I don't own Halo or any of its characters! Bungie Studios does. I only own Nala 'Aidasee character and other lesser characters.

Halo: Crossed Fates

Chapter 4

Away From Home… Again!

Truth and Reconciliation. Food storage

Finally Nala had something to eat. After a day without food Nala had been eating everything that looked like eatable. After almost a hour she finally left the storage room. She was surprised how fast the crew have been able to fix the vessel. But after all, human weaponry wasn't greatly advanced, but they were still deadly.

As she walked through the corridors towards the brig which held the human captives. "Where I can find a human with special armor?" she heard someone asking. "So the interrogation is still going on."

"Well, if you see him. You better dodge and cover when you see him." answered the voice of human Captain. There was some sort of amusement in his voice which made Nala shiver. If human would that confident about their Demons that wasn't good.

She could hear as the unknown sangheili roared in frustration and anger. Soon the warrior was revealed as Special Operation Officer Zuka 'Zamamee and newly promoted unggoy Yayap. Why would he praise that an unggoy saved his live was something Nala never understood. "What you looking at!" 'Zamamee growled.

"Nothing. I was about go to check on human prisoners." Nala answered calmly. Officer 'Zamamee didn't look convinced. "Oh of course! What I heard, it was because of your compassion towards those vermin's they are alive! What I bet you are going to release them when you have the chance!" he insulted. "Those are really bold words from a sangheili warrior who was saved by bunts of unggoy." she almost laughed back at his face.

There was enough rage in Zuka's eyes to kill every single unggoy and kig-yar on this ship. He then grabbed Nala from her throat, but not so tightly that she might have hard to breath "You watch your words Priestess! If I wouldn't be so busy with my mission, you would regret your words breeder!" he then let her go. "Yayp! Follow!"

"That unggoy will be your downfall Zuka 'Zamamee!" she waited and watched until Special Operation Officer was out of her sight. The human commander was moved back to his cell, which was far left. Human raised his head when he saw the Warrior Priestess standing before him. "Sorry. I won't take appointments today anymore." he said dryly.

"I only want to talk human."

"Just like that other guy? Sorry I'm not in the mood right now."

"I won't bother you long, just answer in few innocent questions."

The human looked at the puzzling. Usually the when the Covenant wanted to talk, it was painful. "What's the catch?"

"There will be no catch. I just wish to talk. My dear Major prevented that at our last encounter." she smirked.

"You sure are one heck of a strange Covie. Well let me ask first. Why did let us live?"

"There are few reasons. One is that because I'm a priestess, so I have hope that you humans could still be redeemed."

"Redeemed?"

"Yes. The Prophets have said the you are corrupted race who's only goal is to destroy all Relics of The Forerunners and you can't be redeemed because of your sins." she said with little sadness in her voice. She had witness how the humans lived, while being in Telox III. She couldn't understand why they could not be saved. "Everyone deserves a second chance." said High Priestess ones to her.

"Forerunners? I never heard of such thing. In fact I don't think any of my kind have heard of them."

"What you mean that you never had heard of them? They ones ruled this Galaxy hundreds of thousands years ago. But somehow they all vanished without a trace, all they left behind was their technology."

"So what are telling me is that you and the entire Covenant think that we want to destroy some strange alien technology that is precious to you? That's some bullshit I've ever head!" Nala didn't know what that meant, but she could tell that human had just insulted her and didn't buy her story. "One stubborn human. But have the Prophets being wrong about them? He seems to have no knowledge about Forerunners."

"You don't believe me. Well, have you ever wondered who build this Ring?"

"You don't mean…!"

"Yes! We are right now standing on our Gods greatest creation! The Sacred Ring!"

"Well what's make it so Sacred then?"

Before Nala could answer a Minor sangheili stepped inside. "Ship Master 'Ojalee would like to see you Mistress." he said with little respect in his voice.

Nala quickly turned her gaze from the Minor back to human. Then turned without any word and started headed for the Command Center.

Ascendant Justice. Command Center

"This is ridiculous!" Thel thought. Being held against his will. He almost felt like he was prisoner. The Fleet Master was paranoid. And he was getting even more. The news weren't good. The humans were able to form really effective resistance. They were able to capture one of their bases. At least Seeker of Truth was able to secure the crashed human vessel.

He heard footsteps behind him. It was Fleet Mast Asni. "Well Commander, it looks like I have good news. For you of course." he said rather with disappointing voice. "I just received word from Ship Master Soni 'Ojalee that they have picked your Priestess and also a human senior officer and his pack."

"So he is finally captured!" but most importantly Nala 'Aidasee was found. "Very well. Are you going to bring her here with the humans?"

"Of course. So I could interrogate all of them. Including her!" Asni said with evil smirk on his face.

"What! Why?"

"Well in Major Sarels report he stated that Priestess 'Aidasee spared this humans companions. Which is rather strange. So I have reason to suspect that she might try to defect the Covenant."

"I can assure Fleet Master, Nala would never betray the Co…!"

"As I said before! I don't want to hear your excuses Commander! But don't worry I won't hurt your precious Priestess. Much." he mocked.

Thel so much wanted to strangle him, but that might be bad idea. The Fleet Master was so full of himself. "He is almost like Ripa 'Moramee!" Fleet Masters ignorance surely reminded Thel about previous Arbiter, who didn't care for anyone but only himself and that the will of the Prophets were done. "But at least hehave some honor in him!"

"I've already sent a Spirit dropship to pick them." Asni said. Then he just left the Command Center without any other word, leaving Thel 'Vadamee in his thoughts. Asni surely enjoyed irritating Thel.

Truth and Reconciliation. Command Center

"You can't be serious!"

"Well those are my orders. Keep you in custody until Fleet Masters recovery team arrive. You've placed yourself in dangerous place by allowing those humans to live." Ship Master Soni 'Ojalee answered calmly.

"But those ridiculous charges! The reason why I allowed them to live was that we could get some info out of them!"

"But we only could have afforded only let one human to live! Now tell me the reason and I might try to help you with Fleet Masters charges." he said. First Nala thought that she could just be quiet about it, but if she would be quiet about it Fleet Master might get it out of her more painful manners.

"Very well." she sighted. She might get herself trouble by telling this, but at least she would be tortured to get the info.

But before she could tell the door behind Ship Master opened and the Demon entered! It raised its weapon which Nala recognized as a sniper. "Ship Master move!" she yelled as she pushed Soni out of the way. That was bad move. As she stepped in 'Ojalees place she was greeted by Demons bullets.

The first shot hit her in chest which lowering her shields in 20%, second shot penetrated her shields and pierced her shoulder, third hit one hit her in the same leg which had recovered from her last battle with Demon. And the fourth one barely missed her as she fell onto the Command Platform holding her shoulder which was bleeding badly.

"Warriors! Deal with these intruders!" he then turned to face Nala. "Don't worry Priestess. We will deal with them, just stay put."

"Like I've got anything better to do!" she thought. She couldn't speak because of the pain. As humans and Ship Masters troops were busy with the humans, Nala crawled to the command console and activated silent alarm. It would alert elite assassins and come for their aid. "But they might come too late."

The Demon was able to finish off Ship Master easily and returned to help rest of his companions. Nala quickly activated her Active Camouflage, even though it might not hide her completely it might give some cover. All she had to worry about was that the humans won't come to the platform.

"Don't worry Chief we stay here and wait for you and the Captain." said human named Sergeant Rad. The Demon only nodded and left the room. "OK boys we need to secure the area! Just be prepared for anything and I mean anything!"

"OK sarge!" most of them said.

Nala had to almost held her breath. Human troops walked around Command Center and sometimes it almost looked like they would come to platform. "Where they are!" she thought. Another thing she was thinking about was Thel. She so wanted to meet at least one more time. "Fate is really cruel."

"Hey Sarge! What is that light over there?" one marine asked while pointing at the silent alarm. "Oh no!"

"I bet it's some sort of alarm shit! OK boys, it looks like we have big problem! We need to hold here until Chief returns with the Captain! OK marine come with me so could try to disable that thing." pointing at the console.

Nala tried to crawl away so that the humans might not trip on her. But that still didn't stop her bleeding. She started to feel little fuzzy. The lost of blood had started take affect. She felt as her body grew weaker and weaker. "Hey Sarge. Look!" the marine said while pointing at the floor of platform which had trail of purple blood.

He started slowly walk at the end of the corner of the platform. Then he felt something on his feet. As he kicked it pretty hard a figure of an Covenant Elite was revealed. "Hey Sarge! Look at this!" he said while now pointing his rifle at Elites head.

"Well what ya know. We got one alive."

"Should we just open fire?"

"No. Look at its armor. This guy must be some sort of high ranking commander."

"Oh the irony!" she thought. Too bad these humans didn't know that they have captured just ordinary Covenant warrior. "Should we help him? He sure have lost lot of blood."

"Hmmm." then they heard as one of the marines yelled in agony. A Energy Sword had pierced his chest. "Shit! Stealth Elites!" humans left Nalas side as they tried to rebel the Elite Assassins which were Ship Masters own body guards. Even without shield, their Camouflage prove to be quite useful. Humans had trouble to find all they could follow was the shivering in the air.

After few more minutes all the humans were killed. "Mistress, are you alright?" asked a female voice. This was surprise. Nala had thought that Soni didn't like the idea of female sangheili warriors. "Guess I was wrong."

"I don't think so." she finally said with a weak voice.

The sangheili moved closer to see her wounds. "This is going to hurt a bit." she said. Nala nodded as she closed her eyes. She always hated pain, it somehow made look weaker. Useless like some of the males would say. She grouted as the Assassin put some strange liquid in her shoulder wound. "That should stop the bleeding until we get to the medical bay." she said.

"Thank you. What is this anyway?"

"It is something that we use after a fight. It stops bleedings for few hours. After that it starts to wear off and if the wound isn't healed properly the bleeding will start again." she explained.

"Then why haven't I seen them on the field?"

"They are still tested. There have been some accidents with them. And Ship Master 'Ojalee wanted to test it few times." there was little sadness in her words when she mentioned Ship Masters name. "Great! I'm being tested with possible dangerous medical liquid."

As the Assassin started to move her, the door on their left side opened. And the first two Assassins were met by sniper bullets. "Not again!"

"To arms! Stay here Mistress!" Nala didn't have time to warn about the Demon. As predicted, all the Assassins were dead. Then she saw far to familiar humans entering from the door. "So, we meet again human." she said with small smirk on her face.

"Yeah. I guess so." he said with strangely surprised voice

"Sir what we do with ummm… him?" asked the Demon. His voice was scary as his entire appearance. The voice really deep with no emotion.

"Well first of all Chief it's she and we are taking her with us."

"Why sir?"

"I guess I kinda own her." he said smiling. "So now I'm kidnapped. This day is getting better." this was really humiliating. But she made sure that wouldn't go with them willingly. "But what you say if I'm not going willingly?" she said while trying to stand up.

"Then we have to take you forcefully!"

As Nala was able to barely stand up, she tried to punch the Demon with everything she got. He was the reason for all of this. Death of her squad, being trapped on Halos surface without any kind of communications. But she knew the punch would do any good, but at least she could give into her anger.

But she was greeted by stronger punch in her face. Punch strong enough to black her out.

"I think that was unnecessary Chief."

"She was going to attack sir and I had to defend myself sir!"

"Yeah, yeah. Just pick her up. We'll fix her back the base. All right everyone let's move!" Keyes yelled as they started moving towards the hangar bay and the Spirit dropship.

Few hours later. Alpha base

"I don't think this is good idea sir. Taking Covenant prisoners, it just pisses them off." complained Major Silva.

"We are going to need lot of Intel about the Covenant's operations around this Ring Major. And by capturing many Covenant will provide us many different information." Keyes said.

"But I doubt that they will tell us anything. Well maybe those Grunts but the Elites, they die first before telling anything."

"Well you were half wrong about that Major."

"What you mean sir?"

"One Covenant Elite named Char 'Qualomee has revealed us a location of some sort of structure which contains shit load of Covenant weapons." Major just looked at Captain. It was hard to believe that an Elite would give away such big information.

"So you want me and my solders to go there and secure it?"

"No. You stay here and guard the base. I will take Johnson and our Elite friends. To make sure that he is talking the truth."

"And who might be the second "friend"?"

"That female we picked up from that Covenant cruiser. I thought that she might be useful for something to trade."

Meanwhile

"Where am I?" Nala asked.

"You are in human base. Priestess." said strange voice.

Nala quickly opened her eyes and saw another sangheili standing next to her. From the look of his armor Nala could tell that he was Major. "How did I get…" she paused as she remembered the Demon hit her. "Never mind."

"How long was I out?" she asked as she moved her hand on her shoulder noticing strange patch attached to it.

"Couple hours. The humans packed you up so you could be fully healed."

"I didn't know humans knew anything about sangheili structure."

"Well I sort of helped them." Major with little embarrassment.

"Why would you help humans? And how you know who I am?" she asked. Almost like she was interrogating.

"Well your name is well know in the Fleet Nala 'Aidasee. And about helping the humans. I think you know the reason for this." Nala was quiet. What he meant by that "she knew the reason why to help humans". She didn't know. Or maybe she did. "No! I won't betray Thel! Not him!" Thel was the only thing what kept Nala in the Covenant side. She knew that the humans weren't the monsters as the Prophets have describe them. This whole war seemed pointless.

Well here it finally is! Sorry about this cliffhanger. As always nice and constructive comments are welcome. And sorry if there hasn't happened much but don't worry next two or three chapters contain more action. So I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Till next time.

THANK YOU AND GOOD NIGHT!