Disclaimer-I don't own any of the characters other than the OCs. Please enjoy. Rated M for language. R&R
I am an Elite of the Covenant led by superiors with no will of my own. Just a tool of war but not expendable. I am one of a kind. My name is Rei, an inspiration to most Covenant and a cur to Spartans and humans alike. My position is in the field with my brothers as a Gladiator Elite. I don't wish to rule over my brothers but I want to guide and die along with them and I will do just that.
I sigh exhaustedly from the never ending bloodshed and destruction. All a plague on the numerous worlds ravaged by our wars with the Humans. A path to damnation. We are insipid poisons that must be purged. I am on the Requiem, a grand Covenant mother-ship preparing for another meaningless battle. The trepidation I feel makes me uneasy.
Our armies out number them, our technology beyond their knowledge. They're truly dedicated to preserve Reach—their home world. The wretched Spartans are genetically enhanced humans—humanities last hope for survival. They will be purged in the end or we will.
I peer through the force field into the void of space. Banshees and Seraphs pulse and scatter the boundary defending the Requiem if necessary. Someone taps my shoulder and I look back. Daiki stands behind me and almost towering. I give him a puzzled look but he remains silent. He is wearing vibrant white armor that gave his eyes a reclusive look. He is also an Elite Field Marshal that commands Elite like me. He crosses his arms over his form.
"You're wanted in the inner sanctum." He says and walks away to attend some other matter—I assume.
I take one last look and mumble prayers for my fallen brothers. My breath fogs the force field and I turn to leave.
"Prophet!" I stand stout with and hit my chest in a honoring manner.
"No need for formalities. We have more oppressing matters to discuss." He then gestures for me to stand next to General Bahamut who is looking at a hologram of a map with numerous scattered dots of our infantry. His armor is black and has glowing rings that emit a dim glow and a horde pierces out of helmet. His shoulder armor is pierced with some odd type of bone. The other generals wear the same attire except Kaiser's whose helm has two white fangs markings on either side.
General Bahamut clears his throat gaining all of our undivided attention. The stillness and silent hatred hangs thick in the air for one another. Each General stood for a belief and that belief has separated the power in the Elite structure. There are four factions now: Order, Truth, Rage, and Diligence. I belong to Order and wear the white armor of our faction. General Kaiser is the founder of Order.
"Humans take pride in killing such measly prey. We can lure them to this destination," he says and marks the hologram, a blue light forming. "And end them with the wretched Spartans when they answer the distress call." He makes a noise that made his suggestion clear winner.
"And what would you use as bait?" Kaiser asks his voice gentle and sincere.
"A few cowardly grunts will not be missed." There was no remorse in his voice. Only the brutality of a hardened warrior. "All is for the sake of the Covenant, Kaiser."
"Still," Kaiser begins. We are supposed to be a monument of pride and hope for the Covenant. We do not simply cast away grunts."
"A monument of pride and hope you say?" General Bahamut laughs. "I see nothing of the sort! Only a poor monopoly that cannot do away with a few Spartan insects!" He slams his heavy fist on the table making, the side where he hit breaking from the impact.
"Bahamut, please reconsider," I could hear the frustration in Kaiser's voice but he remained polite. "We are currently in the lead in this war. We have plenty of time to consider a different strategy."
General Bahamut sneers. "Fine. I will put my plan to rest for a time until you can come up with a more suitable tactic.
General Kaiser looks to the other generals. "Entelexia? Odin?"
"For tactical reasons, I side with Bahamuts idea. The grunts are suicidal anyway. If not this, then something else." Entelexia nods in General Bahamuts direction.
General Bahamut chuckes. "And you, Odin?"
General Odin sighs. It was clear he didn't want to be in their quarrel. "Let's try and avoid a blood bath on our side. We should send a small reconnaissance group. Would you be up for the task Rei?"
"Yes, sir." I respond.
"Waste of man power and there is not a guarantee that Spartans are even there. We're looking for Noble Team not their weak infantry." General Entelexia retorts.
"We'll know if we send Rei and if it isn't Noble, an infantry facility is still a setback for the humans in this war. Do you not see the truth in this Entelexia?" General Odin mocks, a grin playing across his features.
General Entelexia growls, his claws dig into his palm. They always fought like this. The prophet holds his hand in the air silencing us.
"Then it is settled. Rei, you will accompany a small reconnaissance group and proceed to this valley. The Prophet's words were final and we saluted him leaving the room.
I sigh. A tools work never ends nor amazes me. The Prophet is nothing more than a cowardly pawn blinded by power and bound by the generals. He deceives and manipulates the Covenant.
The launching bay was a gathering spot for most of the Covenant on the Requiem. This was over area to relax, let out steam, and anything else recreational.
"Hey Rei!" A familiar voice calls me. It was Beau, a fellow Elite brother, though, he belongs to Rage. General Bahamut is the founder. Beau is a heavy gunner heretic that specialized in human weaponry. He often gets shunned for using their weapons but its Beau—he doesn't care or give two fucks as he calls it.
"Going out on a mission?" He pokes a finger at the Phantom drop ship behind me.
"You could call it that." I say simply.
"Well kick some ass for me, okay?" He holds his hand up with a grin and I high-five (high-four? Don't think Elites have 5 fingers) him with a chuckle.
I climb aboard the Phantom, the rest of the Elites eyeing me. Every faction was aboard but we didn't have the same embodied hatred the general held. We were brothers in arms. With a soft pulse the Phantom takes off into the void and I look at the Requiem. Something inside me pictured it destroyed and I blink…
Within my pod I steep into slumber. I cannot remember the last I…
I struggle in my sleep fighting the nightmares that resurfaced from deep inside me. It was always the same each night. I was somewhere on Reach in a populated city slaughtering the innocent. Blood on my claws, my twin energy swords impaled into the belly of a victim with a blurred face. I stir awake shaking the thoughts away with a heavy heart.
I step off the Phantom and onto the mushy grass. We are in some type of marshland and the mildew smell burns my nostrils a bit. The air was still and humid. None of us spoke. There wasn't a need to speak—we knew what to do. Suddenly a bright flame explodes in the sky piercing the fog.
I charge an energy sword and follow my brothers to the source. We come across a wide open stream surrounded by boulders. Continuing forwards, plasma charges and gun fire streak through air and we took cover. What is the Covenant doing here? So many Jackals and Grunts on the battlefield against a small number of soldiers…and a Spartan—on the roof.
"We'll take their fire," suggests someone from the Diligence order. "Can you sneak around Rei?"
Nodding, I phase and make my way to the facility swiftly as I could. I stay low to the ground and nimbly get past the soldiers furtively. It was simple since they were only humans and not Spartans but I wouldn't waste my time on them—they would come later. The Spartan wears a type of green armor and it appeared that he is talking into his helmet—possibly Noble Team, a bold number 9 written on his back.
The energy sword in my hand seems eager to rip and impale his flesh. A quickening in my heart leads me; the adrenaline urges me to kill him. I do not think—I just go. I snarl and deliver a blow that even startles me, my hand trembling but steady forcing the energy sword deeper.
"Your death will bring prosperity. You should feel honored." I whisper breathily into his ear and then sheath the energy sword with it still being mounted deep within his chest. Suddenly, I felt alive and drive my other sword back into his exposed flesh. I do not know what came over me, I snarl, I growl, I back away looking at what I had done. What was I becoming?
"The infamous shadow walker," a fellow brother says to me. "You work fast." He compliments and looks at the lifeless body that I degraded further.
"Call the Phantom around." I order and walk past him. It soon came with a handful of Elites and Beau. I look at him puzzled. Beau is part of General Bahamut's faction…this would not end well.
"What's going on?"
"New orders from General Bahamut. Spartans were seen not too far from here in a facility." Beau replies equipping his Spartan Laser and Rocker launcher.
"Can you ever play nice?" He chuckles and points to my energy swords and my claws. Blood drips from them in rivulets and creates small pools in the soft grass.
I ignore him. "Shall we get going?" I gesture him to follow behind me but not before replacing both my energy swords which elicits another laugh from Beau.
"Shut up." I roll my eyes and turn away from him smiling to myself. I enjoy Beau's company. He turns every situation into a game and loves playing them. I cannot imagine how or why he is with Rage.
Before departing from the rest of the group, a member of Truth approaches us. General Entelexia must have sent him to accompany Beau or to help with whatever mission he assigned Beau.
"What's your name brother?"
"Aska," he replies and honors me. Aska's armor is a crimson red with a pauldron on his right shoulder which took me aback. It means that Aska is one of Entelexia's Honor guards. He carried the standard: Energy sword, plasma repeater, and many plasma grenades strapped to high thigh.
Another facility comes into view as we furtively proceed on. The ground is stained with blood from both sides, dozens of trucks overturned in the wake of battle. I sigh and lean against one of the trucks as Beau analyzes the barricaded door.
"How do you suppose we get this open?"
We notice Aska latching plasma grenades on the doorway. We take cover behind a bulky turned over truck, watching as Aska finishes and then armor locks. The door explodes with a deafening boom that rocks my very core and I hear a dull ring in my ears.
"Yeah!" Beau exclaims over the destruction and I roll my eyes.
"So much for subtly," I say and Aska shrugs while Beau nudges me playfully.
"You wanted to door open and this was the only thing I could think of." He replies and flexes his muscles from the armor locking, a pulse emanates from his body, cracking of bones. He winces and rubs his neck from the uncomfortable sensation.
We proceed inside. Nothing yet but human technology and a vast concentration of viscous fluid in pods of some sort. The only noise is the faint padding of our feet against the concrete floor.
"Wait!" Beau waves his hand halting our movement and closing his eyes to listen. Beau had extrasensory hearing which I guess is another reason General Bahamut is so fond of Beau talents. "Around the next corridor. I hear voices."
I phase and unsheathe my energy swords but humming to life with a pulse and flash of brilliant light. There are indeed Spartans here—Noble Team. The numbers on their backs read 1-6. A Spartan in blue armor is analyzing a computer suffering from plasma damage, her left arm lost to the fields of war and replaced by a bionic counterpart. Another in heavy silver armor is consoling a hysterical woman. He is huge in stature and easily compares to any of the hunters. He speaks to her in a language I'm not familiar with and she ceases her tears.
I grip the handles on my energy swords, my claws digging into my palms. Anticipation guided my movement, fluent, looking for openings of easy prey. A particular Spartan in a darker blue than the first stands idle unlike the others—he would be the first to go.
I lurch forward behind him and swipe for his head. He dodges as I un-phase taking a heap of bullets that smack wildly against my over-shield. At this rate it wouldn't last long and I take cover behind a pillar. The hulk-like Spartan charges me and nimbly evade him and he loses his footing. Before I am able to take his life a Spartan with crossbones on his helm blows off the rest of my shield and knocks me down.
He sneers and I glare, a burning desire rips him to shreds courses through my veins and into my brain. I have already envisioned his death and I would see it come true. Aska rounds the corners tackling him while Beau snatches up the women. The Spartans do not shoot and look for opening. I join them by the back way into the building and we take off in a sprint down the hall. We cannot take them all together, not enough of us. We would need to focus and single out strays.
The women in Beau's armor thrashes and screams in his arms.
"Just kill her, Beau!" Aska yells.
Beau whispers something unheard in her ear and then sets her down gently. She has a bewildered look on her face but she is not crying. She seems almost confused; thankful even.
"The Spartans will be here in a moment. Wait here." He tells her.
I look at Aska confused and he shrugs. As a Covenant, our job is to eradicate humans wherever we find them—innocent or not, they could grow into possible future threats. Why was Beau being gentle to her? Rage shoot first and ask questions never. Though, I suppose from Beau's point of view, Rage must mean something more than just brave or power.
"Can we go already?" Aska grumbles. He was just as worried as me if not more.
We leave her there and continue to the back of the long tunnel that leads outside and group with our brothers.
"Noble team is more trouble than we originally thought." I tell them. They look at me with confused looks.
We board the Phantom. Not one casualty and I mentally thank General Kaiser. Field Marshal Kaiser approaches us, a proud look on his face but he if he's here then that means there is more to it. Daiki's job is to lead Elites, an army of Elites into battle.
"Rei, Beau, and Aska. The Prophet has ordered you to assist in the fight at a newly found compound. Taking this objective would assure another emanate victory for us."
"But we just—" Beau began.
"These are not my orders Beau. I am just the messenger."
I groan and down against one of the pods and examine my body for wounds. That particular Spartan only damaged my over-shield but luckily the others were there to save me—I would have died. Next we meet I will make him a priority.
Beau sits next to me and sets his weapon down with a pout.
"What?" I ask.
"Didn't get to use these." He sighs and stretches. "This was boring."
I laugh at him. I want to ask him why he did not kill the women but with all my other brothers around it would only raise accusations and I know better. My hand trembles, the blood from the earlier Spartan creates rivulets below me and I feel an urge to delve my hand deep into a warm, human body. I swallow hard and hid my claws from Beau. I lean on him slipping out of conscious and close my eyes. I am tired and my body feels weightless.
I hope you enjoyed!