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BOAH4 Part six
Master and Souponing

Sergeant Brad handed his MA5B to the Master Chief. His armored hand stretched out to receive the rifle which the Spartan now allowed its barrel to hang above his shoulder. But his gaze remained on the Sergeant. "And what about you?" the Chief asked him. Sergeant Brad ordered his men toward the onward door: "You all heard the Chief didn't you. Everyone file up before that door." The Marines strolled past them heading to the door, their soldier issue boots leaving light echoes within that corridor of the Covenant cruiser. Sergeant Brad ran a hand to his thigh and un-holstered a M6D pistol. He cocked the small weapon: "I love the side-arms, Chief."

Brad observed the Chief's visor point to all the dead Covenant around them. Turning away, Master Chief strolled to the right still studying the lifeless alien bodies on the ground. He stopped, turned back to Brad and tossed the rifle back to him. "On the other hand, Sergeant," the Spartan said. Brad deftly caught the weapon with his free hand. Master Chief continued his stride toward the door where the men were already filing up an assault formation. He reached and bent before one dead Elite among dead jackals and Grunts. Sergeant Brad watched him claim two plasma rifles which had belonged to the fallen alien. "I'll make use of these," the Spartan said, studying both weapons. He was beginning to get fund of the alien weapons, though the only problem he had with them was the undeterminable depletion rate.

"How close is the enemy, Cortana," Master Chief asked the advanced UNSC AI construct.
"Just nine meters away, Chief" Cortana replied.
"Hey, that's not gonna work right now," Master Chief addressed the assembled Marines. He straightened and continued in their direction. "You're gonna have to break that formation. I saw the size of that reinforcement when they fired at me, and it's not just a few Covenant that's headed this way."

Sergeant Brad presently joined behind the Chief to complete the squad. "Even if we took them by surprise," the Chief continued: "They'd still manage to hit one or two of ours." The men were all glaring back at him while he spoke, some kneeling, some standing. Master Chief, spreading his arms, gestured to both ends of the door's edges. "Let's make ourselves safer." The men split the formation obeying the order, such that it was just the Chief who stood now before the closed door. "Anyone got a grenade?" he asked. The Marines exchanged glances, some looking to the waist of their comrades. "Smoke!" Hegins said, holding up one labeled cylinder of smoke grenade. The Chief was about to speak something to the Marine when he noticed Sergeant Brad fall in beside him. "Last of the last," Brad said, stretching out his hand to tender a M9 high-explosive fragmentation grenade.

Master Chief placed one of the plasma rifles to his thigh, before he easily took the fragmentation device from the Sergeant. "We'll take them out with one blast," he said, moving a pace closer to the door. "How close Cortana?"
"They should be into that room in the next twenty two seconds."
The UNSC squad did not have to wait longer than that: "They're in Chief," Cortana confirmed. Spartan 117 poised himself, waited. "They're advancing," Cortana added.

Master Chief sent the second plasma rifle to his other thigh. He removed the safety pin and held the grenade near to his visor like it was just a harmless piece of toy. He waited. "One point nine meters," Cortana said. Very abruptly and most vigorously, the Chief sprinted toward the door. The door drew open as he neared and…he motioned his hand forward for the grenade to spin toward a group of evidently surprised Covenant.

The aliens were too stunned to try any evasive maneuvers, and on reaching them, the fragmentation device did not wait to meet the floor…Master Chief threw himself backward for the door to close again, just as the M9 coughed up a loud and ear ringing explosion in the faces of the piteous Covenant. The closed door lessened the actual loudness of the explosion. Spartan 117 was back against floor presently, as silence returned. His hand was quick to reach for one of the plasma rifles which he swiftly pulled out and pointed at the closed door. "Go, Marines," he ordered.

Akindele and Chris were first to make into the room from their cover of opposite edges, smoke swirling out of the opened door. The corridor was a bloody mar of alien guts that smelled of blood and smoke. All were sprawled motionless on the floor save for one kneeling blue armored Sangheili who braced a chest wound with one arm. MA5B's rattled to punch the alien's head backward so that it fell on its back, knees still bent to the ground. Their weapons motioned at the other aliens just incase of any movements, whose inert bodies were partly shrouded by the clearing smoke.

The remaining soldiers were already making soldierly gaits into the corridor when Akindele reported: "The room is clear of all contacts."

"Additional reinforcements are reported to be eliminated, my General," stated the Elite who just entered into the bridge standing with rigid attention less than a meter across Kaziska's position of the center. Sangheili operators were all busy at their stations in the oddly purple enclosure of a bridge-room as the giant cruiser was being made ready for lift off. "As well as first troop commander Orgriah," the messenger Elite added.

A streak of pain seemed to shoot across Kaziska's alien eyes but he tried very much to hide his shudder from the few number of Sangheilis that looked out for his reaction of such disheartening news. No words of response were passed by the General whose finger rubbed the lower side of his face in the bridge's silence. Two entire grids, was Kaziska's veiled thought. Every single stationed-guard destroyed. Four Reinforcements, two Lekgolo's out of the five which were dispensed to my ship. And now, Orgriah. Just a handful of human foot warriors...The demon. That devilry appears to be making true the things spoken of it in Unggoy whisperings. This is absolute lunacy. Shall I be made to look like a fool in the eyes of the supreme commander?

Apart from the interior droning of the giant Covenant cruiser, the slight and almost noiseless meeting of Sangheili fingers upon holo-panels was the only sound that could be heard in the bridge as the remaining Covenant waited a word from their General. The flight major who stood before a panel to Kaziska's near left gathered up enough courage to address the captain of the ship. "May we commence immediate lift off, my General?"

Every other Sangheili present there increased the raptness in their study of Kaziska's mandibles of which they waited a release of words. In his position of the bridge center, Kaziska whirled to face the messenger Covenant. He ran both hands behind his back looking at the Elite. He looked to his right and before he even said anything the glare he gave his operators told them the tale: "Get back to your duties!" he growled. Their armored heads quickly returned to their panels. Centering his eyes on the flight major, he added: "And allow absolute command of this cruiser to remain of my own doing. Make this the last time I will hear your opinion, Major Shureek."

"Yes, my General," flight major Shureek cringingly agreed. Kaziska began a stride in the direction of the exit door beckoning at the messenger Covenant. I have objectives that remain unmet here upon the sacred ring. And I still consider the demon not to be strong enough a force to drive me from my path. Just as the door closed behind them and they walked along the corridor, Kaziska ordered the Elite: "Go quickly---I want Reuzan to meet with me at brig section eleven immediately."
"As you command, my General"
Let us see, Kaziska thought, at the fading footsteps of the messenger Elite. Let us see how he fares against Razoor. A half-grin came upon his face: for me to determine whether he is worthy of the true might that Kaziska can deliver.

"Signal on the Captain's CNI transponder reads even stronger," Cortana mentioned. Master Chief John 117 and the five Marines strode along an extended passage of linear intersecting passages of the Covenant ship, which caused Natoli to complain further.

"I'm sure we'll locate him in the linked set of rooms at the end of this corridor," Cortana continued. "Which I suspect should be the main holding cells." Such was the formation, that Corporal Chris tailed the pack as usual while Master Chief had point. "The two opposite passages along this corridor must lead to other sections of the brig," Cortana informed in addition. "But according to the signals our best bet of locating Captain Keyes should be those rooms in front."

The men were alert, their rifles on the ready, as they continued their trot along the corridor. They had just gone past the two intersecting passages and were half way to the door ahead when suddenly…the lights which lit their path hanging at the high corners of the ceilings went out one after the other. Sergeant Brad gasped: "What the…" The darkness that engulfed the place was the sort where you could not see your hands even if you placed them right in front of your nose. They all stood still. The Spartan's Mark five visor automatically switched to night vision. The first thing he did was to fling his face behind in his new sight of bright-green-daylight, to check what the Covenant devised. A quick count of his men told they were still complete. He ran his face further back in searching, and there was no sign of an ambush.

"What happened to the friggin lights?" Chris asked, turning on his rifle flashlights and swinging the weapon backward in a whirl. More click click clicks by the Marines had rifle fitted flashlights angling all over the place. "Cortana," Master Chief sought information from the AI construct. "The Covenant must surely be up to something," she responded. "I would have suggested an ambush but I read nothing on the motion sensors. Nothing nearby---anyway."

"What then could they be up to?" the Chief asked. "I don't know, Chief." Cortana said. "But the lights were purposely turned out just in this particular section. I'll see if I can override the sequence. Meanwhile I think we should continue into that room just incase I can't. There's a manual control located there and we should be able to make use of that."
"You don't think it was some kind of error or fault in the Covenant systems?" Sergeant Brad asked. "No Sergeant," Cortana said. "The Covenant did this on purpose and we are yet to find out why."

"Alright everyone, keep your eyes open and let's get to that control," The Master Chief said. He led the way again and this time around they were surprised to hear their boots echo loudly. "I don't like the feel of this," Natoli calmly said. "I don't like it at all." Akindele thought he kind of felt colder as they continued to advance. "What's up with the ventilation systems?" Hegins suddenly asked. "Good question," Cortana commented. The Chief stopped in his stride causing the rest to stop also. "The temperature within this section has suddenly dropped by twenty percent," Cortana told them.
"What are they up to?" Master Chief impatiently asked.

"Fear?" Cortana said. "Could it be that the Covenant are trying to induce fear?"
"What do you mean?" Spartan 117 asked.
"She's right, sir," Natoli broke in. "It's a psychological thing; or should I say natural. We're in the enemy's camp and we've seen a lot of deaths lately. Now it's dark, everyone is naturally more comfortable having some light around. And…" he felt his hands tremble in the hold of his weapon. "The human body naturally reacts to cold, and even if we had been trembling out of fear of the unknown without realizing it, the cold just helps to amplify it now."

"Are the alien bozo's that smart?" Hegins questioned. "Let's try solving the light problem first, by getting to the control in the next room," Cortana stated. "I've tried overriding the remote controls but it's proved very difficult. I would be able to in a matter of time but since the manual control is just a few meters ahead, I'll advise that we go for that option."

"Let's move!" Master Chief ordered. They carried on, boot-steps echoing loudly, temperature seeming to drop further. Chris, tailing behind, knew it was not just the low temperature that brought such level of shivering to his body. Natoli must have been very right. He presently thought he felt someone behind him, but he was supposed to be last on the line. Perhaps it's just my imagination, he thought. He turned around, pointed his lights. His flash light trailed along the walls and floor; but nobody. Should have known it was my imagination. He turned to continue, saw how far the others had got in his brief moment of stoppage.

He increased pace trying to catch up and this time he was sure he heard footsteps. "Son of a…" He whirled instantly aiming the barrel of his weapon at…nobody. Now that couldn't have been my head? I'm sure I heard something. He tried to glance across his shoulder at his mates and saw they were already making it into the door at the end of the corridor. He returned his face. Must be one of those clumsy hunched aliens. Show yourself you bastard.

Although the Spartan's night vision helped him make it out, the darkness did not allow the Marines realize how large the room they entered was. They angled their lights everywhere. "Where exactly is this control, Cortana." The Chief questioned. "Up there," She said. "There should be a holo panel hanging above that platform." Master Chief lifted the green vision of his visor to notice in the middle of the large room an elevated platform with a sloping access. "Nghaaaaaa!" A scream of agony abruptly sounded. All the men immediately swung their weapons at the door they had just emerged from lighting it up very brightly with their multiple rifle lights. The sound had lifted from there.

"What the hell was that?" Sergeant Brad asked.
"Is everyone in here," Master Chief quickly questioned. Their weapons still pointed at the door, Brad hollered: "Hegins!"
"Sir!"
"Akindele!"
"Sir!"
"Natoli!"
"Sir!"
"Chris!"
No answer. "Corporal Chris!" The Sergeant repeated. And still no answer. "Where the hell is Chris," he asked. "I do not think he came through that door sir," Akindele replied. Master Chief approached the door lifting out his second plasma rifle to make two weapons in his hands. "Come on, that must have been him. The Covenant are around."

"Now, that should be strange," Cortana said. "I didn't and don't read anything on the motion sensors." The men had already edged the door at this point. Master Chief nodded at Brad who returned a responsive nod before they made into the corridor at the door's opening. Master Chief with aid of his vision could see the Marines body sprawled on the floor about five meters into the corridor. Sergeant Brad soon found the body with his flashlight.

The remaining men still waited behind but made sure the door did not shut on the two commanding officers. Master Chief reached to see the Marine lying in a pool of his own blood, eyes pointed to the ceiling as though there was still life in it. "Shit!" Sergeant Brad exclaimed on his reaching. "What in God's galaxy could have done that?" Small chunks of flesh still edged two big holes that were pierced in the soldier's torso, from where blood gushed out freely. The Sergeant still pointed his weapon forward in search of the felon. Master Chief was squatted over the dead man. He placed one alien rifle on the floor and ran his hands over the Marine's face to cover the open eyes.

"And you say you pick up nothing on the sensors," The Chief said. "Nothing," Cortana answered. "Well, there are things in here," The Spartan stated. "And they don't want to be seen by us. Now we know why they turned out the lights." He first picked up Chris's rifle, hung it behind his back, before he reached for the alien weapon again and straightened. "Come on Sergeant, let's find the Captain." Sergeant Brad who was still raptly glaring at the two intersecting passages along the corridor with a scowl on his face suddenly turned to the Chief. "Don't you think we should ditch out the alien freak that did this first?"

"That's the idea Sergeant, they want us to come looking for them. That's what they want. But we're not gonna play their game the way they want it." He turned and started making it back to the rest. "We'll stick together and let them come to us. Let's focus on our mission instead."

They were soon in the large room again. "Alright, everyone sticks together while I get the lights on," Master Chief ordered. He proceeded toward the slope which led to the top of the elevated platform. The men grouped themselves near the wall on the right wing of the room, their rifle lights searching the environment "We soldiers are gonna be more alert from now on," Sergeant Brad abruptly addressed them. "I don't wonna loose sight of anyone either. There's some kind of stalking alien on our six and we're not gonna give it another chance to take us unawares. Corporal Chris Cornwell is the last Marine I'm gonna be loosing on this alien ship, so I'm ordering you all to stay alive." He expected an answer, but there was none. "Do you get me Marines?"
"Sir, yes sir!" they all answered. "That's better. I'm beginning to loose my nerves over these Covenant bastards. Now they're gonna act like cowards."

"So we just lost Chris," Hegins bitterly whispered to Akindele. Akindele looked at him, but did not have anything to respond. Hegins smiled wryly shaking his head: "He said he was going to watch my back, Akin." Hegins was muttering now. "He wanted to fight the Covenant on behalf of Roy. He wanted us to. But it's really funny isn't it, Akin. One moment your buddy's alive and by your side…and the next moment he doesn't even exist anymore." He chuckled. "It's funny isn't it?"

Master Chief drove a finger against the holo panel. "That's it, Chief," Cortana directed. "Just hit the first two and the last one to the left. He did. The lights that lined the edges of the ceiling flicked on one after the other to reveal the largeness of the room. His visor adjusted from night vision to normal. Just as Master Chief allowed his gaze to the far wall to notice where the men were positioned in the brightness of the light…He saw a glowing blade that moved like lightning behind them, and before he could shout: "Behind you!" Sergeant Brad's head was whisked off in a clean swipe. "Shit!" and a lot more other swear words came next. The Marines were taken in terror as they watched the Sergeant's head roll against the floor, headless body collapsing after it.

With a light hiss, the blade was gone, but Natoli thought he heard footsteps making away. He opened fire in the direction with his pistol: blam blam blam. For a second they could make out the figure of a golden Elite as one of the bullets impacted his armor to flare up a dazzle. Just for a second, and they lost sight of him again. Natoli advanced. He was sure it headed toward one of the fat pillar structures that stood at the corners of the room. He switched weapons, handling his ever trustee M90 shotgun. He had reloaded the weapon and was sure of twelve rounds. "Get away from there, Marine!" Master Chief ordered, hustling down the slope with double handed plasma rifle. "Return to your position at once, Marine!"

Having a resolute scowl on his face, Natoli could hear nothing that was being said. He reached the first pillar. You can't hide from me alien bitch He released an explosive burst of shotgun round at the corners of the structure. Master Chief was down upon level ground presently. He briefly pointed at the men. "The rest of you, back against that wall and keep a sharp eye," he ordered, before he went after Natoli. Natoli blasted more shots around the corners of the first pillar, advanced to the next. On nearing the area, Master Chief pointed his dual weapon at low and mid sections of the first pillar and reduced his movement to a more tentative stride. "I gave you a direct order, soldier," he accused Natoli, while his visor motioned in many directions.

The Lanky Marine still turned deaf ears. He released another thunderous burst at the edges of the second pillar. Natoli suddenly heard something like a faint purr above his head. He froze. He gently lifted his face upward next. As though doing it on purpose, the Covenant appeared for the Marine to have view of him as he hung onto the higher levels of the pillar as easily as a spider would; before he activated the energy sword again, and descended on the human. Natoli was easily pinned to the ground. The Master stealth blade Elite drove the weapon backward for a thrust…Master Chief's plasma rifles impacted against his shields, but it did not bother the alien in anyway until it satisfied itself with a stab to the Marines chest.

The glowing weapon buried as easily as a kitchen knife would cut through butter. Corporal Vincent Natoli whimpered and vomited crimson. Spartan 117 watched in horror as human blood spilled high into the air spurting from the soldier's chest; which caused him to depress hard on the triggers of his plasma rifles. With the bolts of plasma still hammering against his armor, the Elite turned to look at the Chief, and the only thing that left its mouth was: "Demon."

He seemed to have expected it, because John thought he saw a smile come upon the Covenant's face as both plasma rifles suddenly overheated with an extensive hiss. The Sangheili rose to its intimidating nine foot, sword still activated, and began toward the Chief who stood about four meters away. At first it was a walk, then a trot, to a sprint. Spartan 117 quickly discarded both alien rifles flinging them aside. He ran a quick hand to his back next and a MA5B came into view. He resumed fire. The alien was closing in. What the hell's that armor made of? The Chief thought, knowing it was definitely stronger than what he knew Covenant armor to be.

Master Chief deftly twisted his body sideways to dodge the first and most deadly attack of a thrust when the Elite reached him. The alien was amazed at this. Not in all his battles against other races he had encountered across the galaxy; not one was ever quick enough to dodge a Stealth Blade's first attack; only a fellow Sangheili Sword Master or a learning Souponing. But this demon did.

A side kick followed instantly, that landed on the Chief's rib section. The powerful Sangheili kick drove the Spartan from his feet to send him flying two meters away and sliding against the floor, until he slammed against the pillar near to where Natoli's inert corpse lay. John 117 remained sprawled on the floor without making another move. The Elite turned, observed his enemy's unmoving body. He took his time now, strolling toward the Master Chief to deliver the finishing blow. That was when he heard footsteps behind, but before he could glance back, he felt someone pounce on him.

It was Private Tunde Akindele. One of the marines thick strong arms immediately wrapped around the alien's neck as he hung onto his back like a frenzied monkey. It was funny how Akindele suddenly seemed small nearing the Sangheili. It showed just how huge the aliens were. Meanwhile Hegins stood not so far away swaying his rifle, searching out a clear shot at the Covenant, where he would not hit his partner in the doing.

The Elite roared his loud protest trying to run a hand behind and grab Akindele. Akindele still had his rifle in the other hand. He aimed it at the alien's sword hand and released rounds against it at point blank. This caused it to loose hold of the blade which clattered on the floor and deactivated. But the Sangheili was greatly upset by this. He bellowed even louder and ran in the direction of the corners where the pillars were situated. The roar was an unending one: until he went past the first pillar to reach the plain bulkhead on that side. He suddenly turned around and with the momentum gathered from his sprint, rammed Akindele against the wall. It was more like squashing a bug under your feet as the Sangheili felt satisfaction hearing the human's bones crack into bits.

Akindele slumped to the ground as he moved away from the wall. He didn't care to look back knowing that that particular problem was already taken care of. The next thing that followed was rifle shots from a screaming and angered Corporal Hegins. The Covenant's armor dazzled as the slugs hit home. Still screaming and firing, Hegins began to advance toward the alien, who suddenly disappeared out of sight again. The marine instantly stopped shooting, screaming, and advancing. "Show yourself you Covenant coward!" he shouted. Hegins suddenly remembered that Sergeant Brad had taken his extra magazines from him, and that the one in his weapon would be nearly depleted.

He looked around, saw Akindele's rifle where it lay on the ground. Behind him was also Sergeant Brad's rifle, he knew. He looked to the farther side, saw the Master Chief's rifle also, and Natoli's shotgun. He had to calculate which weapon would be easier to go for. He opted it was the one behind and began to gently motion backward swerving his weapon left and right as he did.

It reminded Natoli of some of the antique ghost movies he had watched as a kid when one of the weapons on the far side lifted on its own. Just as soon as he opened fire again knowing it was the camouflaged Covenant, the rifle spun with remarkable speed as it was hurled at him. The weapon clubbed the Marine on the forehead such that his legs lifted high into the air when he fell. The Elite reappeared after taking out the last disturbing Marine. Now it was time to end the demon. He moved over, bent and picked up his energy sword. A loud hiss revealed the deadly glowing blade as he turned to look at the Spartan.

But Master Chief had regained consciousness by now. He was seated on floor, hand rubbing against neck. The Elite would not wait for him to get up. He sprinted toward the Chief. The Spartan briskly went down and began to roll sideways, trying to get away from the approaching Covenant. The Elite knew that this was the end for the demon if that was all he could come up with. Master Chief continued to roll. The Elite continued to advance. Almost nearing the stretch of bulkhead on the very end of the large room, John finally stopped, lying on his back. The Elite looking to make things a little faster, leapt an outstanding ten feet into the air.

Master Chief saw the monstrous alien who was silhouetted by the bright lights coming from the ceiling, as the dark figure descended on him with dazzling sword in one hand. On the Sangheili's landing on top of the Chief, a loud boom erupted. For a moment both figures just lay there, Elite motionless on top of the Spartan, Spartan unmoving with the bulk of the Elite against him. "Chief, Chief, can you hear me Chief," Cortana piped. It was obvious that the Sangheili had not made use of his sword, because it fell out of his hand presently. There was an abrupt jerk and Spartan 117 managed to push the alien aside, just for the barrel of an M90 shotgun to be revealed.

Had the Covenant been more observant in his attack, he would have noticed the Chief steal the shotgun from the floor in that deliberate roll. Master Chief's breath was heavy within his Spartan helmet. "You scared the chips out of me with that move, Chief," Cortana said. The Chief did not have anything to reply Cortana just yet but exhaled, turned a relieved face in observance of the fallen Covenant whom he knew he was merely lucky to have defeated. But all of a sudden he saw him move. He quickly sat up and pointed the M90 at the alien again. "No, demon" the Elite spoke in a weak voice. Master Chief made sure the weapon was well aimed at his head as he slowly made to his feet looking down at the Elite. Placing one large Sangheili palm on a fatal chest wound, the alien sat up.

"You are a true warrior, demon," his mandible parted as he told the Chief in a husky tone. "You made use of the art of deceit and surprise very well. I will be honored to die by your hand." John counted two steps backward, weapon still pointed, as the Sangheili tried to make to his feet. The alien was not actually trying to stand, but managed to position himself in a knelt position before John. One knee was on floor while he balanced his weakened body on the other thigh with both hands. "Now you can kill me, champion."

"No!" a voice sounded from nearby, but Master Chief could see nobody. He swung his visor searchingly around and could spot no one. "You can still live, Master Razoor," the voice came again, before John saw another Sangheili come into view from his hiding of stealth camouflage. He wondered for how long the alien had been hanging around. "There is always a second chance. There is always a rematch," the new comer told the knelt.

"No Suringhen, I have failed you," Razoor agonizingly responded. "Just as I have failed my cause." Master Chief lowered his weapon presently. "No, demon, you must aim your gun at me. And you must use it… that I may die by the hands of one that is worthy; for that is the only thing of honor that I can know in this hour of my parting." He managed to turn his face to Suringhen. He spoke in Sangheili tongue: "As my Souponing, Suringhen, you shall perform but one final task for me. You shall see to it that the demon does this. You have been an excellent student, and may fate find you a better Master than myself." He bowed his head. "Go ahead."

The Chief, a bit puzzled at this point, just moved his visor from one alien to the other. But he knew that the kneeling Elite had said something to the other and was awaiting a response. Master Chief observed the standing Elite. Suringhen also bowed his head momentarily as though in regret. He centered his eyes at the Spartan: "Do it, demon. Finish him."

Failing to understand this aspect of the Covenant, Master Chief looked down at the kneeling Elite, returned his visor again to Suringhen. Suringhen suddenly made toward him. On nearing the Chief, he demanded: "Do it, demon," before his sword was loudly activated. "Or you will also have to fight me." John still hesitated for a moment, but turned his face to the kneeling Covenant and pointed his weapon. "If this is what you want, Covenant," BOOM! and Razoor fell on his back to finally sprawl dead on the ground. Eyes focused on his dead Master, Suringhen deactivated his sword. "You have done well to fulfill my Master's dying wish."

He moved over to be standing directly and very close to the human. He looked down at John from his nine foot. "But one thing that I want you to know this day; is that Suringhen, first Souponing of Razoor of Urindiya…" He lowered his face to look directly into the Spartans visor, so that it reflected off it: "is not afraid of the demon of the humans."

He stood there staring into the Chief's visor a few more moments…before he turned around and headed toward the dead Razoor. Master Chief watched him as he reached and knelt before his Master. "I am a Souponing, demon---a learning Sword Master: and I am only supposed to observe and learn when my Master does battle." He sent his large hands to the side of the dead and heaved him from the ground. He straightened and balanced the corpse on his shoulder.

He started walking away but stopped after a few steps, glanced across his shoulder at Master Chief. "My failing to fight you this day only means that I do respect to my Master. But survive this phase of the war demon, and we shall surely meet in battle another day: for revenge is a thing that is firmly held by every Stealth Blade." He returned his face forward and continued toward the exit.


To be continued.

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