Hey, guy! I'm back with another chapter for all of you.
Now, before I go on, I must first introduce MGR.0. Everyone can you give a big hand would ya? *Applause in the background!*
MGR.0: Now, I like the idea of this Grunt. I can probably put him in the squad along with Silversword. If that is your wish. Silver will probably meet up with Rhy later. Now, I'm gonna have to add him in with Silver, now, since we are already in the middle of the canon. But I will try my best to make this a good character.
Now, without further ado, let us begin this chapter.
Canon: Halo 2.
{High Charity}
Silversword watched as the ceremony progress with Thel Vadam marching to his branding of being a heretic. He only winced when the Grunts began to chant "Heretic! Heretic! Heretic!". But Silversword was impressed as Thel regarded the abuse with indifference. Just like how a noble should act.
Silver was standing among the crowd, watching the acclaimed heretic being led up the platform as he was to receive his judgement. Thel was then bind to plasma cuffs at his wrist, but he showed no sign of resisting. Little did he know, it was also meant for another purpose.
Silver watched in cold anger as the cuffs flared and electric tendrils began to assault Thel's body. Thel was brave enough to resist the urge to scream, but he was not strong enough to hold out for long.
"...Raaaaaaaarrrrrggghhhh!" Thel's screams echoed in the room and haunted Silversword's memory forever. Silver clenched his hands hard enough it bled few, purple blood on the floor.
{Lekgolo facility}
Thalos watched the holographic display of the heretic, Thel Vadam, being electrocuted by the plasma cuffs he was restrained to. Many of the regiment were roaring in satisfaction at his screams of agony. Even the Grunts were chanting the "Heretic! Heretic!" as he was being tortured by the plasma cuffs.
All in the facility were enjoying the retribution, everyone but Rhy. Thalos noticed her solemn expression by her clenched fist and clicking mandibles. She looked furious at the scene that Thalos wondered why she would be. When one of the Grunts screamed insults at Thel on the holograph, Rhy walked over to him and slapped him behind his head.
"You would do yourself a favor by being silent," she growled at the Grunt. The Grunt was confused at the reaction of his commander, so did the rest of the regiment. Thalos himself was shocked at how Rhy react to the situation, but stayed silent so he can observe more and find out why her attitude is like this. "You all don't know him, then you should."
"But, mistress, he's a heretic." Said the slapped Grunt, rubbing the said area of wounded pride.
"He may be, now. But, long before that, he is the Supreme Commander who was responsible for destroying 7 human planets. His victory and achievement should be well known for his service to the Covenant, and his faith to our Heiarchs." she said with...pride. Then Thalos saw something in the glint of her eyes, something familiar to all who has experienced them.
Then, the attentions were resumed to when the Brutes were stripping Thel of his armor. Out of the platform floor, the branding iron rose through and the Brute chieftain gripped it with sadistic glee. Thalos managed to saw that on the display. Then, as the heated brand plunged at Thel's chest, Rhy turned away from the display and ran out of the place.
Thalos watched her leave then decided to follow her.
{High Charity}
Silver shook with anger as Thel began to scream in agony. The smell of burnt flesh was pungent on the bench he was seated at. Not willing to look any further, Silver walked out from where he was, and went to carry out his promise to Khan Cortavee.
Silver continued to the seats of the Prophets, Truth and Mercy, and sneaked in while they were watching the whole event with Thel. Just as he was within range of the Prophets, he willed himself not to stab them... Not yet. Their deaths now, wouldn't change a thing. He was filled with much anger he had to breath to calm himself before he could make notice of his presence.
"...Noble Heiarchs." he finally said.
The Prophet of Mercy turned to Silver in full regards with an undisguised disgust, while the Prophet of Truth only acknowledge him with a tilt of his head.
"Silversword! What bring you to here?" Mercy said with the same emotion as his expression.
"I have come, as always, to serve you, Noble Hearch." Silver said with practiced control of his tone.
"Well, as that may be, it does not excuse you to come and go as you please!" Mercy chastised him. "You better have good reason to be here. As you can see, we are in the middle spectating at the branding of an heretic." Mercy finished with sadistic glee.
"The 'heretic' is the reason I'm here." at this, Truth turned his head to Silver listen. "I reckon you have already heard about this." he pulled out the device that began to relay the transmission of Sesa Refumee's message.
The Heiarchs watched in horror as they listen to every word of Refumee's message. "Has this been relayed to the public?" Mercy asked in fear.
"No. We managed to isolate the message before it spread." Silver replied as he put away the device. "Although, I worry for the outer colonies. If this continues, they would spread lies to the colonies, and we won't be there to reassure them."
"We need you to deal with this, Silversword!" Mercy said. "Get as much warriors as you can, then destroy him."
"...I'm afraid I can't do that." silver said, coldly as he is.
"...What!?" said Mercy, while Truth was observing the ordeal silently.
"I have agreed to the Prophet of Regret that I would aid him in his campaign. I won't have time to be hunting heretics since I would be helping Regret find the other Sacred Rings."
"Then who would deal with this heretic, hmm? We barely could risk any of our best just to hunt him down!" Mercy shouted, furiously, luckily not attracting attention.
"I would suggest...him." Silver pointed to Thel as he was being verbally abused by the crowd. "He would be perfect to hunt down Sesa Refumee."
"Him?!" Mercy cried in outrage. He was about to continue but Truth cut him off from saying anything.
"Now, why would you suggest him, Silver?" Truth asked with a nonchalant tone.
"He is already dishonored. Nobody here would miss him if he's dead. The council wants his corpse, they can have it once he's dead serving you." Silver delivered his point with accuracy, already the Heiarchs were convinced. "If that's not an excuse for the council... promote him as Arbiter.
After that, the plan was in motion and Silver was satisfied with the results so far.
{Lekgolo facility}
Thalos searched to where Rhy could have gone to, but she seemed to have disappeared. He pursued his goal until he found her on the wall, standing still but sadly. He approached her, carefully, silently, but it was for nothing for she tilted her head and said: "I don't need company for now, commander... I wish to be alone."
Thalos only approached her regardless of what she said. "Let it be known that I have no intent of allowing you to have cloud of trouble as I give you the responsibility of my regiment." He said with a chastising tone. "I noticed the way you looked at the heretic."
She was silent.
"I have experience that look before. My wife looks like that when I came back with scars on me." he said as he approached closer, with a neutral tone. "But let me tell you that kind of emotion would only endanger the troops, and I would not allow that to happen. As your commander, I advice you to let this feelings go, because there is nothing you could do about it, and the attitude you display out there was unacceptable"
She kept silent, again. Rhy was listening intently, and she saw the truth in his words, and she felt guilty for acting like that.
"... As your friend, I offer my condolences." he said. "Do you want do talk about it?"
"... We were betrothed - Me and him. Our clans were friends since our forefathers began the truce between each other." she said with pride. "You have heard of the Cortavee and Vadamee truce, have you?"
"No, I have not." he replied in interested tone.
"Well, not many have, but it was here since our forefathers were born. When we met, we were rivals. After we had grown, we were... shocked to have been betrothed by our family." she chuckled, as she recall her memory. "I couldn't say we were happy about it, but then our elders taunted us that we were afraid. Despite the trap that was visible in those taunt, we said that we weren't and agreed to get married as a challenge. If one of us were afraid, then he or she who lost shall become a servant to one who hasn't back down."
"Heh, explains your attitude when we first met." he joked.
"Yes. From then on, we fell in love, and we didn't know how that happened. But our marriage was delayed when the war with the humans called away my betrothed." she said, sadly
"Is that why you have come to be a Zealot, the first female to attend the military?" he asked.
"No. This was my goal ever since I was little." she replied. "I haven't told Thel this, but I might never have the chance to do so."
"Hmmm." Thalos grunted in pity for her. "Well, your duty comes first, now. If you have to, continue your duty in honor of your betrothed. He would be proud of that, at least."
Rhy sighed. "I guess you're right... May the Forerunners have mercy on him, and bless him a peaceful Journey."
"Now come, you have to apologize for your action to that Grunt."
"Yes, that would be wise." They both departed to the base, but Rhy grieved for her love and betrothed as he would be executed for his heresy. Little did she know, her love's fate were far from being dead.
{High charity}
Rtas was in midst of training with his warriors when he was disrupted from it when one of the spec-ops officer came in and called him out.
"Leader! Someone wants to talk to you." the officer said.
"Grrr, who would call me at this time of hour?" Rtas asked in frustration.
"Well, come and see." the officer walked out and Rtas followed. They went out of the training room and they stopped halfway out of the corridor. "Here he is." he pointed to a Grunt who looked impatiently at Rtas. The Grunt was wearing White with gold trimming, signifying his ranks as a pec- ops.
"Are you Rtas?" he asked.
"Yes I am." Rtas replied. Rtas didn't like the way he spoken to by the lower species.
"Good. Follow me." he said, walking away without courtesy. "And leave behind your warriors. They weren't called for, only you."
Rtas followed the Grunt for a while , then they stopped by a door with a marking that said "weapons room". Rtas looked at it suspiciously before the Grunt went in and told him to wait. Rtas complied, for now, and waited as the Grunt disappeared into the thrall of weapons. Rtas kept waiting until he was getting impatient. Then a figure walked into the room and Rtas watched the figure who was an Elite made its way towards him.
"Good to see you, Rtas Vadumee." said the Elite.
"Silversword!" Rtas growled exasperatingly. "What do you want from me?!"
"You haven't change a bit, have you?" Silver chuckled, walking closer towards Rtas.
"Can't say the same for you." Rtas rudely pointed out, but Silver ignored it. "You, oh, revered master, haven't change at all."
"Hmm, well, these old bones are still strong enough to snap a neck."
"...What do you want, Silver? You, who have shamed yourself and your troops, has come to beg from me. Why?"
"Beg?! Huh, I have been known to to be a disgrace, shame, and even a coward, but never have I been called- " he smashed his hand against Rtas necks and gripped onto it. "- a beggar!" he growled as he lifted Rtas off the ground by his neck and held him in the air. "If you were to learn your place, student, you would have known that by now."
He released Rtas and turned his back to him.
"No, I didn't come to beg from you, Rtas; merely to ask a favor from you." he said composedly.
"A favor?!" he said in frustration.
"Yes, a favor." Silver said as he tilted his head to him. "I want you do watch over someone for me."
"...And who may that be?"
"...The Arbiter."
"The Arbiter! But-"
"No time for questions. When the Heiarchs gave him to you, I had the impulse to trust you, my friend. So, for old time sake's, please watch over him for me."
"... Fine."
Silversword nodded, thankfully. "But before you go, I would like to assign my trusted friend to serve along side you, as to watch over the Arbiter with you."
"Who-?" his question was answered when the Grunt from before came into view.
"Rtas, I would like you to meet Tupep, a fellow operative of mine whom has been in my good grace for a long time."
"Oh, boy." he cried sarcastically. "I can't wait for this adventure."
"Forgive him; he is a bit... grumpy."
"Pfft." the Grunts only reply.
Rtas had a bad feeling about this, but he agreed to his term if he wasn't being visited by the Disgrace. So, he set out with the Grunt and prepared for the arrival with Arbiter. Silver only watched in hope that the Arbiter survived.
Whew! Dang, that was long.
So, how is it? MGR.0 I will be also including Tupep and make him be part of the whole canon.
Please review and if you have any ideas for a character, please submit through the review because I don't trust my PM that much.
See ya on the next chapter.
Peace!