HALO
Critical
Strike
By
Jerod Botts
Invasion
January18, 2535
Lamdba Serpentis System, above Jericho VII
Aboard UNSC destroyer Excalibur
"Lieutenant, report."
"Nothing on the scanners captain."
"Mmhhhh."
"Sir, Is there something wrong?" all six of the young lieutenants looked at him. They had never seen him so worried.
They wanted to know why they were on a simple patrol mission with such special ordinance. For example command was more than happy to give us eight tactical nukes, the extra 50 missile pods, extra ammo for our main MAC cannon, the extra long sword space fighters, the small escort cruiser that flew not to far from them, and the two-hundred marines. It looks like we were going to the front lines to fight the Covenant.
He gave an unintentional shudder at the thought of them. It has been many hard years sense they first appeared, with their advanced technology in shields, weapons, and strategies. He had been what, 24 no 25 when he first joined the UNSC. He had joined up for the fleet right away with his friends, and then the covenant came. Most of his friends are dead now.
He could tell them what's wrong this whole god forsaken war was wrong. He decided to tell them the best thing he could.
"No," he lied. "Nothing is wrong"
He went back to his thinking. What will happen to these young men and woman?
Lieutenant Jay Jenkins was worried about the captain. Captain William J. Travis was one of the best he'd served with, he took his job seriously with pride and respect. Although he was nearing fifty, Travis still was one of the best. As far as Jenkins new he didn't have any family. Travis was a healthy looking man, he had some gray in his hair, and little wrinkles on his face, but he could still take Jenkins probably. Jenkins had a simple station scanners, and emergency procedures. He was twenty nine now, senior lieutenant on the command bridge. He couldn't wait to get home to his girl. While lieutenant Murphy was weapons systems and ammo, he is twenty seven. He was always the serious one. Lieutenant Jefferson at navigation was always the first on deck and last to leave. He is twenty six. The two sub lieutenants at damage report stations, the only two girls on the command deck, Allen and Lasky, were cousins. Each was twenty five. Jenkins didn't really even have to do anything because the escort cruiser had far better scanners then they did.
"Lieutenant Reuscher get me an uplink to commander Merago's ship," ordered the captain.
"Aye, aye captain."
Commander Merago was one of his oldest friends; they've had good times together. They graduated from the fleet academy together.
"Uplink ready sir."
A hazy video of a slightly portly man appears on screen.
"Travis it's been so long!" said Merago cheerfully, as he sets aside his mustache brush.
"Indeed it has my friend," said Travis, "have you picked up anything yet? This mission gives me the spooks."
"Not yet, but you never know. I mean haven't even reached the half way point, there could be an ambush at the edge of the system…"
"Commander," cut in a voice in the background, "I think you should look at this."
"One moment Travis," Travis watched screen two as Merago walked over two a screen and glanced at it.
"Captain," said Lieutenant Jenkins, "the scanners are scrambling up, but I think it's because a large asteroid is coming out of stream space."
"This can't be right," said Merago in the background as the screen started to fuzz, "check the auxiliary power…."
"God damn it!" shouted the captain as he was thrown from his chair by a humongous explosion. He felt a sharp pain in his wrist as he hit the railing. "What the hell was that!"
"I think it was the asteroid sir," murmured a very dazed lieutenant Jenkins, as he picked him self up.
The captain straightened himself up, and saw that his wrist has sprained. He held it in his other hand as he turned to Jenkins. "Jenkins get me a view on screen three what happened."
"Yes sir! The scanners are some what fuzzy but I got it."
"All right what hit us?" Asked Travis as he put his arm in his uniform.
Jenkins just sat there starring at the screen; Travis walked to the screen and peered over the lieutenant's shoulder.
"Oh my god," Travis murmured, "That's not an asteroid that's a Covenant battle group!"