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ISODIDACT • GREATER ARK, OMEGA HALO

THE SHEER POWER

Well over a million Flood-infected ships have taken up attack positions about the greater Ark Their arrangeapped spiral sweep favored byin three dimensions in response to attack from any direction That tactic has been adapted by the Flood’s new commander--Mendicant Bias

Mendicant Bias was deactivated and disassembled after the destruction of the Capital system, to the extent that any Contender-class metarch can ever be eliminated frohout the ecuions where it was stored have been overwhelments were apparently recovered, restored, reassembled--and reactivated by a Gravemind The Flood’s forces are ic plague--and a creation, in part, of the Ur-Didact

Father to son, I tell e of reshaped star roads, the former Forerunner vessels are little h a deadfall of trees

Bitterness and the Examiner float beside reater Ark to the parking orbit of the Oe, in such limited time…" Bitterness says, all she needs to say The one Halo ready for action will never be able to mount a broad sweep before the star roads and their escort of infected ships have closed in and destroyed the Ark

"Get us inside the hoop and land us anywhere," I say "Keep a direct link with Offensive Bias We’ll have to fire fronal to Audacity, the plan is under way, be prepared"

"Lifeshaper does not respond, Commander Audacity says that the Ur-Didact’s ship has conducted an unauthorized intrusion … and used a Composer!" Bitterness’s astonishone They’ve been co the the most fervent wishes of the Lifeshaper It’s beyond comprehension My first instinct is to seek Mantle’s Approach and force it to return it to the Ark … Where the Ur-Didact will be destroyed, along with the rest of us, allowing only the Lifeshaper to escape The best of us all

But our transport would be powerless against Mantle’s Approach

"My wife is safe?" I ask

"Audacity reports all are safe, but experiencing distress It is preparing to escape"

"Good," I say, though I cannot fathom the horror my wife faces--her life’s work sed up before her eyes

We land on the Halo’s inner surface, near the base of the control center We enter swiftly Bitterness and the Exa of the control rooraphic readout of all Halo syste the nodes that will shape both spokes and the hub radiator These are outlined in green and blue--fully functional and ready to be fired

"It’s out there," Bitterness says "Your monster Mendicant Bias Can’t you feel it?"

Mya correction Does it knohat I plan? Does the Gravemind someho or remember what happened at Charuiven up? All that is needed for me to depart to the lesser Ark is its exact coordinates, but those are only known by the Master Builder And he has granted me an audience before I leave

"Faber is here," Exa the chamber

"Finally!" Bitterness says

The Master Builder steps through the displays, as before, a dralances at us under the cowl of his helmet, then instructs his ancilla to hand me the coordinates to the lesser Ark No prelude, no ceremony

That done, he faces me "You have all I have, Didact I share responsibility with Warrior-Servants No longer will I bear this burden alone"

And with that, he pri it clear why he asked a Halo fire

Expenditures rise; local vacuu is sucked down to a practical minimum I watch the measurements closely; another moment of desperate uncertainty … the star roads may have an effect on e can pull froa Halo’s reserves rise to maximum and are primed for instant release

"Sequence input successful," Offensive Bias announces "Oed"

"Will you escape with the IsoDidact, Master Builder?" the Exaloved finger, as if to outline the huge installation’s iesture, an arrogant sweep of rhetoric, but Faber is in no hout ht power and profit forlast, I think I understand the ainst the Mantle After this, no need to seek balance I will await my penance here"

We stand in silence before this uncharacteristic display of courage and humility

Examiner’s expression re," he says

The control room removes all but the necessary parts of our command display, then rotates slowly into position and becoht

The Master Builder sue of Offensive Bias The reater than its masters, more capable, and, I hope, untainted Soon ill know All depends on e accoether

"We seek security in the Domain and the example of the Mantle," the Master Builder chants "We who are about to kill seek forgiveness We treasure the truth of our error, that in future error will pass from us, and from the lives of all who couilty glee Warriors do love war Warriors do hate what it brings The tension …

I turn away, for the first time in years aware that my own bones are not so ancient, so deeply infused with Warrior traditions Once, I came of Builder stock, more like Faber than the Didact

Soon, there will be only one Didact

"Artifacts within perimeter," Offensive Bias says "One million kiloe and changing quality of space-ti itch in our nerves and brain