Chapter Two: An Unprecedented Choice
UNSC Infinity War Games Simulation Chamber, August 22nd, 2556, Orbiting Sanghelios…
Major Oshita Takahata crouched behind a simulated boulder, clutching a sniper rifle. Behind his visor, his eyes flicked between his radar and the sniper's scope. He was searching for the final enemy in the round. From what his radar said, his enemy was in a tower one hundred meters due southeast from his position, exactly where his rifle was pointing. He had tried to triangulate exactly which floor the signal was from, but it was too distorted from this range to get it perfect.
His teammate, Zhenya Kireyev, crawled up next to him with a pair of binoculars drawn up to his visored face. Takahata jumped to the side in surprise, drawing his Magnum to fire before realizing it was Kireyev. Kireyev, a quiet, withdrawn young man took no concern to the Magnum, and continued searching along the windows of the tower. Oshita sighed and went back to aiming.
"I see something. Top floor, third window, left." Kireyev muttered in a thick Russian accent. Oshita nodded and adjusted the rifle. Right on target. In the window, searching for them, was a novice SPARTAN IV from Fireteam Hermes. He was holding a DMR in one hand and fumbling with an ammo clip in the second. In this moment, Takahata put his finger over the trigger to the sniper rifle and took aim at the center of his head. Bang. The simulated bullet whizzed across the battlefield and right into the SPARTAN's forehead. He was instantly knocked out and crumpled to the ground, his torso hanging out from the window and his arms dangling. The DMR fell three stories and hit the ground with a clang.
Oshita turned to Kireyev and nodded his approval, patting his teammate on the shoulder with an armored hand. Kireyev stood up and took off his helmet, wiping sweat from his pale face. The terrain around them disappeared to be replaced with a metal box of a room. The weapons wisped away in their hands, and overhead lights blared on.
Behind Oshita and Kireyev, a door half the height of the room opened, revealing Commander Sarah Palmer and a Marine Medic. Takahata walked towards Palmer and saluted, followed by Kireyev, who replaced the helmet on his head.
"I was just passing through when I saw that battle, that was some good fighting out there, SPARTAN." Palmer complimented, looking them both over. The medic sprinted to the unconscious body of the man from Hermes to check on him. Kireyev nodded in acknowledgement at the statement.
"Is there anything else you wanted to say, Commander Palmer?" Oshita asked, fixing the arm piece of his CYPHER-class Mjolnir Armor. Palmer shifted her feet and looked over at the medic before speaking.
"Lord Hood is looking for a team of the best SPARTANS, and I think you two would do good on that team." Palmer stated, looking at Takahata.
"What is the team for?" Kireyev asked directly through the comms. Palmer turned to him with a hand on her hip.
"If you come to my office at 2200 hours, I can tell you. It's top secret and is only known by Fleetcom, the Captain, me, and the candidates." Palmer whispered to us. Oshita nodded and saluted Palmer again. Palmer saluted back, and the three walked from the War Games Stadium.
UNSC Infinity Barracks 0107, August 22nd, 2556, Orbiting Sanghelios…
SPARTAN Takahata sat on his bunk in the barracks with his eyes open. He glanced over at the green numbers on the clock across the room. 2130 they read. He listened closely to the familiar snores of the rest of his fireteam, Thunder, as they slumbered. The windows had polarized to simulate night, and the only light in the room was the green glow of the clock over the door. Oshita sighed and turned onto his side, looking over at his weapons specialist, Markus Muller, who still clutched a combat knife in his sleep.
Still staring at Markus, Oshita glanced back at the clock. 2145 it said. Oshita bolted upright, climbing down the ladder from his third-story bunk to the ground, walking over to Kireyev, who was fast asleep. Oshita shook him lightly, awakening his teammate. Kireyev, upon seeing Oshita, nodded and sat up, grabbing his boot armor. Oshita walked back to his bunk section and grabbed his boots as well, slipping into them and clamping on the CYPHER Armor pieces onto the front, sides, and foot of the undersuit shoe.
Oshita, followed by Zhenya, fast marched down the two kilometer long corridor to the officer's section. Palmer's office was on the very end of the hallway, next to the main observation deck under the bridge. When Oshita and Zhenya reached the blue-colored door marking an officer's office, Zhenya made a quick, but loud knock on the metal door. The door slid open to reveal Palmer in her SPARTAN body suit.
"Good, you came. Please sit." Palmer said, gesturing to two chairs in front of an oaken desk. Takahata sat down first, putting his hands in his lap. Zhenya, having never been in an officer's quarters, took a second to look around before sitting as well. Palmer, having gone over to a mini-fridge in the corner, came back with a short, translucent brown bottle of whiskey. It was courtesy, really.
"So, the mission." Kireyev said. Palmer set down three shot glasses on the table and poured a little whiskey into it and sat down on her chair behind the desk.
"Right to the point, eh? Well, from what I know, the Arbiter and Fleetcom are planning a co-op mission to Vodeea Kallstei, a planet four hundred and fifty million kilometers from Sanghelios." Palmer started.
"So, from what you said - it being a co-op mission - we're working with Sangheili?" Oshita questioned, now very interested in the mission. Palmer nodded, slowly.
"And what for?" Zhenya asked, taking a small sip from his shot glass. Palmer leaned forwards with her elbows on the desk.
"There are Old Covenant soldiers under the glass, apparently." Palmer said, looking at Kireyev. Bemused, Oshita sat forwards in the chair, staring at Palmer questioningly.
"How?" Oshita asked simply. Palmer reached under her desk and pulled out two identical packets of paper with the label TOP SECRET - EYES ONLY on the front.
"See for yourself." Palmer asked, passing the packets across the desk. Both of the men flipped through the papers in silence. Zhenya looked up after a few minutes, catching the attention of Palmer, who had leaned back in her chair.
"This doesn't make sense. Why would you send your men into tunnels and glass over them?" Kireyev wondered aloud. Oshita nodded in agreement, looking up from the papers. Palmer shrugged in response.
"Maybe so that they could have reserves down there? Or so that they could surprise attack the colony but they made a mistake or ran out of time and glassed the planet instead?" Oshita said. Kireyev nodded and looked back on the papers.
"Ma'am." Oshita asked. Palmer turned to him and raised her eyebrows.
"Yes?" She said.
"When do we leave." Oshita said it more as a statement than a question. Palmer smiled and sat back.
"You'll be meeting the rest of your team tomorrow, including the Elites." Palmer announced. Kireyev stood up, finished his shot of whiskey, and saluted Palmer, followed by Oshita, who did the same. Palmer saluted them both, and the two walked from the room in silence.