CHAPTER 1

MISSION UPDATE

SIII PETTY OFFICER THIRD CLASS COLIN "IRISH" B027

DATE: UNKNOWN

LOCATION:UNKNOWN

LAST KNOWN LOCATION: SOEIV BAY OF UNSC POINT OF NO RETURN GEOSYNC ORBIT OVER NEW MOMBASA

END UPDATE

Stars exploded across my vision as my SOEIV impacted the surface of the planet, dirt and debris flying everywhere as it dug several feet into the ground. I shook my head as I tried to clear it and grabbed my M7 Caseless SMG and activated my hatch, it exploded outwards landing 10 feet away. I launch myself out of the pod, weapon up and scanning for hostiles. Seeing none I turn around and collect my other weapon from my pod, the SRS99D-S2 Anti-Matériel, more commonly known as The Sniper Rifle. I checked it for damage, satisfied it was in working order I slung my SMG on my back and shouldered it. I grabbed and counted in all the mags I had for it 20 extended mags each holding 6 rounds, 120 rounds of pure destruction I could reach out and touch someone with. I next inspected my armor for any damage from the drop, again satisfied I take of my helmet and take a look at it, the worn dark green metal and faded gold visor of my SPI suit wasn't dented or damaged, happy I slipped it back on and ran a systems check on my SPI suit. My photoreactive panels finally sputtered and I melted into my surroundings

I moved towards some prefab buildings I had seen right before landing. The town was eerily silent with almost no sounds to be heard other than a quiet buzzing. I kept my guard up not trusting the buzzing noise to be more than simple background noise. As I swept through the streets I noticed what had to be pods floating on the dirt roads. Strange must be some form of transport. I thought to myself as I kept moving, still finding no sign of life.

Gunfire sounded in the distance, couldn't have been farther than a couple hundred yards. I sprinted the distance eager to find some sort of life. I found a boxed courtyard but the door leading in was locked. I looked around and found a crate I could climb on to get onto the courtyard wall. Finally clambering up the wall I saw a squad of 3 humans and one tall and skinny alien in blue armor. They were fighting some sort of bug looking creatures that shot beams out of insectoid looking guns. I quickly decided to support the humans and lined up a shot with one of the creatures heads. Pause a heartbeat, CRACK, the creature dropped missing half its head. The human squad ducked thinking the shot was coming for them, but quickly recovered when I put a second shot into another bug's head making it backflip headless.

My comm gear in my helmet lit up with a faint signal. "Anyone see where those shots came from?" A female voice asked.

"No, but whomever it was they're good, two perfect headshots" replied a deeper voice that had a weird vibration to it.

I kept quiet but sent my location with an arrow over my head through the channel.

"Guess that answers that" the female said again. "If you are friendly, mind supporting us while we try to get these defense towers online?"

I sent a green light through the channel and went back to focusing on targets. CRACK CRACK, CRACK, CRACK, another four bugs go down missing some if not all of their heads. I drop my mag and swap another looking for targets but finding none.

"Thanks for the assist." The female said, "We should be clear want to come down?"

Sweeping the area one more time I saw a giant flying thing coming towards the courtyard. I flashed a red light and highlighted the thing.

"Heads up!" The female, who I was figuring out to be the leader, yelled. And the others got to cover and opened fire on the thing. CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK, CRACK, CRACK, I fired six shots as fast as I could into one of thing's eyes and watched it drop to the ground. However instead of dying the thing created a huge shockwave that sent the squads box cover tumbling and them scattering to find new cover. I swore and dropped the mag from my sniper and swapped for another, this one labeled HEAP or High Explosive Armor Piercing. I racked the slide and took aim on the mouth of the thing, waited for it to open its mouth and fired 3 times and watched as the thing's eyes dimmed and it started disintegrating.

"Shepard the Guardian Batteries are up, beginning fire." A robotic female voice stated as the giant turrets started firing at a giant insectoid ship in the distance. The ship started to rise and take off towards the sky and soon was out of sight.

"Good work team let's go get to the shuttle, hey Mr. Sniper care to join us?" "Shepard" said.

I flashed a green light and jumped down of the wall, landing softly on the ground and walked over to the group of soldiers deactivating my SPI's camo system as I did so. The leader of the group was wearing dark grey body armor with a red stripe and a N7 on the left part of her chest. She also had Commander bars on painted on the collar of her armor.

Years of instinct commanded my next move. I snapped to attention and gave a crisp salute. "Commander Ma'am!"

Surprised she quickly composed herself and returned the salute. "At ease." She said as I lowered my salute and relaxed. She extended her hand in a handshake which I returned.

"Commander Lillian Shepard, Alliance Navy, Spectre. Thanks for the assist Mr.?"

"Petty Officer Third Class Spartan B027 Fireteam Delta, UNSC."

"I'm sorry, I've never heard of the UNSC but I appreciate the assist, what are you doing here?"

They've never heard of the UNSC? where the hell am I?

"Ma'am where exactly am I?"

"The planet Horizon, Iera System, but how do you not know that?"

I've never heard of Horizon. But I guess it coud be a private colony away from UNSC space.

"I need to get back to Earth, Do you have a craft capable of getting me back there?"

"Yes, but that doesnt answer my question. How do you not know what planet you are on Petty Officer."

"My pod hit the ground pretty hard, I might have just forgotten what planet I was dropped on."

"Well then lets get you checked out by our doctor back on our ship. Now answer my question, Why are you on Horizon?"

Need to come up with something, I may be in possible enemy territory.

"My pod, was a life pod my ship got destroyed in orbit a while ago and crashed here on planet. I barely made it to the pod before my ship was destroyed."

"Alright, you don't appear hostile so I'll bring you aboard for now, but I will have someone monitoring you."

"Aye."

"Miranda!" Shepard called.

"Yes, Shepard." The other female in the squad answered. Her "armor" was much different. It was what looked like a catsuit made out of leather.

"Keep this quiet for now I will have EDI monitoring communications between you and TIM."

"Yes Commander." The brunette beauty replied.

Shepard raised a hand to her ear, "Joker send the shuttle I have a plus one we need to debrief."

"Aye Commander, eta three minutes."

The shuttle soon arrived and I hopped on without a second thought knowing anywhere was probably safer than here. As the shuttle took off, I settled back and went through my mission video footage to see if it caught how I managed to get sucked into another dimension.

START VID PLAYBACK

The screen shakes as the pod is dropped from the UNSC Point of No Return, it soon cleared the clouds and the Covenant carrier came into view as it started to enter slip space. My pod was going directly at the portal, suddenly EMP slammed into my pod and sent it straight into the portal. Blue and black swirled around the camera then the grass and buildings of the planet I landed on came into view and then the pod slammed into the ground.

END VID PLAYBACK

I shook my head I was really stuck here then, I doubt they had slipspace tech in this universe.