Aboard Super Corvette Fearless Faith

Slipspace, 10 hours from Halo

Nolsüm sighed as he looked over the bridge crew; not at the bridge crew, they were the finest in the Covenant, but at the general situation. How could have they let the prophets down so, letting the humans find Halo prior to the Covenant. If it were not so true he'd accuse anyone speaking those words of blasphemy and heresy.

"Tobe," Nolsüm called to a Kig-Yar dressed in a plain headdress and nearly laid out across the navigation controls, "I need to talk to you in private." Nolsüm had little idea what to say, but Tobe was the only one he could really trust with any information. He and Tobe had been friends all their lives, they'd gotten each other through some hard spots and some close calls. The doors opened to a private dining room for the Ship Master and bridge crew, empty now because it was no where near time for a meal.

"You of course haven't been told everything, Tobe." Nolsüm lamented.

"I am a minor Kig-Yar currently ranked as a rear navigations officer; I'm lucky if I know anything." Tobe squawked a little after speaking, the equivalent of something between a snort and a chuckle.

Nolsüm half heartedly smiled then said "That is beside the point, Tobe, you could be a rear supreme commander if you put your mind to it, even higher if the Prophets hath deemed it acceptable. But current matters are upon us both," Nolsüm glanced around the room for any type of camera or recording device and found none. "You must know that this mission is not solely to explore Halo, but to drive the Heretics off it."

"You don't mean?"

"Yes, the humans have beaten us to it."

"By the Forerunners!"

"No, by the Prophets. Something tells me they had a part in the humans getting to Halo, perhaps they want to anchor a fight here, finish them in one last battle, perhaps its something they don't even have fully planned yet, either way it's dangerous, and I have a bad feeling about it. And while you are still view by the bridge crew as a rear navigations officer, by the ground troops your name is being spread as a great military leader who fought the humans on Sigma Octanous. And you are listed in the army as a rear supreme commander, and there are no other full supreme commanders or higher ranks on these ships save myself."

"In other words in the navy I am an RNO but in the army I'm a rear supreme commander, and that means if you die, I'm next in line?"

"I don't want to see any of these Sangheili die because of being leaderless."

"What about the fleet commander? Won't he try to assume control?"

"No, he has the fleet to direct already, he isn't going to want to lead 5000 troops at the same time, especially with a rear supreme commander right there."

"OK."

Tobe then exited the doors and went back to scrutinizing the navigation data. Nolsüm hoped he'd done the right thing, he trusted Tobe, but he'd never put him in control of so much power.

Aboard Super Corvette Fearless Faith

Slipspace, 2 minutes from Halo

"Ready for slipspace exit." Fleet Commander Unch 'Tagotee yelled across the intercom.

"Exterior view, full screen. I whish to view the Sacred Ring in all its glory." Nolsüm spoke not directly at any one, but he knew that someone would do it, just as it did. He watched closely as the blur of slipspace dissipated and the gas giant planet filled the frame.

Though only seconds past the Ultimate Supreme Commander was so exited to see the sacred ring it felt like hours. He did his best to keep from trembling with excitement. Finally, the curvature of the planet gave way to the Sacred Ring.

Or, what was left of it. The air seemed to sink down and get cold as the remnants of the ring filled the view. They still glowed hot from the massive explosion that had destroyed the Forerunner artifact.

"We, I have failed." Nolsüm muttered. "Impossible."

"Perhaps," The fleet commander said, "We should scan the remains, see what we can find?"

"Ahhh, is that all we can do?" Nolsüm screamed. "Our long sought after artifact is found destroyed and, and, Dahah!! Just do it, I need to think." Nolsüm walked off the bridge and went to his quarters.

In his elaborate and fanciful quarters Nolsüm thought long and hard for hours on what had happened, and what to do. Eventually, Tobe knocked on Nolsüm's door.

"What?" the USC yelled at the door.

"We've found something, something amazing, almost as amazing as Halo its self!"

"I'm intrigued, what is it?" Nolsüm asked through the door.

"The Oracle. The scanners picked it up and they tractor beamed it in to the main hanger bay; you must come see it for your self."

The doors popped open and the Ultimate Supreme Commander strolled down the corridor to the main hangar with out a word, his capes trailing him followed in short order by Tobe and a few Uggnoy.