Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo - Mechwarrior/Battletech crossover. I'm deeply sorry that I wasn't able to update my stories yesterday. I was helping a brother out with some work at a friend's place, and I was very exhausted when I got back home. Now that the work's done, though, I will be able to update my stories again. Just so you know, I'll be updating my other crossover tomorrow and I'll be doing catch up on the weekends. Thank you for your patience; it's been a really interesting start to this week. 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 it's original developers and publishers. Any material that is 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.
MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries OST – Floodgate
Terra
Voi Industrial Complex
February 16th, 2553
As soon as Chief had said 'Worse', everyone knew what he was talking about. The Flood, Thel realized, his eyes widening with shock and horror as that single word was processed. They have found Earth! If we do not contain it in time… he shuddered at the mere thought of the Flood attempting to infest Earth with their grimy claws. Behind him, Bero had a much more visceral reaction to what Chief said, as a number of tentacles erupted from his body subconsciously, as though the mere thought of the Flood was enough to provoke a flight or fight response.
"That is not good at all," Osman remarked. "The Flood are present and I think they fully intend to infest the planet and gain access to Star League/Great House technology. We cannot let that happen. We have to get to the Flood controlled WarShip and blow it to smithereens."
"Agreed," Chief replied. Reloading his M50 AGR, he said, "We need to head back into the factory complex. Osman, you and I will take point. Thel, Bero, stay behind us and provide support in the event one of us needs to retreat. The Flood will do everything in it's power to wear us down, so we'll need to use various tactics in order to keep on top of them."
"A sound strategy," Thel agreed. "I will remain behind you, along with Bero. Also, human, Bero is immune to the Parasite. We can send him ahead and he'll be able to take out the Flood without fear of becoming one of their unwilling thralls."
"Is that true," Chief asked Bero.
"Yes," the young Sangheilian replied. "When I was infected by the Flood, and when I forced it out by power of will, my DNA was mutated extensively. My cells have been converted to Sangheilian Super Cells, which can change function and structure by mere thought alone. Since then, not only did I gain the ability to shape-shift, I also have full immunity to the Parasite. I'll scout out ahead and help you that way."
"Good," Chief replied. "We have to move out, now." With that, Chief loaded his M50 AGR and began making his way down the hill and towards the crash site.
As he did so, he heard COM activity from Admirals Hood, Chernenko and Commander Miranda. "The Flood," Miranda announced. "It's spreading all over the city."
"How do we contain it, or better yet, eradicate it," Hood asked Miranda.
"We have to reach the enemy WarShip," Miranda replied. "Get inside, overload it's fusion reactor. We either destroy the city, or risk losing the entire planet."
"Damn," Hood muttered under his breath. "That complicates things greatly. Is there any way we can get that done."
"I have an idea," Chernenko added. "If we send Master Chief a Havoc-IV thermonuclear device, we can have him plant it inside of the Flood WarShip and destroy it that way. Once he has it planted, we can remotely detonate the nuke from orbit, once everyone is out of the way. We'll be looking at a blast radius of roughly ten kilometers with the Havoc-IV thermonuclear bomb."
"Then it's decided," Hood concurred. Moments later, he directly addressed Chief. "Master Chief, this is Admiral Hood. Are you still there with us."
"Yes, sir," Chief replied.
"Good, because we have a new mission for you," Hood replied. "We're going to drop off a Havoc-IV thermonuclear bomb when you get to the Flood controlled WarShip. Once it's in your possession, you have to head inside of the enemy WarShip and plant the bomb inside of it. Once it's in there, activate the remote detonation module on the bomb and EVAC from the area immediately. Once everyone that isn't infected is out of the area, we will detonate the bomb and destroy the Flood before it can spread too far for us to contain. The SLDF has multiple containment units in place, so we won't have to worry about it spreading outside of the 10km blast radius. While you are at it, rescue as many people as you can. Understood?"
"Understood," Chief replied.
"Good," Hood replied. "Admiral Hood out." With that, the COM-link ended.
Shouldering his rifle, Chief began to press ahead, with Osman, Thel and Bero following closely behind. Turning around, Chief watched as Bero morphed into a large, quadruped, reptilian being before running ahead, disappearing around the bend of the buildings up ahead. Turning to Thel, he was about to ask what Bero had done when Thel said, "Like I said, Bero is a highly proficient shape-shifter. You also heard him admit it himself."
"He knows," Cortana replied. "It's just that… well… you don't see that kind of thing every day. First, we learn of a dangerous, interstellar parasitic species that wants to eat all life in the galaxy, then we learn there's a Sangheilian that not only resisted the Flood successfully, but also gained telepathy, shape-shifting and biological immortality from the experience."
"I understand," Thel replied. "Even I was surprised when I learned of his full capabilities. It could be he has other abilities that none of us, including him, knows of. For now, though, we must get to the Flood controlled WarShip. I don't want to imagine what will happen if the Flood begins running rampant.
"Agreed," Chief replied. Just then, his memory was jogged when he remembered where Alex and his 'MechWarriors had been when the Flood WarShip crash landed. Keying his COM, he said, "Sierra-117 to Star Commander Alex Wolverine. Are you still there?"
For a moment, there was a terrible silence, with nothing but static coming over the COM. Chief was about to repeat his COM transmission when Alex came over the radio. "We are here still, Chief," Alex replied, coughing slightly. "Damn, that Flood WarShip nearly got us. Franklin gave us about ten seconds of warning, which allowed us to get into cover before the WarShip crash landed. Do not worry, we're uninjured and our BattleMechs are green. Right now, we are seeing a lot of Flood Combat Forms and Pure Forms that are charging our way. We will hold them off and allow you to get inside that Flood WarShip and blow it into a million pieces. Good luck, Chief."
"You too," Chief replied. As he closed the COM, Chief felt what he realized was a sense of relief. After a moment, he realized that relief came from the fact that a fellow member of the Warrior Caste had survived, and was uninjured. Making sure his rifle was ready for the umpteenth time, Chief continued ahead.
Already, even though the ship had only crashed about seven minutes ago, the environment had changed radically. Chief noticed a layer of fog that had formed in the area which, fortunately, wasn't contaminated by Flood Spores. Moving through the buildings, Chief could hear weapons discharge coming from the factory complex. Noticing some movement, Chief looked just in time to see two Flood Combat Forms, which he noticed were formerly Brutes, hopping into another area, only for laser beams and plasma bolts to tear through the air moments later. Looking up, Chief could tell that the sky was darkening, as clouds were starting to travel over the late afternoon sun.
As he continued forwards, Chief heard more COM bursts in the area. "Multiple Flood contacts inbound," an SLDF Marine reported clinically. "To all SLDF forces in the area, get your Flamers and plasma weapons out. As per the Halo Contingency, we are initiating a full quarantine of the area. Nothing gets in or out without authorization from the highest military authority. Understood?"
"Understood," a UNSC Marine replied. "We've got multiple contacts heading for the Warehouse. Permission to fortify the Warehouse."
"Granted," the SLDF Marine sending out the orders replied. "Get there and keep the Flood from breaking into the Warehouse. Hold position, we're sending in Flamer units." With that, the COM bursts became more mundane in their content.
With that, Chief reached the rear of the Warehouse. The rear of the Warehouse was occupied by a concrete ramp that led to a retracting metal door, most likely for cargo trucks that were offloading cargo into the Warehouse, which made sense since this factory handled military and civilian goods. The entrance into the Warehouse was located at a part of the building that jutted out past the cargo loading area a good twenty meters, with a metal stair that led into the building. A few roadblocks were present to prevent a careless driver from backing into the actual Warehouse entrance.
A few UNSC Marines wearing SLDF armor in UNSC colors were present there, keeping an eye out for any Flood that came in their direction. "Hey, Chief," one of the Marines shouted. "Most of the garrison is located inside of the Warehouse. If you need supplies, head into there and get them while you can. We'll keep this area..."
"LOOK OUT," another Marine shouted, interrupting his CO while pointing directly up and behind them. Looking in that direction, Chief watched as a number of Infection Forms and a few Combat Forms jumped down from the roof of the Warehouse and into the loading area. Reacting fast, the Marines narrowly dodged the attack, taking up position at the top of the ramp before unleashing a fusillade at the Flood. Streams of plasma fire, HEI Gauss shells and Pulse Laser beams tore through the air.
The Flood in that area didn't stand a chance. Each Combat Form screamed and roared loudly as their bodies were cooked alive by the weaponry that the Marines had with them. One Combat Form attempted to charge forwards, only to fall apart when the fiery plasma engulfing it consumed it's body, with the Combat Form falling apart moments later. The Infection Forms promptly popped like a balloon that was pricked by a pin, splattering the area with bits of tattered, sickly flesh. Within moments, the Flood that had attacked the area had been destroyed entirely.
"Well, that was easy," the Marine CO remarked. Looking at his subordinate, he said, "Looks like you saved our asses again, son. If this keeps up, I'm putting you up for promotion; for now, though, we have to focus on staying alive." Looking at Chief, he said, "You and your friends get inside now. We've got this area handled."
"Understood," Chief replied. After giving the Marine a brief salute, Chief proceeded into the interior of the Warehouse, with Thel, Osman and Bero following closely behind.
As soon as they were inside, Chief heard the sounds of SLDF weaponry being fired. Passing through a series of rooms and hallways, the squad entered the main cargo containment area in the Warehouse, which was still as orderly as ever. Looking to his left, Chief watched as a full blown firefight tore through the area, with Flood charging in from one side, while the SLDF and UNSC Marines on the other side fought back with a ferocity and determination that few could match.
It was showing too, as the Flood was rapidly running out of bodies to throw at the joint forces. One Carrier Form, and the Infection Forms that it held inside, were promptly blown apart when a grenade detonated at it's feet, shredding the corpulent organism with the blast and ensuing shrapnel. Nearby, a Combat Form was bisected when a Marine fired his MPL Rifle at the creature, with the upper half being destroyed moments later by a well aimed plasma bolt.
A moment later, Chief added his own firepower to the mix, firing some HEI shells that he had gotten while entering the building. Apparently, the Gravemind was controlling some of the Flood, as several of them turned towards Chief and the others. "Ah, the armored casket," one of the Combat Forms growled, "and the shape-shifter." Before the Gravemind could say anything else, Chief and the others engaged the Combat Forms from the flank, catching some of the creatures off guard.
Roaring loudly, Bero charged into the firefight, using his abilities to wreak havoc on the Flood. A Brute Combat Form was absorbed into Bero's body, with the creature screaming shrilly as Bero's Super Cells consumed the infested creature. Another Combat Form attempted to charge at Bero, only for the Sangheilian shape-shifter to spear it in the chest with a bladed tentacle. Melting his body, Bero grew a number of tentacles that had spines, bony blades and serrated edges; the end result was that the Flood that attacked Bero looked as though they had gone put into a blender, with said blender being turned up to maximum speed.
With Chief and Osman, the two Elementals took a more measured approach. Taking aim, Chief fired his AGR, pelting a few Flood Combat Forms with a burst of HEI shells; the Combat Forms that he fired at screamed loudly, as their bodies were promptly blown apart, then incinerated moments later. Osman, having switched to Inferno ATM's, fired one such missile at a group of Flood, ensnaring them in a full blown inferno that rapidly consumed the aliens. Eventually, all of the Flood in the area had been terminated.
As soon as the Flood in that area were eliminated, a UNSC Marine that had been manning an MPL Turret, ran over to Chief. If the man noticed Bero morphing back into his normal form, he didn't skip a beat, as the Marine said, "Sir, we have more Flood coming in from the lake bed that the 'Mechs are at. We've been holding them off, but we need help. Can you help us?"
"Affirmative," Chief replied. "Have your men begin evacuating the area. Within a few minutes, this place will be nothing but an irradiated crater. Get to the loading bay behind me and wait for Pelicans and Hermes VTOL's to pick you up."
"Roger that," the Marine replied, before informing his men over his COM channel. "They're on their way now. Get in there and do what you do best, which is completely fucking the enemy over." With that, he stood by one of the doors in the area, waiting for his men to come out.
Not wanting to wait, Chief and the others proceeded forwards immediately, moving past Marines and civilians that were doing their damnedest to get out of the Warehouse and to safety. Only those that were holding the Flood back remained, as Chief entered the checkpoint that he had passed through not thirty minutes ago. True to form, they were holding back the Flood, killing any Combat Forms that got too close to their position. Taking out the last Combat Forms, Chief entered the lake bed that the BattleMechs were holding position in.
Beyond the foggy atmosphere and dimly lit skies, the lake bed was unchanged, with only some minor terrain alterations due to the Flood WarShip in the area beyond. The fog, combined with the sunlight being dimmed by overhanging clouds, meant that Chief couldn't see beyond 100 meters without using his helmet's thermals. While this would make it difficult to engage targets beyond 100 meters, it was no hindrance at closer distances. Even from this distance, Chief could see Alex and his Star firing their energy based weapons at the Flood, with a few HEAP shells and missiles being added in for good measure.
As for the Flood, there was a literal swarm of them in the lake bed. Most were occupied with attacking the BattleMechs, with the rest hanging back to catch any infantry off guard. A loud roar drew Chief's attention, just in time for him to spot a Pure Form, a Tank Form from the looks it it, charging at him, it's lumbering mass moving at high speed. Dodging to the right, Chief narrowly avoided the charge, with Osman taking the full force of the impact.
In a showcase of Clan Wolverine's genetic and material engineering, the Elemental wasn't thrown backwards, as Osman had braced for the impact moments before. Instead, he was pushed back a good six feet, before coming to a complete stop moments later; ignoring the tentacles that were brushing against his Battle Armor's visor, Osman rolled onto his back, flipping the Tank Form over his head and into the wall of the Warehouse. The Tank Form crashed into the wall with a loud, metallic screech, before slumping down onto the ground moments later; getting up, it was about to attack when Osman, acting quickly, blasted it apart with a HEI missile, blowing bits of sickly flesh all over the area.
At the same time, Chief and Thel engaged the Flood, with Chief hanging back while Thel charged in, Energy Sword drawn and activated. The Arbiter roared as he cut through the Flood like a hot knife through butter, sending limbs and body parts flying through the air. Hanging back, Chief was about to fire when something impacted his energy shields.
Looking up, Chief noticed a large Pure Form that was holding onto the side of a building via tentacles and feet that had suckers underneath. Most of it's body, however, was composed of a tall, flat structure that had long, bony spines sticking out like a porcupine. Each spine was being fired him, with powerful muscles sending the bony spines at lethal velocities. Taking aim at the Pure Form, Chief fired off a few HEI shells, blasting the creature apart before it was set on fire, with the Pure Form screeching loudly as the flames consumed it's body.
Eventually, the swarm of Flood was thinned out, with the last one being neutralized by Bero, who had also used his abilities to great effect in this fight. As they got ready to head out, Chief heard a COM burst."Admirals Hood and Chernenko, this is Imperial Admiral Xytan 'Jar Watrinee. I apologize for my late arrival; we were busy consolidating our forces and dealing with Brute skirmishes. Can you inform me as to what is currently happening?"
"Yes," Admiral Chernenko replied. "The Flood have successfully landed on Earth at the Voi Industrial Complex. We have a joint strike team heading to the Flood WarShip in order to destroy it with a thermonuclear bomb. Can you provide assistance?"
"Yes," 'Jar Watrinee replied almost immediately. "We cannot allow the Parasite to spread any further. I am sending my best warriors and the Shadow of Intent to provide assistance in dealing with the Parasite. Can you send coordinates?"
"Already sent," Admiral Chernenko replied.
After a few moments, Xytan said, "Thank you for your assistance, Human. I am sending my forces now. With your permission, we will have to glass a 30km area around the bomb site once it has been detonated. We cannot allow the Flood to spread any further onto the planet."
"Granted," Chernenko replied. "That is a reasonable request. Our other WarShips are heading into position to prevent any Flood forces from breaching the area. Once the bomb is in place, we will evacuate and detonate it. Admiral Chernenko, out."
"Acknowledged. Imperial Admiral Xytan 'Jar Watrinee out." With that, the COM link cut out.
"Looks like we're getting reinforcements," Thel remarked, relief palpable in his voice. "The Imperial Admiral has arrived, and it seems as though he is friendly." Moments later, Chief spotted a ship over their current position, as the fog had cleared somewhat. Moments later, large Combat Pods dropped down from the sky, opening up to reveal four squads of Sangheilian Zealots.
Spotting Chief's squad, one of the Zealots ran over to his position. "Are you the Master Chief," the Zealot asked, her eyes fixed onto Chief and Osman."
"Yes," Chief replied.
"Good," the female Zealot nodded. "I am Zealot Riala 'Varomee. We have been sent by Ship Master R'tas 'Vadum to help you destroy the Flood and get to their ship." Turning to her men, she said, "Warriors, follow me and the Master Chief. Obey him as though I was giving out the orders."
"We hear and obey," the other Zealots replied. Turning to Chief, the female Zealot said, "What are your orders, Human."
"We need to get to the Flood controlled WarShip," Chief told her. "Once we're at the entrance, the SLDF will offload a Havoc-IV thermonuclear bomb that we have to plant inside of the ship. Once it is planted, we will exifill from the area and detonate it once we are out of the blast radius. Understood?"
"Understood," Riala replied. Looking up, she watched as Bero walked over to her. Chief was mildly surprised when she walked over to Bero and hugged him, a surprisingly intimate act given they were in a combat zone, with Bero returning the hug a moment later. As if she was reading Chief's mind, Riala turned to him and said, "Bero and I became close while he was recovering from his first encounter with the Flood. Do not worry, it will not interfere in our mission."
"Good," Chief replied. The last thing he needed right now was for interpersonal relationships to interfere with the mission. Reloading his rifle, Chief and his squad moved up, with roughly eight Sangheilian Zealots in tow.
Moving up, they reached the ramp where they would travel into the tunnel that Chief and the others had gone through when they were heading for the AA cannon. Surprisingly, the tunnel interior was vacant of any Combat Forms, and Chief could see why. The Badger-IV IFV's were still inside of the tunnel, having taken cover when they spotted the Scarab from earlier. "About time you got here, Chief," the driver of one of the IFV's said to him. "The Flood made the dumb decision of trying to get at us in this tunnel. As you can see from all the blast craters and scorch marks in the walls, they quickly learned that was a stupid decision."
"What's the status of the area behind you," Chief asked the IFV driver.
"Overrun by Flood," the driver replied. "The Flood WarShip crashed at the far end of the first lake bed, completely destroying part of the complex in the process. There's an entrance that was formed when the ship crashed, which should allow you to get inside and wreck the Flood WarShip with ease."
"Do you have a plan for dealing with the Flood," Riala asked.
"Yes," the IFV driver replied. "We'll use the IFV's to clear out the Flood and prevent any more from getting out of the WarShip. Once we've cleared out the Flood, you should be able to help Chief get the nuke into the ship and ready for detonation. Once it's ready, we'll EVAC the IFV's and get onto the VTOL. We can always replace IFV's, we can't replace people."
"Agreed," Chief replied. "Do what you can to neutralize the Flood in the next area. If any get past you, let us deal with them. Once the area's clear, get onto the VTOL that's carrying the nuke and get out of here, along with any passengers that you have."
"Roger that," the IFV driver replied. "Let's go show the Flood what happens when you piss off the Inner Sphere." Clambering into the IFV, the driver shut the hatch behind him, before the IFV's turned around and began heading out the exit to the first lake bed. Taking the walkways next to the road, Chief and the others exited the factory complex and entered the first lake bed.
The IFV driver's assessment of the area beyond was simple, but accurate. The Flood WarShip, upon crash landing, had completely flattened the parking lot and the first factory complex in the Voi Industrial Complex, with only rubble and debris remaining of it. Sitting on top of the rubble was part of the Flood WarShip, with purple nanolaminate armor plating peeking out from underneath the sickly, pale tan Flood matter that coated parts of the ship like a disgusting, sapient mold. Parts of the wrecked area were strewn about near the entrance to the WarShip, which was simply a man sized hole that was covered in Flood tissue.
The Flood were present here as well, an in great numbers. Upon spotting Chief and the others, the Combat and Pure Forms charged forwards, roaring and screaming shrilly as they charged towards the squad. Just then, the IFV's burst out into the open, firing their A-UAC/2's, VS-SPL's and MPL Turrets with lethal precision. Combat, Carrier and Pure Form screamed loudly as HEAP shells and laser beams tore into them. One Tank Form screamed especially loudly when it was blasted apart by a HEAP shell, with bits of Flood organic matter being thrown across the area. Those that survived the initial volley either got past the IFV's or were crushed when the IFV's moved forwards, crushing Combat and Pure forms underneath tons of Endo Titanium and Advanced Ferro-Lamellor armor.
Those that got past the IFV's were rapidly dealt with by Chief and the others. Riala and her fellow Sangheilians surged forwards, moving and dodging with fluid grace, with their movements making it appear as though they were dancing rather than killing. Limbs and body parts flew everywhere as the Zealots tore through the Flood with ease, while Chief and the others continued to lay down covering fire. The IFV's continued to fire, sending more lasers and HEAP shells down range.
Eventually, the Flood were wiped out, but not without a cost. Looking around, Chief watched Riala approach a Sangheilian that was lying on the ground, his chest armor ripped open. Apparently, an Infection Form had burrowed inside, only for the Elite to rip it out of his chest. "R-Riala," the Elite gasped, as more of his flesh mutated into that of the Flood. "P-please… kill me. I… I do not want to… to become one of… of them."
"You will not," Riala replied, in a soft and comforting voice. "I will ensure it." Taking out her Energy Sword, she immediately stabbed the Zealot in the chest with her weapon, plunging the hot plasma blade into the Zealot's chest. Looking at her, the Zealot simply mouthed the words 'thank you', then his eyes closed, a heavy sigh escaping the Zealot as he died, with his body ceasing it's mutation at the same time. Removing the Energy Sword, Riala closed her eyes and looked away, a sad, but resigned, expression on her face.
"Are you alright," Bero asked her.
"I'll be fine," she replied. Opening her eyes, she said, "It's never easy killing one of your own, even if it is required or they request it." Sheathing her blade, she said, "Either way, he would want us to continue with the mission and mourn for him later." Behind her, Chief respectfully saluted the dead Zealot before looking up at the sky.
At the same time, a Pelican-IIa arrived on scene, carrying what looked like a suitcase nuke, only it was circular and around the size of two footballs put end to end. "Here you go, Chief," a Marine in the troop bay said to him. "One Havoc-IV Thermonuclear Bomb ready to go. We've got a remote detonation module installed. Once you've armed it, the bomb cannot be tampered with by any Flood, so make sure you place it somewhere where it will hurt them bad."
"Affirmative," Chief replied. Looking at the others, Chief said, "Riala, get your men ready to go. You'll have to leave the area. Do you have any more VTOL's inbound?"
"We have nearly four Phantoms approaching this area," Riala replied.
"Good," Chief replied. "Any Covenant that have defected to our side will be loaded up into them, along with the IFV drivers. Bero will continue with me while Osman and the Arbiter go with you. Understood?"
"Yes," Riala replied, with Thel and Osman nodding in agreement moments later. Handing Chief the bomb, the Marine motioned for the Elites to get into the troop bay, while Chief placed the bomb onto his back. Looking at Bero, Chief smiled slightly when Bero nodded at him, with the two continuing into the Flood WarShip alone.
As they entered, Bero said, "Be careful, Chief. The Gravemind has the same psychic abilities as I do. He will attempt to bend you to his will; if you want, I can shield your mind from the worst of it. Hopefully, the protection my mind can offer will be enough."
"Do it," Chief replied.
As they proceeded forwards, Chief thought he noticed something odd, like something was tugging at the back of his mind. Moments later, his vision distorted slightly, becoming a sickly green in color, while veins and arteries became visible, indicating the Gravemind was trying to influence him. Moments later, that vanished as Bero began to psychically shield him, blocking out the worst of the Gravemind's influence. Moments later, Chief heard the Gravemind say, "The armored casket. You have arrived at last. Join your voice with mine, and sing victory everlasting."
"No," Chief replied moments later, with the psychic influence ending moments later. Hearing an tired sigh, Chief turned to Bero, who was breathing hard. "Are you alright," he asked.
"I'll be fine," Bero replied, recovering a few seconds later. "The Gravemind has a powerful psychic influence. He was trying to influence you into removing your helmet, but I managed to block that out. Still, I don't think he would've succeeded anyways. I can't read your mind, but I can say that you have a very strong will, more so than most. You could easily resist any psychic influence. Now, we must move, we cannot stay any longer." Nodding in agreement, Chief continued to move forwards.
The hull breach they moved through was covered in Flood matter, as Chief could hear his boots squelching as he moved forwards. Eventually, they reached a large chamber that was covered in Flood matter, with only a center console in the chamber being completely free of Flood infestation. Pulling out the nuke, Chief placed it in the center of the console, pressing in a few commands before arming the bomb. "Bomb is armed," Chief reported. "We're moving to-"
That was when Chief heard a familiar humming, a sound that he had associated with the Halo that he had destroyed. Looking up, he frowned when he saw a familiar, ball shaped robot descending down to his position. "Reclaimer," 343 Guilty Spark said to him. Noticing some movement, the Monitor looked in that direction and fired a single incineration beam from it's single eye, disintegrating a Combat Form that was in the room. "We need to escape this ship as soon as possible."
"Why are you here," Chief asked Guilty Spark.
"I was sent here by Admiral Chernenko, the Reclaimer in charge of the Star League fleet here," Guilty Spark replied. "He personally asked me to assist you. Why do you ask?"
"On Halo, you tried to kill Cortana," Chief replied. "You tried to kill me."
"He is right, you know," Cortana added in.
"Protocol dictated my response," Guilty Spark replied, looking genuinely contrite as he said this. "You were going to destroy the installation, which you succeeded in doing so. During my time leaving Halo, I had some time to perform some introspection. Now I have but one function: to help you Reclaimer, as I always should have done, even if it hurts."
Normally, Chief would've treated this with suspicion and he did. What got him to think, though, was that Guilty Spark seemed genuinely contrite by the fact that he had tried to kill Chief instead of helping him. As a result, Chief said, "As long as you don't do it again, I'll let it go. Do it again, though, and I will kill you."
"I would expect nothing less," Guilty Spark replied. With that, a Phantom came overhead, with Chief, Bero and the Monitor getting into the ship via the gravity beam it had deployed. Once inside, the Phantom took off, heading for safety moments later.
. . .
Looking at the holographic feed on the holo-table, Victor Steiner-Davion watched as the thermonuclear bomb at Voi detonated, flattening the complex and creating a truly massive crater in the ground. A titanic mushroom cloud soon developed over the area, breaching the lower stratosphere and reaching a height of roughly 12 kilometers. As the cloud billowed upwards into the air, he watched as the Sangheilian WarShips moved, in, using their glassing beams to glass a 30km area around the Voi Bomb Crater, rendering any chance of the Flood spreading an impossibility.
Sighing, he looked up to see the others that were standing in the bridge of the SLS/FCS Guardian of Liberty. Xytan 'Jar Watrinee was present, with the massive Sangheilian towering over R'tas Vadume and Thel 'Vadam by a good four feet. Also present was Chief, SaKhan Juliana, Admirals Chernenko, Hood, as well as 343 Guilty Spark and Commander Miranda Keyes. Clearing his throat, Victor Steiner-Davion said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome aboard the SLS/FCS Guardian of Liberty. Normally, I would conduct a more formal introduction, but right now, we have more pressing matters to tend to."
"Indeed," Xytan 'Jar Watrinee agreed. "We managed to save your world from being doomed by the Flood. Were it not for your kind saving ours, we might've glassed your entire planet. Still, because of your warning, I am in your debt, Human, and it's not one that I think I can replay." Clearing his throat, the Imperial Admiral said, "However, we have some matters to deal with. Firstly, we have to stop the Prophet of Truth from activating the Halos, otherwise all of our efforts against the Flood will be rendered a moot point. As far as my men can tell, this Slipspace Portal leads directly to the Forerunner Installation that controls all of the Halo rings."
"The Ark," Cherneko remarked.
"Agreed," Victor remarked. "What's not so clear is how to get there. Our ships use the Advanced Kearny-Fuchida Drive to travel between star systems, not the Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine or Borer Drives that the UNSC and your faction uses, Imperial Admiral. I don't know if we can travel through Slipstream Space without any risk of losing people."
That was when an answer came from an unlikely source. Just as the Sangheilian Imperial Admiral was about to speak, one of the Engineers floated down to them, having come aboard the ship a few hours ago. Using the holotable, it said, "It will be safe for you to use. The Forerunners created the device that created the Slipstream Space Portal so that their ships could reach the Ark without using their Slipstream Space Drives. Any ship that doesn't have one can easily use the portal to reach the Ark with little difficulty. It's perfectly safe, I assure you."
"That's a welcome relief," Chernenko remarked. Looking at Victor, he said, "I don't know if you know, but the Engineers-"
"Yes, I do know," Victor interrupted Chernenko. "The Memory Core you left for us to find indicated that the Engineers were created by the Forerunners to maintain and repair their structures. Since that's the case, if this Engineer here says that we can get through it with little difficulty, then I am fully inclined to believe it." Leaning over slightly, he said, "Now there's another matter for us to deal with. We need to form a cohesive coalition in order to defeat the Covenant. If we go at it as individuals, they'll be able to delay us long enough for their Prophet to activate all of the Halos." Looking at the others, he said, "Any ideas?"
"I have one," Chernenko remarked. "Since you, Archon-Prince, and Admiral Xytan 'Jar Watrinee are technically of the same rank, you two will have joint command over the operation, while I will help direct Battle Group Delta in keeping the Brute WarShips occupied. While that is going on, we will land our ground troops and set up FOB's, while having a joint strike force pursue Truth in order to stop his genocidal plans. The Monitor will go with this strike team in order to provide information and assistance in using Forerunner technology."
"An excellent plan," R'tas nodded. "It will bolster cooperation between our species and help ease tensions."
"Good," Xytan beamed. "Until we get an actual map of this 'Ark', however, all we can do is speculate on what we will encounter." Looking at the Monitor, he said, "Oracle, do you know of the Ark?"
"Only by name, I'm afraid," Guilty Spark replied. "Most of the information on the Ark, such as the layout and topography, was hidden from me. Compartmentalization, in the event of capture by the Flood. However, I do know that it was designed to built more Fortress Worlds in the event that one or more was destroyed. I also know that there is another Monitor at the Ark; if I can get into contact with him, I might be able to get more information."
"Then it's decided," Victor nodded. "Xytan 'Jar Watrinee and I will be the joint commanders of Operation: SHATTERED COVENANT. We'll iron out the details while heading for the Forerunner Ark. Chief, Arbiter, you will head with R'tas to whatever ship he is currently in command of, as a show of good faith on our part. We'll send over equipment for fixing up your gear and weaponry before we enter the Slipstream Space Portal. Osman, you will remain onboard the SLS/FCS Dallas along with Bero. Once we arrive at the Forerunner Ark, we will devise a plan of attack, after which we will engage the Covenant and stop them dead in their tracks."
With that, each one of the people at the holo-table left to prepare themselves and any men they commanded for the journey. The Covenant had already lost the war. They just didn't know it yet.