The year is 2548 and it is the year of the most ferocious battles of the war, the human covenant war seems to be becoming a cat and mouse game of extinction and survival. This is the year the Admiralty and the Leaders of the UNSC are determined to stop the Covenant, they have pulled everyone back from the redline and into the inner colonies. The UNSC broadcast their presence on the planet Xavier's Bounty, they fool the Covenant into attacking what they think is a farming planet but they instead face the full might of the UNSC.

One last stopping point, one last stand until all is lost, the mother of all fights is upon them.

The 31st Marine Battalion holds the capital Atlas, the Covenant is going to push on.

2/27/2548 MILITARY CALENDER – 0549 HRS –

UNSC COMMAND AND CONTROL STATION COLLIPSO – IN ORBIT XAVIERS BOUNTY

- UNSC 3RD AND 4TH FLEETS

Rear Admiral Brunson Veerling and the rest of the UNSC leaders from 3rd and 4th fleet stood on the observation deck of the massive station Collipso, it was a Gorgon class station, one step up from the super MAC Platforms that safeguarded Reach and Earth. The observation deck was much the same as those on the phoenix class colony ships, mostly glass and titanium beams. Veerling stared into the black mesa, white dots all around, so close yet so far. He turned to his colleagues and comrades in arms alike and said to them

"This ladies and gentlemen is where we repay the covenant for a life time's worth of arse kicking"

He removed his white hat, and turned it in his burned and wrinkly hands. The shiny silver logo of the UNSC staring at him, he smoothed his greying hair before continuing on

"This battle is designed to tie up the Covenant for some time, maybe stop them from launching a big offensive for a couple of years'

His colleagues in varying uniforms stared at him unconvinced; he knew he had to make this count. So he started with the blatantly obvious, his voice cracking a bit

"We all know this; there is an extreme possibility of no return" , now a for a bit of political inspiration he thought, he spoke, voice booming

"You know why we choose this planet, it is the founder of the UNSC's name, Xavier and his bounty a price that must be paid in blood and we all know this to well"

He wasn't expecting a the small delegate to erupt into cheers of love and applaud at the conclusion of his speech, he didn't want it either and it didn't happen. The room stayed as grim faced and stony as ever, he waved them off informally and everyone left, they had duties to do and done they must be. Veerling stared out at the observation decks many windows and his mind was clouded with grim thoughts, let's go do what we came here to do.

With that he too left the observation deck, his walk a slow and graceful one, the sign of a man that had spent many years in artificial gravity. He placed his white dress cap back upon his head and left. Veerling wandered the corridors and spoke to everybody he came across or at least those that wanted to speak. Technicians and maintenance personnel rushed around fixing up last minute items, here and there wall panels hung off and wires protruded through exposed cracks in the walls as well as hanging out of the panels. Blowtorches and welding devices sealed up anything not already sealed up to make it air tight for the battle. The data pad on his wrist vibrated, an incoming transmission, he opened it and the text file read

'Covenant ship, class Delta inbound 5hrs 10minutes until first contact'

He nodded not much time left at all. A naval tech specialist brushed past him as everyone hurried about their duties, the techy apologized and continued on, his face nervous, grim and excited. He was lucky to be 17, the age of his own son back on Reach, then the thought hit him, this one bore a remarkable resemblance to his son, he turned inward in his thoughts as walked, how long have we sent kids to die in a man's job.