Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.

Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.

---

Exiled

Chapter 7

Rtas charged into a large building and there. Already half way across the room was there target! He fired at him but only managed to make two hits before he hide made it into another room and a shield barricade deployed. Rtas walked over cursing the coward. A soon as he drew near Sesa noticed him. He turned around and smirked at him.

"This will save me from the storm but you will be consumed."

Rtas slammed his fist on shield just as a blast door dropped. Colde and the remains of the squad came up behind him most of them covered in blood and gasping for breath. Colde looked at him first.

"Commander! Where is he?" asked Colde. Rtas nodded to the door and Colde walked up for a closer look. As he did Colde cursed.
"Stinking flood bait locked himself in tight. We will never break this!" said Colde, frustrared.
Rtas then gazed at a hologram of the station and smiled.
"We shall force him out." Colde raised an eyebrow and walked up next to him.
"How?"
"The pylon I'm going to cut It." said Rtas. He then turned to face Colde.
"Get everyone back to the ships." Colde nodded and turned to face the remaining warriors.
"Warriors return to landing zone! The Commander will continue upwards! Cut this station loose and scare the heretic out of his hole!" The spec ops bowed their heads in respect for Rtas.
"May our lords bless you Commander." said one.
"We will not forget your noble sacrifice." said another.

The grunts and elite made their way to the exit some seemed more than happy to be leaving the rest heads bowed in sadness. Colde turned to face Rtas. Colde took out his energy sword and handed it to Rtas.

"Take it, commander."
"What?" asked Rtas.
"You need it more than I do." answered Colde. Rtas nodded and took the keyblade.
"Thank you Colde."
"Good luck, sir."

He left the room. Even though the prophets wanted him to watch over Rtas, he wasn't willing to die for that task. Rtas made his way to the top of the station while cutting down every enemy that came before him. Soon he got on a lift that made its uninterrupted way to the top.
"Commander, all of the phantoms are in the air. Go ahead and cut the cable.
Rtas leapt towards the first cable and struck it dead on. The instant he struck it the cable broke causing the station to tilt slightly to the right then the left then it stabilized..
"You need to cut all three of the support cables before the main pylon will break."
"Understood." replied Rtas.
He ran towards another and swung again. It snapped cleanly in two then Colde spoke again.
"One final cable, so go and cut it."
Rtas rushed the third and final cable. Suddenly two combat forms attacked! They charged at him waving their tentacle arms. He swung his energy sword and cut both of them down. Then he finally cut the third cable. It snapped cleanly in two.
Suddenly the pylon groaned. He looked up; the place was swaying and shrieking in protest to the stress on the pylon.
"Oh boy…" muttered Rtas.

The pylon snapped, taking the whole roof with it. Rtas was instantly in zero G but even as he flailed in the air he hit the ground with a loud thud.. The wind howled through the structures now opened roof.
"The heretic leader is on the move, do not let him escape! We'll stay with you as long as we can!" yelled Colde.
"Got it!" answered Rtas.

He ran for lift and rode it down to the ground floor. As soon as he was back in the central chamber he could see that the shield door was down. He ran through cutting down every heretic in his way. He went down another lift through chamber after chamber till he reached a small hanger. He ducked for cover as Sesa's banshee opened up on him. He was making a run for it in a banshee!

"What loonies! Think he can escape this maelstrom in a banshee. Wait the hanger! There was a seraph class fighter inside! Commander you know what to do!" said Colde.

Rtas grabbed the second banshee and took to the skies. The maelstrom whipped his banshee left and right as he fought with the controls. Finally he set the banshee down on a small sub hanger to the buttress where the first lance had landed. He immediately bailed out of the banshee and got inside just before a strong wind blew it away. As soon as he made it into the passages he saw the degree of the damage. Fires broke out every where! Flood, heretics, and sentinels fought it out all over the place!

Finally he reached the hanger. And there was the heretic commander. He was on top of the seraph the doors already open. He seemed to be just getting ready to make his "heroic" escape in the fighter. Unfortunately for him, Rtas was right behind him.

"Turn heretic." ordered Rtas. Sesa smirked and turned to face Rtas drawing a pair of plasma rifles at the same time. He hopped down onto the ground. On his back was a jet pack.
"Commander… I would rather die by your hands than let those prophets lead me to slaughter!" replied Sesa.
"Who has taught you these lies?" asked Rtas.
Suddenly a small robot that had an electronic blue eye came out. He was humming a tune to himself and seemed rather happy regardless of the chaos around him. Rtas stood there in shock then he found his voice.

"The Oracle?" he asked.
"Hello I am 343 guilty spark, the monitor of installation 04." said the monitor. Sesa swelled with triumph at Rtas's stunned silence. Then he spoke.
"Ask the Oracle about our halo! How they would sacrifice us all for nothing!"
"You have questions! Splendid!" said the monitor.

Suddenly Rtas's shields flared as Sesa opened up with his twin plasma rifles! He ducked for cover while Sesa activated his jet pack and leapt on top of the seraph. Then he began to speak again; this time shouting.

"The elites are blind Commander!"  He pulled out to holo cubes.
"But I will make them see." said Sesa.

He pressed down on both cubes and threw them into the air; instantly two exact holographic replicas appeared. They raised their weapons and fired real plasma rifles. Rtas kept down trying to think of a way to beat Sesa and his holographic clones. All while the monitor kept blathering on about halo.

"Come on out Commander! Show me you're not a coward!!" taunted Sesa.
Suddenly Rtas leapt from cover, energy sword in hand! Sesa's eyes widened. Rtas pulled back and stuck the hologram clones through their stomachs. Both clones were stuck in place since they were semi solid and could be killed. With Sesa's last clone dead. Rtas leapt up to face him on the seraph top. He swung slicing the plasma rifles in two. Sesa's hand dropped to his side and drew his own sword. Rtas's energy sword met Sesa's one sword in a heavy sword lock. Then Sesa kicked Rtas where the sun doesn't shine. He fell back holding himself. Falling from the ship was surprisingly lucky because it saved him from having his gut slashed open.

"Come on Commander give me all you…" said Sesa. He never finished for at that moment Rtas leapt up and ran the energy sword through his gut. Sesa collapsed to the ground dead his sword shorted out as it's failsafe engaged. Rtas still gasping for breath threw Sesa's corpse off the seraph and onto the floor. The monitor stopped his blathering noticing nobody was listening to him. Then he realized Sesa was dead. He sighed and floated in closer to Rtas.
"How unfortunate; his willingness to listen was most welcome from the usual ordeal of no one even paying attention." said the monitor.
"I had no choice holy Oracle. This heretic imperiled the great journey." replied Rtas.
"Oracle? Heretic? Great Journey? Why do you subspecies insist on using such unnecessary titles? When it is highly inaccurate." said the monitor. Rtas was surprised at what the Oracle said. Did he just say that the Great Journey was inaccurate? Rtas then asked since he had always wanted to ask this to an Oracle.
"Oracle, what does Halo do?" the Oracle turned to him and said.
"For future reference please refer to me as the Monitor. Very well, Halo's purpose is to eliminate all life forms with sufficient biomass able to sustain the Flood in the galaxy. And no this information is completely factual. Who are those foolish men that state the information as a lie? You call them Prophets correct. If anything they're the liars." explained the monitor.

Rtas was taken aback by the statement. He felt empty inside. Like everything had been removed from him. Stolen; by the thief, truth; the truth hurt. He had just heard from the Ora…Monitor himself that Halo was a killing machine. It wasn't the way to salvation. The prophets were lying to them. So the Demon that destroyed Halo actually saved all of them. If it was fired….He didn't let himself think that. Then the realization had hit him. The humans were right in trying to stop them. They thought they were the good guys when in fact they were the bad guys. Then another realization hit, he had just become a heretic.

"Do you have anymore ques-"The monitor didn't finish as he flew straight onto Tartarus gravity hammer. He stuck like a paperclip to a magnet on the sword. Rtas snapped out of his thoughts and stood up and said,

"That is the monitor." Tartarus didn't really seem to care as he plucked the monitor off his hammer and threw him onto a phantom floating just out side the hanger.
"So it is. Come we're leaving the system." he said.
"Why?"
"Something's come up." then the two boarded the phantom.

* * * * *

Rtas wasn't really paying attention as they debriefed. He's mind was still processing the information he had just received. It was all too many, too fast. It was hard for him to realize that another Halo called, 'Delta Halo' was found. It dawned on him that if it was activated they'll be screwed. But he had to maintain his cover as a Loyalist. If he showed signs of heresy, he'll be dead.

He headed to his quarters, walking nervously. He had the vaguest feeling that he was feeling being followed. He turned around but so no one. He disregarded and went to his destination. He pressed the door opened and went in. He had enough time to get some sleep before the next mission and he was taking it. He walked to the corner and started removing his armor, ending up with his jumpsuit. He approached his bed and sat down on it. He sighed and started thinking. When Rtas was alone, you could say that he thinks aloud. It enables him to explain things to himself.

"This can't be happening." said Rtas to himself.
"Was what Oracle said true? Is it really true? What am I going to do?" he sighed.
"I have to get out of here. I have to get out of High Charity. I've been fighting at the wrong side of the war. I can't believe I killed all those innocent humans." he placed his head on his hands.
"I can't believe my religion is false. The humans were right…" said Rtas. He lied down the bed.
"I have to find them. I can't live with the conscience of killing innocent people. I have to…help to them." he nodded. "I'm joining the humans. I'll get out here when the opportunity arrives." then he closed his eyes.

* * * * *

Colde strode down the halls of the Council Chamber. He had just confirmed that Rtas was a heretic, or is going to be a heretic. He heard it from himself. He had tailed Rtas all the way back to his quarters. He had Rtas 'confession' and it was enough. When the Commander was asleep he went outside and deactivated his camo. The Honor Guards parted as he approached the prophets. He knelt and Truth smiled down at him and asked,

"Rise, Sub Commander Colde, what brings you here?" asked Truth. Colde stood up.
"Noble Prophets, I have bad news. It involves the matter with the Spec Ops Commander Rtas 'Vadumee." said Colde darkly. Truth's expression changed quickly from calm to serious.
"Tell me what have you uncovered." said Truth. Then Colde began to tell Truth what Rtas had said back at his quarters. Afterwards, Truth scratched his chin in deep thought then he said,
"You have done well Sub Commander Colde." Colde nodded.
"Since execution is not possible since it'll raise red flags for the elite council, the only possible punishment for him would be…exile." said Truth.

* * * * *

Rtas woke up with a start. He's PDA was blinking, meaning he had a message. He sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes. He checked his PDA and it said that there was an urgent mission that needed his immediate attention. He groaned as he stood up. A few moments later he walked out of his quarters, dressed in his white Spec Ops Commander armor, and headed to the docking bay. He arrived at the docking bay to find Colde waiting for him.

"I assume you know the mission?" asked Colde. Rtas shook his head.
"Extra Info wasn't placed at my PDA, care to brief me?" asked Rtas.
"Certainly; our mission for today is to head out, using one of the assault carriers. We will head to the human space station located near their home planet. The plan is to take out the space station as it is there last known defense. Take that out and the planet is ours." explained Colde.

This plan was downright true to its form. But the only reason why the Covenant haven't done this is because they were all busy directing their forces over the control on Delta Halo.
"Wonderful." said Rtas in a monotone voice.
"We will be leaving in a 2 units. Best to prepare." said Colde.

* * * * *

Thel sat on the bed. He had just woken up and again was contemplating on what the female human said. He concluded that all is true until proven wrong so he had to give the female human a chance to give proof that Halo was a weapon. He looked at the window and beckoned the female to enter the room. Rachelle saw the elite's movement and went in.

"What is it?" she asked.
"I want to see proof." said Thel.
"Proof on what?"
"Proof on your claim that Halo is a weapon." he answered. Rachelle smirked.
"Really now… well then." said Rachelle. She turned around and said,
"Hey guys, he wants to see the proof. Let's show it to him." Jaime and Rick entered the room and approached Thel's bed.
"If you try to do something funny, we'll shoot you, ok." said Rick. Thel just looked at him. The two knelt and removed the chains that were placed on his hands. It fell and Thel rubbed his hands.
"C'mon it's just in the next room." said Rachelle. Thel stood up from his bed and this was the first time he saw his clothing. The last time he remembered, he was naked. This time he was wearing a bodysuit, like the one he wears when he wears his armor.
"If you're wondering where we got the bodysuit, it came with the pod." answered Rachelle.

Rachelle led the way while Rick was behind her and Jaime behind Thel. They went out of the room and went to the next. It was a room that had a blank white screen at the end and had rows of chairs. There was a table that had a projector on top of it. Rachelle made Thel stand behind the projector. She stood next to him and Jaime behind the two. Rick operated the projector. The film started playing and it showed a familiar scene. The film showed a scene where the Master Chief and the Monitor along with Cortana were talking. They were at the Control Room of Halo.

"The Demon and the Oracle." muttered Thel as he couldn't believe the Oracle the demon.

"Enough! The Flood is spreading. If we activate Halo's defenses we can wipe them out." said the Master Chief. Cortana looked down on the human with an expression of pity.
"You have no idea how this ring works, do you? Why the Forerunners built it?" She leaned forward, her face grim. "Halo doesn't kill Flood, it kills their food. Humans, Covenant, whatever. You're all equally edible. The only way to stop the Flood is to starve them to death. And that's exactly what Halo is designed to do. Wipe the galaxy clean of all sentient life. You don't believe me?" the AI finished. "Ask him!" and she pointed to 343 Guilty Spark.

The ramifications of what Cortana said hit home, and he gripped his MA5B tightly. He rounded on the Monitor.

"Is it true?" Spark bobbed slightly. "Of course," the construct said directly.
Then, sounding more like his officious self again, "This installation has a maximum effective radius of twenty-five thousand light years, but once the others follow suit, this galaxy will be quite devoid of life, or at least any life with sufficient biomass to sustain the Flood.
"But you already knew this," the AI continued contritely. The little device sounded genuinely puzzled. "I mean, how couldn't you?"
Cortana glowered at the Chief.
"Left out that little detail did he?"
"We followed outbreak containment procedure to the letter," the Monitor said defensively. "You were with me each step of the way as we managed the process." then the film stopped. Jaime looked at the elite and with a raised eyebrow.

"Eventually, the Demon or the Master Chief, managed to stop Halo from firing by destroying it. Now do you believe that our definition of Halo makes more sense, rather than you guys have?" asked Jaime.

"It can't be." said Thel and he placed his head on his hand. Rachelle walked up to him and placed a comforting hand. This made Thel looked at her, surprised by her sudden action.

"It's ok, we've all been fooled. And to think the Monitor nearly tricked the Master Chief into detonating Halo. That would've been bad." said Rachelle.
"You said it." said Rick at the back.

Then alarms started blaring.

---

Please don't forget to comment.