The asteroids interfere with the collapsing function of each emerging ship; in effect, either forcing them to abandon the transit, or to combine asteroid mass with the ship’s.

The result: half of the arriving vessels dematerialize in brilliant flashes, while the other half desperately reposition by a few thousand kilometers. This affords a multi-pronged force of uncloaked harriers opportunity to engage in open beam attacks, swiftly destroying another third.

The remaining enemy ships, largely intact but no longer in fighting trim, are examined by ancillas assigned to the Falchion, and the ships’ designators are fed into sentinels which then deploy from an apex fortress. They gather with harriers to penetrate shields and hulls, board the vessels, and quickly reprogram all control ancillas. Triumph seems assured. A hundred more such actions could guarantee victory.

Our sentinels and monitors have supposedly been proofed against Gravemind logics. But upon ship entry, they are not successful; transmissions show all succumbing. The ships filled with infected Forerunners are deemed lost, and destroyed one by one.

FRAGMENT 2

Despite isolated victories, the conquest of the Capital System is nearly complete. Strategic control of the ecumene now passes to the greater Ark—it has effectively become all that remains of Forerunner governance.

FRAGMENT 3

Some facts regarding the most recent and devastating incursions. From the diffuse outer reaches of our galaxy to the tight-packed stars around the central Eater, Precursor artifacts have continued their methodical process of confining and deactivating Forerunner fleets, then carving them into manageable units to be parasitized, converted, and re-tasked. Only a few vessels have been able to self-destruct—less than one half of one percent.

A very few ships have been reclaimed and purged of Flood infection. Due to rampant deception and possible corruption, this program has been suspended.

The logic plague is now pandemic. It is no longer limited to direct Gravemind communication, but can be passed through interactions with any Flood-infected individuals, or even ancillas.

Suppression fields emanating from retasked star roads and double-bow formations often finish by completely deactivating uninfected ancillas throughout a sector.

The vessels that have not been converted are severely handicapped by loss of their AIs.

FRAGMENT 4

… estimated two out of three remaining battle fleets destroyed or parasitized. All surviving vessels appear to have been assimilated into Offensive Bias’s fleet. The Flood-controlled …

FRAGMENT 5

… Catalog is NOT IMMUNE to the Flood/Gravemind logic plague.

There is peace in subjugation …

JURIDICAL NETWORK SUSPENDED.

DO NOT ACCESS. DO NOT ACCESS.

String 26

STRING 26

CATALOG

THE UR-DIDACT HAS returned to his home planet of Far Nomdagro in his personal ship of war, Mantle’s Approach. His privileges have been restored, but he is not in command.

Catalog has been reassigned to him, without his objection—to my surprise.

The IsoDidact has not yet arrived, nor has the Librarian. She and the Ur-Didact have not seen each other for a thousand years.