I'm genuinely sorry about my unexpected hiatus. Expect more updates soon. I'll be going to Virginia for a wedding on the 28th, so expect a few updates over that weekend as well.


Six quickly sidestepped to the left and the beam grazed his visor, the incredibly hot round damaging his shields but luckily doing little else. Another shot, this one aimed at his leg. Six raised the plasma pistol Jun had given to him and fired off three quick shots before getting hit. His leg buckled as he clenched his teeth together and fell to the ground. He hit the floor rolling, and he managed to take cover at the aft end of the Seraph, another shot just barely grazing him as he put his back to the wall and slid to a sitting position.

"Six-" Jun began, stumbling to remove his seatbelt.

"Jun, stay there!" Six said forcefully, raising his hand in a halt.

"You should not have come to Aszod, Spartans." The Officer chuckled. He spit audibly onto the floor, and his beam rifle released hot air, cooling itself. "You make a mistake believing that you could defeat us."

"We didn't come to Aszod for you, scum." Six snapped, clutching his leg. The plasma from beam rifle shots was too fine to cauterize on impact, and his thigh was spouting a miniature fountain.

"Such strong words for such a weak, weak little man." The Officer said. "You will be an interesting kill, human. I take pride in knowing I shall be the one to end you."

Six grit his teeth. If he didn't come up with a strategy, and fast, that could very well be his future. Both his fate and Jun's rested on his own shoulders. This one needed to die if they were to have a chance.

"Not the first time I've heard that one." Six said, looking down to his pistol. "I'm shaking in my boots."

His enemy growled. "You are arrogant."

"Hasn't failed me yet." Six said, holding the trigger of his plasma pistol and popping out of cover.

He let go, and the green blast of unexpected plasma hit the Officer as he fired another shot. The plasma flying towards him obstructed his vision, and he missed. Six rushed towards him following the shot, and the Sangheili's shields dropped, staggering him. Six lunged and used momentum to deliver a punch like oak into the side of his head. Going in for a kick, Six swung his uninjured right leg into the Sangheili's weapon, his left straining immensely but his locked knee keeping him standing. Six caught the beam rifle directly with his boot, and the weapon flew across the room and hit the floor with a clack. The Officer dodged a second kick from Six, and countered by grabbing his leg and throwing him across the ship floor.

The Spartan recovered quickly, but the pain in his right two limbs pulsed with every heartbeat. He was bleeding a lot, but his advanced regeneration would eventually heal the wounds, as they weren't as serious as some others.

The Officer walked forward with intimidation and went to hit Six as he stood. Six dodged and went for a punch of his own, but the Elite caught it and grabbed Six by the throat.

"It will be a great honor to bring my leaders the head of a Spartan." He growled, laughing as he applied more pressure to Six's neck. He felt like he couldn't breathe. He pushed against the Officer's chest with his legs, but the Sangheili would not yield. He was too strong, stronger than any Sangheili that Six had fought in close quarter combat.

Suddenly, the ship lurched heavily to the left, and the Officer pulled Six as they fell to... the ground?

The floor was now a wall; the ships were turned at a complete ninety degree angle.

"Jun?!" Six shouted. He was flying both Seraphs at the same time, the ships interlocked and responding as one. There were other aircraft outside; more Covenant.

"Just fight!" Jun shouted back. "I will handle the others!"

The Officer roared as he rolled and pinned Six to the wall, drawing back and hitting him hard enough to put a solid split down the middle of his visor. Under the helmet, Six's eyebrow split and his head ached, feeling as though he had been hit by a car. He kneed the Officer in the stomach, weakening his grip, and delivered a hard kick with his bad leg into his chest, knocking him down.

"You will not leave these ships alive." The Officer said, rising to stand.

"Then I make sure you leave in pieces." Six said, drawing his knife. It was slightly crusted with Sangheili blood, an intimidating lather of purple over the black carbon fiber weapon.

The Sangheili drew both wrist blades, and readied himself to attack. "Dressed in pieces!" He roared, lunging.

His scrappy, blood red cloak fluttered behind him as he flew forward, and the ship flipped as they met in the middle. The sudden feeling of weightlessness flowed through Six as Jun dive bombed the interlocked Seraphs downward. Six aimed the Officer towards the front of the ship, and Jun pulled up, the two sent crashing towards the control console. The Officer's back smashed audibly against the pilot's chair, a cracking noise sounding over the firing weaponry and thrusters, and Jun leveled the ship out, causing both the Spartan and the Sangheili to collapse to the ground. Six scrambled to his feet, knife still in hand.

"You are filled with fear." The Officer said, retracting his blades. "I sense it. I sense anguish. Despair."

Six looked to his left and saw the beam rifle sliding as the ship leveled almost perfectly. He made a grab for it and rose it to Sylvan's head, but the Sangheili was expecting nothing else. As Six fired, the Elite batted the gun upwards, and the beam hit the ceiling with a zap. He grabbed Six's forearm, the one which had already been shot, holding as tight as he could as he twisted it until it snapped.

Six cried out, and he was silenced with a swift kick in the middle of his chest. The Spartan slid, gliding across the metal floor and hitting the wall with a thud.

The Officer cackled, walking forward. "A Spartan," He said. "A legendary weapon, defeated."

He approached Six's side, and crushed his arm under heel. Six screamed with pain, resisting further cries only after biting his tongue.

"You are nothing to us." He growled. "We will destroy all of you, be you Human or Covenant, bit by bit until none remain."

Six inhaled heavily, holding back the pain. "What did-"

He put more weight on the arm, and Six stopped in his tracks. "Enough!" The Sangheili shouted. "I will make an example of you..."

He drew one blade, the one on his right arm, and lifted Six by the throat with his left. Blood ran down the Spartan's black armor in several places, but none more than his arm. He felt so weak.

"... And when I am done, I shall finish your friend."

The familiar hum of a cooling weapon sounded behind the Officer, and Six lifted his heavy eyelids. The Sangheili dropped Six and turned, only to be caught in the middle of his chest with a beam rifle shot.

He stumbled back and fell, letting go of Six's throat as he collapsed into the wall. Taking in a much needed breath, Six stood and ran for the open blast doors that separated the two ships. When he reached the doorway, he turned back.

"Come on, Jun!" Six said. "Leave him!"

"The only one... that shall be finished today... is yourself." Jun told the Officer, his legs shaking under the excess weight of his armor. He clicked the trigger again as he aimed it at Sylvan's head. There was no more ammo, and the barrel of the energy weapon fizzed pathetically.

The Sangheili took his chance, lunging up and grabbing the Spartan in a chokehold. Dropping the rifle, Jun, already weak, fought back almost pathetically against the Officer's grasp, driving his elbow back as hard as he could.

"Drop him, you filth!" Six shouted, taking a step forward. The Sangheili rose his blade to Jun's neck.

"I don't think that I will." The Officer replied.

"Drop him!" Six yelled. "Now!"

"If you take one more step closer, he will not die painlessly!" The Officer said, a chill coming from his words. "You know not what you challenge!"

"Then educate me." Six said.

The Officer narrowed his beady eyes at Six, lowering his blade from Jun's neck. "I've killed Spartans before. You shall be no different than them, and neither shall this one."

Then he plunged his blade into Jun's back.