It is the year 2600. Advances in deep-space travel allowed mankind to venture beyond our solar system to explore other far-flung worlds, solar systems, and galaxies. Many of the Earth's population have long since left to form new colonies on the inhabitable worlds in the neighbouring Besalius binary star system.
With only rudimentary defence systems manned by a skeleton compliment of military personnel, the Colonies lay exposed and vulnerable in the middle of uncharted space; rich pickings for anyone with a grudge against the human race.
Shortly after the final shuttle of colonists arrived in 2602, the colonies were caught off-guard by an aggressive attack from a highly belligerent alien race which the Colonists nicknamed The Breed.
Initially the attacks seemed to be at random, with no apparent strategy and, indeed, no obvious motivation. The Colonies' defences managed to stand up against the initial strikes, but with limited armaments and supplies, their resources soon became stretched to breaking point. Though the Colonies were planned to be completely self-sufficient, the colony President had no choice, and sent out an Earthbound distress signal begging the Earth Council for re-enforcements.
After lengthy discussions within the Council chambers, a fleet of United Space Corps Battle Cruisers was assembled and dispatched to the Besalius system. Equipped with the latest military technology, a full compliment of GRUNTs (Genetically Revived UNiversal Tactical Sentient - expendable, genetically engineered soldiers), and captained by the cream of the military elite, the cruisers began their year-long journey, hoping they would not arrive too late...
The Breed proved to be a formidable foe, their apparent lack of intelligence and logic more than compensated for by their ferocity in battle, not to mention their sheer number. The war raged for many decades, Earth's resources severely depleted by the huge demands of the war effort.
Finally the USC forces triumph, but the Colonies lay devastated. The fleet of USC Battle Cruisers were damaged to the extent that virtually all of the ships were incapable of making the trip back to Earth. Only the USC Darwin remained intact.
Captained by the legendary Commander Saul Richter - the victor of over two hundred engagements with Breed forces - the battle-scarred Darwin and its war weary crew made their long journey home. Given Richter's legendary status and exemplary service record, it was hardly considered arrogant for the Darwin to expect a hero's welcome on its return. However, there was no such reception; no red carpet; no escort convoy into Earth orbit.
Instead, the Darwin arrived home to find the Earth's skeleton defence force completely shattered, and a massive Breed invasion force in control of the planet. In their battle to save millions of lives in the outworld Colonies, billions had died on Earth. It soon dawned on Richter that the USC fleet had been outflanked; The Breed attacked the Colonies purely as a diversionary tactic, a cunning trap designed to draw the bulk of Earth's forces away, leaving the planet vulnerable to invasion.
The Breed were far more intelligent and calculating than anyone had previously imagined…
Reconnaissance missions down to the shattered planet yielded some sickening discoveries: The Breed had systematically neutralised all human opposition, using humans as slave labour to build their vast cities and installations.
Water levels had been raised at strategic points across the globe, while vast atmosphere processors slowly changed the Earth's atmosphere to make the planet habitable for The Breed but deadly to all indigenous life.
Furthermore, the Breed armies on Earth appeared to be different from any previously encountered in the Colonies; more intelligent, cunning, stronger armour, and highly advanced weaponry. Small wonder that pockets of resistance fighters - co-ordinated by the charismatic Cesare Alvarez - were losing their guerrilla war against The Breed.
The only factor in the Darwin's favour was the element of surprise; The Breed had not planned on any of the Battle Cruisers returning, and therefore had no opportunity to consolidate their position, or indeed, bring the majority of their defences online.
With careful planning, The Breed would be vulnerable to surgical strikes on key areas of their incomplete infrastructure. The tide could still be turned in favour of the human race...
Breed screens! The next Halo?
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