Chapter 1: I Would Have Been... Oh Shit, I am Your Daddy.

War does not determine who is right; Only who is left. - Bertrand Russell

2557 - Earth's Orbit, Pelican Nine-sixer

"Infinity Actual? Pelican Nine-Sixer. We found him."

"Infinity Actual to Pelican Nine-Sixer. Bring him home."

"Understood. Retrieving cargo. Pelican Nine-Sixer out"

The Chief was disturbed from his thoughts by the bright spotlight shining down from the bottom of the pelican dropship. Immediately, within the span of a second, his enhanced mind began analyzing every potential threat his new ward may face. Worried, his following thoughts went to ONI and how delighted they would be with the chance to poke and prod a child not born, but printed from forerunner technology.

The pelican opened its hatch, backing up slowly. Chief wisely decided to let the Pelican come to him, instead of using the built-in thrusters in his armor to reach the dropship's troop space cargo bay. Those few extra seconds he delayed allowed him to come up with a semi-reasonable plan of action. The window of the pod had polarized to disguise the fact that it was hollow. The window now looked the same as the rest of the pod. He offered silent thanks to Cortana for her foresight. It would have been difficult to explain how he was holding a child after floating in space.

Chief bitterly realized he would need help and would have to involve people he wasn't entirely sure he could trust. Not to mention, the more people that knew the full truth, the more risk there was of a potential information breach. Loose lips sink ships, or in this case, cause his last remaining connection to his first love to become a lab experiment. Chief paused for a moment. He forgot about Halsey, she could help. He immediately dismissed that thought, while Halsey was something of a surrogate mother to the Spartan II's, he wasn't sure he could trust her to not experiment on his child. Ultimately, to her, nothing mattered more than knowledge at any cost.

The pelican was rapidly approaching, he was running out of time. Who could he trust with the truth? Blue Team, without question, but he had no idea where they were, if they were even alive. He has no good options. He has no connections, no friends to rely on, no favors to cash in... Then suddenly, it hits him, newly promoted Captain Lasky. He first met him on Corbulo, when he was 15. He saved his life there, which generated enough goodwill between him and Lasky that he was willing to disobey direct orders from his commanding officer to aid Chief, and a very clearly rampant Cortana. He was the solution, it wasn't perfect, and it was putting a lot of faith in an unknown amount of goodwill, but it was possible. He would just need a little bit of luck to pull it off.

The pelican reached Chief. The hatch closed with a soft thud. A loud robotic voice played over the intercom. "Interior pressure equalizing. Artificial Gravity restored." Chief landed with a loud clank. He, very gently, unlocked his armor and sat down with the pod in his lap. This was it, in a few minutes he would be aboard Infinity, a place that should have allowed him to rest, but he could only think about how much danger his child was in. The pod, somehow sensing it was in a safe space, without any prying eyes, depolarized its window. For the first time, John got a good look at his child. The pod appeared to act as some sort of cryogenic organic storage chamber. The Chief once again thanked Cortana mentally for her foresight. He hadn't even thought about the child's biological needs. This made his life a lot easier for now. He wouldn't have to feed her until he woke her up and removed her from the pod.

Looking at the child, John's fists clenched, and a sobering thought popped into his mind. He would do anything to ensure this kid's safety, even if it meant fighting the whole damn Covenant all over again. John marked the date, July 4, 2557. A day to remember. The death of someone he loved. The birth of someone he loved. A true new beginning.

John gazed at the child; his expression was unreadable except for the slight softness in his eyes. Her small, thin wisps of bright, fiery red hair. The odd gown made up of what appeared to be purple hard light adorning her body. John pondered on what he should name her. Dryly, he thought of how interesting her life would be with the surname 117. He immediately shook the admittedly amusing thought from his head and wondered how his daughter could have a surname if he didn't have one. Now John was really in a conundrum, he had to come up with not one, but two names!? Cortana would have called him a barbarian for struggling with this, he thought wistfully to himself.

He looked at his daughter and thought deeply about the way the public perceived him. This child would be inheriting a lot of attention from him. Not all of it good. He was seen as a guardian, a shepherd of sorts for humanity. Someone who no matter what, was a shining beacon, a guiding light of hopes and prayers. Something clicked in John's brain, a metaphorical lightbulb went off above him. He was already seen as a Shepherd in an almost biblical sense by some, even his number, designation John-117, was coincidentally a bible verse talking about Jesus. In a moment of rare hubris, the only time John allowed himself in his entire career to not be humble, named himself Shepard, and therefore, his daughter as well. John smirked, he figured what the hell, she's already an almost direct clone of me anyways, might as well name her like it. And so, his daughter was officially named, Jane Shepard.

Suddenly, there was a crackle of blue energy outside the pod. Chief remained silent, immediately on guard for a potential threat, he wasn't sure what just happened, but he instinctively knew whatever it was, it was dangerous. He vaguely noted in the back of his head that the pod seemed lighter than it was half a second ago but thought nothing of it. Another crackle of energy, this time it seemed to be dissipating, rather than appearing. The pod grew slightly heavier and returned to its original weight. Chief noticed it very clearly this time. He remained on guard for the remainder of the trip, but when nothing happened, he passed it off as forerunner technology being weird.


2554 - On Board the Shadow of Intent, in orbit above Doisac

"Arbiter, do you truly believe this is wise? Atriox is unpredictable, a loose cannon in every sense of the imagination. The only thing we know about him is that he hates the false prophets with every fiber of his being. We do not need his assistance to wipe out the remaining prophets." Half-Jaw, also known as Rtas 'Vadum, leaned back in his chair, his gaze sharp, and pointed. "I trust you implicitly, old friend, but this feels like madness."

Thel 'Vadam, the Arbiter, the great Kaidon of all the Sangheili, stared at the image of the hulking brute shown by the holographic projection. "This is not just about our shared thirst for vengeance, they have been growing very powerful since the collapse of the covenant. The banished now represent the vast majority of the brute clans. We are no longer solely the military arm of the covenant. We are a people, a society that has been stifled and must recover from millennia of lies and oppression. We are not alone in this. We need allies, just as much as they do."

Rtas sighed, bringing his clawed hands to his face, touching the nubs where his mandibles used to be, a trait he picked up ever since they were cut off by the parasite. "I understand that, but shouldn't we be seeking the aid of the Unggoy and Kig-yar first? Even the humans, as rightfully distrusting as they are of our kind, would be more agreeable to this. I fail to see the reasoning behind seeking out this unknown variable first."

The arbiter flared his mandibles in the Sangheili equivalent of a smirk. A voice crackled over the intercom. "Arbiter, Fleetmaster, I bring urgent news."

"Out with it Major, why have you interrupted us, we are very busy" Rtas, despite the annoyance evident in his tone, was concerned, he placed the Major under strict orders to only interrupt if there was a potential threat, and he knew the major would not interrupt unless it was very evident something was amiss.

The intercom crackled again. "There are three slip space ruptures off our bow, assuming positions one million, 4 million, and 500,000 kilometers from us respectively"

"I'm on my way to the bridge now Major, are they hostile?"

"Negative sir, they are holding position."

"Understood." The arbiter began chuckling loudly, Rtas whirled around to face him, highly annoyed." This is your doing isn't it, Thel. Rtas was no longer addressing him by his rank and was now speaking as if he were talking to an old friend.

"I admit, I was looking forward to the look on your face."

"You have been spending far too much time with the humans." Rtas huffed, somehow both amused and annoyed.


2554 - Onboard UNSC Diplomatic vessel, designate: Geneva

Fleet Admiral Lord Hood stared at the massive Sangheili vessel on the screen. "Get the Shadow of Intent on the horn James."

"Aye-Aye sir, hailing Shadow of Intent now." Ensign James pressed a couple of buttons and let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding. He was about to be a part of what may be the most important diplomatic meeting in all of galactic history. His palms were slick with sweat from nerves and more than a little fear. He was one of the fortunate few who managed to survive a covenant glassing, and he was terrified of the possibility of having to relive that scenario. "Admiral, permission to speak freely?"

"Granted, speak your mind son." Lord Hood raised an eyebrow, gesturing for his ensign to go on.

"What if this goes wrong sir, what's the backup plan?"

Lord Hood paused for a moment, took a breath, and responded with as much confidence as he could muster. "This will work son, simply because it has to. There is no backup plan, no second chance. This will be Humanity's defining moment, and an alliance of this scale will usher in a new era of peace and prosperity," He placed his hand on his subordinate's shoulder. "This is our chance to recover, mourn those lost, and rebuild. This is it son, this is our best shot. Our only shot."

Suddenly, a projection of a Sangheili in ornate silver armor popped up on the screen. "Lord hood, well met." He gestured in greeting. "The representatives from the Unggoy and Kig-yar are en route to the Shadow of intent as we speak."

Hood's facial expression hardened, "And the Brute leader, Atriox?"

"Running late, as a negotiation tactic, I'm sure. He is, how do you humans say it? Fashionably late? No matter, he will be here, otherwise he would've sent some sort of prior notice. Despite being a brute, he has some sense of honor. Dock in Hangar Bay 12, I will send representatives to escort you and your guard when you arrive."

Lord Hodd nodded and said, "We'll arrive shortly. Are you certain this alliance will work?"

Arbiter looked at Hood grimly. "For both our people's sake, it must."

Approximately an hour and a half later, Lord Hood — along with his personal guard of spartan IVs — landed a Pelican in Hangar Bay 12 of the Shadow of Intent. As they walked out of the troop cargo space, whispers and guttural noises were heard from all around them. Lord Hood smirked, it seemed the legend of "demons" was alive and well. Two Elites in Spec-OPs armor walked forward and bowed their heads. The Elite on the left looked up and said, "Lord Hood, well met, it has been some time."

Lord Hood raised an eyebrow before it suddenly clicked, these elites were the ones to accompany the Arbiter and Chief on Earth during the flood outbreak.

Lord Hood nodded in greeting before saying, "N'tho 'Sraom, Usze 'Taham, always a pleasure."

The elites were momentarily surprised he had remembered their names before quickly regaining their composure and crossing one arm across their chests as a sign of respect. Lord Hood mimicked the gesture.

"Please, follow us." N'tho said, "We will take you to the Arbiter."

The two then turned around and began walking away. Lord Hood and his Spartans followed as the elites guided them through the Hangar to a corridor that led to an elevator. As they were walking, they passed many elites, all of whom gazed upon the Spartans with apprehension, anger, and thinly suppressed fear. Nonetheless, the two elites guiding them remained stoic, unaffected by the "demons" presence. Lord Hood grew curious as they stepped onto the elevator platform.

"N'tho, Usze', if you don't mind me asking, why do you two seem unaffected by my guard's presence, whereas the remainder of your ship's crew seems bothered?" Hood said, tilting his head imperceptibly.

N'tho grunted in confirmation. "Aye, we have gazed into the eyes of the Parasite, stood side by side with the Lord Demon'."

Lord Hood internally noted that they referred to the Chief with a healthy mix of respect, fear, and camaraderie. "We do not fear these baby demons you are guarded by, for we have seen how the Lord Demon fights. And your companions, while strong I am sure, could not possibly live up to that."

Lord Hood snorted as the spartan IVs shifted uncomfortably, not sure whether to be insulted or honored they were even referred to as demons in the first place. The Fleet Admiral smiled and chuckled slightly. "Fair enough, he's something special isn't he."

Both elites huffed quietly, a noise that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle. Usze' looked at Hood and said, "Indeed, truthfully, I pray that one day I may be so lucky as to witness the Arbiter and Demon spar, such a sight would be wondrous to behold."

Lord Hood replied, an eyebrow slightly raised, "Who do you think would win?"

Usze', with a hint of reverence, replied "I do not know, but I know the fight would be spoken of for generations, no matter the outcome."


2554 - Doisac Surface, Phantom Landing Pad.

An aging brute sat down with a huff. Another brute, this one a hulking behemoth of a specimen, with white face paint and facial hair woven into small dreadlocks, placed his hand on the aging brute's shoulder. "Your body tires Escharum, you do not have to accompany me if you are unable. Decimus is more than capable of guarding me."

The aging brute, now named Escharum, wheezed. "You and I both know Decimus cannot keep his anger in check. This alliance is too important for the banished, for our people. Besides..."

Escharum exploded into action, punching the other brute in the face, staggering him. "It is not as if I am decrepit, Atriox."

The other brute, now named Atriox, snarled and stood up, before laughing. "Come, old man. We have a war pact to make, and the two of us are due for another spar soon. You must keep your skills sharp. You never know when you may need them."

Escharum walked over to Atriox before clapping him on the shoulder. "You are the only one who could challenge me like that and walk away alive. You will always hold the honor of being my only student to ever best me. But I sense your winning streak may be coming to an end."

Both brutes began walking over to the phantom, before settling into their seats on the transport. Atriox grinned, "If only that were true old man."

The Phantom began its ascent. Once the phantom reached the upper atmosphere of Doisac, a comm line was opened between the Shadow of Intent and Atriox. "Shadow of Intent, this is Banished Chieftain Atriox, clearance code 1-5-Y-T-6, requesting permission to dock."

"Shadow of Intent to Atriox, proceed to Hangar Bay 5."

"Understood Shadow of Intent, heading there now." Once the phantom landed, an escort group of a full spec-ops platoon arrived to bring Atriox and Escharum to the Arbiter. Atriox looked at Escharum and grinned, "Look how they fear us, maybe this won't go as poorly as I thought."

Escharum chuckled, "Aye, they clearly understand who they're dealing with." The brute duo walked with the spec-ops platoon in stoic silence, their armor clanking with every step. Eventually, they reached a room with an oval table. At this table, sitting down were the representatives from each standing legitimate government in the known galaxy, with personal guards standing behind each representative quietly. Atriox noted how small the Spartans looked compared to the ones he saw decimate the covenant before he left. Escharum shot a nasty glare towards Lord Hood, who didn't flinch and returned the look with a steely gaze, his face not betraying any fear. Escharum chuckled and directed Atriox's attention to the human. "For how frail he looks, he shows no fear, I like this one."

Lord Hood didn't move his gaze, he cooly stated, "This one had to be convinced to not set your world ablaze with nuclear fire."

"Wouldn't be the first time" Escharum snarled.

Atriox placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "We came here to talk of peace, not war." Atriox took a seat next to the Unggoy representative, causing him to let out an involuntary squeak.

The Arbiter rose from his seated position. "For longer than all of us have been alive, the Prophet's lies have kept our species oppressed. For millennia we were forced to wage war after war, all in the name of the Great Journey." The Arbiter spat out. The brute representatives growled quietly at the mention of the Prophets and their lies, Lord Hood and his Spartans remaining completely emotionless. The Unggoy representative stood, and despite his clearly evident fear, he spoke up with confidence, something that the other representatives, bar the Kig-Yar, noticed and respected. "All the former Covenant races lack the infrastructure required to rebuild our individual societies. We were forced to rely on the prophets for so long that many core parts of a society are missing."

Lord Hood nodded. He inhaled and began, "Regardless of our old allegiances, and the lack of trust and goodwill shared between our people–"

The Arbiter appeared ashamed for a moment, while the brutes remained silent and attentive." –We all need each other. It is a big galaxy, and we, without a doubt, aren't alone in it. What other threats are out there? What other ancient monstrosities have the forerunners locked away. What if, God forbid, The Flood were to return…?"

An involuntary shudder ran down the spines of everyone present. No one wanted to consider that possibility. "We need to be prepared, and we cannot do that separated as we are. Which is why the UNSC, and the Swords of Sanghelios, have drafted a treaty, the Reach Accords, that should it be signed by all parties present, would be the first step in ensuring galactic peace."

The Kig-Yar representative squawked, the translators everyone had translating the seemingly guttural noises. "What exactly does this treaty entail?"

The Arbiter leaned back and said, "Full technological, infrastructure, economic, migratory, and military cooperation between all species. More refined details and logistics of this will be hashed out by our diplomats should we agree to do this. The wars of the past have left us each broken, bruised, and battered. Only through free and open cooperation can we recover."

After a moment of hushed whispers between the two attending brutes, Atriox spoke up. "The Banished pledge to sign."

Lord Hood looked at Atriox, and offered a Grateful nod. The Arbiter let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding. With the brutes signing on, the only party he was unsure about had pledged to uphold the accords. "The UNSC will sign."

"The Kig-yar union foresees large amounts of profit to bear fruit from this partnership. We shall Sign."

"The Unggoy Star Empire, representing the species of Unggoy, Yanme'e, Dazreme, and Yonhet will sign. We hope that we can be protected, given the lack of military Acumen of our species." The Unngoy squeaked out.

The Arbiter flared his mandibles in the Sangheili equivalent of a grin. "The Swords of Sanghelios will sign."

There was a beat of silence as all parties realized the full gravity of what had just happened. Lord Hood let out a sigh of relief. He inhaled and began saying, "Gentlemen, this is an unprecedented time in galactic history. The future will not be easy. There is still a lot of work to be done, and what's left of the Covenant Remnants will not go quietly."

Atriox opened his mouth to speak, he grunted out, in his baritone voice, "What shall we name this alliance?"

Lord Hood thought for a moment, before saying, "How about the Galactic Allied Union?"

Atriox snorted, clearly amused by the name, but said nothing. No one raised any objections.

The Arbiter nodded, a fitting name, if a bit cliché. He realized that he subconsciously thought of a human term to describe it.

Huffing, he wondered if perhaps Rtas was right. Maybe he was spending too much time with the humans. Though, he supposed he would be spending a lot more time with them in the coming years. "So it is then. I shall send details to each government's delegates by the end of this cycle. I wish you all well." As each leader walked out of the room, the Arbiter pondered his old friend. He only wished the Demon were here to see that his efforts had finally borne fruit. Four years after his disappearance, Thel still found himself pondering his friend's whereabouts. Perhaps with this new Union, he would be found shortly.


2557 - Earth's Orbit, Pelican Nine-sixer

There was a soft clank as the Pelican he was riding in landed within the Infinity's Hangar Bay. This was it. The coming moments would mark the beginning of his new life as a father. Now he just had to make sure it didn't end before it began. The hatch opened, and the bright fluorescent lights formed a stark contrast to the dimly lit pelican he was in. He took a step forward, down the ramp, and onto the Infinity's deck. He gazed upon the rows of soldiers flanking his arrival. He never quite got used to the hero worship, even after so many years. Standing at parade rest at the end of the rows of marines, he saw Captain Lasky. The pod secured to a magnetic hardpoint on the back of his armor, was once again completely polarized. He began to walk towards the captain.

Captain Lasky couldn't help but feel slightly giddy. Despite how grim the circumstances were, given the mounting casualty reports coming in from Earth. Master Chief — the Hero of Humanity, someone who he's looked up to since he saved his life all those years ago — was in front of him, alive and well. For a moment, he considered how long the Chief had been fighting. Lasky was young, only 15 when the Chief saved him, and that was during the beginning of the war, so Chief must've been at least 20 during the chaotic events on Corbulo. Probably much older, given how he moved and acted. He carried himself like an experienced veteran, and that was about 30 years ago. He must've been pushing 80 now, if not 90. He frowned at the thought. No one that old should still have to fight. He deserved rest. No, he needed rest if the reports were to be believed. Supposedly, the Chief had been fighting ever since the Prophet of Regret appeared over Earth.

Lasky realized how tired the Chief likely was. Indeed, when he looked at the Chief, now that he was thinking about it, he noticed it all — the dirt and grime on his armor, the heavy damage it had sustained, his slight limp, and the makeshift field repairs he had made while fighting. Then, he realized something else: he wasn't hauling ass to get to someone who could help Cortana. Lasky felt like the wind had been knocked out of him.

The Chief, ever perceptive, noticed the captain's scrutinizing gaze. Master Chief was above such silly emotions as bashfulness, and yet he felt slightly off-put by the fact that the captain clearly noticed how exhausted he was. He noticed his eyes widened when he looked down, probably noticing the slight limp in his gait. Eventually, after an agonizingly long walk, he reached the captain. Lasky stuck out his hand. Chief grasped his hand and shook it. Lasky smiled slightly and said, "How do you feel Chief?"

Master Chief, not one to show weakness, immediately straightened out and said tersely, "Green sir, Sierra-117 reporting for duty."

Lasky frowned slightly upon hearing that. Chief wondered why, was there another mission? Was he not satisfied with his statement? Chief blinked under his helmet, wondering why Lasky appeared so downtrodden.

Lasky narrowed his eyes slightly and thought to himself, 'Jesus, he's acting like he's never heard of the word rest.'

"Walk with me Chief." He said, turning around, and heading to the tram.

"Yes, sir." Chief replied, refusing to allow any of the tumultuous emotions he was feeling to shine through his voice and actions. The tram ride was silent, as both Chief and Lasky sat in a somewhat tense silence. Lasky was relieved when the tram door opened. He stepped out, Chief following closely behind. Lasky walked down a corridor, through the door that led to his quarters, and walked inside. Chief followed until he reached the door, unsure of how to proceed. Lasky gestured for him to step inside.

The Chief noticed the viewport and saw Earth through the window. He subconsciously began to walk forward, until he reached the window. Lasky stood still and watched as the Chief walked by and looked out the window.

"Mind if I join you?" He said somberly. Chief immediately turned around startled, remembering suddenly that he wasn't alone, and how improper it was to turn his back on the captain in his own quarters. Chief immediately knew that Lasky had figured out that Cortana was gone. He wasn't surprised, the captain wasn't stupid. Lasky would've realized the moment he didn't ask for the quickest way to get to Halsey.

"Of Course not sir." He said quickly, attempting to recover from his lack of decorum.

Lasky, with an expression of vague sadness, said, "At Ease Chief. It feels kind of odd for you to call me sir."

Chief returned to his prior position of standing still with his arms to his side, gazing out the viewport. After a couple of moments of comfortable silence, Lasky spoke.

"Beautiful, isn't she? I don't get to see her often enough." The Captain put his hands on his hips and breathed.

"I grew up on New Harmony, attended Corbulo Military Academy. Never saw Earth in person until I was an adult, but..." Lasky trailed off, a slight smile gracing his lips. He looked up at Chief and continued, "I still think of her as home."

Chief didn't move, didn't make any motions or noises to indicate he heard what Lasky had said. Another beat of silence. This time the air was thick with Lasky's discomfort.

He shifted uncomfortably, looked down, and said, "You don't talk much, do you?"

Once again the Chief made no indication that he had heard him. Another beat of Silence. Lasky paused, took a breath, and slowly blinked.

"Chief... I won't pretend to know how you feel." He said softly. "I've lost people I care about, but... never like what you're going through."

Chief, in stark contrast to his previous non-verbal stance, replied quickly and sharply. "Our duty, as soldiers, is to protect humanity. Whatever the cost."

He didn't move at all while saying this, Lasky noted that it was inhuman, machine-like. The only vague sense of emotion he got from the Chief was the way he said, 'whatever the cost,' and even then, it wasn't much.

Lasky shifted again, gathered his courage, looked at John, and said with a somber, serious expression, "You say that like soldiers and humanity are two different things. Soldiers aren't machines." John's head snapped quickly to look at Lasky. Undeterred, Lasky continued his statement. "We're just people."

John's knees nearly gave out right then and there. The rush of emotion he just felt threatened to unravel his mental state. They both stood there, no longer in an uncomfortable silence. With those short lines, a small bond began to form between the two. John and Lasky stood there, no longer as commanding officer and subordinate, but as friends. His heart began pounding.

Thump...

Thump...

Thump...

Thump...

Thump...

Quietly, so quietly Lasky nearly missed it, John whispered, "She said that to me once, about being a machine."

Lasky was frozen in place. He hadn't expected Chief to respond at all and was content to just stand there with him for as long as he needed to, offering silent support. John quickly turned, invigorated with a newfound sense of purpose. "Sir, I require your assistance with a personal matter." He stated quickly and confidently.

"Anything Chief," Lasky said just as quickly, still in a minor state of shock from the chief opening up to him like he did. Master Chief reached behind him and pulled the pod off his back. Lasky, still in shock, quickly recovered and asked, "What is it Chief?"

The top of the pod shimmered and depolarized revealing a small human toddler.

"Chief."

"Yes, Captain?"

"Is that..."

"Yes, Captain."

"How the fuck?"

"Forerunner bullshit, Captain."

Lasky's shock wore off. He shook his head to clear his mind, took a deep calming breath, adopted a determined expression, and asked, "How can I help?"


2557 - Undisclosed ONI Prowler, somewhere on the edge of explored space.

"Another whisper on our long-range slip space detection array ma'am."

"Understood, keep trying to isolate the signal and notify Osman. This just graduated from fleeting coincidence to potential First-Contact."

"Yes ma'am, sending the message now."

"Maintain Stealth, retreat to Dwarka System, plot four random jumps along the way to throw off any potential trails."

"Aye-Aye, jumping in 3...2...1..."

LINE BREAK


2557 - STG Cloaked Survey Ship, Kalanhai

"Captain, Another Radiation spike approximately 20 lightyears away!"

"Follow it NOW!"

'Jumping in 3... 2... 1..."

32 hours later...

"Nothing here sir, I'm starting to think these bursts are just abnormally large solar flares"

"You may be right; we've been chasing these spikes for years now. Report our findings back to Sur'Kesh and take us home."

"Yes sir, en-route to the nearest Relay now."


AN: A couple things here to note here, some minor canonical changes. The big one being Black team won't be getting killed off screen like they did in a comic right after halo 4. The Ur-Didact is dead and will not be returning in any meaningful way. Chief and Lasky's interaction at the end there was a little forced towards the end, but honestly. Uncle Lasky will very much be a thing. Shoutout to my beta, Project_Artemis, he's a cutie.