Chapter 4

After several minutes of waiting for evac, a UNSC Pelican drop-ship came into view and someone from the UNSC was finally heard over the SQUADCOM.

"This is Pelican Echo 419. Anyone read me? Any USNC personnel respond. Repeat, any USNC personnel respond."

"Roger, Echo 419," replied Johnson "Fire Team Charlie Alpha here. We read you five by five. That you Foe?"

"Affirmative," said Foe Hammer "Good to hear from ya, Charlie Alpha."

"If you're not busy Foe, we could use some Warthogs," said Will "We think there may be some survivors out there and if we don't get to them soon, the Covenant's gonna have fried marine toast for breakfast."

"Roger that," said Foe Hammer who then deployed about eight or nine Warthogs from the Pelican (Several of them being personnel carriers) "That should cover it. Good luck, Charlie Team. Foe Hammer, out."

Meanwhile, on the Covenant flag ship the Ascendant Justice…

"Major, have you heard any news on the whereabouts of the Sacred Icon?" asked the Supreme Commander

"Negative, Supreme Commander," said the Major Domo Elite "However, we have received reports on multiple sightings of humans who have abandoned their ship on the Sacred Ring."

"Hmmm… that is exactly what I feared. See to it that all of them are destroyed. We cannot allow them to find the Sacred Icon."

"Yes, sir."

The Supreme Commander then turned on the Battlenet-link and contacted another flag ship, the Truth and Reconciliation.

"Commander, how is the interrogation going?" he asked

"Very well sir," said the Commander "But however, some of them are still refusing to talk."

"And the tests that were performed on them?"

"The results are astounding! We have never seen such progress in ages!"

"Excellent, you may continue your research."

"Understood, sir."

As the Marines were loading their supplies on the personnel carriers (just in case some of survivors were wounded), the Chief tapped his fingers on the hood of one of the Warthogs looking out into the horizons. It wasn't that he was impatient (however he was losing patience slowly); it seemed like he was more troubled than agitated. Memories of the Battle of Reach were flashed quickly through his mind one by one.

"Hey," said Cortana "You okay? You seem a bit, I don't know, edgy."

"I'm fine." said the Chief trying to hide his apprehensiveness

"Really," said Cortana "You don't sound fine. Oh, I get it! You're just worried about losing your men again like on Reach aren't you?"

"I really don't want to talk about it."

"Chief, their deaths were not your fault. Nobody saw it coming. We were all taken by surprise. You shouldn't-"

"Will you put a megabyte in it, Cortana? I said I didn't want to talk about it. So shut it."

"Well so-rry. Just trying to cheer you up."

"Hey, Master Chief!" said Evan-49 "We're all packed up and ready to roll on your command, sir."

"Hold it, boy!" said Johnson "I have an important message for these green horns and by God I'm gonna give it to them! All soldiers front and center!"

"Yes sir!" said the marines lining up by the side of a Warthog which Johnson was standing in

"What's he doing?" asked Evan

"It's one of his 'inspirational speeches'," said the Master Chief "He gives them out frequently just to keep the troops in high spirits."

"Alright jarheads, pay attention 'cause I'm only gonna say this once," announced Johnson "Men, we have followed those dumb asses to the middle of nowhere and we've stumbled across something they're so hot for, they're just scramblin' over each other just to smell it. Once again, here is where we show those baby-Kong, squid head bastards that they could not have picked a worse enemy than the human race! Now, I don't care if this ring is God's own personnel anti-son-of-a-bitch machine, a giant hula hoop or a giant, floating engagement ring, we're not gonna let 'em have it! What we are going to let them have is an ass full of lead and a pool of their own blood to drown in while we tear their spines from their skulls and toss them away laughin'! Am I right, marines?!"

"Sir, yes sir!" replied the marines

"Uh-huh, damn right I am," said Johnson "Now move it out! Double time!"

The marines and SPARTANs then saddled up in their Warthogs and drove off eastward hoping to find more survivors. For the first what felt like fifteen minutes all there was, was nothing but endless yards of grassy hills accompanied by pine trees that were scattered about and large canyon walls that were so high that it was as if it was made to keep something in and everything else out. After driving over five miles the humans came across what was probably the most strangest cave they've ever came across. For it wasn't any natural stone cave; it was an obscure cave that was made of pure, hard steel.

"There's something odd about these caves." commented Will-43 as the marines and SPARTANs drove through the cave

"I agree," coincided Cortana "These caves weren't made by natural forces. Someone or something built them."

"But where there's a tunnel, there's always a way out," said the Chief "Keep your eyes peeled."

The steel paved caves were like an impossible maze. Almost everywhere they turned it was a dead end. The humans tried splitting up to see which path would lead them out of the cave but in a matter of minutes they all met back in the same place as if they went around in a circle. It was nothing but a labyrinth of steel.

"I'm picking up strange frequency signals," said Cortana suddenly "They're Covenant channels alright but they seem to be… unencrypted."

"What?" asked Evan-049

"Those bastards." muttered Will

"They don't have a damn clue who they're dealing with!" said Johnson

"Can you detect them?" asked the Chief

"What?" asked Cortana "I'm sorry, but do you want them to find us."

"Correction," said the Chief "I want us to find them. If the Covenant found another way in then that means there's a way out of here after all. Now tell me, can you or can you not detect them?"

"Well," said Cortana "I can try…"

"Good," said the Chief "Everyone, follow me."

With the Master Chief leading the way, Cortana attempted to guide the soldiers through the steel-like labyrinth to the Covenant platoon inside the cave as well. The Chief was driving the Warthog too fast that the other drivers had to slam the pedals to full speed in order to catch up with him. They figured that he was getting a little excited for another battle against the enemy. But that wasn't what was bugging the Chief. Memories of the Battle of Reach flooded his mind so frequently that it just made him both enraged and melancholy.

"Hey, Chief!" said Cortana "You wanna watch your speed there? You could get us killed!"

After making a quick, sharp turn to the right, the soldiers (with the Chief still in the front of the squad) saw the entrance to a strange new hallway… and blocking it was an Elite wielding a large fuel rod cannon. Calmly, the Elite aimed it directly at the Chief's Warthog and then pulled the trigger.

(AN: Just to let you know, if I apologize for not updating so soon. I will try to update as soon as I can so please DO NOT rush me.)