Chapter 6
The Enclave

After hours of driving, the group had finally made it to the checkpoint into Canada, but of course the Border Control officer decided to be a jerk to Erin just because she was different. The officer walked up to the side of the warthog with an inflated sense of authority. He then said in a sarcastic way. "Hey flea bag, don't you know there's a law against inbred freaks driving military vehicles." Erin turned to look at the officer, then smiled smugly. "Oh, really how would you feel if you said that to a Sangheili ?" The officer replied. "But, your not so what do I.." The officer was interrupted by a plasma rifle pressed right against his face. Riley jumped out of the warthog still pointing plasma rifle at the officers face. "Let us pass or I'll do something I'd rather not do, understand ?" The officer stammered nervously. "Let's say I let you get on your way, move along sir." Riley smirked, then pulled his plasma rifle away from the officers face, climbed in the warthog, and told Erin to drive. The warthog continued down the road, as the warthog left the officer fainted. Riley held the strange gauntlet device in his hands, then looked to Bennings who was in the rear cabin, Riley didn't see him at first because Erin's warthog was different from the usual military standard, it's bed was actually more like a small home, but the lights were off. "Oh, there you are. Do you wonder exactly why the Kig Yar wanted this device ? It seems that it doesn't belong to ONI or the Covenant." Bennings appeared from the darkness. "I honestly don't think they even know what it is. What makes you think it's not from ONI ?" Riley pointed a clawed finger at a strange symbol. "See that ? What is strange is that some of it has been scratched off, what is ONI not telling us ?" Bennings signed "Let's ask Grey what he knows when we get back to base." As Bennings said that, a strange aircraft flew overhead. "What the hell was that ?" Erin said in surprise. Riley replied. "I don't know but it looked like it was headed towards our base. Oh no, Erin punch it!" The warthog sped up, as Erin slammed her foot on the gas pedal.

Gray ran through the base hallways as the base went into high alert, Gray got a radio call from the unknown craft. "Greetings Agent Gray, this is Dr. Olivia Holland of the Enclave, tell your men to stand down, we mean you no harm. It's been awhile Gray." Gray sighed as he raised his arm to access the radio link on his wrist, then radioed to the UNSC Aircraft Control officer in the control tower. "Major, disarm the anti-air defenses temporarily, we don't need to make Olivia feel unwelcome." The Control officer replied. "Yes sir, disarming the anti-air defenses." Gray continued down the hallway, and said to himself. "After this many years, the Enclave reappears out from the shadows. Why now do they come back ?" Gray's radio buzzed, he activated it. "Agent Gray here, over." Bennings was on the comms. "Bennings here, me Riley took care of the Kigyar. We've acquired an asset for analysis, open the gate, over." Gray replied. "Copy that, Gray out."

Erin stopped the warthog at the gate, tapping her clawed fingers on the steering wheel as she waited for the gate to open. The gate creaked as it slowly opened, Erin, Riley, and Bennings stared in surprise as the vehicle they saw fly overhead earlier started landing in the base. Riley glanced quickly at the helicopter then at the gauntlet he was holding, they both had the same symbol, the E with stars around it. Riley tapped Bennings on his shoulder, and pointed to the helicopter, then to the gauntlet. Bennings nodded in agreement, as they drove past the helicopter into the vehicle bay. Erin drove the warthog into her parking spot as Gray walked over to greet the group. Erin jumped out of the warthog as her brother hugged her. "Erin, you didn't get hurt at all did you?" Erin chuckled as she replied. "Cyrus, you worry too much I had Riley with me the whole time." She said as Riley lumbered over clicking his mandibles, as he said. "Everything, went mostly according to plan, except only one of the Kigyar survived. But.." Riley was interrupted by Gray. "What do you mean only one survived?" Riley replied nervously. "Well, one was crushed by us when we had the other warthog. As for the female one she scratched my face." He said as he held his still slightly bleeding face. "I grabbed her out of anger and threw her into an active electrical current machine, frying her to death." Gray groaned. "Where's the one that survived?" "Right here sir." Bennings said as he jumped out of the warthog with the kigyar slumped over his shoulder. "Good, at least we have someone to get information out of." Gray said with a tone of dissatisfaction as he started to walk away. Riley followed him, trying to get his attention. "Gray, wait I need to ask you something." Gray sighed and turned around to face the tall Sangheili, as said. "What is it you need to ask me?" Riley took out the gauntlet, to show Gary. "Can you explain to me why the UNSC has technology that doesn't belong to them, and who in the holy hell the Enclave is?" Gray looked at the device, then to Riley. "I don't think this is what Olivia is here for."
Riley looked at Gray in a confused way. "Then wh...."
Two men clad in strange looking armor walked behind Gray, one of the soldiers tapped him on the shoulder. "Dr. Holland would like to have a word with you and the Sangheili, at your leisure." Said the black armored soldier, in a synthesized voice. A woman in a black lab coat walked up to Riley and shook his large hand. "Greetings, my friend, I'm Dr. Olivia Holland. I've heard a lot about your race, and I'm looking forward to working with a Sangheili, to work with you." Then Olivia noticed the device Riley was holding in his hand. "Where did you find that? We cancelled the PDM project decades ago." Olivia said with surprise. Riley replied. "Do you want it back ?" Olivia chuckled. "You keep it, think of it as a gift. Maybe you may even get it to work."

Bennings carried the Kigyar prisoner to the holding cells, other prisoners took notice. "Heh, looks like the UNSC brought us a bird." Said a large tiger man from the darkness of his cell. Bennings smiled under his helmet. "Well, I'm sorry Mack. Your going to have to deal with this 'Bird' being in the cell next to you." Bennings said as he slumped the kigyar onto the cell bed. Bennings shut the door behind him as Jori woke up. "Ughhhh, my head. Kav? Yur? Human, what did you do with my friends?" Bennings groaned. "Their dead." Jori screeched. "What do you mean, their dead? Why don't I remember?!" Bennings thought for a second and realized the kigyar might have amnesia. "Just sleep, bird." Mack said from the other cell. Bennings had left the room, shutting the door.

Riley sat in his quarters, messing with the wiring of the PDM. Riley sighed. He didn't know human technology to well. "How am I supposed to get this damn thing to work." Riley jammed a screwdriver into the device, causing it to spark, burning his hand. "Arghh, damn." Then the device bleeped. A voice from the device said. "Plasma DNA Morpher online, no subject detected." Riley took off his left forearm armor, picked up the PDM and slide the device on his arm. Riley worried that the gauntlet wouldn't fit, but somehow it adjusted to fit on his forearm. Then the device bleeped, then it clicked and Riley felt a slight sharp pain on his wrist. "Subject detected, Sangheili." Riley looked at the interface, then probably made a dumb decision, he pressed the big red button that said morph on it. There was a bright green flash as Riley fell off the chair. "Ugh, faulty machin....." Riley felt something soft brush against his thigh. "What? A tail." Riley looked at the interface. It said 'Test Complete'. There was a knock on the door, Riley's eyes widened. "Riley, it's Erin. I brought you food. I'm coming in okay." She opened the door, and for the first time she saw a Sangheili with a tail, she chuckled. "I see the men of Sangheilos like to experiment, like the men of earth." Riley's greenish grey face turned red with embarrassment. "Riley, don't be embarrassed, it's cute." She walked over to Riley, placing the food tray on the table, and kissed him on the cheek. "Maybe some ears too." Riley's face turned more red. "I'm kidding, Riley. You should get some sleep, you've had a long day. Goodnight, Riley." Erin gave Riley a kiss, then walked out of the room. Riley smiled, and turned out the light at his work table, then went to bed.