Chapter 4
A Captains End
Just then Master Chief got a transmission from Captain Kel.
"Master Chief, I'm confident you were able to rescue the stranded pilots." Captain Kel remarked with an unusual hint of confusion in her voice.
"No." he simply said.
Then Cortana spoke up "We were captured by the Captain of the covenant ship Adelaide, his name was Aerosal.
"And you managed to survive?"
"You almost sound disappointed." Master Chief remarked.
"Well he is one of the highest ranking Captains in the covenant army. I'm just surprised you managed to kill him."
"We didn't, he managed to escape his ship as a gas called Albuteral destroyed it and his crew." Cortana spoke up.
"Albuteral?" The Captain said questionably.
"Yes, it's a deadly gas the covenant made and as we speak they are sending an invasion force to attack you."
The captain just sat there, thinking for a moment.
"Should we return and help with the battle or continue on with the mission?" Master Chief asked.
Then Cortana spoke up "I think we should return to help out with the bat- but Capt. Kel broke her off.
"No, continue on with your mission."
"But captain, I don't think that some pilots who might not be alive are worth the risk of an entire planet."
"That's an order!" Captain Kel blurted out. "We'll call for reinforcements from Pharmack" (Pharmack's a large planet unknown to the covenant in the southwest quadrant of the Tomase System).
"But Captain-
"Just do it!" She yelled. "Good luck Master Chief."
On Aerosal's Escape Ship…"Sir, we're coming up on the fleet. Their awaiting your order to enter slip space."
"Very good soldier, dock with the Lansing" (The Lansing is another capital ship of the covenant).
Aerosal walked through the hallways of the Lansing, Elites bowed as he walked by as a sign of respect. He walked up to a pilot of the ship who was waiting for him outside the door of the bridge.
"Captain Aerosal, when we heard about the gas leak we feared the worst."
"Where's the Captain?" he asked, completely ignoring the pilots statement.
"Through here" he said pointing towards the door "Follow me."
The pilot led him through the sliding doors into the bridge. He led him up to an elite who was standing at a circular hologram projector (Just think of the one in the Spire on Geonosis in Star Wars episode 2).
"Captain." Aerosal said as he walked up to the captain of the Lansing.
"Ahh, Aerosal, so glad you managed to survive." He said half-heartedly.
"I'm sure." He said sarcastically.
(They have a bad history together, but I wont get into that now).
Aerosal brushed past the captain and walked over to the communications console and pressed a red button bringing up a hologram of an elite.
"Commander, you may give the order to enter slip space." Aerosal commanded.
But then the captain of the Lansing stepped up in front of him.
"Hold on, just who do you think you are, as long as your on my ship you take my orders! Are we clear?"
Aerosal just stared at him and answered, "Crystal."
Then the captain walked up to the hologram "Commander, enter slip space."
Back With Master Chief…"It just doesn't make sense!" Cortana exclaimed. "Why risk an entire planet for a few pilots who are probably dead and some cargo that most likely was destroyed in the crash!"
"Cotana, the captain knows what she's doing. Now will you please enter the coordinates for the jump, can't get very far without them."
"Huh, oh, sorry Chief, I just don't trust Capt. Kel's judgment right now. Entering coordinates… initiating slip space jump… now."
At The Sideras 2 Battle Cluster…"Captain!"
"Yes soldier, what is it."
"A large fleet of covenant battle cruisers are approaching from the lower quadrant!"
"Put the station on high alert soldier, and suit up."
"Yes Ma'am!"
Capt. Kel walked over to a control panel and pressed a button causing a hologram to come up. There was a Marine on the screen. "Yes Ma'am?"
"Send the order to scramble the jets, and where are those reinforcements from Pharmack!"
The Marine just simply nodded his head and replied, "We sent the call for help but we're not even sure if they got it."
"Okay, just try to make contact with them."
"Of course Ma'am." He replied.
On The Lansing Capital Ship…
"Captain."
"What is it soldier?"
"We'll be coming out of slip space soon, but there's a problem."
"What is it?"
"There's a large group of Human battle cruisers that seem to be heading towards Sideras 2."
"Impossible." The captain replied. "They couldn't have known we were coming!"
Then Aerosal stepped up to the captain.
"The Demon."
"Wait, what?" The captain asked confusingly. "Are you talking about the Spartan?"
"Yes, but it doesn't matter now, all that matters is that you send a squadron to intercept them."
He thought this over for a second.
"…No."
"What!" Aerosal yelled.
"No, we'll just wipe them out when they reach us."
"I don't think…"
"It doesn't really matter what you think, now does it?"
"Your choices have gotten soldiers killed before, don't let it happen again!"
At that the captain drew his carbine and pointed it at Aerosals face.
"How dare you!" The captain yelled.
"What are you going to do, shoot me? The Prophets would have your head!"
"A small price to pay to put a hole in yours."
"That would be difficult." Aerosal calmly replied.
"Oh really, why is that?
Just then a plasma shot went off. The captain fell to the ground as the plasma burned through his skin.
"That's why." Aerosal said as he aimed his plasma gun at the captain's head and fired three more shots into his skull.
"Give the order to intercept those cruisers. And get someone to clean up this mess."