EliteCommander

The Cradle

Nirann could accurately track the positions and movement of every object around him, but there were still limitations on how quickly he could actually move his physical frame. The hit to his back forced him forward, and he had to react as best as he could. Granted, he could calculate multiple options to avoid taking the brunt of the force from the detonation. His blade was still active, and he could twist it around behind him to sever the arm holding him. An organic Rothian would probably break their own arm trying to contort in such a way, but he did not have such limitations. However, for Nirann, it was not just himself he had to worry about. He lacked enough information on the internal specifications of the explosive charge that he could not accurately predict the explosion’s characteristics. The exact direction of the explosive force, fragmentation, there was enough variance to be worried. He could not predict who else behind him would be hurt if he was not in the way, and he had to protect them. He had to protect her. He directed all available power to bolstering his frontal shielding and allowed his frame to stay between the charge and his allies.

In an instant, there was a flash of light, and in the next, a deafening blast that shook the hallway. In the span of fractions of a second, Nirann’s shields flared brighter and brighter, then cracked. Most of his heavily armored frame could withstand the explosion, thereby protecting those behind him, but his head had been point-blank to it. In an instant, Nirann’s head had been blasted apart, along with much of the forearm of the droid that had been holding it.

As the rest of Nirann’s frame dropped to the ground, the industrial droid was knocked back by the blast, though kept its footing. Even damaged as it was, it was still active…still dangerous. Unarmed, the machine was still a deadly weapon on its own. One arm sparked between twisted, contorted metal plates, while the other was raised into a fist. It chose its next target, but it never found its opportunity to make its rush forward. Rather, it quickly lost control of its limbs as a glowing red energy blade cleaved through the actuators controlling its hip joints, then continued upwards through its torso to bisect the machine vertically. Its two halves fell to either side, glowing red from the intense heat, leaving Nirann’s headless frame standing tall in its stead, his blade held high.

Naturally, a droid’s head was not where the Rothians chose to place its central processing unit. For such a critical component, the much more heavily armored torso was a far better location. “Damn it, lost the primary sensor suite. Going to have to manage on secondaries.” Nirann muttered through notably lower-quality speakers. “Can we all move? We need to be out of here five minutes ago.”

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha did not look back at Fendros, as she was already moving to Sabine. Without a word, she wrapped her arms tightly around her, comforting her as best as she could as she allowed her to release her pain and frustration. There was plenty she could say to her in time, and plenty others would likely say too, but for at least a few minutes, she wanted just to be there for her.

Ahnasha did not keep track of the time too directly, but just felt when Sabine started to move somewhat more in her arms. She kept her arms around her and spoke, calmly and softly. “It isn’t fair. Not for Meesei, not for Do’rhajul, not for us. But, we still have to keep moving forward. You don’t have to stay silent, though. What you have been thinking and feeling…you can say it now. We’re here with you now, and…we feel it too.”

Halo: Aegis Team

Overall, the enemy did not have a great many of its number remaining, and especially few that had not been weakened by the damage dealt so far. Their ambush had been both quick and efficient in its execution, and now Aegis team was pushing its advantage aggressively to make sure none of the enemy would be able to regroup and recover.

The Sangheili fighting with Ryker did everything he could to give himself any advantage he could scrape together. He positioned himself to place Ryker between himself and the Spartan’s allies so they could not easily give him supporting fire. After kicking away the container, he was quick to dash forward and grab the arm he had blocked to try and force Ryker into a grapple. Physically, the Sangheili could approximately match the Spartan for strength, and he seemed intent on trying to keep this fight hand-to-hand. With his free hand, the Sangheili went for Ryker’s helmet in an attempt to rip it off of his head.

Between the autosentry and Yalu, he had quickly eliminated one of the few remaining Sangheili warriors, though the sentry quickly acquired new targets. A pair of Kig-Yar were sprinting for the edge of the platform, and they were near to reaching it. While it was quite a drop to the ground below, the light, agile Kig-Yar could handle the fall, and they were fast enough on their feet that they could reasonably escape. The autosentry’s shots hit the shield of one of the Kig-Yar, which started to glow more and more brightly red. However, it could block enough shots to give the pair a chance to react. Both held their shields towards Yalu, holding their needlers up above them to fire in his direction while still running towards the edge. Needlers did not need to be fired particularly accurately, and a pair of them could be a deadly threat to even a Sangheili caught in the open.

The Cradle

Vreta was more agile than the machine targeting him, though he still had to struggle to evade the incoming attacks. Weapons fire from the other Institute operators tore through the droid, but that did not bring him out of danger just yet. His shield belt protected him from the indirect spray of plasma, but he had to leap out of the way of Skopec when he was swung towards him once again. Even with Rhia’s warning, it came quick enough that he only partially succeeded. He did avoid the brunt of the impact, but Vreta was still hit in the side and sent tumbling across the floor until he slammed back into the wall behind him. The pain was dull and, in the excitement of the moment, easy to ignore, but he still had to struggle to push past the stunning effect of the impact to try to get himself up off the ground.

Nirann, meanwhile was also leaning into his maneuverability. He caught himself from falling back with his tail after throwing the first droid, so he kept his footing for the most part. It was not a feat a normal Rothian would be able to accomplish, but he had quite a bit more power in his frame. In any case, he recognized that he did not need to do anything complex or risky to end the threat in front of him. Oftentimes, a simple, straightforward approach was best in a fight. He ignited his energy blade once more and took up a stance reminiscent of that of a fencer. Using the reach of his weapon to his advantage, he started to make quick, efficient slices with the tip of his blade towards the charging droid, first at its arm to eliminate its improvised weapon, then towards the rest of its frame to cut it to pieces. He was more than agile enough to evade as needed to keep out of reach of the lumbering machine.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Lorag’s only response was a wordless nod, but he understood. He had known Do’rhajul longer than any of the others from his time in the Legion, though it was hard to say what that connection truly meant for him in the end. At the very least, Lorag had understood Do’rhajul, from early in his life to its very end.

The work for the camp’s healers was as constant as it was intense at the moment, but no matter how much she might have wanted to, even Sabine would not have been able to keep up that work forever. They, of course, had enough healers working in shifts to make sure their patients would always have treatment, but even Sabine had to rest eventually. With how much they had been fighting from start to finish in the battle, that moment would most likely come sooner rather than later.

Ahnasha let Fendros lead, though she was not far behind him when they stepped into Sabine’s tent. It was plain to see that she was not treating any of the injured at the moment, but she still felt like it was appropriate to ask. “Is this…a good time to talk, Sabine?”

The Cradle

Rhia had to adapt quickly as the situation shifted. Their target had reacted, but she could see its intentions in motion. At the same time, she also had strong situational awareness, despite the chaos around them. Echolocation let her track the movements of civilians and soldiers alike behind her. She could “see” that there were multiple Institute operatives trying to get a clear shot behind Vreta, and so she knew just how they should adapt.

Vreta reacted right away to the instructions Rhia projected over his vision. The droid was swinging at him with Skopec in hand, so Vreta dashed to his left in a seeming attempt to get around the droid. The machine was strong and durable, but it was built for heavy-lifting, not agility. Indeed, it might have been possible for Vreta to use his comparative maneuverability to still get around behind the droid to upload Rhia’s virus, but that was not the intent at the moment. Since Vreta had moved off to the side and Skopec had now been swung after him, a clear line of sight had now been opened up to the armed Humans behind them.

It was rare that Nirann would need to dedicate a majority of his processing power to any one task. Indeed, it may not have even been strictly “necessary” here, but he was absolutely willing to devote far more resources than were needed to protect Marae. These industrial machines had physical power, but just about everything else was an advantage to Nirann. In the moment, there was one weapon in particular he could wield to devastating effect: mathematics.

Nirann’s sensor suite was far more comprehensive and updated far more quickly than anything that would be sufficient for an industrial droid, so he could get a much clearer picture of what was happening. The number of calculations he dedicated to building the physics simulations for the next few seconds of the fight were, frankly, overkill. He mapped out each motion he could take, and each response his opponents could take in return, until he settled on the most favorable course. He waited until the right moment when the droid had the correct amount of momentum in the proper direction, then delivered a massive kick laterally to the droid’s knee joint. While the droid was designed to be able to carry immense weight, it was not built with combat in mind. Diffusing the force of a targeted impact from the side was not a design consideration. Nirann’s foot went straight through the joint. At the same time, he collapsed his energy blade and returned his arm to its former shape, making it small enough for him to slip out of the droid’s grip. With his other arm behind the droid, he twisted his body around and pushed his opponent in the direction of its momentum to send it into the girder in his stead.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

“I just want to be done with fighting, that’s all.” Kaleeth replied, turning her head away. “Learning to fight was all I wanted, growing up. To be the kind of hunter that would make my father proud, but…it feels like it’s been a lifetime of fighting for me. I’m glad it can be over now.” Kaleeth was quick to change the subject. For whatever reason, she did not seem too keen on talking about her injury. Instead, she looked over again to Janius and took his hand. “I think Julan will be glad it’s over too. Maybe…we’ll have time now to go visit some of those places he has wanted to see?”

If Kaleeth was not intent on dwelling on what she had lost, Ahnasha supposed she could move on from it at the moment as well. Perhaps at the moment, it was best to focus on what was ahead of them, rather than what had already come to pass. While Kaleeth seemed content to simply rest and spend time with Janius, Ahnasha nudged Fendros to leave with her and give them their space. “I know there’s more we’re going to need to do. Like Saras said, our people are going to need their Champion. They’re going to need you. We…well we did win. The battle, the war, everything. We stripped Vile of all the power he stole, and he won’t be able to threaten Mundus for centuries. And we all lost a lot in the process. I’m sure nearly every single one of them out there did, just like us. And they’re going to want to hear all of this from you so…I hope you’re ready to give speeches.” Ahnasha grinned, though it was fleeting, only to be replaced with a frown. “Do you think we should go talk to Sabine now, though? I wish we didn’t have to put that on her so soon. I know she’s going to be taking Meesei’s death hard, probably more than any of us. But…if we don’t tell her about Do’rhajul, she’ll just end up learning about it from someone else. Or figuring it out on her own.”

The Cradle

The attack came quickly, but even those few moments were well-within Nirann’s ability to use. To a normal organic, his perception would be like looking on in slow-motion. The emergence of the droids through the doorway required immediate action. Just a quick visual scan identified the droids as an industrial model. They were certainly armed, though they were not military models. They had likely been reprogrammed and repurposed for this attack. Given that they were not classified military equipment, Nirann could easily access their model specifications through public networks. He could learn how they were constructed as well as the layout of their components. The cannon was one he could identify in his scans. It was a heavier weapon of Human make, though he was well-aware of its energy output. It was a fairly simple calculation to judge exactly how much damage his own defenses could handle.

Nirann had no shortage of reasons to act. The members of the science team were critical mission assets, even moreso than himself. He had no intention of dying, but as much as Marae would hate him even thinking it, he was still “just” a copy. However, the motivation that pushed him above all others was the one he would not log officially. Marae was here, and she was in danger. The mission was supposed to come first, but Marae was who he would protect. All others were secondary.

Before Skopec had even hit the ground, Nirann had angled his shield strength towards the front and started off in a forward sprint. Nirann had not brought weapons with him, but he was still in the frame of a Rothian war droid. It was a military machine, and it had its own integrated armaments for him to use. For such close quarters, its plasma blade was perfectly suitable. His arm opened up to expose the energy projector before the bright red blade ignited. As the energy cannon charged to full power, Nirann was already dashing forward. The droid was aimed right at him, but that was perfectly fine to him. A shot aimed at him was one not aimed at her. He took the first shot directly to his shields, but he did not intend to allow a second. They had been close to start, and it just took a moment to close the gap. He slashed his blade for the droid’s arms to disarm it and remove its threat, then intended to follow through by thrusting it into the processor directly.

Rhia made her analysis as quickly as Nirann, though it took a moment longer for Vreta to be able to react to it. He was not armed, but there was still an opening for them to help. Nirann was handling one of the droids, but the other was occupied with Skopec. It was uncertain if they would be able to save him, but they had a chance to try. Rhia directed Vreta to rush forward as well and run up from behind the droid. These droids seemed to currently lack any remote network connections that might open them up to remote hacking, but manual hacking was still an option. If Vreta could jack in and establish a connection physically, Rhia had prepped a virus to attempt to disable its motor functions, then perhaps do more from there.

Halo: Aegis Team

Vael 'Virisusai

---

Vael, in this case, did not pay as much attention to Grikgar’s attitude as he did the plan itself. The Unggoy, it seemed, had taken some of his own initiative. Vael kept firing, and kept up pressure, until his carbine’s magazine was empty. Without missing a beat, he drew the plasma rifle and continued to lay down suppressive fire over the area until the detonation finally came.

The secondary explosive was a shaped charge, intended to cut through the platform from below. It was more limited in area of effect than an explosive on the platform would have been, but it had been placed well. Evidently, Grikgar had observed the area and correctly guessed where many of those on the platform would flee to. The blast tore through the platform, killing some Kig-Yar and a few Sangheili immediately, while sending out a shockwave that knocked several others around them off their feet. From where he was, Vael could see several shields flare, and a few break, around the explosion. Hostiles had stopped coming out from inside the structure, so there were likely few remaining inside.

The explosion had created some cover on the platform, by virtue of the warped metal plating from the floor, but it had also created an opportunity. Many of the remaining hostile Sangheili now had weakened or depleted shielding, though that advantage would not last long, if they were allowed to recover.

Vael ejected the magazine from his carbine and slotted in a new one in one quick motion. ”The enemy is weakened, push the advantage!” He ordered before jumping down onto the platform below.

Given that he had to go below the platform to plant his charges, Grikgar was separated from the rest of the team. It would take some time to climb back up to the others, but in the wake of the explosion, there was something else he may have spotted out of the corner of his eye. Movement in the rain, and a silhouette just at the base of the hill. It was a Sangheili, currently in active camouflage, who must have dropped down from the platform above in the chaos, and now had his sights on Grikgar.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth lowered her head. “I remember seeing what was happening, at the end. I fought off the ones that tried to overwhelm me, and the rest ahead of me were trying to chase you down. I tried to stop them, but I couldn’t move my leg, I…couldn’t keep up. I saw Do’rhajul. He was surrounded, he was…hurt, but he still threw you his shield.”

“He knew what had to be done.” Lorag’s voice sounded out behind them. He still stood at the entrance of the tent, arms crossed, occasionally glancing outside. “Just like the Alpha. They saw what had to be done, and they did it. No hesitation. Couldn’t have done it without them. We killed a god, and they deserve the glory of that kill in their memory as much as any of us.”