Set the alarm for 23 years.

- Phoenix-class support vessel Spirit of Fire -

- Bridge -

- Twenty minutes later -

Captain Gregory Cutter enters his empty bridge while trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes. Serina's hologram appears and she smiles at the captain.

"Rise and shine Mr. Captain. I trust that you've had a good rest?"

He ignores her wisecracking and approaches the window at the front of the bridge. The crew were still trying to wake up from cryo sleep, so it was not just the ship that was moving slowly.

"So what is it Serina?"

She rolls her eyes. The captain always gets down to business. A planet appears above the holo-table and Cutter turns to look at it.

"We are approaching a world that has recently been glassed." says Serina.

"The Covenant... Tell everyone to get to their battlestations."

"Umm... sir. That might not be necessary." says Serina in an odd tone of voice.

"Why is that Serina? There are dozens of Covenant ships orbiting the planet."

"There are several things you should be aware of sir. First of which, I do not have any record of this particular world colonised by humans. Second of all, there are two UNSC ships among them and get this: They are not firing at eachother."

Cutter takes another look at the hologram and he does see two ships out there: the Aegis Fate and the Leviathan. He recalls that the Marathon-class cruiser was Admiral Stanforth's ship. They don't seem to be destroyed... what was going on?

"And finaly, and this is the most important part: The year is 2554. We've been asleep for 23 years."

Cutter's jaw slowly drops and he hangs his head while leaning against the table. He thinks of his daughter, back home on Reach. She's a grown woman by now... What of his wife? How is the crew going to react when they've realised they've slept for two decades?

He raises his head and faces Serina.

"Give the crew an update. They'll find out eventually."

She pauses for a fraction of a second. "Aye sir."

Cutter stands up and he studies the hologram again.

"They've detected us sir. The Leviathan and the Covenant carrier are approaching as we speak."

The captain tries thinking of what to do next...

"Where's Anders? We need her on the bridge asap."

"She's in med bay Captain, learning the hard way why you should go into cryo sleep unclad." Serina smiles. "I am impressed with her vocabulary. She has used some well chosen words to describe the rashes and ill-effects on her skin. Nurse Hershey is considering wearing ear plugs because the professor will not stop swearing."

Cutter sighs. "Tell Hershey to do the best she can then get Anders up here on the double."

"Aye aye sir... Oh, the Leviathan is hailing us."

He turns around to look at the screen next to the door. A man Cutter recognises appears.

"Admiral Hood sir!" The captain salutes.

A broad smile appears on Lord Hood's face and he returns the salute. "Spirit of Fire... we all thought you were lost with all hands. It is a pleasure to see that you're all alive. Captain Cutter, was it?"

"Affirmative... Admiral, why are you surrounded by Covenant ships?"

The smile fades from Hood's face. "It would proboably be best if we spoke in person. We have much to talk about."

Cutter nods. "I agree. It would seem that we've missed a lot during our sleep."

"I'm also bringing an ambassador from our new allies so he can give his side of past events as well. It would be best if we landed somewhere where the crew wouldn't find us."

Cutter blinks. He did not like to hide things from his crew, but if they really have made allies with the Covenant, then that will come as quite a shock to everyone. Perhaps discretion should be taken into account. The marines will certainly react hostile towards any Covenant they see.

"Very well sir. Land in the port hangar. That area is damaged so not a lot of crew will be present there."

"Understood. Hood out." The screen turns blank.

Serina says to the captain. "Times sure have changed."

Cutter crosses his arms. "Lets just hope for the better."

- - -

Minutes later...

Professor Ellen Anders winces as she receives another serum into her arm. At first she did not like the idea at all of being naked among the entire crew, even though everybody else was, but now she knows exactly why the chemicals of cryogenic need to touch the skin. She has never felt this uncomfortable in her life. Rashes and other skin conditions make moving feel like you're walking through fire.

Nurse Hershey glances at her. "Don't worry honey, we've all been there. Everyone wears clothes the first time in the freezer, even me. Then we wake up, suffer and learn from it. So just relax."

Serina appears on the nearby holopad. She nods to Nurse Hershey. "Good morning Lulu." Then she turns towards Anders.

"Professor, the Captain requests that you meet him on the bridge."

Anders sighs, grabs her lab coat and puts it on. "Tell him I'll be there soon." Serina disapears. "Thank you Nurse Hershey." With that, she strides out of the infirmary.

She starts the long walk all the way up to the bridge. On the way, she wonders if her lab is knee deep in dust. She blinks as she remembers the events that took place before they escaped the Shield World.

Once she arrives at the bridge, the door opens and she gasps in disbelief. Among the unfamiliar faces in the room is an Elite wearing all-too familiar ceremonial armor, the Arbiter.

Everyone turns to face her as she steps back and bumps into someone. She looks up into the golden visor of a Spartan from Red Team, Jerome-092. Beside him are his team mates: Douglas-042 and Alice-130.

They enter the bridge, and they too are slightly alarmed at the presence of an Elite, especially one who's wearing the armor of the Elite Sgt. Forge killed. Their attention gets shifted however, when they see their old squad leader in the same room.

The Master Chief stares at the three of them. He remembers designating them as Red Team when they were assigned to protect Arcadia along with Omega Team, back in 2531. He salutes them, which is quickly returned. Then he "smiles" at them, which is returned likewise.

Jerome, whose sniping skills are second only to Linda-058. He was given the prototype Weapon/Anti-Vehicle Model 6 Grindell/Galilean Nonlinear Rifle, aka Spartan Laser.

Douglas, he and Grace-093 were experts on explosives. He would always be carrying a rocket launcher. You would think it was strapped to his shoulder.

Alice, one of the best gunners of the team. She loved automatic fire and would jump at the chance to man the M41 at the back of a Warthog. After the augmentation and getting the MJOLNIR armor, she would rip the chain gun off of a Warthog if the vehicle ever got trashed, and use it as an HMG.

There's no way for John-117 to tell them how happy he is to see them. They disapeared in 2531, along with this ship. Now here they are, still wearing the old Mk. IV armor. He seems to be running into more and more of his family over the past few days.

Anders is still a little shocked, but when she looks at the Elite more carefully, she realises this one's facial features are different. This isn't the same one who kidnapped her. Among the other unfamiliar faces is a man wearing an Admiral's insignia, and another Spartan.

She enters the bridge and walks to the holo-pad, where another A.I. appears. Cortana looks up at the professor and crosses her arms while the professor glares at her. This lasts for a few long moments, till Cortana finaly breaks the silence.

"Well?"

Anders scowls and turns away in disgust. "Ugh." She walks over to the window on the bridge.

Cortana watches her. "Interesting, so it is true."

"What is?" asks the Chief.

"Professor Ellen Anders was the student of my creator, Dr. Catherine Halsey. It was rumored that they parted on unfriendly terms, and now it would seem that it's true after all."

Serina appears behind Cortana. "Ahem."

Cortana turns around to face the other A.I. "Sorry about that. Shall we proceed with the data exchange?"

Serina nods, and the two of them start sharing the information they collected over their individual experiences.

Lord Hood gives Cutter the bad news about Reach, and the man looks like he could faint. Even the Spartans react to the news, for it was much their home as it was the Captain's. The Arbiter turns his head and averts his eyes, because he knows that it was him who led the fleet that destroyed the planet.

Cortana's eyebrows meet as she contemplates something.

"Arcadia?..."

The holotable projects a hologram of the once beautiful planet; however, it was glassed on Tuesday, September 9th, 2549. Anders turns around and her jaw drops at this news, because Arcadia was her homeworld. Cortana accesses the data she collected from the galactic Luminary, and symbols start to appear on the planet.

"Well this is interesting. It's showing humans living on the surface. What's really catching my eye is the interior of the planet. I don't recognise many of these symbols. They have similarities to Forerunner script, but not the same."

Cutter leans against the holotable and points to one of the symbols. "I know where that is. That's where the Covenant set up an energy shield."

Serina adds her voice to the mix. "According to the solders who were down there at the time, there was what appeared to be an entrance behind the construction site of the Super Scarab."

She looks beside her at the Captain. "You're not thinking of going are you?"

Without looking at her, he asks. "Serina, how many colonies have been glassed?"

She hesitates, and he continues speaking. "I'm getting the feeling that most of the crew don't have homes to go back to."

"Sir, we don't have a Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine. We used it to start a fireworks show."

The Arbiter, who was feeling shameful the more they talk about worlds that he glassed, finaly speaks. "A few of my ships were destroyed recently during a battle against the Brutes. We've salvaged their Slipspace drives, and I'd be willing to give one of them to this ship."

Serina's eyes light with excitement at the idea of using the faster and more accurate Slip Stream engines of the Covenant.

Cortana smiles at everyone. "So are we heading for Arcadia?"

Lord Hood shakes his head. "Sorry Cortana, but I've got a job for you and the Chief."

Her shoulders slump in disapointment.

- - -

In one of the cryo rooms...

A lone ODST walks through the rows of freezer pods. She looks carefully at the names in front of each one, searching for something specific. She finaly stops and stands in front of one.

"Looking for something?"

The Marine turns to her left and sees the figure in the strange armor she saw at the Sandtrap. Only this time her armor looks a little different, and she doesn't have those huge orbs on her shoulders.

"My name is Samus."

She looks at the pod the Private is in front of and reads the name on it: SGT. J. FORGE.

"Someone you know?"

... "My father."

Serina appears behind them. "Ah, so you're his daughter. He mentioned you a few times."

Private Forge turns around to face the A.I. "Where is he? Is he in the mess hall??"

Serina's eyes cast downwards. "I'm sorry to be the one to tell this to you, but the good sergeant is dead..."

Forge hangs her head. After twenty-three years, and getting on the Pelican bound for this ship, she dared to hope that he might still be alive. Samus asks Serina:

"Did he go out fighting?"

Serina answers her: "He died to make sure the Covenant didn't win the war, and he succeeded."

The Private nods and raises her head. "He died doing what he was supposed to do. As a Marine, I can't think of a better way to go."

Serina puts her hands behind her back. "Sgt. Forge left you a letter. It was handwritten and hidden so I couldn't read it. If you ask around, the men that were in his squad will be able to show you to his bunk."

Private Forge nods and leaves the cryo room. Serina cocks an eyebrow at Samus.

"You're an interesting one. I was sent here to tell you that you're requested on the bridge."

Samus nods and exits as well.

- - -

Once she arrives, everybody turns towards her, and several surprised looks appear on the face of those who havn't met her before. Cortana smiles up at her and asks:

"Samus, would you be willing to go on a trip for us?"

After she asks, Samus receives a message from her gunship. Her eyes widen upon hearing it. Turning to face the A.I., she replies:

"Sure. Where?"