FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

_ Chapter I: Righteous Psychotics _

Location: Fleet of Particular Justice, aboard the Seeker of Truth Date: Monday, July 5, 2552 (UNSC Calendar) Ship Clock: 08:00 Hours

Nazo paced up and down the aisle between the rows of bunks, silently scrutinizing each new volunteer. "For those of you who have yet to become acquainted with me," he began. "I am Ultra 'Bezatee, your new commanding officer. All of you thought you knew what you were volunteering for... well, you were wrong. <i>None</i> of you will have it easy, I do not pick favorites. The training you will receive here will be some the worst any of you have ever gone through, bordering on unbearable." He noticed a few of the soldiers tense.

"That being said, if any of you have second thoughts or think you will be unable to make it, please step into the aisle now." He caught one of the younger volunteers place a hoof forward, only to quickly replace it. He ignored those who had stepped into the aisle and stopped his pacing before the Minor. "What is your name?"

The Sangheili twitched a mandible before answering, "Ar'n 'Drakosee, sir!"

"I suggest you make up your mind, 'Drakosee. This instant."

"I am staying, sir!"

"I do not want to see hesitation from you again. Are we clear?"

"Crystal, sir."

"Good," he said, resuming his pacing. "For those of you who stepped forward, you will not be seen as cowards or those who lack honor; the Rangers are not for everyone. Gather your belongings and report back to your commanding officers." He waited in the back of the room while they complied. Once they were gone, he walked to the door and stopped in the threshold. "For those of you who stayed, there is no turning back now. I recommend you get to know one another, because your training begins at 0300 tomorrow. Welcome to the 482nd Ranger Battalion."

Garek looked around after Nazo exited, finding that no one paid him any mind. His eyes fell on the younger Minor, seeing that their situation was similar. "Here goes nothing." He approached as the Minor sat on his bunk. "Hello."

"Hey," he said without looking up. A young fellow, he was, facial features touched by the trials of military training, but not of the cruel embrace of war. To that, Garek could somewhat relate; he had bore witness to the reality of it, but he had yet to be fired upon. Gods above, this fellow could not be more than seventeen!

Tone, soft and a little amused, as was his way, he said just what the young fellow already knew. A little clarity never hurt anyone, he thought. "Pay him no mind. He simply did what he had to do."

"Oh? I was not aware that being an ass was necessary."

Garek chuckled; so, the fellow had a sense of humor, however sarcastic. "We will both find out some day, hm?"

"Hmph! Perhaps..." The fellow finally made eye contact. Amber orbs met his gaze, soft with youth, but also hard and cold with understanding, knowledge, skill unspoken. Clearly, the youth had lived through tough times. Perhaps...that was just as good as being trained through childhood and adolescence? The male sighed, heavy with doubt, "I think I should have gone with the others."

"Ha! Are you afraid of what we may face?"

A frown. "Hell no!" The look of scorn he received made his chest deflate; defiance in the face of logic often failed, and both of them knew it. "I cannot say, for certain. Perhaps, a little," he finished with a shrug. Another wise choice. This fellow would be fine.

"Stick with me, and you will make it through this. Garek," he said, extending his hand.

"Ar'n." Palms met and fingers intertwined, primary and secondary thumbs met at the claw-tips, and they gave a single firm shake. "Well, now that we are no longer strangers...I suppose I should ask about you. Your 'story', if you will."

Garek sat on the now-unoccupied bunk across from him, grunting; well, these were a little more comfortable than his previous arrangements, at least! He hummed. "Heh...where would you like for me to begin, brother? There is not much to tell."

A snicker, jovial and kind. "I am not after your biography, if that is what you imply! What did you do, before this?"

Garek nodded, the male's curiosity made clear. It was a simple request, and one that most wished to know; wanton to know the prowess of the battle brother at one's side was...nearly fetishized among Sangheili. If one did not know, how could one easily garner an inkling of trust? "Mm...well! Due to my...upbringing, I was not given the same opportunities as the other fellows in this room. Academy was no simple feat, as I could not properly prepare for it. That much is clear by my size, I am certain." Ar'n only gave him a shrug. "However, I made it...well, clearly. Heh! Er...I was assigned to the 349th Armored Corp, under the command of one General 'Szemee. Perhaps you have heard of him?" He was met with a shake of the head. It seemed Ar'n did not want to interrupt, much to Garek's chagrin; he loathed speaking for extended periods. He felt that he had a tendency to ramble. He would not allow that to deter him, however. "Anyway. 'Szemee was good to me. Showed me all he could, if I did not already know it. It was he, that placed a Type-51 in my hands, much to the dismay of his subordinates, and my...direct superiors. Never have I seen so much...skepticism from grown men."

"Ah...I see. A sharpshooter, in a mobile infantry unit...They loathed your presence."

"Aye," Garek sighed. "They would call me a coward...in front of the General, no less."

"Idiotic bastards," Ar'n scoffed. "It surprises me, without end, how some so ignorant, can reach a position of power and responsibility, or call themselves a Brother..."

"There was only one I reason I never requested a transfer. An old friend of mine," he clarified to Ar'n's raised brow. Garek suddenly laughed. "Fools that we were, we caused so much trouble when we were your age."

Arms folded across armored chest; the fellow looked as though he didn't take kindly to the comparison of age. "You cannot be that much older than me."

"I am likely not, but still. There was this one time, we broke into the Quartermaster's office and drank all of his private reserve. Oh, Rotje got into so much trouble."

"He is the friend of yours?" Garek nodded, and Ar'n leaned forward a little, intrigue furrowing his brows. "What did he do?"

"After we had stumbled around the ship for a few hours, we found ourselves in the mess hall, where Rotje got the bright idea to start doing impressions of the Prophet of Truth."

"I do hope you jest," Ar'n said with a snicker.

"Ha! Not even an imaginative, habitually-lying drunkard could make this up! Anyway, it turns out that it was time for the officers to eat. Both the Shipmaster and the Quartermaster were there." Garek shook his head. "We would have had it worse, if the Shipmaster had not found it hilarious."

"Which Shipmaster?"

"The one that commands this ship."

"Is that so?" Another nod. "I can see how that would help with your reputation amongst superiors..." They shared a brief chuckle before he continued his friendly interrogation. "How were you punished?"

"Mm...We would have gotten core maintenance duty, but the Shipmaster let us off easy."

"Ugh, core maintenance...That is a job for Huragok and Unggoy. What did you get instead?"

"After discovering where we had gotten so heavily...warm and merry, we had to be the Quartermaster's personal assistants for sixty-three collective cycles."

Ar'n hummed skeptically, but his eyes remained intent and curious, "Is that all?"

"It was horrible having to work under him...however! Anything is better than core maintenance, on that I am sure we can agree!" Another laugh, and Ar'n nodded. Now, it was Garek's turn to be interrogative. "What about you?"

"I do not have any stories like that. I am fresh out of Academy, and I did not really have any friends."

"Loner?"

"No. For some reason, the others in my group wanted to avoid me like I was some kind of plague."

"Were they afraid they would become short?"

Ar'n's face suddenly hardened. A nerve had definitely been struck with that remark. "I am not short."

Garek held up his hands in a surrendering gesture. "Relax. I was just messing with you."

"Good! You do not want to get on my bad side. Some of them learned that the hard way."

"It sounds to me like you do have a story to tell," Garek said, taking his turn to cross his arms.

"It is not worth telling. All I really had to do was show him that my height did not make me weak."

"And how did you do that?"

Ar'n growled lowly, exasperated. Garek, apparently, wasn't going to let it go. "He was an ambitious fool! Wanted to be Spec Ops," he scoffed. "He thought he was perfect in every possible way. Well, after he had bothered me nonstop for a few days, he found out that there is no such thing...discovered that his 'perfect' face made the perfect target for my fist!"

The fellow wasn't much of a story teller, then. Pity. "How bad was it?"

"Let us just say that he is missing a few teeth, and that many more are broken."

"Damn," Garek muttered. "I will make a mental note to not make you angry."

"It would not be a terrible idea."

"Did you get into any trouble for that?"

Ar'n shrugged. "You could say do. I was nearly arrested for 'aggravated assault'...which, really, was not far from the truth."

Garek raised a brow. "Nearly arrested?"

"He came from a powerful family; his grandfather was on the High Council. When we were called into the instructor's office, he wanted to press charges." Ar'n shook his head. "Our instructor laughed in the bastard's face. That old bastard was one the few that actually liked me."

"Excuse my interruption. Just out of curiosity, why did he like you? Did you have something in common?"

"He liked my determination and ability to throw a punch, or so he told me...he said, 'Boy, there is a fire in your hearts and ambition nagging at your eyes...use those and turn them to passion, skill, and honor, and you will go far in this Covenant...' I cannot say that I actually believed him at the time, but...here I am." Ar'n frowned as he thought. "That is about it. Not much else happened throughout my training."

Garek nodded. An ill temperament, easily provoked...however, the younger fellow would certainly deliver justice where it was due. Honesty should have been clear to everyone, and he was glad to recognize it when he heard it. Moving things along, he returned Ar'n's earlier question. "What do you specialize in?"

"Reconnaissance, just about anything to do with tech. Apparently, I have good aim." A digit rose to match the list, the delivery simple and casual. Not that Garek needed much explanation or forethought. One mention, however, caught his attention.

"Tech?"

"Hacking, decryption, things of that nature," there was that shrug again. It was nearly trademark! "Er, do you have a secure PDA, or a datapad? Anything with an encryption..." A datapad was offered, Ar'n typing away at glyphs with a sense of...glee? A glance would be spared every so often, and within a few silent moments, Garek had the unlocked item on his lap.

He frowned, seeing messages to his family on the screen. Very personal messages, the likes of which he would rather not share with anyone, not even his greatest friend; that said a lot, as he used to confide in Rotje for most anything. Thoughts, moods, and for a few chance times before academy, desires; even still, the Brother knew little of the toils in his home, not that Rotje didn't have his suspicions. That, however, was a story for another time. His gaze went to the screen, to Ar'n's face, and back again. He wanted to be upset, but all he could garner was disbelief. "How did you do that?"

"I took a guess, based on your mannerisms. Tech and Reconnaissance go hand-in-hand." The fellow wasn't incorrect, he realized, but the thought that he could access anyone's personal documents, should the wanton arise, was entirely disconcerting.

"Just...do not through my files..." A few quick keystrokes, and his password changed to something he hoped Ar'n would have to actually think about: the identification number of the FoF tag implanted in his right wrist.

"Why would I go through a friend's private files?"

One detail of that question caught his attention. They had certainly conversed about themselves, if only to get an idea of what the other was like, but...he never considered that to make him a friend with someone. It mattered little, he supposed; if Ar'n thought them friends, he would respect that. "You and I, friends?" Another shrug! He thought about taking tally of every shrug Ar'n made from there on, just to have something to pass the time on an off day. "I enjoy being right..."

"Beg pardon?"

"Rotje and I had a brief squabble, during which, I brought up the lack of...favor toward my presence. He said, and I quote, 'And you think it will be, in the Rangers?' Certainly, a good question, but...I digress. Oh, he also called these lot psychopaths!"

"What would make us psychopaths?"

"I suppose we will find out tomorrow, hm? However, I suppose we should try to speak with the others, see if we can gain further companionship...or, perhaps a rest is in order."

Ar'n stood and set about slipping free of the confines of his Combat harness. A day's worth of traveling to and fro, as well as the stress of such, showing around his eyes once the helmet left his head. Not that the hard features on his face helped any; he was handsome in his own right, but it would take one of particular taste to go weak in the knees over him. "Both are terrific ideas, indeed...however, I believe I shall choose the latter. Other acquaintances can be made later."

The point was made and understood, Garek opting to settle down for a nap as well. Armor quickly came off, only to be neatly stacked for the morning, bodysuit neatly folded beside that. As much as he loathed his own appearance, no one in the barracks was a stranger to nudity...or, they shouldn't have been. "Rest well, brother. We will likely need as many hours as we can get..."

Ship Clock: 02:55 Hours

Garek snapped his eyes open as someone banged loudly on a sheet of metal with a security baton. If there was one thing he loathed waking to, it was the sharp cry of electricity on steel. "You have three minutes to get your Ranger harnesses from the armory in the ship's midsection and return back here! No taking gravity lifts, either! Rangers do not take shortcuts!"

One of his brethren groaned as he quickly replaced his standard combat armor. "That is a twenty minute walk from here..." He nodded in that soldier's direction, getting Ar'n attention as Nazo quickly walked over.

"Then," he began, roughly poking the soldier in the chest with the baton. At least the officer made sure to not depress the trigger, lest he give his underling a sharp jolt. "I suggest that you run, Minor."

"Even then, it is-"

"The clock is ticking, and your armor is still in shambles at your boots!" He turned as the soldier began fumbling with the pieces. "If he does not make it on time, all of you will be punished with him. Now move!"

"Have you noticed something?" Ar'n said as he and Garek sprinted for their destination. Doors with empty rooms and dead-end hallways sped past them; such was the design of Covenant ships. More than a few Unggoy squealed in panic as they surged forward, the thunder of their boots filling the air.

"Could you be more specific, brother?"

"The lack of the other species in this section of the ship. Specific enough?" Ar'n quipped; neither of them were very personable in the morning, it seemed. The number of things they had in common was steadily rising.

"I noticed. It is quite...nice, is it not?"

"Aye. I loathe the Jiralhanae, damn apes. Excuse me," Ar'n quickly finished as they ran past a Sangheili who had to sidestep from their path. As they slid to a stop before the marked armor stands within the armory, Nazo stepped away from a gravity lift. "Cheater," Ar'n thought bitterly. "'Rangers do not take shortcuts'. Ha, my ass!"

"Excellent timing," he said as they attached each armor plate mechanically. "Now get back to your bunks. Quickly!" They shared short glances as he stepped into the opposite gravity lift before shrugging and sprinting the way they came, passing several of the others.

The two were fit, they had to be, but the legs of the shorter male could only keep pace with his taller companion for so long, and Ar'n began to lose speed. Encouraging fellow that he was, Garek slowed pace to keep side-by-side with Ar'n. "Come! We are nearly there!"

"Shut up! You have longer legs than I do...so, please, refrain from being an ass," he huffed, the pair resting at the foot of their respective bunks. "Because...I just may have to give it a kick to dislodge your head..."

"Harsh," came the quip, and they both shared a short titter; their friendship had fallen into place quickly, it seemed...Garek hoped that was the case, anyway.

Nazo crossed his arms upon entering the barracks. He did not smile, he did not make a show of any sort of satisfaction. He even deadpanned, "Do either of you have any idea how far you just went?" They remained standing at attention, silent. "Three miles in one minute, fifteen seconds flat. Needless to say, I am impressed."

"Thank you, sir," they said simultaneously, panting slightly from their exertion. It was certainly an impressive feat, and it began to show in the burn that crept into their legs, the tension growing against their ribs, and the pits already present in their stomachs. Garek doubted that he could eat if he wanted to.

Nazo was not finished, it seemed. There was always a catch. "However, that will mean nothing if your brothers fail to make it back here in the next...thirty seconds. At ease."

I have an interrogative, sir. If I may?" Ar'n said.

The Ultra quirked a brow, "You may."

"I have heard whispers that a human planet was discovered in a nearby system. Is that true?"

"Where did you hear that, 'Drakosee?" Nazo narrowed his eyes as Ar'n averted his gaze. "I am waiting..."

"I, er, hacked into the ship's databanks."

"I see. Report to my office when we are done here," Nazo said, just as the others filed into the barracks. "I said to be there and back in three minutes," he thundered as they all stood at attention. "Tell me, how you all expect to survive combat, if you cannot be prepared for it?! An enemy can strike at any moment. They do not care if you are fully armored and shielded or as bare as the day you miserable wretches were allowed into this world. Since you failed this extremely simple exercise, you all have to refill methane tanks and unload supply ships." During a pause, someone asked to speak. "Denied! After you have signed in your old gear, head to the nearest loading bay. Go. Not you, 'Drakosee," he called as Ar'n took a step. After they had entered his office, "Lock the door and have a seat."

"I am in trouble, are I not?"

"No," Nazo said, hands folding atop his desk. "Hacking into the databanks is no simple feat. I simply wish to know how you did it."

"I waited until they were changing the security measures; encryption, algorithms, and the like."

Nazo frowned. "That is done by Huragok."

"I am well aware. Even so, I had plenty of time to gain access."

"Three seconds is plenty of time?"

"In the virtual realm, yes," Ar'n said, warily scratching at his neck.

"Why did you not become an operative, then? I am certain that Special Operations would greatly appreciate having someone with your...particular skills."

"If I wished to hide from conflict, I would have...but, my place is with my brothers, on the frontlines." Ar'n was confused at the smile that greeted him. The gesture felt out of place on the Ultra's face, especially after bellowing at his underlings for being a mere eight seconds late. What came to follow would only build on his confusion.

"Good answer, 'Drakosee. Now, report to the loading bay."

"Yes, sir," he said, standing. He did not question, he did not even think. Slowly, he was realizing that thinking would probably end his life in battle. He would have to learn how to mechanize himself, he supposed.

"And 'Drakosee?" The Minor turned in the doorway. "I want you to forget anything you saw on those databanks and never hack into security again, or I will not hesitate to have you thrown in the brig to rot. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir, already forgotten."

"Excellent, now be gone." Nazo shook his head once he was alone. "For all of his faults, he is going to make quite the Ranger."

Location: Loading Bay of the Seeker of Truth Ship Clock: 11:26 Hours

The area was bustling with tall warriors, all clad in pearly off-white. Orders were barked back and forth, some bickered, and others worked in utter silence. Crates were removed from stacks, removed from a Phantom, and stacked again. "Where are you from, anyway?" Ar'n said, his and Garek's turn to lift one of many crates arriving.

He grunted, his legs still burning from earlier. The free hours they would receive later were not going to be very pleasant, that much he could assure himself. "Tarasun. How about you, brother?"

He felt for the shorter fellow, for he had to get under this crate to place it on the stack, and these were far from light. A growled slipped from his throat, the burden gone. "Juz'n," he huffed.

"Juz'n? I have heard many a...discouraging thing, about that place."

"Most of what you have heard is likely true. It is a rough place to live. Tarasun, that is a nice city. The shining jewel of Sangheilios, some say!"

Garek hummed. "It is crowded most hours of the day, it is loud, and I would not recommend the company of the...pompous individuals within Her walls. I prefer the surrounding mountains, to be honest."

Their turn came again, and Ar'n sighed. He was clearly fed up with the work, but at least it was going smoothly, quickly, without error. "You mean the mountains that house all of the indigenous tribes?"

Garek shrugged. "They are not bad people. And, they are not indigenous, just," he paused, searching for the right word, "Separated."

"I have heard that most of them are exiles, outcasts."

"I never saw anything wrong with them, personally. While they are certainly odd people, they are easy to talk to and even easier to trade with."

"Trade," Ar'n repeated, his voice plagued with a disbelief. "What could a disconnected tribe possibly have to trade?"

Garek clawed a mandible in thought. Memories came back, however slow...and vague. It felt like it had been ages since he left, and he supposed it had been. Ten years was a good amount of time, especially when one was so far from home. "Medicines, animal hides, fresh meat. The village I would frequent even had a blacksmith."

"A blacksmith?"

"He made tools, not weapons. I should take you there, sometime."

"Sometime?" Ar'n scoffed. "We are a long way from home, Garek. I think you fail to realize that we likely will not return before the Great Journey begins."

Garek looked around, seeing that he could speak without being overheard. "We have been searching for...whatever it is that begins the Journey for a long time; Nine Ages, to be exact. I doubt, very much, that it will be found in our lifetime."

Ar'n glanced at him as they approached a newly-arrived supply ship. "I will pretend that you did not just say that..."

"Listen, I am not a heretic. Am I not allowed to have my doubts?"

"Doubts that could get you killed by the very people we serve. And if you are found out...you will be left behind."

Or so they say, Garek thought. "Gods, how many of these do we have to unload?"

"That is the last one, 'Izakee," Nazo called from a short distance away, his eyes very clearly darting back to the datapad in his hands. Well, at least the man didn't want to appear to be a liar.

"Oh, good," he mumbled.

"Then, it is on to the methane tanks."

"Is that not the Unggoy's job?" Ar'n said.

"It is yours today, Minor. Do not complain and get it done."

"Yes, sir."

The final crate found its resting place, and Garek took a moment to review their particular row of crates; four high and four long. Perfect, even, just what a superior officer wanted to see. "Well, it does not look as though you were punished."

"And your assumption would be correct. He simply wanted to know how I did it." Garek hummed. "How did you do it?"

"Forerunner magic," he said sarcastically. "What?" The two soldiers who had glared at him for his remark quickly turned away. Apparently, his tone was discouraging.

Garek shook his head. "And I should be careful with my words?"

"So, I am a hypocrite," Ar'n shrugged. "Anyway, I just waited for the Huragok to change the security measures."

"What did you discover?"

Ar'n looked over his shoulder as they entered the corridor. "Not only was a human planet discovered, but we are invading it," he said, keeping voice low. Garek had to take a moment to play the words back in his head. He'd been to a few human colonies on quick raids, but mostly things had been quiet for him. However alluring it was to finally go ground-side, he had but one question.

"Why?"

"Other than humans being there, I cannot say for certain. However, that is the reason for such a large shipment of supplies. Rations, munitions, medical stuffs; everything a legion needs to move forward."

"Did you get a time for deployment?"

"Armies should be going to ground a couple of weeks from now. I see now why we are getting a crash course, if you will, through Ranger training. The courses are supposed to take months, sometimes more than a year, and here we are, doing it in mere weeks. Insanity, just to please the Hierarchs!" With that, he placed a hand over his jaws, pupils growing some. He knew he'd said too much, a little too loudly. Hypocrite, indeed. Fortunately, Garek gave him a nod that they were in the clear.

"Anything else you could tell me, Ar'n? Whether or not we would be deployed, for instance?"

"No. What I got was vague."

"What did I tell you, 'Drakosee?"

Ar'n froze mid-step. That, was the voice of authority, one he both loathed, and feared. He glanced at his comrade for affirmation, and the light-skinned male just shook his head. "Uh..."

"I do not enjoy being lied to. Get your asses, in my office." The trek was quick and quiet, the two trailing their officer like whipped pups. Ar'n had gone and done it, and Garek was forced along as an accomplice. Nazo sighed once they were seated in his quarters. "Why do you continue to defy me, 'Drakosee?"

"I..."

Nazo narrowed his eyes, "You, what? Please, by all means, continue! Do not allow me to interrupt!"

"It is my fault, sir," Garek said, opting to take the fall. It wasn't far from the truth, and Ar'n just looked so dumbstruck, frightened perhaps. Just what has Nazo threatened him with? "I asked him what he had found."

"That is not important, 'Izakee. What is important is that you ran your mouth after I specifically told you to forget it. Do you think my word means nothing, do I look like a Minor Domo to you?!"

Ar'n fidgeted with his hands. "It is not something so easily forgotten, sir..."

"Oh, I have a way to ensure that you do forget," Nazo said, reaching for something on his armor. Garek turned away when he saw the hilt, Ar'n's eyes widening as an energy sword sparked to life next to his head. "Do you remember now? Hm?!"

He shied away as the sword came dangerously close to his face. It got so close, Garek could have sworn he smelled burnt hide, and for the first time, he heard Ar'n's voice crack, "N-no."

The murderous glint vanished from the Ultra's eyes, and the plasma dissipated with it. However, he and Ar'n remained face to face. "Good. Privileged information is privileged for a reason, 'Drakosee. What if you were a spy for the humans?"

"I was just curious," Ar'n stammered.

"Answer me this. Were you trying to get that information?"

"No. I just wanted to see if I could get through the ship's security."

"For what purpose?!" he suddenly bellowed, and now Ar'n knew where the reputation came from. 'The Red-Eyed Devil', he'd heard a few other Minors call Nazo, and it was clear as day before him.

"Just...to see if I could," he said, his fidgeting increasing.

"Why do I not believe you?! Why do I think you only capable of lies?!"

"Because you cannot bring yourself to trust a soul around you," Ar'n blurted.

The fury in the male's face subsided, and he straightened. In fact, he looked incredibly confused, just as Garek did. He leaned back onto his desk with a huff, before speaking softly, "What, has led you to believe that?"

"It is the way you carry yourself, always looking over your shoulder and muttering. Do not ask how I see it, I just do."

Nazo sighed and finally sat behind his desk. "What I am about to say does not leave this room. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," they said simultaneously.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." They both heard a quiet click as Nazo reached under his desk.

"You have my sincerest apologies, brothers. I had to put on a show for the listening devices. We may now speak freely. Your assumption is both correct, and incorrect; I do not trust many people, and neither of you are on that very short list. However, with time or certain tasks, perhaps that can change."

The two Minors exchanged glances, the younger of the two speaking first. "What would you have us do?"

"All I ask, is that you listen, and I know you can do that much." They nodded. "One of the many reasons we are invading this planet...is for a construct."

Ar'n tilted his head. "Do we not have several artificial intelligences of our own?"

"This one is said to be special."

"If I might inquire, just what, exactly, makes it so?" Garek said.

"That, has yet to be ascertained. One thing is for certain: We cannot allow the humans to leave the planet with it."

"What consequence would we face upon failure?"

Nazo sighed, "No consequence to you, individually. However, many will have died for nothing. That should be motivation enough." They both heard the click again, getting the silent message.

"Is our training nearing completion, sir?"

"If your brothers cannot pick up their pace, our division will receive an infraction for being behind schedule. I have noticed that you two have no friends amongst the other volunteers, yet alone acquaintances. It would be wise to at least get everyone's names. Now, get to your posts."

They stood and saluted. "Sir!"

Date: Sunday, July 18, 2552 Ship Clock: 05:00 Hours

Garek sighed as he sat up in his bunk, heaving shallow breaths as he worked through the usual steps; roll out of the bunk, suit up, armor up, and stand in line with the others. His falling behind, naturally, garnered the attention of his superior. However, the officer's behavior seemed different. The approach was slow, almost casual. The look was of concern, rather than the usual scorn. Granted, their particular entourage had done well over the past week, but that did little to sate the Minor's suspicion. "Not sleep well, 'Izakee?"

"Negative, sir," he said after a brief pause, briefly forgetting that the Ultra stubbornly remained on a strict surname basis with his troops. Garek would abide by it, respecting authority, but he didn't really agree; the man requested they all get well acquainted, for unit cohesion, but he had yet to follow his own suggestion. No one knew much of anything about their superior, and rumor had spread like wildfire.

Nazo stopped before him, keeping his stance loose, relaxed; it looked out of place. Nazo was just too much of a military body. The man lived and breathed functional, rather than casual like the rest of them. Perhaps that came with age and experience. "And why is that, if you do not mind my asking?"

"Visions," Garek muttered.

"What did you see?"

"Terrible things," he said, shaking his head.

"Explain. I must know if you need to go to the infirmary."

Garek looked around, hearing a few of the others beginning to wake. As sluggish as he was, he'd been able to beat the others out of bed? Perhaps today was a free day? He couldn't remember, as all of the recent days had meshed together. Wake, drill, eat, exercise, drill again, sleep; such were the days. "Not here."

The Ultra frowned, clearly a little suspicious himself, but his demeanor remained casual. The male gave a single curt nod, and turned to make his leave. "I shall be in my office, if you wish to speak further."

"I will be but a moment, sir," he affirmed, clipping the helmet to his belt and going about fixing his bunk. A disturbance at his back told him that Ar'n had awakened, and he was likely to blame for that.

"Hmph, I never would have thought that he actually gave a damn about us, yet alone our dreams," the Minor said with a yawn, fixing his bodysuit; he seemed to never take the thing off, unless in the obvious event they showered. Everyone had their preference, he supposed.

"You have arisen early, on a free day no less!" The remark was short and more than a little curt, though he hadn't intended it to be so. His eyes remained averted as he made his bunk, waiting for the quip to come.

"Well, it was quite difficult to sleep with your incessant yammering. What did you see, anyway? You sounded horrified."

"Perhaps another time, brother. Regretfully, there are a few tasks I must take care of before I am truly free for the day." With a sharing of nods, he departed, leaving his friend to fume and ponder on the horrors he had witnessed in the night.

He was unsure of the amount of the officer's time he had taken in his explanation, but he supposed it mattered little; the Ultra had wanted to hear, so he heard every last grim detail; fire, brimstone, death, and destruction. Corpses, young and old, strewn about like morbid rag dolls. A once shining metropolis, brought to ruin under heretical fire. And, in the defining moment of it all, a being of great power, had wiped it all away in a fire of its own. A fire so pure, it had to have been a god. Of course, he dared not share that last detail. "That is all?" Nazo said; the man almost sounded bored.

"Yes," followed the short reply, the Minor looking greatly confused by his own story. It had felt so real, and yet, it had been completely absurd and vague. He knew not what to make of it.

"Do you have these dreams often?"

Garek shook his head. "This is the first time."

"Hmm. I am at a loss for words, 'Izakee. It sounds too surreal to be anything other than a nightmare."

Garek sighed. "I know what I saw. It looked- no, it felt so...real. Why do you care?" he suddenly said after a pause.

Nazo turned to a viewscreen and crossed his arms. "I care about my warriors, 'Izakee. You are not the first to be seated here with some kind of problem."

"Problems like this?"

"No, but problems nonetheless. I suggest you go to the infirmary and have yourself looked at."

"I doubt they can help me."

"Just go. Be back in the barracks by 1300 hours," Nazo said shortly, continuing to look at the passing stars.

"Yes, sir." Garek paused at the door. "May I ask why?"

Nazo sat at his desk and folded his hands. "I have an announcement to make to all of you. I will also need to speak with you alone a second time."

Garek nodded and exited, finding Ar'n leaning against the wall outside. "You did not roll back into your bunk? That is surprising..."

"Hmph! You must not be aware of just how long you were in there. I was nearly worried that there was some fraternization to report!" Garek rolled his eyes, knowing all too well that the miniscule man was anything but one to report such offenses. "I jest, of course. And here I thought that you had a sense of humor. Three hours, Garek. Must have been quite the tale to spin to hold Nazo to a seat for so long..."

Garek sighed. "You would not believe me if I told you. He certainly had trouble...I am having trouble believing it, myself." Ar'n took on a stance that only challenged him to try. "The other races slaughtering females, children, everyone. And then...they glassed it."

Ar'n halted, frowning. "Glassed what?"

"I am not sure. The sky was a brilliant red, but...It could have been Sangheilios. It was hard to tell, with the amount of chaos."

"Oh, please. I do not like the other races any more than the next person, but they are our allies. If you go on to say humans were fighting alongside us, I will not believe you."

"There were humans present, yes. Fighting by our side? It was hard to tell."

"That does sound like a nightmare," Ar'n said lightly.

"Do you think this to be funny? Dream or not, I could not make this up. Not even if I wanted to write a book. As absurd as it was, I got a clear message. We should only trust our brothers."

"You say that as if I would even think of trusting a Jiralhanae, or any of the others, for that matter." They began walking along the corridor again, Ar'n turning to say, "I do not think you should worry about it. It was the first time you had this dream, aye?"

"Yes."

"Then, it was probably just a dream. Did anything else of...worth happen?"

"Well, before I woke up, this...flaming avian creature came screaming at me."

Ar'n raised a brow, "A flaming bird? What have you stolen from the infirmary to see such absurdities?"

He ignored the obvious kidding jab. If Ar'n wouldn't believe him, he wouldn't blame him for it. "I just have this feeling that it will happen, some day. And before you ask, no, I have no idea what the bird is or what it is supposed to mean, if anything at all."

"Hmph, it sounds to me like you are simply stressed. If so, get in line. These past few weeks have been, almost literally, hell."

"I quite enjoyed the simulated vacuum exercises. Fun, seems like an appropriate word," Garek remarked, changing the subject.

"Hmm, and so were the scrimmages that followed. Still, it was like Academy all over again, only shoved into weeks instead of months."

"It was far from terrible, I thought. Quite invigorating, actually."

"Surely, you jest! All I have had time to do is drill, eat, and sleep...if you could call it sleep."

"Having some issues yourself, eh?"

"No, the opposite! It is like being comatose every day for ten hours."

"Ten hours?" Garek scoffed. "Consider yourself fortunate. I am content if I get five."

"Five hours of rest? How do you do it?"

Garek shrugged. "I suppose I have gotten used to it." He slowed as they neared a gravity lift. "I have to go to the infirmary."

"What? Why?"

"Nazo wants me to take a psyche evaluation," he said, shaking his head. "I believe I will do nothing more than waste their time."

"See? Even you do not believe what you saw."

"That is not what I meant. Everything that happened...I could <i>feel</i> it as if I was there; the heat, the blood on my skin...the pain."

"You felt physical pain?"

"I can still feel it," he murmured, stepping into the lift and leaving a confused Ar'n behind. Once he had reached the medical ward, he stopped a passing nurse. "I need to see the chief medical officer," he said quietly.

"You must be Minor 'Iz-"

"Do not speak my name."

Her smile faded as she nodded. "Right this way." She gestured to the door before curtly turning and walking away.

"Ah, Minor 'Izakee. I shall be right with you," the doctor said. There weren't many female combatants in any Covenant armada, as most were tasked with spreading the bloodlines back home, but this fleet seemed to have a wealthy supply of female doctors. He supposed it was better that way; a male doctor was doomed to the worst ridicule, and even abuse, treatment worse than what most Unggoy received. He caught himself staring at her. She was a beautiful woman, not much younger or older than him, but that wasn't what had really caught his attention. Where have I seen that particular stripe pattern before, he thought. "Do you always mumble your thoughts?" she said wryly.

Garek rubbed the back of his neck. He really needed to learn how to not work his mind and mouth in unison. "No, ma'am."

She snickered and shook her head slightly. "Please, have a seat. Your commander passed the details on to me...I do not know if there is anything I can do. I was trained to treat wounds, not mental instability."

"I am not unstable..."

"You see? I do not even know the correct terminology." She paused, scratching at a mandible with a sigh. "Do you have these dreams often?"

"Define 'often'," he said after thinking for a moment.

"Do you have them every night?"

"No."

"How many times in a week?"

"Three, sometimes four, and they get progressively worse with each occurrence."

"Could you elaborate on that, please?"

"They become more vivid, more....real." She tilted her head questioningly. "I can feel everything that happens. I mean, actually feel it; cuts, burns, broken bones, and I can still feel it all when I awaken."

She shook her head with a frown. "The best I can do is give you some medication that the older warriors take. Some have flashbacks, causing them to suffer from insomnia. It helps them rest, and they tell me it works," she clarified to Garek's confused look.

"As much as it irks me to admit it...I think I may need it." She nodded and typed something into a datapad. "This is confidential, yes?"

She nodded. "Only you, I, and your commander will know."

"Why does he need to know?"

"It is mandatory," she said. "I do not like it any more than you do, but that is how it is."

Garek sighed. "What do I need to do?"

She stood and scanned a nearby shelf, grabbing a small vial and retaking her seat. "Just put two or three drops of this in anything you drink before you go to sleep."

"How long will this last?"

"This vial should get you through a month, maybe two if you do not use it often." Garek nodded as she handed him the vial of dark green liquid. "Come see me again if you continue to have problems, or if just does not work for you. I will look into this, and see if I can find any other remedies."

"All right," he said, standing. "Er...forgive my manners. I never asked your name."

"My name is 'Telam."

"I, uh...I meant your given name."

She turned her gaze up with a strange look. "My mother named me Deza."

He bowed his head in greeting, and much to his delight, the gesture was returned to him. Perhaps she wasn't quite as reserved as other females. "Garek. What was that look about?"

"Usually, the warriors that come here would sooner try to bed me, than ask my name."

"Well, I am not like the others."

"Hmm, indeed." She suddenly smirked. "The others are not as shy as you, either."

"Shy?"

"There is nothing wrong with being shy. You are who you are."

"That is very...open-minded of you, although I disagree. I just...I do not meet new people often enough, I suppose."

"There is merit to that, as well. The less people you know, the greater friends you will have. Well, you should get back to your barracks," she said, indicating the time before returning her attention to the datapad on her desk. Garek looked at the vial again, nodding as he placed it into a pocket.

Ship Clock: 13:05 Hours

"Attention!"

Everyone straightened as Nazo strode into the barracks. "At ease. Now, recite the mantra."

They all bowed their heads with a salute, speaking in unison. "Glory and Honor guide our Ascension."

"Very good. Due to our current situation, you will have one week of free time instead of a ceremony. I will fill out the proper forms. If any of you have any questions you do not mind sharing in front of your comrades, speak up now. Yes, 'Drakosee?"

"Why are you such an asshole?"

Everyone blinked at him before Nazo chuckled. "I had to be. However, you will find that I am much more agreeable now that your training is complete. Yes, 'Stronasee?"

"I am simply curious as to what we shall be doing once our week is up."

"I had thought someone would ask that question," Nazo sighed. "A few of your comrades already knew what our fleet was preparing to do," he paused to glare at Ar'n. "However, since I know that they did not tell you, I shall. The fleet is getting ready to invade a human colony."

"When do we go?" Orna 'Stronasee said eagerly.

"We will be arriving on the planet after the primary invasion force."

"So, we are going to be cleaning up whatever they leave behind?"

"That is the idea, 'Stronasee. This group will be sent on seek and destroy missions, as well as setting up ambushes on human convoys while Special Operations teams search for a relic."

"A relic?" Z'aes 'Xaseree said. "As in...a gift from the Gods?"

"Precisely, 'Xaseree. I was hoping that the Supreme Commander would choose us, but he said that you were not prepared for such a demanding task."

"That is a load of shit," Orna grumbled.

"I agree, 'Stronasee. And, whenever you are around me, try to refrain from using such profanity."

"Why?"

"I do not like it. In my eyes, it shows that you lack discipline."

"As long as we are not around you?"

Nazo rolled his eyes. "If I am not present, how can I care? If I am present, mind your tongue. Your squads will be formed later, dismissed."

"Had to be an asshole? He still is," Orna scoffed after he had approached Ar'n and Garek.

"If the boot fits, one must wear it, Orna," Z'aes shrugged. "I say we celebrate tonight."

"I cannot," Garek said. "I have a few errands to run," he finished to their questioning looks.

"Ar'n?"

"I have nothing better to do..."

"Are you sure, Garek?" Orna said.

"I am sure."

"You have errands to run? All night?"

"Not all night, no. I am just tired, going to hit my bunk early."

"You are absolutely certain? We were going to try and steal away for a much needed release, with some females, I hope. I have seen enough masculinity to last a lifetime. Your loss, brother," Z'aes finished with a shrug after Garek shook his head.