Precious Cargo - Chapter 1 - Lost & Found

[jokerman]

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The following story is copyrighted material and all rights belong solely to the author.  Any reproduction or republication of any or all of this publication without the explicit and expressed written consent from the author is strictly forbidden.
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click here for - the Preface

Chapter 1 - Lost & Found

The Spartan ran hard away from the Pelican to get to cover before the Covenant dropships approached.  Jumping and high-stepping through the muck, he dove under a nearby downed large tree-like plant several meters away.  Peering through the moss and fern covered dead branches, the Spartan saw a slow flying Covenant ship coming close to the downed Pelican.

“Phantom class, great”, the Spartan said to himself.  He rolled over on his back and looked around in the other directions away from the Phantom.  He saw three possible ways out from trails that he had made before to check his surroundings.  He closed his eyes and remembered the layout of each of the three paths, where they narrowed, where they opened up, where they led, and any supplies he had placed along the way.  He had hidden several weapons and anything he deemed necessary in several spots all over the area.  He lived by a lesson he learned long ago, ‘You never know when you will need something and you never know where you will be when you need them’.

Opening his eyes, he checked the cache of weapons in his current hiding place.  Then he rolled over on his stomach and looked back at the hovering Phantom.  “What are you waiting for?” he said quietly.  “You aren’t afraid of getting wet, come on…”

The Phantom turned and pointed its aft section toward the wreckage.  Lowering down, the back hatch opened and out stepped a single Elite as it barely touched the ground.  The Spartan waited for the side hatches to open but they remained closed.  Then just as slowly, the Phantom raised the rear hatch and began to ascend.

‘Ok, this is different…’, the Spartan thought to himself.  ‘Why so slow, why one, who are you?’

The Elite stood facing the Pelican wreck as his right side faced the Spartan.  He wore silver battle armor that glistened as the rain began to bead and drip from its surface.  The Elite stared intently at the Pelican as if waiting patiently for someone to emerge.

The Spartan looked at the green eyes of the Elite.  Green eyes are a rare trait for the Elite’s race.  The recessive gene causes the eyes to change from green to a golden color and back several times during their lives.  The Spartan knew an Elite with that trait.  And that Elite knew  him.

As the sound of the Covenant ships subsided and the insects and Screamers began to again fill the moon’s air with their chorus, the Elite spoke.  The Spartan recognized the words that came out of the Elite’s mouth.  It was a long multiple syllabic resonating sound that was more at home in the moon’s swamp than the lonely Spartan inhabitant.  The second syllable was uttered as if it was a bellow from a crocodile or alligator from old Earth, the reverberation tapering off as it got to the end.   More a verbalization of sounds than words to the Spartan, they resonated in the swamp causing the nearby insects to stop their chattering and take notice.  The Spartan knew this utterance well.  

“Shy-Gheer-Maag”, the Elite said slowly, still facing the wreckage not even blinking.  Without moving he continued to speak in the direction of the wreck, “I have not come to battle you.  I have only come to bring you a message.  The war between the Covenant and the Humans is over.  It has been for some time now.  Many thought you dead but I did not share their confidence in your demise.  Many things have changed.  The Covenant has changed.  My race and the other races have changed.  But still, some things remain the same.”

Still not moving but looking forward, the Elite continued.  “As I said, I did not come here to battle you, Shy-Gheer-Maag.  But if it is a battle you want, then you can taste my blade!”

With that, a light grew out of the Elite’s left hand and into the moon’s damp air.  It crackled and sizzled as it shimmered in the rain.  The Elite then turned to his right and faced the Spartan’s hiding place.  As the silver clad warrior turned, he showed that his two left mandibles were missing, leaving only scars where they had once been.  Without moving his head, the Elite redirected his eyes to the Spartan that was now standing on the branches looking down at the Elite.  Staring directly into the visor of his adversary he said, “What say you, Spartan?”

click here for - Chapter 2 - Reunion

[Liam]

HOORAY HOORAY you wrote more!!! I don't have the time right now, but I promise to read....AND ENJOY EVERY SECOND 

[jokerman]

I'm glad you like it! 

I added a link on top of this chapter to the Preface that is in the General Board. 

It introduced the new story but has already rolled over from the first page.

So, I used a digital lasso and linked it so it wouldn't get lost.