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Aurellian 'Ollie' Van Graff
July 24, 2552
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I don't know the day and I don't know the time.
It's been a long time, I know that much. A cell is a mind numbing place to spend your days, that's for certain. Outside there were some kinda commotion. Usually that meant black ops shit. Another mission to another planet to spread more misery, with only the respite of flight to keep my sanity moored to reality. Today, though, something was up. It was too panicked. You see, ONI is like this lubed behemoth. It's bloated and all-encompassing but it's also powerful, slippery, efficient, and unknowable. You can meet three people from ONI and they will represent 7 branches of an organisation with only two publicly admitted sections of service. There's the propaganda wing, that's the worst kept secret around, they even put their logo on some of the highlight reels these days. I reckon they get some kinda sick kick out of spooking the populace but it no doubt serves some other nefarious purpose. I have the time to ponder that purpose but really, what's the point? Not much I can do to stop it and hell, my old man used to profit off it so who am I to speak out now?
Section Two are trying to tell a population under siege that they aren't losing a war in which the casualties are running in the tens of billions. Section one on the other hand… they're a little more serious. That's the Section that are officially holding me in this here cell. According to records, Cadet Aurelian Van Graff is being held pursuant to the violation of subsection seven of the Cole Protocol by military police, an arm of the Office of Naval Intelligence Section One. The unofficial truth was that Margaret Parangosky herself was keeping me under lock and key to placate Fleet Admiral Harper and the top brass. This was mainly so that she could occasionally deploy me all on my lonesome to the far flung corners of the Orion arm on deep space reconnaissance missions for Grey team, a SPARTAN outfit with a bit of a twist. Hadn't done that in a while though, they'd gone dark on some Op I couldn't know about, weren't even available for recall for RED FLAG, a black op I did know about thanks to the old lady.
The branch SPARTANscome from is section three, that's something I should have been killed for knowing the existence of. It's also the branch who are keeping me locked up here. I've been around the block now, I'm 31, I know military police from shady corporate types, the jackboot authoritarianism is similar but just distinct from the other in a few important ways. Section three is suave and unhinged. They could take you from the street in broad daylight and make a thousand people think it was consensual. What's more, each of them knew it, too. Outside the small boxy room filled with my few personal effects was a pair of guards who had a look in their eyes that screamed psychotic. Not that I saw their eyes much, usually they were helmeted, or facing away from me. I knew a few of my captors by the backs of their ears alone.
This was what dominated my thoughts as I lay sweating on the floor in my PT gear, sweating off a good workout on the cool metal floor. Above me, colourful music videos played as some bubblegum pop jingled happily in the background.
There was a harsh rap at the door.
"Fuck off" I said, grinning to myself.
It unlatched and swung open.
"Nice to see that imprisonment hasn't soured your sense of humour, Ollie." Margaret said, grinning at him as she appeared to him, upside down as I stared at her from the floor.
I sat up and stretched, "listen lady, it's gonna take a lot more than prison food to upset me. I grew up in a commune, a private cell is a godsend. Food's just as bad, got less weed in it, though."
"I'd make a note to change that for you," she said dryly, "but the chances are you won't be coming back."
"I won't? Seem to remember you saying that the last time… and the time before that now that you mention it."
"There's a situation developing. Come with me. There's an old friend waiting for you." she said, turning abruptly on her heel.
It took a little effort to lift myself, stretching as I did so, if only to try and irritate the Admiral a little.
"What's going on?" I asked, jogging up to her side as she walked towards the ops centre.
"This way" She replied, leading me through the building. The corridors were awash with activity, men and women ran to and fro, their heads buried in data pads or in communicators and everyone was on-edge. It occurred to me that no one knew why, though. Each of them looked puzzled, or worried… or both.
We neared a checkpoint and Parangosky scanned us through without trouble, stepping into a dim room filled with computers, technicians and analysts.
A grizzled man stood talking with a woman who held herself above everyone in the room, they turned as we approached and the woman rolled her eyes.
"What have you come to bother us about now, Margaret?" She asked.
I almost choked. No one spoke to Parangosky like that. Certainly no one who wanted a long life.
"The business of war. Catherine." She replied, coolly, her eyes lingering on the woman until she buckled under her glare.
"Heh, you two still haven't changed," said the man, putting his hands behind his back. "What's the situation then, Margaret? What are we here for?"
She turned to the low level staff and told them to leave, each of them did so quicker than I'd seen a Miredog slop down a meal. "We believe Reach may be compromised." she said, grimly.
"The relays, you've confirmed rebel activity?"
"We're about to find out. Auntie Dot, link helmet cam SIERRA ALPHA-two-three-nine."
"Aye, Ma'am."
The screen cut a grim view and I almost wretched at the sight of it. Three troopers were strung up on hooks, surrounded by SPARTANs as they checked them over. I looked around at the orchestra of grim and worried faces in the room.
"Movement." the leader said, "watch your motion trackers."
The team headed out through the back door, along a dingy corridor at pace as clanging and thumbing could be heard on the feed. They rushed outside and I took a step forward as a young woman entered the frame. The feed wasn't perfect but I knew that profile. She was slightly taller than me with dew soaked blonde hair pulled through a black ONI cap and eyes so blue that they pierced through the green night vision overlay.
"Is that the Viper?" I asked aloud.
"Yes." replied Parangosky, her eyes transfixed on the screen. "She's attached to Noble Team on this mission."
The team entered a small dank courtyard where only the sound of rain and clanging boots could be heard as each of the SPARTANs tried to listen for an enemy that everyone around me was hoping wasn't real.
"What the hell was that?" the SPARTAN wearing the camera asked.
"Jun, you see anything?" one tagged as Carter asked, his voice sounding as cool as the rain looked.
"Negative. Thermal's clean."
I watched them move inside the next structure, my eyes fixed to the Viper in action as she led the way, the only member of the team whose skin could be seen against the elements, up and towards a large window on the second floor.
"Boss, I see movement, outside your structure!"
"Noble Two, move up to the west. We're about to be flanked."
It happened so quickly that I could scarcely process it. The Viper frowned in the window and dropped to one knee. Raising her DMR she was firing, her eyes as narrow as a pin head as the sounds of gunfire erupted and a flurry of communications was heard beyond her.
Panicked gasps spread around the room like wildfire.
"Huh?"
"Damn it!"
"Covenant!"
"Contact, contact! Spartans, assist!"
My mouth ran dry.
"They're here?" I asked, looking from Parangosky to Halsey in the hope that she might say no and it would somehow come true.
"They are. Come with me, now."
"But I-"
"Now!" she hissed as the room fell upon itself. Some panicked, most held their nerve, and one fainted as the realisation that the covenant was on reach struck them like a broadside from a cruiser.
I nodded, deferring to her judgement and kept a zip on my mouth against my natural inclination. Halsey was already barking orders as we left, filing out into the corridor and making our war towards the small hangar where Sword Base kept its extra secret aeronautical secrets.
"I'm assigning you to a task force with a new top of the line ship." She said, "I'll be briefing you personally but you will be working alongside your old friend Captain Harper as his strike group's Prowler."
I groaned, "Prowler duty. Really?"
"The UNSC Winter is unlike anything we have put to the void, Captain."
I slid to a halt, "Did you just call me Captain?"
She nodded, pulling a small box from her pocket and stuffed it into my hand. I blinked, studying the Captain's badge with wide eyes until she spoke again.
"You can thank me later. That ship is vulnerable and I need it off the planet for tactical deployments. Right now, we don't know if the Covenant know about this base so they could be ready to have this place glassed the moment they know about us. Rendezvous with Battlegroup: SUDAN, their coordinates are on the NAV computer aboard your ship and pass this message to Commander Volkovskaya aboard the Aegis Fate." she gave me a small data chip, "it is hard-coded to her DNA so don't wipe it trying to snoop around."
"Got it ma'am. Give this… to the Wolf." I said as she turned to leave.
"Oh, and Ollie?"
"Yes, Ma'am?"
"Congratulations on your reinstatement."
I gave her my okay-est salute and waited until she turned back down the corridors to spin on my feet and dash towards the hanger. It was a short sprint passed hundreds of stunned base personnel. Some of the staff were trying to call friends and family but Winter Contingency was in effect already as their communicators buzzed to tell them that no signal could be found. I entered the hanger and saw the Winter instantly. She was a beautiful shade of dulled chrome, made from the finest composites that the UNSC could scrape together and was shaped like an extra-large Sabre, with jet-like wings for in atmosphere manoeuvring and a gigantic RADAR relay steeped in the topside of the machine. A squad of ODST stood beside it, led by a man who looked a little too old to be an ODST. His salt and pepper hair suited him and he struck a confident figure as he spoke to me in a familiar accent.
"You the new pilot old ATLAS mentioned?"
I nodded and produced my insignia.
"Excellent. Alright boys, Buck, Dare, let's get going. If you want support from my Captain and the use of this shiny ship you need to hop to it." A grizzled gunnery Sergeant and a Spook passed us as the ODST turned back to me with a smile. "Major Jack Braeburn reporting, sir."
I blinked and looked back at the Captain's badge in my hand. When I realised it was me he was referring to, I almost laughed.
Dear God, what have you done? Are we really this desperate?
"Oh, right, at ease. I'm Captain Van Graff, Prowler Corps. Shall we get this show on the road?"
"Aye, Captain."
I felt the old gears turning again. Light prowlers were a lot of fun, the most fun you could have with Prowler fleet ships.
"Okay people, strap in, time enough for introductions later." I said, striding through the belly of the ship and right past the troopers as they strapped into the drop-bay, "right, lets go solo, shall we? take all my fun sometimes" I said, sitting in the Captain's chair, which doubled as the helmsman's seat on vessel's of this size. I pulled on the ships headset and spoke clearly: "SWORD control this is UNSC Winter requesting immediate take-off."
"Transmit authentication, Winter."
"Sending it now, code Oscar-Bravo-7."
"Take-off sequence, initiated. Begin countdown."
"Ready on 3…2…1…" I reached over to the final releasing switch and flicked it, "Winter is green, control. Waiting on you."
"Hold. Okay, you have green skies, Winter."
"Roger that, control. Winter out."
I grinned and hit thrust, feeling the ship skip forwards and dart along the short takeoff-assisted runway. The dim hanger lighting gave way to a slightly less dim spring day as we rattled away towards the horizon. I tugged back on the flight controls and lifted us up towards space, suppressing a giggle as the Winter danced in my fingers. Its pitch and yaw was as deft as a ballet dancer's and it flitted about the sky like neurons in a junkie's head. I couldn't resist a little spin, pirouetting the ship between two clouds as the afterburners kicked in and we shot into the upper atmosphere like a bullet. Beyond the clouds, greys turned to brilliant blues, which morphed to a purple hue. The atmosphere picked and sizzled the outer hull but the Winter didn't seem to care. In fact, she relished the heat as she pushed on until head and friction and Reach bowed before the power of the Winter's engines and they were left alone, cruising in space.
"Nice flying" Braeburn said, entering the bridge area, "did Parangosky tell you the plan?"
"My only direct orders were to take off, she did mention something about attaching to a battlegroup."
"SUDAN. It's only three ships but they're in the process of being retrofitted."
"Three ships and one of them is a Prowler?"
"Oh, right, my bad. Three combat ships and Prowler: the Enigma. We're going to drop this lot off with Ngyuen, the first officer, and they'll go do what Spooks and ODST do when they get together."
"What's that?" I asked, raising a brow as I turned to face him.
"Get killed." Said the Gunnery Sergeant, walking into the room.
"Shut it, Buck." the Spook said, following him in. "Captain, the Enigma is with the UNSC Aegis Fate, and its sister ship is at a station named Anchor 9. I can upload the coordinates to your NAV computer if you wish."
The bridge burned orange when a little man of the same colour appeared in the corner of the command table. "That will not be necessary," he said, cheerily. "My name is Walsingham, I'm this ship's A.I."
"Nice to meet you, Walsingham. Looking forward to working with you."
"Likewise, Captain, would you like me to take this ship to the rendezvous?"
I nodded. Normally I would have wanted to play around with the ship but there would be time enough for that later. For now, I had some people aboard my ship and I needed to make some sense of the situation. The ship began to move away, its engines purring. I looked around to see that the bridge was small, only noticing now that we were safely off-planet. It was laid out in a wide arc beneath the window and behind it sat the large holo-table, which housed the incredible, state-of-the-art spy-tech that I'd been getting to grips with over the recent months since my employment with ONI.
"Autopilot engaged, Sir." Walsingham said, cheerily.
"Good. You got any idea what's going on?"
"Yeah, Ms Naval intelligence doesn't feel like sharing" Buck shrugged.
"Because I don't know, Buck."
"ONI is now in early mobilisation for the invasion of Reach. Currently, NAVCOM will be conducting threat assessments and analysis of the encountered force. We need to know more before we can act."
"And we can't act in case we alert the local population. A panicked populace means a lot more death" Dare added, sighing.
"So, they'll be lied to until the covenant swoop in and stick a plasma round through their home" I replied, rolling my eyes. I'd heard it all before, the justifications for this kinda behaviour, it never sat right with me.
"If it works," she shrugged.
"I'm guessing you guys have some kinda secret mission?" I said, changing the subject, "No orders for me?"
"Yeah, Commander Ngyuen and I go way back" Dare said, smirking at Buck who seemed to take an interest in the commander, "Had some good times together before Draco III. As for you, I don't have anything, mind you, there won't be much to do but prepare until HIGHCOM declares a general order and mobilises the full fleet."
"Relax, Captain" Buck said, putting a hand on my shoulder, "it's the calm before the storm. Plenty of time to get your pants in a twist later."
"I've seen combat before" I protested, "but Reach is different." I shook the image of New Alexandria and all the other cities burning out of my head. I left the pair of them to it, they descended into quiet conversation, their eyes downcast as they spoke grimly about what this news meant for the planet. Through the sliding door was a small living space built into the walls. The little pods provided some privacy from the rest of the ship but it was decidedly cozy there, flanking the kitchen area and the communal table in the middle, where the crew could relax during long missions.
I climbed the ladder between the living space and the drop-bay and found myself in a small entertainment room located between the inner and outer hull.
Not exactly a priority, I suppose.
I slid back down the ladder and sighed, it felt too busy here, with the troopers in the back and the Sergeant and the Spook in the front who seemed a little too close to be just comrades. As I returned to the bridge, they practically leaped two feet apart.
"That A.I., what did it say its name was?" The Major asked. He was looking at the figure on the bridge with a degree of weariness, standing with a hand on his hip and running another through his black and white hair.
"It said it was called Walsingham. Should be brand new, I doubt you've served with him."
"You'd be surprised." he said, shaking his head, "did Parangosky give you this ship by any chance?"
I frowned, surprised that he had guessed so accurately.
"I thought as much." he shook his head, "I don't know how you guys work for ONI, I never will."
"I didn't have a choice."
"We all get a choice, son"
"No, I was imprisoned, originally, it was a 'take these deniable ops or rot' kinda deal."
"All right, I'll believe that, Captain." he saluted, "I'll stick with the boys back there, if you don't mind."
I watched him go, he was a strange one. Clearly one of these misty eyed marines with too much tragedy in his past. I returned to the bridge, preferring the comfort of the Captain's seat to the crowded drop-bay.
"Coming up on anchor 9 now, sir." Buck said, rubbing the back of his head. His face was flushed and the ONI agent was standing with her arms folded. I figured that was some shit I wasn't gettin' paid to know and tried to pretend that I hadn't seen nothing.
"Okay. Walsingham, bring us in." I said, coughing.
"Enigma is hailing us, shall we dock?"
"Yeah, let's get these guys where they need to be."
"That'd be best." Dare replied, "besides, the current Commander needs transport back to Aegis."
The Winter made a low screeching noise as it touched down on the deck of the Enigma's hangar bay. The back of the ship clicked mechanically and the ramp descended, hissing with hydraulic sounds. The ODST got off first, stepping gingerly onto the small hangar designed to fit a condor. Then Buck and Dare descended the ramp, the Spook stopping dead in her tracks another. A mirror image of her approached them, helmet in her hands.
"Katya, I didn't realise you were Captain?"
The woman paused, looking uneasy as she spoke. "Acting Captain." She corrected her. She was regarding the woman suspiciously, like she didn't like what she saw. "What are you doing here, Dare?"
"It's classified… but you look well, I haven't seen you for-"
"Two years."
"You still blame me."
"You can't blame a rat for its nature, Captain. Just as you haven't apologised, I will not forgive."
"You know it was necessary."
"That's what they all say."
Damn, talk about a frosty reception.
"Well, I hear you and the Viper made up. Made quite the team on Meridian, from what I hear."
Wait, this is the Wolf?
Katya's legend at the academy was as extensive as Madeleine's. She had top scores and a mysterious past filled with ONIs black ink. She looked as tall as the Viper and she had the same dirty blonde hair but if the Viper's eyes were oceans, her eyes were ice. Equally as chilling but a little more haunting. I shuddered when I thought about being caught in her gaze but I didn't have to wait long. I fiddled with the thumb drive that Parangosky had given me, my palms sweaty as I watched the cold exchange.
"Oooh, boy." The Major said, suddenly beside me. "Here we go."
"Temperature dropped about ten degrees, what's going on?"
"Just a little inter-ONI tete-a-tete. Kat, uh, Commander Volkovskaya and Captain Dare don't exactly get on."
"I gathered that," I said, shifting uneasily in place, "you know why?"
"I have some idea. Not my place to share it though, son."
I shrugged, putting my natural curiosity behind my sense of self preservation. Where Spooks were concerned, you didn't poke the bear.
"You've brought my ride at least" Katya said, glaring up at me. A shiver ran along my back.
"Kat…"
"Goodbye, Captain."
Buck rubbed the bridge of his nose and shrugged at Captain Dare before looking up at me and giving a half salute. Katya almost punched the ramp button clean off as it groaned upwards, hissing until it squeaking into place.
"Welcome aboard, Ma'am." I said, returning her salute, "I'm Captain Van Graff, I'm here to deliver you to battlegroup SUDAN.
She nodded, looking around the ship, her eyes scanning the place like a hawk. I followed the Major through the belly of the ship, through the drop bay and the living space, watching the legendary agent take in the ship from its subtle humming to the flickering halogen bulbs. She halted when the orange glow of my shipboard A.I appeared before her.
"Hello, Agent Volkovskaya, it's nice to see you again."
She turned, giving the Major some terrifying side-eye.
"Whose idea was this?" she asked, her brow bent like a right angle.
"Who'dya think?"
"Right…"
"Admiral Parangosky thought my skill set would aid the mission-"
"Sure, she did." Katya turned, looking at me. "You. Parangosky put you up to this mission?"
I nodded, "yeah, er-"
She talked up to me, boots pounding the deck. "I don't trust you. What did she ask you to do?"
"Nothin'!" I said, defensively. Now, I'd been a Captain for about an hour, it weren't natural for me to pull rank, but I'm like all other animals when I'm backed into a corner. "Watch your mouth, Commander" I growled, surprising myself, "I don't know what kinda operation you been runnin' or your relationship with Captain Dare, or even what your issue is with my A.I. but I do know that you will show me some damn respect or I have your ass spaced."
She gave me a look, one of respect. It were like she'd only just seen me now, in fact. She apologised, saluting me smartly.
"All is forgiven, Commander. Truth is that I was uh, I was reinstated this morning. Reach is compromised. Winter Contingency is in full effect, the moment they found out, I was hauled into a room with Parangosky, Halsey, a real ensemble of power players."
"My god…" the major replied, "they've found it"
"You were given orders?" Katya asked, stepping closer.
I handed her the data drive, "I was told to take this ship and those other two to the Enigma, and to give you this before we reach Battlegroup SUDAN."
"That's Captain Harper's new strike force" The major said, for Katya's sake, "they've been assigned to ground support roles."
"Shit." she said, rubbing her temple. "We need to get there now."
I headed into the bridge and ushered them in behind me, "are they in trouble?"
Katya's face looked dark and the Major looked worse. "The Grafton has reactor maintenance issues, the Savannah needs its gun batteries replacing, and the Aegis Fate is in mid-rotation, half the staff are planetside."
"Jesus, they need warning or they're screwed."
"Course set, Sir" Walsingham interrupted, "permission to proceed?"
"Send it, Wally."
"Yes, Sir. We are underway. Sir, might I recommend something?"
I turned to the little avatar, looking up at me from the table. "What is it?" I asked, leaning towards him.
The comms array on this vessel has a new, top-of-the-line Apex Mark III tightbeam laser. It can send a message to Battlegroup SUDAN if you wish."
"Send Captain Harper the ship's manifest and landing request. We chance nothing. The covenant is on Reach, which means we need every advantage if we want to counter them effectively. Besides, I used one of them lasers about a month back. They're not as discreet as old mother ONI likes to say they are."
Katya turned the drive over in her hands and plugged it in as the Winter accelerated to its cruising speed. The console lit up immediately with lists of information that she began to scroll through, her brows shooting up as she tried to make sense of it.
"V.I. What has she sent us."
"You know my name, Ms Volkovskaya." he sighed, theatrically. "This is a list of names, places, technologies, and points of interest located around the planet Reach. Admiral Parangosky has compiled it for Beta-Seven division in the event of a planetary invasion."
"The keys to the kingdom…" the Major said, softly, "you don't think Parangosky knows, do you?"
"It's possible. Probably, even."
"With this, Maddie might actually go for it, you know."
"She needs to see the real face of her enemy before she'll consider it, Jack. You know that."
I kept my mouth shut. Whatever it was that those two were on about sounded shady. As a man whos only got his wings left to comfort him, I sure as hell ain't gonna jeopardise that by sticking my name into spook business.
"What's that?" Volkovskaya asked, looking at a list that I was dreadfully aware of.
"That's an active kill list." I said, shaking my head. "When a planet is invaded, it goes live."
"Jesus…" the Major gasped, "I mean… Shit."
"Grim, ain't it." I said, sighing, "A few weeks back, Margaret had me running a team of Headhunters when Fumirole got hit. Old Ironsides uses the confusion and chaos to ensure certain people never make it off-world. We're talking the politically inconvenient, businessmen whose assets can be seized, and troublemakers who pop-up on her radar. Honestly, they called me and mine criminals back in the day but all we was doing was running borders, trading guns to rebel cells is a slow day for ONI based on what I seen over the last year."
"It should not surprise you, Jack. You know we deal in death and deceit."
"I don't know, Kat. Working for you and Harper, I thought we were doing right by humanity." Jack said, placing a hand on her shoulder as he stood behind her.
"We are," she replied, holding it close. She pressed the hand against her like she was stemming the blood from an open wound, her eyes were downcast and sad as she watched the list grow and shrink and change in real time. "Captain Van Graff, can you have your V.I. copy this?"
Walsingham interrupted, "It is genetically hard corded and locked with the best security systems that ONI can fit onto a drive of that size. I suggest you look after it, Ms Volkovskaya."
She looked at me but I shrugged, "Hey, I'm just a driver. I don't even really know what I'm doing here."
The legend that was Katya Volkovskaya regarded me coolly, still holding the major's hand as she looked curiously into my eyes with that glare as deep and as wide as an ocean. Then she looked up at him who seemed to bob his head in a half-shrug. She nodded.
I was about to break the silence when the console lit up, a hail had been received as we came up on Anchor Nine's position.
I pushed the call through and sat back as my old friend, Alex Harper appeared before me. His face recoiled when our eyes met.
"Hello, boss." I said, grinning.
"Ollie?" he replied, breaking into a smile, "damn, is that really you?"
"It is, I need you to let me on board, I have Major Braeburn and Commander Volkovskaya with me."
"Of course, Ollie, what's going on, you sound worried. What's going on, I thought you were in lock up?"
I swallowed, "Sir, you need to scramble everything and everyone we have. You're about to receive a warning, it's the Winter Contingency."
"That can't be-"
"Sir, listen to me, the covenant is on Reach."
