Thel was still on the bridge watching the holo-table with growing irritation. It was currently displaying a holographic representation of Halo and his fleet. His attention was focused on a red dot originating from the Seeker of Truth and headed towards Halo. The Demon had found a weak spot in their guards' shift and used the chaos of battle to take an escape pod. His ship had been ready to fire the moment the pod launched, but he forbade it. The Demon's trajectory would have her land far away from any human group. In theory, her capture should be easier given that she didn't have her armor and was cut off from any human reinforcement.

In theory.

"Leave us," He ordered the two Sangheili Minors who had come to inform him.

"Her wardens must be punished !" Said Rota from the other side of the table after the Minors left. His arms were crossed and his gaze was on the red dot as it passed the Ring's circumference. The slow drumming of his fingers on his armor and his controlled breath betrayed the inner fury he was trying to control.

"They will be," replied Thel, "But we must focus on her capture for now." He looked at the rest of his fleet on the holographic display with concern. Out of the twelve ships present, six of them had been destroyed by the humans and the Ring. The rest of the fleet had also been damaged to varying degrees, but the battle against the humans would be decided on the ground now. Glassing the Sacred Ring was out of the question.

"Supreme Commander," Said one of the Sangheilli crew, "Message from the Truth and Reconciliation. They wish to land on the Ring to make repairs and have identified a landing area far enough from the humans."

An update on his holographic map showed the cruiser's proposed landing spot. It was indeed situated far from the supposed humans' locations, but it was still much closer than their Demon escapee. "Permission granted. Tell them to deploy any combattant to the nearest human positions. They must be harried at every step." Ordered Thel.

"And what of the Demon ?" Asked Rota expectantly.

"We are stretched thin," Answered Thel, looking at the Zealot in front of him. "Too thin. If the humans manage to regroup, they will oppose a strong resistance. I'm afraid that they will require my full attention for now."

Rota hummed for a few seconds as he looked at the map. Then his eyes lit up with an idea. "Then let me hunt her down." He proposed.

Thel hesitated. It had been one of the solutions he had thought of, but he was unsure. He didn't know the worth of the Zealot before him. Capturing the Demon again would require great skill in leadership to coordinate the troops efficiently. 'Then perhaps it will be his opportunity to prove his worth.' Thought Thel as he relented, "Alright, I will give you three Phantoms and four squads, bring her back alive."

"And if that's not possible ?"

"Then kill her." Even though the Demon presented an opportunity for him, he wouldn't waste a huge amount of valuable troops in tracking her down, especially at such a critical moment. "Do not underestimate her." He warned.

Rota only looked with determination. "I won't". He said as walked out of the bridge. But just before he left, he turned to Thel and asked, "Will you eventually join us in this hunt Commander ?"

"Once I've taken care of our… problem, I will."

Rota nodded, "May the destruction of the humans be swift then." The door closed behind him, leaving Thel alone with his thoughts.

'I wasn't thinking of the humans.' Thought Thel as he looked at the other CAS Carrier in his fleet. The Ascendant Justice, ship of the Minor Prophet of Stewardship. Yet doubt still plagued his mind about the Demon. He wanted to trust that Zealot as he seemed competent, but he couldn't let such a risky gamble rest upon a single Sangheili. He needed a second plan, and he already had something in mind. It was more desperate than it liked, but it would have to do for now.

"Contact our Weapon Master, I wish to meet him immediately." He said to his crew before focusing on the holo-table before him, he had a lot to do. 'Enjoy this headstart, Demon. It will not last.'

Installation 04, Unknown location, SEPTEMBER 19 2552,

She was not lucky when it came to planetfall. Last time, she had been thrown overboard a Covenant Corvette with only her armor as a mean of reentry. Here, she was landing on a mysterious ringworld inside a Covenant escape pod where she didn't understand any of the symbols displayed on the control panel.

Fortunately, the landing wasn't as rough as she expected. Her seat's harness had kept her firmly in place, and she could stand up relatively unscathed. She could now have a better look at the pod's interior. The escape pod was relatively long and circle-shaped, with five seats on both sides behind the pilot. She noticed some pieces of equipment were hung up on the right wall between the seats and the exit door and decided to take a closer look. To her luck, among the equipment was a belt that she could use to hang her Energy Sword hilt and her Needle Rifle's ammo. A Plasma Pistol and two Plasma grenades had also survived the crash. The last object, however, drew her curiosity. It was a small, rectangle-shaped box with no indication or marking on it except for its grey color. She assumed that it was either food or a medical package and grabbed it.

'Really wish I had my armor right now.' She thought as she buckled the belt around her waist and took the other objects. She was already carrying a lot with a single belt and some pockets, and her rifle would have to be carried by hand constantly. Given her situation, she would need to stay mobile quite a lot, even more so than on Reach. She opened the door, the light outside blinding her for just a second as her blue irises adjusted themselves to the brightness, and walked out.

The first thing that hit her was just how the air felt so pure to the point that she felt her nostrils burn with irritation for a couple of seconds. She had gotten used to the artificial air on the ship or the burning smell of the now glassed Reach. But the air just felt untainted by any kind of urban, industrial, or military activity, which she found weird considering that she was standing on an artificial ringworld. A gentle breeze brushed against her skin and her short dark hair. It was strange just how serene yet alien this place felt.

'Just where am I ?' She asked herself as she took a look at her surroundings. She had crashlanded in what looked like to be some hilly plains. She could see some mountains in the distance, but what caught her eye was a dense forest at the base of the mountains. Without hesitation, she immediately walked toward the forest. Her first priority was to put as much distance as she could between her and the crashed pod, for it would likely be swarmed by the Covenant in the following hour. She doubted that they had made the effort of capturing and healing her only to let her go now.

As she reached the top of a tall hill, she had a good view of the forest. Not only was it dense but it was also wide, extending farther than she could see. She smiled a little at her luck. This would be a good hiding place from Covenant air patrols and a good ambush point for any ground troops daring enough to enter the forest. This only motivated her to move faster, for if she was caught here in the open without her armor, the following fight would be short.

Her mind drifted toward her long-term survival as she walked. Was she completely alone here ? What was this place supposed to be ? How would she even survive for more than a week ? She had heard some birds chirping when she stepped out of the pod, but she hadn't seen any other animals that she could hunt. She was hoping that the grey box she had was some kind of food storage, but she doubted that it would last for long. Given the ringworld's nature and orientation, it was hard to determine the time of the day, but she roughly guessed that it was in the afternoon. If night came, the concealing power of the forest would be doubled if not tripled, but her vision would be hampered without night vision or a lamp.

If there wasn't anything she could use here, then she would also need to survive by picking off isolated enemies and looting their corpses exactly like she had been doing on Reach. She realized that her current situation wasn't that different from her last days on Reach except for the lack of armor. That and the giant ringworld she was on.

After what felt like an hour, she approached the forest. She looked back to see how much distance she walked, but her eyes found something else. Far above in the sky were three balls of fire descending roughly toward the location of her pod. From their close and stable formation, she guessed that they were ships entering the atmosphere. She immediately picked up the pace and entered the forest.

The hunt was on.

One month earlier

Rota sat alone in his room aboard the cruiser Transcendent Light, his helmet on his bed. He was inspecting his Plasma Rifle which lay bare on his table. It had malfunctioned during their latest assault on a human bastion on Reach, and that had almost cost him his life. Despite having disassembled and reassembled his gun multiple times, he was unable to figure out the problem. He was seriously thinking of dropping this at the ship's Weapon Master and picking up a spare.

He was so fixated on his task that he didn't hear the sound of his door opening or someone walking in. It was only when someone put a hand on his shoulder that he turned around in surprise. "Ah, it is only you, Sevu. You should knock before entering !" Said Rota.

Sevu 'Khalorai was a Field Marshal. Hailing from Kurloa, a Sangheili colony from the fringes of Covenant space. He had been the first Sangheili to welcome him among their ranks as a Zealot and had stuck by his side ever since. Their friendship was forged and tested in battle. Rota knew that his friend would guard his back, and he would do the same. Fate had them meet as partners, but this war had made them brothers.

"And you should be more attentive, Rota !" Reprimanded Sevu as Rota stood up. "If I was an assassin, you would be dead by now."

"Why would an assassin be on board ?" Countered Rota. "And how would they have made it so far without anyone seeing them ?"

"You never know, especially with those humans down below. You know how crafty they can be." Said Sevu, to which Rota only nodded in response. He then saw the disassembled Plasma Rifle. "Something happened ?"

"Yes, it jammed just as I was about to kill a human. I had to resort to my sword, but that human was tenacious. He pulled out a grenade while my sword was still buried in his chest. It exploded before I could turn off my blade, and the hilt was destroyed." Explained Rota. He had been lucky that his shield took most of the impact that day, or he wouldn't be standing here.

Sevu shook his head. "That is the second time you've lost your sword, Rota! You should be more careful." He said.

"You know that I am not much of a sword fighter, Sevu. I would rather cut down my enemies from afar."

"Then you will not get far within the Devoted Sentries, Rota. " Said Sevu as he walked to the table and placed one of his two Energy Sword hilts on the table. Being a Blademaster, few Sangheilies could beat Sevu in a swordfight, and he had earned the respect of many of his peers. This also allowed him to carry two swords instead of one, making him a deadly threat in melee combat. "The blade has been a part of our history since we have mastered fire. Every warrior must uphold this tradition proudly when battling our foes. You cannot-"

"I know all of this already, Sevu !" Interrupted a frustrated Rota. He had heard this speech well before joining the army.

"Do you truly? I know that you want to restore glory to your keep, but do you really think that the other will give you respect when you give no care to your sword?" Countered Sevu, his mandible clicking with dissatisfaction.

"I know, but… I was never proficient with a sword." Admitted Rota, looking at the ground ashamed.

Sevu relaxed, knowing what troubled his friend. The Murad Keep was now a disenfranchised family, meaning that its members would have difficult access to any kind of education. He was surprised that Rota had made it this far, but his lack of knowledge about Sangheili customs and tradition was sometimes obvious.

Upon seeing the silence of his friend, Rota decided to change the subject. "I am surprised that we are still here given our recent losses." He said.

It was obvious that Sevu wanted to say more, but he chose to go along with Rota, "I doubt that it will be for long. A new Grandmaster will have to be elected in High Charity. Once we'll all be gathered there, an election will start as soon as possible." Said Sevu with a gleam in his eyes.

Rota recognized that gleam of ambition. The Devoted Sentries were one of the few Zealot chapters that answered to a Grandmaster instead of answering directly to the Ministry of Fervent Intercession. Once the position was opened, their Field Marshal would elect one of their own to become the new Grandmaster. "You are one of the few Zealots to personally kill a Demon, Sevu. Your chance of becoming our new Grandmaster is high." Said Rota. It was no secret that Sevu was aiming to be their leader, often taking the more perilous mission and acquiring the support of the other, more influential Marshals. He was a rising star amongst the Sentries and Rota would be more than happy to see his friend's efforts rewarded.

"Yes, but killing a second Demon would seal the vote before it even began, would it not ?"

"What… What are you implying, brother ?" Asked Rota. He could guess the idea of his comrade, but he needed confirmation.

"We have located one of the last human ships on Reach, and our forces are already engaging it." Explained Sevu, "I strongly believe that the Demons will be present once more. I've requested to be deployed alongside our best Zealots."

"Let me join you." Said Rota without hesitation. He knew particularly well how dangerous the Demons could be and felt somewhat anxious for his brother-in-arm.

Sevu just shook his head, "You need rest, brother. You have just arrived from a battle, I doubt that you would be of use to us down there." He said, "Besides, do you not trust our capabilities ?"

"I would never doubt your fighting prowess, Sevu. You are one of our best fighters. It's the Demons' abilities that…concerns me."

"I understand, which is why I brought this," He turned around and pointed at the Fuel Rod Canon strapped to his back, "A direct hit should be more than enough to kill a Demon, or at least bring down its shield." He said with confidence.

"Hopefully, you won't have to fight them up close." Said Rota as he grabbed the sword hilt from the table and took a closer look. Being a Blademaster meant not only knowing how to fight with a sword but also how to build one. It was expected that each Blademaster would build their personal sword, as well as for other special individuals. Sevu was not an exception, but he stayed humble in his weapon's design. He had kept the simple design of the mass-produced sword but with some arrangement. Instead of the classical bulbous-shaped plasma emitter, the twin end of his sword was a straight spike perpendicular to the rest of the hilt, making the two plasmic blades just a bit closer than the norm. There were also Forerunner glyphs on the hilt, just like a normal sword. But there were also some Sangheili symbols on it, though Rota didn't know their meaning. He would have to ask Sevu later. "I've heard that they can crush your bones with their bare hands." He said.

Sevu was about to reply when the voice of the Shipmaster spoke through the ship's intercom, "Field Marshal Sevu 'Khalorai to the bridge, Field Marshal Sevu 'Khalorai to the bridge !"

"It looks like duty is calling you, Sevu. Best not to let it wait." Commented Rota as he held out his arm to give Sevu's hilt back to him.

However, Sevu shook his hand in refusal, "Keep it."

Rota's eyes widened. He wasn't the most knowledgeable in Sangheili customs, and he knew that, but he was certain that offering your personal sword to another warrior was unheard of. He was at a loss for words.

Seeing his silence, Sevu continued, "And when I come back, I will teach you the art of the sword. It is unfit that a warrior of your status does not know how to fight with our sacred weapon."

"I… I don't know… I don't know what to say," Rota was flabbergasted. But his shock turned to happiness and excitement. Every time he had asked for someone to train him, he would be turned away the moment people knew of his disgraced background. He had stopped trying and instead learned whatever he could by himself. But to have a Field Marshal, who was also a Blademaster, offer to teach him felt like a dream made true.

Sevu put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "Take some rest, Rota. Some of my fellow Blademasters have told me that my training is one of the more ruthless, and I fear that they may be right." He said with a chuckle before turning away and leaving.

As Rota watched his friend leave, his senses returned to him, "May you light the Sacred Path, brother." He responded in gratitude with the official farewell of the Devoted Sentries. He then turned to his bed, which looked rather inviting. Perhaps his Plasma Rifle could wait.

Present

Rota looked at the unlit hilt in his hand, remembering the words of his late friend.

Sevu had been killed by a Demon near the human ship. That ship was the same one that they had chased to the Sacred Ring, and that Demon was the same one that he was now chasing. The battle of Reach, while a victory for the Covenant, had been costly for the Devoted Sentries. A large part of their chapter, including the Grandmaster, had been lost with the Long Night of Solace. What remained was then slowly whittled down mission after mission, and it could all be traced back to that accursed female Demon.

Determination filled him as his grip on the hilt tightened. He would find the Demon, and he would enjoy making her suffer for her crimes.

"Leader," the voice of one of the squad's leaders cut through his musings, "We've scouted the escape pod. The Demon is gone, but we found some foottracks and followed them. They lead us to the forest we saw earlier, should we give chase in the forest ?"

"No, stay at the entrance and await us." Instructed Rota before opening a communication to the Phantoms, "Pilots, regroup on my position! We will land near the forest." He said before going to the cockpit to guide the pilot. He had deployed one squad on the ground and kept the rest in the Phantoms that patrolled the area. He had also seen the large forest and was hoping that wasn't where the Demon had gone. But he knew that the Demon was smart, and he would have to proceed very carefully even if she was unarmored.

The Phantoms landed a minute later, and he walked out along with his squad. He took a quick look at their surroundings and was in admiration. He was now standing on Halo, the centerpiece of their Covenant and where they would become gods. He had probably angered the Gods by not praying upon touching this sacred ground, but Thel's word rang in his mind. First, he would secure Halo from the humans, then he would have ample time to honor the Ancient Ones.

As the rest of the squads disembarked, he went to the vanguard's leader who was clad in the red armor of a Major. Once everyone was before him, he spoke with as much authority as he could gather, "Listen up, everyone! We will split up to find the Demon more quickly. You," he turned to the squad that was onboard his Phantom, "will join me while we go into the forest. The other two squads will spread to our right and left. Inform me immediately if you find traces of her passage. Whatever happens, do not spread out." He warned, emphasizing each word. "The Demon is not to be underestimated."

There was some rumble amongst the troops, but they all complied. The vanguard's Major looked at him with curiosity, "What of us, leader ?" He asked.

"Return to the Phantom and patrol the forest's outskirts. Warn me if you locate her."

The vanguard squad went back into one of their Phantom as it took off with the rest. Rota turned back to the forest as the other squads entered it. He knew what awaited him, and he was ready. He took the lead of his squad and went into the forest.

The sound of the leaves being ruffled by the wind was all they could hear along with distant sounds of what he believed to be animals. Quickly, the two other squads by his side disappeared among the foliage. Rota looked at the rest of his party. Two Ultra Sangheilies, four Major Unggoys, and two Kig-Yars looked in all directions for any traces of the Demon, be it in the bushes or the dirt.

Dozens of minutes passed, the quietness of the forest occasionally broken by the banter of their Unggoys which Rota chose to ignore. They had gone so deep into the forest that they had lost sight of their entry point, but Rota could hear the distant humming of a Phantom once in a while.

"Why do we need to hunt a Demon in this big, scary forest ?" Whined one of the Unggoy.

As the Unggoys bickered among themselves to answer their comrade's question, one of the two Ultra turned to Rota. "I'm afraid I must share their curiosity, leader. Why do we need this Demon ?"

"The Supreme Commander believes that we can extract some important information from the Demon, including the location of the Human homeworld." Explained Rota. He could understand why this peculiar mission would confuse his troops. He had wondered the exact same thing when the Supreme Commander stopped him on Reach.

"He thinks he can break a Demon ?" Asked the Ultra, disbelief apparent in his voice.

Rota nodded, "With our victory on Reach, we will have all the time we need to interrogate her." He wondered what exactly the Supreme Commander had in mind for breaking that Demon. Detentions and interrogations, especially for humans, were very rare within the Covenant. He doubted they even had any kind of device built for that purpose.

A beeping sound interrupted his pondering. Looking at his armpad, he saw that one of the squad was calling him, "What is it ?" He asked.

"Leader, we've found human footprints in the dirt ! They seem fresh."

Rota's mandible firmed in concentration. Finally, something they could work with, "Stay where you are, we will join immediately." He said before closing the communication and contacting the other squad. They needed to move fast.

"He wants us to wait ? " Asked an outraged Zydo 'Turamee. He had asked the other Sangheili to warn their Zealot leader when he spotted a footprint in the dirt that looked similar to a human's foot, but he had expected their leader to order him to give chase, which he would have done without a doubt.

"Yes," answered the Sangheili Minor of his squad, N'thur Garanee, "He says that they will join us rapidly."

"And how much time will that take?" Countered Zydo with a snarl. "The longer we wait here, the farther the Demon will flee !"

N'thur just scratched his head in contemplation, not wanting to oppose either his squad leader or the Zealot.

Zydo turned to the rest of his squad. Besides the Sangheili Minor, he only had two Unggoys Minors and a Kig-Yar under his command.

"Why do we have to wait for the others ? I've heard that this Demon doesn't even have an armor !" Said one of the Unggoys.

"Yeah, even our pistols could kill it ! Let's go hunt it !" Exclaimed the other Unggoy with an enthusiasm that surprised his squad. The Kig-Yar just watched silently.

Zydo crossed his arms, deep in concentration. If it was true that the Demon didn't have its armor, then they would have a chance to capture or kill it. It wouldn't have its typical superstrength or resistance, or any other abilities they were rumored to have. "The Unggoys are right," He said, turning to N'thur, "We have a chance to capture the Demon, I won't waste it just because this Zealot wants to hoard that glory for himself."

N'thur, however, was more hesitant, "I don't know, Zydo. Surely this Demon would be smart enough to hide from us ?"

"Listen," Said Zydo while putting a hand on the Sangheili's shoulder, "Can you imagine the recognition we would gain for capturing the Demon ourselves? We would both become Ultra at the least if not more ! Do you really want to let such an opportunity pass ?"

N'thur simply sighed. He knew that Zydo was now set on this path, and with him being the Major, he probably couldn't stop him. "I suppose you have a point," he admitted with resignation.

Zydo seemed satisfied with this response. "Then let's move ! We have a Demon to catch." He said to the squad. They all started to follow the trail of footsteps in the dirt, but N'thur stayed behind for a couple of seconds, still debating on what to do. He didn't want to go hunt a Demon with just a lone squad, but Zydo was his friend and he couldn't let him rush into danger on his own. He quickened his pace to catch up with his team.

As the squad followed the trail, the vegetation around them thickened, blocking out the sun and darkening the forest. They could still see each other, as well as a few meters before them, but the sudden decrease in light was noticeable. The early bravado of the Unggoys had faded quickly, and even the Kig-Yar seemed on edge. N'Thur was looking everywhere for a potential threat, silently hoping that their Major would come to his senses. He couldn't see Zydo's face since he was behind him, but he was willing to bet that his friend was also having doubts.

N'thur's earlier worries having resurged, he decided to speak up, "Zydo, we need to go back. This is the perfect place for an ambush." He said in a low voice.

"N'thur," responded Zydo with frustration, not even looking at his Minor comrade, "If you intend to be such a coward, then you can stay behind ! I will not-" He was interrupted when he felt a burning pain in his chest. As he looked down, his vision was blinded by a blue light, and the searing pain spread to his entire body.

The plasma grenade exploded, engulfing the Major Elite and propelling the rest of the squad to the ground. She immediately fired two shots with her Needle Rifle at the Grunts on the ground, killing both of them. She aimed for the Jackal, who had lost his shield with the blast, and fired before he could get up. All that was left was the Minor Elite, but the explosion had let a cloud of smoke that blocked her vision. She wasn't going to move out of her cover given that the Elite could still be alive and armed, and such a confrontation would end rather painfully for her.

A few seconds later, the Elite rushed out of the smoke, an Energy Sword in his hand instead of the Plasma Rifle he bore earlier. The sparks on his armor indicated that his shield had taken most of the damage, and he looked around frantically for her. He probably hadn't seen the flash of her muzzle with the smoke. "Face me, Demon !" He hollered in English with desperation.

She only waited for an opportune angle and fired another shot to his head. The crystalline shard pierced through an exposed part of his neck, and he fell to the ground lifelessly. Seeing that the entire squad was dead, she allowed herself a relieved sigh. She had been tempted to rise to his taunt and face him. There was some satisfaction in taking down a lone Elite who thought he could beat her, but she needed to remind herself that she had no armor. Unlike on Reach, she couldn't face an endless horde of Covenant soldiers and survive. Ambushes like this would be her only way to fight the Covenant here.

'Focus,' she reminded herself as she rushed to inspect the bodies, looking for some ammunition. The explosion had probably alerted the nearby patrols, meaning that she would have to move fast. Unfortunately, none of them were carrying a Needle Rifle from which she could salvage some crystalline shards, but she did find an intact plasma grenade on one of the Grunt. At least she still had two grenades with her.

A low rumbling sound made her look up, and she could barely see through the foliage that dark, thunderous clouds were starting to gather above. She did feel the air getting colder, and the few rays of sunlight that pierced through the trees were also starting to waver. If it was about to rain, then she would need to find a shelter quickly. She gave a quick look over the Major for anything interesting but quickly gave up and ran toward what she believed to be the mountain. If the other encounters with the Covenant would be like this one, then perhaps her situation wasn't as gloomy as she thought.

'Knowing my luck though, I wouldn't count on that.' She thought as she passed through the trees.

What she didn't see was a blue light that hung alone far above in the sky. It had watched the entire fight, and it was now watching the human sprinting into the forest. However, seconds later, it vanished from the sky, as if it hadn't been there in the first place.

Hey everyone, I know I said that this might take some time, but I felt motivated from your positive reviews and got inspired. I also hope you liked this little insight into the organisation of the Devoted Sentries. We don't hear that much about the Zealot chapters in canon so I thought I would give them some interpretation.