[b]Part Ten - Insertion[/b] "Sorran! Board the Phantom, lest I order a lance of Unggoy to throw you upon it!" Zharn shouted at the Sangheili Minor, who didn't turn his gaze away from Savara, who he was holding hands with. The Sangheili Ultra sighed, and turned to Ahkrin. "This is truly disgusting. I should kill Convalescence for introducing them to each other." Zharn spat, and was rewarded with a mocking smile from Ahkrin. "Methinks you are envious brother." the Stealth Sangheili replied softly, and Zharn tensed. "I am not envious! I am an Ultra, Ahkrin; I could have any mate which took my fancy. Some Warriors, however, unlike others," at this he shot an icy glance at Sorran, "have restraint." "Of course. I'll go fetch him." Ahkrin chuckled back, hopping off the Phantom, striding towards the love struck couple. "Sorran! Come now, Zharn is getting testy." he barked, and the Sangheili Minor finally broke his stare with Savara. "I must go, my love. I shall return, fear not." Sorran breathed longingly, and now it was Ahkrin's turn to feel sick. He grabbed the younger, smaller Sangheili by the scruff of his neck, and began to pull. "Stay strong my sweet!" Savara cried after Sorran as he was dragged towards the Phantom, and thrown upon it by Ahkrin. Sorran stumbled to his feet, gazing sadly at the [i]Immortal Repentance[/i] dock. "Pilot, close the hatch before his eyes dry up. You can blink, Sorran." Zharn commented dryly, and the door of the Phantom swung shut. Sorran nodded, snapping out of his trance, and took a seat in the troop bay, checking his weapons. The Unggoy and Kig-Yar beside him scooted nervously out of the way of this Sangheili, this Sorran who was so important he was friends with an Ultra. "Disengage us from the cruiser pilot!" Zharn ordered the Sangheili garbed in Flight armour, who was flying the Phantom. The pilot nodded, and the Phantom released it's gravity lock, free-falling through space. The small vessel then engaged it's engines, and Sorran felt himself be moved swiftly away, down towards Eridanus II below. Ahkrin sat down next to Sorran, causing yet more Unggoy and Kig-Yar to shift anxiously. The Stealth Sangheili folded his thick arms, and leaned over to speak with Sorran. "This will be you first major operation?" Ahkrin questioned, and Sorran nodded silently. "Don't worry, Zharn instructed me to look after you. Stick with me, and you'll be fine." "My thanks to you brother." Sorran muttered gratefully. Zharn then came, and sat opposite the two conversing Sangheili. The Unggoy and Kig-Yar jumped up completely, and moved to the other side of the ship. Zharn chuckled. "So. You and Savara." the Ultra stated, and Sorran squirmed. "Yes?" he asked, and Zharn reclined back in the chair, stretching. "You make a good couple. Are you considering her to be your mate?" Zharn replied to Sorran's question. The Sangheili Minor flushed. "I-I haven't really thought--I mean, I shan't have much opportunity to return to her." Sorran stuttered out. "I'm sure she'd wait for you. And whenever you went back, you could impress her with tales of your bravery and escapades." Zharn spoke back, and Sorran realised he was being serious. "I know not if I shall survive this attack Zharn. Or any future ones. How could I commit myself to someone, knowing that one day, they may be left widowed?" Sorran explained, and Zharn nodded understandingly. "It's your choice brother. But yes, for now we shall concentrate on surviving this battle. Have you chosen which weapons you want to use?" Zharn asked of Sorran, who nodded. "Plasma rifle and a needler, as well as the sword at my hip. They should see me through." the Sangheili Minor replied, showing the weapons to the Ultra. Zharn nodded in approval, and then sighed. "I must rally the troops; recite the writ with them." the Ultra spoke, standing up in the Phantom. The myriad of Covenant soldiers fell silent, all eyes on Zharn. "When we joined the Covenant, we took an oath!" he cried. "According to our station! All without exception!" the rest of the Covenant chanted back, including Sorran. "On the blood of our fathers...on the blood of ours sons, we swore to uphold the Covenant!" "Even to our dying breath." the crowd recited back. Sorran grimaced; he hated the way the Prophets had ordered all Sangheili and other military personnel under their command to recite this before every mission. "Those who would break this oath are Heretics... Worthy of neither pity, nor mercy! We shall not hesitate before striking the human infidels with the wrath of our Lords!" Zharn shouted. "We shall grind them into dust! Scrape them as excrement from our boots!" Sorran always found that part a little strange; considering the Sangheili didn't wear boots. The Prophets had obviously overlooked that fact when creating the ritual. "And continue our march to glorious salvation!" Zharn finished, and the clamour in the Phantom began once again as the Covenant soldiers chattered amongst each other. "Very inspiring." said Ahkrin dryly as Zharn sat down once again. The Ultra dug his friend in the side with his elbow, irritated. "Indeed. How long now, pilot?" Zharn inquired of the Sangheili at front. "We are nearly arrived noble one. I am slowing down the Phantom, preparing to land." the pilot called back, and Zharn nodded. "Where are we landing? In the human city?" Sorran asked. "In a way. More specifically, the 'slums' at the edge of the town, it is the area least protected. From there, we shall march into the city, and begin the attack." Zharn replied, loading his Carbine with plasma 'bullets'. "We've landed. Opening hatch now. Good luck Warriors." the Pilot spoke, and the hatch unsealed, revealing grimy shacks, some of which were already burning. Some poorly dressed humans were running around, screaming, being cut down as they did so. Sorran grimaced, and prepared to leave the Phantom. Before he could however, he felt Ahkrin's hand hold him fast. "Wait up Sorran; we go together, and stay away from the main attack force. We shall fight in the manner of the Stealth Sangheili; with grace and striking out of the shadows." Ahkrin told the Sangheili Minor, who nodded. Zharn looked down at the two, smiling. "Try to keep each other alive. May the Gods be with you." the Ultra told them, leaving the Phantom, already barking orders. Eventually, Sorran and Ahkrin, along with the pilot, were the only three remaining in the Phantom. "Pilot, take us high above the clouds. I and Sorran will drop into the main city via Orbital Insertion Pods." Ahkrin ordered the Sangheili commandeering the ship, who hesitated. "Are you sure? They can be dangerous noble operative." the pilot replied uncertainly. Fear gripped Sorran. Dangerous? "Worry not, we shall be fine. Take us up, at once. Sorran, lower yourself into a pod, quickly." Ahkrin indicated the row of five pods embedded in the wall of the Phantom, before sliding into one himself. It looked awfully small. Still, Sorran was not one to disobey a superior, and so he himself delved into the pod, disliking the way he couldn't move. He heard a voice emanate from inside the pod, that of Ahkrin's. "Now Sorran, when these pods are released, they shall fall down to the ground, inside the city. The impact will probably break your shields, but you probably won't die. Just follow my lead, and be courageous." the Stealth Sangheili soothed. It wasn't very soothing. [i]Probably[/i] won't die? Before he could reply though, the pods disengaged, and Sorran was silenced. [Edited on 10.04.2009 12:41 PM PDT]

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Wolverfrog Thanks Chris, I'll release Part Two once I know more people are interested.[/quote] I'm interested, your a great writer.

Love the story so far! Keep up the good work.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I need MORE!!!!!! PS: Love your storys [Edited on 10.03.2009 4:56 PM PDT]

Well this baby is way more cuter than the other two in my opinion. (But if anything is cute, it's my avatar!)

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] LIL Smurf DOGG Your best work by far.[/quote] I think so, but people seem to like the expansive plot of Insurrection, which admittedly is on a far grander scale than this. But I love this story, and Memoirs. Of course, I love Insurrection too. I love all my babies XD

Your best work by far.

Ahhh.. we see our old friend Thel Vadam'ee. Nice part, and what did I tell you? [i]Spartans never die[/i]

I need more!

Is it to much to say I told you so? No one kill's a Spartan that easily. Also :Akerson?!? D:< He is my least favourite character in the entire Haloverse! At least he saved his little brother by sacrificing his life.

Splendid! [i]Superb[/i]! I crave more! I am working on a story which involves the Covenant, too, perhaps you will be interested? It's called the Heretics. Anywho, please, I beg of you, keep it up! [Edited on 09.30.2009 3:25 PM PDT]

"Yes sir, well, not this time. Do you know where the Elites went?" "That's a negative Spartan." "Well, if and when they come back, I'm going to hunt them down, and kill them...sir" the Spartan vowed. "I doubt you'll be able to distinguish them. An Elite is an Elite." Ackerson said, bored already. "Not so sir, I can tell the difference." "We'll see. You'd better go patch yourself up Spartan. Head down to the med bay" "Yes sir, Colonel Ackerson." the Spartan saluted one last time, with the hint of a mocking smile. Ackerson watched the man leave his room calmly, reclining back and taking a drink. He paused mid sip, and then froze. The Spartan had known his name! How? Impossible, no one here knew it. Ackerson would have to follow up on this later. He settled back down, troubled. Did the Spartan also know what his real reasons for being on Eridanus II were? ********************** [i]Immortal Repentance Infirmary[/i] Sorran looked around the room he was in. The aesthetics seemed to be of the Covenant. He sighed in relief. It was a small chamber, thick with the heavy smell of incense and medicine. Hunched in a corner was... "Prophet." Sorran wheezed out, intending to say more, but breaking into a coughing fit. The elderly San 'Shyuum turned around, a smile upon his wizened face. "Ah, you've awoken. Excellent. I was beginning to worry. My name is Convalescence." Sorran nodded weakly, and attempted to rise. Convalescence shuffled towards him and pressed Sorran down gently, despite the Sangheili's resistance. Sorran knew then he must have been as frail as a Huragok youngling, to be physically bested by a Prophet. The Elite looked down, and his eyes widened. "My clothes..." Sorran breathed, feeling the heat rise to his face. Convalescence nodded distractedly. "Yes, we had to remove them. Fear not, I shall have my acolyte fetch you some new attire momentarily. For now, drink this liquid, it shall restore some of your strength." The Prophet passed over a wooden mug, hand made by the look of it, and Sorran gratefully accepted it. He drank, and felt energy rush through his limbs. He gave his thanks to the Prophet, who was ordering his 'acolyte' via a communication array to bring up some clothes for him. "Where am I?" Sorran questioned of the Prophet, who smiled once again. He was very unlike the cold, haughty San 'Shyuum Sorran was used to seeing in the Great Library of High Charity. "Aboard the great vessel [i]Immortal Repentance.[/i]" Convalescence replied softly. The name sounded familiar to Sorran, and he realised that it was the name of the ship Zharn had requested reinforcements from before the outpost was attacked by the humans. They had never arrived. "Have you seen a Major named Zharn, and a Stealth Sangheili named Ahkrin around here, holy one?" Sorran questioned of the Prophet, who nodded. "Yes, they were here a few hours ago. They bid me to inform them once you had awoken, I shall ask an Unggoy to lead you to them soon, they sent me a runner but a short moment ago telling me they were in the armoury. And ah, here is Savara with you clothes." Convalescence noted, and Sorran turned his head towards the door. A young, pretty looking Sangheili female entered the room timidly, carrying a bundle of light garments. She looked around the room, and, noticing Sorran's nudity, flushed, turning away. "I'm sorry great ones, I should have knocked." Savara apologised softly. "Hmm? Ah, yes, think nothing of it my child. If anything, it is my fault, I should have given Sorran here a piece of material to cover himself with." Convalescence replied to the Sangheili aide, who nodded meekly. "Here are your clothes noble warrior." she said, pressing the bundle upon Sorran's chest. He caught her staring, and she gasped, blushing. She turned away, hurrying out the room. The Prophet chuckled. "I believe she was quite taken by you, young warrior. If you wish, I can introduce you properly, perhaps you can go for a meal or a stroll." the San 'Shyuum laughed, and now it was Sorran's turn to blush. He didn't, however, reply. Perhaps he would take up the Prophet's offer. "Could I trouble you for a hand to help me rise?" Sorran asked without thinking, and the Prophet shook his head. "Not unless you wished to have to nurse [i]me[/i] back to health Sangheili. I am not as young as I once would, and supporting your weight would no doubt tear me apart." Convalescence chided, and Sorran nodded, suddenly feeling foolish. He rose out of the makeshift bed himself, with effort, and pulled the soft, civilian clothes over his body. Strangely, he still felt naked without his armour on, which he had grown used to over the past few weeks. "Thank you holy one, for tending to me. Is there anyway I can repay you?" Sorran asked, and the Prophet chuckled. "Nay my son, all I ask is that you continue to do what's right for the Covenant. Now come, I shall see if I can find an Unggoy outside to lead you to your companions."

Here's Part Nine, the story is warming up. Enjoy. [b]Part Nine - Immortal Repentance[/b] [i]Immortal Repentance Infirmary[/i] "My my my, this is indeed a potent poison." spoke the minor Prophet of Convalescence, as he shuffled towards the table upon which Sorran lay. Zharn nodded grimly. "Can it be purged holy one?" Zharn questioned of the Prophet, who's wise brow furrowed. Convalescence was old, even by the standards of the San 'Shyuum, but a lifetime of hurrying around on the battlefield as a medic of the Covenant had kept his body strong. Zharn admired the surgeon's independence, most Prophets used Gravity belts, or chairs at such an age. This one still used his own feet. "Of course it can, it is but a basic human substance, I think the humans call it 'Botulinum'. I was merely commenting upon the fact that the poison was powerful. Help me take off young Sorran's armour Major." Convalescence instructed, and Zharn gingerly assisted the Prophet in stripping Sorran of his cumbersome attire. The poisoned Elite Minor soon lay naked upon the surface of the table. "Do you wish that I should fetch a blanket, so as to cover up Sorran holy one?" Zharn questioned of Convalescence, who shook his head in protest. "No Major, I need to see his full body in order to see which areas have been affected most." the Prophet chastised. "But, what of the dishonour noble one?" Zharn refuted. "There is no dishonour in being healed Zharn. I often find myself wishing that the Sangheili would do away with their sense of honour, it makes my task only harder." Zharn flushed at the elderly Prophet's rebuke, knowing him to be right. "Of course holy one. Even as you say. Do you require my assistance further, or may I part?" "You may leave Zharn, I shall send a runner once Sorran has awoken. May the ancients guide you." the Prophet nodded, turning away from the Elite Major. "And lead us all upon the path." Zharn completed the ritual, marching out through the sliding doors of the infirmary. Ahkrin awaited on the other side, alert. "Well?" the Stealth Sangheili questioned of Zharn, who's shoulders rose. "Convalescence told me to come back later. The poison is not critical, Sorran will live." "'tis indeed good news, in these troubling times. Come, a Kig-Yar messenger came to me but a moment ago. The Zealot requests our presence." Ahkrin replied solemnly, and Zharn's head rose, curious. "The Zealot? Truly? Why bother himself with ones such as us?" "Perhaps he has heard about your triumph over the Demon." Ahkrin mused doubtfully. "Have you told any of the encounter?" Zharn questioned, suspicious. "Well, nay, but perhaps one of the Brutes upon the Phantom overheard us." There was a pause, as Zharn thought about the situation. "Perhaps. We shall soon discover the truth ourselves, let us go Ahkrin. Where is the Zealot?" Ahkrin shrugged, puzzled. "I'm not entirely sure brother; I presume he would be in the officer's living quarters." replied the Stealth Sangheili, and Zharn sighed exasperatingly. "Not entirely sure? Ahkrin, the [i]Immortal Repentance[/i] is colossal. We could spend all week searching for the honoured Zealot." the Major cried out. "I'm sure we can find one of the Honour Guard to lead us to him Zharn, worry not. Let us move, Sorran isn't going anywhere." "By your word, Ahkrin." Eventually, an hour later, the two Sangheili stumbled into the Zealot's quarters, tired. Zharn had been right, it had taken a long time to find the ship master of the [i]Immortal Repentance.[/i] They found the Zealot to be standing by an observation window, deep in thought. Zharn looked at Ahkrin nervously, wondering if they should announce themselves. There was no need. "Major Zharn, Operative Ahkrin. It's good to see you." the Zealot spoke , turning around. Zharn nodded uneasily; he'd never met the Sangheili before in his life. "You beckoned us great one?" Ahkrin asked in a timid tone of voice he usually reserved for the Prophets themselves. "I did. I heard about what happened at the outpost. I'm sorry for your losses, would it that I could have sent reinforcements in time." the Zealot apologised, and Zharn nodded sadly, narrowing his eyes to slits at the same time. The high ranking Sangheili hadn't called them merely to convey condolences. "Thank you, noble one." Zharn replied suspiciously. "But I did not call you here for that. The truth is, the Prophets have commanded this ship to stage an attack upon a human city on 'Eridanus II'. It is a small one, yet it produces many weapons and vehicles the humans need. I would lead the attack myself, but I don't trust anyone to command the [i]Repentance[/i] in my absence, and my Sub Commander is getting a little too defiant. I need to keep an eye upon him." the Zealot told both Zharn and Ahkrin, who nodded. "Of course noble one. But, if I may be so impertinent as to ask, what does this have to do with us?" Ahkrin questioned boldly. "Everything. I heard about how you invaded a human base on your own, to save a fellow warrior. Zharn, I wish you to command the attack, with your friend Ahkrin under you. If the one named Sorran is recovered by then, take him along too. You leave in a week." "But noble Zealot, I am a mere Major, not permitted to command such an operation. As a Stealth Sangheili, Ahkrin may be qualified, but I am not." Zharn protested, and the Zealot smiled, nodding. "Which is why I put your name forward for a promotion to Ultra, and it has been approved. Congratulations are in order Zharn, Sangheili Ultra. Go down to the armoury, and you shall find that I have prepared you a set of new armour, as well as your own Energy blade." Zharn stood there, speechless, his mouth open in shock. He couldn't utter a word, all his life he had dreamed of becoming an Ultra, like his late father. And now, his wish was fulfilled. "You're catching flies Zharn." Ahkrin commented wryly, nudging him. Zharn snapped out of his stupor, and bowed to the Zealot. "Thank you noble one, you have no idea what an honour this is." the now Ultra thanked, stuttering slightly. The Zealot smirked. "Oh, I think I do. Go Zharn, collect that which is your right. And never let it be said that Thel Vadam'ee does not reward those faithful to the path." Ahkrin and Zharn bowed in respect, and left the chamber. "You know what this means, don't you?" Zharn asked of Ahkrin as the two walked past the Honour Guards, exiting the Zealot's rooms. "That you finally achieved your lifelong dream?" Ahkrin guessed, smiling. "Well, yes, but it also means that I'm of a higher rank than you now. I can command you as I will." Zharn told the Stealth Sangheili, who laughed with mirth. "Ah, Zharn, my friend. Try that, and I'm afraid that even our bond shall not stay my blade from entering your throat." ******************* [I]: > 0430 Hours, September 15, 2530 (Military Calendar)/ UNSC Planet Eridanus II/ Delta Base[/i] "The prisoner escaped?!?" "It would seem so Ambassador Errand. The best we can tell, two other Elites infiltrated the base, and escaped with him." "And Spartan 078?" "MIA sir, the Super Intendant class AI has footage of him being thrown off the cliff by one of the Elites. There's no possible way he could have survived." Errand ran a hand across his face, trying to think. What would ONI say when they heard one of their golden boys, one of Halsey's pet freaks, had been killed? It certainly wouldn't do him any favours. Of course, he wasn't an Ambassador. Nor was his name even Errand. That was an alias he was known by throughout non military personnel. The marines and Navy knew him as Colonel Errand. James Ackerson was forever careful to keep his true identity a secret. It wouldn't matter in the future, not if his [i]own[/i] project was approved by Section III. But for now, every single Spartan was a gold mine. Precious and finite. "Damn it. Any idea where the Elites went?" Ackerson growled at the technician, who shook his head. "Negative Ambassador, a Phantom picked them up, and jumped ship through slip space above atmosphere. They could be anywhere." "I guess they won this round then." Ackerson sighed, sitting down. He hated the fact that the Covenant were more advanced than humanity. As he reached for his cold glass of lager on the table, a speaker in the corner blared. "Ambassador Errand sir; I've got someone here you might want to see. It's him sir, the Spartan." a women's voice called, and Ackerson's face brightened considerably. At least Vice Admiral Parangosky wouldn't have his head now. "Show him in. Rogers, you're dismissed." Ackerson ordered, and the technician left his office, a little disappointed. As he left, a huge figure entered. The Spartan looked rough. A huge welt covered the left hand side of his face, and one of his eyes was puffy and black. His armour was covered with dirt, grime, and general tarnish. The super soldier's mouth was bloodied and swollen. One of the Spartan's arms was bent backwards at an unnatural angle. Still, 078 somehow managed to salute at Ackerson. "Sir, Spartan 078 reporting." Ackerson scowled; he hated each and every one of the Spartans. Freaks, the lot of them. Still, he had an alias to keep up, and 'Errand' harboured no resent against the Spartans. So Ackerson forced himself to smile. "Good to see you son. What happened?" Ackerson spoke. "The Elite took me by surprise, collapsed a wall on top of me. I was weakened, and it managed to throw me off the cliff." "That's a change, you Spartans are usually the ones with success." Ackerson commented bitterly, and 078 frowned.

This is a very clear protrayal of the covenant perspective. Very nice Wolverfrog, very nice.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Xd00999 [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Wolverfrog This story shall have no clear antagonist; who is on who's side? And as for the Spartan, well, you know what they say about Spartans.[/quote]Even though there will be no clear antagonist you will probably favor one villain over the others and I think that it will be the Spartan.[/quote] Well, we shall see.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Wolverfrog This story shall have no clear antagonist; who is on who's side? And as for the Spartan, well, you know what they say about Spartans.[/quote]Even though there will be no clear antagonist you will probably favor one villain over the others and I think that it will be the Spartan.

If you enjoyed writing this as much as I did reading it, you must clearly [i]love[/i] writing this.

This story shall have no clear antagonist; who is on who's side? And as for the Spartan, well, you know what they say about Spartans. [Edited on 09.29.2009 2:43 PM PDT]

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] random no337 [i]Spartans never die[/i][/quote]I bet that our Spartan will return later in this story and become the main antagonist. Honestly I really doubt you would kill of him off so easily.

Ha, this story is intrigueing. I've never really thought about the Covenant in any depth (or read the books), it's good to see a story that goes into it. [i]Spartans never die[/i]

Thanks! It's nice to see some people still read this. I enjoy writing it as much as you like reading it.

Had me glued to my seat the whole way through. Intense. Good plot. Nice diologue. I beg for more, plus, I personally find the Covenant to be more intriguing than a story of the Humans. Keep it up, I await to see how the Spartan Zharn killed [i]may[/i] come back. (Hopefully I didn't spoil it for anyone, I'll edit my comment if you don't approve.) 5/5. [Edited on 09.29.2009 5:29 AM PDT]

The Sangheili Major punched the Spartan's visor, and felt it crack. The human elite didn't have energy shields at least. Zharn rained blows upon the Demon, and then drew a plasma grenade from his belt. He activated it, and wedged it firmly between the crack in the Spartan's visor. It exclaimed a human swear word in shock, and, managing to throw Zharn off, detached it's helmet, tossing it away. The grenade exploded, and it was in such close proximity to the Demon that it sent him flying to the ground again. Without his helmet, the Demon seemed a lot less demonic. It was certainly still imposing, with steely grey eyes, and a cold, hard face, but not as intimidating as the figure before. He had short, black hair, no visible beard, and scars hashed across his face. The skin of the Demon was as pale as the snow at their feet. "Those helmets cost a lot of money Elite, that was inconsiderate of you." the Spartan exhaled out, rising to it's knees and throwing a punch towards Zharn, who jumped away. The momentum of the punch caused the human to fall to the ground again, face first. The Elite laughed, he was actually [i]winning[/i] the fight. His elation lasted for but a short time though, for suddenly, he heard the rumble of human vehicles in the distance, along with the shouts of men. They were drawing closer to his position. The Spartan smiled from the floor. "You may have bested me, but you'll die before the hour is up." spoke the Demon, and Zharn knew he was right. In anger, he hoisted the Spartan up with effort, grabbing him by the collar of the shirt he wore beneath his armour. Zharn walked towards the cliff edge, peering down into the icy waters some hundred feet below. "Perhaps, but by the Covenant Demon, you shall die now. Pray to your heathen Gods." Zharn growled, and then he tossed the Spartan into the air. Everything seemed to go slowly, the Demon's eyes widened in shock, and he made a desperate grope for Zharn. The human missed, and slowly tumbled down to the waters below, his screams of frustration penetrating Zharn's ears. There was a splash below, and the Demon sunk under the waters, swept away by the raging current. Zharn stared at his hands in shock, shaking. He had just killed a Demon. An actual, living Demon. Never before had a single Elite accomplished such a feat. This was certain to earn him favour in the Council. The Elite grasped the fractured helmet of the Spartan, which lay on the floor near him, plasma still crackling across it's surface. Of course, there would be no favour to be gained if he died. The human forces were drawing nearer, and they would no doubt shoot Zharn on sight. He couldn't see any viable escape plan. It turned out he wouldn't need one, for at that moment, a familiar noise sailed over the nearby mountain, and descended down to the base. A Phantom! It rained plasma down upon the human forces approaching, and they scattered in fear. The Phantom held fast near Zharn's position, and a gravity beam was lowered. A figure poked it's head out from the circular entrance. "Hurry Elite, it will not be long before the humans rally their Wolverines to destroy this vessel." The Brute urged, and Zharn hesitated for a moment. Brutes? Still, any Covenant was better than no Covenant, and so Zharn ran to the beam, and floated upwards into the Phantom's bay. He felt the mangy paw of the Brute support him, and pulled away in disgust. Curs. Zharn then noticed two other figures in the Phantom, Sangheili. Ahkrin and Sorran! Although the latter seemed to be asleep. He moved towards them, and greeted Ahkrin with a warm embrace. "My thanks for coming back for me brother," Zharn spoke gratefully, and felt the Phantom begin to move into the distance. Zharn then lowered his voice, "but...Brutes?" "They were the only local forces in the area Zharn, and at least they rescued you. Do not be so quick to judge. It is good to see you again." Ahkrin replied. "Is Sorran still I slumber?" Zharn asked in puzzlement, surely the Sangheili Minor would have awoken by now. The Major saw Ahkrin grimace. "Would it that he was. I believe he has been poisoned brother, by the bastard humans. Even as we speak, we are headed towards [i]Immortal Repentance[/i], but a short slip space jump away." the Stealth Sangheili explained, and Zharn nodded. Now that he looked closely, he could see the flecks of spittle and pale skin of Sorran. Undoubtedly poison. "May the ancients watch over him." Zharn prayed, and Ahkrin nodded. Then the Stealth Sangheili noticed what Zharn held in his hand. "Is that the helmet of the Demon brother? Pray tell how you did come across it." Ahkrin questioned, and a spark of pride entered Zharn's eye. "I killed the Demon Ahkrin, threw it off a cliff into the icy currents below. He shall trouble us no further." Zharn boasted, holding the Spartan helmet up for Ahkrin to inspect closely. "That is indeed an astounding feat my friend. You must tell the Council of this, no doubt they shall bestow the highest honour of honours upon your person." Zharn's friend exclaimed, impressed. Zharn was about to reply, when he heard heavy footsteps behind him. The Elite Major turned to see a Brute Chieftain, garbed in the ceremonial power armour of the Brutes. "I wager you are hungry, Sangheili. Perchance you would partake of our food to ease the aching in your belly?" the Chieftain questioned, and Zharn nodded gratefully. "That I would. Thanks unto you...Brute." he said, and the Chieftain grunted, barking an order to his inferior, who made to hastily gather food. Perhaps the Jiralhanae were not so bad after all. Perhaps. "Come Zharn, let us eat together, and pray for Sorran's safe recovery." Ahkrin intoned, and Zharn nodded distantly. It was nice to be safe once again, for however long that may last.

Finally, I got past that awkward writers block! Now I can start writing this in full flow once again. Enjoy this part. Also, I just found out that the title of this chapter is also the name of a Halo 3 soundtrack. Awesome. [b] Part Eight - To kill a Demon[/b] "Ahkrin, take Sorran and flee! I will deal with these beasts, and meet you soon!" Zharn shouted over the deafening sirens. The Stealth Sangheili turned, Sorran slung over his back. "Zharn, take my blade. You shall need it." Ahkrin replied, tossing the hilt of the holy weapon to his friend with his free hand. Zharn thought for a second about protesting, and then realised how ridiculous his argument would seem in light of the circumstances. "Thank you, my dear friend. Now go, quickly!" Zharn cried back, igniting the burning blade. The angelic glow instantly cut through the darkness of the night, and Zharn felt that the Gods themselves were with him. Ahkrin nodded, and fled out of the compound. [i]Gods speed[/i], Zharn thought. He didn't have much time to think though, for at that moment two dogs jumped into the clearing. Dogs. Not to be underestimated; these ones were large indeed. Zharn had read that the humans named them 'German Shepherds.' They were indeed fearsome, and the bane of any Unggoy and Kig-Yar squad. The animals had been trained not to baulk at the sight of a Sangheili, it would seem, as they pressed forward, growling. Zharn backed up, trying to placate the dogs slowly with his hands in a calming manner. It didn't work. The dogs must have been trained to recognise an Alien when it saw one, for at that moment, the first one jumped at Zharn, taking him by surprise. It pounced on his chest, and was surprisingly heavy, knocking the Elite off balance to the ground. The German Shepard bared it's teeth, and made a lunge for Zharn's neck. His shields may have held, but then again, he'd heard some wild stories about Sangheili being slaughtered on the rare occasion that a dog's bite managed to penetrate. Luckily, he would not have to find out if those rumours were true, for as the dog lunged, he managed to bring his arms up, and grab the animal's powerful head. It yelped in surprise, and Zharn felt momentary pity for the creature. Still, it was a danger to him, and so closing his eyes, Zharn crunched his elbows together, smashing the dog's neck. It fell to the ground in a bloody, limp mess. Zharn scrambled to his feet, and growled at the other dog, who instantly fled in fear. The Sangheili gasped for breath, leaning against a brick wall. His respite didn't last long though, for a moment later he heard human voices. "Cowardly mutt, nearly knocked me over." "Stay sharp, whatever attacked the base is probably still around here." "Roger Lieutenant." Zharn pressed his body against the building, staying in the shadows. His camouflage was still faulty, curse Ahkrin's jamming contraptions! He would have to rely upon traditional tactics to evade the humans. Zharn could, of course, kill them, but he was painfully aware his shields were also weakened. The Elite Major breathed shallowly, wishing his armour was darker. Four humans then rounded the corner, gesturing around with their rifles. One indicated for them to hold and search with his right hand. Zharn peered closely at the humans assembled, and nearly fainted there and then. Clad in green, tank like armour was the Demon, a human shotgun in hand. It really was, as the Covenant claimed, the spawn of the devil. Smaller than Zharn, but there was no hope in the Elite's mind he could best it. Could he not? Then came the chilling words of the human Lieutenant. "Spartan, search behind that wall." "Affirmative." replied the Demon coldly. There was no emotion in that voice. Zharn began to hyperventilate, and felt his eyes go wide. He clutched one of his beating hearts as the so called Spartan drew closer to his hiding spot. There was no alternative; he would have to fight. Zharn braced his powerful legs against the brick wall he cowered behind, and soon enough, heard the harsh breaths of the Demon on the other side of the wall. The Elite took a deep breath, and heaved against the seven foot tall wall with all his might. It crumbled, and collapsed. He heard a gasp of pain and surprise from the other side, and leapt over the rubble, drawing out his loaned Energy Sword. As he leapt, he saw the Demon collapsed under the mound of brick and mortar. Thank the Gods, it wasn't moving. By the grace of the ancients, Zharn had managed to knock it unconscious. The other, normal humans had turned around, startled, and terrified of the raging Sangheili about the descend upon them. They tried to run, firing shots of their primitive weapons behind them. "Crap! He's downed the Spartan!" a marine cried, terror on his face. He was the first to be speared by Zharn, the burning blade blistering the heart of the man as it plunged inside the vital organ. How impractical that humans had but one heart. "Please! Don't kill us! I've got a family, I don't want to fight! I was drafted, please! Mercy!" another marine begged after seeing his friend killed, and dropped to his knees. "Traitor! Fight the bastard, maggot!" the human Lieutenant growled at the man, ignoring the Sangheili before him. The Lieutenant, therefore, didn't notice Zharn draw out a needler pistol, and wasn't able to dodge before three crystalline rounds impacted. The man collapsed, all signs of life gone from his eyes. The marine on the ground was still grovelling before the Elite, who looked down thoughtfully. The man seemed to be young, even by human standards. And he had been drafted, like Sorran had been. Zharn felt a twitch in his stomach, and realised he felt sorry for the human. This was ridiculous! Still, a wise warrior did not kill without need, that was the folly of a murderer. "Very well human, I shall let you survive. But deliver your commanders a message, and let them know that any human savage who takes a Sangheili into custody shall be killed. Tell your commander that [i]his[/i] days, are numbered." Zharn instructed, and the marine nodded gratefully. The Elite scowled, and rapped the man on the base of the neck with the back of his hand. The marine collapsed, out cold. Mercy was no useful trait in a war such as this. But occasionally, practicality had to be done away with, to preserve honour, and self respect. The Demon, however, needed to be killed. He was too much of a threat to live; each one could kill legions of Covenant. And so Zharn holstered the needler, and marched towards the pile of shattered brick, under which lay the Demon in his exoskeleton. It's head was the only thing not buried under the wall, and Zharn felt a chill as he beheld the mirrored visor of the Spartan. How many of the Covenant had that golden faceplate seen fall at it's wearers hands? Too many, Zharn wagered. It would end now, with the Sangheili's sword. Suddenly, the helmet of the Demon twitched. Did it? Was it a trick of Zharn's mind? Impossible, the Demon was motionless, there was no way it could still be concious after having a wall collapse upon it at that velocity. Zharn grimaced, and prepared to bring the blade down upon the Spartan's head. Perhaps he would take the severed head as a trophy. Or maybe he'd just take the helmet, they weren't so putrid. Before he could cut an arc though, a hand shot out of the rubble, and grabbed Zharn's wrist, twisting it. "Impossible!" Zharn cried out in fear, trying to pull free of the titan grip. It was of no avail, he was held fast. The rubble shook, and parted as the Demon rose out of the rubble, the embodiment of terror. "Now; I'm pissed off." the Demon spoke angrily, delivering a punch to Zharn's gut. The Elite doubled over in pain, and felt adrenalin rush through him. He hadn't come this far to be bested by some nefarious barbarian. "The same can be said for me Demon." Zharn gasped, and then he charged the Spartan head on, throwing his weight against that of his foe. The Demon seemed surprise, and didn't raise his hands to defend in time. It fell to the ground under Zharn, and gave out a cry of pain as it hit the concrete floor. [Edited on 09.28.2009 6:30 AM PDT]

1 day till odst everyone grab a silenced SMG and prepare to drop

Damn you are good!