CONSORT
of the
HERETIC
Created By Cyber and Zmori
Written by Zmori
Edited by ShoopWoop17
/Access Data Logs
2 November, Year 2552
Covenant Holy City, High Charity
Sanctum of the Hierarchs
5:36 Hours
CONNECTING...
LOG 08
"You summoned me?" Kalika called as she emerged into the shadows of the Sanctum of the Hierarchs. There was a heavy metal plating covering the tall windows, making the room very dark. There was only one source of light coming from the western side of the room. It was the light of a bright blue holographic screen taking up the entire wall, casting its rays, gently glowing on the metal floor. The silhouettes of two gravity thrones cast tall black shadows on the ground.
She recognized the silky voice of the Prophet of Truth echo first, "We thought you would like to see this. Come forth, Lady 'Vadamai."
Kalika arched an eye-ridge at the sound of her formal title, and first looked around the room cautiously for any warnings of another ambush. Eventually, she slowly walked forward and stood in between the two Prophets. They levitated their chairs back on either sides of the screen as if they had rehearsed this before her arrival.
The screen blinked for a moment. In the corner, she read:
"21 October, Year 2552
Covenant Holy City, High Charity
10:36 Hours
Accessing Recording From Database..."
"You place your top secret recordings on a database?"
Mercy's voice rattled forth, "It allows those who are curious to easily... happen upon them."
The screen blinked, and once more, Kalika watched Thel 'Vadamee walk the pier in his golden armor, dignifying his previous rank as Supreme Commander. She had seen this before. He walked up to the edge. Again, she heard his words, "If they came to hear me beg... they will be disappointed."
"Are you sure?"
The pillars beside him glowed and thrummed with power. The arcs of plasma, warm with the orange color of Sanghelios' suns, lashed across Thel's arms hungrily as he let forth an outcry. The screen flickered white for a moment, and then the Brutes were removing his armor. Tartarus hefted the Mark of Shame brand up onto his thick arms and rammed it into Thel's chest. Kalika watched without blinking or moving as Thel's body was wracked with burning pain and his expression became wrought with suffering.
The screen turned blue again.
"21 October, Year 2552
Covenant Drop Ship Flying Over Mining Facility
15:50 Hours
Accessing Recording From Database..."
There was a brief, yet exhilarating view of a Phantom flying past the debris of the destroyed Halo, Installation 04.
"When we joined the Covenant, we took an oath!"
Kalika understood what was going on. She watched as the camera angle shifted each time to ensure that she was not seen. Every part relating to Kalika was muted, cut out, and deleted while the rest of the Elites stood there proudly, looking awesome.
"I do not need to see this." Kalika said softly. At one point during Rtas' speech, the camera followed his back, hiding Kalika in front of him.
"And continue our march for Glorious Salvation!" Rtas said.
The screen froze with Rtas' face still on screen; his green eyes narrowed, his silver armor brightly lit, and his two stumps of torn pink flesh where mandibles should have been were spread in mid-sentence.
"What is the purpose of showing this to me?" Kalika asked.
"To discourage any further attempts to call for help."
Now, this confused her. "...What do you mean?"
Suddenly, on the other side of the room, a piston hissed and glowed on the floor. All three turned toward the cylindrical column slowly rising from the floor. Kalika followed the Prophets to the side of the column as Truth spoke, "No one can track you, and there is no possibility for you to be found on High Charity's histories. They have all been destroyed."
She snorted, "I was led to believe that you required the Council's approval before destroying data."
Truth ignored her. "I did not think that you were one who called for the aide of others. Again, I have misjudged you. I would also have been led to believe that you would use a more common signal. I did not consider the use of a radio signal, or much less..."
The column reached the top of the ceiling, and in the middle of it, levitating above a risen platform, was the monitor of Installation 04, 343 Guilty Spark. "...an Oracle."
Kalika tilted her head at the monitor. It was rolled over, as if it had been neutralized, yet it still lit up the room with its pulsing blue light. "I did not call for help." She said instead of the question of the Oracle's state.
"Oracle." Truth said. "Relay your last encounter with Kalika 'Vadamai."
A slanted cylinder slowly rotated beside the column beside them until its base was directly over the monitor. There was a moments pause as the AI of the ship connected to the Oracle, and the speakers came to life with Guilty Spark's humming. There was another pause.
Kalika heard her own voice, "Code name."
Guilty Spark replied, "Preparing data log. Code name required for access."
"Adversity."
One of the Prophets must have been pressing buttons on their chair, because the recording stopped automatically. The Prophet of Truth turned to Kalika with his fingers folded under his bristly chin. "What is code name Adversity? What is X5?" He leaned forward ever more slightly. "Who are you contacting?"
She shook her head. "That is not me. I am not contacting anyone. The monitor could have generated that recording easily, or your Oracle made a mistake."
Truth's lips scrunched up, causing his skin to wrinkle across his muzzle as he spoke in a very loathsome tone, "Do you honestly think that we would believe these childish lies? We have evidence of your collaboration with the Oracle on camera, and placing a radio device elsewhere on the Gas Mine. Speaking of which, that radio signal will not reach Sanghelios for at least fifty years. And with the destruction of the mining facility, it cannot be traced."
A knowing smile crept across Kalika's cheeks. "Did you not say, Prophet, that there was no evidence of my existence? It was destroyed... was it not?"
Truth suddenly became very silent and he stared at her with an expression of slight surprise and agitation. Mercy clenched his palms on his chair behind her as she turned to Truth.
"With... respect, Holy Prophets, there is evidence of my existence somewhere on this ship. And somewhere, at some time, the truth will be uncovered by those who seek it."
The white Prophet hovered his chair around Kalika and sat beside Truth. "How dare you speak to the Holy Prophets of the Covenant with such rancid tone?!"
She curled her lip at the Prophet of Mercy. "You may have fancier hats and chairs, Prophets, but we are all equal in this trial of war. If I truly wished for escape, I would have done so long ago."
Truth regained his composure. "Ah, yes. And why do you continue to aide us? Why do you not escape now? There must be something here you truly care about, here, if you are so insistent to stay. Perhaps it is for the very same reason that you left Sanghelios and came to High Charity in the first place."
It was Kalika's turn to be silent. She gave him no expression except for the icy cold glare from her narrowed eyes as Truth continued, "You can not leave without your dear husband, can you? You are bound to him. Perhaps you are not so unpredictable and heartless as you try so desperately to make everyone believe you are. Perhaps... if we were to free you?"
Her pupils narrowed into slits dangerously. "You would not kill the Arbiter."
"The Arbiter only has so many uses left. We easily killed of the Prophet of Regret, who carried your precious evidence. Why not the Arbiter?"
She blinked in surprise. "That is why you pulled 'Vadumee's forces back and allowed Regret to be killed? To destroy my evidence? Because of me?"
Mercy spoke now, "He had found a great prize, and he was not needed anymore. We can throw the Arbiter away just as easily. The Great Journey waits for no one."
"Not even you. Do not forget your place, 'Vadamai." Truth said softly.
The metal plating on the windows clicked softly, and with a low rumble, they slowly began to pull up. Light streamed in from the stars of space, and the room was lit up with soft white lights on the curved ceiling. The screen on the western wall flickered off, accompanied by a soft beep. When the metal plating pulled up all the way, Kalika found herself staring at a breathtaking view of the Delta Halo. Regret's prize. Its surface was blotted with swirling white clouds, and bodies of water hid beneath them. Mountains and plains spread across the silver metal of the ring. The Halo was slanted away from the window so that they could only see the metal bottom. Blue markings were engraved into the silver surface; artwork of the Forerunners.
"You wish for me to accompany the Arbiter again. What is our objective?"
"You shall learn in the coming time." Mercy said as the doors parted behind them. Kalika turned and looked up at Rtas 'Vadumee. Arsen, along with another of Rtas' lieutenants, followed behind him.
Truth motioned Kalika away toward the left of the room. She acknowledged and made her way toward the west wall as Rtas and his men stood before the Prophets and the majestic view of the Halo ring.
"Thank you for arriving so early, Commander." Truth said to him as he bowed his head in salutation. "We have many things to discuss."
"What is your will, Holy One?" 'Vadumee asked.
"You will no longer be accompanying the Arbiter. 'Vadamai will take your place instead."
All three of the Elites looked over at her where she was absentmindedly picking at her gloves. Rtas slowly turned his head toward Truth. "Are you sure that this is... a wise decision?"
"We have put much thought into this, Commander. You and your Elites are to be put to much better use. While the Arbiter and his Lady scout the Library for the Sacred Icon, you and your Elites will take positions elsewhere around the Library to hold off the Flood forces."
Rtas snorted, "The Flood is here as well?"
Mercy nodded, "Yes. They seek to halt our Great Journey. Without the Sacred Icon, we cannot begin the Journey. This is why we require you to hold the Flood off as the Arbiter and his consort seek the Icon."
"...Alone?" Rtas asked with a quizzical arch of his eye-ridge.
Truth tilted his head. "Is there an issue with this?"
Kalika clenched her jaws tightly together to repress her laughter.
"No, Hierarch."
"Very well." Truth pressed a small blue button on the arm of his chair. "I have one last thing to inform you of."
The doors at the back of the circular room parted with a combination of hisses. All eyes turned to the two tall Jiralhanae walking forth with their heavily armored boots slamming down into the ground. They wore the Honor Guards' glowing black and orange armor and their bright red flags on their shoulders. Their helmets bore two orange wings arcing up from their heads like horns, and their pole arms flashed with their three spokes pointed toward the ceiling.
"What is this?" Rtas asked with a disbelieving, wide-eyed glare.
Kalika seemed more amused than surprised, "You recommissioned the guard?"
Truth lifted his chin as the Special Operations Commander turned to look at him once again. "This is unprecedented. Unacceptable."
Kalika turned her head as the doors parted once more to make way for the Arbiter.
"A hierarch is dead, Commander." Truth replied coolly.
"His murderer was within our grasp! If you had not withdrawn our Phantoms-"
"Are you questioning my decision?" Truth asked in a dangerous tone with a slight crane of his neck.
Rtas shook his head and spread his palm slightly, "No, Holy One! I only wish to express my concern that the Brutes-"
Again, Truth cut him off and lifted his hand. "Recommissioning the guard was a radical step." He motioned with a wave of his hand and a lazy blink of his grey eyes. "But recent events have made it abundantly clear that the Elites can no longer guarantee our safety." He shook his head side to side.
Rtas flared his nostrils, but bowed his head in submission. "I shall relay your... decision... to the Council."
The black armored Elites followed their Commander toward the back of the room. The Arbiter watched them, and as they passed, Rtas gave a respectful nod to him. Thel returned it, and to his left, Kalika bowed her head to him as well. His eyes met hers for a brief moment.
She motioned her muzzle toward the Prophet of Truth as he sighed tiredly. The Arbiter looked up at the holy hierarch and walked forth before him. "Politics." Truth said wearily. "How tiresome." The San'Shyuum's milky grey eyes met the Arbiter's gold. "Do you know, Arbiter, the Elites have threatened to resign? To quit the High Council?" He said this last sentence with a tone of disbelief. He gave a loll of his wrists to accompany his next statement mockingly, "Because of this... exchange of hats?"
Thel respectfully but pointedly said, "We have always been your protectors."
"These are trying times for all of us."
Mercy's head swayed with his heavy crown. "Even as the human's annihilation filled us with satisfaction, the loss of one of the Sacred Rings wracked our hearts with grief!"
Truth put his hand up, "Putting aside our sorrow, we renewed our faith in the Prophecy that other rings would be found." He pulled his chair back to allow a better view of the beautiful Halo ring. "And see how our faith has been rewarded!"
Mercy rose both of his arms as Thel took in the view. "Halo... Its divine wind will rush through the stars, propelling all who are worthy along the path to Salvation!"
Truth stroked at the brown prickly spines on his chin. "But how to start this process?"
Mercy and Truth's chairs levitated over to the pillar, where the Oracle still floated and pulsed its bright blue lights, as if it had a heart beating a living pulse. The Arbiter followed them to the center of the room as Truth continued. "For ages, we searched for one who might unlock the secrets of the rings – an Oracle. And with your help, we found it."
The elderly white San 'Shyuum revolved his chair around the pillar. "With appropriate humility, we plied the Oracle with questions and it, with clarity and grace, has shown us the key!"
Kalika scoffed softly at this.
"You will journey to the surface of the ring and retrieve this Sacred Icon." Truth said. "With it, we shall fulfill our promise."
Mercy let up a joyous outcry, "Salvation for all!"
Truth joined him, "And begin the Great Journey!"
The Arbiter was silent for a moment. He looked up at the Oracle as Kalika approached his side. "I am to accompany you to the Library." She said softly.
Thel looked down at her and asked with a slightly surprised tone, "Why?"
Kalika's eyes narrowed mockingly. "It is the will of the Prophets."
He turned his questionable gaze toward the Hierarchs. Truth nodded, "She will accompany you to the Library. 'Vadumee's forces will fight to clear as much of a path as they can through the Flood."
Mercy waved his hand, "Go now, Arbiter. The ships will leave within the coming hour. 'Vadumee will follow."
The Arbiter bowed his head, his silver helmet glinting in the blue light of the Oracle's eye. "I shall see it done, Hierarchs."
Kalika followed Thel out of the room, casting one last glance back at the Prophet of Truth who stared calmly back at her.
As the ornament doors closed behind her with a low booming sound, she quickened her pace to walk along side him. Jiralhanae eyed them in a disapproving fashion as they walked past.
"This new change of ranks is... unsettling." Thel admitted quietly, gazing at the dim shadows cast by the large floating pillars along either side of them.
"This entire situation is unsettling." Kalika replied in the same hushed tone, keeping her eyes forward and her chins high. Jiralhanae snorted and snarled at each other impatiently, their black eyes observing them without the mind of proper judgment.
After a long silent walk through the corridors of High Charity, they entered one of its many large hangars.
Two rows of six total Phantoms sat evenly adjacent from each other, casting shadows in almost every direction. The lights were not very bright, but this was no challenge for the reptilian races of the Covenant. Kalika looked up to observe the high ceiling as Thel gazed upon the many Sangheili, Unggoy, and Kig-Yar running about. Thel put his arm out in front of Kalika to stop her. She looked back down, only to look back up at the two Mgalekgolo thundering past, side by side in front of them.
"There you are, brother." A voice called from beneath a Phantom. The Arbiter bowed his head as he approached Rtas. Kalika kept her distance as the two old friends conversed. Arsen walked in and out of the Phantom, giving orders and preparing the ships for flying into battle.
"YOU!" A growling voice yelled somewhere behind her. She turned in confusion with an irritated expression, but all of a sudden, some one grabbed her and slammed her down hard into the ground. Her world went spinning for a moment and she suddenly forgot how to breathe. A Sangheili pinned her down with both of his strong hands groping at her throat.
Thel spun around. Rtas and he both looked over in surprise as Kalika slowly regained her senses. Thel was the first to respond. He curled his lip and let forth a thunderous growl of warning before charging forward. He grabbed the male harshly by the scruff on the nape of his neck. The Arbiter was so filled with rage that he threw the Sangheili all the way to the door that he had recently walked through.
Thel stood over Kalika as the Sangheili shook his head and rose to his feet.
"An Honor Guard?" Rtas asked in disbelief, standing by Thel's side. Indeed, the Elite still wore the black and orange armor of the Honor Guard, but his helmet was missing.
Kalika shoved past both of them and charged at the Honor Guard.
"KALIKA!" Thel roared and reached to grab her, but of course, she was much too fast. Rtas and Thel both ran forward to follow her.
The Honor Guard roared and flashed his teeth, receiving many alarmed looks from around the hangar. Yanme'e chattered excitedly above them. As Kalika drew closer, he threw the first punch. She immediately ducked and lashed out with a vicious volley of punches to his stomach. He came forward with his other arm and grabbed the feathers on her helmet. Before he could yank back, the Arbiter grabbed her around the waist and pulled her away. Her helmet came off and clattered to the ground. The Honor Guard lashed out with an uppercut before he, too, was grabbed and pulled back by Arsen and his men. Kalika's head was kicked back by the nasty blow, and she roared as pain engulfed her cheek and the front of her mandibles.
"You bring nothing but dishonor to the Sangheili, Kalika 'Vadamai!" The Honor Guard shouted as Rtas, Arsen, and a third Sangheili in black armor struggled to hold him back.
"Stand down!" Rtas commanded.
"Release me, Thel!" Kalika hissed as she squirmed against his iron grasp. He had one arm wrapped across her chest and biceps with his hand cupping the side of her face. The other arm trapped her stomach and forearms, gripping her hip harshly to prevent movement.
"If you had not come, the Elites would still be the Honor Guard of the Covenant!" The Sangheili warrior continued.
"Silence!" Rtas roared.
"If you had not come, my brothers would still be alive!"
"Come then, Sor 'Rolamee!" Kalika shouted, kicking her legs violently. "Come take back your brothers' blood! (22)"
Sor bellowed and wrenched himself free of the others' grips.
"Thel, this is my fight!" She struggled more, and eventually, Thel seeing the coming enemy, released her to defend herself. Like a Helioskrill recognizing the presence of its prey, she broke free of his grasp and bounded forth with clenched fists.
She leaped up into the air, twisting her body and extending her leg as Sor crouched down. He crossed his arms over his head just before Kalika's heel bore into it. He stood very quickly, shoving her leg up and throwing her off balance. She fell back with a grunt as Sor quickly advanced. She rolled back over her shoulder and stood as Sor lashed out with a kick toward her. She twisted her body, brought her fists up, and dodged the kick as she swung her knee up in between his legs. (23)
Sor's entire body stiffened and a pained roar escaped his maw. He moved to bend over and hug his abdomen, but Kalika wouldn't let him. She pounded his stomach again and again with her armored gloves.
He began to stumble back as if he were in a daze. Kalika yelled as she threw a last heavy punch below his armored chest plate. Sor staggered again, slowly recovering. She walked forward for a moment, and then ran. Jumping into the air, she swung around and kicked him hard in his belly.
Sor fell back onto the ground with a cry of pain as Rtas shook his head. Thel looked on with an unreadable expression on his face; an expression he used often, quite recently. Kalika began to walk forward again. "Your brothers' blood still calls to be reclaimed, Honor Guard." She said as she panted heavily.
Sor pulled his plasma rifle swiftly from his thigh, aiming it at her unguarded head. She stopped immediately as Sor, too, panted and spoke in a loathsome tone, "No, my Lady... It is my blood that calls to be reclaimed now."
"What honor is there in this, 'Rolamee?" She asked with her often used icy glare.
"You forget, 'Vadamai. You are not Sangheili in my eyes. Consort of the heretic, or not."
His last sentences seemed to have bound the entire room in such an unsettling fog of silence that none dared to disturb it. For a long period of time, Kalika stared at the tip of his gun. The right side of her face was bleeding from his first uppercut. Her mandibles flared with heavy breaths that cleared away the thick fog of silence.
"How..." She began, speaking softly with an amused tone.
"...valiant of you."
With great speed, she swung her foot with an outside kick to his hand, sending the rifle flying. She kept his wrist in between her two toes and pinned his arm down across his chest. Sor attempted to grab her throat, but she craned her long neck and clamped her powerful jaws around his wrist. As her teeth ground into his suit, she twisted her other leg and drove her knee into the soft spot unguarded by armor directly beneath the middle of his ribcage. He cried out, trying to pry his wrist free as Kalika growled ferociously.
She leaned forward and clenched both hands around his throat, driving her knee deeper. He wrenched his wrist free, and with a powerful grip, he also wrapped his hand around her throat.
Sor roared, his black eyes ablaze with anger. Kalika drew one arm away from his throat slowly behind herself.
With a shriek of a roar, Kalika bared her pointed teeth and dug her sharp claws into his right eye. He immediately released her throat and frantically reached for his eye as he bellowed a cry of absolute suffering. Kalika dug her claws deep into his eye socket, refusing to release him as he grabbed at her arm.
But the more he tried to push her off or pull her away, the harsher she held on, enticing more agonizing screams of pain from the Honor Guard.
She eventually removed her bloody claws with a yank as she leaned down very closely toward his inner ear. She hissed silently, "Is the view still nice?"
She stood and disturbed him no more. Many pairs of eyes followed her across the room as she approached the Arbiter, who stared at her with an expression of slight disturbance.
One of the newer, younger recruits, a minor, turned away from the scene and lost a little of his latest meal.
"Come, Arbiter." Kalika said as she strode calmly toward the blue beams of light beneath the Phantoms. "We have a mission, do we not?"
Thel looked back at Sor, who still moaned on the floor. Rtas pressed two fingers to his shoulder to activate his communications. Shortly after, he approached Thel hesitantly and shook his head. "The Huragok (24) are on their way. Let us be off, Arbiter."
Thel leaned down and lifted Kalika's helmet from the floor. He looked up at the large gathering of Covenant soldiers watching him. He hesitated for a moment before following Rtas toward the Phantom.
"I am sorry to disturb you, Holy One." The High Chieftain's voice came muffled through the communications device on the Prophet of Truth's chair.
"What troubles you, Tartarus?" Truth asked quietly, gazing out at the blinking stars from the observatory deck.
"An Honor Guard attacked the female in the hangar. Many have seen the fight and know of her existence. How would you like for me to proceed?"
The Prophet of Truth was silent for a long time as he calmly observed the intricate designs of the Delta Halo ring.
"Once you have obtained the Sacred Icon..." He said, lost in thought for a moment.
He blinked casually, "Kill her. Kill all of the Elites."
"It shall be done, Holy Hierarch."
Author's Notes
22) In Sangheili society, blood is honor. The idea of losing blood is also a means of losing honor. This is why doctors are looked down upon, especially the patients who go to them.
23) Due to an obvious differentiation between human and Sangheili anatomy, a kick in between the legs is not as serious to a Sangheili male as it is to a human. However, it is still considered a sensitive and weaker spot.
24) Huragok, or more commonly known as Engineers, are another Covenant species that are more specialized in repairing not only machines, but as well as healing fatal wounds.
