Dawn
The Chief wakes up. He's cold. He's in a cryo-chamber. Why is he awake?
Cortana needs him.
He pulls the emergency release. A hiss as air escapes, and Chief stumbles out. His joints are creaky. His muscles are sore. It's the first time he's used them in four years.
Protect Cortana.
He stuffs her into his head. She tells him what to do. He's in his element.
Get to the observation deck.
The Forward Unto Dawn is dark and malfunctioning. The dust from years of disuse floats, fairy-like, in the dim light. The Chief thinks. He tries to remember what happened.
An orange light floods the room, then it's gone. Cortana says something. He keeps going.
A door opens for him. He walks through, cautiously. He wonders irrationally if the ship has Flood. The next door is broken. He pulls it open.
The vacuum beyond sucks him in. He crashes hard into a wall. Looks for a handhold. Yes. Grabs onto it. Debris falling. Stop looking down. Nut up and climb. You're a Spartan.
He reaches the top of the shaft. Dust obscures his sight. Footsteps. An Elite. En garde.
He sees the Elite before it sees him. Sword drawn. No time to think. Left hand grabs sword wrist, right hand grabs face. A twist and the Elite falls into the shaft. Aikido.
Fighting Covenant again. Chief reaches for his AR. Turns into the next room, Elite not facing him. Unshielded. Three bursts. It dies. Grunts are panicking. He kills them also. Room is the observation deck. No windows. He finds the override panel. Turns off the blast shield. Now there are windows.
Covenant cruisers in the distance. Banshees fly right up and then they're gone. Two Phantoms come down and stare him in the face. They can't see him, the glass is polarized. They each take one side of the room. Extend their boarding tunnels. Reminds Chief of Cairo Station. Grunts waddling out.
One grenade as they land, turns them into blue mush. Finishes off the Elite with a burst. Grunt Elite lances. Other side. The Chief runs over and guns them down. They don't land a hit on him. Excellent speed and usage of cover.
If the Covenant didn't know he was here before, they do now. The Master Chief will succeed against them, as he always has.