Wow. That was quick.
...
0602 Hours, February 24th, 2683
SSV Normandy
Keyes System, Forerunner Cluster
...
Master Chief's eyes suddenly opened, revealing the featureless, dark-blue ceiling above him. "Morning." Cortana cheerfully greeted. "I was wondering when you'd wake up."
Chief quirked an eyebrow at that. "I slept in?" he asked.
"Yup. It's 0602 hours." Cortana said before faking a gasp. "A whole two minutes! I think you're getting lazy, Chief."
Chief smirked at that. SPARTAN-II's slept for exactly seven hours. No more, no less. In bed at 2300 hours, up at 0600 hours. For a spartan to sleep in, even for two minutes, was very unusual.
"I saved the galaxy." Chief said. "I think I'm entitled to two extra minutes of sleep."
"The vacation's over, spartan." Cortana teased. "TIme to get back in the saddle. Come on, on your feet."
Chief smiled a little more as he rolled off the makeshift mattress on top of the stack of crates and stood up. He was currently on deck 3 of the Normandy, the cargo hold. Since it was also where the mako was stored, some on the ship called this deck 'the garage.' Since Chief couldn't fit in any of the sleeping pods, he had to make use of an inflatable mattress on top of some crates. He didn't mind though. Lord only knows he's slept in worst conditions. The Normandy has been cruising through the Forerunner Cluster for about two days now, en route to the mass relay that would take the ship and her crew to the Exodus Cluster, where Eden Prime was. This morning was supposed to be the morning where they'd finally reach the relay, and since its twin was in the same star system as Eden Prime, it would be a relatively short trip from there on. The Chief was glad. He had spent the trip familiarizing himself with the ship and the crew, but once he had done that, there was little else to do. The spartan was getting bored.
He rolled his shoulders and stretched, working out the kinks. He then made for the elevator to take him up to deck 2. After a rather slow elevator ride, Chief rounded the corner into the mess hall.
"Morning, Chief!" one of the crewmen greeted.
"Joker says we're coming up on the mass relay. We're almost to Eden Prime." another reported.
"Good." Chief replied. Chief was eager for some ground action. He walked up to the paste dispenser imbedded in the wall by the weapon lockers. He punched in some numbers and a tube with 'beef' printed across it came out. Nutrient paste; the soldier's best friend. It changed little since Chief's time, except of course it tasted a hell of a lot better, almost like real beef. It was odd; Chief had grown a little too used to his nutrient paste tasting like crap. He opened a small port on his helmet, right over the mouth. He put the tube to it and squeezed. This was how most spartans ate their meals, which they usually finished in less than a minute.
"Good morning, Chief." came a voice which, over time, has made the spartan grimace in annoyance. He turned to see the ship's only non-human passenger, the Turian spectre Nihlus Kryik. "Doing well, I take it?" he asked.
"Surviving." Chief replied.
"Good." Nihlus said with a nod. He then passed Chief and grabbed some nutrient paste of his own. Apparently, Turians have very different digestive systems then Humans and as a result, Human food was practically poisonous to Turians and vice versa. So, the ship was installed with a nutrient paste dispenser that catered to both species' dietary needs. Chief didn't see the point, seeing as Nihlus was the only Turian on the entire ship.
Overall, Nihlus was really beginning to grind on the Chief's nerves. He wasn't so bad at first, but after a while it seemed like the spartan couldn't go anywhere on the ship without bumping into the alien. Nihlus would try to engage the spartan in some 'pleasant' conversation, which consisted of Nihlus asking Chief questions the latter would rather not answer. At this point, Master Chief didn't know which was worst; an alien trying to kill him, or an alien following him around like a lost puppy wanting to be his friend.
"So Chief." Nihlus began after taking a gulp from his paste. "Have you ever seen a mass relay?"
"Not in person." Chief answered. It was the truth. The Mt. Everest probably passed through several relays during the trip from the Ismar Frontier to Earth, but Chief didn't notice at the time. He was too busy either doing target practice or looking up information on what he missed to look out a window.
"Then you're in for a treat." Nihlus stated. "Let's head up to the cockpit. You'll get the best view from there." With that, the Turian began walking towards the stairs leading up to deck 1; the CIC, the bridge, and the cockpit. The spartan followed. As Nihlus and Chief ascended the stairs, Chief clicked off his helmet speakers by flipping a switch on his helmet to once again to get Cortana's opinion on current events.
"Nihlus wants something from me." Chief stated. "He wouldn't be so eager to try to know me otherwise."
"Probably." Cortana replied. "Maybe he's got some kind of weird crush on you? I've been surfing the extranet and...well..."
"Well what?" Chief asked.
"Let's just say that some Humans have become more...open-minded since 2552." Cortana said. "Also, if you ever see a magazine entitled 'Fornax', STAY AWAY. Unless you've always been secretly curious about what an Elite would look like without all the armor."
Chief was about to ask, but immediately closed his mouth, deciding that there were some things about this new galaxy that he was probably better off not knowing.
"The Arcturus Prime relay is in range." Joker's voice came over the intercom as Nihlus and Chief arrived on deck 1.
"Chief." Jenkins greeted with a nod as he walked by the spartan. Cpl. Richard L. Jenkins was the same marine who told Chief about Spartan Hill back in New Mombasa. Chief got to know him a little better during the trip to Eden Prime. Jenkins was a nice enough kid, but he REEKED of that all-too distinctive 'rookie' smell.
"We are connected. Calculating transit mass and destination." Joker continued as Nihlus and Chief made their way to the cockpit. They passed through the bridge, a long hallway where the spartan and the spectre were flanked on both sides by various computer operators diligently working at their stations. "The relay is hot. Acquiring approach vector."
"All stations secure for transit." Joker stated as the spartan felt the ship shift a little. He and Nihlus arrived at the cockpit. Chief could see a strange object floating in space some distance away. He couldn't make it out, but they were getting closer to it.
"The board is green. Approach run has begun." Joker stated.
"My god..." Cortana said as she got a good look at it. Chief shared a similar sentiment.
It was huge. Twice the size of the Dawn, at least. It was blue in color, long metal arms pointing outwards, as if to show the way to their destination. But the most eye-catching feature by far was the massive element zero core, pulsing with life as rings spun and danced around it. When they got closer, that's when Chief really got an idea of just how damn big it was. The Normandy was practically an ant compared to it. Master Chief and Cortana could both honestly say that they haven't been in such a state of awe since they first saw Halo.
"Hitting the relay in 3...2...1..."
Some sort of visor on the cockpit's windows was likely the only reason nobody shielded their eyes when a bolt of what looked like blue lightning hit the ship and enveloped it. The Chief braced himself for impact. Then, a blue flash. And that was it. The stars seemed to change. If what Chief heard about the mass relays were true, they just traveled several hundred light years in the blink of an eye.
"Thrusters, check. Navigation, check. Internal emissions sink engaged. All systems online. Drift..." Joker paused as he pressed a few buttons on his keyboard. "...just under 1500 K." he finished.
"1500 is good. Your captain will be pleased." Nihlus stated. At this point, Chief eased up a bit, realizing there was no immediate threat of a crash or anything. If the Turian noticed Chief tensing up during the relay run, he didn't mention it, bless his heart, or whatever it was Turians had. The spectre turned on his heels and walked away. Chief sighed in relief. Maybe now he'll go bother someone else for a while.
"I hate that guy." Joker said once Nihlus had walked away. Chief cracked a smile. The pilot had unwittingly summed up the spartan's opinions on the Turian nicely.
"Nihlus gave you a compliment...so you hate him." Lt. Kaidan Alenko, who had been sitting next to Joker commented.
"You remember to zip up your jumpsuit on the way out of the bathroom, that's good. I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead. So that's incredible!" Joker shot back. "Besides, spectres are trouble. I don't like having him aboard. Call me paranoid."
"You're paranoid." Alenko replied without missing a beat.
"Ha!" Cortana exclaimed. "Oh, I like him."
"The council helped fund this project. They have a right to send someone to keep an eye on their investment." he explained.
"Yeah, that's the 'official' story. But only an idiot believes the official story." Joker pointed out.
Flight Lt. Jeff Moreau was the Normandy's helmsman, and from what Chief has seen, he's a fairly competent one. Most people just call him 'Joker,' the reason being his rather snide sense of humor and snarcky comments, at least that was the Chief's guess.
Staff Lt. Kaidan Alenko was the head of the Normandy's marine detail, meaning that he was the one every marine on the ship answered to. If Chief ends up being put in charge of an operation, it seemed likely that Kaidan would be his second-in-command. Thus, Chief spent much of the trip sizing him up. He was a 'biotic,' an individual that had telekinetic powers due to exposure to element zero in the womb, at least according to what Cortana told him. Aside from that, Chief doesn't know much else about him but given his rank, it was fair to assume that he'd be quite capable in a fight.
"Whatever." Kaidan replied, dismissing Joker's claims. He looked up to the spartan. "So Chief. How are you adjusting to life in the 27th century?" he began, apparently wanting to shift gears way from conspiracy theories.
"Not all that well, to be honest." Chief replied.
"Why not?" Kaidan asked.
"Maybe he's feeling homesick?" Joker offered. "This ship's too shiny and bright and colorful for his liking. Maybe we should paint everything dull grey and dull green. That should make him feel a little more welcome." Joker looked up to the spartan, only to see him looking right at the pilot. Joker couldn't see through the visor, but he could easily imagine a pair of steel eyes baring down on him. "Or not." he quickly added.
"Ah, the Spartan Stare." Cortana commented. "Never fails."
"It's the Alliance." Chief resumed. "And the costs that came with joining the Citadel races. No slipspace, no smart AI's, reduced fleet size. Why would we want to join the citadel races if we have to follow so many restrictive laws?"
"Well, that's the price for being part of the galactic community I guess." Kaidan said with a shrug. "Also, keep in mind, we didn't exactly start off on the right foot with them." He pointed out, referring to the First Contact War. "It was either that or a full-scale war. So we went with the first option."
"We could've taken them in a war." Chief rebuttled. Alenko seemed taken aback by that statement. To his credit, he reacted promptly.
"...Maybe" Kaidan conceded. "But it would be a hell of a fight. The Turian Hierarchy was pissed off and ready to go after the liberation of Shanxi and they had a fleet that was just as big as ours, not to mention they had an infamous reputation for fighting their enemies with ruthless efficiency. It would have been the Human-Covenant War all over again, which was the last think humanity wanted."
"Okay. Maybe a war wouldn't have been the answer." Chief said, taking a brief moment to reflect on how odd that statement sounded coming from a SPARTAN-II. "But why did we have to join? Can't we just retain our independence in a 'you don't mess with us, we won't mess with you' kind of deal?"
"We could have, but we didn't really want to." Kaidan answered. "After the Human-Covenant war ended with the Covenant being pretty much destroyed and most of its races wanting to get on our good side, we saw an opportunity to build bridges. Make friends with aliens instead of fighting them, just like our ancestors always dreamed of when they first looked up into the stars. We wanted to build a galactic, multi-species community. So imagine our surprise when we found that such a community already existed on the other side of a mass relay, and an ancient and successful one at that. We need to be part of the galactic community Chief, not separate ourselves from it. That's not where our future is."
"I think you're being too idealistic, Lieutenant." Chief said. "Any community that requires us to make such drastic concessions isn't a community we should be a part of. We should've retained ourselves as our own, separate state."
"If we did that, we'd become rivals to the Citadel races." Kaidan argued. "Once we became rivals, open war would become a matter of when, not if."
"Like I said, we can take them in a war." Chief repeated.
"'Can' and 'should' aren't the same thing you know." Kaidan pointed out.
A deafening silence hung over the cockpit, the humming of the engines the only sound that dared revealed itself as the spartan and the biotic stared each other down. Then; "What do you think, Joker?" Kaidan asked as he turned to the helmsman.
"Yeah. What's your two cents?" Chief asked as he too diverted his gaze to the pilot. Joker was silent for a moment.
"Choosing sides in a political debate between a guy who can break my neck with his pinky finger and a guy who can throw me across the room with his brain? Yeah, I'm not THAT dumb." Joker remarked.
"Joker! Status report!" Anderson's voice called through the intercom. Joker was startled for a bit then promptly responded.
"Er, uh, just cleared the mass relay Captain. Stealth systems engaged, everything looks solid!" Joker nervously reported.
"Good. Find a comm buoy and link us into the network. I want mission reports relayed to Alliance brass before we reach Eden Prime." Anderson ordered. "Also, tell Master Chief to meet me in the comm room for a debriefing."
"Roger that. Joker out." Joker said before clicking off the line. "You get that, Chief?"
"Yeah. Sounded like he was in a bad mood." Chief noted.
"He's always in a bad mood." Joker quipped.
"Only when he's talking to you, Joker." Kaidan snipped.
With that, the Master Chief turned around and headed back down the bridge towards the comm room on the other side of deck 1. He wasn't sure what to make of Kaidan Alenko at first. He disagreed with the Chief's opinions, no doubt there, but he did so in a respectful fashion. The SPARTAN-II never detected any true hostility in Kaidan's tone of voice as they debated. And as Chief went over the biotic's arguments in his head, while he thought Kaidan's vision of every race in the galaxy holding hands in perfect harmony was fool's dream, he was forced to admit that a repeat of the Human-Covenant War would've been nothing less than disastrous.
Still, he could not find himself agreeing with the Alliance's decision to join the Citadel races. Sure, Humans certainly have it easier than they did in Chief's time, but at what cost? Humanity has been stripped of everything that made them strong. Granted, it was a better deal than what the Covenant offered, which was outright extinction. But it was still a bad deal.
Chief grunted at those thoughts as he made his way through the CIC deck. He passed Navigator Pressly, who was currently having a discussion of some sort with Chief Engineer Adams through the ship's comm systems. He then passed Cpl. Jenkins and Dr. Chakwas, the ship's head medical officer, having a discussion of their own. Chief only heard a few words out of each, but it was pretty clear from them that the fact that a spectre was on board was quite the source of buzz around the ship, not that Chief didn't already know it.
The doors to the comm room opened. But instead of finding Captain Anderson, he found Nihlus with his back turned to the spartan. The doors closed behind Chief as he cautiously approached. Nihlus turned around, noticing the hulking Human enterring.
"Ah, Chief. I'm glad you're here. I was hoping for a chance to talk." he greeted warmly.
"Where's Captain Anderson?" Chief asked, immediately suspicious of what was going on.
"He's on his way." Nihlus replied. Chief wasn't really sure what to make of the spectre. On the one hand, he's a Turian, a species that he now knew bullied and intimidated humanity into giving up its greatest technological achievements with threats of war. On the other hand, Nihlus himself has yet to give Chief a reason to kill him. But make no mistake, Chief was keeping an eye out for such a reason.
"I'm curious about this world we're going to." Nihlus resumed. "Eden Prime. I hear it's quite beautiful."
"That's what Jenkins told me. Apparently he was raised there. I've never been there myself." Chief replied, watching the spectre like a hawk.
"You should. I think you'd like it." Nihlus said. "It's become a symbol for your people. Proof that humanity can not only establish colonies but protect them as well." he paused. "But how safe is it really?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Chief asked. His entire body tensed up, ready to attack at any given moment. Chief wasn't armed, but neither was Nihlus. The scenarios on how best to kill the Turian were already flowing through his mind. His legs were different from a Human's, so his usual methods of leg incapacitation may not work. But a quick punch to the head is sure to disorient him, no matter how bony his head is, allowing the spartan an opportunity to knock him to the ground with his elbow. He'd plant his right foot right on his throat and stomp on his torso repeatedly with his left foot. If the crushed windpipe didn't kill him, a smashed ribcage definitely would.
"The galaxy can be a very dangerous place, and your people are still newcomers. Is the Alliance truly ready for this?" Nihlus nonchalantly asked.
It was then that Anderson entered the room. Chief relaxed ever so slightly, pleased that the captain was unharmed. "I think it's about time we told Master Chief what's really going on." the captain said to the spectre.
"This mission is far more than a simple shakedown run." Nihlus began.
"I had a feeling." Chief said as his body relaxed a bit more. It seemed unlikely that Nihlus would try anything now, but he would still be ready if he did.
"We're making a covert pick-up on Eden Prime. That's why we needed the stealth systems operational. A research team on Eden Prime unearthed some kind of beacon during an excavation." Anderson paused. "It was Prothean."
"Prothean?" Chief asked. "You mean the ancient aliens that came after the Forerunners but before us? The ones who created the mass relays?"
"Correct." Nihlus replied. "Without their mass relays, galactic civilization would be nowhere near as sophisticated as it is now, the Citadel being the very heart of that civilization."
"The last time Humanity made a discovery like this, it led to the discovery of our cluster's mass relay, opening the door to the rest of the galaxy for us." Anderson stated. "Who knows what secrets the beacon could tell us."
"However, Eden Prime doesn't have the facilities to handle something like this. Which is why we need to bring the beacon back to the Citadel for proper study. You see, this goes beyond mere Human interests, Chief. This discovery could affect every species in Council space." Nihlus added.
"Yeah, I'll bet." Chief replied, his tone indicating he wasn't entirely happy with the concept of cooperating with aliens.
Nihlus scoffed. "Still not entirely fond of me, are you Chief?" The spartan raised an eyebrow at that. Apparently, the spectre was more perceptive than the Chief gave him credit for.
"Can't say that I am." Chief admitted. Cat was out of the bag now. No sense in trying to stuff it back in.
"Well, we're going to have to get used to each other, I'm afraid." Nihlus said. "You see, the beacon's not the only reason I'm here."
"Nihlus wants to see you in action." Anderson elaborated. "He's here to evaluate you."
"Evaluate me for what?" Chief asked, his body tensing up again.
"The Alliance has been pushing for this for a long time." Anderson began. "Humanity wants a larger role in shaping interstellar policy. We want more say with the Citadel Council. The Spectres represent the Council's power and authority." he paused again. "If they accept a Human into their ranks, it shows how far the Alliance has come."
Chief was taken aback as he instantly pieced together what Anderson was suggesting. "Me? You guys want me to be a Spectre?"
"You led many successful missions during the Human-Covenant War." Nihlus pointed out. "Several times throughout that conflict, you showed not only courage but also incredible skill. That's why I put your name forward as a candidate for the Spectres."
Chief was taken even more aback by that statement. "Why would a Turian want a Human in the Spectres?" he asked.
"Not all Turians resent Humans." Nihlus began. "Some of us see the potential of your species. We see what you have to offer to the rest of the galaxy, and to the Spectres. It's rare to find an individual with the skills we seek." Nihlus boldly took a step towards the spartan. "I don't care that you're Human, Chief. I only care that you can do the job."
"Earth needs this, Chief." Anderson stated. "We're counting on you."
"But before any decisions can be made, I need to see your skills for myself." Nihlus added. "Eden Prime will be the first of several missions together."
"Peachy." Chief remarked.
"You'll be in charge of the ground team, Chief." Anderson said. "Secure the beacon and get it onto the ship ASAP. Nihlus will accompany you to observe the mission."
"Permission to ask a question, sir?" Chief asked.
"Granted." Anderson said with a nod.
"Why all the secrecy? This sounds like a pretty standard pick-up to me." the spartan questioned.
"Eden Prime is located in the Attican Traverse; not the most stable sector of Citadel Space. Raiders and criminals in the region might figure a Prothean beacon is valuable enough to attack an Alliance ship."
"Not to mention it's right on the border of the Terminus Systems." Nihlus added. "Some of those species might be willing to start a war with the Council over this, so we need to be as discrete as possible."
Chief nodded, understanding the situation. There was only one question left to ask. "When do we gear up?"
"Immediately." Anderson stated. "We should be getting close to Eden-"
"Captain! We've got a problem!" Joker's voice came over the comm, effectively killing Anderson's would-be orders.
"What's wrong, Joker?" Anderson asked, a little irked at being interrupted.
"Transmission from Eden Prime, sir. You better see this." Joker answered, his tone indicating the utmost urgency.
"Bring it up on screen." Anderson ordered, already getting a bad feeling in his gut.
With that order the captain, the spartan and the spectre all turned to the screen that flared to life. The camera was shaky as it portrayed a battle. Chief could see various marines fighting an unknown hostile force. The sounds of unfamiliar gunfire and more than a few explosions blasted out of the speakers. One of the marines, a woman, rushed up to the camera.
"Get down!" she ordered, addressing the cameraman. The camera was pushed to the ground as the trio got a good look of her firing another burst from her assault rifle. The camera shook around more, the cameraman apparently unable to get a good steady grip. Chief thought he could see a few fleeting glances of whatever was attacking the marines, but the camera never focused or settled long enough to get a good look. The camera suddenly turned to another marine, this one a man.
"We are under attack!" he stated. "Taking heavy casualties! I repeat: Heavy casualties! We can't-" his sentence was interrupted by an explosion that was a little too close for comfort. "Need evac!" he resumed after the explosion subsided. "They came out of nowhere! We need-" he was interrupted again, this time for good as blood splattered on the screen, likely from a fatal gunshot wound.
Then came a noise. A shrill noise that sounded like a cross between an eagle screeching and a ship taking off. All the marines stopped their fire as they saw something that made their jaws drop. The camera swiveled around and upwards at the thing they were staring at.
It looked like some kind of giant, mechanical squid in the sky, crimson lightning seeming to dance from its tentacles.
The cameraman couldn't hold it steady after that. More gunfire. More explosions. A brief shot of the marines running away. And then the transmission was lost to static.
"Everything cuts out after that." Joker reported. "No comm traffic at all. Just goes dead. There's nothing."
"Reverse and hold at 38.5." Anderson quickly ordered.
Joker did as he was told. The video reversed and froze on that robotic squid. Chief noticed Nihlus's mandibles flare out ever so slightly. He wasn't good at reading Turian expressions yet, but if he had to hazard a guess, he'd say Nihlus was expressing shock or awe. The SPARTAN-II honestly couldn't blame him. Whatever that thing was, it must've been huge, the way it almost took up the whole screen.
"Status report." Anderson barked, not taking his eyes off that image.
"Seventeen minutes out, Captain. No other Alliance ships in the area." Joker reported.
"Take us in Joker. Fast and quiet." Anderson ordered. "This mission just got a lot more complicated."
"A small strike team can move quickly, without drawing attention. It would be our best chance to secure the beacon." Nihlus suggested.
Anderson nodded and turned to the spartan. "You'll find all the firearms you'll need on deck 2. Tell Alenko and Jenkins to gear up as well. Once the three of you are ready, meet Nihlus and I in the cargo hold. You're going in." Anderson instructed.
...
"Engaging steal systems." Joker reported. "Somebody's been doing some serious digging here, Captain."
Master Chief stood in the cargo hold on deck 3, ready for action. His armor was at maximum performing efficiency, and he had four weapons on him; a sniper rifle, a shotgun, an assault rifle, and a pistol. Kaidan Alenko and Richard Jenkins stood on either side of the spartan; they were his ground team and had similar armaments to the Chief. It was a small squad, but Chief was used to working in small squads, if not completely on his own.
"Your team's the muscle in this operation, Chief." Anderson began. "Go in heavy and head straight for the dig site."
"What about survivors, Captain?" Alenko asked.
"Helping survivors is a secondary objective." Anderson stated. "The beacon's your top priority!"
"Approaching drop point-one." Joker reported as the cargo bay doors opened, wind howling and whistling as it did.
"Nihlus! You coming with us?" Jenkins called over the roar of the wind.
"I move faster on my own!" Nihlus called back, checking the sights on his assault rifle before moving in. He jumped out as the Normandy slowed.
"Nihlus will scout out ahead." Anderson elaborated. "He'll feed you status reports throughout the mission. Otherwise, I want radio silence."
"Ready." Chief called out with a nod.
"The mission's yours now, Master Chief! Good luck!" Anderson called.
"We are approaching drop point-two." Joker reported as Chief, Alenko and Jenkins got into position. Chief unfolded his assault rifle, ready for action. Once the ground was close enough, he leapt out without hesitation, Jenkins and Alenko not far behind.
The moment Chief hit the ground, his rifle was already trained, ready to shoot. Alenko and Jenkins followed suit, keeping their rifles drawn as the Normandy flew away to a more secluded position. "Ship perimeter secure, Chief." Kaidan reported.
"Keep your weapons drawn and your guard up." Chief ordered.
"Yes sir, Master Chief sir!" Jenkins enthusiastically complied.
"Chief? You read me? This is Nihlus." the Turian's voice came over the radio.
"I read." Chief replied.
"This place got hid hard. Hostiles everywhere. Watch your back." Nihlus said before clicking off the channel.
"Well Chief, here we are again." Cortana began. "Aiding a besieged colony under attack by an alien threat we know little to nothing about with naught but a handful of marines as back-up." she scoffed a little. "Just goes to show; the more things change, the more they stay the same."
Chief smiled a bit at Cortana's comment. He turned to Kaidan. "You've got point, Alenko."
...
And there's Chapter 4. The next chapter will, of course, cover the Eden Prime mission. Though it will most likely take me a while to write up that bit, so be patient