Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my remastered Halo - MechWarrior/BattleTech crossover. Thank you for your continued support. I greatly appreciate it.

By the way, I noticed that very few people reviewed the previous chapter, and that has me worried. If there is something wrong with the previous chapter, then I am more than happy to make corrections. Please let me know if there is something wrong, and I will endeavor to improve upon it.

Also, I will be updating my Halo/Star Wars crossover sometime soon. I have not abandoned it, but updates will be slower than normal due to research that I will be conducting. Either way, thank you for your patience and continued support.

As always, leave a review and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Halo or MechWarrior/BattleTech franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of Microsoft Game Studios, 343 Industries, Bungie, FASA Corporation, FASA Interactive, Catalyst Game Labs, Piranha Games Inc, etc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their respective developers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises is of my own invention. I do not own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to it's original composers and/or artists.

Next Move - MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries OST

Forerunner Installation

Approaching Alpha Base

September 19th, 2552

The thrusters of the Anhur whined quietly as the VTOL transported Chief, and the survivors that they had rescued, to the new UNSC/SLDF Fire Base, known henceforth as 'Alpha Base.' Looking around, he could see Marines that were being tended to by SLDF Corpsmen that were using Portable Medical Monitors, Field Surgical Kits and VTOL installed Life-Support Units to keep them stable and alive. The other Marines were seated in impact cushioned seats. Each one looked tired and weary, and more than a few had cuts and bruises that were also being tended to.

Chief let out a quiet sigh. Sights like this were all too common throughout the war, including the current year that the conflict was taking up. The one noteworthy change is that the SLDF has brought their expertise along, he thought. Without them, casualties would be far higher than before, and we would've suffered more casualties when Reach was invaded. Now that he thought about it, he was curious as to what happened to Reach once the Autumn had entered Slipstream Space.

"Hey," Cortana asked him, jarring him out of his idle reverie. "You alright?"

"Yes," Chief replied. "Just thinking."

"I know what you mean," Cortana agreed. Apparently, she could see the SLDF Corpsmen and their equipment, as she said, "I have to admit, mounting a Life-Support Unit inside of an Anhur IV is quite the feat, even with advanced Omni-Pod technology. Their equipment also appears to be more advanced than UNSC equivalents."

Just as she said this, there was a loud, insistent beeping from the LSU closest to Chief. Looking that way, he noticed that the Marine was going into hypovolemic shock, with his heart beat becoming wildly erratic as his heart struggled to pump blood to the rest of the Marine's body. Almost immediately, SLDF Corpsmen were on the job. "I need 360 volts stat!," a Corpsman shouted.

"Charging," another man announced as he activated a manual defibrillator unit. As soon as it was charged, he placed it on the man's chest and shouted, "Clear!" As soon as everyone cleared the immediate area, he triggered the device.

Chief watched as the Marine's body jerked, courtesy of 360 volts running through the man's body. For a few seconds, the heart monitor showed no heartbeat, then moments later, the device showed a normal heartbeat. With the medical emergency over, the Corpsman said, "Alright, I need a blood transfusion and a accompanying IV ASAP, or this guy'll continue to suffer hypovolemic shock! Gerald, if the Marine needs a neural shock, get the equipment ready!"

With the drama over, the other Marines returned to tending to their injuries, though a few kept a close eye on their brother-in-arms. Chief knew the feeling all too well. He won't be able to survive another incident like that, he thought, just as an SLDF Corpsman set up a blood bag with an accompanying IV cable.

A brief moment of turbulence jarred the VTOL, not enough to hurt anyone, but enough that everyone could feel it. At the same time, the Anhur began to turn towards the left, before it began to descend down towards the ground. Within a few seconds, a small portion of Alpha Base came into view. Once they landed, the Marines quickly piled out, with the medical personnel helping the wounded get to a better stocked medical center.

Getting out of the VTOL, Chief looked around at the area. From his position, he could see that the SLDF and UNSC had set up a number of fortifications, from Advanced Ferro-Fibrous barricades, to machine gun nests, anti-tank rifle bunkers and mortar positions. While there were no walls, there were enough of these entrenched positions that walls would've mattered little anyways. In addition, each of these fortifications were built at the only entrances onto the mesa that Alpha Base was built on.

As for air threats, he could tell that the SLDF had solved that problem quite handily. Four Rifleman's were on station, as well as a pair of smaller JagerMechs that were serving as support. In addition, a number of DropShips were currently stationed here, and they had a number of supplies inside as well.

Just as he would've continued to examine the temporary base, a Marine came up to him. "Sir, Colonel O'Donnell wishes to speak to you. Follow me." Nodding, Chief proceeded forwards, with the Marine leading him to the temporary CIC that had been set up.

As he walked along, he took a look around at the various dwellings that had been set up by the survivors. Half of the tents that were present were standard UNSC, memory polymer tents that were standard issue for the Army and Marine corps. The other half, however, were what appeared to be large, bubble tents, each one capable of housing a dozen people at a time. Moving through one, he noticed how the temperature went from being fairly hot, to very comfortable, indicating climate control systems. In addition, he noticed an SLDF Advanced Power Pack that was installed into part of the tent.

"Interesting," Cortana noted. "I didn't know the SLDF had access to tents of a design like this. I guess I need to read up on how they do things when they're out on extended combat patrols. There's even a basic sanitary system in here. Very interesting." Chief had to agree, even as he spotted an SLDF Marine moving into a small room before closing the door behind himself.

As they continued to move through the base, they came to the tent that was serving as the CIC for the entire place. Inside, he could see what looked like a holotank, with a map of the entire Forerunner Installation being displayed for all to see. Officers, both UNSC and SLDF, were currently moving around, with technicians making sure that the holo-tank was working normally.

Next to the holotank were three individuals that Chief knew he would take orders from for the duration of their stay here at Alpha Base. The first one he recognized as Commander Carter, one of the Spartan III's that had been brought along for the mission. The second was Colonel O'Donnell, who was now the current Commanding Officer of the entire surviving force. Finally, there was a man that Chief didn't recognize, though his HUD ID'd him as one Major Antonio Silva, an ODST that had been stationed on the Autumn. As soon as he was standing in front of all three men, he immediately saluted.

"At ease, Chief," O'Donnell replied, with the Spartan II marginally relaxing. "Normally, I'd tell you that we've been doing well, but I think you can see for yourself what's going on around here. The Covenant forced us to evacuate the Pillar of Autumn during the attack. We took out a large number of CCS-class BattleCruisers, but we're still in hot water. Carter, if you could."

Manipulating the holomap, Carter brought up images of what was going on, along with a map of Alpha Base and current Covenant locations. "Right now, we're holed up on this mesa, here," he explained to Chief. "We're calling it Alpha Base for the time being, and it'll serve as our HQ for the duration. Recon drones indicate that the Autumn crash landed here, on the shores of what appears to be an inland sea, or what equates to an inland sea on this ring. Those same drones have detected large amounts of Covenant forces at this bluff and in what appears to be a canyon formation here." Two areas of the holomap were highlighted in blue, indicating where the Covenant were at, as well as the Autumn's location."

"We also have something to report as well," Cortana informed O'Donnell.

"Really," the SLDF Colonel asked. "Did you find out what happened to Keyes? We believe he's been captured, but we're not fully certain if that is the case."

"Yes," Cortana replied. "Captain Keyes was captured by the Covenant shortly after we crash landed. Apparently, one of the crew betrayed him to the Covenant in exchange for something, though I'm certain that only Keyes is alive now."

"Fuck…"

"… but I know where he's being held as well. According to traffic on the Covenant BattleNet, they're holding him aboard a CCS-class BattleCruiser known as the Truth and Reconciliation. It's currently hovering 300m above the bluff that you've highlighted. If we act quickly, we can rescue Keyes and mount an effective resistance against the Covenant."

"Good," O'Donnell nodded. "We had recon drones fly over the region using Null Signature Systems, and we've got a good idea as to what you'll be looking at. At least we can get him back."

Pulling up some images, Carter said, "According to recon flyovers, the bluff is dominated by small ravines that are wide enough for a Spartan to move through. Unfortunately, the Covenant are expecting an attack, as they've set up Shade Turrets in the area, and we believe that their Captain has ordered regular patrols in the area. If we hit them, we'll have to hit 'em hard and fast."

"My ODST's can handle that," Silva said confidently. "We've trained for boarding hostile warships, including Covenant ones. My boys can get in there, kill the Covenant, rescue the Captain and get out of there stat. We'll lose people, but we'll get the Captain back."

"A good plan," Carter agreed, "but you will need heavier fire support in order to minimize casualties. You'll probably want to take Chief and Emile along, maybe Shaw if possible."

"We can handle the mission without Spartans, Commander."

"And I know you can, but you'll need someone that can get you moving if you're pinned down. Chief, Emile and Shaw can help you eliminate heavy firepower, while you can handle the infantry and rescue the Captain. It's a win-win scenario."

Silva looked as though he was going to protest, but it was clear that he knew Carter was right. "Very well," he said, resignation in his voice. "If that's how you want to play it, then we'll play it that way. I'll make sure the others are ready to go. See you later." With that, Silva left the CIC.

"That was… interesting," Cortana remarked.

"Major Silva's always been prejudiced against the Spartan Corps," Carter explained, both to Cortana and O'Donnell. "The ODST's used to be the top dogs when it came to the UNSCDF. Now that the Spartan Corps' been formed, there's been quite a bit of friction."

"I'm not surprised," O'Donnell agreed. "When the Elemental Command for the SLDF was formed for the Army Command, the Special Forces Command branch had quite a bit of friction there as well. It's normal for a new branch to star rubbing on the others. Fortunately, a few hidden wars that Houses Davion, Kurita and Liao instigated for stupid reasons solved that problem fast. I guess the best way for military branches to get used to each other is combat. I have no doubts this friction will fade with time."

"Hopefully," Carter nodded. "I don't want to be the match that lights Silva's fuze."

O'Donnell was about to speak when the group heard people moving around the tent. Walking outside, O'Donnell said, "Ah, looks like the Mjolnir's Twin has just arrived." Moving outside, Chief spotted the spheriod DropShip quickly coming in for a landing. Some scorch marks on the amor indicated a brush with Covenant patrols, but the DropShip looked as though it wasn't harmed badly. The ground shuddered moments later as the DropShip landed safely.

Once a minute passed, one of the 'Mech Bay Doors opened, allowing a few BattleMechs and some Combat vehicles to move out. A long line of UNSC Marines walked out of the DropShip, with the Marines quickly reaching the camp. Listening in, Chief could tell that they were in a good mood, though an attack that happened en transit had shaken them up a little.

"Man, that was a really cool experience," one Marine remarked. "I have to admit, if that is what SLDF, or even Clan DropShips look like on the inside, I wonder why they didn't arrive any sooner. We could've used those early in the war."

"I agree," another Marine nodded. "I got to check out the lounge in there. Did you know they have arcade machines set up in there?"

"No, I didn't."

"You missed out, dude. They can play games while waiting for a combat drop. Why don't we have any of that?"

"Because we don't need it," another UNSC Marine remarked. "Besides, I was more interested in the in-flight food. It's military issue, but it's really good food. I have to admit, that's probably the best meal I've had in a while."

"Tell me about it."

As the Marines moved on, Chief spotted Alex walking over, with the Elstar making sure that all Marines were accounted for. "Hello again, Chief," Alex beamed. "I trust that you had a safe journey here?"

"Yes," Chief replied. Turning to O'Donnell, he asked, "Further orders, sir?"

"None at this moment," O'Donnell replied. "For now, Chief, get some rest and get ready for a rescue mission. Carter and I will finalize the details. Dismissed."

As Chief began to head out, Alex said, "Chief, I think you need some time to settle down and socialize with others that are like you. Besides, a man that is all work and no play is not only dull, but heading for a nervous breakdown. Even Clansmen like me need to unwind every now and then."

"I need to prepare for the mission," Chief stated.

"And you will be," Alex insisted. "With the amount of training that you have, I estimate that you will only need ten minutes to be fully prepared. Besides, your armor needs maintenance. I'm seeing ablation on some of the Advanced Armor that your Power Armor was refitted with. Without that, you will be injured if a plasma bolt penetrates your shields."

Normally, Chief would've protested, but he knew that Alex had a good point. Working armor was always a must when one was fighting the Covenant, along with a working weapon. After a moment, he conceded the point and said, "Alright. What do you have in mind?"

. . .

This is not what I had in mind, Chief thought as he found himself in an arm wrestling match with Shaw, one of Alex's men. Around him, a few UNSC Marines were cheering him on, while the Elstar in question was cheered on by a few Clansmen that had defected to the SLDF during the Clan Offensive. Nearby, Marines and ODST's were doing their best to relax, having already prepared for the mission ahead.

It was about twenty minutes since Alex had brought Chief onboard the Mjolnir's Twin in order to get some much needed R&R, with the Spartan being parted from his armor while an Engineer worked on it. He didn't like being outside of his armor, as he felt naked and unprotected without it, a pair of feelings that he had come to associate with danger. Still, the armor needed maintenance, and the Huragok in charge of said maintenance was more than capable of getting the job done quickly.

While his armor was in maintenance, he was brought up to the lounge/mess hall for the DropShip. Currently, the cook was cooking up a storm, with appetizing odors coming from the kitchen as said cook worked to make meals for men that were larger and stronger than the average human being. Alex was sipping on a Federated Malt, a mildly alcoholic drink that was popular in the SLDF, while one of the crew was playing cards with a UNSC Marine, Private Jenkins if he recalled correctly. Jenkins was losing the game of cards thus far, and the scowl on his face showed it.

"Ugh," Shaw grunted as he continued to contest the Spartan II's physical strength. "You are strong, for a freeborn Warrior. Where did you get so strong?"

"I can explain that," Cortana replied. She was currently inside of a holotank that Alex had carefully separated from the computer network for the DropShip, which prevented her from gaining access to any classified information onboard. "Chief was recruited by the UNSC in order to participate in the Spartan II program."

"How young was he?"

"Around recruiting age for the UNSC: 18 years. Once he was recruited, he was put through a series of experimental trials that involved heavy augmentations, genetic and otherwise. Out of the 75 personnel that were chosen by Dr. Halsey, only thirty eight or so survived."

"Damn. That is a 50% mortality rate.."

"The augmentations were in a prototype stage. Still, those Spartans survived and successfully passed all military trials." After a moment, she asked, "So, what about you? When did you become a Clan Elemental?"

"Around eighteen years of age," Shaw replied, "but I was genetically engineered from birth to be an Elemental. It was when I was fully grown that I received my nanotechnological augmentations, as well as a slew of other genetic augmentations when Clan Wolf chose me to become an Elstar. It is a very harsh experience, but a rewarding one should you survive."

"What happens to the washouts?"

"Alex?," Shaw asked as he continued to arm wrestle Chief.

"I can explain," Alex replied. "In the Clans, including my own, there are six Trials that can be invoked by all members of the Clan. The one that Shaw is referring to is the 'Trial of Position.' We use that trial to determine who will become a new member of the Warrior caste. Before that, however, each Clan Warrior undergoes very stringent and harsh training. Those that wash out are placed into the lower castes, where they are put to use in other areas.

"Should they survive the training, however, they must defeat another Clan Warrior in a Trial of Position. The two combatants face each other in battle using the vehicles, if they are Elementals and MechWarriors, they were trained to use. Once a certain location is chosen, they battle in an arena that is known as the 'Circle of Equals.' Those that succeed in the Trial of Position are inducted as Warriors for the Clan."

"And those that fail?," Cortana asked.

"Are killed in the Trial," Alex said simply.

Cortana was silent for a few moments as she processed what she had learned. "They die by the other Warrior's hand if they fail?" When Alex nodded, she said, "That sounds a little harsh, doesn't it."

"No," Alex replied. "When one enters training in the Warrior Caste, they are made firmly aware of what will happen if they fail the Trial of Position. Most choose to embrace it as a final challenge, one that they must succeed at in order to achieve their goals. The Trial of Position proves the efficacy and worth of the methods used to train each Warrior. If they succeed, they become a Warrior; if they fail, then a member of the Warrior Caste that would have weakened the Clan is eliminated. It sounds harsh and unforgiving, I know, but that is the way my Clan, and the other Clans, have operated for centuries, and I doubt that it will change any time soon."

"Oh," Cortana remarked. "Reminds me of Major Mendez. He trained the Spartans, along with the AI Deja Vu." With that, she turned just in time to see Shaw lose to Chief in the arm wrestling match, much to Shaw's grudging approval.

What she didn't know was that Alex believed that she was lying. You do not achieve that level of skill and experience without having been trained from birth, or at a very, very young age, he thought. When we get back, I will ask Chernenko how the Spartans are truly trained. I have a feeling that it is more akin to that of the Clans than Cortana is willing to share. Still, that would have to wait until they got back to the rest of Naval Fleet Delta.

As he thought that over, he felt a twinge of pain in his right arm. I know what that means, he thought as he rubbed the offending limb. Time to check the limb to see how it is doing. With that, he left the lounge and began heading to the medical section of the DropShip. It was time for a checkup.

. . .

Onboard the Seeker of Truth, Thel 'Vadamee was going over the last of the after action reports from the skirmish that the remnants of his fleet had with the Pillar of Autumn. It had been a hard couple of weeks since they had pursued the fleeing warship on orders from the third Fleet Master, and it was easy to see why. In addition to the ongoing Kig-Yar Insurrection, they were having to deal with a human faction that was near technological parity with the Covenant, a prospect that was unsettling to say the least.

There was some good news to this entire predicament. The first was that he had learned the name of their new adversary. The Star League Defense Force, he recalled from memory. I must admit, I did not know that the Humans had more than one faction. I thought they were, more or less, a unified government like the Covenant. It appears as though I was wrong.

A moment later, he discarded part of that assumption, and it wasn't hard to see why. The way their attack vessels were designed, along with the weapons they used, indicates a large technological gap between this 'SLDF' and the UNSC, a gap of at least three hundred years or so. That begs the question: how did they become so advanced, and where did they come from? It was a paradox that he was currently grappling with.

Hearing a chime from the door to his quarters, he turned and said, "Enter." Moments later, a tall Sangheili wearing SpecOps armor walked inside, before it closed behind him. Almost immediately, Thel recognized the newcomer. "R'tas 'Vadumee," he stated as the other Elite walked closer. "I assume you have returned from your mission, yes?"

"I have, Fleet Master," R'tas replied. "I know where the heretical Humans have scurried off to."

"Do tell."

"They have taken up shelter on a mesa that is not far from a holy relic. I would suggest glassing them, but we cannot risk damaging the holiest artifact that the gods have left behind for us to find. As such, all I can do is investigate the area and determine their next course of action."

Ah, yes. Halo, Thel thought, the very word bringing no small amount of joy, and anticipation, to his hearts. The search for the Sacred Ring was one of the greatest objectives that the Covenant had. The Hierarchs, the leaders of the Covenant, believed that Halo would provide them the opportunity that the Forerunners of legend had: the opportunity to achieve apotheosis. To become gods that were immortal and all knowing.

Unfortunately, the heretical Humans had gotten to Halo and, despite all odds, had landed on the sacred ring, which precluded an orbital bombardment given Halo's sanctity. Their warship was far more durable than I believed it to be, he thought to himself as he remembered the engagement. Even a direct strike on their main weapon wasn't enough to destroy it, and the hull was not compromised during the engagement. Now the heretics are desecrating Halo with their filthy footsteps. It was a thought that made his blood boil.

Controlling his anger, he said, "Very good, Commander. Have you determined a weakness in their fortress?"

"Not yet, unfortunately," R'tas replied. "The Humans are very aware of their predicament, and have set up defenses. In addition, they have more of the machines that the survivors of the failed planetary invasion encountered."

That made Thel frown. The machines that the Humans called 'BattleMechs' were, by far, the most terrifying aspect of ground warfare that the Humans had devised, aside from their warships. Reports from ground units that had made it to the planet had indicated that these were towering, robotic war machines that could tear apart an entire regiment of Wraiths, while surviving damage that would otherwise destroy any ordinary Human vehicle. "What kind of 'BattleMechs' do they have?," he asked.

"We believe they are using anti-aircraft 'Mechs," R'tas answered. "As for their capabilities beyond that, I do not know. I have not witnessed them in battle yet, so I cannot give a definitive answer on what we are facing. They have numerous larger craft, though their destinations are unknown as of now."

"I see," Thel remarked. After a few moments of silence, he pursed his mandibles before saying, "You have done well, R'tas. Continue with these missions, but be prepared for any missions that I have to send you on. The Prophet of Stewardship has been rather… adamant as of late, that we obey his commands."

The mention of that Prophet made both R'tas and Thel growl slightly. As soon as the Fleet of Particular Justice, or what remained of it, had arrived at Halo, the Prophet of Stewardship had quickly determined it to be a holy artifact. Unfortunately, he had also claimed that the mission was now a 'religious matter' and had attempted to take command of the operation.

To Thel, this was unthinkable with the current situation. "We cannot risk the heretics landing on the Sacred Ring," he had told the Prophet. "If that were to happen, we would be branded as Heretics and forever banished from the Great Journey." Unfortunately, the Prophet of Stewardship had refused to listen to his reasoning, thus far, which meant he might have to physically relieve him of his command.

"Indeed," R'tas remarked. "I do not believe that Prophet should be in command of this operation. With the Humans roaming around-"

"I know," Thel interrupted. "For now, though, we cannot disobey. If he attempts to subvert my command, however, I will see him removed for insubordination and subversion. That much, I can guarantee." After a moment, he said, "Carry on with your duties, R'tas. You have done well."

"It will be done, Fleet Master," R'tas nodded, bowing before he left the room. With his solitude restored, Thel turned back to the holographic display and brought up a communications channel. Moments later, the face of a Sangheili Zealot that he knew appeared on the feed. "Ship Master 'Ravamee," he said, "how goes the interrogation?"

"Not well," 'Ravamee replied. "The Human known as Keeze is proving to be extremely stubborn and willful. Thus far, he has withstood our attempts to drain him of the information in that heretical mind of his. I recommend taking him to High Charity so that we can use our more… extensive methods on him."

"If necessary, then we will do so," Thel agreed. "What is the status of your ship repairs?"

"They should be completed tomorrow. I increased patrols in order to counter any Human efforts to stop our progress. If the Humans attack, we will be ready for them."

"Good. Carry on with your duties, Ship Master." With that, the COM-link ended, allowing Thel to return to his duties. He had a lot to do, and not a lot of time to do it.