Chapter 5 - Unknown System
Jul Mdama and his followers sat idly on the bridge of the CAS assault carrier, Divine Ascent. Jul knew of Atriox and the Banished for decades now, aside from the humans, the Banished were the Covenants' other target. Unlike the humans and their primitive weapons technology, the Banished had access to all the same assets and weaponry the Covenant held making them a much more dangerous foe. Their leader Atriox, made them all the more deadly. Atriox was different from jiralhanae, he actually had strategic brilliance unlike the majority of his species who were simple minded savage meatheads. Atriox had no love for the Covenant or the humans, merely traveling the galaxy pillaging what they could find. While Atriox held no desire for open war, perhaps Jul could at least convince the brute to assassinate the Demon, without the Demon, the humans would lose their deadliest asset. Of course Jul was no fool, many of the covenants greatest and fiercest warriors fought the Demon only to fall before him, not even the elite zealots could ever hope to defeat him. Jul had never encountered the Demon that humans referred to as the Master Chief, mostly because those who did often didn't live to tell about it but he had encountered other members of his clan. It terrified him, the thought of a mere human strong enough to kill an elite with its bare hands. Nobody knew what exactly the demons were, old paranoia said they were dead humans resurrected to enact their revenge, Jul wasn't so superstitious, whatever was under that faceless and cold armor certainly wasn't a resurrected human. Resurrection was not possible, if the Covenant didn't have the technology to do it, then certainly the primitive humans did not.
"We are approaching shipmaster." An elite major called from the helm.
"Good, once we exit slipspace, scan the area. Ensure our message is broadcasted but prepare for combat if the worst comes to pass." Jul ordered, he was still a Sangheili after all and took into account that Atriox might decide he wants the ship more than the bounty offered. The assault carrier came out of slipspace, the warping blue now returning to the black abyss dotted with distant stars and nebulae. Ahead lay a planet, once a Kig Yar colony world, it was roughly abandoned several hundred years ago once the planet had been stripped of its alloys and resources. Jul had received intel that this was the last location the Banished was seen. Scanners searched for any sign of life in the sector when a ping was detected from the planets surface.
"Shipmaster! We are being hailed!" One of the crewmen called out."
"It must be Atriox, put him through!" Jul ordered. Slowly, a holographic image of a towering and fearsome brute appeared, white tattoos and braids adorned the brutes face, yes this was him, Atriox.
"One ship." Atriox said. "Surely anyone wishing to fight us wouldn't sent one meager ship which means you didn't come here to fight."
"Correct." Jul said standing up impressed by Atriox's deductive ability. "I am Jul 'Mdama, shipmaster of the Divine Ascent. I'm sure you are well aware the Covenant has broken and no longer exists. I have no interest in fighting you, but a, proposition."
Orland Heights, Earth
"How's the yoga treating you?" Cortana asked as John held his downward dog position.
"Wish I knew of this ages ago, my body has never felt more limber." John replied. While he did do stretches whenever he could, yoga was a whole new world. "Any news on the other Spartans yet?"
"Unfortunately no." Cortana said. "Only possible ones that could still be out there are Blue and Red team, every other spartan is confirmed KIA." During the war, no spartan was allowed to be announced as KIA in order to keep morale up. Blue and Red team were the only official Spartans actually missing in action.
"There's no way I'm the last one, I won't believe it." John said. "33 of us, surely someone else must have survived."
"It was a long war, Chief." Cortana said. "A lot has happened in 27 years. John knew for a fact some were dead, Sam and Grace he had seen perish with his own eyes. Jorge went down with Noble Team. James was lost to space when his thruster pack went haywire. Jai, Michael, and Adrianna all died defending Reach. Red Team consisting of Jerome, Alice, and Douglas had disappeared with the Spirit of Fire in the 2530s. Kelly, Linda, and Fred were sent to a newly discovered forerunner shield world but never came back. While he wasn't particularly close with the Spartan IIIs, he knew all of them were dead.
"Still." John said. "They were the best, I won't believe they all died."
"You have to be patient Chief, remember it was over a year till we were found drifting in space and that was only due to the Arbiter scouring every inch of space." Cortana explained. For Chief who was in cryo it was only an instant for him, for Cortana a year might as well have been an eternity.
"I don't like sitting here while they are still out there, I should be searching for them." John said, clenching his fist. What if they were out there somewhere in the far reaches of space, slowly running out of food and water and hoping for rescue?
"John, you know there are search and rescue teams out there looking for them." Cortana explained. Spartans were an expensive and valuable piece of military equipment and the UNSC was going to try to get back whatever of the super soldiers they could find. "I know it's part of your nature but you need to finally rest, your body has three times that average mileage than an average person. If it wasn't for your augmentations you'd be chair bound by now." John looked down at his body, still lean and powerful and more fit than any human could hope to be. Yet, even he on more than one occasion managed to break his nearly unbreakable bones and torn ligaments. Several organs had been cloned and replaced after particularly devastating damage. Lack of sleep added up to years of sleep lost while fighting the covenant. John knew he wasn't a young man anymore, he looked in the mirror and could see the trickles of grey running through his thinning hair. Wrinkles on his forehead and eyes betrayed his age.
"I have gotten older haven't I?" John said. "Seems like last time I looked in the mirror like this, my hair was still fully brunette, I don't remember these wrinkles either."
"Well at least for being 39 you are in much better shape than most people your age." Cortana said. Chronologically John was 42 but weeks of cryo throughout the war had added up to 3 years of suspended animation making him biologically 39. As for wrinkles and greying hair, Cortana attributed that more to the high stress life he had lived more than biological aging, after all, his genes were as close to perfect as one could get. "Besides, if you're worried about the hair and wrinkles you could always get Botox and hair dye." She joked.
"Imagine that, me dying my hair." Chief said. "Maybe purple?"
"And he says he doesn't have a sense of humor." Cortana chuckled.
Ulampos- Former Kig-Yar Colony
"So, you want me to take out the Master Chief?" Atriox said.
"Yes, I know you aren't looking for all out war but with the demon out of commission, the withered human military would stand no chance against my fleet." Jul explained.
"That's a hefty bounty right there." Atriox scoffed recalling all the covenant warriors who fell to the master Chief "What do you offer in return?"
"My cause has seventy ships at its disposal. I will give you ten of them once the task is done and should my attack on Earth be successful, I will give you twenty more." Jul offered. Atriox pondered for a moment, ships were rare to come by without stealing them. It would take years for the Banished to construct that many ships. Thirty fresh ships was too good an offer to refuse.
"Of course you know this will take time." Atriox said. "I would have to lure him out and even then, this is no mere human. This is the greatest warrior that even the full might of the Covenant could not bring down."
"Don't worry about finding him." Jul said. "I'll take care of that, you just need to do the task."
"Why do you need me to do it then? Why not just go for the kill yourself in you will find him?" Atriox asked.
"I can't make a move against the humans because of the Arbiter, the fool considers the demon a friend and a majority of the elites are human sympathizers and if I were to kill him. My cause would be hunted down and destroyed but if it were an independent faction however, especially one the humans don't even know about." Jul explained.
"I understand." Atriox said. "Find the demon, once you know his location, send us the first ten ships, I will then break him."
"You? Why not bring a whole squad?." Jul asked.
"The Demon is too great a foe for them, no guarantee they will survive, that's why I will do it myself." Atriox said. "Besides you know as well as I do, numbers will not break him."
Orland Heights
It was one week till Christmas, a thick and fresh layer of snow covered the earth like a white blanket. Fat snowflakes slowly fell to the ground. The lights of Christmas decorations shined against the whiteness of the snow. John didn't know much about Christmas, he knew it was a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ so it held religious significance for a lot of people, it was also a holiday of gift giving. He hasn't exchanged gifts on Christmas since he was in training when he and the other Spartans stole sweets from the mess hall and gave them to each other. He lightly smiled at the fond memory. He decided he should get something for Katie, Maya, and Liz for helping him out and spending time with him. The problem was he had no idea what to get them.
"Cortana." Chief called for his virtual partner through a bracelet he wore. Normally Cortana was assisting with spartan search and rescue but she could also come through John's bracelet.
"Have you called me to sing a Christmas carol?" She asked as she materialized.
"I can sing you a Spartan cadence." Chief jokingly replied.
"I'm lucky I don't hear like you do, else I might burst my eardrums from you trying to sing." She laughed. "What's up?"
"I want to buy Liz, Katie, and Maya a Christmas present but I don't know what to get." John asked.
"Aw how sweet of you!" Cortana teased. "Good thing you asked me, your idea of a Christmas gift is an extra loaded magazine or grenade."
"I don't know what people usually like." John said.
"Well you could just ask them what they like." Cortana suggested. "At least then you know for sure what they would want."
"But I want it to be a surprise, I might blow my cover if I ask." John said.
"Well let's see here." Cortana said as she ran Liz and Katie's profiles. Based off their purchase history, Katie enjoys protein powder for working out and Liz enjoys L'Ocea Perfume. Of course usually people like something they can't get all the time for a gift."
"What do you suggest?" John asked.
"There is one way you can find out without blowing your cover. Over the next week just listen to what they talk about, what ads they get excited about on TV, what destination they say they wanted to visit. Stuff like that." Cortana said. "And remember, when a lady says she wants nothing, that means you better make it a good gift."
"What? What's that even mean?" John asked, much to Cortana's delight. Suddenly Cortana heard a beep from station she was aboard.
"What's wrong?" Chief asked noticing her tighten up and her facial expression.
"Chief it's them! We found the Spirit of Fire!" Cortana said excitedly.