Back with Chapter 2. Glad to see there's some interest in this story. I'll try my best not to disappoint.
New Mission"...Are you alright? Can you move?" The Chief found himself in the crashes lifeboat. No one else was inside the craft except the pilot. She didn't make it.
Chief grabbed his AR and Pistol and exited the craft.
"The others... the impact. There's nothing we can do" Bodies were sprawled across the ground around him. He knelt down near the group of unfortunate Marines and gave a moment of silence. After a few moments he gathered what supplies he could and began assessing the area.
The view was breathtaking. A river flowed off to his left leading to a waterfall. The waters fall seemed to be endless. The land below stretched out and over him. He traced the ring all the way around into a full one-eighty.
"Warning! I've detected multiple Covenant drop ships on approach. I recommend moving into those hills. If we're lucky, the Covenant will believe that everyone board this lifeboat died in the crash." The AI Cortana Chief received from the Captain sounded off from within his helmet.
Without skipping a beat, Chief made his way across a odd metallic bridge and started up the valley.
Within seconds a the drop ship rented the valley and began scorching back towards the UNSC lifeboat. Two Banshees flew in from upstream and joins the drop ship.
Chief used the foliage and rocks as concealment from the gunships and made way upstream.
The Banshees flew past. Chief took post on a large boulder near the top of the valley.
"Can you think of a way to sneak around the patrol up ahead?" Chief peaked around the corner. A group of grunts held down the perimeter with a single Elite.
"Scanning... you could try to use the trees on the left" Chief jumped up and rushed the left flank making way into the trees.
He kept eyes on the group of grunts and Elite. Everything was going smoothly until he heard a small yelp too his left. He spun around and came eye to eye with a grunt. Almost with out thinking he dashed towards the alien and placed him in a head lock and placed his hand over its mouth.
"If you stay quite, I'll let you go. Deal?" Though he could still feel the grunt shaking, he took a chance and released him.
It took all of three seconds for the grunt to lose its composure. It threw its hands up and began to scream in terror as it ran out into the open.
He chased it down and held it hostage against the rest of the patrol.
The grunts gave anxious stared back and forth between each other. The Elite roared and began opening fire on the Spartan.
Chief immediately threw the grunt behind him and engaged the Elite. The Grunt's soon began to firing at him.
The firefight only lasted about ten seconds. The Elite lay heavily injured on the ground. Most of the Grunts were killed save the one he had behind him. That Grunt ran over to the tree line and balled up near the base of one of the trees.
Chief cautiously approached the Elite. It was messed up pretty bad. It's left eye was hit along with four bullet wounds in its abdomen.
"Here, use it or don't, that's up to you" he spoke in Sanghili. The Spartan pulled out the med kit he scavenged off of the drop ship and threw it at the minor Elite.
The Elite face shifted from one of hatred to shock. It stared off at the Chief as he left the scene.
He looked back at the Elite before leaving the valley.
'... does it have to go as it did... no not yet. We still have to establish the resistance on this ring'
He made his way through the valleys exit.
"What was that?" Chief stopped before rounding the corner into the next area. He forgot he had Cortana back.
"Preserve ammo" Chief didn't have a better answer.
"So you gave him a med pack?!" The AI responded.
"We still have Marines out here. I'm sure we can find a better time to do this" The spartan did his best to change subjects.
"Agreed..."
For the next hour the Chief made his way through the local area saving all Marines he could. He put his thoughts of "peaceful" approaches against the Covenant aside. He still had a job to do.
"There's our ride, get aboard and let's get out of here" Cortana tang through his helmet.
The Spartan looked at the Pelican. He took in his surroundings and turned away from the drop ship.
"Not yet... Foehammer, find a place to set up shop. I'll link up with you soon"
"Roger... you don't want to resupply first" Foehammer voiced with concern.
"We'll be fine, just get these men to safety"
"Copy, Echo four-nineteen staying on station. Foehammer out"
With that the Chief began scanning the terrain.
"What has gotten into you. We need to get the Capta-" the AI was cut off by the spartan.
"It's a complicated story. All will be revealed soon enough. Can you trust me?" The Chief stopped scanning and waited for an answer.
Cortana signed "yes. I suppose I can. But you're explanation better be damn good. You been acting... different lately"
The Chief continued his search for a Elite. All the ones he came across were dead.
He moved to the structure in the edge of a cliff. Everything was quiet. The ground was stained with blood from both sides. Chief moved up to the structure and moved in. Half way down the hall he herd a startled grunt from his right.
He sound towards the noise and sighted in on an injured Zealot.
It half held a plasma rifle at him . It's right arm was shot to pieces.
The spartan sighted in on the Sanghili. Half of him wanted to help it while the other half reasoned for the kill.
It rated Zealot armor. Very effective in combat. Alone even injured could turn the tide of a firefight. If he let this thing live it could spell trouble for troops down the road.
"Vermin!... dishonor your kind and kill me where I lay. You already displayed you heresy by siding with the humans" the Sanghili coughed out. Blood sprayed out of his mouth at the sounding of every hard syllable.
The Chief, seeing as how the guy could barely hold out a rifle, holstered his rifle on his back and approached the Elite.
The Sanghili tensed up as he approached. Despite his seeming expressionless face, the Chief has been around them enough to know the look of fear in ones eyes.
Despite their belief in an honorable death in combat they did still value life. Maybe not to the extent as humans but it was there.
The Spartan kneeled next to the Sanghili and stared down at it for a moment. It laid motionless, staring back up to him with hatred.
A closer view revealed the true nature of its injuries. Bullet holes riddled his chest platting. A few of which actually penetrating the skin. His breathing was irregular. Short breathes followed by a long pause falling into deep, choppy inhales.
The Spartan pulled out his last med-kit and opened it up. He took a chance and took his eyes of the enemy soldier. Though he couldn't see it, he could feel the piercing stare on the side of his helmet.
He pulled out chest seal and pressed it on the wound. Blood shot out of the small needle as it lanced into the lung. It worked though. The breathing began to smoothen out. The Elite was frozen as it watched the Spartan.
"This will keep the lung from filling up with blood" He places a bandage on over the patch and look over the patch up.
The Elite mandibles were to the ground. Not only has this... whatever the hell gave him medical attention but it speaks too. Sanghili at any rate...
The Elite stared up in a mixture of hatred and disbelief.
"What. Are. You. Doing... Chief?!" Cortana has had enough. The Spartan offered little to no information of what's going on and now it seems he's helping the Covenant.
"Trying to give humanity and Sanghili a better chance..." Chief packed up the med-kit and attached it to his magnetic utility belt.
"Trying to... what?" Cortana's voice was dominated with confusion.
"I'll explain later" Chief state and switched back to Sanghili... "I saved your life correct... correct me if I'm wrong but that makes you my... space if I'm not mistaken"
Another wave of surprise washed over the Sanghili. Not only did it know his language but it knew his culture. He wasn't entirely correct but he wasn't wrong either. Slave was the wrong word... sort of.
"What are you to give me orders. Your a fool to have let me live..." the Elite snarled at him.
"These are your rules... not mine" The Chief quickly responds.
"How did you lear... what are you saying to him" Cortana sounded slightly on edges
"Not now..." the Chief tried his best to focus on his new task at hand.
The Elite silently cursed his culture. He technically is now in debt to his enemy. He slowly nodded his head and steeled himself for the worse.
Heresy?... Torture?... information?... he tried his best to prepare himself for whatever it was.
"You got a name?" The Chief questioned the Elite.
The Elites only response was a deadly stare back at him.
"Ok look. All I need you to do is capture me and bring to the Truth and Reconciliation"
The Elites jaw dropped. It looked kind off funny each time the Sanghili got surprised.
That was the last thing he expected. The Elite stared blankly at him "...what?" He had to have misheard him.
"You heard me, take me captive and imprison me on the Truth and Reconciliation"
The Elite thought over the Spartans words slowly; making sure he fully understood what was asked of him.
"...as... you wish..." was all the Elite could manage.
Hope you enjoyed. Please leave thoughts in the comments so I know what's good and what needs fixing. C'ya