Chapter 2: They're Coming
Date: April 04, 2554 / 0659 Hours Location: UNSC HQ14-C / Earth
Admiral Blake Stanforth sat in a chair shaking just outside the President of Earth's office, running over and over what he was about to disclose to the President. His mind was in another place; he wished his body were also. Reach - the strongest military outpost just outside the inner colonies, had fallen a year and a half ago. The Covenant was marching again after they tore through the planet. They hadn't glassed it like they usually would have and he didn't know why. That is why he had sent a probe to the system.
"The President will see you now, Admiral." The secretary announced. The Admiral stood, shook himself off like a wet dog, and made his way into the marble office of the president.
"Sit down, Admiral." The president said. The Admiral didn't need to be told twice. "So, what is this information that could be so important that it required a direct violation of the Cole Protocol?" He had violated the Protocol by sending the probe to Reach.
"Sir, I had received intel that the Covenant ships had left the area." He knew his excuse was weak and unacceptable.
"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING SOLDIER? MY GOD, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU HAVE DONE? I Have just received word that there are over 700 Covenant warships inbound, 5 of them flagships. You have lead them straight to Earth." The President shouted as if there was no tomorrow. And from the looks of things, there wasn't going to be.
"Sir, how could I be responsible for this atrocity? My probe indicated that the Covenant had left the system." Said the Admiral.
The president, not thinking of this, found himself back in his chair. He had stood up while shouting. "You bring a valid point to my blind eyes, Admiral. However, this still does not excuse your breach of the Cole Protocol. You have been stripped of your admiral status, Private." He said, sentencing the man.
This came as no shock to Stanforth. In fact, it was more of a surprise. He had been expecting a court marshal.
"Thank you, sir." Stanforth managed to babble out of his mouth. He had to know why he was so severely under sentenced. "May. may I ask you why I wasn't executed?" He asked fearfully, yet curious. He deserved to die.
The president stood, about faced, and walked to the window on the outskirts of his office, and stared at the lush lawn that maintained the peaceful atmosphere on the planet. One of few planets left. "I have had ample time to think about how to sentence you. You have been "selected" because of your previous record to be a participant in the training of the next group of SPARTANS. With the loss of the Master Chief, we have been loosing the war with those Covenant bastards twice as fast. He was our best man in any division. He disappeared in the destruction of Reach when the ship he was aboard, The Pillar of Autumn, and entered slipstream to escape the Covenant. No word has been received from any of the personal of that ship. That includes the Master Chief." The President finished.
Private Stanforth stood in shock from this information. "Sir, how am I suppose to participate in this training operation if the Covenant are just hours away from Earth?"
"We have prepared a facility for you and the young Spartans along with underground facilities for a handful of civilians. No matter what the cost, the human race must survive. Do you understand?" he asked.
"I understand my mission, sir. How long do we have until the Covenant invade earth?" the private asked.
"Our intelligence indicates that they arrive in system at approx. 1300 hours. We have sent out a distress call to all the warships able to make the fight to get here ASAP. The rest have been ordered to make their way to the hidden colonies to protect them. One of these ships will arrive at earth in 2 hours. You are ordered to be on that ship before it takes off. Understood?" He asked with a renewed luster.
"Absolutely, sir." He said.
"Very well, you are dismissed, General".
"Sir, I thought you said." The President cut him off.
"We need every good man we can get, and your infraction of the Cole Protocol won't be of importance once the Covenant get in-system. You're battle record against the Covenant is outstanding even among Admirals of your former rank. Now, get the hell outta here and get your stuff together. Good luck." The President conversed the vast room and shook the Generals hand.
"Thank you, Sir." Stanforth said as he shook his hand. He released the hand of the President and left the room in one piece, more than he had expected to do.
He hadn't managed to disclose the information he had prepared. The President wasn't ready for it. "It would have to wait." Stanforth thought, and he walked down the long hall massed with security checkpoints. "He couldn't tell him that his daughter had disappeared and that they had no idea where she had gone. Was she kidnapped, or murdered perhaps? He had made up his mind not to leave without her.
General Blake Stanforth had his work cut out for him, as did the earth's defenses, which were feeble compared to the inbound Covenant battle group. This would be the largest battle in the history against the Covenant that would ever have happened. It would also be the last. They needed a miracle. .
Date: April 04, 2554 / 0659 Hours Location: UNSC HQ14-C / Earth
Admiral Blake Stanforth sat in a chair shaking just outside the President of Earth's office, running over and over what he was about to disclose to the President. His mind was in another place; he wished his body were also. Reach - the strongest military outpost just outside the inner colonies, had fallen a year and a half ago. The Covenant was marching again after they tore through the planet. They hadn't glassed it like they usually would have and he didn't know why. That is why he had sent a probe to the system.
"The President will see you now, Admiral." The secretary announced. The Admiral stood, shook himself off like a wet dog, and made his way into the marble office of the president.
"Sit down, Admiral." The president said. The Admiral didn't need to be told twice. "So, what is this information that could be so important that it required a direct violation of the Cole Protocol?" He had violated the Protocol by sending the probe to Reach.
"Sir, I had received intel that the Covenant ships had left the area." He knew his excuse was weak and unacceptable.
"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING SOLDIER? MY GOD, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU HAVE DONE? I Have just received word that there are over 700 Covenant warships inbound, 5 of them flagships. You have lead them straight to Earth." The President shouted as if there was no tomorrow. And from the looks of things, there wasn't going to be.
"Sir, how could I be responsible for this atrocity? My probe indicated that the Covenant had left the system." Said the Admiral.
The president, not thinking of this, found himself back in his chair. He had stood up while shouting. "You bring a valid point to my blind eyes, Admiral. However, this still does not excuse your breach of the Cole Protocol. You have been stripped of your admiral status, Private." He said, sentencing the man.
This came as no shock to Stanforth. In fact, it was more of a surprise. He had been expecting a court marshal.
"Thank you, sir." Stanforth managed to babble out of his mouth. He had to know why he was so severely under sentenced. "May. may I ask you why I wasn't executed?" He asked fearfully, yet curious. He deserved to die.
The president stood, about faced, and walked to the window on the outskirts of his office, and stared at the lush lawn that maintained the peaceful atmosphere on the planet. One of few planets left. "I have had ample time to think about how to sentence you. You have been "selected" because of your previous record to be a participant in the training of the next group of SPARTANS. With the loss of the Master Chief, we have been loosing the war with those Covenant bastards twice as fast. He was our best man in any division. He disappeared in the destruction of Reach when the ship he was aboard, The Pillar of Autumn, and entered slipstream to escape the Covenant. No word has been received from any of the personal of that ship. That includes the Master Chief." The President finished.
Private Stanforth stood in shock from this information. "Sir, how am I suppose to participate in this training operation if the Covenant are just hours away from Earth?"
"We have prepared a facility for you and the young Spartans along with underground facilities for a handful of civilians. No matter what the cost, the human race must survive. Do you understand?" he asked.
"I understand my mission, sir. How long do we have until the Covenant invade earth?" the private asked.
"Our intelligence indicates that they arrive in system at approx. 1300 hours. We have sent out a distress call to all the warships able to make the fight to get here ASAP. The rest have been ordered to make their way to the hidden colonies to protect them. One of these ships will arrive at earth in 2 hours. You are ordered to be on that ship before it takes off. Understood?" He asked with a renewed luster.
"Absolutely, sir." He said.
"Very well, you are dismissed, General".
"Sir, I thought you said." The President cut him off.
"We need every good man we can get, and your infraction of the Cole Protocol won't be of importance once the Covenant get in-system. You're battle record against the Covenant is outstanding even among Admirals of your former rank. Now, get the hell outta here and get your stuff together. Good luck." The President conversed the vast room and shook the Generals hand.
"Thank you, Sir." Stanforth said as he shook his hand. He released the hand of the President and left the room in one piece, more than he had expected to do.
He hadn't managed to disclose the information he had prepared. The President wasn't ready for it. "It would have to wait." Stanforth thought, and he walked down the long hall massed with security checkpoints. "He couldn't tell him that his daughter had disappeared and that they had no idea where she had gone. Was she kidnapped, or murdered perhaps? He had made up his mind not to leave without her.
General Blake Stanforth had his work cut out for him, as did the earth's defenses, which were feeble compared to the inbound Covenant battle group. This would be the largest battle in the history against the Covenant that would ever have happened. It would also be the last. They needed a miracle. .