UNSC Infinity in orbit above Requiem
February 18, 2558
Commander Palmer stood rigidly upright as Eon filed into the briefing area in their undersuits. It was clear that their commander back at the colonies was running the helm for this operation and it didn't suit well with her that she was going to be left in the dark for this one.
After Valentine's Day, they had done only one op to support another Spartan fireteam and after that, it had remained quiet for the longest time without any new missions from Infinity's command or from Tyrant himself.
So coming back to find out they had something for their attention was well worth getting away. They had already exceeded their monthly requirements in the War Games and spent the rest of it exploring around the ship. It was remarkable with the shopping venues, fitness centers and lounges, although the latter was only available to officers and actually had some decent food besides MREs and protein pastes.
Eon all stood at attention and snapped a salute to the hologram of Tyrant, who was in his Enforcer-class MJOLNIR. Palmer returned the salute and briskly exited the room.
"Eon, we've received intelligence and analysis from Covenant formations that they are preparing to move a cruiser to this sector of Requiem for repairs to damage sustained in a UNSC airstrike when you arrived back. Your mission is to gather information on the extent of the damage."
"Hang on, if we're going to destroy the cruiser, then why are we just surveying it?" Bailey asked.
"Good question Spartan Bailey. The Ever Steadfast is a RCS armored cruiser that saw extensive action when it combatted the Swords of Sanghelios a few years back. Their warships indicate that the Steadfast had advanced plasma turret capabilities that were seen only on certain variations of the assault carriers. Other warships may also be outfitted with similar armaments and if it turns out to be true, the Covenant will be able to initiate precision long range strikes that reach as far as Galileo Base nearly halfway around the world."
"I assume these torpedoes are capable of damaging Infinity?"
"Not at full shields, but the frigate escorts are more vulnerable and they do pose a much more tempting target, especially if it's a means to draw us out."
"Sounds like a plan, but that is deep in Covenant territory, how the hell are we supposed to get close? If we go on foot, it could take days to set up an overwatch and the cruiser might move position by then?"
"We're going to drop you off at your designated exfil point. A local contact with the Covenant will move you close to an ideal area where you can retreat and board if necessary." Tyrant looked down, "More intel will go on your pads while you head out,"
Covenant controlled territory, Requiem
"And I thought working with a newbie was bad enough," Fowler grumbled as they watched their pelican take off into the sky, "Now we get to work with the Covies, the bastards who burned and maimed our own people."
"A lot of people share your sentiment too Fowler," Bailey swept her assault rifle over the area, "Although I think it's a good start that we have an ally who can put up a fight against our enemies, the thought of the same people who were at war with us does not suit well with others."
"It's enough for them to start a war themselves," Pine added, "At least we can contain the Innies who want to resume their nefarious activities for now, but it's only a matter of time before another all out war breaks out again."
"Eon," Lusana sharply said, "Enough bickering."
He constantly scanned their surroundings, almost as if trying to find something watching them.
"I sense it too," Austal said.
"Sense what?"
"I just feel like we're about to get hit."
"DOWN!" Fowler had saw it first and rushed forward, tackling Austal and Bailey to the ground with both arms just as the air was pierced by a fine shot of hardlight.
"Snipers!"
Eon quickly stacked themselves against the side of a rock where several Promethean crawler snipers had filled the area with fire from their binary rifles. At the same time, in front of them, a group of knights had phased in.
"Take them down!"
Lusana led the team as they peppered the large mechanical warriors with fire. Their shields dissipated in bluish light before they finally died out, disintegrating in bright orange. One of the knights aimed its sword arm at the group, launching a grenade. It hit Fowler directly and quickly expanded into a giant orange sphere that drained his shields.
"What the-?" He cursed before stepping out. His shotgun adjusted aim and he quickly pumped two buckshot shells into his attacker before drawing his magnum and daring to peer over the horizon.
The five or so crawlers were getting impatient that their targets weren't being flushed out by the knights and had changed position. Fowler saw that they had a bright red circle around their "mouths" that indicated they were about to shoot.
So much for being subtle snipers, the glow pretty much gave them away.
Centering his aim on the one on the far right, he squeezed the trigger. The bullet hit it right in the maw and he was satisfied to see it explode into tiny pieces.
"One's down!"
In the meantime, the rest of Eon had their active camouflage engaged and slowly moved out of cover with Fowler keeping tabs on any more knights that might enter in on them.
Ross fired two shots from his sniper, "Two of them are done,"
"Another one's history," Lusana said.
"Got the last one!" Bailey fired a stream downrange, killing the final sniper.
The sound of more knights phasing in were accompanied by the sound of a phantom approaching.
"We got more knights!"
The closest one, a battlewagon suddenly leaped into the air with its sword aglow as Bailey and Fowler dove out of its way. Austal drilled it several times with his battle rifle and fluidly put it away, drawing his sidearm to empty it into the knight's face. Still, the tough armor continued to hold against his assault.
Bailey joined him, aiming with her smart-scope on the MA5D, spraying it and finally the battlewagon gave away and stiffened before the bright orange had completely disintegrated it.
The phantom halted right above them for a moment and its turret turned towards the prometheans.
It fired at them, large blobs of explosive plasma cutting the work for them in half. Eon wasn't questioning the seemingly quick change of loyalty, but they remained skeptical as well.
Within a minute, the last of the knights had been killed by their combined efforts.
"This our contact?" Fowler asked, still scanning for more.
As if to answer his question, the belly of the phantom glowed green as the gravity lift became active as it came to a halt above them.
A tall figure stepped into the lift and slowly descended to the bottom. Eon noticed him immediately and aimed their weapons at the sangheili. While they were fairly sure this was their contact, it was just as plausible that the Covenant had been tipped off and sent someone else.
He was unarmed, save for an inactive energy sword on his hip. The standard issue smooth blue harness of the storm rank looked almost oversized and out of place. His dark eyes scanned over the five of them, wary, but the dossiers of all before him confirmed their identities as he checked it out in his own HUD.
"That's far enough," Lusana commanded as the elite stepped out of the gravity lift's beam.
He halted nonchalantly, standing there and staring back as if daring for them to fire the first shot. While he was quite skilled with the sword at his hip, he knew that the others were in a stance ready to take off his head if he so much thought about reaching for it.
"Thunder," The word came out like a rumble.
At the recognition of the code word Eon relaxed, "Always follows lightning."
"Hotel Victor X-Ray. What is the food of the day?"
Lusana remembered the clearance Tyrant had given them, "The food of the day is baked potatoes,"
Satisfied, the sangheili stepped forward, "We need to move quickly, it won't be long before the Prometheans return." He spoke very good English for one of his species. Even the pronunciation of the "P" was better than most others' attempts.
"Lead the way,"
As the elite headed up towards the phantom, Lusana was stopped by Fowler.
"Sure we can trust him? How do you know what mumbo jumbo he just said was legit?"
"I don't think we have a choice for that matter,"
"Just saying, if we're caught, what's going to stop him from coming after our throats with that sword of his along with the rest of his goons?"
"We're Eon, we always will have a backup plan,"
"Well maybe I won't be missed when I'm dead," Fowler grumbled as he jogged towards the lift, "But Austal…he's got a wife and if I can help it, I don't want to send him into a death situation and have to write her a letter. She was a bit fucked emotionally and something like this could go over the top."
"I have a wife," Lusana reminded him, "I have two boys. Ross has a wife, a boy and another one coming later this year. I don't know what family Bailey has to go to, but you're under my command and that's everyone's going home." As they entered the cabin of the phantom, it began to move, heading back in the direction it had come from, "Even if we have to put our lives in the hands of one of the enemy's to do so."
"My name is Ayit 'Sevi," Their sangheili accomplice introduced himself, "I work for the Office of Naval Intelligence on the behalf of infiltrating radical Covenant cells in order to gleam information on their whereabouts, motives and vectors of threat."
"Doesn't matter what you do," Fowler kept a hawk's eye on the sword, "You're still one of the hinge-heads."
"Police the comments Fowler,"
"Don't you dare think about drawing that damn blade and try to kill us or I'll put you down before you can swing."
"That's enough,"
'Sevi sighed, "Fowler is it?" He didn't wait for a reply, "I understand that you harbor a great resentment towards me and my people and I don't blame you. But this is a different time and a different place. I could have easily killed one of you by now, but by doing so the rest of you would have probably cut me down by the time I turn my attention to someone else."
"Okay,"
"You will probably not be the last Spartans I will have to work with, but we may not be able to complete both of our missions if we cannot trust one another." He pointed to himself, "It goes both ways too. A big part of me still believes that you will shoot me as soon as I lower my guard."
'Sevi turned and settled himself inside the cockpit, "So that makes two of us."
Holding beside the large metal spires of Requiem, Ever Steadfast looked just like any other Covenant cruiser, bulbous with a larger body that widened at the center and slimmed out at the end where its repulsor engines were providing enough power to keep it airborne and steady.
'Sevi had opened the canopy doors as Eon surveyed the scene in their active camouflage.
It was a beehive of activity as phantoms, banshees and a small auxillary ship was moored alongside. Lances of plasma from its energy projector were hitting blackened misshapen areas on the dorsal side close to the engines. The impacts were reminiscent of MAC rounds and Archer missiles.
"Looks like it did its job," Pine commented, "Took the cruiser out of commission."
"I will take you Spartans into the hangar deck,"
"The hangar deck?"
"Eon this is Tyrant over,"
Lusana keyed his comms, "Tyrant, Eon is here. We're in position and about to conduct our recon."
"We've had a change of plans, ONI now wants that cruiser out of the picture for good."
Eon on another task to board and destroy a ship. Next chapter is bound to have plenty of action and reaction! The latter in an explosive way!
Thanks for reading and reviewing, you give my writing purpose.