Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo - Mechwarrior/Battletech crossover. Thank you for your support on this fanfiction, as well as my Halo - Terminator crossover. I apologize for not being able to upload a chapter when I planned to, as I was busy helping my family with some work that needed to be done. Thank you, once more, for being patient, and I look forwards to the end of this story arc, which won't be for a while, but I intend to make this the cream of the crop. 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.

Forerunner Dreadnought

Terra February

16th, 2553

Closing the COM link to Admiral Hood, Chief looked at Osman and 'Ravamee as the Forerunner ship they were on continued to fly headlong towards Earth. The trip through Slipstream Space had been a very fast one, most likely due to the fact that the Forerunners had a much better grasp of Slipstream Space travel than the Covenant, let alone the UNSC, did. As a result, a month long Slipspace jump trip had been shortened down to a relatively low eight hours.

Now they were approaching Earth at flank speed, with the ship easily taking any hits that the Great House/SLDF Fleet was hurling at it. Reports of another Covenant Battle Group coming into the system were currently dominating the COM, but there were all indications that the combined coalition forces were fighting back. Some reports indicated that some Covenant ships made it to the planet's surface, but they were currently encountering heavy resistance from SLDF/Great House/UNSC ground forces.

Either way, they had to get off the ship, and fast. If they took too long, the Brutes would find them and no doubt capture them for interrogation, or attempt to kill them. Looking at the hatch that had closed behind them, Chief said, "We'll need to exit the ship. Cortana, can you access the Forerunner ship's systems?"

"I can," Cortana replied. "The presence in the ship, as far as I can tell, is the remnant of a Forerunner AI, no doubt badly corrupted and far into Rampancy. I can access low level systems, such as the door that is currently behind us, but don't ask me to take control of the entire ship. Even with the upgrades the Star League and their member Great Houses gave me, this AI fragment is significantly more advanced than what they've made thus far."

"Cortana," Chief repeated.

"Sorry," she remarked. "I got sidetracked. To answer your question, yes, I can open this door. I wouldn't advise it, though; we're getting closer to Earth and we're about to begin reentry."

"We'll have to chance it," Chief decided. Looking at Osman, he said, "Osman, can our Battle Armor withstand reentry?"

"In a pinch," the Elemental replied. "We will have to get repairs for our armor, but that is why the SLDF manufactured Mobile Repair Bays. If we manage to land, they will likely send in a salvage team, as they always have one of those. Beyond that, I do not see any reason why we should not survive."

"I'll live," 'Ravamee added. "My species is highly resilient, and I've been through a lot. I think I can handle this just fine."

"Agreed," Chief replied. "We'll use some of the wall paneling to serve as additional armor to protect us against the heat from reentry. Cortana, prepare to open the back hatch on my command." Walking towards one of the walls, he began looking for anything he might be able to use to protect himself and the others from the heat of reentry.

While the walls of the area they were in were smooth and flush, Chief noticed that parts of the Forerunner ship was still in a state of repair, most likely due to age and areas that the Engineers hadn't been able to get to yet. Finding a loose wall panel, Chief gripped it with both hands and pulled, causing a rectangular section about as high as a man to fall off, along with a few other pieces of the wall. Handing each piece to Osman and 'Ravamee, Chief said, "We'll use these as shields to protect ourselves from most of the reentry heat. Once it's gone, though, our armor will take a hit. Cortana, open the back hatch in five… four… three… two… one… NOW!"

As soon as Chief shouted "NOW!", Cortana sent the command through the system, bypassing the AI fragment and opening up the door. As soon as that happened, Chief, Osman and 'Ravamee jumped out of the ship, holding the wall fragments before them in a manner similar to how medieval knights from the Dark Ages held their shields. Angling downwards, they began to fly down towards the planet.

Chief's forbearance had proven to be prudent, as the ship was already undergoing reentry when they exited. Hot streams of plasma streaked past them, heating up the wall panels that the Elementals held before them like shields and causing them to glow red hot, then yellow hot. The wall panels won't last much longer, Chief thought as he noticed the edges beginning to ablate away. Looking around, he spotted a section of the hull that had torn off of the Forerunner ship. It wasn't a large section, but it was large enough to protect himself, and the two other Elementals with him. Moving that way, Chief took cover behind the hull section, with Osman and 'Ravamee taking cover behind it as well.

As they continued to hurtle through the exosphere of the planet, Chief could feel himself sweating, even with the suit going into overdrive to keep him cool. Looking at the suit temperature, Chief could tell that it was in the yellow, and slowly climbing towards the red, though his suit systems were working at full capacity to prevent a shutdown. "Engage override," he informed the computer. Moments later, a synthesized voice said, Override Engaged. Warning: Shutdown Safety Systems Disengaged.

For the next two minutes, Chief kept a close eye on his suit systems, as well as the hull section that he and the others were taking cover behind. Osman, being as calm and cool as ever, held on to the hull section with his Battle Claw, the sharpened edges having been firmly secured into the hull section. 'Ravamee, similarly to Chief, was holding onto the hull section, his armored hands gripping the section as though his life depended on it.

As they flew through the atmosphere, Chief watched as the plasma fireball began to dissipate, revealing that they were on the night side of the planet. "On my mark, let go of the hull plating," Chief ordered. "We'll crash land in the jungle nearby. Our armor's gel layer should take the brunt of the impact. Once we've landed, our armor will begin emitting a distress beacon. Quiaff?"

"Aff, Lead," Osman replied.

"On my mark," Chief shouted. Counting down mentally, he shouted, "NOW!", throwing himself off of the hull plating and angling his body towards the forest. At the same time, Osman and 'Ravamee let go of the armor plating, with both Elementals using their Jump Jets to guide them towards the forest and to Chief's side.

As they flew along, the ground began to get closer and closer, with their speed increasing significantly. Chief distantly noted that they had exceeded Mach one, and were on the verge of reaching Mach two. As the ground flew closer and closer, Chief got ready to activate his Jump Jets; they wouldn't stop him from crashing into the ground like a meteorite, but they would slow him down just enough that the impact wouldn't injure him. I will be incapacitated temporarily, he thought, but I won't be injured or dead.

Moments later, the time came. Powering up his Jump Jets, Chief fired them at maximum thrust, burning through the fuel quickly, with Osman and 'Ravamee doing the same. While it didn't last long, it was clear that using their Jump Jets to slow them down was an excellent strategy, as Chief noticed his velocity dropping by a moderate amount. Then, he impacted the ground; the last thing Chief saw was 'Ravamee and Osman smashing into the ground, then his vision faded into blackness.

. . .

8 Hours Later

Sergeant Johnson wiped off some sweat as he continued to move through the brush with his Marines, who weren't much better off in their standard BDU's, while the SLDF Marines were taking this in stride. Taking a puff from his cigar, he continued to move forwards, using a machete he'd borrowed from an SLDF Marine to cut through the brush. Noticing some brush in the way, he swiped at it with his machete, cutting through the bush before him like a plasma cutter through steel.

It had been eight hours since Truth's Carrier had gotten to Earth, along with a group of Covenant ships that Johnson could count on both hands. The only reason the Covenant had been able to even get to the planet's surface was because Truth used en masse movement to punch through the technologically advanced defense grid, and even then, he lost massive amounts of ships in the process. As a result, only eight Covenant WarShips had managed to get through, with most taking severe damage in the process. Truth's Carrier was only moderately damaged, but even then, there were large holes and gaps in the armor plating.

On top of that, something strange had happened as soon as the Covenant Carrier handling Regret had left. Around two hours after Regret's Carrier had left Earth, seismic activity had been reported in the area that New Mombasa was located at, necessitating an evacuation of any civilians that were there, as well as SLDF/UNSC forces. There were concerns about the New Mombasa Space Elevator breaking apart, but thanks to SLDF Engineers that had worked on the megastructure, the Space Elevator was still holding strong, with repair drones fixing any damage that had been done. Once they were out of the area, though, many people were shocked to see large sections of the city literally collapse into a massive sinkhole that was forming, massive enough that it could contain an entire city.

It was what was inside the sinkhole that had the SLDF and UNSC's attention. Much to everyone's surprise, it was a massive Forerunner structure that had been activated, with the device performing diagnostics that had massive portions of the structure shifting, causing the majority of it to be fully unearthed. The Covenant ships had moved into position before using their glassing beams to excavate more of the structure.

Then, roughly an hour ago, SLDF personnel detected distress beacons coming from a jungle that was nearby a recently upgraded UNSC facility that was once a 21st Century bomb shelter/underground base. However, the beacons were located in a dense part of the jungle that had been untouched by the ravages of time and man's industry, resulting in a thick, overgrown jungle that was a nightmare to move through. The end result: they were having to move and cut through brush that had been relatively undisturbed for more than five centuries.

It certainly gives new meaning to the terms brush cutting, Johnson thought, just as a plant whacked him lightly in the face. Pushing the branch away, he chopped through it with his machete before moving forwards, with his Marines following closely behind him. A few nearly tripped on a rock, while one Marine landed on his ass when his foot slipped on a patch of moss, prompting a few chuckles from his friends.

For the next half hour, they continued to cut through thick brush, while navigating around massive rocks and ravines that had been made. Their progress sped up here and there as they encountered a few game trails, but beyond that, it was a nightmare to get through the thick brush. By the time they reached the general area where the distress beacons were at, Johnson was hot, irritated and miserable, and his Marines weren't much better off either.

As a result, Johnson nearly shouted when he nearly fell ass over teakettle into an impact channel that had recently cooled down. Catching himself, Johnson regained his balance before dropping down into the impact channel, his boots making crunching sounds as he landed. Walking forwards, his eyes briefly widened when he saw what was in the impact crater. "Bisenti, Mendoza," he shouted. "We've got Elementals!"

Hearing Johnson's orders, the two Marines in question ran up towards his position. True to form, their eyes widened when they spotted the Battle Armor that belonged to Chief, Osman and 'Ravamee. Walking forwards, they were about to enter when the SLDF Marines moved ahead of them, with one holding a data pad that had armor diagnostics flashing on it. "Looks like they went through reentry," one of the Marines remarked. "Scans indicate their armor is partially ablated and that they impacted the ground at a velocity of roughly Mach 1.8 from a height of two kilometers."

"They alive," Johnson asked, ignoring the technobabble he was hearing.

"Possibly," the Marine remarked. "The gel layer in their armor could've absorbed most of the impact. I'm going to disengage the lockdown on their armor, should give us an idea if they're alive or not." Johnson watched as the Marine pressed in a few commands, causing the armor the Elementals were wearing to come out of lockdown, as their arms and legs relaxed into a more normal position.

"Life signs," Johnson asked.

"Unknown," the SLDF Marine replied. "Their armor is still trying to find life signs. I'd say that they might be alive, but I wouldn't bet on it."

Hearing that, Johnson walked over to Chief, as he promptly recognized the Nighthawk-L Battle Armor. Taking a puff from his cigar, he blew some smoke out before standing up. "Bring in the Pelicans," he ordered. "Heavy lifting equipment. We're not leaving them here." He reached down to grab Chief's AI chip a moment later.

He nearly yelped in surprise when Chief's arm lifted up and took a hold of his own. "Yeah," Chief replied, getting up onto his feet. "You're not." Behind Chief, the Marines also jumped slightly when Osman and 'Ravamee got up, seemingly none the worse for wear."

"Crazy bastard," Johnson growled. "Why do you always jump? Sooner or later, you're gonna land on something that's just as stubborn as you are, and I don't do bits and pieces!" Despite the gruff tone of voice that he had, it was clear that Johnson was happy to see that Chief and the others were alright. After a moment, something nudged his memory. "Chief, is Cortana with you," Johnson asked.

"Yes," Cortana replied. "I'm here, and I am glad that you didn't pull me out of Chief's armor. That would not have been pleasant."

"That's good to hear," Johnson remarked.

"What's the status of the Covenant," Chief asked.

"The Elites have gone splitsville from the Covenant," Johnson told Chief. "According to the Star League and their Great Houses, the Elites have formally resigned from the Covenant and are working at full blast to help us out in our war against the Covenant. A certain Imperial Admiral of their, Xytan 'Jar Watrinee if I recall correctly, is currently en route to Earth to provide support and assistance to our fleets, not that we'll need the extra help, but it's a gesture of good faith.

"As for the Covenant, around nine of their WarShips managed to get through the ODN to Earth, but they're in a very bad way thanks to our efforts. They've landed ground forces, but our BattleMech, Combat Vehicle and infantry divisions are clearing them out in rapid order. There's only a few spots of resistance in this jungle that we'll have to worry about, but nothing major, thankfully. Beyond that, we're doing mighty fine, for a military that was on the verge of being overrun."

Chief's expression, despite being hidden by the helmet, remained neutral as he processed the new information. From what Johnson had told him, the Covenant had landed on Earth, but the ODN (Orbital Defense Network), combined with the Great House/Star League/UNSC fleets had managed to make a huge dent in the invading forces, with most of the enemy ships being severely damaged. As a result, there were pockets of resistance, but so far, the SLDF and UNSC had been busy clearing them out.

As he processed this information, Chief thought he spotted something behind Johnson. Peering closely, he thought he saw a ripple in the air, similar to how heat would distort light near a hot surface. As soon as he saw it, though, Chief fluidly moved forwards, pushing past Johnson and the others before pulling out his M15 sidearm and jamming it where he thought the head of the distortion was.

True enough, moments later, the distortion shimmered out of existence, revealing a Sangheilian with ornate, steel gray armor on his tech suit. The Elite didn't seem to be frightened, or in any form of discomfort, as the alien remained perfectly calm and still even with the pistol's barrel jammed against the base of his skull. A moment later, Chief heard Johnson shout, "Easy, Chief! The Arbiter's on our side! Come on, we've got enough problems already without you two trying to kill each other."

Spotting the Marines lack of a response, as well as Johnson's remarks, Chief lowered the handgun from the Arbiter's head, holstering it on his armor a moment later. Thel didn't seem to be bothered, as his two lower mandibles clicked together, the Sangheilian equivalent of a shrug. "Were it so easy," he remarked. Leaning to one side, Thel said, "We have to move now. The Brutes have our scent."

"Then I guess they like the smell of badass," Johnson teased. After a moment, he said, "Come on out, Bero. You don't have to hide."

Moments later, Chief watched the second distortion fade away, revealing an Elite in modified Zealot armor. What got Chief's attention were the spines that were built into the Elite's armor, as well as the two horns that grew out the back of his head, as Chief could tell that this Sangheilian was a male. "Chief," Cortana said a moment later, "that Elite is showing signs of previous infection by the Flood. Apparently, they infected him at one point."

"Is he a threat," Chief asked Cortana.

Apparently, the Elite knew what Chief was thinking, as he said, in a deep, musical voice, "No, Master Chief. I am not a threat to you or anyone else that fights with the Star League or UNSC. If I really wanted to be a threat to you, I would've killed you by now. Since I do not, I am more than willing to consider you a friend and ally."

"How come you have Flood DNA inside of you," Cortana asked. Instead of a reply, Cortana watched as the Elite turned away, his mandibles pressed together as though he was experiencing a bad memory. "I'm sorry," Cortana replied. "I pushed too far…"

"It's alright," Bero replied. "It's just an unpleasant memory. I'll tell you what happened to me when we are back at the base. Just as a warning though; if you see me doing something highly unusual, or something strange happening to my body, don't panic. That's my new normal now." With that, the Sangheilian moved on, following the others into the thick brush ahead.

The brush was thick and tall, obscuring anything that was directly ahead of the team. Chief found that, because of this, the progress they were making was slow, but steady, as the team was forced to navigate around hazards in the terrain. More than once, a Marine nearly stumbled face first into a ravine that was hidden by the jungle's overgrowth, while Chief had to clamber over a tall rock that jutted up from the ground, while the rest of the team moved around it.

As they continued to move through, Chief thought he heard loud footsteps nearby, prompting him to get his rifle, an M45 that Johnson had lent him, out. "Don't panic," Johnson told Chief. "That's our BattleMech division in this area. They're moving up to provide cover fire in the event we encounter any Brutes." Relaxing slightly, Chief placed his rifle back onto his back, before moving through more thick brush.

Eventually, they entered a small cave that was faintly illuminated by large holes in the ceiling, with small pools of water that had been collecting down here for quite some time. As they moved through, Cortana said, "Chief, how are you holding up?"

"I'm fine," Chief replied. "You?"

"Doing just fine," Cortana replied.

As they moved forwards, Chief thought he heard something. Getting his M45 out, he moved forwards and crouched down, moving forward as quietly as he could out of the cave. Looking around, he spotted the source of the noise: a group of Grunts was in the area, with a couple Jackals and a Brute that was looking over the area quietly. Unlike the Brutes he had previously encountered, this one was wearing what appeared to be powered armor, though it wasn't as advanced as the Combat Harnesses that the Elites made use of. "Contact ahead," Chief told the others.

"Rodger that," Johnson remarked. "Take 'em out when you've got a shot." Nodding, Chief took aim with the M45 rifle in his hands, aiming directly at the Brute's head. As soon as the reticule lined up on the Brute's head, Chief pulled the trigger.

Phased plasma bolts tore out of the muzzle of his rifle and impacted the Brute's head, with the plasma tearing through the armor after a couple shots. The Brute collapsed to the ground, dead, its head having been flash-cooked by the superheated plasma bolt. The Grunts almost immediately panicked, with many throwing down their weapons and running while the Jackals looked around for whoever had killed their commander. They didn't have to wait long, as Chief and the others burst out of the cave and into the clearing, killing them almost immediately.

With the Jackals dead, the team continued to move up, wading through a nearby stream that was being fed by a waterfall up ahead. Continuing to move forwards, Chief spotted another Brute that was standing watch over another area via a fallen tree log. He was about to move out when Bero, having caught up to him, said, "Wait, Human. There are Jackal Snipers ahead in the trees."

"How can you tell," Cortana asked.

"I can sense them," was Bero's cryptic reply. Cortana was about to ask for clarification when Bero slunk ahead, seemingly vanishing into the undergrowth up ahead. The undergrowth moved and jostled around as Bero moved forwards, though Chief felt that the young Sangheili was crawling on his hands and knees to avoid being detected.

What happened next not only genuinely surprised Chief, it surprised Cortana and the others. Before anyone could react, a tentacle reached up from where Bero was at and latched onto the Brute's foot, with the alien giving a startled yelp before being yanked off of the tree and onto the ground. There was some movement down below, then a loud CRACK as the Brute's neck was broken. Moments later, Chief watched as several more tentacles lashed out, grabbing a group of unseen Jackal Snipers before pulling them into the underbrush as well, with more bones and necks being broken. A moment later, Bero got up, absorbing the tentacles into his body before saying, "It's safe now, Humans."

"Well, I'll be," Johnson remarked as they entered the clearing. "That Elite just pulled some space magic shit right there. What is he?"

"A shapeshifter," Thel answered, having been silent for some time. "When Bero was infected by the Parasite, he managed to regain control and force it out through sheer force of will. As punishment for his defiance, the Parasite attempted to mutate Bero into a monstrous creature, but he extracted it before it could fully complete it's task. As a result, Bero has the ability to bend his flesh into any form that he wants. He is also a powerful telepath, and can read the minds of other living beings, while being able to communicate with them as well. He can also control other living beings, but he finds it to be repulsive and disturbing."

"Really," Johnson remarked. "Well, the Flood tried to get at me too, only they didn't like how I tasted. I'm still 100% badass UNSC Marine."

"You are fortunate in that case," Thel replied. "Bero, on the other hand, has those abilities, and has a hyper-enhanced regenerative factor, meaning he can regrow missing sections of his anatomy. It's also believed that he has achieved biological immortality, meaning he cannot die of old age anymore. He's having to come to terms with what he is now."

"I see," Johnson remarked. Nearby, Cortana was cataloging the information, which she found was consistent with her scans of the Sangheilian from earlier. Without further ado, the team continued to move on.

Eventually, they reached another area of the jungle that had signs of human habitation. Two large, polycrete structures were nearby, with a number of controls and valves inside of each one. Up ahead was another large polycrete structure, with a sheer wall on one side, as well as equipment sheds on the other. A few forklifts were present, as well as what appeared to be storage crates. A small dock was nearby, most likely for boats that were supposed to ship goods and materials to the area for further development.

The area was currently being occupied by a group of Brutes, a few Jackals, some Skirmishers, as well as a few Grunts, with the latter of the four being few in number. Almost immediately, the aliens spotted Chief and the others, with the Brutes shouting loudly as the other aliens moved up, firing their weapons at Chief. Moving quickly, Chief and the others took cover behind some of the polycrete structures, firing their weaponry at the enemy forces.

The Skirmishers and Grunts went down very quickly, with the Brutes taking cover as soon as weapons fire was directed at their position. Before the Brutes could exit cover, Chief watched as ruby red pulse lasers tore through the area, slicing apart the Brute's cover while killing said Brutes before they had a chance to fight back. Looking to his left, Chief saw the reason why: a Marauder-IV BattleMech in SLDF/AFFC colors was in the river, with the 'Mech being partially submerged from the upper leg joint down. "Hey, Chief," came a familiar voice.

"Star Commander Alex," Chief replied. "You came here as well?"

"Of course," Alex replied, a teasing tone in his voice. "What, you think I would let you have all the fun. Of course not; besides, it has always been the dream of many a Clansman to visit Terra, given how important it is in Clan society. Now that I am actually here, I can safely say that it is a beautiful place. Now we just have to kick the Brutes off of the planet, and wreck the Covenant in the process. There are some more Brute forces up ahead, and they have taken control of the nearby hydroelectric dam up ahead. We also have some Banshees up in the sky. ASF squads are dealing with them as we speak, but we cannot risk an aerial extraction until they are gone."

"Agreed," Chief replied. "Can you soften up the enemy forces up ahead?"

"Aff," Alex replied. "I will handle the hydroelectric dam up ahead. You continue working through the jungle towards the plant. Be careful, there are a lot of Jackal Snipers, and the Brutes have a Chieftain up at the hydro plant. Take care now." With that, the Marauder-IV began to move up, getting out of the river before moving forwards on the other side.

With the enemy forces down, Chief and the others moved up, continuing to make their way through thick brush and undergrowth in the area. As they moved forwards, they encountered more Covenant forces, which were taken out in short order. The one good thing about the undergrowth was that it was also slowing the Covenant down, as they were having to stop frequently in order to catch their bearings, while scanning for any movement.

Eventually, they came to another large clearing, with this one having a small ravine that cut through the center of the area, with a small stream running through the ravine's bottom. A fallen tree log was on the other side, and there were rocks in the area that jutted up from undergrown. The Covenant had make a small staging area here, as there were a few Covenant supply crates in the area, along with a few shield barricades.

Some Brutes were in the area as well, with one having gold colored armor, indicating that this one was a Brute Major. Some Grunts were in the area, as well as Skrimishers and Jackals that were on the ground, while a few were up in the trees. What got the others concerned was the presence of a few Hunters that were in the area.

Chief was about to move forwards when Bero stopped him again. "Wait," he said. "Let me communicate with the Hunters. Each single Lekgolo in the Hunter communicates via a telepathic hive mind. If I can convince the Hunters to aid us in our fight, then we won't have to risk any lives."

"Do it," Chief replied, having overheard Thel's conversation with Johnson.

Moving forwards by another foot, Bero closed his eyes and relaxed, expanding his mind and reaching out to the Hunters in the clearing. Hello, he asked cordially. Can you hear me?

Moments later, the Hunters replied telepathically. Yes, came the reply. Who are you?

My name is Bero 'Kusovai, Bero replied. I'm a Sangheilian telepath.

We see, the Lekgolo replied, genuinely surprised by what they had just learned. There are few that can communicate with our kind, with only the Drones being capable of communication with us. It is rare for a member of your kind to speak in the manner that you do. Why do you wish to speak with us?

We are trying to reach the hydroelectric power plant that is ahead of us, Bero explained. The Brutes have it cordoned off, and they are trespassing on the planet we are currently on. If we do not stop them, they will assist the Hierarch known as Truth in destroying all life in the galaxy in their mistaken beliefs. If they succeed, your kind will die as well. Moments later, Bero showed the Lekgolo the memories and information that he had learned from the Monitor while speaking with it on the way back to Earth.

While the Hunters didn't display any reaction outwardly, they were furious telepathically. Bero could sense the anger that was boiling over in the hive mind, though it quickly prevented the emotion from spilling over. After a moment, the Lekgolo said, We will assist you in bringing these Brutes to justice. What do you need us to do?

Wait until we show ourselves and begin fighting the Brutes, Bero answered. Once we joined battle with the enemy, kill the highest ranking Brute while we handle the others. If you can, come with us to the hydroelectric plant. We could use the heavier firepower in dealing with the Brutes there, if the 'MechWarrior known as Alex Wolverine hasn't already.

Agreed, the Lekgolo replied. We await the time to strike.

Thank you, Bero replied. Withdrawing from the conversation, Bero turned to Chief and said, "The Hunters are willing to help us. Once we attack, they will kill the highest ranking Brute before joining the fight."

"Good," Chief replied. Moving forwards, Chief waited for one of the Skirmishers to get close, before leaping out and plunging his knife into it's neck. Blood spewed from severed arteries, with the Skirmisher screaming loudly as it tried to hold back the tide of blood, with little success. That almost immediately alerted the rest of the Covenant in the area, as the Brutes immediately opened fire, with the rest of the Covenant following suit.

As soon as that happened, the Hunters struck. Firing their Fuel Rod Cannons, they caught the Brutes completely off guard, blasting apart the Brute Major before moving on to engage the other Brutes. "Traitors," one of the Brutes screamed, only to be smashed into a paste by the shield arm of one of the Hunters. Turning around, the Brutes began to fire on the Jackal Snipers that were in the trees, blowing one tree into a million steaming bits, and the Jackal with it as well.

"Nice shot," Johnson remarked.

"I know," Bero replied. "The Hunters just told me to tell you 'thank you.'"

"They that talkative," Johnson remarked.

"Telepathically, yes," Bero replied. "Remember, they're a hive mind, so each component is in constant communication with the rest. They're not that different from people, funny enough. You just have to get to know them." As he walked away, Johnson shook his head. There was too much damn space magic going on here for his understanding.

As they moved forwards, they eventually came to a cliffside path that traveled towards the hydroelectric dam. True enough, Alex had been very busy, as Chief noticed that many of the polycrete structures had been completely torn apart, with only the dam itself being left intact. Still, there were some Brutes left, as well as the Chieftain, who had taken cover in the tunnel that led onto the roadway.

Looking around, Chief spotted Alex and his BattleMech, only the Clan 'MechWarrior was currently being occupied by a Covenant Locust that was giving him trouble. "You will have to handle the Brutes, Chief," Alex told him over the COM. "I have some Locusts that are giving me all manner of trouble. I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Chief replied. "We'll handle the rest from here." Pulling out his M45, Chief smoothly advanced down the path, firing on the Brutes as soon as he was close enough to their position. At the same time, the UNSC and SLDF Marines opened fire as well, filling the air with pulse lasers and HEAP shells.

The Brutes immediately dove into cover, having heard of how quickly their unarmored brethren had been taken down by SLDF grade weaponry. Instead of charging out into the open, as they would typically do, the Brutes took cover and began to fire back, leaning out of cover while trying to land successful shots on Chief and his men. Even the Chieftain, who was usually the most gung-ho and aggressive of the Brutes, took cover and fired back with a Brute Shot, doing his best not to get hit.

While the Brutes tactics were an improvement over what they usually did, they were still no match for the joint, SLDF/Sangheilian/UNSC coalition forces moving in. Boosting forwards, Osman immediately joined the fight, knocking a Brute out of the way while firing his Plasma Machinegun at the other Brutes. At the same time, 'Ravamee and Chief moved in as well, firing the weapons they had been given by the Marines.

The Brutes immediately recognized this tactic and retreated accordingly, using whatever weapons they had at their disposal. The Chieftain immediately took out his Gravity Hammer and charged at Bero, who was currently handling one of the Brute Captains that was attacking him. "Look out," 'Ravamee shouted, with Bero spotting the threat just in time. The Brute swung the Gravity Hammer, intent on smashing Bero into a thick paste on the ground. Acting fast, Bero morphed into his gelatinous form, his body melting into the congealed material as the Gravity Hammer struck.

There was a wet SPLAT as the Gravity Hammer struck, with pieces of Bero being splattered onto the walls and ground around the area. Thinking that Bero was dead, the Brute Chieftain turned to engage the others, only for gelatinous tentacles to wrap around the Chieftain's arms, restraining them despite being made out of gelatinous flesh. "You should have made sure I was dead," Bero growled, his voice gaining a liquid, echoing quality as he reformed in front of the Chieftain, with the bits of gelatinous flesh that had been splattered flowing and rejoining the young Sangheilian's flesh. Moments later, he fully reformed into solid, normal flesh, with the addition of the tentacles he was using to restrain the Chieftian.

"What are you," the Chieftain gasped, it's ape-like eyes wide with terror.

"Complicated," Bero replied, before extending his mandibles towards the Brute's neck. Before the Brute could react, Bero jabbed his fangs into the Brute's neck, injecting lethal amounts of venom into the alien. The Chieftain screamed as the venom went to work, with Bero releasing the Chieftain and allowing the alien to writhe and scream in pain. In thirty seconds, the Brute was incapable of moving, as the venom was a powerful paralytic that acted within seconds. In another thirty seconds, the Brute Chieftain was incapable of doing anything at all, including breathing.

While this was going on, Chief and the others were locked into a full blown battle with the Brutes. Boosting forwards, Chief smashed into a Brute Major, sending the alien flying into one of his comrades and into a polycrete barrier. Polycrete chunks and rebar flew outwards as the Brutes impacted it, with the Major's bones being crushed by Chief's impact with the alien. The Brute Minor was sent over the railing and into the water, with the alien screaming before it was sucked into the dam's interior. Looking over the other side, Chief watched as a splotch of red colored blood came out of the other side. "Well, he had lots of guts," a Marine commented.

At the same time, 'Ravamee and Thel were working together to corral a number of Brutes into a smaller part of the dam itself. Roaring loudly, Thel sliced through a Brute Captain, while 'Ravamee, using his Zealot Battle Armor, kicked a Brute hard in the chest, sending it flying backwards into the others. Brutes fell over as though they were bowling pins, with Osman coming down from the air a moment later, firing an ATM/2 that blew the Brutes apart into a million, steaming bits. "Nice work," Thel remarked to Osman.

"Not bad, Arbiter," Osman remarked.

Thel was about to reply when plasma rounds began impacting the area nearby. Taking cover, Chief and the others looked up to see a Phantom firing on their position, with Grunts manning plasma turrets. "Star Commander Alex, we need fire support," Chief shouted over the COM, just as bits of polycrete exploded nearby.

"Aff, lead," Alex replied. "Firing." Looking up, Chief watched as several VS-LPL beams tore into the Phantom, with the rapidly pulsing blue laser beams cutting through the VTOL's nanolaminate armor. Unwilling to give up, the Phantom fired back at the Marauder-IV, only for the plasma to splash harmlessly against the shielding system the 'Mech was using. Moments later, the Marauder-IV fired again, this time firing the A-UAC/10 that was mounted on the over-the-shoulder gimbal mount. With that, the Phantom was quickly terminated, with the vehicle exploding before each piece fell into the river. "Enemy VTOL destroyed," Alex reported. "We have a friendly Hermes VTOL coming in to pick you up."

"Rodger that," Chief replied. Closing the COM-link, Chief turned to Bero, who was wolfing down a ration bar. "You OK," he asked.

"I'm fine," Bero said between shoveling more food into his mouth. Swallowing, he said, "My shapeshifting abilities consume a large amount of energy, with full body shape-shifting taking the most energy. As a result, I often feel ravenous whenever I've used my abilities extensively, so I tend to eat a lot more than I used to. Gaining the ability to shape-shift is a package deal: you get the advantage of changing your bodily appearance and shape, but you pay the price by having to eat a lot more to sustain yourself."

"What about your telepathy," Cortana asked.

"That doesn't take nearly as much energy as shape-shifting," Bero replied, before taking a sip of water from a swan necked canteen. Swallowing again, he said, "When I communicate telepathically with another living being, it takes about as much energy as it would if I talked to you normally. Dominating another living being's mind is more tiring, but less so if the organism in question gives you permission to do so. I know because a friend of my, R'tas 'Vadum, gave me permission to do so. He described it as 'my mind was intact, but it was like someone else was in control, though I still retained my physical senses.' Personally, I find it to be… disturbing and repulsive."

"I can see why," Cortana remarked. "By doing that, you're effectively taking away that person's free will." She remained silent after that, with Chief processing what he had just heard.

A few moments later, the Hermes VTOL came into view, it's fusion ramjet engines firing at full blast as it approached the area. Lowering into position, the loading ramp/door of the troop bay opened, allowing the combined squad to get inside. Looking outside, Chief watched as the Marauder-IV Alex was piloting began moving out, heading to the nearby base just as the VTOL doors closed. Welcome back to Earth, Chief thought as the VTOL accelerated to top speed.