"You're gonna be fine buddy," Air Force Lieutenant Alex Fairchild shouted above the gunfire as he pushed a syrette of morphine into the wounded marine's thigh. "Just stay with me!" He slapped the marine's face a few times, bringing him back to consciousness before filling the spike hole in his chest with Biofoam. The marine groaned as the foam filled his chest cavity, coughing chunks of the coagulating substance out of his mouth as it filled part of his lung. He winced as the quick patch stung, whimpering in pain. "Nothing I can do about the burn. Either keep your head down and wait for evac or pick up a rifle and start fighting again!" He closed his pack, slinging it over his head and onto his shoulders. Alex picked up his BR55 and waited for a lull in the plasma arcing down the lanes before sprinting across the street. The fire resumed before he reached the alley, and he slid into the tight passage as a Brute grenade whizzed past his head. "Shit that was close," He muttered before turning to the Army private clutching his stomach. "What's wrong, what do you need?" The private shook, and was pale with shock, as he removed his hands, letting his intestines slip free of the massive gash in his gut. Blood flowed like an overturned bucket, and Alex was sure the aorta was severed, along with anything else the needle burst had torn up.

"They got me good Doc," He said hoarsely as he tried to push the guts back inside. They slipped out wherever his hand wasn't, prompting him to groan weakly with pain and worry. Alex opened his pack and pulled out a medical gun, then inserted a large tube of golden liquid. "Oh fuck me," the private groaned.

"Sorry buddy, but orders are orders." Alex took the man's arm and placed the gun against his shoulder, pulling the trigger and filling him with the chemical cocktail. He tossed the vial away down the alley, retrieving a large bandage and a can of biofoam. He stuck the nozzle in the man's stomach, injecting the remainder of the can's contents and tossing it away. "Lean up!" he placed the bandage around the man's stomach, tying it behind his back as he leaned forward, color returning to his flesh. "There's a Beta Blocker in there so you stay conscious and don't go crazy on us. Just get a gun and start shooting till your head gets taken off." He stuffed the gun back in his pack with shaking hands, knowing he had sentenced the man to the worst fate he could think of. A Marine ran past the alley, being stitched with spikes and plasma. Alex grabbed him by his vest, pulling him into the alley and checking his pulse. "He's dead, here." He shoved the MA5 rifle into the drugged soldiers hands, slipping spare magazines and the marine's grenade pouch onto his gear. "Go get some payback from the assholes who got you." The soldier nodded, struggling to his feet and heading out, face first, into incoming fire. Alex huffed and leaned against the wall, catching his breath for a moment.

It had been a good day in Kenya when he had woken up; The sun was shining after a monsoon had finally relented, people were out with families and pets in the parks and squares, roaming the market and window shopping for what they wanted to get with friday's paycheck. He himself had just come back to the garrison from the therapist and felt confident about the progress they had made, and was in high spirits. That was before the Covenant jumped into orbit and started laying waste to the largest cities on Earth. The rallying call had sounded and within thirty minutes he was sailing towards the ground in a Pelican after a CAS Class Carrier had taken out the port wing with a Point Defense Laser. About an hour later, here he was, a Medic, patching up hamburger men and pumping them full of Rumble Drug to keep fighting the good fight.

An electric hiss brought his mind back to the present before a plasma grenade went off just behind the corner of the building he was leaning against. The shockwave deafened him, rocking his body with pressure as the searing heat inflicted instant first and minor second degree burns to his skin. He screamed as the pain connected with his brain, clutching the bleeding orifices and curling into a ball.

His bladder released of its own volition.

Slowly he uncoiled, listening to the ringing around him, watching as soldiers ran towards and away from the defensive point through the smoke and haze of spent plasma, giggling to himself as it stuck him as strange. He looked down at his hands, watching them shake and the sheen of blood reflect the overhead sunlight.

He wasn't laughing anymore.

Muffled cries for a medic and corpsman pushed through the ringing as it began to fade, and his training kicked in, forcing him to his feet and into the street. He ran toward the cries, running hunched over as multihued plasma and spikes flew over his head, diving for cover behind a civilian Warthog as one of the glowing metal projectiles bounced off his titanium shoulder plate. A quick glance showed him he was right where he needed to be as he saw a marine clutching the stump of his leg, just above where the knee would have been.

"Everything's gonna be fine!" He shouted as a military hog rolled up next to him, it's L.A.A.G drumming out a manic tempo on what remained of his eardrums. He pulled the Marine's belt off his trousers and wound it around the stump, cinching it tight and stopping the fountain of blood from leaking out of the ragged end. He pulled off his pack, retrieving a cannister of gel used to clot truncations instantly. He sprayed the gel onto the stump, using a piece of stray metal to tighten the tourniquet as it set over the wound.

He got up and headed toward the blockade, not noticing the marine was unconscious. Halfway there a marine grabbed his pack, pulling him back and to the ground as a tank shell whizzed by, leaving a trail of phosphorous smoke through where his chest had been. The marine slapped his helmet, silently requesting his condition, to which he gave a thumbs up before getting back to his feet and moving further up the line. He was three sub compact cars from the polycrete barrier before he heard the call everyone feared.

"We're being overrun! Fall back! Fall back!"

Alex looked to the fore, seeing several Elites and Brutes jumping the barricade, landing below and laying waste to the front line with Energy Swords and other melee weapons. A Brute chieftain launched himself over the barricade in a Ghost, sailing through the air and dismounting onto the Tank. He ripped the driver from his cockpit, even as he slammed his hammer down on the turret gunner, splattering shards of bone and viscera onto anyone unlucky enough to be nearby. The Brute slammed the driver into the hull several times, pulping his head against the titanium plates before tossing him aside. An Elite bounded over the roofs of civilian vehicles, weaving between the stream of rounds flying from the Hog's machine gun. The alien bisected the gunner with its sword before pulling the driver from his seat. The driver gave a valiant effort, unloading an M7 into the Elite's shields, but was ended before they failed with a thrust into his chest.

"Get outta here Doc!" The private he had tended earlier called as he fired at the elite on the hog. The elite shouted something in an alien tongue before it jumped down, slicing through him just below the diaphragm. The private coughed up blood, and the elite kicked him in the sternum, casting his severed form away from his legs, letting them crumple to the ground. The private pushed himself onto his chest, tapping Alex on the shoulder. "Gimme your knife," he coughed between ragged breaths, removing said weapon from its scabbard on his vest and turning about. Alex watched as the soldier crawled toward the Elite as it shouted orders, directing Brutes, Grunts and Jackals, the soldier trailing gore behind him. What was left of his guts unspooled like cable from his cavity, his heart and lungs still working through the trauma due to the cocktail Alex had given him. He latched onto the Elites leg armor, clawing his way up the elites body. The alien was understandably unnerved by the sight, frantically swinging its sword and plasma rifle at him as he scaled his body. The private hauled his remaining bulk up to eye level with a mighty heave, raising the knife high and plunging it into the Elite's chest through his collar. The private pulled back with the knife, lowering it with force and sinking it repeatedly into whatever soft tissue he could find. He rode the alien down, continuing to stab the now lifeless body with flagging vigor until the Brute with the hammer closed and slammed the weight upon his body.

Alex stared at the mess he had enabled for a split second before rising and bolting for an alleyway while the Brute's back was still to him. He looked back before he entered the alley, discovering he had seemed to get away unnoticed, and proceeded to run deeper into the maze of buildings. He ran and ran, fleeing the lost position for, hopefully, friendlier territory. After several turns and a shot across a street he came upon a square controlled by Covenant, skidding to a halt and ducking behind a dumpster. He clutched his rifle, shivering with adrenaline and fear, gazing up at the massive vessel hovering in the sky several miles away. Motion drew his eyes down as an Elite in black armor materialized out of thin air. It stalked closer to him, moving with a silence he thought impossible, its sword activated in its right hand.

"This is where you die human," It said in clear English, its voice surprisingly pleasant and smooth. Thought this was lost on him in the terror he felt. "A pity you did not take the Prophet's gracious offer to join our Covenant. You would have fit in well." It grabbed his rifle, tossing it aside before lifting him into the air by the collar of his blouse. "Unfortunate you die here. You're an honorable people, throwing yourself against our ramparts at every opportunity. May you find peace in the afterlife." It pulled back its arm, readying its sword to run him through.

However it stopped as static arced across it's armor and caused its shields to shimmed, looking toward the Carrier in the sky as it opened a slipspace hole and shot through. The rift closed, causing a shockwave that tossed them both against the dumpster he had taken shelter behind.

His helmet flew free in the blast.

His head connected with the metal.

His vision faded.

XXXXXXX

Alex awoke an uncertain amount of time later, his vision clouded with the dust that the vicious wind kicked up and the twilight illumination as the sun set. The Elite lay on him, slowly rousing and beginning to move. He panicked, reaching for his knife and finding it missing. He stilled with fright as the alien on him began to move more deliberately and with purpose. Its eyes opened, and in a split second thought he grabbed it's helmet, attempting to snap it's neck but only succeeding in removing the armor. It stared at him with golden eyes, fully awake and obviously upset. It snarled at him, baring its fangs as it activated a wrist dagger.

"You heard the Hierarchs order."

The Elite stopped mid strike, tilting it's head toward the sound of Brute conversation. It turned its gaze to the rear, viewing the Brutes as they milled about the square. Alex peeked to the side, watching as the two Brutes hovered over several dead Elites and fallen kin. The Elites were filled with spikes from Brute weapons, the fallen Brutes killed by plasma.

"That doesn't mean it's wise to kill them. What will happen if one of the sangheili fleets arrives and finds we've killed them all?"

"They won't. The reinforcement coming are solely brothers. The cleansing will continue throughout the galaxy until they are all dead, and we protect the Prophets."

"That doesn't mean that I feel any more certain about our safety. This will come back on us, I can feel it."

Alex winced as his wrist ached, crying out as he realized the Elite was squeezing it harder with each second. The Brutes turned to face the sound, raising their weapons. The Elite released his arm, planting its hand over his mouth as it retrieved the deactivated sword from the ground beside them.

"It's your lucky day," It said smoothly, the pitch and tone of its voice causing Alex to give it a strange look, his mind having a hard time placing such a pleasant voice to this creature. "Stay quiet, and stay here, and you will live to see the sun rise again." It slipped on its helmet and vanished, the weight of it's body leaving his at it stalked away. He rose to a sit, collecting his weapon. The Brutes must have walked past them after the blast and thought they were dead, he realized, because they were on the opposite end of the dumpster than he had landed on. He peeked out, finding them much closer than before. They were nearly on top of him, looking around at their own eye level with weapons raised. Before he could retreat back to hiding, a sword appeared behind them and skewered the one on the right, prompting the other one to turn and fire its weapon at the invisible offender. The Elite appeared violently as its cloak failed, sparks splashing from the surface of its armor before it severed the Brutes arm with an upward twitch of its arms, swiftly decapitating the creature after with a horizontal swipe. The Elite took one step forward, then fell to its knees, catching itself on the ground. Alex could smell its blood, an unmistakable scent that caused his nose to wrinkle, spying a spike embedded in the soft tissue of the Elite's abdomen. It rolled onto it's uninjured side, yanking the still glowing shaft from its abdomen and tossing it away as its hand sizzled. He stood from cover, checking the area with his weapon for more enemies before closing on the Elite. He aimed his weapon at its throat, preparing to dispatch the alien. He stopped, however, finger pressed against the trigger with only a hair's weight separating the alien and the death he believed it so rightly deserved. Try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to do it, instead lowering the weapon with a deep sigh. The elite took off it's helmet, staring at him without aggression.

"Thanks," He said with venom. "For saving my life." He looked around, double checking for active shooters in his A.O. "Now I'm gonna spare yours, so debt paid in full. Don't make me regret this." He stepped over the Elite, shaking his head and walking away from the alleyway, headed deeper into the square. He was full across before he stopped, staring at the gate he knew led toward a more effectively fortified UNSC area. All he had to do was extend his hand and activate the lock and he was through to safer grounds.

Were they really safer though?

The Covenant weren't going to stop, they never did. They would keep attacking until they took the planet. It was just another world with humans on it and that's all that mattered to them. They would kill as many people as they could and then glass the world from orbit, just like Harvest, Arcadia, Reach and so many others he didn't want to think about it. But this was the big one, this was Earth, this was the home of all humanity and there weren't any colonies to fall back to that he knew of. If they lost here, it was the end. And if all that was true, then why was he thinking about hiding, about running away from the fight?

A groan of pain sounded behind him. That voice, so sweet and soft and smooth, filled with pain and anguish. Filled with pain beyond the physical, accompanied by anger and sorrow. He remembered the face that belonged to it, the monster that used it, but he couldn't vilify the voice. Each time it rang out, his mind tried to force him to help, and each time he tried to fight it, until he was turned about, facing the Elite as it tried to hold in it's blood. "What are you doing Alex," he asked himself as he slung his rifle across his back and began to walk towards it. He took off his pack, rummaging through it for what he needed. He set the bag down as he knelt beside the Elite, holding a surgeon's kit in his left hand.

"What are you doing," The Elite said, rolling onto its back. "You don't owe me anything." It made an expression he could only describe as labored pain; eyes shut tight, four mandibles parted slightly and teeth bared. He continued to stare down at it, watching as it stared back. "What do you want human?"

"What's your name?" He searched through the kit, removing a suture needle and medical line. "I'm Alex, Alex Lieutenant of the UNSC Air Force." The Elite switched its gaze between the needle and thread and his face, trying to work out what he was thinking. "Tell me your name and I'll close that wound so you don't bleed to death." The Elite closed its mouth with a clack of teeth, removing its hand from the wound.

"Im Risha," It said. "Risha Moram."

"Is that a girl's name?" Alex set upon the wound, cleaning it with disinfectant and a fresh square of gauze. He had to lift away an under layer of armor that felt like rubber to reach her skin, and was surprised at how smooth and dark the skin was. It was almost as black as space itself, and felt something like satin under his fingers. Risha snarled as the liquid burned, panting as the pain slowly faded.

"Yes, I'm female. I can see how that is hard for you to discern, considering I lack those ridiculous growths your human female's have on their chests." Alex chuckled twice, shaking his head as he threaded the needle and thought how he was going to approach the stitching. "Why are you helping me?" Alex looked her in the eyes, taking a deep breath before returning to the wound. He dug the needle in, carefully feeling where the skin turned into muscle or fat so he didn't go too deep.

"The fact that I said I would spare your life. If I left, you would have still died, and that's hardly fair considering you just took a spike in the gut for me."

"It wasn't for you," She said sharply and with more than a little venom. She was taking the pain of the needle surprisingly well; he had stitched grizzled Gunnery Sergeants from the early Insurrection War that complained about stitches more, even under general anesthesia. "Those traitorous beasts gunned down my brothers and sisters, whether it was under orders or not. The Covenant was founded on the rule that the Sangheili command the military and protect the Prophets. Those worms are destroying something thousands of years old with their new, dumber pets that are easier to control." Alex nodded appropriately, however much he didn't care aside.

"So vengance it is then. Well, I gotta say this is a hell of a time to choose to have a civil war." He sighed through his nose as he tied off the thread, snipping the excess line away and stashed the needle in the kit. "Finally get all the way in to Earth and start tearing yourselves apart from within. I'd say it's Karma for how many worlds you bastards burned but…" He shrugged, taking a square bandage and placing it over the stitches. "There, all patched up. Now my debt is paid." He stood up, offering her a hand. She took it, and together she got to her feet, tentatively testing her range of motion. She couldn't bend far in any direction, her arm wouldn't rise to shoulder height, and the pain caused her to limp with each step.

"Thank you," she said, looking down on him as she stood at her full seven feet of height.

"Yeah, no problem." He patted her on the middle of her back, gathering his pack and placing it where it belonged. "Don't get shot again, cause next time I won't help you." He gave her a forced smile and walked away, making to the door and jabbing the button to open the lock. He waited for it to activate, pressing the key again when it didn't respond after several seconds. He waited again, for a half minute, before looking to the domed camera by the door. "Hey! Super, open up, I'm human!" He looked back at Risha, still standing where he had left her, and gave her a polite wave. After a few moments he banged on the door, pressing the open key more frantically as it continued to refuse to open.

"It won't work," Risha said, causing him to turn around. She was much closer now, only a few feet away, and he jumped in fright. "Anything digital was shut down when the Solemn Penance left." She showed him a watch, a liquid crystal and plastic affair like his. "It was working when I found you."

"So what," He asked, sounding more agitated than he thought he would. "Your watch is broke, my watch is broke. Comms are down. Doesn't matter." He slapped a hand on the door. "This is a hardened circuit. An EMP isn't going to do shit to it, ok?" He turned back to the door, pressing the key a few more times before slamming his fist into the pad. After a few moments he turned around, sighing. "But the Super is probably rebooting. So I'm stuck here with you." He moved away from the accessway door, checking the locks on the buildings around the square. "Not the best of company, but it could be worse. I should be grateful you're not some Gunny that smokes like a fucking chimney,. At least you dont sound like you have a throat full of rocks and too much HUA in your canteen for your own good." After the seventh door he found one that opened, stepping back and recognizing the building type. It was residential, middle class family housing, most likely a bed or three and a full pantry should they be there longer than the night. "That, and you won't try and stage a counter offensive in a lost city with minimal firepower.

"I could likewise be in less savory company I suppose," Risha said as she stepped closer, taking the flashlight he handed her. "You are both not trying to kill me, and rather friendly considering my people's reputation with yours."

"Well I'm stuck in occupied territory," He said, waving her into the building and closing the door behind them. "The enemy of my enemy, as they say." Risha paused on the stairs, glancing back for a moment before continuing.

"I have never heard this saying."

"You're kidding me?" She shook her head, looking down the second floor hallway before taking the next flight of stairs. "You've probably run past it in a terminal without noticing. The full saying is 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend', and it's a pretty popular saying between innies and the UNSC right now."

"This saying makes no sense. The enemy of your enemy would most likely still be your enemy, by the fact that after you cooperate to overcome your common foe, warring peoples will try and take what belongs to the weakest remaining victor." She pushed in a door on the third floor, scanning the room with her plasma rifle before entering full into the apartment.

"You think too much," Alex replied, following her in and checking the hallway for contacts. "It's just a saying." He heard movement behind a door, and he kicked it down, leveling his weapon at the first object in motion. It was a dog, a Doberman, backed into a corner and growling at him. He pulled the door shut as it barked and ran toward him, wincing as he heard the animal impact the steel door. "But that doesn't mean I don't agree with you. It always struck me as something stupid."

"Are you alright," She asked as she rounded the corner, seeing him holding the door shut. He nodded, letting go of the handle and stepping back.

"Yeah, just a dog." He opened the last door, checking the corners and finding it clear. "It's probably scared, thinks I'm a burglar or something." He closed the door he had opened, turning around to find Risha petting the dog and cooing to it. The animal wagged its tail, slowly and still frightened by all that was happening, and occasionally lapped at her hand. "Now that something I never thought I'd see."

"I like dogs," She said, urging the dog to climb into her arms. With a wince she rose, giggling as the dog lapped at her face. Alex shook his head, not believing what he was seeing; that a dog would chose an alien over a human was unheard of. "I like most animals I've encountered on your colonies." She turned down the hall toward the living room, carefully sitting down on the couch and offering the dog a rawhide chew from the floor. "The Covenant allows me a prize, being I'm an assassin, and other than the watch I've only taken animals. My family lives in a farming state, so I have them sent there and visit them when I can." Alex sat opposite her, along a coffee table between sofas, sipping water from his canteen.

"You collect animals…" He chuckled as he cleared his rifle and activated the safety. "That's a pretty human trait for an Elite. Empathy and compassion." She glared at him, the dog whimpering slightly as it smelled her anger. It picked up its chew and carefully, slowly, dismounted the sofa and ran back toward the room they had found it in.

"That name you call us, it is very disrespectful. That is one of the few flaws I am able to find among your people, is that they have no respect for their enemies. You degrade us, vilify us."

"And you are trying to tell me that you don't deserve it?" He grinned with amusement, letting the smile fall into a sour glare. "Your genocidal pursuit of us through space, the slaughtering innocent civilians that are no threat to you, the burning of our worlds with whoever is still on them beneath your lasers, and then have the audacity to claim vilifying you is bad? That is beyond audacity, that's a blatant slap in the face after saying we don't respect you. Not once have we stepped on your toes to earn this war, so why is it we should respect you when you attacked us without provocation?" He glared at her, staring into her eyes even as hers lowered slightly. "I respect you. Those men and women your Covenant is killing out there respect you. The human race respects you because we use conventional weapons to stay alive. If we wanted to get nasty and dirty and disrespectful, we would have captured one of you and created a virus that would sweep through your ranks and decimate your populations. We would bomb you with caustic chemical aerosols that melt your flesh and fuse your armor plates to your muscles and bones." He sighed and licked his lips, pausing to calm himself and looking away. "I… You said you respected our honor and our determination. That we would have gone far in the Covenant had we joined, and I'm pretty sure Lord Hood never heard about any offer of peace before you started glassing colonies, but before I make myself angry again. Had we met on friendlier terms and under different circumstances I'm pretty sure your people, whatever they're called, and my people would have gotten along great and we wouldn't be having this conversation in the middle of a bombed out city on the homeworld of humanity." He stood up and walked to the window, watching the square and street for activity through the thin curtain.

"I am sorry," Risha said quietly, slowly turning her helmet over in her hands.

"No you're not," Alex said bitterly. "You're shamed, embarrassed at having been shamed by a human, and you're scared. Don't confuse that with regret." He turned around, looking at her with a wary eye and expecting physical reprisal.

"That does not mean I don't regret having played a part in all this." She cast her gaze at the table, staring at a raised ring where someone had left a cup. "I'm starting to see that we were manipulated since before this war started, and it feels like my hearts want to seize in my chest." She set her helmet down, wringing her hands with worry. "That we had never seen this coming, the betrayal and replacement. And I am afraid, yes, but not for myself. Sanghelios is vulnerable, my home is vulnerable, not only to the Covenant but to what comes after should we survive." Alex sat down, taking off his helmet and pack and setting them together on the sofa. Alex watched her, noticing how far away her gaze was, as if it stared into forever. He had seen that look in soldiers before, and his training as an officer told him it was a terrible state of mind to let them stew in.

"Well then tell me about it." Risha looked up at him, squinting slightly as she tried to figure out what he was trying to discover. "Look, whether we like it or not we're in this together until I can get back to my people and you can get back to yours. We have to work together, as much as I would rather not. If I'm going to make it out of this alive, I can't have you worrying about something lightyears away because if we get into a firefight and you start to drift, it could get us both killed." She nodded once, leaning back into her seat. "So tell me what's on your mind, and I promise I'll care. I've learned a lot from my therapist visits." He laughed quietly at his own joke, not expecting her to get the meaning. She chuckled once appropriately, shaking her head and taking a deep breath.

"The Sangheili, my people, were once proud and independent people. We built cities, ships to travel the stars, studied science and math and philosophy, cultivated the land and raised herds of livestock. Above all, however, we were all warriors. We excelled at war, and always fought with honor and respect for one another. Then the San'shyuum, the Prophets and leaders of the Covenant, came and we fought. We were winning until they used a ship from the gods, and eventually we called a truce and founded the Covenant. They would observe and study the relics left by the gods, what started the war to begin with for we hold them sacred and do not touch them beyond reverence and worship, and we would protect them as we searched for a way to join the gods in ascendance."

"So you weren't always friends then, the Covenant did not always exist and you don't share a home world?" She shook her head, taking a Rubik's cube from the table and toying with it. "Have you ever seen one of those before?"

"It's a puzzle cube. I can see you are supposed to make each side match to a single color. We have a type of these on Sanghelios, a sphere called an Arum." She tested how it worked and quickly set about spinning and turning the levels and columns. "Though ours have interlocking spheres inside the shell that you have to puzzle out to reveal the prize inside." In less than ten seconds she finished the cube, setting it back on the table and clasping her hands together. "In my culture those are for children, something to teach them patience and discipline the mind to think abstractly. The prize can be a candy, or a gem or whatever you decide to put inside. Some adults still enjoy them though, a trifle to pass time and ensure their minds are sharp. They can be very complex." Alex guffawed at the speed of which she finished the cube, picking it up and looking it over with a smile on his face.

"I have never finished one of these. Well, no, that's a lie. I finished one in highschool, but I've never tried it again." He shook his head as he turned it over, marveling at her efficiency.

"Most humans lack the patience for puzzles, I've found. That's not a bad thing, mind you. Just something I picked up." She adjusted her mandibles, letting her teeth clack quietly as she thought. "The Covenant was good for both of our peoples. The Shan'shyuum were free to focus more on the technical and philosophical that they excelled in, and we were free to benefit from their discoveries and travel to reaches of space previously unknown to us. As we traveled we picked up other members, either by diplomacy or force." She stopped as he placed the cube back on the table, looking him over, examining his physical attributes and the attentiveness he seemed to be listening with. "Then we met you. I was still living in 'Mdama when the campaign began against humans, but the Prophets spread the word that you were an affront to the gods and must be cleansed from the galaxy before we could ascend. I always thought this strange, because no matter the atrocities against scripture and relic the other species had committed, we still at least pressed them into the fold. However your people were to be exterminated." She unlatched her boots and stood, stepping out of them.

"Why didn't you speak up then?" She barked a laugh, tossing her gauntlets and pauldrons onto the sofa. "What?"

"Speak out against the Prophets? That's a death sentence, or worse, the Arbiter's mantle. I joined to regain some of the honor lost by my forefather, Ripa, after he himself was Arbiter during the occupation of Harvest. To assume the mantle of Arbiter is to admit you have lost all honor, and this carries to your family as well." She returned to her seat, rubbing her forearms through the undersuit of her armor. "I feel we have gotten off topic with this, so I'll continue the course we began." She placed her hands on her knees, taking a deep breath as she thought of how to put her worry to words. "If my people survive this, we will still have our wings clipped both metaphorically and literally. We have lost a great amount of what we once knew due to our complacency to be just warriors. We no longer know how to build or repair our ships, and precious few among us remember how to work the soil and tend herds. We have no scientists, no engineers, no labor force. However we have an excess of weapons, and to accompany this we have too much idle time and minds for this to be good. Some will take to banditry and take what they need from those that have it by force. There will also be those who abandon the religion of the Covenant for the old religion, and those who hold to it. This will cause a rift to form among us, and in the aftermath of the cleansing, this could cause us dangerous amounts of separations and insular conflict. What I fear, is that we will destroy ourselves should we endure, and that my people will face the same fate the Jiralhanae do time and again." Alex nodded, understanding her fear now that he thought about the state of Earth and the Colonies.

"And if we survive this war, humans I mean, there is a lot of military hardware out there for any remnants of the Insurrection to get their hands on. They're not gonna let old sqwabbles die, and it's only gonna get worse considering how long it will take to rebuild Earth, let alone establish contact with anyone that the Covenant missed." He sighed, thinking of all the fighting left to do after this war was over. Motion caught his peripheral vision, and he looked to see Risha's expression tightened in pain as she cupped her wound. "I'm sorry but I don't know if any of the pain killers I have would work with your biology, and there's the chance they might even be dangerous." She waved a hand as if to say not to worry. "The last room, down the hall. There's a bed in there, and a bathroom with a shower I'm sure, if you want it. You need the rest more than I do with that hole in your side. So I'll take the first watch, make sure nothing comes to kill us, if you're tired. You lost a good bit of blood so it would be a good idea."

"I think you're right." She stood, audibly complaining as the wound pained her with exertion. "I will go rest, though I doubt I will sleep." He nodded, idly acknowledging her words as she limped down the hall, using the wall as support. He waited until he heard the door close before loading his rifle and dragging a chair toward the window. He moved the curtain just enough to see past, watching ships descend and deposit their troops on the ground.

"That's quite a sight," he mused, taking a drink from his canteen and watching a Phantom float overhead.

XXXXXXX

"Why am I the only Warchief to not be aware of the conspiracy against the Sangheili?" Maximus, an exceptionally tall and massive Jiralhanae, slammed his fist against the metal table before him in anger. The impact bent the structure, causing the hologram projector to list and slid toward the mild valley. The projection of Tartarus, another Warchief under the direct command of the High Prophet, sighed and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms as he glared back at Maximus.

"There was not time to tell everyone before the Prophet of Regret fumbled the plan and escalated the timeframe." Maximus growled low in his throat in aggravation, but kept his peace as he rose to full height. "This has been the plan for several cycles, and the High Prophet planned for this to be a quiet and peaceful happening. However, in his haste, Regret came to the human home system ill equipped and forced Truth to add speed to this." Tartarus looked away, nodding a few times as someone relayed a message. "Very well," he said as he returned his vision to the projector. "High Charity is to join Solemn Penance immediately. You have your orders and re-enforcements are in orbit awaiting your call. Hold that city, direct the containment of all neighboring cities and await our return. The High Prophet will not look kindly on failure, and considering how devoted you were to the Sangheili you should take this as a chance to improve your standing with him." The projection destabilized as it was severed from the other end, and Maximus used his hammer to destroy the particle tank.

"Find me another one," He ordered to the two Unggoy standing opposite the desk. "I am going to see how the occupation is progressing. Have it back in this room before I return or you both will be used as a snack for my lieutenants." The pair's eyes widened, sharing a look of fright before they turned and scampered toward the door yipping and panting. He sat in the large armchair he had found in the room, sighing and massaging the bridge of his nose as a headache began to creep up on him. "So much for the constancy of order." He looked up as a knock sounded near the door, lowering his hand as he saw a pack leader enter the room. "What is it?"

"We found something," He said, seeming rather put off and shaken. Maximus moved forward in his seat, leaning on his knees, silently imploring for more details. "There have been murders, Warchief. My brother's pack, they…" The Brute shook his head, shuddering. "You have to see it." Maximus sighed heavily as he rose from his seat, having to stoop slightly to traverse the building.

"Show me," He said, following the Major rank Jiralhanae out of the room and through the hallways. They exited the building and continued on, passing through the hastily set up camp and entering the city center. Maximus let his gaze roam, observing the city for the first time from the ground. He had only just gotten the camp together and ordered, having arrived maybe an hour after Solemn Penance had slipped away. He was always impressed with the human's desire to create large structures wherever they colonized. To make monuments to their ambition, he postulated. Whatever the reason was, the sight never failed to cause him a sense of wonder. He had seen Reach and traveled through their New Alexandria, saw the Tiara on Harvest, observed Cote D'Azur from high altitude before the humans destroyed it in a scorched earth tactic of denial. He let his eyes wander as they traveled, working their way through the dark of the city toward the obviously industrial sector of the city. They stopped before a large closed gate, a Huragok floating nearby dismantling and reassembling the engine of one of their vehicles. The brute leading them whistled loudly, drawing its attention and pointing to the door. It dropped what it was doing, literally, and moved toward the control panel. With a flurry of tentacles the door hissed and slid open, revealing the city beyond the seawall. The venture from here was short, and suddenly Maximus was presented with seven Jiralhanae hanging from cables by their necks. Two phantoms hovered overhead, illuminating the area.

"What hell is this," He said breathlessly. The Brutes were mangled almost beyond recognition; Their chests pried open and their entrails spread about between them like garland for a holiday celebration, limbs hanging my nothing more than strips of flesh or missing entirely. Their faces were frozen in expressions of agony and terror, obvious that these wounds were inflicted upon them whilst they still drew breath. "How do you know this is your brother's pack?"

"This." The Brute lifted a taxidermied animal's foot, having rested upon a severed head. "This was his, and this is his head." The Brute tucked the trinket into a pouch, shaking his head and offering a prayer to the gods. Maximus hadn't looked however, instead reading what was written on the walls with Jiralhanae blood in the Covenant simple script.

"Leave, or this will be you all," He entoned. "I will decorate this city with your corpses to the last, and dance before a fire on the final day as I devour the hearts I collect from your chests. I offer no quarter. I offer no hope. Fly, and live. Until I find you among the stars." He felt the fur on the back of his neck rise, unable to shake the feeling that he was being watched. He turned about, scanning anywhere a human could hide for any trace, but he found none. Instead his subordinates watched him, ready to engage at a moment's notice yet still shaking with fear and anger. He returned to the hanging pack, pointing to their corpses. "Cut them down! Send them to the morgue on one of the ships and fill this area with patrols. I want this human found and I want it dead!" The assembled troops dispersed, carrying the message, save for a team of two that began searched for a way to access the suspended bodies. The Brute that had led him there stayed.

"You don't think this was one of our own?" Maximus shook his head, staring into the structure above the scrawl.

"This is the work of a Demon, and a talented one at that." He lowered his gaze, patting the Major on the shoulder. "Gather your fallen for a pyre, then return to your posts." The Major nodded, setting off to join the team in finding a way to cut down the dead. The light faded as the Phantoms moved away, and motion caught his peripheral vision, drawing his eye to a roof on the opposite side of the road. Atop the factory stood a lone human, clad in armor of a kind he feared. It held it's helmet in the crook of it's arm, a rifle in the other hand, long blond hair blowing about in the wind, illuminated by the fires on the city behind it. He made for his own rifle, but stopped as he saw it's eyes. The ice blue, semi luminescent disks struck him still with fear, and the way it stared so intently at him made him want to run and hide. He had seen what these Demons could do first hand, and he wanted nothing to do with it again. He blinked and in the span of a fraction of a second, the Demon was gone, causing him to wonder if it was just an anxiety fueled hallucination. That was until he felt cold metal pressed against his throat and the edge of a knife bite into his thick hide.

"Scream and you're dead," A feminine voice said, pulling against his throat with the blade. "Arms out to the sides King Kong, and walk back." He did as commanded, in no position to bargain and knowing already the smallest of Demons were far stronger than he was. He walked backward, watching the buildings fade away as the pace increased. He saw the edges of an alleyway come into view before he was spun around. "Go." He started walking forward, following the not so gentle guidance of the blade. He was forced into a building, then to his knees. His helmet was wrenched from his head, and his hands were pressed into the thick braided mane. The demon came into view, dark blue armor decorated with a Jiralhanae skull over the left shoulder and a domed silver visor touching the back of it's helmet. It was a female by build and voice, and it's name read B170 on her right breastplate.

"What do you want?" He asked, B107 removed her helmet as she slid a wide metal sword between her shoulders. Her blond hair cascaded over her pauldron and back, giving her a sense of dangerous beauty he thought. She collected a shotgun from the wall, kicking a chair so it slid to a rest before him. She sat down, laying the weapon across her lap as she stared at him. He stared back, but was sure she could see his fear. After five minutes she smirked, reaching out and took a pouch from his belt.

"I've been following you for some time," She said, opening the pouch and dumping its contents on the floor. There was a polycrete reproduction of a microburst of Ptolemy, as well as one of Socrates and Aristotle. She reached inside and removed a folded stack of paper, opening them to reveal various legendary paintings from renaissance artists. "Reach to be exact. You have an eye for good art, and a taste for classic literature and human philosophy." She dropped a book at his knees, worn and weathered but the pages seemed no worse for wear. It was a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, Hindu scripture. "I nipped that from your office right after you left to come see my little project. What did you think, something for the history books maybe? It would be a shame if a Prophet got wind of your obsession with human culture, wouldn't it?" She gestured to the items on the floor, tossing the pouch back onto them to let him know he could collect his belongings.

"What do you want from me?" He asked, getting slapped across the face.

"Something you can't give, and stop asking so many damn questions." She stood and paced around, her face expressionless. "ONI thinks you would be a good source of information on the inside. Someone to tell us what's going down and when. I would rather blow your face out of the back of your skull. But what I want and what the UNSC needs are lightyears apart. So I have an offer for you." She used the shotgun to lift his chin, forcing him to look at her. "You tell us everything, and continue to feed us information from inside the command structure, and we get you out and back to whatever it is you care most for before we kill every last one of you alien bastards." She removed the weapon from below his chin, using the muzzle to trace a long scar that ran from his temple to his chin. "I see someone went and made you pretty. Wouldn't have happened to be my uncle G, would it?" She pulled away the weapon, magnetically attaching it to her back. Maximus forced his shivering to not show, but couldn't still his hands as he gathered his belongings. "So, what's it gonna be? Cake or Death?"

"I have no love for the Covenant," He said, sitting against his calves. "They pressed my people into their service, conscripted me when I became Warchief by ascension. I only stayed because of the Sangheili. They treated me with respect when I gave it to them, a few even risked their lives for the loyalty I showed them. Now there is an order to kill them on sight and I want no part of this. I had planned to turn against Tartarus, should he ever return, and either die or use my new position to take out the Prophets." He shook his head, sighing. "I have no family, and my mind is wasted on Diosac among its barbaric society. So, Demon, I will have cake."

"You were pretty quick about taking that carrot." B170 looked down at Maximus, her hands placed on her hips. "How can I be sure you won't run back to your masters and tell them to send more forces before we can strike back at you?"

"You can't. You have to trust me."

"That's not something a Spartan, let alone an ONI Spartan, does easily." She gestured for him to get up. He did, stretching slightly as he rose to his full ten feet of height. "Jesus you're tall."

"I get that a lot. Even on Diosac I am viewed as almost a giant." He shrugged his shoulders, adjusting the weight of his armor slightly so it sat more to his waist than his shoulders. "What is your plan Demon?" B170 stared at his face, taking in all the features and committing them to memory.

"Sedition. Search and destroy. Guerilla warfare." She moved away, opening a large locker and revealing a cache of weapons both human and covenant. "I need you to set up locations for Marines I conscript into this to strike and eliminate. I need to build morale among the forces left so more will flock to the cause and fight back."

"This is a risky game. There will be a lot of death, on both sides if you want this to work. I cannot just send Brutes to their deaths without rousing suspicion in my competency. There must be moments where your efforts go wrong and my forces have a victory."

"I am aware of the requirements for such an endeavor. I've been playing this game my whole life. Alpha Company trained us. They were not kind." She retrieved a sniper rifle and spare magazines, stashing them in her armor compartments for quick access. "The first part of this plan is to clear a sector of the city for a base of operations so my forces have an area to fall back to. I need to know where your forces are so I can decide which location is most defensible and route all UNSC ground forces to that location."

"The north section of the city is the least occupied, if the previous overseer's records are to be believed."

"Then that's where I'll go." B170 slid a magazine into the rifle's receiver, slinging the weapon and retrieving an MA5B with an upsized receiver. It was designed to use .458 caliber munitions, an archaic round from the twenty first century that hit with far more power than standard UNSC 7.62 rounds. "If you have anyone in there that you want out, I suggest you remove them and bring them toward the city center, or the southern industrial district." She slid a magazine into the receiver, stashing spare ammo where she could, even going so far as shouldering a pack that clattered with magazines and clips.

"Very well. There are a few that would serve to aid your efforts. They're not commanders I would send to get a job done, simply bodies to fill positions. If I give them command of units, then your soldiers shouldn't have too much trouble dealing with them."

"You catch on quick. I'm starting to like you." She screwed a silencer into the muzzle, shouldering the weapon and turning to face him. "Well King Kong, hop to it then. Dismissed."

"What is your name? I would like to know in case i am captured and have to convince one of you humans I'm a collaborator."

"Eirwen, Spartan B-One-Seventy." She took her helmet in hand, staring at him without expression. "I already know who you are, Maximus. Son of Caecilius. Father of Tars and Magnus."

"You have done your research."

"You have a lot of time to snoop when you're stowed away on Unyielding Hierophant." She pointed to the door with her helmet before putting it on, hiding her face again and shimmering as Reactive Nanotube Camouflage rendered her nearly invisible. "Go round up your flock before I start killing." Maximus nodded, donning his helmet and making his way out of the door. He looked around as if he was searching, Eirwen speculated so any nosy Brute underlings would believe the act. She waited until he was far enough away that any attention would be drawn away from the building before exiting.

She made her way up the seawall, entering the city center and taking the Ghost she had stashed. Covenant vehicles had their perks. They were nearly silent until you reached conventional engagement ranges, even quieter in a crowded metropolis like New Mombassa. She navigated the streets and alleyways, making the northern section of residential buildings within thirty minutes. She parked the craft in an abandoned garage, hiding it before she began following UNSC distress beacons. She needed an army, even to take a small section of the city and keep it, so she would spend the next hour or two rounding up strays while Maximus did his part.