Back with chapter 8. Sorry about the wait. Should be better off update wise from here on!
Gaming-is-served: glad you enjoyed the last chapter!
Scarease: seems like a solid planXD
LONE RANGER 97: yes. Messed that one up. Auto correct sometimes ruins a sentence and I don't catch it. Downside to writing on my phone I suppose. I'd do a computer but I unfortunately don't have the time to do this on a computer. Maybe in the future. Would be easierXD
Bridgeburn100: Glade you like the plot/story! I too was looking for something like this and gave up and just decided to make itXD
Also last thing... Shout out to dropout-ninja for being the editor of this story. It will greatly improve the quality of the chapters making it a better read for all who partake.
This just might be the riskiest mission he had undergone yet. Sure, he's worked with these humans for years now. Okay, so at first grudgingly but now... he would call them friends. Some of them anyways.
But nope. This time was different. The Covenant was back. If he so much as thinks about voicing his concerns, that's it.
Rtas sighed to himself. "You are sure you spotted humans there?"
"Yes, as well as something... much more threatening", a single Sangheili Minor stood in the room with him.
"This greater threat you speak of, describe it." Rtas strokes his once missing mandibles. It was odd having them back. Like seeing that long lost friend you swore was dead. Maybe not that dramatic but it was still an odd feeling
"They... it ambushed us. Tore through our ranks before most of us realized what was going on. Everything it touched..." he was struggling to find the words for a moment, "...turned into one of them"
Not good: that eliminated any doubt as to what this was. He heard they encountered the flood here on this ring but he was not aware it was as soon as it was happening now.
"Prepare three squads. You are to infiltrate that structure and capture the human leader. Imprison any others you can. If they prove too much an issue, you deal with them. But that Captain comes to me alive. Understood?" Rtas turned back to the data pad and looked over the coordinates.
"And shipmaster, what of the demon?" This may not have been Rtas's ship but he still rated the respect.
"The Demon. You're saying he's there too?" Rtas spun towards the now uneasy Minor.
"My scouts gave word that they saw the demon with the human squad," the Minor snarled at the word demon as if it pained him to mention the Spartan.
"Disregard the last command... actually...", Rtas reasoned with the data pad, "I'm coming with you. Prep the ships; we leave immediately"
"Shipmaster? It is not safe fo-" the Minor was cut off.
"Are you questioning my decision?" Rtas glared at the Minor.
"No Shipmast-"
He cut him off again: "Prepare the ships... now." Rtas pointed towards the door.
The Minor nodded and quickly took his leave. Rtas blankly watched the door as it slid shut.
"You fool... what are you planning?" Rtas spoke under his breath. The Spartan had to have known this was where the break-out took place. Why would he go there?
Rtas angrily threw together his equipment and made way for the hanger.
Grunts and Jackals rushed around the loading bay.
"We will be ready to depart in two, Shipmaster," a Sangheili Ranger informed Rtas.
Departure was a flash for him. It seemed like only seconds ago that he was in his quarters planning for a rendezvous with the Spartan. Those plans were out the window. Rtas was going in half-assed. He had no idea what he was going for. Rescue mission? This Spartan was the last person he'd worry about during a flood invasion.
They were about thirty minutes from the drop zone. The atmosphere in the ship was ghostly silent. The rumors of what took place had spread like wildfire. Most of the troopers going on this op were aware of the pending threat.
"Get ready; we touchdown in three," a raspy voice rang out over the intercom.
"Leave one ship here in case we need a quick exfil if this goes south," Rtas called to the pilot.
"Goes south, Shipmaster?"
Blast these human metaphors.
"If this op is ends in an ambush, we may need to keep a Spirit on standby to pull us out." The doors opened up, queuing the troops to pull out of the ship.
"The ship will remain here," the Ranger moved up with the squad; a handful of half-terrified Grunts and two uneasy Minors.
"The humans last known location was entering the structure located through this forest here," the same Minor Elite from before dropped back from the main force and joined Rtas.
"We shall burn the filth from this holy ring." Rtas growled in the time it took for the Minor to be walking next to him.
"Yes, Shipmaster," the Minor quickly caught up with the frontline of the squad.
"We are nearing the entrance."
The Group quickly set a three-sixty perimeter.
"Ranger, send your squad to secure the secure the elevator. I shall enter alone; do not allow anyone, or anything, in or out until I return." Rtas began for the elevator.
"But... Shipmaster, that is not protocol-" the Ranger protested before he could stop himself.
"And this enemy we may face here is nothing to which we have seen before. I will not have you risk you and your men." Rtas had reached the Platform by now. The Ranger nodded to his men, who hastily set up some defenses.
"Good luck, Shipmaster."
With that, the Ranger joined his men as Rtas disappeared into the structure.
The interior was eerie. The elevator lowered deeper into the complex, reaching a dimly lit room. The elevator screeched to a stop, releasing a bone chilling echo that rang throughout the empty room. The air was thick with rotten flesh and musk.
Rtas took a moment to take in his surrounding and made a move to the one door in the structure. It was possible the humans were still here. It wasn't that long since they got word of their presence.
The natural noises echoing in the building brought Rtas on edge. His mind's imagination drifted to the worst possibilities.
He was not alone, that he was sure of. Something studied him from the shadows. Rtas scanned the rooms over and over again as he moved deeper into the structure.
Footsteps echoed behind him. He turned only to see the empty doorway that he had just walked through. As he turned back to the front, an almost demonic sounding screech nearly ruptured his eardrums. Before he could determine the source, a group of animated corpses jumped from the shadows taking swipes at him as he went for his blade.
One jumped in front of him and began trying to stab him with a broken bone poking out from its wrist. Rtas ignited the energy sword into its chest and tore right. The blade cut through the decaying flesh as if it were butter. The parasite released a gargled screech as it dropped to the ground and Rtas drove the blade into a second combatant.
Three remaining flood fighters flung themselves at the Sangheili; all three only managing to find a burning blade to land on.
Rtas hastily reassessed the room as he pulled his plasma rifle with his off hand. The room seemed clear enough for him to move on. He pushed through to the next area.
The breach was quickly growing out of control. Rtas found himself in a half burning room with corpses stung out across the floor: human and Covenant alike.
Gunfire caught his attention. It was nearby, but he couldn't make out a direction as it echoed throughout the room he was in. Rtas placed his bets on a breached door to his left and quickly made his way towards the commotion. Flood filled the hallway past the doorway. Rtas charged a plasma grenade and threw it into the room, hoping for the best.
The initial detonation eliminated most of the threats. Before the remaining flood could recover, Rtas finished them off with his rifle and pushed to the end of the room. On the other side of the door, Rtas could hear muffled screams of horror followed by gunfire. Definitely human.
Rtas opened the door to see a group of flood converging on a single Marine leaning up against a wall in the center of the room.
"Stay back!" Mendoza screamed in horror as he aimlessly fired toward the enclosing parasites.
This was his chance. He only saw one but it was a start. Rtas entered the room and drove his energy sword through an unsuspecting combatant. Mendoza froze as he watched the onslaught. He had his weapon pointed at the Elite but was too clouded by fear to fire.
As the first parasite fell, Rtas raised his plasma rifle and eliminated two others standing around the Marine.
Mendoza shook his fear and hesitantly switch targets to a flood combatant who emerged from the shadows behind the Elite and fired.
The final parasites perished to the Sangheili's blade, which left the two alone in an awkward silence. Mendoza half aimed at the Elite.
After a few moments the Marine dropped the pistol in defeat and slumped himself back down against the wall, "Just get it over with already. I'd rather die by you than be turned into one of those... things." Mendoza closed his eyes and waited for the end.
"I recommend we stick together if we wish to fight another day, Corporal." Rtas watched intensely as the Marine's eyes shot back open. He was speechless; his lips moved, but no words would come out.
"We do not have much time," Rtas scanned the room as the Marine cautiously stood back up
"It's... it's you isn't it? The one from the ship?" Mendoza questioned in disbelief, almost forgetting the immediate danger they both were in.
"Yes, human. We need to leave now," Rtas commanded as he began for the door. Mendoza hesitated for a moment, looked at the corpses around him, and quickly followed Rtas through the exite.