A/N Remember to review on your way out!

Crossroads

Esq's days were not quite as uneventful as when she had first arrived. However, for reasons unknown, she was still not released from captivity. She joined marines in daily activities, did the usual chores and made no attempt for escape. Eventually, most marines tolerated her presence and assumed that her young heart could be easily swayed to join the Humans. In part, they were right. A more accurate term of her bondage is known as stock-Holm syndrome.

The young Elite soon lost all time perception. Days, weeks maybe even years past though she doubted the Humans could have lasted that long in their primitive base without being detected by the Covenant. It was true that she had stopped provoking Somme as her personal past time. It was also true she made no attempt at escape. However, as attached as she was to her captors, never had she given up hope that her people would come and find the base. Hopefully then, she could escape. All Sangheili are attached to their children. As soon as they see her, they might just take her and leave without hurting her adoptive 'family' as extensively as they would have. Esq waited, and prepared for the inevitable invasion.

- - - - - - -

The first hint that something was wrong was when the wake-up call Esq received: A kick in the stomach by a stuttering Lucy Blue.

"Wha-a?" was the reply Lucy got from Esq.

"Get up. We're evacuating the base."

Esq did not argue and let herself be dragged to the doorway of her cell. After her long stay, her cell had been furnished with a bed and had actually become quite homey. Or, as homey as a cell could be anyway. With one final glance, Esq exited with Lucy into one of the brightly lit corridors. 

However… the corridors were not brightly lit… Esq glanced up in surprise. The lights were blinking and cables were cut. Sparks erupted at brief intervals and plasma burns were evident on the once pristine walls. Obviously, there had been fighting going about these halls.

Lucy looked nervous. Her normally calm exterior was broken. Plasma scarring showed up against her dark skin and Esq could see bone peeking out from her left arm. Corporal Blue could now be considered useless for holding the shotgun that was slung against her hip. Later, she wouldn't even need to fire her weapon. Not where she was going.

Esq saw it coming. Against her instincts, her mouth was half-open to warn Lucy. As cliché as it sounds, it was much too late to save Corporal Blue from her fate. A floating Plasma sword erupted through Lucy's torso. Esq saw the surprise in her eyes; the surprise of her life. Then, the Elite child saw the shock slip away, leaving a blank dead pan expression on Lucy's face. Through the momentum of the sword's thrust, Lucy flew across the corridor and splattered against a wall. Or, at least half of her did; the other half stayed where it was before falling sideways. Blue's richly oxygenated blood splashed on Esq's face; red liquid that stained her body red. Stating that Esq was horrified would be an understatement.

There were two choices for Esq. One: she could avenge Lucy's death. Two: she could finally rejoin her brethren. The one place where she truly belonged. Perhaps she could even find her father.

Esq chose the second option. It was smarter. The Human race would soon be wiped off the Universe anyway. There was no sense in allying herself with the enemy her Father had sworn to eradicate. They were also in the way of the Great Journey. It was the smarter decision that was why Esq was wondering why guilt was all she felt.

"Brother," she began but paused. There really was not much to say. "I thank you."



"Child," the Sangheili who had murd- no, simply killed Lucy replied. "Whatever explanation on why exactly you are in this filth's base and why you are on this planet can wait. Follow me, I shall escort you out."

"I am… Esq."

Ah, how efficient. Action first, explanations later. It was very different from Will's long winded speeches… Will! Where was that Human? Esq was panicking now. Perhaps Somme was right. In a previous conversation, the Associated Intelligence had said something about Esq being too connected with Will. Now the only problem, how to get rid of her escort? It is not like I will join the Humans. I will just make sure Johnston is fine. After that, I will leave.

Obediently, Esq followed the Sangheili. What else was there to do? "Esq… Are you not the Daughter of Aristocrat Se-"

He never got to finish his sentence. A plasma bomb flew at Esq and the Sangheili had batted it aside with his blade. The hallway was filled with Humans. "Get back!" The Sangheili had roared. "I will hold them off! Go to the exit!"

Esq watched as the Sangheili made a suicide dive into pack of Humans . She did not deserve his sacrifice. It is not like I know where the exit is… That was when she saw Will. He was currently hiding behind crates as green plasma shots hammered down on him.

On the upside, I now know what those god damn crates are for. On the downside, I'm gonna die. Johnston peeked out behind the crates to witness a blue armoured Elite firing a carbine, but had to draw his head back in before he got decapitated. The ends of his hair were burnt.

Damn! Esq swore in her head. There is not much time before the crates fall… She picked up a plasma pistol. Those shots at Will are green… Probably from a Kig-Yar's weapon. She held the trigger 

on the Plasma Pistol until it overcharged. Blindly rushing out, she released, only to realize the Covenant member she had fired upon, was no Kig-Yar.

The Minor Domo fell as Will jumped out from behind the crate and finished him off. Esq fell to her knees. She had just aided a Human to murder a member of the Glorious Covenant Militia. She did not notice when Johnston collapse. She did not notice his burnt side. However, she did notice a shimmer. It was an Ossoona. She stared at the approximation where his eyes were located. The Ossoona stared back acknowledging that he knew she saw him. A second later, he exited. Esq did not utter a word.

An Ossoona meant one thing. The assault on the Human's base was merely the calm before the storm. A scouting party had stumbled upon it on accident and now, the Ossoona would alert his superiors on the location of the base. He would alert her Father.

During the siege, Somme had activated the bases defences. She diverted about 1 of her memory capacity to man the defences. She loved watching the Humans burn. The holes that appeared in their body due to 'friendly' fire from her guns… Those pitiful worms… squirming to survive. Hairless apes who have obviously reached the dead-end of their evolution. Writhing as their organic bodies burned from plasma. How entertaining…

A/N Thank you again for reading this to the very end! I'm grateful. Please remember to review!

Further reading: To those who enjoy Covenant stories, if you are free to read more, please read my sister's debut story. It follows the Heretic Leader Dude you are supposed to kill at the level The Oracle… Sesa 'Refumee I think. My sister's account is Aika01.