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Halo: Speed of Darkness (Chapter One)
Posted By: Thanatos 117<thanatos117@yahoo.com>
Date: 6 February 2004, 3:45 AM
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CHAPTER ONE
0449 Hours, October 22nd, 2494 (Military Calendar)/ UNSC Remote Scanning Outpost Archimedes, on edge of the Eridanus Star System
Lieutenant Junior Grade Wallace walked fast pace trough the metal sliding doors straightening his tie.
"This better be good Petty Officer." Wallace said as he approached him.
"Sir, this is remote telemetry in the slip space. From what we are seeing we have an unscheduled large group of either a reconnaissance group or combat group. It may be a large asteroid but that's rare." The petty officer replied.
"Let's do a diagnostic check and confirm. Send another probe out there to check its progress." Wallace ordered.
"Yes sir. Probe away. We should expect it to arrive in five."
It was very rare that an asteroid got into the slip space. Astrophysicists couldn't figure how they got there. There was no need to worry about them. When in slip space your ship or object would be in an alternate part of space but still on the same route as in real space. So the object, or in this case, and asteroid, would simply pass "through" a planet if it was on a direct route to it.
"Probe is returning sir. Receiving telemetry from the probe"
There was a short pause while the petty officer typed furiously across the keyboard, typing in commands.
"From what I have the large body is on a vector for the..." Petty officer Sandoval paused. "The Eridanus Star System, that's us, sir."
"I don't like it. Send out a message to Fleet Com HQ and notify them to put on an alert in this system." Wallace said.
"Aye, aye, sir, Message is away." He said.
0533 Hours, October 22nd, 2494 (Military Calendar)/ Epsilon Eridani System, Reach Fleet Command, planet Reach
"I don't like this at all. Our intelligence confirms that the fleet is gone right?" Commander Wilson told him self as he looked through the massive amount of information.
"Our scout shows that they're gone from that system. Various contact delays are now accruing for an unknown reason. It must mean on thing, assault sir." Ensign Bremond replied.
"We don't know anything yet. It just may be a downed beacon or something." Lieutenant Halverson stated.
"No. It's too much of a coincidence. I'm not about to let a rebel disaster slip past me. Put the fleets together. Send them out on recon to these star systems until we are positive that it's just a coincidence." Commander Wilson said.
"Yes sir. I'll notify you on our progress." Bremond said.
0533 Hours, October 22nd, 2494 (Military Calendar)/ UNSC Minotaur, Eridanus Star System
"Get me a slow orbit of the planet Lieutenant." Captain Garson ordered. "Then make the jump back to Fleet Com. I want to know why we don't have any com links."
"Aye, sir, moving zero, one, and five." Lieutenant Jameson said acknowledging the order.
There was a slight fluctuation in the artificial gravity as the ship turned to face the planet. The Lieutenant typed a few commands and the ship started toward the planet.
"Sir, I'm detecting a large number of unknown ships entering the system edge. Sir, it's a rebel fleet! They're coming inbound to our position. I count nine rebel ships inbound." Ensign Goatherd warned.
"What? Get me eyes on them. I want to see this." The captain said.
On screen nine ships appeared and came together. As one they started toward their ship.
"Do we have communications yet? I need them now Ensign." Goatherd ordered.
"Sorry sir, they must be jamming us somehow so that no one else knows that they're attacking." The ensign replied.
"Damn. Hold this position Lieutenant. We'll hold our own here and hope for a miracle." Garson said. "Let me know if they change course."
"Aye, sir, holding position" Jameson said.
Nine to one weren't very good odds. But there were other ships in system on the last recorded data. If they're still in the system they most likely are aware of the fact that a rebel assault is underway. Plus if the communications are down Fleet Com will most likely send someone to investigate.
There is a problem though. Fleet Com is at Reach which was in a different system. It will take a while to mobilize and send them here. Even with the Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine it would take days to get to this system. That left only a limited number of possibilities for the captain.
"Sound the alarm. I want everyone battle ready. We're going to win this fight."
There was a slight metallic grind each time the stone stroked the blade. The stone was set down nearby; the blade was wiped with a rag. A fluctuation in the ships gravitation made the stone slide of the bench and fall to the floor.
Harland picked up the stone and tossed it into the air and caught it again. Something was wrong. He could feel it.
"You're obsessed with that blade, man." Henson said shaking his head. He aimed his assault rifle and took out the magazine. He set the rifle down on the weapons rack and looked at Harland. "Who needs a knife in a gunfight?"
Harland tossed the knife into the air and landed in the wood near Henson's hand. "The enemy can't pull a trigger if he doesn't have a hand." Harland simply replied and pulled it out and holstered it.
Henson's hand shook. "That wasn't funny man." He said with a shaky voice.
Then the alarm sounded. "Damn it. I hate these damn drills. I swear they're just sounding it whenever they get bored up there." Private Bosky said.
"This is the captain speaking. I want everyone at their stations. This is not a drill. Good luck, Garson out."
"What was that?" Henson said to Bosky. Bosky just smiled and slammed a fresh clip home.
"So much for R and R," Harland said to no one in particular.
Harland opened up his weapons locker. Since there was little info on this particular mission it was hard to decide what to take with him. He grabbed his MA2B Assault Rifle, three grenades, a M4D Pistol, and three magazines for each weapons. He put on his battle dress uniform (BDU) and hefted his gear.
"Attention, officer on the deck!" Someone called out and everyone formed into a perfect row and stood at attention.
Second Lieutenant Davison entered the room and looked everyone over. He walked to the middle of the room. "At ease," he said and everyone relaxed just a little.
"At ease" was an understatement. In live combat facing a superior officer was never really comforting.
"I've looked over the available information on this and I'm sure you have a lot of questions. We've detected a large fleet that entered the system some time ago. They're heading straight for us. We also have no communications so we're all by our lonesome. I want DCS and tactical weapons stowed and by the ready. We might have internal contact imminent. Lock and load people, rebels will most likely try to capture as well as destroy this ship. Move out."
Captain Garson looked at the screen again. They were still coming. He tapped a button on his hand held computer device. All weapons were armed. Including the three tactical nukes that will most likely come in handy.
"Sir, we have incoming. UNSC controlled ships are inbound. We still have no communications though. I think they get the idea on whats up though." Ensign Goatherd notified.
"Confirmed, we're not entirely alone now I guess." Garson mumbled. He looked at the screen that pointed on the UNSC ships. Three ships joined the Minotaur.
"Rebel ships have just launched a salvo of torpedoes heading for us captain!" Lieutenant Dwain, weapons officer, advised.
"Respond with torpedoes A through D. Spread their shots to four of the ships." Garson said.
"Aye sir," Dwain said, "Firing."
Torpedoes lanced across the darkness of space and crisscrossed each other. The rebel ships spread out still moving toward their position though. The torpedoes followed and struck across the hull of their ships just as torpedoes hit their marks on the UNSC ships.
"Let's move to them Lieutenant. I want to engage these guys at point blank range. It's our only chance." Garson ordered. Lieutenant Jameson typed a few commands and the ship sped forward. The other three ships behind the Minotaur followed but spread out.
"Dwain, fire one of our nukes right in the center of these bastards. Let's take as many out as we can while they're still close together." Garson said, "Make sure we're not in the blast radius. Even the EMP could take us out."
"Aye sir," Dwain replied. "Nuke is away."
"Sir, boarding parties are inbound!" Jameson told the Captain, "I count over fifty. It's time to get the Marines ready."
Harland ran around the with his assault rifle leveled ahead. He stopped at the life boat entrance and waited. His team lined up across the wall ready.
"Boarding parties inbound to our position. Man your battle stations." A voice said through the speakers.
After a long pause he heard a clank and a slight shutter in the floor. "As soon as these bastards come through toss a grenade right through that door." Harland said to Bosky. He nodded and put his thumb into the ring with one hand while the other still clenched his assault rifle.
Thirty seconds after the clamp there was a loud bang and Bosky pulled the pin tossed it in the direction of the explosion.
"Fire in the hole" he yelled.
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