Exiled soldiers

On a hill that was overlooking where the Assassin squad had fought against Alicorn Company, there was a single figure with a sniper rifle laying down on the ground, his armor being colored black and green and being of the Deadeye configuration. "The fuck?" he muttered as he saw the Prometheans cease fire and one actually walk up to one of the Spartans. He brought his left hand up to his helmet, keeping his right hand on the trigger and using the sniper's stand for stability, and activayed his encrypted radio. "Uh, Ma'am, you need to see this."

"What is it, Cowboy?" a female voice asked.

"Spartan team's down at the place where we planted the trap. Cleared out the entire Remnant group, including blowing the Scarab to hell, came under attack by Prometheans, and said Prometheans are now helping them clear the tunnel entrance."

". . .Come again?"

The Spartan sighed. "Sending visual feed now."

". . .It just me, or is there a Spartan with a tail?"

"That's got your attention, Dawn?! Not the fucking Prometheans?"

"You've read the reports from Requiem, same as the rest of us," Dawn shot back. "Is it really a long shot some of them were just following the Didact because of protocols?"

"Still, think we should reveal ourselves?"

"Depends," another voice said. "They bring their own ship?"

"Yeah, I saw it earlier. War era Pelican. Wouldn't fit all of us," Cowboy said."

"If they're from Infinity, they may be able to call down another Pelican," a fourth voice said.

"Way to ruin the fun, Tank."

"Hey, someone's got to make sure you don't piss off the wrong people, even if we work for ONI."

"You got an emblem?" Dawn asked Cowboy, ignoring the second conversation.

"Yeah," the Deadeye Spartan said as he zoomed in. "Armor configurations, too. Mainly, I'm seeing Cyan and red armor with two Energy swords over a red octagon. One's Raider, another's Buccaneer Tyr helm and Maverick Jester armor, third's white and red Scout configuration, no clear emblem, fourth is similar to Fotus but with blades at the shoulders. Other two are new."

"Checking data base now," a fifth voice said. After a few seconds, it said, "Got it. That's Fire team Lone, one of the best on Infinity. According to this, they got three new members and Commander Palmer, who's most likely in the Scout armor. As for those new guys, almost nothing, just names. Twilight, Elegance, and Spike. Gonna assume code names, or their parents had some weird naming ideas."

"Noted, Ozone," Cowboy said. "Ma'am, final decision's up to you. Introduce, or steal their ride?"

After a minute, which included Cowboy seeing the tunnel cleared, a small group of Spartans move in, and come out with their Prowler's transmitter, Dawn said. "Cowboy, you're first contact. Rest of us will meet up once we get everything packed or destroyed."

"Ma'am," the Spartan said before he got up, stowed the Sniper rifle, and pulled out an SMG, of which the ammo cartridge had orange stripes, indicating an extended mag, and made his way toward the group.

"So, let me get this right?" Ken said as he did his best imitation of rubbing his forefinger and thumb on his forehead, as he and the others still had their helmets on. "The only thing in there was a Prowler's transmitter, along with explosives that were trigger based?" he asked Brendon and Bella.

"Yeah," Brendon said. "Think they faked out the Remnant?"

"They are ONI, so it wouldn't surprise me," Ken replied. "Any clues as to their current location?"

"None," Bella said. "Not that we looked hard. Didn't want to rick accidentally exploding."

"Yeah, fair, I guess," Ken muttered before bringing his right hand to the side of his helmet. "El, Twi, anything from the air?"

"Nothing here," Elegance said.

"Same," Twilight replied. "Wait a minute. Ben, check your six, on the ridge."

"Copy, checking," Ben said. "Yeah, I see him," he said a second later. "Black and Green Spartan in Deadeye armor. Got an SMG and stowed Sniper. Warning shot?"

"Do it," Palmer said before the crack of a sniper round being fired was heard, and the Deadeye Spartan stopped, the vapor trail going by his head.

Ben then used single beam comms to tell the Spartan, "Identify yourself, now, or the next shot won't be a warning."

"Spartan Cowboy of Fire team Phoenix," the Spartan replied. "The team you all came here to rescue."

"Proof, now."

"Sending you what you have clearance for."

With that, the A.I., less than even a dumb A.I. in terms of capability but still efficient, in his armor copied what the Company had clearance for, and sent it to Ken.

"I got it," Ken said as he looked it over. After a minute, he said, "he's good, Ben. Tell him to see me. Got a few questions."

"Copy," Ben said. Then, over the single beam, he said, "Head down to the others. Guy in Maverick armor wants to talk with you."

"Understood," Cowboy said. "Careful, rest of my team's on their way."

"And if they are ONI, they'll see it coming," Ben said. "By the name, weird name, but not the weirdest I've heard."

Cowboy chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind," he said before making his way down to where the others were, along with the charred remains of many Remnant forces.

As he neared the Spartan that had been designated- Ken, his system told him- he saw him talking with a Promethean Soldier in the Sniper configuration, it's lights lavender colored.

"So you guys can warp here from an entirely different planet, but not to a ship in orbit?" Ken asked.

"Not without a portal, Reclaimer," the Soldier said.

Ken sighed. "Of course," he said. "Lets just hope Infinity's willing to send another ride down." He then looked at the various Prometheans, including Crawlers, Watchers, and Knights, along with Soldiers. "Or a dozen."

"I think that can wait for now," another Spartan, this one in Raider armor-Josh, if Cowboy read the file right-said before motioning towards Cowboy. "He's here."

"Right," Ken said before meeting Cowboy halfway from his current position.

"Kenneth Orochi?" Cowboy asked.

"Yeah," he replied. "So, you the leader of that ONI squad?"

"Just the marksman," the Deadeye Spartan replied. "Rest of the team's on their way. So, what brings you here?"

"Infinity picked up your distress beacon, and sent our company down to extract you. Don't have enough room for everyone, though."

"Figured," Cowboy said before glancing at Spike. "So, why's he got a tail, or is that just the armor?"

"Former," Ken said. "I'll explain when we get back to the ship. So, why exactly is your squad here?"

"Got a transmission from CINCONI, wanted us to look into mass Remnant pull backs. More accurately, those led by Sali 'Nyon, and find out where they were going. Got hit by a Scarab on getting here, and held up in a different cave, hoping to use the distress beacon from the Prowler to kill someone high up."

"Which, like the Scarab, that plan was blown to hell when we got here," Josh commented from where he and Resilience were talking, but also listening in on the conversation with their enhanced hearing and helmets. That's to say listening carefully and turning the volume up for what they picked up.

"Yeah," the ONI Spartan replied. "We can probably get the Infinity to send a few dropships down to help out, by the way," he said to Ken.

"Probably'll need it," he said. "But if you guys are trying to find intel on Sali 'Nyon, why target these morons? Seriously, last I checked, his remnant faction and the Bearers aren't the same."

"No, but recent intel does suggest they are allies, and most of them, including the leadership, has pulled to wherever Sali and his forces are," Cowboy told him. "Hell, a few other ONI recon teams checking out other factions state the same, even the Keepers of the One Freedom. They plan on infiltrating them so we can find out, and Osman wants some from every team there for more than one  source."

"You do realize I'm probably not cleared for that, right?" Ken asked.

"No, you guys are," the other Spartan said. "It'd just otherwise be kept underwraps until we found out, and hope Infinity and a good number of the fleet would help clear 'em out."

Whatever else that would be said next was blocked when Dawn yelled, "Cowboy, the fuck did I say about telling them our plans?!"

"Abso-fucking-lutely nothing!" he shouted back as the rest of his squad walked in to the area.

Dawn was black and purple commando armor with a red visor. "Because I didn't think I had to say anything," she said with a joking tone. "You guys, fall out and see what gear you can pick up. I'll call for extract."

"Ma'am," the eight other Phoenix members said before scattering, leaving Dawn and Ken.

"So, any question you want to ask before you do call?" Ken asked, crossing his arms.

"Yeah," she said. "Those three new Spartans with you guys: what are they? ONI's got no files on 'em."

"I'll explain on the way up," Ken said. "For now, let's just get the hell out of here."