Radiant Ward, Second Cloister, Covenant Holy City: High Charity, 01/24/2525

Age 19

The door opens and I step into Kurc's shop. He looks at me as I step in, I hadn't talked much to him since I left his shop yesterday. I just said I'd be coming over a bit ago if he had time.

He gives me a somber look, and asks, "How are you feeling, kid? You looked pretty bad the last time you left."

"Sorry Kurc," I give him an awkward smile, hiding the truth of the matter under it, "wasn't feeling that good. Needed to take the rest of the day off."

He obviously can tell I'm not telling the truth, but he calmly asks, "you want to talk about it?"

I pause. I told myself beforehand that I can trust Kurc about some of these things. Or at least he's the person I think I can trust the most. "Can I ask you an honest question?" I eventually ask.

"Of course."

I pull up a chair next to his and sit down and look him in the eyes. "Honestly, what do you think of the Covenant?"

"Oh," he simply replies at first. He probably expected a question typical of a 19 year Sangheili.

"Why are you asking?" He eventually asks.

"If you don't want to answer then you don't have to," respond.

"It's not that," Kurc interrupts, "you got to be careful what you say to whom. There's many people who would think a question like that is disrespecting the Covenant."

I reply, "I know that. That's why I'm asking you. If I insulted you with the question then I apologize.

Kurc leans in towards me, "you didn't. I'll answer the question if you just keep it between us."

I nod, "if it helps I'm asking this because I don't like the Covenant."

Kurc swallows a bit, and fiddles with his desk, seeming to gather his thoughts. He eventually replies, "In my opinion the Covenant is a good example of good intentions gone awry."

I give him an inquisitive gaze, "how exactly?"

"At the foundation the Covenant existed in place to avoid needless conflict and help investigate holy sites," Kurc pauses, "while that case is still true the Covenant has gotten too powerful for its own good."

Kurc pauses again, gatherers his thoughts and continues, "there're many people within the Covenant who are there because of the power it gives them, not because of the duty they need to fulfill."

He looks at me again, "does that answer your question?"

I let out a sigh of relief. It's comforting to hear someone on High Charity have a view of the Covenant that isn't fanatical. I respond, "yeah, well enough."

Kurc looks at me, "I feel like you're about to make some point."

I shrug, "I mean, I just wanted to know that I'm not the only person on this godforsaken station that doesn't worship the Covenant."

"You're having hesitation about joining the Covenant," he surmises.

"Pretty much."

"How so?"

I pause, "Can I be brutally honest with you?"

"Of course."

I gaze past him, "So I'm supposed to join the Covenant soon as I'm sure you're aware. And…" I pause, "while I am happy to get the opportunities the Covenant provides. I'm equally hesitant because I feel that I'm fighting someone else's war."

"Well, uh, kid I'm gonna be honest with you," Kurc states, "I have no idea how to help you with this. I can try to listen to what you have to say, but I don't know what else I could do to help."

"I just ask that you listen to me," I pause for a second and then add, "and not turn me in for the things I'm about to say."

He laughs, "don't worry. I've said my own things about the Covenant that could have gotten me executed."

I smile if just for a bit. Kurc continues, "So about your hesitation…"

"It's just exactly hesitation," I correct, 'it's more that I want to try to change things for the better. But I don't know how I can do that, I feel like despite the choices I get for joining the Covenant I'm still effectively following orders unless I somehow become Imperial Admiral."

"Do you not trust your superiors within the Covenant to make the right decision?" Kurc questions.

"It's not that I don't trust them…" I start, but can't find the words I want to say. Kurc waits for me to continue and I eventually say, "I don't agree with who we are fighting."

He gives me a side look, "Is this about the Humans?" he asks incredulously.

I don't say anything, debating if I want to be honest with him. I reply, "Yeah. I don't agree with fighting humans."

Kurc pauses, "I'm not sure I'm following your logic. What do you see in the Humans? Why do you not want to fight them?"

"They don't deserve to all die," I state.

"They defiled the gods," he flatly replies.

"The Covenant says they defiled the gods," I respond, "do you really think that somehow these humans, with technology that pales in comparison to ours, somehow did something so irredeemable that they have to all be wiped out of existence."

"It's not a matter of what they can do, it's a matter of what they did do," he corrects.

"And they didn't do anything!" I wave my hands at him in frustration, "think about it. The High Prophets of Mercy, Regret, and Truth come to power with the war. Most people didn't give two damns about them beforehand, but now they are the figureheads of the Covenant. They want this war so that they can keep themselves in power."

Kurc pauses, "I don't like the prophets and more than most people do kid," he hesitates for a brief second, "but no offence, but what would you know that proves that they are wrong."

My mind rattles through a hundred answers instantly. Mendicant Bias, the Halo rings, The Mantle of Responsibility, 343 Guilty Spark, my experience playing the Halo games.

But I can't use any of them.

I sigh and calm myself down for a couple of seconds, "I don't ask that you understand my points. I just want you to understand that I have my reservations for destroying a race I think did nothing wrong."

"Is that why you are so upset at the idea of joining the Covenant," Kurc asks, "because you don't want to put yourself in a position where you have to kill humans?"

"Pretty much."

"You do realize that if there wasn't a war going on you would still be forced to kill people," he says, "if it isn't humans than it is instead pirates. If not pirates then whoever last disrespected the Covenant."

"And that's the point," I continue, "I don't like being told who I am supposed to kill with the expectation that I do it without question. I don't want to kill."

Kurc frowns, "I mean kid. That's kind of the basis for war, killing the enemy because of the simple fact that they want to kill you. I can't say more than you will have to get used to that fact."

He's right. As much as I don't want to admit it. I would have my hesitations about killing one way or another, "I think it's just that I don't like the idea of having to kill to get things changed. I feel like I am pressured to join the Covenant without any chance for a second option."

"To be honest it just sounds like you are scared at the prospect of fighting," Kurc says.

I jokingly glare at him, "yeah the problem all along was that I'm too scared," I sarcastically respond.

He frowns, "I'm just trying to understand your thoughts."

It's clear that our conversation isn't going anywhere. Without explaining my past as a human it's too difficult to really have him understand my situation. Even then his opinion of humans is so bad at the moment that he would refuse to help me if I did convince him that I used to be a human,

I sigh and try to steer the conversation elsewhere, "thanks for the advice. I'll keep it in mind."

Kurc responds, "I'm sorry I can't help you any more. All I can say is that whatever problems you are facing you can solve. You're smart and adaptable, I've seen that much about you. Whatever problems you have you'll be able to find some way to work around. And if you ever need help I'll do what I can."

I give him a smile and respond, "thanks."

I pull back and suddenly the conversation is over. I'm still standing in front of his desk. I turn around and realize that the door to the shop was locked. Kurc must have locked it as soon as the conversation turned serious.

I glance back to Kurc, and shuffle awkwardly in place, "So, uh, after that tangent. You got any new orders you need help with."

He gives me a grin, "got this custom order actually I thought you would be interested in. Zealot came in yesterday with a plasma rifle. Thing was shot to hell, most of it was fried from the heat, he said he wanted it repaired."

"I think I see where this is going."

He waves a finger at me, "Don't spoil the ending. Anyways I got the parts to repair it early this morning. I'm too lazy to want to try to repair it so I'm going to pull the teacher card and say this is a crucial test in your education."

"Eloquently put," I deadpan.

Kurc is grabbing a box from the other side of the desk, "ah ah ah. Less talking more working," he drops a container with a damaged plasma rifle levitating in the center of the box.

I grab it and head to the other room, "aren't you gonna time me or something?"

"Complete it by the end of the day and I'll be happy," Kurc responds from the other room.

I put the container on a worktable in the back, I open the container and pull the damaged plasma rifle from the field it is levitating in. I place it one the table and get to work.

Lodam Peninsula, Kaepra, Urs IV (Sanghelios), Urs System, 02/16/2525

Age 19

1 Week Before Ship Date

The vehicle my father drove slowed down as we reached our destination. The thundering sound of the engine receded until it was barely louder than a hum. The vehicle came to rest and slowly lowered on the ground.

I open the hatch on the vehicle and climb out, my father doing the same behind me. I immediately am buffeted by the wind. He parked the vehicle near the edge of the cliff, over the edge I can see the ocean, with waves taller than myself coming in.

The sky is gray with clouds. There's already a slight drizzle. I hide myself slightly behind open hatch of the vehicle I came here in. I think my dad mentioned that this is a Type-42 Oni. All I really cared about was that I never saw it in the Halo games. It's probably a civilian vehicle for Sangheili high class.

I find it kind of amusing that my father takes me on a hunting trip and we drop in with our little ship from spot to spot to hunt in different locations like some sort of 1960's B movie sci-fi flick.

I reach inside the vehicle and pull out a Needle Rifle. I think it's technically called the Type-31 Needle Rifle, but all I know is that it's the one from Halo Reach. Except right now it isn't even loaded so, its use right now basically is a giant purple club.

My father said something about not loading weapons until your intent is to spill blood or something. Basically it's Sangheili custom when hunting that you don't load your weapon until as soon as you are about to take the shot.

I'm kind of exaggerating there. You can load the weapon, wait a couple minutes then shoot, but the idea is that you don't want to have a loaded gun for any other purpose besides hunting. In the same way that human gun custom has you never aim a weapon at someone even when it's not loaded.

"Do you intend to come out from under there?" I hear my father say from the other side of the car.

I peek over the car and see my father with his supplies already out. I shut the door and make my way around to the other side of the car.

My father had set up this weird spinning blue device already. I've seen this before. I think it's similar to a bubble shield where it stops the rain from falling directly on us. If it hails or starts raining really hard we will probably have to retreat to the car, but as it stands right now it keeps the drizzle from getting us soaked.

He's crouched over the ground, several feet away from the edge of the cliff. I make my way over to him, he has his needle rifle laid on the ground with ammo sitting next to it.

And then we start waiting.

You might think that when Sangheili hunt they would lay out bait or something, but I guess not. That would be too underhanded and so the Sangheili would never do that.

So we just wait here, that's what Sangheili do for hunting. Wait until they can shoot at something, brilliant. Birds apparently frequent these cliffs trying to catch fish under the waves. We're here to teach these birds otherwise.

And my father is content to spend the entire time crouched on the edge like some sort of vulture. I instead lean on the car and look out over the sea.

"I'm gonna go on a walk for a bit," I tell my father, picking a random direction and walking off.

My father nods, and sits there in his full Sangheili Ultra armor, watching for birds. It would be an odd sight to meet a random Sangheili Ultra in the middle of nowhere hunting for birds on the edge of a cliff.

I'm supposed to get my armor soon. Since armor is so important to Sangheili you get yours before you physically join the Covenant, and are supposed to wear it from that point onwards.

Anyways, as I leave the rain shield, I am immediately hit by drizzle again. It's not enough to be annoying, but it's enough to slowly drench my clothes if I stay out here for too long.

I'll have to take a quick walk.

There really isn't much to do in terms of heading off in a direction. There's no formal path here, just grass that reaches almost up to my waist. I don't want to know what kind of disgusting creatures live just under the surface.

Just along the cliff face is a large rocky outcrop with no grass on it. I make my way towards that. I stand a bit from the edge and watch the ocean from my new vantage point. Definitely doesn't look as inviting this time.

Crack

I turn around. There's a purple streak through the air, it connects with a vaguely avian shaped lump in the sky. Just over the grass line I can see a flock in the sky, most of which are now retreating. There's one falling towards the ground. Two of the birds that didn't immediately leave hang out further in the distance. Most likely scavengers.

I remember hearing a couple horror stories from other Sangheili children about these bird scavengers. I forgot what formal name they have, but I know that they are reptilian and have an exoskeleton on their head which is supposed to protect them and allow them to puncture its target.

There was a story that I was told several years ago as a child. It was more of a fable. But it generally went that Sangheili who committed some great dishonor would have their shame literally personify as these scavengers. The moral of the story basically was, 'don't be dishonorable', but I could help but interpret it as some gruesome ballad where you get reincarnated as a bird if you're a bad person.

Maybe that is the next step once I die. From Human to Sangheili to Bird.

I make my way along the edge of the cliff, back to where my father is. I reach out little clearing and see him with a Needle Rifle in hand, loaded with a single shot fired.

"Nice shot," I say, announcing my return.

He faces me, "some of them are still in range. It's your turn."

He takes his hand off of the grip and holds it out to me. I grip it and glance down the scope, trying to orient myself. I lower the weapon and look to where my father is facing. The two birds I saw earlier are still hovering in the distance.

Not exactly the smartest bunch.

I aim down the sights, and find a target. I track its motion, line up a shot and fire.

Crack

The shot misses. It went just under the bird. The bird swings to the side and darts away from me. I line up another shot.

Crack

This shot connects and the bird arcs to the ground until I can't see it anymore.

I hand the rifle back to my father, "the first shot was just a warmup."

"Hmph," he snorts. He grabs the rifle and aims at another fleeing bird, at this distance it's nothing more than a black lump in the sky.

Crack - Crack - Crack

3 shots fire out in quick succession. The first two miss, but the third's trail is cut short where the last shot impacted the bird. The black mass that I think is the bird slowly drifts towards the ground.

He gives me a look, "hey you took two warmup shots," I point out.

"You think you can hit a target at that distance in 3 shots?" he asks, already knowing the answer.

"Hey I could get lucky," I respond.

My rifle is still on the ground with some reserve ammunition. It's technically not mine, we didn't rent it but my father has enough sway to requisition a couple.

I sit down next to my father with my unloaded rifle in my lap, "did you used to come hunting here a lot?"

He snorts, "as a child no. My childhood was spent a lot differently than yours was. The only real hunting I really did was of Cellen. Small vermin that infested everything. I don't think it was hunting however, just capture of mindless beasts."

"Hopefully in better condition than this?" I respond. Trying to angle myself so that the wind hits my back.

"Generally yes," he pauses for a second reminiscing, "but there is joy to be had in rain."

He gives me a side look at he fiddles around with the needle gun, "you don't seem to be all that interested."

I reply, "I'm having fun. I'm just not quite a fan of the weather."

"I don't want to be the bearer of bad news," my father responds, "but you'll face much worse in the Covenant."

"And I'll deal with that when I get to it. Hopefully, I think. Until then I would like to enjoy what niceties I have left."

"I doubt you'll despise the Covenant," my father commented, "despite how much you want to believe otherwise."

I grab the needle rifle and use the tip of it to prod the ammo. Pushing it around in the dirt, drawing little circles, "we'll see. Until then I'm going to stick with what I know."

My father is obviously not happy with my answer but he lets the matter drop. I poke the ammo boxes around in the dirt, trying to ignore boredom, as my father scans the horizon.

"What do you think we'll see," I ask my father, trying to follow his gaze in the horizon.

"Depends, mostly birds of prey. We may see some small rodents, occasionally I hear stories of larger animals hidden in the brush."

"Larger animals?"

"Predators. They should leave us alone if you are worried. If they bother us they should be no match for two trained Sangheili warriors."

"I'm not quite trained yet," I note, "that technically happens when I get inducted into the Covenant."

"Do you have any training left until you complete your curriculum?"

"No."

"Then I don't see the difference."

"Fair enough," I respond, not in the mood to argue about titles.

Silence falls between us. I sit down in the dirt and look at the horizon. It is clearing up a bit, albeit very slowly. My father sits next to me in an almost meditative state, watching the sky as well.

"Why hunting?" I ask.

He gives me a glance, "what are you trying to ask?"

"Why did you choose hunting as my last trip before I left? I'm not upset that you chose hunting… I'm just curious as to why. I never pegged you as someone who liked hunting," I explain.

"Hunting is something I do to pass time," he replies, "it calms the nerves and practices your aim."

"Is that really the reason?" I ask.

"Would you have preferred if I took you back to have you trained in ancient Sangheili sword techniques?"

"Is that what you did with Taso?"

"Yes."

"Then I guess I prefer hunting then," I admit.

"You guess?"

"Who knows maybe I would have secretly loved 'ancient techniques'", I deadpan.

"Hmph," my dad grunts and drops the conversation.

As much as he may try to imply otherwise, he would have loved to see me learn these super secret Sangheili fighting styles. When he wasn't working or sleeping he was training. I'd call him a workaholic but I don't think that describes him well enough. He's always doing something. Reading, training, calling someone, the list goes on.

"What will you do once I'm gone?" I ask. The words coming out before I realize I'm saying them.

He gives me a look, "you're asking of my plans once you join the Covenant?"

"Yeah."

"I will most likely do the same as you," he answers, "I'm going to take my place back in the Covenant?"

"Ah," I mutter, "I should have guessed."

He looks at me, "you don't seem all that overjoyed."

I poke the ground again with the needle rifle, "Yeah. War just broke out, I don't want people I care about joining it."

"Despite the fact that you are joining it in less than a month?"

I shrug, "I never said I had a good argument."

I'm not that surprised. If you're a Sangheili who lives under the jurisdiction of the Covenant and you don't have any other obligations, then you are most likely in the Covenant. It happened to my brother, it is about to happen to me, my father is about to join me as well, and even…

I look at my father, "You're looking for my mother aren't you?"

He gives me a bleak smile, "While my reasons for joining the Covenant is of my own want, I am going to make an attempt to find her."

"No offence," I ask, trying to say this next part as gently as possible, "what what if she doesn't care anymore?"

"Then at least I still have my duty to the Covenant."

Sometimes I feel like trying to talk to my father is like trying to communicate with a brick wall. Everything is about the Covenant. And everything about the Covenant is about bringing honor to your family.

"Have you ever thought of something else besides the Covenant?" I finally ask, "there's so much more to do in the galaxy than our duty to the Covenant."

"Nonsense," he immediately replies, "to do otherwise would forsake our spot in the Great Journey."

This conversation is not going to go anywhere, "Yeah I thought as much," I simply reply.

We don't say anything to each other after that. My father continues in his meditative state and I simply find ways to entertain myself in the meantime. Pushing around little mounds of dirt, drawing shapes in the ground, watching the grass sway in the breeze.

My father looks up, "there," he points, "They have gathered over the ocean."

I look in the distance. After almost half a minute I see what he's pointing to. A small flock of birds flying around in the distance.

My father hands me a cartridge for the needle rifle and I load it in.

The sights help, but the birds still seem annoying far away.

My father speaks from beside me, "try not to have any warm up shots."

I breathe in, hold my breath, and slowly exhale. I track the movement of the bird in the distance and slowly pull in on the trigger.

Crack

I lower the sights, "didn't need any."

There's one reason why I'm glad that I'm a Sangheili. See on High Charity there are different training methods based on what species you are. For races lower in the caste system this generally means you go through a several week long bootcamp before you actually get to join the Covenant.

For Sangheili it's less than you automatically join the Covenant when you are of age, as much as you grow up literally part of the Covenant. Every lesson I have taken, is in some way officially sponsored by the Covenant because every Sangheili is expected to join.

Now, considering the fact that my only real plan right now is to join the Covenant and hopefully amass enough power from within to change something. The fact that joining the Covenant is this easy, is kind of nice.

If I want to leave, however, that's going to be different. But I'll get to that when it becomes a problem.

But, tangent aside, there is one thing I still have to do. Technically I still have to go through initiation. I say that like it means anything, I'm in some auditorium with I think every single Sangheili Minor who is joining the Covenant military service. We're supposed to get some message from the High Prophet of Mercy.

So, I'm obviously really going to enjoy this.

For the sheer amount of people in the auditorium it's surprisingly quiet. It isn't completely silent, but it's still quiet enough for it to almost feel awkward. The auditorium puts me physically closer to the forerunner dreadnought that powers High Charity, this place is supposed to feel holy, but I'm more annoyed that I have to be here.

It doesn't help that this auditorium is shaped so that we are all in some sort of audience area, and have to look up to where the Prophet of Mercy is going to show up.

Eventually.

I poke the guy next to me, "do you know how long we are supposed to wait here?"

He glares at me. He doesn't even say anything in response, he just glares at me and once I guess he thinks I've learned my lesson goes back to ignoring me.

Alright.

The silence… gets even more silent as I see a figure walk onto the stage.

Almost immediately all the Sangheili in the audience. For obvious reasons I follow a second later. The Prophet of Mercy in his space wheelchair floats onto the stage, flanked by 4 honor guards.

If only I had a plasma grenade on hand. But then again Chief had to punch Regret to death despite having more than enough weapons so maybe he has this weird energy shield or something.

One way or another I would not leave this situation alive if I tried to kill Mercy.

Mercy moves up to the front of the stage. Everything he does is painfully slow, maybe it's of old age, maybe it's to appear weaker, maybe it's just to annoy us but it still bothers me.

He holds himself in front of the stage before he speaks, "I look upon you gathered here today, and I see not soldiers, but tools of our gods."

He takes a deep breath, "we find ourselves at a tumultuous time. Heretics blight our path, we are in need of those brave enough to face the tribulations ahead. We are in a new Age, many of us will be tested, those who find themselves unable or unwilling to devote themselves to the Gods will be left behind and forgotten."

Mercy reaches out, as if he is grasping at us, "that is why you all are here," he continues, "our stalwart guardians, ever vigilant and ever faithful. Each of us have a duty to our faith, we are expected to give all we can and all we have."

"Many of you here will prove yourself to be exceptional warriors, gifted beyond natural order. It is they who have been touched by the gods, and it is they who will stand side by side as we ascend," he proclaims.

He holds his breath and stops, ending with, "I wish you all the best. Tough times may lie ahead, but it is in that difficulty that we find ourselves."

His speech is short, almost annoyingly short. He most likely has better things to do and wants to get this over with. But knowing what half of the Sangheili in this room are like, they probably are in awe of seeing one of the High Prophets in person.

Here I am standing next to soldiers I am soon going to be fighting with, completely disagreeing with the fundamental tenets of the overarching group.

Where the fuck did it all go so wrong?

Ok so I REALLY don't like this chapter. This was supposed to be another chapter that I have already finished and edited, but as I was about to post it I realized that I didn't like it. So y'all get this instead.

The reason I don't like this chapter was because it is kind of forced. I needed something to fill the gap between what's gonna happen in the future, so y'all get this. I wanted to have more important stuff happen this chapter, but I felt like it causes things to happen too quickly.

I could spend another week getting this chapter just perfect, but it's a relatively unimportant chapter so, eh.

On the bright side the next chapter should be really soon. Like REALLY soon. As in I just need to edit it one last time. So expect it in the next day or so, that one should be about 7,000 words.

So stay tuned.

No points because I'm lazy.