Paxopolis Simulated Training Centre

---

“Take cover right!” Tar shouted, assuming control just as a barrage of plasma fire erupted from several points around the large room. They waded through the flames into a partitioned area with a semi-circle of holo consoles. Tar took several hits to her shield from the Stalkers guarding the stairway before leaping behind one of the consoles. The Brute weapons punched holes in the plastic room dividers as they lost line of sight on her.

Tar peeked over the top of her cover. She counted at least four Stalkers slowly approaching their position, plus the two guarding the stairway. Their camouflage slipped every time they fired their weapons, revealing a cautious, calculated advance. Tar estimated they were each twenty feet apart, progressing down the open spaces between work areas.

In this case, not a single recruit so much as hesitated in following Tar’s order. The Major broke straight through the partition, with the others following just behind. Each moved into whatever cover they could find, as quickly as they could. The room dividers could break line of sight, though there was no weapon they would actually stop. Plasma fire and spikers ripped through them with ease, just without as much accuracy.

Ryssa, with his shields already damaged from his brush with the flames and few stray plasma rounds, dove behind the holo-consoles. They were at least somewhat more sturdy than most of the other parts of the office. His response to being pinned was actually reasonably effective, considering his options, even if it was a strategy one might have learned from an Unggoy. He did not peer out from cover to return fire, but rather grabbed his needler and lifted it up just high enough to fire over the console, roughly in the direction that one of the Brutes was firing from. He did not need to be accurate; as long as the needler was pointing in mostly the right direction, its needles would find a target.

When the attack had began, Jurna had fired four shots with surprisingly good accuracy. He tracked the shimmer he had seen and, out of his four shots, hit three to break the Brute’s powered armor. However, once his own shields started taking damage, he did not follow through to make the kill. He ran with the others into the side room and, like Ryssa, took cover behind the consoles. Though, unlike the other recruit, he did not return fire from his position. He hid as best as he could, and intended to continue doing so until his shields were fully recharged.

With the partitions at least stopping accurate fire, the Major took a moment to scan the room they had hastily entered. Given how quickly they had been forced to move, there was no reason to believe they had moved to safety. And indeed, at this range, his eyes were sharp enough to spot at least two shimmers moving carefully closer to Jurna and Tar. Drawing his energy sword, the Major sprinted for the nearest stalker. “Brutes behind us!” He shouted.

Reacting instantly, Tar jumped up, grabbed her energy sword from its mount on her left thigh, activated it and blindly slashed it through the air behind her in one fluid motion. The dual tips of her sword grazed the armour of a Stalker; the room lit up with blue light as his shield protected his neck from being slit.

Regaining her balance, Tar raised her right hand and fired a round from her Mauler into the same shield, breaking it completely. At the same time, she watched the Stalker fire their Mauler at her face. She was momentarily blinded as the slug exploded right in front of her eyes, and she felt her shield go offline with a jolt.

Tar let out an angry roar and leapt forward, sword poised. She made impact with…something, and clattered to the floor with it before stabbing it with her weapon multiple times.

The Major’s blade quickly found its mark on the nearest stalker. The Brute’s active camouflage may have rendered it only a shimmer in the air, but a wide arc with his blade in front of him could reach easily over two and a half meters in front of him, and the sword itself could cut through even a starship’s armor with ease. The Brute was quite simply bisected.

There had only been two of the cloaked Brutes in the room they had ran into, but the Major had no intent of staying put and holding out. Though his shields were damaged, he still preferred aggression. “Attack with me! These mongrels are nothing to us!” He shouted. Off on their right flank, on the other side of a thin wall, he could hear movement, which was all he needed to strike. With a frenzied roar as his battle cry, he broke straight through the wall in a charge. A diagonal swing of his sword and another stalker was cut in two. This time, however, the Brute was not without assistance. Just to his left, another Brute fired his mauler, both revealing himself, and stripping away the Major’s shields. He was close enough that the Major could react quickly and impale him through the chest with his blade, but there were still more Brutes farther away, and the Major was now clearly in their line of sight.

Ryssa had intended to follow the Major’s instruction. Based on the sound of a supercombine explosion beyond the wall he had been firing through, his needles had found a target, but the Brutes were not unintelligent. Though they could not see him, they could roughly determine where he was firing from when they saw the needles, so Ryssa found himself pinned by a volley of plasma and spiker fire. His shields took a stray hit, so they were not yet recharging, and he could not move to assist the Major.

Jurna had an angle from which he could help at range, but his shields were charging and he still had no intention of revealing himself until they were full.

Daha was the farthest from the Major, and the closest to Tar, and it was she who he intended to help. He charged his plasma pistol, firing the overcharged bolt at a stalker who had a clear line of sight onto Tar. The shot broke the Brute’s powered armor immediately, allowing his follow-up shots from his plasma rifle to deal potentially deadly damage.

Ultimately, there was no help that would come for the Major in time to save him. A burst of spiker fire from a more distant stalker struck his unshielded chest and neck, and his armor was not enough to protect against the volley. The red plating of his armor was stained purple by his blood. Simulated as it might have been, his death was still convincing. The Major had successfully relieved most of the pressure from their right flank, but at the cost of his life.

---

For the members of Aegis team, their journey across the desert did, fortunately, come with few actual dangers. Though, it was a long journey nonetheless, characterized by blistering heat, dry air, and cramped quarters. Sentinels did show some interest in the Mammoth whenever it passed too close to certain Forerunner structures, but its armor did allow them to take some fire as they passed without needing to engage in firefights with the machines. As long as they moved beyond the locations they were guarding, the sentinels would not follow.

Vael found that the journey was far from the worst experience he had ever needed to endure. The heat was a constant irritant for some, but his combat harness provided more than adequate environmental controls to keep him comfortable. What was more of a nuisance for him was the inability to be alone. He had to admit that he had held his rank long enough to become accustomed to its benefits. The ability to have a space to himself to mediate and center his mind had been a privilege he had long enjoyed. As large as the Mammoth was, there still was no way the avoid the nine other members of his team, plus the Mammoth crew, for any meaningful time.

Given the distance they had to travel, the team spent almost two days in the Mammoth, moving constantly across, at times, rough terrain. To fly to their destination would have been much quicker, but any attempt at an aerial approach to the Brute ships would have easily been detected. The Mammoth, ironically, provided a much stealthier approach. Of course, once they located the Brute ships, they would need to move on without the Mammoth to perform actual reconnaissance.

---

It was the middle of the night when the Mammoth came to a sudden, and complete halt. The hum of the engines and the spinning of the massive tires over rock and sand had been such a constant that having both stop was enough to jolt Vael awake, even before the diver’s voice sounded out over the vehicle’s intercom. “Unidentified Covenant ships spotted on the horizon. I am bringing the Mammoth to a halt and awaiting further orders.”

Vael sat up from where he had been laying. Their sleeping arrangements within the vehicle were rather haphazard. The Mammoth was not large enough for dedicated sleeping quarters, so the team had to make due with whatever they could arrange themselves, with the supplies they had available. Being that they were in the field, Vael had not left his armor. It did not make for the most comfortable rest, but again, he had endured far worse throughout his career. For now, the team needed to get together and decide on their approach.

Yalu was in no mood to avoid his teammates during the ride. He tried to at least speak to his fellow former-covenant contemporaries about their path leading up to this mission. He was quietly embarrassed to find he was consistently outranked and at times prying on business best kept a secret. Nevertheless, he kept himself well drilled for whatever lay ahead.

When the call came to wake up, whatever casual air Yalu tried to offer was gone. He was up and arming himself partway through the driver's announcement.

"Running the Mammoth silent may make them overlook us." Yalu snapped a fully green magazine into his carbine after checking it. "But if it is no patrol, we are no longer safe. We are not expecting a rendezvous."

Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker

// Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Planets Surface

Grikgar spent the rest of the voyage on their land ship either tinkering with the sentinel parts or sunbathing. The sleeping arrangements didn’t bother him and the warm climate was something he very much enjoyed. The others talked to him occasionally and the other elite seemed a little awkward about it but it didn’t bother the Unggoy. Occasionally, the grunt would find his way out to the top of the vehicle and climb around it. The armor on the human vehicles was much easier to grip to then the former covenant vessels.

Grikgar had been sleeping in the stairwell leading to the outside of the vehicle. He was very much accustomed to sleeping anywhere and on or in anything. Unggoy were accustomed to being crammed into strange places during travel. The sudden stop did make him roll down to the base of the stairs near the pilot’s. With a quick shake of his head, Grik made his way down to his extra methane canister to fill his tank back up.

The others were beginning to stir now as well and Grikgar was quick to start arming himself to get ready for the movement as well. Making sure that the shield and cloaking on his suit was still working properly. Once he had completed this Girk joined Vael the only weapon he did not have o him was his cannon. He didn’t need it just yet anyway. Now all he had to do was hurry up and wait for further orders.

Ben saw the Unggoy sleeping in the stairwell. He would have said something, but he was just too cute to disturb. Such sloth would have been lethal on the battlefield, God knows Ben killed plenty of sleeping Grunts who were caught dozing in the middle of a warzone. Why The Covenant had tolerated such behavior was beyond him. Even normal human soldiers and marines would get in serious trouble for nodding off when they were supposed to be on duty.

The mammoth had come to a halt. The Spartan-III took the opportunity to scan the horizon once again, only to find no immediate threats, although he did spot a few drones in the extreme distance, though none of them approached the mammoth. When the others began to gather around Vael, Ben joined the rest of his team, careful to keep his distance from the Elite; he had a feeling that his species preferred to have a fair amount of personal space. He spoke to Vael, inquiring on their status.

"Have we received further orders? We're halted here out in the open, and we're exposed. No one has attacked us since we entered the mammoth, but our luck can't last forever."

Paxopolis Simulated Training Centre

---

The other recruits gave anguished cries upon seeing one of their number die. Regardless of how they felt about him, Sangheili soldiers were generally conditioned to mourn fallen brothers.

Tar looked about in confusion at the sound, still straddling the disemboweled Brute while her vision returned "What's happening?" She asked. “Zadu is dead!” Jurna exclaimed, not quite believing the simulation would kill the Major in such a graphic style. Tar swore throatily and crawled back behind the holo-consoles for cover.

The Mauler flash had only temporarily disabled her; after a few more seconds she could see almost normally except for floating dots in her right eye. She looked around and quickly found the Major’s body. Moving her attention back to identifying hostiles, she could see two half-visible Stalkers running toward the double doors at the back of the office space.

“See our foe run!” Ryssa roared, firing his needler at them even as they moved out of his effective range. “They go to warn the others. After them!” He commanded, falling back into his assigned role as point.

As one, the recruits surged forward while firing their weapons. Tar lagged slightly behind them, making sure she could see no further shimmers in the room. If there had been any Brute forces left, the recruits would’ve fallen straight into another feint by the enemy. Fortunately, she could see no further threats sneaking up behind them. The two Brutes retreating must have been the runt of the litter who were assigned to block their exit way.

Tar broke into a jog to keep in line with her recruits, smashing the radar jammer with her foot as she passed. It seems the recruits had forgotten all about it in their eagerness to avenge the Major.

As they reached the double doors that the Brutes had just exited from, an automated voice sounded over the building tannoy. “Sector Two point defense and air-to-surface targeting disabled through executive override. Security personnel, please report to the command centre.”

The fact that two of the stalkers had escaped behind them was, even to the recruits, a cause for concern. They could reappear and flank them at any time, but if the automated message was any indication, they did not have the time to properly clear their flank. They would just have to keep pressing on and watch their backs.

The command center was one floor up, and at the very least, they did not encounter any resistance on the way up the stairs or through the hall. However, the command center itself, unfortunately for the recruits, was meant to be defensible. It was located in an interior room, with only one entrance. The Brutes had not had time to set up exterior defenses outside the command center, but they would still have to push through a choke point to enter the room itself.

The recruits approached just outside the heavy, sliding door to the command center, though Ryssa hesitated to give the order to attack. They could see no movement on their motion trackers; the Brutes were certainly waiting in ambush on the other side. “How should we attack, commander?” Ryssa asked.

Tar, who was covering the rear again, had prepared for this question. Activating her wrist interface, she put a small 3D model of the command room in the area in front of them. "It is semicircular, with screens at the front and a hologram of Sarcophagus in the middle. Consoles face the middle from a slightly raised platform around the curved edge. The commander's desk is right at the front. There's a small neck through this door where they may have set up a barricade. We can use grenades to show confusion. From there, we can flank and crush them. Be wary; they may have hostages. Any questions?

There was silence from the recruits. Tar’s explanation was simple enough, so even if they had any doubts, the recruits would trust Tar’s experience.

"Jurna, get the door. You two, form up on me."

Tar had toyed with the idea of letting Ryssa lead this clearance in their journey up to this sliding door. But she'd decided she wanted to win this simulation. And as promising as some of the recruits actions were, their chances of success without Tar at point were not good.
Jurna nodded, then went to the keypad on the right hand side of the door. They had the security codes to override the lock, which he typed in quickly. Though, he would wait until the others were ready to enter it. Daha formed up on the wall just behind Tar, holstering his plasma rifle on his side and taking a plasma grenade in his hand. Ryssa followed suit as well, grabbing a grenade in his off hand once he made sure his needler was fully loaded. With all in position, they just waited on Tar’s signal to begin.

Tar positioned herself so she could throw something through the partially opened door without exposing herself. As there wasn't enough room to stack perpendicular to the door, they were hugging the wall to the left as close as they could. One advantage of this is all of them could throw grenades at the same time. From her belt, she took both of her plasma grenades and held them ready.

When she was sure they were as ready as possible, she nodded to Jurna on the opposite wall. After he input the code the door began opening. When it had opened about a metre, Tar threw one grenade through as hard as she could without looking, and then the other. She saw the recruits' grenades sail over her shoulder and disappear into the doorway.

In the long, tense couple of seconds before detonation, Tar heard Brutes shouting and the clatter of footsteps from twenty metres away. Then all the grenades erupted together. The sound was of monstrous energy tearing apart metal, and it filled their ears and shook the floor beneath them.

Taking a deep breath, Tar raised her Mauler and pushed into the room, with her recruits (hopefully) right behind.

For the last two days, Aviza had done what she could to make use of the free time upon the Mammoth that they had all been granted. During this time, she had ran a full inspection on all of her gear to ensure it was still in top condition, or near it. Along side this, she also spent time with her fellow squad-mates, conversing with them and getting to know them better, beyond the soldiers they were. During the day she would patrol the exterior of the Mammoth, occasionally stopping by the interior to inquire on how everyone was doing. During the night, she would run system checks on the Mammoth and gather detailed information about their surroundings for future reference.

It was on the second night that Spartan Aviza had decided to actually allow herself to rest, she had found a dark area of the Mammoth that was away from prying eyes. Propped up against a few pillows, and some bags filled with something soft. Aviza had managed to drift off into a deep, relaxing, dreamless sleep that was held for many hours before being jolted awake from the sudden stop of the Mammoth. The message about unidentified Covenant ships being spotted on the horizon drew Aviza's full attention.

Once fully awake and ready for any trouble ahead of her, Aviza assumed that the squad would gather upon the command deck of the Mammoth. With a quick pace, she headed through the Mammoth, heading towards her destination. Once she arrived, she found that a few members from Aegis had already gathered, Vael being among them.

"No, there have not yet been any additional orders given, Ben." said Spartan Aviza as she approached the group that had gathered around Vael, only now appearing in the entryway behind them. "I am here to change that though." Aviza maneuvered past the present members of the squad and was now positioned next to Vael, upon his immediate right. "At the moment, I assume we do not know if those those ships and their crew are hostile, but we should assume so until proven otherwise. Everyone that is not part of Team Aegis is to stay inside of the Mammoth and hold position until we give the all clear. We should head in the direction of the ships on foot and use the cover of night to our advantage, do not engage any targets unless absolutely necessary. Let's move out, keep your head on a swivel."

Without wasting any time, Aivza would head in the direction of the nearest exit of the Mammoth, and would shortly there after be out on the desert sands.

During the interim between their escape from the initial swarm of Sentinels and their sudden stop, Lucas let his old Black Ops cell training take over. He had claimed a space on top of a couple of longer crates and spent the time he wasn't training and cleaning his weapons sleeping, catching every extra wink of rest he could. This had the capability to turn into an extended operation without any warning depending on how well they moved up on the rendezvous point for the Rebels and Brutes undetected and he wanted to be able to stay awake for as long as he could should the need arise. He spent a lot of time working on his form with the wrist mounted energy dagger, familiarizing himself with the fastest way to both activate it and deactivate it for maximum stealth and surprise.

When the Mammoth halted without any prior warning, the seemingly dead-asleep SPARTAN-IV rolled off the side furthest from the entrance, an energy dagger coming free of it's sheathe and his silenced magnum coming up as he rested his pistol-holding wrist on the dagger one. However, he stood down and holstered the magnum as he sheathed the dagger as the driver made their announcement, retrieving his gear from where he'd stowed it nearby along with a few extra clips before joining the others. He arrived after Aviza, but he was able to hear her orders as he walked up, so he simply nodded and then turned and jumped off one side of the mammoth. A flare of his jumpjets slowed his landing and he drew his DMR and started sweeping. "Fire Team Lead, recommend moving in pairs. Keep everyone honest and keep us all covered."

---

Vael moved down through the Mammoth, heading out down the vehicle ramp one he acquired his weapons. He took his usual loadout, though this time carried one of the sentinel beams in his hands as well. The battery would not last beyond a fight or two, but it would be effective while it had power.

For a moment, Vael regarded the pair of warthogs on the magnetic rail at the top of the vehicle bay. On foot, it would likely take hours to get within range to observe the ships, and anything beneath them. Though, since the entire team could not make use of the warthogs, bringing them along would not improve that pace unless they were willing to split up. To send the warthogs ahead to scout was a potential strategy, though the drivers would need to make sure not to get so close that their engines could be heard. The heavy guns would be useful when the fight did break out, but to go on foot would ensure the best chance for stealth. There were strong advantages and disadvantages for both choices. Aviza had ordered to move on foot, and Vael did not have any strong reason to disagree with that order.

Vael moved out alongside Ryker and turned his gaze towards the horizon. In contrast to the heat under the daylight sun, the night in the desert was actually fairly cold. Although, Vael could not help but to spare a thought for how Sarcophagus, which was a complete shell around its star, could even have a night cycle to begin with.

At the same time, the voice of the AI, Shih, came over the team’s radios simultaneously. ”From the Mammoth’s sensors, I can detect an SDV-class corvette and a second CCS-class battlecruiser , in addition to the one we can see. These are almost certainly the Brutes our rebels are supposedly dealing with them. I can also say that the ships are holding over some sort of structure, but I can’t say what just yet. We’ll need to get close enough to see it with our own optics.”

Paxopolis Simulated Training Centre

---

It was hard to say if their volley of grenades had led to any actual kills. Plasma grenades were reasonably easy to avoid if they were not stuck to a target. However, the chain of explosion would, at the very least, disrupt the Brutes’ defensive positioning. Daha was the first in behind Tar, his plasma pistol already overcharged. The cluster of plasma detonations had at least partially revealed multiple cloaked Brutes, allowing him to quickly acquire a target as he moved in. Just as before, he fired the overcharged shot, then followed up with a burst of plasma rifle fire.

Ryssa entered firing his needler so that he could focus more on movement than aiming. Particularly if they were outnumbered, he at least knew that he would need to get to cover quickly. It was hard for him to judge quickly which cover would hold up under fire, but he moved to try and duck down behind one of the elevated consoles to their left.

Jurna did move when ordered, though not actually entirely into the room itself. He ended up staying back in the doorway, though there was some advantage to his hesitation. The others were taking more of the attention of the Brutes, and as it turned out, Jurna was actually a rather good shot with his carbine when not under pressure. He landed a headshot on the Brute Daha had shot with his pistol right away, then quickly transferred his aim to the next target.

Tar found the Brutes had been pushed back from their hastily constructed barrier at the chokepoint, so she took cover on the other side of it and peeked over. She counted four Stalkers out in the open close by, one of which had just got his head practically severed by Jurna’s carbine round. They looked stunned by the massive plasma blast; some were only just getting up from the floor where they’d flung themselves.

Seeing a golden opportunity, Tar pushed the advantage. Spotting a weak link in the barricade, she savagely kicked a heavy metal table. It flew off the pile, smashing into the closest Brute and opening a path for Tar to run through. Moving with big strides and an open stance, she took a wide swipe at the reeling Stalker with her sword. The blade caught his left hand and leg as he tried to move away, severing them both.

With her other hand, Tar quickly threw a fire grenade at the next Stalker, who was unloading his Spiker into her shield. The grenade crashed into his midsection, blossoming into a fireball that enveloped his whole body. Tar heard his shield die and then smelled burning flesh. The Brute fell to his knees, trying to pat the fire out. Tar pulled out her Mauler and fired a slug at him and the other Brute on the floor before diving behind the same metal table, heavy plasma fire evaporated her shield. Two spikes thudded into a foot she couldn’t quite hide, making Tar yell out in pain.

It was easy to see that Tar needed assistance, though Ryssa was not in a position to help. His needler had supercombined a Brute as he rushed to cover, but the cover he had chosen was not the most solid. The barricades the stalkers had erected would have been a better choice. Plasma fire from the other side of the console burned through and struck his shields, forcing him to evade. He tried dashing to a barricade, but did not see the invisible Brute that was close enough to intercept him. Suddenly, he was struck in the head by the blunt underside of a plasma rifle. The remainder of his shields did absorb much of the impact, but they were easily broken by the Brute’s raw strength. Though, Ryssa was easily strong enough to do the same in return. The stalker had revealed himself, so Ryssa struck back with the underside of his needler. Though not a match for the Brute physically, Ryssa could still break the shields of the powered armor. Both were quickly rendered vulnerable.

Daha had found better cover initially, and was better able to help Tar. Seeing the effect Jurna could have firing from a distance, Daha could adapt to take advantage of that. While his plasma pistol started to charge, he opened fire with his plasma rifle on the Brute that had shot Tar. Stalkers did not have strong shields, so it took only a short burst of plasma to break through them. By the time the Brute was exposed, Daha’s plasma pistol was once again overcharged. However, instead of focusing only on a single target, he instead shifted his aim to the next closest Brute to strip him of his shields with his pistol.

Jurna was not necessarily intentionally cooperating with Daha, but he was aiming for the most vulnerable opponents within his line of sight. His first shot found the head of the Brute that had wounded Tar. The second Brute moved more quickly as he tried to get out of the line of fire, but Jurna was able to land three consecutive shots to center mass to neutralize him.

Tar slithered further behind the table as her shields began recharging. Grimacing with pain, she pulled the spikes out of her foot. They sizzled in her hand before she dropped them on the floor. She checked around for her team; they were fighting hard, shooting over her prone form. She began motioning for Jurna to move up to the barricade when she noticed a shimmer moving rapidly up behind him.

"Jurna, behind you!" Tar called out, pointing.

Peering into the far distance, Aviza had her Generation 2 ARGUS-class Mjolnir armors advanced information system lock onto the SDV-class corvette, as well as the two CCS-class battlecruisers, and started to feed all of team Aegis the incredibly detailed information it was gathering. "Shih, is there anyway you can combine the information that the Mammoths sensors have gathered, and combine it with my own?" Asked Aviza as she queued information about the estimated amount of time it would take for the team to arrive at their destination. [2 Hours] was the message that came up, though that information could be wrong since she was basing this off of the distance of the nearest ship. "Everyone, break up into teams of two, but stay within viewing distance, I do not want any of you leaving the area of operations or getting separated from the squad. Let's move out, if I need to carry one of the ONI Spooks, I will do so." said Aviza, teasing the two a little bit.

Paxopolis Simulated Training Centre

---

Though he had been helpful when left alone, Jurna’s response to the ambush was less than ideal. He did listen to Tar’s warning and turn around, but the two shots he fired with his carbine were not enough to break the Brute’s shields. At such close range, he would have been better off striking the Brute with the weapon. Instead, he took the full force of a mauler shot that immediately breached his shields, which was followed quickly by a strike to his head with the mauler’s blade. Especially when wielded by a Brute, it was easily enough to kill, which was precisely Jurna’s fate for this scenario.

Ryssa, at least, was faring somewhat better. The stalker he was fighting seemed intent on tearing the Sangheili apart with his bare hands, but Ryssa thought quickly enough to turn his needler around and jam the needles straight into the Brute’s neck. It was another stalker brought down, though Ryssa was still unshielded and vulnerable.

Tar cried in anguish as Jurna's limp body fell to the floor. She grabbed a red plasma rifle from the severed hand of a Brute lying next to her and fired it at Jurna's killer. The half shielded Brute retreated back into the hallway.

"Put down your weapons! Or the humans die!" A gravelly voice boomed from the front of the room.

Tar peered over the top of the table and saw two Brutes, camo disabled, pointing spikers in the direction of her and the recruits. Each of them held a member of the Command centre staff in front of them.

Behind these two Stalkers, another Brute, also visible, was fiddling with one of the master control panels. Red lights began flashing in the command room, and one of the screens featured a plaintive PROXIMITY WARNING sign.

Of the two remaining recruits, Ryssa was the one to act. He ducked down quickly behind the barricade before even retrieving his needler from the Brute’s neck to allow the chance for his shields to recharge. Though, the warning on one of the screens meant he would not have time to wait. They had to act quickly. In this case, Ryssa did not need to hesitate nor look to others for direction. He already knew his instructions, based on the mission parameters. Directives from both the UNSC and Swords were actually similar in this respect: the mission had priority. Hostages were meant to be saved if possible, but ultimately, unless the hostages in danger were of critical importance themselves, the fate of the colony meant more than any individuals. For this scenario, stopping the sabotage to save the colony was the objective. Drawing his storm rifle, Ryssa braced it on top of the barricade and opened fire into the back of the Brute at the console.

Both the Brutes up front snarled in unison, firing their spikers at Ryssa. The Stalker at the console picked up his weapon and turned around, but didn't get any shots of. Tar jumped up, waves of pain crashing against the back of her eyeballs, and joined her fire to Ryssa's. The Brute at the back promptly melted to the console.

Seeing all was lost, the two Brutes up front cracked the skulls of their hostages, discarding them on the floor. Sharing a quick look, they began running at Tar, bodies low to the ground in berserk mode, jumping through the hologram of Sarcophagus.

Tar had encountered this particular move lots of times before. She tried to find a stable platform on her bleeding foot while they closed. Finally, satisfied she wouldn't fall over from the first strike, she drew her energy sword.

Greeting them with a bloodthirsty roar, Tar used the first Brute's momentum against him. As he leapt forward, she impaled him on her sword, lifted him clean over her head and dumped him behind her. She screamed in pain as her foot took all the extra weight.

Pirouetting clumsily to greet the second attacker, Tar launched her sword at him as he jumped from the hologram plinth, arms ready to crush her. It connected meatily with his torso in mid air, and the Brute clattered to the floor just in front of her. Tar pulled out her Mauler and shot them both in the head, just to be sure.

"Ryssa, help me turn this off. Daha, sweep and secure the room."

Though he certainly heard the two Brutes rushing their position, Daha was in no position to help. After Jurna’s death, Daha looked back into the hall to cover their flank. With a focused eye, it did not take him long to spot enough of a shimmer for him to act upon. He did not bother charging his plasma pistol, instead firing both it and the plasma rifle at slightly different positions to try and reveal the stalker.

Fortunately, one of the plasma bolts found its mark and disrupted the cloak. From there, he did nothing particularly special nor complex. He simply overwhelmed the Brute with plasma fire from both weapons. Daha’s shields were half-drained from a mauler shot at medium distance, but the Brute fell long before it could do any more damage.

With the hostile forces neutralized, the remainder of the simulation was fairly simple to complete. It was simply a matter of reactivating the defenses the stalkers had disabled, namely the settlement’s anti-air defenses. It was a task that required some knowledge of the Human computer systems, but they had been taught to do it.

Once the scenario had been completed, the team quickly filed out of the simulator to open it up for use by the next group waiting. The four recruits, now reunited, stood together at attention once again. Strictly speaking, the scenario had been completed successfully, with the primary objective fulfilled. The secondary objective to rescue hostages had failed, but that was, by the scenario’s own description, considered a difficult objective. What was of more concern to the recruits was the fact that they had performed far from flawlessly. Two of their number had died, and they made some obvious mistakes.

Tar looked at each of them in turn to gauge their feelings before asking: “Who would like to go first and explain how we did?” She was interested to hear their take on what had just happened. Even the Major, who would’ve been able to watch the simulation unfold even after his death.

"𝙾𝚑 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛." 𝙴𝚕𝚗𝚊 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍 𝚊𝚜 𝙰𝚟𝚒𝚣𝚊 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝, 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚢 𝚋𝚊𝚍 𝚎𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚌𝚔 𝚞𝚙 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚘𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚜𝚞𝚙𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚠𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚎𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛. 𝚂𝚞𝚙𝚎𝚛 𝚌𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚎, 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚞𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚞𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚎𝚙𝚕𝚘𝚢 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚗 𝚖𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚢'𝚜 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚍. 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚘𝚋𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚍𝚞𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝟸 𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚖 𝚞𝚙 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚊𝚞𝚕𝚝 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚌𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎, 𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕𝚢, 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚔𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚛𝚞𝚝𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚘 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚜𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚜 𝚊𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕. 𝚃𝚠𝚘 𝚋𝚒𝚛𝚍𝚜, 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢. 𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚙𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚙.

𝚁𝚘𝚢 𝚜𝚑𝚛𝚞𝚐𝚐𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚍, 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚑𝚎 𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝙰𝚟𝚒𝚣𝚊 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚊 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚗𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚙. "𝚂𝚘, 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝚐𝚘 𝚘𝚏𝚏 𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎?"𝚁𝚘𝚢 𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊𝚠𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚎𝚙𝚒𝚌 𝚕𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚕𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚊𝚜𝚜?! 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚁𝚘𝚢 𝚋𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚏𝚏 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚊𝚠𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚘𝚛 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚢 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚊 𝚋𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚑 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚜𝚢𝚖𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚞𝚗𝚐𝚐𝚘𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚔𝚎𝚢𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍? 𝙸𝚝 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗'𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚗𝚘𝚠, 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎. 𝚃𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚃 𝚘𝚏𝚏 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚙 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚜𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔 𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑.

---

Following Aviza’s orders, Aegis team grouped off into pairs and moved in a loose formation towards the cruisers, on foot. Vael experienced little issue from either the darkness or the cold, as his combat harness could handle both through low-light vision and thermal regulation.

The trek through the desert itself took hours on foot. It came with the advantage of stealth, since there was no way the Brutes would be able to detect their approach unless a patrol simply happened upon them by chance, but they would still have to stay alert. They had already encountered hostile Forerunner machines once, and the wildlife of Sarcophagus was hardly any less of a threat. The size of their group did make it less likely for an animal to want to challenge them, but creatures had killed citizens of Paxopolis before.

Fortunately, between the sensors built into Aviza’s armor, and those back at the Mammoth, Shih was able to guide them on a path that kept them well-clear of any Forerunner structures on the way. Though, as they grew nearer to their destination, the AI was also able to form a more complete picture of the area underneath the cruisers. The ships appeared to be holding over a structure, likely Forerunner based on its dimensions. Before they could see it with their own eyes, they would not be able to determine why, but there was certainly a possibility that it could make their task more difficult. They needed to be able to follow the Brutes to the rebels’ hideout undetected, and any Forerunner defenses could compromise their position.

In any case, after enough hours of walking, the team did start coming close to their destination. From where they were, they could see not only the Brute cruisers hovering far above, but also the top of a spire-like Forerunner structure, and phantoms patrolling the area around it. There was obviously some interest from the Brutes in the structure, but based on Shih’s scans, it was located in a crater-like pit with high rock walls on all sides, and few good entrances. If they moved closer, it was possible they could find a spot among the rocky crags where they could get a line of sight down into the crater, but there was a definite risk of encountering a patrol if they moved closer. Alternatively, there was a mesa near to their current position that was tall enough for them to be able to see over the rim from long range. So far, none of the phantoms they had seen had moved that far from the crater on their patrols, but if a phantom did come out that far, there would be few options to hide from it.

Paxopolis Simulated Training Centre

---

As one might have expected, there was hesitation from all of the recruits. Ryssa was the one who hazarded an answer first, though his approach was more of a cold recounting of facts than an actual analysis of their performance. “The primary objective was completed and the security of the colony was ensured. We failed the secondary objective to rescue the Human hostages.”

The Major soon let out a loud huff, giving a dismissive glare towards seemingly anyone who looked at him. “It is a miracle any of you even survived.”

Tar chuckled. Now that the simulation was over, she could relax a little bit. “It certainly wasn’t a masterclass, but I never expected that. I expected an embarrassment, and at certain points it was. But on the whole, you acted bravely and completed the mission.

She looked at Ryssa. “You have the makings of a fine operator, but your leadership instincts need work. You were visibly nervous at the beginning, making a vital mistake that nearly lost me my life. You performed better as my second, freeing you up to focus on the fundamentals. My question for you is, do you want to be a follower forever, or do you want to lead?”

“Yes, commander.” Ryssa answered; though, even he realized the irony in the way he chose to respond. “I…will improve myself.”

She turned to the Major. “Your strength and valour make you a great asset. However, your style did not work in this scenario. We were fighting an invisible enemy, and needed to be as close to hidden as possible. Adapting how you fight is key to survival. As part of a garrison, we require these skills more than raw power and aggression.”

Jurna was next. “You’re good with that carbine, but your hesitation got you killed. We are a team, and should move as one. In the hands of a skilled soldier, a carbine is just as deadly up close as it is from range. Especially when your teammate is cracking shields” She pointed to Daha. “That was a good stratagem Daha, quick thinking.”

Tar surveyed them all. “But i’m still disappointed that we lost soldiers fighting an inferior enemy. When we work together as a team, we’re each worth one hundred Stalkers. I’ll see you tomorrow for another scenario. Dismissed.”

Initially in response to Tar’s criticism, the Major had just stared with a soft growl, but by the time they were dismissed, he had built up enough resentment to finally speak up. He stepped forward, standing out of line and clenching his hand into a fist. “And who are you to ‘instruct’ me? If I did not have a team of cowards behind me, my attack would have succeeded. You proved as worthless as they did.” He snarled, pointing a finger at Tar.

Tar snarled and stepped forward. “Who am i? I’m the one who’s killed more Brute vermin than you’ve ever seen! Believe me, your tactics have a time and place, but not while you’re on my team.” She prodded the Major’s chestplate. “If you’re unhappy, I can have you guarding star ship armouries by tomorrow. You can go berserk at all hostiles - would you prefer that?”

This time, Tar’s threat just seemed to rile up the Major even more. He stepped closer to her, growling as he looked down on her. Physically, he was larger and stronger than most Sangheili: a fact that clearly influenced his confidence when facing down one who was his superior. “You don’t have a place commanding a team at all. What do you know of combat? Of real war? Even from the start, you spoke of leading from the rear like a cowardly Unggoy. Was it the Humans that gave you your position in this place? You act like them.”

"I paid for my station in blood!" Tar hissed, rolling her shoulders in a subtle attempt to calm her battle reflex. The Major was obviously incensed, and a fight would quickly get out of hand. "My blood and the blood of those I've killed. Three years of burning mongrel Brute hides in search of my father. So don't lecture me about combat - you wouldn't last five minutes on the missions I've endured for our kind."

The Major waved his hand to the side dismissively. “Empty words and lies. I watched you fight and I was not impressed. I could snap you in half; I am twice the warrior as you.”

“It was a test…” A voice sounded out nearby, much more softly than either of the two.

The Major growled as he turned his head back towards the other recruits. “What?”

While certainly hesitant to speak up against the Major, Jurna was still in agreement with Tar, and felt strongly enough to involve himself. “The…simulation was a test for us. If she’s trying to evaluate us, then she’s not going to make all the kills herself.”

“Not another word, fool!” The Major snapped back.

“You are the greatest fool among us, Zadu.” Another voice interjected, this one new. It was Daha, who, until now, had not spoken through the entire scenario. Unlike Jurna, he did not fear speaking out against the Major. In fact, he showed little in the way of emotion at all, either visually or in his tone. “You clearly did not take the time to learn anything of our commander’s history. It was a Silent Shadow team who taught her.”

For the first time, the Major actually showed a hint of doubting himself, though he clearly tried to hide it. “Lies!” He snarled.

"Truth." Tar nodded her head. "We hunted down and slaughtered Brutes, because we could. What have you done to deserve your rank?"

Though unsettled by the implications if what Daha said was true, the Major still answered. “I have fought and killed those who would oppose the Arbiter’s rule. But you…why would any Silent Shadow team allow you among them? I can say with certainty you are no veteran of war.”

"Because, after my father was captured.." Tar could see all the males bristle at the mere thought. "I swore to them I'd kill every Brute in my way until I found him. This meant we could help each other. I stand by that oath to this day." She moved closer, until their armour was practically touching. "Any more questions...Major?"

The Major’s hesitation said more about him than his actual words. For him to accept what she was saying was to make himself into a fool. The only way for him to retain his pride was if he did not believe her claim. Yet, it was Daha, not her, that had made it., and though the Major had not admitted it, Daha had been correct that he knew nothing of their instructor’s past.

The Major could have tried pressing farther; to take the chance of perhaps preserving his pride. But, at this point, that hope seemed distant. “I…have nothing more to say.”

Tar smiled. "Good, see you tomorrow. Dismissed." She headed for the exit as all the recruits started chatting about their performance. All except the Major, who skulked into one of the adjoining physical training rooms.

And so they were to move out. The information that trickled in was welcome as far as Yalu was concerned. The enemy was not heading for them, neither were they heading anywhere they could not follow.

Yalu approached the only human he was properly acquainted with to pair up. "Ryker. Now is the time to put our practice to the test."


Yalu strode along in the line his allies created to advance, carbine in his hands. He stopped very occasionally to zoom his harness optics to scan the distance but found no reason to speak up through the radio while they moved.

After enough time, Yalu spoke up gently enough for Lucas to hear. "I have a question. Which of the humans is most likely to charge ahead for glory, in your opinion? Or the one who would...I believe the phrase is 'getting tunnel vision'." Yalu kept his eyes on the surrounding environment. "There is always one in sangheili fireteams. Good tactical information to have."

Lucas offered no objections when Major Yalu spoke up for wanting to pair up as the only non-human member of Aegis to have put in training time with the SPARTAN. The pair had a feel for each other's tendencies already, so the pairing was solid. Following the ping from Team Lead Aviza and then the updated ping from Shih, Ryker moved with his partner into the darkness, switching on his visor's night-vision mode.

---

His DMR had never stopped its sweep from left to right, occasionally checking their rear more out of habit than genuine concern, but then, the Brutes were known to deploy Stalkers on occasion, stealth equipped monkeys who were as prone to bash your head in from behind as put a mauler shot in you from the front. Yalu was fairly restless on his own watch from what the Spartan could see, but he would double their firing cones on occasion in case something popped up while the Sangheili was aiming another direction.

Eventually, as Lucas was coming to a pause to use his armor's built in zoom optics to see what the patrol pattern on the phantoms was like, the Major finally spoke, asking who amongst the humans of the team was the most likely to get tunnel vision. Making sure that his outbound comms to the team was turned off, he answered as he surveyed. "The ONI spooks, easily. They try and hide it, but they think this whole team is a sham and a joke, as I imagine a lot of ONI's top brass does too. But, so long as they can follow orders until we need to break stealth mode, they should be fine."

Nodding to himself as a couple of phantoms peal off, he speaks into the team COMMS again, asking what he was sure was on all their minds. "How do we want to handle this? Crags or plateau? Splitting into two groups would be a bad idea."

Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker

// Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Planets Surface

Grik shrugged when given the order to split up into groups and looked around. They were currently in cover but he could only assume splitting up their larger group would work to their advantage. Looking to Ben, Grik pointed at him and shrugged again keeping chatter to a minimum was normally his go to when on mission. Moving closer to the Spartan the Unggoy motioned towards his blade then his pistol. The grunt was sure to follow the Spartan with whatever he decided to do. "Grikgar shadow." was all he said to the Spartan with a nod.