sliceitwithwind

HALO AU

The briefing room for talking to Spartans was never filled. It didn't take that many, after all, to do...whatever needed to be done. The two scientists at the front, well. They looked like they had at least some field experience. One of them was scarred up and missing an eye, the other one was big enough to be a Spartan, but lacked that...something that marked Katzu Spartans. He was, in so much as one could be, just Katzu. He did, however, show markings of peripheral nerve damage...signs of an attempt at making him a Spartan that failed.

Neither of them moved like paper-pushers, though. They moved like ODST, highly trained but not quite at that level. The taller one exhibited obvious signs of Spartan drug failure, but didn't appear to let that phase him. The smaller one had indications, but nothing as dramatic.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

At the ten count there was no scream from Nevada not to come up so the boys were clear to the grab lift. Inside the ship there was some evidence of fighting, a few stray jackals and grunts were down and bleeding, but all seemed well. "Layout of a ship like this, sirs, is that the halls will get wider as you approach the main deck. We think it's so grunts don't get lost."

"Aya, minute you get those doors blocked get in here. You can crawl through places I can't." Just to make sure there were no hitch hikers. "And it's safe to get to the bridge sirs. If you can manage to get the shields up and the docking rays unlocked that'd be good." It'd save time!

Neither scientist said yes, I know. Instead they just nodded and Dilan set Braig down, then the two headed for the bridge together...Braig slightly wobbly.

Hey, the scientists were amazing so far but better some clear instructions and requests than assumptions until they all knew each other better! The logistics of taking a ship this size was hard for a team, much less two and some major brains.

They'd all manage though.

"I'm in!" Aya called a few minutes later. "Get those shields up and I'll play bug hunt. Nevada are you punching in on forward guns? We'll only get one pass before we have to dive for the ring!"

"Yes, bypassing the programming now. There's...did you hear that?"

"Bugs. There's a hive in the ship. Sirs, are you at the bridge? Anyway you can talk the computer into telling me where the damn thing is?!"

The scientists really really appreciated the clear instructions. Really.

"Working on it." Braig said, "Dilan is waist deep in the computer. We'll get you the info as soon as..."

"Got it. Shields up. Scans coming."

"You're amazing and if I could bake I'd make you cookies or something." Aya chuckled grimly and held still in her current vent so they could give her directions after the scan. "I hate hives, just so we all know. They're creepy."

"That's easily fixed with fire Aya."

"You should go into psych, Nevada."

"I don't like cookies." Dilan muttered, still rewiring things to make him happier with it, "Katzu."

"Can't bake anyway," she chuckled softly, "so really I was just trying to say thanks. I'm weird sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Nevada sighed. "Just save him a bit of the hive as souvenir!"

"And I'm weird? Moving now so I don't make a warm spot in the tunnels." Bugs could see that. Damn creepy things. Also she was getting stiff, injuries were fine if you kept moving but...

"You're Spartans." Braig slurred a little, "You're professionally weird."

"Got the weapons." Dilan grunted, "Shields are ours. Aha! Got the lights...and the heating system. It's about to get really warm, people."

"Well, if there weren't any perks to the job no one would stay!" Nevada laughed. "And I've got the weapons unlocked, thanks for the power."

"Heat's nice, they'll move faster but they'll be blind. Good thinking! Here nesty nesty nesty..."

"You're creepy."

"Creepy is also a perk, Nevada." Dilan said, "Braig, talk to me."

"Head hurts, dude. Still awake, though."

The heat rose until the Earth people were invisible to the bugs. "Good. Spartans, keep me aware of where you are. I'm venting everything else to vacuum."

"I didn't realize you'd gotten the clamps off and us into space!" Aya admitted. "Hard to tell when we're moving in a ship this big. Vacuum is great though. Vent it all! I've got another twenty minutes or so in my suit, so as long as we're sealed up by then..."

"And you need atmo to set the hive on fire." Nevada admitted. "I'm busy though. Painting the communications hub in three..."

"Venting." Dilan said, and then the hisssssssss of escaping air was everywhere.

There was a scrabbling, high pitch shriek from several of the vents but Aya was laughing. It was nice to get bugs out so easily really! Well, mostly out. There were some that were quicker on the ball and had latched onto walls and the like. That meant Aya could be tracked through the ship by the sound of gunfire and crunching bugs.

"Two..they're trying to jam."

"Think the hive is ahead I'll need atmo soon."

"Floor it once I get the hub offline." No, not asking too much were they?

"Just tell me when." Dilan said.

Braig said, "I've got atmo controls. They're helpfully easy."

"Gotta love the imitative aliens..." Aya chuckled. "Atmo please, I've got a hive in a sealed cargo bay."

"One." The main guns snarled in the hair raising, familiar sound of covenant weaponry. "Get us out of here!"

"Coming." Again the hissing noise, accompanying Braig's voice.

"Going!" Dilan agreed.

"Can you override the fire suppression system? I hear two, maybe three queens in this thing."

"I'm staying on the gun battery here until we know we're clear," Nevada noted.

"On it." Braig said, "That should do it."

"Good." Dilan agreed, "I'm...doing the best I can here."

"You're my new best friend Braig, just so you know." Aya chuckled and searched for proper burnables.

"I know you are Dilan, this is just a big ship, it takes time to build speed, and I don't want anyone coming after us." Nevada sighed and fired off another round. "Like them. Why do they always chase us Aya?"

"Because we're fun?"

"I know." Dilan said, cursing quietly when he fumbled, "Because they're predators. I know the feeling. I hate being on this end of it."

"I think we're fun." They had camp fires, they went bug hunting, what wasn't to like?

"You're special dear. And we'll hunt them back later, when we're all in better shape, I promise." The guns snarled again but there weren't many ships coming out to chase them yet.

"Heh. You'll hunt them back, I'll try not to be in the way." the big man said.

"We'll all hunt in one way or another. It'll be a pain to have just two of us chasing covenant around a whole ring...planetoid...thing." Yeah, rings with landmasses just wasn't covered by any term she knew!

"There we go, we're getting up to speed now. Aim us for some canyons? If there's canyons. Maybe caves. Some place we can hide this purple monstrosity and get some rest."

"Doing so." Dilan said, "Shut up now and let me fly."

He hadn't done this in years, he didn't want distractions while he piloted the ship through twisty rock areas almost too small for it.

Nevada switched over to the private channel so he could still keep tabs on Aya but stayed at the guns just in case.

Aya, for her part, made her way to the bridge once she was sure the nest was dead and the fires were out. She smelled slightly of smoke and charred chitin but she offered Braig a smile despite that. Just to make sure she didn't distract Dilan she offered a wave to the concussed man!

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