Hogarth Hakimee scanned the horizon for any sign of his commander. He realized it was a task more suited to another.
"See anything Sergeant Hoke?"
"No Excellency," replied the Jackal to his right. Hoke raised his plasma pistol as if to swat a target out of the sky.
"I don't like this," the Jackal muttered as he activated the silver shield he carried.
"Save it for when the see-oh returns, Kig-Yar."
It started as a soft sound, like the whine of an engine. Only it started getting progressively louder. Not seeing anything, Hakimee turned around.
"Get down!" He dove as the first of many red bolts of plasma hit the rock where he and Hoke had been waiting. A Phantom. The next two hit Hakimee square in the chest as he stood up, sounding the low-shield alarm in his armor.
"Grenades!" He yelled at the top of his Sangheili lungs, as he primed one. Five grenades flew towards the Covenant craft as a third bolt sent Hakimee to the ground, his shields completely drained.
All five of the grenades hit the vehicle, they detonated, blowing off one of the three plasma cannons, the other two continued pounding as three Covenant Elites, all in blue armor of Minors, and six Jackals with blue shields jumped down.
"Let them have it!" The lead Elite doused the platoon with plasma fire. One of Hakimee's Jackals took too many hits, its shield collapsed and it fell. Hakimee focused on the enemy with the sights of his Battle Rifle, he fired a trio of bursts at twenty meters, knocking out the enemy's shield. The Phantom flew off.
Hakimee fired two more bursts into the Minor, it collapsed. Ducking and sidestepping to his left in order to avoid enemy fire, Hakimee focused his attention on another and fired of two bursts before he was interrupted by an explosion as a fistful of needles detonated in his chestplate. His shields were completely drained as he felt the blod trickle from his body. The two remaining Elites turned their needles to Hakimee, firing another five between them.
Hakimee then heard running, as the needles flew silently through the air, Hoke came junping off the rock behind the Lieutenant, the needles detonating harmlessly on his shield. He raised his plasma pistol and fired two charged bolts in rapid sucesssion, the first drained the enemy's shields, the second burned off several layers of flesh as the blue devil fell facefirst. Hakimee got up, his protection now again. He fingered a grenade from his belt, he thrust it upwards, flying to its target. It stuck on the last Elite, it got off one howl before it was blown apart. Two more Jackals remained, but they were quickly dispatched.
Hakimee looked around, all the Grunts and a few of the Jackals received wounds, one Grunt could not walk from losing blood. After applying some biofoam, Hakimee motioned its brethren.
"Carry him," he said fimly. "They know we're here, we have to get moving."
Kalimee's heart raced as he slowly turned around. Flanked by a pair of Jackals, a fellow Sangheili in golden armor stood firm. Kalimee did not need to look twice to know who it was.
"Zogarth," he gasped. "After all these years…"
"Yes, Brother. Then I was but a Minor, now I am a Field Master, with power you could never even dream of. You will drop your weapons now." Kalimee complied. He dropped the two plasma rifles he was carrying. The Jackals scooped them up. If only he had brough along his BR55, he could break out. But he had felt he would have to carry it long distances with little chance of attack. He made a mental note to wring the first Human neck he came across. No…that would accomplish little…only a miracle could get him and his troops across Cartairus.
The Field Master took a few steps forward.
"Imagine, allying yourself with such filth."
"You're fighting for the wrong cause," Kalimee shot back. His Brother merely grinned, or what came of a grin.
"You were always Father's favorite, perhaps it was for the best that he was killed. Such treasonous though-."
"Don't say that," Kalimee hissed.
"You would do well to hide your teeth. Won't want to be smiling after the last of your entrails are fed to the Jackals." Zogarth pulled the hilt of a plasma sword, activated it, and gestured towards the Covenant cruisers majestically positioned up in the sky.
"Forward. March."
After about two hours the brothers were in the valley, a few hundred meters from the gravity lifts of the Covenant ships. Hundreds of Covenant, Unngoy, Sangheili, Unngoy, Hugnarok inspecting wiring and power conduits, no Kig-Yar though, this somewhat scared Kalimee.
"The Prophets have betrayed us," he said as they walked.
"Quiet! Zogarth hissed. "The Holy Ones are the source of all lights. Thou in faith will keep us safe."
"Lieutenant," Norman whispered in Kalimee's mind. "New contacts, Brutes." His host said nothing, doing so would betray them.
At the foot of a grav lift, Kalimee saw them, five Brutes, all carrying what appeared to be their signature "Brute Shot" grenade launchers. His Brother must have seen them too for he motioned everyone to stop and promptly turned around. The Brutes marched in a five-across formation, each a little behind the one closer to the center. At a distance of about three meters they stopped; the lead Brute spoke.
"Orders from the Prophet, kill the prisoner at once."
Field Master Kalimee snarled, "No! He has not been properly interrogated.!"
"Step aside, Sangheili." For a few anxious moments no one moved or said a word. Finally, Zogarth stepped about two meters to the side and the Kig-Yar did the same.
The Brutes raised their weapons and prepared to fire.
Kalimee closed his eyes, and waited for death. All he heard was a roar, two Sangheili eyes opened, as Field Master Zogarth Kalimee dived in front of his younger brother, as five grenades fired in unison. The first three which struck quickly knocked down the shields of the Gold-clad General, the next blew him apart, pieces of metal and flesh flew everywhere.
After watching his brother die, Kalimee used the momentary confusion to dive toward his weapons. Grabbing his two plasma rifles, he turned and held down both triggers, releasing a steady stream of blue plasma; the lead Brute threw down its weapons as two more grenades were fired his way.
Kalimee side-stepped and managed to get another second of fire in before the lead Brute knocked away the rifles and reached for Kalimee's neck, he was pinned.
Struggling to keep the Brute away from his neck, and hoping for shield recharge, Kalimee dared a look, the rest of the Covenant troops were in varied states of order. The Unngoy and some of the minor Sangheili ran. The more senior troops pulled out their weapons, plasma fire streamed in from all directions. The Brute's hold tightened.
Over the roaring and firing, Kalimee heard two distinctive cracks, and the Brute staggered, its grip lossening and brain flying in random directions. Kalimee rolled to his left right before the Brute's lifeless corpse fell. One other Brute was already dead from the loyalists' fire, but another charged. Kalimee elbowed the Bute in the head twice, befor two more cracks downed it.
Daring another glance, Hakimee stood thirty meters away, his sniper rifle still smoking. The rest of the 305th charged. Kalimee grabbed hold of his brother's sword, checked to see that it still worked, and thrust it into the back of a confused Jirlhanae. It groaned and fell. Kalimee's attention then turned his attention to the remaining, but it to was dead, the blue haze sorrounding the body sudgesting plasma grenades.
"Excellency!" Hogarth Hakimee exclaimed as he ran up. He slung his rifle over his shoulder and produced Kalimee's BR55. He took hold of it.
"How did you find me?" he asked quietly.
"We followed the Cruisers." Kalimee nodded. "Causalties?"
"One, Excellency. A Jackal. Grenade." Kalimee shook his head.
"You shouldn't have come." He noticed that his lieutenat wasn't listening. The Sangheili stiffened his pose and raised his rifle. The 305th raised their weapons as twenty Covenant Elites, mostly in blue and red, but three Honor Guards were in center.
"Put down your weapons," Kalimee whispered.
As the 305th began to comply, one of the Honor Guards raised a hand.
"No Major, keep. It is dangerous here." Kalimee clicked his mandibles in suspicion and awe.
"Come," the guard said coldly.
The ride up the gravity lift was uneventful, although it took two trips to raise the five Unngoy, twenty-two Kig-Yar, and two Sangheili of the 305th Drop Jet Platoon. The Honor Guards motioned to follow through a maze of corridors, all in a Covenant purple. Kalimee had not been inside a Covenant warship since his promotion to Major following the Battle of Reach nine months before. Kalimee could not help the notice the absence of Kig-Yar, the blood staining the corridors, and the Jirlhanae body being dragged by three Unngoy.
After about eight units the Guards left the renegades at the entrance to the ship's control room. Two Honor Guards stood guard.
"Present your identification." A guard announced gruffly.
"Kalimee, Kartek. First Lieutenant. 305th Drop Jet Platoon. Orbital Drop Shock Trooper Division Three, United Nations Space Command. The Guard nodded.
"You may enter, the Councilior has been expecting you. Your troops may wait outside.
"Councilior?" Kalimee cautiously walked in, his hand hovering above his rifle.
It was like any other control room, an elevated platform between to trenches, from which the Ship Master could view a range of information and command the ship. Two of his race stood on the platform. One wore golden armor, most likely the Ship Master. The other wore the blue-silver armor and distinctive headpiece of an Elite Councilior. The two turned.
Kalimee's mandible opened as wide as his body could make them. "Ship Master Ecktumee?" The gold nodded.
"Major Kartek Kalimee. Pleased I am to see you after all this time. Much has happened since you left the Covenant.
"We hardly have time for formalities, Ship Master." The Councilior groaned. He turned to the shocked Kalimee.
"Welcome to the Enlightened Grace, Major." The Councilior saw Master Sergeant Hoke and the rest of his brethren. He scowled.
"What are the Kig-Yar doing here?" he demanded.
"They are friends…Excellency." The councilior sighed and nodded.
"Very well then. I am Donto Dantoomee, formerly of the Covenant High Council, welcome to my flagship.
"W-What's going on?" Kalimee asked. He was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.
"The Prophets have betrayed us. We our vengenat for our Brothers' blood. The Brutes will pay for what they did on High Charity. That is why I am glad to see you.
"Some, did not heed the truth," Kalimee thought of his dead brother. "Others, chose not to resist. I have chosen the path of salvation. To atone for our sins and those whom we have lost. I killed a Prophet today, slaughtered his Jirlhanae guards. We are yet to scratch the suface. There are many things we have not done right and may never be able to."
"What do you want me for?" Kalimee asked.
"Ah, that is the important part."
