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Year 2952, UNSC Controlled Space.

Blue and white tears in the fabric of space appeared over a small moon and its garden world. In all, there were only fifteen with numerous smaller corvette-sized craft. The newly designed Titan-Class warship, which is a little over ten kilometers in length which is smaller than the Infinity-Class by six kilometers, acting as the flagship. Its main purpose is to act as a bullet sponge and for more of a defensive warship. With two and a half meters of Titanium-F Battle Plate (which is ten times stronger than the Titanium-A armor and based off of Forerunner plating) and, like its more powerful cousin, had advanced energy shielding. For the primary armament, she utilized two Series-10 Magnetic Accelerator Cannons, each one being able hurl a 1000-ton ferric tungsten round capable of leveling a small city in a single shot. Across the span of the hull, over a thousand Redapo missile pods covered it. Each pod containing fifty missiles and each missile carrying the explosive payload of five Archer Missiles. Using a M879 Fortitude Point Defense System which utilizes over nine hundred turrets, any boarding craft or fighter would have a difficult time to get past and deliver their complement. It also sported six energy projectors, two fore and two on each broadside.

Since the Titan-Class acted more like an enlarged cruiser rather than a ship destroyer, which it still could do fairly well, its main hanger spanned the length of both sides of the ship with numerous Jaeger Superiority Fighters and the aged Pelican dropships. Hundreds of vehicles and supplies all lay strewn about the hanger as engineers or groups of marines moving them to various places in the ship. Like the Infinity-Class, it featured a Spartan Deck. Though only containing a single company of Spartan-IVs for deployment and being much smaller than her cousin's. As its ground complement, with it being more defensive, utilized over ten thousand Marines, with a battalion of ODSTs. The Titan-Class could even carry five frigate-weight warships with her. Even though that was a downgrade from the Infinity-Class that could carry ten when it was half its size, she balanced it with extra hull plating.

Even though Humanity and the established Coalition of Species made many leaps and bounds in technology, the UNSC decided to keep the reliable Pelican dropship and instead give it more roles in a combat scenario. Having been outfitted with energy shielding and more default armaments, than the transport used in 2552, now it was able to fly without an escort and rather than having fighters deliver payloads to ground targets, the transport could be used to deliver devastation to ground targets. While the transport could be a standalone on the ground, commanders still preferred to use fighter support, due to their higher mobility and able to carry much bigger bombs.

Acting as escorts for their heavier comrade, were two Megalodon-Class Heavy Battlecruisers. Hulls spanning to a little over four and half kilometers, and boasting in a meter and a half of Titanium-F Battle Plate. Using armaments similar to the CCS-Battlecruiser, they utilized twin energy projectors and dual MACs. It also used over four hundred Redapo missile pods each sporting fifty missiles and a Fortitude Point Defense System, and eight Mk VI Hellfire Launchers, four on each side, or otherwise known as the Plasma Torpedo Launcher. It was reverse engineered from Covenant Plasma Launchers. It also utilized a single bay that was located under the rear of the warship for rapid insertion and maximum protection. There, hundreds of dropships and fighters were docked. Unlike its bigger cousin, it sported light vehicles such as the M42 Warthogs, the new APCs and LAVs, and Mongooses for the many infantry aboard and hardly any heavier vehicles. For its heavier ground complement it has the infamous Mammoth transports with few Dominion Main Battle Tanks. It didn't carry extra warships within her though. The Battlecruisers main role was to establish a heavy ground presence as quickly as possible, sacrificing heavier vehicles for the mobility of the light vehicles and mobile command centers. For personnel, it has five thousand Marines with a hundred ODSTs.

Serving as the rest of the small group of warships are the Zenith-Class Heavy Frigates. Five coming from the capital warship and the rest emerging from slipspace. Being about seven hundred meters in length and sporting a meter thick of Titanium-F Battle Plate, its primary role was orbital or atmospheric fire support. It utilizes a brigade of marines as a means of defense and offense. In dual hangers lay an assortment of vehicles, fighters and dropships for any support means. For armaments it uses a single Series-8 MAC, eighty Redapo missile pods with each pod containing twenty five missiles. Like all warships, it uses energy shielding as another means of protection.

Captain Jonathan Keith looked at the war map that displayed his small taskforce, tasked with,-no pun intended-escorting ONI science teams to a buried artefact among one of the many moons of Panora, a very recently established UEG colony. It was first discovered when a freighter from a mining company encountered strange readings at said moon and after reporting it the UNSC defense force, a taskforce was dispatched to investigate along with science teams to see if they could derive anything from said artefact. That where Captain Keith was at right now. His flagship, the UNSC Atlas, "Comms, contact the CO of that defense group. They should've gotten the memo that we were coming. I just want to double check."

"Aye, Captain." He replied. The defense group consisted of seven ships with an Endurance-Class Heavy Cruiser as its flagship, two being Calamity-Class Heavy Destroyers and the rest being Zenith-Class Heavy Frigates. Soon a holographic woman clad in the UNSC BDUs for Naval offices. She had short cut raven hair that was tied in a ponytail. She saluted which the Captain quickly returned. "Commander Christina Vaughn." He greeted. "Let's get right down to business shall we?"

"Yes, sir." She responded. "We've triangulated the position of the artefact and it appears to be encased in an ice moon. We've downed all space-capable ships in the planet, so we have free reign, sir."

"Send the coordinates and keep those craft down, we don't need any antsy civilians getting curious. That's our job. Keith out." He saluted which the commander of the defense group returned and the hologram frizzled out. "Helm, take us there."

About an hour later, they arrived at the ice moon, due to the slipspace drives needing to be recharged. "Keep us at a safe distance." He looked at the data that was being collected at the holotable and nodded. "Heather, it seems like it is not an installation, rather a device of some kind." A hologram materialized next to the captain. The female looked like an average scientist, complete with lab coat and glasses. She held a datapad in her arm with a stylus in the other hand.

"That's because it is." The hologram stated. The latest generation of Smart A.I. Now after four hundred years and extensive research into AI matrices with the help of metastable Forerunner "Monitor" AIs, AIs are instantly crated as 'metastable'. While not truly being metastable, they last for an estimated millennia before going rampant and also having a greater chance of reaching true metastability during 'Rampancy'. "I can access the systems and do a hard restart to activate it."

He thought for a moment. "Ready all ships, I want all weapons hot just in case it's hostile." He shouted.

"Shields hundred percent and MACs ready." The captain nodded. "Do it."

He observed as the massive moon began crumbling apart and massive chunks of ice started peeling away from the core of the moon. After a few moments a massive white and blue device resembling a tuning for appeared out of the core. After a few more seconds the rings in the center of the 'fork' began revolving around each other, igniting a glowing blue core. "All ships hold position. No one is to get near that thing without my express permission." He turned towards the tactical map in the center of the bridge. "Heather what am I looking at?"

"Nothing of Forerunner origin that's for sure. It doesn't resemble anything of that nature. The energy in the core appears to be dark matter."

"Is it safe to study?"

"Should be. But I'd be wary. We have no idea what this could do."

"Have the Phoenix and Zenith escort the teams in closer and we will go back to the defense fleet."

"Aye, Captain." She said. Thirteen white and blue cuts in the fabric of space opened up as the warships moved in them and disappeared with the portals closing behind them. After, they left the small flotilla of ships along with the two frigates and moved closer to the artefact.

c('-'c)

Captain Julianvius Achamus, did his equivalent to a yawn as he sifted thru the data that went on his omni-tool. Being part of a small patrol fleet stationed at the edge of Turian space and monitoring a series of Relays to make sure no species attempted to activate them, was the main purpose of the fleet he was part of. He was a part of a patrol fleet that consisted of forty two frigates, seven cruisers and a dreadnought.

After the attack on the Citadel, the Councilors along with the newly human appointed one, decided that militarization of the races be increased due to the security risks that the Geth posed. While not overly done, the Turians and the Systems Alliance being the key military players were granted a cap of fifty dreadnoughts each while both the Asari and Salarians getting thirty each and the other races being able to build ten each.

After a few months the Turians were able to field two new dreadnoughts with several new ones under construction. Thought Achamus. He was in charge of the small patrol fleet. He was generally regarded as a dishonorable turian due to him being involved in some more than illegal activities with pirates and such. Being part of a high status family though allowed him some leeway but it got him sent out here instead of being on the hunt for the pirates that sold him out. He generally was an overall hater of all things not turian and had a serious disregard for humans. He had several family members at Panora and they were killed by them.

"Sir, the Relay is coming online!" A bridge officer announced, interrupting the captain's thoughts. His mandibles twitched into a smile. While he hoped it wasn't another Rachni-esque race and hell-bent on their destruction, it could be just the opportunity he needed to get out of this wretched part of space. If he brought these newcomers in as a client race of the Turian race, he could finally retire and return to Palaven as a rich turian.

"Ready all weapons. I want to be ready for whatever comes through it." He shouted.

"Ships are coming through! Two cruiser analogues and twenty two frigate analogues came through!" Another officer yelled. The size of a small strike force. "They are out of range of weapons but we can still detect them. We will have visuals in a few seconds."

"Sir, you may want to see this." A turian said. The captain got up from his command chair to see what the officer wanted to show him. "I'm getting absolutely no readings of eezo on those ships."

"Move forward and prepare to engage."

"Sir! They are opening fire!"

"Impossible! We are out of weapons range."

c('-'c)

Commander Rory Jay of the UNSC Zenith, the first of the Zenith-Class Heavy Frigates, always got the boring jobs. Getting to act as escort for the science teams was never fun. Luckily as soon as they approached the artefact, it turned out it was more of transportation device when his small group of ships were slingshot all the way to who knows where. So much for studying the device. He sarcastically thought as he groaned from banging his head against the deck of the bridge.

"Systems check!" He shouted as he shook his head, attempting to rid himself of the blurry vision that he received from the small concussion.

"Life support's at optimal levels." An officer called out after getting himself back in his chair. He noticed that most of the bridge was in a state of disarray when they were launched at unexpected speeds.

"Weapons are online and shields at ninety-eight percent." Another called out. They proceeded to call off their respective stations.

"Sir, The Phoenix and the science tea-"

"I'm reading ships off our starboard side several hundred klicks out! A light destroyer, several light frigates with the rest likely a scout fleet or research fleet." An officer cut him off.

"Their weapons are heated up! They are hostile!" Another yelled.

The commander quickly went into action. "Get the science teams out of here. See if they can use the device again! We have no idea where the hell we are and I don't want to risk slipspace! Coordinate with the Phoenix to provide cover fire!"

"MAC's ready."

"Target the closest ship and open fire." The ship shuddered as the eight hundred ton round left the barrel. Not waiting to see the results, he continued barking out orders. "Unlock Redapo pods A through G and target the frigates."

Dozens of pods opened across both frigates and unleashed a torrent of missiles. Not wanting to stay around to see if they were effective or not, the Phoenix and the Zenith lurched as they did a one-eighty and sped towards the artefact before they were also slingshot back to the other side.

c('-'c)

"Get the GUARDIAN system online and take out those missiles." Achamus shouted out.

A wave of red lasers lit up the space as the small turian fleet attempted to destroy as many incoming projectiles as they possible could. The systems could only take down so many as a few got through and impacted all across the fleet.

The dreadnought Achamus was in shuddered as it took a few of the missiles. "Status report!"

"The Genesis and Terigan have kinetic barriers at seventy-three percent. The Antioch and Nemesis are reporting hull breaches on multiple levels. Thirteen frigates went down to their main weapons and the missile volley, lost with all hands." An officer solemnly said. There was an honorary moment of silence before the captain began barking out orders.

"Alert the Hierarchy to send reinforcements and Council we are going to capture their base of operations and make sure this doesn't happen again. For now, see to it that we enact a defensive formation around the Relay until reinforcements do arrive." He said as they all quickly went to work on their various jobs. For all he knew they barely discovered the relay.

c('-'c)

Commander Jay stood via hologram at the meeting. They contacted HIGHCOM and while reinforcements were on the way, they were literally on the edge of known space. So the nearest UNSC battle group wouldn't be there for another week, two if they were picking up a flotilla of Coalition ships even with the latest slipspace technology, which could travel to a thousand light years per day. He was with Captain Keith as well as Commander Layman and General Walsh of the garrison stationed at Panora.

"So are you sure you acted in self-defense?" The Captain questioned. The commander had a high possibility of getting court-martialed over all of this.

The commander was beyond nervous but he was still sticking to the facts. "They were on attack vectors and had their weapons primed and ready. I gave the order to open fire as soon as we determined they were hostile."

The captain stroked his stubble that was his beard. Even though the General outranked him, he was patiently waiting for the captain's judgment. Since Keith was a veteran of both the Human-Covenant War, Human/Sanghelli-Flood War and the Storm War. A series of battles against the Storm Covenant and the other splinter factions, which had dwindled down to minor skirmishes. The general was still rather young compared to other officers in the military and the war against what remained of the Flood. Due to huge medical advancements the average person could live to an estimated one thousand and five hundred before dying of old age and the captain was about four hundred and twenty one, while still looking about thirty.

"We will have to hold out then. Until reinforcements arrive." He quickly added. "General, get the population to the emergency bunkers and prepare your defenses. I will send my men down there once we see what kind of force arrives." Walsh nodded and saluted while his hologram dissipated.

"Commander Jay, forward me all the data you have on this new species and join the defense."

"Sir." He saluted as his hologram fizzled out.

"Commander Vaughn, deploy your ground complement and then I will be taking command of your ships."

"Yes, sir." She wasn't about to argue with someone who had more combat experience than her. She saluted and her hologram blinked out. He moved to the tactical map, where it showed real time imaging of the small flotilla in battle formation with the Atlas in the middle. "Bring the Eradicator to port and the Executioner to our the Gladius under us with both her destroyers." He watched as the blue triangles that indicated the larger capital warships move into formation with two green ones being the Heavy Destroyers. "Split the frigates up and put them on our flanks." The smaller green triangles moved to their respective sides. Out of the initial defense fleet, hundreds of pelicans containing troops, vehicles and equipment zoomed to the surface. The defensive formation was a regular one and he could've just said All ships in Alpha Formation 6, but he preferred to keep himself into specifics. "And now we wait."

The Endurance-Class Heavy Cruiser is capital warship, reminiscent of the Marathon-Class. It spanned six kilometers in length with Titanium-F Battle Plate. It sported four Series-8 Heavy MACs with eight hundred and fifty Redapo missile pods with fifty missiles each. With a Fortitude Point Defense System and advanced energy shields and armor two meters thick any missiles or attacks against the superstructure. As its ground complement it used over seven thousand marines with three hundred ODSTs. Its hangers were also filled with vehicles and fighters.

He looked at what he had as ground forces aboard his small group. A little over thirty thousand marines, fifty three'Mammoth' M610 Seigework/Ultra-Heavy Mobile Anti-Aircraft Weapons Platforms, four hundred and twenty M850 Dominion Main Battle Tanks, seven hundred M42 Warthogs and over a thousand Mongooses. (Mongeese?)

The marines received a whole lot of attention at the end of the Storm War, as they were heated disputes that they were being used as cannon fodder. But that wasn't the issue, the issue was that they didn't have equipment to keep up with the century. So the good scientists and researchers at RnD put their heads together with the Huragok and engineers of the developed a personal energy shield for them. Granted, they weren't as good as the MJOLINR hardlight shields that the Spartans have, but it was enough to minimize casualties by twenty percent. It was designed to give a few extra seconds for the soldiers to get back into cover and allow them to slowly and methodically push forward. While they could not stand to sustained heavy fire for more than a few seconds it allowed them to get out of harm's way.

The new version of the Mammoth also utilized a 'Mini-MAC' for fire support. Acting as a mobile command center, the heavy vehicle uses a meter and a half Titanium-F Battle Plate in the midsection of the center for protection of tactical command. A heavy missile turret dominates each corner on the top deck of the mobile structure with a heavy mounted machine gun on each midsection for anti-personnel and air duties. Its bottom motor pool is able to hold multiple LAVs and up to three combat ready platoons of marines.

The new Warthogs has two variants, the armored personnel carrier variant or the light reconnaissance vehicles. The APC variant is, like the variant suggests, able to carry a platoon of combat ready troops into combat. Sporting a dual barreled anti-armor energy beam cannon and a single heavy machine gun for anti-infantry but relatively light armor, it's able to hold its own against other heavily armored vehicles until better support can arrive to assist. The recon variant is almost like the Warthogs of the Human-Covenant War with only small changes. They received better armor and, with the induction of directed energy weapons with the usage of plasma, they now use heavy plasma cannons, known as the M250H Heavy Plasma Repeater. It is also now slightly wider, to prevent flipping but still contains the e-brake to allow for sharp turns. The back section of the recon variant having extended rails with interior armor plates that goes up to the operator's waist for more protection and to prevent the gunner from falling off the vehicle should he or she be shot.

The Dominion Main Battle Tank superseded the Scorpion MBT. Going off the designs of the Grizzly MBT, it looked a lot like the heavily modified Scorpion. Keeping the dual barreled designs and very heavy armor, it's able to take a ratio against the dreaded Wraiths one to three respectively. Instead, of using energy shields however, it utilizes thicker armor plating for defense.

The captain sighed as he sifted through the data. It was going to be a long couple of days.

c('-'c)

Captain Achamus smiled to himself internally. While the Council still hasn't said anything regarding the matter on what happened, the Hierarchy basically said war by supplying two fleets worth of ships and troops. It did seem that these other species was the one that fired the first shot and that Achamus was working off of instinct and the turian believed that he was. No one that barely achieved spaceflight could have the tech that could detect their weapons from that distance much less have the range to attack. So either they were extremely cocky with their weapons or the mass accelerator was extremely experimental due to the range and amount of kinetic energy delivered. Something the Hierarchy could definitely benefit from and improve upon.

With two fleets worth plus the remnants of his fleet, the numbered in the hundreds. Over a hundred and fifty frigates, fifty three cruisers and two dreadnoughts, they would definitely be able to take their homeworld. They assumed so, due to the size of the fleet that went through the relay. Usually, a fleet or two would be present when activating a new relay and if this species did the same then that would mean that was all the ships they had.

Achamus was in charge of the armada due to his encounter with them. "Status report!" He called out.

"All ships are green and good to go." An officer replied. "Awaiting your command."

"All ships through the relay." The captain ordered. In that second all the warships moved towards the Relay and were all enveloped in an energy that propelled them to their destination.

"Sir, we are reading multiple signatures around the planet. They are in a defensive formation." An officer called out.

"Seems they are waiting for us? How many and of what class?" He answered.

"Twenty two ships. Wait a second." He paused. "This doesn't seem right."

"What is it?"

"Well, twenty two ships and what seems to be a space elevator going to a space station, Sir." He responded, somewhat nervous. "There seems to be sixteen cruiser sized vessels of the same make and size of the first two we encountered. Two dreadnoughts measuring to what scans are saying two kilometers, another two measuring to four and a half kilometers. Another dreadnought measuring to six kilometers and the one that appears to be the flagship at ten kilometers. The station itself looks to be around about a kilometer large."

"By the Spirits..." Achamus exclaimed.

"Sir, I'm reading hundreds if not thousands of dropships being deployed to the planet's surface, also reading hundred of fighter-sized craft being deployed as well."

"They seem to be content to just wait though."

"I'm receiving a transmission from the opposing fleet."

"Patch it through." He ordered

A human male appeared on screen, shocking the entire crew, but all did not let it show. He had black hair that was clean cut all the way around and a stubble for a reappearing beard. His vivid blue eyes showed weariness yet also wisdom and courage. He also had a face that betrayed no emotion, it almost appeared as if he was bored yet ready for anything that may occur. If he and I ever become friends, I have to remember not to play poker with him. Achamus thought to himself.

He was clad in a grey and olive uniform with a bracer and a pauldron on what Achamus assumed to be his dominate arm. A large collar guard protected the human's neck, upper arm and shoulder. The arm that had the collar guard, bore his rank that was right below it. His left breast bore ribbons and two gold medals. On his thigh there was a weapon strapped tightly around. "This is Captain Jonathon Keith of the UNSC Atlas in charge of the defense of Panora and representing the United Nations Space Command and, by extension, the United Earth Government. To whom am I speaking to?" A strong masculine voice said. Julianvius could detect the authority this man held in the way he spoke. The Turian Captain could sense that he was a man that commanded the respect of hundred if not thousands of men and women. What had Achamus confused was that they were humans and another government going by the same planet's name. He quickly shook the thought away and moved to more pressing matters.

Either their translators could actually work in a first contact scenario or they are employing cyber warfare. Achamus thought but assumed a little bit of both but he decided to humor the man. "This is Captain Julianvius Achamus, in charge of this fleet."

"Captain Achamus, I understand that this fleet is in response to our activation of the transportation device and also firing upon your ships." The Captain said but before Achamus could respond, he continued. "However, know this we are aware that your small expedition was weapons primed and on attack vectors targeting the science groups under my jurisdiction. The commander in charge retaliated first as per our doctrine." He paused for a second before continuing again. "The men and women at my command are prepared to defend this colony from any attack from you and we will do so until the last man falls."

Achamus was dumbfounded. He was struck speechless and his pride took a brutal hit. Here he was againbeing at the receiving end of a threat from another human. Oh how he despised the species, at least the Asari had better looking women. Granted, they are all female and that was his opinion. "You destroyed over a dozen of my ships and dozens more were killed in that attack. And you believe that your big ships and threats will scare us? Hah! We outnumber you seven to one, size only goes so far. You expect us to let your attack go unopposed? Even if you are humans at least the Systems Alliance would cower at the might of the Hierarchy. I will see that you and your meager defense forces see that first hand."

He seemed a little confused when Achamus mentioned Systems Alliance and his species name before he even learned anything about them but quickly shrugged it off. "I have fought dozens of battle where I have been outnumbered twenty to one against an enemy that made me and many other veteran soldiers have their worst nightmares come to life. You, Captain Achamus, don't scare me." He paused, quickly composing himself and, after taking a heavy breath, continued. Achamus could see beads of sweat coming down his forehead. "If it's war you want then so be it." And the transmission was cut.

Well there you have it! The first of a superior text that'll be remembered by Plato himself! (I'm pretty sure-Plato-that, that guy is dead. Mind that I said pretty sure *strokes imaginary beard and gives the crazy eye*) I would like to apologize for my false interpretation of time as well.

Anyways remember that this will be a renewed version of the original. So Chapter sizes will vary from a minimum of 3k to god knows what. Think of it like the Spartan Program but stopping at II. The original was didn't meet expectations and was ultimately scrapped but this one will be the Spartan-II of The Halo Effect!

Ah yes. Master Chiefers hasn't been found. (Yet) Uh Major casualties at the Second Battle of Earth resulting again in the Ur-Didact's defeat but at the cost of over three-fourths of the Home Fleet NOT including the UNSC Infinity and half the Sanghelli Fleet and resulting in the beginning of the Human/Sanghelli-Flood War which will be going into more detail later. The Spirit of Fire is also out there (somewhere).The SPARTAN-IIs that have been cryogenically preserved have been revived and finished the augmentation procedure that resulted in nine more deaths and four more "wash outs" while the rest again being trained by CPO Mendez. Black and Gray Teams are still in action as well as Blue and Noble.

Mind you, when we get to the diplomatic talks between the Halo and Mass Effect Universes the chapter will be deathly wrong to the point where I'll have the Council covering EVERY. SINGLE. DAMN. DETAIL. ABOUT. THE. UNSC. AND. COALITION.

Ahem. Uhm what else... Ah yes...Chapters will also take longer to be pumped out. Junior Year is in three days and I finally have a job so... I'm expecting chapter to take anywhere from a month to a month and a half each.

Until Next Time!