Merged Stars Short Story: Those Black Eyes

Augustus McClelland

Date: 2558, Military Calendar

Location: Daephoson

The admiral twirled the edge of his magnificent walrus moustache between two of his fingers. Augustus studied the styles of the fighters. The Sangheili moved cautiously with a circle along with his foe. He had activated both his energy swords. But there was a strange feeling in the back of his mind, something he couldn't place.

"He's a disgraced warrior who were spreading ill-will to the people under my kaidon," Mevu Zenlir told him. The tall alien leaned toward beside him, holding a strong grip of the stone railing that surrounded the arena booth. He wore grey and nondescript robes. "One way or another this issue will be solved today."

"Somehow, I doubt he'll like the outcome," Augustus said.

"It is for the better of all that he dies in this ring."

His opponent was a Jiralhanae. A prisoner of war bulging with muscles. His choice of weapon was a gravity hammer. Neither he nor his disgraced foe wore armour. Not that it would protect the other when it hit him dead on.

"What did he do exactly?"

Mevu straightened to tower of Augustus, without armour he was lanky and looked less impressive than he otherwise would. He clicked his mandibles.

"He wanted to convince the people of necessary societal changes. He wanted to destroy our ancient traditions, our communities and society itself." Augustus saw his eyes narrow and his claws gripped the railing so hard it hurt. He shifted his gaze to him and recognized the question in the admiral's eyes. "Bah! These new ideas are spreading through Daephoson. I think Kaidon Uzae Zenlir is … well, admiral, more and more instigators are showing themselves calling for the destruction of all our noble traditions …" Mevu trailed off once more, and his knuckled paled from the strain of his grip.

Ah. "I see, elder." He picked a cigar out of his inner coat pocket and followed up with a lighter.

That was just the confirmation to the rumours ONI had heard over the last few years. Anti-feudalists. Youths had started to get the ideas into their heads that the system of government had to change, calling for the end of aristocratic rule, to evolve with the times, for increased democratic rights. It was no wonder the kaidons were getting scared. Corporations were growing in power and influence.

The Jiralhanae attacked so swiftly, the Sangheili barely reacted before the hammer took his life.

"That's that then." Augustus lit his cigar and took a few puffs and sucked in and blew out smoke. The cigar was a sweet taste on his lips. All missing was a fine centuries old red wine. Luckily, he had just the thing in his office back on King in Yellow. Something shifted in his peripheral vision. He looked but saw nothing there. He shrugged it off.

The Jiralhanae roared.

"There was something about Kaidon Uzae being approached by executives."

"Indeed." Mevu eased his grip and took a series of deep breaths to calm the raging hurricane within him. "The local tradesmen made demands. They demand a small region within his state made a free zone governed by the locals and them. They want a city, or to build one. The kaidon will not so easily consent." He glanced at Augustus with hesitation. Unsure if he should share.

Augustus waited patiently, puffing on his cigar and longing for that bottle of wine. A new opponent came forth for the Jiralhanae. It was a kinsman, and this was partially armoured. Games like these were frowned upon by most Sangheili, but on this colony its kaidons enjoyed the custom. Especially, it seemed, when they could pit other species in their private arenas.

Mevu shook his head. "Admiral, please do your people know anything we don't about this lunacy?"

There was no need to ask what the lunacy was. "Don't ask me what caused this Merge between our galaxy and another – we don't understand it." He removed the cigar from his lips and turned to the Sangheili Elder. "We have no answers. I'm not religious but … it feels like only something godlike could explain how it's a mirror image of our own." It was as if the Milky Way had been cloned. Jesus, that sound stupid. Yet so accurate. What a screwed-up time to be alive.

"Hmm. Many of my people abandoned religion after the lies of the San'Shyuum were laid bare. But now many are once again looking for gods and faith to explain it. Some look to the Forerunners, but I hear of faiths of ancient pre-Covenant days and new cults alike are spawning."

The two Jiralhanae came to blows and in the struggle, both lost their arms, and it became a clash of flesh and muscles. The prior victor got the upper hand and pressed his fingers into the other's eyes. He screamed and flailed desperately. Once blinded, the other got up and strolled over to fetch his gravity hammer. He then crushed the blind's skull with a single swing.

"That ended faster than I hoped. Should we withdraw to a more private location, admiral?"

"Yes, lets. Lead the way, elder."

Mevu inclined his head. He made a swift gesture with his hand, and warriors around the empty arena shot the victorious gladiator dead. They left the arena and passed deeper into the old keep. It was dug into the side of the mountain's grey rock. The passage from the arena led them into a grand hall lined with statues of Sangheili warriors. Augustus presumed they were kaidons of old. There was a destroyed statue that looked like it had once depicted a Prophet. It had since been razed, but left as a memory of the lies of the Covenant. A side passage led through an old library to a study with a sizable window allowing a view of the arena. The study had a sturdy metal desk with a computer was built into it, chairs, the wall opposite the window were lined with bookshelves filled with tomes resting under a layer of dust.

"ONI continues to appreciate your cooperation, elder."

"We're all working for a better future, admiral." Something flickered at the edge of his peripheral vision. He turned his head but saw nothing. Just the window. Maybe something had flown by. A bird or something. He strode to look at the bookshelves. "You don't read much, do you."

"When I have time."

"Clearly that was a long time ago."

"You don't intend to show up in person too often I hope."

Augustus turned around to face him. He had sat down behind his desk. "Is it concerning for you?"

"Yes. As many precautions we take, something could always go wrong."

He walked across to the window, looking at the arena and lush green jungle surrounding Zenlir Keep. "I have other business that brought me near Daephoson," he said dismissively. Mevu clicked his mandibles in frustration.

"Tell me about the unification programme."

A grunt rose from Mevu's throat. Then he said: "Specifically what?" He keyed his computer, likely pulling up the data.

"I know what's publically known, what his diplomats told us."

Mevu grunted again. "I, eh … the Arbiter seek to hold a congress made up of all kaidons. Those on the Grand Council and even those who hasn't accepted his rule over our people outside Sanghelios … I'm told he wants to discuss a … unified assembly, like a union of states. He and his allies are using a lot of influence to make this concert happen."

A wholly united Sangheili state would be a considerable force to deal with. As an ally of necessity, they were preferable as a weaker state. The Jiralhanae's unification into an empire under that Arxatar. They didn't need the Sangheili to forge their own unified nation-state. Some actions should be taken to prevent that. It would have to be kept in house. Terrence wouldn't be on-board on such heavy interference against their ally's efforts, and Charet – hell, she'd condemn it out of hand. The president was far too chummy with the Sangheili. Maybe something should be done about the Arbiter. If there were no unifying figure, they would be shattered. Though, that would have to be done at a time when the UNSC didn't need a buffer. The Jiralhanae would have to fall first. Augustus frowned a thud behind him. He turned and stared at Mevu Zenlir on the floor. He laid behind the desk, having fallen from his seat. He laid sprawled, purple blood trickling from his bloodshot, yellow eyes.

"What the hell?" The admiral's heart pounded faster in an instant. Something shadowy moved in his peripheral vision. He spun around, nothing, and spun again. The cigar fell to the floor. "Guard! Guard!"

He turned towards the door and froze. There stood a thing. A being of some regard. It was tall and spindly. Its elongated chalk-white had a pair of huge black like swirling pits with dim lights on its flat and smooth face. It had what had to be nostrils, but no mouth. Beyond the door came footsteps, running. "Rhuchans!" A voice shouted. He stumbled back and reached for the buttons on his coat, to unbutton in and reach for the holster that held his handgun.

"Ruchahns! Soho cheennsay!"

The being crossed the room at lightning pace, and Augustus fell backwards. He pulled the gun from the holster and blinked. Where is it? It was gone. Where the hell did it go? He panted hard. The door slid apart and revealed a warrior in blue armour. He carried an activated energy blade. He looked around the study and his face twisted in the shock at what met him. He saw the Elder on the floor, bleeding from the eyes, and the admiral panting and holding a gun. He dropped it. Footsteps revealed more behind him.

"Cheensay, ruchahns jodul goneh-oochahns regee joh nurzoyh-lo!" He shouted.

He charged into the room and searched it with his eyes. He looked for the visual disturbance of a cloaked warrior. Two others came into the study. Both had energy blades activated. One of them crossed to him and another to Elder Mevu. He helped him up on his unsteady feet.

"Goneh-oochahns, are you well?" It was a female, he realized then.

"I, eh, I am unharmed. We, eh … I don't know. Something attacked."

She turned her head to the one knelt over Mevu. "Ruchahns-no?"

"Ruchahns, Mevu ow hudah," the other answered. He shook his head.

"I don't know where it went, or where it even came from. It was just suddenly there. I didn't get a good look at it." All he saw in his mind were those swirling black pits that were its eyes. But he couldn't describe it with words. When he tried, he couldn't even open his mouth. "… I don't know."

It was best he left the keep in the same secrecy he'd come in. In less than ten minutes after the attack, he had the floor of the Prowler King in Yellow under his feet, leaving Daephoson and its gravity pull behind. Augustus withdrew to his personal quarters and sat with his head in his hands on the edge of the bed. What the hell had happened? What the hell was that thing? He felt watched. He felt as if those black pits still stared at him, as if they did so from behind his own eyes.

How silly. You need some rest. He wasn't that tired actually, but he could probably still spend a few hours resting his eyes.

Before that, he read the latest reports that had come in. One in particular sparked his interest. UNSC forces in the Palmorra system, at the of humanity's space to the east, had made contact with a starship from the new galaxy. A vessel called the Odyssey, claiming to represent Earth – another Earth.

Well, isn't that interesting.

Yes. It is.

Hi, folk. So, I wanna let you know the Merged Stars is a several book Saga including several short stories.

Because I've written some fics in the past and have read too many to count, I do feel the need to mark down here that its important to remember the Unreliable Narrator you may find in any story. Not everything a character says is true. Unless they're the point of view character at the time they might lie without the POV knowing, and characters can always be wrong. If, say Jack O'Neill makes a statement about the UNSC's strength, he'll base that on his limited perspective with the knowledge and experience he has and that could very well be incorrect.

Sangheili Lexicon

Cheensay* – warrior

Ruchahns – Elder (ruchahns-no = the Elder)

Goneh-oochahns – fleetmaster (oochhans = shipmaster)

Soho – hurry

Is – ow

Joh- have

Attacked – nurzoyh-lo

Dead – hudah