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Once again, Falul carefully took in the answers he was given and the dissenting opinions around the room. The recordings that Erthos showed them, even if Falul had any reason to believe them, did nothing to persuade him of any need to intervene in their war. The squabbling of this universe's factions were not his concern. However, if the behavior of this Galactic Empire was accurate to how Erthos described it, then Falul may reluctantly have to admit the problem it could present to his crew. If the Empire did hunger for technology, then the Immaculate Aegis would be a tempting target. Speaking practically, the assistance of "Supreme Commander" Jason Erthos could be of benefit to Falul and his people. If it was true that the Resurgence and its crew were from the same universe in a future time, then they would have information that Falul could not obtain through other means. He could not simply dismiss that advantage casually.

There were other concerns as well. These Terrans, which looked to be Humans as well, seemed to be familiar with the Zerg, and his description of them caught Falul's immediate attention. Memories of the parasite came to the forefront of his mind, and these Zerg did not sound dissimilar to them. If they were indeed a devouring swarm, then not only could they not be trusted, but they were abominations that deserved destruction. However, that did rely upon trusting the word of the Terran, which Falul, at this point, had no reason to do. And even if the Zerg were the monstrosities they appeared to be, it was not as if they were a threat to his universe. All that mattered to him was returning home.

Falul's gaze noticeably shifted towards McKay as he continued to collect his thoughts. It was clear these were not the Humans he was familiar with, but he wondered how different they actually were. Could they still be as capable as the species that had earned his Arbiter's respect? This Human had not been ignorant of their situation, as Falul and most of the others had been. Perhaps these Humans still had the same sort of cleverness to them? In any case, he knew that none of his crew would have the knowledge to understand this situation. Perhaps the scientist they had taken aboard, but Falul would not wager the fate of his ship and its crew on that dim hope. Now was not a time to discard options.

There was just one final question on which many of Falul's thoughts hinged. Another of the armored, humanoid warriors argued with the Terrans, but that was not Falul's concern. His decision, everything he intended to do, hinged upon Supreme Commander Erthos' word. His decision was based upon the Galactic Empire being a threat his vessel could not avoid, but Falul was yet to be shown any proof beyond a recording with no proven context. If Falul could be shown the proof he required, then he knew his decision. "Supreme Commander Jason Erthos." Falul announced, his loud, deep voice carrying its weight throughout the room. "You make the claim that the Galactic Empire is an enemy worth fighting, and one that we will have to risk our ships to face. But all of this is on your word, but we have not even seen proof that this is even your universe of origin. You claim to detect Imperial signatures, but again, that is your word to us. We have seen no proof of a Galactic Empire ourselves. Even if you are being honest, your sensors could be malfunctioning. I have heard enough to know my answer, but before I give it, I demand the proof you claim to have: the navigational data. Give us the star charts; if they are accurate, then I will finally have reason to believe your word."
Falul 'Taham - Briefing Room





Again, Falul had to temper his reaction and avoid letting on to his true thoughts. If these Humans were not of the Earth he knew, then they were not bound by the alliance their Arbiter had forged. They could be dangerous, though he supposed it was a situation that was not without advantage. He could not yet be sure, but it did not seem like any of those present knew anything about his people, so he would be able to control what they would be allowed to learn, for as long as they needed to associate with them. Falul was interested in the navigational data they were speaking of, as it would at least give him the ability to plan some next step. After that, he would need to re-evaluate if the advantage of contact with them outweighed the risks.

"The names you speak mean nothing to me in any history I am familiar with." Falul replied plainly. "But you are still correct..." He continued, shifting his gaze towards Erthos. "...this Empire is not at war with my people."
Falul 'Taham - Briefing Room





Confusion and suspicion were what dominated the air of the briefing room as the man, who Falul assumed to be this "Supreme Commander". Falul's guards stayed back closer to one of the walls while Falul himself approached the table. He elected to remain standing, since the chairs were wholly inadequate for him. Given the circumstances, Falul would be most suspicious of anyone who seemed too comfortable in their surroundings. He still did not know if any of these others present had been somehow responsible for pulling his ship from slipspace.

On Falul's part, he was patient, intending to be deliberate with his words. Save for the Humans, the other creatures in the room were entirely unfamiliar to him, including the first to speak up after their host introduced himself. The words and attitude of the strange tentacled being were almost enough to detract his attention from the Broodmother. The situation it described sounded asinine, yet it spoke confidently about it. Alternate universes were not a concept Falul was familiar with, and it immediately sent his mind to thoughts of trickery and deceit. Even if it were somehow possible, if the universe they found themselves in was no longer the one he was familiar with, he was suspicious of how quickly the being presented that solution. How could he be sure it was not a lie this Yilthren wanted the rest of them to believe, or that it was not them that was responsible for it?

Falul only started giving more consideration to the notion as the conversation went on, perhaps due to his own unconscious biases towards Humans. The idea of being in another universe would provide convenient explanations to all he had seen so far. The similar circumstances of the other vessels, their spirit's inability to discern their location. Falul was reluctant to trust any of the others, in particular this "Zerg", as it identified itself. But, Falul was perhaps less stubborn than some other Sangheili commanders. He could recognize when he was acting outside of his own experience. Trust, he would not give freely, but he could temper his pride for the benefit of his crew.

One of the groups of Humans had by their own account, sent information about their people's history to the others in the briefing room. Falul produced a handheld device which projected a red, semi-circular holographic display. It was programmed to be able to interpret data files sent from Human devices, yet, curiously, it could not make sense of anything it had received. The data was in an unknown format, which would take some time to interpret. It was strange enough to, finally, give Falul reason to ask the question that had formed in his mind.

"This notion you speak of, alternate universes. I am unfamiliar with it. The universe is the whole of existence, yet you claim there is something beyond the infinite. Perhaps this Human is correct; perhaps we come from different places in space, not an...alternate space?" Falul began, though after a moment, he gave a quick, low growl. "Grah! This is talk for an artisan-engineer or...scientist. I am a shipmaster, a warrior. My concern is to know if any before me are threats I will have to face. But, if I am to...entertain this idea you present, then perhaps I have a question to test it? My people, the Swords of Sanghelios, are allied with the Humans of Earth by the word of our Arbiter. Do any of the Humans here owe their allegiance to Earth? To the...UNSC? Are there any among you I can consider allies to the Sangheili?"
EliteCommander and Zarkun



Kol'Zife had just settled into his seat on the bridge, watching the crew prepare for the arrival of the various delegates from the other ships when the newest arrival came through. The size of it alone...well, Kol could think of a few good uses for a ship that size. Another hail came through and, in classic fashion, the XO answered. “This is Executive Officer Kol’Zife of Ryloth aboard the Venator Resurgence. Any one with questions has been invited aboard in order to get the answers that we can give by Supreme Commander Jason, my immediate superior.”

It had not taken long for the Aegis to begin receiving signals. One had been a message, but upon noticing the active, open channel, the communications officer redirected it to the Shipmaster’s personal display. Though, as far as the ship’s computers could interpret, the channel was audio-only. “You speak of ranks I have never heard, places I am unfamiliar with, and from a ship with a pattern I have never seen. You could well be inviting me into a trap, Executive Officer Kol'Zife of Ryloth. Does your vessel belong to the Humans of Earth? To whom do you owe allegiance?"

Kol sighs as he sits back. “Again with this Earth place. Look, wherever you think you are, you aren’t. I owe allegiance to the Galactic Republic Remnant and its leader, whom I’ve already named. If it’s going to help, I can transfer you directly to him.” The Twi’lek pauses a moment. “And yes, he is human.”

“Again, you speak of something unfamiliar. Something unknown to me.” Falul began, pausing a moment in thought as he leaned to the side in his chair. “Your ship, it is armed. If only by its appearance, I can see it is a military vessel. You invite envoys from our ship, and presumably these other vessels, with no knowledge of who you are or whether you can be trusted. And yet, if you are Human, then you share the species of our allies, and I am bound to treat with you...diplomatically. Unless otherwise provoked. I do not require the word of your shipmaster; yours is sufficient. I shall attend this meeting, but know this: if your intent is betrayal, hostages would not prevent the destruction of your vessel.”

“Buddy, if we were gonna shoot people, then we wouldn’t be holding a diplomatic summit. In any case, your choice of dropship is cleared for landing. Be aware, we are providing everyone with an escort once you’re on board, both to guide you to the meeting room and, well, as you said, we don’t know you people.”

Falul gave a brief, somewhat audible grunt. "Indeed." He replied, which was the last word before he terminated the transmission. He lowered his chair closer to the floor, then stood before turning back to his communications officer. "Have you detected other signals?"

"Yes, shipmaster." He answered, prompting Falul to approach the console and listen to each message they had intercepted. They were all different, but most had a similar theme. These ships, all remarkably different in design, had all arrived in this one section of space unexpectedly, and with no identified cause. Another Sangheili, wearing the armor of a commander in the crimson colors of the Swords of Sanghelios, approached beside Falul. His name was Uril 'Laras, and he was the second-in-command to Falul. "Strange forces are at work here, Shipmaster. This is not like anything we have encountered before, but...it still could be a trap."

"Yes, it could be." Falul remarked, turning back around from the console. "So I shall go myself, along with my guard. My orders are this: if this meeting turns to betrayal, then you are to retreat from this region of space, then focus your efforts on discovering our location and finding a way to return to Sanghelios. After destroying my captors."

Uril clenched his fist over his chest and bowed his head slightly. "Yes, Shipmaster."




Given the uncertain situation they were in, Falul's personal guard were already prepared by the time he reached the hanger bay. Their armor did not bear any distinguishing markings to differentiate them from other major-ranked Sangheili, but their combat harnesses were equipped with shielding as befitting their role. The four of them were armed primarily with carbines or concussion rifles, plasma rifles, and, of course, they all carried energy swords. Falul himself was more lightly armed, with a plasma rifle and energy sword on either side of him at his hip. They all boarded a phantom, plated in the distinctive red color of their faction, then made the relatively quick flight to the Resurgence.

Falul did not have much to say to the troopers that greeted them in the Venator's hanger bay, aside from brief utterances of acknowledgement once they offered to take him and his guards to the briefing room. This was a potentially hostile vessel, and Falul would treat it and its crew with appropriate caution. Observing the troopers, they were the size and shape of Humans, though all that he personally saw on the way to the briefing room were in full armor. He was also unfamiliar with their weapons and was not sure of what they could do. Indeed, there was little about this vessel or its technology that Falul could call familiar. If nothing else, it was a fact that affirmed that his caution was wise.

Once they were brought into the briefing room itself, there was much that Falul could have noticed, but all eyes from both himself and his guards inevitably went to the Broodmother. The sight of the creature was enough to cause alarm in his guards, but Falul was quick to motion them to stand down. There were aspects of the being that did bear some resemblance to the parasite, but Falul could see that it was different. That did not necessarily mean it was any better but Falul was not going to be the one to initiate hostilities. Looking around the room, he could see that there were indeed Humans among this meeting. Although, he could not say what that meant for the situation they were in.
It will probably end up being the Venator that helps her. Its captain is the one that graciously volunteered to take aboard all of the potentially dangerous alien lifeforms.
Ahnasha gave a smile, looking towards the inactive portal. "Yes, well, it's not every day you get to visit your own afterlife. And if we end up in the presence of Hircine himself, I...hope I am prepared for that. Still, I do have to say I am proud to be the one bringing us there. Not to diminish the contributions all the others had on the portal, of course." She grinned. "Let's just hope that no one ends up picking a fight with anyone else. Imperials, Thalmor, and the spirits of lycans all in one place...let's hope their training and discipline is as good as they say it is."

Just as Meesei had announced, it only required a few minutes for their messenger to return to the Silent City and rush up to Darahil. The sigil stone was situated high in the cavern, on a balcony overlooking the Dwemer "sun." The light from the sun did somewhat obscure it, but the intense red glow of the now-active sigil stone was still intense enough to be noticed from the portal.

Within moments, magicka began to surge through the portal, collecting a level of power in the stones that few witnessing it had likely ever seen in person. The stones gave off the same, brilliant red glow as the sigil stone until the portal finally formed in its entirety between them. Although the stones they had used to form the gate had a different appearance from the Oblivion gates of old, the fact that they were using a sigil stone to power it meant that the portal itself appeared identically to the gates that had opened across Tamriel during the Oblivion Crisis. For those who had been alive at that time, it was not likely to bring back fond memories.

As impressive of a sight as it was, and as much pride as Ahnasha was obviously taking in it, Meesei did not intend to allow everyone to stand around to admire it. They needed to get to work quickly once in the Hunting Grounds, and Meesei did not want the laborers to be too distracted about where they were to work efficiently. So, as was common, she took the approach of leading by example.

"First group, through the portal." Meesei announced clearly and loudly. Of her pack, she was the first to step forward, and the first to walk through the portal. Despite its appearance, traversal through the portal was not as unpleasant as one might have expected. In fact, it felt no different than the portals that Meesei and Sabine could create. The destination was far more distant, if not somewhat less exotic than some might have been expecting. Meesei, and anyone else properly educated on such matters, would have already known what to expect, but it was simply a forest. They stepped from the hard stone of the cavern floor onto soft grass and dirt. There was life all around them in the form of trees, ferns, bushes, and even the sounds of birds. There was the constant sound of a small brook flowing downhill just off to their right. The trees and other plants seemed familiar, or at least, would not have looked out of place in any forest in Tamriel. The sky, at least at this moment, looked no different from the sky above Nirn. Although, it did seem to be the middle of the day here, while they had left Tamriel before sunrise. Indeed, without the discrepancy in time, one could reasonably make the mistake that they were still somewhere else in Tamriel. Of course, they had not yet seen any of the wildlife.
I finally put up my introduction.

Also, I added a few images to notable crew in the character tab.
The Immaculate Aegis





Shipmaster Falul was on the bridge of his vessel, the Immaculate Aegis. He was sat in his chair, hovering in front of a view screen showing an image of the outside of their ship. Though, there was little to see beyond the planet they were orbiting. It was a frontier colony called Khael'mothka. Falul had his crew had fought here before, when it had been embroiled in a civil war, like so many other Sangheili colonies in the aftermath of the Battle of the Ark. The fighting was all but over by this point, however, with only the embers of dissent remaining to be stomped out. Their reason for being here was simply as a part of their normal patrol of Sangheili space, searching for pirates or any of the other meager threats that still needed to be snuffed out in their territory. The only event that was even somewhat out of their routine was that they had taken aboard an artisan-armorer for transport to Sanghelios, though that was hardly the sort of excitement that he knew some of his crew longed for.

There were those among the Shipmaster's crew who resented the fact that their vessel was no longer taking an active role in the destruction of Jul 'Mdama's Covenant. The Immaculate Aegis had not so much as entered combat in months, but Falul understood his role. As much of a threat as Covenant still was, they could not simply leave their territory undefended. There needed to be ships at the ready to defend any world under the protection of the Swords of Sanghelios. It was a role just as important as any assault ship, and for this task, Falul fully intended for his vessel to live up to its name.

Having already completed their scan of the system and found nothing out of the ordinary, it was time to make their return to Sanghelios. Falul gave the order and the slipspace jump was quickly calculated. A brilliant blue glow filled the view screen as the slipspace portal opened just ahead of the ship's bow, their engines pushing them through into the portal itself. A slipspace jump between stars was routine, and unremarkable. It was a journey this vessel had made countless times during its service, yet, this time, they were not destined to arrive at their intended destination.




Entry into the portal had gone just as smoothly as usual, but as soon as the portal had collapsed in real space behind them, the whole of the ship seemed to shake violently, and they dropped out of slipspace mere seconds after entering. Even the Shipmaster's chair had shaken, though he had managed to right it before he could be thrown from it.

Most of those on the bridge were of at least major rank, all wearing the crimson armor of the Swords of Sanghelios. Most were Sangheili, though two consoles were operated by Unggoy, and one by a Kig-Yar. All of the Kig-Yar aboard the vessel were mercenaries, which did not sit well with all of the crew in terms of their loyalty, but Falul knew their leader and found them useful enough to continue to continue to employ them since just after the fall of the Covenant.

"Report!" Falul shouted, to which his officers needed only a few moments to read the errors flashing on their consoles. Although, interpreting the actual meaning behind them was an entirely different matter.

The Sangheili at the console just to Falul's right swapped rapidly between the screens in front of him, trying to make sense of the readings being presented to him. "We dropped from slipspace, shipmaster. I am not sure why, these readings are...confusing. The spirit is still piecing it together."

"Then give me the information. What is unusual?" Falul instructed. The Immaculate Aegis operated with a far more advanced AI than it ever would have possessed under the restrictions of the Covenant; however, it was still not as complex as the artificial lifeforms regularly used by Humanity, and it did not serve as a replacement for the reasoning and judgment of the crew.

The officer took just another moment to collect his thoughts and gather the information in front of him. "The computer cannot identify where we are. We were in slipspace for only a moment, but we are no longer above Khael'mothka...or in the same system, either. And there are no readings on our sensors to explain why we dropped from slipspace. The borer shows no errors."

"That would be a rare slipspace anomaly, but not impossible. How far outside the system are we?" Falul asked.

The officer seemed to be having a difficult time believing the readings in front of him, but nevertheless relayed them to his shipmaster. "We...are not outside the system either. The spirit confirms that we are in a galaxy, but the star positions do not match any possible configuration in our galaxy."

Falul did not have time to express his own doubts before a Sangheili at another console interjected. "Shipmaster, our sensors are detecting multiple vessels in range. All unknown patterns. Five are smaller ships, but one is larger than our carrier, and it appears organic."

The Shipmaster leaned forward in his chair, his concern showing through his sharp gaze. "The parasite?"

There was hesitation from the officer as he double-checked his console. "No, it does not resemble the signature of the parasite. It does not resemble any lifeform we have seen."

Falul gave a low growl as he turned his chair back around towards the view screen. "Show me." He ordered. After a moment, the screen switched to show the organic vessel, as well as the other, smaller ship in proximity to it. Just as the signatures their sensors were detecting were entirely foreign, it also did not have the appearance of any Flood ship he had seen. This was not an artificial vessel overgrown by a parasite, but rather an entirely organic being. "Have we sustained damage? Are our shields active?"

"Our shields are active, shipmaster. The spirit is not reporting damage." One of his officers answered.

"Then target the organic ship, but do not power weapons. If we are fired upon by any ship, then return fire immediately. Do not wait for my order. Scan for any signals, and broadcast on all communication frequencies." Falul instructed. With a few presses of holographic buttons on the arm of his chair, Falul readied his message to be broadcast. "This is the carrier, Immaculate Aegis. We have entered this space unintentionally, without hostile intent, but we will destroy any ship that fires upon us. All vessels, identify yourselves."

It was a demanding message, but as Sangheili diplomacy went, it was a tempered response to an uncertain situation. While they could not identify any of the vessels, that did not mean that none of them were Human in origin. Their Arbiter had given his word of allegiance to Humanity, and Falul was not intent on breaking it.
Name of Ship: Immaculate Aegis
Home Universe/Name of Franchise: Halo (https://www.halopedia.org/Main_Page)
Ship Class: CAS-class Assault Carrier
Role: Ship-to-ship combat, Fighter/interceptor deployment, Atmospheric fire support, Command and control
Physical Description/Image:

Physical Size (roughly): Length: 5,347m, Width: 2,118m, Height: 700m, Mass: 2.7 billion tonnes.
Armament/Complement (roughly):
Armament: 1× Infernus-pattern superheavy excavation beam, 2× Urpeon-pattern superheavy plasma lances, 8× Luxor-pattern heavy plasma beam emitters, 24× Mictix-pattern heavy plasma torpedo silos, 700× Ferriel-pattern pulse lasers, Multiple Plasma cannons.

Complement: The Immaculate Aegis possesses a full complement of strikecraft and transports (Banshee Fighter strikecraft, Seraphs, Phantoms, Tick boarding craft). However, it has a quarter of its usual crew (under 10,000), and a quarter of its usual ground attack vehicles (Wraiths, Ghosts, Shadows, Revenants, Banshee flyers, one Scarab).

Crew:
The crew of the vessel are primarily Sangheili and Unggoy, with some Kig-Yar and Lekgolo. Additionally, as one of the heavy defense vessels of Sangheili space, the ship possesses three Huragok. While it is only a fraction of the number of engineers such a vessel would have possessed during the height of the Covenant, the rarity and value of Huragok among the Swords of Sanghelios limit the number that can be assigned to any individual ship.

Notable Crew:
Shipmaster Falul 'Taham- Falul is a long-serving veteran, first in the Covenant military, and now for the Swords of Sanghelios. Though a mere Seraph pilot early in his service during the Human-Covenant war, he showed himself to be gifted in his understanding of space combat, even going as far as to disobey orders when he saw flaws in the tactics of his superiors. While an insubordinate attitude may have stifled his advancement, his success still earned his command of squadrons and smaller vessels.

It was not until the Great Schism that Falul earned his command of the Immaculate Aegis...by force. He was a part of the assault team that captured the vessel, and among the chaos of the fighting with no certain command structure, Falul took charge of the vessel and proved his worth as shipmaster in the battle to follow. Although his ship was unable to join in the Battle of the Ark, his performance during the preceding battle elevated his rank and allowed him to retain command of his ship. He and his vessel have since served in multiple battles in defense of the Swords of Sanghelios.

Field Commander Vael 'Virisus- In contrast to his shipmaster, Vael was not a gifted warrior in his youth, nor did he have any particular skill nor ability that made him stand out. He entered the Covenant military in just the same way as most other Sangheili as an average warrior. He has earned his rank not through some exceptional latent ability, but rather, earned his skill through pure training and raw experience. Although his early accomplishments in the Human-Covenant war are now stained in his mind by the lies of the Prophets, he fought in battle after battle, taking more lives by his own hand than he can count. He fought against the Flood on the second of the holy rings, then against the Jiralhanae during the Great Schism.

Vael did participate in the battle against the parasite on Earth, then against the Covenant on the Ark. Throughout his long and bloody career, Vael earned a respect for his Human opponents, who showed resilience and ingenuity despite a severe technological disadvantage. Although, he did not admit that respect to himself or others until after the betrayal of the Prophets.

Eri 'Moram - Eri is the vessel's Special Operations Officer, and is one of the more recent officers to be assigned to the Immaculate Aegis. After the Arbiter lifted the restriction on female Sangheili serving in the military, she joined immediately, having longed since she was a child to join the ranks of the heroes her elders so revered. She is young, compared to many of the other officers on the ship, but dedicated, capable, and wholly devoted to improving herself. She has risen through the ranks by serving in battles against the remains of the Covenant and other threats, but often finds herself dissatisfied that she was denied the chance to prove herself against the Flood, or the deceiver Truth.

Narak 'Chorna - As an artisan-engineer, Narak is the closest thing to a technology expert that exists among the Sangheili. He is experienced in the operation of assembly forges, though in recent years, has been assigned to coordinate with their Human allies on special projects to gain a better understanding of Covenant technology. He is not a member of the Immaculate Aegis' crew, but rather is simply on board the ship for transport back to Sanghelios from Earth, after having been taken to the edges of Sangheili space by a Human vessel.

History of the Ship: The Immaculate Aegis itself began its service as simply a ship within the High Charity defense fleet and did not see any major combat until the Great Schism itself. Amidst the fighting, the ship was captured by Sangheili forces, and commandeered by Shipmaster Falul 'Taham.

It took time, and a great deal of fighting against Jiralhanae forces, but the Immaculate Aegis survived to join the Fleet of Retribution, commanded by Rtas 'Vadum. Unfortunately, the vessel never made it to Earth in the pursuit of the Flood, as its slipspace borer was too damaged in the previous battle to be repaired in time. So, it was unable to join in the Battle of the Ark. However, in the years since, it has served in multiple battles and skirmishes against the remains of the Covenant, Jiralhanae factions, and pirates. At present, it serves a largely defensive role patrolling Sangheili space and protecting Sangheilios and its colonies.

Faction Owner: Swords of Sanghelios
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