Halo
A Marines Perspective
0103 Hours, September 19, 2552 (Military Calendar)/ UNSC Cruiser Pillar off autumn, location unknown
Ensign Charles awoke with a start finding himself on the bridge of the pillar of autumn. Charles asked a nearby engineer, Thomas, where they were going. Thomas proclaimed that they had just left the system of reach. The Covenant destroyed the entire system of Reach. He wasn't quite sure because he had blacked out at the same time that a nearby engineer had.
"Very few of Dr. Halsey's Spartans survived that battle. "Only one known Spartan survived and he is on this very ship", said Thomas. "His code number is Spartan-117, AKA John."
Charles looked around and found a corporal with 2 purple hearts looking at us and probably eavesdropping on our conversation. Charles got up and walked over to the control panel where captain Jacob Keyes was standing smoking his pipe and looking at a strange ring like structure
"What happened after most of the marines blacked out sir?" Charles asked him
Keyes merely said "The Covenant that's what happened. Invaded Reach and wiped out the entire system." (This was by far the most humiliating defeat the UNSC had faced since the beginning of the Human- Covenant War)
"So what everyone is saying is true then?"
"I'm afraid so", said Keyes. "But there is even worse news than losing the system."
"And what might that be sir?" Asked Charles.
"It seems the Covenant are already ahead of us, orbiting that ring like structure."
"They were either already here before us or they merely got here before us", interrupted the AI Cortana.
"What do you have to report, Cortana?" asked Keyes.
Nothing good sir. Some of the Covenant have already boarded the autumn. It's like I said, sir, Covenant ships have always been faster then ours."
Keyes looked at the console, staring at the strange ring structure. "What exactly am I looking at here Cortana?" He asked
It appears to be some technological advancement. It doesn't appear to be made by either us or the Covenant. This is so perplexing sir, the designs, I've never seen them before in my life," said Cortana.
Jacob sighed. He mumbled to himself. "So this is neither Human nor Covenant, so what is it then?" "Cortana I want all the information on all UNSC and Covenant Ships used throughout the war."
"Whatever this ring is the Covenant sure want it badly." Keyes knew the covenant were a bunch of religious aliens blabbering on about a Great Journey.
No one in the UNSC knew anything about it. "Perhaps this ring plays an important role in the Covenants Great Journey?"
"Perhaps Captain. Should I deploy the few marines we have left?"
Keyes paused for a moment, hesitant to give the order because he knew the outcome already. His marines would be slaughtered like flies by the Covenant. Keyes looked up and stared at Cortana
"You have a plan Captain?"
"Send in the marines. Tell Johnson to give them a quick pep talk." Keyes always found Johnson's pep talks to be funny and motivational at the same time. "Cortana go wake our friend"
"Already have sir," replied Cortana