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Taking two very slow, very solid deep breaths, he opened his eyes. Compassionate, worry-sewn blue orbs stared at him from a mirror on the wall, clouding into interesting green colored windows to his soul. "We face an enemy like we have never known before." The particularly handsome man chuckled, turning to face his companions.
Seated about his vicinity, two others remained impassive, stone-faced and generally acting as if they had two-by-fours shoved into their anuses. A third ruthlessly plucked another shrimp from the hovering tray that was so conveniently caught between the crossfire. "So, beat more meat than we've ever eaten before." This one smirked, having just swallowed his hard-earned delicacy. "Sounds simple enough, Syidu."

Everyone pointedly ignored his insubordination, less-than-presentable appearance and obviously pathetic attempt at humor. "Our main problem is," The first man continued. "That we don't know exactly how much space needs to be covered. Halo Installation 007 should contain every chart or map we need. Complication: Another faction native to this area is already en-route. Though we're a few galaxies away, we should be able to catch up about one hour after they arrive. That puts our ETA at twenty-four renegade hours."

Jaeden'Suel nodded, waving away an empty (though still covered with shrimp waste) hovering tray, and composed himself. "Basically meaning they have time to flick our safeguards' off switches."
Some muffled laughter followed Jaeden's remark.

"What?" He spoke this softly, perplexed. It showed on his face, too, Syidu clearly saw.
"Your pet dog gets smarter and smarter every day." Wing-Lord Isura jested in her usual sarcastic tone.

To this, one falsely named 'pet dog' casually leaned back in his chair and made no move to contradict her statement. Pointedly ignoring them both, Syidu, obviously their superior, resumed his briefing. "General analysis places their capabilities, to put things in simple terms, like taking ballistic weapons to bows and arrows. We go in guns blazing. Head to head, after an inter-system cruise missile salvo intended to take down thirty one vessels."
Two nods. His lifelong friend was committed. Good. As usual there remained a single factor that needed to be cleverly woven into the cause for his plan to succeed. Void-Lord Carab with his virtuous, fierce golden eyes of unforgiving by-book logic would need appeasing. Syidu intended said giving, for something in return. He'd never really liked Carab, he was useful, nothing more. Not Syidu's weak link; he was strong, a good soldier, but he was damn well caught up in procedure. It oftentimes made his head hurt if he thought too much about Carab. Making no effort at concealing his naked frown, Syidu listened. "Why so much emphasis on one ship?"

"Something about this vessel is unique. Way too far ahead of its time, I think." He replied, regarding his new dilemma and pondering, seeming lost in thought before Carab replied.

"I'm sorry Syidu but I'm not willing to commit this warship to some shit-crusted excuse for legitimate mission basis. We've to get home, yes. We do not destroy an entire alien fleet, possibly altering history's course, to ensure secure, untouched navigational data." Laid bare, not leaving out rude, plain and in usual holier-than-thou, the Void-Lord had just relieved him of his duty. He'd expected that to happen eventually, but not so soon. The rebuke actually caught him off guard and in obscure corners. Luckily, unlike Carab, Syidu could adapt. "What authority, Void-Lord?"


Smugly flaunting his rights, the morale boosting new Ship's Lord voiced his droning thoughts, quoting standard law. Grudgingly he had to accept that Carab was right after all. Maybe his proposed mission really was insane. Jaeden and Isura certainly weren't complaining. That didn't mean they were agreeing with their companion. "Very well, circumstantial Overseer Carab. I give the stage to you." He slid into his own chair, watching the other arise.

Face glowing ember red, Jaeden bolted straight like a steel pole. "You can't just demote him!"
"I can and I will, Forerunner. All accounts not mistaken, you shouldn't even be present. Be thankful you currently draw breath." His friend's jaw dropped, and hung there for some time before he managed to seat himself. If Syidu never liked him before, he knew he certainly didn't like him now. He found himself liking Carab less with every passing moment he outlined his 'Ascendant' plans. Syidu picked at each detail, finally clamping down on exactly what he needed. "Ship-Lord Carab, Ascendant was destroyed by Renegade Spartans. No plausible factor can prevent that."

His nemesis curtly addressed him. "Silence!" Carab paused. "You three disgust me. Do not speak until either you're spoken to, or I've concluded my briefing. Furthermore, for your complete disregard of proper directives, your pay is being docked. Jaeden'Suel, you are mere fractions from public execution. This briefing is adjourned. Dismissed."

Syidu nodded to Jaeden'Suel, who nodded to Isura. Who glanced at Carab, then to the door. Carab moved to vacate. As one, three grim, stone-faced soldiers drew their side arms and took aim. Syidu fired first; followed by Jaeden. On reflex, Carab drew his own weapon but was far too late, causing his round to strike the roof of the chamber. Isura fired last, her round directly into the wall behind her two male companions. Gurgling wetly, eyes bulging out, Carab opened his mouth, attempting to speak, apparently. He was never able to ensure the words freedom. His intestines had spilled out. He looked at them, then looked at Syidu. Tried to anyway, had he not been pleading for his life and drowning in his own bile.

Looking somewhat sick, he holstered his weapon and glanced toward Jaeden. "We killed him..." He laughed. "We, actually killed him." It was as if he was sliding through some corporeal tunnel, not quite himself but not quite not himself either. Death was sweet, an aphrodisiac. He took one solid whiff of the air and noted his tingling skin.
"He fired first." Isura remarked.
"I concur. Alert our brethren, I now reinstate myself acting Ship-Lord."

Jaeden snickered. "Better watch the viewing device."
He swore. It was obvious to anyone how much of a stupid slip-up they'd just-

"Don't worry, Carab's round punched through it, disk in all, fate does exist, hey?"

He shook his head and stepped into the corridor as if it was just any other normal day. If it could be called that... dimensions and stars accounted for, you really couldn't tell whether day or night was day or night. Regardless, his stride was confident but not too cocky. Crewmen looked up to him with respect. He looked with respect in turn. Everywhere he walked, no matter common protocol he got a crisp, sharp salute and a hearty "Officer on the deck!"
He would get them home. But first, they had a job to do.

Syidu patched into an internal communications net. "Set course to objective Alpha. Has the Ravager completed her mission?"
The comm. Officer's reply was careful, but in a clear and certain manner. "Ship-Lord sir, they're still on route to Summer- Aye, aye sir, relaying orders and setting course for Alpha objective."

He broke his link and turned to find his friend at his back. Quickly he made the most of this occurrence. "Follow me." They soon found themselves inside the astronomy sector, gazing out at a massive star chart. They were plotting courses, but this wasn't why Syidu had brought Jaeden here. His friend knew things that he didn't and often put his mind well at ease in any situation. He was good at that. "So, we're on our way then. I'd hoped it would be a little less bloody. Less catastrophic." He began, his lips slipping into a quick smile. "They always said I was a liability."

Jaeden took his time in response. "You're thinking about her, aren't you?" Damn. Syidu could remember every last minute from that fated morning. Zeira had never forgiven his lapse of ability, though she never made any note to speak of it, he could tell from every wary glance she gave him. She'd loved him, yes. She loved him still, but there was always an underlying distaste. Jaeden was his constant factor now. His undying support; Syidu was glad to have him for a friend. "Who?" He asked, perplexed.
His friend gave him that damned look. Disappointment... he took a picture from his pocket, a picture Syidu had given him, and turned it on, floating a holographic display. "This is why you're really here, you know."

Syidu looked away, blinking. "Don't put that near me, Jaeden." Things may have been going fast-paced, his thoughts may have been blinking in and out much too fast to count, but in between trying to control his emotions and reactions after the death of one of his own at his hands!
He didn't want any more stress on his shoulders than necessary. "What, this?" Jaeden persisted, weaving in closer to his face. "Face it, old friend. You may be thinking far too much, far too fast for your own good. Do you even know why we raided that research complex and did what we did? Could it be that you were hoping to set things right, change history?"

No. Now he was just being an idiot. "Could be, but it isn't." He replied quite methodically. "Look, this whole thing is nothing more than a damn accident, no mission planning could've foreseen the factors we encountered. Get off my case, I need to breathe, and you won't let me do that."

Syidu kept a close watch on his friend, who was content with a frown and the rather simple phrase of: "I want to meet this kid of yours."

"Too bad we're a few hundred years in past tense." He laughed. "Fits, doesn't it?"
"Not really. When it comes to fitting things, time warp isn't my favorite subject. Too busy thinking 'This is some briefing we bothered to attend' and 'boy, oh, boy, how fast are things proceeding?' Between your attitude, the not so grand plans of the late Carab who died so conveniently, your orders to the bridge... I'm wondering how we managed to accomplish it in say, oh, five minutes flat without getting confused. I can't help but think we're going to have trouble sleeping tonight..."

"...do you remember that time back in infantry grounds when we crept off and stole food to feed everyone who didn't eat?" Syidu queried. They had been incredibly young at the time... perhaps why he never remembered it.

"No." Jaeden shook his head. "Because you stole a hand grenade and used it to blow half of second unit's barracks off."
"Oh." That one seemed more accurate. Honestly Syidu didn't mind; his thoughts were on other, more important things. Slipping from a very high cliff into thundering oceans below, in fact. Drowning in memories and emotions. Strangely enough he actually wanted to drown. Didn't even consider grabbing hold of the lifesaver mere inches away. "Well, it is rather simple. I've got goals and you have someone you want to support. Haste and efficiency is natural, don't you think?"

Laughing, his friend twitched one pointed, very elf-like ear (an unofficially recognized talent) and clapped him on the shoulder. "You really should get out more." They both knew they were still in shock, but neither was accustomed to fainting, so they passed it off with humor.

"How? I'm trapped in here with you, dunce."
"Your turn to tell me something. Our ETA..."
"Just over Twenty Two hours."
"If I can accurately construct our mission scenario before One Hour remaining, you owe me some spirits."
"Deal. Get cracking. Got all the time in Halo's gravity well..."

Giggling like little schoolboys watching Daddy's 'private stash', the two lifelong buddies began to construct a more in-depth battle plan.

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