Halo: First Alliance

UNSC FRIGATE MIDWINTER NIGHT

20:15 SEPTEMBER 25, 2552, UNSC CALENDAR

UNKNOWN POSITION IN SPACE

“Sir, I think we lost them.”

“Good. Any idea where we are?”

“No sir. This area of space is outside of UNSC controlled sectors.”

“Not so good. Alright, what is our current course of action?”

“Well, top priority is to repair the ship. That last jump caused some major internal damage. No breaches, though.”

“That, at least, is some good news. Alright, scramble the repair crews, and pray to God we don’t encounter any Covenant.”

An alarm rather rudely woke Staff Sergeant Stacie McClane. “Attention, all repair personnel, report to your assigned zones for a ship-wide inspection.” Lucky me, getting stuck in the repair crew bunks. She shook her head, and got off the cot. Might as well get up. I won’t be able to go back to sleep soon. All around her, soldiers stirred, sitting up groggily. Amazing just how many people can sleep through a space battle. Stacie pulled on her boots and a jacket, and left the bunk room before it got really noisy. Walking without even paying attention, she soon found herself in the Cryo Bay. She looked enviously at the chambers in the bay. Uninterrupted sleep, for months and months. No wonder so many officers lived so long. They spent half their space lives frozen like steaks. Then she noticed that there were two occupied. She walked over to the first pod, and, wiping the frost on the glass away, looked inside. A green figure in armor lay inside. “A SPARTAN? Why are you here?” She decided to inspect the other pod. She looked into the pod, and very nearly threw up. Inside appeared to be a carcass, well into decomposition, covered in thick, brownish-orange threads. “I’ll have to bring you up with the Commander. Why would they hold onto a dead body?” She quickly backed away. Any more looking at that thing and she would get sick. “I think I’ll head up to the bridge,” she said to no one, and sped off. Inside the second pod, the body twitched.

“Slipspace rupture, directly to our rear! Covenant carrier, C-Class. They found us!”

“This is bad. Activate the point defense turrets, and prepare whatever else we have. Ship wide comm.”

COVENANT CARRIER HAMMER OF JUSTICE

20:25 SEPTEMBER 25, 2552, UNSC CALENDAR

UNKNOWN POSITION IN SPACE

“Shall I alert the warriors, Ship Master?”

“No. We aren’t fighting them. They are too damaged. It would not be honorable. Hail them, and prepare a single Phantom dropship.”