[Halo] Onyx Wind

[DoctorFaust]

Raising his hand from the back of the room, Volsung calls out, "Yeah, sir, what kind of resistance can we expect on station?"

[darklink_shadow]

Sir. Visar said simply as he saluted.

Well, this should be interesting.

[Otep]

"If this is the fortress they say, I'd guess a hundred or so grunts, a hand full of brute over seers and a few dozen elites....

Or the whole thing is a hoax and we're walking into a lead catcher trap."

Wilhelm hoped it wasn't that last one. Even though he wanted to watch legions of them get pelted with lead buckshot, it wouldn't be wise until the medical and tech teams figure out what they're dealing with....

[Erasmas]

"The presence of orbital defenses is unknown, but is unlikely due to the danger that the neighboring asteroids would pose to any long-term deployments. As it is, the Dawn Evader will not be entering the Belt of Dynnar itself, but will remain cloaked and positioned outside of the field. I will calculate the rotational speed of the asteroid belt and will put the ship into an orbital drift that will keep us at the minimal safe distance. As for additional communications, no... what information was received is being imparted to you now.", Valkyrie finished.

Valen then looked to answering Volsung's question in two parts, "We know very little about Ma’hitrama, aside from the fact that it is tagged as a 'stronghold'... which means that we can expect heavy resistance once we reach that point. As for the Klagashar facility, there is no reason to suspect that there would be anything more than security detail. Like usual, however, situations develop once we have eyes on the ground that intel just doesn't cover. So, like usual,", he repeats the phrase for emphasis, "... we stay sharp and adapt. We are Spartans, hooah?"

[Otep]

"HOOAH!

And MI, as always, it leaves more questions then answers...." Wilhelm half chuckled at the last remark.

[moomoo]

HOOAH
Anex replies

[Erik Vale]

"HOOAH!"

As always, it's a interesting sound hearing Argyle's, Iaoch's and Gnomere's voice all at once. His head then turns to Wilhelm.
"That's normal."

[DoctorFaust]

"Hooah!

Oh, and Wilhelm, it really isn't."

[darklink_shadow]

Hooah. Vidar says a little less full-heartedly than his companions did, but being drowned out with the roar of the others, it would have been hard to notice. Proud to serve, happy to die. He murmered the creedo of his first team, which comprised solely of people he had outlived.

With another salute, he stood, waiting for release.

[CaptianMorgan42]

With a HOOAH Simon Looked around glad to see he was among brothers.

[Erasmas]

"Dismissed.", Valen called out. For those that cared to attend, a funeral for the fallen was held immediately afterward. However, there were none of the specialized coffins usually reserved for Spartans, so for now... the bodies were simply placed loose, still in their armor, into the CryoBay where the ravages of time would be slowed by the cold ambient air.

Valkyrie presided over the formalities, and you each had the chance to say you piece if you so wished it. Dante, James, Ceara, Drake, and Valeria... who had passed while you were completing your mission. Once they were stowed away for a more proper burial at some point in the future, you had a number of hours of free time until it would start all over again.

[Erik Vale]

"May you rest in peace, and have fun actually being MIA."
Argyle turned away from the dead Spartans, he couldn't bring himself to continue on waiting with the others. His words done, he immediately strode to the cockpit, where he sat down for a, and then didn't move. After maybe a minute ticks by, he begins the process of setting the autopilot and alarms to take them most of the way.

[moomoo]

Anex attends the funeral with some of his comrades.
May you find happiness wherever you are. And... Keep an eye on us if you can.
Anex says silently before turning his back to his fallen colleagues and putting his mind on the mission.
He then goes on for the normal routine of checking his gear and replenishing munition.

[darklink_shadow]

Vidar attended the funeral, just as he attends ever Spartan funeral service. He sat on a bench next to the cryotubes. Once everyone had left he rose and touched one of the glass panels that revealed the helmet of one of the fallen. I'll see you in Valhalla, brothers, when I too fall in battle. Enjoy your feasts, and fights brothers as you prepare for the great end. I'll see your spirits at my funeral, I hope. His own, carefully passed down religion aside, Vidar had another reason to attend every Spartan funeral: the fear that nobody would be alive to attend his own.

Morbidly cheered up by funeral service, he tracked down Argyle. Ioach, where is Argyle now? He asked into his comm. After receiving that information, he headed out to find him. Hello, Argyle. I think my AI might be damaged. My last OP didn't go as planned. We had to sacrifice my smart AI to manually detonate the bomb, and then while escaping under enemy fire, my suit's AI went silent. Can you check to see it's all working? I'd hate for my suit to break down when I'm knee deep in hell.

[DoctorFaust]

Attending the funeral with most of the rest of the squad, and having been responsible for preparing the bodies as well, Volsung has had a bit more time to say his goodbyes than even some in the same squad as the departed. Giving a fast salute to the fallen, he mutters, "Half a league, half a league onward. Requiescat in pace, you lucky bastards."

Raising his voice slightly, he says, "If anyone needs me, I'll be in the lab. Sleeping, probably."

[Erik Vale]

[Volsung]"If you could, would you try and stip the armor off the new beasty first, Argyle wants to look at it when he's done with Dawn and Vidar's AI."

Argyle seems to ignore the request as he punches in numbers and uses the ships control until he suddenly speaks.
"I give it 50/50 on being due to the AI's emotions, whether that's good or bad is up to you. Give me 30 and I'll take a look at the chip, if we're reeeally lucky then something's just been wiggled and needs to be wiggled, otherwise it could be a suit malfunction in which case you want to stay at the back..."

Not long after he speaks, Argyle finishes, leaning back in his chair a moment, a sigh coming over the coms before he stands up, taking the half a second to isolate his and Vidar's coms from the rest to talk.

"Ok, give me the back of your head, pray it's not too finicky because I'm suited up."

Argyle meanwhile pulls Gnomere, having ordered a systems diagnostic.

[DoctorFaust]

[Argyle]"Yeah, sure."" Returning his comms to the squad channel, he asks, "Any of you new guys specialize in demolitions? I'd kind of like to give our guest a quick demo scan before I start stripping things of of him. Or her. Or it."

[darklink_shadow]

Maybe it's just sad because its friend is gone? Vidar asked before sighing. That's awfully depressing, isn't it? I guess I'm not very good company for a chip. But it was ignoring me before the frosty nap I took, and it hasn't spoken up since I woke. Just a little worried, you know? Once we get done with this mission, I'll look into replacing my smart AI, but as always, someone needs me to go try to die somewhere dark and faraway first.

[Erik Vale]

You feel a slight pressure as Argyle pulls your Dumb AI and inserts Gnomere... And in less than a moment your HUD flickers slightly and changes, and you notice what happens to be the most recent batch of updates, all minor things.
"Well, it's what we signed up for. The question is if you had the opportunity to tell past you to not join with the Spartan-3 Program, would you? Of course, I wouldn't have listened either way and would rather avoid the paradox... This way."
Argyle turns, and you catch him turning your chip over in his hand, looking for obvious signs of damage.

The Dawn Evader didn't exactly have a full computer lab, but both the weapons storage and Spartan Armor storage would have what he needed in the way of diagnostic equipment and tables. If it was actual damage though it would be harder.

As it was, Argyle had just set up a bench with a variety of microscopes and a terminal.

Spoiler: Computer Use Roll

Show

10 Taken by Gnomere to assess Vidar's suit, scoring a 28.

[darklink_shadow]

Vidar smiled at comment, waiting a while to reply. Not everyone signed up voluntarily, per say, you know. And most people consider the decisions of 6 year old children to be unimportant. I personally was signed up, and didn't sign up myself. All of my siblings have joined up, but I've never met any of them. The family believes the only honorable way to die is in combat, or of old age after surviving a hundred battles. But if I could talk to my past self at the time I joined, I'd tell him that everything was going to be more awful than I imagined, but it was all worth it, because humanity needs someone to suffer in its place.

Vidar groaned a bit as the HUD changed rapidly. I'd also tell him that it's a lot of fun being a soldier. And that even though its more miserable than I thought, it's actually not as bad as I thought it was going to be. And not to miss my family, because I'll have a new, much more badass family. But, in the end, I can't go back in time, so it doesn't matter.

[Otep]

Wilhelm stood over Drake's body for a while after everyone left...

"Next time I see your happy ass, Drinks are on me buddy..."

Wilhelm could feel a tear former at the corner of his eyes but his helmet covered all evidence of that... He over heard someone mentions demo training...

"I was Cloverleaf's secondary demo guy.... what do you need boss man?"

[DoctorFaust]

"If you're up to it, I'm going to need some help doing an explosive scan on the beastie we killed on the Storm. I got a bit of experience in tech during training, but I don't really have the skills to feel confident enough doing anything related to demolitions without help. And honestly, who the hell knows what that damn thing was carrying."

[Otep]

"Roger, I'm normally just blowing things up but I should be able to spot things that go boom... EVIL, mark Doc's position and the most direct route."

After a few moments, His NAV beacon appeared along with an estimated time.

"I'll be there in five mikes."

[Erik Vale]

"That's where you're wrong... It's everything. It's whether at those important moments you hesitate, or earn your tittle yet again. IT's, whether you take the jump..."
Argyle's voice falters as he remembers Onyx 7.
"But no, I thought we all volunteered, not that our choices really were choices... But it's good to know you accept it and would do it all again."

[darklink_shadow]

No point in hesitating, if I die, then I die, and if I live, I'll die later. As long as fight to my last, I'll be honored among the dead, right? Vidar chuckled. The last thing you should worry about it that I won't take the jump. Gnomere, buddy, how's it going in... uh... here? And Argyle, how's she look? Is the chip alright?

[Erik Vale]

"No help here, suit seems fine."
Argyle turns over the chip in the light under his viewing instruments.
"Cant see anything of particular note, however a very minute bowing suggests a blow to the head in some manner... Would she happen to have gone quite around or shortly after such a event? Oh, turn around."

Argyle slots the chip back into your head.
"No, what can you tell?"
"... I think I hear another voice in here, but it's kinda like someone's turned the volume all the way down."
"Argyle, monitoring servo-use you seem to be using over much strength, only minutely however so not enough that you would tell. Same with-"
"Well then, looks like we found the problem. Gnomere tell her she's being yanked again."
With that, Argyle takes out the chip and looks in the slot, turning a light to it.
"We have a winner. Iaoch, have a cookie, extra chips."

Argyle turns to the workbench, one hand dances over the bench gathering a couple of bits and pieces while the other seems to be fiddling with his guantlet.

[darklink_shadow]

Banged in the head? Yeah, I think I remember something about falling off a cliff. Landing on my neck. Thinking that I'd feel it in the morning. So, is she alright then? Vidar rubbed his neck.

Getting all tensed up back her from you yanking things outta me. Or maybe it's from falling off that cliff? I think after we finish here I'm going to go catch some rack time. I know, I know, I've slept enough, but I'm somehow still tired. Maybe I should stop by the Doc's shop and make sure my neck is alright. But I'm sure I can do that in the morning.

[Erik Vale]

"A long fall and a sudden stop could have done it. I must say your not going to like what I'm about to do though... And yes, she's all right.
"What, your just going to make him stand perfectly still and not tell him why?"
"I thought it'd be fun... Gnomere, give him my camera feed."
"Done."
"Ok, let's play mechanist here."
Argyle unwinds part of a spring and finally turns to the back of your head, shining a light on the slot while holding up the uncoiled spring, as you can see by his camera feed that takes up the top left quater of your HUD. He points to what appear to be a series of prongs, some of which seem to be out of alignment with the others.
"Now be a good lad and stand perfectly still, and curse your luck for being unable to take off your helmet so I can do this. As you can see, your fall seems to have struck the chip and pushed some prongs out of place, such that your AI, if I remember the circuitry right and I'm getting the right info, probably had a ok connection to you, but couldn't... Send. I'm basically going to push everything in a manner that they return to their normal position. There will also be a little bit of spot welding going on."

[darklink_shadow]

Vidar groaned. Yeah, yeah, sit still, ignore the terrible grinding noises. Enjoy the warmth of the torch on my neck. I've been spot welded back together a few times.

[Clarkson]

Gunnar calls out I for one am going to catch up on sleep. before doing that.