Its been way too long since ive worked on this, ive been wanting so much to get back to this, but life had been kicking my ass and prevented me from doing so, mostly because of work, but here I am, and I'm gonna try and get more of this story done.

Disclaimer: I don't own Halo or SBY.


Chapter 7: Crossing Lines

Epsilon Eridani System

October 20th 2553

Valiant Class Super Heavy Cruiser

'UNSC Hope's Beacon'

Flagship of the UNSC 27th Task Force

Rear Admiral Noah Jameson stood on the bridge of his ship, listening to the clacking of keyboards of beeps and whistles that the various computers around him made as his crew worked, observing the large tactical monitor as his ship and fleet surveyed the system around them for any remnants of the Covenant. Admiral Jameson commanded one of the few decently sized remaining task forces that was still in service after the bloody war, his flagship, one of the rew remaining Valiant Class cruisers that survived the conflict. His naval group was assigned with securing UEG space from the now fractured Covenant since the war's conclusion, their curtent station was the sight of one of the last major engagements before the end of the war, The Fall of Reach. He watched the large tactical monitor dillegntly for the status of his fleet.

x1 Valiant-Class Super Heavy Cruisers

x2 Orion-Class Assault Carriers

x3 Nornyang-Class Light Carriers

x8 Marathon-Class Heavy Cruisers

x9 Flight-II Halcyon Class Light Cruisers

x13 Halberd-Class Destroyers

x12 Paris-Class Heavy Frigates

x14 Stalwart-Class Light Frigates

x18 Gladius-Class Heavy Corvettes

80 Ships under his commabd divided into 3 groups to survey the system, if one of them were to encounter any form of hostile Covenant threat, all were form up on that groups position to combat and eliminate them. It was eerie around them though, the debris field and memories of the intense fighting a year ago still fresh in the minds of many, but the sooner the system was deemed secure, the sooner the UEG can get to work recolonizing and repairing their battered bastion.

"Radar, Comms anyone squawking? Anything out of the ordinary?" Jameson asked his bridge staff as he stepped towards the large viewport at the front of the bridge.

"Negative sir, Comms are quiet." The Comms Officer replied.

"Instruments are clear, patrols should be returning soon, and we can send word that the system is green." The Radar tech stated.

"That's excellent to hear." Jameson replied as he ran his hand along the railing, fidgeting lightly, while the reports were good, he couldn't help but feel something was amiss. Ever since the war ended on the ARK, Slipspace Travel had become increasingly unreliable, as if something was somehow interfering with accurate jumps. There had been reports if Slipspace Drives suddenly activating without prior action, ships coming out of transit farther then they had anticipated, Jameson had noticed too recently when his fleet jumped in much farther then it should have on its arrival to the system. There had been talk recently without the rumors that all active vessels, Civilian and Military alike, would have to go through Overhauls of their slipspace drives to find a solution to the problem. God forbid these malfunctions worsen and that the accident of the Cygnus Colony ship becomes a more common occurrence, especially right after the horrfic war that they had all barely survived.

"Wicks." Jameson called out, prompting the ships AI, Small and Green with the appearance of a young Naval Officer, appeared on his pedestal.

"Admiral." Wicks greeted in return.

"Relay the order to the fleet to rendezvous at Reach, there we will perform a synchronous jump back to the Sol system and report that the Epsilon Eridani system is clear for recolonizing." Jameson ordered.

"On it Admiral." Wicks nodded before his Avatar fizzled out.

Within the next few hours, the fleet regrouped at whst could only be described as a Graveyard, the Debris Field if countless Covenant and UNSC Ships still within the orbit of the burnt, once vibrant world. The most infamous sight within the wreck was the sight of 'UNSC Trafalgar' a once proud Punic-Class Supercarrier and crown jewel of the Epsilon Eridani fleet. While she was mostly intact, she was essentially crippled and dead in space when she took several converged Plasma Lances from a DOS-Class Supercruiser straight through her reactor. Only a few of the mighy ships remained after the war ended, and all were going under extensive refits at the shipyards at Mars to bring them up to modern standards, including 'UNSC Winter's Song' The Flagship of the fleet pushed the remaining Covenant fleet from Earth after the bulk fled to The ARK when the war reached its conclusion, though she was heavily damaged in the process.

Once the last few ships arrived and got into position, he gave the order to initiate Slipspace Transit. But once the portals began to tear themselves open within the emptiness of space, something happened, large flashes and arcs of energy shot out of the portals and latched onto the ships in the fleet, pulling them in slowly like an octopus drawing in its prey. Orders were barked throughout the fleet to cancel the jumps but to no avail, once the ships were dragged in, there was a bright flash, and everything went dark, the fleet had vanished, the only thing left was a log bouy dropped by the Command ship that joined the wrecks and husks surrounding Reach.


Yamato

Juzo Okita stared out the viewport of his Captains Quarters as a large asteroid passed by the ship. After Operation M2 and the Battle of Pluto that put a stop to the vile Planet Bombs the Gamilans used to pelt Earth with, the Yamato was finally reaching the edge of the Sol System, passing through the Heliopause to finally exit the system. He was broken from his silence though as the intercom in his room rang out before delivering the message.

"Incoming message from Director Todo" the commsman informed, prompting Okita to enter his Captain's Chair and join the rest of the bridge crew.

"Put it on screen " Okita ordered once his chair settled in and he stood up.

After a moment the holoscreen activated abd showed the UNCF Council room with Director Heikuro Todo and Kotetsu Serizawa.

"So you've already made it to the outer edge of the Solar System, Admiral?" Todo states as he looked upon the bridge crew of the Yamato'

"It may seem like a giant leap to us, but on the long road to Iscandar, it's only the first small step." Okita told them

"True enough, but news of the Yamato destroying the enemies Pluto base has spread all across the globe, the Planet Bomb barrage is over. You have no idea how much relief that's brought, and how much hope. Just knowing that you're on your way to Iscandar keeps us going, we can believe there is a way. So find that way Admiral, retrieve the Cosmo Reverse System. All of Earth is behind you, and your successful return home." Todo finished just before the feed cut out.

"The Heliopause is disrupting our Transmission, i'll need five minutes to set up the Long Range Signal Boosters, Sir." Aihara informed.

"I'll help you out, we'll cut that time to nothing." Cortana stated as her Avatar appeared on the side of his console.

Okita nodded with a grunt at the two of them as the bridge crew worked on their individual tasks.


Thanks to her advancements as a UNSC Smart AI, and the small size of the Yamato, Cortana could practically be all over the ship at once. While she helped Aihara with getting Comms restablished, she was also in the science wing, helping Lieutenant Niimi with analyzing the Gamaloid they had recovered on Enceladus that attacked Yuki and Kodai. With the Gamaloid hooked up to the Yamato, Cortana was easily able to access more about the Gamilans, digging around she could find access to the Gamilan Battlenet, and learn a pleathura of Gamilan battle strategy's, doctrines, intel, language, important personnel, etc. All while feeding what she learned back to Niimi who analyzed it through her computer. While Niimi worked through what Cortana sent her, the door to the science lab could be heard hissing open and someone stepping in.

"Well, you're actually alone, the XO's gone gone for once." Lieutenant Shinya Ito made himself known as he walked towards Niimi, inspecting the several other Gamaloids hooked upto the Yamato in individual pods.

"More free time?" Niimi asked as she typed away on her computer

"Well, unless Crewmen are fighting in the carts, there's not much for Security to do right now." Ito says as he stepped toward Niimi, leaning and watching over her shoulder as she worked. "So, how are things for you?" He asked,

"Not much for me to do either, atleast until we reach a new Star System." Niimi replied, not taking her eyes off the screen infront of her.

"I hear you're offering counciling sessions to the crew, I could use some one-on-one therapy myself." Ito flirted, placing his hand on Niimi's shoulder, causing her to stop typing.

"Please take your hand off of me " Niimi said in a monotone voice, to which Ito did so, allowing her to sip from her coffee mug.

"Once we cross the Heliopause, we won't be able to talk to Earth." Ito states, pressing a button on her terminal that shows a grid of the System they were in, which was currently the Sol System. "Wouldn't it be nice if the Captain let everyone on board make one last call home?" Ito would half suggest to the Science Officer, "Or would that just make everyone homesick? Guess I'll just leave that to the Councilor." he took back, making her think. He shot her with a last flirtatious smirk, "Call me if you need some security." He ran a hand along her shoulder and left.

Once he was gone Cortana appeared on Niimi's terminal.

"I don't like him, he's sketchy, but I hate to say that he makes a good point, letting the crew call home one last time would be a good morale boost." Cortana looks up at Niimi.

Niimi would nod in return before she set down her mug.

"You're right, I'll bring it up with the Captain." Niimi says.

"Just take care with what you hear from Ito, I have a feeling he's upto no good." Cortana tells Niimi, she then glanced at the mug, noticing it says Project Izumo before fizzling out.


Over the next few hours, spirits were high among the crew of the Yamato, Okita had allowed everyone to make a final call home, aswell as host a line crossing party to celebrate leaving the Sol System, similar to how sailors would celebrate crossing the Equator long ago. Not everyone was so keen to let their guard down though. The Master Chief walked through the halls of the Yamato, getting familiar with there everything was, and allowing his Mjolnir suits mapping system to take in the ship's layout.

It was certainly different then that of UNSC Ships, while the interior of UNSC Ships were more industrial and rugged, the Yamato was more sleek and exotic, more comparable with that of Covenant ships that he had been aboard, but in a more glossy white then a dim purple. He saw groups of crewmen talking amongst themselves about their plans for the party, or who they planned on calling when their turn came, and soon he found himself in one of the ship's messhalls. The armored behmoth of a msn practically stood out like a sore thumb amongst the crew, getting collective stares from a good few of them, he was used to it however, getting his share of looks from the Marines in the UNSC. He walked through the messhall, doing hos best to avoid bumping into people and disrupting them, making his way to the observation port and looking out into inky blackness of space, dotted with millions of stars to light up their surroundings. He then noticed the crew members outside that were at work with repairing the Yamato with what little damage she took during the Pluto operation, thanks to Cortana's work with the wave motion shields, the damage was less serious then it could have been, so the work needed to be done was minimal, simply replacing a few armor plates and repairing a few systems. He was broken from his silence when a voice pipes up next to him.

"H-Hello Chief." Lieutenant Mori stated timidly to get his attention, still unsure how to act around the large being.

"Lieutenant." Chief saluted to her, standing at attention.

"Oh! At ease Chief, that's alright" she said nervously, still surprised with how 'by the book' the Master Chief was.

"Shouldn't you be enjoying the party?" Chief asked her.

"Oh, I am, I just wanted to see how you were adjusting, I know that this is probably different then what you're used to." Yuki said to him.

"There were never many reasons, if any for celebrations on UNSC vessels, especially during the Human Covenant War. But being able to call family from the ship was a commonality that was available most of the time." Chief told the Lieutenant.

"I see.. did you ever make calls to your family?" Yuki asked.

"No." Chief answered quickly, taking Yuki off guard with how quick the reply was.

"O-Oh.. were they.." she drew off, figuring Chief would get what she meant.

"Classified." Chief replied again switfly, again, taking Mori off guard again. Even though he wasn't wrong about it bring classified, even Chief didn't know about his biological family, he doesn't even remember them, the SPARTANS were the only family he knew.

"I see..." Mori then turned to look out the viewport aswell.

"I'll take my leave now. Enjoy the party Lieutenant." Chief stated before beginning to walk off.

"Oh, alright, take care Chief." Mori gave farewell, watching Chief leave as his armored boots clanking and thudding against the Yamato's floors, crew members stepping aside to let him pass.


Cortana was at work still in the ship's system's, she was monitoring the calls between the crew and their families, ensuring no classifief intel was given out that could compromise the ships. But from what she monitored it was all genuine goodbyes and hope's of seeing eachother again, some good, some bad, but overall nothing compromising. While that happened, she also monitored ship security feeds, seeing the deck crew putting the final touches on repairs, Admiral Okita going through an inspection of the ship before reminiscing with Tokugawa in his quarters with a bottle of Sake. The Chief walking the halls of the Yamato and Lieutenants Kodai and Mori bidding farewell to Earth in their own way. During her time within thr ships systems, Cortana still could not shake the feeling of an additional presence besides herself and Analyzer in the ship's systems. It was extremely faint, and she was unable to lock it down, but she could tell it was there. She was broken from her train of thought regarding the entity however when a announcement came over the ships intercom from Yuria Misaki.

"Attention all crew, in a few minutes, the Yamato will go beyond the Heliopause and the line crossing will be complete, so lets usher in this new era in style!" She says over the intercom, within a few seconds a chipper tune reminiscent of old Radio channels, Cortana knew where this was going and she mentally sighed.

"And we're live! Hello listenters, welcome to Radio Yamato! I'm Yuria Misaki, your hostess with the mostess! We're kicking things off with a great first song, an oldie but a goodie, perfect to wrap up the Line Crossing Ceremony!" Within a few seconds, the song began coming through, 'Makka na Scarf'.

Cortana used the opportunity to just simply let the song play and enjoy it while she worked. She knew that some ships had radio shows in the UNSC, But she had never been on one that had one, infact she hadnt been aboard an active ship longer then a few weeks, that being the Pillar of Autumn when they fled Reach. As Cortana listened to the song, her monitoring of the calls had pnly managed to catch the end of a conversation between Lieutenant Niimi, and Lieutenant General Serizawa. While she may not have heard the whole conversation, the ending of it did not bode well to her, she would be keeping a close eye on Niimi and Ito. But the first step of the Yamato's journey was done, the Heliopause has been crossed and the Yamato has left the Sol System, things were only gonna get harder from here.