When Sgt. Forge and Shawn enter the bridge, they find Captain Cutter and Professor Anders observing the holo-table, where a tactical map displays a huge dome of light with red dots surrounding it.
"What's with the light show?" Forge asks as Anders glances at him. "It's an energy shield that the Covenant set up. We can't see what's going on under it, but we know they're up to something." The Captain nodded. "We need to find out what they're up to before it becomes a problem. Could we use the ship's cannon to break the shield?" Anders shakes her head, "We could, but we'd most likely damage whatever is under it. We could use plasma weaponry; Covenant shield technology is susceptible to superheated plasma."
"What do you have in mind, Professor?" The Captain asks, seeing she had an idea. "Aren't we field testing plasma-based Rhinos?" Serina appears with a manifest. "The Pilar of Autumn's inventory contains a few prototypes." Anders nods and turns to the Captain.
"It might take some time to get the power settings right. I'll have to be on the ground for that." Captain Cutter considers for a moment before nodding. "Sgt. Forge and Professor Anders, you two lead a group to take down that shield. The Spirit will provide air support when needed." Forge rolls his eyes dramatically, "Uh, babysitting again?!" Professor Anders smiles at him, stepping right into Forge's personal space, before kicking him in the shin and running, Forge chasing behind her while cursing.
"I take it you have another plan for me, Sir?" Shawn asks, seeing the Captain still staring at the holo-table. "We've managed to capture a few living soldiers, and I was wondering if Spartans are trained for interrogations?" He said, not really expecting an answer.
Shawn almost smiled. "Sir, the others may not be, but I can get anything you need from those Covenant bastards. Just leave them to me." Captain Cutter nodded and had Serina take him away, down towards the ship's brig, as he wondered what the Covenant could be hiding beneath the dome of light.
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Since he wouldn't be joining Sgt. Forge and the Professor down below, Shawn had the prisoners transferred to his ship, and alerted the A.I aboard to prep the room he would use, better to have it all ready now than clean it up later.
Though he would normally remove his armor for such things, Shawn waited to see what they'd actually caught before doing anything. He was quite surprised to see an Elite Major raging in its binds, such a foe was not taken down swiftly, it likely cost dozens of lives to capture.
Although he was more than confident he could kill it without his armor, he wasn't about to risk his life on that bet, so he stayed suited up as he set up his 'tools' before entering the room.
The Elite roared at him as the A.I's voice echoed in the room. [Subject is violent, restraints may not last long. Recommend hallucinogens to coerce information before terminating subject.] "That would spoil all the fun though." Shawn said as he circled the Elite.
"I've more than perfected the process with Humans, the few times it was necessary. I'm quite excited to test things on other species for once." He stopped in front of the Sangheili, watching impassively as it thrashed about, eager to tear his to shreds.
[Your interest in such things is inefficient.] "Noted. Release it." [Subject is not to be released. Per order from ONI Section Three, no enemy combatant is to be released before, during or after interrogation.] "ONI isn't here, and you answer to me. Release it, I am more than capable of subduing it" [I will not] "Do it or I will, then there won't be any restraints to hold it after I'm done beating it."
A brief pause as the A.I considered that. It had been with Spartan-118 for almost two years now. It had several hundred hours of footage, where S-118 tore through Covenant battle lines, as well as Human Insurrection strongholds that tried to cause trouble. Despite the clear directive from ONI, it decided to comply, if only for the fact the Spartan 'owned' it.
As the restraints holding the Sangheili down released, the alien stumbled forward, not expecting to be free. It then lunged at Shawn as the two of them started brawling, with the ships A.I, codenamed 'AUTO' recorded the whole thing'
---------------- (A/N- For AUTO, it's just the wheel from Wall-e, WHICH I DO NOT OWN OR LAY CLAIM TO. It does have the same voice though :)
After nearly a full hour, the Sangheili Major finally collapsed. Still more than ready to fight, the fire still blazing as it glared up at Shawn, buts it's body refused to move, no matter how much it wanted to.
Shawn was in a better state, but only just. He was exhausted, other than the brief training they got against each other after augments, Shawn hadn't fought like this in years. His chest ached from where he'd been kicked and punch several times, he could already feel bruises starting to form under the suit.
The amor itself was still wearable for the most part, but would need repairs on the chest plate and helmet, as those were the two areas the alien targeted the most. Shawn also sent a note to AUTO to see about adding something to protect his neck better, the Elite had almost strangled him to death at one point, he'd rather that not happen on the battle field, or in some backwater Covenant base.
Forcing his body to move, Shawn restrained the Sangheili once again before bring a chair into the room and removing his helmet, sitting in front of the alien. Taking something also he'd brought it, he reached over and attached the device to the Sangheili's armor, right on the neckline of the chest plate.
"Now we can talk, Sangheili." He said as the Elite jolted, surprised to hear the inferior alien speak in it's tongue. "What trickery is this?! How can you speak my language!" It demanded as Shawn pointed at the device he'd clipped to it.
"That thing I put on your armor is a translator I made, it's usually used to facilitate communication between Human colonies that have different languages, but I've added all the words your people use that I could find." He said, not bothering to tell it the truth. Magnus had 'acquired' a universal translator, and given him one.
"It matters not, I will say nothing to you." The Sangheili said as Shawn nodded. "I thought as much, that's why I beat you first, so that you'd be in no shape to do anything but listen, I plan on doing all the talking after all."
'Block this room, nothing gets in or out other than the basics, only contact me if Captain Cutter needs something. Alert me when Forge finishes with the barrier.' {Yes sir, room now under lockdown}
"I will not heed any of your words, foul demon. Your trickery will not save you from the might of the Covenant, time is our ally, as is the will of the Prophets!" The Sangheili spat as Shawn turned with a smile, 'Prophets huh? It'll be their turn soon enough.' He thought as he decide to quote a monster than wouldn't be seen for another twenty years, if he lived that long.
"There is much talk, and I have listened through rock and metal and time. Now I shall talk, and you shall listen."