"Ever since we discovered the artifact (0459), the Sangheili have been drifting further out of our control," said the Prophet of Truth as he gazed at the ever-vigilant honor guards. He paused, then continued speaking to the Prophets of Regret and Mercy beside him: "In contrast, the Jiralhanae are better suited to be the blade of our power. As long as we provide the right incentives, they will offer absolute loyalty. Of course, their intellect is lacking, even compared to the Sangheili."
The Prophet of Regret remained silent at this remark.
"I don't particularly care about a blade of power," said Mercy with a glance at the metallic cube provided by Serene Shores, his tone bitter. "But the Sangheili have indeed become quite annoying lately. They even dared to call the perfect creations of the Forerunners insects!"
"Are they not?" Truth glanced at Mercy and retorted, "If I sent you to the artifact and had you assimilated by the creations of the gods, how would you feel?"
"That..." Mercy hesitated, his expression showing uncertainty before he replied, "It would be an honor, but I am not yet ready."
"Not ready? Haha, my friend, you're not as stubborn as I thought," Truth said in a calm yet clearly mocking tone.
"The Jiralhanae have no concept of honor," the Prophet of Regret suddenly interjected. "They may be more controllable, but their violent and savage nature introduces too many unstable factors. Moreover, their inability to effectively handle advanced equipment has led to far higher casualties in their fleets compared to the Sangheili."
"So?" Truth's tone became heavier as he turned to Regret. "I understand you command a loyal Sangheili fleet, but my friend, can you guarantee their loyalty forever? Don't forget, our ancestors barely suppressed the Sangheili through technology, and now they have our weapons and tech.
If, one day, a hero rises among the Sangheili, one with a grudge against our shared history, do you think your fleet will still serve you?"
Regret fell silent once again.
Though Truth's words were often deceptive, there was a grain of truth in them. The Sangheili had never forgotten the war between their people and the Prophets.
On their homeworld, there were large artifacts left by the Forerunners, which the Sangheili's ancestors revered as divine creations. Conflict arose when they encountered the Prophet factions that sought to exploit the Forerunner relics for technological advancement. This ideological difference led to a war that lasted over seventy Earth years.
Eventually, the technologically inferior Sangheili were forced to submit to the Prophets, thus forming the early Covenant Empire.
The relationship between the two races was fragile, and any misstep could lead to a complete collapse. The Prophets managed to trick the Sangheili into becoming their enforcers, using the "Great Journey" as a pretext, conquering and annihilating half the civilizations in the galaxy.
In truth, while the Sangheili's status appeared second only to the Prophets, they posed a significant threat to the Prophets' rule.
After all, it was the Sangheili who handled all the dirty and dangerous work.
Even though Regret admired the Sangheili's abilities, he couldn't deny the logic behind Truth's words—the influence of the Sangheili had to be diminished, even if it meant expelling them from the Covenant.
Maintaining the current peace and stability was possible, but the future? That was uncertain.
After a moment of reflection, Regret sighed and agreed: "Once the High Council convenes, as Prophet of Truth suggests, we should use Captain Ross as a warning to all species. Also..."
Regret paused, bringing up a holographic screen from his chair's armrest, and continued: "These are some of the young talents from the Jiralhanae. Among them is a captain named Atriox, who has survived numerous suicide missions. I believe he shows considerable promise in both tactics and strategy."
"Atriox, yes, that quiet one. I remember him," said Truth, nodding thoughtfully as he looked at the list of thousands of Jiralhanae names.
Atriox and his pack had been summoned to the City of Charity for commendation after their success in quelling a rebellion. His calm demeanor, coupled with his towering physique, left a deep impression on Truth.
"Very good, very good," Mercy added as he reviewed Atriox's records with his aged voice. "So young and already a captain of his tribe. He's worth cultivating."
"Well done, old friend," said Truth, lazily dismissing the holographic screen with a flick of his fingers. He then turned to Regret and added, "Let's reward these young Jiralhanae under the guise of defending the honor of the Holy Covenant."
"Agreed," Regret replied without objection.
"I will prepare the High Council session," offered Mercy.
"Leave it to you, then," Truth said, handing the metallic cube, the "guide," to Mercy, the oldest and most devout of the three Prophets. "Study it and figure out how it works. During the meeting, we'll showcase how Captain Ross successfully recovered a divine artifact, which could help smooth things over."
With that, Truth activated his floating chair and departed from the island, disappearing from the meditation plaza under the protection of the honor guards.
Regret followed shortly after.
Only Mercy remained, gazing across the artificial lake and the simulated forest beyond. He held the guide in his trembling hands, his eyes burning with fervor as he muttered to himself:
"Foolish youth, power may be important, but compared to ascension, it's child's play.
Well, well...
Shaming the Sangheili doesn't affect my literary work. I'll take it as a divine trial on my journey."
March 19th.
It had been 26 hours since Xian Del and his crew arrived at the City of Charity from slipspace.
The surrounding space remained pitch-black, save for the thousands of warships and the hundred-kilometer-long "mushroom" structure, radiating brilliant purple light.
At this moment, within the city's residential area:
"Punishment! Punishment! Punishment!"
"Ross must be executed!!"
Crowds of Jackals gathered in the purple-painted streets, screeching in their sharp, spiteful voices. They wore ragged clothing as they marched through the main areas, some holding signs with slogans like "Sangheili are incompetent!" and "The Sangheili disgrace our gods!"
A few confused Grunts were mixed into the protest, only to be shoved aside or, in some cases, trampled underfoot by the Jackals.
Even though the residents of the City of Charity were the most elite and devout members of the Covenant, Grunts were always at the bottom of the hierarchy.
The protests and demonstrations in the residential area were clearly organized and disciplined.
Because of the natural animosity the Sangheili had towards the Jackals, combined with the Covenant's propaganda about Xian Del's dereliction of duty, the protests seemed entirely justified.
The elites responsible for maintaining order were replaced by purple-armored Brutes wielding gravity hammers.
"Hah!"
At that moment, a nearly three-meter-tall Brute glanced back at the tower-shaped structure of the High Council building and couldn't help but grin as he said to his comrade:
"Those scrawny Sangheili never thought they'd see the day they'd fall from favor, huh? Haha!"
His laughter, initially restrained, soon turned into loud, unbridled laughter as he reveled in the elites' downfall.
"Keep it down," said the more composed Brute beside him. "The real celebration comes when we control all the defenses inside and out."
"True, haha! But that doesn't stop me from enjoying this moment!"
"Silence—! Silence—!"
Suddenly, the elderly voice of the Prophet of Mercy echoed throughout the district.
All the gathered Brutes, Grunts, Jackals, and various other alien species looked up.
The large holographic screen at the entrance of the High Council building had started broadcasting the live proceedings of the High Council.
Inside the High Council chamber:
The lighting was dim, and the tiered seats on either side were filled with the elaborately dressed Prophets in floating chairs, along with elite councilors wearing shining silver armor, their helmets crowned with enormous crests.
At the front of the chamber sat the three highest-ranking Prophets of the Covenant: Truth, Regret, and Mercy.
Mercy's shout for silence was due to the fact that Xian Del, stripped of his gold armor and dressed only in a combat jumpsuit, was standing in the center of the hall, declaring:
"The insects ravaging the surface of the artifact are the very scourge that led to the extinction of the Forerunners. They are no creation of the gods!"
His words immediately threw the chamber into chaos.
The Prophets' councilors on Xian Del's left began shouting accusations of "Blasphemy!" and "Heresy! This is heresy!"
"Captain Ross, you have violated the sacred code! You must be executed!!"
Meanwhile, the elite councilors on his right defended him, saying, "Commander Ross must have been guided by the artifact!"
"Those twisted and grotesque creatures are nothing but abominations! How could they possibly be divine creations?"
"Let Captain Ross finish speaking!"
The three Prophets had orchestrated this live broadcast to humiliate Xian Del. The chaotic scene unfolding before them was exactly what they had anticipated—disputes and debates made for better "entertainment."
And Xian Del didn't disappoint, delivering a
heretical statement as expected.
As the arguments escalated, threatening to spiral out of control, Mercy took the opportunity to interrupt.
Then, Prophet of Truth, looking down at Xian Del, spoke:
"Captain Ross, you realize your statement undermines the research of Prophet Mercy and all Covenant scholars. According to the second doctrine of the sacred code, article 10—"
Truth narrowed his eyes, then suddenly opened them wide, his voice sharp as he declared:
"You and your crew will be burned in fire! And your entire bloodline will be exiled to the frontier!
Furthermore, your actions have thrown the entire Sangheili race, and indeed the entire Empire, into turmoil! You have brought disgrace to honor!"
"Prophet of Truth is absolutely correct," added Regret, continuing, "Though your actions do not represent all Sangheili, they raise serious doubts about whether the Sangheili can continue to fight for the Empire and the gods.
We must question whether all Sangheili officers, captains, and generals might be just as deranged as you.
This is a grave threat to the Empire, one that could hinder our Great Journey!"
"Indeed!"
"Ross must be executed!"
As Truth and Regret finished speaking, the Prophet councilors immediately voiced their agreement.
The elite councilors, on the other hand, wore grim expressions. Supporting Xian Del could risk them being branded heretics as well.
At this stage in the Covenant, everything was governed by the sacred code.
Even the honor guards responsible for maintaining order in the hall looked solemn, some even glaring at Xian Del with anger, believing his actions had brought shame to the entire Sangheili race.
"Honored Prophets and councilors!" Xian Del suddenly raised his voice, addressing the assembly. "May I operate the guide and reveal the coordinates of the sacred rings to the Empire?"
He then turned to Prophet Mercy, smiling as he added, "I assume the Prophet of Mercy hasn't figured out how to display the star map yet?"
"Go ahead."
Mercy didn't object, motioning for the honor guards to bring the metallic cube to Xian Del. "If you can help the Empire find the sacred rings, the High Council may consider leniency for you and your crew."
Mercy hadn't been able to activate the star map himself, but he didn't believe Xian Del could deceive them. Even the Covenant couldn't replicate Forerunner technology, let alone a fleet commander.
"My pleasure," Xian Del replied with a respectful bow, though his eyes held a hint of mockery.
Taking the guide in hand, he lightly touched its surface with his index finger, easily unlocking a bio-sensor mechanism.
Then—
A holographic star map of the entire galaxy appeared before them all. And next to Xian Del, a holographic projection of a black-uniformed, long-haired figure named "Apu" materialized, using the Forerunner's imaging technology.
_________________________
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