- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
“Goddamn the Covenant!” he exclaimed, and with an exaggerated gesture he turned to the other Sangheili around him. “Order the fleet to be on the lookout for the Forerunner ship. If we can keep it at bay long enough, we may be able to devise a method to take it out.”
“Is that wise?” one of the other Sangheili councilors asked. “I believe we should deliberate what Commander Aionee suggested, and think about evacuating our forces.”
“We will not give up this planet!” Pondomee shouted angrily. “The Covenant will win this battle, and they will not win the war. Send for a pilot at once.”
“For what cause Councilor?” the Sangheili councilor asked.
“Commander Aionee was right about one thing. We will need reinforcements, and word must be sent to our home world. The Jiralhanae fleet is intercepting any outgoing transmissions, so we are forced to get our message out physically,” Pondomee explained.
“But finding a pilot in the disorder that has been caused here would take time, Councilor,” the councilman pointed out.
“I believe I may have a solution,” the Sangheili Major that had entered earlier, interjected. “I will return in a moment.”
The High Councilors were forced to wait in uneasy silence while they anticipated the Major’s return. He did so, and trailing behind him was another Sangheili, who was limping badly.
“I bring to you Councilors, Lan ‘Eranumee,” the Major announced. “This warrior arrived only a few minutes before I received Commander Aionee’s message. He is a squadron pilot located in Gorlon Base.”
“He is injured,” Pondomee pointed out, not as a reprimand, but as an observation.
“A wound he endured while battling through the Covenant lines whilst he attempted to return to our territories, so that he may return himself to a ship and wreck havoc with the enemy fleet,” the Major elaborated.
Pondomee looked at the Sangheili warrior closely for a moment, catching his gaze with his own. After a time a smirk broke out on the elder Sangheili’s face.
“Very well, I thank you Major, for brining this warrior to our attention,” Pondomee offered as he stepped forward and addressed ‘Eranumee. “I see that despite your injuries you are eager to return to the front lines.”
“I have a duty, Councilor, and I endure any wounds if I may be given the opportunity to fight our enemy,” ‘Eranumee replied stoically.
“I am afraid the duty that I must give you will not allow you to fight the Covenant fleet just yet, but I assure you it is of the gravest of importance. The Jiralhanae have managed to recover the Forerunner ships, and they will be assaulting our positions soon. If we are to have victory upon this planet, we will need reinforcements. I ask this of you, will you return to our home planet, and inform our brothers of the situation here?” Pondomee asked.
“If you ask it of me, I will do this task, even if it costs me my life,” ‘Eranumee said. Pondomee clapped him upon the shoulder once, and gestured his hand towards the entrance to the compound.
“Very well, you shall take my personal craft, the Attrition. It’s Slip Space drive is quite weak compared to our cruisers, but its small size makes up for that shortcoming. You will require a crew of no more than twenty warriors. I expect the Jiralhanae to attempt to follow you, but I know you are a skilled pilot, and they will not catch you. If there are no hindrances you should reach your destination in less than two days time.”
Pondomee nodded once at the Sangheili pilot before turning away and moving back towards the gathered councilors, but not before he sent one final comment over his shoulder.
“Your success or failure will determine the fate of us all, Lan ‘Eranumee, and I wish you good luck.”
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A tense atmosphere had descended on Honor Without Mercy after it slipped into Slip Space. The Elites knowledge that they were headed back to their home world did little to cease the dark thoughts that brewed within them.
The fact that the Master Chief himself was traveling along with them, as a simple passenger didn’t do much to improve their moods, despite the Arbiter’s assurances that his presence would do them all more good than harm. The Spartan himself wasn’t expecting a warm reception, and as such he decided to spend most of his time on the bridge, with the Arbiter and Cortana.
“You are troubled, Demon?” the Arbiter asked from his position near the head of the bridge. The Master Chief looked up from where he had been staring at the deck floor while the ship continued its course through Slip Space.
“There are a bunch of things I’ve been neglecting for the past while, and just now it seems that they’re all catching up to me,” John had replied, and then clammed up. He had not been in the mood to speak with anyone, and not even Cortana had managed to break him from his broodings.
“Don’t get too miffed over his attitude,” Cortana interjected from her place on the main pedestal inside the bridge. “He’s been more chatty lately then I’ve ever seen him be in the past few months. I think he might be trying to make up for lost time.”
The Arbiter grunted, agreeing even as the Master Chief tried to tune them out. His mind was drifting off to many of the things that had been occupying his mind for the past few days while they were on their constant Slip Space journey.
Everything to his fellow Spartans, Jan, and even Dr. Halsey and Kelly were floating around inside of his mind, and the sheer weight of it all was starting to give him a headache.
To think that I would find myself wishing for someone to confide in, John thought, even as his gaze slipped to Cortana’s figure. The A.I had become close to him physically and emotionally in only a few months, and even he had been surprised by the amount of emotion he felt, back when he had thought he’d be leaving her to face certain death on High Charity. He couldn’t tell her though just what he was thinking about, considering even he himself wasn’t sure about everything that was going on.
“Oh my, this ship is of a very interesting design,” a new voice announced as it entered through the bridge doors. John knew who it was even before he heard Cortana let out a groan of incredulity.
343 Guilty Spark twisted in several directions as it took in the bridge’s architecture and it’s occupants.
“Remind me again why we had to take him along,” Cortana said to the Arbiter as she pressed a hand to her forehead, as if fighting the onset of a headache.
“The true purpose of the Forerunner’s legacy may be changed, but the Oracle’s role has not, and I am certain that it shall play a vital duty in ensuring the High Council of my home planet is given the opportunity to hear the truth,” the Arbiter replied.
“Okay,” Cortana responded. “But couldn’t we just keep him in lockdown or something until we get there? His constant floating around is starting to tick me off, and I can’t tell you how many times I wish I would have gotten the Admiralty on Earth to keep him there.”
“Oh yes, I was quite surprised that you would want me to leave the installation on the Ark,” Guilty Spark said suddenly. “It is against protocol to abandon a functioning installation, but I suppose I can make an exception seeing as how we’ll be arriving at another.”
Something about that last bit the monitor said clicked in John’s mind, and he looked over at the Forerunner device.
“What was that about another installation?” he asked Guilty Spark. The monitor seemed to be preoccupied however, and simply ignored the Spartan while it hummed to itself, observing the control panels and consoles that adorned the bridge.
The Master Chief slowly slipped back into his previous brooding state, now more confused than ever.
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Damn you Chief, Jan fumed to herself as she drummed her fingers on the table she was currently sitting at. The young girl slumped her head down to rest on the hardened surface even as she closed her eyes and tried to fight the growing sense of anger inside of her.
It had only been a few days since the Master Chief had, quite sneakily gotten her off of Honor Without Mercy only moments before it had suddenly rocketed away from Earth and disappeared into the wonders on Slip Space. Jan had naturally been upset over the Spartan’s deception at the time, and now days later that same upset was slowly growing larger and larger in magnitude.
‘Oh sure, don’t worry Jan, Commander Keyes just needs you to escort Sergeant Johnson down the gravity lift. Once he’s back on the ground I’ll get Cortana to reverse the lift and bring you right back up.’ Jan quoted to herself mentally. First I get tricked into watching someone have their arm reattached, but now I get left behind on Earth while the Master Chief and the other ex-Covenant members go off to save humanity, the cosmos, and maybe even time itself.
With a deep sigh Jan pushed herself away from the table and stood up, walking nimbly by the dozing Marine guard Commander Keyes had left with her when she went further on into the ONI facility earlier.
I’m sure there won’t be any harm in wandering around for a little while.
The security measures inside the ONI facility had decreased immensely after the Covenant ship had left, making it easy for Jan to leave the current area she was in and move on into a different section. With barely a glance she walked past two stationed Marine guards, who didn’t even look twice at her navy tech uniform Commander Keyes had procured for her.
“I don’t care what assurances you can give me Colonel, I can’t authorize your mission. Carriers are in short supply around here, and sparing one for a project without sanction by Section III would be asking me to lose my position. Now, if you’ll excuse me I have work to do.”