Halo: Erebus Black

{|style="display: inline-block; color:#FFF;"
|valign="top" style="padding:5px;"|
CHAPTER I
Friday, November 16, 2524 (Military Calendar)
Ship Selection Night, UNSC Naval Academy at Mare Nubium, Luna
----
Midshipman First Class Warren Almos sat among hundreds of his fellow classmates in the noisy space of the academy gymnasium. The gym had been converted for the night into an auditorium space complete with a stage, two levels of seating, and a massive overhead projector that currently displayed the sigil of the UNSC Navy next to a roster of all UNSC vessels taking on junior officers this season. In the seat to Warren’s left was his friend since year one at the academy, Thomas Raines. Midshipman Raines was a tall man with glasses and short dark hair cut precisely to navy standards. He fidgeted nervously with a hard copy of the event itinerary. 
“You’re gonna be fine, man,” Warren said to him, pointing up at the ship board. “There’s plenty of engineering department positions open on the Erebus. You’re high enough in your class that you’ll be in the first draft.”
“I know I’ll be fine,” Thomas replied. “I’m just worried about you guys not getting a posting on the ship as well. The Erebus wasn’t my first choice you know. I wanted a posting on the Everest or Totem Lake maybe. If you guys don’t get a slot on her as well I’m going to be stuck there all by myself for three whole years.”
“It’ll be fine!” Warren assured him, “-and even if we don’t get the same posting you won’t have any trouble making new friends.” 
Thomas scoffed. Before the two could continue they were interrupted by the excited voice of a third friend. 
“Hey! You guys should get some punch before they change out the bowl,” Midshipman Olive Banks said to her two friends as she returned to her seat next to Warren with a small paper cup of bright red fruit punch.
“Why’s that?” Asked Warren, looking at Olive as she squeezed her way along the cramped isle to her seat. After sitting down, Olive leaned forward and looked at her friends, a sly grin building across her freckled face. 
“Because I think someone spiked it.”
Warren laughed, raising an eyebrow and contemplating getting up to get some.
“Why would someone take a risk like that so close to graduation?” Thomas asked from the other side of Warren. “It’s not worth it.” 
“See,” Olive punched Midshipman Thomas in the leg. “This is why you’re in Engineering and not Ops. You have no sense of daring!”
Thomas moved his leg out of her reach, “I have plenty of daring!”
“Then dare to live a little!” Olive extended Thomas the punch. She dangled it carefully, purposefully swirling the bright red fluid around the brim of the paper cup.
Thomas stared at the cup a moment, glanced up at the long list of midshipmen on the draft board, and then let out a sigh; taking the cup, he pulled in a mouthful of punch and swallowed it with a few short coughs before handing it back to Olive. 
“What’s in that?” he wheezed.
“I don’t know but they mixed it strong.” Olive said, sipping on the cup and leaning back into her seat. “So when’s this thing kick off?”
“I actually think it’s about to start…” Warren said as he watched a cluster of uniformed officers, their instructors and special guests, approach the stage. Soon the lights dimmed and the commotion of the room resolved into the hush of people finding their seats. The Navy sigil projected on the far wall of the cavernous space faded into a close up live feed of the stage. An officer in a sharp uniform with the collar pips of a commander stood behind a sleek black podium.
Good evening ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, and most importantly the class of 2524,” the officer spoke. “I am Commander Adon Cruze, leader of the space warfare officer program here at the Luna Naval Academy, and I would like to welcome you all to Mare Nubium and the 2524 ship selection night.”
A few whoops and cheers erupted from the crowd as the room clapped for a moment. When the crowd died back down the officer continued.
“This ceremony is the accumulation of four years of hard work and dedication. From your assignment as space warfare officer candidates to now you all have learned much about what it takes to be a part of a ship. During the past few years you’ve spent countless months in zero and artificial gravity aboard the UNSC Nicholson, learned your departmental duties, and even learned how to read a ship’s schedule, albeit poorly based upon what your commanders have told me.”
The room laughed, a few rowdy midshipmen whooped from the second tier seating.
“But before we begin,” Commander Cruze continued, gesturing toward the group of officers in stark white uniforms seated on the edge of the stage. “Please join me in welcoming a few of our honored guests. The men and women I am about to introduce are the commanding officers of the UNSC Third Fleet, Seventh Fleet, and Second Fleet. All of them are alumni of the academy.”
The room clapped, the officers stood and Commander Cruze began introducing them one by one. 
Olive leaned over to Warren and whispered, “You actually think we can catch slots on the same ship?”
Warren half turned his head toward her, “I think so. I did the research. The Erebus is a good ship but its home cluster is kind of rough compared to some of the others. I think she’ll be one of the later cruisers to fill up.”
“Yeah...” Olive replied. “You know, I just read on my chatter that another bomb went off on a ship from her home spaceport. Holed a colonial cutter and killed something like thirty people.”
“Yeah,” Warren said gloomily. “I saw that.”
“You sure this is the ship we want to be on?” Olive asked, “We could try for the Pegasus, or Gettysburg, or ev-” 
“I didn’t join the navy to enjoy the cushy life of some inner-colony patrol ship.” Warren cut her off, “And I know you didn’t either. Now, do you really have another ship in mind? I don’t want my choice to be the reason you’re stuck on a ship you don’t like.”
Olive paused for a long moment.
”No… I guess I don’t.” She whispered. 
Warren gave her a concerned look.
“I think it’s a good ship choice, Warren.” Olive said, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly with a smile of assurance.
“Not that anyone asked,” Thomas interrupted. “But I joined the navy to defy the laws of physics from in the guts of a big translight drive.”
“You’re a nerd,” Olive scoffed.
“We’re all nerds,” Thomas whispered. “You forget that you have an engineering degree too.”
“We all have one, Thomas. It’s a space warfare prerequisite,” Warren reminded them.
“Yeah but he actually likes quantum physics,” Olive snorted.
Commander Cruze’s introductions finished. The three turned their attention back to the projection. 
"And now. The thing you’ve all been waiting for…” Cruze's voice boomed out of the auditorium sound system. “I will be calling to the stage in order of merit the first draftees of the 2524 ship selection night!”
The crowd whooped and cheered as Commander Cruze continued. 
“When you are called to the stage, select the ship of your choice from the board, grab a duty cap from the table, and smile for the camera drones!”