Chapter 1
"Spartan… you do realize that what you did came at a great cost… you realize that you cost the UNSC the three of the best Spartan 4's that have been enlisted since I reinstated the Spartan program that my mother started, correct?" said Dr. Anna Halsey, to the Spartan she was addressing.
The Spartan she was addressing nodded solemnly, and removed her helmet surprising the doctor, who quickly hid the surprise on her face, because she had expected the Spartan that committed the deed was male, not female. "Ma'am with all due respect it was not completely my fault for the loss of my team… and I have a name you know… its Alys" The Spartan stated, not making eye contact with her accuser.
Dr. Halsey shook her head and started shuffling through the files on her desk, containing details of what Alys had been blamed for. "Alright Alys, if you say that the 'Incident' as we shall call it, where is your proof, or evidence?"
Alys shifted her weight and looked down at the papers Halsey was going through. "For one Ma'am, those papers didn't experience what happened, they don't know every detail, or have any clue whatsoever," She was becoming defensive, and she realized it, but to be blamed for the death of your squad mate's is where she drew the line. 'She has no clue what happened that night, how everything just fell apart, how she had single-handedly managed to fall to shit' she thought to herself, choosing her next words carefully "and if you'll permit me to explain what happened-"
"WE HAVE THE RECORDS RIGHT HERE!" Halsey interrupted, "they state while you and your team were in combat, you deserted them right then and there!" Halsey was becoming more and more impatient with Alys, and she was tired of hearing these lies flow from the lips of a deserter and she was going to put a stop to it.
Alys shook her head dejectedly, and just looked at the floor to hide her anger, "Ma'am please, I didn't do any of that, I swear I stood by my team and fought, we were just outnumbered 7-1 by Zealot class Elites with heavy artillary, and with those odds we knew we were going to die, but before they died, I was given a single order by my superior officer to retreat, he told all of us to and we listened, but when we turned around, there were more cloaked Elites… that's when Damian, Erik, and Destin looked at me, and Destin, he… he told me…he told me to run… to survive…and…" she trailed off trying to stop herself from crying, but she couldn't help it, she let loose all the sadness she had been hiding since that night three days ago.
Anna Halsey sat there watching as Alys cried, now normally being a Halsey meant that she was supposed to have a heart of steel, and in regular circumstances she would, but in this case she gave in. "Listen," she said as Alys tried to calm herself "I believe instead of a court marshal we can work out an arrangement of some sort."
Alys didn't respond for another minute or two and Halsey sat calmly waiting for a response. After a bit Alys looked back up at Halsey, "Ma'am if there is any way to redeem myself without one I'll take it…" she looked up from the floor to see that Anna had stood up and was next to her, 'I need this, I need to redeem myself for my team, for Destin…'.
Next thing Alys knew, Dr. Halsey turned to her desk and after a bit of searching found a file, opened it, flipped through it, then handed it to Alys, "Here, read this file to get up to date, and report to the UNSC base in New Mombasa."
Alys took the folder with a renewed vigor that was easily spotted by the doctor, and she smiled "Listen Alys, the mission should you choose to go on it, is not one that will be easy for you, there will be times that will test you to the limit of your abilities. Are you up to that?"
Alys looked Dr. Halsey straight in the eye and nodded. "Yes ma'am, I'm ready…"