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  • Subject: Halo Fanfic: The End of a War
Subject: Halo Fanfic: The End of a War
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Edit: sorry, double-post

[Edited on 4/15/2005]

  • 04.15.2005 3:29 PM PDT
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I have been following this thread for quite some time now but never really posted....anyways, I thought that I would pass my compliments to Mr_Clark on an incredible story - I was absolutely shocked to know that you are only 18 - and are able to write so well. I even have your book linked in my sig in a few other forums.

The story is just fantastic regardless of the little rants and raves that people have. I thought the backtracking was a great touch and a creative way to tell the Covenant history rather than listening to an entire narration of the Arbitor. Also, creating meaningful characters in each 'episode' gave you some emotional attachment to the 'players' so the plot was that much more thickened......Can't wait for Chapter 15.

Keep up the great book, and copyright it, it could make you some serious money someday.....BTW, I don't know if this has been asked before and it may not have an answer but do you have any idea of how many chapters total you are looking at (tentatively?)

Super

[Edited on 4/15/2005]

  • 04.15.2005 3:43 PM PDT
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Chapter 14 rocked Mr.Clark. Those prophets are so evil.
As for Kinlumee, I'm thinking "Like father like son" means that he is the son of the first elite betrayed by the prophets( I can't rember his name ) and also the father of the Arbiter from Halo 2.

  • 04.15.2005 3:45 PM PDT

"It's like a cake filled with pies." -Pete "Mango" Parsons

Seventh Column Contests

i think he is gona write about 26 chapters, correct me if im wrong.

  • 04.15.2005 4:52 PM PDT
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Here we are, earlier than expected. It seems the number of PM's I can send have been limited, so if you didn't get a PM, then I'm terribly sorry, I'll get to the rest later.

Anyways, here we go!

Author’s Notes: Well, here we are. Chapter 15. The Return of the Chief. To tell you the truth I was somewhat tempted to put that as the chapter title, but in the end common sense prevailed.

The look into the Covenant history was certainly nice, I know I enjoyed it, despite it being somewhat hard to write. There were some errors, grammatical and otherwise (latchkeyprincess pointed out one of the bigger ones in Chapter 14; boy was my face red when I read that), but overall it was a success.

Anyways this new chapter should be a welcome addition to those that found the Covenant history chapters somewhat unfulfilling. I’ve tried to include as much Chief and Arbiter goodness as possible in this chapter, which explains its large size.



The End of a War

Chapter 15

Nobody Ever Said Doing Hard Time Was Easy

Silence deafened those inside the room once the Arbiter ceased speaking. For hours he had led the occupants through the creation of the Covenant, to the final moments from when he had ceased to be a part of it. There had been no sound from any of the Section III officials, or the Admirals that were seated around the room while the Arbiter spoke. Commander Miranda Keyes and Spartan -117 had stood beside the Elite the entire time, listening as well as gauging the reactions of those the Arbiter was speaking to. Though the ONI officers had tried to keep their faces impassive several of them had shown shock over some of the details that the Arbiter provided.

The Master Chief felt the urge to move his legs, as he had been standing motionless for hours, but he kept himself rooted to the ground. He did not wish to draw attention to himself by being the first person to break the silence that had descended upon them all.

While the Master Chief had kept his entire body motionless throughout the proceeding speech by the Arbiter, he had listened intently to the words of the Elite. The Arbiter stood silent, his head bowed low, not out of fealty, but because of exhaustion. The reminiscing upon the history of his race, and the betrayal by those that he had served with dedication had left his emotionally drained.

And I cannot blame him for that, John thought. Betrayed by their spiritual leaders, and cast aside as if their years of service meant nothing. That the Arbiter was able to speak of it, so soon after it transpired is amazing. Would I feel the same if it came to be that I was betrayed by humanity?

The Elites have been our enemies for a long time, and I have hated them with all my being, but now that anger has dimmed. While I do not feel sympathy for their plight, I do understand what they must be going through.


Movement caught the Master Chief’s attention, and he returned his focus to the room, expecting to see some of the Section III admirals moving about. Instead it was the Arbiter that had moved. The Elite had dropped down to one knee, and had fixed his eyes upon the ground.

“I have complied with your wishes, and if you still see fit that there must be retribution, than allow the burden to fall upon me, for I shall gladly give my life to make amends for the crimes my brethren and I have exacted upon you. I ask only that you delay my death, so that the revenge the Sangheili must have on the Brutes and the Prophets is followed. Upon the death of those that must be murdered, I shall return here, so that my execution can be carried out.”

Trading his life so that the others would be spared. An act of selflessness, and one that I did not think the Elites would be capable of, John mused. Why is that? Did my vengefulness and single-minded killings keep me in the dark over what the Elites were truly like? I have seen them in thousands of battles, and yet I do not understand them at all.

The Arbiter knelt silently, his body still as the Section III admirals watched him in silence, no doubt stewing over many of the same things that were running through the Master Chief’s head.

Commander Miranda Keyes stepped forward, and rested her hand lightly upon the Arbiter’s shoulder. The Elite glanced upwards at her, but her attention was directed at the Admiralty.

“As you heard, the Elites have been betrayed. Yes they have participated in unholy atrocities but they were deceived. Led to believe that we were affronts to their Gods. We can bring them to justice after this war is over,” Miranda said. A snort came from one of the Section III officials.

“That’s all fine and well Commander, but have you forgotten what the public will think about this? Forgiving the aliens that have been trying for decades to wipe us off the face of the universe. I hardly think that will go over well with all that’s left of our kind.”

“Turning public opinion in our favor isn’t going to do anything about keeping the human race from extinction Colonel,” Miranda warned. “Setting up an alliance with the Elites could help keep us alive, and maybe even turn the tide against the Covenant.”

The Colonel that had spoken previously slammed his fist down onto the table.

“The Covenant have been dealt with!” he shouted. His hand rose and pointed at the Master Chief. “That cybernetic freak took care of the rest of their fleet, and we have time now to rebuild the MAC stations and the fleet. Whenever the Covenant come limping back we’ll be ready and waiting for them.”

“With what?” Keyes asked scathingly. “I don’t know if you could see it all the way down here in this bunker Colonel, but our fleet was nearly decimated up there. If not for the Master Chief stopping the Prophet of Truth, and then disabling the rest of the Covenant fleet, our outer defenses would have fallen. We’d be engaging Covenant forces groundside as we speak.”

Keyes removed her hand from the Arbiter’s shoulder and moved closer to the official she was speaking to.

“We have a bigger problem than just the Covenant now. The Forerunners built something on Earth, a facility capable of remote activating every Halo Installation. That’s the Covenant’s intended target, and we’re sitting right on top of it. They’ve been blinded by their fanatical devotion to the Forerunners that they’ve ignored Halo’s main purpose. If they manage to activate the Ark, all sentient life, all life of Earth, is going to be wiped out.”

The Colonel sat back in a huff, but seemed as if he had been mollified.

“I am aware of the report that Cortana and yourself furnished Commander,” he retorted softly.

“Then you know that organizing an alliance with the excommunicated members of the Covenant would be in our best interests,” Commander Keyes said.

The Colonel remained silent, but Admiral Cortez spoke up.

“I agree with Commander Keyes about the direness of our situation, but I cannot grasp the thought that the Forerunner built a structure somewhere on our planet, and that we have somehow never discovered it.”

“How sure can we be that the Forerunner actually built the Ark on our planet?” one of the other admirals asked.

“The monitor, Guilty Spark, gave me the coordinates of the location, and I cross referenced them. There is no doubt in my mind that they lead straight to Earth,” Keyes explained.

“There is obviously many things that we need to deliberate on for now,” Admiral Cortez announced, then turned to the Master Chief. “Spartan -117, is there anything you would like to add?”

The Master Chief felt the many different sets of eyes fall upon him.

“No sir,” he said deeply.

“Alright then, Commander Keyes I request that you stay behind for now. The Master Chief will escort this Elite to the holding cell 7-C. After which a Marine detail will take over surveillance,” Admiral Cortez ordered, then shifted his attention to the Arbiter. “While I believe you would not be foolish enough to try anything, the fact remains that you are still our enemy, and as such you need to be detained.”

The Arbiter wordlessly got to his feet and nodded once to the Admiral before turning to John. The Spartan motioned his head towards the door.

“Lets go.”

----------------------------------

Ugh, if I knew I’d be waiting this long, I would have tried to sneak down there with the Chief and Commander Keyes, Jan thought as she kicked lightly at the gravel beneath her feet.

It had been hours since the Master Chief and the Arbiter had entered the ONI base, and ever since Commander Keyes followed them shortly afterwards, she had been stuck waiting outside alone. The many Marines that were guarding the entrances to the base hadn’t been very talkative, aside from sending a few cat calls her way. She’d thought about maybe teaching the few Marines that did so a lesson, but after the firm talking to from Commander Keyes that she should keep herself out of trouble, Jan decided to just ignore them.

  • 04.15.2005 5:04 PM PDT
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Miranda Keyes had been a lot more sympathetic to Jan’s plight than she had thought the UNSC Commander would be. After informing her about the plans Kevin and the others had come up with shortly before the Covenant invasion, granted with a lot of omitted facts, Keyes had become a great deal more hospitable.

With a sigh Jan slumped down onto the dusty road, and leaned her head against the outer wall of the ONI base.

I wonder how Gilly and Gladys are doing.

The sound of heavy footsteps crunching over gravel caught her attention, and Jan leapt to her feet when she saw the Master Chief emerge from the base. With a few quick strokes she brushed off the dust that had clung to her backside and then jogged over to the Spartan.

She was slightly disappointed when the Master Chief did nothing more than glance in her direction and then continue walking, but Jan quickly shrugged it off and caught up with him.

“So,” she said, hoping the Spartan would start talking.

Guess not, Jan brooded. They walked in silence for a few more paces until Jan noticed they were heading towards a Warthog.

“Are we heading back to Honor Without Mercy?” she asked the Master Chief as he climbed into the driver’s seat. Jan demurely got in beside him. She watched, puzzled, as the Spartan stared at the steering wheel for a long moment.

“Why are you still following me?” the Master Chief asked suddenly, his gaze still directed away from her.

“What?” Jan replied, confused. The Spartan didn’t reply and Jan slumped back into her seat.

“I…I don’t know. I told you I just wanted to help fight this war.”

“Then you could have joined the UNSC,” the Master Chief said.

“I already tried that, they turned me away because I’m too young,” Jan shot back, her fear of being turned away by the Spartan slowly melting into anger.

“There’s civilian defense programs. If the Covenant made it through the orbital defense grid then you would still get the chance to help,” the Spartan pointed out as he finally turned to look at her.

Jan opened her mouth to fire back a retort but nothing came out.

The Master Chief breathed deeply before turning on the ignition for the Warthog.

“Go home to your family Jan.”

Her mouth snapped shut as the Master Chief’s words registered, and she clenched her fist tightly, feeling the sting of pain as her nails dug into her palms.

“I don’t have a family to go back to,” she said slowly. “My father was murdered, and my mother is too psychotic to give a damn about me. My friends are all too busy fighting this war on their own, and I thought being with you would give me the chance to do the same.”

A silent sob wracked Jan’s body for a moment, but she fought back to keep herself from crying in front of the Master Chief.

“I arranged to have a Pelican take you back to your city. The flight will be long, but with the Covenant out of commission for now you’ll be safe,” the Master Chief said. As Jan readied a retort he shifted gears on the Warthog and brought them out of the parking lot.

“Haven’t you heard a word I’ve said?” Jan asked, chokingly. “I don’t have a home to go back to, and even if I did I wouldn’t want to go back. Can’t you see that this is where I belong?”

“You’re just a kid, you shouldn’t have to fight and die in this war.”

Jan felt her cheeks flush with anger, and she bit back the urge to lash out at the Spartan.

“I’m seventeen years old, and I bet I know more about life that you,” she retorted. “I was born to be a soldier. This is what I was created to do.”

The Master Chief’s grip tightened on the steering wheel as he brought them out onto the main road.

“Nobody is born to be a soldier,” the Spartan commented, before he realized the absurdity of such a statement. Jan watched him incredulously for a moment before shaking her head.

“My father was part of the Spartan I project, and so was my mother,” she said softly. If not for the augmentations to his body, the Spartan would have missed her words. Even so, it took a moment before her statement fully clicked inside his mind. His foot came down on the brakes so fast he nearly slammed through the inner casing of the Warthog.

“What?” the Master Chief asked, his voice tight.

“My father,” Jan said slowly. “Jim Lee, I think is the name he entered the program under. I don’t know about my mom. They were both a part of the program. I’m not sure exactly what kind of training they went through, but I know they received some kind of augmentations to their bodies, and I inherited some of them.”

The Master Chief stared at Jan for a few moments. What she said seemed incredulous, but it made at least some sense to the Spartan. Dr. Halsey had never mentioned anything about a Spartan I project, but if he and the others had all been Spartan II’s than there would have had to been a first stage for the project. An experimental phase.

Jan kept her gaze down in her lap, unsure of what the Spartan would do now that she had told him that information. Would he turn her into ONI?

She felt the Warthog accelerate, and she lifted her head a little to see that the Master Chief was quickly putting them into a U-turn.

“Where are we going?” Jan asked, unsure if she should feel elated that the Spartan didn’t seem to be still be intent on sending her away, or worried that he appeared to be heading back to the base.

“The HighCom Facility Hospital,” the Spartan answered shortly.

“Um, I’m feeling rather fine actually, if you don’t believe what I said that’s okay, but I don’t think you should have me committed,” Jan said.

“That’s not what we’re doing Jan, I just want to visit some friends.”

---------------------------------

The Prophet of Truth inwardly fumed as he sat aboard the bridge of the Forerunner ship. Hunagok and Jiralhanae worked tirelessly at the controls of the ship, trying to regain control of the navigation equipment.

It had been countless hours since the inevitable discovery that the ship was heading on an uncharted course through Slip Space. No matter how hard they tried, the Covenant aboard the ship could neither control the ships course, nor could they figure out just where the ship was taking them.

After many hours of repeated failures, the Prophet of Truth was beginning to get annoyed.

This diversion is stalling the completion of my task. All communications are down, and I cannot contact the High Prophet and alert him to our predicament. This event could forestall the Great Journey, and may even cause my goal to be unreachable.

A lone Jiralhanae stepped away from his station and approached the Prophet of Truth.

“Holy one, we have yet to wrestle control back of the ship, but several of our navigators have made a discovery.”

The Prophet of Truth stared down at the Jiralhanae.

“Enlighten me, warrior.”

“Through several of the devices we brought aboard, it has been deciphered that we have completely exited the human’s system, and are now heading towards an uncharted one.”

“Allow me to see the relevant data,” the Prophet of Truth ordered, and the Jiralhanae bowed low before trotting off to carry out his order.

What course does this ship intend to take? Truth asked himself as he watched the warrior return.

“Here you are, holy one.”

The Prophet of Truth took the extended portable device and began scanning the characters that were scrolled across the screen, as well as the crude map configurations the navigators had devised. When he had read it all, the Prophet quickly read it again, making sure that what he saw was no illusion.

The device fell from his hands and clattered to the ground.

By the Gods, we are heading for the birth place of the Prophets!

-----------------------------------

“Have you ever thought of removing your armor when you come to places like this?” Jan asked the Master Chief as they moved down the crowded hospital corridors. “I’m sure you wouldn’t get so many stares.”

John ignored Jan’s comment as best he could as he scanned the room numbers. The intensive care unit was a maze of twisting hallways and intersecting rooms. A doctor had provided them with the information that the Spartan had asked for, but he was beginning to wish he had accepted the offer to be shown straight to the room.

G14, John thought as he gazed at one of the rooms. This is it.

Several Marines had been posted at the doors, and they snapped tight salutes to John, even as they eyed Jan wearily.

“At ease,” John said, aware that his rank did not warrant the non-com’s to salute him, and slightly embarrassed that they had done so. “Is it alright for me to go in?”

“Of course sir. The Doc was just inside and he said they’ll be out for another couple days,” one of the Marines informed him.

John nodded once and stepped by them, as the Marines subjected themselves to a retinal scan that opened the hospital room door. The Spartan stepped inside, and motioned for Jan to come with him. She did so, mindful of the curious gazes the Marine detail were giving her.

With Jan inside, the door slipped shut, and the Master Chief turned to look at the occupants of the room. He felt his heart nearly skip a beat when he did so.

  • 04.15.2005 5:05 PM PDT
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I REALLY LOVE UR FANFIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



[Edited on 4/15/2005]

  • 04.15.2005 5:07 PM PDT
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They look as if they are waiting upon Death’s doorstep, he thought to himself as he stepped closer to one of the beds. It wasn’t until he had spotted the forms attached to the bed frame that he had realized he was looking at Will. The Spartan was so heavily bandaged that it was near impossible to tell who it was. The sheer number of tubes and needles running out from his body seemed impossible. A quick glance confirmed that both Fred and Linda were in the same shape as well.

The sound of a smothered gasp confirmed that Jan had seen the other occupants of the room. The three Spartans had been put under lock and key while they were recovering, and their Mjolnir armor was being kept nearby. While they may have been covered completely with bandages and other medical devices, it still felt odd seeing them without their Mjolnir gear on.

They looked…weak.

“Are they going to be alright?” Jan asked quietly from where she was looking down at the unconscious body of Linda.

John fought the urge to let a sigh escape him as he moved over to where Fred lay.

“Commander Keyes let me in on what the doctors had to say, and right now it appears they will pull through,” the Spartan said, letting his hand hover over Fred’s, but not touching him. “It will be sometime before they’ll be ready for combat however.”

The Master Chief watched out of the corner of his eye as Jan reached out tentatively with her hand and let it touch Linda’s face for a moment.

“Come with me,” John said, startling Jan as she withdrew her hand. Without another word he walked to the door and opened it up, walking through. Jan gave one final glance to the three Spartans and then raced out after him.

It wasn’t until they were out of the hospital that John spoke up again.

“Do you still wish to come along with me?” he asked suddenly. Jan glanced at him in confusion for a moment, before catching his meaning. She shook her head for a moment before laughing.

“So that’s why you took me to see those other Spartans. To show me what the price of fighting alongside you could be. I suppose I should have told you before, Master Chief, but I’m not so easy to shake loose,” Jan said with a smirk, before turning serious for a moment. “You asked me before why I’m still fighting, do you mind if I ask why you’re still fighting. Something tells me if you wanted to retire you would have done so already, and I doubt anyone would be able to stop you.”

The Master Chief nearly stumbled slightly at her question.

Why do I still fight? I’ve been given everything in my life just to have this chance, to become the soldier that I am, I can’t turn my back on all that.

Dr. Halsey’s last few words to him suddenly came back to the Spartan.

I fight so that others can survive. I want to save as many people as I can.

John watched Jan for a moment before grunting. He led them back to the Warthog.

“Where to now sir?” Jan asked mockingly. Her spirits were somehow lifted once more.

“For now your going back to Honor Without Mercy,” John informed her. “Its probably the safest place on the planet for now, at least until the Admirals figure out what they’ll be deciding is the best course for the planet right now.”

Jan huffed for a moment, but then relaxed.

“Don’t be too surprised if they start circling their wagons,” she said as the Spartan started the engine.

John looked at her, as the term seemed unfamiliar to him, but his pride wouldn’t let him ask for Jan to elaborate.

As he pulled out of the hospital and started down the road, John found himself looking inwards once again.

Once I drop her off, there’s one other thing that I must take care of.

-----------------------------------

The Arbiter readjusted himself as discretely as he could. The chair the Marines had provided him was too small and uncomfortable for him to use, but the Elite did not wish to give the guard detail any reason to train their weapons on him, so he suffered in silence.

If our positions were switched, what would I do in this situation? the Arbiter asked himself. Taking humans into emprisonment was only for a short time, and they were tortured non-stop whilst it progressed. Once we obtained the relevant information, the detainee was dispossed of as quickly as possible. Why am I expecting different treatment from the humans?

Inwardly sighing, the Arbiter cast an indiscreet glance at the room he was being held in. The human Admirals had explained that it was an interrogation room, but from what the Arbiter could tell it was far different than the interrogation rooms that he had seen while serving with the Covenant.

The sound of the door opening came as a slight surprise to the Elite, as nobody had entered the room for several hours. Not since he had first been placed in the cell and a Marine detail had entered and taken up positions beside the only door in leading out of the room. The Elite's surprise grew when the Demon stepped into the room.

Salutes were snapped from the Marines, and the Demon returned them with uncertainty, telling the soldiers to take a break. Without a word the Marines left, leaving the Demon and the Arbiter alone.

"You should not be uncomfortable by the adorement given to you by the lesser humans, Demon," the Arbiter commented with a smirk. "They see you as a hero, just as the Covenant see you as an enemy."

"I suppose the same can be said of you then," the Demon replied. "As the Arbiter you are the hero of your people, but to humanity your nothing but a murderer."

The Arbiter tried not to flinch, even as the Master Chief's remark struck deep within him.

"Have your commanders reached a decision?" the Arbiter asked, changing the subject. The Demon shook his head.

"They are still deliberating at the moment, but that's not why I came," the Demon said, taking the time to sit himself down in the chair opposite from where the Arbiter was sitting. "I have visited the remaining members of my unit."

The Arbiter looked back at the Demon, uncertain of where he was going with this.

"They are in critical, but stable position. During the assault on our orbital defenses, they were stationed in the adjacent MAC stations. The Covenant brought in a bomb, and detonated it. The doctors I spoke with briefly, explained to me that if it wasn't for the Mjolnir armor they would have perished along with the other soldiers and technicions aboard the station."

Has he come to exact his revenge? the Arbiter asked himself. Against his will a tendral of fear worked its way through his body at the thought of being attacked by the warrior that sat across from him.

Surprising the Arbiter, the Demon's helmet suddenly emmited a loud hissing noise. With a smooth gesture, the Demon reached up and removed the helmet from his head. The helmet was placed on the table that separated the two warriors, and the Demon stared hard at the Arbiter.

"Even though I am enraged over the fate that my comrades have all met during the course of this war, I do not bear you, or any of your kind any ill will."

The Arbiter was confused for a moment, before he recalled what he had said to the Demon aboard Honor Without Mercy.

"Hatred is neither gathered, nor dispelled so easily, Demon," the Arbiter said, his earlier caution gone. "We were your enemy for many years, and fought each other countless times. No matter what you may believe, I can see it in your eyes, that your holding yourself back."

The Arbiter leaned forward across the table, cutting the distance between them in half.

"There's nothing that would bring you greater joy right now than leaping across this table and snapping my neck."

For a moment, the Arbiter feared he had pushed the Demon too far. The icy gaze in his eyes had changed momentarily to a smoldering glare, filled with malice. However, as quickly as his gaze changed, the look faded.

"Sit down," the Demon said calmly. For a moment the Arbiter stared back defiantly at the human, but eventually sat himself back down onto the chair. The Demon reached down and picked up his helmet, replacing it on top of his head.

"Cortana has tapped herself into the HighCom building, and she was listening in on the conversation between the Admirals. They are mainly speaking about the likelihood of civilian unrest if it happens to come to pass that we accept your offer, and combine our forces."

"That would seem like a likely outcome, but civilian unrest can be put down with force from the military," the Arbiter commentated.

"They would not order such a thing," the Demon replied. "Civilians may not be soldiers, but they have rights, and to suppress them violently would be a violation of the UNSC Charter of Conduct. We have needed to be united against the Covenant, and because of that a free world had to be established."

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"A free world," the Arbiter echoed softly, letting out a short, bitter laugh.

"The Admirals will more than likely agree that we need to form an alliance with the Elites, and the other ex-members of the Covenant. When that time comes, I expect that you will request the use of Honor Without Mercy to return to your home planet, and rally the remaining members of your race," the Demon said. The Arbiter was surprised for a moment, that the Demon had made such an astute observation.

"Yes, that would be my intention," the Arbiter replied. "The Covenant home planet has likely erupted into war, and I must return to the home planet of the Sangheili and alert my brethren."

The Demon nodded once.

"If it comes to pass that it occurs, I shall be occompanying you," he said simply, and watched as the Arbiter stared at him in shock. "You are surprised?"

The Arbiter quickly slipped his mind from the gridlock it had entered and stared at the Demon incredulously.

"What if the Covenant manage to pull another fleet together and attack this planet? Without your skill in battle, it would be near impossible for the rest of your forces to fend off the Covenant attack."

"The technisions at ONI have managed to outfit our battle cruisers with plasma cannons, much the same as those the Covenant battleships are equipped with. The difference is each of our ships have also been given the program developed by Cortana that improves upon the style of fire that your ships employed. When the Covenant finally return they will be given a much larger surprise than they received the last time," the Demon said smugly, before dropping his voice down to a serious tone. "Form whatever conclusions you may about my thoughts and intentions, but I do not wish to see anymore people suffer needlessly, and that includes your people, and the others."

The Demon looked as if he wished to stop speaking, but he forced himself to continue.

"I...I want to save as many people as I can. There has been too much sacrifice for this war, and I want it to end."

I did not expect this, the Arbiter admitted to himself as he watched the Demon from across the table. His bloodthirsty hatred on the battlefield is only one facade of his real personality. The Covenant has once again misled us, believing him to be nothing more than a machine created by the humans as a mindless weapon to be used against us.

On his own accord, the Arbiter stood from his chair and walked around the table to where the Demon sat. Without any compunctions, the Elite extended his hand towards the human. The Demon watched him for a few moments before getting to his feet and grasping the Arbiter's wrist, and pumped it once. The Arbiter couldn't help a smile from gracing his face as the Demon neglected to release his hand right away.

Surprising both warriors, the door to the interrogation room suddenly opened, and the two Marines stepped into the room. The Demon had quickly released the Arbiter's hand and stepped back, before the Marines had seen what the two were doing.

"Master Chief?" one of the Marines asked. "Admiral Cortez requests that you bring the Elite back to the council room."

The Demon nodded once, and turned to the Arbiter.

"Come with me."

Will I be given a chance to redeem myself? the Arbiter thought as he exited the room behind the Demon. Or will I meet my death?

-----------------------------------

"Has our transportation been arranged?" the creature asked, aboard the Jiralhanae vessel. An orb-like object appeared, held in the grasp of a long tentical.
"Not at the moment. The sentinals are presently fixing the outer layers of the ships damaged in that scuffle. Several of the other ships have suffered almost seventy percent structural damage," the orb replied.

"Good, our journey is clear, and the course is set. We shall head for the destination in these creatures navigation devices, and the Reclaimer you seek shall be found."

"Oh how wonderful!" the orb proclaimed. "I grew worried when the Reclaimer left, but now that the Installation has been destroyed, we must head to the Ark and set off the other Installations."

"Yes, our goal is the Ark," the creature replied.

-----------------------------------

Jan sighed to herself as she drummed her fingers on the table she was seated at. The Covenant designed to sit there must have been either the Elites or the Brutes, because the chairs and table were much larger than she was used to. Her feet dangled in the air, and her head just barely rested on the tabletop comfortably. As much as she hated to admit it, Jan was bored.

The newly excommunicated Covenant members may not have been openly hostile, but they certainly weren't friendly. After being cheerfully forced back on the ship by the Master Chief, she had been purposely ignored by everything and everyone aboard.

Maybe I should have taken the Chief up on his offer, and gone back to see Gilly and Gladys. At least I'd have somebody to talk to.

With another exagerrated sigh she slumped back in the chair, ruefully noting that the chair she was situated on must have been bolted to the ground, and provided no alternative directions to turn the chair in.

"Most people would enjoy a lull in the action around here," a female voice announced. Jan shot up in the chair, and searched for the owner of the unfamiliar voice. She was slightly disturbed when there appeared to be no one around her.

"Um, hello?" Jan called, raising her voice slightly.

"Right here," the voice said, and with a slight flurry of activity, the pedastal situated on the table became alight, and in a moment the small figure of a woman was standing before Jan.

This must be the Smart A.I that travels around with the Master Chief, Jan thought, recalling something Commander Keyes had said to her.

"Uh, hi, I'm Jannisary James, but you can call me Jan," she said by way of introduction.

"I know," the A.I said simply, her voice smug. "You are seventeen years old. Lived with your father for most of your life, moving from city to city, trying to avoid the ONI personel that thought you would make a good Spartan 2.0 candidate. Nineteen days ago your father, James James, was shot three times and killed by a gangster by the name of Thin Kinkle, while he was trying to stage your rescue. You consequently escaped shortly thereafter, with the assistance of an unknown assailent. A week later, three unknown individuals broke into a warehouse that was a known headquarters for Thin Kinkle and another gangster by the name of Monster Ann. The body of Think Kinkle was discovered, along with the still living Monster Ann. Several of the men later arrested at the facility attested that the intruders were three females, but nobody could corroborate their claims. A few days later you applied for membership in the UNSC, but were turned down because you were underage."

"You do get around don't you," Jan responded lazily, though she was slightly disturbed that the A.I could have so much in-depth information on her.

"Given all that information, I would like to know just how you came to be following the Master Chief," the A.I said, and Jan knew an order when she heard one.

"Jealous are we?" Jan asked, grinning. The deadpan look she received from the A.I wiped the grin from her face. "Alright."

Half an hour passed and finally Jan had finished recanting each endevour she had had with the Master Chief. The A.I seemed to want particular details, about what the Master Chief did during battle, and his interactions with others.

"So the Master Chief allowed you to come along with him on his mission to finish off the Covenant fleet?" the A.I asked, slightly incredulous.

"What can I say? Maybe he wanted company," Jan shrugged, then let a coy grin flash onto her face. "Plus, I'm very persuasive."

The A.I seemed to let the comment go without comment. Jan shifted on the chair as the A.I stared off into space for a moment.

"So how long have you been with the Chief?" Jan asked suddenly. The A.I stared at her, but did not answer. "I mean, have you been with him ever since he started fighting against the Covenant?"

"No," the A.I said slowly, after a long moment. "The Master Chief had many engagements with the Covenant before I joined with the unit."

"Uh huh," Jan said nodding. "Was he as distant back then as he is now?"

"There are, many reasons the Master Chief is the way he is," the A.I said warily. Jan picked up on the hesitation.

"Oh don't worry, I know about the other Spartans. The Master Chief told me."
"He told you?" the A.I asked, her tone unconvinced. Jan nodded.

"Aboard the Cairo, while he was trying to talk me out of going along with him. Just a few hours ago he took me to go see the other three Spartans, the ones that were aboard the Malta and the Athens when the Covenant blew them up."

Jan nearly laughed at the silence that came from the A.I. From her interactions with Durga, she knew just how annoying Smart A.I's found it when people knew information that they did not, and the influx of info she had just thrown at the A.I must have ticked her off.

  • 04.15.2005 5:10 PM PDT
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"How....interesting," the A.I said finally.

"Do you know if there's anybody else aboard this ship that's human?" Jan asked. "I'd feel a little better knowing I'm not the only one."

"Sergeant Johnson is about to undergo surgery in the medical bay," the A.I said. "If you'd like to go watch your welcome to."

"Uh, I'll pass, watching somebody get cut open isn't my idea of fun," Jan replied. Surprising her, the A.I smiled.

"Oh don't worry, its a simple procedure."

-----------------------------------

This is the last time I ever trust that little harlet, Jan thought to herself as she watched the team of Elites and Grunts hovering over Sergeant Johnson.

The sight that had awaited the girl after Cortana had given her instructions on how to reach the medical bay was several Grunts standing around an incubator tank As she moved closer she saw what was inside the tank. It was an arm. To be exact, it was Sergeant Johnson's arm, and it wasn't attached to his body.

"I'm sorry Sergeant, but for this procedure your will need to stay conscious," Cortana's voice filled the room.

"Alright," Johnson said through gritted teeth as one of the Elites stuck his arm with a needle. "This is really going to hurt isn't it?"

"I'm afraid so," Cortana said, and Jan was slightly surprised to hear a sympathetic note in the A.I's voice.

"I'll grin and bear it, but it'd be nice if you could keep talking to me, give me something to concentrate on other than these guys," Johnson said, indicating the Elites and Grunts.

Jan watched, in morbid facination as an Elite lifted the severed arm from the incubator tank and brought it over to where the sergeant lay.

"Surprisingly the nerves in your severed arm haven't died out. I presume that because of the Flood DNA that has taken up residense inside your blood stream, your arm was somehow able to self-preserve itself for an extended period of time."

"Facinating," Johnson ground out.

"After analysis of the blood currently inside the severed arm, it seems that despite the Boren's Syndrome that you suffered during the Siege of Paris IV, your nerves have been reacting to stimulous, and I believe that with proper incentive, they could reform with the nerve endings in your shoulder."

"I told that big fly trap I don't die. Didn't know that would mean whatever bits and pieces he knocked off of me wouldn't die either" Johnson said, wincing and grunting audibly as one of the Elites began cutting into the flesh at his shoulder.

Jan stared hard, tuning out the sergeant and Cortana as the Elites repeated the cutting manuever on the end of the severed arm. Fascinated Jan watched that while Johnson couldn't see what the Elites were doing, he seemed to be wincing each moment the scalpel made contact with the severed arm. With exaggerated caution, the Elites then moved the severed arm and pressed it against the bleeding flesh of the sergeant's shoulder.

"Hold it there," Cortana ordered. "We'll know in a moment if this is going to work."

Unconsciously Jan moved closer, getting within several feet of the gathered Elites. The Grunts were standing back now, conversing amongst themselves whilst the Elites attempted to finish the procedure.

A collective gasp seemed to arise from everyone in the room when Sergeant Johnson suddenly screamed in agony. His body began convulsing violently and the Elites rushed to hold him still. Jan moved without thinking and rushed forward, grabbing onto the sergeant's other arm and trying to hold him still.

"The arm is reattaching itself," the Elite holding the severed arm announced in astonishment. Jan craned her neck, and saw that the Elite was right. The torn flesh on the Sergeant's arm was slowly melding in with the flesh from his shoulder. The room grew silent aside from the controlled thrashings of Sergeant Johnson, as everyone watched the process that was undergoing.

That has got to be painful, Jan winced to herself. An audible crack was produced when what must have been the sergeant's scapula and humerus bones broke themselves down so they could refit together. She dared a look at Johnson's face, and saw that he was unconscious. His eyes had rolled to the back of his head. The convulsing suddenly stopped, and Jan lifted her head to see that Johnson's arm arm had reattached itself.

"Well," Cortana's voice filled the room once more. "That wasn't so bad was it?"

-----------------------------------

The council chamber was quiet as the Master Chief and the Arbiter stepped inside. The ONI commanders and admirals were still seated in the same positions than when the Master Chief had last seen them. Commander Keyes was standing off to the side of the room, and she hadn't looked at either of the two soldiers since they had entered.

Admiral Cortez leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table as he stared hard at the Arbiter.

"The council has come to a unanimous decision. We've decided that it would be in Earth's best interests if we had you Elites on our side," he said. "Can we expect the full cooperation of all your kind?"

The Arbiter stepped forward from beside the Master Chief and knelt down.

"I swear on my life, that I will rally my people to this cause, and together we shall elimanate the Covenant."

"Glad to hear it," Cortez smiled uneasily. "Despite the protest of some of our tech crewmen I'm going to request that the Covenant ship you arrived in, be automatically turned over to your discretion. My only request is that you allow a small contingency of Marines to go along, so they can report back to us if anything is amiss."

"I have no problem with that," the Arbiter replied, as the Master Chief suddenly took a step forward and spoke up.

"Sir, I request that I be assigned in place of the other Marines to travel with the Arbiter," he said, his voice firm.

"Chief?" Cortez said, confused.

"Sir, I believe it would be easier to send myself instead of a company of Marines. With Cortana along, it will make sending transmissions back to Earth easier and more efficient."

Admiral Cortez watched the Master Chief in silence for a long moment.

"If you think you'd be better served going with the Arbiter, Chief, than I trust your decision," he said finally.

"Thank you sir," the Master Chief responded. "Are we dismissed?"

Admiral Cortez looked uncomfortable for a moment, before hardening his features.

"There's just one other item that we need to address," he announced, and turned to the Arbiter. "While we have decided that striking an alliance with the excommunicated Covenant members is in our best interests, we also decided that the crimes of the past cannot be forgotten so easily. In that case, we have reached a general consensus. Once the war with the Covenant is over, you shall return to Earth, provided this war does not cost you your life, and upon your return you will be charged with crimes against humanity. If you are found guilty, then you will be put to death."

-----------------------------------

"Bah, those fools are too trusting for their own good," Colonel Ackerson said bitterly to himself, reclining backwards onto the plush leather in the back seat of his car. His driver chose to pretend that his hearing had gone out, and did not bother reacting when Ackerson spoke.

Why delay the execution of that vermin? the Colonel mentally asked himself. All we're doing is delaying the inevitable. Forming an alliance with those worthless Elites, Hunters, and Grunts is just going to waste assets. If they weren't good enough for the Covenant, why should we bother picking up their scraps? If the damned incompetant morons at ONI would just read some of the reports I send across their desks than they'd know we don't have to worry about alliances and all that other garbage.

Ackerson continued ranting to himself as the driver turned off the main road and headed for a facility located a few miles on a side road. Without any preamble the Colonel got out of the stopped car and entered the building. The Marines posted as guards didn't bother asking for identification, the amount of time Ackerson had been spending in the facility lately was so great that even new additions to the roster knew him by sight.

Passing through several corridors and walkways, Ackerson finally arrived at his office. He was not one to suffer foolish security measures in the areas of work like Section III, but he had ensured that his office would be given every piece of updated security. Ever since he had found himself with allocated funds, and a transfer to front lines, the Colonel had taken an extra special concern with security measures in his private life.

  • 04.15.2005 5:10 PM PDT
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"CPO Mendez, give me status reports on my wonderful little experiments," Ackerson said as he set his briefcase down at his desk and accessed his comm tablet.

A pedastal located in the corner of the office came to life and the figure of a man in firmly pressed fatigues appeared.

"At once Colonel, uploading them to your tablet now," the A.I's voice was rough. Ackerson sat back into his chair as the data appeared on the translucent screen.

"Hmm, it seems they've been busy today. Seventeen live-fire agility tests, and four demolition missions. Just what have those cooks been putting into their morning meals to make them so restless?" Ackerson mused to himself, chuckling at his own wit.

"They have been voicing their concerns that they are ready for combat sir, and given the situation surrounding the planet right now, I have to agree with them," the A.I announced.

"Why your absolutely right Petty Officer Mendez," Ackerson said, setting the tablet down. "As their training officer what would you say is their effectiveness rate at the moment?"

"Ninety eight percent, Colonel. That is with thirteen thousand simulated battle hazards and events."

"Thank you Mendez," Ackerson said, then smiled to himself. "You know, I don't say it often but I am extremely grateful that I was able to obtain a scan of your nueral brain patterns before your host body passed on. Granted you were looking a little senile in some areas, but so far you've been an amazing asset. With that stupid -blam!- Halsey out running around with one of the last of her freaks, I've been able to move about uncontested, and now that my little experiments are ready for deployment, I'm about to become to new favorite of those cretins over at ONI."

"Of course Colonel," CPO Mendez replied.

"Its a shame the old Mendez had to die when Reach fell along with all those other freaks-in-training, but it is for the best I suppose. I do know he would have liked to be here though, when all the fruits of his labor paid off, and the real human warriors were born. Do send them in will you?"

"At once Colonel," the A.I said, before disappearing.

Ackerson leaned back in his chair; his earlier bad mood seemingly evaporated.

"They are on their way, Colonel," Mendez announced upon returning to the room. Ackerson didn't acknowledge the A.I as he waited, watching the door to his office. He kept the door open, and he wiped the smile from his face when he saw them approaching his office. They filed in, and announced their presence.

"CPO Mendez has informed me that you think you are all ready for combat, is this true?" Ackerson asked the assembled group.

"Yes sir!" they replied enthusiastically.

"Well it just so happens that I may have a mission for you. Your inferior counterpart, the Master Chief, has returned from the second Halo Installation, with news that he has once again destroyed it. Despite this, the damage may not be as severe as before, and retrieving samples of the Flood should still be possible. Your first mission shall be a search and recover, of Delta Halo, and the capture of Flood specimens."

Ackerson walked forward and patted the armored arm of one of the soldiers.

"I have complete faith in you seven soldiers, my dear 3.0's."

-----------------------------------

A/N: Lots of development here folks, and plenty of foreshadowing into this next arc. Hope everybody enjoyed it, and please let me know what you think of the glorious return into this time frame.

  • 04.15.2005 5:11 PM PDT
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cant wait for the rest of this

  • 04.15.2005 5:14 PM PDT
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THAT WAS AWSOME...............
except 4 the fact that u made sarge immortal. i mean come on!!! that really cuts the fun out of being MC.

  • 04.15.2005 5:18 PM PDT
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over all ready?

  • 04.15.2005 5:48 PM PDT
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-blam!- that was good.

  • 04.15.2005 5:53 PM PDT
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BY THE RINGS!!! that was KICKASS!!!!!
I hate Colonel Ackerson, i hate him!
You are a wonderful person Mr.Clark,(sure youve heard that before, but im pretty sure it doesnt get old.)

  • 04.15.2005 6:33 PM PDT
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Reading this was more fun than waking up a friend with firecrackers at 3:00 in the morning. Bravo Mr. Clark. But now I'm sad because I have to wait a while until your next chapter is posted. Take you time and make it top this chapter though. Once again execellent work. Have you talked to Bungie Studios about writing for them yet?

  • 04.15.2005 6:33 PM PDT
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BY THE RINGS, That was KICKASS!!!!
i Hate Colonel Ackerson, that arrogant selfserving SOB!
YOU ARE AWESOME MR. CLARK.
Sorry about that, stupid computer!!

[Edited on 4/15/2005]

  • 04.15.2005 6:35 PM PDT
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Awsome Chapter. Feel sorry for the arbiter though....

  • 04.15.2005 6:35 PM PDT
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they probly want flood to genetically ad in a regeneterive(sp) addition to his s3s then theyll really be good (not chief good).

  • 04.15.2005 6:43 PM PDT
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It is coming out today right

  • 04.15.2005 6:44 PM PDT

"It's like a cake filled with pies." -Pete "Mango" Parsons

Seventh Column Contests

awwwsome work man, it was nice and long and it was worth the wait. Anyways i think he needs the flood specimen so he can maybe put the DNA in the Humans body to make them kinda like Sgt Johnson. But Johnson has the Borens synderom thats why he is immortal. So i guess i dont know what he is gona do with the flood specimen but i shure as hell know that those 7 Spartans are gona kick some ass if Ackerson uses them right. I though Ackerson hated the Spartans, so why make more.

  • 04.15.2005 6:44 PM PDT
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Awsome work man very good indeed, i really got worked up when the Cheif and the Arbiter were talking one on one, i thought they were gonna fight right there lol.

  • 04.15.2005 7:19 PM PDT
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Do us a favor huh and stop making your stories so damn good. WHEW, I am addicted to them Mr.Clark. Cant stop thinking about them. I was thinking that you could a bit more formal language, u know. By the way I was being cynical in my first sentence.

  • 04.15.2005 7:23 PM PDT