1530 Hours, March 25, 2550 (Military Calendar)
UNSC Intrepid, In Slipstream
Within the Epsilon Eridani System
Sharpe was still limping as Harper led him to the main officers' quarters. According to Harper they had called for him but since he was not in his room, they had sent him to find Sharpe and report their request.
"Still can't say what they want with yah Sir. You know how these officers are, all wit but no teeth" Harper joked as they turned a bend. Harper had noticed Sharpe's limp early on and had made the motion to slow down for the Sergeant's discretion but Sharpe had given him a look that told him to just keep on at his own pace.
That's how Sharpe was, never wanting people to lower themselves down to his level. He strived to be above theirs. That had been his driving force when he had joined the UNSC. He had rose through the ranks despite being an orphan off the streets who joined the army at too young of an age to be legally enlisted. He had collected a name for himself when he held off an entire army of rebel soldiers with only a handful of men, Harper included when he was only a Private Second Class. He had rose all the way to Lieutenant until that mission on J-Pax.
"You got a look of concern about you Sir" Harper asked. He was always concerned about the wellbeing of his friend. Even if he knew that he wouldn't get much of an answer
"Just thinking about past mistakes Harper. Mistakes that have bunked me as a Sergeant and you as a Corporal" Sharpe said with distain in his mouth.
"Ah, you be thinking about what happened back on J-Pax. Well as I said once before, you did what you had to Sir. Nothing you can change about that"
"I know Harper, I know. Still doesn't change the fact that we lost a lot more than our ranks because of that mission"
"Well Sir" Harper said as he once again grew a smirk on his face. "It was the army's loss to be truthful, not ours"
"This isn't the army Pat. It's a naval marine force"
"Ey, that it is. I still have to ask Sir. Pat isn't a derivative of Benjamin so why do you call me that"
The question came as a surprise to Sharpe. Never had he imagined Harper saying the word derivative in a way as though he actually knew the meaning of the word and wasn't trying to be a show off. "To be honest Harper, I've never really thought about it. It just seems to work with the kind of man you are"
"Well, I know how you feel Sir. The name has begun to run off on me as well"
They laughed as they walked through a gateway that led to the officer's quarters. Upon entering the main wing, they were greeted by a young male officer. He looked no older than 25 years old with short cropped blond hair and bright green eyes. His uniform looked to be in immaculate condition. He was looking at Sharpe and Harper as though they were two grunts who had gotten lost looking for the cafeteria.
"Can I help you gentlemen with something?" The young officer asked quickly.
Sharpe was about to give the boy a bit more than a piece of his mind but Harper made a move before he could bring the words to his mouth.
"This here is Sergeant William Sharpe. His presence was requested by Major Albert Townsend most urgently"
The young officer seemed unconvinced as he refused to move from his position.
"If Major Townsend had requested you, he would have informed me first hand and I have heard no report from him as far" The officer retorted, trying to keep his professional persona about him. "If you wish, I could speak with him and reconvene his availability for another time"
"I'll show you what's available for you if you don't move aside boy!" Sharpe shouted to the officer's face. The young man's resolution cracked as he winced at Sharpe's threat. He quickly licked his lips as he thought of a counter to Sharpe's threat but could not muster the courage to retort.
"As I … said before gentlemen. If you have an appointment with Major Townsend then I will direct your concerns to him …"
"That will be enough Terrence" A loud voice from a much older gentleman silenced the officer.
"I'm sorry about the trouble Sergeant. Everyone is still on hedge after losing another planet, myself included. Major Albert Townsend at your service" The Major presented his hand to Sharpe who was slow to accept it but eventually did. "Please come into my office. Bring us some coffee would you Terrence" Major Townsend ordered as he turned and lead Sharpe and Harper to his office.
Sharpe gave the officer, Terrence one last look before he turned to follow the Major. Terence was left standing in the main wing.
Sharpe knew of Townsend's record. He had performed admirably in key battles during the rebel attacks. However, when the Covenant came into the fray, his military prowess began to falter as he lost several main battles in the beginning of the war. Yet despite his defeats, he had always survived or escaped the planet in question before it was glassed. Interesting pieces of history that Townsend always kept quiet about.
Upon entering his office however, he wasn't one for displaying his former victories. Pictures of battles against the rebels as well as his military awards lined the wall. Townsend noticed this and smiled at Sharpe. His greying black hair was still full on his head. It added a bit of levity from his cold brown eyes. Despite his combat experience, he had never been wounded so his face was immaculate.
"I see you fancy my collection eh Sharpe? A man can never give too much to his cause" Townsend bloated.
"I was thinking along a different line Major Sir. Usually a man can only win so much before he losses everything he once believed himself to be" Sharpe said, ever cunning with his delivery. The Major noticed the underhanded comment and retorted with his own.
"I believe you of all people would understand that best Sharpe, losing the rank of Lieutenant after all" The Major retorted.
Sharpe kept his face loose as to not show the Major the satisfaction of his remark about his military record.
"But with things as they are, we can't afford to lose any more ground than we already have. This is why I am proud to restart your rise through the ranks, Sharpe. You're a Sergeant Major now!"
Sharpe was caught off guard by the promotion. Harper was smiling at the fact however. Sharpe had a feeling of something deeper behind the promotion.
"I thought I was never eligible for promotion after what happened on J-Pax Sir?"
The Major noticed that Sharpe was as insightful as his record preceded him. "I'll give you that Sharpe. My commanders are most likely going to give me a good shout for doing this. But that's all it will be, a shout and bit of spit. Never hurt anyone before. Oh and since Master Sergeant Harrison was killed in action, you are to replace him and his commanding officer who was also killed."
There it was. The catch.
"But the ones we really need to bring a hurting to is the Covenant. The damn bastards have us running with our tails between our legs and there has been nothing we can do to stop their advance. Until now!" The Major added with a smile on his face.
"What would you have me do Major?" Sharpe asked as he positioned himself like a good soldier, awaiting his new orders.
"You met Spartan 57 on 67-K correct?"
"Yes Sir" Sharpe said, a slight surprise that the Spartan would be the first thing out of the Major's mouth. "We fought together in the final hour of defense before we were evacuated from the planet. Before it was glassed"
"Well you will be getting to know him a lot more now. ONI has sent specific orders to the Captain that our Spartan team is to carry out a special mission of sorts. One that could turn the tide in this war"
Sharpe knew it was redundant to ask but he was still compelled. "But Sir, one of the Spartans is dead and the other looks to …"
"Be in critical condition with little chance of recovery" Townsend interrupted. "Yes I know Sharpe, so which is why I am going to give the Spartan some help. The best I can think of to help with this sort of mission"
"You mean me to help as body armor for the Spartan, Major? They can take a beating but I'm only flesh and bone. How can I possibly help a Spartan?" Sharpe wanted to seem angry at the idea of being paired up with a Spartan. But to be honest, he actually was afraid that it was in fact a suicide mission.
"I didn't say you would be going alone. Corporal Harper will be going with you"
Harper almost choked at the announcement of being included in the mission. It took a moment before he could fully compose himself.
"I'd be delighted to Sir!"
Sharpe would normally have laughed at such a ridiculous comment from Harper but he could sense fear in the man's voice even if he did a very good job of hiding it. But Sharpe was far from satisfied with the mission.
"So that's all you are going to do. Give a Spartan two meat bags for a secret mission?" Sharp asked. The Major wasn't deterred like the young officer Terrence had been earlier but he still lost his arrogant smile and slowly stood up from his chair.
"Might I add Mr. Sharpe, that while I can give you a promotion, I can just as easily take it away, is that understood?"
"Yes Sir"
"You and your friend here have enough bad blood on your hands that you wipe it on others with every hand you shake" his voice rising with every word. "So I think giving you a mission that while looking to be impossible, will maybe change this military's opinion of you. Is that understood?"
"You will be given a small garrison of men to lead while still under the command of Spartan 57. Maybe this time you will listen to your commanding officer and not cause a complete catastrophe!"
That last remark hit Sharpe at his core and it took every bit of self-restraint to not jump over the desk and beat the Major with one of his self-gratifying awards. Harper also kept his mouth shut despite the low blow. There was a short moment of silence between the three of them. The Major's anger slowly subsided; Sharpe's fury crawled back into himself while Harper simply stood silent. At that moment, young Terrence entered the room with a small tray with coffee mugs. He set it on the table and walked back out of the room again without an look at Sharpe.
"Now then" Major Townsend sat back down in his chair. "You are to report to the bridge. Captain White and Spartan 57 should be waiting for you there. You are dismissed."
Sharpe and Harper saluted the Major and then exited the room and walked out of the officer's wing. Officer Terrence watched Sharpe and Harper pass in silence. They turned the corner and headed to a lift to take them up to the bridge.
"That Major has his head so far up his ass that he's seeing the glinting white of his teeth and he's still smiling" Harper joked as they entered a lift.
"That may be Harper, but we're up his ass as well. And we're going to have to crawl through a lot of shit to climb out of it" Sharpe retorted as the doors closed on them.
The Intrepid had just pulled out of slip space drive as Spartan-57 appeared on the bridge. He saw Captain Isaac White discussing their current position with his navigation officer Marshal Backwood. He didn't seem too pleased. After he ordered the officer back to his station, he noticed 57. There almost was a hesitation in his actions. He eventually moved forward and extended his hand.
"Good to see you alive, 57. You boys sure did impress us down there." 57 extended his own and shook White's. He rarely shook another human's hand for fear the armour may just tweak ever so slightly and end up destroying the hand. Thankfully, he kept it under control and performed a smooth hand shake.
"We are only alive because of you Sir. Had you not heard our distress call, we would have surely been done for" 57 said calmly.
White seemed to take the compliment as an insult at first and 57 was confused as to why.
"But it wasn't enough was it? We only saved a few and lost another planet in return" White said as he turned back to the bridge view. As 57 walked up to stand beside him, he recalled that this wasn't White's first loss of a planet. Only two months prior, he had been involved in a massively one sided battle with Covenant cruisers and his ship was one of the seven of the original 57 that made it out alive.
"It feels like we are just rinsing and repeating this whole war" White remarked, almost as if he had known what 57 was thinking. "We fight, we fail, we retreat and the whole thing starts all over again. Makes one think what is the point of it all, doesn't it?"
"I don't understand what you mean Sir" 57 remarked, fully aware of what he meant but decided to remain anonymous about it.
"You know exactly what I mean" White remarked with insult. If there was one thing White was extremely good at, it was reading body language. Even with his calm and emotionless voice, 57 still couldn't outwit the Captain. "This has not been my first defeat nor do I believe will it be my last. But it is getting tiring seeing us run. I feel I can run no longer."
57 had had some training with human behavior as a child and he could sense many things about White's last statement. His first thoughts were desertion, coward and turncoat. But this was not Isaac White in the slightest. He was what some people called, a realist even if he didn't believe it himself.
"But you don't have to worry about running anymore, at least for the timebeing. You have been requested for a special mission courtesy of ONI."
"But Sir, we have one Spartan MIA and another in a coma" 57 commented. "I fear that whatever the mission may be, I am ill equipped for it."
"Ah but you aren't Spartan. I have organized a group of marines to come along with you."
57 tried his best not to sound rash or over confident. "But Sir, the missions we Spartans get assigned are usually too advanced or difficult for marines soldiers."
"Well you can say that to their faces if you like. Given the circumstances of the mission, I bet they would be pleased to hear such a low blow" White gestured his head behind him. 57 turned and saw two marines walking onto the bridge.
He recognized one of them as the soldier who had saved his life on 67-K, William Sharpe. The marine walked towards 57 and extended his hand.
"Good to see you again Spartan" Sharpe said with a smile.
Two handshakes in one day. 57 thought it odd as he extended his hand and repeated the process.
"Same for you, Sergeant. How's the leg?"
"It's Sergeant Major now actually" Sharpe said with an uneasy smile. "And its fine thanks. What about your Spartan friend?"
57 was about to answer until Captain White cut in.
"That is none of your concern Sergeant Major. You and Mr. Harper should concern yourself with the parameters of this mission. We will discuss this in the Com Room" White extended his hand to the marines and the Spartans into a room located behind the main bridge.
Sharpe would have been offended had he not been given the rejection of information several times before. He noticed that the Spartan had not moved yet. There was an awkward feeling between the two, waiting for one another to move. Finally Sharpe made the move into the room and 57 followed in behind him.
