Chapter 2: Old Wounds
Location: Remains of Harvest, aboard Ex-Covenant carrier ship, Unbreakable Truth
Ral'm'Hondow
It was dark, blindingly dark.
Only the faint glow of a massive fire, with rubble and debris at its center, broke the empty void.
Sangheili bodies lay everywhere, their faces almost unrecognizable, their bodies twisted and broken, and they all surrounded Ral's feet.
"Why?" Ral whispered, "What could they have done to deserve this?" Ral fell to his knees and put a hand on one of the bodies' faces he knew too well. He could recognize her face; the flames had not burned away what beauty she had left.
Tears started streaming down his face as he hugged the body of his dead wife. "Why?" he said louder turning into a scream "WHYYYY?"
Ral woke with a gasp, sitting up in his bed now in his private room, the memory of his dead wife and family was still fresh in his mind, "Even after ten years she still haunts my dreams. Why Kinra, why do you do this to me?"
Ral got up from his bed and went to look at the trophies he had earned over his lifetime.
They consisted of old blades, Human weapon fragments and samples from worlds he glassed. But there was one he didn't earn, the arm of a human demon. It was there in the rubble and remains of his home, it had been cut clean through the shoulder and from the lack of a body the demon must have survived. He had taken it and kept it here to remind him of what he had lost.
There was the sound of static, and then a voice came trough the ship's speakers. "Ship Master Ral this is Cano speaking. I would like to speak with you on the bridge if you have the time."
Ral grumbled in his throat, it was like Cano to know when he would be in his room mulling over the past. A few minuets later and Ral was in his full ship master armour, he was about to leave his room when he stopped and looked one more time at the dead arm on his wall, "I will find you and when I do, it will be a slow death", he said, as he did every day.
His ship was large and had a fine crew of 800 strong Sangheili warriors, all ready to fight and die for the cause. It didn't take Ral long to get to where he was needed, and sure enough there was his oldest friend waiting for him on the bridge.
"Ah there you are" came the warm greeting "I was beginning to think you had gotten lost in this new ship".
Ral laughed and said, "This ship is older than you and I put together."
Cano chuckled at that "Yeah, she sure is". Greetings aside, Ral got straight to the point and said, "You wished to speak with me?"
Cano turned to face the viewscreen that dominated the bridge, and said "Why are we here Ship Master? Why did we come back to this dead planet? There's nothing down there but ash and glass?"
Ral stood next to Cano and said, "It's not the planet I'm here for."
Cano looked puzzled "Then what are we here for? What could there possibly be?" Ral looked at his friend keeping his expression plain, "I have had intel that a ship was seen here a few days ago, it was a Keg Yar vessel and they were doing something on the planet's surface. The scouts say they weren't spotted. I have a good feeling they'll be back".
Cano looked sceptical and a little worried "What makes you think they'll be back, 'cause I see no reason why they would return?"
Ral turned his entire body to face Cano and look into his eyes. "You do not see because you only see what's in front of your eyes. You do not see the reason because you only see them as space rats and not a threat".
It was Cano's turn to face Ral, standing straight and looking at him through narrowed eyelids "Then tell me Ship Master, what do you think they are doing? What do you think their reason for coming here is?" Ral looked back at the viewscreen and said, "If my instincts, and my knowledge of the Keg Yar are correct, they will return, because Keg Yar are greedy and the scouts went down to the spot the Keg Yar were. They say there's still plenty they could scavenge. All that and they left a camp unguarded, still full of supplies. They would not do that unless they were coming back for the rest. That's how I know they will return".
Cano's face looked unsettled as he leaned against the railing of the viewing platform. Cano looked at Ral and said, "Even so, I still see no reason to go to all this trouble just to catch some Keg Yar pirates".
Ral looked from the screen to the rest of the bridge, watching all the other Sangheili go about their work and saying as he did, "I would agree if not for the capture of one Keg Yar still on the planet. My scouts said the rat told them that he was waiting for his crew to return and get the rest of their equipment".
"Did he say where they were returning from?" Cano said straightening up at this new info.
"No, he died before the scouts could get it out of him, and this is what puzzles me. Why would a Keg Yar rather die than tell his captors the truth? What could be so important that he would keep it secret with his life?"
It was Cano's turn to look puzzled, he brought up a hand and started to rub one of his jaws, then said 'That is suspicions, that a Keg Yar would willingly die to keep that a secret"
Ral nodded but before he could say any more, a Keg Yar ship appeared on the ship's sensors and had no idea that they had fallen into a trap.
"Well, my old friend" Ral said grinning, "Maybe its time we found out".
Location: On root to Vinishia, aboard human, Keg Yar hybrid cargo vessel- The Rust Bucket.
23 hours later
Sil
Sil had slept most of the ride to the planet Vinishia and was still pissed off after learning they had been use by that bitch Kala Van. The worst part was, Kala had used Sil's mental condition and her need for medicine as a way to put her uncle in his so-called place. "Why, the nerve of that bitch just makes me wanna kill her", Sil said out loud for her uncle to hear who was at the controls in the cockpit. He was still in his armour, but at least he had taken his helmet off so she could see his expressions. The annoying part was he had no expressions, which made it like he was still wearing a helmet. "Why do you not look bothered, at least show some emotion. I feel like I'm the only one that's actually pissed off right now". Before she could continue a stab of pain went through Sil's head and it was not fading "Ahh sivla" Sil swore in Keg Yar, clutching her head with both hands.
"You haven't taken your meds yet have you?" uncle Jack said looking at her, a hint of concern on his human face.
Sil clenched all four of her jaws together and managed to say in a pained voice "Maybe. So what?"
The concern on uncle Jack's face became very clear. He stood up from his seat, put his armoured hands her shoulders and gently helped her sit down in the co-pilot seat. He then knelt down next to her and started rubbing her head to help with the pain. "You silly, stupid girl, you know why you need to take the meds. Do you really want to be in pain all the time?"
Sil managed to look up to see he was smiling and chuckling too. "What's so funny, do you like seeing me in pain?" Sil said.
"No its not that, its just you remind me of myself when I was your age. The stubborn part mostly".
Sil tried to laugh but just moaned instead, as fresh pain pulsed through her head. "Can you get the meds now? I don't wanna start crying. It's embarrassing".
Sil's uncle left the cockpit and came back with her medicine. It was in the form of a syringe for instant effect. Sil hated this part because it was injected through her neck and it wasn't pleasant.
"Ok, now, do you want to do it or do you want me to do it?" her uncle said.
Sil looked at him and said "Just do it already."
He injected it in her neck and as always it felt terrible, a few seconds later the pain was gone completely.
Uncle Jack put a hand on her head and twisted it so she was looking into his eyes. He held up the syringe in front of him and said "I know you hate this stuff but you need it if you don't want to be in pain." He stood up and went to sit back down at his seat. "Its not just to stop you being in pain. It stops me being in pain knowing you have taken it", he continued.
Sil looked out of view port, watching all the stars go by and said, "If you are so worried about it why not try and see if some doctor can get this piece of metal out of my head?"
He looked at her with a sad expression and said "You know why that can't happen Sil, it's too risky. You could die, or lose your memory. Do you really want that? Do you?" Sil's uncle sat back in his seat and looked a little more relaxed. "And besides you'd have to be more rich than Kala Van, if you wanted something like that".
Sil closed her eyes and taking a deep breath, said "I know. I just wanted to hear it out loud." She was about to say more when a ringing came through the speakers, filling the cockpit with sound.
"Well, we're here now." He said, typing commands into the ship's computer. "Slowing down and cutting sub-lights, now."
The view port was filled with the mass of the planet Vinishia and it's two moons "My, doesn't that look chilly?" uncle Jack said sarcastically. "I'm going to set the Rust Bucket 700m away from the landing zone. Should give us enough room to get a good look at what we're dealing with".
Sil was sceptical. Pointing out the storms that inhabited the planet. "How are we supposed to see where we're going if we're walking 700 metres in a blizzard?"
"Easy" uncle Jack said with a cocky smile "I've set a waypoint in my helmet so we know where we're going. Nothing to it."
"Easy for you to say" Sil said folding her arms. "You're the one with the helmet after all". Sil looked at the sensors and saw nothing "Why aren't we picking up any readings? Are we sure there's even anything down there? 'Cause I don't want to walk that far and find nothing."
Sil's uncle got up, turned to the door and said "Storms are interfering with the ships sensors so we're walking in blind. I want you to be on full alert down there." He started walking out the door speaking as he went ,"The autopilot is on so lets get ready for a cold landing." And with that, they went to the cargo bay and got ready to face the cold.
Location: Vinishia on the surface at research base alpha.
8 hours earlier.
Neaola Roscal
Neaola stood alone on a landing pad over-looking the frozen hellhole she spent 7 months in. Her reptilian body was covered head to tow in fur clothing and even that didn't stop her scales from aching. "Blast this weather", she said letting her tone go bitter. "Why of all places did my husband choose to conduct his work here? And where is that damned ship?" She had sent out a ship two days ago and it had not returned. "It's not like Chiva to be late."
The sound of static broke Neaola from her thoughts and she heard a voice crackling through the speaker.
"You left your radio on again, I can hear you talking to yourself." The voice was in Sangheili and it was a voice she knew all too well.
"You cheeky selva you were listening the whole time weren't you? You handsome oaf." The voice on the other side burst into laughter barely controlling himself.
"Oh, how can I not listen to your beautiful voice? Just hearing your voice makes my days in this frozen wasteland worth it."
Neaoal turned and headed back into the warmth of alpha base. As she walked she kept speaking "Tell me again why we're here, it's been nearly 8 months since you started your research here and you've come up with nothing so far".
Neaola's husband sounded downcast as he said, "I know our efforts have come up with little results, but I just know it's here somewhere in this frozen ice mountain. I just know it".
Neaola smiled as she opened the large steel double doors and went inside "I don't doubt you Chackrol, I'm sure we'll find it" Neaola shed her fur coat and hung it up with the others. Then she started adjusting her tool belt and boots, and made sure her armour chest plate was on right. It tended to come undone now and again. She spotted one of her Keg Yar colleagues who was sleeping on the job. Again.
She went over and kicked him off his chair, making him yell out in surprise as he fell on to the icy floor. She put her clawed boot on his chest, pinning him and looked down on him.
He managed to spurt out "Neaola! What are you doing up here? I thought you were down fixing diggers or something."
She bent lower, putting more pressure on his chest and said with a grin, "Oh Chocra" then shouted "You're suppose to be watching the front door, it's what my husband pays you for so why are you napping?"
Chocra tried to speak but was cut off when Neaola grabbed the spines on his head and hauled him to his feet.
She still held his spines in her clawed hands and said "It's time I moved you outside, maybe the nice weather will wake you up."
"B…but" he tried to say but Neaola cut him off again.
"I'm second in command here, only my husband can change my mind, And he's busy right now, so move your lazy ass and take your post" she then added, "Or I could just cut your payment? You choose".
Cutting ones payment out here is just as good as cutting ones throat, so with no other opinions Neaola let him go. But before he could move, she stopped him and added, "There's a ship that's been missing for a few days. I want you to tell me as soon as you see a ship coming in ok?"
He just nodded and went on his way. Neaola's radio spoke again and it was her husband's voice, "I'm still here you know, right?"
"Oh…um" Neaola was lost for words, she had done it again "I'll just make my way down to you" she finally said. And with that, she made her way down to the lower levels.
After climbing down seven ladders, and trekking through two walkways and three tunnels, Neaola had travelled 500 meters below the planet's icy surface. Soon enough, she was in the same ice chamber as her husband.
Now, most would say a Sangheili male and a Keg Yar female getting married is impossible. It just wouldn't happen. Even with that knowledge, it didn't stop Chackrol and Neaola being with each other. She didn't care what others said, as long as she and her husband were together, nothing else mattered.
Neaola spotted her husband near the digging machine over-looking the other workers progress. He was 2 meters tall, had dark skin, and one side of his body was robotic, as a result of a human grenade. He turned his head in her direction and spotted her approach.
"Neaola" he called out walking over and giving her a loving embrace "How are things up top?"
Neaola returned the hug with her own, having to stand on the tips of her toes to do so. "Cold" was her reply. "But you knew that already. How are things down here?"
Chackrol turned to face the digger, keeping one hand on Naeola's shoulder, and started pointing at the digger with his right robotic hand.
"The digger's engine is broken and is in need of replacement parts".
Neaola lowered her eyelids and muttered, "A ship with replacement parts was supposed to be here days ago".
Chackrol was about to say something when an old, barking voice came from behind them. They both turned to see an old Keg Yar male approaching them and Neaola knew whom it was.
"Oh, father" Neaola said rubbing the back of her neck "I did not see you there…um".
The old male stood there in front of them and was glaring at Chackrol. "You better not be touching my daughter in the wrong places Sangheili."
That made their faces blush and made the conversation very awkward.
"Father" Neaola said through clenched teeth, "Why would you ask something like that? It's none of your business".
Chackrol just coughed and looked away, trying to find something to save him from this.
"Well?" The old male asked again.
"No I have not" came Chackrol's reply "Why do you always ask such awkward things when we're together'.
"Because I'm her father that's way. It's not that you're a Sangheili. I would still ask these things even if you were a Keg Yar."
Chackrol cleared his throat and changed the subject "Neaola why don't you tell your father about the missing ship?"
"Oh right, um" before she could speak her radio started crackling and a voice came through. It was Chocra and he sounded concerned.
"Neaola, are you there?"
She tapped her radio and said, "What is it? Has the ship returned?"
"I don't know. It's hard to tell. But wait, it's… It's a covenant drop ship!"
Neaola's blood went cold as she heard those words and knew what it meant.
"Alert everyone. We have covenant in the base." She tried to get more info but the line went dead.