Summary/disclaimer: time for another chapter of Swords of Defiance. Enjoy the 900-word chapter. I don't own Halo, Microsoft, 343 and a few others do.

Byko continued to fire his Needle Rifle at the Humans. He killed another 2 before they managed to deplete his shields again.

He had taken massive losses as the Human's attack. He knew their arrival hadn't gone unnoticed. he expected the humans to have stayed out of the way till they left.

"We are sure there is no more Phantoms within the ship?" Byko asked before he watched another Elite Minor collapse to the ground.

Byko sighed and hummed. They had been overrun; he knew it was dishonorable to retreat… but the Sangheili code wasn't entirely his problem at the moment.

He turned to see 2 of the Human 'Warthogs'. They had butchered the majority of the remaining soldiers who survived the destruction of the ship.

He blinked as he noticed the glowing dot on his motion tracker. It had the same tag as a friendly. He didn't have any heavy vehicles set up.

That was before a Phantom fired its main gun at the Warthogs, knocking the LRVs to the side. Their gunners collapsed up off the side while their off-road vehicles were melted to scrap by the blasts.

"By the gods…" He stated before he watched the Phantom circle the crash site.

A large amount of the humans retreated. Byko looked at an armada of 'Banshees' as he heard humans call them approach.

"Where did they come from?" He heard from another Minor under his command. He turned to them and the few Unggoy Minors they had left.

"I don't know, Shipmaster." He hummed and fired his last 2 rounds into one of the insurgents.

He collapsed to the ground before the Banshees strafed the humans like carnivorous birds. They treated the humans like carrion, descending on them with holy…. With fire from their cannons.

"We deal with the Humans first, then we worry about the craft in the air." Byko cursed and discarded his empty rifle.

He drew his sword and stalked forward. He had no idea why someone had blessed his group with reinforcements, but he wouldn't take it for granted.

The 2 dozen or so remaining human traitors demanded his attention. His remaining men roared and rushed forward, firing their weapons. He turned and rallied the Sangheili and Unggoy under his command for a charge.

(Sword of Sanghelios T-52 Phantom.)

Thel watched as his troops continued to strafe and decimate the remaining humans. He didn't like killing, battle? He enjoyed it, but the war that was engulfing the galaxy? He had to fight a little longer until things had ended up peacefully for them.

He watched Byko stab through a human before his men cut through 6 or 7 humans. They burned holes into the soldiers while Byko watched a Banshee fire it's fuel rod canon at a Warthog, consuming it in a massive explosion.

Byko watched the Phantom descend to the ground and release a group of Sangheili and then the warrior Byko had contacted.

"Arbiter." He put his blade onto his hip while Thel strode towards him.

Byko marched past destruction, debris and fallen soldiers from both sides till he was face to face with the leader of the rebellion.

"Byko. I thought you were killed when your Phantom was shot down a week ago." Arbiter stated. Byko clicked his mandibles together before he crossed his arms.

"Many wish I had… I wish that I had. I know I am one of the many you do not wish to waste words on." Byko looked over the dead soldiers, Unggoy, Kig-Yar and several Sangheili Minors.

"I see your ship was destroyed. You told me they had a map of another holy ring. I came to retrieve it before the loyalists did." Arbiter glared at Byko as the Evocatus paced back and forth.

"You wish to trade for it. I know you wouldn't have come without a desire to see the information," Byko stopped his remaining men from attacking.

"What do you want for it, Byko?" Arbiter asked.

"To join the Swords, Arbiter. I know very well you hate me for being willing to attack the Covenant before you were ready and losing the relic you wished for. I was given the ship because I questioned and went against orders… But I disobeyed orders for my crew, for OUR people. We are warriors, I ran because I had a desire to cut the Covenant." Byko watched Arbiter walk up to him again.

"Question my orders again and risk lives for a single victory? I will have your head mounted in my quarters, Byko." He stated. Byko looked at his remaining soldiers and then hummed.

"My life is forfeit right now. My men are my concern… What is your first command, Arbiter?" He stood up straight before he hummed and turned to the side.

Arbiter turned and walked away, Byko and his men followed as another Phantom descended towards the ground.

Author Notes

Phew, another chapter done! I want to point out that the Arbiter is the main hero of the story and Byko is the protagonist. Next chapter will be in 2 weeks or so and will show Byko and his men going to rescue a familiar character from Halo 2. Until then, Lighting Wolf out!

Ps: The Halo poll ends before the next chapter.