In unknown territory on Chorus, Kimball is leading her assault team towards the tractor beams. 

"General Kimball, we've just got word from the away team." 

"What's the news?" Kimball asks. 

"Well...apparently they found Santa." All of the vehicles come to a halt. 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Carolina approaches the Blues, Zone, and Dr. Grey. 

"Kimball's moving ahead with the assault. They should be reaching Alpha any minute." 

"Then we gotta hurry." Tucker states. 

"Are you sure there is no end to your questions?" Santa inquires. 

"You have no idea." Grey says excitedly. 

"Alright, let's not start foaming at the mouth here." Epsilon retorts. 

"I can foam wherever I want, thank you very much!" 

Santa clears his throat getting their attention. "The legacy of my Creators is scattered throughout the galaxy. Their history, their technology, all left behind for future species to discover. This planet, the one you've claimed as Chorus, was one of great importance. It is here that they've kept some of their most valued treasures." 

"What kind of treasures we talking about? Like Indiana Jones Golden Island treasures? Or is it some stupid metaphorical stuff like "The real treasure was friendship the whole time"." Zone smacks Tucker. "OW!" 

"My Creators bequeathed many gifts and you will find each locked away within a temple. My Lord, you triggered the Temple of Arms. With its power you reactivated combat vehicles, weaponry and a myriad of other technological models from the time long past. These are merely a fraction of the gifts left behind by my Creators." 

"That's amazing!" Grey gasps. 

"So then why'd you turn it off?" Zone asks. 

"I encountered an anomaly. The temples on this planet can only be activated with a key wielded by a true warrior. However, some time ago, one of my temples was meddled with." 

"I wonder who that could've been." Carolina replies sarcastically. 

"Probably Space Pirates." Caboose states. 

"I was being facetious." 

"Dude, making up words is not gonna make you sound smarter." Tucker snorts. 

"FOCUS!" Grey yells. 

"The temple was designed to form a defensive barrier around the planet by manipulating gravity." Santa explains. "The meddlers managed to circumvent my security measures and partially activated the temple, giving them moderate control over the planet's gravitational field." 

"Tell him how the elves are involved Santa." Caboose begs. 

"He's talking about the tractor beams." Epsilon clarifies. 

"This act should have been impossible without the Great Key. Which brings me to you my Lord." Santa looks. 

"Me?" Zone says puzzled. 

"As I explained to you before within the gateway, your sword is one of mystical power. With it you can activate any temple on this planet. When I sensed Lavernius Tucker enter the gateway, I also detected his sword. Which allows him to activate the temples as well, but even when you responded in the voice of my people, protocol dictated that bring you here for further testing. 

"Sorry dude. Zone's the linguistic. The only language I speak, is American." Tucker replies. 

"Weren't you an alien ambassador?" Xi asks. 

"I never said I was a good ambassador." 

"But why test us if Zone and Tucker already have the swords? Or key?" Grey asks. 

"Because my records state that the Great Key of this planet has yet to be claimed." Santa adds. 

"Wait! There's another key?!" Tucker cries. 

"Of course! In case you lock one in your car! My God, they have one of everything!" Caboose exclaims. 

"It lies in a mountain temple to the east. After the security failure I had to be sure that the presence of three keys was not an error in my programming. It is now clear to me, that although your keys comes from different worlds, it was in fact forged by my Creators, and is therefore acceptable." 

"Sweet! Then that means we can go back to our tower and turn it on." Tucker chuckles. 

"Alien weaponry for everyone!" Grey shouts. 

"And you said that was only a fraction of the stuff that's here, right?" Epsilon asks. 

"Correct." 

Carolina and Zone exchange glances. "...Well, not to sound greedy but...uh..." 

"What else you got?" Zone asks. 

"Yeah." 

"Hmm, there is the Temple of Weather Manipulation, Bountiful Harvest, Interior Decorating, Procreation, Communication..." 

"Wait, what was that last one?" Xi interrupts. 

"Communication. Activating this temple will allow you to send a message to virtually any communication device in the galaxy." Santa explains. 

"And what was the one before that?" Tucker asks. 

"Procreation. Activating this temple will throw the inhabintants of Chorus into a ravenous sexual frenzy with the intent to increase a potentially dwindling population." 

"We...won't be needing that one." Carolina replies. 

"Well, let's not rule anything out." Tucker chuckles. 

"I'll rule YOU out if you so much as even think about taking one step into that temple." 

"Yo! Alien dude!" Epsilon says. 

"Santa." 

"I refuse to call you that. Look, we actually need to transmit a message to Earth but there's been a bunch of radio jammers keeping it from getting out. You think this temple thing will be strong enough to break through them?" 

"Without question." 

"Well then, that's it! We don't need a full-on assault! We don't even need alien weapons! We just gotta activate that temple and call for help." Xi says happily. 

"Then let's radio Kimball and get out of here." Zone motions to leave but Santa stops them. 

"My Lord! Wait! Before you leave, I must warn you. The gifts left behind by my creators are immensely powerful. If taken by those less worthy, the results could be catastrophic. Which is why my creators constructed the Purge." 

"That doesn't sound ominous at all." Tucker says nervously. 

"As its wielders, the Great Key and Suk'orai will remain bonded to you and you alone, until the time of your death. If you believe the inhabitants of this planet are not ready for my Creators' gifts, activating the Purge will cleanse them." 

"And by "cleanse", you mean?" Carolina inquires. 

"All sentient life on Chorus will be exterminated." Santa states. 

"Dude. Buzzkill." Tucker mutters. 

"And...where exactly is this thing?" Xi asks. 

"Here." Santa summons a map that shows the location of the Purge. "I will also update all previously sent maps with temple locations." 

"Thanks." Zone turns to Carolina. "Look, Carolina, we gotta...wait. What do you mean "maps"?" 

"The maps that were sent to the temples." Santa replies. 

"...All of the temples?" 

"Of course." 

"Oh no." Zone says dreadfully. 

Four Space Pirates suddenly show up behind them.

"Carolina!" Epsilon shouts. 

The Space Pirates open fire, but stop and lower their rifles after a moment. The away team is covered by the bubble shield deployed by Carolina.

"And that was close." Caboose states. 

"Affirmative." Freckles agrees. 

"Charon's here?" Grey says scared. 

"Urgh, they've been here the whole time." Xi says exasperated. 

"That's right." The Blues and Grey look up. Sharkface looks down on them from the ramp above. "And now, thanks to you, we've got all the intel we need." 

"What are you talking about?" Zone demands. 

Sharkface looks at his men. "As soon as their shield falls, open fire. Just leave the male Freelancer alive for me." 

"You really think four people are enough to stop us?" Carolina smirks. 

"You're only safe for as long as that shield is up, then you've got no cover and both of your AI failing. So yeah, I do." 

Carolina looks at Epsilon. "What is he talking about?" 

Zone turns to his AI. "Xi?" 

"Besides, the rest of our guys are prepping for your friends at Alpha." Sharkface adds. 

"What?!" Grey cries. 

"I hope you said something meaningful the last time you saw them." Sharkface turns and walks away. "'Cause you won't be seeing them again." 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

At Crash Site Alpha, the Pirates are loading their weapons until they hear Tejano music slowly getting louder and louder.

One of the Pirates turns to her colleague. "Do you...hear something?" 

The two pirates face forward and spot the Reds rushing towards them in a Warthog. 

"YEEE-HAAAWW!" Sarge yells. 

The Pirates raise their weapons in response.The Reds run over the Pirates and come to a halt. Several Fed and Rebel troops drive past them and engage in battle.

"Ya see! I told you the front line is where the action is! Ha ha!" Sarge laughs. 

"That's why we didn't wanna be here!" Simmons retorts. 

"Ah nonsense." Sarge activates his radio. "This is Colonel Sarge. We have engaged the enemy! In for a short courtship of blood!" 

"Copy that, Red leader! Good work." Kimball responds. "All squads remember your sectors! We've got multiple towers to take down and numerous-" 

Suddenly, a large shadow casts over the sky, catching the attention of the assault team. The UNSC Tartarus then emerges from the sky. The Reds looks up at the ship.

"Oh screw me..." Grif sighs. Numerous Space Pirates then drop down from the Tartarus, using their equipped jetpacks to land safely.

"Take 'em out!" A Pirate orders. 

 Wash alongside Jensen, Bitters, Smith, and Palomo watch in cover. 

"Ahh!! I-it-it's a trap! Why is it always a trap?!" Palomo screams. 

"They're cutting off our escape!" Wash shouts. 

"Where did they get more men?!" Kimball says firing at various Pirates. 

"Come on Vanessa, give me a little credit. I was your right hand man for years." Felix says on the radio. 

Felix and Locus watch the battle ensue from a nearby hill. "You really didn't think I'd see this coming?" 

"You son of a-!" Felix cuts her off. 

"Locus, Felix. I've got some news that's gonna make your day." Sharkface says on the radio. 

"Report." Locus orders. 

"What if I told you I found a way to kill everyone on Chorus with the turn of a key?" Locus and Felix look at each other shocked. "And what if I told you I was heading to that key right now?" 

"I'd say you're gonna need backup." Felix replies. 

Locus reloads his sniper rifle. "Take a Pelican! I've got Alpha covered!" 

"Right." Felix sprints away but turns on his radio. "Oh, Locus." 

"What?" 

"When you kill Kimball, go ahead and do it quick...we were friends after all." Locus smirks and cloaks. 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

In the war room at Armonia, Doyle enters the room hearing Kimball's distress call. 

"Mayday! Mayday! This is Vanessa Kimball to Armonia! We need immediate ground support! Please respond! Over!" 

Doyle approaches the Feds working the technicals. 

"What the devil is happening out there?" Doyle says to Kimball. 

"Doyle, god dang it, pick up the freaking radio!" Kimball yells. 

"Good Lord. Uh, yes Kimball! What is it?" 

"The whole thing was a set-up! Charon's got way more men than we were led to believe! They've got a ship...they ambushed us!" 

"Eh...there, there, now. I'm sure everything will be fine." 

"NO! It will not be fine! Forget the Capital, I need you to round up as many troops as you can and send them our way. Don't need to keep quiet, just take the Pelicans and make sure you're out of range of tractor beams." 

"Um, yes. Of course." Doyle starts to leave. 

"Doyle, wait! Can you hear me?" 

Doyle immediately stops. "Agent Arizona?" 

"I know Kimball needs those reinforcements, but we need them first ASAP!" Zone orders. 

Doyle walks back to the console. "I-I-I beg your pardon?" 

"We're pinned down. I need you to send a squad to the mountains east of our location. Charon's already on their way there and we have to beat them to it." 

"Zone, what are you talking about? Beat them to what?" Kimball cries. 

"To a key that's going to end the world." 

Doyle and the Fed techs swap looks.

"Right. You're going to have to run that by me again." Doyle says puzzled. 

(SHARKFACE VS ARIZONA COMING UP SOON!)