User:Ahalosniper/In-Character Dialogues

Kodiak dropped down into the shadows under the city streets, and offered a hand to help Erin down. Her black MJOLNIR armor landed next to him and she immediately scanned their surroundings. Under the colony ran a network of drainage tunnels and access corridors kept out of plain sight that now provided the UNSC's ground forces with a bit of discretion. Stepping out of the light from the manhole and leaving Dyne and Mirage Team to guard above, the blue glow of computer monitors emanated from a chamber just ahead of them, the hidden command post they'd been looking for. Taking the lead, Kodiak stepped into the room first, taking stock of the material, and more importantly people, that had assembled here.

He was met with the sound of three weapon safeties clicking and the sound of metal moving through air at a high speed. Kodiak smiled as he put his hands up.

"Take it easy, we're human." he spoke as the three weapons (a Battle Rifle, a Shotgun, and an SMG, he noted) remained leveled at his face. One of the three in the room signaled the others that it was safe to drop guard, and walked up to Kodiak and Coney. Looking him up and down, Kodiak noted that the figure was wearing a set of MJOLNIR Mk. V(b) plate, with a Commando base and several odd additions. Amongst the others, Kodiak noted with interest that the SPARTAN had heavily wrist armor, and had a bandolier of magazines looped around his chest.

Depolarizing his visor, Kodiak greeted the SPARTAN. "Sam. Been awhile."

Sam-G019's blue faceplate cleared as he met Kodiak's eyes. Sam and Marcus-G228 had been squadmates with what became Ion in their time on Onyx, and believed each other dead in augmentations. In the years since, their paths had crossed many times, but not often enough. A smile came to Sam's scarred face. "Sorry for the warm welcome, but we've had the entire undercity on lockdown so the Flood can't use it. We're still being careful." He glanced confused at first at Erin, but when she revealed her face Sam seemed to accept it without questioning it. "How did you get here? Gibson said we wouldn't see reinforcement for days more."

"We were already on the way for other reasons." Kodiak said, debating whether to tell him as he had with Gibson. He silently berated himself for hesitating, Sam had a right to know all this, but it would have to wait. "What does the situation look like against the Flood?"

Sam shrugged, an awkward gesture with his large shoulder armor. "Well, the 11/6 and the Militia are currently dug in a-"

Suddenly the radio sqwuaked. "This is Staff Sergeant Derek Marin. Royal Lead, do you read?" Sam moved towards the radio, and picked up the handset. "Royal Lead, Marin. What's your status, soldier." A stacatto burst of gunfire cut through the link. "We are pulling out. The Flood have cut through our line, and we are falling back. If you have any more tricks up your sleeve, I suggest you pull out the stops."

Sam cursed. He had hoped for more time before the line broke. "Affirmative, soldier. Fall back and regroup at the museum. Anything else?" The line was quiet for a time, as if Marin was wondering what to say. "Actually, I was hoping your medical expert could take a look at one of my men. He's seriously hurt and we are scraping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to supplies at this point." Sam nodded, even though the marine wouldn't see it. "All right. She'll be waiting at the museum. Royal One, out. Good luck." Without a word, a female SPARTAN in a set of EVA plate, who Kodiak recognized as Lyn, slipped out of the chamber.

Hanging up the receiver, Sam stood silent for a moment. As if alerted by the quiet, Marcus turned around and nodded to Kodiak, just as glad to see each other. Looking back to Sam, Kodiak asked, "Museum, what museum?"

"The back-up plan." Sam answered. He faced the others and continued, "The Phoenix-class colony ship that carried people in to recolonize, the Adamant, was decommissioned and put on display. It's been well maintained, thanks to some dedicated people, and could be capable of lifting off with the last of the civilians aboard. But I've held out on trying it because we aren't sure it will work, and with so many civilians in one area as they get aboard, it's going to attract the Flood's attention."

Erin's mind caught on one phrase. For the first time, she got a good look at the oak leaf insignia of a Lieutenant Commander on Sam's armor. "How did you become an officer, Sam?" she asked, for the first time speaking up.

Sam shrugged. "You know yourself. The idea behind Squad Royal is to create a repacement for Noble Team. Guess the rank came with being lead. Just like Carter, Lieutenant." The fact that Sam had referred to Coney by rank came as a shock to Kodiak, Dyne, and especially Erin, considering he now had rank as an excuse. Even Marcus looked at Sam quizzically from behind his GUNGNIR helmet.

Suddenly a piercing howl came from the back of the chamber, behind a row of moniters. Sam and Marcus remained at ease, but the other three all brought up their weapons. "What the hell-?" Kodiak began, as Sam strode over behind the moniter bay. The others followed, and were greeted by a harrowing sight. A Sangheili - Special Operations. by his armor configuration - was strapped to an operation table. Mere inches from his face, an Infection Form was suspended in the air. It was clearly an interrogation.

Kodiak was stunned. The Elite had the lower half of his left leg gone, probably a sniper round. Noticing the glances, Sam explained, "I was scouting the area for any Flood forms when I found this creep skulking around. Put a round in his leg after he failed to respond to recognition words, and dragged him over here."

"You're keeping live Flood specimens?" Kodiak hissed, hand going to his pistol, but refrained from drawing it immediately.

"That wasn't my decision." Sam said evenly, watching him. "Gibson relayed encrypted orders straight from ONI. They want something to study. And when these Elites left us to the infection, I thought the threat of payback might be a good way to get something useful out of him."

"I can't believe anyone in the Office would disregard the directives like this . . ." Erin murmured. Sam's gaze turned to her.

"Actually, the directives dealing with Flood allow for study. Since you would know a bit more about them than we do, I was hoping you might have shed some light on it."

Her head shook slowly, distraught, remaining intent on the writhing infection form. "Study meant through recordings and first-hand accounts, it was never intended to apply to live specimens. I thought we'd learned after coming that close to destruction . . ."

From where he lay, the Sangheili coughed purple blood and gazed at them, his race's legendary valor having given way to pleading. "Please," it said in strained human speech, "give me a quick, and honorable death. I cannot be tainted by the infection."

Sam removed his helmet, and smiled sweetly at the Sangheili. "But my friend, that's the point. Tell me what I want to know and you will get your 'honorable' death. If you don't, we'll research how long a Sangheili can be infected before his vitals give out. I think that would be very interesting." Kodiak was horrified. This was a side to Sam that he had never seen before, or even thought existed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that even Marcus was distressed.

Sam continued. "Now. I am going to say this very clearly, and I want you to think very hard before answering. Why are you here, and why are you hostile?"

"Dishonor, shame at every turn!" he looked desperately at his captors, but Sam showed no signs of relenting. He spoke in a shameful tone, the words mutilated by the Split-lip's mandibles. "Know only this, your kind deserves nothing more than to have the infection destroy your souls, and take possession of your bodies, you and your heretic allies. We will yet light the path, and leave this world to its doom. Coming here we have taken the last step to becoming the instruments of your destruction before we achieve our salvation!"

Sam backed off to allow the Sangheili a better view of the Flood form. "That wasn't my question, was it?"

"He's part of a faction that still believes in the Great Journey." Kodiak broke in. He wasn't sure if he was doing it for the Elite, or to keep from seeing any more of this new Sam. "Something they're doing here they believe will bring them closer to starting it, somehow."

Sam remained intent on the Sangheili. "Okay then, one question down. But just who is your leader? A Prophet? An Elite?"

"You aren't even worthy to speak his name, the last Prophet, Hierarch of Redemption!"

Though horrified by the method, Kodiak had to know, the Elite he'd encountered on that frozen world. "Who is the one in emerald armor?"

"Our Pathfinder, Vract 'Aeramee. And aided by the gilded Seraph, you will be powerless to stop them."

Sam's frustration gave way to anger. "What Seraph? Why doesn't your kind just make sense!"

He broke the restraints and released the infection form. As the Sangheili screamed in horror, it dug into his flesh seeking to control it. Sam turned away, and Kodiak had only enough time for his jaw to drop before Erin fired twice. The pale green creature's flesh burst like a balloon, and it soon stopped moving. The Elite lay dead on the table, purple blood oozing from the bullet hole in his skull.

The barrel of Erin's M6/SOCOM glowed softly, wisps of smoke leaving it. Sam looked at her briefly, but she returned his hard glance.

"I forgot just how much I hate zealots. They never give you a straight answer." Sam ran a hand over his dark brown hair streaked with gray that had set in far too early. "Kodiak, you seem to know something about this. What did he mean by Seraph?"

He wasn't sure, but he had a good guess. Kodiak exhaled deeply, what he had to tell him wouldn't be easy. "Look, about Sepia-"

"Don't bring it up, Kodiak." Sam said, closing his eyes. "I've made peace with it."

"She's alive, Sam." The SPARTAN's head spun towards Kodiak and froze. He searched Kodiak's helmet, suspicious of his friend being involved in some cover-up that had caused him so much pain. "The gilded Seraph . . . is a demon. It's her, at least I think."

(Have Sam react to it as he would, and feel free to modify what I just added, but leave off with Sam wanting to capture and help (psychologically) Sepia. I want to have Dyne come in and start that conflict with Sam between whether to kill or save her.)