Tevos, Bel and Sparatus were in private chambers, reviewing what assets could be 'offered' to the UTSG to aid in their punitive actions against Haliat, as well as those to enhance their own capabilities should war erupt.
"Unfortunately, we haven't been able to miniaturize the Thanix's heat management system enough to mount on anything smaller than a light cruiser," Sparatus huffed as he shuffled through the stack of datapads.
Tevos absently looked at several likely commanders. "I was given to understand that your 'Ormand' class Frigates were meant as high speed forward scouts, not assault ships."
Bel glanced up at Tevos, then back down at a map of the Terminus. "The entire purpose of 'Project: Ormand' was to create a light, fast attack ship that can threaten a UNSC ship while evading its return fire. If the reports our spies have returned from Elysium are accurate, Primarch Orinia's Cruiser lightning strike tactic was only minimally effective once the UNSC was aware of the threat."
"And they'll be on the lookout for that maneuver moving forward," Sparatus stretched to relieve the tension of being hunched over reports, "so we need an effective stand-off response that can evade their missile swarm tactics."
Tevos braced herself for the vitriol she felt she was about to invite. "What about the humans' novel approach to the Disruptor torpedo? While expensive, a one ton self propelled relativistic impactor is not something even their most oppressive ships could withstand."
Sparatus waved dismissively. "The Sirwan class Scouts are already fitted with our new Block V Disruptor Torpedoes, and the newest sensors to make the best use of them." He gave a nod of thanks to Councilor Bel before focusing on Tevos. "It is, as you pointed out, the cost: the UNSC has centuries of industrial infrastructure in place to support their missile production, so the costs are much lower for them than they would be for us."
Bel picked up as Sparatus dove back into the reports. "Meanwhile, refining Uranium Ions for the Heavy Ion storage rings used by the Thanix system is a millenia old process, and functionally requires no new specialized tactical training for our commanders; as opposed to trying to best the humans at their own game, so to speak."
Tevos pursed her lips as she pulled up another document. "If missile production can't meet our demand, then what will become of his joint Volus/Elcor Carrier proposal?" She noticed Sparatus' almost scowl, even as Bel perked up.
"That's actually one of the more promising programs! Volus' experience with bulk transport construction means the transition to making a dedicated Strike Craft Carrier has been quite simple. To date, they've only built a small number of Transport/Carrier hybrids, but they have begun shakedowns on a pair of purpose built Light Escort Carriers."
Tevos could see Sparatus resisting a petulant huff as he picked up. "In both cases, they are using an Elcor designed and piloted Strike Craft. It's more akin to a light shuttle than a fighter like the Interceptors built by Armax. However, between the Elcor's fast reflexes and higher G-tolerances, as well as their experience with integrated VI controls, they've managed to develop Diplomat Orinia's Lightning Strike Doctrine into a viable combat strategy."
Tevos frowned slightly. "With what? You've already ruled out Disruptor Torpedoes, and you certainly can't mean fighter grade mass accelerators."
"Hyper-Kinetic Impactors," Bel all but bubbled in excitement. "It's just a fancy term for unguided solid munitions, but at ten percent of light, a free flying 500 kilogram slug of tungsten hits with 1000 times the force of a Dreadnought Cannon; and the Elcor craft carry ten a piece!"
Sparatus began shuffling various reports around, in what Tevos suspected was a full blown sulk at having Associate and Client Races show up his Hierarchy's mighty war machine. "Yes, they're fantastical attempts at countering the UNSC's Murder-Slabs. The Carriers are still woefully outmatched in a direct ship-to-ship engagement. Any such fight will see us hemorrhaging strategic assets, or tying up combat ships to protect the carriers.
"Speaking of strategic assets, what is the status of production of the new hull armor?"
Tevos slumped in her seat. "In a word, slow. The various Matriarchs of the Republics are loath to relinquish their economic hegemonies to what they see as, 'Council military adventurism'." An irritated spark danced across her tendrils. "They will not allow the proprietary patents to be released for subcontracted construction." She huffed and stood up suddenly, causing a pair of small data chips to skitter across the table towards the other two councilors.
Both Bel and Sparatus understood instantly, when the chips projected a short list of worlds, companies and cities inside Asari space: Tevos' political survival depended on not directly antagonizing her rivals in the Republics. It would be up to the other two to extract the much needed industrial secrets, if the new fleet was to be realized.
Sparatus palmed his chip and went back to his reports. "Well, I'm certain we'll work something out. As it is, we have enough material and trained officers for a reinforced Cruiser Task Group. That should be more than sufficient to hunt down the pirates responsible for the attack on the human colony. When they accept our offer of aid, of course."
"If they accept," Bel rubbed his horns. "They have remained quite intransigent, since our cancellation of the Officer Exchange."
Both Sparatus and Tevos had long since become numb to Bel's continued belaboring of that mistake. "They've recently lost a squadron's worth of ships, and there's nothing to indicate their war with the Covenant has let up at all," Tevos returned to her seat. "Surely they don't think they have enough ships and enough men to fight a two front war?"
The door chime sounded, and a young Drell aide stepped in with a data pad. "Councilors, a message just came through the Theta-314 Relay buoy network." She handed Bel the pad and left.
The other two councilors noted the concerned vibrating of Bel's horns.
"Well," Sparatus loomed over the table, "what does it say?"
Bel linked the pad to the central Omni-Projector, showing a map of the Terminus and the Skyllian Verge. One world was highlighted, and a message spelled out below.
-Do not interfere.-
The three councilors looked at one another in concern, before Tevos levered herself up out of her chair again. "You two focus on... that," she gestured to the table where the datachips had been. "I'm sending Specter Vasir to the Verge to see just what's going on."
...
Ogun was not a happy Battarian. As he was one of the most notorious Terminous warlords, this was generally a given, though he did generally take some satisfaction in the fear his reputation garnered.
That was not so true now, as his reputation had drawn that buffoon Haliat to recruit from him for the ill-fated raid on the human colony. Haliat had come limping back in-system long enough to raid supplies from his outer system stations before slinking away into the deep black.
"Another wave incoming, my Lord!" His mountain fortress shook as a wave of missiles slammed into the superheavy kinetic barriers.
Two months later, the humans had arrived. Ogun had expected the 30 ship fleet to blockade his fortress world and try to bully a tribute out of him. He was fully prepared to offer them Haliat's last known location after sufficient time besieged.
Instead, the force had silently proceeded to bombard every strategic and industrial site on the planet at once.
"One of their light cruisers is entering the atmosphere, my Lord!"
Ogun gave a malicious grin. "Hah! Tell whatever commander managed to down that vessel that they've just earned a night in my pleasure garden!" His lips twisted into a frown as he saw the trepidation in the soldiers mein. "Out with it! What aren't you telling me?!"
"My Lord," the young Turian buzzed in distress, "the ship isn't crashing; it's maneuvering behind the Kahrvassi Ridge. All of our ships in orbit are either destroyed or fl--"
-BLAM-
Ogun shot the technician in the head while snarling in anger. As it stood now, he only had his own garrison remaining. The Humans had destroyed every hint of resistance across the world, while providing relief for anyone who either surrendered or was a non combatant. He'd lost an entire Mercenary Brigade in the second week of fighting when they had simply laid down their arms and requested free passage off world. Ogun had since embedded officers loyal to him in every unit: if there was even a hint of treachery, the entire cadre would be executed on the spot.
Still, he had two full battalions of his finest Shock Troops hidden within the caverns and tunnels of the Mountains. Between that, his supplies, and the geothermal powered Barriers and GUARDIAN batteries, he would die of old age before the humans could even think to threaten him.
"Let them hide behind the mountains if they wish. The galaxy will know their measure when they slink away in defeat!"
...
Staff Sergeant Edward Buck and his squad hustled to keep up with the pair of Spartans as they scrambled down into the ravine. The two superhuman ladies seemed to take a perverse delight in showing their disdain for the Marine Shock Troopers, though Admiral Drescher's direct admonishment the night before seemed to have dialed them back; the angry Echo Company Fury limited herself to a sneer this morning before their drop. The amazon bombshell had maintained her indifference, though she did seem more agitated the closer to drop they got.
I guess even giants have weaknesses.
Their current goal was to infiltrate the mountain fortress through an old ventilation shaft for the geo-power station, and disable the defenses so the rest of CSG 87's ground forces could advance and seize the bastion.
If they happened to get their hands on 'Imperious Warlord Ogun the First' in the process, all the better.
The shaft was easy enough to find due to the heat, though it was decently hidden in a narrow fissure: just wide enough for the Spartans to crawl into, so Buck's Alpha-Nine squad of Marine Helljumpers had plenty of room. After an hour of claustrophobic low crawling, they made it to the fifty meter wide primary shaft.
'Dutch' Miles shook his head as he looked down into the fiery abyss below. "I clock it as two kilometers straight down into a magma pool."
The angrier of the two Spartans, the one everyone called 'Allie', scoffed. "I thought you bitches were all about, 'feet first into hell'."
Private Agu sidled up to the two Spartans. "I just might try it, with two lovely angels like yourselves at my side."
Buck didn't spare the Marine a glance as he scanned the shaft. "Can it Romeo, or we'll toss you in and use your fat head to cushion the landing. Meg, can you see that spot above the shelf about 600 meters down?"
The more dour of the two Spartans put her rifle's scope up to her helmet and looked at the spot Buck had indicated. "I see it. Looks like a two meter diameter metal pipe. There's a grate over it, but nothing we can't cut through."
Buck nodded. "Alright Devil-Dogs. Hook up your Spider-Lines. We'll descend level with the ledge, then jet over."
Allie scoffed again before taking two steps back, then giving a running jump. Between her unnatural speed and her armor's jump jets, she cleared the fifty meters and stuck to the far wall before scurrying down it like a gecko.
Even Meg seemed put off by the display as she hooked up her Spider-Line repelling gear. They managed to make the descent and crossing just as Allie finished cutting the grate open with her spear.
Romeo threw a recon drone into the hole, and everyone waited for the softball-sized machine to return with a rough map of the pipe. It was five minutes of paranoid waiting, before the machine bobbed back to Pvt. Agu's hand.
"Okay," he linked to everyone's 'Heads Up Display', "this is pretty much a straight tunnel to some kind of HVAC room. There looks to be room for maintenance personnel, but no direct monitoring or control gear."
Buck nodded and looked around. "Alright, walking tanks on point, Dutch is rearguard. We stick together until we find a terminal with a basic blueprint, then break for our separate objectives."
Everyone nodded back, and they stalked as quietly down the tunnel as two Spartans and four Marine ODSTs could. Thankfully, once out of the volcanic shaft, they could hear the entire base rumbling with the sound of machinery and UNSC bombardment. The machinery room proved just as empty as Romeo had promised, though the noise was loud enough to be felt through everyone's armor.
All the soldiers snapped their weapons towards the door as a distracted Asari came in, tapping away on her Omni-tool. She looked up in time to see the humans advancing on her, and dropped her hand to her weapon while glowing with Biotic energy.
That was as far as she got, when blue gave way to purple as Alecto stepped out of the shadows. "Now now girlie, none of that."
As the Asari writhed in the Biotic Spartan's unnaturally powerful grip, Buck flowed forward. A twenty centimeter glowing orange spike extended from his submachine gun's Omni-Bayonet emitter, just before he drove it through her throat. Buck salvaged the still lit Omni-tool and tossed it to Megera A-152. "We're on the clock people, no time for grandstanding."
The squad stacked up on the door, while the Spartan's pulled up the rear.
"Shit, and I thought you were ruthless," Alecto E-001 shook her head, giving a mirthless laugh as she filled out last.
It didn't take long for them to find a wall terminal. Between her onboard AI partner, and the valorized Omni-tool as a bridge, they had maps to their respective targets in less than ten seconds.
"Command will send a Pelican to this platform," Megera A-152 indicated a landing on the northwest slope, "twenty minutes after Alpha-9 disables the defenses."
The ODST all nodded, even as they cringed at the more than a kilometer of tunnels and stairs they'd need to navigate to get to the rendezvous. Buck took point as his squad slunk deeper into the base, back towards the thermal shaft.
The two Spartans made their way towards the secondary control center, where the fortress' mainframe could be directly accessed. Once they were out of the din of the cooling plant, they both switched to melee mode. There was little contact for the first few minutes; then just before they reached their destination, seemingly every alarm in the complex went off as the lights dimmed. They both ducked into an alcove as a stream of armed, yelling aliens rushed down the corridor towards whatever Cain Dutch and his team were raising.
Magera spared a glance at her partner; Alecto lived up to her code name's sake, often charging in without any consideration of tactics and strategy. She was almost proud at the tense, but poised Spartan by her side.
Perhaps Jak was beginning to learn.
Once the stampede had passed, they both dashed the last few meters into the command center, then closed and locked the doors behind them. Alecto stood her post without hesitation, and Magera went to the central dias to plug Edi into the system.
As the Edi scoured the fortress mainframe for information on pirates and ships involved in the Elysium attack, Magera began setting up timed interruptions in the defenses; nothing immediately overt, but enough to bring the Kinetic Barriers GUARDIAN systems and light Mass Cannons offline long enough for the Army to take out the guns and surface emitters.
Once she had set up her programs, she turned to the terminal she had plugged Edi into. "Alright, miss; time to go before the GROPOs bring the mountain down on top of us."
-I think we have a few minutes to spare, Spartan Miranda Lawson A-152,- a deep, gravelly voice came through her helmet's speaker. -I would advise a modicum of circumspection; otherwise I might be forced to reveal your true allegiances to your partner. I somehow doubt she would be well disposed to learning she has been acting as the enforcer for an Alien cartel.-
Miranda froze for a moment, then spoke softly. "You have my attention. In the future, you might wish that you didn't."
There was a dark but genuine chuckle. -Indeed I might, but if you were that easily cowed, you'd not be worth my effort. I am the Shadow Broker; I believe you have heard of me. I have a proposition for you. I am aware of the location your current commanders are looking for, and would be willing to provide it to you.-
"In exchange for what?"
-One of my many assets is on their way to that target site. At present, they are too valuable to lose. I propose this: I will provide the location and current force disposition of the Pirate base, and you will extract or kill my asset before your UNSC can capture them. Is this acceptable?-
Miranda was torn for a moment, but only a moment; a direct 'in' with Citadel space's premier information broker was too good a prize to risk losing. She'd figure out how to smooth things over with Jak when the time came.
"Do you have a preference for dead or alive? Given my regular company," she glanced at her fellow Spartan, "one will be much easier to pull off than the other."
-They are still valuable to me, and so they are to you. Protecting me would be satisfactory, but assisting me might earn you a boon. The choice is yours.-
The commline became mild static, just before the holographic screen lit up with Edi's avatar. "I think I've got it! Several ships coordinated through this system to reach the staging area, with direct mentions of other ships and their home systems going to the same place. I can extrapolate how long they estimated when everyone would be linking up…"
"And you can use that to get an idea of their final destination."
"Well, Woundwort on the Matterhorn can, but yes; we can extrapolate their staging area to within a handful of systems. The Prowler Point of No Return can make the final ID."
Miranda A-152 yanked her AI partner and turned towards the door. "Alecto, we have what we need. Move out."
She could see Jak's vicious grin through her body language. The Biotic Spartan thrust the tip of her Doru into the door and left it there for a few moments. The metal began to blacken, then glow. Just as the door began to sag, she wound back her arms, her hands glowing a near ultraviolet purple.
"HYAH!" With a punch, she launched the now molten door down the corridor. Neither paid the dead or dying any mind as they rushed through the fortress to their extraction point.
They arrived on the platform first, with Buck and the rest of Alpha-9 running out a minute later.
"Close the door, close the FUCKING DOOR!"
Once the door closed, Dutch pressed a button on his vambrace. There was a dull boom, and power indicators on the hatch went out. So did the glowing blue dome of the Fortress' kinetic barriers.
"Well, that oughta hold them for a bit." Buck and his squad began reloading and checking their gear. "I surely hope our ride is on the way; we've learned the locals don't much like getting shot at."
Both Spartans moved to face the hatch. "Pelican is inbound, the ETA should be in the next couple of minutes," Magera absently commented as she checked her rifle and readied a grenade. "What can we expect?"
The platform shook as something slammed the hatch, deforming it in its frame.
"Oh, they've got every damn thing. Move!"
The door was smashed aside by a bull Krogan, followed by a swarm of tri-legged flying drones and a half dozen soldiers of various species. Everyone scurried for cover as bullets and missiles flew in every direction.
"Everyone, turtle up!"
Alecto snarled at the ODST. "The fuck I'm hiding! The bitch-ass--"
"Suit yourself," Buck began powering all his defensive systems to max, "but I just called 'Danger-Close' on this platform."
Alecto barely threw up her Biotic barrier when a single shell exploded directly above them all. The overpressure and shrapnel shredded everything out in the open.
Buck was just staggering to his feet when Alecto stormed over and hoisted him off his feet. "You are a crazy sonofabitch! I'm either gonna fuck you, or fuck you up."
The sergeant chuckled weakly. "Yeah, well my lady might take exception to either of those options."
The Spartan stared at Buck before barking a laugh and dropping him. "She can join in then. I bet she'd be thrilled with either choice."
Magera stood silently and watched the skies as artillery rained down on the various defensive guns, while a flock of Pelicans descended on the once mighty fortress. She knew that Sergeant Edward Buck was already on the list for the Spartan IV program, and wondered idly what kind of Spartan his experience would create.
...
Lieutenant G. Vakarian sat dutifully at the long range passive sensor station. It was the closest he was going to get to the scope of a gun this mission, since the Ormandy Class Frigate Nierra was tasked with shadowing what was turning out to be the humans' methodical cleansing of piracy in the Terminus.
At least the Council is getting its money's worth out of this brand new scout ship.
They were learning so much about the UNSC's advancements in the last decade or so: domestic designed kinetic barriers, new long range nuclear reaction driven laser and kinetic missiles, two new classes of fighter. It was a lot to take in in a short time.
Following the lightning fast siege and liberation of Parthan from 'Warlord Ogun the First', last and only, the United Nations Space Command Cruiser Group 87 had performed an almost leisurely tour of local pirate hot-spots. Each time they arrived, they very thoroughly, very methodically, dismantled whatever resistance they encountered; and with each victory, more and more warlords and pirates fled ahead of them.
He buzzed his mandibles in frustration; it was all so... so...
"Problem, Lieutenant Vakarian?"
Garrus jolted slightly at the sound of Captain Nihlus Kryick's voice over his shoulder.
"Sir, no sir; just watching the humans dismantle another raider probe."
Nihlus' mandibles clicked sharply. "Really? And what are your thoughts on their progress so far?"
With any other commander, Garrus might have just rattled off the Turian state line, but something in the Captain's voice gave him pause.
So he spoke his mind.
"They're going about this all wrong, sir."
There was a bristle as Nihlus' frill twitched. "Oh? This seems almost a textbook operation to me."
"Yessir, it is," Garrus turned back to his monitor to watch as a UNSC Light Dreadnaught and three Light Cruisers ran a squadron of Batarian Frigates down, "if that textbook were written by the Hierarchy."
Garrus spared a side glance, but only saw curiosity in his commander's face, so he pressed on.
"My father was part of the operation on Shanxi, from the initial assault to the final surrender. From everything he described, and everything I've read on available accounts, Human combat doctrine leans heavily on the asymmetric application of force, not the measured response most Citadel races use. This," he motioned as one of the Light Cruisers speared one of the Frigates with a pair of missiles, while the rest of the squadron hung back, "could almost be considered timorous if it weren't so effective. It feels..."
"Feels like what, Lt.?"
Garrus turned fully towards his commander, as the last pirate rabbited the system. "It feels like they're setting something up. Given the scope of the operation we've seen, if this is the preparation for the actual Operation, I'm almost scared to think what they have in store."
Captain Kryik nodded and buzzed in satisfaction. "Good."
"Sir?"
Nihlus turned and faced the ship's strategic holo-projector. "The Council believes that the humans are just being thorough, but anyone with any experience with the UNSC feels, like you, that the humans are laying a trap."
He activated the projector's galaxy map, and overlaid the methodical path the humans had followed. "We, and by we I mean myself, Rear Admiral Victus and Specter Saren Arterius, believe the humans are herding the pirates to one system where they will wipe them out en masse."
A single star was highlighted,a calm spot in a sea of stellar destruction: Torfan.
...
Specter Tela Vasir didn't know whether to count herself lucky or cursed. Her investigation of the pirate groups responsible for the attack on Elysium had led her to the moon Torfan. The location of the legendary pirate freehold had been a closely guarded secret for hundreds of years, but the pell-mell flight of Terminous pirates away from both the UNSC and Omega had led her and them straight to the freebooter stronghold.
With the UNSC not far behind.
A month after she arrived, and just as she was ingratiating herself to the command cadre, The UNSC struck. The force consisted of a full half dozen of their absurd Super-Carriers, as well as more than fifty dedicated warships from their Dreadnaught weight 'Cruisers', to squadron after squadron of Cruiser weight 'Frigates' and 'Destroyers', many of which were of familiar, but unknown design.
There was complete pandemonium in the command center, as the familiar UNSC ships flooded space with multi-megaton nuclear shaped charge anti-ship missiles, while the newer additions pummeled their opponents with what appeared to be ship-mounted nuclear reaction driven lasers. Once the skies were clear of any opposition (a matter of less than an hour of fighting), the fleet parked itself around the moon and began landing troops.
Legions of troops.
The loosest of estimates put the current troop count at more than ten thousand, with several hundred being the UNSC's mysterious 'Spartan' super soldiers. The last day had been a general slaughter, as not only were the humans numerically superior to the few thousand mercenaries who called Torfan home, they had also apparently learned how to make Tech-Armor based kinetic barriers. This seemed to generally take the form of an energetic Pavise shield, though fully one quarter of their force were completely shielded.
There were also reports of Spartan Biotics. Tela wasn't sure if those were genuine, or just panicked reports of vastly outmatched defenders. Either way, she didn't want to stick around and find out. She had everything the Council and the Shadow Broker needed as far as intelligence was concerned, and it was time to leave.
Therein lay the rub: she couldn't leave. UNSC forces pressed in from all directions.They currently controlled all but one shuttle port, and they had ruthlessly shot down any ship trying to escape, no matter what promises or excuses the pilots made.
The Shadow Broker had promised her there was an extraction! She just had to find it!
She felt the Biotic before she saw it. It was raw and undisciplined as a drunk Maiden, but the power rivaled that of some Matriarchs. She threw everything she had into her Barrier, just before she was hit with something close to a cannon shot. She sprayed submachine gun fire at the sea-gray armored giant with the spear and lunged to the side, just before it Charged.
She was winding up for a Shockwave, when the giant swatted her in the chestplate with the butt of its spear.
She sailed down the corridor and landed in a heap at the feet of another armored giant. This one reached down and grabbed her by the neck. As it was hoisting her up, Tela heard a female voice in her head.
Initiating handshake. Feel free to throw up, Aria did.
So Tela did. Her spine arched in agony as the giant sent a feedback loop through her Bio-Amp. She could only watch helplessly as the Biotic Giant stormed over, spear raised to finish her off.
She was not expecting her captor to stay the other's hand, and apparently neither had the Biotic. Tela assumed they were on a closed circuit radio channel, as the two gestured in a silent argument.
Eventually, the Biotic became impatient and raised its spear once more.
Tela felt the presence leave her nervous system, just as the second Giant tightened its grip on her neck. Then, the Biotic Giant froze in place. There were sparks of biotic energy dancing across its armor just before her captor ripped something out of the helmet of the now frozen assailant.
She was lifted to eye level as her Giant pocketed something, then removed its helmet.
"The Shadow Broker sends their regards."
Tela was genuinely surprised by the face of her captor. The woman was, by any measure, beautiful. The only mark was the sneer of contempt and self-loathing twisting her lips.
"Alright," Tela rasped out, "you're here to either extract me or kill me. Which is it."
"That depends on how useful you make yourself." The Giantess let her go and pointed to its frozen partner. "Pick her up; we've got a ways to go to get to the extraction point."
Tela looked at the involuntary statue and scoffed. "You're kidding, right?"
She caught a glimpse of near uncomprehending rage on the woman's face, before she grabbed Tela's forehead in one hand and began to squeeze.
"I all but raised that girl after your Turian attack dogs murdered her parents! I have just betrayed her; the closest thing I have to a sister, for you! I am committing High Treason by helping you off this world, so I can never return to my people. For You!"
Tela thrashed her legs as she was lifted up again, even as she felt the crushing grip on her forehead tighten.
"Now the Shadow Broker just wanted to make sure you weren't captured, but the 'how' was left up to me. My decision will be based solely on how useful you make yourself right now."
The Giantess let her go, and Tela collapsed to the ground.
"Pick. Her. Up."
Not seeing any other options, as her own Biotics were still reeling from the earlier cyber-intrusion, Tela tipped the Biotic onto her back and began dragging her.
The two made their way through the base, avoiding pockets of combat, until they reached an abandoned shuttle bay.
"Nazgul, this is Butcher: HVT is in hand, standby to Castle."
"And what -grunt-," Tella shifted the three hundred kilograms of deadweight on her back, "may I ask, is 'castle'?"
Miranda spared the Asari a side glance. "It means our ride to Omega will be here in a few minutes."
True to her word, a vanta-black human dropship landed on the abandoned pad. As Tela dragged her burden up the ramp, a lone human descended carrying a metallic egg the size of her head.
"It's a Havoc Nuke," Miranda answered the unasked question. "We don't want there to be any evidence you were ever here."
Tela thought about the various reports she had read on the humans, mostly from Specter Arterius, and marveled at how woefully unprepared they had left her. As the shuttle lifted off, she began mentally composing her future reports.
The next time a Specter ran into one of these 'Spartans', they would be ready.
...
Shipmaster Thel Vadamee knelt before the Council and the High Prophets.
"Noble Hierarchs, I have scoured every system but one revealed by the Oracles, and have secured them from the Servants of the Leviathan."
"All but one, you say," The High Prophet of Regret leaned forward. "And why, pray tell, have you left this holy sight in the grasp of Blasphemers?!"
Thel looked up as the Council and gallery roared around him. "Noble Hierarchs, the Humans have seeded the system with a Dark Energy Forbidence device. Even now, my observers report that the system is a fortress, with the humans constructing ships in great numbers there. At this moment, we have no way to safely enter the system and liberate the Temple from their blasphemous hands. But I do have a plan."
The High Prophet of Mercy held up a hand to still the Gallery. "And what is this plan?"
"I have tasked the Huragok to devise a way for a small force to safely navigate through the Forbidence. Once there, we can destroy their unholy machine, and bring the full might and wrath of the Covenant to bear! From there, we may pursue them wherever they hide!" The jeers of a moment before, became the roar of adulation.
The three San'shyuum glanced at each other in concern, even as the Sangheili Council stood and praised Thel.
The High Prophet of Truth Raised a hand, and calm once again returned. "This is a most ambitious course you have set. All the hopes and Faith of our Covenant, now rest upon your shoulders. Go forth, with our blessings, and clear the path for the Great Journey."
Once the gallery was clear, and the Council had dispersed, the High Prophets made their way deeper into the Capital Spire.
Mercy shook his head as they went. "That one has a fire in his heart; a dangerous one that may lead others astray."
Regret hovered back from the other two. "Perhaps, but for now we can use that fire as a rallying becon for our forces. Excuse me Brothers, I must attend to something."
Mercy watched the youngest High Prophet float off. "He has been disappearing more and more into the archives. I wonder if young Vadamee is not the only one led astray?"
"Worry not, brother," Truth floated on confidently. "Regret would not depart here any more than you or I without good cause. As for the Shipmaster," he brought up a hologram of another Sangheili, "his earlier incident with Jul'Mdama and the loss of the Holy Site should provide adequate foundation for his undoing."
He closed the hologram as they both floated onward. "When the time comes, we can simply induct him as the latest Arbiter, as we have with all the other upstarts."
...
The Citadel Council sat in chambers, as the door closed behind Specter Vasir and Specter Candidate Kryick.
"Goddess, I almost can't believe they would resort to indiscriminately firing Thermonuclear weapons at an inhabited moon!"
Sparatus clicked his mandibles in thought while staring at nothing. "Torfan was a legitimate strategic target, even by the standards of Fairaxen and The Accords. I'm more worried about their new ship designs. Starship grade Tech Armor and Kinetic Barriers? Ship mounted nuclear detonation laser cannons?" He stood up and started pacing. "They've advanced so much, and we're only just getting our new fleets started."
He held up a talon just as Bel took a breath. "You were, and are right; it was wrong to cancel the Officer Exchange Program, and now we're paying the price in lost intelligence." He locked eyes with Tevos. "We need to correct that, if we are to regain any kind of edge in any coming conflict."
Bel sat stupefied as Tevos nodded. "Agreed, but will they accept the overture? It has been some time, and our reasoning will be very transparent to them."
Bel shook off his malaise and pulled up the Nierra's field report. "From everything I can tell, the UNSC was not aware of our scout's presence throughout this engagement. Their dominance in the field of naval stealth has, until this moment, been absolute. If presented correctly, I think it would serve as sufficient enticement and incentive to cooperate."
Tevos released a sigh she hadn't realized she had been holding. "Then it is settled: we will reopen the Officer Exchange Program. I have received word that the Block II Ormandy Heavy Frigates are now under construction?"
Sparatus chuckled as Bel walked over to the humidifier. "Yes, now that the Republics have, graciously shared the secrets of Silaris armor construction, the Generation 2 Fleet is already in production. We can begin rotating the Citadel Home Fleet out on a squadron by squadron basis starting in six months."
Tevos arched an eyebrow. "Then the Gen One Ormandy Frigates are already obsolete?" At a hesitant nod from her fellow Councilors, she smiled and looked back at the table of reports. "Good; one of those should serve more than adequately as our Exchange platform. We need only choose which officer to send, and vet which officer we shall receive."
She looked over the information regarding the Ormandy Frigate Nierra.