Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo - MechWarrior/BattleTech crossover. Thank you all for your continued support, I greatly appreciate any feedback that I receive.
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Delta Halo
Beneath the Library
November 27th, 2552
The first thing that Chief saw when he came to was a dark, dimly lit hallway whose walls were moving by him. What, he thought, confused at first; then he felt something constricting him, as though some massive boa constrictor was wrapped around him. Looking down, he saw a tentacle that was dragging him along through the hallway. Struggling, he found that it's grip on him was like Endo Steel.
Before he could figure out what was going on, he felt himself being hefted into the air by the tentacle. At the same time, he found himself entering what appeared to be a chamber of some kind. There was very little light, save for a soft, white glow that emanated from the ceiling of the chamber.
It was what had dragged him in that gave him pause. To him, it looked like a massive, snake-like protrusion from somewhere beneath him, as he couldn't see that far into the dark. The surface of the creature's skin was a sickly pale color, though it was clear that this creature was what counted for healthy. Then he realized what it was: a member of the Flood. Even Cortana, with the extensive records she had from Alpha Halo, was initially stymied by what she saw. "What is that?" she asked.
"I?" came a deep, gravelly voice that rumbled throughout the chamber. At the same time, the snake-like protrusion turned around, revealing itself to be an ugly parody of a head. Three fleshy flaps with small gaps near the back extended over a pair of jaws. The other jaw had long, sharp teeth, while the inner jaws had red colored parodies of lips. A moment later, the creature spoke again. "I am a monument, to all your sins."
That was when it hit Cortana. "Chief, this isn't a Proto-Gravemind. It's a real Gravemind!"
When he heard that, Chief knew that he was between a rock and a very hard place. According to the information that Cortana had retrieved from Alpha Halo, Graveminds were the most dangerous form the Flood could take. Biologically immortal beings, they were far more intelligent than most living beings, with only AI's being able to match them in intellect.
It was during moments like this that Chief felt legitimate fear. The emotion began to roil up inside of him, threatening to burst to the surface. Almost immediately, he thought he could hear Mendez saying, Get a grip on yourself, Spartan. Spartans feel fear, but keep it under control. Swallowing slightly, he pushed his fear back down to where it belonged.
At the same time, he noticed a flicker of movement to his right. Much to his surprise, it was an Elite, two as a matter of fact. Both of them were struggling in their bonds, though one was, much to his surprise, growing tentacles and other limbs in an attempt to break free. As they were brought closer, he said, "Relax. I'd rather not piss this thing off."
"DEMON!" One of the Elites roared in surprise, his voice deep and commanding, like sandpaper across one's face.
"Relax, Arbiter," the other replied, stopping his struggles once he realized he couldn't break free. "I do not wish for this place to be my grave, not yet." While the other one was disgruntled, he relaxed, if only slightly.
The Gravemind huffed, bringing Chief closer somewhat. "This one is but nerve and metal, and has it's mind concluded."Bringing the Arbiter over, it said, "This one is but flesh and faith, and is the more deluded." Pulling the second Elite closer, as it dangled the Arbiter upside down while shaking him, it said, "This one is much like the second, but it's mind and form is more fluid."
"I wonder what he means by that," Cortana whispered to Chief.
"I have a feeling we'll find out soon," Chief replied.
"Kill us or release us, Parasite," the Arbiter snarled, clearly angry, "but do not waste our time with talk!"
"There is much talk," the Gravemind countered. "And I have listened. Through rock and metal and time. Now I shall talk, and you will listen." With that, it brought up two more tentacles. One was wrapped around a Monitor, likely the one for this installation. The other, much to Chief's surprise, was much thicker and had someone else, someone that he recognized from the day before: Regret!
"Looks like the Gravemind brought him back from the dead," Cortana remarked. "Given how the Flood operates, I shouldn't be surprised."
I'm not, Chief thought, having seen the Flood's resuscitation powers for himself.
Moments, later, the Monitor said, "Greetings! I am 2401 Penitent Tangent, Monitor of Installation 05."
Moments later, Regret, despite suffering immense pain, strained out, "And… I am the Prophet of Regret, Councilor most High… Hierarch of the Covenant!"
Looking around, Pentient Tangent quickly caught sight of Chief and the others. "A Reclaimer?" it asked. "Here? At last! This facility must be activated if we are to control this outbreak!" Looking at the second Elite, it said, "Strange, you have the markers consistent with Flood infestation, but you are still under your own control. Fascinating…"
"Stay where you are!" Regret ordered. "Nothing can be done until my sermon is complete!"
"Not true," Penitent Tangent flatly countered. "This installation has a successful utilization record of 1.2 trillion simulated and one actual. It is ready to fire."
This really made Regret mad, as he turned to the Arbiter and said, "Of all the objects our Lords left behind, there are none so worthless as these Oracles! They know nothing of the Great Journey!"
"And you know nothing about containment!" Penitent Tangent snapped back, having finally lost patience. "You have demonstrated complete disregard for even the most basic protocols! How the Flood have not escaped, I do not know!" The force with which it spoke was more than enough to silence Regret.
That was when the Gravemind resumed speaking. Giving a disgusted huff as it spoke, it said, "This one's 'containment'… and this one's Great Journey… are the same." Lowering it's tentacles, it ignored Regret's shrieks of fear as it spoke some more. "Your Prophets have promised you freedom from a doomed existence, but you will find no salvation on this ring. Those who built this place knew what they wrought. Do not mistake their intent, or all will perish as before."
For a moment, the Arbiter, upon hearing this, stopped his struggles, looking at the Gravemind with stunned curiosity, with the other doing the same. Chief chose this moment to speak up, as he said, "This thing's right. Halo is a weapon. Your Prophet's are making a big mistake."
The Arbiter was about to speak up when the second Elite said, "Why? Why would they lie to us if that is the case? What do they have to gain from all of this?"
"Bero…," the Arbiter began.
"Arbiter, now that I think of what the Parasite says, it all makes sense. Why else would they try to kill the both of us? Is it to move us out of the way, or is it to stop us from keeping them from making a grave error?"
Chief had to admit, Bero made a very good point. It would explain why they're down here, he thought. The Prophets don't want anyone to stop them, so they're removing the people that are capable of doing so. It was an insidious, but brilliant, master plan.
Apparently, Bero's questions seemed to please the Gravemind, as it pulled Bero closer and said, "This one is the less deluded. His mind is not as clouded as the former." Pulling the Arbiter closer, it said, "If you will not hear the truth, then I will show it to you. There is still time to stop the Key from turning, but first it must be found."
Pulling the three closer, it pointed it's head at each one, saying, "You two will search one likely spot, and you will search in another. Fate had us meet as foes, but this ring will make us brothers." As it said this, Chief, Bero and the Arbiter both disappeared into portals as they formed. With that, the Gravemind was left to it's purposes once more.
. . .
Unbeknownst to the two, things were quickly escalating back at High Charity. For once, the WarShips in the Covenant fleets had turned on each other, and were very busy attempting to destroy each other. Outside of High Charity, ships fired at each other, with some being blasted apart by powerful munitions.
Inside High Charity itself, things were even more tense. Outside the entrance to the High Council Chambers, there was a massive protest going on. Jackals, Skirmishers and Grunts were all yelling at the tops of their lungs, while a few were throwing items at the Brutes guarding the entrance. A few attempted to get inside, only to be kicked and shoved backwards, knocking others over like bowling pins.
Inside the High Council Chambers, a Grunt was busy making sure a holographic camera was pointed directly at Truth and Mercy, the former of which was holding the Index. "We are, all of us, gravely concerned. The release of the Parasite was unexpected, unfortunate.
"But there is no need for panic. In truth, this is a time to rejoice! A moment that all Covenant should savor! For the Sacred Icon has been found! With it, our entry into the Divine Beyond guaranteed! The Great Journey is nigh… and nothing, not even the Flood can stop it!"
While he was speaking, the Grunt thought it heard something behind it. Turning around, it saw a yellow-gold portal that had formed out of thin air. Suddenly, a large, green object that looked reminiscent of the Humans came through, landing on a knee.
With a grunt, Chief landed on his right knee, using his hand to stabilize himself. Looking up, he found himself looking at a large chamber, with some chairs arranged in a manner like stadium stands, as well as a large pane of what appeared to be glass. Two Brute Guards were present, along with what he realized were two of the Hierarchs. Looking down, he noticed a Grunt that was looking at him, eyes wide with shock and fear, a Needler in it's hands.
Instead of rushing forwards, Chief, remembering the skittish nature of Grunts, simply said, "Boo."
That had the desired effect. The frightened Grunt, with a loud yelp, jumped and ran as fast as it could, it's Needler flying into the air. Reaching up, Chief grabbed it, before pointing it directly at Truth and Mercy. Spotting the danger, the two Brutes shielded the Prophets with their pikes. "Kill the Demon!" Truth ordered, hitting a control on his console, causing a lift below him and Regret to descend.
"Brutes!" Cortana shouted. "The faster you can kill those Brutes, the better!" Nodding, Chief fired off a full burst, with six Needler rounds embedding themselves into a Brute. Moments later, there was a massive explosion of magenta colored shards as the crystals super-combined, blasting the Brute apart in a shower of blood and gore.
"They don't have shield generators, but take them out before…" Suddenly, Chief watched as the other Brute, now that it was alone, roared and dropped it's weapon, before leaping directly at him. "It's berserking!" Cortana shouted. "LOOK OUT!"
Spotting it, Chief reflexively reached backwards for his Hawk Eagle sidearm. Much to his relief, his hands found the familiar weapon, before extending it outwards. On autopilot, his fingers pulled the trigger once, twice… Before long, the Brute toppled over dead, the handgun's slide locked to the rear as all the rounds were fired. "Cortana?" he asked.
"I've got it," Cortana replied. "Looks like your weapons are still on you. You've got around four mags left for your M42D and your handgun has just three mags left. I recommend saving ammo by using the enemy's whenever possible."
"Got it."
Just as he said this, Chief heard the deep voice of a Brute coming over the PA. "The Demon has infiltrated the Council Chamber! Protect the Hierarchs! Seal the exits!"
"Oh, I don't think so," Cortana replied snarkily. Just as she said this, side doors opened up, with Brutes and Grunts coming out, while the lift returned with two more Brute Honor Guards. Exchanging his handgun for the Needler he dropped, he opened fire with the foreign weapon.
Just as he did, another surprise presented itself. Suddenly, twenty Skirmishers appeared on the stands, ten on either side. It quickly became a clusterfuck for the Brutes and Grunts, as carbines, Plasma Rifles and other weapons were discharged, filling the air with projectiles and plasma bolts. Eventually, all the hostiles in the room were dead.
One of the friendlies, a Skirmisherl, approached Chief, her weapon lowered to the ground. "Do not shoot, Demon!" she said to him. "We are not enemies!"
"Who are you?" Chief asked.
"Chiv'Kir's second in command," she replied. "She wishes to speak to you from her WarShip." Holding up her gauntlet, she activated a holoprojector, with a miniature version of the Ship Mistress appearing over the gauntlet.
"Demon," she said to Chief. "It is good to see you alive and well. When we heard you had vanished, we feared the worst."
"What's the situation?" he asked, once Cortana confirmed that the others were part of Xhov's insurgents.
"The Covenant is up in arms," Chiv'Kir replied. "The Hierarchs have removed the Sangheili from the position of power they once enjoyed. Now, they are killing as many Sangheili as possible. It's genocide!"
Just like with our species, Chief thought. Now they're in the same boat as Humanity is. Looking at Chiv'Kir, he said, "I don't suppose you have a plan."
"We do," Chiv'Kir replied. "Truth has the Index, and we have to stop him by any means necessary. I have my best specialists slicing the systems that you need. We'll open any doors that are along Truth's path to the Forerunner Dreadnought. We also have caches of ammo that we smuggled onto High Charity in the event that your forces invaded."
"There's a Forerunner ship here?" Cortana asked.
"Yes," Chiv'Kir replied. "The Covenant are using it to power High Charity. You'll see it when you move outside. It's the large, triangular building directly in the center of the station's habitable region itself."
"What about the Elites?" Chief asked.
"We're rescuing as many as we can," Chiv'Kir replied. "I know they are enemies, but they don't deserve to be obliterated; no species deserves that fate, aside from the Flood. Besides, what was that saying you Humans have? 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend?'"
"She's got a good point," Cortana admitted to Chief. "The Elites might be more willing to support us if they know that we're going to help them against the Brutes while we find Truth and Mercy."
"Noted," Chief replied. "Can you spare anyone?"
"Yes," Chiv'Kir replied. Barking something out in a dialect Chief's helmet didn't translate, she had two Skirmishers come over to her holographic projection, one wearing crimson colored armor, while the other wore green armor. "Cohr, Vezor, you two will accompany the Demon in his mission to stop Truth and Mercy. Do whatever is necessary to complete the mission. I will speak with the Sangheili Fleet Masters so that we can save as many as possible. Understood?"
"We obey," Cohr and Vezor replied, with the holographic call ending moments later. Cohr, who wore the orange armor, walked to Chief and said, "Our weapons are yours, Demon. We will slay your enemies at your command." Chief merely nodded before proceeding forwards, weapons in hand.
The hallways beyond were filled with Covenant forces that were moving to retake the Council Chamber. Weapon ready, Chief opened fire with his rifle, while Cohr and Vezor moved to the left and right, using the side paths above the main pathway to flank the enemy. Rifle barking, Chief continued forwards.
Any Covenant that got in his way were slaughtered. Grunts jerked and exploded as HEAP rounds tore through their body armor, while plasma burns and gashes opened up on Brutes that Cohr and Vezor targeted. Leaping into the air, Vezor let out a particularly terrifying screech, extending two plasma blades from his gauntlets before leaping into the fray. Limbs and blood flew through the air as he cut his way through the Covenant like a lawnmower through grass.
Eventually, after passing through a small chamber, they exited the building and came to an outside ledge. Looking around, Chief spotted floating spires that were being rotated around on gravity beams. Up ahead, he could see a Gravity Lift set into the floor. Looking up more, he could see the skyline inside of High Charity. Towering, organically shaped buildings dominated the landscape, while he saw a large, triangular structure in the center of a shaft of light, likely the Dreadnought Chiv'Kir mentioned earlier.
The massive ledge was also dominated by Brutes, hostile Jackals and Grunts. Spotting a Grunt moving a plasma turret into position, he opened fire, blasting the alien apart with the rounds in his rifle. Spotting incoming Brutes, Cohr aimed his T-51 Carbine and opened fire, sending poison green shards of radioactive crystal down range while Vezor quickly closed the distance to his targets.
"Ah," Vezor smiled as he cut a Brute apart with his weapons. "The sweet smell of Jiralhanae blood. I shall be drinking the blood of my enemies before long."
Chief, even as he gunned down another Brute, looked at Cohr. Sensing his concern, Cohr said, "Vezor has always had a hatred of the Brutes. They killed his mother and father when he was just a hatchling."
"Will he be a problem?"
"No. Vezor might be thirsty for Jiralhanae blood, but he is not a fool. He never hurts any Brutes that are not fighters, only those that have taken up arms for the Covenant. He is no war criminal." Spotting something, Cohr kicked open a crate, before tossing something to Chief. Snatching it, Chief found that it was ammunition for his M42D.
"How'd you get this onto the station?" he asked.
"When you're working for a master smuggler that teaches her art, you become very good at finding excellent hiding places anywhere you are," Cohr replied. As they approached the Gravity Lift, more Covenant came out, along with a Brute that was wielding what looked like a launcher that had a long, sickle-shaped blade beneath it. "Look out!" he shouted. "BRUTE SHOT!"
"Watch it!" Cortana warned Chief. "Brute Shots are grenade launchers! They'll ablate your armor fast!" In response, Chief opened fire, nailing the Brute Major in the head with four HEAP shells. It's head exploded like a watermelon, splattering brains everywhere.
Once the Brute was dead, Chief thought he heard a pinging sound. "I've got it," Vezor replied, activating what looked like a holoprojector on his gauntlet. Moments later, Chiv'Kir appeared over it. "Yes, Ship Mistress?"
"My specialists report that Truth is moving through the lower levels," Chiv'Kir informed them. "Demon, you must proceed down the Gravity Lift if you wish to pursue him. Also, we have found a surprise: there are captive Marines below your position."
"Where are they?" Chief asked upon hearing this information. "How did they get captured?"
"They must have captured them in the thick of the fighting on Delta Halo," Chiv'Kir replied. "They are currently located in the prison in this tower. You needn't worry about them, though. I will send some Sangheili loyal to our cause to rescue them. They are likely aware of our insurrection."
"Understood," Chief nodded. With that, he proceeded forwards, weapon in hand.
. . .
While this was going on, Chiv'Kir was working frantically, both to rescue as many Sangheili as she could, while avoiding having her WarShip, the CCS Penitent Freedom, being damaged or worse destroyed. As such, her hands were flying over the holographic displays on her command chair. "Vorek, make sure our shields remain strong! I do not wish for this place to be my grave," she ordered.
"On it," Vorek, the Ibie'Shan in question, replied. As he carried out the order, he said, "Shields holding at 70%. If we're careful, we'll avoid the worst of it."
"Shovoir, establish a BattleNet communications channel with any Fleet Masters," Chiv'Kir ordered. "We need to save as many as we possibly can!"
"At your command," Shovoir replied. "BattleNet channel is open, Ship Mistress. You may speak."
Clearing her throat, Chiv'Kir began speaking. "To all Sangheili Fleet Masters that can hear me, this is Ship Mistress Chiv'Kir speaking! The Jirahanae have been ordered by the Hierarchs to cast down your species and to kill as many as possible, just like with the Humans. If they succeed, then they will murder all of your kind!
"I beg of you to hear my words! If you wish to see your species survive, to see your childlings live to see a future where we are all free of the Prophets and their lies, then rally to my words! Show yourselves as allies, and help me save as many as we can! Please, I beg of you!"
For a full minute, there was silence as she awaited a response. Then, she heard a voice say, "This is Ortas 'Voramee. Your words ring true, Ship Mistress. Fellow Warriors of the Sangheili, rally to her words! If we do not, we will all perish at the hands of the barbaric Brutes!"
That had the intended effect. One by one, most, if not all, of the WarShips still controlled by the Sangheili turned green on a holographic display Chiv'Kir was looking at. Only a few remained white, indicating neutral, before eventually turning green.
Moments later, one of her officers said, "Ship Mistress, your words must have rallied more than the Sangheili here. I am seeing hundreds of Slipstream Space Ruptures in our region. One of the ships has been identified as the Sublime Transcendence! It's the Combined Fleet of Righteous Purpose!"
The Sublime Transcendence, Chiv'Kir wondered, confused for a moment. Then it dawned on her. That is the flagship of Imperial Admiral Xytan 'Jar Wattinree!
That name stirred both hope and fear in equal amounts inside of her. Xytan 'Jar Wattinree was one of the most revered Sangheili in all of the Covenant, with some holding him in far greater regard than the Hierarchs. Rumors had it that he never failed at a given task, was extremely intelligent, and was generally a nightmare for any enemy to face.
If he is here, then this must be serious indeed, she decided. Some part of her hoped that he would be able to look past his deep fanaticism for the Forerunners to see the truth for himself: that Humanity were the ones that would reclaim what the Forerunners had left behind.
A moment later, she heard a deep, commanding voice say, "This is Imperial Admiral Xytan 'Jar Wattinree to the Penitent Freedom. I have heard your words and I am coming to assist you in your efforts to save the Sangheili on High Charity. It seems as though the Hierarchs have finally betrayed us."
"That they have," Chiv'Kir replied, surprise and trepidation oozing into her voice. "I did not expect you to arrive here at our time of greatest need. What brings you here?"
"The truth," 'Jar Wattinree replied. "My eyes have been opened to the truth, and now I seek to ensure that it survives. Do what you can to save as many as possible. I will engage the foul Jiralhanae and draw them off. Save as many as you can."
Relief blossomed in Chiv'Kir's heart as she heard those words. "As you command, Imperial Admiral," she replied. Turning to the others, she said, "Well, what are you waiting for?! We have innocents to save!"
. . .
In the meanwhile, Chief, Cohr and Vezor were still cutting a path through to the Prophets. Weapons blazed as they fired on any Brutes and Brute led forces that stood directly in their path. Dropping a mag, Chief smoothly reloaded his weapon as he took cover.
As he did, he looked around at the situation. They weren't the only ones that were fighting. Just a few minutes ago, he had heard an impassioned plea from Chiv'Kir to the surviving Sangheili to rally to her cause to survive. Given that they were trapped and facing annihilation from the Jiralhanae that once served them, many Sangheili were more than willing to accept the escape route that had just presented itself.
As such, there were many Sangheili that had rallied to their position. One of the Elites, a SpecOps named N'tho 'Sraomee, was leading the ten-odd Sangheili that had rallied to their position. So far, he was doing an excellent job of coordinating rescue efforts, while assisting Chief in getting to the Prophets. In addition were the Marines they had rescued.
As for where they were, it was in a place that Chief hadn't expected. According to N'tho, they were inside of what was the Mausoleum of The Arbiter, where the protector of the Great Journey and Covenant were usually interred after death. It was directly behind where Truth and Mercy had gone too.
Right now, though, they were embroiled in the middle of a massive firefight against the Brutes that had occupied the Mausoleum. Bullets, laser beams, crystals and plasma bolts filled the air as they engaged the Brutes. Blood of all colors splattered the ground, along with any severed limbs. Organs from disemboweled Covenant and Insurgents lay on the ground, along with the casualties of the fight.
Hearing a screech of pain, Chief looked to see Cohr holding what was left of his arm, his eyes wide with agony as he stumbled into cover. "AAAUUUUGGGHHHH!" he screamed as Vezor grabbed onto him. "HELP ME! HELP!"
"Hold still," Vezor shouted as he pulled out some medical supplies from a pack on his armor. "I have to stop the bleeding!" Cohr, hearing this, tried to do so, but the pain was so intense that he was unable to stop writhing in pain. His screams of agony were loud enough that even the Sangheili were wincing from the sound.
The agonized sounds were more than enough to motivate Chief. Spotting the leader of the Brutes, a Chieftain that had a Gravity Hammer, he immediately decided on a plan to kill the Chieftain. As he did so, his adrenal glands went active, while his neural processes accelerated. He had entered Spartan Time.
Time around him seemed to slow down, until it appeared as though the others in the room were moving through a very dense liquid. Bursting forwards, he moved through the air at such speed that he was almost a blur of movement. Two Brutes were in the way, which he resolved by smashing his armored fists into their faces, shattering their skulls and brains in the process. Leaping over a corpse, he used the head of a Brute as a springboard, pulping the alien's skull while leaping through the air.
Landing in the middle of the group, he fired his rifle at the Chieftain, the bullets seemingly moving in slow motion. The Chieftain had no time to react to the projectiles, it's head exploding from the HEAP rounds that pulped it's brain. Grabbing the Gravity Hammer, Chief began to use it to deadly effect, smashing Brutes that were in the way, while sending others flying through the air.
The others, seeing the opportunity, pressed forwards, gunning down the Brutes as they struggled to regroup. "HAHAHA!" N'tho roared as he cut down a Brute with his Energy Sword. "The Demon has given us the opening we need! Forward warriors! To victory and escape!"
With this rallying cry, it was all over for the Brutes. Before long, their corpses and blood decorated the room like a macabre scene from some film. Walking over to Vezor and Cohr, Chief asked, "Will he be fine?"
"Yes," Vezor replied. "He'll need a replacement arm, though. The one he has is damaged beyond repair."
As he said this, N'tho approached Chief. "Demon, we will evacuate at the shuttle platform beyond. I suspect that Truth and Mercy are going there as well." Nodding at that, Chief advanced towards the door.
As he did so, Cortana said, "Hang on, I'm picking up two more transponders! It's the Commander and Johnson! They're closing in on Truth's position, Chief! They'll need your help!"
"They were captured by Tartarus," N'tho explained to Chief. "It's likely that they're being held hostage. If you wish to free them, Demon, you must move, NOW!" Nodding at that, Chief proceeded through the doors, weapon ready.
. . .
At the Phantom ledge, Miranda Keyes was roughly pushed forwards as they advanced. Looking around, she could see what appeared to be ships entering High Charity. The Covenant's really being hammered, she thought. I hope Xhov's insurgents know how to rescue us.
Her train of thought was interrupted when Tartarus said, "Split them up! One in each Phantom." With that, she was roughly shoved towards one Phantom while Johnson was pushed towards another.
As Tartarus approached Truth and Mercy, he bowed as Truth gave him the Index. "The hopes of all the Covenant now rests on your shoulders, Tartarus," Truth told him.
"My faith is strong," Tartarus replied. "I will not fail." Hearing something, he turned around to see a group of bulbous creatures coming towards him. "The Parasite!" he roared. "Protect the Hierarchs!" One approached him, only to be smashed like a bug with his foot. The others also quickly acted, crushing and stabbing any Infection Forms before they got too close.
One, though, managed to slip past their defenses. It leaped at Mercy, knocking him off of his anti-gravity unit. Shouting in pain and fear, he fought to keep the thing from getting to him, even as it's tentacles wrapped around his neck. Tartarus, seeing Mercy's plight, moved to help.
"Let him be," Truth ordered. Tartarus, surprised, stepped back. Before he could utter a word, Truth looked down at Mercy and said, "The Great Journey waits for no one, brother… not even you." With that, he boarded the Phantom, while Mercy struggled with the parasite.
A few seconds later, the anti-gravity beam that accessed the area activated, with Chief and his team dropping down from the entry way. Reaching the bottom, he ran over towards the Phantoms as they took off. "Damnit!" Cortana groaned. "They got away. We'll have to catch them later."
Spotting Mercy, Chief walked over, weapon in hand, as the others spotted more incoming Phantoms. "Your pal," he asked. "Where's he going?"
"Earth… to finish what we started," Mercy honestly replied. "And this time, none of you… will be left behind…" Reaching down, Chief pulled the Infection Form off of Mercy and popped it. Mercy, as he faded, whispered, "I'm coming, Regret." A moment later, he went limp, the life leaving his eyes forever.
"Truth's heading for the Forerunner Dreadnought," Cortana realized. "If he leads the Covenant fleet to Earth, they won't stand a chance. You have to stop him!"
"That Brute has the Index," Chief argued. "And Miranda and Johnson. He can activate Halo."
"If he does," Vezor countered, "Chiv'Kir has ordered one of her ships to detonate upon landing on Halo. It's not an original solution, but it'll do the job. On top of that, Earth's defenses were recently bolstered."
"How?" Cortana asked.
"The Star League," Vezor replied. "According to our friends in the SLDF Fleet, they got a massive shipment of reinforcements. Apparently, they have a way back home to the Inner Sphere."
"That's a relief," Cortana remarked.
Just as the friendly Phantoms arrived, things took a turn for the worst. Hearing another Phantom, Chief looked to see a badly damaged one crash land on the platform behind and above them. "Well, shit," was all Cortana remarked as they saw Flood forms piling out. Chief, in reply, simply cocked his rifle and prepared for war.