Halo: On Broken Wings
Chapter One: Angels And Demons
September 22, 2552
Uncharted Planet
Amidst the buzz of a jungle's midnight activity, an insect ventured for suitable sources of nourishment, one final forage before a return to its colony for shelter and recuperation. Guided by the light that glided down from the two planet's moons, one azure in colour, the other pearl white but scarred by the soot of volcanic eruptions, the insect had no trouble navigating during its foray into the wilderness. Its compound eyes made nothing of the serene star-spangled banner of the sky, nor did it notice a shooting star plummeting towards the planet's surface.
Disintegrating as it fell, the burning star lit up the sky, leaving a blazing trail in its wake. The titanium object slowly revolved, its gentle rotation a stark contrast to its fiery death. Pieces shot out from the primary structure, debris, turrets, escape pods. Engaged in a loosing battle with the world's atmosphere, the spaceship let out a thunderous roar that reverberated off of the planet's mountains, resonated in its valleys and rang loud in the jungle in which it would leave its final mark.
The insect continued its search for food, lacking the intellectual capacity to wonder why the world now seemed to vibrate around it. Water sloshed and rippled inside the jungle's ponds and streams, trees shook violently, almost with anger and above the insect, aerial creatures rushed to get away. The insect made nothing of these things. A more sentient being who believed in deities may have prayed, begging for forgiveness as though it had affronted the gods. No longer was the jungle bathed in darkness, ominous orange light now illuminated the terrain as the shooting star- the falling spaceship, shot towards the ground.
The impact was beyond biblical proportions. A deep thud shook the world, a wave of energy crushed and flattened all life around the crater of the smoldering spacecraft. Plumes of smoke, dust and vapourised water gathered in the skies.
Silence. The cries of wildlife cut short, killed and maimed by the impact blast.
Soonafter, through the dust and the ash, what looked like flares could be seen by the more keenly-eyed fauna descended towards the planet's surface. Dozens- over a hundred off them. Some were random pieces of boiled debris that had fallen off of the now grave-laden spaceship. But others, there were others that were suspended by pieces of fabric- parachutes, that held the last survivors of that spaceship. Survivors that had not only escaped a plummeting, doomed vessel, but beforehand, survived a battle in the vacuum against a superior enemy.
It was a testament to the guile of the craft's occupants that, though defeated, they managed to land a deadly blow to their opponent before they were swallowed up by the planet's gravitational power. Now, the enemy ship too was destined towards the planet's surface. Key drives had been destroyed by a magnetically accelerated projectile. Rendered immobile, it was reluctantly pulled down through the world's atmosphere. Only, there was no fire in the sky, no bellowing thunder. The silver, seraph-like vessel slowly glided downward, silently, until it softly touched down a horizon's distance away from the ruins of the first spacecraft.
If the seraph-vessel's occupants couldn't kill the heathens in space, they would butcher them on the ground.
Fires! Fires in the sky! Where are the stars? It is night, yet all I see is fire! And the fires, how fast they do fall! Wait- where am I? What happened- a ship! I was in a ship! Falling! Turning! Twisting! Dying! What next? It was.. yes I was in a pod! But the chute, the chute didn't deploy! Falling! Screaming! Pleading...
Impact.
Nothing.
But I am still alive, yet, where are the others? The pod is in pieces, smoldering embers. Oh no! I smell it! I smell burned flesh, incinerated hair. I see them now... Nothing but corpses. My enemy will pay for this! At least... at least I never got to know these people. But then again, I rarely do.
Wait- what was that? An explosion! War cries!
They followed us to the ground!
More explosions! And now, I hear energy weapons! And screams- the screams of men and women... cut short and extinguished.
Get up! Get up! Get up and avenge lives lost! Save those that remain alive. For you, you are Alexander!
September 22nd, 2552,
Aboard Fortuitous Retribution, In Geosynchronous Orbit Around (Former) Human Colony Corinth IV, Sigma Cetus System
Triumph, pride and glory. These were the things that were carved into the soldier's granite visage, emanated from his purposeful stride and shone from his powerful shoulders. Flanked by three others in black battle armour, a path was cleared for him through the passages of the ship, while those he passed dropped to their knees offering prayers of rejoice and uttering blessings. Then, they fell in behind the soldier, and followed him, transfixed, mouths agape, and stumbled after him in a trance-like slumber.
For the soldier, he was Endyr 'Vordimee. A Special Operations Commander. Yet it was not he that attracted the attention of legions, despite his vast and awe-inspiring record. No, it was what he carried. What he had seized from the humans. They did not know its power, but the Covenant, they knew the value of the item that was now grasped tightly in the warrior's hands. And now, now he brought it to the chamber of the Supreme Commander, where the holy relic would be presented to him in the presence of an array of well-decorated Ship Masters. This, this was perhaps, Endyr 'Vordimee's finest moment.
At last, he reached the doors of the chamber. They spanned twice the average breadth of the doors in the interior of Covenant ships. Carvings were etched across them depicting Sangheilian heroes, a number of which became and died as Arbiters. There was a lot of history contained on those doors, and Endyr made it his duty to learn about every hero portrayed on these doors, hoping to learn from them, and someday, perhaps, even join them.
Slowly, too slowly almost, the doors drew apart. Endyr's hearts beat deeply as his anticipation peaked. He shifted his weight, now suddenly uncomfortable under the stare of those who had followed him so zealously to the door. Only when the doors had fully withdrawn did Endyr enter, and now, now he was ready to display the fruits of his labour.
Only, none of the Sangheili turned to him. They didn't acknowledge his presence. They didn't move. They didn't speak. They all stared, shocked and horrified, at the holographic display that loomed over them.
Then Endyr saw what the hologram displayed. Suddenly his breath escaped him, he dropped to his knees and his eyes spread wide in despair and terror.
By the Gods! What have they done?
September 22nd, 2552,
Sanctum of the Hierarchs, High Charity, Slipspace
"This is madness Truth! You cannot hope to do this without opposition! Without upheaval! Were this to go into effect... The result would break our Covenant!"
Seventy-six shards of glass hung above them, glistening drapes, each containing the souls of one planet silenced and burned. Beneath them, two aged and frail figures circled one another in a gladiatorial duel of words. Their words relayed off the grand ornamented walls of the sanctum, the deep echoes almost symbollically demonstrating the sway and influence the two Prophets held, for they truly were the voices of the Covenant.
"You whine like an Unggoy that has just been weaned fresh off the teat. Open your eyes Mercy, it is the will of the Gods that this be done, and it shall be the will of the Prophets!"
"Nay! The Sangheili will not take this as mere slander! It should be abundantly clear to you that our Covenant, the Covenant that our forefathers broke their spines to achieve, would shatter and become the shards that now loom above us. In these recent seasons, you become more and more zealous. And I, the Prophet Of Mercy, now question whether you deserve the throne upon which your arrogant bosom rests."
At this, Truth whipped around. He steered his chair directly in the path of his accusor, extended his neck and stared ominously into the sagging eyes of his ancient acquaintance.
"You dare question my judgement? Label me arrogant? I am surprised you have the valour to do so, you ragged old coote! Yet you cannot steel yourself to do what must be done! I will not be restrained by the clinging tendrils of your ineptitude. My will shall be done! For I alone have brought the Covenant so far along the path. I alone have ensured the destruction of those deemed unworthy by the Gods! Our tread is nigh, and when the loyal walk the Path, your spineless carcass will be left behind."
"The words of a vainglorious tyrant. Power has corrupted you Truth, and I will not sit in silence."
The flickering of lights at the far end of the chamber signified a conclusion to the joust. Regret entered uttering obscenities and curses, his body language a display of his despair.
"Blasphemy! That heinous filthy creature! Heretic! What ever will we do?"
"Regret," Truth hissed, "please put an end to that whining. My ears cannot-"
"The Ring!" Regret cried.
"The Ring! The Sacred Ring! Halo! That vile Demon has destroyed it!"
A/N: Fragments and pieces. That's what this chapter seems to be. But let me assure you, everything here is tied together. You will see that soon.
If you can spare the time and feel compelled to do so, I would be grateful for any reviews and constructive criticism.
For now, welcome to Halo: On Broken Wings.