Author's note: sorry for taking a long time at making this chapter, won't happen again.

Chapter 1 - The Present

4629 B.C.Yautja Prime endured a horrifying civil war. They nearly destroyed their own species and planet, but finally reached an agreement: their social structure would become a monarchy, under a king-like figurehead.

2553 A.D. January 5: Dr. Ruth Charet gives her inaugural address after her election as President of the Unified Earth Government.

2553 January 18: The "black ops" cell known as Kilo-Five is formed by Admiral Margaret Orlenda Parangosky. Its members include Captain Serin Osman, Naomi-010 and several elite Orbital Drop Shock Troopers from the UNSC Marines. Because of Parangosky's distrust of the Sangheili, she sends Kilo-Five on a mission to cause insurrection between the Covenant separatists led by Thel 'Vadam and the Servants of Abiding Truth.

2553 January 20: The United Nations Space Command receives and assesses situation reports from various military bases and installations around Earth as well as surviving inner colonies. The reports reveal that the casualty numbers from the war, although staggering, were not as high as previously projected. At its height, humanity had reached the 110 billion mark—62 billion currently remain. The majority of the inner colonies went unglassed by the Covenant, including 168 inhabited planets.

2553 January 24: The UNSC and the UEG commits its resources to rebuild the nation and compiles a status report regarding all planets under UNSC jurisdiction.

2553 January 28: The UNSC Security Council begins reconstruction on affected colonies. Lord Hood plans a diplomatic mission abroad to surviving UEG colonies to discuss plans for reconstruction.

2553 February 4: Lord Hood arrives at Sanghelios to meet with Thel 'Vadam, to formalize a treaty of peace between the humans and the Sangheili. Hood also invites Thel to attend the memorial ceremony dedicated to the brave souls who died during the war.

2553 February 9: Office of Naval Intelligence vessels successfully rescue Dr. Catherine Halsey, SCPO Franklin Mendez, Blue Team and the SPARTAN-III's from the shield world. On orders from Admiral Parangosky, Dr. Halsey is arrested under the authority of Captain Serin Osman.

2553 February 20: ONI dispatches science teams to recover valuable Forerunner technologies from the shield world, designated as ONI Research Facility Trevelyan, at Dr. Halsey's request.

2553 March 3: In a ceremony presided over by Lord Hood, a monument is erected in a Kenyan savannah in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro to officially mark the end of the Human-Covenant War. This respectful gesture also serves as a remembrance of all who gave their lives in the war, to include John-117—whose official status is currently MIA, and is (presumably) posthumously promoted to Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy. A full military detail led by Gunnery Sergeant Stacker and PFC Chips Dubbo deliver a 21-gun volley salute to commemorate the fallen. All remaining SPARTAN-II "super soldiers" are present for the ceremony. After paying his own respects, Thel 'Vadam and his surviving brethren depart Earth for their homeworld, Sanghelios.

2553 March 26: The Human-Covenant War ends. The fighting itself was officially declared finished in December, but hostilities and small conflicts didn't cease until March. This end brings the UNSC and her beloved allies to light as the victors. Covenant Loyalists are shattered and evicted out of the UNSC and Separatist space altogether.

2554 July 16: The UNSC's ONI closes down its Section 3 branch after classified information of the SPARTAN-II Project is publicly leaked. Documents detail the "recruitment" of the SPARTAN-II's as being kidnapped children that were replaced as flash clones. Citizens everywhere are outraged over the inhumane atrocity. Every responsible member of Section 3 is prosecuted and sentenced to either life in prison, or administered the death penalty.

2554 July 26: Leaked information about the massacres that happened 43 years ago on Titan Station, the Aegis VII colony, the "Planet Cracker" ship USG Ishimura and the Tau Volantis colony became an attempted coverup by ONI, who blames the tragic events on terrorist attacks.

2554 December 5: A strange marker is found on the snowy planet Tau Volantis. It is secured and delivered to an undisclosed ONI base.

2555 January 28: After two years of thorough investigations, Dr. Halsey is declared innocent of all charges. She is reinstated and stationed under the command of Colonel James Ackerson, for the new SPARTAN-IV Project.

2555 March 10: The SPARTAN-IV Project begins and utilizes previous data from augmentation procedure files regarding the previous SPARTAN-II and SPARTAN-III Projects. Unlike the practices of the SPARTAN-II Project, this new system is dependent on a wide range of able-bodied volunteers. After the recruitment announcement, 200 highly qualified people are selected.

2555 May 18: ONI forms four new Sections, numbered 4, 5, 6 and 7. Section 4 is responsible for the SPARTAN-IV project. Section 5 is said to be reverse-engineering Forerunner technology. Section 6 is believed to be devoted to cracking the marker's secrets. Section 7 analyzes acquired Yaut'ja technology that has been collected throughout history, to include wrist computers, small space vessels and plasma weapons.

2555 June 5: Colony ships equipped with terraforming equipment travel to glassed planets. The repairs on these damaged worlds will take years to complete. The planet Reach is chosen as a priority, and its restoration is at the top of their list.

2555 December 16: Covenant Separatists volunteer their engineering services to assist the UNSC in terraforming her colonies. This colossal task includes 250 planets.

2555 December 24: Earth and her surviving colonies start to rebuild its industries. Food supplies increase soon after, and the prosperity raises the level enough to lift the rations.

2556 January 5: The UNSC joins the Covenant Separatists (comprised of the Sangheili, Unggoy, Mgalekgolo and Huragok) to hunt the remaining scattered Covenant Loyalists (the Jiralhanae and San 'Shyuum.)

2556 January 20: Covenant Separatists finally bring an end to The Great Schism—so many of their own Loyalist planets were glassed that they were unable to effectively continue their war efforts.

2556 September 25: A musical event, Believe, takes place at the UNSC Symphony Hall at 1900 hours. This incredible production is performed by the UNSC's own Symphony Orchestra. Believe's program is centered on remembering the heroic icon Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 and his remarkable service to the UNSC.

2559 February 9: The Covenant Separatists Sangheili, Unggoy, Mgalekgolo and Huragok unite and form an independent nation.

2559 March 7: The Arbiter known as Thel 'Vadam along with the Supreme Kaidon Toha Rafum of the Sangheili asks former Admiral Terrance Hood and President Ruth Charet of the UEG to recognize and accept their new nation under a proffered banner of peace.

2559 August 25: All 200 SPARTAN-IV candidates complete training and begin augmentation procedures. Only 74 of them survive the process.

2559 December 18: Terraforming of all damaged colonies is completed. Soil tests confirm that their grounds are as fertile as they were before the war. This positive result causes a population explosion on various planets as plantations dot their surfaces once again.

2589 July 7: Dr. Catherine Halsey delivers a heartfelt eulogy in honor of SPARTAN-B312 (Noble Six) on the newly re-terraformed Reach.

2591 July 10: Former Admiral Terrence hood dies at the age of 101. Attendance at his service includes many people and beings far and wide, including groups from the Sangheili. The Arbiter Thel 'Vadam and the Supreme Kaidon Toha Rafum are also present, and pay their respects.

2607 August 28: Construction begins on the John-117 Monument, to commemorate the Spartan's gallant service to humanity. The later filming of Believe in 2610 would mark 50 years since the ending of The Great War.

2607 September 10: The long-awaited Museum of Humanity begins construction.

2610 January 5: After two years of intense debates, the UEF joins the alliance and becomes one nation, along with Covenant separatists. This new alliance is renamed The Alliance of Orion Species. The AOS is dedicated to preserving peace among all races and species, and also to bring an end to ongoing conflicts whenever and wherever possible.

2610 January 15: A collection of historical artifacts that were gathered from before the fall of Reach are sent from a former ONI agent from Esztergom, Reach to his cousin on Earth. These artifiacts include Dr. Catherine Halsey's personal journal and a 1:53 scale replica statue of the SPARTAN Noble Team, modeled after the erected statue at Hosök tere, in New Alexandria. The collection arrives in a 600 series ONI security container and is addressed to the curator of the Museum of Humanity, Ms. Bjarne.

2610 February 23: Dr. Catherine Halsey dies at the age of 118. Many SPARTANs are in attendance at her funeral, along with her personal friends.

2610 July 6: Three years after its conception, the hand-sculpted John-117 Monument is finished. It is placed within the Museum of Humanity to commemorate the SPARTAN's timeless and selfless dedication to preserving humanity.

2613 May 10: The former Covenant Loyalist species the Kig-Yar and Yanme'e are given the opportunity to join the AOS.
The AOS celebrates its anniversary. The official capital is established on the re-terraformed Human colony world of Harvest.
The remaining old Covenant—the san'shyuum and the Jiralhanae—remain in exile on the Jiralhanae homeworld of Doisac.

2613 July 17: The AOS forms its first military branch consisting of a mixed species; The Technology they wield is an impressive combination of UNSC, the Covenant and Forerunners.

2615 February 7: The AOS discovers the Forerunner capital planet and encounters a Forerunner-built AI monitor that calls itself Offensive Bias. It welcomes the Humans and discloses to them vast knowledge about Forerunner culture and technology, to include various tools and equipment, vehicle design and components, detailed maps and star charts, weaponization concepts, general history and locations of other Halos. After Offensive's generous presentation, the technologies of the AOS quickly advance in leaps and bounds.
The AOS discovers a cure for The Flood.

2615 August 22: After discovery of the Forerunner Capital was made public, thousands pour in for reloaction and colonization. Many citizens of the AOS also move to the Capital to begin their new lives there.

2615 October 10: The AOS shifts locations of its official capital from Harvest, over to the former Forerunner capital.
AOS scientist and archaeologist teams make a shocking discovery while exploring on several unsurveyed worlds: carvings within ancient ruins indicate that Human and san Shyuum ancestors coexisted in an alliance over 150,000 years ago.
When Covenant Loyalists hear of the discovery, civil war erupts and divides them into two factions: the Stoics, who peacefully strive to be part of the AOS, and the Reformists, who aggressively seek technologies to wipe out the AOS.

2615 December 12: The AOS Council orders Offensive Bias to contact the monitor AIs assigned to all of the other Halos. The orders given are to destroy the Flood specimens and report back to the AOS capital.

2623 May 26: After eight years the war between the Stoics and the Reformists finally comes to an end. The Stoics are the victor—but the fog of war reveals an endangerment of the San Shyuum. Only 386 of them survive.

2623 June 3: The Stoics are contacted directly by the AOS Council. An invitation is extended for them to join the AOS.

2623 June 5: The Covenant Stoics are granted seats on the AOS Council. The Jiralhanae are represented by Farrun Brodius while the San'Shyuum are represented by Hub'maktum, AKA the Minister of Etiology.

2623 July 15: Present Day
Orion Spur
Orion Complex - Orion Nebula
Herbig–Haro System
The Capital
Chamber of the High Council (AOS)

Much of the nation is celebrating the anniversary of its founding, in and around the Chamber of the High Council. Government VIPs, cabinet and council members merrily sip champagne and mingle as they patiently wait to hear President Charet's speech.
The gentle ringing of spoons against glasses alerts everyone, and the large auditorium falls silent. President Charet approaches the podium with a smile, dressed in blue and white formal attire. Her security agents leave the stage with a nod as she nears the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if I may please have your attention." Ruth speaks in a polite tone, still smiling. "I'm very pleased to see all of you here today, in the company of one another. This right here, this day—is proof that peace can exist among all species, as long as we so will it."

The auditorium applauds her briefly, then allows her to continue.

"I wish I could name each and every one of you personally up here. My memory's not what it used to be, so forgive me if I pass over you. It's nothing personal, I promise." Ruth gives a wink.

The audience laughs in a low tone.

"Councillors Toha Rafum and Zawaz Dabyap, I thank you." Ruth motions to the two beings, who are in turn met with applause. Toha, an eight foot tall saurian, and Zawaz, a five foot tall arthropod, proudly nod at the president.
"Thank you for being here, for being part of all of us. I'm honored to call you my friends."

More applause comes from the audience, but Ruth continues speaking.

"Councillors Fasu, Servurus and Hub'maktum, I thank you. From the bottom of my heart, from all of us here—thank you for your service to this great government." Ruth motions to three more council members: Igido Ogada Fasu, a 12 foot tall hunched bipedal in bluish armor, Dura Servurus, a nine foot tall ape-like being, and Hub'maktum, an elegantly clothed, worm-necked frail being who waves from his hover-chair.

More applause welcomes the councillors.

"We all need more leaders like yourselves if we are to continue to grow and succeed as a nation." Ruth says to them. "We thank all of you for your outstanding professionalism and wisdom."

The auditorium is loud with roars and applause. Ruth waits for the motivated volume to lower slightly before continuing.

"Councillors Jazz Hurr and Tam'ni Crut, it's a privilege to have you here." Ruth adds during the following applause "Your Highnesses."
Jazz Hurr, a six foot tall avian being, and Tam'ni Crut, a winged insectoid of similar height, nods to the president.

"And for everyone else in here," Ruth continues among applause and whistles, "I thank you. Your nation thanks you. Go ahead and give yourselves a round of applause, I love you all!"

Ruth blows everyone kisses with her hands, then drinks from a glass of water as the auditorium reaches a deafening volume.

"I don't want to keep you, I know a fun party is waiting for us after I'm finished up here. That champagne looks pretty tasty, to be honest." She continues through a chorus of polite laughter. "I only wanted to illustrate for you the wide diversity of leadership we all share. We can be a great nation, and we are a great nation. Thanks again to all of you for wanting to be here with me on this important day. I'm proud to be your president, and I respect and love each and every one of you."

Ruth waves a farewell and is about to leave the podium when a young girl, around nine years old, yells to her from next to the stage. Ruth crouches down to hear her amidst the applause, then lifts her up with her. They approach the podium together.

"Shelly here asked me if I loved her, too." Ruth says into the microphone. Tears of joy well in her eyes. She leans down and kisses the child on top of her head.

"You especially, my dear."