Author Note: Hey guys! Glad you enjoying it so far! That said, if you have any questions, feel free to post them in a review or PM them to me! I can always put up a Post-Chapter section explaining those things!
Chapter 3: Earn Your Keep
Jake Harper felt his head throbbing as consciousness drifted back to him, feeling a chill across his entire body. The last thing he remembered was being pulled into a slipspace portal, and then being knocked unconscious. However, remembering just that much was enough for him to start to sit up, full of fear, and feel around his own neck. And surely enough, there was a collar placed around it. To make matters more strange, he realized he was laying, completely naked, on a cold stone floor. And that, a man was starting at him, patiently but sternly.
Well, if by man, he meant Brute. Jiralhanae. Responsible for the attack on Harvest, and rumored to eat humans. And Jake was laying completely naked in front of one.
"I see you are awake" he said, speaking in a language Jake could understand perfectly. "I am the War Priest of Shor village, Agrigor. As is custom for new arrivals, your possessions have been confiscated until you earn them".
Jake wanted to retort on reflex, but he was scared of the big brute in front of him. However, as if annoyed by this, he grabbed Jake's arm and dragged him across the floor, his rear end getting friction, as he then tossed him out.
"And now, it is time for your baptism".
As that was said, two people grabbed him from each side. One was a human, the other a Sangheili. Both of them, not to mention Agrigor, had collars around their necks.
"You should brace yourself now" the Elite warned, as the cracking of a whip was heard. Suddenly, a sharp strike hit Jake's rear, causing him to help out in pain.
"To live here, you must first earn it. Earn your keep, and earn your life" the brute said, walking to the side of Jake as he felt it strike him once more. "And among everything, you must be baptized".
At this point, a wooden basin filled with water was brought over, and the two holding him dunked his head inside. As he struggled, the Brute said a prayer.
"Oh god of this Sanctuary, we accept this new resident of our village, ours where everyone has earned their place. We shall stand strong and superior to all the others, and shall never fall to show you our dedication, our glory. So please, accept our worship, and our strength".
The moment he finished, Jake was finally brought out. As he was, a man came over, wearing what appeared to be Forerunner armor on his body that covered everything, only the helmet being held at his side.
"So this is the new resident from our god?"
"Yes, he appeared from the Holy Pedestal".
"And what of Zari? I cannot find his marker on the system. And he was not the type to die so easily".
"Unknown. He headed towards a terminus station, to investigate the new arrivals, and to hunt for new game".
"The boy is ambitious, I will give him that. When he returns, I will need to monitor him carefully. What of the welp? He looks useless in a hunt, so we need to know what he can do to earn his keep".
"He had tools that suggested knowledge of technology and science. As no one else has yet to be able to repair some of the systems in the temple, should he prove himself able to bring it back, he shall earn his food and clothing. Depending on how good he is, he may even be granted residence in the Temple".
"I see...very well then. It is surprising to hear one earn so many rights and food so early, but you have always been justified with your assessment and actions per our code. Ensure he understands as well though, what it means to be in this village".
"Of course. That is a job that is my right as Priest" the brute said.
"However...does he not still need to earn the right to enter the Temple itself?" the leader said, causing Jake to wince in worry. He had finally been released by the two, and now lay in the dirt expecting more pain.
The human with the whip readied it again, but the Priest stepped in.
"Considering the last helper I had was taken by the God for a trial, and did not return, and given my hard work, I require a new one. His servitude to me shall be my prize, and his being under me shall be how he earns entrance to the temple".
As this was said, a very unique sentinel came down from the sky, decloaking.
"Overseer 349 acknowledges that this is in line with the laws set by the Chieftain Malik and those before him, and falls within acceptable guidelines of 707 Wardens Silence code of operation".
"It appears the Oracle's Angel has accepted, but as per the code, my word matters as well. However, I see no reason to go against it. He looks like he would be far more useful to you then myself. Very well, see if he can fix things".
"Overseer 349 acknowledges. Setting Status of Indexed Subject Jake Harper to be subserviant to War Priest Agrigor, and the Chieftan of Shor Village, Malik" it said, firing a beam into the collar that made Jake twinge a bit. "Status Update Complete. Resuming Standby Phase".
"Good, now get up" Malik ordered. Jake didn't want to at first, full of fear, sadness, and embarrassment for a few reasons, but the collar began to shock him for a few seconds. "I said, get up".
Feeling something inside him wanting to obey, he got up. Plus the pain was unpleasant.
"Sniveling brat. Next time, obey immediately, or it will get worse. Agrigor, do with him as you wish, but make sure its unpleasant so he learns not to disobey".
"I...yes, I understand" Agrigor mentioned as Malik walked away. "Quickly, follow me back into the Temple".
Not wanting to feel that pain again, he quickly followed him back inside, also so that he was no longer being stared at by everyone.
"It seems you have bad luck. For one of our village to be taken by those new arrivals in the sky, this caused our God to send you to use to fill a vacuum" Agrigor mentioned, as he lead Jake further into the temple. "Ah, feel free to speak. That collar will make all your words understandable to those around, collar or know. They are as convienent as they are painful".
"...ah...thank you. So that was why..." Jake mentioned, when he remembered he was not dressed. "So I guess I cant just ask for my clothes back..."
"Huh. You catch on quick, quicker then the last who joined us. Yes, here you must earn everything, and you enter possessing nothing. Through hard work and merit, you can earn things, but you cannot steal or use deception to do so. Hard work can mean anything from hunting and foraging, to repairing things that are broken" he said, opening a side door and revealing a room that looked like it was thrashed around. Plenty of Forerunner technology. "Do you know this?"
"Yes, I am familiar with Forerunner technology...but, what happened in this room".
"I became upset" Agrigor mentioned, causing sweat to run down his back. "Do not fear, I am too old to be too unreasonable. But, I cannot take it easy on you either. I cannot reward you unless your work is sufficient enough to do so. After all, you did not come from the rest of Sanctuary, now did you? You came from the ship, correct?"
"Yeah...you know, they will come for me".
"Unfortunately, the collars cannot be removed. The ones who tried forcibly ripping them off, like some of my old pack, died as a result" Agrigor mentioned. "We simply do not have the technology to handle it".
"Maybe you dont...but the people on that ship are some of the greatest experts in Forerunner technology. For one thing, that ship has Forerunner Engines".
"You don't say...and the collar did not react, which means you are not lying either. Well now, intelligence is merit as well. Repair those systems, and tell me more. But be warned, just like you must obey me, we must both obey the Chieftain".
"The Shipmaster, Sha'Vehm, has decoded enough transmissions from the Covenant to narrow down our search for the portal network" Ruu said, briefing Fireteam Rook in the hanger, as the Shipmaster in question, along with Aetos, arrived. "Fireteams Bishop, Knight, Scepter, and Crown will be engaged in operations to draw Warden's attention away from your team, and the team hitting the portal".
"But, how will we get there? Does the Shipmaster has enough Phantoms that can cloak to transport everyone?"
"We dont know how effective the cloaking will be against Warden's scans, which is why we will be using a joint project" Ruu said, bringing up a few vehicles from below using the vehicle lift. "First off, a variant of the G79H-TC/MA-XL, or the Extra Large Assault Pelican, is the G79H-TC/MA-XLS, or Extra Large Stealth Assault Pelican. Part of a personal project between me, Scotty, and the ship's engineering team. It uses expensive materials that are stealthier and harder to detect, but dont skimp on defense. That said, its very expensive, so please dont damage or break it. This thing is even able to cloak, and its abilities outperform the Stealth Phantom that Sha'Vehm and Spartan Aetos will be using".
"Hey, are these modified warthogs as well?" Shaw mentioned, looking at the warthogs that were slightly bigger, but more notably, had doors and a closed canopy back, as well as what appeared to be a turret that was currently stored in the middle of the vehicle, but could be deployed. There were also a few varients of it as well with minor differences.
"Ah yes, another project we have been working on. Captain gave the approval. This is the M-22 Heavy Reconnaissance Vehicle. Its based upon the M12, or the Warthog as it is popularly known as. However, its defenses are better, and we have a few working varients. Each one has a rapid burst fire plasma turret, energy shields, and plated armor. It lets you get right through enemy lines towards whatever your goal is, and given the Spartan IV Program is increasing the amount of Spartans we have by quite a bit, I figured we could use something like this. However, the one you will be using is the M22S. Its a stealth variant, made of the same stuff the Stealth Assault Pelican is. It also has cloaking as well, a nice added bonus. That said, the turret on top kept disrupting the field, so in exchange, the weapons are built into the front. Dual Plasma blasters. They should be good for plowing through anything in your way".
"I see...so basically, you made a Stealth Pelican and a Stealth Hog".
"...I guess your options become a lot less limited when you ignore things like 'budget' and 'affordability'".
"Well yeah. There are also the new weapons, designed in combination with the Swords of Sangheilios" Ruu said, directing their attention towards a table. There were a bunch of weapons that looked vaguely familiar, but with clear differences.
"This is the PAR-66, or Plasma Assault Rifle. The packs are charagable and good at lasting awhile, allowing for sustained long term fire. Though, like any Plasma weapon, they can overheat if fired too much in a short span, in which case it will auto-disable and rapidly cool down. You can also carry extra battery packs for it. Since we didn't know how long we would be out here, or what levels of conflict we might run into, while we do have plenty of ammunition creation facilities, we would prefer to avoid using too many resources for that. Its a lot easier to just charge batteries with our reactors. Besides, they do more damage then simple ballistic based weapons..." Ruu said, a hint of bitterness in his voice.
"Something the matter Ruu?"
"Eh...I just think it took way too long for the UNSC to develop energy weapons. I feel like there were a lot of gun manufacturers and ammo manufacturers that might have been involved with that delay. But, I just dont think relying on ammo is the best call".
At this point, when talking about and dealing with this tech, Ruu actually seemed like he might be acting his age, though no one was willing to say it out loud. But he was clearly showing an outright facination and maybe obsession with creating and utilizing advanced technology.
"Ah...I see. Anyways, the rest of these?"
"Ah, this right here is the Plasma Shortwave Pulse Gun, or the Plasma Scattergun. It was an early attempt at creating a pulse cannon, but the range was a bit of an issue. The final result ended up as a shotgun, at least for this model. It launches a burst of plasma with each attack, decimating enemies at close range. We also have the PMR, or Plasma Marksman Rifle, which is like a powered up DMR. We also have the Vortex Grenade and Gravity Grenade, as well as the LRR-01, and the Pulse Pistol-04B".
"Wait wait...Pulse Pistol 04B? Why was the pistol the hardest to make?"
"Ah...we...sort of tried to be fancy with it" Ruu said, a bit embarrassed by the subject.
"...thats surprising, coming from you" Forge mentioned, remembering about how Ruu was always about caution and reliability.
"When it comes to tech, Ruu can get a bit passionate. A trait from when he was a human" Bastion's head engineer, Russel Walker said, embarrassing Ruu a bit more. It was also a bit of a shock. Even though he was the AI and probably dealt with it all the time, people very rarely spoke of the subject right in front of Ruu, and not in the tone of voice he used. "Anyways, all of this stuff is field tested. Its perfectly good and usable, just not being made in a lot of places right now".
"Thats good to know...looks like you have quite a compliment. I guess it makes sense the Bastion has a full inventory of these, since we wont around human territory for a long time. This was how they were able to save some cargo room on ammo, and towards...whatever those areas of the ship are being used for" Forge mentioned, picking up a PAR, a PMR, and a Plasma Scattergun. "So I guess Charlie will deploy us in the Stealth Assault Pelican, and we will drive and scout around with the Stealthhog?"
"Yeah. Even though the Pelican is stealth as well, its not impossible to pick up either vehicle. However, its a bit harder to pick up the Warthog since it doesn't need power for flying around and is also smaller. In any case, since it seats a total of seven safely...nine technically, though that would be very cramped".
"Erm, hold on. Ruu, wasn't that number with normal marines, not Spartans?"
"...right, yeah. Okay. But, there is definently enough room for seven spartans, but that would be the cramped limit. There are five of you, plus room for Jake Harper, who you will be extracting...and I guess one more spot. Technically one and a half, since Jake is small".
"We ready to go?" Zari asked, walking over. That said, rather then standing still, he was hopping from one foot to the other. Likely, getting a feel for his new boots that were given to him. "Its really okay though for me to have these...its just, things should be earned you know".
"You gave us plenty of information about Warden, that God of yours, and this planet. Proper footwear was the least we could do".
"Ah...thank you then. I needed to earn a new pair after my old ones got too small".
"Wait, Zari is coming with us?" Forge asked.
"No, he is coming with us" Aetos replied. "He might not have administration privlidges, but due to that collar, he does have some access to the system. It seems that Warden cant bypass his own programming, at least to a degree, so he cant revoke access granted without a logical reason. In fact, he needs some sort of logical argument for every action he does apparently".
"We also discovered a few things that might explain the Covenant being ignored, though some of them contradict each other or dont make too much sense together. It appears the Covenant Carrier we ran into was not the only Covenant ship. Several Corvettes are also deployed, probably brought with the Carrier. However, they seem to have gone to ground for now. The topography in this world is rather mountainous, and we have detected a number of large asteroid like sattelites, or floating forerunner structures around. Combined with issues with long range scans and optics, and its not easy to find a ship on this planet. Running into that carrier at the start was just bad luck. However, we have been able to intercept several transmissions. Reh, if you will?"
The Sangheili AI appeared. "Of course, Vehm".
That was when it brought up several holographic projections.
"It appears that the Covenant forces, unaware of the results of the war, still believe in the Prophets and the Great Journey. However, there is also a belief among them that the monitor of this installation, 707 Warden, or Oracle as they call it, is a blessed chosen one. However, they cannot fully commit to his will without the leadership of High Charity, and because of incidents, the two factions are hostile with each other. At least, the Carrier's faction. Two Corvettes seem to have allied with him completely, one went off the map entirely, and the other four are supposedly still loyal to the carrier. The two that are allied are speculated to have had some of them taken for Indexing, but due to their loyalty and service to Warden, otherwise remain uncollared and free. There is also some talk referring to to them taking captives when its convenient from the Carrier's faction. And there are reports of older Covenant ships that have crashed here as well. There is also some talk about the Carrier having to fight some of the villages and tribes here...apparently, they have access to Forerunner based weapons and armor. And rumors of the Oracle having a guard of something called 'The Marked'. Additionally, it seems the Monitor himself is indeed focused mainly on humans, likely this was a shield world dedicated towards human survival".
"I see...and the location on the portal network. do we know if any of them are nearby?"
"Sentinel guards of course, but no Covenant forces supposedly. Warden does not like people interfering with that place".
"Then that just proves how important it is we take it from him" Ruu mentioned. "Lets head out, and complete the missions".
"Wow, there is far less resistance then there was before" Charlie mentioned, as they flew through the sky.
"Yeah, that was a rather explosive entrance, but this looks fine and clear. Guess it helps when we dont try to deploy against a Covenant Carrier raining down on us" Forge replied, checking his weapon. Spartan Reese was now equipped with a Pulse Pistol and a LRR, Spartan Smith had a PMR and a Pulse Pistol, Spartan Shaw had a PMR and a PAR, and Spartan Karolyn was using a PAR, but also her classic battle rifle, as they had no variant for that yet and that was what she was used to.
There was a bit of worry about taking weapons they were not used to on a rescue mission, but apparently their reliability, range, and accuracy were all the same, or even a bit better, while the damage was much better. That was why, aside from Karolyn who kept one of hers so that she had what she was best with, they had gone with the new guns.
"Still, the way these weapons operate...its amazing you got so many, and the resources to do the testing".
Ruu appeared as a hologram, looking a bit sheepish. "Ah, well...its possible its why ONI was also granted a section of the ship to work out of".
"ONI huh...well that explains a lot".
"Yeah, since they have a few elite agents, they would prefer to have higher quality weapons as well" Ruu admitted. "Anyways, stealth systems are engaged, and thanks to them, we can take a more direct route. You should prepare to drop in the Warthog".
"ITs still really cool you made a Stealthhog, or an improved varient in general...but at this point, shouldn't we call it something else? Its sleeker, faster...maybe the Puma?"
"...that might be used already, but I am not against it" Ruu said, making an internal note.
"Alright, then we will deploy in the Puma" Shaw mentioned. Maxwell took the connection chip again, and the group of them got into the vehicle. Karolyn took the driver's seat, Shaw took the passenger seat, and Forge, Reese, and Smith got into the back.
"I am detecting quite a few sensors in the area. We should be fine, but I think I will drop you a bit further away. Make sure you are in stealth mode before you drive out, and avoid getting near any sensor towers" Charlie mentioned. "And make sure you wait for the signal. The rescue operation will likely fail if you initiate it before the distraction, and before the Portal Network that Warden controls to open up Portals anywhere is taken down".
"Noted. Since there is a good chance Jake was already indexed, we will need to use suppression. If possible, we have been authorized to save another as well".
At that point, the light began to dim.
"What is going on?"
"It appears the sun is...dimming...I see. Perhaps a shield that blocks light? Or does it do it naturally? It appears that this shield world is equipped with a day/night cycle".
"Good to know".
"We are approaching the LZ now. Me and Luci are counting on you, get me my Junior Cadet back".
As night fell, Jake was a bit exhausted, but somehow he got it done.
"Its complete, Agrigor" Jake mentioned, when his collar began to spark. "...Master Agrigor".
"Sorry. If it makes you feel better, I am not much a fan of this myself. To be honest, it didn't used to be that bad. Before Malik, or rather, Malik's father, Marrik" Agrigor mentioned, handing him his clothes and tools back. "Dinner is ready. Once you are ready, we can eat".
Jake nodded, quickly getting dressed, before following Agrigor to the dinner table. There were no chairs, but from what he head, it was the norm in this village to sit on the table, sitting around the food, and eating it like that, which was probably why the table was extra large.
"So, it used to be different?" Jake asked as they began to eat.
"Yeah. This was about one hundred years ago".
"Wait, you are that old?"
"Leaving aside the lifespan of normal iralhane, I was a lucky one who survived an experiment that the God selected me for. The result was my lifespan becoming four times as much as it used to be, at least, or so I was told. The village used to be more merciful, more reasonable, less harsh. But them Marrik took over, beating the man who used to be the Chieftain, and taking control".
"Who used to be the Chieftain?" Jake asked, as Agrigor's face contorted.
"...there is a reason that repairing that room nets enough merit and rewards to earn all of your belongings back. It shows great skill to fix something that no one else has for a hundred years, let alone in a day".
"...so you were the Chieftain before Marrik and Malik?"
"Indeed. Hence why I am the Priest, the one who remembers and follows the ideals of our village. Because I remember what we used to be, and have seen the changes made. And I suppose, as a trophy. That Forerunner armor, and his Forerunner augmentations, are powerful. And while the treatment and kindness of those who enter our society has diminished, it cannot be denied the quality of each individual has gone up for the most part. People tend to oppose change and things that are different from themselves, a sign of ignorance. Just because another culture does not agree with you, or follow the same ideals or such that you do, does not make them wrong or bad".
"That is...very insightful".
"The Covenant took many things from us. Used as cannon fodder, soldiers for wars and beliefs not our own. It might not be entirely peaceful here, but...I believe in the potential of people. And why I think that earning your keep is a great sentiment, to take everything they may have already earned, to force them to suffer to earn their initial place here...I do not agree with these things".
Agrigor was incredibly different then any mental image Jake had of Brutes. He knew them from the rumors, those that ate people and massacred civilian populations, like on Reach. But Agrigor was calm, collected, kind even. And wise and knowledgable.
"Hey, Agrigor...I have a question for you" Jake said, coming up with an idea.
"This is Spartan Aetos. Landing on the designated platform now with Sha'Vehm and Zari" Aetos reported, as they jumped off the dropship. Aetos and Sha'Vehm aside, as Zari landed, an energy shield fluttered a little from the impact.
"You good?"
"Yeah" Zari said, checking his Forerunner Arm Guards. "Shields are still up and strong. The reaction was just from the landing".
"Hard to imagine those things provide you with such a powerful shield" Aetos mentioned.
"Its actually three times as strong as Spartan Shields. Id say we should use it ourselves, but its Gene-Locked, and it uses a strange Forerunner Construction Encryption that makes scanning it impossible. And breaking it open with that power source is...ill advised" Reh mentioned.
Aetos took out a PMR, while Vehm had an energy shield and Plasma Repeater. Zari had his Forerunner Energy Blade, which was currently in spear form.
"Are the distraction teams busy? Are we a go, Ruu?"
"We are. Spartan Aetos, Shipmaster Vehm, Zari, you can proceed. Fireteams Bishop, Knight, Scepter, and Crown have engaged, and the Sentinels are already reacting".
"Very well. Zari, do your thing" Aetos mentioned, as Zari ran over to the Forerunner console. He tapped a few things, and it opened without any alarms or indicators.
"...when we try it, that usually fails" Vehn commented.
"...when we try that, it usually takes longer, and often sets off an alarm" Aetos replied. Perhaps because he grew up around it, Zari was extremely proficient with Forerunner technology to a degree not seen even in their experts.
They decided to move in, and checked around. It was a long narrow hallway, with a door on the other side. The walls appeared to have various lights and mechanisms on them.
"We should go. Its clear".
"What is the long hallway?"
"Decontamination. For the virus, not that it actually exists here" Zari mentioned. "Thats why its not active".
"The virus...must mean the flood".
As they reached the end, Zari opened the next door, revealing a large central room. No sentinels so far, and nothing that seemed like an alarm.
They moved forward, but as they did, they saw some small Sentinels.
"Woah".
"Its fine. Those are automated maintence drones. They will not harm us, and they are not too advanced" Vehm said, making sure Aetos didn't shoot them and trigger an alarm.
As they searched the room though, Aetos found something.
"I have Forerunner weapons. Not just Sentinel beams...but also Lightrifles, Suppresors, Boltshots".
"We haven't seen any Prometheans around. Could they be lurking somewhere, or is it just the weapons here?"
"Some of the Sentinels use those, as well as the Marked" Zari mentioned.
"The Marked...those are the personal servants and warriors of the Monitor, I take it?"
"Human Warriors, augmented with Forerunner technology. Unaging, evolved. We will likely have to fight them at some point" Zari mentioned.
"Humans, I have found another console" Vehm mentioned, as the two headed over to him. Zari activated it once more.
"Ah, this is an information terminal. One moment...I can bring up a map of the facility, as well as unlock all the doors to there. Except...to reach the higher privledge systems, requires access I dont have. We will have to go there and trigger it manually somehow".
"Don't worry, Reh will take care of it" Vehm replied.
"So far, the distraction appears to be working. Minimal security sentinels".
"Not none?" Aetos confirmed.
"If there was none, I would be suspicious that its a trap...but then again, he might know this. So it still might be a trap".
"Good to know some things dont change" Aetos mentioned. "Alright team, lets move forward. Zari, you have the module Ruu gave you?"
Zari confirmed, showing the device attached to his gauntlets.
"Lets proceed in stealth mode. Everyone engage cloaking".
The three of them turned invisible, disappearing and letting them head in further. A few security sentinels went by, including Aggressor and Protector Sentinels. However, they didn't seem to notice them.
That said, Zari got on edge, because he felt, instinctually, that danger was closing in on them.
"Hey, what are those" Aetos whispered, pointing out to some gear on a table he didn't recognize.
"Molecular Blades, I think they are called. The Berserker Sentinels, the human one that took your friend, use those. They can cut through anything and everything, supposedly".
"I see...and those?"
"Purification Rifles. They fire high intense energy beams. They can actually be set to target organic, or non-organic material only".
While making note of the weapons, they continued forward. They went through a few more chambers, until coming across a large center chamber with an elevator, and a strange sentinel Aetos and Vehm had never seen before, one with a powerful energy shield.
"That is a Watcher. They dont have combat abilities, but they have advanced techniques like jamming communications and other measures".
As Zari said that, the thing turned towards them and the light changed color.
"It knows we are here! Combat!" Aetos mentioned, as a Berserker Sentinel appeared in front of them. Zari immediately rushed forward, bringing down his weapon against the Berserker, forcing him to block before he could even attack. The blades clashed and clashed, and while that happened, Aggressor Sentinels began to appear. Aetos and Vehm began to fight them off at long range, providing suppressing fire for Zari who was going toe to toe with a Berserker that was fast enough to take someone in the middle of a bunch of Spartans, granted by surprise via a slipspace portal. Still, leaving aside the obvious Forerunner enhancements, he had a nice weapon and nice arm guards of Forerunner design from a village where the idea of one having to earn everything they would receive to a whole new level.
"Protector Sentinel, left side!" Vehm reported, providing suppressing fire.
Zari meanwhile managed to move around the side of the Berserker, trying to get in its blindspot and attack its weakspots, but the Berserker predicted that and moved to attack him in that spot. Zari changed the direction of his attack though, piercing the arm that was attacking him, blocking the attack while dealing light damage to the shields and a bit to the arm itself, the spear managing to pierce the shields directly a bit.
However, a few Aggressors began to attack from behind, forcing Zari to dodge them as well while also not showing an opening to the Berserker.
"I got you covered!" Aetos mentioned, firing upon those Aggressors before they could do serious damage to Zari.
"We need to keep moving! They will just send endless reinforcements, and the Monitor will notice the alert!" Vehm added.
Zari quickly ducked under the Berserker, slashing at it once more and breaking the shields. However, as it was bringing down both blades down on Zari, Vehm charged forward and cut through it with his energy sword, cutting right through it and dealing the final blow.
"Lets move! Now!" Aetos mentioned. "Zari, can you get the door open?"
"We are heading towards administration. My access will be limited, if not rejected outright" Zari mentioned, accessing the terminal. "Its fighting me a bit...ah, got it!"
"...takes a few seconds when it fights you...we should recruit this kid after all this".
"He can certainly handle himself in a fight".
The trio headed towards the door, and they headed towards the next chamber. Two Protectors appeared in front of them, but Aetos and Vehm dropped their shields as they ran forward, and Zari cut through them with his Forerunner Energy Blade. There was another large chamber with an elevator, a few portals set up, and something that looked like a a portal frame that was folded.
"Zari, what is that?"
"Undeployed Portal Frame, unset. When deployed, you can set a target for it to go to, and will stay there and be linked to that spot. Its to replace damaged frames".
"...its not that big when undeployed" Aetos mentioned, picking it up and placing it in the storage spot on his armor. "Ruu might be able to make use of it".
Zari approached the console to the door, but it rejected his touch. "You need administrator priviledge to access this room".
Vehm went over, and put his AI into the console.
"Hacking now. This will take time though, and Sentinels are inbound" he mentioned, as a few portals began to open. "Warden is redirecting forces here, but he is not solely focusing on us. He did put the facility on high alert".
"He is not going to fully defend his portal network...where did the other teams strike exactly?" Vehm asked.
"Ah, Sharp wanted to know some very vital, very important systems that would raise alarms. So I pointed out two Sentinel production plants, a Master Control room, and a Forerunner cannon powerful enough to perhaps take down your Bastion's shields".
"...yeah, okay. Those sound like targets more important maybe then the portal network".
"Well, we cant disable it completely. We will just be preventing him from opening Slipspace portals anywhere and everywhere in Sanctuary. All the Terminus Hubs will still be active. However, you said the main issue was his ability to opening Slipspace portals anywhere on Sanctuary, so I believed that this would be a good target all the same".
"Agreed. We will still need to deal with reinforcements through Terminus Portals, but we can use them too correct?"
"Ah yes, but unless you can use Forerunner Terminals, you cant open or close them yourself".
"That is fine, we will figure it out. Is it possible to take control of them?"
"Its never been feesible before, because everyone who is indexed is unable to resist or fight against the God, and he can just open Terminus Portals everywhere. But it might be possible. However, anyone who is Indexed is allowed access to the network, regardless of who is in control of it. Its never been attempted also".
"Understood" Aetos said, taking down another Sentinel that attacked. Zari also jumped up and cut through another, bringing the Protector down. And Vehm brought down the other Protector. However, more and more appeared, their numbers increasing.
"Its done! Access granted!" Reh mentioned, causing Vehm to pull him out and the trio to enter the control room. Zari immediately went over to the console, activating it.
"Its still a bit blocked...but I guess they never expected someone without access to get into this room in the first place. Ah, here...I can do this!"
Suddenly, as he tapped it, the console emit a pulse.
"What did you do?"
"I just used the slipspace interception system on the Sanctuary's own portals, at least the non-Terminus ones that God creates. They will end up with a sort of feedback loop...it wont be pretty, and might reduce his current Sentinel force. The issue is that God has millions of his angels...his sentinels, maybe even more".
"...anything helps. Can he reset it?"
Zari then put in a forerunner device into the console, tapped a few things, and then took it out. The moment he did, the console deactivated. "Okay, I now sealed the portals. I also removed very important code and systems access codes, and key programs, and put them on this. He wont be able to use this console and reset it without this, although this is useless unless you plug it in to that specific console".
"In that case, lets get out of here..."
"Did you really think it would be that easy?" Warden said over the facilities loduspeakers, or the Forerunner version anyways. Suddenly, the Terminus portals in the room produced four Berserkers. "Capture them, restore the portal network!"
"We need to run...now!" Aetos mentioned, providing suppressing fire as the three moved towards the exits. The doors had begun to close, but they managed to slide under the first one and they kept running. "Ruu, tell Fireteam Rook to go now!"
"Mission is a go. Mission is a go" Ruu mentioned, appearing in hologram form in a console in the middle of the Stealth Puma.
"Alright. Spartan Shaw, Spartan Reese, we have a go. Have you found the location?"
"Well...sort of...something weird just happened...some sort of field dropped, and the village just appeared nearby. It was cloaked or something, but the scenery changed quite a bit".
"I detected strange readings from the barrier. Slipspace readings. We may have hostiles".
"Why was there a dome in place though? Could this be a trap?"
"Well, it seemed to have been disabled rather abruptly. It could be because of Aetos' team. In any case, lets move in before they react".
Karolyn drove over and picked up the two Spartans, before heading towards the village. As they began to approach, they saw various Forerunner buildings and structures, as well as what appeared to be an energy tap in the center. It appeared that everyone really did live in Forerunner buildings, and many of them could be seen with Forerunner tools. However, something drew their attention. As the sun began to brighten, Jake Harper was standing out in the middle alongside a Brute wearing some sort of armor and clothing, and they were surrounded by Sentinels and human and Sangheili guard.
"Ruu, we have audio?"
"Jake appears to be wearing his gear...I thought Zari said they had to earn their stuff back?" Ruu mentioned.
"The kid did qualify to join the ship as a Junior Cadet. If anyone could do it, he could" Shaw mentioned.
Ruu then hooked into the audio, and the voices were auto-translated. "It appears that he is angry...angry that the boy was given all this stuff so early. Thinks that, given his insolence on the first day, his rise of merit is being inflated by someone named War Priest Agrigor".
"Might be the brute standing next to him. Look though, both of them are armed".
"As are all the guards...human guards".
"Those are Malik's Oppressors...dont feel bad fighting them. Under Malik's rule, they have been needlessly cruel whenever they have wanted something. As for Agrigor, if he is standing there...he is likely an ally. The old man was a bit of a pushover, despite how he could get sometimes" Zari mentioned over comms.
"Zari, you guys got out?"
"Barely, but yes. Mission accomplished" Aetos told them.
"...a brute being a pushover?"
"Has he lived here for a long time?"
"Yes...I heard from stories that many Jiralhane arrived two hundred years ago, as well as before that sometimes. From the stories, it seems that God has snatched life from many worlds and moons, and moved them here when he could. Though he has been especially active the last few years. You are not the first human ship he has taken".
"Good to know...alright, lets rescue them and go home then".
"Spartan style?" Karolyn asked.
"Spartan Style" Forge confirmed.
Hearing that, Shaw disabled cloaking as she slammed on the acceleration, driving right through the village, and as she reached the two she breaked and turned, coming to a stop just feet just a meter or two from Jake and Agrigor. The moment it stopped, the Spartan team deployed, weapons raised.
"Sorry for the interruption, but it seems you have one of our people. We will be taking him with us".
Forge said that casually, grabbing Jake and pushing him behind them.
"Fools. He belongs to me now, he belongs to this village now. You shall not take him" Malik mentioned, standing up as his Forerunner armor appeared to activate. At the same time, he reached out his hand, and a large forerunner rod flew right into it, appearing to syncronize with his armor as he took a step forward. "These two dared to defy my word, and these five dare tresspass. We shall make them ours".
"What took you so long?" Jake asked.
"We came as soon as we could. There was some sort of dome that covered this village, made it impossible for us to approach".
"For a whole month?" Jake asked.
"I am sorry, did he say month?" Ruu questioned. "That bubble...must have been some sort of slipspace time dialation. No wonder things appeared to change..."
"Time dialation...is what why...whatever, you need to get me and Agrigor out of here".
"...so you as well..."
However, the guards were already closing in. And so was Malik.
"Guys, you should know...Malik has been augmented, and he is wearing power armor. Both of Forerunner level and design" Jake started, when Malik began to charge them. Max went in first, deploying an energy sword and clashing with his hammer, however while it seemed to damage his shields a bit, Maxwell got blown back.
Seeing that, Forge understood what Jake was trying to say.
"...a Spartan?"
"A Forerunner Spartan" Jake corrected.
"Everyone, back in the Puma! Now!"
Two of the guards charged at the from the side, but Agrigor took out his gravity hammer and knocked them both away. Forge helped Jake get to the Puma's backseat, while Reese helped Max get up and do the same. Agrigor trailed behind them, as weapon fire broke out from the guard's ranged weapon gauntlets. Slamming his hammer again to create a storm of dust that blocked their eyesight, he also jumped into the back, just barely fitting as the vehicle began to drive off.
"So apparently, the God put up a time dialation field around the village. That is why he told everyone to stay inside" Jake told Agrigor.
"No wonder...how long?"
"It was only a day out here, maybe even less then a day".
"It was a month for us...the god must have done that for some reason...to keep you from him? Though, I dont understand why he would do something so pointless".
"I get the feeling this guy has a massive chip on his shoulder...well, if he had a shoulder" Jake mentioned. "From what I heard from Agrigor though, I think I figured out his deal".
"Can it wait for later?"
"No, you will want to know this. I believe that he is fighting against his own programming in some ways, but is actually incapable of defying his own protocols. He has to Index all human life, and to some extent all life, he comes across in general. But, the humans are definently special. And he hates that. He wants to be the special one, but he still cant outright break his original mandate".
"So in other words, if we discover what those protocols are, we can use them against them specifically?"
"Better. If we can put in our own protocols into his core system, we could probably pacify him completely".
"And it also gives him a weakness" Agrigor mentioned. "He cannot go against the core tennants. He has found ways to use loopholes and such to get around them, but he cannot defy them directly".
"Which also makes him predictable".
"He can lie though, quite easily it seems. And he still controls every Sentinel and system in this place".
"Well, we did take away his ability to open portals everywhere" Forge mentioned. "And we hit several other facilities, though those were actually meant to be distractions to keep him busy from the rescue effort and the portal crippling".
"This is still good data though" Ruu added.
"Did you think you could escape so easily though?" 707 Wardens Silence said over every comm frequency. As he did, a Retriever Sentinel appeared over the Puma.
"That is one big Sentinel...we need to move!" Forge said. "Karolyn, drive faster!"
"Got it!"
The Puma swerved a bit, causing everyone to shake up as Karolyn did some evasive driving.
"See? Didn't I tell you old ma..." Jake started, when the collar started to spark. "Err, Master Agrigor".
"...what was that?"
However, the collar did not stop, and Agrigor's also began to spark.
"...our defiance, for leaving the village against his orders, and God's" he said, as their collars delivered an electric shock so massive they both screamed in pain.
"Damnit! Reese, get the tech on now!" Forge said, taking out the dampeners that were created to deal with them, the same ones that Zari's collar were given. They quickly put them on, and shortly after the collars stopped sparking and the two practically collapsed with relief.
"...that was unpleasant" Jake mentioned.
"Agreed" Agrigor mentioned. The Puma then shook again, and felt like it flipped over twice, before driving off again.
"But like I was saying, wasn't this a great idea old ma...seriously?!" Jake said, as the collar sparked for a moment.
"Did we not put them on right?"
"Ah...perhaps it might be my fault. I am not much for torture, but...a certain brat did keep calling me old man, so I repeatedly ordered him to stop it. Its possible I did it so many times, its saved in the collar's core systems".
"I see..."
"If it wasn't working, both of us would be quite unconscious right now".
Ruu appeared on the hologram console once more.
"Its not like the dampeners were full proof. New orders and commands should be impossible, and basic...ah, I understand now! Its locality!"
"Locality?"
"Yes. Because Agrigor and his collar are still within a few feet of Jake, the specific orders from his collar remain".
"Fine then...anyways, didn't I say this was going to happen, and it was a good idea?"
"We will need to fight them eventually, they serve God loyally, but yes...this was a good idea. They will desperately chase after us, so they also wont bother the village as much".
"Can you guys, I dont know, stop chatting and shoot the Retriever Sentinel chasing us?!" Karolyn asked.
Suddenly though, several missiles were fired at it, stopping the large Sentinel in its Path as a Pelican decloaked in front of them.
"Icarus here! Drive in and hold on right! Lets rush out!"
"Excelent timing Icarus!" Forge said, as Karolyn drove right into the back. The hatch then closed, and the Pelican was taking off.
The doors opened and everyone got out, with Luci then running over and hugging Jake.
"I missed you!"
"I missed you more. There was a time dialation field. It was a month for me".
"A month?! Well, I gotta know everything that happened".
"I made friends with a Brute...well, a Jiralhane, we rescued him as well, I stayed at his house. He is actually really nice and a really good cook".
Forge looked over at Agrigor.
"You sure you are not a mutant?"
"...well, I have been genetically modified, and am over two hundred years old. But not all brutes are like what you think, rampaging about. There are plenty brilliant tactical minds, those who know patience and strategy and cunning. We are not mere beasts".
"Good to know...alright Charlie, take us home".
"Rodger that...and thank you, Fireteam Rook. And you too, Agrigor".
Meanwhile, back on the UNSC Bastion, ONI Section
"Is the datatap up?" Spartan Aetos asked ONI Science Operative Tonda Lang.
"Yeah...not sure how you managed to get it into the Forerunner system during that firefight without anyone noticing, but it is up. We are now getting exclusive datafeeds to various Forerunner intel, and into their technologies".
"Good. Find a way for anything that isn't vital to be learned about by the Bastion, but keep the top ranked stuff just for us. And I especially want more information on the Forerunner ability to redirect and create Slipspace portals. ONI will have a great deal of use for that".
"Understood sir. I am surprised you didn't request the rest of ONI's spartans to assist you though...is it wise to keep them in reserve when the risks are so high?"
"Yes. Remember, despite what might appear publicly, ONI does have the best interests of humanity, and the galaxy, in mind. And, they probably wouldn't be happy, and would cause unneccessary friction, if we also revealed all of the ONI Operatives that are really aboard this ship".
"Of course sir...you and Operative Vera seem to both think that. Okay, I will proceed as you instructed".
"Well done, Agent Aetos" a woman said.
"Vera. While I said that, and agree with it, we should have some sort of plan in place, to help them forgive us if they find out on their own".
"You worried they will catch on?"
"Well unless your telling me you knew all of this would happen, and didn't tell your fellow ONI agents, you being on this mission is odd in itself".
"Well...we all have our orders. Best be ready Aetos. The Bastion might be our ally, but we cannot always expect them to make the wise decision in the overall perspective. Especially with these new additions to the crew. We may need to do what we always have, and guide them from the shadows" Vera mentioned, her accent distinctly brazilian.
"Understood. Well then, until the next op, I am going to unwind. I think Vehm might actually be starting to like me, and I know I am starting to like him. I guess covering each other in a firefight does help mend bridges".
"Well, thats also because he has yet to realize you tried to assassinate him ten years ago. Have fun!" Vera mentioned.
And so, ONI began to come up with its own plans and objectives.
Tech Corner:
M-22 Heavy Reconnaissance Vehicle: Based upon M12 Light Reconnaissance Vehicle, a Warthog, it has better armor plating, and most notably, doors on the side as well as a better canopy and also energy shields. The base version has a covered canopy back as well, and an automated plasma turret that is operated by the passenger, instead of the back. In exchange, the back has seating for about five, or three comfortably. The turret can also fold down on the top when not in use. Created as a joint project and an experiment by the AI Ruu, Scorry, and a few engineers on board the Bastion, they have yet to see wide deployment, most of them being on the Bastion. However, countless variants have been made. Also, while it is far more heavily armored and protective, speed was not sacrificed. The budget, however, was. Due to the fact it has so many changes though, they began to refer to the vehicle as a Puma then a Warthog, after Spartan Shaw suggested the name.
M-22S: A stealth version of the MSS, this one is made of materials that wont get picked up by sensors or radar, unless scanners actively look for it by focusing on a designated area and know to go looking for it. In addition, the vehicle features a cloaking module, and the top mounted gun has been removed completely, instead featuring a plasma blaster in the front. This will allow for Stealth operations that require wheels, and it should be noted the vehicle is entirely silent unless brought up to its higher top speed. Due to the special materials used, its faster then a normal hog, but retains the durability. However, it is vastly more expensive and cannot be replaced easily.
M-22FR: This M22 features a compliment of Forerunner technology. With improved Shielding, it will also deploy a bubble shield when parked so that it does not get accidentally destroyed. It also features a Forerunner Beam Cannon turret, and can deploy small drones on either side to repair itself or attack enemies. It also has the ability to open up Slipspace gates and travel through it, although the points have to be pre-planned, designated, and opened, and the locations either need a beacon or such they can use to link there, or be close to each other and the warthog. This is considered the single most expensive vehicle in the entirely UNSC, unless you can obtain the Forerunner tech used to make it directly. If so, it becomes considerably cheaper. But otherwise, even the Hannibal Scorpion Tank and Mantis are both cheaper then it.
M-22A: Also known as the Hopper, this vehicle was made for the specific purpose of underwater adaptation. With airtight seals, and wheels that can transform and make the craft essentially a sort of hovercraft, it can go on water, underwater, or on land.
G79H-TC/MA-XL: An extra large version of the G79H-TC/MA Assault Pelican gunship, it features a small barracks, an even smaller shower, and in the pilot's cabin, a toilet and sink that can be folded and stored into the wall. This allows it for long term scouting and habitation, as well as transport. The extra size was also big enough to store the Warthog, and even the slightly bigger Puma, inside the compartment with room to move around a tiny bit in, allowing for better vehicle transporation, and the ability to deploy a fully crewed vehicle directly into the field in just a few seconds, rather then deploying the vehicle and then forcing the crew to get in, allowing them to make vehicle combat drops. It also features a stronger weapons systems, and even rocket pods in addition to the laser armaments. It also has plasma cannons rather then chaingun turrets that can be crewed.
G79H-TC/MA-XLS: A variant on the extra large variant of the G79H-TC/MA Assault Pelican, it actually has given up some of its top power and speed for a stealth function, and is made of stealthy materials. This allows it to cloak, like Covenant and Sword of Sanghelios Phantoms, and get in and out of a point undetected.
The PAR66 Pulse Rifle: An experimental energy weapon based Assault Rifle, it fires concentrated, high powered plasma bolts that melt through targets rapidly. More powerful then the standard assault rifle, but without losing accuracy, rate of fire, or reliability, it no longer uses the inferior bullet technology that Ruu found uninteresting and is now in sufficient enough development that the Bastion was able to get dozens of crates of them.
PMR-01: The PMR, or Plasma Marksman Rifle, uses some technology found in beam rifles, Binary Rifles, and the like that were re-created and re-invented to create this rifle. While it currently lacks the power of some of these weapons, it makes up for the fact by allowing it to fire multiple shots rapidly, getting off more before recharging, and being incredibly lethal with someone who knows how to hit their mark. This is favored by marksman of the Bastion, as well as some ONI operatives.
PSP-01: The PPRP, or Plasma Shortwave Pulse Gun, was an attempt at making a plasma pulse cannon that didn't quite go well. The result was a gun that had great power, but very short range. While failing terribly as a cannon, it made a great shotgun, with more power then the UNSC's current ballistic shotgun, so it was adopted as such on a few UNSC ships in 2558, mainly the Bastion. ONI operatives and other ships also carried a number of them, mainly ships operating far from human territory and might not be able to supply well on ammo, that would also be fighting in close quarters.
Vortex Grenade: Another creation that came from a failure, it was an attempt at making a gravity grenade based on the Brute's gravity hammers. During the attempt, joking known as the "Reversed Polarity Event", they ended up creating a grenade that rather then slamming things far away, would suck them in before exploding and tossing them around. That said, they decided to keep them in case they had serious practical usage.
Gravity Grenade: The actual working model.
LRR-01: The LRR-01, or Long Rail Rifle, is a design based upon the Railgun. Designed as a sniper rifle, and easily creatable by the UNSC manufacturing plants so long as they had the right resources, was originally going to be plasma based. However, to create the high powered effect comparable to the beam rifle and focus rifle of the Covenant, this design failed to work well. However, looking back on it, and taking notes from the Railgun weapon, they were able to adapt the two, resulting in a sniper rifle that makes use of railgun technology. This has created a sniper rifle with increased power and strength, using rounds with higher penetration. It also features a slightly larger clip then the original sniper rifle, six shots instead of four, though still requires ammo.
Pulse Pistol-04B: After three and a half failed attempts, this pistol was finally created and perfected. In addition to accepting the standard power pack design, letting people only carry one type of ammo for all the Plamsa based weapons, it also features an extra port. This contains special mechanisms that can add affects to the pistol. The standard pistol can get off forty shots before overheating, but that is the base mode. One can activate tracer rounds, which will emit a signal impossible to detect unless you go looking for it. There is also the stun augmentation, which gives them an electric effect that can stun enemies, allowing easier live captures. And finally, there is the Power Enhancer, which essentially adds a focusing module. It uses more energy, but in exchange the damage output is far greater.