Chapter 11: Hive of Scum and Villainy

Jiles Station, Wild Space

There was a very good reason why this section of the galaxy was called Wild Space, and another perfectly good reason why Jiles Station was right in the middle of it. Built by pre-Exodus humans, Jiles Station lay lost and forgotten over the years. However, like rats, the lowest dregs of intergalactic society soon moved in and made the place their own. Settling on a planet was often dangerous, as the Covenant often patrolled them, and a person could only stay cooped up on a ship for so long. Very quickly, Jiles Station transformed from a derelict space hulk with a skeleton crew to a bustling pirate haven with rogue ships coming in and out at all times. Since the station as in deep space, and constantly changed positions, it had never been found by either Covenant or Exile fleets.

As Lynn glanced at the distant station, all she could see was a ramshackle hunk of steel and glass floating in space. She could tell where the original construction was, and that the station had been expanded over the years. The newer portions stood out since they were constructed out of salvaged and cannibalized ships and gave the station a strange, spiky appearance. She often had a difficult time telling whether a ship was docked to the station or actually part of it.

"Jiles Station, so named after the glorious Governor Jiles." Kyle sarcastically announced. "Complete with clean bathrooms, five star accommodations, and free refills on your drink."

"You'd wonder why we left in the first place." Kay sighed.

"Maybe because you blew up Jang's favorite bar, killed half his gang, and wrecked a good portion the station."

"Jeez, you think they still remember that?"

"I'm pretty sure they built a statue of you."

"I wouldn't be surprised."

"So uh, what exactly are we going to do once we get there?" Williams asked curiously. "I'm pretty sure we can't waltz in and ask them."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure where something as valuable as pre-Exodus data is concerned, the good old Governor himself would know where it is." Kyle shrugged. "The only problem is actually getting to him. He's a pretty secretive guy."

"So what are we waiting for?" Sanah got up. "Let's go.'

"Whoa, hold on there." Kyle shook his head. "First of all, we have to lay down a few ground rules. First, absolutely no androids allowed. You may not be able to tell the difference, but I know a hell of a lot of guys that do, and they won't hesitate to take one apart for their own amusement. Second, we go in small. Big groups stumbling around draws far too much attention."

"So what do you suggest?" Melissa asked.

"Well, you, Williams, and Sanah will stay behind and hold the fort. God forbid some salvage crew comes along and tries to expand the station another section." Kyle powered up his suit and made sure his rifle was armed. "Kay, Lynn, and John will be with me. The four of us should be more than enough to handle anything the Governor might throw at us."

"Sounds like a plan." John said simply.

"Savor the moment. This is a rare thing for Kyle." Kay said mischeviously.

Before Kyle could respond, a voice crackled over the radio. "Nietzsche, this is Jiles Control. Please state your business."

"Oh, the usual, looting, pillaging, and causing overall mayhem." Kyle responded.

"Please state the passcode."

"Why the hell would I need a passcode?"

"Good question." The traffic controller grumbled. "You're clear to land at Bay 14."

"Well, it looks like they haven't changed that much." Kyle leaned back in his seat as Hal took the helm. "It's just as easy to get in as ever."

"Hey Kyle, I just realized something." Kay scratched her head.

"What?"

"Your girlfriend's armor. Don't you think it might be a little too… clean?"

"Huh?" Lynn glanced down at her pearl white EXCALIBUR armor. "Is there a problem with that?"

"Yes, actually." Kyle grinned. "Nothing in Jiles is new. I mean nothing. Shiny pretty stuff like your armor just screams Exile. We're going to have to fix that."

Lynn was able to read exactly what Kyle and Kay were intending to do, which made her a little more than nervous. "Uhhhh, I don't really think that's necessary…"

"You want to pull this off or what?" Kyle asked, bemused. "It's going to require some sacrifices."

"Do you know how much this thing costs?" Lynn blanched. "Keyes would kill me if he found out that-"

"Oh come on, you went AWOL and beat up a bunch of Marines from your own fleet. I'm pretty sure he'll have more pressing things to be angry about." Kay snorted. "Quit whining and just accept it."

Lynn sighed in defeat. She knew what was going to happen and she knew that no matter what she did, the result would always be the same. That was one of the drawbacks of being able to see the future. "Fine, you win."

Riftseeker
Currently in Slipspace Transit

Ackerson growled as he scanned the recordings of the fight again. He had spent the last few days poring over the helmet recordings and data of that entire fight, trying to catalog the strengths and abilities of Lynn's compatriots. A few of them were easy to pick out. He had run into Kyle and Kay before, and knew perfectly well what they were capable of doing, which was quite a lot. They were rather dangerous wild cards in terms of independent operations. There was also Sanah, that annoying android friend of Lynn's. Ackerson could never understand the attachment Lynn had to that walking toaster. He viewed them as combat platforms for AIs, and nothing more. They certainly weren't designed to be people's friends and tag along with them on their half-brained adventures. It wouldn't have been as bad if all of the failsafes and backdoors Ackerson had installed in the android were still operational, but as always, that accursed Lynn was one step ahead of him, disabling and subverting every single little dirty secret he had hard coded into that android.

Besides the known constants, Ackerson also had three variables to deal with as well. Lynn had obviously picked up additional companions while she was roaming the stars, and Ackerson was determined to find out who they were. It would give him some clues as to where she might be headed, or at least give him another valuable piece of intel when they both crossed paths again. There didn't appear to be anything remarkable about the first subject, as he showed no signs of any exceptional skill or talent, so Ackerson skipped over that. The second individual, a female, was slightly more interesting than her dull counterpart. He watched from the perspective of one of his own men who was trying to ambush her. With a wave of the girl's hand, the Marine suddenly caught fire and the next few seconds were a flurry of movement as the Marine tried to extinguish the fires. Lynn had apparently managed to pick up another meta-human, which would pose yet another significant problem for him. One super powered individual was bad enough, but two made things infinitely more complicated.

However, the one thing that continued to gnaw at Ackerson was the last man. There was something inexplicably different about him, but Ackerson couldn't quite put his finger on why. He wore a model of armor that did not resemble standard EXCALIBUR armor sets. While that wasn't an interesting fact in itself because there were many alternatives to EXCALIBUR, it was the fact that this unknown armor seemed to be able to outperform the best EXCALIBUR Ackerson had access to that disturbed him. Not only that, but his combat skills were exceptional, able to down most of a Marine squad. He incapacitated all of his targets through extremely effective but nonlethal means, which was a huge challenge even for the most skilled soldiers. Yes, there was something strange with this man, and Ackerson was determined to find out why.

Jiles Station

"I still don't like this." Lynn grumbled as she looked down at her once pristine suit of armor. "You really killed the whole attractiveness of it."

In order to make her blend in better with the rough crowd of Jiles Station, Kyle and Kay had spent some time punishing Lynn's armor to artificially age it. They stomped on it, scraped paint off, torched several sections, and even shot at it a few times. After a bit of effort, Lynn's once pearl white armor was now a dulled grey with numerous small pits and carbon scoring, the telltale signs of a roving scav. Thankfully, nothing had to be done about John's armor. It was already beaten up enough from battle damage.

"It's not like you to whine." Kyle said. "Besides, would you really want to have any of these guys here noticing you?"

Lynn probed some of the minds that were concentrated on her and blanched at what she saw. "You have a point there."

The interior of Jiles Station was even more chaotic than it appeared from the outside. The hallways were packed with countless vendors selling their wares, and potential customers milling about. Every inch of free space was taken up by somebody trying to sell something to somebody. Lynn could see racks of weapons, odd artifacts, gadgets of every kind, and even the severed trophy heads of various Covenant species. In addition to the vendors, there were also a number of cantinas and other similar public gathering spots where everybody could get together and shoot each other on sight. Her foresight was very valuable in steering the group clear of the common public squabbles and barfights and often spilled out into the hallways. However, despite all the chaos, Kyle and Kay were able to maneuver through every obstacle and hallway like it was an afternoon stroll.

"So what exactly are we doing?" John asked. He didn't seem bothered by the crowded conditions, as he was large and powerful that anybody who happened to run into him literally bounced off without him feeling it, and also caused others to keep their distance.

"Oh, I forgot, you can't read minds so I actually have to say it out loud." Kyle scratched his head. "I need to hook up with an old friend of mine. He was born and raised on this station and his family has been stuck here for at least a generation or two. If anybody knows how to get us close to the Governor, it's going to be him."

"Just so we're clear." John scanned the crowd cautiously, as always. "Should we expect trouble?"

"In a place like this? Pretty much all the time."

"So it's business as usual."

"I'm liking this guy more and more." Kay grinned as she politely but roughly shoved a determined street beggar aside.

"Alright, this is the place." Kyle stopped in front of a rather dark and withdrawn cantina. From what Lynn could feel from the place, it wasn't exactly very inviting. "Come on, he's not going to stay long."

Kyle led the others into the cantina and stopped for a second. He glanced at the surrounding patrons, gauging them for potential threat.

"So, anything special?" Kay asked.

"Only threats I can see so far is lefty over there at the window." Kyle nodded to a lone man sitting at a booth a few feet to their right.

"He's right handed." John pointed out.

"No, he's just tapping his right hand on the table to make people think he's right handed. You can see his hidden pistol, which is pretty badly stowed by the way, and from the way it's slung, the easiest way to for him to reach it is with his left hand." Kyle said confidently. "However, the thing that makes him dangerous is the way he keeps looking out the window. He's waiting for somebody he doesn't know, so he's got his gun ready in case the deal goes sour. Might want to keep an eye on him."

"Got it." Kay nodded.

Kyle glanced over to a darkened booth tucked away in the far corner of the cantina. He saw that it was already being occupied by a single cloaked figure. "Kay, you Lynn and John should take that table over there." He pointed at a nearby unoccupied table that had good visibility of the rest of the cantina. "He might freak out if he sees all of us at once, so hang back here and keep an eye out for trouble."

Kay nodded and motioned for Lynn and John to follow her. Once they had taken positions at the specified table, Kyle then causally sauntered over to the corner table, making sure to avoid any suspicious looking patrons. He then sat across from the man, making sure to have his arms visible so that he could clearly see that he didn't have a weapon in either hand.

"Gniven, it's been a while." Kyle said. "How's the business going?"

"Ha ha, very funny." Gniven said nervously. "I can't even remember the last time I've ever done honest work."

Laron Gniven quite literally had lived on Jiles Station his entire life. Of course, living in such a dark hole in space for so long resulted in some very debilitating social lessons. He was always constantly paranoid that somebody was out to get him, which usually wasn't the case. However, in all fairness, he did have a reason to be scared for his life. Another "benefit" to having lived on the station for all his life was that Gniven had unrestricted knowledge of all of the inner workings of the station itself. Not surprisingly, such knowledge was considered a threat to Jiles' control of the station, and Gniven had found himself on the receiving end of several assassination attempts, many of which Kyle had saved him from.

"Yeah, well I need a favor, a big one." Kyle leaned back as an apathetic waitress set a pair of drinks down on the table. "And I mean really big."

"Well, what do you want this time? Sneak into another loading bay, hijack a rival's ship, or blow up half the station?" Gniven snorted.

"Hey, that was Kay's fault, not mine." Kyle growled. "Besides, I need you to be serious."

"Okay, go ahead."

Kyle leaned forward so that only Gniven could hear his words. "I need you to sneak me into the Governor's quarters."

Kyle could have almost sworn that Gniven had suffered an aneurism the moment the last word in the sentence reached his ears. He coughed as he swallowed his drink too fast and dropped his glass, which shattered on the floor. Thankfully, with all the noise and commotion already permeating the cantina, nobody noticed or cared.

"Are you insane?!!?" Gniven gasped, his eyes darting around wildly. "You're going after the Governor himself?!"

"Keep it down!" Kyle hissed angrily. "Do you want to spill it to everybody in the room? Yes, I've got business with the Governor that needs to be taken care of discreetly. Do you have any way to do that?"

"You know, I normally wouldn't even consider doing something this crazy and suicidal…"

"Can you do it?" Kyle said sternly.

"Okay! Okay!" Gniven sighed. "I can get you there."

Meanwhile, several tables away, Lynn, Kay, and John were sitting casually, or in John's case, as close to casual as he could manage. He sat up straight in his seat and his head was literally on a swivel, keeping an eye in all directions for possible threats. Meanwhile, Lynn had noticed several eyes focusing on her. She skimmed the minds behind the eyes, and then instantly regretted it.

"Do the guys here really have nothing better to do than stare at me all day?" Lynn sighed. "It's a bit disturbing to probe someone's mind and see yourself naked."

"You'll get used to it." Kay laughed. "Most of the guys here are just being guys. They actually don't have anything better to do than fantasize."

"I guess." Lynn shook her head and took a sip of her drink, hoping the alcohol would at least blur the surrounding thoughts a little. "Hey John, I've always wondered. What was it like, being a god among men?"

"I don't think I understand the question." John cocked his head curiously.

"Well, it doesn't really take a stretch to assume that you were really different from the rest of the soldiers you served with. Were you ever bothered by the fear and discomfort they showed?"

John stopped and thought about it for a second. Yes, there were times during the Human/Covenant war where the Marines he was fighting with viewed him with fear and mistrust, but that was only during the early stages of the war, when he and the rest of the Spartans were a relatively new public entity among the UNSC armed forces and their combat worth was as of yet unproven in the eyes of the Marines. Conditions improved as the war dragged on and the Spartans proved their worth again and again. However, during those rare times where times got hard, John has always taken comfort in the fact that he could always depend on his fellow Spartans like Fred and Linda. Even when they were literally worlds apart, John would never falter, always surviving so he could see his brothers and sisters one more time. As he looked at Lynn, he suddenly understood why she asked that question. In this troubling future, he could not depend on his fellow Spartans because none of them were. He realized that he had very much in common with Lynn in the fact that they were extraordinary, but lonely individuals. John had a hard time imagining what he would do if he were ever to end up as the last Spartan. And then there was Cortana. Words could not even begin to describe how much he missed her.

"They didn't show much, but I had my fellow Spartans with me." John replied simply. "To be alone like you is bit stressing."

"Okay." Lynn could tell that the Spartan was speaking the truth and didn't press the issue any further. Part of the reason was because she felt a very very disturbing presence nearby. "Uh oh, is that who I think it is?"

"What?" Kay sat up, suddenly alert.

"Back near the entrance."

Kay took a quick look and recognized the quartet of figures just beginning to enter the cantina. She didn't actually know any of the actual people, but she did remember the color scheme of their armor. They wore white armor with a large red cross painted across their chests and strutted about with an arrogant, all-knowing demeanor.

"Ah shit, are those what I think they are?"

"Templars." Lynn nodded grimly.

"What the hell can they be doing here?" Kay growled.

"Templars?" John asked curiously.

"They're basically the human equivalent of the old Covenant." Lynn explained. "Religious fanatics to the core and xenophobic to the extreme. They basically exist to exterminate all Covenant, meta-humans, and pretty much anybody who disagrees with them… all in the name of God, of course."

John noticed there was a bitter edge in Lynn's voice. "Personal experience?"

"They accused me of being a witch and tried to burn me at the stake." Lynn glared at the Templars with pure disdain. "Doesn't exactly make me see them in a glowing light."

"What the hell are Templars doing in a place like this?" Kay wondered, making sure to arm her weapons. "Don't they have better things to do, like going on some grand crusade or mucking around in one of their totally unexpected inquisitions?"

"I don't know, but I'm warning Kyle." Lynn said and turned to John. "Get ready for some action. Templars are hardly known for being civil."

Meanwhile, back at the corner table, Kyle recognized that itching sensation in his head as a mental warning from Lynn. He decided to follow his instinct and turned around. His stomach knotted when he saw the Templars strutting into the cantina, bullying random patrons and roaming the room in a very controlled and systematic pattern.

"Shit. Templars."

"What?!" Gniven's eyes widened.

"What did you do this time, Laron?" Kyle growled, disengaging the safety of his rail pistol.

"I don't know what you're-"

"Can it. Those Templars are looking for something, and I don't think it's for summer homes. Plus, a man of your standing should know what they're up to. Now spill it."

"Okay, okay!" Gniven sighed, utterly defeated. "I may have very possibly stumbled on a small cache of very valuable Templar artifacts and… commercially distributed them."

"WHAT?!" Kyle's eyes widened in alarm. "You stole Templar artifacts and sold them on the open market? No wonder they're fucking pissed! What the hell were you thinking?"

"Staying on this station isn't cheap, and the stuff was just lying there right in front of me-"

"Listen, Laron, and listen carefully." Kyle said harshly. "If I've learned anything, it's that there's three things in this galaxy you don't fuck with; mother nature, mother in laws, and mother fucking Templars!"

"I know! I screwed up!" Gniven cried. "Can you forgive me and help and old friend out?"

"You're lucky I need you for this." Kyle said angrily. "Because any other day, I would've just vented you out of airlock so I wouldn't have Templars on my ass."

"Interesting. Then your 'meeting' with the Governor must be very important…"

"Shutup and get down. I'm going to have to have my friends help me out with this one."

"Wait, but I thought you came alone!"

"I never said anything of the sort. Now would you kindly shut up and get down." Kyle grabbed Gniven's shoulder and shoved him down on the table so that his upper body wouldn't be visible. "I'd prefer you stay down like that until I tell you to. I would hate to accidentally shoot you in the inevitable firefight."

"Lynn." Kyle whispered, knowing that she could very well hear him. "You have anything up your sleeve on how to distract those guys?"

"I might have a few."

"Then do it."

"On it."

It was nice to able to read people's thoughts and intentions. The first thing Lynn did when she entered the cantina was to feel out for the individuals she could potentially use if something went wrong. Right now, Lefty was a perfect candidate. The man was still waiting for his contact and was getting more jumpy by the second. It didn't take much for Lynn dive into his mind and inject a good dose of fear and paranoia into his head. She then interfered with his vision and made him visualize his client, except he was pointing a gun at him. Lefty panicked, stood up, drew his pistol, and started firing wildly at the mirage, which was conveniently placed right in front of the Templars.

"Huh, I guess he really was left handed." Kay grumbled as she saw the man fire. Unfortunately, there wasn't much Lynn could do about his aim, and most of the rounds missed their mark, but at least they fulfilled their role as a distraction.

"What treachery is this?" One of the Templars yelled as a rail round flew past his head. "Brothers and sisters! To arms!"

Lefty's panicked spray of bullets was ultimately no match for the ordered fusillade of rail rifle rounds and punched into his chest, sending him toppling over the back of his seat. However, even though the firefight was over, it triggered the powder keg of violence that was always threatening to boil over in a place like this. Many other patrons panicked, or were trying to use the confusion for their own benefit. Whatever the reason, the cantina was soon filled with brawling men and flying rail rounds. Even the bartender joined in. He ducked behind the bar and brought out and absolutely ancient, but still grossly effective, shotgun.

"I think that's our cue." Kay slipped out of her seat and waved. "John, clear a path out of here!"

John nodded. His massive size and powerful MJOLNIR armor was perfect for cutting a swath through the sea of bodies. One swipe of his arm sent three men flying into the air and a quick stiff arm to an approaching assailant sent a whole pile of men down to the ground. Some rail rounds and fists came his way, but none of them really did anything more than make his shields spark. The smaller Lynn and Kay kept close behind him, using him as a mobile shield and battering ram to make their way out of the cantina. It wasn't long until Kyle and Gnive joined them, staying close to John for protection.

"Never a dull moment, huh?" Lynn said as she telekinetically shoved two men out of her path.

"Not with the both of us around." Kyle sighed.

"Uh oh." John said as he skidded to a halt.

"What's wrong?" Kyle asked.

"Trouble." John said simply.

Lynn and Kyle peeked out from behind John and suddenly realized that the quartet of Templars inside the cantina were not alone. Outside, a whole platoon of them had been waiting in the hall weapons and righteous zealotry at the ready.

"Well shit, this isn't good." Kay sighed.

"Gniven, if the Templars don't kill you, I will once this is all over." Kyle said angrily.

"Get ready." Lynn said. "It doesn't take a telepath to know that they're really pissed."

"You there!" The lead Templar yelled. "In the name of God, lay down your weapons and surrender!"