[Halo] Onyx Wind

[DoctorFaust]

Volsung closes with the downed shotgunner and kneels next to him, pulling out his med kit as he goes. "Yeah, I can stop the bleeding, easy. You hit him with a pretty much textbook slice, clean cut, not to deep, all that jazz." He then pauses as he hears the report from Sammael's shot. "Nice shot, and a damned lucky one too, from what Tristan just said. Muscle damage is the only issue here, and I can just hit his leg with some bio-foam to fix that. Alright, Doc, can you run emergency protocol 417 for me please? Target the cuts on his leg, and try not to use two charges if you can."
"Initiating protocol 417. You want a drink with that as well?"

[Q'telun]

"Onyx 5, out of the bunker. My breacher is armed and I do NOT want to drop a bunker on you. Take the tango if you want, but just get out."

[Erasmas]

[Colonial]"There were only seven of you?"

Valen crouches down beside the Tango while Volsung works to patch him up. The man looks up at the Spartan, his pain-ridden face reflected in your leader's blue visor.

[Colonial]"Yes. Only the seven of us were assigned to this outpost. But I won't tell you where the rest of our people are. You'll have to kill me before I will endanger them."

Valen stands back up without responding. Instead, he broadcasts his next order.

"Stand down Onyx Wind. Initial threats neutralized. O23, if your Tango can move, bring him down here to R36. OW-013, you keep on eye on the medical procedures from on-high. Onyx 4, 6, and 7... on me. I want a sweep of the entire complex to ensure that all are present and accounted for. "

[Vixsor Lumin]

"Sure thing 1." Tristan says leaving the bunker and miracle corpse. He joins up with the others who are running the sweep and tries to wipe the grime from his hammer.

[Erik Vale]

"Just a broken arm for this guy that I've reset. I'll ask if he's a wimp."
[Colonial]"You fine to walk? The boss want's you with the others. And fightings over, we wont hurt you if you don't try and use your other arm to shoot us with the first weapon you can find."
"Mmm. Take his gun's ammunition, more will always be handy."

Almost as a second thought, Argyle bends over to pick up the man's riffle, it's barrel crushed from when he stepped on it. He walks the man out, but without touching him, merely keeping a step away.

[Q'telun]

John disarms the mine. "Roger that 1." He then stows the mine and his SMG and pulls out his shotgun. "Thermal is now on."

[Sam Fisher]

Sammael dropped quickly back down into the relative cover of the hill side both he and his drone alert to movement below them. From there they could see anyone trying to sneak up on the rest of his Spartan team.

“Understood sir”

---
AMMO

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3 Shots in sniper 56 extra rounds.

[Erasmas]

Volsung and Argyle keep watch over the two injured captives as Sammael keeps look-out from above.

Meanwhile, Valen, John, Tristan, and Hinderance sweep the compound... which is little more than a handful of concrete outbuildings sitting atop mining entrances that have been collapsed and sealed off. There isn't much to salvage, aside from the weapons and food brought in by the Tangos that were camped out here. Although, the sweep team does find a health pack and a Spade class truck.

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[DoctorFaust]

Volsung walks up to the truck and prods it with his foot a couple of times, then bends down to look at the chassis. He turns to John and asks, "Are you and Kaylee sure that this thing will be able to support the seven of us? Hell, are you sure that we'll all fit?"

[Q'telun]

"Fitting I leave to you guys. And I have the utmost faith in my driving abilities. Kaylee is only the driver in space, you know that." John hops in the passenger side seat. "All aboard the Spartan Mobile!"

[Erik Vale]

"Any of us could drice it well, it's whether or not we give warning to jump before we ram a covenant wraith class tank. Which is why I'm not letting 5 drive."

Before another word is said, Argyle takes the drivers seat.

[Erik Vale]

"Come on, pile in. Everyone got what they need or want, good, lets go. Let's find ETA, Gnomere, put up the next mark in bold, Everyone, remember everyone here is hostile."

"Done, lets go."

Starting slow the Truck began gaining speed as they moved off to their next Nav-Point.

[Sam Fisher]

Sammael made his way quickly down from his vantage point and met up with the rest of his team around the spade class vehicle. There seemed to be some disturbance over who was going to drive but without really listening he climbed into the passenger seat.

“Try not to crash; I’ve had enough of that for one day”

He grabs Acolyte who is floating nearby and shoves it into the footwall and puts his heavy foot on top securing it in place.

[Erasmas]

You all load up into the Spade vehicle and head out on the only road leading from this village. The wounded men watch you leave, soon disappearing in the dust and distance. You travel on for over an hour, with no clear choice in direction, as you see no crossroads or structures. This is a seemingly vast landscape, filled with little more than sand-covered hills and scrub plants basking in the blue light of Kallanos.

[Erasmas]

Argyle and Volsung both spot something off in the distance... something that stands out against the otherwise bleak horizon. With the aid of Sammael's scope, the group can barely make out what it is.

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[Erik Vale]

Argyle tilts his head a little talking to Gnomere inside his suit, after magnifying by what little the helmet could, he co-ordinates using his camera to insert a running image of the area into the other Spartan's helms., and slowing down allows Sammael to get a look at it.

"So do you have any clue what it is? Because from here, we can only avoid it, move at it, or slow down and send the drone ahead. Unless you have another idea 1. I got a preference for moving over and using my suit link sending the drone to take a closer look."

Then Gnomere pipes up.
"If I had to take a guess besides an odd coloured smug, I would guess Covenant tech by the colour scheme. Something small though, not a vehicular, not that that makes things to much better. Any gueses Kaylee?"

[DoctorFaust]

Volsung peers at the object through the scope of Sammael's sniper, slowing the video and magnifying it what little he can after it passes out of view, and then pastes the few good frames up on his HUD for his AI to see. "Hey Doc, just for conformation, can you compare images of covvie drop pods to the thing in the video?"

"Yeah, sure, I'm more than happy to do any task you feel your meatbag body is not up to handling. And so you don't bother me more after this, yes, it does in fact appear to be a drop pod or equipment cache of some sort, size and color config matching those used previously by the covenant."

"Pokkers. In that case, my vote goes for investigating, either personally or using the drone"

[Q'telun]

"Kaylee, get me the trajectory of the U.I. ship, calculate the LZ, then tag it on my UGPS."

"Done, done, and done."

[Erasmas]

"If it indicates Covenant presence, we need to investigate it. With the possibilities of hostiles in the area, I want the team together."

Argyle could tell that the Spade could handle off-road fairly well enough; it was no Warthog, but it should suffice.

[Erik Vale]

"As ordered boss. Now then, Everyone keep all your limbs within the verhicle, this unit suggests you turn on your boots and wants everyone armed and watching, remember, theoretically there are friendlies around so don't just shoot at anything you see that might be humanoid, make sure it's covenent. Enough children have been mistaken for grunts. Keep the drone down, it won't be able to keep up"

Argyle turns and drives in an almost straight line at the proposed covenent dropship and Gnomere adds new Nav mark to the Tac Map of everyone. While Argyle drives fast and recklessly, but is very sure and capable. Aided by two AI and his suit, he can drive better than any human.
He does eventually tell Iaoch to shut up and get out of his hud though....

[Sam Fisher]

Ow-13 grips the side of the truck hard leaving indentations in the metal. He watches as his drone is left behind up in the air as the race on ahead. He takes his sniper rifle back from been used as a spotter and quickly examines it for any damage. He turns to the driver.

“Slow down when we get near that ridge, I’ll jump out and keep my brothers covered.”

[Erasmas]

Team Onyx Wind rumbles forward, Argyle turning the Spade off the road. Deftly maneuvering, O23 picks his way between rocks and gulleys and it is obvious to anyone who casts a glance his direction, that his full concentration is on the task at hand.

Suddenly, you hear a familiar voice squelch into your headset.

"... Wind... Come in, Onyx...... do you read...?"

Shortly after this, the Spade arrives at the base of the ridgeline where Sammael had requested to be let off. The suspected drop pod was only about 200 yards away.

[Erik Vale]

After dropping off Sammael Argyle keep's driving, pausing only long enough for those who wanted to get off to jump.

Then the voice came through.

"Onyx one, your communications, and this unit is driving. AI Gnomere."
"On it, I'll try and clear it up, If you can help Valen, or have any advice I would like to be able to talk with Valkarie sooner than later."

Now Argyle is driving slightly slower. But only Just.

[Erasmas]

"Valkyrie, come in; we read you! It's good to hear your voice."

Very quickly, the Spade pulls to stop about ten meters from what is, in fact, a Covenant drop pod. It looks as though it is still intact and had not been utilized.

Meanwhile, Sammael crest the nearby hill and stops dead in his tracks. In the same instant, Valkyrie chimes in.

"Oh, no..."

OW-013 sees, spread out along the valley floor on the backside of this hillock, a virtual sea of purple and pink. Further than his eyes can see, they register the hex-patterns and curved surfaces that can only mean one thing... Covenant. It takes a moment, but after the initial shock wears off Sammael realizes that he sees no movement. There are no signs of actual covies and upon closer inspection, all of the equipment left behind shows visible signs of damage or disrepair.

[Erik Vale]

"Valkyrie, Please tell us more than oh no. It would be nice to know if and how bad a position Onyx Wind are in. Gnomere, send Valkyrie a data-burst be quick, this needs to be looked at. Onyx 6 would you please stand close guard while Onyx 3 Investigates. Tactical Suggestion, spread out and be alert."

Argyle obviously wasn't stressed out enough to drop his third person voice, but anyone could tell his vitals where a little up. Before he gets out of the Spade, he equips his Spiker.
Meanwhile, Gnomere is sending a short voice transmission followed by a recording of all that has happened so far up to Valkyrie.
"Humans are distrustful to hostile towards UNSC forces, Covenent forces confirmed in artefacts but no Covenent forces spotted. Onyx 2 is performing a round about scout and has yet to respond but is still lively. The rest of Onyx wind has just approached and is investigating an unopened Covenent drop pod..... Should we leave it closed?"

[Q'telun]

"I say, call in a few MAC rounds and burn the valley. Don't take any chances with a group of potential covies this big."

[Erasmas]

"Calculating... an encampment this size precisely matches the numbers of the force that attacked Reach. I think... I think we are looking at the Covenant Launch Point for the invasion."

Valen hopped out of the Spade and began jogging his way over to the hill where Sammael was dropped off. He broadcast as he went.

"Open the drop pod. But do it carefully."

[DoctorFaust]

Volsung jumps out of the Spade truck and heads toward the drop pod. As he runs, he says, "I agree with John. Let's just drop a couple of MAC rounds on it from orbit and then see if we can find anything important in the rubble." He slows to a walk as he nears the drop pod, coming to a halt just in front of it. He reaches out to pull it open, but jerks back as a thought occurs to him. "Actually, John, can you come check if there's any explosives wire up to this thing?"

[Erik Vale]

'I agree with burning the place out, it is to dangerous. However considering a lack of contact, we should hold fire until we can do more than blow up some empty tents..."

"Aye Sir. Unit Argyle agrees with combat AI Iaoch. As for wireing explosive, wait to see if AI Gnomere can get in. Opening now"

"Half a second..."
She doesn't make it clear if she's thinking of something else or if she's talking about the hack.

Argyle moves up to open the door with brute force, but he waits fo Gnomere to give a go-ahead or denial as to wether she can find the pods electronics and either unlock or open the dor....

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If the awsome Knowledge-Covenant roll produces something, you can say it using Gnomere.

[Erasmas]

Finding the release latch, Argyle brazenly opens the drop pod, its small jets of plasma shooting the cover off a meter or two. Inside, both Argyle and Volsung can see that there are four Needle Rifles and eight plasmas grenades inside.

[Sammael]"Keep an eye out on this purple mess. If anything moves, I want it dead and reported to me."

"Stay that target locator. If there are any more of these split-jaws around, they'll see and hear those d@mn rounds for miles. And I'm not wasting artillery on a ghost town... if there is a presence, then we hammer them. Three, Five... what did you find?"