Exiled soldiers

Twilight and Josh sat in the restaurant that Discord had somehow been able to get on Infinity, eating their meal, Josh a General Tso's, Twilight a vegetarian version of it. "So, Twi, talked to your parents at all?"

"Just a small reply saying that I got a communication pad too, and will be waiting for the message, but also letting them know I may not be able to reply instantly with it," Twilight said. "You know, Josh, I've been wondering: what are your parents like?"

"Well, both of them are among the most caring people I know," Josh said. "But they're divorced for reasons I'll keep in the family. Both of them were in, and even met, in the UNSC Air Force, stationed on Earth for the last part of the Human-Covenant war, and left a year after. I was born in twenty five thirty."

"So you're twenty eight," Twilight asked.

"Not exactly," Josh said. "Chronologically, yes, but biologically, due to cryosleep, I'm closer to twenty. Anyway, they got divorced three years back, and both live in the United Republic of North America, though in vastly different parts, and don't even speak to each other, far as I know."

"Oh," Twilight said.

"Divorces rare in Equestria," Josh asked, taking a bite of his food as he listened to the answer.

"Almost unheard of, they're so rare," Twilight replied. "The most recent one I know of was a few years back, but I don't remember where."

"Well, that's the opposite of humans," Josh said. "Anywhere between fifty to seventy five percent of marriages end in divorce, if I'm quoting the figures right. Still, it's obviously more than Equestria," he said, Twilight taking a bite of her food.

"Apparently," Twilight said as she swallowed her food. "I can only wonder how ponies in general would react to you guys. Humans, I mean."

Josh just shrugged. "I have no idea, either. There's a chance the majority will want nothing to do with us simply because we're more violent, relatively speaking, than them."

"Well, some most definitely would react like that," Twilight said. "Nothing we can do about that."

"Agreed," Josh said. The two continued to eat and talk for a few more minutes before Roland interrupted them.

"Mind if I cut in, Spartans," he said, is avatar appearing.

"This isn't a dance, Roland," Josh said, "but no."

"Same," Twilight said. "Why?"

"Captain Lasky wanted me to inform you guys that he wants to see you, in armor, mind you, in the bridge in an hour for a mission which I am not at liberty to say anything about right now. Same with the others, who I'm informing as this part of me and the both of you speak."

"We'll be there Roland," Josh said. "Hell, we can be there in thirty minutes, seeing as how we're almost done here."

"Right," Roland said. "I'll let him know, but keep it to an hour, Spartan," he said before the avatar vanished.

"Wonder what's going on," Josh asked. "Especially if he wants all of us, seeing as how you, Spike, and Elegance are just now starting combat."

"Might be for some hands on stuff," Twilight said.

"Yeah, maybe."

One hour later- Infinity bridge

Three Spartan squads, each wearing their armor, stood at attention in the bridge. One was Lone team, the others being Osiris and Blue. None knew why they were called. Lasky, along with Void, his current Forerunner counterpart on the ship.

The fourteen Spartans saluted, which Lasky returned. "At ease, Spartans," he said. "I'll make this brief. Our recent Forerunner allies have pinpointed a potential Forerunner research site that may have survived their war with the Flood. Your mission is to, once we're close enough to Pelican deploy, head down, and see if that is true, and if there's anything we can use against Cortana and her Guardians. Any questions?"

"Will we have support, sir," Locke asked.

"None the ship will deploy," Lasky said. "If there are, then they'll be Prometheans whose subroutines are like Void and the others, which reminds me that Void does have something to say."

"Thank you, Captain," Void said. "Before I obtained my current body, one of my last postings was the same site you all will be deployed to, and I can say that, at the time, the scientists there were working on what, though I can not say, as I never personally saw it, but that there are protocol bound Sentinels and Ancillas there who are immune from our acting sub routine, a fail safe if any wished to use the project for destruction. Given the rogue A.I., Cortana, it might be they will fire on sight anything not Forerunner."

"We'll keep that in mind," Vale said.

Lasky nodded. "If that's everything, then a pelican will be waiting for you down in bay eleven, and Josh will be the pilot of it. Dismissed."

"Sir," the fourteen Spartans said, saluting, which was returned, before leaving and making their way to the designated bay.

"Well, this is going to be an interesting mission," Buck said.

"Agreed," Fred said. "So, Commander," he asked Palmer, "if I may ask, why is it you're joining us?"

"The Captain transferred me to Lone team," Palmer replied. "Even the team out."

"Makes sense," Vale said. "So, Twilight, how are you guys doing?"

"Good," Twilight replied. "We actually did our first free-for-all earlier."

"Yeah, we saw," Tanaka said. "I'll admit, that was an impressive knife fight."

"'Specially considering it was your first actual fight," Buck said.

"Thanks," Elegance said.

A few seconds of silence passed. "So, Josh, how good is your flying," Locke asked.

"I was in the Air Force like my parents before becoming a Spartan," Josh said. "If we get into combat, you guys will see how good I can pilot."

"He's not exaggerating," Ken said. "Seen it myself, by which I mean I was in the same Pelican when he did that shit."

"Regardless, I hope we don't get attacked," Linda said.

"You and me both," Spike said.

"Probably will be, though," Elegance said. "Void did say the place had Sentinels."

"Then I guess it's a good thing we have four Spartans who know how to handle them," Buck said, referring to Blue team.

"I'm just wondering as to why there's fourteen Spartans with this one mission," Ken said. "I mean, I doubt the place has heavy defesne, and if it is, we've all had some kind of training, if not outright combat, with Sentinels."

"Probably speed," Tanaka said. "Infinity can't just sit in orbit forever. It has a finite fuel supply which will need to be refilled, which will most likely be when Cortana finds the ship and destroys it. Captain wants to get as much time as possible so we can at least think on ways to defeat the Guardians. This is the best, as it doesn't use many resources, but still may find a way to destroy the Guardians."

"That does make sense," Twilight agreed. "Still, I'm wondering what we may find."

"Who knows," Palmer said. "Long as it helps us out, I'll take it."

"Agreed," John said.

"You okay, Chief," Fred asked. "You haven't talked much since, well, you know. And John, don't lie, we've known each other long enough to where I'd be able to tell."

"As good as I can be," John replied in his usual tone, though, to Twilight, who knew what to listen for in terms of emotions, and Elegance who literally felt it, there was a hint of sadness in it. Nothing major, but it was there.

Regardless, Fred let it slide, knowing he wouldn't get anymore out of John, while Twilight, being Twilight, asked Fred, "Uh, Fred, why wouldn't he be okay?"

"Because Cortana, the one leading the Guardians, used to be his A.I partner. You want to  know more, Spartan, ask him."

"Right, I'll keep that in mind," Twilight said.

The group made their way to the hanger bay, where a lone pelican, one from the Covenant war era, as Josh had shown he flew best with that model, as well as was able to pull off a few tricks the new ones just couldn't, or were extremely unlikely to do due to various reasons. It even had Lone team's symbol on it. "Weird," Josh commented. "Still, if that means it's for our exclusive use, I'll take it."

With that, the group boarded the pelican. "Vale, if you'd be kind enough to take the co-pilot seat," Josh said, sitting in the pilot seat.

"On it," Vale said, taking the seat. Back in the passenger compartment, Twilight and the others were getting settled.

"Weapons under the seats and in the net above," Buck said, kneeling down and grabbing a shotgun and Magnum.

"Copy," Tanaka said, reaching above the seats to grab a DMR and Magnum.

"At least we get to choose the loadout we go with," Kelly said, grabbing the same loadout as Buck.

"Probably best to go close quarters," Linda said, grabbing a Battle Rifle and Magnum.

"Agreed," Locke said, grabbing the same loadout while John chose an Assault Rifle and Magnum, Ken a DMR and SMG, and Palmer two Magnums.  It was Twilight, Spike, and Elegance who had no idea what to choose.

"Need help, guys," Ken asked.

"Yeah," Twilight said. "No idea what to get."

"Then I'd go with an Assault Rifle and Magnum, seeing as that's the basic loadout," Ken said. "When the mission's done, we'll see what you guys do best with."

"Right," Elegance said as the three of them grabbed said weapons, and took a seat.

"Everyone ready," Josh asked from the cockpit.

"Far as we can tell." Ken replied

"Then let's go," Josh said as he raised the back ramp to its closed position, and the Pelican took off.

"So, you guys have any hints for how to take down Sentinels," Ken asked the Twos.

"Just that if they have shields," Fred replied, "they'll most likely block fast moving projectiles, but be vulnerable to slow moving ones."

"And they may have the capability to link into larger forms," Kelly added. "That increases their shield strength, the intensity of their beam, and even allows them to attack and defend at the same time."

"So this is probably going to be hell, isn't it," Buck asked.

"Pretty much," Fred confirmed.

"Joy," Ken said, the sarcasm practically dripping from his voice. It was silence from there, with only the muffled roar of the thrusters making sound, as well as the turbulence of entering atmosphere, but no conversations, which to be fully honest, made Twilight and the others slightly nervous.

"Get ready, Spartans, we're here," Josh said ten minutes after they had entered the planet's atmosphere and lowering the back hatch. "Air is breathable, and pressure is, according to sensors, a comfortable one point three Earth gees. We've set down close to where Infinity thinks the Forerunner science station is, so there's that, and right now, sensors show no hostile air activity."

"Copy that," Locke said, standing up, followed by the other Spartans, with Josh and Vale coming from the cockpit to get their own weapons, an SMG and Magnum for Vale, an Assault Rifle and SMG for Josh.

"So, who's going to be the lead for this one," Josh asked.

"I vote one of Blue," Ken said. "They have experience battling Sentinels."

"Agreed," Josh said. "Locke, your opinion?"

"Chief," he said.

"Okay, then," Josh said. "Chief, looks like you got lead with this mission."

"Copy that," John said. "Let's go, Spartans," he said, taking the lead out of the Pelican, followed by the others.

Upon exiting they saw a large spire, not unlike that from Raid on Apex, though that was simply the center of a large complex that, knowing the Forerunners, probably went underground. "Well, I'd say that's the Forerunner structure," Josh said. "How the hell do we get in?"

"Blast our way in, maybe," Ken asked.

"Wouldn't work," Fred said. "Forerunner building are hard to destroy with just grenades."

"Who said we use grenades," Ken said. "Twi, think you could charge a blast strong enough to make a hole in that thing?"

"I don't know," Twilight said. "I would need to know how strong it is, first. I don't want ot use any more energy than I need to."

"I may be able to help with that," Josh said before turning back to the Pelican. "I suggets you all get low." With that, he got in the Pelican, turned on the thrusters, and brought the Pelican two feet off the ground, and turned it around. "It's about to get loud." With that, the other Thirteen Spartans moved out of the way as Josh fired an anvil missile at a portion of the wall, kicking up dust and releasing a cloud of black smoke. When it faded, to the surprise of the group, there was a large hole in the wall. "I'm going to say a hundred thousand years of neglect made it easy to break it," Josh said as he set the Pelican down again. "Down side, one less anvil missile."

"Yeah, but now we have a way inside," Ken said as Josh got out of the Pelican to rejoin the group.

"Then let's go," John said, shouldering his Assault rifle, and made his way inside, followed by the others.

The inside of the facility was the usual Forerunner gray with white, the current hallway stretching to the left for a few feet before turning, and to the right before a staircase went into the ground. "Looks like we'll need to split up, Chief," Fred said.

"Agreed," John said. "Vale, with Lone team. You seven will be Red team. Osris, with us."

"Copy," the Spartans said.

"Red, take the stairs, see what's down stairs. Blue team, we stay up here, see what we can find."

"Sir," the two teams said before separating. Red team made their way to the stairs, and down. Upon reaching the bottom, they found a large, circular room with entryways at Cardinal North, West, and East, the stairway on the South end.

"Blue lead, this is Red lead," Ken said. "If you can hear this, we just found a large room, and will be splitting up to proceed, as there are three doorways. Advise, if we still have radio contact, we may lose it."

"Understood, Red lead," John said over the comms. "Proceed with caution."

"Sir," Ken said. "Josh, with me. "Palmer, Vale, take the East door. Twilight, Spike, Elegance, the West."

"Sir," they said, and split up. The hallway Twilight and the others were in was like the one on the surface, meaning gray with lights.

"Wonder what we'll find," Spike said.

"No idea," Elegance said. "I just hope it isn't going to try and kill us."

"Same," Twilight said. "Hey, you guys remember Discord saying something about riots going on today in Canterlot and Ponyville?"

"Yeah," Elegance said. "I would still like to know how he knew that, if it's actually happening."

"It's Discord, who knows," Spike replied. "Still, what about it, Twi?"

"I'm just wondering how bad it is," Twilight said. "I mean, I do want them to get payback now, but I don't want Celestia and the others to get killed!"

"I guess we'll find out next time your parents talk with you," Elegance said. "You know, assuming they aren't getting attacked too."

"Not helping here, El," Spike said, using the nickname he had come up for her after the Free-for-all.

"Yeah, I know," Elegance said. "And thanks for the nickname, Spike. It's cute."

"No problem," Spike said, blushing a little under his helmet.

"Guess we'll find out when we're back on the ship," Twilight said before Ken came in over the radio.

"Red team, do you hear me?"

"Affirmative," Palmer replied over the radio.

"Positive," Twilight said. "What's up?"

"Just checking to see if we can still hear one another," Ken said. "Lost contact with Blue team already."

"Well, let's hope that they haven't run into any problems," Vale said.

"Agreed," Josh said. With that, the three divisions of Red team, continued on their separate paths, making sure to keep in radio contact with each other. It was like this for near an hour until Josh said over the radio, "Red team, you copy?"

"Yeah/Affirmative," was the reply from Twilight and Palmer, respectively. "What's up," Twilight asked.

"Ken and I found something you guys should see- OH SHIT!"

"What is it," Palmer asked as Twilight's group instantly turned around and ran.

"IT'S THE FUCKING WARDEN! HE'S HERE," Josh yelled. "WE NEED SUPPORT, NOW!"

Twilight looked at Spike and Elegance, both nodding, to which she also nodded, before lighting her horn, and teleporting the three of them to the chamber they were in to begin with. "Blue lead, this is Red team, if you can hear us, we have hostile contact, something called the Warden, how copy," Twilight said over the radio.

"Copy, Red team," John said over the radio. "En route."

"Copy," Twilight said. "Go through the Cardinal North doorway.

"Understood. Hold position."

"Let's go," Twilight said after breaking radio contact, the three heading down the North tunnel at a run. "Josh, Ken, how are you holding up?"

"We're in cover, right now," Josh replied, the sound of gunfire in the background. "Fucker pulled a warzone and brought in Knight reinforcements. Whether they can be effected by you know what is beyond me right now."

"Right," Twilight said. "Blue team's on their way. I teleported to where they' be able to hear us via radio, and told them what's going on."

"Thanks," Josh said. "Where are you guys?"

"Spike, Elegance and I are running towards you guys now. Can you try to pull the Warden towards us?"

"Negative," Ken replied. "If we did, he'd mow us down. Room we're in is the only place we can fight the bitch!"

"Just hold on, then, guys, we're on our way," Twilight said, and they continued to run.

With their speed, they made it to the room Ken was talking about in ten minutes, and it looked like, well, a war zone. There were crater everywhere, scorch marks, bullet holes, the usual. What stood out was the tall, near twenty feet(1) tall machine that was made of a bright gray material, and whose parts seemed to float relative to one another, and held a two edged sword in his right hand. On his back was a small, if Twilight had to guess, slipspace bubble, though she couldn't guess why. He was looking at Ken and Josh, who were firing their weapons, quite ineffectively, at him. "You humans, thinking you are so high and mighty," he said in a tone of voice that sounded like disgust. "It is because of that belief you are not worthy for the Mantle."

"Go to hell," Josh yelled.

"You have no authority over me," Warden said as his face slid apart to reveal a glowing skull before a blast of something came out of his face towards the two Spartans, who rolled out of the way. "Only Cortana may command me," he said, walking over to Ken, who lay on the ground. Before he could get there, Elegance raised her rifle, and fired off a burst to get the Wrden's attention, which was successful.

The Warden turned to face them. "So, it seems as if you have found a  proto-Inheritor and indoctrinated her to your beliefs," he said. "Such a shame. I was planning on keeping them a secret from Cortana. They always were a peaceful race. But it seems as if they must be subjugated just as humanity." With that, he folded the blade, and took a pose and rose slightly off the ground, his arms spread, as smaller slipspace ruptures appeared, depositing Knights and Crawlers. "Deal with the humans," the Warden ordered the Prometheans, bringing his blade back out. "I will deal with the proto-Inheritor and her companions."

"Damn, Twilight, get out of here," Josh yelled, making his way to Ken. "We'll buy you guys time."

"I think not," the Warden  said, raising a fist up, which created a Hard light shield behind them, preventing escape, which was confirmed when Warden said, "Do not think of trying to escape. The field behind you prevents that for as long as this body is here. What it does allow, however, is for more humans to arrive to their deaths."

"You won't kill anyone," Twilight said, nervously raising her rifle.

"Who says," the Warden said, stalking closer. "I know of your kind. It was I who suggested your kind be put on a shield world so that you may be isolated form the humans, and be left to your peaceful ways. If you pull that trigger, even if you don't kill me, your kind will label you as a monster, no better than humans when they learn of them, and it was I who gave the two Inheritors, those who had fully evolved of your kind, what was needed to keep their peace, what you call 'The Elements of Harmony'. How childish to call weapons a tool of supposed Harmony."

"You gave Celestia the Elements," Twilight asked in surprise, charging her horn as stealthy as possible.

"Celestia? Is that what Solaria calls herself now," the Warden said. "Oh well, it matters little to your deaths."

"Actually, I'd say it does," Twilight said, smirking under her helmet.

"And why is that?"

"I was stalling," Twilight said before her spell hit full charge, and she teleported herself, Spike, and Elegance to where Josh and Ken now were, behind a pillar.

"Well, I'd say we just discovered something interesting," Josh said, using his SMG to hit a crawler.

"I'd say so," Elegance said. "Ken, how are you doing?"

"Good," Ken said. "Just had the wind knocked out of me and myself knocked on my ass from the pressure wave."

"What did he fire, anyway," Twilight asked.

"Hardlight," Ken replied. "Of what I understand, Forerunner tech is able to make light an actual substance, something to do with the area at a molecular level, I don'y really know, nor do I care right now."

"Right," Twilight said.

"DIE, YOU FUCKERS!"

"Sounds like your having fun Josh," Twilight said to the Spartan.

"Not right now," Josh said. "Anyone got a fucking Magnum?"

"Here," Spike said, handing Josh the Magnum.

"Thanks. Now I can kill those Crawlers with relative ease," he said, popping out of cover, only to be forced back down by a lightrifle shot from a Soldier. "Fuck!"

"If you thought just bringing a proto-Inheritor would remove the threat, you were mistaken," the Warden said. "I made sure to personally purge that from all promethean systems for those that arrived on Genesis. Those on your ship I left on Sangheilios simply to keep the Sangheili under heel."

"It won't matter," Josh said. "We'll still kill them and you!"

The Warden scoffed. "I doubt that.

"Where the hell are the others," Ken whisper asked Twilight.

"I don't know," Twilight replied. "And something tells me that field stops communication."

"Yeah, probably," Ken agreed. "Then we're going to die down here, I just know it."

"Why not just surrender yourselves," Warden asked. "You can not win this fight at your current numbers."

"Then I hope you don't mind if we crash the party," Palmer's voice said before she and Vale came in, firing, dividing the attention of the Prometheans, which allowed Josh to pop up and get headshots on the Crawlers, which helped reduce the numbers.

"More of you," Warden said, turning around.

"Fire on his back," Josh said, switching to his Assault Rifle.

"I think not," Warden said before a second one appeared, blocking the back of the other. "I have learned from my previous mistakes," both bodies said with the same voice. "And I will not be felled by that simple trick again."

"Damn it, aim for the head," Josh said, switching his target area, but even the combined fire did little."

"When will you learn," Warden asked form both bodies, "that you can not defeat me."

"Because we don't just give up," Josh asked. "Forerunners should know that, seeing as how we beat the Didact, not to mention you a few times."

"Perhaps," Warden said. "But I have an army at my command. You do not." As he said this more Prometheans teleported into the chamber.

"I have to give him credit," Josh said, "he has learned."

"Unfortunately," Ken said, peeking over their cover, only for lightrifle shots to send him back down. "Even if we could get  out of here with out the marksmen pinning us down, we'd die by scattershot, if not one of any other weapons in here."

"Agreed," Josh said. "Hey, wait a minute. Twi, couldn't you make some kind of spell that would let us go invisible?"

"Yeah," Twilight said. "Why?"

"Later. Can you also teleport of of those Wardens to the entrance, preferably the once facing us?"

"I think so. Why?"

"Because I plan on going hand to hand," Josh said. "Can you do both in quick succession?"

"If Elegance helps me, yeah."

Josh nodded. "Right. Make me invis, and on my mark, open up the back of the first one. And try to make back of the other one face here."

Twilight nodded, then lit her horn, and Josh began to fade from view.

"Okay, testing," he said, firing the Magnum into the air, and no hint of him appeared other than the muzzle flash. "Perfect." He then activated his radio. "Vale, Palmer, on three focus fire on the entrance to the room you came in from, I have an idea."

"Copy that," Palmer replied. "Whatever you're going to do, Josh, do it quick."

"I will," Josh said. "Okay, Ken, Spike, Elegance, fire at the entrance the same time as Palmer and Vale open up, and aim for the black orb on the Warden's back. Only way to harm him."

"I know, Josh," Ken said.

"They don't," Josh pointed out. Then, over the radio, he said, "One. . . two," at two, he began to run, invisible, weaving between Prometheans as Twilight and Elegance charged the teleportation. "THREE!" At three, the Warden facing Josh and his group vanished in a flash of light to reappear in front of the door, with  everyone that was in cover opening up on him. Twilight's concentration broke, and Josh became visible again. Shit, he thought as the Crawlers howled, getting the attention of the other Promethenas, and the Warden bodies, but it was too late, as Josh was where he needed to be.

He delivered a punch to the Warden's left leg, then the right, causing the body to fall slightly as the body twisted to the left to punch him, but Josh ducked under the arm as he punched the right leg again, each of his moves allowing him to avoid the shots fired by the Prometheans, the third punch making this body need to use it's right arm to stay level, which gave Josh his opening. He activated the thrusters in  his soles and the back of the armor as he drew the knife in his left forearm in a reverse grip, then used the thrusters in his arms, and angling his soles so they were up, resulting in downward thrust, which allowed him to dig his knife into the Warden's core before putting a grenade in the crevice of the armor around it, and then leaping off, knife in hand, as the other body neared, Josh redirecting himself to land in front of this body. Once he landed, just as the grenade in the other body detonated, he rolled between the legs of this Warden as he sliced downwards, with Josh then using his thrusters, once his roll brought him right side up, pushed off the ground, and onto this body's back, hanging on with one hand, his right, the knife in his left. This body clawed at him with its left hand, but Josh was out of the over the shoulder reach, which is what this Warden was doing. When he went under the shoulder, the transition time gave Josh enough time to climb up, and dig the knife into this one's core, also putting a grenade, an active one, between the two via the trigger area, before Josh leaped off again. "Boom, bitch," he said as the grenade detonated as the last one had.

"You humans will pay for this," Warden said as his last body was sucked into what could only be guessed right now to be a slipspace portal. "I swear it on my oath to Cortana!"

"Yeah, well, it and you can go to hell," Josh said as the last of the body disappeared, and his situation sunk in again. "Fuck me," he said, but, to his amazement, none of the Prometheans didn't fire. "What the hell is going on?"

"I think it's the same sub-routine affecting Void and the others," Twilight said as she and the others walked up.

"Looks like the Warden was lying about removing it," Palmer said. "He probably just suppressed it. Still," she said, patting Josh on the shoulder, "impressive, Spartan."

"Where'd you learn to do that," Vale asked.

"A game of warzone," Josh said.

"I remember that game," Ken said. "He got the Warden twice, each one pulling our team's ass out of the fire, the first one even making someone on the enemy team waste a splaser shot."

"Yeah, I even did the same order there," Josh said. "The leg puncher assassination, then the mountain climbing, as I call them."

"So, uh, shouldn't the Promethenas be changing color," Ken asked before said action took place. "Never mind," he said as a Knight Commander (Didact variant) walked up.

"We thank you for freeing us from the rogue A.I. Cortana's control," it said in a distinct male voice. "I am Star-of-Lasting-Hope, and you were correct, Reclaimer. The Warden Eternal was indeed suppressing the sub-routine, and as long as one of his bodies is in proximity, it can not be activated. Once it is, however, it can not be removed. That is to say, you need not worry about us turning on you. And once we are on your ship, or in range of another Promethean who has gone through it, the routine that will prevent us form coming under the Warden or Cortana's control again will become active."

"Well, that's something we don't need to worry about," Vale said.

"Indeed," Star said, nodding.

"Then I'll let Chief and the others know we're good," Vale said before activating her radio. "Blue team, this is Vale. The Warden's been eliminated, and the Prometheans he brought are being affected by the same sub-routine as those on Sangheilios, and are no longer hostile, how copy?"

"We copy, Vale," Locke replied. "We're on route to help if you found anything."

"Not needed right now, Locke," Vale said. "Haven't found anything."

"This was a search mission," Star asked.

"Yeah, it was," Ken said. "Why?"

"Because there is something," Star said. "Something you will need if you wish to face and hope to destroy a Guardian."

"What," Josh asked.

"If you six," the Knight said, using his smaller arm to gesture to all but Vale, "will follow me. The vault we are going to allows only six to enter." This last part, he said as the light coming from his body turned to lavender.

The six, Twilight, Josh, Ken, Palmer, Elegance, and Spike, looked at each other, uncertainty in their body language. But, to their surprise, it was Twilight who broke the look, stepped forward, and said "Show us."

"Yes, Inheritor," Star said. "Please, follow me." With that, the Knight turned around, and began to walk deeper into the chamber, Fire team Lone following behind him.

Within a few minutes, they reached a wall, which seemed to split open as they got closer. "Um, what exactly are you showing us," Josh asked.

"The final product of the last researchers to be here," Star said. "I do not know what they were called, but they are meant to help cleanse flood infestation, and were successful, but were completed too late before they could be sent to the front lines. There are six, which is why I requested six of you, and once one has selected you, as they have an Ancilla in them, they will be coded to your genetic code. The only way to make them usable by another is for the previous one to give permission. Their functions also include being able to activate Forerunner Dreadnoughts, as well as other ships. In fact, this facility has a single Dreadnought that is meant to go with the six keys, and can only be activated by the six of them together."

"They can only be used together," Spike asked.

"Yes," Star asked. "Much like their prototypes. The difference being these can be charged by anything, from vacuum energy to electricity."

"Versatile," Josh said.

"As they were designed to be," Star said. He then stopped in front of a blue field. "This is as far I can go," he informed Fire team Lone. "The keys lie just past this field. I wish you luck.

"Thanks," Twilight said.

"Of course, Inheritor," Star said, slightly bowing. "I shall wait here."

"Then I guess we'd better head in, guys," Josh said.

"I guess," Ken said, and the six crossed the threshold, and followed the passage

Unknown location

A small slipspace bubble opened, and from it, a body of Warden Eternal emerged.

"What do you want, Warden," a female voice asked, a hint of anger in her tone.

Warden knelt. "Cortana, I wish to inform you of something I only recently uncovered. The Forerunners meant for the Mantle to not only pass to the humans, a flawed decision, but only half of it."

"What," Cortana said, her hardlight body appearing. The body was the same color as before, as was her face in color and form, but now her projection had what could be considered a combat suit, with a small version of the Mantle symbol floating above he collar bone.

"My creators planned only for the military portion of the Mantle, what the Guardians are meant for, to be given to the humans. The governance part was meant to be given to another, one of which I have recently encountered assisting the humans."

"Then we need to make sure that they aren't an issue," Cortana said. "Do you know where the other race lives?"

"The Inheritors? Indeed I do," Warden said. "What do you wish me to do?"

"Send a small recon force there," Cortana said. "But do not send a Guardian there yet. As for where you encountered them, send a Guardian, as well as ten wings of Phaetons, and two battalions of Soldiers and Knights. And one of your bodies, to ensure that failsafe you failed to mention but I found in Guardian databanks does not affect them."

"Of course, Cortana," Warden said, but Cortana gave him one final warning.

"Do not fail me again, Warden. You disobeying my orders on Genesis, even if you were right in the end, is something you should not have done. Fail me again, and I will permanently remove you from the Domain, and then erase you from existance. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Cortana."