Chapter Three: The Servant of Recompense
Planet Indicative, Sword Assault Carrier Servant of Recompense, December 15th, 2552…
The Phantom dropship sped out of the atmosphere quickly, breaking through the thin clouds and into the ever darkening blue sky leading to the barrier of space. Even from in the atmosphere, I could make out the pale purple line that was a Covenant Assault Carrier. The pilot took us to orbit and zoomed us around the carrier, speaking in Sangheili to the air traffic controllers on the Carrier.
I took a moment to look at 'Zehirae and thought for a moment.
"You know I can't forgive you for what your species did to mine." I said frankly, knowing that he was thinking the same thing.
"But of course that would be the first thing to cross your mind. And I understand. I can sympathize. In just a few days, the false Prophets have killed as many Sangheili on our worlds as all of your humans during the course of the war." He paused for a moment. "Whole fleets, whole worlds, and billions - even trillions - of Sangheili were wiped out by the superior San'Shyuum fleets."
"How? Your weapons should be equal to theirs!" I exclaimed, not understanding.
"You misinterpret the power of the Prophets. Behind our backs, and even blatantly, they created far superior technology and ships using the great knowledge of the captured Oracles and the Huragok from the Forerunner Installations."
"They lied."
"They used their power to manipulate us; they said that the creations were for simple personal protection, but even without our spies telling us, we knew they weren't telling the full truth. They had planned this ever since the Jiralhanae were first discovered on their wretched homeworld." 'Zehirae explained, his eyes closed in deep thought. "For this betrayal, my brothers - led by me - will charge forth and have our vengeance on the heretics we thought Prophets."
"I will help you, but you must know that I will strike if I believe myself in danger."
"Understandable, that is why 'Sacleous gave you the Energy Sword, so that we may have an honorable duel." Mizume said.
"Field Marshal, we are docking now." The pilot announced, peeking his head from around the cockpit chair. 'Zehirae nodded and turned to me again.
"I will lead you personally to a room, and you will be left to your own devices. I have already notified my people of your coming, and you will not be bothered. In five hours, I will call upon you for the next part of the plan."
"Understood." I replied simply. I was still uncomfortable allying with the Elites, but I expected I was not the only one.
The room was a small one in a Sangheili's eyes, but for me, it was triple the size of my officer's quarters on the UNSC Mare Imbrium. It had floor to ceiling windows that overlooked a row of plasma cannons and a communications mast, and was illuminated by the bright tail light a few yards down from the room. In the corner was a long bed, a bench, and a small rack for weapons. A closet on the opposite side of the room had a hook for each part of the Sangheili armor, with a small compartment under it for more weapons and an active camouflage unit.
Mizume had left me here over two hours ago for me to settle in. I took this time to look over what was in the room and just to simply relax. Although there was the fact that there were now not one, but two wars going on, I still had a very serious wound, and had to calm myself down. I had set my helmet and my weapons in the closet, and I was practicing meditation on the bed.
But, as could be expected, clearing my head at the moment was almost impossible - too much was going on for me to be at complete peace. Actually, the simple thought that I was in non-aggressive company with the enemy was keeping me from taking a short nap. What I was feeling right now was as if I was experiencing an adrenaline rush and a caffeine high at the same time, and it was quite annoying, especially to a SPARTAN - feelings and impulses from the body were amplified exponentially during the SPARTAN augmentations.
I was thrown from my thoughts with a knock at the door. Getting up from the bed, I walked to the purple, wall-sized door and pressed a button on the panel immediately to the left of the door.
"This is 'Zehirae, I have come to speak to you." The Field Marshal's unmistakable deep voice said from behind the door. It was early for him to come, by over an hour, but I wasn't complaining. I just needed something to do, and if it involved planning out a possibly decade-long war, even better.
I opened the door and grabbed my helmet, facing Mizume fully.
"Hello, Field Marshal."
"And to you, warrior." 'Zehirae replied. "My advisers in the war room request your assistance. It is not something you would want to miss, especially with your… history with the Covenant."
I raised my eyebrows and nodded, following the Field Marshal as he turned to walk down the hall.
"It involves me?"
"Yes, it does. We need your help with a Jiralhanae pack that has taken over the remnants of the Fleet of Unrelinquishing Justice and is ravaging the Sangheili colony worlds."
"If by Jiralhanae you mean the Brutes, then this will be easy. Especially with the weaponry advancements the Sangheili have over the humans." Mizume simply nodded and led me forwards.
We rounded a corner into a corridor bustling with Elites, and even with the armor and the presence of the Field Marshal, the Elites shot searing glares at me and I heard whispers around us. I looked to the ground at my two-toed boots, and wondered if the Sangheili and humans could ever coexist.
"Go inside the door here and introduce yourself to the Fleetmaster and the Councilors. I'll be back." 'Zehirae said, his hand resting on his energy sword.
"Right." I replied, opening the door to the war room/bridge.
Instantly as I stepped in, there was an uproar from the Sangheili, and a few stood up and drew their Energy Swords, charging at me. On reflex, I pulled out the Energy Sword 'Sacleous gave me and activated it, parrying the swordsmen's precise strikes. Being trained intensively in close range tactics on Reach, their attacks were easy to counter. There were three Elites in total attacking me, striking on one front. When one would falter, another would take its place. My arm was moving at lightning speeds to counter the powerful blows from the superheated swords. In one move, when one of the Elites struck, I brought my sword up and blew the sword from his hand, my blades barely missing his hand, and cutting his sword hilt in half. The other two Elites stepped back on the offensive as they saw their teammate kneeling on the ground in surprise.
"Enough!" A tall Elite in black armor bellowed to me and the three other Elites. We all lowered our swords and deactivated them. The Elite in black walked up to us. "I have already witnessed my brothers dying in battle, I shall not witness them die on my own ship by infighting."
"But Fleetmaster, he is a human, a demon no less!" One Elite yelled.
"And he wears the armor of us! This is heresy!" The second Elite shouted.
"The only heretic I see right now it you, calling one of our own a heretic and traitor… Had it not been during a time when I need all the men I could get, I would have your head." The Fleetmaster said, getting right into the face of the second Elite.
"B-but…"
"And for you…" The Fleetmaster gestured to the Elite on the ground, "you are a disgrace of a swordsman. You were three to one, and you could not win? Either this human is a prodigy swordsman, or you are the pitiful depths of my ranks."
"I am sorry about this, Fleetmaster." I said, making eye-contact with the Fleetmaster.
"There is nothing to be sorry about, warrior, for it is my men who were out of line. I should thank you for teaching my soldiers their rightful place." The Fleetmaster said, shooting a glare to the Elites standing next to me.
From the front of the bridge, the rest of the bridge crew around the room and the Councilors gathered at the holographic table spectated closely at both their superior and the human newcomer.
"What is going on?" Mizume asked annoyedly, coming into the door behind me.
"Three of our men attacked another."
"But he is human! He is not one of-" The Sangheili was cut off as the Fleetmaster swiftly grabbed one of his mandibles, snapping the fragile bone.
"He wears our armor and comes in peace, he at least deserves basic respect." The Fleetmaster ordered, pointing to the door. The injured Elite nodded quickly and ran out of the door, his honor tarnished and his image broken. The Fleetmaster turned to me and looked me over.
"Fleetmaster." I acknowledged, standing at attention.
"So you are one of the great demons that our brothers have spoken of. I find it both an honor and a disgrace to meet one in person." The Fleetmaster said.
"Likewise, sir." I replied. The Fleetmaster was unfazed and turned to walk to the holographic table, gesturing me and Mizume over. After that, the bridge went back to normal.
"Our new war effort is faltering because of the Jiralhanaes' unorthodox attacks on different fronts. We've lost over five fleets to the Jiralhanae-controlled Covenant armada." The Fleetmaster announced. "Our main staging area on Therisalli is our last stronghold before Sanghelios itself. We need your help in planning a defense."
"I can do that, I just need a three-dimensional map of the system."
"Already up there." The Fleetmaster stated. As he had said, above the holographic table being projected was a 3D map of a planet and its moons. I walked over to it, under the gaze of the four Elite Councilors and pointed to the main planet in the center.
"This is Therisalli?" I asked for confirmation. The Fleetmaster nodded, so I continued. "How long is its daily cycle and when does one of its moons eclipse it?"
"Its daily cycle is seventeen hours and the next eclipse is from that moon there," he pointed at the largest of its moons, "in two days."
"That's when the Brutes will strike. I suggest sending up part of a fleet with stealth operations units."
"And why is that, human?"
"The Brutes thrive in the dark, and they will - I assure you - send out teams to make camp on that moon. And then, when the moon is eclipsing Therisalli, they will send those teams in in the shadow of that moon. I've seen tactics like these from them before on the Outer Colonies."
"You're sure?"
"Positive, I'll bet - if they have the barest of information on this system - that they're already coming." I announced. The Fleetmaster's eyes widened along with the Field Marshal's.
"Kisama, send eight stealth battalions to Ceresa, take the corvette Saint's Sun. I need you to get the battalions in there within the hour. We and the rest of the fleet will jump to slipspace very soon, I need the men ready as soon as we drop out of slipspace." Mizume ordered a Major Elite next to him. The Elite nodded and ran out of the bridge barking orders to Stealth Elites already in the hallway.
"Human, if you want to go with the Stealth Battalions, I will allow you." The Fleetmaster stated, staring me down.
"I will go." I answered slowly. I wanted some payback on those Brutes, and fast.