Caden sat in a darkened room, his ears ringing from the silence. It's always in the dark the spartan thought, tapping on the metal table. Then a soft blue screen came to life on the wall, revealing a woman maybe in her forties in the center starring at him. "I believe you are in the wrong room" she said in a monotonous voice. Sighing, having gone through this routine dozens of times, the repetition catching up. The receptionist at the front had given me the key to the attic room, he said with a hint of sarcasm. The screen changed faces, to a darkened outline of his ONI handler. Hello Caden I am very pleased with your report, with the rebel presence on Taurus dealt with, now we can turn our attention back to hunting down the syndicate leader himself. But of course we need to debrief first, the man said shifting in his chair. Now in your report, you mentioned crashing on the planet. Caden nodded, the ship was intercepted by privateers directly after coming out of slipspace, ironically it worked to my advantage as the rebels had already learned of my mission. The man nodded, taking note. The crew had died on impact, and the rebels believing they had won had lowered thier defenses. In the cover of night I took the rebel leader hostage, Caden smirked at the memory, the man cursed the longest string of curses he had ever heard. After I had obtained hard Intel, he was executed. I see, and the rest of the rebel force on the planet... it only states completed. After their leader had been killed they quickly fell apart, lesser leaders would rise and fall, either by my hand or a rival's. The man coffed, not really caring. Soon it was only splinter factions that were easily dispatched, Caden said with a small smile.
Now the real reason I asked for the debrief, you stated in your report that it you nearly 2 months to accomplish this trip of yours, with many of the dates having extremely vague descriptions, care to elaborate. Caden looked down at his hands balling into fists. I took the time to become better aquainted with the planet and my targets, advantage of taking my armor off. The man sighed, yes the mission was completed, but in the same amount of time it would have taken us to send your request to be reassigned to the army. The spartan clenched his fist. We have seen to it that the request was denied. Your efficiency has...well declined much while on long term solo ops, for this reason we have paired you with mercenary for the next mission, to support and keep an eye on you. Anger had boiled into the spartan, working alone was his thing, anyone who was unfortinate enough to fight along side him always died. Information regarding your ally and any known intel on your target is on the data pad in your quarters, I suggest reading it ASAP. With that the screen died, leaving Caden alone in the dark.
Strolling down down the halls of the ship, passing it's crew working, ignoring him as he passed. This is why he like removing his armor, the only way anyone would know he was a spartan was if he told them. Coming up to a door, a simple digital lock on it. They really went cheap didn't they, he said solving the lock, sighing as the device lagged befor it opened. The lights flickered on revealing a small bed and dresser, with a bathroom across the room. Lazily stomping into the room, and fell onto the bed, flinging as silver pad into the air beside him. Rolling over on the bed, he picked the pad up and looked at the glowing screen and scanned the rolling text. "Warning, information ahead is extremely sensitive, leaking any number of these documents will lead to your termination." Rolling his blue eyes he read more. "ONI special mission statement, document classified level black". Pressing forward, reading passed the normal "how important this target is" jargon. "Your target goes under the title of Bob, he and his forces control much of the supply lines between rebel cells." A digitally enhanced photo scrolled onto the screen showing a man in his 50's, a long scar trailed across his face with brown hair and black eyes, pointing and yelling at something in the distance. Looks like a bad guy, Caden joked. "The planet this fugitive hides on is heavily forested, and populated by multiple races, humans and sangheli being the largest populations. We understand your indoctrination was for revenge, but for the sensitivity of this mission we ask that you keep deaths to a minimum" With that he stopped reading not believing thier nerve. Not only had they denied him his chance to fight with his brothers and sisters, they now wished him to set aside his promise of revenge. "It is believed that his store houses are hidden below the various farms that dot the landscape. Destroy them if possible, but remember that your first and most important priority is Bob to be captured or killed." Scrolling down boring bits of information to find a reason for a partner. "Spartan B213, you have been paired with a sangheli under the name Signi " They crossed it, first it was dont shoot the covis, now it was work with a hingehead. "We understand your resentment toward her and those who serve or have served the covenant. But her support will be necessary on this sensitive mission." Reading further, enraged at thier uncaring, cold actions. "Note: Signi has our permission to kill you if need be, don't allow that need to arise." Tossing the pad aside, as he fumed, unsure of how to react, other than to sleep.
Hurry please. Plasma hisses through the air, he was crying. A woman held him close, as they hid under a table. It's ok Cade, she said fighting back tears of her own. Distant thunder of gunfire echoed, he gripped his mother harder. Shrill screams being cut short, replaced by inhuman roars and grunts. They had hidden in a diner, soldiers had tried to evacuate them, but they were cut off by a collapsing building. His mother carried him, running away from monsters he couldn't see, only hear. Arcs of blue and green flew passed them. Other people had tried to run as well, but the monsters with blue swords, cut, stabbed and burned them. She ramed the door open, and picked him up again as they disappeared into the dark building. Heavy stomps came, getting louder, mom had hugged him close covering his face. His tears rolling down her shirt. It's ok honey, she wisperd, soon we'll better. Rubbing her hand down his back calming him.
Tossing and turning. He shot up, suppressing a scream. Night terrors were a common thing in his life, possibly amongst his brothers and sisters as well. Breathing heavily, wiping away dried tears. Sitting up he collected his thoughts. A simple process he had dealt with since everything was taken away, burned with plasma.
The kick, as it had come to be known as, almost knocked Caden to his feet, a side effect of coming out of slipspace. Cursing under his breath he left for the bridge. Jogging down the halls, thier lights dimmed to emulate night time. The deck door hissed open as he approached them, and sat in the nearest chair. Thinking back to his declined tranfer, as long as Caden could remember he was alone. His father was killed in the war on a far off colony, he remembered his mother would cry sometimes but wouldn't tell him why. He made a few friends at the school, but found himself wanting to be alone, then the war came. Pushing the thought away for now. Sliding off the chair, his stomach grumbling. He should be thankful, unlike his brothers and sisters he had been pulled out of normal training early on. Saving him from project T.O.R.P.E.D.O, shuddering at the thought. Opening a metalic cabinet a squeek coming from it. A couple of freeze-dried meals met him on the other side, picking one up and dropped it inside of the hydrator. The machine hummed, the lights on top flickering occasionally, before opening to a tray of pancakes, bacon and some fruity paste. Carrying the tray back to the table, he began to eat. The planet below held many things, first was his ticket back into normal military, second was a target, and third was a dead covi walking.
Signi sprinted through the forest, weaving in and out of trees, a blur of crimson. Humans had found her drinking problems away with the last contract money. They weren't like other humans, seemingly more like machines as they spoke in a monotonous voice. But she didn't really care as long as they paid the right price, then thier problems would be dead or wish they were. She listened to the contract, finding it odd they would need two mercenaries for a simple assasination, but a meat shield is always better than none. Running into a clearing, the lights of a small town in the distance, shining brightly. Scanning the area, her partner was meant to be here. Then the click of a primitive human weapon turned her attention behind her, to see a demon holding what humans had called a shotgun, a messy but fun weapon. Shakily the demon put his toy down down and approached her, obviously out of his confort zone. A little short for a hingehead, he said with a muffled voice. Could say the same for you, thought I might have stepped on you...imp. His grip on the weapon tightened. A small sanghelian smile formed on her face. Let's just get this over with, he said stomping passed her. Poor little imp, she mocked, wake up funny, want me to get your mommy. With that, before she could blink he was on her, a knife to her throat. I can do this mission on my own, he breathed. I can always tell them you died in a fight, lowering his blade and walked away. It was only a joke, she said rubbing he neck. Then don't... joke with your friends not me. She glared behind his back, and followed.
It was took everything he had not to end that covi right then and there, hell he was still thinking about avenging his mother. A storm had rolled in, rain pouring down. It didn't matter much to him, a spartan's suit was airtight, but funnily enough an elite's was not, Caden smiled behind his helmet, as she cursed loudly behind him in both human and sanghelian, as rain soaked her armor. Stopping, satisfied with himself he looked inside of a cave. Guess it's time to make camp. She sighed, relieved and stomped into the cave, water leaking out of her crimson suit.