First off, thanks for reading it means a lot. Second, this is the begining of a story I have long had in the back of my mind...long as in I thought about it for a month then started writing. Anyways, I really hope people enjoy. I'm not the best writer but I try to do my best. Please leave comments or critiques as it really helps me out. Thanks for reading.
P.s, I intent to make chapters longer. This was really just an intro to establish some stuff. I hope it's not to much of a bore. I promise things get better soon.
April 4th, 2550. Located several hundred lightyears away from Earth lies a binary star-system called Vinla. Within this system were few cosmic bodies: a medium-sized gas giant, three barren worlds, a large asteroid belt, and a luscious tropical world that held a diverse collection of flora and fauna. Colonized in the early 2450's, the planet gained the name Odin due to it's first colonists saying the natural beauty and landscape was reminiscent of Norway back on Earth. Due to its tropical climate, much of the planet had very fertile soil, making crops easier and faster to grow. Within the first few years of colonization the planet was already self-sufficient on food and would later go on to receive numerous resources to begin urbanization and total self-reliance. To the public, Odin was a jewel world that was perfect for human life and thus was the reason for the rapid growth in colonization and infrastructure. In truth however, the planet held many secrets buried beneath the surface, secrets that helped push the UNSC, and subsequently ONI, to invest much into the planet's development. By 2500, much of the dominating continent had been explored and many smaller cities dotted the landscape, with the planet's capital, Stormfront, housing just over 1.5 million people and being the forefront of technology and scientific endeavors on the planet.
Given the importance of the planet, not to mention ONI's own reasons, Odin's defense fleet was powerful but spread out enough not to arouse to much suspicion. Its main defense was two refit/defense stations, each having a handful of smaller ship yards and repair docks in case of emergencies. An early generation SMAC station was also in orbit, though to many it was a mystery as to why one had been built there at all. Ship wise, the Odin defense fleet was better than most. It contained 5 Paris-class heavy frigates, 2 Charon-class light frigates, 3 Stalwart-class light frigates, 4 Halberd-class destroyers, one early-generation Halcyon-class cruiser, and a modified Phoenix colony ship-turned carrier and command ship. In truth it was a fairly substantial fleet for it's time, but played a low profile as to not arouse questions. ONI wanted Odin to thrive, but due to the importance and delicacy of what was being unearth, many safety measures were put in place, including who was in control.
Mathew Fields, an Admiral in the UNSC was currently in command of Odin's defense fleet, and acted at the planet's regional governor, with the Phoenix-carrier Fire Crest being his own personal 'improvement' project. Mathew had always been a very reserved person growing up, even during his rookie years. As he climbed the ranks within the UNSC, his accomplishments, and quietness, attracted the attention of ONI, who found his determination and devotion made him a perfect candidate. In 2530, after engaging in only two covenant attacks and earning the rank of commander, Fields was mysteriously promoted to Admiral and put in charge of Odin's wellbeing. The role suited him well, as he was well liked by the citizens and those under his command. Perhaps it was how he spoke to others or his straight-to-the-point attitude, but Fields was a very persuasive and respected man. His orders were simple: maintain the growth and security of the planet and uncover whatever it was that was buried beneath the planet. Besides himself, only a few select individuals knew of the work being done below the surface. It hadn't been hard to cover up, as most of work was conducted in restricted zones, with the guise of 'Nature Preservation'. Thus, as the years went on Odin grew and prospered, becoming almost completely self-reliant, even up to and through the war.
When the Covenant attacked, many things changed, including the work being done on Odin. Humanities existence was on the line, and every site, from Reach to Odin was to put all their effort into uncovering anything that could help them survive. While ONI still kept things classified, they were more lenient on Odin due what had been unearthed thus far. That, and the planet was considered beyond the Covenant reach, at least for now. Still, as the war raged on increasing measures were made to fortify Odin, though for more reasons than one. Stormfront became heavily militarized. Great walls were built to surround the city, weapon and vehicle production ramped up, and a large number of UNSC soldiers were transferred to the planet within a very short time. Odin went from a peaceful, quiet farm world, to a UNSC stronghold within a matter of years.
Fields, Emily. ODST Sergeant. Service number: 58342-07194-EF. Leader of Phoenix-Squad. Transferred to Odin in 2547 after engaging in multiple campaigns against the Covenant during the course of the war. Emily had only been a child when the Covenant attacked Arcadia, her birth world. The city they were living in had been heavily bombed by the covenant, and only herself and a handful of others had survived. Emily's hatred for the Covenant pushed her to join the UNSC and eventually become an ODST, considered the best combat rank a normal human could achieve. Eventually she was given the rank of Sergeant, and given command of her own elite team, dubbed Phoenix-Squad. After years of front-line service, she and her squad were transferred to Odin, where she learned her father, Mathew Fields, was now the reginal governor. It was a happy reunion, but the scars of war had left Emily a bitter and hate-filled woman, nothing like the little girl her father remembered. Still, he was proud of her accomplishments and glad to have her with him. For the next three years the planet stayed largely the same. Reports always came in of the increasing Covenant attacks and the millions of lives that were lost. Any day it seemed the Covenant could attack Odin without warning and render the planet glassed and uninhabitable, but as each day went on the dread continued to slowly grow. In truth, the Covenant had no idea about Odin's existence. The star system was just out far enough that covenant scanners couldn't pick up the human signals, and no probes had been launched in their direction thus far. Odin was completely safe, and likely would have remained that way if the events in 2550 had not occurred.
"This is Ad-kzzz-rl Mathew Field-kzzz. Covenant forces have-kzzzzzzzzzz-Odin's defenses and-kzzzzzz. All ships hav-kzz-royed and we are making our fin-kzzzzz-tand at Stormfront. Do NOT send-kzzzz-nforcments, Odin is los-kzzz. I am ena-kzz-ting Cole Protocol 098831A-1. Rememb-kzzz-us. Fields Ou-kzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz-"
-Two Weeks Earlier-
"Uhg, why does the Admiral make us go on these pointless patrols."
Vince flicked open his lighter and lit the end of his cigar before puffing out some smoke. A strong, buff man, Vince was the team's heavy weapons expert, who also had a massive ego to uphold. That and his love for blowing things up with big guns clearly showed he was over compensating for something.
"What are we supposed to be patrolling for? Grass, trees, rocks, more grass, more roc-OW! Bastard!"
Clayton bunted the stock of his rifle into the back of Vince's head. He was the team's recon and sniper expert, and damn was he a good one. Once when they were deployed, he cleared an entire Covenant outpost from half a mile away, with the wind against him the whole time. He was a very serious man who followed orders like all good solider do, but that didn't mean he was a total shut in. When not on alert, Clayton considered himself a proficient 'ladies-man', though his track record would seem to show otherwise. Him and Vince both had their fair share of bruises from one other given how much they liked beating the ever-living shit out of one another, all in good fun of course.
"Quit whining and get in the damn Warthog, we're already ten-minutes late."
Vince turned around and glared at his teammate, who had already jumped into the back of the M831 Warthog.
"Oh you're getting you ass beat when we get back."
"Yeah? Just like last time?"
The two couldn't help but just smile and laugh at there own immaturity. Vince slung his shotgun over his shoulder and hopped into the driver seat of the vehicle, about to turn it on before Octavia stopped him.
"God damn-it Vince, you're bleeding again."
Vince just rolled his eyes and leaned back for her. Octavia was the team's medic, though caretaker would be a more accurate title nowadays. During previous deployments she had been responsible for saving over three-hundred lives, a handful of those times being her own squad-mates. She was very skilled and knowledgeable, though since there time on Odin she regularly tended to the many cuts and gashed Vince and Clayton would inflict on each other. Both men had a crush on her, and part of there constant fighting was to prove their strength. In reality it did more harm then good, since Octavia was smarter then that and saw the two as the idiots they were. Still, a part of her enjoyed the attention so she let them continue for as long as they wished.
"I swear, one of these days one of you is going to break something that I can't fix, and I don't do bits and pieces."
She finished patching up Vince's wound and shoved his head forward. Both he and Clayton chuckled to themselves before Vince started up the Warthog, or at least he would have if it was working. He tried the key again but the engine wouldn't turn over. That's when he realized what was behind it and laid on the horn.
"YO, BRAINIAC! The hell you do to my ride?!"
Out from under the warthog appeared the last member of the team. Nathan was an expert technician, both in human and covenant tech. He once reconfigured a plasma pistol to explode when fired, and sure enough when the team had engaged a group of covenant an unsuspecting grunt was the undoing of his own platoon. He was a decent marksman, an excellent operator, and an amazing mechanical artist, which could sometimes get on the nerves of the others since he took it upon himself to tinker and toy with there weapons, 'improving' them as he saw fit. Vince glared down at him from his seat.
"If you added rocket boosters, or messed with the suspension, or some other stupid shit I swear to god-."
"Hey hey whoa, easy. I just changed the oil jackass, geeze. I'll hook the battery back up in a sec."
Vince just grumbled and waited. A minute or two later the spry, young egghead jumped into the back and put his helmet on. Ready to finally go, Vince started up the Warthog and revved the engine, glad to here her purr for him. He smiled to himself before he and the others turned to the side and looked at their leader. Emily walked toward the hog, armor secure, rifle resting on her back, and hopped into the passenger seat. They could all have fun and joke around when in there down time, but when Emily came out to lead them they went full serious mode.
"So," Vince asked. "What's on the agenda today?"
Emily pulled out a small holo-tablet that showed a zoomed-in 3D image of where they were going.
"Sixty clicks past the outer wall due North, sensor equipment setup every fifteen. Admiral says the local wildlife is getting more aggressive. They've already reported twelve attacks on convoys this month."
Vince let out a scoff of surprise before securing his helmet.
"Damn. Well, if I see a Dalos* I'm taking a horn as a trophy."
"Phhff, if you can even manage to kill the thing."
Vince threw his hand back to hit Clayton, who just laughed to himself all the same. With there orders set, the group of ODST's set out as the sun was setting. The mission would take them at least three to four hours, so long as no unforeseen roadblocks took place. The nights on Odin lasted very long this time of year, so they'd have plenty of time to sleep once they got back. Little did they know that sleep was something they would not be having for quite a while.
Fields, as he preferred to be called, ran a hand down his tired face. The Admiral looked over the newest finding from the excavation site. Two more workers dead, and a handful injured. Twenty years of work and the most recent breakthrough was two years go. Since then it's been setback after setback. It was getting much harder to keep things quiet, and he knew rumors were spreading through the city and amongst the soldiers. New supplies were needed to continue and some corners were needing to be cut, but at what cost? They had no idea what it was they had found, and the structures securities seemed impregnable. The man was stressed beyond belief as he hung his head low and sighed. Something needed to happen, another breakthrough or something. Humanity was at the brink of destruction and here he was, sitting in a dark office, alone, instead of being out there, out on the fringes of space, fighting to defend what was left of mankind. He never wanted this job or its responsibility, he just wanted to do what was right. Fields once again rubbed his tired eyes before glancing over at a picture on his desk. He remembered that day on the beach with his wife and daughter. They were both so alike, so happy and full of joy. He had left just one year before the covenant attacked, and for many years just assumed both had died. When he heard that Emily had joined the UNSC, he was both overjoyed and terrified. His little girl had survived, only to now jump feet-first into the front lines against the covenant. No father wants their child to go to war, especially one like this, but she proved to everyone, herself most of all, just how capable and deadly she truly was. Fields was proud of her, more proud than any father could be, and he was just glad she was here now with him. He had kept Odin safe all these years, and although the threat of imminent destruction was always looming, there was a sense of protection that Odin provided; a safe haven against death. Perhaps that's all the motivation he needed: knowing that his daughter was safe and here with him. Hell, things could be a LOT worse right? Finding new resolve in himself, the Admiral began his extensive work of allocating resources and preparing new shipments for transfer. The next few days would be a grind, but if all went according to plan they would be back on schedule. Unknown to anyone at the time, the next few days were going to go very differently then anticipated, and would change the future of Odin forever
*Dalos: A large, wolf-like carnivore native to Odin. Large claws, big teeth, and sharp horns. Very dangerous.