It has been one hundred years. One hundred long, pain staking years since the end of The Great War. The Human-Covenant War. Many things have changed since March of 2553. To start, humanity has become one of the two major species that practically run the entire galaxy. This is a task they share with their Sangheili allies. Both species and their respective governments, the Unified Earth Government and the Swords of Sanghelios, have risen to new highs as a result of their alliance and continued research into Forerunner technology. The other species of the former Covenant for the most part have kept their roles in society, albeit treated with a bit more dignity than before. Everyone plays a role, and everyone plays it well.
As for the galaxy, far, far away...
Things are looking grim. The Galactic Empire continues to conquer more and more of what remained of the free galaxy. The Rebel Alliance, though scoring many major victories in recent years, have been continuously pushed farther and farther back by the unwavering numbers of the Imperial War Machine. The Empire has even gone back to using Clones for their military, not for any particular reason other than just to have even more troops to throw at their enemies. All in all, the Andromeda Galaxy, may find itself in complete subjection in the next few years.
That is, unless some outside power stands in to assist...
March 3, 2653
Planet : Sangelios
City of Sanghalios, Vadam keep
100-year anniversary of The Great War
Arbiter Thel' Vadam
It was a lovely day, or as lovely as a day can get on a planet in a tertiary star system. Thel stood proudly in his chambers, in front of a mirror.
No...
No...
No...
Hell no...
No...
This was a repeating thought in the Arbiter's head, as he tried to find just the right stance to hold during the proceeding set to be held at dusk that night. Every year since the fifty year anniversary of The Great War, a festival was held. It would begin with a choreographed stage play to represent and reenact the war long past, after which a military parade would be held, and finally a great feast full of foods from every world across the galaxy.
This was a festival that Thel had participated in for the last fifty years without fail, and he did enjoy it a great deal. There was just one problem...
"HOW DOES SHE DO IT! How can Harper be hold such a commanding posture, yet I can't hold one for more than five minutes?" Thel shouted suddenly out of frustration at his inability to find a commanding posture that is comfortable and that he can hold for the duration of the festivities. Every year, he felt as if he was just slouching in front of everyone, while President Megan Harper held such a commanding stance. It irritated him to no end.
"Arbiter," cam a voice that called Thel's thoughts to reality, "all preparations of tonight's festivities have been completed." Said Kran' Denalm, Thel's personal assistant, so to speak.
"Understood Kran, I shall be ready within the hour." Replied Thel.
"I feel I must also inform you that President Harper of the UEG will be arriving shortly."
"Thank you, I shall greet her personally upon her arrival."
"Understood Arbiter."
As Kran left, Thel continued to find just the right pose to hold during the festivities.
1 hour 37 minutes later
Thel stood, poised and ready to meet his long-time ally and good friend upon her arrival to his home world. As per tradition, which has been cemented in the last half century, the leaders of both the Sangheili and Humanity would be present during the proceedings. This year would be no different.
Soon, Thel's wait for her arrival would end as the sonic boom of a small ship entering the lower atmosphere could be heard in the distance, and in a minute's time, that ship would land on the platform upon which Thel stood. As the heavy, pressurized door of the Royalty-Class Private Transport Vessel opened, a familiar female voice could be heard speaking in fluent Sangheili, "Arbiter Thel' Vadam, it has been, what, a month since we last spoke face-to-face." President Megan Harper of the UEG then appeared from the interior of the transport, greeting her ally, friend, and mentor.
"Yes, one month." Responded Thel, "But a year since we last got to do so without the conversation being broadcast across the entire galaxy." He stated that last part with an almost playful tone in his voice.
"Right, we haven't had a true heart-to-heart in a year. So, how have you been doing on a personal level?"
"Quite well, actually. Sanghelios hasn't endured many troubles this year, so I have had more time to relax. How have you been, my friend?"
"I've been doing fine, though my son has enlisted into the UNSC Marine Core, which worries me."
"Ah, so Jeremiah has chosen a military career. No need to worry about him, Megan, he is a strong young man. He will no doubt be victorious in all his battles, and bring honor to your family name."
"Wish I had the same confidence in him that you did. And speaking of kids, how has Mahkee been doing? Last I heard, she was still learning basic swordsmanship."
"She has still yet to master the sword, however she has excelled in almost everything else. She can speak seven languages, she can pilot a fighter, she can disassemble, maintenance, and reassemble every weapon we have given her, blind folded, and is a master in all other academic fields."
By this point, the pair had left the docking pad and entered the main hangar, almost to the main entrance, where two Sangheili honor guards stood. Upon seeing the two galactic leaders, they moved aside and opened the large stone door to the inside of the Vadam Keep. All the while the Arbiter and President continued their talk without missing a beat.
Inside the prestigious home of the Arbiter, a world of natural and cultural beauty and majesty was communicated. On both sides of the passage they now walked through, artificial waterfalls flowed into small ponds with lush plant life consisting of the most beautiful specimens from across the galaxy. Between each waterfall stood a brilliantly carved statue of Sangheili heroes from long ago. The ceiling itself was an intricate carving of arches and metal beams, with power conduits running across in in a beautiful manor, bathing the passage in a light similar to the summer son on Earth's north American continent. The floor was a hard-light bridge above a small river that seemed to flow towards the hangar. Further along the passage, the two passed over a bridge that gave a beautiful view of the Sanghalios skyline. A beautiful metropolis stood at the base of the mountain upon which the keep was built into. Being built using traditional Sangheili architecture, and using Forerunner, Sangheili, and Human technology in its construction. It seemed like an Incan city had been taken from South America, placed on Sanghelios, made it the size of New York, and rebuilt using modern materials.
Coming into the main structure of the Keep, they entered the main assembly chamber, which was currently devoid of all life other than the Sangheili and Human. The chamber as well had the waterfalls, but only two of them on the back wall, and much larger than the ones in the passage. Between the falls existed a sort of throne, with several Forerunner systems built into the seat, with the seat itself clearly being intended for Sangheili use. The rest of the hall resembled the Pantheon, with the pillar design being highly exaggerated. At the other end of the massive chamber was a gargantuan stone and steel door.
As they came into the chamber, Thel and Megan had their conversation, which at this point had transitioned to the pains of the two aging leaders, was interrupted by the voice of a female Sangheili. "Father! Can I speak to you for a mome-..."
Mahkee paused once she caught sight of the UEG Madam President, then became ecstatic. "MEGAN! It's been so long since I last saw you! How is Jeremiah doing? Has he enlisted yet? He always talked about how he wanted to become a Demon." As she spoke, her tone changed drastically from the official, honorable tone most Sangheili use, to that which resembled an excited teenaged girl, which she essentially was.
"It is good to see you too Mehkee, and by god you have grown." Said Megan, trying to quell the young Sangheili's unintentional rant.
"Oh, yes, Jeremiah did enlist already, my child, and is well on his way to becoming a Spartan." Added Thel. "Now, what was it you wished to speak about Mehkee?"
"Of course, Father, I was wondering if I could forgo participation in the parade tonight. I honestly don't feel I'm right for the role." Stated Mehkee, trying to maintain her air of authority, and failing miserably.
"Absolutely not, you are representing our family in that parade. You must participate, just as your brother before you has." Replied Thel, mildly annoyed.
"Mehkee, don't worry about it. It's not hard to just walk down a street, now is it?" added Megan, trying to sooth the Sangheili female.
Mehkee started to complain more, but was quickly cut off by her father saying "Enough! Mehkee, you only have to do this once. Just bare with it, because you're not getting out of it. Now go prepare yourself. I will not have you presented as you are now. Festivities are to start in three hours, be there on time." And with that Mehkee was ushered off to her chambers to prepare for her inevitable showcase to the entire galaxy.
"Jesus Christ Thel, go easy on her. This is going to be the first time the entire galaxy will be watching her. She's bound to be nervous."
"She is my daughter, as such she is representing the Vedam Heritage, as well as my skills as a father. I need her to be strong, if only for tonight. I want the public to see her in a positive light, as she may very well be my successor as Arbiter."
"I understand. So, what were we discussing before we were interrupted?"
And with that, the Arbiter of the Swords of Sanghelios and the President of the Unified Earth Government continued their previous conversation while wandering seemingly aimlessly through the keep, as last minute preparations were made for the festival.
March 3, 2653
Planet : New Hephaestus
Orbital Sensor Station, Researching other Galaxies
Joint -UEG Colony
Lt. Samuel Gunther – UNSC Navy
Boring. That is the one word that would describe the life of Samuel H. Gunther over the last seven months. Since his arrival on station, he has been tasked with observing nothing but sensory data 24/7, and honestly he would rather shoot himself instead. It was a shame that the station staff weren't to have side arms on at all times, unlike aboard starships and military installations.
"Survey log, March 3rd, 2653. Lieutenant Samuel Gunther. Reporting sensor data of observations of Galaxy M110 have been completed. No signs of intelligent life, however sensors show a multitude of potentially habitable worlds. Now beginning with scans of the Andromeda Galaxy. Personal Note, can someone explain to me why we didn't start our scanning of other galaxies with the Andromeda Galaxy, I mean come on, it's the biggest one! End note. End Log."
With that, the computer stopped it's recording and filled away the audio log. The colored man who just made said log now turned to his Sangheili superior officer, who came in just as he finished his personal note.
"I must agree with you on that last bit, it would have made more sense for us to start our scan with our largest neighbor." Stated the S.O.
"Yeah" was Gunther's only response as he went back to monitoring his sensor console, looking for any Ghost Planets that may exist away from a host galaxy while the sensors themselves repositioned to scan the gargantuan galaxy next door.
"Lieutenant, I wish to inform you that celebrations will be held down on the colony soon. You may want to get to a shuttle to the surface if you intend on going"
"That's the thing, sir. I don't intend on participating this year. Think I'll just stay here, you know. Watch the sensors, in case we pick up on anything."
"Thrilling. Well, I gave you the option, don't blame me when you die of sheer boredom here. Have a nice time." And with that, the Sangheili left.
"Yeah, boredom. Not like that stupid play isn't just as boring as watching the sensor reading day by day." Gunther said to himself.
Nothing
Nothing
Nothing
Nothing
Nothi- wait, Something?
There was a small blip on the screen, lasting for three seconds as the main sensors kept moving. This caught Gunther's attention. Quickly he moved to one of his side consoles, and positioned a secondary sensor toward where he had seen the blip, and sure enough it was right there.
"What the hell" he said under his breath. It was the strangest sensor reading he had ever picked up on. It was some kind of triangular shaped object, barely the size of the standard UNSC light frigate. The only reason he noticed it was because he had never heard that sound before. If he had to guess, it was some kind of small ship, though the triangular design was a bit odd.
"Hmm... Where did you come from. I wonderrrrrr... Oh, well, that's lucky." Seems the damn thing is actually drifting into our galaxy. This may be the first definitive piece of evidence of life beyond our galaxy! Holy shit, I might get to name a fucking species!
March 3, 2653
Planet : Sanghelios
City of Sanghalios, City square
100-year anniversary of The Great War
Arbiter Thel' Vadam
As the final of the three suns set, lights came on all around the square. The massive commercial area was completely decorated in all sorts of ways, each aspect representing one of the species that fought in the war. Infuses on FOUGHT. All around could be seen Ung'goy fabric tethers of almost every visible color, Kig-yar metal trinkets lined the windows of every shop, Lek'golo stones of rainbow-like colors had been placed on every corner ( and it was surprising they even had decorations at all), Huragok lights had been placed in just the right locations to give a low level, frosty blue lighting all around the square, Human made floating lanterns floated in midair like balloons, and of course the Sangheili had placed up banners of almost every clan in the species.
"Always a beautiful sight to see." Said Thel, now speaking English.
"And always will be" responded Megan, who stood next to Thel.
The Arbiter and the President, as per tradition at this point, were standing on a balcony a story and a half above the ground. The balcony was adorned with the flags of both factions. On the ground stood several hundred people of every species imaginable, and not just those of the former covenant and humanity. Dozens of different lifeforms stood together in the square awaiting the start of the show, which would be performed on the relatively large stage in the very center of the plaza.
Soon, the crowd quieted down, as a Human in simple work clothes and two Sangheili in standard military uniform came up onto the stage. The Human crouched down, facing away from the two Sangheili, who came to face each other. A second later, a Kig-yar raider came onto the stage, passing between the two Sangheili and coming to a halt mere centimeters behind the Human. The raider then quickly grabbed a small object out of the Human's back pocket, a single 9mm bullet. The raider again took another object from the Human, this time, a Beretta 92 handgun. At this point, some rather colorful holograms began to appear, right around the Human's fist. With a hauntingly loud thud, the Human 'punched' the raider, sending it flying right to the feet of the Sangheili.
This is when the real show begins. Suddenly, the Sangheili ignite their energy swords and charge at the Human, who pulls out a hunter's knife and blocks the attack. Now, the begin to fight, endlessly, for roughly fifteen minutes in a display of skill reminiscent of both species undeniable combat skills and honor. The whole thing had the audience mesmerized as the comparative dance went on, representing nearly every battle that was fought in the war, with the Human continuously being pushed backwards.
No matter how many times anyone saw it, nearly everyone could agree that it was always a breath-taking performance to observe. However, to the eyes of the Arbiter and President, it has overtime become an event to scrutinize and be critical of, all for the sake of having a conversation that didn't revolve around the usual politics they had to discuss. It was tradition for them, and many others in their position as this scene was being played throughout the galaxy, in nearly every city with any population of Sangheili or Human.
Soon, it was found that the Human in the performance was pushed back to the edge of the stage, now at the point of the legendary Battle for Earth. It was at this point that the most mesmerizing part of the performance would happen, lasting no longer than a couple of seconds at best. A moment known as The Clash. The Sangheili brought their Swords to strike down on the Human for a killing blow, and the Human, now wielding a MA5B assault rifle, moved to block it. Block it he did, as the bottom of the rifle and the blades of the swords collided, producing the most colorful and oddly beautiful light show ever, in all its sparking glory as Hyper Heated Plasma clashed with Reinforced Hyper dense Titanium.
The Sangheili were pushed back after this, and just about fell too. Instead, however, the Human caught them, and hoisted them back onto their feet. Now, the performance just sort of raps up in a blur.
After The Clash, most really just stop paying attention. At that point, nobody cares.
March 3, 2653
Planet : New Hephaestus
Orbital Sensor Station, Researching other Galaxies
Joint -UEG Colony
Lt. Samuel Gunther – UNSC Navy
Gunther's excitement was through the roof. Finally, something to actually do besides stare at a blank monitor. This strange, triangular ship, was clearly coming from the Andromeda Galaxy. If this were true, then it is possible for there to be more of these vessels within the galaxy itself. If that part is true, then it is likely that the entirety of the Milky Way Galaxy will be jumping at a chance to contact the entirety of the Andromeda Galaxy.
His excitement was not lost on the other occupants of the station, however, as those who decided to skip the celebrations on the surface have noticed his abnormal activates, and the excitement of the usually depressing sensors officer. As such, one of the many Jiralhanae on the station, this one named Worlium, was a kind of friend of Gunther, and was generally more mature than Gunther too, which is really saying something about how immature Gunther is.
"What is going on with you? Usually you are more... grounded. Is there an issue?" Worlium asked as he came up to Gunther's station.
Gunther, on his part, was only half listening to his brutish counterpart, and simply responded with, "I believe I may have finally found evidence of life beyond our galaxy! Some kind of ship like object is apparently drifting into the Milky Way from Andromeda. I think we should go take a look."
Worlium was slightly shocked. He never thought that they would be able to find life in another galaxy. Well, there was that one small galaxy that probably held it at one point, and then the Flood came. But that was besides the point.
"What is your evidence, if it is viable we must report it to command immediately!" was Worlium's response.
From that point onwards, the duo went about the task of confirming the claim and organizing the evidence. Slowly, the rest of the skeleton crew left on the station came and joined them in the task. After three hours of this, the main sensor array finally focused on the Andromeda Galaxy itself, and what they found shocked them all. There were more vessels, a lot more.
March 8, 2653
Planet : Reach
UNSC Military Headquarters, General Ballard's office
Board Meeting on Unknown Life
General Hao'shing Ballard
The General was a bit overwhelmed at the moment. The supreme commander of the UNSC army was being briefed on a developing situation about the findings of the New Hephaestus Sensor Station. Life in the Andromeda Galaxy. Who would have thought.
He was currently in meeting with the rest of the supreme commanders of the branches of the UNSC military, as well as the Chief Executive Officer President Megan Harper. The only sense of comfort he got about the situation was that the rest of the executives' present were just as concerned as he was.
They were dealing with a new situation, and a new military. Once the alien vessel that was detected came into the galaxy, it was isolated, stopped, and observed for two days by ships from nearly every world on record in the Milky Way. The first thing that was noticed about this vessel from another galaxy, was that its shape was very ineffective for literally any kind of purpose in space. The second thing was that it had guns of some kind mounted on its hull in excess. Clearly it was a poorly made warship.
"So, who do you intend to send in to make contact with the vessel?" was Ballard's first sentence uttered in the briefing, as that was all he really cared about.
"Well, I do believe a Spartan Team would be a smart choice on this one. We don't know anything about these people other than they can't build a ship worth a damn. They could still have very powerful weapons to make up for that." Was the suggestion of Admiral Ossoff, the Supreme Commander of the UNSC Navy since Lord Hood retired.
"Yes, I agree, but we should also use a team that has diplomatic abilities. It may be possible to negotiate with these people." President Megan decreed.
To be honest, it was a good idea. They know nothing of these people, so they would need to be prepped for either scenario.
"Consider it done. Fireteam Pegasus should be suited for the job." Replied General Sarah Palmer, Supreme Commander of the Spartan Corps.
"Then it is settled, Fireteam Pegasus will board the vessel and find out as much information as they can." Was the final comment of the briefing.