[Halo] New! Halo RPG Pt. 11

[Naked Crook]

Vernette: In terms of where The Trust could be hiding The Bismarck...I totally agree that it could be somewhere in deep space. Even if we sent every Prowler out into the void...it would take...an eternity to find The Bismarck. The only way we are going to find The Bismarck, is if we get intel that either tells us where it is, or if we can get our hands on the specific IFF transponder frequency. With that said...our best chance is the former...getting intel. Barrabus: Interesting you should say that Vernette. Your desire to recover more intel on The Trust can be easily satisfied by exploring what Captain Cochraine just said. You see, Captain Cochraine also raises a point concerning The Elites, and possible Trust facilities on Sanghelios. If we were to inform The Elites of the danger that is on their world...we might be able to convince them to assist us, by either sweeping The Trust off their world or by directly assisting us in a conflict. Barrabus grunted. Barrabus: While I do not relish the idea of allying myself with The Elites...I am convinced that if we stand by and do nothing while The Trust is allowed to run rampant on their world...we could pay for our short sightedness later on in this conflict. I am not prepared to allow The Trust to continue their activities. Despite my hatred for The Elites as a whole...it is my responsibility to ensure that my world has a future. If I allow The Elites to become panws of The Trust...I endanger my world...and countless others. I would, no doubt, be seen a short sighted fool by anyone unfortunate enough to survive this conflict. Barrabus grunted. Barrabus: There is a human expression that I have learned over the years. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend". If we can turn The Elites on The Trust...and at the same time get The Elites to support us...our victory would not be a matter of if...but when. Burke: Right...so lets just take a stroll RIGHT up to Sanghelios, the same planet that our two combined military forces INVADED and ATTACKED and OCCUPIED for a period of time and inform them that we need their help. I like the idea...but I dislike the response that the Elites will give us. I am positive that as far as the Elites are concerned...any Human or Brute ship going into their territory is doing so because it is prepared to do battle. Hayes: I agree. As much as I would kill to have The Elites on our side, and as much as I would want to have them on our side, and as much as I want to warn them that The Trust is threatning their world...they will not ally with us. The best we can hope for is that they kill The Trust...and hope they don;t blame ONI for this. If they do blame ONI for what The Trust is doing...that will mean another war. We simply do not have the credibility in their eyes. Barrabus grunted. Vernette: As always...the opinions of some of my top officers is highly valued on my part...and I cannot ignore their logic and common sense. Barrabus: Vernette...you know me better than this. As it is...I have...an idea. I know someone who can help us. Vernette: You do? Barrabus: Of course I do. There is one Elite, that I know, that...for whatever reason...I have a mutual respect for. He is sorta like you...except he is... Vernette: Less brilliant? Less imaginative? Less charming? Less cunning? Less everything? Barrabus: I was going to say bigger...because Elites ARE bigger than humans. Vernette: The other stuff still applies...for the record. Vernette grinned. He formed a pyramid with his hands. Vernette: Who are we talking about? What is this Elites name? Can we trust him? Barrabus: I can trust him...because I have reason to trust him. As for ONI...you may think differently...but if I can trust him...you should as well. Vernette: Again...who are we talking about? Barrabus: His name is Xyrho. Vernette: Oh no...I do know who this is. Vernette paused. Vernette: In case anyone does NOT know...Xyrho is...well...ONI has him classified as a war criminal. He is an expert in Forerunner technology. According to ONI...he is deemed a teir 1 asset for The Elites and their war efforts...and there is a standing order to "kill on sight". He is the tip of the spear for their R&D into just about everything. ONI made several attempts to kill him during the invasion of Sanghelios...and every attempt was a faliure. He is highly adept in just about every art of combat...and his social status among the Elites is one of great importance. He is, what is known as, an Ascetic. Barrabus: It should be noted, however, that in my own experience, his...obsession with Forerunner technology is purely scientific. He never worshiped Forerunner technology like other members of The Covenant did. In fact...on one occasion...he helped me destroy a Forerunner Construct...but that is not the point. The fact is...I can trust him. If I tell him what sort of danger faces his world...he will help us. Vernette thought for a moment. Vernette: Don't you people just love how this stuff works out. The one Elite that ONI really wants to kill...and we either use him to help us cripple the Trust...or we kill him and cripple the Elites and their R&D... Vernette sighed. Vernette: Welcome to my world...where there is no such thing as a winning decision. Who do I hate more? The Trust...or The Elites? Vernette sighed. He thought for a moment. Vernette: Effectivly immediatly...the termination order on the Ascetic known as Xyrho is hereby rescinded...until further notice. We need this Elite if we are going to stick it to The Trust. If anyone has any objections to this...I don't want to hear them.

[Erex]

Devron: If I may be so bold as a strategist I would also believe that I'd put my most valueable assets on this Bismark, like High Command, Their entire heiarchy would most likely be on board as well. Due to many things one its huge at 5.7 km I can't imagine a vessel built by humans to be that massive it must of taken years. And too if its in deep space they have an advantage, what kind of tech was onboard this vessel?

[Kairu]

Cochraine: "Well besides the armament, there was reverse-engineered tech that we most likely EVER figured out. In other words the most advanced, most powerful tech Humanity has. And I agree, the Trust likely moved their version of HIGHCOM there. But personally, the real question is, how do we convince an infamous Elite war criminal to help us? I highly doubt any of us would want to see a pardon towards a former war criminal. Surely there's another option, one that isn't wanted, like the Elite government?"

[Erex]

Devron: Thats a good question, we could always capture him, and force him to help, but then again he would be reluctant, what about having the brutes talk to him.

[Naked Crook]

Barrabus: That's the thing...as it stands...we have no credibility. Burke was right about that! If we tell them that The Trust is on their world...they WILL take it seriously, and they will act. However...to them...there is no difference between The Trust6 and ONI...they are just...simply...humans. Their sense of honor would demand revenge...against HUMANS. Vernette interjected. Vernette: To add to that...The Elites and The Brutes are...how does one put this? They are...blood enemies. It is not widely known...but there were decades of animosity between the two races while they were in The Covenant. In fact...that animosity fractured The Covenant. That is how bad it was. They were born hating each other. Vernette paused. He was about to continue when he heard Devron speak. Vernette: Kidnap Xyrho? Kidnap him? Were you not listening when I said that every attempt to kill this guy failed...miserably? What makes you think we could capture him? Capturing someone is much more difficult than killing them! Even IF we captured him...how would we force him to do anything? Have you ever interrogated an Elite? They are resilliant to interrogations and forced persuasion. In fact...they will actually kill themselves, with their bare hands if necessary, when they are captured. Their sense of honor demands that they eaither escape, or honorably kill themselves while in captivity. Hayes: Which raises the question...how do we contact this Xyrho guy? It is not like we can find this guy on the ChatterNet. Barrabus grunted. Barrabus: Well...it would require a degree of stealth. It would require us to enter their controlled space and we would need to quietly find this Elite, and we would need to speak to him one on one. There are a few ways to do this...but I am sure ONI can figure out how to do this best.

[Erex]

Devron: My apologies sir, I hate to admit but I didn't hear that part sir, it won't happen again sir.

[Naked Crook]

Hayes: Not hearing things...a common problem for people commanding The Draco.

[Erex]

Devron: I see, This isn't like me though, I don't understand how my mind wondered. IF Xyrho is that dangerous then that also could mean he would be a threat to us as well.

[Kairu]

Cochraine: "You don't become ONI's Most Wanted War Criminal by sitting around picking flowers, you know. So how would you suggest handling this, Director? I resent saying this, but I would think that if you and the Chieftain personally visited him, that would be insurance enough to get him to listen. Or send someone who is still asset to ONI and still be considered validity and trust in Xyrho.

[Hells Sniper]

Troy stood there, patiently and quietly listening to the conversation. Xyrh, he remembered hearing about this guy when he was recruited into the Spartan-IV project. If and when the Spartans were deployed, a secondary objective that always hung above their heads was the elimination of this elite. That order, was now rescinded, and Troy didn't mind it. The Agents, Dakota, and Dallas were sitting, listening as well. They did not have much to add at the current time. Dangerus on the other hand, was looking around. Trying to remember each human he saw in the room. Some Agents, TF117 members, the brass, other officers he'd never met, and Spartans. Dangerus had his arms crossed. He was watching the two Spartans from the corner of his eye when he noticed something. Jacob was nowhere in sight. Meanwhile: Black 5 continued to stand in the simulation deck command center. He was trying to remember the Spartan. But, he could not put the voice to a face. And he knew that when he met this man he wasn't a Spartan he was just an ODST, like him. There weren't many occasions when Black 5 worked with other ODSTs besides a few key individuals. Most of the time after he became an officer he started to work by himself. He was faster that way, but events changed him in the latter years to work with others. But what events? What happened to him? Black 5 could only remember one occasion where his "lone wolf" strategy didn't entirely work to his plan. But, that couldn't have been it...that was months ago. Not years like he said. Then Black 5 remembered, the Spartan said a date. 2540. Black 5 went through his memories, the memories of his former self, trying to find this date. But he kept coming back to the now. He kept coming back to Jersey...to seeing his former squad mates perish by his own hands. He had killed a good...four dozen ONI marines, or Agents, by himself. Not to mention the amount that was killed because of him at Midnight. The numbers of the dead kept coming back to him...and that's when he realized. The same thing happened to him in 2540. After one battle. The numbers of the dead would come back to him. Black 5 looked upwards and shook his head. He finally took a look at his surroundings, people were looking at him, staring. Black 5 just moved his head back and forth, looking at the soldiers. Then, he finally turned around. He had to go back. He had to relive it as Jacob.