AN: Following in the wake of its predecessor, I hereby present Triangulum: The Next War! The story takes its name from a post-WWI poem called "The Next War," featured in the compilation Halo: Evolutions.

Oh, Death was never enemy of ours!
We laughed at him, we leagued with him, old chum.
No soldier's paid to kick against His powers.
We laughed, -knowing that better men would come,
And greater wars: when each proud fighter brags
He wars on Death, for lives; not men, for flags.

-The Next War, Wilfred Owen

Location: High Earth Orbit, Sol System, Orion Arm, Milky Way Galaxy

Date: November 10th, 2561 (UNSC Military Calendar)

3 years after Operation: ODYSSEUS and Treaty of Triangulum

Lieutenant Commander Benjamin Keyes stood on the bridge of his ship, the UNSC Louhi's Mirror, looking down at Earth. He himself had not been born on it; rather, he originated from the colony of Andalus in the Theta Horologii system. Andalus was one of the few urban colonies not razed by the Covenant during the Great War, and for that Benjamin was grateful. He was a cousin of the now-deceased Miranda Keyes, and nephew of the late great Rear Admiral Jacob Keyes, who sacrificed his life to help destroy Installation 04. Benjamin, now twenty-five, enlisted in the navy at sixteen because he wanted to become like his more famous relatives. Now, he was the captain of a destroyer. Ben sighed and turned his attention to the helmsman.

"Helm, set a course for the Luna Gate and prepare to jump to Alderaan."
"Yes sir."

After the signing of the Treaty of Triangulum, the UNSC and Republic had undertaken a massive project: the Intergalactic Translight Movement Array, better known as the jumpgates. These gates were based on the principles of the Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine, except on a larger and more permanent scale. The gates used seven translight drives to create a large Slipspace portal, much like the one beneath Voi, around thirty kilometers across. These portals could be used to bring a ship from Triangulum to the Milky Way in just over three Earth Standard weeks. The translight gates were constructed above many important worlds such the planets of the Sol System, Sanghelios, Balaho, Coruscant, and Alderaan, and linked the OAC and Republic together across millions of light-years.

Keyes watched as his vessel drifted toward Luna, engines shut off for the approach. Once at the gate, he entered the code for the Alderaan Gate, powered up the engines for extra jump speed, and then headed into the black void.

-THREE WEEKS LATER-

The Mirror exited Slipspace in high Alderaan orbit, where a Republic battlegroup was patrolling the space above the planet. The automated systems on those ships sent out a signal, which was answered quickly by the systems of the destroyer.

In the bridge, Ben was talking to the radar operator when the ship's AI, Seppo, popped up on a holopad. Seppo's avatar was that of a long-bearded Finnish blacksmith, complete with a rugged and weary face and large hammer. He was dressed in a leather tunic and wore a pendant with Sol, Luna, and several stars on it.

"Lt. Commander, the jump was successful. We have reached the Alderaan system without incident."
"Alright, Seppo. Form up with those Republic cruisers and contact them."
"It shall be done, sir."

The Louhi's Mirror equalized speed with the other ships and joined their formation. The commander of the lead ship, one Gial Ackbar of the Mon Calamari, appeared on the comms holotank.

"Lt. Commander, we have spotted some CIS Remnant ships near the edge of the system. Care to join in?"
"I'd be happy, Captain Ackbar. Revving up the main guns now."

The twin Mk. 103 Magnetic Accelerator Cannons in the forward section began to heat up and the Republic/UNSC task force jumped to the location of the Separatists. There, several Separatist cruisers were clustered together in the beginnings of a battle formation.

"All Venators, prepare for combat!"
"Combat crew of the Louhi's Mirror, activate all weapons systems! Get the MAC guns to 100 percent power!"

At three thousand kilometers, the Mirror opened fire with its main battery. Two searing-hot MAC rounds flashed through the black void at 40 percent light-speed. The lead cruiser's bow exploded in a ball of sparks and flame as the shots struck, blowing the forward plating and shields away and depressurizing parts of the ship. In response the cruisers fired their own salvo back at the allied force, disabling one of the Venator-class destroyers.

"Fire the Rapiers and Archers! Those SOBs aren't getting away so easily!"

Missiles streaked from the Mirror's launch tubes and impacted a second cruiser. The Rapiers slammed into the bridge, while the Archers hit the engines. The resulting chain reaction destroyed the cruiser and sent debris in all directions.

On the lead Venator, the Demolisher, Captain Ackbar sat staring at the tac-screen on his ship. He gave the order to fire a salvo of turbolasers and target the third and fourth ships.

"Fire a volley! Take out the cruisers on the left!"

The gunners complied, and streaks of red light discharged from the Demolisher's cannons. The shots slammed into the nadir hull of the third cruiser, blasting a hole through the keel and every deck, obliterating it. The fourth cruiser had the same luck; the bolts impacted on the engine block, crippling it. Ackbar looked to the UNSC destroyer and saw that it had fired a Shiva nuclear missile. Once, it was thought that nukes were primitive and barbaric; the UNSC proved this belief wrong. The nuclear weapons used by them had been refined for centuries, and were capable of unleashing havoc on ships and cities alike. The Shiva hit the port side of the ship, sending it tumbling because of the massive amounts of air evacuated from the port chambers. The cruiser careened into its one remaining brethren, and both warships were destroyed in the collision.

"That's a confirmed hit on those cruisers. Good job, Lt. Commander. You've served us well."
"Thank you, Captain. It was the least I could do to help out an ally."

Back on the bridge of the destroyer, Keyes headed back to the Alderaan Gate and jumped to Coruscant, mere hours away. When he arrived, he docked at the Rubaiyat Orbital Repair Yard, the largest UNSC space station in the system, next to some CAS-class assault carriers for refitting and briefing on his next mission. Benjamin and the bridge crew disembarked, saluted their way through a Marine checkpoint, and entered the office of Rear Admiral Amelia Wexler, Rubaiyat's commander.

"Lt. Commander. I didn't expect your arrival for another few days; you're early. Anyway I heard about that little skirmish in the Alderaan system. You performed quite admirably, and I think you're due for another promotion after leading OAC forces at the Battle of Artello."

She handed Ben the silver oak leaf of a Commander.

"From now on, you are full Commander Benjamin Keyes. Good job, Ben, we need more leaders like you. Now, go get some rest. You've earned it."