"Sorrow, this is the From Ebony Wrought. Please say that someone is hearing this because we've got a truckload of hot shit to send and not much time to send it."
- Attributed to Communications Officer Laurence Hull moments before his death.
December 01, 2552
Unnamed System
Five hours out from Sorrow
0130 hours Sorrow time
A UNSC frigate is never quiet, even when it has gone to silent running. The massive engines send a hum throughout the entire vessel that eventually gets into your bones and the whispers of the crew tickle the edges of hearing. Nevertheless when Ensign Sawyer raised his voice nervously on the bridge of the From Ebony Wrought it was a dramatic event, if only for the break from routine.
"Uh, something's happening"
Captain Weston's head snapped around instantly, his dark brown eyes spearing the young crewman who had spoken. Within the relatively cramped confines of the frigate's bridge he did not have to move from his command chair to be practically looking over the man's shoulder.
"Ensign Sawyer, this is the bridge of a UNSC frigate, proper protocols will be observed. Now report!"
The Ensign bobbed his head and stammered out a response.
"Yes Sir! We've been pinged sir."
The Captain gestured and his second in command moved to the Ensign's terminal.
"He's right Captain. Three second burst from sector Romeo five, unknown origin."
Fingers moved across the control chair's panel and the main screen came to life, magnifying the identified sector and blowing it up until it filled the vision of every person on the bridge. Even at ten thousand times magnification, nothing was visible. Then a flicker of light and movement. Weston's experienced eyes recognised it instantly, the flare of a ship's engines activating as it began moving.
"Sir, we have multiple contacts closing on attack vectors. Moving fast. No doubt about it, they're Covenant."
The lights went down on the bridge as Weston keyed for combat alert and the hum of the engines turned to a roar as the small UNSC craft attempted to outrun the superior alien ships.
"Alert Sorrow, give them all the data our scanners are picking up in a live feed. Ensign Sawyer, I want to know how long before we are in range of the Covenant ships and how long before they are in range for effective return fire."
The crew moved quickly and two numbers superimposed themselves on the main screen. Weston grimaced. The fourteen second difference between the two meant that they would probably not even get to strike back before they were annihilated. The Covenant were closing fast, spreading out in an attack pattern that left no room for escape.
"Confirmation signal from Sorrow received sir, they know what's coming."
Weston bared his teeth in impotent rage. He had no options left.
"Bring us about, maximum thrust on an evasion vector. Set the missile bays to automatic fire and charge up the MAC gun, give me fire control."
Despite the gravity generators the force of turning the ship flung Weston to the side in his seat. Righting himself he glanced at the screen to see half a fleet of alien craft bearing down on him. Bright spots of burning blue light flared into existence as the Covenant vessels opened up at the closing human ship.
"Estimated time to impact…"
The officer never got to finish as the frigate was hit amidships and blown into scattered fragments as the nuclear reactors that powered it went critical. Captain Weston died with his finger still hovering over the fire key. The Covenant ships confirmed the kill and slipped back through the void of space like sharks to rejoin their fleet.
December 01, 2552
Sorrow
Subspace Monitoring Station 5
0132 hours Sorrow time
"Holly shit."
The radio monitor's face paled visibly as he listened to the latest transmission from the From Ebony Wrought. After a few seconds of stunned silence he hit the alarms and all hell broke loose.
December 01, 2552
Sorrow
Fleet Officer's Mess
0152 hours Sorrow time
Admiral Larkin leant back in his seat and sighed contentedly as he undid the buttons of his formal jacket. Around him other high ranking officers took this as a sign to relax and started to talk more easily amongst themselves, accepting cigars from waiters that moved along the long table. Larkin looked around him, noting the mixture of expressions on the faces of the newly promoted officers of his small fleet. These would be the men he would be serving with for the next decade or so, until the Covenant killed them all off. Two men wearing the grey service uniforms entered the room hurriedly and approached him.
"Admiral."
The saluted quickly and he acknowledged, aware that the entire room was watching to see what was going on. The second man handed over a fiche which Larkin glanced at. He didn't need to read past the first line.
"Full combat alert. Bring the fleet in close and prepare for a planetary assault."
He was standing now, dinner and promotions forgotten. At the words the men and women in the room rushed to leave and get to their posts. A full combat alert could mean only one thing. A covenant fleet had been sighted on a course for Sorrow.
December 01, 2552
Sorrow
Orbital Station 'Adama' Generator
0503 hours Sorrow time
Lieutenant Jane Gilburt ran her hand through her close cropped hair before replacing her helmet. Somewhere an alarm was beeping, but it was distant and not her problem. She bowed her head and stepped out of the shadowy entrance to the command bunker that had housed her for the last four hours, ever since the alert had come through. The road back into the city was empty and combined with a thin wind blowing in from the east; the place had a desolate feel.
"So give it too me straight LT, how fucked are we?"
She turned to see her friend, Staff Sergeant Biggs, sitting with his back to an entrenchment with a hip flask in his hand. He offered it and she accepted, it was against regulations but at this point, who gave a damn?
"Fucked doesn't even come close."
She took a long swig of the burning liquid and handed it back before sitting down next to the round shouldered man.
"Half of my command has gone AWOL looking for family back in the city or having the time of their life, my XO is off somewhere performing fellatio on a gun barrel and the god dammed Covenant are about to steamroller over us and take out the orbital cannon generator."
Biggs nodded sagely and finished his drink.
"So where do you want me and my boys?" he asked, as if he hadn't heard what she had said.
"Detail a squad or two to protect the anti aircraft quad cannons and then set up a perimeter around the main compound. Booby trap the shit out of everything, give the half jawed SOBs something to 'wort' about once they've killed us all."
He nodded and moved away, leaving Gilburt to look out over the rolling grassland again. She had done the best with what she had, god knows she had, but it wasn't much. The whole battle was a delicate game of dominos. Once the Covenant got a grip the entire planet would fall. As long as the anti aircraft Gatling cannons kept firing, drop ship insertion was impossible for the enemy. They would have to come planet-side with assault teams outside the umbrella provided by the weapons and try and fight through to them or use heavy munitions to take them out. Once this was done, surgical air strikes would take out the generator complex denying the orbital MAC cannon power. This would open a hole in the planet's defences and allow the Covenant fleet to sweep in and glass the planet. The whole game depended on keeping the first domino upright. The Gatling cannons had to keep firing.
Authors Note: Well, what do you say about the first chapter of your first story? Ive got no idea so bear with me.
While I have attempted to keep this story entirely faithful to the Halo universe there are a few points where things may be a little out of sync, mainly in the dates, military jargon and with certain characters. Simply because I wanted to include them or they are so small that it shouldnt affect the story. I have a few chapters writen out and know where I am going with the plot, but constructive criticism and advice is welcomed.
In short, enjoy and review.