"Alright Hogan get up…" Lex motioned over to Hogan and helped him up from the floor of combat arena.

Oracle Team were all in their respective Spartan suits, each member trying to see if they can beat Joseph in a CQC match. So far both Jared and Hogan had been beaten by Joseph who stood untouched and and appearing to not have broken a sweat.

"Damn Hogan he kicked your ass hard." Jared tried joking as he laid an ice pack on his head while he had his helmet off.

"I see plenty of bruises and sore on your fat asss Jared." Hogan sighed as he took his helmet off and sighed in relief.

"Well White, your next, think you can handle the so far undefeated CQC spartan?" Lex asked.

"Considering how long I've been fighting you boss. I say I can take him." White answers as she walks onto the floor and gets into her fighting stance.

Joseph didn't really move from his position or even look towards White. He just stood silently still from where he was at, almost like a statue. White charges at Joseph following up with a leap into the air as she tries to kick him in the face but counters it by grabbing White's leg, twirls around with her and throws across the floor.

"Holy shit…" Hogan says shockingly.

White was able to land on her feet and quickly prepared herself for a frontal assault from Joseph. However when Joseph got close to her, he slides under her and trips his opponent with a leg scissor takedown. Later doing a spin up, where he lifts himself from a lying position to a standing position by using the momentum generated with a circular leg movement in conjunction with his torso twisting, weight shifting to the upper body and the push off the ground with his hands, thus achieving elevation of the entire body.

White stared in disbelief before she jumped back to her feet. From there she quickly moves forward with a swift hook punch that Joseph easily blocks though White was expecting him to do that. Once Joseph blocked the attack, White makes sure to grab hold of wrist and attempts to place a wrist lock on him.

Joseph however spins around forcing White to release to him and adds a kick into her face pushing her back. He next dashes into her then throwing a few punches into her stomach with a knee to her in the stomach and lastly elbowed her in the back, knocking her down onto the ground. Before White could stand back up, Joseph finishes her with a twirling jump back flip axe kick to her back to finish her in the match.

"Wow and I thought White would have beaten him." Hogan commented.

Joseph gently helps White up and helps her sit down on a nearby chair. White merely took her helmet off and started breathing hard from intense bruises all over her, pain, and exhaustion.

"Damn he's good…" she groaned.

"Yeah, I'm sure he knows that you are a formidable opponent." Lex answered as he approached her.

"Yeah I lasted only a minute longer than the others, let's see you try mr. badass…" she groaned.

"Alright I will." Lex answers, putting his helmet on and getting into the combat arena with Joseph.

"I'm gonna go to the shooting range for a bit, have fun getting your ass kicked sir." Hogan answers putting his helmet on and walking off.

In the meantime, Dena was at the shooting range, struggling to hold DMR. Her bones still felt weak and her muscled hurt like hell. Usually she would be able to handle most weapons but now here she is, struggling to hold one of the humans' weapons, a DMR if she remembers what they were called.

Struggling, she slowly lifted the rifle into position to try and take aim. Even pulling the trigger and holding it was becoming a challenge to her. With as much strength she could muster, she finally pulled the trigger. The recoil sent her hitting the ground hard as she almost shot herself.

Hogan eventually came in to see Dena lying on the floor and struggling to get up. "What are you doing?" he asked sounding annoyed.

"Oh hello Hogan. I'm trying to keep my blood flowing like the doctor informed me to. I thought of doing this instead." Dena answers as she groans a little while slowly getting back up.

"And he also said your not suppose to be handling weapons until after you were done with your physical therapy which judging from you laying on the floor from a gunshot I just heard, your not really suppose to be handling that at this moment aren't you?' he asked while crossing his arms.

"No… but this is my physical therapy. I didn't ask for your pity, Hogan." She continues taking shots but nearly good. For each shot she keeps on missing and almost losing her balance with the recoil.

"Whose says I'm pitying you. And that's not how you hold that. Come on you're gonna shoot an eye out with that thing." he lectured as he walked over to her and helped her hold the DMR properly.

"Very well then. Show me the way." Dena says.

He gently held her arms and hands alongside the rifle to help her hold and aim it in proper position. "My dad use to always say aim with both eyes. So keep both eyes open, focus your vision on the target, aim at your desired spot, and let a relaxing breath as you pull the trigger." he lectured.

"You do know I was a General right? I've handled your human weapons well just as I did with mine." Dena answered.

"Yeah and that's probably the reason why you're a lousy shot. You've been through hell and worst with intense surgery to try and recover from that. So you need to re-learn your previous skills, so I'm teaching you how I make accurate shots as the team's sniper." He lectured and help her stand steady and balanced as he helped her squeeze the trigger of the gun to make the shot.

To her shock and disbelief, she was able to make a bullseye shot, using the technique Hogan had just told her. Something she had never accomplished even during her time as a general in the Covenant.

"See, now you won't be able to get it perfect next few times since I was just helping you. And it took me twenty five years to master that, but keep doing what I just showed you and you'll be shooting fish through a barrel from across the field." he answered before letting her go.

"Thank you, Hogan. Why did you help me? Lex told me of your… history with the Covenant." She asks hesitantly.

Hogan didn't respond at least at first as he took a pistol and started making several headshots with the hologram targets.

"That's just like him to snitch on me. Well one you looked like me when I was five years old and my dad was first teaching me how to shoot properly and I figured I may die at any point soon. So if I have to kiss the grave, I want to at least keep my family's shooting lessons alive." he answered before holstering his pistol and started walking off. "Though I'm not sure if I'm dishonoring his memory by teaching our family's sharpshooting skills to an elite. But then again I hate brutes more than I hate Elites."

He stopped for a moment and briefly looked towards her over his right shoulder. "As much as I hate to admit it, you're part of the team now and if you fall apart we all do. And I expect you to be using my sharpshooting trick to cover our asses if shit hits the fan." he lectured one last time before leaving her alone in the room.

"You're not the only one who has traditions with your father." She mumbled to herself and continued practicing. Though not as perfect as the last shot since she didn't have his help, though at least she was able to maintain her balance and hold on the weapon.

Hogan walked back to the combat arena, only to see Lex laying on the ground in pain as Joseph sits on his back in a meditating position. Jared was laughing his ass off while White looked completely shocked.

"What the hell happened?" Hogan asked.

"Lex got his ass kicked I mean he got his ass kicked bad…" Jared laughed.

White just remained silent completely shock at what she had witness.

When Hogan walked over to Lex who was face down lying on his chest with Joseph still sitting on his back. He mumbled through his helmet. "Not a damn word rookie…"

The Order of Freedom finally arrives at the planet Oban but until Covenant ships came out of their cloaking as one Covenant Assault Carrier Capital Ship appeared. The ship's alarm system immediately go off as Seraph space fighters opened fired at the ship..

"Alert, Covenant Warships up ahead. Alert all personnel to stations for approaching conflict. This is not a drill, repeat this is not a drill." Heckins warned everyone on the ship through the mic.

"Well now. It seems we'll get more action now. Oracle move out!" Lex ordered as motioned his team out of the arena.

Joseph quickly jumped off Lex to allow him to get up. The group quickly made their way out of the combat arena to rush down the hall towards their destination posts.

"Lex, this is Commander Alex. I need Hogan and Jared to take a Sabre outside and help the others to clear any enemy ships coming at us. Meanwhile I need you, Joseph, and White to hold positions at the main guns and keep them from coming in." He ordered over their mic.

"Move out, Oracle." Lex says as he, Joseph and White headed over to the main guns while Hogan and Jared went for the hanger to the Sabre.

Dena overheard the situation going on through the mic at the target practice room. She saw Johann and Ladia come in with Johann in his Spartan suit.

"Ms. Dena I'm going to need you to come with me to a safer place your body is not ready for on field combat." Johann spoke.

"Very well doctor." She answered and went with Johann and Ladia. Though Ladia had to help her by letting her drape an arm over her shoulder.

"Goodness I didn't know you guys weighed so much…" she groaned trying to help Dena rush and follow Johann.

"I feel insulted now." She answered as they made their way to a safer place in the med bay.

"Sorry, it's just I'm used to hauling oracle's Spartan armor around I would think I would be used to…this by now…" she groaned trying to help her friend keep up with the Spartan medic.

Jared and Hogan arrived at the Hangar bay and entered inside the saber jet. Hogan taking the pilot seat while Jared takes co-pilot seat. Jared begins activating and flipping a few switches on the console around him as the jet's engines begins powering up. The jet begins to hover along with other four jets around them and more as they hovered out of the hangar in order formation, fired up their engines and took off from the ship.

"This is Spartan Hogan and Jared onboard a YS-1000 Sabre in the territory of the capital ship. All freedom fighters roll call." Hogan announced on the com.

"Freedom two standing by." Pilot two answers.

"Freedom four sanding by." Pilot four answers.

"Freedom five stand by." Pilot one answers.

"Freedom three standing by." Pilot three lastly answered.

"All Freedom fighters accounted for. Stay in formation and wait on my command." Hogan ordered as readies his Sabre's weapons.

"I got your sick Hogan, just don't crash on us otherwise I'm gonna beat your ass with a stick in Heaven if we die." Jared threatened.

"Yeah yeah." Hogan answered. He then spots a wave of Covenant Seraph's coming their way and turns back on the com. "Commander Alex, we've spotted a wave of Seraph's heading our way. We're preparing to engage now."

"Understood, fire at will." Alex confirmed over the com.

"Yes sir." Hogan turns his com to the jet fighters. "Alright Commander Alex says green light. Light em boys! Let god be your shield! Open fire!" Hogan ordered as he and the other jets opened fire on them.

The Seraph's returned fire on them as the jets scattered and it became a large space battle between the Covenant and the UNSC. Hogan was right behind of a Seraph and opened fired with his machine gun tearing down its shields until they depleted and finally shot two homing rockets at the Seraph and blew the ship into pieces.

"Fucking A!" Hogan hooted.

"Don't get cocky now. We've got more company." Jared pointed out as he opened fired from the secondary machine guns on the Seraph.

"Oh you're one to talk that one time you got your ass handed to you by Joseph." He lectured as he shot down another Seraph with machine guns.

"Damn gotta give you that one."

In the meantime, Lex, White, and Joseph arrived at the main guns of the station and took their positions. A few Seraph's begin appearing on radar as Lex and the rest began locking onto the ships.

"Ready to open fire." White informs.

"Not until they get in range. If we shoot now they'll scatter making it harder to take them out." Lex answers. The Seraphs began getting into range with the cannons and began locking onto them. "Open fire!" Lex commanded.

They begin open firing on the Seraphs as one by one get's destroyed from each shot they make. White takes a shot at one fleeing Seraph but she takes the shot blowing it into pieces. "I hate it when they run. No honor." White mumbles to herself as she continues.

"Lex, we got Covenant drop pods dropping in right in your sector. Take out those pods before they hit us hard or they'll be swarming the ship." Heckins warns.

"You heard, Heckins. Take out those pods or were having a swarm ant covenant. Jared, Hogan I need you to see if you can soften up those pods so we can get one shot one kill for each of them. If you can't slow them down for us." Lex ordered.

"You got it, Lex. All Freedom Fighters get information and follow me. We're gonna soften those pods up." Hogan orders as the Sabres take formation and followed him to the first wave of the pods.

The fighters spot the first three covenant pods as the fighters begin moving in closer and target lock on's to the pods. "Weapons free!" Jared ordered as all of the Sabres drawn out their rockets and shot two each.

The rockets hit the pods only making hull damage to them following by more rockets creating enough damage to destroy with one more shot. Joseph spots the first damaged pod as he takes good aim at the pod, fires one shot at it as it went through the pod and imploded from the inside destroying it. Joseph gave a thumb up to Lex signaling that's one down and two more to go.

"Alright nice shot, Joseph. Let's get the next pods." Lex ordered.

Lex, White and Joseph continue shooting down any nearby Banshee's and Seraphs nearby until the next pods arrive.

Meanwhile back with Jared, Hogan and the Freedom Fighters turrets on the pods begin opening fire on the team as they dodge the blasts as they could. "Alright we're gonna surround and conquer. Freedom two and four you'll take the left, three and five take the right we're going above. Split!" Hogan ordered as the Fighters split and went to their designated places. "Fire!" He ordered.

The Fighters began opening fire from all different sides shooting rockets onto the sides of the pod while Hogan drops the bombs on top of the pod damaging it enough. "It's all your's now, Lex!" Jared answered to Lex.

"Thanks." Lex takes aim at the damaged pod, fires at the pod and destroys the pod while destroying other Seraphs within the explosion range.

"Nice brother. Now to take care of the last… pod?" White asks.

"What's wrong, White?" Lex asks.

"The Pod. I'm not detecting it. It's like it disappeared." White answers.

"Yeah I'm not seeing it either… Oh crap!" Hogan spoke on the comms.

"What is it now?" Lex asks.

"The pod is within range. It's gonna hit the ship now!" Jared warns.

Without them knowing the pod decloaks itself as it heads for the ship faster until it made a large impact on the ship making everyone fall to the ground. The alarm blares as UNSC soldiers get deployed for battle making their way towards the docking bay.

Strangely, this pod departed from typical Covenant aesthetic and had more of a grey color with crimson lights appearing, following a strange symbol on it that showed it was no Covenant or Forerunner. When they noticed the symbol, one marine comments it was the symbol of the Banished, a mercenary organization and splinter faction of the former Covenant Empire that rose to power after the conclusion of the Human-Covenant War.

When the pod began to open up, the marines loaded and readied their weapons for whatever was to come out. Suddenly to their surprise, an actual human made grenade was thrown out of the pod to explode in a huge smoke that blinded all the marines. Just long enough for gunshots from a human weapons to be heard shooting all the marine soldiers dead.

When the smoke finally cleared, the figure from the pod took Lex and the others by surprise. It was another Spartan wearing full set of the Grey GEN2 Rogue armour with the signature crimson colour of the Banished for markings and accents and a Crimson Visor. The crimson emblem of the Banished is located on it's upper-right chest. He was equipped with an Assault Rifle with colors of the Banished adorn on it.

"What the hell? What the hell is another Spartan here? There's no other Spartans here other than my team or our commander." Lex thought to himself.

The Rogue Spartan noticed Lex and his team and started open firing on them. Forcing Lex, White, and Joseph to take cover.

"Who the hell is this guy?" White asked.

"I don't know you tell me. Joseph know this guy?" Lex asked.

Joseph only shrugged in confusion.

"Commander this is Lex we have a Rogue Spartan inbound repeat we have a Rogue Spartan in bound?"

"What the hell do you mean a Rogue Spartan Lex?" Alex demanded over the com link.

"I don't know. You tell me!" Lex draws his Battle Rifle and opened fire on the Rogue Spartan..

"Then give me some damn visual son!" Alex shouted.

The Rogue Spartan used one of the bodies of the dead marines as a human shield as he pulled out a grenade and throws it over at Lex and White's cover.

"Shit! Grenade!" White yelled.

Joseph quickly leaped into action and does a spin spin butterfly kick to kick the graveside perfectly back towards the Rogue Spartan. The Rogue Spartan however tossed the corpse he was carrying aside to pull out his pistol to accurately shoot the grenade mid way in the air. Destroying and preventing it from closing in on him.

"Oh my God, It's Raylen…" Lex and White heard Alex speak over their coms.

"Who now? Who the hell is Raylen?" Lex asks curiously.

"All personal this is Commander Alex we have a code red, repeat, Raylen is on board the Order Freedom repeat Raylen is on board the…" Alex spoke through all channels before the Rogue Spartan revealed to be Raylen shoots down the mics from across the room.

Thanks to the distraction the Spartan caused, more Pods belonging to the Banished mercenary group drop down and uncloak. Several Banished Grunts, Jackals, Brutes, and a few Hunters exit and began open firing at Lex and his team, giving Raylen cover fire. Among them was a Skirmisher in grey and crimson Skirmisher Champion armor with a jetpack along with the Banished symbol on the upper-right of his chest plate.

"See what you can do about the Elite General on board. I'm going to have Siva dig into the archives Zek." Raylen told the Skirmisher now revealed as Zek.

"Consider it done…" Zek answered before cloaking and disappearing from sight. All the while Raylen walked away while leaving Lex and his team to deal with the on slot of Banished Mercenary soldiers firing at them along with normal Covenant reinforcements entering.