HALO: UNRECONCILED STARS

by 013 GabCZero

In a post-war era, "Lord Spartan" leads the UNSC RECLAIMERS MANTLE against the looming threat of the Flood. Mysterious signals and ancient artifacts unravel a web of intrigue, forcing tough decisions. When a distress call from a presumed dead admiral emerges, it triggers a perilous journey into the unknown.

HALO: UNRECONCILED STARS

Introduction

[2565: 13 years after Human-Covenant War]

[23-Librae System]

[3rd POV - Captain of the Trojan]

Floating in the vastness of space, the emptiness of space was silent as the stars hung silently in peace. That peace was disturbed by a sudden blue rupture, a slipspace rupture appeared out of nowhere and out came a four-hundred-eighty-five meter long prowler, a Point-Blank class prowler, the UNSC Trojan. It was damaged, its protective plating for the engines are glowing purple, signs of plasma burns. It was also damaged further front, its angular plating having lost a chunk of its titanium plating. Fluctuating around the prowler were its damaged shields, its hexagonal structure fluctuating on and off.

Inside its cockpit a blonde woman was making sure that the integrity of the hull survives for at least a few moments. She let out a frustrated scream as the red lights started to alarm in the bridge again, she inputed a few codes as the nanomachines in the ship attempted to stabilize the damages to the ship. A moment later a yellow light appeared behind her, she looked behind her towards the terminal near the captain's seat. A man in a suit appeared, his entire form was yellow, he had a monocle and a mustache as he looked around the bridge.

"I must say…" The A.I. stated as he disappeared out of the terminal and appeared near her console, she looked forward at the A.I. in front of her. "Do not say anything Butler." She said as she let out a sigh as the captain seat moved for her and she sat down tiredly. "I was about to let you know that the crew is ready for defrost from cryosleep." Butler said as he showed her a monitor to let her know that multiple pods are defrosting and her crew is waking up.

"How are they?" She asked as she looked through the health monitors of her crew, she wanted nothing more than to rest forever and leave this disaster and the horrors behind. "The crew are good, there are no signs of infection from the flood. The others appear to also be fine, and the nano-repairs are going well." Butler informed her as she nodded in understanding. She was silent as she stopped at the empty pods, casualties in this endless war with the flood.

"Captain?" Butler asked her in concern as he saw her heartbeat monitor spike. "How close are we to the home fleet?" She asked, not bothering to answer the A.I., she did not want to bother his systems any further. For all she knew, only a few 'smart' A.I. are able to understand complex human emotions. "We are nearing the Home Fleet in a few minutes, and are nearing the nearest Longsword patrol in a few seconds." Butler said, as a Longsword neared them with two Nandaos as their escort.

She looked at them with relief, seeing as she was actually near human civilization was a relief for her. "[This is Interceptor-970, calling Point-Blank Class Prowler, you have entered UNSC space, please submit confirmation and list of crew status for infection.]" The Longsword pilot said over the comms. She sighed at the increased security of the fleet, she knew it was needed, but even before the war, it was tight enough. "This is Prowler Trojan, of Operation: Containment, sending necessary codes and crew status." She said as she sent the data package to the Longsword patrol,

Butler stood silent as he received a confirmation packet from the patrol and finished the defrosting of the crew. "Captain?" The A.I. asked as she looked towards him. "Are you okay?" Butler asked, she looked at him and nodded. The A.I. nodded back, as the door slid open behind them, she turned her chair, and saw her command crew walk in. they were bandaged up, but overall fine. "Are you guys all right?" She, the captain, asked her crew who were out for a few days in cryo. "We're fine, captain." Lieutenant Jackson said as they took their seats near her as they were escorted near the Home Fleet.

"All ship damages are repaired, we need more nano machines for the more damaged parts, but we're overall fine." Jackson said as he looked at the recent reports she recently opened up. "Where are we docking captain?" Lieutenant Liegh asked as she saw the docking codes. "The Reclaimers Mantle." The captain said as the crew were silent, taking the new information with shock and awe.

"First time in Humanity's Flagship?" The captain asked her crew as they all nodded. "The biggest ship we've been on was the Eternity, an Infinity-Class Carrier." Jackson said, as they neared the fleet. They passed by the first branch of the fleet, an Autumn-Heavy-Cruiser battlegroup. This formation of battlegroup typically consisted of three Autumn-Class Heavy Cruisers, five Mulsanne-Class light frigates, seven Stalwart, Paris, or Charon-Class light frigates, and an odd number of Stridents or Halberds, depending on what the fleet could provide.

"Yes, and that was before the Lord of Admirals assigned us to you, we were previously deployed on Bounty, doing scouting for ONI, well, until the Flood started this damned war." Leigh said as she looked on as they went to the center of the massive fleet of ships. "I advise that you prepare for your report captain, the Lord of Admirals will want a report on our last mission on Arcadia." Butler interrupted as the room turned somber, remembering the previous operation.

"I have it prepared, Butler you don't have to bother, I'd rather we discuss this personally." The captain said as the ship's system blinked into alarm. "Do not worry, it's friendly." As Butler said that, a slipspace portal opened up a few hundred kilometers above them, and out came a disturbing sight. a Guardian. A Forerunner Guardian, damaged and full of plasma burns, half of its face, gone and scorched. It stayed on a similar path as them, heading to Humanity's Flagship.

"My God!" Leigh said as she was bewildered by the sight of the Guardian. "The fleet is not attacking? Friendly?" She asked as the others stared at it with awe and fear. "The last official sighting of a Guardian was during the last days of the Created Campaigns. What's one doing here?" Jackson said as they neared the center of the fleet. "The Lord Spartan must be desperate if he sent Guardians, this is dire." Butler said as he popped into the nearest terminal and requested access to files about the Guardians from Fleetcomm.

The AI was shocked, he turned to his crew as he relayed the information granted to him. "The Guardian was apparently sent out to investigate a distress signal in Sedra; the colony was lost during the early years of the infection. But apparently not, the Flood took control of the local militia and infected the neighboring systems." The AI trailed off as they passed by another battlegroup.

"So, the Lord Spartan sent a Guardian to not risk infection, we lost enough already in this war, the Covenant, the Storm Covenant, the Didact, the Created, the banished, and now the Flood again." The captain deduced as she just stared out into the vastness of space again, the fleets passing by like stars in the sky. "It is understandable, we cannot risk any more infection by giving the Flood more hosts." Leigh said as they saw the bow of a large ship. "Is that…?"

The Trojan approached slowly as the massive ship came into view, a marvel of Forerunner technology and Human design, The Flagship of Humanity, the UNSC Reclaimers Mantle. The monstrosity of a ship that surpasses the Covenant's Sh'wada-Pattern Supercarriers. A ship that surpasses the original Halo's size in length. This massive ship, The Reclaimers Mantle, is 32,150 kilometers in length, a height of 7,560 kilometers, and a width of 9,800 kilometers, truly a monster of a ship.

Along the front are eight rapid superheavy coil Mark XV Magnetic Accelerator Cannons, capable of piercing a Covenant Carrier like paper. It is surrounded by many dry-docks, and hangars, it is a humanity's military factory on wheels. The Super Carrier is protected by multiple Forerunner Hardlight shield generators that can withstand a small supernova, theoretical of course, but the carrier has already been tested with ramming its enemies. The Ship relies on three primary thruster engines the size of an Infinite-Class carrier, six secondary engines, and twenty-seven tertiary engines at the back.

Along the back are twelve large protrusions that look like cocoons. Each cocoon is like a hangar, but for Forerunner Guardians, this was part of the original design, it can carry, house, and repair a total of twelve Guardians, a defensive measure. Along the belly of the ship are larger dry-docks, meant for repairs for larger ships, as well as factories for ships if need be. It also contains clamps so that other ships can dock along the hull of the Reclaimer. This design was copied from the Infinity and her sister ships that can carry ten smaller frigates in their underbelly.

The ship was littered with multiple large and small hard-light canon batteries, ensuring that the ship is defensible in close combat. Also along the hull are hundreds of archer missile pods, along with tens of Havok and Shiva missile pods. But the UNSC Reclaimers Mantle was never alone, it will always come with its fleet, the Home Fleet of Humanity, the last fleet of 1,300 ships. This fleet is not out of proportion, as this fleet is the last bastion of Humanity against the Flood. The Reclaimers Mantle provides support as it evacuates and cleanses planets of the Flood Infection. This is Humanity's last hope, and almost nobody but the Spartans and the Council of Admirals know where it came from, but all Humanity knows is to be thankful for it.

"Humanity's biggest secret." The captain said as they watched the Guardian approach one of its cocoon hangars and compact itself as it docked with the massive ship. "[Humanity's Last Bastion. The Flagship of the Home Fleet. Welcome UNSC Trojan and crew, to the UNSC Reclaimers Mantle, the first and only Reclaimer-Class Supercarrier of Humanity.]" An unknown voice said through the comms as Butler disappeared and in came to view, a blue female AI.

"[Good Morning Trojan and crew! I am Joyeuse! Primary Contender-Class AI of the Reclaimer and assistant AI to the Lord Spartan!]" The cheery and positive AI in UNSC clothing greeting them. "Morning to you too, Joyeuse?" The Captain responded back as the AI faced her. "[The last of the scouting parties and the last of ONI operatives have already docked with the Reclaimers Mantle hours ago, you, captain, are late.]" The AI stated, as she projected to them multiple similar Prowler stealth ships docking with the Reclaimer with timestamps.

"[I'm sorry, captain, but I need further confirmation on Identity, we are running a strict protocol nowadays, we recently suffered a loss of a battlegroup in Cygnus, and we need to confirm outbreak procedures.]" Joyeuse said as multiple more monitors appeared behind her as more data was being read and cached. "Fine, I am Captain Veronica Dare-Buck, recent Captain of the UNSC Trojan and her crew, recent operative of Operation: Containment. Service Number is 73998-38490-VD." Dare said as the AI, Joyeuse, accepted and nodded as the confirmation was completed.

"[Thank you, Captain Buck…]" Before she could continue, Dare interrupted her.

"I'd prefer if it was only Dare. Uhm, to negate any further confusion…" Captain Dare said as the AI blinked a few times and just nodded. "[Right… You're married to THAT Spartan Buck… Okay then.]" Joyeuse said as she snapped her fingers and a docking code appeared on their monitors. "[Those are your docking codes, please dock immediately and report to the bridge, the Lord Spartan has been informed of your mission and requires a debrief.]"

Joyeuse said as she snapped her fingers again and she disappeared and Butler appeared in her place dazed as information was transferred directly to him. "Whoa Captain, I didn't know you were married to a Spartan?" Jackson asked as Leigh raised another question. "Captain, you're expected to meet the Lord Spartan?" Veronica Dare looks at them and just sighs heavily. "Apparently so…"

[2565: 13 years after Human-Covenant War]

[23-Librae System, UNSC RECLAIMERS MANTLE]

[3rd POV - LORD SPARTAN]

Staring into the void of space, the fleet was a culmination of Humanity's sins. That was the truth, this Mantle of Responsibility, this Title, the Mantle, given to him, in the hopes of protecting ALL Life in the Universe, is in ruins, because of the Flood. He could not stop them, the Banished were too focused trying to control Zeta Halo, that they unleashed the parasite while they had a small civil war amongst themselves.

He looked on, the Reclaimers mantle's bridge was the largest he's been in. The bridge was not exposed unlike other UNSC ships, it was located in the upper middle, towards the back. It is not elevated to see the view of space, instead it had large holo projection screens as viewing decks and monitors for the crew and officers. The Reclaimers Mantle was special to him, it was his last gift from her.

The Reclaimers Mantle, is a monster of a ship that no human technology could construct within the timeframe since the Created Campaigns. Instead, the supercarrier was built from the remaining resources of the Ark, as well as the salvaged parts of Halo Installation 09, which was retrieved by a Guardian, in the hands of one Dr. Ellen Anders, who is now the residing and head scientist of the Reclaimers Mantle.

Yes, the Reclaimers Mantle is made from a Halo Ring, constructed by sentinels, and was just gifted to him. He did not fully understand it yet. Cortana, his former AI, just left him coordinates that lead him to the Ark, there he found the remains of the Banished Campaigns on the Ark. Ellen explained to him that this was where they woke up, where the UNSC Spirit of Fire found herself in, and now, it is nowhere to be seen. Ellen was devastated for days, after potentially losing her family and crew aboard the Spirit of Fire.

But that was when we found it, after activating the Ark, the sentinels guided the Spartan towards the built supercarrier, with a AI chip from Cortana, with a last message from her. Joyeuse, formerly known as The Weapon, was upgraded by Mendicant Bias, to become a contender class AI, as repentance for his sins, before Mendicant, said he had become too rampant, and deleted himself for good, with his last words being an apology.

"Brooding like that, will age you in all the wrong places, Lord Spartan." An upbeat and joking voice said to him as a blue holographic person, appeared on a plinth to his right. He looked at her, Joyeuse, his new AI, it's already been so long, yet he could still picture HER, in her place. "It's still weird when you call me that." He said as he focused more on her. "What? Lord Spartan?" Joyeuse asked as she placed her hands on her hips. "You were the one that started calling me that when you forced ONI to accept me as Lord of Admirals." He returned as she only hummed in response.

"You deserve it, they kept you as a Master Chief Petty Officer, even after the Human-Covenant war, it only looked like they were trying to strong-arm you into their control." Joyeuse said as he only nodded deftly back. "Anyway, the other scout ships are back. The Guardians as well, it's not going well for us out there." His AI companion said as she pulled up multiple screens close to his face, multiple reports of Flood activity, and Covenant Remnant and Banished factions working together, unsettling.

But one caught his eye. "The Arbiter is glassing planets?" He asked as Joyeuse only silently nodded at him. "We're getting desperate, John." She said as she showed him another report. "Arcadia has fallen again? As well as Harvest, Cygnus, even Sanghelios." He read out as he noticed the crew on the bridge getting silent and solemn as he read the report of the planets they have now lost to the Flood.

"Any reports from the Arbiter and his fleets? Do they need help? Supplies?" John asked as more and more reports of former Covenant planets were reported as now glassed due to the Flood infestation. "The Arbiter has been offering the glassing of multiple Flood infected human colonies. You still haven't responded to that." Joyeuse said as he stared into the distance. "It just feels so wrong thinking that glassing a human colony is ethical now, Joyeuse." John said as he sighed at the thought of approving what was once a feared topic of humanity, the glazing of a planet.

"The Arbiter understands your concerns, but… with the situation now. John, its been almost half a decade, since the flood has been released." Joyeuse said, prodding him to think about the Arbiter's proposal. "The Forerunner-Flood war ended with the decimation of a Tier 1 civilization, and that was when the war was on the Forerunners' side ." Joyeuse said as a massive screen finally appeared in front of him, a timeline appeared, of the Forerunner-Flood war.

"The infection spread of the Flood is still minimal compared to those a hundred millennia ago, John, we could still stop this spread. Before we turn out like the Forerunners" The AI reasoned as John had a realization. "Wait… you finished searching through the Domain?" John asked as she nodded slowly. "Was there an alternative to fighting the Flood? The thousand plans of the Forerunners, was there a plan that might work, other than the Halo Arrays?" At this the AI only shook her head at his prodding.

John was not much to show emotion before, but enough war will force a break in the damn he calls his mind, at one point he would just break at the stress of it all. "[Lord Spartan, ONI Captain Dare, of Operation: Containment, is requesting permission for debriefing.]" A comms officer said over the comms as he nodded to Joyeuse, and a moment later the sliding doors behind the bridge opened and in came ONI Captain Veronica Dare, holding with her a container, inside a floating black box inside, it was glowing red.

"Lord Spartan." Dare saluted as he did the same and a plinth formed from the floor and Dare placed the container on it. "Captain Dare. The report, of the fallen colony world of Arcadia. You were assigned to it, and the origin of the cube." John said as the cube glowed in an indiscernible pattern, random. "Sir, I was tasked to the UNSC Prowler Trojan to infiltrate an ONI research facility of unknown origin. The facility was on top of a Forerunner site. There was no immediate threat of the Flood, until the end of the operation when infection forms entered the facility." Dare reported as pictures from her bodycam circled them.

"The ONI research facility was housing this cube. It was already in the container when we retrieved it and I tried to assign a researcher for it but was denied by your AI." Dare reported as she gave Joyeuse a pointed look, the AI only shrugged nonchalantly at the look. "[She wasn't the one to deny you a team of researchers Captain Dare, it was I.]" A voice uninterrupted their conversation as a monitor popped up and the face of one Ellen Anders appeared.

"Ellen, we're in the middle of a debriefing right now." John said as Ellen only rolled her eyes at him and looked at the cube with more interest. "[Joyeuse, bring the cube to me.]" Ellen said as she cut the transmission and the plinth dissolved into nanomachines and absorbed the container, and delivered it directly to Dr. Anders' lab.

"Are they really allowed to subvert your authority like that?" Dare asked at the dynamic of the crew, technically the first time she met them aside from John, they met when he was still the Master Chief. "I trust them to not destroy the ship." John only replied. Getting a sly smirk from Joyeuse back. "Dr. Anders wants both of you in her lab." Joyeuse said as her hologram disappeared and he sighed as he stood up, he went for the elevator as captain Dare reluctantly followed him.

A moment later they entered Dr. Anders' lab, where she already opened the containment unit for the cube, the cube already being prodded and inspected by multiple robotic arms. A Monitor with a purple eye, was with Dr. Anders as they talked to one another. An interesting conversation they walked in on.

"I am telling you Ellen, this object is a mystery to me, I do not have sufficient information to discern as to the nature of this cube." The Monitor said as the robotic arms continued to poke the cube. "Then I could attempt to convince Joyeuse to grant you access to the Domain again, ever since she cleared the Domain of the Warden, she gave us limited access to it, if I could just…" Ellen was interrupted as the AI in question appeared beside them. "I think not Ellen, the Domain is not yet ready for human interfacing, it is still dangerous." The AI said.

"But Joyeuse, Exuberant is a Forerunner Monitor, surely she can interface for-" She was once again interrupted as Joyeuse only shook her head. "Regardless of the origin of the AI or Ancilla, I am not allowing access to the Domain until we can get all traces of the Warden purged, or any trace of corruption. We do not want another Created Conflict." Joyeuse said as John and Dare entered the lab.

"Morning to you Professor, Exuberant, and Joyeuse." John said as he finally stood next to Ellen, watching the experiments inside the chamber. "John." Ellen greeted back as a peaceful silence settled over the lab, only the sound of machinery in the background invaded the silence, and captain Dare, looking at everything awkwardly. "I see we interrupted this joyful discussion Dr. Anders." John said with mirth in his voice as they watched a scientist enter the chamber as the robotic arms settled the cube down the plinth.

"At least you are showing more emotion now than ever." Ellen said as the scientist inside noted everything on his pad. "The effects of war. Anyway, do we know what that cube is?" John said diverting the conversation to the item in question. "No, we do not Iso-Didact, this item is not recognized by my sensors or my vast arrays of knowledge. There is no record of this item ever existing. Either it was made before the Domain was partially restored, or it was made this way by the remaining forerunner ecumene before the firing of the Halo Array." Explained Exuberant Witness as she floated around John.

Before John could question her further, the scientist hesitantly touched the cube with his bare finger. Suddenly, a blue spark jumped from the cube and onto the finger of the scientist, causing the scientist to be thrown back multiple feet back, crashing through the reinforced glass and onto the back wall. He let out a groan signaling that he was okay. Dare, being a captain, took out her pistol and pointed it at the cube, with her moving John back, making a shield out of herself in case the Admiral got hurt.

The blast doors opened as multiple Spartan IV's entered and pointed their weapons at the sound of the disturbance. Multiple of them standing in front of the Lord Spartan as human shields. John only sighs at this expected behavior. Even though he is still a spartan, it still feels weird for him to be protected. It used to be the other way around. He looked towards Ellen as she was looking curiously at the cube, and then at Exuberant who was slowly entering the chamber.

Exuberant, nearing the cube activated her scanner and scanned the artifact. The pulse on the cube continued to glow red until the scanner hit, and radiated a steady blue color. "What is the artifact doing, Exuberant?" John asked as the Spatans sent to guard him were trying to force him out of the lab for protection. He felt honored that they care for him, but he needed to see what's really happening.

"It's communicating" Joyeuse said as Exuberant and her were communicating with private lines, to transfer mass amounts of information without talking directly. "Communicating?" Ellen asked as she got her work pad out and tried to make sense of the readings. "Yes, it's like a beacon, communicating at superluminous speeds, the signal is faint, like it's supposed to be unnoticed." Exuberant said as she continued scanning the artifact. "It almost matches some framework with the Halo Array beacons on the Ark? Interesting!" Ellen said as she went close to the artifact despite being held back by several Spartan IVs.

"Is it safe? Apart from one of our scientists being blown back a couple meters." John asked as he signaled some of the Spzartans to exit the lab, it was getting cramped in the lab with multiple supersoldiers in it. "It's safe, it only blew the researcher back because it was withholding mass amounts of energy for a long time, presumably to extend its life cycle?" Joyeuse said as she started to project multiple possible data points in their database, that has anything to do with the cube artifact.

"That's the big question. Who was it communicating to?" John asked as he looked at Dare, she calmed down a bit. "Did you recover any other files in that research facility?" John asked Dare as she only shook her head. "We didn't have enough time, we were late in the evacuation of civilians, so I only had a small time frame to enter the lab, and that was before the Flood found its way inside the facility." Dare recounted parts of her report to him, with John only nodding in return. Before he could continue though.

"[Lord Admiral! We are detecting an emergency distress signal, it is sending out Priority Code Red! You are needed at the bridge, Admiral!]" a comms officer said as Joyeuse already disappeared to the bridge. John signaled Ellen to follow as he ordered Dare and the Spartans to return to their stations. John and Ellen could be seen running as an emergency local portal was activated and they were at the bridge in an instant. "Status!?" John said as he Surveyed the rushing crew and the signal was displayed on the main monitor.

"The signal came from nowhere, it had no point of origin, but all the sensors are picking it up and transferring it directly to the bridge." Joyeuse said as the signal changed and it turned into a frequency. "Huh?" Ellen muttered as this situation felt familiar to her, but in reverse this time. "That's an old code." Ellen said as Joyeuse stopped for a moment to process her words and cross referenced it to old UNSC emergency codes, it surprisingly was.

"It's not a common channel, nor ONI channels? Huh? Who would be broadcasting emergency channels a decade old? And at this strength?" Joyeuse was confused. "Could you decrypt it?" Ellen said as she took the lead. "In my sleep." The AI quipped back as the frequency turned into audible but cracked voices. "{This… is… Whitcomb…}" The Message was broken as a texan voice came out with a reply. This alarmed multiple people as the voices were familiar to them, especially the older crewmen of the bridge.

"No…" One of the older officers said as they heard the voice of an old admiral. "{...Multiple… contacts… Reach…}" The message continued to stutter as Joyeuse was trying to match the voice to a person on her list of population of the fleet. "{...Requesting support… repeat…they…us…activation…of…contingency…glassing.}" And the message stopped, the crew silent as they all heard the distress signal.

John only looked stoic as he heard a voice of a dead man. "That's not…" John trailed off as Joyeuse only looked at him. "Who was that, John, I have no record of the person anywhere in the fleet? Or any person for that matter?" The AI asked as John looked at her, his face still slightly pale from hearing the message, and angry that someone was trying to communicate using the voice of a fallen hero. But his anger soon faded when he thought about the timing of the message.

"That was Admiral Whitcomb. Fallen Admiral of the Fall of Reach. He did not survive the Human-Covenant War, creator of the NOVA bomb." John replied as Joyeuse only nodded, having not realized that the message was from a dead man. "Find that source, and inform FLEETCOM, all fleets are to engage Combat Alert: Alpha. Prepare for anything." John said as he glanced at a sudden teleportation behind him and Exuberant came beside him.

"Iso-Didact, the cube has become more erratic, I locked down the lab, the energy output is beyond what the lab can handle." Exuberant said as Ellen only nodded sadly, knowing that her lab was probably gonna be moved, and her unsaved work will be gone. "Lord Admiral! Unknown signal being received from fleet-wide scanners!" An officer said as they heard a few thumps from the outside of the ship. Concerning, considering they were surrounded by thick plating. "Admiral! Slipspace rupture warnings detected!" An officer said as both AIs looked concerned, having not detected anything. "John…" Joyeuse trailed off as a blue light scanned the entire ship, forcefully shutting down Joyeuse and Exuberant, as the Monitor fell lifelessly with a thud on the ground.

Multiple shouts can be heard as they try to activate the AIs again, Ellen now carrying the fallen monitor. "Sir, the ship system is down, I'm getting no response from the engine!" Said the Lead Officer, Commander Wilson, as multiple red screens popped out, indicating the activation of emergency protocols. "John, the fleet is disabled! The fleet is drifting off!" A voice ran in the room and in came his assigned Naval Intelligence Officer, a fellow brethren of the spartan program, Naomi-010.

She wore a Naval Officer uniform since he promoted her as he took over. "Naomi! I need Intelligence on the line! We're lacking field data, and power is limited." John said as They stood and saw Ellen helping with the crew. "Sir! Slipspace rupture detected!" An officer said as the entire ship shook violently. John had to take hold of the railings as he didn't wear his suit on the bridge. He looked to his side and saw Naomi unsettled as well.

"Where!" John strained out as he stood straight. The officers' face paled as he saw where it came from. "Inside the ship!" The officer whispered horrified, yet the whole crew heard, yet they didn't have time to react as they were engulfed in a speeding blue light.

At the center of the fleet, a slipspace rupture emerged from the center of the Reclaimers Mantle, it expanded until it reached the end of the fleet and, as fast as it appeared, it dissipated quietly. Leaving the space of the 23-Librae system, in silence.

[?: ?]

[?, UNSC RECLAIMERS MANTLE]

[3rd POV - LORD SPARTAN]

He woke up abruptly as he gasped for air. Feeling lightheaded and confused. He laid on the Bridge of his ship, every screen was off, everyone was unconcious. He scrambled as he saw Naomi and Ellen blacked out, both in uncomfortable positions as they fell unconscious. He struggled to stand up as he pulled Naomi on the floor, laying her properly. "Cortana…" He trailed off as he began to relive memories, trauma. "Joyeuse, status?" Nothing. "Exuberant?" He asked as he neared Ellen, who was clinging unto the Monitor tightly.

The monitors of the bridge started to slowly open up, showing the outside of space. The Home Fleet, completely drifting everywhere. A purple light slowly blinked open as he looked down at the waking Monitor, he held Ellen close as she gripped on the floating Monitor. "Didact? What happened?" She asked slowly as she reigned in the ship's systems, trying to take stable control of the ship.

"Exuberant, deploy the Guardians into defensive formation around the fleet." John said as he stood up and carried Ellen and placed her on his chair. "Done." The Monitor said as he saw the Guardians float off at the edges of the fleet, wings out in defensive formation. "Didact? What happened?" The Monitor asked again as she took over the ship logs and tried to investigate.

"I don't know."

[2552, August 23]

[REACH: Above Atmosphere]

[3rd POV]

A slipspace rupture was detected off the planet. "Slipspace rupture detected." A female AI voice reported as multiple purple bulbous ships came out, the Covenant. "Gamma Station Control, reading multiple pings below the Orbital Defense Grid!" A Comms officer on the surface asked the surviving defense platforms in orbit. "Slipspace rupture detected." The female AI, Auntie Dot repeated.

"Yeah, we're picking up anomalies too-" A sergeant was cut off as more slipspace rupture was detected and more covenant ships. "Are you reading this?" Asked through the comms. "Slipspace rupture detected." Dot repeated as more ships came. More and more Covenant ships drop out of slipspace. Radio frequencies are flooded with panicked transmissions.

"Slipspace rupture detected."

"Multiple Covenant signatures!" An ensign reported, panicked. "Slipspace rupture detected." Dot repeated. "Does anyone have a visual?" Asked an officer from Gamma Station as multiple satellites were knocked out. "They're everywhere!" Another transmission said.

"Slipspace rupture detected."

"Oh, this can't be happening!" Multiple officers panicked as more Covenant ships came from slipspace. "Must be the whole damn Covenant fleet!" A Commander on the ground said as he saw the reports, and saw the ships from the ground.

"Slipspace rupture detected."

"Slipspace rupture detected."

"Slipspace rupture detected."

"Slipspace rupture detected."

"Slipspace rupture detected."

"Slipspace rupture detected."

"Slipspace rupture detected."

{SIGNAL LOST}

-To Be Continued-