Edit: I have decided to make this thing into a huge, messy harem with six, big-boobed Cornerian women and our ODST friend, Veritas. It's about to get super whacky and super ridiculous. Just warning you. :)

P.S. I don't own anything except my plot and OCs. And that goes for all of my stories. Everything belongs to their respective owners.

Chapter 1

Five weeks. That's how long it's been since the UNSC cruiser Columbia has been drifting after narrowly escaping the Battle of Installation 00. The jump was compromised by the explosion on the Ark when the blast disrupted the integrity of the slipspace portal and left the Columbia dead in space as a result once it emerged on the other side. Everyone onboard was thankful that the portal held long enough for end coordinates to be inputted into the computer system. The engines, however, ended up getting fried somehow; therefore, the Columbia drifted without any means of mobilization.

Corporal Desmond Veritas found the five weeks frustratingly boring. He signed up to fight Covies, not sit on a dead ship with nothing to do. The young ODST had seen enough action to allow him to retire, despite only serving for almost three years. Desmond hated working with other people and considered himself bad luck because whenever he was assigned to a team, he was always the last one standing after every mission.

For the five weeks they've been drifting, Veritas had spent that time polishing his armor and running inventory checks on his equipment. Temporarily, he fought on the surface of the Ark, but never saw the Chief or the Arbiter. He did encounter the Flood and barely made it off with a few human and Sangheili survivors via damaged Phantom. He couldn't get the images of his fellow Marines and ODSTs getting infected out of his head, and it would forever haunt him.

Veritas sighted, exhausted from the rapid turn of events that had transpired recently. On his lap lay his helmet, blue all over, visor and all, and with a recon binocular attachment. His armor rested next to this feet; blue, orange, with silvery-gray shoulder pieces. He stood out more than most ODSTs, and not just because of his unusual color scheme. He was younger than most of the more grizzled ODSTs, even the legendary 'Rookie' was older than him. Veritas also tried to keep from becoming too attached to anyone that he serves with, otherwise, when they are killed, he is left as an emotional wreck of tears, berating himself because he couldn't save them. The squad he led on the Ark was his worst loss so far. He still hears their screams in his sleep sometimes.

"Corporal Veritas," came a voice in front of him. He looked up to find a female marine standing in the doorway of his dorm. "The captain wishes to see you. ASAP." She left without another word. Veritas looked down at his helmet and stared into his reflection on the visor before he set it aside and proceeded to put his armor on. Once that was done, he grabbed his helmet and put it on and left the dorm, making his way to the bridge.

Captain Matthias King stared at the lush green planet before him, his tired grey eyes narrowing at the bright flashes on the other side of its orbit. His mind told him it was just some random Covenant stragglers, but his gut said otherwise. The fifty-three-year-old veteran sighed deeply through his nose before turning away from the bridge viewport and walking to the map table in the middle of the room, where the ODST he had asked for stood at ease.

"Corporal," he said, extending a hand to the soldier. "I didn't realize you got here so soon."

Veritas went to attention and accepted the handshake before snapping to his original position. "I like to be punctual and stay on my toes at all times, sir."

Matthias smirked at the young soldier. "And yet, no one has thought to promote you."

"I prefer my current rank, sir. I'm a follower, not a leader."

Matthias chuckled and lightly clapped Vertas's shoulder. "If you say so, corporal. But that isn't the reason why I called you up here." His expression turned serious and he removed his hand. "I need you to run recon on the planet displayed on this screen. Get me a layout of the surface, and avoid contact with any unknown forces."

"And if I can't?" Veritas asked bluntly.

"Then you're authorized to use deadly force only if necessary. But hopefully, it won't have to come to that."

"Understood, sir," Veritas replied firmly.

Matthias nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Go suit up, and prepare for drop. Also," he held up a finger and pointed at the ODST, "maintain radio silence throughout your mission until you're ready for exfil."

Veritas nodded. "Yes, sir." With that, he saluted, which Matthias returned, dropped the salute, about-faced, and marched out of the bridge, the door closing behind him. Now that he had a mission, he could finally get off this floating wreck and see some action. Ooh-rah.