Going Dark

Black skies and sharp winds. Lashing rain and ear shattering thunder, and at the center of it all sat a metal husk, perforated with holes and sheared sections of titanium glinting under the lightening. Under the darkness of the storm, twelve figures stalked through the wreckage, the only thing visible being the icy blue around their eyes.

“Command this is Foxtrot Actual, Teams 1 and 2 have infiltrated the AO, beginning search”

“Copy that Fox Actual, maintain radio silence until objective is complete”

“Copy, Foxtrot Actual to all units, going dark”

Silence descended once again as the men cut their way into the derelict halls of the ship, the only light present being the red glow of the emergency lighting. As they stepped through, the light revealed a sight not many would expect, six men clad in immaculate, grey, two piece suits stepped into the red lighting, their eyes shielded behind a pair of ice blue glasses. However the silenced SMG's they carried quickly brought the nature of their mission back into focus.

One week ago reports came in that a ship, carrying one of the prototypes of Rancor Defense Technologies defensive weapon systems, had lost contact over the colony of Sarcon, a known Insurrectionist hot spot. Rather than get the UNSC or ONI involved the decision was made to send in the Enforcers, RDT’s military trained security division agents.

The mission was simple, find the prototype and destroy it. But the weather had other plans which resulted in enforcer squads Foxtrot-1 and 2 being caught in the midst of a maelstrom which boomed over head as they stalked through the hallways, the only other sounds being dull footsteps and the creaking of metal in the harsh winds.

“Eyes up, T-hall, three each side, advance together” one of the men said, no doubt the leader, as the team split in half and moved down the hall covering each other, the other six having gone their own way.

As they inched down the hall they began to hear voices cutting through the outside noise.

“I don’t give a shit what you have to do to get it out of that hole, Just. Do. It. The second this storm clears up there’s gonna be UNSC on us and I am NOT, letting this haul go” the unknown figure boomed before stomping away.

The set of footsteps inched down the right side of the hall towards the team who stopped in their tracks and crouched in place.

As each step became louder than the last one of the enforcers took out a knife and waited around the corner, but suddenly the footsteps stopped as the whole floor shook sending one of the them tumbling forward and into sight of  the scavenger. He let out a strangled cry as his jaw was broken and then had a knife jammed into it; but the damage was done, several voices along with a thunderous chorus of footsteps came from all around the team as cries of ‘What happened’, ‘Who the hell was that’ echoed down the halls.

“Hatch now” The team leader whispered as he pointed to a service hatch just ahead of them.

The team hurried forward, opening the hatch and climbing down into the partially flooded service tunnel, sealing the door behind them as the thunderous chorus of footsteps come to a halt above them.

“Fox Actual this is Fox-2-1, most of the crew cleared out, we’re taking the chance to place the charges” came the muffled voice of the other team leader as the radio was covered.

“Quiet!” a voice boomed overhead

A gentle rustling shattered the piercing silence and lead the team leader to look up through the floor grating as the corpse above them was rolled over and studied by one of the scavengers. In the damp, darkness of the maintenance hall  his blue glasses stood in sharp contrast to the red light coating the figure. The brief moment stretched for what felt like ages as ft it seemed like their eyes may meet.

The tense moment was shattered by the gruff exhalation from the figure as he stood back up.

“Looks like we have company, find them! First one to find em gets another 10 thousand credits” he boomed as the others surrounding him began darting down the halls.

The team let out a collective breath as the radio once again crackled to life.

“Foxtrot Actual this is Foxtrot 2-1, charges are set on the objective, waiting on you”

“You heard ‘em, hustle” the leader boomed as they skulked through the tunnel, their figures disappearing into the dark and all that remained was the chilling blue of their eyes.

---

“I’m just sayin, why come all the way out here to take get at some wrecked ship”

‘“I don’t know, but someone killed that guy, shit you saw his jaw right?”

“Yeah I g-”

The scavenger gets cut short as a hand cover his mouth and a blade is driven into his chest. Before the other can turn to look all he hears is the muffled sound of a gun firing as he drops dead.

Pulling the body around the corner the enforcer nods to his teammates as they file around the corner and give conformations of ‘Clear’ as they move through the room.

“Right on the warhead, we can’t risk having to come back” the team leader says as the others place charges on each of the warheads in the large room, the words ‘Ammunition’ barely visible on the doorway.

“Charges set, moving out” another one of the enforcers announced as he set the last charge.

“Chariot-267 this is Foxtrot Actual, meet us at Rendezvous Charlie”

“On my way” Chariot responded

“Foxtrot 2-1 did you copy?”

“Moving now”

The team once again took to the maintenance tunnels, paying no mind to the numerous footsteps above them as they followed the waypoint to the broken end of the tunnel.

“Fuck, storm is interfering with the detonator. I can’t get a signal down here and we sure as hell won’t get one outside” one of the enforcers cursed the team stopped.

“The fuck do we do then” another enforcer asked

“We go loud” the team leader cut through.

The relative silence was quickly shattered as a hatch in the floor was violently flung open, the team of enforcers quickly climbing out and making a run towards the other end of the hall leading outside.

“Blowing charges!” one of them yelled over the booming thunder and rushing water as the ship violently shook and seemingly instantly began to crumble around them, pieces of metal and pipes falling from the ceiling.

“This is Chariot-267, arriving at the exfil now”

As the team sprinted down the last hall, just making out the Pelican in the rain at the end, a whole plethora of Scavengers turned the corner of the intersection ahead of them. Before they could shoot the scavengers were quickly taken down by a hail of bullets from the floor below them which itself was broken open revealing the men of Foxtrot-2.

“Go, Run!” One of them yelled as they ran down the hall, the men having to jump to clear the gap and enter the safety of the Pelican.

“Hold on” The pilot called back

The pelican immediately pulled away, hard, leaving its passengers to struggle with their footing as it climbed near vertically through the clouds, its hull illuminated by the fantastic explosions taking place beneath it.

“Command this is Foxtrot Actual, Mission is complete, heading home”