Halo Spotlight: Bounties

Hidden in Fell Justice's underworld, Miranda Talavera attends a gathering of bounty hunters at the behest of a mysterious host...

Fell Justice. Fifth planet of the Dara system and the most famous world on the frontier. A hole of scum and villainy unlike anywhere in the galaxy, covered by a thick veneer of gentile businesses and tourism.

Not unlike this gathering, thought Miranda.

And it was true. All around her in the small bar, bounty hunters of all shapes and sizes were gathered and waiting. Humans made up most of the rogues, ranging from well known to fairly new: Arthur Renaldo, The Reaper, Skovamol, the Long Eye Brothers. All of them and more eyed each other warily, their hands always within reach of their weapons. Several renegade Sangheili in battered armor spoke together in hushed tones, looking over at another group of their ilk who polished their guns as an Unggoy attended them. Several Jiralhanae mingled in and out of the crowd, the more controlled ones groping the passing waitresses while the rasher members tore apart a Yanme’e. Miranda saw a pair of Hunters crouching in a far corner with a lone Sangheili female and thought she even spied a pair of Yonhet shuffling through the shadows.

Whatever this is, it must be big, Miranda thought to herself, Takes a lot of balls to risk gathering a crowd like this.

Yet through all this, the group’s host still remained a mystery. While that wasn’t particularly odd for a mercenary assignment on Fell Justice, for one this size it was odd, a fact that was making the crowd anxious. But even as Miranda wondered this, the nearby monitor flared to life, gaining everyone’s attention.

“Greetings,” said the man who appeared before them on the monitor. “Apologies, comrades, for not appearing in person. I am preoccupied at the moment. But it is good to see this many of you gathered here.”

“And just who are you?” asked Skovamol in a raspy tone. Whether he was irritated or just speaking normally, Miranda wasn’t sure.

“Benoit Jutras,” replied the man, causing a quiet murmur among some of the bounty hunters. Miranda wondered what they knew about this man: his name seemed only mildly familiar to her.

“I’ve gathered you all here for a large, well paying assassination job, that much you know. Please know that due to my desire for secrecy, this is your last chance to bow out.” Not a single mercenary moved. “Then I shall continue: your mission is to assassinate the man known as Codename: ISTARI.”

More hushed murmurs quickly grew louder as the bounty hunters began discussing the issue with each other. Some of the Jiralhanae were grinning to each other at the ease of the mission, while the Sangheili nodded to each other. But Miranda wasn’t buying it. “So what’s the catch? Why do you need so many of us?”

“Because,” Jutras said, “he’ll be surrounded by Spartans”