Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo - Terminator crossover. I apologize for not being able to upload yesterday. My friend had something he needed to do, so I was unable to upload yesterday. Rest assured, this chapter is fully ready to go. Thank you for your patience, and I hope to see you in the future. As always, leave a review and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Halo or Terminator franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of Microsoft Game Studios, 343 Industries, Bungie, Carolco Pictures, Hemdale, Skydance Productions, 20th Century Fox, Lightstorm Entertainment, etc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their respective developers, producers 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.


Reach

New Alexandria Ruins

November 4th, 2552

As soon as Chief finished speaking, Thel's blood chilled, enough that he actually shivered for a few moments. Behind him, he could see the members of Blue and Noble Team frowning, with most having seen what was on the underside of the stricken Covenant Cruiser. It was clear that what the team had seen was enough to warrant grave concern, and if such concern came from battle hardened warriors that were capable of killing enemies many times greater than themselves, then it was a omen that something horrible was about to happen. Apparently, Commander Keyes, who was circling the area in her Strident-class Frigate, had spotted what was going on. "Admiral Hood," she reported. "We've got bad news. The Flood are on Reach. It's spreading all over the New Alexandria Ruins."

On the other end of the COM channel, Hood cursed under his breath. Dealing with the Covenant was bad enough, but now they had Flood to worry about too? This was just not his day. "How do we contain it," he asked.

"We have to find the crashed Cruiser and overload it's pinch fusion reactor," Commander Keyes replied. "We either destroy the city, or risk losing the entire planet."

"Damn," Hood muttered under his breath. "That complicates things greatly. Is there any way we can get that done?"

"Yes," SKYNET replied over the COM. "I have determined that the easiest way to destroy the Flood infestation is to use the newly designed HAVOC-II Thermonuclear Device. Due to the nature of the infestation, the device has to be planted inside of the Cruiser, otherwise there is a chance that the Flood infestation will survive and continue to ravage the planet. If the Flood infestation is not checked and soon, the parasitic organism will consume all biomass on the planet and form a Gravemind, one that will be able to directly threaten the Sol System, as well as both the UNSC and Sangheili. Be advised: Flood infestation levels surrounding the wreckage of the Cruiser are at critical levels. The Flood also appear to be making use of specially designed Pure Forms in order to defend the Cruiser, while allowing other members of the Flood to continue the infestation."

"Agreed," Hood nodded. Moments later, he asked, "General Connor, are you on the line still?"

"Yes, sir," Connor replied. "What is it?"

"The Flood have begun infesting the city of New Alexandria. I take it you've read the briefings on them?"

"Yes, sir. They were nightmare fuel, but I'm happy that I read the briefings anyway. I've ordered my men to remain on high alert. We'll assist Chief in getting the HAVOC-II Thermonuclear Device on board the infested Cruiser. Once that's done, we'll EVAC the area, and light the fuse."

"Good. Make sure Chief gets inside. Do whatever is necessary. Failure is not an option. Admiral Hood out." With that, Hood changed the frequency again. "Master Chief, you there?"

"Yes, sir," Chief replied. "What are your orders?"

"The Flood are infesting the ruins of New Alexandria, and fast. We need you to plant a HAVOC-II Thermonuclear Device inside of the infested Cruiser. Once you've planted it, we'll EVAC from the city, and blow the Flood into their constituent atoms. General Connor is sending most of his units to clear a corridor for you to move through so that you can reach the infested Cruiser. Understood?"

"Understood, sir."

"Good. We'll be on standby once you've cleared out the area. Admiral Hood out." With that, the COM channel cut out.

"Orders, sir," Fred asked Chief.

"We have to reach the Flood controlled Cruiser and destroy it," Chief replied. Turning to Commander Carter, he asked, "Orders?"

"None from me," Carter replied. "While you were talking with Hood, General Connor contacted me. He needs me and my team to get to the troops and rally them. We'll do what we can to clear a corridor for you and Blue Team to move through. William and Parsons will go with you to provide assistance if you need any." With that, both teams began to move out, with Noble Team, sans William and Parsons, heading to the front lines to rally the troops, while Chief, Blue Team and the others moved out towards the infested Cruiser.

Looking at a satellite map of the area, Chief could tell that the Cruiser had crash landed just south of the SinoViet Corporate HQ that had been abandoned when Reach was invaded. The Cruiser had flattened the structure and had come to rest just behind the building, with the wreckage partially covering the Cruiser. Satellite scans showed Flood forms leaving the Cruiser via large sections of the hull that were compromised. So far, no Flood biomass had infected the area, though he had a feeling that wouldn't be the case for too much longer. The map also showed Connor's forces moving into position, ready to tear apart the incoming Flood and neutralize them as a threat. In order to get to the Cruiser, they would have to move back through the debris field that William had navigated them through and then travel roughly 2.3km to the ruins of the SinoViet Corporate HQ, where they would acquire the HAVOC-II. Once they had the device, they would move inside and plant it near the pinch fusion reactor of the Cruiser; once the bomb was planted, everyone would evacuate, and the bomb would be detonated, with simulations indicating that the resulting chain reaction would destroy most, if not all, of what was left of New Alexandria. With his plan decided, he turned back towards the others and said, "This is the plan. We'll head to the SinoViet Corporate HQ via the debris field. Once we've reached the building, we'll plant the HAVOC-II bomb inside of the ship and evacuate the area, after which we'll detonate the bomb." Turning to William, he asked, "William, can you get us through the debris field again."

"Can do," William nodded. "I did that a lot during the Future War. Follow me." With that, they turned towards the debris field in this area, which wasn't as thick as it was near the ruins of the AOA. Still, it was half a kilometer in thickness, and it was chocked with some fairly dense debris. Moving a titanium girder out of the way, he quickly plunged back into the debris field once again, crawling through crawlspaces and moving around large piles of debris in the field. Still, he knew that it would take them too long to get to the Cruiser on foot, so as he moved through the debris, he keyed his COM unit. "Noble-8 to Armored Divsion Bravo, you still there?"

"Affirmative," came the reply. "What do you need?"

"We've got Flood that have crash landed in the AO. We know where they're at, but we need transport there, preferably armed at that. Can you provide us with transport?"

"Wilco. I've got an M820 Scorpion that's ready for you to use. I'll have a Pelican drop it off so that you can get to it."

"Good. Just have them track my I/FF Transponder if they want to know where to send it."

"You got it. Armored Division Bravo over and out."

"Solid copy. Noble-8 over and out." Closing the COM channel, William continued to move through the debris field, weapon at the ready while the others followed behind him. It was when he moved through a partially collapsed building that he made first contact with the Flood in the area. Moving some debris to the side, he was about to move through when a large tentacle lashed out, throwing him backwards a good five meters. Rolling backwards, he got up and reflexively fired a burst of plasma from his MA5E. A loud screech erupted from up ahead, with a Flood Combat Form tumbling out of the dark, it's body riddled with burns and charred crater's. "Well," he remarked, "you are one ugly motherfucker." Looking up, he didn't see anymore Flood, but he knew from experience that they were around. Just because you don't see them doesn't mean they're not in the area. Shrugging his shoulders, he continued forward, weapon ready as he and the others advanced. Eventually, they emerged from the debris field.

Despite what had recently happened, a thick, dense fog was still present beyond the debris field, and with the moon having risen into the sky, it cast the area into a pale glow that was made more obvious by the fog. The atmosphere of the area reminded William too much of the Future War, what it was like to fight during nighttime against relentless machines. Shapes that were solid gained a fuzzy outline, while distant objects were all but invisible thanks to the fog. Looking through the fog, William found that he and the others had stumbled into a full blown firefight; apparently, a number of UNSC Marines had been moving through the area on Connor's orders when they encountered the Flood. Thankfully, the Marines didn't panic as soon as they saw the Flood; instead, they had hunkered down behind some fallen polycrete and were now laying down some justice, in the form of superheated phased plasma. Combat Forms screeched as plasma tore through their bodies, flash-cooking their putrid flesh while killing them at the same time. Weapon raised, he was about to open fire when Chief beat him to the punch, firing a burst of plasma at a Pure Form, which had morphed into a more mobile form in order to get behind the Marines. The Pure Form screeched loudly as phased plasma ripped into it's body, killing it in just a few hits. Reaching the Marines, he skidded into cover before asking, "SITREP?"

"Thanks for the assist, Chief," one of the Marines replied. "We were moving to cover your advance to the factory when the Flood ran right into us. There's still too much debris in this area for the Pelicans to land at, so they're having to drop off a Scorpion beyond the factory complex. Once you get out there, you'll be able to head to the SinoViet Corporate HQ, or what's left of it, and plant that HAVOC-II. We'll assist however we can."

"Understood," Chief nodded. Turning to Thel, he asked, "You have any experience dealing with the Flood?"

"Yes," Thel replied. "During our attempts to quell a Heretic, as well as the retrieval of the Icon, we had to fight off the Parasite. I have a friend that is immune to their foul influence, mostly because he survived being infested long enough to reject the Parasite. I hope that he brings help, and soon at that." With his question answered, Chief nodded before proceeding forwards, with the three, eight man squads of Marines following them closely. As they moved along, they reached the factory complex that Chief and the others had moved through earlier during their mission to destroy the AOA in the glassing trench.

Turning to the others, he said, "Alright, this is the plan. We're going to split into groups of two. Marines, you will handle the upper floors and provide us cover fire. We'll move through the lower floors and neutralize any Flood that attempt to prevent us from completing our objective. We'll rendezvous on the other side of the factory. Understood?" When the others agreed, he walked over to the door and kicked it open, before moving inside, weapon at the ready. Since Fred was serving as the CQC operative, Chief allowed him to take point, with Fred making sure his M45E was pointed at any opening that the Flood might be able to come through. It wasn't long before his vigilance was well rewarded. As he moved through a partially collapsed hallway, he heard something moving up ahead. Stopping for a moment, he fired off a blast with his M45E; a loud screech erupted from up ahead, with a Combat Form falling over to the ground dead, it's body ripped apart by the blast.

That single shot was the start of an intense firefight that would last throughout the rest of the factory. Horrible, grating screeches and roars erupted from up ahead, with Combat Forms and Pure Forms charging into the area, brandishing weapons that had been taken from the beings that the Infection Forms now resided inside. Taking the hint, Fred crouched down, allowing the others to fire over his head and at the Flood, while three others ensured that no Flood could get behind them and initiate a surprise attack. This was a smart plan, as promptly, three Combat Forms attempted to attack from the rear, only to be cooked alive by Grace, Thel and Linda, who had their weapons pointed to the rear, while Parsons and William assisted Chief as he helped Fred neutralizing the Flood coming in from the front. "Move up," Chief thundered. "Keep the pressure on!" Nodding, the team began to move up, firing on any Flood that got too close to them. Moving forwards, they were about to engage more Flood when a grenade flew in via a hole that was in the floor above their heads. Backing up, they watched as the Flood were immediately vaporized by a sphere of plasma that dissipated moments later. Knowing that was the Marines, he continued forwards, before reaching the door to the factory floor. Once he was there, he kicked it open, before throwing in a grenade of his own, with the resulting screeches telling him it was a good throw. With that, he angled around the corner and opened fire.

If the hallways were filled with Flood, then the factory floor was absolutely swarming with them. Combat Forms, Pure Forms, Carrier Forms and Infection Forms were present throughout the area, with the creatures twitching as they waited for some unfortunate Marine to stumble onto them. Unfortunately for the Flood, they had gotten a little more than they bargained for, as they were now facing not a single Marine, but four Spartans, a Terminator, a highly trained combat veteran and twenty four Marines that were hyper-vigilant when it came to dealing with monsters like the Flood. As a result, the Marines and Spartans opened fire as soon as they spotted the Flood, filling the air with phased plasma. As he shot a Combat Form, Chief thought he heard a familiar and unwelcome voice coming from the creatures. "Ah, the armored casket," the voice remarked, just as the Marines opened fire, killing the Combat forms that were immediately in front of Chief. Still, just from that voice, he knew who was controlling the Flood that were inside New Alexandria, and it wasn't someone that he liked at all. Killing the last Flood that were in the factory floor, he continued to advance, vaulting over conveyor belts, crates and toolboxes that were in the way, while the Marines picked a path through the debris, parts and corpses that littered the floor like so much trash. Killing a few more Combat Forms, he reached the door that would allow them to leave the factory, kicking it open once the others were with him once again.

Exiting the factory, they found themselves on one of the mostly uncluttered roads that were present in the city, with only the occasional ruined car or motorbike present in the area. As he walked forwards, he heard a clinking sound, prompting him to look to the left, just in time to see an M820 rolling up to his position. "Special delivery," the driver shouted, before hopping out of the tank. Nodding in thanks, Chief manned the tank, while the others scrambled onto the armor plating covering the tracks. Once they were onboard, he gunned the throttle, with the vehicle quickly moving forwards as they began to head for the ruins of the SinoViet Corporate HQ. The trek was not an easy one, as they were having to move through debris fields that choked the streets like clogged blood vessels, while also having to deal with the Flood at the same time. Reaching a plaza, they found some Covenant vehicles that the Flood had commandeered, forcing them to fight back. Pulling the tank back, Chief watched as a Plasma Mortar impacted the ground near them, with the ground becoming red-hot as the plasma bolus heated the material up greatly. Driving back forwards, he fired the Heavy Coilgun, smashing apart a Flood controlled Wraith, while the others gunned down any Combat forms that got too close.

"Incoming," Thel shouted as he pointed at some Pure Forms. As he was about to fire, the Pure Forms did something that none of them expected: they fused together. The Pure forms melted and melded together, their sickly flesh fusing at the points of contact. As they did so, they grew larger and stronger, until they towered a good thirty feet into the air, forming a large, quadruped creature that had tentacles and teeth in lieu of eyes and a mouth. A series of tentacles where there would normally be a tail waved in the air, with spines growing out of the creature's back. Sharp claws dug into the ground, with bony spines growing out of it's legs at the outsides of each joint. Powerful muscles rippled underneath it's sickly flesh, making it seem stronger than it's rotting flesh would suggest. It was clear what the Pure Forms had fused together to form: A Super Pure Form.

"OOOHHHHHH! THAT'S NOT FAIR," William shouted as he and the others opened fire, with Chief backing the Scorpion up. Firing the Coilgun, Chief watched as it tore off some Flood material, though it wasn't as effective as he had hoped it would be. Roaring in rage, the Super Pure form began to charge, firing bone spikes that grew out of it's arms at the team. William was, by far, the most surprised individual on the team by far, as his eyes were wide, even as he fired at the Super Pure Form. "That thing's way too damn big! We need a humongous gun if we're going to kill that thing!" Chief had to agree with William, even as he backed it up. Just when it looked like they had chewed off more than they could handle, help arrived. Just as the creature was about to use it's tentacles to grab a hold of the Scorpion, blue-white plasma shot down from the sky, enveloping the creature. The Super Pure Form screamed, a horrible grating sound that was so loud and shrill that any glass in the area that was still intact shattered, with cracks forming on polycrete structures from the volume of the screech. As it flailed around, a Phantom flew into view, but instead of firing on Chief and the others, it fired on the Super Pure Form, tearing out chunks of burning flesh as several more flew overhead, blasting the thing with more plasma. Soon, the creature's screams began to become weaker, with it's movements becoming more feeble by the second. Soon, it fell completely still, with the flames licking and consuming it's body as it burned.

Chief was about to look at the Phantoms when a Sangheili voice came in over the COM. "Do not fear, Humans," the voice said. "This is the Carrier Shadow of Intent. Continue your mission, while we deal with the Flood."

"What the hell was that," Fred asked, shocked by what had happened.

"I don't know," William remarked. "But boy was it shocking. Parsons, what happened?"

"The Pure Forms fused together at the cellular level," Parsons replied, having scanned the creature even as it had formed. "All Flood biomass is composed of cells that are highly adaptive and mutative, with the Forerunners calling them 'Super Cells.' Given the properties that Super Cells have, it is likely that the Pure Forms fused together in order to combat a greater threat."

"That threat would be us, I take it," Linda observed.

"Correct," Parsons replied.

"Damn, things are going to get much harder now," William frowned. "Still, at least we've got backup. Anyone recognize that voice?"

"I do," Thel replied. "That was R'tas 'Vadum, one of my friends. Before I became the Arbiter, he was one of my subordinates, a Special Operations Commander. Now, he seems to be leading the Sangheili in their efforts to assist us. I wonder if he brought that other friend of mine along."

"We can find out later," Chief decided. "Right now, we have to continue forward." Gunning the throttle on the Scorpion, he began to drive forwards, crushing what was left of the Super Pure Form as they drove through the plaza. The roads were narrower here, barely wide enough for the tank to turn on it's tracks, which meant that they had to use satellite maps in order to move through. As they moved through the area, they soon came to the commercial district, where the infested Cruiser had crash landed. It was here that the damage was the worst. The plaza they entered was partially destroyed, with half of the plaza having fallen into what appeared to be a large, impact trail, while pieces of polycrete and metal debris were lying on the ground in large piles. Looking up, Chief could tell that the infested Cruiser had impacted the ground here, with the massive ship digging into the ground as it's inertia carried it forwards, smashing through the lower floors of the SinoViet Corporate HQ in the process. Off in the distance, he could see the ruined Cruiser that was in the city, it's engines having gone offline for good this time. Flood were scattered throughout the area, as well as more of the Super Combat Forms.

Fortunately, Chief and the others weren't alone, as moments later, Drop Pods impacted the ground near their position, with Sangheili pulling themselves out, Energy Swords and other weapons at the ready. One of the Sangheili, a Zealot from the looks of his armor configuration, walked up to the Scorpion, eyes widening as he spotted the Arbiter. "Arbiter," he said a moment later, bowing slightly as he did so. "If you wish us to do so, we will assist you in helping the Demon destroy the foul Parasite."

"That would be most helpful," Thel nodded. Looking past them, he said, "The Parasite are forming even larger creatures from their 'Pure Forms', as our Human allies call them. Can you assist us in destroying them, so that the Demon can destroy the ship?"

"Yes, Arbiter," the Sangheili Zealot bowed. "We will do whatever is necessary." Turning around, he began barking orders in a Sangheili dialect that Chief's translator couldn't translate, with the other Sangheili nodding before heading forwards. At the same time, Phantoms carrying Wraiths flew in, dropping off the large vehicles, with the Sangheili leaping inside of them moments later.

As they did so, Chief heard the familiar sound of clanking tank treads. Looking to the left, he spotted more M820 Scorpions moving over the edge of the impact trail, their weapons charged and ready as they advanced forwards. "This is Armored Division Delta," a Southern accented voice came in over the radio, "We'll help you get inside the Cruiser, Chief. John Connor's also ordered a massive push on the area. Get ready to move forwards; we've got a fireworks show on the way." As soon as the Division Commander said this, more tanks came into view. At the same time, Chief spotted a vehicle that had a very close resemblance to the M2 Bradley IFV's that the defunct United States Army used during the 21st Century. Their purpose was easy to guess, as moments later their back doors opened, with Marines and Army personnel piling out moments later. Just like that, the attack began.

Sensing the incoming hostiles, the Flood surged forwards, screaming loudly as they charged at the gathered UNSC and Sangheili forces. In response, the UNSC and Sangheili forces opened fire, sending plasma bolts and ferrous slugs directly at the Flood. The Marines and Army personnel scattered, forming groups of twenty to twenty five as they engaged the Flood, while the vehicles moved to engage the Pure Forms and Super Pure forms that were in the area. Chief watched as the M820's formed groups of four in order to engage the Super Pure Forms, while the new IFV's (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) engaged the Pure Forms with their Light Coilguns, tearing them apart with 30mm ferrous slugs. The M820's engaged the Super Pure Forms, with one of the tanks in each group distracting the creature while the others hammered away at it's body, with these being armored by some kind of brown colored carapace. While tough, it wasn't tough enough to survive repeated hits from Heavy Coilguns, as one of the creatures quickly fell to the ground, dead, while another had two of it's legs torn off from it's body. Spotting his chance, Chief advanced forwards, assisting one of the M820 squads that had formed. As the Spartan drove the tank around, Thel thought he spotted a familiar face in the infantry that was firing at the Flood. Hopping off the tank, he ran towards that squad to see what was going on. His mandibles parted in a relieved smile as he recognized his friend. "Bero," he shouted. "It is good that you have returned! Have you managed to warn the Kaidons?"

"One second," Bero replied. As soon as he said this, a tentacle grew out of his back and speared through a Pure Form, killing the behemoth before it could get too close to him. Retracting the tentacle, he said, "Yes, Arbiter. I was able to warn the Kaidon's of Sangheilios of the threat. Most have agreed to help us, but around four or five refused to even consider the warning. It appears as though not all Sangheili believe the truth."

"Ill tidings indeed," Thel frowned, even as he fired on some more Flood. "Still, it warms my heart to know that not all Sangheili are as blinded by the Prophet's lies as the other members of the Covenant are." As he continued to fight, he thought he heard a loud roar coming from the back. Turning around, he was surprised to see a Brute wielding a Gravity Hammer nearby. Moments later, roughly forty more Brutes arrived, all of them wielding Plasma Rifles, Spikers, Maulers, Brute Shots and other weapons. Shocked, Thel was about to fire when he was tackled by a Combat Form, while Bero was having to deal with a swarm. He barely heard Bero shout his name as he wrestled with the Combat form, struggling to keep it's claws and tentacles off of him. Looking to his left, he watched as the Brute Chieftain, seeing an opportunity, charged forwards. Watching the Chieftain charge, Thel waited for the Gravity Hammer to impact his head.

What happened next surprised him greatly. Instead of swinging the Hammer down towards his head, the Chieftain's hammer smashed into the Combat Form, sending it flying into a slab of polycrete that was sticking out of the ground like a jagged tooth, where it was splattered against the material. As soon as it impacted, it's body exploded, with it's limbs flying everywhere as it was crushed against the debris. Looking up, he watched as the Chieftain extended a hand towards him. "Get up, Arbiter," the Chieftain shouted. "We cannot allow these puny creatures to defeat us!" While surprised, Thel knew a helping hand when he saw one, so he quickly grabbed the Chieftain's hand, with the Brute helping him to his feet. He was about to ask what was happening when the Chieftain said, "I'll explain later when we are not in danger of being infested by the Parasite! For now, we must fight!" As he watched the Chieftain charge back into the fray, Thel shook his head before rejoining the fight. Hearing a whining sound above his head, he looked up to see HK Aerials flying into position. As soon as SKYNET's forces arrived, the Flood were doomed. Terminators of various chassis' and sizes charged into the area, firing phased plasma into the Flood while HK Aerials provided fire support for the M820's and the new IFV's. A pack of Dire Wolf Terminators swarmed a Pure Form, holding down the massive creature while others tore at it with their teeth and claws. Another group of humanoid Terminators were busy tearing apart some Combat Forms, with carbon nanocomposite fists smashing into and tearing apart Flood biomass and sickly flesh.

Soon, it was clear that the battle had been won, as there were very few, if any, Flood that were in the area. While it was a victory, it was clear that it wasn't without a cost. Some Sangheili had been infected by the Flood, forcing their comrades to kill them to prevent them from becoming Combat Forms. Some Brutes had been killed as well, and a few Marines were critically injured, though they were thankful that they hadn't been infected. As he got out of the tank, Chief watched as a Pelican dropped off what appeared to be a small, circular object. It looked more like a football than a bomb, but Chief knew that this was the new HAVOC-II Thermonuclear Device. Picking it up, he placed it on a slot that was just above the base of his back, before making sure his weapon was ready. "I'll be back," he told the others.

"You're not going in alone without me," came a shout. Turning around, Chief watched as a Sangheili walked up towards him. Unlike most Sangheili, Chief could see that this one was different, with bone spines growing out of his back, while a pair of horns grew out the back of his head. His neck was thicker than normal, and he had large fangs inside each mandible. He was also much more muscular than the other Sangheili and moved with a kind of liquid grace that the others didn't possess. "I'm coming in with you," he repeated a moment later.

"Who are you," Chief asked.

"Sangheili Zealot Bero 'Kusovai," was the reply. "I am immune to the Flood, and I am an master swordsman. I can help you plant the bomb." For a moment, he expected Chief to say no, only for the Spartan to nod. With that, both men proceeded inside, weapons at the ready.

As they did so, Chief noticed something odd happening to his CNI Implant. He was about to have Cortana run a diagnostic when a voice said, "The armored casket. You have arrived at last. Join your voice with mine, and sing victory everlasting." He could feel a slight compulsion to remove his helmet, but he quickly fought it off. Shaking his head, Chief looked around to see why the Gravemind had, apparently, tried to influence him: Flood Spores were floating around, and in sufficient enough quantity to guarantee infection without a sealed suit.

"Chief, are you alright," Cortana asked. "Something was interfering with your CNI Implant."

"I'm fine," Chief replied. Looking at Bero, he asked, "Did it happen to you as well?"

"Yes," Bero replied. "I could feel the Gravemind attempting to influence my mind. I fought it off, but we cannot tarry any longer. We cannot risk the Gravemind overriding our free will with it's telepathy." Nodding in agreement, Chief and Bero advanced forwards, while Cortana monitored his implant for anymore interference.

Moving forwards, they eventually reached the engine room, which was partially exposed to the exterior. Spotting the fusion reactor, Chief went to work planting the bomb, while Bero began wandering around the area, looking for anything useful. Noticing something on a nearby console, he reached forwards and pulled out what appeared to be a holographic device. Moments later, the image of a Sangheili female appeared on the screen, though it was clear that it was a Terminator, as parts of it's chassis were exposed. "Chief," the female on the hologram said, "if this message reaches you, then I know all is not lost. I managed to-" The device spluttered moments later, before shutting off entirely.

"Demon," Bero called out. "I found something. Are you done planting the bomb?"

"Yes," came Chief's reply, even as a Phantom flew overhead. "What is it?"

"It's some kind of message," Bero replied, handing the device to Chief. "I think we can examine it more thoroughly once we are out of here." Nodding in agreement, Chief watched as the Phantom activated it's Gravity Lift, lifting the Sangheili inside. Moments later, he followed through, with the Phantom leaving the area. Apparently, the bomb had informed HIGHCOM that it was primed and armed, as he could see UNSC, Sangheili and SKYNET forces quickly leaving the area. A few minutes later, the Phantom was outside of the projected blast radius, with the other Pelicans and Phantoms quickly leaving as well. As soon as they did, Chief watched as the entire city was enveloped in a blinding white light, which faded after a few seconds to reveal a towering mushroom cloud. What was once the ruins of New Alexandria was now nothing more than a nuclear crater. Nothing, not even the Flood, could survive that.

A few minutes later, he was standing inside the Bridge of the Shadow of Intent, which was currently R'tas flagship. Admiral Hood, General Connor, Commander Keyes, Admiral Whitcomb and a few other people were on the bridge as well, including the Arbiter and the Chieftain that had saved his life during the battle. Once they were all in attendance, Hood said, "Thank you, Ship Master, for assisting our forces. I'm surprised that not all Sangheili support the Covenant."

"We no longer serve the Hierarchs," R'tas replied. "They lied to us, tricked us into nearly wiping out an innocent species, all because we were too blinded by our zealotry and faith to see the truth." Turning towards the Chieftain as he got off his Command Chair, he said, "I take it that is the case with you as well, Jiralhanae, yes?"

"Correct," the Chieftain replied, "but to make this clear, this Jiralhanae has a name." Pulling out his Gravity Hammer, he placed the pommel onto the ground with an audible thump. "I am Chieftain Taraeus, of the Taraeus Clan."

"I've heard about your clan," R'tas remarked. "While your clan was a member of the Covenant, you never did truly believe in the Great Journey."

"And with good reason too, now that I have seen the fate of some Sangheili," Taraeus replied. "Our Clan was never interested in beginning the Great Journey. We only joined the Covenant because of the benefits that mutual cooperation brings about. My ancestors never once trusted the San'Shyuum, or the Hierarchs for that matter. Every new Chieftain that was chosen was educated on philosophy and other important topics, but the greatest skill we were taught was how to think, how to decide for ourselves what was best for us instead of letting the Hierarchs choose for us. It is because of this that our clan has grown strong and proud. As for why I assisted your kind, R'tas, that is simple. Your kind has always shown me and members of my clan kindness; my best friend was an old Sangheili that taught me the ways of war, while my Chieftain at the time taught me how to think for myself."

"I see," R'tas remarked. There was a moment of silence as his mandibles twitched, then he asked, "Wait… is Thrormand one of your clan's members?"

"Yes," Taraeus nodded. "He is. He was always one of the more mechanically inclined members of the clan. I take it he survived."

"Yes. He is currently stationed aboard this Carrier."

"Good, good. He is due to be the 'Artisan-Engineer' of the clan, as you would put it. Still, we must not waste time on plesantries." Looking at Chief and the others, he said, "Did you find something on that foul ship?"

"Yes," Chief replied. "Zealot Bero discovered what appears to be some kind of holographic projector. It carried a message inside of it, but the device is damaged."

"I can repair it," Guilty Spark, who was also on the Bridge, suggested. At R'tas' nod, the Monitor flew over and began repairing the damage. "A simple repair," he remarked. "The message is ready for viewing."

"Well, don't leave us in suspense," Whitcomb growled. "Show us what's on the damn thing." As soon as he said that, the playback began. Chief recognized the message as being from the Sangheili Terminator that had remained behind on High Charity, in the event Delta Halo was activated.

"This is Volara, Sangheili T-850L currently onboard High Charity. This is likely the last message that I will be able to leave for the time being. With the successful deactivation of Delta Halo, it has become clear that I am trapped onboard High Charity. Due to the Flood infestation, there are few areas that I will be able to escape to once they overtake the station. I will be making this message brief, as I have reason to believe that the Gravemind knows of my presence. If you are hearing this, Chief, then I know that not all is lost. There is a way to destroy the Flood that does not require activating the entire Halo Array in the galaxy. I was able to recover the remnants of what I believe is a Forerunner AI. While most of it's data was corrupted beyond repair, I was able to find the location of a Slipstream Space Portal Generator, with the location being Epsilon Eridani. You must find this Generator, otherwise there will be no way to reach the Lesser Ark. If you recover this, you must travel through the portal and get to the Lesser Ark. There, you will be able to shut down the Halo Array, and possibly build another Halo. A local pulse should be enough to destroy the Flood without endangering the rest of the galaxy." There was sound on the hologram as something stirred. Volara looked in that direction before saying, "I must go now. Hurry! There is not a lot of time!" With that, the hologram message ended.

"That appears to be it," Guilty Spark observed.

"Indeed," Whitcomb nodded. Leaning over, he said, "Hood, I know it's a long gamble, but I believe that we have to follow Volara's suggestion. Looks like Connor's plan is the best one after all."

"We can't simply abandon Reach," Hood countered.

"You might have to," R'tas stated. "Were it not for the nuclear device that you detonated in the ruined city, this world would be doomed, and I would have glassed this entire planet."

"Relax," Connor firmly stated, raising his hands to calm the others. Looking at Hood, he said, "Abandoning Reach is out of the question, I can agree with that, but we can't just sit on this and hope for the best. If we're going to stop the Covenant, and the Flood, we have to head to the Lesser Ark and stop Truth. That much we can agree on."

"There is a way to do that," another voice suggested.

"Who is that," R'tas snarled, surprised. "Who is intruding on our meeting?"

"I apologize for the intrusion, but I do believe that I am required," the voice replied. Moments later, the hologram of a triangle formed from three geometric shapes appeared over the table. "I am SKYNET, the Defense Intelligence that the UNSC created in order to counter any threat to Humanity."

"SKYNET," R'tas remarked, surprised. "I see. You are the AI responsible for Humanity's successful resistance against the Covenant."

"Correct."

"What is your proposal, SKYNET," Hood asked.

"That we send one of our fleets through the Slipstream Space Portal and to the Ark," SKYNET replied. "We have another fleet that can be sent to Reach to reinforce it in the event the Covenant attacks again. I also have reason to believe that Ship Master R'tas intends to assist us in our efforts, yes?"

"That is correct," R'tas nodded.

"If that's the case," Hood remarked, "then I withdraw my objection. We'll send a fleet through the portal and stop Truth from starting off his Great Journey." Turning to Connor, he said, "General Connor, have the ground troops prepare for the journey. I'll need you to coordinate the ground attack. R'tas, be ready to send your ships through the portal to assist us." Turning to Chief, he said, "Chief… find Volara's solution, by any means necessary. Recruit anyone that you need to help you."

"Understood," Chief nodded.

"Then we are in agreement," SKYNET decided. "I have sent the fleet the required coordinates. Operation: Broken Covenant will commence." As it said this, and the others left, there was one thing that was clear: they were in the home stretch now.