Chapter 1: First Contact
Author's note: This chapter contains spoilers. Please read 'Spartan 117.5' first.
As I walked down the hall of UNSC Master Chief, I thought of Spartan-117.5, the one I had given the mission to. Such a remarkable man. He was a soldier, a great one, and was the best scientist that ever lived. But now, he was in another galaxy, or a whole different universe. An alternate universe, the scientists said. In wherever, he was on the search of the most dangerous keys in the world. The keys to activate the Super Halo, that would clear the universe of life.
I arrived at my office and sighed. At least he was lucky enough to actually have a life. An actual life, not one that you sit in an office and do paper work. One that you could kill enemies, and have a girlfriend. I sat down in my chair and sipped my coffee, looking at the pile in front of me.
As I started with the first one, I checked my data pad and found that there was a top secret email from High Command. I put my pen down and opened the email. As read the whole email, I sighed. At last, something other than paper work to do.
I took my microphone and spoke in it.
"Marines, ODSTs and Spartans, we will be changing course and heading for Margina, in the Gela systems. We have orders to investigate the planet. Few month ago, we had lost contact with them. After that, the investigation teams sent mysteriously vanished. Everyone, please get to your battle stations and hope that it is not another race thinking that we are vermin to their god." My voice sounded on all the ships in my fleet. Actually, fleets because command thinks that we need to be prepared for anything. Especially after the whole covenant war.
As the ships' A.I.s changed the course of our ships, I checked out my strategies. After that, I continued on paperwork. Boring stuff, but I need to do it. Oh, yeah, and I needed to promote a few guys. Great. Grunt. Fuck. Shit. I could only swear as I finished the piles. At least, I swore in my head.
After ALL that, I relaxed and sipped a bit more of my coffee. Aaaaah. Good 'old coffee. A tradition that started only 10 whole centuries before. Woops, my bad. 10 centuries is A LOT! I finished my whole cup and walked out of my office. Unlike the grayish of my office, the corridors were a lot more cheerful. Gray and red (get it? Sarcasm.). I walked all the way to the mess hall and got another coffee. And that cycle repeated for another hundreds of times before we arrived at the targeted planet. Do stuff, drink coffee, go refill it and come back. Do stuff, drink coffee, go refill it and come back. Do stuff, drink coffee, go refill it and come back. Grunt.
"Sir! We arrived to Margina, Gela systems! What are your orders, sir?" said a few admirals from the comms.
"Like I said, Admirals. Get four Spartans and back'em up with a squad of ODSTs and sent them to the surface. If we lose contact or they need backup, sent about thirty percent of our forces to the ground and investigate or help. If they contact alien hostiles, engage at will if they fire at you first, but first find out if they killed the residences and why. Please let them contact me first. Oh, and getting a few prisoners if they are hostiles would be helpful. If it's the insurgents, eliminate them and keep their leaders prisoners.
If there is any naval hostiles, Fleet 1 and 2 will cover fleet 3's flanks. Fleet 4 and 5 will act as our back guards. Only focus on enemies that are in front of you, or slightly beside. The enemies under or ontop of you will be neutralised by fleet 6 and 7."
"Yes, sir!" the Admirals said as they did what they were told. I, myself, was walking to the bridge, in full Fleet Admiral armour. EVERYONE had armour these days. Even the technicians had one! I arrived and looked out the window. Woohoo. I saw the pelican carrying the team down onto the planet and sighed. I just wish it's not the whole covenant thing again.
After a good ten minutes of waiting, they told us their status.
"Sir! Contacts! Contacts!" One of the ODSTs screamed into their comms which hammered into my ears.
"What did you do to make them hostile, Lieutenant!"
"They just attacke… AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" then silence. That was when our radars discovered millions of slipstream breaks and multiple portals opened up. Out of them, came out forerunner-like-made-ships.
"Just like the Forerunners, you are fools. Us, the Precursors, WILL continue our legacy and destroy those who oppose us. For years, we have fought, until the Forerunners lost to our greatest creation. The Flood. Now, I will unleash our greatest weapon. On you." A dark voice spoke through our speakers. How did he get into our systems? Suddenly, one of the ships shot a bright red laser-like thing. It pierced through the planet cleanly and I think was very explosive.
"Get the Spartans and the ODSTs out of there!" I commanded but not before the whole planet exploded like TNT. Pieces crashed into our ships and most were crippled or damaged.
"Get the shields up! Turn on all the MACs! Don't use point defense cannons! Focus all energy on reloading the MAC after! No use in dodging the enemies shots!" I cried out. I said to not use point defense cannons cause the ships were just shooting and not launching anything. I told them to cut the engines because the projectiles follows you.
This is the worst battle I've been through. One of their shots could kill one of our ships easily. Like knife and cheese. With the knife in a muscled man's hand.