Section IV Unggoy
Rona was put into a cryogenic sleep as his ship traversed the vast expanses of the galaxy. His ship personnel were the best in the galaxy; and they were all trained to protect him.
Rona had just finished a highly classified and potentially dangerous mission: executing a Heretic, or traitor to the Covenant, that was rumored to have and extremely dangerous weapon.
He had boarded the Heretic leader's Imperial-class cruiser, killed all Heretics on board, and planted a bomb on its stern. It wasn't a sure-fire solution, but Rona was confident that the Heretic leader was dead The weapon had turned out to be a false rumor; the heretic leader was executed nevertheless.
It had been two years since his first mission, and since his encounter with the Flood. Rona still had nightmares.
In the two years since the Sangheili had met the Huragok, they had reproduced rapidly. Rona had been sent out by Zale to find more oxygen-nitrogen atmospheric planets to inhabit. The elites had split into two factions and gone to 3 nearby planets. They remained as one government, but regarded each other with conspicuous negativity.
The Huragok had remained on the original Sangheili planet, created weapons and technology hundreds of years ahead of that of the Elites. They created single-seated anti-gravitational reconnaissance vehicles that had double-plasma weapons on its front. They also created a light single-seated aircraft that could shoot double bolts of plasma as well as a large fuel rod cannon.
Many different vehicles were added to the Sangheili arsenal.
After the victory over the Flood, the Prophets and Zale made a pact, and declared something they called the 'Writ of Union'. It swore their races into a truce and forced them to work together to reach their cause.
So Rona had been frozen after completing his Too-easy-to- be-real mission. The mission had been too easy to be real. But apparently it was, for nothing happened all the way to the Sangheili planet.
Rona was taken out his cryogenic sleep, and was brought instantly in front of Zale Zonamee.
"You have finished the task I have appointed to you, correct?" Zale said.
"Yes, sir," Rona replied.
"Good, you may resume your position as my second in command," Zale said, he seemed to smile as he said this, "I also have an apprentice for you. Although he isn't Sangheili, he has proven himself time and time again in battle," he beckoned to a nearby door, "Janaw, come!"
An Unggoy in red armor stepped out into the council chamber of the Sangheili Capital City. He had the eyes of one who had seen much bloodshed; or rather, the eye of one who had seen much blood shed. The other was scarred and white.
His left arm was scarred also. His right trigger finger twitched, aching for a fight.
Rona could see that this was a different kind of Unggoy. He had the taste of battle in his eye, while most Unggoy would run from such battle.
"I have seen that type of look before," the squeaky voice of Janaw spoke, "You inquire as to why I have seen so much battle? I come from a clan of Unggoy called the Martemis. We have a thirst for blood. I like the feel of battle, but it does not seem like I love it as much as my brothers, for they have exiled me."
"I am sorry to hear that," Rona said.
"I expect you to train him in your battle techniques," Zale said.
"My battle techniques?" Rona said, "They are not allowed to be taught to anyone outside the Sangheili council!"
"This is an exception," Zale said calmly, "He has saved a dozen Sangheili. And for that, he deserves and honor."
"I will train him well," Rona complied.
"I expect you to," Zale said, "Your first mission will be to find and recruit more civilizations for our covenant."
"Yes sir," Rona said, he turned to leave.
"Wait," Zale said, "I have something for you." He reached into a small chest next to his council chair and produced a piece of paper and a scrap of metal.
"It took six hours for me to gain the Sangheili Councils agreement to create this. We have created the official position in the Covenant. You are now officially the Arbiter, The Peacemaker, The Will of the Gods." He handed Rona the paper with his official designation, and gave him the scarp of metal. On it was a vertical black and white symbol of an Energy Sword. "You will be treated with more respect than you have ever dreamed of."
"Thank you sir," Rona said.
"Now go, fulfill your duty."
Rona's house had been fitted with a new room for Janaw, who was eager to prove himself.
The next day, after a good night's rest, Rona called Janaw to his room.
"Yes, sir," Janaw said eagerly.
"Go to your home planet, Ggoynall I believe it is called, and bring me a representative of your people," Rona said. He saw a flicker of fear on Janaw's face.
"But, um…sir," Janaw said, "I have been exiled."
"I am sorry, Janaw," Rona said, "I truly am, but this is a very important task. Maybe you shall regain your ranking with your people."
"Yes, sir," Janaw said with a frown, which was almost invisible under his methane breather mask. He sulked slowly out of the room.
Janaw pilot the dropship non-chalantly. He had driven these kinds of ships many times before, and this time was easier since no one was calling him names or saying he was pathetic.
His ship sensors flared as he entered the atmosphere of Ggoynall. The exterior surfaces heated, and made the inside swelter with heat. He touched down on a tall plateau just outside the main city. The ship cooled instantly as it came in contact with the subzero temperatures of the planet. It crackled as the metals contracted.
Janaw passed three gateways on his way into the city before coming up the main entrance. His hand quickly sprung to the plasma pistol on his belt as he observed his surroundings. Four Unggoy bodies lay sprawled along the ground; Their methane breather masks had been torn off and their eyes had been gouged out.
Bright blue blood splattered the walls, and a single grunt was nailed to a gate with four sharp sticks. In an Unggoy's hand was a grey electronic device. Janaw pried the device out of its hand and tested one of the two buttons it contained. A shimmering blue shield erupted from the small item.
Startled, Janaw dropped the machine. It hit the ground, bounced once, and shut off.
Janaw crawled along the ground, picking his brethren up out of the desecrating filth, and laying them in honored positions along a wall. Then he picked up the extra plasma grenades that littered the floor and pried the main gate open.
Janaw had taken four steps into the city when a plasma bolt sizzled by his head. He jumped back through the gate and shot in the estimated direction of the attack.
"Aaarrggg" a slow squeaky voice said.
Janaw jumped back through the gates and ran towards the voice.
"Argap?" Janaw asked.
"Janaw?" Argap said, he had been named after the first thing his father said after Argap had been born, "I thought everyone in this city was dead!"
"Well, I wasn't in the city when this happened," Janaw said, "Are you hurt?"
"No, you just singed my shoulder," Argap said.
"Who did this to our city?!" Janaw asked.
"I've never seen their race before," Argap said, "they had thin bird-like heads, and slim frail bodies," he closed his eyes and shivered at the thought of them, "They are weak, but they carry a shield that can deflect all our weapons. They are a fierce opponent."
"Well," Janaw said, "So are we."
Janaw and Argap crouched under a low overhang and watched their enemies. The creatures made high screeching sounds and constantly looked at the sky, as though waiting for an enemy to attack…
…But the enemy had already attacked.
Argap crawled to the opposite side of the clearing and charged his weapon. Despite the loud thrumming of Argap's charging weapon, the enemies didn't notice him. A single discharge flew into the throng of aliens. Shields went up, but for one it was too late. The animal screamed in pain as its flesh melted from its face.
All the remaining beasts turned to Argap and shot wildly at him with plasma pistols.
'Plasma pistols?' Janaw thought, 'They are only available to the Unggoy and Sangheili! How did they get any?'
Then Janaw realized that he didn't care! They were going to be dead soon anyway.
He threw a plasma grenade into the group and waited for the eventual 'Thud'. The group of aliens, believing that their enemy was dead, turned around. One noticed the grenade lying at its feet and kicked it across the courtyard. While this was happening, Argap thought quickly and threw another grenade into the group.
A Thud resounded throughout the courtyard and the walls were splattered with blue-black blood.
"I believe they are called Kig'yar," Argap said after they had wiped the brains from their blood splattered armour, "they are frail and weak, but they are excellent marksmen."
"We could probably use that skill in the Covenant, if it weren't for the fact that two of us can kill a whole battle group of them."
Rona Monamee paced the deck of the Ascendant Justice. The ship was brand new, and its class was the best in the galaxy. Even with these advancements, Rona was nervous.
He had just intercepted a chain of distress calls from Ggoynall, saying that an unknown species has infiltrated their main city and was killing the civilians. Even as a Sangheili, Rona liked the Unggoy race. This was what set him apart from others of his kind. They Unggoy followed orders, could handle many weapons (if their hands were big enough for the trigger), could pilot ships, and would follow a commanding officer anywhere; even if it meant to their death.
Rona had reason to believe that he was the only Sangheili that cared for the Grunts; or anyone else but themselves, for that matter.
That is why he was now on his way to Ggoynall.
He had a plan to land on the planet with a small squad of elites, eliminate the threat, and ensure the Unggoy's safety. He also had a backup plan, but it was doubtful that he could get the 'Okay' for it. He wanted to land upon Ggoynall, extract the remnants of the Unggoy, then bombard the planet from orbit. He, of course, would go with the first plan. The planet had resources necessary to conquering the galaxy. Not to mention its unnatural beauty.
His communications officer interrupted his thoughts, "Sir, Supreme Chancellor Zale is trying to contact you on a secure channel."
"Send it to my headset," Rona said, his anxiety to leave was steadily building, how had Zale found out about his plan? Rona had not told anyone. Not even his crew.
"Rona!" Zale's voice screamed into his ear, "How dare you go against my wishes to save these Unggoy!"
"I'm sorry, sir" Rona said, "but-."
"Sorry doesn't explain your actions," Zale said calmly, "I will act as if I don't know anything. Leave, and I will see what I can do to keep you from being punished."
"Thank you, sir," Rona said.
"Are you wearing your Arbiter armour, soldier?" Zale asked.
"Yes, sir."
"Go to the planet," Zale said, "Alone. I can not risk my Sangheili's lives for these Unggoy."
Rona kept his anger in check, and instead said "Understood."
The Single seated Seraph fighter tumbled end over end as it hit Goynalls atmosphere at six hundred miles an hour. At two hundred meter to the ground, Rona ejected his seat out of the cramped cockpit into the cool night air. Hit pilot jetpack, which he had customized himself, ignited and rapidly slowed his velocity; causing his head to slam into the back of his helmet.
His four mandibles reflexively slammed shut, so his mouth would not dry out due to the rush of air by his face. This would not be a problem, of course, because of the bulky blue breathing apparatus covering his mouth so that the extreme chilled methan would not kill him.
The small heating system in his armor buzzed to life and slightly swayed the frostbite that already bit at his exposed flesh.
The measurements on his positioning system showed that the snow was 26 feet deep; very shallow for the planet of solid ice that was Goynall.
As his feet hit the ground, a private comm. Opened up on his display. A short Unggoy, even for his race, with black armor stood at attention on his screen.
"Has the Arbiter been sent to rescue my people?!" the grunt said, "Maybe there is hope at last."
"What is the situation?" Rona asked.
"I am in a small shelter on the east side of the city with the remnants of my people," the grunt, who was apparently the Unggoy leader, said, "there are about 200 Kig'yar on in the clearing in front of us."
"Kig'yar?" Rona asked. The name sounded familiar.
There was no answer from the other side of the communications channel. The Screen went blank, and the sound of gun fire sounded through Rona's headset.
The air suddenly got colder. Rona's jetpack sputtered and died. He fell thirty feet into a snow drift, and sank up to his shoulders until he hit compacted ice beneath him. Ronas heating failed, and he fell unconscious.
When Rona woke up, 2 grunts were sitting beside him on the cool stone of the city entrance.
"Janaw," Rona asked faintly.
"Yes, its me sir. We have found a few living Unggoy in a small complex," Janaw said, "One of them is a medical specialist, we shall take you to him."
"No, Janaw," Rona said, standing up, "I need no medicine. I am just not adapted to the cold of your planet. I will survive. Is there less snow inside the city?"
"Well, its snowing…so it won't be much warmer," Janaw said. Then hearing Rona sigh he added, "I might be wrong though, its been a while since I've been here."
"What is your name, young one" Rona asked the other Unggoy beside him.
"I'm…my name is Argap…sir," the grunt said. He wore the red armor of an Unggoy Major.
"Please," Rona said, "skip the formalities, they are wasted on me."
The grunt named Argap seemed to loosen his shoulders slightly.
"Were are we going, sir?" Argap said, doig exactly what Rona had just told him not to do.
"We need to figure out a way to clear a large courtyard full of these beasts you call 'Kig'yar'" Rona said.
"Well, I know this city well," Janaw said in his distinctive squeaky voice, "There is a large layer of explosives planted beneath the city. It was put there for this exact purpose, since the central courtyard is the only area in the whole city to fit a platoon of soldiers."
"Then that's where were headed."
"We were ambushed."
"When?! What happened?!"
"Me…and the other Unggoy," The lone bloody grunt wheezed, Janaw could be heard saying 'Grunts and I' under his breath, "We were sitting down playing a little game, when…we heard some ice cracking outside. If that hadn't happened, I would be dead. About fifty Kig'yar were hoping to ambush us. We tried to turn the tables on them, but they are strong. We sacrificed our lives for the lives of our family underground."
"Underground?" Janaw asked.
"They are in the caves on the east side of the city, near the courtyard," the Spec Ops grunt said.
"By the gods, we will have to retrieve them before we detonate the courtyard." Rona said, "Argap, you go and evacuate the caves," Rona said, "they are our top priority. Try to avoid casualties, even of the Kig'yar."
"Yes, sir," Argap said. He sprinted out of the room, which wasn't much more than a fast waddle.
"Lets go," Rona said, the Weapons specialist followed him as he walkede out the door. Behind him, Janaw busied himself by gathering excess weapons off the Kig'yar and Unggoy carcasses. Rona picked up a bag that drifted past him and handed it to Janaw, who thanked him.
Continuing on, Janaw picked up all the weapons on the ground, tested them, and stuffed them into the bag. Even when some didn't work, he threw them in, saying they could be used to "Bash a head in or somethin'".
"Sir! We've reached the neutron technological laboratory," the weapons specialist said, "The detonator for the explosives is in there, but I think it would be guarded."
"That's where you come in," Rona said, "I want you to take out as many as you can, I'll take care of the rest," He withdrew an energy sword from his pocket and ignited it. He looked over a small barricade they sat behind. His face grew grim, and he turned back slowly, "Janaw, I don't want you to see what I'm seeing. Stay here and guard the weapons."
"Yes, sir," Janaw said. He was happy that he didn't have to face any more of those beasts.
As Rona walked away from him, Janaw had a sinking premonition of a death close at hand…
"The Explosives are placed, sir," The Wep Spec said, "If you can lure the Kig'yar to this location," a small dot appeared on Rona's HUD, "then we should be able to clear most of them from the face of this beautiful planet."
"Will a grenade set off the explosives?" Rona asked.
"No."
Rona retrieved a grenade from his belt, and crept around a corner to his destination. In front of him loomed what he wanted to keep Janaw from seeing. Dozens of scarred and burned corpses were being piled heartlessly upon each other and lit on fire to warm the Kig'yar.
The Kig'yar themselves were short, frail beasts with a stout head and thin arms.
"I have nothing to fear from these…these Jackals!" Rona said, the name stuck. He bounced the grenade off of the wall on the far side of the clearing, giving the impression that it came from that way. The grenade latched onto an unlucky Jackal, who ran around screaming, despite the fact that he didn't know what it was.
There was a loud 'thump' and a plume of dust shot into the air.
"The Bait has been laid," Rona said over his comm., "Get ready to spring the trap."
It was a simple matter of picking off the remaining Jackals afterwards. Once Rona had finished, he put away his energy sword and walked towards his ultimate destination. Out of the smoke and as, a tall figure emerged.
"Sangheili!" it said, "Why do you kill my men?"
"Have you doomed these Unggoy to slavely or extinction?" Rona asked, "Why do you do this?"
"I have come here to deplete your resources, and ruin your beloved 'Covenant'," the figure said.
"You ask me why I am killing your men, yet why are you killing mine?" Rona asked, "What do you have against the Unggoy?"
"I don't have anything against the Unggoy in particular, just the Unggoy that help the Covenant," the Elite named Sesa' Refumee said.
"Traitor!" Rona said, "Heretic!" He retrieved his energy sword once more from his belt, "You shall die where you stand for the crimes you have committed."
"Come, then," said the Heretic, "Battle me."
The Arbiter retrieved another energy sword from his belt and leapt towards the Heretic. Three swords collided in a shower of sparks and a splash of light. Rona spun away and turned to attack once again. Two consecutive uppercuts threw the Heretic backwards. From far behind The Arbiter, a loud explosion resonated through the clearing, but he was too enthralled in the battle to notice. The Heretic pulled his arm back, and made ready to throw his sword.
"Arbiter! Catch!" Janaw's voice said a few yards away. His hand caught the Kig'yar shield that was thrown to him. He quickly clicked it on, and just in time. The Heretic's sword crackled as it hit the shield. Both sword and shield sputtered and died.
The Arbiter lunged at the heretic, but before he reached him, an orange flash blurred his vision, and the Heretic appeared behind him.
"You are a fool, Arbiter," he said, "You are not worthy of the name that has been bestowed upon you. Do you know why your prophets wish to form an alliance with these races?" The heretic said.
"They wish for us to help each other along the path to wisdom and the Great Journey," The Arbiter said.
"No, brother," the Heretic said, "They will use you as bait to lure the Parasite away from the Prophets; so they may kill us all."
The Arbiter clicked a grenade out of his belt, ignited it, and tossed it over to the Heretic, who caught it reflexively. After noticing what it was, he turned around and sprinted away.
All the Arbiter heard was a dull thump In the distance.
"Is what that traitor said true, Arbiter?" Janaw asked as he walked toward Rona.
"No, don't listen to him," Rona lied. In his heart, he knew it to be true. Rona vowed to reveal the truth to everyone once he had proof.
"Sir, is everything alright?" Janaw asked, "You seem preoccupied."
"Yah, I'm fine," Rona said, "Lets go see if this is the activation room."
"I will go check on the Spec Ops, okay" Janaw said.
"Be careful," Rona said.
He walked slowly into the activation room, fearing a surprise attack. What he did find was worse: A single Unggoy was chained up by his wrists and ankles. The chains were attached to a wheel, which would pull his arms if he moved.
A torture device.
The thought sickened him.
As Rona unchained the body, it coughed.
"I'm not telling you anything, monster!" it said.
"It's okay, the traitor is gone, no one is going to hurt you," Rona said.
"Are…are you the Arbiter?" the grunt murmured.
"Yes, what is your name?" Rona asked.
"I am Fawnar," he said, "That…Heretic was asking where the first installation was. I have no idea how he found out, I haven't told anyone!"
"Wait, slow down. What installation?" Rona asked, "Where?"
"Well, it's called Halo I think," Fawnar said, "There are ten of them. I am unsure what they do, but I know its dangerous."
"Where are they?"
"I can't tell you, they're too dangerous," Fawnar said.
"I understand," Rona said, although he didn't truly understand their might. He walked behind Fawnar and searched through wrecked consoles for the detonator.
"Argap?" Rona said over the comm. channel.
"Yes, sir?" he said, "the caves are clear, but during the trip away from the caves, we were ambushed by a small squad of Kig'yar. Two Unggoy guards were killed, but we did it as silently as possible."
"Good."
"All clear to detonate the tech bomb," Argap said.
"Acknowledged."
A small creak on floor behind Rona roused him to his senses. It was too light to be an Unggoy footstep.
The Arbiter slowly clicked his plasma rifle off of his belt, and swung it around to a surprised Jackal's face. The Jackal squealed and shut its eyes before its head was blasted off.
"Sir, the Weapons specialist is dead," Janaw said, stepping over the body nonchalantly.
"Jackals?" Rona said.
"Yes, he put up one hell of a fight. There were dozens of them that were killed, most likely by his explosives, but about a dozen had bullet wounds. I think he was caught right in the middle of a platoon," Janaw said, lowering his head.
"He had a warriors death," Rona said, lowering his head for a second as well, "But we must keep moving. I am setting the activation on a delayed start, so I may watch the chaos."
"Why would you want to watch so much death?!" Janaw asked.
"So I may prevent anything from escaping," Rona said, and ran towards the Courtyard.
Behind him, Fawnar stumbled home.
Rona and Janaw ran for ten minutes, Janaw wheezing fitfully, before entering a building that looked out onto the Jackal filled clearing. Rona contacted the Unggoy leader, and told him to keep away, then blew the clearing. The Arbiter ran through into the courtyard, clearing, decapitating, and delimbing surviving jackals.
As the smoke began to settle, the silhouette of the Arbiter stood victorious upon a mound of dead Jackals; Striking, unintentionally, a heroic pose.
Not a single Jackal was left on the planet alive.
"Why did you come to our aid, Arbiter," The Unggoy leader said, once Rona had been invited to the council chambers.
"I have come to offer you Warmth," Rona said, "which you Unggoy so dearly covet, in exchange for service."
"What type of service…