Here is chapter 10. That is all.
The Chieftain swung his axe with all the primal fury it could muster. Andreas was only just able to get out the way. Sparks flew from the blades of their weapons as Andreas' sword grazed the axe. It was only then that Andreas noticed that the Brute was not alone. A shackled Grunt sat terrified on the ground beside a purple box. This box seemed to be some sort of portable stove, and the poor Unggoy had just burnt its contents. The Chieftain turned to the Grunt. He kicked the diminutive creature of the hill. Andreas hadn't noticed that the other side was a steep drop. Enraged at the creature's failure, the brute charged at Andreas. It brought the axe over its head, ready to cleave the grey armoured Spartan in two. But the Spartan III was ready. He caught the axe blade between his own swords, stopping the blow in its tracks. But Andreas had under estimated the force of the attack. The Captain of Gamma Company was forced to his knees, but he managed to hold his block. The Brute leaned its head closer to Andreas', never once weakening its force on the Energy swords. It then spoke to him in broken English.
"Just like rest. Weak." It said with a snarl. Andreas replied with his own snarl and forced the Brute off him. Andreas then unleashed a flurry of blows with each blade, never aiming for the same place twice. Unfortunately, every blow was either blocked or Andreas didn't have enough strength in the blow to damage the shields. The Brute then retaliated with a powerful back hand blow. It sent Andreas reeling, and his Mark V helmet bounced down the hill towards Meghan, Zhao and Marcus. Andreas' shields flared as they adapted to the lack of a helmet. With the helmet gone, Andreas had no way to communicate with the others. No way to call for help.
The fight settled into a fairly basic routine. The Brute would swing his axe in massive arcs to try and bisect Andreas. The Spartan would then block all of these and throw his flurry of attacks. The two fighters wouldn't give each other a chance. Only one would walk away. And both of them were determined that it would be the other who did. But Andreas had one advantage. The Brute may have been taller, and stronger, but every wound he suffered drained him. Andreas had no such problem. While the Spartan III augmentation hadn't been as thorough as the Spartan II's, the illegal chemicals used gave Andreas strength. He wasn't unscathed of course. There was a burn mark above his right eye and the axe blade had nicked the under armour on the right hand side of his stomach. Thankfully the wound cauterised instantly, but even then, Andreas wouldn't have felt the pain. Like a wounded animal backed into a corner, Andreas fought as if his life was on the line, which of course it was. All of Gamma Company had this. A chemical that heightened their strength, pain resistance and aggression when threatened. Of course it had it's disadvantages. If he took a fatal wound, he wouldn't feel it until the adrenaline faded away, if he lasted that long. The battle was long over. The other Brutes along with their Jackal allies had quitted the field. The fact that two Vulture Gunships now hovered over the barren plain had a lot to do with it. Andreas knew he had to end the fight quickly, if only to let the battle rage fade. The Brute could gut him and he would barely feel it. As much as he loved the thrill of combat and the sensation of letting his primal side take over, he was still Staff Captain Andreas. Gamma Company still needed him. He would be no use to them dead. He swung both his swords at the Chieftain belly and was rewarded by the beast howling in pain. There was no blood spray. The super heated plasma in the blade ensured that the wound cauterised. But the burning would cause far greater pain than the actually wound. The Chieftain swung his axe, aiming for Andreas' head. Andreas ducked just in time, but he still felt the heat of the blade wash over him. Taking advantage of his duck, Andreas stabbed the Brute in the shoulder. The blade slid in with a sickening sizzle and the smell of burnt flesh. The Brute was tired and making mistakes. Again the Brute swung the axe at his head. Again Andreas ducked. But this time he hacked at the Chieftain's leg. The blade didn't go all the way through, but the beast fell over. As it fell, Andreas brought an armoured knee into its stomach. Andreas pinned the Brute to the ground with his knee. He sheathed the energy sword in his left hand and stowed it on his armour. The other he left hovering over the Chieftain's neck. The Brute was lying face down. Andreas used his free hand to twist the Brute's left arm up its back.
"Had enough flea bag?" Asked the Spartan as he applied more pressure to the arm.
"Never! The Hierarchs will destroy your pitiable race!" Shouted the Brute.
"The Prophets are dead. Thel Vadam killed the Prophet of Truth himself." Said Andreas, reminded of the Battle of Instillation 00. Gamma Company had been left on Earth with the majority of them still recovering in hospital. Andreas among them.
"How naïve Demon. The Forerunners have not left their chosen without a voice the Prophets will burn your kind from the skies!"
"Time to shut up." Said Andreas.
"Indeed. Silence Demon!" The Brute reacted far quicker than Andreas thought possible. He freed his arm some how and twisted around, managing to kick Andreas off of him. Andrea landed about a metre away. The Brute retrieved his axe which had been lost in the fighting and ignited it. Andreas recovered quickly, his own blade still in hand. The Brute was close to the steeper slop of the hill. Andreas launched forward with a primal roar issuing from his throat. He collided with the Chieftain, his energy sword driving deep into the Jiralhanae's stomach. But the momentum sent both of them down the slope.
Meghan fired on a Jackal that was running away from the base of the hill. The golden beam of the focus rifle ended it's life cleanly. She checked the weapons charge and was pleased it was only half drained. With no immediate threats around, Meghan allowed her self a moment to stop and rest. She sat on the ground and removed her helmet. She undid the tight bun she had forced her hair into and took her water canteen from her belt. Marcus and Zhao sat down beside her. Marcus turned his attention to his stolen plasma mortar while Zhao removed his helmet and took a swig from his canteen. They didn't care about the battle anymore, since the battle was over. The Vulture gunships had struck fear into the hearts of the Covenant army. Many fled when they saw the titanic air craft rise into the air. Those that didn't run at the sight of the craft soon did when they unleashed barrage after barrage of missiles into their ranks.
"Should we go and collect Andreas. He hasn't used the comm. in a while." Asked Zhao.
"He'll call us when he gets bored." Said Meghan. Meghan actually wanted nothing more than to run up the hill and make sure he was okay. But Andreas had ordered them to stay put. And besides there was little in the galaxy that could bring Andreas down as long as he had a sword in his hand and a curse on his lips. Meghan felt a soft impact on her back. She grabbed the object and brought it round in front of her. What she now held was enough to make her panic. She quickly tied up her hair and put her helmet back on.
"Break time is over boys." Marcus and Zhao were slow to move until they saw the object that Meghan was holding. It was Andreas' mark V helmet. Together they charged up the hill, going to the aid of their commander and friend.
Andreas felt the wind in his hair as he and the Brute chieftain toppled over the edge of the cliff. Andreas twisted his sword in the Brutes stomach, but the move was unnecessary. The beast was already dead. Andreas deactivated the sword and pushed the corpse away from him. With barely half a second before hitting the ground Andreas brought his knees to his chest and locked his armour, hoping for the best.
Meghan reached the top of the slope and brought her focus rifle to her shoulder. But there were no targets. There were signs of a struggle. But no sign of those who had created those signs. She peered over the steep edge of the hill. What she so made her heart rise. Andreas was alive. He held up thee Brutes Helmet and Energy axe and roared in triumph. The marines in the trenches were cheering for him.