Whew! Sorry for the delay, but things have been busy on this end! Anyway, here's the next chapter for all my loyal readers! D

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Halo: Combat Evolved or from any of the books.

Chapter Thirty-Four: Loyalty

June 12, 2553 1142 hours

Blade's Bunkhouse

UNSC Reserve Base Camp Hayes

North America

It had been about two months since the Master Chief had been ordered away from Earth on a mission, all because Ackerson had found out how much Laura loved him. Something had dimmed in her over the months, a fact not lost on her family and friends. She refused to tell them anything, though, and constantly hacked into ONI's database in search of information on the Chief. It was through these searches that she found some information which, while not quite what she was looking for, was disturbing nonetheless. No, it can't be! But the information was clear, and there was only one place where she could go for help. Quickly stowing supplies into several duffel bags, she headed out the door, or tried to.

"And just where do you think you're going, missy?" Lorienna's voice floated around the room, cold and sharp, almost as if she could read Laura's mind.

"I need to talk to my students, and then I'm going on a mission."

"Then I'm coming with you," Lorienna stated bluntly. "You'll need my help and you know it. And don't start telling me about it being too dangerous: your going alone is bad enough."

Laura didn't have time to argue, so she moved to the computer terminal and dumped her AI friend into a data chip. Stowing that in a small hip-satchel along with a series of microwave transmitters, she walked out the door and didn't look back.

ONI Building 1202 hours

UNSC Reserve Base Camp Hayes

North America

The Covenant POWs were finally adjusting to life among what they had been led to believe as the human vermin: many of them were actually content among the humans. Several of the Grunts sat in a corner by themselves chattering and practicing the new language they'd learned from Laura, while the Elites stood in another corner watching the door: old habits died harder in them, even though they were treated well. All of a sudden, the POWs perked their heads up at a commotion outside the door. The door opened moments later to reveal their teacher, a fierce look on her face that frightened the Grunts and shocked the Elites and the Prophet; it was a look that they would have expected to see on an Elite or a Brute, but never on a human.

"I need your help," Laura stated bluntly, as was her way when she had something on her mind.

"Why would such a formidable warrior need help?" one of the Elites warbled in surprise.

"My father has been taken, and I am the only one who can save him. I need to know where they will take prisoners, and how I can get there safely."

"If your father is taken, why does your race not go to save him?" the Prophet replied.

"Because they've already given him up for dead," Laura spat in disgust; the others knew her anger wasn't directed at them, but it still worried them a little. If she is this ferocious in anger, one can only wonder what she is like in battle, the Prophet thought.

Realizing she was taking out her anger on her only allies, Laura stopped and forced herself to act calmly. Taking a deep breath she explained, "Even if he is dead, I can at least bring his body back for a decent burial. I owe him that: he never gave up on me, even when everyone else outside of my family did. Just tell me where I need to go." She added in a heartfelt whisper, "Please."

One of the Elites stood up along the back wall; he towered over Laura, but his voice was calmer and more respectful than she'd heard before.

"I will go with you to free your father. Such loyalty as you have shown him should be assisted." Looking at Laura as the Elite said this, the Prophet saw gratitude and hope lighting up in her dark eyes, but they were quickly darkened by a shadow of fear.

"No, you can't. If you leave the base, my superiors will know, and things could get bad." She was interrupted by a tugging on the leg of her blacksuit; Yipin and a few of his fellow Grunts were clustered around her.

"Laura, we help. We come." Yipin chattered excitedly, glad for a chance to help his friend. Laura smiled down at the group of Grunts, and touched Yipin's head gently.

"No, Yipin, it's too dangerous. You'll be killed if you come, and we would be moving too quickly for you to keep up, and I don't want to risk leaving you behind. Stay here, where it's and safe." Yipin almost looked upset at her words, but he knew she was right: they would need to move quickly, far more quickly than any of his kin could move.

The old Prophet was moved by the fact that Laura had won the respect of the Grunts; normally cowardly creatures, these were now volunteering to walk into danger for their 'friend' and actually had to be dissuaded. He was not the only one so moved: the remaining Elites stood up and moved forward as one. The Elite who volunteered first spoke for them all.

"We will go with you. You will need our assistance to free your father." He noticed the worry in her dark eyes and added. "We give our word to not escape." The other Elites nodded assent.

"And the word of an Elite is the word of honor itself," Laura smiled, hope rekindling in her eyes. "I thank you, but the danger is too great."

"It will be greater for you to go alone," The Prophet pointed out from the shadows; it was the first he'd spoken all through that exchange. "I will tell your leaders where they have gone. Go. Free your father. I ask only that I be allowed to meet him on your return."

Laura bowed in gratitude and turned to the door. The Elites followed her and saw the guards she had incapacitated, and their mandibles parted in astonishment; they hadn't realized just how skilled Laura could be, but the unconscious guards were proof enough. She picked up a number of duffel bags outside the door and led them to a docking bay and into a small human dropship. Dropping the duffel bags she'd gathered, she went to the cockpit and launched the ship. Once they cleared the atmosphere, she docked with a small freighter and quickly herded the crew out of the ship and on to the freighter. Having stowed her supplies and sat down in the pilot's seat, she pulled a data chip from her hip-satchel and slid it into the computer console. A voice broke out immediately, one that sounded just like Laura.

"Well, you've really stirred up the hornet's nest now, Laura. I'm picking up a lot of radio chatter, wondering what the hell you're doing with this freighter."

"Just get us out of here, Lorienna. Pick a random vector and we'll plan accordingly."

A few hours later, they were sitting in a system that had been glassed by the Covenant, and Laura was trying to plan her next move. She had plenty of weapons with her: an assault rifle, a pistol, and several captured Covenant weapons she'd recovered from previous missions and 'borrowed' from the ONI weapons labs. Beside them on the table were medical supplies and a holographic generator as well as her now-standard gear: blacksuit, portable shield generator, camouflage generator, and her combat knives. For some reason, her good sais were there as well: some inner voice had told her to bring them. A carved wooden flute was there too, in case she needed to slip a message to her father while posing as an Elite.

"My original plan was to disguise myself as an Elite and pose as one who escaped from Earth, in the hopes of at least learning where my father was. Now it seems I'll have to alter that, because from what you've told me, they'll check my DNA and figure out I'm human real quick." She scowled, trying to think of a way around that, but looked up when one of the Elites managed to catch her eye.

"Let us go and find your father," he said. "We can pose as escaped prisoners far more easily than you. We also know where he will most likely be, and it will be easier for us to pass a message on to him in secret."

"As long as I can be there to help him escape," Laura said quietly, a sad look crossing her face before it set in concentration. "Show me where he'll be on the star charts, and Lorienna will plot a course. Meanwhile, we'll have to figure out how to not get shot out of the sky for being in a human freighter. Let's snap to it, we've got a lot of work to do."

"Aye aye, Captain Obvious," her own voice echoed back, bringing a look of pained annoyance to Laura's face.

While the Elites (assisted by Lorienna) manned various stations on the bridge, Laura sat down and wrote a message on a piece of paper, signing it in a way that only her father would recognize. She rolled it up into a tube and slipped it inside the wooden flute she'd brought with her, leaving a corner just barely visible at the edge of the wood. Her stomach jolted suddenly as the freighter left Slipspace and jumped into hell: a hell of Covenant warships surrounding what looked like a Covenant orbital platform (similar to Cairo Space Station orbiting Earth, only larger and creepier) and preparing to fire plasma torpedoes. Activating the refrigeration unit in her suit, she waited as the Elites replied to a flurry of hails. She sighed in relief when the Covenant powered down their weapons.

"We have been ordered to dock with the High Charity, where we will be escorted to debriefing." She couldn't tell which Elite had spoken, but acknowledged it with a nod.

"Okay, I'll just hole up here. One thing to take care of first, though. Lorienna?"

A resigned sigh echoed around the cabin. "I'm ready, Laura. Just dump me and hide me."

Laura tapped a series of buttons and watched as the terminal spit out Lorienna's data chip, which she immediately took and slipped back into the hip-satchel. She flicked on her camouflage generator and disappeared just as the ship docked with the huge orbital platform, the High Charity.

Estimated June 15, 2553 0631 hours

Unknown System, Covenant City High Charity

Aro 'Benamee clicked his mandibles in relief as he and his fellow Elites left the council chamber. Part of him wondered why he was lying to his own people, but he remembered Laura and all she had done: how she'd defied her own superior to protect a Grunt, how she'd repeatedly petitioned for them to see a little of her planet, how she'd come to win the respect of all of them. It was for the sake of the one who had taught him so much that he was defying the will of the Prophets; she had earned his respect, and his affection to a degree. There was a spirit in her the match of any Elite, and more than enough honor and wisdom to match a Prophet.

'Benamee slowed as he neared the prison area, and remembered the instructions given to him by the council: he was to interrogate the human prisoners and bring whatever knowledge he could glean before the council. At least, he thought, that's what I shall appear to do. In his hand, 'Benamee held the simple wooden tube that Laura had prepared. He stopped and nodded at the cell guards.

"The Council has sent me to interrogate the human filth," he stated, trying to put a sense of distaste in his voice; most Elites felt sickened by being near the humans, as he once had felt. The guards nodded, deactivated the force field, and moved aside; when he had done so 'Benamee entered the cell, his plasma pistol aimed at the humans.

All of the prisoners were weary. 'Benamee realized they were in no real condition to fight, but kept his pistol trained on them anyway. He counted eighteen of the humans, and noticed how all of them kept glancing at a male human in a corner of the room. This human stood up and walked toward 'Benamee, motioning the other prisoners back. He was not overly tall, and looked quite old, but he appeared solid and strong as one in the prime of life. As the human locked eyes with 'Benamee, the Elite swore he saw Laura's dark eyes and intense gaze.

"What are you doing here? Haven't you tortured us enough?" the human thundered, his deep voice surprising the guards and 'Benamee's fellows.

"I am here to interrogate you, not torture you, human," he thundered back, his voice laced with what he hoped sounded like scorn.

"So, you speak English? It'll do you no good. I'll never tell you anything, and you'll have to kill me. None of us will lead you to Earth." 'Benamee regarded the old human with what appeared to be a cold, indifferent look; in reality, he was gazing at the old one with something akin to respect, noting many things he had seen in his human teacher, Laura. This must be her father, he decided. They both have similar mannerisms.

"We do not need Earth's location anymore. I have escaped from Earth, and the one who would have stopped me lies dead." He saw the human's face pale a little and knew his act was succeeding. "A strong warrior, for a human female. If she had been an Elite she would have made a formidable ally. As a human, she now lies with the rest of the dead vermin who stood in our way."

The old human's hands clenched into fists, almost as if he were fighting some form of pain or rage. "You're lying, trying to trick us. It won't work."

'Benamee knew what to do next; opening his hand, he tossed the wooden tube on the floor of the cell, and walked away. He still had his 'report' to make to the council. As he walked off, he heard a cry of rage and grief echoing behind him. So, he really was her father. Now we must wait for the proper time to free him.

Colonel Pete Morisson stared at the simple wooden flute in his hand. He remembered all the hours Laura used to spend carving flutes, panpipes, and other things; it was one of the few times she was truly happy. Now she was dead, killed on the one place they had all thought to be safe from the Covenant; she was probably the only person capable of stopping the prisoners' escape, and ONI had no doubt sent her alone to stop them, all because she was a Spartan. I never should have let ONI take you. Laura, I'm so sorry. He was still thinking this when one of the other prisoners, a young ensign under his command, caught his attention.

"Sir? There's something in here." The Ensign carefully tugged at a scrap of paper protruding from the end of the flute. Colonel Morisson moved the Ensign's hand and pulled out a rolled note. Unrolling it, he whispered to the others:

'The Elite who left this is on our side. He and some of his fellow Elites were POWs, and they've come to help you escape. Trust them: they've sworn on their honor not to betray us. Fear not, they'll get you home.'

The note was not signed in any traditional manner, instead there was a symbol inscribed at the bottom of the sheet of paper: a line with a pair of curves meeting in the middle, causing it to look like a lopsided cactus or an oddly-drawn X. He recognized the symbol, though: it was an elf-rune from one of his daughter's and wife's favorite books. Specifically, this particular rune symbolized the letter L. If the rune wasn't proof enough, the tone of the message pointed to only one possible writer. Laura, he realized. Laura sent them, or she's here too. What in hell was she thinking?

Estimated June 22, 2553 1642 hours

Unknown System, Covenant City High Charity

Laura waited in the cargo bay of the 'captured' freighter, moving periodically from area to area so no one would spot her. She'd been hiding for about a week when her Elite friends showed up. Their leader, whom she finally learned to be called 'Benamee, pretended to speak to his fellows, when Laura caught the agreed-upon code phrase.

"Be ever vigilant and thorough when searching this ship, my brothers. Should we find this human AI that the vermin spoke of in his cell, it may try to trick us to our death. Yet fear not, for your honor will be a light before you, and will illuminate the AI to the path to wisdom."

Laura watched the Elites disperse, in theory to search for an AI, and moved quietly up behind 'Benamee.

"'Benamee, I'm here. My active camouflage is on."

"Laura, it is good to hear your voice. Your father is alive, and we are planning an escape as we speak." 'Benamee moved to a computer terminal as he said this, keeping up the appearance of searching for an AI. "It will be difficult, but I will help you find a way."

"Already taken care of, I think. All we need is an excuse to get him off the ship." She paused a moment. "Is he the only one, 'Benamee?"

"No, there are others. There may still be a way. As you said, all we need is a reason to get them off the ship, and all is well."

"Well, what about a stealth mission? Suggest one of your Elites taking the freighter to explore what's left of human space undetected, and then arrange to transfer the rest of the prisoners elsewhere, perhaps to the front lines where their knowledge of human battles can be of better use."

"Your plan is well considered. It may work, but it will not be easy: I do not know what kind of excuse would serve best." Laura noticed what seemed to be a troubled look on his face.

"I couldn't tell you, really. It was just an idea, but maybe you know how to make it work."

"Perhaps. But I must find an AI to give to the council or all will be lost." 'Benamee was now visibly troubled, until Laura reached into her pocket and pulled out a data chip, which she set down while making it appear to have been ejected from the terminal.

"A false AI, good enough to keep them busy for a while. It's not much more than an echo, really. Something I whipped up while I was waiting." Laura smiled even though she knew her friend could not see it, and from the sound of her voice 'Benamee could tell she was truly pleased.

"Thank you, my friend."

Two days later one of the prisoners had been taken from the cell, and none of the other humans knew for sure what had become of him. Colonel Morisson and the others were worried, and trying to remind themselves that they had allies when a group of Elites stopped in front of their cell, speaking brusquely with the guards. Apparently it was a heated discussion about the prisoners. The Colonel was wondering what was going on when he noticed one of the Elites moving a hand behind its back. The hand began moving in subtle gestures, alien fingers flicking quickly, out of sight of the other Elites. He recognized the hand signals, despite the rough errors from the alien physiology: they belonged to an alphabet used by UNSC military personnel. Rescue in progress, stand by. A terse message, but the prisoners found it reassuring. The cell guards finally relented, and the force field in front of their cell was deactivated. The lead Elite, the one who had passed the message to them through the flute, entered and grabbed the Colonel roughly.

"You will come with us, all of you."

Even if they'd wanted to run, the humans knew better than to try: their lengthy captivity had left them in less than ideal physical shape. Their only choice was to follow the Elites as they were marched to the docking bay. The 'prisoners' were marched though a cargo hatch of what they recognized as a Phantom-class dropship just as an alarm began to blare. The Elites, reacting to the alarm, hurried through the hatch and closed it. One of them sat behind the pilot's chair and flew them out of the High Charity's docking bay. Once they cleared the station, the pilot Elite began heading them toward an asteroid belt at the far edge of the system, but the dropship was being pursued by Seraph fighters; the Elite sent the dropship spinning into a barrel roll, dodging plasma bolts as they continued towards the belt. All of a sudden, the pursuit broke off and returned to the High Charity, and the pilot continued moving towards the asteroid belt.

'Benamee was puzzled by the Seraph fighters' departure, and looked at the Elite next to him. The image flickered for a moment, then faded into the figure of a human female. She continued to study readouts and kept them on course for the asteroid belt, and the freighter which had been 'sent' on an infiltration mission two days earlier.

"Why did they turn away? We were no match for them," 'Benamee warbled in confusion.

"The false AI I gave you earlier contained a computer virus, primitive and barbaric by today's standards, but effective nonetheless. It's disabled everything except life support, ship-to-ship communications, and navigation to a degree: they'll still be alive onboard the ships, but they can't navigate except for the fighters to return to the docks. I've tried to ensure that no other Covenant were harmed; I owed you that much at least. Besides, I'm tired of killing. I'm tired of this war, 'Benamee." A worn, saddened look crossed her human features, one that took 'Benamee by surprise: he had never seen her look so…defeated.

"I do not understand. Is there not glory in battle?"

"For others, maybe, but not for me. I was never given a choice, and I have been used as a weapon for so long that I want nothing more than to avoid the battlefield. War for me is nothing more than butchery now. All I want is a chance for peace, a chance to escape all the killing. If I could get out of the military, I would." She returned to her readouts as they approached the freighter, leaving 'Benamee to ponder her words.

The freighter was hidden in the shadows of a large asteroid. As Laura maneuvered the dropship closer, the other ship's cargo bay doors opened and she piloted the dropship in with expert skill. Turning on her hologram again as the freighter's cargo bay pressurized, she transformed into an Elite once more.

"Time to get out of here, before we're caught."

June 27, 2553 2301 hours

UNSC Reserve Base Camp Hayes

North America

Fifteen hours later, the freighter returned to Earth space, and the captured Covenant dropship docked on the planet. Once the ship had landed, the doors opened and the prisoners filed out to be greeted by their families: Laura had arranged for a complete passenger list to be sent to High Command, asking that the families be notified. Using her holographic projector to disguise herself as a Naval rating, she slipped out with the rest of the prisoners and faded into the background as she had been so well trained to do.

Colonel Morisson had just stepped out of the ship when his twin grandchildren, Alex and Katrina, attacked him, screaming "Grandpa! Grandpa!" for all to hear. They were followed by his two sons, his daughter-in-law and his wife, all teary-eyed and smiling. Each enthusiastic greeting brought renewed tears to the old man's eyes as his family welcomed him home. One person was missing, though, one he'd been hoping to see.

"Oh, Pete, you're alive! We've been so worried!" his wife, Dr. Frances Gedeon cried as she threw her arms around him, her own tears leaving a damp patch on his tattered uniform; for a moment, he forgot about Laura and all the rest as he and his wife wept in each others' arms.

"I missed you too, Frances. I missed everyone." Wiping his eyes and looking around at his family surrounding him, he again noticed his daughter's absence. "Where's Laura?"

They grew noticeably confused. "She went after you," Matt said in surprise.

At that moment, everything fell into place: the message in the flute, the hand signals, the skillful yet human piloting of the dropship and the freighter. Colonel Morisson broke away from his family and sprinted swiftly into the cockpit of the dropship that had brought them home. Seeing what had been left on the pilot's seat for him to find brought a strangled cry of anguish from his throat.

'Benamee had left the dropship and was watching the Grunts who, disappointed at having been left behind, were now pressing his brothers for details on the mission and Laura's father. Having turned away to view the human reunions, he was watching when Laura's father broke away from his family and sprinted into the dropship, faster than he'd expected from a weary human. He heard the cry, and moments later saw the human move slowly out of the dropship, holding something in his hands. Edging closer, 'Benamee saw him holding a pair of unusual knives: curved points on either side of a long slender blade. The handles were set with blue stones that winked and sparkled innocently in the sun. Beautiful, yet no doubt deadly, he thought. The human saw him looking at the knives and began to speak.

"I gave these to my daughter when she was still young. How did they wind up here? And where is my daughter?"

"I know not, but I know she lives. She returned with us, but that is all I know." 'Benamee paused and spoke again.

"She refused to accept that you were dead, and went to rescue you; she would have gone alone, but we refused to let her: the dangers were too great. She is the soul of honor and loyalty." Seeing his cell guards, the Elite walked away, leaving the Colonel in stunned silence.

Laura stayed in her holographic disguise until she was sure no one else was nearby, and once she was sure she switched it off. She continued on to her quarters, unlocked the door, and stopped short when she saw Ackerson waiting for her, a look on his face that meant no good.

"Well, well, well, we have caused some trouble, haven't we?"

Groaning inwardly, Laura prepared for the inevitable.