Chapter 5: Top Priority
June 7, 2558.
1400 hours est.
Circinius IV, Circinius system.
The UNSC Vociferous along with its garrison at a total of three frigates orbited Circinius IV. This planet was the one of the first United Earth Government planets glassed during the start of the Human-Covenant War. The command deck teemed with ensigns and crew at their stationary positions and preparations as Captain Summers stared into the view of a Pelican descending planetside.
"Any ships in orbit?" Captain Summers queried
"No, ma'am. Only ours." A female ensign stated as the captain opened a comm link to Team Bravo
"For now, at least." she replied before turning her attention to Bravo's comms. "You have your objective, Bravo. The Office of Naval Intelligence has detected an unknown source seeking classified information at the abandoned CAMs facility on Circinius IV. This is a retrieval mission of top priority."
"Understood, Captain." said the voice of Rosenda
"The Vociferous along with UNSC frigates Uppercut and Four of a Kind will remain in orbit to keep watch of any Covenant until otherwise." Captain Summers informed the team. "Which means no orbital bombardments and call in reinforcements, if necessary, in case of hostiles onworld. You're on your own."
"We'll get it done, ma'am." Harvey replied in an assured tone. "We'll radio in if we need anything."
"Godspeed, Bravo. Vociferous, out."
The Pelican descended into the atmosphere as Rosenda and Harvey take a glimpse of the glassed world. And while it was not fully glassed like the other UNSC worlds, it was partially. As how as the reports mentioned during the start of the war, it took nearly twelve years for the planet itself to cool down. Their objective was clear: head down to the remains of the Corbulo Academy of Military Science to uncover the mysterious source. Based on the reports themselves on how the academy was attacked when three Covenant corvettes descended over the campus, as one of them destroyed the space elevator which halted evacuation. Marines, ODSTs, and even the nearly all the cadets were killed in the attack where only there being three survivors. A couple of operations like Able Sentry and Phalanx were force reconnaissance mission to observe Covenant invasion patterns and evacuate civilians along the way.
"This place was one of the few planets hit by the Covenant when the war started." Owen spoke. "I'm surprised they didn't fully glass it back then."
"Wasn't much for holding a large population center." Hazel replied. "That's why Circinius IV was glassed partially before everyone was evacuated. This also gave us in an insight on how their patterns work whenever they invaded one of our worlds."
"Aura, how many signatures in finding what we need? Or what's being taken?" Harvey asked the team AI while Bravo pressed onward
"Won't know until we get there and take a looksie for ourselves." Aura replied. "As for the signatures regarding that source, it's still here but it's being tempered with. And yet..." she paused, due to the signature acting abnormal
"Aura? What is it?" Harvey responded, waiting for her to conclude
"It's almost as if it's willingly being sent on its own." she said to Bravo. "Whatever it is, I can see why ONI considers it important to investigate."
"Then, we need to find out what exactly is causing it to happen." Rosenda declared. "What's our ETA to the CAMS facility?"
"Four minutes." Aura replied
"Any Covenant in the area or on the planet?" Owen asked the AI while Bravo scouted ahead several yards to the academy
"I already checked after the Vociferous arrived on slipspace." Aura stated. "No Covenant in space or on Circinius IV as far as I know."
"And we're on a deadline if any Covenant actually do show up here." Hazel added
Rosenda hit the intercom to the Pelican. "Bravo, stay ready and proceed with caution." she ordered
"Copy that." Owen replied
"Aye." Hazel said
"Understood." Harvey spoke in a professional tone
Owen and Hazel armed up with nothing more than a shotgun and battle rifle. Rosenda had the Pelican descend further down to a cliff over to the side of the ruined CAMs facility, as her and Harvey came down to the trooper bay. Rosenda took an assault rifle while Harvey armed himself with a sniper rifle as Hazel pressed a button for the trooper bay doors to open. Owen took point with Harvey behind him as the two glanced, nodding to each other then back at Rosenda and Hazel. Bravo team trek down on the path below, making their way over to the ruined UNSC cadet academy. What remained in their surroundings was dried up trees in a barren landscape. From across the desolate landscape of Circinius IV, scarred by the Covenant's glassing campaigns years earlier. The sky is a mix of muted grays and blues, the ruins of once towering structures jutting from the ground like broken teeth.
Inside the CAMS facility, Team Bravo moved cautiously through the dimly lit corridors, their armor softly humming with internal systems. Rosenda took point as she moved forward with the others on her team behind her, her visor scanning for any signs of activity. Blood on the walls and floors were decades old, the remains of human withered in nothing but bone and tattered clothing. Team Bravo proceeded on ahead, attempting to complete their mission and return back to the Vociferous. One thing the members of Bravo noted was that the power was on in the facility, seeing as how they were not supposed to anyone on the planet.
"All quiet so far. Proceeding to the source of the signal." Harvey spoke. "It's coming from this direction."
"Waypoint all set. Just follow the path, Bravo." Aura informed the team as they pressed on through the abandoned academy. "In the meantime, I'll see if I can find anything regarding this abnormal anomaly."
"Keep your sensors sharp." Owen said. "This place gives me the creeps."
"Signal is getting stronger up ahead. Looks like it's coming from the old command center." Hazel stated
"Stay sharp, everyone." Rosenda said in a grim tone. "No telling what we might find here."
"Either insurrectionists groups like the NCA potentially roaming around here or Covenant remnants who consider this place a trap." Harvey remarked
"Probably to lure in some unsuspecting bastards that moved in too close for easy grabs." Owen commented
They advanced deeper into the facility, passing shattered holographic displays and overturned desks. Signs of battle from the past still linger from even after the war, a testament to the fierce fighting that once took place here. This facility used to train young minds and form them as commissioned officers for the UNSC. It was active during the height of the insurrection, years before the Covenant attacked Circinius IV. As they reach the command center, the doors slide open with a faint hiss. Dust sprung out after the doors slid open, revealing a darkened room bathed in the eerie glow of failing emergency lights. At the center, a holographic terminal flickers to life, casting a ghostly blue hue over the Spartan's armor.
"Terminal's active. Let's see what we got." Rosenda said, cautiously approaching as she inserted a module inside the terminal. "Aura, do your thing."
"I'm on it." Aura said, hacking the systems on the terminal. "Forerunner related. Now I can see why the Office of Naval Intelligence was so privy about this being all hush hush."
"Welcome, operatives of the Office of Naval Intelligence. You have found what remains of a relic from unknown point of origin. Proceed with caution." said the PA system
Hazel cautiously raised her rifle. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Ignore it. Apparently, it's been this way since the Covenant invaded Circinius." Aura said, noticing something particular while she was in the systems. "Interesting."
Before anyone in Bravo could respond, they felt an eerie and unknown presence watching. "Something's not right." Harvey spoke with a tone of caution and sense of danger. "We're being watched."
Suddenly, the room shook as the ground trembled from above them, dust falling from the cracked ceiling. They heard the sound of footsteps from behind as they aimed their weapons at the direction of the noises they were hearing. From the shadows emerge alien silhouettes new to Bravo but not Rosenda, their alien features twisted and menacing as she recognized them to be the Forsaken. The Raloka lumber forward, their massive forms crashing through some debris due to their size. Pytauri stalked Bravo Team from the sides within the shadows, hissing in anticipation. They heard the sounds of crawling from the ceiling as they looked up to see Q'lin.
"What the hell are they?" Owen muttered to his team, keeping his weapon at the ready as did the other members
"Not the friendly type. Weapons free!" Rosenda ordered as she was the first to open fire at a Maruader and then a Berserker
The Spartans engage with precision, weapons blazing as they fend off the alien onslaught after the Forsaken opened fire. Rosenda coordinated their movements, each Spartan covering the others' backs with practiced efficiency. Hazel with her innate physical skills and Harvey heightened reflexes hit critical shots with precision. Owen spotted an incoming slash from a Berserker's energy ax, using a bleeding Maruader as a human shield before shooting a few rounds at the Berserker's face. Hazel jumped on one of the Berserker, kicking it across a desk as she shot dead a Raloka and another Berserker. Rosenda dodged a slash from an energy ax as she blocked another slash at the cost of her assault rifle, before she kicked a Berserker's knee. She took this as an opportunity to plunge her combat knife at the Berserker, having it deep in its neck with blood spitting out of its mouth. It roared in retaliation before it grabbed her by the throat attempting to end her life, only for Rosenda to stab it in the eye before impaling the knife in its chest. The Berserker slowly died with blood gurgling from its mouth, falling the ground and left in a pool of its own blood. Harvey sniped down a suicide Marauder bomber as it exploded, killing a few Stalkers and two Berserkers. As the last of the Forsaken are dealt with, the terminal finally yielded its secrets to a distress signal. The signal itself was long forgotten, but Aura picked up another signal detailing a new Covenant fleet movement nearby. She then tried to radio in the Vociferous, but there was no response due to static and interference. With the data secured, Team Bravo prepared to evacuate as their mission was far from over after Rosenda retrieved the module. She inserted it into the back of her helmet.
"I can't reach Vociferous or the frigates." the AI informed Team Bravo
"Radio interference. Is it Covenant?" Harvey queried
"Could be. I'm getting some traces of Covenant." Aura replied. "However, the signatures are different. They're in sync with the anomaly."
"Let's move." Rosenda ordered
As they regroup in the flickering light, the distant rumble of Covenant engines outside the facility was signaling the looming threat ahead. Bravo team nodded to each other and made a run to the surface. While running their way up to reach the way they came, they received encounters of Forsaken as they try to evade and neutralize them. Once at the lobby, Owen threw a dead Berserker at a couple of Stalkers before the other shot down Berserkers and Marauders. Using their Spartan training since their conscription as children, Team Bravo had relied mainly on their instinct and combat prowess in order to survive. While repelling off Forsaken skirmishers, they get nearly surrounded by Covenant forces that arrived.
"We got Covenant!" Harvey called out in view of a Covenant carrier in the sky
"Where in the hell did they came from?" Owen tripped over an Elite, emptying half a round across the Elite's back and head. "Why haven't we heard anything from the Vociferous?"
"Aura, tell me you know what's going on."
"Wish I could, Bravo leader." Aura said in an uncertain tone. "Whatever is going on in this planet, is jamming all forms of communication."
"Is this Covenant? They did so before on Requiem." Hazel said, recalling the mission reports on the former shield world as she kicked an Elite in the face. "Aura, can you cross reference any signatures matching the jamming signal?"
"I'll try." Aura replied. "Just try to stay alive."
"Any suggestions?"
"There should be a pelican still in use, according to the cameras in this place." Aura advised the team. "It should still work."
"Move out, Bravo! Double time to the roof!" Rosenda ordered
Team Bravo emerged onto the rooftop of the CAMS facility, battered but alive. Smoke and ash swirl in the air, partially obscuring the horizon after they fought off both Covenant and Forsaken. Since both factions were fighting each other, their attention to Bravo was not their focus. So, for the moment, Team Bravo was in the clear for now. Harvey eyed the battle through his helmet and scope of his sniper rifle, detailing the patterns of these mysterious aliens he only encountered just recently. Their weaponry was unlike he had ever seen, with some of the weapons he seen inflicted on the Covenant to be interesting. Rather than seeing plasma burns on the bodies or weakened after their shields were damaged, it was as if they were hit with some form of radiation along the way. From what he saw, this wasn't plasma but something else in use of their weaponry. In the distance and through the haze, a sleek ONI Prowler becomes visible as its black hull blending with the muted sky. Aura temporarily hacked into the security systems of the academy when she spotted that caught her digital eye. The camera zoomed in, showing the unmistakable figures of John-117, Kelly-087, Fred-104, and Linda-058 moving with precision across the Prowler's ramp. Kelly pauses briefly, her head tilting in Team Bravo's direction as though acknowledging their presence before disappearing into the Prowler.
"Is that Blue Team?" Hazel asked
"Affirmative." Aura answered. "ID confirmation is confirmed."
"What are they doing here?" Harvey asked
"Unknown. And I can't contact them due to that damn signal jamming." Aura stated
The Spartans watch as the Prowler's ramp closed and the ship's stealth systems engage upon takeoff, its hull shimmering briefly before fading into the background of the night like a phantom. Bravo watched as the Pelican they came in exploding in the crossfire between Forsaken and Covenant. Covenant mortar rounds and Forsaken artillery shook the ground below them, hitting the CAMS facility in the ensuing battlefield. Some of the Forsaken such as the Berserkers and Q'lin were sent flying by mortar plasma fire while Marauders ran at ramming speed. Once they reached the Wraiths, they exploded on impact due to the bombs strapped to their torso as nearly half of the Wraiths were taken down along with some Covenant in the area. Then all of a sudden, the sound of looming footsteps echoing throughout the area as Bravo turned around to see a pack of Sharquoi being led by a Berserker with a Jiralhanae's skull jaw on its mask. With a roar, the leading Berserker ordered them to charge at the Covenant, opening fire on the charging as a form of retaliation. The Sharquoi hit the Wraiths and dropships with their clubs, while Stalker sniped off the rest using Needler rifles. Banshees were also hit the moment they swooned in, pummeling down into the ground upon being bludgeon upon impact. Moments later, the Prowler rose into the upper atmosphere as its engines eerily silent before entering orbit while the Vociferous and its frigates were trying to survive the three-way space between Covenant and Forsaken. While the Vociferous and frigates Four of a Kind and Uppercut were getting by using the Covenant ships as shields, they were still getting hit hard judging by the erupting explosions. A faint glimmer in the sky marked its jump into slipspace upon leaving the planet as Bravo flew into orbit out of Circinius IV, seeing the Prowler vanish off into the slipspace portal.
Rosenda sighed. "Well, that wasn't ominous or strange at all." she said in sarcasm
"Whatever they're doing, I get a feeling its above our pay grade." Owen replied. "But I have a gut feeling this isn't sanctioned."
"Let's get back to the Vociferous before we attract further attention." Hazel advised. "Captain Summers and Commander Young will want to know."
Harvey nodded in agreement with Hazel. "Captain Summers, this is Bravo. Returning to the Vociferous, and there's been a complication..."
The Marathon-class cruiser loomed in the darkness of space, its hull scarred from prior engagements escaping Circinius IV of Covenant and Forsaken but still a formidable sight. Team Bravo's Pelican shuttle started docking in the hangar bay as technicians scramble to refuel and rearm other vehicles. Bravo walked past engineers and marines alike, making their way to meet Captain Summers and Commander Young in the ready room for debriefing in regard to the mission. The debriefing room is stark and utilitarian, with holographic displays lining the walls. Team Bravo stood at attention when Captain Summers walked inside, as the door closed behind her upon entering.
"Captain, about Circinius IV and what we encountered there..." Harvey started off the conversation with his hands behind his back
"Aura sent in the full report prior to your return on the Vociferous." Captain Summers responded, staring at the report before turning to Bravo Team. "Is this accurate?" she asked
Rosenda stepped forward. "Affirmative, ma'am." she said as Aura approached before them on the holotable
"As you all know, the plan was to investigate the signal. Which in return turned out to be a Forerunner beacon buried in the CAMS command center underground. We encountered multiple hostiles never seen before." the AI stated as Harvey glanced at Rosenda. "This new race of aliens had a Sharquois with them during their little assault on the Covenant. And according to the analysis our scientists pulled up, it matches the same one in Creck. We were able to secure whatever remaining intel recovered in the end before there was activity of a Covenant fleet entering the region." she added, showing recorded live footage of Team Bravo's encounter with the new alien races at the CAMS facility and outside of it
"Except these aliens were fighting the Covenant, but they aren't on our side either." Hazel spoke as Rosenda uploaded the data the team recovered. "They attacked us as well when we were in the facility."
"After the war, the Covie remnants were organized." Owen commented. "Sloppy but organized. Then, whoever or whatever these new aliens are show up and they're scrambling trying to gain the upper hand. And this another group of aliens... these bastards don't discriminate. That's for damn sure. We were easy gain for them just like the Covenant."
Rosenda glanced at Harvey who stared at her in the distance. "You got something to add, Harvey?"
"You encountered them before, haven't you?" he asked as all eyes were now on her. "I could tell when I saw your body tense up a bit back at the command center. It was as if you had seen ghosts."
"Yeah, you're right. I have seen them before." she answered. "On Requiem when I was with Jun months ago."
"Last I checked, Requiem was obliterated after colliding with its artificial sun based on the reports from the UNSC Infinity." Owen replied
"What do you know about these aliens?" Young queried the Spartan leader of Team Bravo
"They're called the Forsaken. A biological engineered species created by the Forerunners that served as slaves and then soldiers during the war with the Flood." Rosenda stated. "Prior to the Halo array, they were stored in Requiem until they were released by accident."
"There's something else, Captain." Hazel spoke. "We saw a Prowler taking off while outside the CAMS facility. We saw Blue Team on-site and left before we could make contact."
Captain Summers is taken aback by the revelation of Blue Team on Circinius IV. "Blue Team?"
"What the hell were they doing there?" Commander Young as he turned to Captain Summers who had an expression on her face. "Captain?"
"Aura. Could you go into of Blue Team's last known mission?" Captain of the Vociferous had asked the AI
"Right. There were talks and rather a large quantity of reports that suggest Blue Team going AWOL after a mission in Pegasus." Aura explained
"Pegasus? That's the ONI facility hanging between the fringes of Sangheili and Jiralhanae space." Harvey recalled. "If either side found out about it, there could be the risk of war happening again."
Aura nodded. "That's correct." the AI said
"Did ONI send them in at Circinius IV?" Owen asked
"No." Captain Summers replied. "The Office of Naval Intelligence is completely unaware of Blue Team's whereabouts."
"Captain. Getting a call from the Office of Naval Intelligence. CINCONI Admiral Osman on the line." Aura informed them as they glanced at each other before Summers responded
Summers sighed exasperatedly of the Office of Naval Intelligence in regard to the mission at Circinius IV. "Patch the admiral through, Aura."
"Patching you through, now." A screen of Admiral Osman appeared before them on screen
"I read the report, Captain. Is this accurate? Blue Team spotted in Circinius IV without official sayso from the UNSC?"
"They were admiral. Bravo confirmed Blue Team's presence for themselves."
"As well as the presence of an alien force not like the Covenant spotted on the planet also." Young added
Osman folded her arms. "I see. And what of the Forerunner beacon?"
"We got whatever remains of the data off the beacon." Aura stated to Admiral Osman. "But it was incomplete, which could possibly mean that Blue Team has whatever was on that beacon. To what kind of data or information, we have no knowledge of. That beacon was cracked years before the Covenant attacked Circinius IV. I noticed it when the data had been picked clean."
"Did they have help?" Osman asked the team's AI
"From an AI, most likely." Aura showed a signature between the AI in Blue Team's possession along with the signature from the Forerunner beacon. "If I can configure these signals together, I'll be able to find them."
"And what of the Forsaken?" Osman queried
"They didn't get whatever was on the beacon, either." Rosenda responded. "But no doubt they were drawn to it when they came."
"For now, have the Vociferous on standby for repairs until further notice. Osman, out." Osman said, as the screen turned to the UNSC logo
"Commander Young. Have the Vociferous make a slipspace jump for repairs. Radio in Uppercut and Four of a Kind to do the same."
Young saluted at the captain. "Ma'am." he said, leaving
"Bravo. Dismissed."
"Yes, ma'am." Bravo said in unison
The Spartans exchange glances, their helmets hiding their unease. They salute and file out of the room, leaving Captain Summers and Commander Young alone with the holographic display of their findings. The team stayed in the ready room for a few moments before leaving, heading to a R&R room as they removed their helmets and decompressing after the mission. Rosenda leaned back in her chair, her face still tense from the encounter with the Forsaken. The team fell silent, the weight of the mission and their unanswered questions regarding Blue Team hanging heavily in the air. Owen walked over and got a bottle of water from the minifridge as he tossed one for Hazel and Harvey who caught it in return. Outside the viewport, the stars streak past as the Vociferous began its slipspace jump.
"Blue Team playing cloak-and-dagger, and now this encounter with the Forsaken on Circinius IV... " Owen set the datapad on the report down at the table. "It can't be a coincidence." he said, drinking his water
"But it makes you wonder what Blue Team was doing there in the first place." Hazel responded, before taking a sip of water
"No one knows at this point, Hazel. Not us, not the captain, and apparently not the ONI." Owen replied, before glancing at Harvey and Rosenda. "What about you two?"
"Until then, we await our orders." Harvey spoke. "Whatever they may be."
"I already know what they'll be." Rosenda suddenly said, while staring out the window
"What do you think they'll order us to do, Rosenda?" Hazel said
"Simple. They'll send us to bring in Blue Team." the leader of Bravo said, with no hesitation in her voice. "That will be our orders."