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Shadows of Archon II (part 16) - Humanity's Last Hope
Posted By: Wado<wyamauchi@msn.com>
Date: 21 September 2002, 6:42 am
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Commander Thom gazes into the multi-colored energies of eternity. He is deep underground in the planet Jukan. It is here that Jukan co-exists in the same time and space as Mira, the mysterious world of the Old Ones. In front of Thom is the wonder among wonders, the Master Portal of the Old One's -- the Heart of Darkness. It is said that through the Heart of Darkness, anything is possible.
A voice interrupts Thom's thoughts. "Commander, we found one Flood creature that is still alive, but not for long," said Sub-commander Zax, "and it wants to speak with you."
Thom moves back into the tunnels to the Great Flood City. Only one living Flood remains there, a Flood with the body of a demon.
As Thom approaches, the Flood says, "I must speak with you. My time is short; I feel my mind fading. Come closer, I will tell you something of importance."
"You can tell me from there, Flood," said Thom.
"Very well, here is what I have to say," said the Flood. "Your kind has long known of the Flood. Your leaders have kept it a secret that they experimented on us. They have developed a device that they believe can control us. Around many of your worlds are Flood kept in stasis. These Flood will be released on your kind to purge it of the corrupt and decadent. Only the true Covenant will survive living in large colony ships. When the Flood are finished purging your worlds, the true Covenant will use their mind-controlling device on the Flood. The Flood will then be terminated, leaving the worlds for the true Covenant."
"What do you mean purge the worlds of the corrupt and decadent?" replied Thom. "What do the Flood know of anything but death?"
"It is true what I speak," said the Flood, "and you know nothing of what goes on behind the veils that hide your Religious Leaders. Long has the Covenant drifted down a path of evolutionary termination; your genes are watered down versions of the great Covenant of past. The ones created by the Forerunners to be their most trusted servants. The true Covenant is preparing for the return of the Forerunners. While they prepare, they drag out the war with the humans to keep all of you occupied, to keep the curious away from their handiwork."
"Waiting for the return of the Forerunners," said Thom, "our past leaders once saved us from slavery to the Forerunners."
The Flood replies, "Forerunners liberated the Covenant from slavery under other Forerunners. Pawns you all are, no more than that. Do not believe what lies you have been told in childhood stories. Puppets and fools lead your cause. The fools they all are, their device will not control the Flood, perhaps Flood like myself, lesser workers, but the seeds of the Flood cannot be controlled. Their device will awaken the seeds, the Alpha Flood. Doom will come when the Alpha Flood becomes the Omega Flood. As is in the design of our creators... Now my time runs short, I ask only one favor in return for what I've told you."
"What is it?" asked Thom.
"I heard you were a musician, could you play me a tune?" said the Flood.
Thom pauses for a moment surprised by this request. Thom ponders how a simple peaceful warrior like himself ever got here. All his life he has been famous amongst the Covenant for his singing and musical abilities. Born an Elite and to the warrior caste, he served both as entertainer and soldier, rising quickly through the ranks, until elevated to the status of great hero. Thom never felt that he earned being a hero, it just came too easy for him. He was always in the right place at the right time, beside others, true heroes; But the credit went to Commander Thom for the spotlight was on him and the fans were eager for it -- eating it up like they never got full. Thom was a dreamer and lived the dream. However, no one has ever asked him to simply play a tune because he is a musician.
Thom answers, "Yes." He pulls out a small device the shape of a flute. He blows through it and the sounds of beauty fill the air. Thom sees the Flood fading away. Thom plays harder and soon the music gains a life of its own. The others stand in silence, in awe of what they hear. The melody brings life to the dead city. When Thom finishes, he knows not how much time has passed but the Flood lies in front of him, lifeless.
"That was fitting of an Archon, Commander Thom," said Princess Kira.
Princess Kira has arrived unexpectedly from Archon with an entourage of Archons and Saurans. The Saurans are also known as the Children of the Old Ones.
At the same time a group of Nomdian Death Stalkers has arrived to meet with the Lady. The tensions are high -- for the Nomdians and Archons have been long time enemies, only recently joining sides in the effort to save the universe.
Sub-commander Zax stands ready with the rest of the Covenant -- Fingers twitching above triggers.
A tear falls from Princess Kira's left eye. She pulls out a small box and opens it. There before all of them stands John dressed in flowing robes over Archonian armor. John speaks in a charismatic voice saying, "I am Shadow Flux, Star Guardian of Archons. For this universe to survive, I must return -- Return to sleep."
Princess Kira sings in echoes, "My sleeper goes, goes, goes, gone."
The energies of the Master Portal fill the city and the sky above. Thom looks into the energies and says, "To destiny and beyond, that is the life for me." In a soft light, he disappears to the other side.
Sub-commander Zax, Gunter the Hunter, and the rest of the crew know they must follow. Their commander needs them. Zax says, "Honor be with us." Then in a flash they fade, taking with them Fate's Reaper, their ship.
Catsandravalahundra says, "I was born a portal traveler -- With your permission my Princess." And with a nod from Kira, Cat glows with the energies until she is transparent and gone.
The Lady, a long time soothsayer to Thom, turns around saying, "You will need a guide in your journey silly warriors." A purple energy cyclone forms from her and just as the wind rises, she is gone.
The Saurans salute each other and all around. They clap their hands three times. On the echo of the third clap, they are gone.
Such is the power of the Heart of Darkness that across the universe, it can still be felt by some.
In a far off place called Medusa, the mighty Elite Max Rellius and his advisor the Sauran Croaker sit by a fire gazing up at the two moons. Max takes a sip of a warm liquid and says, "Hey old buddy, it can't be, but it feels like Bella Luna."
"Me thinks it is somewhere," replied Croaker, "and you know, I think that Spartan has something to do with it. Now pass me some more of that broth please."
[They laugh and clank their mugs together before taking another drink.]
------------------------------------------------
Humanity's Last Hope
In Destiny's Blade, far above Jukan, Master Convenstein, Val, and Cortana prepare to leave. Over the comm they speak with Princess Kira.
"Cortana, we will meet you on the outskirts of the Sol system when all preparations are complete," said Princess Kira, "but you must leave as soon as possible before any other Forerunners arrive. A full company of Nomdian Death Stalkers has deployed in the remains of the Great Flood City. They will take on the task of destroying the Omega Flood in stasis there. This will take a long time since there are over a million Omega Flood there. The Nomdians will also prove to be quite an opposing surprise to any Forerunners that try to get to the Heart of Darkness. As for you Master Convenstein, when you are done with your duties you will come with us to meet with a council of elder races. You will present us with your Alpha Flood and help us with our research."
"No honor would be greater, your highness," replied Convenstein.
"What will become of me," asked Val.
"You will stay with this Cortana," replied Princess Kira, "and will we supply you with a few things you might need. It is not time for you to return to Earth, there is still much work to be done."
[In the Outskirts of the Sol system a little while later]
The group makes their final preparation aboard the Archonian Akirakon class cruiser, the Fang of the Bluestar. With the group is John the Spartan, revived from death through the powers of the Heart of Darkness.
"Val, I'm sure going to miss you, even if I won't remember it later," said John, "and Cortana, you sure this is going to work?"
"Chief, odds are in our favor that it will work," replied Cortana. "The sleeper in you must go back to sleep. This process will wipe your memory of everything that has happened since you partially awoke more than four years ago after the destruction of Halo. The Gundarians have done their best to duplicate our Long Sword fighter from Covenstein's ship with the one exception that it still has a jump drive in it."
"What about you Cortana?" said John.
Covenstein answers saying, "Spartan, I have duplicated Cortana with one that only has memories up to just after the destruction of Halo. She will awaken shortly after we leave you."
"Well I guess I'm as ready as I ever will be," said John, "but where is Princess Kira?"
"Chief, she cannot bear to say goodbye to you again," replied Cortana.
"You will make sure she gets that recording I left for her, won't you Cortana?" asked John.
"Yes, chief, when the time is right," answered Cortana.
The Long Sword is then detached from the Archonian cruiser. John looks out the front window of the Long Sword as Destiny's Blade and the Fang of the Bluestar disappear through a stargate. His memories begin to fade, first like distant memories then like childhood dreams. John wonders how he got here.
"Chief, I've made contact with the UNSC cruiser, the Moon of Orion," said Cortana, "They are guiding us into their third docking bay. We have reached the Sol system. No records found of our flight paths. I am confused as to how we got here."
The Long Sword is landed in the docking bay. A team of marines boards the fighter and escorts John to a holding area. In the background comments can be heard like, "Look it's him, it's really him."
In the holding room enters the Captain of this vessel. "Master Chief, nice to have you back, we certainly did not expect to ever see you again," said the Captain.
"Captain Keyes?" said John. "Is that really you?"
"Yes, but I'm Captain Jarad Keyes, Jacob was my half brother," replied the Captain, "and we don't have time for chit-chat, we need you now soldier. Here is the mission briefing."
The mission briefing describes a near impossible mission. A group consisting of one Covenant cruiser and her escorts has arrived near the base at Titan. Unknown to the Covenant and kept secret from the rest of the UNSC, the UNSC has broken some of the Covenant codes. From the Covenant transmissions, it has been determined that the ship is one of the new Proteus class cruisers called the Divine Retribution. This ship is basically built around a weapon called a Plasma Mauler. It is speculated that the weapon could actually blown up small moons with one shot.
The commander of the ship is Fleet Commander Jarcou. Intelligence tells us that he is acting alone in his attack. The rest of the Covenant forces in route to earth have exited slip space farther out from the system for fear of running into slip space gravity mines.
We tricked the Covenant into believing we had mined the system. However, this is not true and if Fleet Commander Jarcou is successful in his attack, it will reveal not only how weak our defenses are but also that we don't have the area mined with the slip-space gravity mine. This means that nothing will stop the Covenant from jumping to right near Earth.
Your mission will be to get aboard the Covenant cruiser and stop it.
"Yes I accept the mission," said John.
[The scene ends with the Master Chief entering into a strange looking one-man craft.]
-- Next, The Return of the Forerunners --
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