- Wolverfrog
- |
- Fabled Legendary Member
Pay attention to Ras, he's more important than you think. Enjoy this, perhaps it will sate your ODST hunger. Perhaps.
Part 37 - Ras Mai'ee
I reached the top of the ladder, and lifted up the steel hatch above slightly, just enough so I could peer through to the surface. What I saw nearly caused me to fall in shock.
Scores and scores of Covenant. And not just mere Grunts, and Jackals, but Elites too, as well as the huge creatures, which I now knew were named Hunters, which had caused the death of Det. Two of the Elites, garbed in golden, splendid armour, barked orders.
"Spread out. We must pillage this temple for holy relics and information." the first golden Elite cried, and the crowd of Covenant obeyed, spreading out in different directions, down through corridors and up stairs. I could faintly hear Grunts complaining. They vanished, and all that remained in the foyer of the commerce centre was the golden Elite, sneering.
Holy temple? I looked at the cracked walls, ash covering the floor. It certainly didn't look holy to me. I slowly shut the hatch, and dropped back down into the tunnel below, where my squad awaited me.
"Well?" Blade demanded, cocking his head.
"We've got a lot of Covenant up there sir, but they've gone to search the place for information." I reported, stretching my arms. Holding onto the rungs of the ladder for so long had been rather painful.
"How many are up there now?" Rook asked, excitedly.
"Just the one. But he looks tough, he was commanding everyone else, he's got golden armour, and a sword." I replied, cautionary.
"Just him?" Blade asked, wanting to confirm what I said. I nodded slowly, "I'll be right back, stay sharp."
Blade clambered up the ladder leading to the meta hatch, and opened it. A moment later, he lunged, grasped something, and fell down.
"Got ya' you bastard!" he cried, and I realised with horror what he was grappling with on the floor. Blade had pulled the Elite through into the tunnel below. The ODST Staff Sergeant was on top of the golden Covenant officer, reigning down punch after punch. Ever blow was deflected by energy shields. The Elite roared, and threw Blade off. It stood and faced us angrily. I looked at my squad and nodded, thinking along the same crazy lines as them.
The five of us, me, Rook, Switch, Mains and Blade charged the Elite, and slammed it against the brick wall. It cried in pain, lifting it's head up.
"Pin it's arms!" Switch shouted over the chaos, but before I could lunge for the Elite's left, powerful biceps, it had already reached down to it's belt and ignited a weapon. It looked like an energy sword, but smaller. More of a dagger.
"Oh crap!" I screamed as it swiped at me, jumping back just in time. It kept moving forward with the dagger, causing me to nearly fall over. It swept the rest of my squad out of it's way with it's now free arm, pursuing me with a dogged intent.
The burning knife sailed towards my neck, and I wasted no time. I spun, somehow grabbed the thing's arm, and managed to hold it's arm in place. The Elite roared, and kicked me off, where I landed in a corner, dazed.
It loomed over me, about to finish me off. I drew out my SOCOM, shooting it. The golden warrior merely shrugged the shots off, and continued towards me. The Elite drove down with the dagger, and I rolled out of the way. Not fast enough though, for the blade embedded in my leg, and I screamed in pain.
Suddenly, a huge bolt of green plasma sailed towards the Elite, and impacted, taking down it's energy shields in a blue shimmer. It cried out in surprise, turning around, and I took the initiative, scrambling to my feet and wrapping an arm around it's neck. Before it could twist me off, I pressed the cold steel of my pistol against it's head, and realising it was bested, the Elite stopped struggling.
"Excellent work Farm Boy, keep tight hold while I tie it up." Blade congratulated, bringing out garrotting wire. He didn't strangle the Elite with it though, rather he bound the Covenant Warrior up with it, the wire cutting into it's flesh, purple blood oozing from the wounds. Once satisfied it wasn't going to escape, I released the Elite, and it tumbled to the ground in pain, immobilised. Blade bent down and roughly seized it's neck, turning the gaze of the creature towards him.
"Striking from the shadows, how very like humanity." the Elite rasped spitefully, and Blade laughed, although it was a cold, empty one.
"Very funny. Now, who are you?" Blade questioned.
"Your subordinates and you, you fight well together. Would it that my Unggoy possessed the same companionship as you." spoke the Covenant soldier, completely ignoring Blade's query.
"Bloody hell, it sounds like it's from the 12th century!" Rook remarked, "noweth split lip, wouldst thou be as kindest to telleth us what thy title and purpose in this domain doth be? Lest mine dagger curiously find itself buried in thine satanic heart."
Switch looked at Rook dryly.
"What the hell was that?" the ODST tech specialist asked.
"That's how they spoke back in the 1200s or whatever right?" Rook replied, upset by his friend's taunt.
"No, they didn't. You've been reading too much King Arthur."
"Do you mind? I'm trying to interrogate a prisoner here, and you two are monkeying around!" Blade shouted, and the two bickering ODSTs flinched, muttering an abashed apology, "Farm Boy, pass me the thing's dagger would you?"
I complied, and hefted the surprisingly heavy energy weapon, tossing it to Blade, who activated it somehow. He held the knife to the Elite's neck, and the Covenant officer grimaced in pain as it's flesh began to sear.
"What's your name and rank?" Blade demanded, pressing in a little harder. Purple gas began to sear from the cut, and I realised with a lurch that it was evaporated Elite blood.
"Ras Mai'ee, 1st Zealot of the Fleet of Holy Embarkation." the Elite gasped, and Blade relaxed the dagger slightly.
"Ras eh? Okay then, what are you doing in this building?"
"Searching...for information. We know this is not your only world human, we will find them all, and raze them to dust."
"Flattery won't get you anywhere scum. Whose orders are you here upon? Your own?" Blade asked, once again digging the burning dagger into the Elite's neck, who's eyes grew wide and mouth began to pant. I realised the plasma was probably dehydrating the thing.
"No...not mine...the Prophet of--of Regret's. I'm but--but--but..." Ras had begun to go pale, and it's mouth was drying up. I noticed it's head bean to sway back and forth.
"Blade, I think it needs water. Unless you feel like eating crispy Elite for dinner." I suggested, bringing out a water sack, and tossing it to the Staff Sergeant, who poured it down the Zealot's throat.
"My thanks to you." Ras called over to me, and I turned away, guilty that we were probably going to kill the Elite soon.
"Don't you be getting all chummy lad, this worm is a bastard. Now Elite, where are the UNSC survivors in this base?" Blade asked, his voice a whisper.
"My scouts report that they have fallen back to what you call the conference room. It is well fortified. Before you attacked me, I had dispatched several lances to wipe them out. They will no doubt nearly have reached the room." Ras explained, and Blade swore, punching the Elite Zealot in the mouth.
"What was the point of that?" I asked in disbelief, looking at the Elite who spat out a sharp tooth.
"It made me feel better. Right Ras, you're going to lead us to the UNSC, and you're going to tell your troops to stand down." Blade intoned, hoisted the bound Elite off the floor, and dragging him towards the ladder.
"Never! I would rather die!" Ras cried out in protest, although even I could tell it was all false bravado.
"Would you now? Because let me tell you freak, that can easily be arranged." Rook shouted, marching up and placing the shaft of his pistol upon the the Elite's forehead. Ras flinched.
"No! No, I do not wish to die. I shall take you." the Elite admitted, defeated. It hung it's head in shame.
"Good, good. I thought you'd see it my way. Now, I'm going to unbind your legs, but if you try anything, my sniper will shoot you in the neck quicker than you can pray to your heathen Gods." Blade told the Covenant Officer, who nodded meekly. My sniper. I guess he meant me.
I moved, and felt the heavy bayoneted weapon I had taken from the ape like alien smash into my side. I winced, and removed it. The Zealot Ras spotted it, and it's eyes widened.
"Where did you get that weapon human?" It asked suspiciously, looking at my spike rifle I'd looted.
"This? I uh, got it from an ape thing further down the tunnel. It wasn't an Elite, it had pretty thick fur." I replied, looking at the rifle and the Elite, who looked troubled.
"The Brutes should not be here. This is a Sangheili operation. This is indeed disturbing." Ras muttered, and Blade clobbered him on the head.
"No split chin, what is disturbing is the fact that you're held prisoner, with a gun pressed into your temple." the ODST Staff Sergeant growled, and the Elite nodded meekly.
"Now Rook, Switch, you climb up and dangle a rope down. I'll tie it around the prisoner, and hoist him up." Blade ordered, and the pair nodded, ascending the rungs.