Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.
Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.
Author's Note: Like I said in my Blog, MY characters (the ones who make Cameo's) have no relation to other canon characters in the story they cameo in UNLESS told otherwise.
Chapter 13
Standing tall within a beautiful valley was Delta Halo's Control Room. The control room looked very similar to the one on Installation 04, just in a different environmental setting.
Up on a high ledge, a gold ring sprouted out of the air, letting Colde drop to the ground. He stumbled slightly as he hit the ground unexpectedly.
Colde rubbed his arm and looked around. Colde found a plasma rifle on a rock picked it up. A path led to an area where an apparent fire fight was happening. Plasma bolts and detonating Brute Shot grenades exploding in the distance. He ran down the path and picked up an energy sword as well and found a couple of brutes.
He fired off his plasma rifle and it pelted the brutes shield. He lobbed a plasma grenade and it landed on of the brutes. It panicked and ran around in circles. The grenade detonated and it killed off. More brutes ran towards him but he just sliced and diced them. Colde continued on his bloody rampage killing of the brutes he could find. But along the way he found the bodies of more elites. He made his way up slope covered in brutes. They let loose a heavy fire on him but he still made it to the path to the top. It was guarded by four brutes and two captains. He stealth and slipped behind them; he cut one of the captains down with his energy sword, and then he cut down the second. The other two were no match for his superior sword skills. He ran up the path and ... WHAM!
A fist caught him in the chest shattering his shields and sending him tumbling down the path to lie in the fetal position holding his stomach! The brute captain leapt down the path and was running at him. He raised his weapon ready to deliver the killing blow to Colde.
But it never came. The brute stumbled then fell down dead. The shooter was an elite. His armor was drenched in blood and he was gasping for breath.
"Commander your alive!" exclaimed the elite. Colde looked up and recognized that it was Olut 'Fulgal.
"More or less." he said as he stood up.
"By the prophets... What have these brutes done!" said Olut.
He looked at Colde anger plain on his face, his eyes a blaze.
"They have shed our brother's blood! And for that they must die!" yelled Olut.
"Agreed." said Colde.
Suddenly there came a whine and drop pods landed. Out of them came more Sangheilis that acknowledged the presence of the Commander.
"Come on there are plenty more brutes out there to kill!" yelled one.
"Come on everyone let's go!" said Colde.
They ran through a door in the cliff face into a room filled with more dead warriors along with grunts. Their anger grew as they looked on the slain. They ran to another door and everyone drew their swords. Olut laughed,
"Charge!!!!"
The elites all knew one thing. This was war! A Covenant civil war! They all just hoped they would come through alive.
Colde cut down another brute, its blood splattered the floor and walls. The small group of elites had slowly grown to include one more nobody spec ops and a pair of grunts. The brutes couldn't stop their rapid advance for the life of themselves.
They entered a room with a sloping ceiling and galleries. Suddenly plasma shots were fired. Every one ran for cover.
"We have to clear those galleries come on!"
They leapt down killing the enemy warriors beneath them. With the room finally cleared everyone rushed forwards to continue their vengeful rampage.
The small group of elites clambered out the door. Clear skies greeted them along with an entire squad of brutes and jackals. Colde opened up with his plasma rifle and then rushed forward, energy sword in hand. The others quickly joined in the melee. To there shock one of the grunts went down from a shot gun shell! The brutes were using human weapons.
"Watch for shotguns." yelled Olut.
"Got it!" replied Colde. They fought their way over to a large structure. All of them entered it and met more resistance inside. They rushed in killing every resisting being.
"Keep up the pressure!" yelled an elite.
They entered through another door and they came upon a ledge. Below them were more brutes and jackals. Colde activated his active camouflage and jumped down. He killed the brute with one swipe and stuck the other with a plasma grenade.
Eventually they got out of the structure and came upon fresh air again. Suddenly there came a shout from behind him.
"Wraith! Colde take cover!!" shouted Olut.
Then Colde had an idea to help tip the tide of this battle. He ran towards onto the wraith drawing his energy sword. He thrust them into the wraiths cock pit. He heard the brute in side gurgle as the blade cut through it. He slashed open the top of the wraith and yanked out the dead body. He clambered in and set to work trying to figure out the controls.
He was a Spec Ops Commander not a field master. He had never trained in how to use a wraith. He quickly got the gist of it however. He brought it about (although he was a bit clumsy) and fired! The bell blue mortar crashed down on the patch of shadows where Olut and the elites were firing. He heard the brutes in hiding scream as they were flash fried.
They came upon a path where Colde was forced to abandon the wraith. There were more enemies in them but they just took them all out. They ran up the path and through a tunnel. Inside was the largest of all the armories in the entire area. Shotguns and human helmets lay in a pile and carbine, sniper, and beam rifles lay in another. There were two fuel rod guns on a table. Colde sighed as he saw the warriors examine the weapons.
"Take them if you wish." said Colde. They looked at him confusion plain on their faces. They mostly took the carbine and beam rifles but Olut took the fuel rod gun. They exited the room and found themselves face to face with an army of brutes. All of them started firing and Olut fired his Rod gun.
The Brutes flew to the air to the result of the explosion.
"Smooth." said Colde.
"Thank you." replied Olut.
They ran on through a cave filled with a few brutes. The brutes were no match for the group. They came out of the cave to open skies. He sighed taking in the untainted air. Suddenly he heard a sound of terrible foreboding he whirled around to see a wraith closing in on them. Colde raised his plasma rifle knowing he was screwed. Then the hatch open.
Everyone was deadly silent as the wraith's hatch opened. His rifle trained on the area just above the hatch. But instead of a Brute Captain came out, an elite instead. His armor was covered in grim and blood. He looked at Colde in surprise and wonder. Colde recognized him as the elite that gave him the 'If-looks-could-kill-stare' back at High Charity when he came back after his exile mission.
"By the rings, Commander!" he exclaimed. Then his expression changed from surprised to anger.
"Commander…" he said again but this time with venom. He went out of the wraith and jumped down. He walked towards Colde, staring daggers at him, and fist clenched. Before Colde could comprehend what he was going to do, the elite punched him. The force sent him stumbling towards the ground. The elite was about to pounce on him when Olut grabbed him and restrained him.
"What is wrong with you!?" yelled Olut. The elite tried to struggle but two more elites restrained him. Colde coughed on the ground and he stood up. He approached the struggling elite and asked,
"What the hell was that for?!" The elite looked at him then said,
"You killed my father and you stole his rank!!!" he shouted. Colde was taken back. He never killed any Sangheili other than heretics. What did he meant by this?
"What's your name?" he asked.
"N'kev…N'kev 'Vadumee." he answered. It all fell into place.
"I didn't kill your father." said Colde.
"Liar! You exiled him! To the Humans!" he yelled at him. This was true. He did exile him to the humans and by doing that he gave the Sangheili a death sentence.
"I'm sorry." apologize Colde.
Suddenly there came a humming sound. They looked up to see two phantoms fly over head. One of them broke from the other and flew of to the large structure behind the wraith. It was the same building Colde had seen when he had arrived. The phantom hovered over a platform in front of a large door. Out of the bottom gravity lift, came a lopsided figure. Colde lifted his rifle and zoomed in on the figure.
Even from this distance there was no mistaking the figure he was looking at. Tartarus. He was griping in one hand a human and the other the monitor. He paused on the door step as two more brutes hopped down from the phantoms.
He sniffed the air and gritted his teeth he could smell the battle and the nobodies. He walked inside with his captains and body guards. Colde stared at the structure with wonder. It seemed as though the valley had been built solely for its protection.
"What is that place?" he asked. N'kev sighed.
"Where the councilors were meant to view the restoration of the icon; am the start of the great journey." he answered.
Unbidden the words of the Gravemind floated through Colde's mind.
'There is still time to stop the key from turning.'
He looked up at N'kev then said,
"I must get inside!" N'kev snorted.
"Get in."
* * * * *
The Master Chief walked up to Thel and Rtas. The two of them looked at him and he looked back. Then the three of them stared into the distance. It was one of those 'moments'. Rick scowled as he saw the three were doing. He rolled his eyes and cleared his throat.
"…Um hate to break it to you but we need to get out of here." said Rick.
"I agree." said Cortana. The three nodded and ran back to them. Then, out of nowhere, a Pelican crashed behind Thel, Rtas and the Chief. Then Flood forms, infections and combats, charged them. Everyone immediately started firing.
"Flood controlled drop ships are touching down all over the city! That creature beneath the Library... that 'Gravemind'... used us. We were just a diversion. In Amber Clad was always its intended vector. We need to get out of here!" shouted Cortana. The Master Chief reached for Cortana's hologram but she said,
"No. Yank me later when we're a few feet near the ship. You need the distance shortened since I'll time-detonate In Amber Clad's reactor. The blast will destroy this city and the ring. Not a very original plan, but we know it'll work." Cortana explained. The Chief nodded.
"Let's go." said the Chief.
They raced down the halls of Cairo and fought the flood. Along the way Thel radioed Z'jo,
"Z'jo, radio some of your ships to pick up survivors on Halo because we're going to blow it up in a few moments."
"Yes sir!" replied Z'jo over the side.
"Come on." Thel, Rick, Rtas followed the Chief out of the room and into the hall. They ran into more mutated Sangheili and dispatched them. They went out into the second room and saw jackals and grunts being killed by the disfigured Sangheili. Thel and the Chief avoided the enemies before they could notice them and went into a room. They were on a ramp that had a floor at the bottom. This time it was two Marines that were being chased by the monsters. Thel's insides knotted when he recognized one of them.
"Rachelle!" he shouted. She looked up at him with relieved eyes but she fell backwards as a tentacle was swung at her. The other marine, who looked vaguely familiar, pulled her back and up again, while firing his rifle. Thel jumped down and rushed the disfigured Sangheilis that were trying to hurt Rachelle. One turned on him and was about to swing its tentacle but Thel grabbed the tentacle and ripped it off and threw it to the side. He then kicked the monstrous Sangheili in the side of the head hard enough to decapitate it.
Thel roared in fury as he was hit from behind. A good chunk of his shields were brought down. Another hit from beside him. When he turned to face the two threats he was hit from behind again, this time his shields gave out. Now a fourth one had come and they sandwiched Thel in. He roared in pain as a razor sharp tentacle cut the back of his neck. The other ones pounced on him and brought him to his knees. He nearly wretched, these things stank to high heaven. They gurgled and spat and disgusting pus oozed off of them and into Thel's wound. He growled in anger and his will to survive took over.
He activated his energy sword and it flared to life. He lifted it up and broke through the bodies on top of him. To the Chief, Rachelle, Rtas, Rick, Jaime he looked like he just materialized out of the pile of bodies atop him. Shooting the monsters didn't stop them from piling onto Thel. But obviously being cut in half did. Thel kicked a Sangheili monster backward and Jaime finished it off with a few rounds into the head.
"Are you okay?" asked Rachelle jogging up to Thel who rose shakily to his hooves.
"Yes I think so." he said. Rachelle sighed in relief and to everyone's surprise (especially Thel) she hugged him. Unsure what to do he pat her back and said,
"Uh you're welcome." was all he could think to say, since he thought she was hugging him for helping him and Jaime. Rachelle then let go of him, her face beat red.
"I-I'm sorry I-" she stuttered.
"No-uh that's-uh-it's fine I-uh-don't mind." said Thel awkwardly, his face turning violet.
"Sorry to break the moment, but WE'RE LEAVING!" shouted Jaime. The two of them looked at him and broke apart.
They all rushed back to the docking bay earlier. They managed to get pass the most heavily flooded areas with the help of Cortana. They were at the last door when Cortana appeared on one of the holo pedestals.
"Chief, yank me. When you do, the engines on this ship will begin heating up. After two hours it'll overload causing a massive explosion, like at the Autumn." said Cortana. The Chief placed his hand on the pedestal and Cortana transferred.
"Let's go." said the Chief. The six went through the door and arrived at the docking bay. The pelican was there along with Z'jo who was shouting at them,
"COME ON!" he then primed a plasma grenade and lobbed it. It soared into the air and landed inside the room they were recently in before the door closed. It exploded killing the flood that were chasing them. Everyone literally jumped in as the pelican doors closed. It took off and they were finally free from High Charity. The pelican made its way back to Poker Face.
* * * * *
The sound of plasma fire came to their ears as Colde finished off the brutes. They arrived at the ledge where the Scarab was supposed to be, but it was gone. Behind them, the Scarab stood, its eye fixed on them.
"Listen. You don't like me and I sure as hell don't like you." said Johnson.
"Agreed." responded Colde.
"Well if we don't do something quick, the pony tails going to activate this ring and were all gonna die
"Tartarus has locked himself inside the control center." he replied. The eye cannon spun and widened.
"Well I just happen to have a key. Come on grab a banshee and give me some cover. There gonna know we're coming. The rest of you hop in." said Johnson. Above them several Banshees flew down and landed near them. The Sangheili within stepped out and said,
"Here, Commander, take my Banshee." Colde took the banshee whilst, Olut, N'kev and the other Sangheilis went in the Scarab.
It was hard for Colde to maneuver the banshee since he wasn't trained on it. But eventually he learned and was soon doing attacks and swift dodges. Then finally after several bold attacks that were easily repelled they came against the control room doors. The only thing in their way, a third dozen wraith tanks and one phantom; Johnson blew the phantom to pieces with the main gun.
It wasn't even a fighting chance for the phantom against the mighty scarab. Thel bombed the wraiths with his fuel rod gun and watched with some delight as they exploded. Finally all that remained was the door itself.
"Get clear!" shouted Johnson. The scarabs cannon charged. "Hey bastards! Knock knock!"
The scarab's cannon fired! The massive stream of boiling plasma struck the main doors of the control room and shattered the shields meant to stop any attacker. Then Johnson fired a second shot. The doors exploded. Colde shot towards it while the scarabs crew piled out to find a way to cross the wide (not to mention deep) pool of water. That was a scarabs weakness they didn't do well in water. Colde went on a head praying he wasn't too late.
Tartarus was really getting pissed off. The human who had to activate the ring was being completely uncooperative. To make matters worse the monitro would not stop talking about how he should be careful or just be nicer.
"Come, human it is easy. Take the icon in your hand." said Tartarus.
She didn't do anything but roll her eyes. He gritted his teeth in anger and slammed his fist into the console.
"AND DO AS YOU ARE TOLD!!!!!"
"Please use caution! This reclaimer is delicate." said the monitor.
"ONE MORE WORD ORACLE AND I'LL RIP YOUR EYE'S OUT OF THEIR SOCKETS!!!" shouted Tartarus.
He tightened his grip on her shoulder and she grunted in pain. He drew close to her ear.
"Which is nothing compared to what I'll do to you…"Miranda's eyes widened in fear. Then they heard a few silent foot steps. Then a voice Tartarus had thought he would never hear again.
"Tartarus stop!" Tartarus eyes widened in anger and shock.
"Impossible." he murmured.
"Put down the Icon." Colde said to him. Tartarus turned to him fully
"Put it down, and disobey the Hierarchs?" he asked.
"There are things about Halo even the Hierarchs do not understand." Colde reasoned with Tartarus. His Brutes became angry at that statement and advanced, but Tartarus signaled them to stop.
"Take care, Commander, what you say is heresy!" Tartarus said to him.
"Is it?" asked Colde. He looked at 343 Guilty Spark "Oracle, what is Halo's purpose?" Without hesitation the Monitor said,
"Collectively, the seven-" but Tartarus grabbed the Monitor and jerked him around,
"Not another word!" he roared.
"Please," said a new voice. The Brutes looked up to see Sergeant Johnson, N'kev and Olut approach. "Don't shake the light bulb."
The Brutes advanced but Johnson raised the beam rifle he was carrying, and pointed it directly at Tartarus' head. He yelled,
"If you wanna keep your brains inside your head, I'd tell your boys to chill!" Tartarus raised his hand and barked a command to stop them. Johnson looked at Colde.
"Go ahead, do your thing." Colde looked back at the Monitor.
"The Sacred Rings." he said to him. "What are they?"
"Weapons of last resort. Built by the Forerunners to eliminate potential Flood hosts, thereby rendering the parasite harmless." the Monitor recited.
"Those who made the Halos, what happened to the Forerunners?" asked Colde, knowing the answer.
"After exhausting every other strategic option, my creators activated the rings. They, and all additional sentient life within three radii of the galactic center, died, as planned." the Monitor continued. Tartarus felt sick inside.
How could this be? He thought.
"Would you like to see relevant data?" asked the Monitor. Colde ignored him and said,
"Tartarus...the Prophets have betrayed us." Tartarus grabbed 343 Guilty Spark and drew his hand back to throw, but held. The others had their weapons on him, but paused as well. A thousand things were racing through Tartarus' mind. Were the Prophets lying? No, they said so themselves...but that couldn't mean anything. Maybe the Forerunner story was as phony as the human religions.
In the end, he settled on one thing. He let out a breath of despair and let the Monitor go.
"Chieftain?" asked one Brute.
"He's right." Tartarus whispered in sorrow.
"He can't be." said the same Brute. Tartarus gave the Icon to Miranda.
"Do what you like with it, save for inserting it into the computer." he said to her quietly.
"Fools!" roared another Brute, the one that had questioned Tartarus. He grabbed Miranda's wrist and forced her to insert the Index into the Control Panel. Miranda quickly evaded his grip and threw the index to the air. Everyone's eyes followed except Tartarus. He was angry at the brute that tried to activate Halo. He charged up his gravity hammer and swung it to the brute; the brute flew to the air and hit the wall.
Miranda reached out her arm and caught the Index. For safe keeping she placed it in her pocket. Then an elite burst into the room.
"Ma'am and Sirs! We need to get out of here, High Charity will explode in 1 unit taking Halo with it!" he shouted. Everyone looked at each other then back at him, and then Johnson said,
"Lead the way."
Please take some time to R&R.