Infect the Closest Potential Host

The infection form won't last long on its own in its current state. If it gets caught it doesn't have much in the way of defending itself, with its only current advantages being its small size and potentially the element of surprise. If its small size doesn’t help it avoid detection and if it can’t get the element of surprise on a potential threat it will be shot, and its mission will be a failure. It needs a body. It needs a host. Not only will a host allow for more defensive and offensive capability but the host should be able to provide more information to better formulate a plan and get more insight into other potential hosts or places to attack. The infection form won't be as stealthy and has a lower chance of surprising enemies, but it's a trade off the infection form is willing to make. With a goal set, it begins to move from its hiding spot and cautiously explores the large busy hangar for an easy target.

Crawling under vehicles and over boxes and containers, the infection form travels from one end of the hangar to the next. Observing its surroundings for potential hosts. Avoiding open spaces and clusters of Covenant, the parasite makes its way into a cluster of munitions, weapons, and vehicles. Wraiths and ghosts are neatly lined up next to a large amount of weapon crates filled with everything from plasma grenades and needlers to fuel rods and plasma cannons. With so much ordinance piled into one spot a bit of a secluded zone is created, where line of sight with anything outside the stockpile is almost entirely broken and even some of the noise from the chaotic scene beyond the wall of crates and vehicles is reduced. No troops are currently in the area, busy with tasks and with no need to be there. The infection form roams the area, being careful not to knock anything down or set anything off, making an effort to reduce how much noise it makes as it explores. Moving from one end of the stockpile to the next, it turns a corner leading to another segment of crates and vehicles, only to be directly in the line of sight of a sangheili major. At first the infection form froze, believing it was caught and its time ran out. However, after a few moments of silence and the lack of a reaction, it begins to quietly move closer to the sangheili to see why nothing happened.

The major was fast asleep, leaning in a chair and its legs resting upon one of the many purple crates scattered about. The sangheili probably came to this secluded spot in the hangar to rest after continuous and costly combat operations in the quarantine zone. While still donning most of its armor, and with a visible plasma rifle attached to the major’s hip, the chest armor and helmet was at some point removed and placed next to it on the floor before the major fell asleep, leaving their entire torso unarmored and exposed, with only the underlying black techsuit visible to anyone. The sangheili’s breasts slowly rise and fall to match its breathing rate, arms raised and hands behind its back in a relaxed position. The infection form observed the major for a little longer, making sure no Covenant were close by and making sure the major wouldn’t wake up and attack it. This was probably its best immediate chance at finding a host, as the longer it roamed about the hanger looking for hosts the higher its chances of being noticed and killed rose. It wasn't a question of if it should infect the female sangheili, but more of how it should do so.

The major was fast asleep, leaning in a chair and its legs resting upon one of the many purple crates scattered about. The sangheili probably came to this secluded spot in the hangar to rest after continuous and costly combat operations in the quarantine zone. While still donning most of its armor, and with a visible plasma rifle attached to the major’s hip, the chest armor and helmet was at some point removed and placed next to it on the floor before the major fell asleep, leaving their entire torso unarmored and exposed, with only the underlying black techsuit visible to anyone. The sangheili’s breasts slowly rise and fall to match its breathing rate, arms raised and hands behind its back in a relaxed position. The infection form observed the major for a little longer, making sure no Covenant were close by and making sure the major wouldn’t wake up and attack it. This was probably its best immediate chance at finding a host, as the longer it roamed about the hanger looking for hosts the higher its chances of being noticed and killed were. It wasn't a question of if it should infect the female sangheili, but more of how it should do so. It has options and it currently has time to decide what the best way to utilize the host would be. It could infect the major the usual way, by killing the host, mutating the body, and taking control. This would make sneaking around almost impossible though and it would have to get ready to fight as soon as it was spotted. Though having direct access and control to a body could prove useful depending on the situation. The parasite could also insert itself into the major through an orifice perhaps, which would have the same end result as performing the usual method of infection but without the disfiguring mutations, making moving around High Charity and infecting others much easier without getting caught. The biggest issue with this however was getting into an orifice, as some of them were hidden away by the techsuit the major wore under her armor. The infection form could just make out one of the possible entrances between her legs, distinguishable by the camel toe formed by the tightness of the suit yet obscured by the color of the material. Maybe it can find a way to alter the sanghelli’s mind, letting the Flood hive network influence actions and thoughts or outright possessing the host, their mind submitting to the Flood over time until the major obeys every command. That would allow the infection form to still infect others and remain independent from this host while creating an insider threat that will follow its every order