Disclaimer: I do not own Halo, Halo 2, Halo3 nor any of the characters from the Halo Trilogy any of which are trademarks and licensed to Bungie. I only own the characters that I introduce into this story.

This will be my version of Halo 3 and will follow directly from the ending of Halo 2, starting by showing how Johnson, Miranda Keyes, Arbiter and 343 Guilty Spark were able to get from Installation 05 to Earth.

Halo 3: Finishing the Fight

Installation 05
UNSC Designation: Delta Halo
Delta Halo's Control Room

Miranda and Johnson looked at Guilty Spark as if they had been known down by a UNSC Frigate that had been traveling at high speed. Miranda was the first to speak, “You mean the Ark is at Earth!?”. She found it difficult to catch her breath with this sudden news that her birthplace was the home of a control center that could completely wipe out all known life in the known galaxy. And now they could be activated from one spot. Her home. Not just her's but plenty of humans. Humanity's homeworld had just gotten a lot more important than just being the last UNSC-held world.

343 Guilty Spark turned to look at the Commander, his bright blue light providing the only light on the large platform, “Why yes. Surely you know this but. I mean how could you not. You are, after all a Reclaimer”. Guilty Spark was unsure how to why the Reclaimers would be shocked by his answer. They should know where the Ark was. It was after all, a Forerunner construct and they were the children of his creators. In a way Guilty Spark too was a child of the Forerunner but he was more of a part of their legacy

Johnson raised his hand towards Spark, “Lightbulb, what the hell is all this 'Reclaimer' business about?”. He puffed on his cigar once again as he awaited an answer for the 'Lightbulb' as he had called the Monitor. He found it funny how he was able to anger the Monitor be insulting him with fairly easy names. Johnson knew of what the Monitor had tried to do on Alpha Halo and he was still not too sure whether they could trust him completely.

Spark looked at the older man now, “Do you not know? You are the ones who shall reclaim what was lost. You are the inheritors of everything left by the Forerunners, including these Installations”. The small metal orb then turned to the simulation that now showed the seven Halo Rings and the fact that were now fully armed and ready to fire. Johnson and Miranda were worried, Miranda more than Johnson. Earth was where the Ark and where the Covenant were now most likely headed. If the Prophet of Truth was able to activate the Ark and then the Halo Rings...everything would end.

The Arbiter, for the most part, had remained perfectly quiet and listened to the Holy Oracle's words. So, the human's homeworld is also the location of the Ark. That lier Truth had mostly likely discovered this truth as well. He listened to the humans converse and then turned away as he activated his communications device on his shoulder plate, “Commander, we have stopped the firing of this Holy Ring. Do you have the cruiser?”.

There was sounds of plasma fire and explosions on the other side of the channel, “Arbiter...thank the gods. The Brutes are holding well against our troops but do not fret, my Elites are advacing. We have taken most of the heaths...this cruiser shall fall to us. Already I receive word that our brothers have taken several ships, including the Assault Carriers Shadow of Intent and the Shadow of Fate. Rally your troops to this cruiser Arbiter”.

The Arbiter made what could be called a smile and then turned to the humans, “My brother is taking the Brute cruiser that orbits this Ring. If you wish to join us then we must act quickly for every second that passes is another second that the lier Truth is closer to activating the Rings”. He forced back a growl as he mentioned that deceivers name.

Miranda looked at Johnson and then stepped, “We accept your offer...Arbiter, is it?”. The silver-armored Elite nodded. Miranda spoke again, “I'm Commander Miranda Keyes and this...”, she said as he motioned to Johnson, “...is Sergeant Johnson and I guessed you have already met Guilty Spark here”.

The Arbiter nodded to the Sergeant and Spark before he looked at the Commander again, “Very well then, we must make with haste to Brute cruiser, come”, he said as he started walking back towards the entrance to the room. Spark accessed the systems and made it so that the room returned to normal and the three circular platforms once again became one and joined with the two bridges.

Outside awaited a Phantom, guarded by several Elites. Brute corpses littered the ground, deep cuts made into their thick hides. An Elite, an Ultra, stepped forward, “Arbiter...Commander Rtas' Vadum awaits you on the Victorious Defender”, finished the Elite as the Arbiter and his three companions joined him in going up the gravity lift of the Phantom.

The ride to the CCS-class battlecruiser Victorious Defender was quiet one. Miranda was still getting over the events for the past few hours. It suddenly hit her once again that she had lost the In Amber Clad, her crew, her friends and had almost died herself. She was thankful for the Arbiter's help but knew that the Elite had been more concerned with stopping Tartarus and the Ring than saving him life but she was able to overlook that. She was disappointed there were no windows nor seats in the Phantom though she considered the fact that a dropship for troops wouldn't always be used for merely transporting important personnel.

Johnson just stood there, keeping himself to himself and puffing on his cigar, much to the Commander's dismay. He too had lost a lot of men these past few days but he had felt the same thing numerous times over, the worst, until now, being the Battle of Installation 04. He didn't show the emotion though, the war had made many people emotionless in the face of utter annihilation by the Covenant but now with the Elite's help they might just be able to keep fighting a while longer. Maybe even end the war. He shooed Guilty Spark away as the Forerunner Construct hovered near him, “Go bug someone else Tinker Bell”. Spark took a noticeably anger at this comment but let it be and simply floated off to stay near by an Elite who was standing at the rear, beside the gravity lift.

The Arbiter looked at the Sergeant and then the Commander. Already the two humans had proved himself to the ex-Supreme Commander. He knew that the Elites could now only count on the humans help in defeating Truth and the Covenant. As he thought over the recent events that had happened, he felt a familiar pain in his chest. The Mark of Shame still caused him pain when he tried himself out. He raised a gloved hand to his torso armor and let it rest as there as he sighed heavily.

--

Elite-commanded CCS-class battlecruiser Victorious Defender
Above Delta Halo

The Phantom carrying the four finally arrived in the landing bay of the Victorious Defender. Rtas 'Vadum, or Half-Jaw as he was commonly referred to by the lower members of the Elites who did know his name, greeted them. At first, he did not know whether to have the humans flung in the brig or to have them taken to their quarters. He decided to let the Arbiter decide on that one, “Arbiter, thank the gods you're still alive. Our brothers continue to fight up in space. The Shadow of Intent standbys to receive me, will you not join me?”

The Arbiter looked back at his companions then turned to the ex-Spec-Ops Commander, “No brother. We must journey to Earth to stop Truth. Leave us this cruiser and take charge of our forces in space. You are now a Fleet Master, carry out your duty well brother”, finished the Arbiter.

Rtas gave small bow, “As you order, Arbiter. Farewell”, he said before he barked something in his own tongue to two Elites and then boarded a Phantom which then departed for the Elite fleet that now fought against the remnants of the Brute fleet.

The Arbiter turned again to his companions, “We must return to your homeworld, Commander. Truth must be allowed to light the Holy Rings. That takes priority above all else”, he said as Miranda nodded and Johnson simply puffed on his cigar. Spark was too busy looking over the ship, noting to himself how it remained him of a ship that the Forerunners used. The Arbiter and his companions then made their way to the bridge, where upon entering they were greeted by a group of Elites who turned round with precision and timing and raised their weapons at the humans, “Lower your weapons my brothers. These humans are with me”, he said as he walked up the platform to the central command. The Elites lowered their weapons, somewhat hesitated and then turned back to their controls.

Miranda took to standing beside the Arbiter and looked at the central monitors. They showed the skies above that were filled with blue flashes as plasma weapons hit off ships and shield. The dead hulk of High Charity was clearly visible. She looked to her side and up at the Arbiter, “What about High Charity?”.

The Arbiter looked at the human commander, “It is dead now. Truth took the Forerunner ship that powered the city to Earth. Although, our fleet shall form a perimeter round it and this Ring and quarantine them both. However, this Ring shall burn and its surface shall become glass. As for the Covenant's Holy City...we shall leave it be. Destroying it could get our ships inflected by the Flood”, he said as he stared out at the object. His concentration was broken when an Elite signaled that the ship that reached the upper atmosphere and could now make the jump to Slipspace without damaging anything. The Arbiter took a deep breath then ordered the jump.

Along the bow of the cruiser there were tiny purple and white sparks of energy as the Covenant's Slipspace drive slit open a tiny tear into Slipspace. Covenant engines were much better than Human ones and did not simply just tear open a hole into Slipspace. They just made a tiny tear, wide enough for the cruiser to enter. As the cruiser pushed forward into the alternate space there was a small bit of turbulence as the portal closed behind the ship. They were on their way to Earth.

--

High Charity no longer resemble that once proud and holy city of the Covenant. Flood spores floated in its air and Flood Combat Forms roamed its corridors, seeking out anything still living. In the Sanctum of the Hierarchs was the only room that showed something else than just Flood movement. A purple light cut through the darkness. There a female's cry and a roar of a monster.

“I told you all I know!”, screamed the female voice. The voice belonged to a thin purple-blueish figure that stood upon a small pedestal. Code-like letters and numbers flowed up and down her body but she did look human. Cortana had answered the Gravemind's question up to a point. She couldn't tell him where Earth was but she was growing weaker and she knew that sooner or later that the Gravemind would either get the information from her or from the databanks of the Covenant.

“Why do you continue to protect them? They have turned their backs on you! They have left you here! SUBMIT!”, roared the Gravemind. 'He' had begun to lose patience with the Construct. But 'he' knew that she was growing weak and would be unable to withstand 'his' assault quite soon. There was another roar as his Flood reported back. The food's ships continued to fight one another. The Gravemind did not understand their little battle and decided to deal with it later. As soon as they were weakened and were resting, he would strike and take their ships and spread his Flood all over the galaxy. Starting with the location of the Ark. He turned his attention back to the Construct and started the process all over again, “Tell me where the Ark is and I shall stop my assault on your systems. Otherwise I will take you as a part of me and extract the information I want by force!”.

Cortana stood strong against the assault but she was losing herself. The Gravemind had started to inflect her systems. Non-important and non-needed systems at first but now he was getting dangerous close to her key systems. Soon 'he' would be able to take the data by a simply though or command. Soon the Earth would face the Flood.