Halos, Bullets and Buckshot:The Human-Covenant War

by Johnnieboy11

Summary:

After discovering a strange artifact in the abandoned Abydos Desert, the girls of the Foreclosure Task Force mistakenly activate it, sending themselves to a new and alien reality, one where humanity is in the brink as an Alien Armada bears down upon her worlds and death looms ever so close to them. Their hope for survival now rests on their own skill, a little luck... And the Halos

Chapter 1: Prologue:Where Are We?

Well... This is a rather unexpected turn.

I did not think that the her Children, Daughters of Kivotos would ever come here, but as they have...

I must say, I did not expect it to be you, Child of Abydos... You, the bearer of the Eye of Horus and the weapon of the same name...

You are not suited to be here. Pray that you find a way home before our Awakening, child. I will not spare her experiments anymore. Requiem is at hand for you, your worthless species and its offshoots.

Come. Fight and struggle against the Coming Darkness...

Then come find me if you survive.

For the Koans of Jericho will be blown to the wind...

... And the seven wailings will be Composed.

---

Time unknown, location unknown,

but probably not Abydos...

Or anywhere near Kivotos.

Hoshino yawned. Normally, her head didn't really hurt all that often after waking up, but today felt like a special day for some reason. Words rang out in her head as she shifted uneasily. They were blurry, muffled and distant, but, for some reason, she felt them cause her entire being to shake. Still, she could not remember them clearly, even as she felt a pair of dark eyes stare at her from a distance. A flash of light saw the being that was glaring at her illuminated. It was ugly, disfigured. It stretched a broken hand her way, then snapped it back, pulling her toward it.

She yelped as soon as its face grew close enough to see, the distorted face of a dead being, fangs ready to bite into her neck. Breathing heavily, the girl stood ramrod straight, eyes staring forward, to the sight of rolling green fields, sprawling far. They were atop a hill, she noticed. A hill with a view to the seaside, with a massive modern city that lay in the distance, just over the horizon.

She furrowed her brows, confused as she let her heart slow. Maybe it was just a bad dream. That looked almost like Kivotos, a modern city, almost futuristic. She could faintly make out some ads on the buildings, plus stuff flying around the city. However, she could see no Zeppelin flying above the skyscrapers. Maybe it was down for maintenance, she thought, but her grip unwittingly tightened. She felt grass under her left hand and cold steel and polymer under her right.

She looked down with a gasp and saw that she still had Eye of Horus with her. Lifting it up, she looked upon it with a smile, then hugged it and said, "Babygirl, at least you didn't leave me..." only to let out another yawn, her blue eye half-open. She then looked around, only to see figures in the Grass. She blinked, scrambled to her feet and immediately could make them out.

Silver hair, wolf ears and a weird Halo. Short black hair, a white hair ornament and elf ears. Cat ears, black hair, weird ponytails. Big boobs, platinum-blonde hair, minigun. She beamed, then ran over to them, slinging Eye of Horus over her shoulder and calling out, "Girls!" only to kneel between Ayane, the Black-Haired Elf and Shiroko, the Wolfgirl. She moved them a little and said, "Wake up, sleepy-heads. I think we passed out on our way to school."

"Hngh," Groaned Shiroko, "Five more minutes..."

Hoshino grinned, then shook her a little more, stating, "Oh, nyo. You don't get wake me up so many times without me waking you up a couple myself!" with a smirk on her face. Shiroko sighed deeply and, with messy hair, looked up at Hoshino, eyelids narrowed due to tiredness. The one white pupil of the Wolfgirl greeted the heterochromia-heavy Shiroko, who beamed, "Mornin'!"

Shiroko herself sighed, turned onto her back and paused. Her face remained impassive as she ran her hands over the green natural carpet they lay upon, then asked, "How did we wind up on top of a grassy hill...?" with a little worry palpable in her usually calm, low voice. Hoshino shrugged, while the girl speculated, "... Maybe it's that artifact we found in the Abydos Desert..."

"Yeah, maybe... Uwaaah~..." The girl yawned, then shook her head like a dog, fluffing up her hair. She spoke while wiping tears from that big yawn, "Maybe we got blown all the way over here from Abydos when Nonomi touched it..." and she stood to her feet, extending her hand to help the girl up. Shiroko sighed, took Hoshino's hand and stood to her feet. Afterward, Hoshino left to wake everyone else, from Ayane to Nonomi, up.

Shiroko yawned as well, wiping the morning dew and grass from her face, then craned her head to the left. She froze on the spot, face stuck in a mask of surprise mixed with her usual impassivity. She stared at the city in the distance, watching aircraft take off and land around what looked to be a military base of some kind at the mouth of the city's bay and port. She blinked repeatedly as Hoshino awoke Nonomi finally, then said, "Guys... That isn't Kivotos."

All four turned toward her, with Ayane walking up to her side and asking, "What do you mean, Hoshino?" a little worried. The amber-eyed girl watched Shiroko lift her hand up and point with her index toward the city. Following exactly where the girl had pointed, Ayane blanked, eyes widening. She pulled her glasses off and quickly used her school jacket to wipe them, then slid them back onto her eyes. As all color drained from her face, she called out, "H-H-Hoshino!"

"I see it," Hoshino mumbled, approaching the girls' side, stunned, "I thought it was Kivotos..."

"No, that's... Definitely not it," Shiroko furrowed her brows, "I can't see the SCHALE building, or anything even remotely resembling a familiar landmark anywhere," only to pause as she looked down and said, "... There's a motorway there. We can probably follow it if we wanna get to the city," before pointing at it. A very sci-fi-looking Highway, six-lane and with separators, rode along the edge of the water, right by the sandy, rocky unoccupied beach.

"Oh, no, oh, no, ohnoohnoohno..." Ayane started trembling, "Where are we...?"

Serika sighed as she approached, rifle slung over her shoulder, then said, "I don't know, but I don't think we're gonna get our answers just sitting here. Hoshino, should we... Start following the Motorway or something?" as she looked to their leader. Hoshino blinked, confused still, then nodded. Nonomi, finally up and carrying her Minigun, was tense, less talkative.

As they walked down the hill, Hoshino asked, now jovial again, "Everyone grab their stuff?" only to get mildly calm affirmative responses. She furrowed her brows and said, "Hey, c'mon, girls! We can just hitch a ride back to Kivotos from the city and then have a laugh about it while enjoying some Ramen!" trying to keep her friends' spirits up. Truth be told, Hoshino wasn't really feelin' it either.

Something was amiss about them dropping here. Wherever here was. Overhead, above them, a strange four-engine transport barreled past their location, hitting them with a little jet-wash from its engines and causing their clothes and hair to flutter. Serika turned to the strange aircraft and yelled at it, "WATCH WHERE YOU'RE FLYING!" as the hair on everything from her head to her tail puffed out like on a scared kitten, her face displaying anger by the frown, grit teeth and glare.

Ayane pat her on the back, though she, too, still trembled...

Okusora Ayane had never truly left Abydos before, nor the rest of the city of Kivotos. She had mostly been playing the part of the techy wiz-kid of the girls and had tended to most of that stuff when they were at Abydos. She didn't know where they were or why they'd come here. She just knew Nonomi had managed to dig something up alongside the others and gotten them involved with it.

All she remembered was the weird silvery artifact, Nonomi touching something on it, then poof, she woke up face down in the green grass of a hill in this new, strange place. And as they walked by the motorway, which was in use, considering the speeding cars driving past them, she could only wonder what sort of mess they were in this time and would it involve Kaiser Corp and its subsidiaries again.

The group saw street signs above the motorway. Hoshino read them, "Novi Vodno village, 5 miles to exit... Guess we found our first stop, eh?" and she smirked. The girls sighed deeply, with Nonomi being somehow the most distant right now, despite her usually bubbly personality. As the girls jumped over the railing and onto the motorway's side, she hanged back. She was probably worried everyone else was mad at her, Hoshino thought, since she did bring that weird alien artifact in.

Taking a step back to join her, she said, "You do know none of us are mad at ya, right, Nonomi?" only to cause the minigunner to yelp. She chuckled at that, then said, "Relax. Like I said, we ain't mad... Just a lil' surprised and getting our bearings, I think. Hey, maybe this village will have some answers for us, yeah?" only to see Nonomi's smile slowly return. The girl awkwardly gave a nod. Hoshino smiled back, then gave a thumbs up and said, "Ye. Trust your old uncle, eh?"

"Much as we'd like to, Hoshino," Shiroko looked back, holding her bag and gun close, "I don't think any of us really know how to react to this situation... I just hope we find Sensei when we get back to Kivotos," Only to get sounds of affirmation from her comrades. A hum from Serika, a whimpering 'yes' from Ayane and a quiet, but meaningful, 'yeah' from Nonomi.

The group watched a pair of vehicles slow down, then continue to drive. They tensed, thinking someone was gonna stop to talk to them, but they were thankful to see the vehicles just continued on their merry way. Still, one would've expected someone to try and provide a ride at least. Not like they would've accepted, but it would have been nice of'em, considering. Or so Hoshino thought anyway.

Arriving at the exit from the motorway to the village itself, the girls were surprised to see prefab buildings sat amidst fields of crops ranging from corn to grains. They paused at the entrance to the small town and read the inscription. 'Welcome to Novi Vodno! Population 400'. On the concrete and tarmac streets, they saw parked cars on the sides and large, relatively nicely-built prefab homes.

Kids played football and other games on the sidewalk while a few cars moved to and fro. There was a factory in the distance that said something about canning and the girls also noticed various boats parked alongside the cars and trailers that carried them over in a parking lot nearby. A few locals seemed to have taken notice of their arrival. Most were human. Most were adults... Like Sensei.

Hoshino tensed, though not visibly to her friends. As they passed by a pub, a place where they drank alcohol, a local bartender greeted them with, "Hey, girls! You lost?" as she cleaned a glass. The five turned to face her, a little surprised someone actually wanted to talk to them. The woman, a redhead in a tank top with a strange tattoo on her left bicep, paused as she saw them, green eyes widening. She seemed to be giving them a once-over, her voice dropping low as not to wake up the drunk man asleep a few stools over while they approached. She spoke, "... You girls angels or something...? What's with the floating, colorful halos...?"

"Err..." Serika paused.

"Long story, I guess...?" Hoshino laughed awkwardly, "Erm... Can you tell us where we can get a flight back to our home town from?"

"Sure... You'd have to take the A2 Freeway into Skopje's capital," she answered pointed to the city across the pond, "Spaceport should be just about after the fifth exit, outside the city itself..." only to see them all double over. She blinked and asked, confused, "Did I say something weird, or...?" as she looked between all of'em. Yeah, she wasn't losing it, she thought to herself. Cat ears and a tail, wolf ears and a tail and Elf ears and glasses. What the hell was going on?

"Space... Port?" Blinked Ayane, her voice shaky.

"Yeah, the Interplanetary Space Port. It has on-planet flights to various smaller towns and cities as well, though that's in terminal two," The woman replied, then leaned forward on her counter-top and asked, "... What's your girls' names? You don't look like any locals. Hell, you look human-adjacent more than anything, and those Halos on top of your heads..."

"U-uh... We're the Abydos Foreclosure Task Force," Ayane replied, showing how terrified she was, "I'm Okusora Ayane..."

"Takanashi Hoshino! Heyaaaaa~!" The bubblegum-pink-haired sleepy girl yawned. She tried to hide the fact she didn't much trust this woman, or anyone around that was looking at them, really. The woman, however, must've picked up on it, simply nodding in greeting to both her and Ayane before looking over to Serika, Nonomi and Shiroko. The three looked back at her.

"... Sunaookami Shiroko. Hello," Shiroko waved, concerned.

"Izayoi Nonomi~! Hiya!" The buxom platinum blonde beamed, waving too.

"Kuromi Serika," The last one nodded, her face impassive, though the tightening grip of her hand around the strap of her strangely dented and used bag told that she was concerned. She asked, "... Why are you talking like we can leave the planet? I mean, space travel ain't exactly that advanced... We barely have satellites up where we come from..."

The woman furrowed her brows in confusion and replied, "Yeah, it is, Kid. We've got ships between Colonies..." then sighed. She raised her hands up when she saw the catgirl's hair stand on-end, tail straightening out and upward, before asking, "Look, do you girls need a ride to the Space Port? I have Merchant and Military Navy friends that can probably help get you home... Wherever home is."

She realized what she'd just said when Serika commented, "We don't usually accept rides from strangers where we come from..." and that allowed her a moment to process it. Sighing deeply, the bartender woman nodded in understanding. She put up a 'CLOSED' sign on the counter and shut the shutters, then walked outside moments later. The girls also saw that she was probably military, going by the tank top bearing a 'UNSC' tag on the top left and her pants being camouflage pants with steel-toed black boots.

She told them, "I'm Lieutenant Cathy O'Harra, UNSC Logistics. Currently on Shore Leave here on Skopje since it's my home planet. Call me Cathy... It's nice to meet you girls," and smiled. The five girls looked to one-another, then huddled up. Cathy waited, obviously, cuz she really didn't wanna scare the crap out of what looked to be a bunch of High-Schoolers.

Hoshino peeked out from amidst them with one blue eye and one amber, then huddled back in. She seemed to be a little opposed to the idea, but the other four had, by chance, outvoted her. The pink-haired girl with a shotgun sighed deeply and then feigned another smile toward the Bartender, "Alrighty, sure! We appreciate the offer, miss O'Harra!"

"Heh," She rubbed the back of her neck, a little awkward, "Alright, I guess. C'mon. Ride's this way..." before motioning to the garage. It seemed as though the bar was being operated out of her own house, the girls thought as they followed. She hit a button and the metal door retracted into the ceiling, revealing a four-wheel, giant vehicle with strange steering and four seats. It looked a little modified. Cathy told them, "There's my baby. An M12 FAV, AKA the 'Warthog'. Hop in."

As the girls boarded the vehicle, they found it a little more difficult to get into due to the large step-height. They helped each-other while Cathy got the vehicle started. As soon as everyone was on board, though, they paused as the vehicle purred to life. The engine sounded different than any other car engine they'd heard, with Cathy smirking as she said, "Yep... Seems like it's your first-time seeing a 'Hog. She's powered by a Hydrogen engine, meaning eco-friendly kickassery, heh. Strap in."

The girls all quickly put their seatbelts on, Hoshino sitting in the front. She looked back at the girls, then smiled awkwardly. All four of her friends nodded, preparing themselves for a little fun trip. Cathy shifted the massive gear shift forward one step and pressed on the acceleration, the engine revving with a beautiful, subdued purr like that of a cat. It lurched forward onto the road and Cathy hit a button to close the door of the garage.

She rolled forward onto the freeway, then started driving at the maximum allowed speed of 75mph. The girls began to laugh, feeling just how smooth the vehicle drove on the concrete and tarmac, with Cathy smiling and stating, "Nice and smooth, eh? I didn't need to mod the Suspension at all. This girl rolls fast and hard over flat terrain, but she's good for All-Terrain work, too. Hell, it's the reason we use it for everything from scouting to combat and logistics transport."

"I'll admit, it's a nice car," Chuckled Hoshino as she looked at the multitude of digital panels on the dash. Cathy smiled at that compliment and nodded in thanks as they rolled up another ramp and onto another section of Highway which was, surprisingly, travelling over the gulf. Reading the signs above, the girls saw it. 'SKOPJE SPACEPORT, 10 MILES'. Hoshino hummed as the girls behind her let out awed sounds, 'oohs' and 'aahs', as they watched the water and the sun beating down on the blue. She also noticed a castle in the distance, chuckled, then asked, "Hey, miss O'Harra?"

"What's up, Hoshino?" She raised a brow.

"... What's Skopje?" She asked, a little more wary.

The woman paused, still focused on driving, then sighed and replied, "Well, the planet you're on, which was named after the capital of a country back on our homeworld, Earth," then looked to see all five of them were confused. She explained, "There's a reason we call ourselves the 'United Nations Space Command'. UN Jurisdiction has us running things as military and exploration assets. Science, anti-piracy, counter-terrorism, that type of stuff, it falls under our prerogative... And we have a lot of countries' support for it, too."

"Oh..." Hoshino blinked. Yeah, they probably weren't anywhere near Kivotos anymore.

"Yep," The woman clicked her tongue, then sighed, "Okay, look, I gotta ask... What the hell is it with your guns, girls? You come from an Airsoft game and got lost or something, or...?" only to pause as she saw that the shells on Hoshino's shotgun were real. She narrowed her lips and whispered worriedly, "Oh, Christ, I hope this is not a stick-up..."

Confused, Hoshino replied, "They're our personal defense weapons... And... No, this ain't a stickup."

Cathy let out a deep breath, relieved, then thought to herself that she should've figured this out. Still, she asked, "I hope you girls aren't planning to commit terrorism or something... Right?" And she was almost pleading with them. She really didn't want what seemed to be four nice, lost young girls to be terrorists or Innies. She continued, "Cuz I would have to report it to the military and Police here..."

"Nope," All four said, quickly shaking their heads and waving their hands. Ayane nearly fainted at even the fact Cathy would assume as such.

Hoshino added, "... We just wanna get home..." a little afraid. Noting the look in Hoshi's eyes, one of actual, genuine trauma and fear, Cathy narrowed her lips again, feeling a little sorry for the five of'em. She gave a pat on Hoshino's head that slightly surprised the girl. She retreated from the touch, which Cathy understood. Humming, the girl kept on driving.

She reassured them, though, "If anyone's gonna be able to get you home, it's the boys and girls at the Space Port... Taking the exit now, by the way," and smiled as she slowly turned the wheel. The girls looked over, to see they'd gotten surprisingly much closer to the city than they thought they would. Tall, rising, clean skyscrapers stood as the skyline, the city itself seemingly bustling with activity. And ahead, the Space Port, a large construction sat right at the back of the bay. Its landing pads were massive, able to house the biggest of civilian shuttles, some of which took off now. Sleek, white with blue outlines and large cargo holds, the space ships powered engines to max and took off toward orbit just as another group arrived.

A well-oiled machine of space travel. There were even seeming military craft sat on the tarmac nearby, alongside armed infantry. Cathy narrowed her eyes at that, murmuring, "That's odd... Marine security isn't usually out in that much force..." before turning on a radio and switching it to the News. Miscellaneous stuff about the weather, about the beaches being nice and no real talk.

Arriving at the parking lot of the massive terminal and concourse, the girls all dismounted from the vic with Cathy's help. They walked into the building, where the sight of UNSC Marines, men clad in green uniforms and armor and carrying rifles, greeted them. Increased security. Each Marine looked a little off, concerned, and Cathy immediately knew none were locals.

The officer on-station at one of the booths looked over. He poked his head out and waved Cathy over. She smiled, then approached with the girls and said, "Carlos. The hell are you doing on-duty, man?" before whispering, "And what's with the battalion of Marines that came fresh outta Pendleton? I can see the Patches and the tans some of'em got in California..."

"They ain't tellin' us too much," The man replied, his accent heavy. He looked past her, however, then gasped and asked, "When did you adopt a posse, Cathy? Those kids are armed to the teeth..."

"They'll tell ya everything, but they wanna find their way home, or at least of Skopje, for now..." She said, then paused. She pulled a vibrating phone out of her pocket, showed them to wait and stepped aside, answering, "Go for O'Harra..." only for her eyes to widen. She spoke, "Yessir. I'm already at the Space Port. I'll get my gear from the Barracks. What're we looking at?" only for her heart to suddenly sink. She let out a, "Fuck..." before replying with a shaky voice, "Roger that. I'll start vetting people. Getting them off-world. Aye, sir. O'Harra, out..."

"What's the matter?" Carlos asked. He paused as he saw her face and said, "Oh, shit... Okay, kids, let's get you four up to snuff and send you home. I'm gonna need IDs, a few Creds for the tickets that Cathy's-" he paused as she slapped it down on the counter, then nodded, "Yeah... And a location for your travel. Like what home city on what planet are you looking to get to..."

"Kivotos," All five of them spoke as they handed him their IDs. He was a little confused.

Cathy told him, "You got this, Carlos? Get'em off AS FAST AS YOU CAN..."

He nodded. She looked to the kids, meanwhile, and said, "Alright, Carlos'll get you a flight off this rock... Hopefully quickly. I'm gonna go, they're calling us up to Active Duty," and she patted them on the head, smiling and saying, "You girls stay safe. See you soon..." then ran off toward the barracks where a pair of Marines were waiting for her. Carlos checked everything, then hummed.

Before the girls could say anything, though, a pair of Marines approached. Their lead stated, "Ladies. Sorry, but our boss called. You have to come with us. Carlos, you mind?"

"... N-No..." He stuttered, then looked to the girls as he handed their stuff back and told them, "Good luck..." which caused the five to tense. They nodded as they looked to one-another. They needed an exit strategy if things turned sour. Hoshino sighed, however, showing a little worry. She smiled at the girls and nodded, then looked to the Marines and showed them to lead the way.

Another platoon emerged outta the Barracks... And then Alarms began to quietly blare across the Spaceport.

Chapter 2: A Kingdom Destroyed

The girls were a bit surprised to see that it wasn't gonna be the Marines that had taken them over here talking to them. The dim, dark room had a central table with a few seats on one side and two opposite them. On those two seats, two people, a man and a woman clad in grey, unmarked uniforms with only their ranks on their shoulders, stared at the five. One of them looked over security footage from the moment they entered the place to the moment they were taken by the Marines to this back room, while the other simply looked at them sympathetically.

The man, the sympathetic one, spoke, "Please, stay calm. This isn't really anything major. We're here to ask you all a few questions and make sure you aren't here to harm anyone..." before casting a sideways glance at their bags and weapons. Hoshino partially understood the sentiment of fear. The random civilian, from what little they'd seen, was not packing any weaponry.

That was reserved for the soldiers and officers, like the two in front of them. Each had a heavy handgun in a black faux-leather holster on the right side, clipped to a utility belt that also had flashlights, pouches for extra magazines and some other small tools clipped to them. They weren't Police, though. Black uniformed police wasn't a thing. At least she knew it wasn't a thing in Kivotos.

Maybe it was here, on Skopje...

She was still wrapping her head around this being a different city, much more a different planet altogether. And going by the way the girls looked(like they were all waiting for someone to come steal their homework or school lunch money), they felt much the same. Just discombobulated about being pulled aside by the staff to be interrogated. When the woman was done watching the videos, she set the tablet aside, interlaced her fingers on the table and looked at Hoshi as she yawned, then said, "Well... You girls certainly surprised us. It ain't everyday someone walks in with vintage firearms painted to look like toys..."

"Vintage?" All five of'em blinked.

"Our stuff's supposed to be top-of-the-line..." Murmured Serika, looking over at their weapons. She blinked, shook her head and said, "W-Wait, why is it a surprise?"

"Because it's mostly military or cops carrying weapons. We're not on a planet with laws that allow this kind of stuff. Even if we were, flying without keeping them stowed somewhere safe, like in a gun box, unloaded, is against every agreed-upon human law," Offered the female cop. She continued, mildly miffed, "Even less so when they're painted in strident pinks, whites and blues like that."

"Oh," All five of them let out, some in a more flat tone than the others. Ayane's voice was still trembling as she fiddled with her hands and, upon seeing this, Nonomi put a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder and rubbed it, trying to calm her down. The two police officers found it rather cute that the group cared that much about each-other, then looked at them.

"So, to actually get to the point of our little visitation," The male cop, or whatever type of officer he and his partner were, inquired, "... Were you girls here to commit any form of atrocity? If yes, admit it and tell us what cell you're working for, or... I don't know, why you wanted to do it. If not, well... How and why were you trying to travel with your firearms out in the open like that?"

Everyone looked to Hoshino as the girl let clicked her tongue. She noticed this, pointed at herself as if to ask 'you really want me to explain' and got a nod from the other four. With a sigh of tiredness and annoyance, she capitulated, turning to the cops and saying, "No, we weren't here to do harm. We just wanted to leave and, well... We didn't know... We come from a city named Kivotos, that has laws and stuff that allow us to carry guns. Plus, we kinda need'em for self defense, considering all the gangs and stuff there aaaaand~..." She yawned again. Damn, she was really tired. Meekly apologizing with a, "Sorreh..." she continued, "Well, you can guess."

"You come from a city where gangs are so rampant and hostilities occur so often that even the students need to be armed," Snorted the woman, arms crossed. She seemed to turn a bit melancholic, speaking, "Almost sounds like Texas. Man, I miss home..." then she cleared her throat and shook her head, turning back to her serious self. The girls smiled a bit at that, while the woman continued, "We also have your IDs. Takanashi Hoshino, group prez, Abydos Foreclosure Task Force..." pointing at her.

"Sunaookami Shiroko, second in command," She then pointed at the wolfgirl, who remained impassive, "Kurumi Serika, Secretary..." At the catgirl who furrowed her brows, "Okusora Ayane for Treasurer," at the trembling Elf, "And Izayoi Nonomi... You don't have a job description," at the minigun-toting bubbly girl. She spoke, "I would like to ask, both on-record and off-record, just what the hell you girls are... Floating Halos over your heads, animal and elf ears... Shit, the only normal ones of you are miss Takanashi and miss Izayoi, and even that's stretching it considering one carries an auto-shotgun and a heavy-duty shield and the other has a damn MINIGUN with her."

"Citizens of Kivotos," All five answered in an almost terrifyingly calm union of voices.

Hoshino chuckled and added upon that, "Our Halos keep us alive. You knock us out by overloading them through shooting, so nobody really dies in our fights. Other than that, our guns are our protection gear and... Yeah, I guess I can kiiiinda see why it'd be weird for schoolgirls to be carrying a shotgun like mine and a Minigun like Nonomi's..." and she gave an awkward smile and laugh. Though the two could tell she was faking it.

"Yeah," Sighed the woman. She checked something over on her tablet, saw a notification and flicked it away, then slid the tablet into her pocket and said, "Until we resolve some matters and find you a ride out of here, you can come stay with us at a nearby Forward Ops Base. We've got a bit of a situation on the planet, but I think we can get you out on a military transport. Find you a place to hang out 'till we find your home city. What do you say?"

The five looked to one-another, then to Hoshino, who sighed again at having to be picked to give the decision. Being prez of the Foreclosure Task Force was a busy life. Seeing no other alternative beside trusting these folks, though, Hoshino agreed, though she didn't show how careful she was about it. The man spoke, "Alright. Grab your bags and gear and let's get you moving."

Lifting their stuff, the group prepared to move. Ayane paused, however, then turned to ask the folks, "W-Wait... Why couldn't we just take shuttle out of the Terminal here? I mean, they're still flying, ri-" only to be interrupted by three pinging sounds from the Public Announcement System speakers, each a different tone, followed by a rather short pause. That'd gotten their attention.

A robotic voice spoke over the PA, the sound echoing across the Space Port, "ALL PASSENGERS OF THE SKOPJE SPACE PORT, ATTENTION, PLEASE. ALL PASSENGERS OF THE SKOPJE SPACE PORT, ATTENTION PLEASE:DUE TO UNFORESEEN ORBITAL DISTURBANCES, ALL OUTBOUND AND INCOMING FLIGHTS HAVE BEEN DELAYED FOR AN INDETERMINATE AMOUNT OF TIME. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING..."

"O-Oh..." The elven girl with the red halo deflated.

Hoshino chuckled and said, "Relax, Aya! We'll get outta here with the troops, eh?" And she patted her on the back. Grabbing their gear and following the two officers, both of whom now seemed a little more stiff and concerned, the girls exited back out onto the main concourse, to the sight of people confronting the Marines on-site. A few Marines marched over to them and started providing escort through the crowds of angry people.

They passed by one of the Marines and a woman clad in a very fancy suit, the woman arguing, "Joe! C'mon, man, you gotta let us through! My mom's back on Miridem and you know I gotta get to her! She's in the hospital!" as she grabbed onto the hands of what seemed to be a friend. Beside her, dozens of others argued with ticket vendors and Marines present on-site.

"I know, Jen... Sorry, we can't do shit," The man replied, seemingly hesitant, "Orders from above..."

"That's fucking-..." The woman growled, then sighed, "I'll get in touch with your CO, sort this shit out myself!" and she stormed off.

Hoshino felt a pit form in her gut as she saw the Marines whispering to one-another. Police in riot gear was also on-site, their orange, opaque visors obstructing their faces. Several carried shotguns loaded with rubber rounds, others carried batons. The Marines shoved their way through with the two officers. An officer, wearing body armor, stepped out among the crowd with a megaphone and cried out, "Please, disperse back to your homes! The situation will be handled momentarily and the Starliner staff will call you when your ticket to head out is up!"

Ayane was shaking. Hoshino took her hand and gripped it tightly, trying to calm her down as she held her shotgun close, but on safe. She looked at the Marines flanking them, several of them taller than the girls themselves. They wore balaclavas and opaque visors on their helmets, too, rifles held close. She noticed their guns were off of safe. The Crowds behind began to argue more loudly just as the group exited out of the front door.

Cathy ran up to them and said, "Harry, Mara! Wait!" and the girls soon saw she was wearing heavy-duty combat gear and had her rifle on her as well. She smiled at the girls upon seeing them, though it was strained. She stopped the two officers and asked them, "Where the fuck are you taking them...? They need to get off this rock, ASAP...!" while lights flashed in the sky above. The girls all craned their heads up.

"We're taking them to FOB Alpha in the castle... Our Prowler's landed there. We can get them off the planet easy," Replied the female, Mara.

"You're shitting me...! It's still got fifteen minutes to refuel, if they're here in force, we won't manage to get her off the ground!" The Logistician snapped at the officer.

Wisps of light appeared in the sky, exchanged between two points in the terrifyingly clear blue. Nonomi spoke, voice shaky and hopeful, "Wonder if it's a... Meteor shower, or something..."

"Meteor showers don't look like that," Serika's voice cracked. She caressed the handguard of her rifle to settle her nerves, "No way, no how, no matter the planet. They're all supposed to look the same... Coming down together..." And she paused. All five girls covered their eyes as a massive flash of light came from above, with several gasps echoing out from civvies and soldiers outside.

"... Must've been the Saratoga..." Whispered Cathy, "That can't be fuckin' good..."

Spine-chilling wails soon filled the ears of everyone present. The wails of Disaster Sirens, pitching up and down, reverberated into the hearts of the young women and the Marines present. Another terrifying moment later, two more massive flashes filled the sky like two new, short-lived suns. Shiroko's first emotion shown for the day was fear, her voice breaking as she asked, "What the heck was that...?!"

The alarms continued to wail as the sun, which was at the center of the sky, began to fade, then disappeared, casting a wide shadow on where they were. Cathy scowled, then said, "Mara, Harry, let's FUCKING GO!" before she ran toward a series of military vehicles parked in a row. The Marines and Officers followed behind, dragging the girls with them, much to their chagrins and screams of concern.

As the sun was blotted out, the girls stared up. Hoshino could, at first, not make out anything beside the Sun's disappearance. Then, a form slowly resolved in the blue, like a giant, pregnant whale, twisted and changed. Blue, shimmering lights appeared next, then the details, a long, craning 'neck', a wide, terrifyingly bright belly. She broke into view then. Massive, its hull resembling an ancient sea monster from old tales, a starship slowly bore down upon the planet, splitting the heavens in two with its dark form.

As the girls were brought on board the UNSC vehicles, Ayane let out a scream and pointed. Swarms of flies emerged from the belly of the beast above. No, not flies. Flyers. Starfighters. The girls covered their ears as an autocannon opened fire behind them. Looking back, they saw a dozen anti-air artillery pieces firing up into the sky at the incoming swarms. The city itself erupted in volleys of tracers and missiles that arced into the sky, followed by azure explosions. The alarms wailed louder in their ears, almost drowning out the cannons. Almost.

Swarms of teardrop-shaped fighters and skeletal bird-like aircraft strafed the city and the highway. The screams of the people filled their ears, drowning out the engines Cathy and the other UNSC troops had just barely managed to start. The vehicles roared on the tarmac, then onto the roadway as the alien fighters swept down. Flashes of azure light filled the sky, bolts of plasma coming down upon civilian and military vehicles alike.

The girls screamed aloud as a civilian car beside them was struck, exploding in a flash and washing the Warthog in shrapnel. Cathy swore, "FUCK!" as she put the pedal to the medal. The gunner on the back swiveled a minigun on its mount and opened fire into the sky, raking one of the enemy craft with fire. It flashed and flared, showing the Force Field that enveloped it as it swooped in for another strafe.

Ayane bowed her head and covered her ears, screaming bloody murder. Hoshino, to her credit, however, remained composed, drawing her shotgun and taking potshots at the enemy as they came their way. Beside her, Serika screamed, but fired her rifle, too. She reloaded as Cathy radioed, "This is Three-Charlie-Bravo, en-route to FOB with seven HVIs! CONFIRMING WINTER CONTINGENCY, OUT!" before slamming the transmitter down on the dash and barking, "STRAP IN!" at the girls.

An IFV behind them, a heavy-duty tracked vehicle, swiveled its automated turret to meet the threats. 30mm cannon fire filled the sky in rapid bursts, catching a few of the skeletal craft in its volley. One of the birds took three shots, shattering mid-flight. The teardrop shaped starcraft behind it replied in kind, its plasma cannons raking the IFV and melting its armor.

The IFV detonated behind them, holes bored into its armor and crew compartment by the guns of the aircraft. Hoshino barked, "WHAT THE HELL ARE THESE THINGS?!"

"Covenant!" Cathy replied with a whine, "Sons of bitches...! Alien fucking invaders, girl! SIT DOWN BEFORE YOU GET YOUR HEAD BLOWN OFF!" And she dragged Hoshino into her seat, forcing her to duck below the dash of the vehicle. Two more Warthogs rolled up behind her, the survivors of the Convoy. One fired a Gauss cannon at the flying enemy assets as they veered onto a dirt road. She told the girls, "Hang on tight... Road's getting bumpy...!"

Ayane screamed still. The girl screamed in bursts, barely able to catch her breath as Nonomi held her close, she herself trembling as she watched explosions bracket the city skyline to their left. One by one, she saw tracer bursts disappear. The city's lights went dark as a distant explosion sent a rippling shockwave through the area, one that reached them a second later and nearly knocked the air out of their lungs.

Serika dipped back into the car, holding onto the roll cage and hyper ventilating. She grabbed onto her chest, tugging at her tie. She finally managed to loosen it and gulp down a big gasp of air, then screamed, "What just happened to us!? What is going on!?" at Cathy. The girl looked back, staring into the red, tear-filled eyes of the catgirl. Biting her lower lip, Cathy kept driving, annoyed.

"That's the Covenant," The girl spoke more clearly now, casting quick glances at Hoshino and the others, "An Alien Hegemony we've been at war with for the past twenty-two fucking years. They've wiped the floor with us every single time we met in battle, killed tens of billions... I'd prayed and prayed that they'd never get to Skopje, thought that the reports of them coming for the Inner Colonies were bogus..." then she laughed at the absurdity of it all, raising her open left hand in an exaggerated motion, "And then there the fuckers are! Skopje isn't even that goddamn important..."

Hoshino's usual self was noticeably absent right now. She stared up at the Covenant's craft bearing down on convoys of evacuating civilians. A burst of plasma split the highway behind them in two as swarms of craft fell upon the city, its defenses waning. Two more Covenant ships also flew in, these ones smaller, also spewing craft. What looked to be Drop Ships, in fact. Bifurcated air assets with a single cannon at the base landed a few miles behind them, deploying what looked to be vehicles.

"Ghosts in the rear!" The Gauss Hog gunner reported, "We're staying behind to delay them!" and the vehicle braked, drifted about and turned to engage what looked to be manta-shaped Hoverbikes. The Gauss cannon flared and the first Covenant craft detonated, its crew pulverized. The second raked them with plasma fire, but they faded over the horizon before the girls could see what happened to the Marines.

"ONI Prowler Red Horse, this is Lieutenant Mara McKay! Captain Foucault, status on your refueling at FOB?!" Mara's voice played over the com.

"Ten mikes! Ten minutes remaining!" The man in charge replied, "Hold the line for as long as you can when you get here... Covvies seem to be avoiding this place and I think we know why, going by the Artifact we found in the main Hall of the Castle," and the girls felt the Warthogs barrel in through the gate of the massive castle, a perfect defense structure pressed against a nearby mountain. Anti-Aircraft Guns mounted in the towers filled the air with tracers, missile batteries mounted on trucks joining in. The air defense was thick. Very thick.

Cathy jumped out first, then helped the girls dismount. Ayane had to be dragged out by Nonomi, having gone completely catatonic in the run, her screaming stopped. She breathed hoarsely, holding onto herself and hyperventilating. The girls moved her out of the Warthog to one of the sandbag walls behind the base. She was still semi-coherent, with Serika tending to her.

The girls were so in a rush to get to cover with Ayane that Hoshino had almost missed the massive vessel landed behind them. Occupying most of the Courtyard where the castle's 'Citadel' wasn't, a black-hulled vessel with an almost reflective hull stood behind them, its ramps lowered. Two dozen Marines guarded the entrance as Cathy went to talk to them.

The vessel was massive, to the point even Shiroko let out a muted, "Holy crap..." as she stared at it. Hoshino, mouth agape, looked over the vessel's sleek profile and design. It bore a strange symbol on its front, drawn in what seemed to be a vanishing, self-isolated paint. A pyramid shape emblem with the letters O. N. I. written below it. She looked to Mara and Harry as they moved to the crew to talk to them. Overhead, the wails of antigravity engines filled the air.

Hoshino blinked, then jumped over her cover as Serika cried out, "Hoshino, wait!" then rushed up one of the defensive towers, gripping her shotgun tightly. One of the anti-air gun's loaders called out, "Hey, kid, the hell are you doing up here!?" as she approached the edge of the roof. She gasped as she saw the ventral lines of the ship heat up from a dull red, to a burning auburn, then to a blinding white.

She felt her hair stand on-end as the massive vessel's side lit up into a blade of heat. The volley that struck the city below vaporized ten city blocks and caused several skyscrapers to collapse. Hoshino's heart stuck in her throat, her halo flickering as fear got the better of her. She fell to her knees... If that damn thing fired at them where they were, they'd be vaporized on the spot, no chance of fighting back.

"Holy fuck..." Murmured the gunner.

The officer told him, "Keep your eyes on the prize, Marine! Keep those damn birds away from us or none of us are getting off this damn rock!" then walked up to the girl, lifted her onto her feet and told her, "Get back down-stairs! If you gotta use that gun, use it to keep your friends safe. We got the airways clear 'till the Red Horse is fueled and they can get that damn artifact outta here..."

Hoshino nodded, trembling, then ran back downstairs and toward the girls. Serika demanded, "What the hell just happened!?" to which Hoshino couldn't find the words to speak. She shook her head and swallowed her own spit, trying to still her heart. She checked if her shotgun was loaded, then topped it off with a pair of high-ex buckshot shells. The girls, seeing this, all reloaded their own rifles, Nonomi hefting the Minigun and leaning it against the wall for support.

Shiroko spoke, "It's that bad...?"

"Half the city... Gone..." Hoshino whimpered, causing the four to pause, eyes widening. She shook her head, narrowed her eyes and said, "Focus, girls... We gotta make it off this rock..." before she stood up and shouldered her shotgun. Several layers of defense, including a thick armored door, stood between them and the enemy. She looked to see Cathy and several other Marines join them, then said, "Think we can hold?"

"We've noticed a pattern in Covvies not shooting at us if we have something they want," Cathy murmured, then jabbed a thumb back and said, "We got an artifact aboard the Captain's ship, extracted from a nearby dig site. Covvies haven't glassed this castle and everyone in it yet because they want it. If luck is on our side... They won't shoot at us while we make the jump out either."

"So it's all a matter of luck..." Serika whimpered, then double-checked her gun, "O-okay, we'll hold with you."

"You should get the fuck inside, girls," Cathy told them, then paused as thumping echoed. Up above, the autocannons providing anti-air cover increased their fire, washing the sky in black clouds from their flak rounds. Flashes of light emerged through the clouds, however, shielded fighters bearing down on the compound as to distract the guns and missiles from what seemed to be landing drop ships.

The gate ahead buckled under fire as the few civvies in the area were being pulled back. Ayane trembled as she poked over the edge, watching the gate dent, warm to white, then explode open. Volleys of plasma fire and purple needle-like projectiles filled the air ahead, the first line's Marines taking bursts of weapon fire. Serika and the others immediately opened fire in greeting, focusing every single shot at their disposal at the door. The only ones not firing were Hoshino and her, Hoshino because she had a shotgun and her...

... Because she was afraid... Too afraid to even move...

She looked over to Hoshino, seeing the girl with a scowl the likes of which none had seen her wear before. She prepared her shotgun with an almost menacing aura, her halo flickering. She huffed as Serika and the others fired bursts, with Serika murmuring something to herself with tears in her eyes. She yelped, however, ducking into cover as a Marine ahead of her quite literally exploded under a plasma burst's hit. She screamed and wiped gore and viscera from her eyes. Nonomi dropped to her knees and handed her a handkerchief before poking out again and firing her minigun.

Diminutive aliens appeared through the smoke of the gate's destruction. The first wave, clad in strange armor with tanks on their backs, they were the bullet sponges. Marines fired at the little buggers, who were armed with strange-looking plasma pistols. The small aliens tumbled over when shot, their fluorescent blue blood smearing the pavement below.

Still, the small creatures fired back, bursts of plasma striking Marines. One man lost his arm, while a second lost his head. Nonomi's own heart raced, firing off like her minigun as she swept toward the grunts of the enemy force. Her bullets connected, tearing muscle and sinew and bouncing off of armor plate. The little critters let out screams of pain, collapsed and died. One's methane tank burst in a colorful explosion, wounding several of its comrades.

Shiroko grit her teeth and switched her rifle to semi-automatic, peering through her ACOG scope and going for headshots. A Marine beside her, armed with a DMR of some kind, did much the same. Doming the small aliens was easy. They waddled and were easy targets, but they came in massive packs, meaning she had to make her shots count if bigger ones were to come.

One of the autocannons above exploded. Banshees swarmed overhead, firing their plasma cannons. The second, third and fourth cannons followed suit. The SPAA around them, busy reloading their missiles, also detonated one by one, forcing the Red Horse's few laser batteries to take charge of the defense. Pulse beams lanced forward, cutting down air assets with direct hits, the crew well aware just how bad of an idea dragging the enemy's attention toward them would be.

Shiroko shifted her aim and gasped as she saw taller aliens appear. Bird-like creatures, armed with pistols and shields, charged in next, their energy shields overlapping like a phalanx as they pushed forth. Behind them, the tallest aliens pushed in next. The squad leaders, from the looks, hinge-jawed, hunchback and with double-jointed legs, they fired their handheld plasma rifles with deadly accuracy, some even utilizing strange porcupine-like pistols.

The wolfgirl yelped as a blast of plasma washed over her chest, sending her tumbling to the floor. Serika cried, "SHIROKO!" as she turned and ran toward her. She caught two needles in the side that shattered on her Halo's protective field, but still hurt. Dropping to her knees, she checked Shiroko's breathing and sighed in relief, "She's still alive...!" then gasped and looked at her clothes, "But... She's... She's got burns...!" before looking to Ayane. She called out, "Ayane! Please, help her!"

The young elven woman swallowed and nodded, taking a medical kit from her bag and crawling over to the girl. She opened it and started tending to Shiroko just as a Marine came in with his own First Aid Trauma Kit. The two started working, with the young man telling her, "Steady as she goes. She's gonna be fine..." before humming and pausing, "... The burns are surprisingly superficial."

"L-L-Long story..." Ayane's voice trembled. The man nodded, applied an anti-burn cream of some kind and showed the girl he was gonna pick her up and take her aboard. Ayane nodded.

"Cathy, wait!" She gasped as she heard Mara call out to her friend. The girl poked her head out from behind the cover they were using and saw Cathy running toward a wounded Harry, the man having caught several of those purple needles in the side. Mara grabbed Hoshino as the girl started firing at the Elites advancing their way, then said, "ROGER!" as she listened in on coms. She turned to Hoshino and barked, " SHE'S REFUELED! GET YOUR FRIENDS ABOARD, NOW!"

Hoshi paused, looked over toward Cathy with trembling hands, then back to Mara. Mara said, "GO! NOW! IT'S AN ORDER!" only for them to all nod. They ran toward the ramps of the ship as her engines roared to life. Mara caught the first blast from a sniper, dropping dead. Cathy looked over and cried out to her, then looked toward Hoshino. Hoshino felt her voice stick in her throat as she was about to yell out for the girl.

Ayane stopped to look too, yelling for her, "MISS CATHY!" only for her eyes to shoot wide open. One of the hunchback Elites appeared behind Cathy as the girl prepared to run back with the other Marines. It had appeared as if out of thin air, wearing a strangely black armor and carried a twin blade of blue, shimmering energy. Ayane and Hoshino both gasped, about to cry out for her once more.

... They watched fearfully as the blade pierced through the woman's back and came out through the front. The Elite lifted her up with one hand, time seemingly slowing around the two girls as they watched the woman draw her last breaths on the sword, staring at them with tearful emerald eyes. The Elite scoffed and lowered the blade quickly, tossing the woman's corpse aside.

Ayane's breath caught in her throat. Hoshino could do little but drag her inside the ship as the ramp closed, the girl completely blank now, staring at the Elite as it barked orders toward them. Its auburn eyes locked with hers and all she could see was fury and hatred. Finally aboard the Red Horse, the girls felt its engines kick into maximum power as it lifted off, launching off into the void, shaking as it took fire.

The ship powered its engines to maximum, veering away from the planet and through the debris field. Captain Foucault ordered, "Random slipspace solution per Cole Protocol Article 4! DO IT!" as he braced. Behind them, a planet burned. Behind them, friends had perished. Captain Tobias Foucault had always hated leaving places like that... But the HVIs and the Artifact aboard mattered too much. A horrific trade, he thought.

Lives for a goddamn trinket...

Only five saved...

Chapter 3: The Trip Part 1:Homeward Bound

Hoshino stared blankly at one of the boxes in front of her. The quiet hum of the strange stealth ship's engines and its apparently Faster-Than-Light drive were a continuous source of background noise as she processed what she'd seen. The only interruption to said sounds was her loading and unloading Eye of Horus. The distinctive clickclack of a buckshot shell going in, then coming out of the shotgun filled her ears every couple of seconds.

It was the first time in her life she didn't feel like she could act sleepy at all. In fact, it felt counterproductive. She was pretty sure she was still on an adrenaline high, even after witnessing the destruction of an entire city in a flash. Not to mention the dead and dying around her basically exploding like red pinatas when hit by the aliens' weapons. She wiped her face and looked at her left glove, then sighed deeply when she realized there wasn't any blood to speak of.

She was obviously not the only one who was doing bad. One of her friends was catatonic, pretty much, courtesy of what she witnessed and the other was currently in the ship's medical bay, being tended for third degree burns. She stared at the box ahead, noting the glow from within, and wondered if that was what these folks, the UNSC, had sacrificed so much to protect. Some ancient alien doohickey, if she recalled.

She sighed deeply, rubbing her eyes, then stowing Eye of Horus onto her back. After standing up, she walked over toward the girls, her shoes letting out light metallic clanks as she walked. Ayane sat, curled up in a corner, being comforted by Nonomi, while a trembling Serika looked at her hands. She looked up, however, when Hoshino's shadow appeared over her, then spoke, "Y-You okay, Hoshino...?"

"I'm... Okay..." Hoshino was lying through her teeth. She knew it, they clearly knew it, so she simply decided to add, "I think..." so she didn't feel as guilty about it before everyone else started talking to her. For the first time in a long while, she felt powerless and it was visible on her face:Wide awake eyes, darting to and fro between her friends, her hands tightly gripping Eye of Horus, her lips dry...

"No..." Serika's voice cracked. She cleared her throat and added, "No, you're not. None of us are..." as her ears drooped, tears welling in the corners of her eyes. Hoshino sighed and gave her a pat on the head, before kneeling beside the girls and staring at Ayane. The girl seemed almost unresponsive, scarily enough. She sighed deeply, rubbing her face, then watched Ayane still.

"Whatever just happened..." Nonomi spoke in the meanwhile, still holding onto Ayane. The world out there was terrifying. Wherever they were certainly wasn't gonna be home anymore. Not with how messed-up everything seemed to be out there. Those creatures had killed everyone... An entire planet was probably being burned away right now and they'd just barely made it out.

"Aliens... Actual aliens..." Serika whimpered, curling up. Aliens had once been relegated to the concept of Science-Fiction. Silly movies they'd use to watch, laugh at and enjoy, or video games and books with enthralling stories that told of the great void beyond the atmosphere of their home planet. Now? Now that they came into contact with this hostile a group of them? All of that seemed utopian. Foolish.

"And they gunned down people..." Hoshino added, her voice eerily dark, heavy, angry. It seemed to come as a surprise to everyone that their resident old uncle could even show a hint of anger. And Hoshino, to her credit, immediately tried to change gears to a more normal attitude to her. She sighed deeply, however, realizing she couldn't do it. Not now, anyhow.

To that, however, Nonomi nodded, full of fear, "Yeah..."

"They hurt Shiroko, too..." Hoshi soon remembered, rubbing her face. Dammit, they'd actually managed to nick one of her girls. Hit her with whatever kind of energy weapons they had at their disposal. The face Hoshino wore was probably way different than her usual 'sleepy uncle' self, considering how tightly she was gripping her shotgun out of instinct. She loosened the grip slightly, ensuring she didn't bend the plastic too much.

"Someone should go to the medbay and check on her..." Serika whispered, trembling as she staggered to her feet and rubbed her hands together, seemingly trying to keep herself warm. She told hem, "I'll do it," despite her shaky voice. She slung her rifle and bag onto her back and looked to Hoshino for approval. It took a hot second for the pink-haired leader of the team to process the request, but when she did...?

"Okay... Get something to sleep, too. I think we'll be here a while," She replied, surprising them. Serika gave a nod, then stepped off, keeping her rifle close by just in case the local humans decided to get uppity. Adults weren't exactly trustworthy, Hoshino thought as she checked her weapon. The uneasiness caused by that soon reached her eyes as she noted Nonomi still staring.

"You look different, Hoshino," The young, minigun-toting woman's voice cracked, but she still remained calm for the sake of taking care of the catatonic Ayane. The black-haired elf's ears drooped as she stared into nothingness, all while the quiet hum of the ship's engines filled their ears. Were they truly alive, still, or had they burned with the alien world and the few people they met there?

"... Guess your oji-san figured it was time to drop the sleepy attitude," Hoshino replied awkwardly, then decided to divert her own train of thought from the previous weirdness and the conversation away from that, asking Nonomi, "How is Ayane?" as she knelt beside the two, noting the girl's auburn eyes seemed almost empty, were it not for the slight inner turmoil visible on their surface.

"She's catatonic. Won't even answer me when I call out to her," Nonomi murmured, making a mental note to ask Hoshino about that avoidance later. She pat the girl on the head, then hugged her. Ayane barely twitched, though that denoted that she was, at least, still susceptible to external stimuli. The girl started trembling a little as she curled further into a foetal position.

Hoshi sighed deeply, then replied, "Yeah... Makes sense. She did see some horrible stuff."

"C-Can you help me?" Nonomi almost pleaded, looking at the FTF's president, emerald eyes glowing with fear. She said, "I want her to talk to us. Or at least hug us. Or cry, or..." then stopped as she held onto Ayane. They'd nearly lost Shiroko, they'd witnessed an entire city turned to slag, followed by a planet burned to its core by these Covenant aliens.

Hoshino let out another sigh, then nodded, "Sure," and leaned forward, putting a hand on the elf-girl's shoulder, the dim red halo above her head starting to glow, then fade again. Worried, Hoshino started, "Hey, Ayane...? Look at me," cupping the young girl's chin and forcing her to look at her. She leaned forward and assured her, "I know what you saw was scary, trust me. It scared me, too... But you're with us now. You're safe. You can stop being so tense."

A moment passed as Ayane's eyes focused on the pink-haired shotgunner, but a bittersweet surprise came to them as Ayane finally uttered out, "T-They killed her..." Referring to the Covenant killing the very woman that had led them to the Space Port and gotten them out alive by driving them to the Castle. Poor Cathy. Ayane continued, her voice cracking. A slight pressure, like someone pressing on glass, echoed from her Halo as she added, "Killed so many..."

"I know," Hoshino took Ayane's hand. She reassured her, "I'm gonna go get some info from the ship's captain so we can talk figure out what to do next, but I want you to calm down, okay? It's gonna be alright..." then she pat the girl's hand. Ayane nodded, slowly blinked as tears stared flowing from the corners of her eyes, then she quietly started sobbing. Nonomi hugged the girl, who finally hugged her back, allowing Hoshino to smile.

The pink-haired girl stood up and tilted her head to the corridor that led out of the Cargo hold. Her friends nodded, which gave Hoshino free reign to walk out of the place. She left, marching down the corridor and cradling her shotgun. A couple of guarding Marines stopped her, with one telling her, "Sorry, miss. Firearms are to be confiscated until we've reached safe harbor. Captain's orders."

"You're kidding..." Hoshino replied with a hint of anger. The Marine shook his head, then extended his hand. She blinked, staring at the gloved appendage of the Marine, then rolled her eyes and slammed the shotgun and shield down into it, causing the man to double over due to the weight. She scoffed and sidestepped him, marching toward the bridge with her hands balled into fists.

She stopped by a side corridor and leaned against the wall, memories of the destruction of Skopje's capital playing back in her mind. The sheer heat of the energy beams, the sight of the entire city turning into nothing but a molten river of steel, twisting and turning as it poured into the boiling ocean. Leaning against the wall, the girl heard an audible crack, like that of glass, above her head.

Her heart stopped.

Gasping and looking up at her Halo, she noticed the crack starting to form on its left side. She wanted to swear, to fear, to run away, but she couldn't. Not even Yume's death had caused it to break, so why now? Why would it even remotely show any cracks now, of all time, when she was alive and well, searching for a way home with her friends? She didn't want it to show, but it was so blatantly obvious, the girls would know something was up. They'd see it.

She scoffed again, sighed, rubbed her face and decided to just get to the bridge, talk to the Captain. Marching through the corridors, past chatting Marines and ship crew, she wound up at the Bridge itself. The sliding door split and moved to the sides with a quiet hiss, to reveal the armored windows, the bridge, its consoles and lights and the ONI staff present and manning them.

She stepped onto the deck, much to the surprise of staff gathered around the holographic table, then marched straight to the Captain's chair, surprising him. The grey-haired man turned to face Hoshino, stating, "Should've guessed you'd come here, honestly. Welcome aboard the Red Horse, miss Takanashi. I'm Captain Foucault..." before he stood up, "I guess you have a lot of questions."

"I do," She replied, wary of the adult. He noticed just how guarded the young woman was when he took a step forward and she took two steps back, still staring at him like he was a threat. Hell, she looked around at pretty much everyone on the bridge, thinking they were threats. Understandably enough, kids armed with heavy weapons would probably be trained in using them, with all the baggage that'd come with. She told him, "One question, specifically, is:Where are we going right now? Another colony?"

"Currently? Random jumps per Cole Protocol Article 4," The man replied, then said, "If you want to talk properly, gather your friends and come back. I feel you'd probably feel safer if I gave you all a briefing while you're together. I'll answer all the questions you have then," rather observantly. Hoshino paused, surprised at the man's awareness, then nodded. He also told her, "Your weapons will be returned to you when we reach Safe Harbor, like the Marines told you."

"Got it..." Hoshino made a mental note to bring everyone over. And bring everyone over she did. Meeting the Captain at a location he asked to be met at, namely one of the shipboard Conference rooms, they surprised him by bringing Shiroko along, too, despite the girl still recovering. She seemed to be walking just fine, minus the bandages on the burn marks on her chest.

"Good to see you're up and about, miss Sunaookami. That glancing blow must've been painful," Foucault offered.

Though rough of voice and tired-looking, Shiroko answered with a weak smile and droopy ears, "It was a direct hit..." as her Halo flickered above her head. Foucault stared with wide eyes at the young girl, then looked to Hoshino. Shiroko, however, clarified, "My Halo took the brunt of the hit. Knocked me out and left me with some burn marks to remember, though..."

"I... See... Incredible," Foucault murmured, then motioned for the ladies to join him inside the guarded conference room. The five nodded, wtih a trembling, though finally somewhat-steady-minded Ayane entering last to help the hobbling Shiroko. As they sat down around the table, Captain Foucault nodded to the Marines to close the door, allowing them safety and privacy. The Captain then ordered, "Engage CLEAN ROOM Protocol," and the room suddenly felt a little bit louder, the buzzing of the neon above seemingly intensifying. The girls seemed confused for a moment.

He told them, "Precautionary measure... I think it'd be best if we keep what we're about to discuss on the Down Low. ONI might take too much of an interest in girls that can survive direct hits from plasma weapons," and he motioned to Shiroko, who tensed, then grabbed onto her bandage, wincing. Ayane, who was still shaking like a wet dog, rubbed her own arms, afraid. Nonomi and the others, meanwhile, seemed to be a little calmer, aside from an annoyed-looking Serika.

Hoshino nodded, "Makes sense... We are tantamount to immune to one-shots from these aliens' small arms," then she leaned forward, "I do hafta ask, how the heck did humanity wind up in Space, much less fighting an entire alien hegemony out here, Captain? Heck, how did humans wind up here? We only ever met one genuine human and that was our Sensei..."

The man blinked, then shrugged, "We were all born and lived here, miss Takanashi. Earth is our homeworld," then he pulled up a tablet and gently slid it their way, "As for the Human-Covenant War? All you really need to know about it is there in broad strokes. To really summarize it? We met them over Harvest, one of our agricultural worlds and one of the most recent human colonies, they shot our guard fleet to hell, then burned the planet. Rinse and repeat ad nauseam 'till today."

"Must be a tough life," Serika murmured, "Living in fear, not knowing when your enemy's gonna swing in next..."

"Indeed. We make do, however. Humanity always does," Foucault shot back, "Now, if you don't mind, I have a few questions of my own, ladies. When we get you somewhere safe, we'll help you get home, though it might take a while," he still reassured them, "But, first, questions. Starting with the beginning..." and so it went. From learning about the five members of the Foreclosure Task Force, to learning of Kivotos, the continent-sized city and all the stuff going on over there.

Further briefings came in the form of information on the various schools of Kivotos and the one the girls were part of:Abydos. It only took the Captain a little while to understand the inner workings and politics, jotting them down on his personal tablet. Yeah, it was rather obvious to the five that ONI would probably still have to hear about them, their world and the overall issues faced by the average Kivotos citizen.

Admittedly, it was probably for the better. If it meant the UNSC could more easily deal with their people, should the need arise, then it'd be fine. It still felt like a slight interrogation, but they were taking it in stride. Hoshino, however, comforted a shaky Ayane as they talked, well aware that the poor girl was probably still afraid of this place. She understood.

"Well, that was that, ladies... Thank you," The man nodded and stood up, "If you want to rest properly, we have a couple of free rooms in the ship's crew section. I'll ask a Marine to escort you girls there if you want," before he stood up. He looked at the five of them, noting the injuries, the fear, the Trauma, then breathed in and said to them, "Nobody left behind. Remember that, ladies..." And he seemed to hold some sort of remorse, "If I could have gotten every single person off of Skopje, I would have, but..."

"No need," Hoshino shook her head, "We... Saw what the Covvies can do, heh..." And she rubbed the back of her neck, "Thanks for saving our butts, capt'n..." then she stretched and let out an "Uweeh~..." sorta Yawn. She sighed, "Guess we could use some sleep," then nodded to the Captain. The other four and the Captain himself soon noticed a crack in her halo, but chose not to say anything.

Better not question it, all of them thought, separate, yet united. Hoshino could feel the hesitation and thanked the Lord that they weren't gonna. She really didn't feel like explaining to her friends why her Halo wasn't particularly well, especially this late into the day. She was sleepy, but was still on alert aboard the UNSC Scout Ship, considering the amount of adults around them.

No time for that...

Chapter 4: The Trip Part 2:Reach

Orbit above Reach

Nearly a week of traveling through Slipspace later, the Red Horse had finally arrived at its destination. Ahead of them, a glittering orb of blue and green shone in the darkness of Epsilon Eridani's star, though the glowing glitter of hundreds of starships of both military and civilian make traveling through the place also gave the planet a certain ethereal charm.

There was one central landmass on the planet, from where several massive black stalks emerged into the heavens. They were approaching one such stalk, a massive space elevator tethered to a central Terminal station that connected to the planet below, with a lot of cargo and people going through at any time. One of the only issues most of the Abydos FTF had now was that their leader was missing.

As their ship docked with the massive terminal station and the central connector umbilical stretched out to meet their airlock, the girls could only wonder where Hoshino was. She was never usually gone this long, even if she would've fallen asleep somewhere. The hardest part of space travel was falling asleep on a ship whose engines continuously hummed…

So, what had happened to miss Takanashi…?

"I wonder where Hoshino is…" Nonomi murmured, a little worried, as she fiddled with her uniform and her bags. They'd had to relinquish their firearms again, this time under the direct orders of Captain Foucault and his men, because nobody wanted five armed teenagers walking around, toting guns willy-nilly.

"She's been avoiding us like the plague," Serika mumbled, annoyed, as she crossed her arms to her chest. Hoshino was never one to be usually this distant, even asleep. She tended to be aware of everything going on around them. Any time they searched for her, they found remnants of her habitation in a certain spot. Her room, cargo bay, consoles on the bridge, the mess, the hangar… Ugh!

"Nn…" The wolfgirl whose burns were still healing nodded in agreement, looking at the world ahead of them glow. Her own blue eyes shimmered at the sight with all the opportunities that space travel presented. It was her way of keeping her mind off of the destruction of the first human extrasolar world they'd seen. And the deaths of its people.

"Captain Foucault didn't answer anything about her either except to tell us she asked to be left alone for the trip. Something's wrong," Serika voiced more clearly this time as she approached one of the consoles. Deck crews from the station soon boarded to check on the ship, run inventory, unload Cargo, the whole nine yards.

"That much is obvious," Shiroko replied, her voice a bit hoarse. She scratched her throat, next to the bandages covering the healing burns. She'd apparently needed a skin graft in some spots of the impact. Skin grafts, thankfully, did not need to be taken from anyone's thigh. The UNSC had cloning technology, terrifyingly enough.

Nonomi replied, "I'm sure she just needed some time to figure herself out after she saw what she saw," while acutely aware Hoshino was a different kind of person when it came to processing trauma. She remembered how Hoshino was. Deep down, Hoshi had been traumatized before. Certainly not by a whole planet being turned to slag in front of them, but…

"She could've spent it with us," Serika snapped back at Nonomi, glaring at the girl with her scarlet eyes. She spoke, "Something's wrong with her, Nonomi. And it's the first thing I'm gonna ask her when she comes to this airlock," and growled a little as she scratched her arm, a shiver running up her spine as the image of the Covenant warships bearing down came back.

"P-Please, don't fight… We…" Ayane attempted to speak, though her voice cracked as tears welled in her eyes. She was by no means ready to properly speak yet, considering what she'd seen… Shiroko pat her on the head, then gently hugged her, letting her cry a little into her shoulder. The not-burned one, obviously.

Serika frowned, then nodded, "... Sorry, Ayane. I'm not gonna fight with her. I'm just… Dammit…" and yet more memories of Skopje flashed in her mind. She sighed and looked at Reach once more, praying that they never had to see another planet burning while they sped away. Especially not their own home-world.

"Nn…" Shiroko agreed, feeling the burns under her shirt gently with her hand. She twitched a little as a small stab of pain hit. Despite Ayane being in a slight shock, still, the young elf-eared girl immediately went to check on her friend's bandages. Finding them to be fine, sans a little red as the skin grafts were still taking, she sighed in relief, a shaky, troubled sigh.

"Ladies, please…" Nonomi whispered, sad that the discussion was devolving like this. Hoshino didn't deserve this kind of scrutiny, though she really couldn't say anything. Her own mind wandered as to why Hoshi had been avoiding them for this long, especially now that they needed each-other, more than freakin' ever.

"Uweh… I see I've been missed…" Hoshino greeted, surprising everyone. She seemed apologetic, bags under her eyes and looking even more disheveled than usual. Though she still smiled, her heterochromatic eyes locked onto all four of her old friends, noting the surprise in their faces as they began to register her.

"Hoshino!" All four of them yelled happily, immediately jumping to hug the FTF's team leader and the acting President, causing the girl to stumble back, a little surprised. She had expected them to immediately start screaming at her, to be angry for ditching them when they needed it most or something. She had done that, by all means, just to process her own issues and… Hide…

"Hehehe… Did you girls really miss me that much…?" She played along, though, happy to see they had, in fact, missed her.

"You worried the life out of us!" Serika gave the girl a gentle shove, a mix of angry and relieved. She demanded, "Where've you been!? How many hiding places did you even find on this ship?!" which garnered a few laughs out of the crew. Serika was not really completely angry, but she was very relieved. Their leader hadn't forgotten them.

"Are you okay?" Nonomi asked as she looked the girl over, even cupping her chin and moving her head around. Some small scars and the bags under her eyes worried the Team Mom quite a lot, but her heart slowly stilled as she smiled brightly at their tired friend. She saw in the corner of her eyes that Ayane had seen something… The girl was pale.

"We missed you, Hoshino," Shiroko spoke in her usual, low, but happy tone, her ears droopy. A moment's respite seemed to pass as the girls embraced, but the three others had soon seen that Ayane wasn't doing too well…

"... Girls…?" Ayane, however, broke the silence, her voice shaky. She pointed up at Hoshino's pink Halo. It had dimmed visibly, the girls soon noticed. And as they looked closer at it, they could make out a faint crack across the outer 'wall'. They all doubled over and froze, staring up at what was most definitely one of the most horrific expressions of change in one of their best friends.

"... I guess it's visible, eh…?" The girl tried to play a little dumb, but saw it wasn't working. From a feigned smile emerged a sad, but genuine one. She scratched the back of her head and tidied up her ponytail a bit, then her shoulders sagged as she saw the horrified stares of her friends. They weren't recoiling or disgusted at her Halo cracking. Rather, they were visibly worried to high heaven about her.

"... What happened…?" Serika inquired, whispered, as she put a hand on Hoshino's shoulder.

"... Your Oji-san is no longer sleepy, I suppose…" Hoshi replied rather sadly. She saw their whole world metaphorically fall down on their heads when she said that, the four of them staring at Hoshino with a mix of various emotions. She sighed shakily, scratched her shoulder with the opposite hand, then paused as she heard footsteps.

Captain Foucault and a trio of soldiers, one of which was a middle-aged woman who looked like she could be Ayane's mom, marched up to them, "Ladies. Sorry to interrupt you all, but I've been tasked to bring you straight to a base on the surface. If you'll follow me and my Marines," before he motioned to the airlock.

When the girls followed him onto the military part of the station concourse, they'd been greeted by decontamination rooms and a battalion of well-armed soldiers in black armors. The woman in charge of the platoon tilted her head to the Red Horse to order them aboard, then looked at the kids and told them, "Welcome to Reach," with a smirk.

Despite the silence between the five of them, the group soon boarded one of the passenger cabs for the Space Elevator, one commandeered by the military and these 'Office of Naval Intelligence' folks. Climbing aboard and being seated down on padded seats, they saw holographic displays lighting the walls with various ads, plus massive, thick windows, reinforced with more glass panes and plexi and bulletproof material.

The Captain made one motion of the hand, giving the go-ahead for the crew to begin descent and the car gently moved up at first, causing pits in the girls' stomachs, then it started moving down, rapidly accelerating down the stalk, supported by four thick stick cables at each corner of the titanium and glass cube.

Forgetting about their woes for a moment, the young women gasped at the sight of the planet below getting closer and at the sight of the massive UNSC warships orbiting. Chief among them was a ship that looked like it was about the length of a Kivotos District. The word TRAFALGAR was painted in fading, bold-white lettering on her side as smaller vessels swarmed around her.

Civilian freight also descended behind them, moving at a much faster pace down the stalk, while overhead cargo ships, civilian liners and the likes moved to and from the planet-side docks and cargo ports. As they delved into the atmosphere, the thin, pallid blue of the sky started to form. Then, it glowed a bit brighter as they passed the upper layers.

Shiroko smiled a bit, awed by the sights, while the others were simply stunned. Hoshino herself seemed amazed by the beauty of the void and the world itself. Then, they saw it below them:A massive, sprawling metropolis sat at the mouth of a river delta, the river itself flowing out into the wide ocean surrounding the continent.

All of them wondered if this was how Skopje had looked from above, too. Before the Covenant had landed and made it into nothing. Hoshino shook off the thought:Skopje was gone. It wasn't worth thinking about it anymore. All that mattered was that they would make it home and be able to tell the tale, all so that it may be remembered.

When the elevator car reached the lower portion of the stalk, it slowed considerably, though not suddenly. From a rapid descent, it became a gentle touch-down onto the platform. The Marines in escort helped the girls hump their packs over to the outside of the station, where surprised folk of both military and local civilian ilk stared at them with wide eyes.

They were all human. And all of them looked like just your average joes and janes out on their daily business. To think there was a massive, galactic war going on between them and a genocidal enemy must've been the stuff of fantastical nightmares to these people.

Arriving at the designated vehicles; An armored transport guarded by two light trucks with guns on their backs; the girls were loaded up with another platoon of soldiers and the Captain. Foucault himself pulled out a com device and spoke, "Doctor Halsey, this is Captain Foucault. We've made landfall in New Alexandria and are about to proceed via Highway 02 to CASTLE. Roger. Yes, the girls are safe."

He hummed, smiled and said, "Roger that, doctor. We'll see you soon, Foucault out," then looked at the girls. He told them, "Doctor Halsey's one of the Office of Naval Intelligence's best scientists. She's asked to see you five specifically because of the displayed capabilities," and he motioned to Shiroko, "To withstand a plasma blast is no small feat."

"Nn…" Shiroko nodded.

Hoshino raised a brow, "Those shots usually melt people, right…?"

"Explode them to a fine-ass red mist, yeah," The Marine female officer spoke, arms crossed to her chest, "You kids really are lucky as all hell," and she scratched a scar on her left eye. She saw Foucault was slightly glaring at her, then said to him, "Look, someone's gotta let these kids know what they're getting into, captain."

"We already know," Hoshino replied rather scathingly, "We saw Skopje burn down."

"I… Fair," Sighed the Sergeant, "Didn't mean to offend you."

Hoshi shook her head, "That's not it…"

"Anyways… Get some rest. It'll be a couple of hours before we reach CASTLE," The man offered, then looked back at the city fading in the distance, behind valleys and hills and mountains. As the vehicles trudged along down the highway, most of the girls had fallen asleep. Most, save for Hoshino and, surprisingly enough, Ayane, who was staring at the scenery and trying to conk out.

Driving into the Highland Mountains, the team caught sight of multiple UNSC bases. Above them, military craft flew around from peak to peak and past. As the vehicles rolled forward, the girls soon awoke with a startle due to a bump on the road. They rolled off of the highway onto a beaten path of dirt, through a field at the bottom of a valley.

Then, they went into a tunnel, a massive tunnel, so large it could fit an entire highway's traffic within. There were various checkpoints and corridors and parking spaces along the way, some occupied, some not, many manned by the local troops. They were in an underground military facility the likes of which barely existed in Kivotos, if at all.

When they arrived at their specific porthole, the girls were dismounted and the platoon of Marines moved with them. The Sergeant, who, going by the name tag on her armor was called 'Lopez, asked, "Remind me again why we couldn't land the Red Horse here, sir?" as she crossed her arms to her chest. The crew entered an elevator.

Foucault hit a button, then told her, "We'll be underway the moment we're back on the ship. Command wants us going back out there to scout for Covenant movements near the Inner Colonies, meaning we won't be staying on Reach. If you wanted to go say hello to your family while we're here, you could've asked for a replacement."

"Nah. Can't leave your ass alone, sir…" Sighed the woman, "Alright, what about the return trip? We still goin' Dirtside or are we taking a Pelican this time?"

"Pelican. We only hitched a ride with the truck because the Marines from the seventeenth were heading in the same direction and it'd have taken longer for any Echo flight to get to us," The man replied. He pulled out a datapad, then looked at the girls, watching them make sense of the elevator car and the stone-faced Marines behind them. He told Lopez, "Saves us from waiting at the dock while they load supplies and get that new macguffin to Halsey."

"Roger, sir," The woman snorted, "Section Three."

Hoshino blinked, feeling an elbow in her side. Serika leaned over and whispered, "We have to talk…" to which Hoshi nodded. She understood. There were a lot of questions still floating around in everyone's heads, her own included. The only thing she knew is that they'd gotten to Skopje via some artifact they'd dug up from the old school building that they just happened to touch wrong.

She nodded, "I know…"

"Good…" Serika replied, then sighed and shifted on her feet a little, completely uneasy being where they were. All these people were human, just like Sensei, meaning this entire 'space nation', the UNSC, was humans. How, nobody knew. Why, nobody knew either. It was just another question onto the pile.

When the elevator dinged and they reached their intended level, the group was marshaled out by the Sergeant and Captain. They walked through a hallway that was a mix of a former mine tunnel and fancy, titanium-reinforced columns and paintings. It was wide, too, and the girls could see ONI staff clad in their dark uniforms and with differentiations between sections, all milling about.

Taking a right down the hallway, they were led into a laboratory. A smooth dome-room with reinforced ceilings. Multiple humming LED lights hung off the spiderweb of supports, peering down on a sterile workspace made up of tiles, raised island tables with hermetically-sealed drawers and one hell of a mess on each table.

Half-empty, days-old styrofoam cups with rancid, cold coffee lay all around, forming an almost esoteric circle around a woman in a white lab coat, black pants, dress shoes and a cream turtleneck. She was graying, but her brown hair was still visible despite that. Audible were the clicks and beeps of the touch-screen console ahead.

Captain Foucault cleared his throat and spoke, "Doctor Halsey-" only to pause as the woman raised a hand, asking him to wait without speaking a word. She sighed and slid away one 'window' from the Console and her left hand made for a cup of still-warm coffee. She grabbed it, downed its contents and threw it in the trash, before turning about.

Despite the wrinkles and the age appearing on her face, the woman before them still retained some sort of a charm, a beauty that spoke of danger. She arranged her glasses onto the bridge of her nose, blue eyes glimmering behind the lenses as she examined the girls, starting with their Halos down to their clothes. She whispered, "Incredible…"

She then approached them, clearing her throat. Looking at the Captain and Sergeant, she said, "Many thanks for bringing the survivors of Skopje over, Captain Foucault… I've asked that the staff deliver you and your troops a briefing on the next mission. Something easy this time, from yours truly…" before she handed him a tablet.

The captain looked over the details, raised a brow, then snorted and showed Lopez. She grinned and said, "Little Shore Leave, then, ma'am?" to which Halsey nodded. She showed them to leave, which both did. The Captain, however, stopped just before the door and gave a nod to the five young survivors of Skopje, then left.

Halsey told them, "Apologies for the way your arrival here has been handled, ladies. As you can sadly tell from first-hand experience, the Covenant don't care much for any well-laid plans. My name is Doctor Catherine Elizabeth Halsey and I am at the head of a series of projects belonging to ONI Section Three. A pleasure to meet you all."

"I'm gonna guess you have what little of our files your folks managed to compile on us, so intros aren't necessary?" Hoshino replied rather brashly, much to everyone but Halsey's surprise. She stared down the doctor, her right hand's trigger finger tapping against her thigh. The Doctor seemed unperturbed by the fact the girl already knew how to wield a weapon.

"Mm. Worry not, miss Takanashi," The doctor offered, then showed them to find their seats. She told them, "I am not fond of many such formalities myself," as she sat herself down across from the team, at one of the emptier tables in the room. She offered them some drinks from a nearby fridge, most of them soft. Halsey was seemingly not one for alcohol.

"Great… Anyways. Why'd you bring us here?" The pink-haired FTF leader decided to be blunt. She heard her team gasp and looked over at them, shrugging as if to ask what was wrong. Nonomi herself shook her head, but Hoshino sighed and smiled reassuringly. She turned back to Halsey in order to continue their conversation and saw a glint of joy in the woman's eyes, though no change in her inscrutable expression.

"Straight to the point. You're far better than any ONI goon I've had the displeasure of working with, miss Takanashi… Simply put, I brought you here because you are of interest to me and to a great deal of other staff in any and all ONI outposts," Halsey offered, then sighed and said, "However, their interest can prove to be malicious."

"And yours?" Serika butted in, looking at the doctor.

"I'm here to try and make sure you girls are not harmed in the process of searching for something to stop the enemy's main armament from killing a human in one shot…" The woman replied, then motioned to Shiroko, "I've read the reports and going by what miss Sunaookami has on her body right now, I would say they're accurate. Your strange holographic headdresses can stop a plasma round," but she also noticed the bandages again and frowned.

"Nn… Not without repercussions," Shiroko confirmed, her voice still hoarse. She scratched one of the bandages, feeling itching, but Ayane took her hand off of it and shook her head. Scratching could break the scabs and cause more bleeding, or worse, not let the cloned skin bind itself properly to the young woman's wounds.

"Why would we be harmed?" Nonomi decided to ask the 'elephant-in-the-room' question.

"While I'm certain you have no reason to trust someone like me, another strange adult in the grand scheme of this entire Galactic game…" Halsey sighed deeply, taking her glasses off, then telling them, "I'm less invasive with my procedures, especially toward young ones like yourselves. How old is the youngest of you…?"

Ayane raised her hand and replied in a low voice, meek as her usual self, "I'm fifteen…"

"... Fifteen…" The woman seemed to take a moment to compose herself. She sighed, married that information with other bits of guilt in her mind, then told them all, "I see. My point exactly. Very few of us have any sort of care even when it comes to the young. Believe me…" while trying not to take stabs mentally at herself.

Hoshino furrowed her brows, then asked, "Hm… And why're you telling us this?"

"Because I am here to work on understanding you," Doc answered, staring Hoshino in the eye. She continued, "Not just your strange power, or whatever this is," before she pointed at the Halos, "But also who you are as people. Miss Takanashi, I know that look in your eyes. I swear to you that nobody who can harm you will be allowed anywhere near you and that includes the Covenant. We are safe here, on Reach."

"... For how long? How long until those alien bastards kick the door down here, too? Because we saw good people who got us off Skopje die…" Hoshino replied, unconvinced. There was way too much riding on the line here for them to just blindly accept any offer, but Halsey was down-to-earth and appreciated the gravity of the situation. Or it seemed that way anyway.

"I know. By estimates?" Halsey shrugged, then told her, "Decades yet before the Covenant stumbles here. Even more for Earth, should you wish to be moved there while I search for a way to your home," before sliding her a tablet to show the calculus. If nothing changed in the future, the Covenant were still going to have a ways to go to find all of Humanity's colonies.

"Why would you risk that for us?" The pink-haired girl asked, softening up a bit.

"Because you do not belong in this conflict. It is our war and if I can help it, not another child will perish to the Covenant's weapons or to our own hubris," Halsey replied, though she soon caught what she'd said. The determination in her eyes didn't fade for even a second, which made Hoshino pause. Doc had showed the same spine as Sensei then and there.

"... Okay. So, what's first on the docket for experiments…?" Hoshi smiled.

They were in good hands…

Chapter 5: Boot Camp Part 1:Introductory

A few months later…

Hoshino stirred in her bed. Memories of flashes of heat played in her mind, warming her face and hands. Azure lights glowed in her mind, the silhouettes of humans appearing like shadows. People. She saw Skopje’s skyline glow, flash and boil. She saw explosions flashing across the steers, thousands dead in seconds.

She saw them. The shapes of the enemy’s warships. The fat whales armed with weapons that made the very Gods tremble. And she saw them charge before gazing down and seeing four corpses, charred and burned, each bearing a specific trait that she recognized. Shiroko’s bike, burnt to a crisp, Ayane’s glasses, broken on the floor, Serika’s bag, torn to pieces and Nonomi’s jacket… Shredded.

All in front of charred corpses… Hoshino felt tears well in her eyes as she gazed up at the fat sea-beast as it gently descended from the heavens, blotting the very sun with its body, its weapons visibly radiated with the heat of plasma boiling in their conduits. She knew she’d failed them then and there. Felt her halo further crack…

The weapons flashed…

And Hoshino jolted awake, eyes shooting wide open as she gasped for air, the cold sweat, a strange contrast to the heat she’d felt from those weapons. Breathing heavily, she looked at herself and noted she was clad in UNSC-standard PT clothes. A gray shirt with the eagle emblazoned on its chest, now stained by sweat, and a pair of shorts.

She looked around at the others, noting they were all still fast asleep around her. Was she actually so tired that she’d managed to fall into a deep enough sleep to dream ? One of the many reasons she was always technically sleepy was because she was half-awake ninety-nine percent of the day, so to have finally cracked and fallen asleep?

She looked up at her Halo, noticing that the crack, though it was still there, did thankfully not expand. She sighed deeply, then descended from the top bunk. She’d taken the top bunk above Serika, while Ayane was on the top bunk to their left. Meanwhile, Shiroko… Well, to her surprise, Hoshino saw Shiroko was awake, too.

She was changing her bandages. The leader of the FTF could actually see the burns from the plasma weapon blast, still visibly red, but now scarring neatly, thankfully. Halsey had administered a continuous steroidal treatment of some kind to the girl that helped the scars form and the wound to close, all while keeping them wrapped in bandages doused in antiseptics and antibiotics.

Hoshino narrowed her lips at the sight, then gently jumped down from her bunk and walked over to the desk to help. Shiroko let out a slightly surprised, if quiet yelp, before Hoshino showed her to stay calm, telling her, “Just helping,” as she started wrapping the special bandages around the wound. She said, “They’re scarring nice at least…”

“Nn…” Shiroko replied in her usual way, bowing her head slightly, ears droopy. She whispered to Hoshino, “Did you see the casualty reports off of Skopje?” and that caused the pink-haired, heterochromia-blessed leader of the team to raise a brow. She shook her head, to which Shiroko looked up at her and said, “Total…”

The leader sighed, gently wrapping the bandages around Shiroko’s waist, mumbling, “I wish we could’ve done more,” before gently tightening the bandage. Shiroko nodded in understanding, wincing a bit as she felt Hoshino lightly touch one of the burns. Her friend looked up, ready to apologize, but Shiroko shook her head. It was fine.

Ayane mumbled something in her sleep, before a faint, but audible weeping started as she turned onto her right side, grip tightening on her pillow. Hoshino frowned at that, then looked up at Shiroko, who nodded and said, “Nn. I can handle the rest. Thank you,” before tilting her head toward the bunk bed of their resident nerd. Hoshino also noticed that there was the faintest drop of blood on Shiroko’s bed, but ignored it.

She walked over to Ayane, then sat down next to her and leaned over, hugging the girl as she cried quietly in her arms. She didn’t speak so as to not wake her up. As she pat the girl’s head, she saw that Nonomi and Serika had woken up, too, frowning as they saw their youngest like that. Hoshino pat her head, hugging her, before gasping as she felt Ayane hug her back.

The girl whimpered, “So many people, gone…”

“I know,” Hoshino whispered comfortingly, patting her friend’s head, “I know…” 

Her green eyes met Hoshino’s bicolor ones, tears streaking down her cheeks as she asked, “C-Could we have done anything…? Saved them…? Saved miss Cathy?” to which Hoshino stared, eyes wide and slightly taken aback. After a moment of processing, Oji-san sighed and shook her head. There was really nothing they could’ve done, at least for Cathy.

Serika spoke, “We aren’t soldiers, Ayane,” her voice low, her own ears droopy, “We’re basically just a bunch of kids who can shoot guns, especially to the locals… The Covenant’s massive. It’s terrifying,” and she shuddered, hugging herself, “What could we have done?” while looking at the others. Nonomi visibly frowned.

Shiroko looked back and said, “We could’ve tried to hold the line. Wait to see if more people would arrive,” only to see Serika frown. 

“Serika’s right,” Hoshino shot back, “We’re not soldiers…” and her voice grew low. They were here, in relative safety until the Covenant came swinging to Reach. However many years that would take, she thought to herself, it would happen in the end. She mumbled, “Not all of us are hardened enough to go through something like that…”

And yet, as the nightmare she had just woken up from flashed through her mind again, she bit back the words ‘But I am’, a decision settling in her mind. She told them, “Let’s get back to sleep, girls. Doc Halsey probably doesn’t wanna spend the mornings alone. Heh, she drinks too much coffee for it,” and that got a few laughs out of her friends.

They all soon returned to their beds, with Hoshino calmly giving a pat to Ayane to let her rest properly. Climbing back up into her bed, the pink-haired Oji-san of the squad stared at the ceiling, her Halo’s light faintly glowing in her eyes as she did so. She breathed a sigh, her mind settling on the decision she’d just made…

Come morning, Doctor Halsey was in her laboratory, sipping a freshly-brewed cup of coffee as she read reports. She said, “Mark down report number 323 with the following addendums:Resistance to small arms fire confirmed after a heavy hour of miss Takanashi’s persuasions to do the test. Strange ‘halos’ are concerningly damage-proof… Additionally, I will not be performing live-fire exercises on those girls again, regardless of if I’m ordered or not. They can put me in jail for it.”

“Duly noted, Doctor,” Kalmiya spoke. Halsey hummed, then paused as she heard footsteps. Turning her head, she saw Hoshino approaching, wearing a dark-green shirt and cargo pants, plus boots. Their old clothes were in the washer right now, having been partially dirtied by the tests performed prior. Hoshino stared at Halsey intently, though she maintained a relatively calm face.

“Ah, miss Takanashi,” Halsey nodded, “Good morning,” and she turned to face the girl. At the workstation she stood by, Hoshino’s shotgun lay by her shield/case, fully reassembled after yesterday’s checks. She told the girl, “Your shotgun and equipment are fully rebuilt. No abnormalities, weirdly enough, save for some fouling I cleaned.”

“Thanks, doc,” Hoshino smiled, then sighed and frowned. Halsey noticed again the crack in her Halo and was going to ask what had happened to it, but Hoshino walked over, lifting her shotgun up and looking it over. She gently pulled the bolt pack, looking inside the pristine, cleaned and re-chromed chamber, then down the barrel and nodded approvingly. As Halsey was about to finally ask her question, Hoshino inquired, “What’s the normal age for joining up?”

With her mouth hanging open from when she was about to ask her own Question, the Doctor stared for a moment at the girl.  She closed her mouth slowly, then spoke, her voice low and filled with concern, “Eighteen, or seventeen with parental or a guardian’s approval… Why?” before she leaned onto the table.

The pink-haired, semi-serious leader of the Foreclosure Task Force told her, “I need to join,” which caused the woman to blank. She was about to protest, but Hoshino lifted her hand and added, “Doc, I appreciate your concern for us, for all of us. Wanting to keep us outta the war’s a nice sentiment and all, but… Unless someone’s out there, I doubt we’ll ever feel truly safe.”

“Miss Takanashi,” The woman stared. She wanted to say something else, to contradict her, but sighed and resorted to the usual, “You do understand what you are asking, correct? That you go out to fight on planets, possibly against the Covenant, maybe against other Humans and maybe to witness again what occurred on Skopje.”

“I know,” Hoshino said, leaning her shotgun on her shoulder, barrel pointed up and away from anything really important. She stared at Halsey, dead serious, as she spoke, “How long until Reach is found and we’re just sitting on our butts, waiting to die here? How long until the Covenant burn everything else and all they have left are Reach and the human homeworld, Earth…?”

“Reach and Earth are the two most heavily-defended human planets in the Galaxy,” Halsey answered, voice razor sharp. She continued to defend, “And the most well-protected secrets of the UNSC. The Cole Protocol was made specifically to ensure that the Covenant never even have a chance to stumble upon Epsilon Eridani and Sol…” but she didn’t seem to like their chances either. Noticing Hoshino’s surprisingly whittling gaze, doc added, “I can’t let more children die in this war. Not people I know, not on whatever I have left of my conscience.”

Hoshino saw that look in her eyes. Desperation mixed with a guilt that racked her very core, despite her best efforts. She knew it all too well. She frowned, then answered Halsey, “And I can’t sit here with my thumb up my butt waiting for protocols to fail, doc. I want to protect them,” and she pointed back down the corridor she came through, “I wanna protect my friends. Shiroko took one hit and I swore to myself that was the last shot she’d ever take. Ayane saw the first person to show us kindness here die by a Covenant plasma sword… We all saw Skopje burn.”

She then grit her teeth and clenched her fists as she spoke, “If there’s something, anything I could do as a front line soldier to stop them from witnessing anything like that again, I need to at least try. I know I’m not gonna beat the Covenant back on my own, that’s impossible, but I wanna save lives, I want to…” and as she looked at Halsey, she continued, “I wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t…”

The Doctor stared at her, a bit surprised at how convinced she was she had to fight. She was about to reply to Hoshino, when she noticed something behind her. A small smile crossed Halsey’s lips as she pointed behind Hoshino and said, “I am not really the one you need to justify yourself to, Hoshino,” before she saw the horrified look on the pink-haired girl’s face.

Hoshino turned around and saw them:All four fellow members of the Foreclosure Task Force, staring at her. Her lips turned razor thin, face pale, as she saw Ayane almost in tears, Serika with her arms crossed and glaring at her, Nonomi visibly distraught and Shiroko staring at her with her usual deadpan. “G-Girls,” She stammered, looking at them.

First one to speak was Ayane, yelling out, “Please, don’t leave us behind…!”

That caused Hoshino to double over, while Serika approached her with seemingly killer intent. She grabbed Hoshino by the collar and told her, “What Ayane means to say, you dunce, is that we’re not gonna let you do this alone !” which caused the girl’s eyes to open up as wide as saucers. Even as Serika’s lip trembled and she stuttered, speaking, “I-If you think leaving us b-behind to go and die alone out there’s g-gonna…” and she bowed her head, Halo dimming slightly.

Nonomi walked over, gently took Serika’s hands off of the surprised President’s collar, then waved the other two over. She looked at Hoshino, mild disappointment in her eyes as she told the girl, “... I know you think you need to protect us, Hoshino… But we’re not weak. We’ve never been weak. We’re all a little shook up by what happened, even months later, but…”

Ayane joined them, tears still welling in her eyes and ears droopy as she spoke, “W-We wanna help, too…” before wiping the tears out of her eyes and adding, “W-we all saw what the aliens did on one planet. W-we knew you were gonna try pulling something like this, too. S-So we talked it out the moment you l-left the dorm…”

Shiroko followed up, grabbing Hoshino by the arm and saying, “Nn… You’re not going out there alone ,” before she gently pulled down her shirt’s collar to show the burn marks, slowly healing and fading into the skin. She told her, “They did this to me. They nearly did it to Serika, to Nonomi, to Ayane and to you… They hurt people. A lot of them. We’re not going to let it stand, but we have to do it as a team.”

“Like we always have,” Serika uttered out, her own voice cracking. 

Though a little pride welled in Hoshino’s chest, part of her was also deathly afraid. “What about Ayane?” Hoshino asked, staring at the four of them and focusing specifically on her, “You can’t go back out there, Aya. You barely recovered from one planet being destroyed. What are you gonna do if it’s as Doc Halsey says and we’re just jumping into a losing fight?”

“T-Then we lose together,” Ayane replied, slowly gaining confidence.

“Nn,” Shiroko nodded.

“Yeah,” Serika smiled a little.

Nonomi beamed, stating, “Like always! Together!” 

The FTF’s president stared at all four of them, feeling a little joy well up in her heart, her Halo glowing just that little bit brighter. And if she didn’t know better, she could swear it was mending that crack just a little. As she smiled softly, she closed her eyes and let out one of her classic, “Uweeh~! I couldn’t have asked for better juniors!” before hugging them. She stifled her own tears, though.

They were going to War. There was no doubt about it. They were going into a war where people were actually dying, one where only they had their Halos for protection, if they held. She looked at all four of them and a smile crossed her lips, then she turned to Halsey, who was smiling, and raised a brow. With a heavy sigh, Halsey told them, “I finished all the non-invasive tests I could do… Please, do not allow me to see you here for invasive ones …” almost begging them. She didn’t want to have to do Autopsies.

“Don’t worry, doctor,” Nonomi offered happily, “We’ve got each-other’s backs~!”

“I’m sure you do,” Halsey sighed deeply, then said, “Kalmiya, contact the nearest recruitment officer… Tell them we have several seventeen-year-olds willing to throw their lot in to the fight… And tell them all four are a tad eccentric,” to which the AI replied affirmatively. Halsey told them, “I am going to miss all five of you… It was like having daughters around.”

The entire team paused, then all of them smiled and, before Halsey could so much as utter another word, they hugged her, too, laughing, while Halsey couldn’t help but feel a massive amount of guilt. She was going to approve yet more children to die, was she not? And yet, it was their will, too. Uncorrupted and unprovoked, save maybe by the slaughter they witnessed.

… If God existed and cared to listen to her, Halsey prayed for them and her Spartans to be safe…

---

A few weeks later

Camp Foxtrot, Reach

They really didn’t think things would be this easy. Hoshino and the others were now sat aboard a military OD-Green bus that was rolling into a military camp at the northern end of the the planet’s continental mass, just past the ‘capital city’ of New Alexandria. It was freezing cold outside, with the snowfall of an early winter already laying a thin layer of white on top of the hard-packed, frozen dirt.

They were on board with several dozen new Recruits to the Marine Corps, some of which cast glances back at them as if they were freaks of nature. Of course, they were sat at the relative rear of the bus, too, so that might’ve been it. No, no, Hoshino thought to herself, it was probably the animal ears, the floating Halos that were basically just floating.

The bus was also full. Meaning three dozen pairs of eyes were focused on them. Hoshino mumbled, “Y’know, I get staring for a bit, but this is kinda excessive, uweh…” as she leaned back into the hard, almost uncomfortable leather chair. Ayane beside her gripped the chair tight, not wanting to look them all in the eye.

“You all ready for haircuts?” Serika asked, tapping her foot. Nonomi paused, looked at her and raised a brow, to which Serika tilted her head and said, “... What? Standard military thing is them cutting your hair down completely short. We’ll all be bald by the time we’re through processing,” and she immediately saw all the light leave Nonomi’s eyes.

Ayane seemed far less concerned over the haircut than she was over the fact she was one of three recruits on board who was wearing glasses. Hoshino told her, “Oh, don’t worry, Ayane! I’m sure they’re gonna let ya keep the glasses…” and then she mumbled, “I hope…” before hearing the squeaking of tires.

A Drill Sergeant stepped aboard the moment the doors opened, then barked, “ALL RECRUITS, FALL OUT!” which caused the entire bus, the FTF included(minus a still-stunned Nonomi) to jump to their feet. Serika noticed the pale Nonomi, stuck in a pose of absolute terror, then gave her a gentle slap and pulled her to her feet.

They walked out in a row, with the DI that had come aboard staring at all four of them from underneath the round brim of his brown hat like he’d seen the devil. He blinked, wiped his eyes, then the moment they were out of earshot(Or he thought they were), he asked the Driver, “What the fuck were those five?!”

“Fucked if I know, sir,” The driver replied, seemingly just as confused.

As the group ‘fell out’ as ordered, exiting out onto the tarmac of the base, to the noise and sight of Marine recruits from other Companies being marched about and vehicles moving about, ranging from standard Falcon transport helicopters to the UNSC’s combat dropships, the Pelicans, flying around and Warthogs driving by.

The base was a sprawling conglomerate of buildings spread across enough space to allow troop training, mobility and even wilderness survival training when required. Said training would take place within the hills and forests located just due North of the base, closer to the poles, meaning sometimes below freezing temperatures.

Three months of basic awaited them here, with the final month’s final week being what was called the “Crucible”, an ancient Marine tradition dating back centuries that the UNSC Marine Corps had adopted and adapted. Hoshino and the others stared, stunned, with Ayane mumbling, “I think we made a mistake…”

“Heh, relax,” Serika chuckled, “It’s gonna be like summer camp.”

“ATEEEEN-HUT!” Barked a female Marine’s voice, causing everyone to jump and stand at attention. A short, mean-looking tanned woman marched out onto the deck with a bunch of other Drill Instructors, many of them several feet taller than her. She turned about to face the group, hands behind her back, then spoke, “I am Sergeant-Major Julia Diego, your senior Drill Instructor! Welcome to the finest training facility of the United Nations Space Command Marine Corps this side of the Orion Spur!”

“For the next thirteen weeks, you spineless fuckers will be under my watch and care! Make no mistake, I’m gonna make these thirteen weeks the most miserable weeks of your worthless little lives!” The woman boasted proudly, staring at all of them. She caught a glimpse of a worried Foreclosure Task Force, blinked, then shook her head and continued yelling.

While she was, Serika’s ears drooped as she mumbled, “We made a mistake…”

The other three agreed, but Hoshino remained resolute, looking at them with a dead-set stare that told them they had no rights to complain. She’d have been fine alone, but they wanted to tag along with her. They shut up and went back to their ramrod straight postures anyways, listening to the DI continue her speech, “... And I’ll be damned if you’ll leave this place in anything but a Body Bag or Dress Blues ! SERGEANT APONE!”

“Ma’am!” The burly, dark-skinned man beside her snapped to attention, his own voice a bellowing roar, like that of a dragon.

“FALL OUT! GET THESE RECRUITS TO THE BARBER’S CHAIR AND THEN TO THEIR BARRACKS!” The woman barked, staring up at the man. He snapped a crisp salute, barking an affirmative cry, then walked to the front of the Formation, much to the surprise of the girls, all while Sergeant-Major Delgado walked off. 

He barked at them, “PLATOON, RIGHT FACE!” and the entire group turned almost on instinct. He marched beside them, started stomping his foot, then said, “MARCH!” and began leading the way toward the barber shop on base, the group, though uncoordinated in their steps, unlike the other recruits, followed behind.

After arriving, the girls were the first to be sat on the chairs. They felt the buzz of the trimmers ripping through their hair. A pile of multicolored hair lay at the feet of the Marine barbers, with one of them commenting, “Jesus fuck, man, what the hell…?” in a mumble to the guy shaving Hoshino. The man shrugged.

He looked at Hoshino and asked, “Hey… Small request, but can ya take this thing off?” and he pointed at the Halo, “It’s kinda hard to see what I’m cuttin’ when I got a light glowin’ in my eye that isn’t the LEDs here,” only to pause as Hoshino looked up at him apologetically. He sighed and said, “Taking that as a no… Y’know, whoever sent ya here did say you and your pals were weird-”

“ YEOWCH !” Serika audibly screamed, grabbing onto her ears. 

The barber who was working on her actually took a step back, stunned, “Shit… They’re actually fuckin’ real?”

“YA THINK!?” she snapped back, feeling the ear he’d tugged at with a blush on her face. Hoshino looked at her, to which Serika said, “She pinched one of my ears, apparently thought they were a hairband…” and the girl sighed, giggled at that, then looked over at Shiroko ,seeing her glaring at the barber and covering her ears.

Nonomi, meanwhile, was partially crying, partially catatonic, as her platinum-gold locks fell to the floor. She mumbled about her hair, while the Barber tending to her looked at Hoshino and mouthed, “Is she okay?”  to which Hoshino smiled, nodding. Ayane was the nicest of the lot, incredibly calm and letting the haircut go on unabated.

Sighing, Hoshino told the barber, “Just keep going, please,” with an awkward smile. The man nodded, then continued cutting the hair off. Moments later, the girls were back in line, Nonomi actually crying and shaking while Serika squinted, staring forward. They were all shaven clean, pretty much, the only thing left of their hairdos being literally the ‘roots’. Shiroko stared impasively ahead, yawned, then poked Serika’s ears.

“... This is the weirdest shit I’ve ever seen, man,” Mumbled Sergeant Apone, staring at the five girls of the FTF as the last Marines, both male and female, were shaven clean. He then barked, “ALRIGHT, BOOTS! FORM UP AND MOVE OUT!” before starting to lead the formation. They walked over to a pair of corrugated steel buildings, then Apone barked again, “FEMALES ON THE LEFT! MALES ON THE RIGHT! WELCOME TO CAMP FOXTROT!”

As they entered the barracks, finding them exactly as they’d expected from the war movies, filled with bunks, a toilet in the rear and foot lockers for their personal effects, Hoshino sighed and said, “Like summer camp, uweh~?” teasingly to Serika, who scoffed. The five of them found bunks close to each-other and sat themselves down, throwing their bags down by the beds.

One of the female Marines, a girl that looked fairly close to Ayane, glasses included, walked up to them and asked in a heavy eastern accent, “You girls alright? You look like you dropped out of the wrong Pelican…” to which Hoshino and the others turned to face her. She hummed, paused, then smiled and said, “Oh, right. My manners. I’m May Huanglin. Fellow boot.”

“Nice to meet you,” Hoshino spoke, awkward, “And I guess you could say that, hehe~...” as she rubbed the back of her neck, smiling. She then introduced herself, “I’m Takanashi Hoshino and these are my friends, Izayoi Nonomi, who’s sad about her hair,” and she pointed at the slightly slumped and sad Nonomi, “Kuromi Serika,” and she pointed at the catgirl, who waved, and scratched her now-somewhat-bald head, “Okusora Ayane,” and Ayane perked up, smiled and waved, “And finally, Sunaookami Shiroko.”

“Nn,” Shiroko greeted with a nod.

“Holy shit, that’s a lot of Japanese,” Mumbled May, chuckling, “Nice to meet all five of you… Gonna say it’s weird to see actual real cat ears, but I guess ONI gene-engineering got a little funny,” which caused the five to stare at her. She blinked, then asked, voice shaky, “Y-You guys don’t occur naturally on your homeworld, right?”

More deadpan staring later, May let out an awkward, “Oh…” before letting out a happy, “COOL!” and perking right back up, a smile on her face.  The five suddenly had to exchange concerned glances, before looking up at her again, noticing the excitement didn’t fade. It increased, in fact, the girl bouncing on her feet.

… Oh, this was gonna be interesting, wasn’t it?

Chapter 6: Boot Camp Part 2:Idle Chatter

The surprisingly shrill and monumentally annoying scream of the Reveille trumpets caused just about every member of the FTF, with Serika even letting out an audible and ear-scratching scream as they jumped to their feet from their incredibly rough, hard bunks. As they stood up, DI Diego barked, “FORMATION, YOU FUCKS!”

They all lined up in front of the bunks, eyes wide. Hoshino herself looked almost like she’d looked the Devil in the face, all bags-under-eyes and spindly. The DI began speaking to them, “LET’S MAKE A FEW THINGS CLEAR, LADIES! I’M THE QUEEN BITCH IN THIS HOUSE AND I’VE BEEN PUT IN CHARGE OF A BUNCH OF LITTLE SHITS THINKING THEY’RE HOT STUFF FOR HAVING THE BALLS TO SIGN UP FOR MY BELOVED CORPS!” all while she walked through the formation.

She looked at each recruit, noting that May was trembling, eyes so wide she may as well have been trying to suck up all the light in the room, which would’ve been one hell of a feat. The woman stopped in front of her, pulled her down to face her by the collar of her shirt and spoke, “You look a little worse for wear, Boot! The fuck’s with that look on your four-eyed face?!”

“N-Nothing, Sergeant-Major, Ma’am!” The girl stuttered, voice audibly cracking. 

The woman scoffed, pushed her back and said, “STRAIGHTEN THAT SPINE, FOUR-EYES. Ya won’t be marching out to fight the Innies or Covvies crooked like your Chiropractor buttfucked you!” and that got a few snorts, but the Sergeant-Major shut them all up by barking, “SHUT THE FUCK UP!” and marching forward to the end of the line.

She stopped in front of Hoshino. Though the young woman was usually not much too scared of adults, just distrustful, she suddenly felt a chill shoot up her spine as the woman’s dark-brown eyes pierced the very core of her soul. The woman was looking her in the eye, making sure to show who was boss in this house indeed. Then, Miss Takanashi felt a slight twinge of surprise as the woman started looking her up and down.

She paused when she saw the Halo over her head, then asked, “Pinkie-Pie, ya mind tellin’ me what in the sam fuck is that shit floating above your head?” in a surprisingly level tone, which was honestly quite surprisingly scary. Hoshino swallowed, looking straight ahead while the woman examined the slightly cracked Halo.

“Well!? ANSWER, YOU SPINDLY LITTLE SHIT!” She barked demandingly.

Hoshino snapped-to, then said, “Ma’am! That’s my Halo, Ma’am!” trying to sound as self-assured and calm as possible. If she didn’t show any fear to an Adult, maybe they’d respect her and her friends. Casting a quick glance to the left, though, she saw the whole gang was scared pretty much shitless of the situation. 

The woman glared at her for a moment, looking as if she was staring at a piece of gum she was gonna have to scrape off her boot later, then she spoke, “ARE YA GONNA TAKE IT OFF, PINKIE!? SPEAK FAST!”

“I-I CAN’T, MA’AM!” The girl replied, stunned, “It’s attached to me!”

“Bullshit!” The woman barked, then jumped and tried to grab the Halo, only for her hand to phase through it. She scoffed and tried again, then growled and gave up, looking at Hoshino as the girl stared at her with an awkward smile. She barked, “WIPE THAT SMIRK OFF YOUR FACE, BOOT! YOU AIN’T HERE TO LAUGH!”

The girl snapped-to. Part of her knew deep down that Drill Instructors weren’t meant to be beloved by the Recruits, so the Sergeant-Major was just playing her part. It didn’t mean that she had to like her berating people she knew. She watched her approach Serika, notice the Halo, then mumble, “Whole platoon of’em. A REAL ANGEL SQUAD! THAT’S YOUR NICKNAMES FROM NOW ON! PINKIE, CATTY, WOLFY, KNIFE-EARS AND DROP-TOP! THE FIVE LITTLE ANGELS OF BRAVO COMPANY, FIRST TRAINEE REGIMENT!”

As the woman stepped back toward the door, she spoke, “BDUS ON! WE’RE GOING ON A RUN AROUND THE CAMP!” and she turned to face them, “YOUR ONLY EASY DAY WAS YESTERDAY, WHEN YOU WEREN’T PART OF THE CORPS! HAUL ASS!”  

Before long, the entire Company, men and women alike, were formed up. Hoshino, Serika, Ayane, Shiroko and Nonomi were running in the same row, with May bearing the Company flag at the front as they ran a slow run. Beside them, Sergeant Apone had been tasked with leading the Formation and calling Cadence. He’d chosen an apparently well-known Cadence.

As they ran, the song being sung by the Sergeant and repeated by them, Shiroko leaned forward and spoke, “I don’t really like the way they’re with us…” in a whisper.

Serika turned back and replied, “That’s how the military is, even in movies,” in a low voice, too. Then she told them, “We all expected it. Cadence, marching… One heck of a Summer Camp this is gonna be,” as she made sure to trot her boots in synch with the beat to the best of her abilities, just like the others. Sure, some stumbled as they ran down the concrete, but they were doing decent.

Johnny was bad and he was brave ! Johnny jumped on a hand grenade ! He saved the lives of the men he led ! But, now, poor Johnny, he was dead !

Ayane trembled a little at the chorus of voices all repeating after Sergeant Apone with the same tune and jingle. She whispered to the others, “These guys are r-really hardcore, aren’t they?” as the vivid imagery of the song, a piece that was apparently a Marine Cadence since time immemorial whose lyrics were the only thing adjusted to fit with the times. Johnny had fought Innies in this case, the Insurrection.

“Marine Corps, Semper Fi,” Hoshino parrotted, a small smile on her face, before she repeated the next lyrics alongside the rest of the cadre. She noticed Sergeant-Major Diego staring at them rather intently. The girl turned her gaze back forward at that, running to the cadence with the others, the group now having gone quiet.

Some time later, after about two hours of physical exercises in which Serika had somehow pissed Apone off enough to order her to do a hundred push-ups(Which she’d barely made it through), the girls were now sat for Lunch at the base’s mess hall. Pelican engines droned in the distance as the UNSC’s standard-issue dropships gently dipped low and descended toward the airfield, visible through the mess hall’s windows.

Hoshino was staring at them as the troops aboard, mostly Army engineers, descended to assist the UNSC Naval Construction Battalion units on-site in building a few new barracks and assets for Reach’s defense. She sighed, leaning her chin on her hand. Shiroko called, “Your food is gonna go cold, Hoshino…” as she pointed at what was a bland-looking chicken piece and some fries.

The girl replied, “Not sure I wanna eat that, to be honest,” as she spun to face the food. She picked up a sucky-looking fry from her plate and chowed it down, noting it was soggy. Probably because she’d left it like that, she figured. Genuinely annoying, but at least it was still lukewarm enough not to be a total loss, she thought to herself as she ate.

“This is gonna be tough,” Ayane spoke, a little worried and shaky of voice as she ate, too, “We sweated our butts off just doing a run while singing, then they had to have us doing push-ups,” before she cast a glance at Nonomi, who was still visibly miffed at losing her hair, feeling the top of her head with her fingers and whining in mumbles. The glasses-wearing girl sighed and said, “And Nonomi can’t really do push-ups…” before glancing down at the girl’s chest.

Obvious problems aside, Shiroko commented, “That’s why I always asked you all to join me on my bike rides or exercises,” before grabbing a fry and scarfing it down. She looked at them and added, “Cardio and physical workouts would’ve had us prepared for this. Sure, we’re in shape enough to go through it, but…”

“Things’ll only get harder from here,” Serika sighed, feeling one of her ears. She leaned on the table, having already finished her meal, “These guys really mean business. Swear, I think we might’ve made a mistake…” then she slumped forward, annoyance visible on her face. Shiroko shook her head in disapproval, with the Catgirl casting a short glare her way.

“You did,” Hoshino told them, causing Serika to perk up and look at her, surprised. The girl, dead serious, looked at them and said, “I do appreciate that you girls wanna follow me all over, that you wanna stick together… But maybe you would have been safer just staying with Doctor Halsey. I could do this alone-”

“Nope,” Nonomi stopped her, staring her down with a surprisingly intense gaze, “Stop saying that, Hoshino. ”Don’t start again,” She then warned, “We all volunteered and we’re going to see it through… Serika, stop complaining,” and the Catgirl sighed, but nodded. Hoshino smiled again, then nodded in understanding, before looking at Ayane, who smiled.

Though she could still see how unsure they were, Hoshino didn’t dare berate them again for joining. They’d see the truth as soon as they were deployed. How rough things could really get when the situation really turned against them. Then, she paused as she saw May approaching, a smile on her face. The girl greeted, “Heya, girls. Mind if I sit with y’all? Sarge had me humping rocks until now.”

“Free seat’s right there,” Hoshino smiled, pointing beside Ayane. The girl smiled, then sat down. 

“Rock-humping, huh?” Another Marine spoke from the table over to their right. He was one of the guys from their company. Tom, the girls recalled. He smirked and said, “Sounds like ya really pissed the Sarge off, boss lady…” to which the girl shook her head, chuckling a little. He then looked to Hoshino and Co and said, “And the Angels, huh…?”

“If you start prayin’ to us for Salvation, good luck, pal,” Serika quipped, “We’re still as mortal as you,” and then she pointed at Shiroko’s burns. Tom and his pals let out a short laugh in understanding, while May and Hoshino exchanged a quick glance and both started laughing awkwardly, Hoshi even letting out one of her classic ‘Uweh~’ noises.

Tom, an eighteen-year-old fresh off the boat like them, said, “I think we’re all gonna be the same Platoon, so no prayin’. Just promise me you’ll watch my ass out there and I’ll watch yours,” before giving a broad motion to the entire table of female members of Bravo company. 

“Not too close, I hope. I mean, I know it’s a fine piece, but ya know how it is,” May grinned, which got a few laughs out of the other male Marines at the table, a couple of which were the other people wearing glasses. Shiroko cracked a small smile, while Serika chortled at the quip. She told him, “Yeah, we’re all gonna be stuck together… Gonna be interesting.”

“Worried?” Hoshino quirked up a brow as she saw the girl stirring her warm food with her fork, seemingly finding it as unappetizing as it looked. Though she could also tell by the slouched shoulders and slight tremble that the girl didn’t wanna be part of any operation that meant taking care of people. Or that she was scared for something else.

May let out a deep, long sigh, pushing her glasses up and saying, “I lost most of my folks to the Covenant. Only my brother’s left and he’s here, on Reach… I signed up to earn us some money while he’s staying with the foster family that took us both in,” before leaning back and looking up at the ceiling, now clearly worried, “And now I’m realizing just how fucked we are…”

“We saw what the Covenant can do,” Hoshino spoke, then tilted her head to Shiroko, “And we obviously have experience.”

“A glancing blow from a plasma round while evacuating off your world, huh…” The girl spoke, stunned, while the other Marines, Tom included, were looking at the marks. She sighed and said, “Sorry about that… I know how horrible it is to really leave everything behind,” and she sighed, cutting into the chicken and taking a bite.

“Nn… Not a glancing blow,” The girl said, which caused May to blank. She pointed at her chest, from where the burn scars stretched, then said to her, “I took a direct blast from a Covenant plasma rifle… It hurt,” then she shivered, remembering the heat prickling at her skin and scratching the still somewhat-red scars. 

May was about to ask how when the roar of a new dropship filled their ears, though it was muffled by the walls and windows. May turned her head, with Tom grinning as he saw the aircraft touch down. It had a mark on the side, a burning pod of some kind, colored gold, placed against scarlet flames and with a skull at the forefront, also a dark-red.

A ribbon had the letters ‘ODST’ written on it, causing everyone but the confused five FTF members to stand up, May gasping and beaming, “Oh, my God! It’s the Helljumpers!” like a fangirl. Hoshino and the others stared at her, confused. When she saw that, she begged, “Don’t tell me you girls don’t know about ODSTs…” and yet more blank stares answered her. She blinked, “Holy shit… They’re the best units in the Corps. Orbital Drop Shock Troopers. Jumping into hell, feet first from orbit!”

The five girls stood up and watched the troops dismount, greeted by cheers. Clad in jet-black combat and completely sealed combat armor. Most took their fully sealed, opaque-visor helmets off as they dismounted the craft, marching in a perfect formation off the bird and toward an officer clad in Dress Blues. They snapped to attention, saluting the officer.

Sleek-looking, battle-damaged armors, scarred faces and capable-looking troops with eyes as sharp as bayonets. They looked professional, deadly and ready to kill. And going by the scuttlebutt Hoshino was hearing right now from other companies eating with them, the ODSTs were here to evaluate the new crop of Recruits.

“They’re so cool…!” May whispered, with the rest of the girls agreeing.

For Hoshino, however, there was a different concern to handle right now. Sergeant Apone approached, calling out, “Recruit Takanashi, on me,” with a surprisingly calm voice. The girl turned to face him, to which he told her, “Sergeant-Major Diego said she wants to see you. Follow me,” and Hoshino visibly tensed as the man turned. Her four compatriots turned toward her, all visibly worried, but Hoshino showed them to stay calm.

She marched out, following the big man toward the main ‘command’ building of this area of the base, a concrete structure built nearby the barracks her company was stationed in. As they walked, the girl saw more and more troops doing their work. From MPs patrolling to Engineers doing the standard Engineer things of construction, appraisal and ensuring everything ran. Even as they entered inside the building through an automatic sliding door, the place was full of Officers and logistics staff working overtime, trying to bring the new recruits up to snuff.

As they marched through the place, Hoshino caught glimpses of shadows in the sky and through the windows, noticing their more boxy, familiar appearances. UNSC starships floated amidst the clouds, barely visible between the peaks of the mountain range. Frigates and Troop Transports, she’d presume. There were ‘classes’, companies of Recruits graduating ahead of them. They were barely starting their own journey.

Apone spoke, “Kid, I’m gonna be honest with you… This whole ‘Halos’ thing’s weirdin’ every single man and woman on this base out,” which caused Hoshino to look at him, raising a brow. He continued, “You and your friends are the strangest group of people even Smage Diego’s seen in a while. And trust me, she’s seen plenty’a’weird around here.”

“I’m sure she’ll tell me the same thing, sir,” The girl replied quietly as they walked forward. 

“Ha,” Apone snorted, “You wouldn’t know the half of it,” and they approached the door to the Sergeant-Major’s office. Apone knocked, then said, “Sergeant-Major. Lead Angel’s here, as you requested!” as he put his hands behind his back and straightened up. She did the same, more out to prove she was respectful to the authorities.

“Come in,” The softness with which the woman had spoken slightly surprised Hoshino. The door slid to the side, revealing a decent-sized office housing exactly what one would expect out of a decorated NCO’s place. Pictures lined a wall to the right, showing images of a Marine force in combat, all of it dated to the 2510s and 2520s, five to fifteen years prior to the Covenant’s arrival.

On the left, sat on oak wood shelves were ornate boxes each containing the woman’s service medals, while a television of some kind was on the ‘front’ wall, facing the oak desk which also had a bunch of paraphernalia, including a picture of a young woman, on it. Hoshino realized, however, that that young woman was not SMage Diego. It had a black ribbon on the top-left corner.

Hoshino knew those types of photographs. The two women looked alike and the one in the picture was even wearing a Marine BDU when the photo was taken, but there were some small differences visible in their faces. A crease here, a sharper cheekbone there, a smaller jawline… Hoshino looked at the Sergeant-Major and snapped a salute at the same time as Apone.

Diego nodded, saluted them back and said, “At ease. You’re dismissed, Sarge Apone. Get back to Bravo,” and the older dark-skinned man nodded and stepped off, mouthing a ‘good luck’ to Hoshino. The Sergeant-Major sat herself down on her leather chair, back to the window separating them from the outside as the morning light of Epsilon Eridani’s sun poked through. The two stared each-other down, Hoshino trying to keep a straight face, while Diego simply stared at her.

The silence, much to Hoshino’s joy, was soon broken by Diego, “... You know, I’ve seen weird alien creatures, machines the likes of which would make even our tanks blush and worlds that’ll make an Earth civvie’s jaw drop,” before she leaned forward and continued with a terrifyingly calm voice, “I’ve never seen anything quite like you and your four friends, Recruit Takanashi.”

“M-Ma’am?” Hoshino blinked.

“Five seventeen-year-old girls with weird, floating halos floating above their heads like Holograms, a message straight from ONI HQ to tell me to keep an eye on you and then an old friend contacting my dog-ass to tell me to make sure all five of you wind up in some menial job off-world when training’s done and dusted,” The woman told her, leaning forward, “Halsey said she sent that letter to have me ask you if you’re all serious about fighting after witnessing Skopje turn to glass. To offer ya another chance to go back.”

“And wait until they inevitably hit this place, ma’am?” Hoshino replied immediately, causing the woman to pause. She spoke, “Permission to speak freely,” as if demanding it. The Sergeant-Major raised a brow, but snorted and gave her the go-ahead. Hoshino then said, “With all due respect to you and the Doctor, we’ve made our choice. We’re staying. I’m staying… It may be futile. It may be pointless. The Covenant may be some sorta unstoppable juggernaut… But it’d be worse if we just rolled over and died.”

The Sergeant-Major smirked, standing up from her desk and approaching Hoshino before telling her, “And that is the kind of Spirit that’s driving us all forward to keep up our own fight… We might go down, but we’ll take as many of these motherfuckers with us as possible,” then she cast a glance at the photo on the table, a proud smile on her face.

She sighed, however, then looked at Hoshino and said, “Catherine isn’t exactly secretive about you all being aliens, though,” before crossing her arms, “You landed in our world and the first decision you made was jumping in to help us and, I imagine, get some payback for the trauma the Covvies gave you when they hit…”

“Something like that,” Hoshino spoke, casting a quick glance at her cracked halo. The woman ahead of her had noticed the crack and visibly winced, clearly wondering if that’s how PTSD showed on Kivotos-born beings. She told the Sergeant-Major, “I know I’m probably signing my and the girls’ death warrant, but… Don’t go easy on us just because we’re kids, okay? Our Teacher wouldn’t like it if he knew we got preferential treatment, I don’t think.”

“He sounds like a man of principle,” The woman replied, looking Hoshino in the eye, “And don’t worry. You’re training to be Marines, kid. The premier fighting force the UNSC has that can respond to any given threat anywhere. If you slack off here, you’re gonna fucking die out there… And I don’t do cleanups for ONI. Not with my old heart.”

The girl chuckled awkwardly, “Uweh… Sorry…” 

“Don’t apologize to me yet,” The woman joked as she sat back down on her chair and offered the girl a cup of coffee. Hoshino thanked her and refused silently by raising her hand. Sarge then continued, “If you do wind up bitin’ it, I’d like a written apology letter in triplicate shipped right here to this office,” and that got Hoshino to actually chuckle a bit, even if awkwardly. The woman sighed as she poured herself a cup, then gazed upon Hoshino, dead serious now, “... If there’s any trouble, you come to me in private. I ain’t promising I can solve it on the spot, but you’re my recruits. My boots. I will keep mine safe. For as long as I can…” and she cast a glance at the picture on her desk.

“... Will do, ma’am,” Hoshino replied, snapping a salute and smiling. Once she was dismissed, Hoshino walked out and marched back to the Company Barracks. Inside the girls’ side, she found Ayane and May already engaged in a bit of nerdy small-talk, smiles on their faces. Shiroko, meanwhile, sat on the bunk, talking to Serika and Nonomi, the latter of which finally seemed to have hit the fifth stage of Grief about losing her hair. Namely, she’d seemingly accepted it. For all the good it did to her mental health.

When the others noticed her, they smiled and waved her over, with May speaking, “Why didn’t you guys mention you were from a cool-ass place like Kivotos!? Seriously, the area sounds awesome!” as she jumped giddily. She added, “Like… Open-carry guns? Catpeople and wolf-people like Serika and Shiroko?! Civvie owned and fully-functional tanks and combat mechs !? Man, I wanna move there now! It sounds sick!”

The pink-haired leader of the FTF let out a laugh, before stating, “Well, when we’re done out here, we can probably go visit!” which got the girls to visibly perk up. Sure, the situation was relatively bleak considering the Covenant and the chat she just had with the Sergeant-Major, Hoshino thought, but she might as well keep up the appearance of the fearless leader for them all. And herself. She didn’t intend to die here if she could help it.

“Hell yeah!” May pumped her fist up into the sky, smiling brightly. She was very much a more outgoing Ayane, Hoshino thought to herself as she put a hand on her own hip, staring at the group with a smile. The other women in the barracks chuckled at the sight, while Shiroko cracked a small smile, too. Nonomi perked right up, though, beaming like usual, while Serika gave a thumbs up, though didn’t broadcast all that much emotion.

Something told Hoshino they just raised a few Death Flags for some people, though…

Chapter 7: Boot Camp Part 3:Obstacles

Obstacle Course

Time had become kind of a blur for the members of the Foreclosure Task Force, now part of the Foreclosure Platoon, Bravo Company. Training was a fairly repetitive endeavor that became a simple part of their daily routine. From shooting practice to daily PT and running, the girls had put some muscle mass on. Hoshino looked back at the girls, however, as they trailed behind her on the Marine obstacle course.

The base’s finest little implement of torture for new recruits, the Obstacle Course was three handred ugly meters of everything from mud pits to walls to scale via rope climbing and helping each-other and even a pit of mud beneath barbed wire with four Machine Guns firing over their heads. Currently, the leader of the FTF eyed the first wall which required a buddy climb.

She stopped in front of it, crouched and put her hand together, waving Ayane forward. The younger FTF member and the team nerd had received some new glasses specifically meant to stay attached to her head during PT, not for a lack of incidents where she nearly lost her normal glasses. When the girl reached it, mildly panting and slightly red in the face, she put her foot on her leader’s/buddy’s/Battle Buddy’s cupped hands and immediately felt herself get boosted to the top. 

Stopping there, she turned around and stretched out a hand for Hoshino to grab on. The girl smiled, putting a foot onto the wall and using it as leverage to jump up, grabbing onto her nerdy teammate’s hand. They smiled at one-another, then turned toward the others, helping Nonomi, then Serika and finally Shiroko up to the top.

Hoshino also stopped to help May up to the top before they jumped down, with May calling out, “Thanks, girls!” as they ran through to the next big event:A balancing act on round logs with a deep mud pit below. They started running onto them as Hoshino gave May a thumbs up and a smile. Hoshino herself nearly stumbled off, but regained her balance.

Nonomi, however, dropped and fell into the mud, caking herself in the brown muck while Sergeant Diego called out through a PA system, “GET YOUR FAT ASS UP, DROP-TOP! BACK OF THE LINE AND ON THE LOGS AGAIN!”  while Nonomi stifled some tears. The rest of the FTF had made it across unscathed, meaning a rope swing came next.

Hoshino sighed and said, “Alright, let’s go before the other recruits catch up!” as she jumped onto the first rope, stretching her hand and using the momentum to swing forward. She grabbed the second rope, using the momentum from the switch to go to the third, then the fourth, then the fifth, then the sixth, then the last, jumping off right in front of the mud pit where the MGs were.

She heard the double-click of the bolt being racked back and rounds being fed into the chambers and looked ahead. For a moment, the stretch of mud and barbed wire ahead looked like a nightmarishly long bit of No Man’s Land like in those old War Movies Shiroko loved to watch. She felt a pit in her stomach, recalling the events of Skopje again and wondering quietly if they couldn’t burn the mud.

As Nonomi finally reached them, whining a little, Shiroko said, “At least you’re already muddy,” as an ice-breaker joke. The somewhat more well-endowed member of the team let out a mildly annoyed whine, but sighed and nodded in agreement while the rest of the Recruits that had joined them, May included, laughed. It was a nervous, communal laugh as they stared down the MG nests, which were staggered so as to not shoot each-other…

Hoshino and the girls could survive Fifty Cal just with the odd chance of getting knocked out by the sheer weight of bullcrap travelling at supersonic speeds. It was the pain that that kind of hit would cause, not to mention the concussive force, that scared them. Everyone else, though, ran the risk of taking a bullet that would certainly be fatal.

Hoshino, however, sighed deeply, then said, “Well, Feet First into Hell, Face First In The Mud, eh?” which got a few more awkward laughs, followed by gasps as she dived face first beneath the barbed wire, mud staining her face. The first rounds started, the guns chugging rhythmically as Hoshino scrambled forward, shots whizzing an inch above her Halo and a couple more above her head.

Dragging herself forward, Hoshino could barely hear the flaps and pops and movement of the others behind her, though she was acutely aware they were now moving, too, considering the MGs’ fire almost sounded like it intensified. Her heart skipped a beat as she looked back, immediately seeing Shiroko right there with her, face dead serious despite the flecks of mud that now stained her own rosy cheeks.

Her wolf ears were folded in so mud didn’t get into them, either. Clever girl, Hoshino thought. After she saw that the rest of the FTF was right behind her, she turned her gaze back forward, feeling a bullet skim so close to her head, it nearly took off her regrowing cowlick just moments later. She ducked, face filling up with mud, but kept on going.

The light at the end of the tunnel couldn’t have been far. Even so, she heard some of her comrades struggle, kids yelling out in fear. May and her team, however, remained steadfast in the face of peril. And easily, their patience was soon rewarded. They reached the end of the corridor of mud and sharpened steel, climbing out and standing up, before patting off the mud from their clothes and darting through the last few, more minor obstacles. Hoshino then felt something bounce off her skull, but felt no blood, nor any form of concussion.

Reaching the end of the path and ringing the bell with her team, Hoshino finally allowed herself to breathe, cheers echoing through the air. The thump of boots sounded close as Diego approached, hands behind her back. She grinned, stating, “I guess those floating little decorations on your noggins are useful for something. PLATOON, FALL OUT AND GET YOUR ASSES TO THE SHOWERS, NOW! LUNCH IS IN THIRTY! DISMISSED!”

“Well, that was terrifying,” May whispered, looking back at the Marines as they unloaded the Confetti Poppers, fifty-caliber machine guns that were wildly out of date for anything but this kind of training. She looked at Ayane, smiled and bumped her shoulder with her fist gently, stating, “Thanks for saving my butt back there. I nearly took one in the brainpan.”

“You’re welcome,” Ayane offered with a kind smile, then looked at Hoshino.

The pink-haired leader, whose hair was starting to grow slightly back out now, smiled and gave a thumbs up again, before stretching, yawning and saying, “Uweh… That tuckered me out,” while looking at her friends. She noticed all of them stared at her with a specific kind of stare. The ‘we’re not quite done yet’ stare.

Indeed, showers and lunch had gone by quick. Aside from an upcoming Ruck March, the girls were now training with their future firearms. At a shooting range within the base itself, the entire Company had set up with MA37s, MA5Bs, Battle Rifle prototypes, M329 DMRs and even M90 CAWS, or Shotguns. Hoshino visibly gravitated toward the pump-action weapon, but was stuck wielding an MA5 for now.

With the iron sights in the cowling flipped up, the girl squeezed off single shots toward their targets. Spent casings dropped onto the dirt, brass glowing in the sunlight as sweat draped them all from head to toe, sticking dirt and dust onto their bodies, immediately after they’d taken showers, too… She sighed, feeling the dust irritating her skin as she mumbled something to herself.

Dust kicked up with each fired shot as the girls grew to get used to the 7,62x51mm bullets that the UNSC loved using for their ARs.

Her bursts were accurate, if a little sloppy, and the groupings left a bit to be desired. Something DI Diego was keen on letting her know, with yelling, “JESUS CHRIST, PINKIE, I COULD AIM BETTER THAN YOU AND I’VE GOT PRESCRIPTION GLASSES!”  which caused a few of the others to let out silent laughs. She called out, “WHAT’S SO FUNNY YOU LITTLE SHITS?! SHE’S STILL SHOOTING STRAIGHTER THAN HALF OF YOU!” before she stomped over to Serika, grabbed her by one of her cat ears and said, “THE BULLSEYE IS IN THE CENTER OF THE SILHOUETTE, CATTY, NOT THE WHITE OF THE FUCKING PAPER !”

While Serika rubbed her ear, the Sergeant went bug-eyed as she saw Nonomi spray a full burst down-range and strike both around and on the target. She scoffed, barked at Nonomi, “DROP-TOP, FOR FUCK’S SAKE , THAT’S THE CORPS’S AMMO YOU JUST WASTED! HOLD! THE! GUN! TIGHT!” and she crouched beside her, forcing the girl to clasp the rifle firmly. She spoke, “I THOUGHT YOU LITTLE SHITS WERE SUPPOSED  TO KNOW HOW TO FIRE WEAPONS, CONSIDERING YOUR PERSONAL BELONGINGS HAVE SOME ANCIENT-ASS DESIGNER ONES IN THERE!”

After reaming out May and Ayane a little, leaving the latter slightly discombobulated, but surprisingly alright, she paused, watching Shiroko. The girl fired precise, short bursts that drilled holes into the target. Center mass, perfect, tight groupings. She spoke, “GOD FUCKING DAMN, I GUESS ONE OF YOU CAN ACTUALLY SHOOT WORTH THEIR WEIGHT IN SHIT!”

She stopped by Shiroko’s side, watching the young girl focus down the irons of the weapon, bursts spitting out of the barrel like nothing else. Patting her on the shoulder, she said, “MARKSMAN CLASS! THAT’S WHAT THE FUCK I’M LOOKING AT HERE! WOLFY’S EARS MIGHT TWITCH LIKE A MOTHERFUCKCER WHEN SHE SHOOTS, BUT SHE’S GOT STYLE!”

A small smirk crept up on Shiroko’s face as she let out an ‘Nn’, before hearing the rifle click. She saw the girls looking at her, with Hoshino giving a thumbs-up and a smile, before sighing. Seemed as though next week would be them assigning weapons to the girls based on what they were shooting like. Hoshino already slotted in for using shotguns, with a proclivity for trying to modify her own at the Armorers’ to fire the same eight-gauge slugs that the UNSC’s M90s fired. 

Regardless of it, the girls marched back to the showers for a second time today, weapons held close, without ammo and on safe. Their shooting scores were still well above the average of the Marine Corps, but Shiroko’s were something else. Ayane gave Shiroko a pat on the back, to which the silver-haired wolf gave a thumbs up and her own small smile back to her and Hoshino.

Nonomi, meanwhile, wondered if she was ever gonna wield anything heavier than an AR into battle, though she didn’t say it. Serika held no disdain for the fact their DI was being rough with them. Hell, she was glad the woman was driving them to work as hard as possible. May, meanwhile, looked haggard, tired, but happy, even as her sweat mixed with the dust they’d picked up off the ground. 

The Sergeant-Major watched them all depart with their company. Kids, the lot of’em, she thought to herself, sighing deeply and rubbing her eyes. She’d make Marines out of them yet, but that didn’t mean she liked where they were gonna be headed. Regardless of deployment, it was either gonna be facing human secessionists fully intent on killing them, or the Covenant, fully intent on killing them, but religiously.

And Hoshino… That kid took a slug from a fifty cal to the head like it was god-damn nothing. Julia acknowledged Halsey had sent the kids over of their own volition, weirdness and all. She had to know someone was gonna be staring at them ninety percent of the day, thinking of ways to get them to back out, so she gave them to her…

With a sigh, the Sergeant-Major departed for her room…

---

Later on. Communications Room

Say what one will about the Sergeant-Major, she was punctual. Especially when it came to answering questions from HIGHCOM regarding Halsey’s newest little experiment. She felt a stab of guilt. She couldn’t call the poor girls ‘experiments’. Not to herself and not in front of anyone else, not without feeling hurt.

Regardless, through, now donning her Dress Blues for the upcoming secret conversation, peaked cap stuck under her arm, the woman stared at a holographic display as it linked, ran through several dozen security protocols, then clicked and activated. Four holograms appeared. One was Doctor Halsey, looking as disheveled as ever while buried in her work, another was a familiar one, Colonel James Ackerson, head of some of ONI’s least savory projects, then Admiral Margaret Parangosky, the old hag and Commander-in-Chief of ONI herself and finally, Lord Admiral Terrence Hood.

Four of the most dangerous and capable people in one phone call and here Julia was, being literally just the paper boy, throwing the news out to them. The good drill instructor snapped a crisp salute at the group, most of whom returned it with varying levels of enthusiasm. Doctor Halsey, in the meanwhile, remained ever the stoic civvie.

“Sergeant-Major. I trust the girls are behaving?” Halsey joked, pushing her glasses up past the bridge of her nose. Parangosky and Ackerson seemed tense about this meeting, but Diego wasn’t gonna let the two main Spooks talk. Nor was Halsey, if what she saw in the woman’s posture was telling her anything. 

So, she decided to reply with mild sarcasm, “Oh, they’re fine and dandy, doc,” before she shifted back to a more serious tone of voice, “Christ, you couldn’t’a sent weirder kids if you told me you were sending me a Spartan’s baby,” though that last part was still a bit of an attempt at humor. One that seemed to get at least Lord Hood to snort under his hand.

“As interesting a mental image as that is, Sergeant-Major,” Halsey offered, trying to maintain her own composure, “I’d like to know how they’re doing in training,” before she looked over her Tablet, which contained reports from the training. She had sent them with a bowtie and all nice and spiffy to the entire group that was currently here to ask questions. 

Confirming the fucking reports… She sighed, annoyed.

“They’re above average, at least. Note I think a couple of’em are holding back,” Diego replied, crossing her arms to her chest, then sighed and spoke with more sarcasm saturating her tone, “but we’ve finally nailed down their weapon proficiencies, no thanks to their guns themselves,” before looking at Ackerson.

“Your candor is appreciated, Sergeant,” The Colonel remarked with his own mild hostility toward the woman. He then crossed his arms, casting a glance at Halsey and stating, “Good to know they’re adapting well to military life,” and waiting to see what the reply would be. Diego felt a chill shoot up her spine. ONI spooks were bad, but Ackerson was something that made even the most 

“Agreed. We’re still not sending them over…” Halsey replied rather bluntly, causing Ackerson to growl and Parangosky to roll her eyes. She looked at the Sergeant-Major, then said, “If they’re lucky, their posting will be light and away from the fighting,” with a somewhat hopeful tone. Hood nodded, while Julia cracked a proud, smug grin.

“I wasn’t going to inquire about their redeployment to my side of the aisle, Doctor,” The good Colonel retorted with barely-hidden disdain toward the Doctor. He blamed her, “We’ve got enough trouble with you not getting anything useful from them,”  to which the woman frowned, grip tightening on her tablet. 

Man, Julia wasn’t made for politics, she thought to herself. DI work, sure, but this shit? She wondered how the hell Hood was handling it so professionally. Man was a statue.

“I was not going to dissect them just to find out how their Halos worked, Colonel ,” Halsey replied, visibly appalled by the unspoken suggestion. She didn’t bother putting away the venom this time, though, having heavily pressed on the man’s rank, though her glare settled on Parangosky, who hired the son-of-a-bitch.

“It would have been useful if you gave us something more than ‘I don’t know’, however,” Ackerson handwaved the little warning away. He wanted to start again, but Hood cast a glance over to the ONI commander-in-chief’s and chief bitch’s side of the holographic comlink, waiting to see what she was gonna say…

“Colonel, Doctor, pipe down,” The woman said to them with clear disinterest. She didn’t seem to care that two of her most important assets were having a veritable catfight in the chatroom. Hood wanted a little more than that, though. 

“Right… Apologies,” Halsey calmly replied, looking at Hood.

“It’s quite alright, doctor,” The Lord and Admiral nodded, crossing his arms to his chest. At least someone was capable of cooling their jets. Catherine stowed her tablet in her pocket, took her glasses off and started wiping them with the hem of her shirt, before putting them back on and pushing a strand of brown hair out of her eye.

“The Covenant is fast-approaching, sir. With all due respect, I doubt it’s ‘quite alright’,” Ackerson protested, giving a wave of the hand. He made a point of activating a new holographic display, causing their forms to shrink a little and motioning to the difference between Human space at the start of the war and just how deep the Covenant’s spearhead had pierced into the Inner Colonies.

“Regardless… I presume you have more to report than how you feel about them, Sergeant?” Parangosky chose not to beat the dead horse there, looking back at Diego, who seemed eager to actually continue her report. Dieg, to her credit, had a part she hadn’t written in the report all lined up. 

“I do,” The woman replied, then activated camera footage from the running course, focusing on the pink-haired heterochromia-having leader of the FTF. A red tracer visibly bounced off the top of her head, causing the group to gasp while Diego explained, “One of them took a FIFTY CAL round to the head and was fine… Either one of our MGs was pointed too low, or she poked her head just a little too high between the barbed wire, it doesn’t matter. I saw her, Takanashi Hoshino, shrug it off. ”

“Sounds like the Halos are doing their job, as advertised. What’s the problem?” Parangosky inquired, hiding a malicious grin behind her left hand. She was getting ideas, Diego thought, and that was never a good sign for anyone involved. Especially not a bunch of kids like Hoshino and the FTF. Even Halsey looked mildly perturbed.

Julia, however, replied clearly, “The problem is these kids might wind up relying on them too much. We already have Sunaookami who took a plasma bolt to the fucking chest , Admiral, with all due respect, and she still has the scars to prove it!”  and she pulled up Shiroko’s medical records and photographs of the healing plasma burns.

“Watch your tone, Sergeant ,” Ackerson warned, jabbing a finger her way.

“Oh, pardon the fuck out of me, sir,” Diego almost snarled, throwing her hands up into the air. She looked at Halsey and demanded, “Doctor, this is batshit insane, why did you even accept to transfer them to the Marines?” while Ackerson fumed in his com room. The woman sighed deeply, arranged her glasses, then looked at the Sergeant.

Then, she solemnly replied, “Because I knew others would try getting their hands on them… And miss Hoshino seemed dedicated to helping us. Her friends follow her wherever she goes…”

“Let’s hope that kind of Leadership shows up in the last exercise of their training. We’re running a CTF match,” Diego mumbled, rubbing her temples. The CTF game was going to be the final exam, so to speak, the one where they’d see whether or not the girls and their little Company of Heroes could make it through to be Marines… And if they’d face the worst of both Humanity and the Alien.

“Hope you don’t mind if ONI sends some observers. We wanna see what the kids can do out there,” Parangosky inquired, leaning her chin on her hand. Her eyes, dark as night, locked onto Diego, causing a chill to run up the woman’s spine. If there was anything someone like good old Maggie could do, it was scare the living bejesus out of even a Marine.

“Send whoever you want,” Julia replied with half a mouth.

“I’ll have some of my own there to supervise the event, too. Safety’s sake,” Hood offered, having probably noticed how put off the Sergeant-Major felt. If there was anything she could say of the old man in overall Command of the UNSC? He was nothing if not careful with the needs of his people. Especially those whom he considered friends.

“... Thank you, sir,” The DI smiled.

“With that in mind, this little meeting is dismissed. Let’s get back to our usual work,” Hood ordered, then looked upon the rest of the staff. Halsey gave a nod and, probably for the first and only time in her life, a quick salute to Lord Hood. He nodded back, saluted everyone, then disconnected the call after getting return salutes. Diego sighed in relief, scratched her chin, then began ordering preparations for their final test.

---

Barracks

The women’s side of the barracks was quiet, despite some of the ongoing activity. Hoshino was sat at her bunk, looking over her shotgun, shield and pistol after they’d been returned to her. She’d made repeated requests to get them back. Right now, though, she had parts strewn about ahead of her, parts she’d acquired from the Armorer, in order to try and modify her guns to better fit UNSC service.

She heard May coming out of the shower while the rest of the girls lounged about in their bunks, then looked back. Slim built, just like she’d seen her during training, with her frame only covered by a towel, May walked over to her bunk and picked up clothes to change into. Noticeably, however, she had two necklaces, one of which was a cross and rosary.

Religious symbols weren’t a rare thing, even in Kivotos. Heck, there were entire schools based on the concept of ancient Religions, but to see someone practicing a faith while they’re out in the Great Beyond like this… Hoshi asked, “Hey, May? Where’d you get that rosary from?” while tapping on her own chest.

May perked up as she donned her tank top, then looked down and pulled out the small wooden cross. A melancholic smile appeared on her face as she replied quietly, “My mom gave it to me,” before looking back, “We follow the Old Faith. Y’know, mostly because we think there’s gotta be somethin’ out there that created this, that created all of us. It can’t be nothing.”

“Hey. No need to explain yourself to any of us,” Serika spoke, her cat ears twitching. She yawned, hand over her mouth, then said to her, “If believing in something gets you through the day-to-day, believe away. Just don’t hurt anyone while doing so,” and that got the others to give various noises in agreement.

May smiled, then replied to them, “Thanks. You girls have anything you have faith in?”

The four exchanged quick glances, each smiling as a specific memory about the same person resurfaced. Hoshino told her, “... A man who guided us all through life. Our Sen…” She scrunched her face up, scratching her noggin to think of the proper word, then said to a chuckling May, “Our head teacher. The man was old, but he had some sage wisdom about him any time we went out fighting to keep our school safe.”

“He was something else,” Chuckled Serika, “You’d think he was some old pervert at the start, but nope…” before she stood up. The non-FTF girls in the company barracks started giggling, while May looked at Serika. The catgirl explained, “He helped us keep our school open. Was still helping us by the time we disappeared from home…” before she frowned, “Wonder how he’s doing…”

“He’s probably fine,” Ayane spoke, slightly jovial, “I mean… He always seemed to have his wits about him, if nothing else. Smart tactician, too,” before she pushed her glasses onto the bridge of her nose, still smiling. Her elf ears flip-flopped up and down happily, which May seemed to find adorable, going by the giggling as she put on the last of her clothes and jumped into her own bunk.

“Nn. He was strong. But kind, too,” Shiroko added, scratching one of her old injuries.

Nonomi nodded, visibly happier than before, “He was also very fun to be around. Always went along with some of our silliest plans!” before giggling while May listened in. She was smiling, that melancholy never fading from her face. Nonomi, meanwhile, decided to ask, “Hey… May. If it isn’t too personal, how are your folks?”

She seemed to freeze like a deer in headlights at the question, face going through a dozen different emotions. She seemed to settle on a small smile, however, replying, “Oh, they’re around. Probably waiting for me to finish my service, y’know?” as she leaned back into her bunk and looked up at the one above her. The girls exchanged quick looks, then chose mentally not to press it further.

Bidding a quick good night to each-other, they prepared for whatever other hell might come tomorrow with training. Hoshino, however, knew the kind of look poor May had. It was a look of longing. The kind of look one only got if they lost someone dear to them. Part of her prayed she was wrong, though… Mostly because May seemed like a nice girl.

Chapter 8: Boot Camp Part 4:End of the Beginning

Months later…

“ATEEEN-HUT!” Diego barked loudly, dressed in her well-ironed Dress Blues and polished shoes. Ahead of her lay several hundred Marines of all makes and models, of all early adult ages and of all surviving planets. She told them, “... Today, you are graduating. Today, ladies, after many months of hell, you’re Marines .”

The day for the members of the Foreclosure Task Force was a blur. A parade, hands on their rifles as they marched, as stoic as they could muster. Their DI’s speech, however, played back again and again, “I can’t say I’ve ever been prouder of a unit I’ve personally been given the duty to train. You’ve all outdone yourselves. God’s put you in my care specifically so I can make you Marines and, Lord, if you’re watching, I’d say I did it .”

A meek laugh escaped the crew during that part of the speech. Still, the girls marched on the parade grounds, the heels of their shoes clacking against the concrete. The parade played the muted Marine Corps Hymn, the crowds cheered and raised banners. Many people had their folks waiting to tap them out. Hoshino and Co didn’t. Still, Diego’s speech echoed in their minds, “... You’re about to embark with thousands of others into Mankind’s Last Great War. Some of you may be lucky and your first months might be deployments on what’s left of the Outer Colonies, trying to stomp out Innies.”

That was a horrifying thought, Hoshino’s mind told her. Still, she listened, “Regardless of where you go, take heart in the fact you’ll have Earth and Reach’s finest men and women covering your asses, being part of the greatest brotherhood in the history of Mankind. And you’ll have to cover theirs in return, too…” and Hoshino could swear she heard a faint crack in the Sergeant-Major’s voice as she spoke, “Stay safe. And God be with you. MARINES! TEEEEEN-HUT!”

Heels clicked together as the girls straightened up, each receiving an ancient item:The Globe and Anchor, a tradition kept for Marines who’d survived all of training and become worthy of the name…

… Come night, the girls were spending their last evening in the bunks of their training camp on Reach. Hoshino was Night Firewatch this time, holding close an electric cattle prod and a flashlight as she walked through the dark barracks, looking at all of her teammates. First up was Ayane, who, though she twitched in her sleep and moved a bit, switching sleeping positions, was at least fast asleep . That put the Ol’ Gramps’s mind to rest.

Following her, in the next bunk over, was Serika. She was the first to start slowly growing her old hair back. Her ears were the first ones to grow back, too, much to Hoshi’s surprise. She was genuinely out like a light, only her ears twitching on her pillow and a faint smile on her face. She’d had a big dinner before she was sent to sleep by the Sarge, so…

Next, Nonomi, who, to nobody’s surprise and every other girl’s chagrin in the base, was sleeping soundly on her back with two specific things in clear view beneath her Marine OD Green tank top. Hoshi stifled a chuckle and pulled the blanket over her, making sure to cover her up properly. The girl was always a bit silly.

The final member of the FTF was curled up under her blanket with just her silver ears poking out. Shiroko was asleep on the bed opposite Nonomi’s, ears faintly twitching as if she was listening in. Hoshi sighed, walking up to the girl and gently patting her head. After a quick twitch, Shiroko mumbled something and seemingly went back to sleep.

Hoshino breathed a deep, mildly depressed sigh as she walked back to the other side of the room, noticing May also fast asleep, drooling with her face toward the ceiling. She chuckled, before pausing as she saw a silhouette at the end of the room, all thanks to the light coming from the hallway. Hoshino snapped-to, to which Diego waved her off and whispered, “At ease. C’mere,” as she waved her forward.

When Hoshino stepped out into the hall fully, the woman clapped a hand on her shoulder and said, her tone steady, “Gotta say, Pinkie… I had no clue if you girls were gonna make it in my beloved corps,” then gave her a reassuring squeeze, “But you did it… I’m sure Halsey wanted you five to flunk out as much as I did.”

“Why?” Hoshino asked, a bit surprised by the admission.

Diego replied, “You’re kids . You reckon we like sending children out to die? Even weirdoes like you lot?” 

Hoshi winced, “Fair,” because in truth, even the fights in Kivotos were more akin to them doing stuff like Paintball. With live rounds. And real destruction. So not paintball at all, except for the fact that the bullets hurt , but didn’t maim . She told the Sergeant-Major, “... Why’d you even agree to train us then? I mean…”

“I saw that fire in all your eyes,” The woman answered, putting her hand in her pants’ pocket, “And I knew you were gonna find a way out to fight anyways… Your transfer papers should be coming over tomorrow. You’re all Oh-Three Hundreds. Infantry, with Private Izayoi being your 0331… And thank fuck for that, considering Drop-Top has a propensity to only be good at Suppressing Fire.”

Hoshino giggled, “Yeah, she’s used to a Minigun, so color me impressed she can’t handle an M247 GPMG,” then she looked back at the girls. She mumbled, “... So, what’s our deployment?” while her thoughts scrambled. Sure, they probably weren’t gonna drop them to face Covenant first, if at all, so they were probably gonna go, as the woman said, on some low-priority mission.

“... New Assyria, in the Tigris system,” The woman answered, “You’re gonna be facing a lot of scum there, considering it’s an Outer Colony, big mining settlement... Be ready for a lot of Pro-Innie sentiments and a possible Death Cult worshipping the fuckin’ squids of all things,” then she paused as she saw Hoshino’s frown. Despite the age difference, Julia actually froze at the sight. Hoshino looked genuinely fucking pissed.

“... Alright, so COIN,” Hoshino whispered, “We’ll live…” then she looked at her DI again. She smiled softly, saluted and said, “Thanks for everything, Sarge… I feel like we’re ready to head on out there, do some good. Maybe even kick a few Covenant sympathisers around the bend and get one of our Colonies back.”

Proudly did the Sergeant smile at the girl, letting her get some rest by switching her out with another sentinel from a different bunkroom. And as Hoshino slept well into the morning with the rest of her team, the final preparations for the deployment of the newly-minted 27th Marine Expeditionary Unit were being completed.

Come early morning reveille, something that the girls hated, but still understood the need for, the Marines’ equipment had been assembled at the landing strip and dozens of Pelicans waited to take them all aboard the ship they would be using to travel to their Area of Operations in New Assyria. As they gathered, having been given their desert tan armors and BDUs, plus their new weapons, the girls and their entire unit stood at attention.

The Sergeant-Major cast one final, sweeping glance over the unit she and her comrades here on Reach had helped train. With a smile on her face and pride in her chest, she snapped a crisp salute that the rest of the Officers and NCOs on deck immediately mimicked. The official command staff returned the salute, as did so many of the Privates and Corporals now preparing to embark on their new missions, all shiny and clean.

Moments later, the dismissal was given and the officer cadre, namely the Colonel in charge of the MEU, turned about, his salt-and-pepper hair glistening in the sunlight of Epsilon Eridani. He opened his mouth wide and barked, “MARINES, DOUBLE TIME! MOUNT UP!”  before the clatter of thousands of equipment packs and gear filled the air. At a quick march pace, they boarded their respective transports.

“This is gonna be interesting,” May spoke as they climbed their transport, a smile on her face. They sat down facing each-other in the rear of the Pelican’s ominously-named Blood Tray. She told them, “I actually visited New Assyria back in the day with my folks… Place was always a bit off-putting, but the sights were beautiful.”

“Guessing the people aren’t the nicest?” Serika asked, tapping her heel on the floor quickly, seemingly nervous. The girl nodded, holding her MA5B close. A Marine officer, namely the Lieutenant of their platoon, walked out of the door leading to the Pelican’s cockpit, looked at the two rows of seats and made a headcount, then sat down beside May in the only free seat, pulling down the metal harness.

The Doors closed, leaving the bay bathed in a scarlet light as the engines slowly whined to life, their pitch growing while they spooled. The Pelican crew were doing final pre-flight checks on the craft’s systems while Hoshino and the girls checked their gear. She’d been handed an eight-gauge M90 CAWS, while Shiroko had gotten the M392 DMR, Serika, the BR55 short-barrel, Ayane, an MA5B and her drone back(surprisingly) and Nonomi, her standard issue Machine Gun.

As the Pelican lifted off, May told them, “Expect a lot of dirty looks, too! Most of’em don’t really view us in a good light!”

The girls nodded, then nearly yelped as they felt the familiar feeling of Mach-speed flight, the rattle of the ship’s hull as it traversed the boundary between the atmosphere and the void, then the semi-weightlessness tied to being in outer space with a dozen other Pelicans. Serika gasped, looking out through the rear window.

The massive Eridanus Defense Fleet with her flagship, the UNSC Trafalgar , hovered behind them, ships moving in and out of drydocks and around Orbital Defense Platforms still under construction. The others looked back as well, smiling brightly at the sight of the UNSC’s Fortress World and their own training ground.

They saw a sleek-looking craft also moving in behind them. The Lieutenant then spoke, his voice rough like sandpaper, “That’s a Prowler! A Winter-class, I think,” as it flew right past them, its sleek, winged design a beautiful one even to the girls. He continued, “My brother serves on one of those Corvettes.”

“Think it’s his, sir?” Serika inquired, holding onto the Cradle.

He shrugged and answered, “Could be. They’re away so often thanks to NAVSPECWAR, I and my folks never know when he’s around… Hell, last I heard of him, he was apparently carrying a couple Spartans,” which caused the rest of the bay to gasp. He nodded, “Yeah, yeah, I know you kids’ view on Spartans. Don’t worry, though. I doubt we’ll be seeing any on this op.”

“Unless ONI Sec-3 specifically wants us to witness their toy soldiers in action!” Joked another Marine, though he got death glares from most of the platoon safe the FTF. He raised his hands and said, “Sorry! My dad’s an ODST. Figured I should’a kept my mouth shut,” before he cocked his jaw and sighed.

The Lieutenant nodded and said, “Keep your dad’s opinions to yourself, kid. Anyone who saw a Spartan in action knows they save lives,” then he turned to Hoshino and the rest of the FTF, telling them, “And you girls! I know about you! Sergeant Diego was kind enough to offer me the almost uncut files! You stay in cover, no matter what your weird ass energy fields can do, alright?!”

“Sir, yessir!” The five girls answered in unison.

“Welcome to the Marines,” An older corporal called out to them, grinning. The girls then gasped again as the rear window showed the sight of massive hangar doors closing behind their squadron of Pelicans. As the craft touched down in the hangar bay of their Transport, the landing struts extended, slamming against the steel floors of their landing pads with a metallic thunk .

And when the doors opened, the girls were greeted with their first taste of the UNSC’s Phoenix-class Refits, the MEU’s mightiest tool for deployments and sustained combat operations on any planet. They were quickly given a tour of their future home, the UNSC Your Chariot Awaits , where crews worked to prepare and vet the Marines…

---

New Assyria, Tigris system(Formerly Gliese 1061)

The MEU’s fleet had arrived in-system, three Phoenixes and a dozen or so support craft, including multiple Paris and Charon-class frigates providing their escort. Tigris was a single-star system with its sun beating down brightly upon the scorched and surprisingly arid surface of the planets around it. New Assyria, also formerly known as GJ-1061-c on ancient starmaps, was the closest habitable planet to the star itself, with a mostly tropical climate across.

Alpine forests and tall mountains from what looked like previous volcanic activity rose high into the planet’s sky, with the tallest peak being nearly one and a half times that of the height of the tallest mountain on Earth, Mount Everest. The girls could see it on their descent aboard their Pelicans, eyes locked on the windows of the rear hatch.

The 27th had been reinforced on their way over by the 39th, a veteran unit of counter-insurgency campaigns dating as far back as the start of OPERATION TREBUCHET. The girls had even heard of some of their exploits in places like Eridanus II. Strangely, there was some black ink on previous operations, with one of them being heavily concealed.

The Pelican squadron leveled off on their approach. The pilot radioed, “ CALYPSO, CALYPSO, this is SPEAR-2, flight of fifteen Pelicans in the second wave, requesting LZ coordinates. We’re delivering multiple Platoons from the 27th MEU fresh out of boot, over, ” while she adjusted the bird’s approach. The craft skimmed over the mountain range and valleys below, where mining settlements sprung up every which way.

“ SPEAR-2 flight, this is CALYPSO. Redirect to FOB Kabul and disgorge troops and equipment, out ,” The female ATC of the main base replied as the squadrons flew just over it. A massive UNSC Army and Air Force conjoined base of operations boasting multiple runways, barracks, buildings and a large complement of the local defense force.

“... Remind me why we’re here again?” Serika asked, staring out at the vast expanse of arid land and the few alpine forests poking out at the upper edges of the mountains. 

Hoshino sighed, then replied, “This place has several major Titanium mines currently being worked by the locals. Recently, though, a big cult sprung up, worshipping the Covenant and saying they’re the End Times prophesied in their Holy Book,” as she shifted uneasily, looking down at the vehicle patrols, “Note they’re an offshoot of an ancient Earth Religion that has really only seen a resurgence in this place and that they’re fighting not just us, but a supposed United Rebel Front cell.”

“Oh, great,” Serika scoffed, “Of course, we have to deal with the suicide bombers…”

“We’re getting our feet wet,” May quipped, though she visibly shifted, her voice unsteady, awkward. The Pelicans banked right gently, beginning their descent toward another open area. The squadron flew over the planet’s largest city and its industrial heartland, New Kabul. Like most cities on other Colonies, it had towering skyscrapers bearing the logos of various companies working on the planet itself, from BXR Mining to even a Reyes-McLees and Watershed regional HQ here and there.

ONI’s HQ was comparatively tiny, a small pyramid-like building in the middle of the town. May whispered, “Why’d we name this place Kabul, for god’s sake?” as she looked at her rifle. She racked the bolt back just enough to make sure she had a round in the chamber, then let it go forward. Hoshino raised a brow at the girl, who told her, “Historical context… Don’t worry about it.”

Before Hoshino could answer, the Pelicans powered their VTOL landing engines to the maximum, traversing the engines to allow them to safely touch down in the landing area of the FOB. The Lieutenant barked, “OUT! OUT! MOVE IT, MARINES!” as the girls of the FTF and their unofficial sixth comrade jumped out first.

They were greeted by a dusty Forward Operations Base at the top of an artificial plateau, overlooking the valleys below. Watchtowers made out of HESCO Barricades and plywood were manned by pairs of Marines mounting fifty-caliber MGs with spotlights, all of which were turned off in the current, burning sunlight.

Each Platoon’s Lieutenant guided their Marines toward their future barracks:The desert-tan tents of the FOB. As they ran toward those tents, which luckily did have Air Conditioning installed from the looks of things, they saw a Mortar Pit and computer systems for guiding those shells in, various pieces of radio equipment on their left and a semi-permanent HQ building made out of plywood and metal reinforcements to the back left area of the base.

There was a motor pool area where several tan-colored Warthogs with Gatling guns on their backs were placed and being tended to, all of it behind a layer of HESCO barriers and a desert-colored camouflage net that barely provided any shade. A shirtless Marine was working overtime on tending to them, wiping the sweat off his brow with a dirty, oily-black rag.

They entered the tents, finding cots and a common rest area. There was no real gender division this time, at least not in a base like this, which seemed to be the acting frontline area of the entire low-intensity conflict going on over here. They set their personal belongings down on the cots, then looked at the Lieutenant as he entered the place, his cap in hand. 

“OFFICER ON-DECK!” Sergeant Hy, the Platoon’s NCO, called out. The entire force immediately straightened up in front of their bunks, turning to face the corridor between the beds.

The lieutenant nodded, said to Hy, “Thank you, Sergeant,” then cleared his throat and started, “Ladies. Sorry to bother you while you’re setting up your bunks, but we’ve already got our first orders. Third Platoon’s going out on patrol in the next two hours, scouring an area at grid November Echo Five-nine-five for enemy weapons caches. Be ready for the worst. That Grid had insurgent activity as recently as yesterday.”

Wonderful, the girls thought. Just what they needed. Things were moving extremely fast right now, from being deployed days after finishing their training, to being reassigned to combat areas outside the scope of the wider Human-Covenant War, to now being immediately deployed on suspicions of Insurrectionist activity in the AO.

Serika espoused as much when she was packing her kit. “Sweating my butt off in full uniform in the middle of one of the hottest freakin’ planets the UNSC has at its disposal for mining, waiting to find a way back to Kivotos and now they’re sending us out on patrol first thing in the morning… Maybe we really should’ve stayed with doc Halsey,” She whispered as she dumped several extra mags into her patrol pack. She rolled her sleeves up, revealing her pale skin.

May chuckled and told her, “Good news is you’re gonna get a tan. Pasty kittens and all,” which immediately garnered laughter from the rest of the platoon. Serika glared back at her, but paused as she heard a mild snort from Hoshino, a laugh from Nonomi and a short, but amused ‘nn~’ from Shiroko. Ayane remained surprisingly quiet, which worried Serika.

She turned to the girl and asked, “You okay, Ayane?”

She nodded, checking the new tactical pad she’d been offered for her drone, “Yeah, just… Focused on making sure I can deliver medical kits to you guys… I-if, god forbid, we need them,” and she smiled awkwardly. Her auburn eyes were filled with worry behind her goggles, which command had adjusted to fit her glasses. 

Hoshino turned toward her and gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder, quietly telling her, “Relax… It’s just our first patrol out, right?” though, despite that bit of assurance, she could feel the weight of what they were about to embark on. This was their first mission. This was their first trial under an actual, unified and regimented command structure instead of… Well, being students and fighting robot PMCs.

When the order to move out to the armored vehicles they’d use for the patrol came, the squad moved out single file. They were assigned a Radio callsign, namely ‘GAVEL-1’. Their fireteam was 1-1, with Hoshino being 1-1-Actual, much to her surprise. 1-ACTUAL was their Lieutenant, who would be riding in the leading vehicle.

The M18 family of MRAPs, a relatively new design built on the chassis of Warthogs, but with upgraded actual armor and a new drive train and engine, would be their transports. Nicknamed Saddlebacks, these Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected Vehicles had started seeing use especially during combat with the Insurrection, bearing standard-issue Slat armor, which looked like camouflaged fences to the girls, plus armored turrets with varied weapon mounts and modular rear section that could host either a two-wheel or a four-wheel module, with the latter giving more cargo and troop transport space.

The troops climbed aboard the transports, a convoy of three. Two were the smaller variants, meant to provide escort with their fifty-cal MGs to the third. It also had an MG in its uparmored turret, but the crew compartment in the rear meant the gunner couldn’t see close behind to shoot any target attempting to frag the crew inside.

As they began to roll out down a mountain side road, May whispered, “Man, look at this place.”

“It looks like the Abydos Desert,” Nonomi quipped, leaning back into her seat. 

Shiroko replied, “A bit too mountainous for that,” awkwardly. They descended past the pine level, with the girl looking down at the valley below and saying, “Do you think they have any food down there that’s not MREs?” immediately receiving the crew’s approvals and laughter. One of the male Marines, the man on the gun, crouched and shook his head.

“And that’s Wolfy for ya, always thinking about food or banks,” He jabbed back, making Shiroko smile. 

The platoon rolled on, reaching the valley roads below and driving straight toward their intended target:A town in their Grid which was rumored to be housing enemy weapons caches. And as they rolled into town, going past a Marine checkpoint after providing their ID, they were met by the standard stares.

People clad in loose clothing and wearing odd headwear, women covered from head to toe in clothing that thankfully seemed to reflect the sun, the houses made to look temporary, but that acted as active dwellings for the locals lining each side of the road like it was some Wild Western town mixed in with Middle Eastern architectural design and curious children waving to the troops.

The town’s mine shaft lay in the center. BXR employees and locals worked together to bring the Titanium ore up to the surface, an industrial motor pool on the right cycling between loading trucks and sending them off to the main city and industrial sites of the planet to process the materiel. The place’s Foreman stopped the transports with a wave and the Marines dismounted. 

Hoshino was the first out, shotgun in hand. It was hanging off of her small frame as she noticed the elders of this town glaring at them. She moved away from the door, glaring right back at them with her heterochromia. Serika, Shiroko, Nonomi, May and Ayane dismounted next in that specific order, followed by the rest of the platoon save the driver and gunner.

The crowds gathered to witness the stranger girls with their colorful hair and their odd ears and tails and their floating halos. Some stared with awe, others yet, with fury. While the Lieutenant spoke to the Foreman and one of the head Elders, Hoshino murmured to the others, “Keep your eyes peeled, girls. I don’t think this is their warmest welcome…” 

They held firm… Counter-Insurgency operations demanded as such…