The Arbiter, Tesa and speaking to Rtas, who is in a Wraith with its hatch open. The two are looking towards the Control Room of Delta Halo. The door has just slammed shut with a loud bang.
"What is that place?" The Arbiter asks.
"Where the Councilors were meant to watch the consecration of the Icon." Rtas informs. "The start of the Great Journey."
"We must get inside."
"Then mount up, Arbiter. I know a way to break those doors." He enters his Wraith.
Your Ass, My Size-24 Hoof
The Arbiter and Tesa take a Spectre that was abandoned nearby. The three Elites fight past multiple waves of Brute-controlled Ghosts, a Wraith tank and even a Phantom. A Ket-pattern battlecruiser can be seen in the distance.
As they travel to where a Scarab is visuble, docked up on a ledge.
"There." Rtas calls out. "That Scarab's main gun will break the Control Room's door. At the far end of the beach there's a passage into the cliff. It'll take you up to the Scarab."
They clear the area, and reach the far end of the canyon.
"The Brutes control that cruiser, Arbiter." Rtas says. "I'll remain ehre, make sure no reinforcements get in behind you. Then, I'm going to take the cruiser back."
The Arbiter and Tesa leave the Spectre and walk into a room where an Elite and two Hunters are waiting.
"The Arbiter?!" The Elite questions. "I thought he was dead! Hold your fire. The Hunters come to our aid, Arbiter. Field Marshal. They will fight by our side."
The Arbiter, Tesa and their allies fight their way through several areas guarded by Brutes, Jackals and Drones. Eventually they reach a room where two Elite Councilors and a Hunter pair are being held prisoner behind force field door.
"Free our brothers!" The SpecOps Elite yells. "Death to the Brutes."
A massive fight breaks out in the detention center. The Elites manage to free the prisoners and together they crush the Covenant forces. The Arbiter, Tesa and their allies continue through a corridor, eventually stepping out onto the platform where they discover a group of Brutes preparing to execute some Marine prisoners, including Sergeant Johnson.
"Mine will do." Tartarus is heard over coms. "Kill the others."
"Yes, Chieftain." A Brute responds.
Suddenly Tesa picks up an UNSC transmission.
"Sergeant Johnson, we're nearly to you, I hope your ready." Caylnn is heard over coms.
"Flying is hard." Caleb is heard. "Why are there six petals if there's four directions?"
"Uh, do you hear that?" A Brute asks.
"Yeah, Phantoms?" Another questions.
Suddenly two Phantoms appear above the Brutes.
"Say hello to my little friend!" Caylnn yells over the Ships speaker.
The two Phantoms fire down onto the Brutes.
"Go, go, go!" Johnson yells.
Gunny Sergeant Stacker and Staff Sergeant Banks start firing on the Brutes with concealed plasma pistols, while Johnson jumps into the Scarab and heads inside it. The Scarab starts moving.
With the help of Tesa and the Arbiter, the group kills the Brutes on the Platform.
The Arbiter and Tesa look at the dead bodies around them, and they turn to see the Scarab's main cannon aimed at them, as well as the two Phantom's turrets.
"Listen, you don't like us..." Johnson says over the Scarab's speaker. "And we sure as hell don't like you. But if we don't do something, Mister Mohawk's gonna activate this ring. And we're all gonna die."
The Arbiter speaks cautiously. "Tartarus has locked himself inside the Control Room."
"Well, I just happen to have a key." The Scarab's cannon opens. "Come on. Grab a Banshee... and give us some cover. He's gonna know we're comin'."
"Lets save the world!" Caleb shouts.
Backseat Driver
Two Banshees arrive and their Elite pilots jump out.
"Tank me Banshee, Arbiter!" An Elite says.
"It would be an honor if you take mine, Field Marshal." Another Elite says.
The Arbiter and Tesa climb into the Banshees as Johnson fires the Scarab's main cannon and destroys an enemy Wraith.
"Ha! How do you like it?!" Johnson yells.
The group moves on and Caleb's Phantom is flying very erratically.
"Caleb, steady your ship!" Caylnn calls out.
"I've never flown a Phantom before, or really any other flying ship!" Caleb calls out, then his ship steadies. "Oh, its just that easy." Suddenly he starts to fly backwards. "No, bad ship! Bad ship! Go forward!"
The group continues to destroy more Wraiths, Banshees and several Phantoms in the area in front of the Control Room. The Scarab comes in firing range of the Control Room.
"Stay clear of the doors." Johnson orders. "Hey, bastards, knock knock!"
The Scarab's cannon fires destroying the Control Room's door. A hostile Phantom lands and deploys a Wraith beside the Scarab. The two Elites and the two humans in the Phantoms destroy the Wraith.
"We'll be right behind you." Caylnn calls out through coms. "After I teach Caleb how to land a Phantom."
"Oh, what does this button do?" Caleb asks and his Phantom's bay doors open. "Huh... neat."
The two Elites fly into the Control room.
Delusions and Grandeur
The Elites land their Banshees and enter the Control Room. They run into a pack of Brutes, including several Brute Honor Guardsmen.
"Do not let them into the chamber!" A Brute yells. "The Chieftain must complete his holy work!"
The two kill the guards and then head into the main chamber of the Control Room.
Tartarus and four Brute Captains approach and stand in front of the Control panel, holding Keyes and 343 Guilty Spark
"Come, human, it is easy." Tartarus tries to get Keyes to insert the Activation Index. "Take the Icon in your hands..." he growls impatiently. "And do as you are told!"
Tartarus slams the Index on the console, which flashes red light.
"Please, use caution!" Spark calls out. "This Reclaimer is delicate."
"One more word, Oracle, and I'll rip your eye from its socket!" Tartarus threatens, then he turns to Keyes and, pushes her forward. She exhales sharply. "Which is nothing compared to what I'll do to you."
Commander Keyes grimaces defiantly.
The Arbiter and Tesa run in.
"Tartarus, stop." The Arbiter calls out.
Tartarus gasp and jerks his neck up in surprise. "Impossible."
"Put down the Icon."
Tartarus turns to face the Elites. "Put it down? And disobey the Hierarchs?"
"There are things about Halo even the Hierarchs do not understand."
Brutes step forward menacingly, but Tartarus stops them.
"Take care, Arbiter." Tartarus says. "What you say is heresy!"
"Is it?" Arbiter then gently speaks to Spark. "Oracle, what is Halo's purpose?"
"Collectively, the seven-" Spark is cut off as Tartarus grabs him and jerks him around.
"Not another word!" Tartarus orders.
"Please...." Johnson is heard.
Tartarus lowers 343 Guilty Spark to see Johnson, Caleb and Caylnn approaching and they stand next to the Elites. Johnson holds a beam rifle and aims it directly at Tartarus. Caylnn holds up two plasma rifles as Caleb holds a Brute Shot.
Caylnn has a large bruise on her right cheek and a small wound on her cheek from the energy dagger.
"Don't shake the light-bulb." Johnson asks.
The Brute Captains growl and approach.
Johnson raises the beam rifle to Tartarus' head. "If you wanna keep your brains inside you head, I'd tell those boys to chill."
Tartarus barks in command, and the Brutes back off.
"Go ahead. Do your thing." Johnson says to the Abriter.
"Yeah, though this time, don't to try to stab me." Caylnn says to Tesa.
"The Sacred Rings, what are they?" The Arbiter asks Spark.
"Weapons of last resort, built by the Forerunners to eliminate potential Flood hosts, thereby rendering the parasite harmless." Spark informs.
"And those who made the rings?" Tesa questions. "What happned to the Forerunners?"
"After exhausting every other strategic option, my creators activated the rings. They and all additional sentient life in three radii of the galactic center, died, as planned."
The Arbiter lowers his head in sadness. Johnson lowers his Beam Rifle and looks on to the disillusioned Arbiter in acknowledgement
Tesa sighs in sadness and Caylnn pats her back. Tesa gives her a questioning look.
Spark then speaks slightly awkwardly. "Would you... like to see the relevant data?"
The Arbiter turns his attention back to Tartarus. "Tartarus. The Prophets have betrayed us."
Tartarus pauses, considering the Monitor's words, but quickly makes up his mind and throws 343 Guilty Spark at Johnson's head, knocking him down. He then grabs Keyes' hand and forces the Index into the console.
"No, Arbiter!" Tartarus shouts. "The Great Journey has begun. And the Brutes, not the Elites, shall be the Prophets' escort!"
Tartarus grabs his hammer as his energy shield turns on. Tartarus throws Keyes to the side.
The main platform at the center of the Control Room splits into three as Halo charges up, emitting a massive beam of energy.
Sangheili reinforcements show up and wipe out the Jiralhanae Captains. Tartarus jumps to the central platform. The Sangheili pursue him. Johnson hangs back, firing on Tartarus with his Beam Rifle. Commander Keyes stands on one of the rotating platforms, 343 Guilty Spark follows her.
Caleb and Calynn stay on the platform with the Arbiter and Tesa.
"Charging sequence initiated." Spark informs. "Primary generators coming online."
"Well, shut them down!" Commander Keyes orders.
"Apology. Protocol does not allow me to interfere with any aspect of this sequence."
"Then how do I stop it?"
"Well, it will take some time to go over the proper procedures, I—"
"Under more controlled circumstances, I would suggest the Reclaimer simply remove the Index." Spark states.
"That's it?" Keyes asks. "Johnson, I'm on it!"
"Hang tight, ma'am!" Johnson shouts. "Not until that Brute is dead!"
The four still on the platform split up and attack Tartarus and other Brutes.
Caleb laughs and he reloads his Brute Shot. "This things kinda fun!"
"Found you!" Caylnn jumps onto a Brutes back and starts to stab it in the face repeatedly. "I told you I would stick my knife in your face if I found you!"
Tesa jumps back as Tartarus swings his gravity hammer at her. "Are you fighting or dancing?" He asks.
Tesa fires her plasma rifle at him, but she's forced to retreat as several Brutes start firing onto her.
Johnson fires his beam rifle, and it hits Tartarus, knocking his shield down. "Hey, Mohawk! How'd that feel?"
The Arbiter fires several rounds into Tartarus.
Tartarus slams his hammer into the ground. "A lucky hit. You shall not land another."
"Secondary generators charging. All systems are performing well within operational parameters." Spark informs.
"You're telling me that you can't stop the sequence?" Keyes asks.
"Reclaimer, please understand that interrupting the wave generation process will severely damage this installation."
"Give me a direct answer!"
I am but a Monitor. The Reclaimer can do as it likes."
A Brute runs up to Caleb and goes to brings its hammer down onto him, but Tesa shoulder checks it to the ground, then stabs the Brute in the throat.
"You should be more careful." Tesa says to the human.
Caleb aims his Brute shot behind Tesa and fires, blowing up a Brutes head that was going to stab Tesa. "So should you."
Tesa looks back to the dead Brute, then to Caleb. "I'ms tarting to like you."
"Thank you, nice Elite lady."
Caylnn jumps off a Brutes back and onto the shoulders of another, firing her plasma rifles down onto it. "Can we hurry this up, I'd rather not die here!"
Caylnn flips through the air as another Brute tries to grab her, and doe several back flips and skillfully lands on her feet and fires her weapons at more Brutes.
The Arbiter brings down Tartarus' shields and the two Elites fire onto him.
"I'll kill all you vermin!" Tartarus yells as his shields go back up.
"Power generation phase complete. The installation is ready to fire. Starting final countdown." Spark informs.
"Come on, Arbiter! Zealot!" Johnson yells. "Kick that guy's ass!"
"Firing sequence initiated. And may I say, Reclaimers, it has been a pleasure to serve you both. Goodbye."
"I can keep his shield down, but you've gotta finish the job!"
Caylnn yells as she jumps onto Tartarus' back and goes to stab him, but he hits the knife away and tries to grab her, but Caleb jumps onto his free arm.
"Come on, get him!" Caleb yells as he get flung around.
Tesa runs up as she activates her energy dagger. "MOVE!" She yells, and the two Humans jump off Tartarus as Tesa tackles him to the ground.
"You deserve this!" Tesa growls and stabs Tartarus in the throat with her energy dagger.
Tartarus claws as Tesa, but she plunges her dagger deeper and he goes limp. The Brute Chieftain is finally dead.
Keyes jumps onto a rotating platform, ducks to avoid one of the other platforms passing right above her, jumps onto the main platform, and grabs the Index. The entire room shakes, making Miranda hold the Index up to her chest in fear.
Cut to exterior of the Control Room. All the built up energy fires into space.
Cut to Halo's exterior, a large pulsing ball of energy is being formed in the center, the shot from the Control Room reaches it, the ball glows, explodes, then dissipates.
Cut to interior of the Control Room, which seems to be running on emergency power, as many of the lights are dimmed or not functioning. Keyes stands in front of a holographic depiction, Johnson rides 343 Guilty Spark to her. Caleb and Caylnn walk over to Johnson and Keyes.
"What's that?" Commander Keyes asks.
"A beacon." Spark responds.
"What's it doing?"
"Communicating. At superluminal speeds with a frequency of--"
"Communicating with what?" Keyes asks.
Spark speaks with a little bit of surprise. "The... other installations."
"Show me."
343 Guilty Spark interfaces with the hologram, it depicts the seven Halos, a red message points to one ring, Installation 04, which has been destroyed.
Spark explains. "Fail-safe protocol: In the event of unexpected shutdown, the entire system will move to standby status. All remaining platforms are now ready for remote activation."
"Remote activation? From here?" Keyes asks.
"Don't be ridiculous." Spark patronizes.
Johnson gets mad. "Listen, tinkerbell, don't make me..." Keyes puts a hand on his shoulder.
"Then where?" Keyes asks. "Where would someone go to activate the other rings?"
343 Guilty Spark is truly baffled by the humans' supposed ignorance. "...Why, the Ark, of course."
"You've gotta be shitten me." Caylnn sighs.
"This just go a whole lot harder." Caleb states.
The Arbiter and Tesa walk up behind the four humans.
"And where, Oracle, is that?" The Arbiter asks.
"Looks like we'll be working together now!" Caylnn slaps Tesa on the ass.
Tesa makes a noise of surprise, then glares down at Caylnn and growls at the human.
Back near Earth.
The Forerunner Dreadnought exits slpispace, and heads straight to Earth. Covenant and UNSC ships are engaging each other.
"We've got a new contact, unknown classification!" Someone says over coms.
Inside the Dreadnought Ash and Chief listen it.
"It isn't one of ours, take it out." Lord Hood orders.
Chief speaks into coms. "This is SPARTAN-117, with SPARTAN-142."
On Cario Station's bride, Lord Hood stands at the main display screen as station personnel scramble to their stations.
"Can anyone hear me? Over." Chief says over coms.
"Isolate that signal!" Lord Hood orders to an office. "Master Chief? You mind telling me what you and Noble Six are doing on that ship?"
Back on the Dreadnought Ash holds up his energy sword handle.
"Sir. Finishing this fight." Chief responds.
Ash activates his energy sword.
Epilogue
On the Flood-infested High Charity.
A Flood spore floats through the air, and into the walkway outside the Council Chamber.
A damaged door keeps trying to close, but Gravemind's tentacles creep through and keep it open.
"Silence fills the empty grave, now that I have gone." Gravemind speaks.
Inside the Council Chamber, Gravemind's tentacles reach across.
But my mind is not at rest, for questions linger on. I will ask, and you will answer."
Cortana's and Xi's holograms appear. Cortana holds up her hand, the tentacles stop and move off.
"Alright..." Cortana says.
"Shoot." Xi says with a frown on her face.
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08-30-2023
2555 words