This chapter I wasn't quite able to finish before the cancellation, mostly because I wasn't sure if I wanted to include Selene's section or not. My plan was to have finished it, then made up my mind, however once I decided to abandon the story, I figured it didn't matter any longer.
Chapter 44
"Northern Front" HQ, Actium
May 7, 2545
2207
Athena
Athena tilted her cup back to catch the last few drops remaining of her tea, before tossing the now empty cup into the nearest trash receptacle. That was her… fifth cup today? She couldn't even remember at the moment.
As she waited for the caffeine to kick in, she glared at the screens that floated in front if her. Combat operations had been ongoing nearly nonstop for almost sixteen hours now, and the frontlines had barely moved since that time. Covenant resistance was strong, insanely so, and no one was entirely sure how they were managing to pull that off.
Sure, the UNSC had suffered from minor set backs, most notably when combat operations had been forced to come to a halt in order to allow the Air Force the chance to deal with the two cruisers that had somehow been allowed to slip right past the UNSC Navy, but all intel suggested the Covenant should have run out of steam nearly seven hours ago. Clearly though, their intelligence had been wrong which admittedly, was sadly common when it came to the Covenant. Even after twenty years of warfare, the alien invaders were still one giant mystery to humanity.
At any case, it was obvious her troops were rapidly becoming bogged down in the city, and until more reinforcements could arrive, there wasn't much she could do about it.
"If we could force a penetration at any point in the line, we just might be able to cause the Covenant to collapse," Lysander was saying. "From what we can tell right now, Covies have committed all their troops to their MLR – they have no defense in depth anywhere in the city. Of course, we need to concentrate our forces to do that. Which means, we need more troops…"
"Which is not as easy as it sounds, General," Athena retorted. "Damn… neither the Navy nor the Air Force seem to be able to keep our shipping lanes open. It's been nearly twenty hours and I still don't have a full, intact regiment on the surface. No, General, what you got is what you got."
Lysander shrugged. "Then we might have to hold what we got until we receive more troops because I'm not sure how many more casualties we can sustain before we become combat ineffective."
"No, out of the question," Athena immediately retorted. "First off, we don't have time. Secondly, we're in contact with the Covenant, we gotta keep pressure otherwise, the Covenant will also be able to take this time and reorganize."
Lysander tossed his hands into the air, the first overt sign of his irritation. "If we can't advance without reinforcements, but you're not giving it to us, yet you won't let us break contact to reshuffle our forces… I don't know what you expect us to do."
"I want you to keep fighting, dammit!" Athena snapped, trying but failing to mask her own growing frustration. "Keep advancing, keep pushing, keep probing – just keep killing the Covenant. If it is as you say, the Covenant have placed their entire force on the front, then that means they have no reserves, and they can not sustain this level of resistance for much longer. We cannot relent, now, not when we're so close to the finish line!"
Athena took a deep breath to try and calm herself down. "Dammit, if these were my Marines we wouldn't even be having this conversation!"
She hadn't meant to say that last part out loud, but it was a sign of her growing aggravation that it had even slipped out, and so she watched as Lysander's face harden.
"Well, with all due respect, ma'am, we're not your Marines," he bluntly pointed out. "We were a half destroyed armored and airborne division, reinforced by a handful of militia units that were never intend nor expected to ever see this level of combat. Yet, somehow, we're still able to hold back an entire Covenant invasion force for two full days with little to no reinforcements, including from your Marines."
Lysander trailed off as Athena held up a hand.
"General, I apologize: that was out of line," Athena said as soon as Lysander had fallen silent. "You're right: I shouldn't be discounting what you and your forces have managed to accomplish in the last few days. It's just… my understanding is that Admiral Spaatz is growing frustrated by how long this battle is taking, and he's ratcheting up the pressure on the grounds forces. And, as you know, when the big boss is upset…"
"Shit rolls downhill," Lysander agreed a bit more calmly. "I guess we were all secretly hoping this would have been a quick and easy fight. Sad thing is: we all should have known better."
"Yes, we should have," Athena murmured in agreement, quietly acknowledging Lysander's acceptance of her apology before letting out a sigh. "At any case, General, I'm due in another briefing with High Command in a few minutes. While I want all our forces to continue advancing, I'm going to request that we modify the operation, and have the bulk of the pressure come from the south, and not the north."
"That's probably for the best, ma'am," Lysander agreed. "A number of armored units should have arrived by now – with their heavy weapons and heavy armor, they should be able to intensify the pressure applied to the Covenant Army considerably."
Athena nodded. "That'll be all, General.
Lysander inclined his head. "Yes, ma'am. Oh, and: thank you."
With that, he severed the connection, leaving Athena alone with her thoughts. As soon as he was gone though, it took Athena just about everything she had to prevent herself from punching her workstation.
It rankled her, to have to pull back from an operation like this, to admit her forces weren't necessarily up to the task that was presented to them. Athena was not one to give ground like that – you couldn't really, not against the Covenant – but she had to face the reality. And the reality was, the forces she had inherited had already been depleted before the battle had even begun, and sixteen hours of combat had only depleted them even further, to the point of breaking. And until she could bring fresh troops down and relief the forces on the line, the main thrust of the offensive was going to have to come from somewhere else.
"'You fight with the army you have,'" she grumble to herself as she place her headset on and began to key up the line that would connect her to High Command, "'and not the one you wish you had.' Wonder what asshole said that."
Without another word, Athena waited as her line connected, and once again she found herself somewhere else. She had barely enough time to notice she was one of the last to arrive, before she was immediately confronted by General Iqbal, and the smug and absolutely infuriating smirk on his face.
"Well," he announced to the room at large, though his eyes were staring pointedly at Athena. "The ground offensive does not appear to be going well. So many casualties. If only someone had proposed an alternative strategy that did not require the use of any infantry whatsoever…"
Athena felt her blood boiling at the mocking tone in Iqbal's voice, and she angrily leaned forward to retort, but before she could say a word, her superior, General Fields, abruptly allowed his hand to fall forward, hitting his desk with a loud thump.
"Under these circumstances, there is absolutely no reason to believe the Air Forces would have proven themselves any more effective than the ground forces have," he bluntly stated.
Iqbal lazily shrugged. "Guess we never know, will we, General?"
"Oh, but we do know, General," Athena immediately snapped. "It was my understanding that the opening bombing barrage of this operation was intended to 'break the Covenant's back.' Yet, here they remain, unbroken."
To Athena's mild disappointment, Iqbal didn't rise to the bait.
"The failure of the initial barrage is hardly the fault of the Air Force as we were not given the appropriate amount of time to 'work the Covenant over,' so to speak," Iqbal retorted. "Furthermore, the targeting data we received on the Covenant's positions proved to be… less than a hundred percent accurate. And I do believe there's no question as to who's fault that is…"
He trailed off and threw a significant glance in the direction of a single UNSC Army lieutenant colonel, whom Athena vaguely recognized as Lieutenant Colonel Harper, head of the Army's INSCOM, Actium branch.
Despite being addressed in such a manner by such a high ranking officer, to Harper's credit, he hardly seemed ruffled. Instead, he raised a single eyebrow and merely replied, "Pardon me, sir, but a minor correction: targeting data for the Air Force bombers was provided by Air Force Intelligence Command, not INSCOM."
Athena could see the head of the Air Force intelligence branch, Colonel Kendrick, shuffling a bit uncomfortably in his seat.
"It was… more of a joint effect," he began to weakly protest.
"At any case," Iqbal loudly said, interrupting Kendrick. "Such an event should have merely been a minor setback for any competent commander."
"'Setback?'" Athena instantly snorted. "General, is that how you would describe the failure of a certain military branch to maintain air supremacy?"
To Athena's immense satisfaction, that seemed to trigger Iqbal.
"It was the Fleet's job to hold back the Covenant warships," he snapped, dropping all sense of subtlety. However, in doing so, he immediately caught the attention of every single naval officer in the room, including the commander of the Navy's fleet, Admiral Amarchih.
"Yes, 'twas the responsibility of the Fleet, to contain the enemy warships from disrupting ground operations," he shot back. "However, it 'twas always understood - given the superiority of Covenant warships – such a task would be impossible for one branch alone. Thus, it fell upon the Air Force to, as you say, 'pick the slack.'"
"The idiom is 'pick up the slack,' Azouz," Iqbal snapped. "Furthermore – "
"Thank you, General, that will do."
Athena immediately snapped to her feet as Admiral Spaatz came walking into the room, followed by General Langley, whom she hadn't even noticed hadn't been present.
"Be seat!" he snapped, and judging by his tone and the expression on his face, Athena could tell he had managed to catch the tail end of their argument, and wasn't happy. "Ladies and gentlemen, let's make one thing clear here: this is my system. I'm in charge here. What that means is, ultimately, I'm responsible for every success and failure that occurs to our forces in this system. And I will be the first to admit, yes, mistakes have been made and this operation is nowhere as successful as we all hoped. It happens. That's life."
"However the finger pointing and the blame game that was just occurring prior to my arrival here… unacceptable. Completely unacceptable," he snapped. "Every single person in this room is a commander, a leader. Men and women look up to all of us for guidance and leadership. What we are not, are a bunch of prepubescent children on a Waypoint forum arguing about which branch of the military is better!"
Spaatz glanced around the room, pausing to stare at each individual, though Athena couldn't but noticed he seemed to stare at Iqbal the longest.
"We have a situation on hand, right now." He jabbed his desk for emphasis. "We're here to discuss what's going wrong, and how we can fix it. So, General Miles. Give me a no-shit assessment: what is going on in the north?"
Athena suppressed a sigh.
"We're getting bogged down," she admitted. "From what can glean, the Covenant have committed all their forces to the frontline. They don't have any reserves, nor any sort of defense in depth. In practical terms, what that means is, if we were able to concentrate our forces on a narrow point, and attempt to break through the Covenant positions, we would probably be successful."
"But doing so in a city as dense as Byzas is, doing so could result in your forces easily getting outflanked," Fields immediately pointed out. "Furthermore, the strategic goal of this operation was to remove the Covenant presence from the city, not breakthrough."
"Yes, sir, I understand that," Athena drily replied. "Which is why we haven't tried to do something like that earlier. However, to continue advancing on a 'broad front,' so to speak, we need far more forces than we have currently. Unfortunately, Northern Forces were already depleted prior to the invasion. Furthermore, the Covenant Navy's ability to disrupt our supply channels are proving to be… detrimental to our ability to provide reinforcements."
"Bottom line, General," Spaatz asked.
"We don't have the ability to push out the Covenant from the city any longer," Athena flat out acknowledged. "As a result, I'm requesting that the North and Southern fronts switch roles: instead of attacking, the North defends, while the South attacks."
All eyes immediately turned towards General Valerian, commander of all southern forces, who seemed to shrink ever so slightly at the attention.
"Well, General?" Spaatz asked, glancing at both Fields and Valerian. "Can the southern forces go on the offensive?"
Fields and Valerian glanced at each other.
"Yes," Fields said at the exact same time Valerian said, "Not exactly, sir."
There was an awkward pause as the two Army officers glanced at each other, and Athena resisted the urge to massage her temples.
"General?" Fields prompted. "How can you not be ready? I thought you had nearly three divisions of soldiers are your command?"
"Yes and no, sir," Valerian replied. "I have both the 7th Cavalry and the 80th Rifle Divisions at the ready. Furthermore, the vanguard of the 45th Rifle Division from out west is arriving and by this time tomorrow, the rest of the division will be able to be placed on the line as well. The problem is, sir, all three of these divisions are essentially light infantry divisions. And, while I understand as a former engineer, you have a 'can do' attitude, sir, fact of the matter is, none of these units are capable of assaulting fortified Covenant positions head on."
"If I had armored or infantry divisions, this might be a different story," Valerian continued. "However, the one armored unit I have, the 53rd Armored Brigade, has been attrited so badly by all the fighting in the last two days, I'm about ready to break them up into separate tank battalions, to be partitioned out to my existing divisions for support."
As Valerian spoke, Athena did her best to hide her groan. This right here, she felt, was the biggest difference between the Marine Corps and the Army.
Unlike the Army, the Marine Corps could almost be considered generalist: every single type of Marine unit was uniformed across the board. That meant, say, the 12th Marine Division was configured in the exact same way as the 21st Marine Division and because of that, theoretically the divisions were interchangeable and could do the exact same mission under the exact same circumstances with the same degree of success.
Not only that, because of their integration of combined arms at levels as low as the battalion-level – with Marine infantry, armor, artillery, and aviation assets all working together in harmony, Marine units could be used anywhere at anytime, no matter the situation, which was extremely useful in an emergency such as this.
The same, however, could not be said about the Army. Unlike the Marines, the Army was more specialized, consisting of all manner of divisions: airborne divisions for expeditionary warfare, armored divisions for spearhead and penetration operations, rifle and cavalry divisions for counterinsurgency operations, and so on and so on. Admittedly, this system meant that Army divisions would be able to accomplish their missions with far greater success than their Marine counterparts when used in their appropriate roles, however it also meant if the wrong division was in the wrong place conducting the wrong role, they were screwed.
"What would you need then, in order to go on the offensive?" Spaatz was asking as Athena fumed.
"Armored units, sir. A couple brigade combat teams, at least."
This time, Spaatz glanced at both Fields and Langley. "Generals?"
Langley let out a sigh and spoke first. "We have the 31st Armored sitting in orbit right now, just waiting to be deployed. A single brigade could probably be sent down, however it would probably take every single Air Force transport we have available at the moment to not only bring their equipment and ammo, but their vehicles too. Transports that the Marines are also using."
Athena could feel Spaatz's eyes on her and she suppressed another sigh. "Marines have their aviation assets, sir. We'll make do."
"As we always do," Athena muttered under her breath.
"As for other units," Langley continued, scratching his chin in thought. "We'll have to pull from other Commands, probably CENTCOM. If I remember correctly, their 3/15th AD was preparing to deploy off world before the attack, so their personnel should all be gathered in a central location. Should be able to fly them here overnight on some civilian airplanes, and have them here in a couple of hours. Their tanks, however, will take longer to get here."
"We got warehouses of armored vehicles they could pull from, sir," Fields volunteered. "Technically, they belong to the 23rd Armored Division as part of their POMCUS stocks, but given that they're stationed on Callisto in the Sol System, I'm sure they won't mind if we use it."
"Furthermore, sir," he added, "I've got a stockpile of deadlines tanks pulled from places like Draco III and Miridem. They're no good to us just sitting there, so we'll use 'em, if we have to."
"'Circled X' fucking tanks," Athena heard Valerian mutter, and she snorted in amusement, but gave no other signs of acknowledgment.
"Good," Spaatz was saying. "Good. Then the only issue that remains is ensuring our flight corridor remains open so that these reinforcements can actually make it to the surface intact."
Spaatz didn't say any names, but Athena noticed he was staring at Iqbal rather intensely, causing Iqbal to sigh.
"I can have a couple of my carriers move into position to ensure the corridors remain mostly unhampered," he volunteered with obvious reluctance. "However, they'll only be good against fighters and gunships. Anything bigger, might become an issue."
"I have destroyers were damaged in initial combat," Amarchih said. "You can use."
"Do it," Spaatz commanded. "No point in wasting ships. Alright, ladies and gentlemen, I'm liking what I'm hearing. Let's take a couple of minutes to hash out the finer details, but aside from that, let's get to it."
The room as a whole nodded, and as the various commanders began planning, Athena couldn't help but shake her head at the rollercoaster this entire meeting had been, from start to finish.
She could only hope the Covenant's chain of command was worse than this.
XXXXX
High Orbit, MS 222-53 a
9th Age of Reclamation
8th Cycle of the Planet's Rotation
Fleetmaster Iam 'Oteree
Fleetmaster Iam 'Oteree glared at his display, as if it had done some grievous offense to his clan. And in some ways, it had. For Iam had plans. Plans that would have saw the humans bled dry for their reprehensible actions towards the very Gods themselves!
Yet, what Iam saw on his display did not look even in approximation to what he expected. And this was all due to one Sangheili.
"I told you: undertake no offensive actions," he growled. "You validated my order. Yet, the moment I turn away, you proceed to do just... that." Iam turned around. "Explain."
Much to Iam's growing irritation, 'Quetshadee did not looked cowed by his tone. Far from it, in fact.
"I saw an opportunity," 'Quetshadee replied, sounding respectful yet, defiant, at the same time. "To do great harm to the humans. So I took it." He suddenly gave Iam a questioning look. "Is that not what Kel 'Darsam would have done? Or Pelahsar the Strident would have done?"
Iam felt his blood slowly beginning to boil at that.
"How… dare you…," he growled. "Compare yourself to the champions of the past!? What… arrogance! You, 'Quetshadee, may be one of my greatest commanders, but you. Are. Still. Mine!"
"Of course," 'Quetshadee replied with a small bow. "My apologies, Fleetmaster. Perhaps I should recast my words: is this not you would have done? Is this not what you did, with the Fleet?"
Iam violently whirled around to angrily stare at 'Quetshadee, but again, 'Quetshadee hardly looked cowed and Iam realized he need to change his methods if he were to attempt to make 'Quetshadee comprehend. So, calling upon an old tactic of his, Iam did something completely unexpected: he relaxed, and then smiled.
"Evocatus, do you take me for a fool?" he kindly asked.
As Iam hoped, 'Quetshadee suddenly became very wary at the unexpected shift in tone, and it took him a few extra heartbeats to reply.
"N…no Shipmaster. I would never pre- "
"Then why attempt to deceive me?" Iam interrupted in the same tone but internally, he could feel his muscle begin to tense, as if he were about to wade into battle once more.
"Fleetmaster, I – " 'Quetshadee began. And that was when 'Oteree struck.
"DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MISLEAD ME, EVOCATUS!" Iam suddenly screamed and for the time since this conversation began, he saw genuine fear on 'Quetshadee's face. "YOU ATTACKED BECAUSE YOU WERE ATTEMPTING TO DEFEAT THE HUMANS BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF THE JIRALHANAE! IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF THE HIERARCHS COMMANDMENTS!"
"That is not so!" 'Quetshadee protested though there was no mistake the quiver in his voice now. "Fleetmaster, I was merely attempting to strengthen our position so that we might not appear weak but strong in the eyes of the Jiralhanae when they arrive! We cannot afford to look weak in the eyes of the lesser races!"
Iam was flabbergasted by the reply.
"What farce is this? Perhaps I was mistaken, Evocatus: it is not I, you think of a fool, but yourself. For what amount I care for the opinions of those whom reside beneath us?"
Iam started to laugh at the thought, but 'Quetshadee's next words cut him short.
"Fleetmaster. Sire. I know you care little for what you once deemed the 'political buffoonery,' but surely you must realize that the Sangheili's role as the military leaders of the Covenant are no longer once as certain as it was?" 'Quetshadee said.
Iam stared at him.
"Explain," was all he said. It was not a suggestion.
"Cycles of the Sangheili's inability to readily conquer Humanity as we once did with the Unggoy or the Mgalekgolo have left the faith many once had in us shaken," 'Quetshadee hurriedly explained. "In these troubled times, many are beginning to turn to another for guidance: the Jiralhanae."
"It is, as you say, 'the opinions of the lesser races matter little,'" Quetshadee hastily added. "But, however little, they do matter. And because of recent unfortunate and unavoidable events, it would appear the faith of the San'Shyuum has also weakened. To ensure that we remain in their favor, we Sangheili must assure all members of the Covenant that we are still strong, that we are still capable of great victories. But to accomplish that, we must take action. We must take risk. Which is why I dared defy your orders so that I may be able to seize opportunities to prove our strength."
'Quetshadee fell silent and stared anxiously at Iam while he waited for a reply. For his part, Iam was considering everything he had just heard, and decided there was a certain truth to 'Quetshadee's words. While it was true Iam cared little for the political arena, he would have been a fool to ignore it completely. He had heard rumblings of talk similar to what 'Quetshadee had just said, however 'Quetshadee painted a far grimmer picture than Iam had understood.
Unfortunately, 'Quetshadee's explanation did little to assuage Iam's anger over his current, tactical situation…
"So. You wished to convoy strength," Iam quietly asked and 'Quetshadee quickly agreed. "Then tell me, my dear 'Quetshadee: where is our strength."
'Quetshadee looked puzzled. "Sire?"
Iam felt something inside of him abruptly snap and he whirled around, grabbed his display, ripped it from the station and hurtled it at 'Quetshadee, who just barely managed to catch it.
"WHERE. IS. OUR. STRENGTH!?" Iam roared and startled 'Quetshadee stared at the display.
Iam knew what 'Quetshadee was looking at when his facial expressions changed to that of horror. The display was currently depicting the disposition and current location of all Covenant forces on the surface, as well as on orbit. Under ideal circumstances, the entire human city would be blanketed in friendly markers. However, at the moment, it was not.
"All Covenant forces are currently engaged against the human forces," Iam growled. "When I commanded all forces cease offensive activity, I had but a paltry thousand to act as reserves. I had intended to preserve them for when the humans committed their attack. However, then you, took your forces in the south, and attacked the humans without my permission, sustaining heavy losses in the processes. As a consequence, I was forced to commit my reserves to the south in order to maintain the integrity of our position!"
"Make no mistake, Evocatus," Iam snarled. "I do not mourn those martyrs who have given their lives for the Hierarchy. I mourn that, without those reserves, I cannot hope to restrain the humans any longer once they commit to their attack. And that, if I wish to hold this landing zone, as per the Hierarchs' commandment, I will now need to beg -beg – them for reinforcements. So, again I ask: WHERE IS OUR STRENGTH!?"
"I… I did not know, Shipmaster," 'Quetshadee desperately said, causing Iam to snort.
"No. You did not. Because you are a fool," he sneered. "A fool I would personally execute, if I had more forces. But I do not, so you shall live to prove your worth once more. But not here. Get out. GET OUT!"
'Quetshadee immediately scampered to his feet, as if he had just been electrocuted. Bowing deeply, he slowly backed out of the door, not daring to look up in the event Iam changed his mind in regards to his continued survival.
Iam turned away, not wanting to even glance in 'Quetshadee's direction, least he give into the desire and have the nincompoop executed.
It wasn't until he heard the door close and lock behind him did Iam finally release his rage.
Letting out a loud scream of anger and frustration, Iam turned to a nearby console and just began pummeling it with his fist. He kept up his assault until the console was reduced to nothing more a pile of sparks and scrap metal, and his hands were bloodied and bruised.
A thousand curses be upon that 'Quetshadee! Bad enough the first San'shyuum lost to the humans happened under his stewardship, but Iam had hoped to salvage at least some of his honor by forcing the humans to bleed themselves dry by having them pummel their forces against his own – enough that it would take naught but scant reinforcements to have the humans scattered like leaves on the wind! In that regard, Iam had hoped to prove the Hierarchy his continued worth!
But if not for that damned 'Quetshadee…
Now if Iam were to not receive reinforcements post haste, then his entire Legion would be destroyed, eliminating any and all gains the Covenant may have achieved while occupying this world, and rendering the martyrdom of the Minister moot!
No, Iam need additional forces, and he needed them immediately. And there was but one method to acquire those forces…
Stalking over to the door, Iam jabbed his palm against the button for the intercom.
"Connect me with High Charity!" he demanded before the Unggoy on the other end could say a word. "I wish to seek an audience with the Hierarchs!"
"At once, Fleetmaster!" the Unggoy squeaked, and Iam took the moment to regain his composure as he waited.
And waited.
And waited even longer.
And then proceeded to wait even longer.
Finally, just when Iam was about to release his ire once more, this time over the incompetence of the Unggoy, an image abruptly coalesced before his very eyes. Only, it was not an image of one of the Hierarchs. In fact, the figure that stood before him was not even a San'shyuum, but of a fellow Sangheili. And, much to Iam's further shame and embarrassment, he recognized this Sangheili.
"High Councilor 'Breshkee," he whispered in awe, before abruptly remembering his situation, and immediately prostrated himself.
Many planetary cycles ago, High Councilor 'Breshkee had been Iam's fleetmaster and mentor, teaching him the ways of not solely being a just and honorable warrior, but that of a shipmaster. It was under his stewardship that Iam was able to first obtain command of one of the Hierarchs most holy ships, and it was also under his stewardship that Iam participated in his first Crusade against the heretical humans.
However, as with many of their kind, 'Breshkee had been badly injured in one of their many campaigns against the humans, resulting in his inability to personally lead his forces on the battlefield. Rather than allow himself to wither away like a crippled animal, 'Breshkee instead was able to win himself a position on the Covenant High Council, exchanging his swords for words.
In short, 'Breshkee was the quintessence of the Sangheili spirit, and the exemplar of everything Iam had hoped to achieve. Therefore, to have 'Breshkee see him when he had been brought so low…. The shame was almost unbearable for Iam.
"High Councilor 'Breshkee, you honor me with your presence," Iam said as respectfully as he could. "I did not expect you. I… I was seeking an audience with the Hierarchs."
"The Hierarchs are aware," 'Breshkee rumbled, and even though that was all he said, Iam needed not more to comprehend the message that was being delivered: the Hierarchs knew he was seeking an audience, however they refused to grant one. Iam was no longer in their favor.
Iam could not help but wince, but did his best to maintain his resolve.
"I have badly wronged the Hierarchs," he confessed. "And it is only through their merciful nature that I have been granted the chance to redeem myself. And thus, it is with a heavy heart that I find myself ask… nay, pleading, for one further boon, for – "
Iam hurriedly silenced himself as 'Breshkee abruptly lifted a single finger.
"You are in no position to ask for further boons or mercies," 'Breshkee quietly said, though there was no masking the anger in his voice. "The Hierarchs may have granted you mercy, however the High Council is not as generous."
"As they should," Iam quickly agreed. "The Minister of Contentment was no doubt a highly influential and well regarded member of the Council and – "
"No, he was a young upstart and a buffoon," 'Breshkee snapped, cutting Iam off. "It is doubtful few, if any, tears of grief will be shed in his honor. However, the significance of his death will not go unremarked."
"I… High Councilor, I do not understand," Iam confessed, causing 'Breshkee's mandibles to curl up in a sneer.
"No, for you are naught but a simpleton, unable to see beyond the tips of your mandibles, and were it not for this Crusade against the humans, you would have remained but a simple Evocatus," he growled. "Are you aware, Shipmaster, that there has been a small but vocal minority within the Council itself that have long questioned the continued role of the Sangheili as stewards of the military?"
"Yes," 'Breshkee continued. "These weak minded councilors have no doubt been influenced and intimidated by members of the wretched Jiralhanae race, cursed be their kind. Fortunately, through the efforts of myself and the other Sangheili High Councilors, such naivety has yet to spread. And it would have continued that way, if not for a young fool that allowed a member of the Council to be assassinated, while under his protection, and thus granting proof to the belief that the Sangheili are no longer capable!"
"Can you even comprehend, the fiasco you have created!?" 'Breshkee roared. "Countless arguments and debates! The reputation of an entire species! Our species! Ruined! Because of YOU!"
Iam ducked his head, unable to mask his shame any further. 'Quetshadee had of course spoken on this very matter only but a few moments ago, however he had been unable to convey the sheer gravity of the situation to Iam. However, to hear the same topic of discussion from someone as respected as honorable as High Councilor 'Breshkee… Iam was only just beginning to fully comprehend the repercussions of his failure. And why it was essential he succeed in his defense.
"High Councilor," Iam began when it was abundantly clear that 'Breshkee had finished speaking. "I… I understand the magnitude of my failure. And I swear to you, on my honor and that of my clan, I will do everything in order to redeem the image of our kind. However, I desperately need rein- "
"Reinforcements will arrive when the new Fleetmaster deems it necessary," 'Breshkee snapped. Iam was shocked.
"And who is this new Fleetmaster?" Iam asked before he could catch himself but fortunately, 'Breshkee did not seem to take note of his tone.
"It is a Jiralhanae War Chieftain, one they call 'Lepidus,'" 'Breskhee replied, his mandibles curled upwards in disgust. "It shall be he who determines when reinforcements arrive, and only him. Until that moment arrives, you are to fight with whatever forces you have remaining. And if necessary, find redemption on the battlefield!"
And before Iam could say another word, 'Breshkee's image abruptly dissipated, leaving Iam alone in his quarters in complete shock. In essence, he had just been ordered to die on the battlefield.
At once, Iam felt conflicted. While of course, he was thrilled at being given the chance to salvage what little honor he had left like a true warrior - on the battlefield, surrounded by the corpses of the heretics – a very small and minute part of him could not help but wonder if this was the best course of action for the Covenant Empire as a whole.
Iam immediately stalked over to the door and slammed his hand on the intercom.
"Send me 'Quetshadee!" he demanded, in and effort to distract himself from his thoughts.
As he waited, Iam did his best to shift his attention to the composition and positioning of his forces and compare them to that of the humans. Under these circumstances, it was apparent for Iam, there was but two options remaining: all he could do was attack, and pray.
Pray that this, so called 'Lepidus,' was not one to tarry.
XXXXX
Covenant Battlecrusier Triumphant Declaration
Somewhere in Covenant Space
Lepidus
Eight young Jiralhanae warriors stood in a rough semi-circle. With feet planted in a deep lunge and their arms stretched out behind them, it would have appeared as if all eight Jiralhanae were mere moments away from executing an imminent and powerful leap. However, upon closer inspection, one would begin to the notice the trembling limbs, the shuffling feet, and the matted clumps of fur that cover their bodies, and it would become evident that these Jiralhanae had been holding their poses for quite some time. Yet, not a single one of them dared faltered or voiced their complaints. Not while a ninth Jiralhanae walked among them, circling them as if a predator stalking their prey, waiting for an opening to strike.
In a culture that placed physical strength ahead of all other attributes, Lepidus' position as War Chieftain of his pack and a Shipmaster of the Covenant was unusual in the sense that Lepidus was far from the most imposing figure of his kind. Even amongst the Jiralhanae in the room, Lepidus stood a full head shorter than they. And yet, as he paced through the room, not a single one of them dared raised their heads and met his gaze, quickly bowing their heads in respect every time Lepidus' red eyes swept over them.
"This is how we keep our faith!" Lepidus abruptly declared, his surprisingly deep voice echoing through the room. "How we honor Those Who Walk the Path."
"War Chieftain Maccabeus used to have us, his pack, perform this ceremony," Lepidus continued, pausing by each Jiralhanae in the room and fixing them with a hard glare to see how they would react. Most steadily attempted to ignore him in order to maintain their concentration on the task at hand, but he could see a few falter ever so slightly. "Before every meal, every jump, every course of action. But we dared not complain, for it was the expected course of action for all Jiralhanae, the chosen Guardians of the Great Journey."
"Or rather," he corrected, "it once was, before that impetuous nephew of his took charge."
That statement seemed to rile his pack because at once, one of the eight angrily turned in his direction.
"War Chieftain Tartarus is the Chieftain of the Jiralhanae!" he exclaimed. "You cannot – "
The Jiralhanae was abruptly cut off when Lepidus' fist hit him square in the right cheek. It was hardly a heavy blow, but it was still enough to send the welp staggering; Lepidus may have been short, but he was as strong, if not stronger, than most members of his kind.
"I did not give you permission to speak, pup," Lepidus quietly but coolly said, glaring at the younger Jiralhanae as he gripped his jaw in pain. "Get up. Return to formation. Or you shall quickly discover what a real blow feels like."
The younger Jiralhanae didn't say a word. Instead, he hastily climbed to his feet and resumed his position, just as the doors to the room opened, and in came six Unggoy stewards, bearing a large wooden platter. On it, sat the glistening carcass of a Thorn Beast. The aroma of the perfectly roasted creature was enough to set the stomachs of all assembled growling, however Lepidus was disciplined enough to show no signs of interest as the Unggoy awkwardly placed the platter on two sawhorses in the middle of the room, before bowing and hurriedly leaving the room.
"The Jiralhanae are the Keepers of the Faith," Lepidus declared, drawing all attention back onto him. "Defenders of the Light and Guardians of Those Who Walk the Path. We must always remain vigilant and ready to defend all that is Just."
Without another word, Lepidus turned towards the opposite side of the room where a mosaic was embedded in the deck. Consisting of a circular mandala, it was surrounded by seven rings, each of which was comprised of a different mineral.
Lepidus calmly stepped into the outermost ring. Ignoring the feeling of the rough obsidian shards against his bare soles, he lifted his arms.
"Abandonment," he declared.
"The First Age!" his pack yelled back. "Ignorance and fear!"
Lepidus moved clockwise to a second ring, this one of iron.
"Conflict," he said.
"The Second Age! Rivalry and bloodshed!"
Moving forward, Lepidus stepped into the third ring, one of polished jade.
"Reconciliation," he rumbled.
"The Third! Humility and brotherhood!"
Gracefully making his way into the four circle, one of geodes, Lepidus called put, "Discovery."
"Fourth Age!" replied the pack. "Wonder and understanding!"
As he stepped into the next circle, out of the corner of eye, Lepidus noticed the Triumphant Declaration's master officer quietly stepping into the room. The Master Officer knew – as did all members of the crew – better than to interrupt the Progression of the Ages ceremony, therefore his presence here meant that something… unusual had just occurred, and that piped Lepidus' curiosity. Nevertheless, as was expected of him, he would finish the ceremony before attending to other matters.
"Conversion," he said without giving a hint he had seen the Master Officer.
"Fifth! Obedience and freedom!"
Stepping into the next ring, one of opal, he said, "Doubt."
"Sixth! Faith and patience!"
Finally, Lepidus reached the finally ring, which would normally consist of bright flakes of a Forerunner alloy. However, in this far quadrant, at the very end of the Covenant's supply lines, such a mineral was impossible to obtain, and Lepidus was forced to use a hologram of the material instead. Nevertheless, he treated the image with the same reverence he would have had it been the real material as he concluded, "Reclamation."
"Seventh! Journey and salvation!" his pack thundered.
By now, saliva was practically streaming from each of their mouths yet, they dared not move a muscle as Lepidus lifted his arms once more and declared, "Praise be to the Holy Prophets. May we help keep them safe as they work to find The Path."
And then, just to test his pack even further, Lepidus held his arms there for a few moments longer than was absolutely necessary, listening as they fought against their primal desire to eat, before finally lowering his arms.
"You have done well," Lepidus complimented to no one in particular. "You may feast."
And just like a switch had been turned, the faithful, disciplined warriors that had been his pack instantly revered to their more primal ways as they descended upon the Thorn Beast and began to engorge themselves. Lepidus watched them enjoy their reward for a moment, before wordlessly gesturing for the Master Officer to approach. As the Master Officer approached though, Lepidus could see a mildly contemptuous look on his face as he stared at the pack feasting.
"What, Paullus?" Lepidus quietly asked.
"Look at them," the Master Officer, Paullus, said, gesturing at the pack. "All that time spent on devotion and faith, and this is their reward? A mere scrap of meat? And the fools will think it was worth it. Its impressive really, how this 'Great Journey' of the Covenant can make docile beasts out of warriors."
Lepidus could feel the corners of his mouth begin to curl up in a similar smirk, but he did his best to hide it. Instead, he muttered out of the corner of his mouth, "Careful who may overhear you, brother. Religion may be an excellent weapon to use to control the rabble, but it is a double-edged blade, one that can easily be turned against the welder."
"Of course, brother," Paullus respectfully replied.
Lepidus silently nodded. Despite being older and physically larger than him, Paullus had always been willing to defer authority to his younger brother, something Lepidus had always found exceedingly useful: he could trust that his brother had no ambition or desire to succeed him yet at the same time, Lepidus knew Paullus had the strength and physicality to help protect him in the event some other Jiralhanae proved to be less restrained. In short, Paullus made for the perfect second in command.
"What news, Master Officer?" Lepidus demanded as he abruptly grew serious and turned away to leave the room, with Paullus in tow.
"High Charity hails, War Chieftain," Paullus reported, also growing serious. "They demanded to converse with you directly, however once I informed them of the ritual you were performing, they determined their news did not warrant an interruption. Instead, you are to hail them back the moment you completed the Progression of the Ages ceremony."
Lepidus grunted in acknowledgement. "Must be the Sangheili flapping their mandibles, as usual. Making all sorts of noises, just to assert their authority. No doubt they have new orders for us."
"Do you wish to delay contacting them, then? I could stall them even longer," Paullus volunteered causing Lepidus to snort in amusement at the thought. Nevertheless, he shook his head.
"No. Best get it over with," Lepidus replied. "We will see what these harlequins on the High Council have to say for themselves. Have the communications sent to my quarters – I shall converse with them in private."
"By your will, War Chieftain," Paullus said with a respectful bow.
Without a second glance at his brother, Lepidus turned and began making his way down the corridors of the ship in the direction of the quarters that had been reserved for his use. Inside, there wasn't much; even on a ship as large as a CCS-classbattlecrusier, there wasn't much room for frivolities such as private space. Regardless, after making sure the door was locked and sealed behind him, Lepidus made his way to the center of the room where a small control panel was located. Taking a moment to straighten his armor, he reached out and jabbed at a blinking button.
At once, a hologram manifested itself before his very eyes, only instead of the Sangheili High Councilor he was expecting, the image of a San'shyuum appeared instead. Surprised as he was, it took Lepidus a moment to realize specifically, who, this San'shyuum was:
The High Prophet of Mercy. One of the three members of the triumvirate that made up the Hierarchs, the ruling body of the entire Covenant Empire.
"High Prophet…" Lepidus whisper, in complete awe, before abruptly remembering who he was talking to, and he immediately prostrated himself. "Hierarch, you honor me with your presence!"
"Shipmaster Lepidus," Mercy replied, his old and trembling voice sounding like gravel to Lepidus' ears. Nonetheless, he refused to allow his distaste to show as he immediately said,
"Hierarch, I must humbly beg for your forgiveness. If I had known it was you, whom had hailed, I would have immediately ceased all activity in order to greet you personally."
"Nonsense," Mercy replied. "Once your batman expounded on the ritual I was to interrupt, I insisted that communications be delayed until you were hence able to complete your task."
Mercy leaned forward, a warm look on his otherwise wrinkled face. "The Progression of Ages – such a sacred ceremony. Seven rings to remind us of the many ages. To help us remember Halo and its divine and guiding light."
"May it guide us, safety, along the Great Path," Lepidus replied as reverently as he could manage, while doing his best to hide his true thoughts on the manner. "Hierarch, I humbly thank thee for your kindness and your understanding."
"The gratitude is all mine; it warms my inner being to see such devotion among our finest warriors, as it is sadly becoming lacking, especially among the youth," Mercy replied, before his face grew hard. "Now. Onto business."
Lepidus grunted. "Of course, Hierarch. How may your humble servant serve you?"
"Nasty business, I am afraid. Have you heard the news?" Before Lepidus could reply, Mercy leaned forward, as if to tell a secret. "Our beloved and renowned brethren, the Minister of Contentment, has fallen in battle against the heretical humans!"
"Impossible!" Lepidus immediately roared, even as he frantically tried to remember who the Minister of Contentment even was. A High Councilor, no doubt, but beyond that… "A member of the High Council? Slain by the humans!? This travesty cannot be allowed to pass!"
Mercy held up a placating hand. "Tranquility, Shipmaster. I too, share your grief. I too, share your desire for revenge. After all, this… butchering… of our dear Minister marks the first of our kind to fall before the sins of this plague on the galaxy known as humanity. Opportunity for revenge will come – in due time. For now though, there are other, more pressing matters to attend to."
Mercy abruptly turned so he was facing Lepidus directly.
"The assassination would have occurred not, were it not for the incompetence of the commander of the local Covenant forces. A commander by the name of Fleetmaster Iam 'Oteree."
Lepidus automatically felt his lips curl in disgust at the very obvious Sangheili name.
"Not only has this bungler allowed this assassination to occur right before his very eyes, he has also allowed his forces to approach the edge of collapse," Mercy continued, seemingly not taking note of Lepidus' involuntary facial expressions. "As of his latest report, he is but mere cycles away from facing total annihilation by the hands of the humans. Unless he is to receive reinforcements…"
Mercy trailed off and gave Lepidus a significant look, and at once, Lepidus realized what he was suggesting.
"You wish to send my fleet and reinforce this… 'Oteree's position," Lepidus finished, nodding his head in understanding. Missions such as that were generally par for the course. "If that is your will, Hierarch, it shall be done. I shall inform my commanders to set course immediately. We shall bath the stars with the blood of the humans in the name of the Hierarchs, and in honor of the Minister of Contentment!"
Lepidus bowed, expecting Mercy to terminate the connection. Instead though, he gestured for Lepidus to rise and puzzled, Lepidus did as he was commanded.
"It brings me great joy to see such enthusiasm among our warriors," Mercy began. "However, you misunderstand me: you are not just to reinforcement 'Oteree's position, you are to replace him. As Fleetmaster."
In that moment, Lepidus swore he felt his heart stop beating as he attempted to comprehend exactly what Mercy had just said. Him, a Jiralhanae, replacing a Sangheili commander in the field? That was… that was unheard of.
"Me?" he heard himself squeak, and he mentally cursed at this overt sign of weakness and he quickly forced himself to concentrate once more. "If it is your will that I am to replace this 'Oteree, then it shall be so. I shall seize control of what remains of our forces, and I shall turn defeat into victory. This, I promise you, Hierarch!"
Then he hesitated.
"As humbled as I am by your confidence in me, Hierarch," he slowly began, "but I must ask: why me?"
Mercy seemed to smile before turning away, silent for a moment, and just when Lepidus thought he wasn't about to respond, he suddenly spoke up once more.
"These are troubling times," he began, and Lepidus could tell he wasn't just talking about current affairs, but in general. "This Crusade against the humans has tested the faith of many, as you can attest, Shipmaster, having hunted down and destroyed many of those who had strayed from the path and would wish to see the Covenant weakened. More adverse terrain lies ahead of us, Commander, and we the Hierarchs have a need to discover who will choose to stand besides us on our journey, and who will falter and fail."
"As for why you, specifically, Commander?" Mercy turned to look at Lepidus. "Your work at maintain security within our borders has been exemplary – it is why we rewarded you command of this ship, after all. In addition, it is the belief of the Hierarchs that you possess a keen, tactical mind. And, of course, your own war chieftain, Tartarus, suggested you would be ideal for this role."
"Did he now?" Lepidus quietly muttered, before, more loudly, he said, "I am humbled by the faith so many have within me, and I shall endeavor to ensure it will not be in vain."
"And that is why you were selected, Fleetmaster,"Mercy said. "Now, We understand it will take some cycles before you are able to gather your forces and deploy. Therefore, the Hierarchs have taken the liberty of assembling another fleet for you: the Fleet of Furious Redemption. Said fleet is ready and only awaiting your word; should you give it, the fleet will arrive on the battlefield within but a few planetary cycles. However, if you wish to wait to gather your ships so that you may be able to attack as one…"
Mercy unexpectedly trailed off as he gave Lepidus a significant look, as if hinting something, and it wasn't hard to determine what that was. Despite their penchants for violence, Jiralhanae were far from fools. And, despite what the Sangheili may choose to believe otherwise, most Jiralhanae chieftains were more than capable of dabbling in politics.
With that in mind, Lepidus calmly considered everything Mercy was telling him, as well as everything he wasn't telling him. By outward appearances, it would almost seem as if Mercy was encouraging Lepidus to allow this 'Oteree to die on the battlefield by delaying his reinforcements. Obviously, as a Jiralhanae, Lepidus had no qualms over the death of any Sangheili and in fact, would relish it.
However, Lepidus took great pride in not being anyone's fool, so rather than allow his emotional instincts rule his judgement, Lepidus took his time to ponder on the issue even further. Two questions immediately presented themselves to him: what benefit would Mercy gain if Lepidus allowed this 'Oteree to simply be overrun and, more importantly to Lepidus, did it make sense militarily?
The latter question was easy to answer: no, it was not. Even without complete knowledge of the current situation, the loss of local Covenant forces at the hands of the humans would greatly set back his efforts to achieve victory, and he could not allow it, no matter how much humiliation it would cause the Sangheili.
As to the former question, however, that would be one that Lepidus would need to consider very carefully, in a more secure setting, before he could even begin to postulate the answer. For now though…
"Hierarch, I humbly request you deploy the fleet, post haste," Lepidus finally said and he glanced up in time to catch a hint of surprise on Mercy's face and he added, "A victory for the Covenant, is a victory for all, is it not, Hierarch?"
Mercy safely nodded, but aside from that brief moment of astonishment, he showed no other signs of emotions.
"Well said, Fleetmaster," he said, gravely. "Your actions prove you were the wisest of choices. Very well, we shall immediately deploy the fleet. In the meanwhile, ready your troops, Commander, for you have been called."
And with that, Mercy's image disappeared, leaving Lepidus to stand there, in complete shock. So much had just happened; so many things to process, he didn't even know where to begin.
His console abruptly let out a soft chime, startling Lepidus into action. He walked over to it and hit a button. At once, all sorts of information began displaying before his very eyes, and it took him a few moments to realize it was all the intelligence the Covenant Empire had regarding the planet under attack.
At once, realization struck Lepidus: this was happening.
He couldn't prevent the wicked grin from appearing on his face as he jabbed another button.
"War Chieftain?" Paullus immediately said.
As excited as Lepidus was, it took him a few tries before he could get any words out.
"Assemble the all the commanders," he finally managed to gasp out. "High Charity has given us new commands."
To his credit, Paullus didn't bothering wasting time asking questions.
"It shall be done," was all he said before the line went dead.
Lepidus just grinned before turning his attention to the information he had received. Before briefing his commanders as to what events had just transpired here moments ago, he himself first needed to understand the situation.
There wasn't much to process. The Covenant had identified the planet, designed as MS 222-53 a, many system cycles ago very early in the Crusade against the humans as a potential planet for conquest due to the high concentrations of iron ore within the planet's crust. However, it wasn't until recently that the Empire was in a position where the planet was needed. As was standard, a small fleet, accompanied by a member of the High Council, was detached to both assume control of the planet, as well as bless it before permanent residence could be established.
However, upon arrival, Covenant forces were surprised to find the planet was already under human control, and battle was quickly joined, leading to the events that would result in the brutal assassination of the Minister of Contentment.
Now, due to the incompetence of the local commander, this "Iam 'Oteree," all Covenant forces stood on the edge of the precipice of destruction. If Lepidus hoped to achieve victory, he would need to plan carefully, though no doubt it would be a challenging fight.
Lepidus felt a bloodthirsty smile crawl onto his face as he stared at an image of the planet in question, this MS 222-53 a. Or, "Actium," as the humans apparently called it. Regardless of the challenges that laid ahead of them, this planet would no doubt fall into the hands of the Covenant. The Hierarchs demanded it.
And Lepidus did not intend to fail them.
XXXXX
Ingalls Financial, Byzas
May 7, 2545
2346
Selene
Selene woke with a start. As odd as it may have sounded, for a moment there, she felt uncomfortable, like the eyes of the devil were staring right into her soul. However, as she turned over and looked around the room, the only person within eyesight was Shin. And he appeared to still be asleep.
Strange.
Turning back over, Selene laid there for a few minutes, waiting to see if the sensation returned, but it never did, and she eventually decided to chalk it up as her imagination. Nevertheless, she couldn't help but feel uneasy about it, so she hurriedly casted around the room for something else to concentrate on.
Glancing up towards the ceiling, Selene took note that the low rumbling of fighting continued to echo around the room. At this point, Selene wasn't even surprised: after the first hour of fighting, Selene had stopped panicking once she realized how safe they were inside this vault. After six hours had passed, Selene had come to the conclusion this battle was going to end up being an all day event. Now, after nearly seventeen and half hours of non-stop explosions, the noise itself had disappeared into the background.
Letting out a mute sigh, Selene laid back down on her makeshift pillow and considered what to do next. Despite having occupied the same room with the same people for over seventeen hours, there hadn't been much talking. After slamming the doors shut behind them, everyone had been too exhausted – physically, mentally, and emotionally – to really be able to hold a coherent conversation. Each individual "group" had then proceeded to occupy their own corners of the room, where they stayed there until they were all convinced the danger had mostly passed, at which point boredom had taken over and everyone had drifted asleep.
But now, after this many hours and with the fighting showing no signs of relenting or slowing down, Selene felt it was time for her to formulate some actual plans as to what she and the other survivors were going to do to live through the near future. And the first thing she had to do was take stock.
Kingsley was dead. As was Dawlish. And, from what Dawlish had said before he had kicked it, most of his team had been killed as well in the fighting. There hadn't been too many people in the department before all the invasion had begun but now… was it possible that Selene was the last member of her precinct still alive?
Of course, even if any of her fellow police officers were still around, it's not like they were in any position to help her now. No, she would have to rely on the people in this very room beside her, which unfortunately wasn't a whole lot either. In fact, with Kingsley, Dawlish, and Dawlish's stepson, Matthews, all dead, who did that leave? Herself, a mother and her two kids –
- and Shin.
Selene frowned to herself as she thought about Shin. At this point, she still wasn't sure what to make of him. On one hand, he appeared to be the only around who seemed to know what the hell he was doing. On the other… well, there was no denying: he made Selene uncomfortable. Just his casually ruthless nature and the way he seemed to stare at her like he was looking right through her… if Selene had a choice, she honestly would have ditched him a long time ago.
But again, he was the only one with experience that Selene had encountered so far. Maybe if Dawlish had survived, he could have helped her keep an eye on him but that was obviously impossible now and… and…
Well, Selene just didn't have a choice. Simply put, she wasn't ready to die yet. Which meant she either needed to figure out a way to trust Shin, or learn how to survive on her own.
Selene's stomach suddenly let out a low growl, and it suddenly occurred to her it had nearly been a full day since she had her last meal. She wondered if they had any of that bread still left.
Forcing herself to sit upright, Selene staggered to her feet, then walked over to Shin as quietly as she could. Shin had taken up residence in the corner just to the left of the door, and was sprawled out across the ground, fast asleep. Fortunately, it would appear he had gotten hot at some point as he had unzipped his jacket, and Selene could just see the tip of the bread sticking out from under the folds, so she reached out and –
"What do you want."
Selene jumped and she glanced at Shin's face to see him staring at her without a hint that he'd been fast asleep only a moment ago.
"Sorry," Selene whispered. "Didn't mean to wake you."
"You didn't," Shin bluntly replied as he sat upright. "Were you looking for something?"
"The food, actually," Selene said, jerking her head in the direction of the loaf. Shin glanced at it, then shrugged.
"You hungry or something?" he asked as he handed it over.
"Starving, actually. But not so much I would object to sharing," Selene replied as she tore a chunk of bread off and stuffed it into her mouth, before offering the loaf back to Shin, who shook his head.
"Nah, I'm good," he said. "I had an emergency stash of energy bars in one of my pockets; been munching on them all day so I'm about full right now."
Selene nodded and placed the loaf back into her lap.
"Though," Shin added, "might want to save some for the kids over there. Don't know if they've got anything."
Selene guiltily jerked her head in the direction of the sleeping family occupying the corner just opposite of them. She had kind of forgotten about them already.
"Good call," she said as she swallowed. "Yeah, I'll be sure to save some."
Shin nodded, and fell silent. Selene continued to munch on her potion of the food, though this time taking pains to actually chew it, to make sure it lasted for long as possible. As she did, she eventually realized Shin was staring at her with an odd expression on his face, and the realization made her suddenly feel very comfortable.
"Shin." Shin gave a start. "You alright?"
Shin nodded.
"Just thinking," he said. "'Bout what we gotta do next."
"Yeah? Like what?" Selene asked before taking another bite.
"We need to find another shelter."
That took Selene by surprise, but fortunately she was able to avoid doing a cliché spit take.
"What? How come?" she asked as soon as she had swallowed. "What's wrong with this place!? We've been here for seventeen hours and no bombs or bullets have punched through. Not even a hint. I don't think we're ever going to be able to find a place like this again."
"Yeah, but do you see any food? Any water?" Shin pointed out. "Even if bombs don't break through, we'll die of dehydration long before we get killed by anything else. Plus, I've been looking around: this vault is vacuum sealed."
"What?"
"Yeah," Shin continued. "Front door is the only way in or out of here. Rest of the room is airtight. Only reason we haven't suffocated yet is because there's some sort of fan/ventilation system pumping fresh air here, but that's gotta be powered by something, but I don't know where that is. And because of that, I don't know how much power we have. Realistically, we could run out of air any minute now."
Selene involuntarily shivered. She had noted the lack of food and water, of course, but somehow she had missed the airtight seal on the vault door coming in. Food and water they could have dealt with by going out to the surface and scavenging but the lack of oxygen? Plus, now that she thought about it, how could they make sure the vault door didn't somehow get locked with them inside? She didn't even want to think about that happening.
Yet, at the same time…
"If we go outside, we're going to be exposed. To everything. Bombs, bullets, artillery." An image of Matthew's scalped head briefly flashed through her mind and she shivered once more. "I mean, the fighting has been going on for nearly eighteen hours now, and it doesn't seem to show any signs of relenting. Do we really want to risk our lives like that?"
"As long as we leave within the next hour or so, we should be fine," Shin dismissively said. "Fighting will have mostly died down by then."
Selene stared at him. "And how do you know that?"
"Because," Shin casually began, "maybe ODSTs can fight for that long without stopping, but I guarantee you our equipment can't. Not nonstop for eighteen, nineteen hours. Even tanks have got to stop eventually, if only to refuel and rearm. We should be able to catch a reprieve here in an hour or so. And that's when we'll make our move."
Somehow, that didn't sound right to Selene, but the problem was, she didn't know enough about military equipment to say for certain whether Shin was right or not. So all she did was nod her head and say, "As long as we're headed in the right direction, then I guess we'll be okay."
Shin cocked his head. "What do you mean?"
Selene sighed, before reaching into her back pocket and pulled out a small document.
"I found a random map of the area when I was looking around the room," she explained as she laid out the amp on the ground in front of them. "Thought I would try and retrace our steps and see if we can't get our bearings straight. We were supposed to be heading north, right?"
"Right," Shin greeted. "See if we could get ahead of the Covenant advance and join in with the UNSC retreat. What of it?"
"Well," Selene reluctantly replied. "We've been headed in the wrong direction."
"Say what?"
Selene pointed at a spot on the map. "This is where we are right now, right? Ingalls Financial? And then, this is where we came from, Ellison Bridge. Before that, it's a little hazy, but it was from the ruins of the subway, yeah? So, if we look for the nearest subway station or entrance to Ellison Bridge, that would put us about… here." Selene glanced up. "Now, if we draw a line between these points… notice anything?"
Selene could see Shin glancing at the map and repeating everything she had just said as he traced their journey backwards. Then he sighed.
"We've been going south. Further into the city, right?"
Selene quietly nodded.
"How the fuck we do that?"
"I was wondering about that too," Selene admitted. "That is a bit harder to pin down, as there was a large chunk of the day where I was just completely out of it. So, I started at the beginning. This is the intersection we set up that roadblock. The point where the day started." She pointed at a spot on the map. "Now, after we got, um…"
"Our asses kicked?" Shin suggested.
"Well… I was looking for something a bit politer, but sure, we'll go with that," Selene allowed. "After we got our butts kicked,