Chapter 23

November 23, 2552, 1250hrs, UNSC Staging Area, Kenya, East Africa Protectorate, Africa, Planet Earth

The briefing was quick and to the point. Colonel Holland allowed the Operations Officer for the Kenyan Battle Group to brief them and then added his own comments but there really wasn't much they already didn't know. The Spartans and their ODST unit would go find Covenant and kill them. They were to start with the effort to clean up New Mombasa which was in the final stages and then would be shifted to Voi where the fight was beginning to center. The area commander wanted to be sure the Covenant 'infestation' as he referred to it was cleaned out of his backyard before he focused on what seemed to be the concentration of the invader's efforts. It was a pretty straightforward template, one that Mike liked- essentially point and shoot. The Lone Wolf's life had become increasingly complex over the past several months so the simplicity of linear combat was strangely comforting for him.

Once completed the team headed over to the armory to get ammo and supplies then get into the fight. Spirits were high with the rest of the Wolf Pack though most were still awkward in their Mjolnir armor. The place was alive with activity as Warthogs and transport trucks raced back and forth and the troop surge that had been ordered was unfolding so the team didn't notice another Spartan looking at them from a distance.

"Looks like everyone's been invited to the party," a firm female voice said behind the Wolf Pack. The Spartans turned to see who had spoken to them.

Mike received a pleasant surprise. "Dani!" he called out happily.

Before them was a female Spartan III with sparkling brown turned blue eyes. She wore matt green Mjolnir Mark V ODST armor and stood watching the group with a jaunty smirk.

Danielle-B000 had been part of Mike's training group and though not part of his section the two of them had been like brother and sister. She'd been another one pulled from the company after training for special assignment and so had not been part of Operation Torpedo.

"How many women does this guy know?" Matt whispered to Maya with a note of envy in his voice.

Beats me," the teenager replied with an amused shrug.

The rest of the team shared the pairs interest except for one crowding around like only teenagers were capable of doing. A reminder of the fact that even though they were efficient and deadly operators they were still youths with the same ability to become easily distracted.

"Hey Danielle," Melanie stated evenly.

"Melanie," the new Spartan responded, her bright face turning cloudy.

"Things get a little chilly here?" Matt commented to the others, observing the scene.

"You've been doing good work, Mike," Danielle stated, ignoring Melanie and the others. She was uninterested in anyone else so her focus was set.

"Thanks, Dani," Mike answered, noticing the chill but not sure what to do about it. "And so have you. Words gotten around."

"People were starting to call me another Lone Wolf," the female Spartan who stood about 6 foot 5 responded proudly.

Mike was uncomfortable with the moniker but didn't want to rebuke his former training mate and friend so nodded and chuckled.

"So, what you been doing since Mars?" Danielle asked, still ignoring everyone else.

"We were involved with the operations to take Cleveland," Mike answered, trying to enjoy the moment with his friend he hadn't seen in years but struggling.

"Isn't that still winding down?" Danielle asked, showing she was aware of what was going on in the broader war.

"It is but we got pulled to come here. It's just a mop up action now."

"Outstanding! Well, there's lots of action here," the woman stated enthusiastically.

"You been here for a while?" Mike asked.

"Almost since the beginning," Danielle answered. "I've been working with an ODST team.

"Oh yea, who's that?" Gunny MacGregor interjected after coming over to join the conversation, his natural curiosity piqued.

"Alpha 9 with the 65th Shock Division," Danielle stated proudly.

"Good lads, I heard," MacGregor stated with a nod of approval.

"You got that right, gunny."

"Well me Wolverines will give you a run for the money," MacGregor stated in his thick Scottish brogue like a proud father.

"Glad to hear it. I'm sure they're up for the challenge." Danielle shifted her focus back to Mike. "Sorry to hear about Kat. There aren't too many of us left."

"Thanks. Yea, it sucked," Mike acknowledged, going back to the time on Reach.

The sound of human and Covenant weapons exchanging fire in the distance brought the focus back to the task at hand.

"Well, got to get back to work. I'll be seeing you around, Mike. Good luck to the rest of you." Danielle plunked her helmet onto her head and moved through the rubble of a building and out of sight.

"Bitch," Melanie said under her breath.

"What was that?" Mike asked.

"Nothing. We need to get moving," the female recon Spartan countered testily turning and walking away herself.

Mike had heard but let it slide. He could tell Melanie was jealous and that bothered him. Danielle had been like a sister to him and there'd been nothing between them unlike with Melanie. Yet she'd reacted as if there were. It reminded the now-brooding man of the dynamic of their relationship. The two worked well together and the team liked her but this tension wasn't healthy and he feared at some point it was going to cause them trouble. He thought of Natalia and how this murky relationship with this woman must look to her for the first time and he realized the proud Misriah was being extremely patient with him. One more thing to deal with.

For Melanie, she remembered the female Spartan as a brooding loner who Mike had taken an interest in and protected from some of the more aggressive trainees over the course of their time at Camp Currahee. She'd remembered her being pulled at the same time as Mike and had heard some stories about her exploits but really hadn't paid attention since it wasn't relevant to her. Now she and Mike were back together with her and while it should have been an occasion to celebrate the moody female Spartan couldn't. She really needed to get out and kill something.

The opportunity came less than two hours later.

November 23, 2552, 1250hrs, New York City, New York, United States, Planet Earth

"Sir."

"Yes, what is it Niccolo?" Spanner Misriah asked his Smart AI.

"There's been an intrusion attempt on the new weapon system research files," the avatar that modelled itself after the 16th century Italian thinker stated.

"What?" Spanner sat up in shock, waving his assistant to leave the room which she did immediately. Once his office was cleared, he asked, "What happened?"

"Someone accessed the files using a trace program and a series of dead-end locations," Niccolo answered.

"And what did they get?" the billionaire industrialist asked, his mind already moving into contingency planning mode.

"Sir, I wouldn't be reporting to you in this fashion if they had," the Smart AI declared a bit smugly.

"Good." Spanner relaxed. "Do we know who made the attempt?"

"Of course, it was MacKenzie Wainwright."

"Excuse me?" the head of Misriah Armory choked out, sitting bolt upright like he'd been hit by lightning.

"It was MacKenzie Wainwright," Niccolo confirmed, not quite getting the rhetorical nature of the question.

Spanner Misriah buried his head in his hands at the implications of what had just happened and how things might have got to this point. He reflected back on the last several months and all that had changed in the young man's relationship not only with the company but also with the Misriah family.

"Sir?"

"Yes, Niccolo."

"How would you like to respond?" the Smart AI asked.

"Does he know we know?" Spanner asked, already thinking through his response.

"That is uncertain. He did appear to quickly severe the connection which gives the impression he was aware that the intrusion was discovered. But he ran a very sophisticated relay and sub-relay program to hide his electronic signature. I must confess to being impressed with myself for the speed at which I was able to route it back to him," Niccolo congratulated himself. "He likely believes that while the attempt was unsuccessful, he remains in the shadows."

"All right. Have a security detail pick him up. Monitor all travel centers to see if he's trying to flee Sydney. I want detained up quickly and quietly. No police, no media."

"Understood, sir. And is he to disappear?" Niccolo asked without malice or emotion.

A chill went up Spanner's spine at the question. "No, I want him brought here but I also want it to be quiet. Maximum security blanket. No one finds out about this. Let me know when we have him and he's in transit."

"As you wish it, so shall it be done," the Smart AI confirmed with bow and then the avatar faded out of sight.

Spanner Misriah had much to consider in the time before his one-time protegee was brought before him.

November 23, 2552, 1505hrs, New Mombasa, Kenya, East Africa Protectorate, Africa, Planet Earth

"Push through!" Mike ordered the ODST Wolverine squad that had been flanking the advance of the Wolf Pack and were again getting bogged down due to the impassible terrain in the former business district of the once opulent city. Mike drilled a Grunt with a three-round burst from his assault rifle and deftly turned to shoot another. Terrell's GPMG barked as it scattered another group of the Unggoy who'd tried to concentrate and support the charge of a pair of Suicide-Grunts. All that happened was the plasma grenades they'd been cooking to try to stop the human advance went off in the midst of them and they scattered in panic. The team fought in the shadows of the ruins of three skyscrapers in the 8th district of the city. Broken concrete and twisted rebar made for mini-fortifications rising up to forty meters in the air for the Grunts, Jackals and Skirmishers that were holding the area.

"Why are we here anyways? We should be in Voi where the real fight is," Matt complained firing his shotgun and missing a rolling Jackal. The burly assaulter was a step behind the Kig-Yar who then turned and shot back at the teenage Spartan with its plasma rifle, scoring a direct hit. Matt had already been hit several times so the alarm claxon went off in his Mjolnir armor signaling he needed to find some cover and let the shield regenerate.

"Yea, there doesn't seem to be much of value here," Alissa agreed. Frustration etched her voice as she tried to pick her way through the debris of the destroyed building she'd been trying to find a spot to set up on. But she'd overextended her reach and had fallen bumpily down to the rubble-strewn street though the gel-layer of her armor protected her. Not just the noise but the cloud of concrete dust she'd raised brought in response a flurry of crystalline needler rounds her way. Most connected and her shield alarm went off as well.

"We're here because there's a fight here and the Marines trying to take this back need some help. Let's stay focused on the task at hand," Mike answered, trying to keep his voice from sounding testy as he switched from his assault rifle to his M6G magnum pistol is one smooth motion. Toggling the KFA-2 scope he found the opening in the Kig-Yar's shield and capped off two armor piercing rounds that snapped the Jackal's head back.

Mike could hear the frustration in both the teen's voices not as much at the situation but at the difficulties they were having adjusting to the power-assisted armor. In truth, other than Maia, most of the team were having problems. Fortunately, this was a mop-up action so the fighting was light. He worried about what would happen when they got into something more desperate.

Most of the northern sectors of the city had been glassed already by the Covenant but the south was still largely intact as the invaders tried to hold a link between the metropolitan area and the nearly 160km long highway to Voi which was now their main area of operation. Why the Covenant continued to hold parts of the city they'd originally attacked was unknown, or at least it hadn't been shared with the Spartans. This was why the Wolf Pack and their ODST Wolverines had been moved there to provide support for the Marine units still engaged. Though fighting was sporadic it still existed and command wanted this enemy concentration dealt with once and for all for the sake of having at least something they could call a victory. Thus far though they'd seemed to win the lion share of skirmishes and the battles though the once jewel of Africa now was largely a smoldering ruin. Still, the humans wanted it back.

Adam had been listening to the conversation of his teammates and had become momentarily distracted as he approached the corner of the building he'd been using as cover. He'd missed the Skirmisher who'd patiently waited in an alcove for the teen Spartan to pass. The blond-haired Spartan didn't realize the Kig-Yar was there until he heard the familiar chug chug chug of a needler being fired. Reflexively he flinched forgetting the shield capabilities of his armor and overcompensated lurching forward then tripping on a piece of concrete on the ground. Face down on the sidewalk Adam made a nice target. The Skirmisher squawked in victory as it came triumphantly to stand over the Spartan who was having trouble getting up. Mike could see this but was out of position to help. Fortunately, Maia saw and made a big power-assisted jump over a pile of rubble to land less than twenty feet from her teammate. The Skirmisher was so focused on its easy kill it realized too late what was going on as the quiet female Spartan placed a well-aimed three round 9.5x40mm SAP burst from her battle rifle into the avian's skull.

"Thanks, Maia," Adam acknowledged, getting up sheepishly.

"No problem," his teammate replied, covering him. "Don't forget you have shielding. You can take a few hits."

"I should remember that," Adam confessed. "I guess I just got caught up in the moment."

"Be sure you're all working with your neural interfaces," Mike interjected. The Lone Wolf had switched back to his assault rifle and scattered another concentration of Grunts effectively ending opposition in this particular block. It had been slower than it should have been but the teen Spartans were clumsy in their new Mjolnir armor and so the progress had been at a snail's pace. "Also, like Maia said, know how many hits you can take before you have to regroup and let your overshield recharge."

"I just can't get the hang of this," Matt complained. "I'm trying but it's not working. I can't believe I'm saying this but I almost wish I was back in the SPI."

"I know what you mean," Alissa added, picking herself up from falling again. "I didn't get one shot off because I can't get where I need to be. This sucks."

"It's okay guys, we'll get it," Adam tried to be encouraging but his voice betrayed his lack of confidence.

Maia said nothing, holding a covering position to the next block they'd be advancing to while Terrell chose to say nothing as well, putting a new belt of ammunition into the drum of his GPMG.

Mike could feel the frustration of his team and couldn't blame them. They'd not had enough training and familiarization with the new armor and it had showed. Though no one said it, all were thinking the same thing. They were lucky so far that they'd not faced stiffer opposition. Yet they weren't going to be given the opportunity so they needed to figure out how to make it work on the fly. This was weighing heavy in the increasingly agitated Spartan since it now rested on his shoulders.

"You need to slow your pace and be patient with yourself," Mike tried to encourage them. "You'll get there. Key thing to remember is your reflexes and responses are all enhanced so in the end you'll perform at the same pace until you get used to it."

"Not so easy to do in combat, sir," Matt piped in, still frustrated so letting it boil over.

The commander of the Wolf Pack wanted to lash back in frustration with a retort of his own but held his tongue. Instead he answered, "Yea, I get that. It's not fair you guys were thrown into this without the proper training and preparation. But I know you can do it. We stick together, we help each other, and we get it done."

"You're right, thanks sir," Adam jumped in, hoping to move to a more positive tone.

"Wolverine Actual, what's your SITREP, over?" Mike called over TEAMCOMM to Captain McLynn, wanting to think of something else besides his own growing frustration.

"We've cleared the area north and south of your position, Wolf Pack Lead," the ODST officer reported. "We're consolidating and dealing with our wounded. Two minor to report, nothing major."

"Excellent, good work Wolverines," Mike replied, happy with the report. "We're prepping for our next bound. I'll set waypoints for yours when we're ready to step off. It should be shortly. Keep up the good work."

"Roger that, Wolverine Actual out."

Mike pulled up his tactical map of the district and began to set the next push the group would undertake. The sound of automatic gunfire drifted in the on warm afternoon air reminding him there were others still trying to recapture the broken city. He had to confess that Matt was right, this really wasn't an assignment for them but he didn't call the shots. Frustration mounted but then the seasoned veteran realized they'd been called in to help finally clear New Mombasa once and for all with a minimum of casualties. The UNSC and local police and militia units had been fighting for the jewel of Kenya for nearly a month. The city had been largely glassed and casualties must have been high. Why not call in a team of Spartans and their support company to help? The Lone Wolf reminded himself this wasn't about him and his 'kill count' anymore. He was part of a greater effort and needed to be sure he was doing his part.

Melanie came trotting into the area they'd set up in from the recon she'd been undertaking in the next block for the Wolverines, linking back with the Wolf Pack. "You still here?" she asked in surprise. "I thought I'd find you further up by now. Resistance is light you should be cutting through this easily. Do you think this is a vacation or something?" the sometimes-glib operator added sarcastically.

"We'd been doing better if this bloody armor worked right!" Matt barked back at her.

"Yea, it's not our fault it won't do what we want it to," Alissa added.

"Come on guys, calm down," Maia tried to help.

"Easy for you to say," Alissa countered angrily. "You don't have to try to crawl around with this stuff."

"All right, pipe down," Mike ordered grumpily. "Get ready to move out." He gave a hand signal for 'not helpful' to the Recon Spartan.

She flashed back to him to go to private channel which she did.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to stir things up like that, Michael," Melanie apologized. "What's going on?"

"Most of them are still struggling with the armor," Mike answered not hiding his frustration with the situation anymore.

"But I thought they'd gotten the hang of it back in New York?'

"Sure, they got the basics down but combat's a different thing, you should know that," Mike allowed his frustrations to concentrate on her.

"You're right. I've been in Mjolnir so long its second nature to me. Guess I forgot." Melanie paused for a moment and looked at Mike's helmeted face. "I'm sorry I'm making things difficult for you Michael."

Mike paused and allowed the frustration to bleed off though guilt began to fill the void at how he was acting towards her. She was doing her job and only trying to help. It wasn't that really when he was honest with himself. He continued to struggle with his feeling towards here especially relative to his relationship with Natalia. "Don't worry, it's not you. We just need to get over this, that's all."

"Okay, thanks, Michael." Melanie answered with a note of sadness in her voice.

Mike's guilt only grew but he needed to get back to business. "What have we got?"

"Mixed parties of Grunts, Jackals and Skirmishers bunkered up in the ruins of those building over there," Melanie pointed to a skyscraper that had fallen down to its last three stories, knowing it was time to get back to business.

"Okay Wolf Pack, let's get at it and clear that sector out," Mike ordered then switched to the broader frequency. "Wolverines, here's your waypoints, we're moving now."

The frustrated Spartan slapped a fresh mag into his assault rifle and wondered anew what would happen when they eventually met stiffer observation. He prayed his team would get the hang of their new armor before that.