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―How‘s alpha-target lookin‘?" Roland inquired, nodding at the base camp nearest their location

―Pretty much as expected Don‘t think we‘ll need much more than a day or two to scout their movements versus e‘ve been briefed"

―What about infantry?"

―Moderate" Jonah scanned the Covenant enclave ―In the high twenties, onna be a cakewalk, but we‘ve had worse--"

―Apes or alligators?"

―Huh?"

―We got apes or alligators running the show?" Roland clarified

Jonah slunk back down into the crevice they would be occupying for the reht and the next day ― ‘Gators Saw quite a few, but no sign of Brutes Usually when one‘s around the other‘s not--don‘t think they like each other much"

―Fine by me"

Jonah easily detected the relief in Roland‘s voice ―The Elites may be a bitch to deal with," Roland continued, ―but at least they‘re sht? Sreeh," Roland said, ―they‘re just a buncha overly aggressive troglodytes Start shootin‘ at ‘ero"

―They do operate on a shorter fuse I think it makes ‘em fun--like pickin‘ on an emotionally stunted twelve-year-old"

―You were a bully as a kid, weren‘t you?"

―Me? No I was the twelve-year-old," Jonah corrected

―Ha You‘d think that‘d teach you to have soit was the simple truth that it‘s better to be the bully than the bullied"

―You are one enlightened individual, my friend"

―Hey, I tend to think I turned out okay"

―Jay? Yer essentially a government-sanctioned sociopath That‘s not normal, and some would say far from okay"

―Like yer a fuckin‘ saint"

―Never said I was," Roland replied, before adding, ―but you seem to take a bit morelet‘s just call it ‗pride‘ in our work"

―Just ‘cause I‘er in his voice

―There‘s no denyin‘ that"

―Right, so? What‘s the issue?"

―I think the issue was: Elites are sree"

―Andto ence makes ‘em more of an ideal opponent in direct couesses as to how

they‘ll react Whereas Brutes--"

―Ya give ‘eet pissy--oddaht "

―And that difference in composure--in the way they handle their shit--her to deal with in spur-of-the-moment situations, ‘cause who knohat the hell they‘ll do"

―No--I get you," Jonah corrected ―And this is, what? The nine hundredth time we‘ve had this conversation--"

―That‘s a bit of a stretch"

―Well, it‘s not the second--" Jonah chuckled, cutting Roland off ―You been tryin‘ ta sell h since training I just ain‘t buyin‘ iterI guess, really, it‘s that I just don‘t care ive Roland a chance to respond When he didn‘t, Jonah continued, ―I et it And there‘s so, but at the end of the day, Rolle--"

―You just never pay much attention to the tactical side of--" Roland interrupted

―Tactical what?" Jonah shot back The pair‘s conversations often became friendly competitions, as they‘d verbally spar over even the s to assert why their vieas the―I do tactical But, coears ―Never onna say, right? So there‘s no reason ta continueYou already knohat I‘onna say before I even say it"

―Yeah, so"

―Sotellnothing more than to hear the words froive his partner the satisfaction

―Just say it," Jonah poked ―Let‘s hear it"

―You think they‘re the sa the conversation would continue to spiral if they didn‘t ht Brutes Elite They ht down to it, they‘re the sa ones Small ones Sive us so, some knives that cut like butter, and a brain-load of semiaccu-rate intel, and we‘ll cut ‘em loose, scrape ‘em off our boots, and march on to the next batch"

―You always find a way to h it was a

hard and fast fact of their lives, Roland had always been amazed--not perturbed, not put off, just amazed, maybe even a little amused--by Jonah‘s flippant attitude toward death

―As if you have any objections," Jonah huffed

―Don‘t get defensive--wasn‘t a co his pistol and passed the cleaning kit to Jonah before offering, ―I‗ll take first watch," and lifting himself up to view the valley below