Archive of Our Own

It was between the years of 2553 and 2558. The destined way for this timeline to go on was for Shadow of Intent to be in pursuit of the missing San'Shyuum (barring a few exceptional dates), the UNSC and ONI to be too busy with other matters to devote attention to Netherop, and for the stranded residents of said planet to not receive any visits until November after a galactic uprising of AI forced the Arbiter and Spartan Vale's hands. But that was not the case this time. A series of decisions made independently of each other changed the course of everything.

The orbital mine shell surrounding Netherop made the first rescue attempt of stranded UNSC personnel too dangerous to continue, so the corvette Alpina was sent years later to do the job. At that point, however, the similarly stranded Sangheili warriors had breached the citadel on the planet and gained access to supremely powerful technology - and they refused to allow any other humans access to the planet. Utilizing the weapon they called the Divine Hand, they struck down the Pelican insertion and the orbiting Alpina.

Once the Human-Covenant war ended, it was in the interest of humanity's government and military to access the full causality cost - all the ships, planets, and lives lost. It was a monumental undertaking, with numbers perhaps higher than a human brain could ever comprehend. Stuff was always bound to slip through the cracks, given that the devastation of the war also extended to archives while stories became lost.

Maybe in the destined timeline, Alpina's destruction went unnoticed. Or maybe no one thought to investigate it further, chalking it up as a mundane occurrence - it had been a period of active war within unsafe territory, after all. And then, those same people either forgot about the rescue mission or assumed it was no longer worth it.

And yet, in this timeline, the first aberrant decision was cast: Alpina's sudden destruction during a rescue mission was less duly noted, causing another corvette to be sent to investigate and potentially resume the rescue operation, if there were even survivors at this point. To avoid the issue of no information making back to command, this corvette was in regular communication. This is how it was learned that those castaways were still surviving on the planet. Until this corvette, too, suddenly went dark.

It was now clear that something was going on at Netherop. The nature of this threat and whether or not it could reach other places - human-populated places - had to be ascertained. But a good guess was that it was something Covenant in nature. Despite the Covenant being defunct at this point, it was not impossible for Covenant castaways - unaware of the end of the war - to exist; even then, there were those who had experienced the war's end that still chose hostilities with humanity, so any of these aliens could’ve been involved as well.

Sending more ships from their navy, however, would be suicidal. It was clear that any human ships that got too close to Netherop would be destroyed and there was no point in wasting ships just to determine the finer details of that danger.

Thus, the series of dominoes escalated, until...

Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum sat patiently in his chair, awaiting the news that the orbital mine shell had been wiped out. No other action could be taken until that was the case. Given the length of this task, it was fortunate that whatever had been destroying UNSC ships around this planet had never targeted them once. The preliminary reconnaissance that had taken place before had determined it'd be safe for them, but he just couldn't fully commit to trusting that assertion until now.

Of course, there was always the possibility they weren't being fired upon due to their work of eliminating the orbital mines. If these attackers wished to escape N'ba, then Shadow of Intent and the rest of the support fleet might only be temporarily useful. There was just no knowing for sure - not until the mystery could be fully solved.

It was a mystery that Rtas had been personally tasked with solving. The humans sent word that rescue attempts on this planet were being hindered by a mysterious hostile force, potentially Covenant forces stranded alongside their own castaways, and that there were concerns this danger would spread beyond N'ba - or Netherop, as they called it. Perhaps it was a bit dramatic, but that did not mean it was completely irrelevant to the Sangheili. If it really was the doing of Covenant castaways, they had a duty to make contact with these soldiers and resolve this - either by rescuing them or putting them down, depending on how they reacted to the news of the Covenant being completely dead as an empire. And if it was the doing of another party, Sangheili in identity, then they still had a diplomatic obligation to get involved.

N'ba had also been a planet known to the Covenant. Surviving records referred to it being a cursed place, approach forbidden due to this status. Now that many survivors of the war no longer believed in the old faith, this raised new questions about N'ba. Was it truly a curse that befell this place? Was there something else afoot? Or had nothing gone down there to begin with - at least, nothing to warrant superstition to that degree? Such was another reason why the Arbiter wanted this place investigated.

Shadow of Intent had other goals - mainly the search for a San'Shyuum flotilla - but that search was taking an eternity to bear fruit. In between the hunt, the ship would take part in defense of Sangheili territory, diplomatic matters, and even urgent combat operations if desperately needed. This mission was a bit of all three, and it helped that Shadow of Intent had already been a good distance close to this system. Who knows - maybe the culprit they'd unmask would in fact be the missing San'Shyuum, attempting to use the "cursed" planet as a hiding spot nobody would dare check.

With a sudden transmission, giving the green light to go, it became time to find out.

Removing himself from his chair, Rtas headed for the Phantoms they'd use for insertion. A message was sent out to the rest of the insertion team to meet him there. This team from Shadow of Intent would be the only ones heading to the surface; all the other ships sent were just to help with the orbital mines and to potentially provide additional fire should a space battle erupt. The actual surface-side investigation would be handled by these few - an operation which reminded Rtas of his days within the Covenant's SpecOps. Just another reason why Rtas 'Vadum was perfect for this job.

By the time he reached the Phantoms, Rtas found everyone assigned to this mission already there. It was possible that they, antsy with the wait, had already been nearby the hangar specifically so they could reach it swiftly. His team included the prominent members of Blademaster Vul 'Soran, Ranger Stolt, and Scion Tul 'Juran - those who'd served alongside him in many such missions before, such as the fight against the Prelate Tem'Bhetek. Sangheili Rangers serving Stolt made up the bulk of their infantry, plus a few warriors that Vul picked out. Since it was likely they'd cross paths with UNSC castaways unaware of the war's end, it was decided that a single human would join this operation: a diplomat educated in the Sangheili's language, Melody Azikiwe. Their numbers filled two Phantoms - the Rangers in their own separate Phantom from Rtas, Vul, Tul, Melody, and the few non-Ranger warriors.

"Tul, stay close by the envoy's side," Rtas ordered. "Ensure no harm comes to her." 

"It shall be done, Shipmaster."

As a diplomat, Melody had no weapon on her in order to appear non-threatening. Although, that left the inconvenient situation of entering defenseless on what might turn into a battlefield. 

With that, he turned his focus to the envoy in question. "You said the identities of these castaways were discovered?"

"Possible identities," she replied. "The details I was given mentioned that Lieutenant Commander Amalea Petrov volunteered to be left behind so that a Spartan team could get out. A few other soldiers under her command were with her."

"She must not have expected that choice to keep them here for so long."

"I doubt it," Melody agreed. "The fact this was the site of a battle with the Covenant also supports the theory that Covenant soldiers are stuck with them. Which reminds me - do you have any idea why the Covenant closed off the planet in the first place?"

"Two different misfortunes occurred here. The frigate Radiant Arrow was lost here and, sometime later, another frigate by the name of Steadfast Strike was destroyed by demons - your Spartans. The Prophet of Truth decreed this a sign the gods did not want us here." He allowed a moment between revelations, before adding the final touch, "It does not help that this place is called 'world of death' in our tongue and ‘planet of ghost makers’ in the Forerunners’."

"So... there might be something else, besides Covenant stragglers, that keeps taking down our corvettes?"

Admittedly, Rtas never thought to consider that. It had been logical to assume Covenant castaways were responsible for the UNSC casualties - especially since, so far, Shadow of Intent was left untouched. But then, no one had witnessed the destruction of the corvettes. Covenant involvement was still only a theory, no evidence was technically found yet. The Covenant ships, on the other hand, could also be blamed on the UNSC... well, Radiant Arrow's fate was a bit murkier, given the incomplete records surviving from the Covenant era, but it was another safe assumption to make.

But what if they were all wrong. What if there was some third party or unknown factor playing against both sides? What if this thing was the reason for this planet's dreadful name?

In the deep recesses of his mind, Rtas could not help but think of the Flood. Remnants of the parasite were still hidden across the galaxy, imprisoned by the Forerunners but just as capable of returning to its former conquest if underestimated. There were a few rare occurrences, barring the encounters on the Halo rings, that the Flood was said to have appeared during the war. It was not impossible to imagine that these ship casualties were due to the crews trying to prevent the parasite from breaking free from this system. Even then, it did not have to be the Flood themselves - there could be other horrors that the Forerunners kept hidden on the old worlds.

Were there truly castaways waiting for them on the surface? Or was it something else that was just as eager to travel to the greater galaxy using their ship?

Perhaps his musings were edging towards paranoia - especially with thoughts of the Flood - but it was still never hurt to be cautious. With that, he sent back a quick transmission to Shadow of Intent's bridge crew.

"Remain alert. Our ship may remain intact now, but that does not mean it won't be targeted eventually."

One could call him too cautious, but if Rtas had known then that the previous UNSC corvettes actually spent a few days above the planet before their destruction, it would've only incentivized his unnerved wariness further.

They chose the site of a tel housing an ancient city nearby a color-changing lake to begin their investigation, being the most visually striking location upon their initial inspection of the planet's topography. Ruins of ancient civilizations were a good start in checking for signs of castaways - whether they be survivors or merely the remains of a group that finally fell. There were other curiosities to this location that made it their starting point, including parts of it that couldn't be mapped. Even if no bodies - alive or dead - could be found, Rtas still wanted this blind spot checked before they moved on.

Rtas' Phantom had landed at the base of a mountain just across the crater that separated it and the tel, a tall cave being deemed a perfect point for a temporary base. N'ba was arid and barely habitable, with a long period of daylight that heightened the threat of the heat. The Sangheili could manage with these circumstances, but they had Melody to consider, who was not as well-equipped as them - by evolution and by her superiors. As Rtas, Melody, Tul, and Vul stayed back with a few warriors and their Phantom, Stolt was leading his Rangers in exploring the city on the tel that their Phantom had dropped them off at. This Phantom continued roaming the skies, offering an aerial patrol while staying close enough in the event it had to pick up the Rangers.

Rtas looked in every which way, studying the natural phenomena of N'ba. Just prior to this, he ordered Tul to escort Melody into the cave first, to have the human stay cool for the time being. Just in case the humans were located at the tel city, the Rangers were staying in stealth mode with orders to stay hidden and away from any humans they spotted. Any UNSC survivors would undoubtedly attack on sight without Melody at their side, but Rtas could not risk the human's health by having her be dragged to every corner of the planet. Once Melody and Tul gave the all-clear, he'd have the pilot and a few warriors set up the base inside. Maybe it was unwise to have the envoy playing scout, but this was also an act of consideration: to give her something to do while she waited for her envoy status to finally become of use, if it would even be necessary.

In the meantime, there was something about the mirage in the distance that had caught Rtas' eye. An almost minuscule speck - easily mistakable as a glare on his lens - had grown a bit bigger since he started noticing it. He waved Vul to stand next to him and pointed in the direction of it.

"Do you see something?" he asked vaguely, not wanting to influence Vul's perception in case he was wrong.

"I see... Yes, there's something in the distance, growing in size. I cannot make it out."

"Neither can I." Vul's age could be an explanation for his incapability, but Rtas was younger than him and still struggling. "It may yet be a trick of the mirage, but I want it examined further."

Two orders were given simultaneously. To the warriors near them, Rtas called for navigational tools used to spot things across a great distance. To the patrolling Phantom, he gave them the general direction of what they were seeing and had them fly towards it. The latter ended up gaining more results than the former; a few minutes into trying to make out the shape with their tools, the Phantom sent back a message.

"Shipmaster, there's something approaching! It is still a good deal away, but it appears to have many legs."

While it was addressed to Rtas, it could be heard over the whole local COMMs.

"Legs?" Vul echoed, keeping his words to Rtas' hearing only. "Is this place suitable for fauna?"

"Remember - our Scarabs also move on legs," Rtas reminded. "And the civilization here is not one known to us or the humans."

"If it is a vehicle, it would need a driver."

"Then the question is: are they human, our lost brothers, or something else?"

"Shipmaster!" Another voice broke through COMMs, but this time from Tul. "We have located the humans-"

Both Rtas and Vul whirled around, facing the cave.

"In there?!" he asked, incredulous on the stroke of luck. "So the envoy has-"

"Throw your weapons towards the cave entrance first. Or else they will shoot."

Vul scoffed. "And why would we fear a few-"

"Not at you, fool!" Tul fired back.

With that declaration, Rtas could only wonder how things went wrong.

Several minutes prior, when they first landed, Melody accepted the pity job of scouting out the cave with Tul. It was nice to be useful in more ways than one - and to be posted immediately somewhere with shade!

Things appeared to be in the clear within the first few steps inside. Melody basked in the minimal coolness. Even with shade, the atmosphere of Netherop was too far gone. It was just too dry and scorching in the air itself, but at least she wasn't experiencing the full brunt of the negative climate at that moment. She wondered if even the Sangheili might begin to suffer here if enough time passed.

Just how could anyone survive here for nearly three decades? It was a miracle that the initial rescue attempt even made contact with survivors, but when they tried throwing out communications, no one was picking up. Within just a few minutes of being on Netherop's surface, the mystery almost seemed to solve itself. The UNSC survivors might've held out for awhile, but eventually they'd succumb to the elements with little for the planet to supply them. The Sangheili of the Covenant castaways would last the longest, long enough to destroy the corvettes. Well, the first one, that is. Could they have made it this long in these conditions? If they used the meat of the fallen humans - and even their fallen comrades - they could've. Resorting to such options was more common in other former Covenant species, but this place seemed harsh enough to erode even the Sangheili's sense of honor.

They were a bit into the cave now, enough distance that the others outside would only be able to hear them if they screamed. It was the perfect setup for an ambush, but it hadn't crossed anyone's minds at the time that humans would be waiting at the very first corner they'd chosen out of the entirety of the planet.

The thought finally came to Melody upon footsteps behind them. Tul hissed and drew out her lance as they both turned, coming face-to-face with five humans pointing guns at them, blocking the only exit from the cave. Their appearances were so starved and dirty, it seemed as if they’d lost too much weight and even height.

"Don't you dare call for help," the one in the middle hissed back at Tul. "They won't get here in time to save you."

"Well, envoy, your time has come already," Tul said, causing that same human to jerk his gun in a threatening motion. While Tul herself wasn't knowledgeable in English, translation disks had been issued out for a moment like this.

"What the hell did you just say?!"

"Don't worry about her," Melody spoke up. "She's not going to call for the others, so just talk to me."

"You're working with it?"

"Yes. My name is Melody Azikiwe. I was sent to mediate, in case UNSC personnel were still alive."

"'Mediate'?" the shortest of the bunch asked, unable to contain their confused shock. The others' stances had softened, but just subtly.

"What is that supposed to mean?" the leader continued. "You're not these things' hostage?"

"No, the war is over and the Swords of Sanghelios and the UNSC are official allies now." Just as the leader started opening his mouth, she raised her palm. "The Covenant is gone. These guys broke away and helped us. And since something is destroying UNSC ships out here, they volunteered to rescue you in the UNSC's stead."

"That 'something' is them!" the single girl of the group protested.

"Well, we're going to deal with them, too," Melody reassured, sensing something a bit more personal in that outburst besides the usual xenophobic sentiment. These guys must have been locked in a bitter, vicious stalemate with the Covenant soldiers here.

"Hold on..." the leader said. "How do we know this isn't a trap? That all you're saying is a lie? Mo-"

Despite possibly being a subordinate, one of the humans at his side slammed a shoulder in his side.

"The Lieutenant Commander said Innies sometimes tried working with the Covenant!" Melody took note of the correction. "Or, you are a hostage, and they're threatening you to help them! How can we really know the war is over just from one human showing up with a bunch of Covenant and just saying it is?!"

She had to admit, it was always a possibility that the survivors wouldn't believe her. Getting ambushed so suddenly and immediately hadn't been in her cards, either. If she had time to prepare, she could've offered evidence... but given the jittery attitude she was detecting from this group, it was possible they would've just sunk deeper into their conspiracy. Something was up with them and it was affecting their ability to reason.

"You mentioned a Lieutenant Commander?" Melody asked, trying a different approach. "Maybe I could talk with her?"

"We're not letting either of you out of this cave just yet," the leader replied back. "Not with your buddies right outside. The Lieutenant Commander is on her way."

One of his buddies faltered then. "But... When she gets here, she's gonna-"

"Not in front of them, idiot!"

Throughout all of this, Tul had been standing dutifully, knowing that trying to interject might undermine Melody's diplomacy. She stayed quiet, most likely to keep the other humans from freaking out, but she could no longer contain her curiosity. 

"Their body language is off," she noted, choosing to keep this in strictly untranslated Sangheili. "They are like-"

Five guns pointed at her as the leader demanded, "What is it saying?!"

"She is just confused," Melody said. "If I can't meet with your Lieutenant Commander right now, how can I prove to you that we're trustworthy?"

Melody herself was running out of ideas that'd help, but the best was probably to just ask them. They were the paranoid ones, finding reasons to shoot down Melody's previous attempts, so she might as well just work within their rules for now. Once the Lieutenant Commander arrived, things might get a bit easier... Depending on what they meant with their little exchange regarding her.

"How about..." the leader thought for a moment.

"Get that one to surrender its weapons first!" the girl whispered, in a hissy tone that made it loud enough to overhear.

"Yeah, hand us over the weapons, then tell the guys outside to do the same!" he grinned as if it was his own idea. "If you're really not the enemy, then you don't need those."

With each moment, Melody was becoming more sure that something was off about this group. They almost reminded her of teenagers, and just physically anymore either. The short one's height and voice wasn't doing that comparison any favors. However, they were currently the ones with the upper hand, so Melody accepted these terms.

"Tul, surrender your weapons to them," she commanded. "Then tell the Shipmaster and the others to throw their weapons into here. It's the only way."

"You won't conspire, will you?" one of the humans asked suspiciously.

"She won't, you'll see." Thanks to her training, her voice remained collected, but her patience really was growing thin inside.

Tul looked back and forth between them. "You are sure about this?" When Melody nodded, she continued, "Fine, but I cannot guarantee 'Soran will like this."

With that, she allowed her lance to fall to the floor, giving it a kick that caused a few of the humans to jump back. Melody's heart also lurched, recognizing these guys were just the type to fire off just from a fly buzzing in their ears. Thankfully, no bullets rang out as the shortest took hold of the lance.

"Woah... Never seen them wield this before!" The awe was just like a child on Christmas day... Now Melody was feeling a different sense of dread.

Before she could dwell on it further, Tul began fulfilling the other part of their demands. "Shipmaster! We have located the humans-"

"In there?!" Rtas was just as surprised as Melody was minutes ago. "So the envoy has-"

Tul cut him off. "Throw your weapons towards the cave entrance first." Her eyes started to linger on the group before them. "Or else they will shoot."

Vul was the next to respond. "And why would we fear a few-"

"Not at you, fool!" she fired back, perhaps too suddenly and loudly than she should have.

The foreign exclamation reached the ears of the humans, who went into a second round of barely subdued hysterics.

"You're trying to betray us!" The voice crack made Tul tense up.

"No, no!" Melody lifted her palms in the human gesture of showing no hostility, but it only made two of them aim towards her instead. "There's rivalries even among them. You've experienced the same, right? Bickering with your teammates before?"

"As you make your decision," Tul added over COMMs. "You should keep in mind that these humans are barely disciplined children with no mother to keep them grounded and the firepower to threaten the envoy if startled."

The assertion matched a theory that was now floating within Melody's head, one that was already changing the way she spoke to this group. A few decades had passed and at least one marooned soldier was confirmed a woman: the Lieutenant Commander, the one they almost called "Mom". It was completely possible that at some point, the castaways - whether accidentally or not - started to breed and produce more little soldiers that might not have reached proper recruiting age by the time Shadow of Intent arrived. Tul had to have recognized this even earlier in the conversation - Sangheili females would help train all the children of a keep, so she'd spot the signs of still-training youth better than Melody could. That's probably what she tried to warn her about before.

Four out of five of this group appeared to be at least teenagers, with maybe the leader being 18 or slightly older. With youth on the mind now, that shortest soldier seemed less like a starving short-stack and more like a middle schooler. Melody almost wanted to kick herself for taking so long to notice. But if you weren't expecting kids in the first, and said kids were covered up in UNSC gear ambushing you with guns, the mistake became a little more forgiving. But why would "Mom" risk putting them in this cave? Was this their home and the adults were away, or were there barely any adults left to carry out whatever strategies the castaways had?

The tension boiling in the air popped as a series of plops from the cave's entrance sounded. The five "soldiers" turned around, only for one to forcibly turn the head of the youngest back around in a silent gesture to keep eyes on the hostages. Melody couldn't see from here, but she didn't need to. Her suspicions were confirmed with Rtas' next message. 

"All of the weapons have been surrendered," he said. "We will not move to stop them. Can you negotiate your freedom from here?"

"It'll depend on them," Melody said back this time. She chose not to talk over COMMs before, wanting to monopolize the kids' attention and keep them from inciting Tul, but now they were preoccupied with either the weapons or by Tul specifically. "The Scion's right. The castaways had kids - and they're apparently on their way themselves."

"...It wouldn't happen to be on something with many legs, would it?"

"Why...?"

That was when the kids had finished up their task, returning their attention back to Melody.

"Alright, now tell them to stand at the crater's edge, and we'll lead you two out."

"Um, before that, is there something else outside with them?" she asked. "Something with many legs?"

"Shouldn't be. The two we brought are right behind you, to help with taking your ships."

A pit fell to her stomach. They revealed their hand so casually and easily; what usually would've been a naive move was timed perfectly to make Melody's unease shoot up, paired well with the revelation that another party was about to close in on this mess. Just as Tul looked back to check if anything was approaching from behind, Melody nudged her to instead forward the new demands, which she reluctantly started on. At the same time, Melody continued to try prying.

"And what about your pare- The Lieutenant Commander?" This slip up got her five pairs of stink eye.

"She's close enough that when she sees us come out with you, she'll understand things changed. She might've already seen them surrender their weapons."

That implied even the adults were in on this ambush, which only made Melody more baffled as to the placements of the kids in this operation.

"We are at the edge now," Rtas announced.

Just to be sure, one of the teens went to the exit of the cave to peek, then signaled to the leader that the Sangheili had listened. With that, the youngest and one of the older boys went behind Tul and Melody, while the other three walked in front. As they all exited the cave, the leading teen made some hand signals to something in the distance.

The meaning of this didn't have to be pondered long, as three tufts of yellow spiked brush - previously innocuous-looking - revealed themselves to be the disguises of three more humans. Two of them were very obviously children by their sizes in comparison to the third, who was slightly taller than the leader of the first group. As they approached, the identity of this one became ever clearer. With aging skin, graying streaks in her reddish-brown hair, and the emblem of the UNSC on her belt and scabbard, it was clear that this had to be the mother hen of the roost: Lieutenant Commander Amalea Petrov. It painted a bleak picture to Melody that she was the only adult present.

She was still a few feet away from Melody's group when she started barking orders to the teen - "Pete" as she referred, but it could've been a shortened form of "Peter". Melody briefly tuned out the back and forth between them, however, as the proximity made her zero in on one more detail regarding Petrov: the leather of her boots matched Sangheili hide. She prayed to every god she knew from every mythology she knew - hell, even the Forerunners, just in case - that none of her Sangheili companions noticed this, too.

"You're a UNSC envoy?" Petrov finally addressed her.

"Yes ma'am. Melody Azikiwe, of the UEG Diplomatic Corps." Something about Petrov's presence made her slip into a more professional stance, something those teens lacked back in the cave.

Petrov first eyed Tul, then the rest of the unarmed Sangheili still keeping their distance. At each of her hips, the two children that joined her had been constantly watching the latter, clutching their respective makeshift weapons so tight their knuckles were changing colors. Had even a single of Rtas' warriors chosen to, they could've easily ended them within seconds, those useless things barely leaving a scratch. It was a good thing that was expressly not going to happen. Not on Melody's watch.

"And we're at peace now? The war is over?" Petrov continued her interrogation, her strict tone faltering a bit with emotion.

"Yes, ma'am. We're here to bring you all home." Or, whatever home you can find. It occurred to Melody that besides the children born on Netherop, it was also possible that the worlds the original marooned adults called "home" were amongst those glassed. There might not be anywhere for anyone on this planet.

"Well... this isn't the rescue party I was imagining. But I'm guessing the other Covenant are to blame for that?"

"These guys aren't Covenant. It doesn't exist anymore."

"It still does down here."

At this point, Melody thought it wise that Shipmaster 'Vadum get involved in the conversation, even if Petrov was still unused to friendly Sangheili. She was all but proving the theory that hostile Covenant forces still remained here and needed to be addressed by Shadow of Intent.

"Before we talk any further, is it alright if the Sangheili are allowed free movement and their firearms again? And that Shipmaster 'Vadum speak with us?" Melody watched as Petrov's face hardened with each word spoken. "They're also here to talk with the others you've been stranded with to either surrender or back off from firing at the UNSC again."

Petrov took another moment of studying the nearby Sangheili, the temptation to say no evident on her face. Yet her response was, "Fine. I guess they've proven themselves long enough. Wouldn't have let rookies bully them for so long otherwise."

Then, she addressed her team of juniors. "Throw the weapons back, but don't get too close to them. Just let them pick it up themselves."

As they did so, Petrov took the energy lance back from one of the younger of the bunch and handed it back to Tul. "I'd apologize on behalf of my kids, but up until now, your kind kept trying to snatch them up."

"I understand," Tul said back, the fact her words were coming out in English briefly shocking Petrov. "We are the same back in our home keeps. Your children performed decently, their nerves only need to be hardened more. This type of operation is still a bit advanced for them."

"It wasn't my first choice for them either, trust me." She sighed. "We got ourselves a bit beaten up not long before you showed up. The team you just met - their usual supervisor was among the gravely injured. Not dead, but not able to walk either. But we just couldn't let your ships slip through our fingers."

By this point, Rtas and Vul had joined them. Rtas spoke first, "Where are the rest of your kin? They will need to be brought to the Phantom."

"When we saw your ships split up, I sent the other able-bodied to get close to where the Cov..." She stopped to find a better way to phrase it. "Where your stranded guys are holing up. We were worried about you making contact and turning the stalemate on Netherop in their favor, so everyone still able to fight and with experience against your kind was sent over there, while I led the tykes in trying to hijack a ride. Only a few are holding down our main fort, further down this cave. I'll tell the other team to pull back and the kids to go drag the others out."

She made it sound like a simple and easy op, but Melody could recognize the desperation in their actions - even more than what Petrov was letting on. This was a full on suicidal last stand. From their perspective, the greater Covenant had returned to Netherop. Even if they didn't choose to regroup with their marooned warriors, Petrov's forces would've easily been stomped. This was also still speculation, but Melody had to wonder if there was a deeper meaning behind bringing the children along for the hijacking prong of the attack, besides the reasons she gave already. If the situation on Netherop was doomed, maybe she could've at least gotten the kids into a Phantom and have them slip through whatever other Covenant ships were out in orbit.

"You should do so right away," Rtas urged. "Because my men have indeed made contact."

It had been during the period of waiting at the crater's edge for the human younglings to be satisfied with their lack of threat. Those watching that far-away oddity in the second Phantom had sent an update.

"We are close enough to spot fellow Sangheili on the thing with many legs. They are waving their arms trying to get our attention. No transmissions have come in, so we will have to land to make contact. What are your orders, Shipmaster?"

The envoy never replied back whether the humans were on that thing, yet it looked like Rtas still got his answer. He would've preferred to be right there with his men in making contact with the stranded Sangheili, but that seemed unlikely now. Trying to leave would set these humans off - and with how jumpy they were, he wanted to keep a close eye on them until he could be certain they wouldn't try anything. He also realized the wisdom in keeping both marooned sides separate from each other for the time being, if not forever. That's what led him to his decision.

"You may land, but bring them to Ranger Stolt and speak as little as you can with them yourselves. We must be delicate with our communications with them. We still do not know how they destroy ships around here."

Melody Azikiwe had been the obvious choice with negotiating with the humans, but with their own kind the options - if Rtas could not be there personally - were more complicated. Vul was likely second best to Rtas, being the token Sangheili warrior the stranded would easily respect, with Vul knowing well how to cater to the Covenant era attitude; although he himself still had flaws when it came to catching up with the modern times, a flaw that could become a roadblock in communicating this new era to the stranded. Regular warriors would not have enough status to properly represent Shadow of Intent's side, also needing to refer to Rtas' orders on how certain situations should be handled - and at that point it was basically Rtas doing it himself, just through a messenger. Tul was almost out of the question. During the Covenant era, female Sangheili were barred from naval service, only being allowed to fight to defend their keeps. Depending on how tolerant these Sangheili had been in the Covenant - an empire which demanded the exact opposite - talks might immediately shut down on sight.

Ranger Stolt, it could be said, was in a similar situation to Tul's. It was unheard of for an Unggoy to be commanding over Sangheili, something that could only be accomplished by the Arbiter's wise changes within the Swords of Sanghelios. Stolt was an outlier that had proven himself, yet prejudice meant he had to continue proving himself with every new stranger. At least he wasn't alone. That was what redeemed him in Rtas' eyes, in regards to choosing him as the temporary negotiator. The Sangheili Rangers could vouch for Stolt's accomplishments. There might still be tension and close-mindedness from the castaways, but hopefully it would be an enough-lasting peace until Rtas made it over there.

"Stolt, I am having a Phantom bring some of the castaways over to you. Speak with them until I can regroup with you . Unfortunately, I am too preoccupied at the moment. Take care regarding matters of our current peace with humanity - I wish to divulge that myself. If hostilities break out, inform me right away."

With that, he would just have to stew in patience. Every minute that went by without a word from Stolt was a minute he knew things were going well. He'd just have to keep his attention on the human side of the stranded for the time being, getting as much intel out of them as possible.

Which led to the conversation with Lieutenant Commander Petrov. Internally, he felt a wash of relief when she came back with:

"Well, it's a good thing we got this resolved when we did. My boys just saw one of your ships land with the castaways and were going to charge."

"Where were they?" Rtas couldn't help but ask. He was certain that his Rangers would have detected any human presence. They would have kept their distance and tried not to notice, but the information should've gotten back to Rtas by now.

"Watching the mound from below. Too dangerous to go walking around it without due cause. Your guys use that spot for their weapon, and we never heard from the last group that jumped through the opening it makes when it fires."

"I'm sorry... could you clarify? That is how they've attacked UNSC ships in the past?" While the theory that Covenant castaways were responsible for the destruction was the leading one, it was still left up in the air as to how. If they had ships, they could have left on their own, unless they were truly too battered to fly again nor be repaired with the resources they'd have on hand. There were anti-air weapon options they could have been stranded alongside - potentially even human ones they had hijacked - but without any witnesses to the destruction itself, the manner it manifested was a crucial detail they'd lacked.

"Yeah... They're underground somewhere, but they still have some way of seeing what's going on out here and in the sky. Every time a UNSC ship comes around, that mound opens up and the claw strikes them out from the air. Does some nasty things to the ground for a while and knocks out any COMMs."

And Rtas had just landed a majority of his ground-side forces on the mouth of that super-weapon. Now he had a second reason to worry for Stolt. Even if some of the castaways would be on the tel's surface with them, the Covenant was known to disregard the lives of its soldiers when it came to hitting the enemy.

It was odd, though, the events that had occurred so far. If the castaways were under the tel, why did they emerge a distance away within the crater on... well, he still had yet to determine if it was on a vehicle or a beast. Was it possible that the only way for the tel to open up was through the weapon, meaning their only safe exit led them away from the tel? Or was there another reason for their round-about approach? Were the forces actually divided amongst themselves, those on the many-legged thing being of a different group than those in the tel?

They apparently had a means of watching Rtas' forces, too. They had to have been watching them this whole time. How far they could see - and if they could see Rtas cooperating with humans over here - that was still a mystery. Hopefully, they couldn't, or else these talks would go very sour. He doubted any Covenant soldier would have any respect left for a shipmaster that allowed human younglings to corner him unarmed, regardless of whether it had been a hostage negotiation or not.

Fortunately for Rtas 'Vadum, the eyes of the Worldmaster had not been upon him. Instead, Nizat 'Kvarosee - former fleetmaster of the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience - was more interested in the Rangers that had landed on the Overmound above his Inner Sanctum.

Indeed, he had been watching them since their Phantom first headed towards the tel from the sky. With their arrival, Nizat used the gods' gift of sight to conjure up holographic images: of the orbiting CAS-class assault carrier they originated from, of the fleet that had broken down the orbital mind shell, and of the Ranger contingent now roaming around the Overmound's ruins. He could also see the small group of stalking humans at the edge of the Overmound, incredible foresight telling him to be on the lookout for them in particular. This would be the first time non-human forces rediscovered N'ba - a grave omen for the humans, whose ships had yet to sneak past the gods' gaze.

Yet, it was not entirely good fortune for Nizat, either. Unlike the humans, his stranding here had been a punishment by the Covenant itself. Originally, he was set to be executed for stealing a Luminary, but ending up trapped here had been deemed just as much of a death sentence. That had to have been the reason the orbital mines had been planted - something which hadn't been there when he first arrived, but spotted in the sky the first time he used the gods' eyes.

It was possible they were checking in to see if Nizat had finally perished. It was possible they had learned of what the Inner Sanctum protected. It was possible that it was both.

Nizat did not wish to fire upon his fellow faithful - if it could be avoided - but he could not let them take his role of Worldmaster away. His approach with this expedition party had to be careful. They might not believe his claims of being chosen and continue the fight against him. For right now, he had to gauge what this expedition was here for, then use their goals to his advantage. In the meantime, they might also end up taking care of the pesky human resistance that would not relent against the Inner Sanctum, only ballooning their numbers while each of his Defenders were slowly picked off.

With humans so close to the Overmound, he refused to open it and have a repeat of the Lurker incident - when humans made it within the walls of the Inner Sanctum, haunting them all like ghosts for a year. It was also wise to test these new arrivals before revealing the Inner Sanctum, if they did not know of its existence already. Given one Phantom had landed right on top of it, it was likely they did - but the Overmound was also a ripe target by itself, and only one of two Phantoms chose it, with the other landing farther away.

His plan was to have Tam 'Lakosee lead 'Ra'ashai, Kleon, and Balyasi on their sole remaining Dust Runner. They would aim for the farther Phantom, but make contact with the other if it ended up flying over, as that one began patrolling the area after dropping off its Rangers. Out of all his remaining Defenders, Nizat trusted the judgement of Tam the most - he'd been by Nizat's side since their days in the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience, Tam serving as his steward. Tam would engage whoever they came across in conversation and - if he deemed it - eventually reveal the existence of the Worldmaster and the Defenders of the Inner Sanctum. If instead either Tam deemed them enemies or they chose to fight the Defenders, 'Ra'ashai would be the best warrior to fight against them.

There was another reason for his plan. Nizat would usually be quick to refer to these arrivals as "Covenant", but the coloring of their Phantoms and the armor on the Rangers were off. They could’ve been of a different faction. Rebel factions didn't usually last against the Covenant's iron grip, but that didn't stop them from popping up in the first place. If these forces weren't of the Covenant, it would change the nature of the negotiations with them. They might not honor the Covenant's charges against Nizat, but they might also be heretical against the gods. Nizat was still open to trying to convert them to his cause, regardless of their current affiliation - many of the Defenders had not originally been loyal to Nizat, and their numbers even included the Silent Shadow swordsman sent to enforce his banishment. If even he - an outlaw of the Covenant that had gone against the Hierarchs' commands - had been chosen as a Worldmaster, then it was not his place to immediately open fire.

One final detail stuck out regarding those roaming the Overmound, which partially inspired the choice of going after the other Phantom rather than them. A traditional lance within the Covenant often comprised a Sangheili leading several Unggoy. This command structure held for other units of larger sizes. A single Sangheili leading Unggoy. What Nizat saw through the gods' eyes was an entirely flipped organization: a single Unggoy leading many Sangheili. That was unheard of. If an Unggoy ever was stationed to be a leader, it was always only other Unggoy they led. This team was perhaps the greatest evidence that the Defenders were not dealing with the Covenant.

Nizat kept watch on this baffling Ranger contingent, hoping that Tam and his group would reach the others. But then, he saw the Phantom return to the Overmound. Once it landed, Tam and 'Ra'ashai emerged from it. Kleon, Balyasi, and the Dust Runner were not with him. A quick check showed that they were returning to the Inner Sanctum from the temporary tunnel made for them - something they'd only do if Tam had ordered it.

"It appears they were taken to the Rangers," Klemas 'Teodoree - one of the two that stayed behind with Nizat - commented. Unlike Democ, he'd been glued to Nizat's side in watching the Rangers. Nizat allowed this interest - just a little - due to the fact Klemas himself had been a Fleet Ranger within the Covenant. The curiosities with this group gripped him the hardest. "Should we move on to the other Phantom, since 'Lakosee is preceding over them now?"

"No... I wish to watch over Tam's judgement," Nizat said. "'Ra'ashai is a Silent Shadow, but there are nearly two dozen of them and his discipline is shaking." It was a comment he made freely with 'Ra'ashai not around to hear. Technically, they were all slipping on their training, but he would not admit that out loud.

Klemas caught on to his intentions. "If those Rangers truly are hostile, we cannot expose the Inner Sanctum. That was the entire reason why they went out a different way."

"Not entirely. It was to try and reach the other Phantom, which they have not. Infidels will not survive long enough to reach the Inner Sanctum, either. We will not allow it."

That is, if these Rangers were deemed infidels by Tam. For their sake, they'd better not be. Tam would know that the Worldmaster would be watching every move made during this meeting. He would know how to send a signal of his decision, even if the gods only lent their eyes and not their ears.

Several minutes after Rtas warned him, the Phantom landed at the outskirts of the tel. By then, Stolt had gathered most of his Rangers and regrouped there, with a few others poking around elsewhere just in case. Not long ago, one of those stragglers reported a possible sighting of humans nearby, so Stolt ordered him to keep wandering nearby acting as if he hadn't noticed. He would've forwarded this lead to the shipmaster, but he didn't want to distract him during whatever it was that was keeping him so busy that Stolt had to act as peacekeeper for the time being.

Two castaways would be meeting with him. According to the Phantom's pilot, the other two took their strange vehicle and departed to rejoin the rest of their stranded. Whether they were eager to tell the others that rescue had arrived, or if they were plotting something else, it couldn't be determined. These castaways were strange - something Stolt saw for himself as they exited the Phantom.

They bore no armor of the Covenant, nor any armor that Stolt could recognize. On their skin was an opalescent hide fitting tight on their bodies. It was not helmets but clear masks on their heads. The only thing Stolt found that was familiar with them were the Energy Swords at their sides. Couldn't be Sangheili without them.

Are they even Covenant? Stolt found himself asking. If they weren't then maybe he could get away with speaking more freely about the Covenant's demise. All the shipmaster had directed was to dance around the topic of humans.

"I greet you on behalf of my Shipmaster," Stolt began once the two castaways stopped stepping towards him. They still kept a distance of a few feet, eyeing him with a suspicion he had come to know over the years. "I am Stolt, the commander of these Rangers."

The slimmer of the two asked the question Stolt had been expecting: "As an Unggoy?"

"As one who can survive combat with Spartans and best any Sangheili in a spar." This answer came from one of the Sangheili Rangers behind Stolt, offering bragging which would only be acceptable from anyone that wasn't Stolt. "We are proud, not ashamed, to be led by him."

The castaways showed no signs of being impressed, but argued no further.

"Where is your Shipmaster now, Ranger?" Stolt took note that the larger of the two dropped the usual "Unggoy" modifier to that role. Maybe the testimony truly did get to them a little.

"His Phantom landed elsewhere on this planet and will need time to meet with you," Stolt answered. "He has ordered that I speak with you until then. To whom am I addressing, then?"

"I am Tam 'Lakosee." The slimmer introduced himself first. "The one with me is among the Silent Shadow, Meduz 'Ra'ashai."

"A Silent Shadow is here?" Now it was Stolt's turn to try and curb his shock. "I could not recognize you in that armor."

"We've found that this material works better," the Silent Shadow - 'Ra'ashai - responded, tapping at the strange hide that adorned his body. 'Lakosee turned his head back to give him a disapproving look. "They were bound to ask about it eventually. We are just as curious as to their gear."

That was doubly right. The Swords of Sanghelios had swapped out the former colors of the Covenant, fashioning their armor in whites and reds while painting their Phantoms orange and crimson shades. Since becoming freed of the Covenant's strict standards for ship design, they'd also done some experimenting, which would've also been noticeable to the castaways. Even if Stolt wasn't the one leading communications on the Swords' side, the castaways would've still become suspicious their saviors were not of the Covenant.

But he decided that it was a good sign their first reaction was to talk rather than fight, especially with a Silent Shadow present.

"I have no idea how that functions as armor, but I'll address your curiosity," Stolt started. "We are of the Swords of Sanghelios. I believe you should recognize that meaning?"

"The ancient order," 'Ra'ashai mused. "The last time it was formed, it was to help enforce the Writ of Union, in the first years of the Covenant."

"Why would the Hierarchs allow divergent armor and ships? Even if you directly belonged to the Swords, you'd still be among the Covenant." 'Lakosee's eyes narrowed, in contrast to the still-relaxed 'Ra'ashai - a dynamic that felt inverted to Stolt, given the reputation of the Silent Shadow order. "That is... if you are among the Covenant?"

It was time for Stolt to rip the band-aid off. "Kind of hard to. There is no Covenant to belong to - not as you knew it before. Only Sangheili warlords that make big claims about themselves. Other successors don't even keep the name anymore."

While the duo stood firmly in place, Stolt could feel the internal reeling such a statement brings. It didn't surprise him that several moments of quiet ensued as they processed this news.

"How...? How could it have happened?" 'Lakosee was the one to ask. Stolt detected surprise, but it oddly didn't feel as sorrowful as he was expecting. Some stragglers from the war lost their figurative heads when told before - and then lost them literally, as the messengers were forced to cut the worse reactions off.

"And what of my brothers in the Silent Shadow?" 'Ra'ashai added.

"Betrayal. Lots of it. Maybe this isn't a good place for the full conversation, but the final countdown for the Covenant began when the Prophet of Truth ordered that the Jiralhanae replace the Sangheili as Honor Guard - then allowed those Honor Guards to slaughter the High Councillors while Sangheili ships were invaded and taken over. There are billions of Sangheili alone who can testify to that, as well as basically everyone else in the galaxy." Stolt focused on 'Ra'ashai in particular for the next part. "As for the Silent Shadow... squads of them still exist, disconnected from each other. One sought vengeance against all of the Jiralhanae, but a warlord ended up convincing them to join arms with him in time." He neglected to fully get into Atriox and the Banished, deciding that would be too much for this first re-introduction to the galaxy.

Once again, neither of them spoke, quietly contemplating in their own heads. This, to Stolt, was another good sign. With every beat that passed where they didn't suddenly scream that he was a heretical liar, it was another beat proving that these were reasonable people. They might still not fully trust ex-Covenant members - it'd take more than just one conversation for a lifetime of doctrine to be evicted from their instincts - but the Swords might just be able to get them off of N'ba without any bloodshed erupting.

"You Swords... What are your thoughts on the gods, following this?"

The question from 'Lakosee threw Stolt for a loop. Doubt was surely expected, but not like this. As the processing that the Covenant was over seemed to pass within 'Lakosee, he also seemed able to quickly move on from it. That was a red flag that Stolt only barely took note of, more focused on how to construct an answer to this.

He chose to stick to the neutral facts for now. "The worship of them is not forbidden, and even our founder has not fully denounced them. But since all we've ever heard came from back-stabbing Prophets, many find it hard to know what can be believed. Right now, we're mainly just focused on returning stability to the galaxy again."

Throughout all of this, Stolt avoided even a single mention of the Human-Covenant war, even though it was technically important context - humanity's connections to the Forerunners was a good contributing factor to why some lost faith in the Prophets, and potentially even why the war started in the first place. But he worried that if he brought it up first, the castaways would start asking more about humanity. So he chose to stall. All of this was stalling. He knew eventually they'd think to ask - and then he'd have to really start dancing between topics, potentially slipping up and earning suspicion.

'Lakosee beheld Stolt for a moment, then dragged his eyes across each of his Rangers. Noticing this, 'Ra'ashai stepped into his personal space, causing them both to exchange looks. No words passed between them, yet they appeared to fully grasp each other's thoughts.

"Before this conversation can continue..." 'Lakosee suddenly began, taking his eyes away from the Silent Shadow who backed off in exasperation. "Why is it that you are here?"

"To bring you home, of course," Stolt said. He had no idea what 'Lakosee was planning - and seeing that the Silent Shadow didn't like it surely made him like it even less already.

"You knew we were here?"

"We knew someone was here. Reports of stuff going on in the system. The ship I belong to takes part in investigating potential threats, but going through old records made us suspect castaways might be the cause." It was really hard to explain this without bringing up humanity and Stolt braced himself for if 'Lakosee brought up the corvettes.

Instead, he brought up something Stolt didn't even know about. "And did these reports name a Nizat 'Kvarosee?"

"Huh? Well, no specific names that I know of, really..." At least, not on the Covenant's side. And if it did, Stolt wasn't informed. "I don't know who he is, and my Shipmaster would've briefed me if he had any interest in that name. Is he important?"

"And this Shipmaster? Can you vouch for him as your Rangers have for you?"

"Can I? His renown is second to only our founder! The sole survivor that quashed one parasite outbreak, the leader that sprung up to quarantine High Charity when another hit, the commander that won against a Covenant fleet with a 3-1 disadvantage, the one who bested a Prelate and saved a colony world from destruction!" If Rtas could hear this, he'd surely be shutting this down, but Stolt knew that playing him up was the best play here. He could see it in ‘Lakosee's eyes - Rtas' worth was being tested right now, and he wasn't even here to defend himself. So it'd have to come down to the words of a subordinate, just as it worked for Stolt; and even if Stolt was exaggerating his tone a little, he truly respected Rtas more than possibly anyone else. Maybe even a bit more than the Arbiter himself, although it helped that Stolt saw Rtas every single day in comparison to the mythological-levels the Arbiter had taken on to everyone outside of his immediate vicinity.

Before 'Lakosee could speak again, 'Ra'ashai cut in instead. "I know what you're thinking. I think it's good to get the others involved in this as well, but it should be in regards to going home! As they have said, the Covenant is over-"

"That is exactly why they must hear out the Worldmaster." 'Lakosee barked back. "With this testimony, it is clear now. The Prophets were false."

"Yes..." Stolt began, a bad feeling creeping in from 'Lakosee's tone. He'd dealt with Servants of the Abiding Truth and Keepers of the One Freedom and Covenants founded by any random Sangheili with ambition. Their people had this reverent tone whenever they talked business. Cult business. "They were false. There's a lot of false prophets these days."

'Lakosee seemed to miss what Stolt was laying down. "You said you were greeting us on behalf of your Shipmaster. I also appeared to greet you on behalf of someone. I will await your Shipmaster patiently, so that I may lead him to Worldmaster Nizat 'Kvarosee. Once I give the signal, he will know to open the Inner Sanctum for you."

"So we can take you home...?"

"So you may see what a true servant of the Ancients is like."

Stolt blinked once. Then twice. And for the rest of the wait time for Rtas' arrival, he debated on whether these were a better or a worse kind of crazy cultists.

In just a few more minutes, Rtas would see these cultists for himself. Although, Stolt had yet to warn him of his fact, still in the midst of realizing that himself.

But Rtas had still learned much of the castaways from their long, bitter rival. Besides the catastrophic weapon that was behind the destruction of the UNSC corvettes, she gave other useful intel in the event that Rtas would have to fight them himself. These Sangheili had abandoned their usual armor for a new kind of protection. It didn't look like it, but it was even tougher than the Covenant's. Petrov also warned that their cloaking was more powerful, as well. They still wielded the same Covenant weapons, but there was another card in their arsenal as well. Somehow, they were able to bend the soil of the tel to their will. This was one way they hid their secret base, but there were a few times during skirmishes where they used it in creative ways to battle.

It painted an ominous picture to Rtas. Among the many Forerunner locations he'd explored in his life, that included a Halo Ring and the Ark. No technology of this nature had ever been discovered in these places. And while details crumbled away within ruins, he had a hunch that the city on the tel would not have resembled any Forerunner architecture during its glory days. This was a completely new beast.

Whether or not the stranded saw this as a place of the gods or not, Rtas had other concerns. He'd left behind the Phantom that'd brought him to the surface, ordering the one on patrol to ferry him instead. It made the whole process slower, but he had a reason. Until he could be sure that the castaways would not attack - or that even with intent, they'd be unable to - he wanted to hide that he had made contact with the human ones. Plus, he saw fit to personally escort these castaways up to Shadow of Intent, so he could address any potential incidents personally. He almost considered having the other Phantom already begin to bring the humans back up to Shadow of Intent in advance, but soon thought otherwise. If the stranded Sangheili saw that one suddenly return to the ship, they'd start wondering as to why. He could bluff that their sole mission was for them specifically, meaning the others could depart in advance, but then it'd also bring into question why that Phantom didn't just come over with Rtas even more. This decision was already risky, but he felt strongly that it'd be best to keep the two populations apart.

For those reasons, he left Tul and Melody with Petrov's people back at their Phantom - ready to leave as soon as he gave the signal, just in case a hasty retreat was necessary - while he took only Vul with him to see the other castaways.

Landing at the spot this same Phantom dropped off the castaways, Rtas first took note of the nervous glance Stolt was giving him. This was followed by the inspective gazes of the castaways wearing exactly what Petrov had described, their eyes particularly lingering on his missing mandibles the longest. There was no blood staining the sand, yet something told Rtas that the meeting had taken a turn.

"There he is!" Stolt declared, a bit too eager than usual. "Shipmaster, this is Tam 'Lakosee and the Silent Shadow Meduz 'Ra'ashai. You two... I present Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum and Blademaster Vul 'Soran."

"Very well," 'Lakosee said. "Shipmaster, I know you are here to speak with us, but I must ask you wait a bit longer. It would be best this meeting includes our leader, in the Inner Sanctum. I will instruct your Phantom where to take us, for humans were detected too close to the Overmound."

As he took a step towards said Phantom, 'Ra'ashai spoke up. "You can do what you wish. Now that our brothers are offering rescue, I refuse to step back into the ground!"

"If you wish. It was expected from you, regardless of how baffling."

Rtas had been on the ground for a minute, and already a drama had unfolded before him.

"If you are concerned about the humans, my delay was in fact due to dealing with them." He decided to throw out his plan of revealing no contact to instead speak vaguely of it, if it'd mean this meeting would carry on faster. "If we are currently standing on what you call the Overmound, then I can confirm they are no longer here."

"Good. Then I can merely signal the Worldmaster to open the way. If you speak the truth, he would have confirmed their absence." With that, 'Lakosee changed course to go deeper into the tel.

"The Worldmaster...?" Rtas' eyes turned to 'Ra'ashai as the only other way he could gain an explanation.

"Nizat 'Kvarosee. Their leader." It was a name that was somewhat familiar to Rtas, although he couldn't place as to why. Most likely, 'Kvarosee had been a notable figure prior to becoming stranded here, enough so that his name carried on until the days of Rtas' service. But for now, he focused on how 'Ra'ashai spoke of him.

"Not yours?"

"Not anymore, now that you are here. My presence was only to enforce his banishment. But if the Covenant is truly gone, so would be the order from the Hierarchs. I am no longer needed - and I wish to return to our home." Ah, that completed the memory for him. Rtas finally recalled the general order against former Fleetmaster Nizat 'Kvarosee - yet he could've sworn it was to kill him on sight, not a banishment. Technically, those could still exist simultaneously, so maybe that explained the discrepancy.

"If he boasts a title such as Worldmaster," Vul cut in. "What is the status here? What have you been doing this whole time?"

'Ra'ashai sighed long and hard. "...I will have to warn you. 'Lakosee and 'Kvarosee will try to convince you to change your loyalty. They have no intention of leaving this place, and the others are often too cowardly to stand up for themselves, so I doubt they will be disagreeing with that."

"There is no deal sweet enough to make me betray the Arbiter," Rtas said.

"So your Swords' founder is an Arbiter? That was something your Ranger was being vague about. Unlike when he spoke of you." He gave Stolt a knowing look, making Rtas file in the back of his mind to order a thorough debriefing from Stolt later, before moving on. "I believe you, about the Covenant. The emotion on the other Sangheili's faces as he recounted everything was good enough for me. But I fear it has brought a different idea to 'Lakosee's head, and he is about to infect 'Kvarosee with it."

"Does this fear include a battle?" Vul asked, hand already at his sword's hilt.

"That, I am not completely sure. All I suspect is that the Worldmaster's claims - in their eyes - have been solidified. If High Charity fell to a parasite, followed by a humiliating fleet battle, then it can only be because the Covenant under the Hierarchs lost their favor."

Rtas took note of the term "humiliating", resolving again to speak with Stolt after the dust had settled. It was the least dreadful thought on his mind, however. 

"So does this Worldmaster claim he holds their favor? Is that what you are warning?"

"I am warning that they have good reason to believe that. Have you not seen us?" 'Ra'ashai's arms spread out, putting himself on display. Of the two castaways they'd seen, he was apparently the one that had belonged to the Silent Shadow, but it was not just because of the "armor" that it'd seem hard to believe. His muscles had grown soft and his body plump. "We have been trapped under dirt for an eternity now. But food and clean water kept manifesting for us, keeping us well- and overfed. The dirt stuck to our skin in an armor better than our former. Visions of goings-on - on the surface and in the atmosphere - would appear before us. There were chambers that'd give you dreams so pleasant, daily training stopped in favor of it. And when an enemy appeared in the sky... All 'Kvarosee had to do was think of them as an enemy, and they would be torn apart."

In a dramatic emphasis, the ground shook. Dust was flying into the air from somewhere else on the tel. It was the tell-tale signs that something was opening up.

"He can do that just by thinking, too," 'Ra'ashai added. "And you think you can convince him to abandon his sanctuary and power? Convince his followers to betray him?"

Rtas regarded the opening of the ground. It was one thing if there were mechanisms used to control the entrance and the weapon, if there were elaborate physical methods to utilizing the dust and armor, if there was a clear source of the castaways' supplies. In just a little bit, he would see all these things for himself, but he knew already that they had to be as 'Ra'ashai had said. There was no reason for him to lie. In fact, out of all the stranded here, he appeared to have the most reason to tell Rtas the full and honest truth. So, this had to be it - the full and honest truth. This Worldmaster could do miraculous things with his mind somehow and everyone believed it was due to the divine.

How the hell do you respond to such a situation?! Even with all the time in the world, how do you formulate a plan to counter this? He had only minutes to figure that out!

The two remaining mandibles on Rtas' head ground themselves. A moment passed, then a silhouette appeared in the dust clouds still settling in the air. Its arm beckoned them to approach.

"I intend to try convincing them that we'll leave them in peace," Rtas finally said, in the last moments they had before 'Lakosee would be privy to their conversation. "If you wish, you can stay with-"

"Then I will join you, Shipmaster," 'Ra'ashai declared. "Because if you fail in your task, every ship that could take me home will be destroyed. I will kill those fools for you before that happens. You will need my help if talks fail, even if your warrior's discipline has held better than theirs."

"It hopefully will not be necessary, but I appreciate it nonetheless."

Once they had caught up to 'Lakosee, his disdain for 'Ra'ashai had returned. His face betrayed suspicious surprise that the Silent Shadow was following them.

"What has he been putting into your mind? Why is he not claiming his freedom?"

"He has merely been explaining what the Worldmaster is capable of," Rtas assured.

"And I am ensuring someone makes it back out to take me home," 'Ra'ashai added. "If you wished to know, you could have asked yourself."

"Well, interfere in their decision no longer," 'Lakosee warned. "Let them see the Inner Sanctum for themselves and make their own choice."

With that, 'Ra'ashai lingered in the back of the pack, among the Sangheili Rangers. Vul and Stolt were at Rtas' heels on either side of him while 'Lakosee walked just in front of him. His slow march set the speed for the rest of them, barely containing the fact he was running out of stamina. However, it'd be insulting to even comment on this - much less complain - so Rtas kept quiet. It'd do no good for him.

This was Rtas' first time walking within the tel, so he could not say how it looked before. But currently, there was a large hole that slanted slightly diagonally, making it easier to climb down it without risking a fatal fall. As the group made their descent, Rtas found himself studying the tunnel - he had the time to, as again, their walking speed was slower than he was used to, making his mind antsy. There was something about this dust - multiple somethings, he felt, but only one he could identify himself. It truly was reminiscent of the material clinging to 'Lakosee and 'Ra'ashai's bodies. He couldn't help the mental image of Sangheili rolling along in the sand cheerfully, accumulating it until it covered them like proper clothing. While it seemed like a humorous scenario, currently it only highlighted an unnerving insanity Rtas was extracting from his impressions.

Soon, dust tunneling gave way to an actual constructed pathway, where five Sangheili stood at the border  in matching "attire" to 'Lakosee and 'Ra'ashai. One stood out in the middle, just a few steps ahead of the other four. Before 'Lakosee even spoke, Rtas had a feeling this was Nizat 'Kvarosee.

"Worldmaster, I bring you Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum and his brothers from the Swords of Sanghelios."

After introducing them, he returned faithfully to his Worldmaster's direct side, a position which told Rtas he had to be 'Kvarosee's second. A moment passed as 'Kvarosee took in their presence - them physically standing there before him being something of a final confirmation that this was all and truly real.

"My faithful have told me that the Hierarchs conspired with the Jiralhanae against us, that High Charity fell to a parasite, and that the Covenant has collapsed." Unfortunately, his tone was too collected. Rtas couldn't glean what his inner thoughts regarding all this might be - not yet. "Is this all true?"

"It is. I have personally lived through it all," Rtas answered. That was also where he ended his response. For now, he'd allow 'Kvarosee to take the lead in the conversation, until he found the opportunity to switch gears to his own terms. For someone as prideful as a fleetmaster now proclaiming himself "Worldmaster", trying to impose right off the bat was just asking to be cut down.

"And your purpose here, of all planets?"

"To investigate reports of occurrences in this system. Intel suggested there might be some left behind by a battle." He paused. "There was also concern of a threat in this system, with all the debris. Given this planet's proximity to the Sangheili's claims of space, we wanted to ensure it would not become a future problem."

"There were human ships in this system, prior to you. They kept intruding, so we destroyed them."

Feeling the unspoken question, Rtas sought to quickly patch this hole. "There is much going on with the galaxy these days. The betrayal and the collapse are still a few-years old. We battle former comrades within the old empire and former comrades within even our own kind. You can see how humanity has continued to persist in this climate. All we were certain is that someone destroyed these ships, and it was not us. The fact it was close enough to our borders despite this was still concerning - that perhaps a different foe was preparing to move on from wandering humans to one of our colonies."

"And what of the humans on this planet? I have only opened up the Rift of Eternity because their ilk fled the Overmound. You apparently had something to do with this?"

This one had to be a test. Perhaps 'Kvarosee - unlike 'Lakosee - took note that Rtas did not outright say he'd killed them. Or maybe he just wanted assurance that they'd help out with the rest of them on this planet.

"Yes. My Phantom landed close to the humans' base on this planet. They were weakened from the elements, the first wave we encountered comprising their barely-trained young while the closest to proper warriors were few. It was easy to eliminate their threat. From here on, you should not see a single human on the surface."

It was all technically the truth, just carefully phrased to have a split meaning. To Rtas and his men, they all knew that this was an explanation of the rocky start they'd had, before successfully negotiating the marooned humans into accepting their rescue. But with the omission of "negotiation" and the insertion of "eliminate" - a word that does not always mean kill specifically, just removal - it would lead 'Kvarosee and his cult into filling in the deceptive scenario for themselves.

This was not an approach Rtas liked, but he had to admit it was the safest. An actually honest conversation had to be done delicately - not something he was confident he could pull off, and not something he could afford attempting and failing at this time. Perhaps if they had someone with equivalent skills as Melody Azikiwe, it would have worked out. This could've been a good job for the Arbiter, but Rtas knew Thel had a lot on his plate these days - so even if he'd had the time, Rtas wouldn't have wanted to push this onto him. It was not vital for these Sangheili to escape N'ba right here and now, anyway, if they had enough to live off of and truly felt content here.

"Truly? You could not have missed any?" There was doubt, but it sounded like caution that survivors could've snuck past and not that Rtas was deceiving him.

"My time fighting against the parasite has trained me to be thorough, I assure you."

'Kvarosee held up both of his hands, as if cradling an orb in his palms. "Let us see."

With that, dust from the ground and tunnels flew into the air, congregating at the space above the Worldmaster's palms. It gathered until it formed a nearly solid shape - somewhat morphable form, like wisty goo. Within the ball it formed, the solid color of it dimmed out in transparency, becoming filled in by pictures. It took a few seconds to register that these pictures were of the surface of N'ba. They switched between themselves, searching every corner of the planet.

When it paused at Rtas' Phantom close to the cave, he stopped mid-breath. Then, the pictures continued to other places on the planet. Rtas' breath resumed so quickly, it was hard to tell it had been interrupted. This was due to his quick realization that there was nothing to fear. He already had all the human castaways packed into the Phantom he left behind. This was mainly so that they'd have a cooler temperature to sit in while waiting for Rtas' business to be over, but it'd helped that they'd all be able to flee the planet as soon as possible should it have become necessary. With the power of the Worldmaster's weapon, such an action might've been pointless, but Rtas learned under the Arbiter that hope could not be disregarded. The fact this had saved this situation from going south was yet more proof of that wisdom, even if it was not one of the scenarios he'd foreseen.

"They are gone," the Worldmaster said at last, once the pictures looped back to where they began. He turned his back on Rtas to address his followers. "N'ba is well and truly ours!"

The castaways - no, the people of N'ba - took part in roars of triumph. Their nearly three-decade long war was finally over. There were but six of them now - 'Ra'ashai having fully become separated from them - but Rtas could imagine that many lives had been lost over the years, even if they had food and shelter. Petrov had the odds against her, but she'd ensured several Sangheili would not outlive her, at the very least. He could glean that much from the short time he'd spent speaking with her so far.

That, and seeing the Sangheili-hide boots helped. Once he gave the order for the humans to be taken to Shadow of Intent, he'd have to add a warning for her to take those off, if the envoy hadn't already had the same idea.

When 'Kvarosee ended the brief interruption, Rtas dared to speak up first. He'd thought he found a good spot to begin his plan, but he let them have their celebration first.

"So, does that declaration mean you wish to stay here?" he asked. "That you will not return with us to Sanghelios and our other worlds?"

"Unlike those humans, we were not stranded here, even if it seemed so on the surface. We were chosen by the Ancients. We have been blessed with gifts, with the sacred duty of protecting them from the humans. If the rest of their kind still exist in this galaxy, however, our work is still not done. Not as long as more of their ships attempt to land.

"And even then... how could we leave, with all we have here?"

"If you could see it for yourself, Shipmaster," 'Lakosee cut in. "The entirety of the Inner Sanctum. You would understand."

"I have seen a good deal of strange phenomena already," Rtas said. "More than I have before. Even if I accepted a tour, I would need time to prepare myself."

"As you should," 'Kvarosee couldn't help the brag, but the mirth faded quickly. "But you would not enter?"

"I cannot. As I have said, there is much still happening beyond this planet. Still some of our kind who suffer, still those who would seek us harm. I could not leave behind my duty to protect our people in good conscience, no matter what you could tempt me with here. Already, I diverged from a separate task to address the situation here. But if things have truly settled here, I wish to return to that mission at once."

With this strategy, Rtas was drawing from a common tactic that served himself and others well during the Covenant. The hierarchy of status was stricter there, especially when it came to the Prophets. How do you avoid offending a superior while still rejecting them? You played up your devotion and diligence to duty, so that the blow would strike softer on them. They might still feel personally slighted, but it would be harder to argue with a warrior's good working ethic, even if it didn't play to that superior's interests in that specific moment.

This appeared to be something 'Kvarosee accepted easily, based on his following reaction.

"Yes, we all have our duties to carry out. I would not drive you away from yours - in fact, I admire your conviction, when others would easily bend to temptation." His head briefly went over his shoulder, at his followers. Perhaps seeing properly maintained warriors reminded 'Kvarosee of how much they had fallen in their bliss here, something he might address once Rtas and his men were gone.

"I still believe the gods brought you to this planet, but not like us," he continued. "There is a need for Defenders of the Inner Sanctum, but there is also a need beyond N'ba."

"Then we share the same conclusion," Rtas said. "I should also warn you that it is not just the surviving humans you have to concern yourselves with. Even amongst our own kind, I feel there are those who would have war with you, should they learn of the situation."

"The Divine Hand will strike them before they can land."

"But you will not know who is foe and who is well-meaning. Some of those dangerous command ships similar in design to our own." With that, he had set up the final piece. "Might I suggest something?"

"Speak freely."

"I must report with honesty to my leader, but he can be trusted. Our thoughts often mirror each other, so I am sure he would have come up with the same plan. Perhaps it would be best if not just your survival is omitted. Perhaps we should spread word that N'ba is still too dangerous a place to disturb. I could even replace the orbital mine shell to completely sell the idea."

As 'Kvarosee thought over this idea, Rtas looked beyond him to the followers. With the Worldmaster's back turned from them, their faces betrayed some unease. 'Ra'ashai called them cowards, claiming he was the only one with the will to stand up to 'Kvarosee. This in mind, Rtas almost felt bad with his proposal. If any of them wished to return to their true home, this might be their one and only chance. But either 'Kvarosee would not let them, or they simply felt a social pressure to fall in line. 'Lakosee only shamed 'Ra'ashai, but it was also likely a physical retaliation was spared due to his status as a Silent Shadow. He could defend himself. Other dissenters could not. 'Ra'ashai spoke of plentiful food and pleasant dreaming - pleasant enough that they neglected their daily training for a long time now - but even that could not replace the sentiment of home. And with news of a tumultuous galactic state, they might also fear for those they knew prior to becoming stranded.

Yet, if Rtas had made the offer to take anyone away, 'Kvarosee might not have taken well to that, causing everything to fall apart and a worse outcome than just these poor souls staying trapped. This idea also did not mean completely abandoning N'ba, either. All he needed to ensure right now was that Shadow of Intent could leave alive. Eventually, one day, they might formulate a better plan to dealing with 'Kvarosee than this.

"That last suggestion will not be necessary," 'Kvarosee said at last. "I do not wish to completely cut off these gifts, for any other worthy that crosses our paths. Calling N'ba 'dangerous' is also a step too far. You may hide our survival and warn against disturbing the planet. I will deal with any who still decide to arrive. The Divine Hand does not just strike those in the sky, but even those on land. War against us is impossible - it would only be a one-sided slaughter."

"I will take your word for it, then." That meant any future endeavors in interfering with this planet - on the Swords' side at least - would have one less obstacle. "Still, I will see to it that there are patrols close by. It will catch some of the flies - especially the humans."

Rtas knew well that humans would still be curious about N'ba - this place they called Netherop. It was not just close to former Covenant territory, but to their Outer Colonies as well. And ONI had proven in the past they were willing to bypass warnings and stick their noses into places they didn't belong. He'd personally taken care of their intruding spies before.

"That, I will accept." With that, an air of finality took over. "I bid you farewell, Shipmaster."

"And I to you, Worldmaster. I believe your former Silent Shadow will see us out."

"Yes... Please, take him with you." 'Ra'ashai was certainly one "follower" 'Kvarosee was eager to depart with. "That is certainly one of the reasons why the Ancients lead you here."

As those following Rtas made their way back up to the Overmound, their steps were quicker than when they first entered. It was not just because 'Lakosee had been slow - there was an urgency that they were just barely containing, just barely making it appear normal.

When Rtas' head breached the entrance, he was already on COMMs to the other Phantom.

"You may return to Shadow of Intent, I will be following you shortly."

He was a few steps out of the hole in the tel when he remembered, "Oh, and tell the Lieutenant Commander to take off her boots. Those can stay on N'ba."

"From there, we contacted the UNSC and transported the human survivors to Earth. They were still on edge, knowing that we knew of Earth, but there was no further incident with them. I also warned the envoy to pass on the message that N'ba is not to be disturbed by humans, but you may need to reiterate this warning yourself."

"I am certain their admirals will contact me on that matter," the Arbiter - Thel 'Vadam - replied. It was one of the comments he cut in with during Rtas' briefing.

Several days had passed since they left N'ba. Rtas sought to speak with the Arbiter personally regarding the events, mainly so that privacy would be ensured. Therefore, he now stood within Vadam Keep, in Thel's personal office, the man in question sitting at his desk taking in the whole story.

"I also agree. It is best we keep our own distance from N'ba for the time being," Thel continued. "Although, I do hope that one day, we may draw those willing to return to the galaxy. That would have to be a careful operation, however. There is testimony to how this 'Divine Hand' works, but we still have not seen it for ourselves. I am wary of proceeding without knowing fully what we would be up against."

"In that case, the Silent Shadow will be of use. His 'Sanctum's Hide' may have decayed, but I am sure he knows the strengths and weaknesses of the Defenders well enough."

It had happened shortly after 'Ra'ashai stepped foot on Shadow of Intent. Suddenly, the material on his body was giving way. With the way it fell apart, it was like watching living flesh in the process of dying. Yet another mystery, although Rtas felt only repulsion rather than curiosity. Unless he was truly needed, he was honestly done with this bizarre planet.

"I will take care in disturbing him on that matter. I am sure he has enough of his fill of N'ba - and of its inhabitants. At least for now, he deserves his peace." Thel then gave Rtas a knowing look. "And you as well. I know you have said to 'Kvarosee that you wish to return to your search, but I would heavily advise you take a rest for now. From what I have heard, this mission was an uneasy one. Though I would usually ask you to take a break on the grounds of your personal health, I think even you would admit that clearing your mind after all of this would be better than leaving it clouded while you work."

Thel was exactly right. "I can see the logic in it. Since you have said it, I will refrain from feeling guilt over resting. But the galaxy will not wait forever."

"That, I understand well."

They were content in leaving N'ba well alone. For them, in the years before 2559, there was no pressing reason to keep it anywhere except the back of their minds. And hopefully for them, the events of this timeline had diverged enough so a pressing reason would never emerge - no need for a Guardian Killer or to race Olympia Vale for possibly the second greatest weapon in the galaxy.

Because certainly, that story would play out quite differently now.