Oh, Good Job Ellen
As the Halo was moving through slipspace Ellen Anders was in the control room monitoring it's systems, and making sure the beacon she installed was still up and running. After only a few minutes the halo was slowing down, until it fell out of slipspace.
"What's happening? Why did we drop out of slipspace?" The professor asked no one in particular. "Where are we? Scanning local star clusters." While the ring was making scans the data it was receiving was less and less hopeful for the professor. "No matches, wonderful. But we did come out in orbit around a planet. Let's see... breathable air, large oceans, and it supports life, very interesting. Atmosphere composition is almost identical to Earth's in the 19th century." Anders looked through more of the controls but didn't find what she was hoping for. "Dammit! No navigational matrix. Maybe this was a predetermined destination, or maybe a malfunction? No way to know for sure." She said as she brought up a 3D map of the world they were orbiting. "May as well start detailed surface scans." She said. Not expecting what she would find on the world below.
Ponyville, Equestria
Twilight was sitting on her balcony gazing through her telescope at the stars mapping out the few final ones. "Well Spike I think we're done. All the stars in the Equestrian sky, all on one map." Granted it had taken her several months. But after all that time it was well worth it. She waited for a response but when none came she turned to her assistant to find him fast asleep. "Well it is late, I suppose we should go to bed." She said as she levitated the sleeping dragon to his basket, and fell into her own bed, letting the warmth of sleep overtake her almost instantly. But had she stayed outside a few minutes longer she would have noticed a very strange and very large object come out of a portal high in the sky.
Unnamed Installation, Unknown Space
The professor was hard at work scanning the planet's various flora and fauna. "This planet is so similar to Earth it is both horrifying and fascinating. Maybe the Forerunners did this, but why would they make an almost exact copy to Earth? It just doesn't make sense. This couldn't have occurred naturally, it's far too precise." She went over the scans again, and again it was... perfect. But there was something she skipped over the first time: the detailed surface scans, and what she saw suprised even her. "Mother of god. That's a city... on a mountain." She stopped for a minute just to look at it. "We've made mega-cities, colonized whole planets... but we've never done something like... that. Th-that's amazing. How could a species with so little technology make something like that. I would very much like to ask them but that would be in violation of at least seven different protocols, not to mention it could become another Covenant situation, and language barriers, though that I could learn that with time. Although they don't seem to be much of a threat, hell it doesn't even look like they have electricity. Well I could at least try to establish peaceful negotiations. Maybe send a sentinel team to scout that city, it looks like the capital, at least of that landmass. So much to think about." She decided she would investigate the city later, but for now she needed to find a way for her to get down there. There weren't any UNSC personnel on the ring, and even if she could find a ship she was no pilot.
Canterlot, Equestria
Princess Luna was nearly finished her Night Court when she felt... something, she couldn't explain it but it felt as if something was amiss. Something was wrong that much she knew, but what is was specifically, she had no idea. She dismissed as nothing. Almost nopony had attended her court that night, save for a few nobles with ridiculous demands, but by now she was used to that, it was rare for someone to come to her with an actual problem. So she decided to leave a little early and have an early breakfast/dinner, it would still be about an hour before it was time to lower the moon. She decided on some toast and jam. But the entire time she was eating she still had that feeling that something was wrong. A little thought in the back of her mind but it was slowly making its way forward. "'Tis nothing," she said to herself "just nerves." Although she couldn't think of anything she would be nervous about. "Perhaps a stroll through the gardens will soothe my nerves." When she finished her toast she did just that. As she was strolling through the garden admiring the many orchids and violets she noticed something, the feeling was still there. She decided to wait on a bench and concentrate on the flowers and try her best to not think of anything else. And she would do this until it was time to lower the moon and for her sister to raise the sun. After which the mysterious object in the sky would be almost impossible to see.
Unnamed Instillation, Unknown Space
"So what do we know so far? I would, in theory be able to survive down their, but I can't get down their yet. This planet has intelligent life, but I can't talk to them. So what are my options. Send down some sentinels to scout out the local populace, but risk aggravating them. And that's about it. Well maybe I can try-" she stopped as she heard the elevator to the control room activate. She didn't plan on this happening. Well there are two possibilities, one some UNSC personnel survived and they're coming to help me, or... some of the Banished's forces survived and they're coming to kill me. Either way I suppose I'm ready as I'll ever be. After a few seconds when the elevator reached the bottom she got her answer. Unfortunately for her the situation was the latter. Even worse were what was on the elevator, two elite Honor Guards with their Energy swords at the ready, and in between the was the commander of the cruiser Enduring Conviction Let 'Volir.