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Worth It-Part 2
Six POV
The trio of Grunts scream as they run as fast as their little legs allows them to. The underground road they are on slope upwards, forcing them to scramble over one another in a mad dash to exit the tunnel. They could see the bright blue skies and sunlight streaming through the opening, causing them to run even faster, but their hopes of survival disappears when their pursuers finally caught up to them.
With a mighty roar, a Warthog comes raging out of the tunnel with the force of a tsunami's gale. The Grunt in the rear offers one last squeak before it is ran over. The one in front tries to jump out of the way, but the front bumper hits it side and sends it flying to the wall. The remaining alien creature jumps to the right just as the human vehicle passes it. The Grunt releases a sigh when it hears a loud boom, turns but is decapitated by a round from the Warthog's heavy machine gun.
The vehicle rolls out of the dark interior of the ruin tunnel before coming to a stop on the bridge. It spans across a small stretch of open water, connecting one side of New Mombasa to the other, where the Covenant Assault Carrier still floats in waiting. It's an expansion bridge with heavy cables sprouting upwards from the bridge, connecting to the towers that would appear every so often before dropping back down and going back up again as it travels up the second; like a sea creature dipping in and out of the blue ocean.
The warthog rumbles forward another inch before the plasma melted tires finally gives out and the body of the vehicle crashes to the floor. The green paint of the Warthog has been chipped off from all the hard hits and shots it had absorbed as it traveled through a warzone. The windshield has spider web like cracks growing from all angles with a massive hole in the center where the driver's head is looking out of. There is smoking spewing from beneath the hood and the back bumper is barely hanging on to the vehicle's frame. Even the machine gun on the back has been dented and slightly melted by the intense fire and action of battle; it's a miracle that the thing had even made it this far.
Noble Six slides out of the driver's seat and walks to the front of the truck, barley acknowledging the fallen Grunts blood that has splattered across the Warthog's front. The Spartan pops the hood and as soon as it opens, a small explosion erupts and smoke pours out like a black geyser, but Six doesn't even flinch from what he sees.
He looks up at the Master Chief who is behind the turret and says, "I'm no mechanic, but I'm pretty sure this thing is done."
The Chief gives only a shrug, hops off the back and pulls out his twin SMGs, which had apparently became his new favorite weapons.
"We'll hump it from here," the Chief says, "we're not that far away from the Carrier."
Six looks over his shoulder and at the massive craft in question.
"Ten, fifteen miles at best," Six calculates.
"We'll get there in ten minutes if we sprint it," The Master Chief says like it's a fact before leading the way forward. Six takes one last look at the busted Warthog before pulling out his own Battle rifle and follows the second generation Spartan.
They walk in silence as they cover the first mile of the bridge though in truth Six wanted to talk, but really has no idea what to say. He can't even imagine himself telling Chief how worried he is about Shress, he'll either remain silent or they'll get into a debate about where the Sangheili's allegiance lies. Beside, as they pass car after car of dead passengers hanging out, some burned, some eaten, Six has a feeling now isn't the time for social talk.
However, Cortana voice suddenly fills Six's ears, "I've just been listening in on some communication relays among the Covenant and found out why they're…overcautious."
"Which would be…" Six leaves his statement open as an invitation for Cortana to finish.
"The Covenant is surprise to find us here, not the Chief, me, or even you Lieutenant, but everyone, humanity" here Cortana's voice seems to zone out a bit before finishing, "I don't think the Covenant realized it, but now they know; Earth is humanity's home world."
This does makes Six's head wheel a bit. For about twenty seven years now, the Covenant has made it their goal to find and destroy the place where the human race had originated from. Yet it's surprising to Six simply because the Covenant doesn't seem to know all that much about their opponent, let alone what planet they are from. Then again, Six doesn't know where the Covenant originated from, only that they are gathered in a mass fleet that ONI had dubbed "High Charity." That's about as much as the Spartan knows about his opponent, and if the Covenant really didn't make much of a attempt to study the human race as thoroughly, then tracing back their roots must be harder than they thought.
"Well at least we have surprise on our hands," Six finally comments.
"For now," Cortana replies, "if that Prophet gets off Earth and informs the Covenant of Earth's location, then-"
"Then it's all over," Chief says in a granite like voice.
Six gives the Chief a look. He knows the II isn't much of a motivational speaker, but surely he can be more hopeful than that. Six surely thought it was all over for him back on Reach, but Shress saved him, proving that even the tiniest and unexpected things can make such a difference in the long run.
"No offense Chief, but even if the Covenant does know our location, than I for one is more than willing to-"
The Chief holds up a fist and Six ceases his talk. The Master Chief lowers himself to a crouch and slowly approach a smoking vehicle and peeks through the window. Six crouches as well, with his rifle held at the ready as he watches the Chief's back. The Spartan II stands up and says, "Friendlies," with that he walks behind the vehicle and doesn't even check if Six is following.
The III hurries after his comrade and as he turns around the corner of the car. Sure enough, resting in a destroyed heap is what's left of a heavily decimated Marine task force. Blacken bodies, some whole some in pieces, spewed across the bridge, Warthogs burning, equipment in shatters and the smell of flesh being slowly cooked by plasma.
A Marine, a Corporal, is panting as he leans against a massive cable that had snapped earlier and is lying on the road. He jerks up when he sees the Spartans and give a slight groan. Six quickly looks him over before concluding that there is nothing wrong with him before moving past the Marine, who is no doubt experiencing shell shock.
The only other Marine is a woman with a Sergeant symbol painted on her armor as she looks down the length of the bridge with the scope of her rifle. She glances at the now arriving super soldiers, revealing her blood and dirt stained face before turning back as if she isn't the least bit surprise to see the Spartans.
"It just blew right through us," she reports as she continues to gaze down range, "fifty cal, rockets…didn't do a thing."
Six follows her eyes and magnifies the viewport in his HUD. Just disappearing over the high pitch ridge of the bridge, Six could see the bulky top portion of a Scarab. He self consciously shivers, he remembers what it took to bring down the last Scarab he faced; the life of his commander. The massive death machine slowly moves forward as it heads into the city, if it isn't stopped now, there is no telling how many lives will be lost, both civilian and military wise.
A roar of an approaching engine captures their attention and they all look to the left as a green Pelican comes zooming in. It slows until it comes to a stop directly over the small group, displaying what its carrying in the back; a Scorpion tank, a soldier's best friend when on the ground. The thing could barely fit in the carriers rear, the turret is twisted all the way to the back so it could be wedge in.
The Pelican descends before gently releasing its load when it is just a few feet off the ground. The tank lands with a heavy thump that shakes the ground before it all settles.
A figure jumps from the rear of the ship, lands on the Scorpion, before hoping down again, landing on the bridge. Six doesn't know why, but he isn't surprise when he sees that the person is Sergeant Johnson. It never fails, almost like its magic, the man always appears whenever support is needed and there are Covies to fight.
The sergeant Major takes one look around before looking back to the female Marine and asks, "Where's the rest of your platoon?"
"Wasted Sarge," the Marine merely says in a stoic tone.
The other surviving Marine hurries forward while saying, "and we will be too Sarge, if we don't get out of here!"
He makes a move to turn and run back across the bridge when Johnson grabs him by the shoulder and asks, "You hit Marine?"
The man appears confused at first before stuttering, "N-no Sarge."
Johnson slowly nods at this before shouting, "Then Listen up!" causing the man to jump back lightly, "You had your chance to give up and quit, but you chose to stay, and stay you will, you will not disappear when we are facing humanity's darkest hour." He then gets into the Marine's face and practically spits out, "Our beloved corps, cannot be defeated!"
The female Marine however walks forward and ask in the same low voice, "What about that Scarab?"
Johnson graces her with a quick look before reaching into his pocket and pulls out a cigar which he sticks into his mouth, "we've all seen the schematics," he mumbles as he looks towards the war machine in question, "they're tough," he admits, "but not indestructible." He walks back to the Pelican and starts climbing in, "stick with the Spartans," he orders, "they know what to do."
"Thanks for the tank," Cortana's disembodied voice said before adding like an afterthought, "He never gets me anything."
Johnson positions himself behind the Pelican's rear machine gun and loads a round before looking back with a grin.
"Oh I know what the ladies like," with that, the aircraft rises into the air and takes off after the advancing Scarab.
A moment of silence follows before the Chief says, "That was inappropriate."
"Oh come on Chief," Cortana replies, "every girl needs a compliment every now and then."
"Still seems a bit odd to me as well," Six puts.
Suddenly Cortana switches to a private channel and counters with, "says the genetically enhance human who's favorite past time is to kiss a girl whose not from his own world."
Six is glad he is wearing a helmet, he is pretty sure everyone would have been staring at how bright red his skin probably turned.
Clearly not hearing the AI's words, the Master Chief steps forward and says, "Load up Marines, we've got some business to attend to."
The Jiralhanaes twist and yank at Shress's arms, causing her to stumble and trip as she is lead through the halls of the Covenant shuttle.
Every so often they would pass by another creature as they travel. The Kig-Yars hisses at her in amusement while the Unggoyies openly laugh and taunt her in their insignificant and high pitched tones. However, the worse of these small assaults are Shress's fellow Sangheili.
To the Sangheili, honor and pride is everything, to throw it away willingly is seen as no more than an abomination, the worst sort possible. Raised from birth to be nothing less than a warrior is a life style that her people have lived in for centuries. The pride of spilling the enemy's blood is mixed with the honor one wins from the hierarches and the glory is near irreplaceable. This is how they live, from beginning to end, they will always be warriors. Those who does not wish for this life style is shunned, exiled, or executed on the spot.
Shress has already gone through self exile, she has already been shunned simply for being born a female; in her eyes there is only one thing left that can be done to her. She will be killed and there is no doubt in her mind that is where she is being taken, to face the Prophet Regret as he watches her be decapitated.
The life style of a Sangheili is filled with hardship and unrelenting training, leaving no room for mercy or softness for those too weak to follow. Shress has hardly ever shed a tear, only once when she learned of her body's fault and when she thought she killed Michael back on Reach. She works hard to keep her eyes clear, to not show weakness, but how can she not? She is not afraid of death, she has been preparing for it for most of her young life, no what makes her hearts ache is one thing; she'll never see Michael again.
To never be with the man she is sure she was meant to be with. The one and only male to have accept her fully, to not turn away when she feels she is at her weakest and who actually enjoys being with her, and she in turn enjoys being with him. She has reason and thought on these facts for hours on end until she convinced herself of one thing concerning the Spartan. She loves him; she loves the human and is now going to go to the grave for that small resolution in her life.
Her blood runs cold when they stop before the closed doors that will lead to the hierarch chamber, where he lives, sleep, and holds council with the Shipmaster and various other important individuals. The markings on the entrance is laced with various symbols and pictograms, all displaying the same words; faith, commitment, willing, and gods.
All these words mean nothing to her now; perhaps there is a God, like the one Lin is devoted to, one she has never heard of before. A God who loves all of his creations and does not ask for any tributes beside to acknowledge and accept him as a father, and to follow the way of his son who taught them not to kill, steal or lie. Basic things that Shress thought everyone would already know, but one story intrigued her, a story called, "The Good Samaritan."
It was unlike anything she had ever heard of before. According to Lin, a man was robbed, beaten and left for dead alongside the road he was traveling on. A Priest had come along, but did not help the man. A follower of the same religion came along, but did not help either. What shock Shress the most is that the man who finally came and help was another male, but what surprised her was that Lin said the man was from a rival nation. Yet despite being enemies, the man had helped the beaten one to his feet, cared for his wounds, and left him in the care of another, paying for his recovery as well without accepting any gifts or form of thanks from the beaten person.
How could it be that the person's worse enemy be the one to help him? And without getting anything in return for his service? Lin had told her that the story was used to help people to know who their neighbors are so that you can learn to love them.
Love. That word is used often when Lin describes his belief. How loving one's family, neighbor, God and even enemy, is considered righteous.
These descriptions alone are completely different compared to what she was taught about her gods, who she had to pray to often, sacrifice food to and follow their commands. She never stopped to question the Prophets before, none of her kind has, not even now when the Prophets decree human as being unclean. When had they become so corrupt? And worse of all, were there ever gods to begin with, or were they merely fantasized to secure the Sangheili's allegiance? Either way, she would much rather prefer facing the human's God then her own any day.
Her deep thinking is interrupted when the doors slowly open and Shress breaths in the last breath of air she thought she would have. Finally the portal swirls out of the way and she is able to see what lies beyond.
Within is a large chamber with a large podium in the back of the room, three doors leading to other locations of the Prophets quarters and various pieces of art adores the living space. It is covered with flashing symbols, flowing plasma power and a line of honor guards who stands alongside the wall. The interior is dark but is brighten by the bright glow of energy that is pulsing from the hierarches' mobile seat. Yet what catches Shress's attention the most are the people at the podium.
There sits her worse fear. The Prophet of Regret, but he is not alone. He is standing off to the side while two other holographic beings take the center stage. Hovering off to the right in a fading before brightening light is the Prophet of Mercy, the oldest of the three hierarches. And there in the center is none other than the Prophet of Truth, the leader of the Prophets and thus, the leader of the Covenant as a whole.
He looks every unit of a leader as they came. Sitting tall despite being confined in a chair, dressed in elegant robes and with a crown placed carefully upon his head that stands up a good foot, making him appear taller. His advance age is obvious and the use of a gravity throne further shows how weak his body is with age. But she knows he is still dangerous, very much so. His eyes are cold, calculating and holds a form of energy that isn't at all comforting. His presence is only made possible through a technological illusion, for all she knows he could be halfway across the galaxy, but Shress feels as if he could still kill her if he wants, she knows despite his containment and age, that he is still very much capable of having her killed.
The Jirahalne shoves her forward, causing her to stumble a bit. The beasts were about to follow when the Prophet holds up a hand and speaks.
"That is enough."
Shress shivers upon hearing those very words. It was ripe with age and holds a deep tone of power that demanded the highest form of respect, one that wasn't often denied. She has heard that voice often, heard it when the Prophet use it to speak of the Forerunners will and what it is that expected from their servants, a voice that many hope to please. A voice that no one dared to disobeyed.
The two Jirahalnes bow their heads, but Shress could see the malice in their eyes before they turn and walks back out, the door closing behind them.
Shress returns her attention to the three floating beings in front of her, wondering what is to come next. They give no further instructions, for all three of them stares at the female, each with different emotions in their eyes. Regret eyes burn with absolute hatred and anger. The Prophet Mercy though looks more curious and considerate. Truth however is what causes her to worry, he doesn't look angry, or curious, she has no idea how to describe it, but it appears that he is simply…interested. That's more than enough to cause Shress to shiver.
"Step forward child," the Prophet of Truth finally commands.
She hesitates for a heartbeat, which was long enough for one of the honor guards to step forward and growls at her as he brandishes his staff at her. Obediently, the former Zealot stands and walks forward cautiously, keeping her gaze on the hierarches, but all the while she looks out of the corner of her eyes, looking for some form of escape, but there is none. She is surrounded by the Sangheili honor guards, the best warriors of her world, an entire room full of them. She won't even make it to the door if she tries to flee.
With no other choice, she steels her resolve, vowing not to give up Michael, no matter the cost before the Prophet holds up his hand.
"Stop," he commands.
Shress stops, at least a few paces away from the Prophets.
Truth's eyes studies her for a while longer, making Shress want to curl in on herself and hide from his gaze. She never would even dare to think such thoughts, but this is the leader who she is supposed to obey and fear; a great honor to followers of the faith, but also a great inconvenience for those who rebel, like her.
Throughout the time of the Covenant, there has always been uprising, either from the Jirahalnes, Unggoy, Kig-Yar or even from the Sangheili themselves. There has always been those who does not wish to follow the Great Journey, and the Prophets have used them as examples. She knows this for as a Zealot it was her mission to find and dispose of such heretics, she knows of all the tortures, all the hunger, thirst and pain that traitors are forced to endure before they are mercifully killed, she has no idea how many people she had look in the eye before carrying out such horrors herself. Now she is on the receiving end of one such slow and agonizing death, but she swears silently to herself that she will not gives these, these, monsters, the satisfaction of seeing her howl for mercy, even if it's the last thing she do. Which it just might be.
"Why."
The soft voice shocks her into attention. The hierarch isn't shouting, showing no emotions in body or tone, but the silent voice that he used is even more frightening than Shress would have dared to believe.
When she remains silent, the Prophet of Regret speaks up.
"This form of heresy is as bad as they come," he finally decrees, "she has betrayed her brothers, her oaths, me, and the very Forerunners as helped the humans and even the accursed demons, assisting them in finding the holy ring and thus, its very destruction."
Shress would have tried to object, but she is appalled by what the prophet had just said. A holy ring? But there are none. The Forerunners aren't gods, so everything, the religion, the laws, the hierarches, they are nothing but frauds. Yet there is a ring? Is it possible that they are lying?
But that thought is soon dismissed when she hears the hisses and the vile oaths being uttered by her brethren as they stare at her with complete and total hatred, looks that feels like sharp blades are being pressed into her skin. She is unable to resist the tremor as it rocks her body, they are not lying, and there is a holy ring. Or was. Does this mean the Great Journey does exist? Was her decisions justified?
"Peace brother," this came from the Prophet of Mercy, who speaks in a soft but firm voice, "there is much that can be accomplish in this manner," he gestures to Shress, "she is but a youngling, manipulated by the ways of the humans, but she can still be saved," here he looks upon Shress though the artificial light, "her soul can still be saved."
Her soul? She questions quietly to herself. Her soul is complete and whole, unlike the hands of the prophets, whose hands she believes to be dripping with the blood of the innocent.
However before she could say this, Truth speaks up, "tell my child, what lies has the demons place in your head," his voice is surprisingly full of concern and care, one that she didn't believe to exist.
She tries her best not to show any reactions, she hardens her resolve and makes her face as plain as can be.
"He told me the truth, murder," she spits out the last word with as much force as she can.
All around her she hears gasps at what she has just declared, while Regret grinds his teeth and Mercy looks down right insulted. However it is Truth who surprises her once more, he does not look enraged or shocked; instead he looks sadden, as if her words have cut him down to his very core.
"Is this so?" he continues in the same calm voice, "and what is it that sparks such conviction from you?"
Shress steels herself before she snarls, "I've seen what you do to the humans, you claim that they are evil, unclean, destructive," here she looks around the room at the Sangheili bodyguards, "but my experience with the humans shows me that we have many things in common, there is really no true difference between our races and any other species of the Covenant, there is nothing evil about them at all."
However Truth holds a bony finger up as he points at Shress, "those scars on your face tell a different story child."
Shress turns away from them, not looking into their eyes before saying, "this…this is just a mistake, the work of some humans, not all."
"How do you know child," Truth asks thoughtfully, "how you know you aren't being tricked, that the humans aren't making you see what they want you to see?"
"Because they don't stage their own deaths," Shress growls, "unlike how you command me and the other troops who are ordered to obey your will."
"True," the word is enough to shock Shress beyond belief but the prophet adds, "but then again, we have something worth dying for, unlike the humans."
"And" Mercy puts in, "we, and your brothers," he gestures at the honor guards, "have seen the great Forerunners remnants ourselves, we have seen the one and only living proof that they do exist…that is until the humans destroyed it." As if on cue, the Sangheili males growl their distaste.
"The humans do this to defend themselves," Shress responds, "we haven't even extended a hand of friendship towards them as we have done to the other species of the Covenant, we just attacked them, causing our own plights and destruction ourselves."
"You are insolate," Regret hisses out, "there humans have bewitched your mind, they have no doubt imprison, tortured and humiliated you, yet you remain faithful to them, if this is not a barbaric display than I don't know what else is."
Before Shress could say anything, Truth speaks out; "tell us about this demon," he says in a smooth voice, "what charm has he placed you under?"
"None," answers Shress.
"A Zealot being turned into a heretic has never been heard of before," injects Mercy, "if not magic, than what has he done to you to change your allegiance?"
"He has proven his cause is just," she responds, but in her mind she thought of all the times they have shared their lives, relaxed and embrace one another whenever they are allowed this by society. He has done so much more than to merely charm her, but she couldn't help but feel a shred of doubt within her.
The rings are real, so what does this mean? She then feels anger, shame and guilt wash over her, Michael has loved and cared for her deeply, is this any way of showing her thanks to him? By truly doubting everything that he had shown her?
A darker thought enters her mind. What if he told her all these things just so he could secure her allegiance? She shakes her head, she refuse to believe that. She knows he loves her, even if he never said it before, she knew he is not that kind of person to lie, cheat and steal, no one can be so cruel…can they?
"Your silence reveals your doubt," Truth says, "rejoin us sister, tell us everything and we shall help with your redemption, we will help relieve you of your mind's burden and remove the curse of the demon forever." He then looks in her in the eye, "we will speak to your elders and you will be allowed to go back to your home."
Shress stiffens at the words and Truth nods in confirmation, "we can grant you absolution, you can return home, we will give you a seat among your senate, create a Keep solely for you, help carve your name into the archives and help you find the mate you so rightfully deserve."
Shress is already stunned beyond belief, but this is when Truth makes one last offer.
"We have advanced well and into the science of the body," he says plainly, "and with the Forerunner artifacts we have discovered, we can change and heal your body."
Does this mean…does he know…?
Shress's mind has become a whirlwind as she tries to detect whether or not Truth is lying or not.
"Yes Shress La 'Vdamee," he says, "we can fix you, make your body whole, rid you of the curse that has plagued you since your birth," he looks into her eyes, "we can help you and ensure that the Vdamee line will continue to prosper for years to come."
This…this is all too good to be true. It's everything that only a hero could hope to achieve, something that she had hoped, prayed and begged to happen. To be accepted, but to be a part of the senate, to have her own keep, to be rid of her imperfection and not have to fear of never having a family…everything sounds so perfect.
She actually feels the words on her mouth. She knows what she wants to say, what she always wanted to say since she had left the Covenant. She was always an outcast, but now she could rejoin and receive far more honor and glory than she could ever dream of. She could rid herself of her fears, her anxiety and the doubt that has been hounding her since the start. She could see her father, her mother, look into their eyes with pride and be proud, to become the first female champion for her people. She could have it all, everything she ever wanted.
And yet…What did she want? She wanted to be accepted. She wanted to be a warrior. She wanted to make her parents proud. And most of all, she wants someone to love her, not just as a woman with a beautiful body or as a child bearer, but as someone who they can trust, someone who they wants, and maybe even needs to be with, from the day they meet to the day they both become elders. That's what she wants.
And it was Michael who provided it, not because someone orders him to do it, but because he wanted to. He did it all, he gave her all; he is the one who could and did provide it, not the all so powerful hierarches of the galaxy, but this simple human, this Spartan, who believed he is only meant for war and only war. The man who became her first real friend who became her suitor and who is willing to sacrifice everything for her.
He accepted her. He sees her as a warrior. Her parents never approved of her actions, her father is too blinded by disgust and her mother is full of worry and shame, neither of them will acknowledge her accomplishments, but he did, almost as if he held her in awe. And he gave her something she always craved yet never felt before; love. Her father's position denied her this and her mother only revealed the tip of the emotion, but never fully embraced it for her daughter's sake. The males confuse love with mating and have long since forgotten the full power of what the word means. To love is something that is always accepted, something that can never be taken away, never be destroyed and never asks for anything in return. Its kind, patient, it isn't boastful, or proud, but truthful, protecting, always preserving, always hope. To be loved…Michael gave her first hand experience by always trying his best in being there for her and looking out for her, a virtue that is practically foreign to her, he may not feel it but she does. She is willing to give away everything, even a chance of finding the basic kind of acceptance, for her suitor.
For Michael…
"No."
The word appears to echo around the room for ages, causing everyone, guard and prophets, to stare at her as if they could not believe it. She was just presented everything the people of her kind have always wanted, how could she deny it?
"No?" Truth asks to be sure.
"No," confirms Shress, "I've made my choice, and it is to be with the humans."
She jumps as the hierarches' slams his fist on the arms of his chair. The frail and friendly air he had created is gone, now replace with a look of pure madness. His eyes are bulging, his breathing labored and his body seems to expand and strengthen, revealing a strength that Shress was so sure never existed before. She is speaking to a projection of a feeble and kind hearted elder who wishes to help her, heal her. Now sitting in front of her is a powerful being who seems to swell twice his size as he looks ready to release a near impossibly torrent of unbelievable strength and power; this is the leader of the Covenant.
"Your mind is too far gone," he snarls, "you are nothing more than an abomination and embarrassment of your species, of the Covenant, and of your gods."
He straights up and shouts, "guards!"
The Jirahalne pair comes thundering in with the full power of a storm as they come to a halt behind Shress and makes to grab her arms. She shrinks away from them and gnashes her jaws, causing them to step back in what she takes as fear.
"Take this filth back to its cage," Truth commands, "give her minimum amount of food and water; give us time to ponder the perfect way to rid ourselves of such a mockery of a warrior."
Shress hisses as she turns and strode past the guards, no longer willing or caring for her pride, only that she made her stance known and hope that Michael may hear of it somehow and knows that she is as dedicated to him as he is to her.
Her heart aches to know that they will no longer be together again, the low voices of the hierarchs behind her makes that point. She is no longer of use to them now, she just has to accept it; they are going to kill her and all she can hope for is that Michael will remember her.
She sighs as they pass through the threshold and the door closes behind her and the two guards behind her.
"Move it Chief!" Six shouts.
"Calm down Lieutenant," is the Spartan's reply over the Comms.
That's easy for him to say, Six thinks to himself, he's not here in the open.
A sudden burst of plasma fire hits the side of the Scorpion tank and walks it way up before ceasing, but not before a bolt of energy strikes the side of Six's head.
Six responds by swinging the turret around and sights on the offender. A team of Sangheilis are floating on a Specter attack vehicle closing in on their flank. The Spartan behind the machine gun presses down on the triggers and sprays the aliens with white hot lead. The hover craft veers left in an attempt to escape the field of fire, but that's when the Master Chief swings the tank's main cannon on them. Six hears the alien cries of alarm as they try to speed away down the street, but the Chief already has eyes on them and fires. Six watches and a moment later, there is a loud thud as the Specter disappears from view behind a fountain of fire and blood. The twisted husk of the Specter comes flying out of the flames, but now it's empty of occupants.
Six looks up and down the street for any more hostiles, but finds it empty. Downtown New Mombasa is full of skyscrapers that stands hundreds of feet into the air, resting somewhere within is the Frigate In Amber Clad, with the Covenant Assault Carrier waiting outside the city, ready to destroy the human ship if it reveals itself. Commander Keyes however has maneuvered her ship well, the only indication that there is any UNSC presence within the city are the roaming Marine patrols as they try to secure the area, but the metropolis is now teeming with Covenant hunter killer squads.
Using the tank Sergeant Johnson has acquired for them, the Spartans and the two Marines from the bridge are now en route to Sierra Hotel, command of the human ground forces where they are still making a counter offensive plan to use against the Covenant.
The tank rumbles as it climbs over abandon cars, debris and bodies of dead aliens as they press onwards. The streets are empty, either the civilians are cowering inside the buildings or they were killed by the Covenant. Either way, they didn't stop, Sierra Hotel is in the center of the city and the defenders are now converging on it as they evade the enemy.
Every so often one of the Marines would gag and Six would wonder what they are inhaling since his helmet filters out the air. The Spartan III is position in the gun turret to the right of the tank's primary hatch while the Marines are seated on either side, riding on the treads of the war machine. They have been traveling for almost an hour but Six can tell the anxiety is starting to crack down on them. The guy is clearly shaking with nerves, jumping every few seconds as he searches for any targets. The other Marine has a bit more steel than her companion, but he can see her eyes as they scan and jump at every shadow that appears out of the corner of her eyes. Six just hopes they can keep it together until they make it to-
"Hey boys," Cortana's voice speaks through the channel, "Whiskey Hotel is a few meters away, but you might want to hurry, they are reporting that the Covenant is attacking in full force."
"Inform them we are on our way," The Master Chief's voice commands before the tank accelerates its speed. Six grips onto the turret to keep himself from flying out of the gunner's position. He pulls back on the bolt one more in preparation for another fight. The meters quickly disappears as they advance towards their objective, but Six could hear it, the booms and cries of both humans and aliens while smoke starts to rise from somewhere. He hears the male Marine groan and glances at him. The man instantly bucks up and holds his rifle at the ready when he sees that Six is staring directly at him. Six gives the guy a nod, before turning back to his turret, just when they turn the corner and beheld a bitter sight.
The two lane street is pretty wide with a lot of room on the sidewalks and parking areas. The buildings on either side have been barricaded or block by wreckage, making it almost impossible to enter. A small bridge spans out between two buildings as it stretches from the far right to the far left. Directly in front of them is Sierra Hotel, a structure with a wide roof and a tower that stretches to the clouds, but the main focus is kept on the ground where the battle is taking place.
A Wraith tank is located under the bridge as it fires plasma rounds at the building, eating away at their feeble positions. On the passageway above the purple vehicle are scores of Covenant troopers, ranging from Grunts, to Elites. Slowly they turn to assess the threat of the tank, but the humans already open fire.
Working almost as one, the Master Chief fires the cannon's shell while Six blasts away with the machine gun. The shell causes an explosion as it slams against the rear of the assault vehicle, but aside from that, there are no other aspects. Six however fires bright yellow bolts as they streak towards the bridge before tearing through the fleshy skins of the Covenant infantry. There are screams, squeals and screeches as the offenders are cut to pieces, but before the Spartan could finish the job, the Wraith turns around and takes aim at the tank.
The Chief is already moving but the Wraith has locked on, it rear flaps came together and shoves out a blue orb of energy that flies towards them.
"Off now!" Six shouts as the tank desperately moves to get out of the way, but it's too late.
The male Marine jumps without hesitation, while the woman hesitated a bit but soon follows his lead. Just as she leaps off, Six activates his armor lock when the round struck. Plasma presses outwards and covers the Spartan in melting flames, but his shields flash once as they protect him from harm. The same could not be said about the Scorpion as its plate armor let off steam, but that doesn't immobilize it. In fact, the Chief press the tank forward, but this time it's moving at an angle as it tries to flank the Wraith. Unlike the Scorpion that has revolving cannon, the Wraith has to move its whole body to get a bead on its target. Hoping to weaken it further, Six fires a burst at the enemy armor to buy Chief some time to get ready, which didn't take long. The Chief takes aim and fires another shell while forcing the tank to go at max speed. The Wraith fires as well, one after another as it converges on the Scorpion. With no choice in the matter, Six had to lock his armor and hunker down in the hole as he watches the display like it was a firework show. The Wraith bursts into blue colored flames as the rounds strike while the Scorpion is washed in blue flames until sparks begin to fly, small patches of flames shoots into the air and Six is sure he can see smoke from the corner of his eye, rising from somewhere in the rear of the vehicle. Six's armor system has begun to overload, changing from its gold color to yellow, then orange until it finally hit red. If they get hit again than his shield tech can't protect him, he can already feel the heat radiating through the shields. Suddenly there is mighty thud, the Wraith was so busy turning it didn't tank in account the bridge it was under, it had turned and gotten itself wedge between the bridges support columns. Six wonders if the Chief had planned out this strategy, but it wasn't long before he receives an answer. The tank's turret switches its target; it no longer takes aim at the Wraith, but the support columns. With one last shattering boom, a round is released, it was such a short distance away from the bridge that Six, with his enhance sight, was able to watch the shell before it disappears in an explosion as it strikes a support beam. The flames that blossomed spread further out until the whole bottom portion of the bridge is alight. It remains standing for another moment before the structured weaken and collapses on top of the Wraith, burying it under wreckage and the falling bodies of Covenant soldiers, wailing as they fall until they hit the ground and becomes silent.
Six deactivates his shields and stands to observe their handy work. Absolute destruction on a mass scale with militated corpses lying about, defiantly the works of a Spartan. Across the way, Six hears cheering and glances to see figures on the rooftop of Whiskey Hotel, waving their arms enthusiastically. Six allows himself a small smirk, but gives nothing else away, they beat the Wraith, but there's still a war going on.
With that, the Scorpion rolls forward, it's still smoking frame leaving what Six could guess to be a horrid stench as they proceed to the building. A few seconds later they come to a stop in front of the structure and Six hops off, feeling his legs shake once before becoming still. He hears a hiss and the hatch to the Scorpion pops open and out hops the Master Chief, looking unscratched, but Six can see the curling mist of steam escape the compartment the Spartan was recently in.
The door's seal breaks before it slides open, allowing a small squadron of Marines to file out.
Master Chief didn't even miss a beat as he walks forward, "place the tank in a defensive position and be on guard," Six notices that the Chief didn't look at him for permission, finally a small break for the Spartan III.
The Marines all snap to attention, "yes sir!" they said in unison before hurrying to perform the task, but Six reaches out and halts the last Marine before he left.
"Who's in command here Sergeant?" Six questions the man.
The Marine looks weary but replies, "First Sergeant Grison sir, he's up on the rooftop."
Six nods to the man as he pats the Marine's back and mumbles, "thanks," before he and the Chief takes off into the facility. The place was once a hotel of sorts, long hallways, a large ballroom and dozens of rooms that posses beds, tables and other such items. However, Six doesn't pay much attention to this, what he notices most are the wounded. Marines and Civilians lies, sits, or stands all over, numbering into the hundreds, most of them are wounded. They pass a woman who is missing a leg, a Marine nursing what is left of his hand and a man in a business suit as he stares at the wall opposite of him, looking unharmed, but clearly shell shocked. A lot of them gasp, shudder and press themselves farther back as the Spartans thunder through, leaving Six with a sad feeling within as the humans regards their supposed saviors.
Finally they reach the elevator and punches in the number to the top floor. A moment later they are ascending upwards at a fast speed, yet is seems to be too slow in Six's opinion.
Suddenly he hears a familiar sound; he twists his head a little so he is sure he is hearing correctly before giving a moan when he identifies the noise.
The Master Chief towards him, "What is it Lieutenant?"
"It's the same song," Six says in a disbelieving voice.
"Song?" the Chief asks, actually sounding baffled for once.
Six jerks his head towards the small speaker positioned behind them in the corner of the small container.
"That's the same music I listened to when I was in New Alexandria," Six explains.
"Why were you listening to music?" the Chief asks.
"I wasn't doing it on purpose Chief," Six defends, "I was in an elevator like right now and I had no way of tuning it out."
"But why don't you like it?" this time it's Cortana who asks, "this is considered a number one hit, or at least that's what the record said."
"Sentimental reasons," Six answers before becoming silent once more.
That sentimental reason was because on that particular elevator he was forced to witness the genocide of thousands of people, the mutilation of men, women, and children, and he was also forced to carry the dead body of his first and only sister since boot, Noble Two, Kat. The very tune of the music, which was meant to be upbeat, dazzling, and give people the urge to dance, brings the ghosts of that haunted day.
Yet, the tram mercilessly continues its ascendance.
"When will this be over," Six mutters as he realizes the "Flip" song isn't at its high point yet.
"With all due respect sir," the Chief says, "you are able to ignore the pain of a broken rib and a head injury, so you can surely block a song from your mind."
Six releases a sigh like an aggravated child as he looks back to the door and the Chief joins him. However, after a few seconds with the song still playing clearly in the background, Six shrugs.
"Well I tried," with that, he effortlessly reaches for his hand gun and without even looking, points it behind him and fires a shot. The round destroys the speaker, causing a small flame to spark before it dies and the car finally became silent.
The Chief didn't flinch; instead he looks back at the destroyed PA system before shaking his head and returns to staring at the doors.
Over the comm, Cortana's voice breaks though with a single word, "Nice."
Then there is a ding as the cart slows before coming to a halt. The doors barely peeled away when the two super humans sprint through. The hallways are empty of civilians, but it's now pack with uninjured Marines and boxes of equipment. At the sight of the two charging green armored giants, everyone hops out of the way, clearing a path for the Spartans as they move. The at last came to a set of double doors and comes to a halt as it retracts and the two warriors step through.
They are on a outside stairwell that leads further up to the skyscraper, but position right in front of them are two Marines. One has the stripes of a Sergeant plastered on his armor while the other has a Private First Class Emblem and a radio transmitter strap to his back. The Sergeant was holding the radio to his ear as both he and the lower rank Marine look down at the street where the Spartan's recent victory just took place. Their tank is slowly moving into a new positon and judging by the Sergeant's words, he is the one directing them.
"A little more," the Sergeant's deep voice says into the mouth piece, "just one more inch, closer, that's it good." The Scorpion comes to a halt right before the remnants of the destroyed bridge. "Now lock it down and be prepared for imminent attack, got me?" There is a muffle reply before the Sergeant nods his head and he turns around, finally acknowledging the Spartans presence.
The Sergeant looks like he used to be one of those well-organized type of Marines, he even had the traditional jarhead shaped haircut, but what Six notices most is how wide his eyes became and his mouth hanging slightly open at the sight of the two super soldiers before him.
Finally he smirks, "When I asked for help, I didn't think they would send Spartans."
Before Six could speak, he feels the ground shakes, and judging by the way the Master Chief had stiffen and the surprise look on the Marines faces, he guesses they must have felt it too. A moment later, the floor vibrated once more, this time it causes the glass within the doors to shake. Another half minute later, Six feels himself being lifted in the air before landing, a small elevation lift that he just scarcely notices.
Six looks at the Chief and can see he is having the same thought as Six says, "this can't be good."
The Sergeant then curses as he steps away from the side of the building and mutters, "We've got trouble."
Steeping around the corner with decisive movement is the Scarab, its large frame barley fitting through the building as it slowly lumbers forward. The Scorpion tank below begins firing shells, firing a near ton of flaming lead at its hard shell, but the giant machine doesn't slow down as its a few yards away now, so close that the vibration from its footsteps is powerful enough to shake the building to its foundation.
"See this face?" the radio Marine asks as his huge eyes remain on the Scarab, his petrified hands unable to press the trigger of the machine gun resting in his hands, "it's terror."
"Marine!" the Sergeant suddenly barks, "did I give you permission to-"
The Sarge didn't finish, a sudden bright emerald light builds on what appears to the head of the Scarab before it releases what looks like pure molten energy. The plasma strikes the center of the tank. For a moment it doesn't appear after until finally the energy spread throughout the vehicle and it blows in a spectacle of flames and shrapnel.
With the tank out of commission, the Scarab moves forward towards their position.
"Marine!" The Chief shouts, "start firing!"
The Private however has closed his eyes shut, probably believing that death is upon them. However, the Scarab massive front leg stretches above them, shading the small group in the shadow of its metallic limb before a miniature earthquake erupts, originating from somewhere on top of the structure.
"It's climbing over the building," Six says out loud before looking o the Sergeant, "what's beyond Whiskey Hotel?"
The Sergeant seems to go white before saying, "There's a dam not too far from here, if it busts, then everything and everyone in it will be swept away."
Everyone; Marine, civilian, even their own soldiers, the Covenant will wipe them out.
Without another thought the two Spartans sprints up the stairs, not even telling the Marines what they are doing. Six isn't sure if he and the Chief are on the same wave link, but it seems like it.
They just made it to the upper terrace when they see the bulky form of the Scarab disappearing behind another skyscraper.
"Cortana," the Chief says as they sprint to a door opposite of them, "how far are we from the dam?"
"You," Cortana says, "are approximately a click away, the Scarab however is a hop, skip and a stone throw away, literally."
"Kind of hard of to think of this thing throwing a stone Cortana," Six mutters as he and the Chief races through the building. They go through a large atrium, up a stairs passage way and comes out on an outside walkway.
The small steel interior looks like it was a part of a construction site, running alongside the long line of buildings and parallel of them is another walkway which is similar in built. Built every so often are bridges connecting the twin walkways and directly below them is a canal, with the large dam at the very end, almost a hundred meters away from their location. Located alongside the rails are dozens of Marines, all of them are rushing around in final desperation as they collect weapons as ammo. Six considers rushing along the line to try and sort out the chaos when everyone hear a loud splash that shook the metal scaffolds they are standing on to the point that the Spartans knelt in preparations to leap off in necessary, but that wasn't needed.
Six looks through the grill and sees a massive tidal wave passing beneath their feet, about fifty feet below them. Six looks up stream to his left and sees the Scarab, its massive metal frame barley fitting in between the structures.
As soon as the initial shock is over, a hurricane of gunfire erupts. Sniper rounds, Assault bullets, SMG slugs and rockets hit the metal frame with a vengeance, but the giant monster of a machine doesn't even slow down. Slowly, it picks up its leg and keeps on walking, causing the Marines to go frantic and empty even more clips, but with little results.
The Spartans refrain from firing though. They have seen many campaigns and hundreds of mission, both knew its going to take a lot more than just bullets to destroy a Scarab.
Six looks to Chief, "what's the plan?"
The Master Chief glances back and says, "Kill it."
There is a heartbeat of silence before Six asks, "how?"
"Believe me," Cortana breaks in, "whatever it is, it'll be crazy."
A bright flash of green catches Six's attention and out of instinct he duck as did the Chief. A moment later, a flash of green spits out overhead, washing alongside the wall and melting the sides of a couple of buildings. The unfortunate Marines who were still standing though collapses, with their upper torsos nothing more than a burning crisp, so badly burnt that every single drop of blood has been evaporated form their bodies. The Spartans looks down and sees the Scarab walking by beneath them.
"What are we going to-" Six didn't finish, the Chief takes off and jumps into the air. He flips once before landing with a solid thud on the top of the vehicle.
Six watches in a moment of disbelief before Cortana's voice protrudes through his lightly shock mind, "what did I tell you?" she says in an almost bored voice, "crazy."
Suddenly the Chief jumps back, piling out of a top hatch on top of the Scarab is a mass force of Covenant troops, piling on. Grunts rush forward in a suicidal attack while Jackals with shields tries to hide behind their cover while aiming their weapons at the Spartan.
Six runs alongside the Scarab, springing for all he's worth as he unslings his BR55 rifle and takes aim, not slowing down as he keeps moving. He zeros in on the first fleshy target he has seen most in hours and fires. Three bullets tear their way through the Jackal's triangular head, causing it to slump to the floor. Between the marksmanship of Six and the close quarter's action the Chief is lashing out, it isn't long before the small group of aliens have been torn to pieces.
Six looks up and sees that the Scarab is almost to the dam. Now realizing the Chief's way is probably the fasted way to deal with the problem, Six turns and leaps off the scaffold. He soars through the air for a few seconds, resulting with him going weightless for a bit before he crashes on top of the war machine. He places his feet out and takes the full brunt of the landing. His body closing in on itself, but in one fluid motion, he curls into a ball, rolls once and comes back onto his feet, standing up right next to the Master Chief.
The Spartan II looks at Six as he reloads his twin SMGs. Following his lead, Six switches out his magazine before he looks to the Chief, they both nod towards each other before rushing down the dark stomach of the beast.
The interior of the space is lowly lit, dark blue lights illuminates the place as the Spartans creep forward consciously. Surrounding them are what looks to be holographic consoles, slowly pulsing with power as they continue along their destructive path. Place in front of the Spartans is a small wall, the Spartans place their backs against the wall before peeking around the barrier to see what they are about to enter.
Within are a squad of Elites and a small party of Grunts. The Grunts are in the middle of the room, working on some sort of work bench that appears to be connected to the rest of the vehicle. In the far front are twin Elites in gold armor; Generals, experience fighters.
The two Spartans glances at each other before Six makes three rapid hand signals. The Master Chief nods and he takes out a grenade, as did Six. They count silently to five before they simultaneously pull their pins, pops the safety but catches the cap so it didn't cling against the floor. They then crouch and instead of rolling the primed explosives, they roll it towards the Grunts feet. Six counts off five seconds when the first Grunt screams, but then it is too late. Leaning away from their cover, the Spartans open up.
The Chief's twin guns spits out rapid gun fire, while Six's rifle burps out three rounds a shot. Six shoots through the fire storm, aiming for the surprised Generals, hoping to catch them with their armor offline. Six hears the cry from one of the Sangheili as a round finds skin contact, but then the burning body of a Grunt gets in his way, blocking Six's hot. In that spare moment, the Spartan watches as the General flicks on his shields and turns to face the intruder. It releases a roar as it charges forward, taking out and activating its sword.
Six empties his click, causing the General's shield to turn red, but that's it, his gun ran dry. The Spartan quickly disregards his rifle and jumps out of the way as the Sangheili cuts through the air. Six throws a fist that connects and deactivates its shield, but in the process it shocks Six's arm and makes it almost immobile.
The Elite roars and starting taking swipes at him. Six dodges, moving with the speed of light as he tries to avoid the deadly blade. A gun shot suddenly echoes through the interior of the room and Six sees a splash of blue blood erupt from the alien's back. The Sangheili's mandibles open wide and release another roar and in that small span Six has an idea. With fluid motion he grabs a grenade, triggers the firing mechanism and shoves it into the Elite's mouth. Its eyes widen and Six freezes as well. What is he doing? For some reason he suddenly thought of Shress, what if she knew this guy? What would she think if she ever saw or heard of him doing this to someone of her kind?
Suddenly a green bluer knocks Six over and in the same instance it kicks out with a powerful leg and knocks the Elite against the main controls. The explosive finally detonates and the Elite's head, along with the main computers disappear in a powerful blast. The decapitated Elite falls to the floor while the machine sizzles and pops. The machine suddenly gives a shudder and Six briefly panics when he feels it tilt forward before there is a loud crash that brings the machine to shuddering halt.
The Spartans remain frozen for a moment before Cortana's voice files in through their speakers.
"Chief, Six, the Scarab has been disabled, how are you two holding up?"
The Chief looks to Six and he stares back. They lock on to each other for a bit before the Chief asks, "What happen?"
Six is silent. He didn't know why he froze either, that never happen before. It was embarrassing, worse, it happen in front of a II who no doubt believes Halsey when she told them that the IIIs are not in ad Aquent soldiers.
Luckily Cortana cuts in, "Guys, we need to move now, Johnson is on his way and we have a ride to catch."
The Chief gives Six once last look, his expression hidden behind the polarized glass, before getting up and walks away. Six waits a moment before standing as well.
"Six," Cortana says in a delicate tone, "are you alright?"
Six is silent before following the Chief, "I'm fine," he answers, hoping that will end the conversation.
He walks behind the Master Chief who is fiddling with the Scarab's console before finally pressing a kind of button. A moment later, a portion of the floor opens wide, giving them an exit. Walking side by side in silence, the Chief and Six leaves the vehicle and comes out into bright sunlight. The Scarab has come to a halt right in front of the dam, ending with the walkway leading onto the structure's frame.
A sudden roar causing both of the Spartans to look up into the fading day's skies just in time to see the Assault Carrier moving away from its original positon. The action causes Six to stiffen; he is still unsure if Shress is alive, but he doesn't risk the chance of losing the ship.
A small hum fills the air as a Pelican comes up on the Spartan's flank with Sergeant Major Johnson. The Sergeant has a big grin on his as he shouts over the comms, "That's right you mothers, run!"
"Hold on Johnson," Miranda Keye's voice breaks through the radio, "it's not over yet, get the Spartan's back on the Frigate now."
"Cortana," Six suddenly says, "are we pursuing the Carrier?"
"Don't worry Lieutenant; we are," she replies, "just calms down a bit will you?"
Six bites down on his lip to keep from snapping at her but then Cortana say, "you're blood level just spiked."
Thankfully the Pelican has repositioned itself and hovers in front of the Spartan duo, allowing them to enter and keeping Six from answering.
No sooner did they enter that the Pelican sped off. The Spartans hang onto the frames as they speed off back to the In Amber Clad.
"Are you sure you're alright Lieutenant?" Chief finally asks.
Six is silent but for far too long so the Chief says, "Cortana told me you're…missing…the Sangheili-"
He is interrupted when Six suddenly grips the Pelican's side with renown force, causing it to bend and squeal its protest.
"W-what?" Six finally asks.
The Chief is quiet for a moment, "Cortana says your…friend was taken."
Six doesn't know what to say. The Chief is obviously hostile at the very idea of having an alien as a friend; he doesn't even want to think about how the Chief will react upon learning of their more intimate relationship.
"…yeah…" Six finally says.
The awkwardness that Six is feeling is thick enough to cut through before the Chief asks, "you're really…worried about it, aren't you?"
"I'm worried about her," Six stresses, "and yes…it may seem odd but…its…like having another Spartan to talk to," he glances at Chief, "you do know what's that like? Everyone seeing you as a freak and the only ones who seem to understand are our fellow Spartans."
The Chief is considers this for a while, "and you feel like spending time with a Sangheili is like being with another Spartan?"
Six considers his next words carefully, "well she's a Zealot, a high ranking warrior like us, and being a female, she is seen as much a freak as we are."
"You sound like…you really know this…person," the Master Chief finally states.
Six couldn't help but laugh, actually laugh as he says, "When you are alone with someone on a ship for three days, you get to know them."
The Chief is staring at the Spartan III as if he has never seen him before when they enter the Frigate. Six feels them settling down when suddenly the pilot in the front seat shouts out, "Hang on! We are about to jump!"
"Jump?" the Chief asks, "we are within a highly populated area, UNSC regulations state that-"
"We're not the ones jumping Chief," Johnson growls, "It's the Covenant, we're just following."
Six's eyes widen, "Where," he asks, "where are they going?"
"No clue," Johnson says, "but you might want to hang onto-"
That's when a shockwave is felt and everyone is sent tumbling to the back of the Pelican. Six hits the closed door hard, then the Chief and finally Johnson lands on top of him, forcing a grunt out of the III. Luckily though, the Pelican has been locked down so the craft wasn't sent crashing towards the back of the Frigate.
"Cortana," Six moans as he pushes the Chief off, "did we…are we-"
"Yes Lieutenant," the AI says in a serious voice, "we are in slipspace, destination unknown."
Sorry it took a while, but I'm serious when I said I was busy, I may have had writer's block towards the end and this was a long chapter (this is the longest I've written in a long while), the next one might be just as long, hope you understand and can be patient. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed.