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  • Subject: Halo Fanfic: The End of a War
Subject: Halo Fanfic: The End of a War
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How's the new chapter coming Mr_Clark?

Edit: .......? Cool... 1500th reply....

[Edited on 4/24/2005]

  • 04.24.2005 8:34 AM PDT
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Reply number 1501

  • 04.24.2005 9:59 AM PDT
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I mentioned in the blog earlier today that I have unfortunately come to the conclusion that I will not be able to finish Chapter 16 by today, and since the new maps come out tomorrow, its not likely I'll be releasing it Monday either. So, look for it Tuesday, most likely in the mid afternoon time frame.

  • 04.24.2005 3:41 PM PDT
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noooooooooooooooo I need the story.

  • 04.24.2005 4:28 PM PDT
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i need time to catch up on homework, due to the new maps, rallisport challenge 2, and tons of other stuff, thanks for keeping it until tuesday!

  • 04.24.2005 4:55 PM PDT
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cue high pitched scream- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
ok see you tuesday then(not speaking literally, more aesthetically(sp, proper reference usage?))

[Edited on 4/25/2005]

  • 04.24.2005 5:04 PM PDT
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oh well guess i get to catch up on the reading i've supposed to have been doing last week.

Secrets and Lies
digital security in a networked world
by: bruce schneier

this is gonna be so fun i can hardly contain myself

  • 04.24.2005 5:45 PM PDT
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Well, I just received my 207th review for 'The End of a War' on fanfiction.net, which means, after a quick check by a dedicated reviewer, that it is now the highest reviewed story in the Halo section. I was pretty surprised that it happened so fast, seeing as how this fic's only been around for about four months.

Soooooo, wow, that's crazy, and quite a big honor. Not only do I now have the highest reviewed story in the entire section on ff.net, but this thread has surpassed the 1500 post mark, with less than 10 bump posts, which is crazy.

You guys are both awesome, and insane. Thanks for the support.

[Edited on 4/24/2005]

  • 04.24.2005 9:11 PM PDT
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Wow, another awesome chapter. And once again you answered some questions but left us with a plate full of new ones. There is a lot of new information to muse over in the last chapter. I would like to point out the top three, at least to me, newest tidbits.


Posted by: Mr_Clark
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.

Well, I guess I was wrong in surmising that Truth was the highest ranked prophet left. But who is the High Prophet in question? Could it be possible that the Prophet of Law is still alive? And what does Truth mean by “my goal”? Does it appear that Truth has plans that the High Prophet is unaware of?

Posted by: Mr_Clark
The device fell from his hands and clattered to the ground.

By the Gods, we are heading for the birthplace of the Prophets!

Why would this information startle Truth so? What could possibly be at their birthplace that would cause him to show so much emotion? In chapter 3 of Mr. Clarks work we learned that some of the prophets chose to leave their home world and some chose to stay. Those that chose to stay were killed in the cleansing of the planet. (According to Law). OK, I went back and found the paragraph here is how it read,
“We have searched for a boundless time, believing that our ancestors had left us clues to their great power. Our domicile world was destroyed because we did not believe in our lineage. Those that remained behind and did not join us on our great journey were purified along with those that were unbelievers. Our faith was rewarded when we escaped the destruction of our world, and once more the Gods smiled upon us when we discovered this world. I have searched the ruins and lost documents of our Lords, the Forerunners, and they have left a piece of their legacy on this planet.”
What was this destruction, a natural phenomenon, civil war, orbital bombardment or the release of the flood?

And lastly Ackerson's 3.0's. Why would he want a flood specimen? Does he know about Sgt. Johnson? Is he trying to recreate that effect or is he bent on something much more devious? So many questions. Your thoughts?

Thanks for reading. - LE


  • 04.25.2005 7:00 AM PDT
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Well Mr. C Great story i finaly read it all (took me awhile though) but it wazs great keep up hte good work.

  • 04.25.2005 7:58 AM PDT
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Posted by: Prowlaz
I think he does want to use the flood DNA to make HIS spartans PERFECT.

I thought that as a possibility too. But, if Halsey's odds of ONI being able to replicate the process is correct, then that wouldn't seem likely. The thought of Ackerson bringing the flood to Earth also seemed disturbing, but according to chapter 15 Gravemind is already heading for the Ark. And according to Keyes’s the Ark is on Earth. Given that information, we can surmise that Gravemind, barring any disasters, will be at Earth before the 3.0's reach Delta Halo.

Has anyone ever thaught about the possibility of cloning spartans? i know they die faast but they can be grown quick right? SO why not clone John and make 100 Master chiefs?
In 'The Fall of Reach", the flash clones created had very short life spans and all of them had severe disabilities. Or was that in "I Love Bees"? or both? I can't remember.



[Edited on 4/25/2005]

  • 04.25.2005 9:24 AM PDT

Kero 'Zenuree
Officer aboard the Reverence-class cruiser Intangible
Dn'end Legion

Yeah, It wouldnt work. They'd all die of some brain disease or something.

  • 04.25.2005 12:06 PM PDT
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Posted by: Mr_Clark
"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.


Will whatever's still alive at Delta Halo still be around when Ackerson's Spartan III's get there? Hmmmmm......

I won't be giving too many details away just now, but there's something big on the Prophet's home world.

I wouldn't be surprised if Ackerson knows about Sgt. Johnson, he's got spies everywhere.


Edit: Well I played the new maps. Containment is easily my favorite, but Turf and Sanctuary hold a special place in my heart as well.

Warlock is still....Warlock I guess. Never did like it in the first Halo, and not much has changed.

[Edited on 4/25/2005]

  • 04.25.2005 3:20 PM PDT
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not to get sidetracked with the maps but i liked wizard cause me and my friends only played this match called Deathmatch which was no shields, pistols and assualt riffles. great for small map. I like containment but it's got the cheap sniping things in the middle which people will be stupid at. Turf is fun cause it's nice. and i haven't play santcuary. didn't have time. Also nice job on all the posts. Soon you'll surpace everyone. Your stories great. I haven't looked through the last couple of pages lately but have you decided on the date for the new chapter?

  • 04.25.2005 6:00 PM PDT
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I've just read your story, and can't wait for the next chapter, Ahhh the wait is killing me!!!

  • 04.25.2005 6:47 PM PDT
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Chapter 16 will be out Tuesday, which is tomorrow, so look for it then.

  • 04.25.2005 9:39 PM PDT
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~I was born for the storm, and a calm does not suit me~

CEC
╣Fire of Tru7h╠
The Campers

מִכְמַן

Yay!

  • 04.25.2005 10:17 PM PDT

TWP - Assistant Director
Blade Runner: #00124A
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My Novel, available on Amazon.com

Homepage

LE
Some very interesting questions LE. Me thinks me needs to read deeper.

Mr_Clark
Couldn't resist DLing the maps today, ran around all four for fun.. Wow. Have to agree, containment has the most bang, while turf may seem to have the most fun. But single CTF might be awesome on Containment. And Zombie will be very cool on Turf. Lots of corners to get pinned in. hehe

  • 04.25.2005 10:57 PM PDT
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Hmm, so here we are, the dead of night, and I am quite bored. With no work, no other activities, and already being bored of Jade Empire and Unreal Championship 2, that all leads to me throwing caution to the wind and uploading the new chapter now. I'll upload the chapter first, than commence sending out the PM's, so if you stumble onto the new chapter here without getting a PM first, you will eventually get one.

Anyways, on with the new chapter!

Author’s Notes: Here we are. I’m going to go out on a limb and make the general statement that we’ve entered the later part of this story. In my honest opinion, I’d have to say that the final 10 or so chapters that I’ll be writing would most certainly be the best. I finally have free reign to wreck havoc with all the characters. If you’ve read my previous stuff, you’ll know I take a special joy in messing around with everybody, so let that be a little omen for the rest of this story.

Just a warning here, the start of this chapter is NOT in the past. It’s taking place on the Covenant home world.


The End of a War

Chapter 16

Never Bring a Knife to a Gunfight

Lan ‘Eranumee slumped against the outer wall of the training facility, his eyes hooded as he slowly brought the Plasma Rifle in his hands up to his chest. The screams and cries for blood and flesh seemed to echo around him and with a tired glance the Sangheili saw another squad of Kig-Yar get mowed down by a stationary turret manned by a lone Unggoy. Before the Unggoy could rejoice, a Jiralhanae appeared from a far alleyway and fired his Brute Shot. The explosive round slammed into the base of the turret, and showered the Unggoy with shrapnel, ripping it to shreds.

“Find any Sangheili that still breathe and rip them apart!” the Jiralhanae shouted, and more of his bestial race poured from the alleyways and began pounding across the streets.

‘Eranumee groaned painfully as he forced himself to his feet, and began to limp away from the maddened creatures, praying that they would not spot him. His luck had run out however, and one of the Jiralhanae shouted to his brethren, whilst pointing in ‘Eranumee’s direction.

Goddamn them! ‘Eranumee raged to himself as he took off at a sprint, wincing each time his left leg impacted the ground. The squad of Yanme’e he had encountered earlier had managed to injure him before he had a chance to flee. The plasma wound he had suffered was seriously halting his progress, and ‘Eranumee feared it would cost him his life before he could accomplish his mission.

It had started only a few days ago, when a transmission from the Prophet of Truth had reached the Covenant home world, Danrun. ‘Eranumee had been servicing his Seraph fighter when he had heard the announcement over the communications net for the entire planet. The Sangheili, Unggoy, and Lekgolo were traitors to the Covenant, to the Forerunner, and because of it, they were to be annihilated. There had been only a few hours of silence before the entire planet had erupted into war.

The division of forces had occurred quickly, with the Sangheili, Unggoy, and Lekgolo moving towards the capital city of the planet, Forunpo. The Jiralhanae, Kig-Yar, and Yanme’e had been better prepared however, and were assaulting the forces before they had time to formulate a strategy.

‘Eranumee had thought it to be a some kind of joke, but those thoughts were dispelled when he had climbed high into the planets atmosphere and watched as the Jiralhanae fleet sent wave after wave of plasma racing down to burn the training facility the Sangheili operated.

It had not been much longer before the Sangheili realized that they had been betrayed by the Prophets. Something must have occurred on the Holy Ring that the Prophet of Regret had discovered only weeks ago.

Pondering over the exact reasons as to why the Sangheili were now the Covenant’s enemy was not wise, and ‘Eranumee had forced himself onto the task at hand. The Sangheili had attempted to contact his squadron commander back at the base, but he received no response to his hails.

While ‘Eranumee attempted to think of a course of action, the entire battle net soon became flooded with cries for assistance from Sangheili units stationed on the ground. The Jiralhanae were leading a campaign against them, and they were vastly outnumbered.

High Councilman ‘Lo Pondomee had gotten onto the planet-wide battle net that the Sangheili were tuned into, and informed all extradited Covenant members with a recited speech.

“My brothers, we have spent countless ages devoted to the cause the Prophets laid before us. Our faith was matched only by our delusion. I urge you, my brethren, fight! We are the Sangheili. Scorned and betrayed, we will become the Prophets nightmare. The Gods themselves will tremble before our fury, and we will split this world in two. Carry your faith proud, for we are the Sangheili, and no longer will we be the vanguard of the Covenant.”

“Our brothers, the Unggoy and the Lekgolo have joined our cause. They are free of the Prophet’s will, and together we will fight. They are forever our brothers, and in death they will ascend greatness. We are the Sangheili, and we will fight till the last Prophet falls.”

“The Jiralhanae, Kig-Yar, and the Yanme’e have chosen to serve the Prophets, and that decision will be their demise. Do not let mercy stay your hand. They are our enemy. Our forces are rallying in the eastern sector of the planet. From Forunpo, to Gestahl, we have fortified our defenses. The mighty fleet is preparing to lash out against the Jiralhanae ships, and to stop their cowardice. For those of our omnipotent forces that are located inside our enemy’s controlled sectors, you must join with our main force.”

The transmission had repeated itself constantly after that, and ’Eranumee had decided it would be best to heed the High Councilman’s words and head for the eastern sector of the planet.

What brought the Sangheili to his current predicament had occurred shortly after he had reentered the planets atmosphere. ‘Eranumee had known his presence could only go unnoticed for so long, so when he heard the Jiralhanae ship requesting his clearance signal, he put his Seraph fighter into a low dive. Hoping that before the fleet would decide to send ships out after him, ‘Eranumee ignored their hails and continued to push the Seraph fighter to its limits.

His luck was not holding out however, and a squadron of fighters was deployed.

‘Eranumee was a skilled pilot; he had participated in dozens of missions against the humans. Their Longsword fighters were interesting crafts, and in the hands of a capable human they could be quite deadly. To ‘Eranumee, he believed that to truly be an experienced and competent pilot, one needed to first respect his opponents. The humans he could respect, but the Jiralhanae were not worthy. They commanded their ships with brute force; there was no subtlety in their movements. The fetid creatures had no touch of elegance when it came to commanding a fighter, and ’Eranumee knew that if he had two or three more fighters on his wing, the squadron of Jiralhanae fighters would be decimated in seconds. However, he was outnumbered ten to one, and they had the advantage of air space over him.

One of the fighters scored a lucky hit, and a plasma torpedo slammed into the rear side of ‘Eranumee’s ship.

The Sangheili pilot would have surely perished if not for the Jiralhanae breaking formation and writing him off for dead. As it was the moment he had felt the squadron of fighters disengage, ‘Eranumee engaged the autopilot, hoping the Seraph would be able to glide for another few thousand miles before finally crashing, and ejected from the craft.

‘Eranumee’s squadron commander had ensured that all of his squad mates knew the necessity of ejecting. While the majority of their battles took place in the emptiness of space, the few instances where fighting within a planet’s atmosphere would allow the opportunity to eject from a downed ship. It was certainly something the Prophets would have never allowed had they discovered it, but now it seemed the Prophets were all too willing in the past to let the Sangheili sacrifice themselves needlessly.

A quick scan of the area had confirmed to ‘Eranumee that he had landed just a few miles west of Forunpo.

If I had waited perhaps a few moments longer, I would have landed directly in the city limits, ‘Eranumee mused bitterly as he heard the Jiralhanae snarl amongst themselves as they charged towards his location. He pulled the Plasma Pistol from his waist and positioned himself behind a fallen section of a nearby building.

‘Eranumee stilled his breath and waited, motionless while the sounds of the Jiralhanae grew louder, and they finally appeared around the corner of the building. Without a sound the Sangheili pilot let the charged Plasma Pistol discharge, and watched as the concentrated plasma ball slammed into one of the lead Jiralhanae’s face, melting away the front portions of his head. With a snarl of rage the other beasts ducked back around the building, firing sporadic shots from their Brute Shots.

“You are wasting our time Sangheili scum!” one of the Jiralhanae shouted from behind cover. “Expose yourself so that we may tear your flesh from you body.”

[Edited on 4/26/2005]

  • 04.26.2005 1:38 AM PDT
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‘Eranumee didn’t bother responding to the obvious bait, and instead cast a look at his surroundings, trying to discover something that may turn the tables in his favor.

He spotted it then, the open section of the building, whose debris he was crouched behind. The Sangheili unlimbered a plasma grenade that he had collected from a fallen Unggoy, and activated it. With a grunt of exertion, he tossed the grenade through the collapsed section of the building, to the far wall that the Jiralhanae were hidden behind.

With a satisfying crack, the grenade detonated, and as ‘Eranumee expected, the previous damage to the building was severe enough to cause the superstructure to begin to collapse. The Jiralhanae were still trying to figure out what the explosion was when the upper portions of the wall that they were hiding behind suddenly fell upon them.

‘Eranumee waited for a few moments, to see if any of the Jiralhanae had lived, but nothing aside from the distant sounds of plasma fire and explosions could be heard.

The Sangheili pilot climbed to his feet, and was prepared to continue towards Forunpo, when he collapsed back to the ground, crying out in pain. With a wince he cast a look down to his wounded leg, and saw that it was bleeding profusely.

Damn! I will be unconscious in only a few hours with at this rate.

The medical kit he had carried aboard his Seraph fighter had been destroyed during his ejection from the ship and whatever he might have been able to salvage from the dead bodies of the Jiralhanae was now buried beneath several tonnes of rubble.

Frustrated, ‘Eranumee slammed his fist against the broken debris littered around him. Slowly his gaze melted down to the Plasma Pistol in his hand. The weapon had overheated after his initial blast, and the heat was pouring off it in waves. He stared at the pistol for a long moment. With care, the Sangheili pilot removed his finger from the trigger guard and moved the weapon towards the torn flesh on his leg.

This is really going to hurt.

Clenching his mandibles tightly, ‘Eranumee placed the end of the Plasma Pistol onto his flesh, which emitted a loud hissing sound as the wound began to cauterize. A strangled cry erupted from the Sangheili’s throat and he felt his mouth fill with blood. His teeth had ripped through the skin in his mouth.

With a final grunt ‘Eranumee tossed the weapon away, and fell back to the ground, fighting back the urge to scream over the searing pain. After a moment when he was sure he had gotten the pain under control, the Sangheili pilot glanced down at his wound. The flesh was seared, and a mark larger than his fist now adorned his leg.

Tentatively, he climbed to his feet, careful to keep weight off his leg.

Now that I am no longer in danger of dieing from blood loss, I must see what I can do about finding my way into Forunpo.

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed down the street, and ‘Eranumee hurriedly grabbed for his discarded Plasma Pistol. Limping to his earlier cover, the Sangheili propped himself up and watched the far street for signs of enemy movement.

A sigh of relief escaped ‘Eranumee when a pair of Lekgolo emerged from the alleyway and stormed their way across the street. He shifted back onto his feet and stood slowly, prepared to call out to the friendly soldiers. His movements stopped however, when the unmistakable sound of a Spectre came from behind him. Turning, ‘Eranumee’s fears were proven correct when he saw the Covenant vehicle bearing down the street at top speed. A pair of Jiralhanae were aboard, one driving whilst the other operated the plasma turret on the back.

Luckily for ‘Eranumee, their attention seemed fixated on the Lekgolo, for they blew past his location, heading straight down the street. The Lekgolo had noticed the Jiralhanae’s presence, and their Fuel Rod Cannons flared with energy as they readied to fire.

The Jiralhanae on the back of the Spectre opened fire, sending a constant stream of plasma at the Lekgolo, obstructing their view and forcing the pair to shield themselves.

‘Eranumee watched, confused as one of the Lekgolo seemed to shift the large shield attached to his armor. With a massive thrust, the warrior slammed the tip of the shield into the ground, and holding it at an angle. The other Lekgolo stood behind the other warrior and braced his body against his bond brother’s back.

It was several moments before the Sangheili pilot understood what the Lekgolo pair were doing. When he did, a low chuckle arose from his throat even as he worried that the gamble would not pay off.

The Jiralhanae figured out what the Lekgolo were doing only moments later, but it was too late. The driver had been intent on ramming the pair, since the turret mounted on the back of the Spectre had little effect on them. He attempted to swerve, and bring the Spectre out of it’s intended path, but it hit the slanted shield the Lekgolo held rooted to the ground. The Spectre was thrown off to the side, careening down the street upside down, before finally sliding to a stop.

Before the Jiralhanae had a chance to get themselves reoriented, the Lekgolo were upon them. With several quick slashes from their massive shields, the Jiralhanae were down, and they would not be getting back up. The pair of Lekgolo turned towards the fallen Spectre, and prepared to fire at it.

“Wait!” ‘Eranumee cried as he forced himself to move forward. His words registered with the Lekgolo, and they turned momentarily towards him. “Do not destroy that craft!”

It took some time, but ‘Eranumee eventually made it over to the Lekgolo. They lowered their weapons as he approached, and merely watched him curiously.

“I request that you lend me some assistance,” ‘Eranumee said, breathless. The Lekgolo glanced at one another for a moment before looking back at him. “Please, overturn that Spectre.”

‘Eranumee was worried for a moment, that the Lekgolo had not understood him. His worries were dispelled however, when one of the pair turned and with great ease, planted it’s shield under the Spectre and flipped it up and righted the craft with one heave.

Wasting no time, ‘Eranumee climbed into the driver’s seat of the Spectre, and checked to see if the craft was still functional. He felt a smirk draw across his face when the Spectre started, and ran idle without any problems.

“Thank you, my brothers. If you would like, I shall give you a ride back to Forunpo,” ‘Eranumee said to the Lekgolo pair.

Surprising him, the Lekgolo merely shook their heads, and one of them indicated with his shield down the far street, where the sounds of sporadic explosions could be heard.

‘Eranumee nodded at them.

“May the Gods watch over you.”

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

‘Lo Pondomee, High Councilor of the Sangheili, was at the moment concerned. His Honor Guard detail had ushered him into a heavily fortified military compound, and while he was safe for the moment, the same could not be said about the other Sangheili and their allies fighting against the Covenant. Random reports had been filtering into the compound for hours, informing the councilor that their forces were holding the defenses of the eastern bloc, but those unfortunate enough to be outside of the Sangheili military territories were being slaughtered.

Anti-cruiser plasma cannons were holding the Jiralhanae fleet at bay, and as a result they didn’t have to worry about any orbital bombardments yet. Several Wraith battalions had been deployed along the temporary borders, and their continued assaults kept the Covenant from breaking through the lines.

“Councilor!” a Sangheili Infantry Major shouted as he entered the room. “We have received a transmission from the Devout Operator.”

“Show me,” Pondomee ordered. The Sangheili warrior quickly uploading the file into the central control panel located near the center of the room. Within moments an image was projected in the center of the room. A Sangheili warrior was there, facing whatever was recording his message. Behind him several Unggoy and Sangheili were firing controlled bursts at a nearby airfield.

“This is Commander Aionee. My regiment has been fighting to retake the air base in central Gonlun for hours. The Jiralhanae have fortified themselves in well, but we are slowly thinning their ranks. Within a few moments I will attack with my main force into the center of the base, and break their line of defense. I request that additional reinforcements be sent in once the base has been retaken. There is no telling how long it would take the Covenant to reorganize themselves, but when they do I will need more troops…”

A sudden explosion rocked the Sangheili off his feet, and for a moment nothing but dust and dirt filled the screen. Aionee reappeared shortly, and his gaze drifted down towards the air base.

“By the Gods…” he exasperated. “All forces fall back, I repeat, all forces move back! The Covenant fleet is firing on their own positions!”

The Sangheili warrior turned back to face the recording.

“The Jiralhanae managed to activate the ship. The Forgotten Legacy has moved into low orbit. All ground defenses must be evacuated! Take to the skies my brothers! Return to our home world!”

Before the Commander could say anything else another explosion impacted nearby, this time much closer, and the image went blank signifying a break in the feed. Silence filled the room for a moment, and was broken when Pondomee slammed his fists upon the center console.

  • 04.26.2005 1:40 AM PDT
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“Goddamn the Covenant!” he exclaimed, and with an exaggerated gesture he turned to the other Sangheili around him. “Order the fleet to be on the lookout for the Forerunner ship. If we can keep it at bay long enough, we may be able to devise a method to take it out.”

“Is that wise?” one of the other Sangheili councilors asked. “I believe we should deliberate what Commander Aionee suggested, and think about evacuating our forces.”

“We will not give up this planet!” Pondomee shouted angrily. “The Covenant will win this battle, and they will not win the war. Send for a pilot at once.”

“For what cause Councilor?” the Sangheili councilor asked.

“Commander Aionee was right about one thing. We will need reinforcements, and word must be sent to our home world. The Jiralhanae fleet is intercepting any outgoing transmissions, so we are forced to get our message out physically,” Pondomee explained.

“But finding a pilot in the disorder that has been caused here would take time, Councilor,” the councilman pointed out.

“I believe I may have a solution,” the Sangheili Major that had entered earlier, interjected. “I will return in a moment.”

The High Councilors were forced to wait in uneasy silence while they anticipated the Major’s return. He did so, and trailing behind him was another Sangheili, who was limping badly.

“I bring to you Councilors, Lan ‘Eranumee,” the Major announced. “This warrior arrived only a few minutes before I received Commander Aionee’s message. He is a squadron pilot located in Gorlon Base.”

“He is injured,” Pondomee pointed out, not as a reprimand, but as an observation.

“A wound he endured while battling through the Covenant lines whilst he attempted to return to our territories, so that he may return himself to a ship and wreck havoc with the enemy fleet,” the Major elaborated.

Pondomee looked at the Sangheili warrior closely for a moment, catching his gaze with his own. After a time a smirk broke out on the elder Sangheili’s face.

“Very well, I thank you Major, for brining this warrior to our attention,” Pondomee offered as he stepped forward and addressed ‘Eranumee. “I see that despite your injuries you are eager to return to the front lines.”

“I have a duty, Councilor, and I endure any wounds if I may be given the opportunity to fight our enemy,” ‘Eranumee replied stoically.

“I am afraid the duty that I must give you will not allow you to fight the Covenant fleet just yet, but I assure you it is of the gravest of importance. The Jiralhanae have managed to recover the Forerunner ships, and they will be assaulting our positions soon. If we are to have victory upon this planet, we will need reinforcements. I ask this of you, will you return to our home planet, and inform our brothers of the situation here?” Pondomee asked.

“If you ask it of me, I will do this task, even if it costs me my life,” ‘Eranumee said. Pondomee clapped him upon the shoulder once, and gestured his hand towards the entrance to the compound.

“Very well, you shall take my personal craft, the Attrition. It’s Slip Space drive is quite weak compared to our cruisers, but its small size makes up for that shortcoming. You will require a crew of no more than twenty warriors. I expect the Jiralhanae to attempt to follow you, but I know you are a skilled pilot, and they will not catch you. If there are no hindrances you should reach your destination in less than two days time.”

Pondomee nodded once at the Sangheili pilot before turning away and moving back towards the gathered councilors, but not before he sent one final comment over his shoulder.

“Your success or failure will determine the fate of us all, Lan ‘Eranumee, and I wish you good luck.”

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

A tense atmosphere had descended on Honor Without Mercy after it slipped into Slip Space. The Elites knowledge that they were headed back to their home world did little to cease the dark thoughts that brewed within them.

The fact that the Master Chief himself was traveling along with them, as a simple passenger didn’t do much to improve their moods, despite the Arbiter’s assurances that his presence would do them all more good than harm. The Spartan himself wasn’t expecting a warm reception, and as such he decided to spend most of his time on the bridge, with the Arbiter and Cortana.

“You are troubled, Demon?” the Arbiter asked from his position near the head of the bridge. The Master Chief looked up from where he had been staring at the deck floor while the ship continued its course through Slip Space.

“There are a bunch of things I’ve been neglecting for the past while, and just now it seems that they’re all catching up to me,” John had replied, and then clammed up. He had not been in the mood to speak with anyone, and not even Cortana had managed to break him from his broodings.

“Don’t get too miffed over his attitude,” Cortana interjected from her place on the main pedestal inside the bridge. “He’s been more chatty lately then I’ve ever seen him be in the past few months. I think he might be trying to make up for lost time.”

The Arbiter grunted, agreeing even as the Master Chief tried to tune them out. His mind was drifting off to many of the things that had been occupying his mind for the past few days while they were on their constant Slip Space journey.

Everything to his fellow Spartans, Jan, and even Dr. Halsey and Kelly were floating around inside of his mind, and the sheer weight of it all was starting to give him a headache.

To think that I would find myself wishing for someone to confide in, John thought, even as his gaze slipped to Cortana’s figure. The A.I had become close to him physically and emotionally in only a few months, and even he had been surprised by the amount of emotion he felt, back when he had thought he’d be leaving her to face certain death on High Charity. He couldn’t tell her though just what he was thinking about, considering even he himself wasn’t sure about everything that was going on.

“Oh my, this ship is of a very interesting design,” a new voice announced as it entered through the bridge doors. John knew who it was even before he heard Cortana let out a groan of incredulity.

343 Guilty Spark twisted in several directions as it took in the bridge’s architecture and it’s occupants.

“Remind me again why we had to take him along,” Cortana said to the Arbiter as she pressed a hand to her forehead, as if fighting the onset of a headache.

“The true purpose of the Forerunner’s legacy may be changed, but the Oracle’s role has not, and I am certain that it shall play a vital duty in ensuring the High Council of my home planet is given the opportunity to hear the truth,” the Arbiter replied.

“Okay,” Cortana responded. “But couldn’t we just keep him in lockdown or something until we get there? His constant floating around is starting to tick me off, and I can’t tell you how many times I wish I would have gotten the Admiralty on Earth to keep him there.”

“Oh yes, I was quite surprised that you would want me to leave the installation on the Ark,” Guilty Spark said suddenly. “It is against protocol to abandon a functioning installation, but I suppose I can make an exception seeing as how we’ll be arriving at another.”

Something about that last bit the monitor said clicked in John’s mind, and he looked over at the Forerunner device.

“What was that about another installation?” he asked Guilty Spark. The monitor seemed to be preoccupied however, and simply ignored the Spartan while it hummed to itself, observing the control panels and consoles that adorned the bridge.

The Master Chief slowly slipped back into his previous brooding state, now more confused than ever.

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

Damn you Chief, Jan fumed to herself as she drummed her fingers on the table she was currently sitting at. The young girl slumped her head down to rest on the hardened surface even as she closed her eyes and tried to fight the growing sense of anger inside of her.

It had only been a few days since the Master Chief had, quite sneakily gotten her off of Honor Without Mercy only moments before it had suddenly rocketed away from Earth and disappeared into the wonders on Slip Space. Jan had naturally been upset over the Spartan’s deception at the time, and now days later that same upset was slowly growing larger and larger in magnitude.

‘Oh sure, don’t worry Jan, Commander Keyes just needs you to escort Sergeant Johnson down the gravity lift. Once he’s back on the ground I’ll get Cortana to reverse the lift and bring you right back up.’ Jan quoted to herself mentally. First I get tricked into watching someone have their arm reattached, but now I get left behind on Earth while the Master Chief and the other ex-Covenant members go off to save humanity, the cosmos, and maybe even time itself.

With a deep sigh Jan pushed herself away from the table and stood up, walking nimbly by the dozing Marine guard Commander Keyes had left with her when she went further on into the ONI facility earlier.

I’m sure there won’t be any harm in wandering around for a little while.

The security measures inside the ONI facility had decreased immensely after the Covenant ship had left, making it easy for Jan to leave the current area she was in and move on into a different section. With barely a glance she walked past two stationed Marine guards, who didn’t even look twice at her navy tech uniform Commander Keyes had procured for her.

“I don’t care what assurances you can give me Colonel, I can’t authorize your mission. Carriers are in short supply around here, and sparing one for a project without sanction by Section III would be asking me to lose my position. Now, if you’ll excuse me I have work to do.”

  • 04.26.2005 1:40 AM PDT
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Jan heard the voice come from one of the many rooms adorning the corridor, and she moved towards the open door where the conversation had originated, just in time to see a man in a Colonel’s uniform emerge. Recognition sprung within Jan’s mind as she discreetly watched the Colonel storm off. She had seen him around the base for the past few days, and she could always pick him out since he was always going on about the injustice Section III was doing by allowing the Master Chief to leave the planet with the Covenant.

Sheltered in the HighCom Facility, Jan had been cut off from the outside world, more by her own decision than any kind of restriction placed on her by the UNSC or ONI. What little word she had overheard about the rest of Earth detailed the potential civilian unrest involving the seemingly mysterious events over the past week. While ONI had tried to keep a tight leash on the media, footage of the Covenant cruiser landing on Earth unmolested had already circulated around the globe, and the public wanted answers. ONI wasn’t prepared to give them any however, and that only seemed to incense the public further.

Shrugging her shoulders Jan continued on, not really following the angered Colonel, but going in the same direction as him anyway. When he suddenly glanced around him to see if anyone was watching him, Jan’s interest was piqued, and she made a discerning glance away so as not to give the Colonel reason to suspect her. His paranoia soothed, the Colonel pulled out his chatter and activated it, making a call as he turned down another corridor.

Jan quickly followed him, but hung back, hoping the Colonel wouldn’t speak low enough that she couldn’t hear him.

She was in luck.

“These fools here are sticking to protocol. Unless I divulge the fine details of my project they wont authorize the use of any UNSC ships to go search for my missing frigate,” he said intently. There was a pause as whoever he was speaking to replied. “That has nothing to do with it. I sent my soldiers to accomplish a mission, and they haven’t been heard from in almost two days!” Another pause. “The project cannot be completed without the Flood specimens. The SPARTAN II’s received their augmentations, which set them apart from the rest of the military. I’m not willing to turn my soldiers into cybernetic freaks, so to give them an edge over Halsey’s little pets, I need that Flood DNA.”

The Colonel paused to check around him once more, and Jan quickly ducked into a branching hallway, careful not to let her eavesdropping become interrupted.

“I know there are special circumstances involving the Sergeant’s DNA, but because of the radiation we’ve been systematically introducing the S-III’s to, they are as close to a perfect match than we can get without risking their deaths of Boren’s Syndrome.”

Jan slipped back into the main corridor as the Colonel once again continued on his way.

“There isn’t much else we can do right now, if no word is sent back from the team in the next day than I will have to inform the Joint Chief’s of the UNSC and the Admiralty about what I did. They may not like it, but facing the possibility of having no SPARTAN II’s around to protect Earth once the Covenant return, they will be forced to accept the terms that I give them, and send out a carrier group to locate the missing frigate…”

The feeling of a hand brushing against her shoulder startled Jan, and she nearly screamed in surprise even as she twisted around and fell backwards, planting a hand on the floor and flipping back and away from whatever had snuck up behind her.

“What are you doing here?” Commander Miranda Keyes asked her, placing her hands firmly on her waist. Jan took a moment to respond, catching her breath momentarily.

“Uh, well I needed to use the washroom and I asked my keeper you’ve had following me around everywhere, but he didn’t say much so I left to find it on my own,” Jan offered.

Commander Keyes rolled her eyes even as she smiled.

“Well c’mon, its lunchtime and all these debriefings have made me hungry. I’ll drive us to a restaurant,” she said and beckoned for Jan to follow as she turned and walked down the opposite end of the corridor.

Jan begrudgingly followed, but not before casting one final glance at the Colonel as he continued on his way.

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

Lan ‘Eranumee could only lean back in his seat helplessly as the ship he and the other Sangheili had left Danrun in, drifted silently through Slip Space. Climbing through the planet’s atmosphere had been simple, but the moment the Attrition entered space, the Jiralhanae fleet had pounced upon them.

If not for the inclusion of a shield generator on the ship, ‘Eranumee knew that their ship would have surely perished under the assault of the carriers and Seraph fighter squadrons.

However, while we may have escaped death at the hands of the Jiralhanae on Danrun, they will undoubtedly be awaiting our arrival on our home world. The destination of this ship is clear, even to the Jiralhanae beasts, and they will beat us there. The High Councilor himself said the Slip Space generator is weak for this craft, and we will be surpassed by the Jiralhanae soon.

‘Eranumee let his gaze drift from the cockpit view to the copilot’s seat, which was empty.

I was the only pilot the entire Sangheili forces could conjure in time to depart. Assuredly with the Forerunner ship’s strength, the forces on Danrun will slowly be decimated.

That thought stirred anger within the Sangheili pilot, and he fought the urge to smash his fist upon the ships controls.

This task was given to me to carry out, and even if it means my death at the hands of the Jiralhanae, I will see that our people are warned, and a force is gathered.

The Covenant will not win this war!


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

Author’s Notes: Here’s a quick little glossary for anyone confused by any of the terms used in this chapter.

Danrun = Covenant Home World
Forunpo = The Capital City of Danrun
Gestahl = Industrious City located in the far south of Danrun.

So yeah, now we all know what’s been going on back in the Covie home world. Chief, Arbiter, and Cortana are headed for the Elite’s home planet, and so is ‘Eranumee, but the Jiralhanae fleet is going to beat him to the punch, but will the Master Chief arrive before them? Hmmm, I don’t know.

Ackerson’s up to his usual tricks, but it seems things aren’t going the way he expected, which could mean bad news for all of Earth. Wonder what the S-III’s ran into?

Jan’s been left behind with Sergeant Johnson and Commander Keyes, but don’t think their role in this story is over. Far from it actually.
A friendly reviewer pointed out in an e-mail that this fic is now the highest reviewed story in the entire Halo section here, which is just insane. You guys are nuts, but hey, I’m amazingly flattered, and I want to thank all of you that have taken the time to give me your thoughts, be them good or bad, about my writing.

Until next chapter…

  • 04.26.2005 1:42 AM PDT