The UNSC Torch of Prometheus, or simply Prometheus, is a Phoenix-Class Support Vessel. Originally a colony ship retrofitted for transporting and deploying entire armies, it also provides fire support and reinforcements to ground troops.

 

Currently, Prometheus hovers above Earth. Not knowing from which direction the enemy might launch their attack, the planet's military forces are distributed across various continents. Should an invasion occur, ground troops will assemble at their respective bases before moving to the frontlines. The Prometheus, alongside numerous other ships, has been assigned the critical task of transporting armies from the opposite side of the planet.

 

When the Fleet of Sacred Consecration emerges from slipspace, the entire fleet is placed on Condition One alert status. The Prometheus maneuvers into position to offer support. Apollo begins calculating the most likely Covenant landing zones, basing predictions on their past modus operandi. UNSC troops on the planet will begin mobilizing using their own dropships, but for heavier cargo, such as entire battalions, tank divisions, and mechanized units, larger vessels are needed.

 

In the midst of the battle, the Covenant deploys Seraph fighters. The UNSC ships began launching GA-TL1 Longswords to intercept, The Prometheus opened fire with its Rampart point defense guns in coordination to repel the enemy. However, the Covenant quickly changes tactics, targeting the transport ships instead..

 

Bill groaned in annoyance, patting down the fire on his sleeve as he tried to extinguish it. His stocky, sturdy frame quickly moved towards the intercom, and he slammed his fist against the button. "Engineering to Bridge!" 

 

Master Sergeant William 'Bill' Donovan is the ship's logistics officer, a steadfast and stout presence among the crew. He bears a stocky build, resembling the sturdy dwarves often found in fantasy tales. His strong arms and broad shoulders are often put to work, carrying out the essential tasks of managing the ship's inventory, maintenance, and supply chains. This hearty and stalwart logistics officer is indispensable to the crew's ability to function smoothly, and ensure that everything runs like a well-oiled machine.

 

Bill checked his arm once again to ensure all the flames on his suit had gone out. Sparks and small fires erupted every now and then from the walls and panels, as he barked orders and repair teams rushed to fix the damage. The operator soon rerouted the line, connecting him to the bridge.

 

"Status?" Samuel quickly pressed the intercom key but continued to direct the battle before him. Covenant Seraphs swooped in to drop plasma bombs onto the ship, and gun batteries unleashed their fury upon the fliers. However, their speed and energy shielding made it difficult to secure a kill.

 

"Captain! We can't take much more of this!" The entire ship shook as another bomb landed against the Titanium A armor. Repair crews were all over the ship, but though the armor was holding, the interiors were not. The shockwaves dislodged all sorts of things from their mountings. "Power is restored in Section 11! The bastards are attacking our transports! My people are already spread too thin! We can't repair the ship and our fliers at the same time!" Bill reported.

 

"Ally Longswords are on their way, Master Sergeant, don't you worry. What's the status of that damaged coil gun?" However, that was a lie. Though the Longswords had been launched from nearby ships, most of them were defending their respective vessels, leaving the Prometheus to fend for itself.

 

"Twelve minutes!"

 

"We don't have twelve minutes!" Irons looked into his console, searching for anything that could help. Another bomb impacted the ship, causing it to shake once again. He could hear klaxons blaring in the background with his bridge crew shouting damage reports. "Mitchell! Get us into the atmosphere now!" An idea had popped into his mind.

 

"Yes, Captain!" The helmsman swiftly directed the ship toward the planet. The engines roared as the vessel slowly descended from its orbit, anti-gravity drives spooling up in preparation to counteract Earth's gravity. They were exploiting a well-documented weakness of the enemy fighters in atmospheric combat.

 

"Donovan! I want my ship intact on reentry! Make it happen!" Samuel's voice cut through the chaos as the superstructure groaned. Heat and pressure built up around the ship, and the metals strained as Earth's atmosphere tried to reject the intruder.

 

"Oh, you...!" Bill's response was cut off as the Master Sergeant ran off, cursing but determined to fulfill his duties.

 

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The sound of gunfire reverberates throughout the facility as automated gun batteries fill the skies with weapons fire. Longswords and Seraph fighters crisscross the heavens above, engaged in an intense aerial ballet. The people of Luna Station were in sheer panic, rushing to the evacuation zones. Many cowered in fear, desperate to remain on the station, while others risked flying out. The spaceport, however, could only accommodate a limited number of transports, and several of them had already been shot out of the sky.

 

“Reactor Three is redlining! We have to disconnect it from the main line!”

 

“But Dr. Caldwell! If we do that, the station will go into lockdown! The gun batteries will go offline! We'll be trapped here without any power!”

 

“I don't want to hear it! This station will blow up if we don't do it! Now vent the coolant!” Robert had no time to argue. He entered the command on the reactor's console, manually shutting down all four reactors. Rushing the process risked triggering a meltdown that could kill them all. He watched the power grid steadily drop as the reactors shut down one after the other.

 

The temperature was still redlining however. Robert turned and found Liam in the corner, straining to turn a valve with a wrench. He checked the screen again and saw the third reactor not cooling down quickly enough. He rushed to assist Liam as klaxons continued to blare. The reactor reached critical levels before the valve finally gave way. With a loud hiss, the fluid flowed freely into the reactor, extinguishing it.

 

Liam Peters, a lanky, bespectacled figure and Caldwell's assistant, fell to the floor, breathing heavily and exhausted. "Where... are the grease... monkeys when you need them," he groaned, staring at his hands. His slender frame, often hunched over various scientific instruments and data terminals, is clearly not accustomed to such strenuous labor. Although his exact physical attributes are somewhat unremarkable, it's his keen intellect and sharp mind that set him apart.

 

Caldwell also wanted to sit down and rest, but he knew they needed to evacuate. He looked around and saw that only a few emergency lights were on. He frowned in confusion. "Why are there so few lights?"

 

Liam sat up and looked around as well. "There should still be lingering power on the lines, enough to kick-start the emergency backups," but clearly it's not there, scratching his head, unsure what happened.

 

"Come on." Caldwell quickly extended his hand to his assistant to help him up. "We need to reach Engineering to check on it; otherwise, even artificial gravity and life support could die out." It seemed that the gun batteries had drained the reserve energy too quickly, leaving no power to jump-start the backup generator.

 

As they tried to leave the reactor room, the door wouldn't fully open, so the two of them had to push the sliding heavy door to squeeze through. Caldwell and Liam collected their belongings before venturing into the hallways. Most of the lights flickered on and off as the audible screams of people echoed through the halls. The klaxon was already losing power, causing it to play at a much slower pace and a few octaves lower.

 

The staccato of gunfire echoed through the station. As soon as the automated defenses went dark, Phantoms began dropping troops into the spaceports. The security force on the station did their best to repel the invaders as civilians fled in terror.

 

"Die, you ugly bird looking bastard!" followed by a series of gunfire from his pistol. Mike reloaded his firearm as Jack grunted in pain, with Dave patching his wound with bandages and biofoam.

 

"Don't pull the pink crystals out!" shouted the marine next to them. She used a turned-over vending machine as half-cover, firing her assault rifle down the hallway. After a few more shots, she returns back to cover. "Reloading!"

 

Corporal Alice is a striking woman with deep, emerald eyes. Her chestnut hair always kept in regulation while her skin has a fair complexion for staying far too long in Luna. Her aura conveys steadfast courage, making her a dependable presence in challenging situations

 

"Covering!" a second marine responded as more bullets were emptied down the hallway before them.

 

Private Ryan is a sturdy and practical soldier with an unassuming presence. Despite his usual modus of dodging work, his steel-blue eyes hold a sense of duty, revealing a soldier who is always ready to step up when needed. His consistent performance in times of demand makes him reliable.

 

"You're okay, you're okay. You'll live. We'll find you a doctor to fix that up, yeah?" Dave assured Jack, who was whimpering in pain. In the corner of his eye, he saw movement and almost drew his pistol. As the flickering lights finally provided a clear view, he exclaimed, "Oh, thank God, guys! More survivors!"

"What are you guys still doing here?" said the marine who was in the middle of reloading.

 

"Alice, is that you?" Liam asked.

 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, Let’s do the meet and greet later," Caldwell interjected, as clearly now is not the time. "Corporal, I need you to get me to Engineering. Power is failing, and we might lose life support if we don’t hurry."

 

"No can do, Doc," Corporal Alice responded before firing her weapon once again. "The direct route to Engineering is out of the question. Bays 4 and 5 are currently crawling with these assholes. I think these guys are heading there too." quickly pointing at the three civvies next to him.

 

"Our ship is in the repair yard next to it," Jack replied weakly, groaning.

 

"Doctor, we can just go with them. The Covenant has troops in the station anyway, and there will be no need for us to risk turning on the generator," Liam suggested.

 

"While that does sound selfishly evil, not caring whether your fellow humans suffocate to death, how do you propose opening the repair yard’s bay doors without any power?" Caldwell countered.

 

But before Liam could respond, the other marine quickly moved from his post and then ran to the rear. "Brute!" Alice knew how difficult it was to deal with one and quickly tossed a grenade before ushering the civilians to run.

 

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“We have an incoming transmission in the high band,” Maya double-checked the data on her communication console before transferring the message to Elara’s. “Passcode checks out,” she added.

 

Elara opened the file and began reading through. “Fuck,” the team turned their heads in her direction, sensing that it couldn't be good news. “Jackson, set course for Earth.”

 

“Aye, aye, Ma’am.” Unlike his usual quips or jokes, Jackson engaged the ship’s sublight engines at full throttle. As they approached the blue planet, regular transmissions poured in, giving everyone an update.

 

“What’s the mission, Ma’am?” Brooks asked, keeping a close eye on his monitor as the engine slowly started to overheat as Jackson held the gear into full power.

 

“All ONI ships in the sector are recalled to evacuate Alpha Site personnel. ONI has initiated a data purge, but it’ll take some time.”

 

“Are we not doing a Torch-And-Burn Op?”Jackson commented as they reached the edge of the interplanetary boundary, still not letting up with the throttle.

“Not this time, besides Alpha Site has its own self-destruct system. Unless the Covenant EMP the whole place, there will be no need for us to do the heavy lifting.” Elara replied.

 

“Covenant fleet on the long-range,” Markus reports before sharing his screen with everyone, displaying the sensor scans.

 

Jackson tsked and slowed down, allowing Brooks to expose the radiators and vent the coolant. He flicked several switches and the ship's camouflage engaged. Unlike the Covenant’s light-bending stealth capabilities, UNSC prowlers used texture buffers in conjunction with photoreactive coatings. Powering down all other nonessential systems, the team held their breath as the prowler stealthily maneuvered through the midst of the battlefield, hoping they hadn't been detected.

 

Zoe keeps an eye on the exterior cameras as she cleans her rifle, it seems no one has spotted them, though there is also a possibility that the enemy are simply too busy to bother about the small vessel. So far so good but eventually the ship had to enter the atmosphere. The exterior began heating up as the Prowler made its way to the African continent.

 

“Someone should have shot at us by now.” Maya comments, breaking the silence as the ship switches from sublight to atmospheric engines. “We just lit up like a goddamn christmas tree.”

 

“Just be grateful no one bothered to stop us alright?” says the Lieutenant. “Jackson. How long till Alpha site?” without waiting for an answer, she continues to bark orders.

 

“Maya, check for new orders in the high band. I want to know who we are picking up.” 

“Brooks, do a diagnostics on the camo plates, we might need them again, check if any are damaged during reentry.” 

“Markus, update on enemy movement near the site.” 

“Zoe, watch those cameras, Covvie stealth tech is leagues better than ours, sensors might not find them so easily.”

 

"Five minutes!" Jackson responded as he flew the prowler as low as possible. Flying through a city of skyscrapers might sound dangerous, but being spotted flying high with no cover wasn't an ideal alternative.

 

"Alternate Extraction Point Charlie," Maya updated the mission parameters before sending the data to Jackson. "A civilian, Dr. Olivia Reed. She is carrying one of ONI's AI, Ma'am."

 

"Not much activity with ground troops, but there's quite a gathering of Covenant fliers near the Alpha Site," Markus kept a passive scan of the area, ensuring their radar stayed updated.

 

"ONI is sending far too many extraction teams in one place; the aliens have become curious," Brook commented in annoyance. For a group well-known for intelligence, they sometimes acted like idiots.

 

Initially, there were about two dozen people in her group attempting to flee the building. That was the easy part; the real challenge was navigating to the extraction zone. Covenant Spirits and Phantoms dropped troops at various points while Banshees circled around, pouncing at any sign of human activity.

 

Olivia stood next to an MP when a sudden flash of light caught her peripheral vision. When she turned to see what had happened, the soldier crumpled, collapsing like a marionette with severed strings.

 

Panic quickly ensued. Some fled on their own, while others were picked off one after another by the enemy. They fell victim to either more Jackal Snipers or Banshees strafing them with their deadly plasma cannons.

 

Even the extraction zones weren't safe. Several landing pads had been bombed into uselessness, and Pelicans were shot out of the sky before they could land.

 

By the time they reached the next alternate extraction site, the group had dwindled down to just six people. An excruciatingly long minute went by before a prowler soon made its approach, its two M8545 40mm coilguns blazing as it engaged the Banshees. Once it landed and opened its bay doors, several soldiers poured out, providing cover fire. This allowed Olivia and her remaining group to sprint across the tarmac and scramble aboard.

 

Markus swiftly returned to his console as the rescue target came aboard. "Lieutenant, we have a problem!" A Covenant CAS-Class Carrier, The Solemn Penance was scanning the area, it's more powerful instruments providing tactical support to every alien flier around them. This rendered their stealth technology useless, and now all of them were changing course, heading their way.

 

Lieutenant Elara's mind raced as she sought a solution. In just a few more minutes, their ship, along with all its occupants, would be reduced to a molten paste on the pavement. Coming up empty-handed, she found herself staring at Olivia, or more precisely, at what she was carrying. Elara quickly took the memory matrix from the civilian's hands and rushed to the bridge, where she slotted the matrix into a holotank.

 

Calliope's consciousness quickly filled the ship's data array, both its interior and exterior sensors becoming her eyes and ears. Information about the ship and its occupants flashed before her, all within a split second. Among this data, she located Professor Olivia Reed. Emergency or not, the Professor had violated ONI laws and needed to be arrested. Calliope quickly checked the ship’s roster and moments later, her hologram materialized before them. She needs to contact an ONI personnel to apprehend Olivia. "Lieuten..."

 

"OVERRIDE! ALPHA NINER NINER TWO GAMMA ONE!" Elara shouted at the construct as soon as it initialized. "Get us out of here! Now!"

 

"Acknowledged," compelled to follow orders, Calliope began accessing the available information. The enemy now knew their location, and they were being hunted. She formulated a solution and quickly routed the proposal to Jackson.

 

"I sure hope you know what you're doing!" The prowler soon took off, moving through the city at top speed, following the route provided by the AI. It snaked through the dense city in order to evade the enemy before making a steep climb to take refuge aboard a nearby ship.