Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo - MechWarrior/BattleTech crossover. We are nearing the middle of the Halo 3 story arc. As such, we have only three more chapters, and an epilogue to go. I want to say thank you all for your support and feedback. It's been a wild ride so far, and I hope it continues to be one to the very end.

Also, I wanted to make an announcement. I will be adding more choices to the poll that is currently displayed on my profile. I am also writing a new crossover, for those of you that wanted a break from BattleTech. I won't bore you with details, but I will say it involves a franchise with a grim and dark setting. Either way, I'm eager to see where it goes from here.

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.

Installation 00

Intergalactic Space

December 20th, 2552

The bridge of the Shadow of Intent was quiet as the ship soundlessly plied it's way through the non-dimension of Slipstream Space. In the command chair, R'tas 'Vadum was looking at the estimate for when they would arrive. It will not be long now, he thought, both eyes focused on the timer that was winding down to zero. Soon, we will defeat the coward where he has hidden, and our species will have it's revenge.

Looking at another readout, he could see the signatures of other WarShips that were plying along. It would take them the better portion of a year to get there, he thought, remembering the range the K-F Drive had. Fortunately, the WarShips could use the Slipstream Space Portal to get to the Ark, while using their intra-system FTL drives to make the trip faster.

As he thought this over, he heard one of his officers say, "Ship Master, we are about to exit Slipstream Space. Shall I have the warriors prepare for battle?"

"Yes," R'tas replied. "I would not be surprised if the Brutes chose to fire on us the moment we entered realspace. Prepare weapon systems." While his officers prepared for battle, he sat back in his command chair, ready to issue orders when the time was right.

Moments later, the Shadow of Intent rumbled as it exited the non-dimension of Slipstream Space. A rift in the fabric of space and time ripped open, with the Shadow of Intent quickly making the transition from Slipstream Space to realspace. All around that rift, other Slipstream Space rifts opened as well, with more Sangheili WarShips appearing out of the non-dimension.

Looking at a video display, R'tas could see the Ark in all of it's glory. To his utter astonishment, it was an enormous space station, far larger than Halo, or even High Charity itself. The station was shaped like a flower that had opened, with eight 'petals' that extended outwards from a circular center. Four of the 'petals' were large, while the other four were smaller, and located in-between the larger ones.

Even from this distance, though, R'tas could see the ethereal beauty of the Ark itself. Large tracts of desert and grassland could be seen, along with forests, massive lakes and clouds. It was a true work of art, even by Forerunner standards. I wonder what this place was used for, he thought to himself. Was it their Capitol, or was it a safe haven in times of war.

His thoughts were interrupted when he spotted contacts on the sensors. A moment later, a bridge officer reported. "Brute ships in a staggered line! Shipmaster, they outnumber us, two to one!"

"Then it is an even fight," R'tas decided. Keying the BattleNet Transceiver for the WarShip, he said, "All cruisers, fire at will! Burn their mongrel hides!"

. . .

Onboard the SLS Wisconsin, Chief and the others were boarding a Pelican that would take the surface of the Ark. Alongside them were SLDF Marines, as well as UNSC ODST's, all of them prepped and ready to take the fight to the Covenant. This is it, Chief thought. The war is entering it's final days, from what I can tell. A moment later, he asked, "Cortana, you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Cortana replied. "What about you?"

"Always." With that, he entered the cockpit of the Pelican, along with Sergeant Johnson, who quickly took the co-pilot seat.

"Ma'am," Johnson asked, "what's the situation?"

"Truth's ship isn't taking part in the attack," Miranda replied. "He must've gone to ground."

"Then we'll pursue him," Chernenko said over the same frequency. "Miranda Keyes, your WarShip will assist the others of it's size in the battle."

"Affirmative."

"Alex Conners, are you on the same line?"

"Affirmative," came Alex's voice. "What do you require?"

"You will assist the Master Chief in the ground battle once he and his team clear out an LZ. Once you are there, deploy your BattleMechs and provide fire support wherever it is needed. Understood?"

"Aff, sir. The Covenant will learn to fear the SLDF and Clan Wolf."

"Good. Chernenko out." With that, the COM line went dead.

"You heard the lady," Johnson shoted. "Hocus, kick the door!"

"Affirmative," Hocus, the pilot of the Pelican replied. Moments later, the Pelican was released from the holding clamp inside of the Wisconsin, before they turned towards the hangar bay. Moments later, they launched, before they angled downward towards the planet. "Sir," Hocus reported, "I've got an SLDF AeroSpace Wing requesting permission to provide cover fire for our Pelicans."

"Tell them to tag along," Johnson replied. "We'll need cover to get to the planet safely."

Looking outside, Chief could see the naval battle that was starting to begun. The SLDF WarShips, now that they could use their K-F Drives, had performed a Jump in order to get closer to the Covenant fleet. Now, he could see pulse lasers, PPC's and Gauss slugs tearing through the void of space, smashing against their Covenant counterparts.

Suddenly, the Pelican lurched as Hocus manipulated the controls, and it wasn't hard to see why. Looking up, Chief spotted Kai-class Seraph fighters that were closing in, with some already opening fire. Just as they did, pulse lasers and missiles smashed into their shields, forcing the enemy AeroSpace Fighters to break off. Moments later, SLDF AeroSpace Fighters zipped overhead, their weapons firing rapidly as they provided cover fire for the Pelicans that were flying towards the surface of the Ark.

As the Pelicans began to enter the Ark's atmosphere, Chief walked towards the back, before pulling out the Sniper Rifle he'd chosen for his mission. The SRS-99c was one of the few UNSC weapons that hadn't been replaced by an SLDF counterpart, mostly due to it's killing power, accuracy and range. Taking a magazine out, he slammed it into the magwell, a satisfying click indicating the mag was locked and ready.

"We good, Hocus?" he heard Johnson ask over the COM.

"She's a little cooked, Sergeant Major," Hocus replied. "But she'll hold."

"Alright. Pop the hatch!" With that, the troop bay hatch opened up, with sunlight pouring inside. Looking outside, Chief found that they were in the middle of what appeared to be a large desert of some kind. Sand dunes could be seen off in the distance, while they appeared to be close to a number of rock formations. The sun, or what passed for the sun here, shone brightly, with heat waves rising off of the ground.

"That's some view," an ODST remarked.

"Enjoy it while you can, Marines," Johnson agreed. "Soon as we land, we're right back to it. Priority one: secure a landing zone for Alex's DropShip. Keep your eyes and ears open. We need all the intel we can get… on whatever the hell we are." Moments later, the Pelican landed on what appeared to be a cliff edge that towered over the rest of the desert. "Stand to Marines!"

"Oh-raah!" the others shouted. Moments later, the Pelican landed with a muted thump.

"Go, go, go!" Johnson shouted. Almost immediately, everyone piled out, weapons ready as they moved forwards. Looking ahead, Chief spotted another Pelican that landed, with more ODST's and SLDF Marines getting out. In addition, two Sangheili clambered out, their weapons glinting in the sunlight.

One walked over to him and pressed a fist against it's chest, the traditional salute for Sangheili warriors. "Greetings, Demon," the Sangheili spoke, his voice deep and musical. "Do you remember me from High Charity?"

"N'tho," Chief nodded simply. "I take it that's Usze with you."

"Yes," N'tho replied. "It brings us great honor to assist you in your efforts. Now, we must press onward. My weapons thirst for Brute blood." Nodding, Chief and the others began to move forwards.

As they did so, one of the SLDF Marines looked up, his eyes widening behind the visor. "What the hell?" he asked out loud, clearly amazed. "Is that our galaxy?"

Looking up, Chief spotted what the man meant. Hanging above their heads, like a beautiful display of lights, was an immense galaxy. The stars that were glowing in said galaxy were all manner of colors, from blues and whites, to yellows, greens and reds. The glowing center had a small bar that smoothly transitioned into the curved arms.

"That might be," Cortana replied. "We haven't seen the galaxy from this place. For all we know, it could be another one entirely."

"Hey, focus," an ODST chided the Marine. "We've got a job to do." With all conversation at an end, they pressed onward.

As they moved upwards, Chief wondered where the other SLDF Marines had disappeared off to. Moments later, he got his answer when a patch of sand moved. Moments later, an SLDF Marine wearing sand colored armor said, "Chief, eyes on", before pointing with his thumb behind him.

Looking behind the Marine, Chief spotted what the Marine meant. In a small, circular depression up ahead, he could see a Covenant encampment. Most of the hostiles were Grunts and Jackals, though he spotted a few Brutes in the mix as well, mostly Minors and Majors. "Got a good angle," the Marine informed him, before setting up what appeared to be a Gauss Rifle. "You take the first shot."

Nodding, Chief got onto his stomach, before taking aim with his Sniper Rifle. Moving the rifle, he rested the crosshairs onto the Brute Major, while a green marker on his HUD indicated where the SLDF Marine was aiming: one of the Minors. Once he was on target, he quickly, but smoothly, squeezed the trigger.

There was a loud KRA-THOOM as the Sniper Rifle fired. In a handful of milliseconds, a 14.5mm APFSDS round zipped through the air, before smashing into the helmet of the Brute Major. In an instant, the energy shields the Brute's Power Armor was projecting was shattered, before the round smashed through a weak point in it's armor and penetrated it's skull. The Brute Major's head exploded in a shower of blood, gore and bone matter, with the body dropping like a marionette who's strings had been cut.

The other Brute that was targeted met a similarly grizzly end as well. A 5mm ferrous slug tore through the air at hypersonic velocities, overwhelming the Minor's energy shields before smashing through the armor. That Brute was promptly bisected, with the kinetic energy of the impact sending both halves tumbling end over end.

Shocked, the Grunts and Jackals panicked, running this way and that as they worked to avoid being killed. The surviving Brute Minor attempted to restore order, only for another slug to vaporize his skull. With the leaders dead, the others were quickly neutralized in short order. Before long, the Jackals and Grunts were dead, their mangled bodies lying everywhere. Blood coated the sandy ground like paint.

With all hostiles down, they continued to advance, weapons ready as they moved forwards. Reaching a cave, they advanced forwards, purple lights lighting the way for them as they reached the next area. Up ahead, there was a similar encampment, but with a major difference. "Chief," Cortana informed him. "Looks like they're attempting to set up a Mantis AA Cannon here. I've also detected a path that leads up and towards a door in the cliff side."

"Noted," Chief replied. Setting up again, he spotted a Jackal that was keeping overwatch of the area, a Beam Rifle in it's hands. Down below, he spotted more Brute Majors, Grunts and Jackals, as well as a pair of Hunters. A Phantom that was present was lowering in the upper portion of the Mantis AA Cannon. Not wasting any time, Chief fired on the Jackal with the Beam Rifle, splattering it's blood and organs all over the Mantis.

The moment he did that, the Phantom hurriedly pulled away, while the SLDF Marines equipped with Gauss Rifles opened fire, killing more Brutes and Jackals. That was when something happened that had Chief surprised. The Hunters didn't fire on them; instead, they turned on the Brutes and Jackals, their Fuel Rod Cannons blazing as they cut down the Brutes. "Traitors!" one Brute shouted, before his upper body was vaporized by a Fuel Rod shell. Within seconds, all of the Brutes present were dead.

Getting down into the lower area, Chief watched as one of the Hunters approached. Once it was close enough, it spoke, it's voice more felt than heard. "We have been waiting for you to arrive. We serve the one known as Xhov."

"Is that why you fired on the Covenant," Chief asked.

"Yes," the Hunters replied. "Xhov requested that we embed ourselves in Truth's fleet. We obeyed, waiting for the chance to show our true inclinations. Now that you have arrived, we shall bring death to the Covenant, and liberation to your kind, and those that reject the Prophet's lies. Follow us. We shall clear the way ahead." With that, the Hunters began to move forwards. Reaching the door set in the cliff, they moved inside.

Even as he headed towards the door, he could hear the sounds of gunfire coming from inside the door. Once they stopped, he looked inside. What he saw was a grizzly scene; Jackals and Grunts had been flattened to literal paste, their blood, bones and organs splattered all over the ground. The same went for the Brutes, with one being stuck to the ceiling, it's body falling down to the ground when Chief looked inside.

"Damn," Cortana remarked. "Never mess with a Hunter that means business." Chief nodded, even as they proceeded past the macabre scene. Moving through another door, they exited into what appeared to be a canyon, with their location being sheltered by a large, rocky ledge.

Moments later, he spotted a Longsword fighter zooming overhead, part of it's armored chassis smoking. "We're pulling out," he heard the pilot shout. "Our armor took a major hit!" Looking down, Chief spotted a Pelican that had landed. It's right front thruster was smoking, but the vehicle had been able to make a safe landing.

Moving down the sandy ramp, he came to the bottom of the depression. As he did so, some UNSC Marines clambered out. One approached him and saluted, saying, "Private Chips Dubbo reporting for duty, sir!"

"What's the situation?" Chief asked.

"AA Wraiths hammered our Pelican," Dubbo reported. "We managed to land, but we lost the right thruster on the front side. We spotted a suitable LZ for you up ahead. We managed to bring along a vehicle that can get us there." He motioned with his finger to the vehicle that the Pelican had been carrying: a modified Badger IFV.

"Good work," Chief nodded. "We'll take command from here. I'll have Alex send a transport for you and the others."

"Yes, sir," Dubbo saluted. As he and the other Marines waited for an EVAC, Chief and the others clambered inside of the IFV. Moving into the cockpit, Chief manned the cockpit, while the others clambered inside of the Troop Bay. Once everyone was seated, they began to drive forwards.

As they did so, Chief spotted hostiles on the sensors. Moments later, two Brute vehicles zoomed into view. They looked like large pontoon boats, only the 'pontoons' were passenger seats, while the center had a gunner, as well as a driver in the back. "Prowlers!" Cortana reported. "I learned about them from Chiv'Kir's specialists!"

"Understood," Chief nodded. Looking at the Marine that was manning the guns, he said, "Take them out."

"Got it," the SLDF Marine replied. Moments later, emerald beams of light winked in and out of existence, while a pair of SRM's flew through the air. The first Prowler was quickly disabled, the pulse lasers making short work of the armor and power plant inside. The second Prowler shuddered from the first two missiles, before another two smashed into it, piercing it's power plant. The enemy vehicle was promptly ripped apart by the exploding power plant, with shrapnel flying through the air.

They continued onward like this, eliminating any Covenant holdouts that were in the canyon. Passing by what appeared to be a massive Forerunner Wall, they noticed Sentinels that were flying overhead. "Careful," Cortana warned Chief. "The Covenant triggered a defense system." When they didn't fire, she said, "Huh, I guess they were expecting us."

As they drove on, Johnson's Pelican flew overhead. "Ma'am", he reported, "Hocus nearly got her wing shot off. But we spotted a big structure on the other side of this wall. It matches Cortana's description of the map room on the first Halo ring."

"A Cartographer," Miranda Keyes beamed. "Good. Should help us fix Truth's location. Secure the LZ, then we'll push through that wall."

"Roger that," Johnson replied. Switching frequencies, he said, "Follow my Pelican, Chief! The LZ's this way!"

"Thanks," Chief replied as they drove onward. He didn't skip a beat as the gunner fired a pair of missiles at a pair of Covenant Ghosts, blasting the lightly armored vehicles apart with ease. Spotting a cave, he advanced through it, with the LZ coming into view on the other side.

There, he could see a massive space that was more than wide enough for a Union-class DropShip to land at. A rock formation in the center lay just beyond a depression in the ground. Unfortunately, the area was occupied by enemy forces, as Chief spotted two AA Wraiths, a single normal Wraith, a number of Prowlers, as well as vehicles that Cortana ID'ed as Brute Choppers. The latter were ugly affairs, with two large wheels in the center, a cannon on either side, and the driver seat in the back.

"Take out the Choppers first," he told the Gunner. "They're the largest threat right now. Once that is done, eliminate the Prowlers, then we'll handle the Wraiths. I will drive evasively to avoid damage. Understood?"

"Got it," the Gunner replied. Gunning the throttle, Chief felt the IFV surge forwards, while the gunner opened fire on the Choppers. While they were able to avoid most of the enemy's fire, Chief felt a few Chopper cannon shots hit the hull, a loud CLUNK indicating each successful hit. Part of him wondered how long the armor would last, even as the gunner fired.

"Not enough firepower," the gunner reported. "Looks like they mounted an A-AC/2 to this thing. Time to use it then." Moments later, a dull thunking sound reached their ears. At the same time, the Prowlers they were firing at exploded, as HEAP shells tore into their chassis'. "All Choppers down. Get us in closer." Chief complied, driving the IFV closer to the larger vehicles.

Hitting a switch on his console, the gunner had the two turret mounted weapons reorient to each new target. One system, the Autocannon in this case, began firing at the enemy infantry, while the SRM's and ER Medium Pulse Lasers fired on the Wraiths. The first Wraith didn't expect the arsenal coming from behind, with it's power plant being ruptured by the missiles and pulse lasers. The other two AA Wraiths were quickly blasted apart as well, their thinner armor not designed to withtstand heavy bombardment.

Within a few minutes, all hostile targets were neutralized. "That did it," Johnson reported. "LZ is clear."

"Good to hear," Alex Conners, who'd been listening in, nodded. "Clear the landing zone. DropShip inbound."

"You heard the man," Johnson ordered. "Get back, otherwise you'll be a charred crisp!" Nodding, Chief backed the IFV up, until they were outside of the danger zone that had popped up on his HUD. Within a couple seconds, the DropShip made it's arrival.

The wind howled as the powerful plasma thrusters on the bottom of the egg shaped DropShip roared, slowing the massive vehicle down to a safe landing speed as it came in. Sand and glass were whipped into the air by the wind, while anything nearby that wasn't bolted down, or outside the safe zone, was hurled into the air, if not melted into unrecognizable shapes. A few seconds later, the landing legs deployed, with the DropShip landing on each one. A rumbling thud echoed in the air as the DropShip came to rest, it's engines powering down.

"Thank you, Chief," Alex said over the MILCOM channel. "We had to stay out of the fight as much as possible. We are not equipped for taking on WarShips, least of all Covenant ones. We are deploying BattleMechs now. Another DropShip is coming to deploy Combat Vehicles."

"Sir, we encountered some Marines in the canyon behind us. Can you provide transport for them?" Chief added.

"I will see what we can do," Alex replied. "BattleMechs coming out." Moments later, the large 'Mech Bay doors on all sides of the DropShip deployed, slowly lifting up and away from the DropShip. Moments later, Chief watched as a number of BattleMechs stomped out, including one that had a skull-face design. "Johnson, did you get a fix on that Cartographer?"

"Yes, sir; just on the other side of that wall. But it's surrounded by Brute heavy armor."

"I see. If we cannot go over the wall, then we will go through the wall. Chief, get into my Atlas' rumble seat. You are not a MechWarrior, but I will allow you to ride with me. Guilty Spark, you will lead the way forward. That way, I do not have to put up with you annoying chatter."

"Annoying?" Guilty Spark asked. "I was trying to be helpful." As Chief got out and headed for the Atlas, Guilty Spark said, "The Atlas is a most excellent choice, Reclaimer, primitive armor and weaponry not withstanding."

"A BattleMech is a BattleMech, annoying freebirth," Alex growled. Switching MILCOM frequencies, he said, "Alexandria, take the DropShip up. We will proceed through the wall and teach these Covenant stravag how real warriors fight."

Clambering up the chain ladder as Alex spoke, Chief watched as one of the hatches for the cockpit opened. Clambering inside, he found himself inside the left 'eye' of the Atlas, which held a spare cockpit and rumble seat. Once he was secured, the hatch closed for him, before Cortana linked his armor to the systems. "Oohh, this is nice," Cortana beamed.

"What?" Chief asked.

"They mounted an A-AC/20 in this 'Mech. Oh, and it has more missile and laser weapons than a tank batallion. This will be a pretty nice experience." Chief nodded as the 'Mech began to proceed forwards.

The BattleMech was already at the arches by the time Chips Dubbo and the others arrived, having been picked up by Johnson's Pelican earlier. As they arrived, the second DropShip, a Leopard, landed, deploying Combat Vehicles to the location almost immediately. As they advanced, Alex spotted a pair of Ghosts incoming on their position.

With an almost lazy adjustment of his 'Mech, he fired the ER Medium Pulse Lasers, cutting the Ghosts apart with ease. "Wow," he heard Dubbo remark. "Atlas beats Ghosts." Right on cue, a pair of Wraiths appeared as they moved towards the Forerunner wall. Firing off the weapons in his 'Mech, he blasted one apart with the A-AC/20, while the other one was destroyed via his SRM-6 and the pulse lasers in his 'Mech. "Nice! Atlas beats Wraiths."

Alex pursed his lips in some amusement as they continued onward. Moving ahead, he spotted a Phantom that was deploying a lookout tower on the other side of the cave mouth. Firing his LRM-15, he hammered the Phantom while cutting the lookout tower apart. Finally, a single A-AC/20 shell blasted the Phantom apart, it's nanolaminte hull failing under shells designed to destroy BattleMechs and Combat Vehicles. "Atlas beats everything!" Dubbo cheered. "Oh, man. I could do this all day!"

Once they were through the cave, they continued to advance forwards. Looking around, Alex said, "We will have to move our vehicles and 'Mechs through the wall in order to get to the other side. Monitor, are the doors and passageway beyond large enough for BattleMechs?"

"I believe so," Guilty Spark replied. "Let me speak with Tragic Solitude first." There was a brief moment of silence before he said, "According to him, your 'Mechs can pass through a larger door on the bottom of the wall itself. He will open a door that will let you through to the other side."

"Noted," Alex nodded. "Soldiers, continue in formation. Alberty, move ahead in your Jenner to engage any Covenant infantry and light Combat Vehicles. Shaw, Hoskins, you will remain with me. Your Catapult and Stalker, respectively, will assist in long range combat and escort duty. Ward, assist Alberty in your Shadow Hawk if he runs into heavier firepower."

With that, they continued forwards. The Covenant were bringing heavier firepower as they got closer to the Forerunner Wall. Alberty's Jenner disappeared around a bend, though Alex could hear the 'Mech's weapons firing, while the Shadow Hawk Ward was piloting moved around the bend to provide assistance. Any other Covenant in the way were blasted out of the sky by Shaw, while Alex and Hoskins blasted any Covenant that got too close with their 'Mechs.

Eventually, they reached the bottom of the Forerunner wall, in a depression up ahead. Right on cue, a large door opened wide, with each panel sinking into the ground and the walls. Proceeding forwards, Alex and his Star, once they regrouped, moved up a ramp, while the Combat Vehicles coming with them advanced forwards.

Coming back into the open on the other side of the wall, Alex saw the terrain up ahead. It was a long slope that led down towards what appeared to be a large wall on the other side, past which he could see water. Rocks and other formations were present up ahead, with the sandy ground continuing to move down. On his sensors, he could see a number of Covenant contacts. "Keep moving forward," he ordered. "Shaw, remain here and provide long range fire support with your missiles. The rest of us, move forwards."

"Aff, lead," the others replied.

As they moved forwards, they encountered two lines of Wraiths, each one meant to stop them from advancing. At the same time, Alex felt a familiar rumble in his 'Mech. "Surats!" he snarled. "SCARAB!"

"Damnit!" Shaw snarled. "Why do those fucking stravag have to bring one every time?!"

"It is their answer to our BattleMechs," Alberty explained. "That is all they have at this point."

"It changes nothing," Alex replied. "Smash through the Wraiths, then we will deal with the Scarab once we get down there to destroy it." Nodding in grim agreement, the others proceeded forwards, BattleMechs ready.

Getting through the Wraiths wasn't a very big hassle, as the Combat Vehicles they had, along with the 'Mechs, were suitable for clearing them out. Once they got to the Scarab, however, their tactics changed greatly. "Alberty, Ward, help disable the legs," Alex ordered. "The rest of you, keep moving until the Scarab crouches down. Once it does, we will destroy it's Fusion Engine and get back. We'll move in on the Cartographer once the Scarab is destroyed."

With that, they immediately went to work on their one-two punch attack. Moving quickly, Albery and Ward began firing their weapons into the Scarab's legs. Nanolaminate and metal flew everywhere as SRM's, Autocannon shells and pulse lasers tore through the joints on one of the legs. It wasn't long before the Scarab crouched down to make repairs.

Seizing this chance, Alex and the others immediately moved to the rear, blasting the armor on the rear of the Scarab. Within seconds, the enemy Fusion Engine was exposed, with an A-AC/20 shell smashing through it. "Get away!" Alex shouted. "It is going to blow!" Almost immediately, everyone quickly began to clear out, each one scrambling away as they got clear of the blast radius.

They were just in time, as not two seconds later, the Scarab exploded. A brilliant blue-white flash of light erupted, while a powerful shockwave staggered the 'Mechs. When the light faded, there was nothing left of the Scarab, except for some wreckage and rubble. "Enemy 'Mech down," Alex reported. "Now it is time to get inside of the damn Cartographer."

. . .

Fortunately, the Covenant hadn't been able to get inside of the Cartographer, as the Sentinels in the area had succeeded in keeping them back. As such, they were able to get to the Cartographer's main room with little trouble. Walking inside, Chief found himself standing on what appeared to be a massive platform. The floor was transparent, allowing him to see the water that was rushing below his feet into some unseen abyss. Spotting a holographic projection ahead of him as the others fanned out, he approached it and pressed an icon.

Almost immediately, a holographic image of the galaxy he'd seen earlier showed up. "That's… our galaxy," he noted, surprised. "We're beyond the rim."

"Two to the eighteenth light years from galactic center, to be precise," Guilty Spark clarified.

Looking around, Chief asked, "What is this place?"

"The Ark."

"This is the Ark?"

"I always assumed that it was part of a shield installation… but it seems that I was mistaken."

"That's a first."

Not detecting the sarcasm in Chief's voice, Guilty Spark continued smugly. "Not at all. While I had a complete understanding of Installation 04, my makers wisely limited my knowledge of all other strategic facilities. Compartmentalization, in the event I was captured by the Flood."

"Can you tell me exactly where we are at?"

"Here," Guilty Spark replied, highlighting an area on the hologram.

"And Truth?"

"Near one of the Ark's superluminal communication arrays, I'm afraid. Unfortunate. The Meddler has triggered a barrier; a defensive perimeter around the Ark's core." Spotting something in purple, he said, "Oh my", shock in his voice.

"What?" Chief asked.

Before Guilty Spark could reply, Chief spotted a flicker of movement. Looking up, he spotted a swarm of Sentinels leaving the area. He was about to aim his rifle when Guilty Spark said, "Wait! Don't shoot! They mean us no harm. Those units have a priority task."

"Oh really?" Johnson, who was in a Pelican that had just arrived, asked. "And what might that be?"

"I really can't say… not for sure. But if you allow me to find a terminal closer to the Core."

"No," the Arbiter countered, since he was also on the same Pelican. "We must keep the Prophet of Truth firmly in our sights."

"The Arbiter's right," Miranda Keyes added as Chief and the others boarded the Pelican. "We have to kill Truth and stop the Covenant. Until that happens, nothing else matters."