Halo: Escalation Issue 6

==Synopsis==
The has been seriously damaged by an energy beam in a surprise attack. The bridge is in shambles, and Commander Bradley is dead. The beam was designed for destroying planets, and with that power it has successfully incapacitated the Infinity with three shots in under a minute. In space, Commander Palmer orders Fireteam Majestic to attack the space station. On board the station, Captain Clayton's crew of New Colonial Alliance members have stopped firing due to overheating, which would leave them defenseless for several minutes. The space station detects booster frames inbound. Giving his cleansing beam team only two minutes to get the cannon operational, he orders everyone else to prepare light defenses to take out the boosters. 'Gajat orders his Sangheili to prepare their own attack on the Infinity, hoping for a vast reward from the New Colonial Alliance if they destroy it instead.
As Palmer and Fireteam Majestic contend with missiles, they notice that 'Gajat's corvette has undocked from the station in preparation for its own attack. Palmer orders the team to concentrate on taking out the space station's weapons first, and they enter the station. Clayton sends out a distress call to the corvette, but 'Gajat refuses to help them. As the insurrectionists are held up at gunpoint, Captain Clayton is knocked out. Thorne reports that the energy weapon is back online. 'Gajat's corvette opens a channel with the station, hoping to get Clayton's attention. Instead, Palmer responds to the communication and announces their own attack on the corvette. The station quickly destroys the ship with the beam.
Three days later, a UNSC flotilla has encircled the space station as they make urgent repairs to the Infinity. Lasky's craft arrives and docks at the Infinity. Admiral Hood, confined to a wheelchair, conducts Clayton's interrogation. Clayton expects to be taken to the Midnight Facility, so has no need to hold in his feelings, claiming that Admiral Drake is twice the man Hood will ever be. Hood is curious as to why Admiral Drake, who so closely conducted the 2553 attack on the Infinity, would send for Clayton to do the second. Clayton gives no answers, instead spouting insurrectionist propaganda about having spies on every UEG world including Earth, and his belief the UNSC and Earth will fall. Seeing no answers left to get, Hood has Clayton taken to the Midnight Facility.
In a monologue, Hood admits he has thought about his actions in losing the Spirit of Fire every night since it happened, and that he hopes the crew survived and is in cryosleep. Then, Hood hopes, he has the opportunity to meet Cutter and apologise. The scene cuts to the Spirit of Fire, still lost in space, which is revealed to have been attacked by the Flood.
==Characters==
*Terrence Hood
*Bradley
*Daniel Clayton
*Vata 'Gajat
*Sarah Palmer
*Madsen
*Hoya
*Grant
*Thorne
*Paul DeMarco (mentioned only)
*Tom Lasky
==Sources==
Category:Halo: Escalation
Category:Halo: Escalation Issues