Disclaimer- this is a work of fan fiction.

BattleTech\MechWarrior © TOPPS

Halo © Microsoft Game Studios

HaloTech 14

UNSC NavSpecWar Research and Development Center

Seoul, Korea

4 September 2552

Maria-62 stood casually as the ramp of the Pelican slowly lowered to the deck. First off was Jorge, whom she smiled and waved to before the two embraced as old friends. Next off was Dr. Halsey, carrying a silver container rather possessively. Finally, the rest of Noble Team carrying the unconscious body of their fallen teammate. A group of corpsmen rushed in to relieve the Spartan IIIs of their burden and carry the wounded Cat to a waiting ambulance.

"Dr. Halsey," Maria hugged the older woman.

"Maria, how have you been dear?"

"Keeping busy field testing the new armor," Maria replied. "This the new breed?"

"They are acceptable," Halsey said. "But they could use much more work." She eyed the retired Spartan. "You, my dear, will be essential in that."

Maria blinked, then looked at the others. The Spartan IIIs were shorter than Spartan IIs, but they held themselves in a professional manner.

"Thought we might have lost you there Jorge," Maria said. "I heard Reach was pretty bad."

"Bad for the Covenant maybe. We took some losses, but would have been worse if the Hegemony had not shown up when they did."

"What kind of force are they? I've only heard rumors and innuendo."

"Professional," Jorge rubbed his stubble. "They are augmented, but not like us, not as fast as a Spartan, but tough. Resilient."

"Giant robots, directed energy weapons…I'm jealous."

They followed Dr. Halsey into a Warthog transport and rode to the main lab of the center where several senior scientists waited. Halsey handed the container to the lead scientist while Cat was brought into one of the sterile rooms.

"Maria, please enter room three and lie down," Halsey spoke.

"Care to explain doc?" Maria said as she entered the identified room and laid down on the table. A tech applied a cotton swab to her elbow and inserted an IV into both arms.

"I am going to inject you with a group of blank nanites. They are going to map your augmentations and return to their tank where they will be able to replicate and then we are going to see if we can mirror the augmentations in the Lieutenant Commander here." Halsey said, bringing up several monitors.

Maria watched as a large syringe filled with a silvery substance was injected into her IV line. She felt nothing at first, then began to feel both itchy and warm.

"Her temps rising," A med tech spoke. "Within tolerances."

A dull ache flooded her. It wasn't painful, but it was uncomfortable. On her opposite side silvery drops fell into a saline bath. It took several hours for the process to complete, afterwards a med tech took the recovered nanites and Halsey reintroduced them into the main cylinder.

Maria was released from the room as Halsey moved the cylinder to a massive tank and inject the nanites colony. It only took minutes for the colony to begin the replication process, building more of their specialized forms. There were at least two AIs that were monitoring the process as more raw materials were added to the mix to encourage nanites replication.

Kat lay in one of the other bays, a flash cloned arm replacing her cybernetic one and gently restrained on the table as the tech prepared for the experiment.

"What happens now?" Maria asked.

"Now we inject the nanites into Kat along with some materials for the nanites to work with. If everything goes as planned you will have a new sister. Following that I will administer the nanites to Fhajad and then the 'control' provided by ONI." Halsey indicated the young female marine in one of the other surgical bays. "For some reason you have been able to function almost normally compared to the others when in non-combat situations. I would hope whatever makes you unique will pass to the others."

"What about armor? I have been working with the Mark VI armor for John and the others."

"The original IIs will be upgraded to the Mk VI as normal, but the new Spartans will have to make do with the Gen2 armor for now. Then again, we may have to revisit the entire Mjolnir project in light of the battle armor tech the Hegemony uses."

"Is it that superior?"

"To the Mk VI? I would say the most advanced suits the Hegemony possess might be on par with the Mk VI, but the real strength of their armor is that it can basically be used by anyone with the basic augmentation package they use. The Hegemony Elementals are similar to the Spartan IIs, but not as fast, not to mention that the Elementals are a result of a three hundred year breeding program."

"May I look at their specs?" Maria spoke. "I want to get an idea of how to engage such a force if needed."

"Talk to Noble Team," Halsey replied. "They got a front row seat to the affair."

Maria nodded and left the lab and made her way to the security station. From there she made her way to the Armory where Noble Team was being prepped to have their armor removed.

"Maria," Jorge spoke. "Mum finished with you already?" The massive Spartan spoke from the frame as several techs unbolted the main chest piece.

She noted the others were already out of armor and down to the mesh undersuit. "Not much to do really, she pumped me full of that stuff and then drained it out when it finished its job."

"Will it work?" Carter asked.

"If anyone could make it work, it would be the Doctor." Maria replied. "If your friend is able to transition to the new augmentations without problem then the rest of you will be up for the process."

"I heard ONI dropped a Marine into the mix to see if this stuff would work on a baseline human," Emile said.

"There was a marine present," Maria confirmed. "I would like to talk to you all about the Hegemony's forces."

"Tough," Emile said. "One of their support units set up a triage and chow line at one of New Alexandria's parks. Raided every restaurant in the area for supplies and was feeding people almost as fast as they were healing them."

"I would suspect the nanotech augmentation process they use consumes a lot of resources and energy," Jun added. "Heal a person, feed 'em, and then get them back on the front lines."

"An interesting way to run a battle," Maria said.

"The Covenant had no chance on the ground when faced with the Hegemony's BattleMechs," Jorge replied. "Highly modular, with specialized variants that functioned as artillery support, anti-air, and anti-infantry. I think we Spartans would be hard pressed to hold off a force of BattleMechs."

"Given enough training we should be able to handle them. The Mark VI armor we've been working on should be able to provide a bit more protection than the Gen2s you have been working with," Maria replied. "Unfortunately we only have enough suits to equip the current Spartan IIs."

"I kind of like my armor as is," Jorge rumbled.

"I'm sure we can work something out," Maria motioned for them to follow her. "It will take a few hours for Dr. Halsey to give us an update on your friend, so why don't we continue this in the mess hall?"

Carter cast a last glance at Catherine before turning. "Lead the way."

UNSC Naval Command

Sydney, Australia

9 September 2552

Lord Terrance Hood looked around the table at the rest of the Naval Command. The assembled officers looked almost jovial, with the victory at Reach breathing new life into the UNSC. The successful destruction of the Covenant Fleet at Tau Ceti has given them some additional breathing room, with better ships and newer weapons rolling off assembly lines throughout Sol and Reach.

"Where are we at on the rearmament?" He asked.

"The refits completed on IN AMBER CLAD have proved successful, and we have eleven additional refits completed. The next generation Heavy Frigate, the Strident class, is nearing ready for trials."

Hood looked over the specs quickly. The Strident was more streamlined, with no broad wing surfaces but closer stabilizers near the drive section. Besides the standard MAC, the ship mounted four bow NL55s, two bow mounted NPPCs, with four NL45s on each broadside and quad pulse laser point turrets dotting the ship. A VLMS was mounted on the dorsal hull carrying a variety of missiles including Shiva class Nuclear Weapons that was based on the Hegemony AR-10 weapon system. Basic gravitic shields were added to the hull, with a base of Titanium-A armor overlaid with Ferro-Lamellor, and with the dual Naoto V4/L-DFR thrusters, the frigate would be a fast and nimble combatant. It also mounted a dual FTL system, a compact K-F drive core along with advanced Slipspace drive derived from captured Covenant Technology.

"As soon as we are able to finish the trials, how long before mass production?"

"We are cutting as many corners as we can for the trials, but the engineers tell me that once the bugs are worked out we can have the class under full construction by the end of the month. Right now the Strident and Forward Unto Dawn are being tested. With all the new tech being incorporated into the design, I am wondering why bother with the MAC."

"Redundancy for the most part," Hood replied. "While not as effective as we would like against shielded targets, it has proved quite effective against unshielded targets. The Naval Lasers can take out Covenant Shields and the MAC can finish the job."

"A month we may not have," Margaret muttered. "The Covenant has been blunted, but they are still poised to strike Reach again."

"The engineers have been working nonstop on replacing the lost orbital defenses over Reach, and the defenses here have been strengthened with the addition of the Hegemony Naval Lasers to each platform. The point defenses of each platform is now two hundred percent more effective than they were before."

"I have a question for Admiral Parangosky," One of the admirals, Rear Admiral Saeed Shafiq of the Procurement department, spoke. "Why is there a hole in our operational fund and what is 'Infinity'?"

"I can answer that," Hood spoke. "The Infinity Project is our response to the Covenant's Assault Carrier class ships. ONI has been working with salvaged Covenant technology as well as integrating the latest tech from the Hegemony to produce a ship that would be our Ark if the UNSC falls. I understand that the shipyards at Reach have been studying the capture Covenant ships closely, and have been refitting the Pillar of Autumn to take advantage of that technology. The modifications on the Pillar have pretty much created a new class of ship, one that the engineers have taken to calling the Autumn class. What is that status of Misriah's upgrade program?"

"Misriah Armory has begun retooling their lines for the hand held laser weapons. All Sol shipyards report that they have full stocks of the Capital and Standard class Laser and Particle weapons systems for retrofitting the existing fleet," Saeed reported. "We have also been putting in place Capital and Standard class laser satellites that are grouped under AI control as a second line of defense."

"What about BattleMechs?" General Tobias Richter, UNSC Marine Corps, asked. It was no secret that the Marines and Army were drooling over the prospects of upgrading their armored forces to BattleMechs, and the Mantis project came to screeching halt while the techs decided how best to incorporate the Hegemony tech, or if to restart the project from scratch to create a true 'Mech.

"We have to build the right factories for both fusion engines and the BattleMechs themselves. I have ordered several factories to be converted in Detroit for the purpose, but it will take months before they can start producing units. As a stopgap, we have started rolling out variants of the Cobra, Gremlin, Grizzly, Scorpion, and Rhino tanks that take advantage of the Laser weaponry. The only problem is that the rate of fire is much slower than standard models due to the power requirements, but you are guaranteed a one shot, one kill against enemy armor. Against Covenant Scarabs and Locusts, it takes a bit more planning and surprise," Saeed replied. "In addition, the next generation fighter, the Broadsword, is has completed trials and will enter mass production next week with the refitted pulse lasers and tactical missile systems. We have also taken a second look at the Sabre Program to use the fighter as a light interceptor."

"That is good news," Hood said as an aide handed him a message. "And it is my pleasure to announce that Dr. Halsey has done it. She has managed to use the Hegemony nanites to upgrade a former Spartan III to a Spartan II as well as restore several of the failed Spartan IIs and an unaugmented marine to full Spartan II status."

There was a murmuring around the table that was both shocking and glad.

"How is this going to affect deployment of the Spartans?" Richter asked.

"All of the failed Spartan IIs will be given the choice to return to active service, followed by all the Spartan IIIs that are combat qualified and ready. From there Halsey will start selecting volunteers from the ODSTs and Marines for augmentation." Hood spoke.

"I authorized her, should she succeed, to recruit up to 1000 Spartans and designate all as Spartan IVs. The Spartans will be moved from Navy control and placed into its own UNSC Branch."

"How will this affect our current deployments?"

"Grey and Black Teams will arrive at Reach within the next few days, then will be returning to Earth for refit to the new armor standards. When Blue team returns from their mission we will have a solid core of veteran Spartans available for the new Legion. That being said, I want all remaining Spartan IIIs to be redeployed to Reach for integration into the Legion. Those that might prove too young for full deployment will be placed on reserve status."

"What about command officers?" The Admiral from BuPers spoke. "We are stretched thin as it is."

"Initial commanders will be recruited from the Spartan IIs, with volunteers from the Marines and ODSTs retaining their current ranks. It is imperative we keep the surviving Spartans IIs at the top of the command structure since they have been in the field the longest and are knowledgeable as to where best to utilize them," Hood replied. As soon as Blue Team returned, they would be rushed through an abbreviated command school and placed in charge with Dr. Halsey taking charge of their support teams.

Vega System

HAFS Trickster

Captain Graves watched her latest batch of prisoners through the ship's network, the Insurrection ship drifting off the port bow after being taken by the Elementals of her command. The Bellicose, formerly the UNSC Bellerophon, was nothing special apart from its main gun. It only took minutes for the Elementals to breach and secure the ship, using a combination of brute force, stun rounds, and gas filled missiles to remove all resistance. They did not have time to purge the database, and now they had the location of their base in the system, as well as the listing of families that occupied it. She could understand the desire for independence, but the needs of her ship came first. Repairs had almost been completed, and her ship was almost back to full operation. They just needed some minerals from the system to finalize the repairs.

"Any ID on our new guests?" She asked her XO.

"Apart from the fact that the UNSC has a hard on for that ship?" He replied. "The captain is one Lyrenne Castilla. However, the real prize is who was accompanying her."

Leanne raised an eyebrow.

"Preston Cole, former Admiral of the UNSC," He spoke. "The Hero of Harvest and architect of the Cole Protocol."

"Have him brought to my ready room," Leanna signed off on her logs. "I want to meet this man."

While most of the damage to the ship had been repaired, a couple of components critical to the K-F Drive and the HPG needed replacing, and scans of the system revealed a few asteroids had the required elements, but it would take some time to extract and refine them through the nanoforges. Leanne sat down at her desk and nodded to her yeoman as he brought her some hot tea, a vice she picked up while serving on Terra at FleetCom. The hatch opened again, this time with an older man escorted by a pair of Elementals in BDUs.

She stared at the older man for a moment before leaning back in her seat.

"Have a seat," She offered. "It is not often that we are graced with such a…distinguished…officer."

"I am no longer that man," Preston Cole spoke, easing down into the chair. "And that was a long time ago."

"I am sure the UNSC would see that differently."

"The UNSC would quietly have me assassinated and buried on a forgotten world before sullying their image with my…change of command."

"Quite," Leanne agreed.

"You do not seem surprised that I have figured out you are not UNSC," He said.

"I have not hidden that fact from any of your crew," She replied. "Our being here is the result of certain elements of the UNSC deciding that the database we offered was not enough."

"ONI." Preston snorted. "No surprise there."

"So we are here for the time being while we repair our ship and get back to our wing." Leanne said. "Your arrival was unexpected, but construed a threat we could not overlook despite your lack of allegiance to the UNSC."

Preston grunted. "So what happens now?"

"We are still in the process of repairing our ship. Once we regain contact with the Admiral we can find out whether or not to cut you lose." Leanne paused as her comlink chimed.

"Go," She spoke aloud.

"Captain, we have detected several emergence waves at the Zenith Jump Point. From the size of the wave it is the Liverpool and the rest of the Transport flotilla."

"Send a standard challenge and await a response." She looked at Preston. "Well, I guess we will find out sooner than later."

Office of Naval Intelligence HQ

Sydney, Australia

Serin Osman eased into the seat across from her mentor as the privacy and security features of the office fully activated. Admiral Margaret Parangosky rolled a small vial across the table to the young woman and then steepled her fingers in front of her face.

"Halsey has cracked the Hegemony nanotech," Margaret spoke.

Serin's mouth formed a frown at the mention of Halsey. "And?"

"That vial can turn a simple human into a Spartan II," Margaret replied. "Despite Halsey's…proclivities, she has given us what she originally promised. Of course, Lord Hood has ordered the reorganization of the Spartan program, moving it from naval control to its own command and authorized the expansion of the Spartan program to one thousand Spartans plus support personnel."

Serin blinked. "That is…unexpected."

"Naturally, Naomi is going to be returned to the Spartans, but I want you to put together a team for ONI."

"Our own Spartans?"

"We still have the protocols in place, and we will need some specialized operatives for after the war."

Serin picked up the vial. "If this can turn the average human into a Spartan II, what kind of precautions are being taken?"

"ONI will have control of the nanotech and will work with the Spartan Legions for increasing their numbers," Margaret spoke. "However, Halsey also managed to convince Hood on the next generation of Spartans."

"So she is going to kidnap more children?"

"No," Margaret shook her head. "She is going to grow them."

The fact that the lid had been blown off the Spartan III program, and Ackerman's disastrous plan in dealing with the Hegemony, had given the scientist enough ammunition to convince Lord Hood to return control of the Spartan Program to her. Coupled with data from the Hegemony Core, she had the ability to create the Uterine Replicators that the Clans used to create their warrior caste. The 'Iron Wombs', along with the Hegemony nanotech, would allow Spartans to be created at birth with full augmentations that they would grow into. Add the training regime created by Chief Mendez, one would have a fully fleshed out combat unit in no time.

"Grow them?"

"Extract sperm and ova from the existing Spartan IIs, put together the best traits, then grow the baby in an artificial womb."

"So she goes from kidnapping to cloning," Serin frowned.

"No clones or cloning. They will be born normally, just raised in a military environment." Margaret waved her hand. "Enough of this. What's done is done Serin. Don't let anger cloud your view of the bigger picture. Select your team and get them trained. Once that is done I'll have one of the new Prowlers assigned for your team and let you get back to what you enjoy most."

Margaret slid a folder across the table. "Start with him."

Serin looked at the folder before opening it. Jamison Locke.

"Do we have any idea of the location of the Hegemony Fleet?" Serin thumbed through the folder.

"No, but I do not think they will be that far away," Margaret replied. "Despite Ackerman's foolishness, they are quite dedicated to the defense of Earth, or Terra, as they call it. I believe they are watching and waiting."

Serin nodded. Ackerman's operation was foolhardy, and the discovery of his remains hinted at the fact that he survived the gravitic distortions, but had his survival pod ruptured by an explosive device, one that had been favored by certain Spartan III operatives. She had no problem with someone 'fragging' Ackerman. The man was an ass.

The sudden screech of the alarm broke off further conversation. Margaret picked up a phone.

"SITREP."

Her eyes narrowed before replacing the phone.

"Order all assets to Alert One status. The Covenant have found Earth. They are coming."

High Charity

The Prophet of Truth fumed and slammed his fist down on his throne. The Fleet sent to the Holy Ring was lost, and the Sangheili did nothing to stop the humans from desecrating the Ring, and the news that the Arbiter had captured two of the Demons and found the location of another of the Holy Rings was the only salve to the wound suffered by the Covenant. He gave orders for High Charity to go to secure this new Ring so that what happened to the Fleet of Resplendent Purpose.

"Is it true?" Mercy floated into the chamber. "Has another of the Holy Rings been found?"

"Our Arbiter has pleased us," Truth said smoothly. "He has gained us much."

"But cost us the first Ring."

"A momentary setback I assure you. The defenses of the Ring protect it from those who would desecrate it further. It is not lost to us, but remains a beacon for the faithful."

"And of these other humans?"

"They will fall like the others. There is no need to have doubts now." Truth spoke serenely. "Summon Tartarus." He directed one of the guards.

The Sangheili bowed formally and withdrew.

Truth sighed. "Impertinent."

"The Sangheili are becoming less reliable," Mercy frowned. "We must accelerate our plans."

"The Oracle will reveal what we want to know," Truth spoke sagely. "The Arbiter will bring us the Demon and has given us the location of another. We will be gods brother. Have faith."

"It is not my faith that is in question Truth," Mercy replied. "Even if the Arbiter does redeem his race's failures, the faith of the Sangheili remains in question."

Already there were loud rumblings through some of the younger Sangheili that the humans were worthy of a place in the Covenant. The discontent was spreading, and the Hierarchs seemed to pay no attention to the wandering thoughts of their subordinates.

"My lords," Tartarus appeared in a hologram. "We have secured the Holy Ring and await your arrival."

"Excellent news my dear Tartarus," Truth beamed. "You have served us well and continue to exceed all expectations."

"I am your humble servant."

"My lords, we are receiving a transmission from the Prophet Regret," One of the San'Shyuum aides spoke.

Truth and Mercy turned their thrones as the hologram flickered to life.

"My brothers, I have discovered the location of the Portal!" Regret spoke excitedly. "It was just as the Oracles have foretold! The path to paradise is within our grasp!"

"This is excellent news brother," Truth replied, pleased. "Our Arbiter has found another of the Sacred Rings for us."

"I am taking my fleet to the Portal," Regret spoke. "We must secure this relic before the humans desecrate it as well!"

"Calmly brother," Truth spoke. "Do nothing rash. We are moving ships to support your fleet."

"If we wait it may be too late!" Regret's hologram flickered and faded. Data from the discovery by Regret flowed across the screens in the throne room. It was the name of the location that caught his attention. Erde-Tyrene.

"Damn him," Truth's fist impacted onto his throne. "How many ships does he have?"

"Two CAS class ships and thirteen CCS class ships," Mercy replied.

Truth rubbed his chin. While formidable, the humans have proved in the past that they can defeat a Covenant fleet, and he suspected that Erde-Tyrene was indeed a human world and would be defended heavily. Should Regret's fleet fail in their mission, it would prove another reason that replacing the Sangheili is the correct move.

"Order Regret to rendezvous with the Fleet of Calamitous Intent. Together they would have enough firepower to handle any human threat." He turned to Tartarus. "Prepare your troops to take over from the Sangheili."

Reach, Epsilon Eridani

9 October 2552

"Admiral, we are getting FLASH traffic from Post Alpha Seven."

Admiral Dan Whitcomb looked up at the status boards in the rebuilt command center as the Slipspace warning flashed in the outer system near the first perimeter markers. Dozens of techs worked feverishly to bring the command center back up to speed from the damage suffered during the Covenant Invasion, and the integration of the newer holographic interfaces seemed to both slow down and make easier operations.

"Anything inbound from that vector?" Dan asked. He tapped the butt of the pen against the clipboard as he searched for any clue as to the contact. Earlier ships arrived on schedule carrying both Team Black and Team Gray. Both Spartan II teams were transferred to a JumpShip and taken to Earth soon after they docked, and he almost wished he could see that reunion. All that remained was for Captain Keyes ship to arrive, and it was already overdue.

"Negative sir, Cruisers Triton and Vulcan's Forge are diverting to intercept."

"Covenant?" He looked to the watch officer.

"Unknown sir. The entry vector is wrong and not match any known Covenant staging areas. The Fleet is going to alert status."

"CONTACT! Slipspace rupture sector seven eight…" A tech shouted. "That's odd…"

"Spit it out son," Dan's hand picked up the phone, ready to order Winter Contingency once again.

"I'm getting UNSC transponder codes, but that is impossible."

"What codes?"

"UNSC Spirit of Fire sir," the tech brought up the codes to the main screen. "Getting a com signal…"

"Punch it up on the main board." Dan ordered.

"This is the UNSC Spirit of Fire, Captain James Cutter commanding. Sorry we're late." A face not seen in twenty years spoke. Behind him Captain Jacob Keyes stood along with Lieutenant Frederick-104.

The cheers that broke out were deafening, but as all celebrations, over all too quickly.

"ADMIRAL! In Amber Clad just jumped into the system. FleetCom HQ Earth has declared Winter Contingency!"

Hegemony Timeline 2606-3199

2606- The First Lord is presented with a plan to speed up research and development within the Hegemony. Project Olympus is drafted and presented to the First Lord.

2640- Project Olympus is planned. Daphne Cameron selected as Colonial Governor.

2650- First Colonists arrive at Olympus. As per orders, the colonists are stranded on Olympus with no way to reach the supply caches in orbit. Anarchy threatens to destroy the colony as Daphne struggles to maintain control. After meeting with the colonial leaders and scientists, Daphne begins to reshape the colony in order to improve the survival chances.

2655- After a harsh period, the survivors manage to reach the orbital supplies, only to find there is no way for them to return to the Inner Sphere. All navigational data regarding their position and the location of the Inner Sphere had been erased.

2700- Life on Olympus stabilizes as advances in medical and biotechnology allow for the population to adapt to the harsh world. Uterine replicators are developed, as well as the first biosuits that allow for the colonists to survive in the unforgiving environment. Several cities are established that focus on a specific branch of science, and a militia is formed for those who cannot adapt to the rigid scientific lifestyle. Biosuits are tailored to each individual and allow provide protection against the harsh Olympus environment as well as protection against weapons and radiation.

2751- Breakthroughs in gravity understanding and manipulation lead to the first artificial gravity systems to be developed and installed on a mothballed Farragut class WarShip. The excessive power requirements, however, lead to further advances in reactor technology.

2765- Aramis Coup. Major Michael Shaw of SAS Team 7 secures the codes for the Hegemony NBC Arsenal on Terra, joins resistance.

2766- Rim Worlds Republic Invaded.

2769- Rim Worlds Republic destroyed.

2777- Operation Liberation takes place.

2780- Aleksandr Kerensky removed at Protector. Jerome Blake named as Minister of Communication.

2784- Aleksandr Kerensky leads the SLDF into exile. Michael Shaw and his SLDF unit, SAS Team 7, remain behind to secure the remains of the SLDF NBC arsenal and to safeguard them for the SLDF's return.

2785- Michael Shaw forms Frontier Transportation Systems. Comstar formed.

2788- Comstar takes control of Terra and declares Neutrality. Shaw aids Gerome Blake in his operation. Team 7 officially disbands and the team member go their separate ways.

2800- A mandatory military service is instituted for Olympus. The rest of the mothballed WarShips are reactivated as well as a full Division's worth of BattleMechs to form the core of the Twenty First Army. SLDF Command is relocated to the nearby world of Tartarus. Elysium Colony founded in a nearby system.

2900- New Golden Age for the Olympus Colony. The biosuit technology is perfected. Nanotechnology enters production phase. Direct Neural Interface technology is tested for MechWarriors.

2910- Sagan class Transport introduced. Hyperion class Destroyer and Tornado class Light Cruiser enter design phase. Problems with the DNI are solved. DNI becomes standard issue for Olympus Militia personnel. Specialized neural interfaces are developed for the general population.

3020- SLDF 21st Fleet is fully upgraded to the new technologies. Hood class Battlecruiser introduced. Vigilance class Cruiser and Fletcher class Frigate designed.

3049- Clan Invasion. Cameron Shaw reforms Team 7, registers the unit as Mercenaries with the MRB.

3050- Team 7 gains fame through several high profile rescues from Clan territory. Intrepid class Fleet Carrier designed.

3051- Cameron Shaw meets with Khan Ulric Kerensky. Shaw's past is revealed to the Khan and the mission charged by his ancestor to safeguard House Cameron's remaining NBC weapons. Ulric acknowledges Cameron's mission and transfers a company of Star League Era 'Mechs to Team 7

3052- Battle of Tukayyid. Clan Invasion halted for 15 years. Hood-B class Battlecruiser introduced.

3057- Frontier Transportation Systems relocate from Terra to Galatea. Word of Blake takes Terra.

3058- Operation Bulldog. Trial of Refusal against the Clan Invasion. Fletcher class Frigate enters service.

3061- Operation Traveler. Team 7 leads a colonial expedition into the Deep Periphery. Hints of the existence of the last Smoke Jaguar WarShip are found at an old Star League base. A chance encounter with a malfunctioning DRUM relay hints at the existence of a Star League era colony. All Olympus naval designs are commissioned into service.

3064- Contact reestablished with Olympus Colony. Amanda Cameron recognized as Heir to House Cameron and the Terran Hegemony. Plans initiated to return to the Inner Sphere. The Olympus Fleet is prepared for war.

3066- Operation Farsight. Elements of Team 7 return to the Inner Sphere and begin recruiting for House Cameron. Battle of Outreach.

3067- Second Star League collapses. Word of Blake launches the Jihad. Amanda Cameron recruits the surviving Dragoons to her cause. Outreach is abandoned. Several regiment's worth of Mercenaries are recruited to House Cameron service.

3068- Blakist Shadow Divisions take control of the Chaos March

3073- Operation Crusade. Amanda Cameron leads the attack on Terra using forgotten House Cameron protocols. WoB leadership decimated and scattered. Sol System secured. The locations of the Hidden Worlds are discovered by the new Director General. Battlegroups are dispatched to secure each world.

3075- The last of the Hidden Worlds is captured. Surviving Blakists flee to the Periphery.

3076- Word of Blake destroyed. Restoration of House Cameron and the Terran Hegemony.

3077- Clans ordered to return to Terra. All Inner Sphere Clans send representatives. Blood Spirit, Cloud Cobra, and Goliath Scorpion evacuate Clan Space in response to the summons. Snow Ravens escort the returning Clans while establishing ties to the Outworlds Alliance.

3080- Reconstruction. Magistry of Canopus and Tauron Confederation recognized as Great Houses.

3083- Raven Alliance formed between Clan Snow Raven and the Outworlds Alliance. Asimov class Transports introduced.

3090- Liao Crusades. House Liao attempts to retake all reclaimed Hegemony worlds. The attacks fail due to the Clan camped on the Hegemony/Liao border.

3100- AG technology released to the Inner Sphere at large. Raven Alliance becomes a major ship manufacturer.

3132- Grey Monday HPG attacks. Order restored through Quantum Communications Technology.

3140- Great Expansion. Dozens of worlds in the Periphery are colonized. The Hegemony Armed Forces initiate an overhaul of their TOE to include new designs. Gaia class Destroyers and Amazon class Frigates enter service. Hood-B class Battlecruisers upgraded to Hood-C.

3150- Hegemony Navy reorganized into current Wing formations. Victory class Battlecarrier commissioned.

3160- Transport class WarShips become the choice method of travel throughout the Inner Sphere and Periphery. Revolution class Battlecruiser commissioned. Revenant class YardShip introduced.

3180- Possible traces of Extra-terrestrial life discovered in the Deep Periphery

3199- 71st Assault Wing disappears during a jump to Epsilon Eridani.

Author's note

In the media released for Halo 5 we have two distinct versions of the Spartans. The Opening Cinematic detailing Fireteam Osiris, and the Blue Team Opening Cinematic. Fireteam Osiris is a good representation of Hegemony SAS strike teams, and of course, you see the Spartan IIs in combat operations. Spartan IVs are fast and loud, full of shock and awe, but also capable of being the steel inside the velvet glove. Watching Blue Team, however, shows the consummate professionalism of the Spartan IIs. Maximum effect with minimal force. Near perfect synchronization in movement and actions.

Guest Reviews-

Kyryst- The Liverpool was already lugging around the captured Covenant Supercruiser. Despite the make nice attitude between the Hegemony and the UNSC, both are pragmatic enough to recognize the merit in working together, if only for a time.

Shadowcub- Not to worry, Sangheili angst on the horizon...