Hello again! :) I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this little ditty. And truthfully told I hope you enjoy this one as well.

Like I said, outside of what is told in the games I know nothing of Sangheilios and its people's traditions or customs. :) I have discovered however that places like Halo-wikia, and Halo-nation are an uneducated writer's best friend.
(Please review and tell me what you think; whether that be noticing a fault in the story or writing, or even to tell me you liked it. I NEED TO KNOW THESE THINGS!)

So, I bid thee a good time and hope you enjoy this next installment. There shall be more to come. PLEASE REVIEW! REVIEWS MAKE BOTH THEL AND I HAPPY!

THel: "What is this review object you speak of? And why would it bring me the feeling of joy?"

"Its not an object its a person's opinion of...never mind..."

DRAF out!

"Return to Sangheilios"

Chapter 2

"The Planet Sangheilios"

It was a peculiar thing; how the dimension of Slipstream functioned. On the outside of the rift the journey passed within moments, but to those inside, it seemed like days would go by...often weeks.

That was the case for Thel and the other Sangheilis on board the Shadow of Intent. Some grew restless with the anticipation of returning home, while others found ways to pass the time. Thel chose the latter.

Sitting on the floor of his quarters he meditated quietly, eyes closed but facing the window where nothing but blackness could be seen. That was what it was like during a jump; they seemed to be rocketing through a nothingness, as if the very meaning of existence was misplaced.

But Thel by this time of his life was used to it; his earlier years of Supreme Commander were filled with jumps like this.

He breathed deeply, his Arbiter's suit laid neatly beside him and wearing nothing but the thin gel jumpsuit that was underneath. His long legs were crossed in an odd fashion and his mandibles closed and opened slowly.

Their journey to Sangheilios was taking an estimated 20 days, their current day assumed to be the 19th.
Although that gave Thel the time to prepare for their arrival, but it also gave his mind a chance to waver. Often he found it focused on the distant tragedies of war, and he would converse to an hour of meditation to clear his mind. But the thoughts always returned.

They were the images of dead humans or fallen comrades, and memories of his time as a Commander when he'd lay waste to an entire population with a glassing from his fleet of ships. The humans called him destroyer...which made their will to trust him all the more confusing...after all he did to them.

Suddenly, a quiet beeping sound filled the room and he opened his amber eyes, clicking his mandibles in confusion before snorting. Someone was at his door.

Standing from his seat on the floor he strode across the room and punched the lock deactivation on his door's control panel. Whoever had the nerve to approach him at this moment better have had a good explanation.

There was a hiss, then the doors slid open to reveal a white armor clad Elite. It was R'tas.
The white warrior stood patiently in the dim hallway, looking up to acknowledge his shipmaster with a nod, "Arbiter.'

Thel relaxed his shoulders at the sight of him and chuckled, "Friend. What reasons have you come to interrupt my meditation?"

R'tas blinked, then bowed his head and worked his two mandibles furiously, "I apologize-"

"No. It is quite alright...I was almost finished."

If it had been a stranger he would have been a little more than annoyed. But R'tas was different; if he needed to tell him something then it must be important.

The male tilted his head and snorted, "We are nearing the end of our destination, Arbiter. We will need you on deck to command the ship."

Thel blinked, breath hitching at the thought of finally reaching his home.
Shaking out of his stupor he nodded, "I will join you in a moment."

He stepped back into his room and let the door slide shut between him and R'tas, allowing him to don his armor and retrieve his energy sword hilt from a metal container near his sleeping mat.

Attaching it to his magnetic utility clip, he went back to the door and opened it to find R'tas again waiting patiently against the wall.

He snorted softly and led the way down the corridor towards the ship's deck. R'tas flanked him, and for a few long moments all was silent but the quiet thumping of their hooves on the floor.

It was not uncomfortable however; back in the days of the Covenant Thel could go hours without speaking to someone outside an professional order.

But soon, R'tas chuckled and began to speak, "What do you think it will be like?"

Thel turned to him with a tilt of his helm and the male continued, "Our home...do you think it will be any different than when we left?"

*Different? I have not taken that it into thought...after all it has been many years...*

He thought to himself for a moment, then shrugged stiffly, "I am not the one to ask, R'tas. Last I saw of our planet was 3 decades ago; I am sure both you and a multitude of others on this ship remained far longer before joining the war."

His friend was quiet, and they took a turn down a long pathway leading past two large windows. Five inches of glass separated them from the dark world outside.

Slowing near one of the windows R'tas sighed sadly, "I was recruited into the Covenant when I was but an adolescent, Arbiter...you were on our planet much longer than I was ever granted."

They both went silent, and Thel grimaced before coming to a stop and turning to his comrade. The male was gazing out into space, green eyes dim with sadness.

*The Covenant denied many of us a proper life...I should have considered that of my friend.*

Although the Sangheili race saw honor in battle, Thel wished that it was not such a firm way of life.
He realized with a widening of eyes that if anyone caught him thinking such things, he could be hanged.

Shuddering at the thought, he attempted to change the subject. Turning to R'tas he sighed, "Do you have family back on Sangheilios?"

He himself belonged to the state of 'Vadam...although after his disgrace in the Covenant he was technically disowned...

Again he grimaced at his thoughts, but R'tas thankfully drew him from it with a deep chuckle.

"Yes... although only two direct members remain in my family.

R'tas belonged to the state of 'Vadum; both keeps very honored and in high standings.
The male seemed to brighten at mentioning his family and a grin appeared on his face as much as his two mandibles would allow, "You will have to meet them Arbiter..."

Thel nodded, smiling himself at his friend's will to remain strong, "If it would please you, then yes."

R'tas snorted and again walked ahead, "You need to stop speaking in that tone, Arbiter. You are no longer in shame, and as a Shipmaster's command I do as you please."

He blinked, about to speak, but a sudden lurch from their ship made him gasp and stumble to the wall, where he pushed his palms into the window to stabilize himself. R'tas did the same, his mandibles spread in a wide grin despite what should have been terrifying for others.

Taking deep gasps of air, Thel felt as though his organs were threatening to rush up his throat. The rumbling continued like constant thunder.
Then from the edge of his view a flash of green caught his eyes and he looked up.

Outside the window was a huge ring of flashing green light, encircled around the Shadow of Intent. It rippled and shimmered brightly, then began shifting to the left. In its wake came forth the stars of space; normal space.

This was but the end of their journey. They had reached the end of Slipstream.

Thel began to grin, watching the green gateway move out of view behind the ship as if a curtain has been raised. At the edge of the window, the wonderful sight of an approaching planet came to view.

The rumbling came to a stop and R'tas let out a bellowing laugh, "We have arrived!"

The Shadow of Intent's engines slowed and the ship moved foreword with normal speed; which for a moment felt like the pace of an Earth slug compared to the jump they had just endured for 19 days.

Regaining his balance Thel stood straight and watched as the planet came to full sight.

It was much larger than Earth; covered mostly with what looked like five large continents of lush green forest dotted with the occasional desert. Around that deep blue oceans spread farther than all of Earth's bodies of water.

Although the world seemed bright, Thel knew it would be in the middle of the night once they entered atmosphere.

In amazement he breathed, the sheer beauty of his long forgotten home making him pause to take in every detail of their arrival. Beside him R'tas was grinning, but the white male soon turned and nudged his shoulder, "Need I remind you are the Shipmaster?"

Thel blinked, then snorted in realizing his current role, "You need say nothing more."

Turning on his hooves he took off down the passageway with long strides, almost colliding with an Elite Minor gawking at the planet through the glass.
Growling in annoyance he heard R'tas join him, and soon they were standing before the doors of the ship's command deck.

Thel entered the sliding doors and found himself standing before a crew of Sangheilis, busy with the control of the Shadow of Intent.
Looking up one bellowed and bowed his head in respect to their Arbiter, "Shipmaster on deck!"

The others in the room looked up and too left their controls to bow their heads. Thel responded with the tilt of his head and a suppressed pant, "Connect communications with Sangheilios; request access into the atmosphere and-"

But he was cut off by a loud whirring of the ship's instruments, before one of his charge in a red suit of armor nodded, "We are being contacted as we speak."

*A hasty connection...I pray there is nothing wrong.*

Riddled with worry Thel moved to his seat and lowered himself into it, nodding, "Let them through."

There was a quick sequence of chirps, then a rush of static filled the room. Moments later a deep voice sounded and the com channel cleared.

"Hailing Assault Carrier Shadow of Intent; what is it you seek?"

Speaking with an air of authority Thel nodded, gazing across the room at nothing in particular.

"This is Shipmaster Thel 'Vadam requesting access into the atmosphere."

For a moment there was strange silence, and Thel glanced behind him to R'tas, who shrugged and crossed his arms.
Then, static again filled the room and the voice spoke, "You have clearance onto Sanghelios. Bring your ship to the unloading docks in the city of Vadimri."

Vadimri...that was the capitol of Sangheilios.

To this Thel smiled. Vadimri was the home of the states of 'Vadam and 'Vadum.

*My home lays within my grasp...after all these years...*

30 years ago, before he had joined the Covenant, Thel had been the Kiadon of his keep; the leader of the household.
Even though after his shaming, and he was disowned from his family name, he yearned to see his family again.

Previous wars with the Covenant had denied him a father, while his mother had died during his birth. All he had were distant relatives, but that was enough.

*When all is settled...I will visit them.*

Breaking from his deep thought, Thel looked up and found the crew of his ship gazing intently at him, awaiting orders.
He snorted and clicked his mandibles before shifting in his seat with a nod, "Bring the ship to the city of Vadimri, then prepare the transports."

His charge obeyed, and soon the Shadow of Intent was coming to the atmosphere of Sangheilios.

R'tas spoke loudly for them all to hear, "We arrive home brothers! To Sangheilios!"

Roars of happiness answered him.

With a heavy rumble the Shadow of Intent began to shake as it entered the pulling effect of gravity in the planet's atmosphere.
To work against it's effects, the lower thrust engines ignited and the violent vibrations gradually subsided.

Gripping his seat, Thel felt the ship readjust and noticed the differences of physiques in the room. The synthetic gravity cores were switched off and true gravity took its hold on them.
Slowly they descended from the sky and through the clouds before coming into view of a large mountain range.

Flying over it the Shadow of Intent found a city; the city of Vadimri.
Their journey was finally over.

Positioning the Shadow of Intent over the capitol Vadimri, Thel's crew found the unloading docks, where they were to ride down on transport Phantoms to land.
The air became frigid with life.

Moving to one of the Shadow of Intent's hangers, Thel was accompanied by R'tas as a Phantom was prepared for their transport.

He waited patiently, until an Elite minor approached them and bowed his head, "Your ship is ready to land sir."

To this news Thel nodded, and the younger male led them towards an awaiting Phantom. Inside was a small group of soldiers granted first flight down to the surface.

As the transport lowered out of the Assault Carrier the younger blue armored males began to talk excitedly. Some spoke of families, while others mentioned their longing for a proper bed and fresh food.

But Thel listened to them halfheartedly. His thoughts hung over the worry of their return like a prey animal awaiting the attack of a predator. It was his responsibility to inform their race of the Covenant's betrayal and the great Schism; if they didn't already know. Hopefully that was the case, yet part of him knew it would never be that easy. He also knew many would choose to continue following the Covenant's ways.

*Even after death those wretched Prophets shall effect my peoples' sights.*

Gripping the handlebar on the wall of the Phantom's hull, Thel breathed inwards and closed his eyes when his lungs were filled with the long forgotten scent of his home planet's air. Seeping in through the cracks of the side bay doors it was sweet; much like Earth's forests.

Suddenly, a Minor approached from the head of the ship and nodded, "We shall be arriving within moments."

R'tas chuckled from his spot by the gravity hub, "Not soon enough my brother."

To this Thel responded with a chuckle, but the Phantom made a sudden swoop upwards, and he readjusted his stance before hearing the pilot's cockpit open and the hover engines ignite.

For a moment all was silent, until a sharp hiss was heard from the sides of the ship and the bay doors cracked open. Sunlight flooded in to temporarily blind the passengers, before the Phantom's doors lowered and full view of their surroundings were revealed.

To the off side of the ship, blue ocean waters spread out as far as the eye could see; the sun above casting sparkling flashes over its surface. The blue sky on the horizon nearly blended with the waters, giving it an odd endless feel.

Blinking in the light of day Thel was entranced by this feeling of free eternity. It wasn't long however before a happy roar caught his attention, and he was forced to turn on his hooves. In the quick change of glances Thel found himself staring at the mainland and the city built there.

Surrounding it on three sides was an expanse of rain forest, cut off by large mountain ranges. On the fourth side of course was the white sandy beaches and vast oceans.

Vadimri itself was large; with great metallic blue towers creating the heart of the city, while expanding outwards its buildings lessened in architectural grandeur. Tall metal towers changed to masses of stone villages carved into the face of a ridge or rocky terrain amidst the occasional field or meadow. This was where the great family estates were located.

While some of the metrolpolis seemed almost out of place, thanks to their most 'generous' of Covenant, the older more sacred settlements stood as testimonies to the centuries past. Some of the buildings were from the times of their ancestors; most dating back to the feud between Sangheili and San Shyumm.

Looking over the city Thel lifted his head with pride at the beauty of his world. The lush green landscapes and scenes of distant battleships and cruisers in the sky above gave a serene yet formidable feel to the city.

"I remember only a fraction of this city, Arbiter. It has changed greatly from when I last saw it."

Drawn from his thoughts Thel looked away from the city and found R'tas standing by his side. The other male's mandibles were spread in a wide grin.

His own mandibles slowly flaying outwards Thel chuckled, before the ship made a dramatic shift and they lowered towards solid ground. Voices began to rise in soft murmurs of excitement.

Up ahead past the beach, a large military installation awaited their arrival. Partially made from stone and metal, towers rose up from one half of the facility, while other buildings served as warehouses, hangars, and supply bunkers.
Aircraft of all sizes flew in and out at a steady pace while the small figures of soldiers roamed about on duty and in formation.

As the Phantom slowly descended to the waiting landing yard below, Thel felt the excitement of the room heighten.
One male, a red Major, moved towards the edge of the Phantom's side panels and gazed out at the soldiers below; whom now gazed towards the dropship with curiosity at the return of the Shadow of Intent's crew.

Finally, the ship coming close enough to the ground that they could unload, some of the younger minors strode foreword and leapt out the side of the Phantom.

R'tas followed them with a bellow of laughter, "Sangheilios awaits us brothers!"

*Sangheilios...and the people who may or may not agree to our new vision of life.*

Thel did not move for the ship's panel so easily. Instead he remained frozen; gazing ahead as happy shouts and roars began to sound from the gathering crowd below.

Beside him the red Major awaited his chance to jump into the light of day. As his comrades passed by his golden eyes lifted, and rested on the nearby Arbiter.
The young Sangheili tilted his head and nodded to his Shipmaster, "Is something wrong?"

His voice brought the Thel out of his thoughts; making him look up and sigh at the single remaining soldier. He recognized the Major from some of the battles on earth. Rather, this male had been R'tas' second in command...

Shaking his head Thel sighed, "I am unsure of the future..."

The Major nodded, "The fate of our brethren and in which side they chose to believe. The Covenant, or our Arbiter."

Thel's head nodded slightly, then he let out a low growl of frustration and pointed to the world outside their ship, "You have greater duties than to share in my worries, Major. Go...see our Sangheilios."

The Sangheili clicked his mandibles, then following orders he stepped foreword and swiftly leapt down from the Phantom's turret platform.

Left alone the Arbiter clenched his fists and took one last glance at the Base in front of him.

*I fret like a newborn...it must stop now.*

He told himself this but didn't quite believe it.

Stepping to the exit of the Phantom he stood out on the platform and squinted in the sudden burst of direct sunlight. Sangheilios' sun was far stronger than Earths.
Bending down Thel leapt away from the ship and landed on a smooth metallic surface, then looked up and took in a deep breath.

He now stood on an elevated landing platform. R'tas was not far away; a smile on his mandibles as he turned and chuckled, "I had forgotten how much I missed this place..."

The occasional laugh or roar of happiness from their soldiers made Thel smile and step closer to his friend, "Time apart makes the heart yearn..."

"You heard that from a human didn't you."

"Quite."

Both males laughed softly, but their conversation was interrupted by a nearby Minor's snort, "Shipmaster...High Councilors are approaching."

*High Councilors?*

The leaders of Vadimri; much like the Councilors of the Covenant...yet they were not held underneath the hand of the Prophets.
Speaking for the people they made decisions that benefited the city...and occasionally decided the fate of shamed Covenant warriors...

*These are not the same councilors Thel; remember that."

In pain he looked down the short stairs leading off of the landing platform and saw a procession leading out of the main building. There were 11 figures...but not all were councilors. He could tell that much even from their distance.

R'tas tilted his head, "Honor Guards. I pray there is nothing wrong..."

Sorry for taking so long. :) Was a little busy.

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