Sup guys, lighting wolf here back for another story. This is the final covenant halo story. Enjoy the 500-word chapter. I don't own Halo, Microsoft and 343 do.

Covenant holy city High Charity December 20th Ninth Age of Reclamation.

"And so, Arbiter, you will dispatch these…. heretics as they breath. You shall be joined by another who has suffered a grave dishonor. Supreme commander Zesh Nar, and Zealot Nessa Fresing. Both have suffered dishonors plus they have their own titles, Zesh is an acolyte, he is allowed to keep one ship from his fleet for the time being, Nessa is a specter, our hand of wraith. She too has been allowed to keep one ship from her small fleet." The arbiter nodded and left.

3 hours later

Zesh watched the holy city from his lich as the dropship left his flagship, a CAS class Assault Carrier Vengeance of the Warrior. The carrier carved through the skies above the gas mine of Threshold, he looked down at his blueish purple commander harness (look up Sangheili commander for the armor) several storm elites stood behind him, carbines and plasma rifles ready. Zesh could see a RCS class armored cruiser slip in next to his ship, a phantom left it, Zesh found this odd as not only were armored cruisers antiques in the covenant navy, they possessed no dropships, only fighters. Zesh readied his T-1 energy sword and type 52 Plasma pistol. The lich landed at the platform and 10 storm elites joined Zesh as 3 phantoms dropped off 5 spec ops elites, 10 spec ops grunts and the Arbiter.

"Arbiter, I am Acolyte, Zesh, my dishonor burdens me but I will fight under you." A phantom landing silenced the greeting as a Sangheili wearing the pinkish, blue armor of a zealot dropped out. Zesh was surprised at the elite, they were smaller, about 7 ft., their figure was slimmer but still maintained the muscle expected of a Sangheili, her blue eyes blazed with fury as she unclipped an energy sword from her belt.

"Acolyte, Arbiter, I am Specter, Nessa, ship mistress of the Cruiser Sword of the Song. I will follow you."

Several elite zealots joined their commander. Zesh was surprised but said nothing as they made their way towards the gravity lift inside. Zesh turned to Nessa as the team entered the lift.

"I didn't expect a zealot to be capable of dishonor, I am even more impressed they allowed a female to gain zealot status, I mean no offence." Nessa nodded as the two ignited their energy swords and prepared themselves. The lift opened and a heretic elite was killed by Zesh bringing his blade through the Sangheili.

"Rest in peace, brother, you join the journey." Nessa looked on in shock at the respect the commander gave the dead, her zealot nature prevented her from admitting it though. The elites crept through the sacks of gas as Zesh kept his energy sword ready, he parried the blow of a heretic elite as the attacker brought his blade up to block Zesh's counter. He kicked the attacker back before looking behind him at a fuel cell, he pulled a T-1 plasma grenade off his belt and ignited it as he stuck it to the side. The Acolyte backed off and waited as the explosive detonated and sent the elite off the side to his death.

"Acolyte! Behind you!" Nessa parried a blow from another heretic and brought her sword up in a way which cut the elite across the chest. Zesh was shocked, he nodded in thanks as he and the Specter looked ahead to see the Arbiter and the others already ahead of them.

"You have my thanks, zealot," Zesh said, his voice like a whisper. Nessa nearly shook from the praise from the commander but nodded as her mandibles pulled together under her helmet in a smile. Zesh dropped down as Nessa followed, the two Sangheili nodded to the arbiter as the lift descended.

"Why plot war with the Hierarchs? It makes little scene, Sesa was a hero of the fleet of Particular Justice, part of me refuses to believe that he could commit heresy." Nessa looked at Zesh, her code nearly convinced her to end the commander and his words, she however stayed her hand as the lift passed a room containing a forerunner machine which caused the Sangheili within to gasp in shock.

"A sentinel? Why do the holy warriors of the sacred rings work with these heretics?" Zesh wondered the same thing and took his plasma pistol off his belt, he fired the weapon with one hand as the elevator hit the bottom floor, the heretic grunt dropped to the floor, a burn on its chest from the plasma. Zesh looked around to see a group of heretic elites with carbines get their weapons ready.

"Arbiter! Snipers on the top floor! I will handle them, you get the door open and get the second lance of reinforcements in here!"

The arbiter nodded and led the spec off troops against the traitors. Zesh slashed an elite across his back before bringing his hand up to bat the barrel of a carbine away as a heretic tried to bring his weapon to bare on the commander.

He bisected the weapon before bringing his blade through the chest of the elite which fell off the ledge. The final heretic sniper activated his energy daggers while Zesh was distracted and struck, Zesh barely blocked the blows as one slashed his weapon against the commander's shoulder. Zesh kicked the elite back as he bared his mandibles in challenge. The heretic charged and managed to send Zesh's sword clattering the ground as he brought his hands up to punch the traitor, he managed to grab one of his foe's wrists and straining, managed to send the blade skimming across his neck, the heretic fell, dead. Zesh picked up his sword and dropped down as several type 52 phantoms, followed by 3 type 44 phantoms from the Vengeance entered the hanger. Zesh could see the carrier had taken up a position which allowed it to be safe from the storm, but also able to support the strike force, Zesh was glad Shipmaster Zhou was commanding the carrier in his absence.

Arbiter slashed the final heretic across the chest as Nessa slashed and killed a Heretic grunt. Zesh and his storm elites entered the next room as a Heretic elite ran to a Banshee, its cowl removed.

"Brothers, I return to the Oracle, these non-believers must be slain!" The elite entered the covenant ground fighter as it flew away.

"Sesa, damned Heretic, Acolyte Zesh to Vengeance, the traitor flees, launch a wave of seraphs and 4 more phantoms, he must not escape." Nessa looked at the commander in silence as he turned to Arbiter.

"Brother, I will follow with our Air support, you find that Heretic and silence his lies." The Arbiter nodded as he and the others ran to get the other banshees, Nessa remained, her eyes seemed to burn through Zesh as he looked at her.

"You know this Heretic?" Zesh nodded.

"He was a brother in arms, I know what I propose is heresy, your order kills the likes of me, I embrace death, you may kill me if you don't believe me." Nessa raised her blade to do so but stopped and nearly broke down.

"I-I…. can't, I cannot believe a commander like you, who has led his fleet in nothing but faith to the hierarchs. To be capable of a sin of that magnitude." Zesh nodded as the zealot composed herself and then stood with her eyes baring the same hatred as before.

"But I want to know if his lies carry any weight." Zesh nodded as they left the room.

A Type 56- Lich flew through the air, several type 44 Phantoms and Seraph type 31 fighters followed. Zesh looked around as the dropship flew through a maze of platforms, its guns blazing on the Heretic forces on these platforms.

"Hmm, Pilot, I believe the Heretic landed at the bigger platform. Drop us there!" Zesh's pilot nodded as a group of 20 storm grunts and 10 storm elites prepared for battle. Nessa watched as the Lich's guns crossed a trail of death across the platform as the Heretics were tossed off the platform. Several type 52 Phantoms followed by a banshee followed behind. Zesh and Nessa leapt onto the platform. The lich's soldiers following a second later as the arbiter arrived.

"Hmm…. I smell something." Zesh sniffed the air as he, Rtas, The Arbiter, and Nessa entered, Zesh sniffed the air as well before turning to Nessa.

"I do as well…. Did the fool…" He was interrupted as a roar shook the room, followed by an ear-splitting screech.

"No…. that fool, he is going to doom us all!" Zesh rushed out the door with his troops as the Arbiter went down another path.

The flood had been released.

Author notes

Phew! I wanted a massive opening chapter to stave you guys off until next Saturday. I tried my best with grammar, I will be posting next Saturday with another chapter. Until then, Lighting Wolf out!