Chapter One: Call To Arms
Planet Limisha Tango
Sika' Swashim stood in the early morning light of the desert covered world. His black armor glinted from the red sun and he could feel the warm sun rays on his face. He felt his bottom jaws open up as he felt the warmth move its way up his mandibles, his flesh tingled as the cold from the night was driven out and replaced with the warmth of the day. His jaws moved back into position and formed into a smile. Today is going to be a good day, he thought to himself taking in the a few more moment of sun before turning away.
He started to walk down the sand dune he had been standing on as the sun rose. His huge long legs strode easily down the sand dune, he felt the sand crumpling and cascading down around his feet. It was working its way inside all the crevices of his black armor and rubbing against his skin. Sika' frowned slighty at the slight irritation of the sand. He felt his darkened energy sword swaying as he walked down the hill.
Sika' was a Sangheili who was in charge of the special forces detachment on this small world. He had been in the service of the Covenant for most of his adult life and had not been to Sanghelois since he was just a child. He stood at eight feet seven inches tall and had the usual large upper body of the Covenant Sangheili.
The sand continued to fall around his feet as he reached the base of the sand dune and walked back towards the base several hundred feet away. He gazed at the shade turrets which were occupied by several small groups of Unggoy.
Their large triangular shaped backs stuck out of the shade turrets seats, he could also see the large methane tanks slung over there backs. The small creatures didn't breathe air like all the other alien species of the Covenant. They were required to breathe the thick soup like atmosphere of their homeworld. Each Unggoy carried with them a small methane tank and apparatus for breathing in the oxygen rich atmosphere of this planet.
Sika' whinced at the memories of the methane tanks getting hit by enemy fire and causing a large explosion that engulfed anything and everything around the small creatures. The tanks were secure and usually safe to use in combat. But when the Covenant had started fighting the Humans so long ago they had descovered that the tanks were extremely vunerable to the primitive projectiles the humans used as weapons. When the tank took a hit it would explode and decimate any troops around it.
Sika' knew this and he encouraged his men to stay away from them during battle with humans. But even though he knew this, he still didn't like leaving the small creatures to die against the terrible weapons the humans used. Unlike most other Covenant, Sika' actually enjoyed being around the small Unggoy. They were more simple then the larger Sangheili, they didn't have constant thoughts going through there heads about everything else thats happening in this war.
The war was beginning to heat up, Sika' could feel the war coming to a close soon. The Prophet of Regret had just discovered a planet with the largest population ever seen of any human controled world. It was completely by accident and the humans had been preparing to fight the Covenant off for so long. The humans had fought the escort fleet of the Prophet off with a fierceness never before seen. The holy Prophet had just barely escaped with his life, he had fled to the Holy Ring they had just recently been discovered.
Sika' smiled again as he thought about how the war would come to a close now that the human threat was about to be annihilated. The bulk of the fleet was to meet at the ring world with High Charity and prepare for an all out assualt on the Human homeworld. It would be glassed like every other world they had ever found in the galaxy.
Sika' felt a slight sadness come over him as he thought about the annihilation of the human race. They had proved to be formidible warriors when they fought, even more than the small Unggoy. Like most other Sangheili, he wondered why the Prophets hadn't offered them into the Covenant. They could obviously handle themselves and they would have been a great addition to the already huge armada of the Covenant army. Sika' had fought against them only once before, it had been a small warship that had strayed away from a large battle. He and several other Sangheili squads had boarded the ship in the hopes of finding the homeworld in the ships navigation computer. The creatures had fought with a blood lust and Sika' had lost a large portion of his men. The humans had held the Elite warriors off just long enough to delete their entire memory core and set their own reactor core to overload. Sika' had just barely escaped with his own life that day.
Sika' now approached the outside of the base, he passed three shade turrets that watched the sand dune for any sign of movement. Even though their was no chance of any humans ever coming out this far. Sika' passed several groups of Small Unggoy and heard their high pitched barks and growls as they talked amongst themselves. He walked past two large buildings that were painted a shiny purple color, it stood out extremely obviously for being in the desert. Sika' thought about the large base he was at, it held almost one thousand Sangheili warroirs. There was almost five thousand Unggoy, and nearly four thousand Jiralhanae.
Sika' disliked the large Jiralhanae with a huge passion just like most other Sangheili. His species had been in an unspoken feud with the large leather skinned creatures for a long time. Both creatures would do anything to keep there own place in the social order. Sika' smiled at the thought that his people were higher then the Jiralhanae. They were much more sophisticated then the Jiralhanae, they were just Brutes who didn't have any sense of being civilzed. They used tribes as part of their social order, Sika' just shook his head at the thought of the primative order of leadership.
Sika' passed another Sangheili and gave the other Elite soldier a nod. They both continued on their way without any words to each other. Sika' entered a small building and walked down a long purple hallway, lights and the paint gave the corridor a slight glistening appearance. He walked through a large door which swooshed open and he walked into a large command room. Consoles flashed and there was several screens displaying information about various things around the base. Sika' looked around until he spotted another Sangheili in golden armor watching a large pulsing holographic display. Sika' recognized his superior officer, and walked over to him.
"Any news from High Charity yet? Have they activated the sacred ring?"
The large golden warrior turned and looked down slightly at Sika', he looked around the control room at the other Sangheili. "Our brothers have failed to protect the Prophit Of Regret. He was slain by the Demon, today is a day of mourning for the Covenants loss."
Zuki' Jasheem had a sad look cross his face as he gazed around the room from one hurt face to another. The other Sangheili all felt bad for the loss of their leader. They felt even worse when they considered that their brothers had failed to protect him for the evil demon the humans had released against them. The older Sangheili continued to frown as the men still were with their thoughts.
Sika' took his gaze off of the text scrolling on the commanders screen and looked at Zuki'. "Is that the only message?"
"Yes, they promised another transmission soon," said Zuki'.
The other Sangheili returned to their tasks at hand and began to do their jobs again. Sika' looked at the commander then around at the other consoles. Some showed orbital sensor scans of the space around the planet, several Covenant warships approached and departed away from the planet. Identification numbers and information was displayed next to the large dots on the screen. He gazed to console a few feet away being maned by a red armored Sangheili. It displayed the information of several vehicle platoons around base, he smiled as he read something about several Scarab walkers.
Sika' brought his gaze back to Zuki' and smiled, "May I take my special forces detachment out for simulated combat manuavers in the Bashinkim Desert?"
Zuki's face turned thoughtful as he considered the question he was asked. He looked back at Sika' and nodded, "You may."
Sika' smiled and turned, he began to walk out of the room. He continued to walk even when he heard the sounds of an incoming transmission. It beeped and made a liquid sounding electronic buzz. The sounds of consoles buttons being pressed echoed as he the door opened. "Sika' wait!"
Sika' turned and looked back into the room at Zuki'. Zuki' stood with his right hand outstretched behind him as he read the text the message had. He turned and had a look of pure shock on his face.
Sika' watched the commander stutter then close his mouth. He was at a complete loss for words. "What is it base master?" Sika' strode towards the base commander and gazed down at the scrolling text on the monitor. Sika' felt his jaws drop open as he read the important message. He was shocked as he continud to read it.
Priority Message:
URGENT!! CODE 331 ALPHA GAMMA
To all Sangheili ships and soldiers in Covenant territoral space. The Sangheili have been caste aside as the most loyal of all troops to the Covenant. The Jiralhanae are attempting to commit a genocide against our brothers across the galaxy as you read this. It is the will of the Prophets, that the Sangheili be exterminated. We must rise up brothers, and fight for our right to live. We have the right to live and we will not go without a fight into the dark night of space.
As you read this, any of the Jiralhanae commanders may be recieving orders to exterminate you. You are authorized to take the fight to the Jiralhanae with lethal force. This is Civil war my brothers. As I write this message, my ship and many of our brothers ships are engaging the enemy over High Charity. I hope that this message does not reach you to late my brothers.
Aquire any ships you can and proceed at maximum slipspace speed to Sanghelios. The Prophits surely will not let us go unpunished for our actions. We must defend our brothers and sisters there, we will not let them erase our existance from covenant history.
I pray to the Forerunners that we will succeed in defeating the Prophets. Good luck brothers.
Ship Master Gilik Jaseshim of the Ever Lasting Courage.
Sika' read the message again to be sure. He looked over at the commander, he was watching Sikas' reaction to the message. Sika' closed his jaws and turned around to the other Sangheili in the control room. Sika' growled and grabbed his energy sword which still hung from his right leg. He activated it and spoke, "our brothers are being murdered by the Jiralhanae. They are massacring us. Arm yourselves, we must defend our way of life!"