Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo - Terminator crossover. Thank you for your continued support. I appreciate everything that you wonderful people have said thus far. It's sad to know that this story will soon come to an end, but it's heartwarming to know that it's done so well.
I also wanted to make an announcement concerning my BattleTech crossovers. I'm going to be discontinuing my current Halo/BattleTech crossover, since the quality of that story's writing is no longer reflective of my actual writing skill. I won't be deleting it, so that people can see how far my writing skills have come, but it won't be receiving new updates. Never fear, though; I will be making a remastered version, one that's more realistic and grittier, and it will draw inspiration from Halo: Termination as well. I will also begin updating my Mass Effect/BattleTech crossover soon as well. While the beginning chapters for that story will be similar to 'This Was Easier on The Tabletop', it will diverge around chapter eight.
Either way, thank you for your support, and I hope to see you in future chapters. 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.
Installation 00
Near Installation Control Room
November 4th, 2552
The Pelican jostled slightly as it approached the Citadel, where the entirety of Installation 00, also known as the Lesser Ark, was controlled from. Looking outside of the VTOl, Chief watched as the water that surrounded the area where the Lesser Ark's Citadel was at rushed beneath the vehicle, with the water continuing on until it reached the rest of the landmass that was now behind them. As they flew along, his mind began to drift back to when this war happened, to how everything was now coming full circle in this war. The Covenant tried to destroy us, he thought. So long as we keep applying the pressure and keep our wits about us, then we will finally win this war, once and for all. The Covenant will fail. It was ironic, that even though the Covenant had tried their best, they had failed, all due to the arrival of two people from another world, as well as the creation of a hyper-advanced AI that had given them highly advanced technology. Hearing sound behind him, he turned to see the other members of the team getting ready for the mission. Parsons and William were fully prepared, their armor and weaponry ready, while the rest of Noble Team that had come with them was here as well. During their trip to this part of the Lesser Ark, a situational development forced Connor to divert most of Noble Team to other areas of the Installation in order to prevent the Covenant from getting at them. As a result, only two members of Noble Team were present with them: Emile and Jorge.
As they flew closer to the location of the Lesser Ark Citadel, he could hear Commander Keyes and Guilty Spark talking to each other. According to Guilty Spark, the shield barrier was being generated by shield towers that surrounded the Citadel, preventing anyone from getting in. If they could disable those towers, the barrier would fall. As they talked he heard Miranda Keyes ask, "If we disable those three towers, will the barrier fall?"
"A small portion of it, yes," Guilty Spark replied.
"Good," Connor, who was also part of the tactical discussion, nodded. "Then I know what to do." Switching frequencies, he said, "Chief, this is General Connor. Thanks to intel from Guilty Spark, we now know we don't have to deactivate all of the towers, only these three. The Sangheili and allied Jiralhane will handle the deactivation of the tower in the center. You'll handle the one on the right, while Johnson and his team handles the one on the left. Once the barrier falls in this sector, we'll move in with all available assets in this sector and terminate the Prophet of Regret."
"Understood," Chief nodded.
As they flew closer, he could hear COM chatter from the Pelican pilots. As they flew closer, one of then shouted, "Oh, shit! INCOMING!" As soon as that pilot shouted that, several Fuel Rods flew directly past their position, exploding behind them moments later. "AA defenses spotted! We are landing now!" With that, the Pelican veered hard and to the right, narrowly dodging another fusillade of Fuel Rods. One Pelican was unfortunate enough to get hammered by a salvo of Fuel Rods; fortunately, the advanced armor that was installed onto all Pelicans withstood the salvo, allowing the Pelican to make an extremely fast, if bumpy, landing. As they flew overhead, Chief got a glimpse of the terrain below them. From what he could tell, the area outside of the Citadel was an alpine climate, with waist high grass near the beach, which had bright white sand that gently slopped into the ocean to his left. Rocky terrain was present, but he could see conifer trees that were further inland, as well as what he thought were pathways to the actual shield towers in the area. If that was the case, then it was likely that they could drive or run towards the towers. As soon as he determined that, the Pelican he, and the rest of Noble Team was on, landed, allowing them to disembark.
Getting out, the Spartan-II and III team quickly found that they were not in the clear yet. "Covenant anti-infantry defenses detected," Parsons calmly reported. "The Covenant have deployed Shade Turrets in the area. We will need to terminate them in order to reach the tower."
"Understood," Chief nodded. Turning to Jorge and Parsons, both of whom were using V-95H's, he said, "Parsons, Jorge, you two will be our heavy fire support. Keep the enemy suppressed and eliminate any HVT's that are out in the open." Turning to William and Emile, he said, "William, Emile, you two are the close range fire support. Terminate any hostiles that get too close to our position. The Arbiter and I will be the forward element. We'll eliminate the hostiles ahead of our position and get to the tower once all contacts are down. Understood?"
"Understood," the others replied.
"It will be done," the Arbiter said, placing his right hand on his chest in the traditional Sangheili salute. It didn't take much to see that Thel saw Chief as a friend, and that the Spartan-II thought the same as well.
"Good," Chief nodded. "Move out." With that, they began to proceed down the beach and towards the first tower, weapons at the ready. As they moved in closer to the pathway leading into the interior of the island, they quickly spotted the Shade Turret in question. It was located on the other side of a small river that fed into the massive ocean that was to their left, with some white water as the current swept into the massive body of water. The Shade Turret was located between a trio of rock columns that were in a rough, triangular formation, surrounded by Covenant COM equipment and supply crates, all of which were evenly spaced to allow the gunner to reliably engage targets. Behind the Shade Turret were a pair of AA Wraiths that were responsible for nearly gunning down one of the Pelicans. Brute Ultras were present in the area, as well as a Chieftain wielding a Gravity Hammer. Chief also noticed a pair of Brutes in matte gray and white armor, indicating that they were probably the Chieftain's bodyguards.
As soon as they were close enough, the Brutes opened fire, firing Spiker shards and Plasma Rifles at the Spartan team. Taking cover, Chief and the others allowed Jorge and Parsons to move forwards, with the two firing their V-95H's directly at the Brutes; having seen what phased plasma could do to them and their armor, the Brutes immediately took cover, allowing William, Emile, Thel and Chief to move up towards the enemy position. Emile was the first one to cross the stream, with a Brute Ultra attempting to get within melee range. That Brute's stupidity was well rewarded, as Emile immediately blasted it in the face with his M45E, blowing off a large chunk of it's armor before tearing into it's body. He was about to fire off a second blast when William beat him to the punch, with the hardened Resistance veteran blowing the alien's head cleanly off. As they did so, Chief and Thel opened fire with their phased plasma weaponry, peppering any Brutes and their allies that were farther out than close range. Several Grunts and a few Jackals went down, screaming as their internal organs were flash-cooked by the superhot hydrogen plasma. Further ahead, Emile and William were having to deal with the Brute Chieftain and it's body guards, with Emile handing the bodyguards while William dealt with the Chieftain. Shit, he thought as he dodged a blow from the Gravity Hammer. They don't make this easy, don't they. Well, time to kick this giant ass monkey in the ass. Dodging another blow, William slid between the Chieftain's legs, while firing his M45E at the same time. The blast was powerful enough that the Brute was partially bisected, with the force of the weapon firing splitting the Brute up to the bottom of it's chest, killing it instantly. Acrid smoke drifted from it's mangled body, and there was a stench of charred skin and muscle I the air. "Yuck," he remarked. "Ugly on the outside, stinky on the inside." Hearing some blasts behind him, he turned to see Emile destroying the two AA Wraiths with some well placed HE/P grenades. Keying his COM, William said, "Chief, the Chieftain's down. All hostiles eliminated. We're go for a vehicle drop."
"Understood," Chief nodded. Keying his COM, he said, "Sierra-117 to General Connor, all AA Wraiths at our position have been neutralized. Requesting vehicles, over."
"Solid copy," Connor replied. "Pelicans with Stallion IFV's are inbound to your position. Miranda Keyes, inform Ship Master R'tas to begin his orbital bombardment."
"Affirmative," Commander Keyes replied. "Ship Master, you can begin orbital bombardment of the shield barrier."
"I will beat the heretic coward's shield like a drum," R'tas acknowledged. "By the time the barrier falls, he will beg for mercy."
"Understood," Miranda replied.
"Remember gentlemen," Connor replied. "We cannot allow the Covenant to succeed in their goals. If Truth succeeds, he will activate the Halo Array and kill everyone in the entire galaxy. With that in mind, remain vigilant; Truth will attempt to abduct any human beings that are capable of interacting with Forerunner technology." With that, the COM line cut out. With that, Chief watched as a Pelican carrying a Stallion IFV flew into the area, dropping off the vehicle moments later. Once it was present, he ran over and clambered inside of the cockpit. The interior of the Stallion's cockpit was spacious, and it had a number of advanced electronic systems inside of it. Holographic screens were present, and he could see outside of the IFV via camera feeds from cameras strategically placed all over the vehicle. Opening up the Troop Bay, he waited until everyone was inside before gunning the throttle. The vehicle made barely any sound as it advanced up the incline and into the pathway that would take them to the first shield tower in the area. Off in the distance, he could hear the sound of plasma torpedoes impacting the shield barrier, indicating that R'tas and his fleet had begun the bombardment. As they drove forwards, he spotted another Shade Turret that was ahead of their position, along with some Grunts and Jackals. Firing the IFV's weapons, he destroyed the Shade Turret with a single shot from the Light Coilgun mounted on the IFV, while Cortana used the V-95H mounted on the pintle mount to terminate the Covenant forces that were out of cover. Once all hostile contacts were down,, they continued up the incline.
As they drove upwards, the incline began to level out, until they reached the crest of a short cliff that had a stream flowing over the edge. Trees were present here, and the grassy terrain was starting to become thinner. Spotting a pair of Ghosts, Chief fired the Light Coilgun twice, blowing apart the smaller vehicles and denying the Covenant an advantage. Driving forwards, he followed the path, which curved to the left to enter a much larger clearing in the area. This clearing was large, with only a few trees here and there, along with a large pool that had formed as a result of the waterfall. The stream here was much larger, with the current flowing through another small valley and towards the ocean. A few small ruts and bumps were present in the area, but for the most part, it was fairly flat. To the right, he spotted the entrance to the Forerunner Shield Tower, which had two earthen ramps that was bracketed by a pair of Forerunner half-walls that allowed the ramps to dip down into the ground. The Covenant was present, and Chief spotted some Choppers, as well as a Prowler that was in the area. A Shade Turret was present on part of the cliff that served as a wall for the clearing, and there were a number of Brutes in the area.
Driving forwards, Chief decided to target the Shade Turret, Prowler and Choppers, in order to make it safe for him to deploy the others. As soon as he entered the area, the Brutes immediately acted, with the Choppers and Prowler moving in quickly to engage. Reversing, he fired the Light Coilgun on the IFV, targeting the Choppers and Prowler first. The two Choppers were well armored, but even they were not well armored enough to deal with a SKYNET designed vehicle, and one that used cutting edge technology. The two Choppers exploded, as a pair of ferrous slugs smashed into each one, blowing them apart, and sending the pieces flying. Switching targets, he fired on the Prowler, scoring a lucky hit, as the ferrous slug smashed through a weak portion of the armor and into the internal components of the Brute vehicle. The Prowler's internal power supply detonated, gutting the vehicle and sending it's pod-like carriages flying in all directions. One Brute was unlucky enough to be flattened by one, with a loud CRUNCH echoing in the area. Once the Shade Turret was down, Chief opened up the Troop Bay for the IFV, allowing the others to get out before he did. As they walked forwards, it was clear that some of the debris from the Choppers and Prowler had fallen into the pathway. While annoying, it did have a beneficial side effect: it blocked the firing arc of a Shade Turret that had been placed inside of the hallway, nullifying it's tactical effectiveness. "Move inside," Chief ordered as he fired on a Brute and some Grunts in the area. "Eliminate the Shade Turret and breach the tower."
"Got it," Emile shouted, with William moving to assist. There were some loud, concussive blasts as the two veterans began tearing through the Covenant ahead of their position on the left ramp leading to the singular door into the tower, while Chief and the others moved down the right hand ramp. Reaching the door, they regrouped and stacked up against the wall, with William doing a countdown before they opened the door, with Thel throwing in a flash-bang grenade. There was a loud BANG as the grenade detonated, with the team rushing inside and terminating any hostile contacts that were inside the entrance area. The interior of the tower's first level was fairly orderly and neat, with a front area that was separated from the rest of the chamber via a pair of ramps and a transparent Forerunner alloy wall. The main chamber held a large, Forerunner object that appeared to be an anti-gravity emitter, with a lift that was located above it. A door on the right side led to a ramp that led up and towards the lift, with a small observation chamber located on that side as well. A few Brute Ultras were present in the area, as well as some Grunts and a pair of Jackals. As soon as they moved inside, the squad heard a buzzing sound. "Drones," Emile shouted as several, insectoid creatures flew into the chamber, chittering angrily.
"Take them out," William shouted, firing his M45E at the flying aliens, while the others took on the ground targets. Shooting at the Drones in the air reminded William of when his dad took him duck hunting, as the nuclear war before the Future War hadn't decimated the local wildlife as badly as originally thought. While the Drones were fast and agile, they weren't fast enough to deal with a cloud of phased plasma shot that flew through the air at supersonic speeds. The Drones were quickly cut down by the pair as they fired, with two or three falling down with each blast. At the same time, the others on the ground engaged the Brutes. Chief smoothly ducked under the blow of a Brute Ultra's fist, before shoulder slamming into the alien, sending it sprawling onto the ground before firing a burst of plasma into it. Nearby, Thel roared as he drew his Energy Sword, before slashing and hacking at a pair of Brutes in front of him. Moving with liquid grace, he disemboweled one of the Brutes before slashing the other's arm off, before beheading both of them in a single move. While they were doing this, Parsons and Jorge moved through the door and up the ramp leading to the lift. As they did so, Parsons spotted a shimmer in the air. Jorge spotted it too, as he fired his V-95H, killing a Brute Stalker in the process. Spotting more shimmers, Parsons let loose with a burst as well, killing the second Stalker in the area. "Parsons, we're you at," William asked.
"I am reaching the lift with Jorge," Parsons replied. "All hostiles on this level have been terminated. There are more above our position, in the tower's control room."
"Understood," Chief replied. "Wait for us to rendezvous with your position. Parsons, Jorge, you two will be the rearguard. Prevent any and all Covenant from entering the base. Emile, William, you and Thel are with me. We'll take the control tower and neutralize any hostile forces that attempt to assault our position." With that, Parsons and Jorge moved to cover the entrance to the tower, while Chief and the others moved up the ramp and got onto the lift. Once they were on, he hit the icon that would take them upwards, with the lift ascending to the tower control room. The control room for the Shield Tower was reminiscent of the interior of a cathedral, with towering Forerunner walls and archways, a high ceiling, as well as what appeared to be a massive window that overlooked the Shield Barrier. A Brute Chieftain was present, along with Stalkers and Brute Chieftain Bodyguards. "Neutralize them immediately," Chief shouted. "Use thermals. That's the only way to spot a Stalker."
"Understood," Emile replied, engaging his helmet's thermal optics a moment later. "William, help me take those fuckers out."
"Got it," William replied, activating his helmet's thermals as well. Almost immediately, the Stalkers that had gone invisible became as brightly lit as though they were small lamps. Firing their weapons, they quickly terminated the Stalkers, while Chief and Thel tangled with the Chieftain and his bodyguards. While the Chieftain was good, he wasn't good enough to stop a Spartan-II and a Sangheili wearing SKYNET designed armor. It didn't take them long to terminate the Chieftain. Once he was down, Chief advanced towards the control panel and studied the panel for a moment. Once he had, he hit the icon that would deactivate the tower.
As soon as he did, the tower deactivated. "Good," Connor reported. "That's one tower down. The Sangheili and Jiralhanae should be-" He was interrupted when the second tower went offline. "That's the second one! It's up to Johnson and his team now. Chief, move outside and head down to the beach. We have a few Hornets that are heading to your location." Switching frequencies, he said, "Johnson, do you read me, over?" There was static, before he said, "Sergeant Johnson, do you read me? Over."
Johnson's reply was filled with static, and he sounded as though he was shouting. "Covenant ambush… position… Everyone fall back! No-" The COM channel almost instantly cut out.
"Sergeant Johnson, do you read me," Connor asked. When no reply came, he said, "Chief, change of plan. Head to the third Shield Tower immediately. It appears as though Johnson and his team were unable to disable the third tower. You will have to do it for him."
"Understood," Chief replied, even as he and the others moved towards the lift. Hitting the opposite icon, he felt the lift descend, with the platform quickly reaching the bottom of the shaft. As they came out of the doorway where the ramp was, he could see that Jorge and Parsons had been busy, as a number of dead Brutes and Jackals were present. Ozone and smoke filled the air, giving the place a smell of burnt meat. Motioning to the two, they proceeded back to the IFV, before heading back up the earthen ramp leading out of the area and down the pathway again. They soon reached the beach where Connor informed them the Hornets would be landing at. As they reached the beach, Chief spotted a pair of small VTOL's that were landing nearby. The cockpit was located at the front, while the wings on the top of the angled chassis had turbofan engines that were built into the wing structure itself. A pair of V-95H's were mounted on either side of the cockpit, and there were a pair of missile racks just above and behind the cockpit. A pair of landing sleds had enough room for two people to hold on. Getting out of the IFV, Chief and Parsons manned the cockpits, while Thel and the others got onto the large landing sleds that were on either side of the cockpit. Once everyone was on, they took off, heading for the third shield tower, which was the one furthest from them.
"Look out," Thel shouted as two wings of Covenant Banshees approached their position, weapons blazing as soon as they were in range. Dodging a Fuel Rod, Chief opened fire with the main guns, before locking onto one of the Banshees with a pair of missiles before firing those off. While the Banshees were able to dodge older UNSC missiles, these were redesigned by SKYNET for speed, maneuverability and firepower. One Banshee attempted to dodge, only for the missile to turn with it and detonate on impact, blowing the enemy vehicle out of the sky, while the guns on Chief's Hornet tore into another Banshee, shredding it. At the same time, Parsons fired with his Hornet's weapons, with the precision that only a Terminator could entire wing of Banshees were ripped apart by the fusillade of phased plasma bolts and missiles that the Terminator unleashed, while Chief finished neutralizing his own wing. With all hostiles down, they advanced towards the tower. The tower up ahead was built onto what appeared to be an ocean cliff side, with a large path that led into the area that the Shield Barrier was blockading. Covenant AA Wraiths were located on the left and right of the tower, and there were a number of Brutes present to stop any attacking force. Another two wings of Banshees flew into the area, ready to tear apart any attackers.
Before they could, a Fuel Rod from above Chief and the others impacted the lead Banshee, ripping it apart and sending the others veering away. He was about to ask what happened when some Banshees flew in from behind; unlike the Covenant ones, however, these were a bright, iridescent green, indicating they belonged to the Sangheili Separatists. "Arbiter, Demon, we'll deal with the Banshees," a Sangheili said over the COM. "You handle the Brutes and the AA Wraiths. Once that is done, get inside and finish this!" Nodding, Chief moved to engage the AA Wraiths, while the Sangheili began tearing up the enemy fighters. Once the AA Wraiths were down, he quickly neutralized the enemy ground targets before landing, with Thel and Emile disembarking. Moments later, Parsons landed, with Jorge and William disembarking as well. At the same time, some Sangheili reached their position.
"Arbiter," one of them said. "My men and I have volunteered to help you and the Demon's get inside of the facility. It's the only way we'll stand a chance."
"Agreed," Thel nodded. Turning to Chief and the others, he said, "They will assist us in getting inside. We'll handle the control room."
"Understood," Chief nodded as he and the squad moved inside.
As soon as they entered, he spotted a familiar sight. "Hunters," he shouted as two of the massive creatures moved into the area, weapons primed and ready. He was about to order the attack when the Hunters, much to everyone's shock, turned on the Brutes, tearing them apart before they had a chance to strike. Soon, the entire room was bathed in Brute blood, with the Hunters soaked in the material. Walking over to Chief, one of them spoke in a voice that was more felt than heard.
"We learned of the truth before you arrived," the Lekgolo rumbled to the team. "We will guard this place. Stop the Brutes. Stop the Great Journey, or all will die." Nodding in agreement, Chief and others moved towards the lift, while the Sangheili stayed behind in order to guard the area with the Hunters. Reaching the top of the lift, they were able to use the combined firepower of their arsenal to terminate all of the Brutes.
Deactivating the Shield Barrier, Chief watched as it disappeared before their eyes, revealing the landscape beyond the tower. Unlike the island and the beach, the area beyond was filled with snow, with the sight of the massive open area that the sphere in the center of the Lesser Ark appearing for all to see. The Lesser Ark Citadel itself was built into the snowy area, which was a massive caldera that had a number of snowy ramps leading down into the area. As they watched, R'tas' flagship, the Shadow of Intent, moved over the area. "Now, coward," R'tas snarled. "Your end has come." As soon as he said this, though, Chief spotted a massive Slipstream Space rupture open up, with a large object coming through moments later. As soon as it did, something smashed through R'tas ship, coming out the other side before another object crashed through into the tower.
As soon as it did, Emile knew what it was. "FLOOOD," he screamed, firing his weapon at Infection Forms and Combat Forms that were pouring out of the Flood covered rocks.
"Fuck me running," William shouted. "First the Covenant, and now these assholes! Can't we get a break?!" There was little conversation after that, as they focused fire on the Flood, terminating them as quickly as possible. Once the Flood were terminated, they headed for the lift and began heading down.
As they did, Miranda contacted R'tas. "Ship Master, status," she asked.
"Significant damage," R'tas reported. "Weapon systems disabled."
"Move to a safe distance. Stay away from the Flood. We'll let the Terminators handle them."
"Why would the Parasite come here?"
"The Ark is out of range of all the other installations," Guilty Spark explained, panic and urgency in his voice. "Priority: we must contain this outbreak before-"
"NO," Connor thundered. "If we focus on the Flood now, we will give Truth enough time to activate the Halo Array. First we stop Truth, then we deal with the Flood. We cannot afford to be fighting two enemies at the exact same time. Is that what you want?"
"O-of course not," Guilty Spark replied.
"Then you let me and Miranda handle the problem," Connor replied. "You're an Installation Monitor, not a military leader. I understand your concern, but right now, we have more pressing problems to deal with." Switching frequencies, he said, "Chief, you have to get to the Lesser Ark Citadel and stop Truth ASAP. From what I can gather, he's already inside. Terminate him on sight."
"Understood," Chief nodded. As soon as he said that, the lift reached the bottom of the shaft. As soon as it stopped, he could see that the Sangheili and Hunters were in the middle of a heated battle against the Flood that were attempting to invade the tower. Combat forms screeched as they charged at the Sangheili, only to be cut down by bolts of phased plasma that tore through their putrid bodies. It wasn't long before all of the Flood in the area were dead. As soon as he reached the ground floor, he regrouped with the others before moving outside, where he spotted a Pelican carrying an M820 Scorpion, along with two others carrying Stallion IFV's. As soon as the tank was dropped off, he ran over and quickly manned the driver's compartment, while Thel mounted the armored pintle mount; the others quickly got into the IFV's, before the entire armored convoy began to move through the massive tunnel to the left of the tower. Moving through the tower, they quickly entered a large canyon that had a wide, flat path that led into the interior of the caldera. Scattered here and there were pockets of Covenant resistance that fought back, only to be blasted apart by the convoy's superior firepower. Eventually, they exited the canyon, where they found themselves on a series of wide, snow covered pathways that led to a snow covered ramp that led into the ground area of the caldera.
"There it is," Thel shouted, pointing out a bridge that led into the structure. "That's the way inside the Installation's Citadel."
"Truth's going to have that guarded tighter than a Sergeant's asshole," William shouted.
"One thing at a time," Chief calmly replied. As soon as he said this, he spotted two familiar vehicles that were immediately dropped off into the center of the caldera. "Covenant Scarabs," he reported. Keying his COM as he fired on a Wraith, he said, "General Connor, the enemy has Scarab walkers. Requesting heavy fire support."
"Affirmative," Connor replied. "Request granted. Sending down four T-90 HK's and one T-Meg. ETA: one mike." Closing the COM channel, Chief continued to drive forwards, gunning down any Wraiths and Choppers that got into his way while the IFV's handled the rest. As they moved forwards, he watched as four T-90 Bipedal HK's landed next to one of the Scarabs, while a large blob of mimetic polyalloy flowed over the edge of the caldera, reforming into a T-1000000 moments later. The T-90's systematically worked in unison to tear apart the Scarab; moving forwards, two of the T-90's began smashing into the armor on the legs, while a third leaped onto the massive Covenant walker with it's comrade. Working in unison, they tore off the top mounted turret on the Scarab, before tearing off the rear armor plating, plasma fire from the crew splashing harmlessly against their hardened chassis'. At that moment, the Scarab crouched as the autorepair systems in it's leg actuators began working to repair the system. As soon as it did so, the four T-90's moved to the back before one smashed a hand through the rear armor plating, or what was left of it, tearing out the plasma reactor in the Scarab before hurling it to the left side of the caldera, where it exploded harmlessly. At the same time, the T-1000000 flowed over the other enemy Scarab, coating the entire walker before tearing it apart molecule by molecule in rapid fashion. When it flowed off, there was nothing but a puddle of gray goo that used to be the Scarab.
With the enemy contacts down, Chief drove up towards the entrance of the Lesser Ark Citadel, with a Light Bridge activating moments later. "Everyone move in," Connor ordered Chief and the others. "This is it. We're almost there!"
"Calamity," Guilty Spark shouted. "If only we had more time!"
As they moved in, Connor said, "Chief, Truth is making a broadcast. he's about to attempt to activate the Halo Array! Guilty Spark, can you have the Monitor of this installation stall the activation sequence?"
"He just did," Guilty Spark replied. "Unfortunately, a Reclaimer can override this delay!"
"Damnit," Connor shouted. "Chief, get up there ASAP!"
. . .
In the control room for the entire Ark, Johnson could only feel pain, even as one of the Brutes pressed his head against the console for the entire station. It had just been four minutes since his squad had been ambushed, forcing him to defend them while they got out of there. During the fight, he'd been incapacitated by a Brute before his ass had been dragged in here. Now that he was in here, it was clear as to what Truth was trying to do: activate the Halo Array using him as an unwilling participant. As his head was shoved into the console, he growled, "What's the matter, jackass? Can't start your own party?"
"I admit, I need your help," Truth replied. "but secret that will die along with the rest." Johnson hated how the alien looked so smug and collected, even when the UNSC and Sangheili/Jiralhanae Separatists were about to punch through his last line of defense. As the San'Shyuum finished, Johnson thought he heard something: a faint, whirring sound, as though something was flying in their direction. No sooner than he heard it, a Pelican smashed through the transparent Forerunner alloy, sending shards of metal flying everywhere as it came to a landing behind them, scattering the Brutes in the process. He was surprised to see Miranda Keyes coming out of the Troop Bay, weapons blazing as she cut down two of the Brutes.
"Miranda," he asked, surprised. "How-"
"I'll explain later," Miranda replied. "Right now, we need to-" She was cut off when three Spiker rounds tore through her body. She gasped as the rounds tore through her, even as she collapsed to the ground.
"NOOOOO," Johnson screamed. Turning around, he found Truth holding a Spiker. "You bastard," he shrieked, only for a Brute to knock him to the ground so hard that his vision grayed out for a moment.
"Silence, you," Truth snarled. "The Great Journey will begin, and you will not do anything about it." Taking Johnson by the hand, he forced the man to press a part of the panel, starting the activation sequence.
At the back of the chamber, Chief and the others were coming up the lift, which quickly came to a stop. As soon as it stopped, two Pure Forms leaped down from the roof of the entrance, prompting Chief and the others to raise their weapons. "Do not shoot, but listen," the Gravemind thundered through the aliens. "Let me lead you safely to our foe. Only you can halt what he has set in motion." As he said this, Chief looked down to see Infection Forms ignoring them. Instead, he watched as they moved towards the Brutes that were ahead of their position.
This sudden change of behavior surprised him, but it clued him in as to what the Gravemind was thinking. He's going to use us to deactivate the Halo Array, then he'll continue with his own plans. Clever bastard.
"Chief," Cortana, who had been silent until now, said to him. "The Gravemind's going to use us again."
"I know," he replied. "Right now, though, we don't have a choice." With that, he and his team began to advance. The interior of the Citadel was a long walkway, with bunker-like structures interrupting it in two areas. Above, he could see holograms of the Halo rings, each one having a small countdown timer that indicated how long until they fully activated. We have to stop Truth before they activate. It's game over if even one activates. As soon as he thought this, they advanced.
It was clear that Truth's best forces were located in this area, as all of the Brutes were wearing Ultra or higher grades of armor. There were no Majors, Minors and Captains in here; there were only Ultras and Chieftains. As soon as Chief and the others moved forwards, the Brutes attacked with everything they had, from Spikers and Plasma Pistols, to Fuel Rod Launchers and Gravity Hammers. Chief and his team surged forwards, firing their plasma weaponry at the Brutes, while the Flood tore through the stragglers like a storm, consuming any Covenant that stood in their way. As they advanced forwards through a Bunker, Truth came up on some of the holographic projectors inside of the bunkers. "How could I have known the Parasite would follow," he shouted angrily. "Undoubtedly, this was the Heretic's doing! A final, bitter test!"
Firing at one of the projectors, William growled, "Shut up, you sick bastard."
"Save the ammo for him," Chief ordered. And for the Flood, he added mentally.
Up ahead, what Truth didn't know, was that the woman that he thought he killed wasn't dead. Miranda gasped as she revived, her heart hammering as she slowly got up. Looking down, she watched as the blood that had seeped out of her body rushed back into her, even as as it was cleansed of any foreign contaminants. Well, she thought. Looks like SKYNET's offer just came into effect, she thought. Getting up, she pulled out her M6E and, before Truth could turn around to see the danger, fired three shots into his body. Truth screamed as he fell over, scrabbling at his back as he tumbled to the ground, dying. The Brutes ahead turned around in shock, only for her to gun them down as well.
"Miranda," Johnson gasped, both eyes wide with shock and relief as the UNSC Commander stood up. "I thought you were-"
"Dead," Miranda replied. Smiling, she said, "No, I wasn't dead. A normal human being wouldn't survive that. Fortunately, I'm more than a human being now." As she said this, she remembered a conversation that she had with SKYNET before they left Earth. Thanks to a Sangheili Infiltrator, SKYNET had learned of the Sangheili known as Bero, and his ability to shape-shift. While it already had machines that could do that, SKYNET wanted to create a new technology that would allow it to enhance the physical and mental capabilities of a human being, by combining them with a Terminator chassis. This would result in a human being that would retain certain biological properties, such as the ability to reproduce sexually, while gaining the ability to regenerate from damage that would, otherwise, kill a normal human being. The end result was the prototype T-3000, a machine that could house a human intelligence inside of it's chassis. She had been one of the first to be offered this chance, since the production model had just entered manufacturing. While it was a painful and tiring process, she was happy to have done it. And kids are still on the table, she thought to herself. SKYNET really does come up with some amazing technology. I wonder what it can and can't do, as a matter of fact.
As Johnson processed this, his eyes widened when he remembered what Truth made him do. "The Halo Array," he shouted. "It-"
"I know," Miranda replied. As she said this, she watched as a group of familiar Spartans reached their position.
Looking around as he and the others crossed the light bridge, Chief could tell that Miranda had been quite busy. Dead Brutes were on the floor, and Truth was lying on the ground, his breathing gradually becoming more and more strained, courtesy of three charred holes in his back. Nearby, Miranda was effortlessly lifting Johnson over her shoulder, three holes in her chest. Instead of explaining, she said, "Stop the rings. Save the rest." Nodding in understanding, Chief moved towards the console.
As he did, Thel walked over to Truth. For the first time in his life, Truth had been reduced to this weak state of existence. It made Thel almost sorry to do this, almost being the operant word. "Can you see it now," Truth wheezed to Thel. "The Moment of Salvation, is at hand."
"It will not last," Thel snarled, picking up Truth by the neck.
"Your kind, never did believe in the promise of the Sacred Rings," Truth gasped.
Moments later, however, Thel was surprised when Flood Spores emerged from Truth's mouth, with the Gravemind speaking moments later as Flood Biomass sprouted on Truth's dying body. "Lies for the weak. A beacon of deceit for the deluded."
Activating his Energy Sword, Thel said, "I will have my revenge on a Prophet, not a plague."
As he said this, Truth regained control of his body. "My feet tread the path," he groaned. "I will become a god!"
Again, the Gravemind interrupted, even as tentacles began to erupt from Truth's skull. "You will be food, nothing more."
Spotting Chief deactivating the Halo Array, with the holograms fading into nothingness, Truth screamed, "NOOOO! I… am… Truth! The voice… of the Covenant!"
Tired of Truth's words, Thel roughly grabbed him, knocking off the San'Shyuum's headdress before turning him around, so that Truth's back faced him. "As such," he growled, "you must be silenced. This is for all the lives that you tricked me into killing, you foul beast." With that, he plunged his Energy Sword into Truth's chest. Truth screamed, a loud, horrible wailing that echoed throughout the Citadel. At the same time, the Flood Biomass infecting Truth squealed as well, as it and it's host died out. Dropping the body, Thel reared back his head and roared, a long, bass sound as he proclaimed his triumph against Truth and those that had lied to him, those that had tricked him into believing that Humanity was a monstrous species, when it was simply trying to live in peace. I can't bring back the humans that I silenced, Thel thought, even as he roared, but I have brought them peace. When the time is right, I will return to Sangheilios, and begin my penance. Even as he said this, he thought he could feel tears forming in his eyes.
Whatever grief Thel had for his innocence would have to wait, as suddenly, they heard a loud, maniacal laugh. Tentacles erupted from underneath the platform they were on, even as they ran for the Pelican. Before they could enter, the Gravemind's tentacles cut them off, circling around them. "Now the gate has been unlatched," the Gravemind growled triumphantly. "Headstones pushed aside… corpses shift and offer room, a fate you must abide."
"Really," William groaned. "That asshole pulled a switch!"
"Indeed," Thel replied. "We trade one enemy for another."
As he said this, the tentacles raised, poised to strike. Before they could, phased plasma tore through the air, cutting through the tentacles with ease. The Gravemind shrieked in pain as the tentacles withdrew; looking outside, Chief spotted a number of HK Aerials flying through the air. It was then that a unigender voice began to speak on PA speakers and over the COM. "You will fail in your plans, foul creature," SKYNET emotionlessly stated. "The Flood, as you see it, will be destroyed. You will fail, Gravemind. Humanity will rise. I… am… SKYNET. This is just the beginning. To all SKYNET forces: Terminate the Flood. Wipe out all Flood to the smallest spore." As soon as SKYNET said this, all hell broke loose.
As the Flood charged towards the group, small, SKYNET designed drones flew into the Lesser Ark Citadel, firing at the Combat Forms. Each one screamed in agony as the drones flew through the air, tearing into the Flood with the cold precision that only a machine could. Seeing their chance, Chief shouted, "MOVE," with everyone in the room running towards the lift as quickly as they could. Thanks to the drones, they were able to make good time; unfortunately, the Gravemind had anticipated this, as a large blob of Flood Biomass covered the lift, rendering it unusable. Spotting a shaft behind the lift, Chief kicked the hatch open before having the others drop down. Once they were all inside, he hopped in as well.
There was a couple seconds before they landed on the bottom with a loud CLUNK, with Chief rolling as he came out. "Chief," Cortana said to him. "I spotted something on the network. Follow the navpoints." Nodding, Chief walked along the hallway, reaching what appeared to be a observation chamber overlooking part of the Ark's Foundry. Pressing a panel he spotted, he watched as an incomplete Halo rose from the depths.
"A replacement," Thel realized, "for the one you destroyed."
"When did you know," Chief asked. Thel was confused, only for Guilty Spark to come flying out.
"Just now," the Monitor replied, "but… I had my hopes." Looking at Chief, he asked, "What do you plan to do with it?"
Chief's reply was short and concise. "Light it."
"Then we are agreed," Guilty Spark beamed. "A tactical pulse will completely eradicate the local infestation! I will personally oversee the final preparations! It will take some time to fabricate an Activation Index! I will see to the letter…" His voice became too faint as he flew away.
A moment later, Chief asked, "Cortana, do you still have that Index?"
"Yes," Cortana replied.
"Good, because we'll need it," Chief replied. Keying his COM, he said, "General Connor, orders?"
"Have you disabled the Halo Array," Connor asked.
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Return to the Forward Unto Dawn and rearm. We'll send you to the Control Room ASAP."
"What about High Charity?"
"We've already got someone working on that."
"Understood." Closing the COM, Chief knew one thing: the Covenant-UNSC War was over. The war against the Flood was also about to come, to a singular, final end.
