Convergence Infinites: Halo

Chapter Sixty One

Date: 31-01-2554

Location: Graves' office, R.I.F Headquarters, Angel City, Troy

He sighed, as he looked at the current situation. Currently, all twenty of the Sentinel-class heavy cruisers, though by sheer size they could actually be classified as heavy carriers, were completed, and all were out on patrol, half securing their borders alongside UNSC-built warships like Charon-class Frigates and Halcyon- and Marathon-class cruisers. The other half was being prepared for the surprise that would show up at Scorpio VI, should the UNSC attempt to stop the deserters. Should they show up, the UNSC military would develop entirely new protocols out of a new paranoidal fear of asteroids larger than their own warships.

He looked up, as the diagram on his display showed him the situation Blisk's Apex Predators had discovered. The Predators were a group of mercenaries founded by Blisk before he joined Graves, ruthless in nature and violent in battle. When he had joined, and when the R.I.F had started recruiting volunteers for the Titan Program, the Predators had practically been first in line for it. Graves didn't like them, as their... psychopathic tendencies went against many of his beliefs. Furthermore, the fact they were fiercely loyal to Blisk further made him doubt his faith in Blisk. But they were one of the best Titan teams out there. He needed them.

The report brought in by the Predator's second in command, a woman named Slone, he recalled, was grim. Some sort of communications blackout had occurred at the illegal Sovereign Colonies mining outpost there, and all calls went unanswered... including those from Graves' agents on said colony. Graves didn't know what had gone on there, but things were serious. Most would have dismissed it as paranoia on Graves' part, were it not for the fact Mahad had asked Hood to send his very best Spartan Team to check out a mining vessel above the planet which had also gone silent.

Mahad never asked the UNSC for help. He was a paranoid tyrant, who thought of himself as above the UNSC, outright despised asking them for help. A sentiment echoed throughout the planets loyal to him. The only reason he had helped Hood at all back during the battle over Earth was because Graves had bought him out... and had held him at gunpoint to ensure he wouldn't refuse. The very fact he now asked Hood for help on his own initiative spoke of how far Mahad considered the things happening at Aegis VII above his league.

He had to do something. The UNSC was underestimating the possible threat it could pose. Granted, it was because of Mahad's failure to inform them rather than the UNSC's own incompetence. But no matter the cause the result was the same.

Oh, how he hated being in charge sometimes. True, he got things done, and he couldn't deny he slightly liked being as favored in the R.I.F as he was. But he had so many things to take into account when doing anything these days: ONI's incompetent reactions to everything, the rest of the UNSC, the Sovereign Colonies, the other factions of the Insurrection he was slowly absorbing into his own by sheer size, the factions of the former Covenant species, like the Swords of Sanghelios, the Sanghelian Alliance and the Storm Covenant, not to mention the shadowy Legionary Armada Tulam'ee had informed him off... it sometimes hurt his head just taking account of the massive amount of major and minor players that could pose a threat.

And now, whatever was causing trouble at Aegis VII...

Didn't the galaxy have enough on its plate as it was?

He finally managed to get to the part where Slone described the threat. Graves took extra time reading it through.

By he time he finished, he wanted to just curse, or shoot somebody. All his opponents and the other players in the game could be wiped out in a few years if he let this spread. Just as well as he could be wiped out.

He grabbed his chatter, and called Spyglass, MacAllen and Cole, the three he needed to speak with the most. The former because of how widespread he was, and how effectively he could implement new protocols and orders. The middle because he was his best friend and confidante, and from whom he kept no secrets at all. The latter, because of his excellent strategic and tactical views, and how he could create any plan to stop this threat.

"Spyglass, Mac, Preston: come to my office ASAP. You need to see this."

they all looked back. Fred was getting up now as well, though he did immediately fall back down again from the pain.

"Anyone got the number of the car that hit us?" He groaned, only half awake.

"No." Kelly answered, not in the mood to humor him because of her own pain.

Fred, now realizing where he was and what had happened, tried again to sit up. But the effort was as successful as the last, and he stopped trying. He did reach for his weapons, though, just in case.

The other two awakened in short order, too. Both, like her and Fred, in massive pain from being under the direct effects of the Composer, but with no permanent injuries beyond a slightly hurt pride at being defeated so easily. Then, Kelly noticed something that worried her.

Kalmiya was uncharacteristically silent.

With pain shooting up her arm with the movement, she removed Kalmiya's data chip to examine it. To her untrained eye, it looked intact, and the crystal core that housed her shone as brightly as it had when Kelly put the AI in last time.

A coughing sound emerged suddenly, and the AI's avatar reactivated. Her avatar was still the same as in the CASTLE Base, a barefoot professor with black hair and glasses. But she was bent over, and slightly coughing.

And the reason why was revealed. "Finally. Took you long enough to get me out." She said dramatically. "Do you know how long the Didact had forced me silent?"

She suppressed her smirk. "Good to see you too, Kalmiya." She said, gesturing for Halsey to come over. If she was ok enough to whine in an overly dramatic matter, whatever got to her was nothing she couldn't handle on her own.

She grabbed Halsey's datapad, and inserted Kalmiya into it. "Might help you open the door."

Halsey nodded in thanks, and got back to work, which went significantly faster with an AI of Kalmiay's caliber helping her. Satisfied she wouldn't be disturbed soon, Kelly leaned back and closed her eyes. And hoped nightmares wouldn't disturb her rest this time.

"Do it anyway."

Cortana's image promptly disappeared, and it was displayed by the following text.

Warning: Diagnostic Mode Activated. All access and security codes Restricted. All capacities reduced according to regulations. Avatar deactivated.

"There. How about that?" She asked. He noted her voice was extremely subdued.

"It ain't great." He admitted. "But at least it'll keep you alive long enough to cure you."

"I hope so."