Disclaimer: I own no rights to the Halo Franchise.

Author's Notes: I'll try to keep this quick. I made this quick short chapter as a sort of pilot to a concept I have. Hopefully you'll get a good gist of what I'm going for here, and you'll continue to read and review the subsequent updates. I'll also go for slightly longer chapter lengths based on reader response and how well it is received. Thanks!

The year is 2556. The Covenant-Human War is over. And at a Chicago Station, a beacon of hope has arrived…

Chicago Station, UNSC Airspace

Lord Terrence Hood leaned closer forward, viewing the data poring onto the monitor. It has been nearly five years since the destruction of the replacement Installation 04 at the Ark, and supposedly with Master Chief on it. Could it really be? "Play it again, we have to be sure…"

"Yes sir," The signals officer ran through the distress signal again. Just like the past three times, the old, familiar voice of Cortana played through the speakers. "This is Cortana, the year is 2552. Spartan-117 designation Master Chief and I are drifting through space on the Forward Unto Dawn, requesting rescue. I repeat, the Master Chief is alive."

Hood began to laugh. Of course, how could they assume Master Chief was dead? He was after all, Master Chief. "Alright, I want a tracking of where this signal came from. We need to find out the trajectory of the spaceship, it couldn't have gone too far the damn thing is floating along in outer space! We lost a lot of good men because of the Covenant, and finally, a beacon of hope, one of those good men might not be dead after all. Collins, get Thel 'Vadam on the phone, let's see what kind of allies these aliens are."

Lord Hood left the communications room and began the walk up the corridor to his office. After the war he chose to move his base of operations to the Chicago Station so he could feel closer to home. Sure, it really didn't matter because he was in space, but the thought of it at least made him comfortable. As he entered his office, another junior officer greeted him, this time holding the phone.

"Sir, the Sangheili Ambassador is ready to speak to you."

"Thank you, you may leave now. Thel 'Vadam, is this you?"

A deep voice replied to him on the phone. "Well, strictly speaking my Earth name is now Theodore, but yes it is I Admiral Hood."

"Ugh, yes, well, it is quite hard to call an alien by the same name as my Grandfather. I have a favor to ask of your men in rescuing a soldier lost in space. I think you may recognize him."

"Well, times are hard right now for the Sangheili to be honest, if you have not heard we are at war with the Jiralhanae, it is taking a significant amount of our time and manpower to conduct this war. Who is this soldier you speak of?"

"It's Master Chief. He's alive."

Theodore paused long enough for Hood to notice. "The demon…is alive? How can this be so, I saw with my own eyes! His ship was caught on the other side of slipspace, the Installation was exploding behind him!"

Hood replied, "Yes, well, it wouldn't be the first time we all thought he was dead. I'm sending you the coordinates now. His ship is drifting, but my boys here have laid out the trajectory of where his ship should be based on the location of the distress signal."

"Okay, yes I see it now coming up on my screen," Theodore used his alien hands to overlay the trajectory over his own star map of the area. When he finally matched the two together, he did what could only be perceived by Lord Hood as an alien gasp. "Admiral Hood, I am not sure how this news will bode with you, but it would appear that Master Chief's ship is bound to crash-land on one of Doisac's moons in one week."

"Doisac…the Brute homeworld? You're shitting me. You got any birds in the area that can help us with a rescue?"

"I wish I was…but my star map does not lie. I am sorry, but the most I can give you in terms of help is the coordinates. It is too early in the war for me to send a taskforce to the Jiralhanae homeworld to assist you. We are fighting in too many places at once as it is, the Sangheili Council would never approve such a thing. I am sorry."

"Just my luck. Ok, send 'em coordinates over." Lord Hood ended the call, and buried his face into his hands. A man named Master Chief saved Earth 5 years ago. The least they could do is try to rescue him. He sighed at the bad timing of it all. Those Brutes had to go picking a fight again, didn't they? He couldn't be too surprised, he wouldn't be too happy either if their megalomaniacal beliefs were destroyed right before their eyes. The Elites were busy with their fight, and he had a military to rebuild. They won the Human-Covenant War, but at an enormous cost. It would take many more years before the UNSC be back at 100%. He picked up the phone again and dialed communications. "Yes, have you triangulated the beacon yet? Yes? Good, send a message, the cavalry are coming and that damned Master Chief better be alive and kicking when he gets back." Master Chief was a hero to him, to the UNSC, and to Earth. Master Chief had to be alive. And that, they had to believe.

Forward Unto Dawn, Oth Sonin System

Messaged received: "I repeat, help is on the way."

Transmitting message: "Roger that, Master Chief and I awaiting your arrival. It took you boys long enough."

Transmission End

Commencing Cryotube Revival Process

"Hey buddy, wake up, time to go home." Cortana began to project herself on the holodeck of the Cryotube, and waited.