No Gods, Nor Masters

Render Unto Caesar

Tyuule looked upon the arriving UNSC force with a hint of concern. In the lead vehicle, Doctor Halsey and the Lieutenant had stopped dead in front of her, at the edge of the forest, then disembarked. Halsey took her glasses off, approaching Tyuule, and stared right into her eyes. The queen hummed, then spoke to Halsey in Latin, "I feel like I know why you asked for us, Doctor..."

"I would not be surprised. I am certain Shana must've reported... If the two missing teeth my Lieutenant gave her during last night's little raid didn't give it away," Halsey replied, still maintaining the same calm with which she and the woman had first begun their negotiations. Tyuule sighed, then looked back to see Shana being dragged forward by Delilah and another of her escorting Bunny Warriors.

Halsey hummed, "And there's the culprit..."

"Had we known what she was planning to do, Doctor, we would have stopped her, but she has been acting up lately." Tyuule explained, glaring at the tribal leader, "I don't know if she is trying to bring your people's wrath down upon us while we also face the ever-more-pressing Imperial demands, but I can assure you that we shall deal with her... Provided the Imperials will not kill us before that."

"We will hold you to that..." Halsey noted, "Is the Empire here?"

"Their envoys will come soon, yes..."

The Lieutenant continued to watch the exchange, glaring daggers at Shana while the others secured a perimeter. He didn't know what to think of the current situation, but he really wanted his lads back right now. Halsey, meanwhile, turned toward him and waved him forth. He sighed, then nodded to his team and marched up to the doctor, asking, "What happened, doc?"

"Take a team to Shana's village alongside Delilah. Retrieve our troops," She ordered, "It seems that queen Tyuule seeks our help... Shana has been causing them trouble with the Empire by stealing those merchantmen. I'll stay with the Queen and see when the Prince and his force arrives for discussions, perhaps try to talk him down and begin our own negotiations with him so we can go visit the Holy Hill..."

"I wish you luck on that one, doc. I'm gonna go get our boys back," He nodded, then racked the bolt of his assault rifle. He waved three of his soldiers forward:Rosie, Ikari and another female, just so that last evening's raiders don't try anything like yoinking them off the road. He was only here to get their four boys back. He promptly realized that they were probably fine.

Delilah looked over to him as they rolled forward, both of them somewhat tense while she dragged Shana along. She offered a slight smile to reassure him, which he took reluctantly and replied to. He sighed, then looked over to see Rosie grinning, her shotgun tightly gripped in her hands. He rolled his eyes, then readied himself and his MA40 as they approached the village.

Several of the girls immediately bowed apologetically, while others stared at the Marines with surprise. Another of them sat, gripping her side where a blood rag held her guts in place. The Lieutenant looked over to the new girl they'd brought with them, namely a Corpsman corporal by the name of Samantha, then tilted his head toward the wounded Bunny Warrior. She nodded, slinging her weapon onto her back and pulling out medical items.

Shana murmured something to Delilah, who was watching as the UNSC soldier spoke calmly in her own language to the wounded Warrior. Delilah replied, then looked to the Lieutenant and raised a brow. He hummed, then said, "She's a doctor. Healer. Shaman, if you will..." and he saw the last word caught the girl's attention. She nodded approvingly, while Shana seemed surprised, perhaps, at the fact that the ones whom she'd tried to kidnap, the ones she and her girls had nearly died to, were trying to help.