Cath

The Cradle

Table of contents
Chapter 1 - A Chance Encounter
Chapter 2 - Perfidious Dark
Chapter 3 - The Welcome Wagon
Chapter 4 - Sleep the dream of the apples
Chapter 5 - The Archive
Chapter 6 - GCHQ

Chapter 1 - A Chance Encounter

“Dr Lang, this is a reminder to take your medication.” Demeter, the block’s AI concierge, announced. Freyr, who had been staring absently at a news cycle projected onto the wall opposite the sofa, rubbed her puffy, tear streaked cheeks. “I’ve told you before Demeter, I don't need a reminder.” The lights in her flat increased in brightness slightly, and one of the roller blinds began sliding up to let light through the window. It was cloudy and rainy outside; Freyr wondered what day it was. “I’m sorry Dr Lang. But I'm under instructions from Babylon Social Care Advisory to watch out for you as best I can.” Demeter did manage to sound regretful, but Freyr couldn’t tell if that tone was just something it’d learned.

Sighing deeply, Freyr gradually moved into a sitting position, wiping the tears from her eyes with a sleeve. Her normally pristine living area was littered with takeaway food containers, get well soon gifts from work, discarded clothes and empty bottles of wine. Cold, grey light shone across an exercise bike and a dining table with four chairs. Freyr’s eyes strayed to the entry hall, where a pistol hung in its holster from one of the coat hooks. Ostensibly, she had bought it after the incident, for protection. But deep down Freyr knew that it was a cowardly part of her looking for a way out. Freyr also knew that David would’ve wanted her to carry on, for all three of them. For some reason, this was clearer today than on many days previously.

So Freyr hauled herself from the seat, rushed to the bathroom and took both of the pills waiting for her by the sink before she got any second thoughts. “Thank you, Dr Lang.” Demeter soothed. “Is there anything else i can do for you?” Freyr walked through to the kitchen area and poured a cup of water before answering. “Are there any messages for me?” She’d stopped checking them herself some time ago, instead opting to have Demeter screen them first. He’d figured out which would cause distress, and could either hold onto them or reconfigure them into something more palatable.

“Yes. There is one message from Dr Karos Childermass, fifty one minutes ago. He asked if you were available to meet at your earliest convenience.” Freyr’s stomach dropped and her heart began racing. She let go of her cup and it bounced off the floor, spilling water all over her feet. She staggered to her sofa and collapsed down. After a few moments, the words began flooding out. “W-why didn’t you tell me fifty one minutes ago? What did he say it’s about? Has there been a development in the case?” She heard the whir of the kitchen’s floorboards tilting to drain away the sudden excess water.

“I elected to wait until you had taken your medication; It should be taking effect in a few seconds. Dr Childermass did not say in his message what the visit was about, so i’m afraid i don’t have that information.” Freyr leant her face against her clenched fist and rocked slowly back and forth on the sofa while she thought about what it could mean. The head of her department hadn’t been in contact since just after the incident.

“Call him for me please, Demeter.” Freyr finally spoke.
“I don’t believe that is wise. Your emotional state is still very-”
“Call him!” Freyr shouted. There was a pregnant pause before she heard a soft dial tone ringing in her head. Karos Childermass picked up almost immediately.
“Freyr, how are you?”
“Karos, what’s happened? Has there been a development with the case?”
“I uhh...I think it’s best if we talk in person. Are you at home?”
“Yes I am. How long will you be?”
“I’m close - twenty minutes?”
“Ok, see you then.”
“See you.” Karos ended the call and Freyr went to pick up the cup she’d dropped, almost completely numb.

The Cradle

Name: Dr Freyr Lang

Species: Human

Gender: Female

Age: 34

Appearance

Nationality: Outreman, previously citizen of Angjusk

Occupation: Deputy head of department - Cradle Research & Development

Cybernetics:

• Cradle quick-access implant - Allows access to and from the Cradle environment without additional hardware. This advanced module also reduces fatigue caused by the process, allowing power users multiple entries in a single day.
• Tier 7c ‘Cradle Builder’ suite - Grants access to the programs created specifically for ‘terraforming’ the Cradle. Tier 7 out of 20 allows Freyr to auto-build a variety of specialised equipment and propose-build mid level structures.
• Ilyes Brand communication and productivity module - Standard implant for access to Outremer’s communications network. Also integrates with many well known productivity tools like a personal assistant, as well as more bespoke scientific tools.

Backstory:
Freyr was born on Angjusk, an older colony than Outremer that was renowned for its military materiel, particularly star ships.

Her mother was an innovations tsar assigned by the government to a consortium of the planet’s largest ship manufacturers. During most of Freyr’s childhood, her mother’s sole task was making sure Angjusk battle fleets were the best money could buy in the Diaspora.

Before she was born, her father owned and operated a series of protein farms across Angjusk. After a chance encounter at a lobby meeting, he was headhunted to co-ordinate the military industrial complex’s entire food supply chain. He also met his future wife, as it was Freyr’s mother who had recommended him for the job on that fateful day in the lobby.

Freyr was born five years later. Her early life was a whirlwind of schooling, snatches of intimacy with her parents (when they weren’t busy) and extended periods with friends. She discovered a natural capacity for learning and excelled in her studies. So much so that she received offers from universities across the Diaspora to come and develop with them.

Her mother and father both pressured her to consider diplomas like Interplanetary Relations or Agrarian Policy. However Freyr was not interested in pursuing a career in politics. Angjusk has been involved in at least a dozen small conflicts since Freyr had been born. She had seen how politicians would destroy entire cultures for the sake of influence, and wanted none of it.

In her first act of defiance, Freyr accepted a position at a school in Babylon, the main city of a far away frontier colony called Outremer. Driven more by the desire to have time away from her planet than by the subjects on offer, she researched what Outremer was known for. It was here that she first discovered the object powering this section of the Diaspora - the Cradle.

She quickly became obsessed with its untapped potential and seemingly unknowable past. She decided to pursue Xenobiology and Machine Intelligence as her subjects of interest, voraciously consuming the knowledge gathered so far on the Cradle.

It was here at the university that she met her future partner, David, who was studying art history. Isolated from her family and friends, alone on a strange planet, Freyr was glad of his unassuming company and kindness. They grew very close over the course of their degrees, and moved in together after graduation. Their daughter Amy was born a few years later.

After Uni, Freyr was picked up by an Outremer administration outreach team and placed in a government career fast lane. Her obsession with the Cradle made her an obvious choice for the Cradle Research & Development department. Once there, she quickly proved herself capable. Several breakthroughs in her first five years meant she was allowed to hand select a team of dynamic young individuals to help pursue her work. A couple more catapulted her into a deputy head of department role, to the ire of some of it’s older and more entrenched members.

It was on her 34th birthday that the Cradle abducted her family. It had been acting strangely for weeks prior, rolling back years of terraforming. Freyr had been working round the clock to figure out why, practically living at her field office by the Border. David had bought sweet treats and had Amy with her.

What can only be described as creatures emerged from beyond the Border and overran the camp. A panic spread through the mostly unarmed workers, leading many to flee for their lives. Freyr’s last memory of her family was being propelled across the camp by one of the creatures. She could only watch from her position immobile on the floor as they carried off her husband and little girl.

Security forces conducted a sweep of the immediate area beyond the Border, but found no sign of them. So Freyr began looking by herself as soon as her broken bones were reconstructed. Months went by. Her work stopped and her mental health deteriorated. Eventually she was placed on sick leave and her access revoked, after she attempted to use her influence to organise an armed excursion deep into the uncontrolled zone.

Guild News: September 2020

Woo, go Aegis Team!

The Cradle

Character sheet template

Name:

Species:

Gender:

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Nationality (if applicable):

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Backstory:

The Cradle

The Cradle

---

There are so many opposing calendars now, you’ll get a different year from every new person you talk to. Here on Outremer, it is 349 years since the first settlers arrived, which makes the year 349 AC. Some are still faithful to our homeworld, Earth, and swear by the Gregorian, Islamic or Chinese calendars. A few even go by the number of years since Earth abandoned all of us in the outer diaspora - 421 or something like that.

Whichever calendar you subscribe to, I'm sorry to say you’ve joined us at the darkest point in Outremer’s history. For this is a colony in danger of having its heart ripped out.

That heart is the Cradle; a mysterious machine with practically unlimited power. It called to us from lightyears away, buried beneath a dead city in the middle of a desert on Outremer’s equator. When we arrived, it was only a matter of time before we figured out how to enter its virtual environment. We quickly realised its raw processing capabilities could be shaped to all manner of uses.

Before long, all of Outremer’s government apparatus and institutions were operated from the Cradle. We used the unlimited power hidden within this virtual landscape to supercharge our industry and development, becoming rich in the process. Many of the neighbouring colonies wanted a piece of the action, seconding their leadership to the Cradle too.

As our collective need for power increased, we sculpted more of the Cradle into usable space; turning the barren landscape into sparkling campuses. But in the last couple of years, something has gone very wrong.

All that we’ve built within the Cradle is starting to degrade. The structure we painstakingly crafted from the raw material of this environment are flickering in and out of existence, revealing the horrific underlayer.

What’s more, people have been reporting...creatures, moving through the dark and unknowable landscape at night. Some even say they roam the halls in those moments when the bright uniformity of the Controlled Area flickers and dies.

It’s only a matter of time before someone gets hurt. We need to stabilise the Cradle now, or risk losing control of Outremer forever.

The Cradle

The Sthrirad

A semi-intelligent gaseous collective entity, originating on planet Tind. Over millions of years, they’ve developed a complex symbiotic relationship with one of the planet’s dominant species, the Tindrel. The Sthirirad now inhabits the respiratory and nervous system of nearly all Tindrel (save that of various sepratist factions). In exchange for an ideal living environment, the Sthrirad has integrated some of its formidable chemical compounds into Tindrel biology.

The most well-known of these compounds is secreted from the host Tindrel in the same situations a ‘fight or flight’ response is stimulated in Humans.

Halo: Aegis Team

Tar 'Mdalak

The Kel 'Darsam - off Paxopolis Boardwalk

---

Tar looked at her comrade. Her face must have been a picture and she hadn’t even known it. “Yes I… I have unfinished business with the Jiralhanae.” She suddenly got the urge to tell Kryu the whole story, or at least what she could remember. The recruits would probably tell everyone they saw, meaning the whole base would be privy in a few weeks. Better he heard it from her.

As Tar ground the last bit of her food between her mandibles and considered how to proceed, her helmet, sat on the bar beside her bowl, chirruped loudly. She stared at it. They didn’t get orders very often at all.

Putting her bowl down, she clicked her helmet back into place and hit replay on last comms.

“All units will report back to the Repentant Proselyte immediately.” were the simple instructions.

She looked at Kryu, who was rapidly finishing off his breakfast in anticipation. “They’re calling us back to the ship.” She said. Despite her wobbly morning so far, Tar was excited. This hadn’t happened before, and could only mean one thing; there was at least a chance they’d go into battle. “They must have heard us talking.” She grinned.

She paid for both of their breakfasts and patted Kryu on the back again, letting him lead the way to the exit.

The broad street was alive with activity when they emerged from the side street of the Kel ‘Darsam. Sailors and marines of all species were quickly trooping from various buildings and heading towards the shuttleport. Some were unarmed, jogging quickly as they were unencumbered. Others were fully armoured and sporting assault weapons.

Tar and Kryu nudged their way into the flowing crowd, finding space next to a platoon of ODSTs. They were tall and strong by Human standards, and each wore a fitted black undersuit with the flaming skull insignia. Tar idly guessed their oversuits must've been stored on board their star ship.

One of the ODSTs noticed Tar looking and winked up at her, chewing gum and fingering the pistol in his chest holster. "Hey sexy." He called, blowing a kiss. Tar growled and turned to Kryu. "Hopefully the base isn’t under attack too, with us all standing around in the open. Let's move." She began picking her way through the slow moving crowd, opening a hole for her comrade to follow.

Kryu spared only a glance to the Humans. To him, their behaviors were far from consistent, and sometimes irrational in ways that he never would have expected before the end of the war. He had fought against them during the time of the Covenant, and his experiences against their warriors did not prepare him for the…oddities he would experience as their ally. Nevertheless, there were far more important concerns at the moment. He caught up to Tar and kept pace close beside her.

“Whatever is happening must be related to our warriors being put on alert. I doubt our superiors would collect us all from the city just for a test. If that is so, then it is strange they did not inform us of any threats. I dislike this secrecy.” Kryu commented.

Upon pushing her way through the crowd a ways, Tar found the reason everyone was moving so slow. A cargo platform carrying boxes of equipment had tipped over, covering most of the road.

After navigating carefully past it, the road was still busy but there was much more room to manoeuvre. Tar broke into an ambling jog alongside Kryu, as excited as her comrade to find out the meaning of their orders.

They slalomed past groups of soldiers in varying states of combat readiness and teams of base personnel heading for their regular duty stations. A few other Sangheili joined in, taking advantage of the course through the crowds Tar and Kryu were creating.

After traversing a few streets, roughly one kilometre in total, they reached one of the entrances to Paxopolis shuttleport. Given that Paxopolis did not have regular, civilian contact with other colonies, the majority of the shuttleport’s traffic were generally military transports. Though, it was particularly busy now.

Fortunately, once they were in the shuttleport itself, the soldiers boarding their dropships were far more organized than the civilians in the streets going about their day. For Tar and Kryu, they lined up to board the same phantom heading up to their cruiser, the Repentant Proselyte.

After they both headed up the grav-lift and found their places in the phantom, Kryu nudged Tar’s side with his elbow to grab her attention. “Maybe we are leaving Sarcophagus? We’re not under attack, else the city would already be going into lockdown, but I cannot imagine what aside from real combat would call for the aid of an entire cruiser.”

“Perhaps.” Tar agreed. “Not just one cruiser either. A lot of the sailors making their way back were from different ships. It seems most of the fleet could be mobilising.”

“I heard it could be a Brute battle group.” Said a Minor opposite them. Despite her extreme scepticism of the young male’s source of intel, Tar felt all her nerves tingle at the thought.

“A Brute ambush, outside the sphere? They have no honour!” someone called out.

“It sounds like a fair fight to me!” A Major at the far end stood up and hammered his chest. As one, every Sangheili in the Phantom’s hold began rhythmically beat their fists against their armour and produced a deep, threatening sound from the back of their throat.

This continued for much of the short journey up to the Repentant Proselyte, with different officers taking turns to whip them into a frenzy. By the time the Phantom docked in one of their cruiser’s enormous hangar bays, Tar was ready to tear apart the first Brute she saw with her own hands.

They all exited the Phantom via the grav lift and headed for one of the many doors into the ship proper. Tar knew Rangers prepared for battle in a separate area to her, toward the stern, so she caught Kryu before they parted ways. “If i don’t see you before - good luck, brother.” They shared a heartfelt salute.

Kryu hummed for just a moment, then gave a slight laugh. “I would wish you luck, sister, but I know you do not need it.”

Tar chuckled. “Just make sure I have a ship to come back to.” She playfully patted his arm and began walking toward the SpecOpsCon for debrief.

Halo: Aegis Team

Tar 'Mdalak

The Kel 'Darsam - off Paxopolis Broadwalk

---

Tar chuckled and patted her comrade affectionately on the back. "If the Humans gave you poison, would you eat that too?" She enjoyed the regular meetings and light hearted banter with Kryu more than she probably let on. It provided temporary solace for her, especially as her deployment to Sarcophagus stretched from weeks into months.

Kryu shrugged. “I am not convinced that was not their intention. It was sweet at first, but the aftertaste was horrid. I still feel that I can taste it. The last time they gave me something of theirs to eat, it was most acceptable. Pleasant, even. Perhaps they were attempting to earn my trust?” He said with a short grunt.

Their food came quickly - popular dishes were pre-prepared and kept hot for the breakfast rush which was due in 10 minutes or so. Tar devoured hers, foregoing utensils over holding the bowl up and grabbing food with her tongue and mandibles.
“So, I had an...interesting simulation...with some fresh recruits just now.” Tar ventured in between mouthfuls. “Such an array of characters - three sessions in and they’re still as diverse as the seasons. It seems ONI doesn’t like making things easy for me! How was your training exercise yesterday?”

Kryu huffed, shaking his head slightly before pausing to take a drink. “All but one of my recruits have never so much as used a thruster pack before, but that is fine. The ones that have never flown do not know what they are doing, so they listen to me. It’s the one with experience that gives me trouble. He has his own technique, and does not wish to stray from it. So, yesterday, he comes in too quickly for his landing, does a poor job of handling the impact, and breaks his leg. The last I saw him, he was arguing with the medics.”

"We're certainly a stubborn kind, aren't we?" Tar slurped her shake. "So many returning from war with rushed, incomplete training. They now hide behind hero status, claiming imaginary feats of valour. Tar heard herself speak and realised she had assumed an overly negative tone.
She had feats of valour too, despite not serving in the war. Her Keep had been attacked by surprise, and she'd fought them off with her own soldiers. But she seldom felt comfortable talking about those feats. She had failed her father by allowing him to be captured. The shame still threatened to overwhelm her years later. She'd only managed to hint to Kryu what had transpired, so it was no wonder blurting it out in front of the recruits had shaken her.

Even if she had wanted to gloat, she would've needed to embellish some of it. Much of that battle was clouded by a red haze in her mind, preventing her from recalling some details. The clearest memory she had was tentatively asking her trusted lieutenant about what he'd seen several days after. She would never forget the look on his face. Raw fear, of her.

Tar decided to change the subject. "Have you heard any more whispers of an actual mission, outside Paxopolis?"

Again, Kryu shook his head. “I haven’t heard anything specific. I know our commanders have put the garrison on alert, but no one is saying what we are on alert against. I am wondering if we are simply being tested? I believe many of the recruits sent here are chosen based on how well they will get along with former enemies. Perhaps they want to see if we still have the skill and discipline necessary to defend this place?” He reasoned.

“Shaking down the base would put everyone in their place, whether that is at the barricades or on the next shuttle back to Sanghelios.” Tar agreed, thoughtfully tasting the last strips of meat in her bowl.

After a short pause to have some of his breakfast, Kryu gave Tar a curious look. “You are still wanting to be reassigned from here, aren’t you.” He asked, though he still did not know the exact reason why she had been looking to leave.

Halo: Aegis Team

Tar 'Mdalak

Paxopolis Broadwalk

---

Her mind was still racing from the Sim and the confrontation when Tar passed the train centre's double entry doors. The cool morning breeze of Paxopolis whispered through her armour. The base's clean, wide streets were starting to fill up with people on their way to work.

Tar's stomach complained; she realised she hadn’t eaten yet today. She set off for one of her favourite places, courteously waiting for a pair of ONI analysts to cross her path. Tar had never fought Humans during the war. She’d wanted glory in battle like all her brothers, but hadn’t been allowed to enlist on account of her gender. As a result, she’d never even seen a Human until her flight to Paxopolis almost half a year ago.

Although comparatively puny, they were generally quite clever and resourceful. A lot of their behaviour was dishonourable by Sangheili standards, but mostly they were at least civil around her. There had been a few insults, but they were quickly pounced on by superiors who seemed under orders to make the co-deployment a success.

Tar was particularly impressed by their weaponry. Considering they hadn’t been blessed with reverse engineered Forerunner technology until recently, their ground armaments felt powerful. She was particularly enamoured with their M90 shotgun. The pump action seemed inconvenient, but it had the stopping power of a Gravity Hammer. She’d used a variant with an extended trigger (to accommodate her large Sangheili hands) on a few exercises already.

She crossed the street from the training centre, walked a few hundred metres down one of the main thoroughfares before heading down a side street. She saw the neon sign which read ‘Refreshment Area #0259’, and the smaller, homemade sign underneath which read ‘The Kel ‘Darsam’ in Basic Sangheili.

Two Sangheili conversing outside the large front door moved aside to let her enter. The interior was high-ceilinged and surprisingly spacious. It had been designed specifically for Elites by sympathetic builders. A bar separated an open plan area with chairs and tables and space for activities from a full kitchen. A stairway off to her right led to a mezzanine level where she could hear a group meditation being guided. Several Sangheili sat at tables nearby playing complicated games with dice and other small objects. A group of older hands loudly discussed epic poetry in the corner.

Tar moved to the bar, where an attractive young cook took her order for a mixed bowl of meat and vegetables along with a nutritious shake. She stood at the bar with her eyes closed, following the instructions of the meditation guide upstairs.

The Major had managed to push her buttons earlier; she'd almost been compelled to fight him for her honour. Perhaps she should've done - It would've forced the other traditionalists on the base to respect her, at least for a while. The meditation helped, and she slowly felt her battle reflexes quietening.

After a few minutes, she heard the door behind her open and close. He was right on time. "What're you eating?" She called out, opening her eyes and turning round.

The Sangheili that approached wore his full, crimson-colored armor, with the exception of his helmet. He was a Ranger, so a vacuum-sealed helmet was not particularly convenient attire for breakfast. “Roasted colo, I think. I need proper food to get this foul taste out of my mouth of a fruit a Human gave me. I cannot conceive of how they stomach such things.”

The Sangheili stood alongside Tar, repeating his order to the cook. His name was Kryu, and they had known each other for about as long as they had been stationed on Sarcophagus. They were both crew of the same cruiser, and though they served different units, they did often have cause to be deployed together.

Halo: Aegis Team

Tar 'Mdalak

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.