Operation: RETRIBUTION: Difference between revisions

Less than two days after the run-in with President Casille on Gao, the ''Silent Joe'' arrived at Meridian, a moon of [[Hestia V]] in the [[Hestia system]].<ref name="R22"/> The Turaco was used to dock at Berthing Bay 12 on [[Pinnacle Station]], an under-construction [[space elevator]] extending from the moon's surface. Veta and Olivia disembarked while the remainder of the Spartans waited in full armor for a signal to join them. It had been decided that the two would pose as UNSC security inspectors on a surprise construction review. Upon moving beyond the berthing bay, they noticed [[Pinnacle Station Security Force|station security]] swarming around a [[Liang-Dortmund]] cargo transport that had evidently seen violence recently. They attempted to use their hastily forged credentials to gain access to its hold, but were initially rebuffed. Only after a supervisor cleared them for entry were they then given jumpsuits to be worn by visitors and allowed free reign of the station, including the transport in question. Inside, they found another Dark Moon Enterprises Turaco and dead bodies, whom they presumed had belonged to the couriers of the cryo-jars they were after. Following a path of carnage, emergency services personnel, and security officers led them to the ''[[True Light]]'', a {{Class|Laden|freighter}}. Using thruster harnesses to maneuver in the microgravity, inside they found horribly mangled and burned bodies of Kig-Yar and Jiralhanae. Agnes Sabara was also floating amidst the alien corpses and while still clinging to life, she had been hurled against a hatch jam so hard that her torso had folded backward and she had sustained a dent to her skull that caused her to lose brain matter.<ref name="R22"/> Inspector Lopis let a guard positioned outside the freighter know about Director Sabara, but he told her that neither he not any other Pinnacle Station personnel were interested in helping anyone but their own. He clicked his mic off to tell Veta plainly that her cover wasn't fooling anyone. He said he knew they were ONI and that they could clean up their own messes. Veta replied that she would still like to be able to interrogate the woman, but at that moment they were interrupted by the voice of Administrator Sloan, which boomed from the guard's helmet and from deep within the ''True Light''. Sloan offered to tell Veta everything he knew about the current situation. She instructed the guard to kill anyone that followed them aboard, signaled Fred to be ready, and made for the freighter's flight deck. There, a [[holographic]] projection of Sloan stood upon a [[Holotable|holoplinth]].<ref name="R22"/> Veta began with an attempt at blackmail thanks to what she knew about his creation, but he let her knew that was unnecessary and that he was intending to be fully cooperative. He mentioned that he had honored their arrangement and that an ONI unit called [[Papa-10]] had hit the Dark Moon couriers, which caught Veta by surprise. She covered for her lack of understanding by claiming to have simply been trailing the Keepers when a call came in for the services of a relief team being needed. He claimed that the Dark Moon operatives had paid for a hidden berth which he had provided, knowing that ONI would then be taking possession of the jars. He had not expected the couriers to be executed or for the Keepers of the One Freedom to show up, however. He said that last he knew, there were three survivors from Papa-10 that had gone to the surface with the jars and that four Keepers were chasing after them.<ref name="R22"/>