This story takes place on Reach, a major planet in the Halo universe, and explores the unsung stories of the civilians and non-military parties caught in the fall of the planet. Consequently, it's unlikely that any major characters from the Halo series will be involved directly, but I hope there are enough connections to the universe as a whole to entertain fans of the series anyway.

This short chapter is a bit of a teaser and intentionally leaves a lot unsaid. The next chapter (if I can somehow find time to write it) will take place before the events described below.

Thanks for visiting my story!

Beep beep beep.

"RICH!"

Beep beep beep.

"Son, you still owe me a fucking drink, so unless you're pouring one.. LETS GO! WE NEED TO GO NOW."

Unbeknownst to the voice, Richard wasn't in a hurry to go anywhere; he was in a soft and warm place, a better place, where the world wasn't on fire and his head wasn't spinning like a baton. Frankly, the prospect of staying there forever wasn't that bad and even felt strangely desirable, however, the firm voice and its vice-like grip weren't going to have any of that. A sharp slap slammed against Richard's face, and before he could protest, he opened his eyes to find himself laying spreadeagled in a snowy courtyard. Above, the dark blue sky was streaked with contrails, stained with plumes of acrid smoke, and dotted with stars and distant fireballs.

Beep beep beep.

Richard deftly slapped the side of his helmet to silence the rude alarm. As he did, he caught a glimpse of the low blood pressure warning in the corner of his visor and became increasingly aware of the warm moisture around his abdomen. Blood, undoubtedly.

"Damn, woman. You nearly took his head off!" chuckled the voice from earlier.

"Apologies. I was merely trying to awaken, Mr. Barrett, and the shock of sudden stimulation has been proven most effective at reviving unconscious subjects." replied a female voice coolly.

Richard quickly shifted his attention beyond the visor's many warnings and realized a girl was kneeling next to him. Her neutral expression shifted into a soft smile as she caught his look of surprise.

"We were quite worried about you, Mr. Barrett." informed the young woman. "Thankfully, your condition has improved to marginally acceptable levels, and your friend, Mr. Tanner, has done an excellent job of securing our perimeter."

"Damn it, just call me Jim!" protested Mr. Tanner as he slung his rifle and walked over. "It's good to have you back, Son." grinned the old veteran as he puffed on what appeared to be two cigars simultaneously. "Now, come on, we have work to do."

As if on cue, the young woman reached into a nearby bag and brandished a M6A handgun. She then skillfully slid in a magazine, racked the slide, and turned on the safety before holding it out for Richard.

"Welcome back to Reach, Mr. Barrett"