Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my remastered Halo - MechWarrior/BattleTech crossover. I've made some changes in the previous chapters, as well as in this one. Things should make some more sense now given your feedback from earlier.
Also, for those reading my Halo - Star Wars crossovers, I read that you noted that the UNSC was 'overpowered.' To be frank, when you're using energy based weapons for thousands of years, and then someone shows up using advanced ballistic weapons, then you're going to be caught flat footed. Don't worry, the bad guys will adapt, but that'll give the good guys even more incentive to get better. Still, thank you for your feedback. I really appreciate it.
As always, leave a review and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Halo or MechWarrior/BattleTech franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of Microsoft Game Studios, 343 Industries, Bungie, FASA Corporation, FASA Interactive, Catalyst Game Labs, Piranha Games Inc, etc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their respective developers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises is of my own invention. I do not own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to it's original composers and/or artists.
BattleTech OST - 'Mech Bay Cantata
Tribute
SLS Dallas
August 13th, 2552
Onboard the Dallas, Chernenko was busy performing a after action tactical analysis of the destruction of the Long Night of Solace, the mission to do so having been retroactively named 'Operation: SKYFALL.' Outside, he could see various WarShips heading to the retrofitted shipyards over Tribute in order to repair and rearm, their engines flaring every so often as their AI's expertly guided them into the docking bays. Other ships that were at Reach were currently salvaging whatever weapons and equipment from the destroyed WarShips that had survived, a messy, but necessary job given their circumstances.
Looking at the after action report, Chernenko could see that his impromptu military action had been the right choice. Official casualty reports from ANVIL STRIKE and SKYFALL had put the total casualties at roughly 740 personnel. Around 120 were wounded, and were expected to make a full recovery, but the rest of the casualties had been listed as KIA (Killed In Action), with red X's over their portraits.
We got lucky this time, he said to himself. The only reasons why we succeeded were two things: our seizing the initiative when we had the chance, as well as our Null Signature System technology. Those two things allowed us to get in close enough to disable the Long Night of Solace long enough to dole out considerable damage. If we had attacked any later, casualties would've been far worse.
Even though he knew they had won this battle, Operation SKYFALL had shown him just how capable a Covenant WarShip was, even if said WarShip was heavily damaged. The good news is that the enemy WarShip couldn't send a transmission away to any reinforcements, which gives us some time to prepare for a counter attack. They also won't know how we disabled the WarShip, which will allow us to use the same trick on any incoming Covenant Naval Fleets without them adapting. Still, I now understand the UNSC's frustration when it comes to assaulting Covenant WarShips: they're a level above what they have.
Either way, I know that the SLDF will be victorious. Now that we have access to Covenant technology, whatever scientists that the UNSC has will begin to crack their technology wide open. He smiled at the thought of SLDF WarShips being equipped with cloaking technology and energy shielding. Those technologies would make Naval Fleet Delta practically unstoppable, or at the very least very hard to kill. Still, he knew that the sooner he could get energy shielding for his WarShips, the better their chances of survival, and therefore victory, in a straight up engagement with the Covenant.
He was about to talk to Persephone when a member of the crew walked onto the Bridge. Moving past some people, the crew member walked closer and stood to attention. "At ease," Chernenko replied. Once the crew member relaxed, he said, "Is there something that you need?"
"Just coming to report on the Covenant defectors," the crew member, an Ensign from the looks of it, replied. "The leader of the defectors, Xhov Bavirk, would like to speak with you. Also, we have a matter to tend to with an alien species we discovered on their WarShips."
Hearing these words, Chernenko decided to prioritize the aliens that they had discovered. "A new species of aliens? What are they?"
Instead of an answer from the crew member, he heard a trilling sound behind him. Stepping out of the way, the crew member revealed an alien species that Chernenko hadn't seen before. It was slightly smaller than a normal human being, but that was about as relatable as one could get. It floated in the air, using what appeared to be a series of sacs that were filled with a buoyant gas. Beneath the sacs were a series of tendrils, each one in motion as it floated through the air. A long, snake-like head with six eyes extended out from it's body, with all three pairs looking around with curiosity.
Chernenko could hardly believe his eyes. "What the hell is that thing," he asked.
"That's what we asked the Covenant defectors when we discovered this guy," the crew member replied. "They're a species of alien known as a 'Huragok.' Apparently, they live solely for repairing, maintaining and upgrading technology, as the defectors have one onboard each ship. They serve as the maintenance personnel onboard each Covenant WarShip, and they seem to be non-violent as well."
"Really," Chernenko asked, hiding his surprise. "Well then, let's see if they can upgrade SLDF technology." Pulling out his ER Laser Pistol, he handed the weapon to the Huragok and said, "I have a challenge for you, Huragok. Can you make this better?"
Apparently, the Huragok decided to take the challenge, as it floated over to Chernenko and took the weapon from his hands. For a good thirty seconds, all it did was examine the weapon, turning it over and running a few tendrils over it, as if it was admiring the functionalist appearance of the weapon. At first, it seemed confused as to what it was, prompting Chernenko to begin reaching for the ER Laser Pistol.
What happened next genuinely impressed him. Within mere seconds, the Huragok disassembled the ER Laser Pistol; tendrils and tentacles flew over the weapon in a blur as the ER Laser Pistol was broken down into it's constituent components, before being promptly reassembled again. The alien repeated the process once, twice, then thrice, before handing the weapon back to Chernenko.
When he got his hands back onto the weapon, he immediately noticed that it was lighter than before. Looking at the alien, he watched as it made some gestures with it's tendrils, indicating that it communicated via sign language. I can't understand what it's saying, he thought, but what if I can give it a more… efficient means of communication? Wtih that in mind, he pulled out a DataPad and handed it to the Huragok, but not before typing the words, "I don't understand what you are saying. Can you communicate with me using this?"
Taking the DataPad, the Huragok looked at the words, it's eyes darting back and forth as it seemed to understand what each word meant. Moments later, it did the same thing with the DataPad as it did with the ER Laser Pistol, before handing the device back to Chernenko. When he looked at the screen, he saw the words, "Yes. I can communicate with you via this device."
Excellent, Chernenko beamed. Now it won't be like trying to talk to a Neanderthal.A moment later, he typed in, "I handed you the ER Laser Pistol in order to determine if you could upgrade SLDF technology. Can you tell me what you specifically did?" Once he finished, he handed the DataPad back to the Huragok, but was surprised when the device began translating it's gestures, whistles, hums and trills.
"Energy Efficiency increased by 40%", the Huragok said using the translation program it had installed onto the DataPad. "Beam Dispersion decreased by 20 milliradians. Range increased by 200 meters. Weight decreased by 10 grams."
Wow, Chernenko thought, clearly impressed by what the Huragok had done. That thing made my ER Laser Pistol even better than before. No wonder the Covenant defectors brought these guys along: they're the ultimate technicians and engineers. Looking at the Huragok, he typed in, "Nice work. How many more of you are there with the defectors?"
"15 more", was the reply.
With that, it immediately became clear to Chernenko what he had to do. Looking at the crew member, he said, "Ensign, inform the WarShips at drydock that they are to get a Huragok onto their crew. With these aliens, we'll be able to quickly repair our WarShips in time for any military action." As the Ensign left to carry out that order, he turned back to the Huragok and typed in, "By the way, what's your name?"
"Easy to Adjust."
"I don't understand."
"That is how we name ourselves. When we are created, we have to balance the gases that allow us to float. We are named depending on whether we sink or float initially. In my case, my buoyancy was almost perfect. Hence the name 'Easy to Adjust.'"
"OK then. Since you live to repair, maintain and upgrade equipment, I have a proposal for you and your friends. Would you be willing to repair, maintain and upgrade our equipment? In return, we can give you Technician status in the SLDF. Is that suitable?"
The answer was almost immediate. "Yes."
"Then it's settled," Chernenko typed back. "You'll have to teach some of the other technicians how to communicate with you, but beyond that, there shouldn't be any problems. Talk with the mess hall cook so that he can determine what your dietary requirements are. Welcome to the Star League Defense Force."
Apparently, that more than pleased Easy To Adjust, as it trilled happily. Turning to an Ensign on the Bridge, he said, "Escort this Huragok to the Engineering Bay of this ship. Also, see if there are any Huragok that are more than willing to provide us with the schematics for Covenant energy shielding. If they can, that would be appreciated."
"Yes, sir," the Ensign replied. Walking over to Easy To Adjust, he said, "Would you come with me, please? We've got some engineering jobs for you to do." Having learned English just from interfacing with the DataPad, the Huragok nodded, before following the Ensign out of the Bridge.
Amazing, Chernenko thought as the doors closed. A species that lives solely for maintaining, repairing and upgrading equipment. We'll need to get more of these guys when we have the chance. Having at least five Huragok onboard an SLDF WarShip will be all the technical support we ever need. With that task completed, I can get around to the other one: talking to this 'Xhov Bavik, or whatever his name is. With that, he began to walk out of the Bridge himself, while motioning for his bodyguards to follow him.
. . .
On the planet of Tribute, Xhov Bavirk was sitting calmly and quietly inside the room he was currently in. Looking around, he could tell that it was an interrogation room, with slate gray walls, dark gray carpeting, a single light that provided sufficient illumination, a single, keypad locked door to his left and a discreetly hidden camera in the room. He was currently sitting at a table, hands cuffed to it to prevent him from attacking the interrogator.
Why do they use all of these precautions?, he thought to himself. I do not wish to attack them in any way at all. Either they are far more paranoid than I thought, or this is the way they do things. Either way, the cuffs felt tight on his wrists, though he could tell that they weren't excessively tight.
As he waited for the interrogator to arrive, he thought back to when he began the rebellion against the Covenant. Once he had the private meeting with his co-conspirators, he had discretely gathered as many Huragok as he could, along with those that would listen, in order to get them aboard the Corvettes that the Unggoy Papap had managed to secure for them. Once he, and the other mutineers, had gathered as many others as they could, they had begun heading for the commandeered Corvettes.
Those new Humans chose an opportune moment to attack, he thought. When the lights went out, there was some confusion, though the light sources we had were more than suitable to allow us to continue forwards. Still, with the way the hull was shaking, it felt as though the entire ship would shatter into a thousand pieces. Still, I'm glad that our fellow mutineers kept their cool and kept on going, even if we did have to use the maintenance shafts to get around any closed doors.
He also had to congratulate Papap for aiding them in their success. When they got to the Corvettes, Xhov had found that, true to the Unggoy's word, the Sangheili onboard the Corvettes were dead, their bodies poisoned by the powerful toxin that the Unggoy had managed to spike their drinks with. Having watched other Sangheili in order to learn how to use a ship, it was fairly easy for him to coordinate their evacuation from the SuperCarrier to the unknown Humans. Once they had fled, they were taken to the planet he was currently on, presumably for questioning.
His train of thought was derailed when the door opened, sliding to the right before permitting a single Human inside, along with what he knew was a Huragok. The human was tall, roughly as tall as a shorter T'Vao, and had black and gray hair, which complemented his tanned complexion and light blue, almost gray, eyes perfectly. A few armed personnel came inside, presumably in the event he attempted to assault them. Again, an unnecessary precaution, he thought.
He watched as the Human pulled out a small device, before setting it onto the table and activating it. Translators in Xhov's helmet went to work as the Human spoke. "Interview Session #39871-B. Interview conducted by Admiral Mikhailovich Chernenko of the Star League Defense Force. Subject is a male T'Vao, nicknamed 'Skirmishers'. Recovered biological data suggests subject is in his late thirties to early forties." A moment later, the Human looked at him before saying, "Are you willing to state your name and rank for the record?"
"Yes," Xhov replied. "Xhov Bavirk, former T'Vao Champion of the Covenant Hegemony."
"Thank you," Chernenko replied, having used the modified DataPad to translate Xhov's speech while recording it. Clearing his throat, he began the interview. "During Operation SKYFALL, we detected multiple Corvette-class WarShips detaching from the CSO Long Night of Solace. I take it those were the ships you commandeered."
"Yes," Xhov replied. "We commandeered those ships."
"For which purpose?"
"To secede from the Covenant Hegemony, and to aid the Humans in their plight, given that our secession would be seen as both treason and heresy against the Covenant Hierarchs."
"Why did you secede from the Covenant, when they are clearly more advanced than the UNSC and/or Star League Defense Force."
"I will tell you why. For too long, our species has been forced to do the dirty work that the Sangheili are either too squeamish or lazy to do. Our caste in the Covenant Hegemony has always been forced to do thankless work for the Covenant, mostly due to our use as 'expendable' personnel."
"So you rebelled for sociopolitical reasons?"
"Partially."
"What is the other reason as to why," Chernenko asked.
The answers to the next questions he got would give him a very clear insight into the Covenant's core tenants and beliefs. "Because we are unwittingly committing a crime that the Forerunners themselves would protest," Xhov replied.
That had Chernenko mildly surprised, though he didn't show it at all to the Skirmisher. "Would you be kind enough to elaborate?"
"Yes," Xhov replied. "While most are ignorant of the Covenant's origins, I am one of the few that has always wanted to know how everything has begun. As such, I can tell you why the Covenant formed.
"You see, long before our kind was discovered, the Sangheili and San'Shyuum encountered each other on a world littered with Forerunner artifacts. The San'Shyuum's belief in repurposing Forerunner technologies to suit their needs was seen as blasphemous to the Sangheili, who revered the Forerunners as gods, like the San'Shyuum, but felt that the Forerunner's technology was so holy that to attempt to deconstruct it was heresy of the highest order. As such, a war developed over this singular principle."
"I see. So, how did this war end?"
"It ended when the Sangheili began doing what the San'Shyuum did in order to gain the upper hand. When they did, they realized that they hadn't so much committed heresy, but rather had reconciled themselves with their desire to understand the Forerunners. A truce was called, with the Sangheili and San'Shyuum forming the 'Writ of Union.' The beginning part of the text goes like this:
'So full of hate were our eyes,
That none of us could see,
Our war would yield countless dead
But never victory,
So let us cast arms aside,
And like discard our wrath
Thou, in faith, will keep us safe
Whilst we find the path.'"
"So this 'Writ of Union' forms the basic foundation of the Covenant?"
"Yes. It does."
"Why is the Covenant trying to destroy us then?"
"To understand their reasoning behind the war, you have to understand the foundation of the San'Shyuum's beliefs. They believe that the Forerunners were once a mortal race, like you and me. They believe that, roughly a hundred thousand years ago, they underwent apotheosis by one of their creations, the Halos, and became gods. As such, the San'Shyuum study the Forerunners in order to learn how they achieved apotheosis, so that they might follow in the footsteps of the Forerunners. They would search for these worlds, using a glyph that they believed meant 'Reclamation.'"
"Could you illustrate for me," Chernenko asked. Xhov immediately nodded. Turning to the guards, Chernenko said, "You can undo the handcuffs. Our guest isn't dumb enough to attack us in here."
Complying, the guards moved forwards, unlocking Xhov's hands. As he rubbed his wrists, he watched as a DataPad with a drawing stylus was pushed towards him. Taking it in his hands, he found that the program had already been set up, prompting him to begin drawing. When he handed it back, Chernenko noticed that Xhov had drawn the symbol of a circle on a short cylinder, with a pair of curved semi-circles pointed downwards, like a mechanical claw picking something up.
"Interesting," he remarked. "Is this the symbol for 'Reclamation?'"
"Yes," Xhov replied. "However, when I was onboard a Covenant Corvette. I noticed something odd. When I looked at the symbols, I noticed that each one hovered over a member of your species. Curious, I decided to invert the image." A moment later, he took the DataPad and flipped it around. Once he did so, Chernenko noticed that the drawing now looked like a person with upraised hands and arms. "When I did that," Xhov explained, "I found out that it meant 'Reclaimer.'"
"Let me guess," Chernenko remarked. "You realized that the Sangheili and San'Shyuum had mistranslated this glyph all along."
"Yes," Xhov replied. "For the first time in my life, I was at a loss. When I returned to High Charity, the Capitol for the Covenant, I went to the Forerunner Dreadnought, which is revered as a holy artifact, I began looking for the machine that inhabited it, so that I could learn the truth. It didn't take me long to find it."
"I take it this machine was an AI?"
"A machine that can think on it's own?"
"That's correct."
"Yes, I found a Forerunner AI. It was badly damaged, but it was functional enough to speak to me. When I asked it what this symbol meant, it said that it signified who would reclaim the Forerunner's technology. According to it, your species, Humanity, was chosen by the Forerunners to reclaim their technology.
"As for why, or what reason, I do not know, but it must have been an excellent one for them to choose your species. When I asked why, it refused to answer, though it did mention something about a 'Mantle of Responsibility', or something like that. I couldn't make heads or tails of it."
"Did you ask it why the Covenant began a war with Humanity?"
"Yes. Apparently, the San'Shyuum had learned of the truth. They were so afraid of losing power, and so jealous of Humanity's privilege, that they felt that if they couldn't have this privilege, Humanity couldn't either. Since then, they've been working to destroy Humanity in order to preserve what I now know is a well crafted lie. I realized that all my life, I had believed in a lie.
"It was shocking, and disheartening, but then I realized that I was better off for it. I realized that I was someone that would rather know the cold, hard truth, than tolerate a comforting lie, and base my beliefs around that truth. I began looking for others that would listen to my words, though I had to be discreet about it."
"Because what you were saying would be called out as 'heresy.'"
"An astute observation. Slowly, with time, I began to create a network of fellow Covenant that had been disillusioned by their experiences. As the years passed, and the war against Humanity ensued, we began to clandestinely gather resources, build habitats and convince others of the truth. Our plan in the end was to declare our intent to secede from the Covenant and to call the war a heinous act of heresy and genocide against the Forerunners. This would earn us the Sangheili and San'Shyuum's ire, but we felt that it would be better to die fighting to reveal the truth than to continue believing a lie.
"When your fleet was found in this system, I realized that this was our chance, our opportunity. Once we got together, I told my fellow insurgents to prepare for the moment we would secede. Once you began your attack, we seized our chance and, as your kind would put it, the rest is history."
"I see," Chernenko murmured. Inside his mind, the cogs and gears were already turning as he processed the large amount of information that he had just gotten. So, these T'Vao rebelled against the Covenant because it is destroying the very species that it's 'gods' have chosen to succeed them without knowing it, all because their leaders are afraid to give up power. Already, he knew this wasn't some normal war, it was a genocidal jihad.
That alone, told him everything he needed to know. Clasping his hands, he began thinking on how best to exploit this sudden advantage. They might be able to get us inside intelligence on the Covenant, which would best tell us where this 'High Charity' is located at, as well as the location of the Covenant's homeworlds. If so, they might even be able to get us more advanced technology as well. Clearing his throat, he said, "Since your goal is, obviously, to help us out, then how do you intend to accomplish that?"
"Through a number of pathways," Xhov replied. "The first, and obvious, means of doing this is to share our technology with yours. Most of your ships are not shielded, though the armor on your ships is particularly impressive in it's protective capabilities. In addition, you would also benefit from our more advanced weapons technology, giving you a further edge against the Covenant.
"The second means of doing this would be to give you actionable information on the Covenant itself. During the buildup of our insurrection, I had some of my contacts look for the homeworld of the Sangheili, as well as to record the coordinates for High Charity. Striking at the homeworlds of each species would show that they are not as formidable as they would like the UNSC to believe.
"Finally, we can offer ourselves as willing soldiers and technicians. I myself am more of a warrior than an engineer, but there are others with a more mechanical inclination. Beyond that, those are the only ways that we can help you, but they are good ways, are they not?"
"Those are excellent proposals," Chernenko nodded. After a few seconds, he said, "Alright. Given your force's conduct after their detention, and since we're running short on allies we can count on, I am willing to grant you and your men amnesty in return for their services."
"What is the only requirement," Xhov asked.
"That you take the SLDF Oath of Service," Chernenko replied. "It was created after the Succession War as a means of helping provide something for SLDF personnel to remember their duties by. Do you wish to take it?"
"Will I still command the forces under my command?"
"Yes. You were intelligent and devious enough to keep your beliefs hidden from the Covenant, and to muster a force capable of fighting back. I'd say that's earned you the right to have your own military command."
Standing up, Chernenko pulled out a plaque holding the star of the SLDF, with the Oath of Service embossed onto the metal object. "Place your left hand on the plaque and hold your right hand in the air," he instructed Xhov. "Once you have done so, repeat after me."
Once Xhov did so, they began. "I solemnly vow to defend the Star League, to uphold the laws of the Star League, and if need be, to give my life in the defense of the Star League and, by extension, the Inner Sphere. I vow to conduct myself in an honorable manner, in order to bring to new allies the best impression of the Inner Sphere, while doing the same for my fellow brother-in-arms. I will not accept defeat, I will not give up, and I will not allow the Inner Sphere to be destroyed by any outside force."
Complying willingly, Xhov repeated each part of the oath whenever Chernenko paused. Once they were finished, Xhov bent down and kissed the plaque, something that wasn't necessary, but surprised Chernenko nonetheless. Once he was upright again, he said, "Welcome to the Star League, Xhov Bavirk. You will be given command of your own military force one we have finished questioning the remaining personnel. As of now, you will be given the rank of Captain in the Navy. Dismissed."
With that, Xhov saluted, something that he hadn't done before, before leaving the room. Walking out into the corridor of the base they were in, Chernenko walked into the room adjacent to that room. Inside was General Norman. "I take it he's not going to betray us," Norman asked.
"No," Chernenko replied. "I had Persephone run a scan while he was speaking. That, and my observations, have shown that he was being truthful. Analysis of his journal also revealed that he intended to break away from the Covenant, while having key members inside the Covenant become double agents working for the UNSC, and by extension, us. Now, he works directly for us. We can use a former member of the Covenant."
"Good. At least we know why the Covenant are trying to murder this version of Humanity, and now us," Norman added. "They're so afraid of giving up power that they are more than willing to kill every last human being just to keep their lie from falling apart. Fucking wars of religion. Reminds me too much of the historical terrorists from 21st century Terra."
"It does. This isn't just a genocide, it's a jihad, and a bloody one at that too. Either way, we'll show the Covenant that intelligence and rationalism will always defeat religious fervor and zeal."
"Agreed. Still, if there's one thing I know about zealots like the Covenant, it's that when you defeat them once, they come back twice as fanatical and twice as hard. The Covenant won't let this go down; they'll bring a lot more people in order to finish the job."
"Which is why we'll be there: to serve as the barrier between survival and extinction. Still, you're quite right in that regard. We will have to evacuate Reach in order to prevent catastrophic loss of civilian life. Once the civvies are out of harm's way, we can really go to work making the Covenant pay for every innocent life they've taken in their evil religious zeal."
"Oh, yeah. That we will do." Looking through the one-way Ferro-Glass wall, Norman said, "We'll have to inform the UNSC of our findings. They'll be able to evacuate the planet quickly once they get wind of incoming enemy reinforcements."
"Agreed," Chernenko nodded. As he said this, he heard someone knocking on the door. "Come in," he replied. Moments later, a man wearing the dark gray and olive drab uniform of an SLIC Acting Director walked inside. "Director Stennings," Cherneko remarked. "Is there something you have to share?"
"Yes, sir," Stennings replied. "Our clandestine war against ONI is going very smoothly. They might've been operating for well over 200 years, but we've been operating for well over 400 years. As such, we've made considerable progress in infiltrating ONI."
"Do tell," both Chernenko and Norman asked simultaneously, prompting the two to glance at each other for a moment.
Stennings, not minding the simultaneous question, pulled out a manila folder and said, "Our infiltration of ONI has gone well, even though were were some close calls. Getting around AI Security is tough, but we managed it in the end."
Handing them the manila folder, he continued to speak to them, as the room had been swept for bugs seconds before Norman had entered to observe the interview with Xhov. "We've been able to access a number of ONI's more secured information databases, which has allowed us to access the contents of some highly sensitive projects. The file you are holding details the results of the 'Spartan-II Project.' As you can probably tell, there were some rather… nasty details inside."
Norman, having speed read the file, threw it onto the ground in angered disgust. "What manner of ghoulish monster would do this," he snarled. "Taking innocent children and forcing them to fight for the UNSC and ONI, and Dr. Catherine Halsey is responsible for this… this senseless act of abduction?!Words cannot describe how much I really hate ONI right now!"
Picking up the file, Chernenko looked through it as well. When he finished speed reading it, he recalled the odd feeling he had when he saw the Master Chief for the first time. Now I know what that feeling was, he thought. He's not just a soldier, he's a child soldier. I was right to keep an eye on him, though it seems that he doesn't resent what happened to him.
Now that he knew more though, he had to pity the Spartan-II, as he knew he had been ripped away from a comfortable life. All to quell an insurrection started by a senseless act of violence. Looking at Stennings, he asked, "Anything else you were able to learn?"
"Yes," Stennings replied. "ONI has been secretly influencing the UEG, but what is more alarming is that they've been attempting to infiltrate our fleet with sleeper agents. Fortunately, thanks to our efforts, we've been able to root them out before they could transmit any information they learned back to their superiors. In fact, we flipped them, so they're working for us now, which is why we've been able to so quickly infiltrate ONI. It was difficult convincing them, but we managed, though we're keeping an eye on a few particularly challenging ones."
"Really," Chernenko remarked. "Well, in that case, I believe it's time we have a little revenge against ONI. What about schematics for their technology?"
"We've recovered some schematics as well," Stennings nodded. "The most important of which appears to be energy shielding technology that we can install into the Nighthawk-L Powered Armor our Elementals and Special Forces wear. That will greatly increase their chances of survival, and we believe that a scaled up variant will provide our WarShips with increased protection. Installing the new shielding will take time, though, as we'll have to modify the design to make it compatible with our own technology. The Huragok should make that easier, though, for obvious reasons."
"Correct," Norman remarked. "If you told me there was a species that lived for making things better, I would've laughed in your face. In some ways, coming here's actually been a good thing for the SLDF. We're learning about technologies that were previously thought to be impossible, and we're integrating them into our own impressive arsenal." Looking at Stennings, he said, "Well done, Director Stennings. Continue this clandestine war against ONI. Chernenko and I will want to know every dirty little secret they have."
"Yes, sirs," Stennings replied. "I'll make sure that you know everything, from their most clandestine projects, to what their Director eats for breakfast every morning." Saluting the two men, he quickly strode out of the room.
"Stenning's taken well to being the head of SLIC resources in our current situation," Chernenko remarked. "Looks like he was exactly the man required for the job. It's good to know that we have an intelligence agency that we can count on."
"Indeed," Norman remarked. "Still, I cannot believe how rotten ONI is. When you can't trust your own intelligence agency, it's time to put it to bed for good, or to do a lot of house cleaning." Turning to Chernenko, he said, "Overall, I can say that it's been good for the SLDF thus far. We're gaining new allies and technologies, while making the Covenant suffer. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some matters to tend to."
"The same here," Chernenko nodded. Shaking Norman's hand, he said, "Good luck, old friend."
"You too, old Ironsides." With that, the brace of men went their separate ways, fully ready to exploit their newfound advantages. Unbeknownst to the,m, they would need every advantage they could get.