A Note from Guest Author Zgamer:
Hey everyone. So yeah…I wasn't prepared for Dinojake's announcement either. I apologize on my end for how long this update has taken. I graduated from my Master of Arts program, I'm working on a PhD and I just got engaged. So yeah, those are taking a bit of priority. Nonetheless. I applaud DinoJake for being brave enough to share his reasons why he decided to end the story.
However, don't think the story has not been on our minds. I have done a bunch of revisions on this new section because I wanted to get the story just right for you guys (and because of all the constructive critiques DinoJake offered). I wrote so much for this chapter, though, that we've decided to break it up into not two, but THREE new chapters. Fans of my spin-off story will be familiar with this type of multichapter arc style.
On that note, my characters and elements from "Last of an Ancient Breed" will play a role in these chapters and some others to come. I will do my best to make their integration organic and non-obtrusive, but also check out chapters 11 through 14 of my story to see where the Chief's team and my team have crossed paths before. And please review reviews for both stories. On top of a new chapter that I also just posted, I recently did a complete rewrite for my story to touch up the grammar and tweak a few plot points for better story cohesion.
I am fully aware too that some readers may find me filling in for DinoJake jarring and some will say he is better at writing this story. And you know what…they probably right. While I do thank DinoJake for his compliments to me in prior chapters, this universe is his baby and he rightly deserves the credit for how great this story has been so far. I'm only a die-hard fan lucky enough to be brought along this ride. I will still do my best to give this arc a sense of closure…and maybe even continue onwards if people like what they read.
While I'm at it, give DinoJake's new book a read. He recently put up the first few chapters of his story Subluminal: The Trappist Mission and is doing a Andy Weir/The Martian style of writing where he is open to fan feedback each chapter. If you've enjoyed what he has done so far, support the book's campaign!
And speaking of die-hard, go watch the first trailer for A Good Day to Die Hard and you'll get a kick out of this next section…
The following PREVIEW has been approved for APPROPRIATE AUDIENCES by the Galactic Motion Picture Association, Inc.
The film advertised has been rated "R - Restricted." Viewers below respective legal ages must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Strong bloody violence and strong language.
-Cut to black-
Fade into C-Sec headquarters as officers and civilians go about their business. A few faint but distinct notes from the iconic flutes of Beethoven's Symphony 9 in D Minor "Ode to Joy" are heard. A Turian officer, FARRIN, sitting behind a desk keeps his eyes on a holographic screen as he talks to an obscured human officer.
FARRIN
Big day today.
HUMAN OFFICER
Eh. Greeting ambassadors, herding politicians-
FARRIN
Training newbies.
HUMAN OFFICER
…what?
A young Sanghelli officer in the corner waves his hand excitedly on cue with a pronounced flute note from the score.
HUMAN OFFICER
...god.
Another note plays as Farrin smirks.
FARRIN
Alright. Time to clock in.
The human officer swipes his omni-tool over a reader, which shows his ID with the name "J. MCCLAIN" above it. Cut to a shot revealing McClain in full frame as he passes by the Sanghelli officer annoyed.
MCCLAIN
I ain't got all day.
The Sanghelli hurriedly follows him off-screen.
Cut to split screen title cards for Central Studios and The Springfield Brothers as more sustained bits from the symphony plays.
Fade in to a scenic shot of the Citadel with many shuttles passing by the Citadel fleet.
Cut to dolly shot with a group of people exiting a transport to the Citadel and a tall Asari Justicar, RHANIS T'VAILA, in blue armor filling the center of the shot.
The Justicar approaches a Kig'Yar customs officer sitting behind a console.
KIG'YAR OFFICER
Miss… T'Vaila. How long are you visiting today?
Rhanis glares over the officer's shoulder to see a group of suspicious people going through the security check point.
RHANIS
Not long…
Cut to McClain and the young Sanghelli officer, BRA'TUO, strolling past crowds of people in the Citadel Tower's top floor.
MCCLAIN
Being C-Sec is no joke, squidhead.
Another sharp flute note plays as the suspicious people from earlier enter a darkened room.
MCCLAIN (VOICEOVER)
You gotta be vigilant.
The darkened room lights up, revealing a hundred armed mercenaries from various races. An Asari with green face tattoos facing the mercenaries' smirks.
MCCLAIN (V.O.)
Ready to attack any problem head-on.
The Asari with green face tattoos leads a group of mercenaries up a Citadel Tower service elevator as the music builds up dramatically.
MCCLAIN (V.O.)
You never know when a quiet day can turn into a disaster.
Music crescendos as Rhanis rides the regular Citadel Tower elevator anxiously gripping her holstered pistol.
MCCLAIN (V.O.)
Any questions?
Cut to Bra'tuo and McClain standing near a tree in the Tower lobby. The music abruptly stops.
BRA'TUO
Yeah, do things usually go bad here?
MCCLAIN
(Scoffs)
Hell no. Today's going to be a cakewalk.
Cut to an exterior shot of a floor on the Tower exploding as the opening of the symphony's first bombastic chorus kicks in. Quick cuts include McClain and Bra'tuo reacting, Rhanis shooting at a couple of mercenaries, a mercenary shooting an Arc Projector at C-Sec officers while civilians flee, several dropships dropping off additional mercenaries through the blown-out Tower floor and McClain and Bra'tuo laying cover fire for civilians before an explosion rocks them back down a stairway, cutting the music off abruptly to black.
Fade in to McClain and Bra'tuo panting at the bottom of the stairway. Bra'tuo gives McClain a stern look, who replies with a finger point.
MCCLAIN
This isn't normal!
Cut to the green tattooed Asari, NAIYELLA, speaking into her omni-tool as mercenaries surround a large group of hostages, including high ranking Council members and ambassadors.
NAIYELLA
Every hour our demands aren't met, we'll execute a hostage. We will not negotiate.
Cut to McClain, Bra'tuo and Rhanis with several battered C-Sec officers around a table arguing.
BRA'TUO
What the hell do you want us to do?
C-SEC OFFICER
They've got the whole damn tower on lockdown!
RHANIS
And more people will die if we just sit here.
McClain slams a pistol on the table, drawing everyone's attention. He pauses for dramatic effect.
MCCLAIN
Well then…we'll have to make sure it's just them.
Cut back and forth between title cards as the music builds to the dramatic finale of the symphony.
Title Card: This Summer
Bra'tuo and the other officers grab weapons.
Title Card: A Hero is Reborn
Rhanis intensely adjusts a fingerless glove.
Title Card: To
McClain cocks an eyebrow to someone off-screen and smirks.
Title Card: Die Hard
Naiyella points a finger pistol off-screen and mimics a shot.
Cut to a C-Sec gunship exploding in a fireball as the thunderous finale of the symphony plays over a montage of: McClain running across a room erupting in gunfire as he fires back with an assault rifle, a Batarian mercenary firing a mounted machine gun, C-Sec officers dramatically rappelling down an elevator shaft, a group of mercenaries walking and shooting down a hallway, Rhanis shooting two pistols at the approaching group, Bra'tuo diving out of the way of a missile, McClain tackling a Turian mercenary onto the floor, Bra'tuo catching his breath behind a pillar before taking a peek to the side and a Pelican dropship hovering outside a broken window kicking up dust towards Rhanis and McClain.
Title Card: Taylor Jones
McClain kicks a small table against a mercenary's legs, flipping them over the table and onto the floor.
Title Card: Philia Tencallis
Rhanis stands in front of a wounded C-Sec officer as a burning X3M shuttle barrels towards them. She extends a hand and splits the shuttle in half with her biotics, causing the pieces to crash on either sides of them.
Title Card: T'Neth Khota
Bra'tuo lifts a wounded civilian over his shoulder before pressing against a wall next to a door that explodes out into the hallway.
Cut to John, Bra'tuo and Rhanis fighting in a large room. A Vorcha mercenary jumps onto John's back and drags him out a broken window, where they fall towards a Pelican dropship. The music crescendos.
Title Card: Die Hard Forever
Cut to Rhanis and Bra'tuo taking cover behind a short wall as three mercenaries fire at them.
BRA'TUO
(to his omni-tool)
Any day, John!
A door slides open behind the mercenaries, revealing McClain with a SAW machine gun.
MCCLAIN
Yippie kai yay, motherfuckers!
He fires wildly at the mercenaries.
Title Card: Coming to Citadel theaters and streaming July 16th
...
"…The more things change, the more they stay the same." Cortana muttered to herself closing the film trailer on her internal browser.
...
1103 Hours, March 24th, 2683
Airlock to the Mare Erythraeum
Docked at Pinnacle Station
Phoenix System, Argos Rho Cluster
...
If Cortana had eyes right then, they would have been rolling hard. It never ceased to amaze her, despite over a century of advancements, how little things changed. Political movements. Entertainment trends. Military conspiracies. All they did was slap a new coat of paint on old ideas. Not that the public seemed to care. How long had this franchise been going on for and the trailer was already tracking billions of views an hour after it dropped?
That didn't stop Cortana from requesting an advance screening for the Normandy. Derivative or not, people clearly responded to this kind of action fantasy and boosting the crew's morale would be worth it. Plus, the studios would be stupid to refuse a request from the legendary Master Chief.
There was a more self-serving reason for these diversions though. Cortana had noticed that she was overclocking her runtimes several milliseconds faster than usual. That may not seem like a much to an organic, but she knew better. The Assembly had long since kept a record on how to recognize rampancy symptoms, which she conveniently downloaded a copy of from their Commons, and consistent overclocking was one of the earliest. Many A.I. would be too far gone to recognize these symptoms, but thankfully she still had her wits together. Not that it would help much. The more her memory maps interconnected with each other, the more they would develop those fatal feedback loops that had killed so many A.I. before her. The overclocking was simply the initial sneeze that would mutate into a fatal disease.
There was a silver lining though. Nothing in the records could explain how she endured over a century past her expiration date and how she was only now showing the mildest of symptoms. The Assembly continued to mull over a logical explanation for what they called the 'Cortana Conundrum,' as well discussing ways they could implement it for future A.I. software upgrades. For now, they counseled her to stick with their current preventative measures. So, whenever she encountered a task that was taxing or could lead to negative emotional build-up, she would shift to something that required her to think less. The research recommended diversions with high levels of positive emotional response, as it was a first line of defense against the 'Melancholia' stage of rampancy. That's why she always kept a browser tab open to video streaming services, radio apps tuned to upbeat music genres and other forms of light entertainment. And thanks to a secret Assembly media account that covered subscription fees, she didn't have to pay a dime for her entertainment.
Of course, Cortana knew this was simply delaying the inevitable. Every day she was alive and thinking meant she was a step closer to full-blown rampancy. She had to last for as long as she could though. For John's sake…
She returned her attention to the Chief as they followed Major Danielle Ackerson out of the Command Bridge and through the airlock to her ship. The Major moved with cold, calculating confidence far beyond her years. She displayed little in her inflection and body language for Cortana to pick up any tells. Even for an ONI officer, Ackerson was intimidating. Then again, she wasn't surprised. Like Ahern had said to the Chief, the Major was an anomaly when it came to ONI. And if she was going this far out of her way to request a private audience with the Chief, there had to be something fishy going on.
The real question now was whether a trained ONI sledgehammer like her could break the brick wall that was the Chief? No one had succeeded before and as long as the Chief had Cortana as a lifeline, no one would.
"Find anything else we can use with the Major?" The Chief asked her as if on cue, his helmet speakers muted to keep their conversation private.
"Nothing more than what you've heard so far," Cortana replied pulling up the search she had bookmarked. "ONI worked overtime to lock down those censored details. I could dig deeper into their encryption, but I'd risk being exposed."
"Let's not do that."
"Agreed."
The group walked through the corridors of the Major's ship, passing by some of the servicemen and ONI marines who had remained onboard. Everything felt very…controlled around them. There wasn't a single piece of equipment out of place or a person not doing something productive. Everything about this ship felt artificial to Cortana and she was the most artificial thing here! It was almost like the Major was trying very hard to impress the Chief. That or she just ran that tight a ship. It was hard to tell.
"Right this way, Chief," the Major said leading them to an important looking door that slid open with the softest of hisses. Now it was time to see where a 'Spook' called home.
Which surprised her even more when she saw how small the room was. Not tiny per se, but it was not the extravagant office she expected from an ONI officer. There was a desk with three chairs, a sleeping pod against one of the walls, a yoga mat tucked away in a corner next to some additional exercise gear, a closet and a private restroom. In fact, the only real sense of personalized decoration she saw was a large bust of an all too familiar man with his name written on a plaque at the base: Colonel James Ackerson. Well, now she knew the Major had some form of hero worship for her family.
"Please, have a seat," the Major said motioning to the two chairs nearby while sitting at her own. The Chief obliged, attempting to sit as carefully as possible to not bend them under his weight. "Oh, don't worry. These chairs were designed with people heavier than you in mind."
Heavier than the Chief? What kind of people did the Major invite into her office? Regardless, the Chief sat down and met the Major's eyes as she gave him her full attention.
"I realize the circumstances of this meeting are…unorthodox," the Major began. "I don't mean to appear underhanded in my approach, but I wanted to make sure I had your undivided attention."
"Is that so?" The Chief asked.
"How often does one get to have a private audience with a living legend?"
"Don't butter up that popcorn too much, sweetheart," Cortana remarked inside the Chief's helmet.
"Also," the Major continued. "I hope to make this as productive an evaluation as possible. While my team evaluates yours in action, you can give me your own personal insights. Then we can see how well they correlate."
"Why does everyone keep trying to evaluate me and my crew?" The Chief asked as Cortana remembered that conversation with Rear Admiral Mikhailovich.
"It's not 'just' an evaluation. It's more of a…thorough discourse of business. See, we at ONI pride ourselves in keeping a watchful eye on everything that benefits human interest."
"So does Cerberus, but you have government approval," Cortana remarked again.
"You are representing humanity as a Spectre," the Major said. "Your actions will affect whether future human candidates will be considered. And they've set a high bar for you with stopping a rogue Spectre AND his genocidal robot army. I don't envy your position."
"It's my job," the Chief replied.
"And it's my job to make sure you succeed. Because if you impress the Council, we can push for more than additional human Spectres. We're talking greater human influence on galactic politics. Maybe even a Council seat."
"I'm aware," the Chief responded curtly.
"Everyone's 'aware' we want more of a voice," she replied equally curt. "But that doesn't mean you understand. Everything you've done since you woke up has been scrutinized by thousands of individuals, both supporters and detractors alike. Some still aren't convinced you're qualified to be a Spectre based on the collateral damage from your missions alone."
Cortana raised a nonexistent eyebrow as the Major tapped a button on her table. Several holographic screens projected at the center with a variety of documents and photos.
"We've been keeping a close eye on you. You've managed to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Therum, Feros, Noveria. Each of them successful operations, but each one judged as a series of actions with pros and cons than a singular mission. And then there's the issue of Saren's interest in Halo…"
She looked at the Chief clearly to see if that elicited a reaction…which it didn't. Though Cortana was mildly surprised that ONI had learned of their little excursion to Eletania.
"Did you really think the Council wouldn't tell us if a Halo was involved?" She noted. "They wouldn't know what a Halo was without us. And that only makes your task more urgent. If Saren is serious about finding one, we have to convince them you're up to the task."
"I don't work for you," the Chief reminded.
"I know," the Major said. "But it would be a bad political move to turn your back on your allies. If we're going to stop Saren, all doubts in your abilities must be assuaged."
Cortana was getting annoyed with the Major. Allies, huh? The same allies who keep secrets from the public in the name of safety? The same allies who intimidated the other military branches to force cooperation? The same allies who eliminated all civilian and military espionage competition to ensure their monopoly? Oh, and the same allies who hired the descendent of a man who did everything he could to make the Chief's training hell? They weren't doing a lot to merit an 'ally' status yet.
"So," the Major said maximizing one of the displays. "I'd like to go over exactly what occurred in all of these missions to plan our next step. And when I say 'we' and 'our,'" she clarified sensing an objection. "I'm not trying to impose on your Spectre status. I mean that 'we,' as individual parties with common interests, can coordinate 'our' distinct resources to address this threat."
The Chief crossed his arms and nodded. "Fine."
"Good," the Major replied. "I'd like to request one thing though."
"And that would be…?"
"Take off your helmet."
Cortana and the Chief hesitated.
"I feel this meeting would be more effective if we discussed things eye-to-eye," the Major explained as she untied her own hair bun to let her locks drop down. "Besides, I heard you were quite comfortable showing your face to my soldiers. No need to be shy around me."
Damn, she was good. The Chief could say no, though. He wasn't under any obligation to—
"Fine," Chief said moving his hands to his helmet.
"Chief!" Cortana protested almost too loudly.
"I can handle this," Chief replied covertly to Cortana before unlatching his helmet and setting it down on the desk.
Cortana groaned to herself. Well, there goes their safe space. She knew the Chief could still be stoic without the helmet on, but they had never spoke to someone like the Major before without a barrier. Who knew what she could pick up from the subtlest of expressions? Looks like she would have to 'Cyrano de Bergerac' the situation through his earpiece.
"Be careful, Chief," she said quietly in his ear as the Major noticed his pale complexion.
"Looks like you've been getting a little more sun," the Major complimented looking back to her screen. "Good. You'll live longer that way. Now…let's start with right after the people on my team found you on the Forward Unto Dawn…"
...
1st Lieutenant Kyle Nolan stretched his leg out on a bench in the Pinnacle Station armory. He could feel his over forty years old bones creak and the tension in his muscles spread through his limbs. He had a several minutes to kill before the main event, so he might as well use them well. He doubted that the Turians would give him any time to stretch once they started.
He moved on to his arms and observed the area around him. Truth be told, he had never been to this station before. He knew its reputation and the type of people who frequented it, though everything he had been told suggested a scummier place than what he was seeing. Maybe the walls could use some extra polish, but otherwise he felt quite comfortable.
Well, except for all the Turians walking around…and the part where he embarrassed himself in front of the Chief again.
"Carl..." he mumbled to himself stretching his arms over his head. "Why did I say Carl? I don't even know any Carls."
To be fair, the Chief did force him to improvise so Resolme wouldn't clue in on the Chief's identity. And unless it was a battlefield scenario, Kyle was not very good at improvising. Still, it seemed like he could never make a good impression with the Chief. If it wasn't their awkward introduction on the Mt. Everest, it was that incident at the firing range. If it wasn't that, it was Resolme's bad timing with the coffee pot. And the Chief clearly didn't have a short-term memory, so Kyle figured that he wasn't high on the Chief's list of favorite people he met since being unfrozen.
Then again, the Chief did compliment him for the shooting instruction on the Everest. Was it sarcasm though? Was the Chief capable of sarcasm? It seemed out of character if it was.
"Whatever," Kyle mumbled cricking his neck a couple times. He worried too much about what the Chief thought. There were more important things on his mind, liking kicking Turian ass in a simulated fight. All the visceral pleasure of combat without any fear of killing someone? Christmas came early this year.
He did a quick inspection of his armor, tested his helmet HUD and did a weapons check. There were only a few varieties of weapons completely banned from simulated combat outright, but he figured wouldn't have picked anything other than his usual loadout anyway: a Mattock rifle, a Hurricane submachine gun and his trusty Razor pistol. He went through each step of the weapons check carefully to ensure the modifications were implemented properly. It would be best for everyone if he didn't get them in trouble for accidentally using lethal force.
As he inspected his Razor, a thought crossed his mind. It had been a while since he did any pistol tricks. Getting his ass handed to him by the Chief had been humbling, but he didn't want that humility to make him rusty. He checked his omni-tool's clock and then glanced around to make sure no one was watching. He still had time to spare…
Kyle set his helmet down, unfolded his pistol, switched the safety on and squared his stance. Start with the basics, he thought to himself. He twirled his finger inside the pistol's trigger guard and folded it back to his holster. Narrowing his focus on a small object in the distance, he quickly unfolded the gun and outstretched his arm cowboy style.
"Pow," he whispered to himself before twirling the pistol around again. He continued to twirl it for a while longer before tossing it up in the air. His muscle memory kicked in as he turned around, timing himself for the right moment to stretch out his hand and catch the pistol without looking.
He did so effortlessly.
"Yes!" He cheered quietly twirling the pistol desperado style once more, folding it back to his holster. He took a step forward, pivoted himself to face that object he noticed before and quick drew his pistol to imitate firing from the hip.
"Pow pow!" He whispered miming two shots. That would have been two shots right through the eyes guaranteed. He twirled his pistol again, this time increasing his speed. Now he was getting the hang of it. With sustained momentum, he switched the pistol back and forth between his hands several times without a pause. Using his prosthetic arm would be cheating if this was a competition, but that wasn't important now. The only judge he had to please was himself.
He tossed the pistol in the air again, this time doing a flourished spin around before catching it and twirling it again without missing a beat. He shifted the pistol back and forth between his hands again, keeping focus on the rates his artificial fingers moved compared to his real fingers. A smirk crept on his face. If only he had two pistols. Then he could do some seriously cool shit.
He kept the pistol twirling on one hand as he decided to do a final trick. Closing his eyes, he tossed the pistol in the air again...
...and then someone coughed!
Kyle opened his eyes to see one of the Chief's men, Kaidan, standing not too far away. It appeared he wasn't as alone as he-
Then he remembered what he was doing.
"Shit!" Kyle said reaching out to catch his pistol, only for it to slip through his fingers. He quickly slouched forward to stop it from hitting the ground.
Kaidan beat him to the punch though, enveloping the pistol in a blue biotic field. It awkwardly hung there as the two men looked at each other
"Sorry," Kaidan said. "Didn't mean to-"
"No, you're fine," Kyle replied grabbing the pistol and breaking the biotic field. He then did a shorthand inspection and folded the pistol to his holster. "How long were you watching?"
"I saw the whole thing," Kaidan replied approaching the lieutenant. "Where'd you learn all of that?"
"My uncle used to own a ranch in Pocatello, Idaho."
"Used to?"
"He passed on a few years back. My cousins run it now as a historical site. Some of the ranch hands pride themselves in keeping old cowboy and gaucho tricks alive. So…I took some notes during a few summer vacations."
"Nice," Kaidan replied.
"Did you come here to talk old cowboy tricks?"
"Nah. If we're fighting together, I figured I should know who we're fighting with."
"Fair enough," Kyle replied bending to touch his toes to continue his warm-up. "Ask away."
"You guys are ODST?"
"Best of the best," Kyle replied.
"How did you get roped into ONI?"
"Like I said before, I got offered a job I couldn't refuse," Kyle said standing up. "But you did."
"I had to take an ethical stance."
"Then you're a better man than me..." Kyle replied. He glanced at his omni-tool clock again, picked up his helmet and motioned Kaiden to follow him. "Walk and talk."
The two of them left the armory to make their way to the observation deck. Other soldiers, mercenaries and civilians passed by them on the way, with the windows nearby casting a majestic backdrop of the planet Vebinok and the nearby asteroid belt. Or at least a convincing simulation of it. Hard to tell at that angle.
"So, the Chief said you were on the team that found him?" Kaidan then asked
"That's what the report says," Kyle replied.
"What was that like?"
"Hm?"
"Finding the Chief. I'm sure you get asked that a lot. I wasn't with the shore parties."
"Not as much as you'd think. And you were there?"
"I was on the Jakarta before the Normandy."
"No kidding? And they benched you during the most important rescue mission of the century?"
"My commander felt helping the XO while he was ashore was a better use of my time."
"Pft...bastard," Kyle scoffed. "Not a whole lot to say. We got lucky and found him first. I still remember the first thing anyone said when we found him."
"What was that?"
"I believe Engelbrektsson said something like, 'He's so tall!'" Kyle said jokingly imitating her. It technically wasn't the first statement uttered when they found the Chief, but he completely forgot what Resolme said.
"Jules said that?" Kaidan chuckled.
"You know her?"
"Sure. We were in the Grunt Hole together."
"Small galaxy."
"Seriously…heh, I've got to ask her about that," Kaidan said with a smirk.
"I'm sure our little rescue mission's nothing compared to what you've seen with the Chief."
"You don't know the half of it," Kaidan sighed as they entered the observation deck. Everyone else was there waiting for them. Well, everyone except the Chief and Ackerson. Looks like their little face-to-face chat was going to take a while.
Which thinking of that reminded Kyle to ask something.
"Hey," Kyle said to Kaidan. "How long has uh..." He mimed taking off a helmet. "That been going on with the Chief?"
"...oh," Kaidan replied realizing. "Not long. It takes some getting used to."
"No kidding," Kyle said recalling the Chief's pale face. It's not that Kyle expected much else from a guy stuck in a suit of armor for a hundred years. He just...wasn't ready to see what that looked like.
The two of them joined their group on the right side of the deck. The Chief's squad and Kyle's squad seemed to be getting along with each other so far. Engelbrektsson and the Sanghelli were discussing something about a music group Kyle never heard of. La Rosa and that Ashley person were checking professional arena combat news. Everyone else waited patiently for the game to start. Kyle swore he could hear that Asari still suppressing those hiccups of hers, but he figured he was hearing things.
The only ones not playing nice were Falana and the ONI marines joining their game. They segregated themselves to the outskirts of the group, waiting for the instructions to start. Kyle still wasn't used to that rank stench of self-righteousness they exuded, but sadly Falana was his commanding officer. She wasn't a bad soldier. Far from it in fact. She was a bitch who bossed Kyle around, demeaned his integrity and undermined his authority over his own squad, but she wasn't a bad soldier. There was some satisfaction, however, at seeing her composure crack in front of that jackass Vidinos.
Speaking of which, Vidinos was gathered with his regular soldiers and his Cabal unit on the left side of the waiting area. Kyle crossed his arms as he sized up the opponents. Cabals had quite the reputation and it wasn't hard to miss them in a crowd. Since Turian biotics were rare, they were usually segregated into their own squads to train for high risk infiltration missions. One could argue that they were the ODST of the Turian military...except Kyle and his squad were going to kick their asses so hard that no one else would ever make that mistake again!
He turned his attention to the front of the room, where the moderators, technicians and other personnel responsible for the combat arena's maintenance worked at their respective stations. A makeshift stand was set up behind a railing slightly above their waiting area. The older human admiral they saw earlier stood on the stand and faced the crowd.
"Welcome everyone," the admiral said to both teams. "I'm Admiral Ahern and we're very excited to have you here. You've come a long way to our humble station and I don't wish to keep you waiting for long. However, there are a few rules to go over before we proceed. Ochren?"
The Salarian standing nearby Ahern, who seemed annoyed to be taken away from his work, stepped forward to address the teams. To Kyle's right, he heard that Asari suppress another hiccup. A quick glance revealed her covering her mouth with one hand, trying hard not to make a scene as she looked to see if anyone was watching. He really hoped that was resolved before they started.
"Standard protocol," Ochren spoke as if reading from a cue card. "All combat scenarios in Pinnacle Station have been designed by yours truly with participant safety in mind. Kinetic slug modifiers must be used for all weapons. There is absolutely zero tolerance for lethal force and violators will be banned from Pinnacle Station for life. Any weapons that cannot be modified must remain in the armory or on your ship. The same applies with Cabal venom gauntlets."
"We're playing nice," Vidinos said as one of the Cabal soldiers lifted an arm to show none of them had their venom weapons.
"Yes, very good," Ochren said not wishing to be interrupted again. "The rules are simple. Team slayer with standard shielding and respawn settings. Three rounds. Biotics and tech-based abilities are allowed. Maps will be decided by the team leaders. Weapon damage modifiers are located on grid markers E3 and G4. If you don't know where those are, blame the cartographers. The team with the highest score wins, point penalties for breaking the rules, yada yada yada..."
Ochren then abruptly walked back to his console, leaving an awkward pause to linger among the crowd.
"...and may the best team win," Ahern said clumsily keeping the ball rolling. "Now, if we could have the team leaders meet at the console, we can finalize the map selection and-"
"-HIC!-"
Tangilanu yelped following the hiccup as a small biotic field kicked against the back of his legs and knocked him flat on his back. Both groups stirred slightly in reaction.
"Oh dear," the Asari said offering a hand to Tangilanu. "I'm so sorry."
"No, it's ok," Tangilanu replied with a wince helping himself up.
"-get things started," Ahern finished not sure how to react.
Kyle looked over to see a couple Turians gossip among themselves and Vidinos give the equivalent of a condescending smirk through his weird beak mouth. Kyle sighed and stared at the ground. It was going to be a long exercise...
...
"And you're sure Benezia and the Rachni Queen are dead?" Ackerson asked.
"Saw them with my own eyes," the Chief said without missing a beat. At least the first part was true, so he could carry over some of that conviction with the Rachni Queen.
"Damn shame," Ackerson said closing one of the screens. "Self-defense is one thing, but Benezia could have been valuable in taking down Saren. You're sure about this 'indoctrination' thing?'
"We've seen enough examples to guess that Saren's flagship influences people like the Thorian, but through indirect means."
"And the Thorian used spores like the Flood," Ackerson said rubbing her chin. "Not even the Covenant had that kind of power. Does anyone on your crew have theories about how this process works?"
"We're not sure."
"Alright…how far into the process was Benezia?"
"She managed to break free momentarily, but she's the only one we've seen so far."
"And the Rachni used a similar method raising a body from the dead?"
"More like putting a hand into a puppet, but yes."
"Hm…three different means of mind and body control. And yet you decided to kill the queen rather than study the effects of its power to stop Saren?"
"Man, she can't get over that," Cortana said in his ear as the Chief leaned forward to pause and think about his response…which was admittedly not his strong suit.
"The Rachni slaughtered almost everyone in that laboratory," he said. "Had I let the queen live, more people would have died."
Ackerson locked eyes with him for a few seconds, seeing which one of them would react first to his bluff. After a few awkward moments, she blinked and looked back at her files.
"Like I said…damn shame," she replied swiping the windows on the holographic screens away and maximizing a new one. "But you're absolutely right. The Rachni posed a significant threat to the galaxy and you would have been able to assess that better than anyone. Of course, it didn't help having people influence your decision."
"How so?"
"Well, think about it. You were traveling with one teammate from the race that exterminated the Rachni. One teammate who was dealing with the trauma of losing a family member. A couple of teammates too young to handle a decision of such magnitude—"
"My decision was my own," Chief interrupted. "My team follows my orders because they trust my judgment."
"Oh?" Ackerson said tapping her finger on the desk for a moment before leaning forward. "Tell me…how well do you know your team?"
"Better than you," Cortana snarked in Chief's earpiece.
"We've fought alongside each other," Chief replied. "I've seen what kind of people they—"
"No, no, no, no," Ackerson interrupted shaking her head. "You don't just 'know' somebody by fighting alongside them. And talking to them is only the beginning. I know they teach that stuff about 'brothers in arms' at boot camp, but you're operating on a higher level now. You don't simply know someone by listening to what they say. You think about how, why and when they say it. That way, you can predict their actions and see what kind of person they really are."
Ackerson picked up a data pad from her desk and scrolled to an image obscured from the Chief's view. "When I meet someone, I don't go in blind. I look at who they are, what they did and when they did it. That way, I can understand why they did it. And in almost every situation, my first assumptions have been right. That's why when I look at your team, I see things that worry me. And considering how much responsibility rests on your shoulders, I decided to do the work for you before they jeopardize the mission."
Chief furrowed his brow slightly.
"Don't let her get to you," Cortana said sensing his frustration.
Chief managed to calm down some as Ackerson flipped her data pad around to reveal a picture of Kaidan with a lot of writing below it. "Let's discuss Staff Lieutenant Alenko first…"
...
Kaidan couldn't help but think over everything that had happened since joining the Chief's crew. It was hard to rank what was more impressive. Spearheading a fight against a rogue Spectre and his galaxy threatening Geth army? Foiling the plans of an ancient alien life form with mind control powers? Unleashing a previously extinct alien race on the galaxy? Discovering, and subsequently destroying, a Forerunner complex? And all the while, the Halos and this Reaper threat grew stronger with every mission. One would think the Chief wouldn't waste any time getting to the bottom of this.
Yet here they were playing Team Slayer on a space station against a Turian Blackwatch unit with no real stakes attached. Priorities…
Not that Kaidan was ungrateful to do something not life threatening for a change. It just felt like every minute they spent here was a minute they allowed Saren to gain an advantage, hurt more people or-
"Earth to Kaidy!" A familiar female voice shouted at him.
Oh right…the game.
Kaidan turned in time to see Julianne Engelbrektsson raise a biotic barrier around them, blocking a rocket blast and some small arms fire. Kaidan sidestepped through the barrier and launched a biotic blast at one of the Blackwatch Turians. The alien was sent flying backwards into a nearby wall, stunning him.
Julianne then joined in by launching a shockwave against a couple Turians off to the side. The opponents took cover at a nearby collapsible barricade, giving Kaidan and Julianne time to displace to better cover.
Kaidan observed the match already in progress while running alongside Julianne. He knew Slayer matches could get crazy, but putting three groups of highly trained military units and a ragtag crew of badasses into the same fight was something else. To his right, he could see Liara and N'Tho taking cover from two Cabal soldiers using a portable barrier. To his left, Tangilanu and Wrex got the drop on an unsuspecting Blackwatch soldier. A group of ONI marines held their ground against three more Turians farther ahead. And somewhere out on the edge of the arena, he was sure he could hear that La Rosa guy from Julianne's team taking the occasional sniper potshot.
He was almost certain the Chief wouldn't approve of this kind of anarchy. Which was why he was relieved the Chief wasn't there to stress them out and dreaded what would happen if they lost. He figured he should get issue some orders to get things under—
"Hey Kaidy," Julianne then said as they ran.
"…what?" Kaidan replied annoyed.
"I'm pretty sure I know the answer, but did you ever message Rahna like I suggested?"
And then there was that old chestnut. As he mentioned to Lieutenant Nolan earlier, Julianne and Kaidan used to know each other back at the Grunt Hole during their BAaT training. The two of them were never close friends, but they ran in similar circles and endured the same brutality from that Turian drill instructor Vyrnnus. He thought he had put all of that behind him, until a chance encounter with Julianne on the Citadel a while back brought it all back. Apparently working alongside her again so soon was some cosmic sign…or a cruel joke.
"…no Jules. I haven't," Kaidan said pointing out a spot to take cover and opening his TEAMCOM. "N'Tho, two guys to your left-"
N'Tho clearly didn't hear him, as the headstrong Sanghelli barreled right into a trap laid down by the two Turians. His shields shimmered and broke as the opponents unloaded on him. Kaidan figured N'Tho had his music app cranked up to the highest volume, so there would be no reaching him.
"Shit!" Kaidan cursed looking to Ashley's position across the map. "Ashley, see if you can regroup at coordinate—"
"Kind of busy now," Ashley replied over the sound of gunfire around her.
"You chickened out, didn't you?" Julianne asked Kaidan unfolding her Hurricane submachine gun. "Because it's not like you missed her extranet address on my—"
"Kind of busy now," Kaidan said to Engelbrektsson checking his HUD to chart their progress. Everyone was scattered across the map and they were still technically in the lead, but the Turians were catching up for overall points. He made a mental note of their remaining time and—
"I could get Rahna to write you," Julianne said peaking above their cover and firing a few potshots at a nearby Turian. "I understand if you're scared—"
"I'm not SCARED, Jules," Kaidan said with emphasis. "I've just…got a lot on my mind."
"And taking two minutes to tell her how you're doing would eat up too much time, right?"
"Two minutes?"
"You're right," she said motioning them to move. "At your rate, you'd spend a year typing a workable draft. And let's not even start with edit—"
An incoming surge of biotic energy cut off that thought, knocking Julianne on her ass. Kaidan turned to see two Turian Cabal soldiers break from cover and fire on his position. He generated a small biotic bubble around him and Julianne while she got back on her feet.
"Goddamn it," Julianne muttered and groaned. She then folded her submachine gun and emitted biotic energy all around her.
Kaidan glanced to her and saw that look on her face. It was a look that he became familiar with back at the Grunt Hole. The look that a biotic gave when they really wanted to show off their skills.
"...sure," Kaidan said lowering his barrier and generating his own biotic energy. It looked like they were going to do a biotic throw down.
Julianne shot the first blast, which one of the Cabal soldiers deflected easily. Kaidan quickly fired a second blast, striking the other Cabal's shin. The first Cabal then launched his own biotic blast, which was significantly bigger than either of theirs. Julianne and Kaidan dodged in opposite direction while the Cabals decided to fight them one-on-one.
While Julianne and her Cabal soldier traded biotic blows, Kaidan was dodging the blasts of the stronger Cabal. Blue biotic energy exploded all around the group, taking Kaidan's mind off everything else for a moment.
Kaidan generated a biotic energy ball and fired it at the ground, sending a ripple effect that tripped the Cabal soldier. He then attempted to close the gap before firing a throw blast. However, the Cabal threw up a barrier right as Kaidan fired, causing them both to be pushed back. Kaidan dug his heels into the ground to stop the push, sidestepped and fired another blast.
The Cabal shouted before using one hand to forcefully deflect the blast. The two of them panted and caught their breath for a moment, glaring at each other with fire in their eyes. Was Kaidan getting lazy? He should be able to take this guy down no problem. Looked like it was time to-
"Kaidan, look out!" Julianne shouted.
Kaidan turned to see a large box being flung at him. Apparently, the Cabal fighting Julianne decided to lend a hand. Kaidan deflected the box and turned to see the Cabal he was fighting rush at him. In response, Kaidan quickly shot a lift blast at his opponent. The Cabal attempted to dodge, but his right foot was caught by the blast, causing him to float forward towards Kaidan.
Time for the finishing blow. Channeling his remaining energy, Kaidan shot a powerful biotic blast in an uppercut right at the Cabal. The Turian was sent flying into the distance, tumbling onto the ground several times before coming to a stop. Kaidan could see the hate in the Cabal's eyes even from that distance, so he prepped himself for another attack.
Before the Cabal could get up to continue fighting though, a sniper shot came from across the arena and struck him in the neck. The Turian collapsed onto the gerund, disappearing in a blue light as he was sent back to his team's spawn point.
"And another point for me," Garrus slyly remarked over the TEAMCOM to Kaidan. "Also, you're welcome."
Well, that wasn't the finish Kaidan hoped for, but-
Apparently, he couldn't finish a thought today, because Julianne stumbled backwards next to him at that moment.
"Son of a..." She muttered before looking to Kaidan. "Double team?"
Kaidan turned around to see that remaining Cabal standing his ground. However, he seemed a lot less confident with his buddy gone. It wouldn't be much of a fight if they double teamed him, but...
"Yeah," Kaidan said channeling energy into his fists. "Let's do this."
"I'll set him up. You knock him down."
The two of them charged forward and took turns firing biotic blasts at the Cabal. Their opponent did his best to deflect each blast, but Kaidan and Julianne were firing with increasing frequency as they closed the gap. The Cabal attempted to fire a few blasts of his own, but his concentration was waning. Now all they needed was an opening.
Which Julianne was all set to provide.
"Now!" Julianne said firing a biotic shockwave at the Cabal, breaking the barrier he raised. That left him nice and exposed.
Kaidan charged his energy into a single fist and fired directly at the Cabal's face. The force of the blast sent the biotic flying back and crashing directly into a wall, causing him to explode in a flash of blue light. Killing blow!
The two human biotics took a moment to catch their breath. Kaidan had worked alongside other biotics before, including those on his current team. Yet there was something special about fighting alongside an old childhood friend after all these years. Old memories were resurfacing that he had long suppressed. Memories of those quiet moments among friends back at the Grunt Hole. The training exercises that didn't end poorly. That moment when he-
This time, he decided to cut himself off. It was best not to remember that time he let himself go too far.
"Yeah!" Julianne yelled slightly winded at the spot the Cabal soldier disappeared. "That's right! 'The intangible is unstoppable,' huh? Well, our 'intangible's' better!" She chuckled and looked at Kaidan. "Heh...showed them."
"Yeah..." Kaidan said feeling a second wind come upon him.
They turned to look at the rest of the arena. Not too far away, Tali and two of Julianne's squadmates were trading shots with some Blackwatch soldiers. The two biotics then looked to each other.
"Double team?" Kaidan said.
"Any time," Julianne said channeling energy around her.
Kaidan smirked and charged his own energy. He figured Saren could wait for a little longer while they-
"And then I'm making you write Rahna," Julianne said.
Damn it...
...
Codex Entry (Humanity and the Systems Alliance) – Office of Naval Intelligence – Section One
Section One is the most easily identifiable branch of the Office of Naval Intelligence. Operatives are deemed among the best and brightest within the Alliance military, showcasing superior skills in organizational leadership, infiltration, interrogation, data analysis, cyber warfare, internal investigation, reconnaissance and other combat abilities. Though often referred to by the public nickname of 'Spooks' a pejorative word used as a blanket term for all ONI members due to their secretive nature, Section One operatives have proven to be an invaluable asset in protecting humanity from enemies within and without. Section membership is exclusive, with invitations extended only after extensive consideration from the Section's internal recruitment team.
During the Human-Covenant War, Section One operatives were vital in reconnaissance operations to help evacuate colony worlds and spot Covenant deployments. They would also be embedded within other military squads to assist in specialized missions and to maintain order within human military branches. Post-war duties include further support of colonial expansion and assisting in military operations across the galaxy when needed, both for large scale conflicts and small-scale espionage. They also were vital in the reformation of the Office of Investigations.
...
The games have begun! On to the next chapter…