Chapter 29
November 27, 2552, 1338hrs, Chawia Hill, Kenya, East Africa Protectorate, Africa, Planet Earth
"I repeat: My convoy's been hit. I've got wounded," the frantic call over the area comms cut to static before returning. "We're on the Tsavo Highway about…," the transmission broke to static again. "…east of Voi. Someone, anyone, please, respond!" The radio call went again to static and then was cut off.
"All right Wolf Pack, let's go and assist," Mike called out purposefully to his team slapping a fresh mag into his assault rifle and checking his ammo state.
The team's Pelican had landed a short time earlier at one of many rally points for those who'd left the Crow's Nest. They'd had the momentary reprieve in the shadows of the wreckage of the New Mombasa Space Elevator but the call from a supply convoy coming up the highway cut their time of rest short.
The Spartan team commandeered two Warthogs to make the short trip to the Tsavo to assist the beleaguered UNSC personnel as did the members of the Wolverines who'd ended up at the same rally point. Mike hopped into the driver's seat while Terrell jumped up behind the LAAG. Maia drove the second with Alissa taking the M41 Vulcan. Taking the lead, the Wolf Pack sped to the highway only a couple of kilometers away.
While the convoy's rescuers hadn't gotten a location on the harassed UNSC forces a pair of Brute Choppers speeding down the highway about a half-kilometer ahead seemed to indicate where the fight was.
"We're going to follow those Choppers," Mike called out, "I bet they'll take us to our people."
Acknowledgement lights lit up Mike's HUD as the relief force came onto the highway picking up speed. The drivers of the vicious two-wheeled Covenant rapid assault vehicles seemed oblivious to the UNSC force closing in on them.
Coming into range, Mike ordered, "Light 'em up!"
Terrell opened fire on the rear Chopper with the LAAG spewing out 12.7x99mm rounds at a rate of 500 rounds per minute. The Brute machine exploded in an orange fireball getting the attention of the one in the lead. The other Chopper nimbly turned 180 degrees and opened fire with its twin pair of 35mm autocannons but before it could connect Alissa hammered it with the LAAG from her trailing Warthog. The driver was shredded and thrown out of the operator's seat as the heavily damaged bike flew topsy-turvy off the highway.
The UNSC forces pressed past without a pause and in less than two minutes found the convoy that was under attack. Most of the convoy's Marine escort was down and several of the transport trucks carrying shipping containers of much-needed supplies were on fire or destroyed. Plasma rounds lit up the air and Jackals fired from the periphery to keep the humans penned in while a group of Brutes was pressing in to break the defensive ring the convoy had set up around their vehicles.
The Wolf Pack wasted no time in doing more than a quick assessment of the situation. The Spartans charged in engaging with their Warthogs. Nimbly bobbing and weaving through smoking vehicles and the temporary barriers the attacking Covenant forces had put up to blockade the convoy the relief force was able to check the attack and shift the Covenant attacker's focus on to them. Coming up right behind the Wolf Pack, the ODST Wolverines decided to deploy out of their vehicles and moved in disciplined bounds to link up with the Marine force guarding the precious supplies helping strengthen their position.
After their initial attack with the Warthog around the periphery of the battle, Mike decided it would be more effective to fight on foot so pulled his Force Application Vehicle over so he and Matt could jump out. Terrell stayed in place providing fire support fire where he could as Maia with Adam and Alissa continued to move around in their Warthog disrupting the Covenant attackers who were trying to regroup.
A fresh pack of Brutes entered the scene with a mixed company of Grunts and Jackals stemming the tide of the human relief effort. Concentrated fire from brute shots caused another truck from the convoy to blow up sending shrapnel and debris all around. When the Marines defending it had to go to cover to protect themselves the attackers took advantage of the opportunity to charge in threatening to penetrate the defensive formation.
Seeing this dangerous situation unfold, Mike called to the Wolverines to back him and Matt up as they charge into the Covenant reinforcements guns blazing. The sheer weight of the Mjolnir-armored Spartans supported by a half-platoon of ODSTs checked the Brute advance, keeping them from linking up with their pack mates who'd enjoyed initial success at this development.
The Brutes answered back, holding in disciplined groups to keep the humans from linking up. Matt charged in firing two quick bursts from his shotgun at one of the Brute groups then used his weapon as a club to bludgeon one to the ground. It went down in a scream of pain but one of the Jiralhanae's clan mates turned and punched the teen Spartan with a massive hairy first. The force behind the 600kg Brute's punch sent Matt sprawling. The beast then nimbly moved for its size to put an armored foot on him and begin to press down. The alarm claxon went off as Matt's shield drained. Mike saw this but was engaged in his own desperate fight and could do nothing to assist. A sharp burst of SMG fire caused the Brute to contort like a puppet on a string and it fell dead in a heap on top of Matt. Gunnery Sergeant MacGregor with two ODSTs from the Wolverines came up from behind, the senior NCO's weapon still smoking.
"Thanks, gunny," Matt said humbly as he got back to his feet.
"Can't let you wee bairns have all the fun," the grizzled combat veteran replied with a wink. "All right, no time to talk, let's go have some fun."
With that the trio of ODSTs got back into the fight with Mike and Matt joining them to smash the Covenant attackers.
As more human forces coming out of the Crow's Nest arrived to support the beleaguered convoy and with Mike, Matt and the Wolverines checking the Covenant reinforcements the battle was over quickly with all the Brutes dead and the remaining Grunts running away screaming in disorganization and the surviving Jackals melting into the shadows of the foliage and space elevator wreckage. What could have been a terrible disaster for the human forces turned into a much-needed victory.
November 27, 2552, 1415hrs, "The Hive", HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-Six, Sydney, Australia, Planet Earth
"Has your mission been accomplished?" Admiral Parangosky asked with a sense of anticipation to the off-the-books assassin she'd sent to Kenya to kill Natalia.
The head of the Office of Naval Intelligence's office was in hard lock-down and Captain Osman had been sent to another part of the Hive to keep her from suspecting anything. To the scheming woman everything was perfect. Parangosky could tell her aide was not only suspicious about what was going on but seemed to be uncomfortable with some of decisions being made of late. Hence the reason she was kept out of this. The former Spartan had potential, the admiral thought to herself, but wasn't ready for command just yet, there were still some lessons she needed to learn.
"Negative," came the reply over the speaker through her console. This was a voice-only transmission. There would be no video and the conversation was being scrubbed even as they spoke. There was to be no record of this mission.
"What do you mean?" Parangosky added menacingly.
"Your data package is old. The target is no longer in New Mombasa," the assassin reported with a Middle Eastern accent. "I'm not certain where she is currently. The situation is pretty fluid here right now and as I don't exist my access to information is pretty limited."
"Black Box," the admiral called out.
"Here, ma'am," the Smart AI appeared and answered stiffly.
"I want new location and co-ordinates for Natalia Misriah."
"Admiral Parangosky, are you certain of this order?" Black Box questioned anew. "There is no upside for you to this action and the potential for disaster in my estimation..."
"Don't question me, Black Box!" Parangosky snapped back. "You answer to me and you will provide what I asked for without moralizing on this."
Black Box let out a long and audible sigh, pausing dramatically.
"Well?" the admiral impatiently cut in.
"Lieutenant Commander Misriah is currently in the Voi Theatre of Operations staging area. She arrived a short time ago on a supply convoy out of New Mombasa." The Smart AI did nothing to mask the disgust it had with producing the information.
"I want you to send the co-ordinates to the asset immediately," the admiral demanded.
"Done," Black Box stated huffily and disappeared again without being ordered away.
Margaret Parangosky noted the act of disobedience and would need to ponder an appropriate response to not only rein in but punish the Smart AI. No one defied her. But that would have to wait.
"Co-ordinates received," the assassin confirmed. "What are your orders, ma'am?" he asked, having heard the conversation over the line.
"Nothing has changed, termination with extreme prejudice," Parangosky snapped. "Head to the Voi staging area immediately and report to me directly on this channel when it's done."
So as the war for the survival of humanity came to its critical juncture, Margaret Parangosky continued to wage her own personal war.
November 27, 2552, 1420hrs, Chawia Hill, Kenya, East Africa Protectorate, Africa, Planet Earth
While medics scrambled to assist the wounded and the trucks that were on fire extinguished Mike surveyed the scene with satisfaction. The Wolverines set up a protective perimeter around the stalled convoy and the remainder took the opportunity to relax. The commander of the Wolf Pack couldn't help but smile as he removed his helmet breathing in the humid Kenyan air. His Spartans and ODSTs had fought together seamlessly for the first time since reaching Africa. They'd found their old cohesion which was a source of relief for the heavily-burdened man. After checking in with the commander of the convoy and then Captain McLynn to check the state of the Wolverines he ordered everyone to rest though keep weapons handy. All knew they'd be back in the fight sooner rather than later.
The rest of the Wolf Pack took the opportunity to remove their helmets and have some food from their ration packs excitedly sharing the events of the day.
"I heard the Master Chief made it out," Matt stated excitedly.
"Of course he did," Alissa retorted. "Did you expect any less? He's the Master Chief."
"Yea, I know, but that was a pretty big explosion," the burly assaulter said.
"Don't matter, he's the Master Chief," the team's sniper declared.
The banter between the two members of the Wolf Pack that drew Terrell into the conversation was lost on Adam. The team's 2ic sat a short distance away on a ration's crate in a state of misery. While the others eagerly shared their thoughts on the Master Chief much of it was fueled by how well the day had gone. While the UNSC had lost the Crow's Nest and were reconsolidating in the area the teen Spartans had not only fought well but with distinction. They'd all seemed to overcome the challenges they'd faced the previous days with their Mjolnir armor so their previous confidence had returned. Plus, things were good with the ODST Wolf Pack and that group had gotten out as well with no casualties.
It seemed like old times.
Yes, old times since Adam had again frozen in the face of the Brutes. Every time the quiet teen had thought he'd overcome this phobia each time it had shown itself to only be lying dormant and had returned in the heat of battle with a vengeance. He'd offered to step down as team 2ic but the others members wouldn't hear of it yet Mike had remained quiet and said nothing. He felt like a liability and didn't know what to do about it but knew it was only a matter of time before his actions got someone killed. Again, he'd frozen earlier in the day when they were fighting for the Crow's Nest. This was not the legacy he'd wanted and it was becoming a millstone around his neck. He didn't know if his teammates knew how bad it had been this time but it was getting harder to hide. So deep in thought was the teenage Spartan he didn't even notice someone had been talking to him.
"What?" Adam mumbled in distraction.
"I said, 'are you doing okay?'," Maia, who was now sitting beside him, asked.
"I'm fine," the blond-haired teen lied.
"I saw what happened," the quietest member of the team declared without judgment.
"Then you know I need to resign and get reassigned," Adam stated in misery.
"That's not how I see it," Maia countered.
"What do you mean?" Adam asked, caught off guard by the unexpected comment.
"I know you have a problem with the Brutes. We all know that."
"So then you should understand my position."
"I do understand, but I don't think you understand, Adam," Maia said patiently. "We get it. We all have our demons."
"Yea, but none of yours causes you to freeze," the team's 2ic cut her off bitterly.
"That's true," the Wolf Pack's most thoughtful member conceded, "but you've also forgotten we're a family and we're in this together. We've let you down, in some ways."
"What do you mean?" Adam asked, confusion filling his expressive face. "That seems hardly fair to you."
"We know you have a problem with Brutes and we know we're going to face them. We get into a fight and we all forget you're working through this so we leave you to do your part when you're struggling. We're not helping you work through this," Maia stated.
"We're in combat!" Adam retorted.
"It doesn't matter," Maia declared, shaking her head. We need to do a better job of helping you defeat this. We're all here for you, let us help you overcome this."
Adam was overwhelmed by emotion. I'm not in this alone, he thought to himself. They want to help me. A renewed resolution began to build that replaced the one he'd tried to build through his own strength. This one was based on the love he had for his teammates and desire to help them as much as they wanted to help him. This was a resolution based on love, one he instinctively knew would be different. His would not be a legacy of failure in the face of this challenge but rather he'd be an overcomer.
"Thanks Maia, that means a lot," Adam stated genuinely, with new resolve. "With all of your help I can get over this."
"We know you can Adam, we all believe in you." Maia gave him a hug and then went back to the rest of the group. Things were going to change.
Mike watched the conversation, as he leaned against a Warthog. He could tell they were talking about Adam and how he'd frozen again when they faced the Brutes. The supersoldier could empathize with the teen and his struggles but he also knew if the team's 2ic didn't get a grip on this soon it was going to cost them. He'd thought to replace Adam but again the team had come to his aid. As he watched it was obvious they were all rallying around the troubled teen. That made the former Lone Wolf smile warmly at the spirit of unity within the Wolf Pack. While the smart tactical decision might be to relieve the Spartan to maintain operational efficiency, he knew he wouldn't since this was about more than how they functioned. The others were supporting him and growing in the process which meant they were not only covering for Adam but he would grow through their efforts and support. On paper it didn't seem wise but the leader of the Wolf Pack knew in his heart it was the right way to proceed.
Mike shifted his focus from his team and began to idly scan the area that was jammed with vehicles from the convoy they'd assisted plus that which had come out of the abandoning of the Crow's Nest. The observant Spartan's gaze fixed though on one particular person who'd just gotten out of a transport Warthog. He could tell it was her at a distance despite the Marine helmet and ballistic armor. He wasn't sure how, he just knew. "Tali!" he called out.
Natalia turned at the voice she'd desperately wanted to hear. "Mike!" she called back and unembarrassed ran to him.
The two awkwardly embraced since both wore armor. A few passers-by looked on with amusement but most carried on with their business.
"You were on that convoy?" Mike asked, suddenly connecting the dots.
"Yea, I wasn't sure we were going to make it," Natalia answered with an involuntary shudder. Then she connected her own dots. "Hey, were you part of the group that rescued us?"
"We were evac'ing the Crow's Nest when we got the distress call," Mike answered, realizing his own feeling of dread.
"Looks like you've come to my rescue again," Natalia answered, a brilliant smile lighting up her face.
"Just in the right place at the right time," Mike answered but then a thought that he had struck him hard. This was a pattern in many ways in their relationship, which was odd. Then the idea hit him that perhaps it wasn't coincidence but the Divine who kept bringing them together since this was what was meant to be.
"Well hello beautiful," Gunny MacGregor said in his thick Scottish brogue, ambling over. "I see you're still blessed with good luck."
Natalia knew there was no malice in the comment so bent down and kissed the tough ODST on the cheek. "And it's good to see you too, gunny."
"Bah!" he retorted crustily though his face reddened in embarrassment.
"What's up, Hank?" Mike asked, knowing MacGregor had come over for a purpose.
The pair moved off a short distance to have a quick meeting.
While they chatted Natalia idly scanned the area and saw Melanie a distance away staring intently at them. The competitive woman's heart sunk and bile crept up into her thought.
What's she doing here? Natalia thought angrily to herself. Why didn't Mike tell me she was here? If he didn't tell me about this what else is he hiding from me and what's he doing with her?
It was a moment of truth for Natalia Misriah. Jealousy began to flare at the sight of the attractive Spartan and the old doubts and fears began to surface in the woman who's privilege actually had led to large amounts of insecurity.
But then another voice began to speak inside of her.
Mike loves you and you love him. You DO trust him, it's time to start acting like it. He didn't tell you because you've only had minutes to speak. Its time you came out of your protective shell and live. You have nothing to fear from that woman, you can trust Mike.
Something changed for Natalia in that moment. Turning away from her perceived rival she walked over and boldly held Mike's hand while he continued to talk to Gunnery Sergeant MacGregor unafraid of what the future held and what would happen. She loved Mike and he loved her, that was all that mattered. Despite the terror of recent combat, the woman smiled and somewhere a song bird called out happily.
"You jealous Mike's going to get a happy ending and you're not?"
Melanie turned aggressively to see Danielle-B000 standing behind her. Rather than the annoying smirk her former Beta Company teammate usually had there was a strange look of sympathy that disarmed the angry woman.
"Is anyone going to get a happy ending, Dani?" Melanie retorted fatalistically.
"We're all going to have an end," Danielle stated with a shrug. "It's going to happen sooner or later. We have to figure out whether or not we're going to do what we can to make it happy."
Melanie looked in evident shock as the Spartan's brown turned blue eyes began to sparkle and she gave her all-familiar smirk. Surprisingly, it didn't annoy the confused and agitated woman, it intrigued her.
"What changed for you?" Melanie asked, starting to feel her heart beat a little faster.
"This damn war," Dani stated definitively. "And maybe it was seeing what I could do as a Spartan as I watched everything I was told was important fall apart. I learned I have a lot more control over my life than I thought."
"Is that all you learned?" Melanie asked a little breathless.
"No, I also learned relationships are important, that's all we have in the end. Hey, you hungry? There's a chow truck not far from here. Come on, let's see what's on the menu."
Melanie turned and followed the female Spartan and suddenly what was going on with Mike and Natalia was no longer important.