Operation: RETRIBUTION: Difference between revisions
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Olivia righted the ship, which had pitched forward during Chur'R-Sarch's death throes. Veta confirmed with Mark and Ash that all Kig-Yar aboard had been eliminated just as the Chur'R's abandoned headset began making noise. Veta grabbed it and covered the microphone as best she could. A [[Type-31 Seraph]] fighter and a [[Tronto]] boarding craft were headed their way. It became clear in that moment that hiding in the system until the ''Silent Joe'' arrived was not going to be an option. Mark and Ash both suggested that they take defensive measures and meet the approaching craft with hostility, but Veta shot that notion down, reminding them that they were supposed to be covert operatives. She was forced to admit to herself, however, that she simply was more concerned with their survival at that moment than with completing the mission. She declared to her team that they would be allowing the Tronto's boarders to enter, but she did tell Ash to gather the ostanalus he has stored in acetylene bottles and prepare it for quick dispersal through the starsloop's ventilation in case things came to that. So that the ''Silent Joe'' would know which moon the Keepers were located on when it arrived in-system, Olivia loudly declared Taram to their target so the spy gnat attached to Sarch's corpse would broadcast it when the prowler arrived. Veta took her hand off of the mic and spoke to the voice on the other end, letting them know they were speaking to the ''Stolen Faith'''s new captain.<ref name="R6"/> | Olivia righted the ship, which had pitched forward during Chur'R-Sarch's death throes. Veta confirmed with Mark and Ash that all Kig-Yar aboard had been eliminated just as the Chur'R's abandoned headset began making noise. Veta grabbed it and covered the microphone as best she could. A [[Type-31 Seraph]] fighter and a [[Tronto]] boarding craft were headed their way. It became clear in that moment that hiding in the system until the ''Silent Joe'' arrived was not going to be an option. Mark and Ash both suggested that they take defensive measures and meet the approaching craft with hostility, but Veta shot that notion down, reminding them that they were supposed to be covert operatives. She was forced to admit to herself, however, that she simply was more concerned with their survival at that moment than with completing the mission. She declared to her team that they would be allowing the Tronto's boarders to enter, but she did tell Ash to gather the ostanalus he has stored in acetylene bottles and prepare it for quick dispersal through the starsloop's ventilation in case things came to that. So that the ''Silent Joe'' would know which moon the Keepers were located on when it arrived in-system, Olivia loudly declared Taram to their target so the spy gnat attached to Sarch's corpse would broadcast it when the prowler arrived. Veta took her hand off of the mic and spoke to the voice on the other end, letting them know they were speaking to the ''Stolen Faith'''s new captain.<ref name="R6"/> | ||
To Veta's relief, the group of keepers in the Tronto came aboard using standard procedures and did not feel the need to use breaching charges. The first Jiralhanae that stepped out of the airlock was confronted by Veta alone standing next to a pile of the starsloop's former masters. Naturally, seeing the corpses arrayed so caused him to train his [[Type-25 Spiker]] on her. | To Veta's relief, the group of keepers in the Tronto came aboard using standard procedures and did not feel the need to use breaching charges. The first Jiralhanae that stepped out of the airlock was confronted by Veta alone standing next to a pile of the starsloop's former masters. Naturally, seeing the corpses arrayed so caused him to train his [[Type-25 Spiker]] on her. The two were able to communicate through the Brut's use of a [[translation disk]], so Veta raised her hands and promised she could explain. She also revealed that she was holding a detonator in her hand. Pressing the button on it would have released the ostanulus gas throughout the ship the Jiralhanae naturally figured it must be linked to the HAVOK devices Chur'R-Sarch had mentioned. Veta went along with this line of reasoning, telling him that getting everyone blown up it probably wouldn't be of great service to the [[Covenant religion|True Path]]. He barked a command and three more Jiralhanae entered the ship to subsequently spread out and search for other humans, despite Veta's warnings against it. Each of the Spartans had taken a hidden position down one of three passageways that led away from the [[airlock]] and each soon had killed one of the Jiralhanae. The one in charge did not permit any further excursions down the hall but did threaten Veta that she would not leave the system alive. At this, she countered with a threat of her own. She truthfully told him about the slipbeacon they carried with them, but instead of saying it had given their location to the ''Silent Joe'', she told him that they had been in touch with the Banished, who would certainly come there if they did not receive the ordnance that had been promised to them. The Jiralhanae was racked with uncertainty then, and decided the appropriate course of action would be to bring the humans to the chief [[dokab]] on Taram, [[Castor]]. He could evaluate they and their devices, and determine whether they spoke truly. Relieved that she had bought more time and a possibly greater chance at discovering what happened to the Tuwas, Veta handed over the detonator, but not before transferring the ability to release the gas to a remote hidden within Ash's lowest shirt button.<ref name="R7"/> | ||
Having ostensibly disarmed herself, the rest of the boarding party entered, consisting of six humans and two Kig-Yar. The Keepers took control of the craft and piloted it toward the moon while the Ferrets were herded into the galley unarmed and under guard. A young woman entered to inform the [[chieftain]] after the secretly-inactive nukes had been secured and sat down to speak with the four "pirates". The woman let them know she had discovered one of the devices was in fact the slipbeacon Veta had mentioned. Lopis reiterated what she had told the chieftain concerning their agreement with the Banished to see those nukes safely to them. The human Keeper told them that avoiding a feud with the Banished was certainly something she wished for, but she considered allowing the murderous group to be given thermonuclear weapons to be just as bad. She casually floated the idea that Veta's crew might be able to redeem themselves by helping to doing significant damage to the Banished. When Veta asked if she was offering to let them go if they complied, the woman clarified that they would never be free to go. They knew too much. If they would share the arming codes for the weapons, they would be allowed to live. That is, of course, she reminded them, unless Castor decided they were ONI spies and ruled otherwise.<ref name="R7"/> Veta shared the accurate codes and then, hooded and with their hands tied behind their backs, she and the Spartans were led down the boarding ramp to a spaceport within Salvation Base. Ash pretended to accidentally run into Olivia so that she could release the gas with the detonator in his shirt button. At the sound of canisters being blown within the ship, everyone sprang into action. Veta drove headfirst into the woman who had spoke with them. They both fell off the side of the ramp, with Veta landing on her shoulder. Veta headbutted her repeatedly in the temple until she was dead and the three Spartans had little trouble breaking free of their restraints and dealing with the four other Keepers that had made it off the ship.<ref name="R8"/> | Having ostensibly disarmed herself, the rest of the boarding party entered, consisting of six humans and two Kig-Yar. The Keepers took control of the craft and piloted it toward the moon while the Ferrets were herded into the galley unarmed and under guard. A young woman entered to inform the [[chieftain]] after the secretly-inactive nukes had been secured and sat down to speak with the four "pirates". The woman let them know she had discovered one of the devices was in fact the slipbeacon Veta had mentioned. Lopis reiterated what she had told the chieftain concerning their agreement with the Banished to see those nukes safely to them. The human Keeper told them that avoiding a feud with the Banished was certainly something she wished for, but she considered allowing the murderous group to be given thermonuclear weapons to be just as bad. She casually floated the idea that Veta's crew might be able to redeem themselves by helping to doing significant damage to the Banished. When Veta asked if she was offering to let them go if they complied, the woman clarified that they would never be free to go. They knew too much. If they would share the arming codes for the weapons, they would be allowed to live. That is, of course, she reminded them, unless Castor decided they were ONI spies and ruled otherwise.<ref name="R7"/> Veta shared the accurate codes and then, hooded and with their hands tied behind their backs, she and the Spartans were led down the boarding ramp to a spaceport within Salvation Base. Ash pretended to accidentally run into Olivia so that she could release the gas with the detonator in his shirt button. At the sound of canisters being blown within the ship, everyone sprang into action. Veta drove headfirst into the woman who had spoke with them. They both fell off the side of the ramp, with Veta landing on her shoulder. Veta headbutted her repeatedly in the temple until she was dead and the three Spartans had little trouble breaking free of their restraints and dealing with the four other Keepers that had made it off the ship.<ref name="R8"/> | ||
