Chapter 1- Pillar of autumn

-Did we lose them?

A Space Cruiser gets out of a slip-space hole. The crew of this human cruiser thinks that they're safe. Suddenly, two Covenant cruiser shows up in the same slip-space hole before it closes. They hold the human cruiser from running away and they create a bridge to take their troops inside the human cruiser. Despair takes control of the human cruiser known as Pillar of Autumn. In the control room of the Pillar of Autumn, Captain Keyes tries to find a way out with the AI known as Cortana:

-Cortana, what options do we have now?

-Let me see… a slip-space jump would be suicidal and sending our recruits to the battle would also be suicidal. I've already activated the M-12 Cannons, but they aren't helping at all. There is… him.

-Master Chief. I'm sending a soldier to wake him up. Cortana, you know that he's not the same since-

-Reach, I know. But he is the only one who can save the recruits, take them out of the Cruiser and land on Arkansas.

-Mendoza, go to Cryo 2 and wake Chief up.

-Sir, yes sir.

Mendoza grabs a pistol and start running through the spaceship. There is Elites, Jackals, Grunts and even Hunters in the cruiser. Mendoza, gets shot with a plasma gun in his right arm, but he doesn't stop running. He finally gets to Cryo 2 and he sees Master Chief pod. There is a button in the middle of the pod, he press it and the pod starts opening. A little bit confuse, Master Chief gets out of the pod and get the pistol from the Marine and says:

-I'll go first. Where do we have to go?

-Master Chief, Sir, we need to go to the Control Room and meet with Captain Keyes, he said that he needs you and it is urgent.

Master Chief opens the Cryo 2 door and gets shot by a Grunt. The Grunt also kills Mendoza. Chief kicks the Grunt so hard that he flies away. A plasma grenade blows up in front of Chief, but his shield regenerator saves him from dying. Chief run through the cruiser, killing every Covenant that stands in his way.

He finally gets to the Control Room, where Captain Keyes is waiting him patiently:

-Master Chief good to see you. - Keyes shakes hands with Chief- You know that we are passing through a hard moment right now and I have a mission to you Chief. You need to take the recruits out of this Cruiser. Also, you need to take Cortana with you out of this ship, she is too important to be left behind. I'll activate Protocol Cole now Chief, good luck.

Chief put Cortana in a memory disk and connect her to his armor. He grabs an assault rifle and goes to the fight. Cortana asks Chief:
-John? Is that your real name?

-My real name is John-117. Now stop asking and give me answers. Where the recruits are hidden?

-They're hiding in the arsenal center, there are two hunters over there! They won't hold much longer there, John, you have to save them.

Chief stands in front of the door of the arsenal center, he starts thinking in a plan, Cortana look into his mind to see what is the plan and she says:

-No, John… this is madness!

-Madness? Don't underestimate me.

He opens the door and he runs into the first Hunter, which is trying to knock down the door where the recruits are hidden. He pulls out a grenade and throws into the Hunter's back. Chief sees an energy sword next to the second Hunter. The first Hunter blows up and the second tries to hit Chief with his shield, but Chief quickly dodge and get the energy sword. He immediately throws the energy sword into the head of the second Hunter. The Hunter dies and Chief says:

-Recruits, the Hunter is dead, you can get out of your hidden spot. We're leaving this ship.

All the recruits are crying and afraid of the Covenant. They grab as many weapons as they can and leave the room. Cortana screams in Chief's head, and he asks:
-Cortana, are you alright?

-I don't know… I was looking into the camera files and there was an Elite and a human fighting together to fight something in the Cruiser, both were terrified and afraid of this thing. Then, this thing showed up and destroyed the camera, I couldn't clearly see it. We have to get these recruits out of here, now!

Chief lead the recruits to the spaceship port, there is only one pelican left. There are a lot of Covenant troops around that Pelican. Chief look to the recruits and whisper to all of them:

-Shoot when I shout "Fire".

Everyone agrees and they stay one level up the floor waiting for the signal. Chief run next to the Covenant troops and start shooting them, in order to draw attention. Chief hide behind a weapon crate and he shouts:
-FIRE!

All the recruits start shooting, killing what's left of the Covenant troop. All the recruits go down to the floor and get in the pelican. Cortana contact Captain Keyes:

-Keyes, are you out of the Pillar of Autumn?

-No, Cortana, I'm inside the cruiser.

-What are you doing there? Are you crazy?

-I'm doing what I have to do. Goodbye, Cortana.

-KEYES! NO!

The Pillar of Autumn blows up, but its explosion was so devastating, that destroyed one of the Covenant cruiser and damaged the other Covenant cruiser. The second cruiser collapsed in Arkansas, where all the human pelicans and life-pods where heading to. That means that the fight wasn't over yet. Cortana starts talking:

-Why would Keyes blow up the Cruiser? Something isn't right. Covenant and human fighting side by side against something else, Keyes blowing up the Cruiser…

Chief lands in the planet with the recruits, grab some ammo to his assault rifle and some ammo to his pistol. A recruit asks Chief:

-Sir, do you think that a bunch of recruits can make it to the nearest UNSC base?

-Now you are recruits. By the time you leave this pelican, you'll all become Marines. Are you ready, Marines?

Everyone smiles a little bit and they shout:

-SIR, YES SIR!