Chapter 5
"You killed one of our own?"
"..."
"Answer me dammit!"
"Enough! Drake. Please continue."
Tz'eal followed behind the human, Drake, letting him have his distance after the ordeal he had just gone through. It was enough for Tz'eal to be able to watch the human, observe his tactics and training being put to use as they continued through this long tunnel which would hopefully prove to be their salvation.
The atmosphere between them was stale and awkward. Whenever Drake stopped to catch his breath he would look up to Tz'eal, open his mouth to say something before shaking his head and turning away. Tz'eal could not help but wonder what was going through the human's mind. He had just killed one of his comrades.
Elites who fall in battle are honoured. They are trained to fight and to die in combat. Being left to die from your wounds, left to suffer, is something not heard of. Granting your opponent a swift death is Honorable. However, as Drake explained, the Humans do not share this form of honour. They heal their wounded. Ensure they can return to the fight if they are able to.
The younger one, Craig. Drake has said he was not going to live. Drake shed tears at the thought of killing one of his own kind. Tz'eal had never known Humans to show such emotions for their fallen comrades.
Mourning a comrade is not something that should be done. Their life has been spent in order to advance their path along the Great Journey. The Great Journey which Drake claims is something the Prophets have used as a means to get the Sangheilli people to do what they want.
The questions Drake posed did make some sense however. If the Gods did want the Sangheilli to ascend by The Great Journey then why are they only contacting the San'Shyuum? Why would the Gods not contact his people directly to prove they were doing the correct thing. Why had the Gods not contacted the Humans in order to include them within their Covenant and, with their help, continue down the Path of The Great Journey?
So many questions Tz'eal had to ask himself. And he would once he and Drake had both gotten to the safety of their own people. Reaching down Tz'eal grasped his Ranger helmet and looked into the visor. His golden amber eyes shining in the tunnel light, reflecting off of the glass. Somehow, looking at himself, he did not recognise the eyes looking back at him. The eyes looking back at him were filled with doubt and confusion. Before they were filled with determination and honour.
With a shake of his head Tz'eal flipped his helmet over and placed it over his muzzle, working the helmet down to the seal on his neck. With a click and a hiss the helmet sealed his suit down as he drew his plasma pistol and followed behind Drake who was looking back.
Nodding Drake waved his hand forward. Ahead of him there was a gentle stream of light flowing down from the top of an upward slope. They had found an exit. Slowly he approached Tz'eal and kneeled down beside him.
"Alright, here we are." He said confidently as he took a deep breath. The stale air of the tunnel was mixed with the scent of the fresh air from the Eposz countryside. Taking another breath Drake wasn't sure if his nose was working correctly. Fresh air. The city was glassed, the entire area should smell of burning and death.
"I will scout ahead and ensure the exit is clear for us both." Tz'eal said as he engaged his active camo. Drake watched the silhouette of Tz'eal slowly make his way up the exit ramp towards the sunlight and eventually disappear from sight.
With the camo engaged Tz'eal considered leaving the human. This was where they went their separate ways. It did not matter if the human was captured or killed. But what the human, what Drake had told him, was in the back of his mind. Stepping out into the morning light Tz'eal looked around the area for any signs of humans or Covenant. There was nothing.
He walked farther out of the runnel and looked back at the city in the distance. Almost all of the large buildings were gone, reduced to rubble or glass. The clouds surrounding the city were black and swirling around where the Carrier was stationed above. The carrier itself had moved on, the Banshees and Seraph fighters vacating the area.
Tz'eal looked back down the ramp leading into the tunnel. Nodding to himself with a sigh he slowly made his way back down.
Drake watched for the silhouette of Tz'eal to return. Hoping that neither forces were waiting, or if anything it was the UNSC waiting outside. If Tz'eal returned with good news they would then go their own ways, hopefully without the Elite shooting him in the back.
Drake heard the soft footfalls of Tz'eal before seeing him. The dust of the tunnel settling down on his form. The blue of his armor slowly fading into view as the camo disengaged.
"We are both safe. It would seem our forces have left the area." Tz'eal explained as he looked over to Drake.
"Alright. We should move out and look to get back with our people as quickly as we can." Drake said while nodding. He picked up his BR55 and slung it over his shoulder. Potentially not needing it while he and Tz'eal go their own ways. He strode passed the Elite, confidently making his way out of the tunnel into the daylight.
His heartbeat spiked for a few moments as he looked around. Expecting Tz'eal to have lied to him, to be walking into an armada of Covenant forces. His fear was misplaced however as he saw the empty fields and green trees before him.
"So I guess this is where we go our separate ways." Drake said solemnly as he turned to face Tz'eal who was looking around at the green countryside.
"It is. I must state that this will never be spoken of again. You do understand of course?" Tz'eal stated as he slowly approached Drake.
"I do. You would be put to death if the Covenant ever found out about this event. My people would probably lock me away and interrogate me before probably putting me back in a cell or putting me to death too." Drake explained as he looked to the clouds. A white Pelican with a red cross on the side flew high overhead. A medevac Pelican moving to pick up survivors and taking them off world. There was hope.
"Perhaps in time our people will be able to work together. I do not know what our future holds." Tz'eal said, suddenly getting philosophical.
"Maybe. I would hope we could. You and I have proven we can work together so perhaps this will be a stepping stone for both of our races." Drake suggested in agreement.
"Know this: I will never forget this meeting Drake Taylor. It...was an honour." Tz'eal said before bowing his head to Drake. With a smile Drake nodded to Tz'eal as he turned away from him and began to walk away, looking to the sky to try and see where the Pelican had flown to as he had a bearing of movement.
He took one final glance over his shoulder to Tz'eal who was standing still, watching Drake leave. Seeing Drake glance back Tz'eal engaged his camo and slowly vanished before turning to find his own men and his way off of this burning planet.
With the encounter completely over Drake turned his attention to his new task: Finding his way the hell off of this planet. He picked up his pace as he began jogging in the direction of the pelican hoping he would be able to reach it in time before it left.
Hours of travel went by as he scanned as many different UNSC radio frequencies he could before he finally got a signal. There were reports of an old UNSC warship, previously decommissioned, which was running evacuation runs. Once he was able to clear up the static in the radio Drake tried his best to make contact.
"Any UNSC personnel on this net. This is Sergeant Drake Taylor or the 19th Fleet. I am seeking immediate medevac from the surface of Reach. Does anyone hear me? Over." He repeated.
Making his way through old fields through the Eposz countryside, long forgotten and abandoned by the people tending to them Drake finally got a response.
"This is Mike Four Seventeen, Sergeant Taylor, do you read me? Over."
"Roger that Mike Four Seventeen. God damn it's good to hear someone's voice again." Drake said with a chuckle as he looked to the sky, hoping to see the Pelican overhead.
"We're currently working on evacuating civilians from the area, most of whom ran from New Alexandria. We've got an old Cruiser beyond Reach who can take us all out of here before the Covies get to her. Where are you?" Mike Four Seventeen replied.
"Currently making my way through some fields in the Eposz countryside. There's not much to go on around me." Drake replied as he looked around. The crops having grown several feet tall basking the area in a dull yellow glow as the sunlight shone down onto it.
There was no response directly on the radio as Drake listened to Mike talk to someone in the background. The hope he was getting off of Reach was slowly fading, if Mike Four Seventeen wasn't able to find him he didn't have much of a chance.
"Taylor, can you identify any distinct crops around you. Is there anything different from the others? Perhaps a different colour?" Mike asked over the radio.
Confused Drake took a quick glance around. Almost everything was the same dull yellow colour minus one small patch which was a vibrant green colour.
"There's a small patch of grass or something to my south. Not sure if that means anything to you?" Drake replied as he began walking to the patch.
"It does in fact. Check to the south-west of the patch, is there a medium sized, silver silo at all?" Mike called back over the radio. Looking to his right Drake spotted the Silo, it was no longer silver as the dirt that had been kicked up from the passing aircraft had made a mess of it but there was a silo nonetheless.
"That's an afirm Mike. Silo to the south-west." Drake replied.
"Roger that, make tracks for that Silo. We'll see you in 5." Mike replied before the frequency went quiet. Smiling Drake made his way over to the silo before he heard the sound of an incoming aircraft. Looking around he spotted the white Pelican from before as it slowly lowered it's landing gear and rear ramp to allow him access inside.
Although it was cramped with several fleeing civilians and wounded military personnel he was safe. For now.
"So where are we evacing to?" Drake called over the radio as the engines flared into life, the Pelican shaking as it took off from the ground and began flying off world.
"The old UNSC Glasgow. She's been taken out of decomm to run evac missions. She's small and quiet but well out of harm's way. We should be home soon." Mike replied over the radio as Drake glanced over to the cockpit. A single thumbs up raised behind the glass as Drake took one of the few vacant seats, rested his head on the back bulkhead and closed his eyes, hoping sleep would come quickly and that he might wake up from this nightmare.