Chapter 9: TBD

(Deniv)
Still. It's impressive.

=we reach the briefing room and enter, taking up spot around a table. I sat with my squad, the four of us taking off our helmets and laying them on the table=

=sits at the head chair and learns forward putting his arms on the table's edge=

ok let's hear what all you got to tell us

(Conner)
Yes sir.
=I followed him out of the hangar, then headed for the barracks to meet with the rest of my team. As I rounded the corner of one of the other buildings, I found Corporal Vasquez leaning against the corner of the building. She looked like she was waiting=
Corporal.

(Chris)
Sir. So, what did the Admiral have to say?

(Conner)
=I was able to hide the surprise from my face. Damn, I guess there really was a reason she was my second in command=
What makes you think I was talking with the Admiral? And were you waiting for me?

(Chris)
=I couldn't help but shrug=
This is the most direct way back to the barracks from the hangars. And if you didn't need to speak with Admiral, what kept you away from the team?

=My mouth curled into a wicked little smile=
Unless of course you were just talking to a lady friend.

(Conner)
=Dammit, I was supposed to be in charge and my face was heating up=
What? No. And even if I was seeing one, which I wasn't, it's none of your business.

(Chris)
Oookay, whatever you say Lt.

(Conner)
=I couldn't help but roll my eyes=
You're enjoying yourself, aren't you?

(Chris)
=I snorted=
I'd be lying if i said I wasn't.

=I stood straight, my smile fading=
But seriously, what did the admiral have to say?

(Simile)
Dormii has been captured. We believe we know where. We decrypted the location we are currently going towards from a Innie database. There was mention of taking Dormii to a location, for what purpose we do not know, nor do we know anything else.

so we're going in heavily armed but blind

=sighs=

not suprising

I sit down in a chair, facing the armored soldiers. Not sure what to say... other then asking who they were. And well.. I should find out soon enough anyway.

(Burk)
We don't want to risk any of your lives for our Commanding Officer, so if you want to help, we will appreciate it, but we will be no means make you help us.

"I don't have much else to do anyway. I'll help you."
I'm a fighting machine right? I'm only doing what I was created to do.

(Conner)
Alright, if you must know. After Alpha is done getting to know each-other, we're headed out for the Haystack. Don't, ask.
=I held up a hand to stop her as she began to form the first part of the word 'Haystack'=

Yeah, basic stuff, but he wouldn't go any further than that for risk of spies. All I know is that it's definitely a world held by insurgents, and it's in their territory. All that matters now though, is making sure we're ready for whatever's there.

(Chris)
Damn. Alright, I guess I can get that. But that doesn't seem like much to go on.

(Conner)
Yeah, but anymore would have been stuff like where in the haystack, which scout group, that kinda stuff.
=I began walking again, and Vasquez fell into a brisk pace beside me=

(Burk)
=i nod=
We appreciate this.

=i look at Alphonse=
Alphonse, was it? You have any questions? Zeru knows about us, but this is the first time we've met. If you are going to work with us, it'd be best if you get to know us.

=i smile, trying to make it seem like a bit of a joke=

"For starters. I'd like to know what type of soldier ate you? ODST, Spartan or some other new type.
And have you worked for UNSC"

(Deniv)
We are...I guess you can say an alternative to Spartans. We aren't trained as well as them, or treated or whatever, we are simply Marines in power armor, made specifically for us. And yes, we were once UNSC.

"Marines in power armour. So you're better meat shields?"
I chuckle while I place my hands on the table.
"I m joking. Its just good to know you're trained at one point."

(Punikav)
And we've been trained with our armor as well. With a flick of my wrist and eye-click on my helmet, I could land a grenade in your lap.

(Simile)
I may poison your blood or drinks or food with but a brush of my fingertips.

(Deniv)
I can climb any wall and break in through any entrance.

(Burk)
I simply block most forms of fire and return it with my riot shield and machine pistol.

"And even better to know you're all a spec. ops. team. Especially with such abilities."

(Burk)
We were intended to be an ambassadorial squad. Prepare for war while talking and hoping for peace. We wold meet UNSC or whomever ship, talk to them, and if they did not want peace, fight our way out.

"I'm guessing hes already tried to make peace the UNSC? And that's why hes captured... something along the lines of that."

(Deniv)
Yeah, he has. This was the UNSC's first offer of peace. Or so we were lead to believe.

"And now he is at this planet that you know the location of?"

(Simile)
We think he is. We haven't decrypted all the information.

"Okay. So now do we finish decrypting or go find the planet?"

(Simile)
Planet first. We don't want him to be in their grasp any longer than he has to be. If this is where he is, we want to get him ASAP. That's why we are going there now.

"And that answers my question on where we're going. That's all I want to know."

(Chris)
=I stuck with him on the walk back to the barracks=
Yeah, but if he handpicked us, that means he trusts us.

(Conner)
It means he trusts us enough to be Alpha Team. Doesn't mean he trusts us enough to tell us secrets that could jeopardize our intelligence gathering units, or alert opposition to our arrival.

(Chris)
True, but would either of us do that? Would Crowe or Wierzbowski?

(Conner)
That's what I intend to find out in the next two days Corporal.
=We had finally reached the barracks, and I needed to go over some small files in my quarters=

Now, if that's all, I need to go over some files. Dismissed.

(Chris)
Yes sir.
=I turned and walked away=

(Punikav)
We do not know. We doubt the UNSC had any intention of making peace with us through this action. But we don't know.

"Lets just hope that won't happen."
And hope no one bothers to bring up that I just got exiled by them. As in, my past with them and my attempt to capture him.

"Well, sitting around a table won't make us any more ready. I'm going to go check my armour."
I put my hands on the table and use them to help me up from my chair. I nod at Zeru before leaving the room.

(Simile)
I agree. We need to prepare for whatever may come with this mission.

=we all put our helmets on and shuffle out of the briefing room. We head towards various areas, Burk heading to the armory, Deniv towards the messhall, Punikav towards the hanger, and myself just wandering the halls=

=gets up and catches up to burk=

mind if i tag along?

=cracks his knuckles and calls out to alphonse=

your armor was moved to the armory this way

(Burk)
Not at all. I'd welcome the company.

I turn around to Zeru's voice and walk over to them.
"It was fixed that fast? Pretty impressive machinery you have here."

(Burk)
You are a spartan, Alphonse?

"Yeah, a beyond lucky one at that."

(Burk)
So what have you been up to, Zeru, since you built our armor?

building a nation


=stops at a door and opens it=

here we are gentlemen

(Conner)
=The next day, Alpha Team and I assembled at Sierra Training Field. Sierra was within the Inner Shell, a klick away from Camp Valhalla, and it was unlike other training fields. Recently built, Sierra was a scaled down version of something called the 'Arena.' A dome the size of a football stadium, Sierra was a simulator for training exercises. We all stood outside the entrance, clad in our combat skins, and carrying our weapons, all of which were among the new, human made generation. There were a few differences among us: Crowe carried a rather heavy looking weapon, that supposedly was the equivalent of a Covenant Plasma Repeater. He also had a few satchels strapped to his suit in ways that allowed easy access. Wierzbowski toted what I suspected was an energy rifle, maybe a sniper variant. Vasquez carried something that according to the classification system, was an SMG, or at least worked the way a human would define it. As for me, I carried what I was told was an assault rifle. We all stood outside the entrance to Sierra, with me at the front=

Alright Alpha Team, today we begin our first training exercise together. This will be a live fire simulation, though our opposition have been programmed to not aim for any vital areas, and they are set to disable only. Our objective is simple: Capture the Flag.

We all walk inside the room, finding that the armory is quite big. And my armour is in here, hanging on the wall.
Repaired and everything. It makes me smile at the sight.

(Chris)
Oh, is that all?

(Conner)
Those are our orders, but we have no idea what kind of opposition we're facing. The most I know is that we're facing Sentinels, but we have no idea what their numbers are, or their placement.

(Wierzbowski)
So, what's the plan?

(Conner)
For starters, we enter the stadium, get our bearings. The moment we know what the field looks like, and what our enemy strength is, we'll formulate a plan to take that flag.

(Crowe)
So I take it we're sticking together?

(Conner)
Standard formation, nothing tight. If we get pinned, I don't want us all to get taken out. Alright, let's move.
=We moved into the stadium, the entrance being a short hallway, and our formation resembling a triangle, letting us play to our strengths: Chris and Crowe, carrying the best weapons suited for close range and suppression, took the front of the group, standing 7 feet apart and weapons ready. I stood at the center of the group, rifle ready and with a clear line of sight of just about everything, helmet cams feeding into my suits visor. As for Wierzbowski, he stood at the rear, the 'tip' of the triangle, his vantage point allowing him to spot anything coming our way=

Okay, we'll be reaching the exit of the hall soon. Once we exit, we'll have only ten seconds to move before they start shooting, so Chris and Crowe, keep your eyes peeled for any cover we can use that's within range. Wierzbowski, use your rifle to point out enemy positions, and most of all the flag. Stay with the group until I tell you otherwise. Clear?

(All)
Roger.

"Good good... speaking of, when do we arrive?"
I put my hands in my pockets and yawn, completely forgetting my training to not look casual.

CossakHawk wrote:

Jack: I just don't like it.

Jordan:(exhausted) We may not like it, Jack, but ONI doesn't give a care about our opinion.

=Jeremy merely yawns, and Kait imitates Jeremy by yawning as well=

Lucas: I, for one, like the idea. =The ship goes silent and he then shuts up=

=Alexi then brings the ship into the private pad ONI got for GHOST team=

Alexi: Welcome to Cargento, people. Operation Jericho is go.

=Groaning and yawning, GHOST team goes to get ready for the operation=

=GHOST team settles into the safehouse as Aaron reads over the brief that ONI provided=

Jack: So what's the word on how this op is going to go, sir?

Aaron: (Reading) Give me a minute, Jack. ONI left a lot of material for us here.

=Jordan rolls his eyes Kait smacks him upside the head and gives him a dirty look=

Jordan: What?

Kait: Knock it off and act like you care.

Jordan: Whatever...

=Aaron passes out some material to each of the team members=

Jack: What's this?

Aaron: It's a file on your cover, one for each of you except for Lucas and myself

Jeremy: (frowning) What are you doing, sir?

Aaron: Lucas and I will be keeping an eye on you and provide necessary intel as you go.

Jack: (Reading and nodding) I'm beginning to like this more and more...ONI knows me too well.

=Kait merely frowns, but sucks it up=

Aaron: Remember, we only observe for the the first two weeks, then we start preparing for the coup.

Lucas: Remember, this guy is well protected, but they haven't been infiltrated in years. They'll be lazy about looking for spies.

Aaron: Get some shut-eye, people, we start in the morning.

=GHOST team heads to their bunks to get some sleep in the morning=

"Sounds good. I'll be at the messhall if you need me."
'Before a mission, always eat. To ensure full focus on the mission.'
I turn around and exit the armory, heading for the messhall. Using the map in my head for guidance.

(Burk)
Hopelessness in armor, Zeru. Or just Hope. In armor, we are to be referred to by our armor. Anyway, I am Hopelessness, Deniv is Insanity, Simile is Despair, and Punikav is Destruction. And it all varies on how we use our respective armor. So far it's just been medium range engagements, that's not much to base tactics and strategies off of.