This chapter will mostly focus on the Covenant exploration team ejected from the Sacred Resolve during its battle with the UNSC Zaragoza. To give a general idea, this chapter will also reveal what else had happened before the UNSC exploration team made landfall, as they did so moments after the battle. This chapter will be a bit shorter, but I promise another one will follow suit. My semester is finally over, and I have been real busy for the finals. As the holidays go on, I'll keep this going.

Enjoy!

CHAPTER III: Close Encounter

AZEROTH

EASTERN KINGDOMS

40 minutes earlier...

The Sacred Resolve's shipmaster ordered the exploration team to immediately descend upon detecting the UNSC Zaragoza, hoping that they would make it and that when they returned, the team would've already established a foothold in one of the foreign lands. A pair of Mgalekgolo and a few Yanme'e were hastily included to add strength to the team in case of adverse situations that could occur planetside.

Brightwater Lake
Tirisfal Glades
Eastweald

The three Dextro Xur-pattern Spirits were pre-chosen due to their higher survivability, a decision that paid off as the human frigate began to attack the corvette. Without exact coordinates of the planet's topography, they had to rush in blind. Due to their position still being in space, the originally-planned Oghal-pattern Banshees that would escort them were hastily abandoned, thus two Elsedda-pattern Banshees were substituted in as they could do exoatmospheric insertions. The ships experienced turbulence upon entering the atmosphere, the night sky blanketing the world below. Seeing that it was filled with rather tall trees, they tried to avoid them but soon spotted relatively open ground around a lake. Choosing that spot, they decided to land on the lakefront.

The three dropships unloaded the Spectre, Shadow, and Wraith before the troop bays opened to let the team out. Incitus and Cavum made their first mark on this planet, alongside their superior, a Sangheili Officer who had been given the temporary title of Field Commander.

Kravi 'Barutamee was part of the prestigious clan of Barutam but fell prey to one of his relatives' machinations and power-mongering schemes to climb up the ranks, as he was due for promotion to Major but was ultimately denied it by one small accusation of disciplinary misconduct. Fate brought him into the hands of the Fleet of Glorious Interdiction under the direct command of the High Prophet of Regret, known to favor Sangheili. He was present on the human planet called Harvest around 7 years ago when he was part of the task forces sent in, with the late Arbiter Ripa 'Moramee leading it. Until Etran Harborage, he upheld his duty of escorting the Prophet of Regret until he was forced to return to High Charity when the UNSC Spirit of Fire was reported to pursue them inside the shield world.

Back in High Charity, he was appointed Officer to safeguard Regret. With this advancement, he hoped to exact revenge on his relative, Rho 'Barutamee, for his humiliating demotion long ago. But his ambition was put to an end when he was told to be stationed on Saepon'kal by the High Prophet of Truth. The final straw was Rho 'Barutamee rising up the ranks to Zealot, making him out of his reach.

All that felt like a distant memory, as he now had a new mission: claim this planet for the Covenant and kill any UNSC they encountered. Glory on the field of battle was one thing he would not refuse.

Incitus and Cavum were no strangers to their superior's past, as they had served on the same battlefield. When Avitus, titled the "Thrallslayer", was attached to the Fleet of Glorious Interdiction, he was also sent down to Harvest's surface alongside contingents of Jiralhanae forces, the former two being part of that. As much as their commander disliked Sangheili in general, Kravi 'Barutamee was a strange exception to both of them, as he treated them with dignity and respect. They never thought they'd see him as their superior years after the Etran Harborage incident.

The Spirits powered down, with the plasma cannon and extended troop bay doors serving as struts to keep them upright. The Unggoy and Yanme'e went to work unloading supplies, while the Kig-Yar had distinct roles: Ruuhtian snipers served as perimeter security, Ibie'shans were assigned guard roles due to their bulkier profile, and the Tvao'ans retained their skirmisher role with the added duty of reinforcing the perimeter.

Incitus and Cavum ensured everything went smoothly, while Kravi formulated a plan for setting up camp and how to deal with the radio silence, as the humans called it.

"Three of you will go with one of the skirmishers to scout the area ahead. The filthy humans might have sent down a task force to hunt us down."

The Spec Ops's dark gray armor seamlessly blended into the shadows of the night as he disappeared into the evergreens, with the two Skirmishers and three Minors trailing behind.

Several minutes went by, and the Spec Ops had covered considerable ground until the woods started to thin. At the edge, the open ground gave way to a field full of crops, with a small dimly-lit house overlooking it.

He wondered if the planet was already inhabited by the humans, but was puzzled by how primitive it was in comparison to the ones usually found on the planets the Covenant had glassed. Nonetheless, he looked to observe the area and instructed the others to hold their position and stay behind the trees.

Activating his invisibility cloak, he quietly snuck up to the house as the lamps lighting the cobblestone paths vaguely revealed his cloaked visage as he went by them. Reaching one of the windows, he peeked into it and saw a small family at the dinner table. Two adults and two children ate their dinner in relative joy, with a pot in the middle of the fireplace.

He decided to let them be, as it would be unwise to stir up the place, and that no combat had ensued yet. He ordered the group to head back to the field commander and report the farm's location and the possibility of more human settlements nearby. On the way back, twenty bandits had headed the same way they had to reach the small farm, unaware of the alien encroachers hidden a few feet from them. Their motion detectors registered them, causing them to try and take action but the group leader halted them and told them to stay hidden and hold their positions.

Overhearing them, these humans somehow spoke English, the language commonly used by the UNSC. The Spec Ops zoomed in and listened to their conversation.

"Men, the farm is just nearby. If we strike quickly, we can ransack it and disappear before the town guards catch up to us."

However, one of the bandits suddenly strayed for a bit, and soon seemed to follow something. It slowly led him close to where they were hiding.

Realizing their footprints had been spotted, their cover might get blown at any minute. Accepting that a confrontation would be the definite outcome, The Spec Ops decided to kill them and leave no survivors just to make sure they wouldn't have their presence known on this planet, as it was not yet the right time. Plus, with them being criminals, nobody would miss them.

The cover of night was on their side, and they took full advantage of that by using the woods to make their presence even more difficult to detect and positioning themselves to surround the bandits from all directions. They were in a conveniently-packed formation with no firearms on them, and that would make the task much easier. A palpable silence loomed over both sides, the other not knowing what would come upon them.

The invisible Spec Ops Sangheili snuck up behind the flanks, simultaneously activating his energy sword and swinging it in a wide arc, cutting down five of them. Once the silence had been broken, the bandits were suddenly alarmed by the surprise attack. The remaining fifteen armed themselves as a response, only to be shot down by the three Minors who aimed their plasma repeaters and rifles. Six of them managed to slip away from the chaos but were intercepted by the Skirmishers who blasted away with plasma pistols. The energy sword cut the last five in half, with the other four previously dealt with.

Within a minute, the bandit group was wiped out in a brutal display of technological gaps that lit up the dark forest in blinding flashes. The two Tvao'ans feasted upon the slain, enjoying their buffet of plasma-seared humans.

Not wanting to leave a trace, they decided to carry the bodies back to the lake and sink them to the bottom.

Back in the camp, the group reported their findings. Surprised by the presence of humans on this planet, the field commander sank into a deeper state of confusion when he was told that the humans they came across were not affiliated with the Insurrection or the UNSC. Poisonous spears accompanied a head with a crude helmet. The bodies then were piled on for him to see. Seeing no firearms on the dead bodies made the field commander rather pleased, as he thought it would make things easier for them if the humans here had nothing close to what the UNSC usually had on hand.

Seeing the island at the center, the field commander ordered the two dropships to go there and stay hidden. He would use it as their temporary camp until reinforcements came down planetside. The Banshees were ordered to scout ahead but not stray too far. Several minutes later, its pilots returned with a status report of the area.

It seems they had landed in an area somewhat populated with more humans than they had thought, and seeing several farmsteads and the roads that connected them, told them they would need to keep low. The Banshees were to be put into the island, with the pilots given the task to help prepare the area, with one dropship to carry the rest of the crew there when needed.

Without any sort of satellite to help draw intel, they would need to map the place independently and avoid confrontations as much as possible. With the capital city south of their position, and the West and East filled with small towns, maintaining secrecy was both a chore and a necessity until the time was right.

If everything went according to plan, they would need two or more days to wait until the commander would send an invasion force.

ROOOAAAAARRR!

A large, territorial grizzly bear had come to fend off the intruding aliens, standing upright on its hind legs to show dominance. At nine feet tall, it towered over them. However, it would meet a foe unlike any other.

Cavum was about to take action, but his partner put his hand in the way to tell him to sit back and watch. Incitus was the larger of the two Jiralhanae and quite strong for his size. The bear saw his presence as a challenge and the former perceived it the same. Charging at each other, the bear was knocked down due to the massive pseudo-ursine weighing twice as much. Fighting back, the bear gave one large swipe of its claws but failed to leave a scratch on his hide. Returning a hefty punch, he broke its skull which killed the large beast.

"Fresh meat. Nothing like the thorn beast back home, but it will suffice." Incitus spoke up

He and Cavum proceeded to pull out their combat knives and carve up the bear to eat in raw and bloody chunks. The rest of the Unggoy, Kig-Yar, and Yanme'e feasted on the bandits as the night went on. However, one of the patrolling Tvao'ans sensed something that smelled like humans. Going a bit beyond the edge of the woods surrounding the lakefront, a small party of humans wore light gear and some strange equipment. As minutes passed, they were slowly getting closer to their position.

He went back to the field commander and reported his findings. The squad leader was once again ordered to track the targets. Upon seeing the humans, he thought that they were hunters. Remembering the bear that Incitus dispatched, they must've been hunting for it. Killing them would be unwise as they were most likely part of the townsfolk, meaning that others would come looking for them if they went missing.

But the situation grew more tense, as they could not get the dropships in time to pick up the Wraith, Spectre, and Shadow without being seen. They decided to try and hide amongst the trees further away from their position. But the bear's corpse could end up being the downfall of their secrecy. Even if the two Jiralhanae dragged it with them, the blood leaking would still leave a trail. The pile of dead human corpses only made the job much more difficult.

So the choices came down to try and hide the corpse somewhere or wait for the hunters to come within reach of an ambush. Without much choice, they would have to hold the interlopers hostage. The bear was left to be used as bait, while they hid and waited to strike. The Spirit dropship with them was given the order to hide on the island with the other aerial craft. The ground craft and the human corpses were transferred into the woods to conceal them. All they could do was wait once the lakefront appeared barren, bar the bear.

Minutes later, a small party of hunters arrived at the scene. The Spec Ops heard their conversation.

"By the Light, what could have done this?" the hunter was shocked at the grisly scene

"Maybe forest trolls or ogres. Those two are big enough to do the job, and it must've fought either. Explains the roaring we heard."

"I don't know, but something just doesn't feel right. We better tell the town watch about this."

Once the hunters went back their way, the cloaked Spec Ops immediately held two of them hostage and covered their mouths, with other Minors detaining the rest. Once they secured their quarry, they immediately gathered around.

"They will most likely send scouts to investigate. We camp on the island immediately to stay out of sight." Kravi 'Barutamee declared

A dropship's gravity hoist carried off the dead bear to erase evidence of their presence. The two distant dropships were then ordered to come back and pick up the Wraith and Spectre, while the Shadow was last to be hauled off. Despite the large kill they had acquired, they needed to quickly hunt for more food and stockpile it for the troops to feed on for days. The Tvao'ans and the Minors were best suited to the job and gathered small to medium-sized game, such as rabbits, hares, and deer within a few minutes. With everything in hand, they boarded the dropships and left for the island.

As the night went on, the kidnapped hunters felt fear and confusion, with the vibrating hum, dim purple lighting, and the troop bay's claustrophobic design adding to their distress. One looked at Cavum who snarled in response, while those guarded by the Sangheili Minors were greeted with toothy grins. Their captors' imposing heights and physical features only served to intimidate them.

Unbeknownst to them, a trio of UNSC Pelicans had just entered the atmosphere, the night sky's darkness and vast distance blinding both sides of each other's whereabouts, especially when they had no recon or satellites to alert them.

Once they landed on the island, the Mgalekgolo were the first to disembark. The Sangheili followed suit, and then the Jiralhanae. The Kig-Yar, the Yanme'e, and the Unggoy were tasked with arranging the wild game into a pile for everyone to eat. Lastly, the kidnapped hunters were then bound by the ropes they carried on themselves. A special individual recommended by Commander 'Zodamee was an Ultra, who had shown promise in the art of interrogation and was attached to the surface team if the need arose.

And arose it has.

A native of Malurok, he had crossed paths with Chak 'Lok, and the brothers Merg Vol and Parg Vol. Each had a profound effect on his military service, as he looked up to them for experience. From Chak 'Lok, he had learned the basics on how to extract information from unwilling captives. The Vol brothers had instilled in him a ruthlessness that could only be outmatched by them and the late Arbiter.

Seeing these humans as a test to apply his knowledge, he grinned internally as he would likely enjoy the task. Remembering that they spoke the language called English, he was not fully proficient in its pronunciation but could form full sentences despite a raspy result.

"So, you have had the unfortunate step of stumbling onto our trap. How amusingly convenient." he said while eyeing each one of them

Seeing that they would not talk only made him more excited for the challenge of making them do so. He then set himself to work. Borrowing a plasma pistol from one of the Unggoy, he then proceeded to give a small speech.

"I was once told silence is not empty, but is full of answers. You all aim to keep quiet, but what I see is a hoard of information just waiting to exit your pathetic bodies. And I have just the key."

Aiming the plasma pistol, he then shot at one of the hunters' legs. The green plasma burning and sizzling the hapless captive's flesh led him to roll around and scream in agony, causing his fellow friends to sweat and look upon their tormentor in white.

"It seems I have forgotten to ask. What is this place?"

Silence once again came forth.

"It seems you wish to prolong this little game. Very well, I shall grant that favor."

Aiming the plasma pistol once again, this time, at the head of the first victim.

"Wait!" one of them spoke up

With a smile hidden by the ornate white mask, he proceeded to ask again. "Where or what is this forsaken backwater?"

"Th-this place is called the Eastweald, within Tirisfal Glades. You are in the middle of Brightwater Lake."

"Does this planet have a name?"

"Wh-what? What is a planet?"

The interrogator looked at his comrades in confusion. He then proceeded to reword his question. "Then, does this world have a name?"

"Azeroth."

"Azeroth. What a strangely beautiful name. When we came here, our scouts reported the presence of several towns and villages, but there seemed to be a large fortification. What is it called?"

"You must mean the Capital City. The Kingdom of Lordaeron-"

"Tell them nothing!"

Incitus proceeded to lift the defiant one by his neck.

"It seems one of yours has spirit. Nonetheless, if you don't tell me everything, your friend will end up as his dinner."

Incitus showed his jagged teeth to signify his eagerness to dine on his unfortunate companion.

The one who was questioned then proceeded to continue. "This area belongs to the Kingdom of Lordaeron. Soon enough, the king's forces will discover what has happened here. When that happens, they won't let you leave alive."

"We shall see."

The Ultra then pulled out his energy sword and activated it. Deciding that the captives were no longer of any use, he then beheaded all of them.

The dead bodies were immediately and gleefully gobbled up by the Jiralhanae, Kig-Yar, and the Yanme'e.

Eversong Forest
Quel'Thalas

The high elven priestess was currently held captive by two giant alien creatures. She could not comprehend how monstrous they looked, their numerous daggerlike teeth not helping her perception. As the night went on, she felt cold and shivering, while these creatures seemed to not care about not lighting a fire. As they walked briefly, her captors seemed to slow down and finally stopped when she saw a strange, rather large thing.

It had a bulbous, teardrop shape adorned by strange carvings, and wondered what it was, or where it came from. The reptilian one climbed on top of it, and a hatch had opened. Entering it, she was now left with the massive, fanged one. Looking at it, it noticed her gaze and proceeded to snarl menacingly, showing its gleaming spikes that somehow passed as teeth.

Fearful, she looked back to the strange craft. The bipedal reptile had emerged and carried a rather peculiar, handheld device. It gathered some wood, twigs, thick branches, and piled them altogether. It gripped the device in its hand, which emitted a pulsed sound as it shot out a green bolt of energy. The bolt landed on the wood pile and lit it on fire.

Both looked at her and started conversing in a language completely alien to her understanding.

(Ine yap'o k'e o kkhat'a? Zhiija domo?)

"What do you think of this? Suitably human?"

The reptilian claws touched her ears and looked closely into her glowing blue eyes.

(Eya...)

"No..."

The saurian's soulless pitch-black eyes only enhanced its menacing visage, paying attention to its four mandibles, each lined with spike-like teeth. Its massive, towering partner could be best described as having the attributes of an ape and a bear, as its face vaguely resembled the latter's. It came closer, its crimson-red eyes contrasting its brownish-gray skin and fur, and proceeded to sniff her like a predatory animal would its prey. Upon closer inspection, its mouth was a cave full of sharp, flesh-rending teeth that could bite her hand off in a second. Its overpowering smell caught her attention, but she tried her best not to show weakness.

However, her curiosity drove her to try and understand what they were thinking, even when she could not comprehend their language. Speaking of which...

"We need to find a way to contact our comrades. We cannot take much more in our state."

"Especially against those green ones with tusks. I wonder if it was a wise decision to take the female with us?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"She came with a small party. Sooner or later, if her people arrive, they will investigate and if we do not leave in time, we will be caught. Strong we are, but not against too many for too long."

"Then how will we evade them long enough?"

"Perhaps we should consult our prisoner."

The moment they focused their attention on her, both her eyes widened in fear, thinking of torture as the most likely outcome.

"Do you think she can understand us?"

"Only one way to find out."

The Sangheili tried to intimidate her, speaking his first sentence: "You may not understand me, but I wonder how we could make you do so. If you do not speak a word within a minute, I will proceed to dismember you with this."

He waved the troll axe in her face and aimed the edge on her hand to signify that's where he would start. After a minute, he readied to swing it downwards, prompting the priestess to scream in muffled cries of fear. The gag was removed, relieving her of the chafing discomfort. In a hasty move, she cast a language spell upon them. It caused a small display of light to envelop all three of them, leading the two of them to believe she played a trick on them and intended to escape.

"Kill the female! It was a mistake bringing her with us!"

She then understood what they were saying. Being a priestess blessed by the Holy Light, she had the ability to translate, or more specifically, bypass language barriers by directly connecting with one's soul. Seeing as they were about to cut her head off, she shouted, "Stop!".

Both of them stayed in place, puzzled at the turn of events. Strangely, they could understand her now but immediately went back to interrogating her.

"What did you do? How is it that we can understand you now?"

"Wait, allow me to explain. I cast a language spell on both of you so that we could understand each other."

As the two aliens looked at each other in clear confusion, the priestess felt uncertain about how this interaction would go.

"Bah! What does it matter? At least we can understand each other now. Well, back to business. What are you? You resemble humans yet you have those long ears, glowing eyes, and speak a strange language." the Jiralhanae asked

"I am a high elf."

"Elf? Then what were those green ones with tusks? Surely they had long ears just the same as you."

"They are forest trolls of the Amani tribe. With both of you slaughtering them earlier, they would now see you as their enemy along with my people. You killed my companions. Why?"

"All of you were planning to attack us. Even if we fled, all of you would've pursued us to no end." the reptilian stared harshly

In her mind, she cursed at the misfortune. She knew her companions would've done so, and now she bore witness to the price they paid for their lack of control when it came to potential enemies that one would encounter. At the same time, protecting Quel'Thalas was their duty, which only made it hurt more when she thought of it as it reminded her how unmoving they could be, especially when the Orcish Horde attacked during the Second War 14 years ago.

"Now, what is the name of this place?"

"I will tell you nothing! Because if I do, many more of my people will die!"

"You will die if you don't say anything."

A tense silence soon permeated the air, and the last thing the priestess saw was black as she closed her eyes.

Ashenvale
Northern Kalimdor

Within the Emerald Dream, Malfurion Stormrage was walking around and watching over the realm as usual. Ysera lay peacefully, guarding the dream as she had for generations.

"Something has stirred the spirits and the elements. I feel the taint of the fel, but there is something else I do not recognize." Ysera suddenly rose from her rest

Within the ancient forests in the physical plane, Cenarius had certainly felt something bother him, but could not pinpoint on what it was. Tyrande patrolled the forests as usual, unknowingly feeling the same feeling that started to plague Ysera, Malfurion, and Cenarius.

Violet Citadel
Dalaran

Jaina continued to study the rumors of a plague spreading throughout the regions close to Andorhal. She tried to consult with others such as Archmage Antonidas, and even Kael'thas Sunstrider.

But what overtook all that was the ominous feeling that lingered after her harrowing vision. She was torn between delving deeper into that or the plague that could affect the Northern Lordaeron. Deciding that more concrete matters took higher importance, she remembered some time ago when she helped her master deal with the renegade wizard Kel'Thuzad. His necromantic magic was a sacrilege to the teachings of the Kirin Tor and an affront to the arcane, and could not help but feel that the plague might be connected to that.

Taking a small nap, she awoke in a very unfamiliar environment.

An eerily quiet hallway lit by purple-blue lighting, a vibrating hum gently reverberating throughout only intensified the feeling of isolation. Touching the walls, it felt cold and strange, the lights reflecting off and revealing its pearlescent sheen adorned by a hexagonal pattern. The hall then abruptly became dark, with only small lights left to illuminate the way.

And within the dark, all she could see was a faint glow.

But then it moved and disappeared. Realizing what she saw was a pair of eyes, she realized that danger was closing in. As she was about to cast a spell, those same eyes then reappeared right in front of her.

As intense as her ordeal was, she was thrust back into reality with equal measure. Cold sweat drenched her face, her hands showing the slightest signs of trembling. Another vision had just invaded her mind, and she did not know how to comprehend it, yet alone the first one.

Rememebering that she had a rumored plague to investigate, she then packed her things to head to Archmage Antonidas to discuss more on the matter, but when the time came, she would finally try to understand what these visions tried to tell her.

Visions that might have told her of what may be coming.

This chapter is meant to be more of a snippet; the next chapter will be too. But after that, the normal duration will return. Thank you for reading on!

Happy New Year!