Message from the general: OJ's off to prison, and I'm partying all night long. Did you see his pathetic plea, honestly, that lying bastard. I hope he rots and dies in jail.

Disclaimer: I don't own Halo, all OCs are mine

chapter 4: debrief and midnight tango

September 13, 2525

location: Eridanus system, UNSC destroyer pioneer- hangar deck

Blue team's pelican had just docked with the pioneer and under Kyle's orders, a med team was waiting when the dropship cycled through the airlock to take John to the infirmary. A security team arrived to take the crate, containing colonel Robert Watts. The rest of blue team were allowed to return to the armory and get their gear off. Everyone was worried about John, except Kyle who knew he'd pull through with no problem. In the armory, Kyle removed his bodysuit and used the shower in the adjoining locker room. As the water flowed over him, cleaning the grime off his chest, Kyle thought about the mission, all the rebels who died, fellow human beings. Strangely, he felt no remorse, no guilt. Most of the people there were insurrectionists, the enemy, but there must have been some civilians, maybe even children. But he still felt no guilt. Kyle didn't know what to make of it, he noticed it before when he killed a rebel on the station, the first person he'd ever killed. He was starting to act more soldier than an actual person. The shower automatically shut off after five minutes and Kyle donned a fresh set of fatigues. As he left the armory he headed for the bunk room he shared with the other Spartans, but a pair of ONI officers blocked his path.

"Spartan-091, I'm sorry but we need to conduct your debriefing while the memories are fresh" said one of the officers.

For some reason, something snapped on in his head and Kyle simply said "yes, sir" and followed. He was brought up two decks and was told to wait outside a small briefing room. He was stuck there for 20 minutes before the door opened and Kelly stepped out. She didn't say anything to him as she passed by. The officer waved Kyle through and he stood at attention in front of a small table where several ONI officers, Chief Mendez and Doctor Halsey were seated.

"Petty officer" Halsey started "we need you to tell us exactly everything that happened during the mission".

"Yes, ma'am" Kyle replied. He outlined the events from their insertion over Eridanus II, to their final escape from the rebel base.

"Petty officer, did you at any time break off from the group and attempt to contact anyone?" one of the ONI officers asked.

"No, sir" Kyle replied.

"Did you see Spartan-117 break off from the group and attempt to meet or contact someone?"

"No, sir" Kyle replied. He was wondering why they would ask him if he, let alone John would try and contact someone on the station. He wanted to ask them why they were asking him about his and John's loyalty, but something in his gut told him to keep his mouth shut. He tried to will it away but it didn't work. Kyle stood ridged as the group whispered between each other. Kyle's enhanced hearing picked up their conversation.

"As I pointed out, lieutenant commander, they have no memory of their past lives, therefore no obligation to any family".

"May I remind you, Doctor. Spartan-117's file indicates he was on Eridanus II during the rebellion of that world, and intelligence files indicate his parents may have been rebel sympathizers".

"He was six years old when we took him!" Halsey said "do you really think his parents may have lorded him over with their secessionist beliefs".

"That's what they said about young children fighting for insurgency groups in 21st century Africa, doctor!"

"Sir" said another naval officer "the Spartan is still in the room".

"Of course" said the other man "Spartan, you're dismissed".

Kyle was enraged, he wanted put that man in his place for talking smack about John, but the tugging feeling in his chest resumed, his gut and brain were now telling him to shut up. He snapped a salute and said "sir, yes, sir". Ok what the hell is wrong with me? Kyle wondered as he marched out of the briefing room. He wanted to talk with blue team when he reached the bunk room, but they and the other Spartans had fallen asleep. Kyle clambered in to his own bed and tried to fall asleep, but someone interrupted him.

"You still awake?" Kelly asked, Kyle forgot she occupied the bunk across from his.

"Yeah, you couldn't sleep?" Kyle said as he sat up in bed.

"No" Kelly replied as she came over and sat with Kyle on his bunk. "I kept thinking about what the brass asked me, they wanted to know if John tried to contact anyone. I think they think he's a traitor".

"They asked me the same question" Kyle replied. Something snapped on in his head, just like before, your debriefing is classified, standard procedure says: don't talk to anyone about it. But Kyle was somehow able to will this one away as he continued to talk to Kelly.

"Do you know why?" She asked.

"I overheard them talking" Kyle said "they think his parents may have been rebels".

"None of us even remember our parents" Kelly said "what did John's have to do with the mission?"

"He was born on Eridanus II" Kyle said "they're not sure if he's really some insurrectionist spy".

"I know he isn't" Kelly said "why would they even think he was a traitor?"

"They're looking for some way to shut us down" Kyle replied, drawing on what he knew from fall of Reach and colonel Ackerson, for all he knew, Ackerson could have been one of those officers from the debriefing. "You remember the ODSTs from the Atlas, whoever doesn't like us probably gave them our location on Reach".

"Someone's trying to kill us, what else is new" Kelly laughed, an attempt to brighten the somber mood. They still hadn't herd from John who was cooped up in the infirmary, Kyle could tell she was worried, though she hid it well.

"We should probably get some sleep" Kyle said to her. Kelly rose from his bunk and went back to hers. Kyle rolled over and faced the wall, he'd had a long day, killing his first human being on his first successful mission, again it didn't bother him in the slightest.


September 15, 2525

location: Epsilon Eridani system, Reach- old titanium mine

The pioneer got back to Reach early in the morning and Chief Mendez didn't waist any time getting the Spartans back to the routine of calisthenics in their new training facility underneath Menachite mountain. Kyle manged to slip away from the group to track down Doctor Halsey. He shadowed her until she was alone in her office back on base, then promptly stormed in. Halsey was seated behind her desk, the room's holoprojectors were active because she was talking with a life sized Deja.

"What did you do to me?" Kyle spat "I want the truth!"

Halsey managed a semi smile, the kind you give when you know you've been found out. "I figured you realized something during the debriefing, I know you herd us discuss John. I saw this made you angry and you wanted to put those officers in their place, but something stopped you, something we unfortunately had to put in place".

"I can take it from here, Doctor" said Deja. With a flick of her wrist, another hologram appeared. This one was of a human brain. "In my initial psychiatric profile I did of you, Kyle, I concluded that on your own, you couldn't handle military protocol and would ultimately make a mistake in six months time. So during your subliminal training we introduced subliminal cues, essentially programed you to give the correct responses according to military protocol".

"You were also given subliminal commands to uphold your obligation to the UNSC" Halsey cut in "also commands to follow any order a superior officer may give you. I'm sorry we had to do this, I truly am".

Kyle was left speechless, Halsey was slowly striping away any trace of his humanity, his right to free will, all of it. "Don't you even care?" He finally muttered.

"Kyle, I care for all the Spartans as if they were my own children, even you" Halsey said "but even a mother must sometimes sacrifice for the greater good, for what lies ahead".

Kyle wasn't sure, but is sounded like Halsey was hinting at something, something big. Then it dawned on him, she and Leary... they lever listened to him. The UNSC must have gone anyway.

"Doctor, just what's happening?" Kyle inquired.

"I've said enough, go" she muttered.

Though it wasn't one of the subliminal commands he now had, Kyle still felt compelled to leave, and he did. As he returned to the mines he started to get a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, "they never listened to me, not after what I warned them about..." His pondering was broken by the approach of the rest of blue team. They had apparently snuck out too, to try and find him.

"Hey, Kyle" Kelly said "why did you sneak off like that?"

"No reason" Kyle replied as he turned to John, who now had a purple heart awarded to him after his injuries. Not to mention a nice set of scars to match it. "So what's happening now, any more missions being planned?"

"I wasn't told anything, but the Chief does like his surprises" John replied. "Best to stay ready just in case".

"Suppose you're right" Kyle said.


October 7, 2525

location: Epsilon Eridani system, Reach- military reservation 01478-B

The next couple of weeks passed without incident, then Chief Mendez decided for one last encounter with tango company. This was technically Kyle's first with this batch of marines, but the game was seek and evade, with the marines as hunters. Thanks to their augmentations and the body suits they'd swiped, blue team, which consisted of Kyle, John, Sam, Kelly, Linda and Fred, were able to evade the marines. The refrigeration units kept them clear of thermal scopes and with all the wild animal life running around, it would be impossible to get a lock with the motion tracker. That didn't stop the marine's pelicans from occasionally strafing an area of high motion activity, a couple times it was blue team. Chief Mendez said the exercise was supposed to last five days, but if they could take tango's flag, then it would be over. But Linda's recon had proved that they were moving it around a lot. John and Sam had run calculations on the best defensible positions for their random pattern and it came down to two choices, site A was being watched by John, Linda and Fred while sight B was under the watch of Kyle, Sam and Kelly. Eventually, in the early hours at site B, a tango scouting party showed up, followed by a small reaction force that began setting up barriers, digging trenches and lining the perimeter with stun mines. A few began putting up prefab-memory cubicles, but one of them set up the orange flag of tango company.

"Blue-two to blue-one" Sam said over an encrypted single beam relay network the Spartans had set up. "Package is at site B".

"we'll need to get the flag now" Kelly said "while their perimeter is weak".

"agreed" said Kyle who technically had command of the trio due to his rank. They used hand signals and Kyle directed them to hop among the various trees. Until they were over the camp, tango was preparing to cut down a good section of the foliage over the base just in case the Spartans did what they just did. Jump inside the perimeter. They didn't make a sound as they landed and their blacksuits blended in perfectly with the night. They had to hurry because tango was already rigging up flood lights for their base. Armed with only narq-dart pistols, they had to aim carefully to avoid hitting the temple. The two guards dropped which allowed Kelly to sprint forward and grab the flag. She rebounded toward Sam and Kyle but suddenly stopped and gave the hand signal, "it's a trap". Kyle's enhanced vision told him why, the pattern on the flag was pained on instead of embroidered. She dropped it and ran for the trees. Kyle and Sam in pursuit. But by now the marines were aware of their presence and just as Kelly used her enhanced strength to leap up to one of the tree branches, a line of stung grenades detonated in Kyle and Sam's path. Kyle pushed him forward and out of the blast but Kyle wasn't so fortunate.

--

Kyle woke up after someone smacked him hard in the jaw, causing him to bite his lower lip, he could taste blood. Several burly marines were in the room, all had smirks and smiles on their faces for capturing him.

"So, meat, how does it feel to be thwarted by 100 percent true UNSC material?" Their leader asked him.

"Did the Army have to help you come up with this plan, I know you're to primitive to do it on your own" Kyle replied. Unfortunately, saying the UNSC Army was superior to the marines is a real bad insult among the corps. And Kyle was rewarded with another blow to the jaw. One of the marines removed a combat knife and cut the upper portion of Kyle's left sleeve, exposing his bicep.

"I've never seen you before, meat, so what's your name?" the marine Commander barked.

"Kirk, James T" Kyle replied.

The marine with the knife cut Kyle's skin for every wrong answer he gave. Kyle could take the pain, he'd had worse. But he ended up with seven deep cuts before too long, blood trickled down his arm and started to drip of his hand. Kyle knew he could easily escape, provided these marines were really playing by the rules, he'd noticed they carried guns loaded with live ammo, their orders were more than likely: shoot to kill. So he'd just have to stall for as long as possible. Eventually one of them pulled a gun on Kyle and shot him, the slug grazed his already cut arm and Kyle bit back the pain. He had a chance and he was going to take it. As the leader berated his subordinate for shooting Kyle, he broke his restraints and leaped forward at the leader, sending him into the side of the prefab cubicle, tearing through the fabric and knocking out one of the support poles, causing it to cave in. the marine Commander landed in the dirt and Kyle punched his lights out, stood up and kicked him in the side and spit blood at his feet before sprinting off into the woods. Bullets whizzed past Kyle as he kept on running at top speed. He'd been striped of his helmet and vest which meant there was no way for him to hail blue team. He finally slumped against the tree and noticed his left had was all red, covered in his blood. Kyle tore part of his right sleeve away and tied it around his wound, which was quite large with the gunshot wound now factored in. he herd a rustle of the bushes next to him and searched around for anything he could use as a weapon, finding only a rock, not as jagged as the one he'd used against the ODST but enough to knock him out cold. But the rustling stopped. Followed by a high pitched, six note tune, the one the Spartans taught to him last month. He quickly remembered the countersign and spoke it low enough that only a Spartan's advanced hearing would pick up.

"All out in the free, we're all free"

A Spartan clad in a bodysuit emerged from the trees, followed by four others. A fifth dropped down from the trees and landed next to Kyle.

"Well you saved us the trouble of having to come get you" John said as he helped Kyle to his feet, then noticed his bloody hand and makeshift dressing. And his his swollen cheek.

"What did they do to you?" Kelly asked.

"Nothing too bad" Kyle replied "I was enjoying toying with them". He tried to brighten the mood, which worked. Fred came over and put a hand on Kyle's shoulder.

"If you could take that kind of punishment from tango, then you're defiantly one of us" he said.