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A Song of Victory
Posted By: Kuja<kuja0085@msn.com>
Date: 8 December 2004, 6:22 PM
Read/Post Comments
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HALO: A Song of Victory
Our eyes meet across the crowded room.
A moment later, they look away again.
The interior of the transport is stuffy and loud. Some would grumble in annoyance and discomfort, but that is not the case with you or I. For we are Sangheili, and such concerns do not trouble us. I lean against the wall, my silence contrasting greatly with the commotion around me. At the other end of the hold, a commander is bellowing orders to the soldiers around us. I ignore his words completely, as do you. His task is not the same as ours. He and his soldiers are going to the frontline. We are not.
For we are Sangheili, and a greater mission awaits us.
I casually watch him out of the corner of my eye. He is Sangheili, the same as you and I. He is like us; he is proud, strong, wise, dedicated, and not the least of all, he is loyal. As he finishes his address, he salutes his troops and makes his way to the empty harness beside me. He does not look at me as he straps himself in, because he does not really see me. All he sees is the black armor I wear, the same as that which you wear, and he will not dare speak to me for fear of incurring the wrath of a commando.
Our eyes meet again, and something extraordinary happens. For a brief moment, I see the mask you have woven for yourself crack. Where another might have broken down and failed before our mission even began, only the slightest hint of fear is allowed to sneak out before you are again in full control of yourself. I incline my head slightly, offering my own support to you, and I am gratified when you nod in return. The gestures are so small, unnoticeable by any of those around us.
But we are Sangheili, and they are enough.
I have not spoken once to you since we boarded this craft, though I have said a thousand prayers in my mind. As soldiers, it would be unseemly for me to appear too interested in you. But the feeling is there within me, and to deny it would be foolishness. I find you greatly desirable, and what male of our race would not? You are tall, slender, possessed of a musculature that comes from years of service in the military. I know from past experience that you are just as driven as I, if not more so. You are everything that I believe a female should be.
I do not need to wonder whether you feel the same way about me in return. I have seen the craving in your eyes during unguarded times. I am honored that you find me so desirable, and though now is hardly the time for such things, I am briefly tempted to give voice to my own inner feelings here and now. I restrain myself, of course. Such distraction would prove unhelpful in the extreme. But for now, I am content to know that the feeling is there, and I know you are as well.
For we are Sangheili, and the knowledge is enough for us.
Our transport finally touches down. As the door opens, the others stampede out. We follow at their heels, but we do not exert ourselves the way they do. They have but a short way to go until they reach the line of battle; they can afford to waste their energy. We have a much greater distance to travel, and exerting ourselves now would be a waste of energy.
For we are Sangheili, and such foolish mistakes are unthinkable.
I exchange a quick glance with you as we leave the transport. Where others would stop, discuss, and waste their time, a look is all we need to know what is expected of us. I draw my plasma rifle and determine that the charge is full. Replacing it, I tap each of the four grenades I carry to ensure they are securely fastened. Lastly, I reach down to the small, seemingly innocuous handle at my waist and pull it free. The plasma sword is a weapon that takes much effort to master, and it is a badge of honor for you and for me that we each carry one. I tap a control and the blade snaps to life in an instant. I quickly look it over to ensure that there are no flaws, then switch it off again and replace it. Out of the corner of my eye, I am vaguely aware of you doing the same.
By the time I have replaced my sword, my armor's self-diagnostic is complete. All systems are functioning with acceptable performance. I look at you and nod to confirm that I am ready. You return the nod, then turn away from me and move into the surrounding jungle. You set a pace that is well below a full run, yet not so slow we are merely walking. For a moment, I envy you. While I can match your speed, you move with a grace and fluidity that no male of our race could ever seek to match. A moment passes, and I force my envious mood away, changing it to one of admiration, a much more worthy emotion. You set a standard I seek to emulate. We move through the jungle with absolute silence, unlike ordinary soldiers. I am a member of the elite commandos, as are you, and we both know how to move in such a way as to conceal ourselves from our enemies. We wear black armor so that we blend in with the night, making ourselves invisible as well as inaudible.
Our journey is indeed a long one. The hours pass as we make our way through the jungle towards our objective. I can hear your breathing, and I look over towards you. Our eyes lock briefly before you return your gaze to where it was, but in that moment, a volume of information passes between us. I return my concentration to my path, knowing that you do not need to rest.
For we are Sangheili, and we are tougher than that.
My equipment gives me a silent warning of artificial structures ahead. I react without hesitation, as do you. We both reach to our midsections and touch a control device on our armor. A moment later, we are both rendered completely invisible to the naked eye. Our active camouflage will protect us in case we are confronted with a situation we cannot handle.
The jungle parts before us to reveal a small clearing. It is occupied by the humans. A small group of them, perhaps fifteen or so. They are setting up some kind of advance camp to prepare for the arrival of their comrades. They are not our objective. But they are in our way. And they are a threat to our own comrades. They must be eliminated.
No words are exchanged between you and I, for we know that we have arrived at the same conclusion. Invisible hands reach down to our holsters and draw our plasma rifles. The hum of their activation is low and difficult to hear unless one is listening for it. The humans continue their work, ignorant of you and I bearing down on them.
We are Sangheili, and it is time to do what we do best.
We open fire almost simultaneously, glowing balls of plasma striking the humans nearest to us. Almost immediately, anarchy breaks out as they scream in pain. Others drop what they are doing and pull their weapons, some firing wildly at imagined foes. I am tempted to shake my head in disgust. No Sangheili soldier would be so undisciplined. These humans are weak. Our work will be short.
For the next forty seconds, I am like a god, as are you. We are invisible forces sweeping through the humans as we choose who will die and who will live, if but for a little while longer. The battle is over as quickly as it started. We do not have time to completely secure the area, but we do what we can. Before we leave, I pluck a grenade from my belt and casually toss it into the seat of the lone vehicle parked at the edge of the makeshift camp. It explodes as we vanish back into the jungle, our minds already back to our planned mission.
For we are Sangheili, and we do not need to gloat.
As we return to running, we become visible to each other again. The active camouflage has served its purpose; there is no need to risk burning out the device now that the humans have been dealt with. We rapidly leave the clearing and the decimated camp behind us, until once again the only light source is the lone moon above us and the only sound is that of our breathing.
The jungle thins enough for us to finally spot our destination: a human communications station. Our objective is to eliminate the humans inside and demolish the structure, denying it to the humans forevermore. Across the face of the planet, other teams like us are doing the exact same thing. If all or even some of us are successful, the humans' ability to operate on or above the planet will be severely hampered, bringing us that much closer to victory. It is an honor to be trusted with such a vital mission.
But we are Sangheili, and it is time to prove ourselves worthy of that trust.
The station is fairly small, consisting of only two floors topped with a large communications dish. The crew of the station was supposed to be roughly two dozen noncombatants and a few token guards. Simplicity itself. But it would not do to get careless, and we maintain our silence as we close the distance.
When we are nearly upon the building, we again switch on our active camouflage and draw our rifles. In addition, I retrieve my plasma sword, though I do not ignite it just yet. There are two guards standing outside the door. They are not paying attention to the jungle around them. Were they Sangheili, I would be supremely angry at their casual disregard. But they are humans, and they know no better.
Each of the guards falls to a single plasma shot. At the range at which we open fire, they are dead before they hit the ground. We are at the door moments later. Without even exchanging a single word we quickly move to force our way inside. You crouch at the foot of the door, rifle ready to defend me from any possible attack. Only now do I activate my sword, its perfect blade cleaving through the metal with ease. I don't bother cutting an entrance for us. Instead, I simply cleave the door from its hinges. A moment later, we are inside the building. This time, the light is good enough for the humans to see our outlines blurring as we move. It will not be enough to save them.
With my rifle in one hand and my sword in the other, I am a veritable angel of death. I leap into the air and rain fire onto my victims, aiming for heads and chests so that the kills will be clean. As I land, I effortlessly lunge forward and impale a human on my blade. A split second later, I pull it out, spin, and cleave another into two pieces. Behind me, I can hear the constant chatter of your own rifle as you cover my flank.
Normally, the thought of butchering noncombatants would be distasteful to me, and I know that you feel the same. But these are humans. They are only a step above animals. They do not deserve to be treated as a fellow member of the Covenant would be.
We move from one end of the station to the other, killing as we go. Within a few minutes, it is all over. I switch off my active camouflage before it threatens to burn out. A moment later, you become visible as well. We exchange a quick glance to confirm that we are alright, then quickly move to finish our mission.
The control room is almost laughably primitive when compared to similar equipment in the Covenant. Regardless, there is no time to dwell upon it. We move quickly through the room, placing the timed explosives we have brought for this very purpose. I place one underneath one of the largest computer banks and set it, then turn to see you adhering one to the ceiling. I spare a moment to silently acknowledge your thinking; if we destroy the computers controlling the station, the humans may find a way to replace them. But if we destroy the support for the large dish above us, it will fall and smash the building beneath, making it impossible to repair.
Without warning, the door to the control room opens. I spin and draw my rifle just as a giant of a human steps through. He is clad all in what appears to be a facsimile of the armor you and I wear, green in color. I open fire and he vanishes back into the hall, moving with speed far greater than any normal human. I keep the entrance covered while you continue working behind me. The moments pass tensely.
But we are Sangheili, and our mission is not completed.
I expect the human to make another attempt at entering the room, but he surprises me. A small object no larger than a clenched fist comes flying through the door. Without thinking, I bellow a warning to you and kick the object as hard as I can. The grenade goes flying back out into the hallway and detonates. For a moment, I am blinded by fire and smoke. My motion detector beeps a warning. I open fire immediately, despite the fact that I cannot see what I am aiming for.
The suited human seems to materialize out of the smoke, his weapon blazing. The slugs he fires ricochet off my energy shield, which glows a bright blue as it attempts to dissipate the inflicted energy. I pull my trigger again, shooting the human twice in the chest. He acts as though nothing has happened, stepping forward and swinging his rifle into my midsection. Lights explode before my eyes and I cannot move. I feel myself being knocked to the ground. More gunfire erupts behind me as I drag myself to my feet. My rifle is exhausted; I drop it and draw my sword.
Despite all that I am, and all that I can be, I am powerless to prevent what happens next. Even as I turn to reenter the fight, the human's fire pierces your shield and tears through your armor. You do not cry out, but fall silently backwards to the floor. I see your blood pool around you and rage overtakes me. I howl in anger and leap at the human, bringing my sword down with all my might. He dodges, but is not quite fast enough, as my sword shears through his weapon without even the slightest effort. The human strikes me on my wrist and I am forced to drop my sword.
He attempts to grapple with me and the world seems to drop away. Suddenly, there is no male or female, there is no human or Covenant, there is no rhyme or reason. I am no longer Sangheili; I am a raging animal in the grip of a predator. I feel my arm snap and I am unceremoniously thrown to the floor. I make a half-hearted attempt to rise, but I am stopped by a sudden blow that slams me back down to the floor. I lose feeling in my legs. My back is broken.
But I am Sangheili...and this...will not stop me.
The human - if he really is one - swaggers away, leaving me to die. He reaches up to pull away the explosive you have adhered to the ceiling. As he yanks, a thin feeling of satisfaction creeps across my mind. He might as well be trying to lift the entire continent. I turn my mind to other things. I can see you through the haze of smoke that still permeates the room. For one cold moment, I think you are dead. Then, I see your chest slowly rise and fall.
I raise myself up on my elbows, ignoring the pain in my broken arm. The human stops what he is doing and looks at me, but I pay him no mind. I pull myself towards you, feeling a spike of agony every time I put my weight behind my broken arm. The human looks back up at the explosive and realizes the futility of continuing to try and remove it. He dashes out, leaving you and I to our fate.
I reach out with my good arm and take your hand, and I am rewarded by seeing your eyes light up as you turn to look at me. I feel your hand slowly close around mine. Your grip is still strong, despite your injuries. We do not speak; we do not need to. All around us, I can hear the tones of our explosives. My eyes do not leave yours. I know, as you know, that we are about to die.
But that is alright.
For we are Sangheili.
And even in death, we find our victory.
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