A/N: Well, this is my very first story…correction, first fan fiction made by yours truly. I know how most people hate author notes, so I'll try to keep this brief.

For those who don't know the proper names of the species that make up the Covenant: (and if you don't, what are you even doing here?):

San 'Shyuum=Prophet

Sangheili=Elite

Jiralhanae=Brute

Lekgolo=The small worm-like creatures that make up Hunters

Reclaimer=Human

Kig-Yar=Jackal

Unggoy=Grunt

And for those of you who have a better grasp of the HALO mythology but still might find themselves confused:

The Minister of Fortitude was what the Prophet of Truth was called before he became the Prophet of Truth. Same for the Vice Minister of Tranquility (also known as) the Prophet of Regret. And the Philologist is the position the Prophet of Mercy used to hold before he became a High Prophet.

Mendicant Bias is the AI created by the Forerunners in the final stages of the Flood/Forerunner war. He is a Contender class AI (not sure whether it was called Contender-class or not) that was built to combat Gravemind, but he later turned rampant and led the Flood fleets against his makers. Long story short, he was stalled by his brother Offensive Bias (another AI built by the Forerunners) long enough for them to activate the HALOS and briefly wipe out all life in the Galaxy. All you need to know for this story is that a fragment of him got onto the Dreadnought powering High Charity. If you're curious and wish for further info, please refer to the HALO Wikia. And to put a stop onto my insane rambling, onto the story!

Halo: The Age of Reclamation

Prologue: Politics

"For eons I have watched. Listened to you misinterpret. This is not reclamation, this is reclaimer."

—Mendicant Bias

23rd Age of Doubt

High Charity – Private Chambers of the Minister of Fortitude

"Heresy." The San 'Shyuum's voice echoed through the chamber. He was staring out of a small window into the vast void of space, watching a Seraph make its patrol around High Charity. Shining stars made glimmering specks of light appear throughout the murky blackness. One could almost stare, transfixed, for hours at the beauty of Space. It was a humbling and awesome sight, and anyone who looked out would be struck by a sense of how insignificant they were in the grand scheme of things. That didn't mean the grandeur of the holy city of the Covenant was diminished in any way, however, quite the contrary. The artificial light generated by High Charity itself was like a glimmering beacon that could be seen for miles around. Fortitude continued. "Surely these…Reclaimers cannot be the ancestors of our gods?"

"If there is one thing I have learnt during my long life, it is that Luminations do not lie." Another San 'Shyuum joined the first by the window, his gravity throne humming softly in the still evening.

"Could this…Oracle….this…"Mendicant Bias" possibly be defective? After all, even things made by the Forerunners don't last forever." a third San Shyuum joined the other two. "But brothers, this is a miracle. For so long we have wondered through the depths of space looking for signs from above. Now the Forerunners have gifted our patience with these…Reclaimers."

"You dare to call it a miracle?" The Minister of Fortitude quickly turned to face the Vice Minister of Tranquility. His brown, stubby fingers clenched into fists and his eyes turned to steely grey. The glow coming from the holo-panels on the sides of his ornate gravity throne only made him seem more menacing. "Imagine what would happen to our Covenant if this were to be revealed to everyone tomorrow. Our whole faith, our whole religion, would be seen as a falsehood! These are the ancestors of the Forerunners, and they have not transcended! The masses would revolt and hang us all! We should consolidate our power now and quickly eliminate these Reclaimers. We are blessed enough for the time being, seeing as those Lekgolo worms somehow managed to short-circuit the Oracle."

"Perhaps there is another way." the Philologist interjected. "Maybe the Forerunners left their descendants for a reason. These Reclaimers could be meant as…guides, and lead us to the Halos, perhaps with time they could even make a worthy replacement for the….Sangheili."

At the mention of the Sangheili, Fortitude hissed quietly. It was well known to anyone that met him that he harbored no love for them. "The Sangheili…" he whispered softly. "Are a species splintered by heresy and derision. The Jiralhanae are much more obedient and loyal. Their blind faith as well as their brutal enthusiasm is so much easier to manipulate, while the Sangheili might question. And I have not forgiven them for spilling the blood of our ancestors."

"I share your sentiments Fortitude," Tranquility said. "But," he continued on, "They make excellent strategists. In a war, it would not be so wise to so quickly rid ourselves of that asset."

"They have out-lived their usefulness in my eyes. I will argue no more. I am weary of this talk. Direct action would be preferred." Fortitude motioned to the Philologist. "What do you propose we do with the Reclaimers?"

The Philologist paused, before wearily reciting the opening lines of the Writ of Union;

"So full of hate were our eyes,
That none of us could see,
Our war would yield countless dead
But never victory.
So let us cast arms aside.
And like discard our wrath.
Thou, in faith, will keep us safe,
Whilst we find The Path."

The Philologist sighed. "While our Path is no more, perhaps we can still make use of the Writ of Union. No one can deny that our alliance with the many species that make up the Covenant has proved to be very prosperous. I think that we should offer them a chance to join. They are, after all…Forerunner. And with The Path a legend at best, it would be wise to keep as many allies as possible. "

Fortitude lapsed into silence. Tranquility took it as a good sign that he was at least willing to listen.

The Philologist continued. "Furthermore, we need a complete restructuring of the Covenant. I feel that most would be in complete uproar once this gets out."

Fortitude snorted. "All the more reason to eliminate the Reclaimers. I simply do not see why we should bother with overtures of peace when we clearly have the military might to bring them down quickly. The Luminations marked them as a Tier 3 species. We are at Tier 2. I should mention that the Prophet of Obligation sent out a small missionary ship to scout out the planet, after some of them managed to trap, board, and eliminate almost everyone on board a Kig-Yar vessel. Their weapons are quite primitive and fire some sort of metal, not unlike the Jiralhanae, and the population on the planet that was located is less than three million. These...Reclaimers have already attempted to communicate with us with some primitive pictograms. They want to parley with us at dawn. Surely we can launch a surprise attack and quickly burn them to the ground."

"We may burn them to the ground, but we would be no better off!" The Philologist thundered. Then he relaxed and spoke more softly. "We may be ashamed to admit it, but nothing new, sacred, or worthy of our attention has come up in these Ages of Doubt. We could learn from these Reclaimers, and I feel that with something to distract them, the Covenant could become more zealous. Discontent is spreading. This new find could re-focus our troops, boost morale, and fill all adherents to our faith with a religious zeal."

Fortitude knew the Philologist was right, and hated him for it. But he knew that peace would be much more beneficial for the long term. And if there was anything Fortitude could be praised for, it would be his foresight.

"We have to act quickly, however." Tranquility finally spoke. "The Jiralhanae Chieftain Maccabeus is currently holding the survivors of the attack on his ship, and is awaiting further orders from me. While they are disciplined, I doubt they will be able to resist the allure of finding..."relics.", Fortitude, I'll need to borrow some of your Huragok to recalibrate the Luminaries again."

"We can worry about fixing the Luminaries later. What happens if they…decline…our generous offer?"

"Then we do what we have always done: their world, their ships, and their people can burn until they become desperate and give in. But there remains one question: how much of our findings should we share with these Reclaimers?

"We should share most, if not all. Being ancestors, perhaps they know how to decipher some artifacts and put the technology to good use."

"It would be heresy to allow them to-" Tranquility began, before being rudely cut off by Fortitude.

"As you so kindly pointed out, they are Forerunner. Now, there only remains the question of how long we keep up this deception. Once the time comes that we have no more need of their…assistance, they will be quickly eliminated."

"What if their military is strong and capable enough to resist?" the Philologist asked.

"And is it truly wise to give them our technology?" Tranquility interjected.

"From what we have seen, they are confined to one world and only have a handful of ships, if not only one. Their planet seems to mainly focus on agricultural gains, and while they seem to have some form of kinetic defense platforms and a small military, we vastly outnumber them." Fortitude replied. "And in the unforeseen event that they prove to not be as weak as they appear, I have a contingency plan." He smiled. Fortitude always had a plan for everything. His ambition and megalomania wouldn't be curtailed even when he became a High Prophet, however.

"What should we tell the Covenant?" Tranquility asked. Outside, another Seraph on patrol duty looped around the central spire of High Charity. The view of so many ships, so much military might concentrated into one area was intoxicating. One command and hell could be unleashed. Tranquility secretly wondered if now that the religious belief of Transcendence had been severely undermined, Fortitude would settle merely for control of all the client species of the Covenant. Instinct told him otherwise.

Fortitude laughed derisively. "If you tell a lie, no matter how absurd, and repeat it enough, the masses will believe. Who would doubt us, the Prophets? After all, have everything we have foretold not come to pass? After we launch the coup and remove Restraint, Tolerance, and Obligation from power, our word becomes law. We have begun a new era. We have entered the Age of Reclamation. With the help of these…Reclaimers, we shall find and discover just what happened to the Forerunners."

"When?" That simple question was met with a heavy silence. The Philologist, slightly deterred and unnerved by the lack of response, continued. "Maccabeus is near the Reclaimer planet. We can't afford to delay any longer, and by the Forerunners, who knows what Obligation, Tolerance, and Restraint will do once they find out."

"We can wait a little longer." Fortitude sneered. "Those senile old fools don't pose a threat to our plans. Starting a war isn't the highest of their priorities. To answer your question, Philologist, tomorrow. Tomorrow we take control of the Covenant."

Fortitude started to move his gravity throne toward the exit. The Philologist started to follow him, but a swift nudge from Tranquility made him stop.

"Fortitude is insane." Tranquility quickly whispered, his eyes flashing dangerously. "If he makes one wrong move, will you support me?" The question hung in the air ominously. Then the Philologist inclined his head. That was all that was needed. They had come to an understanding. Both soon-to-be High Prophets glided through the exit. Neither would suspect that Fortitude was already one step ahead.

But even Fortitude himself would not be able to predict what would happen to the Covenant, nor the magnitude of the events that the Reclaimers would set in motion. No one knew, no one even suspected that the galaxy itself would be changed irrevocably in the coming months.

A/N: Well, I hope this brief prologue grabbed your attention. Future chapters will without a doubt be longer. Constructive criticism is welcome, of course. I'll probably have to re-write this whole first chapter in the future because I still haven't managed to get a beta-reader. That's all for now!