Recon Unit Temptation

[TexJR]

**This is the first installment of my series. I'll do what I can to make it better.**

The Howling

Ark Subspace, "USNC Frigate Instinct and Behavior"

"Captain, there's nothing here now. They're gone."

It was as if someone had turned the detonate dial. Many Covenant and UNSC ships had entered the portal, but three had survived the supernova. The Marathon cruiser Shadow of Light, frigate Instinct and Behavior, and Forward Unto Dawn. Many human survivors were still floating within reaches of the Ark debris.

"Scan the danger zone one time."

Captain Mackenzie Smith had seen everything. Her bridge crew were just as traumatized as she was. What they feared most was that no one made it out of the blast zone.

"Ma'am. Scan registered two possible contacts. Here," The left forward view screen brightened. "And here."

The first contat resembled a Covenant Battlecruiser, but then again, there were more Loyalist and Seperatist ships in the system. The second resembled the shape of a long extinct Hammerhead shark without the fins and tail. Internal scans read stable atmosphere and active power cores. An intraternal scan of the gutted database concluded the ship was a stealth cruiser.

"What the armament status of both cruisers?" Smith asked.

Minutes passed slowly.

"Longrange scans can't conclude much at this range." Layla, the ships AI replied.

Mackenzie brought her left hand up to her forehead as if to rub it, slouched forward with her head in hand.

"Ma'am. I suggest we leave the system. Sensors show a large mass merging upon the Ark." The AI informed with bitterness.
"Forward screen, now!" Mackenzie ordered.

The mass was larger now. Much larger.

[TexJR]

The Howling Continued

Hundreds of C709 Longsword fighters surged through the Ark debris field. All the static interference garbled all electronic information so the fighters were performing a visual reconnaissance mission. Where the Longswords materialized from was even a bigger mystery to the survivors around the Ark.

Thousands of miles trailing behind the Longswords, two critically wounded UNSC Marathon-Class Cruisers towed by a lone frigate struggled to keep up with the convoy. The amount of UNSC survivors within the Ark danger zone had more than tripled the moment Adjutant Core Rose scanned the incoming mass.

"Major?"
"What is it?" Major Hiro McKay replied quietly.

Freelancer's Wolves 13th Airborne were quite notorious relentless fighters when what they lived, fought, and died for was threatened. After the commanding officer of Battlegroup Intent became a coward at heart and abandoned the last three remaining ships, Major Hiro McKay of Freelancer's Wolves assumed command aboard the frigate Sword's Point.

"Recon reports there are active cryo pods floating within this power core." Ensign Laurel Tirado informed from her station behind the major.
"So what's your point?" Hiro breathed.
"My point is sir, we evacuate those pods before that core goes critical." Laurel replied.

Hiro stared longingly at the view screen. Emotions played hell across his face. He and the bridge crew had been to Hell's Gate and back in the last three months. The three ships fended off three Jiralhanae Cruisers only to be gutted alive a single battlecruiser moments after.

"No. It's to risky." The major sighed finally.
"With all due respect sir, we need all the help the survivors can-"
"Look Ensign, I know what you're going to say next. And my answer is no. It's to risky. If you can think up another plan fine. Until then, monitors COM's." Hiro said cutting her off.
"Y-yes sir. Sorry sir." Laurel replied, emotion hinting her voice.

[TexJR]

"Captain! Contact!" Ensign Angel Garcia reported at Ops.
"Show me." Captain Smith automatically replied.

Three seperate bridge screens falshed into view on the bridge screen. Active contacts in infrared and all else in black. The formations looked all to familiar to the Captain.

"Shut down all power. Adjutant, I suggest you lay low." Mackenzi ordered.
"Yes ma'am." Adjutant Core Rose replied.

The bridge running lights dimmed to a darkred hue. The viewscreens illuminated the interior barely enough to visibly see the computer keyboard. The infrared contacts turned into a hundred seperate tear drop silhuoettes: Seraphs.

"Ma'am. Adjutant managed to get a scan of the other mass. They're UNSC C709 Longswords," Garcia added.
"Good and bad." Smith grimly remarked.
"Ma'm?" Angel questioned.
"There's a hundred or so of those Seraphs," Mackenzie tapped another key. "And those fighters aren't equipped to fight those."
"We have to warn them." The Ensign replied urgently.
"We can't. We'll give our position away." Sylvia Larson interjected as she strode into the bridge.
"Adjutant, weapons status." Smith ordered.

Adjutant Core Rose shimmed onto the holotank. For a stubborn AI, this one had an appearance to uphold. "He" was wrapped within a shroud of mist with snow flakes falling around him. Core Rose wore a fine tuxedo with no tie. His facial features were quite good for computer generated. The Adjutant had cropped military hair, thin eyebrows, hazel eyes, and a small face.

"Archer missile pods A1 through C2 are exhausted from the last engagement. There are three MAC rounds including the one currently loaded. 50mm cannons are functioning at full capacity." Core Rose quietly informed.
"You're not telling us everything Adjutant." Sylvia exclaimed.
"Funny. I did not think you would notice," Core Rose retorted. "Those Longswords are remnants of Joint Task Force Stark and Battlegroup Intent."
"Interesting. How many Seraphs? The Longswords?" Captain Smith inquired.
"One moment..." Adjutant Core Rose trailed off. "One hundred seventeen Seraphs. One hundred thirty Longswords."
"No kidding..." Sylvia exclaimed leaning over the captains chair to get a better look.
"What are you thinking Sergeant Major?" Captain Mackenzie asked.
"Those cryo pods are empty. Your AI knows that. Don't you Core Rose?" Sylvia replied.
"Indeed Sergeant Major."

[TexJR]

The Howling Continued

"Those Longswords will be eaten alive when all hell breaks out," Sylvia said out loud. "That power will redline in thirty-five minutes."
"So, we lure the Seraphs within the blast range and put a MAC round in the core?" Garcia asked absentmindedly.
"Exactly. But we'll need a decoy. The frigate inbound could be sufficient." Sylvia continued.
"Ma'am? My sensors picked up no frigate, just Longswords," The Adjutant interrupted.
"Your scanning system is out of whack then." Sylvia smiled. "Send out the welcoming mat Core Rose."

Adjutant Core Rose shimmered off the AI pedestal and began sending orders on the UNSC E-band.

[TexJR]

UNSC Frigate Sword's Point

Hiro seemed to always find sleep in the most dire of times. The major exited the bridge and walked through the corridors until he reached the barracks. For the smallest ship throughout the UNSC fleet, the barracks aboard Sword's Point were quite large. Four rows of bunk beds extended for two hundred feet with a three foot aisle. Then, at the end of the barracks, a single latrine. How odd. Four hundred and fifty men and women and one latrine. Major McKay wasn't worried about it. All he needed was sleep.

Hiro stepped between two beds and squated to read the names: PFC Ramirez, Ryan 0013-7412RR-Scout Sniper. The other soldiers' tags couldn't be read. Four bullet holes imprinted their tag. Interesting. "I'll have to deal with this later," Hiro thought to himself. Sighing and grunting, Hiro stood and felt a moment of dizziness as blood rushed to his legs and brain. As the dizziness passed, the Major sat on PFC Ramirez's bunk, laid back and closed his eyes. The moment Hiro's head hit the pillow he was out in seconds.

"Major?" Layla said in a whisper through Hiro''s earbud.
The Major didn't shift position.
"Major? We received a communication." Layla tried again.
"H-huh?.." Hiro stirred.

Layla's core temperature flared and tried again.

"All personnel muster at lifeboats. Bridge has been compromised. Brace for impact!"

Hiro's action was quite amusing the moment the alarm sounds and lights started flashing.

"Layla! Report!" Hiro ordered dashing for the corridor in his full ODST armor.
"All personnel accounted for. Reactors running at near critical. And incoming communique from frgiate Instinct and Behavior." Layla responded.
"There's no emergency?" Hiro asked as he slowed to a brisk pace.
"No Major."
"...how long was I out?" Hiro asked stopping in the corridor.
"How long you were asleep? Approximately five minutes and thirty-two secronds." Layla replied.
"Oh really?"
"Sir?"
"Nothing. I'll be in the commissary."
"Roger that sir."

Hiro stood still as he walked into the deserted commissary. It was quite disturbing the usual Marines were missing. "How weird," the Major thought. He walked to one of the vending machines and punched the Cola button. The machine hummed then an aluminum can rolled out of the bottom slot. Hiro picked up the can and popped the seal. The moment the seal popped, the entire ship rocked explosively. A bulkhead loading door outside the commissary blew outwards sucking out several unbolted power tools with the decompression.

The Major grabbed hold of a steel beam and tried to hold on.

"Layla! Close the loading dock!" Hiro screamed.
"Sir?" The AI calmly replied.
"Close the damn loading dock doors!" Yelled the Major gasping for oxygen.

Layla didn't reply to the major's order. Hiro now saw body after body fly into the vacuum. Hiro held onto the steel beam as he reached for another. His left hand had just barely brushed the other beam when a chair smashed into his midsection. Hiro screamed and buckled. Like clockwork, the Majors' body flipped, turned, and bucked before slamming into the bulkhead. Hiro gasped for oxygen and thrashed around into the rapidly growing zero-g environment.

"La..Layla..close the doors...please!" Hiro gasped.

Something must have happened because the huge double blast doors were closing. Hiro lost consciousness immediately. But before the major's eyes flickered closed, he glimpsed four dark figures. One of them carrying an S2-AM Sniper's Rifle.

"Get the Major out of here! Medic!"

[TexJR]

Activities aboard Swords Point were unusually quiet. Besides the renegade shipboard AI, all was calm. Except in the medical bay on deck thirty-two. Vital signs were flashed up on the port-side view screen. Although the major was still encased in the ODST armor, the four other Marines managed to sedate the major. The internal bleeding and collapsed left lung would be dealt with momentarily with the cell regenerative biofoam. The left collapsed lung would have to be flash cloned immediately.

"Axe, Craig, keep and eye on the major," Private First Class James Jurard ordered before leaving the bay. "Ramirez, follow me. We're going to the bridge."
"On my way. Wait up!" The scout sniper replied grabbing his rifle.

The two Helljumpers cautiously strode through each corridor before arriving at the central lift. Ramirez tapped the control pad but it remained dark.

"Did Layla do this?" PFC Ramirez questioned and quirked an eyebrow.
"I don't know. Hang on," Jurard replied.

Jurard disappeared around the bulkhead and left Ramirez standing in front of the lift. Minutes passed before the Marine returned from the shadows.

"There's a maintenance shaft. It leads up to the bridge deck," he remarked.
"Well, I'm not standing around for my health," Ryan smiled.
"You cheeky bastard."

Both marines cautiously turned the corner and proceeded ten meters down the corridor before stopping in front of the service hatch. Jurard punched a few codes into the lock and the hatch hissed open. Maintenace lights glowed a luminous red and lit the tunnel.

"I'll go first," volunteered Ramirez. "Besides, you're claustrophobic."
"You dumb a**," Jurard replied grinning. "If there's an ambush, you'll get shot first."

Ryan climbed into the hatch and half crouch half crawled for twenty feet before a ladder ascended into the gloomy darkness. The private attached his rifle to his back, grabbed the rungs and started climbing. Moments later, Jurard followed suit.

"I've got a hatch," reported Ryan.
"Well, open it."
"Hang on."

The private thumbed the lock and it hissed open.

Ramirez peered through the hole into the empty bridge and climbed out. Jurard struggled through then closed the hatch. Both privates stepped forward and swept the enclosure. Data flashed across the view screens. The COM's terminal flashed.

"Take a look at this," Jurard said scanning the screen.

Ramirez stepped to his squadmate's side and peered at the data.

"Incoming transmission," Ryan said and thumbed the keyboard.

The middle viewscreen flashed static then morphed to a grainy video. A woman wearing a naval officers uniform began to speak but frowned.

"Ma'am!" Both privates simultaneously said and snapped to attention.
"Where is the captain privates? And why hasn't the ships AI responded?" Captain Mackenzie Smith asked.
"Ma'm, we're trying to figure that out," Jurard replied.
"That aside, my crew and I require your ship," Smith informed.

Jurard snapped a look at Ramirez and shrugged.

"Ma'm, neither of us have the qualification or expertise to pilot this ship." Ramirez cut in.

Mackenzie's eyes narrowed and she flicked a stray hair away. "What about here?"
The captain pointed behind the marines.

Both ODST's dropped to a knee, cocked their MA5C rifles, and turned around all at once.

"Well, this is unfortunate," Ensign Tirado exclaimed.

Jurard and Ramirez relaxed their trigger fingers.

"What's your name Ensign?" Captain Smith questioned.
"Ensign Laurel Tirado, ma'am. Communications officer," Laurel replied.
"Ensign, since you're the only naval officer present, we'll need your help," Smith remarked.

Laurel's worried expression instantly purked up. "I'm listening, ma'am."
"There are roughly one-hundred-twenty Seraphs about to engage your escort fighters. But there's an active power core here," A secondary screen flashed up and gave coordinates of the core. " We'll need you to lure those bastards within range and my boat will put a MAC around into the core."
"I understand ma'am," Laurel exclaimed and moved to Navigation.

[TexJR]

The two Marines shrugged and were about to leave the bridge when Laurel sighed.

"AI matrix is gone. Missing," she informed.
"Private Jurard, cover the door. Ramirez, access hatch there. Check it," Captain Smith ordered.
"Yes ma'am," Both privates answered then moved into position.

Jurard went to the bulkhead and locked it. Ramirez went to the hatch was blasted with black smoke.
"Ma'am, database is fried to a crisp," the private coughed.
"Ensign, hand controls over to our AI," Smith ordered.
"Yes ma'am. Disengaging manual control," Laurel replied.

The ensign punched a sequence of keys then control shifted to Instinct and Behavior.

Frigate Instinct and Behavior

"I'm in," Adjutant Core Rose informed. "Disengaging docking seals."

Captain Smith shifted uneasily in here chair and winked off her display severing the COM.

"Frigate accelerating to intercept Seraphs," The AI informed.
"Lieutenant Paris, warm the MAC gun. Heavy round," the Captain ordered.

At Weapons, Darius J.G. Paris stirred and began typing commands. "Mac round charge at fifty-two percent. Ten percent each minute. Acquiring firing solution."

Captain Smith stood up and afixed her eyes to the screens. Sergeant Major Larson turned and left the bridge.

"Firing solution acquired Captain," Paris said scanning the screen.
"Hold your fire. On my word," the Captain said.

The other frigate thundered past Instinct and Behavior and ahead of the Longswords. Behind, caught in the acceleration wake, a single C709 Longsword followed.

"Captain, our Longsword fighter is missing. The manifest shows no record of it leaving," Adjutant Core Rose informed. "But there is this."

A small window winked on the captain's screen. The grainy video zoomed into the Longsword and showed the Sergeant Major boarding the craft.

"Let her go. She knows what she's doing," Smith announced.
"Captain, Seraphs engaging Swords Point. Activating Archer pods," the AI informed.

Several screens flashed on to reveal the starboard, port, and bow angles. All hell broke loose as plasma bolts splashed the hull melting portions of titanium armor away. Archer pods and autocannons flashed to life. A never-ending stream of exhaust trails and fire bugs filled the black vacuum and intercepted the Seraph fighters.

"Adjutant, correct firing solution to impact the core as the major's longsword flies by," the Captain ordered.
"Correction done."
"Fire when ready."

Time seemed to slow as the bridge crew sat watching the screens.

Fourty seconds ticked off the mission counter.

"I'm going loud!" The AI announced.

Three resounding thumps vibrated through the deck as the cannon fired then reloaded.

"Tracking rounds to impact in eight seconds," Rose informed.
Captain smith held her breath as she traced each round and watched as they impacted the massive core.

What happened next was unexpected. The power core glowed white then dimmed.

"Insufficient damage! Power levels dropping. Reloading and coming about for another pass," Adjutant informed urgently.


Jurard, Ramirez, and Ensign Tirado stared wide eyed and clutched to the bridge railing supports as events played out. Dozens of Seraphs flew past the view ports only to disintegrate under a hail of autocannon fire. A proximity alert flashed on the command console then remained solid.

"Umm, ma'am?" Ramirez struggled to say against the gee forces.
"What is it private?" Laurel asked typing a few keys on Ops.
"Should the bulkhead be glowing?"

Laurel snapped a look at the double doors.

"Flanking position!" She ordered grabbing her M6G Magnum and jumped behind the console.

Ramirez took position on the right and Jurard on the left..

The double doors hissed open and a shimmer floated through. Jurard nodded at Ramirez. Both marines fired their assault rifles.

The shimmer roared as each round tore through its armor. The camo generator failed and revealed a brute minor hunched onits legs.

Cycling bolts clacked simultaneously.

The brute roared again and charged Jurard. James whipped out his M6G and loosed a round into the brute's chest cavity before the hulk collapsed into him. Immediately the brute started to pound his chest. Blood pooled out the sides of Jurard's mouth and his face turned blue.

"Gaaahhh!" The Private screamed. "Kill'em damnit!"

Ten rounds filled the bridge then silence. Another three rounds and a cycling bolt clacked followed by screams in the corridor.

Jurard rolled the dead brute off him, stood up, and spat blood on the brute.
"Holy sh-"

Another five rounds flew through the doorway and finished two cowering grunt majors.

Laurel lowered her still smoking magnum and sighed. A brute and five grunts for someone who never engaged the Covenant up close. What a week.

"I suggest you police those weapons," Laurel insisted as she sat in the command chair.

Both privates stood rigid and stared at the ensign. "Were we shown up by a swabby?" They thought.

A COM flickered to life on a view screen and another marine's face appeared.
"The major is coming around Jurard. But there's something else," the marine pointed to something off-screen. "It's a cryo pod."

Just as the period was entered in the sentence, the superstructure of Sword's Point explosively groaned and the COM went to static.

"That must've been the power core," Laurel said and tapped commands into the keyboard.

Three aft cameras winked on just in time to see the white energy engulf half of the enemy fighters. All three occupants paled.

"Diverting power and loading another round," Adjutant Core Rose informed.

The frigate groaned as the Adjutant slingshotted around a debris field and slowly accelerated. Fortunately, the brute Seraphs accelerated, past safe limits within the wake.

"Firing," the AI announced.

One, and only one, MAC round fired out of the cannon with a cloud of fire and thunder and flashes. Time seemed to slow as the MAC round hung suspended in space before physics took over and accelerated ahead of the ship.

The bridge crew blacked out.

[TexJR]

UNSC Destroyer Schoenbar, Unknown system, Orbiting Dark side of Unknown Moon, 0655 October 17, 2552 (Military Calendar)

Space distorted as the massive wormhole tore into normal space spewing a lone ship; one ship out of hundreds. Was it cowardice that kept the lone ship alive? No one will ever know. Commander Geneva West slumped back into her chair breathing heavily. Beads of sweat glistened down her perfect rosy cheeks. A lone tear rolled out from under her eyelid and blended into her tan skin.


“Lieutenant Paris, status please.” Commander West gently asked.

To Commander West’s left at OPS, Lieutenant Darius J.G. Paris tapped quietly against his keyboard, eyes quickly scanning the screen. Several heartbeats ticked by before he finally answered.

“Ma’am, I have the good news, “ Paris unintentionally teased. “And I have the bad news.”

“Ok Mr. Paris. Give me the bad news first.” West replied closing her eyes for a few moments.

Lieutenant Paris glanced across his operations screen before continuing.

“Well ma’am, our electronics were fried when the slipspace wake hit us before we jumped from Sierra 75. The reactors still have juice in them, but only enough for another jump,” Darius checked once more. “Decks thirteen through subdeck alpha have been ruptured beyond repair. And there’s a coolant spill in Engineering.”

Commander West breathed in and held it for several seconds before exhaling. Her eyes slowly opened. The first she saw was the freeze-dried blood on the deck where her former captain died. Second she observed her bridge crew furiously working to keep the destroyer running. Third, Lieutenant Paris was fidgeting nervously in his seat.

Lieutenant Paris was a complete mystery to Commander West. She had reviewed his entire service record at least a hundred times. Lieutenant Paris graduated from LUNA Academy when he was twenty-two and that was it. Everything was blank up until Captain Wang recruited him to the bridge of the Schoenbar. He was an effective tactician during some of engagements, but still a shadowy character.

“And the good news?” West finally asked.

“Good news is we’re still alive.”

Typical remark. How dare he! Thought the Commander.

“Yes, that we are Lieutenant. Return to your station.” West ordered.

Lieutenant Paris nodded and swiveled in his chair. Commander West stood up, straightened her jacket and left the bridge. A message flashed through her retina.

>TWT.098 :: BURST COMMUNICATION ::
>Is everything alright ma’am?<

Commander West shook her head in response. Her head vibrated silently, an evident sign of data transfer.

“Get out of my head Twilight. That is not appreciated,” Geneva exclaimed, a scowl spread across her face. The vibrating stopped.

The Commander strode past a stack of data pads on the deck plates then stopped in front of the lift. She tapped the data pad and the lift doors hissed open. West stepped aboard and tabbed for deck nine, crew’s quarters. Her CNI transponder vibrated again.

“Twilight, I’m going to say this one more time, get out of my head!” Geneva nearly yelled, a touch of rage hinting at the edge.
Another message flashed into her retina.

>TWT.098 :: BURST COMMUNICATION ::
>Negative ma’am. I picked up a distress signal from one of our ships. I’ve managed to isolate the signal, but only momentarily to flag its position.<

The Commander froze halfway through straightening her hair. What was a UNSC naval ship doing way the heck out of UNSC controlled space? It took several heartbeats for Commander West to compose herself from deep thought. Time for a plan of action.

“Ok, charge the slipspace capacitors. I’m on my way.” West ordered while keying the bridge button.

The lift passed through three decks before coming to a complete stop. The double doors hissed open and West stepped off briskly.

[TexJR]

The Haunted
Shadow-Class Cruiser Shadow of Time, Ark Battle Zone


“The Dawn is breaking up! Ark superstructure is compromised, overload imminent. Backing her off.”

“Belay that order. Turn us around bearing zero-two-zero by two-one-three. Accelerate to full speed.”

“Yes sir. Answering zero-two-zero by two-one-three. Accelerating. Stand by.”

The deck plates shuddered in answer to the sudden turn around and acceleration. Two view screens winked out of existence as thirteen Seraphs thundered by.

“Aft cameras inoperative,” answered Bella, the ships AI.

“Status!” Ordered Captain Tyler.

“Our position hasn’t been discovered by the Brute cruisers, yet. Shadow Fleet accelerating out of system. Logging their entry vector.” Lieutenant Jolene Cash replied. “MAC gun and pulse cannons are offline. The core going critical knocked them out.”

“Can you get them back up?”

“Yes sir. One moment, bringing secondary MAC online. The lasers will take time.” Lieutenant Cash replied.

“Do the best you can,” the captain replied sheepishly.

The fleet had left them that much was for sure. The only operational ships within the region of the battle were theirs; Shadow of Light, Sword’s Point, Instinct and Behavior, and two heavily damaged cruisers. But there was something else out there, lurking in the shadows of the field. There! Three silhouettes resembling the Forerunner ship Prophet of Truth had accompanied to the Ark faded in and out of space. The Shadow of Time was headed directly for them.

“MAC gun status,” Captain Tyler ordered gripping his chair.

Lieutenant Cash hesitated a moment before replying. She tapped several commands then rechecked again.

“The gun is gone sir,” she replied horrified.

“What.” Cash answered.

“Sir, the gun was vaporized,” the Lieutenant said. “So were the pulse cannons, Archer pods, and auto defense cannons.”

Captain Tyler’s heart sank to the pit of his large intestine. How was that possible? Was this a ruse the Loyalists cooped up? Hell it was just a guess, but at the moment it didn’t matter. What mattered most, they were defenseless.

“Sound the general alarm,” the Captain hesitated. “We are abandoning the Time.”

The bridge crew looked at him horrified. Some of them looked confused from behind the plexi-glass separating him and the lieutenants from the ensigns. “You heard him!” added Lieutenant Cash.

The officers nodded and turned back to their stations. Moments following, red lights and alarms filled the bridge speakers and the rest of the ship. It was only a matter of time before those ships hunted them down pod by pod and flash vaporized them. The entire cruiser rocked from side to side shaking the bridge crew out of their seats and to the deck.

“Warning! Hull structure failing quickly. Recommend bridge crew to evacuate ASAP!” Bella announced.

That was all the AI could say to her caretakers before witnessing firsthand what happened next. Sifting through her data arrays then eventually to her memory core and matrix, the strange presence felt cold in her veins. A phantom hand touched her matrix. Immediately she shutdown and winked out of existence. Before her circuits fried to an atomic crisp, she recorded the bridge scene.

The captain collapsed to the deck plates, a spear-looking shaft sticking through his shattered torso. Lieutenant Cash screamed and fled the bridge as pools of Captain Tyler’s blood splashed into her face. The ensigns behind the plexiglass window stared in wide-eyed horror before they too met a similar fate. Bella minutely slowed the recording frame by frame marking out the silhouettes of not three, but twenty phantoms. Her circuitry fried to an atomic crisp.


75 Days Later…

[TexJR]

UNSC Destroyer Schoenbar, 1745 Hours, December 31, 2552 (Military Calendar)

Space and time ripped apart as the slipspace wormhole opened its unknown dimensions and the UNSC Schoenbar spewed forth. Exterior running lights along the hull dimmed as power recycled into the reactors. Millions of miles from the starboard airlocks, a vast graveyard of solidified molten alloy, rusted escape pods, and standing out at the heart of the graveyard like a light bulb, the UNSC Marathon-Class cruiser Shadow of Time drifted aimlessly.

The Schoenbar immediately accelerated slowly toward the unscathed cruiser. Longsword fighters launched from their hangars aboard the Schoenbar and began vaporizing stray escape-pod sized debris.

"Well Twilight, you drug us out here, tell me what I'm supposed to be looking at," Commander West ordered, her eyes dancing between the schematics and the actual view.

On the AI pedestal, a half eclipsed crimson moon exposed by a blue cloud flashed grey; the ships AI Twilight.

"Well ma'am, you're looking at the source of the distress signal," the AI replied flatly.

Commander West nodded while in deep thought. Her eyes scanned the schematics and her right index finger touched a button. The view zoomed into the Time's port-side airlocks. Three of the five airlocks were locked down, beyond remote access. One of the two remaining was destroyed. The other was wiped black to reveal it. How odd. the West thought. At Operations, Lieutenant Paris fidgeted nervously then turned to the Commander.

"The reactors are done ma'am. We can get by on thrusters and that's it," the Lieutenant informed. Dark circles started to form under his eyes.

"Thank you Lieutenant," Geneva turned to Navigation. "Ensign Lee, bring us in nice and slow. Align our starboard airlock with the remaining port-side airlock of the cruiser."

A young, stout-looking ensign tapped in commands at Navigation. Lieutenant Alexie Lee was a fine navigator. He jazzed the thrusters until the ship was perfectly parallel with the Shadow of Time. A docking hub extended from the destroyer and gradually eased its way towards the adjoining airlock. A silent thud reverberated through the hull; Bingo! Perfect docking.

"Twilight, correspond with the ships database and see if you can get us some workable intel." The Commander ordered. The AI pedestal glowed green.

"Done, ma'am. Artificial gravity is offline, one moment," Twilight trailed off. "Done. Pressurizing docking hub. Breathable atmosphere achieved."

"Thank you Twilight." Geneva flipped the ship's COM. "All boarding parties, proceed straight to the bridge, secure engineering, secure all weapons aboard the ship. Good luck."

Two minutes passed as forty-five four man fire teams shifted through the docking hub and into the bowels of the Time.

[TexJR]

Lost In Thought
Chronicles Extracted From Database Two

My name is Bella. I was a smart AI aboard the -//ERROR. My operational lifespan was interrupted at 0630 Hours October 17, 2552. As I observed the massacre of my caretakers, I thought I had seen everything. First the Covenant boarding parties killing all in sight, and the Marines taking refuge wherever possible, were not compelled to resist the onslaught. I did my best to protect my caretakers, until they appeared. The new entity was unlike anything I researched. I like to call them Necrolancers. They walk with such grace and fight with such tenacity that they seem…dead.

Necrolancers have light, grey armor and a helmet bearing the mark of some Greek lord. The soldiers carry weapons unlike our, the Covenant’s, or the Forerunner. Their rifles fire a psionic pulse that leaves a circular entry hole on a victim. From what I can gather, the pulse travels through the victim’s neural network shutting down all bodily functions in the process. The rifles the ‘Lancers carry appear to weigh at least ninety pounds, more than our Marines can carry. The Necrolancers muscular build makes up for the advantage.

This race comes and goes like phantoms. And from what I was able to piece together from momentary communications aboard the ship, someone called “Lord Marshal” rules these Necrolancers. I only have a few precious minutes before my conversion is complete, so, the UNSC ship docked on the portside airlock, I pray you leave before they find you next…//-ERROR

…://:ENCRYPTING MESSAGE
;///:SYSTEM FAILURE
//-MATRIX COLLAPSING
::://-DON’T COME ABOARD!