Heyy all, apologies again for my unreliability. I hit a bit of a wall with a scene in the story and I didn't want to put up another chapter until I'd done it. The next update will be before the end of August for sure, even if I don't write all that I want to.

I also wanted to say a big thankyou to all those who have reviewed, I've hit one hundred and I'm glad that people are enjoying it still :D Also I wanna thank everyone for faving, following and reading as always :)

Thanks go to gwb99 for betaing

RamenKnight: Yeah, she probably would've, personally I don't think she does well with change or huge events like that. She's just too set in her ways :L Thank you for reviewing.

Telron: Ah, glad to know, I was a bit hesitant when posting it, but everyone seems cool with it :) Thank you.

B312: - Aw yeah, she's been itching for a fight :L Yeah, I love Wash :)

- Yeah, but she'll work through it all. To her it's serving as a reminder not to get to close :L

BloodDragonKing: Got it right this time :P Yeah, when they find out the truth, everything will go crazy and there'll probably be a lot of tension. Ah yeah, Sarge and Caboose are pretty cool, I'd say before they properly introduced project freelancer, Sarge or Tucker were my favourite. Although, Lopez was pretty cool too :L

ww1990ww: Ah, good :) I know what you mean though, I don't really remember the old transformers that much, but I do remember Unicron chilling around Cybertron in all his giant plant glory :L

Densho: Thank you and I'll try :) That's a pretty good idea and I may use it if I bring in the Spirit. Hunt the truth was amazing though wasn't it? I really hope they do another season :D Also I think the rumours probably began surfacing around the time John fought those ODST's.

Turret 110: Thank you, glad you enjoyed :) She'll defiantly become a lot stronger with new armour, but it'll probably take some time getting used to it. As for her fight without armor, it was difficult to judge, because while she's probably lighter and therefore quicker, her armour enhances everything. I tried to go for an in-between and it looks like it turned out alright :)

.

"Speech"

Thoughts or words stressed upon

Words stressed upon in thoughts

/Comm/

Thick Skin


~/~

Barricade

His wheels churned up a storm of dust as he sped along the road. He didn't stop, he barely looked behind himself with his mirrors. He'd seen what had happened to the others and he had no intention of meeting Primus that day. Fragging AutoBots, he cursed as he drifted around another corner. He'd barely managed to escape with his life, let alone what he'd been sent to collect. But, from what little he'd had time to read it was worth it. Shockwave would have a field day when they gave him his prize. With an evil grin to himself, Barricade's scorched form continued speeding away from the mining complex.

It was a while before the dreary, dusty environment eventually faded out into a greener and less sandy environment. Although, that mattered little to Barricade, the pitiful planet he was on would always grind on his gears with all its fleshies and AutoBots. His form let out a rumbling snarl as he turned onto a larger road filled with fleshies. Deciding that then was a good time to report back, he opened a channel to Soundwave.

/Barricade to Soundwave, data collection complete./

/Soundwave receiving, was your presence detected?/

/Once, but they merely thought I was scouting. Sending the data now./

/Data received, analysing….Excellent. Shockwave will find this useful, plans for apprehension will remain on hold until they are less suspicious./

/No, now's the best chance. They're vulnerable and distracted with wounded flesh bags./

/The orb is too powerful, it protects them./

/Send a distraction team, I'll grab our prize./

/Negative, failure is not an option. The attack is expected./

Barricade growled, his engine revving with the noise. Couldn't he see that now was a perfect opportunity before their prize was beyond their reach? While they were expecting another attack, they weren't expecting a snatch and grab. /I know, but they're not expecting us to snatch someone. They don't really know why we're there./

/Team Spectre will provide a distraction, do not fail./

/I won't, Barricade out/ Barricade cut the channel as he turned off the busy road and sped back the way he came. They wouldn't have long, but this was a perfect time to grab their prize. After all who would want to deny Shockwave the Reclaimer?

~/~

Noble Six

"Done," Carter grinned at her as she packed the remainder of her equipment away. "That should see to you for a good couple of hours and you're not dead from the help, bonus!"

Six glared up at the woman, but she didn't appear to notice as she was putting her things away. She pushed herself onto her feet, glad that the movement was greeted by numbed pain thanks to the pain killers she'd been given. While they weren't helping as much as they should, they were doing enough for Six.

"You best go get yourself loaded up, Lennox wants to be gone in five," Carter's said as she carefully put the last of her equipment into her bag. Six nodded in response and turned to make her way to the waiting aircraft. From her point she could see the glint of the metal bodies inside, as they had loaded them up while her wounds had been patched up. She also saw the rest of the Major's men loading up onto plane, but not the Major. Just as she was about to begin walking towards their lift and explosion echoed from the other end of the complex.

Six snapped into action as she grabbed her weapon and started making for the noise. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the Major's men come tearing off the plane with their weapons ready. They were noticeably missing one, but that was understandable as Anderson was still in a bad way. She was about to run to catch up with the when someone grabbed her arm. Thinking it was an enemy she turned and was about to disable them when she realised it was the Major.

"Six?" he looked rather shocked –as if he'd known what she'd been about to do- but he promptly smothered it with a serious frown. "Not this time, you're too injured and I don't want to be hauling your dead ass back to base. This is an order, Six."

His voice said it all, despite being strong and commanding she could hear a little strain. She had a feeling it was a combination of Guardian, her and his downed teammate. So, she nodded and said nothing, after all orders were orders. He appeared satisfied with her acceptance and ran to join his men, yelling for her to keep an eye on their backs. Her lips pulled into a thin line as he left her sight, she wasn't happy about being side-lined. She could handle engagement after engagement, any UNSC soldier could, and it was something they all knew. The Major knew her capabilities, so why did he not understand that she could go back in? She turned her radio on with and aggressive click. It was frustrating to say the least and she wasn't sure how long she wanted to be under someone like that. Personally, it felt like NEST was slowing her down at the moment. Even after one day she could see it and while she knew they wouldn't instantly trust her, why were they so insistent on dragging their feet when it came to getting her armour working? Couldn't they see that it would make her a greater asset to them?

She sighed and checked her ammunition as she moved herself to a better vantage point. Her face pulled into a frown at the state of her ammunition, there wasn't much, but it would hopefully be enough should trouble find her.

/Six, Major wants to know if Guardian will be providing back-up./ The sound of her name make her take more prominent interest in the radio chatter. It was the Major's second in command for the day, Major Walker, who'd called her.

/Negative, but I can provide assistance./ She replied quickly as the explosions in the background made her rush. She wasn't sure how a good battle with these aliens sounded, but to her it didn't sound good at the moment.

/Orders are orders, Six. Stay put, we can handle these small fry. Walker out./ Those words thoroughly ended the conversation and Six returned to scanning the area for any of the aliens that were trying to sneak around the back of the complex. It wasn't long before she was rewarded with something and she grinned as she watched the police car pull into view. As she was creeping her way around the area she spotted Carter slowly stalking out from the plane. The woman had a gun in her hand as she whispered into the radio. After hearing the response through her own, she nodded with satisfaction that the rest knew and continued to creep forward.

An explosion and the shake of the Earth drove Six into action and she sprinted towards the cause. With her pistol ready she was about to dash out and around the alien when she stopped. The large metal being chuckled darkly as something squirmed in its sharp claws. It was then that she spotted Carter being steadily crushed by the alien. The gun she'd been holding was nowhere to be seen, but Six had a feeling that it had been blown up in the blast. Carter herself didn't look to good. It was evident that she'd tried to dive out of the way, but had not avoided the attack completely. There were patches of her clothes that had been burnt away and Six could see the charred skin underneath. She wasn't screaming though, instead she was cursing the alien before her as it asked her questions. With each curse Six could see the grip tighten and Carter gasp as her breaths only got shorter. With renewed determination Six was about to continue her assault when she caught the end of a demand. A single word stood out to her, one that not many knew, especially considering it was new to her.

"-The Reclaimer is!" The alien's voice was sharp and angry, just like the ones before. The only difference this time was that it had a purpose that extended beyond random destruction and included that capture of her. A sneer curled up on her face as she straightened herself and ran at the alien, it was going to pay.

As soon as it caught sight of her it grinned sadistically as it squeezed Carter harder. The woman in its grip roared in pain and Six could've sworn she heard a crack. She didn't stop running and as she got close to its feet it reached out to grab her with its other claw. It whooshed over her head as she dodged it by rolling forwards. The unforgiving dust of the road churned up around her, causing her to inhale some. It didn't stop her and she continued forwards, not even stopping when the alien started talking to her; she had to get it to drop Carter.

"Come to watch fleshling?" Its growly voice taunted with a laugh as another claw grabbed at her, its turning rocking the ground as she evaded it.

"You've…got this….Six," she could hear Carter wheezing in between breaths. The speech had a liquid gurgle to it that only made Six quicken her pace as she jumped at the alien. She twisted out of the way as it tried to stop her before grabbing onto the protruding metal on its leg. There was a high pitch noise from above her that turned more liquid as each moment passed. Her eyes narrowed in determination as her lips twisted into an angry sneer. She pushed herself further and further up the body of the alien and it was only moments before she had a shot at its joint. When the shot was lined up she fired straight away, hoping that she had been fast enough to save Carter.

There was a roar from the alien as she shot hit. Sparks flew from the point of impact, followed by a metallic screech. The injured arm drooped and Six watched as it slackened. She snarled in anger when she heard another crack and without another thought she launched herself further up the alien. She saw the bloody unconscious body of Carter falling as she climbed her enemy. The soft thud of flesh hitting the ground along with a defining crack echoed around her and the alien backed it up with a taunting comment that she barely heard over the sound of her own anger. As she travelled up the alien in a haze of red, she ripped and clawed at any and all cables she could get her hands on. She grinned wildly when as she heard the alien screech in pain and continued her journey upwards. Voices yelled in her ear while she shredded another cable, calling her name and telling her to get away. She ignored them and reached for another cable that looked extremely important when she felt something coming towards her. She tried to launch herself out the way, but thanks to her injured state she was too slow. Suddenly something cold collided with her side, forcing a hiss from her lips. The motion sent pain reverberating across her body as something wrapped around her and pulled her away. Cursing at the harsh metal, she awkwardly fired her gun at the joints. Her shots did little more than annoy the alien as the world warped around her before she ended up tied to the backseat of a car.

The alien now turned car muttered something before revving the engine and speeding them away. Fiddling with her hands she managed to point her gun one of the bindings. She pulled the trigger with a grin and began tugging at the now damaged binding. A satisfying tear soon greeted her ears and with the binding gone she attempted to start slipping out. Only, it didn't work. The others all grew tighter until breathing became an issue and spots danced at her vision.

"Fragging flesh bag," the car growled and the engine roared with it. "Soundwave better make you worth it."

Filing the name away for later Six took attempted to take aim at the gearstick. Wiggling the gun around through the bonds was becoming difficult as they tightened, but she eventually managed to line up the shot. She didn't skip a beat as she fired, the resounding bang being followed by a satisfying pain filled howl from the car. The bonds around her slackened enough for her to get out and with another well aimed shot at the steering wheel the car swerved. Grinning widely she shot out the lock on the door before kicking it open, catching a glimpse of a rapidly approaching green bike as she did. With her escape route ready she unloaded the remainder of her bullets into the main section of the dashboard and gearstick. The screams from the car made her maniacal smile only wider and as it tried to transform she barrelled herself out of the door. Putting so much power into the jump ensured her being clear of the road, but made the landing a rough one as the car was still moving rapidly. A shudder rippled up her body when she hit the floor, vibrating through her bones as she rolled across the hard ground and onto soft grass. Her skin stung all over as she shot to her feet and the car came to a screeching halt. Even though she had no way of defending herself from the alien, it took one glance down the road before bolting away with a growl filled with promise.

"Until next time fleshling."

Her lips curled into a sneer as it escaped the scene, only to flatten in concern as she remembered Carter. She rubbed the side of her face as her head drooped with a tired breathe; she doubted the woman had survived. It was her fault. She hadn't been fast enough to free her and they'd been looking for her in the first place. Cursing silently, she lifted her head up at the sound of the bike's engine and hopped onto it without a word. It said nothing as its tires squealed violently and they turned around; apparently it wasn't happy about the car's escape. There were a few voices across the radio, but she didn't listen. The tone of their voices told her what they were talking about and it wasn't something that she would dwell on. Death was a regular occurrence for her and she would get revenge for Carter, just like she did for everyone else.

"Are you okay?" the bike asked, its usual cheery voice sounded hesitant; as if she would snap at the asking of the question.

"I'm fine," she replied firmly, her tone making sure the bike knew that she didn't need consoling. She felt its frame droop a little and raised an eyebrow at the movement.

There was a frustrated sigh from the bike's console, "How can you be okay? You just saw-"

"Because," she cut in, her mouth barely opening as she growled though her teeth. "Things like this happen, it comes with the territory. Crying over it won't fix her death, but killing that bastard alien will make it right."

"But, don't you care? She-" despite the bike's hesitant voice she could hear the anger rising in it. Her words were angering it and even though it was wary of her it appeared to be growing a backbone.

"-was a woman I barely knew. Another casualty of war, that's all," Six snapped over the bike because she didn't need to justify herself and her feelings to it. The fact was it didn't bother her anymore, she was numb to the sadness it brought and only felt failure. She'd been designed and trained to work through impossible odds, but if she couldn't keep one medic alive what use was she to humanity? She was their protector, no matter the cost and it was frustrating when she failed at her job. She had to be stronger, faster and better. Humanity needed her to be all those things and more and she couldn't let them down. Carter's death only reminded her that she wasn't the best soldier she could possibly be, it was time to fix that.

The bike muttered something in a garbled sounding language. While she had a feeling he was talking about her, she did nothing to acknowledge his comment and leaned down further against the bike to reduce the chilling bite of the wind that rushed past her. Even with the sun still high in the sky it was cold and her now lack of coat was noticeable. The wind bit at her grazes as they raced back to the others, an edgy atmosphere settling over them as they did.

~/~

Barricade

/Failure was not an option./

/Tell that to the fragger you wanted me to capture! She's dead next time I see her and it'll be slow and painful./

/She is needed./

/Frag you Soundwave, she's not worth it. What could you possibly wasn't with a miserable bag of flesh?/

/She's different, adaptable. Data revealed a way to control her, make her work for us./

/And how'd you plan on doing that? You're no scientist./

/Shockwave./

/Your processors fried, he's gone, Soundwave. We lost him ages ago./

/His location will be determined, other contingencies are being explored./

/What? Flatline? Don't waste your time, just let me at her. Then she won't be a problem./

/Negative./

/Glitch head, you really know how to ruin a 'Cons fun. Barricade out./

~/~

Noble Six

The rumble of the plan vibrated beneath her as she sat strapped into her seat. Her eyes were barely focused on the remains of her handiwork that lay before her. Lost in thought on plans on how she could train to be better and stronger she hardly noticed the wary looks she got. There others were sat down at the opposite end of the plane with the body of Carter and a still kicking Anderson. The woman's body was wrapped in a dark blanket that barely did anything to mask the damage to her body. Blood coated both the blanket and the floor, making it sticky and smelling of iron and death.

Six only knew because she'd been the one to wrap her up and place her on the plane. She remembered how the body looked, bloody and broken. A mess of flesh, clothing and bone that had been so mangled together it was difficult to tell what was human and what wasn't. The face had been locked in a terrified expression that had only made Six angrier towards the alien that had done it. Although, it had been barely readable, but Six had seen enough to know what the face of fear looked like; even when it was fractured and crimson. The Major's men, as much as they'd wanted to give their comrade some dignity, had been too slow for Six's liking when it came to moving the body. So, without a word, she'd wrapped Carter up and carried her bridal style onto the nearby plane. The feeling of blood and limp flesh did little to make her squeamish and the tang of iron in the air was almost unnoticeable. She'd been as respectful as she could when came to strapping down the body and in a moment of... Something she'd leaned in an apologised to Carter's lifeless form. No one else had heard her quiet words that had been so empty they could hardly be considered existent, and for that Six was glad.

"Six," a voice appeared on her left and she poised herself to attack, only she remembered where she was. Tilting her head towards the voice, her eyes came into contact with the hard ones of Sergeant Evans. His face noticeably softened as he spoke softly, "how're you holding up? Seeing that happen….you've been quiet."

She shook her head a little, not believing that he was asking her –a Spartan- if she was "okay". His eyes narrowed at her at the movement as he knew it wasn't an answer to his question. He opened his mouth to say something, but she beat him to it, extending to him the same tone she'd used with the bike.

"I'm fine." She then added something she thought he wanted to hear, "Carter was a brave woman."

From the look on his face, her words weren't wanted, especially in the tone she used. She sighed inwardly, things like this had never been her strong suit. She was good at determining people's intentions and reading them, but offering comfort? That was something she'd never needed to do, the most comfort she'd ever offered was a bullet to the head of a suffering insurrectionist. Although, she'd been the one to make him suffer when she'd tortured him for information about other cells in the area.

"Doesn't it bother you, at all?" He didn't raise his voice, but he didn't need to a he seethed at her. His hands were clenched at his side and it made her wonder how she'd managed to anger him so quickly. She'd been perfectly respectable when it came to moving Carter's body, just like when she'd pulled Kat's to cover. Inwardly shaking her head, she ignored how similar the situation had been; quick, unexpected and something she could've prevented. The only difference had been that she'd barely known Carter and the range of emotion she felt towards the deaths of her teammates was minimal compared to a normal person. So, how could she possibly feel anything towards a woman she barely knew?

"Yes, just not as much as you want it to." She gave him a simple answer as she stared right at him. Evans' eyes grew harder at her words and she refrained from saying anything, knowing it wouldn't do anything but aggravate him.

"How?" He still managed to keep his voice low as he growled at her, but it wasn't low enough as the others glanced in their direction. They looked concerned and shifted as if they wanted to intervene. However, they didn't and Six hazarded a guess that they were letting Evans get it out his system, or maybe they were all thinking the same. The Major on the other hand looked like he was going to being marching over at any second. He glaze flickered furiously between her and Evans as he tried to determine where the conversation was going.

"She was a part of your team, another Human-being that you were working with," Evans continued, crossing his arms in anger. "How can you care so little?"

Six sent him a level gaze and answered the question with practised ease. It was the truth, through and through and it was something she wholeheartedly believed in, "I'm a soldier. I protect Humanity, nothing more, nothing less."

That seemed to do it for him. The increase of anger on his face was instantaneous, his brows sloped while his lips pursed together hotly and he only added to it by taking a forceful step forwards. He leaned in with narrow rage filled eyes and Six watched as his lips curled up in a sneer as he began to speak.

"You're a soldier?" The words were almost spat at her as he laughed darkly. She frowned in response, but allowed him to continue, after all they were only words. "I don't think you are. Soldiers don't sit there emotionlessly when two of their own are injured or worse. Soldiers give a damn because they have something to fight for; families, loved ones, their country and hell, even a pet. But, 'Humanity'?" He shook his head rapidly, his voice taking on a shaper tone as he continued, "Acting as if you're different to the rest of us, better than us even-"

Six shot up at that comment, her lips unintentionally pulling into their usual sneer as she seethed quietly at him. Her anger directed towards the fact that he was trampling over something he knew nothing about.

"I'm a soldier because I fight for Humanity," she bit out, her eyes narrowing as she remembered her last mission with Noble. "I'd give my life if it meant Humanity would have a shot at surviving. Don't-"

He interrupted her with a few words of his own and she sent him a dark look as he spoke, "You don't get it do you?" He tilted his head, the cross expression still on his face as he exhaled aggressively, "I don't think you ever will. It's like you're a machine and killing's all you've been programmed to do. Even the Decepticon's aren't as bad as you, at least they don't pretend to be something they're not. They let us know that they're killers and that they enjoy it. You? You pretend you're like us, but I saw your face when you were torturing that 'Con. You enjoyed it," His voice rose slightly and she clenched her fists as his tone grew more intense and hostile. "Deep down you're a Decepticon, but instead of having an end point like they do, you just want to keep fighting. Perhaps we should've let them take you, then you'd feel right at home and we'd have the opportunity to put a bul-"

"Evans! That's enough. Leave her be," the Major's roaring voice appeared behind Evans. A hand roughly grabbed at the man's shoulder as the Major tried to pull him away. He sent Six a look that was both an apology and a question to check she was okay. She nodded her head a little as she returned to her seat, rubbing the metallic substance on her chest absentmindedly as she did.

Meanwhile, Evans hesitated for a moment. His face was still filled with anger, but Six could see that it was beginning to wane. He stared at her as he barely opened his mouth to finish his sentence, "-put a bullet through you."

The Major must've heard because his face morphed into anger as he hauled Evans away, berating him and ordering him to cool off. His words were followed by a small argument that Six barely paid attention to, but still caught the word "brig" being fired at Evans. She sighed to herself as tense silence fell over the plane, perhaps she was better off without Nest after all. It was evident that these people didn't understand that something like sentimentality wasn't ideal for a Spartan. Jorge had been proof of that when he'd set off the slip-space bomb instead of her. Besides, getting attached to something wasn't natural to her and even the closeness with Jorge had been –still was- difficult for her to accept. She rubbed at the scar on her face in irritation, why did she have to end up somewhere like this? A place with aliens crawling all over Earth and where the people here thought she wasn't right.

A disheartened breath left her, she wanted to be home. No matter how bad it was there she knew she would always be needed and they would always accept her for what she was. They loved Spartans back home, they were a boost to moral because they could do things a normal soldier couldn't. Missions that had been deemed too suicidal could be completed by a Spartan and the sacrifice was always worth it. Any time they could buy, any victory they achieved against the Covenant gave them hope that eventually the tables would be turned. She snorted silently to herself at that thought, it was likely too late for that, unless the AI she'd been given by Halsey was holding a huge game changer. Her thoughts drifted to what Guardian had said about Flood and something twisted in her gut. Could Humanity get a break this once? Could the information she passed over not lead to the Flood?

"Six?" The concerned voice of the Major brought her out of her tangent of thought. She looked up at him, removing her hand from her scar as she did.

"Sir?" She replied neutrally.

The Major took a seat next to her as he clapped a hand on her shoulder. She glanced at the hand in curiosity and then returned her gaze to his tense face. His eyes studied her for a moment before he smiled reassuringly, "You alright? Evans whaling on you must've been a tough. He can be a bit of a hothead sometimes, I just didn't expect him to go for you."

"I'm fine, Major. It's understandable, things are different here," she paused for a moment at his understanding yet curious look. "Back home it's black and white, aliens and humanity. But here? There's a grey area that I don't know what to do with and it effects a lot. You're people don't realise that I'm not going to cosy up to aliens because I've seen them slaughter people and burn planets to the ground."

"They'll come around," the Major assured her, his faith in his men making her lips quirk a little. "When we give everyone the talk later they'll understand, like I do."

She gave him a dubious look, "Seeing is different to hearing and you're not going to implicate the hinge-head."

"No, I'm not," she sent him a questioning look and he rubbed the side of his face. He frowned a little, as if coming to terms with his own decision and explained calmly, "you might think it's a mistake, but I see it as another chance. Since I've seen him and from what the 'Bots have told me, he looks like he regrets it all. I'm all for taking him out if he's messing with us, but I want to give him a chance."

"It's up to you Major, but from personal experience I can tell you he needs putting down." The strong words were full of conviction and the Major nodded in response. She could tell he was tentative about his decision, but something in him was evidently telling him to trust the hinge-head; a ridiculous idea really.

"We'll see how it goes." His words were firm before he changed the subject, "we're stopping at a base in Florida for medical attention for you and Anderson; should be another two hours. I know you don't think you need it, but you're covered in energon and we don't want it to harm you."

Six nodded in understand, he was right, she was covered in a blue liquid that smelt like electricity. She frowned at the stench before opening her mouth to ask the Major about something else, "Does this base know about your operations?"

He shook his head, "not in detail, no. It's a spec ops base so they know we exist and why, just not in depth. Sergeant White will stay with both you and Anderson while the rest of us attend to Carter and deal with the 'Cons. That reminds me, where's Guardian?" His voice became stern at the question, as if he already knew the orb had run off.

Six sighed in resignation, "he left to gather the remaining materials, my apologies Sir."

He exhaled heavily and waved her apology away, "don't sweat it, there's not much you can do. I just hope he doesn't wreak anything. Anyway," He grinned at Six as his voice turned into one filled with praise. "Good job today, I'm glad to have you join NEST. Just no torturing unless it's necessary, yeah?"

"Aye, Sir," she sent him a small smile in response as he got up and left her to her thoughts. The Major was a good man and Six had noticed how all his men looked up to him. Even the backup they'd received respected him and had appeared to know him. They'd hardly had any contact with her, which she was glad about; after all she wasn't a social person. But, maybe he was too good. He didn't agree with torturing the enemy for information and Six felt that was foolish. They could hold useful information that could help stop things before they started or prevent worse incidents from occurring.

~/~

Roh, Diego Garcia

He'd been writing for most of the day as it was the only thing keeping him sane. Being locked up with the Construct was not an enjoyable experience and Roh would rather be anywhere else. It was the mood swings that had him finding his company irksome. For a while the Construct had been pleasant enough as they had discussed interstellar travel, then he'd suddenly started yelling and growling in his own language. Roh had been curious as to what had set the medic off and had foolishly voiced his question. The Construct had almost exploded as he growled an explanation at Roh, which predictably included the Demon. Roh wasn't surprised as the Demon and the Oracle had both been grating on the medics nerves. Despite that, the circumstances of the event interested him.

The Construct had explained that they'd been attacked by a group of 'Decepticons', two of which had decided to try and take down the Demon. Roh had then been surprised to learn that not only had the Demon survived, but she had managed to take the down and even torture one. The Construct hadn't appeared happy about that, claiming that it was barbaric and was something a Decepticon would resort to. Roh hadn't quite agreed with the medic, but he'd kept his mandibles shut and had let the Construct continue. Most of the rest of the explanation had consisted of the Construct ranting about the Demon was injured again, and how she was 'foolish, irresponsible and glitched' for leaving base while still recovering. Roh hadn't commented much on the incident, he knew the Demon was a formidable enemy and he knew she wouldn't be taken out so easily.

He was about to comment this when the medic stopped his aggressive tinkering on something that had been on his workbench all day. The Construct cursed in his own language and gripped the wrench in his hands tighter. He then nodded to himself and with obvious anger, slammed his tool onto the metal workbench.

"Construct?" Roh inquired instead of saying his original statement.

The Construct turned around quickly, his face taut with anger as steam puffed from his face. His words came out a seething rumble, "There was another attack, one of Lennox's team –a medic - didn't make it. She was killed by Barricade," the name came out a snarl and the Construct reinforced it by slamming a fist on his workbench. "Piece of scrap, a year of hunting for him and then this happens…Primus"

Roh brought his mandibles together in uncertainty. He wasn't sure how to think about the whole situation. It used to be that a death of a Human was a holy achievement as they were ridding the universe of their heresy. But, now it was different. Now he knew the truth and it railed against all he knew. Now, he felt a small whisper of sympathy towards them and it felt…strange. Furrowing his brow in confusion, he tried to come to terms with the feeling, but the Construct had noticed his expression and was questioning him.

"I'm detecting some imbalance with your hormones, but it's not triggering glee," Roh's internal predicament seemed to pique the medic's curiosity, and when he realised Roh wasn't feeling glee at the medic's death, his expression eased a little. "You're upset about the medic's death?"

Roh shook his head, "no. I'm just in a sympathetic mood."

There was a snort that extruded more steamy air, "indeed."

A frown eased onto Roh's face as he remembered that the Demon had also left. She was likely another reason for the medic's sour mood and it made him curious towards what she may have done. No doubt she wouldn't have been happy about a Human perishing in front of her, which would lead to her retaliating.

"What of the Demon?" Roh asked carefully.

The Construct violently snorted out more steam, "she tried to take on Barricade after being injured in a previous engagement. He captured her and almost escaped, but she managed to escape; foolish, suicidal woman."

"Demon's are versatile, Construct. They are not easily eliminated," Roh wasn't sure why he said what he did to the Construct. The words were almost a praise towards the Demon, but he was merely speaking from experience. They had captured the Demon and yet she had managed to take out his team along with two others with only weapons that were to hand. Roh's fist clenched at the thought of his dead comrades. His foolishness had gotten them killed as he should've made sure the Demon was properly restrained. But, then his thought drifted to the Prophets. Had it not been for them and their lies none of them would be there in the first place. The wretched war with the Human's held no purpose, it was no longer the cleansing of the Galaxy that he'd believed it to be, it was now the genocide of a race filled with noble warriors.

"You would know wouldn't you?" The Construct snapped at him and Roh's head shot up. The Construct had its eyes narrowed at him as its usual disapproving face becoming a lot angrier than it already was.

Roh refrained from sighing, he doubted these beings –or the humans- would understand what life was like in the Covenant. They would never understand that it was something that they were trained for and taught about from an early age. They would never understand how manipulative the Prophets could be and how much he regretted mindlessly following their lead. He clenched his jaws as he stared up at the Construct remorsefully.

"You do not understand, you have not met the Proffets," Roh bit out. Despite the earlier pleasant conversation, it appeared that the Construct wasn't easily pacified. Roh could understand that, the situation between him and the Demon was a strange one. By all rights he should have died, it would have simpler that way. Yet, here he was, alive and patched up, awaiting his judgement at the hands of those who's knowledge of the Human-Covenant war merely extended to a video shown to them by a Demon.

The Construct shook his head in disbelief before frowning at Roh, "Are your people not intelligent? Can they not make their own decisions?"

"A decision was made long ago to have a truce with the Proffets, the Writ of Union," Roh explained quietly. He then proceeded to recite some of it, as the part was important to Sangheili in particular.

"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 we began the Covenant," Roh added soberly, before the Construct could say anything. "The Great Journey was our goal, it brought us together after almost a century of war. More races were inducted into the Covenant, and maybe as that happened we grew blind towards what the Proffets really were; manipulative. I am uncertain on how to make you understand, Construct."

The Construct didn't say anything for a few moments. His bright blue eyes stared down at Roh, occasionally rotating and refocusing as they examined him carefully. He huffed and the frown remained in place, even though his voice eased into a lighter tone.

"This was between you and these "Prophets"?" Roh nodded in agreement. "I take it other races were offered something similar in a truce, so why did your leaders attack the Humans. You told us that they were declared heretics, why?"

"I'm uncertain, but I believe it has something to do with the way the Oracle respects the Demon," Roh responded thoughtfully. He wasn't completely sure as to why this would lead to targeting the Humans, but he had a theory that was looking solid.

The medic 'hummed' and nodded in agreement, "yes, although it makes no sense to attack those who are important to your 'Gods'. But, you look like you have a reason, I would like to hear it."

"I may be wrong Construct, but I believe that the news of the Humans relation to the Forerunners would have had the Covenant turn their backs on the Proffets and the Great Journey. The Covenant would likely have collapsed, as there would be nothing more to bring us together." He was merely trying to think back to what he would've thought if he'd been there when they had encountered the Humans. Trying to then extend that over multiple races was a challenge, as each would have their own way of reacting. The fall of the Covenant was a likely outcome and he knew that was something the Prophets would do anything to prevent. The Covenant was what sustained them and he knew they enjoyed being in power; why else would they go so far?

"You've spent a lot of time thinking about this," he commented, his face eased into woeful contemplation and Roh noted that his thoughts must have shifted onto something else. "Perhaps we both need something to occupy us for the time being. It's been a long cycle and as your Doctor I think some fresh air is in order."

Roh couldn't help but smile a little as he agreed with the Construct. Both of them being cooped up in the same room for hours on end was bound to end with the two of them going crazy, especially given the circumstances. Despite what the Construct was offering, Roh knew that he didn't trust him, nor was he completely forgiving towards Roh's origins. But, Roh hoped that eventually the Construct and the others would get used to his past. He knew it wasn't a forgiveable subject and forgiveness wasn't what he wanted. He didn't want to cosy up to the Humans, it was just that it would make –what looked like- his indefinite stay a lot more pleasant. And while staying on Earth for the long run wasn't ideal, it was his only option. Although, that was if the Demon didn't kill him first.

A hand appeared in front of his, pulling him from his thoughts as it gestured to get his attention. The sight of it was something Roh knew would take him a while to get used to, even with all he'd seen as a Field Marshal. Thoughts about his relatively long career surfaced as he carefully stepped onto the Construct outstretched hand. He remembered one of his most prominent discoveries that had set his ascension in motion. The name of the planet he'd been on eluded him, but the discovery was something he could never forget.

He'd been entering his twenty-fifth year of life and had been second in command to a Field Marshal with the name of Coha'Vandamn. It had been an honour to serve with a relation to the Supreme Commander of the Fleet of Particular Justice and the Sangheili had been a brilliant leader. They along with the other three in the small squad had been sent to find a Forerunner site that the Luminary had discovered. The site had been on the outskirts of a major city and has also been underground. Arriving there had not proved difficult as the Humans had been much too distracted with their main force. Although, that had not meant that they did not fight. There had been a few Humans in the area that had been easily dispatched due to Coha's prowess as a tactician. Roh remembered that his group had been curious as to why there were still Humans in the area, but it hadn't been long before that question had been answered.

As they had drawn closer to the site of their prize, more Humans had appeared along with a very well concealed entrance to an underground facility. They'd cut their way through any and all Humans in their way, with Coha at the head of the assault. It didn't take them long and they all knew when they'd reached the Forerunner facility. The bland and formal Human architecture was replaced with the brightness and colour of the Forerunners and at its centre was what they'd been looking for. They weren't completely sure what the device did, but as Roh recalled the design and it's shape he realised something; it looked almost exactly like the item the Demon had found. Roh refrained from letting his internal discovery show and ploughed onwards into the memory, maybe he could determine where the device had gone?

Despite the success of their mission up to that point, it was about to go downhill. They knew something was wrong the instant the two of their squad mates –who were posted at the doorway to the Forerunner part of the facility- had failed to respond to Coha. They remainder of their group grew tense and Roh remembered the way Coha had put the pieces together instantly. Roh remembered the way the older Sangheili had growled and looked at him expectantly as he spoke the one word Roh had always hated. Demon. Coha had snapped into action instantly and had ordered them to draw them further into the facility. As they fell back Roh had been pulled aside by Coha. The grey skinned Sangheili had gently handed him the artefact and his camouflage unit. The explanation had been brief, but Coha had clarified how the Demons would be expecting to kill a team of at least four before they would leave. Roh had remembered his attempt at auguring as he'd tried to push the objects back to Coha; his leader had been having none of it. A quick bark about Roh not looking like the group's leader had ended any debate and Roh had been forced to accept his orders. He remembered internally cursing the Demons and feeling rage towards the fact that they were going to take away the greatest comrade he'd ever had.

"May the Forerunners give you swift and light feet, Zealot." Had been the last thing Coha had said to him before motioning him to get in position. The remainder of the mission was not something that Roh was found of recalling, but he had to, he needed to know where the artefact had gone.

With his camouflage active and Coha and the other remaining member of their squad distracting the Demons Roh had slipped out the facility. He had never forgotten the look of the Demons, their dark armour and orange, emotionless faces were something that his younger mind had been sure to hold onto. Even with Coha's escaping from the facility hadn't been easy and the Warrior in Roh had almost made him turn back. His orders had overridden anything else and he had not wanted Coha's sacrifice to be meaningless. He'd known when the Demons had dispatched Coha when they'd begun running towards his position. Anger at his potential to fail spurred him on and just as he was leaving the facility a communication from a Phantom had made him grin with satisfaction. All thoughts of the Demons had escaped his mind as he'd sprinted towards the awaiting Phantom that Coha must've called in. When one of his feet had hit the purple light of the gravity lift he'd turned to make sure the Demons were not upon him. Unfortunately they had been, but there was little they could do as the Phantom bombarded them and he flashed them a mocking smirk. Inwardly he'd hoped that the Phantom would at least killed one in Coha's name. That hadn't happened as Demon's were more versatile than that, not that it mattered. The Covenant had scored another victory, even if it felt like a defeat to Roh. The loss of Coha had been a hard one, given that he'd known the Sangheili for a long time, even if he hadn't served under him; that memory was for another time.

After reaching the flagship of the invading fleet and giving his report to the Fleet Commander, Roh had been commended for his dedication towards the retrieval of the artefact. The reward for that had consisted of being promoted to the rank of Field Marshal and being given his own squad. Roh focused on the identification of the Fleet Commander and was astonished to find that it had been Luro 'Taralumee. Unsure what this could mean about the current location of the artefact Roh was about to press forward when the Construct interrupted him.

"You're quiet, is something on your mind?" the voice was curious and as Roh looked up at the Construct he debated about telling him the truth. The debate didn't last long as he glanced warily at the large metal fingers that seemed to be closing around with him. The warrior in him almost tensed as he expected them to curl closer around him and squash him at any moment. He eyed them in his peripheral vision with unease as the Construct continued his steady walking pace.

Roh shrugged nonchalantly as he answered, "not particularly, I was….reminiscing about how different everything appears, given what I know now."

The Construct nodded, but didn't comment at they continued down the corridor. A few Humans passed them, their eyes widening slightly when they noticed him. He almost laughed at the strangeness of it all, but managed to keep it in; even when they started waving at him and the Construct. His companion made no comment at the Irony, but Roh heard him make the occasional noise that could've been mistook for a laugh.

Twenty minutes and a numerous amount of waving from Human's later, Roh found himself on a sandy area surrounded by water. The Construct stayed at the edge of the area, mentioning that sand got everywhere and he didn't want to spend the remainder of his day trying to clean it out. Roh couldn't argue with that and enjoyed the feeling of the small warm grains in between his toes. His bruised and aching skin basked in the sun's rays and he allowed himself to reveal in the novelty of it all. The brightness of the landscape had his eyes squinting in a way he hadn't experienced since he was a youngling.

"Pleasant, isn't it?" the Constructs usual factual voice was soft and had a cheerful nature to it. Roh tore his eyes from the reflective sea and looked up at the Construct. He nodded in agreement before he rambled slightly, hoping to avoid any subject that was too sensitive.

"Indeed, it has been a long time since I have enjoyed the heat of a sun. The beauty of space has little compared to the feeling."

"It appears we are in agreement," the Construct admitted. Something appeared to grab his attention as he stared at Roh with excitable interest, "your planet, what's it like?"

Roh was taken aback by the question. It had been a while since he'd thought of his home and lurch of fear ran through him as he found himself unable to recall it. He settled himself with a slow breath as he gently tugged at the appropriate memories. He smiled at a particular one involving one of his brothers and a game he couldn't quite remember the name of.

"Sangheilious is the home of my species. I remember the days being long and hot, especially in the summer. We would always train outside, no matter the season, so we all learned to fight in the heat. It's not as green as here," Roh continued with a thoughtful smile. "The ground is mainly a swirl of reds and oranges that are either flattened out into endless plains, dragged down into valleys or torn up into mountain ranges. A lot of the plains are farmland, so they don't like it when younglings play on them, but that never stopped us. Our keep was near the ocean, so it was almost constantly windy; not that it eased the heat. Night-time was always my favourite time of day, not because of the lack of training, but because it meant I didn't have to see my mother's worrying eyes and I could stare up at the sky and wish to be out there. It was almost always a clear sky and I would always sit with two of my brothers and look past our two moons and at the stars that we would soon travel. We were excited about it, but I never thought about how much I would miss home."

"The Humans have a saying," the Construct replied wistfully. "'You don't know what you've got 'till it's gone', perhaps that is appropriate for your situation."

Roh 'hummed', "The Humans are full of interesting sayings. What about you, Construct? What of your home?"

He didn't receive an answer for a while and Roh wondered if the subject was one he should've steered clear of. After all, he'd seen what the one they called 'Optimus' had shown them and he remembered what the leader had told them about their home. It hadn't looked good, but maybe it hadn't been as bad as it looked? When it came to the Constructs, Roh wasn't sure what to expect.

"Cybertron….it is lost to us," the voice of the Construct was despondent when he finally spoke. Roh could just about make out a myriad of emotions churning within the Construct; guilt, anger and regret. However, he made no attempt to talk as he doubted the Construct was finished.

"The loss of the All Spark has ensured that, leaving our home a lifeless husk of metal," the Construct sighed in frustration as he continued. "This is our home now."

The Construct sounded bitter as he said the words, but Roh could understand. While the Earth was a beautiful looking planet, it couldn't take the place of home. The topic of home had left the atmosphere around them heavy with loss that Roh found even effecting him. He sighed, casting his head down to look at the sea as he held his hand out into the sun. As the rays barely baked at his skin it only served to remind him how much hotter and better Sangheilious was to him. The heat here was weaker, so much so that it barely permeated his thick skin.

Neither he nor the Construct said anything more as they stood in the Earth's bright, hot sun. Its rays probably the only thing that would bring them closer to their own home, which were appearing more and more unreachable.