- Lieutenant Aiko Akiyama
ONI Research Facility, Everest, Himalaya system / August 31, 2549
Spartans. II's at that. No doubt the "special forces" operating in-system as mentioned by ONI. Lieutenant Akiyama was approached by the group's leader, Sierra-234, the number emblazoned on his breastplate in bold, white lettering, and after a curt introduction she joined the augmented super-solider in the emergency shelter.
The emergency shelter was designed to house a great number of people for an extended period, but following the Covenant attack only a handful had survived to make use of the refuge: twenty-seven scientists, engineers, and assorted personnel, including a fatigued janitor busying himself with a broom as if that alone would prevent the inevitable mental breakdown that already trembled his calloused hands. No security officers were present and likely had perished defending the facility. Sierra-234 explained to Akiyama that Green Team was on Lostwithiel shortly before the planet's glassing and had been rerouted to Everest to secure/destroy the experimental weapons platform currently in development at the ONI facility, a simple task for Spartans, but given the army of Covenant had been unable to do so without compromising the safety of the remaining VIP's and, rather embarrassingly, had found themselves worked into a corner. Regardless, Sierra-234 was optimistic that a solution would present itself given enough time but was appreciative nonetheless.
As the surviving personnel gathered for their exodus Akiyama made use of a terminal connecting the shelter to the radio antennae on the surface, allowing her to bypass the inconvenience of having communications with the Salt the Earth hindered by several dozen meters of solid rock. "This is Lieutenant Akiyama. Do you copy?"
"Affirmative," came the voice of Lieutenant Commander Mcrae which confirmed that the ship had thus far gone undetected.
Akiyama was brief when asked for a status update. "Three casualties and down another two guns. We have VIP's secured and have joined with Spartan Green Team for the time being."
"Spartans? ONI must be desperate,," Dawkins added with mild curiosity.
"We were in the neighborhood," said Sierra-234.
"The facility has been compromised," Akiyama continued. "Primary objectives will be accomplished, however, site demolition by conventional means will be impossible, more so once we commit. Suggestions?" A liberal amount of C-12 in key locations throughout the facility would be a potent enough force to leave behind a decently sized crater, as was originally the plan, but that would take time, and QUASAR lacked the manpower to effectively combat the Covenant longterm and so required a new stratagem.
The A.I. was quick to have an answer. "The facility is powered by a reactor not unlike that which is found aboard larger starships. A wildcat destabilization should level the facility quite nicely."
"Reactor shielding would keep it from going critical," Sierra-234 said.
"Then we break the shielding."
"Don't think we have a big enough hammer."
"Ah, but I do. A 600-ton tungsten slug should do the trick. Light the fuse, run away, and I bring the earth shattering kaboom. Between impact and the resulting explosion the facility will be rendered nonexistent with only minimal effort on your part. I have to make the orbital calculations, so consider yourselves lucky in that regard."
Akiyama, Sierra-234, and the surviving staff exited the emergency shelter after only being gone a few moments. The plan-of-action was quickly detailed: LYNCH would destabilize the reactor, RECTOR would escort the VIP's to a secondary hangar in the cave system, WYVERN and CADMUS would destroy the weapon. S-234, S-014, and S-070 would assist with each objective respectively. The BLACK Operatives and their Spartan allies would move fast to blitz the Covenant before the enemy could use its numbers advantage against them. As demonstrated by Corporal Montag minutes earlier the goal was shock and awe.
"Let's move out," Akiyama said after giving her orders.
LYNCH and Sierra-234 would find the reactor control room on the current level with the unassuming door unlocked and unguarded. Ensign Bradley was again tasked with doing the honors as the others took a defensive position, much as they had before, and like before there was little cover to be found, but unlike the wide concourse the entrance into the hallway was thin enough to present an easily controlled choke-point.
RECTOR and Sierra-014 and the twenty-seven noncombatants would retrace their steps down into the cave system. Another path would lead to a second hangar carved into the rock where a small Prowler was maintained for emergency situations, and unlike the Pelican LZ the area appeared more formal in its construction. The starship would need to be brought online and the area secured.
WYVERN, CADMUS, and Sierra-070 took the main elevator up into the facility. The experimental weapons platform was located in a secured auxiliary building across a testing area (essentially an open field on the northern end of the facility). Opposition would be stiff, insurmountable even, but with the Spartan taking point it was only a matter of killing everything in their way with ruthless efficiency. Crossing the open testing field would prove dangerous, but a vehicle bay would give them access to Warthogs and ATV's, and once the weapon was secured it could potentially be used against the Covenant as the enemy would doubtlessly converge on their location. It was then only a matter of heading back down to the LZ before the facility was leveled.
Overall, the mission was suicidal, but for QUASAR it was just another day at work.
