Honor and Friendship

Chapter Seven

The Sangheili tactically moved down the corridor, clearing hallways and bodies down their way. Aythai’Vadam had to be extra alert, and keep a close eye on his visor’s heads up display. This is due to the three mares behind him, their comm-links allowing them to show up as friendlies on his motion sensor. It was a good thing he was able to uplink them to his helmet, it kept watching them a lot easier.

“They wanted to come on the operation, might as well give them a taste of what it is like to be part of it.” Aythai’Vadam thought, before using his left hand to point at an upcoming corridor. “Applejack, clear that corridor on our left. Dash, the one on our right. I will cover you both.” He ordered, halting and taking a better watch position.

“Wait, why do we have to? Isn’t that what you’re here for?” Rainbow Dash whispered, looking around the dimly lit corridor.

“Because they are adjacent corridors, and there is only one of me. If I clear it, I’ll be exposing my back to a possible enemy in the other corridor.” Aythai’Vadam glanced towards Rainbow Dash, before returning his attention forward. “Plus, would you prefer me pointing my weapon down an empty, or closed off, corridor or where we will most likely take contact?”

Rainbow Dash thought about it, as Applejack giggled a bit and moved towards the left corridor. “Just do it, Rainbow. He’s the expert.” She said, pressing her back against the wall and waited for the pegasi to get into position.

“Still doesn’t mean we should trust him being behind us…” Rainbow Dash thought, while she moved into position, as well.

Pinkie Pie suddenly appeared underneath Aythai’Vadam, giving him a wide grin. “What should I do, Ay Ay!?” She chirped.

The Sangheili jerked his head down, surprised by the pink mare’s sudden appearance. “Uh… You keep covering our six. We may have come that way, but we still did not clear the rest of that corridor.” Aythai’Vadam instructed.

Pinkie Pie gave him a salute. “Aye-Aye, Ay Ay!” With that, she slinked back, and started to pretend she was some Royal Guard Commando.

“Ready?” Aythai’Vadam asked, taking a knee for better aim control, as they both nodded. His eyes became more focused on the scope, and what appeared in it. “Go!”

The lights on their Spikers came on, and both mares turned the corners with their weapons ready. Applejack’s corridor seemed clear, except for the exposed wires and two Unggoy corpses… But she turned around, when the sounds of a Spiker firing echoed all around the corridor.

When Rainbow Dash turned her corner, she came face to face with a dead Brute. The mare panicked, and quickly opened fired on to the corpse! She filled it with seven spikes, as she fell back, and Aythai’Vadam rushing over to cover her. When he didn’t shoot at it, the daredevil lowered her weapon. “D-Did I get it?” She asked.

Aythai’Vadam eyed the Brute, the scent of week old rot filling his nostrils. “No, he died in either the crash, or moments before… Good reaction time, though.” He noted, going back to covering their front.

“Sweet Celestia, those things are much uglier in real life.” Rainbow Dash said, as Applejack went to check on her. “Sorry for the startle, everypony.” She reached to a pile of scrap, to help brace herself. “Could have sworn he was-?” Rainbow Dash cut herself off, when Aythai’Vadam grabbed her wrist. “Hey, what gives!?”

He pulled her away from the scrap pile, and carefully moved the side pieces from it. “That’s what ‘gives’.” Aythai’Vadam revealed a trip mine hidden beneath the pile. “The moment you put weight on that mine, it would have gone off.”

The group looked at one another, shocked that he saw it before they did, and then back at the Sangheili. “Now, why would yer people lay a trap? And how did it survive the crash.”

“It wasn’t placed prior to the crash.” Aythai’Vadam answered, as he eyed the mine and how it was placed. “This thing couldn’t have been placed here for very long.” He looked at how the mine only had three days’ worth of dust built up on to it. “This confirms my suspicions.”

“What do you mean, big guy?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Aythai’Vadam didn’t answer, he simply turned his comm-link on. “Princess, this is Sword, respond.”

“Princess here, go head Sword, anything new?” Twilight asked.

“Seems I was right; we may have a possible hostile within the wreckage.” He replied, eyeing the mine, ever so carefully. “We just came across a trip mine, that can’t be more than three days old.”

“What are you planning on doing about this, Sword? Doesn’t this pose a problem to your salvage operation?” Twilight asked, the Sangheli pressing another button on his helmet.

When he pressed the button, the eyes of his helmet turned dark blue. His visor’s heads up display started to outline everything he was seeing in blue lines. Slowly, green dots started to glow over certain points of the corridor. Aythai’Vadam grinned, his display started to show him every active Covenant Mines within the corridor. “Negative, Princess… Not a problem at all. Sword, out.”

-Deeper Inside the Wreckage-

Aythai’Vadam found this new obstacle in their way much harder, these mines were everywhere. Some corridors were filled with an assortment of minor traps, that weren’t lethal, while quite a few were rigged to explode with one wrong step. Though, the pattern was familiar to Aythai’Vadam but he couldn’t figure out why… But, he hated that he now realized what was going on right now, by how the traps were placed.

The Sangheili suddenly stopped, looking down three possible corridors they could take. “What’s wrong, pardner? More traps?” Applejack asked, looking at the three paths.

“Yes, and there is only one possible way to really go. A path completely devoid of traps… Single problem.” He said, staring at the center corridor, intently.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, keeping her Spiker at the ready. “Then let’s go already! Doubt that problem is a real issue.” She blurted out, but the Sangheili shook his head.

“No, we’re being lured into an even bigger trap.” Aythai’Vadam noted, making the three mares go wide eyed. “The easy route would be to take the center corridor, but I know for a fact that it’ll lead us straight into a kill box for some turret placement… The one to our right is lined with nonlethal traps, to deter you from going that way.” His gaze wen to the left, becoming serious. “But the left corridor is lined with high explosives, and extremely lethal traps… Which means that it’ll lead you straight where they don’t want you to go.”

“So… What are we gonna do, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, looking at the three corridors.

“We aren’t doing anything, Applejack.” Aythai’Vadam corrected, placing the needle rifle on to his back. “All three ways are far too dangerous for you three, so you’re going to wait here, until I get back… Or for me to order you three to escape without me.”

He started to walk towards the corridor, but stopped when Applejack grabbed hi hand. “Whoa now, sugarcube! Ain’t no way in Equestria are ya gonna do that alone! Nor am ah gonna let ya!” She argued, glaring up at the Sangheili. “Ah said ya wer mah responsibility, and ah promised ta keep an eye on ya!” When Applejack blushed, realizing how what she said sounded, she shook her head. “And y-ya gave yer word ta the princess, that you’ll protect Equestria. Can’t do that, if this varmint gets ya in one of his traps!”

Ayhai’Vadam looked down at her, his helmet catching the mare’s flushed face, but was oblivious by what it meant. “Do not worry, Applejack… They will not stand a chance against me.” He simply said, the mare releasing his large hand. “I have an interesting surprise, that they won’t expect.”

“Oh yeah? And what might that be?” Rainbow Dash asked, not trusting what he was saying. “What do you have, that makes you better than any other pony for these traps?”

Aytha’Vadam looked towards her. “To put it simply, Dash?” He asked, facing the center corridor, and started walking. “They won’t see me coming.”

Their jaws dropped, as the Sangheili’s body started to shift and become transparent. Seconds later, Aythai’Vadam disappeared, completely, from sight! Applejack shook the surprise off first, smirking. “That’s one impressive surprise.”

“Oh yeah.” Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash both said.

-Sweet Apple Acres-

“It has been a good while, since Aythai’Vadam last checked in with us…” Twilight said, tapping the array’s edge. “Maybe we should try contacting him? It wouldn’t hurt, would it?”

“Darling, I am sure he has a perfectly good reason, I mean… He did say there were signs of a survivor.” Rarity said, filing her fingernails. “Figuring out whether they are on his side or not, takes time.”

Fluttershy nervously looked around, tapping her fingers. “M-Maybe they’re b-busy? T-They do have a-a- lot of w-work t-to do?” She, meekly, noted for the group.

Spike ran up into the Phantom. “Twilight! Message from Princess Celestia!” He shouted, earning a nod from the young princess. “She said that she thanks us for the new information, and will send extra Royal Guards to help guard the wreckage’s perimeter… She hopes that Aythai’Vadam is able to resolve the situation and get everypony back safely.”

“Thank you Spike.” Twilight said, with a smile, before she started thinking. “Maybe I should try the others.” Twilight turned to the communication array, and turned the machine on. “AJ? Rainbow? Pinkie? Can any of you hear me?”

It took a few moments, but they got a response. “Yeah, we’re here. Something up, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash spoke up, Twilight giving a sigh of relief.

“Just wanting an update. You girls alright? I can’t seem to get Sword on his comm-link, is he alright?” She asked, happy that her friends are alright.

“Yeah, we’re alright, Twilight… And how should we know how that lunatic is doing?” Rainbow Dash sounded irritated for some reason, confusing the others.

“What Rainbow meant, Twi, is that Sword went ta go take on whoever set these traps, alone.” Applejack cut in, the three looking at one another. “Twi, ah don’t like this… No pony should be handlin’ somethin’, like this, on their own.”

“Then why not follow him, AJ?” Twilight asked, confused, feeling like she’s missing something here. “Shouldn’t be that difficult.

It took a few moments for one of them to answer. “Well, Twi… We don’t have the gear, he does. Ta see them nasty traps.” Applejack replied, which made sense to Twilight. “Plus, apparently, Sword had been keepin’ a secret from us… He had an impressive trick up his sleeve, just to keep who ever this is from trippin’ their traps early.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow, looking at the other two mares, who were also confused. “What do you mean, AJ? What has he been hiding?” She asked, trying to think of what they could be talking about. “I checked out both his weapons and armor, only those hilt things remain a mystery to me.”

“He can turn invisible! It was so cool!” Pinkie Pie chirped in, making Twilight back away for a few seconds. “Ay Ay was standing right in front of us, one second… Then, the next? Poof! Gone, vanished!”

“He… Turned… Invisible?” Twilight asked, the others confirming her question. “Seems like there is still much to learn about his people’s technology… Any chance there is some way to communicate with him?”

“Sorry, Twi… We can’t reach him, usin’ these here comm-links. Either he isn’t responidin’ to us, or there is somethin’ preventin’ us from getting’ through.” Applejack replied, making Twilight sigh. “Only way ta communicate, right now, is ta find him and-… Hey! Pinkie, where are ya going!?”

“I’M COMING FOR YOU, AY AY!!!!” Pinkie Pie yelled, confusing those within the Phantom.

“Pinkie! That’s not even the right way! He went down the center corridor, not the right!” Rainbow Dash said, this time, causing the three mares to become concerned for their three friends.

-With Aythai’Vadam-

The Sangheili moved through the corridor, avoiding the traps left to lure in any who saw them. He kept the cloaking system on, making sure whoever this was… Didn’t see him coming, and allowed Aythai’Vadam to sneak up on them instead. It was also a good thing that he had the others stay behind, some of the obstacles, here, would have been difficult for them to get around.

Leaping over one of the obstacles, the cloaked Aythai’Vadam noticed a defensive placement dead ahead of his current position. A plasma turret sitting in the perfect position to slaughter anyone that got caught within its sights. Looking around, the Sangheili could already see that some fell for this trap, both corpses of Brutes and Jackals laying all around the kill box.

Aythai’Vadam still kept his cloak up, while he knelt down. He looked through the needle rifle’s scope, noticing that no one was manning the plasma turret. “Where are you? I left more than enough clues that someone was approaching your position… So, where are you now, trapper?” He thought.

Deciding that getting behind the defensive placement was his current course of action, the Sangheili quickly went forward. He had to admit, judging by the obvious kill count, whoever this was…. They were good at defensive operations-… Then it hit him, like a Mgalek’golo. Aythai’Vadam knew of only one creature aboard their ship, who could have placed such a perfect defense. To lay traps and lure their unsuspecting foes right into an inescapable kill box.

His eyes narrowed, and Aytahi’Vadam sprinted forward! The Sangheili didn’t slow down, his cloak disabling, as he rushed the defenses. Something drew this specific defender away from his post, which wasn’t the easiest thing to do. Only a chance to blow something, or someone, up could do such a thing. When he vaulted over the turret’s barricade, the corridor echoed with Aythai’Vadam’s voice. “Flipyap! You psychotic Grunt! Don’t you dare harm those three, or I’ll rip your limbs clean off!”

-A Little Ways Ahead-

The powerful voice caused a Heavy Unggoy to stand straight up. The demolition expert had been watching three strange creatures from the ship’s monitoring systems. He had been watching them, ever since they tripped his Leg’Golo Dung Trap, which the blue one was now covered in. The Unggoy looked up at the Huragok, floating above him. “Hey, Easy to Adjust, did you hear someone yell my name?”

The Huragok floated there for a moment, its teal head looking around the isolated room. It looked back at his stubby, green armored, friend and whistled at him. The Unggoy turned to face him, tilting his masked head, while the Huragok flexed his tendrils.

“An Elite? Here? You must be malfunctioning, Easy to Adjust… Your scans said they were all dead, none survived the crash.” The Unggoy said, fully facing the Huragok, as a certain figure walked up behind him. “Besides, those three creatures need to be-?” The Huragok started to flex its tendrils, in a panicked motion. “What? What do you mean I should turn around and look, before I finish that statement?”

“I think he’s talking about me, Flipyap.” Aythai’Vadam said, startling the Unggoy!