Prologue
Report on the Atrocity at Halo To the Prophet of Truth:Most high and honoured Prophet: It is with greatest shame that I lay myself before the judgement of the Council. I expect and will accept no mercy. My failure in this matter is absolute I embrace my responsibility and my punishment.
The disgrace and blasphemy at Halo was an abomination caused by my incompetence and failure of judgement. Although the tales and rumours of the Demon have basis in fact, much of this talk is Unggoy superstition and exaggeration. Certainly the Demon, a Human, activated the catastrophic engine-failure sequence on the crashed Human vessel, but it was allowed to do so because of failures in security and tactics for which I bear full responsibility.
I have no good news to relay, but the Human action was suicidal, either by accident or design. I believe none escaped the catastrophe.
AS ever, Jiralhanae accounts of the conflict are unreliable and their accounts of this Human's abilities and actions are absurd. No Human is capable of the things they gossip and chatter about. I suspect panic and excuse, as well as confusion caused by the spread of the parasite.
The Human in question is certainly unusual, although not the creature it has been described as. It stands taller than most, is faster and more aggressive, but still irrevocably a Human animal, worthy of neither fear nor respect.It is merelyan exception that proves the rule. As always, Humans remain beneath our contempt. Their failure at Reach compounds their defeat. We sense that their defences are failing rapidly. I have gathered information about the Human's armour, abilities, and weapons, which follows this report.
Perhaps more worrisome is the discovery and subsequent conflict with the parasite on Halo. This monstrosity festered, rotted, and waited on the Holy World, and although we cannot be sure, the Humans may have released it from its shackles. I do not presume to know the unknowable, but I suspect that the Forerunners meant this filth to stay imprisoned forever. The sacred grace of Halo was polluted before it was destroyed.
I await my punishment with faith and honour.
-Supreme Commander, Fleet of Particular Justice
What follows this report is information on the "Demon", Master Chief, schematics and statistics on both Human and Covenant weapons and vehicles, and strategies to be used in the invasion of the Human homeworld "Earth".
Covenant Holy City, High Charity, Ninth Age of Reclamation"There was only one ship."
An echo of excitement and anxiety echoed around High Charity's Council Chamber.
"One? Are you sure?" The Prophet of Regret, or rather, his hologram asked.
"Yes." The Supreme Commander responded, without hesitation. How could he not be sure? He had spent standard weeks pondering his actions, questioning his motives after the atrocity at the Holy Ring. "They called it… The Pillar of Autumn."
"Why was it not destroyed with the rest of their fleet!" The Prophet of Mercy demanded, ironically without a hint of mercy.
"It fled," The Supreme Commander responded, now with a hint of satisfaction in his voice, even during this brutal interrogation. "As we set fire to their planet, but I followed with all the ships in my command."
"When you first saw Halo, were you blinded by its majesty?" Asked Regret.
"Blinded?" Inquired the Commander
"Paralysed? Dumbstruck?" Offered Regret
"No!" The Commander firmly responded. He could see where the Prophet was going with his questions.
"Yet the Humans were able to evade your ships," Regret continued, his voice growing in volume and intimidation. "Land on the Sacred Ring, and desecrate it with their filthy footsteps!" The Prophet hammered in his point, slamming his holographic fist onto his holographic hoverchair.
"Noble Hierarchs" The Commander answered, the satisfaction in his voice replaced by traces of desperation and pleading. "Surely you understand that once the parasite attacked…" The Commander's words were lost among a wave of distressed outcry from the Councillors in attendance. Those that were not able to be present at the Council, including Regret, were represented by live holographic representations or AI representations programmed to act in exactly the same way their real-life counterparts would.
"There will be order in this council!" Mercy cried, trying desperately to silence the crowd of various Covenant representatives lined on the raised benches. Emotional pain wrought his wizened face; he more than any other member of the Covenant was greatly disturbed by the discovery of the Flood on Halo. His cries, however, fell to deaf ears.
"You were right to focus your attention on the Flood." Said a voice from behind Mercy. The Prophet of Truth emerged from the shadows behind Regret and Mercy, arms raised, his voice calm as ever. At once the Council Chamber fell silent. Truth had that effect upon all among the Covenant. He was the Councillor Most High, the highest rank among the Prophets, and a figurehead that lead the entire Covenant by example. "But this Demon, this 'Master Chief'…"He continued, then stopped. He did not need to say any more. All present had heard of the Demon on Halo, a supposed super-Human with strength, speed and authority to rival the Sangheili, and eyesight, accuracy and reflexes to shame the Kig-yar.
"By the time I learned the Demon's intent, there was nothing I could do." The Commander responded, his voice gradually becoming a hushed whisper of shame. This was a blatant lie, and everyone present knew it; he had ample time to increase security around the crash site of the Human vessel on Halo. After all, his troops had intercepted a number of transmittions from the Human AI "Cortana" about the supposed plan to detonate the vessel's engines and destroy the Ringworld, but he was confident that because of the location of the crash site and the infestation of the Flood, that such a mission would be impossible, at best. However, once the Demon commandeered a Banshee aircraft from the Covenant cruiser Truth and Reconciliation, the Commander hurriedly deployed a squad of Special-Operatives Unggoy, Sangheili and Lekgolo to dispatch of the threat to the Holy Ring. Apparently this was an underestimation of the Demon's true abilities, and He managed to destroy both the wreckage of the Human ship and the Ringworld simultaneously. However, the Commander surmised, such an action was suicidal, and the Covenant could rest assured that the Demon was no longer a threat to their Great Journey.
The tumult in the Council Chamber rose once again, and the Commander noticed that a few Councillors had started to mutter and nod conspiratorially among themselves. Behind the Prophets, the Jiralhanae Chieftain, Tartarus, chuckled gruffly and audibly. Regret's hologram, leaning over to Truth, whispered in his ear, "Noble Prophet of Truth, this has gone on long enough! Make an example of this bungler! The council demands it!" Truth silenced him, and the clamouring crowd, with a wave of his hands.
"You are one of our most treasured instruments." Truth referred to the Commander, the perpetual calmness present in his voice, but also with a growing harshness with every word, every syllable. "Long have you led your fleet with honour and distinction." The Commanders head hung low, from flattery from such a high-ranking Prophet such as Truth, but also from the growing feeling of dread in his abdomen that was beginning to envelop his senses. "But your inability to safeguard Halo…" The harshness in Truth's voice was definite now, and malice was creeping into his words. "…Was a colossal failure!"
"Nay!" Cried a Councillor from the benches. "It was heresy!" There was instant uproar at this statement, but it was supportive towards the Councillor, and the Commander saw no sympathy for him in those benches. As he expected.
"I will continue my campaign against the Humans!" The Commander proclaimed, his restraint and patience wearing thin.
"No! You will not." Truth responded icily, signalling to Tartarus, who waved and gave an authorative bark. At once two Jiralhanae grasped the Commander by the elbows, expecting resistance. The Commander offered none, but shook off the Jiralhanae guards with contempt. It wasn't as if he did not know where he was going. After all, as the Councillor stated, he had committed heresy, and he was certain that he was being led to where all heretics received their punishment, or part of it. It was no secret; in fact it was a public display.
"Soon the Great Journey shall begin." Truth continued, his voice still icy yet, as always, calm. "But when it does the weight of your heresy shall stay your feet. And you shall be left behind."