November 16, 2561
Under the surface. Everything was strangely cool for some reason, and there's even a small lake down in the cave. There wasn't a toxic reading in the area as well.
"It's awfully cool down here." That same goblin spoke as he felt a cool wind through the caves.
"Smells like iron too. Again with no food." Then the other Spartan kept speaking about food.
"When will anything stop smelling like food to you?" The shaman replied to him.
"Since I got pulled immediately, I can't stop thinking about food. It's about nine hours since I left." He kept thinking about it, while Chief managed to walk in one of the tunnels.
"Where are you going?" The elf went down into the cave, and the rest of them followed until a large golden metal wall blocked their way.
"That's where the energy source came from. I got something for this." Said 117 as he found something from the Titans.
"Forget it, Titans always build their stuff to last just about forever." The Pandaren was an avid reader of Titan architecture, he thought that everything that they create would last forever. Until he hears a charging sound.
117 held something called the Destructive Focus Cannon, a more larger version of the Covenant's Focus Rifle and the Spartan Laser Cannon. It doesn't hold back anything, that's what Aelkara says about this weapon. She'd created this herself.
When it fired, the force knocks him back. But he stood up against the recoil. The metal wall was already weakened from eons of erosion. The beam melted through the wall in no time. But it drained the energy shield and took all of the power from the weapon.
"That's a damn good product.." The goblin spoke as he walked through the wall and heading directly into the Forge Rooms.
The materials were being brought on carts, which was too heavy for either Spartan-II or Spartan-V operatives in few numbers. The Forge was still active, even after the original Titans were slain by Sargeras. Only the machines work after countless eons.
"You are clearly not from here, you should leave while you still can." A construct warns them. Nothing to specifically.
"We're borrowing your supplies, that's all we're telling you." The goblin rudely asks the construct.
"That's not the way to ask a person to borrow something." The Pandaren scolds him, and quickly used magic to silence him.
"There's someone you should see." 117 spoke as he flips a enchanted gold coin, and reaches to the giant construct as the machine touched it. Ever since the Earthern Aspect was been favored by the Titans back when Neltharion was on their side, once Aelkara got her position and removed the corrupted remains of the previous Aspect. The ghosts of the former world-builders had granted her favor across Azeroth. The machine saw this and quickly began to drag the cart to a portal.
"Why didn't you say that the Earthern Warden needed this? I'll get this to Azeroth right away." When he opened the portal, a fel energy bolt struck him as the cart was through the portal. The Legion came out in small, but deadly numbers as they were the squad of elite-ranking demons. A machine was spotted with fel magic, and this was an attempt to take one part of the refinery. When they drive the Titans out, they will alter the air for their survival on the planet.
The rest of 117 and his crew decided to break out running towards the elevator, because this part of the facility will be blasted by a torrent of magma to flush the demons out. They all made it inside, but as the elevator moved upwards. It looked like the elevator was not working properly, because this was a bit too long.
"Crap.. How long we were on this thing?" The Spartan spoke while being tired, and when he opened the map. The section of the refinery that they came from were locked to the mantle of the planet, extending down to the lower mantle to the Stratosphere. "Aw... Hell, at least there's some pork chops in here."
"Do you even know where it came from?" The night elf looked at him as he took off the helmet and ate the ribs. At least the air was at normal temperature. And the food wasn't infected.
"How far down are we?" 117 asked.
"About at the lower planetary crust, what asked you?" The other Spartan replied as he put his helmet back on.
"How fast is this thing going?" Then 117 threw out the next question.
"I'm not a genie, but this thing looks like its slowing down." He spoke, noticing the slowdown on the upward speed of the elevator. The Spartan-V power armor was mostly augmented by the Earthern Warden's own hands. The scanners were boosted to check for flaws in advanced alien machines and relics, sometimes to power any structure with tremendous amount of energy.
"If your armor can power a structure like this. Then we both could find something to power this thing up." 117 was a Spartan-II in his heroic days, but infused with greater energy slightly more than Spartan-V operatives. His own power armor can do the same.
"I'm pretty sure that this can fry the entire suit out. You sure this is a good idea?" He was nervous of how it will end up if both of them will charge the elevator to full power. This can overload their own armor and possibly kill them.
"I know the risk, but I'm not intending to lose this mission." The Master Chief had told him one thing, he won't decide to lose for a single day. Despite how Azeroth's mythical enemies can be so deadly at times, he isn't afraid of this.
Both of them had pulled opened the electrical frames and put their hands to power it up. The elevator went up faster as it finally broke to the surface and heading to the atmosphere fast. But was stopped by the emergency brakes at super sonic speed. This was done in four minutes thanks to the Overshield cell and all of the Spartan power armor.
"Uh. Why is the glass cracking up in here?" The goblin noticed that the sudden stop has created a crack in the glass, and the structure was collapsing as the support beams were tearing at the hinges.
At this point, they were trying to find a way out of the elevator. The Hearthstones were broken from the super sonic impact from the brakes, lucky for the GEN2-Prime Armor, they were equipped with a tether function. When engaged in dangerous situations or cornered utterly, it brings the operative straight back to an town or base of operations through a warp function. But the armor was malfunctioning due to excess energy, and the others focused their magical energy to release the power and restore basic functions.
Once that worked. 117 and the other Spartan engaged the tethers, but they were at 10% energy, so if they use it. Then they would end up in the wrong place because of the low energy glitch. They held onto his power armor and warped just in time as the elevator broke down.
Teldrassil, Back on Azeroth.
1:30 AM.
(Lorderas 'Vadame's Origin Story)
For thousands of years by the Covenant's legacy, we've been blinded by a weak chain that has failed us in a pointless war. It was all of their religion to their dead gods and an dead empire. These Halo rings were worthless, as they would kill everyone off like that because of their fanatic cause. They were blind, and others had exploited them for their weakness. The Covenant didn't need those rings, for we wanted was power to rule like kings.
But the popular choice lies in their demise. They were held back by their devotions to their false people, and what we get was the end of our legacy as the Covenant. Jul' Mdama's failed empire was because of their devotion to once again, another dead being that promised nothing for him or the rest of us.
Except for me. I've forsaken their doomed religion to forge a new destiny for myself and others who followed me. The Covenant Reborn was the name of this same group, the true and pure destiny of the Covenant. We were made to remain powerful and to remove the chains of the Prophets that led us to our doom. The Sangheili and all others shall rule in my name. We chose to plunder, kill, destroy and conquer everything that stood in our way. We were only a few, but we had the most powerful Covenant soldiers that remained after the Great Schism.
All of this was not going to waste. The Forerunners did indeed left a great deal of artifacts behind to sell on the market, or to increase our firepower. This year, I found out about a planet, named Azeroth. My scouts found many evidence of mythical beings, not from the Forerunners. But something greater than that. The Scythe of Elune and the Night Elves. Very old people on Azeroth, who had suffered so much in their time. But they boast a valuable prize when they all can obey my rule.
If I can steal as much relics from them as possible, especially the Scythe. It will serve us so much, that the weapon will be my legacy to all that follow me.
"What.. We're taking their city first? You know how risky it is, right?" One of my commanders simply doubted the attack that it will work. After all, this is Darnassus. The night elves' own home. There was only one light cruiser near the island.
"It doesn't matter, because they cling on their mortal power. While we have one thing in mind to kill them all." I unsealed a paralyzing bioweapon, the same one that came from Argent Moon. Lucky for the environment, it doesn't harm any trees in the process. But the elves won't be lucky.
"You said that you wanted to conquer them, not kill them like that." He keeps doubting my ways.
"Sometimes.. You have to do what the mission demands. Besides, the Druids are a problem. So if I poison the ground and their lifeforce. They're be harmless to us as take Tyrande from her home." I spoke one thing I need, is Tyrande Whisperwind. She's needed for me to know the location the Scythe of Elune.
"So you're going forward with this, what do you want me to do?" He took command of the ship, and I was to go on the ground and find Tyrande.
"Take the ship and create a distraction, sink their ships or drive it out from the island. Use the bio-weapon and reduce her royal guard to nothing." I gave the only order, while I equipped the Overlord's armor. Sure, an Ultra's helmet with the rest of the armor was hand-crafted from the old design and the newer ones. Except with a cape with it. The Silent Shadow's remaining soldiers went on the ground. Into Darnassus to find the first piece of the puzzle.
I was immediately swarmed with elves as they raised their weapons. What they didn't knew was the ship passing over me, while we wore gas helmets.
"So you turned yourself in? How pathetic of you." An elf rode in her saber, and tried to mock me when she doesn't know of one thing that is happening.
"My capture wouldn't last for long. Today will surely mark your end of freedom." I simply spoke these words.
"Oh, an arrogant idiot. You hear this? A show-off decides to think that he rules us, yet we have ten thousand years of magical strength and the aid of Elune's guidance. You can't even last long if you decide to kill us. Pure joke." When she said that, the missile hits the air and spreads the gas everywhere on the ground. Since we were holding the only hazmat gear available, the elves died when they were close to the center of the detonation. The rest of them in the other areas were completely vulnerable.
While we ran to the palace, more of the guards were trying to resist the gas through magical means, but they were already dead men walking. It was also easy for us to slay them. Tyrande may had a Forerunner bunker hidden within underground. There was more of our reinforcements from the ship to fight off any attackers from the other villages.
More and more elves were slain as the gas even moves down the bunker. The royal guard was normal, but they were infected by our own bio-grenades. Unfortunately, we were blocked by one thing. The damn bunker door wouldn't open, because she locked it from the inside and nothing can open it. Unless... She forgot one thing.
This bunker was a Flood containment facility, and once I opened the doors behind her. I let the parasites run her outside. This is when I took the chance and knocked her down. I put the gas mask on her too and teleported out of Darnassus, and back on the ship.
A week's passed since Darnassus suffered their own arrogance. I know they had the powerful mages, druids and warriors on their side, many troops were killed by their force. Now it doesn't even matter, Tyrande is now mine, soon I shall have the Scythe of Elune.
No one had followed us as well. At least the ship commander took down most of their sea-faring ships. Now I dragged Tyrande out in the front of my men. And next to her was a machine, and you may don't want to know what happens when someone puts their hands into it.
"This is Tyrande Whisperwind, one of the conduits to finding the Scythe of Elune. But first, how important is it?" I greeted her to my soldiers, then asked her again to see how important this weapon.
"It's only for the purest of hearts. You simply cannot grasp the power of Elune's will, it will be useless in your hands." She figured that her kind will only use the weapon, all because of their history, their magic and their goodwill.
"Hadn't you forget who we are? I don't care about your dead god, for today. We've shown only a few soldiers and a situation that you could had handled, yet your love for this 'Elune' failed you and caused many people to perish. Your arrogance contributed to this as well. We're not afraid of your magic at all, and we wanted is to be the part of our Covenant. Your age of freedom dies and you will belong to us." I remained strong, not taking any heed from her.
"Hmph! Your pride shows no bounds, it shall be the end of you. I simply won't tell you the location because I will be forever cursed and hated by my people. You underestimate what we can do, and this won't end so well for you." She kept denying me of the location, and I took her hands into the machine. It was filled with Flood parasites, and no matter how powerful she is. The Flood can perfectly devour her mind.
"Looks like we have pride in each other, but remember who did win today. It is us, and tomorrow shall determine if Night Elves can keep the Scythe, or you can lose it and will join us in blood and ruin." While I saw her squirming as the parasites enter her body, she'd suddenly broke free.
"Whatever method that you did. It won't work, justice will prevail when you shall see the elegance and my people's will against your might." When she said that, an strike landed on my armor, but she didn't knew Covenant technology as much as the others. I fought back as she leaps over me because of her agility, and I returned strikes against each other. My soldiers didn't move at all, but when her sword stuns me. They leaped at her to stop this.
Unfortunately. She's started to scream and saying random words, after hearing this. I knew that the parasite was weakening her resistance to the creature, even the magic made it stronger and took her powers away. At this point, Tyrande had started to freeze up, and one last word came out of her mouth.
It was the Dreamgrove, a place for druids that contained the Scythe, and it was located in Val 'Sharah. On the Broken Isles. She was already finished, and I dropped her over the bay. Somewhere in the Eastern Kingdoms. I may go there, but powerful forces lie beyond our current strength and numbers. We must gather the numbers to start the assault.
Tomorrow, will determine the battle of my Covenant and their freedom as the Night Elves.