Chapter 21: Raku

'Veraskee had let Raku on the command deck of the Sacred Provenance, which was where he waited for the responses to his rallying call that he had sent out. He had received a few signals in return, but not much. Not nearly enough for the army that he wanted to build. It would be a long time before they had the strength to retake the Supreme Crusader, maybe weeks at this rate.

But at the same time, there was still fighting happening on and around High Charity, and the majority of Sangheili were still preoccupied with that. There was also no telling how many other conflicts were happening all over the galaxy. The Prophets' betrayal affected all of the Sangheili, not just the ones in High Charity.

Raku wished he had taken action sooner. He had seen the Minister's betrayal coming, and he could've prevented it if he acted on it earlier. Maybe he could have even saved the Covenant before the Great Schism started. Raku's only hope now was taking the Crusader, finding Chel 'Quraee, and getting to the Assembly.

Another smaller craft appeared on the Sacred Provenance's sensors, but it wasn't as small as the others that had arrived. It was a Zanar-pattern light cruiser. Ships of that class weren't a common sight, at least not on their own. And it wouldn't do much to bolster the firepower of the fleet, but it was a good start. Raku guided the ship in, and he left for the hangar to meet the crew.

The crew that Raku had been able to build up thus far were mostly Kig-Yar and Unggoy, there had only been two new Sangheili additions to the crew, neither of which were high ranking. When the light cruiser docked, Raku wasn't expecting the ship's Shipmaster to be a Kig-Yar. He tried not to feel a little bit of disappointment when it wasn't a Sangheili.

"Greetings, Sacred Provenance," the Kig-Yar said, clasping their hands together after they bowed. Raku couldn't tell the gender of the Kig-Yar, which was surprising to him. Male and female Kig-Yar were usually very distinct.

"Greetings," Raku said as he bowed in return. "I am Raku 'Sol. I take it you followed my message?"

"Indeed," the Kig-Yar said. "I am Nehr Tok, Shipmaster of the Venerated Lance. I heard you were building an army, my crew and I wanted to join."

"We gladly accept you into our crew," Raku said. "With another cruiser, perhaps we can hold even more soldiers."

"Yes," Nehr Tok nodded excitedly. "On the topic of crew, I believe I have exactly what you need. Would you like to come aboard?"

Raku squinted behind his mask. He knew he shouldn't accept the Kig-Yar's offer, it was most likely a trap. But he could handle it. The Minister of Animosity had been fully confident that his trap would kill Raku, but it didn't. Whatever was waiting on Nehr Tok's ship was something that he was more than capable of handling.

"Yes, I will come aboard," Raku said, and he let Nehr lead him onto the Venerated Lance.

In the unlikely case that this wasn't a trap, it was good to trust the new members of his crew. They wouldn't get anywhere if they didn't trust each other. Raku and Nehr walked through the strangely large corridors of the ship. For its small size he wasn't expecting the interior to be so spacious. Nehr led Raku to the ship's armoury, and that was when he found what they wanted him to see. It was exactly what he needed. Inside of the armoury were twelve Sangheili, all wearing special operations harnesses. They all looked up from what they were doing, and stood as Raku entered. Nehr left the room to let them speak alone.

The SpecOps Captain stepped forward, the red markings on his deep purple armour made him stand out from the others. Raku could see in the Captain's eyes that he recognised him as a Hidden Blade, it was an honour. When the other Sangheili saw their Captain bow, they did as well.

"By the Gods, we were told the Hidden Blades were killed on Zezar," the Captain exclaimed.

Raku raised a hand to let them know they could stand. He let out a deep breath when he heard the Captain's words. Technically the Hidden Blades had been killed, there was no reason to use that name anymore. There was nothing left about Raku that was hidden.

"I am Raku 'Sol," Raku said. "I am all that remains."

"I see," the Captain breathed. "I am sorry to hear that. My name is Klaes 'Tantor, my Sangheili and I narrowly escaped a Jiralhanae hunting party when Nehr Tok found us."

"I mean no offence, but why are you following a Kig-Yar?" Raku asked.

"None of us are qualified as Shipmasters, we're special operations," 'Tantor said.

"And they're a good Shipmaster," one of the other Sangheili spoke up. "You can trust them."

"I will take your word for it," Raku said. "I look forward to fighting alongside you."

"What is our mission?" 'Tantor asked.

"We are still preparing for it," Raku explained. "But we are to attack the Jiralhanae-occupied Supreme Crusader, and take it for ourselves. With it we are going to locate the Fleet of Sanctity, and assist their leader in finding a Forerunner forge world known as the Assembly."

"Understood," 'Tantor said with a nod. "Whatever it takes to get back at the Jiralhanae."

"With the Assembly, we can get back at the Prophets as well," Raku said. "It can gift us a fleet beyond imagining, enough to stand up to the Prophets themselves."

"Then we will do whatever it takes to assist you," 'Tantor said. "I swear it."

"Good. You will make us proud."

Raku left them after trading a nod of respect, and he returned to the Sacred Provenance on his own. It was good seeing his army grow, even if the progress in building it was slow. It was surprising how little Sangheili had come to join him, even when the call he sent out was to rally them. Most of the Kig-Yar were probably just looking for a quick profit.

Raku found 'Veraskee in one of the ship's vehicle bays, where he was watching a group of Kig-Yar perform maintenance on a mortar tank which, similarly to everything else 'Veraskee owned, was an older model. Raku wondered how it would stand up to the newer tanks that the Covenant employed.

"'Sol," 'Veraskee said when he noticed Raku enter. "What do you have for us?"

"Seven Phantoms, four Ru'swum and three Kez'katu," Raku said, clasping his hands behind his back. "Four Banshees, Elsedda-patterns. And… A Zanar-pattern light cruiser."

'Veraskee didn't seem to care about any of the newly acquired vehicles until Raku brought up the cruiser. That was when he finally turned away from the tank to look at Raku.

"We have another cruiser?" 'Veraskee asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Raku nodded. "The Venerated Lance. Aboard it is a complement of special operations Sangheili who are ready to fight."

"Hm, I wasn't expecting that so quickly," 'Veraskee said. "Do you think we have enough to take on the Supreme Crusader yet?"

"I'm not sure, that's a question for 'Rylanee," Raku admitted.

"Then I will find him," 'Veraskee said. "Continue your broadcasts. I look forward to taking this fight to the Covenant."

"Have you given up on the money?" Raku asked, he was surprised. There was no profit to be made in taking on the Covenant, so he didn't know why 'Veraskee was suddenly so eager.

"I may have abandoned the Covenant, but the Sangheili are still my brothers," 'Veraskee said. "I will fight for them."

"I see… Very honourable."

'Raku nodded to 'Veraskee and returned to the ship's control room. He continued to send messages out across the old frequencies that weren't used by the Covenant anymore. And even if the Covenant was listening, they would have a hard time breaking the encryption. The codes he used were old, some even older than the war with the humans.

He told the Sangheili of the promise their future held, of the strength they were building up. Of how the Covenant wouldn't be able to stand against them if they simply stood together. He didn't know how many were listening, or how many even knew to look for his broadcasts, but he had been able to gather a small army thus far, so something had to be working.

He stood on the command deck of the Sacred Provenance for a long time, waiting for either signals to return or for ships to arrive. He wished he could see the state of the conflict on High Charity, to know if the Sangheili there were in any state to follow his messages. But it was too far away, it was impossible to watch anything at that distance in real time.

Raku didn't know how long he'd been waiting for, but more ships eventually arrived. Another light cruiser, and a heavy corvette. Things were finally looking up. He hailed them immediately, and spoke with their Shipmasters. More Sangheili who wanted revenge against the Jiralhanae and the Prophets. The only downside to the growing army was that they were under 'Veraskee's command, not his. But as long as they got where he needed to go, he didn't care.

When the next ship arrived, Raku knew he had just what he needed. The Ruma-pattern assault carrier that just exited slipspace approached the Sacred Provenance, dwarfing all of the other smaller ships in the fleet. The ship hailed the Provenance and Raku answered excitedly.

"This is Uskra 'Kalrah, Shipmaster of the Prophet of Doom," the ship's commander spoke. "We have over a thousand warriors aboard ready to take the fight to the Covenant!"

"Good," Raku replied. "Welcome…"

Raku paused. He realised they didn't have an official name for their little fleet, and if they did it should probably be 'Veraskee's choice to name it. Even then, he began to think. It was Raku's goal to take down the Covenant, and to usher in the dawn of a new era of the Sangheili. But even with the strength they had with the carrier on their side, the future was perilous. There was no guarantee anyone would survive going against the Covenant.

"Welcome to the Fleet of the Perilous Dawn," Raku said, coming up with the name on the spot. He liked it, but he knew he would have to change it if 'Veraskee didn't.

"It is an honour," 'Kalrah said. "My ship, and its crew, are yours."

Raku left the control room to find 'Veraskee and 'Rylanee, which was a long search through the ship's corridors. The ship wasn't nearly as empty as it was when he'd first arrived, which was a good sight to see, but it made navigating slightly harder. He found them in a maintenance corridor, which was a very tight fit for the two of them on their own; it would be even tighter with Raku there.

"Raku," 'Rylanee said as Raku approached, making his way out into the main hallway with 'Veraskee.

"What were you doing in there?" Raku asked.

"The Venerated Lance sent over a Huragok to help upgrade our systems," 'Veraskee explained. "I was just keeping watch over it. You'll forgive me if I don't immediately trust new arrivals with my ship."

"I understand," Raku said. "I wouldn't trust them either."

"Has there been a development?" 'Rylanee asked.

"There has. A big one in fact," Raku said excitedly. "A Ruma-pattern carrier has just pledged itself to us. We have acquired several more light cruisers and corvettes as well."

"Hm, that was fast," 'Veraskee said. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."

"Is that enough to take on the Supreme Crusader?" Raku asked 'Rylanee.

"I'm not sure," 'Rylanee sighed. "Remember, our mission is not to destroy it. If it were, then we would be fine. I'm not sure if the Jiralhanae have had the time to fully crew the ship, but if they have, I don't think we're strong enough. Getting aboard the ship is going to be hard enough without any kind of stealth ships."

"Then what do you suppose we do?" Raku asked. "Do you have any kind of plan?"

"Not yet," 'Rylanee said. "I will come up with one. In the meantime, we should do an exchange of crew. Have our people take positions on the other ships, and have their people come here."

"I agree," 'Veraskee said. "We must represent unity among the Sangheili. I'll get that prepared."

"And I may have an idea on where we can get some stealth ships," Raku said. "I have served on many, and I know where to find some."

"Then let's get our hands on those first," 'Rylanee suggested.


Raku, 'Rylanee, 'Veraskee, and Vhark gathered in the control room of the Sacred Provenance. Nehr Tok, 'Kalrah, and the other Shipmasters had joined them to discuss the plan. They all watched over a projection of a Covenant shipyard where ten Makar-pattern ships were docked.

"If we're fast enough, we can get our hands on maybe five of them before reinforcements arrive," Raku explained. "That is why I want to create five teams, any more and our forces will be spread too thin."

"What kind of Covenant forces do you anticipate there to be?" 'Kalrah asked.

"I don't know for sure, not anymore," Raku sighed. "But when I was there, it was guarded by at least three Ket-pattern battlecruisers at all times. And the forces there were placed to hold off any attack the humans could throw at them. Even with the outbreak of this civil war, I doubt they're expecting an attack from their own ships, and from the Sangheili."

"Then what is the plan?" Nehr Tok asked. They rubbed their palms together as if they were very eagerly anticipating this fight.

"Assuming their defences are the same as usual, we will need to distract the cruisers. The Prophet of Doom and the Sacred Provenance should be enough to pull them away from the station. Then we'll have the light cruisers and corvettes approach the station and land the teams. Each corvette we take, we'll disable its transponder and jump it back here for safekeeping. Remember, we're only taking five."

"We should take all ten," said another Shipmaster, Valun 'Kaprakee of the Font of Might. "We need everything we can get."

"It's too risky," Raku objected. "And we do not need them. Five is more than enough to land our forces on the Supreme Crusader. I will not waste lives when I don't have to. As long as we stick to the plan, we will accomplish this mission without issue."

"Fine, I will do whatever you say," 'Kaprakee said.

"I know you're eager to get back at the Covenant," Raku said. "We all are. But we all know that some things take time and careful execution. We will get back at the Covenant as long as we are patient, and as long as we stand together."

The Sangheili and Kig-Yar Shipmasters all nodded. They all knew the plan, they would carry it out to the letter. The only thing that scared Raku was the lack of intel. He wanted to send a ship to the system to get a good measure of what the Covenant's defences were actually like, but he didn't want to risk giving them an early warning of their attack. The moment the Covenant knew they were coming, they would send reinforcements, and Raku's fleet wouldn't be ready.

Even with the Prophet of Doom on their side, they wouldn't be able to hold off a Covenant fleet for long. The Ruma-pattern wasn't even close to being as strong as the more commonly seen Kerel and Syfon-patterns, and Raku knew that was what the Covenant would send as backup. The Supreme Crusader was only a single Syfon-pattern, and it took this amount of preparation to even be ready to attack it.

"It seems I may as well have given you command," 'Veraskee said after the other Shipmasters left, and returned to their ships.

"I'm not here to take what belongs to you," Raku said. "Or to order you around. I am just your advisor, remember?"

"Yes, I remember," 'Veraskee nodded. "What I am trying to say is, I no longer mind taking orders from you. I see the spirit in your eyes, I hear the passion in your voice. I know how much this mission means to you. You make a great leader."

"We'll see about that once we begin this mission," Raku said. "There's no telling how it could go."

"I believe we'll succeed," 'Veraskee assured him. "The Covenant may have betrayed us, but the Gods still watch over us. They will make sure we win."

Raku slowly nodded. He really hoped that was true. He still saw the Forerunners as Gods, and their Assembly as his salvation, but there was no telling how many lies the Prophets had told him. The Prophets could have drilled lies into the brains of all the Sangheili who joined the Covenant, there was no way to know for sure unless the Forerunners were able to communicate directly to him.

Maybe the Forerunners could communicate with him, but only with simple gestures that were impossible to read. Maybe the reason he had fought off the Minister's betrayal was because the Gods gave him the strength to, and maybe they had given him the strength to continue surviving on Zezar as well. Nothing was certain, but at least the faith in the Forerunners was enough to keep him going.

"I take it you're joining the boarding teams?" Vhark asked. "If so, I would like to join."

"You're welcome to come along," Raku said. "We need as many warriors as we can get."

"I'll come with as well," 'Rylanee said. "I may be a Shipmaster, but I can still fight on the ground."

"Good. I must make another broadcast, there could be more Sangheili on the way that will be alone when they get here. After that, we will assemble the teams, and then we'll be ready for this assault."

'Rylanee nodded, and he left the control room to address the warriors joining them in their fight. 'Veraskee took his spot in the Provenance's command seat with Vhark at his side, and Raku made his way back to the communications station. He dropped a comm buoy from the Provenance with the message that they were taking the fight to the Covenant, and that they will return stronger.

Anyone who arrived in their absence would know that they wouldn't be alone for long. Then, Raku left the Provenance, and boarded the Venerated Lance with the strike team of SpecOps Sangheili that were joining them. With an entire team that specialised in stealth, he knew the Jiralhanae aboard that station wouldn't stand a chance.

The docking tube between the Lance and the Provenance detached, and the two ships slowly floated away from each other. Portals into the slipstream opened at the bows of every ship in the fleet, and they all soon disappeared into them.

The stage was set, and everyone knew what they had to do. There was no turning back now.