-:: Sorry for the insane time between posts. Life hasn't been easy recently but I have been working and managed to get two chapters ready to go, which are coming out tonight/today! ::-

The Warthog shook Jared awake causing him to quickly grab what he could before he could fall. He looked around him, darkness filled the small canyon they drove through. He couldn't see anything except the walls from the reflecting light off the Warthogs lights. He turned around and tapped on Cook's shoulder. "How long have we been driving?" he asked. The Marine pivoted his head to see Jared. "We're almost back," he responded before turning back. Jared sat back down and looked at Zoso, who was asleep. Jared nudged him with his elbow, "we're almost there" he said as the Sangheili repositioned himself upright but remained silent.

Exiting the canyon, Jared could see the lights of Bdaoro in the distance. Zoso looked at the lights. Mostly reflecting off the Cliffside it sat underneath "that's where you came from?" Zoso seemed surprised to see the city. "It is, and if you can prove yourself, it can be your home too." Jared said, acting as an influence. Zoso's face changed from surprise to a face of gratitude and nodded his head slightly. "I don't have much, but I will prove my keep" he said and looked at Jared.

Reaching the gates they were met with human guards looking both at the party of humans and the singular Sangheili. They instinctively drew their weapons on him as they exited the vehicle "who's this?" one guard asked "where's Nelson?" the other asked. The sangheili took a defensive stance. "Lower your weapons, he's with us" Jared exclaimed. As Dwight climbed out of the vehicle he shook his head. "Nelson's gone" he said, sneering at Jared. He turned to face Dwight "don't start this shit again, you wont like how it ends" he said balling his fists. "I don't think this is the best time for this Peloski" cato said in his head. Dwight stepped forward, Barnes moved to stand between them. "Stand down Dwight!" he said, Dwight ignored him and stepped to throw a punch at Jared, Barnes held him back, he missed his punch. Jared stood his ground "save your anger for those who killed him" he said. Dwight, now in tears of anger and grief, he backed off "if you hadn't come, he'd be alive." he said before turning around and picked Nelson's body, now wrapped in something to cover his corpse, and began walking into the city. Eventually Jared collected his things, along with Dwight's, and headed in.

For the first time since he had arrived rain began to fall. Jared looked up and let it fall on his face. He sighed and then looked around, as marines and soldiers ran for cover from the rain, he stood in the open of the square. His mind went back to watching the blue and red blood mix into the mud when he first arrived. Joro approached him "it's been a long while since the beginning of this." he said. Jared turned to walk into the command center, "I still remember it like it was yesterday" he responded. As he reached the top he looked into the horizon, as the sun began to set, the lights from Hilot lit up a small portion of the sky. "Based on your experiences" Jared said and looked to Joro, "do you think it was smart to bring Zoso here?" Jared looked at the few data pads he had collected from what was supposed to be a recon mission. "Personally the people there need to be liberated and freed and accepting him here is a great start, professionally however, I read Barnes' report, why was he so close to their command center? And he said they were unaware of his presence in the building adjacent to his location?" he said as he picked one of the pads up. "I guess this means we need to investigate his intentions" he responded and sat down at a table, inspecting the tablets.

Jared stepped into a building secluded from the rest of the city. The poorly lit room from the light that came from the windows on each wall. In the center a table and chair sat, the generic interrogation room. As he stepped in, his mud covered boots covered the floor. "Zoso 'Nusam, although you have earned some of my trust, others here do not. Others, such as Dwight" he paused at the name, his own anger flared as he said it. "Believe they traded Nelson's life with yours. An unworthy trade as they put it" he said as he approached the table, in the dimly lit room, Zoso sat in the center. "I'm not here to make things difficult, if anything it'll be easier. The rest of my men don't trust you, including my right hand Joro, and because it was my decision, they're losing trust in me." Jared said and stood over the table, though the tall sangheili was now at level eye view with him.

Zoso looked at him, studying Jared's intentions. "Whatever it is you want to know" he said "the compound you were right beside, why did you decide there was the best spot to hide out?" Jared asked as he stood up and looked out the adjacent window, rain droplets littered the window, the once heavy rain subsided and light rain fell into the desert landscape. "Choosing where I hid was less of my own decision as much as it was trying to find my son. In case you hadn't read my journal like that one decided to go through. My son was kidnapped by them. When I had finally gotten to see him, they brainwashed him. After that I stayed close to him." he responded. Jared turned back, the sangheili had his head bowed. "Although I understand what happened to him, and I show remorse for you and him. But-" Jared said, getting cut off from him. "You killed him didn't you" he retorted back. Jared bowed his head "I can't say whether or not I did, there is the possibility." Jared responded. Zoso adjusted himself in his seat, "If he is gone, then I'd like to retrieve his body, if he isn't, when you return for your intended reason for the first visit. I demand to be at the front, to find him and bring him home." he requested. "You are in no position to make demands, requests for that matter even." Jared snapped back. Zoro remained silent. Jared began to walk out of the room. "For now you aren't allowed to leave this room, not till we can trust you" he said before leaving, "Cato, ensure he follows my orders" he thought to Cato. A cold shiver went down his spine.

As he entered the control tower Joro stood reading the data pads. "Anything on Zoso?" he asked. Jared shrugged "I know sangheili aren't ones to show their emotions above anything, but he seemed rather distraught over the possible death of his son." Jared said, Joro set one of the pads down. "Anything worth noting on these?" Jared asked as he picked one of them up. "As far as I understand it, they have a plan to build a forerunner weapon and use it as a way to exterminate the populi of Charybdis IX." he said, almost nonchalant-like Jared took the pad and made an attempt to make out what he could of the alien language, despite his background for being intelligence, he didn't know much of their language. "Why there? It was glassed near the middle of the war, it's hardly habitable now. Why attack there?" he asked as he skimmed over it. "Maybe they want to ensure it can be controlled, that or there's something they want from there." Joro responded. Jared cursed to himself, "we have to go back to Chaura. They have to have something there. But if we were to go back, it'll be a siege. Quick and quiet too, we need more evidence, a location if possible. We'll need to get the help of Vuto 'Gozamee if we want to get this done."
Jared leaned against the window as he listened to the static of the radio. Although the rain had stopped and the sky was clear, the ground and the buildings surrounding the command center had puddles scattered around.

The static cleared and a voice came over, deep and rough. "Any callsigns on this frequency, this is 'Gozamee, respond." the static returned. Jared rushed to grab the radio microphone, fumbling with it before getting a good grip on it and keyed in. "'Gozamee, this is Peloski, we can hear you. What's your situation?" Jared responded, his own voice filled with adrenaline. After a few seconds, 'Gozamee responded "They've put up a fight, took us a while to get communications working again. What's your status over there?"

Jared could tell from his tone he had either been exhausted from the attack or was injured from the offense.

Jared looked out the window at the sky as the sun was soon to set. He sighed and replied "It might be best to meet in person, I have come across something you need to see. We may have to get ONI involved."

Jared sat and waited for a response, either 'Gozamee lost connection or wasn't looking for humans to get deeper into their affairs. He'd already shown Jared he wasn't too keen on him helping. "Why do you think I would ever let more of your kind take action on Sangheili affairs?" 'Gozamee finally spoke. He yelled into his microphone.

Just as he finished speaking, Jared rebuttaled "because they are moving off Sanghelios. Shits hitting the fan faster than I thought. Come to Bdaoro and we can discuss further." He fought to not raise his voice. He looked at his second, just as equally angered at Jared's statement as 'Gozamee sounded. 'Tomorrow is going to be a long day' Cato spoke to him. Jared continued to look at Joro, instead of looking at him as a trusted advisor the only thing he could think was what he would have to do to fend him off, or how he'd have to run again. He sighed and closed his eyes, lowering his head to the floor. After a minute passed, waiting for 'Gozamee's response, Jared looked up again at Joro, "You know I don't want anything to do with them either, but with those few data pads, you know this is bigger than a small ragtag army of a squad of marines and untrained Sangheili." Jared finished, Joro stood but before he could respond 'Gozamee keyed in, he grunted in defeat and anger before he spoke "fine, we will discuss this tomorrow once we arrive tomorrow. I will bring some of my troops, to ensure this goes smoothly" he said, Jared couldn't help but feel a target get slowly painted on his back. He didn't need to respond he thought. Joro took a step towards Jared, instinctively and defensively he took his own step back and placed a hand on his pistol. "If you tell your friends in ONI what is going on here they will end everything we're doing here." Joro said, his deep voice made each word more and more unsettling. Jared knew he wouldn't be able to take him on by himself. 'He wouldn't dare, would he?' He thought, Cato sent a shiver down his back 'As a tactician I suggest making the first move if push comes to shove'. Jared stood forward once more, hand still on his pistol, he slowly undid the buckle "Back. off. This is turning from a Sangheili affair to a galactic issue, regardless of who or what they are, control of a planet destroying weapon, again. Becomes a human issue as well. He said as he placed his hand firmly on it's grip and turned the safety off, waiting for him to make the wrong decision. Joro eventually backed away after a few seconds. "For a human you have quite the determination. But that doesn't change the fact that ONI will destroy everything we have built here." He said as he stood further back.

Jared lifted his hand off the grip and crossed his arms. "ONI has been listening and watching us ever since i got here, it's what they do, although from a big distance, they're still here. Hell for all we know they could be a factor into this mechanism itself, only one way to find out. I know their frequencies. But that's for after our conversation with 'Gozamee tomorrow." He said before sitting down. Jared leaned in and grabbed his cap from the desk and placed it on his head, he slumped back in his chair and crossed his arms "if anything happens wake me, make sure you get some sleep yourself, I'll need an advisor tomorrow for the meeting like it or not, we still need his help with the attack." He said before closing his eyes and made an attempt to sleep.