Chapter Seven
Covenant Holy City "High Charity", in orbit over Prophet Homeworld, location unknown.
Sanctum of the Hierarchs; Trial of the Arbiter, postponed to after the Battle of Earth.
Ninth Age of Reclamation.
In an uncharted system, the Covenant Holy City High Charity orbited a massive, red-purple planet, and thousands of Covenant Carriers and Cruisers watched from afar, ready to shoot down any who did not have the proper authority, or dignity, to intrude on the majesty that was the Covenant Hegemony.
"There was only one ship," said an Elite in Golden Armor, as he stood before the Council of Hierarchs, and a pair of Prophets in anti-gravity chairs, with golden headdresses decorating them, making them appear to be incredibly holy, and intimidating.
"One? Are you sure?" came the deep-throated reply, from the Prophet of Regret.
"Yes. They called it, Pillar of Autumn," responded the Elite.
"Why was it not destroyed with the rest of their fleet?" demanded an angry Prophet of Mercy.
"It fled, as we set fire to the planet. But I followed with all the ships in my command."
"When you first saw Halo," said the Prophet of Regret, "were you blinded by its majesty?"
"Blinded?"
"Paralyzed? Dumbstruck?" inquired Mercy.
"No," replied the Elite.
"Yet the humans were able to evade your ships. Land on the sacred ring; and desecrate it with their filthy footsteps," said Mercy angrily.
"Noble Hierarchs, surely you understand when the Parasite attacked-" responded the Elite, keeping his cool. But his sentence was cut off, as the hundreds of Prophets in the Council angrily broke out into rants and insults.
"There will be order in this Council!" demanded Mercy, slamming his fist on his chair.
As Mercy said this, a third Prophet came in, and glided in between Mercy and Regret (who was not a hologram, and was physically present, unlike in Halo 2). The Council fell silent immediately. He was the High Prophet of Truth, the most patient, wise, and powerful creature in the entire Covenant.
"You were right to focus your attention on the Flood," said Truth. "But this Demon, this Master Chief…"
"By the time I learned of the Demon's intent, there was nothing I could do." And as the Elite finished his sentence, the Council was in an uproar, one greater before Truth arrived.
"Prophet of Truth, this has gone on long enough," whispered Regret to Truth. "Make an example of this blunderer! The Council demands it." Truth held up a hand to Regret, and continued.
"You are one of our most treasured instruments," said Truth. "Long have you lead your fleet with honor, and distinction. But your inability to safeguard Halo, was a colossal failure."
"Nay! It was heresy!" said a Prophet in the Council who had had enough. And the rest of the Council roared in agreement, shouting "Heresy!"
"I will continue my campaign against the Humans," said the Elite, with renewed vigor, in attempt to save him from further embarrassment.
"No," said Truth, with force. "You will not." And he nodded to a Brute, who roared, and two more Brutes walked up to the Gold Elite to seize him, but he flexed his arms outward, and he walked away, in shame, by himself. "Soon, the Great Journey will begin. And the weight of your heresy will stain your feet. And you shall be left behind."
As the Elite walked away into the corridor with the two Brutes, he heard the High Prophet of Truth announce: "Bring in the next one. He shall suffer the consequences for his failure at Earth with the humans…" And the Gold Elite heard no more, as the massive doors closed behind him as the left the Sanctum.
A few minutes later, the Elite and his two Brute escorts walked into a different chamber on High Charity, where dozens of lesser Covenant shouted at the Elite: "Heretic! Heretic!"
"Drawn quite a crowd," stated the Brute Chieftain, Tartarus, as he looked out to the vast stands of High Charity that seemed to go on forever.
"If they came to hear me beg," said the Elite, "they'll be disappointed."
"Are you sure?" asked Tartarus.
And the two escorts of the Elite walked up to the Elite, and grabbed his arms, and lifted them up, and red energy chains grabbed them, and held them in place in midair.
"There can be no greater heresy! Let him be an example to all who would break our Covenant!" Tartarus turned to the two Brutes and shouted: "Now!" And the two Brutes grabbed both sides of the Elite's chest plate and pulled, and started to strip the Elite of his armor.
When the Elite's helmet was finally taken off, and his head hung down in shame, Tartarus grabbed his hammer, which had the imprint of the flaming Mark of Shame in it, and pressed it into the Elite. The Elite held his composure for a few seconds, and then turned his head upwards, and with his mandibles fully spread, screamed in agony, and fell into unconsciousness.
When the Elite woke up many hours later, he found the Brutes who escorted him to Tartarus, dragged him by the arms, and were dragging him. The Elite's body hurt, it hurt incredibly badly. Like someone stuck a plasma grenade on him, brought him back to life, and repeated the process. He heard the Brutes talking to one another, and motioning towards a cell, one full of Jackals, but he couldn't hear anything they said.
The Elite was dragged into the Mausoleum of the Arbiter. Hundreds of Elites in golden-red armor stood guard over the Prophets, and the Mausoleum of the Arbiter. Tarturus, who had lead the two Brutes to the Mausoleum, kneeled down before the Prophets of Truth and Mercy.
"Noble Prophets of Truth and Mercy," he said. "I have brought the incompetent."
"You may leave, Tartarus," responded The High Prophet of Truth.
Tartarus stuttered for a moment, but responded. "But – I thought –"
"And take your Brutes with you." Continued Truth.
Tartarus grumbled, and spoke to his Brutes. "Release the prisoner." He and the two Brutes got up, and exited the chamber.
When they had gone, the door closed, and Truth was certain that no one could hear him he spoke. "The Council decided to have you hung by your entrails, and your corpse paraded through the city. But ultimately, the terms of your execution are up to me."
The Elite responded, holding his wound with his right hand. "I am already dead."
"Indeed. You know where we are."
"The Mausoleum of the Arbiter," said the Elite, with awe and respect in his voice.
"Quite so. Here rest the vanguard of the Great Journey. Every Arbiter from first to last. Each one created and consumed in times of extraordinary crisis."
"The Taming of the Hunters! The Grunt Rebellion! If it were not for the Arbiter, the Covenant would have been broken long ago!" exclaimed Mercy.
"Even on my knees, I do not belong in their presence," said the Elite, self-condescending.
"Halo's destruction was your error. And you righted the blame. The Council was overzealous. We know you are no Heretic. This is the face of true heresy." And a hologram of an Elite in red-bronze armor appeared.
"What the Prophet's decree is false! The Great Journey is nothing more than a lie! The disaster at Earth proves our leader's incompetence! Brothers, join me, and help me right the wrongs of our leaders –" And the Prophet of Truth silenced the holograph with a wave of his hand.
"This heretic, and those who follow him, must be silenced," said the Prophet of Truth.
"What can I do? I cannot command ships, or lead troops into battle, as long as I have this Mark of Shame upon me," retorted the Arbiter.
"As you are, yes, but become the Arbiter, and you shall leave here with our blessing," replied Truth, half-grinning.
"What of the Council?" cautiously asked the Elite. The Prophet's seemed too forgiving.
"The tasks the Arbiter must undertake are dangerous! Suicidal! You will die, as each Arbiter has before you. The Council will have its corpse." There it was, that catch.
The Elite paused for a moment, then picked up the helmet of the ancient battle suit that lay in front of him. "What would you have your Arbiter do?"
The Prophet of Truth grinned.
Hours later, a Covenant armada left High Charity, and entered Slipspace. Their destination, Alpha Halo. Their objective: the eradication of the Demons and Heretics, and the capture of the Sacred Ring, so that the Great Journey would start. Onboard the Prophet's Will, a Covenant super-carrier, and the flagship of the fleet, the Arbiter stood, behind the golden Ship Master, and grinned. Redemption and glory would be his.