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Part 4
The ODSTs were sprinting nearer and nearer to their objective when an alien voice picked up over High Charity's loudspeaker system.
"Fear not, my brothers! The Sacred Icon is secure. It was Tartarus and his Brutes who took the Icon from the Flood, and for that they have our thanks."
Their translatos picked it up, but it still didn't make any sense to them. "Anyone got any ideas what that was about?" McHale asked. George shook his head and Al-Kali replied with a shurg of his shoulders. McHale looked around and said "Whatever it is, it probably isn't good, but we have to keep going".
SO they resumed their trak and kept going to the Phantom docks. They rounded a corner and headed for and elevator lift, but heard the sound of Elites coming around. Thinking quickly, McHale ordered his men to go into an exposed network of pipes they could crawl through. They squated in the pipes and could overhear the conversation the Elites were having.
"The Prophets have betrayed us brothers" a red Elite Major told his three blue Elite Minor soliders, "They order our death while placing those bastard swine the Brutes to lead them through the Great Journey!". "One of the Minors said "Indeed Major, what could cause such...such...heresy!". The Elites all grunted in apporval of the Minor's words.
"What do we have here Gunny?" Al-Kali whispered to McHale "Because it sounds like the Covenant are fracturing up because of something to do with the Brutes and this Icon thing". "Don't know Mouhamud, but you are probably right, it sounds like a good ol' fashioned civil war" McHale whispered back.
The Elites continued to stay by the lift for a good ten minutes and didn't budge. Probably guarding it so the Brutes or whoever is against their side of the civil war don't get up to the Phantoms[i] McHale concluded. He told the other ODSTs to just keep gong along the pipes, maybe it would lead them to the Phantoms anyway. As they were moving he could hear the loudspeaker utter...
"The Elites have failed to protect the Prophets, and in doing so, have put all our lives at risk. Let no warrior forget his oath, 'Thou, in faith, shall keep us safe, whilst we find the Path."
That was met with the angry roars of the Elites, anrgy roars that vibrated along the pipes as the ODSTs navigated them. Covenant pipeworks were somewhat similiar to human piping. Sure it was purple, like a lot of Covenant things, but it was still cylintrical and mixed in a web of crisscrossing intersections. However, the ground was somewhat sticky, for reasons McHale could not deduce. The answer came rather quickly as a Drone came flying around a corner, totally by surprise, and in the grasp of Al-Kali. The bugger was stunned, but Al-Kali took no chances, he crocuhed down and smashed the insectoids face into the piping. [i]Crap, the buggers must use their pipes to get around, how many more are in here? McHale thought to himself.
Tension rose in the narrow corridor of Covenant pipes, did anything hear the brief struggle? Luckily, they were fine, the visible hallway they could see through the piping was clear of any enemies. They kept crouch walking until they heard another message through the loudspeaker...
"With my blessing, the Brutes now lead our fleets! They ask for your allegiance, and you shall give it."
Except, this time it sounded like it was nearer and not broadcasted over a P.A. McHale looked to his left and saw the source, a Prophet clad in a red robe flanked by a pack of Brutes and another Prophet.
Suddenly a loud boom echoed throughout High Charity.
The Prophets and Brutes stopped almost in front of them had they not been away by a distance. Seemed like they though it was time to make another announcment.
The Prophet said: "At this moment, the Council is gathered on Halo, to see the Icon secured." A large Brute with a huge hammer stepped beside the Prophet and added: "Rise, my brothers! Cast down the Elites!" His Prophet friend also spoke up again with: "There are those who said this day would never come. What have they to say now?" The Brute then said: "Once the towers are clear, we'll drive them from the lower district."
McHale made a gesture to his men to aim their weapons at the Brutes and Prophets. This could further shift the Covenant if they can kill them.
The red clad Prophet spoke up again: "I have listened to the Oracle, and confirmed our deepest hope. The Great Journey begins with Halo." His giant Brute with the hammer reposnded with: "The Elites are falling back to the Mausoleum. Fools! Their Arbiter can do nothing for them now!" The Prophet, almost smuggly, ended with: "Who would doubt the Prophets? What have they foretold that has not come to pass?"
They had heard enough. McHale, George, and Al-Kali openned fire on the cluster of Covenant. Two regular Brutes leaped in front of the Prophets and took the shots meant for them. The Brute, probably the leaderm roared "Assassins in the pipes, protect the holy ones!". His lackys tossed plasma grenades and openned fire with Plasma Rifles vaguely in the pipes. Quickkly, the trio of ODSTs sprint crouched along the pipeworks and found an open hole on the "floor".
They landed in a room filled with human equipment. It was the Grunts workshop, this was the place where they tried to figure out the humans technology. No time to rest however as thundering footsteps came to the rooms door. The ODSts hid behind a holoprojector/table right as the door openned.
The Brute leader walked inand looked around, rage in his eyes. He was stopped by the Prophet who spoke through the intercom. "Tartarus, come we must go" he said. "But noble Hierarch of Truth, I think the assassins fled in here through the pipeworks!" the Brute, now named Tartartus replied. "Every minute we spend here is a minute we delay the Great Journey" Truth said. Tartarus looked back, nodded, and walked away. "Come, we will take an alternate route to a different dock of dropships" Truth added.
They waited five minutes, enough time to feel the Brutes and Prophets were far away before moving. Moving away frm their position, the soliders noticed some human weapons. Checking their ammo from their Covenant weapons, the replaced them with the human ones. McHale took a Battle Rifle and M6C ,Al-Kali grabbed a Rocket Launcher and SMG, while George took an M90 Shotgun and slung a Sniper Rifle over his shoulder. After grabbing any ammo they saw, they left the room and continued to go for the Phantoms.
Elsewhere on High Chairty, out of the wreakge of the crashed In Amber Clad came a parasite.
[Edited on 12.19.2009 8:46 PM PST]