Fanfic Recs / Halo

Proof that the remaining 10% is worth battling the Flood for here. The courage of these dedicated Halo fans in the face of the howling dark is truly beyond measure.

These are recommendations made by Tropers for Fan Fics, all of which have been signed. After a few samples, you will be able to judge whether you might be interested in the 'fic, based on who recommended it. No-name recommendations will be zapped. Nobody would back up the rec. Discussion of the recommendation is welcome on the discussion page. As such discussion is important, do remember to add the discussion page to the watchlist, if need be.

You can also add to the current recommendations if you want. Refrain from posting Conversation in the Main Page though; that goes in the discussion page.

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Authors and Websites

Reclaimer by Jim Stitzel (TTL Demag0gue) (AU)

• Recommended by Gaunt88, Ninja_Orca
• Synopsis: A Halo 3 screenshot-based graphic novel set in an alternate Halo universe in which Humanity made peace with the Covenant long before the Halo array was discovered, but are now losing a grueling war against the Flood. The comic follows the story of the Reclaimer, a Spartan-like super-soldier cut loose by the UNSC, as he tracks down a squad of rogue Spartans called Viper. However, it soon becomes apparent that Viper is just the pawn of a much more dangerous enemy, whose plans for the galaxy stretch back millennia.
• Comments: Reclaimer's immersive and plot-twisty story make it prime Wild Mass Guessing fuel. The comic's Big Bad, Ferial, is a Chessmaster of the highest level.

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Johnnieboy11

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• This author has produced plenty of Crossovers on Halo, among other things, from Azur Lane (The Ghost and The Eagle) to 86 EIGHTY-SIX (Brotherhood of Steel:Chronicles of the 86th UNSC Assault Corps).

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SSJ Lone Wolf

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• This Author is specialized in writing crossover involving Noble Six Trapped in Another World post-mortem, from the world of fantasy like Dragon Age (A Noble Age) to a more mundane world like Brooklyn Nine-Nine (The Demon Of The Nine-Nine)

General Fics

Stories focused on the family and the friendly relationships of the cast. Plot-focused stories or light day-in-the-life stories. Pretty much anything that isn't focused on romance.

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Isolation by Quirel

• Recommended by Mercenary90, USA Bobcat, Jonn
• Status: Dormant
• Synopsis: A sociopathic sniper based on the Pillar of Autumn struggles with his hate for the enemy and the ghosts of his past while fighting on Alpha Halo.
• Comments:
  • Mercenary90: Very engrossing, occasionally humorous. Pulls no punches in describing the horror and devastation that come with war and genocide. Combat is visceral and realistic, the writing is solid and gets better as the story progresses.
  • USA Bobcat: (Ah, good to see this up here. I've been reviewing and reading this story for a long time, before the team got off the Autumn. Due to constant reviewing, have inadvertently acted as an editor, but not a beta reader. Also: in a review response to me a while ago, Quirel explained a Retcon in the story, saying, "I later learned this is called Lampshade Hanging." I promptly linked him to this site, gave him a general explanation, and sent him off. Anyone who wants to complain about the slow update time, blame me.) To say a few things about the story... it is very well written, and just when it seems Gui Montag is about to finally become accepted as one of the Squad, he does something or something is revealed about him that either shows how much of a Sociopathic Hero he is, or his previous battles. Gui Montag is just trying to survive, and his attitude sums up that of Humanities quite well. As much as the idealistic citizens dream of peace, Gui Montag (and one of his former units) understand exactly what they have to pay to see that future.
  • Jonn: It's a good fic, but the writer tends to be a bit Anvilicious at times. The explanation of minor flaws in the games come off as Take That!s more than patching small plot holes, and on at least one occasion, a character jarringly compares an event to a video game. Yes, we get it, "Gritty Realism, Lol".
  • Orcaman15: In addition to being an incredibly well written fic, the way the writer ties the events of Halo Combat Evolved into the wider Halo story, most of which was created AFTER the game came out, is quite enjoyable. He even comes up with canonial explanations for the gameplay difference between the first game and the later ones. Also; Gui Montag. Not only a cool name, but an amazing pun and reference all in one.

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The Enemy of My Enemy by Katsuhiro

• Recommended by DKN117, Gentlemens Dame 883, Jonn, Pyrotorch246, USA Bobcat, extinctnlvlevnt, Vigilance, cannonfodder14
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: November 2552. On the strategically-unimportant UNSC-owned desert colony world of Crassus, an Elite-controlled ship, shot down by a Brute assault carrier, crash-lands near the ragtag city of Horizon. Now the surviving Elites, led by Shipmaster Vtan Arume, must forge an at-first-uneasy alliance with the humans there (well, uneasy on the humans' side; Arume and his subordinates have no problem with it). With both sides stranded with no way to get off the planet of to call from help from their respective factions, they must weather the storm as the Covenant Loyalists, led by Alpha-Chieftain Torikus, attempt to wipe them from existence.
• Comments: This is it; this fic is pure gold, rising into excellency above the many victims of Sturgeon's Law. The writing is solid, the story is gripping and suspenseful, the characters (even minor ones who die within five paragraphs of introduction) are well thought-out and develop nicely, and the battle scenes are described in epic detail. You can view its new page here.
  • Ecstatically seconded. Katsuhiro's body of fiction matches the caliber of professional writers of Halo canon like Eric Nylund and Joseph Staten. Any fan of Halo canon should try out The Enemy of My Enemy and Halo: Chimera Rising.
  • cannonfodder14: Enthusiastically recommended as well for all of the reasons stated in the previous recommendations. It has since then been almost completely spell-checked and corrected for technical and canon accuracy. Further corrections to happen once Kat is done with Chimera Rouge.

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Halo: Chimera Rising by Katsuhiro

• Recommended by Pyrotorch246, cannonfodder14
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: Impassive, resilient and utterly deadly: the Spartan is the ultimate example of human lethality. Representing the very pinnacle of wartime research reached during the Human-Covenant War, they say that Spartans never truly die. Would that such words were true. —Katsuhiro's official summary. The story is about a new implementation of the Spartan program.
• Comments: The man behind Enemy of My Enemy is at it again, with another excellent story that rises above the usual level of fanfiction. It updates slowly, but each chapter is worth it.
  • cannonfodder14: An excellent story that rises above all expectations of what Halo fanfics could be. The world building, characterization and pacing is top notch. It has since been completed and partially updated for spelling/technical errors and canon consistency (full spell checking to be completed once he completes Chimera Rouge). Anyone who likes Halo and the Halo novels would love this story. I have never seen a story that portrays Spartans as well as Katsuhiro does.

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Halo-Chimera-Rogue by Katsuhiro

• Recommended by cannonfodder14
• Status: Dead (last updated April 2016)
• Synopsis: "All units, Maximum Alert. We have a Tier One Asset operating without sanction in a densely populated area. Multiple casualties. Request immediate Spartan support. Fireteam Chimera must be eliminated. Repeat: Fireteam Chimera must be eliminated. Message repeats." [Sequel to Halo: Chimera Rising] Katsuhiro's official summary. - Six months after the events in New Cadiz, the effects of Halo: Chimera Rising are beginning to boil over. The shadow war between ONI, the decommissioned rogue Fireteam Chimera and the rouge operatives of Operation ARROWHEAD now erupts in the city of Argjend.
• Comments: cannonfodder14: Just when you thought that Katsuhiro could not possibly impress you more he is now crafting a nail-biting story that matches or I dare say exceeds HUNT the TRUTH in suspense. This is so far the only story that gets me giggling maniacally from nervous excitement before, during and after reading; not to mention clapping my hands while giggling as well. The world building, action sequences, the gradual ratcheting up of tension and excitement in service of the plot as it goes on is truly masterful. It makes me wonder what Kat has in store for later stories of the trilogy if this is just his second installment of the Chimera trilogy. It is an absolute must-read for Halo fans and fans of Katsuhiro's previous stories.

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Kyle-091 by general MB

• Recommended by amitakartok, ShotgunWilly
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: Kyle Stevens is just your average 17-year-old kid and he's a major Halo fan. Well, what happens when he somehow ends up in the Halo universe, how will he react, how will he survive and will he risk altering history with the stuff he knows?
• Comments: while self-insertions are rarely good, this one rocks hard. Has a completed sequel and a smaller, M-rated "Eyes Only" section.
  • Seconded. This is indeed much better than your typical self-insert. Like the previous troper pointed out, it reads more like a Peggy Sue fic than a Self-Insert Fic, which is a point in its favor to me. Nevertheless, I feel obliged to make a note that grammar (especially capitalization) seems to be a serious issue for this author at many points throughout the story, so don't expect too much if that's important to you.

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Je Mourrais by Kavek

• Recommended by Dommie222, the_parallel
• Status: Dormant
• Synopsis: High Charity is Cortana's physical prison, but the prison of the mind can be far worse. What if you could never touch the one you loved? Would you... break? Rating subject to change.
• Comments: What can I say? Well, I can always say that this story is truly worth to read. This story focuses heavily on the relationship between Chief and Cortana and how they react to it, and it's very developed, specially how Cortana's rampage begins to take over and how it affect her and Chief. The OCs appears as well and develop too on the psychological levels, especially the Covenant one, which include a Brute Chieftain and his Grunt bodyguard. The titles on the chapters is on French and it helps the story to become more exciting each chapter, but the best part is that Jack Bauer appear as a SPARTAN-II turned a ONI agent, ready to find Chief and Cortana on the Ark and take them with him. Read it, it won't disappoint yo.
  • Ugolino: I remember this one from when I read the first few chapters a few years ago, and subsequently spent some time trying to find it again. Worth the read for the novelization of the last Halo 3 levels in those chapters alone, and very well-written overall. I found the continuation plot to be of fairly good quality. The references to Bungie's previous games and expanded materials are the cherry on the cake.
  • It now has a page

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The Knife's Edge series by CaptainRaspberry (Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

• Recommended by Gaunt 88
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: The UNSC is battered and weak after the Human-Covenant war. Hungry for independence from Earth's government, an Insurrectionist faction called the Baszac took advantage of this weakness and captured the capital city of the colony world Barthes. Despite its reduced resources, the UNSC mounted a vicious counter-attack. Now only a small pocket of Baszac resistance remains, the two sides are locked in a bloody urban close-combat stalemate, and a harsh winter is approaching.
• Comments: Extremely well written and very engaging. Raises some interesting issues, like how a soldier who’s been fighting aliens all his career deals with having to shoot humans. I don't read a lot of fanfic, but this one made me stop and read the whole thing. The only criticism I have is that it felt too short - I thought it could have been expanded a bit without loosing steam.

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Halo: A Sangheili's War by levihoff.

• Recommended by Dommie222
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: Months after the conclusion of Halo 3, a time of reconstruction and reclamation has fallen across the galaxy. But coveneant remnants still threaten the new peace...
• Comments: Interesting and a promising story. Its take place some months after Halo 3, there the Covenant Civil War is still ongoing. The Elites had pushed the Brutes back to their homeworld, which now is under siege, but their new chieftain ain't just gonna give up. The Arbiter must assassinate him first before the main attack, and I tell you, this story makes us all interested about how it'll end. Unfortunately, it's a short story, but yet an action-filled one.
  • It now has its own page!

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The End of a War by Mr. Clark

• Recommended by: Sephirose
• Status: Dead
• Synopsis: Truth has taken the Forerunner ship and is on his way to the Ark. Keyes and Johnson have stopped Installation 05 from firing, but the failsafes have been activated. Janissary James and the others on Earth are ready to take the fight to the Covenant.
• Comments: A brilliant masterpiece. That's all I can say about this fanfiction. It seamlessly combines the books, the games and the I Love Bees ARG, and expands on the histories of the Covenant and the Forerunners. If you want epic literature, look no further.

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Zulu Company: The Last Stand by Raptor-19

• Recommended by: Gormanuyai
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: Zeke, Samuel, Victoria, Blaine... Just a few of the Spartans III's from Zulu Company. They are the last hope for a earth after Master Chief went through the portal. They've trained for years, now it's time to see if they live up to the Spartan name.
• Comments: An action-filled story with quality writing and interesting characters. Set as a trilogy, which is part-way through the second installment: Hell On Earth. Writing has currently slowed.

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New Mombasa: The Soldier's War

• Recommended by: Mutatio Nomenis
• Status: Dead
• Synopsis: I am Private Icharus of the UNSC Army. I must find my commander and retrieve important defensive data regarding humanity's last line of defense, assuming I survive.
• Comments:

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Halo: the Art of War by Havoc-legionnaire (AU) (TV Tropes page)

• Recommended by Gentlemens Dame 883, Jonn
• Status: Dormant
• Synopsis: The probe attached to the Iroquois failed, setting back the battle for Reach. Now the SPARTAN-IIs, aided by two more SPARTAN teams and the Autumn, set out to conduct Operation Red Flag: Capture a Prophet.
• Comments: The author has definitely improved since his previous work, with more character development time and less dry technical stuff.
  • A strong second recommendation from this troper. While the grammar is in need of a beta (not because the author has bad writing, but because English is not his first language), it still manages to be quite good and effective. Spearhead Team does, admittedly, come across as a bit more comical and (somewhat) Mary Sue-ish for the setting, but it's relatively grounded in realism, displays plenty of problems that comes from a group like Spearhead acting the way they do, including a very big case that has some major consequences. As for the UNSC's technology being "too good", that's actually a case of Reality Is Unrealistic. Canon Halo displays a shocking level of Creative Sterility and technological stagnation on the part of the UNSC—even more than the Covenant in the same timespan, despite the games explicitly and repeatedly saying that the Covenenat were imitative, not innovative, unlike humanity. To put this into perspective, the vast majority of UNSC firearms are strongly inferior to the ones we have today, despite the UNSC existing over 550 years in the future and having an incredible 150+ colonies to draw from. The fact that the Pillar of Autumn—a prototype and the sole example of its capability—was the only UNSC ship in canon that could actually go toe to toe with Covenant ships of its size over the span of a 27 year war for survival really says a lot about how the oversight and problem is with Bungie, not Havoc-Legionnaire.
    • USA Bobcat: I can't recommend this. Longer explanation is in my review on the 'fic's review page. His OC, Admiral Yang, can singlehandedly revolutionize the UNSC in a ridiculously short time frame without any consideration of the logistical problems of doing so during a war. In canon, Bungie and Eric Nylund showed us how to create and use a genius-level character successfully with Catherine Halsey. Here, Havoc-legionnaire is showing us how not to do so. Though it has some interesting and well-done character development for the canon characters (particularly Noble Six), that doesn't redeem it from the massive Fan Wank, ignorance of logistical bottlenecks, and all the technology/military porn.

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Institution by CaptainRaspberry

• Recommended by Kebab
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: An account of the life of a Sangheilli warrior, from his rite of passage through his transition to training at the titular Institution, to the war against the humans and beyond. Expands greatly on Elite and Covenant culture, society and customs.
• Comments: A well-written and engaging piece told through the eyes of one of the anonymous Mooks killed in scores over the course of the games. With solid, convincing characterization, a gripping plot and a fascinating insight into Covenant life, I read this lengthy fic in one sitting when I first came across it four years ago. Stumbling upon it again was a pleasant surprise and, despite my now-lacking interest in the Halo franchise, I was more than happy to do it again. — Kebab

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Wake Me, When You Need Me by The Meep

• Recommended by Stretch
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: Cortana wakes up a final time, and finding the loneliness unbearable, seeks her one true companion.
• Comments: "Right away I started unconsciously comparing it to Human Weakness, and you got the Chief/Cortana relationship where Traviss never did." - kr1, a user on the site this was posted.

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Scrambler by QuestionMark2401 (a.k.a. The Meep)

• Recommended by Stretch
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: In Mexico City on the besieged Earth, Corporal Reynolds finds himself protecting an odd metallic cube under the direction of an ONI officer. With only his Mongoose ATV to protect him, Reynolds may hold the fate of Earth's largest city in his hands...
• Comments: Fast and action packed. What it lacks in character development it makes up with visceral descriptions and well structured writing. It might start off a little slow, but don't let that dissuade anyone. Overall, it explores an interesting niche in the global conflict as the Covenant attack Earth.

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From Harvest to the Ark by TheAmateur

• Recommended by: Karl591, USA Bobcat, cannonfodder14, Eon ADS, Azorius24
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: Follows the life of one Albert 'Alley' Garris from when he joins the Harvest Militia to the end of the war.^{From FF.net}"The war lasted nearly thirty years. Only the best of the best had what it took to survive every one of them. That...or maybe it was just luck."
• Comments: I have to say, this is one of the most well-written stores I have encountered on this site, bar none. You could literally send this off to Tor this very minute and someone there would probably be impressed. I had originally planned to write a grand, sweeping review extolling all of the virtues of your writing that made this an engaging, fun read, but I think I'll keep this relatively short. Your knowledge and usage of military lingo is absolutely fantastic, the reader feels sympathetic towards your characters, and there were no plot holes to speak of. You also gave us an expansive view into the lives of those who are always glossed over in these stories, which was absolutely what this fandom was lacking in its literature.
  • I do have a few technical quibbles. One is tone; both the narration and dialogue occasionally drift into something that doesn't sound like how normal people talk. Another is Alley's habit of repeatedly recapping and explaining things he already told the reader, even if the events in question were only a chapter back. Both are arguably explained; the bulk of the novel is being narrated by Garris to a biographer, but it's still jarring. Other than that, no real complaints. - Jonn
  • USA Bobcat: This... I cannot accurately sum up how this story tells the bloody war of Halo. It made me feel for the protagonist every damn step of the way. This is one of the few stories that I cried and cheered alongside the protagonist, through all the bright moments and all the horrible moments. I consider this, despite it's few issues (as detailed by Jonn), to be the greatest Halo story ever written. There is simply no way to describe the experience, other than to read it.
  • cannonfodder14: A absolute must read for any Halo fan. I agree compltely with USA Bobcat's review and think it summed it up well. Yes while there are narration issues and technical issues it remains one of the best there is. A most impressive and touching tale, written by a 18 year old high school kid in one year. For that reason and the strengths of this story, it remains one of the best and worthy of praise.
    • cannonfodder14: And in other news it is being rewritten and from the fourteen chapters up on Inkitt.com so far, it is already better than the original. Although due to IRL and other stories getting in the way it may take a while. Go look it up to see, it is nice to see how much better it is.
  • A definite must-read. While there are a few things I would question and a few points where the author mixes himself up on previous chapters and facts (Alley being so good with an MA 5 B on Reach and Installation-04 despite ostensibly never having used one outside of basic at Needle Point being the most obvious one, though his previous "issues" to use tanks or Warthog turrets are a second, which could have been solved by his re-training as a Helljumper), TheAmateur does an amazing job of making the reader feel like they're in the shoes of Albert "Alley" Garris, on the front-lines of the Human-Covenant War. The last chapters are really where it hits home, with the feeling of being lost and "what the hell do I do now?" really setting in for Alley. There are a few moments where jokes that shouldn't still exist five-hundred years later (Mexican jokes are brought up, and Alley is made fun of for his callsign, which shares the name of a Disney character), but they aren't too jarring. While not the best fanfiction I have ever read, it is definitely in the Top 50, and certainly one of the top 3 on my list of Halo fics. This thing REALLY needs a tropes page, however, so if you're up for it, somebody please start one. -Eon ADS
  • Azorius24: Enthusiastic recommend, and I am in agreement with many of the points raised above- this fic is well-written with a gripping and consistent storyline, but perhaps most importantly, it feels like Halo. The original characters, locales and battles all feel like they could exist in a game or EU material, and the sheer brutality of the Human-Covenant War is especially apparent.
  • It now has its own page.

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Reclamation-Restoration-Redemption by TheAmateur

• Recommended by: cannonfodder14
• Status: Dormant
• Synopsis: The story revolves around the story of three Sangheili (Elites) and their experinces in the Human-Covenant War.^{From FF.net}"During the Great War, most Sangheili enter the Covenant military filled with religious fervor and devotion to the Prophets...but the veterans that leave the military are often cynical and jaded towards their leaders. How does this transformation occur?"
• Comments: cannonfodder14 TheAmateur has created yet another top notch story of the highest quality. Combining original creative ideas on Sangheili military culture with pre-existing canon, top notch world building and character development; this is a story that even the most die hard halo fan would enjoy immensely. I recommend it to all. (Please note that this story is on hold pending his completion of other works and due to real life getting in the way)

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The Natalie Cooper series [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8] by Ilmiopassato

• Recommended by cannonfodder14, Hawkster 94
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: The series follows a Marine officer Natalie Cooper as she battles through the Human-Covenant War and the conflicts that arise years after its conclusion alongside her husband and Marine pilot Willis Hawk. With it, comes a series of action, adventure, and romance as Cooper rises through the ranks fighting against the enemies of Humanity. And the struggles that come with being a Marine field officer and raising her family.
• Comments: cannonfodder14: When the first story in this series was introduced back in 2007 it was the earliest high-quality Halo fanfic that graced fanfiction.net; rising above many victims of Sturgeon's Law. It was unique not just because her main character a young female marine but because for a young author not even 20 years old yet to write a touching action-adventure romance story of such quality was something everyone was waiting for and was widely praised. Ilmiopassato has continued to write and improve and as of 2017 and is still going strong. Despite deviating from canon a little bit (slightly AU) and unfortunately somewhat common minor military technical/tactical quibbles and lack of environmental and technological exposition it remains an excellent and touching fanfic series I wished were canon. I recommend it to all.
  • Hawkster 94: I'll admit, it wasn't until the middle of 2020 (Around the time the series was already finished, ironically) till I started reading the first three stories of the series. And even before I got to binge the rest of it in October 2022, I knew this was something special. Personally, while the action scenes were decent, there were also times when I had trouble picturing them in my head due to the first-person perspective. That's not to say the first-person perspective was bad, it actually helped me in understanding the thoughts and emotions that Natalie goes through as well as how introspective she is at times. I got invested emotionally in her character arc and how she developed over the course of the series. The relationship that Natalie/Willis have as well as the friendship and familial relationships that Natalie has along with the domestic moments throughout the series are very touching. Having kids as characters can be challenging, but the fact that Natalie and Wilis' children are featured in the series does drive home what keeps the couple fighting against many battles. Though it has been a couple of years since its conclusion, I'm still amazed by how ilmiopassato managed to write such an expansive and emotionally touching story that spanned over the years for the two protagonists. Heavily recommend it to anyone who wants to read Halo stories focused on the UNSC Marines and a multi-faceted female protagonist.

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The Life by casquis

• Recommended by Absolute Zordness, cannonfodder14
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: The story follows the life and exploits of one Francisco Castillo, a member of the 19th Battalion of the ODST. Frank makes friends and enemies while he does his best to survive, he also gets a little bit of help from different sides.^{author's summary}"Frankie just tries to do the best with what he's given. This is the story of an ODST soldier living, fighting, and just being plain badass through the war."
• Comments: The Life is a great story, it has lots of action and pretty good character interactions. Admittedly it started with shorter chapters with occasional grammar and spelling mistakes, but that is owed in part to the author's first language being Spanish. The story has gotten better and better with time in both plot, writing, and characterization. The Life has excellent character development and the writer is very knowledgeable on the subject. Despite being an action-heavy series, it still has plenty of comic relief chapters and humor of all types. Don't let the awkward first few chapters discourage you, this story's worth it.
  • cannonfodder14: The Life is not a perfect story, nothing in life and certainly no story is perfect. It has its typos, grammatical errors, inconsistencies and technical detail errors and so on. Grammatical and spelling errors were certainly apparent during its beginning fifty chapters but after that they became less and less noticeable accept in a few cases on occasion. (Non-existent even a lot of the time). It transformed from a strong but flawed fledgling story into what can only be described as a smash hit worthy of the utmost praise and even canonization. I can still remember looking at this story with interest three years ago and then reading the first thirty or so chapters and eventually turning away because of rather sub-par characterization, other flaws and nit picking on my part. Then many, many, many months later out of boredom I began to reread it and after breaking past those early chapters discovered that I had missed out on something I really should have been a part of. The passion, creativity and care that went into this story is awe inspiring. Sure it has its technical flaws (some just due to the Halo universe itself) and other details that I myself dislike; but the action, detail, character development and world building is very good for a first story from someone around less then twenty years old when this was created. The transition from strong but flawed to superb was subtle but very noticeable when I went back to reread if from beginning to bittersweet end. It is a story that will leave a deep impact on those who read it. It can certainly be a bit of a drag to read and it is certainly not perfect but I recommend to all Halo fans.

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Aim-High-Dig-Deep by Electromotive-Force

• Recommended by cannonfodder14
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: "Chief Warrant Officer Rion Fontaine, technical expert, is ordered to Earth. Specialists such as the Chief are often dispatched in times of crisis, which has others asking rational, tough questions upon his arrival. Tending to duties at the outpost near Voi, spurious signals are detected. Upon investigation, he finds something hidden beneath the African sands...something legendary."
• Comments: cannonfodder14: A short but very realistic and authentic story that forms part of a greater part of the Battle of Mombasa. Through detail and pacing, the author crafted a focused story that fits into a part of a greater whole picture. A small and enjoyable read to whose that crave detail.

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Alone by Electromotive-Force

• Recommended by cannonfodder14
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: A young enlistee joins the newly formed Lima Company, there he forms friends and becomes part of the family. Soon he and the company is sent into combat during the night in a little valley on the planet of Zaragosa. Soon they will face circumstances that force them to get bottom of a growing mystery of why they are there. ^{From FF.net}"The Inner Colonies dwindle. Mankind's extinction draws nearer as its insuperable enemy scatters and defeats the UNSC with increasing momentum. Now, at the height of The Great War, Zaragosa's colonial defense forces are able to fend off the might of the Covenant and very few understand why. As Lima Company's enemies close in all around them, they are forced to uncover this mystery."
• Comments: cannonfodder14: A very good action story that breaths with the realism and authenticity combined with mystery and drama. The author paces the story well with action and the development of both the plot and characters. With references to the wider Halo universe and fresh original characters and plot to explore, it is a very enjoyable story to read that feels alive and tactile.

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The-Forever-Soldier by Mr-125

• Recommended by cannonfodder14
• Status: Dormant
• Synopsis: ^{author's summary}"Julian, the ineffectual heir to an industrial empire loses a reconstruction contract with the UNSC. Mere minutes away from blowing out his brains in an old hotel room, his mother-in-law Rachel shows up to take matters into her own hands. As a retired Six of an experimental, hyper-lethal black ops program within ONI Section Zero, Rachel’s been around long enough to see the rusty inner workings of an unwieldy, overly bureaucratic machine—been around long enough to see all kinds of scandals, all kinds of cover-ups. She formulates a plan to save Julian’s position and company, and take down their competitors by dredging up details of an illicit wartime deal, a potential info leak that has the power to sink a celebrated, international arms-giant and deeply embarrass both Naval Command and Naval Intelligence. Rachel has an asset waiting to be manoeuvred onto the game board, to make her plan a reality: proto-Spartan Brooklyn Fields awakes to a different world than the one she left behind fifteen years ago. She has her directives from the domineering Rachel that she is expected to carry out with her usual unfeeling, machine efficiency, and she quickly tracks down her target to an intimate coastal town situated on a Mediterranean island. Acquiring the mark, an off-the-grid ONI analyst named Seager who possesses evidence of the deal in question, should be a straightforward task for someone like Brooke. She's about to find out that her secluded post-war world is deadlier than any alien invasion."
• Comments: cannonfodder14: A thriller akin to spy novel/movies and along the vein of Katsuhiro's Halo-Chimera-Rogue this vivid story is part character study and thrill fic that encapsulates the dangerous post war politicking.

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Though-Hell-Should-Bar-The-Way by Mr-125

• Recommended by cannonfodder14
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: The newly formed UNSC Army unit called The Highwayman: 906th Brigade is sent into combat on the planet of Cassandra in order to help find the missing 112th ODST company. ^{author's summary}"It's a Vietnam narrative that takes place during what should be considered a "good" war. Those G Is in-country after '68 could ask "What are we fighting for?" but the answer seems a little more clear-cut here when faced with the prospect of human extinction. However, although their backs are to the wall, there is still much more to lose, more than just flesh. (It's also a pretty left-leaning take on Western war mythology and military culture.)"
• Comments: cannonfodder14: A very vivid story exploring the human condition and politicking in the tail-end of the Great War. The combat and vivid and visceral but the strongest aspect to this story is the characterization. All important characters are fleshed out and realized. Foil for one another and representing the different people that exist in war and how war affects them. Gap-crossing is very much emphasized. Overall its vivid, memorable and horrifically real, a great short story.

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Ten-Days-in-Mombasa by Minds-3y3

• Recommended by cannonfodder14
• Status: Dormant; last updated July 2020
• Synopsis: In a hospital in Old Mombasa, 1st Battalion of the UNSC Army unit, The Highwayman: 906th Brigade is still engaged in attempting to evacuate the war torn city of Mombasa. However increased pressure from the Covenant is threatening the Hospital which currently holds refugees and the Army troopers involved. But the Covenant are not the only ones that threaten the whole place, the pressure is getting to all.^{From FF.net}"In war-torn Mombasa, thousands of troops and refugees funnel toward an old, rundown hospital in the slums, the last stronghold of a city besieged by an army bent on extermination. Overcrowded and undersupplied, the hospital is not the bastion it needs to be to provide so many people their safety. In what many think are humanity's last days, distrust, fear, and guns rule all."
• Comments: cannonfodder14: After years of brainstorming, authors Mr-125 and Electromotive-Force are creating what can be described as among the crème de la crème of Halo fanfiction. The concluding act of the combined stories of Lima Company and the 906th; it brings them together with superlative world-building, characters, drama and action. To quote Mr-125,^{author's note}"Ten Days in Mombasa is a standalone miniseries that keeps the sense of realism of Generation Kill with the scope and cinematic feel of The Pacific and Band of Brothers and imagines the battle of Mombasa as an event like modern-day Aleppo or the fall of Saigon. Above all it portrays a military whose personnel are deep into a ten thousand-day war that has no end in sight and what might be the realities of that, the effect it has on the human psyche." It effortlessly sticks to canon all while being incredibly immersive and realistic in its portrayal of its universe. It is a story with very few rivals and simply must be read to get a feel of how good it is.

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Halo: A Fistful of Arrows

• Recommended by Tuckerscreator, N_Cat
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: A Fan Webcomic following the story of Jun-A266 and Dr. Halsey as they travel to CASTLE Base to escape the Covenant during the Fall of Reach. Okay, that's just the direct plot, but it also delves into Jun's past and the beginning of his trust issues that afflict him as a sniper. It's got some utterly beautiful artwork to top that off, and sticks very close to the canon and calls back to it many times more than even canon works. It's perhaps the most requested Halo fic yet to be promoted to Ascended Fanon. Can be read at the above website or here on DeviantArt. And it even has its own page here!

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Halo 3: Insurrection by Wolverfrog49

• Recommended by Ownedace13
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: takes place after the end of Halo 3 and the Humans and Elites are once again at war because the Humans couldn't get over what the Elites had done during the last war, then the MC crashes on Sanghelios, and Mendicant Bias saves Johnson and then it just gets more awesome from there
• Comments: I love this fic, it starts out a little slow but it quickly ramps up and IMO the writing is fantastic, sadly ruled non-canon by the forerunner trilogy and Halo 4

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Consequences of Revelation by Aratech

• Recommended by Gentlemens Dame 883
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: From the master who gave us Finishing The Fight (below) comes a tale where the Master Chief and Blue Team, invited on board Infinity sometime after the events of SPARTAN Ops to train the IVs, learn some inconvenient truths about ONI and their former sister's actions and start making plans.

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The Songbird by Pyre Elegy

• Recommended by: Tropers/Aloss
• Status: Dormant
• Synopsis: The 23rd age of doubt began thirty eight years ago, and while the discovery of the brutish race, the Jiralhanae, recently shook the Covenant, not much has changed for the Theocracy. However on the asteroid T’vao, a young Skirmisher is born and her story will shake the Covenant to its core. SI OC Skirmisher, starts 25 years before Harvest.
• Comments: A very solid example of a self insert, and a decent exploration of Human-Covenant relationships had things gone a little differently, as of the most recent chapter. Give it a good read, I'm sure you'll like it unfinished as it is.
• Tags: Self Insert, Action, Alternate Universe, Female Protagonist*

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Remember by SODAZ

• Recommended by: Azorius 24
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: A 25-minute short film following a SPARTAN-III fireteam as they mount one desperate defence after another during the Fall of Reach.
• Comments: A truly top-notch masterpiece of machinima by talented 3D animator SODAZ. With minimal dialogue but tons of visceral action, this video truly shows why the SPARTANS were a force to be reckoned with... And why this meant little to nothing amidst the nightmarish Hopeless War against the Covenant.

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Crossover Fics

1287 by DoctorpooandtheTURDIS

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Stranger Things
• Status:
  • 1287 - Completed
  • Conscripts - Completed
  • Downtime - Completed
  • The Storm Comes - Completed
  • Downtime II - Completed
  • Red Summer - Completed
• Synopsis:
  • 1287: The Forward Unto Dawn drifts through space, it's lone human occupant frozen in eternal slumber. In Hawkins, deep within a monolithic laboratory, a little girl is sealed in an isolated room. So how did they meet?
  • Conscripts: In Hawkins, Indiana, a young girl has just torn open a hole between worlds, releasing an inhuman monster into the world. At the same time, though high above, the UNSC Forward Unto Dawn drifts into orbit, and It's lone human occupant finally awakens. So, how did they meet again?
  • Downtime: The Demogorgon is dead, and things have gone back to normal in Hawkins, Indiana. And John-117 is faced with a new struggle: living with a psychic superpowered child.
  • The Storm Comes: It's almost been a year since John-117's arrival in the 1980s, and his subsequent "adoption" of Eleven. And while things seem to be going alright, not all is well within Hawkins. Cortana's rampancy is getting worse, Will is beginning to experience terrifying visions, and an ancient evil has awoken.
  • Downtime II: After the gate beneath Hawkins Lab was closed, life slowly returns to normal. Well, as normal as normal can be for a supersoldier from the future, an AI-turned-human, and a teenager with mind powers.
  • Red Summer: The Fourth of July. A celebration of the USA's birthday, an ode to the largest capitalist nation on Earth. Little do the people in the town of Hawkins know, that underneath the town, dark forces stir, and they have unleashed something terrible.
• Comments: There is something endearing about John becoming more human by raising Eleven.

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A Hopeful Voyage by EmperorHueyLong

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Worm
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: A Call goes out. A Signal of Distress. Earth is in danger, its cities being wiped out one by one. Monsters prowl the streets, and far worse hide in the shadows. It is the UNSC's job to protect Earth from all threats, even if this Earth isn't their own. The UNSC will answer the call, as it always has.
• Comments: Taylor's Trigger event causes Forward Unto Dawn to turn into a Spaceship Girl and summon her on Earth Bet.

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A Monument by The_Lord_of_Admirals

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Worm
• Status: One-Shot
• Synopsis: We know the story, Taylor comes out of the locker changed; something else. And proceeds to escalate the hell out of Brockton. But what if she didn't? What if Taylor never left the locker, never truly left Winslow? And now Dragon finds herself waking in her clutches, will she be able to pull through, or will she join the endless chorus?
• Comments: Taylor is dead, and The Flood triggered into existence from her body...

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An Alliance Commander's Guide to Victory by That_guy_who_writes

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Girls' Frontline
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: G&K and Sangvis Ferri have been fighting each other for years, slinging lead and plasma throughout countless battles. The gravity of such a conflict only interested Donovan slightly, it was good enough to keep someone invested at least. Being a commander for virtual echelons of gun-toting women was a convenient distraction most of the time when he wasn't revisiting old Halo games. He hardly considered himself a model leader, let alone a competent commander. Something seemed to disagree with that. He now found himself in the world of Girls Frontline, given a legion of T-Dolls fashioned from UNSC and Covenant weaponry with their own unique personalities and problems. How is this new commander supposed to hold up against the dangers of this world? Luckily, his new position comes with a handy guide for aspiring commanders as well as a helpful AI assistant. Let's see how he shakes things up.
• Comments: An average Joe finds himself in a world of Girls Frontline as the commander of Dolls based on both UNSC & Covenant weaponry.

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Ancient Hounds of War by Vixen_Tail

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Star Wars
• Status: Dead; last updated November 26th, 2013
• Synopsis: Outrunning a trio of Covenant ships, the crew of the UNSC Valiant jumps to slipspace three miles from the event horizon of a black hole. Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi is the first to find them.
• Comments: The best part is, under the false identity of Republic Soldier, the spartan tests the Clone Troopers and manages to apprehend Jango Fett.

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A Spartan in Westeros by Agailius

• Recommended by Mr Terrorist
• Status: Ongoing
• Crossover with: Game of Thrones
• Synopsis: When the Forward Unto Dawn lands in the North, it sets the stage for untold repercussions which will ripple throughout the whole of Westeroes. With civil war threatening to tear the land apart, and an entirely more dire threat arising beyond the Wall, John and Cortana take it upon themselves to again protect the whole of mankind from both humanity's demons... and those beyond.
• Comments: Ever wonder what would happen if Master Chief and Cortana were in the world of Game of Thrones? Then look no further than with this excellent fanfic where the Chief and Cortana interact with the citizens of Westeros.
  • Cannot recommend. There are some subjective problems with the story (everything is going too quickly and smoothly; the Master Chief and the locals trust each other far too easily (contrast [9]'s scene where Chief meets the locals); there is a conspicuous lack of deaths, considering that the story is set in Westeros; the story's only fight scene as of Chapter 13 (which isn't even against the locals; it's a description of a Covenant assault on an anonymous city) is completely underwhelming (again, contrast Finishing the Fight); then, there are problems with characterisation and dialogue (Cortana is out of character; Lord Stark seems to find Chief's causing property damage to be funny; everybody, especially Cortana, uses a bunch of weird slang; the locals' speech is peppered with contractions borrowed from Shakespearean English ('tis, 'twas, etc.) but they're used inconsistently (and never appeared in GRRM's novels or the TV show at all!); profanities are overused and reek of American usage (e.g. "son of a bitch", "The fuck you say?", and "You fucking kneelers"); and then there are technical issues (at one point the text abruptly shifts from past tense to present, then back to past for a sentence or two, then back to present). Overall, while the concept is interesting, the execution just isn't that great (plus there's the whole thing about GRRM not wanting ASOIAF fanfic).
    • I disagree and can definitely recommend this story. Had the Chief met any other House other than the Starks first, I would definitely agree that trust is developed far too quickly, but as it so happens, he was lucky enough to encounter them first. Game of Thrones has also been more about politics and intrigue rather than action, not to mention the story is still only in relatively early stages. I'm sure there will be more action down the road. Characterization seems rather fine to me and I don't see how Cortana is heavily OOC, plus Lord Stark doesn't seem the type to get angry over accidental property damage. Dialogue and tenses, I agree there are some issues that could be fixed, but overall, it's still far better than a vast majority of fanfiction that I've read. Overall, while there are definitely issues, I would say this is an excellent piece of writing and quite seamlessly meshes the two worlds together.

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Boku No Halo Academia by Iowaman24 (Spacebattles Link, Ao3 Link)

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: My Hero Academia
• Status:
  • Rising Conflict - Completed
  • Rising Conflict Remake - Complete
  • For Want of a Mustard Seed - Ongoing
• Synopsis:
  • Rising Conflict: Just coming from a desperate battle on another world, Aurdel is hard-pressed to find himself on an alternate Earth where superpowers are completely commonplace. While for now stuck in a battle against Villains and the critics of his methods, he must prepare himself and others for a conflict on the horizon that just may bring about a fiery and devastating end to the world.
  • For Want of a Mustard Seed: Eleven years have passed since the apocalyptic collapse at the end of the Third World War, and under Aurdel Ganowicz's oversight much of Japan has been rebuilt. However many are still unhappy with the way things are, and as a result the League of Villains has returned. But without an ideology, and under a seemingly revived former member, they are hellbent on destroying everything.
• Comments: A Spartan becoming a teacher in U.A. Oh, and his presence slowly leads to yet another World War.

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Chains of the Kindred by Solvdrage

• Recommended by Angel_of_Death
• Crossover with: Warhammer 40,000
• Status:Dead (last updated July 2016)
• Synopsis: Two besieged branches of Humanity, separated by time and space have been reunited. And there is only War!
• Comments: What if the Warhammer 40,000 Universe and the Halo Universe came together? What if the Imperium of Man allied itself with the UNSC? What if the Covenant began being utterly curbstomped by said alliance? This is a well-written fanfic, using only canon info, and making sure that neither side gets too great an advantage. It also answers some questions like: Titan vs Scarab, or Flood vs 'Nids.

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Convergence by pyrotorch246

• Recommended by: extinctnlvlevnt
• Crossover with: Mass Effect
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: "Nearly one hundred years after the end of the human-Covenant War, the descendents of the greatest generation that ever lived make a discovery that will change the face of the galaxy forever."
• Comments: Its Halo Humanity curb-stomps the Turian Hierarchy in a First Contact scenario! Yes, yes, there's practically a thousand of those out on the internet, but this one is done right! No codex, no timeline, no author that apologetically vanishes after two or three chapters because they realize they've really got no idea what they're doing! The violence is visceral, the narrative is engaging and reminiscent of Eric Nylund's work in its grim focus on the effect war has on those who endure it first-hand. The characters are fleshed-out and sympathetic and the big space battle over the Turian colony is four-star badass-ery. The Turian fleet is annihilated because their ships are facing the wrong direction! The Citadel council is, of course, completely useless. The Turians are indiscriminate, over-zealous interstellar policemen. The humans are BFF's with the Elites - who still like to rain plasma on top of their enemies from their ships in orbit. Bonus points to Master Chief and meta-stable Cortana returning to the fight, Liara T'Soni's cameo as a Spectre agent, and the Arbiter calling-out the Council for being the cowards that they are.
  • The earlier chapters are a little weak. In my (the author's) opinion, Convergence doesn't really hit it's stride until chapter seven, with the space battle mentioned above. Before that, the writing's decent, but there's also a mix of some great moments and some truly cringe-worthy ones. Chapters one and six in particular are some of the weakest moments. —PT246

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Dawn, by Nova Tyrant

• Recommended by Prometheus117
• Status: Dormant
• Crossover with League of Legends
• Synopsis: The Master Chief finds himself stranded on a strange new world filled with odd new allies and deadly new enemies. As he attempts to find a way back home, dark forces begin their quest for utter domination, content with the knowledge that nothing from their world can stop them. Rated T for light swearing, relationships, and mild violence.
• Comments: Exactly as the synopsis might suggest, this is the story of the Master Chief after the events of Halo3, having crash-landed on Runeterra in his part of the Foward Unto Dawn. While it starts off as typical crossovers, in which "X joins the League of Legends in trying to get back home", this is immediately thrown a curveball with the fact that Cortana is seemingly killed in the initial crash, forcing the Chief out of his comfort zone as he attempts to first avoid, then later adapt to getting to know his fellow Champions while waiting for a way to get home. This is even further thrown a curveball when the fic stops being about the Chief settling in like typical crossovers and has to aid in the fight against a mecha army created through data stolen from the Dawn, fighting alongside his fellows as they seek to save Valoran from utter destruction. Aside from that, the fight scenes are epic, as the Chief is not nearly as broken as one might expect against his fellow Champions and enemies, and the Character Development the Chief goes through is rather in-character for him. All in all, a worthwhile read.

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Dead Or Alive: Finishing The Fight by Who Let This Guy On

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Status: Ongoing
• Crossover With: Dead or Alive
• Synopsis: When the Forward Unto Dawn crash lands 500 years in the past on Earth, it sets the stage for untold repercussions for the whole of humanity. When the super soldier finds himself as a potential entree into the year's DOA tournament however it sets the stage for Victor Donovan and the rest of the Do A World to finally see what a "Perfect Weapon" is capable of.
• Comments: Very engaging, with Master Chief shaking the setting by being a pragmatic superhuman soldier, including taking false Kasumi under his wings before she can be deployed.

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Demons of the Holy Grail by jabinker

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Status: One-shot.
• Crossover With: Fate/Zero
• Synopsis: Deep in the multiverse in the world of the Fate series many characters are summoned, some amazing and good, others terrifying and destructive. This one only hungers to expand.
• Comment: In this war, Kariya's Servant is The Gravemind, and nobody wins.

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Distant Stars by BoneDaddyAinz

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Status: Dead; last updated April 29th, 2022
• Crossover With: Overwatch
• Synopsis: Adrian has spent half his life fighting the Covenant, its all he's ever known, all that he ever thought he wanted. As an ODST he's come to terms that the universe is cruel and unexpected, yet nothing could prepare him for the events that would throw him into a world engulfed with it's own civil strife. Now he's torn between aiding a group of ragtag heroes, or finding a way back home to fight his fight for a doomed humanity.
• Comments: Between the ODST being on par with Reaper, occasional debate with people of (relatively) more peacefull setting, and Covenant techs & aliens that occasionally pops out of the woods, this fic isnt short on thrills. The paragraphs are a bit thick, though

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Enduring the Flames of War by Masterdude21

• Recommended by: MasterChiefHalo4
• Crossover with: Mass Effect
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: "A joint Asari-Turian operation salvaged a "package" from a derelict wreckage in the Terminus Systems, whereupon they release a force of war beyond their reckoning. Hoping to avoid another war, Commander Shepard recruits the "package" into her team. A simple act of kindness, unwittingly paving the way for a clash unlike the universe has ever seen. Fate directs the flames of war."
• Comments: A story that is literally, bursting with awesomeness. It capture just how much of an force of nature the Master Chief really is and characterize the Mass Effect universe people really well, while building up an interesting background intrigue scenario with our all time favorite ONI spooks. The only thing I have to criticize about this work was that at the start of this story the relationship and camaraderie between Cortana and Chief was very awkwardly handled but now the author seems to have improved up on it and is turning this fic to become one with the most potential in fanon, closely behind GeneralRage works.

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Eternity Into The Void by ProfessorZooms

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Status: Discontinued.
• Crossover With: The Familiar of Zero
• Synopsis: The Reclamation has begun and the Eternity on the run. After fleeing the Orion Arm into the safety of slipspace, the UNSC Eternity ends up marooned on a primitive feudal world.
• Comments: In this story, the main character, Saito, is a technician at Eternity, so when Louise tries her summon ritual, the entire supercarrier ends up appearing in Tristain's sky. Read as Tristain and UNSC culture clashes from the latter claiming to have abolished their world's nobility and giving life improvements to the commoners.

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The Fall by lone wolf legendary

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Status: Dead; last updated May 27th, 2015
• Crossover With: Attack on Titan
• Synopsis: Over the course of the Fall of Reach, billions died to the Covenant, but some managed to survive. This is the story of one such group of survivors who after escaping reach, find themselves crash landed on a planet where the greatest threat to humanity is not the Covenant... but Titans. How will the adapt and who can they trust.
• Comments: Insted of Dying, Noble Six were saved by a group of Insurrectionist who regret their decision to be one in the first place, only to get stranded in Ao T world

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Fate Grand Order: Hero of the future by RobertQuasar

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Fate/Grand Order
• Status: Hiatus
• Synopsis: Master Chief had died and was remembered as the finest warrior humanity ever produced and would be remembered centuries after his death. However, he is called to the past to save humanity from total extinction. Shouldn't be too hard it's just another mission to save humanity.
• Comments: It is a good read, despite how dense the paragraphs are at times.

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Fighting for a Purpose V2 by erttheking

• Recommended by: drsdino
• Status: Complete
• Crossover with: Star Wars
• Synopsis: While on a deep space mission, a CCS- battlecruiser is shot down by the CIS. The battle fought by the surviors is brutal, but it is only a glimpse of what is to come. Ahsoka/OC AU post Halo 3 pre Revenge of the Sith
• Pairing(s): Ahsoka Tano/OC.
• Comments: An old fic of erttheking, it is set inbetween the events of Halo 3 and Revenge of the Sith, and humanity and the former Covenent races have joined up. (mind you this was BEFORE Halo 4 came out.)
  • Erttheking: Eh. I'm gonna be blunt, this is not one of my better works. It was when I was still learning the ropes and there's a lot wrong with it. The Jedi Council is a little too one dimensional, characters arcs are rather rushed at points, and there's a good chunk of wish fulfillment without much rhyme or reason to it. Keep that in mind.

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Final Frontier by Cipher32

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Azur Lane
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: UNSC Enterprise is stranded in Azur Lane's world as a shipgirl, and decides to destroy the Sirens and tries to make the factions unite under one banner like the UEG.
• Comments: The main drama is about the Sakura Empire-aligned Commander begs to her Eagle Union counterpart for help in toppling down her Siren-corrupted government, and the mysterious link between UNSC Enterprise and her Yorktown-Class doppelganger. there's also a lesson of historical comparison between the two worlds.

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Finishing the Fight by Aratech

• Recommended by SAMAS, Psalm of Fire, Silverwind 91, Comartemis, Exalted Requiem, Jonn, Night, USA Bobcat
• Crossover with: Dungeons & Dragons
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: From an altered Halo 3, The Master Chief, Cortana, Arbiter, Sgt Johnson and Captain Keyes end up riding the Forward Unto Dawn all the way to the Forgotten Realms, just before the Time of Troubles begins.
• Comments:
• Psalm of Fire: Very bloody, but the approach and ability to portray wonder really snagged me into it.
  • Comartemis: Seconded. As far as I care, this is Halo 3's canon ending.
  • Thirded. Easily one of the most engrossing Fic's I've ever read. I honestly can't begin to guess at just how many hours I've spent reading this thing...
  • Night: A sort of first cousin to The Salvation War in terms of some of the themes, but a very different story in plot, setup, and character. While magic met firepower, and firepower's victory was absolute, it did not have to be that way. Ably demonstrates the nature of an Outside Context Problem; it's not the difference between sides is insurmountable (and it is not; there are opponents who even manage to give the Master Chief and Arbiter trouble), but that they simply don't have the experience or the tactics to start looking for ways to fight back.

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The First Movement of the Odyssey - Redux (Also available on FF.Net) by Chris "Crazy-88" O'Farrell

• Recommended by Gentlemens Dame 883
• Crossover with: Stargate SG-1
• Status: Dormant
• Synopsis: The USS Odyssey, freshly upgraded with Asgard tech, undergoes a hyperdrive accident that throws her through the Quantum Mirror into a universe where humanity is desperately trying to hold off a genocidal alien theocracy. To be precise, they land smack in the middle of the Battle of Reach. Their intervention will change things greatly.
• Comments: The author knows his canon of both series very well, blending the games and the Nylund novels together and making them make sense. The excellently-written fight scenes are just a delicious cherry on the top.

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For Earth and All Her Colonies by GADPELLAEON

• Recommended by: Coalen 1942
• Crossover with: Mass Effect
• Status: Temporary Hiatus; Oct 14, 2021
• Synopsis: Post Human-Covenant War AU. After the Great War, all the UNSC wants to do is rebuild and live in the peace. A peace that so many died for. What happens when they learn that no matter what, war will always find them.
• Commments: An okay story, but with memorable moments at certain parts. While there are many inaccuracies, it makes up for being awesome. One of these moments is when the UNSC and their Allies attack the Citadel and capture the counselors.

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For Earth and Her Colonies by HistoryAnonymous; SpaceBattles thread; TV Tropes page

• Recommended by: eagle108
• Crossover with: KanColle
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: It has been five long years since the Abyssals appeared, and the war is far from over. Even with the spirits of past ships summoned to help, humanity faces a long and hard fight to rid their oceans of the Abyssal threat. But one mysterious girl might help turn the tide. Just, what on earth does "UNSC" mean?

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GATE: Of Dragons and a Spirit of Fire by Pkd

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Gate
• Status: dead; last updated in May 29th, 2022
• Synopsis: Few years after the events of Halo Wars, the UNSC Spirit of Fire finds themselves above the orbit of a unknown world without any clue to where they are and what brought them here. Faced with a new obstacle the crew of the Spirit of Fire descends upon the world where they meet new allies and enemies, along with an relic of the past, as they try to find a way back home.
• Comment: One of the more enjoyable part is to see how the 21st Century earth reacting to what its 26th counterpart has in store, military-wise & media-wise.
• Has a Trope page.

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Greenhorn by acceptmyusername; Fanfiction.net link

• Recommended by: eagle108
• Crossover with: KanColle
• Status: Original fic dormant (last updated April 2017), V2 in progress
• Synopsis: The Abyssals. Well, they came from the ultimate abyss, the void of space. What else would we have called them? They were the Covenant all over again, unstoppable, burning planets in their path. All fell before them. There was no hope. Until one day, they came. "UNSC FFG-201 Forward Unto Dawn, reporting for action." Let's hope we can train them all.
• Comments: More of a Fusion Fic than an actual Crossover, as it doesn't follow the more common crossover scenario of "Kancolle characters interacting with Halo characters", and the game itself is mentioned as a reference. That aside, acceptmyusername certainly captures the feel of the Halo-verse with many characters that would eventually come to work with what could easily be the Halo franchise's own ship girls, each unique and with their own individuality that could almost fit in with Kancolle.

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The Guiding Fire by UNSC indomitable

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Azur Lane
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: A Commander stripped of authority. The world is divided and falling. Last fading light. Hope lies in Spirit and might. As those with the fire lay dying. All must stand fast in the face of howling night.
• Comments: A bit of a slow burn before we get to the "first encounter", but the conflict build-up is worth it.

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The Halo Effect: War and Civilization by free man writer

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Mass Effect & Star Wars
• Status: Dead; last updated on July 5th, 2022
• Synopsis: Civilizations rise and fall but to those that do stand, they prosper. They Expand. They reach out across the stars. But of course, such is a Universal law, War is never far behind. War is a language all civilized races speak and it is war most are familiar with.
• Comments: Halo/Mass Effect with a dash of Star Wars, like how Humanity first met and allied with The Wookies years before Covenant attacks, and there's Twileks in the Citadel.

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Halo Gundam by 6-4 pilot (Ao3 Link)

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Mobile Suit Gundam & The Owl House
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: Stuck in the Universal Century during the One Year War, Master Chief and his companions help the White Base Crew survive while also trying to find a way back to Zeta Halo. In the meantime, a group of battle-hardened Banished troops does what their organization does best. Take advantage of conflicts and various organizations for their own benefit.
• Comments: Master Chief, The Weapon & The Pilot are stranded in Universal Century's galaxy & joining forces with White Base. However, The Banished are also stranded here chasing the trio...

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Halo, The Imperial War by SpaceCowboy2013

• Recommended by: Crow T R0bot
• Status: Dormant
• Crossover: Star Wars
• Synopsis: Mankind's first contact is not what it had been expecting, and not with anyone or anything they were expecting. But never the less contact goes poorly for all and sends repercussions further than anyone could have imagined. Halo AU/Star Wars
• Comments: While the first chapter is merely an excerpt from The Fall of Reach rewritten to account for the Galactic Empire replacing The Covenant, it is nonetheless a suitable prelude to a truly epic war story full of general badassery, Technology Porn (the UNSC is considerably more advanced than it is in canon, though just enough to even stand a chance against the Imperials) and a gloriously detailed and deviously improvised naval battle between Grand Admiral Thrawn and Admiral Preston J. Cole that's anything but one-sided.

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Halo: Acheron by G. Langland (Ao3 Link)

• Recommended by: extinctnlvlevnt
• Cossover with: Alien
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: "Long before the Pillar of Autumn made its fate-bound flight from the Fall of Reach, the Master Chief and co. are deployed to the Zeta II Reticuli system on a mission to investigate the surface of a moon called Acheron LV-426."
• Comments: Humanity's Sword and Shield are nothing more then prey for the xenomorphs of Acheron to confuse, torment, and butcher at will. Wait! Xenomorphs?! Acheron?! Yeah, this guy does such an excellent job weaving these two franchises together that by the time you reach the end, you've completely forgotten the fact that you're reading a crossover and NOT actual canon. And you couldn't care less. That's how good it is. Bonus points to the Elite giving birth to a chestburster in full-view of the Master Chief. We all know it takes a lot to get under 117's skin, but he finds the spectacle to be absolutely nauseating, and more-than-a-little scary.

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HALO: Andromeda by UH-60 NIGHTSTALKER

• Reccomended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Star Wars
• Status:
  • HALO: The Terran Republic Affair - Completed
  • HALO: The Andromeda War - Completed
• Synopsis:
  • The Terran Republic Affair: When the Newly formed Terran Union and its allies make contact with the Galactic Republic, it sets off in motion events that would shake up a galaxy that is not so far away.
  • The Andromeda War: War drums are starting to sound once again and soon, the final battle to detremine the fate of Adromeda shall begin.
• Comments: The story is about the UEG post-Convenant War discover an entirely new galaxy. Renaming themselves as the Terrans to avoid confusions among the local human populations, these more militaristic humans will change the destiny of this foreign galaxy. Expect a lot of cultural exchange and Interspecies Romance

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HALO: Dead Man of the Moon by UH-60 NIGHTSTALKER

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Sailor Moon
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: When a new yet familiar Enemy threatens Neo-Queen Serenity and her court/friends, an unlikely ally appears and just happens to have a UNSC Warship at his command. But can Serenity's Senshi trust this new armored-clad stranger?
• Comments: An original Gen.III Spartan, his AI and a few Engineers arrived on an alternate Earth post-Black Moon Clan invasion, only to find that there are some of them remains, seeking vengeance...

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Halo: The Garden World by UNSC Know Your Place (Ao3 Link)

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Gate
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: The Spirit of Fire crew thought that after their mission on the Shield World will be their last and they will forever drift into the void. However, Fate has a different plan. Thrust into an unfamiliar land. How much will they affect the future of its inhabitants? Will they ever get back home?
• Comments: Spirit Of Fire's crew already changing the plot by saving Myui's father, the king of Italica.

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Halo: Heroes Evolved by ReaderWriterfella

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: My Hero Academia
• Status: Dead; last updated February 14th, 2022.
• Synopsis: What if instead of just fighting villains, heroes had to fight an alien invasion too? Good thing Izuku 117 was trained for that.
• Comments: A Fusion Fic of Halo & MHA where Spartans can only be created from Quirkless children, LOV is part of innies, and Pro-Heroes questions their effectiveness against The Covenant.

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HALO: Iunctus by JonathanO'Riley

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Naruto
• Status: Dead; last updated March 1st 2020.
• Synopsis: After drifting in space aboard the crippled Forward Unto Dawn for over four years, Master Chief and Cortana find themselves on a world uncharted and untouched by either the UNSC or the Covenant. Inhabited by a primitive civilization of Humans with strange abilities, this planet hosts a brand new challenge. But deep within, age-old secrets will reveal not all is as it seems.
• Comments: Master Chief & Cortana are stranded in Elemental Nation, and the shinobi found him innerving for, among other things, the lack of chakra coils in him.

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Halo: Justice Evolved by WeretheDespeateMeasuresODST105 (FF.Net link)

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Young Justice (2010)
• Status: Hiatus
• Synopsis: What do you get when you combine an elite ODST squad, a former UNSC Army Captain, a legendary supersoldier, and a Marine with divided loyalties between an alternate 21st Century America and the 26th?
• Comments: While the story indeed set in Young Justice Earth, UNSC ended up appearing several years before Thanagarian invasion. thankfully, DC Comics exists in Halo universe, and some of the ODST have knowledge regarding it. Also, the author warns the readers that there will be no Plot Armor for villains.

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Halo: On the Wings of Angels, by Gyvon

• Recommended by Clato Lawa
• Crossover with: My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
• Status: Dormant
• Synopsis: Set before the fall of Reach. It has been several months since the disappearance of Twilight Sparkle. One night, after watching her sister raise the Moon and set the heavens alight, Princess Celestia begins to bed down for the night, only to be interrupted by portal forming in her room. From out of the portal comes none other than Twilight Sparkle, garbed in strange armor. Princess Celestia, along with Luna, Cadence, and Shining Armor, are overjoyed by the Element of Magic's return, but are justifiably curious as to where she had been and what she had been doing. And so, Twilight begins her tale. A tale of survival against impossible odds. A tale of a people fighting for the most basic right of all sentient beings. The right to exist.

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Halo: Wastelands by M306117

• Recommended by S3B312
• Crossover with: Fallout
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: In 2552, a UNSC frigate drops out of Slipspace near Earth to find it has been ravaged by nuclear war and is attacked by a UFO in orbit over the planet. In need of parts and answers, they send a Spartan supersoldier to the Pentagon to find them.
• Comments: A decent Halo/Fallout crossover, but the Halo characters seem overpowered next to their Fallout counterparts.

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Hearts of Steel by Butcher-Bird190

• Recommended by: Murakumo FF, eagle108
• Crossover with: KanColle
• Status: Dormant (last updated August 2017)
• Synopsis: Yamato, pride of the imperial fleet, finds herself in a reality where humanity is struggling for survival against enemies from the stars rather than from the deep. What impact will she have in the UNCS's involvement with Requiem?

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In the Shadow of Gods by Anne Whyne

• Recommended by FarmerKyle, lanky, Sulimeth, extinctnlvlevnt
• Crossover with: Mass Effect
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: They stand apart from humans as heroes, saviors, and gods among men. But when we stand in the shadows of gods, we fail to see the cost to them. Sometimes the only one that can understand the weight of the universe is someone else who bears it (Author's Summary). this fic takes place not long after Abigail Shepard and her team have destroyed the Collector Base. They come across the remains of a giant of a ship, "like a whale against the Normandy's dolphin" to use the author's comparison, that doesn't match any known models. Shepard decides to investigate it, and they find the bisected ship's only two inhabitants, an A.I. and a soldier both far from home. And with the looming threat of the Reapers, Shepard's going to need all the help she can get.
• Comments: One of the better crossovers of its kind, and a great fanfic all around. Shepard here is Paragon, with dashes of Renegade to keep things interesting. Also doesn't speed up the trust issue between John and the rest of the team, especially after Cortana tries to hack EDI. Great characterizations all around, the fights are well done, and overall a great story!
  • I'll add a reluctant second to this story. Master Chief's characterization is... odd, to say the least. It definitely makes for a stark contrast with the characterization of, say, The Last Spartan. He's a little too reluctant for my tastes: Master Chief feels like the kind of guy who would jump at the chance to help humanity rather than being so sentimental, especially as regards his out-of-date, inferior equipment. I will say, however, that the author's writing of his combat abilities is the best I've ever read: She captures the pants-shitting terror a warrior like John-117 would inspire in his opponents perfectly.
  • Cheerful third. There are a few spelling errors and moments where things don't quite make sense (though that may be explained later), but overall it's pretty good. Brilliant fight scenes. I didn't find any problems with the characterisation, personally it made sense that Chief would hold onto the only things he's got left of home, and his equipment seems on par, if not superior in some cases, to that of the Normandy crew. Well done for someone who says they aren't as familiar with the Halo franchise as they'd like to be.
  • Quite possibly THE best Halo/ME crossover out there - even in its unfinished state; the narrative and dialogue is compelling and relatable, and the characters themselves are true-to-canon. The setting on the Normandy is tense and contentious, with only a little humor thrown around to keep the situation from boiling over. The violence is bowel-shattering spectacular, with the Master Chief stealing Shepard's spotlight because, well... he's the Master Chief.
• Status: Put on hiatus by author in protest of cyberbullying and Critics United.
• Though author has expressed the desire via tumblr account to resume work and finish the story, with ideas for a sequel set in the Halo verse.
• The link to this fic is broken. Please post a mirror. Edit: turns out that the author deleted the original FF.net version and has begun to rewrite it on Archive of Our Own. The link has been changed accordingly.
• The new version of the fic currently (November 15th, 2014) has three chapters, and I can barely wait for the fourth. The quality of the writing is absolutely professional; it feels like something commissioned jointly by Bungie and Bioware. I highly recommend this to any Halo or Mass Effect fan.
• Now has its own page.

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Infinity, by casquis

• Recommended by cannonfodder14
• Status: Dead
• Crossover with the Mass Effect
• Synopsis: After the UNSC Spirit of Fire emerges from the Mass Relay on Pluto in 2557, the UNSC begins to explore the Mass Relay network and is attacked by Citadel forces. Peace negotiations break down and hostilities resume but outside forces soon make themselves known.^{From FF.net}"Space is infinite, but under the right conditions even a galaxy can feel too small."
• Comments: cannonfodder14: It should be noted that casquis's laptop was stolen and he lost a vast amount of the written story. He was thus forced to restart and he admits that the beginning is not of acceptable quality to him though. However while I am no Mass Effect fan, this story thus far is excellent in its pacing, world-building and action. He manages to seamlessly transition and combine the Halo universe with the Mass Effect universe in a very immersive manner. However due to life circumstance and a lack of motivation to continue to the story; he has mentioned to me that he may have to abandon the story. As such it is declared Dead until further notice.

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The Last Spartan by Dino Jake

• Recommended by Gamerex 27 and Crow T R0bot
• Crossover with: Mass Effect
• Status: Dormant; last updated December 2018
• Synopsis: An AU fic in which the Halo and ME universes share the same galaxy. After a well-deserved rest in Cryo-Sleep, Master Chief finally awakens...to a whole new galaxy.
• Comments: This may very well be the only well-written Halo and Mass Effect crossover this Troper has ever read. Everyone is in character, the alien races of Halo do a very nice job of changing up many different events in the game (all for the better), and the few OC'S in it (which are not introduced until chapter 10) are very realistic and engaging characters.
• Seconded (though this troper has one other Halo/Mass Effect crossover to recommend, see below), I was actually contemplating whether to recommend this story until I noticed it already had been. Initially, there were a few quibbles with the plot, such as arbitrary date changes and humanity's reasoning for joining the Citadel races seemed shaky, the author eventually yielded to Constructive Criticism and rewrote the offending parts accordingly. Even before that, this is a truly enjoyable fic, and the Master Chief certainly makes for a unique Commander Shepard substitute, leaving more of an impression than just awe on his squadmates, his initial mistrust of various alien squadmates, and Tali's early frustration towards him, for example. Also, while the first (only?) OC squadmate, N'tho 'Sraom comes across as generically annoying (though never in a Scrappy or Creator's Pet fashion) he does continue Mass Effect's tradition of subverting Planet of Hats, not fitting the stereotype of Proud Warrior Race Guy that Elites are known for, which makes me appreciate him more than I did at first.
  • N'tho is not an original character; he's player 3 in Halo 3 campaign's co-op mode, and his character is based on details from Bungie's official descriptions of him and player 4's Usze 'Taham, seen here about 1/3 of the way down the page.
  • Now has its own page
  • This is a very good fic, but I think it's overrated. The author is fantastic at characterization, but to be honest, if he weren't the fic would fail. The Halo races are there, but they're nothing like the Halo races really are as they behave very out of character. Even with the time skip, the way they act makes no sense. Furthermore, since the Sangheili are still using all the plasma tech, why aren't using it? The Fridge Logic in the story can really undermine it's amazingly strong characterization. It's a good fic, but overrated.

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Lost Legacy by Andrithir (Ao3 Link)

• Recommended by Qwerty282
• Crossover with: Mass Effect
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: The dormant shall rise. The Reclaimers will return. A great war begins.(Author's summary) The UNSC falls after extended warfare with augmented brutes and yahgs, evacuating to the Ark. Thousands of years later, a crypt is found under the Earth by the Systems Alliance... This is a Merged Timeline Universe.
• Comments: This is an amazing fanfic with deep characterisation and realistic drawn-out military campaigns. The way the UNSC fights is believable, as are the reactions to them by the Mass Effect charaters. The way the author crafts the characters of Arca, Lotus and the other members of ONISAD is absolutely top-notch. The Flood also make an appearance in this fic, during the Battle of the Citadel. I absolutely reccomend reading this. WARNING: The story is filled with tragic scenes. Not a good mood-lifter.
  • Like The Last Spartan, Lost Legacy is overrated. Its not terrible, but neither is it good. The premiseverse is rather weak and flimsy - apparently nobody in the Systems Alliance can recall a global, nuclear bombardment of Earth during the 'twelfth century' AD, nor have they, or any of the Mass Effect species, encountered the Forerunner legacy, while the UNSC and ex-Covenant species stand completely ignorant of the existence of the Reapers and the threat they represent despite being a Tier 1 civilization. The dialogue is forced and contrived, the narrative is uninspiring and dithering, the lead characters - particularly the UNSC personnel - do not resemble anything established in canon - the Master Chief is a badass-no-more and Cortana is still alive even though she went rampant and died Halsey apparently died at one point, but she is also alive - the Halo species are there, but they only figure for aesthetic purposes and do not play a signifigant role in the story. Same with the Mass Effect races, and neither side seems perturbed, much less shocked by the existence of the other. If you are of wont for a fanfiction that rises above the crowd and triumphs over Sturgeon's Law, then you may wish to look elsewhere.

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Machines and Might by Strategic.Ignorance (Ao3 link)

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: My Hero Academia
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: The Hero Public Safety Commission learns of the Meta Liberation Army years before they do in canon. Doubting the current heroes' ability to stop this threat, the Commission sees this as the perfect opportunity to usher in a new age of heroes. The first step is to kidnap dozens of children. Among them is Izuku Midoriya.
• Comments: Various children, including Izuku, Shinso & Mei are turned into Gen II Spartan by HPSC for task too dirty for your average heroes.

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The Mantle of Remnant by KtyouVsWriting

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: RWBY
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: The Master Chief has saved Humanity at the cost of Cortana, one of his few remaining friends. More than he will admit, John relied on her and cared for her. To no longer have her means to lose another part of his humanity. Still, the universe keeps going and once again, he is called to serve and protect Mankind. Now he has a choice: does he brave Remnant alone or does he embrace help?
• Comments: Without Cortana, Master Chief relies on his Spartan training, and ended up forming team RWBY under his leadership. Be warned, there is Adaptational Angst Upgrade here.

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Mass Effect New Origins V2 by erttheking

• Recommended by drsdino, Qwerty282
• Crossover with: Mass Effect
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: On the dawn of the 27th century, the UNSC discovers a Mass Relay, and unlock its power. What follows not only includes making contact with new species and making new friends, but making new enemies as well, and the entire galaxy will shake.
• Comment: An interesting fan fiction, has some typos and very long Author Notes that boil down to either swear ridden ranting, or odd tangents that descend into babbling. But it has interesting characters, character development. And best of all?... NO STAR CHILD HURRAY!
  • Enthusiastically seconded. The character development is good. Also, Udina gets hacked by Anderson in a completely humiliating way at the end. The battle at the end is a great alternate and perfectly logical substitute to the Star Child of canon which absolutely NO ONE finds realistic.

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Mass Effect: Clash of Civilizations by Eterna1Soldier

• Recomended by Meta Skipper, MetalKing1417, extinctnlvlevnt
• Crossover with: Mass Effect
• Status: Dormanr; reader beware: time-lapse between updates can last for months.
• Synopsis: "In 2157, a Citadel Council exploratory vessel is tasked with opening a dormant Relay into unknown regions of the galaxy. What they find is something they never expected. What happens when two civilizations centered around different technologies clash?"
• Comments: This fic explores well the implications of two cultures meeting. The characters have stayed true, and the OCs are well-fleshed out. The space battle scene is also written well, being more than one side has bigger guns, hence they win. Overall, a well-written fic, though the author's long update times are to be noted.
  • Absolutely astounding. As already stated above, this a classic Crossover posing a simple question: "What happens when two universes; each with their contrasting ideologies, divergent technology, and exotic customs meet for the first time?" The Mass Effect fan favorites - Tali, Liara, and Mordin - are completely in-character, and even the OC's are sympathetic personalities with engaging dialogue and social interactions. Correct grammar, syntax, and punctuation are exhaustively maintained - if you're like me and are neurotic about those things. The author also makes the rare effort to avoid favoring one verse over the other that is sadly seen all-too-often. On a final note, go read all of Eterna1Soldier's works, they're all f!cking amazing in equal measure.

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My Hero Academia: Quirks Evolved by The_Spartan_Sangheili

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: My Hero Academia
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: In a distant future, humanity develops starships and reaches for the stars only to encounter a foe that threatens its entire existence. In another not-so-distant future humanity develops extraordinary abilities called quirks, and remains on Earth in a superhuman society. What happens when these two worlds collide? This is the story of a Spartan, A Hero and their respective AI companions.
• Comments: Ochako watched as she saw her best friend, Izuku Midoriya, was zapped by lightning when they were a kid, but the electricity reacted to dormant Quirk, turning him into an AI. A few years later, Master Chief, Cortana & The Arbiter arrived at this reality when Forward Unto Dawn crashlanded from a slip space mishap.

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Nier: Great Journey by RamPluto

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: NieR: Automata
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: Finding herself on an unknown ringworld, alone save for her Pod, 2B finds herself thrusted into the middle of an unknown and seemingly intergalactic conflict. With the aid of the Master Chief, 2B will find herself dealing with two worlds, one where Humanity is extinct and the other where war is a constant ever looming threat, to all of mankind and existence itself.

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Noble Intent by In BRRRRRRT We Trust

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: The Rising of the Shield Hero
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: Without warning, her world went dark, but that's not where her story ends. When Catherine - B320 wakes up in a small room surrounded by others wielding legendary weapons, she quickly realizes what she's in for and now has to adapt to a different kind of hell. Will she fall just as she did on Reach? Or will she bring about a change solidifying her status as a demon?
• Comment: This fic does something most fanfics haven't done before - adding Rapthalia to the party without giving her Slave Crest. Not to mention that not only Kat can use guns, but Ren & Itsuki are also on the Spartan's side thanks to the recording on her helmet.

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On the Illusion of Might by evevee''

• Recommended by Coalen 1942
• Crossover with Mass Effect
• Status: On-going
• Synopsis: We thought ourselves powerful, able to conquer a galaxy with nothing but toys. When we overcame every challenge, breached the space between the galaxies themselves, what use were the words of a race ashamed of their own past? Yet we cannot deny that we were warned, for while a challenge to a human is laughable, a challenge to humanity is a death sentence.
• Comments: Taking place after an alternate ending in Halo 5 Guardians, it follows the UNSC and allies contend with the Citadel,now placed in extragalactic dwarf galaxy. What follows is a very slow, but invigorating story of politcs and realistic outcomes that can rival Game of Thrones and mayble even Dune.There is also the fact the System Alliance exists a remant formed from insurrectionists and refugees led non-other by Admiral Cole in secret.
• Now has a TV Tropes Page: On the Illusion of Might

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The Onyx Stars by The Hidden Sith

• Recommended by: LooksAwesome
• Crossover with: Mass Effect
• Status: Dormant
• Synopsis: "A lost ship, a lost warrior, and a lost mind find themselves stranded in a new cosmos. Full of vast wonders, threats, and opportunities, this new realm is an unknown element for a crew accustomed to war and hardship. But all Edens must fall and all men must die. Sewn into the embers of war lay the seed of victory." A Halo/Mass Effect crossover.
• Comments: This one shows a lot of promise. Infinity and co. are stranded in the Mass Effect verse after Applied Phlebotinum event takes place. No timeline and no codex, that's been done to death by now. Witness character growth mixed-in with an engaging plot and narrative without fillers. Some parts of the fan lore strain reader immersion The overthrow of Parangosky and Osman; the author's blatant distaste for the pair bleeds into Lasky and Roland.
  • This story can stray into the old trap of "author's favored 'verse coming in and playing the Sue card" in parts. While it's a decent read, there's definitely a "UNSC-is-better-than-you-just-because" feel to this story, as at times ME-'verse characters show a sudden drop in IQ and competence while dealing with the Infinity crew, and the UNSC characters operate like they have an Omniscient Morality License on several occasions.

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The Price of Unity by Lord Caelum

• Crossover with: Star Wars
• Recommended by: Vazeron1
• Status: Dormant
• Synopsis: Multi-crossover with a Halo and Star Wars focus. Decades after the Human-Covenant war, Grey Team has been recovered, bringing information that had cost them their lives. A new conflict is on the Horizon.
• Comments: Absolutely recommended by this troper. While it does start off slowly, I absolutely loved basically everything about this fanfiction. My only critique is that it doesn't focus much at all on individual characters, but when it does it does it realistically (with perhaps one exception), making you care about characters and understand them a mere paragraph or three in. It's expansion of the Halo universe as the centuries go on is realistic, done nigh-perfectly, and I legitimately believed I was reading Canon at several points. While the Star Wars crossover may put some people off, do give it a chance, as it's done extremely well, even if the vast array of numbers may be off-putting at first. Furthermore, the fic is absolutely hilarious at times, making me laugh out loud repeatedly, and still manages to be serious, professional, and simply an amazing read. The UNSC is definitely starting to turn into a military power, with little thought given to civilian oversight, which, while terrifying, is remarkably benign, and done in a superb and realistic manner. The writing is simply superb, with little to no grammar or spelling mistakes, and the stylism being absolutely top notch. An absolutely worthy read, even if you're not too familiar with Star Wars Canon (like me). There are a few references you might miss (a throw away line concerning Grand Admiral Thrawn, for instance), but they are minor and not at all needed to enjoy the story. If you've seen the movies, you're fine. Even if you haven't, you're still probably fine, but you should probably just watch them already. Same goes for the Halo universe. If you've played the games, even just the original trilogy, again, you're fine. The more, the better, obviously, but it in no way detracts. All in all, an amazing read, and one that I very, very much hope is updated soon.

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Promise of Dawn by Lucifra

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Worm
• Status: One-Shot
• Synopsis: Regent takes the wrong thrall, and regrets it.
• Comments: An OC with Tinker power of creating UNSC techs, including MJOLNIR Armor.

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The Reclaimer of Mandalore by UNSC indomitable

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Star Wars
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: Having been awoken by his faithful companion. The Master Chief and Cortana find themselves in an unknown galaxy. Knowing the only way to survive is to remain under the radar. But in a galaxy gripped by war, such a thing was never going to be easy. As the Chief try's to up hold the status quo in the ever changing world of Mandalore, as the galaxy slowly torn apart around them.
• Comments: To make this fic feel more authentic, the author actually uses Mando'a words all over the fic.

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Red In Tooth And Claw by JA Baker

• Recommended by Gentlemens Dame 883
• Crossover with: Battlestar Galactica
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: The good ship Battlestar Galactica encounters the derelict, but still the good, Forward Unto Dawn and its Spartan cargo. A brief encounter with leftover Flood is but the start of trouble for both sides, however, who can barely trust the other.
• Comments: It's a crossover with Battlestar Galactica — the 2003 version. Occasionally, Some pretty glaring spelling errors pop-up, usually involving homophones (the author mistook "metal" for "mettle" in the second chapter) and missing or switched out letters. This can snap you out of some otherwise good writing.
  • Night: This is not a good story. It is unfaithful to the characters of all involved; they are at best hollow, superficial versions of themselves

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Reflection in Steel by CommissarRasher

• Recommended by: Tabula Rasa
• Crossover with: Warhammer 40,000
• Status: Dormant
• Synopsis The UNSC Wotan is the finest ship ever built by human hands. But now its crew faces the greatest challenge of their lives. Trapped in a strange land, they must survive and try to find a way home in a dark galaxy where there is only war.
• Comments The largest and most powerful warship built by the UNSC is transported into the 40k universe and must find its way home. Following a diverse cast of characters from both sides of the crossover, this story avoids some of the common problems of crossovers I've seen. Neither side is overpowered and the characters never use meta knowledge of the setting to counter each other, also noted for not having the UNSC characters become friends with anyone in 40k, and not using the setup as an excuse to have Spartans fight Space Marines. The story is also available on SpaceBattles where it updates more frequently, in small chunks rather than the massive 10-20,000 word chapters the author uploads to FF.net.

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Ripples by LadyKnightSkye

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Tremors
• Status: Completed
• Synopsis: Tired of their dull lives in remote Perfection, Nevada, best friends John and Fred decide to leave the little town behind. However, they stumble upon one bizarre death after another, preventing them from leaving the valley. Rallying a town of misfits and odd ducks, they try to figure out just what the hell is going on before it's too late.
• Comments: Its a retelling of Tremors with Civilian AU!Blue Team replacing the movie characters, including John, Frederic-104 & Human!Cortana as the main character.

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Rising Tide by EliteArbiter

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Star Wars
• Status: Dead; last updated February 20th, 2022
• Synopsis: The sudden arrival of the UNSC and ex-Covenant factions into the Andromeda Galaxy caused unmissable changes within the galactic community. But as the awe in the newcomers fades and time ticks down towards Knightfall, low tide passes unseen, and in the murkiest depths of the galaxy, the tide begins to rise...
• Comments: Inspired by UH-60 Nightstalker's "The Terran-Republic Affair", Things are already tense between The Republic and UNSC, but then The Flood breaks out onto Andromeda...

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Roses and Violets by Gashadokur0 (FF.Net Link)

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Cyberpunk 2077
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: Ever heard of a giant Megacorp falling down from the sky? Neither did Night City, until a surviving group of UNSC came down with a mishmash of a UNSC Carrier ship. That certainly gave Night City something to talk about for months.
  
  After consecutively suffering from the Created Conflict and the Banished Assault, UNSC Revenant decides to land on Earth to reestablish a base, regroup with the other surviving UNSC groups, and recover the strength to Finish the Fight.
  
  Now Night City watches in awe as they see Spartans in action, various alien technologies outperform and overpower the pre-existing Megacorps, and UNSC slowly changes the city for the better, to the horror of the people and to the excitement of the Corpos.
  
  ... Wait, would it be "the excitement of the people and to the horror of the Corpos"? It pretty much depends on what we're talking about? ...Well alright, then...
• Comments: This is an AU where UNSC started by people leaving Earth due to AI Attacks and considering the planet Persona Non-Gratta until the war against The Banished forces them to resettle on Earth near Night City. Thankfully, they found Cryo'ed Noble 6 to aid them...

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The Secrets of the Past by CrossbySlipspace

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Sword Art Online
• Status: Dead; last updated August 20th, 2015
• Synopsis: Decades after the Great War, Earth found itself the center of an extremely rare slipspace rupture. After several probing expeditions by ONI scout drones, it was discovered that the portal led to the past. As a result, ONI made the decision to send five of its best men back in time to reduce the devastation of the Human-Covenant War.
• Comments: ONI developed an experimental project of sending people back in time, among them is a Spartan whose task is to protect Kazuto Kirigaya & Asuna Yuuki, Ancestor to Dr. Wallace Kujikawa, throughout Sword Art Online incident, only to find himself in the body of Kirito.

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Semper Vigiles by Cypher1597

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Cyberpunk 2077
• Status:
  • Original - Discontinued & Deleted, but someone else found and reupload it.
  • Remake - Ongoing
• Synopsis: Headhunter. Spartan. Killer. Cyrus was many things, but killer is the most accurate term. Now he stands in a city full of killers all vying to be top dog. Let those fools climb over one another to reach the apex. It won't matter because soon it will all come crashing down. All of it, for we are but motes of dust and echoes. From dust, we rise and to dust we go. Semper Vigiles.
• Comments: While both stories are about a Headhunter Spartan and his AI trying to bring order back to Night City as he tries to find his squadmates, the original is relatively more tragic, where one of his squadmates giving up on being a Spartan after failing to find him for decades and start a new life, only for it to crumble, while the remake has her licking her wounds in another country after failed destroying Arasaka as she build a new army, and the Original!Cyrus is much colder and duty-oriented, while Remake!Cyrus is more friendly to others to an extent.

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Set a Fire in Your Heart by Wolfbeast5672

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: 86 EIGHTY-SIX
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: There exists a world on the fringes of space – one untouched by the UNSC and the Covenant. In the end, one faction finally moves in to investigate, only to find something completely different from the backwater, abandoned colony they assumed it was. Believing this planet to be some sort of enemy staging area, a UNSC battle group takes up the mantle of eliminating the faraway threat, only to find themselves pulled into a three-sided war of survival in a human civilization far behind their own – engulfed in a war between humanity, a rogue robotic army known as the Legion… and the alien mercenary raider group known as the Banished.

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Shadows of the Lostbelts by jabinker

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Fate/Grand Order
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: No longer are they contained in one place, no longer are they just menace to humanity for now everyone shall shudder in fear as the shadows from the past, a monument to all of their sins come forth to take them.
• Comments: Sequel to Demons of the Holy Grail. Could've used better spacing.

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Sins Of A Galactic Empire Reborn by zzzxxc1 (Ao3 Link)

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Star Wars
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: When the Milky Way is revealed to the universe at large by a derelict CIS warship, the UEG are forced to become members of the transgalactic community, but its existence is soon threatened by the decline of the Republic, and the rise of an Empire.
• Comments: Republic underestimates UNSC due to still using "Slug Thrower" as their main arsenal, but they managed to prove them wrong. Also, there's Master Chief versus two Jedi Masters.
• Now has a TV Tropes Page: Sins Of A Galactic Empire Reborn

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The Sins of our Fathers by MarkerMagnum (Ao3 Link)

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock, Red-Dead-Redeemer
• Status: Ongoing
• Crossover With: Mass Effect
• Synopsis: Unknown to the Citadel Council, the Human-Covenant war nears its vicious end. Miranda Keyes is seconds too slow. Delta Halo fires, leaving UNSC space as a lifeless snapshot in time. The Citadel must mourn the loss of a civilization they never knew.
• Comments: a unique Halo X Mass Effect fanfic where Earth has become barren and most of the UEG characters are the AIs.

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The Spartan Effect by Gatekeeper333

• Recommended by inferno1818, hunter 139, VoidWhisperers
• Crossover with: Mass Effect
• Status: Dormant (On Hiatus Since May 2019)
• Synopsis: Everyone's favorite Spartan is looking for a new purpose, lucky for him, the Commander his happy to oblige.
• Now has a TV Tropes Page: The Spartan Effect
• Comments: An excellent crossover between the Halo and Mass Effect universes and one of the best fanfictions I have ever read. This takes place during the events of Mass Effect 2 and the author does a very good job of integrating Master Chief and Cortana into the Normandy. All of the characters are true to the source materials with few liberties being taken. Gatekeeper333 has also done a great job of making Shepard one of the best written Shepards I have read in a long time by making him very sarcastic with a lot of depth. The author also has a writing style somewhat similar to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in the non-action scenes and does a great job with the comedy. The action scenes are all very well written with the exception of the first couple chapters. With the exception of the first couple chapters, this fanfic is amazing in almost every way.
  • Seconded: This is hands down the best “Master Chief and Cortana end up in Mass Effect” fic I’ve ever read. I daresay it’s even better than In the Shadow of Gods. The Master Chief’s characterization is on point, as is Cortana’s and the rest of the Normandy crew. There are some issues of course; the Terry Prachett writing style can be rather distracting at times, and personally, I think Master Chief is somewhat quieter than he really should be. But character interactions drive the heart of this story, and the Spartan Effect has enough differences to make up for it, including an excellent portrayal of Cortana’s rampancy and most recently Master Chief’s loyalty mission where the Normandy crew has to deal with a colony overrun with Flood that had stowed away on the Dawn.
  • Also seconded: An incredibly entertaining read, awesome, humorous, heartwarming, terrifying, dramatic and tearjerking in equal measure, with all characters getting their time to shine, even if the core ensemble of Chief, Cortana, Shepard and Miranda are the ones commonly taking center stage. The author's focus on character interaction and development makes it quite memorable, with everyone possessing a distinct personality and keeping the story arcs fresh. - VoidWhisperers
• Tags: M!Shepard, Action, Mass Effect 2*

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The Spartan's Wrath by SpartanPrime101

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Justice League of America
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: I have been called many things since I first arrived in this universe. The locals call me a hero. That boy scout, Superman, calls me a mindless killer. The Amazon…a necessary evil. Gotham's Batman…a murderer. I'm all that and much more…I'm a Spartan.
• Comments: There is something satisfying about "supervillains" losing their Joker Immunity and being treated as 'regular' criminals or terrorists by being investigated, thwarted, and apprehended by various antiterrorism and policing agencies working together.

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Spartans Don't Play Games by You will not find me

• Recommended by Tallens
• Crossover with Game of Thrones
• Status: Active
• Synopsis: The Tourney of Harrenhall was the greatest of its kind in Westeros. It was a grand show of the power of house Whent that drew the attention of all seven kingdoms. However, the Westerlands have arrived with strange new allies. Great warriors who bear the sigil of an eagle with arrows and lightning in its claws. Who are these new allies, and what do they mean for Westeros?
• Comments: Kurt Ambrose and his SPARTAN-IIIs wind up in Westeros. Hiding the true extent of their capabilities, they style themselves as "House Terra", under the sigil of an eagle, a banner under House Lannister. While they hide their true capabilities from the rest of the Seven Kingdoms (and Tywin Lannister), they do begin to effect the course of history, which the story follows as they make their moves. Already, the course of Westeros has been thrown off the rails, and for the most part done in a believable and entertaining way. The rumors and speculation surrounding them (since they don't allow anyone near their base) are fun to read, as is Tywin's thinking when he begins to realize House Terra is only under his control because they allow it.

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Star Wars: Odyssey of the Infinity by IX404

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock, Vinnymoneyho
• Crossover With: Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica (2003)
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: During a routine safety test, the Slipstream Space Drive of the Infinity malfunctions, catapulting them into unknown space. Little do Lasky and the members of the Infinity know that they will soon change the fate of a faraway galaxy.
• Comment: set between Rogue One and A New Hope. While Admiral Gorin's anger put the Infinity squarely against The Empire, Lasky chooses to NOT join forces with The Rebellion as well for being concerningly too "Junta". Instead, Jyn and most of Rogue-One end up joining UNSC.
  • No longer recommending this as it is. The writing is repetitive and droning on, and I disagree with a lot of the author's decisions, from minor stuff such as the unnecessary conflict between UNSC & ONI and adding Battlestar Galactica (2003) to the mix, to major things such as giving N'tho 'Sraom & Thomas Lasky the ability to use The Force, the constant Revan & Admiral Hood bashing, and sparing Jyn Erso from her canon fate and make her join the UNSC only to turn her into a Faux Action Girl. Thankfully, the author is currently rewriting the fic.
  • Going to disagree on the previous statement. It's an alright fic that has gotten a bit more into shape. I do find it odd adding in Battle Star Galactic but it's not terribly written. That and it does remind us that there are two whole galaxies where things are taking place.

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Still in the fight by Scepter 2-1 actual

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Transformers: Prime
• Status: Hiatus
• Synopsis: Team Prime battles to defend Earth from the Decepticons with the help of their human allies. Then one day, a mysterious ship shows up, straight out of another war, carrying one of its most hardened veterans with one of his closest friends. A man known to the enemy as a Demon.
• Comments: While Six hasn't been involved with the canon much (at the time of this writing), things go full throttle when he does.

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The Sword of the Geth by DoctorpooandtheTURDIS (FF.Net Link)

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Mass Effect
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: Dying on Mantle's Approach, Cortana wakes up in an unfamiliar environment. In her drive to get home, she 'employs' the assistance of the local synthetics. Very quickly, however, the plan goes off the rails, with a looming galactic threat, and the local organics' own fear of her kind. She never wanted to be a galactic overlord. But a UNSC AI in an environment woefully unprepared for one of her caliber makes an easy one.
• Comments: Cortana allies herself with the Geth and helps their public image to find a way home.

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Teaching Feeling by A Salty Archer

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Violet Evergarden
• Status: Dead; last updated April 30th, 2022
• Synopsis: They were both machines, killers created by higher causes, brought together for a singular purpose. But war has a way of changing things, and they will have to realize that there is more to life than the battlefield. The only question is, if they will be able to come to that realization before it's too late.
• Comments: In this world, Covenant appeared later than canon, meaning the Spartan are used against the Innies longer than in Canon. One day, Spartan II Aidan finds out that the Innies try to replicate The Spartan program when he faces a young blonde girl who took down a team of ODST singlehandedly...

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To Infinity (Formerly 'The Infinty Effect') by creamofwheat2311

• Recommended by TimothyMan
• Status: On hiatus
• Crossover: Mass Effect
• Synopsis:After discovering a Precursor artifact, the UNSC Infinity and the Sangheili Shadow of Intent are transported to a universe unlike anything they have ever seen, and forced into a war against a foe they never could have imagined: the Reapers. Alliances are founded, friendships are formed, and decisions are made that will change this galaxy forever. Post Halo 4, Pre ME3. AU.
• Comments: I'm very new here so I'm sorry if my inexperience shines blindingly through, like not flagging enough as spoilers, making this hard to read, or making mistakes, so be weary of that. A few things. first is that this story is AU, for instance, Noble Team, Cortana, and both Kaidan and Ashley are alive, and it's kind of hand-waived how they survived for the most part, so if that bothers you too much, look elsewhere. second, Halo is a bit OP ship for ship, but it's balanced by being ridiculously out numbered by the Reapers. With that in mind, the basic premise is the Infinity, Shadow of Intent arrive in the Mass Effect Sol System just before the Reapers arrive. The first contact part was done well, the space battles are fun, the characters are in character for the most part, there are tensions between the UNSC and the Sangheili for once, Halo tech overshadows Mass Effect's, and Spartans are of course badass. Though admittedly a bit too badass, as they steal the spotlight from Shepard a bit, though hopefully that will change in the political intrigue part of the story. Overall, I would give this a glowing recommendation, though keep in mind I'm a terrible critic, so hopefully someone else can give it a more critical analysis.
  • It's got a good story. Though at times the dialogue is awkward, and the grammar and spelling are not perfect, it's still a solid fic. I would recommend this to anybody who wants to see a full-scale UNSC vs. Reaper fight.
  • Since August 29, 2018, it has been edited, slightly cut down, and several characters from the plot, including Noble Team, removed by the author himself as he feels that his writing has improved. Even so, this is still a very good fic.

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Threading The Needle by surrealer

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Ben 10
• Status: Dead; last updated December 11th, 2022
• Synopsis: In a world where humanity is at the edge of extinction, Eleanor Cross has to figure out the balance between defending herself and her Plumbers from ONI and working with the UNSC to take down the Covenant. The Master Chief, in all of his glory and nobility, is making it very difficult to see where the line is between the "black ops bastards" that ONI is perpetually populated with and the heart-of-gold heroes of the war.
• Comments: This story takes place in a universe where Ben Tennyson and his team were born in the 2500s, a few years before the Covenant attacked humanity. Decades later, an Anodite-Human hybrid OC, Eleanor Cross, must return to the organization that betrayed her and her family to stop the Covenant from blowing up the entire galaxy in a misguided attempt to attain divinity. And as luck would have it, she is partnered with the only person in the UNSC who stands a chance against her — the Master Chief.

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Truths and Reconciliations by IvoryMaster

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: High School D×D
• Status: Completed
• Synopsis: Something falls out of the sky, so Rias and her peerage investigate, but they will soon learn truths and revelations thought to be lost to time. And what exactly does Ophis know about the Halo Array?
• Comments: The Occult Research Club discovers a Monitor who tells them about Forerunner's history, to bunch of snippets of Three Factions achieve interstellar travel, and that Asia is a Manipular

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United We Stand by Mayto

• Recommended by: Red-Dead-Redeemer
• Crossover with: Mass Effect
• Status: Dormant; last updated June 5, 2021
• Synopsis: Starting off at the height of the Human-Covenant War during the battle of New Ghent: just as the local UNSC forces are losing to the Covenant, drop pods of unknown origin appear. These troops soon reveal themselves to be aliens, but not of Covenant races, and even more surprising to the combatants, begin fighting the Covenant to assist the humans.
  The Citadel intervenes in the Human-Covenant War.
• Comment: A crossover that isn't just yet another First Contact War, "Humanity Fuck Yeah!", roflstomp.

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Voltron Spartan Defenders by Codey-Wraith

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Voltron: Legendary Defender
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: Who would you want to control Voltron? A soldier that protects those around them or a power-hungry madman? Follow the Master Chief and his allies as they assemble Voltron to defeat those who threaten the universe.
• Comment: Noble Six pilots Red Lion, Tom-B292 & Lucy-B091 pilots Green Lion, Frederic-104 pilots Blue Lion, Jorge-052 pilots Yellow Lion and Chief pilots Black Lion. Together with Dr. Halsey, Cortana, and other Gen-III Spartans, they fight against the Garla Empire — but in Spartan style, not the traditional Team Voltron's, to Allura's frustration, despite its effectiveness. However, James Ackerson has gone turncoat against UEG and developed his own Spartan program...

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W[e]re it so eas[y]. by lleelbro

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: NieR: Automata
• Status: Dead; last updated June 2nd, 2021.
• Synopsis: After drifting in space aboard the crippled Forward Unto Dawn for over four years, Master Chief and Cortana find themselves on a world uncharted and untouched by either the UNSC or the Covenant. Inhabited by a primitive civilization of Humans with strange abilities, this planet hosts a brand new challenge. But deep within, age-old secrets will reveal not all is as it seems.
• Comments: a good fic cut short. The entire fic (so far) managed to keep Master Chief & Cortana avoid 2B & 9S.

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Were it So Easy by Sigma0327

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Mass Effect
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: Six's life was a giant war. Every battle was a test of sheer tenacity and stubbornness against insurmountable odds. Every moment, every bullet fired, every Covenant, Insurrectionist, and Flood spore killed has led up to his last fight. Once again he was one of the few that stood between Earth and her enemies. This would be his final battle, and nothing could change that, right?
• Comments: Six is stranded in Mass Effect galaxy just a few days before The Collector first strikes.

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When There Was a Tomorrowby General Rage

• Recommended by Crow T R0bot
• Crossover with: Mass Effect
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: While investigating a wormhole in deep space after the Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC, Commander Shepard and his jolly Normandy crew come under attack by the Covenant and eventually escape through said wormhole and are escorted to Reach just in time for the events of Halo: Reach. While trying to assuage a xenophobic Alternate Universe humanity of his loyalties, the good Commander aids Noble Team in Reach's defense, and learns a great deal of this new galaxy...while trying to save it.
• Pairings: Male!Shepard/Tali.
• Comments: Perhaps an even better Halo/Mass Effect crossover than The Last Spartan (listed above). Both the Halo and Mass Effect cast are in character, and despite the latter being the more developed of the two, play rather nicely off the former. Tensions are always high due to Halo!Humanity's understandable xenophobia towards aliens, ONI constantly trying to subvert Shepard's authority and get the secrets of his universe's tech, and Legion's interactions with Noble Six as it tries to understand organics more. The action sequences are very tightly done, and do not feel rushed or slow. Overall a very solid and addictive read.
  • I read this fic twice. The first time through was engrossing; the second, unbearable. The fight scenes which had seemed detailed and riveting now dragged, hampered by their own weight. The grammar and spelling issues, which I hadn't noticed before, were so obtrusive that after a while, the fic was simply unreadable.
  • Now has its own page.

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Wrong Place, Right Time: A Hero's Story by DLTA-BOT (Ao3 link)

• Recommended by The Shattered 0513
• Crossover with: Fallout4
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: A hero's journey doesn't always start where they expect. It doesn't always happen to those who expect it. Damon was never interested in being what Spartans represented: an implacable force for good standing as humanity's shield. Like most other third-generation Spartans, the war took everything from him. All he wanted was to return the favor. Sometimes we don't get a choice.
• Comments: It's a pretty good rewrite of the main campaign, especially in regard to the Institute and Railroad. The SPARTAN-III OC and Nate both get a good dose of character development over the course of the story. Action scenes are rather diverse, showing just how smart (and dangerous) a SPARTAN can be.

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Zero Trust by Roach99

• Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
• Crossover with: Cyberpunk
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: After unfortunate circumstances, a stranger finds himself in a familiar but stranger land. Though lost and cut off, this is not the end. Rather, a possible new beginning. A place of sights and circumstance- the conclusion of one phase of life and the beginning of another. A new life to be found, and another conflict to wage.
• Comments: A Spartan is stranded in Night City and become a Solo to survive.

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Shipping Fics

Stories focused on the romantic relationships between the cast.

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Memories by Trivun

• Recommended by Crispy Mongoose
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: Starting with the immediate aftermath of Ghosts of Onyx (published canon work) the story focuses on Tom and Lucy, two SPARTAN-IIIs who find themselves the unlikely leaders of the group trapped in the Onyx Dyson Sphere. In an attempt to help Lucy deal with her trauma-induced muteness, Tom recalls a past operation on the long since glassed world of Meridian, only for Doctor Halsey to realise that there was more to the operation than meets the eye. Going back to Meridian's destruction and Operation SOOTHSAYER, we see just how far the Forerunner's knowledge of humanity went, and the first combat-enabled smart AI finds herself in a situation more desperate than either she or Halsey could have ever foretold...
• Pairings: Het, Tom/Lucy. Truth be told it's more of a friendship thing, though there are some serious hints that their relationship could be considered more of a romantic one...
• Comments: Not the best written piece, but still pretty damn decent compared to most stuff on the same topic. Sturgeon's Law, eh? A decent story with plenty of knowledge of the canon, in fact it seems almost as if the writer is trying pretty hard to keep as close to the canon as possible, and the result is a fan fic that is probably worth your time. Just need to watch out for the occasionally uninspired and awkward prose, and the writer doesn't seem to be able to write combat quite as well as he writes the buildup and the underlying conspiracy type subplot.

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The Way By Moonlight by ChuckMeMondays

• Recommended by The Wild West Pyro
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: "The dream recurs, and each time, there's nothing he can do to stop it. Again and again and again and again. Every time he closes his eyes, all night long. Over and over. It's all he thinks about. Almost like he's the one going rampant." AU
• Pairings: John/Cortana
• Comments: A simple but heartwarming and very well done fic. John and Cortana are kept in-character the whole time and none of them deviate from their characters. And rather than having John get increasingly emotional, the author has him slowly open up around Cortana instead, something that other fics seem to lack. There's no slow buildup over time, either-the author gives brief snippets as both experience love for the first time and skips straight to the fluffy bits.

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