April 1st, 2520
April Fool’s day. What a day for launching a new mission. There were no crowds, only a few dozen extra people ONI all of them. The crew had already boarded and begun the shake down. Captain Oswald stood in Haven’s Command center in the middle of the station. As per his new orders, he wore no uniform and his crew wore no uniforms either. They looked like a bunch of civilians that had been slapped together at the last minute, and worked together as such. There was some headbutting and strong arming but everybody got what they were looking for.
The port finally began to make its way. Port Haven had no engines other than the station keeping rockets. The Port had a single UNSC Heavy Frigate as an escort and transport. Whistling Dixie commanded by Captain Sarah Glen. The Dixie was one of a the Paris-class heavy frigates that was built out of the Owens shipyards. The Dixie was named so for one of Earth’s civil wars fought between the north and south of a single country. It seemed suited that it would again be going towards another civil war against another confederacy.
Port Haven had a special dock just in place for the Dixie, it was called the saddle. A spot suited for a Paris-class frigate. The perfect area for the mating of the two superstructures that would allow the pair to travel as one. Haven had the tools and supplies to maintain and refit the Dixie for several months of operation.
“Captain.” Oswald said, coming onto the bridge of the Dixie.
“Captain.” Glen said, as she acknowledged Oswald.
“Are we good to go?” Oswald asked as his eyes scanned the holographic display.
“Yes. Lisa is running through her final shakedown. Dixie is almost ready to go.”
“Who is Lisa?” Oswald asked.
A small, dainty looking older woman wearing a golden sun dress appeared on the holographic display in front of Oswald’s vision.
“I am Lisa.” The A.I. said. “I am Whistlin Dixie’s Artificial Intelligence. My counterpart, Robert, is in Port Haven fixing your crew for cryo sleep.”
“How soon till we get underway?”
“Fourteen minutes until the shakedown is complete.” Lisa responded.
“Are you two aware of the mission’s overall parameters?”
“Yes.” Glen said. “Infiltrate and set up operations for black ops and a listening outpost. I believe that my frigate will be running a delivery service.”
“Correct. Port Haven will also act as a pirate hub for those that need a rest away from home. We need to be sure and not wear uniforms on the Port, the mood needs to be lax but caution. For the sake of Parangosky, we need to make this a believable situation. Piracy is our mission, but we will still maintain our UNSC background. Port Haven needs to be a neutral ground. A space station that is welcome to all creeds and pasts.”
Oswald was quite proud of his new assignment. He couldn’t wait to see what sort of opportunities would present themselves. First a quick slipspace jump and a cryo freeze, then a start to new life.
Read the first chapter here
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https://thecomearound.wordpress.com/2022/01/18/halo-port-haven-1/
The In Constant Chronicles 