N O V A

_Prologue_

The control panel within the darkened ship's bridge slowly blinked red. A tired crewman swiveled in his seat, turning to the panel with a yawn before accessing it. But when the panel's screens turned on they glowed light red, with white text blinking.

The crewman blinked and rubbed one of his  tired eyes, reading the words that appeared before proceeding.

- Distress Signal -

The man read the message along with it and stood from his seat, rushing to the captains office, of which was just feet away. Captain Kolinsky sat at his desk, signing and skimming over documents. His office door opened, with a crewman standing in the doorway.

Kolinsky: "What is it Bates?"

The crewman pointed to the control pannel behind him, speaking as Kolinsky sat aside his papers and stood up.

Bates: "Sir, a UNSC based distress signal has reached us!"

Kolinsky thought aloud for a moment.

Kolinsky: "There's a crashed or station-less UNSC vessel?"

Bates shook his head.

Bates: "No sir, the distress call isn't coming from a UNSC ship. It's coming from a Spartan who was aboard the Infinity. They aren't on the ship anymore"

Kolinsky nodded, remembering the events that had transpired only months ago.

Kolinsky: "They're a lucky survivor of a battle with The Banished. Where are they exactly?"

Bates shrugged his shoulders and waved Captain Kolinsky to the control panel that still blinked red. The pair moved to the panel.

Bates spoke as he sat down. Kolinsky stood behind him. The captain leaned around the crewman's shoulder while Bates opened the message that came with the distress call. But this time there was a new message. One that gave exact coordinates to a location.

Kolinsky: "Put in the coordinates, Bates. Where is this call going to take us?"

Bates did as ordered, switching to a secondary screen on the panel and searching through the UNSC mapping database. When the holographic map lifted from the flat screen and showed the location of the distress call, captain Kolinsky's eyes widened, half expecting to see a different location for someone who had escaped an extremely bloody conflict.

Bates: "Sir? Do we pursue the distress call?"

Kolinsky nodded, walking to the intercom device that sat next to the panel Bates had been using.

Kolinsky: "Set coordinates for Zeta Halo. I can almost guarantee there's more than just a lost Spartan on that damn ring"

Bates nodded while Kolinsky warned the near five thousand man crew that the ship was going to enter hyperspace. As the ship shook softly from the newly open portal's gravity, Bates turned to Captain Kolinsky.

Bates: "What about The Banished forces sir? Won't they attack us like they did the Infinity?"

Captain Kolinsky patted his crewman on the shoulder.

Kolinsky: "We won't be surprised if they attack. I'll get the armory and ship defense Lieutenants ready. Just make sure that we stay stable when we exit hyperspace"

Bates nodded, keeping an eye on the continued panel's before him. Captain Kolinsky exited the ship's bridge, heading farther into the ship to prepare his crew.

The location coordinates of the distress call blinked slowly and steadily in white text.

- Zeta Halo: Locked -