The Earth Empire

Outside the Cathedral

3:25 AM

October 26th [Earth Calendar]

The Master Chief stood above the terrified Donar, the treacherous Spartan-IV was frozen with fear. The entirety of Fireteam Horus had been annihilated in a blink of an eye. He was the only one left and now he was beholden to the grim reaper himself, reflected off his golden visor.

"Donar." The traitor Spartan turned his head, Korra had woken up from her coma. Donar was stupefied, the sniper shot should've made her bleed to death…or at least prevented her from waking up. Korra was being helped to her feet by Mako and Bolin, but she was able to stay composed by herself quickly. "I would've never expected someone like you and your team to defect."

Korra said with a strong but still weak voice, "What do you know about us?" Donar replied, he knew he was done for. There was no way to escape from the Master Chief's sights. "Where was the UNSC when countless died in the riots? Where was the UNSC when the Red Lotus killed without control? I'll tell you where they were, nowhere. Up in their ivory towers watching how people died for no reason, for the Red Lotus' twisted idea of freedom. We helped Kuvira because she was bringing…no, brought order to the chaos that was the Earth Kingdom. And then you people ask her to willingly give up her march of order to a boy who doesn't even know how to keep his morning routine in order? From the family that held ordinary people under their boot with old world customs? What we brought is better!"

"Is that what you believe?" Asami asked. "And your people haven't killed anyone?"

"Sacrifices must be made for the greater good." Donar responded coldly. Chief grabbed him by the shoulder, his grip squishing the MJOLNIR armor of the Spartan-IV. Donar froze again, his bravado crumbled at the touch of the Spartan-II.

"Our duty as soldiers is to defend humanity, whatever the cost." Chief said, "But not lose our own humanity while doing so, Donar."

Donar waited a minute before replying, "I'm…we're not the villains here, Chief. We just wanted to do good."

"There are ways to do so without losing ourselves." Chief said, "But you do need to answer for what you've done."

"I can't do that Chief…I cannot lose her. I'm sure you understand…of all people." Donar shook of the Master Chief's grip on him and attempted to strike the Chief but the superior Spartan-II stopped his attack by blocking his fist with an open hand. "Agh!"

Chief began crushing Donar's fist with his overwhelming strength, the armored hand began to crunch…bones cracked. "Aaaagh…" Donar fell on his knees, he couldn't handle the power that the Master Chief packed.

"You're right, I do understand." The Master Chief said, "But I have a job to do as well."

The Master Chief then kicked Donar as hard as he could, snapping his neck in an instant. The traitor Spartan-IV's armored body fell limp on the sand dunes, blood in the sands. Mako, Bolin and Asami sighed, the threat was over…for now at least. Korra walked towards the Master Chief, they hadn't seen each other in a long time.

"Hey." Korra said as she looked at the Chief.

"Korra." Chief replied, he hugged her. Korra didn't expect this from the Master Chief, someone who had never expressed such type of emotions before. The other were awestricken as well. Chief stopped hugging her and looked at her. "I am sorry."

"For…what?" Korra asked.

"For this, it wasn't my intention to lead you to this path." Master Chief said, "Never intended for this to happen to you."

"It wasn't your fault, Chief. What ONI did to me…I think it was necessary." Korra said trying to stay strong before the Spartan-II, "And what better path to follow than yours?"

"Hm." Chief retorted, "You all are ok?" He asked to the others.

"Yeah we're fine." Asami said.

"We better check on Thorne, he might be hurt." Bolin added. Then the AI known as Leonidas appeared from Mako's TACPAD.

"I have scanned Spartan Thorne's life signs while you were fighting against the rogues." Leonidas explained, "His life signs are on the yellow, but he is alive."

"Where?" Korra asked.

"Here." Thorne limped out of the Cathedral's exit behind them, "Spartans never die." Everyone smiled at the sight of the wounded but very much alive Thorne. Perhaps there was still a chance to win after all.

Flying through the Earth Empire

Pelican R-415 (Heavy Raptor)

4:40 AM

The team had assembled in Chief's pelican, they were on route back towards the United Republic, Kuvira's forces were too numerous and too powerful to take on just yet. They had to regroup and rethink their options, there had to be another way to deal with Kuvira. Thorne was being administered biofoam on his wounds by Asami while Mako and Bolin analyzed what they had recovered from the Cathedral. It wasn't much but it was interesting data. Korra sat alongside the Master Chief in the cockpit. Leonidas appeared in the holo projector in the middle of the pilot and co-pilot's seats. "I have reported of what has had occurred to the Office of Naval Intelligence's CIC in New Harmony. They have sent new orders, Avatar Korra."

"What did they say?" Korra asked.

"The parameters of the mission have changed; infiltration is no longer an option. Avatar, you must gather forces against Kuvira's army. This is what the agents within her rank and file have recovered." Leonidas's avatar pulled out a list from his satchel, Mako, Bolin and Asami gathered around Korra and the Chief. "The agents have reported that Kuvira has recovered some kind of super weapon from the heart of Requiem and has powered it with a Promethean Core."

"A Promethean Core?" Asami asked.

"You know about it?" Mako asked the heiress.

"Sorta. Naval contacts have been hounding Future Industries for excavators and diggers to get 'P-Cores' out of dig sites all over the United Republic and Northern Water Tribe. I didn't know what they meant with that but now it all makes sense." Asami revealed.

"Do they know what these cores exactly do?" Korra asked the smart-AI.

"Not exactly, but with the presence of Varrick at Zaofu leads us to believe that the super weapon hypothesis seems to be correct. The P-Cores are power devices, or at least that is what has been theorized by ONI Section III Tip of the Shadow subgroup. No one has been able to syphon power from one of them until now. The agents' energy readers have scanned an immense energy output coming from Varrick's work shed. The super weapon is now operational, but it is unknown if its mobile yet. Korra, you must assemble the local military forces against Kuvira and stop her before the final weapon is ready." Leonidas said.

"Easier said than done." Mako stated, "Nothing we've not done before, but that means we have to report this back to Captain Lasky."

"There's one issue." Master Chief interjected. "The Covenant."

"What about the Covenant? Weren't they wiped out after the battle on the ring?" Bolin asked.

"As if it were that easy, Covenant splinter groups remained after the battle. Besides, Jul 'Mdama is still alive hiding somewhere." Mako answered, "Still though, how does the Covenant relate to this?"

"The Covenant awoke something; a Forerunner super sentinel of sorts called the Warden Eternal. My team and I fought it in our last mission, it said that it plans to avenge the Didact and unleash dormant Forerunner weapons across the galaxy. If Kuvira has one, there is no doubt that the Warden will come looking for it alongside the worshiping Covenant." Chief explained, "We must prevent the Warden from getting his hands on the Promethean Cores."

"You think he'll start here, after all it was you that defeated the Didact, Korra." Bolin asked.

Korra looked at the windshield, the pelican flew through clouds and the rays of the rising sun warmth her face. "Maybe. Let's get back to Camp Cole first, it'd be nice not to get shot at…"

Camp Preston Cole

Republic City, United Republic of Nations

6:10 AM

The Pelican landed on landing bay 034, the team exited the pelican helping Thorne to move. A pair of nearby combat medics arrived to assist, taking Thorne from their hands and leading him to the medical wing. "Who's the headmaster of the camp now?" Korra asked, "I haven't had the chance of getting to know of the local UNSC forces."

"Captain Jeremiah Keith of the UNSC Navy is current Director of United Forces Affairs and the Governor of Requiem, making him the military head of Requiem." Master Chief replied.

"Right, Ol' Keith. The man survived first contact against the Meta, some of the guys say that he is made of iron." Mako added. "I once met him at the ODST 434th Anniversary Ceremony back on Earth some months ago. Tough guy."

The team made their way towards the Governor's Office, walking by several Marines, Army Troopers and tech personnel. Civilians were being taken on a tour in the more open to people areas of the camp, they cheered at the sight of the Master Chief and Avatar Korra passing by. Mako looked at Korra, she still looked uneased about being back; she hadn't acclimated to the fact of being the Avatar again yet.

"Could any of you clear something up for me? If Captain Keith is the Governor of Requiem, uh, does that mean that the world leaders don't have any say…or…?" Bolin asked.

"Captain Keith is the colonial governor; he is the person that holds UNSC and UEG interest on the planet. He doesn't directly represent the world leaders." Asami explained, "He has the duty of convening with the Fire Lady, the Chieftains of the Northern and Southern Water Tribes, the President of the United Republic, and formerly the Queen of the Earth Kingdom. Together they'd discuss legislative and judicial matters that allowed and keeps allowing Requiem to be part of the Inner Colonies although we're not that close to Earth technically. This is also the reason why so many Earth firms have made Requiem their home."

"That's how it works, in theory." Mako said getting a weird look from Asami, "You'd like to think that the Governor and the world leaders have some equal say on the matters that concern the planet but that's not really how it works in practice. The Governor has the absolute authority over the world leaders."

"What makes you say that?" Asami asked, not understanding how the democratic and diplomatic relations that the UNSC and Requiem has isn't actually what holds the world together with the greater human empire.

Mako smirked, "Come on Asami, you should know by now…the one that holds the guns has the power. And the Governor holds the bigger guns." This fact disillusioned the heiress, she had been trying to believe that things would be cooperative and supportive, but it seems that the old practices of might makes right still hold tight in all corners of humanity. Korra sighed, this was how the UEG held power in the Outer Colonies that had been mostly rebuilt in the years after the Human-Covenant War. Before coming, Korra and her team had been sent to several worlds in the edges of human occupied space to purge insurrection and re-establish UNSC military outposts and impose the UEG's rule once again. It was often not very pretty. The Colonial Administration Authority had been recommissioned four years after the Covenant War and rearmed to better administer the re-nascent Inner and Outer Colonies. Worlds that hadn't been totally glassed had been recolonized and work to terraform glassed planets was underway, but the process would take years, perhaps decades, as the damage left by glassing had scarred the planets severely.

The original CAA had been absorbed by the UNSC as part of the emergency powers that the UNSC received to better hold the Covenant onslaught that threatened Earth and her colonies. But so many of those formerly absorbed agencies had been recommissioned willingly by the UNSC with the now looming threat of extinction had been adverted. The new CAA was more militarized than the former, with the UNSC Defense Force sharing much of their weaponry, tech and resources to the smaller yet formidable CAA so they could face Insurgent forces out in the frontier and within the borders of the Outer Colonies where the insurgent menace was much more prevalent still. The more things changed the more they stayed the same it seemed.

Korra and the others arrived at the Governor's office, there his secretary met them. Commander Zami stood up from her desk and approached the team. She was rather short for a military officer at a height of five feet and four inches, neither she looked the part with a meek appearance and long jet-black hair. She had gained rank thanks to her father's influence within the United Forces as a well renowned member of the UF Hellfire Armored Division. A natural firebender who lacked an inch of passion, or so it seemed. Commander Zami had also survived the Meta's attack alongside her most esteemed superior officer. "Ah, welcome! We didn't expect your…visit."

"We need to talk to the governor at once, this is a matter of security." Mako said.

"And by whose authority?" Com. Zami asked.

"Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Spartan-117." Chief coldly responded getting a fearful reaction out of the young commander. She quickly ran towards the door that led towards the inner office where the governor conducted his daily activities. Com. Zami opened the wooden door allowing the team to walk-in.

Captain Jeremiah Keith, a war veteran and a rising star within the UNSC Navy Colonial Corps. The Colonial Corps had been established in late 2556 to then hastily re-establish colonial worlds with order and cooperation. The Admiralty would choose an officer to administer the colony world and maintain worldly relations with Earth, either by the more common diplomatic solutions or by the more heavy-handed militaristic solutions. Keith was one of the younger officers within the Colonial Corps, at the relatively young age of 37. He has already gained fame amongst the UNSC personnel in Requiem and respect with the local forces as well. His short auburn colored hair and well-kept beard signified indicated his grizzled yet professional facial appearance alongside his piercing sky blue eyes. A native of the southern states of the former Union back on Earth, born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas. Jeremiah Keith was one of a dying breed of the so-called cowboys, both in attitude and fashion. His thick accent ever so told this to his subordinates. He was talking with a fellow officer, General Iroh II of the United Forces, another veteran of his own share of wars. "General Iroh, I wasn't expecting to see you here." Mako said upon seeing the general.

"Mako." The General stood up and shook hands with the ODST, "How's life with the space boys?"

"As good as it can ever be." Mako smiled.

"Hey now, I ain't no ghost 'ere." Captain Keith interrupted, "I too am pleased to see yer face Maaaako, what brings you 'round these neck of the woods? Reports say that y'all have business outside in the frontier or have I been had yet again?" He then looked at the titanic Spartan-II and the Avatar behind Mako. "Well…I'll be damned."

Moments Later…

"So, a super weapon." Iroh said while looking at the wooden floor, thinking. "Then this is more dangerous than we ever thought it was going to be."

"We already took care of Kuvira's rogue Spartans, but we still have no idea what kind of weapon it is." Korra added, "We came here to ask for help, we can't do this alone."

"Hold on now, somethin' tells me that this ain't supposed to be leaked to us non-spooks!" Keith exclaimed, "How are we supposed to not get our heads sliced by them spies at ONI?"

"Normally, this would be top secret. But the current circumstances have forced the Office of Naval Intelligence and me to look for aid outside our sphere of specialties." Korra answered his question, "Local forces are needed for this."

"Look, I can't lend too much help on this endeavor even if it's an obvious danger for international security since it'll just spark NAVCOM's attention and I'm sure none of us wants that unless we want the spooks raining down our front doors." Keith said, "But I can spare some ODSTs and Marines, I reckon about thirty in total."

"But I can offer more, myself and a regiment. It's been silent for a while and my boys are itching for some hazard pay." Iroh said, "Still though, we will need a plan."

Leonidas then appeared out of Mako's TACPAD. "That's where I come in." He said.

"Well look at that, our odds just got a wholla heck better." Keith said with a smirk.

The group moved to the United Forces Command Center within Camp Preston Cole, unlike the UNSC controlled sections of the military complex, the UF Command Center was adorned with the architecture of the four nations of Requiem mixed with the advanced technology brought by the United Nations Space Command. Soldiers and technicians roamed the grand Tactical General Command Room, waiting for the team were Royal General Zeraldus IV of the Fire Nation, Brigadier General Skarr Waterbrand of the Southern Water Tribe, Grand Marshal Watashi Granyte of the former Earth Kingdom, and finally Moon Master Ismal Uroah of the Northern Water Tribe; a team of the most important United Forced leaders from all nations active within the armed forces. They worked underneath the command of General Iroh II, who held the official rank of Supreme Commander of the United Forces awarded to him by the President of the United Republic for his actions during the Promethean/Covenant conflicts. "Gentlemen, thanks for answering my summons in such little time." General Iroh said, "I bring to you all, the Avatar."

Korra stepped forward earning the surprise and subsequent bow of respect from the officers. "We would've prepared better if we had known of such honor." Moon Master Uroah said.

"Indeed, it is not every day old soldiers such as us gets to meet the Avatar in person." Brigadier General Waterbrand added. "But this does beg the question, General…it is rare for us all to be summoned like this without prior noticed and meeting with the Avatar no less, something must be doing poorly is it not?"

"You deduced correctly, old friend. I'll let the Avatar explain." Iroh gave Korra the room.

"Thanks General." Korra cleared her throat. "As you know, Kuvira has gone rogue and has taken control of the Earth Kingdom territory she was supposed to liberate and renamed it as the Earth Empire recently."

"The vile fiend." Grand Marshal Granyte stated with a shaken fist in the air.

"The UNSC has deemed her and her forces a threat for the security of Requiem and her peoples and authorized me to take her out before she could do any harm. But I underestimated the scope of her power…she not only has a substantial number of soldiers and war machines; she is also in possession of a Promethean Core." Korra said.

"What in the name of the Spirit World is a Promethean Core?" Waterbrand asked.

Leonidas, the ONI AI appeared in the middle of the holodesk that the group stood around. "A Promethean Core…" The image of a P-Core appeared before them; it was a round egg-liked metal contraption that pulsated an orange glow. "Not much is about these ancient Forerunner devices but what is known is top secret and kept closed at heart by the Office of Naval of Intelligence. But today, I've been authorized to share this information with you all."

"A gift from your spies?" General Zeraldus asked as he gazed towards the Master Chief, the Spartan-II didn't respond.

"The Promethean Cores holds vast power and data collected by the long-gone Forerunners, they are stored within the crust of Requiem, encased inside of underground temples where the Forerunner Prometheans would venerate their gods, or so its theorized. Many holographic statues were found within these temples, denoting high-ranking Prometheans in each one. It is believed by our researchers and scientists that the cores hold enough power to give energy to an entire planet worth of electricity and nuclear power." Leonidas explained.

"And you say Kuvira has one of these P-Cores?" Granyte asked.

"I'm afraid so." Korra answered, "But that's where we come in, her weapon isn't finished yet and that gives us a window to act against her and her forces before they complete it."

"A bold move, attacking Kuvira right now." Zeraldus replied, "Her forces are not concentrated in Zaofu."

"How do you know?" Mako asked.

"Recon drones, the false queen holds no more than one thousand men and 300 Power Suited pilots in Zaofu. And 3 war airships, she holds the rest of her army elsewhere. Most likely along the border with the United Republic." Zeraldus explained with his arms crossed over his armored chest. "Luckily, I've already sent word to the garrisons alongside the border to bolsters their defenses in case of invasion, but if what your artificial intelligence says is true…Kuvira's coordinated attack at the border will most likely be a distraction."

"A distraction…her target is Republic City." General Iroh realized, "With her super weapon."

"An easy victory, our forces would be divided." Waterbrand added. "If we attack now, she will most likely send out the green light for her invasion early, we'd be split in several fronts."

"Rock and a hard place." Moon Master Ismal Uroah sighed, there was no easy way to deal with Kuvira. Either route would lead to a tough war against a vast empire, and they were too few to deal with in scope. "We'll need the other nations' help if we are to topple the false queen."

"I will send a call to the leaders of the other nations; I have connections with the Fire Lady." Iroh said. "But our attack must come no matter what." He turned to Korra and the others, "Get whatever you have unfinished done with, we'll be getting ready in two days. Korra, you may want to contact Lasky still." Korra nodded in agreement, she and her team left the military leaders to discuss the plan further.

Outside the command room, Korra looked at the others. "I'll recall my team from whatever they're doing. They won't like me pulling them out of vacation, but we'll need all the help we can get."

"More Spartans? This will get interesting." Asami said. "Speaking of…Korra, what did happen to you after the battle on the ring?"

Everyone turned their eyes towards the Avatar, even the Master Chief, "Well, I don't remember anything of what happened right after the battle, I fell into a coma. Or so I was told. I woke up in some medical ward spirits know how long after and had been operated on."

Korra walked to a nearby couch in the lobby outside the command room, she sat on it. "My legs had been amputated due to the damage received after fighting against the Didact."

"Spirits…" Asami worryingly whispered. Bolin looked surprised, his face saying as much as that. Mako already knew, his demeanor was a mix of comprehension and anger. If he had only gone with her to Halo perhaps, he could've helped. Mako shook those thoughts away, he would've gotten in the way. Taking down the Didact was the job of the Avatar, not of some rookie marine back then, even now he doubted he could've been of any help with his ODST training.

"I can't say much about what happened later, its classified. All I can tell you is that I was chosen to become a Spartan. I accepted the offer; it was the only way I could be useful again." Korra looked at the metallic floor. "It took me months to come to terms with the fact that I wasn't a normal person anymore…well I've never been a normal person ever, but I would never be me again. I'm a tool of war now, but I just hope to change things for the better…Avatar or not."

"What do you mean?" Mako asked.

"My bending took some time to return to me after I was augmented, but what didn't come back was my connection to Raava. As far as I know, its severed." Korra revealed, "And I don't know how to get it back."

Mako, Asami and Bolin sat with Korra and hugged her, "We'll find a way." Asami said.

"Yeah we always do." Bolin added. "We're Team Avatar after all!"

Chief stood alone looking at them, he remembered boot camp all those years ago. His brothers and sisters…Cortana… "Korra." The Spartan-II stated. The team looked at the super soldier. The Master Chief extended his AI Chip towards Korra, "This should bring you luck." He placed the chip on Korra's open palms, the Avatar gladly accepted it with a warm smile. She may not be the same anymore, but to them, to the people that mattered the most she was the same ol' happy go lucky girl they had met years ago.

"Let's go get the Captain." Korra said.

UNSC Infinity

Requiem's Orbit

The Bridge

8:14 AM

"So let me get this straight, you have not only organized a military stratagem with high ranking officials from across the planet but also know of the existence of the P-Cores, something that no other human being knows of besides high intelligence officers and…Miss Sato here." Captain Lasky said as he looked at Asami. Asami meekly waved her hand greeting the officer.

"Well…yeah. We don't have time to lose, Captain. If we don't start acting soon Kuvira will have Republic City by its throat." Korra replied.

"Alright, I believe you. Captain Keith has already given you access to 30 marine units…fine, he's right in not wanting NAVCOM to notice massive mobile deployments of infantry units across the frontier. Regardless, your plan sounds risky." Lasky said as he sat on his captain's chair. "Your last mission almost got you killed, remember?"

"I do." Korra said, "But I wouldn't be here if I wasn't confident."

Commander Palmer placed her hand on the holodesk, "The Northern and Southern Water Tribe forces would be focusing their forces along the northern borders while the Fire Nation and remnants of the Earth Kingdom's military forces will be encamping in the south. Each bolstering the United Forces posts in their respective regions." Palmer moved each holographic unit across the holomap of the United Republic. "Korra would be taking a detachment of United Forces and UNSC units into the heartland of Kuvira's military, Zaofu."

"Chief, what do you think?" Lasky asked as he looked at the plan unfolding on his holodesk.

"It is now or never, Captain." Chief responded in short words. Lasky was deep in thought, there wasn't much he could do now without alerting the greater UNSC of the developments on Requiem and thus painting a target on everyone for ONI.

"If we take the offensive, what's stopping Kuvira from unleashing her final weapon?" Lasky asked again. "Most of the fighting would be along the border leaving Republic City defenseless."

"Sir, that is where I come in. I will take Kuvira down, personally." Korra said, "That I promi…"

An alert was sent to the captain's holodesk from Camp Preston Cole, Lasky responded to the hail. "This is Captain Lasky, what's going on?"

"Sir!" A marine sergeant responded from the other side; no visual was sent only audio was received. "We're being attacked all along the border, sir!"

"Kuvira?!" Korra asked.

"No! It's…" The signal faded for an instant before returning. There was silence though, an uncomfortable silence. The sound of someone grabbing the microphone could be heard…

"Sergeant?" Lasky asked. "Respond."

"Human…" A metallic voice responded to Lasky's inquiry. "Your defiance is typical, but your blatant theft of Forerunner technology is incredible. We have come, followed in your soldier's footsteps, re-awakened in the world of our lord. I am the Warden-Eternal, Keeper of the Domain, and I am reclaiming what is ours."

"Captain, look!" One of the ensigns called Lasky, pointing at her seismic readings of the planet. "Seismic activity along the United Republic and Earth Kingdom border…several readings!"

"What the…?" Lasky said in disbelief. "Give me a reading on what the hell is coming out of the crust!"

Korra looked at Chief in confusion, the Master Chief had fought against the Warden before, but he had no idea what was happening on the planet. "Guardian! Protect this station!" The metallic voice of the Warden Eternal echoed in the bridge as an immense Forerunner construct elevated into orbit out of the planet's crust.

"Jesus Christ…" Palmer said. The Forerunner construct was massive, resembling an owl with its wings wide open. It floated in front of the Infinity with an eerie stillness that no ship would be capable of.

"Experience the judgment of the Forerunners!" As the Warden said this, the Forerunner construct sent out a massive pulse omnidirectionally into the Infinity, the fleet, and the planet itself.

"We're losing power!" An ensign yelled.

"Engines critical, sir!" Another ensign reported. Lasky was at lost for words, he had no idea what was going on.

"Master Chief…Korra, get the hell out of here! Get back on the planet and find out what the hell is going on and stop that Warden Eternal! Now! Before its too late!" Lasky ordered. The two Spartans ran out of the bridge.

Zaofu

Earth Empire

8:30 AM

Kuvira and Baatar Jr looked onto the morning sky, the immense owl being had just propelled itself into space not too long ago and then they had lost all electrical power. Something was wrong, and this was not the work of the UNSC. The entire war effort had started to take a toll on the Earth Empress, and it began with the loss of her lover, Donar. They had found his body as well as the bodies of the other rogue Spartans. All dead, gruesomely killed.

But now wasn't the time for crying, she needed to initiate her plans now. Kuvira entered Varrick's workshop where her ace of spades awaited her, the Forerunner Grammarian, in his rustic metal body. The massive Forerunner Promethean welcomed Kuvira into his abode. "Ah yes, welcome, Kuvira." The Forerunner said.

"Something happened outside, all the power is gone, how is it that this room still holds electricity?" Kuvira asked Varrick.

"Power's out? Oh right! Well you see my lovely empress; the Grammarian here produces his own power and since he is connected to all my devices here…well I guess that's what keeps the light on!" Varrick explain, putting his face cover off. "Wonderful devices, these P-Cores are, huh?"

"Interesting." She turned towards the Forerunner giant. "Grammarian, what just happened outside? A giant metal owl came out of the ground miles away from here and just flew into the sky, you must know of it."

"…It has awakened. So, as I feared, that is a Guardian. A Forerunner peacekeeping tool, long ago used to keep rebelling star systems quiet by taking away their technological prowess. Allowing the Warrior-Servants to deliver peace without the need to shed blood…their blood. Someone has activated it." Grammarian explained, "Who it was I do not know, I am currently not connected to the shield world's system thanks to this rather antiquated body you have provided me."

"Then we should attack now while they're weak, the UNSC is most likely scrambling to find out what happened. Varrick, unshackle the Grammarian." Kuvira ordered.

"But…I haven't run the final diagnostics and firmware updates…!" Varrick tried to explain.

"Just do it, we have much to lose if we don't attack now!" Kuvira shouted at the scientist, "Once this war is over, we can all rest peacefully but not while they are still at our doorstep!"

"Fine…" Varrick said, Zhu Li was worried…Varrick turned to her and nodded. Zhu Li deactivated the Grammarian's shackles and the Forerunner moved its rather sizeable metallic legs. The pistons hissed as he stood, opening the workshop's roof with its giant hands.

"Finally, the warm touch of the sun welcomes my reborn shape!" Grammarian then looked down, "Now, Kuvira, what is your plan?"