[Halo] New! San Angeles RPG

[Hells Sniper]

Liam shook his head. Liam: Don't have to tell me twice, sir. I'm only here to do my job, not ask questions. I really don't care what they're doing, as long as it's helping some way. Liam turned around and whistled, he put his finger in the air and spun it around for a few seconds. Liam: Hangar bay in five, Spartans. Get your asses moving. Liam looked back at Novak as he grabbed his helmet off the table. Liam looked down at Novak and smirked. Liam: And if the swords are so deadly...you should give them to us. From the looks of the last engagement with the duo, we're going to need some better tech. Liam tilted his head. Liam: You help me, Doc. I'll help you...in any way I can.

[Naked Crook]

Novak laughed. Novak: Getting you hands on one of those weapons means you have to go through The Consultant. If you are lucky...she may give you what you need...but it won't be pro-bono...not by a long shot. Novak paused. Novak: If you want to talk to her... you can typially find her in her office...Deck 3, Section 12...end of the corridor on the right. She will usually entertain someone so long as they are known in The Trust's ranks...but don't expect her to be friendly. In fact...expect her to be despariging and downright disrespectful. She has never looked to make friends outside of Division 7's Nova Team. Novak paused. Novak: She trusts them like Spender trusts Black Team. Between you and I...Black Team and Nova Team's mutual hatred of the other...falls just short of outright killing one another. Black Team would obviously win...but Nova Team...they get first dibs on all the toys these days. Novak began to pace back and forth. Novak: Be very weary with her. She is...s dangerous as she is obsessed. Novak looked at Liam. Novak: She had serious reservations about providing the gear and equipment to The Risk Takers...because of what you stood for. Novak paused. He shook his head as he laughed. Novak: The Consultant...has a dangerous fascination...and possibly an obsession...with Anaconda. Just Anaconda. She cares very little about Nighthawk...but she has made it very clear that she wants nothing more than to possess Anaconda...for experimentation. She wants something...and we do not know what. The Board of Chairmen cannot get an answer from her...and they are in too precarious of a position to start kicking down doors and interrogating people. Novak paused. Novak: There was a time when everything fell under a single roof, so to speak. However, when The Consultant came onto the scene...and she became the head of R&D...Division 7 began to emerge. SInce then, they have become ALMOST a separate entity. They have become more secrative, more possessive, and much more paranoid over the years. They still answer to The Trust, and you are free to ask her to aquire whatever you wish...but she WILL ask for something in return...and you will NOT like what she asks...and neither will The Board of Chairmen. Novak paused. Novak: At least...that is what I think. Nobody is really sure. So...talk to her if you want. It is up to you. Meanwhile: Black 1 and Black 2 brought their Sabers about, as they altered their heading, and plotted a course to regroup with Black 3 and Black 4. Black 1: Black 3, Black 4...Black 2 and I are finished here. We have taken down the final banshee from our part of the sky, and we are converging on your location. ETA...2 minutes. Black 4 responded. Black 4: Copy that Black 1. Black 3 and I are currently engaged with multiple hostile bogies. Black 3: Sir...we also have reports of AA Teams mobilizing. I cannot say for sure if The UNSC is trying to shoot us down or not. Black 1: Well, we will find out soon enough. For now, we have to make sure that those Transports get off the ground. For now...maintain current operational orders. Black 1 kept his eye on his sensor readout...keeping tabs on Jacob's movements. Part of Black 1 was almost waiting for Jacob to try something. Black 1 couldn't shake the feeling he had...and he was ready if he had to be. Meanwhile: Nighthawk, Anaconda, and Jennifer had left the King Raven's med bay and entered an elevator. As they stepped in, Nighthawk sighed. Jennifer looked at Nighthawk, and then gave a vocal command. Jennifer: Bridge. The elevator doors closed, and the elevator began to move. Nighthawk: That poor man. So much suffering. Jennifer looked at Nighthawk again. Jennifer: I'm sorry? Nighthawk: Tye... Nighthawk shook his head. Nighthawk: I had no idea. I never knew! Nighthawk paused. Nighthawk: Had I known ANY of that... Nighthawk sighed. Nighthawk: All those years wasted over petty bickering with each other. So much time lost. It was my fault...it was all my fault. The falling out we had...it was my fault. Jennifer: There is no point in beating yourself up over this. It is not your fault. Nighthawk: I cannot find any proof of that. Nighthawk clenched his fist. Nighthawk: I will never be able to express how much I hate The Trust. Jennifer: I think I have a pretty good idea. Nighthawk looked at Jennifer. Nighthawk: It is tough to say for sure. Jennifer: Not really. I think I know you pretty well. I know what goes on in that head of yours. I don't pretend to know what goes on in that brain of yours...but I have a very good idea of what goes on in your soul. I tend to have a pretty good judge of character. I wouldn't have slept with you if I wasn't. Anaconda grunted. Anaconda: Why are Humans so vocal about their mating practices? This is the second time I have heard about this today. Nighthawk cleared his throat, as he looked forward. Nighthawk: Right...sorry. Jennifer: Oh, please...I bet he brags all the time about all of his conquests. Anaconda: Actually...I don't. Nighthawk: He doesn't. In fact...he rather dislikes it when I prod. Jennifer: Oh...come on. What does a "big strapping fella" like him have to hide? Anaconda: Everything...actually. Anaconda shook his head. Anaconda: You don't need to know the details. Silence fell over the trio for a moment. Nighthawk began to laugh. Nighthawk: They like to bite each other. Anaconda let out a growl. Nighthawk: They do that too. Anaconda growled even louder. Jennifer: How kinky. Anaconda showed his teeth as he growled even louder. Nighthawk: Relax big guy...we are only teasing you. We'll stop. It is all in good fun. The elevator began to slow down. Anaconda shook his head and sighed as the elavtor came to a fully stop. The door to the elevator opened, and the trio walked out, and entered the bridge. Jennifer: Report!? The comm officer turned around and looked at Jennifer. Comm Officer: Uhhh...ma'am... The comm officer pointed to Nighthawk and Anaconda. Jennifer: Ignore them. Now...report? Comm Officer: Well...ma'am...Admiral Harrison has been...very persistent. He is demanding an update from us. I am pretty sure he is one more transmission from coming over here himself. Jennifer: Well...let's save him the trip. Open a channel with Harrison's ship. Let's get him up to speed. Put him on the main display when you reach him. Comm Officer: Yes ma'am!

[Hells Sniper]

Liam nodded as his team passed him and Novak and headed to the hangar bay. Liam: I have heard the rumors about Division 7, The Consultant, Nova team, and everything in between. I will talk to her, I think I have a generally good idea of what she might want. Liam grinned underneath his visor. Liam: And I think my Spartans and I are the people who can get it for her. Doc, if you'll excuse me. Liam nodded at Novak and left the room, intent on finding the Consultant. Meanwhile: Jacob was still listening in on the radio with Black team. He knew they were keeping a close eye on him, he would be doing the same thing. Jacob took a deep breath and began to slow his Saber, he watched as the transport sped past him and into UNSC controlled airspace. Jacob watched as two longswords joined the transport and he began to adjust his heading to head back to the other transports. As he turned, he watched another transport fly by, and two more longswords join it. Jacob smiled. Jacob: Looks like the UNSC is taking control of the escort process, regrouping with you, Black 1. Jacob adjusted his heading to regroup with the rest of Black team. Meanwhile: Harrison kept a close eye on the Saber team with his satellite uplink, he was unsure where these soldiers were from, but as far as he could tell, they were just as interested in saving civilians as he was. He only hoped that would remain. Harrison stood up and walked over to his holotable, where a hologram of six pelicans, in standard formation, heading towards three AA guns. Two by two, the pelicans broke off from each other, until there were three different groups. Harrison watched each team on each of the three holotables on the deck. He crossed his arms as he began to rub his chin. So far, so good. Then again, that was never the case with the Covenant. Just as he thought this, he watched a pelican get hit by a wraith, as it started to descend, and eventually crash in the hologram. The second pelican began to divert of course, but as soon as it did, it was obliterated by two plasma cannons. The pelican disappeared, and Harrison knew every soul on board was lost. Harrison leaned on the holotable, he focused on the crashed pelican. Harrison: Pelican November-Two-Foxtrot, do you copy? Harrison waited, but nothing. Harrison: Pelican November-Two-Foxtrot, do you read? The sound of static filled his ears, then a cough. Athios: Roger that, Admiral! This is Athios, we have crashed. Harrison waited for Athios to continue. There were a few more coughs, some shouts, and the sound of a loud explosion as the hologram of the pelican exploded. Athios: Pilots are dead. Suicide Squad still remains, sir. Harrison: Status? Can you continue on? There was some mumbling on the line, and then an audible cracking noise. Athios: Affirmative, sir. The six of us will keep going, that AA gun will be up shortly. Harrison: Roger that, Sergeant. I can't risk another bird until the Covenant is dead, and we have a foothold. Good luck. Harrison out. Harrison cut the line and watched six tiny soldiers on the hologram run from the treeline and towards the AA guns location. Harrison stood up straight and then sighed. He hoped they could do it. Officer: Admiral, Captain Frost is hailing us. Harrison sighed, he rolled his eyes. Harrison: Bout goddamn time, put her up on the secondary display. Harrison turned to his right and within a few seconds, Frost appeared on screen. Harrison also had a clear view of Nighthawk, and he could see most of Anaconda. Harrison: Captain Frost, would you like to inform me of current events?

[Naked Crook]

Jennifer: Sir...I apologize for the delay. There was quite a bit to talk about. Nighthawk had no shortage of intel on The Trust. Needless to say...these are very bad people we are dealing with. Jennifer paused. Jennifer: IN short...Nighthawk briefed me on pretty much everything he knew about The Trust. I am still taking quite a bit of it in...but...it is pretty jarring. We need to find these people and we have to take them out...all of them...even the ones that were pretending to be our friends. Nighthawk stepped forward. Nighthawk: That includes that treacherous prick, Jacob. Nighthawk paused. Nighthawk: As well as anyone else dumb enough to help The Trust. Jennifer shrugged Jennifer: The problem is...we have a cold trail at the moment. We have no idea where The Trust may surface at any given time. Unless anything noteworthy has happened in the past little while...we have little to go on at the moment. Anaconda: The only other thing to be worried about would be The Covenant. Nighthawk: The Covenant is still advancing and we have all but broken down against them. Jennifer: Admiral...between The Trust and The Covenant...we are dying here. We are fighting a battle on two fronts...and we are losing both of them. Anaconda paced around the bridge. He circled around the holotable, and looked down. Anaconda: Look...Human transports... Jennifer and Nighthawk looked away from the main display, as they looked down at the holotable. They could see the evac transports moving away from the planet. Nighthawk: Evac transports? Jennifer looked at the holotable. She moved her hand closer to the holographic transport ships, and spread her five fingers outwards to enlarge the image. Jennifer: Those evac transports have the markings of the New Havana port authority. Were we evacuating New Havana? Nighthawk: Who cares. The better question is...did those ships just...take off...from the planet? Unopposed? Anaconda: Is The Covenant even attacking New Havana? If they are...there is no way those transports should have been able to survive. They would have been shot down. Nighthawk scoffed. He turned to the main display. Nighthawk: What the hell is going on down there!?

[Hells Sniper]

Harrison rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. He was annoyed both at Nighthawk's comment about Jacob and his utter disrespect. Harrison: I'm sorry Nighthawk, treacherous prick? I find that a little funny coming from you... Harrison paused and took a deep breath. Harrison: Secondly, I don't remember speaking to you. Harrison looked at Frost in the display. Harrison: Captain, I want everything you have on the Trust immediately. And yes, New Havana is being evacuated, the Covenant is planning a full scale assault on the city, something they want is there. Harrison paused, he didn't want to bring up the Saber team, as he was still investigating it. He had his suspicions and he honestly didn't feel like having an argument with Nighthawk or Captain Frost, seeing as the two were so close. Harrison: Thirty-four minutes ago a Saber team consisting of five Sabers appeared over New Havana airspace. Nineteen minutes ago, they took control of that airspace and we took our chance. Evac shuttles have been going ever since, so far 45% of the population of New Havana is safe. Harrison paused again, and looked at Nighthawk and then back to Frost. Harrison: Before you ask, no, I haven't been able to verify who they are. One of the perks of being a Commanding Officer and not having ONI clearance. Someone authorized their launch, and whoever did is saving a whole lot of civilians in the process. I want to know who just as much as you do, and from the look of your face, Captain, and from your body language Nighthawk, you both seem to want answers to.

[Naked Crook]

Nighthawk clenched his fist. Nighthawk: Admiral... Jennifer stepped forward. She grabbed Nighthawk's arm. Nighthawk turned his head to look at Jennifer. Jennifer: Nighthawk: Getting into a shouting match won't solve anything. Nighthawk looked at Jennifer for a moment longer before he spoke. Nighthawk: You're right... Nighthawk turned back to the screen with Harrison on it. Nighthawk: We will finish this later...in person. Nighthawk stepped back, turning back to the holotable. Nighthawk: In the meantime...let's talk about those Sabres. I can tell you right now...those Sabres do not belong to us. If they refuse to talk to you, and they refuse to identify themselves, and you are unable to identify them...then those Sabres are not under your command. Nighthawk paused. Nighthawk: If it was ONI...they would at least tell you that they are operating under classified pretenses. However...I have come to know The Trust as being totally silent when they take action. Nighthawk paused. Nighthawk: It could very well be The Trust. Why they would help civilians is beyond me, and frankly unexplainable...but the whole song and dance of not responding to you could be a clue. If the call was mine...I would shoot those Sabres down...now. Nighthawk shrugged. Nighthawk: Of course...the call isn't mine. I only say so because the call is yours...and one cannot be too certain about your willingness to do anything about The Trust. After all...Jacob was right under your noes. For all I know...Jacob wasn't the only Trust sleeper on your ship...Admiral. Jennifer looked at Nighthawk with wide eyes when she realized what Nighthawk had just implied. Nighthawk: The Trust hates me...Jacob hated me...and you, Admiral, I get the sense that you don't like me very much. Call me paranoid...but my biggest haters all work for The Trust. Just saying...you keep some pretty shitty company.

[Hells Sniper]

Harrison took a deep breath, he hated Nighthawk, for far too many reasons. But now, this terrorist; a man who had killed more Spartans than he could imagine, was calling him a traitor. The same man who was working with the very race that was working to destroy all of humanity. Harrison exhaled and looked at Nighthawk. Harrison: The situation with Captain Sharpmen is being looked into, family, friends, everything. We are checking it out. Harrison paused, he was keeping his composure, not raising his voice, simply speaking. Harrison: And as for your comment, I'd like you to look in a mirror. You are calling me a Trust operative? A traitor to the UNSC? You, Nighthawk, are a traitor to the entirety of humanity, you are working with one of them! If it wasn't for the words from Captain Frost and Commander Vernette, I would have had you both killed. Harrison paused again. Harrison: You are here because I am allowing it. I do not need to hear military advice from you, those Sabers are saving civilians and they are the only chance we have at evacuating New Havana. I have people working on it, now, back off Nighthawk. Harrison looked to Frost in the display. Harrison: Like I said Captain, I want a full report on everything you know about the Trust, I want a list of every active team in your ship's fireteam, and I want you to do it. Immediately, do I make myself clear? Meanwhile: Suicide Squad had moved to their target as quickly as they could. As they slowly approached the AA area, they looked around. Two squads of Covenant, one ghost, one wraith. Typical Covenant sabotage team. Athios looked at Folee and pointed to the wraith and ghost. Folee nodded and broke off with Carmicle and Troy. Athios stayed with the Cross siblings and moved to the other side of the buildings. Their goal was to catch the squads of Covenant in the crossfire while quickly eliminating both the ghost and wraith.

[Naked Crook]

Jennifer: Perfectly clear sir. I will get the report ready immediately. You can expect it within the hour. Nighthawk sighed, as he leaned on the holotable, hanging his head. Jennifer: In the meantime sir...I am going to begin deploying soldiers to the surface immediately. I will give the order. Jennifer paused. Jennifer: I will contact you again before I transmit my report. If there is nothing else...we should get back to work. We still have a war to win. Nighthawk scoffed. Nighthawk: Admiral... Nighthawk looked up, glaring at the large screen. Nighthawk: I am going to kill him. Jacob...I am going to kill him. Nighthawk paused. Nighthawk: Jacob is a fucking traitor. He has turned coat. He is the enemy. He belongs to The Trust! I am going to kill him. I am going to put a bullet so deep into his brain, you will never dig it out, and he will die, with the words DISGRACED OFFICER carved into the tombstone above his shallow grave! Nighthawk paused. Nighthawk: And Harrison...if I so much as SUSPECT that you are going to try and stop me...you will share Jacob's fate. This is not a threat, this is a declaration of fact. Nighthawk chuckled. Nighthawk: And Harrison...if I find the proof that you are a Trust operative...there will be nowhere you can run and nowhere you can hide that I will not find you. There will be NO VERSION of this where you survive to a ripe old age. Nighthawk paused. Nighthawk: So...I dare you Admiral...cross me. See what happens. Stop "allowing" me to be here. I dare you to try something. Before Harrison had a chance to make any kind of rebuttal, Nighthawk raised his hand and stopped him. Nighthawk: Take some time to think about it Freddy-Boy. I wouldn't want you to say something stupid because I hurt your pride. Nighthawk stepped to the side, as he reached for the comm station controls, pushing the comm officer out of the way. Nighthawk: Don't call us...we will call you. Nighthawk pushed two fingers down on the control panel, as he terminated the comm signal, cutting Harrison off. Nighthawk then turned back to Jennifer. Jennifer shook her head. Jennifer: Was that really necessary? Nighthawk: It was. I need to see how he will react. It is important. Anaconda folded his arms as he growled. Anaconda: "One of them". He calls me "one of them". He defends Jacob and The Trust...but he calls me "one of them". He calls you a traitor, but he forgets the intel we gave him. Anaconda lowered his head, and gave it a bit of a twist to the side, as if he was puzzled by something. Anaconda: Is he...is he an idiot? Jennifer sighed. Jennifer: Look...guys...we need to let cooler heads prevail here. The last thing you two need is Harrison coming after you while you are fighting The Trust. I have very little leverage in this respect. I do not have the luxury to just start shooting at everyone. To me, Harrison may be suspect, but he is still the CO in this respect. Jennifer paused. Jennifer: We have to keep his together. Nighthawk: That i where you come in Jennifer. I need you to try and keep Harrison off my back. You heard what he said...if it wasn't for you and Commander Vernette. Just keep him off my back while I clean everything up. Jennifer: If you keep antagonizing him...that is going to become very hard Nighthawk. Jennifer paused. Jennifer: Look...I get where you two are coming from, sorta, kinda. However...you guys need to understand that Harrison...he is not ONI. He doesn't fully understand what it means to do this rodeos. This is not his thing. Jennifer paused. She began to pace around the holotable. Jennifer: It is no secret that I have been giving you two special treatment. Harrison might see this, I dunno if he does or not. The fact is, we have a common enemy in The Trust and The Covenant...and if we kill eachother...the bad guys win. Anaconda: Harrison was basically defending The Trust. He is the bad guy. Jennifer: We don't know for sure. It looks like Harrison is with The Trust...but for all we know, he is not. We cannot let the fear of Trust infiltration in the ranks tear us apart. It is very easy for you two to suspect everyone...but not for me. I need your advice...not your fear mongering. Jennifer paused. Jennifer: I need your help with this conflict, not your conflict to help destroy allies. Anaconda: Possibly allies. Nighthawk: Possibly allies is right. Jennifer: Guys...come on...throw me a bone here. Nighthawk and Anaconda exchanged looks. They both nodded, and looked back to Jennifer. Nighthawk: Fine. We will tone it down...for now.

[Hells Sniper]

Harrison took a deep breath. He rubbed his eyes as the comm was cut off, he leaned on the holotable and sighed. Murphy: Admiral, sir? Harrison looked up to most of his bridge crew staring at him. Harrison: What is it? The officer looked around the deck before turning back to Harrison. Murphy: Permission to speak freely, sir? Harrison nodded and stood straight. Murphy: Sir, Nighthawk. None of us are comfortable with allowing him to roam freely around. Sir, if the reports are true, we should be getting a Spartan deployment soon...and if that happens, Nighthawk and Anaconda are going to turncoat so fast we won't see it. Harrison nodded. Murphy: And if Captain Sharpmen is a traitor, how do we know he isn't feeding the Trust everything he knows right now? Harrison sighed. Harrison: You all feel this way? The bridge crew nodded. Harrison: Nighthawk is a terrorist, he is a traitor. But he has given us intel crucial to this battle. Trust me, I hate him as much as you all do. And we will take him down before he is able to take any of us down, I promise you that. He will not have the chance to turn on us. Harrison paused. Harrison: The situation with Captain Sharpmen makes no sense. Something not many of you know about him is that he had a chance to join this organization called the Trust, 17 years ago. He refused, and they put his friends to death because of it. He saved me, he saved thousands of others. And the most amazing part? He was a recruit, only training to become an ODST. Jacob Sharpmen is not the man to turn coat on his soldiers like this. Murphy: And his relationship with Nighthawk? Harrison smirked. Harrison: Almost as bad as mine. He has been betrayed by that man far too many times, and I think he thought he could do better without him. I think he thought he could get inside the Trust, get information, and get it back to us. I don't know, truly I don't. As of right now, he is a traitor, he is a rogue soldier. But, Nighthawk. Nighthawk is much worse. Harrison paused. He stared at the King Raven through the windows. Harrison: That ship's crew is giving that man too much of a warm welcome, so far as I know, we will be watching it closely. When the time comes, I will have men ready to kill that man. Harrison looked up. Harrison: If it must come to that. We will take it. Harrison shook his head. Harrison: I only hope that the rest of you will follow me still, that you understand my reasons for doing what I am doing, and that your loyalty stays true to humanity. Murphy: Sir, I think I speak for all of the crew, and most of the fleet, when I say we are with you. To the end. Harrison smiled. Harrison: Thank you. Now, back to work. AA guns? Officer: One is active, sir. The other two are still working. Meanwhile: Jacob regrouped with the rest of Black team when they flew over an AA gun location. Jacob watched the gun power up. He spoke to Black team. Jacob: Looks like the UNSC got AA up. Meanwhile: Liam decided it would be best to see the Consultant after his mission was completed, so he regrouped with the rest of the Risk-Takers. They were prepped and ready to move to the Apex center.

[Naked Crook]

Jennifer looked at Nighthawk and Anaconda. Jennifer: In any case...I am going to get that report ready for Harrison. Nighthawk: Be careful what you put in there for now. If Harrison is part of The Trust, too much information could be bad. Harrison wants details on our full operation status and he wants to know everything that we know about The Trust. Giving him what he wants may not be wise at the moment. Nighthawk paused. Nighthawk: Filter it out. Screen what you know. Give Harrison something to keep him silent...but don't give him everything. Don't tell him what we have on Black Team...but give him some background on The Trust itself. Give him the details of where they came from. Recall the details the best you can. Anaconda: You should also avoid talking about tactics. The last thing we need is for The Trust to start changing their tactics because we know about them. Nighthawk: Yes...that is something to keep in mind. In fact...as a general rule...anything that we could use to fight The Trust...do not let Harrison know about...yet. Keep it limited to general information and history. Mention The Board of Chairmen, mention people like Novak and Hoffman. Mention people like Davidov and Smith, and be sure to mention concepts such as Operation Blind Eagle. That is low-level intel...most of it is outdated...but it should be interesting news to Harrison. It will be enough to keep you in his camp of allies. Let me be the bad guy here. Anaconda: Perhaps it might be wise to throw in some false intel about the two of us. Keep it to basic things that you would learn by association. Nighthawk nodded at Anaconda. Nighthawk: Yes...VERY good idea. Nighthawk looked back at Jennifer. Nighthawk: Make up some basic shit about us. Don't mention any facts...just erroneous speculation, and pass it off as fact. Give Harrison a bone to chew on with us, and let him know that you are "on his side". This should give you a bit more pull. Jennifer: Holy shit, you two.. You guys are really good at lying and making shit up as you go. Nighthawk: Making shit up as you go is part of the job. Nighthawk paused. Nighthawk: If you can get anything out of Harrison...do it. If Harrison knows where Jacob is, and he slips up and tells you, you tell us ASAP. We will take the traitor down. Jennifer nodded. Jennifer: Where are you two headed? Nighthawk: New Havana. That is the new staging ground. That is where shit is going down next. That is where the Big Guy and I have to be. Jennifer: If you two are going down there...I can deploy some people. I know that Tye and Cameron are currently available. You can defiantly use their help. Jennifer paused. Jennifer: After what Tye told us, I am sure he is ready to cut loose against The Trust And Cameron? Well...you cannot go wrong with Cam. Nighthawk: Put Tye and Cam on recon. Tell them to look for any sign of The Trust. The moment they find something, they are to report in. Nighthawk paused. Nighthawk: Anaconda and I...we just need to get our hand on the pulse of the situation down there. We will do what we have to do. Jennifer nodded. She stepped forward. Jennifer: Guys...be careful down there. Between The Trust and The Covenant...it is really bad down there. Anaconda: Don't worry...I will keep him alive. Nighthawk: Yeah...don't worry. He will keep me alive. Meanwhile: Black 2: They only got the AA up now? Well...better late than never. Black 1: Very late, actually. The Covenant are falling back. They must have detected the AA systems going up, and they know that their goose is cooked. With the last of those evac transports taking off, they lost this round. Black 1 laughed. Black 1: That is how The Trust does it boys. Good job. Black 1 opened an encrypted channel to all of the evac transports as they took off. Black 1: New Havana Evac Transports...confirm Syndicate Authentication Codes and passenger count. Black 1 listened over the comms, as each transport ship began to confirm their identity. Trust Pilot 1: Syndicate Authentication Code HS-542-2893-Epsilon. Passenger count...894 civilians. Trust Pilot 2: Syndicate Authentication Code BM-898-9609-Bravo. Passenger count...756 civilians. Trust Pilot 3: Syndicate Authentication Code RT-317-7425-Zeta. Passenger count...931 civilians. Trust Pilot 4: Syndicate Authentication Code JE-520-4116-Ilo. Passenger count...1024 civilians. Black 1: Authentication Codes are green and those numbers are impressive. You guys are going to be very busy. Black 1 paused. Black 1: Proceed along established navigational procedures. Avoid direct contact with UNSC ships if possible. If engaged, provide spoofed civilian credentials. However...I doubt the UNSC is going to waste time on checking civilian transports in the middle of a live fire battle. Trust Pilot 1: Thanks Black Team. The assist was much appreciated. Black 1: Have a safe journey.