First Encounter

Here be the first chapter of this sad little fic, but have no fear the mood isn't just going to be all dark and sad. It will have variety and some good action, so enjoy! I do not own any halo characters or stuff.

The quite hum of the engines from the Pillar of Autumn echoed a bit throughout my small bunk room, it didn't seem like it was enough to keep someone awake but I turned restlessly, not being able to find a comfortable position. Even though I had been on this ship for about a year and a half now I still had trouble sleeping, and after about another 10 minutes of struggling I huffed in irritation and sat up, rubbing my face wearily and standing slowly before making my way over to the computer in the corner. I rested my head against my hand as the screen came too life and the blue light reflected off of my face dimly, I moved the mouse to click on some random game that was on the computer and I lazily worked the controls. I wasn't really looking for anything to entertain myself with but I didn't want too just sit in bed and do nothing either, I seemed to be at an impasse. The gaming only seemed to last for about 5 minutes before I exited the game and pushed out of the chair, deciding that I might as well get dressed and get something too eat before I started the day. Walking over to my dresses type thing I opened the top drawer and pulled out a blue gray jump suit and slowly put it on, then I brushed my already short white hair and stood in front of the mirror.

The reflection in the mirror was that of an average pretty woman but her expression showed to be that of a worn down soldier, I only been in the field for about 6 years but it looked as if it had been 15. My vibrant violet eyes seemed to hold a sadness I did not even understand and my usual smirk had been reduced to a small frown...I just needed to get it together now. As I walked down the silent corridor and into the mess hall I noticed only a few others up and about, I nodded and gave a small smile to them as I got my food and sat down but I remained silent as I ate. "What has you so down this early?" I jumped a bit and nearly choked on my food as the voice materialized just behind me, I turned and sent a glare to the holographic image of the smirking woman, "Do you really want me to choke on the already disgusting food?" She chuckled and shrugged as I swallowed my last bite and turned to look at her fully, I suppose I hadn't noticed that I had chosen to sit right by one of the pedestals she could materialize on...big mistake on my part. "What do you have for me today Cortana?" "Actually nothing, Keys wanted to give you a day off for rest. But he wants too see you on the bridge in a few minutes for something important." I nodded a bit and got up from the mess hall table before walking down the hall towards the bridge while Cortana dematerialized and just spoke too me through my music player, I had forgotten she could do that when I had it synced to the ship...even if it was for that reason.

"I can tell there's something on your mind, care to talk?" I shrugged as a door opened and I continued to walk at a leisurely pace, "I guess, I just remembered that today is my brothers birthday. He'd be 29." She said nothing as we neared our destination and I could tell that she was thinking of what too say, so I saved her the trouble, "It's ok, it doesn't make me sad Cortana. I just wish that he'd had more time...he had so much to give." Her voice was consoling as she spoke, "He was a great soldier, just like your a great agent, Rikki." The words were meant to console but for some reason they just made me want to get angry, why did people always say how great of a soldier he was? That wasn't all he was, he was my brother...not just a well trained gun. But I was quickly snapped out of my thoughts as I noticed I was about to walk into the door too the bridge, "Alright, let's see what the Captain needs today."

I made my way through the room and too the front where Keys stood in front of an image of a suit of armor it seemed, I almost didn't want too disturb him but he did call for me. "You wanted too see me Captain?" He made a grunt of acknowledgment and as he turned around to address me Cortana popped up on the pedestal beside him, "Indeed agent Dusk, I know Cortana said I gave you the day off but it was for a reason. I want you too help the boys down in cryo with something special over the next few days." Cryo? What the hell would he want me down in cryo for? "Affirmative sir. But may I ask why you want me down there?" He simply smirked and gave a simple reply, "You'll see."

(Down in Cryo later that day) "Ok agent Dusk, you can finally see why Keys wanted you down here. But don't act too surprised." I rolled my eyes at one of the cryo control managers, Jack, and we walked out of the control room and down to the actual cryo holding room. He held a key card up to the scanner and it beeped for a moment, the color changing from red too green and the door slid open quietly. I had only been down here once and it was for a tour but I never actually went in here, the room was quite large and as I looked around I saw some type of station system set up, probably to help the person get their senses back after waking up. "As you can see the stations are for helping the people that get out of cryo get their senses back online and working correctly, then over here and some supplies and equipment that we have for the shooting range." I didn't pay too much attention too Jack as he walked me through a few of the procedures that they go through when they take someone out of cryo, instead my eyes wandered around until they settled on the cryo containers, they had some lined on the wall but then there were two in the middle. One seemed to be empty but I couldn't see into the other since we were out at a weird side angle, there was a monitor in front of it with an image of the same suit of armor that Keys had been looking at. "I know it may seem like it hurts but it's the only sure way too make sure that the shields-. Oh, I see that you've found the Master Chief." I looked at Jack with a confused expression, "What? He's the spartan we have down here?" "No one told you?" I shook my head, feeling a bit surprised and slightly curious that we had a legendary spartan down here, "I knew we had one but I didn't know it was him." "Isn't it awesome?" I shrugged and walked over to now directly look at the cryoed spartan fully, his green armor slightly frosted. I had never really freaked over the Master Chief mostly because I figured he was just a soldier doing his job and he probably would have thought the same, "I suppose. Don't get me wrong it's not like I don't respect him but don't you think that it's a little odd that we have him on this ship and not a higher security one?"

He shrugged and gave me a, what I was a hundred percent was, flirtatious smirk, "Maybe we're just special." "Yeah, we're special alright." I moved away and went too lean against the other empty cryo tube as I remembered what the Captain had said, "So why does he want me down here anyway?" "He said something about helping with the gun training, but I'm not entirely sure." "I doubt he'll need me too help him. He's a ass kicking spartan for fuck's sake." Again Jack just shrugged and leaned against the center console, but just as he was about to reply we heard the comm come online and Cortana's voice was heard speaking a bit urgently, "agent Dusk you are needed on the bridge immediately." I sighed and uncrossed my arms as I walked towards the sliding door, eager to leave the room with the awkward cryo personnel and ready to get some real work done.

But as I got to the bridge again I heard Cortana speaking urgently with the Captain, I only caught snippets but I heard enough to set me on high alert. "Agent Dusk reporting sir." He nodded at me and seemed to be in an internal conflict at the moment, "Cortana, is there anyway that we can avoid this?" "No Captain, I've looked at all rerouting strategy's and maneuvers but they would have us out numbered and beaten at every turn. We have no choice but to evacuate..." I felt my eyes narrow and my suspicions go on high alert, "Evac? Captain what's going on? Are we in sight for an attack?" He turned his calculating gaze too me and when he spoke his voice held frustration and had a hard edge to it, "The covenant knew we were coming and they have an ambush set up for us on the other side of this planet. Even if we try too reroute they would catch us." "What's the estimated time?" I looked to Cortana and she paused for a moment as she calculated, "At this rate approximately 7 hours." I felt my heart drop and I looked too the Captain for any orders, "Should I begin to round all the personnel up sir?" He looked over too Cortana and back too me, I could tell he wanted what was best for the crew but I could see a fire of determination in his eyes, "No, gather up the marines and Johnson. Have them get the crew armed and ready, that means you as well agent. We're not going down without a fight." I heard the readiness in his voice and I smirked before saluting and turning on my heel to go round up the troops, but before I was out of range I heard Keys speak once more too Cortana, "Cortana, it's time."

(Time of the attack) "Move! Get to the escape pods now!" I was now clad in my specialized armor and I had been making sure that the crew in engineering were getting out ok, but just as the last one left the deck the ship groaned and shook at the force of an impact. "We're being boarded by covenant forces!" I heard the scramble of voices over my comm link so I turned it down so I didn't get a headache before readying my battle rifle and heading up to the mess hall. Red lights flashed wildly as I ran down the hall and I had to keep out of the way of people running to the pods to escape the havoc, "All none armed personnel report to the evacuation pods immediately." The drone voice rang out and I stumbled a bit as another quake went throughout the ship. "Damn aliens.." I stopped at a corner as I heard a scream and as I peered around I saw two elites, one red and the other blue, cornering a few people into a corner, their deep rumbling laughs echoing through the corridor. I yelled to get their attention but only one turned while the other shot down one of the people, "Come get some you ugly motherfuckers!" He roared in rage and began to fire his plasma rifle my way, I rolled behind one of the barriers and fired a few shots as well, managing to hit him in the chest and shoulders taking his shields down. I guess the red one saw me as more of a threat now and he turned to fire his weapon, leaving an opening for the two cowering personnel to make a run for it. "Go now while you can!" I popped up from my cover and fired a few rounds, taking down the blue elite, and they scrambled out of the corner and made a break for it down the hall and through the next door. "Weak human, you shall perish!" I started In surprise as I heard english come from his mouth but then again I haven't been up close too many elites, I cried out and ducked down as a a few of the plasma shots hit my shoulder and took my shields almost all the way down. We continued to have a shoot out for what seemed like hours before I knew I couldn't finish it this way, so I dug into my suits holders and pulled out a frag. I popped my head up too see where he was and saw that he was currently taking cover behind a jutting piece of wall, "Eat this you murdering bastard!" I threw it as accurately as I could and ducked, grimacing in satisfaction as I heard the panicked noises of the elite and then the explosion that followed a few seconds after. I waited for a moment before reloading my weapon and getting up from cover to look around, I didn't see any sign of the elite but as I walked further up I saw parts of the wall covered in the blueish purple of his blood, making me grin in triumph.

But before I could relish in my victory the wall behind me was hit with a plasma grenade and my eyes widened in fear, I ran as fast as my legs could carry me but before I was completely out of range it went off and the blast made my feet come out from under me. I was up in the air a bit before hitting the floor and skidding to the end, hitting the wall with a thud. My head was pounding as I groaned and got up, looking for my weapon and the culprits of the blast but another explosion went off near me and I was again thrown into the wall, this time with more force than my body could handle. My vision went slightly blurry from the tears that came too my eyes and I looked up as a group of grunts led by another blue elite were headed my way, I knew I wouldn't be able to defend myself without a weapon so I tried to drag my body behind a crate. As they neared I heard their squealing voices and the charge of their weapons, but before any shots were fired I heard at least 7 assault rifles firing along with a pistol or two. I waited for a moment, expecting another grenade or to hear their triumphet calls but when I peeked around the edge of the crate I saw none other than Johnson and his squad of marines finishing off the last grunt, "Damnit Johnson what took you so long?" He laughed and walked over too me, holding out a hand too help me up and I accepted it gratefully, "At least I'm here now Dusk." As he handed me my weapon we began to jog down the hallway leading to the mess hall, sounds of combat drifted our way as we neared. "You ready for this girl?" I loaded my weapon and activated my helmets mask before nodding, "Let's hit it."

Yay got a chapter up, let me know what you guys think in the reviews and sorry if I made anything kind of stupid.