Five-year-old Izuku Yagi is thrust into a world of chaos and heartbreak after losing his mother to the collateral damage caused by the Hero Endeavor. In the wake of tragedy, he encounters two enigmatic young women whose presence hints at something e...
After a grueling battle in which the UNSC First Reverie delivered critical damage to the Covenant assault carrier and successfully repelled numerous boarding attempts, the crew made the fateful decision to perform a random slip-space jump. With systems strained and the ship on the verge of catastrophic failure, there was no time for deliberation.
Izuku Halsey, with steady hands but a racing mind, input the coordinates. “It’s random, but deep in UNSC territory,” he announced over comms. “It should buy us time.”
When the First Reverie emerged into normal space, the exhausted crew prepared for anything—except what awaited them. Before them hung a structure so massive and alien that it defied comprehension: a ringworld stretching across the void, its curvature faintly visible even at a distance.
At 10,000 kilometers in diameter, the construct was vast beyond imagination, its surface gleaming with artificial precision. Vegetation, oceans, and mountains dotted its interior curve, visible even through the ship's observation decks.
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Lucia Vickerson, the ship’s newly-minted captain, stared at the spectacle from the bridge. She turned to the ship’s A.I., Karen, her voice sharp yet tinged with awe. “Karen, all I want to know is what I’m looking at. I’m not asking for technical data. Just tell me what that is.”
The holographic figure of Karen flickered for a moment, her expression neutral. “Unknown. There is no return signal or recognizable markers. Whoever constructed this... clearly didn’t want it to be found.”
The silence on the bridge was palpable, broken only by the hum of the ship's systems.
“Prepare a recon team,” Lucia ordered. “We’re not moving until we know more.”
---
Meanwhile, deep within the bowels of the First Reverie, a Kig-Yar scout who had evaded detection crept through maintenance corridors. The alien mercenary, driven by both fear and greed, peered out a viewing port at the gargantuan structure. A sacred relic... found by humans? This was blasphemy—and an opportunity for immense personal gain.
Activating her concealed comms beacon, the Kig-Yar transmitted a coded message. Moments later, the guttural voice of her superior, Krag’Zarak, rumbled through the channel.
“Speak, worm. Why do you risk contact?”
The Kig-Yar trembled slightly but pressed on. “The humans... they have found something. A ring. A sacred construct!”
A silence stretched across the connection before Krag’Zarak’s voice returned, a mixture of wrath and eagerness. “A ring? This cannot stand.” The Jiralhanae leader, scarred from countless battles, rose from his throne aboard the Covenant warship Relentless Fury.
“Rally all ships in the sector,” he snarled to his crew. “Prepare for slip-space jump. If the humans have found a ring, it must be claimed—and their meddling punished.”
Turning back to the Kig-Yar’s feed, Krag’Zarak bared his teeth in a cruel grin. “And the Halsey is there? Excellent. I will burn his ship, claim the ring, and make an offering to the Prophets they cannot ignore.”
His crew roared in approval, and within moments, the Relentless Fury and its fleet began preparations for an assault. For Krag’Zarak, this was more than an opportunity to claim a holy relic—it was a chance to exact vengeance and elevate himself in the eyes of the Covenant.
