HALO: THE LAST SPARTANS
PROLOGUE_
0510, March 10, 2551 (Military Calendar)/UNSC space station GAMMA
Location: 10 miles above the atmosphere of Earth
"Everyone fasten your seat belts were going into the hot zone" the pilot yelled from the pilot's seat. She was honored to be escorting SPARTANs into a black op. The only thing she knew though was there is a team of SPARTANs in the back and she was escorting them to they're death. She sighed and mumbled "I hate Mondays."
The lights in the cabin of the pelican blinked red on and off. Eric never did like being in the rear of a pelican, but what choice did he have he had to stay calm, for his SPARTANs. He opened a private COM channel with his SPARTANs. "SPARTANs, status." he said.
"Ready to go," Miranda, Luke, and Devon said simultaneously. They all were hiding they're nervousness from the others. This was their first and most likely there last mission.
"Sir Permission to speak," Miranda whispered just loud enough to hear over the COM.
"Granted." Eric replied.
She took off her helmet and her long brown hair fell perfectly onto her shoulders. "Sir," she started. "Given our circumstances, if we are about to launch onto the front lines of this war what are the chances of our survival?" She looked at him with a concerned look in her eyes but a serious look on her face. Eric considered this question for a moment trying to think of an answer that will ensure his SPARTANs have no doubt of his orders.
"One-hundred percent," he replied. Miranda was staring at him and he was sure that Luke and Devon were too through their visors. Then she smiled and looked down at her helmet. She starred at the visor.
"That's what you said last time," she mumbled just loud enough for them to hear. "Don't you all remember Jacob!" her voice cracked and a tear went down her cheek. "He stayed behind to ensure we made it out alive and his death will be in vain now that we are going back onto the front lines."
"Miranda!" Eric snapped. "He made his choice there was nothing any of us could do to stop him!"
She put on her helmet and activated her shields. "We could have fought alongside him," she said calmly, "and all survived."
"Sorry to interrupt your conversation back there," the pilot said. "But it's time to go, buckle up." She reached up and pressed a button and the grips on the pelican to keep them on the space station disengaged. The pilot pushed another button and the rear sealed, then locked.
The pelican shook as the pilot took control. It turned up and started to accelerate into the darkness of space. Above them a UNSC Frigate class space vessel flew in front of them and it's landing bay doors opened. The pelican flew into the landing bay of the vessel and set down. The doors closed and it jumped to slipspace.
Ten minutes earlier aboard the UNSC Frigate Avenger:
Captain Zia Perkins sat back into her captain's chair. She had been notified of transporting a team of escorting a team of orbital drop shock troopers to an old glassed colony near Earth to investigate a rumor of covenant setting up a major base there. She was ordered to drop the soldiers and get the heck out of there.
"Ma'am," said lieutenant Kai Long in Navigation and also. Long had dark brown hair and tan skin. The skin was its natural color there was no way to get a tan for a while, none of them had been on real ground for close to a year.
"Yes," Perkins replied "go ahead."
"All systems of the Avenger are online," Long told Perkins. "We are ready to go."
"Good," Perkins looked Long in her deep hazel eyes. "Tell Hank down in engineering to get the slipspace capacitors ready. As soon as we receive those soldiers we are going to jump."
"Aye, ma'am," Long replied spinning her chair around and not taking a glimpse away from her console. "Message received, slipspace capacitors charging. Fully charged in ten minutes."
Perkins opened the mission file again and read through. Something just didn't feel right about this mission. The last sentence of the file didn't make her feel any better. It read "No matter what make NO contact with the ODST's.
She brought up the ship's AI Lasting Spring. "How may I be of service Captain?" it asked.
"I need you to check this file and find anything out of the ordinary," she told it. She then copied the files into the AI's databank. After a full ten seconds Lasting Spring responded.
"There is only one thing ma'am," the AI started. "Before typing in the initials ODST there was a brief pause as if the writer was thinking for the right word. Perkins thought this over, it was a good analysis.
"Or," Perkins replied to the AI. "They were trying not to give away what these soldiers really are. Thank you Lasting Spring you can go now. The AI nodded and evaporated. Perkins took her attention to Long.
"Long as soon as that ship lands I want those soldiers on my bridge ASAP," she grumbled. Long nodded without looking up. "Release prepare for liftoff according to the mission file the pelican will meet us out there," Perkins ordered Long.
There was a creaking noise as they were released into space. The rear hatch opened as the mission file said it should and a pelican landed. The rear hatch shut and latched again. Long blinked in shock that the ODST's had refused to leave the pelican so she put in the order again. She waited a full five seconds and there was another refusal.
Long turned around and looked straight into the blue eyes of Perkins. Her light brown hair was cut short down to her ears. Her skin was white and very shinny. Long snapped out it and told her, "ma'am the ODST's have refused all requests to come to the bridge."
"I knew there was something weird going on here," she mumbled to herself. She thought for a couple seconds then replied, "did you ask again?"
"Yes," Long answered.
"Oh well," Perkins whispered. "Make the slipspace transition . . . Now!"
I am not owner of halo franchise and respect them this is a novel for enjoyment ONLY it is not official
