Chapter 8

Location: Cairo Station Gun Platform.

The Arbiter stepped out onto the cold metal floor of the Human station. He looked around and saw that dozens of fires were being extinguished and that corpses were being lifted off in black bags there stood a very authoritive figure in front of him. He was surrounded by five other Humans each with scoped machine guns. He stood there staring at the man until SGT Johnson said something.

"Lord Hood, this is The Arbiter. He bought us home in those shit heaps they call spaceships. I also found this sir." He said and he handed him Cortana.

"Thank you Johnson. You and Keyes may proceed to the Mess Hall and get whatever you need. I want to speak to The Arbiter." He said and Johnson and the left him with a grim face. "First of all, if your forces are going to be on this station," he said with a bitter edge to his voice, "I don't want any of your aliens attacking my men. Second, I want to know who the hell are you and why you have all of a sudden left the Covenant."

"We left the Covenant because our Prophets betrayed us and spilt our brothers' blood. I can also guarantee that no harm will come to your men," He replied, "I am The Arbiter, will of the Prophets. The destruction of the first Halo was, according to them, my error. They then gave me a chance to redeem myself by becoming The Arbiter. I will help you to stop the Prophet and stop them from activating The Ark that is located on Earth. Your Demon killed one of our Prophets and he was doing Truth a favour. He wanted him dead so that he could rule the Covenant with ultimate supremacy." He told Lord Hood.

"Right, I want you to get your troops battle-ready because there is a fight going on down at the surface. The Covenant are overrunning the Ark and we are failing. The "Demon" is down there trying to take every last one of them suckers to hell with him. If you're lucky, you might just catch him." He said with a smirk on his face, "Some of your troops will be taking the Pelicans down there and some in Phantoms. If anything goes wrong just radio me with this Portable Microphone Radio. Just press this button here and I will be on the other end." He said,

The Arbiter looked out at the raging battle and replied,

"I will get there as soon as I can. The last of the Phantoms are landing on this station as well. I over heard one of your men saying about how they could get new technology from our ships, so please, feel free." and he walked off to his Elites and Grunts.

"Kimju, go and get the Hunters into the Phantoms," he roared and a small orange-armoured Grunt ran off "I want everyone here who is fit for battle to get ready and get into the Phantoms, leave the Engineers here as the Humans will need them. Everyone ready?" he yelled and he received the roars and squeals of Grunts and Elites. They all ran off towards Phantoms and hopped inside their GravLifts. Arbiter saw the Ghosts and Spectres suspended in midair below them. Then the Hunters came charging in and stopped under the transports. They were then lifted off the ground and into the belly of the ships. The Arbiter ran to the nearest one and hopped in. inside everyone was seated. The four Hunters were held in place. The Grunts were seated and the Elites had a glowing belt around them. He gave the word to lift off and he got a glowing belt and put it around himself. He then felt the ship take off and through the view screen all the others followed them into the black of space.

The Arbiter's Phantom swerved in and out of molten slag of the UNSC ships and Covenant vessels debris. All around there was plasma fire that was trying to hit down their Phantoms. One unlucky Phantom was caught by one and it ripped a hole straight through it. Arbiter watched as the atmosphere and pressure was sucked out and his troops floated lifeless in space. His Phantom nudged a chunk of metal out of its way and continued towards Earth. They entered the atmosphere of the planet and the inside of the ships heated up rapidly. The ship shook violently and Arbiter gripped one of the handles above him. Through the radio The Arbiter barked,

"Ninety-four units until we land. Everyone get ready." And he checked his weapons. His two Plasma Rifles were still in their holsters and his Energy Blade was stored away safely. He also carried seven Plasma Grenades and a Plasma Mine, these mines were new and he thought that they would come in handy for their Wraiths. As they came over the Gazeeb Cover he noticed that it was hell. Flaming corpses littered the ground. Buildings were being demolished by Wraiths and grenades, Brutes were tearing apart prisoners for sport. They neared the top of the odd looking building that Truth was after and his troops unloaded onto the top. In the distance The Arbiter saw, what he thought was, the Demon slaying a group of Brutes with his vehicle. As he jumped out the Phantom took back off and vanished up into the atmosphere. The other thirty-four Phantoms did the same. The Pelicans came in, landed, unloaded all of the Elites and what the Humans call, ODSTs, and then took back off. Arbiter was greeted by the fire from a swarm of Drones. He returned fire and they fell to the floor. Everyone jumped off the building and formed a perimeter around the structure. Plasma Cannons were assembled at specific places. Arbiter jumped into a Spectre along with three other Black clad Elites. He moved the hovering vehicle around the bunker and to the entrance. He then spotted a trio of Wraiths pummelling a building that looked like barracks. He shifted the vehicle over there and the gunner and passengers opened fire. The main guns bullets just rebounded off the Wraiths thick armour plating and flew off into the distance. The Plasma Rifles from the passengers hit it and its armour began to bubble. Arbiter saw a way to expose one of them in a way where the gunner could hit its engines. He strafed the vehicle around the tank and told the black Elite to focus fire on the exposed grey of the tank. He did that. He must have hit an important cable or something because the tank burst into flames and the Brute jumped out running around until a passenger shot him. Now aware of The Arbiters presence, the other Brutes turned around and opened up. Their small plasma turrets burnt the vehicle and he saw its purple plating begin to melt away. He turned around and boosted to a nearby mound of dirt. There was a loud explosion as one of the Wraiths exploded. He wondered what had made it blow up. Then he heard the other blow up as a Phantom flew over his head. He emerged from cover and then boosted the vehicle towards a nearby building. It was still intact and he stopped outside it. He jumped out of the Spectre and was greeted by a pack of Jackals. He jumped behind the vehicle for cover as the gunner mowed them down with a well aimed plasma spray. When he made sure that they were dead he advanced. One of the passengers had got into the drivers seat and had drove off leaving him there on his own.

As he entered the building he smelt a putrid stench. One that was all too familiar. He got prepared to face what ever came his way. He activated his portable light and proceeded.

He wound his way through a maze of passageways and turns. He encountered little resistance apart from three Brutes and seven Jackals. The stench got worse the further he got to the top of the building. Human and Covenant bodies littered the floor. His light then came to rest on something that made him freeze. It was a severed arm of a parasite. He looked at it and it was different to the normal Flood forms. It was more like a Brute's arm, only it was decaying and it was tinged with green fungus. He jumped up as he heard a squelching around him. He turned around but there was nothing. It then came from behind him, but when he turned, there was nothing. Suddenly, he was flung forward with such force that his vision went black for a few units. He quickly recovered his focus and turned to face what had hit him to the ground. It was a Flood form, but a hardly recognisable Brute. Its arms had been replaced with tentacles as thick as tree stumps. Its fur had either come off or it was just covered with all of the rot on its body. He pulled the triggers as it charged again. The bullets seemed to have no effect on it. It carried on coming even though holes were being burnt through it. He managed to jump out of the way just in time as it slammed into the wall trying to hit him. It recovered, leaving large dents imprinted in the wall. When it turned around its face had been completely removed. On the wall were blood and entrails. All that was left now was an exposed skull of it. The Arbiter took the chance to draw his Energy Blade and ram it through its throat. There was a brief moment when the monster went limp, but then suddenly re-awakened. He tore out the blade and carried on hitting it until its arms and a leg had been sliced off. it writhed on the ground still until Arbiter rammed the blade, a final time, through its head. He left the body there and ran back down the stairs. He encountered another two of the beast. A well placed plasma grenade blew one of them to bits and another sent the other flying through the window. He ran down to the entrance and used his new PMR to Lord Hood.

"Yeah Arbiter. What is it?" Lord Hood's voice crackled with static.

"We have a major problem. There is a building down here that has Flood life forms inside it. They are not just the UNSC and Elites but they are also Brutes and are extremely dangerous. Requesting air support to destroy the building. Sending coordinates now." He replied. Anxiously looking around for signs that any had got out.

"OK Arbiter. Help is on the way and will be there in approximately three minutes. Get your men as far away from there as possible. Hood out." And the radio clicked off. He ran down the steps and checked to see if any of his troops were there. When he saw no-one he sprinted for the closest Ghost he could find. He hopped into it and it was still operational. He activated the boost and he sped away from the building. Then three Longsword bombers sped over him and dropped two bombs each on to the building. He turned around and saw debris fly into the air. Suddenly he was knocked off balance. He skidded into a course with a wall and he managed to bail just in time before it exploded. He turned around and was staring into the eyes of a Flood Combat Form.

PVT Machin was running low on ammo as he poured a clip from his SMG into a Jackal. The warrior went down in a heap. The steps to the Gazeeb Cover were littered with the bodies of Covenant. Behind him the crack of a sniper rifle boomed over the base. A Brute fell from the shot. He ran behind the cover of a wall and got five more clips from the big stack of boxes that were piled up against the wall and ran back to the stairs.

"Yeah! You like that! Here, have some more!" he yelled as he filled the sky with a hail of bullets and hit at least thirteen Drones. They fell onto the floor with a sickening thud. There was a scream from behind him. He turned around only to get smacked to the floor. He wiped a trickle of blood from his left eye and saw a monster in front of him. He reached out for his SMG when he was smacked again into the wall. His left arm was broken and he tried to reach his SMG once again. This time he got it. He emptied a clip into the monster but it still carried on coming. Without his left arm he couldn't reload so he tried to move away when it picked him up and punched him in the stomach. He looked down and saw his entrails falling onto the floor. The beast grabbed both his arms and pulled. The pain was intense and he screamed as one of his arms was torn from the socket. Just then another monster appeared. Warm tears trickled down the PVTs face as they closed in on him. The last thing he saw was a foot descending rapidly onto his face.

Arbiter jumped to the side just in time to dodge a tree trunk like arm swing through the air. He ran. Whilst he was running he turned around and fired his rifles at it. They left skin melting and two managed to break through its flesh leaving it with a bubbling hole through its chest. After continuous fire the beast went down. He carried on running and turned on the PMR,

"Hood, I have just found Flood outside the building. If we don't do something they will get out of here and spread." He yelled. He was answered by static, "Hood, Hood can you hear me?

"Arbiter… stop them fr… getting off the isl… Ear… ends on it…" there was an almighty explosion in the background and the radio was awash with static. He turned it off, prayed for the lost brothers aboard that platform, and was glad that others had been sent to twenty-six other platforms. At least his race was not all gone, for the moment. He couldn't stop to mourn so he rushed to the nearest vehicle, which was a Human behemoth that they called Sharks. He hopped in and pushed the throttle to the max. He aimed at a Spectre that had Flood in it and he punched the missile button. The tank shook and the Spectre was sent flying into the air in a mix of limbs, fire and metal. He turned the turret towards a small pile of debris and broken vehicles that was blocking his way to the bunker. He blew it up. After the smoke cleared he was about to move forward but it was still there. He wondered what the second button would do. He pressed it and was rewarded by a smaller missile to come launching out of the tube. It cleared the way but that was the last one, so he had to stick to normal ones for now. After three uneventful minutes there was an explosion just in front of The Arbiter. He stopped just before the cloud of dust and smoke. He then got out seeing what had made the explosion. He steadied his aim and edged towards it. When it had cleared there were two Pelicans with no wings sticking nose first into the ground. There wings had been blown off and the cargo bay had come loose as weapons and ammo had been scattered all over the place. He strode over to it to see if anyone survived. He peered into the dusty compartment and three bodies were moving, trying to break free from the wreckage. He stepped in and lifted a metal bar off one's chest and helped him up. One had his leg trapped under an ammo box and it appeared to be broken. The last one was lying down trying to get up from underneath three corpses. After he had helped them out one told him about a vehicle that they had found underneath one of their Phantoms. He looked outside and saw that it had flipped on its side. He grabbed one end of the frame and hauled it back over onto its normal side. Its purple coat shone bright in the sun. It was a new Spirit that the Prophets had been talking about. It carried up to seven troops in it and had a powerful auto cannon on the front and a cannon on the back that was manned by a passenger. He helped the wounded into the bay and found it was much roomier than it looked. The well ODST jumped into the back cannon and touched a switch that made it glow purple. After the last one had got in he went to check the last Pelican. There were no signs of movement in there so he went back to the Spirit. He jumped through the door and grabbed the joystick. The machine floated off the ground and it sped forward, looking for more wounded, and a medical wing.

No sooner had he turned the first corner, than he ran into a pack of berserk Brutes. The auto cannon burnt an enormous hole through the leading one and sliced off ones leg. He touched a button on the holographic panel and it sped forward, knocking the Brute off its feel and crushing him against a wall. He reversed and the body dropped, leaving entrails down the wall. He carried on moving and he encountered no enemy forces for some time until he neared the bunker. There forces that had been deployed were fighting a losing battle and were being slaughtered by both Flood and Covenant. The cannon fired at three Jackals and they fell to the floor. The back cannon roared as it discharged heat and energy at a swarm of Drones. A pair of Hunters rounded the corner, their Fuel Rod guns glowing green with energy and then discharged it at an enemy Phantom. It rolled over and spiralled out of control into the floor. A Brute managed to get a grenade stuck to a portable Plasma Turret. The Grunt ran off but was caught by the blast and its lifeless body hit an Elite in the stomach. The Spirit came to a stop and the Humans unloaded, letting seven gold clad Elites in. Once they were all in he drove off, hoping to flank the attack. He managed to get behind them and they all unloaded. They stealthily advanced and caught a pair of Jackals unaware. They were quickly put down by their blades. After turning another corner he ran into a dozen Brutes with three Spectres. He told everyone to activate their Active Camouflage and board each vehicle. He then activated his and ran towards the closest of the assault vehicles. He waited for it to slow down just before it turned and he hopped on the back and threw the Brute out of the gun. The driver then went flying along with the other two passengers. The vehicle was useless and he manned the plasma turret and looked around. He put down the nearest Brute and the one next to it was suddenly cut in two as an Energy Blade sliced through its mi-section. The rest were easy prey. Unable to see their attackers they stumbled about. One vehicle tried to get away when its driver was yanked from his seat and found a foot embedded in its face. Arbiter aimed the turret at the vehicle and it disappeared in flames. As he jumped out of the turret he was faced with a new threat as dozens of Flood forms poured out of a nearby building,

"The Flood has reached the surface. Attack!" an officer yelled. Several Brute forms charged but were knocked off course with some well placed Plasma Grenades. A Carrier form popped spewing Infection forms everywhere. One found a Veteran Elite and hopped on his face. He fell down screaming. He then stopped. Arbiter's arms were shaking because of the recoil from his rifles. He steadied his aim and took down three Combat forms and a Brute form. After they had all fallen The Arbiter and his team carried on towards the bunker. They neared a corner as three Phantoms flew over his head. They each carried a digging machine that he recognised from the Human planet Reach. This couldn't be good. They use them to level land quicker than any other machine he knew of. He motioned his team to run. They ran into a pack of Jackals but they were put down silently and swiftly. After six units of un-eventful running they neared the bunker. The drill of the machinery echoed through the base. He peered round a corner and found that the bunker had disappeared. The machines were quickly digging a hole further down into the Earth. He told his team to activate their ActiveCamo and take out the Brute patrols. Having activated his he ran for the nearest Brute.

He crept up on it and he rammed his blade through its stomach. It grabbed at thin air until it stopped. Two other Brutes turned to see what the noise was but when they started to yell they hung in midair and fell silent. Arbiter dragged his limp body and dumped it in the shadows. He was followed by six other floating bodies. There were only three more patrols left. Three of the Elites ran out and came back dragging limp bodies with them. Just then a Phantom flew over head and fired on their position. He ducked for cover but was caught by a plasma bullet. His shield drained and he waited for it to recharge. The Phantom dropped off ten Brutes, fifteen Jackals and twenty-nine Scalers. They started to fire and a Red Elite disappeared from the midsection down. He howled and tried to crawl out of the way but was shot in the head. Arbiter opened fire and three Scalers split in two as his bullets tore through them. The Brutes were taking position behind the Jackals and they raised their shields. Arbiter lobbed a Plasma Grenade and I attached itself to a Brutes arm. He howled and was engulfed in blue light followed by a thunderous bang. Jackals scattered and the other Brutes ran for cover. Scalers just seemed to pour out of everywhere. After seventy-eight units of Cat and Mouse shooting the fighting finally stopped. With three more of his squad dead, The Arbiter's team was down to four troops. He looked back towards the gaping hole and found that it was swarming with Scalers and Jackals. There were ramps that led down to the bottom of it and he could see a glowing orange light at the bottom. He magnified his vision and he found it to be at least ninety tines deep. Just then behind him, thirty-two Elite Personal Entry Pods landed behind him. He levelled his rifles and waited for the nearest EPEP to burst open. He lowered his weapons when he noticed it was Oslee'yun. Behind him twenty Phantoms dropped in, each carrying three portable Plasma Turrets and seven weapons crates. They each dropped off Grunts, Minor, Major and Pilots, Elites, Rookie, Veterans and Spec-ops and four Hunters each. Oslee'yun walked up to Arbiter,

"Another one of our ships came into Earth space. It was filled with Rouges, well, that is what they called themselves, and they requested permission to dock. It was filled with fifty-seven Seraph fighters and sixty-two Phantoms. The others have been kept in space for Board&Destroy action. The battle is going in our favour. They have approximately one-hundred and seventy ships left. Soon it will all be over."

"I don't think so. Look over there" he said gesturing to the hole. It had already been secured with a few old Shades around the top. The Covenant were still inside though. "We need some snipers to take most of them out and then we use the Phantoms to shoot down there wiping them out." He yelled. Sixteen green armoured Elites came forward with new weapons. They were curved with a sharp tip at the end of them. The trigger was behind a huge scope. He grabbed one from the weapon crates and took it to the hole. He looked through the zoom and found it had different settings. He touched a button and it went to thermal vision. Then to night vision. And finally back to normal. He liked it. He turned to thermal, because it was the easiest to view the enemy, and aimed at a Jackals unprotected head. He pulled the trigger. Instead of the soft poof of the Jackals rifle, this had more force. It let out a bang and the Jackal ended up with no head. Other bangs went off around him and he saw Scalers and Jackals fall without limbs or heads. One Jackal had a hole torn straight through its torso. After ten units of sniper work the bottom of the pit looked clear for now. He and Oslee'yun stepped up to a glowing rope each and took hold. It glowed brightly and then settled as it made their hands stick to it. They both jumped off and slid down. The Arbiter was not just worried about the Covenant just finding it, but more so the Flood. If they got down here they would be near impossible to stop. And as he dived into the bottom of the pit, the hum of machinery filled his ears.