Matt-038 (Halo Fanfiction)

Chapter 8: New Threat

Author's Note: If you have any tips writing tips, please feel free to comment.

Again, I gratefully accept constructive criticism as a means to help me develop my skills further as a writer.

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Chapter 8: New Threat

Location: Epsilon Eridani system, planet Reach, UNSC Military Complex

November 2, 2525

0600 hours

Matt and the rest of the Spartans wondered who had died. They were called to muster in their dress uniforms only one time previously: funeral detail. John was awarded the Purple Heart because of his injuries that he got from the mission to capture Colonel Watts. All the Spartan filed into the amphitheater and sat down. Matt sat smack dab in the center of the third row, with Linda right beside him on his right and John on his left.

All the Spartan sat quietly and Matt looked back on the last time he and the other Spartans had been in Reach's secure briefing room: where Dr. Halsey had told them that they were going to be soldiers. This was where all of their lives had changed forever and they were given a purpose.

Chief Mendez entered the room and marched to the center platform. He, like the Spartans, wore his black dress uniform as well. His chest was covered with multiple silver and bronze stars, three Purple Hearts, the Red Legion of Honor award, and a rainbow of campaign ribbons. He had also recently shaved his head.

All the Spartans rose and stood at attention.

Dr. Halsey entered the room. She looked at Matt, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and mouth were more pronounced, the streaks of gray in her dark hair. But as ever, her blue eyes were sharp. She wore gray slacks, a black shirt, and her glasses hung around her neck on a gold chain.

"Vice Admiral on deck!" Mendez announced.

The Spartans all snapped to attention and stood straighter.

A man six years Dr. Halsey's senior strode into the room and onto the center stage. His short silver hair looked like a steel helmet. His gait had a strange loop in it—what crewmen called "space walk"—from spending too much time in microgravity. He wore a simple, unadorned black dress UNSC uniform with no medals or ribbons. The insignia on his forearm of his jacket, however, was unmistakable: the rank of a Vice Admiral.

"At ease Spartans," he said. "I'm Vice Admiral Stanforth."

The Spartans then took their seats in unison.

Dust swirled on stage and collected into a robed figure. Its face was obscured by the shadows of its hood. As far as Matt could discern, he saw no hands at the end of its sleaves.

"And this here is Beowolf," Vice Admiral Stanforth said as he gestured to the ghostly figure. Stanforth's voice was calm, but distaste was evident on his face. "He is our AI attaché with the Office of Naval Intelligence."

He turned away from the AI. "We have several important issues to discuss this morning, so let's get started."

The lights in the room dimmed. An amber sun appeared in the center of the room, with three planets in close orbit around it.

"This is Harvest," he said. "Population of approximately three million. Although on the periphery of UNSC-controlled space, this is one of our more productive and peaceful colonies."

The holographic view zoomed in on the surface of the world and showed grasslands and forests and a thousand lakes swarming with schools of fish.

"As of military calendar February 3, at 1423 hours, the Harvest orbital platform made long-range radar contact with this object."