"The Knight and Piercing Arrow"
"Messiah." The word echoed throughout the inner chamber of the Phantom. Speaking in their native tongue of barks and snarls, the word was being whispered back and forth by numerous grunts. Palab knew they were trying to be quiet, but the language of the grunts was not a soft spoken language. Their attempts at whispering were laughable. Palab looked to the elites as they gestured amongst themselves; unconcerned with what the grunts were saying. Palab then turned his attention out of the forward view port as he sat in the co-pilot's chair.
The soft haze and thin atmosphere of Delta Halo vanished as the two Phantoms accelerated out of the ring world's gravity-well. The warm darkness of space appeared everywhere, and soon the battle around High Charity could be seen in total clarity. Ships exploded as forged plasma streaked and arced across space. The Covenant forces were in stronger numbers, perhaps because the Hierarchs had planned for the elites to be outnumbered, but the elites fought valiantly. Palab then began to wonder which ship held the elite High Council.
"You seem nervous." Came an elite's deep voice. Palab was shaken by the pilot's sudden words, and then realized that he had been staring out the forward view portal for quite some time. "What troubles you sir, if you do not mind me asking?"
Palab pondered and then replied, "Brutes and prophets work together. This bad situation. Elite fleet divided, flood on High Charity. Things not good."
"May I speak freely, Sergeant?" The elite questioned humbly, something Palab had not expected. Palab was still getting used to being treated with respect by the elites, and outranking most of them was something he would have to get use to. Palab looked to the elite and simply nodded his head yes. "For Hundreds of years the covenant has been in dismay. There are things that we, the Mirratord, know that many could never believe. This betrayal by the Prophets was surprising, but the High Council has never fully trusted them. Our faith in the Forerunner's legend is what we have believed in, never the prophets or their Hierarchs. But they have led the Covenant council, and we have respected them. The elite High Council has felt that a change was coming. The Hierarchs changing of the Honor Guards was the signal the elite council was looking for, but for the Prophets to turn on us completely… was unexpected."
Palab was confused at the amount of talking the elite was doing, he had never heard an elite speak so much to a grunt. But the elite filled his curiosity and then some.
"What elite council do now?"
"I am not sure." The elite huffed. "It is the time of the Arbiter, and only he can unite us now." Palab pondered the words of the elite pilot, but once again his curiosity was peeked.
"What you name?" Palab asked.
"Sir, my name is Ladme Balmaeda." Palab had not served much with elites, but he knew that each name had meaning, and he quickly recognized Ladme's familial ties.
"Balmaeda? You know Doz Yammaeda?" He looked to the elite and waited for a reply.
"Yes. He was my first born."
Palab looked away from Balmaeda and fumbled with his words. "He good elite. Fought bravely for us grunts." Out of the corner of his eye he looked to the elite pilot for a response, but none came; at least not to his question.
"Sir, we will be docking with our fleet command ship shortly. You need to contact the Lieutenant so that he can brief you on our docking procedures." Palab could see that Balmaeda didn't want to discuss his son, and he quietly turned in his chair and contacted the lead Phantom.
- - - - - - - -
"That is not what I meant!" The old elite stated. He paced back and forth and his dark red robe trailed behind him. He placed his hands inside his pockets and toyed with a small metal rod; eager to put it to use. He released the energy sword's hilt and looked back to the hologram in the center of the chamber. "If Truth has gone to the Ark, there is little doubt that he is willing to activate Halo." In the hologram stood another aged elite, also dressed in a dark red robe. A massive scar stretched across his brow, a reminder of a battle many years ago.
"What you believe is that Truth will soon start the Great Journey, without us?" The Hologram questioned.
Growing furious, the older elite stomped his hoof and glared at the hologram. "There is no great journey! Did you not here the Arbiter's words? Did you not see the Oracle at his side? Why is it so hard for you to understand that the Prophets have used us! Halo is a weapon, nothing more!" The elite breathed heavy, taking deep slow breaths to calm himself. "High Elder, it is easy for you to hold on to what you have always hoped was true, but I am here on the front lines. I have seen their treachery first hand and the Oracle's words can not be denied."
"Still, Samyealee, what you speak of is hard for us to accept." The hologram of the High Elder calmly replied. "You are speaking of the collapse of everything we Elites have believed since the formation of the Covenant."
"We are no longer a part of the Covenant." Councilor Samyealee affirmed, finally calming himself. "The Changing of the Honor Guards was only the first step for the Hierarchs."
Councilor Samyealee was the only member of the elite council that had the free time to speak with the other council members back on their home world. He had been talking to them for hours and was growing weary of the conversation. He could understand their shock and unwillingness to believe that the Great Journey was false, but he couldn't bare the idea of the Elite High Council being so blinded.
"My brothers, look at the evidence. First Truth cast down the Elite Honor Guards, and then he instructed the Brute Chieftain to kill the Arbiter. Once the Key was in his possession he turned the Covenant against the elites and all that sided with us; the Grunts and Hunters. Plus now…"
"Enough." The hologram sharply stated, tossing up his hands. "You have given us much to think on, councilor. We have much to deliberate upon as it is. What action are you taking now?"
"We are fortifying ourselves and preparing for the brutes next advance. They will try to wipe out the rest of us. But the Arbiter is preparing to go after Truth and the Ark with our fleet, including the Commander and some humans."
"The humans?" The hologram cut in suddenly. "What do we need of them? They are our enemies."
"No, my brother." Samyealee commented with a heavy sigh. "You are still thinking as if we are members of the Covenant. The humans are the enemies of the Prophets. It was them that started this holy crusade to expunge the humans, not us."
"Then why didn't the Arbiter tell us about the humans in his transmission?"
"Because he knew you wouldn't understand. Time was crucial, so he left me with the details to explain to you."
"We will trust in the Arbiter's judgment, but what of the Mirratord?" The elder Elite questioned.
"They are here, with me and the other council members." Samyealee tossed a quick look to the corner of the room, and gazed at the nearby monitor. It showed the location of two Phantom's approaching his ship. "We have decided that it is time to unleash the Right Hand of the High Council upon these Brutes. By the end of this battle, they will know what a true warrior is."
"Utilizing the Mirratord is a rightful act in such a situation. But I ponder if we should reveal them now, or wait our hand for a more desperate time. The Mirratord alone could end this feud if used properly."
The hologram of the High Elder suddenly went quiet as he was clearly speaking with someone off screen.
"The council and I have decided that we must discuss this further. We elites are a proud race, as you know, and telling our brothers of this news will be a chilling blow to our pride and way of life. Do what must be done to protect our brothers in arms. But for now, stay your hand with the Mirratord. Notify the commander that we will await the proper moment to unleash them upon the prophets. We will hold an emergency Council meeting and then contact you when we have convened." The hologram faded and Samyealee was left in darkness, only the silhouette of various terminals gave him any light.
He looked again at the monitor on the opposite side of the room, and saw that the two phantoms from Delta Halo had finally docked. There were still a few minutes before Rin Simyaldee and the Mirratord would need to be debriefed, and Samyealee was grateful for the moment alone. He felt a sudden swell of emotions overtake him. The elder warrior fell to his knees and sobbed heavily in silence.
His life was sworn to the upkeep of the covenant, and to seek out all knowledge of their gods. He was a warrior that had seen the destruction of many species, and for that past ten years he had served upon the Elite High Council with honor. It was such a glorious honor to be granted a station upon the front lines, and to monitor the events of the Human Covenant war, but everything he had known was false. He knew very well how the rest of the council back home felt, and it was a pain in his heart like nothing he had ever felt in battle.
Samyealee gathered himself, dried his eyes in the collar of his robe and stood to his feet. If this was the fate of his kind then he would face it like all elites under him would; in battle. He walked across the room and approached his closet; removing a silver belt. The belt was beautifully designed with gold and red lines. He wrapped the belt around his waist and tightened it firmly. He then pulled the small metal rod from his pocket and fastened it to his belt. With a soft flip, he pulled his hood over his head and walked toward his chamber door. His face vanished beneath his hoods ominous cloak, and he fastened the robe together.
A warrior of the elite council was never seen in battle against the humans, merely because they were not permitted to battle. They had seen years of conflict and had earned the right to oversee all of the elite affairs, but the time had come for that to change. Samyealee was aged, but if battle would come his way, then brute blood would stain his hands.
Shrouded in mystery and dawning the belt of the High Council, Samyealee stepped into the light of the corridor and was instantly greeted by two young and strong elites; both dawning the purple bar of the Mirratord.
"Elder." The two elites stated softly with a bow.
"To landing Deck six." Samyealee stated from beneath his shroud. "Your brothers have returned."
- - - - - - - -
The Knight and Piercing Arrow sat patiently at the center of the elite's battle group. It was the command ship and home of five of the nine High Council members within the fleet. Stretching twice the length of any standard carrier, the Knight and Piercing Arrow had well over nineteen decks, a crew compliment of more then two thousand and equal to any of the Prophet's vessels.
All around the battle waged on as soft plums of red and yellow dotting the orbit of High Charity. The brutes were putting up a decent fight but the elites were not going to be pushovers. The prophets had clearly orchestrated a battle that would favor the brutes, their ships outnumbered the elites three-to-one, but the brute's strategic abilities lacked severally in combat.
The landing deck of the Knight and Piercing Arrow was bustling with activity as damaged seraph fighters smoked into the bay. Rescued soldiers from life pods littered the area as medical teams assisted them as best they could. Grunts loaded cargo pods into Phantoms and directed refugee phantoms into various terminals, but once Samyealee walked onto Landing Deck Six, it was as if time stopped. Every elite bowed their heads, wounded or not, and grunts remained silent. There was no elite more worthy of this form of greeting then those who earned the right to sit upon the Elite High Council. These elder warriors were not only legends of the battle field, but they were also wise and the most trusted to uphold the pride of the elite race. After acknowledging the Council member's presence everything returned to normal and the landing deck quickly began to buzz with life again.
Samyealee and his two guards walked toward the two Phantoms and waited as Rin Simyaldee descended from its belly.
"Welcome back, Second." Samyealee stated as Simyaldee bowed respectfully. "The Commander briefed me on the events on the sacred…" He paused as he realized it was time to stop calling things by the name given to them by the Prophets. "I mean… Halo."
Simyaldee stood and acknowledged the councilman, "Good. I am glad that he was able to make contact with you. We lost a lot of grunts and with High Charity fallen to the Parasite, it may be time to take drastic action."
"If you mean destroying High Charity, then you and the Commander have been friends for far too long." Samyealee stated with a soft chuckle. It felt good to laugh, he thought, seeing that there wasn't much to laugh about. "He and the Arbiter have already decided on that, and our battle group will be relocating to another sector. They are leading a strike team on board and will destroy it from the inside. It is as if you two can read each others minds. Hopefully we will be able to take out a few of those brute controlled ships in the explosion. The Ring world will hopefully be destroyed as well."
"In order to fool the Brutes we will have to hold our Slip Space jump until the moment High Charity explodes. Is Captain Timnaldee ready for such a tricky maneuver? "
"He is ready." Samyealee quickly stated with a firm nod. He watched as the gravity lift lowered from the second Phantom and a team of grunts landed on the deck, followed by the other members of the Mirratord. He quickly spotted Palab and began to walk toward him, Lieutenant Simyaldee followed closely, as did the two guards. "Dispite the Captain's youth, he did serve in the Supreme Commander's Fleet of Particular Justice at the human's last stronghold world. He knows this ship better then I, and I am quite confident in his ability to command."
"If you say so, elder." Simyaldee replied confidently. The two turned their attention to Palab as he directed his team and the elites, and began assisting in clearing the landing deck for more incoming and damaged fighters. Simyaldee was still getting used to seeing a Grunt take command so easily, but he looked to the elder council member and noticed that he saw a smile on the old warriors face.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Samyealee questioned. "I was a young and foolish warrior when I fought during the Grunt Rebellion, and not since then have I seen a grunt with the ability to lead as Palab can. Back during the rebellion, their King fell at the hands of the Arbiter in single combat. None of us saw the fight, but for a grunt to fight an elite and mortally wound him before falling, is something worthy of legend. Imagine another grunt with this ability, but this time working with us."
"Elder." Simyaldee interrupted. "We have much to prepare. We should go to the bridge immediately. I will leave Palab in charge, he seems to have everything under control." Simyaldee waved toward Etah and the tiny grunt hustled over to his side.
"Yes?" Etah questioned.
"Go to Sergeant Palab and tell him that he is in charge of maintaining the docking procedures from here on out." Etah hesitated, but quickly ran toward Palab.
Samyealee folded his arms and begin to walk to the exit. "Captain Timnaldae may not be happy with your decision, but he will not complain so long as I agree with your actions. Either way, once our battle plans are set, we will gather all officers and debrief them on the Arbiter's plan."
Palab continued barking orders to his grunt brothers and speaking to the elites in his best Covenant speak, but something was puzzling the young grunt. So much had happened in the past few hours, and now Simyaldee and the Elder were leaving the landing deck. He then saw Etah shuffling toward him barking in their language.
"Sergeant Palab, sir! The elite left you in command of all docking procedures. The Elder elite seemed to agree."
Palab frowned, "What? But that's the dock masters job. The dock master will not be happy with this. Etah, continue to direct the others. I want these landing zones clear of these supplies so that we can get as many survivors in here as possible." Palab looked to a nearby pack of grunts that were wounded and resting. "I'll be back soon brother, after I speak with the dock master."
"Good luck Palab." Etah snarled as he ran over to more elites and grunts and began to take over for Palab.
"Hey you guys." Palab barked to a nearby group of wounded grunts. "No time for resting, I have something for you to do." The grunts weren't listening and simply grumbled at Palab's words. Apparently news of his title and rank had yet to be spread around the ship. He was somewhat relieved that these grunts saw him as normal, but there was much more at state then his own apprehension.
"My name is Sergeant Palab! Get to your feet!" Palab barked with a fury that startled every grunt on the Landing Deck; even Etah was caught of guard in the distance. The four grunts were startled and confused, but there was something in Palab's voice that demanded they obey him. "Gather turrets and position them at every exit in and out of the landing deck. We have dozens of ships outside waiting to come in, and we don't have time to ID each. If the brutes find a way aboard, then I want this deck secured. Move out!"
The grunts didn't hesitate and scampered about gathering turrets and spare plasma cells. They then split up and ran toward the four main doorways into the landing Deck. Palab looked up toward the other three decks of the Knight and Piercing Arrow's landing bay, and begin to think of other defensive position for turret gunners, but that would have to wait for now. He had to debrief the Dock Master at once. Palab turned and bumped into an elite that was standing behind him. Palab was a little upset that he hadn't smelled the elite coming, but the room was so saturated with the smell of elite blood that it was hard to tell how close any of them were.
The elite stood motionless and barely looked down at Palab. The towering elite warrior rested his hands on his hips and frowned sternly at the lowly grunt before him.
"Care to explain why you are telling my grunts what to do?" The elite snarled, clearly ignoring the fact that Palab was wearing the black armor of the Special Operations team.
Reverting back to covenant speak, Palab questioned. "You Dock Master?"
"Yes I am, grunt! And I want to know what you told those grunts to do! This is my dock!" The dock master snarled and hovered over Palab in an attempt to make him cower. Palab held his ground and actually glared back at the elite.
"Me Sergeant Palab. Me now control Landing Deck. You help me bring in ships and secure docks in case brutes board ship." Palab stated as clearly as he could.
"A Sergeant? Which of my brothers gave you that title?" The elite was slightly annoyed that the grunt was telling him what to do, but even more annoyed that a grunt had him out ranked. Another elite approached their discussion and Palab quickly recognized him. It was Balmaeda, the pilot of Palab's Phantom and Doz Yammaeda's father.
"Who gave him his rank, is none of your…" Balmaeda was outraged that the Dock Master was questioning a Spec Ops grunt, let alone a sergeant, but Palab raised his hand to silence Balmaeda. The little grunt didn't want to be helped.
"Who give me title, not your concern!" Palab growled as he glared upward at the Dock Master's eyes. "Me now in charge, you obey, or get off Landing Deck. Me have job to do!" The Dock master was stunned. Palab wouldn't back down, showed no fear, and actually threatened him. He was silent for the better part of a minute, dumbfounded.
Spec Ops grunts were seen as seniors in the grunt ranks. They were specialized grunts that had trained tirelessly with elites, knew the regimen of protocol and were tough. But a grunt was still a grunt, and though their black armor made them higher ranking then Dock Master's, they still had no place in ordering an elite. But a Sergeant in the grunt ranks; that was another matter.
"Yes… Sergeant." The Dock Master huffed through gritted teeth. "What are your orders?"
Palab didn't lower his aggression, nor did he relax. He knew that this was going to be the way all elites outside of the Mirratord would see him; as only a grunt. His rank meant nothing to them because they did not serve with him on Delta Halo, had not seen him fight, and didn't know of his abilities as a leader. He would have to prove himself on the ship before any of the other elites would give him any recognition. The elites respected actions and the ability to fight, and it would be hard for them to respect a grunt a face value.
Palab gestured toward the grunts and elites that rested on the side of the Landing Deck. "Get wounded elites and grunts that not badly injured. Set up defenses on upper decks of dock and hallways leading toward command decks and engineering."
"Sergeant Palab, Sir." Balmaeda interrupted. "Do you think we will be bordered?" The Dock Master was astonished at how much respect Balmaeda was giving to the grunt and then began to understand that there was more to this grunt then he had first thought.
"Me not sure, but me think so. Brutes know this command ship, kill high council members and elites slowly loose chain of command. We not take chances. Balmaeda, you help Dock Master. Keep me informed of progress. Dismissed." Palab waddled off toward Etah and the other grunts clearing the deck, as more damaged ships began to enter the Landing Deck. The two elites then walked toward the injured and began to look for those with the least injures.
"You should consider yourself lucky." Balmaeda stated.
Curiously the dock master returned, "What do you mean? Who is that grunt?"
"That grunt earned the right to be called a Sergeant, a warrior. Had you angered him, he may have killed you if only to prove that he is not weaker then us elites."
"No grunt can kill an elite, brother. You are simply boasting." The Dock Master chuckled to himself.
"No, I am not. Sergeant Palab is skilled in ways of combat unlike any grunt I have ever seen. He killed four brutes on the ring world, in one on one combat. He killed the Chieftain's first born, a battle I saw with my own eyes." Belmaeda added as he pointed out soldiers that were able to fight and directed them to their posts. The Dock Master simply stood in shock. Had that Grunt really killed a Brute in single combat?
The bridge of the Knight and Piercing Arrow was littered with active elites, as the High Council Members and the Captain prepared for what would be a horrific sight; the destruction of High Charity. It was the only home they had known since the crusade against the humans had begun. Soon it would be all but a memory as the Arbiter and his team began their plan.
"So what you are suggesting is that we somehow convince three hundred Brute controlled ships to remain in orbit around High Charity, wait for it to explode, hope we can enter Slip Space before the shockwave hits, and then break off from the Arbiter's fleet?" Captain Timnaldee stated, as he folded his arms in front of him, but never turned his attention away from the forward view screen and the battle outside.
"Yes, if it goes that smoothly." The council elder stated with a calming voice. The other five council members merely listened to the discussion, not wanting to cause any confusion by putting in their opinions.
"I and the other Ship Masters agreed to aid the Arbiter." Timnaldee added. A nearby battle cruiser exploded just beyond the view screen and the light reflected brilliantly off of the young captain's gold armor. He simply ignored the closeness of the explosion and continued to glare out of the front view screen. "But you wish to take the heart of the Elite battle group, my ship, into Covenant controlled space. Forgive my rudeness Elder, but I have no plans to abandon the Arbiter."
"Listen Captain." Samyealee snapped. "If we could contact the Arbiter we would, but until he gives the signal, we can not contact him for fear of giving away his position. We need to return home, to warn the council further and to gather the grunts..."
The Captain spun on his heels and quickly closed the gap between himself and Councilor Samyealee. Samyealee's two guards quickly stepped in his path, cutting of the Ship Master's approach, but Samyealee nudged them to the side. He was aware that he was speaking out of turn toward the Ship Master, and even an Elder Councilor had to know his place.
"Grunts!" The captain roared. "You would have me weaken the battle group to gather… grunts?"
"How else do you intend to win this dispute between us and the Covenant? They have us outnumbered here on the front lines, and the Hierarchs split the elite fleet months ago. Nearly half of our forces are still in Covenant space. We need to meet with the council, organize and prepare for the worst. The Arbiters forces will join with the humans, as will the rest of the fleet. One ship, even this ship, will not make a difference."
"Permission to speak, Captain." Simyaldee questioned as he stepped forward. The Captain nodded his head sharply, hopping that the experienced Spec-Ops Elite could make sense of the discussion.
Simyaldee spoke up, trying to ease the tension between the Elder and the Captain. "The Brutes did much damage when they turned on us, many of our brethren perished during the first hour of fighting, simply because we were caught off guard. But the grunts have the element of surprise. While we have been greatly reduced, the Grunts still have far more numbers within the fleet. And if we can gather more of them from our home world, with a few of our brothers as well, we can build an army that the brutes would never expect."
"Tell the captain of Sergeant Palab." Samyealee suddenly added. "Tell him why the grunts would give us more of an advantage then just in numbers. Tell him of what you have seen and heard." Simyaldee squinted in frustration because he was hoping that Elder Samyealee wouldn't mention Palab. Timnaldee was like the rest of the young and ambitious elite warriors, and they all looked down on the grunts as nothing more then tools. Simyaldee knew that the captain wouldn't believe such a tale, he had seen it with his own eyes but still couldn't believe it himself.
"Perhaps we can discuss it later, Elder. Everything will be brought forth within its due time." Simyaldee quickly stated, patting the elder on the shoulder. It signaled to Samyealee that now was not the time to be discussing legends. He then turned his attention back to the Captain. "We can notify the Arbiter after his mission is successful, when he comes aboard."
The captain sighed heavily and looked to Simyaldee. "I have known your skill since I was but a foot soldier, and to see that you agree with this… course of action, then I must give it merit. I mean no disrespect to the Elder, but to break away from the fleet to gather grunts… I can not fathom it."
"I understand Captain." Simyaldee added. "You are the Ship Master, the final decision is yours, and we aren't one hundred percent sure that it will be successful."
"The odds are not stacked in your favor, brother." The Captain added as he turned his attention back to the battle outside. "You aren't giving me enough information to…" The captain stopped mid sentence as his eyes were fixed on several damaged Phantoms that were heading toward his ship. "Communications; hail that lead Phantom, now!"
"Sir, they are not responding, but they are putting off a distress signal." The Elite communications officer replied. "I cleared them to land earlier."
"Damn!" The captain shouted. "Are they in weapons range?"
"No sir, they are already within our shield envelope… what's wrong?" The com officer questioned, looking puzzled. Lieutenant Simyaldee quickly recognized what the captain also noticed.
"Elite pilots are not taught to pilot phantoms in that type of formation!" Simyaldee shouted.
"Lieutenant, sound general alarms. We have borders inbound." The Captain stated as he held his head high. He then gazed out of the forward view screen and continued to watch over the battle. "Lieutenant Simyaldee, see to the dispatch of those damned brutes. The rest of you, continue monitoring the battle." Simyaldee looked to the other two Mirratord warriors and they followed him to the door.
"Nothing gets on this bridge unless all the brutes are dead." Simyaldee whispered to the other two soldiers. "I will send more of our brothers to aid you and set up a blockade in the access path to this entrance. Protect the High Council at all costs." Simyaldee opened the door and stepped out.
He looked back before the door shut and softly stated; "For the Honor of the Mirratord." The other Elites replied softly, so that the others couldn't hear. The door slammed and locked. Simyaldee turned and ran down the hallway toward the docks.
Simyaldee turned on his com as he ran, "Palab, enemy Phantoms on approach!"
- - - - - - - -
Palab stared blankly at the four Phantoms that had just landed on the deck. There was an eerie feeling that he couldn't shake and he walked closer to inspect it. There were eight more Phantoms that approached with the four that had just landed, a total of twelve, but the other eight had to wait for openings within the landing deck. Palab also noted that the other eight Phantoms had stopped just beyond the exit shield, in the dark void of space. Why were they waiting? There were other carriers in the second line that they could have gone to, but these twelve Phantoms seemed eager to land on the Knight and Piercing Arrow. Palab approached the landing pad, and the gravity lifts for all four phantoms descended. Palab instinctively sniffed the air, but he couldn't smell past the elite blood and smoke that filled the docks. Everything within Palab told him to sound the alarm, because these Phantoms were being too quiet, but then Lieutenant Simyaldee started screaming across his communicator.
"Palab, enemy Phantoms on approach!" The communication chattered in his ears. Palab froze and looked the Phantoms over quickly. Had the brutes intercepted that transmission? If so, what were they waiting for? The Phantoms still had the plasma turrets operational but they seemed offline. But that quickly changed.
A high pitched hum swelled across the docks as the plasma cells within the turrets were charged. Pulses of electricity raised the temperature of the Phantom's plasma cells and prepared them to spray the deck, and anything around it, into charred particles. Palab turned and dropped to all fours, sprinting across the deck towards a few metallic crates in the distance.
"Take cover! Enemies!" Palab screamed as all four Phantoms began pouring plasma into all directions. Elites and grunts began diving for cover, dropping everything and running for their lives. Some made it, some were able to hide, but others were burned to death by the super heated plasma that screamed from the turrets. Palab peeped around the crate and noticed that the other eight Phantoms had left the entrance, most likely to attach to the hull of the ship. Palab's hiding spot was quickly discovered and plasma sprayed all around him. His crate wasn't going to last for long under the constant fire; he had to think. The crate was quickly heating up, and its mass was about to collapse upon itself. Then several canisters exploded from a stray Phantom blast. The Phantom rocked to the side, throwing off the targeting system just enough for Palab to make a dash for better cover. Palab slid behind a bulkhead and stopped beside two wounded elites and three grunts, and two of the grunts were from his team.
"You alright, sergeant?" One of the red armored grunts questioned.
"Me okay." He then contacted Simyaldee. "Sir, me and Landing Deck crews fight off brutes, other ships attaching to hull."
"I understand, Sergeant." Simyaldee replied, he then switched frequencies and tapped into the ship wide communicator. "Attention brothers, the brutes have come aboard. Locate all hull breaches and destroy them. Show these brutes what it means to be a true warrior."
The com went silent and Palab realized that he was now on his own. He quickly looked over the landing deck as plasma bursts crisscrossed the room. Several wounded elites, and maybe two dozen grunts was all he had at his aid. The phantoms held at least fourteen brutes each; they were out numbered and clearly outgunned by those phantoms, but Palab knew that he wasn't out of options. There were four turret gunners stationed at the exits, just out of reach of the Phantoms plasma bursts. The supply caches were full and sitting at his fingertips. Even outnumbered, Palab knew that his rag-tag team could make one hell of a stand.
Palab looked to the Elite next him and said, "You get elites to exits, hold position there when Phantoms stop firing. Me and grunts attack."
"Why would the Phantoms stop firing?" The elite questioned. "They have us pinned down."
"If brutes want to attack, Phantoms stop shooting." Palab checked his armor and counted his remaining grenades. "Landing deck too small to fire plasma turrets and not hit brutes as well."
"Understood, but are you sure you wouldn't have us elites by your side? Even wounded, me and my brothers are willing to defend this ship."
"I give orders. You follow." Palab bluntly stated. He didn't have time to explain it to the elite, but his grunts were faster then him and his wounded men. Speed would be their advantage and he couldn't take the time to stroke the wounded warrior's ego. He contacted Etah on his communicator, and spoke only in grunt language, knowing that the brutes wouldn't know what was being said. He also knew that the covenant Phantoms didn't have translators for grunt speak; yet another advantage for the grunts, their language didn't need to be scrambled.
"Etah, what is your location?" Palab barked into his com.
"I'm hiding behind a bulkhead at landing pad tweleve. The Phantoms have me and the rest of my group pinned down." Etah barked and snarled his reply.
"How many of our team is in your group?" Palab questioned.
"Five." Etah snarled his response.
"Good. I have two more of the team here." Palab peeped around the bulkhead and spotted Etah and his group waving from the corner on the other side of the Dock. "I see you. Now listen. The Phantoms will stop shooting and the brutes will begin their assault. When the Phantoms stop shooting, get to that weapons cache in front of you, and grab some Fuel Rod cannons. Then get your team to the second floor of the landing deck, and bomb the hell out of these brutes. Me and my two men will provide distractions for you and your team. Move fast, we won't have much time.
"Understood." Etah replied.
"Sir what about us?" Barked more grunts over the com. "There's four of us and we are two bulkheads toward the aft of the landing deck." Palab looked up and saw more of his team, they were some of the grunts that stood by his side and fought the brutes on Delta Halo. They were able to mimic his fighting style.
Palab felt a sense of joy in seeing them, happy that he would have them at his side again. "Good! When the Phantoms stop firing you guys run to my side. We will attack the Brutes head on, just like on Delta Halo. Make sure you have plenty of grenades." As if on cue, the Phantoms ceased firing. Brutes and jackals began pouring onto the deck from the belly of the Phantoms. Palab looked to his teams and they were all on fours, sprinting across the deck. The two grunts behind him quickly joined in and matched his speed stride for stride. It was time for the Grunts to prove their worth.
- - - - - - - -
The command deck was ghostly silent with the exception of battle reports that were being shouted from the com officer. The captain still showed no sign of concern as he clasped his hands behind his back and peered at the view screens; analyzing the battle and waiting for the Arbiter's signal.
"Command crew, arm your blades in case the command deck is over run." The captain shouted. The command crew grabbed plasma rifles and energy swords and attached them to their sides, but returned to their posts without a second thought. Captain Timnaldee had disciplined his crew well. They were not affected or surprise by anything that was happening around them, even when the Simyaldee cut across the ship wide com channel.
"Attention brothers, the brutes havecome aboard. Locate all hull breaches and destroy them. Show these brutes what it means to be a true warrior."
Simyaldee's words gave the two High Council bodyguards a reason to roar. The two Mirratord warriors could feel that the battle was going to come straight to them, and they waited eagerly for it to come. But they also knew that the brutes would have to fight the full compliment of the ship before getting close to the command deck. Despite the roar the two elites made, the command crew never batted an eye lash. Their duties were clear, if battle came they would fight, but till then their jobs were at their stations.
"Captain, if I may ask a favor?" Elder Samyealee approached the captain's platform in the center of the command deck. The other four council members stood quietly in the corner of the command deck. "Can you spare a view screen so that I can see how Sergeant Palab is doing on the Landing Deck?" The captain sighed, and walked to a nearby station and typed in a few commands. In thin air several lines began to fizz into view, and the landing deck was displayed. Plasma fire was erupting from the phantoms and a lone grunt took cover. The elder was pleased to see Palab take shelter but was nervous at what the grunt would do to get himself out of the situation.
"It would appear that grunt is in for a great deal of pain." The captain stated. "Is that the grunt you placed in charge of my Landing Deck?"
"That is Sergeant Palab. He will solve this problem. Don't worry, everything will be fine." Curiosity was the only thing keeping the captain's attention on the view screen, as Palab escaped the bombardment of plasma when a canister of weapons exploded near the Phantom. The Captain, Elder Samyealee, the other councilors and the two bodyguards watched as Palab and his team suddenly darted from cover and charged the brutes and jackals.
- - - - - - - -
Surprise was the best element the grunts had. Darting behind canisters and bulkheads, Palab and his team had to buy time for Etah and his group to get into position. Palab turned a corner without breaking stride and four of his grunts fell into line behind him. The Brutes still hadn't seen the grunts because they were too busy gloating over the bodies of elites that were shot by the Phantoms. But the jackals weren't so cocky. They spotted Palab's group and immediately started firing with Plasma Pistols. But their shots were way off target and the Grunts were able to take cover.
On the opposite side of the Landing Deck, Etah and his group quickly tore open the weapons cache and began carrying off the Fuel Rods and ammo. But the jackals spotted them and began to charge, and soon the brutes also gave chase.
Etah stopped and faced the charging enemies as the rest of his squad raced for the exit. Etah raised his fueld rod cannon and fired on the lot of them, killing several of the jackals but the brutes kept coming. Several more shots followed but the brutes avoided the obvious attack.
"They can see my shots." Etah grumbled as the brutes advanced. "Fuel rod projectiles are too slow at this range."
"Etah, hurry!" One of the grunts shouted from the doorway.
"I'm coming!" Etah turned and ran to the door. When he entered he saw that his team was waiting with Fuel Rods and a stationary gun charged and ready. Etah dived clear as the brutes and jackals turned the corner. The brutes only had enough time to gasp, as the jackals in front of them were washed away by green flames of plasma. The wave of plasma surged towards the brutes as the grunts fired in unison, blast after blast. One Phantom's compliment had been wiped out and Etah's small squad cheered with excitement. The elites manning the landing deck doors sighed in relief. Etah took a deep breath and looked to everyone.
"We go to second level now." Etah stated in covenant tongue. "Elites stay, keep brutes out." The celebration ended and the squad shuffled up the ramp to the second level; reloading their fuel rods for the next bombardment.
Palab looked to the far end of the deck, just after the explosion had rocked the Landing Deck. He saw the debris, and corpses, settle from the explosion. The blast had come from Etah's general direction. Had they escaped? Did they get away? Palab was full of questions but there was no time to dwell, if he didn't keep moving then he would surely be killed by the brutes, or even worse, shot by one of the stupid jackals.
Palab turned the corner of a crate and a jackal shrieked. Palab was standing less then a foot from the jackal's shield. They had finally closed the gap between their enemies and themselves and Palab knew that it was time to fight.
"Scatter and attack." Palab barked to the other grunts behind him. They all obeyed and leapt into the fray of brutes and jackals. They dodged and darted around the brutes with such aggression and swiftness that the Brutes didn't know what to make of it. Grunts were supposed to flee, cower, and run, but these grunts seemed almost excited about the chaos that was happening around them.
Plasma blasts exploded all around, brutes slammed their fists in rage and missed them by inches; and the grunts seemed unbothered by any of it. One grunt jumped into the air grabbed and jackal by its thin spiked hair, and slammed its head into the metal deck, killing it instantly. Other jackals were falling left and right, but the grunts weren't shooting, they were using their bare hands.
"Warriors, regroup!" A Brute shouted, sounding shocked and confused. The brutes began to fall back but four grunts had cut off their retreat. The brutes hesitated and then Palab stood behind them with two grunts at his side; surrounding the Brutes. The brutes then began to realize that most of the jackals had been killed off by only seven Grunts.
"Grunts!" The lead Brute shouted in rage.
Several explosions began to erupt around the other Phantoms and the Brute saw that his teams were dieing left and right. He then spotted the grunts on the second level, firing their Fuel Rod Cannons. Despite the deaths of his other warriors on the other three Phantoms, he was not going to be pushed back by seven grunts.
Palab also heard the explosions going off around him, and realized that Etah and his team had made it. They could take care of the other jackals and brutes but Palab wanted this batch all for himself. Two jackals stood in front of the brutes and they ducked behind their shields and began firing. Palab ignored the jackals and dashed between them; he wanted the Brutes. The two grunts at Palab's side swarmed in behind him and quickly subdued the stunned jackals; their speed and jumping ability proving to be too much for them to handle.
Palab lunged toward the first brute with a blind rage as the beast swung his massive fist at him. Palab balanced himself in the air, catching the brute's fist, and twisted his tiny body so that his weight would counter the brute's punch. In mid air, Palab used his forward progress and rolled over the brute's fist, and jammed his tiny elbow spike into the brute's eye. The small bone sticking out of his elbow made short work of the soft tissue, and the momentum carried it deeper into the Brutes skull.
The brute screamed as he fell backwards and Palab held on as they fell. Once the brute hit the deck Palab jabbed his hoof into the massive beast's neck; applying force with his legs strength. A soft gurgle came from the brute as it slowly gasped for breath. This combined with the head trauma from Palab's elbow spike, gave the brute a slow painful death. The other Brutes began to stomp their fists in anger. They charged at Palab but he jumped clear and landed a few feet away. He snarled deeply and the other six grunts encircled the remaining pack of brutes.
The three Brutes were stunned, furious, and terrified; all at the same time. The other Grunts simply formed a circle around them, pacing in a small circle that seemed to grow smaller and smaller with each second. But Palab stood toe to toe with the massive beasts. The brutes would swing their fists at him, but Palab was too elusive. They would reach for their weapons, but the other grunts would snarl and hold out Plasma Grenades; as if to dare them to try and use sidearm.
"You use guns, we use grenades." Palab growled with his best Covenant speak.
"What are you?" One of the brutes questioned. From across the deck, an explosion sounded and ten elites rushed into the Landing Deck. They raced across the deck toward the three remaining brutes and took aim with their plasma rifles.
"Good job Sergeant." Simyaldee stated as approached the group. "These Prisoners will be quite useful." But Palab ignored his words.
The grunt Sergeant jumped toward the three brutes and jammed his right thumb into the brute's left eye. He gripped the brute's head with his right hand and held on. The brute screamed and grabbed Palab by the shoulders. Palab ignored the brute's grasp and forced his thumb deeper into theits head. Blood dripped down his hand and the brute roared in anger.
The brute forcefully pushed against Palab, struggling to get the snarling grunt off of him. He then began to grab Palab's waist and squeeze. Instead of pushing Palab away, he began to pull him closer. He flung his arms around him and began a bone crushing embrace.
Palab pulled his thumb out of the brute's eye and struggled to get free of the death grip. He had no leverage, and could feel the brute's dense muscles expand with every second. He was finding it hard to breath and even harder to think clearly. But Palab felt something in his arms; a pain that suddenly began to burn up his forearms and into his elbows. It was as if his forearm muscles were responding on their own. The pain intensified, almost making him forget that he was being crushed by a massive ball of fur and muscle. Palab couldn't contain the pain any longer, and as he yelled his elbow spikes extended out of his skin like retractable claws.
Palab jabbed his elbow downward and into the brute's shoulder blade, deep enough that the spike sankinto itslower lung cavity. The brute tried to roar in pain, but only the gargled sound of his own blood spilled from his jowls. Palab kicked the brute's loosened arms away and stabbed his other elbow into the base of the brute's throat. The brute began to fall backwards and Palab's extended elbow claw passed through the brutes spine and into the metal deck, killing the brute instantly.
"Sergeant!" Simyaldee shouted in protest. He had wanted to question the brutes before killing them. The other six grunts quickly turned toward Simyaldee and snarled madly.
"You no speak to him like that!" One of the grunts shouted. The group began to stalk toward Simyaldee, snarling madly, but the other elites stepped forward, aiming their rifles at the grunts. The grunts didn't stop. They growled and came closer forcing Simyaldee and his team to back away.
"Stand down. That's an order!" Simyaldee's words were falling onto deaf ears, but Palab quickly jumped between his team and the Lieutenant. The brute's blood was splattered across his black armor, and dripped from his extended elbows spikes and hands. Palab began to snarl and bark loudly at his team and they slowly stepped back. Palab then turned and looked to the second level and Simyaldee followed his glare.
Above the elite's heads, standing upon the second level, stood Etah and his team. They were snarling harshly and waiting for a moment to pounce down on top of the elites, but that's not all Simyaldee saw. While only Palab's twelve grunts seemed to be fighting, the other grunts had been watching, and they were also eager to come to Palab's aid. Simyaldee stood silent, his mouth open in awe.
"They understand now." Palab stated to Simyaldee. He then watched as Palab's elbow spikes slowly retracted back into the tiny grunts long forearms; returning to their normal length.
"What do they understand?" Simyaldee asked.
"They follow orders, like always. Brutes captured, sir." Palab looked to the two brutes that were left and snarled softly at them. The two brutes could only stare in amazement.
Simyaldee turned to the elites at his side. "Take them to the brig." Four Elites quickly cuffed the brutes and escorted them off the landing deck. "Palab, we aren't done yet. We've only found four of the other Phantoms, there are four more connected somewhere on the lower decks."
"Me take team and search." Palab stated. He yelled up to Etah in grunt speak, and Etah and his team made their long trip down to the main Deck.
"Before you go, there is something I must do." Simyaldee stated. He then waved off all the other grunts and elites, leaving only the elites that bore the purple bar of the Mirratord. Etah and the other grunts in his team soon arrived and the twelve grunts quickly assembled in front of Simyaldee. He then placed small buttons on the black armor of the Grunts and a purple bar appeared on their shoulders. "With these buttons comes great honor. I certify that you are warriors amongst warriors, the best of the best. Palab, you and your team of eleven grunts are now considered the Right Hand of the High Council. You will follow my orders, the Commander's orders and the orders of the Elite High Council. You will do all for the upkeep of our bond and protect the High Council. I officially welcome you, to the Mirratord."
- - - - - - - -
The screen suddenly went black as Simyaldee began to place buttons on each of the twelve grunts and Ship Master Timnaldee gasped in shock. He felt as though he hadn't taken a breath since he started watching the battle on the Landing Deck.
"What has happened?" He questioned sharply. "Why did you terminate the transmission?" The councilors all walked toward the Captain and each smiled softly. But it was Elder Samyealee that spoke.
"As Ship Master you, and only you, are entitled to know this." Samyealee stated. The other council members looked around to be sure that their conversation was private, and then each nodded their head giving the all clear signal. "I will tell you more once we have a bit more privacy, but the bodyguards of the High Council have another title. They are more then just Special Operations. Rin Simyaldee just inducted the grunts into our group of bodyguards."
"What group?" The captain softly replied.
"Tell me Captain, have you ever heard of the Mirratord?" Samyealee questioned. The captain was silent, and then looked to the group of High Council Members and then to the guards at the door. He simply nodded his head.
"I understand. We will speak more of this once we enter Slip Space." The captain walked back to his position and for the first time during the battle he began to show concern. His concern was not for the battle in front of him, but for the lack of knowledge he had for his crew.
The Mirratord was often rumored to have had a hand in many dealings where there was direct affect to the High Council, and even the Prophet of Truth was hesitant to dispute against the High Council for some unknown reason. It appeared that the Rumor was true, the Mirratord was real. The legendary warriors that protected the elite society from the shadows were no longer a legend.
"Captain!" The main helmsman screamed. "The human ship within High Charity is reaching critical mass!"
"That is the signal!" The captain calmly replied. He had to maintain his discipline else his crew would also become nervous. "Com, notify the fleet to began descent toward the base of High Charity. We don't have much time before High Charity blows. Be sure to bait the Brutes as best as we can. Any ships that can not follow are ordered to defend themselves as best as possible, and we will not forget their sacrifice."
The fleet of two hundred and thirty elite vessels began to bank and arc toward the base of the onetime holy city, the Knight and Piercing Arrow was last; firing its aft plasma cannons at the brute controlled ships that gave chase. The brutes took the bait and began to pursue the elites; matching the Knight and Piercing Arrow's speed. High Charity's mass provided excellent cover for the forward elite ships as they entered slip space, one-by-one. The brutes were unable to detect the elite ships escape on their instruments because High Charity's massive electromagnetic signal.
"Captain, the brutes are still in pursuit and the forward ships have already entered slip space." The Navigations officers stated. "The brutes don't suspect a thing."
"Any word from the Arbiter's team?"
"None captain." The com officer replied.
"Entering High Charity's gravity peek in five!" The helm officer shouted. High Charity's massive gravity-well began to pull on the hull of the Knight and Piercing Arrow and the ship began to groan and rumble from the G-forces. "We've reached the peak!"
"Set slip space coordinates, and scan for the Arbiter's team!" The Captain yelled over the constant vibration and moan of the hull. The ship rolled into position and the command crew began yelling out their tasks.
"Captain, High Charity is now going critical!"
"I've got them! Two Phantoms dead ahead!
"Slip Space Rupture in ten seconds!"
"Contact the Landing Deck, two Phantoms are coming in at maximum speed!"
"Sub-space Rupture altered, inputting coordinates!"
"Engines at Maximum!"
"Weapons system shutting down!"
"Slip Space Rupture at full!"
"Lost contact with the Landing Deck, Phantoms no longer on visual!"
"Massive EMP surge at aft, High Charity is gone!"
"All hands brace for impact!"
"Now Entering Rupture!"
The Knight and Piercing Arrow jostled as High Charity's explosion tossed them to the side.
"Critical Alarms!"
"Engines overloading!"
"Hull ruptures on deck twelve thru nine!"
"Life support down to minimum!"
"Helm, get this ship stabilized!"
"Navigations is down, we are flying blind!"
"We're loosing Slip Space containment!"
"Contain hull breaches!"
"Emergency teams to decks thirteen and eight!"
"Loosing control of the helm!"
"Plasma ruptures on the outer hull!"
"We are loosing slip space containment!"
"Thrusters offline! We are in a blind spin!"
"Maintenance team, we need thruster support, now!"
"Unknown AI detected in the system core!"
"What?"
"Slip Space Containment re-established!"
"That can't be! It was in full collapse!
"Hmm, aren't you all lucky I came on board?" A female voice stated over the intercom.
"Who said that?"
"No response from the helm!"
"Track that AI! Regain control!"
"Source of transmission unknown, Sir! It came from the AI!"
"Sir, primary system shut down eminent!"
"We're in an Axis Spin!"
"Engine Failure, engine failure! Shutting down Slip Space drive!"
"Status on thrusters!"
"Still down!"
"We should shut down the primary system!"
"No need to do that. I'll take it from here, if you don't mind." The female voice calmly stated over the intercom.