UNSC Vociferous in orbit over Ascella IV

March 18, 2558

Lusana cursed when he had lost Austal's trail. Sure, he could track him via the Spartan neural interface, but he didn't have the means or reasoning to do that.

He reached down to his buzzing datapad and pulled up the message.

Tyrant had gotten back to him with a new report on the Vahkai. Sources included multiple sangheili experts including Doctors Luther Mann, Evan Phillips along with a couple of names he didn't know. There was even a Spartan as a benefactor; Vale.

Attached at the bottom of the file was an additional report. The drones scouting over Ascella's barren surface had caught the signature of a single lich carrying a phantom moving over the planet's dark side before descending on top of the desert.

The report matched the phantom that 'Xiva was using to move off Jul 'Mdama's grid. It suggested that he was conducting a patrol out in former human space to scavenge for salvage, but really moved off to a secret installation where the Vahkai were plotting his overthrow.

It wasn't clear on when 'Xiva was planning to leave, but it was finally tracked to a plateau where a section of a forerunner installation were just starting to be unearthed by the glassing. Ascella was planned to be fully destroyed when the Covenant had attacked years ago, but they quickly called off the operation when they realized relics were hidden underneath its surface. The UNSC had taken big advantage of this, launching a nuclear trap that obliterated the flagship and put their battle network in disarray. The task force sent to mop up the stragglers hadn't realized the Covenant recovered quicker than anticipated and the momentum just as easily slid over to their enemy's side. The damage had already been done; the installation's entrance was cut off, sealing several excavation teams inside and without their commander, the remains of the fleet left without bothering to glass the rest of the planet.

Now the Vahkai were ever so curious to discover what the Covenant had sought. So they begun to finish what was started.

Lusana called all Spartan fireteams, plus his own to meet in the War Games simulator. The next demonstration plus the exercises would have to wait.

"All of you might be wondering on why we put off the next simulation until this is complete. We have a high value former Covenant target lurking somewhere on this plateau close to the Forerunner premise. He is the intended target that we have used in our simulations to get a better outlook on their tactics and the best way to counter them without exposing ourselves to danger. This warlord is highly unpredictable and has been confirmed presence at Requiem in some of the most volatile areas. He will do whatever it means to evade capture and we can only assume that he has a large force at his disposal. Expect intensive resistance the whole way."

"Does this mean that we're not to submit our corrective reports?" One Spartan asked.

"No. I still expect those in before we kick off tomorrow at oh five hundred. We'll be reading them once the operation is completed."

"Our hostile has barricaded himself somewhere on the base grounds. We will begin a two pronged assault across the plateau and two fireteams, my own and another one will be inserted in the fray to capture 'Xiva. Remember to those that are on air support. No aircraft leave the airspace. Disable them. Our target's no good to us dead."

The ride down to the surface was done in silence strictly at five the next morning. A fleet of pelicans, carrying a couple of warthogs and a pair of scorpion tanks came in a clustered formation with the broadsword squadron scouting ahead and escorting them to watch for enemy interceptors.

Eon sat in the bay; going over the final checks of their gear. Pine and Fowler were lightly sleeping after filing the last of the reports from the corrective actions the Spartan fireteams had submitted the night prior. Bailey was fidgeting with her helmet and Austal kept spinning one of his two Sting knives around in his hand.

"Is everyone ready?"

Green lights lit up on his HUD.

"Now Austal. I believe you have something to tell us?"

Marcus had figured over the night that he wasn't going to get away with it forever. He'd have to divulge the secret sooner than later.

The Spartan made a slashing gesture; a silent indication that what he wanted to say stayed in the cabin.

When everyone removed their helmets and shut off their microphones; he gave a defeated sigh and met every one of his teammates' eyes.

"I owe you all an apology for being blunt and snappy yesterday." He started, "I've just been having a hard time back home. I never meant to take things out on you guys. We have a mission and I promise my head will be in the game."

The rest of the team remained silent, ready for him to continue.

"I think I might be a father. Found this out the other day."

"Congratulations," Bailey said, sauntering over for a brief hug, "I mean…that's a huge step right?"

"Do you know if it's a boy or girl?"

"No."

"Pregnant huh?" Fowler whistled, "I so cannot wait to be an uncle!"

"Things can get a little complicated when one of the baby's parents is a Spartan," Lusana explained the bittersweet mood, "The first Spartans that were augmented had a suppressed sexual drive, although it's unclear on whether they can have children or not. There was one two that retired to start a family."

"So haven't the augmentations been improved to negate all of the risks that the twos underwent?"

"Some have and the procedures we got were much less intense than theirs. Much of theirs were surgically implanted, while the threes and us fours have it done by drugs and safer surgeries. The effects are less powerful, which leaves the MJOLNIR armor to close the gap between the effective skillsets."

Pine nodded, "Spartans being the parents of children is incredibly rare. Our unit; the thirty seventh is one of the select few groups in where the Spartans assigned actually have families and a more lenient fraternization protocol than others. The medical personnel are also studying the effects of our children, on how they inherit our augmentations. We call them Spartan babies."

Bailey looked intrigued, "So what's the risk of having a kid if you are allowed to have them?"

"It depends. Many of the augmentations we receive can cause serious damage to the baby," Lusana explained. "Every Spartan's genetic makeup is different, so the process has to be carefully crafted for each individual. Many of which are irreversible and can cause serious birth defects for the child."

"So you're worried you might have crippled your unborn son or daughter?"

Austal nodded.

"There's also the risk that even if nothing ends up wrong; the Spartan baby would have inherited some of his augmented traits and not really understand how strong they are."

"There's significantly less risk if the Spartan parent is the mother, as she would be able to handle it better." He explained, "If the Spartan parent is the father…there's a possibility that Gabrielle could die before or during the baby's birth."

No one spoke again as they contemplated the severity of the situation. Austal put his head in his hands.

"The hell have I done?"

"Hey," Lusana chastised, "Chances are that nothing will be wrong and she will deliver your baby just fine and you'll have a healthy son or daughter."

"It's not that…it's with all these Covenant. Vahkai…Prometheans…even the damn innies. Why the hell is everything trying to kill us?" Austal wondered, "I taught Gabrielle how to shoot and defend herself, but now there's the two of them."

"I know." The Eon lead put a hand on his friend and teammate's shoulder, "I was like this with my own wife when she was pregnant with my own son. I wondered on why everything happened."

"I keep on asking myself with all of this violence going on. Covenant, Prometheans, innies all finding creative ways to kill humans…especially civilians. It seems like a crisis starts every day. Why would I ever want to bring a kid into this kind of world?"

Nobody spoke again for a few minutes until uncharacteristically it was Fowler who broke the silence.

"Marcus…you know that I'm no father and I can't say I've felt what you're going through, but you also have to remember that with all the threats to the UNSC and all the civilians its sworn to protect that we're the good guys and we'll fight for those who can't defend themselves until either the threat is neutralized or we die. We're not dead yet."

Austal nodded.

"So when this is done, you're going back to your house on New Corsica and you're going to kiss your wife when you come in the front door and tell her how excited you are at becoming a father. You'll make an amazing parent...I know this because you'll even deliver the baby if you have to!"

This got a chuckle from everyone else as the tension was finally broken.

"Wait…you've delivered a baby before?" Bailey asked.

"Twice during my days as a pararescueman. I was twenty years old for both times."

"Damn," Pine said, "I didn't even know that."

"Anyways, even if something does happen to you…you've got us. We're family remember? We look after one another…protect one another and keep on pounding through the tough times."

Lusana chuckled, "I think you just took away my motivational speech I was about to give in preparation for this op."

Everyone laughed at that just as the door to the cockpit slid open and the crew chief stuck his head in, "Spartans…we're two minutes out."

"Personal talk over," Tony's icy voice was back…the same one he used when leading the operation. "Everyone's ready?"

He got a green light from all four others.

"Let's lock and load. The sooner we put 'Xiva in handcuffs the sooner we can finish our mission and head home."

So much of the tension resolved and Austal finally delivering the news. Things are almost over and they can head home.

Nope.

Their mission is far from done.

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