>>6302230

"Elite is probably going to end up being the more or less official designation for them, but we're already calling the Avian species Tengu rather than "Kig-Yar"" You admit with a shrug "We can argue semantics and codenames later, I want to hear your thoughts and personal options on them, as an enemy, seeing as you're one of a select few Spartans who have encountered the splitjawed freaks in the field."

"Still haven't nicked named the exploding runts anything. Or the worm thing Grace sent straight to the fires of alien hell"

You ignore Nesta's comment, as you know she's been arguing with Daisy over what to call the gasmask wearing fodder encountered on Alpha Corvi II

"The ones we met on Ambition were Spec Ops. Could tell the second I saw how they operated. Kurt knew to. I know you wrote the report, so I don't need to tell you how dicey things got" Illya says, running a hand over her armor, above the places she'd been wounded during Operation: Svartalfar "Oscar and I nearly became the first Spartan Casualties in the war. We only got out of that last firefight because Cal dropped the Officer's shield. And Kurt took decisive action. Hell, they nearly took down Nicole in an ambush. They were a serious threat, professional, driven"

"Lines up with my own experiences fighting the bastards" You drawl, rocking your jaw back and forth, holding your shotgun at ease, staring out at the waves lapping at the shore a few clicks east from your position "They're tough nuts to crack. Elite is an apt description for them. They're brawny to"

"They pack nearly as much of a punch as you do, Sir" Illya agreed, head twitching in a wince "Did Kurt mention I nearly got my reinforced ribcage cracked by one kick from the leader of that Spec Ops kill squad we ran into on Ambition"

"He did. Jorge and I had to use similar tactics against some sort of energy sword wielding assassin, I think they might've had our number if we tried to fight them fair and square, one on one" You tell her, nodding along

"Impressive brawl" She says admiringly "Saw the footage from both your and Jorge's perspective on that particular fight, and Daisy's to. But that brings us back to the pressing matter, those alligators are touch, skilled. And some of them can go toe to toe with a Spartan and win. It's only through our teamwork and coordination they haven't won, yet"

"That, and I don't think they know what WE are exactly. Which is an advantage we'll be quick to lose. But I've noticed they feel at ease against opponents as fast and as strong as us" You continue

"And they're clever to" Illya agrees "Brain and brawns. A lethal combination. And the reason we were chosen to begin with"

"And they like using that optic camouflage of theirs" Nesta adds, clicking her tongue and shaking her head "Which is odd, considering, from what we know, they seem to have something of a warrior culture"

"Almost Samurai-esq" Shika agrees "But, we don't know anything about them"
Cont

>>6302231

"Nothing, besides the fact they're harder to kill than the Birds and Runts, have elite training and nerves of steel, and can tango with a Spartan in CQC" You, somewhat sarcastically, remark "They're the biggest threat we've faced on foot, so far"

"So Far" Shika repeats after you, Critically

"Feels like you just Jinxed all of Humanity, Sir. If we run into an Alien bigger than them, Bigger than You, I'm blaming you" Nesta laughs "But yeah, even I have to admit those Split Jaw Uglies can be a challenge to put down. Had a few walk off pin point headshots during Collateral Damage. Think a few were still twitching after Grace or James blew them to smithereens. They're tenacious fucks, I'll give them that"

"And experienced, I don't know how serious you were with the Samurai Analogy, Shika, but their tactics feels...refined" Illya starts and then stops, looking to you pointedly "You know what I mean, Lieutenant"

"We don't know how old the Covenant is, but, the Svartalfar clearly have a long military tradition. Their strategy, the way they wage war and battle, it all speaks of a long storied history of conflict and bloodshed" You agree and theorize outloud

"Well, luckily Humanity also has a long history of killing eachother, just Deja taught us" Nesta said cheerfully "I think, exactly how many centuries they've been at it, stops mattering after a certain point"

"I don't. They've got the tech and resource advantage. Deja also taught us what happens when a less advance culture ran into a more advance and equally militaristic society" Illya argues

"Just like the Samurai" Shika agrees with her

"Never said this was going to be an easy war" Nesta replies, still sounding chipper and carefree as she sits down against the side of the truck "I just know we can kill and out maneuver the best the Covenant has, in spite of their superior firepower. The reverse is also true. All it takes is one wrong move and..."

"We die" Illya says grimly "They're a serious threat, even to us. But they can be killed. Same us"

"Such is a soldier's lot in life" Shika sighs, almost philosophically "Kill and Die"

"And even if they're the Covenant's best, we know it doesn't take a Spartan to put them down" You say, nodding and watching the ETA for the prisoner pick up tick down in the corner of your visor's HUD

"And what do you think about them sir? I know Crazy over here likes the challenge they provide" Illya asks, out of nowhere "But what do you think about the Covie Gators, Sir?"
Cont

>>6302232

> "Simple. I hate them and enjoy killing them. They're genocidal monsters. I'd be happy to repay them ten fold for Harvest, personally"

> "They're the enemy. A gear in the war machine of the greatest thread humanity has ever faced. And we're going to be fighting a lot of them"

>"Sometimes I wonder what it is we did to piss them off so much, but beyond that? They're just targets like any other. Sure they take more effort to neutralize, but, they die all the same"

>"My thoughts? That they are weak to being pinned to the ground and bludgeoned to death, and seem at times over reliant on their Optic Camo. Weaknesses we can exploit"

>Write in option

>>6302233
> "Simple. I hate them and enjoy killing them. They're genocidal monsters. I'd be happy to repay them ten fold for Harvest, personally"
Dirty fucking HINGE-HEADS

>>6302233
>> "Simple. I hate them and enjoy killing them. They're genocidal monsters. I'd be happy to repay them ten fold for Harvest, personally"
I do not believe that species motivated crimes are morally justifiable

however

>>6302233
>"Sometimes I wonder what it is we did to piss them off so much, but beyond that? They're just targets like any other. Sure they take more effort to neutralize, but, they die all the same"

>"My thoughts? That they are weak to being pinned to the ground and bludgeoned to death, and seem at times over reliant on their Optic Camo. Weaknesses we can exploit"

>>6302233
> "Simple. I hate them and enjoy killing them. They're genocidal monsters. I'd be happy to repay them ten fold for Harvest, personally"


>"My thoughts? That they are weak to being pinned to the ground and bludgeoned to death, and seem at times over reliant on their Optic Camo. Weaknesses we can exploit"

god damn fucking split lips

>>6302233
>>"My thoughts? That they are weak to being pinned to the ground and bludgeoned to death, and seem at times over reliant on their Optic Camo. Weaknesses we can exploit."

>>6302233
>>6302269 +1

Kill Splitjaws, Behead Splitjaws, round house kick a Splitjaw into the concrete.

>>6302233
>"Simple. I hate them and enjoy killing them. They're genocidal monsters. I'd be happy to repay them ten fold for Harvest, personally"
>"My thoughts? That they are weak to being pinned to the ground and bludgeoned to death, and seem at times over reliant on their Optic Camo. Weaknesses we can exploit"
Sven is the cream that rises to the top, yeah. Macho Spartan Sven Askeland. All the way to the top, oh yeah.

>>6302233

>"Sometimes I wonder what it is we did to piss them off so much, but beyond that? They're just targets like any other. Sure they take more effort to neutralize, but, they die all the same."

>"My thoughts? That they are weak to being pinned to the ground and bludgeoned to death, and seem at times over reliant on their Optic Camo. Weaknesses we can exploit."

We temper that hate and use it as a weapon. Our hate does not wield us.

>>6302233
>"My thoughts? That they are weak to being pinned to the ground and bludgeoned to death, and seem at times over reliant on their Optic Camo. Weaknesses we can exploit"

>>6302233
>Write in option
>Strong. Intelligent. Ruthless. No doubt the most dangerous threat we've faced so far from the Covenant. But they're not infallible, and they're not indestructible. I have seen their arrogance, cruelty, and pride. They underestimate us. They make mistakes. They bleed. They die. We can defeat them.
>We were told a long time ago by Dr. Halsey that we would become 'the protectors of Earth and all her colonies'. I thought it was a load of shit back then, but as I stand here next to this woman (gesture to captured mother), I realize she was right. We were selected and trained to fight other humans, but our duty doesn't change just because the threat does. Humans. Tengu. Svartalfar. No matter where these threats emerge, no matter what form they take, we will face them, we will fight them, and we will win.
Just an alternative response leaning into Sven's Inspiring quality and Jotun's cool headedness. Feel the revenge angle would fit more of a Spartan-III.

Rescinding >>6302310

Backing >>6302352

Didn't have time for anything more eloquent before but the above post nails it.

Also, random thought for the lore luminaries and those proficient in wiki-indexing - what do the UNSC's air assets look like outside of Hornets, Ospreys and Pelicans?

I know there're the Saber and Longsword strike fighters, but they seem to be exclusively void fighters, rather than proper aerospace assets.

>>6302233
>"Sometimes I wonder what it is we did to piss them off so much, but beyond that? They're just targets like any other. Sure they take more effort to neutralize, but, they die all the same"

Hell Yeah! New thread.

>>6302352
+!

>>6302284
>>6302352
Yeah that’s a solid Write in. Changing my vote to this.

>>6302426
Fuck my ID changed again. Being a Phonefag is pain.

>>6302364
Most are A/X which means they're atmospheric and atmospherics. Some do better in space than atmo, and some the other-way around but are all generally capable in both aspects.
In order of size:
GA-TL1 Longswords tare the primary Navy heavy/multi-role fighter that come in a verity of sizes. A/X.
F-29 Nandaos are long range Naval interceptors. A/X.
F-41 Broadswords are smaller higher production strike fighters. A/X.
S-14 Baselards are smaller strike fighters mostly used by the Air Force for orbital instillation and terrestrial air fields. A/X.
F-99 Wombats are fighter drones piloted by dumb AI that can act as loyal wingman swarms for manned fighters or be directly controlled by smart AI. Not A/X.
By 2552 for the Emergency Defense Fighter Program:
FSS-1000 Sabre (Only one that survived Reach.) A/X, shielded. Developed by Ushuaia Armory and Misriah Armory.
S-930 Pegasus (Full production run didn't survive due to being on Tribute during the fall of Reach.) A/X, shielded. Developed by SinoViet Heavy Machinary, and Chalybs Defense. The Pegasus is a real shame because it's design is great but it still barely lives on as a stripped down version used by the Air Force who wanted to replace all their old as dirt Baselards.

There's also bombers and shit like the Shortsword, and a half dozen other niche or broad use utility aircraft. No idea what you're talking about with Ospray though, nothing comes to mind with that name. You mean the Falcon?

>>6302430

The Falcon, yeah. Was thinking of the IRL tiltrotor aircraft the USMC uses. The one that's notorious for crashing a lot.

Still, that's a lot more than I thought there were.

It's interesting how out of place the Falcon is compared to the rest of that list though, being a rotary wing aircraft in amongst so many jet\jet equivalents.

>>6302432
>The one that's notorious for crashing a lot.
Nah, it doesn't crash more than any other rotor wing with the Marines. It just kills more people in the process thanks to being a lard ass troop transport.
>>6302432
>Still, that's a lot more than I thought there were.
Thems just the ones off the top of my head, I'm sure there's a few fixed wing fighters I forgot about or too niche to have seen. Shitload more support craft too.
>It's interesting how out of place the Falcon is compared to the rest of that list though, being a rotary wing aircraft in amongst so many jet\jet equivalents.
A bit but it's cheap, can carry a lot for it's size, and is easy to use. Works for the Army and in universe they're sort of the hand me down branch. Most atmospheric specific aircraft for the UNSC are turbo/jet prop like the Vulture, Hornet, and Sparrohawk. Then you get A/X support craft and that's a whole other can of nuclear powered reaction mass reliant worms and multiphase engines.

>>6302434

Mm.

If I remember correctly, the UNSC eventually retrofit B-52s out of desperation in the later phases of the war.

Still, wonder how much similar surplus wound up in CMA hands?

Stuff like Apaches or similar attack choppers.

Probably sitting targets for Covenant AA, but could be useful for lightning raids if it comes to it.

Also, does the UNSC actually have IFVs or APCs, or are they stuck with the transport warthog?

Never played Halo Wars, so I'm not terribly clear on exactly what sort of vehicular assets the UNSC has in their total.

>>6302233
>>"My thoughts? That they are weak to being pinned to the ground and bludgeoned to death, and seem at times over reliant on their Optic Camo. Weaknesses we can exploit"

>>6302441
>If I remember correctly, the UNSC eventually retrofit B-52s out of desperation in the later phases of the war.
The Buff never dies. But really, the oldest thing that I can remember in UNSC service is the Scorpion at or approaching 300 something years old for it's general design. 21st/20th equipment doesn't really exist outside of museums, replicas, collections, or the oddball heirlooms.
>Still, wonder how much similar surplus wound up in CMA hands?
Practically none. There was lots of cross over in equipment between the UNSC and CMA. Anything bigger than a boat had it's own organic production lines to either group thanks to the sheer scale of industrial capacity the UNSC was operating at. So large in fact that prior to the Covenant invasion there was a cold war brewing between the two organizations with the UNSC and CMA both producing ship classes to counter one another such as the Able-class and Hillsborough-class heavy destroyers. Even with things like the CMA using their own proprietary Ares antiship missiles while the UNSC uses Archers.
>Stuff like Apaches or similar attack choppers.
Nope, nothing like that as far as I can remember.
>Also, does the UNSC actually have IFVs or APCs, or are they stuck with the transport warthog?
No/yes. Before and during the war the UNSC was largely a very lean/menu-ever based organization with basically everything being air mobile at minimum. When you can drop a tank and a platoon of infantry anywhere on a planet at a moments notice there's not really much reason to have APCs and as such the Pelican largely supplanted more conventional ground based designs though HW2 introduces a post war super heavy APC in the Mastodon which is implied to be the Army's 'historical' choice for armored transport. For fire support IFVs there's things like the Cougar, the Cobra (which is erroneously called an MBT for some reason), Wolverine which is a dedicated AA missile truck, and Bison which is a general purpose back-line utility and transport box truck.

The UNSC has terrestrial carriers and smaller patrol boats, submarines, the sort. Orbital skiffs and tugs, stuff like that. Generally speaking, if there's a real world category the UNSC either has something for it or took the Humvee route by shoehorning the Warthog into it.

>>6302441
I have posted the fan art of an UNSC APC that was cool in previous threads. I don't think there is much about them in lore.

Its cool that in quest we are getting some space-air-water vehicles with Project TYPHON. Still prototypes that needs to be industrialized first before entering any mass production but its cool

>>6302461
>Its cool that in quest we are getting some space-air-water vehicles with Project TYPHON.
I'm excited for that. Terrestrial naval stuff is only barely mentioned in off references and blurbs. Some good fan concepts out there too. Biggest thing though IMO is Evil-Eye. Infantry portable antitank rail/coil guns before the end of the war are gonna be yuge. I hope GUNGNIR still gets funded for the splaser but E-E will give us way more to work with early-mid war to handle Covenant armor.

>>6302233
>>"Sometimes I wonder what it is we did to piss them off so much, but beyond that? They're just targets like any other. Sure they take more effort to neutralize, but, they die all the same"

>>6302471
The EVIL EYE is pretty good (though problematic origin, but we can pass over it), i like RHODES since its more exo/power armor/mech development that could be of great use if they collaborate with MJOLNIR scientists.

BESERKER we will need to wait for it (probably it has an issue of creating something that doesn't kill people after using it [from what i remember the lab of the BESERKER project was pretty bloody, and I think it was because of the testers deaths], because i think the ONI scientists succedded already in making the red pills of the Einherjar far more stronger in effects. So it just a case of "stabilizing" it probably), and TYPHON is a matter of factories. The prototypes seemed in working order, and I cant wait to get our hands on a Leviathan again.

>>6302233
>>"Sometimes I wonder what it is we did to piss them off so much, but beyond that? They're just targets like any other. Sure they take more effort to neutralize, but, they die all the same"

Rebooting...Monitor 404 TormentedCache, back online

Learned something about the UNSC Airforce today, lol.

4 Votes for "Simple. I hate them" etc

4 Votes for "Sometimes I wonder what it is we did to piss them off" Etc

6 Votes for "My thoughts? That they are weak to being pinned to the ground and bludgeoned to death" etc

4 Votes for "Strong. Intelligent. Ruthless no doubt the most dangerous threat we faced" etc + "We were told a long time ago by Dr Halsey that we would become the protector of earth and her colonies" etc

"My thoughts? That they are weak to being pinned to the ground and bludgeoned to death, and seem at times over reliant on their Optic Camo. Weaknesses we can exploit" is the winner, with a dead heat in terms of the runners up all being at 4 votes by my count.

decision made
Proceeding...

>>6302352
Excellent write in btw

>>6302819
>Learned something about the UNSC Airforce today, lol.
That it exists or something fun? Only other random bits of lore I got off the top of my head for them is that they also run most of a planets given orbital traffic, satellites, and instillations/platforms. The other is that they have their own dedicated signals intelligence divorced from ONI which is impressive given ONI cannibalized basically every intel organization in the UEG pretty quickly once the war started.
>>6302545
All of it'll come back eventually I hope. Long as we keep R&D/Black Sites from being rolled over long enough to evacuate them that is.

You ponder the question for awhile, as you've plenty to say on the subject of Covenant and more towards the observations you've made of the various races that make up their genocidal armies. Alligators, Elites, Svartalfar, whatever you want to call them, they're probably the alien species you have the most opinions about. On one hand, you hate them for taking part in a galactic scale genocide and holy war, for reasons that still aren't clear to humanity at large. But you can't help but to admire them as soldiers, even if they're on the other side and trying to wipe out your entire species. Ruthless. Intelligent. Strong. All terms that come to mind when you reflect on your encounters with and fights against the Svartalfar. That isn't to say they're flawless warriors. Like any army, they have flaws. They have weakness. Blindspots, and they're not unconquerable nor undefeatable. They bleed and they die, like any human adversary. Bit harder to confirm a kill, sure, but Spartans are extremely adept at killing.

So they're targets like any other, even if you can't help to wonder what it is about humanity's existence or what humanity has done in their eyes that have made you seem so abhorrent to them and the other freaks in their star spanning cult. That might just be because, you to, hold faith in and practice a religion that to most outsiders seems outdated and barbaric. Not many pagans amongst the colonies, and the Einherjar have certainly made the Norse Pantheon unattractive to outsiders considering their conduct and use of it as an excuse for their terrorist attacks and a means to brainwash their rank and file.

But these are opinions, personal ones. That might be what Illya wants to hear, but they're filled with bias. And while you're pretty confident the rest of the Spartans feel similarly, but admitting to it and voicing it would be entirely unprofessional. And you know you'd get a lot of strange looks if it got out you held some level of admiration for the Split Jaws, if only as soldiers. The title of Elite certainly was a shoe that fit them well...

Deciding to just give your thoughts of them, as obstacles to overcome and take down, a tactical analysis is all you share with Illya and the rest of the team. But, they've known you long enough to be aware of your personal feelings towards this new breed of enemy.

"My Thoughts?" You repeat, realizing you'd been considering and pondering the question for awhile, enough that the pick up for the prisoners was about to arrive. Illya nods to confirm, Nesta is leaning closer with a coy smile on her face and Shika...well Shika had vanished to parts unknown, as was her habit.

"That they're weak to being binned to the ground and bludgeoned to death" Professionally, clinical, you provide your analysis of the best way to send the Covenant's Elite Troops to meet their misbegotten makers "And seem to, at times, be overly reliant on their Optic Camo. These are weakness we can exploit"
Cont

>>6302846

"They're also cocky, somewhat overconfident" Illya points out, dipping her chin in a quick, curt nod "We've gotten enough proof of that with Operations: Collateral Damage and Svartalfar"

"They have every reason to be, physically, they outmatch the average UNSC soldier in every possible way. And don't even get me started on their technological advantage", Sighing, you lean against the truck and watch the skies. A pelican was going to be pretty noticeable on arrival. Could have to evade hostiles or local authorities after you've handed over the captives to Warrant Officer Chen "But, human history has shown that's not enough to win a war cleanly"

"Zulus at Rorke's drift. Shiroyama, the end of Samurai culture. You could argue our namesakes, also fit in the category, even if they were outmatched more in numbers than anything else" Nesta muses

"Didn't turn out well for any of those three examples, if I remember my lessons right" Illya chuckles, strangely lightening up despite the sudden, depressive turn in the conversation "We'll at least give the Covenant a black eye to remember us by"

"Certainly" You say, finding yourself oddly encouraged by Illya's fatalistic attitude, must just be the Viking in you agreeing with her "But I think our odds are better than we think, even if it'll be..."

"Real close" Illya says calmly "They can destroy planets, easily. Even if we win, I think the human sphere is going to be greatly reduced. And that's if there's enough of us left alive for it to matter"

"Hey, Illya, you ever think about becoming a cheerleader? You have a way of making people feel hopeful" Nesta sarcastically asks her, before teasingly punching her shoulder

"I'm a realist. Also, where has..."

Illya looks around for any sign of Shika.

"Just sweeping the perimeter. Don't want to risk a local stumbling on the LZ and Pick Up" Shika answers through the COMs Channel, almost the moment Illya starts to wonder where she's vanished to

"Should know she has a habit of vanishing into thin air" Nesta laughs

"I thought it'd been trained out of her" Illya admits, shaking her head "At least enough so that she wouldn't sneak away during a mission

"Shika has a health sense of initiative" You shrug off "And I was considering a walk around the perimeter myself, before we started discussing the Covenant's premier soldiers. She's helping"

"Still a bad habit to have. Didn't she try to win one of Mendez's games by herself, early on in Boot?" Illya says with a huff, and another shake of her head

"Hey, our ghost won that game. No matter what Shark eyes has to say about it!' Nesta, offended on Shika's behalf, corrects Illya for her "mistake", and she is right. Technically, Shika didn't break the rules and hadn't abandoned the rest of you. She simply outlasted the rest of Purple team, and eluded the rest of the class so well that the instructors were convinced she'd cheated. You still don't know how she'd pulled it off or where she had hid.
Cont

>>6302849

But, well, she insisted that Purple team won, since she'd remained undetected after the exercise was called and John and Blue team were declared the winners. Problem was, she only did this after she'd been "Missing" for half a day and had the compound put on high alert.

She never admitted to it, but the running theory amongst the rest of the Class was she fell asleep and took awhile to realize the game had ended. But the fact that the other Spartans AND all the instructors and guards couldn't find her, only further proved in Shika's mind that she'd won that day, even after she was punished for it.

"Not my fault people have an easy time overlooking me, and always seem to lose track of me." Shika, almost silently, bellyaches over the COMs. Seems that memory was still something of a sore spot for her, after all.

"You've an amazing talent, I will admit" Illya replies "But if you weren't under the command of a Spartan, you'd be mistaken for going AWOL or Deserting"

"Don't need to listen to anyone but Sven" Shika hums, tapping Illya on the back of her head, as she reappears just as suddenly as she'd vanished

"She has a point. She outranks most of the Spartans. Including you, Miss Defeatist" Nesta, remembering the chain of command, reminds Illya

"I know. But, like the rest of you dragons, she has her quirks. and I mean that respectfully, Ma'am" Illya chuckles as Shika nods seriously and acts her rank

"Enough chatter. Stop the gossip and look alive, our friendly Warrant Officer should be making touch down in...I'd say half a minute, judging from the current velocity of their pelican" You command and Illya shakes her head

"And that's one of yours, Lieutenant. Sure you're more naturally physically gifted than the rest of us, but those eyes of yours are just begging to be put behind a Sniper's scope" Illya off handedly remarks as she takes point in a defensive formation around the perimeter, that your team establishes, following a few hang signs and unspoken commands

"Sven just likes violence too much to be anywhere but the thick of a fight" Nesta casually states

"You just don't want to get into the competition for whose the best marksmen of the Spartans, huh?" Shika quietly teases, elbowing you as the Pelican comes into view over the horizon at sea

"If you knew where to look, any of you could've seen it" You say, not giving Shika or Nesta the satisfaction of being right as you step forward to greet Chen Tian the moment he lands his bird.

And the moment he does, there's a snag in the mission.
Cont

>>6302851

"Lieutenant" Naomi calls, as the rumble of the pelican's engine becomes audible "We have a problem. Our group of VIPs have split and gone their separate ways. I've got Jorge and Solomon watching the main group, Malcom and I are trailing the second. But there's a third group of breakaways, and we can't trail them. Our group is too close to the warzone between Indigo team and the red beards for us to risk reducing their level of protection by splitting our forces, again"

"Where's the third group heading?" You ask, as the Pelican lands

"Last Malcom and I saw of them they were heading to the local docking spire. Might be trying to get off world after all of today's "Excitement"" She answers

And that really complicated things.

>[Maverick] Hitch a ride of the Pelican and perform a mid flight drop closer to Black Sand's dock, to keep an eye on or intercept Lilac's lost lambs

>"Indigo shouldn't take much longer mopping up the Red Beards. I'll get in touch with James, have him provide additional security if he's able. Naomi, follow them to the dock. That's an order"

>"Nesta. Sorry to do this, but I want to make sure this bird gets back home to roost. You're on guard duty. If any of the prisoners wake up midflight, incapacitate them. Shika, Illya, Lilac team needs some extra eyes and ears, we'll provide them"

>"Our orders we just to keep them alive. Nothing more, Nothing Less. The Brass might prefer we take them into custody, but that is not part of orders. Let them run if they want to, Lilac"

>Write in option

>>6302826
That they had more aircraft than I realized, lol

>>6302854
>"Nesta. Sorry to do this, but I want to make sure this bird gets back home to roost. You're on guard duty. If any of the prisoners wake up midflight, incapacitate them. Shika, Illya, Lilac team needs some extra eyes and ears, we'll provide them"
>[Maverick] Hitch a ride of the Pelican and perform a mid flight drop closer to Black Sand's dock, to keep an eye on or intercept Lilac's lost lambs
These two go well together I figure. Hitch a ride and leave Nesta on guard duty.
>That they had more aircraft than I realized, lol
A shitload and given they use Wombat atmospheric fighter drones probably more than the Navy. I figure they were dragging ass on replacing the Baselard after the war because of just how many they had stockpiled.

>>6302854
>[Maverick] Hitch a ride of the Pelican and perform a mid flight drop closer to Black Sand's dock, to keep an eye on or intercept Lilac's lost lambs
>"Nesta. Sorry to do this, but I want to make sure this bird gets back home to roost. You're on guard duty. If any of the prisoners wake up midflight, incapacitate them. Shika, Illya, Lilac team needs some extra eyes and ears, we'll provide them"

>>6302854


>[Maverick] Hitch a ride of the Pelican and perform a mid flight drop closer to Black Sand's dock, to keep an eye on or intercept Lilac's lost lambs.

>"Nesta. Sorry to do this, but I want to make sure this bird gets back home to roost. You're on guard duty. If any of the prisoners wake up midflight, incapacitate them. Shika, Illya, Lilac team needs some extra eyes and ears, we'll provide them."

Guess these guys belong to our mystery ship. Hopefully, our bridge crew can figure out who it belongs to before they hit the spire.

>>6302851
>"Don't need to listen to anyone but Sven"
Well hey, nice to see best girl is in our corner kek

>>6302854
>[Maverick] Hitch a ride of the Pelican and perform a mid flight drop closer to Black Sand's dock, to keep an eye on or intercept Lilac's lost lambs
>"Nesta. Sorry to do this, but I want to make sure this bird gets back home to roost. You're on guard duty. If any of the prisoners wake up midflight, incapacitate them. Shika, Illya, Lilac team needs some extra eyes and ears, we'll provide them"
Leaving so soon? But we just brought the party favors.

>captcha: 4M00T
Aye lad, for him.

>>6302896

Should get Nesta to swap her sidearm for Shika's narq dart pistol.

>>6302898
I mean they should be disarmed and restrained so it shouldn't be an issue. And there are probably sedatives on the onboard medpacks. We could but then I wonder if we need to knock out some of the people we're tailing for whatever reason it might be useful to keep around. Decisions decisions.

>>6302854
>"Nesta. Sorry to do this, but I want to make sure this bird gets back home to roost. You're on guard duty. If any of the prisoners wake up midflight, incapacitate them. Shika, Illya, Lilac team needs some extra eyes and ears, we'll provide them"

>[Maverick] Hitch a ride of the Pelican and perform a mid flight drop closer to Black Sand's dock, to keep an eye on or intercept Lilac's lost lambs

>>6302854
>[Maverick] Hitch a ride of the Pelican and perform a mid flight drop closer to Black Sand's dock, to keep an eye on or intercept Lilac's lost lambs

>"Nesta. Sorry to do this, but I want to make sure this bird gets back home to roost. You're on guard duty. If any of the prisoners wake up midflight, incapacitate them. Shika, Illya, Lilac team needs some extra eyes and ears, we'll provide them"

lets be honest if Nesta didnt befriend Sven she would have been put on Black Team instead of Purple

>>6302854
>"Nesta. Sorry to do this, but I want to make sure this bird gets back home to roost. You're on guard duty. If any of the prisoners wake up midflight, incapacitate them. Shika, Illya, Lilac team needs some extra eyes and ears, we'll provide them"
>[Maverick] Hitch a ride of the Pelican and perform a mid flight drop closer to Black Sand's dock, to keep an eye on or intercept Lilac's lost lambs
No rest for the wicked it seems

>>6302854
>[Maverick] Hitch a ride of the Pelican and perform a mid flight drop closer to Black Sand's dock, to keep an eye on or intercept Lilac's lost lambs
Shika and Illya are going with them on bodyguard duty.
Us and Nesta are going to do our best ODST impression, we need her twitchy feeling to track and we're going because it's us. Also so we can say Shika has command until we're back to have a little joke given what was said too Illya

>>6302854
>[Maverick] Hitch a ride of the Pelican and perform a mid flight drop closer to Black Sand's dock, to keep an eye on or intercept Lilac's lost lambs
>"Nesta. Sorry to do this, but I want to make sure this bird gets back home to roost. You're on guard duty. If any of the prisoners wake up midflight, incapacitate them. Shika, Illya, Lilac team needs some extra eyes and ears, we'll provide them"

>>6302935
>we need her twitchy feeling to track
I thought it was Danger Sense, not general Precognition. Besides, wouldn't Sven be doing most of the tracking with his keen eyes and wits?

Rebooting...Monitor 404TormentedCache, back online

Meant to do this earlier, but I put myself into a fried chicken fueled food coma while watching ghost in the shell.

8 Votes to put Nesta on prisoner watch duty and give Lilac the assist

9 Votes to hitch a ride on the pelican and drop practically on top of the VIPs

Besides one vote, you're all in agreement to leave Nesta on the Pelican and jump to keep an eye on the Innies trying to do a runner, and since those two options quite comfortably slot together, I'll allow it

Decisions made
Proceeding...

>>6302941
Correct. She senses danger, doesn't see the future.

"Understood" You reply, as you watch Chen Tian step out of the pilot's compartment, and see that cocky smile of his beneath his flight helmet as he gives a quick wave, ignoring the stunning view behind him to focus instead on the super soldiers before them

"Heard you've got some luggage for me to take of your hands, Sir" He says glibly, head turning to the truck "Fragile cargo, according to the quick and dirty debrief Rita gave me before I left the Hangar"

"Live catches and unknown biological material" You answer, and notice the vague term is enough to shake the hotshot's confidence

"Like some kind of bio weapon" He catches on quickly, you were glad you'd managed to snag him as a dropship pilot, he was as sharp as his piloting skills

"The Lieutenant believes so, and the berserker terrorists did have a supplier in ONI" Nesta answers for you "So don't crack open the case and take a whiff, Warrant Officer"

"Aye aye" He says warily, as Illya and Shika transport the refrigeration units into the back of the Pelican "These your catches of the day"

"What we were sent here to secure" You answer bluntly as you give Naomi an affirmative that you'll take care of her lost lambs "And we're coming aboard"

"Thought Ostrom had the honors of being your Evac, Sir" He asks as he follows you back up the ramp, following a few steps behind you

"Didn't say we were getting Evac'd, Warrant Officer" You clarify as the last of the prisoners are taken aboard the dropship and fastened in their seats with heavy duty belts "Shika, Illya and I are going to be hoping off near the local docking spire"

"This posting is going to be intense. You "Spartans" only know how to play rough huh?" He laughs "Well, I'll still have something to hold over the greenhorn's head"

"Sorry, he took our first drop as well, Hotshot" Nesta sneers as Tian slides back into his pilot's chair and ticks his jaw "And, I couldn't help but notice I wasn't included in your gameplay, Sven"

"Nesta, Sorry to do this but I want to make sure this bird gets back home to roost" You tell her and she takes it well, nodding once as the Warrant Officer looks back into the cabin

"Good thing I keep my side arm loaded, appreciate having a Cyborg Ass kicker as back up. You're much nicer than my last CO, ya know that -033?" He rambles, keep his eyes straight ahead "Can I call ya -033"

"Most people will" Shika tells him as she gives the prisoners a quick check up, feeling their pulses and checking the dilation of their pupils

"I think the Lieutenant is a little easier to recognize than the rest of us Spartans" Illya points out as the hatch closes and the Pelican takes to the sky. And the moment he's flying, the warrant officer cuts the chatter and looks as natural in the pilot seat as a bird in the sky. You can tell he's in his element just from watch his body language while he's at the controls. He's more relaxed in the pilot's seat than he was on his own two feet on solid ground.
Cont

>>6303491

"So I'm on guard duty?" Nesta asks to confirm

"You're on guard duty, You're on guard duty. If any of the prisoners wake up midflight, incapacitate them. "

Then turning to the rest of your team, add "Shika, Illya, Lilac team needs some extra eyes and ears, we'll provide them"


And on the ride to the docking spire, Jame contacts you directly through the squad's secure frequency.

"Erik the Red isn't amongst the casualties we've racked up Sven" He informs you calmly "And the numbers don't line up exactly. Cal spotted and confirmed his presence in the skirmish. He's slipped our net, along with a handful of other survivors"

"Another runner" You say, and doubt that its a coincidence "Where was his last confirmed location?"

"Retreating in the direction of a commercial district"

"Wouldn't happen to be in the direction of the colony's main groundside space dock?" You ask

"...Shit"

"Daisy, Language"

Seems those lambs you're keeping an eye on might be wolves in sheep's clothing. Or it could just be bad luck on their part to choose the same escape route as the leader of the Rødt Skjegg. Or they're extremely unlucky and got the Red Beard's attention, and they decided to be team killing bastards one last time before the noose tightened round their throats snapped their necks.

"He's running on an injured leg, Sir" Cal adds "Winged him. Explosion messed up my aim"

Was she referring to nearly getting blown up by a rocket? Even knowing how good of a sniper she is and what to expect from your fellow Spartans, you can't help but be impressed by that.

"We were planning on leaving the city and heading to the LZ, but we're ready to pursue the remnants of the red beards, Sir" James informs you smartly "We've reduced their numbers enough to cripple them as a fighting force and remove them as a threat entirely. But I'd hate to leave a job half done"

"We're already heading in that direction" You inform him in kind

>"But I always appreciate back up, meet you at the docks, brother"

>"Head to the LZ. Check the perimeter and give Ostrum a ETA on our extraction"

>"Confirm that the red beards are neutralized, pat down their bodies, and stay out of trouble. We'll finish "Shaving" them down"

>Write in option

>>6303492

>"Confirm that the red beards are neutralized, pat down their bodies, and stay out of trouble. We'll finish "Shaving" them down"

Maxim 1: Pillage *then* burn.

>>6303492
>"Confirm that the red beards are neutralized, pat down their bodies, and stay out of trouble. We'll finish "Shaving" them down"
Spartans get it done RIGHT.

>>6303492
>"Confirm that the red beards are neutralized, pat down their bodies, and stay out of trouble. We'll finish "Shaving" them down"

So, we capture our second VIP, figure out how our fleeing chickens factor in and see if we can't figure out what the discount Prowler's deal is.

With any luck, Erik the Red or one of his mooks will be able to fill us in on that front. Or one of our runners if they're aligned with the Einherjar.

We also need to press them to figure out who their local contact is.

And of course, stay out of sight.

>>6303492
>"Confirm that the red beards are neutralized, pat down their bodies, and stay out of trouble. We'll finish "Shaving" them down"

>>6303492
>"Confirm that the red beards are neutralized, pat down their bodies, and stay out of trouble. We'll finish "Shaving" them down"

>>6303492
>>"Confirm that the red beards are neutralized, pat down their bodies, and stay out of trouble. We'll finish "Shaving" them down"

>>6303492
>"Confirm that the red beards are neutralized, pat down their bodies, and stay out of trouble. We'll finish "Shaving" them down"

>>6303492
>>"Confirm that the red beards are neutralized, pat down their bodies, and stay out of trouble. We'll finish "Shaving" them down"