(sorry for the double email) Go check out Fate Continuum by Sgtlegendkiller to see the other half of our universe!
The Storm
Twenty-Fourth Solar Cycle, 147 Cycles: 9th Age of Reclamation [August 24, 2552: 0025]
DDS-Class Carrier Leveling Strength
SpecOps Major Ryau 'Cinotee
The Spirit settled into the cradle of anti-grav supports and opened its sides. Naki hopped off the door and onto the platform off the side. She hurried over to a waiting troop of Unggoy and retrieved a hover-cart for K`an. Ryau and Sig carried K`an out of the dropship and set him on the padded cart.
"I am, in all certainty, fine. It is merely a flesh wound." K`an pleaded.
"You can't walk, K`an..." Ryau sighed in annoyance. "You need to go to the medlab and get your leg set properly."
"It went through the bone, didn't it?" K`an chuckled, he was on painkillers, so it was unlikely that he felt anything.
"Yes it did!" Sig shot sharply. "You ought to be more careful."
"Hey, hey, hey… you alright, kid?" K`an looked over at Sig on the other side of the cart.
Sig's voice sounded hurt. "I won't be able to handle your loss of you too." Sig sighed. "It would crush me"
K`an gave him a strange look. "It's okay, Sig… I will have a mold of my erect genitals made up for you in case I perish in battle."
"Even in face of horrid injury, the classic K`an was still there somehow." Sig laughed nervously.
Ryau glanced at the two, and took a step away from the cart. It was extremely awkward. "Well... uh here's the medlab. Naki alerted them to our arrival." The small group of medical personnel were waiting just inside the doorway.
A pair of passing Majors glanced down at the SpecOps lance carting K`an towards the Medlab and gave a huff of distaste. Ryau remembered that most Sangheili believed medical attention was for the weak and dishonorable. Though the small booklet Ryau had been reading about the history of the state of Zelso mentioned that those that lived in the region did not believe the same.
As soon as they entered the medlab, the medical personnel took over and pulled K`an over to a station against the wall. They transferred K`an onto a bed and removed the gel pad that Ryau had fitted over the wound. They checked the leg out and discussed if surgery would be needed.
Sig walked over to K`an's bed, but Ryau remained by the doorway. A staff member walked over. "Excuse me, Major. There is someone in the waiting ward who wishes to speak with the three of you." She said.
Ryau shrugged. "I don't think that 'Retmaree has said anything against guests."
She walked off behind a doorway. The other personnel around K`an vacated the area, leaving only one attendant, who K`an was busy trying to get their contact information. A familiar Sangheili entered the room, D`rok had survived.
"How did the ground operation go without me?" D`rok asked as he walked to the end of K`an's bed. "And what happened to K`an?"
No one else responded, Sig and K`an didn't seem to notice D`rok had walked in. For a moment, Ryau feared that he was hallucinating for some reason, and that D`rok was indeed dead after all. Ryau pushed that thought out of his mind. "Well... It was not that bad. Considering that we all thought you were dead. K`an threw a Major named Sremm off an overpass." Ryau chuckled at that, Sremm had been an asshole. "But K`an got shot in the leg just a hour ago on a rooftop."
"Huh.. Sremm was on this op?" D`rok paused. "And pissed off K`an to the point of friendly fire? Absolutely glorious!" he chuckled.
"We picked him and a few others up at a crash site. Unfortunately, Sremm was the only one that we know survived. Well... he was alive after he hit the ground." Ryau said. "I hope Rtik got out." That last sentence was spoken in a whisper. Ryau felt a twinge of guilt for leaving the young Minor behind.
D`rok sighed, at that moment, Sig noticed the person speaking at the end of K`an's bed was their dead Lance leader. "D`rok!" Sig exclaimed.
D`rok turned and greeted the smaller Sangheili. "Hello, Sig!" Sig saw an opportunity and embraced him in a hug of sorts, a bit difficult to achieve wearing the armor they have. "Are you going to be okay?" D`rok asked.
Sig pulled away and went back to standing in a more professional manner. "Yes... sorry. K`an has sustained injuries." he said softly.
"I can see that." D`rok said.
Ryau pulled himself out the the conversation, he glanced down and pulled his data-pad out of his thigh pocket. Sangheili and Humans were very different, but very similar at the same time. This small squad, or lance as the Covenant called it, was another exception to the rule. They acted differently than most other Covenant forces Ryau had encountered so far. "They've all mentioned that they're from the Zelso area.. maybe that has something to do with it." He thought.
"How!?" K`an's screams brought Ryau's attention back to the others. "How do you do that!" K`an was waving his arms at D`rok and then to Ryau, as if he thought that Ryau could be any help in explaining the return of their leader. Ryau did not know either, just that he had returned earlier and no one else noticed, so he just shrugged, assuming that the gesture translated the same thought to a Sangheili. It seemed that it did, and K`an rubbed his face. "I..I cannot take this, ugh. I do not like ghosts."
The doors slid open and Ryau turned his head to see Naki walking into the medlab. She had a pack strapped to her orange armor, her helmet was also attached to her thigh by some kind of energy field. Her eyes went wide when she saw D`rok standing at the foot of K`an's bed. However she did not say a word as she slipped in beside Ryau. He smiled at her and she gave him a nudge with her shoulder.
"What happened?" K`an asked.
"Basically my phantom got hit, got redirected, and we crashed on the other side of the mountain range. Only myself and an Ultra survived." D`rok explained.
"You were that close to us?" K`an raised an eyeridge.
"I suppose so." D`rok shrugged himself, further confirming Ryau's assumption.
Out of nowhere, K`an switched his gaze to Naki. "Hey beautiful," he smiled.
"Shut up, K`an." Naki quickly shot back fiercely.
Ryau glanced over at K`an with a bit of annoyance on his face, though it seemed that was enough for D`rok to put his hand out to prevent Ryau from attacking K`an.
"Aww, that is harsh... What did I do wrong, my sweet doctor lady?" K`an teased.
"You can hit him if you wish..." D`rok told Naki. "However, be warned that he may like it." Ryau glanced over at K`an, who seemed to be grinning at the idea.
Naki shifted her footing and crossed her arms. "No, I'll just let him suffer." She smiled herself, just adding fuel to the fire.
K`an leaned back down in the bed and chuckled. "Damn it."
With that situation over, D`rok turned his attention back to Naki. "Hello once again, miss 'Cimutee. How are your endeavors?"
"They are going quite fine. I was actually coming here to collect Ryau." Naki paused with a slight sigh. "I have been requested at an excavation site by one of my former students. A SpecOps Science Major Alea 'Vinika."
K`an cut in from his bed. "Don't take Ryau for too long... Sig can hardly do without a male partner for a day."
Ryau rolled his eyes. While he was not interested in Sig that way, it was apparent that Sig was, and K`an's bantering made him seem oblivious, or just plain insulting.
"Please do be safe.." Sig said, he lowered his hand and he had trailed off as if there was something left to be said.
"We should only be gone for a few hours..." Naki said.
"Okay, good. I was just talking with the Shipmaster, and we are shipbound for the rest of this operation." D`rok explained.
"Understood, we should get going then." Naki nodded.
"Take care. Report back to me when you return." D`rok waved them off.
"Will do," Ryau said as they turned and hurried through the doorway. "So what are we going down to?" he asked as soon as the doors closed behind them.
"Well I'm not entirely sure. From what she sent up to me it appeared to be a cartographer. However it seemed a bit damaged." Naki said, walking through the corridor.
"A Forerunner cartographer? On Re- this planet?" Ryau censored himself. They were walking through a common hallway after all.
"It is not unusual, we already know of at least two Forerunner locations, there are bound to be more." Naki said. "They would not just place two structures in random places on the surface... though one does appear to be a crashed ship of some kind."
"Hmm. A bit of this is starting to come back to me." Ryau said. While he still had a good understanding of what will be occurring in the coming months, some of the exact details were lost to time.
"Yes, same here.. sort of a bit of San'la..." Naki said.
"What's San'la mean?" Ryau asked, he had not heard Naki use the phrase before, nor had it's meaning been programmed into his mind with the rest of the Sangheili language.
"Is our phrase for... um...Deja Vu." Naki said. They reached the hangar, and she took him to a waiting Phantom. "It is a somewhat regional phrase. Probably why you don't automatically know what it meant."
"Makes sense." Ryau said. Naki stepped into the grav-lift and was whisked away into the interior of the dropship. Ryau followed her up and stepped into the secure point beside her. The Phantom was filled with cargo, and its markings were not that of the Leveling Strength.
"She sent one of her own Phantoms to collect us, diverting from a supply run. I told her that I could get transport to myself, but as she was a former student, she insisted on taking the burden of travel." Naki strapped herself in to the side of the craft.
Ryau did the same, latching the straps into the ports on his armor. "So, how long were you a teacher?"
The Phantom rumbled as it lifted off and accelerated out of the hangar. Naki glanced over at him. "Oh, only two solar cycles, it is somewhat of a requirement of scientists to participate in the guidance of the next generation. I had many great students, none as good as myself I might say," She boasted. "But the way of the Sangheili places military over knowledge and then knowledge in the hands of the San 'Shyuum. I guess it has always been diminishing, but the Covenant Special Sciences Ministry hardly has been accepting new students."
"Probably the San 'Shyuum trying to consolidate the Science and Technology sectors back down." Ryau said. "Its probably has always been their main-"
The Phantom, that had been flying relatively smoothly for the past few minutes suddenly shook and nearly rolled. "What's going on?" Naki shouted to the pilots.
"There is a large storm approaching the site. We are flying through the leading edge." The pilot responded.
"What is the course of the storm?" She asked.
"It appears to be on courses to strike the site head on., Major." the co-pilot said. "Its eye will pass directly over it."
"Of course it would." Naki brought her hand up to her face and rubbed her brow. "Ryau, we may be there for a bit longer than expected."
"Alright, well its nothing we have control over." Ryau said.
"Very true." Naki sighed.
The Phantom banked and slowed. "The landing pad is currently enduring heavy winds. We will not be able to remain stable for long. Go now."
Ryau unbuckled his harness and grabbed hold of a support strut as he stepped free. The dropship shook as the wind buffeted the side. The doors opened and rain blew inside. It was hard and cold, he could feel it through his body suit. Naki placed her helmet over her head and she hopped down to the pad below. Ryau followed her down and landed on the slick landing pad.
Ryau slid to a halt and looked around at the site. Waves crashed along the pier, raining down on the Human bodies that the earlier team had killed. This was only the leading edge of the storm, it was going to get worse. "Oh what have we gotten ourselves into..." Ryau thought.
Up ahead was a large structure, the triangular logo of the Office of Naval Intelligence adorned the metal doors. They slid open as a Sangheili in green armor strode out into the storm.
She put her arm up to shield her face from the wind and rain. "Science Major Cimutee. It is an honor to see you again. I apologize for the weather, it was unexpected."
"Its fine, it is not like this is another weather control station Naki said.
"So you heard about that..." Alea muttered, "Quickly we need to get inside." Ryau glanced to Naki for some kind of explanation, but there she remained quiet.
Alea turned and headed through the doors, Ryau looked over to Naki and they both followed behind their guide. The door slid shut and sealed, the storm now a near silent rumble outside. The interior was dark, but lacked any apparent damage. It seemed that the Covenant had managed to take the installation fast enough that they either stopped the Humans outside or further into the facility.
Ryau followed Naki and Alea across the onyx walk way. Now that he was starting to remember more, he noticed that ONI architecture was like a dark mirror of Forerunner styles. Up ahead, there was the first sign of a struggle inside the building, the doors had been pried apart and red blood coated the floor on the other side.
"The Humans seemed to be unaware of our arrival at first. We were able to take this facility fairly quickly. As for when I learned of your arrival, it felt like the Gods were listening. It has been difficult to fully unlock the technology below this structure." Alea said.
"Well then lead the way, I will see what I can do." Naki replied.
"Yes, it is just down here." Alea lead Naki down a ramp.
Ryau followed them down, but snuck away down a corridor. His attempts to find communications equipment in New Alexandria had failed, but an ONI facility was bound to have some sort of hardlink system. The corridor was labeled Communications, and the lack of damage hinted that the system may still be online.
He entered a room, only to find that the systems console had been smashed. A dead ONI officer was slumped against the wall, he had died of a self inflicted gunshot wound. Ryau sighed and gave the body a pat down. There was a data pad in their front pocket. He took it out and glanced over it. The data-pad appeared to be in functioning condition. If he could find a working uplink in the server room, he could use the pad as an interface.
The door to the server room was just across the hall, he stuck his head out and made sure it was clear. He slipped across and entered the chilled room. Server stacks had been pulled out of the coolant and smashed, yet there was one in the back that had a single blinking light.
Ryau pulled the cord from the data-pad and inserted it into the open port. The screen flashed and an ONI prompt appeared. He made his way through the system, to where he used to file squad reports. If he had been reported MIA, then a report showing up in the old inbox would be an immediate red flag.
He glanced around to confirm he was alone, he activated the Data-pad's mic and began to speak.
"This is Sierra one-zero-two. Ident: five-five-Seven Beta Gamma zero. Emergency flash transmission. Captured on Standard IV by Covenant forces. Proceed to experiment with Device of unknown origin." He paused on how to word the fact that he had been turned into a Sangheili by the device. In the end, he decided to be blunt. "Device, now known to be Forerunner. Altered me physically and am now appearing to be a Covenant Elite. Currently engaged in deep cover with a Covenant SpecOps team. Cannot leave, being tracked. Location unknown. ONI facility on Reach." He had to pause again, he thought he heard something. However nothing else happened.
"If message received in time, and a recovery mission launched. Enemy troop estimates around four hundred. My appearance is a two-point-five meter Elite in black armor. There is a female Elite wearing orange ranger class armor who is sympathetic to Humans. Will assist us if she is captured. Am standin-"
The door to the server room opened and someone walked inside. Ryau shut off the data-pad and quickly grabbed the body of a Human, another self inflicted gunshot. He clipped his Plasma rifle and fired once into the bullet hole. And tossed the body onto the ground.
"What is going on in here?" A Sangheili Major asked, hurrying around a server stack with his own Plasma rifle drawn.
Ryau cleared his throat. "I found this vermin attempting to call for help." He gave the smoldering body a kick. "I think it may have gone through."
The Major glanced down at the body and then back to Ryau. "I have not seen you before, what unit are you with, what is your name so I may give you a commendation."
"I came down with Science Major 'Cimutee. I heard a sound from this room while Science Major 'Vinika was taking us down to the artifact." Ryau explained.
"Hmm," the Major relaxed. "Excellent work Major, my warriors had thought this room clear. I will put them on alert for a counter attack." The Sangheili turned and left the room.
Ryau sighed and looked down at the pad. Message Sent flashed on the small screen. He figured that he should make his way back to Naki. He left the server room and followed the corridor down to where she had gone. Naki and 'Vinika were waiting at a large door.
"There you are." Naki said. "Where did you go?"
"I had to take care of a security breach. A Human had survived the base assault." Ryau said.
Naki's mandibles formed a slight frown. "Well then, okay... Alea carry on."
Alea pushed open the door and walked through. The corridor beyond was carved in the rock. They walked for a few minutes, the path slowly sloping downwards. The tunnel was not carved by Humans, it was too smooth and the small symbols etched into the walls were a dead give away that this was a Forerunner creation.
The tunnel emptied into a cave. Ryau glanced up and saw that the roof was actually an artificial cap. They were inside a bowl, or more accurately, an impact crater. In the middle of the crater, a Forerunner pod sat, leaning to the side. a single light on the top flashed like a strobe.
Naki walked around the structure, looking it over. She took out her data-pad and made a few notes on the pods general condition. "Okay, so let's see the inside."
Alea nodded and walked up to the structures door. "We know it is some kind of cartographer, though I am having a difficult time deciphering what it says. You should know I never fully understood the Forerunner written language."
"Yes, 'Vinika, I do remember. I almost didn't let you graduate for that," Naki said.
"Well I'm glad you did not." Alea said. She tapped a button beside the door and it slid open. The three Sangheili walked into an open chamber. The ceiling danced with colored lights.
A holographic representation of Reach and the surrounding system was projected from the walls. If Ryau had a complete mouth, he would have whistled.
Naki nodded and paced around the outer ring of the hologram. She consulted a map on her data-pad and then tapped a slowly blinking point on the hologram. The point had various lines extending out into space and to a few other points on the planet. "We are here." When her finger passed through the point, it pulsed, and then a series of arrows started pointing north towards a new point that flashed brightly. "...and that is the ship that deployed this."
"A ship, are you sure?" Alea asked.
"I believe so, this pod appears to be an emergency beacon." She pointed to the lines that branched off into space. "These are the current communication lines that received the distress call. The text here does say that a ship crashed in this planet's northern hemisphere."
"We should alert the Fleetmaster at once!" Alea said. "A team needs to secure that area as soon as they can."
"Well, according to our most recent surface scans, the crash site is currently home to a human military installation. Which, as I last heard, is now under our control." Naki immediately had a map of the specific region on Reach projected from her data-pad.
"Then as soon as this storm clears, we will be on our way." Alea insisted. "I really need this discovery, I do not wish to be relieved of duty."
"Yes, when the storm clears. I'll help you. So will Ryau." Naki said.
"Hmm? How can I help?" Ryau asked.
"You have a particular set of skills and knowledge that will help in navigating the Human installation." Naki nodded her head slightly, out of Alea's view.
"Ah, yes. That I do," Ryau smiled. "I'll be happy to assist."
"Well... Since the two of you will be staying, let me lead you to our quarters." Alea turned and walked back into the facility.
Four Days Later
Twenty-Fourth Solar Cycle, 149 Cycles: 9th Age of Reclamation [August 28, 2552: 2034 hrs]
Unknown ONI Forerunner Excavation Site
Ryau stood up in one of the ONI base's outer watch towers. The wind howled and rain pounded the roof. ONI had thought ahead and constructed an effective sea wall between the docks and the main entrance, it had kept the storm surge out for the time being. However, this was the back side of the storm, usually the roughest.
The pilots still refused to fly through the weather, so they remained grounded for now. Ryau had alerted D`rok of their situation, just so he didn't worry about them not returning on time. He continued to look out at the raging ocean, it was hard to believe that there was a planet destroying war going on beyond the horizon. If he remembered correctly, Reach would be lost in just a few more days.
Suddenly two flashes of light appeared in the distance, and a moment later, the sea wall exploded. Water flooded into the courtyard, sweeping away supply crates and Unggoy unfortunate enough to be in the way. Within a second, the courtyard was completely submerged. The main doors to the facility held the water back from flooding the interior,
Four water craft sped inside the walls, turrets mounted on their rear opened fire on the other Covenant forces that had taken shelter on the catwalks. Ryau ducked behind the wall as a few bullets pinged off the ceiling.
"The Humans are attacking!" Screamed an Unggoy moments before it was ripped to shreds.
The boats pulled off to a clear section of catwalk and deployed Marines from a troop bay. Ryau wasn't sure if they were here because of his message or because ONI just wanted their facility back, but he was not going to stand by and find out if it was the latter. He grabbed his Needle rifle and hurried down the ramp into the building. An Ultra was down in the lobby organizing a response to the Human counterattack. Ryau ran passed into the the tunnels.
"Major, where are you going?!" the Ultra shouted after him.
"My main priority is Science Major Cimutee!" Ryau called back.
Water flowed down from some other breach in the facilities exterior, there was already nearly half a meter of water in this section. Ryau pressed through the water to the door that lead down to the artifact. He keyed it open, and allowed the water to flood the lower chambers.
"Naki, Science Major 'Vinika. I need to get you two out of here now!" Ryau called.
The water level dropped and Naki looked up the ramp. "What's going on?"
"The Humans are attempting to retake the facility." Ryau said. "I'm taking you to a Phantom. Get your data and get up here."
There was a bit of a scramble from below, and Naki and Alea hurried upstairs. They each carried a crate, of what Ryau assumed was their data and materials. He motioned for them to follow him and headed for the landing zone. The pilots had secured their Phantoms on the back side of the facility, it should have been shielded from the storm surge and the Humans attack. The path to the landing pads took them over the main lobby with a window looking in.
Ryau could see that the Ultra was putting up a good fight against the Humans, but he had already lost too many of his forces. The bodies of Sangheili and Unggoy floated in the flooded lobby alongside the plasma singed corpses of the Marines. More Humans were dropped off by the landing craft, soon they would overwhelm this small Covenant science garrison. The door ahead slid open and allowed the wind and rain inside. The last place Ryau had seen a pilot was sleeping in the cockpit. He grabbed the crates from Naki and Alea, and tossed them into the troop bay of the nearest Phantom.
After pushing the two other Sangheili aboard by their glorious rumps, Ryau pulled himself into the belly of the ship. He hurried into the cock-pit and gave the sleeping pilot a kick. "Wake up, Pilot."
The sleeping Sangheili grumbled and shifted in the command chair. "By the Prophets, what do you want?"
"The facility is under attack, and you're sleeping." Ryau said, he was truly playing the part of a Sangheili very well. He had already spent nearly a month and a half as one and heavily embedded in their culture. The thought occurred to him that he had begun to act differently the moment he was changed. But he shoved that thought out of his mind, he had to concentrate on the moment at hand. "We're getting Science Major 'Vinika and Science Major 'Cimutee out of harm's way."
The pilot sat up in the chair and looked at the view screens at the storm outside. "I apologize Major, but I can not take off in this weather."
Ryau frowned and let out that bit of Sangheili anger. "Pilot, if you do not take off this instant, I will throw you out the hatch and fly this transport myself. You can die with the rest of the stubborn warriors down there."
It seemed that his intimidation had worked. The pilot put up his hands, "I am sorry. I cannot take off immediately but I will begin preflight procedures. Give me five units."
"Fine," Ryau nodded. "I'll go see if I can give the others some more time." He decided to even the tension he had created by placing his hand on the pilot's shoulder. Ryau turned and nodded to Naki before he dropped back out the grav-lift hatch.
Ryau was really headed back to check to see if the Marines were there to pick him up or just raiding the station. He hurried through the doors and looked down at the lobby. The Marines had managed to clear out the defenders, the body of the Ultra had joined those that floated in the back of the room.
The ground of the walkway began to rumble At the far end of the hall, the door opened to reveal a group of retreating survivors. Ryau waved them towards the door to the landing pads. "Phantoms are that way. Wake the pilots and prepare to move on." He avoided using the word retreat or evac, it really wasn't the Covenant way.
Ryau activated his radio connection to Naki. "I'm going to be a few minutes. Don't worry."
"What could you possibly need to do?" she replied.
"I just need to take care of something. Have to give the other Phantoms a chance to warm up." Ryau cut the comm link. He felt bad leaving Naki out of the loop, but he doubted she would be as open to his idea.
He crept down the stairs, and found the water had filled the corridor up to his knee. It would be up to a Human's waist. Sloshing through the water, he hid behind the door to the lobby. "If I just walk out there, my shields should be able to hold for ten seconds if they shoot first…"
"Enemy contact!" A Marine shouted from behind him.
"Wait! Hold your fire. I..I think it's him." Another stammered.
Ryau slowly raised his hands above his head. "You're looking for Sierra-One-zero-two, correct?" He asked, switching back to his native English.
"Drop any weapons, and turn around slowly," one of the Marines ordered.
Keeping his hands above his head, Ryau pressed a button on his tactical pad and deactivated the magnetic clamps holding the guns to his back. He turned to face the Marines, they were armed with shotguns, he was lucky that they weren't going to kill him.
"Ugly son of a bitch, Sarge." another muttered.
"We were told there were two of you. Where's the other?" the Sergeant, named Goinard, asked.
"Up on the landing pads, with the rest of the Covenant forces that survived. If I'm getting pulled out, she might not be coming with." Ryau said.
"Don't know about that. The Spooks want to speak to you," Sergeant Goinard lowered his shotgun, and the others followed his lead. "They're waiting in the other room. Go on in."
Ryau let his arms down. "Alright, Sergeant." he turned and walked into the main lobby. The Marine squad followed him in.
There were at least two other Marine squads in the room, most standing out of the water on the raised platforms along the walls. There were two ONI Officers standing up on a platform in the corner, looking at something on a functioning wall console. They were dressed identically to the other Marines, except it was all painted black; typical for Spooks. As Ryau approached, they looked up towards him. As unusual as it was, the ONI Officers were wearing tags. The two that had come to meet him were a Captain Chiang, and Captain Smit.
"Sierra one-zero-two, reporting." Ryau said. "If I'm being pulled out we'll have to cut off a tracking device on my leg."
The two Officers looked him over. "Negative Spartan, we are not pulling you out. In fact, we want you to stay with them. Help assist an operation that is beginning in a few days." Captain Chiang said.
"If that is the case… Then I need to send a message to the Phantom waiting for me." Ryau said.
"Do what you need to." Smit answered and pulled out a data-pad.
"Just a moment." Ryau nodded and reactivated his radio. He cleared his throat and switched back to Sangheilian "The Humans are headed to the landing pads with rockets, take off now! I try and sneak out the back of the facility. Head inland and wait for me there."
"Understood Major! Moving to a hiding pattern. Come quickly, we cannot hold for long." The reply came immediately, the pilot must have bought the fake urgency in his voice.
"Holy shit, what did the bastard say?" One of the Marines, Corporal Guo, shouted, instantly they all had their weapons on him again.
"Stand down Sergeant, all he did was send the Phantoms away." Captain Smit said, having read the translation on his data-pad.
Once again, they lowered their weapons. "So he's really one of ours?" Corporal Guo asked.
"He is," Captain Chiang said. "Spartan one-zero-two is now going undercover for us."
There was a general murmur of the word Spartan from among the Marines. Captain Smit pulled a Covenant equipment case out of his pack. "This contains a small transmitter you can use to send periodic updates and has a homing function form when the operation launches."
"Is it possible for it to remain offline and not receive or broadcast at all? The Covenant are very good at tracking our transmissions." Ryau asked.
"Yes. It will remain inert unless you activate it." He said.
Ryau took the case and attached it to his back. "Understood, what's the time frame for the Op?"
"Operation Red Flag launches in the next few days. So tomorrow at oh-five-hundred hours make sure to be in a position to receive information over the comm device." Chiang said.
"Got it. Anything else?" Ryau expected them to be very interested in how he became what he was now. Their apparent lack of interest was confusing.
"The Scientist that was supposed to speak to you didn't survive the trip over. Give us a moment to communicate with command." That answered Ryau's internal question nicely.
"Uhm, alright." Ryau shrugged and sloshed through the water to where the Marines waited. "Sergeant, I'd like to thank you for not immediately shooting me."
"Not a problem… Spartan. We were under orders after all." the Sergeant said.
"Now, avoiding any classified information… You got anything cool in that armor?" one of the other Marines blurted out.
Ryau looked over his armor, "I didn't get rid of all my weapons…" He activated the energy daggers on both of his hands with a hiss.
A few of the Marines jumped back in surprise. "Damn, that's cool. Think we can get some of those?!" Corporal Guo shouted over to the ONI Spooks on the other side of the lobby.
"We are working on imitating their weapons, but we are still a long way off." Smit replied.
"Damn, those things would cut through Grunts and Elite shields instantly, probably." The Corporal shrugged.
Ryau looked down at his wrists and detached one of the small metal attachments. "Think he could keep it, sir?"
Smit looked up, and then over to Chiang. The two Spooks conversed in a hushed tone, then Smit looked back over. "We will have to look it over, but we suppose he can."
Ryau tossed it to the Corporal. Guo caught it and turned it over in his hands. "Thanks, sir. And friendly Spooks, howboutthat."
Another Marine, which had been standing in the back, stepped forward. "What are they like... like... on a personal level?" Corporal Dijk asked.
"What do you mean, Corporal?" Ryau asked.
"Well... What are they like when they are not fighting?" He clarified.
"Honestly?" Ryau said. "They're not that different than us. Their soldiers are stuck up assholes."
That got a laugh from the Marines. "Huh… Well what do their ladies look like?" Dijk asked.
"Not much different from the males, especially when wearing armor. You may have seen one before." Ryau joked.
"Oh! Have you gotten any yet?" Guo questioned. The other Marines looked among one another and laughed again.
"No, not yet. Though if you're interested in that, there's a guy I think you should meet. When we win the war that is." Ryau nodded, thinking of K`an. He wasn't sure if these Marines would survive the fall of Reach, but Ryau hopped so.
Before the Marines could continue to ask their random questions, Captain Chiang called over to Ryau. "Spartan. Command wants you outbound ASAP, we'll have to get an interview as soon as Operation Red Flag is complete. Sergeant Goinard, will you and your Marines escort him to the exit?"
"Affirmative, sir." The Sergeant said. "Major, if you'll follow me." Sergeant Goinard waved his arm towards the door and started off down a corridor. Ryau turned and followed the Marines through the flooded base. They finally left the water and walked up to a dry floor.
Before Ryau left, Corporal Guo stopped them and pulled a camera out from a pocket on his boot."Hey, I want to get a picture of this. No one is gonna believe us."
Sergeant Goinard glanced back down the hallway and shut the door between them and the staircase. "Alright, I want a copy of this. Fall in if you want to be in it."
The Marines glanced around at each other and then moved around Ryau. He was in the middle and Guo quickly placed his camera on the ledge before moving back into the group. Ryau didn't know what to do, so he stuck both fingers up in the air in an attempt at the age old 'peace' sign. The camera flashed and imitated the click of a shutter.
"Alright, I need to run. Maybe I'll see you all again someday." Ryau said.
"Likewise, Spartan." Sergeant Goinard said. "Good luck undercover."
Ryau headed out, past the Marines' nods and into the storm. The land outside the facility was mostly forest, he hurried in a half crouch down a muddy service road that ran parallel to the perimeter fence. He activated his radio once again. "I made it out. I'm approaching the clearing above the artifact. Meet me there."
There was silence for a moment on the other end. Then the Phantom flew low over the trees above him. "I read you, Major. The clearing should shelter us from the storm. Setting down now." The pilot responded.
Before he reached the clearing, Ryau knelt down and covered the upper part of his armor in mud. He had to make it seem like he had been running from the Humans. Ryau entered the clearing and waved at the Phantom. It flashed its searchlight and activated the grav-lift. He ran up and let the lift pull him up. Ryau dropped to his feet in the troop bay and pretended to be slightly out of breath.
"Are you okay?" Naki asked, with a bit of worry in her voice.
"Yes, I'm fine… just had to out run a squad of Ma- Humans with their shotguns." Ryau leaned against a supply crate.
"By the Prophets, I am surprised you survived." Alea said.
"Most definitely." Naki added. "Those weapons can tear through our shield systems."
"Well, anyway. Now that you are aboard, we can go north to that Forerunner site. Pilot, make it so." Alea commanded.
The pilot huffed in response, and the Phantom pulled up in an attempt to fly over the storm. The flight was rough, but Ryau made it into a seat. "Where did the other Phantoms go?" he asked.
"They returned to their ships. Alea wants to check out the other site before we do the same, it's a half day flight from here." Naki sighed. "I'm glad you're alright."
"Thanks… It was a close call." Ryau lied. "This is mostly over the ocean correct?"
"Yes it is, thinking of getting some rest in this moment of ease?" Naki asked.
"Of course." Ryau leaned back and strapped into the crash seat. "Wake me when we get there. I could probably sleep for a while." Naki nodded in agreement and Ryau closed his eyes.
Ryau was shaken awake many hours later by the Phantom suddenly dropping altitude. "What's going on?" He asked.
"We just started to approach the area, but we were hit by some kind of shockwave." The Pilot called from the cock-pit.
Ryau sat up and looked over to Naki. She and Alea were standing over a portable console, looking at a camera feed from the main turret. "We should be able to see it by now." Naki said.
"But there is nothing there." Alea said. The Phantom started to circle around a newly formed crater in the ice shelf. Steam and smoke billowed out of the cracks. "It should be directly… below us…" Alea's voice was filled with defeat.
"It seems the Humans beat us to it." Naki said. "They have destroyed the site. I'm sorry Alea, I know you needed this." Naki placed her arm on Alea's shoulder. "Come back to the Leveling Strength instead of your ship. It will be nice to have another member of the CSSM on board."
"Hmm…" Alea looked off at the sky beyond the crater. "I think I will take you up on that offer. I have no personal effects onboard the other ship. Let us go, now," she said.
"Pilot, return us to the Leveling Strength immediately," Ryau spoke up.
"Understood… Major." He responded from the cock-pit.
The Phantom settled in one of the Hangars of the carrier and the pilot shut off its engines. Ryau sighed and hopped out onto the flight deck. He helped down Naki and Alea, who instructed a group of Unggoy on where the cargo would need to go.
"Ryau, go wash yourself down. You've been covered in mud for nearly a day." Naki said.
"Well… will do," Ryau laughed. "Meet you at your cabin when I'm done."
Ryau left the two females and walked to the nearest armor cleaning station. It was a glorified shower, but to wash down in before a warrior removes their gear, He stepped inside the small stall and activated the water. It was cold and gritty, with some sort of polishing additive to the water.
He scrubbed the dried mud and leaves of his combat harness, careful not to get the water on his face. It wasn't the best design for cleaning, but it made sense if they didn't want to get blood and gore into the more populated parts of the vessel.
With his armor nice and shinny once again, Ryau dried off and stepped out. The cleaning bay was empty, and Ryau threw the cleaning towel into a receptacle. Zeik had shown him the bay after he had gotten his armor nearly two months ago. Ryau wondered how the Ultra was doing, if he was located on Reach or had stayed behind with the first ship Ryau had been aboard.
As soon as he left the room, the ship's speakers chimed. "Attention Warriors. We are leaving orbit in pursuit of a Human vessel. Prepare for slipspace maneuvers."
Ryau hurried down the hallway towards Naki's quarters, and ducked into a service hatch by the outer hull of the ship. Hopefully, if the Covenant were able to track the transmission, they would assume it was a passing piece of debris. He popped open the small storage compartment on his back and pulled the transmitter out.
The small device flicked on and received a single data packet before shutting the transmitter off. The data packet was an audio message, he made sure the volume was down before pressing play.
"Emergency Flash transmission. Operation Red Flag aborted do to Covenant threat. All forces are to redirect to the defense of Reach."
"Shit," Ryau thought. He shut off the device and tossed it into the Huragok work space between the walls. If they had managed to track that quick burst, he didn't want to be caught with it. Now that the operation was canceled, he no longer had orders from ONI. He shrugged in defeat and decided to go to the Far Beyond Provocation lance room instead of Naki's cabin, he should probably check in with them first. Ryau was left wondering where this ship will take him next.