Sanghelios

January 24, 2552 1028hrs
CCR-Class Research Vessel Mercy and Devotion. Slipspace
Ryau 'Cinotee

Former Staff Sergeant Nick Walker worked his mandibles around a chunk of meat speared onto a two-pronged fork and swallowed the shreds. Eating had proven to be unusual, even with all the muscle memory that came with the body, but he had managed to feed himself. The last few hours had gone by slowly; he was cooped up in the private cabin carefully working through all the files Naki had left for him. The only eventful moment was when Ryau had to accept a meal delivered by a Grunt… or Unggoy… that Ultra 'Carunmee had sent for him.

The files had actually been compelling for the old part of his mind, triggering the old wonder that had become rare so far into the war. There was so much more nuance in the real documents, opposed to reading abridged wiki pages for a videogame. When he had finished the bulk of the files his mind yearned for more, and he smiled as he remembered simpler times. Plus he was going to Sanghelios. The Sanghelios; Homeworld of the Elites. Part of him was excited, but his years of military experience fighting against the very species he had become put a damper on it.

The Device on his forearm itched slightly, and he rubbed the exposed skin absentmindedly. Naki had explained to him that he should keep the Device on his arm until she could be sure that he was stable, and whatever that entailed.

He had figured out the room's drink dispenser early on and was enjoying a sweet tasting tea with the last of his meal. He was about to get another cup when a buzzer sounded throughout the ship. "Slipspace transition imminent." Said a voice through the ship wide intercom.

"Well... Here we go." He mumbled to himself.

There was a weak jolt through the deck plates as the vessel dropped back into normal space. He quickly packed the single change of clothes he had been provided and waited for either Naki or Zeik to arrive. They had not told him when they would leave the ship, but he was anxious to just get it over with.

The door chimed and slid open, and in walked the Silver armored Sangheili he knew as Ultra 'Carunmee. Zeik gave him a look and grimaced. "Cinotee..." He shook his head and the look disappeared. "Are you ready to go?"

Ryau grabbed his bag from the bed and nodded. "Yes I am..." He took a breath and tried to put on a calm neutral expression.

It did not seem to work. "Cinotee... what are you doing?" Zeik asked.

He sighed and ceased his attempt to look normal. "I was just trying to project calm, since I am pretty nervous."

"Well do not do that again, you looked ridiculous." Zeik shook his head and pulled out a royal red and gold scarf. "Naki provided this and wants you to wrap your arm and the Device in it. In case any of her students pass us as we leave. Then keep close to me, I'll lead you to where Major Cimutee waits for us."

With a final nod, Ryau tightly wrapped the scarf around the Device and tucked it into itself. It looked somewhat strange to him, but maybe it was some sort of Sangheili style he was unaware of. When he was ready, he followed Zeik out through the doors and into the ship beyond. It was quiet in the corridors directly outside the room, but the further toward the core they went the more commotion there was. He guessed that at least for some of the Sangheili aboard this was their home port, and they were returning from a long deployment. Zeik navigated them through the packed passageways until they came to one of the Covenant's large shuttlebays.

Various types of dropships and shuttle craft occupied every open bay in the hangar. There were many types that Ryau had never seen before, some looked quite old.

As they passed through the wide doors to the hangar, he could feel his anxiety spike; there were so many Sangheili inside, he dreaded how he would feel when on the surface. Maybe if they were dressed in something other than combat armor, he would feel better about it. But these were all still fully armored and combat ready... aside from the large rucksacks and cases they all carried.

The realization that these Elites were all headed home tempered his feelings, and he forced himself to relax ever so slightly.

Naki was waiting beside one of the shuttles that looked like an extended Phantom, she had a few bags slung over her slender form. When she saw Ryau walking up she seemed to smile slightly. It was almost an imperceptible change, and he was surprised that he was able to notice the change on a different species.

"I'll take him from here, Ultra." Naki said to Zeik, she eyed the scarf for only one second.

"I will see you when you return to the ship." Zeik replied, with a professional nod. "I have some personal duties to complete at my own Keep that may retain me for the duration of this leave."

"Understood, 'Carunmee." She returned his nod and he disappeared into the crowds. "So, Ryau." Naki paused briefly when she said his name. "Let's go home."

Naki turned and walked up the ramp and into the transport. Ryau followed a few paces behind and entered the dimly lit transport. There were a few other Sangheili inside, most of which Ryau recognized from the lab before the experiment had begun. None of them would know who he was thankfully; that was the only thing that prevented him from just spinning around and leaving. A few of them gave him looks, but that was probably… hopefully… because he sat right beside Naki in the mostly empty transport.

Seeming to read his thoughts, Naki waved her hand dismissively at the others. "Don't mind them, they just want something new to talk about."

"If you say so," Ryau said. "How long will the descent last?" He was eager to get away from them.

She shrugged. "Fifteen minutes, give or take." it was a very Human colloquialism, showing her original heritage through her physical form.

The doors to the shuttle were raised and sealed, and Ryau noticed that none of the seats had restraints. Ryau leaned back and braced for the tug of acceleration. However it was only a weak force, it felt no stronger than a ride in a car. He loosened his grip on the sides of the chair and guessed that the Covenant had excellent inertial dampeners in their dropships; UNSC Pelicans and shuttles had no such luxuries.

The journey to the surface of Sanghelios was smooth the whole way down. As they passed through the atmosphere, viewing screens on the walls of the cabin winked to life with what he assumed to be live images of the planet below. The equatorial regions of Sanghelios appeared to be very dry, which he knew, but had not expected it to be as extreme as it was. There were however patches of green that snaked along the banks of wide rivers and lakes, but everything between them was orange and rocky.

The mountains also held splotches of vegetation along their ridges and valleys; it reminded him of the Sierra Nevada mountains back on Earth. Though it briefly occurred to him that he did not actually know what they looked like in the 26th century.

Gradually the sandstone turned green, and what looked like forests began to pop up the further north they traveled. He could spy some compounds, or towns cut out of the trees now that they were low enough. Then they passed over a large urban center built up around the rim of a wide bay; dots on the water became boats of various sizes, and Ryau realized that they were descending rapidly.

"Is this where we're landing?" He asked Naki.

She nodded and gave a small wave to the viewscreen. "Yes, this is Varo, the largest city in the State of Zelso. Do you see that island on the left side of the bay?"

Looking at the screen, he looked down on the water. There were a group of islands along a massive open green space in the urban sprawl. One of the islands had a few structures on it, so he assumed that was what she meant and nodded.

"I live there, on the west side of the island." She continued. "I have the Keep all to myself."

"You live there... alone?" Ryau's prior knowledge of Elites, which was mostly forgotten at this point in his life, implied families were large and lived in keeps all together. He had woken up with a family when he appeared in the universe, so it was safe to assume Naki did as well.

"Yes, alone." She seemed to know why he was asking. "Some large urban areas are more permissive with the old traditions, and that goes double for this state specifically. Sometimes enough to irritate some of its neighbors. I think the Kaidon likes the tension."

"Peaceful quiet place, hm?" Ryau asked after that 'tension' comment with a hint of sarcasm. He hoped that this Zelso state would be a good place for a former-Human to blend in to. "What about the weather?"

"Yes, it's quiet mostly. There hasn't been a major conflict in... probably longer than I've been alive." Naki replied, seeming to search her mind. "And the weather is mild, cool for Sanghelios; we are quite far north."

Ryau nodded and noticed that the shuttle had begun to settle into a landing cradle on the surface. As soon as the doors had opened the other passengers quickly disembarked and made their way to the structure beyond. He walked over to the hatch and peered out at the world outside.

The air was dry, and he could smell a hint of nature over the ozone odor from the spacecraft. Immediately around him was a vast open plain, and he roughly estimated that it was almost enough space to land two entire UNSC Frigates side by side. Beyond the plain was a dense forest with a large city on the horizon

He stepped down onto the old paving stones that constituted the landing pad and followed the others around towards a cluster of structures that must serve as a terminal for the spaceport. The buildings themselves were a quite mystifying mix of ancient stone and classic purple Covenant nanolaminate architecture. Ryau felt the giddy feeling start in his core as he passed through the doorway adorned in colorful banners.

Along the walls of the wide interior corridor were large stone tablets arranged between nanolaminate pillars, which appeared to be depicting some event in the long history of the Elites and the Prophets.

"You're really taking this all in, aren't you?" Naki asked, smirking.

"Well yeah, when I was a kid, I dreamt of coming here. It's pushing that fear out of my head." He replied, following the line of tablets through the building. "How could you tell?"

"You have probably the largest grin I've ever seen right now." Naki said.

Ryau frowned slightly and tried to hide the excitement from his face.

"No, no, it's fine-" She gave him a pat on his back. "- Just we are almost to the check-in station. This is where we see if Zeik and I's handiwork pays off." Ryau's frown only grew.

At the end of the corridor there were a cluster of security booths for what he guessed was Customs or Immigration control. It did not seem very busy; each was occupied, but only by those that had disembarked their shuttle. Naki walked ahead of him and stepped up to the booth first. Ryau took a breath and pulled the Identity Disk from the pouch on his belt. He stepped into line right behind her and listened in, so he could get an idea of what this was going to be like.

Inside the booth sat a Sangheili in an antiquated set of armor. It was faded green-grey color and had a baggy cloth uniform instead of a bodysuit. The Guard looked up at Naki with an annoyed expression.

Naki handed the Sangheili sitting inside of the booth her own Identity Disk and stepped back. The guard examined the disk and inserted it into something on their desk. "Sorry Science Major 'Cimutee, we had a system crash about twenty minutes ago, and I am still trying to find my files. Just one of those days, I guess. Processing will take some extra time."

"I understand," Naki replied. She did not seem surprised though.

There was a beep from inside the booth, and the guard passed the disk back to Naki. "Welcome home, Major."

Seems simple enough... Ryau thought to himself as Naki moved beyond the booth. He stepped up and handed over the disk. He thought about saying some sort of greeting, but he was not sure what time it was, or how a proper greeting would go. Ultimately, he remained quiet as Naki had.

"Special Operations Major Ryau 'Cinotee, this will only take a few moments." The guard tip tapped a tune against the table as they waited for their machine to finish its system scan. It took longer than Naki's, and even the guard seemed confused. But then the machine gave its satisfied beep and Ryau relaxed. "That took a bit long, Major, but you're good to go on. Welcome to Zelso."

Ryau nodded and took his disk back from the guard, and then joined Naki on the other side. "So where to now?"

Naki waited with her arms crossed, but in a good mood. "First, we get you clothes. I know a good seamstress in the city, I can take you there."

"Sounds good, I can't just wear this everywhere." Ryau plucked at his only shirt. "How do we get there, are there buses?"

She shook her head and began to lead him through the terminal. "No, I have something."

He followed her closely through the spaceport to a different structure connected by a sky bridge. It was a large parking garage filled with various vehicles, many of which were variants he had never seen before. Naki walked right up to a vehicle that looked like a Spectre, but with a three-person internal cabin and a flatbed where the turret would be. It was a pale blue with silver accents.

"Mm, is this yours?" He asked, looking over the vehicle with interest.

"It belongs to my family, but they hardly used it." She tapped a button and a holographic keyboard appeared, then she entered a code to unlock the door.

Unlike the actual Spectre, where the entire front of the vehicle would hinge open to reveal the cockpit, this civilian model had its side panel slide back like a minivan. Naki climbed into the driver's seat and waited for Ryau to get in before closing the door.

As he expected from experience with Covenant military vehicles, Ryau found no seatbelt or other kind of safety restraint system. The phrase 'Only the strong survive' popped into his head as he settled into the seat and frowned.

"So family, not your clan?" He asked as Naki powered on the engine and lifted the vehicle half a meter above the ground. "Are those two words interchangeable?"

"Uh no actually; my family, my mother and father, left my clan Keep years before I was born to work at the Arica Manufactorum. The rest of the Cimut clan is down in Vellam near the equator."

"So the whole Uncle thing...?"

"A good example of the traditions being loosened in this state; it's a little obvious who my father was in a two parent situation, and fairly common across city states and the colonies." Naki waved her finger around to signify elsewhere. "One of the things causing the most tension with fundamentalists."

"I see," Ryau figured he had plenty to learn about the life and culture of this region of the planet. It was different than he was expecting, however it made sense. Having an entire planet follow the same exact culture was completely unrealistic. He wondered how things differentiated between the different Covenant colonies; most Human worlds were sparsely populated and sometimes drastically different from one another.

Naki drove the SpectreCiv, as Ryau decided to call it, out of the garage complex and onto the main road. It was paved in large stone slabs every four meters or so and had obvious stone ruts from ages of usage. Although they now traveled over it in a hover vehicle, which did not wear the surface down in the same way; Ryau wondered just how old this road really was.

His gaze went beyond the road to the forest around them. It was surprisingly familiar to him. What looked to be conifer look-alikes dominated the trees, closely resembling juniper and fir trees back on Earth. While the ground foliage appeared to be various types of broad leaf ferns and wild grasses. The only thing really missing was moss, but he figured that was due to the warmer, drier environment. It was still very green.

If Ryau could just tune out the sound of the SpectreCiv's alien engine, and stick his head to the window, he could almost pretend that he was back home. Either the twenty-first century or the twenty-sixth, it helped him relax.

Naki stayed quiet for a while after Ryau drifted into thought, probably recognizing that he needed time to himself with everything that had happened to him. It would not take long to reach the Seamstress' shop once they entered Varo.

The ancient road met up with an equally old looking highway that split the forest southward. Naki accelerated on the roadway and hugged the inner lane of the two in their direction. Ryau watched the environment gradually become less tree dense as more offshoot roads, and residential, or agricultural compounds became more, and more common. Herds of animals grazed in clearings behind dividing hedgerows every few hundred meters.

Then the transition to the city was sudden, in a blink-and-miss-it fashion. They had come to a ravine that divided the landscape, on one side was rural land and keeps, and on the other was urban infrastructure; most of the buildings were squat square-ish towers with curving ornamentation and smooth domes similar to the onion domes of old Russia.

The bridge across the ravine was made of ornamental white metal and paved in unblemished concrete. It was clear that those that lived here held great pride in their city just from Ryau's initial observation.

The highway in the city was beginning to look more familiar to Ryau as they went on; traditional off and on ramps as opposed to the bisecting roads just on the other side of the ravine. There were many elevated plazas and skyways crisscrossing the roadway, it even looked like most buildings had their many entryways on the upper level. Naki pulled off the highway and parked a fair bit down one of the covered roadways.

"Well, the seamstress' shop is just in the plaza above us." Naki said. "Are you ready to go?"

Ryau looked out the window, into the dimly lit space. "Out in public... Sure, why not." '

Naki popped open the door and they disembarked the SpectreCiv. "So how are you taking all this?" She asked.

"Well... one step at a time to be honest. It's strange though, seeing the similarities and differences so closely." He replied. "I wish I was in a better state of mind to take this all in."

She nodded, but frowned without replying, and then sighed. Naki took him up a set of stairs that led up to a large plaza surrounded by old stone towers. At the center of the plaza was a gargantuan holographic display of the three Prophets below a spinning Halo ring. Hushed words of Covenant scripture were being broadcasted from a building behind the holographic display. The building itself was flanked by two large statues of Sangheili in old armor Ryau had never seen before and draped in purple banners. They seemed to be holding their heads low in respect to the scene in the center.

"Church, or government office?" Ryau asked as they passed by.

"Both," Naki said with a hint of humor. "That's the local ministry station for the region, and the city's primary worship hall."

"And I am here because..." Ryau led on.

"The seamstress shop is in the arcade just over here." Naki nodded in the direction they were headed.

Ryau saw dozens of vendor stalls, as well as regular storefronts, nestled between the pillars of the building above. "Ah, right."

The crowd around the shops was a mix of Sangheili, warriors, women, children... Those were cute Ryau supposed, but still alien. He spotted some Unggoy there too once they entered the market. Naki brought them to a storefront in the back where it was a little quieter. Inside among the stacks of fabric and clothes was a young woman sweeping the floor.

She looked up and saw Naki walk in. "Oh Major 'Cimutee! Welcome in, it's good to see you again."

Naki smiled and bobbed her head. "It's good to see you too, Auva. Is your mother here? I have a new customer for her."

Auva stood the broom up straight and put her chest forward in pride. "No, she says I am skilled enough to run the shop myself now! She went down to Vellam for the cycle."

"Oh that's great, Auva." Naki said, and then waved to Ryau. "This is my friend, Major 'Cinotee, he is in dire need of some new clothes, and I told him this was the place to find them."

"Hello." Ryau raised his arm in a slight wave, ultimately unsure what a proper greeting was.

"Hmm, is that so?" Auva stowed the broom behind the counter and pulled out an old fashion tape measure. "Step up Major, let's see what I can get for you."

Ryau walked up to her and stood there as she took his measurements and tapped them into a small wrist data-pad. After a few moments she pulled a rack of folded clothes away from the wall. "So these should fit you, if you need anything altered to fit better just bring it up to my counter and I will take care of it when I can."

He nodded and looked through all the different clothes. Most were complex tabards or simple types like what he was already wearing. He picked out a few basic shirts that reminded him of loose t-shirts, and some coats. There was a sizing chart on the ground for the sandals that were along the base of the racks.

Naki leaned against the counter as Ryau brought the clothes over. "Quiet day today? It's been a while since I've seen the market so slow."

Auva shook her head. "It was busy earlier, but there's a storm coming in tonight. Everyone cleared out early."

"Oh really, when is it supposed to blow in?" Naki asked.

"Just after sunset, so soon." Auva wrapped up all the clothes Ryau brought over and tallied them up on her data-pad.

Ryau looked around for some shoes he liked, but he was not really a fan of all the sandals he had to choose from. "Excuse me, miss, do you have something more... protective? For footwear."

She walked over to the rack and pulled a curtain aside. "Like these winter boots?" Auva held out a set of completely enclosed leather boots.

"Yes actually, those are perfect." Ryau smiled.

Auva shook her head, "You and 'Cimutee are the only two that I know that are interested in winter boots all cycle long."

Ryau just glanced at Naki. "Well, I like the... protection, and peace of mind." He hoped that it made sense to a Sangheili. Naki nodded in agreement, and Auva just placed the boots onto the counter. So it seemed that it did.

"So, this will all cost you one-hundred-and-ninety-seven Gek," Auva said.

Ryau gave Naki a nervous look and waited for her to catch up. She had never walked him through the Covenant's money system, or even if he had any to his name yet.

It took a few moments before a look of surprise crossed her face. "Oh! I'm covering for him." Naki said and removed a chip off the side of her data-pad. She handed the chip to Auva who touched it to the side of her own tablet.

"Alright, thanks for coming in you two." She wrapped all the clothes in a cloth sheet and handed the bundle with the boots over to Ryau.

They left the shop and wandered back towards Naki's SpectreCiv. The crowds outside had dwindled considerably since they had walked through maybe twenty-minutes prior. The sky was awash with the bright colors of sunset behind the mountains, while the shy off the coast was dark, aside from the silent flashes of lightning.

"So, where to now?" Ryau asked.

Naki was watching the storm build for a moment. "We'll get some food; I know a small place not too far from here."

The thought of food brought a pang of hunger, and he recalled that he had last eaten early before leaving the ship, and that was just a small bit of meat. "Sounds good, lead the way."

They returned to the SpectreCiv and loaded up. Naki followed the road back towards the highway, but turned down a side street that paralleled the main thoroughfare. It gradually sloped down through the city before the buildings just stopped suddenly; just like when they had entered Varo initially. The trees were sparse and open, and Ryau could see that the city surrounded this patch of green in a crescent.

Naki glanced over and noticed his gaze. "This is Varosam park, it's a nature preserve between the city and the waterfront. That is where the restaurant is."

"Ah, okay," Ryau said. "What kind of food is this going to be?"

"Fish, it's fish," Naki chuckled. "Fishing is a large industry in the city. It is a stable provider of the state's diet."

"Mm... it's been a while since I've had good fish."

"Well, that's what this place specializes in... so it'll be good for you."

They passed through the final line of trees and then they were suddenly on the waterfront. Piers and docks jutted out into the bay, and there were many boats. But to be fair, it looked as if half of the place was abandoned or old legacy facilities. The technology of the area looked centuries behind what Humans had. Naki did not break in with an explanation this time; Ryau was a little disappointed but refrained from asking.

She pulled up to a large tent set up on one of the empty piers. A sign was posted above the open flap, which only displayed the Sangheilian word for Fish. There was a cloud of steam or smoke that erupted into the sky and Ryau's nostrils were assaulted by a strong scent of what he guessed passed for fish on this world.

Ryau and Naki disembarked from the SpectreCiv, and she led the way into the tent. Inside was a very familiar fish market. Various types of sea creatures were packed on ice and sat in wide tubs for selection, and behind the display were many types of cooks frying, roasting, and even boiling the catch. It smelled far better inside, than out.

It was busy, but nowhere near as bad as the market in the city. Naki was able to walk right to a display and order two filets of something called Mukasa, then take him to a nearby table.

The amount of Sangheili and other Covenant species inside still made Ryau nervous, but the cacophony of noises were familiar and a little reassuring. However, he would have preferred getting the fish to-go.

"So two hours in Zelso, what do you think?" Naki asked.

"Well it's nice, a bit crowded for someone like me right now... But I'm sure I'll get over it eventually." he replied. "Though, is there anything to drink? I'm parched."

"Water will come with the fish." Naki explained. "Unless you're looking for something else?"

"Naki-" Ryau chuckled to himself, trying to loosen up a little. "I have to try whatever you have for beer here."

"Mm, very well then. I'll be right back." She stood from the table and made her way over to another stall near where the fish was being cooked. She returned with two long necked bottles and set one before Ryau. "Best in Zelso."

The neck was curved slightly, presumably for ease of pouring into his throat. Ryau sniffed the opening and took a drink. It was definitely fermented grain, but the other flavors were foreign, much as he expected. However, it tasted good, so he kept drinking.

The familiar buzz of alcohol was quick to manifest, signaling that he had either suddenly become a lightweight, or this beer was stronger than what he had on portcalls. That stuff had probably been watered down, so he figured it was the latter.

"It's good, I'll enjoy this," he commented. "Do you also do ciders, or is it just ales?"

"Oh all sorts," Naki said. "Probably not to the variety you're used to, but there's plenty we can go through later."

Ryau tilted the bottle towards her. "Sounds like a plan."

The fish arrived, and it was fish. The closest taste he could place it to was battered and fried salmon with a hint of halibut. Though, that could just be what his mind was interpreting from the various flavors; Humans thought everything new tasted like chicken after all. It was better than the chowder Naki had been feeding him lately.

Ryau leaned back in his chair, and really took in the atmosphere. If he closed his eyes, he really could have been in any one of the dirty-spoons back home. He knew he did not look any different from any of the other Sangheili here, so maybe if he tried hard enough, he could just make that not bother him. There was a lot of opportunity to be had, Nick may be gone for now, but he was all but guaranteed to make it through the war.

Plus, he had finally found out what had happened to Michelle. That had to count for something.

xxx

Ryau woke up the next morning on a pile of blankets and a bed cushion in the direct path of all three of Sanghelios' suns. He opened his eyes only to be blinded by their combined power.

"Ffuucckk..." He groaned and rolled away from the large bay windows.

Rubbing his eyes, he sat up and surveyed the room. It was a large open bed chamber with walls of old stone; it was one of Naki's spare rooms. She had the place to herself, but it had been built for the traditional large Sangheili clans. Most of the empty space was used as storage or closed off.

There had been no bed for him in the space, but Naki had provided a few field beds and a fair number of blankets and pillows. It had sufficed and been an improvement over the floor of the cell on the ship. The room was so large that it made him feel like a child in the school cafeteria; Ryau could only imagine what it would feel like as his Human self.

He got to his feet and pulled on a set of the clothes they had picked up from Auva. The pants were baggy, but presumably that was just the style, and the tabard shirt was blue with silver trimming the edges. Thinking back to the fish market, he realized that some did not wear anything under their tabards, if they were long enough. It was in the best interest of his mind to be completely clothed though.

The streaming sunlight from the windows faded as clouds blew in front of the trio of stars, and from the dark shade of the clouds, Ryau assumed it would stay that way for quite a while. He fastened the thick leather sash across his waist and waved his hand through the light controls near where the bed would be; the room was soon brightly illuminated from sconces positioned between the windows.

With a sigh, Ryau opened up the doors and walked down the wide corridor towards the common area. The sheer scale of everything was so unusual, and he completely understood Naki's decision to close off the areas. The common room had plenty of space for everyday life.

He was unfamiliar with all the sounds that came from a Sangheili Keep, but as he entered the common area, the emergence of a vaguely familiar hum gave him pause. Ryau could not quite place where he had heard it before, but when he turned around, he was face to face with a Forerunner Sentinel. It was one of the smaller Constructor variants, harmless as far as he remembered.

The small machine floated there, watching him. It momentarily looked down at his arm, where the Device was still firmly strapped. A pang of fear shot through him; he should have wrapped his arm again when he was getting dressed.

"Uh... Naki! Is this yours?" He called.

"What are you asking about?" Naki came from the passageway that led to her living space and looked between Ryau and the Constructor sentinel. "No... but I do know of it."

"Why is there a Forerunner Sentinel in your hallway?" Ryau asked, not taking his eyes off the little thing.

Naki approached and peered at it. "Well... one like it put me on the path to find the Device in the first place, then there was another at that location that met me. It has only ever said like four words, which honestly surprised me." She looked off for a second thinking. "Either this one has been tailing me for the last year, or another one spawned when I faked your death back on the ship."

"So it's related to the weird Device that turned me into a Sangheili? Okay..." He stepped back, and the Sentinel remained where it was. "What is it doing?"

She shrugged. "I'm making the assumption that it has something to do with the Forerunner that designed the thing, be it an old automated system or one of their Associated Intelligences. Don't worry, I think it's just making sure the Device was successful."

"If that's all it's doing... then fine," he looked over at Naki and sighed. "There's still a lot going on."

"Speaking of making sure the Device worked, Ryau, we need to go test it further. To make sure you know how to use it if you ever need to," she said.

Ryau frowned. "We need to do it now?"

"Ideally, yes. As close to the original first use as possible I would say."

"Fine... fine, where are we going to do this?" Ryau clasped his hands together and rubbed them.

"Come with me," Naki spun around and took him through a corridor that branched off from the one that led to her room. They passed through a wide service door that led to a staircase.

Down they went, descending at least two floors into the rock that made up the island Naki lived on. The floor opened up to a brightly lit chamber filled with the strange Covenant cargo crates and other modern equipment. Energy fields suspending what were probably Forerunner artifacts, and disassembled weapons were positioned around multiple workstations.

If Ryau could still whistle, he would have. "Uh, workshop?"

"Pretty much," Naki said, still taking him across the room. "My Father is an Artisan Armorer and I pick up some of the profession when I am not working for the Ministry. Though sometimes I host a class here for my students when they are nearby."

She only stopped to pluck a data-pad off a desk and continued towards another door on the opposite wall. The door was much smaller than the one that had brought them down to the lab, and this door concealed more stairs. There were old pipes along the walls as they went down another few floors.

Through one final door, Naki walked Ryau out into an even larger stone room, with a wide and deep basin. The lights flicked on and illuminated the chamber in a dull orange glow.

"What is this, the Crypt?" Ryau asked, chuckling to himself.

"It's the old freshwater reservoir for the Keep complex." She waved to a few dusty vehicles off in a corner, with some crates. "It's not used for anything beyond storage now, and that I have enough upstairs."

"All this water would be just for this keep?" Ryau looked around, judging the immense volume the basin would have held at its peak.

Naki shook her head. "No, the other two 'Keeps' on the island were once part of a much larger compound. The big clan that lived here before moved to what I suppose was a much nicer Keep elsewhere and sub-divided the land."

"Ah, okay." Ryau looked around and spotted the Constructor Sentinel hovering back by the stairwell. "So what are we going to do down here?"

"Hold out your arm." Naki commanded. Somewhat reluctantly Ryau offered her his arm, and she poked and prodded the Device to make sure it was secure. "I planned to fabricate a vambrace for this to sit in, but the armor Zeik ordered for you has yet to arrive."

"So I'm just going to keep it on for good?" Ryau looked at the Device and rotated his wrist. The blue crystal interface was dim, but he could faintly make out Forerunner glyphs shifting across its surface. He had avoided touching it at all earlier, but now he poked at it and it lit up, just displaying the glyphs brighter; they were easy to make out now, lines, triangles, and dots. The underside felt warm against his skin. He tapped it again, but one of the glyphs turned red.

"Triangles, lines, dots. That is the passcode to unlock the interface," Naki said. "And no, you seem stable now, but I think you should continue to wear it when we leave the house. Just in case."

"Alright, I'll leave it with you after this is done." Ryau mentally chuckled at Naki calling her massive mansion the house. He shook his head and pressed the symbols in order. The screen cleared and after a few moments other icons appeared; a stylized depiction of a Human and a Sangheili occupied opposite sides of the screen with other unidentified symbols between them. "Okay… that's much more straight forward than I was expecting."

"Indeed, it was to me as well," Naki said. "To use the Device, all you need to do is press the symbol denoting the species you wish to become. In theory, if we have more than one additional species, there would be others on the interface." She took a few steps back.

He brought the brace close to his face and examined the Device further. "So just press and go?"

Naki nodded and smiled. "Yes, go ahead I suppose. If I weren't so worried about secrecy for this, I would be recording right now." She was grateful that she would be able to see the Device work again at the very least, but she would get no credit for getting it to work officially. At least not yet.

Ryau took a breath and tapped the Human shaped icon. The back of the Device warmed considerably, and a silver shimmering energy field spread out from his forearm. A sense of numbness overcame his body once the field encompassed him. He could hear nothing, not even the beat of his heart he would typically hear in periods of extreme silence. Then his vision went black.

The sense of endless nothing was familiar, his transit into the universe had felt nearly the same. It was a memory that had been lost up until that moment. The only difference was that there was no feeling of motion.

Then in a blink, he was back. He was level with Naki's stomach, and the Device hung limply off his forearm looking almost comically large.

Ryau was Human again, it had worked. "Okay..." He tried to talk but found the Sangheili language more difficult to speak with his old mouth. Starting again with his native English, he looked over his body just to confirm. "Alright, that worked."

"Yes, quite so." Naki said.

His shirt was draped over his much smaller frame acting like a dress, completely covering him. Stepping out of his pooled pants, he rotated the device back upright to face him. "What next?"

"Well, I just wanted to run you through the control system so that you could operate it yourself. As well as verifying that it will work again, from now on, it should not require any special setup for anyone to use it." She produced a chip of some sort from her belt pouch and looked at it briefly. "However, I had said before that we initially planned to use a Kig 'Yar, a T'vaoan to be exact..."

"I take it that you want to see if it works again for that?" He asked.

"Is it too much to ask?" She seemed nervous asking him about it.

She was right to feel that way, Ryau did not want to try being another species, but Naki did risk a lot in her plan to get him off that ship alive. He could suck it up for just a little bit and do it for her. "...Yeah... Fine, we can try it. But just this one." Ryau cocked his head and looked up at Naki. "Which one is a T'vaoan again, are they the spiny Jackals?"

"No, those are the Ruutian, T'vaoans are the darker feathered Kig-Yar." She stepped closer and then pressed the chip to the side of the Device. The chip seemed to melt into the smooth blue crystal surface, and Ryau felt the Device warm.

"Ah... the scary ones."

"Give it a moment and let the icon appear on the interface. Then you can press it at your own discretion." Naki waved her hands and stepped back to a 'safe' distance.

"Pfft, yeah. My own discretion." Ryau repeated and watched the screen. It took a few moments, but something flashed on the side of the Sangheili, it looked very similar to a swipe icon. He tapped and the screen shifted left, with it now only displaying the Sangheili and an icon that looked like a Kig-Yar.

"Well here goes nothing." Ryau pressed the button and was once again surrounded by the energy field.

When the world returned to his senses, he felt... weird. He was slightly larger than his Human self, and his face felt way too long. Attempting to flex his fingers, there was some sort of disconnect. It felt difficult, like his mind was having issues with two less fingers than Human and one less than a Sangheili; which he had not had any issues with before. Legs were similar enough, but he did not want to try and walk anywhere.

When he went to speak, all that came out was a hoarse croak.

He tried again, and only squawked. Frustrated, Ryau slowly worked out a word in english. "Frr-uh-shk... fr-uh-k... fuck."

"I take it you don't like this?" Naki asked.

"Noh. ayeeeeee don." Ryau reached for the device and flipped back to the Human icon. "I fix." He quickly tapped the symbol. Back on his Human legs after the moment of void, he stumbled slightly. "God... it felt really rough... nothing like when I woke up as an Elite."

Naki turned back to face him, a slightly disgusted expression present on her face. "Well... it does not have the imprint for a T'vaoan. All the motor skills and mental passes weren't included on that chip."

"Makes sense I suppose... is that all then?" Ryau hovered his finger over the Sangheili icon, ready to press it. As much as he would have loved to stay in his Human form, he was on Sanghelios and would very much not like to be the only Human on the planet.

"Yes, that's it for now." As soon as she said that Ryau hit the icon and regained the ability to look face to face with Naki. It almost seemed to him that the void moments were becoming shorter and shorter the more he used it. He wondered if that was the same for Naki.

Naki shook her head. "Gods I wish I was able to take readings and recordings of all of this. I would love to analyze everything."

"Well you can do that after the war is over, or just keep it for yourself at that point." Ryau chuckled. Then he thought for a moment. "So what do we do now? How long do I have until this leave period is over?" It was a sobering thought.

"Well..." Naki started. "A warrior is not required to return to duty immediately, one volunteers for another tour when one is ready, or when one is requested."

Ryau was quiet as he contemplated what she meant by that.

"Since you have technically, according to the data-net, just now returned from a tour... you... Would not have to go back out for... long enough without seeming any bit unusual." She worked it through for him, as the realization finally dawned in his mind.

"So... I don't have to." Ryau said, mostly to himself. "I can just stay here and wait it out."

"Yes, you do not have to return to the fighting... however I would recommend attending a brief refresher course at Zelso's war college... but that might trigger a tour request from a superior." Naki tapped her finger to her chin. "Maybe that's not a good idea... but I do know someone who would be able to take you on no questions asked."

"Hold off on that please, I think I need to sit down and just take it in." Ryau chuckled and handed her the Device. "I'm going upstairs... and getting some air."

Naki accepted the Device and watched Ryau head up the stairs. She was glad that she had put his mind at ease. However her duties would call her back to the Covenant sooner than the end of the war, her students would reconvene in just over half a year. Though they would be staying far from the front lines if Naki had any say in the matter. If Ryau chose to stay here, Naki would need to get him ready to live alone on an alien world.

She started towards the stairs but stopped and looked over at the small Constructor Sentinel still floating against the wall. Naki looked down at the Device in her hands and a thought raced through her mind for just a moment.

At the slightest impulse, Naki slipped the Device onto her wrist and tightened only one strap before pausing. "...the instructions said it would work with all others after initial use..." She quietly muttered to herself.

It warmed against her skin as she keyed in the access code.

"I used to be... a... Human..." The last word was barely audible even to her own ears.

She could do it, become a Human again. See the face that only recently resurfaced in her dreams.

Her finger hovered over the button; it was all just a click away. Perhaps it would unlock more hidden memories of the life that she lived before. Or maybe not, there was no way to tell until she did it.

"-No." Naki pulled her finger back and recomposed herself. "Not yet."