Chapter 2 – Counterattack

Two weeks after the events of chapter 1…

Aboard his flagship Honorable Sacrifice the Arbiter surveyed his great fleet of battle cruisers. Each ship was loaded with battalions of elite Sangheili warriors, Ghosts, Wraith tanks, and weaponry. It had taken longer than expected for his fleet to be prepared for the Empire's savage counterattack. Sangheili warriors located on the fringes of the Empire's space were holding out against the Jiralhanae attacks with ease. The Sangheili warriors were superior in nearly every way. And if Thel's plan went off as it should, then the Jiralhanae would be caught between two forces of Sangheili warriors.

"Arbiter, we are preparing for our slip space jump!" one of the bridge officers exclaimed.

"Good. Fire slip space capacitors. Prepare all warriors for battle!" The Arbiter replied.

The fleet began jumping to slip space one by one. Finally, only the Honorable Sacrifice and the Bloody Death remained. The two cruisers jumped simultaneously. Normally, the flagship would jump last. But for this mission, the Bloody Death was considered just as important to the mission, and needed to be defended at all costs. It was carrying a surprise for the Jiralhanae. The Arbiter grinned, and settled into his command chair for the journey.

3 hours later, in orbit over Sangheili colony world of Sera

When the Honorable Sacrifice and the Bloody Death returned from slipstream space, the battle was already underway and raging around them. Space was not as pitch black and empty as it should be. Destroyed hulls of both Sangheili and Jiralhanae cruisers were scattered through space, and plasma bolts shot through space. Teardrop-like Seraph fighters buzzed around, engaging each other in dogfights.

"Prepare the drop ships!" The Arbiter ordered. "And ready my men."

"Yes sir!" one of his subordinates replied.

Thel raced to the hangar bay. Five phantom drop ships filled the hangar, and his warriors were everywhere. The dock officer saw him enter.

"Officer on deck!" he yelled. All of the warriors stopped what they were doing and came to attention.

"Warriors of the Sangheili Empire!" The Arbiter yelled "Our enemies, the Jiralhanae have begun a war with us! But their war shall be short! Today, we end the lives of these mongrel asswipes!"

A cheer rose up throughout the hangar.