(Open RP) In Orbit

*The "Eternity" continued to rest out in high orbit above the planet, daring not to get too close to the hauntingly-familiar blue planet beneath it. The reports were flying in from every corner of the globe, and the bridge crew was continuously-attempting to decipher between what was relevant to the current predicament and what wasn't. Relaying that information to the Admiral was also a priority, so that he could make an informed decision on how the crew of the "Eternity" was going to move forward from here. Too much was still unknown, and it was quickly becoming a much larger enigma than anyone could have predicted. Apparently, there were multiple discrepancies piling up about which "Earth" this planet was...several governmental structures were in play, each of them similar to the Earth known in the "Eternity's" historical archives, but each of them showing subtle differences. Like who was in power and at what points in time they were in power, and there were branches of each government that existed in historical records, but there were also certain powers in play that never existed in their timeline. So, for now, the ship's A.I. - "Whitmore" - was operating under the assumption that this planet, in its entirety, may possibly not be the one from their past...*

*Elsewhere on the vessel, Kase was busy locating and assembling his Fireteam. He had already attempted contacting them via TEAMCOM, and was able to reach Evangeline. Since he was unable to reach the others, he asked her to meet him in the holodeck observation room, since he was fairly certain that's where he would find his remaining two team members. Standing before one of the large monitors, already armored up - sans helmet, which was at his side - and ready to go meet the Admiral, he turned his head for a moment as "Eva" walked in, her helm also mag-clipped to her waist band. She had her auburn hair short-clipped as always, almost military-male style, but with a very feminine flair to it. Kase's own close buzz cut was more for functionality than fashion. As she approached, Kase nodded, and they exchanged greetings. With both of them now before the monitor, they looked on at the training scenario being played out by Aubrey and Natalie. It involved a human-made facility currently being occupied by a hostile Covenant force. Aubrey and Natalie were currently infiltrating the facility, with "Bray" providing tactical cover with his DMR while "Nat" moved through the close corridors, breaching shotgun in hand.*

Eva: "What's the score?"

*Kase chuckled for a moment.*

Kase: "Five-to-nil. Nat's on a roll today."

Eva: "Poor Bray."

*They were referring to a game that only the two of them knew - how many times "Bray" would ask "Nat" in some form or fashion to go out with him. The creative ways that Nat chose to shut him down were often quite humorous, and unless Bray could come up with an effective counter, the "tally" would go up in Nat's favor. As for today's showing, well...Bray couldn't win for losing.*

Bray: ::"You do realize I technically have seniority, right? I could just--"::

Nat: ::"What? 'Order' me to? Bray, only in your sad, squalid little dreams do you 'outrank' me - and I'd rather face court-martial a dozen times even if you did and you could order me to. So, get your head out of the gutter and let's get to work here, shall we?"::

*The scenario carried on in textbook fashion, each of Kase's fireteam performing their roles with perfection and determination. Aubrey's gear choice was the Security armor; its bug-like visor port was always a little unsettling to Kase, although the Major understood the tactical advantages the HUD offered from a security standpoint. Aubrey's ocular range could be used to its full effectiveness. He was able to see a full 180° range thanks to his ocular implants, and thus, his peripheral skills were always best-suited for breach-and-clear situations. He was only out-classed in this department by one person, and that was Natalie.*

*Her story was interesting, and quite-inspiring, if Kase was being honest with himself. Natalie was born blind. Her parents were made aware of the genetic abnormality during the pregnancy, but did not have the means at the time to afford the gene therapies necessary to counteract it. Thus, as she grew up, she did so with a handicap; although you couldn't tell it from her aptitude scores. Nat was determined from a young age not to let her handicap be her downfall. She practiced gymnastics, martial arts, and even parkour; using her equilibrium and her keen sense of hearing to help navigate her surroundings. When she was old enough, she received ocular surgery that gave her back her sight; an event which became the springboard for her career in the military. She often did most of her training blindfolded, to accentuate her innate abilities. She could assemble her weaponry by touch alone, usually faster than those who had their sight. When ONI came along and discovered her, knowing her story, they couldn't wait to recruit her for Project: ORCHID. Within two years, Natalie became the fourth member of Fireteam VERITAS, and was an expert in Close Quarters Combat (CQC). She could handle a shotgun with finesse, knew gun kata, and her ONI upgrades included being able to link into her suit's HUD abilities with her vision. She could view things in the infrared and EM spectrums, and her mind was able to process the information due to her particular upbringing. She was the one Kase trusted for close-quarters surveillance, because her grace allowed her to move stealthily, and it paired well with her sheer brutality once she closed the distance between her and her opponents.*

*Natalie had already managed to disable two of the internal Covenant patrols before Aubrey even had a chance to offer any true breach support. But Bray had a way of making up for lost time. Slamming a breach charge on one of the doors, he shouted out across the internal comms, his thick New Zealander accent pouring through the mic.*

Bray: ::"Stand clear! Breach in three, two..."::

*The charge detonated, taking the doors off their hinges as they blasted inwards, taking out an Elite and two grunts in the process. Bray wasted no time, having already switched from his DMR to his trademark SMG/Magnum combination as he rounded the corner. Activating his suit's external maneuvering jets, he shot forward with incredible speed, driving an elbow into the throat of the Elite before him as his other hand - toting the Magnum - released two rounds into the vital areas of his torso. Natalie shot past him, taking out a grunt on its way to commit a suicide run with lit plasma grenades in hand. The pair of flaming orbs dropped to the ground, coalescing in a flash of deadly blue light, taking out the pair of Jackals that were attempting to move into flanking position. The only remaining combatants were another grunt trio and a Zealot-class Elite that stood towards the rear of the room, shouting orders at the nearby Grunts, who were quite close to losing their calm. The first of them managed to level its plasma pistol at Bray, letting fly a few green, flaming bolts. Its aim, however, was truly atrocious, the rounds wildly flying off in all directions. It seemed to be hysterical, shouting "It's gonna kill us!" in near-perfect English (a fun little "ploy" by one of the programmers of the simulation, no doubt) as it tried to get away. Natalie moved too quickly, however, taking her knife and plunging it into the lines going from the Unggoy's breather pack to its mask and - subsequently - the base of the small creature's neck. Gases and blood vented from the small alien as Nat pulled the dying body back behind her, retrieving her knife before throwing it at one of the other Grunts. The blade stuck in its forearm, which made it squeal in pain as it dropped its weapon - a Covenant-issued Needler with a fully-loaded reserve. The Spartan sprung forward, bringing her shotgun to bear and discharging two rounds into her wounded foe before aiming it to her left and taking out the remaining enemy with another round. The Zealot, with its gleaming golden armor contrasted by its dark skin and glowing red eyes, let out a rage-filled bellow before drawing his energy sword and attempting to close the distance between them. Natalie was moving forward just as quickly, her unrelenting attack now letting her shift her weight into a rolling maneuver. As she came into contact with the ground, her arm swept up the Needler. Coming out of the roll, she proceeded to open fire on the charging Elite and succeeded in pelting the Sangheili with over a half dozen bright pink shards of highly-volatile energy crystals. With the activated crystals being in such close proximity, the energy began to coalesce in a fiery, explosive reaction of crystal and gas. The "Pink Death", the soldiers tended to call it. The Zealot, now totally-spent after being assailed in such a display, was thrown to the ground wailing, grasping at its flayed-open chest in its death throes.*

*Natalie tossed down the Needler as she came to a kneeling position, leveling her shotgun and scanning the room to make sure that it was, indeed, clear of all hostile forces. Her voice echoed out over the com channel.*

Nat: ::"Room's clear. You have eyes on anyone?"::

*Aubrey moved further in, executing a precision three-point check before bringing his weapon around behind him and backing towards the position where Natalie knelt. His thick New Zealander accent shouted out over the comms.*

Bray: ::"Negative! Objective reached! All hostiles neutralized and accounted for."::

*Kase was impressed with his team's ability to handle the situation, even at half-strength. He moved forward to the holo-display, depressing a few switches that would activate comms from his end to broadcast through the entire holodeck as the simulation began powering down, turning the "facility" back into the large, empty black room with LED configurations strewn throughout it.*

Kase: "Excellent work, you two. I'm sorry to have to break up the party, but we have new orders. Stow your gear, but keep your skins on and meet us on E-deck. We're heading up to meet the Admiral."

*He received a pair of affirmatives in the form of "Yes, sir!" It wasn't long before the whole of Fireteam VERITAS met up, each of them now without their helmets and sporting their natural look. Aubrey had the look of a rough-and-tumble Aussie, with his sandy-blonde hair, natural tan and blue-green eyes. His square jaw and pronounced cheekbones truly framed his features as though he were hewn from stone, sculpted and fashioned after one of the Greek gods. He kept his hair short-clipped. It always looked stylized, even after being in a helmet for several hours. Chalk that up to good genetics, Kase supposed. Natalie was the one member of the group who had naturally-long brown hair. With her performance results being as good as they were, there weren't many among the brass who would be willing to cite things like "regulation" to her. Due to her personal choice, she elected to wear the Spartan-issued wetsuit hood to keep her hair from being an issue. The fibermesh weave framed her face and covered her ears, showing just her prominent facial features, as well as her deep blue eyes. The ocular implants she displayed gave an eerie cybernetic look to them, but it was still elegant and serene, much like the woman herself.*

Bray: "What's the story, Major? Do we know where we are yet?"

*Kase shook his head.*

Kase: "Not enough information. All we know is that it's Earth. But we can't be sure which Earth - if that makes any sense."

Eva: "Given the lack of Created presence in the system, I think we're stretching the limits of what's 'possible', at this point."

*Evangeline was the team's sniper and infiltration specialist. She was originally from New Mombasa, but shipped out to the colonies at a young age. The French-Polynesian accent never left her, though.*

Kase: "Regardless, we've been asked to report to the Admiral on the main bridge at this time."

Bray: "The Admiral? Didn't realize we warranted such an audience."

Eva: "We do...since our 'team captain' just got promoted to Commander of Spartan Operations for the entire ship."

*All eyes darted to Kase, who stood looking at Eva with a furrowed brow. How she tended to come across her info was something that he had every intent of questioning her about.*

Kase: *Looking to the others of the team now* "We're late. I'll fill you guys in on the way up. Let's move, VERITAS."

*He strode off in the direction of the nearest lifts that would get them to a transport station. Given that the ship was several kilometers long, trying to get to the bridge on foot would have taken a considerable amount of time.*

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*As the Fireteam approached the bridge through the attaching corridor, the doors slid open, and Kase could hear the message squawking over the bridge's loudspeakers. The group quickly made their way to the situation deck, where the Admiral stood pouring over the conference-style holotable that held multiple displays of varying information; ranging from the 3D sonogram whose pattern matched that of the message being displayed, a TACMAP of - what Kase assumed to be - the area from which the message originated, as well as several open windows displaying UNSC resources ranging from ships to vehicles, and a window displaying Spartan-IVs in their armor. Upon closer inspection, Kase recognized the armor configurations to match that of his own Fireteam. Apparently, they were to be involved in whatever countermeasure the Admiral was looking to employ. The Major didn't want to assume too much, however, so he decided to wait to hear what the Admiral had to say.**The group approached the table, stopping short and falling in at attention. Kase was the first to offer a salute, to which the others quickly followed. The Admiral returned the salute, and then began to address the group.*

Adm. Gauss: "Major, Fireteam VERITAS, welcome to the party." *He motioned for them to join him at the table, and waited for them to move around and look at the information presented.* "I assume you've informed your team of recent developments, Major?"

*The rest of the team turned to look at Kase, nodding. Kase also offered a nod to the Admiral directly.*

Kase: "Aye, sir. I briefed them en route."

Adm. Gauss: "Excellent. I suppose we can move forward, then." *He motioned to the display* "The area you're currently seeing is in the Americas, specifically the section of North America that we know as the United Republic of North America. Information is coming to us at this time, suggesting that this 'version' of Earth is both not in our time, and also not in our dimension...I am still attempting to wrap my head around it all, so if we can stick to the issue at hand, I'll continue."

*The Admiral received no retort to his statement, so he moved on.*

Adm. Gauss: "The political climate of this area suggests that it exists as the United States of America, circa 2019. The technology level is pre-space colonization, and they haven't yet attempted deep space exploration. Thus, we are operating under the assumption that our technology level far surpasses that of the current state of this world. We are currently compiling as much data as possible to support that conclusion, and to that end...Whitmore?"

*The hologram of the A.I. appeared on a small console adjacent to the table.*

Whitmore: "Yes, Admiral?"

Adm. Gauss: "Bring up all the video and images of the latest incidents being reported planet-side."

*Several displays began to light up, detailing the events surrounding Area 51 and what had happened in the skies and on the streets of Las Vegas. Everything from news footage to video leaked on local social media outlets. Apparently, there were several suits of armor that had mastered complex flight. They were capable of manipulating energy, too, and weaponizing it on a devastating scale. The news referred to one of the individuals as "War Machine", and said that the other flying suits were much like another person known as "Ironman". Regardless, the two of them were regarded as heroes, and the others were mostly being vilified due to their destructive nature and lack of concern for human life. There were other incidents mentioned elsewhere in the country and around the world, more of the "portals" showing up here and there. The world was flush with chaos, and even the "Eternity" itself was considered to be a contributor to that. The vessel was being shown in photographs, likely from some sort of observatory telescope.*

Adm. Gauss: "What you're seeing has just been reported over the last few days. We have been monitoring the planet, and just over the last six hours, we've seen energy fluctuations that rival the power of some of the 'Eternity's' weapon systems. We deployed UCAV resources to the sites-in-question executing stealth protocols, and they were able to get detailed footage of the suits in action while they were fighting over the city known as 'Las Vegas'. This reckless display of power endangered many members of the civilian population there in that city, and devastated several sections of the infrastructure there. Then, based on other footage we've come across, we determined that one of the suits managed to broadcast the emergency message that you're hearing over the loudspeaker right now. It seemed to happen while the individual in that suit had the upper hand during that battle. We're still attempting to determine what the message means by 'Republic' and 'Arkanian' -- no information given to us by our current surveillance matches any organizations going by those sole monikers. However, it was made apparent to us that the individual controlling this suit was working to minimize casualties while taking on the other individual shown...here--" *He indicated the Harvester-style suit* "--which seems to be the actual problem. UCAVs were able to watch the end of the fight, where the larger suit apparently calls in reinforcements in these armored vehicles - which apparently employ some sort of anti-grav technology - and they seem to employ some sort of electro-static field to trap the smaller suit."

*Kase moves in closer, using one of the small control dials in the holo-display to cycle the footage backward and forward, displaying the moment when the field was employed, and also when the Harvester unit walked up and ripped out the power core. He was really interested in what the suit did after the power core was removed, as its outer "shell" seemed to slink back into the suit itself. He wondered if that was some sort of nanotechnology powered by the suit, or if it was something else entirely...*

Kase: "Sir, did you notice that?"

Adm. Gauss: "What? The 'skin'? Yes, we thought it was odd. It almost seemed biological in nature. We are realizing now that there is a lot we don't know about this planet. It's not our Earth, for sure. But we aren't going to get any closer to the answers waiting to see how things unfold. To that end...Major?"

*Kase snapped to attention.*

Kase: "Sir!"

Adm. Gauss: "I am currently authorizing Fireteam VERITAS to execute a S.A.R. mission to retrieve the individual that was sending out that broadcast. You will report to Captain Montrose aboard the UNSC Strident-class frigate 'Aequitas' -- currently being prepped for a ground-based op that your team will carry out. The target for this op is currently being held in this--" *He depresses a flashing icon on the holodisplay, which shifts the TACMAP to another section of the map, looking over an abandoned military base.* "--facility. A decommissioned ammo dump that has been occupied by unknown forces. Their armor configurations are unlike anything that we have seen, with the exception of some sort of science fiction movies. We will forward all relevant intel to the 'Aequitas' -- the methods and operational strategy, strike packages and ordnance, we will leave entirely to you, Major Veracruz. Do you understand your orders as you have received them?"

Kase: "Sir, yes sir! Requesting permission to utilize UNSC personnel, sir."

Adm. Gauss: "Of course. You will have full utilization of your Fireteam, and I'm authorizing ODST Spec Ops for your use, as well. If things get too hairy, you can request backup at any time. We need to keep the remainder of the Spartan Corps aboard ship, for the time being, though. I trust you believe your team can handle this assignment?"

Kase: "Yes sir!"

Adm. Gauss: "Good. Fireteam VERITAS, you are dismissed! Good hunting!"

*Kase and company offered their salute to the Admiral once more, and then turned on their heel to fall out and execute their assignment.**Making their way down to the Strident-class hangars, they prepared themselves for the zero-grav transfer along the tether to the "Aequitas". The ships themselves were docked inside the ventral portion of the "Eternity", facing - what was effectively considered - downward from the vessel's belly. Thus, the transfer from one ship to another would be like switching from walking on the floors to walking on the walls when the gravity changed from ship-to-ship. It was always a little unsettling to Kase at first, but he had gotten used to the exchange over the years. Helmets on now, the Spartans gripped the mag-line's handle. It was a dual-railed track going either way, so the transfer would have to be staggered to avoid people crashing into one another when the handle would change positions. As they approached the other side, Kase felt his body's weight shifting positions, the effect of the vessel's grav generators kicking in. Letting go a little early, Kase allowed his suit's directional boosters to help guide him down safely to the airlock's "floor". Once his mag-boots held him firmly in place, he moved forward to the airlock's bulkhead, waiting for the rest of his team to join him there before beginning to cycle the doors. As the doors slid open, the team was greeted by two lines of soldiers, standing and saluting at attention. In the midst of them stood a man in his Navy ACUs, his rank insignia marking him as the Captain. He had dark hair, golden eyes, youthful features, and a cocksure grin that seemed to fit his face perfectly. Beside him was his XO, a young woman with golden hair tied back in a tight bun, dressed in the same style of ACUs, but she had her cover (hat) on. On approach, Kase greeted the Captain with a salute. It was returned, but the Captain also reached out his hand to shake the Major's as he introduced himself.*

Cpt. Montrose: "Major, welcome aboard. I'm Captain Aedon Montrose, and this is my XO, Lieutenant Rockbell. We are at your disposal, Major."

*The team removed their helmets, setting them to their sides as Kase introduced them.*

Kase: "You have my gratitude, Captain. I'm Major Kase Veracruz, and this is my fireteam - First Lieutenant Evangeline Sovalyev, Second Lieutenants Aubrey Vincent and Natalie Mitchell. I guess we need to get this show on the road, eh?"

Cpt. Montrose: *Nods* "Yes, indeed." *He turns, taking a step and gesturing for Kase and company to come along.* "I'll be honest, Major - I wasn't expecting to be sent on a Vanguard op this soon. I'd actually prefer it if my intel came with a little more...well, intel. There's still a lot we're not sure of."

Kase: "I share your concerns, Captain, believe me. If the Admiral didn't believe this asset worth the retrieval, I'd be hard-pressed to put my Spartans and our soldiers in harm's way. But, if things go as planned, we won't need to be worried for too long."

Cpt. Montrose: "Speaking of which - I've seen the strike package you've requested. The Prowler's on board, and the Pelicans are prepped and ready with their respective packages. Care to go over your plan with me before we head out?"

Kase: "I wouldn't have it any other way, sir. Let's get to the situation room and I'll tell you all about it."

*The group would then head to the top decks of the ship, and the prep would take the better part of the hour before Kase believed everyone was apprised of their roles. Once all assets were on board and secured, the "Aequitas" would launch soon after, heading down planet-side to begin Operation: WANDERLUST.*

Hyperspace. Always boring. At least the Miraluka had his droid to talk to. They were on a more personal mission though. Kalic's Y-Wing had picked up on some strange transmissions that he couldn't quite make out, so the mercenary decided to go investigate, much to the annoyance of his droid. Whistle came from the astromech, which just made the pilot sigh.

"Yes, I'm sure ya bucket of bolts. Could be some kind of distress call." Some more whistling came before he sighed again. "I get it! It could be a trap, or maybe nothing, but who knows, could be good credits." The droid let out a few more whistles, seeming to relent. At least until they exited hyperspace to see a temperate world with two other spacecraft in orbit. Two he didn't recognize.

"Poodoo! Jee, tell me you can ID those ships?" The droid let out a series of whistles, making Kalic worried. "Great.... No clue who they are, and they seem to be heading towards the planet. Would be nice to come across something not wanting to kill us at least."