Alright, so I had this plot idea in my head for a while now, and I figured why not write it down. Some things to keep in mind while reading this: First off, like most of my stories, this is a multicrossover, currently only with Storm Hawks, Halo and Star Wars, but I'm planning to add more elements from different stories later on.

Secondly, this is technically meant to be a sequel to my story Intention's Eye, but since my creativity just took me to this one without finishing Intention's Eye, I will be referencing events in that story that haven't actually happened yet.

I'll continue on this at the bottom of the page, so you can get to the story now.

Disclaimer: I do not own Halo, Storm Hawks, Star Wars or any other franchise that appears in this story.


It had been just over a year since Cyclonia fell to the Wastelands, and for most of that time, peace had reigned. The people of Atmos were left to rebuild their damaged Terras and with minimal threats, they had done just that. It had been a golden age of peace, unprecedented for Atmos and all thanks to the bravery of the Storm Hawks.

But it would not last. It was too much to hope that the Cyclonians would completely give up just because their Terra fell. Now, a year later, they had experienced a resurgence and were attempting to finish what they had started.

The Cyclonians had divided themselves into major factions, some following disgraced commanders like Ravess and Snipe. Others remained loyal to the throne and held out hope that Master Cyclonis would return with reinforcements from the Far Side and bring the Atmos back under her rule. Some factions did neither; Terra Zartacla had turned into a rogue Terra run by Mr. Moss. The deranged warden had been locking up anyone who had come near the prison, Cyclonian or otherwise.

Fortunately, this division ensured the Cyclonians were as much of a threat to themselves as they were to the rest of Atmos. And because of this, they could not reach the same level of power they once held under Master Cyclonis, and with the lack of decisive leadership thanks to the death of the Dark Ace and the infighting of Ravess and Snipe, the combined Sky Knights of Atmos only had to worry about occasional border skirmishes.

Then Master Cyclonis herself had started sending reinforcements back from the Far Side. With more upgraded Night Crawlers armed with Far Side tech, she also employed something new: Soldiers in strange black armor, armed with energy weapons of a type not seen before. They didn't seem to run on crystals of any kind, and were far more advanced than any technology on Atmos. The same could be said of their vehicles, with fighters capable of flying at incredibly high speed and large walking machines that struck fear into the hearts of those who saw them.

Then there were their robots and cyborgs: The former were all black with a skeletal frame and glowing red eyes, with a sword on one wrist and a shield on the other, both capable of absorbing energy blades. The latter were covered in all grey armor and were equipped with jet packs that sent them flying short distances. Both were equipped with armor similar to Cyclonis' mercenaries.

These new soldiers would've overrun Atmos, if not for the return of the Storm Hawks and their new allies and technology from the Far Side, among the most notable being a pair of beings seemingly with superpowers, armor that appeared out of nowhere and a strange vessel of similar origin to Cyclonis' new mercenaries, only capable of turning completely invisible. Even still, they were struggling to catch up, with Cyclonis' tech and number advantage offsetting almost everything else.

Now, the battle for Atmos had started once more, and it was even grander in scale than the last time. The combined might of the forces of Atmos (with the Storm Hawks leading the charge), versus the forces of Cyclonia, including the new and deadly mercenaries at their disposal.

Aerrow was on his skimmer, sword fighting with Cyclonis' new second in command: A young female only slightly older than Cyclonis herself, armed with an unusual sword that was just a silver cylinder that when activated, discharged a shaft of red energy. This woman was also faster than a normal human, not to mention seemingly holding the power of telekinesis and the ability to shoot lightning from her hands, and it was only due to Piper's Binding magic that Aerrow had any chance of beating her.

Even now, Aerrow was covered in a blue glow as he grabbed the red shaft of energy in his hand, before kicking her in the stomach. She barely kept her balance on the wings of Aerrow's skimmer, before retaliating with forks of lightning from her fingertips. The red-headed Sky Knight was able to absorb the lightning and glared at his enemy for a second before their struggle began anew.

The rest of the Storm Hawks were also in battle, along with their new allies from the Far Side and their old friends. Piper's Binding and the superpowers of the two armored people took down Talons and Night Crawlers dozens at a time, while also bringing down the much more dangerous machines and ruthless soldiers of Cyclonis' mercenaries. Still, the latter accounted for dozens of deaths, and it was still a losing battle. Then worse news came.

"Massive energy spike!" Someone called. "Seven miles west!"

There was a crackle of powerful energy before a massive blue-white portal tore itself into existence in the middle of the sky over several miles away. The battle abruptly came to a halt as all the combatants witnessed the event with various states of awe or dismay.

The Cyclonian Talons were thrilled because they thought it was a sign of more of Master Cyclonis' reinforcements from the Far Side, with some already cheering at the prospect. The Sky Knights were scared for the exact same reason, and tensed up in preparation for what would come out.

That anxious waiting lasted for all of three seconds before an object emerged from the portal, which promptly sealed shut. The combatants didn't notice however, as their emotions changed to ones of terror and awe.

A massive ship hung in the middle of the sky, silver and purple, with a bulbous hook-shaped bow. The ship easily rivaled the previously airborne Terra of Cyclonia in size if not surpassing it entirely.

Whatever it was, it was obviously not of Atmos design; not even the examples of Far Side tech seen during the Cyclonian invasion matched up with the strangely designed hyper-battleship in front of them.

The alien ship, for that was all that it could be, hovered near the battlefield, to the confusion and awe of everyone... except the mercenaries, who started retreating from the massive vessel, with a disconcerting state of panic considering the confidence they had a moment ago.

"All units retreat!" A female voice called over the radio. "Pull back to defensive positions, now!"

The Night Crawlers and Talons looked at their allies in confusion, while the Sky Knights felt their emotions surge into hopefulness. Aerrow, Piper and Starling on the other hand, felt a surge of fear. If Cyclonis' powerful new allies were so afraid of these new arrivals, then what could they do to the rest of Atmos?

The answer came moments later, when the superpowered agents sent a message over the radio.

"Everyone fall back! NOW!"

"Fall back!" Aerrow echoed, knowing better than to doubt his powerful allies. "FALL BACK!" His warning came just in time.

Hundreds of purple aircraft shot out from the main hanger bay, splitting off into swarms that surrounded the alien mothership. Then, they split off even further, some splitting off to head to different Terras, some staying to protect their mothership... and some were heading towards them. A horrible wailing noise emerged from each craft, as they moved into attack formation.

A good chunk of the combined forces were peppered with blue bolts and green explosives, taking down many Skimmers and heavily damaging the larger airships. Strangely, the purple aircraft seemed to ignore the Atmos forces, only attacking them if they got in the way. Their true targets seemed to be the forces of the First Order.

On the bridge of the Condor, the Storm Hawks had watched in horrified awe as the massive ship exited its portal and immediately began releasing fighters that fired on everyone in the surrounding area. Stork's reaction was predictable:

"We're doomed."

"What is that?" Aerrow asked for everyone. An armored figure came up behind them.

"It's the Intention's Eye," Their superpowered ally answered. "A CAS-class Assault Carrier commanded by Shipmaster Laccabeus." The armored being pointed at the retreating mercenaries as they made a beeline for the portal to the Far Side, followed by several squadrons of Banshees. "And it looks like he's out for blood."


On the purple bridge of the assault carrier, a dozen Jiralhanae watched the viewscreen as hordes of native aircraft fled before the squadrons of Banshees that were bearing down on them. Through the chaos, the sensors could clearly discern the few craft that were clearly not of this world retreating from the Covenant onslaught.

"Shipmaster!" The sensor operator called. "Enemy signatures have been detected. They are leaving the battlefield at max speed."

"Order our squadrons to intercept." Laccabeus responded. "Burn any of these primitives that get in their way."

The order was given, with many of the officers trying and failing to contain their expressions of savage glee. After a month of hunting, they had finally gotten a location on the First Order, and were ready to repay them in kind for their attacks from earlier.

...

The forces of the First Order fled for the portal that brought them from the Far Side, with some of the smarter Cyclonians following them. The Banshees gave chase, managing to shoot down a couple transports, along with several Cyclonian skimmers, sending their occupants on a one way trip to the Wastelands... those who survived the initial barrage anyway.

Regardless, dozens of them made it through the portal, which promptly closed before the Banshees could get through. Once the mercs had retreated through the portals to the Far Side, the purple aircraft then turned back towards the combined Atmosian forces.

The combined Sky Knight forces retreated, but many of the remaining Cyclonian Talons were either too stupid or fearful to retreat. Surprisingly, the remaining Night Crawlers had already flown away from the ship, seemingly in panic.

The end result was a massacre. The alien aircraft (which the superhumans had called Banshees), were much more sturdy and more heavily-armed than any skimmer on Atmos, from the main Atmos or the Far Side.

The pilots within were also very skilled, and their weapons were rather powerful. A flight of Banshees was able to take down a battle ready airship with no casualties on their end, as the remaining combatants were witness to as several airships started falling out of the sky, with smoke pouring from their engines.

As the Storm Hawks watched, several of the remaining Cyclonian Destroyers moved into the air around the Eye itself and opened fire with all their weapons. However, the silver-white energy shield deflected the rounds like they were annoying spitballs.

Then, with several plasma turrets discharging, the Eye contemptuously swatted the Destroyers out of the sky. Even from this distance, the Storm Hawks could see dozens of parachutes open as the crew abandoned their vessels (from those vessels that weren't immediately vaporized by the plasma torpedos).

To the squadron's horror and disgust, but to the complete lack of surprise of the two superpowered beings, the swarming Banshees opened fire on the falling Talons, showing no mercy even to those who could no longer fight back.

"It's time to leave." Aerrow said quietly, drawing the rest of his team from their horrified trance. The Cyclonians had rarely of ever been this cruel and ruthless to their opponents, and now they had to deal with something worse than even the First Order.


Once everyone had retreated from the battlefield, the Covenant aircraft returned to the Intention's Eye, with the forces within already planning another assault. On the bridge, that discussion was already taking place.

"Where have they gone?" One Chieftain asked.

"It's unclear." The sensor operator replied. "However, it's possible that some of them could have taken refuge on these 'Terras' as the inhabitants call them."

"And if they haven't?" Makterbus asked as Laccabeus looked to be deep in thought.

"Then their new allies will know where they went." Laccabeus interjected. "Brothers, it appears that we will be here for a while."

"So, what's our next move?" Another Chieftain said. After a moment, Laccabeus spoke again.

"Prepare another assault force. This time, we will strike the inhabitants where they live and take every strategic and tactical location we can. But," He held a finger up to silence the snickering among his commanders. "Do not obliterate them. We want them afraid so they will not retaliate against us while we deal with the First Order. And make sure to take prisoners."

"Shipmaster?" Makterbus looked at his commander, confused. An emotion everyone else in the room was feeling.

"Someone on this world will know where the First Order has gone." The High-Chieftain explained. "We need all the information we can get. And when we find them, we will grind them into dust!"

Cheering broke out among the assembled Jiralhanae, while the Sangheili were a bit more subdued, though they were still smiling. For the next hour, Laccabeus went over the detailed plans about how they would strike at Atmos. An attack which would leave the world shaken.

...

Several hours later, the Banshees had been refueled and were launched again, this time escorting Phantom dropships loaded with infantry and armor. Their targets; the most strategically important Terras on this side of the Atmos.

None of which were prepared for the hell that was going to rain down on them.


Captain Scabulous had watched as the massive warship blew its way through the combined Atmos forces and the forces of Cyclonia. The Murk Raiders had chosen to stay out of that fight considering the huge size of the ship and after seeing what it had done to the Cyclonian destroyers that attempted to fight back.

"What do we do now?"

"We stay hidden in the clouds." Scabulous replied. "With any luck, we'll avoid these aliens without any trouble."

That hope was dashed by Eyeball's next report.

"Cap'n those aircraft are heading towards us." Eyeball said. "I think they know we're here."

As if they heard him, green explosions and blue energy bolts impacted the Raider ship.

"Retreat." Captain Scabulous called as the Banshees swarmed after them. "Retreat!"

The Murk Raiders fled into the depths of Terra Deep, pursued by the Covenant Banshees. Dozens of skimmers had been shot down, as well as several of their cruisers when the Covenant aircraft took down their engines.

They had hoped that the pressure of the deeps would be enough to dissuade the Covenant from following, but the Banshees seemed to have no issue pursuing them (though the plasma bolts were dissipated somewhat by the clouds).

Still, several fuel rod blasts blew holes in the ships, forcing them to rise higher lest they be crushed by the pressure. Then, the next blasts impacted their sonar sensors, destroying them entirely and rendering the Murk Raiders blind and deaf.

As soon as their sensors were knocked out, the Phantom moved in. Laden with Jiralhanae Jumpers and Sangheili Rangers, the troops were deposited on top of Scabulous' ship and made their way inside.

"Cap'n, we've been boarded!" Eyeball shouted over the wailing alarms. It was a rather unnerving experience considering how often the Murk Raiders had boarded other ships.

"Prepare to repel boarders!" Scabulous ordered.

The Brutes and Elites had blasted their way into the interior of the Murk Raider ship, and began making their way through the hallways. For a brief moment though, they halted when they heard singing.

"Deeps, deeps. We'll crush your tiny hulls. Deeps, deeps. Leave nothing but your sku-" The chant of the Murk Raiders was abruptly halted when several pink crystals impacted one and caused him to explode.

The Raiders halted in shock, having never seen such brutal displays in their lives. Not even they would use such barbaric methods or weaponry. They also finally got a good look at their opponents.

They were enourmous, standing at over 8 feet tall and clad in colorful and battle-scarred armor. One of the species had backwards knees and four mandibles where their mouths should be. The others looked a lot like giant hairy apes, albeit with far more muscle. Both species were clad in colorful, albeit battle-scarred armor, and both had the look of bloodlust in their eyes.

Growling in their own languages, the species charged the Murk Raiders, who drew their own crystal swords with a lack of confidence. Even Cyclonian forces supported by their advanced mercenaries hadn't given them this much pause before.

And for good reason. Crystal blasts fired at these aliens were absorbed by blue-white energy shields that sprung up around them, leaving the Covenant free to return fire. Blue and red plasma bolts melted holes wherever they struck, regardless of whether it was the metal hull or the organic Raiders.

Screaming rent the air, leaving a horrifying cacophony when it mixed with the laughing of the Brutes and Elites, as their weaponfire increased in volume, while the Raiders were forced to give ground to their more advanced and physiologically stronger opponents.

Soon enough, the Covenant strike team had made it to the doors that led to the bridge, the remaining Murk Raiders had either been cut down or abandoned ship (of course, those that fled were shot out of the sky by the circling Banshees). Affixing a breaching charge to the door, the Covenant got to cover just before the entry vanished in an explosion of blue light.

Scabulous watched in horror as the Brutes and Elites broke through the door to the bridge and filed in. With a laugh from both species at the horrified Murk Raiders, they aimed their weapons at the surrounded bridge crew.


It had been a rather eventful few days for the Colonel. When the Cyclonian forces and their mercenaries returned from the Far Side, the Colonel had reasserted his neutrality and swore to stay out of their way.

That quickly changed when this 'First Order' had started taking potshots at him, forcing him to ally with the free Atmos. To be brutally honest, he didn't care about the people of Atmos. The Colonel only wished to ensure that his operations would continue to run smoothly.

Then, in the middle of the 'Battle to end all battles,' a massive alien ship had arrived, deploying hundreds of aircraft which targeted both sides indiscriminately. When the First Order had retreated, the Colonel had quickly realized that he would have no chance at defeating them.

Thus, he retreated back to his compound, and prepared for a long seige. While the Colonel was used to getting his way, he doubted negotiation or intimidation would be much use against an alien force that immediately opened fire on the inhabitants of the planet. And according to the reports he heard, these 'Covenant' were launching simultaneous attacks on dozens of Terras at the same time.

At this point, the Colonel had done all he could to turn his palace into a fortress. Now, all that he could do was wait, and pray that these aliens would not find him. A horrible wailing sound followed by explosions made it clear that his prayers had gone unanswered.

Exiting the building, the Colonel and his guards watched as the Covenant 'Banshees' blitzed passed his manor, green explosions following in their midst. Further off, they could see the more bloated Phantom dropships flying in this direction as well.

The Colonel watched as the purple aircraft fired on his compound, melting through the metal walls with extreme ease. Then the larger and sleek transports came to a hover over his landing platform, disgorging large creatures he had never seen before.

The creatures stood at twelve feet tall, covered in thick armor. Their skin actually looked wormlike, and they had a massive shield on one arm, and what appeared to be a large cannon on the other.

The spines on their back shook as they 'roared', before these massive creatures turned their cannon toward the Colonel. With a surprising burst of speed, the Colonel was able to leap out of the way of the green explosives. The same could not be said for his guards, and the Colonel turned just in time to see their outlines consumed in a green flash.

Now alone against a horde of aliens, the Colonel was no fool. He knew that he stood no chance against such beings, and it would be idiotic to believe otherwise. With quick reflexes, the Colonel sprinted towards his private hanger, avoiding the plasma bolts, spikes, explosives, and carbine rounds as he did so.

Once inside, he quickly sealed the door, which immediately started glowing red as plasma bolts began chewing through the flimsy metal. Never having been so frightened in his life, the Colonel wasted no time in dashing for his personal heliscooter.

Mounting his personal craft, he was airborne just in time to see the Covenant break into the hanger. Now with more combat options, the Colonel spun around and fired his blasters at the aliens, forcing them to retreat back into cover.

"You dare come here and attack my home?!" He shouted, feeling a bit more bravado. "Do you know who I am?!"

His boasting was interrupted when he heard a loud hum behind him. A Phantom was hovering just outside the hanger, with a dimunitive alien standing on the side mounted plasma cannon. The Grunt immediately fired, clipping the heliscooter's blade.

The Colonel crashed to the ground in a heap, landing right in front of the aliens he'd previously been shooting at. Meekly, he raised his hands in surrender, only for the Covenant to laugh and aim their weapons at him.


Terra Rex was hit next. A dozen Banshees blitzed through the Rex Guardian stadium, killing dozens of people with plasma bolts and fuel rod blasts. The Banshees didn't stop there, hitting the rest of the Terra in concerted airstrikes.

Then the Phantoms appeared, bearing a pair of Wraiths, two Ghosts and two Choppers. The vehicles were deployed in the middle of the stadium, alongside a platoon of infantry.

"Spread out!" The Captain in charge of the attack ordered. "Tear this city apart and show these fools what it means to be savage!"

They did just that. The Wraiths started bombarding the city from the interior of the stadium, destroying dozens of homes and their occupants in a few short minutes. Once it was determined that they had been softened up, the Ghosts and Choppers were deployed and went after targets of opportunity.

Screaming rent the air as the Jiralhanae war machines plowed through buildings and people. The riders didn't even have to use their front-mounted autocannons; they just drove through any obstacle in their way, whether it was a building or a person.

Meanwhile, the Ghosts patrolled the perimeter of the city, cutting down anyone who attempted to flee into the wilderness. With the vehicles in play, the Covenant infantry formed themselves into hunter-killer teams, going building by building and killing anyone who hadn't already fled. Some called in positions for the Wraiths and Banshees, letting the bombardment obliterate some of the larger buildings.

One Brute Ultra was walking through the administrative building of Terra Rex when he came across a large locked door. Sneering, the Jiralhanae kicked it open, revealing the three elders/keepers of the Sky Knight code, trying and failing to hide behind their desk.

Before the Ultra could move forward, he was hit by two yellow energy blasts. The two guards within had unleashed energy from their lances at the Brute, only to find that the blasts were absorbed by the Ultra's energy shield. They fired again, this time causing the Brute's shield to flare brighter and forcing him to retreat back behind the door frame.

"Cowardly beast!" One guard taunted. "You cannot hope to conquer Terra Rex!"

As if in response, the Ultra spun out from behind cover and hurled what appeared to be a mace at the guard's head. The unfortunate soul fell to the force of the Brute's throw, which embedded the object in his skull.

Mortified, the elders and the second guard stared in shock at the carnage unleashed by the alien's throw, with a bit of curiousity at the object itself. It looked a bit like a mace, albeit without any crystals, as well as slightly larger than any mace on Atmos (except Gundstaff's). They were so shocked that they didn't notice the Brute had once again retreated behind cover.

Then the Spike Grenade detonated.

The Jiralhanae Spike grenade was a weapon that personified the savagery of Jiralhanae warfare. The casing alone was lethal enough as a blunt weapon due to the spikes on the exterior, while having the primary purpose of embedding itself into whatever object the user threw it at. When it exploded, the grenade released a hailstorm of superheated spikes that perforated any living being within. In an enclosed space, the spikes would richochet off the walls, ceiling and floor, increasing their lethality even further.

This weapon wasn't designed to wound or force others to focus resources on healing their injuries. This was a weapon designed to make their victims die screaming. And the keepers of the Sky Knight code (and their remaining guard) found this out the hard way.

The Ultra listened as the screams died down, then turned to look at the state of the room and his victims. It was messy, just the way the aptly named Brutes liked it. Laughing, the Jiralhanae left the premises, looking for more victims.

...

Soon, the Covenant forces had rounded up the bulk of Terra Rex's remaining civilians. Anyone else had either evacuated long before the attack, or were slaughtered by the Covenant. The whimpering people cowered at the sight of the massive aliens looming over them, some of which seemed to regard their captives with a look of hunger.

"Stay away from them!" The shout drew everyone's attention as the Rex Guardians drove towards the group, coming to a halt and forming a barrier between the civilians and the aliens.

The people lit up as the squadron moved to protect them, while Harrier walked towards the rank of Covenant, who looked at him and each other in amusement at the human's bravery.

"You will not harm anyone else on Terra Rex." Harrier declared, pulling out his sword. "We will not allow it."

"You think you can stop us, human?" One Brute snarled as the group aimed their weapons at Harrier. "Your home is in ruins, your leaders are dead, and every Terra on Atmos is suffering the same fate. You should learn when you are beaten."

"But," The Jiralhanae gestured and the Covenant lowered their weapons. "Perhaps a duel could settle this? I'm sure you're familiar with the concept of a duel of honor. If you win, we will leave, but if we win, then we decide the fate of your Terra."

"You cowardly beasts wouldn't understand the concept of honor!" Harrier yelled, eliciting laughter from the crowd of aliens.

"You wish to fight with honor, human?" The Covenant forces made a path for the voice that answered Harrier. A Sangheili walked through the crowd towards Harrier, energy sword crackling to life in his hands.

"Show me what you can do."

With a battle cry, Harrier lunged with his crystal sword, which was immediately parryed by the twin prongs of the Elite's sword. Another overhand swing yielded the same result, as the Elite almost seemed to put as little effort into blocking as possible.

Then, when the two locked blades, the Sangheili easily forced Harrier on the defense, causing him to leap back as the Elite broke the blade luck and narrowly missed taking the Sky Knight's head off.

With a grunt, Harrier swung his sword and sent a burst of yellow energy at his opponent, which splashed harmlessly against the creature's energy shield. The Elite chortled in amusement.

"This is your guardian? Your greatest warrior?" The Elite said to the crowd. "I've seen children fight with more spirit than this one."

With that said, the Elite lunged at Harrier and immediately knocked the sword out of his hands. Now defenseless, the Sky Knight of Terra Rex was backhanded against a nearby wall, causing him to gasp and pain as he felt that several bones were likely broken.

On his hands and knees, Harrier coughed as a shadow loomed over him. The Sangheili stood over the fallen hero, brandishing his energy sword in one hand and holding Harrier's sword in the other. It was only then that the Sky Knight could really appreciate the size and strength difference between the two species.

With a grunt, the massive Elite crushed the hilt of Harrier's sword, easily shattering the crystal within and rendering it into a useless hunk of scrap metal, before tossing the defunct weapon aside.

"Pathetic primitives." The Sangheili said dismissively. "Even the UNSC put up more of a fight than you."

And with that, the Sangheili held his sword over Harrier's prone body before plunging it straight down.


The Banshees expected an easy strike at the home of the Terradon scientists, but they found out why Bogaton's air defenses were reputed as the best in the Atmos. Two Banshees were shot out of the sky before the Covenant briefly fell back to find a better solution. It didn't take long.

The Phantom rose up from below the cliff, depositing infantry on the Terra itself, below the treelines and out of sight of Bogaton's guns. Using grenades and heavy weapons, they identified and destroyed any towers in the vicinity. Then, several Ghosts were dropped in as well, as the combined force made their way to the Terradon scientists.

They were too late.

The scientists had already left, using hidden tunnels they had carved through the Terra during Cyclonia's reign. While the Covenant had been busy slagging the defense towers, the Terradons had already fled.

The Covenant arrived to find the equipment of the Terradon compound smashed beyond any use. It seemed the Terradons wanted to deny access to the invaders, not that they cared. The lack of IFF technology meant that the Bogaton defenses were next to useless for them.

Nevertheless, with the Raptors gone and the Terradons in retreat, there was no one left to stop Laccabeus' forces from occupying the entire Terra.


At Terra Saharr, Banshees swooped in, raining plasma fire and fuel rod blasts on the tents. With the people panicking and in chaos, the Phantoms began unloading their complements. One Phantom deployed a pair of Ghosts, which made a beeline for the nearby Third Degree Burners.

The Sky Knight squadron of Saharr had to flee when the plasma cannons opened fire, doing far more damage than any of their crystal powered weapons could. One of them had to abandon his sky ride when the plasma started melting through it, though fortunately for him, the Unggoy driving the Ghosts decided he wasn't worth killing.

A third Phantom deployed something worse than infantry; a swarm of Yanme'e began flitting through the air, firing on the panicked civilians, and grabbing several particularily unlucky victims and tearing them apart.

People could only flee in terror as the swarm descended on the tents, the screeching Drones tearing the structures to ribbons with bursts of weapons fire and their own claws and teeth.

With no other choice, the Sky Knight of Saharr led the people to hide in the hills, pursued by the chittering swarm of Yanme'e and the laughing roars of the Brutes and squeaks of the Grunts.


The Wallops met the Covenant attack on their Terra with the same strategy they always used: Brute strength. Against the Jiralhanae and Sangheili, it was surprisingly effective, only matched due to their advanced technology.

One of the turning points in the battle for Wallop came when the new Chief of Wallop went head to head with the Jiralhanae Chieftain that was leading the assault on their Terra.

The Chief ducked underneath the swing of the massive creature's hammer before retaliating with a blast from his crystal spear, which was absorbed by the being's energy shields and armor.

Snarling, the Chieftain slammed his hammer into the ground, creating a shockwave that sent those near him flying, including the Wallop Chief. Capitalizing on his advantage, the Jiralhanae stalked forward with his hammer raised over the prone Chief, who rolled to the side to avoid the blunt object.

"Wallops, hit them now!"

At their Chief's command, dozens of Wallops appeared, holding extremely heavy objects over their heads. With various grunts and roars, they started hurling them at the Covenant lines, who were forced to break off and dodge the massive amount of thrown debris.

The Chieftain was able to briefly hold off some of the attack using his gravity hammer, but enough impacts drained his shields considerably, and even they couldn't last forever. With no other choice, the large Brute called for his force to fall back and regroup.

The Wallops cheered as they realized they could hold their own against the massive Brutes and Elites that made up the shock troops of the Covenant. The nearby Wallops even cheered as the Chief sent one other Brute flying backwards.

"C'mon!" He turned to the Wallops behind him. "Let's show these Covenant what it means to tangle with Wall-"

He never finished the sentence. He twitched and then collapsed, with a quartet of superheated spikes sticking out of his back. Behind the freshly created corpse, the Brute he had tossed aside had a Spiker hefted and pointed at the shocked crowd.

"This ends now."

Dozens of Jiralhanae, Sangheili, Kig-Yar and Unggoy emerged from the treeline, along with two Phantoms and half a dozen Banshees. The aliens roared and charged at the Wallops, weapons fire burning through the air as they did so.

Surprised, the now leaderless Wallops nevertheless fought on, enraged at the attack on their home. Despite the advanced and battle-scarred Covenant forces, the Wallops were actually succeeding at pushing them back. Then a pair of plasma mortars impacted the Wallop lines.

The result was devastating. Every Wallop within the blast zone was vaporized, while those outside it suffered from the scorching heat and fell to the ground, many of them on fire. The Phantoms had deployed their artillery behind the treeline and were now being used as spotters along with the Banshee airstrikes. The result was demoralizing to those that were resisting.

Then the Hunters appeared.

There were six of them, three pairs in total. Laccabeus had taken the threat of Wallop seriously, and devoted many heavy hitters to pacifying the population. Three of them unleashed a stream of green plasma at a group of charging Wallops, vaporizing many of them. Several attempted to engage the other Hunters, but were batted aside by their shields before being struck by more explosive fuel rod blasts and streams of green energy.

Morale broken, many Wallops began retreating from the village, while those who remained were cut down by the increasing number of Covenant. With the survivors in disarray, the Covenant began spreading to the rest of the surrounding Terras.


Blizzaris suffered horribly at the hands of the Covenant. Wraiths positioned themselves on a mountainous hill, their plasma mortars spewing flaming blue comets into the valley below. Dwellings and buildings were vaporized in threes and fours along with unfortunate Blizzarians as the superheated plasma had a catastrophic effect on the ice and snow.

Ghosts hovered past, the snow not bugging them in the slightest as they gunned down Blizzarians. Choppers also had a surprisingly good hold in the snowy landscape as their riders hurled incendiary grenades at any dwellings that survived the bombardment.

"Everyone get moving!" Suzy-Lu yelled to the fleeing Blizzarians. "We can't stay here."

"Leaving so soon?" A monstrous voice growled. "Is that any way to treat your guests?"

She turned to see a violet armored Jiralhanae Captain walking towards her. His pace was calm and controlled, but he bristled with barely contained bloodlust. A Brute Shot was secured on his back and aside from that, the Brute was unarmed.

Suzy-Lu popped her bubblegum in a dismissive gesture, inwardly wary of having to fight this being. Up close, she could see that the alien was rippling with pure muscle underneath its fur. Still, she made sure not to let her fear show to the creature.

"You should call ahead next time, eh." The Sky Knight of Blizzaris replied. "Don'tcha know it's rude to drop in unnanounced?"

Behind her, the rest of the Absolute Zeroes tensed up for a fight, but with a slight twitch of her hand, she quietly ordered them to proceed with the evacuations while she stalled the Covenant.

The roar of their Skimmer's engines could be heard as they left, but Suzy-Lu's eyes never left the Brute in front of her, who seemed amused at her attempts to keep her people safe.

She, on the other hand, was barely keeping her rage in check. These Covenant had slaughtered dozens of her people with absolutely no pity or mercy, and from the reports, it was a similar situation all over Atmos. She had even seen some Blizzarians surrender in panic, only to be gunned down by the laughing aliens. And she could still hear the screams of those that were taken prisoner.

It was a chilling sound.

And... for what? No one had any idea as to why the Covenant were doing what they did. It certainly didn't come down to a communication problem. As she could see, they had no issues speaking and understanding English.

If anything, they seemed to be just murdering people out of bloodlust, if their cruel laughter was anything to go by. They did seem to hate Cyclonis' new mercenaries, as they seemed hellbent on chasing them down in the earlier battle, not to mention that that was one of the interrogation questions she heard them asking. Nevertheless, they obviously didn't care about the rest of the inhabitants.

Ultimately, their reasons didn't matter to Suzy-Lu. They had attacked her people, slaughtered them by the dozens and were forcing them all from their home. There was no way she or anyone else was willing to negotiate with a group that made the Cyclonians look tame. She pulled out an ice crystal and quickly attached it to her axe, just as another group of aliens came to support their commander.

A wave of frost emerged from the icer stone, enveloping the approaching Covenant in ice. As Suzy-Lu looked over her work, she heard the ice cracking as the Choppers carved their way through the snow. At first, it appeared that the vehicles would run over their frozen comrades, but then they turned at the last second while their riders threw flame grenades at the ice statues, quickly melting through the ice.

The Captain glared at her, and far from being affected by the chill, seemed utterly enraged. With a loud roar, he drew the grenade launcher from his back and started firing them at the Sky Knight, who rolled out of the way of the explosive volley.

The rest of the Covenant soldiers snarled and aimed their weapons, but were halted by a raised hand from the Captain. "She's mine!" He shouted. With a surprising quickness, he charged at the Blizzarian Sky Knight, unleashing a full clip at Suzy-Lu, who barely avoided the explosive rounds.

Seconds later, the large alien was looming over her, with the blade of its weapon coming down on her. She quickly raised her ax to parry the blow, but flew back when the Brute's armored leg kicked her in the stomach.

Groaning in pain, Suzy-Lu's vision blurred, but she could still make out the distorted shape of her attacker above her. With a rumbling laugh, the Jiralhanae brought its foot down on her head.


Inside the Forbidden City, things were rather quiet and peaceful. The ruins remained undisturbed since the last time someone had been there, which was when Cyclonis and the Dark Ace acquired the key to the Far Side from the Storm Hawks. All in all, it was rather tranquil considering the last couple of times destruction had rained on the city.

The tranquility was shattered once again as explosions blew through the side of the cavern, leaving an opening large enough for a dozen skimmers to fly through. Or a pair of Phantoms, as was the case today.

The expeditionary forces had been sent here after interrogations among the inhabitants of this world, as well as the capture of a few Cyclonians who hadn't escaped to the Far Side in time. They claimed that this location and another had been crucial to finding the artifacts needed to get to the Far Side.

But as the Covenant looked over the ruins of the Forbidden City, they felt a strange sense of familiarity with the ruins here. Some of the architecture and writing felt familiar, and yet they couldn't place why.

The Forbidden City did not resemble any sort of Forerunner ruins (plus the Eye's Luminary had made no mention of Forerunner technology on this world), and it definitely was not UNSC designed. Nevertheless, the feeling remained, but the Covenant did their best to ignore it as they scoured the city.

One patrol of Grunts and Jackals led by a Jiralhanae Major was walking through the halls of one of the buildings, chattering as they went. They were careful, checking every nook and cranny for any signs of life. Despite their alertness, they failed to notice a hidden switch on the floor until one Unggoy stepped on it.

The Covenant lance was catapulted into the roof, before landing painfully in a heap. The Major growled in anger as he rose from the pile, snarling at the now cowering Unggoy and Kig-Yar.

"Mind your surroundings." The Brute said. "The next trap could be fatal."

Once his group was properly cautious, (and after destroying the trap) the Jiralhanae activated his comm. "Commander, it appears that this city may be rigged with traps."

"Acknowledged." Came the reply. "We have already have reports of similar incidents. If you find anymore, destroy them."

"Understood."

The rest of the Covenant's exploration continued scouring the city, but besides the booby traps, all that remained in the city was ruins, debris, dead crystals, and a small cache of gold and jewels that was ultimately worthless to them.

Ultimately, they found nothing of real value, and concluded that anything they might have been able to use had already been taken by the inhabitants. Hopefully, their second expedition would yield better results.

...

On Tropica, another expeditionary force had been deployed, this one with much more heavy equipment. As they came across the ruins, that equipment made itself known with incredibly loud footsteps, as a Scarab made its way through the jungle.

There had been a few people vacationing on Tropica when the Covenant arrived. Most had fled when the Intention's Eye passed overhead, while those that didn't were shot down by the circling Banshees.

Because of that, no one was alive to witness as the Scarab landed on the ground, causing a large crater to be formed from the impact. It was followed by several Phantoms filled with infantry and vehicles, along with enhanced scanning equipment.

From the knowledge they had gained from captured Cyclonians, it appeared that their original doorway came from a temple hidden on Tropica. It didn't take much to get the Cyclonians to give up the exact location: all they had to do was give one of the prisoners to the Brute guards and let the others listen to his fate.

At the entrance to the temple, the Covenant force halted in their tracks. With a loud roaring noise, the Scarab's main cannon charged, before a stream of green plasma discharged into the rock wall, carving through it like a hot knife through butter.

There was a method to their madness. Covenant sensors had detected ruins that were buried deeper than the temple that had initially contained the door to the Far Side. The hope was that they could find more doors and hopefully discover where the First Order had retreated to, which, based on interrogations of the inhabitants, was looking more and more likely that they were at the Far Side.

While the Scarab was drilling its way into the temple, the rest of the Covenant forces began setting up encampments on the surrounding islands. It had been decided that the Terra would be an ideal staging area for the Covenant and a potential landing zone for the Intention's Eye, thanks to the Terra's natural barriers, isolation and position on the planet.

Half an hour later, the Scarab's digging had payed off. Underneath the cave where Stork had originally found the door to the Far Side was an even larger cavern filled with nearly ten similarly locked doors.

At this point, the Covenant above swept in and collected the doors, only to find that they couldn't be opened. One had been accidently destroyed by several Unggoy and Kig-Yar before that became clear.

A few Huragok were dispatched in an attempt to open the doors, but the alien supercomputers were at a loss as to what to do. While the Engineers were miracle workers when it came to any technology, crystal magic doors (and magic in general) was just not in their repertoire.

And so, with little else to do, the Covenant forces on Tropica bunkered down and continued their preparations for a full scale campaign against the forces of Atmos and the First Order.


Ravess was furious at the events that were happening around her. After everything that happened, with Cyclonis' retreat to the Far Side, her conflict with Snipe and the rest of Atmos over the rule of what was left of Cyclonian territory, only to find herself once again under Cyclonis' thumb when she returned from the Far Side with legions of Night Crawlers and her new allies.

And to top off all of her misery, now an army of advanced aliens had made its way to Atmos, with enough firepower and numbers to send assault forces to almost every Terra in Atmos, something even the Cyclonian Empire was incapable of doing at their height.

She would actually be rather impressed, if not for the fact that one of those assault forces had attacked her territory as well. All around her, screaming permeated the air, punctuated by the wailing of the attacking Banshees and the low pitched hum of approaching Phantoms.

Mounting her skimmer, the Cyclonian commander led the counterattack against the Covenant in the hope of driving them away from her territory. Though as she watched the few Talons loyal to her get shot out of the sky, she began to consider whether retreat was a better option.

Firing an arrow, she watched as the crystal tipped projectile struck the side of one Banshee, exploding with enough force to take a Skimmer down. To her surprise, the alien aircraft only gained a small scorch mark and turned its attention towards her.

Panicking, she turned her Skimmer around, and was immediately chased by searing plasma bolts as the telltale wail of the Banshee's engines followed her. Apparently, the pilot had taken exception to her attack.

She sent her ride into a dive, heading for the nearest Terra, while the battle raged around her. Her Talons were being massacred by the advanced alien technology, while crystal-based attacks seemed to have very little effect.

Landing on the Terra, she drove into the forest, weaving through the trees and avoiding the searing plasma fire and green fuel rod explosions that chased her down. Ravess came to a halt in underneath a small cliff and listened as the wailing flew past her and slowly faded.

Sighing in relief, she dismounted her ride and carefully made her way through the forest. Though she could hear the sounds of battle above her, they were slowly starting to drift away.

Cowards! She seethed. I didn't give them the order to retreat!

She turned back to her ride and was about to get back on it when a glowing blue sphere impacted the front plating and stuck fast. Before she could react, the plasma grenade exploded, vaporizing her skimmer and leaving a hefty afterimage seared into her eyes.

Through the ringing and her slowly clearing vision, she could hear some sort of alien chortling and could see a large dark shape standing among the treeline, which seemed to disappear into thin air.

As her vision finally became clear, she spun around, looking for whatever had attacked her, but could find no trace.

"Over here."

Until a voice emerged from the trees around her, causing her to draw her bow and look for the source. She couldn't find anything, which was more disconcerting than she would like to admit. And if what she saw earlier was true, her attacker may have turned invisible.

With her bow at the ready, she slowly made her way through the undergrowth, eyes alert for any sign of her invisible opponent. Suddenly, she saw a small red light in the trees and she quickly took aim, only for a blue lance of energy to cut her bow in two. Acting on instinct, she rolled to the side and hid behind a tree, peeking her head out to the side.

The Jackal sniper snickered at her stupidity and was about to go for the kill shot on Ravess when he suddenly noticed a shimmering silhouette approaching her. Smirking, the Kig-Yar decided to enjoy the show.

Meanwhile, Ravess turned her head just in time to see the silhouette resolve itself into a massive hulking alien. Before she could even think about moving, the creature backhanded her into a nearby tree.

Hitting the ground in a daze, she saw a small blade of blue-white energy emerge from the creature's gauntlet. As the alien stalked over to her, the only thought she had was whether her idiot brother was doing any worse than her.

...

At his own territory, Snipe was facing a similar situation as his sister, as the few Talons loyal to him were also being slaughtered by the attacking Covenant forces. When the alien forces had launched their assault in the air and on the ground, Snipe had responded with the same strategy he always used: attacking his enemies head on, overwhelming them with sheer strength.

While (occasionally) effective against the Sky Knights of Atmos, this strategy was rather ineffective against a species whose colloquial name was Brutes, let alone the intelligent muscle of the Elites and Hunters.

It didn't stop Snipe from trying anyway, as energy blasts from his Talon's skimmers and his own mace impacted several Banshees, Phantoms and infantry. The result only created small scorch marks on the hulls of the former, while just being absorbed by the energy shields of the latter.

"Uh, sir." One Talon spoke up as the Covenant guns turned toward them. "Perhaps it would be a good idea to retreat?"

Snipe snarled at his subordinate's suggestion. "If any of you decides to run, I'll make sure you'll answer to Cyclonis for it!"

No one wanted to point out that Cyclonis had already abandoned them... or that Snipe wasn't even on good terms with her anymore. Of course, with the advanced and ruthless aliens bearing down on them, no one wanted to fight them either. That fear only increased as plasma bolts flew past, some taking a few skimmers down.

"We'll hit these guys again!" Snipe shouted, oblivious to the increasing panic of his men. "FIRE!"

The blasts had the same effect, and it only seemed to make the Covenant forces angrier. It took him a moment to realize that he was the only one firing. Turning his head, he saw all his Talons either retreating or falling on their parachutes, which were immediately destroyed by the plasma fire of the Banshees.

"Get back here!" He shouted. "I didn't say you could run-" He was cut off when a plasma bolt struck the back of his ride, disabling the rotor that kept it airborne. "Uh oh."

Snipe's ride was immediately sent into a nosedive towards a small rocky Terra, screaming the entire way. The crash was loud and noisy, but somehow, the ex-Cyclonian managed to stay awake, as he stumbled from the wreckage of his ride, dazed with stars clouding his vision.

He blinked the disorientation away as he heard a humming sound. Looking up, Snipe saw one of those larger alien ships flying towards him, chin mounted plasma turret aiming right at him.

Backing up a step, he was surprised when a purple light emerged from the rear of the ship and a large alien slowly floated to the ground. He was clad in black and red armor, with a rather ornate helmet and carrying a large hammer in its hands.

"What do you want?" Snipe demanded, somehow forgetting that a lethal weapon was pointed at his head. The towering alien seemed amused at his demands.

"Are you in charge of this quadrant?" The alien Chieftain asked.

"Yeah, I'm in charge." The Cyclonian responded in a beligerent tone.

"Not anymore." The Jiralhanae replied. "We control this planet now."

"Ha, says you." The Chieftain blinked at the human's immaturity.

"Well, I was going to offer you a chance to fight for your territory," The alien stated, brandishing his hammer. "But under the circumstances, you're less than nothing to us."

That was the spark that ignited Snipe's fury. With an angry roar, he swung his mace at the Chieftain's head, which was intercepted by the blunt end of the gravity hammer. The resulting shockwave shattered the head of Snipe's mace and sent him flying.

The former Cyclonian hit the ground dazed, he saw stars as the blurry form of the Chieftain walked over to him, hammer at the ready. Snipe tried to move, but could only groan as the Brute lightly kicked him, breaking several bones in the process. The Chieftain snorted.

"Weak and undisciplined." The Jiralhanae raised his hammer over his head. "Just like the rest of your race."

The hammer came down.


Dozens of other Terras were heavily damaged by the Covenant attacks. The main factories of Terra Gale had been subjugated, it's people having been driven off while Laccabeus' forces took strategic control of the Terra, which involved setting up outposts and lookout towers all across the Terra. Several Anti-air Wraiths had also been deployed to ward off anyone who attempted to take the Terra back.

Terra Neon had suffered even more than most other Terras, having no Sky Knight to defend it. As such, any resistance was practically nonexistent when the Covenant steam-rolled through the amusement park. Banshee air strikes and Wraith plasma mortars tore the rides into piles of molten metal while the people visiting ran screaming in fear as they were either killed or driven off. Unlike Gale, once the Terra had been torn apart, the Covenant left, leaving only death and destruction in their wake.

The former Talon Academy had been shown little mercy as Banshee air raids were only the precursor to the ground assault. Screams of students as they ran from the heavily armed alien threat, who were laughing as they cut down everyone they could find.

The Screaming Queens were the defending squadron of Amazonia as the Covenant came after them next. Like the other Terras, Banshees flew in first, striking the civilian population and distracting the Sky Knight of the Terra while the Phantoms deployed infantry and vehicles to ravage the villages in the Kingdom. When many settlements had been abandoned, the Covenant deployed Anti-air Wraiths to help keep the skies clear, securing their air superiority over the second-largest Terra on Atmos.

Aquanos only suffered from Banshee air raids due to their terrain being rather unsuitable for ground attacks, but the Aquanos shipyards had been heavily damaged by the raids. Though there seemed to be a number of Banshees that flew over the water, as if they were scanning for something, though this went unnoticed by the vast majority of the inhabitants as they ran from the explosions around them.

Several smaller Terras also only suffered from Banshee air raids, as the SkySide Shanty and the rebuilt restaurant at the airship stopover Wayside were all but destroyed by the alien aircraft, while the airships were destroyed as they tried to flee.

Little did anyone know that the worst was yet to come.


The ruins of Cyclonia was the location that was most heavily attacked. The massive bulk of the Intention's Eye was leading the Covenant charge, showing absolutely no mercy to the previous inhabitants.

Despite the Terra's fall prior to Master Cyclonis' retreat to the Far Side, many Talons had still made the ruins their home, if for no other reason than they had nowhere else to go. For most of them, Cyclonia was the only home they knew, and they would defend it with their lives. For many of the remaining Cyclonians, that would be their only choice today.

As soon as the Carrier had arrived, most of the Cyclonians had retreated, joining their Master's forces on the Far Side, but some had been left behind, either because they were too slow, or because they had volunteered to hold off the enroaching Covenant.

Now, most were regretting being left behind as they gazed up at the 5.3 kilometer long warship, which stood out like a spectre of death among the red sky.

To call the ensuing conflict a battle would be an insult to the much more advanced and ruthless nature of the Covenant. It was a massacre. The Banshee screen was more than enough to deal with the remaining Talon skimmers and Night Crawlers, while the Eye itself tore the remaining Cyclonian destroyers to pieces.

There were a few Cyclonian airbases built into the nearby cliffs. They were quickly reduced to glass by the Eye's plasma turrets, along with any remaining Talons or Night Crawlers vaporized within.

With such destruction, it didn't take long for the remaining Cyclonians to realize the folly of staying to defend the wreckage of their home. They fled the area, being chased away by the swarm of Banshees as they made for safer territory.

Few Talons or Night Crawlers made it.

With the Cyclonians dead or retreating, the forces of the Assault Carrier began salvaging all they could from the ruins of Cyclonia, with the scavengers being led by Brutes but consisting of mainly Grunts, Jackals and Drones.

Unfortunately, their enemies had already picked most of Cyclonia clean, leaving barely anything remaining. All that was left were some scattered crystals, equipment and survivors and creatures that had made their home in the ruins, the latter two were wiped out by the Covenant search parties.

One report found something interesting: A large black monstrosity with green eyes and lights emerging from it was found in a cage. When some Unggoy approached it, they were torn to ribbons by the monster, which was then killed by a pack of Jiralhanae armed with heavy weaponry.

...

On the bridge of the Eye, Makterbus approached Laccabeus, who sat on his grav throne as the reports of the salvage teams came back negative. The lesser Chieftain had been directing the multiple attacks on the rest of the Terras while Laccabeus had been preoccupied with the Cyclonians.

Of course, thanks to the prisoners that had been taken during each raid, they had learned a little more about the workings of this world, something which pleased Laccabeus to hear. Now it was time for Makterbus to give his latest news.

"Report." The Shipmaster said. Makterbus bowed his head.

"We have scoured the remaining Terras, but we have found no trace of our enemies. It seems they retreated to this 'Far Side' as the inhabitants call it."

Laccabeus was silent for a long moment, then he nodded. "Have our forces take the territory for our own. Do not engage the inhabitants unless they attack first."

"Is that wise?" Makterbus responded. "They are likely to attack us again."

"We have no choice." The Shipmaster said. "Our primary target is still the First Order."

"The people will still attempt to rebel." The lesser Chieftain protested. "As humans are prone to do."

"Then we will show them why that is a mistake."

"And what of Cyclonia?" The lesser Chieftain asked. Laccabeus smiled wickedly, causing his subordinate to smile as he realized what would happen next.

"Burn it."

...

With the order given, the Phantoms that had deployed the scavengers recalled all their forces before heading back to the carrier's main hanger bay. The Banshees quickly followed, retreating to the safety of their mother ship.

Once that was done, a swirl of purple energy appeared on the underside of the ship before the Intention's Eye opened fire on the remains of Cyclonia with the underside energy projector, boiling away everything metal and rock on the fallen Terra. Soon, all that remained of the heart of the Cyclonian Empire was a large firestorm that would slowly cool into a brittle layer of a glass-like substance.


Miles away, a single black Viper probe droid watched as the destruction unfolded, transmitting the image to the Far Side, straight into the heart of Cyclonis' throne room. The young dictator watched the events with a barely contained fury.

She had already watched as her Terra had fallen due to the actions of the Storm Hawks. Now, as if to add insult to injury, these Covenant had picked the remains of her home clean before burning the rest.

Enraged, she blasted the screen with an energy bolt fired from her staff, shattering it into several pieces before glaring at the new troop leaders and the second in command that the First Order had provided her.

"We had a deal!" She snapped. "You would help me take over Atmos, and in exchange, my world would be yours to use as your headquarters. And yet you ran from Cyclonia's triumph!"

Their leader Snoke was present via hologram and despite his age, gave off an aura of deadliness. According to him, he had been trained by Darth Vader as an assassin alongside Ennix Devian, and was apparently skilled enough to take on Jedi and win. Cyclonis was unsure what any of that meant, but it was supposed to be impressive.

Still, she had seen what this 'Force' as it was called was capable of in the hands of the Sith Vestara Khai. A young woman with tattoos around her eyes and a small scar on the side of her mouth that gave her the constant appearance of a smirk. She had already proven to be a superior combatant to the Dark Ace, having soundly defeated Aerrow, who only survived due to Piper's control of the Binding and the interference of those Republic agents.

Senior Captain Hux was also present by hologram. In contrast to Snoke, he was fairly young, with red hair and a rather striking face. The head of the First Order's naval forces, he had technically been grounded when the Republic agents had managed to infiltrate the First Order's Star Destroyer and bring it down earlier.

Also in the room was Captain Phasma, the leader of the First Order's ground forces. She was clad in a variant of Shadow Trooper armor, which was silver in color and supposedly made of starship grade alloy. Phasma was the one who was personally responsible for the training of the First Order's Shadow Troopers, Terror Troopers and Storm Commandos.

"Master Cyclonis," Snoke started. "With all due respect, you have no idea what these beasts are capable of."

Cyclonis' responding glare could have frozen an atom in its tracks. "Then enlighten me."


Well, it's official. At over 11000 words, this is the longest chapter I have ever written... Go me, I guess.

Ok, so to make a few things clear: this is not the First Order of the new Star Wars movies. They're my own personal creation as an Imperial-loyalist Private Military Corporation that mainly uses old Imperial hardware and technology. They are what I think the First Order would be if they appeared in the Legends continuity and thus are nowhere near as powerful as they are in the Force Awakens.

Also, while this could technically be considered my version of a third season for Storm Hawks, there are others who've made better versions than I ever could and as I mentioned earlier, they've already been in the Far Side for about a year now, and have made some new friends, etc. Essentially, they've already gone through their season 3, and this is basically season 4 for them.

With all that said, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and reviews are always welcome.