Chapter 79

2 Years Later, 2537 November 14th

Colonies are now more connected than they have ever been in Human history. Everyday thousands of civilian ships carrying either people, materials, or food travel to the outer colonies to every populated world.

Other worlds within the outer colonies which were not colonized were classified as military controlled worlds and were visited by military transports instead of civilian transports.

This brought about a new level of prosperity to all the colonies as unemployment went down, livelihood increased, the threat of Covenant invasions was low, and Insurrectionists' activities were little to none.

Over the past two years, the insurrectionist had been flushed out of their hiding spots within the outer colonies. Some cells collapsed due to not enough members while most were from people on the inside who were caught and interrogated.

Worrying about the insurrectionists was no longer a problem for the UNSC now that most if not all of them were in prison. Alongside them, Covenant agents were also caught attempting to sneak onto civilian transports. But they were quickly caught and taken down. A few of them were killed while they tried to escape while some of them were caught and transported to the Covenant Prison on Reach.

Within the Covenant prison, interrogations were conducted on the Sangheili prisoners to learn more about the Covenant and their plans. These interrogations, however, were not merely aggressive question and answer sessions. Instead, they took on an almost scholarly approach with translators and researchers working to understand the alien race's culture, language nuances, and strategic planning.

In their confinement, the Sangheili prisoners were also subjected to various forms of social interaction with humans. This was a calculated strategy by Axel to assess the potential for peaceful coexistence between humans and Sangheili. Some showed signs of begrudging respect for their captors, while others remained steadfast in their contempt towards humanity.

Meanwhile, a new era of scientific exploration and technological innovation had dawned. The discovery of Forerunner technology on some uncharted worlds had created a need for more Research bases and flight plans to uncharted space. This wasn't a problem as the UNSC has a lot of resources piled up thanks to the Star lifter.

Unclassified Information on the Forerunners was released to the public which allowed Various universities and labs across all colonies competed to decipher Forerunner scripts or reverse-engineer their technology for human benefit.

More civilian scientists and researchers were recruited by ONI to work at these Research bases to study Forerunner technology. Installation Zero Four would be designated as the main Forerunner Research base and would be expanded to house numerous teams of Researchers.

Eventually Colonists would be sent to establish a colony on the Installation, but first they would need to conduct more research and studies on the Installation as it was classified as a Super-weapon, before they considered establishing a colony.

The military also saw advancements as with the completion of the numerous shipyards within the Inner colonies, the brand-new ships were starting to replace the currently active UNSC ships. The new ships were not just upgrades, they were a whole new breed of vessel, bristling with advanced technology.

The Titan Project was successful and had introduced a new mech style robot that would be operated by a human pilot, or it could act autonomously from the pilot and instead be controlled by the built in AI. The built in AI was basically designed to become the Pilots best friend as they would go to battle together so they would learn to understand each other to allow for an increased operational efficiency.

The Operational efficiency of the Titan was not determined by much the AI and human pilot understand each other, it would only increase the efficiency of the Titan allowing for more innovative tactics and strategies to be executed on the battlefield and faster responses and heightened coordination within high-stress environments. The Titans would be deployed in ground operations with Marines, Army personnel, and in Special Operations.

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In this age of prosperity, interest in the arts also flourished within the colonies. The outer colonies saw the rise of local talents in music, visual arts, and literature who would often express their experiences of life on the fringe through their work. This explosion of creative expression attracted cultural tourists from all over human controlled space, adding more to the already booming economy.

Meanwhile, the political structure of the colonies was beginning to shift. The propaganda against the UEG had become widespread resulting in people protesting returning power to the UEG. On Earth people stood in front of the UEG council building in Australia, Sydney with signs saying all sorts of things representing their desire for the UEG to not be brought back to power.

The current military government was transforming their way of life in a good way and provided security for them. Some of them had even forgotten that they were under a military government because of the progress and prosperity they were experiencing. The UNSC had successfully managed to provide a sense of normalcy, all while introducing revolutionary changes and steering humanity towards a better future.

For the first time in decades, children in the outer colonies could go to schools without fearing for their lives. Schools and educational institutions were being established at an unprecedented rate with the military government ensuring quality education for all children regardless of their location or socio-economic status. The focus was not only on academic achievement but also on fostering creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence.

The healthcare system has also undergone significant improvements. New hospitals and clinics were built, and older ones renovated. Advanced medical technology provided by Forerunner technology was incorporated into these facilities leading to breakthroughs in disease treatment and overall health care.

As for the younger generations with dreams of venturing into the stars, the UNSC established various scholarship programs designed to hone their skills for space exploration. These programs cultivated a new generation of scientists, engineers, pilots, and explorers who would lead humanity into its next phase of interstellar colonization.

The military itself had changed much over these two years. Soldiers were now viewed not merely as dispensable grunts but as valuable individuals in their own right. They were given proper training, equipped with advanced weapons systems, and moral support to boost their confidence, all due to an increased emphasis placed on each soldier's well-being. This change came after the realization that defeating the Covenant wouldn't be possible without a psychologically healthy fighting force.

The morale among soldiers was at an all-time high; they believed wholeheartedly in their cause and trusted their leaders to guide them towards victory. After all, the prosperity and peace they saw blooming in the colonies was something they were willing to fight fiercely for. Their hope wasn't an image of mere survival anymore, but a vision of strength and thriving life among the stars.

Simultaneously, social outreach programs were launched by the UNSC to bridge the gap between the military and civilians. Soldiers visited schools to share their experiences, helping children understand the importance of their mission. These interactions humanized the soldiers in the eyes of civilians, painting them as protectors rather than oppressors.

As a result of these efforts, enlistment rates soared. Young men and women across all colonies signed up to join the UNSC's ranks, eager to contribute to their society's defense and development.

The idea of a reorganization of the UEG was becoming popular amongst the politicians. It was clear that the current government was chaotic as the main government was under the military government. A reorg would be needed to fix this problem and establish a clear power structure going into the future.

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A/N: Below are upgrades to current technology:

New Spartan-II Armor(Image)

New MCUs type III(Image)

New Full protection infantry armor(Image)