Yo, hopefully last short chapter. There may be some time coming up were I can focus more on the writing.

Glad you all are enjoying the story so far!

LONE RANGER 97: Once in some comic somewhere Chief managed to kick Thel off his own flag ship via escape pod. Though he didn't have much time to get a look at him I think he would know it was him based off personality and voice... what do you think?

Also yes you are correct: USMC say OORAH however we shorten it down to Rah as a regular response. But yes you are very much correct... the short version isn't know too much outside the Corps.

Hope you all enjoy this chapter. Was kind of odd making it. I think I restarted this chapter around 5 times. What do you guys think of it?

Chapter 6: Rtas

Ch6

"Contact front" Fueled by fear, the Marines sprang into action. One pushed up to the right side of Chief while two pushed left. The corridor was pretty small. Not much room to maneuver. One grenade could take all of them out. Save the Spartan and Elite... might injure them.

Before Chief could even think, he pinned the Weapon of the Marine to his right against the wall. Rtas has become one of the few people the Spartan would label as friend. And despite the situation, that's all he could see him as now.

"Stand down" The Spartan spun around and blocked the shot of the other two Marines.

"Sir?" The three Marines hesitates.

"Chief what are..." the Captain stopped mid sentence. His gaze shifted passed the Spartan.

"With all do respect sir, if we.." what caught the attention of the Captain began to dawn on the Chief. He was so focused on stopping the Marines from firing that he didn't take notice that Rtas has yet to commence his own attack. He had the perfect opportunity.

Chief turned his head. Rtas's head was slightly tilted to the left; he stared back into his visor.

The Marines, Captain and Cortana included, were ghost silent. No one moved a muscle.

"You too..." Rtas broke the silence. He spoke softly to himself in English.

The now wide-eyed Marines tensed up.

"You're..." The Spartan was at a lost for words. Rtas got what he was trying to piece together.

"Yes Spartan..." Rtas disengaged his energy sword and spoke to everyone, "You need to go, they will be here soon" the Marines hesitantly looked between each other.

"What the hell" Sgt Johnson drew out. He slowly lowered his weapons sights to the ground in front of the Elite.

"And Spartan..." Rtas looked back at the group of Marines and continued in Sangheili, "... Control room, get there, whatever you have to do"

Chief knew what he meant. He gave Rtas a slight nod and began to walk past before looking back, "we need to move"

The Marines looked between the Elite and Keyes.

"... you heard him, but keep your eye on him" the Captain nodded towards the Elite.

"The Marines kept the weapons oriented towards the Elite. As they passed they tried to some up as much detail off the Sangheili as they could. Few Marines have been this close to a live Elite and lived.

Sgt Johnson made sure all his Marines and the Captain had gotten passed before he began.

"Sgt" Rtas said.

"Elite" Sgt sarcastically said back.

"You are an honorable combatant" Rtas didn't work too much with Johnson back at the beginning of the alliance but he knew of what he has done... will do"

"Finally someone has some sense around here" Johnson's hesitation all but faded away.

"Later squid head" Johnson smirked.

"Later... Spartan" Rtas smirked back.

Johnson stopped dead in his tracks. "What did you just cal-" he was cut off by the Captain.

"Sgt, get your ass over here, we're moving out" Johnson stared at Rtas for a moment longer.

Rtas's mandibles were slightly scrunched up. Was this thing smiling.

"Sgt" the Captain called back for a second time.

"Sir" Sgt turned and made way for the Spirit drop ship.

"Strap yourselves in men, this is going to be bumpy..." the Captain warned.

"...Captain... Hunters!" Cortana broke her own silence.

"I see..." The Captain looked over as two blue blades burned though one of the Hunters torso.

Keyes shot the accelerator forward. The drop ship shot out of the hanger.

"So what you told me was true" Cortana spoke now to Chief.

"What, you didn't believe me the first time? Cortana couldn't tell if he was serious or joking.

"Riiiggghhhtttt... because the whole 'we messed with a panel which sent me back here, six years in the past' thing was a logical explanation... well you have made a dramatic change over a very short period of time. Cortana teased.

"Did I...?" Cortana was trying to piece together her question.

Chief has been trying to keep the thought out of his mind off this subject. He didn't mention what happened to her in his explanation. He remained silent.

"Chief?..." Cortana tried again.

"Cortana I-" Chief began.

"Chief. Mind telling me what the hell happened back there?" Captain Keyes called back from the "bridge" A bit small for that title but it's what they nick named it in the meantime.

All the Marines looked towards the Spartan.

"Well... do you want the short story or the long story... sir?" Chief asked.

"I want the story" Keyes answered.

"..." Chief spent a moment trying to piece it all together. "Six years from now, Rats and I were sent on a op to secure a new possible weapon we could use-" Chief was cut off by the Captain.

"Six years from no- what's are you saying?..." The Captain by now was fully turned towards the Spartan.

"What he is saying, sir, is he's from the future... I was skeptical at first when he told me, but after observing that stunt back there on the ship... there might be some truth behind what he says" Cortana barged into the conversation.

The Marines were shifting gazes between the Captain and the Spartan.

"... Go on." Keyes leaned towards the Chief.

"...we do not know yet what caused the shift in the timeline, until just now I'd thought it only effected me. Rtas appar-"

"Rtas... the Elite?" Keyes glanced at the group of silent Marines who's gaze shot away as he made eye contact.

"Yes sir" Chief said bluntly.

"And you were paired with an Elite?... how?"

"Later this year humanity is pushed to the brink of extinction... Earth is invaded... a majority of our inner colonies collapse... now... on the Sanghili side, Current Supreme Commander of the fleet responsible for Reach and pursuing your vessel is labeled a heretic for losing this ring, also know as Forerunner Instillation zero-four..." Captain Keyes, Cortana, and the Marines were hanging off every word the Spartan was saying by this point "... your daughter pursues a Covenant vessel to another ring where we ultimately kill one of the three Covenant leaders. Elite Honor Guards were replaced Brutes. Somewhere in the mix of the war, a command was given by the remaining leaders to kill the Elites. The Covenant continues their war on us and turns on the Sanghili... despite the hatred that has brewed over the past thirty years humanity and the Elites put the past aside and form the human-Sanghili alliance... in the end we are the victors. Thel Vadam, now Arbiter, kills the final Covenant prophet."

The Captain lightly pinched his lower lip as he thought over all the Spartan said. The Marines stared at the Captain, anxious to see how he was going to react. The room was deadly silent. All that was heard was the low hum of the anti-grav drives of the drop ship.

"I'm assuming you don't have proof of this... claim?" the Captain finally stated.

"No... but sometime back there you heard word of a weapons cache and you were going to lead an assault team to acquire it... it's a trap, what you believe is a weapons cashe is what is known as the Flood"

"Flood?..." Keyes looked towards Sgt. Johnson who ultimately shrugged his shoulders.

"Hmm... only one way to fine out of what you say is true..."

"Sir?"

"While what you say is... convincing... other than that Elite, I have no reason to believe you. We would be betting a lot on just claims. You're coming with me on the scouting mission. If what you say is true then... well, we'll burn that bridge if we get there."

"Cortana, set course for what ever FOB we got, and tell them not to shoot us down as soon as we get there... this does not leave this room, is that understood?" Keyes spoke to everyone now.

"Yes sir" the Marines responded in unison.

Well there it is... still not a hundred percent certain if it's how I wanted it but it was the best out of five. Hope it lived up to expectations. Please leave your thoughts however negative or positive:)

PS: I should be able to make longer chapters here in the near future. They won't remain short for too much longer.