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The Fall of Fate: Aftermath
Date: 5 May 2003, 11:47 PM

Wkehu 'Drrana, commander of squad three-twenty-one, surveyed the disastrous scene. Piles of bodies lay heaped in various places spattered with blood, both Human and Covenant; some corpses were charred beyond the point of recognition. 'Drrana himself was bruised and burnt. His golden armor was scarred and battered; the sharp edges of his shark-like helmet were dulled. There were hundreds of human casualties, but far more Covenant deaths; thirty thousand to be exact. Whatever humans were left fled the scene in their flying metal birds; the few Covenant that were left, however, had no means of escaping the graveyard of fallen comrades. 'Drrana himself felt as if he had just passed into the gates of hell. The whole scene had changed from beautiful green fields to a fiery blazing hell—when Fate, the destroyer, fell from the sky.

Fate was a Covenant destroyer-class battle cruiser and was stationed on the edge of the human city of Hammonton on the colony planet, Ucundus, named after the cruiser that located it. Ucundus was a small planet, smaller than Earth, about the size of the planet Mercury. Ucundus was located in the Orion 3 system, and was the only habitable planet in the system. The Orion 3 system was part of the outer colonies.

Fate was accompanied by only two Seraph fighters, no other major cruisers. Fate was there so the Covenant fighters to find what...who they wanted and then pull out to glass the planet. Unfortunately, the vile humans caught sight of Fate before the Covenant could dispatch a camouflaged team to investigate the secretes beneath the ground of Ucundus.

The Covenant leadership, the Prophets, had ordered the crew of Fate to make a quick retrieval of the artifacts the ancients had left buried under Ucundus, some sort of mysterious room concerning a group of ring-like constructs. The Prophets acted very oddly when any subject concerned the ancients. Located far under ground was some mysterious room that would aid the Covenant on their search for the ring-world that would let the Covenant have control over the universe. Thus, wipe out the blasphemous humans. But no. The humans had fought strongly and downed their destroyer. It was a horrible failure, incredibly disgraceful for a higher class elite.

Wkehu 'Drrana starred at the two hunters far ahead of him, their long spikes wavering on their backs. There was a rumble as the last human dropship took off. The hunters fired rounds from their fuel-rod guns at the dropships. The rounds exploded on the armored surface of the Pelicans in green blasts, but did little damage. A marine sitting in the Pelican levied his snipe rifle and shot the Hunter through his orange stomach; the bullet passed through the belly like butter and smacked into an upright piece of metal rubble with a loud pang. The Hunter fell into his own puddle of orange blood. The Pelican's heavy 70 mm chin gun fired as the other Hunter looked upwards at the hovering Pelican. The rounds fired into its neck, splitting all muscle tissue, the rest of the neck gave way and the helmeted head fell downwards into the shoulders, as if the hunter were in a protective position. Gushes of blood flowed out of the seeps between the head and shoulders, as if one dropped a rock into a cup of water. Orange blood dripped down this Hunter's chest-plate; it fell to its knees, but was already dead.

'Drrana let out a deep, guttural wail that was in anguish and calling for any other survivors. Several other elites responded, some close by and others farther away. A shadow loomed over them all, a shadow cast by the body of Fate. Fate's bulbous bow had been blown from the oblong body of the ship by a nuclear explosion, presumably smaller than a Shiva warhead, but considerably enough to do the job. Fate was one of the larger destroyers, a more destructive one also. It still puzzled 'Drrana how they destroyed it. The body of the ship fell vertically and the butt-end of the ship had rammed into the ground, dirt and debris held it upright. It burnt like a torch at the top, where the bomb had detonated. The nuclear flames had been slightly calmed by human planes spraying water from overhead. The ship stood like a looming skyscraper, a burning smokestack that spewed smog. Pieces of the bow lay everywhere; pieces, that is, that hadn't been disintegrated.

Wkehu 'Drrana continued to stare up at the monolith. The pitiful humans would probably keep the destroyed ship as a monument of their victory. The thought disgusted 'Drrana. A loud explosion was heard and 'Drrana saw the orange fireball directly behind the standing ship. The explosion mushroomed into a cloud of smoke, it was not nearly as large as a nuclear explosion, but it shook the ground violently.

"Oh...oh...no," was Drrana's shocked response to the explosion. He realized what the clever bastards were doing. They're knocking the ship down. A second explosion rumbled and 'Drrana turned to flee. He was already out of range for the wreckage to crash down on him, but he didn't want to be any where near the ship. He heard the ship begin to creak as it began its fall downwards. The rubble and jagged pieces of the hull protruded from the ground, and thus slowed 'Drrana's sprint. He tripped over an Elite's corpse and scrambled to his feet as the creaking became a roar. He heard the screams of grunts as they too tried to escape the oncoming disaster. Ahead of him he saw low mountains and the burning skeletons of the Seraph fighters that had fallen under attack and crashed there. The ground shook violently as 'Drrana ran headlong into a flat piece of the burnt purple bow and fell. He turned saw the smoke atop the tilting ship begin to flow backwards as the ship began to swiftly fall. 'Drrana tried to rise but he saw Fate attack the ground and was knocked off his feet. There was a terrible roar as the ship smacked into the earth. A large, swiftly moving dust cloud erupted from the area around the ship, 'Drrana could no longer see Fate. The cloud rushed forwards at 'Drrana and once again he was knocked off of his fee. The cloud pushed him along the ground, 'Drrana chocked on the stale air. Debris zoomed through the air. Wkehu 'Drrana realized that the ship had fallen on the entrance to the ancient room, and then fainted.

The Fall of Fate: Trapped
Date: 5 June 2003, 11:39 PM

(Really sorry. This is pretty late. I wrote this right after I wrote the last one. I've been studying for finals and all...But now that school is over, I've got a lot more time to do this. This one's a "plot builder", not so much action. It's more to see what's in the room beneath Ucundus.)

      Gregory, Spartan 183, woke to a loud rumbling and tremors that ran through the pitch-black room. Gregory stood up and shook ancient dust from his armored legs and side. The last thing he remembered was an explosion and a bright light. It took him a few moments to remember exactly where he was. The flashlight on his helmet was on, but his eyes had already adjusted to the darkness.

      He took a look around the room once again and stared at the strange symbols on the back wall made of an alloy Augustus could not identify.

"Hey, Augustus, you still with me?" Gregory asked his AI.

"Yes, I'm here, how are you feeling?"

"A little tired, a little confused. You know...the usual," Gregory replied.

"Ah yes, I believe that you are feeling this way because you have been unconscious for several hours, due to a malfunction in these walls," he replied.

"A malfunction in the walls? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Yes, I believe that due to long periods of unuse, the machinery in these walls has malfunctioned when you pressed the holo-pad."

"Oh, right, yeah. I'm remembering something like holographic figures of a ring-like constructs that were projected from the symbols. What were they?" Gregory asked. Augustus repeated and stopped a video of the constructs he had seen a few hours before on Gregory's visor.

"I believe that the Forerunner built large, ring shaped structures in various regions of space, they also built this very room you're standing in," Augustus answered.

"Who are the Forerunner?" Gregory asked.

"To my knowledge, they were an ancient race that left artifacts, holy relics to the Covenant, on various planets. The reason the Covenant wanted this room was to locate and secure these ring-worlds, not to find Earth as we originally suspected," Augustus answered.

"Right, I've had enough of this place. Let's get out of here and report this to ONI," Gregory said.

"I'm afraid that's impossible. Fate has fallen upon the entrance to this room, and for the moment, we're trapped. Besides, why would you want to leave when there is more to explore..." Augustus marked a small, blue glowing holographic figure with a nav point located to Gregory's right.

"What the? I'm not touching one of those holo-panels again, you remember what happened the last time," Gregory protested.

"I thought Spartans had no fear? Your shields absorbed the last blast anyway," Augustus said.

"Fine," Gregory walked toward the panel and pressed on one of the moving circles. There was a rumbling as dust drifted off two sliding doors that seemed to appear out of nowhere. From these doors something that resembled an ancient cryo-tube emerged. The once white sides of the tube were now tan and covered in sand and dust. The glass was murky and impossible to see through. Another holo-button appeared at the base of the cryo-tube.
"Press it," Augustus said. Gregory pressed the button. There was the deafining sound of...nothing. The holographic circles swirled in a circle, became static and disappeared.

"Humph," was Gregory's only reaction, "too bad".

"What, there must be some way to open this," Augustus said with a hint of despair in his voice.

"Forget it, I'm not tapering with any of this bizarre technology. And neither are you."

"Do you not care about this ancient history? The being could reveal so many secretes to us."

"Look, is there any other way out, can you contact support to extract us?"

"No, the alloy of this room prevents any radio waves to come in and out of here, I'm truly sorry," Augustus responded.

"I'm going up to see what I can do, maybe there's a weak spot or something," Gregory walked into a passage with an antigravity lift the Forerunner used to get down to the room. He pushed a button on another holo-panel and the lift began to climb upwards to the wreckage. The lift stopped and he walked to the steps the Covenant had dug to get down to the room. Half of them were packed in by dirt caused by the fall. Gregory used his hands to dig for about an hour until he reached a hard, bluish-purple alloy that was Fate. He pounded to see if it gave way, nothing happened, only a metallic bang resounded throughout the ship. He was trapped.

(It's short and there should be more action sequences, I know. The next one is going to concern Wheku 'Drrana. It's going to be better and longer. Hopefully it will be in by tomorrow)

The Fall of Fate: Flee
Date: 7 June 2003, 7:27 PM



      Wkehu 'Drrana suddenly awoke to an atmosphere of death that hung around the battlefield. He gasped for breath and choked on the stale air. He could barely see a few feet in front of him Am I dead , he thought, no, I'm still very much alive. The very tangible pain he felt from the metal spike that protruded form his armor served to convince him that he was still alive. Oh, how I wish I were dead!, he thought. The pointed spike was a jagged piece of debris that had been uprooted by the crash and must have flown at him at a very high speed to crack his armor. He grasped the long piece of metal and was hesitant to pull it out of the wound because of the pain. It was a good thing he did so because a few moments later he heard the crunching of boots, human boots, approaching him. They appeared from the misty cloud with oxygen masks over their faces to keep their airways from clogging up because of all the dust. There were three of them, all carrying assault shotguns to put down any wounded enemy quickly. Wheku played dead.

      'Drrana could barely understand what they were saying because of the garbled interference of the masks they wore on their faces. He saw one lift a radio to his face and say:

      "This is Private Richard York to Pelican Beta 514. Do you copy, over?" he paused to listen for a response. A new transmission came from the radio.

      "Yeah, York, how's the search coming. Has there been any resistance from the Covenant?" a man's voice asked from the speaker of the radio.

      "Barely any, a few wounded elites, we took care of 'em pretty fast with these babies," he patted the barrel of the shotgun, "There's no sign of the Spartan anywhere, we're towards the edge of the battlefield. The hills are ahead. There's nothing moving on radar, it's a wasteland out here. I'm calling it quits, requesting extraction to continue our search from the sky. We might be able to see him better from above, over."

      "Rodger that, I'm on my way," the radio clicked off. Richard took a deep breath and then sighed.

      "What puzzles me, is why the Covenant came here in such a small quantity. I mean, why didn't they just glass the planet and be done with it. Why risk three ships and thousands of troops?" Richard asked the other troops. 'Drrana thought the same thing. We should've glassed the whole damned planet. I really don't give a shit what the Ancients left underground at this point, he thought.

      "Yeah, I dunno, there could be a million different explinations. But I'm sure glad I'm not that guy!" another marine said as he gestured towards 'Drrana. Wkehu felt the piercing stares of the humans as each one looked at him. His eyes were shut and he held his breath, but he knew that they each raised their shotguns and were contemplating shooting him. He had no protection. His shield generator had been damaged and died out during the battle and his armor had been considerably weakened. Wkehu thought about ripping the painful, jagged spike from the left side of his chest and slicing each of the humans' throats. But he knew that if he so much as lifted a finger, the vile humans would end his life in a heartbeat. He had seen marines take down mighty hunters with single shots form the powerful weapons the aliens held in their hands. They called them 'shat-gunes'.

      "He's long dead," said the third marine.

      "Yeah. Oh hey over here!" the second marine said as he waved to another group of three marines. They too were carrying shotguns. They hurried over to York's group.

      "Any luck with the Spartan?" said one of the other marines.

      "No, we're callin' it quits," Richard said as the loud roar of the Pelican was heard close by, "here's our ride." The Pelican blew dust all over the place and Wkehu had to hold his breath and squeeze his eyes shut to avoid coughing. The dropship caused a dust storm and the marines had trouble seeing the loading ramp, but they obviously made it onboard because Wkehu heard the Pelican ascend and accelerate, leaving huge amounts of dust to blow in his face.
      Wkehu Drrana opened his eyes when the dust finally cleared and let out a deep breath. He grabbed the spike again and yanked it out of his chest forcefully. He tried to ignore the ear-splitting pain that followed. He looked at the tip, which was covered in his dry, purple blood. When some of the agony left he pushed himself from the upright piece of debris that he was resting his back on and tried to find his way to the hills. His vision was fogged by the large amounts of dust in the air. He stuck his arms out in front of his face as a blind person would so he wouldn't hit into any debris. When the dust cloud became lighter he was able to see the silhouette of the hills and pretty soon he saw the charred skeletons of the Seraph fighters. The ground became softer as he trotted from the battlefield and into the grassy plains. His walk became a desperate limp and he became even thirstier and hungrier than before.

      "I m-must get into those hills. There must be some sort of food, some stream to drink from," Wkehu said desperately. 'Drrana continued towards the hills and twenty minutes later he was scavenging for supplies, weapons, and maybe even large purple transmitter. Wkehu ripped a piece of the weakened hull from the Seraph fighter off and entered the inside. It was an inferno, but Wkehu was determined to get into the cargo bay. He walked passed burning supply crates and knew that if there was anything in them they would be burnt and damaged, thus of no use.
      He squeezed through a pair of smashed double-doors and entered the cargo bay. The cargo bay of the Seraph fighters were considerably smaller that the other ships, it was only about twenty feet long by fifteen wide. Plasma weapons littered the floor. Wkehu paused to pick a plasma rifle up, checked its condition, and clipped if to his holster. He found only one undamaged crate. He opened it up and thanked the gods that there were food packets inside. He devoured some of the foul tasting gel packages and took the rest. On his way out with his hands filled with supplies, he accidentally tripped on a piece of ragged metal. The supplies flew from his hands, one of which was a plasma grenade. The blue sphere flew into a flaming crack in the wall. 'Drrana took notice of this and got to his feet and ran. He slipped past the two damaged doors and kept on sprinting as the overheated grenade exploded, setting off other grenades, creating massive explosion. The hull of the ship shuddered and 'Drrana slipped again only to see more flames race at him. He quickly regained his balance an left the ship, still at a full sprint through the hills. When Wkehu 'Drrana became too tired to run anymore he turned to see both Seraph fighters explode into greater flames and noticed that the explosion must have punctured the fuselage of one of the ships, creating a chain reaction. But he soon realized the fatality of his error when he heard the human dropship circling overhead...

The Fall of Fate: Trapdoor
Date: 10 June 2003, 1:19 AM

      Wkehu 'Drrana threw himself prostrate and clutched his plasma rifle as he prayed to the gods that he humans hadn't located him. He looked around for a place to hide until the humans had left. There was no sturdy, fully concealable cover in sight. 'Drrana got to his feet, pressed his back against a boulder, and hoped for the best.

      "What the hell was that?" Private Richard York leaned over the seat behind the copilot of the Pelican and watched as the two Seraph fighter exploded in white flames.
      "Could be the Spartan; I'm also getting a figure on radar," the pilot of the dropship said. York looked at the radar and watched as the blip went from white, to yellow, and finally to red.
      "Shit, we've got an enemy in the area. Use the machine-guns to take 'em out," York said.
      "My pleasure," the pilot responded by activating the Pelican's 70mm heavy chin guns.

      Wkehu 'Drrana's fear mounted to terror when he heard the roar of the human dropship's engines getting louder as it approached. The ship flew swiftly overhead and was followed by a gust of wind from its engines. 'Drrana said a prayer of thanks to the gods as he saw the plane continue its straight flight ahead, but paused in the middle of it when he saw it decelerate and turn to rush at him.
      "Oh, oh no!" 'Drrana exclaimed as he realized they were about to fire at him. Soon after he comprehended this thought, the heavy machine-guns blare and fired high speed, armor piercing, 70mm bullets at him. 'Drrana ducked and spun around the opposite face of the boulder as soon as the bullets pounded into the exact spot on the rock where 'Drrana was just standing. The Dropship zoomed past again and the machine guns under the wings rotated to face him once again and fired. 'Drrana repeated his last movement and ducked behind the original face of the rock as the ground was laced with bullets.
      "Damn it!" Wkehu screamed. This same procedure was repeated for the next ten minutes—the dropship would approach, 'Drrana would duck behind the opposite face of the boulder.

      "York, I'm wastin' a lot of ammo and we're not gettin' anywhere. You mind if I drop you guys off and let you handle it yourselves?" the pilot asked.
      "Not at all," Richard said to the pilot, "Guys, get ready, we're taking this son of a bitch down ourselves," the Private loaded the last shell into his shotgun and re-clipped his helmet onto his head. The Dropship began its decent to let off the troops about thirty yards from where 'Drrana was hiding.
***

      "Open. Up. You. Stupid. Son. Of. A. BITCH!" After every word Gregory Spartan 183 pounded the metal of the ancient cryo-tube.
      "Don't waste your energy, it's not going to open by force," Augustus said.
      "Why? Huh? Why can't things be that simple?!" Gregory pounded the metal again.
      "Relax, I've got a new game for us to play, okay?" Augustus said.
      "What? What else could we possibly do. The holo images of the ring won't come up any more, the damn cryo-tube won't open, and we're trapped down here!" Gregory shouted.
      "Well, while you were ruthlessly beating the cryo-tube, I reasoned with the idea that the Forerunner might have built another entrance, almost like a back door," Augustus said.
      "Yeah, so."
      "So, after analyzing the reverberations of sounds, making a small thermo-scan, and more technical data that would confuse you," the Spartan made a grunt of amusement, "I've concluded that a portion of the ground below us is...hollow."
      "Hollow?" the Spartan repeated.
      "Yes, there must be more to this underground 'room' than meets the eye. Start looking over there for some sort of hatch or door," Augustus marked a target on Gregory's HUD.

      Wkehu 'Drrana readied his plasma rifle as he heard the vile infidels disengage from their dropship and set out to hunt him. 'Drrana crouched behind the boulder.
      "Let's move! Tom, check behind that boulder. Be careful, the bastard could be anywhere!" York shouted. The marine they called Tom crept closer to the boulder. There wasn't anyone visible at first glance, but as he got closer he saw the massive, black boot of the elite. Then he saw the blue burst of energy from the alien's rifle.
      Directly after Tom fell, grasping his bloody face in pain, the other marines fired their shotguns at the exposed creature. 'Drrana crouched back again behind the rock, but the marines had a new tactic.
      "Stand clear! Frag out!" a marine threw a fragmentation grenade beside. Seconds later, 'Drrana somersaulted from behind the boulder and the grenade exploded, sending shrapnel and dirt high into the air while blasting a significant piece of 'Drrana's cover to pieces. He side-stepped as he fired the plasma rifle at the marines and evaded their bullets.
      "Yeearoww!" 'Drrana screamed and he continued to fire at the marines. One marine caught a few rounds in the shoulder and fell to the ground, and another was blasted in the face.
      "Shit! This freak is tougher than I thought," York said, "He's outta range, these shotgun bullets can't do much damage from our position. Derek, try to sneak around the back and take him out. Get us a POW, but if he's too difficult, just shoot him." The marine named Derek snuck around the hills and came up behind 'Drrana. Wkehu 'Drrana continued to fire at the marines but suddenly pause when he heard someone approaching him. He spun and was greeted by a fast, painful smack in the face. The familiar feeling of unconsciousness flowed over him.
***

      Gregory waved his hand along the ancient floor, brushing sand and dust aside. He continued his search for the hatch until he found a thin groove in the floor.
      "Huh, what's this?" he traced the line around until it formed a square. He brushed more dust away and revealed a handle.
      "Alright, no tricks or electronic do-dads to deal with. Great, hopefully this will really be that easy," Gregory said as he opened the trapdoor and peered into the darkness below.

The Fall of Fate: Exploration
Date: 11 June 2003, 2:39 PM

There are references to specific parts in the game in parentheses to aid the reader.

      "What in the hell?" Gregory looked down a steep, dark stairwell. His boots clanked as they stepped on the metal steps and the echo reverberated down the ancient staircase. The Spartan continued down the steps for fifteen minutes until he reached a small door (like the one MC entered in the cut scene in the middle of 343 GS). He stared at the odd looking door and noticed two rectangular, green lights. As he got closer, the door opened automatically.
      "Hmm, interesting," Augustus mused to himself. Beyond the door was a long rectangular room with a high ceiling. The room was dimly lit; most of the light came from strange, tall, green screens (similar to the blue screens in the Library) that lined the entire length of the room.
      "This place just gets weirder and weirder," Gregory said as he stepped through the bizarre Forerunner gallery. At the end of the hallway was another door exactly like the first. He opened the door and walked up a short ramp (similar to those in the maze-like corridors of Assault on the Control Room and Two Betrayals). He surfaced into another bizarre looking room. This room, however, was well lit and, so far as Gregory could tell, roughly circular in shape. In the nucleus of the room were three strange, delta-shaped structures (pulse generators).
      "Hmm, I wonder what those are for," Gregory said.
      "Analyzing. They appear to be some sort of engine, or power generator. They could possibly be used for keeping this place running," Augustus declared, "Let's continue to move through this structure." Gregory got closer to the pointed machines and looked up. Three holes, parallel to each generator, went from the ceiling up to...it looked like the surface. A blue band of light streaked along the sides of the holes going upwards revealing the tube that went to the surface. Gregory followed the light with his eyes until it disappeared.
      "Hey, Augustus, do you think these machines are supposed to fire something?"
      "Hmm, possibly. I cannot make deductions on their purpose just yet."
      "Right," the Spartan said dully. They exited the chamber through a large, triangular door and entered another long, rectangular room, but this one was wider. The floor was oddly corrugated and so was the high ceiling (hallway to the Control Center). At the end was a large blast door, it was signified locked by the two red lights.
      "Well, I guess this is the end. Can't go any more, dead end. Better be heading back," the Spartan said hoping that Augustus wouldn't make him press any further.
      "Hold on now, not so fast. See those holo-pads..."
      "Not this again."
      "Go press one of the big yellow buttons, that should open the doors," Augustus marked the button with a nav point. Gregory let out a long sigh.
      "Damn it. Fine, but if that door blows up in my face like that other thing, we'll either both be dead, or I'll survive, and then I'll crush you," Gregory threatened.
      "You charm me, just open the damn door." Gregory pressed the button and watched. There was a deep clank as the gears shifted, the light turned green, there was a hiss of released pressure, and the doors slid apart revealing a room beyond anything the Spartan could have ever imagined.



      "F**k you humans! I'm telling you I have no idea where the damn Spartan is!" 'Drrana pounded the bars of the metal cage.
      "You sure as hell better know, for you sake," York said as he shoved the shotgun barrel in Wkehu's face.
      "Or you'll what, kill me? Go ahead, end my painful misery!" 'Drrana screamed at the marine.
      "Damn you, where is he!" York yelled.
      "I swear! I'm telling you this again! I don't have any clue on the whereabouts of your stupid Spartan," 'Drrana violently rattled the cage bars and roared. Even though the marines were bad asses, the scene of a vicious alien in a brutal rage made their spines tingle with fear.
      "Fine then, we'll just have to torture you until you do know where the Spartan is," York said. 'Drrana snarled and clicked his lower mandibles. He was trying to be as patient as he could.
      "Grrahh! Just because you stupid humans left without taking one of your insolent soldiers and then crushing him with the body of Fate, does not mean that you should take your anger out on me!"
      "I have one quick question for you. How come you speak perfect English, but none of your other elite buddies do?" York asked.
      "I am educated you imbecile! I am a field master!" 'Drrana replied.
      "And oh yeah, in response to your last comment--just because your stupid, f**ked up leaders tell you to kill us, doesn't mean that you should," York said to piss the elite off. And it did. The elite took his hand of the bars and roared, an ear splitting scream towards the heavens and raised his arms in anguish. He never heard such blasphemy in his entire life. The elite took the wooden bench in his cell and smashed it against the bars. He picked up a jagged piece of wood and attempted to slice at York, who tumbled backwards, startled.
      "Shit! Someone get the sedative!" he yelled at a marine to get the narcotic drug. The marine opened a black case, loaded the drug into the gun, and fired at Wkehu 'Drrana's neck. The elite felt a sharp sting in the side of his neck, stopped screaming, and greeted the familiar friend of unconsciousness.

The Fall of Fate: Grunter
Date: 13 June 2003, 8:19 PM

(The same thing goes for this story, parenthetical references)

       "Holy...what is this place, Augustus?" Gregory stood on a long, luminous bridge that appeared to have no supports. The platform outstretched a deep, round chasm that seemed to have no bottom. The bridge ended in a circular walkway, in the center of this walkway floated a holographic model of the Orion 3 system, including Ucundus and its moon. But, even more spectacular, was the enormous holographic effigy of Ucundus itself, which was suspended in the air around the bridge. It was easily one-thousand feet in circumference, and it orbited and rotated on its axis as if the gigantic room was space itself. Gregory looked up towards the domed ceiling and noticed how high it arched. At the front of the circular walkway was a long, glowing panel with illuminated symbols that twisted, turned, and morphed in a bizarre fashion whereby neither Gregory nor Augustus had ever seen. (This is exactly like the Control Center ot HALO, only this is the control center of Ucundus)
      "Let's try to find a way to upload me into this device. I might be able to identify the true purpose for this instillation," Augustus suggested.
      "You still persist on tampering with stuff that you shouldn't. And how do you plan on translating this ancient language?" Gregory asked.
      "I have my ways. And look, the last door you went through didn't blow up in your face. So you should trust me with this, right?" Augustus gave an answere to Gregory's doubt.
      "No. But I'll do it anyway," Gregory said as he stared at the control panel, searching for some sort of spot to upload the AI. He was careful not to touch anything; this was the biggest holo-pad he had ever seen.
      "Look, that terminal. Try to put me in there," Augustus directed the Spartan. Gregory took the AI cube from his helmet, felt August depart from his mind, and placed the device into a likely looking square spot. A few moments later the holographic representation of Caesar Augustus, complete with armor and sword, appeared out of the control panel, looming over Gregory.
      "Wow," was Gregory's only reaction. Data scrolled across Augustus's chest-plate and body.
      "My God! I must begin translating this information at once! So much information, so much knowledge!" the AI put on a look like he was thinking, processing the immense amounts of data.
      "Hey, why don't you figure out something useful, like finding a way to relay a transmission to a human satellite, an S.O.S. maybe?" Gregory asked the holographic emperor.
      "Good suggestion, barbarian. But I will do as I please for the next few moments," Augustus said with high authority.
      "Barbarian," Gregory repeated, "what the hell are you talking about? And let's keep in mind who put you into the machine, and who can just as easily take you out," Gregory snapped back.
      "Oh, yeah, right. I almost slipped into my ancient Roman mentality. And I will find a way to transmit a signal, just not right now," Augustus responded.
      "Alright, did you find the reason for this place yet?" Gregory asked.
      "I've just about finished the translation. Well, I've learned that the first room we entered, you remember the one with the malfunctioning machines?" Augustus asked.
      "Yeah, how could I forget, it put me into a coma," Gregory responded.
      "Right, its purpose was to act as a directional map to the ring-worlds. If I'm reading this correctly, the closest one to our galaxy is Instillation 04, located in the Threshold system. I'm copying my coordinates to my memory database now, so ONI might be able to send a team there and collect data. If I'm translating this correctly, there are several ring-worlds throughout the universe.
      "The next room—the long, dark one—is a prison, for a flood? No, I must be translating this incorrectly. I'll get back to that later," Augustus continued.
      "I'm not playing around with any holo-pads in that room, no matter how you coerce me. Nuh-uh," the Spartan made a hand gesture to signify his resilience. "Have you figured out how to open the cryotube?" the Spartan asked.
      "No, I have not. I'm afraid that I can't either. The tube's machinery is not connected with the mainframe of this control center. It's impossible," the AI said sadly.
      "Well what about the function of this instillation?" the Spartan asked.
      "Hmm, I almost have it. Ah yes! Here it is, the purpose of this instillation is to...Oh my God," a countenance of fear covered the AI's face.


      Wkehu 'Drrana awoke in his grey cell to the sound of human speech. How long has it been, he thought. His fogged vision cleared and he could visibly notice the bars and the face of the two marines on guard.
      "Hey, Jim, the alien's awake," one marine said to the other.
      "Right, let's radio York and tell 'em.
      "Okay," the first marine said, "This is Rob to Richard York. Anyone copy, over," the marine clicked the radio off.
      "Yo, Rob. We got another POW here. It's a grunt (Scope). He says he knows where the Spartan is. We had to tie 'em up because he was wild. It shot a marine in the knee-cap. We're bringing him over now, get ready, over," York said.
      "Alright, the elite's awake, though. How should we go about opening the cell?" the marine asked.
      "When did Sleeping Beauty wake up?" came York's voice.
      "Bout five minutes ago," the marine responded.
      "He shouldn't be too lively. He should still be drowsy from the narcotic," York said. And that was exactly how 'Drrana felt, very tired.
      Ten minutes later the wooden door busted open and four marines, all grasping the arms and legs of an orange, screaming grunt, opened the cell and tossed him in.
      "Let me go! Let me go! I can't move," the grunt yelled in his high pitched voice. Wkehu 'Drrana couldn't help but chuckle a little bit. The grunt amused him. It wriggled around in a circle on the dirty floor, its arms and legs still bound. It continued this until its eyes fell upon the golden-armored elite and just stared.
      "Oooo. Could you un-untie me, Excellency?" the grunt asked. My, this grunt was brave to be asking a field-master a favor, the elite thought. But 'Drrana was glad to have the company of another Covenant soldier, even if he was a grunt.
      "I shall. What is your name, grunt?" the elite asked.
      "My name is Grunter!" the grunt said excitedly.
      "Well, Grunter, why do you not have a traditional name for a grunt? Did your Parental Figures not bestow one onto you" the elite asked.
      "Well, in a sense yes, and in a sense no," Grunter said.
      "It is a long story. Many year units ago, my Parental Figures were murdered by the blasphemers in our homeland, during the infidel rebellion which our mighty army crushed in a short matter of three month units. But sadly, my Parental Figures were one of the few victims. I was only a fetus in an egg at the time, so I only heard stories of this when I was older. Once I hatched, I was implemented into Covenant army training. When I was asked for a name, me and my brethren had none, so the elites just called us grunts. In a battle against the humans, I was taken prisoner. The humans decided that, since I was their only prisoner and I made growling noises at them, they would give me a human name and call me Grunter," Grunter explained.
      "Why did you keep such a name, if it was given to you by the humans?" 'Drrana asked.
      "Because none of the higher-ranking Covenant soldiers cared. Actually, you are the only one that ever asked me," Grunter said.
      "Well, grunt..."
      "-er," Grunter corrected.
      "Right, well, Grunter, right now we only have to worry on escaping this imprisonment," Wkehu said.
      "Oh, no don't worry. I found one of those transmitters and contacted Fate's sister ship, Destiny. Another invasion is in the works."

The Fall of Fate: Destiny (Part 7)
Date: 1 July 2003, 12:05 AM

(Quick Review: The Covenant were planning a stealth a mission to excavate a Forerunner room beneath the human colonized planet of Ucundus. This mission failed and the Covenant destroyer, Fate, was blown out of the sky. The few survivors: an elite Field-master named Wkehu 'Drrana and a grunt with the human given name, Grunter, are POWs. But before the grunt was captured, he sent a message to Fate's sister-ship, Destiny. Trapped in the Forrunner room are the Spartan named Gregory and his AI, Augustus. They go through a few passages and find a Control Center similar to the one on HALO. Augustus is in the Forerunner control panel and has just figured out the true purpose of the instillation.)

April 29, 2548. Onboard the Covenant Sistership of Fate, Destiny.

      The black armored elite, Tusla 'Pokaree, stood before the Prophet of medium power in a dimly lit room. They were to discuss the second invasion of Ucundus, and the excavation of the room beneath the planet's surface. 'Pokaree stared at his marvelous leader. The Prophet wore a complex and intricate headpiece and his body was draped with opulently embroidered crimson robes. The Prophet gazed at his soldier with cold, black eyes, as if he were analyzing the elite's soul. Tusla 'Pokaree lowered his head in respect and waited for the Prophet to speak to him. The bony lips of the Prophet parted but no words came out. He closed his mouth again as if what he was about to say would have been deemed wrong, like a question to an oral examination. The Prophet took another breath and sighed. Now he spoke.
      "I have heard rumors, 'Pokaree. Are these rumors true?" the Prophet inquired. The elite raised his head.
      "May I inquire what these rumors concern, Your Excellency?" the elite asked.
      "You know very well what they concern. The transmission we received from the grunt. Is it true? True that we have lost three ships and the only survivor is a grunt? What of Field-master Wkehu 'Drrana? Hmm, why have we failed!" the Prophet exclaimed in anger.
      "Your Excellency, the humans found our sister-ship, Fate, hovering above the excavation site. The two Seraph fighters were not enough to hold against the human forces. I believe we were overwhelmed. The ship could not drop off enough troops before humans entered the ship and planted their nuclear weapon. The bow was blown to pieces, thousands of troops were killed in that one single blast, the debris alone killed hundreds. The ship fell upright and was held in place by dirt and rubble. The ship could not deploy any more dropships, the abundant human forces overwhelmed our troops and then fled. And as if the destruction of the ship was not enough, the humans persisted on knocking it down upon our survivors! No one, except the grunt, survived. I am sorry, Your Excellency," Tusla said. The Prophet stared in disbelief for a few seconds, let out a deep breath, and said:
      "Well, how do you know all of these details? Surly the grunt didn't explain them to you," the Prophet asked.
      "I watched on a view screen via our battle cameras, Your Excellency," the elite responded with his head lowered once more.
      "Hmm, this is a problem. This is a very, very difficult problem. How many ships are in this armada?" the Prophet questioned.
      "Two destroyers, Destiny and Providence, Fate's two sister-ships. Three frigates, The Repentance, The Candor and Appeasement, and The Belief and Wisdom. We have twenty Seraph fighters, and one assault carrier, The Judgment," the elite explained.
      "Excellent. Where are we en route to?" the Prophet asked.
      "We are headed to..." at that moment a blue armored elite bustled through the door holding a coordinate chip, gasping for air.
      I-I A-am very s-sorry to disrupt you, Your Ex-Excellency, but we h-have received anoth-another transmission from Ucundus!" the elite said.
      "Well, what is it?" the Prophet asked impatiently. The blue elite made a gesture with his hand to let him catch his breath.
      "The grunt has been captured, this transmission is from the hunter named Yugo Kosa Bohrrok. He says that Field-master Wkehu 'Drrana is still alive, but is being held prisoner at theses coordinates," the elite placed the chip into a control panel and a holographic representation of the battlefield sprang to life. The target was marked on a small shack-like building where Grunter and 'Drrana were imprisoned, "The hunter is severely wounded and his bond brother is dead," the blue elite said.
      "Alright, I want the Ship-master alerted to place his Slipspace coordinates on Ucundus. Get the combat Ossoonas ready to be deployed as soon as possible. The failure on Ucundus was unacceptable. We will not fail again," the Prophets orders were immediately executed and in a matter of minutes the armada was facing the blue and green countenance of Ucundus.

April 29, 2548. In the Control Center of Ucundus.

      "What? What's wrong?" Gregory stared at the horrified expression that engulfed Augustus's face.
      "T-this instillation," Augustus stammered, "is a weapon," on the word 'weapon', both Augustus's and Gregory's eyes flared.
      "What, wuh-what do you mean this is a weapon?" Gregory asked nervously.
      "This Control Center has a pulse radius capable of annihilating this galaxy, and it also contains the coordinates of...Earth," as soon as Augustus uttered these words, a holographic representation of the blue planet appeared, along with a series of numbers marking the coordinates.
      "Shit!" Gregory exclaimed.
      "N-not only that," Augustus continued in his horrified drone, "but it contained the coordinates of many other colonies also. The Covenant must not gain access to this instillation. We've got to get a rescue party here. We need reinforcements," Augusts said as if commanding Gregory to execute his orders immediately.
      "Okay, but what kind of weapon is it? Can it be controlled? Can it be used against the Covenant?" Gregory asked this questions hastily.
      "No, no it cannot. But, if I'm translating this encryption correctly, this instillation has its share of defenses. There are several, highly powerful energy-pulse cannons. I believe they would be capable of defending the planet from the ground. If I can locate these cannons, we may be able to harness Forerunner weapons technology. We may be able to lead an effective stand against the Covenant!" Augustus said with a new triumphant vigor.
      "Great," Gregory said dully, "but I don't want to have to touch any holo buttons."

To be Continued...

The Fall of Fate: Freedom(8)
Date: 2 July 2003, 8:08 PM

April 29, 2548. On the surface of Ucundus, inside the human prison shack.

      Wkehu 'Drrana stared in disbelief at the little grunt for several seconds.
      "What do you mean, another invasion is in the works?" the elite inquired.
      "I mean, that they are coming back for us. We're gonna be saved!" the grunt exclaimed. At that moment two marines entered through the wooden door.
      "So, how are we feeling today? Hmm?" York said to the prisoners. The elite just stared in contempt at the human, while the grunt said nothing.
      "Well, I hope you're ready to work, Grunt. We've got a lot of debris removal to do. Ha ha ha!" York chuckled. The other marine raised his shotgun as York opened the prison door and dragged the grunt out. They led the alien out of the wooden door onto the once silent and somber battlefield, which had been transformed into what looked like a massive construction site. Dozens of huge cranes removed debris and rubble that had once been the hull and interior of the Covenant battleship. Grunter saw hundreds of prisoners of war that had been brought from various battles to help remove the wreckage. Grunts, jackals, and he even saw a few hunters helping out with the heavier pieces, but those were the only species of Covenant he noticed. The others, the elites were to strong willed, unlike the three weaker minded species.
      "At this rate, we'll be done in about a day," York shouted above the din.
      "Yeah, but the removal of that ship is going to be a bitch," the other marine yelled. Grunter watched as one of the cranes dropped a large package of rubble into the back of a garbage-craft.
      "Yeah, some of this stuff will be shot to the space dumps, others will be rushed to ONI, like the ruined ship," York explained to the other marine. Hehe, that is if the garbage-crafts don't get blown up by the oncoming invasion , Grunter thought.
      "Hey, Grunt! You'll be working over there in cleaning up some coolant leakage from the craft," York yelled, Grunter felt the chill of the coolant already.
      "Just don't fall into the pools, hehe," the other marine snickered.

April 29, 2548. Onboard the Covenant Sistership of Fate, Destiny.

      "How long until deployment?" the Ship-master, Quasa 'Ligoree, paused his pacing upon hearing the elite's voice appear from nowhere. Suddenly the air in front of Quasa rippled and a pale armored Ossoona materialized. 'Ligoree grunted.
      " Well, Arga 'Yulemee, don't sneak up on a Ship-master like such, I could have you executed," the noble voice of 'Ligoree responded.
      "Well, how long will it be before my special ops team goes in for deployment?" the Ossoona inquired once again. And at this moment a dozen other stealth troops materialized from the dark of the room.
      "Oh, how long were you in here?" Quasa questioned. "Never mind. Be prepared for deployment in fifteen (minute) units," 'Ligoree commanded.
      "Yes, Commander," the Ossoonas left the bridge and continued through the purple halls of the ship into a docking bay. There, two dropships were waiting for the Ossoonas. The stealth troops gathered their gear, some carrying plasma rifles, others carrying the holsters to plasma swords. They boarded the dropships and took off into the space. They traveled along the far side of the planet until they quietly landed in the hills where the Seraph fighters had crashed. They had dismantled the human radars from space so they never knew of the two dropships.

Back inside the makeshift prison

      Wkehu 'Drrana sat in silence, watching the four human marines talk about their private life while playing cards on a makeshift card table. Suddenly, the wooden door swayed open as if from a breeze. A marine stood up and volunteered to close it. He walked to the door and held out his hand to push the door back, when suddenly he was seized. He was spun to face the marines by an unseen force. He limbs swung about violently as if possessed by a demon, he tried to yell but a strangled scream bellowed from his lungs. And suddenly, a loud crack! was heard, as the marine's neck was snapped and he fell to the floor, dead.
      "What the fu..." the marine never finished, because at that moment three, shimmering blue plasma blades appeared out of thin air. The marine was caught in the stomach by the sword. The Ossoona ripped it out sideways, splashing crimson blood and fragments of the marine's ribs across the floor. The other two marines were startled by this new threat, they groped for their assault shotguns, or anything to use as a weapon against the new assaulter. The card table was shattered into fragments by a sword almost as easily as the marine. One soldier saw the rippling air and smacked an elite in the face with the butt of his weapon, but the elite had a clearer shot at the human and did the same. The headless carcass fell agains a chair with a sickening thud! The last marine backed against the far wall and fired random rounds at the air from his shotgun. He watched in desperate horror as the neon blades crept closer, and closer. He was pulled away from the wall by an invisible force and he felt one of the weapons sever his torso from his stomach. He fell onto his back and stared in ultimate horror, as he watched the aliens fling his departed legs to the side.
      Wkehu 'Drrana watched in amazement at the slaughter from behind the metal bars, as each of the guards was killed with precise brutality. The three Ossoonas deactivated their camouflage and placed the charge to the bars. There was a dull boom and a flash of light as the metal bars were disintegrated. Wkehu 'Drrana felt an exciting notion of freedom, like one gets after taking his last examination before school is released for summer. The Ossoonas handed the Field-master a plasma rifle and a few grenades. Wkehu checked the weapon and thanked the Ossoonas, who had now reactivated their camoflague.
      The marine who had last been killed was still conscious to watch his assaulters reveal themselves, to see them free the prisoner, and to activate an M9 HE-DP Grenade...

To be Continued...

The Fall of Fate: Escape
Date: 10 July 2003, 9:04 PM

1370 Hours April 29, 2548 (Military Calendar)//Inside the Makeshift Cabin

      The blast came so fast and unexpectedly that Wkehu 'Drrana hadn't the faintest idea what had happened. Seconds earlier, he had been gratefully thanking the Ossoonas for rescuing him, and then that fierce explosion. The Elite warrior farthest from him and closest to the blast was split into hundreds of pieces, which proceeded to bounce and splatter all around the room. The second Ossoons was flung headlong into the wall, his skull brutally crushed by force. Wkehu 'Drrana was blown backwards into the prison cell. The right wall was gone and the ceiling of the makeshift shack was half collapsed.
      As 'Drrana slowly regained his focus, he realized what had happened. The last marine to die blew himself up. Relentless bastard, thought the Field-master. They caught the full face of the blast and thus saved my life. The gods will bless you all in the afterlife, he thought. 'Drrana gradually came to his feet and gazed at the ruined cabin. The third Ossoona lay on his back wailing strangled cries from his throat, which had been pierced by a jagged piece of wood. His camouflage faded in and out, creating a ghastly effect that challenged the imagination. Violet blood spewed from the Elite's mandibles, and dribbled down his cheek. An expression of terror was imbedded in the warriors white eyes, which darted violently in their sockets, hoping for some sort of salvation. The Ossoona chocked, his chest heaved forcefully, and his eyes became abruptly still and cold as ice on a glassy pond.
      'Drrana quickly uttered a prayer to the gods, hoping to grant the Ossoonas an exultant afterlife. He began to push by the smashed pieces of wood and splattered gore, when he heard alarmed voices.
      "What the hell was that!" exclaimed York. "Peters, Browning, move in to see what in God's name happened in there," York cursed under his breath.
      "Yes sir," was Browning's reply. The two marines moved closer to the wrecked cabin. The only thing they could see was smoke coming from the hole in the
half-collapsed roof.
      "York, I can't really see anything. It's all in ruins," Peters said.
      "Try to get a radio transmission from the four guards," York ordered.
      "Yes sir," the two marines answered in unison.
      "Peterson to Carmichael. Do you read me, Carmichael?" Peterson paused with the radio in his hand. "Peterson to Olly, Peterson to Olly. What happened? Over," nothing but static came over the freq. Peterson held the radio up to his mouth again: "Peterson to--" he was cut off by York.
      "That's enough. Go in," York gestured to the makeshift prison. The silence and static from the radio scared the marines. They held their assault rifles at the ready—eyes down range, fingers on the trigger, and the butt of the weapon rested between the arm and the shoulder.
      Wkehu 'Drrana heard their voices. He knew they were coming closer. Should I fight?, he thought as his hand felt the smooth plating of the plasma rifle. Should I play dead?, the idea seemed too risky. No, I have a better plan. He held one of the plasma grenades the Ossoonas gave him in his right hand, I will RUN!. He replayed the plan over again in his head as his thumb ran over the glossy sphere subconsciously. He activated the round weapon, which proceeded to transform into a flaming blue plasma orb. He flung the grenade into the cell (whose wall faced away from the battlefield and thus the marines). Three seconds later the bomb detonated into a blue- white explosion. Most of the back wall was gone, leaving 'Drrana limited time to escape before the wrecked prison crushed him.

1370 Hours April 29, 2548 (Military Calendar)//Beneath the Surface of Ucundus, inside the Forerunner Control Center

      "I am truly elated at this find," Augustus said happily, as his enormous holographic body grinned over the control panel.
      "Yeah, me too. Does this place have any other weapons besides the one capable of annihilating the entire galaxy? Any interior security that I might have to worry about?" Gregory asked.
      "Don't worry, I have control over all systems. But I can't operate the weapon without something they call the 'Index'. I already told you, this places has the energy-pulse cannons," Augustus said.
      "Instead of those too," the Spartan said.
      "Hold on, let me see if there are any forms of security," Augustus began translating the Forerunner encryption. "Yes! The Forerunner have independent robotic assaulters, they call them, Sentinels."

1375 Hours April 29, 2548 (Military Calendar)//Inside the Makeshift Cabin

      'Drrana sprinted from the Cabin as soon as he heard the creaking of the weakened wood and dove at moment when the whole roof and walls caved in. 'Drrana abruptly rolled onto his back and stared at the pile of wood that buried seven bodies. He had no time to collect himself, because he was suddenly under a hail of assault rifle bullets.
      "There his is!" Peterson yelled, "Son of a bitch!" Peterson and Browning squeezed the trigger, letting loose dozens of armor piercing rounds.
      "Short bursts! Short bursts!" York yelled to the two marines, as he loaded his shotgun. 'Drrana sprinted as fast as he could, but the bullets grazed and hit him. The pain was tremendous. 'Drrana threw himself onto his stomach, the shots zooming over his head. His weak armor had taken most of the shots, but he had been hit, purple blood dripped from the wounds. He didn't feel like moving, he wanted to die, to die right then and there. He heard their footsteps coming closer to him, he heard the pump of York's shotgun, and he heard the roar of a Banshee's engine.

The Fall of Fate: Raid (10)
Date: 18 July 2003, 12:08 AM

1390 Hours April 29, 2548 (Military Calendar)//To the North of the cleanup site, behind the makeshift cabin.

      The banshee wailed just over Wkehu 'Drrana's head, he saw the two adjacent vapor trails curl in unison as it turned. York dove, and fired his shotgun at the attack craft.
      "Damn it! Where the hell did he come from!" York yelled as he got to his feet.
      "Uh sir, I think you mean where the hell did they come from?" Peterson said as ten small dots appeared from the left side of the sky and another nine from the right.
      "Shit." York said under his breath, he activated his radio. "York to Delta Base 148, do you copy?"
      "York, is that you?" came an alarmed male voice.
      "Yes, what's wrong?" York said as he dove behind a rock while the banshee pounded the ground with twin plasma bolts.
      "Thank God you're alive. We've come under attack, three enemy dropships have entered the atmosphere, and two are deploying troops right on top of us. We've lost sight of the third. Oh my God. York we need as many reinforcements as possible, we weren't prepared for an attack," the voice from the radio said.
      "I don't know how much assistance we can give to you. We've got twenty enemy aircrafts in the area, and I've got three marines," York said in a panic.
      "Shit, get back to base A.S.A.P. It'll be easier to fight from there. Siglain over and out," the transmission was cut. Each of the purple dots in the sky had come into full view now. They swerved and roared over the cleanup site in a vicious frenzy.
      "Crap, we need to get the civilian workers evacuated immediately. Once that cleanup site gets hot they're toast," York said to Browning and Peterson. The banshee that had been attacking the three marines turned and flew towards the site of cranes, garbage-crafts, POWs, and humans. The three marines sprinted around the wrecked shack, allowing Wkehu 'Drrana enough time to escape.

1390 Hours April 29, 2548 (Military Calendar)//Beneath the surface of Ucundus, inside the Forerunner Control Room.

      "So, ah, what do these Sentinels do? What are they like?" Gregory asked the gigantic holographic effigy of his AI.
      "I can show you," Augustus said with a grin. With that, two large, adjacent, metal panels slid upwards from the back wall of the Control Center dome. Out came racks and racks of black metal figures.
      "Activating Sentinel 136-2-4," Augustus said.
      "What do all the numbers stand for?" Gregory asked.
      "Serial number-rack number-row number. The racks work like grids," Augustus replied. At that moment, there was a metallic click! and the Sentinel hovered down to Gregory. It was made from some kind of silvery-black metal and was roughly cylindrical, but with angular edges. Suddenly, winglike, squarish fins sprung from the machine and a bright blue light emitted from the Sentinel's "eye" bathed upon Gregory's armor.
      "Holy, this thing is awesome," Gregory said, "But what is its weapon? How does it work?" Gregory asked.
      "Okay," was Augustus's only reply, but Gregory knew that the AI was giving the Sentinel an order through electronic communication roads no human could ever see or hear. A concentrated, red-orange, laser-beam flew from a red dot beneath its blue "eye". The laser traced a circle to the left of the entrance with so much precision, that Gregory knew that if he measured the circle it would equal an exact 360 degrees.
      "Wow, and that thing can be used against the Covenant?" Gregory inquired.
      "Yes, a single Sentinel can cut through an Elite's shields in about ten seconds and finish him off in about another ten. Grunts and Jackals are less of a challenge, and, if they hit the Hunters in the right spot, fall easily. Just imagine what dozens of these robots can do," Augustus explained with zeal.

1390 Hours April 29, 2548 (Military Calendar)//Onboard Destiny.

      "The first wave of Banshee fighters have been deployed. I've received word that the Ossoonas have succeeded in freeing Field-master Wkehu 'Drrana, but three have died," Tusla 'Pokaree said to the Prophet.
      "That is too many dead. What of the other nine. Have they entered the Forerunner room?" the Prophet asked.
      "No, Your Excellency," 'Pokaree said.
      "And why not," the Prophet asked angrily.
      "Fate has fallen upon the entrance. We are having trouble removing it," Tusla said.
      "Hmm, this is a predicament, but we can deal with it after the invasion has wiped the planet clean of all resisting forces," the Prophet said.
      "The second and third dropships have deployed the Special Ops teams, which are infiltrating the human base called Delta Base 148," the Elite said.
      "Very good, get the other dropships ready and rally the troops. Alert the Ship-masters of the other crafts including the assault carrier, Judgement. This invasion will send these humans cowering in fear. They have not seen the might of our army until they have met one of our Elite soldiers in person," the Prophet said emotionally.

1420 Hours April 29, 2548 (Military Calendar)// Fate cleanup site.

      The banshee attack had been raging for just under an hour. They had taken out three of the five garbage-crafts, killed ten civilian workers, and five marines. The banshees had lost only three aircrafts and five special operations grunts. The battle inside Delta Base 148 also had caused numerous casualties. The five Elites clad in black armor crept through the base, killing with precise deadliness, while the Grunts sent body parts flying with their fuel rod guns. The POWs attacked the humans from all sides, it was total chaos, but was only the beginning of something far worse.
      "Damn it!" Sgt. Siglain said as he fought back a pair of ex-POW Jackals. "Where the hell are our reinforcements!" Siglain shot both jackals in the head with his sidearm; their purple blood erupted from the holes and spilt onto the cold floor.
      "Sir, they got Dean," Peterson said as two medics dragged away the bloody marine's body. Siglain suddenly realized that the marine had a gaping hole in his stomach.
      "Damn those fuel rod guns!" Siglain exclaimed.
      "Watch it sir!" Browning said as he fired at three Jackals that had leapt out of the rafters. Without shields they were much easier to kill. The shields were taken when the aliens became prisoners. Browning, Peterson, and Siglain each fired at the aliens, killing them fast.
      "That's it, I'm ordering everyone to get down stairs. I'm 'gonna seal off the passageways, we're completely overrun," Siglain said.
      "Okay, you heard the man! Everyone downstairs to the armory, get the civilians in there too," York ordered to the marines. All the marines sprinted down the steps firing rounds behind them at the oncoming enemy. Browning was the last one down. He locked each door behind him, which only slowed the Covenant. They blew each one down in seconds with their powerful fuel rod guns. Browning heard the last door he locked explode forwards and he knew it was only a matter of minutes before they were all right on top of him. The first round missed and exploded on the wall in front of him, the second fell right behind him and sent him flying forward.
      "Oh God, I have t-to lock the blast door," Browning said to himself as he quickly go to his feet. He had fallen behind the rest of the group. The blast door was a few meters in front of him. Browning quickly typed the code in and the doors hissed, he began to squeeze in, but a green blast from a fuel rod gun hit the floor near him and he was thrown to the ground. Browning felt intense pain throb through his body and he was bleeding in various places. He looked at the door, but the first layer had sealed shut, and the second layer of the blast door began closing. Browning drew his sidearm and fired at the closest Grunt. The Grunt began to fire his weapon, but was stopped by a bullet that passed through his skull. The loose fuel rod gun slid to Browning, but it was simmering green plasma. The gun exploded suddenly, bathing Browning in burning pain and sending two other fuel rod bearing grunts flying into the back wall. The result was a chain reaction, both guns exploded, setting off loose plasma grenades, which killed more grunts, and causing their volatile weapons to discharge. Browning was killed instantly, along with five special ops grunts, three POW grunts and, seven Jackals.
      Peterson heard the explosions and spun to catch a glimpse behind the glass of the first layer of the blast door. He saw Browning leaning against the closing door and watched as he become engulfed in a green and blue blast. He saw his fellow marine's blood for an instant, but the second layer sealed shut and Browning was gone.
      "Sir, Browning's dead."

The Fall of Fate: Invasion, Part One
Date: 24 July 2003, 1:11 AM

1490 Hours April 29, 2548 (Military Calendar)//Onboard Destiny.


      "Do not leave a single human alive, do not spare one of the vile blasphemers! They have defiled the will of the gods; they must all perish into pools of their own gore! Slaughter with the only the reason to slaughter, kill with brutality, smash their delicate faces and crush their weak bones! We will not be satisfied until each and every last brick and body has fallen! The gods will their destruction, and we are their instruments!" Field-master Kala 'Jiutemee finished his oration to cheers and vicious battle cries. The Elites stomped their big, hoofed boots; the Hunters bellowed roars and the Grunts and Jackals hooted and yelled.
      "Hanger bays three through thirty seven, prepare for deployment," the commanding voice said over the intercom of the Covenant battle cruiser. Destiny was deploying approximately seventy dropships, Providence was prepared to deploy another fifty, and the assault carrier, Judgement, was to release 150 more dropships. This accompanied with 300 banshee fighters from each ship created an invasion force that would be a substitute for glassing the planet. The Prophets could not bear to lose such a precious Forerunner artifact. First, the invasion would take out Delta Base 148 and the nearby city of Hammondton. Then, they would move on, accompanied by more troops deployed by the three frigates, and take out the planet's other major cities and instillations.
      "Are you nervous?" the veteran Elite Fusa 'Lutamee asked his younger brother, Fusa 'Yongaree, who was clad in blue armor.
      "No," the young Elite said. 'Lutamee clicked his lower mandibles. Although his brother gave the appearance of being strong and brave, he saw the same look in his brother's white eyes that he had know ever since he was a child. It was a kind of worry, a slight rising of the skin above the eyes, like he was absorbing the dramatic scene all at once.
      "Just follow my lead, stay close. This is your first time into battle, and you need to remember what I taught you. What do you do when you see a human warrior clad completely in green armor, eh?" 'Lutamee asked.
      "Stay away, let the veterans and Field-masters take care of them," 'Yongaree answered.
      "Yes. Don't tell any other Covenant soldier that, I and you could be executed. I have seen many a warrior fall before the might of the Green Ones, the infidels call them 'Spahr-Tins'," 'Lutamee's eyes widened as he whispered the name of the warriors. "I don't want you to be killed by one of them, or any human. If you encounter one, it is almost certain death," 'Lutamee continued.
      "Yes, I will kill the others," 'Yongaree said. They climbed onboard dropship 13-585, and waited to be deployed into the atmosphere.

1500 Hours April 29, 2548 (Military Calendar)//Beneath the Surface of Ucundus, in the Forerunner Control Center.

      Gregory watched as four other Sentinels floated from their rack and listened to Augustus explain more information about them.
      "So this thing's weapon can take down an Elite's shield and do a bunch of other stuff. Can it cut through a piece of weakened hull, say Fate's?" Gregory asked and Augustus grinned.
      "A potential plan to get us out of here I presume?"

1510 Hours April 29, 2548 (Military Calendar)//Inside the basement of Delta Base 148.

      Peterson sobbed over the death of his fellow marine, but tried not to let his emotions get the better of him. He was in the middle of a war zone, and Browning died while activating the blast doors, thus saving all the marines' and civilian workers' lives. They had been able to get the power back on and found their way into the armory. All marines equipped themselves with extra ammo and weapons. York carried the full amount of shotgun ammo, 60 bullets, and put two M6D pistols into holsters at his side. All the civilians carried weapons too. They were ready for anything.
      "Sir, we should be getting reinforcement A.S.A.P. Command says five scorpion MBTs, twenty Warthogs, a few hundred marines and four Spartans. They say this is going to be a big invasion, and that we're basically screwed.

1510 Hours April 29, 2548 (Military Calendar)//In the Hills Near the Cleanup Site.

      Field-master Wkehu 'Drrana climbed into the hills once again, there to find the Ossoonas' dropship, along with the other nine Ossoonas. Three revealed themselves to the Elite warrior.
      "Field-master Wkehu 'Drrana?" the commanding Ossoona, Arga 'Yulemee, asked.
      "Yes," 'Drrana replied.
      "Praise to the gods! You are alive and well!" the Ossoona exclaimed.
      "Ahh, you were expecting otherwise?" Wkehu replied with a grin.
      "No, I was--" Wkehu cut the Elite off.
      "Enough, I understand, you are happy. Now, tell me what is happening here," the Field-master demanded. The Ossoona cleared his throat.
      "Right, well. The Ossoonas that appear before you were sent here to free you, investigate and secure the ancient room, and scout. We shall go unseen by the humans. The banshees are clearing the site around Fate, ridding it of the humans. Lastly, two dropships worth of Special Ops soldiers have infiltrated Delta Base 148 and are killing the humans hiding in there. The infidels have already suffered heavy casualties.
      "And the prisoners have revolted against the humans?"
      "Yes. It is chaos. If they don't bring reinforcements, this battle will be over very soon," Arga said with a maniacal smile.
      "Let's hope they don--" Wkehu 'Drrana paused as he heard the roar of an engine. He peered towards the sky and saw a dropship pass overhead, a human dropship.

To be continued...

The Fall of Fate: Invasion, Part Two(12)
Date: 31 July 2003, 1:00 AM

1517 Hours April 29, 2548 (Military Calendar)//In the Hills Near the Cleanup Site.

      Wkehu 'Drrana watched as one human dropship flew overhead, then another two, then three more, until the air was filled with the sound of twenty Pelicans' engines. 'Drrana lowered his neck and peered at Arga.
      "So what do we do if reinforcements do arrive?" the Field-master asked condescendingly.
      "Then we bring our reinforcements," the Ossoona replied.
      "I see, to avenge those who died from the battle of Fate," the Field-master continued. There was a long silence that lasted for a few minutes. Two of the Ossoonas cloaked themselves again, only Arga and Field-master Wkehu 'Drrana remained.
      "I am taking your dropship," 'Drrana said swiftly, without even listening to the Ossoona's response.
      "Please, Excellency, we beg you to keep it here. What if we must make quick escape?" Arga pleaded.
      "Make sure you don't have to make a quick escape. Besides, this dropship looks very, very suspicious. It gives away your position; I wouldn't be surprised if they haven't already spotted you. I suggest you cloak yourself and fast. Find another location, that is an order," 'Drrana entered the cockpit and took off. He brought up the coordinates of Destiny and the other cruisers. Soon the six battleships came into full view. He saw the three frigates: The Repentance, The Candor and Appeasement, and The Belief and Wisdom; Fate's two sister-ships: Destiny and Providence; and the massive behemoth, the assault carrier, Judgment. Judgment was the second largest Covenant ship in the entire fleet, each of its plasma torpedoes had the power of a nuclear warhead, 'Drrana knew what they were planning to do. Judgment would unleash a series of torpedoes upon Ucundus's surface, setting off nuclear explosions nowhere near the Forerunner site, but wreaking havoc all over the planet. 'Drrana smiled.
      His craft was soon caught in the midst of the other dropships released by Providence. He now knew what Arga meant by bringing reinforcements. 'Drrana watched as Judgement released 150 purple dropships , and he waited for Destiny to give her share.

1520 Hours April 29, 2548 (Military Calendar)//In the Docking Bay of Destiny.

      Fusa 'Lutamee and Fusa 'Yongaree grabbed the harness bars of the dropship. They felt a deep rumble as the ship undocked and they flew into space. 'Lutamee knew that his brother was nervous, it was the young Elite's first time into battle. The veteran looked at his brother and spoke.
      "Do not be afraid, the gods will shine down upon you this day. Have faith in them and they will protect you. Kill the blasphemers, crush them into dust." The dropship joined the rest of the invasion force and they prepared to enter the atmosphere of Ucundus.

1520 Hours April 19, 2548 (Military Calendar//A Few Meters Above the Ground in Front of Delta Base 148, In the Troop Bay of Dropship Bravo 12.

      "The LZ is hot, but you Spartans can handle yourselves pretty well. Touchdown in five, four, three, two, one...Take it to 'em marines!" the pilot exclaimed over the intercom. The three Spartans along with 200 other marines and Orbital Drop Shock Troopers charged off their dropships, firing at the ravenous POWs. Without weapons or shields they were defeated easily. The Jackals fought with tooth and claw, which only caused a few scratches, and the Grunts either fled or used whatever they could find lying around as a weapon. The small skirmish was over in a matter of minutes.
      "I'm counting approximately sixty Covenant casualties," the Spartan named Edward said.
      "Yeah, well watch it Ed. You've got several big enemies coming from the trees and fast," Linda, the fourth Spartan in their group, said. Linda was an expert sniper, the best of the best.
      "Well, you know best, Linda," Ed glanced at his radar and realized she was right. The trees to their right rustled and branches cracked, Ed heard something that resembled trees being snapped in half. Low, rumbling snarls came from the forest. Suddenly, the loud report of a sniper rifle was heard, and the straight vapor trail was seen as it hammered into the forest. A loud screech and a gout of orange blood followed, along with the falling body of a Hunter.
      "Shit," Ed muttered. An unearthly roar bellowed from the forest, and five Hunters burst from the trees, Ed dodged flying splinters of bark. A marine was taken by surprise, and was bashed to the left by a tree trunk, which the Hunter used as a melee weapon, since he had no shield or fuel-rod cannon. All Hunters seemed to be carrying them, using them like bludgeons. The bloody, crumpled marine's body landed several yards away with a sickening thwack! The closest marines opened fire on the Hunters, the rounds pinging on their armor. The beast that had killed the marine now threw another to the ground with his powerful fist and raised the trunk over his head to crush the marine. At that moment, a second report from Linda's rifle cracked and the round pierced the Hunter straight through his exposed back. The Hunter fell onto his back with a thud! and clank! from his armor. Linda picked off another one of the brutes and selected her next victim. Linda zoomed in to the 10x scope capability. Three marines were being harassed by the giant's natural club. She saw it stretch its neck out to roar at the marines, Linda waited for the arrogant beast to do it a second time. Sure enough, the turtle-like neck poked out and a third round escaped Linda's rifle. Before sound escaped the monster's mighty lungs, he dropped to his right side and small amounts of neon orange dribbled from the entry and exit wounds. That's how Linda liked it, swift, deadly, and clean. Ed fired his assault rifle at the nearest Hunter, he couldn't get a clear shot at the Hunter's back. A nearby ODST let loose a round from his Jackhammer launcher. The Hunter turned in just enough time to raise his trunk as a shield. The tree trunk exploded and flaming bark flew all over. The Hunter fell to the floor, badly wounded and bleeding. Ed picked up a jagged, flaming piece of the flaming wood and hurled it into the Hunter's bleeding, exposed stomach. It moaned, let loose a bloody gurgle and died. The ODST fired at the last Hunter, who dodged the rocket. The explosive round flew into the woods and exploded, setting trees on fire. The Hunter charged as the Shock Trooper paused to reload. The Hunter swung its weapon like a baseball bat at the ODST whose lifeless body flew upwards into the air and landed on a platform on Delta Base 148. Ed dropped his AR, caught the launcher and a packet of two rounds, loaded them into the Jackhammer, and fired in all one motion. The rocket found its way home and the Hunter's chest exploded in a flood of neon blood.
      That was the last of the POWs outside of Delta Base 148, now the three Spartans began their extermination of the aliens inside of the base.
      "Alright guys," the pilot of one of the pelicans said of the COM channel, "we're dropping off vehicles, so stand clear," the pelicans came back over the hills and dropped down twenty warthogs and five scorpion MBTs.
      "Okay, you know your positions. Now move out! Sniper-squad get up top in the tower. Scorpion drivers, surround the perimeter, all the rest of you get to your respectable places! Go! Go! Go!" Sergeant Thomas Olmstead barked. He walked over to the three Spartans.
      "You can get through the base using the long tunnel that leads through the length of the instillation, its used for transportation of weapons and machinery. Corporal York and his men are trapped in the armory in the basement. Find the vents that lead to them, he has civilians in there that need extraction." The Sergeant said as he directed them to a wide ramp that led into a dark tunnel. The three Spartans hopped into a Warthog and drove into the darkness.

1520 Hours April 19, 2548 (Military Calendar//Beneath the Surface of Ucundus, in the Forerunner Control Center.

      "I'm gonna see if these Sentinels can get me out of here, they might be able to cut through the weakened hull of the fallen ship," Gregory said to the giant-sized hologram of his AI.
      "Alright," the AI responded.
      "You stay here, make sure the Covenant don't gain control over this control panel," Gregory ordered.
      "Where else would I go, and how would I get there?" the AI said mockingly. Gregory grinned under his helmet.
      "Okay, you'll be controlling these Sentinels via my helmet camera, right?" Gregory asked.
      "Yes, I'll also keep a COM channel live," Augustus answered. Gregory turned and walked back over the luminescent bridge, through the corrugated hallway, past the room with the three pulse generators, walked straight through the dark gallery with the blue screens, up the steps and into the room with the malfunctioning machinery, followed by seventeen Sentinels. Gregory shuddered when he remembered the maps that led to the ringworlds and the bright flash that had rendered him unconscious. As he turned to the anti-grav lift he saw the cryo-tube and paused for a moment. He wondered what exactly was in that tube, but then remembered that it could not be opened and decided not the ponder any more. Gregory pressed the same button that had activated the lift before, and the elevator came to life with a jolt. When they reached the top the Sentinels began heating up the soil that had packed in around Fate. Cracked and hard dirt fell from around the once small slab of metal that Gegory had dug out. The purple spot grew and grew until the Sentinel had enough room to begin their work. Seventeen orange and red lasers shot from the Sentinels towards the weakened hull. The metal began to heat up, slowly turned from red to orange, and then one laser punched a hole in the hull, then another, and another, until all of the lasers began cutting out large chunks of superheated metal. The Sentinels eventually stopped once a large enough space had been carved out of the fallen ship. Gregory climbed into one of the halls, getting to his feet, he realized that it was the ceiling he was standing on, not the floor. The ship had fallen backwards when it tipped over.
      It was an inferno inside, nuclear flames that hadn't gone out raged from ever crack and were alive in every corner. The once violet halls were now a mixture of blacks, sickly browns, and dark purples. Gregory stepped over a charred body of what looked like an Elite. He continued his trek through the twisted halls of Fate, accompanied by an orderly line of Sentinels.

The Fall of Fate: Invasion, Part Three(13)
Date: 11 October 2003, 12:06 AM

It's been a while, four months to be exact. So go to: http://halo.bungie.org/fanfic/?series=The%20Fall%20of%20Fate if you forgot.



1560 Hours April 29, 2548 (Military Calendar)//Inside Fate.


      Gregory trekked further into the hell that churned within Fate. As he walked through the nuclear flames, he continued to pass the burnt and twisted bodies that lay strewn about, some carcasses still burning, others gruesome and horrific. They held their weapons in a death grip, as if they could fend off He who comes to claim all. Gregory noticed that there was a scant amount of Jackal corpses; he deduced that they made up the vast amount of ashes that lay scattered all over the deck of the ship, being that they wore little to no armor.
      Gregory strode down a once violet, now black, hall that led into a docking bay. A burning double door that was half open and spewing flames was the only obstacle he had to overcome to get into the hanger. Gregory was about to kick the door in when the seventeen Sentinels blasted the door to pieces in a matter of seconds.
      "Thanks," Gregory said as he stepped onto a ledge that traversed around the perimeter of the rectangular hanger.
      "No problem," Augustus answered. Gregory noticed that the ceiling was somewhat caved in from when the battleship tipped over. Where the force fields once stood were now replaced by two gigantic, square openings that faced the hills. The two dropships that were docked in the bay were now cast in flames and lay as smashed metal hunks. Gregory noticed he dead Covenant troops half hanging out of doors of the ships. Where the force-fields once were now stood two gaping square openings, and standing behind them were the hills and freedom. Gregory saw this and eventually made it down to that floor after passing through the black halls and walking down several ramps. Before he stepped out of Fate and onto the green grass he noticed one sole banshee that was not engulfed in flames. He flipped the toppled vehicle and checked its stats. Its armor was at low capability, but its weapons and flight ability was decent. Gregory took note of this and stepped out of Fate and onto the green grass.
      "You made it, good job. I'm calling the Sentinels back to guard this instillation," Augustus said over Gregory's COM channel.
      "Okay," the Spartan responded. He hadn't been walking for ten minutes before he came in contact with the enemy. The air was filled with the roar of the twelve remaining banshees who sited Gregory at once. Blue Plasma raced at the weaponless Spartan.
      "If I don't find a weapon, I'm 'gonna die," Gregory said to himself. Just then, he remembered what was in the docking bay of Fate/

150 Hours April 29, 2548 (Military Calendar)//Driving Through the Transportation Tunnels Beneath Delta Base 148.

      The three Spartans had been driving through the center of the long tunnel for a long time, passing sets of four wooden supply crates stacked along the wall every then meters. It wasn't long before two red dots appeared on radar and two Special Operations Elites were found standing on the roof of a forklift, feeling along the ceiling of the tunnel for a way in the shafts. The were desperately trying to murder York and his men.
      Ed hopped out of the drivers seat and crouched behind a group of four supply crates, Tom, the Spartan in the passenger seat also took place behind crates across from Gregory. James, the Spartan who manned them, LAAG, aimed at the Elite on top of the forklift and awaited Ed's signal. The Elites didn't see the three at first, but when on of Tom's fragmentation grenades bounced and landed with a ping! under the forklift, they became very aware. The grenade detonated, sent the forklift up in flames and the Elites backwards in a stream of blood. Shieldless, the two wounded aliens took cover behind the burning forklift. James let loose a stream of bullets at the Forklift's fuel tank. The vehicle and the Elites exploded into yellow-orange flames.

150 Hours April 29, 2548 (Military Calendar)//Onboard Destiny.

      After Whehu 'Drrana had docked his borrowed dropship in one of Destiny's bays, he was warmly greeted by the Ship-master, Quasa 'Ligoree.
      "Ahh! Field-master Whehu 'Drrana! I thank the gods that you are alive and well, although your golden armor is baldly damaged. I am glad to see that our Ossoonas freed you from that vile human prison. How are they doing?" 'Ligoree_asked.
      "You left with twelve, and now there are nine," was 'Drrana's monotonous answer, "In one final, and I must say brave act, a dying human activated his own grenade, killing the three cloaked warriors. I soon escaped and took the remaining nine's dropship." A puzzled look of anguish for the three dead Ossoonas spread across Quasa 'Ligoree's face.
      "We will avenge them, and those lost in the battle of Fate. Our invasion force has already been dispatched," 'Ligoree's said after a short pause.
      "But the humans have already sent in reinforcements," 'Drrana respondend.
      "They have only a small number of troops there, 'Drrana. We will take them out quickly and without a hassle," Quasa 'Ligoree said plainly.
      "I hope you are correct," 'Drrana said, "they have tanks and several other vehicles guarding that "Delta Base".
      "Bah! We have 300 banshees coming in, thirty or so mortar tanks, and hundreds of ghosts. Not to mention the thousands of soldiers," Quasa 'Ligoree roared.
      "Yes, but they have Sphar-tins," 'Drrana tried to pronounce the human word for the deadly human soldiers.
      "Then may the gods protect those who come into contact with the devils," 'Ligoree said with a look of worry in his eyes, he too knew how dangerous the green warriors were.
      "Right, the gods," 'Drrana said with skepticism. Ever since Fate had fallen, a nagging feeling in the back of his head told him that there were no gods. 'Drrana quickly crushed these thoughts, it was blasphemous even to think of such a thing.

Fall of Fate: Special Edition(Parts 1-2)
Date: 7 December 2003, 2:00 AM

Hey guys, this is the first installment of a renovated FoF. It's different from the origional because the grammar/spelling has been patched up and a few new sequences have been added. These will be released hopefully in every submission queue or weekly. Soon the next installment will be out, until then this should hold you over. And sorry for making you guys wait so long, it's just that, ya know, homework...


800 Hours April 29, 2548 (Military Calendar)//On The Surface of Ucundus, Battlefield

      Wkehu 'Drrana, Field-master and commander of squad three-twenty-one, surveyed the disastrous scene. Piles of bodies lay heaped in various places spattered with blood, both Human and Covenant; some corpses were charred beyond the point of recognition. 'Drrana himself was bruised and burnt. His golden armor was scarred and battered; the sharp edges of his shark-like helmet were dulled. There were hundreds of human casualties, but far more Covenant deaths; thirty thousand to be exact. Whatever humans were left fled the scene in their flying metal birds; the few Covenant that remained, however, had no means of escaping the graveyard of fallen comrades. 'Drrana himself felt as if he had just passed into the gates of hell. The whole scene had changed from beautiful green fields to a fiery blazing hell—when Fate, the destroyer, fell from the sky.

      Fate was a Covenant destroyer-class battle cruiser and was stationed on the edge of the human city of Hammonton on the colony planet, Ucundus, named after the cruiser that founded it. Ucundus was a small planet, smaller than Earth, about the size of Mercury. Ucundus was located in the Orion 3 system, and was the only habitable planet in the system. The Orion 3 system was part of the outer colonies.

      Fate was accompanied by only two Seraph fighters, no other major cruisers. Fate was there so the Covenant fighters to find what they wanted and then pull out to glass the planet. Unfortunately, the vile humans caught sight of Fate before the Covenant could dispatch a camouflaged team of Ossoonas to investigate the secretes hidden beneath the ground of Ucundus.

      The Covenant leadership, the Prophets, had ordered the crew of Fate to make a quick retrieval of the artifacts the ancients had left buried under Ucundus, some sort of mysterious room concerning a group of ring-like constructs. The Prophets acted very oddly when any subject concerned The Ancients. Located far under ground was some mysterious room that would aid the Covenant on their search for the ring-world that would let the Covenant have control over the universe. Thus, wipe out the blasphemous humans. But no, the humans had fought bravely and strongly, thus downing their destroyer. It was a horrible failure, and incredibly disgraceful for a higher class Elite to face.

      Wkehu 'Drrana starred at the two hunters who lumbered though the debris far ahead of him, their long spikes wavering on their backs. There was a rumble as the last human dropship took off with its passengers. The Hunters fired rounds from their fuel-rod guns at the dropships. The rounds exploded on the armored surface of the Pelicans in green blasts, but did little damage. A marine sitting in the Pelican leveled his snipe rifle's scope to his eye and shot a blast through one of the Hunter's orange stomach; the bullet passed through the belly like butter and smacked into an upright piece of metal rubble with a loud pang! The Hunter fell into his own puddle of orange gore. The Pelican's heavy 70 mm chain gun fired as the other Hunter looked upwards at the hovering Pelican. The rounds fired into its neck, splitting all muscle tissue, the rest of the neck gave way and the helmeted head fell downwards into the shoulders, as if the Hunter were in a defensive position. Gushes of blood flowed out of the seeps between the head and shoulders, as if one dropped a rock into a cup of water. Orange blood dripped down this Hunter's chest-plate; it fell to its knees, but was already dead.

      'Drrana let out a deep, guttural, anguished wail that called for any other survivors. Several other Elites responded in their own cry of despair, some close by and others farther away. A shadow loomed over them all, a shadow cast by the body of Fate. Fate's bulbous bow had been blown from the oblong body of the ship by a nuclear explosion, presumably smaller than a Shiva warhead, but considerably enough to do the terrible job. Fate was one of the larger destroyers in the Covenant's armada, one of the more destructive ones also. It still puzzled 'Drrana how they obliterated it. The body of the ship fell vertically and the butt-end of the ship rammed into the ground, dirt and debris held it verticle. It burnt like a torch at the top, where the bomb had detonated. The nuclear flames had been slightly calmed by human planes spraying water from overhead. The ship stood like a looming skyscraper, a burning smokestack that spewed smog. Pieces of the bow lay everywhere; pieces, that is, that hadn't been disintegrated.

      Wkehu 'Drrana continued to stare up at the monolith. The pitiful humans would probably keep the destroyed ship as a monument of their victory. They would secure it, clean out the inside and take the bodies to a museum, and write a nice little story on a plaque about how the humans defeated the mighty Covenant Juggernaut. The thought disgusted 'Drrana. Suddenly, a loud explosion erupted and 'Drrana saw the orange fireball directly behind the standing ship. The explosion mushroomed into a cloud of smoke, it was not nearly as large as a nuclear explosion, but it shook the ground violently.

      "Oh...oh...no," was Drrana's shocked response to the explosion. He realized what the clever bastards were doing. They're knocking the ship down. A second explosion rumbled and 'Drrana turned to flee. He was already out of range for the wreckage to crash down on him, but he didn't want to be any where near that terrible ship. He heard the ship begin to creak as it began its fall downwards. The rubble and jagged pieces of the dead hull protruded from the ground, thus slowing 'Drrana's sprint. He tripped over an Elite's corpse and scrambled to his feet as the creaking became a roar. He heard the screams of grunts as they too tried to escape the oncoming disaster. Ahead of him he saw low, green hills and the burning skeletons of the Seraph fighters that had fallen under attack and crashed there. The ground shook violently as 'Drrana ran headlong into a flat piece of the burnt purple bow and fell. He turned and saw the smoke atop the tilting ship begin to flow backwards as the ship began to swiftly fall. 'Drrana tried to rise but he saw Fate attack the ground and was clumsily thrown off balance. There was a horrifying roar as the ship smacked into the earth. A large, swiftly moving dust cloud erupted from the area around the ship, 'Drrana could no longer see Fate. The cloud rushed forwards at 'Drrana and once again he was knocked off of his feet. The cloud pushed him along the ground, 'Drrana chocked on the stale air. Debris zoomed through the air. He felt something painfully strike his breast and his head hit cold metal. Wkehu 'Drrana realized that the ship had fallen on the entrance to the ancient room, and then fainted.

800 Hours April 29, 2548 (Military Calendar)//Beneath The Surface of Ucundus

      Gregory, Spartan 183, woke to a loud rumbling and tremors that ran through the pitch-black room. Gregory stood up and shook ancient dust from his armored legs and side. The last thing he remembered was an explosion and a bright light. It took him a few moments to remember exactly where he was. The flashlight on his helmet was on, but his acute eyes had already adjusted to the darkness.

      He took a look around the room once again. The walls were tan with age and covered in dust. The back wall contained a series of mysterious circle-like symbols imprinted on the surface. He took a moment to stare at the strange and cryptic ciphers. The walls were made of an alloy Augustus, his AI, could not identify.

      "Hey, Augustus, you still with me?" Gregory asked his AI.

      "Yes, I'm here, how are you feeling?" Augustus replied in his placid voice.

      "A little tired, a little confused. You know...the usual," Gregory replied.

      "You're lucky, it could have been worse. I believe that you are feeling this way because you have been unconscious for several hours, due to a malfunction in these old, old walls," he replied.

      "A malfunction in the walls? What the hell are you talking about?"

      "Yes, I believe that due to long periods of no use, the machinery in these walls has malfunctioned when you pressed the holo-pad."

      "Oh, right, yeah. I'm remember something like holographic figures of ring-like constructs that were projected from the symbols. What were they?" Gregory asked. Augustus repeated and stopped a video of the constructs he had seen a few hours before on Gregory's visor.

      "I believe that the Forerunner built large, ring shaped structures in various regions of space, along with this very room you're standing in," Augustus answered.

      "Who are the Forerunner?" Gregory asked.

      "To my knowledge, they were an ancient race that left artifacts, holy relics to the Covenant, on various planets. The reason the Covenant wanted this room was to locate and secure these ring-worlds, not to find Earth as we had originally suspected, although that may be an unfortunate side effect if they do gain access to this facility" Augustus answered.

      "Right," there was a short pause and then, "I've had enough of this place. Let's get out of here and report this to ONI," Gregory said.

      "I'm afraid that's impossible. Fate has fallen upon the entrance to this room, and for the moment, we're trapped. Besides, why would you want to leave when there is more to explore..." Augustus marked a small, blue glowing holographic figure with a nav point located to Gregory's right.

      "What the? I'm not touching one of those holo-panels again, you remember what happened the last time," Gregory protested.

      "I thought Spartans had no fear? Your shields absorbed the last blast anyway," Augustus said.

      "Fine," Gregory walked toward the panel and pressed on one of the moving circles. A deep rumbling resounded through the walls and dust drifted off two sliding doors that seemed to appear out of nowhere. From these doors something that resembled an ancient cryo-tube emerged. The once white sides of the tube were now tan and covered in sand and dust. The glass was murky and impossible to see through. Another holo-button appeared at the base of the cryo-tube.
"Press it," Augustus said. Gregory pressed the button. There was the deafening sound of...nothing. The holographic circles swirled in a circle, became static and disappeared.

      "Humph," was Gregory's only reaction, "too bad".

      "What, there must be some way to open this," Augustus said with a hint of despair in his voice.

      "Forget it, I'm not tapering with any of this bizarre technology. And neither are you. Who knows what is in that thing, for all you know it could be hostile. That's the last thing we need, more hostile aliens."

      "Do you not care about this ancient history? The being could reveal so many secretes to us."

      "Maybe its better he doesn't reveal his secrets to us. Look, is there any other way out, can you contact support to extract us?"

      "No, the alloy of this room prevents any radio waves to come in and out of here, I'm truly sorry," Augustus responded.

      "I'm going up to see what I can do, maybe there's a weak spot or something," Gregory walked into a passage with an antigravity lift the Forerunner used to get down to the room. He pushed a button on another holo-panel and the lift began to climb upwards to the wreckage. The lift stopped and he walked to the steps the Covenant had dug to get down to the room. Half of them were packed in by dirt caused by the fall. Gregory used his hands to dig for about an hour until he reached a hard, bluish-purple alloy that was Fate. He pounded to see if it gave way, nothing happened, only a sorrowful metallic bang resounded throughout the ship. He was trapped.

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