When Destiny Burns, Ep. 2 A Halo and Inheritance Cycle Crossover [Discontinued]

Chapter 18.1 Narrow Views pt. 2

"He needs a full psychiatric rehabilitation, not a pat on the head! Even Spartans can't handle that kind of stress and trauma!"

"With respect Miss Sunfield, his wounds are not lethal. The chemical burns can be treated with some old medical plans and the bullets were deflected by his bones-"

"I wasn't talking about physical traumas, Colonel. Did you hear the mission report? I heard that most soldiers left the room when the narration started and those were considered veterans-"

"I did not leave the room, Sunfield. The mission was a success and now, more than ever, he needs to know that this wasn't anything abnormal."

"Abnormal? For Christ's sake sir, the traumas that this can yield should it not be treated-"

"-are nothing compared to what we win, if we do not let him think this was important. Need I remind you that the entire Spartan program holds the same ethical proportions?"

"That is not the same, Colonel."

"It is to him. Dismissed."

-Conversation between Mental Health Specialist Sunfield and Colonel Ackerson, after Pyrrhic victory at Chi Ceti IV -2548.

Captain Adrian Wren calmly eyed the group of horse riders that was now entering the city. Aberon, as it was called, was the capital city of the country known as Surda, which supported the rebel Varden. Seeing as the Empire was now openly hunting him and his men, word might have gotten to Surda too. If anyone in Surda knew of them, it would be the nobles in Aberon. Still he didn't like this situation one bit. Aberon was positioned on a bluff, surrounded by open plains. It was enclosed by three thick walls, which included many towers. It looked very secure and in a time of unruly problems and freedom-fighters, an unruly city would be the most dangerous place for them to be. And since Mason and Takeo had found out that the majority of the armies stationed around the city were in fact with the Varden, it added another problem to their already large list of problems. Who was in charge of the Varden and where was that person?

That was why he was reluctant to send his people in. He really wanted to meet the king of Surda, named Orrin, as he would know who was in charge of the Varden, but he just couldn't trust him. Even though Wren was trained in diplomatic relations, he had his doubts about the hospitality of these people, and he didn't want to lose anyone on this godforsaken planet.

"Corporal, Flight officer, on me."

"Sir!" Hudson and Allison snapped.

"Might I ask where we are going sir?" Corporal Hudson asked. It wasn't really a strange question; they had been stuck in Alagaësia for weeks now and they had set up camp near the perimeter of Aberon.

"I'm going to secure a meeting with the king here," then Captain replied. "We need to know what we are up against."

"Sir," Mason said, "is that a good idea? For all we know, these people want to deliver us to the Empire for money."

"It won't get to that, Lieutenant," Wren replied. "The rest of you will take up tactical positions around the city and get ready for combat. Our primary goal is to get back in contact with the UNSC, but we can't do a thing without the dropship. So we find where the Spartan is, fight the sentinels off and get back to the ship. We'll wait at the Destroyer for reinforcements."

The soldiers saluted him and he beckoned for the two soldiers to follow him. He had chosen Corporal Hudson, despite the man's rather unique attitude, for one simple reason. Hudson saw things that the rest of them didn't. He spotted snipers, hostile movements and even infiltrating units that would otherwise cripple their unit. When moving in enemy territory, that was the sort of man he wanted with him. Flight Officer Allison on the other hand, had a much different reason for being there. She was, for a lack of better words, the catalyst to negotiations. If the king saw a woman with them, he would be more likely to listen to them –and more importantly, they wouldn't be seen as such a big threat.