CTF A Parting of Ways

As the Prophets disappeared, Mulandoor turned to Turanovee. " So, the great spec ops commander gains honor and his reputation in the Covenant by going invisible and sneaking around others, stabbing in the back. How honorable."

Turanovee growled. " We do not commit those acts often and at will. We fight impossible odds and always succeed, even with heavy casualities. My unit is always faced with higher odds, yet we never back down."

Folsanee stared at both Elites. What event put such a rift between these two?

" And what do you do Mulandoor? You may rank slightly above me, yet you spend most of your time safe on cruisers and battleships coordinating attacks with your already made meals. You know little of our battles and losses."

" I did not get this rank by pure coordination and strategy!" retorted Mulandoor.

" I have had my share of battles as well!"

The two Elites continued arguing until Folsanee decided that it was enough. " Quiet!" he commanded. The two Elites instantly stopped their bickering to face their new leader. Though both had extremely high ranks, all accoladed and praised the Arbiter as the fighter for the Prophets. His embroidered and aged armor was a sign of an honor passed down generations to a single special Elite. None of the Elites dared to speak up against Folsanee.

" I do not know what this quarrel is about, but I do not care," he said. " My mission is to stop this heretic and to prove to the Prophet's of our worth. Future arguments can be made later, but not until we have completed our objective and secured the unity of the Covenant. Understood?"

Both Elites stood straight up and placed their hands onto their chests, a form of salutation. " Yes Arbiter!" they both chorused.

" Organize your men and gather weapons and armor. Make sure that the invisibility option works for your troops Turanovee. Mulandoor, double-check to ensure that your plasma swords are fully energized. We will move out at the light of GREEN."

The Covenant had used the forerunner technology to create their own clock of the roations of their sun. From morning to midnight the colors moved from YELLOW, ORANGE, RED, BLACK, PURPLE, BLUE, GREEN, and PINK. The contraption was a circular dial with a plasma surface on it and a clear glass prism that resided underneath. As more sunlight from their star emitted through the planet, the prism would reflect this sunlight in concentrated and purified form into the plasma. The plasma would absorb the light and convey the time of day by its color. The more sunlight that was absorbed, the darker the plasma surface grew. This also served as a weather forecaster during harsh climate.

Folsanee watched the residing backs of the Elites as they left the room and sighed. The mission could be compromised if the two did not settle their differences. Their animosity reminded him of his relationship with Rolandee before he performed heresy against the Prophets. Rolandee and him had constantly argued about their servitude to the Prophets. The last time they had had a conflict was before his departure to Yerebek.

" Why do you grovel to those old worms?" snarled Rolandee as Folsanee was about to embark on the Phantom. " They send us to our deaths and to do their dirty work. Those that fail are tortured and executed for 'heresy' of not complying with the Prophet's wishes. We were once a free and proud race, and now we must be the lap dogs of those that destroyed our city and tricked us into submission!"

" Do not speak in that tone," muttered Folsanee. " We are doing the work of the Gods. The Prophets are our guides to achieving the Great Journey that will help our kind regain its honor back once again. Why must you say such devilish things?"

" Folsanee," growled Rolandee. " You have been brainwashed. You have accepted defeat when our true journey is so imminent. Join me, and I shall free our brothers and the other allies and build a new Covenant, where we shall decide our objectives and goals!"

" If that day comes," Folsanee said solemnly. " Then you and I shall be on different sides. I will not betray the honored ones for such a scheme."

" Then," growled Rolandee. " We got a parting of the ways. Our friendship is over." And with that Rolandee left, leaving his best friend wondering.

After barely surviving the attempt to incorporate the Drones into the Covenant, Folsanee later heard that during his mission Rolandee had rebelled. He and a small group of Elites, grunts and Hunters had stormed the supply room near the basement of High Charity and stolen one of the Four phantoms, two which had been loaded with Banshees and Ghosts.

Folsanee sighed once again and slowly walked to the huge doors. As he stepped outside into the hallway he recalled Rolandee's oath of their parting of ways and loss of friendship. He had hoped that if the two divisons battled, he would never had to face his friend ever again.

Yet it came to soon.