Chapter 1

Waking up from cryo sleep

They say when you're in cryo stasis your frozen and asleep all but the primitive side, all but the animal side. I guess that's why I'm still awake and I want to move but I can't. Currently I am aboard the UNSC frigate the Sapphire Hawk and the reason I am on it is because me and my squad were transferred to the new planet we now control and populate. It' almost exactly like Harvest, Earth, and Reach what happened on Harvest and Reach was unspeakable. Although that doesn't matter much to me and my squad anymore we did our grieving and now were back to following orders.

Now even though I can't see, hear or move I can still think and I've been keeping track and we should be a day away from Mars which has been renamed Rebirth. Most the parts of Rebirth haven't changed from Mars but it's only very few and small remote areas. Luckily for me and my team we were going to be stationed at one of the oldest and finest city's built on Rebirth called Atlantis II. From what we have seen in pictures and heard it is a beautiful well-armed and defended city surrounded by an ocean and on the city had lush green plants and vegetation growing amongst it.

So to put it short we were basically going on a permanent vacation and Rebirth is supposed to be the new Earth after the Covenant attacked leaving it in ruins mostly. So while Earth was being rebuilt Rebirth would hold half the Earth's population and natives of Rebirth. I open my eyes with a jolt of shock and energy as the casing in my cryo chamber hiss's open. As the door slowly opened sliding up out of the way so I could climb out I took a gasp of fresh air. It was a little Ironic considering we were in space but lucky for us we had oxygen purifiers in the ship making our carbon dioxide we released into oxygen so we could breathe.

Unlike others in their cryo chambers I step out and stretch while others fall out of them and vomit or they step out and look around in shock until they remember where they are. As I look around I see the two cryo chambers next to me open and my two squad mates step out. Kelsea Troutt was the first to greet me and she walked over with a smile on her face. Her dark blonde and brown hair flowed like a wave behind her as she quickly walked towards me and embraced me.

I smiled back as we left each other's arms and looked at each other "So how did you sleep Kelsea?" She giggled softly the same time I laughed and she gave a shrug. "Well ok I suppose I really couldn't tell since I was knocked out! What about you how did you sleep?" We both laugh as I shake my head and reply. "Well I didn't really sleep felt like I couldn't move for what felt like forever!"

As we continue our conversation next thing I know a muscular arm is wrapped around my neck putting me in a choke hold. I was completely oblivious on who it was until I heard a familiar voice. Mike Mcgrain was his name and while he squeezed more I grunted and gasped a little trying to breathe. "How you doing boss?" just so I could reply I elbow Mike in the ribs loosening his grip and I break free then I elbow him playfully. "Doing just fine now without you trying to choking me out." After having our short lived reunion we decided to report to Commander Armstrong for our briefing.

We walked around stumbling a little at first as we quickly regained our balance after being in the cryo chambers for so long. Once we had reached the bridge we were escorted to the Commander by two Marines. As Commander Armstrong turned around to salute us we repaid the respect by saluting back. Then my gaze turned to his Daughter Casie Armstrong I gave her a respectful nod and smiled. For some reason every time I saw her I went into some trance. But suddenly I snapped out of it and looked at the Commander as he called my name.

"Sergeant Wood glad to see you're finally awake. Hopefully you already know we will be at Rebirth in less than a day." I gave a nod before speaking "Yes I know sir and my team will be prepared and fully rehabilitated by the time we reach Rebirth." The Commander smiled and looked at his daughter with caring eyes. "Good to know because I'm giving you a mission of most importance. My daughter here Lieutenant Armstrong will accompany you. She will be your commanding officer on Rebirth."

I looked at my soon to be commanding officer and kept a straight face. Then Commander Armstrong spoke up again "Once your team is on Atlantis II you will not only have to work and protect the city, but you will also have to protect my daughter and follow her orders." I and my squad mates bow our head's respectfully then Lieutenant Armstrong bark's an order at us. "Get your gear and prep yourselves…DISMISSED!" Without any hesitation we walk off heading to the armory.

When we reached the armory the Quarter Master approached us with a grin. "You're Phoenix team right?" we all nod simultaneously and he gestures for us to follow him. "Good I got your gear in storage. If anything is out of order, missing or broke let me know and I'll see what I can do." He walks up to a door and blocks the sight of the keypad as he enters in a code and the doors slide open with a soft hiss and the racket of the gears moving. Once it was opened he moved inside and we followed him all the way down in sections labeled with numbers and letters. Our gear and equipment happened to be in aisle P-027 after that we opened up the door to it and I smiled with joy seeing my armor and equipment intact.

The Quarter Master leave's us as we suit up and load our weapons. It didn't take long for me I just put on my black ODST armor with maroon armor details and for the emblem on the breast plate was a maroon phoenix with a white cog for the background. They others had the same emblem but Mike's armor detail was purple and Kelsea's was yellow. After we had our armor on I pick up my DMR and calibrate the scope on it before loading a mag into it. Then I holster it on my back and I holster my two silenced magnums after loading a mag into them both.

After putting our ODST armor on, loading and holstering our weapon's we were ready to go. But first thing's first for us we had to check and see if our favorite and personal pilot was awake and working on his Pelican. "Kelsea, Mike why don't you two go to the cafeteria and grab something to eat. I'm sure you're as hungry as I am…" Kelsea smiles and gets a head start before Mike, but Mike slaps me on the shoulder with a big grin. "I'll see you there boss." After they turn the corner down the hall I turn and walk in the other direction. Once I reached the hangar I made my way over to our black Pelican with the same emblem on the side.

As I get closer to the pelican I look inside to see no one is there so I step in and walk up to the cockpit to find it to be just as empty. But then I hear the clicking of a socket wrench and I step back out to find our pilot on top of the pelican working on the wings. I smile and chuckle softly to myself seeing him mumble something with the look of annoyance on his face. "Did they mess with your Pelican again Jarod?" I say loud enough for him to hear. He doesn't take his eyes off his work but answers with a smile as he shakes his head. "Yeah don't know why the damned engineers here keep fucking with it. They messed up the rotary of the left wing! I swear they do this sometimes just to piss me off!"

I laugh from his little comments about the engineers as I lean my back on the pelican as I continue to watch him work. "Well maybe one of these day's you can get your own personal hangar?" He scoffed and finally looked at me with grease and oil on his hands and face. "Right…. that will be one of hell of a day." He rolls his eyes with a smile as he went back to work. "Hey would you mind tossing me that flat head screw driver?" without answering I walk over to the tools he had lay out on the table nearby and grabbed the screw driver and tossed it to him.

He caught it without taking his eyes off his work and with a few more clicks, twists, tweaks and turns he had his pelican back up and running. After that he walks out of the cockpit and embraces me by clasping his hand onto my forearm as I do the same. "Glad to see again Brenden so where are the others?" I look at him smiling as I satisfy his confusion with my answer. "Glad to see you again. They went ahead to the cafeteria while I came here to get you." Jarod looked at me wide eyed with a grin. "Mike better not eat all the food before we get there I'm starving!"

We both walk to the cafeteria and we don't see Kelsea or Mike until we get in line and grab our food. Today's lunch was my favorite it was steak with baked potato and gravy on the side with bread. I preferred cooking it myself; Military food wasn't that amazing after all. I devoured the poorly cooked food in a matter of minutes considering I have been in Cryo stasis for a year now. My squad mates do the same but not as quickly as I do since they don't stomach bad food as well. After we ate our lunch it was like a big family reunion as we talked amongst ourselves having a few laughs now and then.

Soon after we ate and we had our short lived reunion we all stood up and spent the rest of our day in our personal chambers. Most ODST team's got one, but we were one of the best so we could've gotten the best. A little spoiled in my opinion although we never aloud ourselves to get any special treatment because we wanted to not only be known as unique and ourselves, but we wanted to be treated like everyone else. As we sat around reading and looking on the computer and playing some card games to pass the time we really had no desire to sleep. We slept way to long so we decided to just stay awake as we made our way to Rebirth.

The next day we were still awake and ready then over the intercom Sergeant Armstrong spoke asking for Phoenix team to report to the hangar. We jumped to our feet and jogged there we always liked being early or on time and once there we saw her standing by our pelican. "Morning everyone!" she said in a cheery tone then went back to her serious look. "We are in the atmosphere of Rebirth and it's time for us to depart and start our new lives. So mount up were moving out!" We stood tall and firm as we saluted her and climbed into the Pelican. I sat on the opposite side by the door next to her as Jarod took his seat in the cockpit and the others two sat across from us. "Alright Jarod get her in the sky!" I say out loud as I bang on the wall four times considering it was protocol letting the pilot know how many passengers they had. As soon as I stopped the pelican floated a foot above the floor as it went out into space. Everything felt lighter and I could feel it but then it went away as we went farther down into Rebirth's atmosphere.

I take in a deep breath as the pelican becomes leveled and the back door opens as I breathe in the fresh slightly salty air. I would get used to it but as I looked out the back of the pelican all I saw was the beautiful, blue ocean reflecting the light of the sun. Then in our headset's I hear another pilot and the sound of falcon's flying next to us. "This is Charlie zero-zero-four requesting identification." I stand up and grab the mesh net above me for support as I stand at the end of the open pelican looking out over the side at the falcons. Then I put two fingers to my helmet at my ear piece as I responded. "This is Trooper zero-nine-six commander of Phoenix team here with Sergeant Armstrong, requesting permission to land!"

They immediately respond without hesitation "Copy that permission granted! We'll escort you the rest of the way Trooper." With a smile I look over my shoulder back at my team and the Sergeant before responding. "Copy that over and out." Then I walk over and return to my seat and within a matter of minutes we had reached Atlantis II and we could see the beautiful utopia in all its glory. Then the pelican gradually slowed down to a halt as we entered the hangar and landed. Once the landing gears were secured we dismounted and escorted the Sergeant to the head administrator and governor of Atlantis II.

He was a big, cheery fellow African and in his prime, his name was Albert Leach. He greets us with a big smile and gives us all a firm handshake. Then as the Sergeant sat down and he did the same the Sergeant looked over her shoulder back at us. "Sergeant Wood you and your team is dismissed. I will call on you when I have orders for you, as for right now go check out your new home spend the day getting to know the city." We salute simultaneously and as we walk out the door I hear the faint start of their conversation. Albert spoke in an almost hushed voice "So about this Phoenix team…." That was all I could make out before the doors hissed and slid shut behind us.

The first thing we did is walked to the elevator and stepped in, when we were inside there was a cadet who would show us to our new chambers. He pressed the button for the third floor and we were there in a few seconds. Then we followed the short scrawny cadet until he stopped at a door. "This is your chambers, the cafeteria is on the second floor and the armory is on the fifth right under the governor's floor sir." Without another word he was on his way leaving us to our own little adventure. Before we walked inside Mike and Jarod stopped and looked at me and Kelsea. "Hey boss me and Jarod are going to go check out the armory. Will see the room later…" I give them a nod letting them know they could go and they were off.