Summary/disclaimer: Time for another Chapter of Honorable Split. Enjoy the 3100-word chapter. I do not own Halo and such, 343, and a few others do.
Thare hummed to himself, waiting for a second for Harbinger to drop out of Slipspace above the planet.
The first thing Thare noticed was the pair of dots near the poles… There were ships here, there was a Banished fleet here which reminded him that there was battle on the horizon.
"15 Banished signatures…. Mostly small ships, Karve class." Thare heard as he closed his eyes.
Seeker of Truth slinked out from the shadows towards the fleet, leading the Sword fleet toward the planetoid.
"Shipmaster? We are retrieving orders." Thare heard as he nodded.
"Bring it up." Thare hummed as he watched the group of Seraphs fly towards them.
Thare sighed to himself before thinking of what was growing on his mind, the rest of his mind was curious.
The Shipmaster did not even need to ask for them to fire on the opening wave of Seraphs… For there was no need, they simply needed to fire on them so they did so, something that he had to deal with.
Thare simply watched as dozens of pulse lasers were launched, several sheering a quarter of Seraphs in half.
"What is the message?" Thare asked with interest as he hummed, curious as to what it was now… Curious with each passing moment.
"Proceed to the surface… This battle is for the rest of the fleet." Thare heard as he sighed and then turned to the helmsmen.
He nodded, letting the battlecruiser move towards the fleet, Thare did turn to the rest of the staff.
"Whatever warriors that are not manning weapons or prepared for surface battle? Tell them to provide air support." Thare ordered before he cursed. "All power to forward shields…. Take out that lead Karve then bring us closer." Thare stated as he cursed again.
The second wave of Seraphs, 20 in total zoomed towards them. Thare waited for his Seraphs to be deployed as another round of pulse lasers shot toward them.
The young Sangheili had problems with this, the fleet required him… But it was also clear they had other issues to deal with, mostly clearing out the skies above the planet below.
However? If his masters needed them? He would need to deal with it all, something about it all had been harrowing towards the problem.
Thare hummed, curious… He had been too distracted. He would continue these problems and concerns elsewhere.
(Aboard Shadow of Intent)
Rtas felt misgiving asking Thare… He knew the small issues with the problems in asking an assault carrier commander to handle such an event were beyond the Arbiter.
They held no real satisfaction in it all… But orders were as they were. Such was life, life was good and he would continue it now.
Rtas could however ask a problem at the end of it all before now as he thought of it all, thinking of all such problems now and for a good reason at the time being as she thought of what was too interesting in it all.
"Shipmaster? The Harbinger is proceeding forward… Several dreadnoughts." Rtas hummed before he sighed, cursing.
Arbiter was attempting to also take the heat from the battle as Seeker of Truth sat at the head of the fleet, a dozen Seraphs crowding around the warship. Perhaps Arbiter's plan might work… But it was risky and it would also allow them to be slaughtered if need be.
"Tul? Prepare for combat… Stolt? Inform the rangers you will be boarding soon." Tul heard to which the scion nodded.
There was something about combat when it was all of it was done and dusted. They had to strike the cruiser in question, all of it was over.
Tul hummed before she tapped her energy lance on the ground, something about combat had been relaxed.
Rtas hummed and then thought of what was growing on her mind before she now, something that needed to be dealt with personally.
(With Thare)
The rest of the fleet seemed to be done with trying to fight normally. Thare watched the rest of the 2 dreadnoughts that he and the rest of them were combating had been splitting up.
He cursed, Thare sighed as one of them started to strike at him, firing a plasma beam that the Harbinger just barely managed to dodge.
Thare turned and issued the command to watch the plasma lance fire, dimming the lights on the bridge, the power dipping to 50 percent.
The beam slashed through shields and put a hole the size of a two-story building within the ship… Thare stared at his weapons master.
"Torpedoes, 6-12…. Fire, aim at that hull breach." Thare commanded to which the lights further dimmed to emergency power.
A half dozen lights sliced through space, all aimed at the small piece of the ship that stood in front of them. They sliced through pieces of metal, making it look like a slab of meat, rather than a warship.
The ship exploded, a massive plasma lance which sliced the dreadnought in half, causing it to explode as it crashed down towards the planet.
Seeker of Truth plowed through the wreckage reminding Thare of his mission. He hummed to himself, tired at the mission but in no more time did they have to relax.
Thare sighed but said nothing, something about it all was enough for him to go insane.
"Bring us in… How many warriors can be deployed?" Thare asked, making a mental note of the fact that the Harbinger still held drop pods.
"20 by pod… The rest will be scattered." Thare heard as he nodded, giving the silent order for the drop pods to be deployed onto the ground.
It was a VERY tall order to make most of the fleet. Thare seemed to be thinking of what was growing on her mind, an idea as she paused to think of it as she thought.
Thare hummed, something which had been harder and harder to think for now… Something now seemed to be harder and harder at the time being and he looked over his crew, paused for a moment then cleared his throat.
They had a mission to deal with, one which would become a bigger problem.
Thare sighed to himself before he thought of the next move. Part of him foresaw a much larger battle on the horizon, knowing the Banished would send reinforcements to attempt to retake the orbit.
For now? Thare attempted to lead his crew on the ground, he would do what he had to figure it out now at the time being.
The shipmaster heard as he thought of his next move before the sound of a dozen drop pods being launched from the cruiser toward the surface of the planet below.
Thare stopped to himself and then thought of what was growing on his mind.
Thare hummed and rubbed at his nose, pausing at the time being, something now had made him relax.
(Within the Shadow of Intent)
Rtas watched as Harbinger deployed the first wave of Swords soldiers to Raem. He did not give it a second thought as the battlecruiser accelerated towards the planet below, their mission underway.
"Tul? Lead our warriors to the planet below… Meet up with the shipmaster and find the relic." Rtas ordered before he sighed, crossing his arms at the viewport.
The remnants of the fleet accelerated towards them, dozens of Seraphs and Banshees flew towards them, weapon ports properly firing at them.
Tul walked towards the launch bay and smiled, nodding as the warriors of the Swords began to prepare for combat, grabbing their weapons and armor, and looking at their commander.
Tul hummed to herself as she carried her weapon across her shoulders as Rtas nodded towards her.
"Keep going, we need to prepare for combat…." Rtas ordered before he sighed. "Someone prepare the fighters, the attack towards the fleet will need to be answered," Rtas stated once more as he paused.
The shipmaster thought for a moment and looked up and over towards the walls of monitors as he thought of it.
Rtas sighed to himself before he brought his hand towards his skull, snapping his jaws shut, thinking of it all. Rtas seemed to relax once more as he clicked his fingers.
He was all too interested in it, something about this battle was odd, it was clear the enemy commander was not yet done as he had seen several dreadnoughts start to come towards their armada.
Something about that? About it all? They had managed to get to the surface… Something about this battle would be all too interesting at the time being.
Tul was eager to get to fight now at the time, something that most Sangheili had to deal with now at the time being.
Tul hummed to herself, pausing to herself, thinking of every single moment as she thought of it all before now.
They had a LOT more to try and figure it out, something before now, and then thought of it all. Tul hummed as she paused and then looked at the several warriors in the rest of the hallway.
Tul hummed to herself before she looked to the side once more.
(Aboard the Harbinger)
Harbinger seemed to be prepared for ground combat, systems aboard the ship told him that the rest of the warriors below were safely deployed.
Thare hummed before he looked to the side, something about it all made him curious… However? The explosion near him, the air bursting into fire made him remember they were at war.
"Shields at 75%... Ground cannon." Thare heard as he hummed and then thought.
"Get us away from its range," Thare ordered as he cursed. "Move us away from the mountains," Thare ordered as he hummed.
He was not some master strategist like Arbiter but he was smart enough to pick apart a trap… They were attempting to attack the Harbinger with Gorespike Cannons.
Thare hummed to himself, curious as to their next move… Something about it all had been harder and harder at the time being, he cracked his fingers and then felt the ship was almost bombarded by more plasma.
Thare hummed to himself and crossed his arms before he looked to the side. Thare prepared for ground combat, knowing that the battle would not be won in orbit but on the ground.
He grabbed his sword and then slowly started to look to the side.
More and more of the crew prepared for combat all and for a good reason… If nothing else? He would strangle one of the Banished with his bare hands.
He was too interested in fighting them, in dealing with every single little problem, each little problem that had to be done would be harder said than done.
"Shipmaster? There is a clump of enemy IFFs… 250 in total on the point we have marked, the Banished are dug in on the ridge." Thare hummed before he hummed, too curious.
He was all too interested in fighting, in acting the way it was to end now… Something about it all reminded him they were in for a long combat.
Thare grabbed his sword, strapping it to his hip before he looked over at the rest of the weapons around him.
Thare took a long stare into the rest of the weapons around him, all the weapons around him. He had been so interested in it all that he had almost neglected the idea of backing off and letting others handle the work they needed to do.
Granted… To him? This work was vital and needed to be handled now and for good reason.
It had to be done and dusted properly, all of it was something they dealt with in the same fashion as always at the end of it all.
Thare hummed as he grabbed for a second weapon… Then a third, placing them on parts of his armored body as they adhered magnetically.
Thare hummed as he waited a moment to utter a verse from their people then went flying off into the sky.
Something about it all was odder and odder now, an idea which was harder and harder with it all for now and for a good reason.
Something which had been too tiresome now… An idea was all too much… It was going on now and for good reason.
He thought of the Banished, of their goals and plans, an army of mercenaries under Atriox's control… They were an interesting army now.
Now? Now he knew the army as a problematic issue for them to fight… He would fight for now and it was harder and harder at the time being.
Thare took a deep breath and finally collected his weapons.
(With Tul)
Tul hummed, curious as to how it would be something for now and something about it all was curious… Something about it all was odder and odder.
She did not wish to think of it all now and for good reason. It was not harder and harder and harder to think…. He had been too interested in it all now…
Tul tapped her staff on the ground, calling the others to her attention as she paused, taking a deep breath… Something which had not yet come to pass.
It seemed like she had been too interested in fighting to arm herself… No matter, it was odd for them but they said nothing now.
Tul hummed, tiring herself at the time mentally as she looked to the side, thinking of the warriors around her as she paused to relax.
Tul stepped onto the drop pod. Sangheili drop technology had advanced since the war and they had chosen function over form now… They would reach the surface safely and securely… She only pondered it all for now.
Tul hummed and then cracked her fingers, eager to battle. She wanted to relax and she would pause only at fighting at the time.
Tul closed her eyes and waited a second as the pod was shot towards the planet below, the ship fired them like a machine gun, the pods spiraling, held aloft by jets inside the pods… She knew each second of amusement was tiresome at the end of the time being.
Tul clacked her mandibles, eager to watch it all come to an end…. She wanted to think of it all harder… All the easier to deal with for now, Tul smiled as she paused to try and figure it out.
Tul cracked her fingers at the time as she smirked, ready to think of it all before she thought of it.
Tul had been too eager to fight now before she hummed and then tapped her lance on the ground, FAR too eager to think of it all before she sighed as she looked to the ground.
Something about it all had been harder and harder at the time being… She had been too interested in it all before now… Something about it all was cooler and cooler.
Something about it all tossed her up and down at the time. Tul seemed to be eager to think of it all before she looked to the side.
Tul seemed to look to the side… Something about the chaos was growing more tiresome.
(With Thare)
Thare hummed before he grabbed his rifle and then started to think of it all as less of a battle and more than a conquest.
The enemy was all too thrown off, they were eager to fight, to combat the rest of the soldiers before long.
Thare hummed, too tired, bored, and exhausted with each little mission now at the time being.
Thare hummed once more and then thought of it all before he looked downwards at the ground. Thare was tired now, eager to break it all… He had plans to deal with for now and for a good reason.
Something which pinged off his mind was simple, the Banished were awaiting them… Thare turned to the 3 score warriors and prepared for combat now.
"The Arbiter has asked us to gain a relic for the Swords of Sanghelios… We will not fail." Thare seemed to be thinking of everything in it all before now.
Soldiers were prepared and armor was thrown downwards the ground. He watched as the wraiths inside the hanger were brought towards the lift as of now.
Thare tapped on his Storm Rifle before he grabbed his sword from his hip, eager to prepare for combat… His soldiers gathered behind him as he looked downwards at the ground, sending an order to his group.
Thare hummed while he watched as the gravity lift was activated, tethering them to the planet below… More and more of his men were dropped downwards onto the surface as he watched a group of Type-57 Phantoms fly the few wraiths and ghosts ready downwards.
Thare thought of it as if he had broken everything into pieces. He brought a hand to his ear as he sighed.
"Is everything prepared for the next phase of this plan? We need to ensure most of the group is grounded, second master." Thare stated with a sigh to himself.
"We have deployed all forces now… I will be prepared for your order, shipmaster." Thare heard as he sighed.
Something within it all made Thare eager for it to end. He had a mission, a vapid and long one with each little bit of chaos cascading into the darkness…. Now and only now was he eager to see this mission end as the Sangheili officer sighed, clacked his mandibles, and dropped into the beam of gravity which lowered him to the ground.
Harbinger had its orders and he had no desire to see those orders broken unless the arbiter himself interjected in it.
Still? He could not shake the idea this battle had been… Very hard on them all back and forth… Something about it all had been harder and harder on them all.
Thare sighed to himself with very much amusement on his mind, the Banished was skilled at combat. He did not doubt the fact their battle would be very hard to defeat… But? He had to manage them properly… He would properly manage them… Something about it all
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will be 900-6500 words and set up Thare beginning his mission. Until then, Lighting Wolf is out!