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Part IV: Chances
Shock.That was the only thing running through Gunnery Sergeant Scott McHale's body at that moment. George was dead, cut down by a Elite's Energy Sword, now he could be with his brother in everlasting sleep. A massive hand perched itself on McHale's shoulder, he turned to find Al-Kali looking at him. Though shield by his helmet, Al-Kali gave him a sympathetic gaze, but it also had a hint of urgency. They had to leave. Sprinting down the massive hallways and corridors of High Charity to the pipeworks was uneventful at first, but a voice, an alien voice, rang out through the city.
"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 translators picked it up, but it still didn't make any sense to them.
"Got any ideas what that was about?" McHale asked. Al-Kali gave him a shrug, but a thought in both their minds knew something was going on. Why had that Elite slaughtered those Brutes at the security room? Was it an act of civil war? Couldn't be...
So McHale and Al-Kali resumed their trek and kept going heading to the Phantom dock. Once they had that, they would look for the Chief and get out of High Charity. Both ODSTs rounded a corner and headed for an elevator lift, but heard the distinct growls of Elites heading towards them. Thinking quickly, McHale motioned Al-Kali to go into an exposed network of pipes, one they could crawl through. They squatted 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 soldiers,"They order our death while placing those bastard swine the Brutes to lead them through the Great Journey!". One of the Minors weighed in saying, "Indeed Major, what could cause such...such...heresy!". The Elites all grunted in approval of the Minor's words.
"What do we have here Gunny?" Al-Kali whispered to McHale. "Sounds like the Covenant are fracturing up," McHale answered. "How and why I don't know, but it sounds like the Prophets have something to do with it."
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, smart plan on their part, but not for ours.
He told Al-Kali to just keep going along the pipes. If his hunch was right, the pipes would go towards the pipewroks area 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, angry roars that vibrated along the pipes as the ODSTs navigated them. Covenant pipes were somewhat similar to human piping, sure it was purple, like a lot of Covenant engineering and architecture, but it was still cylindrical 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 crouched down and smashed the insectoids face into the piping.
Crap, the buggers must use the networks of 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 broadcasting 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, this one clothed in white.
Suddenly a loud boom echoed throughout High Charity.
The Prophets and Brutes stopped and looked around, they were almost in front of the ODSTs except they were at a distance. Seemed like they though it was time to make another announcement because they Prophet started to utter an alien language.
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 Al-Kali to aim his Needler at the group, more urgently at the Prophets. Taking them out could cause even more friction in the Covenant, it had to be done.
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 bodyguard with the hammer responded with: "The Elites are falling back to the Mausoleum. Fools! Their Arbiter can do nothing for them now!"
The Prophet, almost smugly, ended with: "Who would doubt the Prophets? What have they foretold that has not come to pass?"
"How about the annihilation of the human race?", McHale whispered to himself. Both ODSTs had heard enough. McHale and Al-Kali opened fire on the cluster of Covenant. Two regular Brutes leaped in front of the Prophets and took the shots meant for them. The giant mohawk-haired Brute, probably the leader roared, "Assassins in the pipes, protect the holy ones!". His lackeys tossed plasma grenades and opened fire in return with Plasma Rifles vaguely in the pipes. Quickly, the duo of ODSTs sprint crouched along the pipes and found an open hole on the "floor".
They landed in a room filled with human equipment. Looks like they wouldn't be getting into the pipeworks area now. 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 or table right as the door opened.
The Brute leader walked in and looked around, fiery rage in his eyes. He was stopped by the Prophet who uttered, "Tartarus, come we must go," he said. "But noble Hierarch of Truth, I believe the assassins fled in here through the pipes!" the Brute, now named Tartartus replied. "Every minute we spend here is a minute we delay the Great Journey," Truth reasoned, "And nothing must stop us now." Tartarus looked back, nodded, and walked away. "Come, we will take an alternate route to the dropships." Truth added.
Al-Kali and McHale waited five minutes, enough time to feel the Brutes and Prophets were far away before moving. Moving away from their position, the soldiers noticed some human weapons. Checking their ammo from their Covenant weapons, they replaced them with the human ones. McHale took a Battle Rifle and M6C and Al-Kali grabbed an M90 Shotgun and shoulder-strapped Rocket Launcher. Grabbing as much ammo, not so much as it weighs them down, they left the workshop.
"Where to now Gunny?" asked Al-Kali. McHale pointed towards the clumps of fur dotting a path ahead and said, "Not that way."
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Elsewhere on High Charity, out of the wreckage of the crashed In Amber Clad came a parasite.