Dropped a bombshell in this chapter ;)
FLEETCOM - Secured Meeting Room
The Fleet Admiral of the UNSC looked considerably aged and worn as he rubbed his temples while contemplating the new information Doctor Halsey had shown him.
After a minute Fleet Admiral Hood asks, "And these 'archeohominina' are a branch of spacefaring Humanity that existed two hundred to one hundred thousand years ago?"
The Doctor, ever confident in her knowledge replies, "Yes and archeological teams from as early as the 21st century has dug up strange metallic relics we believe were from this early Human civilization from sites all around the globe."
She then pauses and looks at the Fleet Admiral more intently before continuing, "Mainstream academia disregarded them as mere trinkets that each respective cultures made once they've reached a climatical point in their technological evolution."
She then pulls up one of the artifacts onto a nearby secured holoprojector and a strange rectangular stone with icy blue inlays emblazon the projector. She then continues, "But since our war with the Covenant, we have managed to capture Forerunner data storage devices."
The Doctor, with a flick of her hand, conjures up a projection of a Forerunner slipspace data chip onto another holoprojector. The Fleet Admiral gawks at the similarities between the two 'devices' and states, "Besides the subtle difference in design philosophy, they look like they serve the same purpose!"
Doctor Halsey nods and replies, "Indeed Fleet Admiral, using our more sophisticated A.I. we have been able to partially interface with the Forerunner chip an-"
She was cut off by the Fleet Admiral who excitedly asks, "And the Human one too?"
The Doctor smiles and replies, "The Human relic from who was known as the fertile crescent or the cradle of civilization in Asia was password locked."
Fleet Admiral Hood frowns and asks, "Well, did you breach the lock?"
Doctor Halsey with another smile projects a holovideo upon another holoprojector.
The video that greeted the Fleet Admiral's widened eyes made him gawk like a hormonal teenager.
The video, taken from a drone undoubtedly showed a lively party or nightclub with weirdly armored Humans but as the video continued, the Fleet Admiral could see that the venue was on a platform levitating roughly one mile above what looked to be the western coastline of the continental United States!
"Only the Covenant have mastered such technology!" Exclaimed the Admiral.
The Fleet Admiral's view changed to that of a man in silvery grey armor with blue inlays swaggering over to a woman in a lithe formfitting silvery-white armor. Their conversation was drowned out by the vibrant noises of the party but then the duo set off to the dance floor.
They danced a strange yet familiar dance which seemed to be a mix of dances from cultures ranging from Asia to South America.
The view then pans over to a man who has since begun to silence the party by tapping a spoon on his glass.
"Somethings never change with time" Mused the Admiral but what came next shocked the Fleet Admiral to the core.
The man in the video pointed to a holoprojector on the floor and the same characters the Fleet Admiral saw on the Doombringer flashed on the holoprojector!
The Admiral was about to voice his amazement but before he could do so, Doctor Halsey says, "Please continue watching, Fleet Admiral, it gets better."
The Fleet Admiral frowns as he did not know what could be more important than this revelation. But nevertheless, he continued watching.
The holoprojector shown through the video was undoubtedly showing a lottery raffle of all things. But then red lights flash all around the venue and the wail of what sounded like air raid sirens sounded throughout the platform.
In place of the virtual raffle, an armored but unmistakable military officer appeared in its place. Although the Fleet Admiral could not understand a word the man was saying, he did notice that he spoke in an almost British accent...
But he snapped back to attention as the camera suddenly pans to the sky and hundreds of slipspace portals open and out spilled silvery grey ships emblazoned with blue inlays and flanked by their detached parts which the Fleet Admiral now knows is hardlight.
The Fleet Admiral scowled as he saw the Forerunner ships fire what looked to be Covenant cleansing beams at the city below but instead of doing massive damage, it was quite literally blocked by a shimmering blue field that suddenly appeared in place.
"Remarkable" Breathed the Admiral. But the next scene would've been outright bone-chilling if the Admiral wasn't a fellow Human.
The sky above Earth darkened as a 50km long monstrosity along with dozens of smaller ships fired volleys of scintillatingly orange and blue beams of light at the Forerunner ships while humanoid exosuits and drones fighters alike disgorged from the ships.
The Forerunner line crumbled like a foolish hooligan instigating a professional boxer.
The beams fired from what Fleet Admiral Hood surmised was Earth's defense fleet reduced the invaders to cracked and shattered hulls which fell into the pacific ocean.
It was over in just fifteen seconds as the hundreds-strong fleet of the Covenant gods were reduced to mere chunks of scrap metal plummeting to the Earth.
Suddenly, the camera pans over to Forerunner escape pod which is falling directly onto the platform! But oddly enough, the party's patrons are not running for their lives, instead, they have all strategically taken cover behind every single wall and crevice on the platform.
Just as the Forerunner escape pod is about to impact the platform, its anti-gravity emitters activate and it gently lowers onto the floor.
Out steps a trio of heavily armored humanoids armed with menacingly angular-looking particle rifles.
But before the trio of Forerunner invaders could get their bearings, they were literally pounced upon by the men and women from the party.
The rear Forerunner raised what looked to be a light machine gun, which without a doubt would've laid waste to the Humans. But just as the alien synced his weapon to his hud, a man tackles the Forerunner to the ground. It was a sight to behold! For the Human had deftly put the Forerunner in an armbar and after which the struggling Forerunner refused to submit, then the human with a sickening crack dislocated the invader's entire arm at the shoulder. Blood-curdling screams of agony can be heard from the Forerunner as he nursed his limp arm. The Human man from before then delivered a hard left hook to the injured Forerunner and the invader fell silent.
The Fleet Admiral watched in amazement at the martial prowess shown by the civilians in the video. Men and Women then rushed the remaining two Forerunners who were firing randomly into the crowd. But their high-powered hardlight bolts simply bounced off the Humans' respective shields and armor.
A man then bull-rushed one of the remaining Forerunners but the invader deftly sidesteps and continues to reload his rifle. But alas, it was a distraction for a woman from behind had seized the Forerunner's head and ran a dagger of pure hardlight across the invader's neck. To the Fleet Admiral, it was sickening yet satisfying to see mere civilians act with such bravery, conviction, and martial prowess.
The hardlight dagger severed the Forerunner's head and the body dropped limply to the floor with ichor flowing freely from the body.
But the final Forerunner spoke but what was even more surprising was the fact that the Fleet Admiral understood what the Alien was saying.
"You Humans fight like savages and will die like savages, under the combined might of the Forerunner castes, we will burn Empire and the shaping sickness from the Galaxy!" Spat the Forerunner warrior.
A Human male retorted something which the Fleet Admiral could tell from the people's humourous reaction that it was a statement of mockery.
Oddly enough and like before, the Fleet Admiral could not understand what the Humans vocalized but could only understand the words the Forerunner spoke. He decided he would ask the Doctor about this after the video was finished.
Meanwhile, the Final remaining Forerunner then pulled started laughing wickedly as he states, "You have not won today Humans, even the force won't save you when my combat skin self destru-"
The suicidal Forerunner was cut off mid-sentence when a Human male adorned in black armor and blue inlays with the same yellow eyes that Darth Nox wore stepped out of the crowd and raised his right in front of him.
And as if by magic, the Forerunner then started levitating from the ground! The invader then grasped at his throat as if an invisible force was choking him.
A loud booming voice full of authority broke through the gurgling made by the choking alien, Fleet Admiral Hood could not understand the words but the meaning was clear, for this Force user had somehow compelled the Forerunner to deactivate his armor's self destruct sequence.
After which the Human clad in dark armor then unceremoniously drops the Forerunner to the floor who laid there gasping for breath.
A few seconds after, miniature slipspace portals open throughout the party platform and out step various Human soldiers in armor.
They were distinctly military as the Fleet Admiral could tell from the rugged and tough design philosophies used in their construction. Their helmets had vertical red inlays which almost seem to conjure up the image of wraiths from Earth folklore.
"They look like Spartans." Commented the Admiral. The Doctor remained silent and motioned towards the screen to listen carefully at the next part.
The newly arrived Human soldiers apprehended the Forerunners while a single officer which looked to be their leader walked towards the man in dark armor.
The officer disengaged her helmet and her eyes too were bright yellow, brimming with conviction and passion.
The officer and the dark armor-clad man saluted each other and what the officer said next shook Fleet Admiral Hood to the core.
"Darth Invictus" Addressed the Officer after which the dark armor-clad man smiled and replied, "Darth Lacerta"
The video feed then fades to nothing as the two Humans continued their conversation.
The Fleet Admiral's mind unbound by his will and questions threatened to overwhelm him.
Doctor Catherine Halsey nodded and added, "This Sith Empire was Humanity's past and part of our intertwined history."
She then looked hard at the Fleet Admiral and continued, "Their Project Leap landed hundreds of thousands of years in the past and kickstarted a technological revolution on Earth after whic-"
She was cut off by the Admiral who finished her sentence, "Then they set out across the stars to either settle new worlds or return home but they encountered the hostile Forerunners."
The Fleet Admiral suddenly stopped and asked, "What is this shaping sickness? It sounds as if it was a third force in Ancient Humanity's war with the Forerunners?"
Doctor Halsey frowned and replied, "Perhaps Darth Nox knows of it."
Doombringer - Interrogation Room
Draxis grimly watched as the Imperial Interrogator administered a mild stimulant to the unconscious Covenant Minister of Penance.
The greyish worm-like alien groggily opened his eyes and looked completely disoriented. Such was the fate that befell those who were stunned by low-powered blaster bolts.
The San Shyuum sat in a stupor for a few minutes. After which he regained his bearings, glared at the Imperial Interrogator, and spat, "Capturing me doing nothing but further your wrongs against the gods, we will burn your worlds until there is not even a living memory of your disgusting race!"
The Interrogator frowned and then looked a Draxis and said, "Shall I begin using mild methods, sir?"
With a nod and a wave of his hand, Draxis orders the Interrogator to begin the "mild" methods of Imperial interrogation.
Draxis knew this probably would not affect the being as he had witnessed Jedi try and fail to interrogate their prisoners using mild tactics before. He did not tell anyone but he was beginning to lose faith in the corrupt bureaucracy that was the Republic Senate and the passive Jedi.
He entertained the thought of defecting to the Empire for quite some time before Darth Nox gave him that offer.
Draxis returned to the present and shuddered at the thought of the Darth Nox torturing the San Shyuum but given the outright hatred the alien showed towards Humanity, it proves everything that the Dark Lord of the Sith had said about the Covenant.
Draxis turned his attention back to the interrogator and asked, "Why is the Covenant at war with Humanity?"
To which the being simply laughed and asked back, "For the same reason, insects and bottomfeeders are destined to be destroyed!"
The Interrogator then asked, "Who are the Forerunners?"
The San Shyuum scowled and replied, "I will not taint their holiness but talking of them to a Human."
Draxis has heard enough and motions for the interrogator to stop after which he types a few words into his wrist held communicator and summons the Dark Lord.
After a few minutes, the signature clunk Darth Nox's heavy boots purposefully walking on the Doombringer's durasteel floor sounded throughout the now quiet interrogation chamber.
With a hiss, the door parted and insteps the Dark Lord himself. His cape draped around his powerful frame while his heirloom battle mask gave him a menacing almost predatorial look.
Darth Nox walks over to the San Shyuum, Draxis was force-sensitive but he was sure even non-force-sensitives could taste the aura of oppressive darkness emanated off of Darth Nox in waves.
The Imperial Interrogator greets Darth Nox with a short bow and says, "The prisoner is ready for you sir, although I advise against any excessively intrusive procedures as his vitals are not yet stabilized, the discretion is yours, my lord."
Darth Nox nodded and motions for the interrogator to step aside to which the Imperial interrogator does so after giving the Dark Lord a short bow.
Valon smiled as he neared the San Shyuum prisoner and once he is within half a meter of him, he commands the alien, "You will tell me everything you know about the Covenant, the Forerunners, and the locations of the Covenant fleets."
The minister of Penance sneered and replied, "You command no power over me human!"
Valon then said the obvious, "I have interrogated beings stronger than you. You are but an unimportant speck of dust in the universe, worm."
The San Shyuum sputters in indignance but before he could reply, Valon had already raised his right hand to the Minister's temple and now held the alien's upper head within his palm.
The San Shyuum gasped and then screamed in terrible agony as the Dark Lord of the Sith outright invaded his mind akin to how the Covenant invaded the UNSC.
Valon chose to brute force his way into the San Shyuum's mind rather than sneak in for the former offered more information to gleam.
Valon dove into the mind of the being and saw images of the Covenant species.
He then played a portion of one of the minister's memories.
A wrinkly old San Shyuum spoke in a grave voice, "The humans are the reclaimers, chosen by the gods to reclaim their legacy."
The memory panned to the right and another San Shyuum replied, "This could fracture our whole Covenant, we must destroy these 'reclaimers!"
The memory then began to fade and Valon moved to another memory. The view is that of a gargantuan hangar and a derelict and damaged 100km long domed ship laid in the center.
The massive vessel looked to be damaged beyond repair as it had been cleanly dissected in half. The minister then spoke in his memory, "Our god's ancient enemy proved to be quite powerful if this damaged reliquary is of any indication."
A voice replied to the right, "Indeed, the holy scriptures say they commanded telekinetic forces which drew upon the latent energies of the Universe, preposterous if you ask me!"
The Minister then spoke, "Quite right, as blasphemous as it may be, the scriptures may have over-stated the power of this enemy because, in the end, they too were defeated by the holy might of the gods."
Valon's mind was a whirlwind of activity as he contemplated the memory and information he had just usurped from the Minister's mind.
But he was not done interrogating the Minister yet and with a little push using his force powers, the Ministers starts to babble like a baby.
Valon had by now outright dominated the Minister's mind and the Covenant Minister was but a slave to the Dark Lord's will.
Valon looked at the San Shyuum and ordered, "Tell me the locations and makeup of all Covenant fleets and facilities."
The Minister now looked refreshed and as if it was completely natural, he dutifully replied, "Yes my lord."
Valon then motions for the Imperial interrogator to bring forth a map of the galaxy which was given by the UNSC.
With touches of his finger, the San Shyuum quite literally spills the beans on the Covenant.
Valon watched with interest as the mind enslaved Minister spoke of a Covenant space station called the "Unyielding Hierophant" which supposedly repaired and refueled ships for entire outer sectors of UNSC space.
The Dark Lord inwardly smiled as he thought of going to combat once again and the tendrils of a plan started creeping inside of the edges of his mind.
Valon having now finished the interrogation briskly walked out of the chamber and made a beeline for his meditation sphere which was located on the opposite end of the ship.
Sith Meditation Sphere
Valon relaxed and cleared his head as he felt at peace but also in total control of the dark and light sides of the force as he sat in the pod.
He now pondered what the minister had told him regarding the Forerunner ancient enemy.
He thought to himself, "They were clearly force-sensitives but there are no more of my kind or even the Jedi in this galaxy."
Suddenly, the force gently but also wordlessly spoke to him and projected the Project Leap fleet in his mind.
Valon's mind raced as he concluded. Project Leap had somehow ended up in the past in this dimension and fought the Covenant gods.
Valon scowled as he thought to himself, "If they were powerful enough to slag a 100km long vessel of the Covenant deities, then perhaps they have perfected inter-dimensional travel as well."
Valon then smiled and thought, "Yes, the UNSC may be descendants of Project Leap and they might know more than their letting on."
The Dark Lord's mind then wandered over to the last detail from his "conversation" with the Minister of Penance and he thought to himself, "The Covenant knows these Humans are reclaimers, but reclaimers of what?"
Valon knitted the pieces of the puzzles together and after a second he replied to himself, "The Humans in this galaxy are to reclaim the Forerunners' legacy, but why would the Forerunners go to war with Humanity and then crown them as their heirs?"
The Dark Lord frowned as this last piece of information provoked more questions than answers and the force were of little help and it laughed at him as if it wanted to string him along for a ride.
Valon, having sensed that the force would not tell him its secrets, at least not today, relaxed further and slipped further into a rejuvenating trance in the Sith Meditation Sphere for he would face battle again soon and he needed to be in top condition.
Doombringer - Mess hall
Draxis clad in standard Havoc Squad kit now painted with the Imperial insignia walked into one of the Harrower class ship's many mess halls.
Eyes turned to him as he made his way to the table where the rest of Havoc Squad waited.
An Imperial Sargent scowled at him but saluted him as he walked past and did nothing to impede him for doing so would be grave insubordination since Draxis retained his rank as a Major after joining the Empire.
Troopers all saluted the leader of Havoc squad before Draxis ordered them to be at ease.
Finally, Draxis reached the table and Elara was the first one to greet him with a flirty frown, "You look rather smart in that new paint job...Major."
Draxis smirked and replied, "As do yourself Dorne."
Yuun then asks, "What did you learn from the interrogation, Major?"
Draxis sighed and sat down heavily on the durasteel chair after which he replied, "I have good news and bad news."
Vik then voiced, "That's always the way it is, whether in our galaxy or this one, what's the good news major?"
Draxis looked at Vik in the eyes and replied, "We located Project Leap."
After which everyone perks up not before Draxis adds, "But."
Jorgan then butts in and says, "But what Major? There is always a but."
Draxis then sighs and replies, "But they landed more than 100,000 years in the past and then were wiped out by the Covenant gods."
At this, Havoc squad looked extremely dismayed but Jorgan narrowed his eyes and asked, "What do you mean wiped out?"
Draxis replies, "Apparently, they, like us, allied with the Humans in this dimension and gave the Forerunners hell but it wasn't enough, and the Forerunners destroyed their civilization."
Elara frowns and states, "But there are still Humans here, that means they didn't kill every last Human."
Draxis rubs his temples and replies, "We're still working on the details, Nox is going to talk with the UNSC about their history."