The Halo Universe belongs to Microsoft Studios and 343 Industries. But these characters are my own creation and cannot be used without my permission. If you do use them without my permission, then Tank will sit on you and crush you. Then, just for effect, he will demolish all of your worldly possessions. Enjoy the show.
The Sangheili 800 Squad
Chapter 6: I've Got a Job For You…
February 2550 (Human Calender)
2018 Hours
SSMB 800
Miara couldn't sleep.
Normally, this wouldn't be a problem. Just work on the flamethrower a bit until tired, then go to sleep.
However, she had been trying to fix the same problem for almost a month now. Continuing to work on the flamethrower would just make her frustrated. No, what she needed was to relax.
Sighing, Miara sat up. Tossing and turning in bed wasn't relaxing at all, so she decided to go for a different method. She got out of bed, put on her armour and a large, furry coat, then stepped outside.
She shivered upon leaving her room. Days during winter were cold enough, but the nights were fucking freezing. It was almost impossible to focus on anything other than the cold. Thankfully, there was no blizzard tonight, so the weather wasn't as bad as it could be.
Miara walked over to the vehicle bay. She figured that talking to Tracer might help and his room was right next to the bay. He preferred this so he could work on his prototype Wraith and give the vehicles proper maintenance. He always worked until about 12, so he'd still be up.
Miara liked talking to Tracer. His intelligent thought processes intrigued her and he was nice to talk to. Unless you were someone he didn't like.
Tracer was indeed working on his Wraith. Hearing Miara walk up behind him, he turned around and asked, "Miara. How come you're out of bed?"
"Couldn't sleep." Miara said. "Too much on my mind."
"Like?"
"Heretics. Zen. Utarz. My stupid flamethrower. Repora. The fucking cold." Miara sat down next to him. "You know, that sort of stuff."
Tracer nodded. "Huh."
"So, what're you doing?"
"Trying to fix an error with this thing." Tracer muttered, gesturing to the back of the Wraith. "The anti-grav engine keeps shorting out. Dunno if it's because of too much electronite or too little."
"Electronite?"
"Liquid electricity." Tracer explained. "The stuff is much more powerful than a basic plasma engine."
"Huh."
"Trouble is, I can't see how much electronite is in there, so I have to take out the tank and see how much I need, drain the electronite and then put the correct amount in." Tracer looked at Miara. "So how is your technology going? Fixed that problem with the flamethrower?"
Miara shook her head. "Stupid thing won't spit out an ember. I've tried replacing the trigger, loosening the gas tank, everything. It still won't work."
"Maybe I could have a look at it?" Tracer asked.
"No. This is something I want to do myself."
"Alright." Tracer continued taking the tank out.
Miara looked at Tracer. He was truly the first male she had felt genuine attraction to. He was nice to her and he was a smart soldier. He placed honour in high regard and knew when to be angry at Utarz. The only thing that really gave him away was his poor aim and the fact that he was in the 800 Squad.
That said, she was in the 800 Squad as well, so she supposed that it was fine.
Miara sighed and looked at Tracer. "Hey, uh… Tracer?"
"Hm?"
"Can I talk to you about something?"
"Sure."
"Well… we've known each other for a while, right?"
"About two years." Tracer said. "If my calculations are correct."
"Yeah… well…" Unsure of how to continue, Miara quickly thought up something. "Well, when one has known another person for a long time… then…"
"Yes?" Tracer was paying attention, even though he was still working on the Wraith.
Miara tried to continue and probably would've succeeded if it weren't for the distant explosion that interrupted her thoughts.
Tracer blinked and looked up. "Did you hear that?"
"Yeah." Miara looked outside, worried. "Do you think it was thunder?"
"No… we would've seen lightning beforehand." Tracer stood up. "I think something crashed on the planet."
"Something crashed?"
"Yeah… some satellite imagery might've shown what it is." Tracer stood up and ran off.
Miara blinked, remembering what she was going to say. "Hold on, Tracer!"
Too late.
He was already gone.
Miara growled in frustration. So close, yet so far.
She followed Tracer, ignoring the cold for the most part. She found him in the radio room, talking to the Kig-Yar at the receiving end.
"So if you get me the…?" The Kig-Yar asked.
"Yeah, yeah, sure." Tracer said impatiently. "Just give me the satellite image."
"Sure man." The Kig-Yar said dazedly. "Here you go."
An image of the SSMB came up. Tracer started switching cameras, noticing Miara in the door. "You should really get to bed."
"But…" Miara began.
"Trust me, you might need it." Tracer said. "You know how early Atar wakes us up."
Miara sighed, giving up for now. "Don't remind me."
February 2550 (Human Calender)
0302 Hours
SSMB 800
Mornings were always early at the SSMB. Atar would start a morning by roaring the words 'GET UP' into the intercom, which would blast out in all areas of the base at maximum volume. All the inhabitants of the base were quite used to this by now and would treat this as one would treat an alarm clock.
Except Zen, as he was still relatively new.
So when Atar roared 'GET UP' at max volume at 3 am into Zen's room, he jumped in alarm and grabbed his Needle Rifle before realising what just happened.
Zen sighed and put down the rifle. He wasn't sure he would ever get used to this base.
However, Atar continued speaking with the morning announcements.
"Right," He said. "Assuming you shisnos have gotten out of bed, I want it known that all and I mean all, building duties will not be going ahead as planned. Tracer has discovered something has crashed some few hundred galactic metres away from our position and would like to share it all with you. So everyone will be reporting to the radio room, RIGHT NOW! ON THE DOUBLE!"
"Alright, alright." Zen mumbled blearily, reaching for his armour. "This better beat rebuilding the same wall all over again."
Once he had his armour on and had picked up his rifle again, he walked out for the radio room.
On the way, he encountered Repora and Utarz, who were talking for some reason.
"I'm just saying that if this is an example of plot development, then I should be allowed to kill you during the story." Repora said eagerly. "You know, for dramatic effect."
"Repora," Utarz grumbled, apparently not really wanting to talk to him. "I have had a really annoying time today. I couldn't jack off last night because it was too cold and I woke up this morning to find that you were in my room and the boar trap you place outside my door every day had been replaced with a landmine. So I really don't want to talk to right now."
Repora shook his head in disappointment. "Really Utarz, is that all you can think about? You have to think about the author and his reputation on Fanfiction!"
Zen had absolutely no idea what Repora was talking about.
Utarz muttered, "I think your mother smoked too much crack when she was pregnant."
Repora pulled a knife out of nowhere. "Come again?" He asked viciously.
"Nothing." Utarz said quickly.
By the time they reached the radio room, Zen had decided that Utarz and Repora deserved each other.
"Zen." Atar acknowledged once he stepped inside. "Good morning."
"Morning, sir." Zen said, trying not to show any signs of tiredness.
Tracer was already in the room and so was Miara. Tracer was fiddling with the dashboard in front of the monitor while Miara was sitting in a chair, her flamethrower in her lap. Atar was standing next to the monitor, looking at everyone gathered.
He completely ignored Utarz and Repora.
Utarz, however, said, "So what's the deal? What's so important that this has to come before breakfast?"
"Simple." Atar said. "Did any of you hear a loud crash while you slept last night?"
Zen thought about it. "Now that you mention it sir, I did hear a faint sound that night."
Utarz snorted. "I was probably fast asleep at that point."
"Yeah, you could sleep through a bombing raid." Miara muttered.
"I never sleep!" Repora chirped. "I was building a new type of grenade when an explosion made me lose my concentration and break it."
"Which was probably best for all involved." Atar commented.
At this point, Tracer spoke up. "Me and Miara were in the vehicle bay when the crash sounded."
Utarz blinked, then leaned forward in his chair. "Hold up, hold up. You and Miara?"
Ignoring him, Tracer continued. "I immediately went to see the satellite imagery of the planet, to see what it was."
"How'd you manage to get that?" Zen asked.
"I had to promise that idiot who controls our radio a bag of drugs." Tracer grumbled. "Which reminds me; Repora, could you send a bag of your drugs to him?"
"No thank you." Repora replied. "I made that cocaine with my own hands. I'm not giving it to nobody."
Tracer sighed. "Anyway, the imagery showed this." Tracer pressed a button on the dashboard and an image came up on the screen.
It showed a purple pod that had brought up a lot of dirt as it slid across the land. It was smoking and appeared to be of Covenant origin.
"What's that?" Miara asked.
"I believe that it may be some form of escape pod." Tracer replied.
"From a ship?" Zen asked.
"Well what else could it come from?" Utarz asked belligerently.
Zen glared at him.
Wanting to prevent an argument, Tracer continued. "Yeah, it would probably come from a ship."
"Well, what's it doing here?" Miara asked. "Wouldn't a Covenant ship notify us if they were anywhere near our atmosphere?"
"I doubt they would want to waste their time with us." Tracer replied.
Zen really disliked the way he said that.
"So it's a mystery!" Repora said enthusiastically. "Let's go solve it!" He stood up.
"Slow down, mental patient." Atar growled.
"Okay." Repora started moving incredibly slowly.
"Stop altogether." Atar rephrased.
Repora stopped in the position he was in, which was somewhere in between sitting and standing.
"Don't any of you realise just how suspicious this is?" Atar questioned the room at large.
"Suspicious?" Utarz asked.
"Only yesterday, a squad of Heretics visited us and requested that Zen would join them." Atar explained. "And the very next day, a mysterious escape pod lands on our front doorstep."
"Actually, it's a few hundred galactic miles away from our base." Tracer corrected.
"Regardless! It's clearly a trap planted to trick us into exploring the thing! And then, when we least expect it, we'll be ambushed and killed as revenge for Zen refusing to join!"
"That's a little far-fetched sir." Zen said doubtfully. "They didn't seem to be the types who would engage in revenge."
"I partially agree with Atar." Tracer said. "It's too much of a coincidence. It's clearly orchestrated. That said, I doubt that it's a trap to kill us."
"Then what it can it be?" Miara asked.
"I don't know." Tracer said. "But I think that it's safe to say that we shouldn't investigate."
"I digress." Atar said. "I say we destroy the pod!"
Tracer blinked. "Destroy it? Why?"
"Because if we don't, then those Heretics will just use it again on some other poor, unsuspecting squad!" Atar replied. "We need to destroy it before anyone else can be harmed!"
Tracer thought about this. "Hmm… that's actually pretty solid."
"Exactly!" Atar said, standing straight. "We will leave after breakfast!"
Utarz looked at Atar. "Wait, you mean we're actually gonna leave this Forerunner-forsaken base for once?"
"You better believe it, numb-nuts!" Atar announced. "We are going on our first mission ever today!"
Zen double blinked. An actual mission?
"Yay!" Repora jumped up. "I'll go get some stuff to go with! Utarz, make us breakfast!"
"I hate you." Utarz sighed, but got up anyway.
Miara pumped her hands into the air. "Woo! 'Bout time! I was eventually gonna go stir-crazy."
"I'll go get the Phantom ready." Tracer said. "Someone will need to tell me when breakfast's ready."
"Soldiers," Atar could barely contain his excitement. He was actually going to lead something of importance today. "Today, we save a generation."
Breakfast was usually a mundane event, but today, it was a tad more exciting.
"I mean, I know that we'll only be gone for a few days," Utarz was saying to Repora as he cooked. "But still, any time away from this freezing landfill will be welcome."
"Yeah…" Repora sighed in disappointment. "But I won't be able to go on a rampage on the Phantom."
"All the better."
"Can I kill you now?" Repora asked hopefully.
"Do you want breakfast?" Utarz asked back.
"I guess so. What is for breakfast?"
"High fibre, high protein and low fat meals." Utarz replied. "You know, the stuff that we have every single day?"
Repora shuddered. "Uggh. I hate that stuff. It tastes like those sweat absorbing things. Can't we just have pancakes for once?"
Utarz turned and stared at Repora in confusion. "What the fuck are pancakes?"
Tracer, Miara and Zen, meanwhile, were having a conversation at the table, drinking a type of coffee.
"I'm just saying that it's not much of a mission." Zen said. "All we're doing is going out to destroy an escape pod a few days from here. It's not… you know… extravagant."
"Yeah, but it's the closest thing we have to a mission." Miara said, taking another sip of coffee and cringing. "By the gods, this stuff is disgusting."
"Besides, it'll be transitioning into summer in a day or two." Tracer said. "It'll be a good time and place to see some scenery that doesn't consist of frost and snow. And it could be for the good of the Covenant."
"Yeah…" Zen sighed. "I don't see why Atar insists on taking our weapons."
Tracer shrugged. "Atar's a bit paranoid when it comes to that. Probably caused by the fall off of the cliff."
"Huh?"
"It's how he got brain damaged."
"Ah."
"Hey, Miara!" Utarz called from the kitchen. "I could use a hand in here!"
Miara got up and walked to the kitchen. She glared at Utarz and asked, "What?"
"I need to talk to you." Utarz replied, although never taking his eyes off of his cooking.
"No, you don't." Miara replied flatly. "I know what you're going to talk about and I'm not going to talk about it."
"Hey, I am your older brother!" Utarz snapped. "It's my job to-"
"To what?" Miara asked. "Control my life? Because I think you'll find that that's not in your job description!" And with that, Miara marched out.
Utarz grumbled a bit as he finished up the cooking. He grabbed a ladle and spooned the mixture into six different bowls. He then slid the first one to Repora.
"So… no pancakes?" Repora asked depressingly.
"Dude, I don't know what those are." Utarz replied, picking up a bowl of his own. "How can I make something if I don't know what it is?"
"Duh! Look it up on the internet!"
Getting slightly annoyed, Utarz asked irritably, "Right. What's the internet?"
February 2550 (Human Calender)
0357 Hours
SSMB 800
It took a while to load everything onto the Phantom.
"Utarz!" Atar shouted. "Are the packaged rations on board?"
"Yes, Atar!" Utarz shouted back.
"General or sir!" Atar shouted back again. Then he turned to Tracer and asked, "Tracer, is the Phantom ready for take-off?"
"More or less, sir." Tracer said. "But we'll need constant repairs if we seriously want to get to the crash site in this piece of crap."
"So be it. Do you have a repair kit on board?"
"Yes sir."
"Good." Atar then addressed the squad at large. "Everyone have their weapons?"
"Yes sir." They chorused.
"Yes, Atar." Utarz called down from the Phantom.
Atar closed his eyes and counted to ten.
He opened his eyes again and said to Repora, "Repora! Are the explosives on board?"
"Yup!" Repora said happily.
"Will they be able to destroy the pod?"
"Double yup! These things could rip apart a Forerunner construction!"
"There'll be no need for that." Atar said hastily. "Just the escape pod."
"Okay!" Repora skipped to the Phantom. "We going now?"
"Yeah, we're leaving." Atar confirmed. "Everyone on board!"
"Yes sir." Everyone walked to the Phantom and hopped on.
Tracer immediately manned the controls. He pressed a few buttons and the Phantom sprang to life. In its own sort of way.
It took a while for the thing to get into the air. And then it started moving towards the crash site at a very slow pace.
"Can't this thing go any faster?" Utarz complained.
"Guess." Was Tracer's reply.
Meanwhile, back at the base, a small, invisible being had been watching them speak amongst themselves as they talked. He had watched them leave in their Phantom and the first thing that he said once they had left was probably what anyone in his situation would say.
"Shit." Buzzsaw grumbled. "Iro, are you getting this?"
"Yes. Congratulations, Buzzsaw." Iro said angrily from the radio. "This is your fault!"
"Hey, I made a mistake, alright?!" Buzzsaw snapped. "It wouldn't have made any difference if it had landed in the middle of their base!"
"Well, we'll never know. BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU DID!"
"Fighting solves nothing!" Tank shouted in the background. "What do we do?"
"Well, we obviously can't let them destroy the artefact." Iro grumbled. "Those idiots don't know what they're trying to destroy."
"That's a no-brainer." Buzzsaw said. "The white guy said that his explosives can rip through stuff made by Forerunners."
"Wonderful." Iro muttered darkly. "We'll have to get there before them. Our Phantom is much more efficient than theirs, so it should be easier."
"So we can't go for this kind of approach again, huh?"
"No. They won't fall for it a second time. We might be able to convince them of the truth on the way to the artefact, but seeing as that's very unlikely, our main priority should be getting the artefact so we can convince others of the truth."
"Will we attack them?" Tank asked.
"Only if they attack us." Iro replied. "If we find ourselves in those situations, then we should take prisoners to slow them down."
"But no killing?"
"No killing." Iro agreed. "It would be incredibly dishonourable to kill someone who can't defend him or herself."
"You really are a good and proper Sangheili, aren't you Iro?" Buzzsaw grumbled as he walked back to his Banshee.
"Well, no shit."
Author's Notes
So this is a bit of a short chapter, but I've said everything I need to say here. This is just to add words to the chapter.
Thanks for watching.
Potato.