The Battle of Crucifix Hill, Part 2

It rained horribly, turning the ground beneath our feet into a sludge, a near-impassable morass of muck and grime. The sun had now sunk beneath the horizon, with the clouds blocking reflected starlight from any of the system’s celestial bodies, such as this world’s twin moons. Fortunately, the Humans had erected numerous artificial lights to illuminate some of their structures and fortifications, although much of it was still in darkness, with fires providing the only sources of light in some places. My lance and I made our way into the fortifications. I unleashed my sword, prepared to cut down a Human. However, only their corpses were littered about. I looked up at the summit, taking note of the Human-made monument, crafted from a single block of stone. Maybe the entirety of the hill was one burial mound? Or perhaps an ancient battle took place here, and this memorial was erected for posterity?
We moved through the fortifications, stepping over corpse after plasma-burnt corpse. One of the Minors, who had only recently joined our glorious Covenant’s struggle against the Humans, one Vran ‘Ukhuree, was not used to the stench of scorched Human flesh, and found it revolting. I did as well, but I had grown accustomed to it.
“Gods,” started Vran, “did someone send for an Evocatus?”
“No,” said another of my Minors, one Duzzar ‘Essedee. Aside from me, he has seen the most days on campaign. “It appears to be the work of a lance.”
“A lance? Only one?”
“The best ones work together, and with teamwork, a single lance has the strength of many.”
Here we entered an underground portion to the Human defenses. Sporadic discharges of plasma rifles and pistols still rang out. I kept my sword at the ready and my lance alert. As we reached an intersection, I motioned for Vran to look to the left, while I went to the right. He did so. Footsteps approached us, but stopped short of rounding the corner.
“Tinak!” yelled out a Sangheili voice.
“Denfar,” I replied.
Here I met another Major. “Major ‘Thurikee, Lance 8,” he said. “These tunnels are clear.”
“I’m Major ‘Zokurai, Lance 5. You and your men did quite the job back there.”
“You mean the Humans? Unfortunately, that work was not of our hands. All that was Lance 7. They should have reached the summit by now. Actually, that reminds me: perhaps we should reinforce them?
“Agreed. Lance 5! Move out!”
“Lance 8! Rally to me!”
Our two lances emerged back into the pouring rain and darkness. As we approached a large defensive structure near the top of the hill, three explosions rocked the whole landscape. Vran, the Unggoy, and the Kig-Yar all flinched in response to its sudden appearance. Duzzar and I, however, had a certain mettle to us, and we stood unshaken. We ascended the hill, stopping at the base of the stone monument.
There were no more Humans to be found. However, their corpses littered the area, with three small weapons platforms in firing pits thoroughly destroyed. I saw, gathered not too far from one of the entrances of the defensive structure, a lance. Perhaps these are the ones who wreaked such havoc here?
“Area secured!” I yelled out, my sword in my hand and my comrades beside me.
“Look, it’s our commander,” said Vran, pointing to Jodun ‘Vorusee and several other warriors addressing the lance leader. This Major seemed to have suffered a wound on his left shoulder, with his arm in a sort of sling.
“Someone send for a combat physician!” yelled Commander ‘Vorusee. “This man deserves it.”
“This is Lance 5,” I said over my communication device. “Requesting a combat physician at the summit of the hill. Combat physician needed at the summit of the hill. Over.”
I was curious, and so descended towards this Major. I stumbled down the hill, falling into a puddle of rainwater and mud.
“Gods, dammit all!” I uttered, pulling myself up onto my feet and wiping the mud clean from me. I moved to the Major. “I suppose you are Lance 7?”
The Major nodded. He was bleeding from his wound.
“I sent for a combat physician,” I continued, “he should be here shortly.”
The Major nodded again, this time with a face of gratitude. I leaned in closer to him, examining him closely. “Forgive me, but… is your name Kai ‘Kalaree?”
“Yes,” replied Kai. It was him. The realization soon dawned upon him, his eyes widening. “Iero? Iero ‘Zokurai?”
“Yes, it is I.”
“It has been quite some time. How have you been?”
“I am fine, yourself? Well, aside from the obvious.”
“Life is good.”
“Good, very good.” I nodded quickly. I studied his wound. The blood of his father, and his father’s father, and his father before him, now flowing from this man. As soon as he recognized me, he did not maintain eye contact with me, looking away, at my boots, or the dirt, or my chest, perhaps at the dead Humans. Never at my face. He dared not look into my eyes as the blood of those who came before flowed from him. I did not want this audience any longer. “I have orders to secure the area, I beg your pardon.”
“Of course, duty first. Be seeing you.”
“Of course.”
I left Kai. I, accompanied by my lance, continued down the hill to secure the area.
“What was that about?” Duzzar inquired.
“We were in the same graduating host at the Academy on Sanghelios. I hated him. He and his friends were insufferable.”
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