//------------------------------// // The Ark-Arrival // Story: A Rarity of a soldier // by Lon35hadow //------------------------------// It had been four weeks-real time-since the Flood had attacked Voi, and the crew of a single U.N.S.C. frigate, along with a fleet of renegade Sangheili, had followed the Prophet of Truth and his forces through a Forerunner slipspace portal to an unknown destination. Diamondback and Heretic, the only U.N.S.C. and Renegade squads to actually get along with few if any issues, were in the hanger bay of the Shadow of Intent, going over their weapons and just talking to pass the time, "So, where do you guys think we're going?" Jacob asked, as they had yet to come out of slipspace. "Given the nature of the portal," Twilight said, "I would have to say someplace Truth and his followers would find religious, which we may be able to use to our advantage. I doubt they'd fight if it meant destroying whatever relics they find." "It's large, whatever it is," Hades said. "Otherwise, I doubt there'd be a portal to it." "Then maybe we can threaten to blow it to bits if they don't surrender," Josh commented. "You do know it is incredibly difficult to destroy Forerunner artifacts, correct?" Ruso asked as he investigated his energy sword. "Yeah, but they don't know what we have in terms of blowing stuff up," Tony said. "If there's one thing we humans are good at, it's blowing shit up." "Given what happened on Alpha Halo, I am inclined to believe that," Sawn said. "And I'm guessing a Halo is something important?" Rainbow asked. "Try a massive death machine-of which there are six fully operational-meant to kill every sentient being in the galaxy as a last ditch effort," Twilight said. "One was destroyed earlier in the year the story takes place in, two others have research station in orbit around them to study for decommision." The look on the ponies led to her saying, "I really need to learn when to keep parts of stuff out." "I'd say so," Sawn said. "I heard that was simply because a Spartan detonated the core of one of your ships, and even then," Hades said, "it was a specially modified ship." "Yeah, well, shut up," Tony said, resulting a few chuckles from the others before Keyes came on over the radio. "All U.N.S.C. personnel, report to your stations. We're nearly at our destination." Then, after a few seconds of silence from the radio, she was heard exclusively on Heretic's radio. "Heretic, do you read?" "Yes, ma'am," Twilight replied. "What is it?" "I talked with the shipmaster, and you all are going to be with us on the first ground wave. Records indicate that you and Diamondback seem to work rather well together. No reason to stop that now." "Then what are we doing, ma'am?" Jacob asked. "You're going down to find the Cartographer, which should show us where Truth is holed up. Don't worry, you'll be going down with a specialist." "Copy that, ma'am," Jacob said. "When are they going to arrive?" "He should be on his way to the Pelicans now," the Captain said. "Pelican thirty six alpha. That's the one you'll be in." "Ma'am." "Guess we'd better move, then," Rarity, who had just gotten out of medical with her prosthetic having been in, though the area around her new eye was still tender, and her helmet had been modified to account for that, as well as a small spell from Twilight and Nightmare over it that helped to protect it. "Agreed," Nightmare replied, and the group made their way to the Pelican, each grabbing their usual load out on the way, and walked past other groups-mainly marines-getting ready to head down to where ever they were going to. Upon arriving at the Pelican, Jacob, Nightmare, Pawas, and Rarity instantly tensed up, seeing a familiar looking Forerunner monitor, even if the color was different. "Please don't let this thing want to analyze us," Rarity muttered. The thing, much to Rarity's dismay, heard them, and turned around, revealing a blue eye, and made their way over to them. "Oh, hello, Reclaimers," it said to Jacob and the other humans. "I am called three four three Guilty Spark-former monitor of Installation zero-four." He then turned and looked at the ponies. "Hm. Surprising. I do not have any records from Resolution that your kind has space travel, Equine." "Uh, what?" Sawn said. "Yeah, I agree with him," Nightmare said. "She said Forerunners hadn't encountered our kind." "I suppose that depends on how you define Forerunner," Spark said. "Still, I am not allowed to expand upon it unless she tells you herself. Regardless, I'll be accompanying you all to the Ark's surface to find the Cartographer, and where the meddler is." "The Ark?" Bishop asked. "It is the place in the old Covenant legends where the Halo rings were forged, and where they could all be activated," Ruso answered. "In other words, it is what you would call heaven for Truth and his followers, only one step away from the Great Journey." "Yeah, um, Heaven's the end step," Patrick said, "but still, we get the idea." "So, when are we heading down?" Jacob asked Spark. "As soon as your allies exit Slipspace," the monitor replied. A few minutes later, they were all onboard the Pelican, with Jacob in the pilot seat and Bishop in the copilot seat as the ships came out of Slipspace. As the Shadow and other renegade ships engaged the Covenant, along side the Dawn, Pelicans and Phantoms were deployed to the surface. Some to find key holding points, outposts for future attack, two a landing zone for the human ship, and one to find the Ark's Cartographer.