date: January 6th, 2526

time: 0400 New Haven eastern coast standard time(ecst)

location:outskirts of Beta Tauri system( its a real system )

Captain Ryan Balboa of the UNSC Winter's Moon, a phoenix class support/assault ship, had been made the "admiral" or the fleet do to the previous admiral having been killed when the UNSC Unbroken fortitude was destroyed in the battle that had occurred just hours prior to which had cost the fleet many ships including the previously mentioned flagship. shortly after the Admirals ship had been destroyed Captain Balboa had ordered a retreat consisting of multiple jumps that eventually lead them to the edge of the system. currently the fleet consisted of 3 phoenix class support/assault ships, 12 paris class heavy frigates, 16 halberd class destroyers, 7 marathon class heavy cruisers, 8 refurbished Halcyon class light cruisers, 4 valiant class super heavy cruisers, 2 orion class assault carriers, and 3 epoch class carriers making the fleet reaching grand total of 52 ships. the captain had been contemplating on what the fleets next move would be when the shipboard AI, Geronimo, appeared on the holo tank, the AI was a middle aged man with a German accent.

Geronimo: Captain we have received reports from our scout prowlers they managed to intercept a transmission from the planet before it reached a covenant vessel in orbit.

Balboa: a covenant transmission?

Geronimo: no UNSC transmission it seemed to have been sent to orbit in desperation you should hear this

???: This is Sierra 110 myself and my team are trapped planet side we have massive civilian numbers we have ships to get them off planet but they've been grounded by covenant orbital bombardment We *sigh* i'm gonna break protocol here one of the ships we have here is a prototype super heavy dreadnought carrier according to an ONI agent it can stand up to a CAS assault carrier *chuckles* don't know how true that is but hey maybe, i know there's someone out there please hurry

with the transmission ended the captain was left with a difficult choice risk the fleet in an attempt to secure the civilians, ships and spartan possibly spartans or leave with the fleet and save then men and women under his command.

Balboa: alert the fleet to prepare for slipspace to New Haven have all ships at combat level Alpha

Geronimo: aye sir *disappears*

Captain Balboa looked out into the star filled night hoping he made the right choice he had many lives depending on this decision and he hoped it would pay off but in the end there's not much you can guarantee just have to hope that everything works

time skip brought to you by halo 3 glitching scarab (we all know its there)

The fleet was flying through slipspace and had been for two hours repairs were mostly unaccomplished with many ships having holes in their hull (heh) the only reason those ships weren't venting air was thanks to blast doors in the ship halls

Geronimo: sir we are exiting slipspace in 30 seconds

Balboa: understood alert all ships to prepare for battle lets hope we can catch them by surprise

the ships exited slipspace (cant tell you how many times i've almost written hyperspace) in a flock formation with carriers in the center, the carriers doubled ass jammers while launching fighters and moving to attack only to discover that the "fleet" above the planet was actually only a single CRS light cruiser the ship was quickly dispatched by multiple MAC rounds that were flung from the UNSC ships at fractions of the speed of light before moving into their own position over the planet

Balboa: contact that spartan and tell them to take off and link up with us in orbit quickly, lets hope the covenant don't miss that ship anytime soon

on the planets surface

Winter's Moon actual: Sierra 110 this Winter's Moon actual the covenant blockade has been cleared but only temporarily the Captain wants those ships up here ASAP

110: understood Winter's Moon actual we'll get them into orbit as soon as possible. *turns to a squad of marines* you hear that marines we're getting out of here, we just need to hold the line until the ships are in the air

marine 1: sir we cant hold out for very long there's just to many of them

110:whats your name marine

Darius: Private Darius sir

110: are you a marine Darius?

Darius: I.. Yes sir

110:then start acting like one hold the line we'll get out of this just hold them back *on coms* silver team hold various positions ship captains take off and head to orbit as soon as your crew and civilians are aboard go get out of here just send some pelicans for us.

???: understood 110 pelicans are en route to your positions hold tight all ships are green for take off

from behind the spartan squad of marines the sound of many heavy lift thrusters firing launching the docked ships into the air though the most magnificent was the carrier, from which multiple pelicans launched to secure the ground teams

110: well that was quick ok get ready marines i don't think they're gonna sit very long for us

the pelican landed behind a pile of rubble behind the squad and spartan the marines ran to the pelican with the spartan providing cover fire before running to the pelican himself. the pelican lifted off and fled to the carrier which , with a fleet of 2 halcyons and 3 paris', were already retreating into orbit

unknown AI: sir we received coordinates for a slipsapce rendezvous that fleet is already leaving

???: very well have all ships jump to slipspace and link up with them it didn't take long for the ships to launch into slipsace leaving the doomed planet behind