Silence.

It is something not often truly perceived. In the universe there are many things that produce some sort of sound. Even if one were to journey to some uncolonized world and shut off all their technology, there would still be the sound of the animal life, the wind, the water. And even if one were to travel to an arid, lifeless rock that had barely enough atmosphere to allow one to walk upon its surface without an environment suit, they would still find that there was the sound of their own breathing to grace their ears.

That is why, as Vode Ikanporamee walked through the unfinished superstructure that, by the orders of the San 'Shyuum, would be called High Charity, he was amazed that there was actual silence here. Rumors had abounded that the builders had been ordered to minimize noise as much as possible, in respect for the reverence of what they were constructing. The Sangheili had never imagined they would be able to make it this quiet though, even in the periods of inactivity. It made the doubts of some of his people, their worries that this new Covenant with the San 'Shyuum would not last, seem empty. This filled him with satisfaction that he had never doubted.

Though he could hardly blame those who did doubt. After all, this was a time of much uncertainty indeed. The war between the Sangheili and the San 'Shyuum had only just now ended, and this uneasy alliance was still trying to steady itself. It would take time for all to see the light that the San 'Shyuum had found. But Vode had no doubt that soon that light would illuminate their minds and their paths as well.

The field commander paused. Even in this hallowed place his natural wariness had not relaxed. The sound of footsteps that should not be there reached his ears. They were not merely the footsteps of a builder or an inspector though. They were ones of a trained warrior who was in the midst of a mission, a sound that Vode knew all too well. He began to walk forward again, quietly, letting whoever was out there know that they had been detected while at the same time letting them know they were not going to keep him from what he was here to do.

The footsteps quickened now, and Vode knew what was coming. Whoever was out there, aware that he had been discovered, was now going to attempt to make his move. The field commander's senses entered full on battle mode, searching out what they could of his surroundings to try to determine just what was going on here. At last, he determined the direction that his unseen assailant was coming from and dove aside.

It was a move, born as a result of his warrior's training, that spared his life.

His assailant skidded past him to a stop. Vode rolled clear and drew his blade, looking now upon the one who had tried to kill him. He was filled with equal parts surprise and repugnance when he saw who it was. They were not Sangheili in his eyes. It might have been once, but things had been changed about it. Machinery had replaced parts of this one's body. The left eye, the right arm, parts of their torso. The field commander was repulsed at this abomination. How was it allowed to live?

"You discerned well my movements," the assassin said in a hiss, moving its stance to better face Vode. "I am impressed."

"You are an abomination," Vode replied.

The assassin laughed. "I am Shinahkai."

Vode recognized the word. 'Unthinking Blade'. Was that a remark on this one's role? Perhaps. In a matter such as this, it was a definite possibility.

The hidden servos and motors in the assassin's mechanical arm whirred and clicked. "You are perceptive, Vode Ikanporamee," Shinahkai said. "Even in the silence of this place I thought I might surprise you."

"You'll find I'm not so easily caught unaware." Vode was not about to give this... thing... the honor of a name. It was foul, grotesque, just plain wrong in every sense of the word. He was going to be doing existence itself a favor by ending this wretched thing.

The one that called itself Shinahkai gazed upon Vode. "Now that you know I am here though, I must deliver a message for you, from the ones that command me."

"What was stopping you from delivering it before?"

Shinahkai flexed his mandibles and hissed. "You are weak, Vode Ikanporamee. Already you rush into this alliance with these San'Shyuum, and threaten everything that the Sangheili stand for. All for what? The hope that somewhere out there are seven great rings, that will propel us to some sort of salvation? It is a blind hope, and you would make us weak to follow it."

Vode guessed that this was the message. Shinahkai did not look like the sort to care much about this sort of thing. "Who sends this?" he asked.

"An odd collection of lower Kaidons that consider themselves a triumvirate of sorts," the unholy assassin replied. "They were the ones who made me what I am today, an instrument of pure battle."

"You are possessed," Vode said. "Metal has possessed your body, and madness has possessed your mind. It falls on me to exorcise these demons from you. And when I am done I shall find those who made you and purge them so utterly that their entire states shall fall, and they shall never be remembered."

"Such spirit!" Shinahkai said with a laugh. "I know I anticipated this exchange for a reason." He lowered himself into a more predatory stance, holding his blade back behind him. "Come, Vode Ikanporamee. Sate my battle hunger."

Vode took a moment to appraise the situation. The stances that Shinahkai had taken during their talk had told him a great deal, mostly that as perverse as this assassin was, his skill with a blade was probably very great. Vode's needed a little work. However, the field commander felt he had something that could even the odds a little, something that he had been working on in his spare time.

Wordlessly, Vode reached down to his belt, where a second blade was. He drew it and adopted a fighting stance of his own design, one that would benefit this two-blade style. This way, at least this Shinahkai would be somewhat occupied with defending himself from the second blade, and would lose some opportunities for attack.

The assassin's eyes lit up when he saw this. "Oh!" he cried, smiling a little. "You exceed expectations. I never would have thought you would be desperate enough to attempt this! It will indeed be an honor to fight you."

"There is no honor for you," Vode growled. "Only an end."

Shinahkai gave an indifferent shrug at this. Then he lunged forward, in an extreme form of Unsettling Strike. Vode countered with a form of Reflective Force modified for his weapon style. It managed to send the assassin on his back, the sheer force of their meeting knocking him down. Vode would have moved in to end it right there, but the assassin spun himself around as he got back on his feet. The field commander had to move back to avoid getting maimed by the other's spinning blade.

The assassin came forward again. By his movements Vode could tell that the other was well-versed in most of the sword forms. It only served to make him much more disgusting. Such a creation, with such knowledge of one of the most sacred things to Sangheili, it was a greater sin than he had ever thought possible.

"It will be a sad, but necessary, evil to spill your blood in this place," the field commander said as his blades moved to block the assassin's.

Shinahkai laughed at this. "This Covenant you want is founded on the blood of all our mothers and children that the San 'Shyuum have killed," he said with a smile as he moved to attack with a blow of Unyielding Clarity. "The addition of your blood or mine means nothing."

"You do not truly believe that," Vode said as he countered the assassin's blow and moved in with one of his own.

"I believe in whatever gets you to fight in the truest way," Shinahkai said as he hopped back out of the reach of Vode's blades.

"Then you need believe in your own evil," Vode said as he closed the distance to continue the fight.

The two Sangheili continued their duel for a minute or two. Their moves were not fancy. There was no grace or choreography to what they did. They simply attempted to wear each other down, breaking like great waves upon each other in an attempt to weaken their opponent so that an opening might be found, and exploited. Shinahkai used all the forms well, displaying capability that belied his horrific appearance. But Vode made good account with his two blades, putting into practice his theoretical new form.

At last, Vode's battering knocked Shinahkai back a little. As the assassin moved to recover, the field commander made his move. He knocked Shinahkai's sword aside with one blade, chopped off his other arm with the other blade, and then plunged the first blade up into the assassin's head. And the fight was over.

Vode sheathed his blades and bowed his head. He prayed to the Lords of Old, and to the Lords of Sangheilios, to ask forgiveness for his violation of this place and thank them for their aid. Sudden battle though it had been, Vode had weathered it.

"Field commander! What horrors have you brought to this holy place!"

The voice brought Vode out of his prayer and he turned to face it. A San 'Shyuum stood there, glaring at the broken body of the abominable assassin. But not just any San 'Shyuum. This was the Prophet of Clarity, one of the highest in their hierarchy.

"I brought no horrors here," Vode said. "Horrors came here to find me."

The Prophet of Clarity sneered. "Explain yourself."

"This one here was sent to slay me, because I champion so this new Covenant," Vode said, pointing down at Shinahkai. "He did attempt to do battle with me. But I slew him, for such evil could not be permitted to leave this place alive. "

The San 'Shyuum moved over to look at the assassin. His face betrayed his feelings as he saw it, becoming more and more disgusted. "Who would do this?"

"He said he was the instrument of a triumvirate of lower Kaidons. It was my intention to investigate this."

The Prophet of Clarity pondered this for a moment. Vode watched as he looked from the assassin, then back to him, then to the assassin, then out across the construction of High Charity.

"Very well, then," the San 'Shyuum said at last. "Do so, and bring me the names of those who did this."

"It was also my intention to send them into utter destitution," Vode remarked.

"That will still be done, field commander," the Prophet of Clarity said, looking towards him. "But first they shall be exposed. For a transgression such as this, there is no other punishment."

Vode nodded. "As you wish."

The Prophet looked over at the field commander. "What is your name?"

"Vode Ikanporamee."

"Pardon my harsh speech before, Vode Ikanporamee," the Prophet of Clarity said. "It is rather refreshing to see conviction as strong as yours. After we dispose of these blasphemers, I think I have a place for such conviction."

Vode lowered his head in a humble nod. "I humbly accept this praise, Hierarch."

The Prophet smirked. "Do not do so humbly. Those who forever turn aside praise with humility grow tiresome. It is those who take it in their stride that become truly remembered."

And with that, the San 'Shyuum hobbled away, off on whatever other duties he had to attend to. Vode watched him go. Then he put out a general call on his communicator, signaling his aides of where he was and that their help was needed. Shinahkai's body, though horrendous as it was, was still needed. It was a clue to who was behind this. And Vode intended to use it.

The call sent, the field master stood and looked back out over High Charity. Once again, silence returned, washing over this battlefield and soothing it. Vode took gentle breaths to keep from marring the effect. And as he stood in silence, he considered what was happening. The gods surely smiled upon this, he thought. For even now they revealed those who would undo this Covenant, those who would deny the faithful the truth and the light. And he, Vode Ikanporamee, was their instrument of undoing.

It was a pleasing thought.

This takes place like, way in the past of the Halo universe. I figured I'd take a stab at it and see what I could come up with. That being said, I'm fairly certain that I have created some contentious points with this, potential problems. I'm going to attempt to address those now.

Problems with this:

-I don't really know the Covenant's stance on cyborgs. I figure they'd see it as an abomination already, even before the Spartans come along thousands of years later. That way, it ends up making them look even more demonic. That also being said, I'm assuming that if they have enough technology to make High Charity at that time, there's enough to make a cyborg. Your Mileage May Vary applies on this point, though.

-I don't know when energy swords first came into usage in the Covenant. I was informed that they were around during this time period. I asked him that person if he were certain, since he got his information from that piece of trash anime short The Duel, which is said to be non-canon. He said that he thought at least the broader parts of it were canon, so I'm going to go ahead and throw the presence of energy swords at that time period as being part of that. Thanks to him for the help on that point!

-Dual wielding. I know dual wielding swords is cool, and that everybody keeps wanting to be able to dual wield swords in a game proper. But lets face it, it's horribly impractical. You have a death-dealing white hot plasma blade in your hand already. Why do you need another one? It's not like these things are katanas, which can be more easily wielded in the off hand. These are energy swords, with what I consider a very unique design that, in my opinion, doesn't really lend itself well to dual wielding. That being said, I went ahead and had Vode dual wield because I thought this was a situation where it would actually be useful, in an honest sword duel against what might be a superior opponent, to give yourself a bit of an edge. At the very least, it gives them one more thing to watch out for. All this is my subjective opinion though.

So, anyways, that's that. Hope you all like this in spite of the odd place this story occupies in the Halo timeline.