* * * * * * * * * * * [i]Ahkrin has gotten himself captured? Oh, this is ironic,[/i] Zharn chuckled inwardly as he watched a group of ODSTs drag his unconscious friend inside the warehouse. He was stood at a distance from the humans, surveying the situation from a perch previously held by a marine sniper. In his hands, Zharn held one of the human rifles. It was a primitive thing, and Zharn was worried it would fall to pieces within his hands if he fired it. Gas operated no doubt, with metal bullets. Zharn's finger barely fit within the small alcove where the sniper rifle's trigger rested. Still, it would have to do. He looked through the inefficient scope of the weapon, surveying the inside of the warehouse through a window. The humans had tied Ahkrin up, binding him to a chair. Evidently they intended to use him as a hostage. At least he wasn't dead. How far away was the UNSC VTOL ship now? Probably less than an hour. Zharn sighed, drawing away from the affixed sniper scope for a second, bringing out a communications device from his pocket. "Ahkrin? Ahkrin, can you hear me?" The words would be spoken over an encrypted channel, so the humans wouldn't hear them. In turn, the transmitter on Ahkrin's end picked up on the slightest vibrations. The Stealth Sangheili wouldn't even have to make a whisper to reply. [i]"Affirmative brother, I hear you,"[/i] came the amplified reply. Zharn smiled despite himself; a marine was standing guard over Ahkrin less than a metre away, and yet the two Sangheili were holding a conversation under his nose. "What's the situation Ahkrin? No games, we have less than an hour." A noise of pain echoed back to Zharn, who realised that Ahkrin must be in pain. [i]"Actually Zharn, we have less than forty minutes. The human ship has landed at the far end of the valley, the Demon has started to take their stolen technology to it. We can't let them, it'd give them an advantage the Covenant can't afford to let them have."[/i] Zharn didn't need that explaining to him. He grimaced. "Command will have to understand the situation -- we're moving to the secondary plan, despite the risks.." [i]"Is that the one where we blow everything up?"[/i] "The very same. Hold on Ahkrin, we'll get you out." "Hurry friend; the human's haven't provided me with blankets. The warehouse is freezing." The communications link ended. Zharn looked through the human sniper scope to see a wry smile plastered across Ahkrin's face. [i]He always has to get the last, sarcastic word in. Now, time to request an army.[/i]