Tremendous story. First, the action sequences were excellently written descriptive enough to visualize, but not distracting.

Then, the characterization was dead on perfect. Every character had unique depth and was fully 3 dimensional. The characters made good decisions in bad decisions, the best decisions at their hands at the moment to makethem. On the one hand Kat survived, as well as a few others, on the otherhand, harbringer and the reapers still have plots afoot.

It is done. At last... it is done.

Reach has been lost. Noble Team is all but broken. It is indeed a devastating defeat, but we are not out of this fight yet. Kat once said that she knew that we were losing, and then she asked if we HAVE lost. No Kat, we have not lost.

As Halsey said, the torch has been passed on. With it, our path is cleared and Halo is within our sights, which shall be the first step in our long journey for both truth and victory. Furthermore, the Reapers have underestimated what their 'plan' has cost them. Their actions have brought the two greatest champions of humanity in the universe together. Shepard is already an 'annoyance' to them, but with the Master Chief of legend at his side, the pair will become an 'outright problem'. Though they come from different dimensions and lead different lives, their purpose is one and the same. And when they stand together, there is nothing in the universe that can stand in their way. Not Cerberus, not the Reapers, nor the Covenant or the Flood.

With the greatest and most malevolent powers in the universe against humanity, many wonder if the end of days has come. Ragnarok. Armageddon. Judgment Day. In their despair, people wonder and try to remember a better time, to remember When There Was A Tomorrow. But sometimes life can be like a dark tunnel. You cannot always see the light at the end, but if you just keep moving, you will come to a better place. A better life with new hope for the say that the night is darkest just before the dawn. Thanks to Noble Team and Shepard, the end of the tunnel is in sight. Our darkest hour has almost passed and the dawn is closer then it ever has been. That is what Noble Team and Shepard has given to us all; the realization that we do not need to remember When There Was A Tomorrow, because there still is a tomorrow.

But we must remember that this chance for a new beginning did not come without cost. We have lost so many, but that is what separates us from our enemy: We have something that is worth fighting for. Our people, our hopes, our future. We shall never forget the valiant souls who gave their lives so that we might be here today. We shall keep the honor and humility of their actions close to our hearts. We shall fight in their name and sacrifice.

Fight for the lost, Commander Shepard. Fight for the Lost.

I applaud your astounding storytelling skills! Halo has been a longtime passion of mine, and while I have only recently gotten into the Mass Effect storyline, relatively speaking, I found it just as enjoyable (I haven't actually played Mass Effect 3 yet).
But this? This is easily on par with either franchise! Even with the occasional minor mistake (You referred to Emile as a girl after the three grenade barrage in the hunter husk fight), the sheer detail and characterization you put in makes this one of the greatest works of fan-literature I've ever encountered. If my own attempts at fanfiction reach even a fraction of this scale and detail, I will consider it a great achievement.

Is the next iteration going to be its own story, or will you just add on to this one? And what were those hunter husks dubbed? My vote's for "Juggernaut."

A good ending to a fantastic story. I'm only sad cause now it'll be a while before we get to continue it, you've more then earned the break though.

I just want you to know that this is literally the best story I have ever read on this site, and quite possibly one of the best stories I have ever read. While, as you said, there were some spelling/grammatical errors, they were all very minor in the grand scheme of things. The story itself was written masterfully, and I never wanted to stop reading. But now that's over, I'm saddened. Because, now what the hell am I gonna do?

About the ending though, you should know that I also feel...contented by it, if that makes sense. It concluded the story and tied up everything very well. So, I find myself having that "end of the school year" feeling, you know? The, "I'm half happy it's over and half upset that it's over" feeling. But those are the stories that I come back to. And, rest assured, I probably will come back and read this again.

Oh and I'm so excited that you're going to continue the story, but I think you deserve a good rest my fine sir. The only thing is, this story was so awesome...how the hell are you going to top yourself? I'm sorry, I don't want to put pressure on you, but...damn.

Anyway, in short, this was an awesome story and I will wait for the next story for as long as you need.

P.S. I also think you did a good job at showing what Halo and Mass Effect really are; expansive universes with a rich story filled with wonderful (and sometimes not-so-wonderful) characters.

So, thanks.
-Sean

An Excellent tale!kudos!lived and loved it

been an amazing ride. Will be waiting for the sequal )

So it's finally over. One long, drawn out action sequence with an equally cathartic denoument. You really know how to strike a balance with action and quiet drama. Xytas certainly felt like he'd be a pain in the ass to fight if this were in an actual game. I could almost believe Shepard wouldn't have made it given how much he had powered up. However, it's fitting that one of Inky's tools would be used to mess up his own plans. Good thing Da Chief was there to personally pull Shepard's ass out of the fire.

Speaking of which, the correct rank/title is "Master Chief Petty Officer" not "Petty Officer Master Chief." Come to think of it, when you do get around to the events of Halo: CE, I was wondering if you'd be interested in making me your beta reader?

Somehow you managed to be even more of a tease about Six's decision than you were with Jorge, in that you were actively trying to give us a Hope Spot on whether Legion would try to save him instead. Sadly for the best but I noticed you were a bit more vague about Six's fate than in the vanilla game. I wonder if that'll come back in your take on First Strike. :P

Speaking of which, that duel between Kreave hit all the notes. A final bit of epic banter, Kreave breaking down once it finally sinks in that his number is up...and some surprisingly encouraging words for Six with his last breath. Didn't really expect that, but it was a pleasant surprise.

For some reason Kreave's own rant about how awesome war is reminded me of The Major from Hellsing. Here's his infamous "I Like War" speech for comparison. You didn't by any chance crib some of his words, did you? (Remember to put the link back together before trying to click it) :P

w ww . youtube watch? v KUB9QGKCNmI&featuremy_liked_videos&listLLXzNdP4yfHlwQoPjlwTYxVQ

And what's this, The Inquisitor was bullshitting Shepard about his true purpose? He's after Halo? Ooh boy that's just that much more pressure for Team Normandy.

Just how *would* the Savannah made it out of Reach? Didn't they give up the slipspace drive for Operation: Uppercut? I guess we'll find out later.

In any case, as much as I'd like to see the first chapter of the sequel out ASAP, you earned your break. I'll be watching and waiting. Be sure to PM me when it's out just to be safe (unless you take my beta-reading offer, in which case I'll know right away).

This was a great story. Can't wait for the sequel!

Great story! Happy to see there will be a sequel

From the majority of the fic I read, I must say that I have remained impressed for the most part by the scale, interactions, and interference of such a major fic.

That said, I have had some minor problems that I felt should be addressed:

1. There are some fairly frequent grammatical errors.
2. A few of the ME characters seem to talk a bit too much like the ones out of Firefly.
3. ...oddly enough, I think that's it.

Now the errors don't make the story horrible, but they are kind of jarring. That said, I'd give this an 8/10. Can't wait to see more.

Damn, I was hoping Six would survive and link up with Fred and the rest of the SPARTAN-IIs...but alas, he died in a heroic sacrifice.

Great work. You consistently did an excellent job with the entire story, and I'm looking forward to seeing the sequel!

A brilliant way to end a brilliant story. Very well done. Positively THE best Mass Effect-Halo crossover I have read to date. Your characterizations are excellent, the plot is intricate and addictive and overall you gave this the same amount of polish that all good stories have. Very well done my sir, please, publish your sequel to this great tale.

With this shield spartan or on it.

Rest in peace Noble Six.

There are not enough 5-stars and thumbs-up in the world to express how good this story is/was. We eagerly await the next installment.