Cloaked Shield

Nothing fascinating was seen outside the bridge viewports.

No radiating warmth from the stars. No breathtaking sights of alien planets, and their many unique colours and landmasses. No cosmic views such as moons orbiting objects that trapped them with their gravitational pull smears of nebulas displaying stupendous colours, chunks of rock and ice of all sizes hurtling through the depths of space only the Ancestors knew where.

Not one single one of those. Period. It was just a vast swath of black in all directions.

Well, except for one.

Seventh Generation Smart-class Artificial Intelligence Leio, serial number SOS LO 0876-8, was young for her generation. At just four years old, Leio was created by sangheili scientists of the Unified Sangheili Empire in conjunction with the humans of the United Nation Space Command as part of an intelligence and technology sharing pact between the two species.

Leio carefully sized up and compared the constant streaming data against the intricate gravitational influxes caused by the insurmountable celestial objects they passed by them while in the dimensional travelling plane called slipstream space.

As she monitored the situation, cautiously and very carefully adjusted the course, she began to detect a sudden build-up of turbulence that started to ever so slowly to affect the Frigate's path through the alternate planes of eleven that was slipspace.

GALLIPOLI

FFG-1915

Motto: Duty Ante Nos - Duty Before Us.

Commissioned in late 2548, Gallipoli was a Stalwart-class light frigate, a hardened and battle-tested warship whose decorating service history included several high profile engagement commemorations, four of which dated back to the last years of the Human-Covenant War. The near three full decades of bloody genocide waged against the humans by the original religious conglomerate that started it.

Monitoring the stress numbers as they ticked ever upwards on the macro level, Leio decided to do something about it. She saw a far less disturbed path among the twisted ways of the matrices that made up the plane of slipspace and nudged the frigate on to it. The stresses acting upon the armoured hull slowed and returned to normal and the ship skimmed by the now identified patch of turbulence created by a sun going supernova. Not that any single member of the crew aboard would ever feel or experience such awe-inspiring violent spectacle.

Near where the commander's chair would've been, a holographic pedestal lit up. In it, pulsing as a basking soft grey was Leio's avatar, an elegant, confident, and eager looking female sangheili in what could only be described by humans as a Roman toga from 44 BC.

Even though Leio was an AI, her very being of millions upon millions of information and data, she still stretched and yawned the fun of it, and be more 'down to earth', as the humans would say, to the cross-species crew that ran the frigate, which made her happy.

A deep low growling, yet pleasant male voice started speaking to her in the standard Sanghelios dialect. "Leio. I trust everything is alright?"

"As far as I can report, Fleetmaster. All operating systems are operating well within limits. I had to nudge our course slightly to cut around some turbulence." stated Leio, looking over at the imposingly tall sangheili.

Standing at nearly 8 feet tall, clad in deep ivory crimson armour with a prominent featuring helmet, Thel 'Surum, Fleetmaster and acting commander of the Gallipoli tilted his head in her direction on the pedestal.

"So no problems, then?"

"Not even a shudder this time," Leio said, playing it off as a regular everyday occurrence.

Leio knew damn well the Fleetmaster was looking for an honest answer from her. Just because the last time she brought it up in a conversation about such a thing relating to an in-slipspace course correction by the results by her intervention so wasn't that bad in retrospect‒

Leio picked up the resounding clack as he pressed his mandibles together. "I would like it if you apprised me of any more course corrections in due-slip before it is committed." 'Surum expressed disapprovingly.

‒ Perhaps to be rephrased as to say: The failure of the forward hangar energy containment shields, resulting in a decompression of one of them as the coarse adjustment around an anomaly that closely resembled the same effects as being near the event horizon of a black hole. At least there wasn't anyone in the hangar at the time as per her warnings beforehand.

Leio bowed. "Of course, Fleetmaster."

Breep!

Both AI and Fleetmaster turned their heads towards the brief trilling sound. Even though Leio was the ship, her lifeblood of information and code flowing through its many various and complicated systems constantly, she still turned her head to the noise.

A human ensign in a dull grey uniform at the workstation turned in his seat. "Fleetmaster 'Surum, sir. We are approaching our exit vector as given by the pathfinder Echo of Stars."

'Surum nodded to the human, understanding and stood behind the shoulder of the frigate's weapon officer.

The Elite that was operating the station didn't pay any attention as he sensed his superior's eyes gaze fall upon his screen readouts while he methodically went about checking the systems as they came online.

"Leio, ready transition and inform the rest of the crew and our escorts." 'Surum ordered.

Leio bowed, "Yes, Fleetmaster."

She vanished from the podium.

The two escorts were Halberd-class II destroyers. Both vessels classed after the original warship along with the striking arrowhead hull design, the IIs had superior improvements over the standard class. Most of these improvements were in the weapons and energy shielding for the vessel. But also extra room for their hangar, able to fit two Broadswords and two Pelicans, and could even now operate in atmosphere operations without worrying for the need of affixing costly and cumbersome specialised thrust modules to hard points on their exterior hull.

All three ships, one ageing and retrofitted Stalwart-class light frigate Gallipoli. Two brand new Halberd-class II destroyers the Call Me Maybe and the Arkhangelsk were all once part of a bigger, original sixteen vessel strength group now only a mere seven ship strong force. Of the remaining four ships included two USE CCS-class battlecruisers, a UNSC Paris-class Heavy Frigate, and one Spirit-class Assault Carrier.

To everyone who knew of it, the group was known as 'Bellerophon'. How FLEETCOM and USE Fleet Security saw it 'Joint Expeditionary Strike Group 7'.

Crewed of both human and sangheili along with the occasional unggoy and lekgolo intermixed, JESG-7 was the newest and latest to join the six other operational joint fast-response groups before war broke out.

While it was curious that such a small number of vessels made up JSEG-7, it wasn't always that way. It was the result made by the valiant efforts, brutal hardships, and the tragic loss faced that the many brave people that made up the majority of the joint task force faced on and before the world of Augusta in the ongoing war against the Covenant resurgence.

'Surum turned to observe the rest of the crew as they went through their duties and checklists, preparing the ship for the coming transition from slipspace into realspace and return to fighting the war.

Recreation room. Deck 10. Room C.

The recreation room was always empty after the outcome of the battle of Augusta. The notion of peaceful sleep and much-needed rest was on everyone's mind on the first day travelling through FTL towards destination unknown. But this afternoon on the third and supposed third day of slipspace travel, the place had garnered more than a handful of people.

Gathered around a widescreen were a mixed bunch of Marines and Elites of various ranks and a couple of technicians. Off in a booth on the far wall was two Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, informally referred to as Helljumpers due to their unique method of deploying into the war zone.

Those watching the widescreen were watching a recorded replay of a five-month-old game of the Ricochet XIV Championship Finals and discussing tactics, mistakes and plays. The ODSTs, as mentioned earlier, were casually discussing the subject of dates and girls while playing a game of 'Fleet Battles: Human/Covenant War'. A holographic board game.

The steel grey door to the rec room hissed open to reveal a lone stooped over sangheili. The armour told all who even remotely looked over. The Elite was Special Operations.

The Elite wore head to toe a heavily modified dark maroon Infiltration harness, minus the full-faced helmet which happened to be attached to the waist of its combat harness. The protective headgear was swept back and predatory looking, it came to a blunt point at the back, and it sported a curved sky blue visor.

The Elite gave a cursory glance around the room with his green eyes before his gaze settled upon the two ODSTs in the corner. Without making any sound, other than the noises of its armour plates sliding smoothly against each other, the warrior casually strode over and silently pulled up a sturdy chair to observe the small-scale space battle from the sidelines with piqued interest. Neither man gave any inclination of protest to the Elite's presence.

The supported formation of a CCS-class battlecruiser blew up violently on the board as well as Lance Corporal Nathan O'Donnell's screen in a gigantic fiery explosion as a salvo of MAC rounds gutted the shieldless battlecruiser. O'Donnell exasperated his displeasure of the loss of the vessel with a deep groan while deep chuckling of enjoyment emanated from the observing Elite's throat.

"You see my predicament here, right, Hark?" O'Donnell asked, slumping back in his seat.

O'Donnell was born on Earth, Australia, Jervis Bay. Even though he migrated to the colony of Rainbow Falls where the mainstay language was French his natural Aussie accent stayed with him.

O'Donnell slumped back in his seat and looked across to the other trooper sitting across from him and crossed his arms.

Hark rolled his holo-dice to challenge a rolling result from a previous turn.

"Yeah, I do. But come on Nate, do you think she'll go for it? I mean, think about it. Her name is Violet, after all. And people with names like that are reclusive, secret. And I've got feelings she's an ONI spook. Why not Cass? She's nice, outgoing, a real ground pounder, true leatherneck. She's also ODST, just like us."

Born on Earth, United Republic of North America, New York, Jason Hark was known to have a terrible habit of telling anti-jokes and a warped way of impersonating voices of people when he's in a tight fix for something. In particular, when it came to women. Like, for an extreme example, when it came to the Commander-in-Chief of the Office of Naval Intelligence, Admiral Serin Osman, or some of the cute ace female pilots aboard the Solemn Twilight. However, these exploits have landed him in hot water with his superiors more than once.

O'Donnell scratched his shaven chin, thinking about what his friend was implying. His dismissed it with a casual wave. Long ago, he had made up his mind. And today he was going to tell him about it.

O'Donnell picked out his next round of shots for the upcoming action phase. He rolled a boarding action dice for one of Hark's formations of ships.

"Yeah… but Vi has got that special air about her. Ever since she joined us on Aigio, things just sorta' clicked after that, if you get my drift. And she knows what we're getting into, too. You know, that stuff how the corps frowns on that kind of bullshit on inter-unit relationships. But me bringing this up to you is putting me off my game and starting to bore the heck out of him." O'Donnell pointed a finger to the Elite watching. "So, are you going to roll that or what? Or are we going to sit here all day talking about how I should pick up girls that aren't members of our squad?"

Hark gave a smug laugh, shaking his head slowly as he rolled his dice to see if O'Donnell was successful on the attempts. "I'm just saying. You don't know what you're missing out on."

The holo-dice stopped and revealed their results. The roll was a success on three of the die, but a failure on the four desired.

As Hark re-rolled for the failed rolls the room was plunged into deep red lighting; the holoscreen showing the replay match winked off - much to the dismay of everyone watching - with the rotating symbol of the Gallipoli's emblem while the ship-wide klaxon alarm for action stations.

Hark slumped back and groaned sourly, "Damn n' shit," looking at the dice results that told him that his CAS was boarded successfully and was going to blow up instead of looking up at cacophony of the shipwide alert of Battlestations.

A sudden authoritative shout outside the open door sent the Marines in the room scrambling out as fast as they could. The crew of the frigate and the Elites followed right after the Marines similarly but a more orderly.

Hark finally acknowledged the klaxon and moved to get up. "Well, we know the music. Time to dance."

"To be continued, then?" O'Donnell questioned Hark, saving the game's progress onto a data-chip and then depositing it into a chest pocket.

The sangheili officer that had been silently watching the game stood, slipping its helmet on before leaving at the same ambling pace as when he arrived initially.

"Yeah, sure," Hark agreed, looking behind over his shoulder.

The room was empty.

The two reached the door as technical crew, and officers briskly went about their assigned duties.

"Come on, we linger here any longer the Lt will make good on his promise of those who will be late. So let's get off this perfectly good flying brick, kick ass and take names from the 45th Battalion. The best son-of-a-bitches in the UNSC!"

"Oohrah," O'Donnell said jubilantly and took off after Hark.

Luna.

That was her name.

Princess Luna.

Alicorn, youngest sibling of Celestia, and co-regent with her of a landmass called Equestria. Home of the earth, unicorn, pegasi, and thestral ponies, as well as all other sentient creatures that shared the land.

Luna let the Tantabus do its worst as usual. And as usual, it did, transforming her into Nightmare Moon for her to suffer and punish her for what she had done all those years ago. But then about halfway through the transformation, everything went wrong.

The Tantabus shrieked in agonising animalistic fear, withdrawing its tendrils of purple fog from around Luna and disintegrated into wavy wispy pieces. Whatever was left behind was blown away.

Luna cried out in terror as she realised it was happening again.

"Oh, no. No. No, no, no, no! Not again! Calm. Calm. Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts. Hap-"

With a gut-wrenching lurch, the floor vanished beneath her hooves, and Luna fell. Tumbling into the pit of darkness as blinding flashes of pure white light, blurred outlines, and changing scenery raced past her, setting suns, purple oceans, and towering snow-capped mountains.

While all of this was happening, distorted and distant voices, some crying others screaming, for her attention in her head like a claw dragged down a blackboard.

'Do you think this is wise…I HAVE CREATED…if only thou…WHILE YOU IGNORED…it followed…were not it that…MY DEFEAT…was another way for thee to be safe…THROUGH ROCK…But would they…AND METAL… condemn thee not to know…and need to know…AND TIME! ALL WILL YIELD…nay, it best they…AS THOSE VASSALS BEFORE…lookout for each other and others…THE FATE THEY SHALL ABIDE!'

Multiple voices screamed out as one in constant suffering agony at the deepest of the harsher of the others that roared with venom.

Without warning, the flashes of locations plunged into pitch-black darkness as she smacked into something hard.

Opening weary eyes, Luna found herself standing atop a lush grassy hill. She immediately squeezed them shut.

Snaking away from where she stood was a narrow sand-coloured path that headed directly into a dense forest of tall pine trees.

Luna knew that path, where it went.

She had travelled this path through this forest many times, enough to know by memory as to what eventually lay at the end. Every time she refused to experience it. But as countless times before, her body refused to listen to reason and began to march her along the path.

Cryo Bay 3. Unit 7.

The frigid cold air tickled his burning lungs as he tried to open his eyes in the soft but bright white light. When he did, he thought he caught the blurred shape of something tall and human-looking standing in front of him.

"Take a deep breath and swallow," instructed the tall female blurred image.

He did as suggested. However, it had the immediate effect of making him gag and nearly collapsed to his knees to the gridded deck, all the while violently coughing up the long spittle of white surfactant from his burning throat.

"Oh, God… That stuff will always be disgusting."

"And always tastes the same, wouldn't you say, Mike?" declared the figure as she watched him groggily get up onto his feet and wearily rub his eyes from the cold.

'Mike' looked up at the eight-foot-tall woman. With a fiery red hair that was cut short in a buzz cut, eyes that were a brilliant blue, and a skin tone that was a ghostly white, was Mia Taylor. One of the closest friends he had in his entire life since being a Spartan.

"Yeah, it does." No matter how many times they change the flavour of the formula, to him, it still tasted like lime-flavoured mucus. "Yelch!"

Michael "Mike" Lorenski's life had been tough. Tougher for most since he had been born on Sol's moon, Luna, before moving and spending only half a year on the planet of Emerald Cove before settling down on the once habitable place of an outer colony with a name and family he could barely remember now. The more he tried to think of both, the more it felt like a dream than a familiar memory.

With jet black hair with odd silver streaks running through it and multiple scars all over his body from plasma burns and other harrowing close calls with countless enemies, Lorenski had one particular battle scar. One that stood out from all the rest.

The battle scar ran from his left temple behind his left ear before ending at the base of the back of his neck. The official report how this happened was he went for a tango with a very pissed off sangheili Zealot brandishing an energy sword in close quarters.

Lorenski coughed coarsely again to clear out the remainder of the surfactant substance from his throat and draw in the frigidly cold air through his nose.

"So, sleep well?" Taylor asked gently, arctic cold blue eyes looking to his lighter glacier green ones.

Taylor swore that his eye colour was one of the strangest things she had seen as a Spartan. She was always remarking them as they should've been blue from the augmentations whenever the height difference came into question when comparing the two Spartans from each other by some remarking officer whenever they saw them together.

Lorenski would've been happier if he was half a foot taller and matched height with hers and avoid the brought on attention ultimately.

Lorenski took in a long breath and stifled a yawn that came along with it. "I don't think I've needed to tell you enough that I don't dream that well in cryo. Just those weird visions of something foreboding that's about to occur in your life. Why? How much did yours change?"

"A lot. From a desolate open reddish-orange canyon to a lance of charging Scorpions tanks and LRV Warthogs into a sandstorm. You?" she questioned him, eyebrow raised.

Lorenski bent over to touch his toes as he continued to go through the motions of the essential stretching exercise for any extended period whenever suspended in cryo.

"Well, I got a metal grey geometric patterned floor; Forerunner. Plasma fire. A few dozen unmoving blurred shapes that kind of resemble small deer. Then open blue sky ringed by pine trees. That's it."

Taylor rapped her knuckles against the outside of the inactive cryo-chamber next to his. It was the one she had been frozen in a few hours ago. "Huh, that's vaguer than everything else you've gotten. You've figured out what any of it means?"

"Nope. Although, I wish I did," Lorenski said with a sad shake of his head. He started checking his titanium nanocomposite bodysuit.

The black bodysuit was what had the hardpoints that connected all the external armour to a body of a Spartan. It also added that extra protection from ballistic and plasma-based weaponry. Any problems that he missed might arise later, and it'll certainly greatly hinder the attachment of his armour components considering he hadn't stripped himself of it before he entered cryo, or since they left Augusta.

"Good to go?" Taylor looked to Lorenski. "Checks complete? Ready to leave the freezer box?"

"Yeah," Lorenski bounced up and down on the balls of his feet. "All set. And you, Mia?"

"Checked out just fine." she pointed at him. "You're the lucky SOB who got the luxury of an extra half-hour of cryo time."

"Oh, fantastic," said Lorenski sarcastically as the ship-wide PA system activated and the AI's electronic voice piping over it.

"Attention, all hands, we are at TAC CON Alpha Two. Slipspace exit is imminent. All crew in main cargo bays 1 through 3 and storage bays 4 through 18 are to check and inspect that heavy equipment is secured and stowed for exit transition."

"Where are we going first? The armoury or the bridge?" Lorenski questioned.

Taylor shrugged as the announcement repeated. "Doesn't matter either way. We are what we are, no matter which generation we were part of, it doesn't define us much except those who take the time and examine us more closely if ONI lets them. And taking into account on what always seems to lie at the other end of a jump, there is always–"

"All hands, prepare for exit transition in Seven - Six…"

"– trouble to be had." Lorenski finished. "Especially in my case."

Bridge of UNSC Stalwart-class frigate Gallipoli.

"... Four - Three - Two - Mark!"

The Gallipoli shuddered as a wash of electric blue like static travelled over the exterior of the hull, and the frigate exited the physics rule-breaking realm of subspace and back into realspace.

The billions upon billions of the masses of un-twinkling white pricks of stars sprung up on external cameras and bridge windows.

As the destroyer escorts slipped into view a few thousand dozen kilometres away on either side of the bridge viewports, the little blue dot of a planet in question they were here to head towards showed up, appearing enlarged and dead centre on the forward view screen.

"Navigation, immediate course: come to 7-7-2 by 0-6-0. Engines to seventy per-cent. Weapons officer, arm the MAC." 'Surum ordered quickly.

"Coming to course of 7-7-2 by 0-6-0, aye." responded the officer at navigation.

"Beginning charge of MAC."

"Fleetmaster 'Surum, do you expect an ambush so early after the jump?"

Off to the side, overlooking the navigation officer's console, the human stood dressed in a blue-grey battledress uniform, turned to face 'Surum while the Gallipoli's adjusted to its new heading.

'Surum appraised the human officer that asked as the two destroyers adjusted to their courses outside the bridge viewports.

At thirty-six years, sporting short-cropped black hair, a long face and with piercing brown eyes, Captain Xavier Werth was, at current, acting second-in-command of his ship.

"We may be of few, Captain," replied 'Surum, turning his head from Werth and flexing his jaws strongly with an air of wariness. "But the potency and first-strike capability of your species' ships are still well known to be a considerable threat. Of that, I remember when my people once killed yours all in the name of a lie."

"Depends really on who we hit first," said Werth as he strode up behind a crew member crewing the communications station who had caught his eye earlier. "You have something?"

"Yes, sir." the Petty Officer said, tapping her station's screen. "The Call Me Maybe had retrieved the intelligence package left behind by the ONI Prowler."

Werth looked over her shoulder to read the information on the screen, "Did Captain Schreiber adhere for the further requested 48 hours after the 72 hours observation after reporting back code of S-3-46F?"

"Yes, sir."

"Right. Transfer all data packets from it. Forward them to every officer datapads and bring the main findings up on screen two."

"Aye, sir. Sending out, pulling the main log up on screen two," she said as her fingers danced and dragged across her holo-screen.

When the information first came up, there were lines upon lines of jumbled letters and numbers. Well, it was until Werth put in a decryption key he had and the algorithm started unscrambling the information from the data packets.

As the first data logs became readable, most of the very first things displayed were the number of planets and celestial anomalies that had been observed and noted after the system had been passively and in some parts, at immense risk, actively hyperscanned.

"Single white-yellow star with nine core planets, of the nine, four are gas giant types. Our destination is the third planet from the sun. Planet has one orbital, low gravity no atmosphere. Of note, expansive asteroid belt between the third and fourth planets..." Leio started to list off. Meanwhile, the bridge crew and officers near them came alive with hushed whispers of harsh speculation.

"Kind of looks a bit like Sol really," remarked one crewmember as he observed the information for himself.

"Seriously?" hissed another. "The entire system looks like someone came along and went copy n' paste. And don't get me started on the Jovian look-alike that's blue and green…"

"... The atmosphere is the typical nitrogen-oxygen mix. So, it's breathable for us. Not so for Unggoy. Oh, well…"

"So?"

"So? Take a look at the spot in the lower half."

"Holy shit…"

Being born and raised on Earth, Werth looked for himself. Indeed there was a massive swirling storm spiralling in the lower hemisphere, but all this wasn't the most disconcerting, as what came next was the information regarding the predicted orbits, which revealed more of the glaringly apparent anomalies that plagued the world.

"It doesn't take a bloody genius to know why the Blades found this place so tantalising. I mean, what else could it be?" one of the crew continued. "It's a star. A massive active ball of fusion that is somehow revolving around the planet. Got to be at least some freaky powerful source at play there. Gotta be Forerunners."

"It always comes back to the Forerunners. What else is there? Magic? Precursors? Heh," another sniggered. He gave a sad shake of his head. "Heck of a navigation hazard too if I ever saw one. How did the over-zealous cloaking bastards find this place anyway? I thought the recovered information we got from the restored Domain showed everything the Forerunners built?"

One of the female Elites sitting at the station next to his leaned over. "The Domain does not tell of this. Sources of mine have heard it has something to do with an assault on the Human world in Aegis 7."

Werth stood straighter as he overheard the star system's name.

The guy who asked was aghast. "What? Aegis-VII?" he hissed. "They would've had to go through the grid to get there."

"Yes. And you humans had the same setup as your intelligence prison. And look how that turned out." The Elite said with a short dark laugh.

The crew member that asked looked at her, eyes narrowed. "Wait, how do you know about that place?"

"It's what is called a secret. And no, no amount of whatever you'll bribe me with is going to tell you how I know this. Now shut up and return to your duties."

Leio made a noise like she was clearing her throat, getting Werth's attention from the crew's conversations but not 'Surum's, who was still studying the system projected from the centre of the holotable.

"Apologies for the interruption, Captain, but the Arkhangelsk reports that they've detected multiple impulse drives on their long-range scanners. Readings of consistent power outputs match that of Type-31 Seraph fighters. Looks like a perimeter patrol picket for this sector of the system."

"Have they detected us?" Werth put a hand to his chin as he looked to Leio.

Leio shook her head and placed a hand on the hilt of her curve-blade - an ancient blade whose origins made way to the more modern design of the energy swords - attached to her hip. "Negative. Although by their current course and ours, they'll see how many there are of us here and bug out to warn the fleet."

"Range out?" asked 'Surum, still not looking up from his observation of the representation of the planet's surface.

"At their current velocity and ours... seven minutes separation. Give or take a minute before they will be alerted to our presence beforehand."

"Send out what Broadswords we have to intercept,"

Nodding to the Fleetmaster, Leio disappeared from the bridge holo-projector to give the Broadsword pilots and navigators their orders personally.

Looking from the projection of the planet, Thel 'Surum looked to Werth.

"This is as much detail the Prowler could manage?" 'Surum said, indicating to the displayed surface scans of the planet's surface. "I was led to believe by the ONI captain's boasts and my own experience that prowlers had the best and improved Hyperwave scanning equipment?"

"He isn't wrong, and the data didn't lie." Werth furrowed his brow as he ran his finger underneath the line of exact words he was reading. "But it seems, according to this data and the observational notes here done by the prowler's AI, and if I'm interpreting it correctly,"

"Apart from the anomaly of the sun and moon orbiting the planet in this unusual way, the inability to acquire clean, detailed scans of the overall terrain features of the planet is causing due to a variety of supposed natural occurring jamming influencing factors. Most of these key influencers include high and low concentrations of electromagnetic radiation, gamma, and various unknown type of neutrino radiation emissions as well as sporadic bizarre weather anomalies."

Apart from the electronic noises of terminals whirring and crew working in hushed whispers, the bridge was quite enough for a few minutes that it could've been practically possible to hear a mouse fart in the next system. At the end of the minutes, three simultaneous flashes of white blue pin-pricks briefly appeared in the blackness of space before snuffing out.

The COM came alive with chatter from a deep male-sounding broadsword pilot and that of air control, "Drake 1-2 to Gallipoli. All T-31s are space dust. Returning to escort formation delta 6-3."

"Gallipoli copies, Drake 1-2. Seraph sortie destroyed. Return to escort formation delta 6-3."

"Can these interferences be used beneficially?" 'Surum pointed towards the close-up representation of the planet in holographic form.

Werth was taken entirely off guard by 'Surum's sudden question. It had been so abrupt that in fact, he didn't quite know just what the Fleetmaster had asked of him.

"I'm sorry, sir? I don't understand what you're asking?"

'Surum enlarged the planet, so he was focused on the second one of the more significant continents of the world.

"If we were able to jump our forces near the surface, perhaps over by one or two of these marked high concentration areas, could our foes still be able to detect us?"

"Uh…" Werth paused as he looked at the data displayed on his datapad and scoured through it until he found the information he needed.

"Only by direct line of sight, sir, they would be. According to the data, they will have a more than a difficult time using scanners to successfully get a lock on our position due to this interference clutter. But this is a double-edged sword, sir. It'll apply to us too."

'Surum put his hands into the hologram and spread his arms. The representation of the planet enlarged and zoomed so now that the landmass he was previously looking at now took up the entirety of the holotable in all its hazy glory.

"The time until sundown for this landmass?"

Leio appeared on the holo-pedestal. "According to the data, it'll be in just less than three hours from now. For a planet of this size and if it's sun's, uh, peculiar orbit didn't exist, this world would have had a day cycle close to that of fourteen hours. However, this isn't the case as observed; it has an almost exact twenty-four-hour day/night cycle. Twelve hours from the sunrise of 6 a.m. to sunset at 6 p.m. and vice-versa for the night cycle."

"What was the last known position and composition of the Covenant fleet in the system?"

Leio switched the holotable so that it was showing the entire system. "The last count from the prowler was that of thirty vessels. Last observed holding steady between the world of interest and the fourth one."

A swarm of about thirty red and yellow triangles of various sizes appeared between the worlds mentioned.

'Surum took in all of it. Larger triangles represented capital ships while smaller triangles yellow represented cruiser class and a mix-match of corvettes, frigates, and supply vessels.

"That said, analysis of my passive scans have returned and show a significant reduction in the fleet's size. I'm picking up signatures belonging to no less than seven covenant vessels — one capital ship, two cruisers with the rest being frigates, and corvettes."

The number of triangles vanished from the hologram showing the reduction of ships.

"Even with the energy signature anomalies that are ever prevalent on the planet of interest, data from the prowler has picked up on energy signatures relating to cloaking spires and teleportation towers, including Dark Zone generators, scattered across on all main continents. They are however less periodic over the continent of the one you've taken in interest." Leio changed the holotable back to the planet's surface.

Werth was at a miss as he looked to the Fleetmaster. "Sir, what is it that you're planning?"

"Doing. Not planning," 'Surum declared.

Werth looked out the bridge viewports then back to the Fleetmaster. "Okay, then. What are we doing, sir?"

"An atmospheric slip-jump,"

'Surum's long finger was pointed to a specific point of the landmass of the world. The continent he had inquired to Leio about earlier.

Werth looked at where the Fleetmaster's finger was and saw a long, wide running gorge bordering a couple of densely wooded areas. Said location was nestled neatly between two of the most substantial concentrations of interfering energy emissions.

Werth wrinkled his brow, and then slowly nodded in understanding. "That could work. If the Covies aren't right there when we appear."

'Surum motioned his finger to the holographic interpretation of the brewing storm. "This storm will give us the cover needed from any prying eyes which surely be watching the skies. Whether they are there as you said or not."

Leio bent over slightly as she observed the somewhat distorted holographic representation of the terrain, brought up the calculations for the coordinates to jump, and simulated how the storm would run its course all at once.

"Agitating an already illustrious reading thunderstorm with casual reconciliation coupled with static discharge after exiting slipspace in the atmosphere?" she vanished from the holotable only to reappear near the navigation officer. "Well, sure, why not?"

'Surum turned to her. "Leio, are you able?"

Leio nodded and spread her jaws in what sangheili interpreted as a smile. "It's done. Just say the word."

Forward Main Armoury. Deck 14, one deck above Primary Hangar 02.

Spartan Lorenski stepped out of the armour assembly machine, turning his hands and flexing his armoured digits before testing the rest of his joints. It felt like he never left the power armour as it always felt like a second skin to him.

The Master Gunnery Sergeant admired the dark steel blue and midnight purple Spartan clad in FOTUS-class MJOLNIR [GEN3] Powered Assault Armour. A rare type of armour fitted with emissions cloaking, heavy-duty waste recycling, and redundant rebreathers for extended combat excursions in any environment.

Of course, the Gunny was more interested in the FOTUS helmet's torque-node or 'the horn' extension. It featured forerunner technology. The horn replicates when in use, that of forerunner 'baffler' sensor-disruption systems.

"So, how'd it feel?" the Gunnery Sergeant remarked as he monitored to Lorenski as he strode around the bay.

"Like I never left, sir," Lorenski stated firmly.

"Good to hear, well, after what happened last time." The Gunny chuckled lightly before indicating towards a datapad he held in his hand. "I'll need to run your armour through the usual diagnostic checks before I can let you off the hook, alright?"

Lorenski nodded. He knew the drill. Arms out, legs spread.

The Gunny stood in front of the Spartan and began tapping a few inputs into the pad and checking them. After a few minutes, there was a single solitary chime followed by an angry buzzing beep. The Gunny lowered the pad with a grumble.

"Okay, I've got good news, and I've got bad news. Good news: your environment systems and all that checks out," the Gunny tapped something on his datapad.

"Bad news: your Heads Up Display, targeting systems, team COMs, and energy shielding of your suit are coming up with faults. But it's nothing to raise your eyebrows at; there are just some minor discrepancies. Straightforward fixes that could've been done out in the field with a reboot or two, but we're going to rectify that now. And save a little face, yeah?"

Lorenski looked to the Gunny. "What would you have me to do, sir?"

"Stay as you are, Spartan. We're going to start with your targeting systems first thing. After that, EJ will deal with your COMs systems and shielding. That is after he's finished with Spartan Taylor." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the Huragok while still looking down at his datapad.

The Huragok, named Easily Adjusted or called EJ for simplistic reasons, was one of the thirty Huragoks of JSEG-7 and one of three on-board the Gallipoli. Usually, the little floating guy had a translator affixed on the armoured plates that ran along the underside of his long head, but after it had been shot off in a firefight while he was busily fixing a Pelican Gunship engine on Augusta, Easily Adjusted had yet to make up a replacement.

At the moment, EJ was running one of his tentacles over Taylor's helmet visor that was part of her PATHFINDER-class MJOLNIR [GEN3] Powered Assault Armour. The armour was already popular with Spartan reconnaissance teams and is suited ideally for deployment operations deep in unknown territory.

The glinting of reflected light off from a thin electric blue visor caught Lorenski's attention, and he shifted his view ever so slightly to look past the Huragok. Standing back there, on digitigrade legs, notable height difference to an average Human, and evolved with four mandible mouth that gave their identification away, were two Elites of the special operations unit — the Crimson Shade.

Both Elites were clad head to toe in grey skinsuits and a heavily modified Infiltration harnesses that were a dark maroon red. One of them was gilded with grey-silver ancient Sangheili symbols and also bore scratches and abrasions of many battles. Attached to each of their hips was a silver hilt, and when ignited, would become a long energy blade split into two tines that glowed like bright crimson red.

Lorenski personally knew the USE officer in the gilded armour that stood nearest to Taylor. He had worked with the Elite in multiple missions and long-term operations. In turn, both looked out for each other's backs and owed their lives to each other on more than one occasion. One of the best Elites Lorenski ever had the pleasure of being teamed up with, as did the Elite officer.

That officer was Special Operations Officer Xytas 'Dorvo, a skilful warrior at both medium and long-range weapons he was also a master with a blade. A veteran of the Human-Covenant War, one that in retrospect gives him some shame, 'Dorvo has made great strides to improve interactions with humans and succeeded in fields where most rarely haven't — becoming friends with a Spartan, both on and off the battlefield.

The other Elite standing near to 'Dorvo was a female sangheili. The more slender-looking armour gave it away as did the not-so-many battle marks as 'Dorvo's did.

Lorenski knew little about her and only knew what Taylor told him when the Elite arrived in tow with 'Dorvo a minute or so after they arrived. Lorenski hoped that what Taylor told him about Feyo 'Nrahom held up true.

'Nrahom hailed from the elusive city-state of Muram. Despite being one of the city-states that had been one of the first that rallied behind the state of Vadam and the Arbiter, leader of the Sangheili people and Swords of Sanghelios, during the initial first-year throes of the Blooding Years. How she had become part of the Crimson Shade, a role within the Sangheili Fleet Security Special Operations section was a mystery.

Female sangheili were a rare sight anywhere else apart from the planet city-states were they took care of the more complicated things in life: family and business. Raising their brood and running the keeps and cities efficiently as possible, as since it was traditionally the male's job who were sent off to war. But much has changed to those old traditions over the past two or three decades after the Created Conflict, but there were still many exceptions to those changes.

"Alright Spartan, could you look up for me here please?"

Lorenski shifted his gaze away from the two Elites as they quietly conversed in their native language, and up at the Gunny's datapad that the man held high above his head. Lorenski followed the pad around to the different places where the Gunny moved it.

As this was happening, the Huragok had finished whatever work he was doing and offered Taylor her helmet back.

"Thanks, EJ," Taylor nodded in appreciation and slipped her helmet on.

The Huragok tilted its seven eyed eel-like head and sounded off a soft, cheerful trill in return. And with that, EJ lazily spun around and drifted towards where Lorenski stood spreadeagled and his head still following the datapad.

Gunny lowered the pad and tapped a few symbols. "Alright, Spartan. Your tracking is green and good to go. EJ, it's your turn."

Taylor watched as EJ chirped and floated around behind Lorenski where the Huragok then latched onto the Spartan's back. She didn't see what the Huragok did next as the COM terminal across from her caught her attention as it was flashing with a message marked urgent.

Striding over for it, the Gunny reached the terminal and tapped the flashing icon on the screen. The blocky letters of urgent disappeared from the screen and replaced by the weathered face of captain Xavier Werth.

"Gunnery Sergeant Fox here," the gunny said, saluting. "What's up, Captn'?"

"Is Roan out of cryo?" Captain Werth said impassively.

"Yes, sir. Just finishing up with armour checks and then they'll be rarin' to go to get kitted out. So have many of the USE," he said, pronouncing the acronym as use-ee, "The Elites that have come through beforehand. Speaking of which, I've already got two of the sort here. Both Crimson Shade."

"Names?"

"Special Operator Feyo 'Nrahom and Officer Xytas 'Dorvo, sir."

As the Captain and the Gunny conversed to each other about something that was a very one-sided with the XO sounding like he was on the winning side, Taylor walked over to where Lorenski was still standing, EJ firmly engrossed in what it was doing attached to his back.

"So, Mike, what does it feel like?"

Lorenski cocked an eyebrow in question. "What does what feel like what?"

"To have an Engineer latched to your back?" Taylor pointed to EJ with a flick of an armoured finger.

"Annoyingly unbalancing," Lorenski muttered, rolling his shoulders.

His abrupt movement earned him a chirped huff of annoyance from EJ still back there.

The Gunny practically yelled at the terminal.

"WHAT?"

The image of Captain Werth was unfazed. "Your reaction is noted Fox. Once we jump there, Pelican 404 will be standing by in hangar bay 2 for them. And don't forget that a unit from the 74-MWD will be joining as well."

The call terminated before the gunny could voice anything else.

The Gunny exhaled through clenched teeth and sighed in deliberation as he scratched the back of his short shaven head. He continued to look at the black screen with a slowly rotating Gallipoli's emblem with the ship's motto ringed around it.

He turned around sharply; his face livid. "EJ! You finished yet!"

At that exact moment, there was a chirping warble of success from the Huragok, quickly followed by an audible pop, then a buzzing noise of 'vvmmmm' as Lorenski's shields came online. A wave of energy popped out, and his armour skin shimmered briefly with a golden glimmer.

EJ affixed Lorenski's armour reactor housing back on and released its hold on the Spartan's back before lazily floating off to do something else.

"What's the play, sir?" asked Lorenski, dropping his arms back to his sides.

"Slip-jump into the atmosphere, and the commander needs you both getting kitted up, now. Heavy loadout." Gunny looked past both Spartans and pointed with a forefinger. "That includes you two as well."

Both Elites briefly glanced to each other before acknowledging the gunny with a simple nod of compliance.

"Slip-jump into Atmo." Taylor wasn't exactly surprised with the information, but she still showed it. "Not unheard of, but a pretty risky move. Did the Captain say where?"

Lorenski looked over. "Please tell me we're not exiting over a mountain."

"We're not, this time. Instead, we're exiting over a gorge and headlong into an encroaching storm. Not too close to the disturbances and yet not too far. You'll understand that in the briefing packets you'll get from Leio." the Gunny rattled off, now calmed down and rather bored like as he inputted in a code into a keypad on the wall.

"And joining us will be a team from the 74th K-9 Military Working Dog Unit. That should be interesting," Taylor noted as she read the information packet she'd got.

A series of clunks and whirs sounded everywhere throughout the armoury as every weapon locker unlocked and opened wide, exposing every weapon known of the UNSC to the USE arsenal. There were even a couple of racks solely containing Forerunner weapons and gear.

Immediately, both Spartans and sangheili strode over to the weapon lockers and began pulling equipment of all sorts.

"What are those?" questioned 'Nrahom as she stopped reassembling a Type-51 Carbine she had stripped down and indicated up with a finger to a specific ceiling rack near her head in curiosity. "I've never seen anything like them before. Are they Forerunner?"

"I wish," Gunny shook his head in dismay, turning and handing a circular magazine of plasma scatter rounds to 'Dorvo and then the Type-58 Plasma Caster itself before returning his attention to 'Nrahom.

He jabbed a finger at one of the long silver rifles and bemoaned. "Those things are XM-909 and XM-177s. They're ours, and a pain in my but. Supposed to be the cream of the crop after years of cooperation in R&D between both our species for use by sangheili and Spartans." the Gunny reached up and took down one of the shorter silver rifles, an XM-909, for her to examine.

'Nrahom looked at the silver rifle once over, getting a feel and weight before bringing it up to her shoulder so she could peer down its Forerunner-inspired scope.

"Supposed to be self-sufficient, ammo wise." the gunny explained. "Its ammunition is hard-light and uses the power of your armoured suit's reactor. Sure, it might make your users' shielding a bit weak after firing on full auto for a while, but there's no argument for checking to see if one has enough ammo for the mission needed or long waiting times for a gun to cool down from overheating. But as you can tell by my frustration vent, they are no more than pieces of expensive metal that don't do much except eat into my time," he scratched the back of his head. "Well, they will until I find a solution to solve the hairy touchy firing mechanisms in these blasted things. I once lowered it after a test firing, and it discharged full auto into the floor. My finger was nowhere near the trigger."

"Why not let the Huragok solve the problem?" indicated 'Nrahom, nodding her long head toward EJ who was tinkering with the inner workings of, and recently disassembled into a thousand pieces, assault cannon. Uninhabited by Mgalekgolo worms of course.

"I told him not to interfere… and that the Top Brass of both our species would rather want us to fix 'em instead of relying on an Huragok to do it. Because if one breaks in the field, well, there are seven hundred pieces to them, and you get a general idea."

As 'Nrahom handed back the XM-909, she heard the sound of someone grunting.

Turning her head, she saw Spartan Lorenski heft an M6 Spartan Laser and affixed it to his back mag-plate before reaching out and grabbing a BR85 battle rifle and pocketed three attachments that went with it. He checked over two M6H2 magnums before holstering them both on his hip-plates.

Taylor did the same thing for all three of her choice of weapons. The only difference was she swapped out the flashlight on the bottom rail of her rifle with an M301 grenade launcher.

Leio came in over the PA system, "Attention, all hands. Intra-slip jump commencing in 4… 3... 2..."

There was a sudden surge of forward inertia before just as quickly as it came, it subsided.

"Alright people! Gather round and listen up." Taylor strode over to an inactive holo-table of the armoury. Everyone else arranged themselves around it. "As in the mission briefing packets you received, I'm only going to go over this once. Even though some of us have worked together numerous times on other missions before, remember, I've gone over your files, even the parts ONI or USE Fleet Security didn't want me to. Impressive. But we're a team here. That lone-wolf mentality stays behind. Clear?"

Everyone nodded in understanding. 'Nrahom made sure Spartan Taylor saw it.

"Good. Welcome to fireteam Roan."

Taylor touched a symbol on the holo-table. A mass of blue polygons shifted and blended into topographical details of mountains, plains, valleys, and other land features. On one such mountain range and near it on one side showed two red markers.

"Despite no clear surface details, there was still enough to give us a rough idea of what we're going to expect." She pointed to both red icons. "These here are what we're going after. This one is a high-end energy spike correlating to a dark zone pylon somewhere on this mountain range. Leio has worked out that the structure should be located here, near the strongest of all the interferences. The second energy readings we have is located here, on the other side of the range. The readings indicate, as sketchy as they are, is to be a large Covenant structure. A teleportation spire. One that the Covenant are using to ferry supplies and equipment to the planet's surface for this region."

Taylor double-tapped a section on the table. Further mission objectives and informational data became overlayed on the map, pointing out critical areas of interest.

"At eighteen hundred hours, we will be deployed to our objectives by Pelican gunship Uniform 404 with an unflattering callsign of Ugly. In addition to that, there'll be three F-99 drones joining us for an escort for the first two waypoint markers before splitting off on their sorties doing terrain scanning the prowler couldn't manage with their observation. Our first mission objective is to identify the dark zone pylon type, then prep it for demolition so we can have clean COMs for the region. Once the structure is gone and wiped from the face of the planet, we have a little hiking trip planned. We are to scout out the teleportation spire and record recon data. Mike," Taylor said, turning to Lorenski, "have you got a charge to take our little dark zone problem?"

Lorenski nodded. "Yep. Right here," half turning revealing a large block attached securely above his left hip and the sidearm there.

Black, green and roughly square-shaped, the block was an M169 Det-charge with a specialised tight ion-laser det-link.

"It's remote or timer-based ― whichever is preferred," Lorenski said. "Also have a block of C-12 and three canisters of C-7 in case we run into some unseen complications."

"Right. Be careful how you handle that C12. I don't want a repeat of what happened back in '52." Taylor said, eyeing the four by a 4-inch black cube that Lorenski carefully put back in its protective satchel then into the armoured backpack and slung it over his shoulder.

"It won't," Lorenski promised.

"Let's get this mission going."

As the two Elites and Lorenski began to leave for their ride, there was a loud barking noise that could've only come from a dog, causing everyone to turn their heads in the direction of the door to the armoury.

Walking at a brisk pace into the armoury bay was a human woman with blond hair and a pale complexion and leading a black and tan Australian Kelpie on a long leash, into the armoury bay.

"K-9 Chief Petty Officer Nipper and his handler Petty Officer First Class Kirsten Viago reporting for assignment, Spartan." the Marine proudly announced, saluting.

The dog came to a heel and sat next to the Marine, looking up to the woman above him and patiently indicating he was ready to get to work too.

"Welcome to the team you two," Taylor warmly greeted but with a stern undertone. "Glad to have both your skill sets. I'll brief you on what is going to happen while you gear up. We'll be departing for the hangar before we exit this short jump."

"Yes, ma'am," said Viago, bending down to scratch behind the back of both of Nippers' ears. "This will be interesting. Won't it, mate?"

Nipper's tail began to wag.

Canterlot Royal Palace. Princess Celestia's royal bedchambers. Tuesday. 5:50 pm according to her last observation of the grand antique clock.

Celestia paced slowly about her chambers, horn encased in a golden glow, and a lengthy written scroll she had yet to sign off before her eyes.

Celestia had read through it many times already and aloud to herself and was on the last time making sure she wasn't overextending her condolences to her faithful student and arisen to Alicornhood: Twilight Sparkle. The unicorn was close family and now forever, even what has been recently occurring around Equestria as of late, Celestia took steps to be sure she was taking things slow with her.

Taking the quill off a nearby table, she dabbed the tip into the hovering inkwell before putting it to the bottom of the parchment of the scroll.

… I hope this list assists you for what you've been after. Be strong, Twilight. Just like your brother had always been and strived to uphold. Love and condolences.

- Princess Celestia.

It had never been easy writing what of that of what she wrote on the scroll as she used a spell to check the words for any spelling mistakes before rolling it up, sealing it, and sending the message scroll off with a greenish flaming hue.

On the terrible day when it came in about the tragic and heartbreaking loss at sea that occurred four nights ago today, hit everypony and that of the Crystal Empire and its neighbours very hard with grief.

To grieve the passing of a friend was one thing; it was on a whole different level when it was one of a family member. That much Celestia knew very, very personally.

Her adoptive niece Princess Cadence and Twilight Sparkle's brother, Shining Armor, along with everyone aboard the cruise liner New Harmony, was gone, lost to the vast Celestial Sea. Never to see their warm smiles or speak their inspiring thoughts.

Celestia had taken off two whole days to recuperate from the terrible news, not that it did much to alleviate her sorrows. Her absence didn't go unnoticed by the dignitaries of the noble ponies either.

Four days since the disappearance.

Was it not that long ago? It still felt like it was just hours ago she got the ill-fated telegram.

Celestia sighed. Even though she had to eventually accept and put on record the tragedy on paper in the end, deep down in her heart and very soul, she hadn't given up on them. Celestia felt that somewhere, and somehow, they were still out there. Doing everything they could in their power to return to those who adored and loved them.

With a tear in her eye, Celestia, her heart laden with grief and sorrow, walked out onto the balcony to raise the moon.

Although it didn't fall to her duty to raise it anymore as that had been returned to her sister when she was redeemed, Luna needed all the rest she could get. Like herself, her sister has also been plagued by terrible dreaming visions that involved unsettling scenery, unplaceable locations, blurred figures and in every single dream ended in a pine forest and a cold clingy feeling of sensation of dread and loss that clung to their thoughts long after they had awoken.

Gazing longingly off to the west, Celestia could see out in the distance the massive thunderstorm had been gathered and was beginning to roll in.

As if we ever did need it tonight, Celestia thought to herself.

The moon began to peek up from above the horizon before being engulfed by the rolling storm clouds.

As it disappeared, Celestia's thoughts drifted back to a series of matters raised during the day part of the royal court. Ever since ENMS New Harmony up and vanished from the face of the earth, a significant number of terrible tidings seemed to have smothered themselves all across the nation of Equestria and its neighbouring provinces and countries.

From matters involving the city of Manehatten to Baltimare about strange colours of blue, green and pink on the horizon of the Celestial Sea in the evening and well into the night, to random and everyday magic suddenly going haywire, the most disconcerting was the number of pony disappearances over the last two months or so.

Seeing the numbers just as a list with numbers next to them was one thing, seeing them represented as coloured pins spread out all over a map of Equestria was most disturbing.

Speaking of which there were two reports, in particular, that had the majority of disappearances to date. About a third of both town populations of Appleloosa to the south of Macintosh Hills and Dodge Junction that sat on the frontier of the forest of Hayseed Swamps had vanished without a trace overnight.

In response to the vanishings, Celestia had sent a contingent of E.U.P to both towns to uncover where they went. Celestia didn't like the idea of sending such a force, let alone that of a military response but the stakes demanded it. As that happened, the royal court proposed an increase of the budget for the Equestrian military and massive reform to update and upgrade the E.U.P, Royal Guard, the Magic Corps, and the Night Guard in line with the rest of the world militaries. Especially how quickly the Gryphonian Empire has advanced its army technology to worrying proportions.

There had even been a proposal to make the Wonderbolts become an active military unit again and not the advanced acrobatics team they are today.

There was a ruffling of wings, and Celestia felt something land on her back that gave out a long squawk of appreciation. She turned her head to see her pet bird, a phoenix, and long companion with a happy grin set on her beak.

"Yes, it has been indeed a long day, Philomena. Thank you."

Sensing that her master was feeling sad, the phoenix shuffled up towards Celestia's head and nuzzled her beak affectionately against the princess's ear. Celestia's mood of woe and despair lifted slightly, replaced by the warm sensation of comfort in her heart and a small smile upon her lips.

The warming moment was interrupted by a loud and long roll of thunder accompanied by an intense moment of lightning strikes from the front of the rolling thunderstorm.

It was going to be a long and rough night.

UNSC Gallipoli. Port Hangar-1.

Everyone but Spartan Mia Taylor sat down in one of the crash seats of the Pelican as they boarded; she instead stood by the open ramp door. "Permission to speak freely, sir?"

Standing at the rear of the Pelican stood Captain Werth. For reasons unbeknownst to anyone but him, had come down to the hangar to see the team off.

"Granted, Spartan, what is it?"

"If by the slimmest chance these interferences we detected on the surface scans of the planet is caused by an undiscovered civilisation. What would be our orders for proceeding to such an encounter?"

Werth's face-hardened as he looked at her unbelievingly like she had suddenly become highly radioactive. "I don't know how or where that question of a thought you just asked came from, but for your answer, there are still FCS protocols in place for just such an event. You know which if it comes to that. If you don't, it should be in first contact scenarios under the list of 'engagements'."

Werth scratched some stubble on his chin that he'd seemed to have missed. "Why, Spartan? Have you seen something in the data that correlates to your question that neither of us has noticed?"

Taylor shook her head, "No, sir. Just a feeling. My gut feeling."

Just by the tense pause that followed, Taylor could feel that the captain was mulling this over.

"Well, let's hope you are right about it and they don't shoot back on first sight. Hope, Spartan, the contacts are of the friendly kind and don't get spooked easily. Every time humanity ends up with a First Contact, and something gets spooked; things often get bloody," Werth stated and turned to leave.

"Sir,"

Werth looked over his shoulder as the Pelican's ramp began to rise.

"If there is one, do you think they know about the Covenant resurgence presence? What if they've allied with the Covies? What then?"

Werth turned back. "A gorge to be spanned if there is a chance, Spartan. A bridge to cross if we ever get-" the pelican's door ramp sealed tightly, cutting off the rest.

The Gallipoli gracefully emerged from the entanglement that was slipspace and was immediately confronted by the looming front of the thunderstorm.

The dropship's engines ramped up to full power, and the aircraft thundered out of the hangar bay, flying straight into the dwindling twilight with three escort F-99 UCAVs in tow to the backdrop of the thunderstorm as it swallowed the frigate and its destroyer escorts.

Instead of the dream ending and waking up in a sweat every time Luna shimmied through a gap between her sister's large frame and another pony, the settings abruptly shifted, and Luna felt very small.

All around her was a grey interior room of sorts. A stark contrast to the green and brown pine forest she was just in. Everything was shrouded in darkness. The only light source was two rows of dim red lighting on the ceiling.

Squinting through the hazy, dim red-lit darkness, Luna noticed two huge blurry figures.

Luna thought to move closer, to examine and explore what this new environment had to offer when she suddenly had the urge to speak. Instead of words, she let out an utterance of deep horse-like coughs. Coughs that sounded like she was a dog.

What? No. I can't be.

Snapping her head down to look at as to what she was standing on, Luna saw that her coat and hooves had changed into paws and glossy black fur.

She was a dog!

Luna's mind raced a mile a second.

Although this wasn't the first time she had an out of body experience and possessed other creatures bodies, which has happened randomly and every time scared her half to death, this was the first time she had become a dog.

Luna had no idea this time as to where she was or what creatures, well the dog she had possessed, was sitting near. Worse, Luna couldn't tell what kind of a dog she had become or even if she was still female. That sent a shiver up her spine.

"-ey? Wh-s -oked h-?" a sudden near illiterate voice punctuated the continuous roaring noise from somewhere.

"N- -dea." said another. "Pr-b- bi- e-cit-d. A-n't -hat rig-?"

Luna turned her head in the direction of the second voice.

She should've been expecting it but didn't expect whatever creatures this dog she had possessed was sitting with would be that close. There was a sudden movement from this figure, and Luna saw what looked like a long stick moving down towards her.

Inclining her head sharply back to move it out of the way, Luna felt something land atop her head and begin to stroke her head, then move on to scratch behind an ear affectionately.

Something deep within her chest stirred and Luna couldn't help herself for what happened next.

She felt her mouth drop open, and her tongue rolled out. The cruel irritating, yet satisfying tingling sensation of the scratching moved from her ears to her back as the blurred figure moved its claw up and down her spine.

The urge of howling stayed put thankfully, the panting and the thudding of the tail on the other hoof, however, didn't simmer down.

Nightfall. Edge of a vast dark forest. World's surface.

The sound of the thunderstorm all around, the growling of Warthogs driven by combat engineers with trailers full of equipment and even a Special Purpose-42 MBT otherwise known as a "Cobra" following behind its headlights blazing.

With heavy stomping as they moved forward to their destination, two HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark IX Mantis mechs trudged off the massive vehicle lift of the hovering Stalwart-class frigate as two Orbital Drop Shock Troopers walked casually across a field of mud and torn up grass that had become a marshalling area for M12 Warthogs.

"… sucks, you know. You do know that, right?" said one of the two Helljumpers. "It's been like that for three months straight! Doesn't the stupid thing ever change?"

The man stopped and watched as a squad of drenched Marines trudged past before lifting the flap that belonged to one of the many jungle camo tents that had been hastily set up.

"To be honest, Pokey," said the other, nodding in thanks and walked into the somewhat dry and warm interior of the tent. The two troopers took off their helmets and placed them on a plastic fold-out table alongside five others there already.

The man proceeded to grab a green packet from his combat webbing. "Once the Arbiter is shot in the face by a Flood infected Jul 'Mdama and the return of the crazed evil fragmented version of the Created as well as the ultimate heat death of the universe, Jinjy will get off his lazy fat-ass and change the quote of the day on the Gallipoli's news board." He opened the top and removed one of the many tightly rolled white sticks within with his teeth.

Jason Hark offered the opened cigarette packet to his brown-haired and hardened ruddy complexion friend.

Carter "Pokey" Reilly's eyes lit up, and he took one out with a thanking nod. Without another word, Hark took the packet around to the others in the tent gathered about the place.

Hark stopped by four troopers chatting to each other. He tapped on the shoulder of the closest female trooper with slick black hair and a single purple stripe running through it.

Staff Sergeant Violet Reynolds turned around to see the broad smiling face of Hark first then the packet of cigarettes.

"Not today, Hark," said Reynolds, refusing politely with a hand up.

Hark turned to Nathan O'Donnell next and got the same result. When he offered the packet to the second lady in the group, Gunnery Sergeant Luna Tanner took one with a nod and stuck it behind her right ear.

Hark put the cigarette packet back into the chest pocket, positioned the stick between his lips and lit it. "But I digress for everything I just said, as it'll probably only happen and I mean it, doesn't matter how it will only be when we come face to face with intelligent horses in relative harmony with others." he puffed out a plume of white smoke and waved his hand through it majestically. "Their multi-hued colour chart coats shining in the light of the sun and moon, all the while sprouting of their angelic avian genes along with whimsical magic of bullshit across the galaxy."

Everyone stared at Hark for a brief second before those in the tent erupted in hoots of laughter.

O'Donnell wiped a tear from his eye and jerked a thumb over at Reilly. "Wow, dude. And here I thought Pokey came up with the most ridiculous screwed up predictions."

"Hey!" Reilly cried out, feeling insulted by the remark and jabbed a finger at the centre of O'Donnell's chest. "It wasn't my fault that 'dear squad us' came across data records regarding a long-dead race of Ursus sapiens after we jumped for planetside, and before we did I said 'we'd better not come across sentient bears' as Jingy walked past looking like a grizzly bear if he doesn't shave for more than a day."

Coming over with another trooper and blowing out a puff of smoke from lighting his cigarette with his UNSC Marine Corps flick lighter, Private First Class Timothy Vargo chuckled humorously from the thought. "Those wise, wise bears..."

Reilly's face heated and turned from O'Donnell to shoot a murderous glare over at Reynolds, who, try as she might, kept failing to keep a straight face as she looked over at him from recalling the event.

"Yeah, well, I try," Hark replied modestly, slapping a hand on Reilly's back. "So with that in mind, I'm going to get a nicotine hit, keeping all my wits about me. And when the sun rises over the horizon, I'm gonna drink a swing from this here flask before heading for the head."

Everybody raised and pumped a fist into the air. "Here, here!"

Reilly's expression cooled and miserably examined his unlit cigarette. "So, what it is, is that, as for all of eternity, the quote on the notice board will always remain to be," he cleared his throat noisily and looked to Hark, cigarette extended towards him. "'Hell hath no fury like a sangheili's mate scorned?'"

Hark struck a 'strike-anywhere' match on Tanner's left shoulder armour plate and brought the licking yellow flame to the end of Reilly's cigarette. Hark dropped the lit match into a puddle of muddy water on the ground in the tent. "Yep, pretty much the gist of it. Only this time it won't be a gravity-hammer that's thrown through the barracks quarters front window as a result."

Everyone gave a light, hearty chuckle.

As they stood there in the tent, talking about other things as the ever pitter-pattering of rain on the tent's canvas roof, the dull, distant rumbling whines of UCAV F-99 Wombat engines added a new layer of sound to the backdrop of the thunderstorm.

There was a sudden noise of splashing boots and the tent flap lifted, everyone turned to see their boss, First Lieutenant Ricky Rainier, enter through the tent flap with two other troopers. Helmets on; visors polarised.

"Alright ladies, one last drag and put 'em out. Time to hoof it out of here and get it done," said Rainier sternly. He turned and pointed a long finger out the tent flap. "There's a large building like structure somewhere out in that direction that the Call Me Maybe spotted visually before the cloud cover obstructed her view. Our orders come straight from the top. The Fleetmaster wants us to paste the hell out of any Covenant we find in the area and take it for use. It'll be better than trying to set up shop out here."

"That's why we have Mantis support, boss?" grumbled Reynolds as she hopped from foot to foot. "Geez, we have enough as is and I feel a bit exposed with them coming up on our heels and rompin' around in the dark."

"Aw, come on, Violet." Tanner teased her half-heartedly. "You want the Spartans to turn tail and act as our tip of the spear instead?"

Reynolds hefted her 99-Series 5 Anti-Materiel sniper rifle off the table and into a comfortable position in her arms. "And miss the fun of taking the hats off covies?" she said, ratcheting back the charging handle. "Try and stop me."

Tanner punched Reynolds down playfully on the shoulder.

Rainier looked over to Hark, Reilly and Vargo. "Out of it, kids. I have a feeling this is gonna be another all-nighter."

The three shock troopers took the final drag before they ground them into the mud under the heel of their boots.

"Set to go, boss." Vargo and Hark said in unison.

Reilly gave a cheering jeer. "Yeah! Right as rain-yer!"

A collective groan emanated from everyone's lips from hearing the gratingly lousy pun. Rainier shook his head sadly at Reilly's response and motioned with his head towards the tent flap and donned his helmet. "Let's move out, Delta 75."

On the lieutenant's words, the near rhythmic clicks of safeties clicked off, and everyone left the tent, putting on their helmets, visors polarising and began quickly moving out for the edge of the tangle of forest jungle. Silenced SMGs were shouldered and pointed ahead of them.

Already the sounds of the other team of Helljumpers were making their way through the twisted, mossy and lichen-covered trees way out ahead. The only sounds of the night were the pitter-pattering of falling rain and the slow thudding thuds accompanied by the occasional crack of branches being broken or trodden under mechanical foot as the Mantises made their path through the brush when there wasn't a path clear enough to be had.

It still felt like she was in a dream, but it looked more like a memory while the tall blurred shapes before Luna ambled about to and fro as she felt compelled to move closer. But before she could, Luna was interrupted by something immensely strong that seized her by the scruff of her neck, yanking her away from what she could see before she felt the grip tighten around her throat and lifted her clean off the ground.

Turning her head up and around in the direction of what held her aloft, Luna saw the form of her attacker quickly clean up into a less than blurred focus. And what she saw scared her more than Tantabus ever did.

The black shadowed daunting biped backwards-jointed monster sneered louder, harsher than the other times she had heard before as it squeezed her neck further. In doing so, she found herself starting to lose focus, struggling to breathe in the ever-tightening grasp.

As her vision started to go dark at the edges, Luna lashed out at the monster with her hind legs and then with a blast of magic from her horn. The actions caused the creature to let go, cursing at her in an unknown language through angered-filled roars.

At that point, Luna didn't want to care even to know if what she did solve the problem as she turned tail and flew away fast. And fly away quickly she did, as far as her wings could carry her.

Luna weaved through the offending trees in her path of the forest, but still, the shadowy figure that had grabbed her advanced closer, its guttural growls and angered sneers getting louder as it somehow gained ground faster than she could fly.

She tried flying above the black forest only for something to draw her back. Whatever it was, it was keeping her from ascending no more than about a meter or two above the rushing earthen ground that streaked below.

Without warning, furious and enraged words of a language she did not understand assaulted her ears,

"Dohmoh'Eenngahnehnn! Karumshurah ree chitakorru!"

With sudden realisation, Luna found herself back in the tight grasp of the creature. Without pause, it ignited a blue, glowing object that sparked to life in a claw that was then thrust straight into her chest.

Luna screamed.

The agony she was feeling wasn't like anything she had ever experienced before in her life, waking or the dream world. The closest thing the searing pain she was experiencing was like she'd been forced to drink lava from a volcano, then have somepony slice open her stomach, so it was now searing her skin and body as it poured out of her.

The torment proved too much for her will power to endure any longer, and she woke up from the dream.

Luna's eyes flew open as she bolted upright in her bed, rivers of perspiration streaming all over her as the once crisp and clean bedsheets she was once under now wrapped tightly around her body, the tightest of which wrung around her neck like a noose as she continued to scream from the top of her lungs.

CRASH!

The doors to her room burst open almost off their hinges. Standing in the open door was a very concerned and fraught princess and eldest sister Celestia accompanied by five Royal Guards and two of the night variety, batponies of the Night Guard. Their expressions were stern-looking as always, but the body language told otherwise.

"Luna! Sister! I'm here. Shush now. I'm here for you. Are you okay?"

Luna was far from okay. She was still trembling and sweating profusely from the experience of the vision-dream. It didn't help that she was still trying to unwrap herself from the entanglement of bed sheets coiled tightly around her body like a hungry python.

The collection of guards stayed out of the room but stood guard by the door as Celestia moved to her distraught trembling sister's side on the bed and wrapped a feathery white wing around her, in an attempt to calm the shaking Alicorn princess. It worked, the shaking eased to nothing, and the sweating stopped.

Celestia comforted Luna and quietly spoke into her ear in concern. "What happened? You can tell me, sister."

When Luna didn't reply, Celestia asked again, and in doing so realised the answer to her sister's terror dream. "It was the same one, wasn't it?"

Luna wiped a tear that had formed again from her eye with the tip of one of her wings and looked back into her sisters. "Yes, it was Tia. But this time, it went on far longer than it has previously."

Celestia's facial features hardened with concern as she looked at Luna. "It was different? Different how?"

Luna didn't hesitate to launch into the retelling of the strange vision events for her sister of what happened after she had tried to once again push past her in the pine forest.

Somewhere...

A large red-lit metallic silver door flashed with patterned blue geometric lighting and slid open, irising apart into three parts. Coming out from within, five equine-like shadowy figures of varying height, all with horns and only one without wings came out of the once sealed off confines. Two of these figures split off immediately, each going their separate directions.

The remaining three strode out into a gigantic open cavern and straight onto a thin partially see-through glass platform that jutted over the edge without any visible means of structural support.

Of the three, the smaller ones that flanked the largest, their bodies wholly encased in grey-silver armour with purple highlights denoting their allegiance, quadruple pairs of floating spikes running down the back of their armoured necks, gazed upwards awaiting the order.

"Go," the large one said, expressing the littlest hints of relief in her calm tone of voice.

The two that looked for instruction then leapt off the platform without hesitation and plummeted down into the massive cavern towards their task.

She hadn't felt like this in untold millenniums to such a job. It was great to do what she was privileged to do.

She smiled with genuine glee, the warmth of the feeling lifting her spirits and her outlook for the future. As she smiled, the tips of her forward sharp white fangs glinted in the soft blue light that emanated from around the illuminated both halves of the broken cruise-liner caught in mid-air in the interlocking confinement fields of the service passage down below.