Author's Notes: If you're reading this, then I'm sorry to say that I am unable to complete the Men From Onyx. It's been a hell of a journey, from the long-forgotten original draft to this absolutely epic-length story, and I'm so, so grateful for every review, every favorite and follow, and every single view that you've given this story. It's so much more than I deserve, and I cannot thank you all enough.

Now, I'm an avid fanfiction reader, and most of the time when a fic like this gets abandoned, the audience is left wondering forever what could have been. I intend to nip this right in the bud, and deliver the closure that you all deserve, even if it's just in a draft form. As such, I present to you, the rest of the plot! This might be a little bit less… professional, than the rest of my work, but in all fairness, these are just my notes, only tidied up a bit for your viewing.

Chapter 89

Ben's Perspective

Ben is carrying out his daily duties and making small talk with the squad, with the awkward inclusion of Set. Then, out of the blue, a massive Dust explosion shakes the whole city. The UNSC begins kitting up for battle, knowing that even if that explosion wasn't caused by a White Fang attack, there's still going to be Grimm to contend with. However, with the Hornets stationed back aboard the Dominion for maintenance, they will have to fight this battle without air support. Curie volunteers to come along and fight, but Ben and Penny convince her to stay behind, since Curie doesn't even know how to use her own weapons.

Fairfire's Perspective

The incoming horde of Grimm from all sides is massive, and reinforcements from the Dominion will take at least an hour to arrive. Fairfire and Onyx Team are encircled and briefly caught in a massive melee (It's Set's first combat encounter, so he gets to flex a little) with the Grimm, where Fairfire is forced to use her Semblance in order to save Nathan from being eaten. In doing so, she nearly knocks herself out, but clears a path for them to escape. She briefly considers what emotion gave her that kind of strength, but decides that it can wait until after the battle. Ilia is the one to drag her out of danger and back behind friendly lines.

Mags' Perspective

Mags is in acting Command of the Entire Menagerie Defense Squadron, who are in danger of being overrun by a trio of Harvestmen alongside a swarm of seaborne Grimm. The Thunderchild guns down one of the Harvestmen, only to take a mortal blow from the Heat Rays of the other two. Mags gives the order to abandon ship, but Stan and several others stay behind against orders. The last thing Mags hears over the radio from Stan is him ordering the ship into a ramming action, but the ship and both remaining Harvestman are consumed in a massive explosion as the Thunderchild's boilers and ammo detonate. When the smoke clears, Stan and the Thunderchild are gone, along with both of the Harvestmen.

Chapter 90

Adam's Perspective

Vermillion and Adam are in the middle of beating the crap out of someone in the White Fang, who is revealed to be Clay, also known as Silver, after he tried to warn the UNSC of the incoming bombing. It's not even really a fight, and Adam is about to finish Silver off when he receives news of the successful bombing at Kuo Kuana. Unfortunately, for him, Sienna also gets the news at the same time, and she views it as an act of outright treason. The two of them standoff in camp over a crippled Silver, debating with one another, before the White Fang explodes into a civil war. In the chaos, Vermillion takes Silver and drags him off.

Vermillion's Perspective

Silver is already dying from his wounds, and despite having sent out a call for rescue from the UNSC, will not survive until they arrive. She asks about his motives and why he would betray the Faunus, and he explains his view that the White Fang only ever made things worse for the Faunus. Vermillion, unsure what to think, stays with Silver until he dies. She's about to leave when Onyx Team arrives, demanding that she come quietly. She genuinely considers their proposition, wavering from Silver's words, but decides that she's come too far to back out now, and engages them in a fight she knows she cannot win.

Ben's Perspective

At first, it seems that the fight will go exactly as would be predicted, as Onyx Team easily knocks Vermillion flat on her back. Things escalate when Vermillion's surviving Commandos come to support her from the woodwork, leading to a 1v1 with Vermillion and Ben. The fight is savage and personal and unlike Ben's previous fights, full of talking as the two spit back arguments as well as strikes. In the end, Ben pulls a tricky maneuver on her and wins, and in her dying moments, Ben offers her his respect as Vermillion laments what she's done and that she can't go back, as he realizes just how similar her past was to his own, and that he could've ended up just like her.

Sienna's Perspective

Sienna and a handful of others loyal to her have survived the thrashing given to them by Adam's Forces, and are about to flee when they are caught by Onyx Team, who have just finished off Vermillion. Sienna, shaken by the war, Vermillion's death, and Adam's madness and betrayal, offers the unconditional surrender of herself and whatever White Fang fighters remain loyal to her.

Fairfire's Perspective

While securing the White Fang camp, Fairfire notices that Ilia looks visibly shaken, and asks what's wrong. She admits that she hadn't expected to see Sienna so broken as she was, to which Fairfire can only say that nobody is invincible. It's not exactly the comfort that Ilia is looking for, but she thanks Fairfire nonetheless.

Chapter 91

Adam's Perspective.

Adam, along with a handful of Warriors loyal to him, has escaped from the UNSC and plot their next action. Adam, deciding that Onyx Team must be killed if the White Fang are to have any chance of a victory, plots to lure them into an ambush and kill them. They retreat to an ancient temple deep in the rainforest and loudly proclaim their intention to surrender.

Jorge's Perspective

Onyx Team is still exhausted from the fight against Vermillion and her squad, but are pushed back into the fight when they receive news of Adam's apparent surrender. Noticing the obvious trap, Richard genuinely considers violating the laws of war and destroying Adam's position with an airstrike, but after he asks for Jorge's perspective, Jorge points out that doing so might inspire further resistance against the UNSC. Furthermore, if they can capture Adam, it would likely end the war then and there.

Ben's Perspective

Onyx Team is en route in a Pelican to Adam's location, which Ilia helpfully identifies as the Lo-Ha Temple within the rainforest. The temple hasn't been touched for decades for fear of deadly traps and old superstitions. This is a good opportunity to establish that Ilia's gotten a bit closer to Onyx Team, rather than being the equivalent of work friends. They touch down in the Temple just as the sun sets.

Fairfire's Perspective

The whole squad stays close together and, much to their surprise, they find Adam relatively quickly, casually standing out in the open in the temple's courtyard. The trap is obvious, but the exact nature of how it will be sprung isn't, and so only Ben and Jorge approach Adam while the rest of the squad stays back. This proves to be a wise decision, as Adam activates an oil trap that would have burned the others alive, and launches into a mad melee with the rest of Onyx Team, all at once. Tyrian, also present, makes his appearance extremely known.

Ilia's Perspective

Most of the squad is quickly taken out of action due to Adam's powerful Semblance and Adam's goons, until only Ilia and Set are left in the fight. Despite being badly outnumbered, they hold their ground until Ben and Jorge, who have been fighting the attracted Grimm and are still covered in flaming oil, emerge to join in the chaos and beat down Tyrian. Once Adam's Aura breaks, he commits suicide by leaping into the burning oil, rather than being captured by the UNSC.

"So, that is why they call them Demons..." Set muttered. If Ilia didn't know any better, she'd almost have thought that he was impressed. [AN: I was proud enough of this line that I decided to include it.]

Chapter 92

Richard's Perspective

With the last of the White Fang either surrendering or slain, Richard orders what's left of Zulu Company to be sent to Vytal so that they can assist with the accelerated training of the new recruits. Onyx Team is given a brief moment's rest aboard the Dominion, offering them some crucial downtime while Richard figures out the UNSC's next move in hunting down Salem's entourage.

Set's Perspective

Set is reflecting on his powers and his new purpose in life, as well as the battles he's fought in, when he's approached by Fairfire. Fairfire confides in him and thanks him for saving them from Adam along with Ilia, and admits that she didn't really give him a fair chance because of what he was. Set understands, however, and insists that she has no reason to feel regret for the way that she and the rest of the squad have acted.

Salem's Perspective

It's finally revealed that Salem, after nearly three days of being dead, recovered from the MAC strike and set about rebuilding her Grimm Army in secret all across Remnant. In the meantime, she wants to strike back at the UNSC and cripple their capabilities, and selects Onyx Team as her target. Hazel and Watts, supported by a new Grimm that she's created using Adam's dead body; not a Hound, but a Bull. Within the Grimm, Adam's corpse is still charred and mangled from the burning oil.

Chapter 93

Richard's Perspective

Richard is discussing what should be done next, along with with Ozpin and Ironwood, when Lionheart calls him, asking for Onyx Team's assistance with a sensitive matter. He says that one of Salem's minions, Doctor Watts, has gone into hiding in Mistral, likely trying to escape from the White Fang conflict now that it has ended. Ozpin agrees that going after Watts is worth it, but Richard isn't so sure, as he'd prefer to quietly tail Watts and see if they can learn the location of more of Salem's Agents. He's won over by Ironwood, however, who insists that taking down Watts alone would be a major victory. As such, Richard agrees to send Onyx Team out to Mistral.

Curie's Perspective

Curie is down on the firing range at the Vytal Headquarters with Penny when she gets the word that Onyx Team is setting out on a mission. Once she gets the details, she asks Jorge for permission to go along with the rest of the squad, as her own cyberwarfare abilities may be needed against an opponent like Watts. She's also fully gotten used to her own body, and with Penny vouching for her, she's certifiably ready for a fight. Jorge and Richard agree, and send her along for the ride.

Onyx Team is sent to Mistral, and Salem's ambush is sprung. Despite their element of surprise, Hazel, Watts, and the Bull are all killed, and their bodies subsequently destroyed now that they know of Salem's ability to reconstruct them. Onyx Team doesn't get off scot-free, however, as both Yu and Peggy are both brutally killed. Independently of the battle, Richard, Thomas, Bradford, and Ironwood, along with Dot, uncover evidence that Mistral's population of Huntsmen is drastically lower than it's actually listed as, and that the Grimm are kept largely at bay by the public's ignorance. Concern builds that Lionheart may be a traitor, but Ozpin is convinced that he isn't.

Beleaguered by their casualties, Richard ignores Ozpin's insistence of Lionheart's innocence and orders Onyx Team to go up to Headmaster Lionheart's Office and arrest him, and to search the premises for any evidence of his treason. They do, and he surrenders without a fight, although they are also forced to deal with the Seer.

[AN: From here the notes are more general, as the chapter-by-chapter draft was never completed.]

Following the discovery of his betrayal, Lionheart is captured with little effort by the UNSC and questioned thoroughly, revealing the complete truth behind the Gods, Salem, Ozpin, and the relics. Although skeptical, Lionheart's betrayal has already given Richard the final piece of evidence he needs to disregard trusting Ozpin completely. As such, he's deeply disturbed by the findings, and orders further investigation.

With Lionheart's explanation of the function of the Spring Maiden and the relic of knowledge, he points Richard to the Branwen tribe as holding the Spring Maiden's Powers. Although the idea of negotiating with people who literally slaughter innocents for fun is far outside of UNSC standard practice, Richard decides the potential stakes are too great to ignore the threat. Ozpin, although he knows it's likely too late to rebuild his partnership with Richard, still decides to send Qrow to aid the UNSC, as he would know where the Branwen Tribe could be found.

Richard presents Raven with two options, cooperate and be left alone, or be obliterated under the might of the UNSC's orbital firepower. Raven's respect for strength and general intelligence leans her in favor of simply giving the Relic to the UNSC, making it their problem instead of hers. After a discussion as to whether or not to honor the deal with the Branwen, the UNSC, Ironwood, and Qrow decide that killing Raven is too risky, as the maiden powers could potentially end up in Salem's hands, although they agree to deal with her as soon as the war with Salem is over.

With some of Lionheart's accusations proven correct following the UNSC's acquisition of the relic of knowledge, Richard orders Ben to use the Relic to ask what the whole story behind the Gods is. Ben is brought into a simulation-like scene and learns everything, even capturing footage of the events via his helmet camera. Confronted with what Richard and Ironwood view as an abject betrayal by Ozpin, they all agree to launch the Relic of Knowledge into Remnant's star to prevent it from being reunited with the others, for fear of attracting the Gods. Jyn is preserved in what was formerly Curie's datachip, leaving them with one question left.

Richard initially plans to depose Ozpin entirely, but Qrow and Ironwood talk him down, arguing that without all of the relics, the Gods couldn't return, and thus the threat that Ozpin posed to Humanity was now minimal. Ozpin is still confronted by Richard and Ironwood after Qrow leaves, and relations between Ozpin, and the UNSC/Atlas reach an all-time low. Ironwood rejects any sense of loyalty to Ozpin, and he and Richard resolve to find a way to stop Salem, regardless of her immortality.

What's left of Salem's spy network confirms that her greatest wishes have come true. The defenders of Remnant are fractured and divided, combined with the announcement that the delayed Vytal Festival will soon commence in Vale, with the Atlesian Military providing security with the support of the UNSC. It is the perfect time to strike, and she moves her forces to prepare for a battle that will end the eternal war.

[AN: By this point in the story, Atlas has introduced the first of adopted-UNSC equipment. Nandao fighters and Falcon utility helicopters, along with older generation firearms like the HMG-38 and VK78 Commando. This offers them a radical improvement in their capabilities.]

Events leading up to what will become the Battle of Beacon proceed vaguely similar to how they do in canon, with the UNSC failing to detect Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury's plan until it's far too late. There's a few minor changes to account for how the Men From Onyx deviates from canon, but the results are the same. Curie manages to save Penny's consciousness, but her body is destroyed. The crowd panics, hysteria sets in, and the largest Grimm horde ever created begins to assault the Kingdom of Vale.

Richard and Ironwood both recognize that, one way or another, Humanity's fate is about to be decided in Vale, and both dig in for a hard fight. The UNSC's rebuilt forces and the Atlas garrison join forces with hundreds of Huntsmen in defense of Beacon Academy and the city of Vale. The outer villages are largely exterminated without a struggle by the oncoming tidal wave of Grimm that is tens of millions strong.

Richard recognizes that a conventional victory is simply impossible, they're outnumbered far too badly, and that it's time to play the UNSC's final card. He and Bradford turn the key, and unleash all three of the Dominion's nuclear weapons on the oncoming Grimm horde. Nearly half of the onslaught is killed then and there, with subsequent air attacks from Atlesian and UNSC aircraft, as well as the Dominion, slowing them down, but the battle is inevitable. Within hours, the Grimm are at Vales doorstep.

A massive clash ensues between the forces of man and the Grimm. With almost all of Atlas's forces present, along with the UNSC and hundreds of Huntsmen, they manage to hold a steady perimeter for a few hours against the Grimm with overwhelming firepower. But before long, ammunition stocks for the big guns start to run dry, and it's up to the infantry to pick up the slack.

Richard and Ironwood recognize that they can't hold out forever, the Grimm are simply too overwhelming and the panic is too great. An international evacuation effort begins to take place, but moving Vale's population will take days, and Grimm are already starting to sneak through the defenses as troops falter and units are overrun. The Huntsmen are preventing an outright disaster, but time is running out.

Ozpin, watching everything he's ever feared play out, makes an appeal to Richard to take the Relic of Choice and cast it into the sun. That way, even if Salem wins here, Mankind will still have a chance. Richard agrees, and sends Ben, Curie, and Jorge to retrieve the package while the rest of Onyx helps secure the entrance to Beacon to give them a method of escape.

Ozpin uses his cane, revealing that it is a magical key to the Vault under Beacon containing the Relic of Choice. He explains that no amount of fighting is going to matter if Salem gets the Relic, as free will itself will cease to exist. They retrieve the artifact from the Vault, which is a small decorative ornament.

As Ben and Jorge attempt to escape, they are cut off by Salem herself. Before the fighting can commence, Ozpin attacks her and orders the Spartans to run for it. Although Ozpin successfully buys time for the Spartans to take the relic and escape immediate danger, he is killed by Salem. Onyx Team successfully evacuates the Relic of Choice and the remaining students of Beacon before the school is overrun. In an attempt to slow Salem down and stop her from retrieving anything else from the Relic, the Dominion destroys the school with a MAC Strike, it's the last heavy slug that the Dominion has.

Beacon's student body, although badly cut down by sheer attrition, is doing surprisingly well for themselves. With the battle in the air largely covering them, they're able to absolutely go to town on the smaller Grimm, buying some much needed breathing room for the UNSC and Atlas.

Salem, discontented with the stalemate and her loss of the Relic of Choice, elects to take out her vengeance on the "foolish heroes" and awakens the Wyvern. At over a kilometer long, it's a match even for the now battered and badly depleted Dominion, but the Wyvern and the frigate engage in a massive duel in the skies. Grimm fall from the Wyvern like rain and begin boarding the Dominion, causing mass chaos within the ship as the crew are forced to fight for their lives and man their stations at the same time.

Onyx Team is on their way back to the Dominion to join the fight when Richard directly calls them and orders them to turn around. Salem is on the way to stop the civilian evacuation, and stopping her is more important. It's a suicide mission and they all know it, but Richard simply has nothing else to stop her. Rather, there is nobody left but them.

Onyx Team reforms and takes Salem head on, destroying her multiple times, but she always recovers. Meadows is caught by one of her spells and engulfed in green light, when the light fades, he is completely gone.

Nathan's eyes are slashed by a Grimm in the midst of the battle, and in vengeance, Fairfire obliterates the offending Grimm. She then passes him off to Ilia, who's already been knocked out of the fight and is missing an arm and an eye, so Ilia can take him and herself to the evac site. Nathan begs Fairfire to come with them and confesses his love for her, but Fairfire (with a few loving words of her own) returns to the battle, her Semblance is simply too useful to take away from the fight, and the vengeance for him and Meadows will make her all the more dangerous.

Set, filled with zealous, righteous rage, pushes his Semblance to the limits, and conjures a Forerunner Combat Skin and Lightrifle. A fight between the two Demigods ensues while the Spartans catch their breath, and when the fighting is done, Set is unconscious, out of the fight. Salem is fazed by the encounter, however, and continues to fight with more caution.

Only Jorge, Curie and Ben now remain, and although reinforcements are on the way, the prospect of surviving long enough for it to matter are slim. The weight of nearly a day of straight combat weighs on them all heavily, and all of them are already wounded in one way or another. Even so, they give Salem a run for her money, but eventually Jorge is knocked into a coma on the battlefield.

Curie and Ben now stand alone against Salem. Jorge calls for Broken Arrow (which means fire support on hers and Ben's position because they're overrun and doomed) but no units are left in fighting shape to answer it.

SardonicEffigy's work begins here:

Ruby tried to set Crescent Rose down gently, more akin to dropping it as she herself collapsed into the only open chair in the small building they had been told to defend. The Grimm hadn't stopped coming, but she supposed, if she hoped hard enough, there might have been a few less of them.

One of the UNSC soldiers they had been assigned to help sat across from her, their squad moving to do the same as they were switched places on the defensive line. Yang had been the one to relieve her and, though she had wanted to stay up there and fight, she was exhausted, and her sister had talked her down.

Over one of the soldier's radios, she could hear some of the soldiers talking to one another. "Dominion, this is Onyx Actual. Broken Arrow."

Ruby knew that voice, even over the static and interference she could recognize it, but it took her a moment to place. Jorge had always been kind, way nicer than what she would have suspected from such a scary guy. Plus, he was friends with Ben and Curie, which sort of made him a friend too.

"What does Broken Arrow mean?"

None of the soldiers could look at her, after a few long moments, one sighed and answer her. "It means they lost, requesting danger close."

"Danger close?" Ruby didn't know what that meant either. It was frustrating, not understanding what they were saying, all the more worrying was the fact each looked like they had just been punch in the gut.

"He's asking them to fire on their position with heavy ordnance... it's a last Hail Mary shot to try and complete their objective. It means they're dead. We lost."

Ruby was standing in an instant and, despite how heavy it felt in her arms, she hoisted Crescent Rose. "Where are they?"

[Plotline resumes]

Ben and Curie give their all, but against a demigod, there's only so much they can do. Curie is eventually broken down to such a degree that she can no longer fight, forced to watch helplessly as Ben stands alone, being literally cut apart, but still fighting thanks to his Neural Augmentations.

Just as Ben finally takes one final bodyblow from Salem, Ruby arrives and watches in horror as Ben falls motionlessly to the ground, triggering her defensive instinct, and thus, her silver eyes. Salem is paralyzed, and the Grimm, formerly organized and coordinated, become wild and stupid.

[AN: The subject of how exactly Salem would be destroyed was one of much internal controversy and debate. Eventually, it was decided that Ruby would be built up over the course of the story, originally starting as a minor role but eventually getting more attention towards the end, particularly during the Battle of Beacon. She would be the one to freeze Salem in place, and ultimately snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, although she wouldn't have been able to do it without Onyx Team.]

Ruby is knocked unconscious by the effort, but Qrow and the rest of team RWBY recover Curie, Jorge, and at Curie's insistence, Ben's body. He is hastily rushed into cryosleep aboard the Dominion, in the hopes that one day Curie can revive him, which she eventually will.

Just as it seems like the Grimm army is about to overrun the last of Humanity's defenses, reinforcements finally arrive. An international army of Huntsmen ten-thousand strong from the other Kingdoms, led by Mags, turning the tide and allowing for a counterattack. The Battle of Beacon is over, Vale is in ruins and hundreds of thousands of people are dead, but Mankind is victorious.

Ozpin and Salem are recovered by the Gods, who arrived after she was frozen, and have been quietly examining the aftermath. They are ashamed of how they are now an icon of fear, and how they mercilessly exterminated a civilization in the past. The two Gods recognize the value of Humanity having a common foe, and decide to leave the Grimm behind, although without Salem to act as their leader, they would never pose the same threat again. They also leave a contingency plan in place, that were Humanity to ever face another threat such as the Grimm or the Covenant, the Gods would return to Remnant to determine if there was still a need for the Grimm on Remnant. The remaining Relics are also left behind, including Jyn, who has taken a liking to her new role as an AI for the UNSC.

Ben is brought back from the dead by Curie, and she confesses everything to him in the fear that she'll lose him and the chance. She admits to how scared she was and starts to cry, but Ben holds her close and apologizes, promising to never leave her alone as he professes his own love for her.

Epilogue

Ruby is personally awarded the Colonial Cross for her service by Rear Admiral Richard, even as he is still confined to a wheelchair. The rest of team RWBY receives similar decorations, as well as many other Huntsmen and Huntresses, the logic being that although they are not UNSC personnel, they fought with courage and distinction.

A service is held for those who sacrificed themselves in the name of defending humanity, and a monument is erected with the names of all who fought and died during the Battle of Vale. The battle marks an effective end to the war that has plagued Remnant for so long.

Jorge accepts Remnant as his new home, and continues his career as an officer, eventually rising to become a General in the UNSC Army. With his experience and skill, he would be a leader that the whole of the UNSC came to depend upon.

Following the Battle of Beacon, Winter Schnee would reconnect with her mother, sister, and brother, and assist in the slow but steady reconstruction of the Schnee Dust Company. However, she would continue to spend the majority of her time and effort on her military career. She would eventually rise to the highest position of authority and serve as the Headmaster of Atlas Academy. She was a strict, albeit compassionate leader, and would eventually be lauded as one of Atlas' best. She would also oversee a joint UNSC-Atlas effort to formally adapt UNSC doctrine to the unique battlefields of Remnant, introducing dedicated roles for individuals with powerful Semblances, and adapting infantry tactics to permit for more flexible maneuvers in the field.

The UNSC, under the command of Rear Admiral Richard, Bradford, Thomas, and the bridge crew of the Dominion, continues its expansion and begins producing new equipment using a mix of their existing designs and new Remnant sources equipment. Talented new officers begin to form a brand new UNSC Highcom, and ONI is also reformed, although it fills a far more limited role, sticking to intelligence gathering and internal security. R&D is largely taken over by a newly re-established science and exploration branch of the UNSC.

Ilia serves as a magnificent drill instructor, training a fresh generation of marines to save the world with mean green style. Eventually, she would reconnect with Blake, and re-establish their friendship (maybe have this happen during the battle of Beacon) as well as making new connections with the rest of team RWBY. With new and old friends, advanced cybernetics courtesy of Doctor Polendina, and an army of fresh Marines by her side, the Grimm never stood a chance.

The Dominion, ravaged and beaten after the battle of Vale and with basically all of her munitions depleted, has a doubtful fate. It is eventually decided she is too valuable to abandon, and is given an extremely expensive refit courtesy of Atlas's shipyards, including an updated and experimental MAC devised from UNSC databanks, hard light shields, a variety of new missile warheads, a new layered armor system heat-treated with Dust, offering better plasma protection, and a directed energy weapon point defense system of hybrid Atlas/UNSC origin. Armed with this massive array of upgrades, she would serve as the pride of the UNSC Fleet for a long time, until she would eventually be replaced by the same carriers she had once escorted in UNSC Space. Around a hundred years after the Battle of Beacon, the Dominion is finally retired from military service due to severe metal fatigue, and is kept as a museum ship in Kuo Kuana.

Over the course of several decades, all of the nations of Remnant reform themselves into one large federal government (The Allied Nations of Remnant, simplified as "Allies") while maintaining a degree of autonomy for individual regions. This new government is an elective republic much in the fashion of the United Earth Government, and humanity once again sets forth into the stars, seeking a way to connect with their extradimensional cousins.

Ben and Curie get married and adopt several children. Eventually, they found Remnant's version of the Spartan IV program, headed by Ben. All candidates would be volunteer children aged 7-10, and the program would resemble a mix of the Huntsman Academies, the Spartan III program, and the Spartan IV program. Although they were few in number, they would be outfitted with Mjolnir Mark VI armor and receive advanced augmentations similar to those of a Spartan Three Gamma, although they would not receive the illegal neural augmentations. Curie would oversee the education of the children, and with Ben, they would create a new generation of Spartans to act as Humanity's defenders. As Ben had a far longer life-cycle than normal, and Curie could replace and update her body at will, neither would age particularly quickly, and they would oversee the creation of hundreds of Spartans.

Set would never truly be recognized as an equal by the humans of the Dominion, but following his continued service, he would eventually be granted true freedom by Commander Richard, which would become a controversy in a post-UNSC Remnant. Set would later go on to found a group of Warrior-Monks known as the Order of the Blue Blades [A cult really, but who's judging?], who swore to destroy the Grimm and protect civilization in the name of the Forerunners. During the battle of Alexandria, he and a small number of his closest followers were tragically killed in battle with the Grimm. Set died as he lived, fighting with a strong sense of faith, and surrounded by his Brothers in Arms. However, his body was later recovered and donated to science, where his DNA would be used in conjunction with cloning technology to create a new line of Smart A.I. Due to differences in Sangheili neural architecture, they could not occupy android bodies, but they would prove to be especially popular in service to the UNSC Marine Corps, specifically the ODSTs due to their aggressive nature and charming personalities.

Although Sergeant Meadows was presumed dead, no bodies were ever found. Even decades later, Nathan, even to his dying breaths, insisted; "That son of a bitch is still alive, somehow, somewhere. He just can't die, I refuse to believe it."

Authors Notes: For more of Meadow's wild immortal ride, see my future original novel, Steam and Serpents, where I intend to give him a Cameo.

The eventual Admiral Mags, in the distant aftermath of the war, finally gets what she wants in the form of the newly commissioned Gladius-class Corvette, the Thunderchild II. Stationed aboard the Thunderchild II is a Pelican Gunship flown by a now-elderly Fireball, and inscribed on the nose is the warbird's title, Old Stan's Revenge.

Nathan and Fairfire get married and have several children. Fairfire remains with the UNSC for a time, but eventually becomes a Huntsman, valuing her independence. Nathan, meanwhile, remains at home to care for their children. His eyesight would partially recover, but he would never fight again.

The final scene of the story is of Ben and Curie comforting Richard on his deathbed at the ripe old age of 126 aboard a medical station in orbit of Remnant. Humanity on Remnant has finally evolved to the 26th century, and is constructing a massive Slipspace gate structure to open the door to normal space, and unite with their extra-dimensional cousins. Richard is old, delirious, and unconvinced that he atoned for his many sins. Ben and Curie reassure him that he was the best leader mankind could have asked for, and he passes away in peace, surrounded by his small, but loving family.