Halo – The Final Assault

Backstory/Important Notes:

I originally started writing this fanfiction long before the release of Halo 2. At that time, the general public knew little to nothing of the game's storyline. All we did know, from the viewing of game trailers and the reading of the Halo novels, was that The Covenant had found Earth, and were invading.

I decided then to write a fanfiction starting some time after the Covenant invasion of Earth.

My story assumes that the Covenant's goal was to exterminate humanity (not activate the Halos and go on 'The Great Journey', as revealed in Halo 2), and destroy Earth. After reading "First Strike", we learn that the invasion force was obliterated in the destruction of the Unyielding Hierophant, and reduced to a small fraction of its original size. Then, at the very end, The High Prophet of Truth ordered all battle ready ships to rendezvous "at the site of the cataclysm". From there, they launched the attack on Earth.

This is where I come in. From the information I gathered, and from my own creative liberties, I assumed that, with the help of Master Chief and Cortana, the Earth's forces are somehow able to repel the Covenant attack, killing the High Prophet of Regret, leaving the Covenant devastated. Once the Covenant retreats back to High Charity, all UNSC ships are ordered back to Earth immediately for debriefing and rearmament.

Cortana plays a major role in what happens next. Through the information she could gather from Ascendant Justice and Unyielding Hierophant regarding Covenant weapon and shield technology, she is able to provide ONI scientists with enough information so that they can began constructing ship-scale plasma weaponry and shield grids. She did not, however, gain enough knowledge to create infantry weapons.

The defeat of the Covenant at Earth leaves humanity enough time to begin the rebuilding of their military. Civilians and military alike have received a huge morale boost, and enrolment rates skyrocket. Funding to the UNSC, CMA and ONI is massively increased, allowing for the repair and upgrading of older ships, and the construction of newer and more powerful ships with super-advanced weapons systems. One of the new weapons systems stands out the most: the Plasma Energized Magnetic Accelerator Cannon, also called the "P-MAC". Only the newer vessels are able to accommodate this weapon, and the older ships are outfitted with plasma weapons and shields.

Dr. Halsey returns to Earth with the Spartan known as Kelly. She reveals nothing about what she did while away. After some discussion, she and the Master Chief (who is given the rank of Commander after his accomplishments) agree to start a new SPARTAN program. Recruits are selected in the same manner as they were in the initial SPARTAN program (kidnapped as children). A more perfected technique of flash-cloning is used in order to prevent congenital diseases from killing the clones in the future. With data gleaned from the initial SPARTAN training, the SPARTAN-IIIs, and later, the SPARTAN-IVs, are brought into the UNSC, fully prepared for combat.

This whole process takes roughly 40 years, and by this time, Master Chief is about 80 years old. Because of his age, he is removed from a combat role, and placed in a command role. He supervises the construction of four UNSC Flagships, the RamaKrishna, the Liberator, the Perseverance, and the Dreamcatcher. Each vessel comes with massive armaments and the most advanced shield grids in the UNSC. Because of their sheer cost, only four are ever made.

After all is said and done, and the Earth's military forces are rebuilt and ready for combat, top ONI brass debate what to do next.

During this entire time, the Covenant is also rebuilding their shattered forces for a counter-attack on humanity. Angry over the defeat, the surviving High Prophets of Truth and Mercy order as many ships as their resources allow be built in order to exact vengeance for their fallen brothers. Troops from all corners of the galaxy are ordered to High Charity to plan for attack. Once all is finished, the equivalent of 40 human years has passed, and the Covenant once again has enough forces to attack.

A large fleet of Covenant warships travels through Slipspace, eventually ending up at the previous sight of the Unyielding Hierophant. Human forces, detecting them, launch an immediate defensive attack with their newer, more powerful ships. The Covenant is caught off-guard by the upgraded weapons and tactics of the UNSC, and despite inflicting casualties on some human ships, are defeated in combat.

Realizing that the Covenant has rebuilt their military, ONI and UNSC head brass order that several armadas be formed, and start taking the fight to the Covenant. They resolve that they can no longer just wait for the Covenant to come to their doorstep, but they must track down their homeworld of High Charity, and destroy it.

Several armadas of the UNSC's most powerful ships are organized. The most heavily armed and larger sized armadas are given the most direct courses to High Charity, while all other available ships are sent to destroy key Covenant locations, and join up with the rest of the fleet later.

Knowing that the humans will want to counter-attack after their failed assault, the Covenant Hierarchy orders all vessels back to High Charity. Attack armadas are organized to sneak up on human vessels, and defence blockades are set up to hold them back at critical Covenant installations, and other positions.

Human AIs, empowered with the latest in insurgency routines, are able to extrapolate the location of Covenant blockades from the computers of damaged enemy ships.

The Covenant takes no chances with security, and even the slightest disobedience or security breach is met with execution. The High Charity is surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands of space vessels, each armed to the teeth with the most devastating weaponry available.

The Covenant try all they can to destroy the great threat presented by the human vermin, but one fact remains clear: Mankind is no longer the weak, unsophisticated race the Covenant perceived them to be. They have become stronger, and more intelligent, and their forces are slowly moving closer to the Covenant homeworld, and the end of the Human-Covenant War.

The end is near, and it is time for the real war to start.

"The hall is rented, the orchestra engaged. It's time to see if you can dance."

-Q, Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Q Who?"