Hey everyone! Today's my birthday! Instead of having you give me gifts and remind me that twenty-four actually that old though, Im giving you all a gift instead. That's right, it's time for more Last of an Ancient Breed!
(Though I would love for someone to add tropes onto my section of the TLS TV Tropes page if anyone would be so kind...)
When we last left the squad, they were making their way to Mavigon to finally shut down the syndicate. Little do they know what kind of ally is waiting to lend a hand. A very pronounced TLS cameo is about to come into play, so enjoy!
...
1120 Hours, February 28th, 2683
SSV Tokyo approaching Mavigon
Han System, Gemini Sigma
...
Kyle watched through the bridge's windows as the SSV Tokyo entered a mass relay field, shooting through a flurry of blue and green. Though nothing should surprise him by now, mass relays were still a strange concept. A system of giant tuning forks with an infinite element zero output that could make thousand light year jumps happen in a matter of seconds? And doing so without inflicting any particle distortion or damage? It was too good to be true. Even Slipspace wasn't as instantaneous.
Not to say he didn't prefer Slipspace as an alternative. While tearing a hole in reality wasn't scientifically sound, it was a much more precise method of travel. A working Fujikawa drive could open a portal almost exactly where you wanted it to be. Relay jumps only took you to that system's connecting relay, adding additional travel time depending on how much farther you had to go. Comparing both methods evened out the pros and cons.
Then again, what the hell did Kyle know? He was lucky to barely pass high school science, so who was he to offer constructive insights on space travel?
As he finished that thought, the color outside evaporated and normal space filled the view as they exited the Han System relay.
"And that's another successful jump," Chief Helmsman Benjamin Young spoke into his personal flight console. Kyle was a short distance behind the three helmsmen piloting the ship as Young opened up some holo charts. "Thrusters are at optimal capacity and heat emissions are stable."
"Drift levels at 1600K and normalizing. Hull integrity at one hundred percent" helmsman Mack Quinn added.
"Navigation systems are recalibrated. ETA to rendezvous coordinates…five minutes," helmsman Jackie Paulsen also added.
"Good work," Ralston's voice sounded from Young's console. "Patch me through once we're close. We don't want to keep our guests waiting."
"Aye aye, sir," Young said as the channel closed and he turned to Kyle. "You decided to stick around?"
"Might as well," Kyle said leaning on a nearby wall and examining his armor. "I'm all dressed up with no place to go."
"At least you're going somewhere. We have to sit here like good little boys and girls while you get to take down the big bad drug dealers."
"A pilot's life is a lonely one. All work and no action," Paulsen joked looking to Kyle. "I bet you're eager to kick some ass though."
"I'm not sure 'eager' is the right word," Kyle replied.
"Ah, come on. The way you mopped the floor with those Klensal guys? That's some Spartan level of awesome shit."
"Tell that to McCullen and Jackson at medbay," Quinn interjected.
"I didn't say it was 'smooth as shit,' but it was awesome shit," Paulsen defended.
Kyle changed the conversation as he looked over Young's shoulder. "How come Ralston makes you report the post-jump statistics?"
"Formalities," Young said. "Anderson never liked doing the mandatory 'maintenance checks' after a relay jump, but Ralston's a true old timer. If the handbook says to do it, he'll do it."
"Except for that part about 'need to know basis,'" Quinn added. "He's more than happy to blab about something if he feels it's important."
"He likes being honest," Kyle said recalling the chat prior to finding the Forward Unto Dawn. "Keep everyone prepared who should be prepared."
"Apparently," Young remarked. "Anyway, it's protocol to report to the commanding officer after a successful jump. The last thing we need is all of that energy tampering with our systems."
As Young continued discussing technical details, Kyle noticed a vid streaming footage from the Alliance News Network at the bottom of the helmsman's console. Though the audio was being channeled into Young's earpiece, he could see a reporter analyzing footage from the Geth attack on Eden Prime. Ever since that broadcast, everyone's been on their toes.
Young sensed him eyeing the vid, and quickly minimized the vid. "Sorry, sir," he apologized. "I promise I'm paying attention."
"I'm not the Captain," Kyle reassured. "I won't tell."
"Thanks. I've already seen that broadcast, but…you know. On top of everything else on the Alliance's to-do list, now there's human hating robots on our doorstep."
"The way Young's been watching that vid, you'd think the Geth were invading Earth," Paulsen said. "It's not like we have a super powerful defense system and thousands of ships protecting our planet."
"We don't know that much about them, so we can't be too safe," Young replied looking to Kyle. "You heard much, sir?"
"My textbooks were written in the Stone Age," Kyle joked. "So not really."
"There's not much to know," Quinn replied. "They're a bunch of rogue AI's that rebelled against the Quarians three hundred years ago and have pretty much been unseen since."
"They're almost solely the reason the Council banned Smart AI's," Paulsen added.
"Yeah, but ever since then they've just stewed behind the Perseus Veil. What's their excuse for attacking Eden Prime now?"
"Lack of resources? Boredom? A religious call to arms demanding the extinction of mankind? You know, the usual reasons for planetary invasion."
"Now you're sounding like Jeff."
Paulsen rolled her eyes. "Yeah. How nice to be compared to that lucky bastard."
Who?" Kyle asked unfamiliar with the name's significance.
"Jeff Moreau," Young clarified. "We all went to flight school together. He's piloting the Normandy for the Chief."
That caught Kyle's attention. "Is he now?"
"Yup. Nearly got himself killed and/or kicked out of the Navy to do so."
"How so?"
"Well this is just what Captain Anderson told me, so take it with a grain of salt. A few months ago, the Captain was with some Alliance and Council big wigs to oversee this ship's test run. Unbeknownst to them, Jeff snuck onboard, locked out the originally assigned pilot and hijacked it. They thought he was a pirate or saboteur at first, so they sent a bunch of fighters to shoot him down. Not only did he fly circles around them, but he also completed the entire course before bringing it back without a scratch. He would have been court marshaled on the spot if some Turian general hadn't intervened."
"Why would a Turian care about what happened to a human pilot?"
"Because they helped fund the Normandy's construction, so they have a say over who gets the job. And apparently the general got a hard-on seeing Jeff in action. That's quoted from the official report, by the way."
"I'm sure it was," Kyle said blocking out the mental image. He looked out the window to see how the journey was going. There appeared to be a ship out in the distance, but it was too far to make out completely. He then tuned back to Young's story.
"So the lesson here is that if you break the rules and put lives in danger, you'll get to pilot the Alliance's most advanced cruiser alongside a resurrected war hero."
"Which is why we should plan something when they build a second Normandy," Paulsen said to the other helmsmen. "If a cripple like Jeff can overpower a pilot, we could take on a whole crew between the three of us."
"Yeah. We might even share the same prison cell afterwards," Quinn rebutted. "Provided we can even pilot the ship like he did."
"You don't seriously buy the 'best pilot in the Alliance' bit, do you?"
"He was top of our class by a wide margin. Just saying."
Kyle figured he should change the subject, mostly because all of this inside stuff was going over his head. He eyed the minimized Alliance News Network vid on Young's computer again. "How many Geth did the Chief take out before they retreated?"
"Enough," Young replied. "I don't know about you, but watching that guy in action is something else. I doubt anyone could stand up to him in a fight." He turned back to Kyle. "No offense."
Kyle shrugged, not saying he was offended but not wanting to ask much else about the Chief. He had satiated his curiosity for the time being.
"What was that stuff about the 'zombies' the Chief fought?" Quinn asked. "That sounded crazy."
"Zombies?" Kyle asked curiously.
"It's something they broadcasted the other day," Young replied maximizing the vid and fast-forwarding to a section Kyle hadn't seen yet. The reporter was analyzing the aftermath of the attack as the camera panned across a pile of bodies in a building.
They definitely weren't human or Geth bodies though! Kyle noticed the blue and grey skin discoloration as metal circuitry spread across their limbs. Small emissions of blue light were seen in their dead eyes and gaping mouths. Their frames had been emaciated too, resembling skeletons more than actual zombies. It was a creepy sight even for him.
"Shit…" Kyle muttered.
"I know, right?" Young replied. "No one's seen anything like it, not even the Quarians. It's a new weapon the Geth developed that impales bodies and turns them into…'husks' or something."
"Whoever leaked that footage should consider themselves lucky," Quinn added. "ONI would've classified that faster than a relay jump if they had their way."
"Has the Council offered help to keep the Geth at bay?" Kyle asked.
"Nope," Paulsen replied. "The Alliance sent support fleets to protect the nearby colonies, but the Council are labeling this a 'strictly human affair.' Something about 'not taking responsibility for our lack of security.'"
"Sounds like the Council to me."
"Yep. Just a bunch of assholes." As Paulsen said that, she checked outside the window. "Speaking of assholes…"
Kyle also looked out to see the distant ship now fully in view. It was pretty big, at least twice the Tokyo's size. The colors and insignias on the ship's side explained why though. It wouldn't be like ONI to not have the biggest guns out in space.
"Channel's open, sir," Quinn said to Young.
"Alright, time for first contact," Young said tapping on his console and clearing his throat. "SSV Tokyo to Mare Erythraeum. Mare Erythraeum, do you copy?"
After a second of static, a woman's voice sounded through the speakers. "This is the Mare Erythraeum. We read you loud and clear, Tokyo. Our commanding officer is requesting audience with your Captain."
"Granted," Captain Ralston's voice then replied through the console. "The airlock is prepped for your arrival."
"Roger that," the woman said. "ETA in two minutes. Over and out."
The woman's feed cut off as Ralston continued. "Young, is Nolan with you?"
"Right behind me, sir."
"Good. I'll be there in a moment," Ralston said as his channel closed.
Young turned to Nolan. "Hope we didn't bore you for too long," he teased.
"Eh," Kyle shrugged. "I just distracted you guys for a few minutes. I'll come back when I need another history lesson."
"Sounds good," Young chuckled in reply. "Have fun storming the castle."
The other helmsmen mutter farewells as Kyle walked to the airlock. Of all the ships patrolling Alliance space, the one available in the Han System was an ONI cruiser. He hadn't had much experience with ONI, but he was roughly familiar with their secretive nature. They were the hands that kept humanity and the Alliance in line, whether you wanted them to or not. Even with the occasional slip-up here and there, they weren't a force to be taken lightly.
Hopefully that meant they had some good firepower on their ship.
As Kyle reached the airlock, Ralston entered from the other side of the hallway. Without much of a greeting, they met by the doorway and waited for their guests.
"Ever met a 'Spook' before?" Ralston said using the old nickname for ONI officers.
"Not on an individual basis," Kyle admitted. "Is their bite as bad as their bark?"
"We're about to find out," Ralston said as the airlock's control pad flashed red. The ONI shuttle was docked and going through decontamination. Kyle felt anxious. ONI people were just people, he reminded himself. It was probably just some old guy like Ralston who happened to have higher clearance. He stood there patiently as the control pad flashed green.
"DECONTAMINATION COMPLETE," Harmony's synthesized female voice chimed from the control pad as the doors hissed open.
The people waiting inside the airlock were not who Kyle expected them to be. On the right side was a slender African woman in ONI marine combat armor holding her helmet under her right arm. She couldn't be any more than twenty-eight or nine from her looks, though she had the rough complexion of an experienced soldier.
On the left side was a Caucasian woman with her long blonde hair in a bun under her officer's hat. She was a small woman, but she had the muscles and physique of a champion gymnast. She was also wearing a customized version of Alliance blues, with a solid black color blended with ONI symbols and her Major officer bar. She seemed young to be in her position of power, but it wasn't Kyle's place to question that. He did have to question that cold, emotionless look on her face though. It was the right level of menacing and not menacing where it became unnerving!
The airlock closed behind the women as Kyle and Ralston saluted the Major.
"At ease," the major said flatly as they lowered their hands. "Dominic Ralston?"
"Yes, ma'am," Ralston replied.
"Major Danielle Ackerson," she introduced herself before pointing to the other soldier. "This is Captain Kya Falana. She'll be overseeing the assault." She then looked over to Kyle. "Who's this?"
Kyle was a little perturbed by the tone of her question, and the assertion that this new person was taking charge, but Ralston answered for him. "This is 2nd Lieutenant Kyle Nolan. He led the Klensal assault and found the base here."
"Good," Ackerson said with no change in tone as she and Falana walked out into the hallway. Ralston and Kyle turned to each other confused before following her.
As they entered the Galaxy Map room, some of the soldiers saluted Ackerson.
"At ease everyone," she said saluting them back while stopping anyone else from doing the same.
There was something about Ackerson that Kyle hadn't seen in other officers. Most of them were seasoned veterans like him and Ralston, having the authority of a leader but the understanding of a soldier. Ackerson's demeanor was something much more professional, given by force of personality than actual combat experience. Not to doubt her combat skills, but it was much more bureaucratic in comparison.
Captain Falana turned to Ralston as Ackerson inspected the Galaxy Map controls and ordered the engineers around. "How's your current fighting force?" She asked.
"We're short two marines and an ODST, but otherwise all hands are prepped for combat," Ralston replied. "We've also fueled two Makos, our Orbital Drop Assault Vehicle and a Mantis for the assault."
"Keep the ODAV running, but we'll let you know if additional vehicles will be needed."
"Shouldn't we have all our armor on the ground?" Ralston asked concerned.
"That would be unnecessary. From the Intel you provided, we can overpower the occupants with minimal armor use."
"We're not waging a full scale war," Ackerson chimed in looking over Galaxy Map railing. "The quieter we wipe them out, the better."
"Yes, ma'am," Ralston said. Kyle hadn't seen Ralston be this submissive before, but then again Ackerson and Falana weren't your average superior officers.
"Have your lieutenant escort Captain Falana to the rest of your soldiers," Ackerson said as she walked back to the group. "Falana, give an account of all available weapons, armor and manpower on the ship. I want everything in place before the syndicate is aware of our presence," She turned back to Ralston. "Have one of your technicians send any vid footage from the Klensal raid for additional planning. I want a hands-on view of the Storm's combat patterns so we can get the upper hand."
She then turned to Kyle. "And have your squad bring the Klensal prisoners to my shuttle for additional questioning."
Kyle raised an eyebrow at the request. "I'm not sure there's much-"
"I said do it," Ackerson interrupted.
He hesitated for a split second. Those eyes could cut diamonds right now. He eventually nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
"Good. Get to it."
Kyle quickly led Falana out of the room as Ackerson continued to talk battle plans with Ralston. So that's why she was in charge. She already had the hard-nosed, thick-skinned persona of someone twice her age. He hadn't found it charming yet.
"She's like that sometimes," Falana said as they walked into the elevator. "Don't take it personally. Is your squad geared up?"
"Yes, ma'am," he said as he pressed the button to descend.
"Good. We're going in first…"
The ODAV shook and rumbled as Kyle braced himself in the passenger seat. It had been a while since they did a proper combat drop and even longer since they did a vehicle drop. The heat shields outside glowed a bright red as they broke through the atmosphere and prepared for the next drop phase. He glanced down the side window and scouted the terrain. It was an ugly little planet with a frozen surface that looked more like rock than actual water. A large snowstorm brewed over the drop site, prompting him to switch the thermal vision on.
He took a moment to admire the vehicle they were riding in. If this were any other mission or they were regular Alliance soldiers, they would be crammed into a tiny Mako. This thing, however, was an ODST customized Mako and a beautiful one at that. It had a double-barreled cannon mounted on the top with independent and linked fire, a front antipersonnel machine gun, two independently controlled machine guns on the sides and durable armor plating that could take a fair share of damage. All of that was on top of the six-person seating that was compact but with decent space.
Goes to show that when you drive a Broadfin, you really have it all!
The downside? Sharing it with Captain 'Taking charge of your operation.' He glanced over to Falana in the driver seat as she guided the vehicle through the drop phases. It should be him there, but the Major made her orders clear.
The operation seemed easy on paper. The Mare Erythraeum's scans revealed that the Mavigon base had two primary entrances. The main one was a building located on top of a mountain, guarded with auto-turrets like Dalamar had told them. The other, however, was a covert entrance at the mountain's base used for vehicles. It was also guarded by auto-turrets, but not nearly as fortified. These guys were sitting upon a nice little throne and the snowstorms surrounding the mountain only made it more ominous.
So what better way for them to crash the party than knocking on both doors? His squad was being dropped in first to clear the area for Kodiak landings by taking out the turrets guarding both entrances. They'd surely run into some vehicular opposition too, but their bad boy vehicle could handle it…hopefully. Once that was done, they would cram soldiers into both entrances and force the mercs into submission. It would be fruitless for them to fight back when they had no means to escape.
Kyle glanced back to the rest of his squad. Beckett and Resolme manned the side machine guns, with Resolme's trigger finger noticeably itching for some combat. That left La Rosa and Tangilanu to sit in the rear passenger seats and enjoy the ride while Kyle and Falana used the main guns.
Kyle could see in La Rosa's body language that something else was on his mind though.
"Credit for your thoughts?" Kyle said discreetly opening a private chat with him.
"Huh," La Rosa said snapping out of his thoughts. "Sorry…I just…I swear I've seen her before."
"The Captain?"
"No, I meant Beckett," La Rosa scoffed. "Yes, the Captain! I don't know why, but I can't shake the feeling we met somewhere."
"Any idea where?"
"If I knew, I would have told you," La Rosa said shrugging his shoulders. "Whatever…"
Another huge rumble shook the Broadfin as the squad braced itself.
"LZ's coming up fast," Falana said over TEAMCOM. "Get those guns ready."
Beckett and Resolme pulled up their targeting displays while Kyle grabbed the cannon controls. The Broadfin was big enough that it took more than one person to drive and shoot, so no multitasking was required like on a Mako or Hammerhead.
"Left gun is good," Resolme checked back with Falana.
"Right gun too," Beckett added.
Falana turned to Kyle as he adjusted his settings.
"Main guns armed and ready," he said.
From the corner of his eye, he spotted mass effect rounds outside zipping past snowflakes. Pings ricocheted off the bottom of the vehicle too.
"They're ready too," Tangilanu deadpanned.
"Alright, we're coming in hot," Falana barked. "We are authorized to engage all hostiles."
Kyle took a breath as he waited for that final landing. They had been doing so many 'by the book' stealth and take down missions that it was about time they did an old fashioned combat drop. No better way to get a job done than hitting these bitches hard and fast.
"Brace for impact!" Falana said.
The Broadfin landed with a muffled but violent thud into a large patch of snow, sending a cloud of white, watery flakes pluming around them. Without missing a beat, Falana put her foot to the pedal and drove through the cloud. Kyle immediately readjusted the thermal vision to give further visibility through the snowstorm, revealing their targets dead ahead.
Two auto-turrets guarding the entrance fired at the Broadfin as Falana did her best to strafe them. Kyle aimed his cannons to retaliate…
Just then, a group of vehicles zipped out from the entrance and bee-lined directly towards them.
"Five Ghosts and two Warthogs on our right," he said immediately ID'ing them.
He knew this wouldn't be a cake walk. The last base was too underpowered for them not to have some good armor here.
"Focus on the turrets," Falana said moving her fingers to the forward machine gun trigger. "We'll deal with them."
"Roger that, ma'am," Beckett said as she aimed and opened fire on the column of vehicles. The vehicles scattered, returning fire with plasma and mass effect rounds. Falana turned sharply left to avoid their fire, throwing off Kyle's aim on the turrets.
"Shit!" He cursed while readjusting. Weapon fire erupted from Falana and Resolme's position as the enemy vehicles attempted to strafe and surround them. The Ghosts had a movement advantage over the Warthogs with their hover mobility, but the Warthogs had the excess firepower to make it up through their turrets and passenger cover fire.
The Broadfin's shields shimmered as it absorbed enemy fire. After a few more seconds, Kyle found the turrets in his crosshairs again. He locked onto the left turret and fired both barrels one at a time. The turret's shields absorbed the first shot, but the second struck its base and blew out a chunk of metal. A good hit, but it was still in the fight and fired a rocket at their vehicle.
"Rocket on our left!" He shouted to Falana as she turned sharply right, dodging the rocket easily.
"Got him!" Beckett called out as Kyle spotted a Ghost's Unggoy driver being struck in the head. The little alien slumped off the vehicle as its engine switched off and it plowed into a pile of snow.
"Ah!" Resolme shouted as a Warthogs fired at his position. The shields broke from the fire and mass effect rounds pounded his side of the vehicle.
"Aim for the tires!" La Rosa called from the back.
"I am!" Resolme said looking over to Kyle. "Need a hand here!"
"Negative!" Falana answered for Kyle. "Keep on those turrets."
Kyle wasn't happy having Falana bossing his squad, but there was no time to complain. He had to follow his superior's orders for now.
"Hold on, I'm coming up," Tangilanu said squeezing between the two machine gunners and looking over Resolme's shoulder.
Kyle couldn't turn back to see how they were doing as the turrets continued firing rockets at them. Falana was trying to get distance between them to let the shields recharge, but the other vehicles weren't helping. At least Beckett was holding things up on her side.
Kyle locked his crosshairs directly onto the left turret's nozzle. This ought to take the sucker out! He fired both cannons at the same time, hitting his target right on the mark. Whatever rocket round the turret had in its chamber combined with his shots and blew a hole out the back of its top. It slumped forward as its lights went dim.
"One down!" He shouted.
"Good. Get the other one," Falana said turning the Broadfin again.
However, it was right then that Kyle saw a Ghost boosting right into the path of the vehicle. Beckett's rounds weren't catching up to it fast enough. They were going to collide!
"Watch out!"
His warning was too late as the Ghost went right under the Broadfin's mammoth tires. It exploded in a blue plasma flame, shaking the Broadfin and knocking its shields cold. To make things worse, the cannon's targeting screen went static.
"Shit shit shit!" He said trying to fix his monitor. He turned to Tangilanu behind him. "Targeting system's dead!"
"Hold on!" Tangilanu said as he squeezed up to the front and checked the screen. "Gimme a sec."
"We don't have a sec," Kyle barked back as plasma scorched the vehicle's sides.
"That Warthog's killing us," Beckett said firing at a nearby Ghost.
"Told you!" Resolme shouted back also firing at his targets.
"It's coming around behind us," Beckett said.
"Fix that goddamn thing!" Falana told Tangilanu.
"I'm trying! I'm trying!" He said quickly using his omni-tool to reconfigure the monitor.
Just then, the air sucked out from inside the vehicle as Kyle turned to see La Rosa lower the back ramp slightly.
"What the hell are you doing?" Falana shouted angrily.
La Rosa ignored her as he unfolded his sniper rifle and took aim at the Warthog now tailing behind them, not even flinching as turret rounds ricocheted around him. He fired right over the vehicle's windshield and struck the driver in the head. The merc in the passenger seat tried taking control of the wheel, but the driver's foot was pressed too firmly onto the pedal to slow down. La Rosa fired a second shot and popped the front left tire. The Wartgog swerved and rolled on its side across the snow, crushing the gunner and passenger under it.
La Rosa raised the ramp back up and turned back to the impressed squad.
"You're welcome," he said sitting back down with his rifle still unfolded.
Just then, the targeting monitor's screen returned to normal.
"Hot damn!" Tangilanu exclaimed.
"Kill those assholes," Falana said to Kyle.
Kyle grabbed the controls and fired at the remaining turret's nozzle like last time. The impact cracked the shields and scorched the turret, but it was still standing.
"Negative impact," he said to Falana. "Think you can get us clos-"
The thought was interrupted as the Broadfin went over a small hill. It landed after a short weightless fall, violently shaking from the impact. Kyle braced himself by holding onto his seat.
"Damn it!" La Rosa said as he also let go of his seat. "Watch where you're driving!"
"I don't exactly have a road to follow, thank you!" Falana shot back at him. "Feel free to jump out and fight them yourself, Hawkeye!"
A blue plasma flame erupted to their left as chunks of a Ghost flew past the windshield.
"Got him!" Resolme shouted excited as he looked back to Tangilanu. "I got him!"
"Don't look at me!" Tangilanu said pointing back out. "Keep shooting!"
"Right. Sorry," Resolme replied turning back to the controls.
Kyle turned back to Falana. "Get us closer. I need a clear shot."
"Alright," Falana said as she turned and moved back to the entrance. The auto-turret shot mass effect rounds at the Broadfin as it primed another rocket.
"It's got us locked," Falana said.
"I got it," Kyle reassured her as he locked his target. The sucker was in full view now!
He fired the cannons at the turret. A gratifying flame erupted as its main cannon sheared off the top and plopped onto the ground with a thud.
"Both targets down!" He said excitedly.
An explosion erupted to his left.
"Second Warthog down!" Beckett said.
The final two Ghosts broke ranks and made for the trail leading up the mountain…
…or they would have if Kyle hadn't intervened. He nailed the first one with a single shot, engulfing the driver and sending the wreckage rolling. The second shot hit the other Ghost's engine, stopping it dead in the middle of the snow field. The driver abandoned it and desperately tried running to the base. A quick burst from Falana's machine gun ended that.
"I was saving him just for you," Kyle said to her.
She ignored him and opened a TEAMCOM channel back to the Mare Erythraeum. "The back entrance is clear," she said as she made her way to the trail.
"Good work, Falana," Ackerson's voice said through the channel. "Make sure all anti-air threats are dealt with."
"Roger that. We'll notify when-"
"Plasma sphere!" Tangilanu shouted pointing out the windshield.
Through the swirling snowy winds, a large blue plasma ball plummeted from the sky directly towards them.
"Crap!" Falana said turning the vehicle sharply, narrowly missing the plasma as it hit the ground next to them, sending dirt and melted snow flying around it.
"What was that?" Ackerson asked.
"Wraiths," Falana answered. "We got heavy resistance waiting up top."
"Copy that. Take out anti-air opposition and we'll send support."
"Double copy," Falana said as they drove up the trail. At the halfway point, she stopped and turned to the squad. "Alright, we're going to encounter heavy armor up top. The shields will be up to full strength soon, but they won't do much good if we have multiple Wraiths pounding our asses." She pointed to Resolme. "Let's get Tangilanu on the turret for this one."
"Fine…" Resolme said masking disappointment as he shifted out of his seat to the back with La Rosa.
"You did good, kid," Tangilanu said taking Resolme's spot and getting familiarized with the controls.
She turned to Kyle. "Nolan, I want you to focus on any anti-air Wraiths first and foremost. Once their gone, the Major's forces can begin their assault."
"Ok," Kyle replied back, still not enjoying her taking control of his operation.
"Once we're clear, I want Resolme, La Rosa and Tangilanu on the ground immediately to get the door open. Nolan and Beckett will stick behind with me to check for stragglers. Any questions?"
No one replied.
"Good. Let's go."
She slammed the pedal to the metal and the Broadfin rushed up the trail. The winds were picking up, making the heat vision struggle to get a clear focus outside.
"Got to hand it to her," Beckett said in a private channel to Kyle. "If anything, she knows how to lead an assault."
"Yeah yeah…" Kyle muttered under his breath.
"Well, we just have to finish the mission and then we're back in charge."
Before he could say anything back, a rocket exploded up ahead. To Kyle's right, two turrets mounted on top of the base entrance fired more rockets at them. He didn't need to look hard for the Wraiths, as he saw another plasma sphere launch from a hill nearby.
"Second hill to the right," he said to Falana. "I'm on it."
Then a flurry of plasma fire struck the shields on their left side.
"Anti-air Wraith to the left," Tangilanu said firing at it.
Kyle swiveled the cannons towards the Covenant Storm colored Wraith as its machine gunner continued firing at them. Falana fired at the turrets while Beckett took on the other Wraith. Falana continually dodging incoming fire wasn't helping Kyle's aim though.
"Shoot at it, Nolan!" Falana shouted.
"I'm on it!" He shouted back firing blindly towards the Wraith. One shot hit the shields while the other missed completely, sending a cloud of snow blowing towards the merc manning the Wraith's machine guns.
"Incoming!" Beckett said as a plasma sphere exploded directly on her side. She shielded her visor with her arm as the gun sparks erupted from the gun before it went out completely. "Right gun is down!"
"Shit!" La Rosa said as he looked out the window.
Kyle had to act fast. The continuous fire and scorching was wearing down the Broadfin's outer layer. They wouldn't be able to take much more of this.
"Turret down!" Falana said. Her continued attack on the left turret had whittled its shields enough where she could blast burning mass effect rounds into its base, shutting it down completely. "Get that Wraith, Nolan!"
Kyle took a breath to calm his nerves and aimed for the Wraith. That first shot had weakened its shield, but it would take more than one front shot to stop that thing. He had to be more precise.
"Have the right side facing the Wraith," Kyle told Falana. "Tangilanu can focus on the other turret better."
"Alright," Falana said as she quickly turned the vehicle around. Tangilanu fired at the remaining turret as Kyle shot at the Wraith. Its shields broke and the machine gunner was caught in the ensuing blast, slumping over dead onto his controls.
"Machine guns are down," Kyle said to Falana.
"It's trying to run," she said as the Wraith's thrusters activated.
Not on Kyle's watch!
"I got it!" He said as the Broadfin avoided another plasma sphere. This was actually working to his benefit, as the anti-air Wraith's turning left part of its back exposed. He had to hit it just right. This might be his only chance at nailing it.
"Do it!" Falana shouted again.
He took the shot, firing both cannons at once. The Wraith exploded in giant blue plasma flame, sending metal and the drivers' corpses flying onto the ground.
"Scratch one Wraith," he said excited.
"Major, all anti-air threats are neutralized," Falana spoke into the TEAMCOM.
"Copy that. Sending support now," Ackerson replied.
Kyle quickly turned the cannons towards the remaining turret and fired the freshly reloaded shots. The turret's top half completely exploded upon impact.
"Hey! I had that!" Tangilanu mock complained.
"Snooze you lose," Kyle replied.
Just then, another plasma sphere landed next to them. The Broadfin shook and alarms blared as Kyle checked the vehicle's status. The right side had a burning hole that seeped to the inner layer. The thermal vision died upon impact as well.
"Hull strength is giving fast!" Tangilanu said as the squad looked out into the storm.
The remaining Wraith cut through the snowy winds and head right for the squad. A flurry of plasma fire shot from the machine gun and struck the front of the vehicle, scorching around the windshield and intensifying the warning alarms. On the top of the Wraith, Kyle could see another plasma sphere prepping to fire.
"We can't take much more of this!" Beckett called out.
"Shoot that bastard, Nolan," Falana told him.
"That won't be necessary, folks," a new voice said over the TEAMCOM.
Before they could identify the voice, a barrage of missiles slam into the back of the Wraith and blew it apart. Through the wreckage's smoke, Kyle saw two ONI Broadsword fighters pass over the Broadfin and fly back up into the atmosphere.
"Tango down," the voice said. "You're all good, Captain."
"Thanks, Longley," Falana replied.
Kyle then saw three Kodiaks and two Pelicans break through the winds and head towards the mountain. One of the Kodiaks and Pelicans flew to their position while the others continued to the back entrance.
"Pile out! Go! Go!" Falana ordered Tangilanu, La Rosa and Resolme. The ramp lowered and the three stormed out into the frozen tundra. The Pelican and Kodiak also unloaded their troops, a mixture of ONI marines and the Tokyo's marine detachment, as Tangilanu took point to open the door.
"All clear, Nolan?" Falana asked.
Kyle quickly scanned around the area. The lack of thermal vision wasn't helping their visibility, but nothing appeared out of the ordinary.
"Looks good to me," he replied.
"Alright. How good are you both at sprinting?" she said looking at him and Beckett.
Kyle shrugged. "I'm not the fastest, but-"
"Well get better at it," she interrupted. "Once we're in, our priority is to detain Parker and 'Seva alive. I don't care how you get past whoever's in your way as long as you find them. Got it?"
Beckett nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
Kyle took an extra second to plot out the course of action. They had no idea what the layout was like other than it was probably similar to most every other colonial outpost in the galaxy. It would be more of a problem if they had Mgalekolo to deal with too. Still, they were ODST for a reason. If they couldn't charge headlong into improbable odds to accomplish a difficult task, why were they in this division to begin?
"Yeah. I got it," Kyle finally answered.
"The door's breached!" Tangilanu called over the TEAMCOM as the marines poured into the base.
"Go!" Falana said running out of the Broadfin with the two of them quickly following behind. Kyle put an arm over his visor to keep the large chunks of snow from blocking his view, unfolding his Tempest submachine gun as he ran. The remaining marines entered in and gunfire echoed from inside. Oh goodie…more fun.
The three of them then entered the base, weaving past the marines in the back as the rest engaged the merc forces. A grenade exploded ahead of them, punching a hole into a line of Covenant Storm Kig-Yar blocking the way.
"Don't stop," Falana said back to the other two adding her own suppressing fire with the rest of the squad. Two more Kig-Yar fell, forcing the remaining mercs to retreat further into the base.
The three of them pushed ahead with the other marines laying cover fire against the mercs. Kyle ducked behind a row of crates as plasma and mass effect round zipped over his head. He fired back at his attackers, nicking one in the shields but doing little else. He didn't have time to waste with these jokers. His eyes darted across the room looking for his targets…
"There!" Beckett shouted pointing across the room. A group of human and Turian mercs were clustered around a figure in the middle as they fought their way to the back exit. Kyle could make out that the figure was a Kig-Yar, which meant it had to be 'Seva.
"Go around the right side," he instinctively ordered the other two. "I'll head them off."
"Nolan, wait!" Falana shouted, but to no avail as he darted between a line of crates ahead of him. He didn't need Falana to disagree with him. He had everything under-
A large plasma round struck him right in the side at that moment. His shield took the brunt of the blast, but it knocked him off his feet onto the ground. More gunfire whizzed over him as he caught his breath.
"Kyle!" Beckett shouted.
"I'm fine!" He groaned. "Keep going!"
The gunfire gradually diminished and he could hear the mercs retreating from the marines. Kyle quickly got to his feet and continued his pursuit, spraying rounds from his Tempest for cover. He could see the group guarding 'Seva up ahead. Beckett and Falana emerged from the other side and shot at the group, nailing a Batarian in the head. The others turned their attention to shoot back at them.
Kyle then got an idea.
"Asha," he said priming a flashbang grenade. "When I give the word, tackle that Kig-Yar bastard."
"Got it!" She eagerly replied.
He rounded a corner and threw the grenade at the merc group's feet.
"Shield your eyes!" He called out to the women.
He did so right as the grenade went off, eliciting groans and shouts from the mercs. He then spotted 'Seva trying to flee.
"Now!"
He wished he could have been in Beckett's position to see the look on that sorry alien's face as she rushed forward and leapt at him with all her might. They collided with a loud smack and landed hard onto the ground.
And now to mop up the rest of the mess!
Following Kyle's cue, Falana and he hosed bullets into merc guards. Blood and armor chunks hit the walls as they were torn to pieces by the combined firepower. It was a sad sight, but it was the only option.
As the last guard fell, Beckett sat up and knocked 'Seva out cold with a punch to the beak. She stood up with a relieved sigh and cracked her knuckles.
"And somehow I didn't try out for Lutaball," she joked looking to Kyle with what was likely a cocky smirk under her helmet.
Before he could joke back, a Covenant Storm Sangheilli emerged from the exit with an energy sword primed to stab Beckett. Time slowed down as Kyle instinctively lifted his Tempest to defend her…
…but thankfully a well-timed sniper shot pierced through the bastard's eye. The Sangheili collapsed to the ground as Beckett finally saw what could have been a near fatal incident.
"You're welcome again!" La Rosa shouted from the other side of the room.
"Status report," Falana said to the nearest ONI marine as the rest gathered around them.
"All tangos are down. No casualties," the marine replied.
"Good. Detain 'Seva and bring him to the Pelican."
Three ONI marines remained to take 'Seva back outside while Falana led everyone else through the exit. Kyle was surprised how much these people wanted to keep these punks alive, but who was he to question ONI's motives? They must really want to slam these guys with legal shit!
The group made their way down the hallway, watching each other's backs for any surprises. Eventually, they reached an exit leading to the lower level the other marines were securing. Gunfire and plasma shots were heard ahead of them, prompting
"Go! Go!" she said opening the door and lifting her weapon to engage.
Which seemed to be for nothing, as they watched some ONI marines gun down the remaining resisting mercs. Kyle quickly checked the room to see if they missed anything, but it was hard to imagine that. Multiple merc bodies laid strewn across the floor as Tokyo marines secured weapon stashes, disabled enemy vehicles parked down on a lower floor and detained the few surrendering mercs. He was impressed. This operation went smooth as peanut butter…well, not chunky peanut butter at least. Even the couple Storm mercs who weren't killed averted the ONI marines' intimidating gaze.
One of the marines turned as Falana entered and waved her over. "All clear," he called out.
Falana lowered her weapon and led her ONI marines to assist the lockdown. Kyle looked over to make a headcount of his own squad and the Tokyo's marines while Falana talked to her people. From what he saw, everyone was there and accounted for. A few minor injuries perhaps, but nothing too intense.
Tangilanu whistled behind him. "Messy, messy, messy," the Tongan joked seeing several merc corpses torn to shreds nearby.
"I literally think there's not an ounce of blood left to spill," La Rosa added.
The observations were cut short as Falana turned to everyone else. "Has anyone got a visual on Parker dead or alive?"
Looks like they weren't done yet!
"Negative," Kyle replied after checking with his squad.
"Damn it…fan out and check every room, bodies and corner you see. Find him alive if possible."
Kyle and Beckett went to check the vehicles while everyone else went about searching. There weren't many places to hide, but that didn't mean Parker couldn't find one that was out of their knowledge. The other marines flipped over corpses and checked any corners they may have overlooked.
Beckett then pointed to a door up ahead of them and turned to an ONI marine. "Was that door locked when you got here?"
The marine did a double take as he saw the red holographic lock. "We torched that room when we first got here…so no…"
It dawned on them to check that room again.
"Follow me," he ordered Beckett and the nearby marines around them. Kyle followed close behind. The group surrounded the door as a marine checked the lock.
"Think you can break it?" Kyle asked.
"Gimme me a sec…" the marine replied.
"What's going on over there?" Falana asked over TEAMCOM.
"There's a sealed door that wasn't sealed earlier," Kyle replied.
There was a pause before her reply. "Roger that. We're on our way."
Kyle personally hoped they could resolve this before Falana arrived. He wanted to show her how he could take charge in this situation.
"Got it," the marine said as the lock switched green. "Here it goes."
Everyone raised their weapons as the door retracted.
"Don't come in," a voice inside shouted back at them.
The room was a small storage area with vehicle parts piled up near large crates lined along the back. A human and Batarian merc, along with a Sangheilli Storm merc, stood with their weapons raised in defense. Another human stood behind them with a pistol pointed to his head. From what Kyle could see, it was definitely Parker.
"Garrett Parker," Kyle called out to him. "You and your accomplices are under arrest for drug and human trafficking-"
"Shut up!" Parker shouted as he jammed the pistol further into his temple. The other marines hesitated but kept their trigger fingers calm.
"Put the gun down, Parker," Beckett said. "We won't shoot unless given a reason to defend ourselves."
"You don't think this is me defending myself?" Parker replied back shaking his head. "No…no, this is exactly what she wants isn't it?"
Kyle raised an eyebrow, discreetly folding his submachine gun back on his hip. "What does who want?"
"She wants to watch me die…she wants to see me beg for my life…well, that's not going to happen. I'm not giving her the satisfaction," Parker rambled.
"There's no reason to worry, Parker," Beckett reassured. "You will be under ONI jurisdiction for the durat-"
"Shut up! Shut up, shut up shut up!" Parker shouted. "You ONI types are a bunch of shit eating liars! You tell me all is fine…"
Kyle used the time between Parker's ranting to unfold his pistol. From the corner of his eye, the reflection from a marine's visor showed Falana and the other soldiers heading their way. He plotted out his next move carefully as he tuned back into the conversation.
"Just let me go…" Parker pleaded. "Let me go, and you'll never hear from me again. Please…don't make me-"
Then he spotted Falana and the other marines come into view. "Hey!" He shouted drawing attention away from Kyle and the others.
It was now or never…
Kyle aimed from his hip and struck Parker's wrist, causing him to scream and drop the pistol to the ground. Before the other mercs could react, Kyle let off a second shot and struck the Sangheilli in the hip. The merc howled and collapsed holding its wound. The other mercs panicked and their weapons shook in their hands.
"Drop your guns now!" Kyle shouted. "I won't ask again!"
After a few more seconds of tense silence, the Batarian threw his gun to the ground. "Screw this!" He said raising his hands up. He turned to the confused human merc. "Better them than us," the Batarian noted looking back at Parker.
The human merc realized what he meant, then threw his gun down as well. "Yeah…yeah, ok. I give too," he said raising his hands.
Falana pushed past Kyle and Beckett to see Parker trying to reach for his fallen pistol. She blew a hole into its chamber with her own gun to ensure it was completely unusable.
"Bring them in," she ordered the group. ONI and Tokyo marines flooded into the room, restraining Parker and the mercs. She turned to Kyle, who expected her to give him a 'well done.'
Instead, she pointed directly into his visor. "That was reckless. You could have killed him."
He brushed her hand away. "I didn't…so there."
After a lingering glare, she walked back to help bring Parker out. Kyle and Beckett left the room to meet back up with their squad, who were checking out the scene behind them.
"What's her problem?" Tangilanu said to Kyle.
"No idea," Kyle replied, "Not my problem though…"
Kyle and Ralston followed Ackerson and Falana through the Mare Erythraeum's CIC. It had been an hour since they left Mavigon and they were still under ONI's thumb. They hadn't even left the system without ONI wanting to double-check every little detail. And now Ackerson had specifically requested them to accompany her onto her ship for some reason yet undisclosed. It made Kyle uneasy.
Surely his little disarming act hadn't rubbed them that badly. He stopped Parker from shooting himself and it made the other mercs surrender too. Hell, he took out a whole fleet of vehicles practically by himself. He shouldn't have to explain himself to them.
The group eventually reached a darkened room. In the center was a large circular platform with control panels and computer wirings intertwined into the walls. Kyle recognized it pretty quickly as a Quantum Entanglement Communicator, but it was more powerful and complex than any he had seen. Must be part of those ONI perks.
"Gentlemen," Ackerson said to the two of them pointing to the platform, "Stand here please."
The two of them did as they were told, standing behind Falana while Ackerson checked with her personal comm.
"Have you got everything you need?" she spoke to an unknown person on the other line. "…good. Bring them in."
Kyle turn to Ralston with a look of 'Why are we here?' Ralston promptly replied with a look of 'Why are you asking me?'
Ackerson then stepped onto the platform next to Falana, adjusting her outfit and straightening her hair for a more authoritative look.
"Relaying connection through the SSV Mogadishu in three, Major Ackerson," a voice spoke through the intercom.
"Thank you, Samuel," Ackerson replied. "We're ready."
The platform lit up and a cylinder web of white lines raised around them. The view of the room disappeared under a wall of static that slowly buffered a new image.
"Think this will take long?" Ackerson asked Falana.
"If it all goes well, not long at all," Falana replied.
With another quick glance back to Kyle, Ralston finally decided to ask the burning question. "What would you like us to do, ma'am?"
"Just look tough and follow my lead, Captain," Ackerson replied.
This didn't ease Kyle's concerns. He was sure they were in for some tense talk with Command, the brass or ONI's HQ.
Instead, the image was the center of another merc base like the one they fought in earlier. This one, however, was much better organized and not erupting in violence. About a dozen men and women were scattered in front of them, dressed up in uniforms much less casual than the previous mercs.
It was the woman directly in front of Ackerson that caught Kyle's attention though. She was an older woman, with her long grey hair tied in a bun. She wore a black outfit that seemed like a weird blend of a formal dress and a combat suit. She had an assault rifle holstered on her back like the other mercs, but no one was in an attack stance…yet.
"Hello again, Major," the older woman said smiling.
"Helena Blake," Ackerson greeted her.
"I see I've been denied the opportunity to meet in person once again, though you brought quite a party this time."
Kyle thought she meant him and Ralston, but then he took another look around. Surrounding the merc group was a whole platoon of ONI marines. This was more hostile than he assumed.
"Not much of a deal if there isn't an audience," Ackerson replied. "And it takes more than a few people to set up this communication." Seeing the portable holographic hub beneath them, Kyle didn't doubt that.
"Well regardless, I owe you a debt of gratitude," Helena said. "Do you have them with you?"
Ackerson put her fingers to her comm.. "Bring them in," she said.
'Seva and Parker were then pushed cuffed and bloodied through the wall of digital imagery. They weren't bloodied when the soldiers brought them on the ship. He suspected they were interrogated for information before this meeting.
"Is it finished?" Helena asked.
"All of their assets have been seized, their connections to the Covenant Storm are severed and any remaining members are running scared," Ackerson reassured. "Yes…they're finished."
Helena smiled and glared down at the two former syndicate heads. "Missed me, boys?"
The two didn't look up at her. Kyle figured she had a lot more power over these two, probably as a former employer…maybe even a partner.
After having her chance to gloat, the woman looked back to Ackerson. "Well then, let's be done with this mess."
Ackerson turned back to Kyle. "Kill them," she ordered.
That took him by surprise. Were they even allowed to execute prisoners like this? He turned to Ralston, who avoided Kyle's look while masking his own confusion.
"Do it," she demanded more firmly.
This didn't seem right, but he couldn't compromise an ONI officer's authority in the middle of this situation. He wasn't going to win an argument here, so it was time to play the executioner…
Without a word, he pulled out his pistol and shot Parker in the head. Blood splattered through the digital column as Parker's body collapsed. He then put another round into 'Seva's head with similar results. And like that, Kyle had committed his first executions in some years. He holstered his pistol and returned to his 'look tough' position.
"Like we promised," Ackerson said.
"Leave it to ONI do a job so well," Helena said pleased. "With my former partners dead, the syndicate is mine once again."
"They deserved to die," Ackerson said crossing her arms. "Now, are we going to have any further problems?"
"Not if I can help it. I hope I've presented myself as a much lesser evil than those men. With no further contentions in leadership, the syndicate will restrict itself to gambling and smuggling technology. There will be no drug or slave trading under my watch."
"There most certainly won't," Ackerson said giving a nod to the ONI marine next to her.
Behind Helena, two marines quickly and forcibly subdued the mercs watching her back. Helena looked around baffled as her remaining mercs and the other marines drew weapons at each other. Kyle and Ralston were surprised by the turn of events.
"What's going on?" Helena asked concerned.
"As much as I've enjoyed aiding in your affairs, I'm an Alliance officer first and foremost," Ackerson said putting her arms back down. "Letting you go would be a violation of Council and Alliance law, especially with such a blunt confession to keep committing crimes."
Helena laughed semi-amused to mask her surprise. "I can't believe you place such a high priority on stopping such petty, victimless crimes."
"You're arguing semantic, Helena. 'Petty, victimless crimes' are just as likely to interfere with Alliance operations as they would personal affairs. It would be counterproductive for me to turn a blind eye."
"Would it look good on ONI's reputation to go back on their word?"
"The extent of my word was fulfilled with Parker and 'Seva's deaths."
Helena was starting to see that Ackerson was not going to back down so easily. "You wouldn't have found them without me. I gave you their coordinates-"
"No," Ackerson interrupted. "You gave coordinates to ONE base." She pointed to Kyle, Ralston and Falana. "My marines fought with blood and sweat to find the other without any hint of the resistance they would face."
"I…I knew you could handle whatever they threw at you."
"Putting lives at jeopardy is still inexcusable, Helena. No cost is worth that risk."
"You put an end to a horrid syndicate that exploited profits through inhumane crimes. You weakened crime across the sector for what may be years to come."
"I'm still waiting to be convinced," Ackerson said coldly.
Helena unfolded her assault rifle in anticipation. The ONI marines took a step forward, causing the mercs around her to cower. "I would die before I go to prison. I would most certainly kill everyone of your men before going to prison."
"Bold words," Ackerson said looking to the other mercs. "How about the rest of you? Are you willing to die for this woman?"
Kyle spotted at least three mercs visibly hesitating from her question. The ONI soldiers had already forced them into this situation, so they knew these guys were not to be trifled with. He doubted that they would last long even if they wanted to fight.
Sweat formed along Helena's brow as she glared at Ackerson. "…we had a deal," she pleaded.
"We did," Ackerson replied unsympathetically.
"I'm not going to beg."
"I don't want you to. I want you to convince me. Convince me why I should let you and your band of misfits leave this room alive...and then I want you to beg."
The two stared each other down. Even through a long distance video call, Kyle could cut the tension with a knife. He watched as Helena's mind whirled thinking of a way to get out of this situation.
"Can't think of anything?" Ackerson said. "Well then…perhaps I should propose my own terms."
Helena didn't argue.
"No objections? …good," Ackerson said looking around the base before locking eyes back with Helena. "This syndicate will be disbanded effective immediately. Not a tragic loss if you think about it. Your partners already sullied its reputation in the eyes of potential clients and I highly doubt the Storm will forgive their debt to them any time soon."
Helena didn't reply.
"You will be under ONI custody and questioned to root out any remaining cohorts tying you to this syndicate. Once you've done so, you will be reassigned to a location of our choosing in the Terminus Systems. You will be supplied new identities under an organization of our construct. In exchange, you will use any and all remaining connections, on top of acquiring new ones, to monitor operations and relay intel in your sector worth interest to the Alliance. If you are compromised, our government will disavow you. However, exceptional work will allow gradual autonomy of your organization under careful surveillance."
Kyle could see Helena soak in the information before answering. "You want me to become a mole?" She said.
"Yes," Ackerson replied. "Compared to death or incarceration, I would say it's your best option right now."
After a few more seconds of thinking, Helena sighed and folded back her assault rifle. "Very well…" She lifted her hand up and the other mercs also holstered their weapons. The ONI marines kept their weapons out but eased out of their attack stance. The two mercs pinned to the ground were also allowed to get back to their feet.
"You drive a hard bargain, Major," Helena said glumly.
"There was no bargaining here, Helena," Ackerson replied to her. "You voluntarily agreed to become an asset to human interests. The Alliance will not overlook that or fail to reward your charitable act."
"Twisted words and false statements."
"It's what we do best." Ackerson looked to the nearby marine again. "Meers, take Ms. Blake and her men to the Mogadishu immediately. If anyone resists, shoot them."
"Yes, ma'am," Meers replied.
Ackerson looked back to Helena one last time. "Enjoy your new life, Helena."
The last thing Kyle saw before the image was disconnected was Helena's angry but defeated glare as the marines herded her and the mercs out of view.
The energy web from the QEC faded back into the platform, leaving Kyle, Ralston, Falana and Ackerson alone in the dark room with two bleeding corpses on the ground.
Ackerson glanced at the corpses before looking back to Kyle. "Clean kills," she observed. "Glad to know you can follow orders."
"…thanks," Kyle said not sure if it was meant to be a compliment.
The lights flipped on and the doors opened. Ackerson led Kyle and the group outside as marines collected the corpses.
"That took longer than I expected," Ackerson said to Falana.
"We got the job done," Falana reassured. "Not much more to ask for than that."
"I suppose," Ackerson said. She turned back to see Kyle visibly concerned about what he just did. "Something on your mind, lieutenant?
Kyle watched the marines carrying out Parker and 'Seva's bodies before turning to the major. "Not to openly question your judgment ma'am, but was that necessary?"
"Given the circumstances, yes. Not my ideal method, but there were no suitable alternative."
"Why is that? I mean, it's against Alliance protocol to-"
"Kyle…" Ralston muttered to stop him.
"Let the lieutenant speak," Falana said silencing the captain before looking back to Kyle. "You were saying?"
Kyle fumbled with what he was supposed to say next. "I…uh, I just felt bad…for a moment."
Ackerson crossed her arms and looked directly into Kyle's eyes. It was still unnerving.
"I understand your concern, lieutenant," she said. "You're career ODST and even by your standards that was a questionable order to ask of you. Unfortunately, scumbags like Helena Blake are more paranoid than you or I. They need proof and she wouldn't be satisfied unless she saw them die herself. It was the only way she'd let the Mogadishu's troops into her base without a fight. I wouldn't have been able to make my move otherwise."
"I understand ma'am and I really appreciate how much you thought it out," Kyle added. "I just don't prefer doing executions."
"Though you've clearly done it before," she noted. "Those were precise killing shots."
He didn't reply. She was right; it wasn't his first.
"If I can help ease your moral crisis, lieutenant," she continued. "Men like those two have committed crimes far outweighing what we did to them. Even if they were processed like normal criminals, the time spent on court cases with even a chance to get the death penalty would waste everyone's time. So in a way, we saved the Alliance taxpayers an unneeded expense."
That wasn't entirely reassuring, but Kyle wouldn't win this discussion anyway. "Yeah, I guess so."
"Regardless," she said to Ralston, "I'm grateful to have your help for this operation."
"Our pleasure, Major," Ralston replied. "Let us know if we can do anything else."
"Actually, I'm going to need you to return to the Citadel with us."
"Ma'am?"
"We have a ship full of prisoners onboard. It's protocol to have an escort accompanying us so they're brought into custody. And there are a few things we need to discuss before putting this affair to rest."
"It would conflict with our rendezvous with Fifth Fleet."
"I already have Admiral Hackett's permission, so you're good," she promptly replied. "We're leaving in five minutes. I suggest you return to your ship as soon as possible."
The Major then left, probably to boss around more people.
Falana turned to Kyle and Ralston with a gracious nod. "It's been a pleasure serving with you both," she said before leaving as well.
"I guess we're showing ourselves the door," Ralston said after an awkward pause before leading the way to the airlock.
This whole thing was strange to Kyle. Is this how ONI dealt with all their proceedings? Was this meant to intimidate or scare them? What else did they need to discuss? He wasn't quite sure how to process all of it. He knew ONI were the boogie men of the Alliance Navy, but seeing it for himself was something else entirely.
"What the hell just happened?" He finally asked once they were out of earshot.
"I'm not sure…" Ralston replied. "But it looks like ONI's not done with us yet…"
Codex Entry (Alliance): The Office of Naval Intelligence a.k.a. ONI
The Office of Naval Intelligence, also known as the Military Intelligence Division, is the intelligence service branch of the Alliance Navy. Formed in 2163 during the days of the UNSC, the branch has proved an invaluable asset in securing battlefield Intel for human forces throughout the centuries.
Though under the current command of Admiral Angus McCallister, ONI still reports directly to Alliance HIGHCOM and operates within establish Council regulations. Their tasks include wartime propaganda, counter-espionage tactics, covert Intel gathering, internal affairs regulations and other extra-military operations. Outside of Spectres, they are the largest sanctioned autonomous military branch in Council Space.
The Office of Naval Intelligence has classified additional information concerning the Office of Naval Intelligence's origins and operations.
So it looks like Ackerson is going to stick around for a while longer. I wonder what she has in mind.
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Speaking of that, keep reading for my next chapter which I am currently starting. If you thought this character crossover was cool, you haven't seen anything yet!