A sanctum.. A holy place.. A room filled with arguing councils… elites with higher crowns, and elder prophets, sitting in the little chairs, debating and arguing about the humans… worlds and the great journey, about… Halo! But as the words turned to the flood! Silence…
[truth… May I ask a question…]
[hmm…what is it?]
[It's about Vadamee… but more importantly, the flood.]
[I see.. But I will not be questioned on Vadamee's verdict, as his transgression, no! his heresy is plain for all to see… no, but perhaps I will entertain whatever question you have pertaining to the parasite, if it is within my standing as a prophet at the very least.]
[I thank you, hierarch… my question concerning the flood is thus… since learning of its dangers and its ability to spread, why must we keep sending troops to the Halo's… while ignoring the safety protocols the Halos have in place? And on another note, the consent trips to and from the hole relics have been putting at risk, all we have accomplished, for such little reward…]
[Admiral…. This question comes to me as somewhat of a shock. As I believe someone of your species would find something like this to be… nothing more than a small challenge to overcome. Perhaps your faith in the great journey is wavering? No… maybe in us the prophets?]
[nothing of the short! My hierarch… it's just that…]
[It's alright, Admiral… I understand why you asked such a question, as even I would feel a sense of pain if I had to watch my loyal men become monsters… but Admiral, I am sure you are aware as to why we keep sending troops in… As the secrets hidden within those chambers are well worth the cost…]
[But hierarch, have we not yet already learned everything we could? What else could be missing?]
Silently thinking of the admiral's response, truth tsk, under his breath as he inwardly thought:
[sigh, I guess the fool isn't such a fool… but I guess it was time for him to begin sensing something was off, after all, I'm only sending his troops to die, and it looks like he hasn't yet caught on that only the loyalists to the elite faction are the ones being sent…]
Seeing his prophet pause for a moment, the admiral thought inwardly:
[truth… how blind does he think I am? Come.. show it to me… let it slip…if the rumors are true!]
[Xytan'jar watttinree, oh! "high admiral"… You asked what we could be missing… and I assume you're not talking about the obvious, like ancient objects and the like… but then again…that would only be half true, as we still need a key… a key that was stolen from us… by those humans… errr… in any case, the great journey is close at hand…] replied truth, within a pretext excuse, and showing his back to the admiral. A disrespect that the admiral didn't notice.
[Is that so… then why not send me to go and retrieve.. This… this key? From the humans… with Vadmee failure I don't see…]
[No! You and your main fleet will remain where they are!] replied truth with a stern interruption.
[but…why…] replied the admiral with squinted eyes and dangerous thoughts.
[hmm… I have already sent the Jiralhanae to take care of our key problem… so, let them handle it, as for what we need you to do is simple… maintain your surveillance of the outer fringes… as just your ship, the Sublime Transcendence, was it? It is more than enough to keep any more "problem" species from interrupting us in such a crucial time as these… now, please… leave me to ponder our next move…]
Hearing his prophet's commands, Xytan'jar didn't hesitate to bow with respect toward his prophet's back, but inwardly cursed at Truth, and made sure to never show it outwardly. But as he turned to leave, he studied the elite guards around, and worried for his species' future… as he didn't get a clear enough answer from truth… worse than that, he felt like it was a run-around excuse to get him to leave…
As he knew there were no other species capable or stupid enough to challenge the covenant in the outer fringes. He also was not blind to the fact that only men loyal to his side were being set off to their death in countless numbers…
[Should I have pushed further…no… if I did, to voice my opinionated objections any more…they…they would have threatened me with heresy… but could they… or would they? The prophets know our loyalty is absolute…right… but then again…why pick them… perhaps the rumors weren't baseless after all…] thought Xytan'jar but let out an audible sigh with his thoughts.
Hearing Xytan'jar sigh, Major Faze turned to him with all military respect but asked:
[Xytan'jar, is everything all right?]
Hearing Major Faze suddenly voice, broke the admiral from his inner thoughts, and as he looked around the room, he suddenly realized he was already at the ship docking area by the council chambers. Then, looking back at Faze and seeing the age of time on this "major", he felt some kind of kindred spirit with him, if not but for a moment…
[oh! It's nothing major… It's just that… I fear we may be entering the end of the ninth age…] replied Xytan'jar with a head nod to Faze, but was unwilling to dilibrate any further on the subject, and Faze knew where he stood, as such didn't press the issue further and simply bowed at his superior…]
[The end of the ninth…huh…] said Faze under his breath as he watched the admiral fading back.
Human calendar year 2560
[major Faze! Snap out of it!] shouted his interrogator.
Coming back to reality, Faze looked at the young "admiral" before him and compared him to Xytan'jar, and laughed inwardly…
[What's so funny? Major? You care to explain?] Replied the Admiral as he noticed Faze trying hard not to laugh.
[It's nothing, "admiral," it's just that I was remembering an old friend…]
[ugh! Enough of you babbling and just continue with your story! I want to know what happened after the bugs chased you out of the sewers!]
Human calendar year 2552
Deep in fumes, and of bright lights and metal walls, Faze looked around at the kids with a satisfying nod, and, while turning his attention to Ykan, to lead the way, the lights in the tunnel suddenly went out, not even the emergence lights flicker a spark, leaving them only in complete and utter darkness, where the only light shone off the fringes of their armour.
Expecting such a thing, and used to fighting in similar situations from battles past, Faze simply shrugged his shoulders as he took over Ykan's place as the lead. Thankfully, his charismatic and stoic strides encouraged the kids, though they would never admit such feelings. And with no words but an encouraging hand on her shoulder, Layla smiled as she followed close behind the major.
But as they walked, the tunnel seemed to get smaller…to get darker… to feel heavy… with shaking above… only the kids' silent whispers filled the atmosphere… until they reached the end…
{ugh… Layla, does this way lead to the factory or the comm station? What does the map say?} said Faze, suddenly breaking the silence as he touched along the wall in front of him.
[hmm… well… it looks like it reaches the factory but…]
{But? What?} replied Faze as he continued to stare at the girl.
[Well, the path doesn't open up at any point, in other words, we will be made to crawl on our bellies the whole way there…, so if…]
{those bugs find us, we will be easy targets.. Huh…} interrupted Faze with a head tilt.
[major, is there no other option? Surely those inferior bugs have already called us in to their brute overlords! As such, it won't be long before they pin our location!]
{I know, Ykan, but if crawling is the only way…}
[Well, we could try our luck running through the city…] interrupted a random male elite.
{Well, is that even an option? But then with a group of our size…}
[Major! Where ready! We all know the risk and have made peace with it!]
{I know, but…}
[major! Some of us have already lost kin to these traitors, while others of our brothers and sisters of our generation have or are dying right now as we speak…..WE ARE READY!]
Watching the kids' resalute faces made Faze sigh inwardly as he said with more conviction:
{I know…and am not blind to the bravery you guys have already shown, but this isn't about whether you're ready or not, but the most feasible option.}
After saying his piece, Faze turned around to look back at the tunnel and then slowly looked up to the ceiling above with a clenched fist. Now knowing Faze for a while, Ykan knew him well enough to know how each death had affected him, how each decision eats at him… but now wasn't the time or place, nor was it in their culture's belief, of course, Faze would never admit it himself or give voice to such thoughts…
{Well, first off, Layla, is there even a way to the surface from here?}
[hmm… yes, I see an opening…but we would have to walk back about thirty minutes worth…]
Hearing the words "thirty minutes" didn't sit well with Faze or Ykan! That was way too much time for backtracking!
So, with an agreeing stare, Faze announced his decision…
Made to crawl on their bellies, through slime and waste, through total darkness, with Faze in the front and Ykan at the back, while above them, the sound of moving wraths warped the floor below their gravity engines, while below Faze and the others, they could hear through the hole in the wall an all too familiar buzzing sound! Getting louder, as if dancing around them, the kids showed visible signs of distress, while Faze suddenly stopped moving… for out from the dark as a sudden crack formed and allowed light to enter the chamber, revealing a golden gleam…
A figure in gold stared at faze with the uncaring eyes of an insect! Realizing it was the hiveward, Faze cursed but quickly made his shots! But the hiveward in turn didn't fire back. No, he instead stood there in his small height, absorbing the blows with a small jackal-like shield! And as they spun and spurred, the buzzing sound only grew from behind! Ykan knew they were coming!
From forward and back, from below, he could see the cutters the drones use to tunnel holes for their nest! The heat was burning the thin metal wall around to a warped degree, to the point that one of the male children was just unlucky, as he felt the heat just below his gut! But unable to move forward or back, he could do nothing but watch as a super-heated channel of a plasma cutter burned through the floor beneath him and his gut! Screaming as his body burned in half, while his shield shattered!
But in his dying moments, as blood coated his mouth through roaring teeth, and while his eyes felt the melting radiation, he gripped two plasma grenades in each hand and thrust them forward towards the hole! Sticking and landing onto the head of a drone! Causing an explosion that blows up not only the drone into pieces but also himself!
[As he died, the other kids swore they heard him scream in his last breath, "For the great journey."]
Feeling the sudden breeze form behind him, Ykan focused forward with a spare plasma rifle, ready to fight to the end, as more bugs rushed to him, but in such a small space, the bugs died easily under Ykan's fire. But their death did little to lift Ykan's mood, as the kids behind him turned their attention to the hole left by their friend, firing at the bugs who tried to climb in, but trapped and unable to move forward, to reach Faze and his group.
Those with Ykan knew their situation wasn't looking good. Trapped in such a small space, with an uncountable number of enemies trying to break in…with ammo limitations…time was against them! Then, as Faze continued to shoot at the hiveward, below him, and every other member of his party, felt the familiar heat again! For the thin walls just at their bellies began to heat up!
Knowing what was coming, as he could hear the kids screaming about it from behind, but faced with death and regret, Faze roared as he put away his rifle, as it was worthless for him… then, with a red blade in hand, he crawled through the burning metal! And with resolution, he stared daggers at the hiveward, who in turn replied with a small blade of his own!
Sparkled in gold, a gauntlet with a sword just as yellow, with a shield to match, the hiveward stood his ground, and with a never-changing face, the hiveward took his stance and waited for Faze to reach him. But as the trail of red iron chased him, Faze paid it no mind as he tried to force himself forward for a thrust! But above him and through the small hole, where the light came through to shine in on both their heads, an eye stared back at them with a hidden smile as he said:
[Found you….little worms!]
Meanwhile, at the factory:
[Meduu! Hurry! The jackals are at the gates!]