Chapter 2 – A return to Earth

The Fleet was travelling to Earth through their slip-space tunnels. There were visible plasma scorches on the hull armour of the fleet from the alien's plasma weapons. However, the damage was being repaired after the engagements earlier in the day.

(1200 hours/ September 20 2552/ UNSC Cruiser Lyonesse/ Location En route to Earth through Slip-space)

Captain Jacob Keyes was viewing the ship's slip-space tunnel through the window in his office. He was deliberating upon the future of Earth and humanity. Now with Reach having fallen to the Covenant, there was nothing in between them and Earth. His thoughts then drifted to his daughter, Lieutenant Commander Miranda Keyes who was in command of one of the frigates in his fleet. She was commanding the UNSC In Amber Clad. While those thoughts ran through his head, he began to chew on his grandfather's old pipe. Lieutenant Amelia Reynolds knocked on his office door.

"Enter" Keyes said absentmindedly.

"Sir these are the status reports from across the fleet." She said while placing the reports on his desk.

It was now when he snapped out of his thought process and realised what was happening around him. "Thank you, Lieutenant Reynolds. Dismissed." The Lieutenant left as he began to read through the reports from the fleet the worst of actually was the UNSC Red Wall. She had one of her secondary reactors malfunction after a plasma strike jolted the reactor. It was long repair process and would require time in a shipyard but the ship would be able to make it to Earth for repairs. The other ships had sustained damage varying from breached hangers and compartments to scorched armour plating where the plasma hit was a glancing hit. The ammunition consumption after their previous engagements meant they had depleted their stocks for the heavier batteries and most of their nuclear arsenal. However, they still had most of their archer missiles on board to operate with should they come under attack.

Once he read through the final report, he compiled an overview report for FLEETCOM which said the overall status of the fleet as well as any casualties that had occurred. Admiral Kovalic had died after his injuries became too serious to be able to survive and they had lost multiple fighters in the latest battle, However most of the pilots had managed to eject in some form and were picked up in the aftermath of the battle. On board the ships, there were numerous casualties but only a small proportion of those were fatal.

"Cortana" Keyes called out.

"Hi Captain, how can I help?" Cortana asked as her avatar appeared seated in the chair opposing him.

"How long till we exit Slip-space?" Keyes asked while finishing his report.

"We should be in the Sol system in a few hours." Cortana answered.

Keyes noticed the breach in protocol from the AI. Cortana reminded hm so much of Catherine Halsey that it was scary. Then again there was nothing he could do to the AI in his current position.

"Prepare caskets for the Admiral's body and those of the crew from across the fleet to be placed in for a funeral when we reach to Sol system and have a moment to give our dead the burial they deserve." Keyes ordered solemnly.

"Understood Captain." She replied morosely.

"Thank you, Cortana. I shall leave she ship in your capable hands then." Keyes said as he left his office.

While he was walking through his ship he watched as the engineers and damage control teams worked around the clock to repair the damage done to the ship primarily by the Covenant. He made his way past the Cryo-storage bays and into the barracks housing the Spartans. His crew originally consisted of roughly 320 Marine, 150 ODSTs, 530 other crew as well as roughly 50 fleet staff crew for a total crew of 1050 crew including himself. He now had 40 Spartans as well as roughly 2,150 more troops ranging from marines to army troopers and roughly an extra 100 ODSTs. His fleet managed to rescue just over 9,000 men and women as well as vehicles such as Scorpion tanks, Warthogs, mongooses, wolverines, Kodiaks, Pelicans, Albatrosses, Condors, Falcons, Wyverns, Sabres, Nandaos, Longswords and shortswords. They also picked up some of the life boats from destroyed UNSC ships bringing the total rescued UNSC personnel count to about 10,000.

As he walked into the barracks that the Spartans had seized. The Spartans were stood in small groups cleaning weapons, checking equipment or in the case of B320 and Dr Halsey, finalising the repairs to Kat's cybernetic arm. Keyes saw the Master Chief and walked over to him. "Hello Master Chief, I hope you are well." Keyes said to the Spartan II.

"Captain, what has happened since Gamma Station?" the Chief asked while the remains of the Spartans listened on.

"I am afraid to tell you that Reach has Fallen and we are on our way to Earth as we speak." Keyes reported to the Master chief as a silence began to fill the room.

"Thank you, Captain." The Chief said.

Keyes just nodded his head to the Chief and began to make his way up to the bridge to check on any necessary information before going to his quarters.

(1400 hours/ September 20 2552/ UNSC Cruiser Lyonesse/ Location Captain's Quarters)

Keyes walked into his cabin to find Dr Halsey sat at the table reading through a holopad. He assumed it was on some research she was doing for ONI. As he walked over to the sofa to rest, she turned towards him. "Thank you, Jacob. For rescuing me from Reach." She said with sincerity in her voice. Jacob in turn looked over to her. "You're welcome, Catherine." Her replied.

Keyes then went on to contact his daughter aboard the UNSC In Amber Clad. He spoke to her for roughly twenty minutes with Catherine also joining the conversation. Firstly they spoke about the damage to the In Amber Clad and the Lyonesse, then moved onto how she was coping. Their conversation finished with the three of them talking about having a bit of leave and spending a week or two together trying to be a family, no matter how fragmented it had been. He said goodbye and decided to go to bed and attempt to take a nap. Just as he was about to go to sleep, Cortana popped up in the holo-tank. "Captain, we are five minutes out from the Sol System. You will be needed on the Bridge. I shall inform the Chief to head to the bridge as well." She reported before disappearing just as quickly as she appeared.

(1430 hours/ September 20 2552/ UNSC Cruiser Lyonesse/ Location Ships bridge)

The bridge had become a flurry of activity while Captain Keyes was sat in his 'Captain's' chair watching the organised chaos go on around him. Halsey had decided to accompany him to the bridge and she was stood with the Executive Officer near the holo-table in the bridge viewing the data about the fleet.

"Cortana?" Keyes said.

"Hello Captain." Cortana replied as her holographic figure appeared on the Holo-table.

"In just a few seconds we will be exiting slip-space near Jupiter." Cortana informed Keyes with a disinterested look on her face.

"Why would we be entering orbit of Jupiter and not Earth?" Keyes asked a little surprised.

"Well, the reactors are beginning to overheat. But if you wish for us to arrive at Earth as nothing but small chunks of debris and space dust then I am sure that I can arrange it." Cortana responded with sarcasm and a look that said 'really'.

The captain just sighed thinking that Cortana couldn't be more like Catherine if she tried.

At that moment, the Master Chief stepped onto the bridge.

"Hey Chief, how was quality time with the other Spartans?" Cortana asked jovially.

"It was nice to rest Cortana." Chief replied in his usual even voice.

"We are coming out of slip-space now.

Right at that moment eleven slip-space portals opened above Jupiter.

Updated 17/01/2023

Another 10 Spartan III's were added as according to the Halopedia site for the Spartan III's, there were 13 S III's who died around the Aszod Shipbreaker's Yard on Reach.