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Chapter 12: Its Not So Calm Before the Storm

First Lieutenant Melissa McKay of the 105th Orbital Drop Shock Trooper Division stood, stone-faced against a wall, her eyes never leaving the two crimson armored Sith guarding her. Both were too far away for her to rush and neither were giving her any room to work otherwise. The two red-armored Sith Elites said nothing and merely stood, guarding their prisoner with their weapons never wavering.

"Commander Sek'tai, keep an eye on the prisoner. Padawan Shan will wait here and assist with any difficulties."

Bastila crossed her arms stubbornly at Revan's order and glared at the Sith Lord. Neither seemed willing to back down and Revan smirked beneath his mask, ignoring his prisoner.

"Unless you'd like to join me in the bowels of this place."

Sensing a darkness that the Sith scanners could not locate beneath her, Bastila uncrossed her arms, sighing.

"If I can be assured your soldiers will not mistreat the prisoner, I may consider it."

In truth the Padawan wanted some time alone with Revan to convince him to see the UNSC as individuals and not an obstacle. McKay glanced sharply at the Padawan before sighing and seating herself. A Sith approached, tossing a small device on the ground at the end of her small enclosement. The device hummed and a flash of light revealed some kind of energy field that was similar, though not identical to Covenant holding cell forcefields. Revan considered Bastila's demands and decided he could wait before dismembering the nosey ODST.

"Very well. Make sure she's alive and unspoiled when I get back."

The two red-armored Sith guarding the ODST saluted and Revan moved towards Aven, nodding over his shoulder.

"Have the pilots get some rest. We may need them up in the air pretty soon."

Aven nodded and moved to speak with the pilots while Revan moved to Doctor Halfan.

"Anything to add before I leave, Doctor?"
The Cathar raised a brow, studying Revan with a medical scanner and shook her head.

"You're fine. I'll assume I should just keep the prisoner company?"

Revan huffed slightly on a half-laugh.
"Do what you will, Doctor."

Doctor Halfan nodded, approaching the edge of the cell and checking her medical scanner. A small frown worked its way on the Cathar's face and she looked up to the UNSC soldier.

"So your species doesn't exercise genetic engineering as a whole?"

McKay's red brow furrowed slightly and the Marine's hardened face stared at the alien.
"The Spartan, Linda 058?"

Revan stopped, turning back to the Doctor and Bastila stopped with Revan, barely avoiding walking into the Dark Lord after his abrupt halt.

"Spartans? Like that one that shot me?"

Doctor Halfan glanced at Revan and nodded. The Dark Lord walked back over to the doctor and frowned beneath his mask.

"What did your readings tell you of these Spartans?"

Deciding it would be easier to show Revan rather than explain it all at length, the Cathar brought up the data on her medical scanner and showed the genetic comparison of Lieutenant McKay and Linda 058.

"That's bloody barbaric..."
Revan paused in his assessment, smirking.

"I like it."

Turning, the Dark Lord moved back down the ramp, ignoring the bemused look on his Cathar Doctor or the startled look on the ODST. Bastila sighed, deciding half the things Revan said wouldn't make sense even if she knew the subjects he was referring to and followed the Dark Lord at a cautious distance.

Linda 058 opened her eyes, resisting the urge to groan as she sat up and glared at the droid that had just injected her. Obviously Malak had wanted her awake for something and had introduced a counteragent to the sedatives in her system. Collecting her strength, the Spartan stood slowly, waiting for the Sith Lord. She didn't have to wait long.

"I want to show you something."

Malak began, motioning with his hand. The forcefield dropped and Linda glared at the restraints that had been fitted to her at some point in her drug-induced delirium. Malak, with false-politeness held out his hand and tilted his head in a mocking bow.

"After you, Milady."

Schooling her features, Linda walked past Malak, her hands testing the restraints and finding that they were fairly effective, though not impossible to break out of. Working against the restraints, Linda moved slowly until their little group had reached a lift and the guards accompanying her and Malak moved to the sides, their weapons trained on her. Malak punched in the destination and waited in silence as the lift rose. Studying the Dark Lord from the corner of her eye, Linda was surprised that he was still alive from the blow she had inflicted and even more surprised that he appeared perfectly healthy. The lift quickly stopped and Malak motioned to Linda to move. The Spartan's jaw clenched slightly as she moved, her eyes widening the barest of fractions at the sight before her.

"Look at what your people are trying to fight."

Malak's voice was flat and he watched the Spartan for a response. The slight show of surprise at the sight before her was enough to tell him what he needed to know. Obviously the UNSC and Covenant didn't have active fleets on the scale of the Republic's or the Sith's. Before the Interceptor literally hundreds of Sith Interdictor ships floated in space, mingled with hundreds more support ships and thousands of fighters. The numbers of Sith manning the fleet were in the millions and the Spartan's eyes caught hyperspace displacements as even more ships joined those present. What caught Linda's gaze the longest was the dominating form of the Star Forge, the circular superstructure hanging between its syphoning pylons as energy from the Rakatan sun fed the monstrosity.

"Return her to her cell."

Malak ordered, watching as the Spartan was led away by her escort. Sighing, the Sith Lord turned back to the sight of the Sith fleet, a heavy frown on his face as he turned to his ship's captain.

"Is there still no word from the Lords of Malachor?"

The Captain shook his head, a frown similar to Malak's on his face.

"No Milord. A dozen other outposts are refusing to answer our orders and we've only established direct contact with the task force around Korriban. the garrison on Manaan and our holdings on Roon."

Malak ran a hand over his face in a nervous gesture. The Sith had fifty times the amount of ships before him but none were responding to his, Revan's orders.
"How many of these ships are equipped to make the jump back to Revan's position?"

Malak asked finally, his thoughts divided between protecting the Star Forge and sending Revan desperately needed assistance. The Captain checked the fleet's logs and frowned.

"We can have twenty fully stocked and ready in six hours."

Malak sighed, crossing his arms as his brow furrowed. Contemplating the risk of moving more ships from holding the Star Forge. It was likely the other Sith had broken away from the centralized leadership of Korriban and the Star Forge and Malak knew Revan would have his head if they lost the Star Forge as well, friends or not.

"Recall all active forces from Korriban and any other outpost that answers. We gather here and we hold this system. I want those twenty ships ready as soon as possible and I want to know who is the ranking officer."

The Interceptor's Captain saluted, turning back to his heavy workload and wondering how much longer it would be before he was promoted to full Fleet Admiral. It was only a matter of time with how few Sith forces were responding to their orders. Strange how fast the Sith Empire fell apart without Darth Revan or Malak holding them together.

Atton Rand, Lieutenant of the Delta Legionaries slowly materialized as his stealth field generator powered down. Walking cautiously into a well-lit control room, the Delta spotted a glowing hologram representing Halo and touched two fingers to the side of his helm.

"Base, this is Delta One."

Aven Sek'tai's voice answered a moment later and Atton relayed his findings, his fellow Deltas materializing as well and moving to secure the area.

"Go ahead, Atton."

Atton Rand reached out his hand, touching the hard light panel of the Forerunner map and watched, transfixed as the image of Halo spun slowly to reveal its interior.

"We've found the Silent Cartographer. No activity between base and here and Delta Three and Four are securing the other rooms. Lots of dead Covenant and a few dead UNSC but no activity."

Aven frowned, reaching out with her senses and cringing at the void along her senses. For some strange reason she couldn't sense anything down there, aside from the Deltas and she realized that was only because she was so familiar with their auras. Revan and the Jedi were there as well but she could barely sense the Jedi.

"Revan is on his way with the Jedi. Secure the site and send Delta Two back to meet Revan. Keep sharp, Atton. Something is down there..."

Atton rose a brow beneath his helmet. There was a hint of nervousness in Aven's voice and if Aven was worried, something was just not natural down there. Looking over his shoulder, Atton turned back to the display of the map, coking his head to the side as his heads-up display zoomed in on the map and showed storage compartments deep within the underground labyrinth that made up Halo's superstructure. Four indicators of the Delta Legionaries glowed blue on his heads up display and Atton paid them no mind, his hand tracing the strange runes of the cartographer's controls. The indicator light for Delta Three blinked and Delta Four's light blinked a moment later. Pulling his blaster rifle to his shoulder, Atton crouched, sweeping the map room before cautiously moving towards the other Deltas and flashing his indicator.

Delta Three moved cautiously through the vast hallways of the underground superstructure of Halo's underworld and paused as a sound filtered through his helmet. Running the sound past his sensors, the Delta immediately flashed his indicator, calling for aid from Delta Four and shouldered his weapon at the ready. Moving cautiously forward, his steps silent in his armor, Delta Three placed his left side to the corridor wall, lowering his stance and waiting for Delta Four to approach. Delta Four soon joined him and Three nodded to his companion. Delta Four made a sweeping gesture with her left hand, spinning her wrist and motioning for Three to watch the rear. Three complied, his breath coming in slow, measured pulls. A fifth indicator on his heads up display activated, showing that Revan had come into direct contact with Delta Two and the kill order was quickly passed down. The Deltas switched off their stun settings, charging their weapons to full power and waited, listening to the sounds around them. Five Human Marines came around the corner, pausing as one took point and two behind covered. Delta Four calmly tracked the Marine with her weapon, concealed within her stealth field before the Marine stopped, gazing at Delta Three's position. An MA-5B raised but did not fire as the Marine narrowed his eyes, gazing at the barely discernable blur the stealth field generator created.

"What in Damn Hell is taking you boys so long? Master chief is already en route to the control room. Keyes wants you back to base. We're hitting this so called weapons storage center the Covenant are so damned interested in so get yer asses movin!"

Sergeant Avery Johnson's voice cracked over the radio, causing the lead Marine to jump. The Marine collected himself, not lowering his guard as he pulled his left hand from his weapon's barrel and clicked the radio.

"Roger that, Sergeant. Falling back and moving to the surface."

The Marines pulled back, withdrawing from their mission to re-secure the Cartographer and slowly made their way to where Captain Jacob Keyes was staging an assault against a Covenant-held site that Covenant communications were calling an ancient weapons bunker. Delta Three and Four stayed their shots, listening and recording the new information before Delta Three deactivated his stealth field, stood up straight and motioned to Four to fall back.

"One this is Three, Four and I overhear-"

Delta Three looked up, spotting the glint of an MA-5B barrel and had no time to react as bullets shredded through his personal shield and his armor, killing him instantly. Four Marines moved cautiously to the body while Delta Four measured her options.
"Shit... shit! Its one of those Sith, isn't it? Aw man, Captain's gonna have my ass! He said not to antagonize them! Aw Man!"

The leader complained.

"Fuck! I thought it was a freaking split-face!"

A second Marine moved to the dead Sith's side, pulling the mask off and checking for a pulse before shaking his head.

"No good. I hear McKay's unit went missing around these parts and we shouldn't take any chances. It was these bastard's choice to not cooperate."

The response was never heard as Atton arrived on the scene, his fire joining Delta Four's in avenging their fallen comrade. At a cost to five UNSC Marines, the Deltas had lost one of their own. Revan and Bastila arrived on the scene moments later with Delta Two and the Dark Lord sighed at the sight, strapping his saber to his belt and lifting Delta Three's weapon. Handing the rifle to Bastila, Revan knelt, unstrapping the belt and sidearm, fitting them around the Padawan's waist while Bastila froze. Revan's hands were uncomfortably close to her waist and she shivered slightly at his touch, frowning in silent question. Sensing the young woman's discomfort, Revan quickly fastened the belt to the Padawan's waist, taking back the rifle and shouldering the weapon. The image of the Dark Lord of the Sith, so accustomed to being seen with a blazing crimson saber using a common soldier's weapon was bizarre and Bastila rose a brow at the sight, shifting uncomfortably at the thought of how close those hands had come to her.

"Sabers only work at a certain distance. I think you can appreciate the need for another weapon."

Revan's voice was about as gentle as it got, as if he were making an apology for nearly molesting the Padawan and Bastila narrowed her eyes, now suspicious.

"Why would a Jedi, let alone a Sith Lord need such weapons."

Revan shook his head, moving to the corridor the Marines had come from. Pushing himself against the wall, Revan moved from his cover, running across the gap between the wall and the corridor to the other side, taking in the sight down the hallway. Seeing no movement and sensing nothing, Revan leaned from his cover, taking aim with Delta Three's blaster rifle and narrowed his eyes.

"Look down this hall, Padawan."

Bastila frowned, moving as she had seen Revan move and glanced cautiously around the corridor after checking through the Force that it was clear.

"What am I looking at?"

Bastila asked impatiently, feeling anger beginning to work its way into her. Revan's mind-games were becoming annoying.

"See that dead Covenant at the end of the hall? The green and orange one?"

Bastila nodded, staring at the dead Jackal with a small frown.

"Think if he had friends and one of those nifty shields they carry that you could hit him with your lightsaber from here? Or use the Force to send them scattering long enough to get to them?"

The Padawan measured the distance closely before scoffing.

"Of course. I may be a Padawan but I did not come here to be insulted!"

Revan made no move, turning his masked face to meet Bastila's angry gray glare.

"These weapons don't operate like ours. Its important we learn to adapt to the new fighting methods of our foes. Just because you don't always need a blaster doesn't mean you won't at some point..."

Revan moved to where Delta One and Delta Two were moving Delta Three's body and waited for Bastila to follow him. Delta Four covered their backs as they moved back to the Silent Cartographer and Bastila strapped her saber to her belt, crossing her arms over her armored breastplate and shivering slightly. She'd never had a man's hands that close to her body before, at least not outside training and battle and it had a most strange effect on her. A flush colored the Padawan's cheeks and Revan sighed to himself, sensing the poor girl's thoughts. He wasn't going to apologize for doing something that might save her life, and extension save him a headache but he wasn't exactly proud of how he'd frightened the girl. He'd wait until the other Deltas were gone to speak to her for his reasoning. He'd faced foes plenty of times without a lightsaber and the Padawan needed to learn, fast that you didn't always have a lightsaber at your disposal.

"Doctor, get down here."

Revan's voice broke the heavy silence that had fallen over the Deltas and Bastila and the Padawan jumped slightly as the Dark Lord stared at the holographic map of Halo, Delta Three's blaster rifle held by the shoulder-strap over his shoulder. The comm cracked and Aven's voice answered.

"She's outside right now but I'll get her and escort her down."

Knowing the Cathar would by herself but deciding Aven's presence would be appreciated, Revan acknowledged, glancing at Delta Four.

"One, Two, stand guard. Four, drop the act."

Immediately, Delta One and Two took up defensive positions while Delta Three, moved to the wall, leaning heavily against it. Revan moved to the soldier, unstrapping her breastplate and frowning at the wound she had taken while firing at the Marines. One of the projectiles had ricocheted and pierced the side of Delta Four's armor. Unstrapping her help and lifting it free, two brown eyes, complimented by short, flame-red hair came into focus in the dim lightning of the map room while the young woman pulled her tunic up slightly, staring at the wound as Revan pressed his hand to the area around the wound.

"Saw you limping earlier, why didn't you say anything?"

Revan's voice was quiet, only loud enough for Delta Four to hear and the Delta shook her head, swallowing.

"My fault Three got hit, Sir."

Revan said nothing, his masked face turning to meet the young woman's.

"Mira. You know better."

The former Mandalorian slave nodded, sliding down the wall slowly, with Revan's help while the Dark Lord motioned for a medpack. Bastila saw the other two Deltas were occupied and glanced down at her belt, flushing slightly when she realized she had a medkit attached to Delta Three's belt as well. Pulling the medkit free, the Padawan worked her way to the young woman's side, checking the wound and frowning much as Revan had. It was deep and blood was oozing steadily from the wound. Pausing in her assessment to glance at Revan, Bastila was surprised at the fact that she had not sensed the Delta's wound.

"It's a Mandalorian thing."

Revan stated, having read the Padawan's trail of thoughts. Bastila frowned at Revan, looking back to the wound before she pulled a set of tweezers from the medkit.

"Better wait for the Doc."

Mira muttered, her face ashen and beaded with sweat. Revan took a gauze pad from the medkit, adding pressure to the wound to stem the bleeding while the Padawan injected Mira with some painkillers. The former slave relaxed some, a small amount of color returning to her face while Revan shook his head and huffed with a half-laugh.

"Bet you wish I'd left you on Nar Shaddaa now?"

Mira shook her head, her breathing light.

"Not on your life, Rev."

Revan's eyes flickered beneath his mask and he nodded. Mira had been a slave under the Mandalorians and in his search for the ancient artifacts of the Rakatans, Revan had come across the young woman on Nar Shaddaa, working as a bounty hunter. Immediately recognizing the girl's Mandalorian training, Revan approached her with an offer she promptly threw in his face before she had spotted the bald, tall former General that was escorting the shorter man. Realizing it was Revan, Mira warily accepted, curious as to the Republic's former Fleet Commander's presence. She'd been taken alongside sixteen other people, trained and then added to a four-person team, the Deltas. The other Deltas were all stationed on the Star Forge, making certain its commander wasn't going to turn on Revan and Malak and Revan had decided to leave Delta One through Four on Malak's ship as a precaution to Malak, should the apprentice come under danger.

"You used your training, they got the jump on Three and you waited for assistance. This bullet would be somewhere else, probably around here if you'd opened fire on them immediately and then I'd have two dead Deltas instead of one."

Revan motioned one of his hands to the area of Mira's heart before returning to her wound. Doctor Halfan and Aven Sek'tai arrived moments later and the Cathar immediately took over, working quickly, quietly and efficiently to remove the projectile, the splinters of the armor and stem the flow of blood from the wound. Within a half hour, Mira was standing on her own, a slight pained limp in her step but otherwise fit. Revan's shoulders relaxed at the sight, his mask following the Delta's movements cautiously before he nodded to himself. Mira would be fine, otherwise Anara would throw a fit.

"The wound was deep but missed any organs or arteries. She was lucky."

Halfan glanced down at the dead Delta, shaking her head. The man didn't even have a chance. Glancing at Revan, the Cathar was about to speak when Revan tensed, his head snapping to where they had come from and a curse reaching his lips.

"Kriffin Hell. Atton, guard Mira, Two with me. Aven, safeguard Halfan with your life."

Revan moved like a blur, Delta Two sprinting to catch up while Bastila stood with a confused look on her face. A distant explosion in the general direction of the Sith base brought the Padawan into action and she quickly followed Revan and the Delta.

Sith Sergeant Tyronius Acklay stared at his prisoner before looking back to his fellow crimson-armored elite. The other Sith, a young Corellian he had never bothered to get to know merely stared back at him. At the end of the corridor three silver-armored Sith troopers were milling about the entrance to the small structure before they all turned as one to the new arrival that had somehow breached their barricades and reached the interior of the base. A hulking Covenant Elite stood, coated in a layer of red, human blood and smiled at the humans, charging forth, its plasma sword slicing apart the three Sith in moments. Tyronius and his fellow Elite immediately shouldered their weapons firing along with the assault droid and ended the Elite's life but more Covenant moved in to take its place, their black armor marking them as Covenant special forces. Tyronius glanced at the prisoner, seeing the young woman looking at him curiously before he moved to the forcefield generator, deactivated the device and promptly took a plasma bolt to the side of the head. Lieutenant McKay stared down at the dead Sith in surprise before she grabbed his weapon, rushing down the ramp and turning, along with the other Sith that had moments before been guarding her. The Sith pulled a frag grenade and threw it, motioning to McKay to run and the two moved deeper into Halo, nearly colliding into Revan and Delta Two.

"What the Bloody Hell is going on?"

McKay tensed, wondering if she should try to fight or run while the red-armored Sith explained.

"Black-armored Covenant somehow managed to infiltrate the interior. No news on the outside."

Revan pulled out a datapad from his belt, entering a set of commands before glancing at McKay.

"No hard feelings but you did try to shoot me."

McKay scowled and shouldered the unfamiliar weapon while Revan quickly snatched the blaster from her hands, tossing it down the corridor at Bastila Shan's feet as the Padawan approached their position.

"A few of your fellow Marines ambushed one of my Deltas, you can take their weapons if you wish. We're leaving and you're welcome to go wherever the Force you came from. Have a nice day."

With that, Revan motioned to Delta Two to escort the Marine clear of them and back to the dead Marines while Bastila approached his side quietly, nervously holding the lightsaber she had borrowed from Revan.

"Why are we still here?"

The Padawan asked. Three silver armored Sith came around the corner, firing wildly behind them whole blue bolts of plasma splashed along the floor at their feet.

"Any others?"

The Dark Lord asked. One of the Sith shook his head while the other two took defensive positions and Revan nodded, glancing to his side and seeing Bastila opening her mouth to speak. Revan raised a hand, signaling the Padawan to wait and pressed a finger on the datapad. An explosion rocked the former base as the engines on the Sith fighters and the Sith transport overloaded and the Dark Lord of the Sith turned to his Jedi companion.

"Making sure they don't follow us."

Revan stated, handing Delta Three's blaster rifle to one of the Sith troopers who had lost his own rifle. Bastila quickly followed Revan back to the map room where Delta Two had joined them, the Marine Lieutenant McKay curiously absent.

"She seemed upset over the dead Marines, had to stun her."

Revan shook his head, smirking beneath his mask.

"I'd think less of dear Lieutenant McKay if you didn't have to."

Delta Two smirked beneath his visor before he moved to the front of the corridor, covering where Revan and Bastila had just come from. Revan looked around at the remnants of his forces before he sighed, deciding it was time to move.

"Four, those transmissions you intercepted, where did they say Captain Keyes was heading?"

Mira hefted her helm and checked her heads-up display's logs, finding the coordinates the Marines had used when speaking to one another and indicated the area on the map of Halo. Revan was silent for a moment, checking their own position and smirked slowly.

"We can come up from under them if we use these tunnels. I'm certain the UNSC or the Covenant was kind enough to leave us some transports?"

Delta Two nodded, motioning to where he had left a stunned McKay.

"Past the ambush point, there were four of their Warthogs as they call them."

Revan nodded, motioning for the Sith to move and they quickly arrived at the vehicles, Lieutenant McKay lying at Bastila's feet as the Padawan stubbornly refused to leave the woman to her fate. Revan made no arguments, examining the vehicles carefully. Dead UNSC and Covenant were strewn about the area, obvious a battle had taken place at some point in the recent past.

"One, Two, secure the perimeter."

Revan glanced at Delta Four, being supported by Doctor Halfan while Aven watched the rear.

"Lieutenant Freena."

The red-armored Sith approached Revan, saluting.

"Take Privates Selar, Koler and Jervox in these two transports here. Delta One and Two will divide and ride along with you."

Revan motioned to two of the warthogs, ignoring Bastila's surprised look. She hadn't seen Revan exchange much more beyond orders to the Sith at the recently overrun base and that he knew each soldier merely by their Force-presence was surprising. Especially for a Sith Lord.

"I don't suppose I need to explain to you the concept of one driving and one using the weapon?"

Revan joked, drawing a chuckle from the red-armored Sith.

"No sir!"

The Sith saluted and moved to the three silver-armored Sith, passing along the orders while Revan glanced back at Aven.

"Anara, are you good to drive?"

Doctor Halfan nodded and Revan motioned to another warthog.

"Aven on the gun, Mira shotgun."

All three nodded and moved to the vehicle while Revan glanced at Bastila.

"We're not taking her."

Bastila adopted a stubborn look and Revan scowled.

"I'm driving then."

Bastila glanced at the three-person warthog with a frown while Revan moved to a dead UNSC soldier, removing an ammunition belt, a sidearm and an MA-5B and setting them inside the last UNSC transport. Revan and the other Sith mounted the vehicles, taking a moment to familiarize themselves with the controls before the four warthogs and the remnant Sith began driving through the sprawling network of underground tunnels that crossed all over Halo, heading to where Captain Jacob Keyes was fighting with the Covenant over a rumored weapon storage facility while the Master chief moved with Cortana into Halo's control center. None, aside from a few terrified Covenant knew of the rising tide as the Flood, destroyers of the Forerunners; was awakened.