UNSC Destroyer Sheffield
0900 Hours 9.12.2550
Captain Edward Foster awoke shortly before 9 o' clock on Tuesday. After running through a few diagnostics in his cabin, he took his post on the bridge. There he was greeted by a young woman at the ship's holotank.
"Good morning Captain."
"Good morning, Vu."
"There is a message from FleetCom for you."
Foster grimaced. "Urgent or menial?"
"It's marked urgent sir," replied Vu.
Foster opened the file and read the document, new orders for the Sheffield.
United Nations Space Command Priority Order 05-6482A Encryption Code: Red From: UNSC/NAVCOM Planet Reach To: Captain Foster, Edward Command of destroyer Sheffield Subject: Assignment Modification Classification: RESTRICTED
Sheffield is to report immediately to Combat Point Echo [1434,5732,2583] Sheffield is to investigate interrupted Covenant distress signal All non-UNSC ships are to be terminated on spot, reinforcements will be available if so desired.
Foster looked up at Vu.
"Vu," he said. "Take us to Combat Point Echo ASAP, power up the
MACs. Sheffield had two Magnetic Accelerator Cannons, capable of
hurling massive projectiles at enemy ships.
"Yes sir. Entering slipspace in three minutes, ETA 9 days."
Eight and a half days later the Sheffield suddenly decelerated out of
slipspace. Alarms on the bridge started going off, red emergency
lights filled the room. Foster turned to the officer at the closest
station.
"What happened Lieutenant?"
"Sir," came the feeble reply. "Contact dead ahead.
Foster looked through a sensor console. Straight ahead was a
ship roughly the size and shape of a covenant frigate. He could tell
it had weapon systems active. He turned back.
"Adjust course zero-two-seven-five. Give me a firing solution
for the Macs. Lock'n'Load!
"Solution done, firing."
Two bursts of white light filled the bridge in rapid succession.
Foster watched the heavy rounds streak towards the target. The first
round hit the enemy frigate in the nose, the shields flickered then
faded, the second round hit a few meters above, a huge explosion
obscured the enemy ship. The Sheffield's round tore through the enemy
amidships, a chunk the size of a Longsword was gone, the entire ship
was blackened. It then returned fire.
The black void lit up, the Sheffield took several hits, small
explosion rocked the bridge, two more MAC rounds hit the "Covenant"
ship, the first was absorbed by shield, the second knocked out the
rear. But the UNSC destroyer was taking damage too; red balls of fire
ripped through the Sheffield's Titanium-A armor, several sections were
totaled.
"Sir," yelled someone on the bridge. "Both MACs offline, archers
too!"
"Damn!"
Explosions on the bridge soon intensified, a computer bank to
Foster's left exploded, sending a pair of technicians flying skyward,
bolts of green fire lit up space, several hitting nearby. A nearby
officer struggled to make it past the fireballs to his Captain.
"Sir," he started sadly. "Main Reactor coolant line hit, thirty
seconds to complete reactor meltdown."
"Vent reactor comp-"A huge explosion ripped through the bridge,
sending both men to the floor, the room was depressurizing, the ship
could not take much more.
"Twenty seconds!"
"Abandon ship! Everyone to the life...," Foster never got to
finish his sentence.
Captain Edward Foster awoke shortly before 9 o' clock on Tuesday. After running through a few diagnostics in his cabin, he took his post on the bridge. There he was greeted by a young woman at the ship's holotank.
"Good morning Captain."
"Good morning, Vu."
"There is a message from FleetCom for you."
Foster grimaced. "Urgent or menial?"
"It's marked urgent sir," replied Vu.
Foster opened the file and read the document, new orders for the Sheffield.
United Nations Space Command Priority Order 05-6482A Encryption Code: Red From: UNSC/NAVCOM Planet Reach To: Captain Foster, Edward Command of destroyer Sheffield Subject: Assignment Modification Classification: RESTRICTED
Sheffield is to report immediately to Combat Point Echo [1434,5732,2583] Sheffield is to investigate interrupted Covenant distress signal All non-UNSC ships are to be terminated on spot, reinforcements will be available if so desired.
Foster looked up at Vu.
"Vu," he said. "Take us to Combat Point Echo ASAP, power up the
MACs. Sheffield had two Magnetic Accelerator Cannons, capable of
hurling massive projectiles at enemy ships.
"Yes sir. Entering slipspace in three minutes, ETA 9 days."
Eight and a half days later the Sheffield suddenly decelerated out of
slipspace. Alarms on the bridge started going off, red emergency
lights filled the room. Foster turned to the officer at the closest
station.
"What happened Lieutenant?"
"Sir," came the feeble reply. "Contact dead ahead.
Foster looked through a sensor console. Straight ahead was a
ship roughly the size and shape of a covenant frigate. He could tell
it had weapon systems active. He turned back.
"Adjust course zero-two-seven-five. Give me a firing solution
for the Macs. Lock'n'Load!
"Solution done, firing."
Two bursts of white light filled the bridge in rapid succession.
Foster watched the heavy rounds streak towards the target. The first
round hit the enemy frigate in the nose, the shields flickered then
faded, the second round hit a few meters above, a huge explosion
obscured the enemy ship. The Sheffield's round tore through the enemy
amidships, a chunk the size of a Longsword was gone, the entire ship
was blackened. It then returned fire.
The black void lit up, the Sheffield took several hits, small
explosion rocked the bridge, two more MAC rounds hit the "Covenant"
ship, the first was absorbed by shield, the second knocked out the
rear. But the UNSC destroyer was taking damage too; red balls of fire
ripped through the Sheffield's Titanium-A armor, several sections were
totaled.
"Sir," yelled someone on the bridge. "Both MACs offline, archers
too!"
"Damn!"
Explosions on the bridge soon intensified, a computer bank to
Foster's left exploded, sending a pair of technicians flying skyward,
bolts of green fire lit up space, several hitting nearby. A nearby
officer struggled to make it past the fireballs to his Captain.
"Sir," he started sadly. "Main Reactor coolant line hit, thirty
seconds to complete reactor meltdown."
"Vent reactor comp-"A huge explosion ripped through the bridge,
sending both men to the floor, the room was depressurizing, the ship
could not take much more.
"Twenty seconds!"
"Abandon ship! Everyone to the life...," Foster never got to
finish his sentence.