Halo: Uncovering the Truth (Book 3, Arbiter x Female human series.)

Bond

     Tyra ran towards Bria in a matter of panic. It startled her at first. What could be wrong now?

     "You, Arbiter in my ship now!" She yelled and continued to go find Thel.

     Bria shrugged and got onto her ship. Soon Thel and Tyra joined along with a few other Elites.

     "What is going on?" Bria asked.

     Tyra opened up a holographic map that displayed the entire solar system.

     "That!" She pointed at a black mass.

     Bria studied it. It swirled and looked very dangerous and possibly deadly. "What is that?"

     "It's like a black hole. It infects everything it touches. It tore one of our ships apart."

     "It looks close." Thel said.

     "That's why this UNSC ship is about to hyperjump. But we have another thing we need to do." Tyra brought up a map of Sangheilios. "There's a distress signal coming from Sangheilios. We're going to go investigate."

     On the way to Sangheilios, Bria was cleaning a gun. She looked at Thel who caught her a couple of times looking at him. She wished he just looked away, she felt so incredibly awkward after her last encounter with him.

"We're here." Tyra sighed. She looked very uncomfortable.

They all shot down the gravity life, Tyra wielded her Frost Wraith while Thel used his Prophets bane, Bria had a pistol and her powers of course. They all crouched behind a rock, a few other Elites followed them.

     "What was the distress signal?" Bria asked.

     "I don't know..." Tyra replied. "It came from this same location that we landed to find Master."

     They peaked over the rock, it was clear but who's to say there weren't hidden snipers.

     Tyra looked at two other Elites and signaled them to move forward.

     Bria noticed that Thel was looking at Tyra, in almost like a proud father way. She must've reached his expectations of a leader. She was young, but she was a good leader.

     The Elites moved to the next spot and quickly crouched down. They both scouted the area and soon yelled in Sangheili...

     "Clear!"

     The whole team stood up and continued forward.

      "It's kind of suspicious that no one is here. I swear this is where the signal came from." Tyra said.

     Both Tyra and Bria recognized the place. It was the same location that the spears were thrown at them. A shiver went down their spines.

     "Well, it was recent." One of the Elites said in Sangheili. They approached a doorway of one of the buildings, only to see a trail of blood leading in.

     Bria quickly went inside and her heart dropped.

     Everyone followed her. A couple of them slightly gasped.

     "The clan..." Bria said in a low voice.

     Bodies laid on the floor covered in blood, or some were cut up to pieces. Everything and everyone was dead.

     "They were slaughtered..." Tyra spoke.

      Bria walked over to a body that she recognized to be the Brute that trained her. "Who could've done this?"

Suddenly they heard sobbing. They all immediately drew their weapons and pointed towards it, though no one knew where it was coming from.

Thel signaled some Elites to stay guard of Bria. She felt kind of irritated. She could definitely take care of herself.

Thel and Tyra silently walked closer and closer to the sobbing. It came from behind a fallen banner. Thel began to draw it back...

Not long before a bullet flew past his head. He managed to dodge it swiftly. He glared at the banner, or whoever was behind it and tore it back.

"Please don't hurt me!..." a little girl cried.

"Penny?" Thel questioned.

Her eyes opened and lit up at the sight of him. "Thel!" She ran out and held onto his leg. "You're okay! I knew they couldn't kill you!" She grinned.

Bria observed from the distance.

"What has happened to you, child?" He crouched down to where he was at eye level.

"Master brought us here. They hurt a lot of people, but I bit someone's hand and they let me go. And I hid. I'm so scared..." she hugged Thel once more.

Bria's heart melted.

"Is there anyone else here?" Tyra questioned her.

Penny shook her head. "Everyone left a little while ago."

"So it was them?" Thel muttered and stood up again.

Penny peaked from behind Thels leg at Bria. Bria smiled and gave her a small wave.

"This is, my wife." Thel told Penny.

Pennys eyes filled with wonder and she let out a small, excited gasp. "You're his wife?"

     Bria brushed past the guards and approached Penny. "I'm Bria." She smiled again.

     Bria has always had a soft spot for children. This little girl looked so young too.

     "You're even prettier in person." Penny said.

     Bria blushed and looked up at Thel. He was looking at her as well.

     "Wanna see something cool?" Bria asked Penny.

     Penny nodded her head with excitement. "Yeah!"

     Bria let her purple fire swirl around her fingers showing Penny the way it moves.

     "Woah!..." penny's eyes were focused on the flame. "How do you do that?"

     Thel watched her interaction with Penny. She would make such a great mother.

     "It's just something I can do." Bria replied.

     Penny smiled up at Thel. "I like her." She said.

     Bria laughed and Thel watched her. It's been such a long time since he's seen her laugh. She had such a beautiful smile.

"Ahem..." Tyra cleared her throat getting Thels attention. "So it was the group that took you hostage."

Thel wasn't ready to tell them the truth. Not until Bria gets her memories back.

He nodded. "Indeed."

Tyra sighed. "Well, at least we got some type of lead. I'll have to do more research."

Both Tyra and Thel looked back over at Bria who was still showing Penny tricks, who just watched in awe.

"Come on children. Playtimes over." Tyra joked.

They all returned to the ship.