Legends of Ardonia 4: Destination Bound

Chapter 7: Secrets and Mysteries

Bralia was wandering the halls early the next morning. She bumped into Charlotte who was doing the same.

Charlotte: "Oh hey, are you seeing how much we can explore as well?"

Bralia: "Yeah, it feels good knowing we aren't kept in a cell anymore."

They talked with each other as they wandered down the halls. Eventually, they came to a room that was different from the typical rooms they had seen. Two guards were stationed at the end, and a large vault door was in between them.

Guard: "Sorry, but this place is restricted. You're going to have to leave now."

Charlotte and Bralia backed up and took another hallway.

Charlotte: "What do you think is in there?"

Bralia: "Maybe our relics? So far it's the only thing that's important in this place."

They eventually came up to the surveillance room, where they heard Steel talking with Ghost and Crimson.

Bralia: "Wait, I want to hear what they're talking about."

They crept closer to the edge of the door.

Ghost: "We can't contact the rest of the UNSC, comms are still jammed."

Crimson: "We don't stand a chance with that CAS assault carrier above us. If that thing wanted to, it would blow us up in a few seconds."

Steel: "But they won't. You and I both know what the Covenant are after and it's far too valuable to be destroyed."

Ghost: "Middleground hasn't been accessed in years though. We don't even know if it still works."

Steel: "It works, trust me. If the Covenant gets their hands on it then it's game over for us and the rest of mankind."

Crimson: "Why can't we use it? We could use it for training or to find ways to destroy that carrier."

Ghost: "Crimson's right. We have a huge advantage with Middleground on our side, but we need to actually use it."

Steel: "Middleground is only supposed to be accessed in emergencies, I had strict orders for that."

Crimson: "With all due respect, Commander, but this is an emergency. We either use it now and live to tell the tale, or the Covenant gets their hands on it."

Steel was silent for a moment before sighing.

Steel: "I'll think about it."

Sensing that their conversation was wrapping up, Bralia started nudging Charlotte away and down the hall.

Charlotte: "What do you think a 'Middleground' is?"

Bralia: "I don't know, but if the aliens want it, it's powerful. Maybe that's what this base is hiding."

They walked in silence before Charlotte spoke again.

Charlotte: "Bralia, what was the Droug War like? Were the Drougs as powerful as those Covenant?"

Bralia: "The Droug War? Oh, that's right, you hadn't been born yet. The Droug War was exactly as it sounds: a war waged by Drougs. The indoctrinated soldiers and sergeants, who made up most of the army, did not possess the firepower or strength of the Covenant and were susceptible to Songs and traditional Ardonian weapons. The Droug officers...they were a different story, armed with plasma swords and protective forcefields. One of them even carried a blaster, I think. The true power of the Drougs lay in their ability to turn our own people against us. Ardonians were forced to kill their families and friends or be killed by them. Never before had I witnessed anything so despicable and cruel. So many lives were lost, Charlotte, and Ardonia...Ardonia was forced to kneel before them. The Droug leader was unlike anything I'd ever seen. He was truly the most evil being ever to live."