Going slow this chapter... more fighting in the next, probably.

Can't wait till the 86 anime gets a release date; hopefully it ends up being good. I think the setting has a fair bit of potential for further development and fanfiction-based content with its strange blend of politics, social issues, sci-fi, intrigue, dystopia and character study. Would appreciate any recs on similar series as well.

This Republic, and their Eighty-Six?

They were an absolute mess.

How they had ever survived for this long, Six had no clue. Still, failure to end this potential threat to the UNSC was not an option, and so he gambled. Their commanding officer, despite sounding beyond naïve, failing to pick up what he had seen through over the span of several hours of discussion and several weeks observation on his own, still seemed marginally better than the rest of her country's military. She at least tried her best to support her team in the field.

From Shin's account of the Eighty-Six's plight, the rest of her Handler peers were utterly negligent of their squadrons at best, or actively working to sabotage those under their command at worst. To them, it seemed to make perfect sense, if the Legion would truly keel over and self-destruct in two years time. However, when they finally came knocking, with the forces and numbers he had seen out in the ruins of destroyed cities, there was no way the Republic could hold firm.

Still, Six wasn't naïve enough to think that overthrowing the Republic was a good idea. He wasn't an idiot, despite what Kat might claim.

Sure, if he got the job done, he could repurpose military assets; turn around their strategy against the Legion. However, such an upheaval would likely do more harm than good. He was a soldier, not an administrator – with tensions between the Colorata and Alba being the state that they were, an op like that would completely devastate the Republic. He'd certainly seen the same things repeat many times over in the past.

Hell, he'd repeatedly been the cause of them through his missions. After taking down the leadership of an insurrectionist group, the resultant power struggle between remaining members and with other groups in the system would completely weaken them, allowing other UNSC forces to take advantage of their crippled power, allowing himself to be deployed for missions more deserving of a Spartan's capabilities.

No, overthrowing the Republic was not worth the effort. Besides, with the interception cannons in place and minefield of a hundred kilometres between the Eastern Front and the actual city's walls, there was a risk – minimal, but still a risk – that he could be KIA. There was no point to that course of action.

And so, Six made a decision. His interests aligned with those of Spearhead squadron, and for the time being, they would be temporary allies. Because of that, he would need to get their commanding officer on the same page. Correcting her naivety and pointing out the truth was part of that equation. There was no room for softness in a situation like this.

In short: he needed to get her on their side, and act as an agent against the Republic.

He knew her type – naïve, bleeding-heart-on-sleeve, working for the good of the people, thrust into command far earlier than one should have been. There was a certain naivety to those who had never truly seen war with their eyes. They were malleable, easy to impress, and so he seized the moment to reveal the truth that he suspected Spearhead squadron was too kind-hearted to admit to her; that all her efforts would ultimately end in vain.

Well, up till now, at least. Even without his presence, he felt they had a decent shot of breaking free from the Republic, perhaps finding some place to set up camp outside its borders where Legion activity was lower. With him here, that chance was raised many times more.

The Handler was a raw piece of metal, but those were the easiest to forge. She had the skillset he lacked – an understanding of the Republic's situation, the right social standing to influence matters, and the mindset that hadn't yet been jaded by over a decade of war and bloodshed. She could do what Six couldn't. He was a soldier, occasionally commanding small platoons, but he was no leader. Influencing people, taking the reins of leadership – that was Carter's and Jorge's territory. With this little push, she could handle that side of things.

What he needed now was still more information. He had seen at least part of the Legion's numbers with his eyes, and he knew that they were holding back by a ridiculous margin. If they so wished, they could crush the Republic right here and now, despite the resistance posed by the Eighty-Six, interception cannons, and minefields.

Why, then, would they not press their advantage? Why wait? And what had happened to the other countries of this world?

Information aside, he needed weapons. What he had right now were great, but having to aim as precisely as he did in battle to target the Legion's weak spots was slowing him down. He needed options that packed more of a punch: grenade launchers, remotely detonated mines, rocket launchers, perhaps an option for melee combat, demolitions gear.

In his time as a solo-operative under ONI's off-the-book missions, he had dabbled in a great many things. He was no expert in them all: he had no appreciation of the finer details of demolitions that Jorge possessed, couldn't hack into the most secure ONI databases like Kat could, was nowhere close to as silent and precise as Jun was as he prowled the battlefield with his sniper rifle, and was no savant with blade and gun in the way that Emile was. He couldn't lead the way Carter could.

What he excelled at beyond any other Spartan, however, was getting the job done. Over his missions, he learned a trickle of everything, a mixing pot of skills necessary for when he was thrust into the deep end with no support whatsoever.

And now, those skills would be the key here, exiled in a land untouched by UNSC presence as he was.

"A Spartan?" Kaie's dumbfounded voice met his proclamation.

He nodded. "The best soldiers the UNSC has ever seen," he said, staring at her unwaveringly. "We never fail our missions."

No matter the cost. 298 of Beta-Company dead on Pegasi Delta: without their sacrifice in blowing up the Covenant refinery there, the UNSC would have lost long ago. Noble team: they trusted him to see things through to the end. Jorge, Kat, Jun, Carter, and Emile.

All of them had all entrusted the Spartan spirit to him, alongside the many other Spartans who had fallen as they fought on countless battlefields.

Like hell he would fail here, when this battlefield wasn't even against the Covenant. He wasn't about to bring shame to all Spartans.

"Here's what I need," he said, turning to face Shin, ignoring the incredulous looks the others were giving him. "Give me every bit of information you have on the Legion, on the local terrain and fortifications, and anything of tactical value. I need weapons – explosives, guns, cannons, grenades; everything you have."

For someone who had no formal military training, forged by being thrust into the blames of war, Shin seemed the closest embodiment here of what it meant to be a Spartan. Six respected that, feeling a bizarre kindredship with the man only a few years younger than he. Shin merely raised an eyebrow, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips, as he handed over a datapad.

"Everything you need is here," he said. "As for weapons: I'll introduce you to old man Aldrecht in the morning; he handles equipment maintenance. I'm sure he'll be interested in you. We'll keep your presence hidden from the Republic dogs – it's not like they send anyone to physically check up on us, anyway."

Acceptable. They had talked long enough for dusk to fall. At present, sorting through all past records was a good enough compromise.

"Understood." Then, something nagged at him. "This Para-RAID of yours – is this the only method of communication available on the field?"

"Long-range radio is not possible with the Eintagsfliege around. Local radio communications and data transmission are possible, but can be intercepted and reveal our position on the field."

Hmm. He had no idea how the device functioned. Unlike the UNSC neural chips issued to all soldiers, the device apparently didn't even connect directly to the brain. It clipped around the neck, stimulating superficial nerves, somehow activating a part of the brain that allowed for this waveless transmission of the senses. All those present in the room had the device on, although in Shin's case it was obscured by a red scarf around his neck.

He couldn't avoid using it, though, unless he wanted to strike against the Legion on his own. For now, working with Spearhead squadron seemed the better alternative, since even he couldn't take on the entirety of their forces with what little equipment he had. For that, communication was necessary. His time with Beta Company had taught him that.

There were risks to using it – Six wasn't stupid enough to blindly trust someone on the first meeting – but with the MJOLNIR suit being designed the way that it was, even if the designer had malicious intent, any adverse effects would likely be negated. The armour had been designed in a way to allow field support by a true smart AI, without taking direct control of or otherwise harming the mental faculties of the Spartan. The brains of humans could hardly compare to that.

After all, he had no intention of directly wearing the device.

Instead, he would link it to the piggyback system that was originally intended for placement of an AI's data crystal chip, separated from his brain by the crystalline layer of computer memory superconductor between the inner and outer layers of his armour. Because that layer mimicked normal neural connections anyway in order for the AI to network with a Spartan's own brain, it would probably be able to fool the Para-RAID as well.

"Fine. I'll need access to your Para-RAID as well." Six paused briefly, then glanced at Shin. "Can the intensity of transmission be altered in any way?"

Shin nodded slowly, a strange expression on his face. "It can be lowered, yes, otherwise there's too much information for the brain to process. We usually keep it to one percent on the field, but in heavy fighting dial it back even more."

There was a shift in the room at that. There was something else they weren't telling, but it didn't look like it would affect their effectiveness in the field. Six frowned. He would need to press on that topic later, but for now, he sensed that they didn't yet trust him enough. If he pushed the topic, working together might be a little tricky. Besides, he was keeping plenty of secrets from them as well.

"You'll need to lower the transmission rate coming from me by approximately fifty-fold of normal in my case," Six said factually.

"Why?"

He glanced at Kaie, who had voiced that question with curiosity. "If you don't, you will almost definitely experience seizures from sensory overload, and more than likely die." Kaie gulped at that declaration. "Certain circumstances have resulted in dramatically heightened senses and neural processing capabilities to all Spartans."

"Handler One will requisition a device for your use," Shin told him, after a brief pause as he listened to the major. "Normally, fitting of the Para-RAID is performed by mechanics from within the city to prevent removal of the device by the Eighty-Six, but your circumstances are special. It will be hidden among supplies that cannot be produced within the squadron's auto-factories on the next outbound craft."

They doubled as a monitoring device too, then. Six had suspected as much – with how Eighty-Six were required to check in whenever called by their Handlers on their patrols, it allowed for immediate retaliation in response to any potential rebellion. There was a certain symbolism to it too.

"Understood. I will be able to attach the device on my own," he said, giving no hint about the MJOLNIR's capabilities. "Major: provide any information you have on your end as well. I assume that you will have more detailed maps of the area too?"

There was a dark look that passed across the faces of those who hid themselves behind Shin, since they didn't want to be seen by an Alba Handler when Six had requested for him to share his sense of sight. He knew why: Kaie's death, that would have come to pass had it not been for his intervention, was easily avoidable if information regarding the terrain was made available.

There was a long pause, and a shift in emotions among those of the Eighty-Six, but he couldn't listen in on whatever the major was telling them. She was obviously regretful and resolved to fully support her squadron – but it did not excuse the fact that a soldier under her charge would have died had Six not been around.

Deaths occurred on the field – that was an unavoidable fact. Every mission had snags and tactical black zones. All risks should have been minimised prior to the start of the mission, though. Preventable deaths given the information at hand, however, should never occur.

Some were conflicted, some were furious, some had pitying looks – but evidently, the team was starting to become a little more cohesive between them and their Handler. Conflict was necessary to build trust between them, as he had learned in his days with Beta Company, and more recently with Noble Team, who had initially been hostile at him for his replacement of the previous Noble-Six so soon after his death.

"She will send over everything she has immediately."

Six nodded. No further explanation was necessary. He'd already made his point clear. He secured his helmet back on his head, then took the datapad that Shin had offered. "I'll get this back to you in the morning."

"There's a fair amount of data on that," he said, concerned.

Six smiled wryly beneath his helmet. "I'm a fast reader."

All Spartans were; a consequence of their augmentations that increased processing speed, reaction times, and visual acuity. It sadly was not as useful in the thick of action, but it made Spartans capable of doubling-up as intelligence officers when the situation demanded them to be.

"I'll leave your squadron to discuss the recent developments between yourselves. I look forward to our partnership, Spearhead squadron."

With that, he stood at attention and snapped a crisp salute at Shin. "Captain Nouzen; Major Milizé."

Then, he turned toward the others in the room, nodding curtly. He spun around, walking out of the room silently, not making a sound despite the half a ton of armour, bone, and muscle that his combined mass held. Behind him, he heard silence for several seconds, before those still present in the room began talking.

He left the command post, leaving the building to sit with his back against a concrete wall in their base camp, at a position he deemed appropriate enough to spot any would-be attacker as they approached, while monitoring enemies in the distance. His armour and the Republic had sensors that could detect Legion movements fairly well, but Lieutenant Commander Ambrose's first lessons had stuck with him through all the years, even though it had been a long time since his days with Beta Company. Don't rely on technology. Machines are easy to break.

They are indeed, Six mused as he leaned against the wall, opening data files on the palm-sized device. And this Legion is no exception.

-o-o-o-

"So…" Kaie was the first to break the silence. "What do we do now?"

"What he said…" Kino spoke uncertainly. "Do you think he can really help us beat the Legion?"

That statement had left her dumbfounded. He had been part of this world for just less than a month, and made a declaration as bold as that, claiming that the Legion could be beaten when over ten years of war and hundreds of thousands of dead Eighty-Six hadn't even earned the Republic a single scrap of ground. Had Kaie not been able to see the conviction in his eyes, she would have thought him to be overly confident, bordering on arrogance even.

"You saw his eyes, didn't you?" Daiya said softly. "They were like…"

He trailed off, but everyone knew what he was thinking.

"Shin's," Kaie quetly agreed.

Those eyes – they were so much like Shin's, except Six's carried so much more sheer intensity in them.

Before being assigned to Spearhead squadron, Shin had been the only survivor in his squadron twice over, carrying on the wills of dead Processors that he had seen die over and over again. Shin's Personal Name of 'Undertaker' wasn't one that sparked fear – he was their Reaper, one that would take up the names of the fallen Eighty-Six, who would ferry them through the hell they lived in after all memory of their existence was erased by the Republic.

Within the city, the general populace didn't even know of the Eighty-Six's existence.

Shin collected parts of the wreckage from each downed Juggernaut, carving their names and carrying them with him wherever he went. Travelling alongside their Reaper, they wouldn't lie in this wasteland of destruction, their brains destined for turning into fodder to fuel the Legion's Black Sheep.

They must have all been thinking the same thing, because heads turned to look at Shin before Kaie even said that. He gave a slight smile, one that brushed off their comparison, as though saying 'Are you serious?'

It was one that Kaie had seen many times before. To Shin, he saw himself as just another Processor, another Eighty-Six, the same as them and every one of the over five hundred Eighty-Six he had personally seen die out on the Eastern Front as they fought beside him.

Shin's eyes were kind, keeping with him the memory of those he had lost. They were also full of cold fury, directed at the Legion, one that had seen him accumulate more Legion kills than any other Processor before him. He had never voiced it aloud, but everyone else in Spearhead squadron knew it – Shin never expected himself to live. To him, all that mattered were his squadron, and to finally see that the Shepherd who took his fallen brother's brain as its own was destroyed.

If he died in the process, Kaie knew that Shin would willingly see it through. It was what had inspired Kurena to train as hard as she did, that she may one day help Shin with the burden his heart carried, even though she would never dare to admit it to Shin. Mentally, Kaie chuckled, as she recalled the shy, sheepish reactions from Kurena each time they teased her about it.

And as for Six: from his description of the war he fought, and the terrible enemy they faced, Kaie doubted that he had any fear of death at all. He was what Shin would become like, if he continued the way he did. Six didn't seem to have the slightest trace of fear when he dove right into the battle, but it wasn't a lack of self-preservation, either – his movements had been disciplined and trained, as though everything had been thought out and all that awaited was execution, even before the Legion units he was facing got into position.

It both scared, and amazed her. Six was resolute, a force of reckoning, one that had caused as much – possibly even more – destruction within the Legion's ranks in the battle earlier as Shin had.

At the same time, Six was also paradoxically kind, she had come to realise, through the course of their discussion and from how he had acted during the battle. He had put himself at risk to save her, even though he could have just as easily helped out Spearhead squadron elsewhere on the field. Whatever his bizarre otherworldly armour was, even a clean hit from a Löwe would annihilate him – Six had admitted as much, speaking in level terms as though the thought of death didn't even faze him in the slightest. Even the way he handled Lena had been thoroughly thought out – he had been firm, but hadn't gone unnecessarily overboard.

In so many ways, Six was an exaggerated caricature of Shin. Silent and stoic; kind and deadly. He was a veteran who had been forged through the flames of war, and emerged alone.

"You saw him in battle today," Raiden spoke, still looking at Shin. "He must have destroyed dozens of Legion tanks. Normally, I'd say any bastard who thinks the Legion can be defeated is full of hot shit, but after watching him in action, and that look in his eyes…"

Kaie nodded. His words didn't need to be said. "He makes you believe it's actually possible."

All of them had been Processors for four years now, based in different squadrons in different battlefronts initially, before being transferred to form Spearhead squadron after too many Processors in their previous squadrons had been wiped out. After seeing that much death, being able to survive through all of this had seemed impossible.

But Six – his war made the Legion seem trivial in comparison. He made her want to hope, something that had been erased from all of them after all the cruel treatment they had faced from the Alba, and after seeing their comrades die one by one, helpless to act against an army of Legion drones.

"What do we do?" Haruto asked, a quiet determination in his voice.

"That's for Lena to decide," Shin said, a smile tugging at his lips. There was a strange, abrupt sound transmitted through the Para-RAID from her end. "Handler One – how do you want to proceed?"

Kurena glanced away, but didn't voice out any objection. Some of Lena's genuine feelings must have affected her, but Kaie wouldn't blame her if she had objected – Alba's had taken everything away from her, more-so than any other Eighty-Six in this room. They had tortured her parents to death in front of her in the internment camps just because they could when Kurena was only seven, laughing at they did the deed, and then sent her sister out on the front-lines, never to return. She knew Kurena would never forgive them for that.

"M-me?"

"You are the Handler in charge of us, aren't you?" Shin said serenely, unseen to her. "Spearhead squadron awaits your directive."

Kaie knew what he was doing – her worldview had been crushed by Six's revelations, her determination was wavering, and she was questioning how she could possibly have failed so magnificently as a Handler. They had all felt those feelings first-hand, despite being dampened by the Para-RAID as they had been. Even now, Shin was trying to help her.

She was an Alba – but perhaps she wasn't all that bad. In the past weeks since she'd been assigned as their Handler, she had tried her best, checking in with them in the evenings over Para-RAID even though a couple of them didn't even bother accepting the transmissions. She was the most decent Handler their squadron had seen.

Six… somehow, Six had probably seen even that, too.

"I –" she began saying, and Kaie could imagine Lena closing her eyes, before speaking with renewed vigour. "Spearhead squadron will welcome assistance from Spartan-B312. No one else in the military of the Republic of San Magnolia will know of his existence and his support."

For a few seconds, there wasn't any sound from her end, but Kaie felt a rush of something as an intense emotion came from Lena's side. Then –

"And – Spearhead squadron, everyone – I am so, so sorry! I – I failed in my duties – and – I have no excuses for not seeing the truth of the Republic –"

She paused again, her words were punctuated with a sob, but one with rising resolution. In the room, Kaie looked around, alarmed. The rest were bewildered, although a few still maintained resentment toward Lena.

"I swear, I will not let you down as your Handler again! I – I promise, I'll do my very best from here on out! I won't let the Republic just send you out to die! I promise, I won't let any more of you die!"

It took a moment for the words to register. Kaie grinned broadly. "Heck yeah! Go, Handler One!"

Kurena shot her a look of betrayal. Kaie winced, but smiled apologetically at her. She knew Kurena didn't mean it – given enough time, she would see that Lena wasn't the same as the Alba who had tortured her parents and robbed her of her sister.

A few more of them were smiling slightly – Haruto, Daiya, Shin, Kino; even Raiden had just the smallest reaction to her words.

"Be careful what you promise, Handler One," Raiden warned. "Us Eighty-Six – we brush close to death every time we step into our Juggernauts. And while I'm here, let me just say this: as long as you're out there, safe in those walls, we'll never be equals, so don't expect us to treat you like one of us. I'll tell you this now: I think that you're a moron. You're not fit to be a Handler with your personality, to go through the shit we do. You're better off quitting."

"No. I meant what I said," Lena affirmed challengingly. "Six – he was right. I am incompetent." Her voice steeled itself, attaining some of the resolve that had been shaken over the course of the discussion that had spanned hours. "But I won't be any more. I won't just let the Republic do whatever they want to do to you as they please! I'll be the Handler that Spearhead squadron deserves, no matter what it takes. You, and the other Eighty-Six… I – I'll change the system itself, if that's what it takes!"

Silence; disbelief. Then –

"No."

"Shin?!"

"You can't do that, Handler One," he said rationally, his face grim. "If you try anything, they'll just ship you off and bring in another Handler… and they won't give a damn about us. Even Six will be put in danger, if the Republic ever sees what someone they don't have a leash on can do. They'd bombard us with artillery fire just to get rid of him."

"But –"

"Shin's right, Lena," Kaie said, as she exchanged slow nods with her peers. She was touched and full of disbelief that a Handler actually gave a damn about them, but this was not something they could allow her to do. "You can't take any active moves. You'll just be one person out of many, and they'll replace you in no time if they catch any of this. If you want to help us, keep doing what you're already doing. Talk to us on the field, and provide us with supplies. If we all live until the day we're sent off on that scouting mission… maybe, just maybe, we can survive out there."

"It's not fair…" she said weakly.

Frustration welled up within, but it was not Kaie's own. She couldn't find it in her to keep up any lingering resentment she might have felt toward Lena anymore.

"And when we're gone, do the same for the next team of Eighty-Six you're assigned to," Daiya said, pushing the temporary weakness Lena was showing. "If you really care about the Eighty-Six – do your best to keep them alive. I don't mean to brag, but we're all veterans here." He chuckled lightly. "The others, though – none of them have someone like Undertaker. When we're gone, they're going to need all the help you can offer."

"Black Dog… I – I promise to you, I will!"

Kaie spied Anju smiling softly as Daiya spoke. Those two had been through thick and thin together, having been in the same squadron since the time they became Processors. Their Personal Names – Black Dog and Snow Witch – reflected that close relationship. Kaie knew that Anju saw him as more than just a friend.

Unfortunately for them, Eighty-Six had no room for such thinking. When death came for them every day, the thought of parting was too much for them to bear. Perhaps… just perhaps, if they got through their time as Processors in one piece, they may just have a future together.

"You better mean it, Handler One," Kurena said crossly, speaking reluctantly. "I don't like you at all. I think all you Albas are monsters. But if Shin, Kaie, Daiya, and everyone else thinks you aren't just scum… then maybe I'll believe in that too."

"Gunslinger…"

Kaie grinned widely at her, flashing a thankful thumbs up her way. For her to even talk to the Handler right now, it meant that at least some of her sincere feelings had bled through.

"Seems like you've got a lot of expectations going your way, Handler One. Better keep good on your promise, eh?" Kaie said cheerfully. "Seems like Six already wants plenty of things from you."

"Yeah… and – Kirschblüte – I… I'm so sorry!"

She blinked, nonplussed. "Huh?"

"Six was right," she said. "The map… I had it all along. I tried warning you during the battle, but you'd already entered the marsh by the time I realised. I should have sent it to you the moment I became your Handler! You shouldn't have been trapped to begin with! If Six hadn't been there – I – you…"

With those words, Kaie remembered that sensation of sheer terror, as she saw the Löwe's raised limbs, ready to decapitate her craft with her still in it. She remembered the soft plea she had given, how simultaneously real and unreal it felt, and how absolutely terrified she had been.

If it hadn't been for Six…

…she would have died. End of story.

"– I understand if you hate me – no, you should hate me… it was my fault that you were in that situation, and there is no excuse for me to –"

"Hey, Lena," she interrupted, as Lena continued babbling on, her words becoming increasingly incoherent with quiet sobs. "Call me Kaie."

"Wha…?"

"You heard me," she said. "Call me Kaie."

"I don't understand…"

"You said it yourself, Lena. We're a team, now." Kaie glanced around. Shin gave a slow nod of approval toward her. "Spearhead squadron – on the field, we all use our Personal Names, but back here, in our bunks, we're just regular people. The Republic… they've taken everything away from us. They won't take away our names."

She paused, as Lena gasped. "And yeah, I was damned bloody terrified the moment I saw that Löwe in front of my Juggernaut, and I would have died right there if Six hadn't arrived. But it's as you said – you were incompetent then, but you're going to change, aren't you?"

"Yes!"

"Then that's all that matters," Kaie said firmly. "From here on out, let's all start from scratch. Handler One – my name's Kaie Taniya, Personal Name Kirschblüte. What's yours?"

There was a brief pause, as she processed the notion behind that question. Kaie was surprised by herself, if she was being honest, but coming back from death had fundamentally changed something in her. Despite the situation having been entirely preventable… she just couldn't find the energy in her to resent Lena at all.

"I – I'm Vladilena Milizé! Everyone, please just call me Lena!"

"Man, are we really doing this again?" Kaie glared at Theo. He sighed. "Fine, fine… Theoto Rikka. You can call me Theo or Rikka or your cute little piggy boy or whatever stupid name you want."

One by one, they gave their names once more. Even Kurena and Anju, who had every reason to hate Albas more than any of them, joined in with only some minor hesitation.

Even though they had known each other for several weeks now, with that talk from Six, and the manner in which he had directly broached the topic that they had all been unwilling to talk about to Lena, Spearhead squadron was at last truly a team.

-o-o-o-

"Thank you for your forgiveness, everyone," Lena said, her heart heavy with emotion. Her eyes were red, salty trails running from her eyes from tears that had been shed. "I swear this again – I will not fail any of you from now on."

"We're holding you to that, Lena!" Kirschblüte – no, Kaie – joked. Once more, she felt a stab of pain, as the girl who should have had every reason to hate her with every fibre of her being was willing to start afresh with her. "Better get started with the things that Six wanted, eh?"

"I will," she promised.

Already, files were open on her workstation – both digital and on paper – every bit of information that might be of assistance to her squadron and to Six. She had learnt so many things she had never dreamed possible – that there existed life outside of this planet, that the Legion threat was far graver than any of them could imagine, that the Republic was outright killing the Eighty-Six with their plans. She would sit idly by no longer.

Come the morning, she would head to the Science Division, and find a way to obtain a Para-RAID device from Annette for Six's use without rousing suspicion. It was probably doable – Annette was her close friend, and they'd known each other for years. She couldn't tell her what she had learned, though, not yet.

Shin was right, even if Lena didn't want to face that dreadful fact. If she tried anything else other than acting as a Handler should, they would simply get her replaced. She would only be placing her squadron in danger.

"Then I guess we'll hear from you again tomorrow, Lena. It's getting late."

With that, Kaie switched off the transmission, and the rest followed suit shortly after on their own devices. Lena hesitated for a moment, as one more person had yet to turn his off, then –

"Shin!" she said.

He paused. "Hmm?"

"Umm… is now a good time to talk?"

"Go ahead, Lena. I'm just going to sort some things out for Six."

She braced herself, her heart swelling with anticipation. "Your name… are you perhaps related to Shourei Nouzen? He was a name Bearer called Dullahan and piloted a unit with a Personal Mark depicting a headless skeletal knight –"

There was a strange sound uncharacteristic of the stoic Undertaker that escaped his lips, alongside paper rustling as though he had suddenly dropped them from his hands, followed by a long pause.

When next he spoke, it was with a dumbfounded tone.

"…that was my brother."

"Your brother," she gasped. Finally… "Then that means –"

She remembered how that one Processor had come to save her after she and her father had foolishly ventured outside the city's walls thinking they should observe what conditions the Eighty-Six faced on the frontlines of the war. Their aircraft shot down by the Stachelschwein almost as soon as they exited the safety of their city. Rei had come alone, destroyed the Legion units and pulled her out of the mess with a smile on his face. He had inspired her, told her that the Eighty-Six were people.

And at last, she had found him.

"He said he wanted to see you and had to return to you… do you know where your brother is right now?"

Unlike Lena's voice, which was filled with excitement and elation, Shin's words returned to its previous emotionless coolness.

"He passed away. Five years ago, on the eastern front."

Abruptly, the hope that had welled up vanished in an instant.

Oh…

"…I'm sorry," was all she managed to say.

"It's all right." His curt reply sounded as though he didn't really care one way or another. Silence held, and Lena struggled to find something to say to break it, after the terrible memories she must have dragged up for him, compounding the revelations of how poor a job she had already been performing as a Handler.

Then, Shin spoke up.

"Do you remember when you asked me what I wanted to do once I was discharged some time back?"

"Y-yes, of course…" she trailed off, but then realised something, gasping loudly. "Shin… you – you knew they would never let you leave, and I – I still asked… I'm so sorry!"

"That's not it," he brushed her aside. "About that question… there's nothing I want in particular even if I were discharged, anyway. But while I'm here… there's something that I absolutely have to do."

"What is it?" she breathed, slightly startled by tone of his voice. "If I can do anything to help –"

"I'm looking for my brother. For the past five years, it's all I've been doing."

What…? She didn't understand. If Rei had died five years ago, and Shin already knew it, then –

She gasped.

"What Six said… what you said… you don't mean –"

"Yeah," Shin's cold voice echoed clearly in her mind. "He's become a Shepherd."

-o-o-o-

"Six?"

Six looked away from the datapad that he'd been covering at a decent rate. There was plenty of useful information entailed in there: for example, up till now, he hadn't known that Legion tanks had thinner armour plating on their top surface. Using his jetpack or abusing terrain, he'd be able to conserve some ammo taking them down by exploiting that fact.

There were many other things he'd learned about the local terrain, but he needed to see them for himself to confirm them and incorporate it into his tactics. Information was good and all, but nothing could beat proper reconnaissance with his own eyes.

Silently, he turned his head toward the one who had spoken, who he had noticed moving out of what served as their combined mess hall and dormitories some time ago from his HUD. It had been more than three hours since the meeting had concluded. Shortly after that, the other Eighty-Six had left the command building, moving to various locations around their little military outpost. It had taken some calibration upon his arrival to this world, but his armour systems now put the time fairly accurately at 2307 hours.

"Six," Kaie repeated, stepping closer, an expression of curiosity on her face. "What are you doing?"

"Reading," he grunted, turning back to his datapad, idly scrolling through to the next page of the document on the Juggernaut's capabilities and possible modifications.

"Still? Aren't you tired?" she asked, amazed.

Spartans were trained to maintain operational effectiveness despite having minimal periods of rest on missions. Sleep was tempting – but it was ultimately a luxury.

She, however, didn't need to know that.

"No."

"Oh…" she squatted beside him, hearing her ponytail swishing slightly. She glanced at him, but again he had no idea what it was that she wanted.

Probably something unimportant. Therefore, he continued reading. She remained there, occasionally looking at him, but didn't otherwise speak, and so he ignored her presence.

Minutes passed.

Suddenly, she gasped.

Immediately, he pushed himself to his feet, assault rifle whirring to life in his hands, pointed at an unseen threat. The datapad clattered to the ground. He cursed. His HUD was thoroughly empty of hostiles, but he was a stranger to these lands, and she the expert. What had she seen?

She stared at him, her mouth open, eyes wide with shock.

"Soldier?" He looked around for threats, but couldn't find what she spotted. He frowned, straining his senses.

She looked mildly chagrined, and spoke in a weak voice. "…have you eaten?"

Beneath his helmet, he stared at her, unimpressed, as he returned to a seated position. Exactly. Unimportant.

"I'll procure field rations at the fabrication plant after I'm done," he said. He'd learned about those from one of the documents on Shin's datapad. Apparently, food here could be synthetically produced from scratch, although they were said to taste disgusting. He could deal with that.

"Oh…"

Again, she lapsed into silence. He settled back into reading.

Interesting. The Juggernaut could be modified to have high-frequency blades attached as armaments on their limbs, something that Shin apparently exploited in the field with his expert piloting of the craft. Six wondered whether a variant could be devised for him to be used on foot. With how often he clashed against Elites, Six had learned how to efficiently fight in close quarters with the Covenant Energy Sword.

The weight didn't matter to a Spartan – if something like that could be created for him, he foresaw much use in the field. Hopefully, this 'Aldrecht' person that Shin had made mention of could provide him with something like that. Come to think of it, he'd need something compatible with his shotgun, too.

The thought of piloting a Juggernaut the same way the Eighty-Six did had crossed his mind, but he ultimately decided that it wasn't worth it. His piloting skills were more than up to the task – he had been part of the top-secret SABRE program, after all – but it simply didn't allow for maximum use of the many capabilities that the MJOLNIR armour provided. He would learn how to pilot it, but he wouldn't rely exclusively on the vehicle.

The Juggernaut was heavy and large, and would no doubt trip visual or acoustic sensors that the Legion had. It was vulnerable, falling to a single clean shot from a Löwe, or even to the swipe of the spider-like limbs of any of their tanks. It might allow for slightly more firepower, and perhaps an advantage in speed – but at the end of the day, the ability to weave in and out of combat as an armoured soldier was too good to pass up.

He couldn't wait to test out what weapons this planet had to offer. If the weaponry and ammunition here, which had significantly more advanced ballistics, could be modified to fit his present loadout, it might not be farfetched to say that he could be even more effective here than back in UNSC space… only when talking about him all on his lonesome, of course. Once things like MACs or orbital support were brought into the equation, the UNSC would win out any time.

On that line of thought, Six really needed to think of a solution to battle for air supremacy against the hordes of Eintagsfliege and Stachelschwein. It was hard, though: they populated the skies of almost the entirety of Legion-controlled air, and accompanied all their assault troops. On his own, there was no way he could pull it off, even if he was one of the best pilots among all Spartans with his time in the SABRE program.

It had to be a long-term thing, working in concert with others, rather than something he could accomplish in a single day. There was still something lacking as well – he suspected that there had to be something coordinating and processing the information from that enormous number of miniscule, unmanned aerial drones, but thus far hadn't found any sight of it.

"Hey, Six?"

He didn't even glance at her as she interrupted his thoughts, continuing his reading. At least she hadn't suddenly shocked him into action like before. "Kaie?"

It was strange. He felt an odd camaraderie with these hardened members of Spearhead squadron, who had first joined the front lines form as young as ten years old without any prior training. They were a group that were doomed to die, and yet they fought on anyway. They were almost like how the Spartan-IIIs had been, except that they were so, so different in dozens of different ways.

With that bizarre thought, it completely slipped past his mind that he hadn't called her as 'soldier' as he had done earlier in the day. He addressed her the same way he would have any Spartan back in Beta Company, and later with Noble Team. Tom, Lucy, Adam, Min, Owen, Jonah, Roland, Kat, Carter, Jorge, Jun, Emile…

She hesitated for a moment, as though unsure of how to word her question. Then, she spoke slowly. "Do you… did you have anyone back where you came from? Do you miss them?"

Did he?

A long time ago, he had Beta Company, but he never got the chance to see any of them again since being selected as one of the cat-2 – except for Kat, of course. But then she had died, too; as had the rest of Noble Team. He didn't know if Jun survived, but given the glassing that had commenced just before he had been transported here, he doubted that was the case.

In the end… it didn't matter. They accepted death every day they called themselves Spartans, both their own and those of their comrades, ever since the first days of their training.

"Negative," he said, finally looking away from the datapad. "I'm all that's left of my team."

"How do you do it?" she asked feebly after a second's pause. "You and Shin… how do you two keep fighting after all that you've seen?"

How? What an odd question.

Did that question even need to be asked?

"You just do," he grunted. "They did."

They had done exactly that for him. Jorge, choosing to stay on the Covenant supercarrier; Carter, piloting the Pelican right into the Scarab to clear a path; Emile putting up a last stand as he manned the MAC turrets. 298 Spartan-IIIs who threw away their lives if it meant destroying the Covenant's refinery, even though the Omega three order to break and run at any cost had been issued on the field by their commanders.

They had fought. And so would he.

…yes, he was no special Spartan.

Her voice softened. "Your friends?"

"Yeah. Spartans." Oddly, her face looked concerned. "They're never dead, though. They live on in all of us. There's no way I can face them again in whatever afterlife there is if I don't fight."

"I see…" She nodded with a complicated emotion on her face, rising to her feet. "There're spare bunks in the dormitories, you know. You should catch some rest."

He nodded fractionally. "Once I'm done with this."

He had no intention of doing that, however. Out here, in the open… that was where he belonged, the same way he went about his missions as a solo operative up until being reassigned to Noble Team. Even then, all that changed was that they had taken up shifts whenever they were outside of UNSC facilities.

Sleeping on a bed… it just felt wrong after all this time. Besides, it probably wouldn't be able to support the armour, and with the nature of his missions he had taken to removing it only at times of emergencies, such as when projectiles penetrated his shields and armour into his flesh, and emergency removal or cauterisation was required when the biofoam injectors ran out. In the rare downtime outside of missions, he occasionally trained without his armour, just in case there was a situation – however unlikely – whereby it was forcibly removed from him.

He might have to start doing that again more frequently, though. Exiled on his own on this planet as he was, maintenance of the armour would be difficult, and there would be damage aplenty. There may eventually come a time whereby he would have to slowly cast off pieces of his armour, or repurpose and refurnish it in some way.

"Thanks again for saving me, Six," he faintly heard Kaie's voice. Already, he was returning to opening another document among dozens still in waiting.

There was the sound of retreating footsteps, and all was quiet around him once more.

Do you miss them?

It bothered him that the question still gnawed at him.

Of course he did. They all did. How could they not, after everything they had been through together? After the Covenant had glassed their way through the planets of the Outer Colonies over the span of three years, making incursions into the Inner Colonies and destroying what little Six could remember of his original family at first, the Spartans were all he had left.

Augmentations and training took away many things from them, but they mourned the loss of their friends and second families all the same.

Spartans just never let it get in the way of their missions.

He had lost Beta Company. After operating out as a lone wolf for so long, he had finally once again found his pack, and was torn away from them within a matter of weeks. And now, once more, he was the sole survivor as far as he knew. He would probably never meet another Spartan again.

Distractedly, his thoughts drifted to Jorge's dog-tags that he had entrusted unto him, ones that he kept safely underneath his armour. He thumbed Emile's kukri by his thigh, clipped magnetically to prevent him from ever losing it.

They, alongside Jun, Kat, and Carter, had entrusted the future of Noble Team to him. They had passed on the torch of their Spartan spirit.

Spearhead squadron… they weren't Spartans, but they were as close this planet would get to one. Logically, he knew that a band of twelve teenagers didn't amount to much. Yet, his instincts told him that they were the key to defeating the Legion, and he trusted his instincts. Numbers lied – a single Spartan could stand against thousands of Covenant troops, as he had proven many times over.

They weren't Spartans… but he'd forge them into Spartans yet.