Halo: Escalation Issue 3

==Synopsis==
Vata 'Gajat issues the order to attack the facility, only to be attacked by Spartan Ray as she jumps out of her Banshee . The two track down the reactor for the base and destroy it along with the jamming equipment. Sarah Palmer and the delegation enter the nearby facility to meet with Scruggs ' team. Inside he immediately takes Admiral Hood hostage.
Back on the Infinity, Lieutenant Jespersen reports to Commander Bradley that the Jiralhanae fleet's carrier is deploying division-strength troop transports to the Sangheili fleet, with the Sangheili mobilising in response. Captain Lasky gets in contact with the Infinity and warns him about the rebel activity before ordering to be patched through to both fleets. With the jamming disrupted, he insists the two sides take the opportunity to track the rebel ships and save the delegates themselves.
The human collaborator updates 'Gajat on the situation, that Fireteam Jackknife has been taken out and their agent Scruggs has likely taken the delegates. The two discuss the ramification of their apparent success, with 'Gajat showing confidence Jul 'Mdama , his leader, will neither know nor care he is "moonlighting" with humans.
Palmer berates Scruggs for his betrayal and accuses him of being an Insurrectionist. Scruggs mocks her two-sided thoughts, but is distracted and defeated in the subsequent fight. Lasky informs the group that ten heavy cruisers are en route to glass the surface to put down the rebels. Unable to use the bunker due to the firepower, they opt to send the delegates off on a scow and commandeer anti-aircraft artillery to distract the cruisers. The Guardians themselves have successfully evacuated onto their corvette and have entered slipspace. Though the Spartans are successful in preventing the delegates' demise, DeMarco is killed by a strafing banshee before the fleets can be alerted.
On the Infinity, Palmer attends a funeral service to the Spartans they lost on the planet. Lasky leaves her alone and meets with Admiral Hood. Although it is now understood Scruggs betrayed the Spartans, Hood makes it clear there was another culprit; as he had no knowledge of where the summit would be, the Guardians of the Righteous would have to be working with someone with access to very sensitive information.
==Sources==
Category:Halo: Escalation
Category:Halo: Escalation Issues