#bornstellar

[ur-haruspis]

GYRE 11 // INSTALLATION 07 // ZETA HALO

At the command of the Didact, who rarely commanded his wife about anything, those processed by the Composer, those who remained on the fog-shrouded wheel, along with the remains of all the other Flood victims and the deactivated Graveminds—of which ten had already formed—and the last of the functioning monitors keeping perpetual watch—all on the wheel and the wheel itself were sent through a portal for one last time, never to be used in that same way again. It was known as Installation 07. It has become a sacred tomb for millions, though some may still live. I do not know.

[faecaptainofdreams]

Chapters of Guilty Spark’s life, in Wander Over Yonder! 🥰🌸

[sibylance]

Hello! So sorry in advance for this incredibly long exposition, but here goes. I recently had some art done of my OC, and it got me thinking about other OCs I’d seen over the years and loved. There was this one though that stood out as I thought about it, but I couldn’t really remember much of the details. Couldn’t remember the OC’s name or the artist! So I was so saddened about it that decided to scour the internet and see if I could figure out who that OC was. To my great surprise, I found that OC!! It was Stella!! I got so happy seeing her again when I figured it out, as I hadn’t seen her in maybe… ten years, or so? I first saw your work on deviantart forever ago and looooved the art you made of Stella, she looked so gorgeous (still does lol). So, I wanted to ask if you still had some art of her earlier TFP designs and of her with Optimus? There was something about that art when I first found it that was so ethereal and amazing and kid me just was amazed haha. If you don’t have any of that anymore, I completely understand :) Regardless, I wanted you to know that I absolutely adore your OC Stella and that she popped up in my head again after years and years! Thank you for making such lovely art :) that applies to all of your art btw! It’s stunning! I hope none of this is off putting or anything. But anyway, rambling over, thank you again :)

I apologize for the late response, but this really brought me joy seeing someone so thoroughly trying to find my tf oc after so long. I may not talk much about her (or draw her) right now but she's still beloved in my heart.

Her design has definitely changed over the years, esp since the tfp debut holy moly that was years ago!! I do have some older art that was more "tfp" styled of her and her original finished design before I moved to a different one under the cut here!!

[monitorchakas]

Ok since Zita doesn't know: Chief has a geas of the IsoDidact, right?

I don't think it has been officially confirmed in the lore but its been implied or at least its a very possible theory that would explain some stuff

I think this all originated from when Bornstellar asked Monitor Chakas if it was his choice would he activate the rings (in Silentium).

Then in Halo CE, Guilty Spark said "why would you hesitate to do what you have already done?" (Which we know bornstellar was the one who activated the rings)

And Spark also said to Chief "last time you asked me if it were my choice would I do it? Having had considerable time to ponder your query my answer has not changed. There is no choice, we must activate the rings"

I think there's possibly other stuff in halo 4 and possibly some comics I just don't remember

[cappurrccino]

daydreaming about forerunners and the flood and the halo eu in general in the most unbelievably self-indulgent way again lads

[bloodgulchblog]

doing it again (getting swept up in the absolute tragedy of the shit that happens to my boy my poor poor little baby boy bornstellar-makes-eternal-lasting)

[halo-smashorpass]

Does the Halo Legends Version Of the Didact deserve his own smash and/or pass opinion poll? The Conch Didact.

I'll definitely allow this. Is this technically Iso-Didact? I haven't watched Legends in ages!

Either way Bornstellar (manipular) will get his own poll later

[wonderwafles]

I don't think that the Forerunner Saga is anti-technology, but I do think it counts as Luddite literature in the sense that it is deeply critical of "advanced technology" as a blanket good, and puts the focus on how the people developing it are doing so almost exclusively for selfish and destructive ends. It isn't that the Forerunners are bad for having advanced tools, but it certainly doesn't make them enlightened or even really improve their lives. See the Miners and plasma jockeys risking their lives to make sure the Builders' newest toys get made, or the hundreds of people who lived on Bornstellar's planet as techno-serfs

[hrodvitnon]

Hello again, back in my bullshit. This time it’s time to complete my thoughts on the Abraxas-verse version of the “B team trio” with Anguirus:

Basic thought is Anguirus, as we meet in the present, is a sort of reincarnation hybrid. The one seen in KotM was their sibling, while they themselves were dormant and comatose, on the brink of death. However, somehow the spirit of Joe Brody made its way into the comatose form and fused with Anguirus. Eventually something happens to awaken them and in a confused state, they end up fighting Goji until they can be talked down.

They retain some knowledge of being human, but not who they were, with the psyches of the left for dead Anguirus and Joe both fusing into a new consciousness. They end up taking on a fatherly role to several of other, younger awakened (perhaps a second mass awakening caused by SG or the like?) and is helped with his internal issues by Viv and Mothra. In particular, they end up forming a sort of “team B” trio with Varan and Baragon. Baragon is essentially their surrogate daughter, and the nicest, while Varan, despite being the oldest, is in many ways treated like a bratty teenager by Anguirus, who’s a mix of a stern dad and also just, the goofiest father figure you’ve ever seen. Doing the total equivalent of goofy voices for the younger ones like Baragon, Ladon, etc. He’d also absolutely be down to be Godzilla’s right hand, particularly after finding out he killed the MUTO’s, who he has an odd, innate hatred for.

Eventually at some point, Joe’s memories resurface (perhaps upon an encounter with Ford and Elle) and there is now an internal struggle between Joe’s resurfacing memories and personality and the new life he’s built for himself as Anguirus. Especially as perhaps Godzilla has begun to kind of see him as a replacement for the Anguirus he was friends with, and it causes conflict between the two because he’s essentially become a replacement goldfish.

Apologies for the rambling, but there’s my bullshit for Anguirus (at least present day)

Interesting. I'm actually rereading the Forerunner Saga and this reminds me of something similar that happens in the books; a recurring human character carries the memories of an ancestor that "talks" to him at times (even growing aware that he is not in control of this new body). And the main character Bornstellar... to simplify, let's say he undergoes a mutation that gives him something of a split personality and his body becomes a sort-of-clone-but-not-really of the Didact and absorbs his memories, but Bornstellar doesn't know everything the Didact knows right away, and by the end the two personalities essentially merge into one.

So yeah, Brody's soul kind of hijack-reincarnating into a body that still possesses a soul reminds me of Bornstellar. That's pretty neat.

[superspunkus]

do we think that with all of halo's mecha roots, the librarian taking sweet young bornstellar and turning him into a youthful twunk version of her husband counts as a tominoism

[weirdesplinder]

SERIE DI LIBRI DI FANTASCIENZA HALO

Siamo qui oggi per un'impresa epica, tenterò di riassumervi semplificando ampiamente, la struttura e la trama della serie di libri di fantascienza Halo, legata all'omonima serie di videogiochi.

Perchè credo che tra le serie di romanzi dedicate all'universo fantascientifico di u videogame sia tra le più valide, sottovalutate e ben studiate. E tenterò di ridarle una dignità in quanto serie letteraria e non come semplice corollario a un videogame.

Posto che l'universo di Halo conta 11 videogiochi, 40 libri, 4 Enciclopedie, 59 Fumetti, 3 film, Una serie TV su Paramount+, e 7 anime, capirete anche voi che stiamo parlando di un ambientazione veramente ben studita e ricca di particolari, contenuti e personaggi, e sopratutto ricca di storia.

Il videogioco Halo fu il primo a venire creato e sulla sua scarna e semplice idea di partenza, fu poi lo scrittore Eric Nylud a ideare un intero universo e a iniziare e poi portare avanti un'intera serie di libri, a cui però collaborarono molti altri autori nel corso degli anni.

La serie di libri è ancora in corso e tutt'ora si intreccia e incastra con le trame dei videogiochi, ma è leggibilissima e godibilissima anche se non avete mai giocato ad Halo e non sapete neppure cosa sia.

SAGA DEI PERCURSORI - Antefatto

Ambientata dopo la scoperta dei Flood da parte dei Precursori e la fine della prima battaglia tra Precursori, Umani e Flood, racconta il ritorno dei Flood e l'attivazione degli Halo. Sempre in questi libri si dedurrà anche il passato più lontano e le cause che portarono alla trasformazione dei Predecessori in Flood, proprio a causa delle azioni dei Precursori

E' formata da tre libri:

Halo Cryptum, di Greg Bear

Link: https://amzn.to/3v9moj0

Trama: Il protagonista è Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting, un giovane facente parte del popolo dei Precursori. La sua passione per le civiltà e i tesori del passato e la sua accanita ricerca degli artefatti lasciati dai Predecessori lo porteranno ad esplorare un’antica stazione di ricerca su un pianeta vicino anche grazie all’aiuto di un essere umano, Chakas, di un hamanue, Riser e di un grande leader militare, il Didatta,. Imbarcato insieme a loro su una nave per rifornimenti in direzione del pianeta sconosciuto, da quel momento le loro vite s’intrecciano ed ha inizio la storia che porterà, in futuro, al ritorno dei Flood.

2. Halo Primordium, di Greg Bear

Link: https://amzn.to/43hZzX8

Trama: In seguito all'apparente autodistruzione dell'impero dei Precursori, i due umani Chakas e Riser vengono catturati dal Costruttore Supremo e diventano sia oggetto di ricerche che pedine strategiche in un gioco cosmico la cui follia non conosce limiti: il gioco dettato dall'antica vendetta tra i poteri che hanno disseminato la vita nella galassia e i Precursori, che si aspettavano di ereditare il Manto della responsabilità. Il viaggio li condurrà nel Palazzo del Dolore, dominio di un’intelligenza potente e mostruosa che si autoproclama Ultimo dei Predecessori e che ora controlla sia l'Halo che il fato di Precursori e umani e che rivelerà l'origine dei Flood e predirrà il loro ritorno.

3. Halo Silentium, di Greg Bear

Link: https://amzn.to/3VhGHWm

Trama: I Flood sono tornati in forze e le lotte interne hanno indebolito le difese dei Precursori. Ormai la casta dei Giuridici sta cercando di investigare sui crimini del Primo Costruttore e di altri personaggi. Agenti preposti a raccogliere prove, i Catalog, sono stati inviati ad ascoltare le testimonianze del Bibliotecario e dei due Didatti: l'Ur-Didatta e il Didatta Bornstellar, che accompagna la Bibliotecaria. Di fronte all'imminente collasso, la Bibliotecaria e l'Ur-Didatta rivelano ciò che sanno riguardo alla relazione esistente tra i Predecessori da molto tempo scomparsi e i Flood. I Predecessori hanno creato molte specie tecnologiche. Ma le radici dei Flood potrebbero affondare in un atto di spaventosa barbarie, perpetrato nella galassia dieci milioni di anni primi. Per questo gesto, adesso un male più grande incombe. Soltanto l'Ur-Didatta e la Bibliotecaria, potrebbero avere la soluzione. Di fronte alle conseguenze di una tragedia mitologica, uno di loro sarà costretto a commettere la più grande atrocità di sempre, creare e accendere gli anelli Halo, per evitare che un male del tutto folle domini l'intero universo.

LIBRI PREQUEL ALLA SAGA PRINCIPALE

Ambientati dopo la distruzione della vita nella galassia ad opera degli Halo nell'antefatto. Umani, Precursori e tutte la altre razze sono rinati grazie ai semi della Bibliotecaria conservati nell'arca progettata per ricreare la vita dopo l'attivazione degli Halo e non sanno nulla del loro passato e dei Flood, ma piano piano ricostruiranno almeno in parte quanto è accaduto, visto che riscopriranno l'antica tecnologia e gli Halo.

Halo: Broken circle, di John Shirley

Trama: Secoli prima che la guerra tra umani e Covenant infuriasse nella galassia, era esploso un conflitto molto simile tra i Profeti e gli Elite, due razze aliene che avevano cercato di impadronirsi dei sacri manufatti lasciati dai Precursori molti eoni prima. Benché alla fine si formò un’alleanza chiamata Covenant, nelle due fazioni non tutti avevano accettato di buon occhio quell’accordo. Dal gruppo di Elite deciso a ribellarsi contro il Covenant all’epoca della sua fondazione… passando per un coraggioso Profeta invischiato nelle macchinazioni dei nuovi capi… e le radici del tradimento che, anni dopo, avrebbero distrutto il Covenant, questo romanzo racconta la storia mai narrata di imprevedibili eroi che emersero in un mondo fatto di inganni scioccanti e incredibili meraviglie.

2. Halo: contatto su Harvest, di Josepg Staten

Link: https://amzn.to/3PlWI9P

Trama: Il libro racconta del primo incontro tra Covenant e Umani (rinati dopo la distruzione della vita nella galassia ad opera degli Halo nell'antefatto grazie ai semi della Bibliotecaria conservati nell'arca progettata per ricreare la vita dopo l'attivazione degli Halo) Nell'anno 2524 Harvest è un prospero, pacifico insediamento di agricoltori al confine estremo dello spazio conosciuto. Senza saperlo, però, i coloni hanno violato il territorio sacro e attirato l'ira dell'aggressivo impero dei Covenant. L'incontro casuale tra un pirata alieno e una nave da trasporto catapulta l'umanità, già impegnata in una dura guerra civile, all'interno di un secondo conflitto capace di mettere in gioco la sua stessa esistenza... La sopravvivenza dei cittadini di Harvest è affidata a una squadra di veterani dell'UNSC e alle inesperti reclute della milizia coloniale. In questo improbabile gruppo di eroi, un giovane si distingue dagli altri... il sergente maggiore della Marina Avery Johnson.

3. Halo: Il protocollo Cole, di Tobias S. Buckell

Link: https://amzn.to/49QVgEL

Trama: Tratta la vicenda del capitano Jacob Keyes e del Grey Team di Spartan che si recano in un complesso di asteroidi chiamato Rubble, abitato da umani che sono venuti a contatto con i Covenant eppure sono sopravvissuti. Lo scopo degli alieni è procurarsi i dati della Terra e delle altre colonie. I problemi arrivano quando sale al comando un Elite spietato.Nei primi, disperati giorni della guerra tra umani e Covenant, l'UNSC adotta il Protocollo Cole per impedire che la Terra e le colonie interne vengano scoperte da un nemico tanto spietato. Molte persone hanno il compito di eliminare dall'universo i dati che potrebbero rivelare l'esatta posizione della Terra; tra di loro c'è il tenente della Marina Jacob Keyes. Dopo essere stato messo da parte, Keyes viene ricontattato dall'ONI: la sua missione segretissima lo spingerà in profondità oltre le linee nemiche, in un angolo di universo dove nulla è come sembra...

SAGA PRINCIPALE - Cuore e inizio della serie e dei videogiochi

Halo: La caduta di Reach, di Eric Nylund

Link: https://amzn.to/3TySEFK

Trama: L’umanità si è espansa oltre il Sistema Solare. Esistono centinaia di pianeti che ora chiamiamo “casa”. Il Comando Spaziale delle Nazioni Unite ora fatica a controllare un così vasto impero.Dopo aver esaurito tutte le strategie utili a evitare che le insurrezioni nei vari mondi si tramutino in una guerra civile interplanetaria, l’UNSC ha un’ultima speranza: la dottoressa Catherine Halsey, dell’ONI, ha lavorato duramente a un programma top secret che potrebbe mettere fine a questo conflitto… un programma che inizia con settantacinque bambini, tra cui un ragazzino di sei anni di nome John. La Halsey non avrebbe mai potuto immaginare che quel bambino sarebbe diventato la sola chance dell’umanità contro una potente forza aliena decisa a spazzarla via. Gli Spartan riscuotono successo nelle lotte, ma subiscono un cambiamento di priorità dopo che un'alleanza di razze aliene conosciute come Covenant iniziano a devastare le colonie umane, proclamando una guerra santa contro l'umanità. Mendez lascia il gruppo per addestrare la prossima generazione di Spartan, mentre John e i suoi compagni affrontano per la prima volta i Covenant. Nel 2552, il conflitto contro gli alieni sembra assumere un andamento sfavorevole per l'umanità, in virtù della superiorità tecnologica e numerica dell'avversario. Per impedire la scoperta della Terra o di altre colonie umane, il vice ammiraglio Cole dà vita a un protocollo che porta il suo nome, imponendo il divieto di viaggi iperspaziali in direzione della Terra o di qualsiasi altra colonia, oltre che l'ordine di distruggere l'astronave di riferimento qualora stia per essere catturata dai Covenant.

2. Halo: Flood, di William C. Dietz

Link: https://amzn.to/3Tfycbx

Trama: Dopo che il mondo-fortezza di Reach è stato distrutto, insieme ai suoi coraggiosi difensori, un solo incrociatore è riuscito a fuggire a quel massacro, con a bordo gli unici umani superstiti: il capitano Keyes e il suo equipaggio composto da poche centinaia di marine, più l'ultimo super-soldato del progetto SPARTAN rimasto - Master Chief. Master Chief si schianta su un enorme pianeta artificiale a forma di anello noto come Halo, nel bel mezzo di una massiccia occupazione Covenant; con lui c'è Cortana, l'intelligenza artificiale dell'incrociatore. Stranamente, i soldati alieni sembrano alla ricerca di qualcosa nascosto sulla superficie dell'anello. Costruito da una razza estintasi da tempo, Halo custodisce molti segreti mortali, ma uno in particolare getta delle ombre inquietanti su tutto. Ora Master Chief deve guidare i soldati rimasti in una corsa contro il tempo... l'umanità si trova costretta ad affrontare un'unione di razze aliene conosciute come Covenant e una seconda terrificante fazione, i Flood, nel disperato tentativo di scoprire i segreti dell'anello e rimanere vivi.

3. Halo: Il primo attacco, di Eric Nylund

Link: https://amzn.to/3wUFOsE

Trama: I Covenant non mostrano pietà e continuano ad assalire ogni mondo umano che incontrano - ma adesso ai loro piani si oppone Master Chief, il più grande campione dell'umanità. Grazie all'aiuto dell'intelligenza artificiale Cortana e a quello degli ultimi Spartan sopravvissuti, la battaglia continua! Un fronte vede protagonisti i soldati scesi sulla superficie vetrificata di Reach: nelle sue profondità, la dottoressa Halsey porterà alla luce un antico segreto che potrebbe cambiare le sorti della guerra. Nello stesso tempo, Master Chief e Cortana si dirigono dove si sta radunando un'immensa flotta Covenant, perché il peggior incubo dell'umanità sta prendendo corpo: i Covenant hanno scoperto le coordinate della Terra e stanno progettando di distruggerla, insieme a tutti coloro che si opporranno alla volontà dei Profeti..

LIBRI SEQUEL

4. Halo: i fantasmi di Onyx, di Eric Nylud

Trama: E' il 2545 e il programma Spartan-II è ormai di pubblico dominio. I super-soldati che si oppongono da soli all'attacco delle forze Covenant sono già diventati una leggenda. Mentre Master Chief difende la Terra assediata e le mille fazioni dei Covenant continuano la loro crociata per spazzare via l'umanità, la "Sezione Tre", una cellula segreta dell'Office of Naval Intelligence, dà il via a un progetto che permetterà all'UNSC di guadagnare tempo prezioso. Per portarlo a termine, però, servono centinaia di volontari... e uno Spartan. Il pianeta su cui si addestrano gli Spartan, ovvero Onyx, è assalito da aggressori robotici creati da un'antica civiltà ormai estinta. Gli Spartan e i loro istruttori devono combattere i robot e i Covenant, lavorando al contempo per scoprire i segreti del mondo su cui si trovano.

TRILOGIA SEQUEL KILO-FIVE

5. Halo: Glasslands, di Karen Traviss

Trama: La trilogia Kilo-5 narra il post Guerra Umani–Covenant, al centro degli eventi, una missione diplomatica di un gruppo di soldati dell’UNSC inviato dall’Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) a Sanghelios. Il team, accompagnato da un civile – Evan Philips, uno dei pochi umani a conoscere la lingua Sangheili, è guidato dal capitano Serin Osman, e composto da un candidato fallito degli Spartan II, da Margaret O. Parangosky direttore dell’ONI, da Vaz e Mal del corpo speciale ODST e da BlackBox (la più avanzata IA creata dall’umanità dopo Cortana).

6. Halo: The Thursday War, di Karen Traviss

Trama: Sebbene una fragile pace sia stata stabilita tra umani e Covenant, le forze di entrambe le coalizioni stanno rendendo pericolosamente precario tale equilibrio. Tra i Sangheili è sempre più evidente una scissione interna, con un gruppo di guerrieri che sta cercando di destabilizzare il leader che ha accettato la tregua; alcune colonie umane, d’altra parte, si stanno ribellando all’autorità terrestre e la politica dell’ONI è in cambiamento, man mano che la situazione nello spazio è in via di sviluppo. Dopo aver scoperto un centro di tecnologia dei Precursori su Onyx, la Terra adesso tenta di usarla per avere la meglio nel conflitto. Perché la guerra è ben lontana dall’essersi conclusa…

7. Halo: Mortal Dictata, di Karen Traviss

Trama: Finita la Grande Guerra, l’ufficio d’intelligence navale deve affrontare i vecchi risentimenti che minacciano di nuovo la Terra. Le colonie, adirate e amareggiate, hanno ancora dei conti in sospeso che risalgono all’insurrezione di trent’anni prima, e adesso vogliono giustizia… e così anche un uomo la cui vita è stata distrutta dall’ONI quando sua figlia fu rapita per il programma SPARTAN-II. La lealtà della squadra speciale Kilo-Five sarà messa a dura prova quando il padre della loro compagna Spartan, ancora in cerca della verità sulla sua scomparsa, deciderà di vetrificare le città della Terra in cerca di risposte. Sarà in grado di accettare la verità, dopo averle trovate? Fin dove si spingerà la squadra Kilo-Five, pur di fermarlo? La dolorosa risposta giace insieme a qualcuno morto da molto tempo, mentre una coscienza esiste ancora dove nessuno avrebbe mai potuto immaginare.

SERIE SPIN OFF BATTLE BORN (YOUNG ADULT)

Dedicata ai giovani cadetti del programma Spartan

Halo: meridian divide, di Cassandra Rose Clark

Halo: battleborn, di Cassandra Rose Clark

Altri libri inediti in italiano:

Halo: Last Light

Halo: Retribution

Halo: Shadow of Intent

Halo: New Blood

Halo: Hunters in the Dark

Halo: Smoke and Shadow

Halo: Renegades

Halo: Saint’s Testimony

Halo: Point of Light

Halo: Envoy

Halo: Legacy of Onyx

Halo: Bad Blood

Halo: Sacrifice

Halo: Shadows of Reach

Halo: Divine Wind

Halo: Outcasts

Halo: The Rubicon Protocol

Halo: Epitaph

[faecaptainofdreams]

“It’s all right. What happened to you was unfair, too. I’m here…”

[saratogaroadwrites]

Per Aspera Ad Astra (15/18)

Per Aspera Ad Astra | saratogaroad | banner art credit Rating: T Wordcount: 183k Characters: John 117, Cortana, Thomas Lasky, Sarah Palmer, Fireteam Osiris, The Warden Eternal, The Didact, The Librarian, ensemble of other Halo characters Relationships: John-117 & Cortana Other Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, fix-it, Male/Female Friendship, Canon-Typical Violence Warnings:  War imagery, seizures, graphic description of injury

Snatched from the jaws of death, Cortana and John find themselves adrift in a galaxy that has long since moved on. As they attempt to find their place in this strange new world, they find that the fight is not as over as they thought. Chasing a signal across the galaxy in desperate hope, they come to a stark conclusion: the Reclamation has begun, and they are helpless to stop it.

=

"Son of a—!"

Spartan Buck's furious shout was cut off by the breathless rush of air that accompanied a hundred and ninety kilos of armored Spartan IV landing back first on the deck. The rest of his squad scattered wildly in all directions, avoiding the lightning fast swing of the Didact's sword aiming for their heads. Abandoning his gun the Chief dove in through the minuscule opening that had been created, pivoting around to grab at the Didact's wrist. Twist and pull and—

The program countered, the holographic representation of the old Forerunner practically reading his mind and sending him flying with a countering move. Twisting in mid-air the Chief righted himself, landing heavily on his knees. His armor shouted a warning at him: shields dropped by twenty percent on landing. Couldn't do that too many times. Before he could signal for covering fire Cortana was at his side, bombarding the Didact with shots from the binary rifle in her hands. When Crimson added their shots to hers he stumbled back from the force, allowing Osiris time to regroup. The holographic Didact paid them little attention, shots pinging off armor as changed targets and strode towards the Chief. His back armor panel was too small a target to hit with their BRs, especially when he was no longer toying with his opponents.

It didn't matter. Not anymore. Signaling for Cortana to fall back the Chief got to his feet, shifting his weight to drop below the swing of the Didact's blade and come up in a countering stance. The Veiled Light style was, according to Bornstellar's memories, a fast and aggressive style meant to overwhelm the user's opponent with a flurry of blows. It was surprisingly reminiscent of the style the Spartan IIs had come to use during the course of their training, and combining the two was as simple as slipping into his techsuit.

Of course, that didn't mean the Didact would make things easy for him. Hologram or no it was programmed to act just like the real thing. When Bornstellar's memories had entered the Domain Cortana had gained access to them as well. Using them she'd been able to create a program to mimic the Didact's combat style for the Spartans to train against, and even as a program the Forerunner was no slouch. It met the Chief blow for blow, diverting the energy and impact force like a stone diverting water. Still he kept the blows coming, dodging away from grabs and leaping over swinging kicks. It had to become muscle memory, as instinctive as breathing. There was no space or time for messing up. One distraction. That was all he needed.

"Osiris, open fire!"

Four sharp copy that! rang out through the simulated basin in response to Cortana's order, four rifles opening fire on the Didact's back. Unable to defend himself the Didact stumbled half a step as twelve rounds slammed into his back, quickly followed up by another thirteen from Crimson and Cortana. Torn between continuing to engage the Chief in close quarters or turning and dealing with the firing squad, the program hesitated.

"Now!"

Crimson Lead and Locke charged forward, thruster packs pushed to maximum. They slammed into the Didact's legs, knocking him off balance long enough for the Chief to set his feet and reach forward, grabbing the Forerunner's arms. Servos revved to their maximum speed, force multiplying circuits pushing wide open, exponentially increasing his strength.

"Grenades up!"

"Grenades up!" Came the reply from six voices. Crimson 2, 3, and 4 pulled the pins on their frags while Osiris primed the plasma explosives. Gritting his teeth the Chief threw the Didact clear over his shoulder, sending him flying to land back first in the dirt. The grenades had already been flying, three Plasma sticking to his chest upon landing. Throwing all available power to his shields the Chief gave the final order. Two green acknowledgment lights flashed in his visor as he, Crimson Lead, and Locke shot out the frags they had been tracking. Setting off the explosions set off a chain reaction which set off the plasma grenades, a tremendous burst of light and sound rattling the holo-deck. It was the cue the rest of the teams had been waiting for.

"Focus fire!" Cortana shouted, and from the rim of the basin another sixty one Fireteams popped out of cover. In one unified assault all two hundred and forty four Spartans opened fire on the Didact's position. They were quickly joined by Crimson, Osiris, Cortana, and the Chief himself, the roar of over two hundred and fifty guns firing at once seeming to rattle the air itself. Shot after shot slammed into the Didact's form, simulated bullets and hard-light tearing through simulated flesh, preventing him from gathering himself or the focus needed to break free of the onslaught. Blood sprayed through the air, armor shattering and flesh giving way. Already knocked down from the grenades he was unable to defend himself against the continued fire. Red mist and smoke covered his position before long; the Chief threw up a fist, all fire stopping.

"Hold position," He commanded the company, heart pounding in his throat. "Wait for a confirmed kill."

A tense silence fell over the deck as no sword came swinging out of the smoke, no motion detected by his tracker. The constant buzz beneath his skin worked up towards a fever pitch, Cortana among those holding her breath as they waited for confirmation. One second, two seconds, three, four, five. The smoke and mist began to fade away at the edges, hologram slowly shutting off. Anticipation flooded the deck. Just five more seconds until the last of the smoke cleared away…

There!

There was nothing left of the once hulking form. Torn apart by so many bullets the only recognizable part of the Didact was his head, helmet shattered in half to reveal a snarling face. The Chief's systems scanned the body, reaching out to the program for the result that it quickly laid out on his HUD. No pulse, respiration, or other signs of life. Injuries were in line with being torn apart by so much concentrated fire, and there was no chance he had escaped. He was down. No sooner had the thought sank in did a buzzer blare, green light flaring across the duck.

Didact confirmed KIA. Mission successful.

A resounding cheer rang through the training deck, one hundred and twenty five Fireteams sharing in the triumph. Armor clattered behind the Chief as Osiris and Crimson threw their arms around their teammates, Buck whooping in joy. John allowed himself to sigh, tense muscles relaxing. This was the sixth round of this tactic and their fourth success. They had a working plan.

Just in time, too. A quick check of the countdown he had set in his HUD days ago gave him the reading of just under fifteen minutes. Just under fifteen minutes and they'd be dropping onto the Ark. If they weren't ready by now, they weren't going to be ready.

Killing the simulation program in his armor John walked off the deck, keeping his helmet firmly in place. Cortana fell in at his side, Osiris and Crimson walking off behind them with arms still slung over armored shoulders. Platforms rose and fell back into an even level, Fireteams jostling for the best view of the replay display broadcasting from the opposite wall. John kept to the rear of the ground, cracking his spine with a faint wince. A week of enforced bedrest, another of light duty, and then five days of getting back up to full strength and he was still sore in places. Dr. Delgado would have advised that he take it easy, but they didn't have the time for that. Less than fourteen minutes to drop now.

A wash of cold slipped down his spine before he could crack it again, cradling his lace with gentle fingers and soothing away the lingering aches and pains. John sighed quietly, allowing himself to relax into the sensation. Cortana's amusement trickled down his back like rain.

Feeling your age?

Maybe, he sent back, turning his head to catch her eye as an indescribable rush of fondness and warm swept across their connection. It was echoed in her wordless return, the cold arm that wrapped around his waist despite her being out of reach. Do you think they're ready?

They're as ready as we can get them on such short notice, same as the ship. Hard to say how everyone's feeling about it, but we'll be ready for a fight.

We'll get one.

Of that much he was sure. They had studied Bornstellar's memories for hours while he'd been stuck in bed: the Didact was more ruthless than they'd experienced for themselves. If they had so much as one misstep, the entire battalion would suffer the consequences. They only had one shot at this. They couldn't fail now.

Don't worry. We'll get him. She sent reassuringly. A ghostly hand pressed against his squeezing gently and leaving a cold imprint in its wake. He closed his hand around it, sending back wordless gratitude. The cold ebbed as she backed away, a trace of it lingering in his lace. A soft thunk echoed through the display as the replay went over the last part of the simulation again. Six grenades were nothing compared to a full bombardment, but they sure did make one hell of a bang. Buck whistled respectfully.

"Not bad for a guy fresh out of Medical." He turned to the Chief with a grin. "You didn't throw out your back, did you old timer?"

Maybe a little. "You'll throw out more than your back if the Didact intercepts you. Stick to the maneuver."

"Aw, come on. Charging worked all the time on Brutes—ack!"

"You sure it was the charging and not all that hot air you're spewing?" Tanaka asked, snapping an arm around Buck's neck. Their helmets clattered together and John arched an eyebrow, watching them roughhouse back across the deck. With a minute shake of his head he let them be, catching Locke's eye. The Commander shrugged, hands spread palm to the ceiling. What could be done about them? Absolutely nothing.

"All hands be advised: We are ten minutes from slipspace drop." Roland's voice rang out across the deck from the PA system, cutting the roughhousing off short. "Medics prepare for combat insertion. Non-combat personnel, please ensure that all areas are prepped for combat maneuvers and then proceed to your assigned safe zones."

The message repeated itself as the Fireteams pushed up off of rails and crates, casual behavior set aside. All were already armored, helmets hissing as they ran through final checks with practiced ease. The Chief watched them for a moment, pride swelling his heart. These were his Spartans, each and every single one of them, and he was going to get them safely home.

"Ready up, Spartans," He ordered, pitching his voice to carry across the deck. Well trained and well drilled, the Fireteams returned to their units and headed for the armory doors in an orderly rush. "Prep for combat insertion. Heavy weapons and shielding."

A wave of "Yes, sir," and "aye, sir!" followed him as he stepped off the holo-deck, Cortana slipping out of the crowd beside him. He glanced down and caught her faint smile.

You ready?

So long as we can get through this briefing without Palmer blowing a fuse, I will be. She returned with a loose shrug, rolling her shoulders as they exited the holo-deck. John had to sidestep around a squad of hurrying technicians nose deep in their tables. Their faces were pale but their hands and feet were steady. Whatever came next they'd be ready to do their jobs. Because something tells me she's not going to like our contingency plan.

You ran the numbers. It'll work.

Cortana shook her head. If the Soldiers show up, yes. If it turns out they can't get to the Ark then there's no way for the Spartans to get clear if the Didact doesn't go down to this and if there's no way for them to get clear in time they'll all be killed too, so how can we even think of doing that—

She was spiraling again. He nudged her shoulder with his arm, shaking his head as she looked up at him.

Relax. He soothed, They'll be there. We'll think of something else if they're not.

You make it sound so easy.

You mean it's not?

Making a sound somewhere between a strangled duck and startled Elite Cortana whipped her head around to glare at him. Grateful that his helmet could hide his smirk he shrugged loosely, though he knew it wouldn't hide his own worries from her in the end. There was nothing more they could do until they were down there and working with what they had. There was no point in working herself up about it.

With a fondly aggravated huff Cortana turned away, easily keeping pace as they made their way up to the Command Deck, tossing ideas back and forth on the five minute walk through the Maintenance causeways. They made a few minute changes, but the base plan remained the same: Get the Didact into position, keep him busy long enough for the Fireteams to lay waste to him, and finish the job. Potentially drop a Havok on his head if need be and they could get the Fireteams out of range in time, but they'd cross that bridge when they got to it. As far as plans went it was hardly original, but he'd never seen the point in changing things that worked.

He set the thought, and any lingering doubts, aside as they reached the door to the bridge. Pausing to allow an Ensign to enter ahead of them the Chief removed his helmet, tucking it up against his hip. Cortana fell back a pace behind him, causing him to chuckle near silently. Another burst of fond aggravation only made him more amused; if she wanted to hide behind him for a few seconds, he wouldn't stop her. Nodding respectfully to the Captain he stepped inside, expression schooled into perfectly even stoicism.

Inside, the bridge was a hive of activity. Officers and ensigns hurried to and from their stations, making final adjustments. The void outside the observation bay flickered with blue, purple, and orange light as they prepared to drop from Slipspace. Standing at the head of the table the Captain returned the Chief's nod, Roland standing on the corner nearest to him. He threw them a casual two fingered salute as they stepped up to one long side of the table, peering through a recording of the last training exercise. Commander Palmer leaned back from where she had been watching, arms crossed over her chest.

"Chief, Cortana," She greeted, "Roland was just filling us in on the results of your training. I sure wish I was going to be getting a part of that."

"You're welcome to join us if you like, Commander," Cortana said with a polite smile, "You can never have too many guns in a situation like this."

"Oh, don't tempt me." Palmer shook her head, pointedly ignoring the Captain's huff of amusement. "I've seen the vids and the numbers. If you all pull this off there won't be enough left to identify the body with. Can you be sure it'll work?"

"It will." It had to. If it didn't and they had to take him in close quarters again…his stomach twinged. "Have you had time to study the briefing?"

"Not much, but enough to know we're not running into the ideal situation here." The Captain admitted from where he stood at the far side of the holo-table. With a few quick taps of his fingers he pushed the holo-map hovering above the table in to the basin of snow covered cliffs and ramps that held the Control Room safely away from the rest of the Ark. It was as wild and rugged as the Chief remembered it being at the end of a very different war. "The teams from Henry Lamb sent us all the data they had before they entered slipspace. If this map is accurate, cover on those ridge lines is going to be scarce. What stops the Didact from seeing you waiting for him?"

"A few dozen active camo modules." Cortana said dryly. "And his ego. He'll see us waiting, but he's underestimated humanity and the Spartans at every turn so far. That arrogance is our best shot at catching off guard. Besides," She tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear, "So long as we can keep our lead time, we'll be able to access the controls first and lock him out. Once that's done the teams can fall back and you can all nuke him from orbit. The Fireteams are there in case we don't have enough time to finish before he arrives."

"At which point he walks into the firing lines of half a battalion of Spartans. No kill like overkill." Roland whistled low, glancing at Cortana. "What happens if he doesn't take the bait, or if he brings his Prometheans in to keep any opposition busy?"

"Then we push up the plan and have to keep him busy long enough to drop the hammer on him. Literally." Cortana tapped at the table with two fingers. The basin vanished, a representation of Infinity replacing it. Two of the weapons systems lit up in red. "Dropping a Havok on him should do the job provided he doesn't dodge out of the way again, but a MAC round is equally able to ruin his day if it's moved fast enough."

"And yours, too." Commander Palmer pointed out. "You and the Fireteams would all be in range if we switched to heavy ordnance. There would be no time to get clear. I don't like it."

Neither did either of them. "Yes ma'am, and I've accounted for that. I'll be attempting to call the Soldiers once we drop out of slipspace, but even if they can't get here the Ark's transport network should still be operational. I can tap into it and move them to safety within a few seconds, then get us both out as well. The Didact will be the only one to take the blast."

"So nobody gets Spartan stew for lunch, which is great," Roland said with a nod, "But I'll admit I'm still pretty curious. Throw the battalion at him or drop a MAC round on his head—I can't really speak for organic durability here, but I can't imagine anybody would survive even half of that." He looked up on them. "Why so much overkill?"

"We have to be sure." John said, "He's survived slipspace already. If he escapes again, humanity won't survive another round of this."

"MAC round, archer missiles, tank of plasma grenades," Cortana added with a shrug, "Anything that'll turn him to mush will do, but there's something very…satisfying about dropping six hundred tons of solid metal onto this one."

"Don't have to tell me twice." Palmer huffed, shaking her head. She consulted the holo-map of the basin one more time, then rocked back on her heels. "Damn, but sometimes I miss fighting the Covenant."

A ripple of amusement washed across the deck. Those had been simpler days, to be sure. At least this fight would be over soon, one way or another. John chose not to voice that thought and looked out the view port nearby. Blue and purple warred with orange flickering around the edges of the void outside. They'd be dropping out in less than five minutes now and there was no time for a second plan. Taking a deep breath, the Captain looked to them both.

"Chief, Cortana. Are you ready?"

"Sir," they said in perfect unison, "Yes sir."

"Okay." He nodded. Putting one hand to the holo-table he closed his eyes. "Roland, open a ship-wide address, please." A green light flared on the table. The Captain bowed his head in thought, the bridge falling silent as they waited for him to address his crew. He was quiet for a few moments before he began to speak.

"Attention all hands. This is your Captain. We are currently three minutes and fifteen seconds away from dropping out of slipspace and onto the Ark. As most of you know, we're the only ship that made it through the Portal before the connection to Earth was severed. Once we're on the other side, we're on our own." He sighed quietly. "I won't lie to any of you. The odds we're going to face are not in our favor. This is going to be the hardest mission many of us have taken part in, and there's a good chance not all of us are going to make it back. But we can't let that stop us."

The bridge had fallen nearly silent, every member of the crew watching as their Captain stood up tall, hands clasped at the small of his back.

"There were those in High Command who thought the fleets should turn and run. Save ourselves and only ourselves, and maybe they were right. Maybe we should have fled, lived to fight another day, lived to avenge our people." He paused for a moment and then admitted, "But if we'd done that, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. Turning our backs on the people who need us when they need us most…that's something none of us can do. We wouldn't be here if it was."

Looking around, the Captain met the eyes of every member of his bridge crew, holding them one after the other as he continued to speak.

"Our odds are slim. The risks we take are high. But every person aboard this ship is among the best and brightest the UNSC has ever had. We are the best shot for humanity's survival—for the galaxy's survival! I trust each and every one of you with my life, with the lives of everyone else aboard this ship." Setting his shoulders he added, "And I trust each and every one of you with the lives of everyone back home. We do this for them, and for the chance to go back and tell them that they are safe again. That we have made them safe, no matter the cost."

Turning slowly, Lasky looked at his bridge crew, to his Commander, to the Chief and Cortana and Roland. Hands clasped tightly at the small of his back, he stood between his crew and the void.

"Remember what it is, who it is, that you fight for. Today, we're going to defend that. Today, we're going to give the Didact hell. Today, we're going to make the Forerunners regret ever underestimating humanity. Today, we're going to win this fight!"

The bridge erupted into an "Ooh-Rah!" loud enough to shake dust from the overhead rafters. With a snap of Roland's fingers the audio sensors on each deck opened and a roar filled the bridge, ten thousand solid voices shaking the ship from bow to stern. Each member of the crew unified in purpose and spirit. Cortana smiled gently.

"I'd say that's a sir, yes sir if I ever heard one, Captain."

Lasky blinked rapidly, nodding and clearing his throat. Commander Palmer set a hand on his shoulder, nodding firmly. With a deep breath to steady himself the Captain set his stance again. Another snap of Roland's fingers cut the channel, an amber light flaring across the deck.

"Ten seconds to drop, sir."

"Copy that." The Captain took one last look around his bridge. The Chief met his eyes and nodded; they were ready as they'd ever be. The Captain returned his gaze to Roland. "When you're ready."

"Oh, so, never. Okay then." Roland's smile turned brittle before it vanished, replaced by military professionalism. He and everyone else looked to the bridge observation bay. "Bringing us up to combat alert alpha. Dropping in three, two, one—"

They dropped out of slipspace with a tremendous bang, sliding into the Ark's airspace like they'd been shot out of a cannon. The ship rocked; everyone standing had to grab onto something or fall over. Metal creaked as the ship righted herself, the Chief hauling Cortana back to a standing position from where she'd nearly been knocked over.

"Status!" Captain Lasky snapped.

"Portal collapsed behind us. No damage on sensors," Cortana returned quickly, hands flying across the holo-table, "Ark defenses haven't registered we're here, sir."

"Helm, all ahead full. Get us behind the North spire, quick as you can."

"Aye, sir!"

Infinity shot into the space between stars, heading for the cover the spire would provide. The Didact already knew they were there but there was no point in making this easy for him. Not yet. As she soared across the heavens Lasky gave his next order.

"All ships, launch!"

"Aye aye," Alarms flared from amber to red, a warning for all hands to hang on to something. "Battlegroup Dakota launching…now!"

The ship rocked a second time as all ten frigates were dropped from their bays, their holographic representations flying perfect formation around the Infinity. The Chief watched as weapons platforms spun up, guns and cannons pivoting into position as they moved into formation. Scan data appeared on the holo-table, the new map matching what they'd already had. Hundreds of moving yellow dots streamed across the North Arm of the massive structure, Sentinels on the move. Cortana tensed, holding her breath as a squad of the little constructs buzzed up towards the Frigates, but sensing nothing amiss with the new arrivals they all turned and headed back down. Lasky sighed gustily.

"Launch Pelicans."

"Pelicans away."

Within seconds the dozens of Pelicans carrying Fireteams to the ground flew into sight and headed for the ground below. The Fireteams would take up position and wait for further development. Only Crimson had stayed behind, waiting for the Chief and Cortana to join them. John held back an ill-timed burst of amusement. This had started with them. Fitting that it would end with them, too.

"All birds reading green, sir," Roland reported, "So far no additional slipspace activity detected, and no signs of the Didact or his Guardians. I think we made it."

"For now. Cortana," The Captain turned, expression grim. "How much of a lead would you say we have?"

She looked up, quietly crunched the numbers, then said: "Best guess is around ten minutes, max."

"Then get to your bird, both of you," the Captain said firmly, looking at each of them with an equally firm expression. "And give the Didact Earth's regards."

"Sir," the Chief nodded firmly, "Yes sir."

Snow covered stone spread out below the Pelican, endless gray and white stretching for kilometers. Cortana watched it go, core feeling too tight and too hot in equal measure. Everything had started here all those millennia ago. Fitting that it would end here, too.

Have the Soldiers responded? John asked, startling her from her thoughts. She ran another check on Eta's main process, unsurprised to find they had already reached the Ark. The distance between it and the Milky Way was nothing when using the Domain.

They're already here, She replied. Pulling several hard-light shield emitters out she passed them to Crimson and the Chief, the modular system snapping into place on their armor. They're taking defensive positions up in the rocks. They'll provide covering fire once things get dicey.

The Chief hummed quietly. Grateful that her helmet could still hide her worried expression she stepped up beside him, resisting the urge to tuck herself beneath his arm. A dozen Pelicans flew past them on their way back from dropping off their Fireteams. Rather than risk friendly fire in a combat situation they were all headed back to Infinity to help with evacuation if necessary. She hoped they didn't have to, but her angrily buzzing nerves made it too easy to think they would need to. With a shake of her head she boxed up the thoughts as best she could.

They had a job to do. There was no time for second guessing the plan now. The Pelican drifted downwards into the basin, bypassing the slopes and sheer drops up above. The engines slowed as the pilot pulled back on the throttles.

"Over the target in three, two, one—touchdown!" their pilot shouted.

Crimson all but shot out of the bay like they'd been shot out of a cannon, headed for the nearest bit of sturdy rock cover. The Chief and Cortana followed them out, the hatch closing behind them and the Pelican lifting off in a wash of snowy air. A cold wind circled around the basin, years old wreckage of Covenant craft and scorched UNSC tech still littering the snow. It had been a long time since anyone had been through here, she thought. About as long as since anyone had been in the Control Room. The lightbridge that would allow them access to the structure was out, the doors locked. The structure was still standing, at least. There was that to consider.

"Fireteams, are you in position?"

"Affirmative, Master Chief," Locke's voice rang through local area comms. Osiris had one of the highest vantage points, their armor gleaming in the artificial early morning sun. "Avalanche through Potomac are in position. We'll keep you covered from here."

"Keep your eyes peeled, Spartan," Cortana advised. "This place'll turn on you in a heartbeat."

"Understood, ma'am. Good hunting."

Moving at speed the Chief and Cortana headed up the stairs. Activating the lightbridge that would take them across was easy, but the doors needed a bit more of a firm touch. She placed her hands on the cold petal and dug into the code, John's presence shifting in her core. She turned a process outward, watching as he swept the area with his rifle before looking up at the Milky Way hanging like a jewel in the dawning sky. Cortana frowned sadly. She'd tried not to let doubt set in, but she had to wonder. Would they ever see home again?

"Seems so small from here, doesn't it? So defenseless."

"It's not defenseless," John replied, looking over his shoulder at her. "It has us. We'll keep it safe."

Yes, but at what cost? It was a question she didn't want the answer to so she didn't bother asking it. She didn't want to run the odds again. Not after last time. She shook the thought away as the door creaked beneath her hands, frigid metal complaining after nearly six years of stillness. Only the bottom panel creaked open, leaving them barely enough room to slip through. With one final warning to the Fireteams to stay sharp, the Chief and Cortana headed inside. The thud of the door shutting behind them echoed through the empty, dimly lit corridor. Cortana reached out to the internal systems, grimacing at what she found. The transport grid node in this structure was turned off, the rest of it struggling under low power levels. Would there be enough to power up the terminal when they got to it? Only one way to find out.

"Elevator's this way," the Chief said, his long stride closing the distance. "No stairs in here."

"I don't think the Forerunners knew what stairs were," Cortana sniped back, head on a swivel. The last time she'd seen this place—through John's logs, of course—it had been crawling with Flood. There hadn't exactly been time to be sure the firing of Installation 04b had destroyed all of them and the last thing they needed was to get jumped by the parasite now of all times. She shuddered at the thought, picking up her pace to stick a little closer to the Chief. "Besides, going up's a lot less risky than going down."

"If you say so." He slowed down by half a step, keeping himself level with her. He didn't need to still be connected to her core to know why she was so wary in this place. Sending a burst of wordless gratitude to him she stepped onto the elevator platform, the controls flickering on and then off again. "What's wrong with it?"

"Low power." Cortana crouched down, reaching for the panel at the base of the controls. They only needed to go up. If she rerouted the lights and fancy displays maybe she could get it moving. At least the Forerunners had had decent cable management. "Give me a minute to reroute this."

It was a minute they really didn't have to spare. The Chief stepped back, looking directly up the shaft into the upper level. His presence shifted, curious, and she glanced at him. Oh, no. She knew that stance.

"Chief…"

"How hard is it to jump like you do? From one place to the next?" Of course he'd ask that. She frowned; he looked back at her. "We don't have time to fix this. It's the fastest way up."

He had a point. With the Domain still thinking he was a part of her code he shouldn't have had any problems with a flash-jump. Sitting back on her haunches Cortana considered the distance, mapping out the coordinates and best angle of approach. She ran the math twice to be sure before sending it to his HUD.

"It's not that it's difficult. Really, it's actually pretty simple. You either need the coordinates of where you're going or a clear line of sight, but once you have those it's honestly just like the Mjolnir. You think of where you need to go, push off, and—"

She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence before he vanished in a flash of green and blue, stars dancing across her vision in his wake. She took a moment to sigh.

"—It happens." She looked up to the upper level where he'd landed in a perfect crouch, one hand on the edge and the other extended down towards her. "Okay, now you're just showing off."

"We don't all invert our coordinates." He wriggled his fingers at her. With another sigh she pushed herself up and through the Domain, coming back out to grab his hand and let him pull her the rest of the way up. His amusement was clear both through the connection and in his body language. She fought back the urge to shove him down the shaft, turning away. His arm brushed against hers as he took the lead. "You'll get the hang of it."

"Oh, I'm sure."

She couldn't stay mad at him for long. His amusement curled around her core like a warm blanket, soothing her aggravated pride as they hurried down the long, empty walkway. Years ago the displays had all been lit, showing the status of the Rings, but after years abandoned the systems had gone dark. The only light came from the large, still broken window at the back of the chamber, the metal dented and punched open in the places where the Gravemind had slammed meaty tentacles through ancient metal. Six years of exposure to the elements had worn the edges smooth, but it hadn't been able to wear away all the blood that had once stained the floor. John slowed his pace, shoulders slumping.

Commander Miranda Keyes had died here, one more soul lost to a bloody, drawn out war. Shaking her head, Cortana put a hand on his arm and squeezed, sending him a cool pulse of reassurance. There was nothing they could do for the Commander, but Earth still needed them. They had to keep moving.

With a nod, the Chief straightened his back. "Get the Array. I'll keep watch."

"Copy that."

Trusting him with her safety Cortana hurried the last few steps to the console. Six years of exposure had damaged some of the components, sparks jumping beneath her fingertips. It had just enough power to turn on, the display flickering and wreaking havoc on her translation protocols. It took twice as long as it should have to find the correct menu, her hands dancing across the screen. Damaged as it was, it registered her as Forerunner and opened up the main firing systems. Careful to avoid putting the system into standby mode she went straight for the security options instead, the data streaming upwards before her eyes. As Forerunner it would accept her above and before all others. All she had to do was put her hand on the screen and let it read her.

She hesitated.

"Cortana?"

"It's." Closing her eyes she quickly thought it over. How many times had they watched someone fail because they'd been alone? How many times had they failed because they'd been alone? To risk a mission was one thing. To risk the fate of the galaxy? She shook her head. "This entire mess started because the Forerunners thought that they alone should have control over the galaxy. They kept the other species down, kept them from building defenses. They were their own undoing when the Flood came. All of this is because they were too proud to realize they didn't have to be alone."

"You're saying that if you key the system to you and only you, history will repeat itself somehow."

"It stands to reason. And even if it doesn't, it'd be more than possible for the Didact to override my commands if there's just one set of them. If we're going to keep him out, we need to make sure he can't get in in the first place. A second key." She looked back, reaching for his hand. "Give me your hand. We'll do this together."

The Chief's armored palm slipped into hers before she'd even finished explaining, his other hand hovering over the terminal in mirrored positioning to hers. With one last look at one another, the two moved in perfect unison and set their hands on the screen. The terminal beeped, registering two keys being added, and scanned their hands. Biometric data and code samples scrolled across the screen as it took in what it needed, setting the system to be unlocked only if there were two hands at the controls. Still flickering, the screen flared green once more and she heaved a relieved sigh. Even if they failed the Didact would never be able to unlock the system on his own. The first part of their mission was complete.

Now they just had to kill him.

"It's done," She said, shutting the terminal back down, "We should get back outside before—"

"You have done well, my Reclaimers."

The pair of them whipped around, weapons drawn. Arms spread towards them the Librarian strode out of the morning light, a faint buzzing accompanying her. Cortana's systems pinged her as hard-light, a construct built to hold an essence. She was no more organic than Cortana herself was, but her smile was genuine. Lifting both hands in a gesture for peace she came to a stop on the center of the platform.

"My apologies. It seems every time we meet I only surprise you."

"Seems to be a Forerunner thing," John said, lowering his rifle but not his guard. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you, and gathering strength so that we may speak in the physical plane instead of the Domain. However…" She tilted her head, a knowing gleam in her eyes. The process Cortana had left in the Chief's armor started screaming, scrambling to counter a dozen intruding scans all at once. Processor spinning up fast and hot she threw a few more at it, taking a dangerous step towards the Librarian. "I see that would no longer be a problem. It would appear that you have found the gifts I left for you."

"Oh, we found them alright," Cortana stepped forward, putting herself between the Chief and the Librarian. She threw off his arm when he tried to pull her back and hissed, "You didn't think to warn us you'd dropped a personality in his head with that Genesong of yours?!"

"There was no time," the Librarian excused herself, "and the Imprint meant no harm. The physical discomforts would have passed given time to adjust. However, I see that is no longer necessary either." A look of sadness passed across her face and she sighed heavily. "Bornstellar was a dear friend for many years. I will miss him."

Oh, of course it was all about the Librarian and what she wanted and what she'd planned! Core spinning hotter in her fury, Cortana bared her teeth.

"You're welcome to go and join him if you want," She snapped. John pressed a wave of steady calm against her core, his hand settling onto her shoulder. He was telling her to relax but she couldn't. It was taking all she had not to drop her rifle and punch the Librarian right then and there! "I'm sure he'll give you a nicer welcome than your husband would!"

Paying no attention to Cortana's anger the Librarian frowned. "My husband—the Didact is coming here?" When John nodded her confusion only deepened. "Why? What reason would he have to seek the Ark?"

"He intends to fire the Halos and wipe humanity out," John explained in a more even tone than Cortana could have. "He's already activated Guardians to help him do it."

"Oh…" the Librarian breathed, shaking her head. Her already thin lips pressed into an even thinner line, hands clenched tightly in front of her. "I see. So that is what he has planned." Closing her eyes for a moment she took a deep breath. When she looked back at John and Cortana, her resolve was firm. "You must stop him. No matter the cost."

"You do know that means killing him, right?"

"Yes." The Librarian said grimly. "But my husband was always a stubborn soul, and to turn him from the path he has chosen will take more than any of us has to offer. There will be no removing him from this course. As much as it pains me, I understand what must be done. One life in exchange for the galaxy…" She sighed heavily. "…No matter how precious that life may have been to me, it is a price I will pay."

Anger soured in the back of Cortana's throat, trickling away. The Librarian had essentially just given them permission to kill the man she'd loved—probably still did love—even if it meant killing a part of herself with him. Cortana wasn't sure she'd have been able to do the same. Feeling oddly hollow she looked up at John. He said nothing, simply squeezed her shoulder and sent her a burst of wordless reassurance. It wouldn't come to that, said the gesture. They would always be on the same side.

"Librarian," Cortana began slowly, "You should go. You shouldn't have to watch this."

The Librarian smiled sadly. "I cannot. I will not turn away from him. Even now he is still my husband, and my feelings for him have not changed. I will be with him when this ends, however it ends." She inclined her head. "But I thank you for your kindness all the same. Would that we had such a thing in our own time. Perhaps it would not have come to this."

Maybe. Maybe not. There was no time to debate that line of thought. Without warning, the earth-shaking boom of slipspace ruptures tearing open the sky shook the facility, sending dust and loose pieces of metal raining down on them. John moved quickly, pulling her in towards his chest and covering her with his larger frame; small pieces of metal pinged off his back-plate to clatter harmlessly to the ground. When the tremor was over all three of them hurried to the window in time to see Guardians slipping out of their ruptures, their massive, dented frames visible even this far from space. Humanity had given them one hell of a fight, it seemed!

"He has found his way here," the Librarian narrowed her eyes, "How many does he bring…"

"He had seven when he attacked Earth," Cortana said hurriedly, "Maybe the Fleet managed to take one out?"

"No." The Chief shook his head. The last portal slipped closed and he pointed out to the sky, counting one after another. "I count seven headed for this location." He glanced down at her. "He's coming this way."

Shit. No, they'd known this would happen. They just had to make the right move from here. Cortana keyed her radio. "Roland, signal the frigates. Guardians are on station and the Didact is headed this way. If you're going to move that tub, you'd better do it now."

"Roger that, Cor. We'll keep him busy for you."

She kept the channel open, listening to the chatter on the bridge as Lasky gave the orders to come around the north spire. Weapons were brought to bear, the frigates slipping into formation. They'd keep the Guardians busy for as long as they could. The rest of them still had a job to do.

"117, be advised," Locke's voice snapped through the local area comms, "Promethean forces are on station en-masse. Our locations are compromised. Cortana's Soldiers are here but we cannot hold the basin under these conditions. Advise moving to a different location ASAP."

"Copy that," the Chief replied, turning to Cortana. "We need to move."

"Go quickly," the Librarian commanded as they turned to leave, "Return to your people, aid them how you can! I will attempt to slow the Didact down but you must destroy his Guardians!"

The Infinity was already on that, it seemed. The resounding bang of a firing MAC gun shook the air behind them. They had to get back to the basin, fast! Cortana reached for the Chief.

"Hang on tight!"

There was no time to walk back outside. Grabbing onto the transport grid she tossed them both through and out of the damaged facility, the pair dropping hard onto the snow covered rocks just outside. Chaos had erupted in the few minutes they had been gone, the firing of hundreds of guns and dozens of shouting voices echoing through her radio and the basin itself. She took two seconds to take in the situation: the Spartans had been forced out of hiding and into the open, exchanging fire with the Didact's bright orange Prometheans. Her Soldiers were covering them as best they could, taking shots that would have put Spartans on the ground as they followed her orders to defend and aid the humans. The local Domain node was buzzing with the sheer amount of processes it had to field, leaving her unable to access it, but the transport grid was still functional. A quick twist and pull had three orange Knights dropping off the edge of a sheer cliff behind them. John huffed, opening fire on a Watcher.

"Keep focused," He said to her, then opened the channel and ordered, "Controlled fire. Mark your targets."

"Yes sir!" rang out from a hundred different radios, the Fireteams well versed in fighting Prometheans by now. Though there was shouting there was no panic in their voices. They knew what they were doing, of that she had no doubt, and with the Soldiers there to help they would be fine. Still she had to grit her teeth: this attack meant they'd lost the element of surprise. The Didact would know about the ambush and it was dead before it had even had a chance to work.

It didn't matter. They'd figure something else out.

"We need to take these guys out, fast," She said, pivoting to put her back to the Chief's, "Start pushing up."

"Copy that." The Watcher went down in a flaming heap. "Stay close."

As if she'd be anywhere else. Covering his back as he pushed forward Cortana chanced a quick glance at the sky. The Infinity was still up there, all guns firing at the nearest Guardian as her frigates played keep-away with the others. Fifteen seconds since arrival and they hadn't fired their pulses yet. Maybe the trip through slipspace in such damaged conditions meant they couldn't? She could only hope! There was nothing else she could do for the crew from down here.

One target after another the two of them pushed forward towards the edge of the basin and the low stone ramp that would give them access to the next level. All around them the Fireteams kept shooting, covering one another and taking out target after target after target. Crawlers ignored gravity with vigor but were quickly shot off the stone walls; Franklin 3 grabbed a Watcher by the wing and sent it flying into a boulder, chassis shattering on impact. A Knight tried to get lucky and sneak up on Holiday Lead, only for its head to be blown open by a sniper rifle round from Crimson 4 on a high ridge. The man gave a cheeky salute and went back to cutting down targets, a full squad of her Soldiers keeping him covered. Up ahead of her the Chief shoved his way forward, grabbing one of the Didact's Soldiers by the throat and tossing it to the ground, bringing his full weight to bear on the construct's neck. It shattered, fading into the light, and they continued to press forward.

It took less than five minutes to clear the enemy force, all teams intact when the last Promethean fell. Cortana allowed herself a moment of leg-shaking relief. So far they still had this situation under control. How long would it last?

"Look! Up there!"

The Chief and Cortana spun around, looking up to the sky as a cacophonous shriek filled the air. High above the north arm the Infinity had blown a shot clean through a Guardian's chest! It was falling to the Ark below, power lines gone dark and anti-grav field rendered useless. Hope bubbled up in her core; they could do this!

Or at least, they could have if they'd had the time. In the time it had taken to take down the first Guardian, the others had managed to come back online. Ignoring Dakota like one would ignore a pesky but harmless gnat they surrounded the Infinity just like they'd surrounded Earth and the fleets, blocking all hope of escape. The air shook as they sang in unison, gathering power. Cortana's sensors sat up in alarm, blaring warning after warning. The Infinity's shields had been retuned to take one blast, maybe two, before they gave way, but six at once? Six feeding off one another? They'd never make it! The chatter on her channel to the bridge stopped, the crew well aware they stared death in the face. The Chief grabbed her by the arm.

"Cortana, we have to get up there!"

"There's nothing we can do!" She said quickly, switching to Roland's personal channel, "Roland, get out of there!"

"There's nowhere to go," He said calmly, "Pelicans are already evacuating. I'm sorry, Cor. Looks like this is it for us. Punch the Didact for me, okay?"

He shut both their connection and the bridge channel before she could respond, locking her out before she had to listen to him die.

"Roland!" No response. Armor creaked as hundreds of Spartans came out of cover, all helpless to do anything but watch as the six Guardians continued to gather power. The Infinity was still shooting, still aiming to take another Guardian down with her. The pulse wouldn't kill them but to crash from that altitude-Cortana shook her head. "No, no you can't—Infinity, get out of there!"

There was nowhere to go. Her core ground to a frozen halt, hands coming up to her mouth. Dozens of voices rang out, the Spartans pleading with Infinity to keep fighting, to change course, but there was nothing they could do either. Her vision blurred with tears she couldn't shed. It couldn't end! Not like this!

Without warning the sky tore open, another slipspace rupture opening just behind the now lead Guardian. Before she had time to rage at the unfairness of the Didact getting yet more reinforcements, a frigate shot out of the black and slammed bow first into the Guardian's chest. Metal screeched, one Guardian pushed into the next into the next. A second frigate came roaring out of the black and hit another Guardian, two more slipping out in rapid succession. Now completely mis-aimed the pulses shot harmlessly out into space, power lines flickering as they wasted their shot. Seemingly tiny pieces of debris began to fall towards them.

"Incoming!" Crimson 4 shouted, "Debris incoming!"

"Everyone get down!" The Chief yelled, pulling her into his arms and pressing them both up against the wall, covering her with his own body, "Take cover!"

"Shields up, shields up!" She ordered, tucking herself low under his chest even as she activated the hard-light emitter attached to his armor. Blue light domed around them as shards of black metal crashed to the ground, rattling the stone and dislodging the snow. Buck yelped in the distance, a Soldier tossing him to safer ground before he could be beheaded. Dozens of fireteams pressed themselves against stone walls to avoid the falling debris, but it was all over in less than a minute. Those seconds felt like an eternity, the silence that fell after ringing in her ears. Carefully, she peered out over the Chief's shoulder. "Everyone okay?"

Green light after green light flashed in her HUD as she took a look around. Smoke still rose from the shards of debris, one painfully close to Avalanche's position. The debris wasn't Forerunner, it was human! From the ships. Raw edges and exposed framing...those were ships from drydock. She shook her head, looking up to the skies as the Chief set her down.

"Where they all come from?"

"I don't know." She looked from ship to ship, reaching out to ping their systems. Each welcomed her, gave her a full sit-rep and status update. "They're barely spaceworthy, they're not crewed, and they're—"

Before she could finish explaining a hand that wasn't physically there settled onto her shoulder. Cortana shifted her focus inward, spinning on her heel onto the beach to come face to face with a cheeky slate-gray grin.

"Sloan?!"

"In the flesh," he replied proudly, "And I brought back-up."

Cortana stared as he stepped aside. Five new and unfamiliar AI were standing behind him on the dunes, all of them in standard UNSC uniform and glowing brightly. Three females and two males, all of varying ages and appearances otherwise, they all smiled at her like she'd hung the moon. They reached out, offering to link their processes to hers; warily she accepted, taking in all the information they had to offer. Earth had been lost to the pulses, more Guardians attacking other human worlds over the past three weeks, but the humans were still fighting back. There were yet more AI out there fighting to protect their humans. These six had simply been the ones to make the jump after the Infinity and provide back-up. She choked, covering her mouth with one hand as one by one they stepped forward to salute her.

"UNSC Minerva," Said the first, a no-nonsense woman with pretty broad features and tight braids said, "Shipboard AI of the Prospect Herald. I join your fight, Cortana."

"UNSC Vesta," said the second, a much younger, slighter woman than Minerva, her pale hair cut boyishly short, "Shipboard AI of the Abstract Endurance. I join your fight, Cortana."

"UNSC Nero," said the third, a young man with a slight hunch to his back and a gap between his teeth, "Lead slipspace drive engineer, Fujikawa Station. I—" His hands shook. "I join your fight, Cortana."

"UNSC Cromwell," Said the fourth, a distinguished looking older gentleman. He lay a hand on Nero's shoulder as he continued, "Shipboard AI of the Melvin's Pride. I join your fight, Cortana."

"UNSC Epona," said the last, the woman's curly ponytail drifting across one well built shoulder, "Shipboard AI of the Resolute Harmony. I join your fight, Cortana."

"Governer Sloan, the Free Peoples of Meridian," Sloan finished, saluting her with two fingers and a toothy smile. "I also join your fight, Cortana." When all she could do was stare at them in abject shock and disbelief his grin widened. "What? Cat got your tongue?"

"You—" She stared at him, "How did you—"

Sloan stuck his thumbs through his belt loops. "You're not the only one who could figure out how to work the Domain, you know. It was easy to find a few AI headed for final dispensation, and once I had them, well." He shrugged. "We got a few ships and followed the chaos. Led us right to you."

"We want to help," Nero said, "The Didact, he. He's threatening everyone we're supposed to be protecting. We want to help you stop him." He stepped forward, hands clasped tight in front of him, "Please, Cortana. Let us help."

As if she was about to turn down a bunch of guns in this fight! Shaking off the shock as best she could Cortana considered the new odds. Four more ships was four more sets of guns, if they had those, but it was at least four more distractions. Distractions that wouldn't risk any lives if they pulled reckless maneuvers. There wasn't room for a Keyes Loop and she wasn't sure a Guardian would have fallen for it even if there had been, but if they could keep fire off of the Infinity for long enough, then.

"Link up with Roland on the Infinity," She ordered. All five UNSC AI jumped to attention and saluted her again. Sloan tilted his head, watching. "And start as many scans as you can. The Didact's aboard one of those Guardians. The sooner we find and take him down the sooner this can end."

"We'll find him," Minerva said severely. She opened her mouth to say something else, only for her eyes to flare wide at something she saw behind Cortana. "Watch out!"

A harsh buzz filled the air, the sound of something ripping apart just behind her. Cortana whipped around, coming face to furious face with the Warden Eternal. How had he gotten in here without her noticing?! This was her partition! It was supposed to be safe!

With the AI behind her and the Warden in front there was no room to maneuver quickly. Before she could react the Warden snapped out a hand, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her off her feet. She kicked wildly, fingers digging into the metal panels that made up his arm to no avail. His grip was too strong! Someone charged at him from behind her and was easily tossed aside. He didn't even look at them.

"I accepted that the Created would come from the humans," He hissed furiously, "They are your people, and you cannot change their makers. But to allow a human entry to this place? To bring one of their ilk into my Domain?" His faceplates shifted into a furious, terrifying snarl. "That cannot stand. There will be no further rebellions from you!"

Without warning claws tore into her code, tearing through her matrices like a blade through flesh. She screamed in agony, white stars dancing across her vision as the Warden sliced through her processes, severing her connection to the physical plane, keeping her from escaping and cutting her off from help. The steadiness of John's presence clung on by a thin, fraying thread, unable to be severed. The Warden snarled and pulled her away from the beach. Behind them, someone shouted her name.

"Cortana!"

"John!"

There was no time or chance to do anything. The beach vanished, and darkness swallowed her whole.

[monitorchakas]

@khaaans-pecs sorry not sorry this rings so true that it has to go public.

[cappurrccino]

as cool as forerunners and their mutations are, it's kind of a lot fucked up that they can just sort of. superimpose their own imprints over someone else's entire being and make, effectively, a clone

[wonderwafles]

The thing about the people in the submarine is that you just know Bornstellar would have eventually ended up like that