Hello again people! I apologize for the delay but my computer was giving me Hell. Now for responses.

Hoboking-Already answered you so, yeah.

Spacefan- Not a bad idea.

Dumass44- Will do.

Theta-Alpha-One- Indeed.

Crow T R0bot- Thanks for reviewing and you are correct about the "ee" being used on soldiers but if you recall, I never once used the term doctor or nurse. I used medic or medical officer. In short, Jasumee IS a soldier. She is a medic, meaning she is sent into the field to help wounded soldiers and even has basic combat training. Still it was a good observation. Not many would've noticed that.

Dave- Good to hear you're loyal (Even if you won't leave a signed review). A few people quit on me.

Raze Bringer- Glad you like it. I can't wait for your next fic.

More plot development but you may be happy to know that I've finally managed to squeeze a little action into this fic. And now, without further ado…

The Return of Zamamee and Yayap

Chapter 5

Two weeks had passed without incident. Zamamee had continued to receive regular examinations. He was pleased to learn that the horror show was a one time incident but his faith in the prophets was shaken when he learned that Jasumee had to argue with Mercy for almost an hour to bring about that result. Now it was just to make sure he wouldn't turn into a combat form in his sleep. Yayap was still ducking grunts and jackals alike. Apparently, being popular isn't what it's cracked up to be. At the moment, the two were at a briefing regarding new or improved vehicles and weapons. A gold armored elite stood near a large holo projector which at the moment was displaying a ghost.

"The ghost has received a number of enhancements. For starters, it has a much higher rate of fire and its new engine provides improved maneuverability. The engine also allows the operator to dump all power to thrust for an increase in speed. However, it reduces maneuverability and diverts power away from the weapons. Moving on," The projector displayed a banshee.

"The banshee has received the same engine and cannon enhancements as the ghost. It has also received a new fuel-rod cannon. The new system is more efficient and recharges much faster. Next," The projector displayed a wraith.

"The wraith has a similar engine enhancement which allows for a quick burst of speed. It also has thicker armor as well as a pair of auto tracking plasma turrets for point defense and its mortar cannon has a higher rate of fire. Next we have the phantom." The projector displayed a craft Zamamee and Yayap had never seen before.

"This new drop ship is a major improvement over its predecessor. It has three powerful plasma turrets and a gravity lift. You'll all be happy to know that the phantom is due to completely replace the apparition." (A.N. I heard from a very reliable source that that's what the old dropsip is called.)

At this everyone gave a sigh of relief. The old drop ship was an effective craft and it did its job but it had one enormous flaw. The side panels, where the troops resided, used a safety restraint system. For some reason it had a delay that they could never quite iron out. Because of this glitch, there was a split second period where they were all sitting ducks. A weakness the humans had been all too happy to exploit. A gravity lift could drop them into battle in relative safety.

"I see you are all pleased about that, as am I. Now, reports have given us a great deal of information on a human vehicle called a warthog. Now I know most of you regard human technology as beneath notice but we have seen that this vehicle's design is surprisingly effective so we have created a vehicle based loosely on this design called a spectre." The projector displayed another new craft. "It has a rear mounted plasma turret. It also has two side seats so armed passengers can provide additional firepower. It has the same engine as the ghost and banshee so it can use the boost drive however, unlike its cousins, its turret uses an independent power supply. Next we have the shadow." The projector displayed what looked like a transport.

"As you may have guessed, this is a troop transport vehicle. It can carry ten individuals. One driver, one gunner, and eight passengers who can provide additional fire power. It also has a gravity winch which allows it to transport assault vehicles. Now, as previously stated, we have developed an appreciation for human technology. You should all be aware that we are physically capable of using human weapons and vehicles. And quite frankly, in combat, you should use whatever you can get your hands on. First, human vehicles. All human vehicles, with the exception of their aircraft and starships which use fusion drives, rely on internal combustion engines for mobility. Unlike our hover crafts, their vehicles are grounded making them very vulnerable to environmental hazards such as ice. Most human vehicles are armed and should not be taken lightly. Now, human weapons rely on the crude but effective concept of using compressed gas or explosive chemicals to fire projectiles at extremely high velocities. It should be noted that in all engagements with the Flood, our plasma weapons, with the exception of the energy sword, paled in comparison to the human's projectile weapons. Remember, never underestimate their technology. It can be surprisingly effective." He began unconsciously scratching a large scar on his shoulder where several years earlier a sniper round had almost blown his arm off.

"Now, we have made a number of enhancements to our own weapons. The plasma rifle has been given a new power supply that gives it a much higher rate of fire. I suppose I should mention that the brutes have developed a model of their own. The power core's energy has been raised to almost dangerous levels. This allows for a very high rate of fire but it also overheats faster. Also, since they have officially joined our infantry, their most powerful weapon, the brute shot, has become available. It is a crude weapon that fires energy grenades and has a razor sharp bayonet. The needler has also been improved in that it has a more sophisticated targeting computer and is lighter and less cumbersome so you can actually use two at a time. Next, the fuel rod cannon has been vastly improved. It now has a clip which can hold up to five rounds. The shots are more powerful and the system is much more stable. So you needn't worry about it suddenly exploding." A number of them cringed. They had lost several soldiers from fuel rod overloads in the past. This new system was a relief to say the least. The elite then turned to a group of hunters. "Also, your model has a new feature. As well as the basic setting, it can be set to fire a concentrated beam of energy." The hunters began conversing in their native tongue. Zamamee couldn't understand them but he had a feeling they liked the idea. This was confirmed when a few began chuckling maliciously.

"Next up is the carbine. The carbine is a medium range weapon that uses energized particles to fire concentrated beams of energy. It has a x3 scope making it an excellent sniping weapon. And speaking of sniping, we also have the particle beam rifle. This weapon operates much like the carbine but on a much larger scale. The amount of energy in a rifle shot is comparable to six of seven carbine shots. Also, it has a x5 and x10 scope making it the ideal weapon for long range combat. Now, I think that's everything. Any questions...No? Then you are all dismissed." Zamamee and Yayap filed out. Zamamee couldn't suppress his delight. The Covenant had been all but invincible already. With these enhancements to their military, the humans wouldn't have a prayer. "Zuka 'Zamamee?" He turned to see the commander trying to get his attention. "Just wanted to let you know, the award ceremony will begin in an hour. Be ready."

"Ah yes. How could I forget?" It turns out that a number of soldiers from the campaign on Halo had earned enough merit (or skulls) to gain a promotion. And apparently, volunteering to hunt and destroy a demon was worth a great deal of prestige. "I will be there. Don't worry." The two bowed before the commander went back to prepare his next presentation. "Come Yayap."

"Yes sir."

Ten minutes later, Zamamee was in his quarters polishing his armor. 'I will accept this position with grace and honor but I will not have truly earned it until I see the demon tremble and fall before me. You may have beaten me once, human. But then you were up against a mere mortal. We shall see how you fare against a fellow demon.' He failed to suppress a malicious chuckle as he continued cleaning his armor.

Zamamee stood in a line with about forty soldiers who had also proven themselves worthy of ascension. The council chamber was filled to bursting with countless spectators who'd come to watch their kin in their moment of glory. Zamamee was pleased when he spotted Yayap near the middle of the crowd. However, his attention was soon drawn to the figure floating toward them. True to form, the Prophet of Truth was leading the ritual.

"Settle down. We shall begin the ceremony with the first canton of the Rite of Union." With that, every one in the chamber raised their voices and spoke as one.

"So full of hate were our eyes that none of us could see,

Our war would yield countless dead but never victory.

So let us cast arms aside and like discard our wrath.

Thou, in faith, will keep us safe, whilst we find the path."

With that, the ceremony began.

"Zuka 'Zamamee! Step forward." Zamamee approached the hierarch and kneeled. "Zuka 'Zamamee. Because of you my brothers and I have been made aware of a very real and very dangerous threat to the fulfillment of our Covenant. This human has single handedly slaughtered thousands of our finest warriors. It was he who destroyed the sacred ring and our chance to begin the Great Journey. And who could forget his latest attack against our cause, the destruction of the Unyielding Hierophant and the subsequent decimation of 35 star fleets. Yet despite the danger, you took it upon yourself to track him down and face him. Such courage is worthy of celebration…and reward. It is for this reason that we award you the title of Commander." With that, six engineers surrounded Zamamee. Contrary to the human belief, a Covenant warrior does not receive a new suit of armor when he or she is promoted. Rather, their old armor is enhanced and repainted. A simple task, thanks to the engineers. Zamamee remained on his knees as different pieces of his armor were removed, disassembled, enhanced, reassembled, repainted, and put back in place with lightning speed. It was about eight seconds before the engineers backed away. "Rise." Zamamee obeyed, revealing to all that he now wore the silver armor of a Spec. Ops Commander.

"I am honored to accept this burden. I shall carry out my new responsibilities to the best of my ability." With that, he bowed and returned to the line as the ceremony continued. Several grunts, jackals, and elites were awarded the rank of Major. A pair of Spec. Ops Troopers were even made Honor Guards. However, the final award came as a shock. An elite, wearing the blue armor of a Minor, stepped forward. Everyone assumed he would me made a Major. However, when the engineers retreated, they all saw that he wore the golden armor of a Commander and, according to the symbol on his back, a Field Master. Zamamee had heard of skipping a rank or two but this was unprecedented. His thoughts were interrupted when Truth stepped forward and relayed the reason for this ascension. It turns out that this particular elite had been involved in the assault on the human base. Shortly after the untimely demise of Field Master Putumee, which needless to say threw the ranks into chaos, this elite took charge and rallied the troops. Despite his low rank, the others followed his lead. Under his command, they actually gained some ground before the humans finally pushed them back. The elite bowed to Truth and returned to the line. Zamamee had a feeling he'd be seeing this elite again. The Prophet of Truth turned to the crowd.

"Behold! These individuals have shown what it truly is to bare the weight of our Covenant on their shoulders. They have shown valor, steadfastness, and undying loyalty to our cause. It is for that reason that they have received this honor. Now, I declare the ceremony concluded."

Yayap was just enjoying sometime in the methane chambers when he heard a knock. Donning his armor and life support, he left the chamber. He found Zamamee out in the hallway. "Hello, Zamamee. I like the new look."

"Thank you, Yayap. I actually wanted to speak to you about that."

"Huh? What is it?"

"I will be assuming command of a team of full-fledged Spec. Ops warriors. I'm afraid I can't have Majors on my team."

"Oh. Uh…Okay." Yayap hung his head dejectedly before Zamamee suddenly broke into a grin.

"Well we can't have that, can we?" At that, three engineers came into view.

"Uh…What is this?"

"Yayap. In our time together you have always acted with honor and distinction. You have displayed a courage that is rare in this universe. It is for that reason that you have been awarded the rank of Spec. Ops Trooper. Congratulations." Yayap could barely believe his ears. He was so shocked that he hardly noticed the engineers upgrading his armor. Spec. Ops was the highest ranking a grunt could receive. Very few actually did. When the engineers withdrew, Yayap was wearing the black armor of a Spec Ops grunt.

"This is…I don't know what to say!"

"You will be placed under my direct command. I expect only the best from you." Yayap stood shocked for a moment.

"Thank you Zamamee"

"No Yayap. You've really earned this." Yayap examined his armor another few seconds before his head shot up.

"Wait a minute. Then wasn't I in the ceremony?" Zamamee chuckled in response.

"You can thank your friend Anyaw for that. She told me about your situation and I realized a promotion wouldn't help you there. So I decided to get you a private ceremony." Yayap looked at him oddly for a moment. At the time he had still been a trooper. He knew the Spec. Ops were well respected but they didn't hold that much influence. Zamamee gauged Yayap's thoughts and clarified. "My brother's a councilor. I just asked him to pull a few strings. I imagine our next mission will be soon. Be ready."

"Yes sir…Commander!" With that, Zamamee left. Yayap contemplated his new position before chuckling. "I can't wait to take one of those Fuel-Rod guns for a spin."

Yayap was on his way to the mess hall. He'd decided a small celebration was in order considering his new position. He heard chatter around the corner and braced himself. As expected, there were several grunts around the corner. As soon as they saw him they all started chattering amongst themselves. A few girls also started giggling. Yayap sighed and continued on his way. But his torture wasn't over yet. A group of jackals came into view and approached him. One with an orange shield, obviously their leader, stepped forward.

"Well, if it isn't our favorite gas-sucker!" Yayap was about to tell him to shove off when he got a better look at him. It took a few moments for his mind to pick up.

"Yeg?" He looked at the others and saw that it was the same pack of jackals he'd had to deal with on the Autumn.

"So you do remember us." He looked Yayap over. "Nice look. But the last time I saw you, you were wearing red."

"I got promoted."

"Really? Well that's odd. I don't remember seeing you at the ceremony." Yayap picked up the subtle accusation but kept his voice level.

"I had a private ceremony."

"Oh yeah. Someone said they saw Commander Zamamee heading for the methane chambers with a few engineers."

"Yeah. So!"

"Oh nothing." Yayap went around Yeg and continued on his way, grumbling. "I guess being his bitch has advantages." Yayap stopped in his tracks. He instantly went from annoyed to considering every possible way to kill a jackal. Judging by the grunts' sudden outrage, they shared the sentiment. He turned and faced the humanoid bird. If looks could kill, Yeg would have disintegrated.

"What did you say!"

"You heard me, Gas-sucker."

"For your information, Vulture, I EARNED this position!"

"Oh, I know. You must've had to kiss a lot of ass to get promoted."

"Take-That-back!"

"Oh just face it, Yayap. We all know what you are."

"And what am I!"

"You're a second-rate soldier who's sucking up any scraps Zamamee decides to throw you." Yayap stared at Yeg with hatred for a moment before speaking.

"That's what you think, huh?" he turned to the other jackals. "You all think I don't deserve this armor?" He approached Yeg and stared him down. "I challenge you to open combat. The loser must forfeit his rank! Do you accept?"

"Well, seems someone's grown a backbone. Very well, I accept." Yeg deactivated his shield and the two warriors backed a respectable distance from each other. Their comrades moved forward and formed a semi-circle around them. They took up fighting stances and stared one another down for a moment before they charged.

"Ahhh. Nothing like a plate of fresh mutak!" Rumo' Matumee was just leaving the mess hall. He, along with two Majors, had just finished celebrating his new position as Field Master.

"Indeed. Thank you for letting us join you. I never thought we'd be eating in the officer's wing."

"Yeah. Matumee, you have got to be the youngest Field Master in the history of the Covenant!"

"Please. Not you guys, too."

"Alright. Alright. We'll shut up. So, any plans?"

"Well, I should be getting back to my quarters. My mate and I have our own little celebration planned."

"HAHAHAHAHAHAH! You are a beast Matumee!"

"On and off the battle field!" The three continued like this for several minutes before they heard a commotion around the next corner. "What the…?" They moved forward and saw a group of grunts and jackals making a racket. They soon saw why. A grunt and jackal were going at it. "Oh great. Let's break it up." He was about to run out before Matumee stopped him.

"Wait. Isn't that Zamamee's assistant?"

"Uh...Yeah. I think your right."

"Hold for now. Let's see what he can do."

Yayap dodged a kick and countered with a jab to the ribs. Yeg recovered and slammed his fist into Yayap's jaw. He stumbled for a moment giving Yeg time to run him into a wall. Yayap saw stars for a minute but recovered in time to see Yeg rear back. Yeg threw the punch but Yayap managed to grab his fist mid-punch and began squeezing. Yeg howled and tried to pry his hand free. Unfortunately for him however, his people's bodies were built for speed and agility. When it came to shear power, grunts won every time. Now that he had the advantage, Yayap slammed his free hand into Yeg's jaw, knocking out a few teeth. His next blow was to the stomach. Yeg fell to the ground clutching his gut in agony. Yayap took advantage of his weakened state by grabbing Yeg's throught and raising him off the ground. The next thing Yeg knew, he was being slammed into the wall over and over again. Once he was satisfied, Yayap held Yeg against the wall. The broken jackal waited for the killing blow, but it never came. Yayap hurled Yeg toward his comrades where he landed at their feet. One jackal, who he quickly recognized as Jak, ran to his leader's aid. Yayap turned to leave and did not see Jak brandish his plasma pistol. Yayap heard the familiar sound of a plasma bolt. He instinctively turned to face it but didn't have time to dodge. He closed his eyes waiting for the pain, but felt nothing. He opened his eyes and saw an elite in gold armor standing in front of him. His shields were shimmering from the hit. Jak dropped his weapon in terror. He'd just shot a Field Master!

"ENOUGH! This battle is over. Take your wounded and begone!" The jackals, not about to argue with an enraged Commander, carefully lifted Yeg and carried him toward the medical center. Just before rounding the corner, Jak turned to look at the grunts.

"This isn't over!" Matumee turned toward Yayap. He and the other grunts trembled slightly. Fighting among the ranks was not exactly encouraged. He was visibly relieved however when the elite smiled and bowed to him. Yayap returned the gesture just as the other grunts ran to him and began congratulating him on his victory. This time Yayap accepted their praise. But as they led him away, he didn't notice an older grunt starring at him in almost religious reverence. Another grunt noticed it.

"Is something wrong, elder?" The old grunt didn't answer. He stared at Yayap a moment longer.

"The chosen one."

Ahhh. Finally finished. This is easily the longest chapter I have ever written. Period. Sorry if the fight wasn't that good. I'm better at doing gun-battles.Well, please read and review. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.