He snapped out of his trance.
"Get me a fix on their comms, now!" He barked. Thel blinked at the sudden shift of tone and volume in the Guardian's voice and rumbled in his throat. What could possibly change a collected warrior's demeanor like the Guardian's? The Arbiter watched the giant ship disappear behind the mountain, followed by some banshees.
"Mithrax? Mithrax, can you hear me?
"Jake?" A pregnant pause. "By the Great Machine, many of us at the Tower thought you were dead or worse, captured by the Witch Queen!" An explosion echoed in the distance. Mithrax growled. "Send a few teams down there and seal the holes! I want those strange flying aircrafts destroyed! Guardian, where are we? We were drawn inside a portal big enough to swallow our whole Ketch and now we're attacked by… by someone."
Did Savathun orchestrate another one of her master plans or what? As for the being attacked thing… Jake glanced at the alien standing next to him.
Thel shrugged, a rather human action, he noticed. "If the Council truly demanded my kind's extinction, then the Sangheili in charge would be more preoccupied with the Brutes rather than risking a meaningless war with an unknown race."
Good enough.
"I'll give you a brief summary later. Right now we must randevouz and cooperate to create a plan of action. And if you see strange reptilian alien races out there, don't shoot them. Shoot the giant monkey like brutes."
The Eliksni Kell sighed. "Your tales are as convoluted as your explanations. I have seen a big white structure at the end of the canyon. I'll meet you there. The Light provides."
"The Light provides."
He rolled Fatebringer in his hand and transmatted, this time, Found Verdict on his back. "Fetch me Corrective Measure in case we run in some serious trouble." He turned to the Arbiter and nodded. "You'll have the honour of meeting an alien species and its representative from my universe. Shall we go? We're in an alliance of some sort, right? No killing each other… anymore."
The Sangheili snorted but twisted his head towards the Forerunner structure. "Were it so easy."
They walked down the path and found a minor leaning on a tree, sitting and bleeding to death. Thel crouched and placed his claw on the shoulder pad. "Who did this to you, brother?"
"The Brutes have betrayed us… the Councillors…"
Thel growled as life left the minor's eyes. He strapped his plasma rifle on his thigh and snatched the energy sword from the grass, gathering two plasma grenade in the process. Jake had been silently watching in the background. "The Brutes must pay for this massacre." He rose and stormed away, the Guardian following him.
"Thel 'Vadamee."
Jake looked at him. "Pardon?"
"My name is Thel 'Vadamee." They hopped over a log. "It is better than simply calling me 'Arbiter' all the time. I heard that aside from ranks, humans tend to use their names to address each other. What about you?"
"Jake."
The alien hummed. "Don't humans possess a… surname, as you call it?"
"Memory loss when we're resurrected for the first time. I never bothered choosing a last name. For many of us the past is the past…" He sighed. "…unless it's directly tied to your origins as a Guardian during certain events in our world or if it's useful to resolve a crisis."
The Arbiter was about to answer when a puff of air made the two warriors crouch and quietly stalk around the corner. A pair of Brutes were shooting at a dead Sangheili's corpse while chuckling. "Let's just throw them over the edge!"
"Where's the fun in that? These lizards must face the appropriate punishment the Prophets ordered. Humiliation is among them. It shall taint the honour they so dearly care about."
A third Jiralhanae glanced his companions' way and shrugged, returning to guard the area.
Thel growled. "We will ambush them and quickly take them out. Wait for my signal and use your… 'Light'." He disappeared when the Guardian nodded, enabling his cloak and circling around the rock.
Jake switched his powers to solar and clenched his fists. He was prepared.
The signal were not words, but rather the Arbiter burying his energy sword in the Brute's patrolling the area chest. He roared and gathered the attention of the other two mammals. Jake bolted out of his hideout and slammed his solar hammer against the alien in front of him, incinerating him before he could react.
Faster than the Arbiter and the Jiralhanae could react, he snatched Found Verdict and pumped four shots. Two were for destroying the Brute's armour, the last ones for finishing him off.
"Impressive reflexes. No wonder us Sangheili couldn't even slow you down. Were they too enhanced by the Light?"
"Honestly, I never bothered to research an answer to that. Hunters are usually even faster than Titans."
Animalistic huffs and sounds probed the two beings to snap their attention towards the hill. Another group of Brutes were shortening the distance between them. They must have noticed their victory over their fellow comrades.
"Stay behind me." The Arbiter tilted his helmet. "You wanted me to unleash my Light upon them, right? I wouldn't want to commit friendly fire in the process." The Sangheili did not question his demand any further and walked a few steps back.
CLANG!
Hammer of Sol was as hot as he remembered and as bright as it was in his universe. He double jumped and threw multiple hammers on the unlucky assailants. Their roars and squeals were cut off as soon as the rest of their bodies were incinerated, leaving no trace of their existence. Not even the toughest armour of their superiors could withstand the temperature of the sun.
Jake rubbed his gloves together in a clapping motion and switched to Fatebringer again.
"I have watched the footage…" Thel stood by his side, watching the pools of solar energy pulsating before disappearing. The alien twisted his gaze around the battlefield and released a strange sound from his throat. Perhaps it was the Sangheili's equivalent of a human's amazement. "…but being in the presence of such power is truly something else. Majestic, if may I say."
"Uh, I accept your compliments, 'Vadamee." He nudged his helmet on the hill. "Come on, let's go."
"Perhaps an alliance between humanity and the Sangheili is possible as it was for the Eliksni." It was the fourth time Ghost spoke since their arrival there. "They share a common enemy now and maybe the aliens won't see them as animals to slaughter."
He hunfed in approval and strolled behind the Arbiter.
The door opened and a Spec Ops Elite greeted his superior with a bow. He looked after the fallen Minors and tightened his fist. "By the Prophets! What have these Brutes done?"
"It was ordered by the Prophets themselves, brother." Thel responded. "They are responsible for this massacre."
"They have shed our brothers' blood… and for that, they must die!" The Spec Ops shifted his attention behind the Arbiter and widened his eyes. "T-The Guardian!"
Before the Sangheili could become hostile, Thel put his claw on his chest. "Me and the Guardian have agreed on a, if only temporarily, alliance. We share a common enemy with humanity now. Let everyone following our steps know that he shall not be attacked."
Jake could feel the confusion on the alien's features. He waved a hand in approval of the Arbiter's statement.
The Spec Ops snorted. "That would explain why you're not fighting each other. Very well, I'll access the battlenet as soon as possible. Leave to me the explanation to the patrols we shall encounter on our way in."
The building led them in another opened environment, some sort of raised platform. Two grunts watched the two Elites and human from above a small hill with confusion in their gazes. A quick snap from the Spec Ops was enough for them to whirl around and scout the room, not questioning why the Guardian was not hostile.
Jake headed for the left side.
"Not all dead?" A Jiralhanae growled when his gaze set on him. "The Guardian has joined the disgusting Elites! Raise the alarm!"
BANG! BOOM!
Fatebringer's explosive payload silenced the Brute forever and his buddy immediately rolled out of the way. The Titan took cover behind a purple wall-like closet used to store weapons.
"GAHHHHH!"
He blinked and peeked out of his hideout. There stood the Arbiter with his energy sword buried in the mammal's chest. The Sangheili twisted the close range weapon and retrieved it, he stomped on the body with a foot and snorted.
Chief is more tank-like and faces the danger, while the Arbiter prefers to engage targets while cloaked and resorts to direct confrontation only if absolutely necessary.
"Make haste, Guardian!" Thel gestured behind him. "There are more Brutes standing in our way to kill if we are to reach... 'Mithrax'."
A Zealot joined the Spec Op and two grunts in their group, they walked up the rock structure towards the next door. It suddenly opened and out appeared three Brutes and two jackals.
He launched a fusion grenade and it attached on of the bulking beasts. The explosion literally sent him flying back in the void beneath the platform. The grunts provided them suppressive fire even if they exploited weak and small plasma pistols. Thel and the Zealot engaged in close quarters duels with the Brutes while the Spec Ops was busy with the jackals.
Jake transmatted Corrective Measure in his grip and turned to the jackals.
The burst of lead was nothing short of glorious. The shields blocked only about 10% of his magazine before they broke and the carnivorous aliens were exposed. Their bodies were left with holes adorning every single portion, they pierced their armours and blood oozed out.
The Elites had taken out the Brutes.
They found a shivering grunt curled in a fetal position. The little guy appeared smaller than his species usually did. "P-Please… no hurt! Me like Elites! Brutes stinky bad-bad! Me stay here, make sure no Brutes come behind mighty Arbiter." He chuckled nervously.
Thel grabbed the grunt by the throat and slammed him on the wall. "Coward Unngoy!" He spat. "I should grant your species a favour and eradicate the most useless warrior among their batch."
"Arbiter." Jake took a step ahead. "No one should be forced to fight against their will. Let's go now, meeting up with Mithrax and stopping the ring from being activated is more important than a 'useless warrior', as you call it."
'Vadamee threw the grunt away. "Indeed."
"Our cultures are very different, but the Sangheili's one reminds me of the Fallen's. I hope docking isn't common in the Elites' society too."
He hunfed.
Somehow I think docking is indeed part of their life.
Whatever counter defense the Brutes had installed on their way here was destroyed by Jake's Light and the Arbiter's abilities in combat. They jogged outside the cave they previously crossed and stopped, looking at that Halo's equivalent of a control room.
A Wrath suddenly floated towards them, they raised their weapons and prepared.
But out of the cockpit, just another Elite revealed himself.
"He is Rtas 'Vadum." 'Vadamee whispered to the Guardian.
"By the rings, Arbiter?! The Councilors, are they-"
"Murdered." Said Sangheili interrupted him. "By the Brutes."
Rtas slammed his claw on the Wrath. "Vile, insolent beasts! The Prophets were fools to trust them!" His gaze fell on Jake. "I see the Guardian is with you. So the announcement on the battlenet was indeed true."
A Phantom flew over them, it disengaged the transportation cockpit and some shapes in the distance climbed out of it.
"It could be Tartarus." The Titan said. "Mithrax, are you there? We don't have much time left."
"Who is he talking to?"
"An ally of his, who shall help us in our revenge against the Prophets."
Right on clue, three familiar transportations stopped in front of them. The Skiffs opened their inner hatches and the Eliksni let themselves fall on the ground. Three captains for each platoon, vandals and many dregs, although the smaller Eliksni went from docked to not docked. From the Skiff in the center, a last figure dropped with his back on them. He analyzed the environment before whirling around, his cape flying as well. He still held his beam rifle.
Jake marched towards the bigger alien.
"It has been a while Guardian." It was the first thing he said. Mithrax bowed. "Velask, may I ask where are we? The Ketch couldn't access to Vanguard channels and strange aircrafts have been engaging us on sight. Thankfully we destroyed them and hid in a remote part of the ring."
Ghost materialized. "You might not believe us, Mithrax, but we're in another universe!"
"Another universe?" Even the Eliksni who knew English among the crow looked at each other.
"It was Savathun, must have been. We investigated a Taken anomaly on behalf of Osiris and the portal spat us near one of these rings. They're called Halo." They both noticed Mithrax's stiffened shoulders. "What is it?"
"It appears the Witch Queen took the form of Osiris and plotted from inside our Tower. Your fireteam destroyed Quria, Blade Transform, and Lakshmi-2 opened the gates to the Vex because she thought us to be a threat just like any Fallen. It was a massacre. On both Eliksni and Human part." He sighed. "Savathun met with Mara Sov, the Awoken Queen accepted to perform a special ritual to remove her worm in exchange for the real Osiris. Mara plans to kill Savathun once she fulfills her request, at her most vulnerable state."
"Damn it. Let me guess, she didn't take into consideration a backup plan the Witch Queen always has?"
"I would assume so." Mithrax raised his head and gestured. "If we are truly in another universe, then that giant portal must have been a planned attack."
Ghost clicked. "If Savathun is confined by Mara, how and why did she send you here? I can understand us for not interfering with her plans but…"
"It wasn't a Taken portal if that is your concern."
Jake opened his mouth-
"Whatever it was, it doesn't matter." He, Ghost, Mithrax and the rest of the Eliksni switched their attention on the approaching Arbiter and Rtas. "What matters now is stopping Tartarus from activating this ring."
"Right. Arbiter, meet Mithrax, Kell of House Light. Mithrax, meet Thel 'Vadamee, Arbiter of the Sangheili race."
The Kell looked at the Arbiter for a few moments. "Velask, it is an honour to meet you."
"Velask?"
"The form of greeting for the Eliksni." Ghost quickly stepped in.
"I understand. Velask, then, it is an honour for me too."
"You mentioned a certain 'Tartarus' activating this ring. What is it for?"
The Titan stepped ahead. "Stopping a biological entity similar to Siva called the Flood from infecting and spreading across the galaxy. But using the ring means killing every sapient species existing. Tartarus is the will of three, now two, known Prophets. They believe activating the rings will grant them passage in what they call 'The Great Journey', a path to salvation and eternal glory as Gods."
"Religion has always been the ultimate weapon." Mithrax mused. "That and a skilled tongue."
"We must get inside." Thel clenched his fist.
Rtas pointed a finger behind them. "We can gain safe passage by taking control of a docked Scarab not far away from here. It'll provide us heavy artillery to destroy the door."
Mithrax nodded. "So be it. Until we find a way back home, we must cooperate in this war against a mutual enemy." He raised a fist and roared to his kin. "Let us move! We must stop the Brutes from activating Halo!"
Clicked responses and roars echoed in the valley as the Eliksni followed their leader's example, raising their own fists in the air.
Author's note:
For those wondering, to avoid continuity issues, the Brutes' models here are basically the same as Halo 3 and they work the exact same way.
Next chapter will be the last one for Halo 2.