EliteCommander

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.”

The Cradle

Regardless of the source of the symptoms she felt, Freyr would find she did not experience them for long. The drones her body was hooked to provided constant analysis and treatment for any deviation from ideal homeostasis. The heat from outside, however, they could not address. The whole of the building seemed to shake from the explosion, and once again, most of those around her stumbled and staggered. Fortunately, the blast doors kept back the flames, but it seemed their closest exit was now blocked.

Nirann needed only to double-check the building’s blueprints for a moment to feel dubious about their plan for escape. The hangar was a fair distance away, and he could only guess at the current stability of the structure with the limited information he had available. Based on the estimated yield of the explosion, plus previous impacts, it was possible they could make it down in time, but there was quite a bit of a margin of error in those estimates. An alternative would be preferable. He signaled to the Rothian transports outside, informing them of their current position and situation.

“I can call a transport to this floor.” Nirann informed Skopec. “We just need to get to the building’s outer walls and one of them can cut through and extract us. Preferably on a side that isn’t on fire.”

Already, the dropships were surrounding the building and scanning for safe locations to cut through the exterior, then marking the options for Nirann and the others.

The Cradle

From Freyr’s perspective, the impact to the tower block would seem to shake the whole world, except for herself. The deafening sound would send her ears ringing as those around her stumbled in the hallway, but the drones guiding her on her anti-grav stretcher adjusted quickly and seamlessly to the point that Freyr herself did not feel a thing. She did have her senses returned to her; she could see, hear, and feel everything apart from the pain a targeted sedative was keeping from her. As a safety measure, however, the drones were temporarily suppressing her motor functions to prevent her from accidentally bringing harm to herself in a panic.

The Rothian-like droid stood over her, speaking in an artificially calm tone. “Please do not panic from any sensation of paralysis you may be experiencing. You are being treated for a concussion, and minor injuries to your species’ olfactory organs. Any other symptoms are merely a temporary side-effect of treatment, so you may rest calmly knowing you will make a full recovery.”

Evidently, the programming governing the droid’s bedside manner did not account for the very real dangers around them. The medic had been shaken off her feet, but scrambled back up as quickly as she could. With her neural link, she connected to her ship outside to make sure it was still active and ready for takeoff. “My transport is ready on the pad just outside. It can get us out of here the quickest.”

Vreta’s return to awareness was something less of a shock compared to Freyr. Rhia had been managing his body, and though there were a multitude of questions that would need to be answered out of this, their more immediate concerns were much more pressing. Rhia helped him catch up quickly to what had been happening. She had been in contact with Rareth, and the Datius had certainly not been sitting by idly. The Outreman military had instructed her to evacuate her people as well, and she had no problem complying with that request. Two squadrons of Rothian fighter drones and multiple military transports had been deployed from the cruiser above.

Had the group been outside, they would have been able to see the fireballs in the sky as the shielded craft pierced through the atmosphere at breakneck speeds. The transports were there as a contingency in case their VIPs could not reach their own ship, while the fighters provided protection. Given that the unidentified vessels were currently attacking both Rothian and Outreman citizens, they were absolutely valid targets. The squadrons of fighters came in fast from above, only to lose over half of their velocity in an instant to match speed alongside the hostile craft. Unlike Human ships, Rothian vessels did not use thrusters at all. Their propulsion came from sophisticated gravity engines which could provide “thrust” in any direction, equally. As such, the fighters looked as if they were orbiting the hostile ship in a swarm, with weapons facing their targets at all times. They fired concentrated particle beams like scalpels to cut through the hull and precisely target critical systems. Meanwhile, some of the fighters maneuvered below the vessel to attach to the underside of its hull. Using their powerful engines like tug ships, they would try to push the ship away from any crash course with important targets on the ground.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth groaned, letting her head rest back on her pillow. “Um, well…sore, I think. Sore all over.”

Ahnasha grinned lightly. She did not want to crowd Kaleeth nor Janius, but she did find a spot in the tent to stand that was a bit closer. Depite everything, Kaleeth’s attitude seemed relieved, and that did spread to her, to an extent. “I really can’t say I’m surprised, with how fiercely you fought that whole battle. I know I wouldn’t have been able to do the things you did.”

Kaleeth nodded, smiling a bit herself. “I just remember how much I wanted it all to be over. That whole time in the valley, I would keep looking up at that tower and keep thinking ‘That’s the end. Just need to get to the tower.’ My beast spirit wanted it too, I could feel it. All it’s anger at Vile; I could feel it just wanted to get up to that tower and rip him to pieces. I didn’t feel all the hits I took. All the pain, I think my beast spirit took it for me so I could keep pressing on.”

Laughing briefly, Kaleeth again groaned. “I feel it all now, though. But Sabine said I would get better. I remember that. How is…everyone else? Is anyone else hurt?”