Chapter 31: Raku
Raku had been carried to the medical bay on the Sacred Provenance as soon as he had arrived. As dishonourable as it was to receive medical attention rather than dying in battle, he was the leader of these people. And whether he liked it or not, they wanted him to live. That was perhaps the only dishonour that could be overlooked.
The good news was that another ship had answered Raku's call, and it was just what they needed. Another Makar-pattern corvette to replace the one they had lost, the Blade of Ages as it was called. The bad news was that it hadn't been properly equipped before it left High Charity, it lacked a lot of munitions as well as an active camouflage module, one which was already being built by the few Huragok that they had managed to acquire thus far.
In spite of his injuries, Raku left the Sacred Provenance's medical bay on his own feet. He wanted to meet the crew of this new arrival, and he had been told they wanted to meet him as well. There was some urgent matter they had to share with him specifically, and it wasn't one that could wait. One of the ship's vehicle bays had been cleared so they could talk in private.
Two Sangheili entered on the other side of the vehicle bay. One of them wore the white harness of a Blademaster, the other wore the harness of a General, though his harness had taken significant damage from plasma fire. It was also covered in what looked like patches of purple paint, which Raku could only assume was actually blood.
"Hidden Blade," the Blademaster addressed him with a respectful bow. "I am Fural 'Nasamai, and I have important information for you."
"You know who I am?" Raku asked.
"No," 'Nasamai shook his head. "Only that you are a Hidden Blade."
This Sangheili knowing about the Hidden Blades was surprising at first, but made a little more sense when Raku remembered he was a Blademaster. After all, if a SpecOps captain recognised him, then someone of the Blademaster rate would definitely be able to. The other Sangheili eyed him with a look that Raku couldn't discern, like it was halfway between recognising someone and not recognising them.
"I am Raku 'Sol," Raku said. "The last of the Hidden Blades."
"My apologies," 'Nasamai said.
"No apologies needed. What is the information you wish to share with me?"
'Nasamai stepped aside, and the General took a step forward. He introduced himself as Kel 'Dauram, and then he spoke; his voice so rough that he sounded as if he had gravel in his throat. Raku couldn't believe his words at first, another Sangheili was telling him about the Assembly, one that hadn't been there on Zezar. 'Dauram went on about everything that Raku already knew, that it was a forge world capable of producing fleets of unimaginable power. Raku stopped 'Dauram before he could continue.
"Where did you learn of this?" Raku asked.
"A Forerunner telescoping facility on an uncharted world," 'Dauram said. "The Oracle there told me everything about it."
"Everything?" Raku asked. "Including how to get to it?"
'Dauram nodded. Raku suddenly felt an excitement that he hadn't felt in years. He had made it his personal quest to find the Assembly, and now he was being handed all the information about it that he wanted. It couldn't be a trap or anything of the sort because these Sangheili had no idea that Raku already knew about the Assembly. 'Nasamai seemed to pick up on that.
"I was not expecting you to be so easily convinced," said 'Nasamai.
"That's because I already know about the Assembly," Raku started.
He told them of the siege of Zezar, of the discovery that he and Sen had made in the builder archive underground. He spoke of the Minister of Animosity's betrayal, and the death of Sen 'Rolahee. And he told them about how he had made it his mission to find the Assembly, and to use its fleets to exact his revenge against the Covenant. 'Nasamai and 'Dauram exchanged a glance that was one of relief, they seemed glad that they didn't have to convince him.
Now that these two could tell him how to reach the Assembly, there was no need to find Chel 'Quraee. But they still needed to retake the Supreme Crusader, which was a fight that Raku wasn't going to back down from whether it was necessary or not. Killing Jiralhanae meant getting back at the Covenant, and even if that wasn't the case it was still a favour to 'Rylan, who he'd promised he would help.
"So, how do we get to it?" Raku asked.
"It's only accessible by portal," 'Dauram explained. "There's two locations where portals can be found: Seiginis III, and the Terminus."
"I don't recognise those names," Raku said. "Perhaps I overlooked them in the archive."
"If you come with us, we can show you the location of both," 'Dauram said.
"I cannot do that yet," Raku said. "We have been preparing to take a ship back from the Covenant, which is a mission that I need your help for."
"What ship is it?" 'Nasamai asked.
"The Supreme Crusader, a Syfon-pat-"
"The Supreme Crusader?" 'Nasamai cut him off. "The same one that served in the Fleet of Particular Justice?"
First they know all about the Assembly, and now they know the Supreme Crusader as well? 'Nasamai's voice was enthusiastic, he clearly knew the ship well. Raku wondered why he ran into these two Sangheili out of all the others in the galaxy.
"Yes," Raku confirmed. "Mace 'Rylan is here as well, if you know him."
"I served on that ship during the battle of Installation 04," 'Nasamai said. "My brother and I knew 'Rylan personally."
"Hm, I suppose this is a very small galaxy. I believe 'Rylan is in the starboard hangar bay, if you would like to look for him there. But keep it brief, we will be launching this attack tomorrow. We cannot wait any longer than that."
"I understand," 'Nasamai nodded. "We will be ready when the time comes."
"Good. We're going to need you," Raku said.
Not only was 'Nasamai a Blademaster, but he also knew the Supreme Crusader, so he and 'Rylan would be able to use their knowledge of the ship to their advantage. After all the losses they suffered at the shipyard, Raku was surprised that things were already looking up so soon. But he didn't complain, and he took it as a sign from the Gods that he was on the right path.
'Nasamai left the vehicle bay in search of his friend, but 'Dauram didn't move at all. He stayed where he was, staring at Raku with that strange look that he couldn't quite read. 'Nasamai appeared to be like every other Blademaster, but this 'Dauram character seemed strange, almost unsettling. He was impossible to figure out.
"Do you have something else to say?" Raku asked.
"I am not sure how to ask this…" 'Dauram said slowly. "But have you ever felt that the Gods were showing you visions of the future?"
"Sometimes," Raku said. "Though not much often comes out of those visions. Why?"
"When I first discovered the Assembly, it was in a dream," 'Dauram said. "I didn't know it at the time, but it was the Assembly I was standing on. There were many other Sangheili there, and you were among them."
Raku tilted his head in confusion without meaning to. He didn't often believe those he didn't know when they told him things like that, but he was inclined to believe 'Dauram since he had known about the Assembly.
"What were these dreams about?" Raku asked.
"In some of them we're celebrating a victory," 'Dauram said. "In others… the Assembly is in ruins. I don't believe I'm as close to the Gods as some other Sangheili, so I don't know why they show these things to me. I don't know what it means."
"Maybe they show these things to you because they want you to become closer, or because they see something in you that you may not yet know about," Raku observed. "I don't often hear Sangheili claim to be messengers of the Gods, but because it was the Assembly that they showed you, I do not doubt your claims."
'Dauram fell quiet, and bowed his head; Raku's words seemed to ease him. He was a strange one, Raku thought. A Sangheili wearing a blood-covered general's harness that seemed as young and confused as a minor. There had to be more to this Sangheili's story, but it wasn't Raku's place to ask about it. Besides, he had more pressing worries.
"Prepare yourself for the coming battle," Raku told 'Dauram. "I must check in with my crew. We will be at the Assembly in time."
'Dauram nodded, and Raku left him alone in the vehicle bay. As excited as he was to be so close to his goal, he knew there was so much he had yet to do. He retreated through the corridors of the Sacred Provenance to find Vhark, who was overseeing the retrofits to the Blade of Ages.
He found the T'vaoan in the docking bay at the ship's stern, where the Blade of Ages had docked. 'Veraskee sat at her side, which didn't surprise Raku. He never seemed to leave her alone.
"'Sol?" Veraskee inquired, confused as to why Raku was there.
"Just checking in on the state of the Blade of Ages," Raku explained. "I wish to get things moving as quickly as possible."
"Has something changed?"
"Yes. Our new arrivals know how to get to the Assembly."
"This ship won't be ready for some time," Vhark said. "It took a lot of damage, and there's dead fighter parts all over the hangar deck."
'Nasamai and 'Dauram hadn't told him that anything had happened to their ship. Raku felt himself getting angry, though it wasn't at them. They needed everything to succeed in their attack on the Supreme Crusader; the longer they waited the more likely it would be that the ship would leave Zezar.
"How long is some time?" Raku asked.
"Depends on how fast the Huragok work," Vhark said. "But I give it five days before the ship is fully operational."
"It doesn't need to be fully operational, it just needs to be operational enough. All we need is for it to get troops aboard the Crusader without being seen."
"In that case, it's ready now. But there's no guaranteeing something won't malfunction along the way."
"Just continue the repairs for now," Raku sighed. "This attack will be happening tomorrow."
Vhark gave him a simple nod, while 'Veraskee watched with the annoyed expression that never seemed to leave his face. Everyone knew what they were preparing for, but Raku worried they still wouldn't be fully prepared for it when the time came. The plan he and 'Rylan had come up with hinged on everything going correctly, which he knew wasn't going to happen.
Raku found himself in the control room of the Sacred Provenance, keeping watch for any other ships that might answer his call. So far, there was nothing more. He couldn't help but be a little disappointed, but he was aware Sangheili all over the galaxy were still dealing with the schism the Prophets created.
As usual, none of the other crew in the control room seemed to notice he was there. A mixture of Sangheili and Kig-Yar that manned each station, none of which averted their eyes for even a second. They were a good crew, the kind every ship should have. Raku wondered if the new Jiralhanae-led fleets the Covenant employed had similar crews, or if the dimwitted nature of the Jiralhanae was something that could be exploited in the coming engagements.
For what was to come, Raku expected it to be a long and treacherous war. The Covenant stood for thousands of years, and only became more powerful as time moved on. This new war that the Prophets had started could last even longer than the war with the humans had, and the Assembly was the only way to hasten it. Not only that, but Raku was convinced it would be their only way to win without the resources the Covenant had given them.
Without the Assembly, they had no way of producing ships or weapons. The Covenant controlled nearly every assembly forge in the galaxy, and those that belonged to the Sangheili wouldn't belong to them for long. Like Raku said in every one of his messages, the future was grim. As long as we stand together, we can overcome anything.
The thoughts of war brought Raku back to the Human-Covenant war, which was still raging across the galaxy. The Sangheili had to fight against both adversaries at the same time, unless there was some way for them to work with the humans. Whether or not they could, Raku wasn't sure if he was ready for something like that.
As long as we stand together, Raku's words repeated in his mind. He couldn't believe he was considering this, working with the humans. He could barely even understand their language, and to them he was a vicious killer who murdered everyone that stood in his way. But that wasn't entirely true. He had let the defenceless humans run, though he was sure they didn't make it far with the Jiralhanae in that base with him. Nevertheless, he had showed them mercy.
"'Sol?" 'Rylan called as he entered the control room, nearly startling Raku.
Raku turned away from the screens he had been watching, and approached 'Rylan, waiting for him to continue speaking.
"We're ready for the attack now, we should go forward with it," 'Rylan said.
"The Blade of Ages is still being repaired," Raku said. "And our warriors still need time to rest. There's no need to rush things."
"I understand," 'Rylan said. "But you know that the longer we wait, the more time the Crusader has to jump away."
"I'm fully aware of the situation. Unless your scouts report that the ship is moving, we will wait until tomorrow. I know you want your ship back, and that it will be a powerful asset to us, but we will not attack before we're ready. And we are not as ready as you think."
'Rylan nodded after a deep breath. He wasn't the kind of person Raku had expected to have as a right hand, but he listened and understood well.
"Have you spoken to 'Nasamai?" Raku asked.
"Yes, I wasn't expecting to see him here," 'Rylan said. "I was a good friend of his brother's, though I didn't get to know him as well."
"Tell me what you do know. I want to know what kind of Blademaster we have just picked up."
"Well, first of all he is very violent," 'Rylan started. "And he can be careless with his tactics. But he knows how to fight, and he follows orders well. Though he can sometimes go about those orders in whatever way he feels fit."
'Nasamai reminded Raku about his younger self, violent and careless. But he could tell that 'Nasamai was young, perhaps one of the youngest he'd seen with the title of Blademaster. That had to count for something, and maybe he would become the greatest warrior of them all in the future, with the proper guidance.
"What about 'Dauram?" Raku asked. "Do you know who he is?"
"No, never heard of him," 'Rylan said. "But I can search through our archives for him, maybe something will turn up."
"Do it. I need to know more before I can begin to trust him further."
"Understood," 'Rylan said with a nod.
Raku raised a hand to dismiss 'Rylan, and he returned to the centre of the control room. He knew he had to be more careful of trusting others, especially after what happened on Zezar, but he had let himself trust 'Dauram too much without knowing anything about him.
'Dauram's words began to ring in Raku's mind, about his visions and about being a messenger of the Gods. Raku realised 'Dauram's words had sounded too good to be true, but he was still conflicted over them. It wouldn't make sense for them not to be true.
In moments like these when Raku thought too much, he'd always had Sen to talk to. So far there was no one to replace the emptiness Sen's absence had left, not even 'Rylan.
Raku left the control room, and looked for an empty room on the ship. Finding an empty room had once been easy, but now it took him forever to find somewhere to be alone. He ended up settling in the ship's brig, where he found that no one was there. It was somehow surprising that there were no prisoners aboard the Provenance, the fact that it was a mercenary ship had led him to think there were.
Raku wondered how many Sangheili were going to become mercenaries in the future because of the actions of the Prophets. It was a thought that had once disgusted him, but now he found he didn't care for it. He was losing sight of who he was, and who his people were. He would never understand why the Prophets cast them out, and ruined a devout and prideful race of warriors.
No, we're not ruined, Raku thought to himself. We're stronger now. The Prophets can't hold us back anymore.
Raku didn't know how true that was, but he was sure he would find out soon.
The next day came quickly, the day to begin the assault on the Supreme Crusader. Everyone knew what they had to do, everyone was ready. If anyone was nervous, they didn't show it. Nervousness was a weakness, one they couldn't afford.
They still had a few hours yet before the fleet would make the jump, but everyone acted as if they were going to jump the next minute. Every Sangheili Raku passed in the halls held a rifle in their hand, every Kig-Yar and Unggoy appeared as restless as ever.
A lot of the faces Raku had come to recognise in the short time he'd known them. 'Nasamai, 'Dauram, 'Rylan, 'Tantor, 'Veraskee, and others he remembered from the attack on the shipyard. All of them great warriors, all of them ready to give up their lives to take their revenge against the Covenant.
Raku, 'Rylan, and 'Veraskee made their way to the control room. The other Shipmasters, including the recently arrived 'Nasamai, were already gathered there to go over the plan one more time.
"The stealth corvettes will remain docked with the Sacred Provenance through slipspace," Raku explained. "As soon as we exit, they will detach and make their way undetected to the Supreme Crusader. Remember, we are not to fire on the ship. Each stealth corvette will carry a complement of warriors, who will board the Crusader and disable its systems from the inside.
"The Prophet of Doom and Sacred Provenance will draw the carrier's fire in order to lower its shields so the boarding teams can enter, we will also need the Prophet of Doom's fighters to hold off the Crusader's."
"If my assumptions are correct, the Crusader shouldn't have a large enough crew to man all of its fighters," 'Rylan added. "So we should retain a numbers advantage there."
"If not, then our fighters will need to hold out as long as they can," Raku said.
Raku could see in 'Kalrah's eyes that he wasn't eager to give up his fighters, Raku hoped that 'Rylan was right for all their sakes.
"Either way, expect the worst," Raku continued. "We will get nowhere if we prepare for the fight to be in our favour."
"What of the boarding teams?" 'Nasamai asked.
"You will be inserting by the ship's gravity lift in two teams," Raku explained. "Your priority targets will be the control room, and the engine room, but you must disable all of the weapons systems that you can on the way. A Huragok will be provided to both teams to assist with that, but you mustn't lose them. We have a very limited supply."
"Understood," 'Nasamai said.
"Once everyone is gathered in the control room, you will vent the ship and jump back here."
Everyone nodded in unison, there were no objections to the plan. The group of Shipmasters broke up as everyone returned to their ships, but 'Rylan looked at Raku and gestured for him to follow; he had something to say in private.
Raku followed 'Rylan until they made it to an empty corridor, and 'Rylan presented Raku with a datapad. On it was a dossier on a Sangheili minor, one by the name of Kel 'Dauramee.
"This is what I found," 'Rylan said, there was an urgency to his voice.
A minor in the Covenant found guilty of murdering two commanding officers and several other menials, theft of a transport, and heresy. Raku almost didn't believe it, but he could tell the documents were real. They were from almost twenty years ago.
"There's a price on this guy's head," 'Rylan said.
"Are you sure this is the only Kel 'Dauram?" Raku asked. He knew the answer already, but he was in denial anyway.
'Rylan slowly nodded, and Raku handed the datapad back. He knew everything he had been told was too good to be true; now he was disappointed in himself for trusting 'Dauram too soon.
"What are you going to do?" 'Rylan asked.
"I would like to talk to him first," Raku said with a sigh. "I must confirm this is all true."
"You know he will just lie to you."
"I don't believe he has lied yet. And if he does deny this, I will be able to tell."
Raku made his way back to the control room to see where 'Dauram was on the ship. He searched through the interior camera feeds, and the ship's contact alarm began blaring before he could find him. He turned to 'Veraskee, who sat in his hoverchair.
"Four ships just left slipspace," 'Veraskee said, his voice filled with concern.
Raku looked at the display of the space around them, and saw that these weren't new Sangheili arrivals. Two Ket-pattern battlecruisers, a Varric-pattern heavy cruiser, and a Kewu-pattern supercruiser. The same force that drove them away from the shipyard.
"They found us."
