Halo: The Cole Protocol by Tobias S. Buckell;

Author:Tobias S. Buckell;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 2019-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

PART III

* * *

CHAPTER 27

* * *

La Paz Habitat, Outer Rubble, 23 Librae

Thel sat in front of the bars, his legs folded underneath him, watching the two guards. It was a modified warrior’s crouch, one that let a Sangheili rest with his legs beneath him, but in a manner that allowed one to leap up and forward in the blink of an eye. He’d spent long hours practicing with fellow students in the sandy training courtyards of the Vadam keep, learning the pose; now it came as second nature.

The short, shuffling Unggoy that guarded them carried a plasma rifle too large for its frame, and Thel caught the trace whiffs of methane that leaked from around the guard’s mouthpiece. The Unggoy—an annoying lesser being—was careful to remain as close to the far wall and as far away from the bars as possible, rightly fearing the Sangheili’s long limbs.

But that didn’t stop the Unggoy from taunting them and puffing itself up. “Look, you mighty Sangheili. Look you not so mighty now, eh?”

Thel growled from somewhere deep in the back of his throat.

“You ignore the Unggoy, yes. Throw us to die at your feet. Don’t care when other races take advantage of poor Unggoy. No more. Wait until you are taken to Metisette, then see you our might.”

Thel looked over at Zhar. “Might?”

“Unggoy might is a contradiction in terms,” Zhar grumbled.

“So think you,” the Unggoy hissed. “Just you wait. Just you wait.”

“What’s this Metisette? That is the second time I have heard that word,” Zhar observed. “The Kig-Yar who locked us in here mentioned it.”

Thel took a deep breath. “It is the human name for a world around the great gas giant.” His calves burned somewhat, now. But he waited still.

Just under his feet, hidden by his crouch, was the long spear of metal. Using the edge of the bedframe, and their own strength, Thel and Saal had taken turns sharpening it further. They’d also cut rudimentary barbs into the spike by shaving out sections of the crude weapon.

Now it was a case of choosing the best moment. Thel didn’t want to waste their one attempt.

This cell, they had determined, was in one of the far edges of what Zhar had heard the humans call “the Rubble.” Though the Kig-Yar and humans were working together, this was mainly a human creation.

Before Thel’s thoughts meandered further, the walls shook and debris began breaking loose. The bars of metal holding them in started bowing and screeching as they were tortured into slightly different shapes.

Lights flickered, and Thel still remained absolutely still, like a helioskrill imitating a rock back on the home planet, just watching for a meal to unsuspectingly walk by.

As the cell plunged into darkness, Thel felt his weight lift off as the antigravity generators failed. He picked up the spear, the end of it tied off to several lengths of tightly braided sheet strips, and listened.

He could hear the Unggoy’s panicked breathing and the hiss of the methane tank as he struggled in the air.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.