Truth and Reconciliation – Fleet of Righteous Purpose – Ninth Age of Reclamation
Thel Vadamee', Shipmaster of the Truth and Reconciliation, looked down to the San'Shyuum Prophetess, the Minister of Reclamation, as she spoke, her surprisingly young voice struggling to be heard over the commotion aboard the bridge.
"Admiral 'Jar Wattinree, we must redirect to Prideful Sanctity immediately! You must understand the significance of this discovery!" Thel's mandibles twitched, as he bit back a scathing response, letting the imposing Imperial Admiral speak over the transmission
"Noble Minister, I understand your concerns, but I cannot redirect an entire Fleet for a mere archaeological dig on a farm. Not while the threat of Atriox and his Banished remains." The Minister appeared to be all but fuming, as she frowned, yelling back.
"But you must understand! Refumee' and his team have made as important a discovery to the Covenant as the discovery of High Charity, maybe even more-so!" She breathed in slowly, pausing, as she explained further. "One warship, that is all I ask, Admiral 'Jar Wattinree. Something to escort the discovery back to High Charity for the proper rites." Thel gave a pause, before sighing.
"I will grant you this ship for your purposes Minister." Her eyes widened with elation, before Thel continued. "On the condition that Shipmaster 'Vadamee remains in command, to ensure that the Truth and Reconciliation is not misused." The Minister opened her mouth to retort, before pausing, closing it. This would be the best deal she could get out of the Sangheili Admiral.
The Shipmaster turned around to the main console, looking to a Kig-Yar helmsman, speaking. "Prepare for departure to Prideful Sanctity." The Kig-Yar looked to 'Vadamee, giving a nod, replying in guttural common tongue.
"Right. Locking on to Mass Relay." The Battlecruiser drifted forward, picking up speed as it drifted further and further from the Fleet, ever closer towards the Relay. Swirling blue energies surrounded the relay, as a large bolt surged out, catching the Warship, shooting it out at faster than light speeds. Vadamee' stared at the Holographic Terminal, as the ship sped towards the farmworld, breathing out slowly as he muttered a quiet prayer to the Gods. By his side, the Minister looked to the terminal intently, watching a strange blinking light as they sped closer.
Thel looked down to the Minister, speaking. "Quite strange for a youngling to be pronounced Minister." The San'Shyuum shot a glare at the gold-armoured Sangheili, retorting.
"I earned my position through diligence and devotion to the Gods, Supreme Commander, if you're implying what I think you're implying." Thel gave a scoff, replying.
"You are younger than I was when I first became Shipmaster, and yet you are the Minister of Reclamation already. Do you understand my concern?" She gave a nod, replying.
"I was simply the most qualified to hold the title after the fiasco at Honest Tribunal." Thel looked down, breathing slowly.
"Ah, that unfortunate bit of history. Atriox and his ilk should not have been allowed to take that station from us." She gave a nod, looking down to the various crew of the vessel, before turning back to the Supreme Commander.
"So, mind giving me introductions? I'd like to get to know at least a few of the faithful that journey with us." Thel gave a nod, leading her down the ramp towards one of the Sangheili aboard the Bridge. Clad in the black of Special Operations, and with the white highlights of an Ultra, he turned to Thel, giving him a nod.
"Supreme Commander." Thel looked to him, before speaking to the Minister.
"Noble Minister of Reclamation, allow me to introduce you to Ropa 'Doramee, leader of the Special Operations forces aboard the Truth and Reconciliation." The Sangheili gave a bow, looking to the San'Shyuum.
"Minister, it is an honour to work with the members of the Ministry of Reclamation once more." The Minister gave a bow in response, before looking to the Kig-Yar helmsman, eyes shut, dozing off at the console. She stepped over, speaking up with a giggle.
"I'm not sure the Supreme Commander would want his crew to be so neglectful at their task." The Kig-Yar's eyes shot open, as he quickly started waving his hands around the console.
"I'm working, I'm working!" He yelled, shirking down as he breathed in quickly. The Minister giggled again.
"Of course you are. And, your name is?" The Kig-Yar looked to the San'Shyuum, before replying in his usual, guttural voice.
"Frith. Master of the Helm for the 'T and 'R, at your service." She gave a nod, opening her mouth to continue, when suddenly, a Sangheili Major quickly popped up from his terminal, yelling.
"Shipmaster, we have a transmission from Prideful Sanctity!" Thel's eyes snapped open, as he looked to the Sangheili, speaking.
"Get it on-screen, 'Ravamee now!" The Major gave a nod, as he typed on a console. "Supreme Commander, visual link is disabled. We only have audio." Static white noise appeared on the Terminal, filling the screen. Suddenly, they heard Plasma Fire and Mass Accelerator, screaming and guttural yells of agony. Thel's eyes narrowed, as a familiar voice came on the transmission.
"This is Commander Sesa 'Refumee to any Covenant Forces, Prideful Sanctity is under attack by vile beasts, we… They just keep coming! We need assistance now-" Suddenly, a large, metallic booming overtook the transmission, before the transmission returned to static. The Major, Lat 'Ravamee spoke.
"Transmission ends there, Shipmaster. Orders?" The Minister's eyes were wide with shock, as he looked to the crew. Many of them were confused, others appeared to be fuming with anger; 'And rightfully so' Thought Thel 'Who in their right minds would attack the Covenant? The Rachni had failed to break the Writ, the Unggoy had failed to break the Writ, even the Banished had failed.' Thel looked to his crew, before activating the ship's intercom, speaking up.
"Brothers and Sisters-in-Arms!" He yelled, addressing the crew "Today we go into the dark to face whatever foul heretics have dared to attack the Covenant! We go to destroy whatever foul infidels stand in the path of the Great Journey!" Several Sangheili roared, raising their weapons to the proverbial sky, as the Bridge Crew looked to Thel, waiting for orders. He spoke, his voice confident, as they continued their rapid approach.
"Frith, how long do we have?" The Kig-Yar looked, before replying, slightly stuttering.
"Uh, w-we have about an hour before arrival, Shipmaster." Thel looked to the crew, yelling to the crew.
"There is your window! Prepare for battle!" Suddenly, the bridge exploded in activity, as various Sangheili, Unggoy, Kig-Yar, and others quickly rushed outside, inside, and to the Bridge's Weapons Crates. Thel stepped down the dais' ramp, looking to a Weapon Locker. Opening it, he removed his weapons: a standard Covenant Plasma Rifle, attached to his left Cuisse. Then, he removed an Accelerator Carbine, slinging it over his back. Finally, he grabbed his traditional weapon; his personal Energy Sword, magnetizing the hilt to his right Cuisse, ready for action.
"I want to fight." He heard the Minister speak, as he turned around to face her. He shook his head, replying.
"No, Minister. We cannot protect you if you are fighting with us." She gave a huff, looking to him.
"What, just because I can't use a Fuel Rod Cannon or wield an Energy Sword like a Sangheili means that I need to be protected? I can fight." Thel gave a scoff.
"You're no Prelate, Minister. I highly doubt your ability. Let me and my men handle this." The San'Shyuum frowned, retorting.
"Not every warrior fights with a gun. Some of us use the Gods' gifts." Thel slightly opened his eyes in realization.
"You're a Biotic." She gave a nod, as swirling energies of Element Zero Fields manifested around her, before dissipating.
"And before you ask, yes, I have been trained to use these abilities in battle. Now, am I allowed to come?" Thel gave a sigh, replying.
"Fine, but under strict supervision and guard. Let myself and Doramee's forces take point. Deal?" She gave a nod, replying.
"Fine. It's the best deal I'm going to get out of you, so… I agree. Now, let's go. I'm ready to take the fight to these heretics." Thel gave a nod.
"Grab a Shield and an Accelerator Pistol, then head to the Hangar Deck; we will deploy once we arrive in-system." She gave a nod, moving towards the exit. Thel stepped back up onto the Dais, looking to Frith.
"How close are we?" The Kig-Yar gave a low chuckle, stretching his fingers.
"Close enough. I'd get to the Hangar Deck if I were you. We'll be in the System once you're all organized." Thel gave a nod, stepping towards the Hatch. Opening the door, he stepped into a wide corridor of curved, violet metal, as half a dozen Sangheili Minors armed with Plasma and Accelerator Rifles rushed through, followed by triple their number in Unggoy, all heading for the same destination as Thel.
Thel opened the hatch, revealing the wide, three-deck Hangar Bay, as several Phantoms loaded troops into their bays. He moved to the side, stepping into the closest of the Phantoms, looking to his fellow occupants: Ultra 'Doramee, five Special Operations Sangheili, fifteen Special Operations Unggoy, and the Minister, now wearing a light Combat Harness, equipped with the standard Shields.
The occupants lurched as the ship translated out of the Relay, heading towards Prideful Sanctity. They were here. Quickly barking into his communicator, Thel gave the order.
"All forces, launch! Head down to the planet, secure the Artifact, and wipe out every one of the motherless heathens!" The Phantom's rear hatch sealed, as it drifted forward, slowly, out of the Hangar Shield. Then, suddenly, the Phantoms quickly sped up, flying at high speed towards the farm world of Prideful Sanctity.
Rolling Hills – Prideful Sanctity – Ninth Age of Reclamation
The Phantom touched down, hovering above plains of ashen-green grass, on the top of a titanic plateau. The Pilot, an aging Sangheili spoke, as the ground team jumped down the Gravity Lift.
"This is as close as I can get to the Dig Site, Shipmaster. You will have to find your own way there. May the Gods guide you on your path." Thel jumped down the Gravity Lift, onto the Grass. His heavy boots slammed into the ground, kicking up dirt and soot, as he looked to the sky. The clouds were orange, as if burning, as clouds of smoke billowed up into the sky. He vaguely saw the metal tip of some sort of massive spire. A strange sight for farmland, to say the least. He drew his Accelerator Carbine, as the Minister jumped down, drawing her Accelerator Pistol, as she looked around, concerned, but otherwise stoic facing the damage wrought to the farm-world.
Thel raised his free hand, beckoning the others to follow, as they moved down, towards a cliff-side path on the plateau, quite obviously dug-out, but not recently, judging by the grass growing on it. Thel looked to a Spec Ops Minor by the name of 'Rodamee, and gestured for him to move forward, as well as two Unggoy. Rodamee took point, Plasma Rifle raised as he slowly stepped forward, breathing slowly and cautiously, while the Unggoy shivered, stumbling forward, their breaths quick and terrified as they clutched their accelerator pistols tightly.
Thel quickly moved up, ducking behind a rock, as Doramee and the Minister took up positions beside the cliff. The other Sangheili and Unggoy remained behind, waiting for orders, as the point-team moved up slowly, weapons raised. Thel noticeably shivered, as he smelt the air. Something was coming; something dry, yet with a hint of metal. He raised his Accelerator Carbine, his claw tightening around the trigger. Suddenly, he heard fluttering wings, similar to a Yan'me's wings, as three figures flew up from below the Plateau, quickly firing on the team. Gold beams of energy quickly struck the three, killing the Unggoy instantly, and dropping 'Rodamee's shields. Thel quickly took aim, firing his Carbine at the beasts. One of the creatures quickly started firing its beam at the other members, dropping Sangheili shields with ease. Rodamee took several shots with his Plasma Rifle, only for another beam to cut through his weakened armour, and his head, throwing him to the ground, his head replaced with a charred lump of flesh.
Taking aim at the large head of one of the fliers, Thel pulled the trigger, and let off several Carbine shots, striking the creature in the head. The beast's wings stopped beating, as it fell down the plateau, dead. The other two looked to their side, flying into the air, switching targets to the Unggoy. As the gold beams cut through the surviving Unggoy, killing two more, Thel barked to the Sangheili to fire on the creatures. Suddenly, a blue Biotic Warp Field surrounded one of the creatures, pulling it to the ground with a sickening crack. Thel looked to the Minister as her Biotic Field surrounded her. She quickly raised her pistol, firing several times at the prone creature, killing it. The last one quickly fired several concentrated beams at the group, felling another two Unggoy, and another Sangheili.
The survivors quickly fired up with Plasma and Accelerated rounds, as the creature raised its hand. Some sort of strange Energy Shield, flickering with bright orange energy, flared to life, deflecting the barrage. Suddenly, bright blue Plasma Bolts struck it from behind, shredding what little armour it had, as it fell to the Plateau. Thel looked around cautiously, trying to find the shooter. Suddenly, he heard the familiar whine of an Anti-Gravity Pack, and a thump behind him. He turned around, weapon raised, as he came across their saviour.
"Sesa?" The Sangheili gave a nod. Clad in a red, Security harness, and armed with twin Plasma Rifles, Sesa 'Refumee stood tall, though covered in new scars. He spoke, obviously tired but relieved.
"Vadamee. I am glad to see you. We came under attack by a large force of these beasts. My Security Teams tried to fight them off, to protect the artifact, but we failed. We're mostly scattered by now." Thel gave a sigh, looking to his forces, as he spoke.
"As are we. We've suffered heavy losses to no more than three of those things. We need to get to the Dig Site; do you have any idea what it is?" 'Refumee gave a nod, replying.
"It is some kind of bastion of the Gods; a repository of knowledge and wisdom. We have been entering the vault slowly, carefully. When those things arrived, I sent our Mga'Lekgolo to protect the entrance." He glanced to the side, speaking. "I pray that they yet live." Thel let out a sigh, looking to one of the bodies. He stepped over to it, turning it over.
The skin was charcoal black, leathery, with strange cracks and ancient scars covering its armoured carapace. The head was large, leading to a wide tapering mound at the back of the head. Most notably, however, were the four eyes, at the front. They had a faint glow to them, a dead glow. Finally, two sets of leathery, thin wings adorning its back, now rendered limp and lifeless. The Minister approached the creature, her face contorting with disgust.
"Wh… What in the name of the gods is that beast?" Sesa let out a quiet growl.
"That is what I want to know… These things came out of nowhere, attacked a strategically useless farm world… Why…?" Thel looked into the distance, as bolts of red lightning streaked around the distant spire. Suddenly, the Minister's eyes widened with realization.
"They're after the Dig Site!" She looked to Sesa, speaking quickly. "Commander 'Refumee. We need to get to the Vault quickly! Do you remember the way?" The tall Sangheili gave a nod, gesturing for them to follow.
"This way. Be ready for anything." Thel's grip around his Accelerator Carbine tightened. Something was not right here. Not these creatures, not this vault, nothing.
Codex – The War of Beginnings and the Writ of Union
In the history of our Holy Covenant, the Sangheili have, as always, remained the holy warriors and protectors of the Covenant from all threats; without, and within. But every story has its beginning. Before the formation of the Covenant, both the Sangheili and San'Shyuum both worshipped the ancient Forerunners, though in different ways. The ancient San'Shyuum, seeing the ancient Dreadnought as a gift from the Forerunners, took the technologies from its hull, and remade them into the new weapons for the Covenant. Every single ship, weapon and technology used by the Covenant today is directly or indirectly based off of those initial discoveries.
The ancient Sangheili, however, believed otherwise. On their worlds, they only took the bare basic technologies; Mass Accelerators and Mass Effect Drives, believing that the usage of all others was blasphemy of the highest order. When San'Shyuum colonists discovered the Sangheili Frontier World of Ulgathon, the Sangheili, led by the mighty Arbiter Tol 'Vadum, attacked and wiped out the San'Shyuum colonists, declaring war upon the original San'Shyuum Empire. Though physically outmatched, and outnumbered by the Sangheili, the San'Shyuum held superior technologies, and the gifts of Biotics. With these advantages, the war slowly began to tip in our favour. Eventually, the war ended, both sides bloodied and beaten. Exhausted from the war, San'Shyuum diplomats convinced the Sangheili to surrender, showing them the true majesty of the Gods. The Sangheili accepted the ways of the San'Shyuum, and the Writ of Union was forged: the birth of the Covenant. The San'Shyuum would be placed at the forefront of scientific and religious discovery, while the Sangheili would be placed at the forefront of battle and introducing the new species to our Covenant.
After the Covenant's formation, the Sangheili would begin appropriating Forerunner designs into their weapons and technology, though they forged new weapons from these old ones. These weapons evolved into the modern Energy Sword; the traditional weapon of the Sangheili, the Fuel Rod Cannon, and the Plasma Accelerator Sniper Rifle; a weapon which blends our Plasma technologies with that of Mass Accelerators.
AN: First Chapter done. There's a few key notes I'd like to make about this Chapter.
Remember when I said there would be blatant parallels (Though, even then, there's plenty of differences)? Prideful Sanctity is essentially the Eden Prime parallel for this story. I'm sure many of you will have guessed what the 'Vault' really is, but that will be kept a bit of a surprise for the story.
On the Collectors' appearance, they just seemed like a good fit for a force to fight the Covenant, or at least a part of it. Unlike the previous cycle, the Covenant have had no dealings with any Collectors. They're less than a myth, they're a complete unknown. So, this is pretty much a 'First Contact' for the Covenant, though it's something far more insidious in actual fact.
On the subject of Covenant Weapons. I said I would give them Plasma, not 'Only Plasma'. Given that Mass Accelerators are a key weapon in the Mass Effect Universe, I decided to take a few iconic Covenant Weapons, and basically give them the Mass Effect Treatment.
-The Accelerator Pistol is replacing the Plasma Pistol. Think of it as a Carnifex Heavy Pistol with typical Covenant Design.
-The Accelerator Carbine is replacing the classic Covenant Carbine. Same look as the iconic weapon, but it functions more like a fancy Mattock.
-The Plasma Accelerator Sniper Rifle is essentially a Beam Rifle, but works by essentially shooting a Plasma Bolt with the Accelerator Round. Doubling the potential to overheat, but also giving it high Penetration and Accuracy when compared with standard Accelerator Snipers.
On the subject of Character Choice, I decided to go with a younger Thel, a few OCs, and a few established characters to fill the niches, for example, Xytan 'Jar Wattinree is filling a position similar to Admiral Hackett, while Sesa 'Refumee is in a position somewhat similar to Nihlus, but also different to his role. The Truth and Reconciliation was chosen because, well, it's iconic. It was the first named Covenant Ship in Halo.