Disclaimer: This story is set after the events of the original trilogy games. This is inspired by but not linked to or in line with the story that 343 has set for the universe and is not to be taken as canonical in any way. This story is purely fanfiction and all characters and terms belong to 343. Many of the things may not be or should I say will not be canonically correct due to my own lack of in-depth lore. I will be going off the lore hinted at and established by Bungie in regards to the forerunner. This is why there will be stark differences. I have made what I feel to be a fair attempt at keeping things lore friendly while allowing those who are not familiar with the series or the lore to be able to understand.
Halo: Reclaimer
Chapter 1
The Reclaimed
An office worker is writing a report using a notepad to type on. They are alone in a room. The decorum spare of anything that would hamper productivity. The aesthetic is for lack of a better term sterile. As they type they receive a notification needing their attention. They skim through the contents of the message before running out of the door in an almost panic state.
Year: 2557
Four years ago humanity changed forever. Four years ago the end of a three decade war ended. Not a war between nations or ideals but one for survival, proof that humanity's efforts and triumphs had not been in vain. Four years ago the actions of one man changed the course of history forever. Four years ago humanity lost it's champion.
"Mayday! Mayday! This is Frigate Forward Until dawn." An automated message repeated. "We have survivors onboard. Numbers: 1 Designate Sierra 1-1-7 Repeat."
A space ship, battle damaged and torn in half, floats aimlessly orbiting a planet in uncharted space. The half destroyed ship repeats it's message. A sudden rumble shakes the ship. In the inner part of the ship lies the cryo bay. Within it stand cylindrical pods large enough to easily hold a person within. At the furthest pod from the entrance a rather large man easily seven feet tall wearing a full body set of damaged armor rest. Ice has built up in this room but it is clear that it still has air pressure. Before the man's pod rests a pedestal upon which a glowing holographic blue orb rest.
As the ship shakes the orb flashes first white then red before returning to the blue color it was once before. A second rumble and the orb shatter with light. In it's wake stands a small hologram, no more than six inches tall, of a woman appearing to be in her twenties. She turns to the man with a troubled look on her face as she says in a soft voice. "I need you to wake." She motions her hands creating a holographic board before her. She begins to type knowing how he'd react.
The man frozen in time begins to have life put back into him. Moving slowly his fingers working his way up to his arms to regain his motions. He spends a few moments making sure he can move before noticing the pain he feels all over his body.
"Chief, take it slow. You did enter cryo sleep wearing that so you're going to feel the effects. Please take your time getting up but don't wait too long." The blue woman said referring to the man.
The man stays silent before reaching for the release bar to the pod freeing himself from it. He looks at his holographic companion.
"Cortana, So how long has it been?" He says.
Another rumble shakes the ship.
"What was that?" He comments.
"Chief, it's black team. They got the signal but they're not alone. I'll explain more as we go but for now we need to get to the escape pods."
Not entirely sure of the situation Chief waves his hand toward Cortana drawing her into his suit; the pain of the motion still affecting him but not hindering his actions. He picks up an assault rifle and a pistol that were lying in the room, remnants of the actions leading to their current situation. With these in hand he leaves the room to look at a map of the ship.
The ship's elevators and defenses were all offline due to the shear amount of damage the ship had received in its prior battles. The only things running were the ships life support and gravity functions. The ship's escape pods were located a few levels below their current location. With this known he heads to the nearest door.
"Chief be careful, I don't know what parts of the ship have lost pressure due to the dawn being cut in half."
He opens the door only to go flying out of it only to find himself spinning in the middle of the room.
"Gravitational function seems to be spotty, watch out for that too." Cortana says trying to make light of the situation. "But joking aside we need to hurry."
Chief activates the magnets on his boots and uses the thrusters on his shoulders to realign himself with the floor. He starts making his away down using the stairs when possible and having to find himself swap between scaling down elevator shafts to swimming across weightless rooms. As he approached the escape pods he begins to ask his companion questions.
"You said black team was here. How? I was expecting a rescue party."
"Well we got a covenant fleet."
"But we have a truce with them."
"Not these ones. The further we put distance between us and this ship the faster we can get to black team. They'll explain what's going on here better than I can at the moment."
They board the ship and depart.
"He's alive?" A woman's voice said.
A well-dressed woman sitting at a desk speaking to a panel of different faces over a monitor looks at text document. Her office spartan in design with the only decoration being a triangular symbol with the letters O-N-I spelled across. The words "Office of Naval Intelligence" spelled beneath.
"The report says. We have our associates' confirmation that the ship is indeed the Forward unto Dawn. The Master Chief is on that ship." One of the faces says.
"This would be a problem. He isn't bound to the truth Musa has presented but he doesn't know about the Spartan Branch." Another of the figures says.
"I've a solution. We can bring him back." Says the woman.
The scene changes to a hangar. Cargo boxes and vehicles packed away but ready to be used at a moment's notice lie around in orderly rows. Soldiers inventory and inspect the cargo as well as move supplies around. Men and women dressed in various incarnations of a head to toe armor talk to one another in groups of four.
A call comes over the intercom. A female voice calls out. "This is Spartan Commander Palmer, Fire Team Domino and Fire Team Crimson Come to the war games simulator."
Four individuals, two male two female, all wearing full body armor sit looking up as the announcement came.
"Wow that's like the sixth time in a row someone has called out Crimson for cheating." Says a man wearing a full body set of black armor.
" Buck, It's likely because the keep parking the jeep on the teleporting in the simulation." The deep voice of the other man said. His armor black but sporting blue highlights.
"I used to be on Domino. There tough but I can't say anything about Crimson. But if you ask me Locke, that would be cheating." A woman said.
"You call it cheating I say that's a legitimate strategy. Deny your enemy position and control the area. Tanaka it sounds like your old team is mad because they're getting out played." The remaining member said jokingly.
"Vale." Tanaka says before shaking her head. "We all know how this is going to end. But it would be nice if we could end that streak of theirs."
"You know before joining up with you guys I was planning on joining Castle team but they lost to Crimson so I'd like to not be a part of another team's winning streak." Bucks says joking. "OK Locke, enough talk about those try hards what's our mission today? More wargames?"
"What's a try hard?" Vale ask
"Someone who just beat a cry baby."
Locke looks at his data pad ignoring the banter of his team. His eyes stare for a moment.
"ONI has a job for us."