Interlude: Minister of Animosity
The Minister of Animosity was furious, even in the time it had been since the failed assassination attempt on Raku 'Solee. He'd had another Jiralhanae team search for the Sangheili's body, but there was no sign. There wasn't even a trail for them to follow. Raku 'Solee had somehow escaped, and he couldn't do anything about it.
He should've had 'Attrumai deal with 'Solee, he shouldn't have left it up to the Jiralhanae. He should've known they would never get the job done. Curse those damned Hierarchs! The Minister thought. Why did they put me in this position? This isn't the will of the Gods!
The Minister took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. He knew he shouldn't be thinking that way, but ever since he had received the order to kill 'Solee and 'Rolahee, he'd had trouble seeing the Prophets' vision. He never wanted to kill them, but he didn't dare go against the Hierarchs. But it was because of the Hierarchs that the Covenant was now falling apart.
Fighting was happening all over the Holy City, the ships that were once intended to defend High Charity were now shooting at each other. What have I gotten myself into? The Minister wondered.
Truth's broadcasts weren't helping either. They were only reinforcing the fact that the Covenant was done with the Sangheili. Every few minutes the Minister would hear Truth's words, and ironically he questioned the truth in each message.
"The Sangheili have failed to protect the Prophets, and in doing so, have put all our lives at risk," Truth said in one broadcast. "Let no warrior forget his oath, 'Thou, in faith, shall keep us safe, whilst we find the Path.'"
"With my blessing, the Jiralhanae now lead our fleets! They ask for your allegiance, and you shall give it," he said in another.
The Minister couldn't believe that this was happening now of all times. The Prophet of Truth held the Sacred Icon, the key to activating the newly discovered Halo ring, in his hand. They were moments away from lighting the ring, and walking the path of the Forerunners. This was the time of the Great Journey, and this was when Truth decided to divide the Covenant. No matter which side won this schism, no one would ever truly recover.
Nos 'Attrumai should have died on Zezar as well, but the Hierarchs weren't afraid of him like they were of the Hidden Blades. 'Attrumai was always easier to manipulate, even after his years of experience in the Covenant military. Even after he received the status of Blademaster. That was why the Minister wasn't done with him yet.
Luckily, 'Attrumai had returned just before the fighting started, just before Truth's official denouncement of the Sangheili. If he had been a moment too late it would have been impossible getting aboard High Charity. Leaving the station was still a problem they had yet to figure out.
"This mission comes directly from the Prophet of Mercy himself," the Minister explained, handing 'Attrumai a file with the location of his new mission. "These Sangheili are traitors. Heretics. They won't be expecting you to attack them, which is why you're perfect for this mission."
"This…" 'Attrumai breathed. "This is the location of an Ascetic temple?"
"Yes, they are your own," the Minister said. The helmet 'Attrumai wore was the same as the Ascetics, the Sangheili in the Covenant that held onto their race's ancient beliefs. He was a member of their order. This was another case of the Minister following the Hierarchs' orders. He didn't want to see the Ascetics killed either.
"But they have turned against us," the Minister continued. "They have turned against our beliefs. For that, they have no place on the Great Journey. And for that they must die."
"I understand," 'Attrumai sighed. "I will do what I have to."
"Good."
The Minister folded his hands and turned to the window behind him that overlooked the city. Fires burned, and explosions engulfed entire buildings. The warriors fighting in the streets were tiny from the Minister's position in the tower district, they almost looked like ants shooting at each other.
The Minister noticed that 'Attrumai hadn't left yet. "Is there something else you need?" the Minister asked.
"Raku… and Sen…" 'Attrumai said quietly, and slowly. "Are they…?"
"Yes, they're dead," the Minister lied. "I know they were your brothers, but they gave up their beliefs long ago. None who don't believe may walk the path."
'Attrumai continued to stand behind him in silence, and then finally he turned to leave after few long seconds. The Minister wasn't entirely sure of the relationship between him and the Hidden Blades, but he knew they were close enough. The Minister closed his eyes, and tried hard not to let his voice waver when he spoke.
"I'm sorry, 'Attrumai," the Minister said, keeping his voice plain. It was the first time he had told the truth in a long time.
The Minister heard the door close behind him, and when he turned, 'Attrumai was gone. He was about to continue watching the fight when he heard an ear-splitting boom in the distance. Whatever the sound was, it was loud enough to shatter the glass in the Minister's observatory. He didn't even have time to question what it was before the entire tower rocked, and he was thrown out of his hoverchair.
The Minister landed on the floor with a thud, and grunted as he tried to lift himself up. The gravity of High Charity was too much for his frail body to move without the assistance of his chair, so he was thankful when his Jiralhanae guards rushed into the room to see if he was alright.
"What the hell happened?" the Minister shouted to the Jiralhanae who came to help him. Balox was his name.
"No idea," Balox said as he lifted the Minister up by his arm, a little too aggressively for his liking. "Think something crashed into the tower."
The other guard, Raptus, checked the monitor on his wrist before rushing to the door and peeking out. There was something in the Jiralhanae's expression that seemed almost terrified. If there was anything that could scare a Jiralhanae, the Minister felt like he should be scared too.
"What is it?" the Minister asked, still unsure about whether or not he should be panicked.
"Picking up movement all over the tower," Raptus said, raising his spike rifle in his hands. "There's a lot of something coming straight for us!"
Balox suddenly dropped the Minister before even getting him back to his chair, and he reached for his plasma rifle on his hip. The Minister grunted again as he hit the floor, and cursed out the Jiralhanae in his head. Why did we trade the Sangheili for these fools?
"Help me up you lumbering beast!" the Minister shouted.
"I must deal with the enemy first," Balox said, taking the other side of the door with Raptus.
Raptus raised his spike rifle to fire, but something jumped on him. A small creature that almost looked like a sickly yellow balloon filled with water. A trio of tentacles protruded from it that wrapped around Raptus's neck. The Jiralhanae let out a fearful yelp as he tried to rip the thing away from him. The Minister went cold when the realisation of what the creature was set in. The Flood was here.
Balox moved to help Raptus, but three more Flood creatures jumped through the door and onto him. The things stabbed their tentacles through the Jiralhanae's chest, and burrowed their way inside. The sight was horrifying. No, no, no, no, no! This can't be how it ends! The Minister panicked.
Something else walked through the door. Something that used to be a Jiralhanae that was now a jumbled mass of fleshy growths and bony tendrils slowly approached the Minister, dragging several thick tentacles that grew from its arm across the floor. How did we let this happen?
The Minister had never been afraid to die at any point of his life, until this moment. When a fate worse than death stared him in the face, he was more afraid than anything. The creature wrapped its tendrils around the Minister and lifted him up. The once-Jiralhanae's head was torn in half, showing its skull beneath the mass of flesh. That was what the Minister was about to become, and he so desperately didn't want that.
He felt something grab onto his leg, and climb its way to his chest. If this was a punishment for what he did to 'Rolahee and 'Solee, he knew he deserved it. The pain he felt as the creature tore into his chest was excruciating, and he felt the thing beginning to burrow inside before his consciousness faded completely.
The Great Schism was already over. The fall of High Charity had begun.
