With the departure of the Night Lords' master, Konrad Curze, the suffocating pressure that had loomed over the area finally dissipated. Halsey and the others could breathe freely again, their bodies no longer weighed down by the oppressive force. They regained full control over their movements.
Though now able to move freely, neither Halsey nor the Master Chief allowed themselves to relax.
The attitude of that terrifying giant had made everything clear—this Empire was nothing like the Unified Earth Government. While Selene seemed amiable, trying to exploit that kindness would be a foolish mistake.
That said, proper respect was still required.
The vast gulf between their identities, statuses, and power was an insurmountable chasm. Even the battle-hardened Spartan warriors treaded carefully, ensuring their demeanor remained humble when interacting with Selene—this seemingly delicate woman who appeared too fragile to even lift a weapon.
After all, while they may not have feared death, their 'mother,' Dr. Halsey, was still present, and hundred of millions of their comrades remained on Reach. The Empire's invasion of the Solar System seemed imminent, and provoking the Empress into unnecessary wrath would be an unwise and costly mistake.
"The Covenant capital—High Charity..."
Muttering to herself, Halsey's expression shifted to one of realization before she let out a bitter chuckle. "That makes sense. If Reach has already fallen, there's no reason for the Empire to ignore the Covenant's worlds."
She raised her gaze to meet the Empress's striking, coldly elegant features and asked, "What do you need us to do?"
Rip—
Once again, Selene tore open a shimmering rift into the dark void. Upon hearing Halsey's question, her pupils flickered slightly, and her gaze shifted toward the remaining UNSC Defense Force personnel from Reach.
It was clear that Selene's interest lay solely in the Spartans and the technical officers of the Spartan Operations Division. The mid-to-high-ranking officers of the UNSC Defense Force stood stiffly at the rear, maintaining a cautious distance.
"You, descendants of the ancient humans of Erde-Tyrene, I need you to unlock the Forerunner Keyship imprisoned within High Charity by the San'Shyuum. Doing so will grant us the coordinates of all hidden Forerunner relics across the galaxy."
Selene spoke with a calm indifference, her flawless features and crimson, cross-shaped pupils exuding an otherworldly allure.
"Erde-Tyrene? Ancient humans? Your Majesty, are you referring to us?"
As she connected to the Imperial fleet in the Large Magellanic Cloud, stabilizing the portal's coordinates for transmission, Selene gave a slight nod. She herself could freely traverse the imaginary dimensions, but Halsey and the others were mere mortals—incapable of such feats.
Without Selene's protection, even a minor energy fluctuation in the void would be enough to tear them apart, leaving not even a trace of their existence.
"Erde-Tyrene is Earth, and you are the genetically regressed descendants of ancient humanity."
Keeping Halsey and the Spartans by her side was not just a matter of personal curiosity; there were practical considerations at play.
Following the collapse of the Forerunner civilization, their vast array of relics scattered throughout the galaxy had been placed into a dormant state.
The Forerunners had hoped that, in time, a new human civilization would arise, venturing from its homeworld into the stars and eventually inheriting their technology—continuing their mission to safeguard all life.
One of the highest-ranking members of the Forerunner hierarchy, the Librarian—leader of the Lifeworkers—had foreseen this future before her death. During her indexing process, she embedded certain genetic imprints (Geas) into human DNA, allowing their descendants to interface with Forerunner systems and activate their ancient facilities.
The Librarian: the greatest and most revered Lifeworker among the Forerunners. Throughout Forerunner history, only three individuals had ever attained the supreme title of "Master Builder"—and she was one of them.
Simply put, she was a monumental figure, a being of unparalleled status within Forerunner civilization.
Her actions laid the groundwork for humanity's eventual inheritance of Forerunner technology, which in turn was the reason why the San'Shyuum feared and despised humanity.
On the Covenant capital, High Charity, there existed a remarkably rare and powerful artificial intelligence—albeit only a fragment of its original consciousness, even by Forerunner standards.
Originally, this AI had intended to journey to Erde-Tyrene to guide humanity toward a better future as an act of redemption for past transgressions. However, by an unexpected twist of fate, it crash-landed on the San'Shyuum homeworld, Janjur Qom, and entered a state of dormancy.
Later, the San'Shyuum salvaged it and launched it into space aboard a massive ship. As it ascended, the vessel tore a massive chunk of the planet's surface along with it—this very landmass would become the foundation of High Charity.
Selene's goal was to have those who carried the Forerunners' genetic imprints (Geas) make contact with the AI fragment, allowing them to fully and flawlessly inherit the entirety of the Forerunner legacy.
Spartan warriors were selected through rigorous genetic screening, making them the finest elite of the UNSC. If even they failed to gain recognition from the Forerunner systems, there would be no point in seeking others—Selene would have no choice but to seize control by force.
There was always the risk that the Forerunner guidance systems might resist, initiate self-destruction, or erase critical data—outcomes that could not be predicted.
As for the mid-to-high-ranking UNSC officers, they were merely along for the ride.
"Let's go."
Without waiting for objections, Selene made a simple gesture, seizing control over them effortlessly before stepping forward into the rift she had just torn open.
Buzz!
In an instant, Halsey and the others felt their vision blur. The starlit void around them vanished, replaced by an endless expanse of deep violet skies.
In the distance, iridescent lights shimmered unpredictably, nebulae shifting like surging waves or towering mountains, ever-changing in form.
Around them, streaks of twisted light stretched and elongated into clusters of fine, purplish-red specks before dissipating into nothingness.
"By the gods!" ×N
But what stood out the most to Halsey was the sudden emergence of a fully armed, combat-ready force of Covenant Sangheili warriors stepping through the portal ahead—each of them bowing in greeting.
"Mm." Selene gave them a slight nod in acknowledgment.
With a flick of her wrist, the portal linking to the Imperial fleet in the Large Magellanic Cloud sealed itself as if it possessed a will of its own.
At that moment—
"Elites!" Several Spartans and UNSC officers instinctively tensed up.
The Sangheili standing at the front of the group were especially striking. They wore ornate, heavy armor in shades of silver, gold, and crimson, with large, curved command helms. Their chest plates and pauldrons were thick and angular, featuring glowing accents embedded in their helmets, shoulders, and breastplates.
Years of war against the Covenant had taught the UNSC to recognize their enemy's hierarchy. These were no ordinary warriors—these Elites were either fleet commanders or warship captains.
Could this be an ambush…?
The thought flashed through the minds of the UNSC personnel, but they quickly dismissed it. Impossible!
If the Covenant had such capabilities, humanity wouldn't have survived this long—they would have been wiped out ages ago.
"Demons!"
The Sangheili also recognized the Spartans under Selene's control. Their sleek yet imposing exoskeleton armor was all too familiar, and they responded with an immediate outcry.
"I do not care how much hatred lies between you," Selene declared coldly. "As of now, you are allies."
"Remember this—you have only three true enemies: the San'Shyuum, the Jiralhanae, and the Kig-Yar."
"They shall pay for their lies and crimes with annihilation."
Selene spoke lazily, her voice carrying an air of casual indifference. She made no effort to reconcile the deep-seated hatred between the two species. Instead, she simply assigned them common targets.
Without waiting for a response, Selene pulled the returning Sangheili into formation alongside the UNSC personnel, arranging them into two separate lines.
"..."
Thus, in tense silence, steeped in an awkward atmosphere where both sides were tempted to kill each other, Selene led the reluctant humans and Sangheili through the boundless imaginary space.
Their discomfort did not concern her in the slightest. In fact, she found it rather entertaining, even dedicating a portion of her consciousness to observing the spectacle.
Eventually, she broke the silence. "Xytan 'Jar Wattinree, Supreme Fleet Master—exterminate all San'Shyuum and Jiralhanae, and offer the Covenant fleet stationed at High Charity a chance to surrender. Are you prepared?"
"Do not disappoint me. I wish to avoid unnecessary bloodshed."
Unnecessary bloodshed… Given Selene's actions, such a statement sounded almost absurdly hypocritical.
"As you command, my god."
The response came from a towering Sangheili, significantly larger than the others, standing at nearly eleven and a half feet. He was clad in a distinctive silver armor adorned with golden Forerunner inscriptions.
"I shall be watching with great anticipation."
Selene's gaze lingered on the highest-ranking Sangheili to have surrendered to the Empire.
The title of Supreme Fleet Master was equivalent to a grand admiral, commanding all Covenant naval forces.
Xytan 'Jar Wattinree had led the "Righteous Purpose" fleet patrolling the Covenant's borders. His status among the Sangheili was so high that some even whispered he rivaled the authority of the High Prophets themselves.
His influence had become a threat, and for that reason, the High Prophets had relegated him to border patrol, banishing him to the distant edges of Covenant space.
However, this exile played into the Empire's hands. Exposed to the Astartes fleet's raids and the deliberate revelations of Imperial intelligence, Xytan 'Jar Wattinree learned the truth—the San'Shyuum had deceived them all.
Upon being personally brought before Selene, who was still conducting operations in the Large Magellanic Cloud, his doubts solidified into conviction. He formally pledged allegiance to Selene and led the Sangheili in renouncing the Covenant's false faith.
Thanks to his cooperation and assistance, the Imperial Navy executed a flawless blockade, successfully deceiving the Covenant's intelligence network for an extended period.
"I shall not fail."
Selene nodded in satisfaction but said nothing further. Her gaze shifted to Halsey and the UNSC personnel. "Since we have time before reaching High Charity, I assume you have many questions. Speak freely—I will answer what I can."
She gestured dismissively, her tone almost amicable.
Halsey blinked in surprise before—
"Your Majesty, ancient humanity—what do you mean? How are we connected? What does genetic regression entail? Where exactly is High Charity? Why are the Sangheili here? What are these Forerunners and their so-called Keyship—"
Overflowing with pent-up curiosity, Halsey seized the opportunity, firing off a rapid barrage of questions at Selene, her speech accelerating as her inquiries piled up.
"Stop!" Selene quickly interjected.
She despised unnecessary trouble. Surely, there had to be a lazier way to handle this.
Answer: There was.
"Cortana."
Hearing that name, Halsey's expression froze as if she had seen a ghost. Selene's lips curled into a faint smile as she called out.
"Your Majesty, I am here. How may I assist you?"
A brilliant blue holographic projection materialized in front of Selene, bearing an uncanny resemblance—about seventy to eighty percent—to a younger Halsey. With her arms crossed behind her back, Cortana tilted her head playfully.
"Answer Dr. Halsey and the Master Chief's questions."
Activating the Authority of the Herrscher of Reason, Selene's surroundings flickered with azure data streams that flowed toward Cortana's feet, linking her directly to the Imperial Naval Fleet's database.
"I have granted you access to the Imperial Navy's archives."
Turning to Halsey, Selene added, "A commendable idea. Upon discovering her, I expedited the completion of your work. Judging by the results, I'd say it turned out quite well. A private intervention—hope you don't mind, Doctor."
Before the arrival of the Night Lords' fleet, Halsey had already completed most of Cortana's design and development—only a final step remained. Once Selene noticed this, she accelerated the process to completion.
Did she even have the right to object?
"Thank you."
Halsey forced a smile as she expressed her gratitude, though inwardly, her apprehension deepened. It wasn't just a matter of altering physical laws—Selene could even invade and manipulate electronic networks at will.
"Doctor, hello. I am Cortana. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
Wearing a radiant smile, Cortana materialized before Halsey and the Master Chief.
"Regarding your questions, based on the data retrieved from the Imperial Navy's database..."
—
Beyond the Orion Arm, in a remote sector of space, atop High Charity's grandest spire—
Splat!
This was the innermost sanctum of the San'Shyuum, the inner core of the capital where the sacred Keyship resided.
Tonight, however, the usual tranquility had been shattered. The once-pristine floors were now drenched in blood, and the opulent halls littered with the lifeless bodies of pampered High Prophets, their corpses bearing testament to the horrors of the ongoing attack.
A wounded San'Shyuum lay sprawled on the floor, its ceremonial headdress—once a symbol of divine authority—now askew, stripped of all dignity. Its luxurious robes had been slashed open by a sharp blade, revealing gaping wounds that bled profusely.
"Damn it! Damn it! Are the guards deaf?! How could the Holy Sanctum be breached?! Where is my reinforcement?! Damn it all...!"
With great effort, the Prophet pushed itself up, stretching a trembling hand toward the exit just ten meters away. But a thin veil of violet-black energy now sealed the doorway, cutting off its escape.
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