Author's Note: I do not own halo, halo is the property of Microsoft and 343 industries.
I'm kinda just putting this out there, waiting for reviews. I created this story just because It had been floating at the back of my mind and no one else had done it before(at least I don't think so). So I made this one night after school. No flames please.
Anyway, Enjoy:
Chapter 1
Onboard the Covenant Assault Carrier Edge of Deliverance
Xuka POV:
I had served as an elite minor within the Covenant for a little over a quarter of a cycle, subject to a constant stream of orders and directives. I was annoyed by them. But, this is the only way to join the forerunners. Thus, I shall follow in the path the prophets have set for us, and ascend to godhood.
The recent discovery of a new species on the outer territories had sent shockwaves through our ranks. The Prophets decreed that these beings had desecrated sacred Forerunner artifacts, leaving us with only one directive.
To destroy them without mercy.
I have been informed that these creatures, known as humans, were weak, foolish, cowardly, and bereft of honor. They have been deemed as heretics, obstructing our path to the Great Journey. I believe the war against them will be swift, and that it would be a glorious endeavor, an opportunity to earn honor.
As my assault carrier descended upon the planet known as "Harvest" by the humans, It looked beautiful, though tainted by human presence.
Their feeble ships appeared insignificant compared to the imposing might of the Edge of Deliverance and its accompanying escorts. I could hardly fathom how their vessels could withstand the unforgiving vacuum of space.
"Their ships, a drab and unsightly gray, relied heavily on primitive thrusters," I mused, my confidence growing. In contrast, our majestic vessels were adorned with the glory of the Covenant, technologically advanced and awe-inspiring. We were the righteous enforcers of the Prophets' will, and it was our duty to bring swift judgment to these heretics who dared to defile Forerunner artifacts.
As the human ships slowly turned to face us, I steeled myself for the coming battle. The clash between our worlds was inevitable, and in this moment, I was resolute in my belief that our Covenant would emerge victorious, ushering us closer to the Great Journey and the promise of godhood.
Onboard the UNSC Armstrong
Evan POV:
Ever since I first laid eyes on the Covenant, fear had gripped my heart, casting a dark shadow over the future of humanity. Their technology far surpassed our own, and the true extent of their empire remained a mystery, shrouded in the ominous unknown.
What terrified me the most was their unwavering determination to annihilate humanity. Our first contact had gone disastrously wrong, resulting in the devastating destruction of at least half of the fleet stationed on Harvest. I had been there to witness the chaos and devastation firsthand.
I remained in my bedroom, trembling under the weight of my thoughts. Then, the door swung open, and a woman appeared before me. "You are needed at the armory, Battle Stations. The Covenant is back!"
"It's only been a week, and they're already back? This can only mean they possess even more advanced slipspace drives. Who knows what other deadly surprises they have in store?" I muttered to myself, snapped out of my despair by a pat on my shoulder. "Hey, you there?"
"Yes, I'll be there," I replied,
She hurried off without another word, leaving me with a silent prayer: "God, please have mercy on us all."
Leaving my bedroom, I gazed out through the bulletproof glass into the cold expanse of space and saw those ominous, purple behemoths of death fixated on our world with hungry, relentless eyes.
Xuka POV:
I watched from the bridge of the Edge of Deliverance as the Covenant fleet unleashed their energy weapons upon the human ships, effortlessly tearing through their defenses as if they were made of paper. Explosions lit up the vast void of space, and the once-proud human vessels were reduced to nothing more than scattered debris. Zeal filled my hearts as I witnessed the glorious destruction.
Amidst the devastation, a single human ship somehow survived the initial onslaught. It bore plasma burn marks all over, with blue flames flickering on every side of its battered hull. But even in the face of such adversity, it defiantly turned to confront the imminent threat.
A surge of energy erupted at the ship's front, and a brilliant golden beam pierced the vacuum of space like a lightning bolt. The devastating blast struck two Covenant battle cruisers. The first cruiser was instantly torn in half, while the second had its primary energy weapon disabled. Their shipmasters, consumed by hubris, had foolishly kept their shields down to divert more energy into their weapons systems, oblivious to the impending danger.
The entire bridge crew of the Edge of Deliverance watched in a mix of horror and awe, as the realization sank in that we were not invincible. "Raise all shields immediately, and launch boarding parties on that ship. It has proven worthy of challenging the might of our warriors," came the commanding voice of the Fleetmaster.
As his words echoed in my thoughts, a nagging question circled in my mind. "Worthy? Are they truly worthy?" I stood there, gazing out at the unfolding battle, lost in thought, standing like a brick.
"You are not a brick, Xuka. I know that," my brother's voice broke through my contemplation, reminding me of the life I still had.
"Let us engage them in battle!" roared the entire bridge crew in unison, their fierce determination resounding.
With swift resolve, my brother and I made our way to the boarding craft, which promptly launched alongside seven others. It was only a matter of time before our boarding craft breached the human ship's hull. Adrenaline coursed through me, a heady mixture of excitement and apprehension as the prospect of confronting our enemies loomed.
Sensing my unease, my brother Xytamine offered words of reassurance, "All warriors are nervous on the eve of battle. Death awaits at every corner, so stay vigilant and do not seek recklessness. Do not play the hero and jeopardize your life, for my sake." His words felt wrong.
"Death brings glory to us all and honor among our ancestors," I retorted, though his words lingered in my thoughts, an unsettling reminder of the uncertainty that lay ahead.
The air pressure sealers hissed, signaling that we were ready to breach the enemy ship. It was time to face our foes, to fight for honor, and perhaps, for our very survival.
Evan POV:
I couldn't tear my eyes away from the horrifying spectacle as the rest of the UNSC fleet was reduced to molten glass. All those brave men and women, lost and forgotten in the fiery chaos.
I gripped my assault rifle and magnum tightly, my knuckles white with tension, and watched as the Armstrong's MAC cannon came online. With fiery resolve, it roared to life and bore a gaping hole through one Covenant ship while tearing the other in half. In a twisted way, it was comforting to witness. At least we could fight back.
Then, the chilling announcement came, "Covenant boarding parties incoming, they're latched."
The sergeant stepped forward, his voice resolute, "These alien bastards remind me of a six-hundred-year-old quote, back when we all lived on Earth: 'To awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with terrible resolve.' That sleeping giant represents us and what we fight for."
Those words echoed through the ship's hallways, and they kindled a fierce determination in every member of the crew.
I ran to my designated area as fast as I could, knowing that our only chance to stop them was to prevent them from getting into the ship.
I rounded a corner and saw nothing but the corpses of marines hidden behind plasma burned cover. They didn't stand a chance.
Suddenly, a searing plasma bolt whizzed perilously close to my head, slamming itself into the wall with a sizzling, molten impact. I could feel the intense heat radiating from the scorched wall, a constant reminder of the dangers.
I instinctively dove into cover as another barrage of plasma bolts sizzled through the air, narrowly missing the spot where I had stood just a moment ago. Adrenaline came to my system in an instant.
I peeked out at the aliens, but was promptly interrupted by what felt like a sledge hammer slamming into my helmet. My head burned as I took the helmet off and was greeted by a golf ball sized hole that burned into the headpiece, had I been a little slower. I'd be dead by now.
More heat came, pinning me behind a single piece of cover, I raised my assault rifle over my head to fire back at the aliens, but heard no screams in agony. Only the sound of an invisible barrier blocking all of my shots, making me feel hopeless inside.
Then, I heard thunderous roars come from my right, followed closely by the sound of alien screams and thuds signifying their deaths. I turned and saw my savior. It was the woman from earlier, holding a sniper rifle.
"At least don't give them a clean shot." She said as another elite roared in pain.
"Sor-" I tried to speak, but was interrupted by a plasma grenade hurtling towards us. Out of instinct, I reached out with my assault rifle to swat the grenade back. I succeeded, only to see the grenade stick to my weapon. Out of options, I threw the assault rifle and the grenade back where it came from. It exploded shortly after and sent an elite flying over my cover.
"Nice one." She said with a whiff of excitement.
Xuka POV:
"Major Grizo is gone!" Xytamine proclaimed.
The deafening thunder of human weapons nearly overwhelmed my senses. Despite the cacophony, I could see a hole being blasted through the skull of an Elite right in front of me. In that chaotic moment, I hurled a plasma grenade at the humans and dove into cover, only to watch it return near my feet, attached to some unknown human weapon.
Desperation surged through me, and I wanted to scream, but before I could utter a word, my brother jumped in front of me. He pulled me close and whispered, "Be safe." The explosive blast tore through his shields and seared his back, causing him to crumple to the ground.
Enraged by the harm inflicted on my brother by these humans, I moved out of cover and opened fire on the human who had been shredding through our comrades. Three of my shots found their mark, striking the human in the chest, right shoulder, and left leg. An agonized scream filled the air, a sound that struck me as strangely feminine. Did humans permit their females to partake in battle?
"Weaklings," I snarled, the words escaping my lips without my conscious awareness. At that moment, I failed to notice that my shields had saved me from a projectile that would have struck my head.
Then, a human emerged from cover with incredible speed. I instinctively fired at it, striking its shoulder. But it seemed unfazed, choosing instead to hoist the wounded female onto its shoulder and make a swift escape. Without a second thought, I gave chase, determined to catch them and seek retribution for my fallen comrades and my injured brother.
Evan POV:
I ran as fast as I possibly could, the plasma slowly but surely melting my right shoulder pauldron. Every part of me wanted to stop and take it off. But I couldn't, not with an elite on my tail. The pain didn't slow me down, it only reminded me to go faster.
I rounded a corner and saw through the glass escape pods being ejected, I hoped to god that there was still one more waiting for me…and her.
Even with my shot of adrenaline, the pounding footsteps quickly became louder and louder, dread slowly building up in the back of my mind. "What would happen if I was captured?" I thought, hoping the elite behind me would slip and fall over, It didn't.
My mind refocused on running. Then, almost like a miracle, I saw an escape pod still docked to the ship, my heart raced as I leaped over the railing and jumped into the escape pod. The doors closed behind me as I ran up to the controls with her still on my shoulder. The elite behind me rammed its face into the door, bulging it slightly. I helplessly searched for the launch button while the elite pounded on the door to no avail. Then a voice came over my shoulder: "T-The red one." It was so quiet over the sound of the enraged alien I almost didn't hear it.
In an instant, I slammed my fist into the first red button I found. We were away, and more importantly, safe.
I sighed in relief before putting her in one of the seats and walking to the control panel to try and pilot the life pod. My heart racing faster than what should feel possible.
Xuka POV:
I watched as the human that harmed my brother escaped my grasp, the only emotion I felt at that moment was anger. Then I remembered my battered brother and decided to check on him as quickly as I could. The humans on this ship seem to have retreated further inside.
I ran back to see my brother lying on the ground, his eyes closed and his armor charred and plastered with black marks. I ran up to him, and tried to shake him awake. It didn't work. My brother was dead.
A tear came out of my eye, followed by another, then another and another. I was crying, for the first time in my life. My family would be shamed for many cycles for this. Then, I heard laughter and turned to my brother.
"You are a piece of art, aren't you." he somehow managed to say while laughing.
"I have shamed my entire family."
"But no one is alive to witness it." Xytamine said reassuringly.
He was right, and that made me laugh with him.
"Don't do that again! I thought I lost you."
"You will lose me sooner or later." Those words echoed in my consciousness, haunting me with terrible visions.
"Let us regroup with the rest of the boarding parties and finish this fight." He said in a commanding tone as he got up like nothing happened.
I moved to follow him, remembering the human who risked its life for another. Perhaps the injured human meant something to it, and one word came to mind. "Loyalty"
But this doesn't add up, the humans were supposed to be nothing but vermin, a parasite that infested a part of the galaxy. They were supposed to be Heretics incapable of feeling, incapable of…Honor.
Were we misled? Were we lied too?
Stop the heretical thoughts, Xuka. You will follow the prophets lead on the Great Journey and achieve salvation.
A seed of doubt had been planted deep into my mind.
Evan POV:
Desperation gripped me as I tried to pilot the escape pod, desperately hoping to land somewhere with UNSC presence. Yet, the situation felt increasingly futile as we hurtled straight toward the north pole, dangerously close to the Covenant's landing site. My heart raced, and I could only pray that we wouldn't be spotted immediately.
As the adrenaline slowly wore off, a sharp, searing pain in my shoulder intensified. The plasma had long since burned through my shoulder pauldron and dug deep into my flesh, making it feel as if my arm had been detached from my body.
Turning to the woman I had saved, I grimaced as I reached out to remove the damaged pieces of armor. It was evident that the armor, while bulletproof, couldn't withstand the searing heat of the sun. Carefully checking her for a pulse, I wondered if she had made it through.
"Please, try inserting some biofoam," she whispered, her voice subdued but undeniably alive.
Relief washed over me as I swiftly retrieved a biofoam applicator from the pod's emergency kit. Applying the foam to the woman's wound, I watched as it sealed the worst of the plasma burn, beginning to stem the bleeding. She winced at the pain but remained conscious.
"What's your name?" I inquired as I settled down next to her.
"Ellen Clementine," she replied, her words bearing the weight of her weakened state.
"I'm Evan Rogers," I said with a touch of sarcasm, secretly hoping that the dire situation would somehow vanish, but it stubbornly persisted.
"Thank you for saving my life," she expressed her gratitude.
"Likewise."
The onboard computer interrupted our conversation, "Prepare for atmospheric insertion and brace for impact."
"I'll help you with that," I assured Ellen as I fastened her seatbelt securely around her waist. Then, I moved to the pilot's seat, trying hopelessly to mitigate the inevitable impact. The surface of the North Pole loomed ominously, its icy expanse reflecting my own face in the pod's window.
"Warning, the angle of approach is too steep. Air Brakes have been engaged."
"Stuff it," I muttered to myself, closing my eyes and bracing for what was to come, wondering if I'd ever get to open them again.
Xuka POV:
I advanced toward the human ship's bridge, flanked by my brother and a lance of grunts and jackals. The latter were considered lower beings in the Covenant, little more than cannon fodder. I couldn't help but ponder what the Forerunners would think of them once they ascended to godhood. But such contemplations had to be set aside for the task at hand.
"Will we ascend, though?" I mused, wrestling with the unsettling thought, but I couldn't afford to be distracted by such questions. "I have a job to do," I murmured to myself.
"What did you say?" a grunt asked.
"Silence your jaws, or I shall seal them shut!" I responded with a commanding tone. The grunt refocused on the mission, ceasing any further chatter.
However, in a moment of clumsiness, he crashed into a door and stumbled onto his methane tank. "Clumsy fool, you gave us away!" I hissed.
"Me—" he tried to explain but was abruptly silenced as I forcibly pushed his face into the nearest wall. Blood began running down his face immediately.
"We are here, open the door," I ordered, determined to proceed with the mission. The jackals and grunts followed my orders without hesitation and pried open the door. We were instantly met with a hail of flying projectiles.
My brother held his ground, returning fire and taking down several humans who had sought cover. His shields flared brightly but held. Half of the grunts were instantly cut down, while the other half fled in terror. The jackals also retreated into cover, unwilling to risk exposing themselves to the humans.
"Cowards!" I snarled in frustration. I popped out of cover and hurled a plasma grenade, this time without it returning to me. The explosion erupted right at the feet of the humans, and their screams echoed throughout the ship's hallways. Strangely, a feeling of pity washed over me as I witnessed the aftermath.
The humans who had held their ground had been eliminated, and we moved forward to capture the ship's captain. In the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a human in dark blue attire, wielding an unfamiliar weapon. Then, a deafening blast rang out, nearly bursting my ears. I collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed by numbness and searing pain. I couldn't hear the warning beeps from my armor, but I felt the flow of purple blood running down my stomach, a grim sign that I had been struck.
"Xuka! No!" My brother's distressed voice reached me.
"Take him," I managed to say, weak and defeated, as I watched the human captain being tackled to the ground.
"You will pay dearly for this," my brother snarled.
"I'll die before I give you anything," the human captain responded, pulling out his pistol and ending his own life. Xytamine attempted to intervene, but it was in vain. The captain lay lifeless on the floor.
My wounds were gaping, and I knew that my time was limited. The thought sent a shiver down my spine, mixed with a strange sense of relief.
"I have something that might help," Xytamine said, approaching with a white canister in his hands.
"What is that? Is it human?" I asked, puzzled by my brother's actions.
"It is human, and it will save your life," he retorted.
"I will not allow such heresy. Leave me alone," I nearly yelled at my brother.
But he held me down, determined to use human medicine to save my life. The pain was excruciating as he pushed the foreign substance into my wounds, but the pain gradually began to recede.
"Healing is not the way of our kind," I said, my voice heavy with disgust.
"That whole belief system is nonsense," Xytamine retorted with frustration.
"You have ruined my honor," I accused him.
"Honor means nothing when you're dead."
"I will transcend to godhood with it."
"How do you know?" That question is one of pure heresy.
"I... What?" My mind was consumed with heresy of the highest order, a doubt that gnawed at my thoughts.
As the lifeless body of the human ship's captain lay before me, I couldn't help but grapple with a tumultuous mix of emotions. My brother, Xytamine, had resorted to using human medical technology to save my life, an act deemed as heresy, one that defiled Sangheili honor. Yet, at this moment, I couldn't deny that human medicine had been effective.
Xytamine had tried to employ reason, He offered a perspective that I wanted to ignore. But I couldn't.
As he helped me to my feet, Xytamine said, "Let us go and report to the Fleetmaster. No one heard us." Thankfully, his actions were unnoticed, for any witness would have branded us as heretics.