A Halo Christmas [Halo Universe]

A Halo Christmas

A Halo Christmas

Forks and knives clattered against plates in a large, Christmas decorated cafeteria. Long green, gold, and red garlands glittered in the large lights above and then little jingle bells hung from the sides of the long tables that were situated in the room. On plates of many of the inhabitants that were there, there was ham and other similar festive foods, most stacked up upon the other in delight. Most the people there were from the UNSC; a group of humans who protected humanity as it slowly advanced into the universe. They were talking and laughing, scraping up the meal that they would receive only until Christmas came before the repasts would return to simple, unfavorable foods. Marines and ODSTs -Orbital Drop Shock Troopers or better known as Helljumpers- alike sat in the cafeteria, jesting and smiling as they ate and enjoyed the days before the holiday actually arrived. But that was one side.

On the other, booming voices mingling into the more quieter ones of the humans, were a race of aliens called the Sangheili. Strange creatures they were; four fingered hands with piercing eyes and two pairs of mandibles that opened and closed on their oval-shaped heads. They had long, slender necks and broad chests with wide shoulders. Underneath the table, their legs were hidden with their double knees and powerful muscles that had -on more than one occasion for some of them- had sent a human sprawling to his or her death. Most were hosting intelligent conversation between themselves. Others were boasting at their accomplishments and, in some cases, were struggling not to either start rouses between the humans or scoffing down the insane amounts of food that was laid in front of them. There was even one who was even trying to figure out what the jingle bells were along the tables.

While there was a clear division between the two species, there was one table where they mixed together. It was practically the center table, one with humans on one side and Sangheili bordering the other. However, though the cafeteria was properly divided, this table was not. Sitting almost like they were true friends, five humans sat between four Sangheili without a care in the world.

They were a funny group; there were two female humans and one female Sangheili, the rest of the thirteen hungry males. Anyone that walked by would give them a strange look -though the Sangheili and the humans had joined sides in war, it wasn't sociably acceptable yet to be together. There were some that didn't care.

A woman with brown hair and intelligent eyes pushed a piece of paper toward the Sangheili sitting beside her, her strong voice leading her finger as she said the words on the paper to show him where she was. She was a lean human with long legs and sharp features on her face with a small scar running down her cheek. Her eyes were just as strong as what her words could be, and the way that she held herself spoke of clear authority. Dressed in a black Marine sweatshirt and cargo pants, her plate of holiday food had been pushed aside as her foot tapped to some beat and she spoke in a soft voice.

"Now you try," she said, pushing the paper toward the dazed Sangheili that was staring at the material, wondering how she had gotten all that.

His green eyes, sharp enough to pierce through someone's soul and one of the brightest shades of green, crinkled in confusion and he glanced at her as his mandibles flared open. White armor reflected with the lights and the countless of decorations that were hung up. He was larger than most of the other Sangheili and his armor was marked with several designs along his wide shoulders and muscular chest. There were no visible scars that showed with the black under armor that he wore and all of his armor, but anyone with half a brain could tell that there was an entire network that marred almost every part of him. Two energy swords -weapons made of plasma that sliced through skin like a knife did butter- hung off his large hips. His eyes contained wisdom and everything he did normally contained some sort of sanity.