I was really surprised at how many hits I got in the first few hours of publishing the first chapter, and I gotta say, that makes me smile. I'mma admit, I had the second one already written out, so I'll post it for you all now. Either tommorrow or sometime tonight I'll start work on the third.

No Chief or Cortana yet, but be patient, they'll be here. I really wanted to get my OC's in soon.

Once again, I own nothing, but the personalitys of my OC's.

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(2558 UNSC Search and Rescue vessel 107-50 Soto Cano, Last known trajectory of the Forward unto Dawn.)

Corporal Cuirteis Leth felt himself stirring out of a peaceful sleep. He'd been dreaming something rather good, and wasn't to happy to be woken out of it. He moved his hand to pull the blanket closer to block out the ridiculous cold around him. How ever, he felt it hit what felt like glass instead. Then came the memory of where he was. Not at home in Dublin working on his car, not at the New Kildare colony, picking out land to settle on, but stuffed frozen in a cryo tube somewhere out in the middle of space.

He forced his eyes open when the familiar hiss let him know the top was opening, and felt them tear up and sting from the residue cryo gases. Boy did it sting too. But, he only had a few moments to think about it, before he felt his gag reflex try and push up the protective gel coating his lungs. He fell out of the tube gagging and heaving. Oozing from his throat was a blue tinted gel mixed with his bronchial mucus. The sight alone was enough to make one lose their lunch.

Around him was a chorus of hurling as the others woke up from cryo sleep. Several tubes down, Sgt. Liam Manning wiped his mouth and tried not to dwell on the awful taste in his mouth, or the slimy mess he was gagging into a drain. Once again, he, and many others were reminded why they disliked space travel. Cryo wasn't the most pleasant thing in the world. Your lungs were filled with a fluid to keep them from being damaged in the freezing process, then you laid in a tube to be frozen by a laundry list of chemicals. Unfreezing meant you were defrosted, and had to hack up the fluid, and the swallow gel filled with replacement vitamins and nutrients you lost during the sleep. The entire process was disgusting and repulsive.

Manning stood up, happy to have it all over with. Around him, the men were beginning to recover. Down the row, he spotted, and began taking a mental account of his men when Staff Sergeant Hollings walked in, and called the room to attention. The snap was almost audible, and the men stood perfectly still, all ears waiting to receive instruction.

"Alright ODST's, we have arrived at the last known location and trajectory of the Forward unto Dawn. I think everyone knows why we're here. The Soto Cano's crew and scanners are working around the clock since arriving in-system. If there is any trace of the Master Chief and Cortana here, we will find them. You men are to sit on standby in teams. You'll each be assigned to a Falcon, which will be deployed in the event we find something. We're here to find the Chief people. There's not a cold chance in hell we're gonna leave him out here. Took the better part of four years to find the system he got left in, and I'll be damned if we fail him now. The soldier deserves to come home finally, it's the least he deserves."

Hollings words hung heavy in the air. Everyone's minds were on the Chief, and the war. They wouldn't have won without him. The mere thought of the Master Chief and the Spartans, and their actions had raised moral. Thousands enlisted to fight the covenant, and fight along side the Spartans, hero's of the UNSC. Cpl. Nikolai Ross, was one of these people. Ross was 5'7, with white freckled skin, and ridiculously bright blue eyes. They fit his personality. He stood there, listening to Hollings speak, and recalled the day he shipped from the Wilderness colony on the edge of UNSC space. The reports had come in that a neighboring planet had been glassed, and any ship trying to escape had been attacked by the Covenant. The defending military force had barely made it out to bring the news. When the reports of the armored warriors called Spartans had reached him, he was completely enthralled. Who couldn't admire such hero's? So with high hopes of glory, and a need to avenge the people lost in the near by glassing, Nikolai signed up and shipped out as soon as possible. For some crazy reason, he let the mic, named Leth, talk him into becoming a Helljumper. Even if it was crazy, they tended to give him a 50 cal to shoot, and explosives to play with. Seemed like fair enough compensation.

Next to Cpl. Ross, was Cpl. Cooper, a survivor of the Soma glassing. He had promised god that if he should live through the attack, he would join the men fighting so desperately against the Covenant, and lay his life on the line to save others not capable of defending themselves. His ship had cleared system, acted according to Cole Protocol, and made it safely to earth. The next day, Austin Cooper enlisted with the UNSC.

Hollings dismissed them to shower up and get dressed. Leth moved towards the lockers and started pulling out and donning the black ODST uniform.

"Stumpy! What a face to wake up to on this bright black day in space!" He purposely ignored the voice of Ross, the crack on his height, and continued to get dressed. Cuirteis Leth stood at 5'5 and weighed in at 168lbs. He was short, stocky and muscular, and had earned the nic name 'stumpy' pretty quickly.

"Whatsa matta stumpy?"

Leth snickered and responded, " I have a name."

"Yeah! Stumpy! Or was it Doc? How's Doc Stumpy?" Ross's face was positively lit up with energy. Where he got it, god only knows. But, the humor and good cheer was infectious. Leth grinned despite himself, and reached inside his locker to grab rolled up socks and throw them in his buddy's face.

"Ass."

"You love me shnookum's"

Cooper walked by, and commented, " Yo, if y'all start doin the bareback tango, that's gonna make one strange ass midget porn, and nobody's gonna be tryin to buy that shit." Cooper was taller than both of them.

Ross's attitude turned flamboyant, and he held up his hand at Cooper, and spoke in a feminine voice.

"Don't be jealous no one wants you in this shit honey"

This time it was several bunches of rolled up socks that pelted him from head to toe, and a few choice names. If this was supposed to be a deterrent, it didn't work, nor would it every really work. Ross finished dressing, and decided to be a smart ass one more time. He walked over closer to Leth, and struck what they called the 'vogue pose'.

"What the hell is it now?" Leth asked through the laughing. Never one to pass up an opportunity to make an ass of himself, Ross answered with glee, and with the same homo voice.

"I'm about to go collect my sexy outer shell, and then go on and get re-acquainted with my SPNKR, C-4, and 50 cal hotness. You and your short ass self just aren't doin it for me anymore girlfriend." He performed that flippant arm move most stereo typically associated with confrontational, snobby women, turned sharply, and walked off purposely shaking his ass from side to side. Laughter followed. Never a dull moment with Ross around.

At the end of the row, another guy stood, shaking his head at the antics of the men. Leth knew at a glance who it was. Kevin Raines wasn't the most social guy in the unit. He stood at 6 foot, 160lbs, with a large ODST tattoo on his back. He had seen more action than most on the ship, and had the nasty scars to prove it. Leth had been the medic to treat many of these, right there on the battle field. Raines had a long ugly scar that started on his right cheek, and wrapped halfway around his head from the melee blade of a brute shot. Another one, was a plasma burn scar that started on his neck, and reached as far as his upper chest and shoulders. There was no naming the others. Curiously enough he had refused the cloning technology to reduce it all.

His personality was not the most social, and he interacted voluntarily with only a few. He was a sniper, and a damn good one. He also had a problem with authority, when he believed he was right. Rumor was, he had been on his way to be a Sergeant, but had his rank stripped for what ever infringement. The exact reason varied with whomever you spoke to. Mostly it was an officer with a grudge. The end result was always the same. It happened during the war, and he got stuffed into an outfit they were sure he would be killed in. Instead, he survived, worked his way back to a Corporal, earning the respect and comradary of the men, and even a slight bit of fear. Raines's prowess with a sniper rifle was bordering legendary.

Leth zipped up his top and moved down the row, past Raines. He nodded at him in a greeting, and remarked, "Might want to get that hair cut. Manning will get on you if you don't man."

Raines shrugged, looking tired and bored. "See you in chow", he mumbled after the medic. Thinking to himself, I'm an ass, he closed the locker door. A rumbling stomach pulled him like a fishing lore towards the dining hall. Cryo left you hungry enough to actually crave the molded protein and processed foodstuffs they served in deep space. He went through the locker rooms, down the corridor to the dining hall, collected his food, and grabbed a seat near the Doc, Ross, and Cooper. They were three people he really didn't mind being around. They made him laugh, and had a respect for him, and each other.

They had all been together since the war, years before it ended in fact. Raines didn't know the exact time, and he didn't really care too. It was irrelevant. They were all brothers in the same company, and had stepped on a lot of toes and taken a lot of chances to keep it that way. Raines remembered when he had been sent to this unit and company, and laughed to himself that after all this time rumors were still floating around about his past, and why he was there. But Doc, Ross and Cooper had never poked their noses were they didn't belong. They left him be, and accepted him as a fellow soldier and ODST. When he began proving himself with the rifle to his new unit, the respect and fear grew. Soon, it got to the point that he didn't even have to request it. It was just assumed the weapon was his. He named it Kate.

Raines sat down, and Cooper started in.

"Ahhh, the strong silent one returns. My people, we are blessed with the presence, of the awesome and deadly, One Hit Kill Kevin. Let us bask in his holy presence. Testify!"

Kevin Raines swallowed his bit of food before he choked from laughing, before turning to Cooper and saying softy, "Ya know Coop, I do believe you will make one fabulous Preacher one day."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, absolutely. Religion needs people that are good at selling bullshit."

The table erupted in laughter. Cooper laughed, "I'll have you heathens seeing the light of god soon."

"Yeah, " said Raines, " Put your god in the sights of my rifle and lets see what happens."

"Hey, the only heathen here is Doc. He dances around the bonfires naked!" Ross giggled.

"Pffftt, I don't get naked ya stupid git, and I didn't know you were so eager to see my junk swinging in the breeze."

" No one wants your door knob" Ross retorted.

"That's not what your mom said last night"

The was a chorus of 'OOOOOOOOOOOOHS!', followed by laughter. Manning sat at another table with other Sergeants, munching on bread that tasted like cardboard, and keeping an eye on all the other tables in front of him. He watched the table with Leth the medic, Ross, Cooper and Raines, and looked on as they laughed and traded playful jabs. The four were usually inseparable in the field. They were the squad Manning was assigned to, and had been with for some time now. He wondered, what was going to happen after this mission? Most all their contracts with the UNSC were coming to an end. It was ETS or re-enlistment for many across the unit.

***********************************************************************

Manning took another bite of the tasteless bread, and looked down at the papers in front of him. It was the duty roster for the next week. They'd be assigned to teams of seven, a five man ODST squad with two pilots, to a Falcon. Each team was to be on standby in the event they found something in the area.

At least they got to play in the newer, bigger versions of the Pelicans. Each had the brand new enhanced slip space engine added to it, and could be used for in space rescues and operations due to revised air locked cabins. They could last longer with out having to land for supplying, and various other fun things, one being the outfitting with brand new cloaking technology.

But Manning wasn't one for complaining, nor would he on this mission. It had taken four years to finally figure out where the portal had sent the Master Chief and the others. It had been so disheartening when the Chief didn't come back. But now, there was hope. Hope he could be found, and brought back to Earth for the hero's welcome he deserved, and would probably dislike.

Manning and his men had been fighting in Voi that day. When the Arbiter had returned by himself, one couldn't help but have a giant weight on the heart. Now it was time to be rid of that weight. He hoped they found something that could bring some kind if closure, and maybe, just maybe, if the Chief was alive, Manning would be able to tell his sister where he had disappeared to for so long.

Spartans were never listed as KIA, only MIA. So, in the sad event that they found the Chief dead, everyone involved in this operation would be sworn to silence on pain of having to deal with the ONI spooks. If the outcome was good, they would be able to see Earth and all her colonies rejoice.

Speaking of ONI, Manning caught a glimpse of one of them walking past in a corridor. Even after the war, and everything he'd seen, they still gave him the creeps. He didn't trust them, not as far away as Raines could kill them.

Deciding to forget everything he was thinking about at the moment, he shoveled in the last of his food, and pushed away from the table, and bused his tray. Time to get to work.

***********************************************************************

After chow, the teams formed and the men and women separated. Body armor and weapons were issued. Each team was assigned to their Falcon, and learned their positions on the duty roster.

Ross gripped the paper in his hand, and grinned. Not surprising, all of their names were grouped together, with two Marine pilots. He nearly shouted for joy when he saw they had no privates attached to them. He couldn't really stand rookies, they didn't take jokes too well. Some where, they all owed a sergeant a favor, which would probably come out in extra duty. A quick glance let him see that they were being paired with Sgt. Manning. Good he though. He personally liked Manning. This was starting to look like it would be fun.

The Soto Cano was buzzing with activity now. Teams took their turns on duty, while others drilled on the training decks. Three standard days passed, and the energy had not died. Many of the people on board were veterans, and rallied at the chance of finding the biggest hero of the war.

At the on board virtual range, Raines broke a record or two in marksmanship. When he was shooting, it was Zen. Every time he pulled the trigger, it was almost like he was firing an extension of himself. Kevin was the kind of person who believed in energy attunement, auras, and the sixth sense some people had. This was possibly one of the reasons he got along with the Doc so well. Doc Leth was a pagan. How the man was still capable of believing in a god after all he had witnessed, was anyone's guess. But the two had had more than one conversation over the years regarding several related topics. The medic was actually incredibly stable despite the horrors he'd experienced in war, and that was something Raines had to respect. He himself was so numb at the prospect of killing, he barely passed his pysch exams, and had been recommended for counseling several times. He was pretty sure they were worried about him going postal. It must have had something to do with his home world being slagged. There wasn't all that much left of Harvest, and many of the survivors had enlisted for revenge. He would never admit to such fallacy. Revenge was not the only motivator one needed to join a war. All of this of course, he never shared with anyone. Not a soul.

He was lost in his thoughts when the range sergeant asked if he was going to spend the whole day there. Once again, he just shrugged his shoulders, returned the gear and left.

***********************************************************************

Ross sat in the hanger with his feet up, listening to Cooper and Leth discuss their religions with a grin. It was a lot like trading jabs instead. But, it killed time until duty, and he always loved to see the Doc get Cooper riled up, with passive humor. He was busy giggling at them when his eye caught Raines wondering towards the weapon rack, silently, and almost invisibly, without even trying.

"How the hell does he do that?"

Cooper and Doc Leth paused and turned towards Ross curious at what he was talking about.

"That," he said pointing, " I almost didn't see the fucker walk in."

They spun around and had their curiosity satisfied.

"That's cause he's like a damn ninja. You hick boys can be sneaky you know."

"I'll have you know Coop, that just cause I'm from Wilderness, doesn't make me a hick."

"Redneck then?"

Doc Leth laughed. Ross waved a hand and them.

"Someone doesn't have to be from Earth to not be considered country, crotch jockeys."

Cooper took another look over at Raines, and watched him sit down on the floor and pull out a cleaning kit, while laying his rifle across his lap. Carefully the guy began working, as it were a piece of art in his hands.

The inside on ships always bordered on chilly, but Cooper was not trying to freeze right there in the bay. He stood up and went over to the panel and holo pedestal to talk to Tatsuo, one of the on ship smart AI's. The tiny figure of a man appeared on the holo pad, dressed in what Ross had told him before, was the traditional garb of the historic Ninja originating in Japan. His face was shrouded in a black mask, and he had a small sword across his back. He bowed.

"Good evening Corporal Cooper. How may I serve you?"

"Can you do anything about the cold? Man, I'm freezing in here."

"It is the standard 72 degrees"

"Man I'm from a desert planet. I don't get hot till it's over 100!"

"I'll see what I can do Corporal." Tatsuo bowed again and flickered off.

***********************************************************************

There was a commotion on board. One of the probes had found something, the scuttlebutt claiming part of a ship amongst the wreckage of the Ark.

ONI already had their paws all over the remains of the Ark, and had discovered the wreck or at least pieces of The Forward unto Dawn.

Cooper and the others hustled over to the weapons rack, while Raines slapped his rifle together in what was probably record time. Armor plates were being strapped on, and formations lined up. Sergeants yelled out commands, and the Marines and ODSTs went to attention. The Falcons were already supplied, and the pilots were busy in the cockpit prepping the ship.

They learned each one of them would have an onboard AI with them. Command wasn't playing around. Each of them had space worthy suits inside the ship, along with cutting tools, and grav lock boots. In a last minute decision, they decided to double up the teams on each ship. Marching up the ramp of the Falcon next to Manning's team, was Sgt. Bastogne and his squad. They nodded to each other.

They loaded into the ship. The pilots yelled at them to strap in. Cooper leaned slightly to get a better look at them. Both female. He let out a low whistle. Doc Leth rolled his eyes.

Ross, even though he was held in place by the harness and crash netting, still managed some how to slouch, and have his foot laid out lazily in front of him. His head was cocked to the side, and his posture over all made him look bored. He couldn't help but look across at the second squad. There was the Sergeant, a Corporal, a Lance Corporal, and two privates, probably rookies on their first run.

The Privates, looked awfully nervous, and Ross had the irresistible urge to pick.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"I'm sorry sir?"

"I'm not 'Sir' I work for a living. It's Corporal Ross. What's your name?"

"Private Smith."

"Why so anxious looking private?"

"First mission sir."

"Oh, you're a rookie. I wouldn't be to worried."

"Why's that?"

"Because if something happens to the ship we'll die pretty quickly. I'm pretty sure we'd never even feel it'

Private Smith's eyes widened, and Cooper whacked Ross in the helmet.

"Quit selling your shit, damn ginger. Don't listen to him kid. Took a grav hammer to the head in the war. You aint got anything to worry about. Just do what you're told, and take a queue from us, well, everyone but him." Cooper jerked a thumb in Ross's direction. In response, Ross lowered his head and held out his hand as if to bow. There was a bubble of laughter.

The other private glanced over on the other side of Doc Leth and pointed at the obviously limp form.

"He seems pretty relaxed."

Cooper leaned and looked over, spotting Raines, slouched and limp next to the doc. For a split second, he could have sworn he heard a snore. His sniper rifle was cradled under one arm, the other in his lap. His head leaned back and rolled from side to side, incased in his helmet.

Cooper shook his head and said, "He's a freak. He'll sleep through anything. Covie attack, orbital drop, Colonels speech, bombing, it doesn't matter. Falls asleep in seconds. Always hugs that damn gun. Just don't try to touch it. Last rookie who did is still waiting for his testicles to re-drop."

There was an audible 'gulp'. Cooper laughed it off with a wave and said," Don't worry about anything. Just stick close, you'll be fine. And Dawkins if you keep mockin me with your hand Imma have to shove it up your ass when this bird lands."

There was another chorus of laughter, and Dawkins, the Lance Corporal sitting across from Cooper, feigned fear. Spirits were good. They hoped that their luck was as well.

***********************************************************************

The pilot, Chief Thever and her co-pilot guided their ship, The River Tam, towards the coordinates, deep in the debris field that was the Ark. Each ship had an assigned grid to search, while avoiding potentially dangerous pieces of wreck. The work would take some time.

Ross stretched his legs. "Sgt. Manning." he asked, " Permission to gripe sir?"

Manning sighed, "Given, till you annoy me."

"Much appreciated Sarge. I was wonderin, Why are we here? Not that I'm complaining, by any means. To find the Chief would be an untold honor. But we sit here in this fine ship, piloted by to very fine Marines, armed and armored for war. We expecting a battle?"

"The brute resistance still has pockets scattered all over the place. You never know when a fight might pop up. Besides, standard protocol, even for a rescue team. Though, I didn't think I'd ever hear you complain about playing with weaponry."

"You mean I didn't travel out here for the awesome accommodations, gourmet food? Where's the complaint department?"

Manning tossed him a grenade.

"Pull the pin and wait for your number to be called." More laughing.

"I'm guessing you're annoyed?"

"Now what would give you that idea?"

***********************************************************************

Thever swerved to avoid a nasty looking piece of metal. A small, black and green hologram of a man in ancient ninja garb with a sword on his back, sat in what looked like a meditative stance. Lines of binary code and data streamed across the surface of his body.

"You cut it rather close ma'am. This is a recurring theme in your piloting skills."

"What a polite criticism Tatsuo. I suppose this is based in the fact you believe you could do better?"

"It is based in the fact that I know I could. My calculations and programming do not lie." His hologram gained a blue tinge for a moment, and Thever smirked at the AI's attempt at humor. He was young, and a member of the new generation of smart AI's. His program date was only from a few months ago.

"Ma'am, I'm detecting the presence of an energy source, with in a piece of the Ark wreckage."

She moved the Falcon closer to the energy, which appeared to be within a large, oblong piece of the Ark.

Tatsuo ran scans, and tried to determine what it was. The men and women aboard The River Tam were disappointed it was not a distress beacon.

"Ma'am, I believe it is the engine or at least the functional part of the Slipstream Portal that originally transported the Forward unto Dawn here."

"Really?"

"Yes. I've already hailed the ONI officers and notified them of this find."

"What? Tatsuo why?"

"Protocol and orders ma'am."

Thever rolled her eyes.

Suddenly, Tatsuo's coloring when bright red.

"The Soto Cano is under attack. Brute ships have appeared out of slip space and began their attack. Command is calling all units into battle."

As soon as the AI had announced it, the news came over the comm.

"Shit" Thever yelled, when the close proximity alarm went off, and Tatsuo announced there was an incoming enemy craft bearing down on them.

The brutes had been committing hit and go attacks for the last four years. They must have followed the ship to this sector of space.

"Everyone hang on!" Thever yelled. The ship lurched to the left and she avoided a mass of plasma. The men in the back were jolted and shook about in their harnesses.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph….." Cooper muttered

"And Bob" Ross added. Cooper turned his head slowly. If the helmet was off, there would have been an incredulous look on his face. Ross shrugged.

"Seemed like a good idea. You were just throwing out names anyway."

"Jack ass."

Inside the cockpit, Thever was fighting with the controls to take evasive action. Tatsuo had begun to fire the guns, but getting through the shields on the brute ship was not easy. He was standing on his holo pedestal now, working to keep the ships systems in order, and aiming at the same time. The ship shook violently.

"We took a hit!" Thever groaned through gritted teeth.

"It was just a scrape ma'am. All systems still functioning, hull integrity at 100%, pressure intact." Tatsuo said calmly. At least someone was keeping their head. When the ship jerked again, Doc Leth was woken up, and asked what the hell was going on. Then he rolled his eyes when he realized Raines was still passed out.

"Did he hit his head or something? How in the hell is he still sleeping?" Sergeant Bastogne yelled. The doc shrugged and held up his hands. Not once did the man wake up, but when the rifle almost fell out of his hands, his grip tightened and he held it closer.

People shouting orders, and trying to keep the chaos at bay filtered in on the comm. The battle had caught the UNSC forces by surprise, but they were recovering quickly. 25 years of experience had taught them well. It wasn't long before the UNSC had the upper hand, and the Soto Cano had the main Brute ship running.

Thever keep the Falcon flying, and Tatsuo had taken out several with his shooting. When she asked him, he calmly answered he had advanced tactical targeting programming. They made another pass at the giant slip space engine, trying to shake a fighter off their tail.

"Tatsuo, ya wanna do something about that?"

"Currently in progress ma'am. The pilot of that ship however, seems to have more combat experience, and is very evasive."

The ship lurched again, and warning signals beeped and flashed.

"Ma'am, one of the pressure seals have begun losing power, and I am unable to lock it down. It will have to be done manually."

The Co-pilot, named Garcia, unbuckled herself.

"I'll get it. Keep her flying!"

"Tatsuo, engage cloaking. Garcia get your ass back here quick!"

Garcia ran through the cabins pretty gracefully considering the shaking and violent rocking. On the way through she jumped over the legs of the ODST's and headed towards the back. It wasn't hard to find the malfunction, because Tatsuo made the near by lights flicker when she was close. She ripped off the plating and stared at the wires before digging in.

***********************************************************************

"Ma'am, I believe the brute ship firing at us currently may have some sort of heat detection."

"What makes you say that?"

"Our ambush attacks and evasive maneuvers have been tracked by it so far, as if we weren't cloaked at all. Incoming fire."

The River Tam shook as if it had collided with another ship.

"Fuck! That was a hit." Thever yelled through gritted teeth.

"Not a deadly one. But Id advise against receiving such a blow again." Tatsuo calmly added.

"I'll keep that in mind." She replied dryly.

The Soto Cano fired it's massive guns into the main ship, and the rounds punched a hole in the hull. The rush of atmosphere was visible for a brief moment, and so were the small internal explosions. UNSC ships were finishing off most of the smaller vessels. Tatsuo announced that he had brought down the brute fighter that had been firing on them.

Thever breathed a small breath of relief. Over the comm, command ordered them to do another sweep of the area for any enemies, then bring in the ships for damage assessment and debriefings. She pushed through the debris and slag, while Tatsuo did a scan sweep. They were not so damaged that they couldn't carry out the order before returning for servicing and assessment.

Thever took a path that brought her back towards the portal engine. Something caught her eye.

"Soto Cano, this is The River Tam, something's happening with a piece of the Ark wreckage."

"River Tam, please describe what you are seeing in detail, and have on board AI sent data stream. Over."

"Streams of energy, like electricity. It looks…almost as if it's powering up……" She let her words trail off, and started to get a really bad feeling in her chest.

"River Tam, be advised, Ark wreckage is now classified as dangerous by ONI, move away as quickly as possible, and return to docking bay for debriefing.

"Roger that." She turned away from the comm and focused on the controls before speaking to the AI. "Tatsuo fire up the engines, I want out of here now."

No sooner had she said the words, did she realize that the large chunks of metal were floating past the ship, moving from some unseen source…

"Ma'am, the ship is being pulled backwards, by what I can best describe as a gravity well."

"Fire the damn engines and get us out of here."

"I've been firing them for the last few seconds. Full burn it is then, and the air lock pressure has been restored. I believe Garcia is on her way back."

Despite pushing the engines as hard as they would go, Tatsuo announced they were still being pulled in towards the engine. There was a brilliant flash of light, and Sgt. Manning could see, even from his seat, the eerie blue glow, of what was unmistakably a portal, just like the one he had seen on earth the day the Chief disappeared. He could feel his heart in his throat. Something during the fight must have activated it again. How, was inconceivable, considering the entire thing was in ruins. But there was the portal, being generated by the engine, and spinning in space.

"Soto Cano this it River Tam, we're being pulled in, repeat, we're being pulled in. Engines are at full force, to no effect."

"River Tam, everything around you is being pulled in. Keep trying. How many men do you have onboard?

"Two full teams, repeat, ten ODSTs, my self, my co-pilot, and onboard AI designation 'Tatsuo'. Command, it's not happening. We can't break free."

"Keep trying Thever, that's an order."

"Roger that command." She practically yelled that last line into the comm. Why wouldn't she be trying?

The ship was vibrating, then it was shaking. There was nothing she could do. The portal could kill them, or deposit them somewhere in or out of slip space.

"Thever, what the Fuck is going on in there?" Sgt Manning yelled. He didn't like not having control over any situation pertaining to him or his men.

"Hold on to something, like your panties Sergeant. It's gonna be a violently bumpy friggin ride."

Garcia was thrown from her feet several times. Making it back from the rear cabin was proving to be much harder. When she tried to make it through the doorway, the floor beneath her lurched, and she fell backwards, and everything went black.

The River Tam was being slammed by the flying debris that was caught in the grip of the portal with them. It's dull steel gray hull was illuminated with the blue light, and it's engines continued to push and flare futilely

"We're going in, and there's not shit I can do about it."

"Oh boy, it's like an amusement park ride!"

"Ross, Shut up!" Cooper yelled. Private Smith gripped his assault rifle inside the crash netting, muttering prayers. Several curses were being yelled as they were slammed around, despite being strapped in with the harnesses. Smith looked over at Raines again, and yelled,

"You have got to be kidding me! What the hell is wrong with him!"

Raines was still limp with sleep, and gripping his rifle tight. Cooper said something along the lines of him not really being human. Leth grabbed onto the crash netting, and said with a flat tone, "Well you know what they say, Feet First into Hell!"

The ship spiraled into the portal with the rest of the garbage, and blinked out of sight of the rest of the UNSC forces. The comm's became crammed with transmissions and the ONI officers were running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

The River Tam effectively disappeared from space, and any scanner or radar. The crew and command of the Soto Cano stared in horror as the portal sputtered for a few more moments, before completely shutting down. What ever power had turned it on, was dead now, and the men and women on The River Tam were gone, with no way back, to god knows where.

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A/N : Well thats two. I'll probably begin work on three while watching family guy later tonight. I'll try and have it up before the weekend is over! Thanks again.