Disclaimer: I don't own shit, so if you sue me you won't get anything so leave me alone.
Chapter I
Malta defence platform control room: Earth orbit
10-20 –2552
"Sir! The Cairo has been boarded" a young communications officer shouted across the control room.
"Damn" the commander growled. "Get those marines down to our borders and engage those Covenant bastards!"
A tense minute passed as the commander barked orders across the control room.
"Sir! A spirit troop transport just slipped past our MAC fire, it's going to land on the surface" the comm officer said, a look of fear and confusion on his face.
"Forget that sir, our borders seem to be retreating" another comm officer said. A voice was then heard throughout the control room through the large speakers from the commander's station.
"I don't believe it! They're retreating, we won!"
Unknown location (estimated north east Malta)
10-20-2552
"Are they in the freezers?" a tall, pasty man shouted across a cramped room from the small doorway. The room was littered with computers and other electronic equipment, most of it sheeted in a thin layer of dust. The mans question was aimed at a tall attractive girl, no older than nineteen, who was stood in front of a computer, frantically typing on the keyboard in front of the monitor. She was sweating and looked terrified. Her jet black hair shone slightly in the monitors glow. She looked up at the man. He was clutching his right arm that was bleeding rapidly; his white t-shirt had turned crimson where the blood had soaked in to the fabric. "They're in the freezers and sleeping" the girl said, wiping her sweat drenched hair from her eyes. "Fully equipped and waiting". There was a loud thump of metal hitting concrete followed by the sound of quick paced footsteps and quite groans.
"They're inside the lab!" the man said with a tone of dread in his voice.
"We're going to die, aren't we?"
"To put it bluntly, yes… but they have to live. Launch them" the man replied.
"But we… why? They won't survive!"
"Just do it!" the man commanded "launch them now!"
The sound of plasma fire hissed in the air and a dull thud could be heard. The footsteps became louder and faster.
"Maria" the man muttered almost silently. His face grew dark with fear "don't let her have died for nothing! Those bastards came here for them… but they won't touch them! Launch them now!"
The girl nodded in agreement and began typing into the computer again. She looked up several seconds later and nodded.
"Launch sequence began. One minute until launch" she said, wiping her long black hair from her face.
"They will have killed us and stopped the fucking countdown by then!" the man barked, "I'll have to delay them! Make sure nothing goes wrong".
He grabbed a small 9mm handgun that was tucked into his belt and he left the room. The countdown indicator on the girl's computer monitor decreased.
Thirty seconds.
On the roof a large, thirty by forty metre hatch opened. She heard four gunshots and the hiss of plasma fire, followed again by a thud, this time louder.
Fifteen seconds.
The footsteps slowed to a walking pace. She glanced through the large window to her left that allowed vision into the next room. She saw a shadow on the floor of the next room. The silhouette was tall and hunched, not human. Her heart began to hammer inside her chest. The footsteps became slow. The creature was stealthily searching for its victim.
Ten seconds.
The shadow disappeared. A dread ridden moment passed and her heart skipped a beat when the form of a strong, fully equipped and armoured Covenant elite stood in the next room, inches from the glass. It towered over the entire room, 8' tall and a demonic glare in its eye as it scanned the room. Its shining white armour reflected the dim light and intensified it. A small beam of light shone into the girl's eyes and temporarily blinded her. She shielded her eyes with her hands, peering through the space between her fingers at the horrifying elite, crimson blood dripping from its armour. The elite slowly turned its head and continued scanning the room which it occupied, searching for any survivors. Hunting them. Smoke was still rising from the carbine barrel. The girl continued to sweat, more now than ever. She stood completely still; too terrified to move now that she knew she had only seconds to live. A drop of sweat travelled down a strand of her hair, it slowed at the tip of the hair and dropped to the ground. The now alerted covenant turned sharply, aimed its weapon, and fired.
Launch commencing...
Sorry about the short chapter, it's more of a prologue. The next one will be longer.