The Ashes of Reach

11.

It had been a couple days from her visit on Reach. She had barley went back into her armory, even when she did, she couldn't look at the helmet again. It was tough for her. She didn't want to think of him when she went on a mission. She was afraid of it messing up her performance.

As she was watching TV, a knock was heard at her door. She would get up and go to open the door to see General Edwards there. "Hello, Alison. I need you to do something for me." He says while leaning against the door frame. "Yes General. What is it?" She asks while tilting her head "Well... we've found a Sangheili in orbit of earth. We managed to capture him before he could get away or contact the covenant. He surrendered pretty quickly and we've captured him and brought him to the base. We want you to interrogate him."

Alison tensed up a bit after hearing that. She hasn't dealt with the covenant ever since she escaped from Reach. But she knew this would happen eventually. She nods to him before saying "Alright. Let me just get my armor and I'll be right there." She says as she walks downstairs to the armory, she would quickly get into her armor before looking at Jason's helmet. She would stare at it before sighing and turning around to walk out. Oh she would do anything to have him back.

Soon she would arrive at the base. General Edwards would lead her into a building that seems to be used for prisoners. Like a mini prison. He would lead her to the interrogation room and say "Listen... you don't have to do this. I know what you've been through so if you want to opt out at anytime just let me know, okay?" Alison would nod to him before going inside the room

Alison walked into the interrogation room to see the Sangheili, sitting down at a table, hands cuffed to the table. The elite seemed to be a minor class due to the armor, but he was scared. Scared of her and his situation. She could only imagine all the thoughts going through it's head right now.

Alison was hesitant to walk up to it at first before mustering up the courage to do so, she would sit down infront of the elite. As she does the elite would speak up and say "L-Look.... I wasn't trying to attack you guys! I'm an explorer for the covenant! I-I explore worlds a-and ma-" He would get cut off by Alison raising her hand up and saying "Listen. I know, you're scared. I'd be scared to if I was in your situation. Lets just start off easy. What's your name?" She says with an unusual calm expression. She never hated the species of the covenant, she just hated their ideology.

"K-Khyt'Kuttin..." He says, his voice shaken from fear "Good good... listen I'm not gonna hurt you okay? You just need to be honest with me here. Did you tell your uppers about your findings?" "No no! I was just starting to map out the system until human ships surrounded my ship. I had no choice but to surrender... I didn't want to die." He says before looking down, seeming to start getting upset. "What's the matter?" She asks the elite

"I-I'm... I'm a heathen. Me being captured means I've went against the Great Journey... I can't go back home or they'll kill me... my old life is over..." He says and starts to tear up. It was so unusual to see a sangheili cry. After all, to her they seemed to be so strong. Mentally and physically. To see one cry made her see more in sangheilis than just fighting. "It'll be ok-" She would get cut off by the elite yelling "How is it okay?! I'm in a world where everybody hates me! No one trusts me here! I'll probably have to live in a cell until I die! Or get experimented on or even executed!" After his outburst, he starts to cry with his hands on his face.

Alison felt terrible for the elite. Even after everything, she sees this elite to be a lot different than the other ones. She would stand up and walk next to him, giving him a hug "Tell you what. As long as you answer my questions truthfully, I'll let you live with me. Okay buddy?" The elite looked at her with a confused, yet saddened look "But... why? Why do that for me?" "Because I see that you're not a threat. You just want to live and were doing your job. I feel you shouldn't be cooped up in a cell for that." The elite would then wrap his arms around her to hug her back "Thank you... so much..."

The interrogation went on for another 15 minutes. Alison asked him questions which Khyt'Kuttin answered them all truthfully. Soon, Alison would walk out of the interrogation room with him to meet up with General Edwards "It's done. I'll let you know all the info I got later. It isn't much but I'll let you know. For now, I need to take him to his new home. My home." General Edwards' eyes widened in surprise before saying "Alison are you crazy?! Why do you-" Alison would cut him off by saying "Because he doesn't deserve to rot in a cell for doing his job. And he's not a threat to any of us. Come on." She says before walking back to her warthog with the sangheili

She would drive him to her house and soon arriving. "Well... here we are." She says as she gets out the warthog and opens the door for the elite, who was amazed by the interior of the house "Your new home..."