---

The enemy commander was, naturally, the priority, though Vael still had no intention of being trapped in tunnel vision on the target. Running out onto the platform, they were exposed to a lot of angles. While there was cover, and many of the rebels were more concerned with rushing to their evacuation than turning around to attack, there were some soldiers turning their attention turning towards the team. ”Tasuma, cover our flank!” He ordered. The Mgalekgolo would certainly not be able to reach their objective before someone else on Aegis could, so his focus would be more useful on protecting the others.

The rebel leader did not slow his pace as the shots started to ring out around him. Ryker’s attempt to stop him might have worked, but he had more than just Human equipment to rely on. Before Ryker could take his third shot, the bright blue energy field of a Kig-Yar point defense gauntlet powered on to take the bullet, which protected him for the rest of his short run to the pelican. The leader did make it into the troop hold of the dropship, but he did not order takeoff immediately. Other rebels were still rushing in behind him to evacuate, and he did not seem intent on leaving them. Shortly after making into the pelican, he leaned out to give cover to his allies, keeping in cover behind his gauntlet while angling an M319 grenade launcher to fire over it. The grenade came in quick towards the center of the group, then airburst over them. It did not detonate close enough to make any kills, but the EMP effect could effectively drain shields.

The quieter moments of the pursuit gave Yalu some moments to reflect. The mission was not going flawlessly. He did not know whether the enemy commander would still be at the landing pad by the time they reached him. It would not be over by then, he told himself. If the human rebels could fly through these tunnels as a routine, then he might...

He paused his thought before they opened the door to the landing pad.

There was little time else for Yalu to do than to take a shot alongside the others at the commander. "He has a gauntlet. Need more firepower-"

The grenade flew across them. Yalu reflexively ducked and covered his head as it went off. He grit his teeth at the shock that had blasted against his now EMP-drained shield. This breach was dead in the water.

But he did spot some other aircraft in the landing pad.

They had perhaps a few seconds before their quarry could load up another grenade and they could not push an assault without shields. That was the first concern. "Grenade out!" Yalu risked an arm out of cover to pitch a fragmentation grenade out ahead with plenty left on the timer. It bounced, slid, and coasted to a stop across the forerunner floor, spinning in place ahead of the pelican's ramp before detonating.

Yalu was already switching to his concussion rifle for the next stage. He had only six shots left to pin down the enemy while the rest of the team followed up.

"The quarry covers his allies' retreat," Yalu observed. "We are not hunting a coward."

If Ryker had ever wanted to go kick the shit out of a Jiralhanae more than he wanted to kick the shit out of this fleet they'd used to track the rebels, he couldn't remember it. The insurgency had already had a history of being a pain in the ass for the UNSC, especially since they had this idea that the UNSC were only full of villains, but giving them access to some of the Covenant tech that had given the Alien conglomerate an edge...yeah, that was not fun. In his personal experience, ONI was the one to beware, but as he exchanged shots with a pair of Insurgents taking cover behind a couple of crates, he decided he could reminisce later. He only had a brief moment to recognize the weapon their target pulled, but it was long enough to cloak and dive, hopefully, out of range of both EMP and any shrapnel.

Landing at a roll, the SPARTAN-IV brought up his DMR and fired a quick two tap at the leader, aiming mainly to knock the grenade launcher out of his hands and force him to either high behind his shield or fall back into the pelican. {Grikgar, think you can damage one of those engines on the Pelican? We can't let him get away.} He had been firing from where he'd landed until a stray shot hit him and his shields shattered, shutting down his cloak as well. "Aw, come on..." He dove behind the nearest piece of cover as an array of assault rifle fire strafed after him. This was now a bit of a shit show, but it was what it was, and at least the EMP hadn't completely drained his shield like it had several of his teammates.

Once again, the rebel commander proved quick to react to danger. As soon as he saw a Spartan taking aim, he ducked into cover in the pelican while he loaded in another grenade. Grikgar, however, required hardly more than a few moments to eagerly follow Spartan Ryker’s suggestion. His fuel rod cannon was already at the ready, after all. Pelicans were generally well-armored, but there were weak points, especially near the engines. Naturally, Grik knew right where to aim to disable one of the rear engines.

The commander had slowed Aegis team down enough that his soldiers were able to make it into the hold, but just as the pelican started to lift off of the landing pad, a fuel rod detonated inside one of the rear thrusters. Dropping back down onto the pad, the pelican started to spin and scrape across the ground until it came to rest on its side.

It had been a slow crash, so there were few injuries for the passengers inside. As the commander climbed out the back, he shouted back to the soldiers behind him. “Go, get to one of the others! I’ll cover you!”

The rebel commander wasted no time in sprinting away from the crash in the opposite direction as the rest of the soldiers. He flicked on his shield gauntlet once again, running and weaving between crates for extra cover as he took potshots at his attackers with the magnum in his other hand. Though, even for those among Aegis with weakened or depleted shields, his blindfire was of little real threat.

To Vael, for a few moments, it seemed assured that their quarry would be theirs shortly. However, the commander had one last surprise for them. Once he was far enough from the pelican, he stopped near the edge of the platform in a rather strange defensive posture. He held his shield low to protect against wounding attacks, while leaving his head exposed. On top of that, he threw off his helmet, revealing a middle-aged, bald and scarred visage. He pointed his magnum not at his enemy, but at his own head. He seemed aware of the risk of being disarmed, as he tried as much as possible to keep his own head between his enemy and his weapon.

“Stay back!” He shouted. “I know you want me alive; I’d be dead already if you didn’t. Well, you want your prize? Then we do this my way!”

The trolley Tar had kicked spun in transit, shedding some of its load before trapping one of the armour-clad rebels against more crates. The Sangheili pilot then traded a bruising fusillade of pistol fire with the rest of the small group until an EMP blast from somewhere overhead shattered her shields. Instantaneously, a pistol round pinged off Tar's left elbow and right knee armour, sending pain rippling through her body.

Tar leapt back behind cover and released her spent magazine. She fumbled for a new one and clumsily clipped it in. Her leg felt strange. She shakily levelled her pistol at the space where the riot-gear rebels were surely rushing through to kill her, but they didn’t come. Instead, she heard the trapped rebel shout “Don’t you fucking leave me here!” She poked her head around the side of the crates she had taken refuge behind and saw them running for the transports parked further along the platform.

Tar looked behind her, and could hear a Human voice she didn’t recognise calling to them. It sounded like their quarry was threatening to kill himself. Unacceptable. They didn’t get the luxury of killing themselves; that was her job.

Tar quickly crossed to where the lone rebel soldier had been squashed between the trolley and other packing crates. They tried to level their pistol at her, but Tar quickly swatted it away and ripped the riot shield out of her other hand. She jabbed fiercely at their visored helmet, and heard a yelp from within. Tar pulled at the visor and the whole thing came free, revealing a Human female with a bloody nose and mouth. They looked groggy from the impact, but still managed to spit a bloody wad of saliva onto Tar’s armour and grin.

Tar pushed away the equipment trolley pinning the soldier into place with one hand, and grabbed her with the other. The soldier could barely stand up, so Tar half carried and half dragged her into clear view of their quarry, and most of Aegis Team. She forced her to kneel, and then pushed her pistol against the back of the woman’s head. Tar looked up threateningly at the commander.

Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker

// Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Enemy Stronghold

A quick but easy shot, most high ranking grunts were taught how to target the weak points on human vehicles. Their engines were always exposed, even a well-placed grenade or plasma shot from a pistol had the ability to take out an engine or disable it for long enough to cause enough damage. The grunt kept his guard up and his weapon on his shoulder as the pelican came to a stop. More humans rushed out of it including their target.

What seemed like blind fire forced him back into cover behind some crates as their commander fled. He was trying to use himself as bait so that the other humans could get free of the area. Smart, this human tactic he had seen been used before but it was futile as the fleet was quick to intercept the fleeing civilian transport. Grik was not sure if it would be the same here.

There was still small arms fire in the area making it loud and distracting for the most part. That combined with the man yelling and the other elite fighting with another rebel made a good distraction from the back line where Grikgar had been hiding. He could see that the man intended to kill himself in order to get what he wants and that would mean that the mission overall would be a failure. The Unggoy ultra was determined not going to let that happen.

One thing he quickly realized during his service was that no one expect a grunt to be much of a threat. This alone got him through more than a few close encounters with death. In this moment with all the distractions he knew what he could do. Quickly he dropped all of his ammunition and weapons except for his knife and activated his cloaking while still hiding behind the crate. He was well aware that this human could possibly have some sense of motion tracking but he took his helmet off, still charging or going around the crates wasn’t a viable option for him.

Instead Grik moved quickly along the wall to the edge of the platform and dropped carefully over the ledge. This was going to be tricky he was well aware but one thing grunts where always good at was climbing even across smooth surfaces. With this and the distraction of the sounds of battle and the elite fighting the other humans Grikgar quickly but quietly maneuvered himself around the edge with the aid of his cloaking. Making his movements coincide with the sounds around them.

The Unggoy would continue this until he was effectively right behind the human. He would let the others know he was in position by flicking the responder tag on their IFF tag to green. The target wasn’t the human himself but the gun in his hand all Grik had to do was get his hands on the weapon and pointed away from the man even if it meant he would get hit in the grapple he was sure the others would be on him quickly.

---

Vael halted in place with his carbine’s sights set firmly on the rebel commander. However, this time, to kill was not his goal, which was enough to give him pause. He was a warrior with immense battlefield experience against some of the most deadly foes the galaxy had to offer. He had seen more in battle than even most Sangheili would experience in their lives, yet he could not deny that this was something new to him. He had a foe in front of him that he could not kill, and in fact, that he needed to save from the weapon in his own hand. For all his battlefield experience, Vael could not deny to himself that this fell outside his array of skills. He would need his team to succeed.

Already, some of Vael’s team took the initiative to act, demonstrating options that Vael himself had not thought of in the moment. The pilot, Tar, matched hostage with hostage. She found one of the rebel’s allies to threaten and did so in clear view of the commander. It seemed dishonorable, but could Vael truly criticize unorthodox tactics in an equally unorthodox situation? The rebel commander had demonstrated considerable concern for his underlings, so it was a clever way to exploit that weakness.

At the same time, out of all his team, Grikgar was the one who seemed able to potentially move himself into position. Even Vael may not have noticed, were it not for his HUD highlighting his ally’s position, but the Unggoy was moving around wide under active camouflage to get behind the Human. The rebel commander was highly aware of his surroundings, looking around constantly to his front and sides. Being alert, he would likely notice an approach even through active camouflage from those angles, but Grik was hanging from the side of the platform to move around behind him. A perilous position, as it was quite a long drop off the side, but it was an approach that could actually work. Many Sangheili would find it foolish to trust such a vital task to an Unggoy, but Vael was aware that Grikgar was not the average Unggoy. Perhaps they did not need to succeed at negotiating with this Human? Perhaps they needed to merely buy time?

For the rebel commander, he only hesitated briefly upon seeing Tar’s hostage. “I know I can’t save everyone, but if you want me, then you’re going to let me save who I can. No arguments. You will let the rest of these dropships launch. Doesn’t matter if you pursue, because you’ll never find them once they’re gone. Then, you radio your people up top and…tell them to focus on the Brutes. They’ll follow that order, and I trust my people to get away on their own. You do that, and let your hostage there go, then I’m yours. Without a hole in my head. I give you my word.”

Well this wasn't the situation that the SPARTAN-IV was expecting to find himself in at this point, with their target holding himself hostage to get his people out alive. Ryker had already reengaged his active camouflage, and had taken aim to try and knock the pistol out of his hand, though his position on the edge of the landing was less than ideal. Still, an answer had to be made as the team moved. He wasn't sure that matching hostage with hostage was a great plan, but it did offer an opportunity and he saw Grikgar flash his IFF to indicate his position. The little Unggoy was smart, pity there wasn't much of a way for Lucas to support him, though he did know that they'd all been issued combat knives and if there was one thing the former ONI assassin knew, it was that a surprise prick from an unexpected source that would often turn things in your favor.

Turning off his external speakers, Ryker spoke strictly to the members of Aegis. "If we can coordinate everything right, we can disarm and detain him without having to meet his demands. Grikgar is in a great position to catch him off guard with a knife to the leg or even leaping on him. All one of us needs to do is get that magnum out of his hands." He then remembers the SPARTAN-III...Ben. He had hopefully found a good spot by now. "We could also blow off his arm with that Anti-Material rifle of yours, Ben."

Cohen was unremorseful, nay unresponsivle to Yalu's response as she added the rebels to the body count the mere act itself was just part of her job. She wasn't a cold hearted killer but emotions aside she couldn't care too much about URF scumbags, but praise from some splitjaw was not going to make her day any better, unlucky for her. For Ray the work was yet to be done as the rest of the team corpsed the remaining indivudals without hesitation, it was a bloody battle that never seemed to end. For the two spooks it was just the start but it simply gave them too much fucking fatigue. The silent woman let out a sigh of fatigue in response to it all or responseo to Yalu? It was simply unknown at this time.

For Ray the continuance of the objectives seemed paramount as he followed the patrol along with his entourage that was just Elna Cohen. They encountered the rest of the rebels and ended up locking in the fire fight that ensued. Though the two would end up at the back of the confrontation as is played out until the pelican went down without remorse, still fighting the group of rebels Ryker and some others had confronted the commander in question, though the stakes looked dire.

"The HVT must be captured alive, by any means necessary. Do not blow his arm off, that will be fatal.

Having taken cover behind what she considered a more sturdy crate, one that she hoped would not disintegrate when fired upon or explode, the Spartan team lead observed the scene that was unfolding before her with an attentive mind. A few scenarios ran through her mind as she quickly tried to decide what was the best course of action. She had non-lethal flashbangs that could be used, the weapon could be shot out of his hand, active-camouflage could be engaged and the target could be incapacitated that way. All of these and many more ran through her mind. "If we fire upon him, there is a very good chance he will become critically injured from doing so, or he may end his existence. Everyone, please stay back and allow me to attempt to handle this, if my plan does not work, then you may engage." said Aviza into her squads private coms. Moving onto her feet, she would show herself from behind the cover she had chosen, not taking any steps forward and remaining where she currently stood.

"Commander, I am the team leader for this squad, they will follow my orders swiftly and to the letter depending on what I say." began Aviza in her normal emotionless tone, though this time more humanity could be heard behind it. "We do indeed want you alive, and in all honesty I rather avoid more loss of life. We have heard your demands, and it is obvious you are a man who cares for those who server under and around you, and that you fight for something you believe in, unlike the Jiralhanae. I would like to inform you that I agree with your demands, give me a moment to contact the ship and inform them." There would be a pause as Aviza opened a com with the ship above them, "This is Spartan Aviza, we have the HVT in sight, but he is demanding that we allow his forces to leave in peace while focus firing the Jiralhanae forces instead. Do not fire upon the rebel shuttles, and allow them to leave in peace." Aviza said this out-loud in open coms so that the commander could hear, though she did reach out to Shih and thought "Shih, inform them to do as they see fit once the shuttles leave, but allow us enough time to capture the Rebel Leader and move him to an area where he will not be able to see anything you all may choose to do afterwards."

---

The moment she was given the order, Shih did just as Aviza said. She passed on Aviza's instructions to the battle group above, as well as a brief report on their current situation. She also took the liberty of encoding and encrypting the message, in the unlikely event that the rebels still had some ability to intercept their transmissions.

Across the platform they were on, the engines of one of the other pelicans came to life. It had filled up with evacuees and started to lift off in short order. Vael gave just a brief glance in its direction as it accelerated clear of the platform, then took of down the tunnel and turned out of sight. He kept his carbine aimed at their target and gave no visible reaction, but he did speak carefully through the team's comms. "Our ships can track and pursue the rebels above, but we do not know these tunnels, and they have certainly mapped them. Any dropships that flee down here will likely be lost to us."

Meanwhile, the rebel commander activated his own comm unit, though he spoke openly for all of them to hear. "You should be able to get an opening. Follow the contingencies. Get out of there while the enemy focuses on the Brutes. Report back confirmation once you're away." Once he gave his orders, he looked back at Aviza, still with his magnum pressed firmly to his skull. "Okay, glad to see you can be reasonable. Now, once I get word that my people have escaped, and once your split-lip friend there releases my soldier, then you can have me. No tricks. Until then, you can stay back, and we can all just wait right here."

Ryker could hardly believe he was watching them actually acquiesce to the requests of a terrorist just to take him alive, especially given they'd already killed non-combatants in an effort to reignite the war between Elite and Human. But then, their team lead was a medic and their first priority was always saving lives, not taking them, Spartan or not. {They'll pop out of some other hidey-hole eventually, the URF always does. Regardless, Team Lead, we need to get that weapon out of his hands BEFORE the shuttles above get too far away. Grikgar is in position to jump him, just give the word.}

Speaking from personal experience from during the war, Unggoy were much stronger than they looked and an unaugmented human being would struggle to actually stop them from disarming them. The encounter had been...unexpected, just a lone Unggoy looking to relieve themselves when Lucas had stumbled upon them, but the following fight, in which the Unggoy had easily disarmed and almost killed Ryker with its bare hands, had proven to the now SPARTAN-IV that any of the former Covenant races were more than met the eye.

"Do me a favor Tar..." began Spartan Aviza, speaking through the open coms so not only her team but also the Rebel Leader could hear her. "Release the captive hostage and let her escape safely, the pawns are of no significance to us at this time." As soon as Aviza had finished speaking, a sudden wave of dysequilibrium washed over her, though the Spartan held her composure and remained on her feet, letting the feeling run its course and eventually pass. Acting as if nothing had happened, Aviza turned around to face their female Sangheili friend, hoping her orders would be followed swiftly and to the letter. At the same time, she ran a message pass Shih, "Please inform command we have injured and will need immediate medical attention once we arrive back on the ship. Two medical teams, one for humans and one for Sangheili will be fine."

Tar turned her head sharply to look at the Human in grey armour and growled softly. They nearly had this rebel leader surrounded; there was no reason to give away prisoners now! She wondered if the earlier fall had taken its toll on their leader’s soft, squishy interior. The rest of this group of fighters still seemed resolute in their support though. It was almost amusing to think how differently this might have gone if it were a Sangheili-only team in this position.

After a moment of reluctance, Tar lowered her pistol from the hostage’s head. She pushed the Human forward, sending her sprawling forward onto the deck. “Run fast.” Tar warned them, looking down as they struggled dizzily back onto their knees and then to their feet. Gaining her bearings quickly, the rebel soldier staggered off towards the last dropships.

Tar quickly surveyed the environment again, then returned her gaze to the rebel Commander. Her arm and legs hurt from where bullets had hit them, but she resisted the urge to examine them with her fingers just yet. Things could still go either way here. Instead, she engulfed her captured pistol in both hands and held it ready.

---

Vael had to hold himself back from responding to Spartan Aviza’s…decision with anything more than a low growl. Not only did this choice prevent them from delivering the remaining rebels their deserved punishment, but it was risky. Once they held no leverage over him, there would be nothing stopping him from taking his own life except his sense of honor, and perhaps fear.

Even so, Vael did not voice any dissent. He simply kept his carbine leveled on the rebel, trying to keep his aim right on the Human’s wrist. Even he could not guarantee he would be able to make such a shot, but that was the only option Vael would have to stop him from killing himself, should it come to that. Even if he did not agree with the plan, it was still better for a unit to have united support for a single plan, rather than divided support for a better plan.

In any case, the impasse continued for as long as it took for the remainder of the rebels to make their escape. One after another, the pelicans lifted off and accelerated down the tunnel, with their former hostage boarding the last to make her escape. Soon enough, the complex was devoid of insurrectionists, save for the commander himself.

The rebel had remained alert to any movement for the entire wait, but once his soldiers were gone, he stared down Aviza. “You have kept your word, Spartan…” He began, letting out a long sigh. In an instant, he squeezed the trigger…which was followed by nothing but a click. His weapon was out of ammunition; he must have held down the slide release lever after firing his final shot before. ”I hope you remember that integrity when they betray you too. Do as you will.” He remarked, tossing his empty pistol aside.

In leaving the Forerunner structure, there was no more resistance. Every rebel that had not been killed had evacuated, while the Brutes above ground had fought to the last. If there was one measure of respect Vael could give to the Jiralhanae, despite their savagery, it was that they would fight to a warrior’s death no matter the odds. Of course, even with the Brutes defeated, they still had to extract quickly once on the surface. The fighting had drawn the ire of the Forerunner defense systems in the area, so they had to evacuate under fire to return to the Chorus of Thunder. Once all ground forces were aboard, the fleet as a whole jumped to slipspace to put some distance between themselves and Sarcophagus.

---

The debriefing for Aegis team came after the appropriate medical attention for those who were injured. For Spartans, medical checkups were standard after every mission, though Sangheili team members were at least offered treatment as well. It was up to them whether or not they would accept it.

Overall, the mission was successful as per the objectives outlined to them from the start. Most of the rebel cell was destroyed, and their commander captured. The escape of so many insurrectionists was not ideal, but the damage dealt to the organization was considered sufficient, especially with the capture of their leader. It was a strong first showing for Aegis team, and it made a solid case for their usefulness of this experiment in cooperation.

As was true from the beginning, however, Aegis team was never fully about military effectiveness. It was a political experiment as much as it was a military one, so having good results was not an immediate guarantee of their future. The wait aboard the Chorus turned from days to weeks as their superiors discussed the mission’s execution, its results, and its implications as they interrogated their captive. Ultimately, priorities began to shift among both governments as a result of events in the rest of the galaxy. The rebel cell they encountered was considered to have been removed as a threat, while other concerns moved closer to the forefront.

For the Swords of Sanghelios, the war against Jul ‘Mdama’s Covenant continued to draw more and more of their resources, while the UNSC was reluctant to draw themselves any further into the conflict than absolutely necessary. Meanwhile, the UNSC Infinity’s mission to facilitate the study and decommission of the remaining Halo rings was among the UNSC’s highest priorities, and Spartan deployments to the Infinity, and other locations in service of that goal, were considered more important. Ultimately, members of Aegis team on both sides were soon given “temporary” reassignments back among their own people while they awaited the results of discussions between their superiors.

The months that passed saw events that threatened to reshape the balance of power in the galaxy. The discovery of the shield world Requiem, followed by the Didact’s attack on Earth and the destruction of New Phoenix shook the peace that Earth had enjoyed since the end of the war. Despite his losses, and even without the Didact to lead them, the Requiem Campaign brought more power and influence to ‘Mdama’s faction. After the destruction of Requiem, Promethean warriors continued to serve as allies to the Covenant, which, to some, seemed to legitimize Jul ‘Mdama’s claim to leadership.

It was only near the end of the Requiem campaign that the talks over the future of Aegis team, which had been shelved months before, were put back on the table. Though still reluctant to join the war in earnest, the UNSC now had much more direct cause to act against ‘Mdama. Particularly for missions in or near Swords of Sanghelios territory, the need once again arose for a team like Aegis.

---

Vael was sat on the floor, resting on his knees and meditating in the quarters he had been given. He was out of his armor, which was no small show of trust for him on an alien world, even if the Humans likely did not understand it. Of course, his armor was close by and sealed in its storage container, and he rarely left these quarters without it.

Opening his eyes, Vael simply took a moment to look out across the bustling city outside his window. It was the place this idea of Aegis team first started, the city of Sydney on Earth. Vael and his team had been here over a week while they awaited other members of the team to be recalled to Earth. Their superiors had already been discussing, planning, and making agreements; it would simply be up to them to carry out the decisions that had been made for them.

In a way, Vael found his treatment here amusing. Unlike his previous visit to Earth, he had been given quarters as a guest near to, though not within the UNSC headquarters. Since he and his team had been required to stay for more than a short time, their hosts had at least made an appearance of not treating their allies like prisoners. He had been free to move of his own accord in the city, though of course, he was under no illusions that he was not being watched by ONI. No matter what appearances they wanted to give, they would not allow him to go anywhere they did not wish him to be.

The medical procedure and subsequent debriefing had all been decently run of the mill, all handled for SOP, though there had been special additions to Aegis' SOP to account for the non-human members of the team and ensure that the confidentiality of it all remained. However, after a week and a half of waiting for a final decision on the team's fate on the Chorus of Thunder, it became too clear to Lucas that they would likely either sit in limbo for months or end up on "temporary" reassignments for their respective governments. That first week and a half turned into more weeks and soon enough, his hunch proved true.

However, Spartan OPS didn't want to risk loosing any face with the Swords of Sanghelios and the willingness of Spartans to work with them, so when they asked for a volunteer to go with Vael and the other Swords members, the SPARTAN-IV was the quickest to step forward and offer to go. The months after that had been pretty standard, even by human military standards. Patrols, raids, inspections of Forerunner sites ahead of scientific teams, all pretty standard, if with a bit more Unggoy curiosity on his side of the fight than he was admittedly used to. During this time, he got to know Vael'Virisusai, Yalu'Suumko, Tar'Mdalak, and Grikgar far better than he had when they'd first met in Sydney before Aegis' first mission and he thought their teamwork had improved considerably since. As of now, he sat on his bed in his room outside the UNSC headquarters in Sydney, Australia once more, his armor off and sitting on an armor stand while he cleaned his rifle.

Nearby, sitting on the nightstand, was his twin energy knives and the twin standard issue ones he carried as well. He'd already sharpened the blades of the two standard issue and done the maintenance he could on the others. His wrist mounted blade was attached to the forearm of his armor, but he'd done maintenance on it as well. Humming, he only glanced out briefly as the sun snuck through the clouds. Already a week and they were still waiting on the rest of Aegis, but that didn't bother Ryker any. In fact, he had enjoyed his time in Sydney, not having to worry about guard duty, well. The sights were plentiful and he'd never been to Australia in his down time before.

After the battle at the rebel base, Tar was extracted separately from Aegis Team. Once the Repentant Proselyte learned she was alive after her ship went down, they’d insisted on sending another team to retrieve her and Prax Vol’s body.

Despite losing a comrade, Tar rejoiced in the morbid thrill of a proper mission. It obliterated a dry season of inaction, where her father’s trail seemed to get a bit colder with every day that passed.

She didn’t get a chance to talk to Aegis Team after the mission, as all hell broke loose with the formidable defense systems built into Sarcophagus. But she couldn’t help but wonder if there was some way to join them more formally. They might be the stepping stone she needed to leave this forsaken installation for good.

Tar pushed the prospect to the back of her mind on the flight back to base though. Once adrenaline had started to wear off, she realised again that her entire body felt weary and in pain. Despite the urge to fall straight into a deep, meditative sleep, Tar forced herself to assess the damage while sitting down in one of the jump seats.

Her specialised armour had deflected two Human bullets late in the battle. The overhanging plate at the top of her left shin and the elbow of her right arm had sustained deep scratches from close-range pistol fire. The muscle underneath her armour in these places was bruised, but otherwise intact.

However, her right thigh had not got off so fortunately. On close inspection, she could see a bullet hole in the crevice to one side of the front plate. Gritting her mandibles against the pain, Tar pulled off her leg armour and checked again. There was indeed a bleeding hole in the front, and unfortunately no similar hole in the back. Tar swore, and motioned for the medic to come over. They would never have approached otherwise, as a fair percentage of Sangheili would still take that as a personal slight.

The slim male medic inspected the leg while crouching on the floor, then looked up at her. “The bullet is still inside. I can get it and stop the bleeding, if you’ll permit me?” Tar hummed softly, glancing around her. The other Sangheili soldiers watched on intently, with a mixture of concern and disgust on their faces.

“Get it out.” Tar sighed.

As soon as they got back to the Repentant Proselyte, Tar immediately limped back to her quarters and passed out in a deep slumber, exhausted.

She awoke half a cycle later with a summons from Commander Skell beeping on her interface. Quickly re-armouring, Tar emerged from her small cabin into the SpecOpCon common space. Some of her colleagues greeted her heartily, while fixing her with stares that asked what’d happened. She’d disappeared on a secret assignment while they were left to attack the Forerunner structure. Tar didn’t give anything away, not sure quite *how* classified this maneuver was.

She joined Skell in the same room as before. He sat at the head of his table, staring at the holo unit that had just been turned off.
Skell looked up from the table at Tar. Compared to the last time they spoke, he seemed calm, perhaps even in a good mood. Granted, they had been mere minutes from a combat deployment last time, so he likely was not in near as much of a rush as before.

“It is good to see you have recovered well, Specialist. The attack was a decisive success. It was not lossless, but I understand Prax ‘Vol died honorably.”

Tar saluted before replying. “Yes, Commander. He died while helping me execute an emergency landing. He was a good co-pilot.”
Skell pursed his mandibles and nodded, lightly rapping his knuckles on the table in front of him. After a moment, he looked up at Tar again, a tinge of sadness on his face this time.

“Indeed, he brought honor to his brothers…and sisters.” Skell said, bowing his head slightly. “It is not why I called you here, though. I just received a request from a high-ranking Swords Commander, one Vael ‘Virisusai, for you, specifically, to meet with him aboard the Human vessel on which he is stationed. Most of that statement is unusual.”

Tar remembered the name from yesterday. He was the old hand, likely ex-Zealot, who led Aegis team. She wondered what he could possibly want from her. “Do you know why, Commander?” Tar eventually asked. One potential scenario that sprung into her head was that Aegis needed a field report from her about the cargo bay. But she hadn’t seen anything particularly interesting in there; mainly food, weapons and medical supplies. It was also unlikely they’d need her presence in person for something so mundane.

“No, he did not say.” Skell answered. “It’s not an order, either. He was specific on that. He simply requested to speak with you in person. But Vael ‘Virisusai, I do know that name. I never met him personally, but I do know of him. He commanded several difficult invasions as a Field Marshall during the war. I have to imagine his business with you involves whatever happened during the battle on the surface. You do not have to agree to his request…but I would.”

Tar considered her options for a few moments. She yearned to get off Sarcophagus as soon as possible. She’d listened for any scrap of rumour on base for months now; If her father was here, she’d have heard by now. Even the flicker of hope she’d felt upon learning of Brute ships in-atmosphere had been roundly quashed. The ship that captured her father had been a pristine RCS class; she hadn’t seen its distinctive shape hanging over the rebel base. They couldn’t have been part of the same fleet.

Tar was still planning on asking about any prisoners and combing the wreckage at the earliest convenience, however this summons from Aegis changed things somewhat.

Even if this team presented no opportunity to move on from Paxopolis, she had to know for sure.

“Ok, i’ll hear what he has to say. Permission to leave the deck on a Phantom?”

Skell nodded his scarred head. “Go in grace, Tar ‘Mdalak.”

Tar saluted again, her head slightly bowed. "My thanks, Commander." She left the meeting room and quickly strode for the SpecOpsCon exit. Glancing around, she saw the same comrades who had heartily greeted her minutes before eying her suspiciously. They could tell she was embarking down a different path, and Tar felt a chasm opening between her and them.

For a moment, she stopped, turned and considered going over. Then, the thought of her father locked up as a prize captive on a Brute cruiser or in some underground prison surfaced in her mind, as it did every night before she slept. Turning back again, she exited the barracks and headed for the hangar bays.

Tar watched the Chorus of Thunder’s flank come closer as her Phantom powered across the void. She’d always thought the Human ships to be ugly, and this one was no exception. However, this Autumn class did have some redeeming features, like the slight curvature of it’s massive aft section.

She was jolted from her reverie when her Phantom was gripped by docking clamps inside the Chorus of Thunder. "We'll await your instructions, Specialist." The flight lead called back from the cockpit. Tar grunted, got up from her seat and exited via the grav lift. She found a young Human Male waiting for her at the bottom.

The marine, while armed, was not carrying his weapon in-hand. He was quite young, likely a private, and saluted as if Tar were one of his direct superiors. “Right this way, sir!” He said with a strange enthusiasm.

Tar didn't quite know how to react. Human soldiers had never had to treat her in this way before. She decided to nod and partly extend her arm, asking him to lead on. "I'm here to see Commander Virususai." She mentioned as they started walking. She wanted to double check this soldier was going to take her to the right place.

“Um, yes, just follow me. He’s waiting for you in a briefing room, one deck up.” The marine answered, turning on his heel as he guided her towards the hanger’s exit.

It did not take long for Tar to be escorted up to her destination, and compared to when Aegis first arrived, she would receive less strange looks and curious stares from the crew. By this point, they were all aware of their ship’s non-Human passengers, and most of them had seen them at least in passing. Tar’s presence was less strange than it might have been before.

Vael had chosen one of the smaller briefing rooms, as he only needed it for himself and Tar. He was alone, eyes focused on his data pad when Tar was led into the room. Though, he quickly deactivated it and stood to his feet when he saw her. The marine stood awkwardly for just a few moments before remembering to take his leave and close the door behind him. “I see you accepted my request, specialist. Have your injuries healed?”

Tar stood up straight and saluted upon seeing the Commander. He was roughly as she remembered from the frenetic activity on Sarcophagus yesterday. His armour still bore the marks of battle, and Tar wondered if he had slept at all.

“They are nothing serious, Commander. I spilled only a little Blood.” Despite herself, she felt nervous. It was quite a small room for two Sangheili in full battle dress.

“Good. For this, I would not likely be able to wait for a lengthy recovery.” Vael replied. “You performed well in battle, much moreso than I would have expected from a pilot. From what I have been reading of your service to the Swords of Sanghelios, piloting is only a part of your skills. It seems you accompanied a team of former Silent Shadow, hunting Jiralhanae survivors of the war for years. But, the document I have read does not give the reasons for this. I do not doubt that your time with them would have grown your skills, but I am curious why they allowed you to accompany them to begin with? Only since the rule of our Arbiter have females been allowed to serve in our military. So soon after the end of the war, you would have been untrained, lacking battlefield experience. What brought them to accept you?”

Tar involuntarily bristled at the question. There was no convincing way to answer it without delving into the most vulnerable part of her psyche. She breathed deeply through her nostrils and looked quickly at the floor to calm herself. She’d already admitted to having a captive father to the lowly Major, and that had shaken her. Telling this supposedly legendary commander could be even harder. But she didn’t see any honourable option but to be truthful. After a few long moments, she replied.

“My father, he…” Tar began, shoulders & mandibles flexing uncomfortably. “He was an honourable swordsman. When Brutes...attacked our home, he wanted to settle it the old way. A duel with the enemy chieftain.” Her fists clenched as the scene unfolded in her mind; broken, poisoned fragments.

“They tricked him, captured him, and took him away from us. I...I think he’s still alive as some... trophy.” Tar practically spat the last words; her mouth was dry apart from flecks of foam gathering under her mandibles.

“Silent Shadow was on the rescue ship. They heard I'd invoked the Right of Release, and what i’d done. I told them I would never stop until I'd slaughtered the Brutes who did it and released my father. So they took me with them. I…” Tar tailed off, utterly exhausted. The last part had washed over her like a giant wave. She looked at Vael, and closed her mandibles tight shut again.

Vael’s mandibles flared as he hummed at the revelation. “And so you invoked the Right of Release. You seek to save your father’s honor. I can see why they would be willing to give you the chance, though…I still would not expect them to willingly take on a liability. Honorable or not. You must have proven something to them.”

"My lieutenants say I fought like I was possessed by demons." Tar chuckled through a whirlwind of emotions, her voice nearly cracking. "I can scarcely remember the battle now. It was like a mist descended over my mind. When it lifted, they'd left in their cruiser and taken my father with them.”

After a moment of thought, Vael stepped forward while Tar stood at attention, inspecting her as he would a recruit. “From what I have seen, I find that believable. But I did not call you here to question your past. You are here because you proved something to me as well. You showed initiative and skill, but most of all, you fought with a fire in your hearts that most warriors do not possess. It is a fire that may need to be tamed, but one that could be harnessed to serve your kin well.”

Tar followed Vael with her eyes as best she could from her motionless stance. It finally dawned on her why she was here.

“I did not originally choose who would be selected for Aegis Team, but now that we have been established, I have the authority to determine who will be a part of my team.I could request warriors from any part of Swords’ territory, but I prefer to see my men in combat with my own eyes rather than to read of their exploits in documents.” Vael explained, his eyes briefly shifting to the marks and burns on the surface of her armor.

“You were in the right place, at the right time, to do just that. You are not a conventional warrior, but this is not a conventional team. I believe you would thrive on Aegis, and more importantly, your skill would not be wasted protecting scientists from animals or the occasional Forerunner machine. I do not know where your father is, but you will not find him here.”

Vael was right, Tar thought. She was stuck here, and it had become clear her father's trail had gone cold. Transfers off Paxopolis moved at a glacial pace; this sounded like an opportunity to at least move forward. Besides, from what she could tell, Aegis contained a concentrated group of prolific warfighters. It was a great honour to be selected.

"I am honoured, Commander. But, what is Aegis' purpose? Will I be trading one Sarcophagus station for another?"

Vael let out a huff. Her question was one with several answers. Their “purpose” for existing, in his mind, felt more political than anything, but that did not mean that their missions were not genuine, nor the stakes for failure any less severe. In any case, Vael decided to answer in a literal sense. “The objective of Aegis team is to destroy any threat to peace, primarily in joint occupation zones. It is why UNSC soldiers and Swords alike are among its members. We fight Covenant, rebels, Jiralhanae warlords, anything that would threaten our path forward. It is…not a normal team. We must be prepared to investigate and plan against our enemy as much as we are to fight them.”

Tar’s hearts were racing hard now. She’d managed to figure out from chatter around the base that these ‘join occupation zones’ extended outside Sarcophagus. Humans and ex-Covenant lived together in various locations throughout the galaxy. This meant that Aegis team wasn't trapped here like she was. The fact that they may face up against Tar’s sworn enemies made the proposition even more enticing. Tar was happy to destroy the enemies of Sanghelios while searching for her father.

“In that case...I humbly accept your proposal, with one condition.” Tar began, hearts still racing. It was not usual to ask for conditions in the military, but as Vael had just admitted, Aegis was not a regular unit. “If i find out where my father is being kept, will you permit me to go after him? I do not expect support from Aegis, but this is something I am honour-bound to do, with or without permission.”

It took some time for Vael to answer. He turned towards the table beside him, leaning forward onto it with his hands as he took the time to consider her request. For what she desired, there was no way he could truly make guarantees, but he could promise how he would react, at the very least. “The Humans may not understand it, but you have the right to preserve your father’s honor. I would not stand in your way, but only if you respect the importance of our missions as well. Should you find the information you seek, I will still expect you to fulfill your obligations to us. Should you abandon a mission, I shall treat you as a deserter, but wait until the appropriate time, and you may even have my assistance.”

This struck Tar as quite a reasonable position for an ex-Zealot. She could already feel how tough it would be to keep her thoughts on the mission if she discovered intel leading to her father. However, her years as a soldier had instilled a type of stoic discipline which she could call on to finish whatever task was at hand first.

“Thank you, Commander. On my honour, I will not put the team in danger to pursue my own vendetta. I gratefully accept.” A tingle of excitement crossed her shoulders as she realised this was actually happening.

“Then I will order your transfer to this vessel.” Vael remarked. ”You will be given officer’s quarters on this ship, just the same as the rest of the team. We have not yet been given our next orders, but I expect this ship will not remain at Sarcophagus forever. If there is anything you still need to do here, deal with it before then. Otherwise, I do want to test you myself. I saw a portion of your capabilities down on the battlefield, and it was enough to convince me of your competence, but I still want to see where your limits lie.”

“Commander Skell will need to be informed of my transfer, but apart from that I am ready to get started. What kind of...test did you have in mind?” Tar replied.

”A test of combat. I want to know your strengths, and your flaws. You will fight me. There is a simulator on this ship, so I may test you on any weapon or situation needed. We will also spar traditionally, without armor or advanced weapons. Only hands, claw, and staff. We will do all of these things eventually, but as for what we do first…I will let you decide.”

---

Tar stalked through the Royal Botanic Gardens with the autumn sun beating down on her face. She listened intently to the sounds of wildlife while her handler reeled off facts from a holo-pad. “Created all the way back in the 19th Century, this was the first scientific institution in Australia and for a long time was one of the most important gardens in the world. It was damaged by the Covenant during the war, but has been regrowing over the last few years to more or less the original specification."

Tar hummed, studying the colourful mix of green, red and orange plants around them. The carefully arranged gardens seemed in stark contrast to the dangerous wildernesses of Sanghelios. “No wonder Humans are soft, if you have no predators waiting to eat you.”

“Well actually, there are still some species of snake and spider in Australia which pose a threat to Humans.” The handler explained. Tar scoffed, picking a leaf from one of the bushes. “I hope you are not expecting me to protect you from these ‘spiders’ you speak of out here. I did not bring a weapon, at your request.”

Yalu kept his aim, ready for anything. He would not admit that he preferred the rebels to retreat if it would mean less death.

The enemy commander did not get much time to wax lyrical about his cause by the time he dropped his weapon. Yalu closed the distance with a weapon raised and grabbed him by the arm, twisting it around and tripping him forward in the same motion. He hit the ground head first but Yalu knew human helmets were not worth nothing.

No more tricks. With the commander pinned, he was shackled, searched, and called in.

"Objective is secured. Ready for extraction."

---

Yalu had expected to be transferred again and again, with Aegis team being just one more chapter. Commander 'Virisusai was different. He kept Yalu on and he did not let Yalu relax. The last few months were some of the most strenuous assignments he had ever faced, and that was to say nothing of the training regimen. Far from being disappointing, the deployment to 'Virisusai's team was invigorating to Yalu. The commander had an eye for Yalu's strengths and applied them to the fullest.

Still, arriving on Earth again was the first extended time to himself Yalu had been able to appreciate in some time. He found his curiosity had not dimmed at this place. Though, here at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Yalu was less chipper about his new surroundings. He was trailed by a human handler in dress uniform nearly jogging after his broad steps on the asphalt pathways.

Yalu approached Tar 'Mdalak from the side. He was dressed in an unusual garment -- a crinkly white and red jumpsuit with a zip up the front and a thick foam ring around the neck. It looked like an altered human piece of clothing, but not one seen every day. He stopped and his handler had to catch their breath.

"You are hard to find even when you aren't hiding, Tar," Yalu said. He turned his eyes to the plants she was regarding. "I thought to join you in place these humans would not complain about our presence in. I was only permitted to drive three laps around their 'Mount Panorama Circuit' before Corporal Blair here judged it too dangerous. At least I had fascinating talk with the mechanics."

Yalu's handler, who had 'Blair' written on his name tag, spoke between breaths. "Major 'Suumko, sir, I had warned you to keep to a reasonable speed. Those cars were not built to accommodate Sangheili."

Yalu waved a hand and sneered, regarding Tar instead. "Would you mind some company? I feel I have been around strangers for days now."

Tar grunted consent for the male to join her, absently twirling the leaf before her eyes. She noted the tiny bug scrambling over its surface. “Even their vehicles drive in circles. How tame.” She dropped the leaf, looked over and up at Yalu. He was on the tall side at over eight feet, and she was compact at seven foot. So Tar took an instinctive half-step away which allowed her to look him in the eyes without baring her armoured throat.

“There is enough path for both of us.” Tar half answered Yalu’s follow-up question. She then vaguely gestured for them to all walk again, which provided the other half. “Yes...This place is strange too. I miss my homeworld, if only for a bit of excitement!” Tar’s voice was melodic for a Sangheili, which jarred with her soldierly mannerisms. These were partly a performance for Yalu, who Tar wasn’t comfortable around outside of combat yet.

“How long do you think they’ll keep us waiting? We are wasted here.”

(Not dead! I'm on my old laptop and I'm still waiting for the replacement desktop, but this will have to do, as I've kept this waiting long enough!)



Ben had stayed in the background during their mission, assisting the team with a well-placed sniper shot at times, but mainly keeping his focus on his true mission of offing any cowards, deserters, traitors, or rampants. As per his orders, he gave them until a count of 10 if they ran away from the battlefield and didn't return, after which they could be shot. If they left more than once, he had the option of restarting the clock or picking it up from where it had last counted down. Phong ran the timer, so he never ran the risk of over or underestimating the time it took before he could pull the trigger. Of course, he was also directed to never consider an act of flight to be cowardice, treason, or desertion unless he had positive evidence of it. Rampancy, on the other hand, was usually self-evident, and while he had directives to subdue if possible, everyone knew that nine times out of ten, subduing a rampant Spartan without killing him was not an option.

"Of all the cities in the world, we had to be stuck in this one." Ben had joined Vael after what had seemed a very long time apart. "But I suppose it'll do. Did you see the opera house? It actually dates from several hundred years ago, but it looks current. Guess it was far ahead of its time. You probably have some questions as to what I was doing and where I was. My superiors... my real superiors- have authorized me to divulge my mission to you on the condition that you keep it confidential. It's a show of trust, I suppose, but I truly think they let me tell you because you might mistake my actions for insubordination or cowardice. And punishing those is my job. They could have let me tell you sooner."

"You could stand to be a bit more punctual yourself, Ben. A Spartan-III shouldn't take so long to report in. I was in your suit the entire time, and I still don't know what kept you so long. I even had enough time to reorganized my personal files on the species of the former Covenant. You would believe what the Unggoy get up to during their leisure hours. Those infusions really pack a punch."