[Halo] New! San Angeles RPG

[ShayNanigans]

No sound escaped Jade's lips as she felt herself collapse onto the ground. She was alive, that's all that mattered. Her breathing came out in odd whistles as she tried to keep it steady, her frame shaking from pain. Slowly, she forced herself onto her feet and gripped the bullet wound in her side. Whatever happened now, there was no turning back. This was an opportunity Jade couldn't pass up, though she had very little doubts she would be kept alive after this. Turning her head towards the Kolya, Jade gave a slight nod to indicate her interest.

[Naked Crook]

Kolya: Very well... Kolya looked at the last officer that he was with, as he gave a firm and commanding nod, as he began to walk back towards the bridge. The officer approached Jade, and grabbed her arm, and began to drag her down the corridor, following Kolya in tow. As Kolya walked back to the bridge, with Jade in tow, he remained silent, saying nothing more to her. The moment the trio had set foot back on the bridge, the officer shoved Jade forward, making her stumble forward for a few steps, so she stood right next to Kolya. Kolya, however, did not bother looking at Jade, instead, focusing his attention on a chair, that was located near the front of the bridge. The chair had an occupant, but, the back of the chair was facing both Kolya and Jade. Kolya: Sir, I capture this UNSC swine before she, herself, had a chance to escape. As soon as Kolya said this, the chair spun around, as Spender looked at Kolya, and then Jade. Spender took a drag of his cigarette, as he examined Jade head to toe. Spender exhaled the smoke through his nostrils, as he continued to look on in silence, his eyes filled with a rather distasteful cruelty and malice. Finally, Spender got to his feet, as he took another drag of his cigarette. He approached Jade, and blew smoke in her face. Spender: There is nothing impressive about this...person. Spender paused. Spender: Though, she may be useful in a tactical sense. Spender paused again. Spender: Kolya, why did you bring her here? Kolya: She wants to know why The Trust does what it does. SHe wants to know why we are fighting with The UNSC. Spender: A fair question, I suppose. Spender looked at Jade, and scoffed at her. Spender: Ask your questions...

[ShayNanigans]

Jade took in their attempts to humiliate her with a grain of salt. She knew, no matter how strong they made themselves out to be, no matter how cruel or ruthless they may attempt to be, it wouldn't change the fact that they were still humans. They had their flaws, they had their strengths, and deep down, she was certain they were aware of their own mortality. Even the SPARTANs, the beasts of the UNSCs, had been felled in combat. Jade stood straight, or as best as her injured body would allow, and spoke in as steady of a voice as she could muster. “If the Trust is fighting for the benefit of humanity, then why fight against the UNSC? Would not the pooling of our resources with yours strengthen both your power and the UNSC?”

[Naked Crook]

Spender shook his head. Spender: Our resourcesd are already pooled, my dear. Our resources and the resources of the UNSC, are one and the same. You are on a UNSC ship. I wear the uniform of the UNSC. Every single member of The Trust uses the same weaponry and equipment that any UNSC soldier does. The resources are already pooled. The Trust shares more than you think with the UNSC. The only thing we don;t share is ideas. Spender paused. Spender: What you must realize is that The Trust is not so much of a seperate or rouge organization, as it is an idea; an idea that says that the preservation of Humanity is THE MOST important thing, above all else. All of the people you see see, on this ship, taking orders from me; these are all people who have accepted that winning this war will require moral sacrafices that The UNSC, and even the powers that be in ONI, are not prepared to make. Spender paused. Spender: Do you understand?

[ShayNanigans]

Jade listened to what the man in front of her said and felt both understanding and anger flush through her. Yes, winning the war was important. Yes, the survival of the human race was of the utmost priority. But at what cost? “I understand where you are coming from. The TRUST and the UNSC are the two faces of the same coin,” she said simply. But at what price? Jade didn't say this out loud, knowing a man who killed so fiercely would not change his views so quickly. Based on how their interaction with her, she had some doubts that they were fighting for humanity itself.

[Naked Crook]

Spender: I sense there is more you have to say. Spender took a drag of his cigarette, as he glared at Jade. Spender: Speak your mind, soldier. believe me, there is no question you can ask me that I cannot answer. If you are thinking that I would put you down for asking a difficult question, then you have seriously underestimated me.

[ShayNanigans]

“You say winning is the most important to you. But at what cost? If we kill without mercy and think without morals, then we're no better than beasts driven by instinct,” Jade pointed out. She was thankful of her helmet, blocking her face from being seen as she cringed in pain. Hold on a little longer, we've been through worse! She told herself, doing her best to remain upright.

[Naked Crook]

Spender: There is no cost too high when it comes to victory. Spender paused. Spender: That should be obvious by now. If it is not already clear; the only reason The Covenbant is here, at Sanagales, was so that they could wipe out the Human presence on this world. The fact is; The Trust could not risk the UNSC discovering what we discovered on this world. The UNSC, and even ONI, would be unable to wrap their limited minds around what we found. Spender grinned. Spender: It may seem that I sold out millions of innocent people to The Covenant...but...it is worth it; provided The Trust can harness what we found. You have no idea how close we are. You have no idea how meaningless your efforts were here, today. To be totally honest...it is the UNSC that runs the risk of making it so that all of these civilians and all of these soldiers had died for nothing. The more the UNSC interferes...the greater the risk that we lose everything. Spender scoffed, as he glared at Jade. Spender: Do you think you could live with the fact that you fought for the side that made the deaths of millions of people mean nothing? Wouldn't it be so much better to fight along side The Trust...and actually make this all mean something?

[ShayNanigans]

“You are right sir. I don't have any idea how close you are. But whatever idea you have in mind, it will never justify selling millions of lives to the Covenant. It's one thing, sacrificing soldiers, it's another to sacrifice civilians! We soldiers are dogs of the military, I can live with knowing my brothers have died for their mission. But to know that you willingly allowed civilians to die at the hands of the enemies is something I will not forgive,” Jade answered. She kept her voice steady and calm, knowing anger wouldn't be a solution to anything. The ODST couldn't understand how someone could put value on the lives of the innocent in such a way, but she could understand that the man before believed he was doing this for the greater good. He had his justifications for killing, but Jade believed that the deaths of the civilians weren't justified.

[Naked Crook]

Spender: I don't expect you to understand my reasoning. Like I said...The UNSC and ONI are incapable of doing what The Trust does. It takes exceptional people to do what I do...to do what Kolya does...to do what The Trust does. There are many hard choices that we make on a day to day basis. I myself have had to make my own sacrifices to preserve everything that I believe in. Spender took a drag of his own cigarette. Spender: I have killed a lot of people in the defense of The Trust. I killed my own wife...and I killed my own daughter. It was a necessary sacrifice. Spender paused. Spender: It is why The Trust exists. There will always be people who can, and will, sacrifice everything in the name of survival. So long as those people exist...so long as there is a Human out there who believes that nothing is too sacred...The Trust will endure, and we will continue to sacrifice in the name of survival. Spender paused. Spender: In the end...it doesn't matter how many civilians were sacrificed. What matters, is if the mountain of bodies counted for anything. As long as The Trust has its way...they will count for something. Think about that, that is, if you can stay awake long enough to do it.