Halo: Remnants (Halo fan fiction)

Only Death Stops Them

[]Orion Arm, Milky Way Galaxy[]

[]Slipspace, Infinity-Class Warship UNSC Thanatos[]

[]2560, May 30th[]

[]0749 Hours[]

Azubuike woke up with a jolt, quietly gasping for breath. After a moment passed, his body released the tension and he let out a long sigh. He covered his forehead with his forearm and stared at the ceiling, the fan turning leisurely to keep the room cool.

He swung himself out of bed and stood up, stretching. The ODST thought about how to spend his time given his team had no missions currently. Azu thought it'd be best to go down to the mess hall first, but he also wanted to train. Loosen his muscles.

After a quick shower and dressing himself in standard uniform, Azubuike wandered the halls of Thanatos with a hint of admiration and nostalgia. The original Thanatos had been decommissioned three years ago for being out of date, and the captain of that ship was given the opportunity to commander this one. Of course, it wasn't the same ship by any means, but sharing its name gave Azu the feeling the spirit of the last one lived on.

Just as he was going to make his way to the docking bay, the ship's loudspeaker's blared. All members of Remnant Squad report to the bridge immediately! Azu's head drooped as his hastily made plan for the morning was derailed, but he ran to the bridge all the same.

There, he was met with the rest of Remnant. Themba, Cassandra, Chase, and Xolani. It was no surprise to everyone that the five of them were still together. They stuck to one another like white on rice. Standing from left to right with Azu at the far left, Reach's Remnants saluted to Captain Taharqa, who told them, "At ease. We're coming out of slipspace soon so I'll be be brief."

Azubuike had known the Captain since he was young, back when he'd fled from Reach. Even then she was stoic and held that aura of command. It was quite inspiring, really. Her vivid hazel eyes met theirs evenly, her tone equally mesmerizing.

"Yesterday we received a transmission from a colony on the world Falaknuma." Taharqa placed her arms behind her back. "It was a distress signal from the Xerxes outpost. And the situation, from what were heard, is dire."

The Captain turned around, and the shipboard AI Roha, waved her hand, walking to the side of the display as a screen came up, her violet figure shimmering. The display abruptly showed plasma fire in the tight corridors of the outpost, desperate UNSC marines fleeing and trying to find a place to defend themselves in their own base. Bad memories stirred, it seemed all too familiar. The video footage quickly changed to an injured Sergeant, bloodied and seemingly losing his will to live.

"Falaknuma is under attack! Xerxes is lost! We've been engaged by Storm Covenant and they came in full force. They appeared out of nowhere! No cruisers in the sky-" The man screamed and gasped in pain, biofoam filling his chest. He coughed, gritting his teeth, and raised his weapon defiantly, shooting off-screen. "Our teams were unable to get classified data off world, objectives compromised. Requesting any UNSC assistance! Repeat, requesting UNSC-" The transmission ended.

Captain Taharqa turned back towards Remnant Squad. "Your mission is to insert, infiltrate, and secure the data from Xerxes."

"Ma'am," Cassandra inclined her head. "Surely you have a Spartan team that could pull this mission off? If the situation is as bad as it seems orbital insertion may be needed elsewhere."

"We're getting reports of fighting across the continent." The Captain immediately responded, as though she'd been waiting for the question. "Spartans and other ODSTs are needed near the fighting, in the cities. You are our best option."