Homecoming: Ties that Bind
A great fist smashed down onto the central console of the small bridge of the ship, as Dekanus growled at Karzja who was standing across from him.
"We should be moving on from this place! We've already waited here long enough!"
Karzja's feathers flared as she too slammed a fist on the console.
"No. This is my ship, my rules! We wait while the Sangheili fleets do battle with the parasite. We wait until they move and then we'll follow."
Dekanus snarled as he looked to two figures standing in the back, out of the way.
"You two! Surely you must not be complacent with waiting around doing nothing!"
Jez stayed silent as Insu stepped forward towering over all others in the room, the Lekegolo looking down at the console as it displayed their current whereabouts. High Charity was still orbiting the sacred ring, surrounded by Sangheili warships as they did battle to contain the parasite.
"We have nowhere to go. Our only lead has gone silent. While we sit and wait, this ship has access to the empire does it not? The red feathered one is watching the reports, waiting."
Karzja nodded in response.
"If we're going to go anywhere, we need to know what's happening first. I can't just take my ship and fly off the handle wherever I please, unlike some of the other species in this room."
Dekanus snorted.
"And just what does that imply?"
"What it means, Dekanus, is that I can't just roam the galaxy until my job is done. I have a contract to fulfill. In all this chaos, my target should show up. I just have to wait until they make the wrong move. In the meantime we stay with the fleet outside."
Dekanus waved his arm towards Insu and Jez, the two of which were both watching the argument travel back and forth.
"And what of these two? Have they not some tasks they want to complete? Surely their line of work must be as important as mine or your own!"
Karzja waved him off.
"They were looking for something and they didn't find it either. They're in the same position I am."
Dekanus howled before storming out of the control room, muttering as he went. Karzja looked over to Insu and Jez, shaking her head.
"As stubborn as a Sangheili but with even more of a temper and less common sense."
Karzja bounded quickly after Dekanus out of the control room as Jez looked over to Insu, her orange plumage flared.
"Those two are wildcards aren't they? The worst possible combo to have together."
Insu shook his head, leering down at Jez as the worms rumbled to make the right sounds.
"The old one is agitated. But the one of your kind is different. Agitated, but excited as well. We think she will reason with him."
Jez shook her head.
"I'm still not sure how you can read others so clearly like that. How can you be so sure?"
Insu shifted his weight as he looked out the doorway.
"We see through vibrations, enhanced by our suit, remember? Even as the tremors of this starship distort our vision, we can still make out the vibrations in each individual. Everyone has certain frequencies that they emit when in certain states. From there it is only logical to assume what they will act on."
Jez stared down at the projection of the battle going on not far away from where Karzja's ship drifted. She thought about it for a moment.
"What do you think the Sangheili will do when he wakes?"
Insu lumbered over to the console, pointing to the hologram of High Charity with a great armoured hand.
"When we found the Sangheili, all we could see was anger. But under everything else, there was the true reason for his actions. Great pain."
Jez looked at the image of High Charity.
"Why do you think he'll go back?"
"When we tried to bring him with us, he reacted violently. He was the reason our suit was disabled. He has much weight on his shoulders. A weight that draws him and chains him in place."
Jez nodded.
"Should we try to speak to him when he wakes?"
Insu looked down to Jez. The hardest thing for Jez was trying to read him when he was silent. The collection of worms had no face, had no expressions, no movements of any kind that could indicate what the colony was thinking. There was a brief pause before Insu rumbled once more.
"No. We must let him come to grip with things on his own terms. Only then will the Sangheili be ready to co-operate with us."
"What about Ker?"
"The little one is resourceful. He will find a way."
Jez went to speak once more when Insu brought a massive hand close to her face, bringing one of the clawed fingers of his suit to her mouth.
"This is a time of quiet for all, Jez. Come with us. We will show you what we have discovered aboard this vessel."
Insu lumbered off, ducking his massive frame under the doorway as he strode away from the bridge. Jez quivered the various orange patches of plumage on her arms and head. Even after all this time Insu was still a mystery.
Den drifted into various states of awareness, before lapsing back into a familiar dream. The two suns of Sangheilios were setting, as he stood under an ancient tree, not far away from the training grounds. Those last few rays of light shone on the ancient trunk as it twisted up, as far as it could grow as long as it could grow, to the glorious light above. The moment was one of calm, yet excitement. Today was the day of judgment. And he had passed. His entire house was there, watching among all the young members as they battled for the right to join the Covenant. But more than just his was there. The ancient battlegrounds represented a uniting factor to Sangheilios.
A ground were every house, every Kaidon and lineage could meet, and watch together as their finest young warriors trained and fought for the honor and right to join the armies of the Covenant. Den had long since spotted his distraction there, watching as all the warriors fought and trained. At first she was a distraction to him, but today, he was glad that she had shown up. In his final test, she had given him the hope and desire to continue onwards, and he had ended up doing more. He had excelled, and fought his hardest to draw those eyes of hers to him. Sadly, his efforts seemed in vain.
But this was not something to mull over in his hour of victory. Today he was victorious. Tomorrow, he would be drafted into the mighty army of the Covenant. He rested against the ancient tree while all the others celebrated or went home, away from their failures and shame. The cool evening air, the warmth of two stars shining on his back, the smell of the ancient, knarled tree, and the rustle of grass at his feet. Den opened his eyes and looked down, to see a small ball of fuzz and downy feathers at his foot, as it began screeching in pathetic wails, flapping small wings.
Den looked at the creature, the afterglow of today's events in his mind. The small bird had fallen from its nest. Surely it was doomed to death for its evident weakness. A failure in life already. Den looked higher up into the tree, spotting the nest high above in its ancient branches. His thoughts returned to the one he so eagerly strived to gain the attention of. As great of a victory today was, there was also failure. Evidently she was as un-impressed with him as she was with the others, even though he was clearly the best new swordsman of his house. And yet he would continue to try.
What if, the small bird under his feet was merely trying to fly for the first time? And instead had met with bad luck? Shunned in life for merely trying to be the first at something, to succeed were others did not tread? Did the small, crying bird at his feet not deserve a second chance? A chance to try again, and prove its worth? Den bent down and carefully picked the small crying bundle of feathers up in one hand, making sure he held it securely. He looked up into the tree, and taking a few strides up the slanted roots of its base, he looked for a handhold, and began pulling himself up the tree.
Many times he had nearly slipped from the ancient tree from weariness, but he made a point to continue onwards. Eventually, he finally reached the nest, and sure enough, it was filled with other squawking balls of fuzz, desperately trying to pull away from him as he deposited the fallen one back into the nest. Making sure that it was okay, Den clambered back down the tree, and was halfway down when his tired muscles gave out and he fell when he lost his hold. Den fell down to the dirt below, having the wind knocked out of him. He simply lay there, gasping for air and the sudden pain from his landing, when a voice sounded out nearby.
"I'd never expected one with your reputation and skill to be found wallowing in the dirt."
The voice had no tone of mockery in it, but rather, amusement. Den recovered and looked up to see the very same object of his attention standing above him. Den only smiled, speaking as he continued to lay in the dirt.
"Then I must apologize, for I do not often wallow. I made an exception, just this one time."
The Sangheili extended a hand out to him.
"I am Ria, of house Dasumee."
Normally, Den would have taken her hand and introduced himself, but the dream twisted and turned, and as he reached out in a black void for Ria's hand, he found that he couldn't make it. He felt so heavy and strained as he lifted his arm up, but something heavy was sapping his strength. He reached out desperately, trying with all his might as all his energy seemed to disappear, and Ria began to grow more distant from him. Den reached out, refusing to give up. Pain suddenly washed over him as his eyes flashed open, tearing him away from the nightmare and into a new one. Light blinded him as he frantically looked around the room.
Simple bindings tied his hands in place as he squirmed, and as he looked up from the small table he rested on, he found the source of his pain, an Unggoy, sticking a long syringe into the exposed wound on his side, injecting something. Instinct flooded his veins and Den pulled on the simple bindings with all his strength, snapping them apart. The Unggoy looked up from his work in surprise as Den reached out to him and picked him up by the throat. The Unggoy gasped and wheezed, dropping the needle onto the floor. Den rose up slowly, and very painfully as he held the Unggoy up, looking into the scarred face of it as it watched him through only one eye as the other was clouded over with a cataract and had a deep scar across it. Den spoke through great pain as he gritted his mandibles together.
"Where.......is........the Jiralhanae?"
Karzja wandered the halls of her ship, trailing after the towering pillar of anger that was Dekanus. The Jiralhanae was quick to return to the one place that he found comfortable on her ship. And when she went there, sure enough, the Jiralhanae was there. Her ship had a very small observation deck, and Dekanus had been quick to make it his home when he first arrived. When she entered the room and starlight filled the small quiet space, she found Dekanus sitting cross legged on the floor, hunched over in silence. Karzja made her presence known as she stepped in, but approached slowly.
The Jiralhanae was stooped over something, and as she neared the old Jiralhanae calmly addressed her.
"Sitting idle, is against my very nature, Kig-Yar."
Karzja strode over, sitting down beside the Jiralhanae as he was carefully unwrapping something from an old tattered cloth, clearly stained with blood.
"Believe me when I say that I am well aware of such things, Dekanus. My people are the same way. We just don't move without purpose."
Dekanus removed the bloodied cloth, revealing a weapon native to his kind. It looked like it was designed for use with two of the massive hands of a Jiralhanae, and sported a very long, sharpened piece of iron running under the stock. The rifle looked ancient, having seen better days, but Karzja could see that it was methodically cleaned, and well taken care of. As Karzja watched, Dekanus began sliding parts of the massive weapon apart, dismantling it. The Jiralhanae nudged his head towards Karzja.
"Dou you know what this weapon is?"
Karzja nodded.
"I know enough to tell that it's your native design."
Dekanus shook his head.
"But it is more than just simply just that. It is a symbol of my lineage. This weapon, is one of a kind. Created by one of my ancestors. The story passed down from leader to leader is the same. In the heat of battle with a rival pack, my ancient ancestor was in a losing fight. His pack was outnumbered, and outgunned. And in his last hour, with nothing left but himself, my ancestor created this, from broken weapons and the land itself."
The old Jiralhanae stroked his beard as he delicately laid the weapon out on the cloth.
"He used shards from the ancient lava beds common to our world as ammunition. And when the rival pack came for him, thinking him defeated and alone, he came for them instead. The shards of obsidian fired from this weapon splintered on impact in their target, causing great pain. My ancestor only killed one on that day. The clan's Chieftain eventually came after him, when all his men went back wounded, broken. Having goaded the rival pack leader into combat, my ancestor slew him, and returned with his head as proof. My ancestor offered mercy, in exchange for complete loyalty. The pack agreed."
Karzja watched as Dekanus laid the disassembled weapon out.
"Mercy isn't common among your people."
Dekanus snorted.
"No. One cannot afford such weakness. But my ancestor believed otherwise. He believed that our kind needed to change. He believed that if we were ever to climb out to the sea above our world, we needed more. We needed to work as one. And we could only do it if there were other packs alive in the process."
Karzja looked at the weapon as it lay spread out on the cloth. She noted that the grip was made from bone, and had Jiralhanae language carved into it. She wouldn't be surprised if the bone was from the ancient chieftain Dekanus's ancestor had defeated.
"So where does that leave us then?"
Dekanus looked out the viewport.
"It leaves us where we are now. Had my ancestor waited for the pack to come to him, had he waited instead of acting, this weapon, and my pack would not be here today. Had I not acted, and taken the place of my father, I would not be here today."
Karzja's feather quivered.
"And where did it get you?"
"Betrayed. Alone."
"Maybe if one of you had taken more time to observe things, it wouldn't have."
Dekanus simply nodded.
"A fair point, Kig-Yar. But it is irrelevant now."
"Not just yet. If your betrayer is as you say he is, then he is crafty. My kind, and my own line of work has shown me all the tricks. I can help you. But only if you follow my lead."
Dekanus snorted.
"What makes you think I would trust you, when you hide something from all of us?"
Karzja tilted her head.
"You know what I mean Kig-Yar. You have a target you are looking for. But that is all you share."
Karzja nodded.
"The three I found after you. I think they are after the same target. But for different reasons. I'm hoping they will lead me to them."
Dekanus breathed in heavily through his nostrils.
"Even in your honesty you are untrustworthy."
"I do what I'm paid for Dekanus. It's how I've survived this long. No questions asked, no remorse. If I defunct from a contract, then I become a contract for others. It's how the world works."
Dekanus chuckled deeply, an odd sound to hear from a Jiralhanae, as he inspected the parts of his weapon.
"Who is your target?"
"I can't reveal that."
"You want me to watch your backside, as you would put it, then tell me."
Karzja's feathers quivered. Dekanus had turned out to be a shrewd negotiator.
"A Sangheili."
Dekanus stroked his beard.
"A Councilor?"
"No. An Exemplar."
Dekanus lowered his weapon part as he looked over to Karzja.
"Are you trying to get all of Sangheili in Covenant space after you?"
"No. I wasn't left with much of a choice. I was contacted by a San Shyuum not a few weeks ago. He wanted me to go to High Charity, and kill an Exemplar he had sent there, and retrieve what the Exemplar had found, if she had found anything. He didn't offer a choice. He knew who I was, where I was, and could easily hire more of my own kind to hunt me. I'm one of the best in my territory, but I don't want that attention on me."
Dekanus began assembling his weapon, taking care to slide everything back into their right spots.
"You find yourself in a dangerous position then. The Sangheili on board would not stand for such a thing."
"It's not him I'm worried about. Sangheili are easy to manipulate. It's the other three. If they are here for what I think they are, they are the real threat."
"A talkative Lekegolo, with no weaponry and clad in a heavy mining suit? One of your kind that follows it around like a pet, and a runt?"
"Make no mistake Dekanus. All three are dangerous. The Lekegolo is intelligent. More so than others. And I know the creature is listening to my every word. I've seen it in actual combat. It is peaceful, but a force of nature when pushed. The young one, Jez, is inexperienced in much combat, but a technical wizard, far better than even me. And the methane guzzler, Ker, is the toughest little bastard of his kind I've ever seen. He is not afraid. And he is loyal. It makes a dangerous combo."
Dekanus nodded, sliding the last of his weapon together.
"Very well then Kig-Yar. If push comes to shove, I will stand with you if necessary. But tread lightly. I have been betrayed once already, and survived. Make the same mistake with me and I will kill you."
Dekanus slid the half meter long heavy blade back into his rifle for emphasis. Karzja watched him silently for a moment.
"It's Karzja, by the way."
Den struggled up to his feet as he still held the Unggoy's throat. His pain was great, but the anger that quickly took its place nulled it. The Unggoy squirmed under his grip, wheezing out hoarsely.
"Me don't know! But you can't go! You need help!"
Den stood to uneasy feet.
"Help!? I need more than that! I have unfinished business with the Jiralhanae!"
Ker's stubby fingers clawed at Den's forearms, as the Unggoy began to use his sharpened fingertips, digging into Den's skin.
"No! You not heal unless I give you needle! Your wound still open!"
Den looked down, and sure enough, the three gashes starting from his back wrapped all the way over close to his stomach. They were completely open, but weren't bleeding. The Unggoy must have given him something.
"Why!?"
"Me not understand!"
"Why do you heal me!?"
"Me save you! Jiralhanae help pull big Lekegolo into ship with red feather Kig-Yar and Jez! Red feather kig-yar say you too much trouble but me save you!"
Den set the Unggoy down, watching as the short creature hobbled over to the syringe on the floor. Den placed a boot over the creatures arm as he grasped at it.
"You mean to tell me you dragged me into your ship?"
"With help! Jez helped save me when parasite attacked! Me pull you the whole way!"
"Why?"
The Unggoy looked up to him with his battered face.
"You high rank Sangheili! Not many left now. Me know your people like loyalty."
Den sneered.
"And what would you know of loyalty?"
"Me serve by many Sangheili. Me grow so old that put in mining work. Me survive with every one, and help them. Me not run away like others."
Den watched as the Unggoy's finger still grasped at the syringe.
"That I can see. But why save me?"
"Me need favor. Me know Sangheili repay loyalty."
Den clutched the gashes in his side as he teetered dangerously.
"And what would you need a favor from a Sangheili for? What could you possibly need?"
"Nothing now. But in future! Will need others to help! Can't do it alone."
"Do what?"
"Save Unggoy. Save family back on Balaho."
Den eased the pressure of his boot off the Unggoy's arm.
"Make me care about your kind then."
Ker paused for a moment. That might be tricky. The old Unggoy thought about it.
"We by your side through lots. We always try to help. We take your abuse, your hate. We carry your weight on our shoulders, and ask for little."
Den still kept his boot down.
"And why should I care for your plight, when my world is gone? My life, my only reason for living, was taken from me?"
The Unggoy paused.
"Me can't do it. But me know what you feel."
"How could you possibly understand?"
"Me lose many to blue death. Wake up in morning light, find family dead. Even young ones gone. Me had to bury all of them."
The Unggoy looked down to the ground.
"Me alone. Looked for another group. Was beaten close to death, left to die. But me got back up. Found way to Covenant on Balaho, joined them. Me have no family anymore. Me last one. But me go on for them. Want to make sure that never happens to anyone again."
Den stepped off the Unggoy's arm. Rather than the Unggoy picking up the needle, he continued on.
"You lose loved one. Me don't know how, but probably from San Shyuum orders right?"
Den nodded. In some sense, yes. Had they never backstabbed his people, Ria would have never fallen from that failing bridge. He would have never been forced to choose.
"Me make new friends in Covenant. They executed when disobey orders to charge. Me know feeling when you don't care about you anymore. But me want to make things better. Me carry it all because want to see that no more. Want to end all the pain and make better place. You not alone in pain. But you act like it."
Were Den younger, he would admit, he would have beaten this Unggoy for saying such things. But the creature's deep ragged words had meaning and sense to them.
"If I help you, will you tell me where the Jiralhanae is?"
"Me told you. Don't know. It wouldn't matter anyway. Jiralhanae betrayed by his own. Said he didn't take part in the attack."
"I wouldn't believe his words even if he told them to my face."
Ker shook his head.
"We meet other Sangheili before you. Everything was tense, but the Jiralhanae did not shoot or attack. Talked to them first."
"And I can trust your words?"
"Me never lie to Sangheili before."
Den sat back down on the floating bed, feeling tired.
"I trust your word then."
The Unggoy shuffled about excitedly, grabbing the syringe. Den thought back to Gam. The old Unggoy was loyal too. Had died helping them group together. Shot through the back by Jiralhanae fire. The brief memory was painful too. The Unggoy was working as Den sat staring off into space. Den flinched as the Unggoy slid the needle into one of his gashes, but held still as the Unggoy emptied the contents. This one reminded him a lot of Gam, except, rougher. He had a respectable boldness to him. Den looked down to the Unggoy as he worked.
"What did you do when your family died?"
The Unggoy looked up.
"Me bury them. Me wanted to stay with them, but had no food or time. Had to abandon camp and everything to outrun cold season and find group."
Den nodded. He knew little of their home world, other than the fact that it was too cold for them, and was going through a very long ice age. Balaho was subject to two brutal winters.
"You left by yourself as winter approached? How long did you search?"
The Unggoy continued to work, now grabbing a small medical device that would generate a protective field over his wounds.
"Me travel for week. Found group. Was left for dead and took another week to find Covenant station. You spend much time in holy city? You look more worn down than other Sangheili we meet."
Den was surprised from the question, but nodded.
"I've been there ever since the parasite arrived and the great betrayal."
The Unggoy activated the field and Den felt relaxed as soothing chemicals were released into his body.
"You linger because of pain of losing loved one?"
Den tensed his mandibles. He said nothing. Den wanted to change things.
"You said you met other Sangheili there. Did you meet an Exemplar?"
The Unggoy perked his head up.
"No, but we look for one. Big Lekegolo want to warn one of them about something. Me come with them."
Den perked his head up now.
"Did you know anything about them? Were they traveling alone?"
Ker shook his head.
"Me not know much. But she had Human prisoner. Not actually Human prisoner though. San Shyuum of station gave her a ship."
Den stood up from the table.
"I need to see the Lekegolo."
Ker hobbled about the room.
"Me not know whole ship yet. It built by Kig-Yar. Salvaged ships. Mainly Covenant food vessel, converted into stealth. Still grows things. Lekegolo like that area of ship."
"You know where it is?"
"No. But overheard him talking with Jez. Me could help you look."
Den looked around the room.
"Where is the rest of my armour?"
The Unggoy hobbled off to another area of the room, opening up a container.
"Me had to take some away to work on your wounds. We go then once you put it on?"
Den hurried over to the container.
"Yes."
The Unggoy stood on all fours, waiting.
"What your name? Me know your people have thing for names."
"Den. I no longer am fit to carry any other name."
"Me Ker. Good to work alongside you commander Den."
Den clenched his mandibles in silence. He had a bad feeling about this.
Insu sat cross legged with his immense back against a tree, as Jez sat in the space of his legs, leaning back against him. The Lekegolo broke the silence, rumbling out.
"How are your wounds? The crystals were all removed. Had we left them there you would have been poisoned over time."
Jez looked up.
"What happened to the ones who ate them?"
Insu looked down.
"We lost them to the poison."
Jez closed her eyes.
"I'm sorry Insu. If I hadn't been so foolish about it-"
Insu held a massive hand up to silence her.
"Do not fret Jez. You saved the little one in the process, allowing him to save the Sangheili. Boldness for the sake of others is a good thing. We simply repaid the favor for you."
Jez sighed, looking up to the green foliage of the tree.
"I thought you brought me here to relax."
"We did. We just wanted to see how you were feeling."
"I'm more worried about you. That Sangheili could have seriously hurt you. How could you have gone up to him like that?"
"We judged him to be more rational if approached in a non-threatening manner. We made a mistake."
Jez sighed.
"And what about coming to High Charity? Why did you abandon the San Shyuum at Mir Dakana? You were one of his top ranking members."
"We learned of his plans. The Exemplar who we communed with is in danger. We seek to help them, and her companion."
"But why?"
Insu's form shifted as he thought about things.
"We care for a great many things. It is our belief that life is a sacred thing. We do our best to safeguard it when we can."
"Why didn't you kill the minister then?"
"We believe it was not our place to do so. The minister will reap what he sows one day."
Jez shook her head.
"I'm not sure if I'll ever understand you Insu."
The Lekegolo chuckled, a truly odd sound.
"The same could be said of all of you. You are all alien to us."
Jez turned around and poked him in his midsection, watching as one of the eel like creatures wrapped around her fingers.
"You sure don't seem alien to the concept of sex. Right there in the phantom was hardly the place or the time."
The Lekegolo tilted his head.
"We do not understand why your kind, and many others are so restrained with your thoughts and feelings. We were merely using it as a tool for pain, and in other times for relaxing purposes. We do not see the issue with it."
Jez leaned back against him, resting.
"I'll have to explain it to you someday."
Insu sat back quietly for a time, enjoying the quiet as the trees around them produced a nice smell. Insu interrupted once more.
"We can still tell you have the same feeling in you. Like something that you can't reach even if you can grasp it."
Jez opened her eyes.
"That's because of my age Insu. Our kind are a bit, rowdy, when we're in our prime. Please don't take that as what I'd actually like to do right now."
Sure enough, the eels that made up Insu's form were already acting, reaching out from his midsection. Jez was gently pulled into Insu's mid-section, as the worms wrapped themselves around her, eventually surrounding her. Insu made a point to speak while she was surrounded, sending vibrations all across her body, sending shivers up her spine.
"We see that you speak with such firm set ideas, but when confronted with the actual thing, your will dissolves."
Jez spoke from the collection of eels around her, after waves of pleasure stopped bombarding her.
"That's hard to say when your body automatically responds to things."
Insu spoke again, tormenting Jez through her suit once more.
"Life is not as complex as you make it out to be Jez. You have many unneeded weights around your shoulders. Let them go, and you will be set free."
"Free of what, exactly, Insu?"
"That path is yours to decide Jez. When you are ready, you will change into what you strive for, what you strive to see in your life. We believe you came to Mir Dakana for a reason. We wish to help. And in the meantime, relieving stress seems to be all that we can do."
Karzja walked the halls of her ship quietly, happy over her victory with the old Jiralhanae. With a new potential ally under her belt, it was time to return to the work at hand, monitoring the data feeds. She strolled through the upper levels of her ship, somewhat uneasy from the feeling of having so many aboard. None of them had physically fought onboard yet, but it felt like a constant war under the surface of things. It was all a bomb waiting to go off.
She strolled through the section of her ship, the modified agriculture craft having been salvaged and connected to hers, expanding its capabilities greatly. She could now remain stealthy almost indefinitely without having to dock or steal food from anywhere. As she walked the halls of plant life native to her home world, she couldn't help but pick up the sounds of someone talking. It was deep, and reverberated through her bones. It must have been the titan Lekegolo.
She strolled quietly along, a little more cautious, and rounded the corner of a nearby tree and into a truly interesting sight. The Lekegolo was sitting down resting, or what looked like it at first, but on closer inspection, it was revealed that it was holding up the younger member of her species with its large armoured gauntlets. The many eels that formed its body were interacting in quite the manner. Pistoning back and forth out of both holes, while teasing and massaging. Karzja noted that the eels themselves were rather slender, so multiple ones could fit into one area, all of them thrusting at different speeds. The Kig-Yar was completely un-aware of things, lost in the pleasure as eels wrapped around all the right places. The trademark standard of her species main way of communicating silently, the bright patches of plumage on their arms and head were flushed bright orange.
Clearly, she was enjoying herself. Karzja continued to watch the perverse show, noting that the suit that the younger Kig-Yar was usually clad in was discarded close buy, and thick, orange, slime like material coated her. Clearly they had been doing this for some time. Karzja watched as they changed positions every now and then, the eels shifting her body around like a delicate puppet, raising her long, slender legs above her shoulders, allowing everything to run smoothly. Karzja noted that for one so early into her prime years, she was startlingly fit. Then again, this bunch were supposedly miners.
As Karzja mused on the entertaining idea of never actually having done anything with two others before, she got the feeling that the Lekegolo knew she was there. It wasn't a good feeling. She watched for a few more brief moments as the younger Kig-Yar was thrusted into mercilessly, but caressed and massaged ever so gently, before she left silently, headed back to the control room of her ship. She wished she had been wearing her full suit. She could cloak and watch the whole thing. She had always liked risky things. But, then again, she had talked to an old, angry Jiralhanae, and got him on her side for the most part. That was enough risky acts for today.
Den followed the Unggoy along the smaller halls of the ship, feeling somewhat better now that he had medicine coursing through him. He could tell from the patchwork in places that this was definitely a Kig-Yar ship. They never cared for how unattractive their ships were, especially when welded to other Covenant vessels. The two continued onwards, when a voice chimed in through the comms of the ship.
"Everyone on board, I'd like you all to report to the bridge, now. We've got a situation."
Den stopped and Ker turned around when he didn't hear any footsteps.
"You want to go to bridge? Me know way."
Den nodded silently.
Karzja mulled over the projections of the map in the control room, watching the Sangheili fleets outside. Dekanus was the first to enter, followed by the Lekegolo, and after a delay, the younger Kig-Yar, Jez. Karzja gave the two a smirk briefly but addressed the situation.
"I don't know what the Unggoy is up to, but personally I don't think he'll mind much. We have to make a decision now."
The other three loomed over the map, and Karzja rewound the projection. All four stood silent as they watched. The large Sangheili fleet engaged in suppressing the parasite on both the ring and High Charity, when suddenly, a single ship broke through the blockade and entered slipspace. Karzja zoomed in on the ship. Organic blotches of the telltale infestation of the Flood covered the ship in patches. Dekanus snarled as he watched.
"The blasted parasite escaped!"
Insu motioned with one of his hands, as a very large portion of the Sangheili fleet broke off and entered slipspace as well. The recording continued to loop from then on. Karzja leaned over the table.
"You wanted something to do Dekanus, and you got it. I scanned the coordinates that were being broadcasted."
Karzja was cut off as Den stepped onto the bridge with Ker.
"Humanities home world. The parasite must have discovered it."
Dekanus turned on the spot, snarling as Den stood tall. A great hand was placed on the Jiralhanae's shoulder, firmly, but not overly so. Insu towered over Dekanus. The Jiralhanae snarled.
"Stay out of my way Lekegolo!"
Dekanus brought one of his great fists up in an uppercut aimed for Insu's midsection, just what Den had done, to which he was casually caught in one hand by Insu's three claws. Dekanus looked up as Insu's collective head leered down at him.
"That was a one-time trick, Jiralhanae. We believe the Sangheili will be civil now, even if he detests you."
Insu looked over to the Sangheili.
"Are we wrong?"
Den stood alongside Ker, breathing somewhat heavily as he looked at Dekanus who was locked in place. He sneered somewhat, but stayed calm.
"Your Unggoy tells me you did not take part in the betrayal. For that, you have but the smallest ounce of respect from me Jiralhanae. But this does not wash the sins away from your kind. I will spare you. But no others."
Dekanus snarled as he shrugged off Insu, standing up straight, walking over to face Den. He snorted as they came face to face.
"Anytime you wish to stab me in the back, I'll be waiting for you, Sangheili."
Den kept his mandibles closed tightly.
"I might take the offer one day. But right now we have issues to deal with."
Den pointed to Karzja.
"Go on."
Karzja still kept her grip on the compartment under her map table, ready to slide it open and pull out a weapon. Likewise, Jez had her hand on her holster for plasma pistol. Ker was standing off to the side, watching Dekanus and Den. Insu stood calmly, listening and waiting. Karzja let go of the button to open the compartment. Her feathers quivered as she spoke.
"Riiight. About what I was going to say. That craft was headed to the Human home world. The Sangheili fleet continues to disengage, with only a few targeting anything from High Charity. We already know that the ex-high prophet Regret stopped by there and kicked the hornet's nest. But something big has been going down there for about two weeks. And it seems the Sangheili are ready to jump in."
Karzja looked around the room.
"I know some of you are after your own goals. But right now, with everything happening the way it is, following that fleet would be our best option."
Dekanus stroked his beard, grunting.
"If there's a chance I could find the trail of the weakling, then I will go."
Karzja nodded.
"Truth's rallied a hell of a lot of Jiralhanae ships. That'd be your best place to look."
She motioned over to Insu and Jez.
"You two were looking for someone right? Never found them did you?"
Insu stepped forward, the entire room feeling the vibrations as the worms spoke.
"We did not. If Sangheili were rallying there, then that would be where we would seek to go as well."
Karzja looked over to Den.
"And you. You still want to go back down to High Charity? Since you seemed so adamant about staying in that pit...."
Den shook his head.
"I owe two beings a favor. I know a Human. A man who helped me. Humans are not what we once thought them to be. I will atone for my sins by aiding his people in their hour of need."
Karzja nodded.
"I'll take that as a yes then. Okay, I take it we're all agreed then?"
Ker sat on all fours and watched the group as they all looked to the projection of the Sangheili fleets entering slipspace. Karzja nodded once more.
"Okay then. Off we go."