Chapter 10 -- Secrets


--The Ecaz--

The Duke was sitting at his desk when Michael walked straight into his office. He looked up and was about to greet his friend when he saw Michael shut the door and turn on the scrambler. This was no friendly talk but deciding it could wait the Duke got up and walked over to his friend, "It has been to long Michael."

"Yes it has M'Lord."

"So. What was so important you had to bring it back in one of my battleships?" The Duke asked.

Michael walked to the desk and took out a folder. "Thirty-four hours ago I explored a structure in the middle of Installation-04's largest desert. It had been brought to my attention after a single repeating phrase was found." Taking out a picture he handed it to the Duke. "It read, O you who know what we suffer here, do not forget us in your prayers."

The Duke was stunned but he quickly asked, "It couldn't be the Tyrant?"

"From what we know about him. It might just be. There's also more."

The Duke groaned and sat back in his chair.

Smiling Micheal continued. "After learning of that I went down to have a look myself"

"What exactly did you find?"

"Well after finally getting into the central room there were two statues of opened mouthed worms. In each was a single sheet of Riduylan Crystal. Unfortunately the data on both is encrypted beyond our abilities to decode."

"But you wouldn't come back unless there was something else Micheal."

"The first line of both sheets wasn't coded at all and they said the same thing. Bene Gesserit."

"So the Tyrant encoded them for Bene Gesserit eyes only." The Duke said angrily.

"That would be my best guess M'Lord."

"Suggestions Micheal?"

"Give them one copy and we try to crack the other. Both are structurally identical."

"Alright, have the Ecaz break orbit and jump to Rakis. We need to figure out what the Tyrant wants before we all die."

Quietly the Ecaz pushed away from Reach and winked away.

--The Cube--

"Final ship destroyed Admiral." Said a Leiutenant.

Admiral Soven blinked, that was the fourth Covenant attack over the past few days. Whatever was on that ring they wanted bad and they were pulling out everything they could by the looks of things. "Launch probes and reset the fleet into defensive positions."

After a quick round of Aye sirs the control room fell back into a waiting silence.

"Comms, get me Spartan one one seven on the horn." Patch it through to my office when he replies.

"Aye sir." Replied the officer as Soven left the control room.

--Installation 04--

"Chief." Cortana said. "Soven would like to have a talk to you.

"Understood." The Master Chief said, "Patch me through."

"Very well." Cortana replied, "Link established."

"Admiral Soven, this is Spartan one one seven reporting in."

"Well so much for thank yous" Cortana said with a bit of annoyance audible.

"Master Chief. I'll cut right to it. Our position up here is slowly deteriorating and if this keeps up we'll be falling back. The Covenant want this ring back. But we don't know what they want and we're running out of options. If you have any suggestions I'm open."

The Master Chief was silent for several seconds before he responded. "I suggest you leave me and my team behind and fall back."

"I won't do that Master Chief. You and your people are to valuable to us alive and killing the Covenant."

"Admiral, if we can find out what this ring is for or what is on here then we may have a chance of finishing this war sooner rather than later."

"We can't take that chance Master Chief. I'll soon be ordering the Marines off the ring. You have at most twenty-four hours before I have you pull out."

"Admiral. If I can table a suggestion." Cortana said over the channel.

"Go ahead Cortana."

"I agree with the Master Chief. We need to find out what is so important about this ring."

"You know I can't let you stay."

"I know that sir. That is why I suggest asking the Ecazians for help. If they could leave one of their cloaking ships on the ring then after we find out what we need to we can bug out on their ship."

"Hmm... Might be possible. I'll talk with their commanding officer here. Until then your orders are still to figure out what is so important about this thing. Soven out." The channel clicked as it was shut off.

"Foehammer, head to these co-ordinates. My analysis of what's left of the Covenant battle net suggests that this is a map-room of some sorts." Said Cortana.

"Affirmative Cortana. Adjusting course. We'll be there in thirty seven minutes." Foehammer replied.

"Here's a map of the island Chief. No Marines have been landed there so there is probably a strong Covenant presence."

"Understood." He said quickly looking over the data prepared. Opening a channel to all of the Spartans he began a quick briefing. "Here's the island we will soon be landing on. No one has scouted it out on foot so be prepared for a heavy Covenant presence. Air support will probably be limited to the Pelicans since the Marines are beginning to be pulled back. Here's the plan. The Pelican's will drop us off on the beach here and then make a quick recon of the Island from a safer altitude. After that we will try and find the map room and get what we came for. So keep your eyes open and be prepared for anything." The Chief finished. Thirty flashes of the status lights confirmed that everyone was ready. Now they had to wait.

--Chenoah--

"Yes?" The Mother Superior asked the acolyte that had just appeared. Sky had just finished going through the essential paperwork and was preparing to go to the site of Sietch Tabr.

"Mother Superior. Duke Ecaz has just appeared in space. He has already requested to have an immediate meeting with you." Said the acolyte worriedly.

"Has he said why he wants to meet me immediately?" Sky asked.

"All he said Mother Superior was that it had to do with the Tyrant."

Katherine nearly paled before she could stop herself. It had been millenia since the Tyrant had ruled in the flesh and he still held sway over everything humanity did. "Inform him that he has my attention and a meeting."

"As you say Mother Superior." The acolyte began to turn.

"And tell him that he best be sure that the Tyrant is part of this."

"The acolyte nodded and quietly left, leaving Sky alone to prepare for the meeting.

--The Ecaz--

"Well that was quick." The Duke said surprised.

"The Bene Gesserit never take the Tyrant for granted M'Lord. He held control over them that no one else has ever been able too."

"Agreed Micheal. By the way, you're coming with me. I know it isn't the smart thing to do but you are the one that gathered the sheets and I'll need your advice as well."

"For once M'Lord I won't argue with you." Micheal said with a smile.

"Good. We're going right now and were taking a Renkse, a lighter would be to slow right now."

"Understood M'Lord."

Both men quickly walked off to the launch bays hoping to discover what the Tyrant was trying to hide from them.

--The Silent Cartographer--

"Okay Chief, I managed to negotiate with the Ecazians to get them to leave one of their 'No-Ships' as they call them, behind. According to them it will be floating in space above a large desert. They will come for you after you signal for them. The signal they ask you to transmit is 'Shaitan' Don't ask, I don't know what it means. Unfortunately I'm having to pull your Pelicans out of there in two hours. There's no way you can use them after we go. Any questions?" Admiral Soven said.

"What about ammunition and supplies sir?"

"We're leaving stashes all over the place for our return. I'll have Joan upload a set of co-ordinates for everything. Anything else?"

"No sir. We'll find out what we need to know soon."

"I'm sure you will Chief. Good luck and gods... Wait a second. What's that sensors? Show me!" The line fell silent. "HOLY SHIT! Master Chief, I'm pulling the fleet back, a huge ship just jumped out with a fleet measuring in the hundreds. Automated defenses should last for another hour at tops. You have that long to hide. Joan, give Cortana all our data on troop deployments. Chief, you'll need these men to keep the Covenant on there toes until we return. Your new orders are to survive and find out what you can. Soven out!" The line snapped off.

"Chief?" Cortana asked quietly.

"Yes?"

"Look in the sky."

John slowly moved his head to look into the sky. There was a structure floating there. To him it looked like an overgrown mushroom. All he knew for sure though was that it was a snag to his objective.

"Foehammer." Cortana radioed.

"Foehammer here."

"Fly to this nav point at best speed. If you detect any Covenant craft land immediately."

"Understood Cortana."

"I would've preferred to use the underground route but that's where all the Covenant went after we landed. And that will be the first place they will land reinforcements." Cortana said.

"Cortana, I need all the data you have on thi..." Suddenly the radio snapped to life.

"This is General Greyton. I'm taking control of all UNSC forces left on this ring. All forces are to hunker down immediately . If you can return to your bases and prepare for hostiles. If the Covenant want this ring back they can rip it out of our cold dead hands after we have finished killing them. Greyton out!"

John brought up a map of the area. "Foehammer, adjust course and land at fop twenty-one alpha."

"Understood Chief."

John looked around the cargo compartment. Everyone was sitting quietly preparing for the battle ahead. Stuck behind enemy lines and outnumbered thousands to one with the snags piling up.

"I bet you the Covenant forgot to bring a kitchen sink." Fred joked.

"Well they did bring everything else." Replied Frank.

The atmosphere relaxed noticeably as the Pelicans flew to their destination.

--Deep Space--

Silently a massive cylinder floated in space. Slowly the thing lit up as the main reactors were powered back up for the first time in thousands of years. Inside millions of cryotubes ran through the procedure to wake up their occupants and in the center of the ship three beings, winged and fragile floated in an orange gas. They tried to delve into the depths of time but all they saw was darkness.

"It is as he said." One of them said.

"Yes." Replied the second.

"We will do as we were asked. He gave us the choice and we chose." The third said.

All three inhaled deeply and continued to wait patiently for the time that they would show themselves.