Ahkrin saw the ODST who had been tasked with guarding the prisoners whilst the others posted along the hallway frown, as he saw the ends of several pistols glimmer in the florescent lights embedded in the ceiling, striding forward a little. Ahkrin grabbed the man silently, pressing the carotid arteries in the man's neck firmly. He struggled for a few seconds, before lulling into unconsciousness. After a few more moments, his breathing ground to a halt: dead. Unfortunately, things began to deteriorate then. The man's final breath prompted the ODST posted at the far back to turn around in a remarkable display of attentiveness, and Ahkrin was forced to improvise or be killed. He grabbed the base of the corpse's neck, and hurled the man into the other ODST. To her, it must have seemed like a body had been propelled by some phantom spectre. The resounding crash of the heavy corpse crashing into the lighter female ODST drew the attention of the rest, and Ahkrin finally deactivated his active camouflage, flooding the little power he had to his shields before unsheathing his energy sword. "You're good, I never even suspected you were here," the trooper at the back praised, whilst his squad's rifles were aimed in a deadly position at Ahkrin's lightly shielded torso. A white band snaked across his shoulder, signifying leadership of some sort. "Not good enough to get us all, though. Throw your weapons down. " Ahkrin shrugged, throwing his blade to the ground and hoisting his hands up in the air. The leader nodded. "To kill you now would be too quick. You killed Kyle, as well as Mitch?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Again, Ahkrin shrugged. "Those were my friends, you split-jaw bastard. Another two to add to the list of good men your kind has killed. Well, we're not going to kill you now. That'd be too quick. Do you know what happens when you're spaced?" "For maybe thirty seconds, I'd be aware of what was happening to me. I'd feel my lungs expand due to the lack of external pressure. The water in my body would change to vapour and my eyes and mouth would essentially boil away. The nitrogen in my blood would form bubbles, inducing severe pain. Eventually, my internal organs would rupture. There is no other death quite like it. I have heard this description many times from humans and others such as you. If you haven't noticed, I am still here," Ahkrin replied tartly. [i]I can't believe I'm entrusting my life to Unggoy. Where is Zharn to watch my back when I need him?[/i] The ODST laughed, coldly. "Cute. You can talk smart all you want when you're floating in the vacuum; no one will hear you. Take him." Two of the ODSTs in the squad stepped forward to grab him, and Ahkrin reacted. "Now!" he barked in the Covenant tongue, his voice carrying to the Unggoy even as he dropped to the floor and rolled towards the humans, grabbing the hilt of his sword in an instinctive swipe. Bullets were fired in his direction too slow, missing him save for a few strays which glanced off his shields. The Unggoy retaliated with their own fire, then. Emerald missiles soared past, illuminating the terror and surprise behind the visors for a split second before the molecules in their bodies were ionised, vapourising the man and woman away excruciatingly. Ahkrin drove his sword into the man to his right, grabbing the leg of the other and breaking it. He collapsed to the floor, and was ended in an instant by the sharp crashing-down of Ahkrin's leg. A slight tremour of pain coursed through his body as the still-healing limb impacted against the forgiving metal of the armour. Ahkrin gritted through it, knowing the next few seconds were vital. He reached down to the plasma rifle from his side, bringing it up-- Not quick enough. He didn't need to see it, he knew he had failed as soon as he felt the crushing force of the bullets smash into his shield, which quickly gave way. The rounds smashed into his left arm, sending him sprawling to the ground in an opposite direction to the fushia blood which flew from the wound. A pair of Unggoy attempted to fire back, but the sole surviving ODST, the one with a white band on his shoulder, was far better trained than the grunts and dodged the shots artfully, before taking out each of the armed Unggoy with short, controlled bursts. Others stretched in their gang-chain to pick the pistols up, and were similarly killed, falling ontop of each other in a messy pile. The rest shrank back. Ahkrin moved to fight back, but felt the heavy boot of the ODST crush down on his weak chest. The ODST said nothing as he raised the SMG, aiming it at the Sangheili's head. He began to squeeze the trigger. The rounds missed completely. A hulking blur crashed into the ODST with the might of a raging Sharquoi, hurling him across the hallway. The human's arms flailed, almost comically, letting loose bullets all over the room. Ahkrin found himself sheltered from the soaring rounds by the indistinguishable blur, until finally the noise stopped, met with the final, sharp note of a man's neck cracking. The cover drew away from Ahkrin, standing up and becoming a fully formed figure. "Are you well?" Orpheus asked with concern, reaching down to pick Ahkrin up from the ground. His left arm bled, but nothing was serious. Ahkrin nodded. "Yes. How did you get free?" "Two Unggoy with pistols burnt away my bonds when they realised I was awake and that they lacked the skill to hit the ODST, before being killed themselves. Their sacrifices shall be remembered," the Jiralhanae answered, a solemn expression crossing his face. "That was my fault. I should have been cleaner," Ahkrin cursed, striking at the ground with his foot. Orpheus sighed, staring at the small heap of Unggoy bodies. Most remained alive, but some had died. "There were six of them, Ahkrin. The ODSTs are humanity's elite. You did well against such odds, especially since I see you are looking a little worse for wear. Can you walk?" Ahkrin tested it, and found he could... barely. "Yes," the Sangheili answered, struggling to let the next few words escape from the prison of preconceptions they had been trapped in. "... thank you, for saving me. You risked your life when you could have let me die. Gods know I deserve it, the way I've treated you." "Think nothing of it. You were doing the same for me, after all." "Uh... right," Ahkrin replied. [i]I doubt he'll take kindly to me telling him my only concern was the Unggoy.[/i] Orpheus grinned. "Well, we're free. The mutiny still rages throughout this expansive ship, I believe. Now would be an excellent time to free Zharn and as many of our brethren as we can. Are we in consensus?" "Sure," Ahkrin answered, wincing as he bent down to pick up his plasma rifle. He stole a look at the ODST leader, nodding in respect. The man had been a good soldier, although mutinous. "He should be with Admiral Cole, in the bridge. It's going to be a tough fight." "By the grace of the Forerunners, we shall triumph over adversity. Can I count on you to watch my back as I will watch yours?" Ahkrin studied the knowing expression the Jiralhanae wore. [i]He doesn't miss a trick.[/i] With meaning, Ahkrin stuck out a hand to greet the large paw of Orpheus. "As if you were Sangheili," Ahkrin promised. He turned to the Unggoy. "I am sorry for your fellows who perished. We shall avenge them. Those who aren't injured, grab whatever weapons you can find and follow the Jiralhanae and I. Listen well, and you may live." The Unggoy snapped to obedience, as they always did, scooping up human weapons and the few plasma pistols scattered on the floor. Those who didn't armed themselves with pipes ripped from the walls, torn by the heavy gunfire. Ahkrin stared down the long corridor towards the staircase which would take them up a level, closer to the bridge. The road ahead was long, and even with the mutiny would be arduous. [i]Oh, how I would love a Covenant fleet to arrive now.[/i]