The Exiles:A New Power

Debatable Demands

New Reach Police had been working around the clock in New Budapest, all in order to eschew any possible threats that may arise should their SWAT actually find what they were looking for. Currently, amongst the high-rises and the walking paths between the blocks, a platoon of SWAT, soldiers clad in Reach-Era Marine BDUs that were modified to fit more with the police role, pushed forward while hauling MA37k Carbines. Carry-handles with pic rails on top, on which short-range aiming devices had been placed.

The dark-blue of the Police BDUs glimmered as lightning flashed overhead. The platoon of SWAT members advanced toward the presumed base of operations within NB's slums, pressed against the walls as for the occupants of the building not to spot their arrival. A single light was on on the top floor of the 2-story building. Half-a-dozen men prepared to breach, Police Pelicans and UAVs surveying overhead.

The lead of the team, a breacher with the standard M45 8 Gauge shotgun of the UNSC, shifted forward gently, his heavy armor causing his footfalls to resound heavily against the concrete. The sole light from the sky was one of the planet's Moons, hovering ominously close. The Breacher hummed, showed half the team to move to the other side and ordered his tecchie up.

The Marine closest to him patted his shoulder and pushed forward, slinging his MA37 on his back and taking a knee, before pulling out an Opti-Wand, a necessary piece of equipment when dealing with threats such as this one, an opti-wand consisted of a holographic display mounted on the back of a rigid tube that contained a flexible fiber-wire camera. Sliding the camera under the door and activating the screen, the Officer swept around the door, his HUD linking to the device and identifying... He spoke over radio, "Times one tripwire. Linked to a Grenade bouquet."

Stowing the opti-wand, the man pulled out a micron-sharpened, long knife that he slid between the seams of the door, inserting it just below the locks. He moved it gently down the seam until he felt resistance. He nodded to the Lieutenant, who gave an 'ok' hand signal... And the trooper cut the wire and quickly backed away from the door. They waited for detonation, but were met with silence.

The Breacher racked the pump of his shotgun and radioed, "TOC, this is Entry Team. Breaching..." before pointing the barrel at the door. Confirmation came from command and the green light was given. All men activated their VISR-aided Night Vision as the light on the top floor winked off, courtesy of a hack delivered via Military AI. The shotgun roared, the door's lock blown wide out, spraying splinters and broken metal back into the house.

The Breacher moved into position and kicked the door open, before ordering, "Go! Go! Go!" while pushing through. He switched to combat rounds, hefting the close-quarters weapon up as their Engineer disarmed the grenade bouquet and stowed the frags for later use. They pushed into the house's hallway, one of the men lifting his rifle to meet an incoming man on the stairwell.

The man called out, "Shit! They're here!" as he raised an older M6 Magnum pistol model. The MA37 in the side man's hand coughed twice, then again once. Two shots to the chest collapsed his lungs, while the third was the headshot that sent the corpse tumbling down the stairwell. Once it stopped, the man kicked away the pistol from the corpse and motioned to his partner, a female SWAT member, to follow along.

She walked up behind him, keeping her rifle raised as the other team members covered all other entrances and ways in and out of the hallway. Patting him on the shoulder, she gave him the go signal to move up the stairs. The two pushed up, the lead man switching hands to better hold the rifle and pie around the edge of the door on the top. Taking his left, she pied the other side and looked around to make sure they weren't about to get ambushed.

The hallway upstairs greeted them with one figure, female, coming out of the doorway while carrying what looked to be an ancient weapon design, probably from the late 2000s, early 2100s. She hefted the weapon, eyes wide, before the female SWAT officer put two slugs into her skull, sending her collapsing to the floor. The sounds of gunfire echoed below, followed by the thundercrack of the M45 and the silent snaps of assault carbines.