"Text" = Speech
"Text" = Nonverbal Communication
'Text' = Thought
Text = Onomatopoeia
Chapter 17: Breaking the Wall
March 17th, 2569
14:23 Local Time
Lei Kouana, 250 Klicks North of Fort Keyes
Andrew vaulted over the half-wall that lined the town's main avenue. Shots dinged off his unshielded battleplate, threatening to pierce his undersuit. Popping over his cover, the Spartan returned fire. The staccato of gunfire hadn't stopped in hours. The attack had been completely unexpected. There was no strategic value to the place. Andrew couldn't help but feel like this was a diversion.
Jaq's rifle fired from behind him. The 14.5x115mm round ripped through the air and blew through her target's hip. Andrew watched another vapor trail trace the air above him before the rifle's report reached his ears. Another one followed soon after, Andrew could tell from the report that it was Sam. Despite the two rifles firing the same round, they sounded quite distinct to him. Something to do with the construction he had to wager. Sam's SRS99 was refined, purpose built, its report was a simple thump. Jaq's weapon was a cobbled build, mix-matched parts, built for any environment, its report was more akin to a roar.
Andrew's musings were cut short as more polycrete was torn from his cover. Thunk! The sound came from his side of the cover. Andrew lifted his head long enough to see Thermer nearby reloading the underslung grenade launcher attached to his MA37. A cloud of smoke began to conceal their position. Andrew opened the bipod to his SAW and mounted it to his cover. Switching his visor filter to thermal he watched as dozens of heat signatures appeared. They were scattered amongst the buildings and cars that made up the town center. Without a clear line of sight, he couldn't let loose with his prized weapon.
"Boss, what's the verdict on collateral damage? Am I clear to open it up?"
"Civilians are being evacuated, but the goal is to retake the town. Keep property damage to a minimum."
"Copy that. Tapping the B-Net for a better look. Maybe I can sync our trackers to the drone intel." Andrew ducked down under his cover once more, furiously punching commands into his tacpad. What he saw from the drone feeds was a little more than concerning. "Boss, the enemy force is completely focused on us. They aren't even trying to stop the evac effort. I fucking knew something was wrong. This ain't a land grab, it's a hit."
Thermer kept silent, mulling over the information Andrew had shared. This meant that there was a concerted effort to eliminate UNSC forces. "You sure about that? You sure they aren't just trying to take territory?"
"This town has no tactical advantage and is within Fort Keyes' rapid deployment range. There is no reason to attack it other than to draw us out for a fight." Sam chimed in over TeamCOMM. Sam was right of course. It didn't take all that long to get here on a pelican. Nor does it take long to transport armor to their location.
"Boss, if we can pull local forces back and hold the line here, we may be able to figure out who they're trying to kill." Brandon piped up from behind his massive shield. His M20 PDW rattled off a few more rounds which found themselves in the torso of a combatant a few meters away.
"Are you two really suggesting we take all the heat?"
"Only temporarily. If we make a move, they'll do one of two things. Either they realize we're on to them and they try to capitalize on it, or they fall back because we know what they're up to. These Red Hand seem smarter than any other group we've fought in the past. I'm leaning towards the latter. Sam, Jaq and the scout snipers can cover what we can't. We'll be fine." Andrew had confidence in the new plan, a little too much for Thermer's liking, but he wasn't wrong either. They'd fought numerous Red Hand cells in the past, none of them had ever shown the resourcefulness nor the organization that this one had. Thermer huffed and ducked into cover, using his HUD's tacmap to draw up new battle lines. Meanwhile, Andrew mounted his cover and continued to suppress the enemy.
Several minutes went by like this. Thermer stayed hunkered down, occasionally being pelted with debris from stray shots. Andrew and King continued to push their enemies back into cover, not letting a single one gain ground. The crack of the snipers could be heard overhead and other fireteams could be seen up and down the avenue trading fire with the terrorists.
"Command, this is Phoenix Actual. Transmitting revised battle lines. We want to see something. Over." Thermer uploaded the plans to the Battle-Net and waited for Command's rejection. What he got was unexpected.
"Phoenix Actual, for what purpose would you like to pull all other teams back? Over."
"Command, we believe the purpose of our enemy's assault is to target a specific fireteam. We would like to gauge the enemy's reaction to a shift in our positions. Spartan G199 believes that if this is a land grab the enemy will either move to match our new positions or if it's a hit they'll retreat. Over." Thermer couldn't believe they were considering his team's request.
"Understood Phoenix Actual, standby," there was a long pause in the comm line. "All units, please refer to revised battle plans. Reposition accordingly and await further orders. Command, out."
Across the battlefield fireteams received new defensive positions. Each one fell back, relying on cover fire from the marksmen. As the last few squads got into position, enemy fire began to subside. Thermals and drone footage confirmed Andrew's theory and he couldn't help but smirk as the insurrectionists pulled back from the town's center.
"Command, this is Phoenix Actual. Hostile forces are pulling back. They aren't taking the bait. Over," Thermer stated over the Battle-Net.
"Copy that Phoenix. All units move up and secure the town. Door to door, clear it out. Phoenix, we've got reports of a house that was not evacuated. Get those people to safety. Command out."
"Boss, Jaq and I will provide support from a Gyrfalcon. You three go on ahead." Sam assured over TeamCOMM. The UH-155/T Gyrfalcon was a larger version of the more common UH-144 Falcon, modified to provide Spartans with a rapid aerial transport.
"Got it. Andrew, King, move out." Thermer hopped over their shared cover and fell into formation behind the other two. King took point hoisting his massive shield, followed by Andrew and Sylas with Thermer bringing up the rear as they pushed down the narrow streets of Lei Kouana. All around them the other teams could be heard kicking in doors and clearing buildings.
"Boss, I've spotted a park with a clearing near the target building. Once you've gotten the civvies, we'll extract you at the park." Jaq marked their point of egress on the team's shared map. Sam's rifle was trained over the street, looking for any insurgents. Unfortunately, from his angle he couldn't see everything.
Snap!
Thermer's head snapped back as the round slammed into his shield. King expanded his shield again and held position, scanning for where it came from. His eyes swiftly caught the shooter in a second story window. "Hostile spotted."
"Andrew, weapons free. Make that fucker pay."
"With pleasure." If he had to be honest, Andrew loved it when the enemy pissed Jesse off. It always made things more fun. King lowered the shield just enough for Andrew to get a clear shot and pinged the window. Andrew didn't bother shouldering Bertha, instead he grabbed onto her new carry handle and used his Smart-Link to line up the shot. Then he went cyclic. He didn't let off the trigger until the weapon was empty. As the dust settled, he saw that the wall around the window had been destroyed, and a bloodied arm hung from what remained of it. "Reloading."
"Kill confirmed," King stated. "So much for minimal property damage."
"Like I give a damn right about now."
Blood and drywall fell to the ground as the four continued their cautious march forward. Sylas kept between Andrew's legs constantly. What appeared to be an awkward waddle was actually a prime position for the two. Just a few meters ahead a gunman stepped out into the street.
"King, duck. Sylas töten!" King dropped into a crouch and let the dog use him as a ramp. Sylas hurtled at the enemy with impressive speed, leaping at the last second and wrapping his jaws around the man's neck. There were a few quick tugs as the dog adjusted his grip before a violent shake and twist. Their foe went limp as his neck was snapped. The dog continued to tug at the lifeless corpse. "Sylas Rückkehr."
Once more the two resumed their waddle. It wasn't long before they reached the target building. A small two storey house with a fence and wraparound yard. Moving in through the gate the team stacked up at the front door. "You two move in, I'll cover here and receive the civilians."
Andrew banged on the door. "UNSC Spartans, we're here to get you to safety. Please do not make any sudden movements."
King nodded to Andrew. The Spartan-III twisted the knob and found it unlocked. He pushed the door open for King and followed the shield bearer in. Their handguns swept over a moderately sized foyer, which led into the living room. It was the standard fair; a couch, a couple of chairs, entertainment center, and a small toy box. Andrew signed for King to be on the lookout for children. Moving through they found it all too easy to clear the first floor. The two made their way upstairs in relative silence. Sylas sat at the first door in the hall. Andrew called in on TeamCOMM, "Overwatch, I need eyes on the room in front of King and I. Sylas is signaling a bomb."
"Copy that big guy, stand by," Jaq replied. "Four people inside; two with guns, two hostages. Gunman on your right has some sort of vest. Be careful."
"Thanks Jaq. Thermer, Sylas is headed your way." Andrew signaled for Sylas to return to their point of entry and looked at King. They tried the door knob, finding this one locked from the inside. "UNSC Spartans, we're kicking the door in. Please do not make any sudden movements."
Andrew kicked the door off its hinges and let King plant the shield in the doorway. Five shots slammed into the sturdy titanium plate. Andrew positioned himself to King's right, looking left, and established a link with Jaq and King. His VISR suite created a crude visualization of what awaited beyond King's shield. "We're here to rescue the hostages. Please let them go."
"Help us please," a woman sobbed out.
"If you let them go, we'll simply arrest you. Don't make this a bloodbath. I'd rather not mess up a child's room." Andrew observed the figures of the gunmen look at one another, then the one on the left shoved their hostage.
"Crawl to them." The voice was callus. The hostage was almost to the doorway when King retracted the shield. Andrew reached down and pulled her through the door, being sure to get a good look at the situation. The gunman on the left was in full gear, the other one in civilian clothing with a bomb vest. The second hostage was a child, no older than ten.
The woman pleaded with Andrew, "Please, save my child."
The Spartan nodded. "Go through the front door. Spartan Thermer is waiting for you. Take it slow and exit with your hands above your head. He'll know what to do."
King pushed in through the door, keeping his weapon trained on the one with combat gear. Andrew stepped into the room and trained his weapon on the bomber. "Let the kid go."
The bomber looked between the Spartans and his fellow gunman. Andrew could tell he was nothing more than a civilian roped into something much larger than himself. He released his grip on the child and let the little girl run for the door. The insurrectionist aimed for the child. King raised his shield and stepped in the way. Andrew's aim flicked and he took a single shot. Brain and bone painted a wall and the Spartan-III had his aim back on the bomber. "Drop the weapon! PUT THE GUN DOWN NOW!"
The pistol fell to the floor and the girl wrapped herself around King's leg. Andrew kicked the weapon away and glanced over his shoulder. There was no separating the child from Brandon. He had to make a decision. "Leave the shield, take the kid. Let the boss know I'm working on a defusal. You, don't move a muscle."
Andrew immediately began looking over the vest. One thing was clear, it wasn't going to be easy. The timer had ninety seconds left and the electronics had been sewn into a kevlar vest. The switch was a key activated with a tubular lock. The more he examined the device the more apparent it became that he couldn't disable it. "Why'd you go along with this?"
"I- I don't know. I guess I wanted to help make a better world. For my daughter. For my family."
"Really? Your family is going to need years of therapy. Not like it matters to you. Sorry, but I can't save you."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that I can't disarm this and there's no way I'm about to try and rip this thing off you. I don't know what kind of redundancies this thing has. I'll make this as painless as possible." He eyed the timer, twenty seconds left.
"What do you mean painle-" Andrew shoved a knife into the man's brainstem, ending his life as swiftly as possible. The man's body slumped to the ground as Andrew stepped back to pick up the massive shield. Ten seconds. Andrew readied himself. Five. He picked up the man's corpse and hurled it through the bedroom window. Fucking behind the shield he braced himself for the worst.
The explosion rattled the neighborhood and demolished a good portion of the house. The floor collapsed under Andrew and sent him tumbling into a pile of rubble. Sylas and Thermer ran around the side of the house to see what happened.
Sylas was the first to try digging him out. Thermer joined the dog, removing a large chunk of rafter from the pile. A shrill scream halted their efforts for a minute. The woman had come to see what happened as well. King was trying to drag her away, but she was viciously struggling. Andrew's fist shot out from the rubble of the house, reaching out for anything. Thermer grabbed on and pulled his second in command out from the ruined house.
"The next mother fucker with a bomb vest is just getting shot. I'm sick and damned tired of being blown up. Fuck this!" Andrew hadn't even brushed the dust and splinters from himself and yet he had his rifle in hand. The weapon barked as he walked past Thermer. He took off in a dead sprint across the back yard and between two buildings. When Thermer caught up, Andrew had an insurrectionist pinned to the ground with a knife to his throat.
"What was the purpose of the attack!"
"Please, you already know. By the way, your old friend says hello."
"The fuck is that supposed to mean?!"
"I guess you'll just have to wait and find out." Andrew let his anger get the better of him and ripped the insurrectionist's throat out. He stood up and depolarized his visor before looking at Thermer. His eyes were wide as saucers, pupils dilated. His hand was coated in blood.
"I fucked up boss."
March 19, 2569
09:30 Local Time
Fort Keyes, Minerva, Lambda Rho System
"Spartans, I believe you're familiar with Shawn Gates?" McKnight sat at her desk, the man in question stood to her right.
"Yes Ma'am, Gates is the Commander for Task Force Nomad," Thermer affirmed.
"Correct. He requested this meeting after reviewing your team's combat footage from Lei Kouana. Gates, if you will?"
"Right, I'll keep this brief. Your team is being pulled from the operation. Bringing you would be taking on a liability in more than a couple ways. I think Andrew's outburst is enough reason not to bring him. If you have any questions or opinions, now is the time to share them. You have permission to speak freely." Gates moved very little as he spoke. He was a very collected man. Especially for someone who was in command of an operation that didn't technically exist.
"This is bullshit," King spat.
"Can it King," Andrew ordered. "He's right. The Red Hand has a hit out on us and they've seen our faces. If they spot us on their home turf it'll paint a target on the whole task force. The operation would be blown wide open. As for my outburst, I understand. I let the stress of the situation and my own anger get the better of me."
"You can't be serious," Sam exclaimed.
"He's right. We pose more of a risk than an advantage. Besides a major incident like that, it would seem odd for us to just drop off the planet." Thermer knew this was coming. All the attention they'd gotten and the mystery contact, it was only a matter of time.
"Thermer and Andrew are correct in their assessment. That being said, we're putting your team on the back burner until we can figure out what to do with you." McKnight delivered the news with a stern face and her hands clasped over her desk. Andrew stepped forward.
"Ma'am, if I may suggest a course of action," she motioned for him to continue. "Thank you. I believe it would be best for our team to continue action against the Red Hand here on Minerva. If we sit back away from the action, they'll continue to assault civilian population centers in an effort to draw us out."
"Are you suggesting we use your team on high profile missions? After what just happened?"
"I'm suggesting that we simply do our job. Attack Red Hand outposts and weapon caches, investigate possible recruiting drives. Back to basics if you will. It would keep them busy, prevent the public from asking too many questions, and keep the Red Hand from looking into Nomad."
"He makes a good point Commander," Gates said.
"I'll consider it. For now, you are dismissed. Andrew, don't forget you're now expected to attend two appointments a week."
"Yes ma'am."
Fireteam Phoenix left the Commander's office and made their way for the administration building's exit. The walk was mostly silent. It was clear to everyone that Andrew was still struggling to come to terms with what had happened. As they exited the building he made a b-line for the simulators. Thermer took immediate notice, "Andrew what are you doing?"
"Need to work on examining that bomb vest. Gotta find out if I could've saved him. Gotta make sure the E.O.D techs can disable them too," his voice was sullen. The bags under his eyes were an indicator that he hadn't slept since they got back from the mission.
"Andrew, you need to sleep."
"I'll sleep when I know if there's something I could've done. There has to be something I missed." Andrew promptly walked away. Thermer pulled King to the side before heading back to the barracks. King followed Andrew at a distance.
When King finally decided to approach Andrew, the explosives expert was busy looking over a holographic projection of the bomb vest. His sleep deprived eyes lazily traced over the wiring. He considered himself lucky that his suit's sensors pulled as much data as they did. "Don't bother trying to make me go back. I'm not gonna be able to sleep."
"I'm not here to drag you back, you paranoid fuck. The boss wants me to make sure you don't exhaust yourself or miss your appointment today. So, what are you hoping to find?" King came closer, putting a finger to his chin.
"Trying to determine if there was a way to disarm or remove it. Straps were modified to lock when tightened, the electronics were all on the inside, and I had a minute and a half to sort it out. Hargrove, can the simulators test if my medical scissors can cut kevlar? If so, use my grip strength and give me a visual."
"On it. Projecting visualization." Andrew and King watched. No dice. Andrew made a note to replace his medical scissors with kevlar shears.
"You said the device was inside the vest. If you had kevlar shears you could've cut along the hem. Pull the explosive charge out from the side or bottom."
"Yeah, that's my thought. I'm gonna replace my scissors. It's odd. So many of their devices are redundant. So many things have to be disabled to neutralize the bomb. This though, it's almost like they were taunting me. They knew I wouldn't be thinking straight. Then they left the one with the key behind for me to catch. They wanted this to happen. Hargrove, ensure that all E.O.D units are issued kevlar shears, and make sure my kit is updated as well." Andrew patted his brother on the shoulder and left the simulator. His appointment was coming up soon and he had a lot to discuss.
March 25, 2569
12:00 Local Time
Fort Keyes, Minerva, Lambda Rho System
"Your command structure gave us access to the entirety of your combat footage from the assault on Lei Kouana. They felt that considering what we captured it would be best to be transparent with the public. Do you have any thoughts on that?" Alex was the last person Andrew wanted to talk to right now, but Section Two demanded he go through with the interview.
"Not really, if they wanted y'all to see everything so be it."
"That's quite a flippant attitude for someone who has done some quite concerning things recently."
Andrew leaned in towards Alex. "To be perfectly honest, I don't care what people think of me. This whole celebrity thing doesn't suit the work I do."
"And what is it that you do Spartan? Because according to the video we watched it seems like your job is ruthless murder."
"My job is to neutralize insurrections, disarm explosives and extract intelligence from the enemy. It just so happens that part of my job is putting bullets downrange at an alarming rate."
"Is that why you opened fire on a window and didn't stop until your weapon ran dry?"
"I did that because I couldn't be sure if my rounds would hit. I fired until my weapon was empty and then visually confirmed that the hostile gunman was dead. Accuracy by volume of fire. As a trigger happy reg would say; 'I have a bullet with your name on it and I won't stop until I find it.'"
"Reg?" Her eyebrow quirked.
"Regular, an unaugmented trooper."
"You Spartans make a distinction between you and unaugmented troops? Why is that?"
"I do it because I can survive being impaled with a Type-1 Energy Sword, a gut full of buckshot, blown up, buried in rubble. Anything short of my brain being blown out or losing multiple limbs, I'll survive and keep fighting. Regs don't have that level of resistance. Sure, there are stories about insane injuries being survived, but they're far and few between."
"Speaking of being blown up, why don't we talk about what happened in the house. You and Spartan King entered the house and cleared the bottom floor. You signed something to King, what was it?"
"I told him to watch out for kids. I saw a toybox in the living room." Andrew's leg bounced absent-mindedly.
"After that you ask your teammates to find out what's in the bedroom. You mention that Sylas had detected a bomb. How exactly does that work? How does a dog warn you of an explosive device?"
"Sylas was trained to recognize the scent of explosive compounds. Before an engagement I make sure he knows if I'm carrying ordnance. If he smells something that I'm not carrying he'll stop and sit. He's a smart dog and has saved me a number of times since being added to our team." Sylas shifted, his head lifting up to look at his human partner. Andrew reached down and gave him a firm pat on the side.
"On to the defusal then, you ultimately gave up and killed the man. In the recording your voice sounded so cold. Did you just not care?" Andrew's eye twitched as she asked the question.
"When working with explosives it's best to have some level of detachment from everything going on. An active explosive device can revoke your subscription to life in an instant. 'If I fuck up it's not my problem anymore.' That's the general mentality within explosive ordnance disposal. I killed him in as painless a manner as possible. I severed the brainstem; it immediately stops the heart and lungs, prevents pain from being registered, and oftentimes instantly kills them. I threw his body through the window to protect myself."
"Do you feel anything for him or his survivors?"
"One of the symptoms of my PTSD is a guilty conscience. After the operation I was awake for three days attempting to find a way to save that man. I wish I could've disabled that device, but I couldn't. I didn't have the right equipment. Medical scissors aren't able to cut through kevlar weave. As for the family I personally notified the refugee intake officers that they would need therapy."
"That brings us to what we saw live that day. Your interrogation. Do you believe that you're above the rules of engagement? Do you believe it's acceptable to rip someone's throat out after you've already disarmed them?"
Andrew's face immediately took an aggressive expression. He slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath and picked his words. "Despite my previous comment about having a certain amount of detachment, the stress of combat can have a significant impact on impulse control. This is especially exacerbated in people with bipolar disorder, people like me. Even with meds and therapy it's still possible for me to snap. That insurrectionist had confirmed that the assault on Lei Kouana was a hit. They attacked the town to draw my team out and try to kill us. That man died because the person commanding the Red Hand here in Lambda Rho has a grudge against my team."
Alex looked at one of her crewmen and pointed at her prompter. "What's going on with the prompter?"
Andrew turned and watched as the text deleted itself and began to display a new message. "Cut the broadcast. Your equipment is now property of UNSC Spartan Operations and the Office of Naval Intelligence. It's now evidence in an ongoing investigation. Get them out of here."
"What?! You can't do that!" Alex was on her feet and moving fast enough for Sylas to consider her a threat. Andrew snapped his fingers and held a fist near his waist. Sylas took the command and laid down, keeping an eye on the reporter.
"I can and I just did. Remember that night at the bar. The message. This is part of that. You, soldier, get her out of here and then all of you clear out." Andrew turned around and kept an eye on the prompter. He connected his data-pad to the prompter and attempted to trace the attack. He got hits from several systems before cutting the link. He returned his attention to the text on the screen.
"You know, I always hated when you lied to me. I know you're trying to cover for what the Program did to you, but I still can't help but feel disappointed."
Andrew looked at one of the cameras. "You still there?"
"Yes."
"Explain yourself.
"Ah ah ah. We don't want to get ahead of ourselves. I do so enjoy our game."
"This was is just a game to you? All these lives, nothing but pawns?"
"Not the first game we've played using other's lives as the pieces. I want to play a little longer."
"You act like we've known each other for years." Andrew looked up to see the Commander enter from the other end of the hangar.
"We have. We used to work so well together. You betrayed me though. You tore apart everything we built together."
"So, this is about revenge. That's a bit vague though. I've stabbed a lot of people in the back. It's a bit hard to narrow it down."
"That's fine. You don't need to know exactly who I am right now. We'll talk again later. The game will resume soon."
"Did you get all of it?" McKnight's voice was a welcome relief from what he'd spent the day listening to.
"Yeah. He's specifically after me. Someone from my past. I can't narrow down who it is, but they view this as a game. They don't appreciate my lies either. I don't know what to make of this Commander." Andrew scratched the back of his head.
"Neither do I. What could you have done to warrant an entire war?"
"Pardon my language, but fuck if I know. I fucked over a lot of people back in the day."
March 26, 2569
17:00 Local Time
Fort Keyes, Minerva, Lambda Rho System
Andrew grabbed his data-pad and microphones from his desk and tossed one of the mics at King. Brandon caught it deftly and pinned it to his shirt. Thermer, Sam and Jaq all got up to leave the barracks. Andrew stopped them all and shook his head. He looked down at the pad to check if the mics were synced. "You're all gonna want to hear this. It's time I come clean about the last day of OUTCAST. Tell me, are you familiar with the phrase 'memento mori?'"
"Somewhat, what's that got to do with this?" King was curious about what Andrew was trying to get at.
"It means 'Remember that you have to die.' It is an artistic and philosophical reminder of the inevitability of death. I didn't understand why artists and accomplished thinkers would dedicate so much time to this concept, not until that day. The final hours of the operation are my memento mori."
February 7, 2554
11:30 Local Time
Undisclosed Coastal Region, New Harmony
Andrew had been walking across the compound near the front gate when it started. The explosion had knocked him to the ground. Gunfire flashed across Andrew's vision, painting the sky with vapor trails and tracer lines. His VISR flickered, recovering from the blast. Suddenly he was moving, no, being dragged. Several Marines pulled his body towards the compound gates. By the time he shook his head clear they were beyond the threshold.
"Spartan G199, the lone wolf hides among sheep," the Sergeant shouted.
"But the flock pays no mind," Andrew replied. He got off the ground slowly and looked the Marine Sergeant over.
"Sir, we have orders for you. The agent in charge wants you to track down and eliminate the insurrection's Commander." Andrew nodded and bolted for the armory building. He had to get Bertha and Bunsen before he could go after the old man. As he ran by one of the men he'd shared meals with for the past eleven months, Andrew snatched the gun from his hand and put a round in his back. He tossed the weapon away and continued on his path. As he slid into the armory the quartermaster smiled and grabbed Andrew's gear.
"I'm glad to see you. I don't know why those bastards chose to come here today, but give 'em hell buddy." Andrew let his SAW lock to the back of his cuirass and checked the mag in his handgun. As soon as he saw the bullet in the chamber he fired at the quartermaster. The single round punched a hole through the man's head.
"Huh, looks like I'm the snake he always said I was." The Spartan walked out of the armory and began making his way to the makeshift OpCenter. Occasionally he would gun down a passerby. His actions were cold and calculated. For just short of a year; he'd poisoned their command structure, eaten away at everything that held them together. This was what he'd been waiting for, what he'd killed his own men for, lied for, this was the cumulation of it all. It was time to lay it all to rest. He'd end this all and be free of his guilt.
As Andrew entered the OpCenter the commander and his two guards snapped around to him. They lowered their weapons and breathed a sigh of relief. 'That was a fucking mistake.' Andrew thought as he fired on the guards, splattering their brains across the room. Then he pointed the weapon at the Commander. The man stood in stunned silence. His face was drained of color. He dropped his rifle. "You should've listened to your gut, Walter. You probably should've let them gun me down when I landed here. Now I get to kill you and leave your insurrection as nothing more than a pile of corpses in a shallow grave."
"I knew you couldn't be trusted. I knew there was something off about you." Andrew shoved him to the ground. Looking up with the Spartan standing over him, gun to his face, Walter realized just how terrifying he could be.
"Yet you trusted me anyway. You put your people in harm's way, and I took advantage of that. I poisoned everything you had. You used me to kill my own people, how does it feel knowing that your hesitance killed yours?" Walter stared at Andrew's visorless helmet in silent defiance.
"Any last words?" Just more silence. Andrew pulled the trigger. Behind him there was a loud thud, he spun around to see the one person he genuinely hoped would run away. Rory, his only true friend, had tripped over one of the dead guard's. The young man tried to crawl away, but froze to the floor.
"How could you? Why would you do this?" His voice was miniscule, like a mouse.
"I'm sorry Rory. You should've listened to me. You should've run while you still could. This is who I really am. I'm sorry it has to be this way." Andrew raised his pistol, hesitated and fired. He knelt by the eighteen-year-old boy's corpse, took two old coins from a pouch on his armor and placed them over Rory's eyes. Andrew stood up and left the OpCenter, running into his mission handler. He simply looked down at the man and marched towards the extraction point.
Translations:
"Sylas töten" = "Sylas kill."
"Sylas Rückkehr" = "Sylas return"
So yeah, it's been a long while. The last year has been quite rough for me. A lot of personal stuff I'm not gonna get into here. This will be the last chapter of Operation: OUTCAST. There will be an epilogue. There will also be something that follows the epilogue, a new story. Hopefully I can stay consistent again.
