, I nearly ran out of energy to do anything besides breathing. Don't worry, I metabolize food rapidly, so this should help me recover my strength. I can also alter my skin to produce food via photosynthesis. In fact, I think I'll do that here." Eating the last food ration, Bero walked over to one of the fires and got out of his armor and tech suit, altering his skin so that he produced energy for himself via photosynthesis.
R'tas shook his head as he watched Bero absorbing the light and the food in his stomach for nutrients. "The more I learn about Bero, the less sense his abilities make," he remarked to Thel. "You ever feel that?"
"I do," Thel replied. "I know Bero is just as confused about his abilities as you and I are; his reaction to his telepathy at the Heretic base is proof of that. What amazes me the most is that he is taking the changes rather well. Lesser Sangheili would've either gone power hungry or would've committed suicide by now."
"Probably because he has to live with them for the rest of his life," R'tas added.
"Or the rest of his existence, rather," Thel corrected. "The Oracle examined him when we returned from my last mission. Apparently, his regenerative abilities, combined with his new physiology, means that he might have achieved biological immortality. The Oracle seems to think that is the case."
"Really" R'tas remarked, surprised by the new information. "The thought of becoming biologically immortal is… nearly too much for me to comprehend. For one, I would have all the time I needed, but I would remain young forever, while everyone I know and love would slowly wither and die around me. I don't think I could take it and remain sane."
"Me either," Thel replied. "Bero was having to deal with that as well. During his time eating food back on High Charity, he found the idea of biological immortality to be frightening. He knows that all living things die in the end, but the fact that he can live forever, as long as he doesn't die from disease, injury or violence, is… disturbing to him. We talked and after some time, he seemed to accept the fact that he wasn't going to be able to die from old age and that committing suicide would be a selfish act."
"So he's decide he will die in battle," R'tas asked
"With the way things are going, that is likely," Thel agreed. "I think Bero knows that, one day, he will die fighting for those he loves rather than old age, injury or disease. From what I can tell, it's helped him cope with his abilities, as he doesn't seem to be as doubtful about himself as before."
"I can tell," R'tas remarked. After a moment, he said, "How about you talk with him. I think he could use some more counsel from you until we move out."
"Agreed," Thel replied. Getting up, he walked over to Bero, who was now getting his armor on, now that he had regained the energy he had spent earlier in the day. "Are you alright," he asked Bero.
"Yes," the young Zealot replied. "I overheard you and R'tas talking. Mostly about what might happen now that I am biologically immortal."
"We didn't mean any offense," Thel replied. "We're just worried for you, is all. I think a lot of people would if they knew what you went through."
"I know," 'Kusovai replied. "I know you're concerned for me, and I appreciate it. It's always good to have people that want to help you for the right reasons. Either way, thank you for the support."
"I will always be there to help you," Thel replied. "Even after I die, I will live on inside of your mind."
"I know," Bero replied. "Now, we've got to keep moving. Otherwise, the humans will gain the Icon." Nodding in agreement, Thel and the others got up and began moving into the structure, albeit cautiously.
. . .
"Damnit," Lance Corporal Jake McKinley shouted from inside the Atlas-IV he was piloting, banging a fist against the interior of the 'Mech as the Covenant vehicle vanished into the cave. He was part of the Assault Scout Lance that their Steiner CO had sent to the planet in order to catch the Covenant and Flood off guard, though it did the same to the Sentinels as well. It was funny seeing them running from a Steiner Scout Lance, which was a bit of a meme with other 'Mech units. "That mothefucker was almost in my sights. If it wasn't for that damn column blocking my view…"
"Relax, Lance Corporal," Commander Rickman, the CO of Sigma Lance 3, said calmly to the riled up NCO. "There's another clearing up ahead beyond that burning Forerunner structure. We'll have another chance to neutralize them. If not, then the Flood will have their heyday with them in the end. Still, I'm surprised about that one Elite. He literally turned into a speedy lizard when he got out."
"He did, I will admit that," McKinley conceded. "I never thought I'd live long enough to see a fucking shape-shifter, of all things. Now I can rightfully say that I've seen everything. Still, they're heading for the Library, where the Index is at. What's the status of the UNSC Captain, and those SLIC spooks?"
"They're making good headway through the fighting," Rickman replied. "They've gotten to the library but they're having to deal with heavy resistance. The latest COM report indicated they made it inside, but they're still securing the area. Once they've done that, I think they're planning to head inside and grab the Index, preferably before the Covenant gets its grimy claws onto it."
"I agree," McKinley replied. "What are your orders?"
"We'll continue to head up towards the Library's entrance and neutralize any hostiles on the way through," Rickman replied. "Once we're at the Library entrance, we'll secure it until SLIC says we can move out. The SLDF gave them full reign on this operation, which is rare, but it does happen. Either way, let's move out, 'MechWarriors."
"I hear you on that," the other 'MechWarriors replied. Gunning the throttle, McKinley continued to move forwards, comforted by the familiar mechanical thumping of his 'Mech's feet on the ground.
. . .
It turned out, proceeding cautiously through the ruined Forerunner structure was a wise idea, as the interior was dark, even to Thel, who had good night vision. Bero took point, altering his eyes to allow him to see in the dark better than the others. Coming back from around the bend of the tunnel, he said, "There's a lot of Flood and Sentinels in the area ahead. They seem to be getting continuous reinforcements, so we'll have to move through quickly."
"A sound strategy," R'tas agreed. "Keep moving, warriors. We're nearing our goal." The other Elites nodded in agreement, moving forwards through the tunnel and towards the room ahead. The room ahead was apparently some kind of engineering room at some point, though it was clear that it was ruined beyond repair. Fires and sparks of electricity were rampant, which added to the dangerous fact that the Flood and Sentinels were constantly fighting each other. Rather than waste their time and ammunition, they chose to move on through the room, fighting only when attacked.
Moving through another darkened hallway, they neared the exit, which led to a small clearing that had a lower level area, accessible via earthen ramps. "Watch it," Bero shouted, dragging R'tas back just in time to avoid a Super Sentinel carcass that fell from the sky. R'tas nodded his head in thanks as Bero let go, allowing the group to move forwards. That was when a number of Flood Combat Forms jumped down from the upper areas of the clearing, firing their weapons all the while.
Moving up, Thel and the others quickly neutralized them, not bothering to remain in the area. Entering another tunnel, they quickly came to another room like the one they had passed through before, only this one was slightly different. Part of the room had been severely damaged, with a hole leading out towards another clearing, with a tunnel that led to a massive clearing on the other side. Fighting off more Combat Forms, the group continued to move forwards.
"Wraith," Bero shouted, pointing out the vehicle. "I've got that one. You take the Ghosts!"
"We'll cover you," Thel shouted, firing his Plasma Rifle at the Flood, having run out of ammunition for his Carbine Rifle. Running forwards, Bero managed to get inside of the Wraith, just as a Combat Form hopped inside as well. It was promptly ejected from the vehicle, a large tentacle spearing it's chest before retracting inside the tank. Moments later, the Wraith powered up, with Bero raining down plasma fire on the Flood.
Killing a Combat Form, Thel quickly mounted the Ghost that it had been riding on. Fortunately, this Ghost was in good condition, as it hadn't been damaged aside from a few scorch marks and plasma craters on the armor. Driving around in it, he quickly neutralized some more Combat Forms, smashing a Combat Form to bits when he rammed it at full speed. Spotting an unattended Spectre, Thel pointed it out to R'tas, who quickly had his men get on and drive.
Getting out of the small clearing, they entered another massive one, which had similar chasms as the previous large clearing they were in. Spotting a Super Sentinel, Thel sent the information to Bero, who quickly targeted and destroyed the Forerunner machine. Spotting enemy vehicles incoming, Thel opened fire, peppering them with plasma bolts while R'tas and the others provided support. Destroying the incoming enemy Ghosts, they quickly moved up and towards the entrance to the Library.
The entrance to the Library was a large, cylindrical structure that was connected to a larger, rectangular building that led inside. The area around the Library was a massive clearing, with a small chasm located to the left of the structure facing it. Flood and Sentinels were here as well, firing on each other in their endless war. As they approached, Thel heard that familiar thumping sound. "MOVE IT," he screamed. "GET INSIDE!"
Almost immediately, it was organized chaos, as Bero abandoned his Wraith and got onto R'tas Spectre, just as R'tas boosted forwards, with Thel leading the way. Flying over the relatively short embankment they proceeded through another wrecked tunnel and, gunning the throttles as fast as they could, got into the structure itself. Fighting off the Flood in a desperate gun battle, they cleared out the Parasite and began moving inside. "Bero," Thel shouted, yanking the young Sangheili inside just as a gout of plasma fire tore through the area, incinerating any remaining Flood.
"Thanks," Bero shouted.
"Anytime," Thel replied. Getting up and brushing himself off, he proceeded forwards with the surviving Elites, just as a Phantom came and dropped off more reinforcements up ahead.
Instead of entering the Library proper, Thel found that they were on the Forerunner equivalent of a mass transportation lift, or a cargo lift. The upper level had a transparent floor that allowed for viewing down below, with ramps around tall spires on the lift that went downward. The lower floor had a depression in the middle, with what appeared to be a ventilation tube down below. Motioning to some elites, R'tas had them guard the hole, while he and the others went to find the controls. Spotting them, Thel went to work getting the lift moving.
As he did, he thought he heard another sound: gunfire. Looking to his right, Thel watched as, to his surprise, Humans got onto the next one, firing their weapons with extreme precision at the Flood. They got their lift going moments later, as it rapidly sped down the tunnel that led into the Library. "More Humans," R'tas remarked. "They must be after the Icon." Just then, they heard a roaring screech, indicative of a Flood attack. "I'll deal with these beasts, Arbiter," R'tas told him, activating his Energy Sword. "You keep moving forward. Retrieve the Icon, while I buy you time."
"Agreed," Thel replied. As R'tas left to buy him some much needed time, Thel began working at the controls, a difficult task given that the technology usually worked only for Humans. Fortunately, he was able to get the lift moving, as it began to proceed forwards, albeit a little more slowly than he would've liked.
Hearing footsteps, Thel turned to see Bero walking up to him. What is it, he asked mentally.
I can sense Tartarus coming in towards us, Bero replied. I don't trust him still, and he's been gone for an unusually long time. I think he intends to betray us.
I have that feeling too, Thel replied. I have never trusted the Brutes to begin with, and it seems as though that caution has proven to be right. What do you suggest that we do?
I'll probe his mind for the truth and tell you when we can, Bero replied. With luck, we can discern his motives before the Humans retrieve the Sacred Icon.
Agreed, Thel replied. With that, both Sangheili began to prepare for any upcoming resistance.
. . .
What they didn't know was that the SLDF-UNSC joint forces were already at the Index Chamber. Looking around the chamber, Miranda could tell that she was at the location, as she spotted the Index and it's container a moment later. There was just one complication: the Index was hovering over what appeared to be a seemingly bottomless chasm, or it was just so deep that she couldn't see all the way down.
Looking around, she began trying to find a way to get to the Index. Spotting a metal cable on a Super Sentinel chassis, she pulled on it to make sure it was in place, then she began to rappel towards the container for the Index. Reaching out towards it, she managed to grab it. Suddenly, the cable slipped, only for it to catch onto something. That something happened to be a familiar Sergeant, as Miranda heard Johnson say, "You know, your father never really asked me for help, either."
"That makes two of us," Miranda replied, a triumphant smile on her face. "I've got the Index."
"Excellent," another voice replied. Looking around as she was pulled up, she was greeted with the familiar faces of Alex Wolverine and Agent Stennings, with a few Elementals standing in the background. Stennings was a tall, thin man, with dark blue eyes, a mop of brownish-red hair and a hungry, almost gaunt expression on his face. "That means we can proceed to phase two of Operation: FALSE PROFIT. I hope your acting skills are on the money, Miranda."
"They are," Miranda replied as she walked over. "Trust me. I'll need every ounce of skill I can get." Inwardly, she hoped that Admiral Chernenko's plan would work out as well.
. . .
Thel and Bero practically leaped off of the Forerunner lift when it came to a stop, nearly bounding over the edge as a result, while the Elites remained behind. "We'll keep this lift secure for when you need to leave, Arbiter," one called out to them. "We don't want the Parasite to take the lift while you're gone."
"Good plan," Thel replied. With that, they left the lift, proceeding up the ramp and into the interior of the Library. Bero, any luck probing Tartarus' mind?
Not as much as I like, but I succeeded nonetheless, Bero replied. I was right in my suspicion: Tartarus plans to betray us. The weird part is that he isn't suffering the usual conflict of faith that most contemplating a plan would. It's as though he's been granted permission to do so, and that's what I can't seem to figure out.
Really, Thel replied. We'll have to be twice as careful then. Anything else?
I can sense Human minds up ahead, Bero replied. That's strange. I can get surface impressions of their minds, but I can't seem to probe their memories. There's something that's preventing me from getting inside.
We'll worry about it later, Thel replied. Right now, all that matters is getting the Icon. Then we can return home to High Charity and bring it to the Prophets. Hopefully, that will lead to my reinstatement as Fleetmaster, if it does happen, that is. With that, they continued onward, walking through the hallways of the Library.
Eventually, they reached the entrance to the Index Chamber itself, as they spotted a number of destroyed Super Sentinel chassis' inside. I've got a plan, Bero told Thel. If you activate your cloak while in the shadows, you can remain hidden, since your armor blends in well. I'll disarm one of the humans while you do the same for the other.
Agreed, Thel replied. With that, Thel proceeded inside, activating his active camouflage while Bero used his shape-shifting abilities to hide himself as well.
Looking around, Johnson shouted, "Perez, Alphonse, respond," as he walked forwards, M50 Hammer in hand. "Where are you guys?! We have the Index!" As he moved forwards, he thought he spotted a flicker of movement, aiming his rifle at it in response. When he didn't see anything, he began to lower it.
Suddenly, Johnson watched, to his surprise, as a long, black scaled tendril reached out and wrapped around his rifle, pulling away before he could react. Pulling out his handgun, he was about to open fire when the same tendril came back and whacked him in the chest, sending him flying into some debris. Moments later, a Sangheili came out of the dark, the tendril being slowly absorbed into it's back as it grabbed a hold of him. "Ugh," Johnson shouted. "You bastards get any uglier," he asked tauntingly.
"Shut up," the Elite growled, knocking Johnson out a moment later. Hearing gunfire up ahead, Bero leaped over the chassis of a dead Super Sentinel. He promptly watched as Thel disarmed a Human woman wearing armor with officer bars on her shoulders, knocking the weapon onto the ground with a glow from his hand. Falling over from the blow, the woman struggled to get to the rifle, with a familiar green and gray object on her utility belt. "The Icon," Bero shouted to Thel. "Be careful! She-"
Just as he said this, beams of electricity shot out from an unseen source, shocking the woman before she could get to the Index. Moments later, a shimmering beam of energy yanked her towards the source, which turned out to be Tartarus with his Gravity Hammer. With the woman unconscious, he slung her over his shoulders moments later. "Thanks for leading us to the Icon, Arbiter. We'll head back to High Charity now."
"Agreed," Thel replied, only to see the Brutes pointing weapons at him. Bero, Thel asked.
By the Forerunners, Bero gasped mentally. It can't be.
What is it, Thel asked.
The Prophets, Bero replied, eyes wide as he too had weapons pointed at him. The Prophets ordered him to betray us, to kill us so that we wouldn't threaten their power! They've been planning to replace the Sangheilians with the Brutes, thinking they'll have a greater advantage over the SLDF! We were just unwitting pawns in their game!
Heresy, Thel screamed inwardly, knowing that Bero wasn't lying. Oath breakers! Scheming liars and thieves! After a moment he asked, What can we do? They have us right where they want us.
I have a plan, Bero replied. I've warned the other Elites while you were ranting. They've left the area, but that just leaves us now. I have a plan, but it will involve acting along. Trust me.
Struggling with his crisis of faith, Thel decided to put the last remaining bit of hope he had into Bero. The young Sangheili hadn't failed him so far, and he had reason to believe that Bero really did have a plan. "Tartarus, what are you doing," he demanded, playing along for now.
"The Prophets have been planing this for a long time," Tartarus replied, almost cockily. "The Sangheili have failed as the Prophet's protectors, while we have only succeeded. They have decided you and all other Sangheilians are to be removed from the Covenant. Now, I get to do what I've always wanted to do: kill both of you." With that, he activated his Gravity Hammer, pushing the two Elites over the chasm.
Thel, unable to resist, was rendered unconscious immediately, while Bero, thanks to his Super Cells, was barely able to remain conscious. As they plummeted down, he began to act, now that he was out of Tartarus' line of sight. Calling on his abilities, he thought of a form that would allow him to fly, while carrying Thel to safety down below. Moments later, he remembered a creature he had read about in human mythology documents they had recovered from a human history archive.
Moments later, his arms began to morph and bend, his fingers elongating outwards while membranes grew between them. His hoofs began to morph into talons, with each side splitting into two talons, resulting in Bero gaining four talons on each foot. His muscles grew stronger, while his lungs changed structure, becoming more efficient, while his bones, while growing stronger, became hollow, lightening him enough to allow him to fly. His coccyx elongated into a long, muscular tail that acted as a rudder, while the rest of his body morphed and bent to accommodate the required changes. His upper mandibles melded with the bottom of his skull, while his bottom mandibles fused together at the ends, with his teeth angling up and down, while a tongue grew in his new jaw, his neck stretching in the process while his horns remained the same, only growing in length, width and size. At the same time, his head structure changed, with his skull and face altering themselves so that his eyes, forehead and brow scales were further back behind his nostrils than before. In just fifteen seconds, Bero had morphed into a creature from human mythology: a wyvern.
Looking down, Bero flew downwards, towards Thel, his wings folded against his body as he flew downwards towards the unconscious Sangheili. Reaching the Arbiter, he grabbed Thel using his rear legs, the talons wrapping securely around the Arbiter's unconscious body. I can't head back up, or Tartarus will know that we survived, he thought. I can, however, travel down towards the bottom of this chamber and wait. Once Tartarus is gone, we can escape to the surface and contact R'tas for help. We have to warn the High Council of the Prophet's treachery.
He growled as he said this. Taking a breath, he concentrated on landing, having reached the bottom of the shaft. Setting Thel down gently, he shape-shifted again, his limbs and flesh morphing and bending as he returned to his normal, Sangheilian form. Walking over to Thel, he placed a finger against his neck, relief suffusing his features when he felt a strong, pulsing sensation.
How could I have not known? How could I have missed the fact that the Prophets were lying to us, he thought, angry that he missed such an important detail. I should have probed their minds when I had the chance. I could've caught their treachery before it could be carried out. He growled at himself again, angry that he had missed something so important.
Feeling his anger rising, he allowed it to come out, roaring loudly as he morphed a hand into a tentacle and lashed it about, denting some of the metal in the area. Breathing heavily, he returned the limb to it's previous state and sighed. OK, relax, he told himself. It's obvious that I trusted the Prophets too easily, that much I know. It hurts that I missed it, but that's probably to be expected. I'm not perfect, after all. All I can do now is determine what I should do next. Sitting down, he began to think on what he should do.
That thought was interrupted when a tentacle, one that he hadn't seen before, came out of nowhere, snaking around his waist before four more wrapped around his arms, immobilizing him. It happened so suddenly that Bero was caught off guard, unable to move his limbs; looking behind him, he watched as more tendrils wrapped around Thel's unconscious body, ensnaring him as well. "Thel," Bero roared, trying to reach out a hand, or at least a tendril, to the Arbiter, only for the tentacles around his body to tighten, further immobilizing him.
That was when a voice rumbled in his mind. You are different, the voice remarked. You have been infected before, and yet, you have survived. Fascinating.
Who are you, Bero demanded as he and Thel were dragged off into the darkness.
I, the voice replied, as if it was asking a rhetorical question. The answer Bero got chilled him to his very core. I am a monument, to all your sins.