Immediately after arriving, Valkyrie had helped offload Patric, move Gladiator to some place safe then... went to a campfire with UNSC personnel standing around it. She traded some packs of cigarettes and some scavenged covenant weapons for some basic hygienic essentials. Luxuries? Sometimes.<br/><br/>With all that sorted, Valkyrie found a quiet corner that seemed relatively clean. She checked the spare rocket tubes for her weapon, one-by-one, verifying their "use-by" dates and ensuring all the moisture seals were intact. The spartan turned to her rifle next.<br/><br/>The MA-5K was made as more of a personal defense weapon than something used for hundreds of rounds in a protracted battle. It showed. The flash suppressor she had installed was burnt to a crisp with muzzle blast and the exterior was caked with carbon fouling. Valkyrie stripped the magazine and cleared the chamber, then knocked out two cross pins. The upper and lower receiver came easily apart, then the bolt group itself slid out. Valkyrie let it sit plastic tub of solvent while she ran brushes through the barrel. There was enough copper fouling in the bore that the rifling was nearly smooth.<br/><br/>And the gas regulator was even worse. On a normal MA-37 or MA-5, the gas tube was over the barrel, in the housing for the sight unit. Here, it was still above the barrel but recessed, requiring rudimentary dis-assembly to get to. It had a wider setting and a shorter tube than the standard gas system, meaning when Valkyrie pried it open, the fouling was significant. Chrome-lined metal was baked black.<br/><br/>Whereas many S-IIs made it a point to ignore physical pain and strain until it started to impair them, weapons were babied and given detailed care. And oftentimes, wear on their equipment remained as an odd sort of reminder of their situation. It was bizarre.<br/><br/>When all her weapons were cleaned and cared for, Valkyrie found an isolated spot and laid out a bedroll to sleep on, even if just briefly.<br/><br/>