Doctor Halsey held onto the roll cage of the Transport Hog she was travelling via. Lieutenant Richard and his Platoon had agreed to provide the transport for the meeting with the Bunny Warriors after their representative, a girl by the name of Delilah, had come to tell them of the presence of the rogue tribe in the area and that they had, in fact, been the ones to kidnap Hsu and their other two men. For what reasons, Halsey was going to find out now, seeing as queen Tyuule had promised an audience with the leader of the tribe.
Richard was driving the 'Hog they were riding in. Beside him was his rifle, loaded and with nothing but the safety being set to on separating them from a possible shootout. The Lieutenant hummed, then seemed to go wide-eyed. He looked to Doctor Halsey, then asked, "Uh... Doc? Couldn't we... Y'know... Have used the IFF Transponders our boys and girls have to track Hsu, Stechkin and Paulescu?"
Halsey hummed, looked to him with slight confusion, then narrowed her lips. She sighed, planting a palm on her face, then said, "I forgot... Thank you, Lieutenant, we'll see to tracking them and sending a retrieval team, provided queen Tyuule can't help us negotiate with the leader of the tribe for their release. Still, I would rather we show a mutual respect, so..."
"I'll keep my men's mouths shut, don't worry," The man remarked. The rest of the squad rode in the same 'Hogs they'd travelled with last evening. He added, "Though I'm still not quite so comfy with you being the one having a chat, doc. We could've gotten one of the ONI SEC1 diplomats for a chat. Fuck, if this is an ambush, things may get real bloody, real fast and I don't want a civvie in the LOF, especially if she's my superior. I'm gonna be the asshat who has to write the SITREP to HIGH-COM if you wind up getting nabbed or biting the dust."
"I admire your concern, Lieutenant, but there are two things you need to consider," She noted. Patting the pistol on her own bulletproof vest, she said, "It is unfounded, for one. I can protect myself well enough. As for the second matter?" She looked over to him and spoke firmly, "Tyuule, the leader of the Warriors, has agreed to speak to us face-to-face. It'd be an insult as bad as spitting in her face, I believe, to send a diplomat or ONI Spook to do the job I, as acting commander and head representative of the UNSC's interests on this world, have to undertake. Going myself may give me and the UNSC as a whole more leeway in talking to her."
Rich smirked, then gazed at the road, "Fair enough."
To the left of the road, the trees appeared once more, shrouding the peaks of the mountains on the horizon. The Lieutenant cued his mic and ordered, "Slow down a bit. Delilah mentioned she and a group of fellow warriors will be here to guide us and I'd rather not run'em over..." before he shifted the Warthog's gears. The Gun 'Hog ahead followed suit, with the entire convoy gently easing itself to thirty kilometers per hour instead of the almost ninety they were rolling with just now.
And, indeed, as stated, on the side of the road further ahead were Delilah, the ginger-haired elite of Tyuule's forces, as well as a bunch of other girls. Their weapons were sheathed, but they seemed tense nonetheless. Understandably, seeing as the Lieutenant and his own force all grew tense. Still, he ordered, "Don't point our guns at'em. We're not here to spook, we're here to talk..." before he gently stopped the vehicle.
Grabbing his rifle off the dash and sliding it onto his back via the strap, he exited the driver's seat and marched up to help the doctor climb out. With a nod of appreciation, Halsey took the young man's hand and descended from her seat. She approached the women and they began to speak, while the gunner of the Hog in front eyed the rest of the forest suspiciously.
"We're good, Matkovic. We're good..." The Lieutenant voiced. He saw the women chatting, with Delilah tilting her head toward a beaten path that could only be travelled on foot. The man frowned, then approached the doctor and whispered, "Sorry to interrupt, doc, but if we can't take our vehicles, I think that's a no-go. I'd like to have the extra firepower in case shit hits the fan."
"Calm yourself, Lieutenant," She spoke, "Leave a team to guard them. We'll take twelve men to the talks."
The man's shoulders sagged as he let out a sigh of resignation. Of course. He called back to his men and said, "Tarkoff, Peters, Samuels, McKinnon, Savini, Gwan, Minh and Demeter, you're guarding our vics! Stay on the guns and keep your eyes open... We're going on ahead," somewhat undermanned for being square in the middle of the possible enemy's village.
Sighing, the man and his tense compatriots departed with the doctor, marching close behind the new Tribe's Warriors, their rifles at the ready just in case something or other decided to poke its ugly head out and try and kill them. Or if their new 'friends' turned out to be hostile in the end, of course. The Lieutenant still eyed the leader, Delilah, somewhat suspiciously.
"Trust is built together, Lieutenant," The Doctor, who had clearly noticed his stare, noted in a murmur. He hummed.
"Yeah, and not overnight. Especially with the foreknowledge that some of our lads may've been kidnapped by the Bunny Warrior Brigade over yonder," The man replied surreptitiously. He saw that Ikari and Rosie were even more tense than him, considering each had an iron grip on their respective weapon. He didn't want to know what a shotgun would do to their new pals for now, either, but if push came to shove.
Pushing forward through the thicket, the Marines and Doctor remained as tense as the Bunny Warriors themselves seemed to be. The group of ladies in front of them some times shot glances back at the troopers, to ensure no foul play. If Richard were to hazard a guess, they trusted them as much as he trusted any Bunny Bun Gal at this very moment, to nobody's surprise. They were still a foreign military present on their world, in their land.
Despite the uneasiness with which the two sides walked, the trip was relatively short. The forest had a large central clearing, one where the main village of the Bunny Warriors resided. A relatively large village by numbers, perhaps housing at the very least a thousand people in tightly-packed huts and wooden houses, the capital of the Kingdom was filled to the brim with the warrior women. They regarded the Marines with a hint of awe, some even whispering among themselves. Two ladies shielded the youth of the Village, including two or three boys.
"Fascinating..." Halsey murmured, taking out her tablet and making notes, "It seems they raise their youth communally..."
"A bit too weird for me, ma'am," Voiced Rosie, looking at the women around.
Delilah turned to face them and addressed them. Doctor Halsey translated, "We're to go meet Her Highness in the largest of these houses. Straight in front," and all of them gazed forth. Indeed, what could be considered a small 'mansion' of sorts resided in front of them. A much larger wooden house, though still built with a single floor, resided in front of them. It was guarded by a few more well-equipped battle maidens of theirs.
As they approached, however, one of the guards stopped them. She motioned to the rest of the Marines and said something to Delilah, which doctor Halsey translated again, "We can't bring this many soldiers inside, for fear of an attempt on Her Highness's life..." And she looked over to the Lieutenant, "At least they share in our healthy skepticism of foreigners, it seems."
"Hah," Richard grinned, "Fair enough..."
Halsey then turned toward Delilah and asked something while motioning to the Lieutenant. The Guard nodded to Delilah, who, in turn, said to Doctor Halsey a clearly affirmative response. Halsey hummed, then said, "Very well. Lieutenant, it seems they'll allow me one bodyguard for the meeting... You and I are going in, seeing as you're the highest-ranking soldier."
"Gotta be kidding me, doc," He stated, "I'm a Marine, not a politician."
"I only need you to stay by my side and look menacing," She stated firmly, "Just so that no attempt befalls us. I'm certain your Sergeant can handle things."
Taking a moment to ponder the situation, the man looked around at his troops. Letting out a deep sigh, he said, "Can't do anything about this right now... Alright, everyone, wait outside. Fingers off the triggers unless shit really hits the fan. I don't wanna have to carry doc Halsey out of here because a shootout was started, or to have any possible civilian casualties on my mind. Still, if you start hearing shots... Don't hesitate."
"Sir," They all nodded, then immediately went default and formed a perimeter, facing the guards and the village.
Entering the building, the duo was greeted by the scent of cooking food and freshly-poured alcohol. While the place seemed sort of spartan, sparsely-decorated save for furniture here and there, it did have the beautiful look a wood cabin would have. Especially one meant for what one would assume was royalty. They were led by Delilah and Delilah alone to the dining area.
A large table, fit for over a dozen people to eat at, sat in the middle of a somewhat opulent room filled with the trophies of hunts and various skirmishes, including what looked to be a combination of Roman and Medieval armor sitting on various stands. Sat at the table itself, facing it and with another Bunny Warrior to her right, Tyuule nursed a goblet of wine.
She and the tribal leader seemed to be engaged in a heated discussion when Delilah brought the Lieutenant and Doctor over. The little bout between the Queen and her other subordinate seemed to be interrupted the moment Delilah stepped in. The girl motioned to the Lieutenant and the Doctor and the latter of the two bowed. The Lieutenant followed suit, more out of a desire not to outright murder each-other here and now than out of respect.
The Queen spoke to them and Halsey straightened her posture. She took out her tablet and spoke to Tyuule, looking her right in the eyes as she did so. The Bunny Warrior queen hummed, looked to the Lieutenant, then nodded her approval. Halsey also turned to him and said, "Keep your helmet on, Lieutenant. I've activated the translator so you can understand what we're talking about."
"Understood," He nodded. The Queen motioned to the two open seats to her left, while the other Bunny Warrior seemed to be a bit miffed at their presence.
She spoke to the Queen, with the translator catching and adding, "Are we certain it is a good idea to bring these foreigners here, Your Highness?"
"I feel that if their men hadn't gone missing, we may not have had to deal with them in the first place," She replied, shooting a glare at the Tribe leader. She then looked to doctor Halsey and said, "Apologies, doctor, but I don't believe you've met. This is Shana, leader of the Bunny Warrior Tribe who inhabits the patches of forest near your own village. I've brought her here in the hope she could shed some light on the disappearance of your soldiers."
"Thank you, Your Highness. Greetings, madam Shana. I'm Doctor Halsey, of the UNSC," The woman bowed and the Bunny Warrior smirked.
"A bit too much respect for a lower-class girl like myself, doctor."
"We wish to show we want cordial relations with your kin, madam Shana," Halsey replied calmly, leaning back into her seat, "That includes showing a certain modicum of respect to possible neighbors..." And she looked to the Queen, adding, "That is another matter I wished to discuss with you, Your Highness. I'd be grateful to get my soldiers back as soon as possible, but the request that we depart from our current site is something I've come to negotiate."
"You seek to remain in our land?" She asked, raising a brow, "For what purpose?"
"This was the best landing zone we found," Halsey offered, "We're seeking artifacts, technology, items that may answer certain questions we have relating to your world. We're not here to cause trouble for you, or your people."
"Good, because we have plenty of that already," Shana quipped, flashing a grin at the Doctor.
"And whose fault would that be...?" The Queen murmured, taking a sip of her drink, much to the confusion of both the doctor and Lieutenant. Shana scoffed, casting a sideways glance at Tyuule, then she eyed the Lieutenant. A devious smirk crossed her lips again as she seemed to size the armed man up, before chuckling. Both Halsey and the Lieutenant found that odd. Tyuule sighed, then said, "Apologies. She seems to have taken a liking to your soldier."
"... What?" Richard paused, furrowing his brows.
"I see... What did you mean, however? What trouble befalls your kingdom?" Halsey inquired, outright ignoring the uncomfortable Lieutenant.
She hummed, then said, "Are you so foreign as not to know of the Empire? They're our neighbor. We've been somewhat of a client state of theirs for a while, but our relations have grown tense as of late. Certain happenings have led to them demanding more and more of us, despite our general open border policy with them and their forces and merchants, although some of the latter have started going missing," And she cast a sideways glance at Shana.
"I see..." Halsey sighed. Yet another potential neighbor, maybe even a hostile state, "We do not wish to engage in any sort of war with this Empire... We merely wish to recover our men and continue our research mission on this world."
"You mentioned the 'world' twice. Are you not from the same ilk as us? Same territories? Same dirt and water?" Tyuule inquired, somewhat confused. Halsey shook her head.
"It is a long-winded story, Your Highness, but we're as alien to this world as one can get... Back to the point at hand," She then looked to Shana, "We wish to see our men returned and to have a peaceful coexistence with your Tribes while we continue our research," And Shana seemed to stare right back at her now, grinning. Halsey continued, "However, I'd like to also note the fact that, are we not to receive our soldiers, we will begin a thorough search and rescue operation which will inevitably include the Bunny Warrior territories, whether Your Highness and your compatriots approve of it or not. Those are my soldiers. I take care of my own."
"I understand," The woman replied, a hint surprised at Halsey's unwillingness to budge. She looked over to Shana and whispered, "You draw the ire of yet another people. It was not enough that the Empire was knocking on our doors, demanding the release of their merchants, but now you go and do this..." words which still caught in the translator. Gazing back to Halsey and the Lieutenant, she said, "Your soldier does not wish to speak...?"
The Lieutenant simply shook his head, then eyed Shana, this time with a glare in his eyes. He spoke to Halsey, "So, take it that's the one that yoinked our lads?"
"So it'd seem," Halsey said in English, hummed, then went for Latin, "Your Highness, can you confirm that madam Shana has our men?"
"She can't," The tribe leader said, her voice venomous as she cut off the Queen. She then explained with that same devious smirk on her face, "I don't know what happened to your troops, but you folks don't know how we do things, do you? Might've been another tribe. I hear Terra's girls have been going nuts lately, too. Try checking up with her if'n'you think your lads may've been stolen."
"Shana," Tyuule spoke as if warning the girl. She looked over to Halsey and said, "Forgive her. She's right. Our customs are involved in this matter... Surely, you noticed that our species has very skewed ratio of women to men," before sighing, "We've no idea what had been causing this, but it has affected our people since the dawn of our existence in the confines of this realm."
"... So you seek Males with which to mate..." Halsey narrowed her lips. Shana grinned and Tyuule nodded with a sigh. The Lieutenant snorted, covering his mouth, while the good doctor commented in English again, "Oh, those poor men..." before switching back to Latin, "... And you presume either madam Shana's tribe or... Perhaps another... Stole our men to be...?"
"Yes," Tyuule nodded, "I can send Delilah back to Shana's village to verify if your troops are there."
"Milady, I oppose-!" Shana stood to her feet, but was silenced by a wave of Tyuule's hand.
"I trust your word, Shana, so you must have nothing to hide beside the Imperials' own merchants that you stole from the carts..." She spoke with a soft, but somehow even more menacing tone, "But, if we find that you've caused trouble for yet another nation that can bring an army to bear upon us, then you and I will have a long and hopefully productive talk about controlling the habits of your Warriors. We do not even know the strength of the Doctor's forces."
"Three hundred soldiers total for now, with a few scientists," Halsey remarked, "So we may study the artifacts we seek safely when we find them."
"For now? So you can bring more?" She raised a brow.
"Yes, alongside fighting machines and vehicles that you, yourself, have seen."
"Those horseless carriages?" She raised a brow, "Surely, they must be magical, then..."
"I'm afraid not. Just technological advances centuries old for us. There's no such thing as magic..." Halsey murmured, taking her glasses off. Shana snorted, while the Queen sighed and looked over to the Lieutenant. She mouthed something to him which neither he, nor the translator caught. He raised a brow, then turned to the doctor as she continued, "However, those are not the only items we can bring to bear."
"I will take your word for it," Tyuule noted, "And I understand our situation... We've the Empire on one side and you on another... If we could make peace with you, perhaps we could focus on the Empire's demands as well... Save ourselves the threat of genocide, perhaps, for angering their Princes and even the Emperor himself... Yet I doubt we can even negotiate with them now."
"Is the Empire really that impatient with your kin?" Halsey looked on, confused.
"Twenty of their finest merchants went missing thanks to the acts of some of our kin," She replied with a deep sigh, "They seek their return, reparations for the losses should they be dead, or outright war because I cannot stifle my own people's desires. How many more troops can you even bring to bear anyhow, if what you have with you, you call a 'research unit'?"
"On last count," Halsey narrowed her lips as she thought, "We currently have several thousand men stationed on one of the vessels currently sat above. Perhaps a thousand more spread evenly among the smaller ships we have in the line, for a total of... At least ten, maybe twelve thousand soldiers..." and Tyuule grew paler at the numbers, as did Shana.
"... What do you mean 'above'...?" Shana mustered the strength to ask, beads of sweat running down her cheeks. The Lieutenant flashed a grin at her this time.
"We're a species that travels the vastness of what lay beyond the skies," Halsey explained with a hint of prose, "I'd say we stand currently higher than even 'gods', if I were to hazard a guess."
"That's impossible...!" Shana growled, "Nothing stands above the Gods!"
"The world is full of mystery, wonder and terrifying things, madam Shana," Halsey offered, a faint smile crossing her lips, then she turned to Tyuule, "Worry not, however. As I said... We intend to cohabitate with your people should you allow it, your Highness. Perhaps even assist you with negotiating with the Empire while doing our research... Mind you, a negotiation backed by strong weaponry and the manpower to wield it."
"And yet you only seek to have your soldiers returned and to be allowed to settle within our territories for your research operation," Tyuule murmured, "That seems to be an awfully convenient offer, Doctor."
"I am a mere researcher with no intent to lie or deceive you, Your Highness," She noted, "One who seeks to peacefully understand your world and even your people, not fight a war against another species. We've had enough of that to last us a lifetime."
"If you truly are from another world... And all you say is true..." Tyuule murmured, then narrowed her lips, "What choice have we but to accept...?"
"Milady!" Shana started, slamming her head onto the table, "You cannot seriously believe that-!"
"Shana!" The Queen snapped, drawing her blade and placing it next to the girl's neck, then warned, "Still your tongue or I'll remove it for you...! Get back to your village and take Delilah with you. If anything happens to her before she can report to me and to the Doctor's people, I will have your head on a silver platter to deliver to Emperor Molt alongside the Merchants! I would rather not test the assumption that the Doctor's people have less than they speak of... And I would very much like an ally in these matters."
Shana, though shocked, grit her teeth and sat herself back down. She bowed her head, then glared at Halsey. The girl quickly excused herself and departed while Tyuule continued, "Forgive us for that, I..." as she stowed her blade, "Shana has always been a precarious leader to deal with ever since the head of her tribe passed due to sickness. That woman had raised her most of all her kin."
"We understand," Halsey hummed, "We hope this won't cause any sort of trouble for any future negotiation."
"It hopefully will not," Tyuule murmured, then sighed and said, "I do have more questions for you, doctor..."
"Of course," Halsey nodded.
"For one, you mentioned you've fought other species before..." She hummed, "What did you mean?"
"We have had almost three decades of warfare against a genocidal foe that nearly scoured us from the face of the wider galaxy," Halsey mentioned, then added calmly, "Provided the next few talks between our people go well, I believe I and the Lieutenant will be at liberty to reveal them to you," and gave the woman a genuine smile. Tyuule nodded. Simple enough.
"As for my second question, then," She straightened up, clearly happy to change the subject, "What sort of artifacts could you be seeking?"
The doctor nodded and retrieved her tablet out of her breast pocket. Thumbing it on, the woman flicked through a series of images to reach the ones that painted a clearer picture. She slid the tablet to the shocked Tyuule, who murmured, "Yet another piece of your 'technology', I assume..." before reading the file. She saw the Forerunner symbols first, clearly, wrinkling her nose at them before she reached the weird characters that denoted Latin. Narrowing her lips, she let out an, "Oh..." before looking to the Doctor, "You seek the Gate..."
"You know what it is?" Halsey asked, surprised.
"Yes... It's something left behind by the Gods. A strange artifact, indeed, but one of great power if the tales are to be believed. However, I'm sorry to say it is currently in Imperial Territory... Deep in it, in fact," She replied, "I cannot take you there. Your best chance is to open negotiations with the Empire itself for right of passage to the Holy Hill of Alnus."
"I see..." Sighed Halsey. Glorious. "Thank you. I'll see what I can do..."
"Let that nugget of information be the beginning of a hopefully fruitful relationship between our peoples, Doctor. We will repay you kindly if you do help us with the Empire, of course..." She noted. Then, she gazed upon the Lieutenant and hummed, "For a man of few words, he certainly seems interesting... Does he have a name, Doctor? For I'd like to know what to refer to at least one of your men as."
"Richard Samuels. UNSC Marine Lieutenant. Call me Rich if ya feel like being friends, ma'am," He replied calmly, words which Doctor Halsey translated.
"A pleasure," She nodded.
"All mine, ma'am," He flashed a grin full of pearly whites at the woman. Dental in the UNSC really worked wonders, Halsey thought. She and the Queen bid a respectful goodbye and the Lieutenant and doctor then departed. Exiting out onto the street, the pair saw Rosie interacting with a pair of the kids, petting one of them on the head and smiling, while Ikari and Ivanov watched.
Ivanov looked to the Lieutenant and asked, "How'd it go?"
"Good," He noted, "I still needed a translator, but the doc seems to have convinced them we're good to stay here for now... And they're sending out that Delilah girl to check out a possible location for our boys. When we get home, I'm still powering the Locator on," And he shifted his rifle off his back. He then ordered, "Alright, squad. Let's get to the vics and RTB. Shit's bound to get fun, now that it looks like we're allowed to stay."
A short trip back to FOB later, the Lieutenant had deposited the doctor to report to the Admiral and Lord Hood while he went back up to the walls, rifle in hand this time. He intended to keep watch so that not another one of their men went missing tonight. Settling into his spot for the night, rifle in hand, the man eyed the forest and its surroundings again, stating as an order, "Let's keep the lights pointed as far out as possible, just in case someone decides to come pay us a visit again..."
Over the next hour of the night, the Lieutenant had kept his eyes locked onto the forest itself, some times through his binoculars. He wouldn't risk another incursion that he couldn't spot, or another guy lost to the Bunny Warriors. He smirked, then murmured to himself, "Actually, if I told the fellas about the whole cultural norm of the Bunnies, they'd probably pack their shit the next instant..."
He hummed, then squinted, narrowing his eyes just enough to focus on the sight of silhouettes moving through the trees. He grit his teeth, then flipped on his mic and said, "Charlie, Alpha. Be advised, possible contact, heading two-twenty-seven off the main gate of the FOB. Ready your guns. Warning and disabling shots only. If shit gets heated, you're cleared to shoot to kill, but only if shit hits the fan. You got that?"
A series of affirmative answers rang through the Wireless. The man nodded approvingly, then flipped on his VISR system and gazed through the binoculars again, watching as the figures broke through the tree line. He immediately recognized them, even without the spotlights shining onto them. Bunny Warriors, one of which was Shana. He sighed deeply, then said, "I hope to fuck you won't try it..." as he grabbed his rifle. His compatriots mounted up against the wall, rifles shouldered. He reported through his microphone, "Doctor, we have a situation. Bunny Warriors. I'm counting about a dozen of'em. They're being led by that Shana chick."
"You're cleared to engage only if they attempt to kidnap or harm any of our men, Lieutenant," The woman offered, "Otherwise, wait for more reinforcements. I'll send Tenth Platoon out with stun rounds. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT kill any of them unless absolutely provoked!"
"Roger that. I already told the folks not to aim to kill," The man answered. He watched as Shana began to bound over from her position atop the hill toward...
Him.
Fuck.
The man hefted his assault rifle up and thumbed the safety on his assault rifle. He watched as the first of the Bunny Warriors made it to the wall, synchronous with the prattle of the first Assault Rifle fire of the night. The warning shots seemed to do little to deter the girls, despite some of them wincing at the loud noise. One of them clambered up the wall in three jumps, drawing her blade.
She threw a sideways kick toward the Lieutenant, but he blocked it with the stock of his rifle. He then spun about and brought his own foot to bear, kicking the woman square in the fucking face and knocking her out, before hefting his assault rifle up again and firing a burst just over the wall, which struck the ground in front of the Bunnies. Still didn't halt them from trying to climb the wall.
He heard the crack of a rifle impacting facial bones and turned to see one of the two Marines on the chunk of the wall he was on knocking down one of the other climbing Bunny Warriors. He scoffed as his buddy, a female, fired into another Bunny Warrior, nailing her in the gut. She looked back to the Lieutenant and said, "Best I can do as far as disabling shots go! These bitches are fast!"
"Long as it don't kill'em, I guess..." The Lieutenant murmured, then turned, gasping as he saw Shana jump over the wall. Her feet met his chest, sending him over the railing and into the inside of the FOB. She and him landed with her on top and him unable to use his gun. Pointing a weapon at her throat, the woman clearly threatened him in Latin, a smirk on her face as more of her kin pounced over the wall. He scoffed, then said, "Sorry, lady! I don't speak Bunny!" before he threw a punch that nailed her square in the nose. Beside her, another of her sisters took a burst to the gut and dropped onto the floor, bleeding.
She staggered, jumping off of him and back toward the line of Bunny Warriors that now jumped into the the perimeter of the FOB. A volley shot from rifles cracked the air and the Lieutenant looked back to see soldiers carrying VK78 Commando Rifles and DMRs forming a line to meet the Warrior Bunnies in full. He gasped as he saw one of the Bunnies drop, twitching due to the shock of the Stun Round hitting her.
A fellow Lieutenant, one Mikhail, grabbed Richard by the scruff of his neck and said, "I'd stand up, Dick!" while shoving a magazine into his chest. The man explained, "Stun rounds! Fire at will!"
Richard nodded, switching out his magazine for stun rounds as their own counterattack began in earnest. Shana and her girls, however many of them there were, poured in, surging forth to meet the men and women of the UNSC in close quarters. The Lieutenant now danced a deadly tango with Shana as the girl slashed at him and tried to knock him off-balance so she could presumably take him.
Well, Tyuule did mention the chick took a liking to him. He raised his rifle and blocked the two bent blades, each burying itself into the polymer of the weapon's lower stock. He pushed the blades away, then slammed the butt of the rifle into the belly of the woman, knocking the wind out of her lungs. She grit her teeth, then presumably swore at him in Latin as more and more of her sisters dropped, stunned, to the floor.
It'd taken the boys and girls of the Tenth Platoon little time in order to form up. Similarly, it'd taken even less for Richard's own squad to rally with them and open up on the Bunny Warriors. Shana looked to the Lieutenant, growled, then motioned for her sisters to retreat just as fast as they'd come. Grabbing their RKO'd, the girls jumped over the walls again, under the whittling fire of more and more pissed-off Marines armed with stun rounds instead of normal bullets.
Shana stopped atop the wall, then turned to the Lieutenant. She yelled something at him, which the boy soon heard the reply to from Doctor Halsey:"No... No, I don't think you will, madam Shana," before marching to the Lieutenant's side. She looked to her, then asked something in latin which Shana promptly answered, clearly, with another swear. She left and Halsey let out a deep, exasperated sigh.
Looking around at the injured Bunny Warriors and at the slight damage caused by the incursion, Rich asked, "So... We gonna talk about this with Tyuule? Because Shana definitely must've done this off her own accord, rather than under orders..."
"Yes..." Halsey hummed.
They would talk very soon, in fact.