The Halo Effect: War and Civilization

by free man writer

A crossover years in the works. Civilizations rise and fall but to those that do stand, they prosper. They Expand. They reach out across the stars. But of course, such is a Universal law, War is never far behind. War is a language all civilized races speak and it is war most are familiar with. Co-written with BulletStormX. Halo/Mass Effect with a dash of Star Wars.

3. Everyone has their first steps

Alright, so, moving right along thanks for those reviews some made me chuckle especially the UNSC bit and I stand by it cheesy as it is

Now there are some species that have been brought up like the Quarren and Trandoshans. They were intentionally omitted from the story as a whole as they were not a part of the story we wanted to tell.

As a whole, BSX and I have selected twelve species from the Star Wars franchise and integrated them into the main story. We feel with the several dozen species we have within this story, it's enough to tell as cohesive a narrative as we can.

We have, let's just say, a lot of content.

Some of the reviews I saw got me jittery with excitement cause I cannot wait to get to the crazier aspects of this story with BSX.

It's gonna be awesome.

So let's not waste any time then.

Rate Read and Review and as Always Have Nice Day.

The Halo Effect War and Civilization Chapter 3: Everyone has their first steps

2517

September 24th

This was day one of the Spartan-II program.

The day their new lives began.

They were split into various teams of three to five, all having differing colors.

Blue, Red, Green, Gray, Black and so on.

Their first set of lessons involved basic training, 100 sit ups, pushups, crunches and pull ups followed by a 5 kilometer run.

They were introduced to their teachers, Taun We and AI Deja who introduced them to Sun Tzu and his famed book the Art of War wherein every individual received a copy to be read, studied and understood front and back.

On top of that, they had learned why they were being called Spartans to begin with.

Deja recanted the tale of Thermopylae, wherein a few hundred Spartans withstood the might of thousands if not millions of soldiers.

This of course made them all cheer and grin at the prospect of being molded into the namesake of their program.

To be able to withstand so much with so few.

The entire first day eventually culminated into the trainees running up a hill to ring a bell with their assigned teams.

It ended with this current situation...

John fell hard to ground, confused.

He had gotten to the top of the hill first. Why was he the one being punished?

The other two kids, the girl 087 and the boy 034 were looking down at him with very upset faces. Chief Mendez stood over the trainee, holding him down with his boot and a look of disapproval on his face.

Tarfful the Wookiee chieftain barked out, shooing the other trainees away save for 087 and 034.

"I don't understand." A young John said in bewilderment. "I got to the top first."

"You got to the bell first." Mendez acknowledged. "But your team came in last. And you don't win unless your team wins."

Removing his foot from John's chest, Mendez walked away with 087 and 034 leaving their teammate behind.

117 lay there on the ground, unmoving and staring up at the ceiling with a defeated expression. Upon replaying the reasoning behind his loss today, John realized he had no one else to blame but himself. Chief Mendez was right.

He lost because he failed to work with his team.

"Hey, you alright?"

John tilted his head up and saw the team leader of the group that had placed first. He saw the number 051 on his tank top.

The boy was his age, as was most of the other trainees with buzz cut brown hair and hazel eyes.

051 held out a helping hand which 117 accepted.

"Thanks." John said appreciatively.

"No problem." 051 said cheerfully. "I'm Kurt."

"Um… John." 117 said.

"Saw you running up the hills really fast." Kurt remarked with a look of awe in his eyes.

"Yeah but I still ended up losing." John said bitterly. "I left my team behind."

"Well just say sorry then." Kurt stated as if it were the most simple thing in the world.

"How can I say sorry to them?" John stated in a dejected manner. "Because of me, they can't eat."

"Then you can have some of mine and give it to your team." Kurt said with a cheerful grin.

"Wh-what?" John was certainly surprised by the offer. "Why would you do that? Won't you get in trouble?"

Kurt however shook his head and waved John off.

"I think we should all help each other." Kurt said, grin still in place. "Remember what that lady said? We're all a family now. That means we look out for each other. No matter what."

John had his head down for a moment before he himself had a small smile.

"Thanks Kurt. I'll pay you back somehow." John said with 051 merely grinning again and patting 117 on the shoulder.

Entering the mess hall a few minutes later, 117 scanned the various tables of the 75 other trainees seeing most sitting with their teammates.

Spotting who he had been looking for, John walked over to them both who were sitting alone with their heads hung low.

"Hey guys." John said softly, making them both look up to him.

087 and 034 only scrunched up their faces in distaste at the sight of their team leader.

"What do you want?" 034 asked with a bitter voice.

John held out a small bag that he was carrying behind his back and set it down. It was revealed to contain two loaves of bread with a few crackers.

"I'm sorry about today." John said straight away. "I know it's not much but-"

"Thank you." 087 said with a pleasant smile.

Even 034's expression became more neutral yet it was slightly guarded.

"I… I never introduced myself properly." 117 said. "I'm John."

"Kelly." 087 said.

"I'm Sam."

Sitting down with them, they ate their small little meal in silence.

"About today guys, I should have helped when you asked Sam." John said after a few moments. "It's cause of me that we didn't get to eat."

Sam didn't respond, munching on his bread until he said calmly. "It's ok John. This is our first day."

"It won't happen again." John assured a moment later. "Promise."

Kelly only smiled at him with Sam nodding.

"We can be friends… I mean if you want." Sam shrugged noncommittedly. "It'd be no big deal."

Kelly only nodded in approval. "Sure."

John was also pretty happy. "Yeah, Friends."

September 28th

The first four days of training were as arduous as Mendez and Tarfful promised them to be.

Day in and day out, it was nothing but PE and classes.

Since that time, John-117 had held true to his statements from before to Sam and Kelly and had made sure to never leave them behind.

They had rung the bell now together every time, coming in either third or second for the most part with today being the first time they came in fourth.

Red Team had stepped up with their leader Jerome-092 managing a daring full frontal charge with his teammates Douglas-042 and Alice-130.

Green Team had Kurt-051 leading them and they had come out on top the first three days.

Currently, John, Sam and Kelly were sitting with some new friends they had made the other day during a training exercise yesterday. Frederic-104 and Linda-058.

The five were joined by several other trainees being Fhajad-084, Jorge-052, Leon-011 and Riz-028.

They were all chatting and conversing with one another until they heard a commotion from the front of the cafeteria.

Many looked to the front to see a young boy being dragged away by two other officers, the kid kicking and squirming the entirety of the way.

"Who's that?" Linda asked aloud, curious.

"I think that was Jai." Leon answered.

"Jai?" Linda repeated.

"Oh, you mean Jai-006." Sam spoke up with a shake of his head.

"What'd he do?" John asked.

"Tried leaving the compound." Sam answered with a shrug.

"That was him?" Fhajad said in a surprised tone.

"I heard he got pretty far." Riz stated. "But they caught him eventually."

"Why would he try to leave?" Kelly asked.

"He doesn't want to be here I guess." Fred remarked with a shrug.

Over with the near escapee, he had stopped struggling at last allowing them to drag him to his quarters.

All the while, the young Spartan-II had his eyes dart about his surroundings making sure to take note of windows and certain angles as well as cameras within every hallway.

A small grin began appearing on his face as he already had a few new escape plans in mind.

October 25th

The trainees were running up a large hill they dubbed Little Everest.

It was one that they had been taken to from their usual training facility up to here, the key point of this training being exposed to new environments.

With them was Chieftain Tarfful, roaring and barking at them to pick up the pace as he went from running beside them to swinging through the trees on the mountainside.

It was blisteringly cold but the enviro suits they wore managed to keep the cold out to a degree.

Intentionally.

They had to rely on constant movement to keep themselves warm lest the cold gets to them first.

It had already been a month now and they were beginning to get accustomed to their usual training. Of course, upon seeing this, Mendez and Tarfful completely flipped it around for them, basically setting them back to square one.

But they wouldn't do this on their own.

They made sure to support one another and push each other forward.

John-117 and Kurt-051 especially stood out for the first day, having themselves constantly speeding up or slowing down even to their own detriment in order to make sure no man gets left behind.

Several other Spartans had stepped up in their own manner, assisting their brethren in the way they knew best.

Will-043 was constantly making jokes and quips while coming up with riddles on the spot with Sam-034 joining in on the fun a few times.

Grace-093 and Jorge-052 were the calm and collected, gentle ones who spoke softly though encouragingly to their brothers and sisters.

Douglas-042 appeared to be completely nonplussed and utterly determined, constantly stating that they would overcome this mountain because they had beaten the last training regime. Getting used to and conquering Little Everest was only a matter of time.

November 19th

A lone Spartan-II sat upon a tree stump at the edge of the compound, looking up to the sky. He had jet black hair and brown eyes with a light scratch on his chin.

The sun was already setting by this point but the young trainee didn't care that much.

The light of the sun near Reach reflected perfectly off the sleek X-wings that zoomed by.

He grinned up at them, taking a bite out of his meal.

"Daniel-116, why are you out here and not in the mess hall with the others?"

The young Spartan jolted from the tree stump he sat upon and jumped up, standing attention.

"Sir."

Chief Mendez eyed the boy, looking from his form to the food he had taken from the cafeteria to here.

"Spartan-116, you did not answer my previous question." Mendez stated giving the boy a sharp gaze.

"I was enjoying the view, sir." Daniel-116 replied in a professional manner.

Mendez raised a confused brow. "Enjoying the view?"

Daniel simply looked up at the sky with Mendez following suit, just in time to see a few X-wings fly by with Arc-wings and several pelicans as well.

"The ships?" Mendez said.

"X-wings." 116 clarified. "I've always wanted to fly one."

Mendez regarded the Spartan-II, expression solemn.

It had been two months since the start of this training and like Halsey and Taun We were led to believe, many of the trainees were getting accustomed to their training regime.

And yet, they still displayed actions akin to children.

It's easy to forget at times they have these moments.

"You wish to be a pilot, 116?" Mendez inquired.

"I've always wanted to fly." Daniel stated with a grin. "With X-wings I can."

Mendez found himself smirking slightly. "Do you now?"

116 nodded when his face scrunched up in thought.

"Will we be able to learn how to fly?" Daniel asked after a moment.

Chief Mendez hummed to himself. "That remains for me to be seen, 116. Next time you leave the Cafeteria, report it to an acting Officer."

Daniel simply snapped into a salute. "Sir!"

"As you were Spartan." Mendez said, walking away from the lad who seated himself back on the tree stump with the Arc-wings passing by this time.

December 25th

Tarfful roared aloud in pride at the sight of the 75 trainees all panting in exhaustion though they remained standing.

It was a grueling sparring session with teams of five all attempting to bring down the Wookiee Chieftain with each one suffering defeat.

This was to be expected of course as Tarfful was a warrior renowned among his people as well as many human and Mon Cala marines and soldiers.

But these kids, while they had each lasted no more than a few minutes each was all he needed to see. It spoke volumes to him to see his trainees displaying such potential and progress in only three months' time with their tenacity coming through.

They were battered and bruised but not beaten.

Each made sure to lean or support one another to keep themselves standing.

Tarfful snorted in approval beginning to break down each team and each individual on their fighting styles, approach in taking him down, where they excelled and where they needed improvement.

They all listened in rapt attention with their older Wookiee brother making sure to point out every single one of them before proudly proclaiming them to have greater destinies ahead of them.

The Spartan-II's only hoped they would live up to their trainers expectations.

John 117

Blue team mission repo-

Journal entry 1

I was told that this may help in having clear thoughts.

Mendez and Tarfful told me that it was a mission report and catalog of my progress.

They encouraged the rest to have the same.

Personal thoughts and all I guess. Don't really have much.

...

Sam is my best friend. First thing that came to mind really since they mentioned personal thoughts and all.

He and I just know how to work with each other. It's really funny.

We didn't get off on the best foot but I'm glad now he trusts me so much.

The other Spartans are pretty nice too. Kurt and Jorge are always helping everyone they can, same for a few others.

Kelly and Sam are always with me. Sometimes Linda and Fred join in too for training missions.

I… don't really know what else to say.

It's been three months so far and every day and night, Mendez lives up to what he told us on his first day.

It would be nothing but training.

Guess that's all I can think of for now.

End of Journal Entry.

Jai-006 Journal Entry 2

Today marks my… eighth time I tried getting out of here.

Adrianna and I make it a game now.

It's really funny seeing how the guards and officers get all confused whenever they lose track of us.

Wonder how else we can get out of here?

There's a lot more openings then they realize.

Just the other day, Adrianna pointed out a blind spot in between the hallways that exit out of the cafeteria from the south entrance.

We'll try that one next.

End of Journal Entry

Sam-034 Journal entry 1

It's funny seeing John try to figure out what to say for his journal entry.

Mendez and Tarfful all encouraged us to have one.

Sounds like fun really.

Can let loose without anyone peeking in unless I let them and those I would allow are a pretty small crop.

Training's been going well enough I suppose.

Tarfful thrashed us something special when we went up against him. I saw it eating at John. He really wanted to win. Hell I did too.

But how in the hell are we supposed to do that with a Wookiee Chieftain?

They're like the best of the best in the UNSC. I think only the ODST's and Mon Cala knights come close to them in combat.

Maybe with all this training we'll eventually get to beat one.

I hope.

Still, least I got my brothers and sisters by my side. Figure we'll get through anything together.

End Of Journal Entry.

Mendez Mission report #16

The training is proceeding at an admirable rate.

The Spartan-II's have been proceeding at a steady pace and already they've been displaying great progress on varying fields.

117, 051, 116, 051 and 084 have displayed great aptitude in effectively leading their squads and the other Spartans in most circumstances.

104, I've noted, seems to be intentionally holding himself back. He is more subtle in his approach until I placed him in his own squad where he performed with a tactical and proficient mind which led his team into finishing second, just behind Green team. I'm keeping my eye on him.

037 has shown an aptitude for leading in the middle of combat taking note of his surroundings and pointing out flaws in attack patterns.

028 is focused and razor sharp in her training, a more subdued 130, who appears to completely thrive in this training.

043 and 042 work well with 052. Some may even call them the moral center of the Spartan-II program along with 051. 141 shares similar traits as well.

Of them all, the main problem children appear to have is 006, 111 and 120.

These three have caused many headaches for a majority of the officers, security guards and drill sergeants involved in the program.

Trying to curb these rebellious traits appeared to have backfired with them only trying harder to get themselves out of the base.

Their resolve is rather admirable if it wasn't so insubordinate.

134 has shown that he can step up when the usual squad leaders are not around to assist, going off of prior orders and formulating logical conclusions.

The rest of the Spartans have yet to show any other distinguishing traits among themselves but if what I have spoken of is any indication of what is to come, they just haven't developed it yet.

End of Mission Report.

2518

May 13th

Daniel-116 grasped the controls of his simulated X-wing with a manic grin.

He was leading Silver Team in this training op with Yumi-124, Nicole-121, Caleb-095 and Joyner-118 as his squad.

Currently, their objective was to take out the enemy fighters of Green Team composed of Kurt-051, Will-043, Musa-096, Joshua-029 and Rene-081.

Grinning maniacally, gunned his thrusters with his squad mates right on his tail.

"Yumi, Caleb." 116 sent out orders. "Chandelle turn, 081 is lagging behind. Nicole, stay on me. Joyner, gun ahead for a ram. See if you can scatter them."

Off to the side, the rest of the Spartans watched the simulated dogfight with Mendez, Taun We and Tarfful observing next to them.

"It appears that Daniel is enjoying this simulation." Taun noted in her soft voice with Tarfful growling out an agreement. "Indeed."

"That remains to be seen, Chieftain." Mendez said calmly, though his eyes trailed over an impressive J-turn 116 had pulled off managing to take out 095.

He was truly excelling as a pilot, far more than his brothers and sisters and seemed to be completely at home in a cockpit despite this only being their fifth simulated piloting class.

116 was a natural leader, similar to the other standouts yet to Mendez there was also a missing ingredient he felt that didn't allow for Daniel to truly stand out.

Looks he had found his calling.

Daniel-116 Journal entry 9

We got to fly again today.

Not officially.

Chief Mendez and Tarfful told us that wouldn't be until we're a bit older and our bodies a bit more developed.

But it was amazing. Simulated or not, I just felt it in my bones.

I need to get into an X-wing or Longsword soon.

End of Journal Entry.

August 11th

Deja and Taun We were standing before the 75 Spartan-II's covering their next set of lessons.

They had gone over Sun Tzu and the Spartans of Thermopylae extensively by this point and had moved on to another religion and pantheon almost exclusive to the art of combat itself.

Norse Mythology.

"From the history of your people, dating back thousands of years, by this time there was the old belief of the warrior's death." Taun We recited, her gentle voice holding their attention. "They trained themselves every day in hopes of one day proving themselves to be worthy of ascending to the greatest plain of existence within their pantheon. The halls of Asgard where the warriors dined until Ragnarok, Valhalla."

The students were intrigued greatly by this with 037 saying 'Valhalla' under his breath in open wonder.

Taun We Progress report #18

The children are coming along very well.

They soak up everything we teach them with a great vigor that pleases me.

Each of them holds so much potential just waiting to bloom.

I am rather adverse to what we must do to achieve results but it is nothing my species has not done before.

ONI shall get the soldiers they wish for and we will continue our experiments.

When we had first met the UNSC with its three species, we were rather hesitant to engage with them yet they proved amiable and peaceful enough where we could at least have trade and a few projects we can work on together.

Then came the discovery of the genetic diversity Humanity possessed and to a lesser extent the Wookiees and following after came the secret agreement between my people and ONI.

There was much that was promised in secret but I was not expecting human children to be some of our test subjects.

After Orion, we knew there would be an attempt again at creating enhanced and augmented soldiers. The idea was too good of a concept to pass.

Imagine my surprise when it was the humans that came to us and showed that children were the best course of action.

It was agreed rather quickly but now… I cannot deny that I am growing attached to these young Spartans.

I wish for them all to succeed.

The blueprints of things to come…

I shall not fail in these endeavors.

End of Progress Report.

December 10: Dr. Catherine Halsey makes an entry in her journal where she identifies four Spartan-IIs that she, Tarfful and Franklin Mendez agree are the best candidates for leadership out of all the children in the program. Those four are Kurt-051, Jerome-092, Frederic-104, and John-117. Mendez is leaning towards Kurt but Halsey is confident that John is the best choice. Taun We points out Daniel-116, Leon-011, Margaret-053 and Jai-006 as potential leaders as well though Halsey notes that perhaps only 011 can be regarded on the level of the first mentioned four and 116 to a degree as he along with 053 and 006 seem more towards specialized teams and leadership roles.

Jerome-092 Journal Entry 11

It's already been a year since we began our training.

Our previous lives all feel like a distant and fuzzy memory by this point.

We've been put through the ringer today… but it ended on something really special.

A ceremony that Mendez and Tarfful held at the top of Little Everest.

December 31st

Chief Mendez and Tarfful all stood before a roaring bonfire with all 75 Spartan-II's sitting around them all.

There was an elaborately made table with 75 red cups with a giant bowl in the center of it all.

The kids gazed upon the setup with obvious confusion whilst Mendez addressed them all.

"Trainees." Mendez said aloud. "This past September was your first year anniversary into your steps in becoming Spartans. You have all had your failings but in those failings, you have shown exemplary and considerable improvements by leaps and bounds. I know I speak with great confidence on behalf of myself and Tarfful when we are proud to see you all perform as well as you have in such a short amount of time."

The trainees couldn't help but shift about with proud smiles and expressions at hearing their father figure and brother figure show such satisfaction at their progress.

Tarfful stepped forward, growling and moaning with a thump upon his chest which made the children sit up straighter.

The Wookiee chieftain singled out several Spartans that had been performing admirably these past few days before going over their accomplishments altogether.

Walking over to the table setup, he barked and growled with the kids beginning to stand up and approach the table each taking a red cup with curious expressions.

"These," Mendez pulled out a red cup of his own from within his uniform. "Are Sakazuki cups."

The kids looked at him inquisitively.

"From the Island Nation of Japan, there was an ancient tradition exchanged between individuals who held such close bonds that blood did not matter to them." Mendez said, going over to stand with Tarfful who now held his own cup. "Thus, the creation of a ritual of brotherhood was made. The exchange of Sakazuki. With these cups, an invisible bond, a brotherhood is forged. A sworn brotherhood that no matter where any individual is, they would be sworn brothers and sisters. Distance and blood is meaningless. They would be bonded in siblinghood until death claims them. You have all earned this right."

It was a strange affair as it was the first jumbled one so to speak since their first day of training.

Eventually, each trainee held a small red cup with some sake in it and they all held it up in the direction of Mendez and Tarfful.

A few of them clinked together, a few cheers were made until they downed them all.

Tarfful chuckled aloud, shaking with laughter at the site of the many faces that squirmed at the taste of alcohol.

Some trembled and shivered about while others shook their heads. Some made indescribable faces with a few coughing and hacking after drinking their sake.

Still, the feeling of camaraderie and brotherhood/sisterhood a few moments later… took a bit longer to be felt as they were still recovering from the sake.

Even Mendez couldn't help but be openly amused by their behavior.

And just like that, we were all sworn brothers and sisters.

It was strange at first but… we did feel it.

We had always in our thoughts felt it after the first year of training but to have it so openly declared felt really liberating.

We were now all officially family.

And we were gonna look out for one another until the end.

That much we all promised ourselves.

End of Journal Entry.

2519

February 3rd

Kashyyyk, Shadowlands

The Shadowlands, also known as the Shadow Forest or the Nother World, is the dark ground level of the forests of the planet Kashyyyk. The land is dark since the sunlight could not reach it through the tall trees and the rich foliage.

The Shadowlands were a dangerous place, inhabited by savage beasts and floral, Wookiees visited only for ceremonial reasons, such as rites of passage. Famous Wookiees would often go there to prove themselves against the forest's strong, natural obstacles. It was also a place of exile.

That all changed when the Wookiee made first contact with humanity, humanity did extensive studies cataloging wildlife, floral, and ecosystem.Among the researchers was a retired Marine who noted that ancient Wookiee warriors would come to this place to test their worth and come out stronger. With that in mind, he believed that this location can be an ideal place to train humanity and its allies to their fullest potential.

Chief Officer Mendez stood at the front of the forest with Chieftain Tarfful by his side as the Spartan-II's were aligned before them.

"Trainees." Mendez spoke aloud, making the conscripts stand at attention. "Welcome to Kashyyyk. Home to our eternal brothers in the stars, the Wookiees."

Tarfful roared aloud with pride.

"This will be the next phase in your training." Mendez said in complete seriousness. "This…" Mendez gestured a handout to the forest behind him. "Is the Shadowlands. A fable area within Wookiee customs and culture. And as of recent, humanity and the Mon Cala as well. This is where the mettle of the best and most skilled that the UNSC has to offer is tested. A very select few are picked and even allowed to undergo training within this hellscape."

Mendez began pacing back and forth, eyeing each Spartan individually. They were tense and dare he say it depending on the look in their eyes, nervous.

Good. a fearless soldier is a stupid one.

When not molded or trained properly, fearless soldiers were a detriment to any unit and any army.

Bull headed and rushing right in with no wherewithal to care for him or herself nor their comrades.

These kids may have endured much and have gotten to a point in their training where they could be considered leagues above most.

But in the end, they were still kids.

And this forest has instilled the fear of God for most that have not survived its hellacious terrain.

"Tarfful and I have discussed much on what it is we should do." Mendez went on. "And we have come to an agreement."

Mendez pulled out a datapad and flicked it, holding it out horizontally.

A holo-image of a distinctly gargantuan tree was shown to them.

Tarfful growled out as to what it was and their objective. Get to the Origin Tree in the center of the Shadowlands.

"You have two weeks." Mendez stated. "Each of you will receive a map of the area and all seventy-five of you will reach the center. Together. This isn't a team oriented competition. This is a unit training operation. All of you either succeed or none of you do."

Tarfful growled aloud and two Wookiees suddenly appeared from the trees nearby carrying large crates. They set it down and opened it to reveal multiple tools inside.

Lighters, knives, binoculars, rope, essential survival tools.

"Each of you is to select one tool from these crates and one only." Mendez instructed. "Make sure you select those which can be useful and prioritized for your weeklong mission. This terrain is deadly and dangerous with only the best entering for a reason."

The kids all lined up and one by one grabbed a tool that they would use for this training mission until all 75 had one.

"You will be separated into 15 groups of five and are all to reconvene and make your way to the Origin Tree." Mendez said. "Good luck, Spartans."

A convoy ship picked up the Spartan-II's and began dispersing them throughout the Shadowlands with Mendez and Tarfful watching on.

"You think they're ready for something like this?" Mendez asked quietly to his sworn brother.

Tarfful whined and moaned with a snort.

"Yes, but two years isn't two hundred." Mendez countered. "They're not like you."

Tarfful let out a guttural huff with a gleam in his eyes.

"Well I hope they survive then." Mendez remarked. "Afterwards, we'll see if they'll be better than you."

Over with some of the Spartans, the first batch was dropped off.

Kurt-051 with Will-043, Linda-058, Riz-028 and Adrianna-111.

"Alright you guys, let's have a look at what we all got." Kurt said straight away with the other four pulling out the tools they had taken with them.

Kurt had out a small booklet, Will a bowie knife, Linda some elastic looking rope, Riz a lighter and Adrianna some binoculars.

"Alright, alright." 051 said aloud, rubbing his chin as he looked over everyone's items. "This will make do for now until we get more when we re-group with everyone else."

"What's the book for, Kurt?" Will asked. "Crossword puzzles?"

"I could go for some." Kurt said with an amused chuckle. "No, this is a small little guide to all the flora that can be found here. Poisonous, edible, useful, everything that can be used in our benefit for our time here."

"Whoa." Riz said with a grin. "Nice choice, Kurt."

Kurt only grinned bashfully. "Since we're on the ground now, let's get moving to find the others. Adrianna, think you can scale this tree here and give us an idea where we are?"

"Can I?" Spartan-111 said with a challenging look, running up to the tree and beginning to climb it with ease.

"And don't wander off." Kurt said aloud. "This isn't the place for what you and Jai usually do."

"I'm not that stupid, Kurt."

"I know, just checking."

Elsewhere, another group of Spartans had been dropped off with them gauging their environment.

"I got a bad feeling about this." Sam-034 said aloud.

"We're in the shadowlands, Sam." 034's best friend said, nudging his side. "You're supposed to feel like that."

"Where do you figure the others are?" Jorge-052 asked softly.

"They're scattered." John stated. "So we'll need to find a way to reconvene with everybody."

Fhajad-084 hummed aloud in thought, pulling out his map of the Shadowlands. "If I were to have a hunch for a good rendezvous point that everyone would agree on…" He gazed over the map for a moment. "I'd wager it to be near the start of the Forest Trench."

"That seems like the most optimal place." Cal-141 said in her soft tone.

"Let's do an equipment check before heading out." John ordered with the team doing just that.

Throughout the Shadowlands, the 15 teams of Spartan-II's went over what each one had individually selected and plans were made.

They all began their trek through the dense swampy forest, trying to stay out of the boggy marshes.

With John's team.

"Think they'd hear me if I call out to them?" Sam asked his friend, making John snort.

"What? With your god awful owl?"

"Hey, I figure I'm getting pretty good at it." Sam defended jokingly.

"If good stands for an Owl choking on a rat then mine must be perfect." Fhajad shot back.

"You guys are no fun." Sam grumbled though he smirked all the same.

"Pretty sure the Shadowlands isn't the ideal place for fun." Cal stated.

"It's seriously lacki-"

The group was suddenly shoved out of the way by Fhajad with something much bigger sailing over them.

They all quickly scrambled to their feet upon seeing what it was that attacked him.

A particularly large spider.

"What is that?" Cal asked in slight alarm.

"A local." Fhajad said.

"Scatter." John ordered with the five running about in different directions just as the spider creature launched a web at them.

John had grabbed a stick whilst Jorge stood behind Sam who had brass knuckles.

Fhajad had a stick as well as he chose thick rope as his tool with Cal having to stay back as she had a medpack on her.

"Disorient it." John instructed. "If we can take out its legs and eyes we can kill it."

The spider-creature hissed out, snapping as it reared itself up and charged forward at John.

"Crap." Sam growled out, running towards his friend who had jumped out of the way.

The Spider missed, looking around in time to get one of its eyes punched out by 034.

Sam was nearly punctured by one of its spiny legs as Jorge had made sure to stay close to Sam and pulled him away in time.

The Spider was growling, looking about wildly as if trying to decide on which of the kids should it kill first.

The five were all tense as the sider once again prepared itself to charge at them when it paused at feeling several large rocks bounce off its head.

Looking up, the Spider seemingly froze as a particularly large log of wood fell from above and crushed it to death.

Bewildered by these fortunate set of circumstances, the five looked up to see a few figures far above in a tree all waving down at them.

Squinting his eyes slightly, Sam grinned a moment later upon seeing who it was.

"Kelly." Sam declared aloud with relief. "I think I see Vinh and Ralph up there too."

A moment later, a long piece of rope was tossed down though it didn't reach them entirely.

"Help me up there guys." 084 said, holding up his piece of rope. "Figure I can connect it and we can get up there."

After a half hour, John's group had climbed up to where Kelly was waiting for them with nine more of their brethren.

"Glad to see you're all alright." Kelly said, patting John and Sam on their shoulders doing the same with Cal, Fhajad and Jorge. "I was terrified when you were fighting that spider down there."

With Kelly was Vinh-030, Ralph-103, Joshua-029, Anton-044, Kirk-018, Mike-120, Nicole-121, Joseph-122 and Solomon-069.

"What was that thing anyway?" Sam asked, looking to the others. "Anybody know?"

He got negatives as a response.

"So I guess that makes fifteen of us now." Joseph said aloud.

"A fifth of our group entirely." Fhajad pointed out.

The enlarged group had hoped they could find their comrades sooner than later.

And speaking of comrades.

Off in another corner of the area just a few miles away from them was a group of ten Spartan-II's.

Among them was Jerome-092 who was leading Alice-130, Jai-006, Joyner-118, Carris-137, Randall-037, Cassandra-075, Rene-081, Victor-101 and August-099.

"You've been reading that manual for a while now, Randall." Jerome said aloud, the group traversing through what was now identified as the Forest Trench. "Anything useful on it we could use?"

"Mostly for the wildlife." Randall said, turning the page. "Some really freaky creatures they got running around in here."

"Any in particular we should look out for?" Joyner asked.

"Got a few." Randall said. "Flame Beetles, Slyyygs, Mykal. Though I'm partial we try to avoid these spider like one's called the Wyyyschokk."

"What's so bad about them?" Jerome asked with 037 elaborating on them.

Wyyyschokks are both highly intelligent and extremely hostile. They could ensnare prey by casting webbing at them from a distance and would often wait to ambush their prey by attacking them from above or below. A notable subspecies is Albino Wyyyschokk, faster and more aggressive than normal Wyyyschokks, these massive spiders were found in dark, subterranean areas where they could live for centuries. The species was capable of spitting venom, which it used to disable its prey before feeding on their brains.

"They sound like fun." Jai-006 remarked.

"Coming from you Jai, I'd believe it." August stated.

"Any of those you think we could eat?" Alice inquired, making a few jolt.

"Why in god's name would we eat any of these things?" Cassandra asked with an incredulous look.

"Actually…" Randall brought up his guide again. "According to this right here, the Mykal are considered delicacies among the Wookiees."

Upon showing what it was, Randall got varied faces.

"The Wookiees eat that thing?" Cassandra said in slight discomfort.

"Wookiees can eat anything." Victor said. "You've seen how Chieftain Tarfful can get when he's hungry."

"Well if they can eat that, figure we can too if we're lucky enough to take one down." 137 stated.

Jerome only gazed at the picture in thought when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. It was Jai looking ahead with his eyes squinted before a grin began to form upon his face.

"I found Adrianna." Jai declared aloud.

"How'd you go and do that?" Jerome asked in slight surprise.

Jai only gave him a coy grin. "We have our ways."

-2 days later-

The first 48 hours were a mixture of strenuous trial and tribulation. It had taken 12 hours in total for the scattered Spartans to finally link up entirely.

And then another 36 hours just to find a place secure enough for them all to get some proper rest.

If they assumed that dealing with the wildlife would have been their primary adversary in this jungle, all suffered a rude awakening via the various plant life found in the Shadowlands.

Jaw Plant, Lung plant, Orga, and Saavas just to name a few of the deadly foliage found scattered throughout the jungle swamp.

They were lethal and dangerous each within their own right, nearly killing several of the Spartans had it not been for the others ready to rush right in to save their brother or sister.

It was a stressful two days.

But thankfully, they were all getting some much needed rest.

Well… most of them.

Atop a platform elevated from the ground that overlooked the small encampment they were using as the resting area, the growing leaders of the Spartan-II program all sat around a smaller fire then the one down with the others.

John, Jerome, Kurt, Fred, Daniel, Leon, Margaret and Jai sat around the fire as they went over what they should do for this training op.

They were currently eating some freshly picked Mushblooms that they found around the area they set up camp for.

Thanks to Kurt's guide of the flora in the Shadowlands, they were able to deduce what was edible in this forest.

"We're here." Daniel said, pointing to the center of the Forest Trench. "If we wanna get to the Origin Tree we first need to get to its lake."

"What's the distance we're looking at?" Leon asked, kneeling next to 116.

"From where we are right now… I'd say about a dozen or so Clicks. Maybe more." Daniel answered.

"That doesn't seem too bad." Jerome remarked, rubbing his chin. "If we don't run into anything on the way."

"Which we definitely will." Kurt stated with a grim tone.

"So what's our play?" Margaret asked, eyeing the rest of the team leaders.

"We'll need to stock up on what we can with everything around us." Fred said. "I figure we can fashion some spears and if we concentrate on it, maybe a few bow and arrow sets as well."

"You sure we could pull something off that complicated in a short amount of time?" John asked.

"I'm not." Fred admitted. "But we need preparations at least. Tarfful showed us how to craft weapons and this is our chance to give it a try."

"We'll have to try it regardless." Jai said, speaking for the first time since this little meeting was gathered. "I'll take Adrianna and Mike with me tomorrow and any volunteers to scout out and grab whatever we could find that could be useful to us."

"What can we find out there that we could use?" Daniel asked.

"We got pointy sticks now." Jerome said, holding up his own spear. "Figure we could get some more."

Leon gazed upon the team leaders, stopping on one in particular. "You alright Kurt?"

"Hmmm?" Kurt blinked out of an intense gaze. "Oh, sorry about that."

"What's up, Kurt?" 011 asked.

"Nothing, I just… had a weird feeling about this place is all." Kurt said with a hum.

"What like… that "funny" feeling you had last week in training?" Margaret asked with Kurt tilting his head from side to side.

"Something like that, yeah." Kurt said.

"Is it a good one or a bad one?" John asked.

Kurt didn't answer at first, looking up at the sky. "Guess we'll have to find out."

-8 days later-

"MOVE, MOVE." John yelled aloud, the entirety of the 75 Spartan-II's running as fast their legs could carry them.

Pursuing them was a swarm of Wyyyschokks, being led by an albino one that was ahead of the large group of spiders.

The Spartans were all ragged, dirty, cut up and exhausted.

They had been enduring the trials of the Shadowlands for 13 days now and they were now on their 14th day. The last day of the two week goal that Mendez and Tarfful had set for them.

The Origin tree was straight ahead. They just had to climb the damn thing.

As they drew closer to the roots of the tree, Sam-034 spotted a familiar sight to them up to this point.

"Jumper plants, straight ahead." Sam said aloud.

"They're called Lung Plants, Sam, get them right." Kelly said, rushing past him.

"Come on, they're gaining on us." 028 said, running towards the Lung Plants with the others.

"Form up a perimeter." Jerome ordered, those who reached several of the Lung plants making a barrier while the rest catching up were sent ahead to use them.

As the Spartan-II's began using the long plants to jump ahead to higher parts of the tree to get away from the Wyyyschokks, the ones that remained used spears, bows and arrows along with other makeshift weapons in holding back the spiders.

Some had large pieces of bark from the giant trees, managing to carve them into shields of sort as they used them to bash the spiders back while the ones behind them stabbed at their eyes with their crafter spears.

In essence, those defending in the perimeter were utilizing a shield wall to hold back the spiders like many warriors of old from Earth's ancient history.

"Guys." Sam said aloud. "We can't hold them like this for long."

"We have to." Kurt declared. "Otherwise, they'll just chase after us up the-"

*BOO WOOOOOOOOO*

Suddenly, from above, a giant shadow appeared which caused many of the Wyyyschokks to panic.

A moment later, a gargantuan avian creature landed before the Spartan-II's and promptly snared up several of the spiders with the rest beginning to flee.

"What the hell is that?!" One of the Spartans cried out in complete shock.

"It can't be." Kurt muttered. "They're supposed to be a myth."

"We can talk about it as sure as we're safe." Jerome said, the Spartans all scrambling to safety.

They were all soon resting within an opening platform. All were either laying down, leaning on or seated as they tried catching their breath.

"Ok…." One of the Spartans was on the ground. "Now… can anyone… explain to me…. What that giant bird was supposed to be."

Nobody responded at first though several looked to Kurt who had the animal guide that Randall had taken in his hand.

"I couldn't believe it when I saw it, but there's no doubt about it." Kurt opened it to a particular page. It displayed the large avian creature that had unexpectedly saved them moments ago. "Shyyo Bird. They are perceived as protectors of Kashyyyk's native Wookiees and Wroshyr trees. Sightings of the bird were known as being a guarantee of peace for the viewer."

"So does us being alive count as peace?" Fred remarked with a dry tone.

"Well, we are breathing." Sam added. "So does that count?"

"Why'd that bird even save us?" 093 asked.

"It eats those spiders." 037 stated. "And we had an entire buffet follow after us."

"I think..." Maria-062 spoke up. "That we should just be happy we got such a lucky save. Let's finish this mission."

With no one offering any counter arguments, the 75 Spartan-II's shakily rose back to their feet and pressed on.

The sun was setting by the time they had reached their marked destination.

It was a Wookiee made platform where Chieftain Tarfful with Chief Mendez awaited their arrival.

Both could hardly suppress the looks of pride upon seeing the entirety of their trainees arrive on the last day just in time before Kashyyyk's sunset.

They were soon well rested, fed and were clothed in proper clothing once more and were now within a ship that would take them back to Reach.

"Spartans." Mendez said aloud, walking in front of them with his arms folded behind his back. "I must say that you have all performed in an exemplary manner these past two weeks. You have survived one of the harshest known environments in the entire galaxy with ingenuity, tenacity, unwavering determination and conviction to see it through to the end."

Tarfful let out a few barks, roars and growls of open pride as he regaled them with the tales of the fabled Wookiees that had survived the Shadowlands as well as the recent string of extremely skilled humans and even rarer selection of Mon Cala.

"You have done beyond what we had expected and then some." Mendez said. "Your first outing into the Shadowlands was successfully accomplished with flying colors."

"Sir, permission to speak freely sir." Jerome spoke up.

"Go ahead Red Leader."

"First Outing, Sir?"

Mendez and Tarfful exchanged knowing looks with the latter huffing in amusement.

"That's right, Red Leader." Mendez stated. "First outing."

Behind their two commanding officers, a display appeared of the map of the terrain that they were given. The map then began to zoom out to show a much larger forest and chunk of land that was under the label of the Shadowlands.

"You didn't think that was there is to the Shadowlands, did you?" Mendez asked with a gleam in his eyes. "What you all did was beyond impressive for individuals your age. But that was only one portion of it. The easiest one for that matter."

There was an audible sound of several of the Spartans gulping at the prospect of taking on the rest of the Shadowlands when the part they had apparently survived was crazy enough as is.

"We will all return here one day." Mendez declared. "But that will not be for a long time. Until then, we have many more years of training ahead of us to prepare you all for that day. When that day comes, each of you will conquer the Shadowlands as fully fledged Spartan-IIs."

A feeling of fierce determination was felt from the Spartans with Tarfful nodding in approval.

For now, they had completed the most dangerous training regime up to date as of right now.

They could take great pride in the fact that they could now be considered among the best of the best, even if it was only one portion of the Shadowlands.

Next time, they'd conquer it all.

Kurt-051 Journal entry 23

I figure if there was any time to have one, it should be for what me and my brothers and sisters managed to accomplish in this past training mission.

The Shadowlands was a place we had heard about and it was mentioned several times during our lessons.

But to actually enter the place and survive?

It's not much, and honestly, I don't want it to be.

But I'm proud of what we were able to do these last two weeks.

With this, we can overcome anything.

I know it.

End of Journal Entry

Linda-058 Journal Entry 34

Training went on as per usual.

It's been two years officially yet feels far longer than that.

The days feel random at times.

Some feel like a blur while others appear to stretch on.

We don't really mind it.

We have each other.

Gray Team has been getting separate training however due to their behavior. I'm not surprised with how many times they've attempted to escape by this point.

At first I thought that they really wished to get out of this program but recently, Sam and Kurt told some of us that they do it for the thrill.

Thrill seeking Gray team, the… outliers if you could call them that of the program.

Other than that, we've moved on now to emphasizing our specialties.

It feels natural holding a Sniper Rifle. Like a missing limb I never knew I wanted…

I think I'll go practice again.

End of Journal Entry.

Anton-044 Journal entry 16

I don't do a lot of these that often but I feel like for this one, it's worth it.

We just got back from what was basically our vacation.

After being dropped off on the colony world of Emerald Cove, we stole Mendez's air tanks to survive and found an island where we spent a week making bonfires, baking clams and other sea life and even surfing.

It was… really great to actually relax.

We didn't realize how much we needed it but…

Maybe after another few years we can come back again.

That island is ours now.

We marked it with our numbers and team emblems.

If we ever don't, least we still had a grand time.

End of Journal entry.

Catherine Halsey, Program Journal entry #47

They are coming along as expected.

Feels like that's how I open every one of these reports but in all honesty, it feels natural.

I was not expecting the Shadowlands however.

When Mendez and Tarfful informed me of their next training mission, they hardly gave me room to question them.

They simply packed the necessary equipment and left Reach the next day.

This certainly wasn't in my program but… after seeing just how well they had improvised and survived the Shadowlands, I couldn't begin to express my pride in just how far they had come.

And I knew they were only going to get better from here.

Hearing that they had actually gone on a vacation to Emerald Cove was also another more amusing surprise if anything.

No disciplinary charges were needed.

They had earned that much after their ordeal on Kashyyyk.

End of journal entry.

Mendez Mission Report # 32

The Spartan-II's are truly beginning to live up to their namesake.

Their performances in the last few tests were exactly the boost they needed in stepping up their capabilities.

The Shadowlands have proven that not only can they reach the limits has been set for them, they can surpass them.

Surviving for two weeks and creating the tools necessary for survival shows that even with hundreds of years of technological advancements, the ingenuity and instinctual need for survival is strong and present in these Spartans.

These will wind up being the finest soldiers the UNSC will ever see.

There is also the matter of Emerald Cove.

It is difficult not to get a laugh out of the thought that they would go so far as to steal my own air tanks to survive my sabotage.

Then to go and get some free time for themselves.

Tarfful couldn't stop laughing upon finding out what they had done.

Hell, even I couldn't hold down a smile.

They even went out of their way to get the Chieftains favorite meat and my favorite brand of cigars, Sweet Williams.

Guess they earned that reprieve in more ways than one.

End of Mission report.

Tarfful Mission Report.

The pups grow stronger with each passing day, week, month and year.

Each one has grown into their roles, picking up on what we have taught them and begun showing their fields of specialty more openly.

It is good to see that while they are united under the banner of Spartan, they are all still capable of displaying their own individuality.

When I was called upon for this program, I was hesitant and unsure.

But after seeing what we have with these pups, I believe the future of the UNSC is secure with them. Our brothers and sisters among the stars and allies of the Mon Cala will one day look back on these Spartans as the greatest heroes this galaxy had ever seen.

End of Mission Report.

2520

UNSC Colony world Biko.

August 2nd.

Biko Colonial Hospital.

Within a spacious room rested a single woman within a hospital bed. Her hair was jet black with hazel eyes and skin like porcelain. In her arms rested a newborn baby, sleeping peacefully.

The woman holding the baby was silent, a serene smile on her face as she gently rocked her newborn daughter in her arms.

She was humming quietly, making sure not to wake her child.

A moment later, her ears picked up on a soft knock at the door.

Looking up, she saw her door open with another woman walking in with a man. They were carrying a few small bags with some balloons.

Well… mostly the man.

The woman was carrying something much heavier on her.

"Janet." The resting newly-minted mother said in a soft voice. "How are you?"

"My feet are killing me." Janet whined, resting her hand over her baby bump. "I just want our baby boy to be out already. You should know how annoying that is, Wanda."

Wanda only smiled knowingly, turning to Janet's husband.

"How's she been treating you, Reggie?" Wanda inquired.

Reggie only shrugged, walking over to set down the gifts and balloons next to Wanda's bed.

"Well, she throws up often and complains about back pain every other day of the week." Reggie listed off. "Other than that, she's great."

Wanda only chortled until she heard a soft whimper.

Quickly looking down, she saw that her daughter had awoken with her bright silver blue eyes staring up at her.

"Hello little one." Wanda said lovingly. "I have a few new friends I would like for you to meet."

Both Reggie and Janet stood to Wanda's side as she displayed her newborn daughter to them, the latter of which cooed in adoration.

"Oh, she's so precious." Janet gushed. "What's her name?"

"Miranda." Wanda answered. "Miranda Lawson."

"She's beautiful." Reggie said kindly. "July 30th right?"

"Yes, three days ago." Wanda said, carefully holding her daughter out to Janet. "Would you like some practice?"

"Yes please." Janet said, with as much tenderness and cautiousness as she could as she took Miranda into her own hands.

The baby girl stared up at Janet with open curiosity, making a few noises of confusion.

"Hi there." Janet said with a beaming smile. "I'm Janet, your new auntie. You and I are gonna get along wonderfully. Say hello to your Uncle Reggie."

Janet then passed Miranda over to her husband with the man taking the little bundle in his hands.

"Hey Miranda." Reggie greeted with a kind tone. "It's a pleasure to meet my new little niece. Hope you get along with our own soon to be new arrival."

Reggie crouched lower to his wife's stomach, holding out Miranda towards it.

"You'll be meeting your new friend pretty soon yourself." Reggie stated with a wide grin.

"I'm glad that Miranda won't be alone." Wanda said with a relieved expression. "Have you decided on a name for him?"

"Yup, Carter." Janet said, resting her hand against her stomach.

"Doctors told us we should be expecting him later this month." Reggie said, handing Miranda back to her mother. "They're saying by their estimates to be around either the 26th or 27th of August."

"Where's Henry?" Janet abruptly asked. "Has he been here yet?"

"We had a conversation the other day." Wanda said offhandedly. "He's off world for the most part right now."

"Couldn't he make it back for the birth of his daughter?" Reggie asked with a disapproving look.

"Reggie, you know how busy of a man Henry is." Wanda pointed out.

"Yeah, but having a family is just as important a job as the one he has." Reggie countered with his arms crossed to display he wouldn't budge on this matter.

"Reggie." Janet scoffed at him. "Now isn't the time for it. Just be happy Wanda finally had her daughter and be glad for it. You've got a niece to take care of now."

"You know she's not really our niece, right Janet?" Reggie countered though there was no denying him being happy all the same.

"Oh hush, Reggie." Janet said, seating herself in an empty chair beside Wanda's bed.

Later this very same year, many individuals were born that would one day play a role in the coming conflicts to come during this century.

Future Spartans and other key individuals who would change the foundation and future of the galaxy itself.

All the while, the training of the first class of Spartan-II's continued on with the trainees becoming stranger, smarter and faster as the months went on.

Insurrectionist activities increased with the advent of full-blown civil war drawing closer and closer.

In preparation for the future phases of the Spartan-II program, Taun We began her work ahead of time with her contacting her team on Kamino to begin the next steps as they had discussed with Halsey years prior.

While life went on for the UNSC, other civilizations and empires were having their own conflicts and problems that would one day collide with the rest of the galaxy as a whole.

For now, those were years away, close as it may be.

Whew, alright, this was a marathon sprint but damn happy that it was done so quickly.

There was so much more that could have been done in this chapter but I figured we can save that for another date and time.

Not much that I could think of to say really other than what to expect next time.

The part of this crossover I bet some of you have been wondering about and what Bullet and I will address next time.

BSX: Were finally diving into the Mass Effect species perspective and timeline of events. What SW species have joined the Citadel will very much surprise you.

Yeah, we got some real special surprises in store for you guys.

BSX: Two things I like to address, one is questions about UNSC Fleet composition and numbers, all will be revealed in due time and the roles they'll play. Second is the Shadowlands route if you haven't noticed it is from Jedi Fallen Order for those who are wondering. As for lightsabers making appearance, that's a no unfortunately, sorry for those who wanted it but like I said the Jedi and Sith won't make appearances and Kyber crystals don't exist in the story.

So other than that folks, we'll see you next time.

Rate Read and Review and as Always Have Nice Day.