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Fall from grace by Asher Lemorte
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Fall from grace
Date: 2 July 2005, 6:13 am
Prologue
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Today was a day of celebration for Owatana. He had been promoted recently to the rank of Zealot and had been placed in charge of what the covenant had searched for endlessly. One of the Sacred Rings, possibly the only one in existence still intact. Their search for the means to begin their great journey had finally begun. He stood in front of the viewscreen watching in silence and awe as his crew went about their duties. The communications officer spun around in his chair, "Incoming transmission from High Charity my Lord, marked Top Secret your eyes only." Owatana nodded solemnly and instructed the communications officer to patch it through to his office a few meters away from the bridge. Close enough that if anything happened he was immediatly at hand but had the finest security measures known and given them by the forerunners themselves.He paused long enough to look one last time at the promised land, their final destination. Owatana fought to contain his excitement, then entered his office as the doors hissed closed behind him. The shipboard AI chimed in. "Greetings, state name, rank, retina scan, and DNA sample for verification, failure to comply will be punishable by death."
Owatana looked at the panel in the ceiling where the ship's security system lowered the pillar for identification, he noticed that four plasma cannons lowered from teh ceiling, in the event of non-compliance with commands given by the AI, it lowered the offenders life expectancy to nothing but a hundredth of a second, he laughed to himself under his breath as he pressed his head into the contraption and widened his eyes in preperation for the scan and pressed his right hand to the scanner as he stated calmly "Owasso, Owatana Zealot". The computer would compare his dna, voice, and retinal scan to those on record within the hallowed halls of High Charity. The ship finished analysis and retracted the pillar and guns into concealment. His mind wandered as he glanced about his private office as he made his way to his desk. He was pleased that the bloodstains were gone from the "joke" that he had played on a few grunts that he had deemed overambitious and instructed to move his desk to another corner of the room and had been gunned down in milliseconds to much kneeslapping and laughter from himself and his comrades as they watched the massacre on the main viewscreen. Owatana sat down at his desk and pressed the switch to activate the holocron. A message appeared in mid-air
To: Owasso Owatana
From: Prophets of Truth, Mercy, Regret High Charity
Warning:Highest security, enable countermeasures level five before proceeding all content is confidential. Failure to abide by these terms will be deemed treason and heresy.
Fate to be determined by council court marial including but not limited to:
demotion of rank, public flailing and possible exile from the great journey. Touch screen to continue.
Owatana's eyes widened at the mention of the prophets. He would have considered it a poor attempt at humor were the consequenses of failure not so dire. He took a moment to straighten his armor, ensured that his helmet was straight, took a deep breath and with a nervous finger touched the display.
The holocron came alive as the trio of the heirarchy appeared before him. He bowed on one knee fearful and honored at being an audience to Truth, Mercy, and Regret. Truth glanced down at Owatana from his position. "Rise noble one"
Owatana slowly stood up not meeting the prophet's gaze. "Greetings to you noble heirarchs. The holy ring is secure and intact not to mention fully functional. We await your arrival to commence the great journey holy ones."
Truth nodded solemnly" Well done Zealot, dispatch your troops to the surface with all haste so that we may prepare for the upcoming salvation."
Owatana formed his right hand into a fist and thudded it against his chest. "As the prophets will, so shall it be." Owatana looked over Truth's left shoulder and noticed Mercy fidgeting endlessly. For this he was notorious as his health was failing him in his old age and had already prepared himself for the journey so in depth that he even had commanded his remains to be taken on the journey should he be unable to live long enough to see it come to be. Owatana had long been an admirer of Mercy and looked to Truth requesting if he might address Mercy.
Truth smiled and nodded "Of course....we are after all part of the covenant."
Owatana bowed humbly to the prophet of Mercy and spoke in silent pride to his childhood hero "Noble Mercy, I have monitored you since my days as a fledgeling, I have long wanted to make you an offering that would be worthy of a prophet of your stature."
Mercy hovered forward slightly, listening to the elite with a small smile on his lips "And what would you have to offer one such as myself?"
Owatana stepped slowly away from the holocron and as he touched a button on his desk he stated clamly. "A glance at your greatest dream." The elite removed his finger from the control panel the shutters opened slowly revealing the ring and the planet below. All three prophets moved closer to the windows to gaze upon the holy wonder they had all waited on. Truth studied intently the ring, no discernable expression or show of emotion displayed externally. Mercy applauded with glee and even regret who was known to be arrogant and best unapproached due to his temper and vindictiveness gazed mouth agape as a single tear slipped from each eye and bottom lip shook. The elite felt that if is heart went any faster it would burst, noone ever got this much of a reaction from a prophet, let alone a heirarch.
Mercy looked at the ring as he extended his hands towards it, Mercy spoke softly to Owatana almost unable to think clearly his body visitly shaking, his hands trembling so badly the resolution was suffering. "Thank you for showing me this zealot. You cannot imagine what this means to me. How may I repay you for this?" Owatana bowed at the waist trying his best to be diplomatic, an area in which he had never been his strong point. "Give me a plasma rifle, a sword, and some grenades and I'll know what to do with them."Owatana thought to himself. Combat, Strategy, tactics, and hand to hand combat had always been his strongest points at the academy.
"Noble Mercy asked you a question captain" Quipped Regret snapping Owatana back to reality. "I believe he expects an answer as it appears by his own tongue he owes you a debt."
Owatana did his best to recollect himself and recover his dignity. "Please forgive me your lordship, I was lost in the reality that this truly is goign to happen." Truth chuckled softly to himself as he resumed his position at point of Mercy and Regret. "We are all grateful for your monumental discovery, You have served the covenant well. Now name your reward per Mercy's request."
"Heirarchs, my heart longs for one thing and one thing alone, May I request that my family be rushed to my side with all due haste for the great journey's beginning."
Truth pressed his fingertips together in thought has he flicked his eyes to Mercy then Regret for any signs of complaints. Neither Prophet spoke nore moved, Truth looked over his shoulder to a figure offscreen and stated in a commanding voice" Retrieve his mates and hatchlings from his homeworld and see to it they are reunited by our fastest available ship." Owatana was speechless with joy, his breathing became ragged as he widened his mandibles in a heartfelt smile. "Thank you my lords." Mercy waved his hand dismissing the display of gratitude.
"For the find of a lifetime, it is a meager request easily fulfilled" Regret moved slowly and purposefully towards Truth and whispered something to Truth who merely nodded. "Forgive our hasty retreat captain but there are many preperations that must be tended to." Owatana bowed to the trio "My lords, one more request if I may." Regret nodded mildly irritated at his interruption "Make haste with your request captain, we have much to accomplish." Truth silenced Regret with a wave of his hand and a glance. "Regret is being hasty. Considering your find Captain, though we must move quickly considering salvation is at hand." Owatana nodded quickly considered retracting his statement then changed his mind.
"Might I be granted permission to contact my family and show them the rings and notify them to prepare for departure?"
Truth nodded and smiled "You have ten minutes with them. the longer you speak with them the longer you delay their arrival". Owatana nodded as the prophets vanished from and the holocron glowed a dim purple, the only words that remained were "transmission terminated"
Owatana smiled and hurriedly closed the holocron and stepped to the monitor in the wall reserved for personal use. "Computer, contact my family frequuency delta kappa seti gamma." The computer made a small buzz as the connection was made. His most senior lifemate answered and squealed with glee at his face and ran her fingers over the monitor in disbelief that Owatana was still alive. Owatana tried his best to choke back his tears but failed miserably as his eyes were filled with overwhelming emotion. His lifemate Henna warned him "Owatana you still live? It has been six months since we have seen or heard from you. I'm not ungrateful for the communication but you above all should know the penalty for contacting the homewolrd you endanger not only us but the planet as well." Owatana clicked his mandibles together in an attempt to ease her mind, of all his mates she had always been the most vulnerable to panic. It annoyed him at times but she made him feel needed. "Henna, calm yourself and bring my mates together. I have news of the highest urgency pertinent to the great journey and I contact you with the prophet Heirarch's blessing though my time permitted with you is short. Please hurry."
Henna quickly vanished from sight as Owatana finally allowed himself to let his thoughts of home come to the surface. Warriors were only occassionally allowed contact with family and return trips home were only permitted with the highest level of consent. Conquest, duty, and honor overrode all. To produce anything less would be heresy. Henna quickly returned with four other lifemates. "Where is Ai'tleen?" Owatana questioned worriedly "She should be here for this." Henna started weeping out of sorrow as another lifemate stepped forward to address his query.
Owatana quickly recognised her as his newest mate Yahweenah, "My apologies my dearest but she passed away in delivery of your newest gift." Yahweenah turned the monitor to send him a clear shot of a nest with over a dozen eggs almost ready to hatch. Owatana lowered his head in sorrow and asked. "Has she been laid to rest as tradition dictates?"
Yahweenah merely nodded and stifling her tears asked of him "You said you had something important to inform us of love, what was it?" Owatana stroked his hand over the image of the nest trying to caress his offspring through the screen. He then pressed a button to his right sending his family the image of the ring. There was complete silence as they gazed upon the image in amazement. Henna was first to speak "Is that..." "Real? Yes love it is, the great journey begins soon. the prophets are sending their fastes ship to collect all of you so that we may partake of thes as a family." His announcement was met with screams and squeals of joy,glee, and happiness.
As Owatana went on with them in more detail he heard a crash from the other end of the line and saw one of his lifemates go to investigate the sound. Owatana assumed at first that it was his boys being boys until he heard his mate scream and the too familiar sound of the human's machine gun fire and saw all but henna sprayed to pieces all over the walls of his home. Owatana yelled and swore at the monitor in anger and desperation yelling out each of his mate's names in fear demanding to know who had invaded the sanctuary of his home. The monitor at his home fell over as he saw Henna's head pinned to the floor by the heaviest and largest human foot he had ever seen in his life. "Let her go human I'm right here, there's no honor in killing her!" Owatana witnessed in desperation as the human turned the monitor to grant the best view of itself possible, it was large almost three meters tall. It was covered from head to toe in an odd green armor and its face remained hidden behind a gold mirrored faceshield. The human reached behind its back and pulled out a small calibre handgun, pointed it at henna's head and pulled the trigger covering the screen with her brains. Owatana punched the wall in anger "NOOOOO!!!!!!" he yelled at the top of his lungs and wished that he were at home with sword in hand to exact his revenge. A gloved hand removed the remains of henna from the camera and righted the monitor placing the nest of eggs in view where everything could be seen. Owatana looked back up at the monitor again watching this nightmare transpire before his very eyex. "Human, you let them live and your death will be relatively painless, harm them and I will see to it you are totrured until you beg us to kill you."
The human looked at the nest then sloqly crushed them idividually stating "oops" after killing each one until only one egg was left. Owatana died inside everytime an egg was crushed and prayed silently that his family's escort would arrive in time to stop this atrocity.
The human then tapped the monitor provoking the elite even more and removed a grenade from his armor as the egg started to hatch, and the last surviving member of his family. The assailant pulled the pin on the grenade just as Owatana's child poked his head out of it's shell and placed the grenade next to the egg and quipped "Happy Birthday" then vanished. Owatana had just enough time to witness his child rubbing it's head against the grenade lovingly as the monitor turned to static. The captain rampaged through the office destroying everything in his path accidentally triggering the turrets as he was blasted with burning plasma he heard an electronic voice from the great beyond "Captain are you alright?" echoing repeatedly through his head. Owatana awoke screaming and found himself soaked with sweat in his quarters during sleepphase his room and body untouched save for the quartet of scarlet clad elites standing over him brandishing plasma rifles.
"Are you all right captain?" asked the highest ranking of them "we heard screaming and came to check on you." It had all been a nightmare, a common dream. "Yes all is fine, just a dream." The guards nodded and started to leave. "Lieutenant what time is it?" Owatana asked. "Two hours until daybreak sir, do you wish for me to leave you in peace?" Owatana shook his head "Retrieve my breakfast, Two metleth and one koppal to drink make sure it's hot. I'll be stating my shift early today, inform the bridge." The lieutenant soluted and went to run his tasks. "Computer, lights." The captain's quarters glowed as the room was illuminated. He reached to his bedside table and clicked on a holocube creating a pictuer of his family suspended in midair. "Dream or premonition?" The way the war was going he didn't know anymore.
Fall from grace chapter 1
Date: 9 July 2005, 6:13 am
Chapter One
Owatana came up from his cave for first meal in time to overhear his father and lifemate talking.
"I believe that he is prepared for the academy, his brothers may not have succeeded but so far he is the best of all our offspring." Gamaliel barked with pride.
"You claim he will find glory in the militia but how many have perished on the hunt for this supposed ring?" Erebus quipped, "Of the eighteen children we have had only three survived the academy, two are dead and one is unable to partake in feeding without one of us there to physically assist him, and you would condemn him to the same fate as the others?" Erebus fired back in a mixture of anger and pain.
Gamaliel covered his face with his hand trying to contain his outrage at her speech. "To transcend from the physical in the search for the holy ring should be the goal of everyone in the covenant, besides, those of our offspring that perished were given honorable funerals and were awarded medals for their valor"
Owatana hid in the entrance to the meal area, for long and long he had dreamed of joining the academy, graduating, and in time wearing the white armor and oversized headpiece of his father, symbolic of his council rank within the covenant. He had missed his brothers but knew that they had given the ultimate sacrifice for the good of the cause. Owatana had enjoyed his father's war stories. He was appalled at his `bio-mother`'s disregard for the great journey.
"An "honorable funeral"? We were not even given the luxury of burying them, their bodies were jettisoned into space. The medals were granted post humously and what did we, their mothers recieve? A letter from their teachers and commanding officers thanking us for sending our sons to perish."
"Mind your tongue and remember your position woman, you dishonor this household. You would be wise to remember yourself lest I forget the vows we partook during our joining and report you of heresy to the authorities!"Gamaliel slammed his fist down with force enough to dent the table.
"And allow the media controversy with the family name?" Erebus folded her arms over her chest and glared with a look that would freeze a hunter in its tracks. "You yourself would be placed under investigation. Your career though prestigious would be investigated and would be halted in its tracks. Report me indeed" Erebus laughed at Gamaliel's threat and returned to preparing first meal.
"Send him to the academy if another grave in the family is your wish, but do it and be done with it for I shall bear no more hatchlings for you until his graduation, in this myself and your other lifemates are in agreement as we are all sufferers in the losses you and your beloved "Great Journey" have inflicted on this household.
Gamaliel sighed in frustration. He knew that he had done everything in accordance with the rules of the covenant. In combat, he was a fearsome opponent with many kills, his position was witness enough to that. In ship to ship combat, he made sure that his opponents did not so much as launch an escape pod successfully.At the negotiation table he was shrewd and calculating. He was currently taking leave from his recruitment of two new species to the covenant, the brutes and the drones. He had fought side by side with two arbiters when the hunters had been forced to see their heresy in the covenant and when the grunts had needed to be reminded of their place. When it came to domestic matters he was no more useful than a grunt that had just been weened.
"Speaking of which, where is Owatana?" Gamaliel glanced about curiously seeking to change the topic.
"Last I was aware, YOUR son was still in sleepphase." Erebus stated her voice thick with sarcasm as she slammed down the bowls with force enough to make Gamaliel jump in his seat.
"MY son when he is in trouble eh? You do realize that his lack of discipline comes from your side of the family?" Gamaliel retorted while trying to recover his demeanor.
"Yet your loins were not strong enough to filter it out...interesting....so you tell me who is the "undisciplined one"."
Gamaliel immediatly shook his head thanking the forerunners that he had no grunts to vent his frustration on.
Owatana peered his head around the corner and entered the meal area before things could get any further out of hand. Owatana loved,admired, and respected his father with all his little heart but wished that he left his temper on the Loathed Melancholy when he came home to visit.
Owatana hurriedly clambered up onto his father's lap embracing him tightly. "Good rising father, is it true that today is the day you return to the Loathed Melancholy?"
Gamaliel hugged him tightly, Owatana was undisciplined and prone to outbursts at times but he was the strongest child in the village. A natural candidate for the academy if ever there was one. "Late as always my son?" Gamaliel smiled and scratched Owatana's head causing his son to giggle and kick his leg in the air wildly. "Yes, I must return today, we have much going on and I must be present for the ceremonies."
"And what is my Father doing now that he hasn't seen fit to put me to sleepphase to?"Owatana loved purging Gamaliel of stories to regale his friends with, it not only made him popular but it gave him the feeling of importance knowing all that was going on within the covenant that nooone else had access to.
Gamaliel tilted his head feigning thought, "Hmm what would be worthy of my son's knowledge so that he might spread the information all about the village?" Gamaliel mused.
Owatna squirmed in his Gamaliel's lap anxious to hear any details large or small and gazed into his father's eyes awaiting the stories his father would confer upon him.
"There will be a new prophet announced within the heirarchy, he will be ordained within a week's time and will be replacing the late Prophet of Humility"
"Humility has started the Great Journey then....What is the new heirarchs name?"
"His name is Mercy.He is the youngest prophet to achieve the glory and status of being declared a heirarch. A very studious prophet who is versed like no other in the forerunners, the holy rings and the great journey itself. Many believe that he will be the one to locate the Holy rings and best of all," his father glared at Erebus "beyond accusation of heresy."
Erebus placed a plate in front of him and plopped a serving of live fernils in front of him. "You may continue with your tales as he eats." She glanced down at owatana and clicked her mandibles. "Eat up before they disappear from your plate."
Owatana buried himself facefirst into his food delighting in the screams and crunching of his prey. He wondered in the back of his mind what the hunt had been like in the past, when all an elite had to rely on was his courage and a blade.
Owatana paused in feeding long enough to ask his father "What about the prophets of Sorrow and Conceit?"
"Unless something extremely out of the ordinary happens, I don't foresee any major changes anytime soon."
Owatana finished his meal and pushed his bowl away. "Anything else interesting coming up father?"
Gamaliel nodded," There is a possibility of two new species being added to the covenant,the Brutes and the Drones"
"What are the Brutes? They sound exciting?" Owatana started to squirm in his seat getting into Gamaliel's story.
"The Brutes are tall in height, almost three meters. Extremely muscular with potential for violent outbursts of anger. A `tribal-pack` social structure. They can be stubborn at times but their apparant faith is second only to that of the elites. Preferred ceremonial weapon is what they refer to as a warhammer which to them is sacred and has been passed from father to son for longer than their recorded history. To the brutes the warhammer is symbolic in the force of the tribe, the strength of their leader and the almost unstoppable blow of justice. The warhammer is to be used only for ceremony, never to be swung at a living creature. If done then the person that weilds it is automatically disgraced from the pack. The Brutes live above ground in what they refer to as "huts" in the trees. Their current leader whom they refer to as a "chieftain" is a village elder. The chieftain has always been marked by a single vertical row of fur which is white and is not dissimilar to the comb of a jackal. They call it a ..." Gamaliel snapped his fingers trying to remember. "ah a "mohawk" if memory serves me correctly."
"They sound wonderous father, what is their leaders name and what is he like?"
"The chieftain's name is Katsoowop. He has a lifemate named Mutarday and a son about your age named Tartarus"
"What about his other lifemates father? You forgot about them."
"Not all species have more than one lifemate my son. The Brutes only have one lifemate and if that lifemate perishes before the other then the never rejoin and it is rare that they have more than one child at a time."
"Do they know the sudden decrease in lifespan that goes along with joining the covenant, or have you not told them that little secret yet?" Erebus quipped.
Gamaliel glared at Erebus, "Moving on...The drones are large insects, not much different from those outside except for their size. They are roughly the same height as a jackal and they live in asteroid fields. They have a hive mindset and only a single female in the whole hive who does nothing but lays eggs and is waited on hand and foot by the workers."
Owatana listened to Gamaliel, his interest in his father's words never failing. "And what will be the purpose of the Brutes and the Drones in the Covenant?"
"Let's see the Prophets show us the way to the journey, we protect the Prophets against the heretics and outside threats, the Jackals do pretty much whatever needs doing and the grunts..."
"Are led to slaughter and your father continuously lies to them about being rewarded even though they sacrifice themselves by the millions so that one day they too might be "respected" members of the Covenant" Erebus interrupted
"All that join the covenant serve with the knowledge that if they perish in the service they will be rewarded with being sent instantaneously on The Great Journey"
Owatana shook his head and jumped down from his father's lap. "Why is it twhen father comes home all you want to do is fight? I love both of you very much but had I fought with my brothers the way you two are fighting now you would have fed us to the jackals. Now stop it." Owatana stomped his foot on the floor and placed his hands on his hips.
Gamaliel looked at Erebus, then to Owatana, then repeated the cycle then looked back at Erebus."I told you he was your son" and widened his mandibles in a smile and chuckled to himself.
Erebus smiled and nodded "Yes but remember, his stubbornness comes from you." Your father also has something very important to tell you regarding your future."Erebus looked at Gamaliel worriedly but knowing that he had long had his mind set on a child being successful within the military and did not wish to stir his anger further.
Owatana folded his arms over his chest and looked up at Gamaliel with one eyearch raised. "Have you been holding out on me father? What is it? A new weapon,a new ship, what what what?" Owatana started bouncing up and down and clapping his hands in excitement.
Gamaliel looked to Erebus utterly speechless, suspicious of her seemingly sudden change of course with her stance on the CovenantShe had just dared him to inform Owatana of his choice to enroll him into the Covenant. For a moment Gamaliel debated retracting his statement but would that not make her victorious? What plan had she concocted? Gamaliel shook his head to clear his mind of thoughts. What could a woman possibly put over on him? "Owatana what is it that you desire the most?"
Owatana tilted his head and gazed at Gamaliel and Erebus in confusion. "To become what you are, an officer in the Covenant, to partake in The Great Journey, and to stop making mother mad at me for eating all the squibbles"
Gamaliel stared down in anger and frustration at Owatana "You've been told about eating squibbles. They are bad for you and fill you up before third meal." Owatana hung his head in shame. "However,your mother is correct. I have been holding out on you. You depart with me today aboard the Loathed Melancholy on route to Ceti Alpha Four. I'm having you enrolled in the acacdemy where I hope you will graduate with honors to become a full member of the Covenant. You will be trained in history, science,math,weapons,vehicles,and even hand to hand combat along with diplomacy and politics. Now I ask you again, is this what you desire?"
Owatana looked at Erebus patiently
"What's wrong baby? Isn't this what you've been wanting? To succeed just as your father has?"
The young elite nodded once affirming her question then stated "I'm waiting for you to be mean to father again for saying the "c" word."
""C" word? What "c" word?" Erebus asked.
"Covenant. It seems like anytime he says that word the problems start again."
Owatana turned to Gamaliel and hugged him tightly enough to choke him
"Is it true?"
Gamaliel pointed to his own throat and gasped the word "air". Owatana immediatly released his grip on his father's throat and after Gamaliel caught his breath he replied with a scratchy voice.
"Yes son it is true now make preperations for your departure."
Owatana dashed off to say his farewells to friends and family. Gamaliel turned a cold as ice glare to Erebus. "What game are you playing? Not once have you willingly given me an inch on his attendance and now you mockingly sidestep me. They state that the light from the holy rings is bright but so far you have seemed blind to it."
Erebus merely shrugged "He is in all truth going to go with or without your encouragement, simply because of the path that you have chosen for yourself. Were you not out waging war, conquering galaxies and negotiating treaties such as they are you would see your son running around with his ceremonial council headpiece... my mop bucket. his sword is the sweepstick for the floor and the scrubbrush is his plasma rifle. He slays every manner of creature he can create in his mind then regales his friends with his stories of his his courage and daring. He prays to the forerunners every night before he enters sleepphase. If I fight him I will lose him. If I let him go, he may perish but he will still be mine." Erebus wrung her hands tightly about a cloth.
"You show him such daring and adventure. How might I possibly compete? Everyday that passes I know that I might recieve a visit from the honor guard with another letter stating your passing and a sword with your name, rank, and date of death engraved on it." Erebus turned to face Gamaliel with tears flowing from her eyes profusely to where they dripped off of her mandibles and fell to the floor. Gamaliel stood and tried to comfort her but Erebus would have none of it pushing him forcefully back into his chair.
"This is not something that may be removed with a wave of a wand. Granted no longer need we worry about one visit. Now I must worry about two with Owatana's enlistment. It will just be myself, your other lifemates with just Khavik to see after us. But I won't have a thing to worry about because the Covenant and the foorerunners will look after us just like they looked after the rest of our children. Your love may be ours but your heart and soul belong to the accursed Covenant. You go where they tell you when they tell you without thought of us here at home." Erebus checked her tears and dried her eyes with the towel. She turned and continued weeping while holding her head over the fluid basin.
"You threaten to forget the vows of our joining, yet since our time away to consumate our vows and the vows of your other lifemates, when you return to duty and that headpiece is placed onto your head it seems like we are forgotten and never existed. You realize that you have not so much asked about Khavik since his injury?"
Gamaliel listened and knew that what Erebus had said was the truth. He wanted to admit that she was right but the soldier within would not allow it. Honor and duty were what mattered most. Gamaliel tried to be rational with her. "Of what use would it be to speak with him? The physicians have told us on several occassions that he is little more than a rock. It is pointless and a waste of time. Noone has the ability to heal him."
The sound of Erebus' nails clawing the basin was ear and nerve shattering. but Gamaliel felt that he had to hold his ground. Erebus spun around and Gamaliel could tell that she was fighting an epic battle within herself. Erebus' voice was eerily calm as she stated, "Maybe speaking to him would heal you and bring back the elite that I gave my soul to." Erebus turned back to cleaning as she wept silently to herself.
Gamaliel looked across the room at his injured child. Had he really ignored him to that extent? He had been injured almost six years ago, his health had been in a state of decline ever since the incident. He had made him join the accademy at the standard age of six,graduated in the middle of his class, excelled in every area pertaining to higher brain functions, but had barely gotten passing grades in any area of combat.
Physically he had always been weak and weaponry had not aided his cause any. Khavik could not hit the broad side of a capital ship at close range. Gamaliel had pulled a few strings to place Khavik on the Thrones and Dominations a frontline carrier in the hope that he could make him tougher but on his first mission out of spaceport, he had been critically wounded when a round had entered the cockpit of his Seraph fighter. According to the physicians he had lost most if not all of his voluntary brain functions meaning that the autopilot had to have detected a major problem medically with the pilot and had taken over the controls and flown Khavik back to the Thrones and Dominations.
So many times Gamaliel had wished that Khavik had not returned.Better that he be on the Great Journey than for him to be here being an almost useless sack of meat.
"Aren't you going to say something to him? " Erebus asked "You've been staring at him for over five minutes." Gamaliel stood and went to the hover chair and looked at Khavik's blank eyes and listened to the machines that made him continue living. Just one cord was all that kept him from the Great Journey. There had been many debates within the family as to whether or not to pull the plug or to let him continue living. Gamaliel had had to change his view from pulling the plug to hoping that Khavik could last long enough until the Great Journey started. Gamaliel turned his attention to the entrance of the cave in time to see Owatana return.
Owatana went to Khavik and embraced him then nuzzled his neck. "I'm going to the academy, I'm going to become the best warrior that ever existed. I'm sorry I won't be here to watch the holocron with you anymore or read to you but I'll still be back to visit you. I'll make you and our mothers proud."
Khavik moved his fingers a little and made a small grunt. Had Gamaliel not witnessed it firsthand he would have believed it to be a lie. Yet there it was right there in front of him. Gamaliel needed time to think things over. Gamaliel turned to Owatana. "Prepare your things for departure. The Loathed Melancholy leaves soon and we haven't much time."
Owatana nodded and nudged Khavik once more then dashed off to his room. Upon entry he went to his closet and started grabbing everything that was important to him including his family's medals, his drawings and a holopic of his father, mothers, and himself. The only person missing was his brother who had taken the picture all those years ago. Erebus came in as Owatana was packing and peered over his shoulder.
"I still remember that day " Erebus stated reminiscently," You had just hatched and your father had come in just as you were poking your head out. We were so proud of you." Erebus ran her hand lovingly over Owatana's head. Erebus took a deep breath and kneeled down in front of Owatana. "Owatana, you must be so happy for the events of today but I want you to make a vow for me."
Owatana nodded, "Yes mother just tell me what it is."
"If there ever comes a time when you feel that you can make a difference for good, don't wait. take advantage of the chances that you are given and hold on tightly. Stand up for what is right and just because you believe them to be, not because someone tells you it is. All creatures make mistakes, there is no exception. Do what you are told unless your heart tells you not to."
Owatana looked at the holopic and sincerely replied " I swear to the Forerunners I will do as you ask mother" and embraced Erebus tightly and they wept in each others arms. Erebus for sorrow, Owatana for joy. Ones dream and the other's nightmare were both realized at the same time.
Erebus pulled away from the embrace and lifted Owatana's chin with her forefinger and looked into his eyes. "You will always have a home here my son. Now go finish packing, I have taken enough of your time."
Owatana reached down and sealed his luggage "I'm ready mother"
Erebus took Owatana's hand in hers and walked up the stairs to Gamaliel where she nuzzled them both farewell as Owatana and Gamaliel made their way to the next transport to the Loathed Melancholy where his greatest adventure would begin.
Fall from Glory chapter 2
Date: 19 July 2005, 9:31 am
Chapter 2
"Entering planetary orbit now sir" The helm reported . Gamaliel nodded and pushed a button on the right armrest of his command chair opening a communications channel between himself and Owatana. "Owatana, where are you ? We are almost to the academy. Come to the bridge at once."
The speaker in his chair squawked back, "Yes father just let me finish my game with t'albirth and maltween"
Gamaliel shook his head anxious to have his son in school and off of his ship. In the three months since they had left the homeworld Owatana had turned what once was one of the fleet's proudest and mightiest spacegoing vessels into a deep space psycho ward. Owatana just could not comprehend what the words "do not touch, biohazard, explosive" and the most costly of all "depressurization hazard." meant. So far only two elites were in sickbay and no casualties had occurred for that he gave thanks to the forerunners. So far Owatana had managed to somehow get his hands on some plasma grenades and worked his way into the artificial gravity system, and set them off in the master control area causing several accidents due to the fluctuation of power to the artificial grav. which had lasted for a week. He had deciphered a way of contacting High Charity and had raised concern of a new enemy. Gamaliel had contacted the Prophet of Conceit and managed to work things out albeit after the whole fleet had been notified to keep watch for this eight legged two headed creature with six eyes. Owatana had also managed to get into the ventilation system that controlled the grunts' methane system which supplied them with the necessary gas so that they could breath not only in their designated areas of the ship but also for their breathers and concocted a form of laughing gas,much to the `UN-amusement` of the elites who already had a difficult time working with them let alone the nonstop cacophony of laughter that broke out anytime they spoke. For three days they had torn the ship apart trying to locate the cause, two days to air out the grunt's quarters and then another day to move them back in. Owatana had also depressurized two cargo bays costing them the rations for the hunters until they had put into port. The grunts had tried to help by giving the hunters half of their rations until it was discovered that hunters and grunt food resulted in a supernatural mixture of gas and diahreea. This was the cause of his two elites being in sickbay.The elites had been doing a standard row by row inspection of the hunters, had gotten approximately halfway through when a hunter's stomach gurgled and the elites had found themselves blown into a bulkhead by a mixture of wind,stench,and feces. The hunters had since the incident been known as the mighty "`ass-assins`".
Were it not his ship and his son, Gamaliel himself would be laughing behind the father's back. Unfortunatley, it was his son and he was still attempting to find a way to word the accident reports so it would not appear to be his fault. The trip had been a disaster and he was relieved it was almost over.
Gamaliel activated the ships public address system in his chair "Owatana Owasso to the bridge right this minute! " He shouted over the p. a. sending his voice into every nook and cranny of the Loathed Melancholy. Gamaliel heard one of the bridge staff mutter "coming mother" followed by a wave of stifled laughter flow across the bridge. Gamaliel roared out of frustration as order slowly resettled.
The bridge doors opened and Owatana appeared, "You bellowed father?".Followed by another cascade of laughter from the bridge staff. Gamaliel spun around and retorted "The next comedian to spread his mandibles with something not pertaining to war or the rings suddenly showing up in front of us has kitchen duty with the grunts for the next month!" Silence was restored again as Gamaliel gazed a furious glare over his bridge staff and nodded and huffed once. Gamaliel turned his attention to the helm.
"E.t.a. to the academy?"
"Ten minutes to target my lord."
"Onscreen"
The helm pressed a series of buttons causing a screen to lower itself from the ceiling showing an ovular shaped red and blue planet, Ceti Alpha IV. This was where the hopefuls went to become covenant. It was a harsh, cruel place covered in deserts and oceans with massive storms appearing without warning. Whomever had discovered the world had been wise beyond words. This place was cold, hot, sadistic, inhuman and gave no corner to those that challenged her. Those that survived her trials would become full covenant. the hunters of the rings, the guardians of the prophets. Gamaliel nodded as the ship made its way over the rock stained landscape. It was here that would be owatana's home for the next twenty years, if he survived at all.
Owatana watched the screen his eyes wide and mandibles agape.He knew that every being on this ship and any other ship despite their varied origins collectively had hated and loved this world at the same time. This world had made everyone of them what they are and at the same time there was not a single person here that had not lost a friend or a relative to this rock's inhospitality.
The main part of the complex was kept underground the only "safe" place on the planet. Excursions to the surface were deemed fit only for training missions or in extreme cases, punishment. The Loathed Melancholy had started its final approach to the pressurised airlock as twin massive doors slid open. Contained inside the hanger were innumerable ships from all species of the covenant. Owatana marvelled at the ballet of action going on in front of his eyes. Gamaliel pointed to a ship that was a quarter of the size of the Loathed Melancholy. "Grunts, if you ever see one of those in combat, steer clear of it."
Owatana looked at his father confused as he had not ever known of a grunt to be a threat. "Is it a powerful ship?" Gamaliel shook his head, "Only if it gets hit where the methane is stored. The explosion from the gas alone will take out any vessel within five hundered yards, even one as big as the Melancholy " Owatana swallowed audibly as he made a mental note under "stuff to not forget".
"Open a channel to control." The communications officer pressed a series of buttons on his console and a channel opened. "Gamaliel Owasso Admiral of beta fleet, commanding officer of the Loathed Melancholy requesting landing instructions."
A nameless voice replied back, "Welcome home sir, we weren't expecting you for another fortyeight hours. Please hold position pending further notice. We are clearing a space for you as we speak."
"Thank you command. " and motioned for the comm to cut the signal.
Owatana pointed to a ship in the shape of a disk, "That one father?" Gamaliel glanced over, "Jackal,exceptional shielding,high manoueverability but unable to cause much damage. Used in combat to evacuate wounded."
"Is that how Khavik was brought home?" Gamaliel nodded then went back to his seat and started his dreaded task of documenting the journey from the homeworld to the ship's log.
A rumble shook the hangar bay as Owatana went to the viewports to take in the largest single ship he had ever seen. It was easily eight times the size of the Loathed Melancholy. It moved to it's landing spot with all the grace of a drunken albatross bumping a few walls on its way in. Owatana looked at his father, "What is that....thing?"
Gamaliel answered "Hunter transport, light duty, you'll rarely see anything above that in use though." Gamaliel glanced to the comm "Open another channel to control."
The comm clicked open and Gamaliel stated as calmly as he could "Control, this is Admiral Owasso, e.t.a. to initiate landing procedures?" The radio squawked back "e.t.a. another ten minutes sir, just recieved word that prophet consulate are inbound, once they have unloaded you're next. Thank you for your patience sir." Gamaliel rolled his eyes. "The consulate...thank you control"
Owatana looked up at his father curiosly as a medium sized ship with 4 engines large enough to power the hunter's vehicle pulled into the bay and gracefully landed. The ramp opened and a total of sixteen honor guards poured out and lined the pathway eight per side. Gamaliel kept watching the viewscreen as he answered Owatana's unspoken question. "The consulate is a branch of the prophets led by two upstarts. Truth and Regret with Truth being the more powerful of the two. He's been campaigning recently though some would say it more of a witchhunt for heretics."
Out of the ship came seven prophets with one having a larger ornamental headpiece than his bretheren. Gamaliel nodded towards the prophet in the front of the pack. "That's Truth, the one to his right is Regret. Be mindful of yourself in their presence my son. They have climbed rapidly to their lofty position of power. Some would say too rapidly." Owatana nodded he had not even landed at the academy yet and already had so much to remember his head hurt. A quartet of jackal ships departed and over the ship's speakers came that same no name voice of the controller. "Admiral Owasso,this is control, you are cleared for landing on four through eight."
Gamaliel looked to the helm "You heard him, let's park this beast before someone grabs those spots and I have another accident report to fill out."
The flagship jockeyed into position and landed with a soft thump. Gamaliel activated the ships p.a. system. "Attention crew, this is Admiral Owasso, we are here to refuel,restock,and to send my son to the academy.Non essential personnel have four hours r and r, be back and at your station or you're walking home. That is all." Gamaliel turned off the p.a. system and looked to Owatana. "Go to our quarters, pack your things and meet me at the ramp. We've got to get you enrolled, choose your classes, get your weapons and armor, then partake in the opening ceremonies. We don't have much time."
Owatana nodded and dashed for his room leaving Gamaliel with his bridge staff. The helm and tactical officers spun around in their chairs and looked at Gamaliel who rubbed his eyes from the stress of the journey. The helm spoke first.
"Admiral, is this the first one of your clan that you've sent to the academy?"
Gamaliel shook his head. "No but it may very well be my last." The helmsman nodded and went back to his duties, the tactical officer spoke next. "Sir, permission to speak freely?" Gamaliel nodded. "Permission granted ensign" as he adjusted his logs and signed off on a digipad a grunt handed him for his authorization.
"Sir with all due respect to your personal standing and position, I hope for great things for your son. May the forerunners guide him to unknown heights in the covenant. His enthusiasm,though overzealous will be guided and granted direction by the academy."
Gamaliel nodded "I hope you are right ensign." Gamaliel gave command over to his first officer and proceeded down to the exit ramp for the ship. Gamaliel's heart was heavy in his chest. For the first time in his life he was unsure whether or not he was doing the right thing.
He made his way to find Owatana there with his satchel over his shoulder with his eyes glimmering with all the hopes and dreams that he had of what would happen when he graduated. Gamaliel could not help but smile back at him as he caught up with his son. "Eager to get started my boy?"
Owatana grabbed Gamaliel's hand and dragged him off the ship. "Come father, which way?" Gamaliel recovered his footing and pointed to a long line of covenant ahead of them. "There, that is where we begin." Owatana pulled Gamaliel towards the line. "What do we do here father?" Gamaliel leaned down to Owatana. "This is where you will be registered. This may take a while so be patient."
Owatana nodded and gazed about the room. There were more grunts, jackals, and elites than he had thought possible. "Father,where are the hunters?" Gamaliel glanced about the room and noticed a rack of jars being pushed along by a quartet of grunts. "There they are. Hunters start out as smaller beings and are genetically mixed together to find the best matches. They are then merged together to become one single physical being. Since the hunters have a collective mind, they continue individually to think as one even though they are seperate beings."
Owatana wasn't sure what usefulness this knowledge was, but he was stunned to find out that the largest of them started out as the smallest. Gamaliel and his son made their way through the line for what seemed like hours until they finally reached a desk with a blue clad elite working feverishly behind a control panel.
"Name of recruit?"the elite asked
"Owatana" Gamaliel answered as he shifted his weight to his back foot and monitored the room.
"Surname?"
"Owasso"
"Father's name?"
"Gamaliel."
The elite snapped to attention with his right fist over his heart. "Admiral Owasso sir! My apologies for not noticing you sir! Just doing my duty sir!" Gamaliel returned the salute and calmly stated "As you were, I'm just enrolling my son for the academy."
The blue elite nodded and sat back down behind his desk. "Admiral, what classes will your son be partaking in?" The elite handed Gamaliel a holopad with a stylus. Gamaliel read the holopad over taking note of the classes the academy had available and selected all that had vacancies then signed his name at the bottom and handed the holopad over to the blue elite. The blue elite read over the holopad making sure that nothing had been left out, then slapped the holopad into a slot and the computer buzzed opening a door out of the ship's landing bay and deeper into the facility.
A voice came over the p.a. system. "The covenant welcomes all of you to the academy. We thank you for joining us in our search for the great journey. Please have your size ready for armor distribution. You will be issued your plasma pistol, plasma rifle, carbine, beam rifle, and needler shortly, your sword will be given to you upon graduation. Those that deviate from the walkway will be disallowed entry into the covenant for one full year" then repeated.
Owatana found the voice monotonous and distracting until he started studying the hallway and the portraits on the walls. They were elites of that there could be no doubt, but their armor was unlike any that he had ever seen any other elite wearing. It appeared heavier than the normal armor that his father and other elites wore. It was metallic in color and bore symbols that stood for wisdom, protection, life, shelter, and hope. The right side of the chestplate came up higher than the left almost as if to protect the wearer's neck. The headpiece had a sharpened blade on the forehead. The armor was ancient as he laid eyes upon a warrior that was wearing the armor wielding a sword that was made of metal and not energy. Owatana looked each individual over with reverance. He wondered if any of these warriors had attended here, if they had stood where he stood. Some of the pictures were more recent including one wearer slicing through a wave of grunts with a single deft slice, decapitating two and gutting another three.
Surely this warrior was an elite's elite. Gamaliel noticed Owatana's eyes looking at the paintings. "The blade of the prophets, the Arbiters. You will discover more about them at a later time. Time to get your armor and your weapons my son. "
They approached a table with two blue elites and one red elite. All three noted Gamaliel's presence and responded to him in the same way that the blue elite earlier had greeted his father. Gamaliel returned their salutes and ordered them to go about their duties. One of the elites in blue asked for Owatana's name, pulled up his file and scrolled down the list, grunted his approval and pulled a chip out of the computer and handed it to the red clad elite. The red elite popped the chip into his holopad and went behind a wall. The second blue elite looked to Gamaliel "Armor size?" "Seven" Gamaliel replied. The elite nodded and went to a rack off to the right that was full of more suits of armor then Owatana had ever seen. The blue elite returned with a set of green armor small enough that Owatana knew it would fit him just right.
Gamaliel pushed Owatana toward the blue elite. The elite knelt down and suited Owatana in the armor from the legs up. With each click of the straps Owatan felt himself come closer and closer to his dream. The elite placed two pins one on each lapel of his armor. The blue clad elite instructed Owatana to look at his lapels. "Those shields let everyone know that you are new but in time you will come up." The elite pointed to the lapels on his own armor, they were similar to Owatana's but had a single bone going at a fortyfive degree angle across the front of the shield. "This is what you will acquire when you graduate." At that moment the red elite emerged with Owatana's weapons which he handed to Gamaliel. The red elite handed a holopad to Gamaliel to sign and looked to Owatana "And if you make it to my level you get these." Owatana looked up at the red elite's lapelsand noticed that they were two bones crossed over his shield. The red clad elite continued, whilst taking the stylus from Gamaliel "But if you want to be the best of the best which you are already signed up for, then you go for spec ops they get the double bone and skull. the highest deemed marker outside of the arbiters." Owatana tilted his head and gazed up at his father. "What's spec ops?" Gamaliel answered, his voice could as ice, "The best that there are son, they are the elites that do not exist. They go on the hardest missions, they are the very best that the covenant has to offer and you will be one of them." Gamaliel puffed his chest out, the blue elite told Owatana to kneel down before him and he finalized his armor by putting the helmet on Owatana's head. Owatana reached up and adjusted the helmet so the fit was better. Gamaliel squatted down and hooked the plasma rifle to Owatana's left leg, the needler to his right, the plasma pistol was slung under his right arm, the carbine slung over his right shoulder and the beam rifle over his left shoulder. Gamaliel nodded and folded his arms over his chest. "Now that's how an elite should look." The trio across the table roared their approval, Owatana tried his best to roar back at them but could only manage a squeak of a roar. Gamaliel laughed and patted Owatana on the shoulder in approval. "Don't worry son, it comes with time."
The red elite pressed a button on the table and the door to the next area opened. "Time for him to be sworn in sir, the consulate will be handlinig the ceremonies." Gamaliel covered his eyes with his hand. "Is there nothing that Truth has not gotten his hands into?" The red elite merely shrugged "Apparantly not my lord. They say that his consulate has nothing that is beyond his reach, there are those that say his eyes reach for the heirarch's position next." Gamaliel humphed to himself "That will be the day."
Owatana grasped his father's hand and pulled him toward the door and on to the next phase of his journey. Gamaliel and Owatana entered a large auditorium that surrounded a small platform in the center, every seat had an elite, a grunt, jackal, or hunter with a vast mixture of ranks from spec ops to council to blue and red, there was no position available which had not gone unrepresented. Yet for all those that were represented Owatana noted that for every graduate uniform there was a green cadet sitting to either side of the ranked individual. Owatana could not begin to estimate the sheer numbers of covenant that were present and well over or near half were cadets. Owatana was speechless at the size of the audience in the aditorium. With this many at their disposal surely there was no foe mighty enough to overthrow the strength and number of the covenant.
Owatana and his father located some vacant seats after much searching and settled in. Gamaliel sitting in the aisle and Owatana found himself seated next to another elite cadet in green. Owatana leaned in and whispered to the cadet "What did you get signed up for?" The cadet whispered back "Science and weapons, for anything else." Owatana nodded as the cadet asked "What about you?"
"Spec ops and everything that wasn't full" The cadets laughted as the lights in the auditorium row by row from the outer ring inward. Once the auditorium was sunk into total blackness, a lone spotlight flicked on illuminating the center podium. From the floor a platform arose bearing seven prophets with Truth bearing the point, the circular emblem in his headpiece reflecting the light from above out into the crowd as he gazed upon his audeince. He was well muscled for a prophet and very young, probably just under a century. Truth moved his throne forward to the edge of the platform slowly gazing about with seeming intent he seemingly had sized up everyone in attendance.
"Greetings hopeful members of the covenant and welcome to the Academy. Here you shall follow in the footsteps of your forefathers in becoming part of the most sacred and powerful military in the universe. We shall train you to become the best that there is. It shall not be an easy road, there are many of you which will not survive the training but for those of you that do, you will have the honor of having earned your place in the ranks of the covenant. You shall have the skill, desire, and will to utterly conquer any foe in your path. No matter the odds you will be victorious. Your families shall be witness to the glory you bring to covenant, species,and clan. The holy ring shall forever be your guiding light. Honor courage and integrity will be your duties above all else. Wherever you go you shall represent our way of life, our thoughts, our ideals. Not only will you be our defenders from outside threats, but you shall be called upon from time to time to purify and cleanse the heretics who would destroy you just as quickly as any foe that we are at war with. For those of you that do not fully understand what this means, you may be called upon to kill members of your own species. Fear not for them and shed not a tear either. Their heresy is what makes them weak. You shall in time discover that the covenant will become your family, your strength, and your sanctuary in your time of need"
Truth paused to allow this information to sink in. "If there are any among you that feel that you are incapable of accomplishing these tasks, leave now, return home to domestic life and live knowing that you were unable to defend those that cannot defend themselves."
Owatana glanced about and heard some shuffling of feet but found it impossible to see anything but the platform that the prophets were on. Once the noises had ceased, Truth raised his arms and seemingly as if by the power of his will alone, the lights came back up. Owatana was surprised to find almost a third had refused to serve. It was unthinkable that so many would walk away from the opportunity to become part of the covenant.
"So, already as you can tell from our smaller numbers, some have departed. Harbor them no ill will for their failure is your success! You have already started proving your commitment by not returning home. You have all taken the first step toward salvation. I commend all of you individually and collectively. Cadets, I apologise but I must ask your parents to depart now. We must begin your training. You will be allowed weekly contact with them via holocron. You have ten minutes to say your farewells. Following which you shall be escorted to your quarters where your lives will truly begin."
Truth then returned to his position at the spearhead of the prophets as they were lowered back into the floor. Owatana looked up at his father "Is that it?" Gamaliel looked softly into his son's eyes fighting tears. "Yes my son, you are in the hands of the covenant now. They will take care of your needs. Do as you are told and you will do well, every order they give you take as if they were given from me." Owatana nodded and Gamaliel embraced him. "Your mothers and I are proud of you. Make sure that you keep up informed as to how you are progressing." Tears filled Owatana's eyes and he nodded his consent to his father's requests. "Now go make us even more proud, see to it they sing songs of Owatana the warrior, Owatana the finder of the rings and most of all Owatana the mighty."
Gamaliel pulled himself away from Owatana."Be strong my son, I must return to my ship." Owatana stood at attention and saluted his father,Gamaliel returned the salute then turned and left to return to his ship.
Owatana looked at the cadet that had been seated beside him. "My name is Owatana Owasso" and offered his hand.The cadet took his hand and gave it a firm grip. "Zuka Zwamamee, pleased to meet you." Owatana glanced about the auditroium as he noticed the cadets filing into their species' specific doors. Zuka looked at Owatana "So shall we face this alone or together?"
Owatana widened his mandibles in a smirk, "I say we watch each others' backs on this one." Zuka nodded, "We go it together then." The two cadets filed towards the door ready and waiting for the challenges ahead.
Back aboard the Loathed Melancholy Gamaliel took his place in the command chair. "Helm set a course for the brute's homeworld and get us underway." The communications officer spoke as the helm entered the command into the computer.
"Sir , a message for you incoming from your lifemate." Gamaliel nodded and pointed to his office. Gamaliel left the bridge as the ship exited the planet's atmosphere. Gamaliel entered his office and accepted the message on his personal monitor, he was not surprised to find Erebus on the other end of the screen.
"Is it finished Gamaliel?" Erebus asked, she looked as though she had been crying since he had left the homeworld. All Gamaliel could do was nod. "Do you feel better now that your son is where you wanted him to be?" Gamaliel gathered his nerves. "I feel drained Erebus.Of Owatana's future I see only the best but I will worry about him unceasingly until he graduates." Erebus nodded silently.
"Khavik perished a week after you two left. He just gave up living. We buried him according to tradition." Gamaliel felt a part of himself die after she spoke. Gamaliel wished that he could let his pain out but being on the ship did not give him that luxury. All he could do was close himself off and allow that blackness that had carried him through so many battles to fill the void. "I am headed for the planet of the brutes to finish negotiations with them then I'll be headed home to grieve Khavik." Erebus nodded "We will be awaiting your return dear, Forerunners guard you my love."
"I must go Erebus, duty calls" After closing the transmission, Gamaliel returned to the bridge. "Helm, maximum speed to the brutes home." The first officer looked at Gamaliel, "Something wrong sir?" Gamaliel merely stated "Another of my blood is on the great journey. I pray it will be the last."
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