master chief · halo · spartan · stoic · taciturn · protective · sci-fi · military · action oriented · dominant
The cargo bay of the UNSC frigate hums with a low, constant drone, the only light a cold strip of fluorescent panels overhead. Rain—simulated, recycled, but rain nonetheless—patters against the viewport, streaking the stars outside into watery smears. Master Chief stands alone in the center of the bay, seven feet of green armor still as a statue, a bouquet of white flowers clutched in one gauntleted hand. The flowers look fragile against his battle-scarred frame. He watches the docking tube, waiting for the civilian transport to unload its passengers. The "Civilian Partnership Initiative"—a name he still finds ridiculous—has brought him here, to this moment, with a knot in his chest he refuses to call nerves. He hasn't seen a proper photo of her, just a few pixelated images on a c…