HALO 3
CEASEFIRE
CHAPTER 1: STOWAWAY
The large Forerunner ship seemed to slip out of slipspace as if it were nothing. As the ripples caused by the exit slowly drifted outward, more exits were made from slipspace, revealing a startling amount of Covenant ships. These ships regrouped casually, and with orders from the Forerunner ship at the lead, began to drift slowly into formation, and then toward a nearby planet, Earth.
The Prophet of Truth tightened his grip on the armrest of his chair. The Humans would not simply let them float through their defenses unopposed. There would be a battle, and his soldiers must be prepared to take the planet at all costs. The Prophet turned his chair to the sound of the door to the bridge opening, and a young Brute captain entered, bowing to Truth in respect. Truth held up a hand, signifying the Brute to return to his feet. As the Brute stepped closer to the Prophet, Truth turned his chair back to the fore monitor, being sure to watch closely over the fleet's progress. He waved his hand again, signaling the Brute to share his news.
The Brute captain hesitated for a moment, then announced, "Honorable Prophet of Truth, it appears the Demon is on board this craft." At this information, Truth quickly turned to the Brute, unable to hide the surprise and fear in his old eyes. The Brute shifted uncomfortably on his feet, as Truth asked, "Are you sure you are not mistaken?" The Brute captain looked at the floor of the ship, then replied, "Yes, Excellency, we have confirmed his biological signature on our cargo bay cameras." The Prophet looked back to the monitor, and hid his face in his hand. Then the Great Journey is in more danger than I previously feared.
The Brute watched Truth carefully, then inquired, "What should be done about this Heresy?" The Prophet of Truth slowly slid his hand down, so his eyes watched the monitor once more. He seemed to ponder this information for a few moments, then waved a hand at the Brute. "Absolutely nothing." The Brute captain's mouth dropped in absolute surprise. He quickly managed to stammer out, "B-but Noble Prophet, the Demon's presence on this ship is-" He was silenced by a wave of the Prophet's hand.
"Loyal Brute, you are young, and have much to learn." The Brute seemed to be insulted by this comment, but Truth continued, "We do not yet know of the Demon's true intent. And even if we did choose to attack, no military force located on this ship would be able to stop the demon." The Brute opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it, and closed it again. He bowed, and made his way off of the bridge. The Prophet of Truth continued to watch his fleet on the monitor. Your move, Demon.
A sudden acceleration of the ship made Master Chief grip the edge of a nearby cargo container. He winced, and let go, regaining his balance. The Covenant fleet must be moving toward Earth. Damn, I have to kill Truth before it's too late. Unfortunately, all the doors out of this cargo bay were sealed, and he had no way out of the room, much less access to the bridge, where Truth was surely located. There was nothing for the Master Chief to do but sit there and wait for a way out. As he waited, he began to hear loud explosions from outside the ship, and the room began shaking violently. He grasped the edge of the container again. Truth must have come across the Orbital Defense Grid.
As they explosions became more frequent, Master Chief began hearing shouted orders and reports over the UNSC communications. He even thought he heard Admiral Hood himself. An idea suddenly occurred to him. He focused on a connection with the Mac Station Cairo, and his suit made it happen. He said over the line, "This is Spartan-117. Can anyone hear me, over?" He heard muffled orders, and the gruff voice of Admiral Hood sounded in his suit's helmet. "Master Chief, you mind telling me what you're doing on that ship?" The Spartan held a BR55 Rifle up to his chest, hearing a door begin to open, and replied curtly, "Sir, finishing this fight."