A/N Remember to review on your way out!
Are you Hungry?
Click.
That sound is familiar, the Elite thought. I heard it countless of times… in that hole I found or did I fall in? There were projectiles I'm sure of it. Primitive bits of metal that flew in the air and… my face. I think… I got hit.
After awhile, the Elite child's head cleared a bit more. She really was wondering where she was now. Crawling up to a kneeling position, she nearly threw up as her head gave an awful jerk. "Uuurgk," she groaned before wondering why she was making such a weak and pathetic sound. If I am ever to find my Father again, I must be strong.
Will was on edge. The Elite was in a kneeling position and had just let out this horrific bark. It sounded quite angry. It wasn't that Johnston was scared of the kid. He was after all separated from it between steel bars designed to hold back a full grown Elite. However… he really was regretting his small act of charity. If the Elite did not cooperate, feeding it and taking care of it would be really hard.
It was a few moments before the Elite noticed the human. "A Human?" she said out loud. Perhaps in all her carelessness, she had let herself be captured.
It took about a second before Johnston's translator managed to interpret the simple words the Elite had spoken. A Human. It was not a normal thing for any Elite to say. Normally, they might have started cursing them and asking to be murdered than suffer the indignity of being stuck in a Human cell. The voice had sounded confused as if the Elite had never seen a Human close hand before.
"Kill me or release me. I have other business to attend to than waste away in your pathetic excuse for a cell. This is a primitive concrete cube. Even our toys are centuries ahead of this dump."
Ah, perhaps the Elite was not as docile towards Humansas he had thought. It took about ten seconds before his translator wheezed out an adequate interpretation of the Elite's dialogue that did not include topics not suitable for people under the age of eighteen. Damned literal translations… Clearly his translator needed new batteries. Elites never did use extraordinary foul words. Even this Elite kid spoke a lot more formally than half the marines stationed at base; he could tell that even through his crappy translation device.
"Look kid, you're injured. You're malnourished. If I let you out now, you won't survive ten seconds. Frankly, I don't give a sh-," Will paused for a bit before reconsidering his words. He murmured, "It's just a kid, just a kid." Under his breath to calm down before continuing, "It isn't really important that this cell is not exactly a five-star hotel, if you know what that means. We did not have comfort in mind when we built it. It was built to make you miserable but this is the only place you'll be safe from the others."
He stared at the Elite after his monologue. The Elite stared back. Johnston sighed, "Look, can you even understand what I'm saying?"
Clicking her mandibles until a sharp pain stopped her from doing so, the Elite replied annoyed, "My translation software is superior to your inferior garbage." Elite translation technology was after all implanted in her brain. "And, what did you mean by 'it'? I might be a child now but I certainly am not an 'it'." Ugh… Not only is this Human as brainless as the cannon fodder, but my mouth really hurts… That blood on the ground… is it all mine?
Touchy, Johnston thought. But a lot more civil than other members of the Covenant; it does bother talking about other matters that do not have to do with 'Skinning your very flesh of your bones should I not be released'. It made a nice change. Well, a change anyway, not exactly a nice one.
"Fine, whatever. You're not an 'it'. You still have to eat something to stay alive. So, what do you Elites eat?"
"It's awake?" Lucy entered the brig.
"I am not an 'it' filthy Human scum."
"Charming personality for such a lovely kid," Lucy said turning to Johnston.
"Ah… the Elite just prefers to be referred to as 'he'"
"I am female," the Elite now interrupted the conversation.
An uncomfortable silence dropped among them. To both Will and Lucy, the Elite looked nothing like a female especially with the muscles that rippled across its arms.
"Definitely a stowaway," Lucy said just to fill in the silence.
The Elite was restless, pacing around the cell now.
"Let me out."
These humans were obviously going to try find out information about the Covenant. Information that only a member knew.
"Torture me you may, but no words will escape this mouth."
The humans exchanged a glance. Though the Elite thought it was disbelief that their torture methods would not work on her, the truth was that the translation technology was malfunctioning; again. Then, the Elite noticed SMGs hanging loosely hanging from their belts and shut up.
"What's going on around here?" A newcomer arrived in the brig.
"Sergeant!" Will breathlessly gasped. "I… I… Hi."
"You can save your greetings to the Covenant when I shove your sorry ass up there at the front line. Since when did we hold a babysitting service?"
"I… I…"
"It's an Elite this smart Alec brought back." Blogg had walked behind them silently. "Sergeant, suggest that we torture the scum for information, then kill it."
"Since when did we torture sentient beings? It's only a child for God's sake!" Will screamed.
"God? It's because of their God that the Covenant is knocking at our doorstep!"
"For your impudence, I am neither 'scum', nor child. I will not be referred to an 'it'. I am, indeed, female and I will not be referred to with such derogatory terms."
This translation took a full five seconds with largely noticeable errors. The sergeant sighed.
"Somme, please activate external translations." Somme was the base's AI.
"Activated, Sergeant."
Translations would now be a lot faster especially with Somme managing the interpretation itself. If the damned Elite didn't speak with such flowery terms, translation time would have been cut down by at least half.
"Okay then, Elite," the Sergeant began. "You are a child. Let us just get that fact over with. You are clearly underdeveloped in height and body wise so just accept that. Now, will you be answering a few questions we have?"
"No," she growled.
"Right, first question," he said ignoring the annoyed growls coming from the Elite. "Are you hungry?"
"What?! Have you lost your freaking mind? Feed the squid-face?" Blogg screamed in protest, fury distorting his features.
"I won't take any food from you. Filthy scum, you should be fitted to your rightful place—in the fiery wrath of the Prophets."
Blogg reached for his gun—a shotgun. Rushing forward, he slammed the weapon in the Elite's already bleeding mandibles. To the child's credit, she made no sound as a piece of mandible bone tore through her mouth. James Blogg was about to pull the trigger when Lucy pulled him back.
"Out, Private!" the Sergeant roared as Lucy punched Blogg in the gut and took his arm forcibly and brought him out. The Elite glared as he left.
"Let me out," the Elite continued.
The Sergeant sighed. "Look, split-lip. First, we are not going to let you out. Secondly, are you hungry?"
An eternity passed. Both Human and Elite stared at each other. Finally, the Elite gave a barely perceptible nod. "Perhaps."
"Get the MREs Johnston."
"Yes, sir," Johnston, relieved that the Sergeant did not react as badly as he had first thought, promptly left. Though perhaps after the MREs, it'll probably wished it were tortured.
As the Elite saw the Human leave and the other one settle down on the primitive crates, she finally slid down the wall, silently groaning. Her mouth really hurt. Her vision became blurred around the edges and she saw the human leap up as she slammed against the ground. Purple flecks of blood splattered the walls.
"Esq, your Father… he is not coming back this time," Her Mother said softly.
"He promised he would!"
"You know he is busy fighting far away in space. You are very lucky he even visits us at all. Most of our Warriors do not even return back to Sanghelios and it is extremely unusual for someone with his status to visit his child at all."
I understood what my mother was saying. It was incredibly difficult for my Father to return. Him being an aristocrat made it even harder; highly skilled in battle so the Covenant had great need of his talents. Of course he was not my Mother's mate. Aristocrats were forbidden to marry though they could breed with any female they please, paired or not. That was so the 'swordsman' genes would get passed down. It was unfortunate that I was not male and so disallowed to truly prove myself in battle even in the art of the plasma sword. Females were not allowed to wield them. Yet he was always there for me and even gave me lessons… I need to find my Father. Wherever he is.
I miss him.
A/N Sorry for this chapter. I know it is just a filler… Not really worth reading so I added a bit of the Elite's past. Please review anyway!