Chapter 11
October 4, 2552, 0847 Hours, Faunus Forest, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars
The first group from the Wolf Pack was dropped two kilometers from the designated insertion point at a sheltered spot picked by Mike. They then moved quickly but as silently as possible to where the rest of the team would be dropped. For the Spartans who possessed the physical abilities of an Olympic athlete it didn't take them too long to get there.
Using hand signals Mike had his squad move into a good position for observation. He could see that Adam had set up a perimeter defence which was a good choice considering the three holos projected had limited movement. Mike had picked Matt and Alissa for his group since they were the strongest on the team but left the others for the unnerving part of waiting since they seemed the steadiest.
Okay, if I was observing this spot where would I set up? Mike asked himself. Looking around he saw several spots that would work. Signalling again they moved in cover towards the most likely location. Bingo.
They were rewarded with the sight of two ODSTs lying prone behind an outcropping of rocks and low scrub bushes watching what they thought was the full Spartan team milling about. Mike motioned again what he wanted to do and got the thumbs up from his teammates.
Moving silently towards their quarry Mike took the one on the right while Matt and Alissa crept up on the one on the left. As he moved Mike figured that after their successive early victories over the trainees the Helljumpers had become relaxed in their disciple and he wasn't disappointed. Neither of the ODSTs shifted position or did any kind of perimeter check. They seemed content to lie comfortably and watch.
Mike moved in fast giving a savage chop to the back of the ODST's neck where the helmet gasket met the body armor. Stunning his victim Mike violently wrenched the helmet off the shocked ODST to deny him any comms. Just as fast he gave another chop before using a pair of zip ties to truss him up. While doing this he looked to ensure their other target was taken out and was satisfied to see the other two Spartans had been as successful. The leader of the Wolf Pack did a quick sweep of the perimeter to ensure there were no other scouts and then signalled to Adam and the others all was clear. Despite wearing helmets it was obvious the Spartans were pleased with the change of events.
"What the hell?" one of the stunned ODSTs called out.
"Change of plans, pal," Matt shot back proudly.
"All right, take these," Mike handed stun rounds to those carrying MA5B's, quickly stripping the magazines from the older version assault rifle fitted to carry the ordinance of the two captured ODST's. "No time to hang around and gloat. We got to move fast before the rest realize what's going on."
The Wolf Pack pressed out quickly, covering the distance to the cusp of their objective in short order. Again Mike intended to use the ruse with the Portable Holo-Projector again. Their objective had been to penetrate a fire watch tower and station in the hill area that they'd been humiliated days earlier. Mike looked through spotter binoculars and could see one ODST in the tower and another half dozen lounging around outside the station's cabin. He knew there'd be several more inside meaning they again had a quick reaction force hidden somewhere waiting to pounce.
Mike had Adam make a movement to crest a hill and then pull back to hopefully get their attention. Watching the Helljumper in the tower he knew his ruse would work. He and his team had already been moving through cover to their assaulting position. It was a tricky situation since only 4 of them had been carrying MA5Bs so could use the stun rounds. He'd given Alissa his Assault Rifle since she'd proven to be the best shot in the team and plus he wanted them to gain the experience so he was weaponless. Terrell on the blocking team had nothing but his empty heavy machine gun as well so while armed they had limited ammo so had to strike swiftly using the element of surprise.
Finally in position, Mike gave two clicks of his comms to signal Adam to move. He couldn't see the team 2ic but trusted they were now moving timidly along the tree line and towards the objective as planned. He was rewarded by the sounds and sight of movement to his left which meant the ODST hidden force was shifting position to meet the perceived angle of assault.
Good, now let's be patient, Mike thought to himself as he motioned for Matt and Alissa to follow him quietly. He could now see the tail end of the group and counted six Helljumpers. They were relaxed and seemed to be joking with each other as they moved to intercept the Spartan team coming out of the hills having gotten used to winning so many times before.
Not this time, Mike thought.
The moment to strike came as they moved between them and the objective. Mike counted 3-2-1 and Alissa and Matt opened up. While the titanium-based armor the operators wore provided excellent ballistic protection from the non-lethal rounds the impact did mess with the internal systems giving a window of opportunity. Shocked more than hurt, the ODST's reacted to the threat but too late. Mike was among them, beating several down with his fists and seizing the weapons of the others. Not stopping to mop up the shattered force he met up with Alissa and Matt, handing them each a fully loaded Assault Rifle while opening a comms channel.
"Go, go, go!" he called out urgently to the rest of the team as they prepared to break through the cover of the thick woods that had been shielding them and into the open.
As the ODST's at the objective prepared to respond they were met by the assault force coming from the other side. Not expecting the Spartans to be armed the Helljumpers on defense waited too long to react giving the Wolf Pack the time they needed. Though there was a short, sharp exchange of fire from the stun rounds the Spartans were able to subdue and capture the objective. Before any of the defending force knew what was going on the Spartans trussed them all up with zip ties. They'd won.
The ODST's were livid and several had to be cuffed on the side of the head to subdue them, total was the surprise at finally be bested by the trainees.
Fifteen minutes later two Pelicans swooped in kicking up dust at the site which did nothing to help the disposition of the ODST's who'd had their helmets taken off. Trying to fend off the stinging dust and small stones whipped up only mad their outrage greater.
Gunny MacGregor walked off the rear ramp with a stunned look on his face and could only shake his head at the unexpected sight.
"They broke the Rules of Engagement," the outraged corporal in charge of the detail complained. "They used stun rounds on us."
"Your doing?" MacGregor asked Mike, ignoring the protesting Helljumper.
"Improvise, adapt and overcome," Mike responded unapologetic.
MacGregor burst into a full belly laugh that echoed through the opening in the forest. Despite the anger of the defeated ODST group the gunnery sergeant seemed barely able to contain his joy. He looked like a proud parent at his child's graduation. "That's the way you do it, Wolf Pack!" he beamed. "Well done, well done," he enthused in his Scottish brogue. "Now ye know what you're capable of. Let me buy ye all a beer tonight," he declared spontaneously, then catching himself turned to Mike, "With your permission of course sir."
Mike laughed and nodded his head in agreement. He'd not felt this kind of joy for weeks. "Permission granted, gunny. I think I might just join you."
With that the team let out a spontaneous cheer. The wolves had become a pack.
October 7, 2552, 0915 Hours, Sydney, Australia, Planet Earth
Spanner Misriah knew his options were becoming more limited and the path was narrowing for him. He'd been having Niccolo monitor Natalia's data terminal in her office and condo and she'd been searching for information about Mars. At first it had been subtle but now pretenses were gone and it had become more overt. She was definitely searching for something and he feared he knew what it was.
The business magnate`s daughter had not accessed anything to do with his business but rather had been looking at military records. So her pressing him to understand more about his business there didn't fly. Regardless of motive, he didn't want her poking around his operations there and finding out he'd moved most everything without authorization. Spanner Misriah didn't need any more complications. So he had to be sure in order to figure out a strategy.
"Niccolo."
"My Lord," the Smart AI appeared instantly, hovering over top of Spanner`s lacquered desk
"I want you to find out about any Spartan-related activity on Mars," the troubled man ordered.
"For what purpose, my lord?" Niccolo asked with an inquisitive look.
"That's none of your business," Spanner snapped back angrily. "Just find me all the information on SPECWAR Spartan operations."
It took the Smart AI a couple of seconds to respond.
"I've found the answer to your question about Mars."
"Download them to my console and then lock down the office," Spanner ordered brusquely.
"As you wish, my lord," Niccolo responded with a shrug, clearly curious since that was the nature of Smart AI`s. They were always seeking more information.
For nearly a week Natalia's interest in Mars had been eating away at Spanner and causing a distraction he didn't need at this point. Natalia had pressed him again and he needed to know how to respond and to do that he needed information. Opening up his terminal he looked at what Niccolo had provided and it was right there: Spartan Ops, Lt. Commander Mike-B312, officer commanding Team Wolfpack, Special Warfare Group 1.
His fears had proven correct. Spanner`s heart rate spiked at the realization and also the determination to now keep Natalia from 'Mars.
October 7, 2552, 0920 Hours, HIGHCOM facility Bravo-6,Sydney, Australia, Planet Earth
Once again Natalia was going through the motions. She anticipated another day of shuffling files and existing in obscurity among the thousands of others who worked out of 'the Hive'. It was less than inspiring.
Captain Osman had sent her on yet another mundane task to receive a report from the Threat Analysis Wing. Why it couldn`t be sent electronically or by messenger escaped the troubled woman but at least it got her out of her office and let her stretch her legs. Passing the painting of 'Admiral Cole`s Last Stand' she paused to take it in. Everyone in the UNSC Navy knew the story and she`d been taught about it at officer school. She`d seen the original of the painting hanging in a prominent hall in the lobby of the Hive dozens of times but hadn`t given it much thought in the past. The heroism of Cole was obvious and it had been well captured in the painting but it made her think of Mike.
What didn`t.
She thought of his last stand at Reach. She`d read the report more times than she could remember. Though details were scarce it was clear he`d stood alone against countless Covenant forces in order to allow a critical UNSC ship to escape the planet. It was an incredibly heroic act.
And he`d stood alone.
She should have been there with him but she wasn`t, she was safely back on Earth and likely sitting behind a desk by then. Condemnation ate away at her anew like acid.
The troubled woman`s mind was so clouded by these dark thoughts she almost missed him. Despite standing nearly 7 feet tall the sailor clad in crisp black BDUs seemed to blend into the morning crowd moving through hub of the building.
It was the tattoo of a hand grasping three arrows rising up beside his left ear of the bald head that gave him away.
It was Jun, her former teammate from Noble Team.
"Jun! Natalia responded in delight. "Jun, what are you doing here?"
The former Noble Team sniper stiffened as he recognized who was speaking to him. Jun was still getting used to the idea he was being removed from operational assignment. The accusation of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder had come back to haunt him and now it looked like he was being pulled from the game, much to his frustration. ONI had taken him from operational taskings and he was now going to be given a training assignment though not told yet exactly who'd he'd been training. For the energetic Spartan the lack of action had been grinding on him plus he'd not been able to find out anything about what had happened to Mike after their separation on Cairo Station. The frustration had only grown each day as reports of Covenant activities around the galaxy were reported.
And there, standing before him with a goofy grin on her face was Natalia Misriah.
Jun said nothing, shocked at the unexpected connection. Unsure what to say, he mumbled, "What?"
"I said, what are you doing here in Sydney?" Natalia asked again, instinctively putting her hand on his shoulder.
Jun didn't like that, nor did he like the happy look on her face. "Still have to work for a living. " He paused to collect his bearings then continued testily, "Only me and Mike got off Reach," he stated without emotion though anger was evident on his face as he pulled away from her touch. "But then you probably know that already being ONI."
"Yes, I heard." Natalia caught the anger in the former Noble Team member. His unexpected negative response to her caught Natalia off guard. "I'm sorry for the rest of the team."
"Thanks," Jun responded stiffly but with no air of gratitude. Then, uninterested in small talk with the connected woman he went on the offensive, deciding to take all his building frustration out on the woman before him who represented what was behind it to him. "Have you been in touch with Mike?"
Natalia didn't know what to say.
"Thought not," Jun blazing eye's fixed on hers.
"Things have been kind of crazy since Reach," Natalia answered lamely, breaking away from his accusing look, wanting to explain but not sure how.
"Yea, I can imagine," Jun shot back without sympathy. "After you cracked out of New Alexandria I can imagine there were lots of places to go and people to see," he declared bitterly.
"It wasn't like that," she pleaded.
A small crowd had formed around the pair at a discrete distance. At ONI headquarters information was like gold and this conversation was beginning to draw people, especially when they realized who was involved.
"But then that comes with privilege," Jun continued, ignoring her plea to understand.
Spoiled little rich girl
The words screamed in Natalia's mind, condemning her just as Jun's words and looks cut into her like a knife. She was facing a full-on assault and couldn't stand it. Unable to respond she stood there, speechless before her former teammate.
Well you take care of yourself, ma'am," Jun declared, throwing the woman who outranked him a hasty salute. "I know that's something you're good at."
With that the Spartan walked away as an excited buzz of hushed conversation broke out in his wake. Natalia stood stunned at the exchange which had gone on for less than two minutes from recognition to this point. Knowing others would talk about what had happened for the rest of the day was bad enough but the voices condemning her from within would be the worst. The heart-broken woman walked quickly away red-faced in shame and embarrassment, unsure how to get away from this latest setback.
October 7, 2552, 1300 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars
Mike found himself in a good mood as he sat at his desk. The morning had gone well. Ever since their defeat of the ODST force several days earlier the team had moved with a higher level of confidence. The Helljumpers had protested that the Wolf Pack had gone outside the scenario limits and rules of engagement which Mike had to admit was true but in their type of warfare there were few rules other than survive.
Now, with a greater amount of confidence the team had effectively gone through two building clearing scenarios and were really beginning to gel as a team. In many ways they were ahead of his timeline though Colonel Ackerson continued to press the pace. The intuitive Spartan could tell there was something more going on than operational readiness in his superior officer. He wouldn't have cared about office politics if it didn't have the potential for a material impact on him and his team. But it was outside his control and he wasn't about to let it spoil his good mood.
"Sir, the colonel wants to see you in his office right away," Gunny MacGregor entered in and announced.
Too late.
Mike moved quickly from his functional office taking the stairs to the top floor to Ackerson's. The Spartan had chosen a shop foreman's office for his while the colonel had picked the plant manager's opulent suite to work out of. The contrast was fairly obvious but also seemed to reflect well their personalities.
This was to be the meeting with the new training officer that was to help the team with their infiltration techniques. Mike still bristled at the implication that he couldn't handle it with his existing team but it was out of his hands so he had just decided to roll with it.
Entering the office a female Spartan III in MJOLNIR Mark V/Scout armor stood at ease beside Ackerson's desk with her back to the door. Mike at first tried to not look at her, especially as she turned to greet him, the irritation welling up. But then something grabbed him in a vice grip and wouldn't let him go.
It was the eyes.
Lieutenant Commander, I want to introduce you to Warrant…"
"Mel!" Mike blurted out, shocked that he was seeing what he thought was a ghost.
Standing before him was his former teammate and friend from Camp Currahee, Melanie.
