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Heller had lost track of time. By his estimate, a month had passed. If he'd wanted to be exact, he could check the calendar on his HUD. But that wasn't the point. Counting the days made them slower. There weren't even daylight hours to measure inside the ship. And inside the ship, it seemed like there was less and less he could do.

Over the last month the interior had gone from a luxury Covenant vessel to one ripped apart by salvagers. Panels had been ripped away, conduits drifted loosely from their disconnected ports. Re-routed wire clusters hung like spider strands to the control console. The ship's power cells and fuel were draining.

At first it had been something for him and T'soona to do. And it had helped ease a certain tension that had developed. Before they left behind the battle site that had left them both sole survivors, they'd spiraled into a few heated encounters of sex. Riveting at first, now likely a source of growing tension.

Finding ways to reroute power to save fuel had been something constructive they could both do. There was only so much exercise Heller could do to stay in shape in zero-g. And as food needed to be rationed, exercise soon became scrapped. In light of dwindling activities, a gulf had seemed to form.

Heller understood why, as he could feel the tension too. It was self-doubt. Questioning the future. And mainly the fact that T'soona's species was responsible for committing acts of genocide. Heller corrected himself. Xenocide, like the title of the ancient literature he'd read in high school.

The less time there was to do anything, the more he took note of the differences of their species. The more he thought about the feasibility of the future, if he still had one. He didn't dislike T'soona. Hell, he'd fucked her. He was embarrassed to admit it but of all the beds and people he'd slept in and with, it was the seven foot tall non-human killing machine that topped his list and fantasies.

Which was why the silent gulf that had developed between the two seemed to hurt him all the more. In the co-pilot's chair, he checked over the makeshift device strapped to his arm. T'soona had rigged it. A small gravity field to help his bones heal properly. For a species that despised doctors, she'd done a superb job.

He watched her sleeping form in the pilot seat next to him, remembering the awkwardly tense conversation the device had spawned. He'd made a joke about her having an uncanny understanding of human anatomy. She responded with a quip about having to study her enemy's biological weaknesses. In theory if you knew their weaknesses, it could be inversed, which was why she'd made the device for him.

It drove home that gulf. She was a soldier. She'd studied his species for the purpose of exterminating it or inflicting the most efficient harm. Although, Heller remembered the first contact records with Elites as well. A live autopsy. On the few the UNSC managed to take prisoner, they'd used them in weapons demonstrations to show recruits how much punishment they could take before being put down.

Years of warfare and dozens of different theatres, deep down he could still admit it was ugly stuff. He'd never show it on his face, but looking at her sleep, liable to drift out of her chair if not for the straps, made him remorseful. It was an ugly universe. And there was a uniquely beautiful woman he'd thrown a grenade at.

He reached out to brush her face, the shrapnel scars beginning to heal over with toughened skin. The green hadn't returned to her eye yet. He suspected it never would. On contact, T'soona jolted. Even in zero-g she moved fast. Her hand enveloped his to crush it before her mandibles slacked and her good eye spotted him, sleep addled brain rousing.

“Heller….I…."

He shook his head, speaking gruffly.

“It's fine. Can we talk?"

She eased pressure on his hand. He could swear she stalled just long enough to cradle it gently before parting.

“We may."

“Got something that's been bugging me for a while now. A few things."

She simply nodded, waiting.

“What happens when we get to that outpost, T'soona? You and me just stroll up out of this ship hand in hand and have everybody sing kumbaya?"

Her eye scanned the display screens. The black void of space filled them, save for a slowly growing point of light. The final star they needed to slingshot.

“You will need to remain hidden while I acquire another craft. It shall be simple enough. I am an Exemplar of high status. Whatever I ask shall be granted."

Her eye dodged his gaze. He pressed it.

“And then what?"

“You go, Heller. Back to your people."

His gut twisted. There it was, finally. He let out a long sigh.

“You know I can't. T'soona….my people…we're losing, okay? I go back to them and I'll just keep fighting until something gets me. You want to meet me out there and kill me?"

Her mandibles upturned slightly. He was getting to know her expressions better. That was a smirk, barely.

“I tried once and was shamed thoroughly by you. Perhaps a second time will allow me to regain my honor."

Heller couldn't help but let out a snort.

“Say I step out with you when we get to the outpost. Pretty good way to scrap those plans of yours."

Now those mandibles formed what passed for a smile.

“So eager to die are you? Our comms array still functions. Do you wish to broadcast a message to our empire? We would be rescued with haste and then promptly executed, together."

He chuckled with a shrug.

“That's what I want, T'soona. Together."

Her eye averted once more. Her mandibles stiffened. She was thinking.

“Answer for me a question, Heller."

“All ears."

“Why turn your back on your species if it meant following me? Would you not fight for your kind until the end?"

He exhaled out of frustration. Sometimes she came out with curveballs.

“If it meant I had to shoot at you, or meet you out there? No. Riddle me this. If sending me back to my people meant my death when your people eventually win this war, would you do it?"

She couldn't look at him. All that could be heard was the hum of what little remained powering the ship. T'soona stared at the view screens, going cold.

“You and I should rest. Save what strength we have for when the need arises. It will, soon enough."

Heller huffed. He wasn't going to push or fight her for an answer. He knew what the answer was, and he knew why she couldn't say it. Honor was important for her species. He bit his lip, running a hand through the course red beard that had cropped up.

“I knew honorable men and women T'soona. They stayed behind to buy time for civilians who couldn't fight. The Covenant didn't give them any ounce of honor. They got nothing for it, worse than nothing. You call getting raped and eaten by Brutes an honorable death?"

His hands shook. Heller shook his head, pushing out of his seat to float away to another corner of the ship. T'soona watched him go, keeping her eye on him for some time. The ship became still and lifeless as the star approached, slowly.

Blaring alarms roused Heller instantly as the ship jolted back and forth violently. Scrap was flung haphazardly in all directions, bouncing off his undersuit's semi-protective frame. Power conduits hummed and sparked as he pushed himself to T'soona. She was working frantically at the controls, hands dancing.

“What's happening, T'soona!?"

Holographic sections on the controls were becoming red in chunks. Heller's hand found her shoulder.

“T'soona!"

She spoke with strain as she tried to keep her attention at the controls she was losing ground on.

“Solar activity! I need more power to the shields!"

Most of the view screens had shutdown, save for one. Arcs of red fire danced and lashed out in thousand kilometer long tendrils. They were passing through a cloud of plasma and ionized particles. Heller ran the details in his head. They didn't have spare power. The ship jolted violently and the hull groaned as if it were buckling.

Heller breathed deep, focusing. He knew what this meant. Divert power to the shields, and they lose fuel to reach the end of the trip. Divert course through the slingshot, and they lose time and fuel. He held firm to her shoulder, and spoke calmly in the calamity.

“T'soona. Divert course. We don't make it one way or the other. But we last longer if we divert."

She hesitated for a second. Her hands danced at the controls, locked in the floating glyphs, and it was done. Another minute of hard knocks and the ship diverted course. The alarms subsided. Interior lights dimmed with loss of power. Heller's knuckle was white before he let her shoulder go.

T'soona worked the controls intently. Holograms arranged themselves to form the planetary system they were in. Their destination was at the outer edge. The vectors they needed all fell short and they were far off course. Her mandibles parted with a long sigh as she closed her eye.

She unlatched herself from her chair, pushing past Heller to float aimlessly. Her arms crossed themselves. He took one last look at the trajectory. They had weeks to go now, only a few days of rations left. He turned back to her.

“It's okay, T'soona. Not your fault."

She released a long sigh, inhaling deeply. Her green eye had a certain sorrow to it.

“There is another way, Heller."

He nodded in understanding. They'd always had the option to send a distress signal. She'd decided it was too risky. It would attract attention they couldn't handle. But they were within range of the outpost, easily. Rather than weeks, they could have been saved within a day. T'soona shook her head resolutely.

“We do not know who would answer our hail. We would either be executed, or we could fight."

Heller floated closer to her. Her arms were still crossed in deliberation and an attempt to self soothe. Dare he say it, this was her vulnerable side.

“And if it's your own people? You'd kill them too?"

Her eye locked to his.

“Could I stand aside and let them kill you? There is no greater shame than turning your back on an ally in their hour of need."

For weeks there'd been a barrier up between the two. Heller's dissolved in the honesty of her green snake eye. T'soona did not resist when he moved in. Her mandibles overtook his jaw and the strange kiss he'd become more familiar with was long.

It was a frantic scramble to undo their undersuits, tops partially opened before Heller couldn't wait. He could use both hands to some degree now. They slid under her suit, gripping her ass tightly. The erection bulge of his suit pressed between her thighs. Their motions launched them on a trajectory towards the main console.

T'soona reeled him in, wrapping both arms behind his back. Chest to his, breasts squashed, her hands snaked down, pushing his suit down to his ass where she could grip. She breathed heavily in anticipation before they bumped into the console. For a moment, their feverish embrace paused. Her head was close to his now.

“If I send the signal, there won't be much time."

She reached out to a glyph on the console, hesitating. He finished pushing her suit below her thighs. He was fully erect and slick, and felt the heat coming off her cunt folds. He held her tightly, one hand tracing her arm to rest his hand over top hers. He nodded hurriedly.

“Do it."

They pressed together. Heller guided himself forwards and parted her hot cunt to the satisfaction of both. T'soona's mandibles trembled and she urged him on, gripping his ass tightly and locking her legs. She began to rock her hips in unison to his thrusts.

Weeks of pent up frustration gone in seconds. Heller buried his head between her soft breasts, kissing her skin. One of her hands gripped the back of his head, running through the red hair that had grown out from the short buzz cut.

Her mandibles spasmed into a silent “o" as her eye closed and she held him tight. He felt warm fluids coat his thighs, the reaction sending him over the edge as well. He was pent up. Load after load shot out, her muscles convulsing to constrict and pull. Her head draped against his shoulders at the ecstasy of warmth filled her stomach.

Both were panting heavily. They stayed propped against the console for some time. Heller stayed hilted to her. Zero-g let them float together slowly. Heller spoke after his breath caught up to him.

“If we're gonna die, I'd rather do it like this."

T'soona stroked fingers across his spine, getting a gasp and shivers out of him.

“We should save our strength."

He wanted to just stay like this with her. To sleep with her like this. But she was right. If they were going to fight their way out of this, they had to be ready. He slapped her ass once, smiling at her.

“Did I ever say you had a great ass? I'm gonna fuck it if we get out of this."

Her mandibles tensed, but he caught the hint of a smirk.

“How crude and vulgar, Heller. That I would debase myself as such."

His eyebrows raised as one hand traveled lower. He was quick. One finger parted the tight ring. Burning hot inside. Her mandibles twitched and a sharp pitched moan escaped.

“Not what you were expecting, huh? Never hurts to try new things."

T'soona's face flushed purple before she recovered her composure.

“Heller….we should get ready."

He nodded in agreement.

“I know."

He put his forehead to hers for a moment. They didn't need to say anything more. They just needed to be ready for what was coming.

One hour had passed before their hail was answered. A ship travelling to the outpost. By then both were suited and ready to go. T'soona's suit had a unique plasma blade. Heller had a combat knife. The hour was spent in discussing tactics. Covenant hangar bays were usually vast. If they locked one down, the chances of them immediately finding an escape craft were high.

But the chances of them outrunning any larger vessel were slim. They'd be shot down before they could get out of range. That meant that more of the ship needed to be disabled before they could escape. There were three ways to do it.

Target the power plant and disable systems that used high amounts of power. Target the bridge and manually shut down the ship, or target the weapons hub and disable automated targeting and tracking. Every option seemed like suicide. Heller's specialty, at least.

“What if I hid inside the ship? You wouldn't have to fight your way anywhere. Talk to the ship's captain, get a ride, then we leave quietly, no alarms raised?"

T'soona shook her head.

“The delay would bring risks. Our craft would be moved for salvage. The longer I was gone, the greater the chance you would be found."

“You're right. Our best shot is doing this together."

Heller paused, thinking;

“What if I was your prisoner? High value intel on me?"

“Would they believe I held you captive for a month yet fed you so accommodatingly?"

The craft jolted, sending scrap swirling within. It was go time. Heller rapped a knuckle over T'soona's damaged helmet.

“We'll make it up as we go."

The two waited in silence as the ship was pulled in with a gravity beam. A jolt as gravity returned, sending scrap falling everywhere. His mag-boots kept him standing, but after a month out in space gravity was punishing to him. He could see it on T'soona's stance as well.

Heller breathed deep as he could hear sounds outside the hull of the ship. The mechanized sounds of a hangar bay. Alien chatter. His knife was held tight in his good hand. The air hissed as T'soona's lance like blade ignited and she stepped ahead of him. The ship rattled and clattered as it was deposited onto something. They waited, poised and silent for the hatch to open.

Heller could make out a high pitched methane laced talk of at least one Grunt. A deeper and guttural reverberating voice he couldn't tell. Motion tracker pinged four targets facing them. The rear of the ship hissed, hatch beginning to fold back and part itself. T'soona moved with grace unbefitting of her tired state.

The hulking frame of a Brute greeted them as light from the hangar bay streamed into the dim interior. The alien had but a moment to roar in surprise before being bisected, left to gurgle on dark blackish blood. She was quick, searching the dying corpse for a weapon.

Heavy and crude, two blades on it. She tossed it to Heller. Brutes could hold the thing with one hand and steadily fire volleys of impaling metal spikes. He winced, using his damaged arm as a prop to steady the weapon.

The grunts had now noticed something was wrong. T'soona moved in quick strides out into the bay, cleaving the smaller aliens apart before they had a chance to shoot or sound the alarm. Heller scanned the bay for targets. T'soona noted it immediately.

“Heller, there's no craft docked here…"

She was right. The bay was a combat ship dock. Mechanisms in the ceiling above could hold twenty or more small fighter craft. All empty. He kept his eyes on the doorways.

“Skeleton crew too. Should've been a lot more to greet us. Something is wrong here."

He grit his teeth.

“Shit. We can't do anything unless we have a ride out of here."

T'soona moved with purpose, blade and scavenged plasma pistol at the ready.

“Then we find one. I shall lead. I have shielding, you do not."

The two crossed the silent sprawling bay to a central doorway. The door loomed ahead, blue and ready to open. Heller steadied himself. He hated their claustrophobia inducing hallways.

“I've got your six covered. Ready?"

T'soona nodded, pushing forwards.

Their search spanned half an hour. Two empty hangar bays. No resistance whatsoever. But there was telltale signs that something had happened. Plasma scoring in the hallways. Dried bloodstains belonging to multiple species. Blast and shrapnel marks from Brute concussive weaponry.

It made the both of them antsy. Heller wondered if there had been some sort of infighting involved. He had his answer as they entered the third hangar bay. The ship rippled and vibrated as something struck it hard, lights flickering. Alarms sounded.

Beyond the energy barrier that sealed the bay, something was happening outside. Points of light, rippling energy shields. A tangle of dozens of different Covenant ships firing on each other in a latticework of disorganization and chaos. Light flashed from space as a point energy beam sliced through the ship the two stood in.

The ship jolted, power surging. They both stood, dumbfounded to the spectacle outside. T'soona's blade deactivated. Through the chaos, Heller spotted something. What looked like an asteroid cluster. Purple and silver architecture sprawling across it. He pointed to it.

“That's our LZ, isn't it?"

He had to rap her shoulder plate to snap her back.

“Yes. Something is wrong, Heller."

Plasma torpedoes left ghostly trails before detonating off shields in the distance.

“Doesn't matter what's happening out there right now. We need to get off this ship, through that, and down to the station."

The ship rattled, sending whatever wasn't bolted down tumbling as it fired available weaponry. T'soona's eye scanned the situation, thinking.

“This ship will not last long. We've no craft of our own. We need to jump, Heller."

“Agreed. Let's do it. Space the air in here. It'll get us some momentum."

It didn't take long to find the control console overseeing the bay. T'soona's fingers danced over the controls until they aligned into a single shape, waiting to be pressed. Heller wrapped his arms across her waistline tightly, extending a retractable line from his tool belt and cinching it around her back to his belt. The ship groaned and rattled with another hit. He couldn't see through the fog of her cracked helmet as she looked down at him.

“We'll look like corpses. Nothing should target us."

It was a combination of anticipation and dread, and being so close to her that got him hard. He savored the feeling of gripping her hips, the way her body was outlined by her suit. Worse ways to die, he thought. He nodded silently. She pressed the command key.

Air howled in the bay as the shield lowered. Loose crates and equipment were flung into the void, along with T'soona and Heller. They drifted silently through the spectacle happening around them, the only sound to be heard was steady breathing reverberating in their helmets. His visor polarized as a bright flash erupted at his feet.

The small ship they'd left behind fired one last salvo of plasma before a lance of purple sliced through reactors. The ship was consumed in purple and blue hellfire. Shrapnel and chunks of the interior deck shot past them with the shockwave. Heller watched T'soona's helmet leak oxygen through the cracks. They'd make it.

The theatre erupted around them in stark silence. Swarms of fighters exchanged volleys like insects. Eruptions of plasma and flaring shields could be seen from every angle. Heller swore as he saw it loom ahead of them down below. Like a massive silver fish of some kind, blocking their path to the station.

“Fuck me."

The carrier loomed closer until its kilometers long hull dominated the horizon, shields flaring green blue while it dished out heavy volleys that obliterated smaller craft. The two drifted closer until they impacted off the shimmering surface of the shields, sent into a sprawling spin. Heller's pulse spiked in near panic before their spin slowed. They began to correct their course. T'soona held him tightly. Her comms pinged him.

“I have some power left in the suit's thrusters. You'll be fine….Heller."

Dread twisted his stomach. T'soona chose her words carefully. He looked up to her helmet, hissing away oxygen silently. He shook his head.

“Not happening. We'll make it. Should've planned for this."

The carrier drifted past them silently as a lumbering behemoth in the vacuum. The spectacle of Covenant ships gutting each other dissolved as Heller began to think frantically.

“How much air do you have?"

“Little."

Every breath counted. No way could he fashion a joint to her suit. He exhaled slowly.

“Got it."

The station drifted slowly towards them. His HUD pinged it a couple kilometers off. His belt had one canister of biofoam left. He unclasped it, gloved fingers nearly losing it to the void. He reached up, spraying lines across the cracks in her helmet. Air bubbled out of the foam before it still hardened in the vacuum, sealing itself. It would buy time. He stared intently at her, motioning with his hand.

“Thumb up for yes. Fist for no. Do you have enough to make it?"

Four suited fingers formed a fist. He swore under his breath, watching the station progress in size slowly, helplessly. Think fast marine. His hands found the cinched line at her waist. There was a maneuver they could do. There was an edge of frantic to his tone.

“You've got power to your thruster pack?"

Thumb up.

“Okay… I'm going to undo this line. I want you to launch me. When I get to the end of the line, I'll tug and start the winch. It'll pull you to me, fast. We'll get a boost."

Thumb up. Heller wasted no time. He handed her the line, coiling it around her gauntlet. Ships melted apart in slag heaps silently and shrapnel sped past like bullets. He oriented himself carefully, putting boots to her chest, ready to kick off. She nodded silently. Heller pushed hard.

He sped forwards in the vacuum, his line unwinding as he went. He watched tensely as T'soona's momentum slowed. This would work. Lost time for gained time. A hundred meters and the line went taut. Heller jerked abruptly, losing speed but not all of it.

He triggered the winch. The line went tight, beginning to reel T'soona in. He had just enough momentum not to get pulled back towards her. He braced himself and breathed as she catapulted towards him. They had one shot. Her arms opened within meters of him.

He was winded as she collided with him and sent into another nausea inducing spin, but she held him tight. A controlled thrust from her pack maintained their speed. His visor cleared itself of fog as he stared into hers, recovering his breath.

“We make it?"

The slightest nod from her. He exhaled in relief. The battle erupted silently around them as they spun head over heels towards the station. On each rotational pass Heller could make out more details of the Covenant architecture embedded into the miniature planetoid. A central oblong pyramidal structure. Hallways connecting to it. Embedded hangar bay platforms on the craggy surface. The telltale shape of four legged Scarabs visible through their shields.

“Bays the best target? Hope those aren't manned."

The landscape grew rapidly. What looked like small crags and dust grew to be small mountains. Their speed had become apparent as the Covenant structure loomed quickly. T'soona was a step ahead of him. Another burst from her thrusters slowed their speed and corrected their spin so they didn't get pasted across the surface.

The landing outside the hangar bays was still hard. Heller took just a second to lay on the surface of solid ground, watching the raging battle above before pushing himself up. Only a few meters off from the hangar bays below ground. They'd made it.

The hangar bay was empty of crew and the massive Scarabs stood silent on their loading platforms. T'soona's helmet flew off as she gasped for air. His own helmet hit the deck plating as he smiled and laughed. All he could do was kiss her deeply and hold it, savoring her flushed breath on his face. They parted quickly. Not out of the woods yet. T'soona observed the room with a fading blush.

“The station should have had active barriers. There has been fighting here as well."

She scanned the quiet hangar bay. Scorch marks along the walls. Heller stared up through the shields to the battle above. There were Covenant black markets. Organized mobs and gangs, semi-factions within the fanatical empire. Pirates maybe? Not on such a scale. He slipped his helmet back on. A doorway beckoned to them beyond the loading platforms. T'soona readied her pistol and ignited her blade. The heft of the Brute's weapon caused pain on Heller's support arm.

The doors parted for them, revealing a shield wall and what appeared to be a sealed room with a locked door at the end.

“Decontamination and airlock, we should be fine."

“You sure you don't want your helmet boss?"

Her mandibles tensed.

“I wish not to traverse the void for some time again."

The shield let them pass through it with a reverberating hum. The doors sealed shut behind them, rotating central piece spinning before locking. Something hissed into the room as the decontamination procedure started. Her green eye stared longingly at his. Her blade dissipated and her weapon fell to the floor. Her hands practically wrenched his helmet free. Heller was pushed to the wall and another heated kiss started. Long until they parted with a gasp for air.

“Twice you saved my life."

He smiled.

“We would've been pasted if you didn't have thrusters. Last ditch trick. I would've been the impact man, took the brunt for you. I owe you."

Decontamination finished. The exit doorway turned blue. The two nodded, readying themselves. The exit doorway slid open with a barely audible hiss, revealing another bay of sorts. The stench of carbonized flesh filled the air, fresh blood littered the bay, along with the bodies. The two moved in single file, sweeping for targets.

“The fuck happened here?"

T'soona swept her pistol over a charred line of corpses approaching.

“Kig-Yar phalanx. They were on the defensive."

Heller pressed forwards. T'soona scanned for targets as he worked. With a bit of grim effort, an arm brace slid free from one of the Jackals as he cut through charred flesh and hollow bone to remove a hand. The shield popped to life when he swept his fingers across the underside. The brute weapon clattered to the floor for one of their pistols.

He couldn't help but smile as he took up her six and they continued. They meshed maneuvers near flawlessly. The further they pressed into what appeared to be a storage bay, stacked crates creating a chokepoint, the worse the scene became. Scattered bodies of grunts lay were they fell in their panic to flee after the phalanx was broken. Then came the bodies of Elites. Blues and reds, rookies and officers. They had died advancing.

T'soona knelt down over one of the fallen Elites, who stared slack jawed up at the ceiling, holding the blackened rupture at his stomach. She closed his eyes. Heller hung his head briefly. All too human a gesture. A distant wheeze and gurgle snapped their attention. Shield raised and weapons scanning they pressed forwards.

Crates had been piled tightly together, making a corridor that forced single file all the way to the exit doorway of the bay. A blue armored Elite lay ahead. Purple entrails spilled across the deck plating. His gaze was glassy, but he managed a smile at the sight of T'soona. A gurgle of blood as he used all his strength to speak.

“A sight to behold….Exemplar. Forgive me…sister…I do you shame."

Her hand found his shoulder. Her tone was soft. It resonated with Heller. She sounded like she had back in the corridor he'd met her in. A moment of profound openness.

“You do no such thing brother. This field of battle is your proof of prowess."

Another gurgle of dark purple blood.

“We were fools….fooled."

He began a spasm fit as blood choked his airway. T'soona's arm blade found his primary heart, searing through armor and flesh. His eyes closed willingly with one last nod. Her pistol clattered to the floor. A semblance of respect as she retrieved the blue plasma rifle at his side. Ready to part, she stood.

“Something is happening to the Covenant, Heller. There has not been fighting of this severity since the Unggoy rebelled."

He didn't know how to take that.

“Seriously?"

Her expression was serious.

“Sheer numbers; provoked, they pushed through defenses just like this. This time it is Sangheili. I must learn why."

“We've come this far. With you on this. We should go soon, though."

They pushed forwards. Heller gave the Elite on the floor a nod as he passed. The doorway beckoned, sliding apart. Rounding a corner, T'soona backpedalled and flattened herself to the wall as green plasma splashed her shields. Heller did the same. Motion tracker pinged a lot of targets bottled up ahead. T'soona's eye closed.

“Trouble, Heller."

Trouble announced itself by shaking the hallway with every step it took. There was only one thing that massive that clattered on metal like that. Heller breathed deep.

“Fuuuuck me."

Motion tracker pinged a solitary dot approaching. It stopped before hitting the corner. The living colony rumbled in guttural Sangheilian, enough that Heller's translation software caught some of it. His bones rattled from its speech.

“Exemplar. Apologies. You are not attacking force. Cease fire."

Statement or command, he couldn't tell. T'soona peeked the corner. The hulking Lekgolo had to scrunch to fit in the hallway. No arm cannon, no shield. No bond-mate. It must have been a relatively young colony. Its body still provided a wall of protection to the Kig-Yar and Unggoy behind it. What passed for its armored head leered down at her before it made an immaculate gesture, bowing. T'soona turned back to Heller briefly. She was quiet.

“Do you trust me?"

“With my life, ma'am."

“Drop your weapons."

T'soona did the same as Heller. Her face hardened as she rounded the corner, taking command of the situation. Heller waited, tense. The Lekgolo remained bowed as T'soona approached.

“The Human with me is a critical informant, no harm is to come of him. My vessel was attacked. I came here seeking repair and refit. I have other concerns about what is happening here. Why are you under siege?"

The Lekgolo rumbled with its bone rattling vibrations to mimic speech. It was impressively articulate.

“These matters should be discussed with the Minister. It is not our place. We can escort you, if you wish."

“My prisoner; where will you take him?"

The colony tilted its “head." Cameras embedded into the helmet passed as four green eyes, creating information the worms could process to help them move. T'soona's bones rattled, for a different reason beyond its speech.

“It is not your prisoner. We give our word of safe passage. To a holding cell. We shall see to it personally."

The colony stood upright, but gestured with an arm for them to pass. She had taken command but there was a regal authority to the alien before her. She returned to Heller, speaking in quick English.

“I'll have to leave you in a cell. I shall return. There will be consequences if they harm you."

Heller's gut twisted, but he trusted her. He smiled uneasily.

“Just don't leave me waiting darling."

The Lekgolo lumbered alongside her in measured strides after they had left Heller. Bloodstains and plasma scorches scoured the halls as they went. She looked at the colony beside her.

“Your name, noble colony."

The eel like creatures contorted and writhed to articulate speech.

“Most here know of us as Insu. We would ask your title."

“T'soona Dasumee. The conflict spread deeply into this station. For what purpose?"

“Your kind pushed with great intent. We suspect they sought the Minister. It is with remorse that more of my kin were summoned to halt their advance."

“Why would my people seek to attack a Minister, Insu?"

Clusters of Unggoy were working to clear bodies as they passed. The hulking amalgamation had to duck to fit under doorways.

“We are unsure. Perhaps the Minister will have the answers you seek."

T'soona wasn't versed well on Lekgolo. She knew enough to know that the strange aliens had a general respect for Sangheili. She had one burning question to ask as the station's central gravity lift approached at the end of the hall. Insu was a stark example of colony self-awareness she had never seen before.

“What did you mean, about my prisoner?"

The colony's head tilted down to her.

“We utilize harmonics to identify those around us. We find that those who share bonds often resonate harmonics. Rather than prisoner, you are prisoners to each other."

T'soona paused at the lift, stunned. Purple flushed her cheek ridges.

“And you do not shun my heresy?"

The colony's head looked upwards to the lift, as if pondering.

“The bonds that form our Covenant shift, Exemplar. Even if they settle, it is not our place to question such connections. It was joyful to meet one of your stature, Exemplar. The Minister awaits."

Insu bowed regally once more. The station's central lift was hard to miss. Four hallways converged here. The lift was ornate, decorated in polished stone. T'soona bowed her head to the colony.

“May we meet before my business here is concluded, Insu. You have my gratitude."

The gravity lift pulled her aloft gently. The colony rose, lumbering away. The shaft up the lift was stained glass. Beyond the station the battle still raged. But its ferocity was dying down. One side was winning. T'soona didn't know whose.

A small landing greeted her, elegant doorway etched in bright minerals parting for her as she departed the lift. Honor guards were absent. Unusual, considering the stature of most San' Shyuum. The room beyond the door beckoned.

Herbal scents wafted through the door. Glittering crystals and minerals hung from the ceiling, suspended in a slow spin. An expansive window filled the circular room. Starlight caught the crystals and sent light dancing across the room. At the sight of the Minister, she bowed.

The San' Shyuum was grinding something in a stone bowl at a central table in the room. He motioned with his hand for her to rise.

“There is no longer any need to be so formal with me Sangheili, although I am flattered by one of your esteem and elegance. Let us see if I may answer your questions."

She rose silently. The minster's chair was etched with dark volcanic stone, glassy yet shiny. It sunk to the floor as the San' Shyuum stepped out of it. Soft black robes betrayed a wiry strength to him as he upturned his stone bowl. Herbs fell into a gravity bubble at the table, steam swirling inside as water boiled within. The Minister rubbed his long neck with a sigh.

“I never did care for those chairs. If one tends to sit for too long, then it is all they can do in time. Tell me, Exemplar, what brings you here in these troubled times?"

The Minister walked slowly around her, studying her battle scarred armor. T'soona was done deliberating her words.

“Minister, I am the sole survivor of an engagement. I was transporting a human captive with valuable information. I seek refit and repair to continue my journey, to the Holy City with your blessings."

The Minister simply watched her, stroking some of the thin grey hairs on his chin. His face was etched with ancient lines, as if he were chiseled from stone.

“Before I depart, I seek answers as to the bloodshed happening outside and across the station."

The Minister sighed, rubbing his forehead. Back to his table. A clear tube penetrated the gravity bubble, draining the colored water, now a deep red. A cup filled and the Minister corked the tube with a thumb.

“Tea should you wish, Exemplar. You look weary. These are troubling times. How long has your journey been?"

T'soona stood, arms crossed.

“A month, perhaps more, noble hierarch."

The minister nodded, bringing the tube to his mouth as the gravity bubble floated with him as he sucked down the dark brew.

“Much has happened. There have been recent political shifts at the heart of our great empire. The Jiralhanae have been climbing the political ladder. As expected, there is tension."

The Minister continued between sips, clambering back into his chair.

“High Prophet Regret has been assassinated. The Demon from the first Sacred Ring was responsible for his death. High Prophets of Truth and Mercy granted power to the Jiralhanae in light of this fiasco. It is with sadness that I inform you that your people have resigned from the Covenant."

T'soona was speechless, processing all of it. The Minister spoke for her.

“So, where does this land you, Exemplar? No longer are you in service to our Covenant. You commit heresy with your….traveling ally."

The Minister's large brown eyes were dangerous, yet mirthful like that of a child. T'soona almost ignited her blade. How could he possibly know? The Minister chuckled, as if reading her mind.

“The strange colony you conversed with. Its armor is rigged with listening devices. I was highly suspicious of it on the day it arrived here. Over time it has proven useful as a monitoring tool."

The Minster's eyes watched hers as he floated closer towards her in his chair.

“Your secret is safe with me, under certain conditions. I have a request I believe you would be exemplary in completing. Consider it a favor for a favor."

A lump had formed in T'soona's throat. She was still trying to process everything. Her eye fell to the brew resting in the cup on the table. The Minister nodded approvingly. She downed it quickly. Its sweetness edged with bitter. Her nerves calmed quickly.

“What would you ask, Minister?"

“That you take my personal corvette, your ally, and begone from this station. I shall leave a message on board my ship containing instructions. Do you accept?"

They had a ship now. A way out, at the cost of a catch. She weighed her options. She wasn't in much of a position to bargain.

“It shall be done."

The Minister nodded, a content smile creasing his withered lips.

“Go with my blessings, Exemplar. I fear that rotten things will come to light in the days ahead. There is more to this than just the resignation of your people from our Covenant. Go now, and have your answers."

The Minister passed for what counted as a curtsy in his chair. T'soona bowed her head. It was time to leave.

Heller sat anxiously in a small holding cell. He studied his guards closely. This station was apparently in the ass end of nowhere. That apparently meant he got to meet lots of new variations of Covenant species.

The grunt was a stocky fucker. Nearly double in size from what he'd normally seen. A gash over one eye and numerous deep scars across its hardened skin. He'd read a theory once that they were similar to earth crustaceans. Their skin got thicker as they aged, body growing larger until they couldn't sustain it and died. Being cannon fodder meant they rarely saw any beyond the age of a few years.

The Jackal was something interesting. Notable thick orange plumage. Thicker yet more athletic frame than the average. And no mistaking it. Small perky breasts and a tight ass. Sub-species, like the ones called Skirmishers maybe. He shrugged to himself. At least he had something nice to look at.

He found his thoughts on T'soona. The longer she was gone the antsier he grew. He still trusted her. The door to ship opened and she'd cut that Brute down without hesitation. Had it been an Elite, she probably would have done the same. The scene replayed itself. Even tired, her moves had been graceful.

He sighed to himself. Wasn't fair. How could this end? They were going to have to part ways, sometime. That or travel somewhere remote. He chuckled at the thought. Lucky ma and pa weren't around. They'd have comments about his choice in women.

The hulking frame of the Lekgolo greeted her arrival at the bottom of the lift with a bow. It lumbered alongside her, armor clinking. Her bones shook as it rumbled.

“Did you find the answers to your questions?"

“I did not. I have more concerns than before."

“Most unfortunate. Your ally is being brought to the Minister's ship. Unharmed as we promised. It is a large craft for two occupants. Stay close to your ally."

It was an oxymoron to describe the colony's tone as calm when it rattled bones. But it soothed T'soona internally to hear that Heller was safe. The rest of the trip was silent as they wound their way through the station, deeper into the planetoid. A grav-lift downwards into a hangar bay several times larger than their entry point. The Minister's ship filled it entirely, a sleek teardrop shape.

Beneath the ship's central grav-lift stood Heller, accompanied by a Kig-Yar and Unggoy. His face was one of relief when he saw her. The behemoth colony bowed silently in the direction of the Kig-Yar, a surprising gesture. The slim alien's plumage quivered in response. Heller put distance between himself and the other aliens, hands at his sides anxiously. He spoke reluctantly.

“Hoping we can go now."

“Yes, best that we do Heller."

Insu interrupted by shifting its weight from foot to foot, gesturing to the pair.

“We enjoyed your company, Exemplar. Time is of essence. We suspect the warring fleet is nearing its conclusion."

T'soona nodded.

“Colony…Insu. Fare well in the conflict ahead."

Insu bowed its head. The Kig-Yar watched Heller and T'soona with scrutiny, the Unggoy, seeming indifference. The grav-lift pulled the pair into the ship. Automated functions kicked in as soon as they entered. A jolt of vertigo as the ship moved. T'soona crossed her arms, sternly observing the interior. Heller spotted it in her eye immediately.

“You good boss?"

“No, Heller. I have more questions than answers, and a task."

He brushed a hand to the side of her head.

“We got a ship. We can just go."

Her mandibles parted to his touch, eye closed briefly. Her head shook with the slightest intent of “no."

“Not until I understand why my Covenant is fracturing, Heller. Why the ship we boarded had Jiralhanae greet us, and why my brothers attempted to assassinate a Minister. Why my kind resigned."

“As in, quit? Your species just opted out of the Covenant? Why?"

“The Jiralhanae; Brutes as you call them. They were granted more power than before by the High Prophets."

“Your leadership?"

“Correct. One of them was assassinated. It is what spurred the power shift."

Heller whistled long.

“Was it an internal sort of thing? Politics?"

“No. It was the Demon."

Heller went silent. Now some of it was apparent to him. This wasn't just an isolated conflict. Something had happened that shook the entire Covenant. The Demon meant only one person. Sierra 117. His helmet unlatched with a hiss. He stroked a hand through his hair.

“Okay. What's this task you were given?"

“Retrieval of something vital. The Minister has more information on board. Come. We should see it, or rest."

T'soona's admittance to rest hit home. Today had been a trip. Heller was bruised and exhausted. She led the way forwards into the ship.

It became clear early on just how luxury the Minister's ship was. The central deck was devoted to agriculture and botany. It was like someone had cut a slice of earth away and built the ship around it. Alien trees and plant life bloomed in carefully curated sections. A sprawling dome displayed space overhead. In the center of this room sat a platform with a gravity lift that led down.

The bridge was tucked deep into the ship, a small room surrounded by panels that displayed the exterior of space beyond. A central display console blinked a singular light, awaiting a viewer. T'soona and Heller had already watched the message. She had then scoured the Covenant battle net for more information. A lot had happened over the month they had traveled. Heller stood sternly with crossed arms, thinking to himself quietly. T'soona started the recording again.

The San' Shyuum in his chair appeared above the display plate. His full title, The Minister of Toil. He started the message warmly.

“Good tidings, Exemplar. The task of which I appoint to you is vital. In our Holy City, within the chambers of my ministry lies a data cluster containing important information in regards to our Covenant, and recent archeological findings. It is paramount that it be secured."

The Minister gestured with a three fingered hand, a projection of the Covenant's physical heart, the massive superstation High Charity appeared within his grasp. Beyond it floated what T'soona knew could only be another sacred ring. The Minister sighed notably.

“Our beloved city exists in a state of much strife, Exemplar. Conflict has erupted across all our occupied space. It is why I entrust the retrieval of such important information to you, for I know that one of your stature will not fail."

The projection shifted to the floating ring world, and the Minister sat quietly for a time, pondering his words.

“The failure of Supreme Commander Thel Vadumee to stop the destruction of the first ring at the hands of The Demon shook all of us. And now High Prophet Regret lies slain at the hands of this ghastly creature. The ring has not been activated in light of the conflict that plagues our great union."

The Minister nodded sternly, as if reassuring himself. He looked pleadingly towards the recording device.

“Exemplar. We are so close to salvation and yet we spiral into damnation. Retrieve my collected data. Safeguard it. Journey to the ring, and seek answers as to why it has not been activated. It is not within my power to grant you this authority, but I ask that if possible, activate the ring. You, Exemplar, can save all of our souls as they hang at the precipice of damnation."

The message ended. Heller was shaking his head. He couldn't understand the alien's language. His translator database didn't have anything on file. T'soona translated for him on the first viewing. He looked sternly back to her as she stared at the frozen recording.

“You're not seriously considering following through with that request, are you?"

“I need to consider it, Heller."

He held his hands up in protest, pointing to the hologram.

“This is crazy, T'soona… You're going to get yourself killed if you go there, and me, because I've got nowhere I can run. We have a ship. We can pick a destination, and just go."

“I cannot, Heller. Not for this. My people would not just resign from five thousand years of our pact over a political shift in power. Not when another sacred ring has been found!"

His shoulders hung. He nodded reluctantly.

“What about my side, T'soona? Your networks said that Sierra 117 was at the first discovered ring. He destroyed it. He's not a demon T'soona, he's a man, like me. That man doesn't do anything without a damn good reason."

T'soona's mandibles slacked. In an instant it was like she'd turned to glass.

“It is why I need to know, Heller. To know what is happening. The Demon…is your greatest warrior. Warriors embody the virtue of their people. And you, Heller…"

“Am just a man, trying to survive. And I happen to like you, which means my odds of survival are shot."

“My point, Heller. You are an honorable man. So who is this Demon, really? All I have are questions Heller, and no answers."

He sighed deeply, holding a hand to his forehead.

“Okay. This is fucking crazy. But I'm in. And I'm fucking tired, and I smell like shit after being a month in that pod. Where's the showers in this tub?"

T'soona shut down the recording. Coordinates were already locked to High Charity. At the command console, it took only a few commands to prompt the ship to enter Slipspace. She stared at Heller's hard, dirty face. A smirk creased her features.

“Come. Let us search together."

Heller didn't know what he was expecting. Gym showers? Public change rooms? He was pretty sure some Covenant species didn't practice hygiene. Being a small luxury ship meant for a smaller crew got him shower pods. A small dropship's worth of them packed together in an area of the ship he'd decided would be called “The Waterworks."

What the alien architecture did to off-put him was balanced by the fact that he could spend as much time in the water as he wanted with no other crew. After a month out there in the sticks, hot water was the closest thing he could get to heaven. He just leaned his head up against a wall and let the water run. A knock on his pod had him turn and rub his eyes.

“Yeah?"

“May I, Heller?"

T'soona's figure stood blurred through an energy barrier. He put his head back to the wall.

“Sure."

She slipped in quickly. In a moment her arms snaked across his waist, nude body pressed to his. Two extra feet in height let her lean down, head beside his, eye closed to enjoy the water with him.

“Your back is injured."

“Bruises. Lotta bumps on our spacewalk today. Nothing that'll kill me."

She ran a hand through his clumped hair. Another down below at his crotch, brushing through what had grown over a month of neglect. His body had already responded to her touch. Softer skin at her stomach and breasts, nipples emerging from their protective slits. Her hand brushing the base of his cock finished him off.

Fully erect now, her hand played. Her claw like fingernails scraped carefully, sending shivers through him. Heller appreciated the attention, but he was lethargic now. Still, it gave him an idea. He pushed off the wall.

“Hey, sit with me."

The pod was cramped, but workable. Heller pressed himself to her back as they slid down against the wall. A slightly awkward position until T'soona tilted her hips to accommodate her double jointed legs. Heller wrapped his arms around her stomach, resting his head on her shoulder.

“Much better."

His cock pressed against her spine, enough to keep him excited. They sat quietly together under the water flow for some time before he broke the silence.

“Ever try this before?"

Heller's hand trailed over the lips to her cunt. T'soona's reaction was immediate, mandibles slacking with a moan. The heat between her thighs dialed up and her cheek ridges flushed. Her green eye stared heavy lidded at him.

“No, not with a male."

Heller eased two fingers into the hot folds. Her leg muscles tensed.

“Do you want to?"

“Coy, Heller, do I give the impression that I- Ah!"

His fingers slipped further in. He could move the fingers on his other hand better now. They found her other weak spot. Cupping one of her breasts, pushing one of her nipples back into its slit with a finger. Her hands clenched and her toes curled. She was wet now. His lubed up fingers found her other nipple, forcing it back in.

She practically screamed, legs kicking and hands slipping on the shower floor. Other fingers slipped into each as he twitched and rotated them. Her body rippled and tensed, slow growing puddle leaking between her thighs. Eye closed and mandibles slacked, she breathed hotly over his chest as her head slumped on his shoulder.

“Heller…too much…"

He chuckled. Too easy that way. His fingers slipped out from her slits with an audible pop as the purple nubs showed themselves. She was on edge. Wouldn't take much to send her over. One hand found her primary heart, brushing below her breast. The other slid slowly across her stomach downwards.

“Almost there. You want it?"

Her hearts hammered, cunt leaking of its own accord, wanting something, anything. She could barely articulate the word between heavy breaths and splashing water.

“Please."

His fingers snaked agonizingly downwards. Brushed the small nub, parting wet folds before her body spasmed and clenched. Her mandibles slacked completely, her thighs closed as she came hard. Heller smiled, leaning his head back against the wall. Job well done.

The pair stayed quiet under the water. Steam filled the pod. T'soona spoke after recovering, resting propped up against him.

“Heller."

“Yeah?"

“You are the only constant within my life at present."

“How poetic of you."

“Do not leave."

He pondered it momentarily. The Covenant was breaking apart at the seams. Maybe there was a chance they'd make it.

“Try not to, ma'am."