[A/N: Seeing as I hit another patch of writer's block with my ongoing Destiny and Star Wars/Star Trek stories, and that I've been gorging myself on RvB (again), this idea got me through a slow weekend at work. And in case you're reading this, but failed to read the description, I'll say it again: MAJOR RvB SPOILERS FOR SEASONS 11-13 FOLLOW!
Enjoy!-Doinstuff]

Red vs. Blue

A Tale of Two Mercenaries

Dramatis Personae

The Mercs

Isaac Gates (codename: Felix), Mercenary

Samuel Ortez (codename: Locus), Mercenary

The Federal Army of Chorus

Brigadier General Richard McClellin, Head of F.A.C. Special Operations Division

Donald Doyle, Personal Secretary to the Brigadier

The New Republic

General Kevin Thompson, leader of The New Republic

Private Vanessa Kimball, Scout

Several years prior to the events of "Red vs. Blue: The Chorus Trilogy" …

1: Base-Watch

New Republic Outpost "Sierra-9," approximately 113km Southwest of Armonia

Removing his finger from his rifle's trigger, Felix continued to track the slow-moving Warthog across the bridge leading towards the New Republic base. He had been scouting this area for weeks, waiting for the General to show his face. It looked like today was finally his lucky day. Laying on his stomach underneath a rock arch outside the base's perimeter, he was hardly in a perfect hiding spot.

But then again, that was the idea. After so much time spent observing from afar and running covert recon inside the base itself, the board was set. Control's elaborate game was about to begin, and he was the first piece to be put into play.

Felix's helmet radio beeped in his ear. Raising his hand up to the side of his helmet, he answered the hail.

"Felix. What is your status?" The mixed male/female voice filter used by Control filled the radio channel.

"Control. Your ears must have been burning," he smirked behind his visor. While he knew exactly who Control was, he had been given instructions to never speak their name on the radio, and all verbal communication from Control was filtered and distorted. With his right hand still gripping his rifle, he continued to track the Warthog through the rifle scope as it arrived at its destination, near the center of the complex. The base itself, like most of the facilities used by the rebels, was more akin to a camp. There was no outer wall, and most of the buildings were prefabricated and flimsy. While the zoom offered by the scope on the standard UNSC DMR was nowhere close to that of a proper sniper rifle, he could make out the distinctive armor of General Thompson as he climbed out of the jeep, greeting two armored soldiers waiting for him.

"My time is valuable, Felix. Please do not waste it." Control's chastising remark snapped him back onto the task at hand.

"Right." I'd hate to get billed for it, he thought to himself. "Just got a positive ID on the General. Waiting for the next patrol to circle around."

"Excellent. You may proceed at your convenience." The voice filter masked any kind of emotional inflections his employer may have had, causing Felix to wonder if Control was patronizing him.

"I'm assuming you're calling me because he hasn't made contact yet?"

"Felix, you know as well as I that he can only carry out his phase of the operation after you complete the task at hand."

"Of course, how could I be so-"

"Hey, you there! Freeze!" A female voice shouted behind him, causing Felix to almost instinctively reach for the knife at the small of his back, a reflex he quickly suppressed.

"I'm gonna have to call you back." He whispered as he killed the audio link.

"Put down your weapon and stand up! And do it slowly!" A second voice added, a male this time. Getting ready to speak in his most charismatic voice, he complied. Laying his rifle on the ground, he rose from his prone position at a lethargic pace.

"Easy, fella. No funny business, now." The male voice said. Felix rolled his eyes behind his helmet, chuckling to himself at the man's heavy drawl that made him sound like an armored hillbilly.

"Yes, sir." He said as he turned, raising his hands above his head. He was now face-to-face with the rebel soldiers, the woman noticeably taller than her male counterpart. Both were wearing the signature tan armor of the New Republic. Another signature mark of the armor was the fact that it was a mish-mash of various UNSC armor components. Both warring factions on Chorus relied mainly on technology and weapons left behind when the UNSC pulled out of the sector. The major difference was the fact that the Federal Army was much better off in terms of resources. They controlled most of the major cities on the planet, and to that effect, most of the foundries. Therefore, the F.A.C. could maintain a standard uniform for all soldiers. The New Republic was much less fortunate, and their equipment was barely able to maintain any kind of uniformity, aside from its color.

The woman kept her rifle trained on Felix, but motioned with a hand for her partner to approach and finish disarming him. In addition to his rifle, Felix also carried a pistol and his trusty combat knife, as well as a selection of smaller throwing knives.

"What the hell are you doing here?" The woman demanded as the man got closer to Felix, removing the pistol from the magnetic holster on his hip. Felix kept his hands raised, complying with the search for weapons.

"Would you believe me if I said I was just birdwatching?" He cocked his head inquisitively.

"Birdwatching? With armor and a marksman's rifle? What the hell kind a' birds you looking for, fella?" The man asked as he walked around Felix.

"Oh. My. God. Ellis… He's lying." The woman rolled her head to mimic what her eyes were doing.

"Well shit, Vanessa, you never know. They's some big-ass birds on this planet! I'd bring a gun too if'n I was lookin' for-"

"ELLIS! Just shut the fuck up and get his knife!" She screamed, causing the two men to look towards each other, equally surprised. Ellis' visor started to tilt downward, eyeing the large knife Felix still carried. Felix nodded his head upward to get the other man's attention.

"Yeah, uh… you don't wanna try and take that from me, Ellis." He said sternly.

The dim-witted soldier chuckled nervously. "Sorry, uhh… I kinda have to." He said, reaching for the handle. Within an instant, Felix's right hand was locked onto Ellis' wrist, and he twisted it back on itself. The sound of bones crunching echoed, and Ellis shrieked in pain. Felix swung the man around, and once he was behind Ellis, he retrieved his pistol from Ellis' left hand and aimed it at the woman. Holding Ellis' right hand behind his back, he kept the younger man between himself and Vanessa. Ellis whimpered periodically, trying to wrestle himself free, but only hurting himself more.

Even though their faces were obscured by helmets, Felix could read her face just as well as he knew she could read his. He could tell by the position of her head that she wasn't sighting down the scope of her weapon. She was too afraid of hitting her friend to line up a shot. He smirked again, and loosened his grip on Ellis' wrist. Planting his foot on the other man's back, he kicked off, knocking Ellis to the ground in front of his friend. As soon as he was clear, Ellis clutched his wrist and moaned in pain on the ground. Vanessa still had her rifle pointed at Felix, but he holstered his sidearm, and held up his hands again.

"Look. Vanessa, is it?" He asked. "You got a last name?"

She hesitated for a moment. "Kimball. Vanessa Kimball." Felix took a step forward, but a tightening of her grip on the rifle stopped him from advancing any further.

"Well, Vanessa Kimball, my name is… well, my name isn't all that important. But you can call me Felix. And I'm not here to fight, I'm here to see your boss." He motioned with his head towards the base.

"Why?"

"Let's just call it a 'mutually beneficial business proposition.'"

"Why should I trust you?" She snapped back.

He laughed. "I'm gonna be honest, for all the reasons there are to trust me, there are almost as many reasons not to." Felix lowered his hands again. He reached for one of the pouches on his chestplate, producing a data chip despite Kimball's warnings to keep his hands in view.

"But this contains a list of stolen Federal Army supplies that I just happen to have on hand. Supplies that a resistance movement still in its relative infancy could potentially make use of." He held out the chip in his hand, offering it to her. "Weapons, armor, food and medical supplies. All in a safe location, in working order, and ready to be picked up."

Kimball lowered her gun, stepping around a whimpering Ellis to reach out for the chip. But as her hand got closer, Felix withdrew his hand just enough to keep her from taking it.

"All I'm asking for is ten minutes of the General's time." He stashed the chip again. "For now, at least."

Ellis was now rising to his feet. "You're not seriously gonna listen to this asshole, are ya? I mean, you saw what he did to me!"

Felix shook his head. "Relax, farmboy. It isn't broken." A few test rotations of his wrist, and a few flexes later, Ellis gave an ambiguous grunt.

"If he doesn't like what he hears, I'll put as much distance between us as I can, and you and your friends can go back to starving in the mountains."

Kimball hesitated for a moment, and then placed her weapon on the magnetic lock on her back. "I'm assuming those provisions aren't a gift."

"I'm sure something can be worked out." Another moment's hesitation from the young woman.

"Just think of how much more effective your cause would be if you and your forces had some real teeth to fight with." Felix opened his arms pragmatically. Kimball turned away from him to radio back to base. Felix leaned back against the rock behind him. As part of the setup, he had raided an F.A.C. supply depot, and had made off with quite a bit of weapons, armor, explosives and medical supplies. And during his covert visits to the New Republic base, he had confirmed Control's assumption that the rebels didn't exactly have vaults overflowing with credits. Several arms dealers had also visited the base in that time, and Felix had noticed they were compensated in old Covenant weaponry leftover from the Great War. Which was exactly what he had been hoping for.

And since his last trip away from the base, he had made sure those dealers would not be coming back anytime soon.

The sound of approaching Warthogs drew his attention to a point behind Kimball and Ellis. Soon, two jeeps pulled up to the ridge and stopped, occupied only by drivers. Felix couldn't help but be relieved the gunner positions were vacant.

"So? I'm gonna assume that's a good sign?" He said, taking a step toward the lead vehicle.

"The General is willing to see you, but he insisted you ride in with us rather than walk." Kimball responded as she traded places with the driver of the jeep closest to Felix. The driver moved to the turret, leaving the passenger seat open for him. Ellis got into the passenger seat of the second Warthog.

Because that makes about as much sense as tits on a jellyfish, but whatever, he thought to himself, figuring it was to draw as much attention as possible to his arrival.

He wants his people to know that I'm in the base, in case I turn out hostile. Well, all in good time. He eased into the seat, and Kimball opened the throttle and put the jeep in gear.

All in good time…