Chapter Fourteen: Deception at Thocela IV
Slipspace en route to Thocela IV, December 19th, 2552…
I sat in the captain's chair reclined back with my hands behind my head. The long slipspace flight was very tiresome, even though nothing was happening. It didn't help that the colors of the slipspace dimension were a monotone collection of grays that swirled in a quite alluring pattern. Cynthia sat next to me in the First Officer's chair, and D'Suvai sat at the pilot's chair, both of them staring at the large three-dimensional projection of the San'Shyuum Carriers. I sighed and sat up, waiting a moment for the back of the seat to come back up with me, and typed into the small keypad on the arm of the chair. Arcus, the shipboard AI, appeared in a simple spherical form, the translucent purple bubble fluctuating as it spoke.
"We will be exiting slipspace in two hours." The AI stated.
That's all you needed to say? I thought, leaning my cheek on my metal left hand, closing my eyes while pushing into the smooth metal contours of the prosthetic.
"Zealot Major." I heard a low voice call from behind me. I swivelled my chair around and looked forward at the source of the voice, the second of the two Majors from the hangar. I nodded for him to continue, and he walked towards me.
"I have been told you are a great swordsman. Would you like to spar?" He asked. I nodded and stood up.
"You have command, Stealth Major." I said, looking sidelong at Cynthia, who was wearing black Elite armor with a heavy active camouflage membrane on her back. She nodded slowly and got up, moving to the captain's chair. Walking to the red-clad Major, we walked down the hallway into the main concourse, which instead of some chairs and lights had a small dueling circle. Apparently, 'Zehirae had wanted it installed, so he removed all of the chairs and decorative lights the Jiralhanae had set up and put down the circular mat and some oil lanterns.
Walking to the wall, I flipped a switch to activate the lanterns before turning around with my sword hilt drawn. I took out two of the sword training buffers from a compartment on the wall, that would deactivate the sword if the enemy was in danger, and handed one to the Major. I attached it to the end of my sword and looked at him. The Major, unlike some other Elites, was unfazed at the sight of Vorpal Talon, and drew his own sword hilt in response. I activated my sword and held it to my chest, the pointed ends extending towards him with the end of the hilt a few inches from my face. My other arm was extended out in front of the sword, my right hand flat and straight. He activated his sword and held it at his side, his mandibles loose as he examined my stance. In a matter of seconds, the Major changed from his calm and collected self to a cunning swordsman.
I dodged his first strike, ducked down and swung at his leg while running sideways. He jumped back and blocked with his sword. On the back of my belt, I remembered the first energy blade 'Sacleous had given me when I was healing, and activated it quickly before swinging my arm around to strike with it. Two blades strong, I jumped back to the edge of the ring with my swords extended at my side, watching the Major as he balanced his hilt on the other palm of his hand in front of him.
"Outnumbered, I may be, but outskilled I am not. You are sloppy, human. You hold your swords loose, and do not watch your enemies. Even now, you're looking at my face and not…" he dashed forwards, "...my hand." He swung forwards and I barely dodged his sword. I parried the strike and jumped as he slashed at my legs. I swung madly with Vorpal Talon to get him back, and in the midst of it, I made lightning fast strikes with my other sword where Vorpal Talon was not.
"The UNSC trained me with melee weapons and stealth. I am an expert in kenjutsu and fencing, and in my time studying your weapons, have become quite good with an energy blade. Do not underestimate me, and I won't underestimate you."
"Wise words for a demon." He sneered, stabbing forward three times. I dodged the first two and ducked under the third, all of them aimed at my chest and head. While he was whirling around to make a fourth attack, I lunged forward and 'stabbed' my sword into his abdomen, my blade deactivating while emitting a beep to signify the end of the match. The Major, stunned, looked down at his stomach before staring me down. He tried to say something to accuse me, and he raised his sword threateningly, but faded away when I reactivated Vorpal Talon.
"You have had your spar, Major. Go back to your station." I ordered, uncomfortable with the commanding tone I had taken on. I had vowed not to order the Elites around for fear of revolt, but in this case, the Major was just being stubborn. I turned my back to him and walked out of the door back to the bridge, Vorpal Talon still drawn. 'Zehirae looked up when I stepped onto the small bridge and smirked.
"I will assume he threatened you, and then tried to spar again." He asked as I retook the captain's chair, finally deactivating the Talon and sticking both of my swords on my belt.
"You would be correct. How do you know?"
"Ah, I know that Major well. 'Vucorik was always rebellious, and questioned my orders often. His stubbornness almost earned his commander the Arbiter position, which at the time was still the most dishonorable rank you could attain."
"Why was it dishonorable?" I asked, instantly regretting it when 'Zehirae looked down in what seemed to be sadness, and D'Suvai flinched and glanced at me with his mandibles shut tightly. Mizume sighed and stood, stepping into the center of the bridge to speak.
"It is a story told by mothers to their children to scare them from splitting away from the Covenant. Four hundred years ago, Fel 'Chavam… ee, the legendary Arbiter of the time, defied the Prophets, and refused to accept the Great Journey - how right he was. And, although holding the highest and most esteemed rank a Sangheili could earn, he was branded a heretic. Instead of executing him immediately, they sent him into an ambush, where he faced off against two thousand soldiers and won, but was then taken down by one of his brothers. Following that tradition, every Arbiter since then has been a high-ranking officer that was branded heretic that they sent on suicidal missions. Thel 'Vadam was the only Arbiter to survive his mission in four hundred years." Mizume explained, looking up at the ceiling as if recalling a memory. D'Suvai had turned around his chair to listen to the story, and Cynthia had leaned forwards in her seat, quite interested. Even Arcus had appeared, obviously recording the conversation to document it.
"I didn't know it was a touchy subject, I'm sorry for asking." I replied quickly. 'Zehirae let out a breathy laugh and sat back down leaning back in his chair to swing himself back around to type on one of the computer consoles by him.
"It isn't, I just never expected to be telling a human such a thing in my lifetime." He said, looking at me with a smile. I laughed back and put a hand to my chin.
"Well, I think 'Zehirae and I can take care of the ship, so… you two should get some rest." I announced, looking over at D'Suvai and Rivers. The two combatants nodded and stepped off of the bridge, the large purple door closing behind them.
"This isn't the best of ideas, Zachary, and you know it."
"I know it's a bad idea."
"A bad idea? It's a horrible plan."
"Yours were worse. Right now, this is the best bad plan we have." I took a breath and swiveled my chair to look at the glowing sphere of the deteriorating Covenant AI in the corner.
"Arcus, prep the long range transmitters."
"Already done. All transmitters have been primed for immediate remote activation."
"Good. Our ETA?"
"Forty-seven minutes."
Slipspace en route to Thocela IV, December 19th, 2552…
I woke up from a short nap to 'Zehirae pushing my shoulder. Groaning, I looked up and he jerked his thumb towards the door.
"It is time to begin, Zealot Major. We have three minutes before we exit slipspace." He reached to the back of his belt and produced a small black box. "Simply press the small button on the top and let go of it, and it will scan the whole area around you, capturing an exact 3D model of the dreadnoughts."
"What about my Ranger armor?" I asked, gesturing to my open-faced helmet. "I'm not going to survive in space for long, and I left my helmet air mask back in my quarters on the Recompense."
"Ranger helmets will fit you. Your armor will be good enough for the time being, so just go over to the armory with Major 'Vucorik, Major 'Tshama, and D'Suvai to suit up. I would leave your Needle Rifle behind, but bring your blades."
"Agreed." As if on cue, the Major I had sparred walked into the room and gestured for me to follow him as the other Major and D'Suvai stepped in. Going down the short hallway quickly, we turned left near the aft of the ship and went down a small ramp into a room bordering a hangar large enough to hold four Banshee fighters. Held vertically from the ceiling facing down, the Banshees looked ominous in the dim light of the hangar.
The room we had entered was a bare armory, with two suits of Elite Ranger armor and a few weapons. I picked one of the two Ranger helmets off of the wall and held it under my arm while I took off my own Zealot helmet and placed it where the one I grabbed had hung. Placing the white armor piece over my head, I waited for its sensors to adapt to me before nodding to the Major. It was mildly disorienting, since because the helmet was meant for Elites, the HUD and the visor was five inches in front of where my face ended, and I actually needed to squint to see the small numbers representing the shield percentage. Stepping out of the armory into the hangar proper, I noted the fact that next to the Banshees were the transmitters, piled in crates hung by small wires connected to the ceiling, ready to be dropped off.
Just as I had felt when I had dropped in pods with D'Suvai and 'Tarqi, it was almost entrancing how the elements of slipspace moved around the ship, the silvery-blue lines of the slipstream kind of like strands of hair being brushed against the craft. I was shaken from my thoughts as the second Major, still fidgeting, walked up to the first and snapped his mandibles at me.
"Are you ready, human?" 'Vucorik asked, tilting his elongated head to the side as he looked at me. Once again, I nodded, and he walked over to the wall and placed his hand on a small box, a keyboard lighting up. Tapping on it, the already dim lights deactivated. I raised an eyebrow, but didn't do anything. The other Major, however, tightened his grip on his Energy Sword hilt, and checked the corners of the room. Suddenly, the intercom crackled to life, and Arcus' voice filled the room.
"Now exiting slipspace." Was all it said, and as soon as the communications turned off, the frigate entered real-space again. Suddenly, 'Vucorik lunged from the wall with his sword drawn and slashed at D'Suvai and I. Both of us dodged the strike, and we both drew our blades, but the other Major was not so lucky, caught in the head by that strike. He fell with a wet thud, and I crossed Vorpal Talon and 'Sacleous' sword together in front of me before jumping forward, pushing off of the small metal lip around the edge of the clear shielded hangar door. 'Vucorik jumped back from me and raised his sword to block as I attacked, thrusting my sword in front of me.
"Major! Explain yourself!" D'Suvai yelled, raising his sword at 'Vucorik as we stood in a circle, wary of each other. 'Vucorik flared his mandibles and laughed, lowering his guard slightly.
"The Swords of Sanghelios are a rebellion who will be quickly destroyed by the Covenant. It has been tried before by the Unggoy. You know how that ended, with almost the complete annihilation of their species had it not been for the Sangheili Councilors." He looked at me. "And you, heretic, plaguing the minds of my fellow brothers and kin with your ideas and plans. You caused this."
"If you believe a lone, injured SPARTAN that is missing an arm and lacks the knowledge of the Covenant you have is a threat or hindrance to either yours and Fleetmaster 'Varliemai's plans, then you are false. I simply follow their command, not my own."
"And who came up with the plans for the last two battles? I'm a bridge officer, nishum, I know who's doing the talking. To have a being ordering a Sangheili superior who does not belong to a Keep is a disgrace. There is no Reynards Keep, nor is there a Zachary Keep. You are an outcast of your species, an anomaly, a disgrace to your family and honor. If it weren't for the fact that the humans are our eternal enemy, I would think that by killing you I would be doing them a favor."
"Then we will respond in kind." D'Suvai uttered bitterly, stepping forward slowly. Growling deeply from his throat, 'Vucorik kept his mandibles flared as he watched his opponent. I stood off to the side, not wanting to interfere with what was already known as a sacred tradition of dueling. But, instead of engaging in combat as both what I had seen before and from what I had studied, 'Vucorik broke off and slashed at me. Me, being completely caught off guard, barely dodged the first strike, but not the quick, unexpected second. It sliced through my helmet, the energy tips barely missing my face as I attempted to jump back. My HUD, the Sangheili translator, and the air pack for the Ranger helmet were all destroyed. Falling to the ground with the shattered glass visor shards falling around me. Into the room from the door behind me came 'Zehirae, who had his sword active as he grabbed me, yelling to me in Sangheili.
"Kahboonoh, eennteeyuhkoh, kahboonoh se keeoh-eesay!" Mizume shouted, before pushing me towards the door and quickly engaging 'Vucorik in combat with D'Suvai. Ripping off the useless helmet and brushing glass shards out of my hair, I kept my swords active and walked back to the furiously fighting Sangheili in front of me. 'Zehirae ducked under a quick stab from the Major and struck upwards, his sword barely missing 'Vucorik's sword hand. Charging forward with his sword at his side, D'Suvai made three quick strikes at 'Vucorik, one of which connected with his left leg armor. 'Vucorik roared in rage and stabbed forward suddenly, striking D'Suvai in the chest. The tips of the sword went through his back, and he fell in an instant. The room was silent for a split second before both 'Zehirae and I yelled out and came down on 'Vucorik with a hailstorm of erratic attacks. 'Vucorik was now cut down easily, and my swords passed through him multiple times. His cries were silenced as Mizume made a final slash at his head before letting his limp body fall to the ground. Running to D'Suvai's side, I lifted his head as he looked weakly from me to 'Zehirae.
"Arcus, make a slipspace jump back to The Servant of Recompense!" I yelled out to the empty hangar. Not that I had noticed from the shock, but a large pool of purple-green blood had spilled around my knees as I tended to D'Suvai, and a cascade of emotions were flooding my head. From the loudspeaker, the Covenant AI made no acknowledgement for some reason, and on the surface I did not know why, but deep down I did. That translator was my only port to understanding anything I hear and see. Without it, I do not know what anyone is saying, and vice versa.
In a weak form of broken English, D'Suvai muttered to me, "Save the others… complete the mission," before closing his eyes and weakly letting out a final breath as he fell limp in my arms. 'Zehirae watched from behind me, his mandibles clasped shut with his sword at his side. From all of the sadness that had filled me second before, an unending rage came.
"'Zehirae, please get me another Ranger helmet and open the hangar shields. I'm finishing this."
"Dohmoh'Eenngahnehnn." Mizume addressed me as he walked over to the armory again and came out with another gray helmet with a blue shielded visor, handing it to me. Brushing a small trickle of blood from a glass wound from my last helmet's shattered visor, I put this one over my head, activating the translator and air pack. Stepping forwards to the lip of the ventral shield, I looked 'down' at the space outside and took a deep breath of the thick air in my helmet. 'Zehirae caught his breath and pressed a button on the wall, lowering the shields. In an instant, I was not in the hangar any longer, nor were the crates of the shipboard transmitters. Looking back at the Xerxi, I watched as hundreds of glittering objects spread into the blackness of space, small red lights adorning their slender purple surfaces. Smiling thinly, I watched as they all activated, my HUD lighting up with yellow 'friendly' dots as the FOF tags on the transmitters began broadcasting. Now to wait.