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Chapter 1:Beginnings

Sometimes life is not everything that it seams. Some people will live out their lives completely untouched and ignored by the forces at work. However, some people are destined for great things .Often times the greatness of people is overlooked, they are singled out, leaving them alone and ridiculed. Yet these are the people that are truly strong. It is these people who will stand up. It is these people who will fight for everyone's freedom.

They are tough. They are proud. And they have no fear.

      Dust swam around the closed windows of the elementary school making the place full of children seem barren. The planet Lecithin was a long forgotten colony of earth, surviving somehow off of the meager crops it's poor soil produced. The people were poor, the land was poor, and the whole planet was over crowded. Children were left abandoned while their parents died. The war with the covenant was the graceful end all were looking for on this planet, no more suffering, and no more bringing children into a world that could not support them.

      However, what weighs in the mind of an adult, does not weigh in the mind of a child. Blue eyes darted across the dusty window smiling as she watched the dust clouds take the shapes of animals she had only read about. elephants, giraffes, foxes, and turtles danced across the dust causing the girl to grin and giggle.

      A sharp thwap on her desk brought her back to reality and caused her to glance up to the old teacher who was now hovering over her desk.

"Mrs. Hollingsworth, If you do not straiten up and pay attention your rations will be taken away." The teacher said angrily.

Anna scowled back at the long nosed teacher. All of them were always looking for a way to spread the rations further. She had watched one of the class clowns first loose his food because of his loudness, then to the fact that he could not keep awake. He got so gaunt, and so weak that he could no longer attend the classes anymore. He was gone forever, as were others. Starved away because of the facilities discipline. Anna herself was thin, way to thin for a five year old. When she stood still you could see her small ribs and rib line. Forgetting about the teacher, and about her probably going to be missed rations tonight she turned back to the window.

Her mind began forming shapes in the dust again, when she saw something. quickly she turned making sure the teacher wasn't looking. The teacher was scolding someone else who had fallen asleep at the desks. quickly Anna turned and watched as a small blue light came down, darted across the dusty playground and left.

"Misses Hollingsworth!" The teacher yelled causing Anna to spin around and sit back in her chair. "That is the second time, No rations for you tonight."

Anna grumbled and crossed her arm's angrily over her chest. She didn't care anymore, all she wanted was to get out of the school for her recess.

The clocked ticked along agonizingly slow, as it often does for those who are waiting, but soon the bell rang and the children went racing for the dust covered playground. Anna herself was tired, and hungry, so although she wanted out her feet dragged on the ground slowly. She made it to the swings and watched as the well fed kids with parents played a game of capture the flag. Anna watched as if in a daze as the kid with the red flag went darting across the pavement and onto the sand. Anna watched the sand as the wind began to pick up again, sending dust up into the air is great swirls.

She stared again, wondering what the little blue light was that had visited earlier was. Maybe she was hallucinating. Her child like mind thought about how nice it would be for the animals forming in the dust to be her play friends, To help her find fruits on the lush bushes that covered the ground. The dust began to pick up even more, sending sand into the mix and causing children and teachers alike to shield their eyes. Anna quickly held a hand to her face and looked up to the sky hoping that the speed of the sand would keep it momentarily out of her eyes. Blinking she stared Skyward and began to catch glimpses of the pale blue sky.

It was then she saw something, a small dot darker then the sky. The sand and dust continued to swirl, its pace quickening causing the projectile sand to start stinging. Anna quickly turned her head away from the wind her eyes aiming strait at the city.

A sudden burst of Air and light Knocked Anna over backwards and off the swing. The ground began to shake and rumble violently. The light had dissipated, but it had a source. Anna Struggled to right herself around her foot was caught in the swing she had just been sitting in. The Children around her began to scream, and the teachers began to join the course. Anna looked back to the city and saw something She had never expected to see. A Giant bluish white beam was centered on the city Everything that came into the path of the beam was gone after it had past. Something inside of the girl was screaming at her to run, to get away. But a calmer more logical part of her was cooing telling her that running now would be pointless.

Still sitting with her tangled leg Anna Glanced back up to the sky. The Air had begun to get hot, and several other white beams appeared in the distance. There was another rumbling and Anna Quickly reached up to cover her ears. The screaming became louder, somehow rising over the din, everyone was screaming to take shelter. The Small air sirens began to wail and call out a warning.

" Covenant Drop Ships have arrived, please Evacuate all essential personal into the safe Area's."

Drop ships? Anna Had read and had heard horror stories about billions of people glassed out of existence in a second, but never, had her small mind ever heard about the covenant landing on a planets surface. The din Still Roaring Anna untangled herself and sat up still covering her ears. That's when she noticed it. Out of the corner of her eye she saw movement, Movement in the sky. Quickly her ringing ears abandoned she stood and looked full onto a ship coming in her direction. With a start she ran towards the school, but stopped dead when the scene of panic hit her. People were forcing their way into and out of the school, crying hysterically, screaming, Pushing and pulling. Anna's eyes couldn't help but fall to the ground in front of the doors where children, to small to protect themselves had been trampled into the ground, their would be wet eyes stuck with dust, and their mouths open in what would have been their final Dieing Agony.

Death was in those doors, Especially for someone so small. Anna looked up at the ship which was beginning to descend slowly on the only open ground. Death also waited for her here, but the death here would be far less painful then dieing at the feet of her peers. Quietly she stood people still running around her. The Ship touched the ground and shadows began to flow silently out of it. The Ships Engines stopped their wining and the silence of the screams filled Anna's ears.

She heard them then, Yelling in their own tongue, there were cries, and answers back. A giant yell signaled the group to move and move they did. Anna Watched with dull eyes as the creatures, large and small made their way across the playground, and either into the school to kill the humans there, or kill the humans elsewhere. It was Then Anna noticed she was being watched. People were running around trying to escape from the long necked elites, but they were ignoring her. All accept for the two standing outside of the drop ship. They were talking to one another and motioning to her.... She strained her ears to try and hear them.

"<Hey look at that small one standing there.>" The black armored Elite said motioning towards the rather surly looking human child.

Honey brown eyes blinked and mandibles clicked in amusement. Tokuamalee was the commanding officer of this small group sent down to retrieve an artifact housed on this dusty planet. It was a small mission, but an important one, as all artifact missions were. His group had been specifically formed from thousands. Not all of his men were combat ready, allot of his men were comprised of scientists and low level warriors. All of them were in a word "Delicate" they would think before blasting something to hell and back, which could both be a blessing and a curse.

"<Hmmm, Strange.>" Tokuamalee said stepping forward. "< It doesn't run like the others.>"

The black ones energy sword activated with a sharp snap Hiss. Tokuamalee was curious as to why this small human hadn't moved yet but it would have been heresy for him to reach out and grab his brother in arms to prevent him from charging. He watched carefully as his brother in black armor charged forwards....


Anna was squinting hard, still trying to make out what they were saying, the language was alien, but she could just about make out some of the shorter words. She saw one of them tense, and then an energy sword burst to life. Faster then she could imagine the Elite was charging at her. Anna Braced herself and snarled at the approaching warrior.

"STOP IT MONSTERS GO AWAY!!!!" Anna screamed at the top of her lungs, causing the Elite charging for her to loose his footing, and the one behind him to start running forward.

Anna Shuddered as the Elite regained his footing and skidded to a halt right in front of her. The other approaching elite in the gold armor had slowed down and was watching. Anna was panicked but she held her ground. She managed to Find and capture the Elite's eyes causing him to falter yet again. Anna Cringed when he lowered himself and raised his sword.

"You monsters!" She cried out her voice remaining strong. "My teacher said you don't exist! So Don't exist anymore!!"

A single tear began to drift down Anna's face causing a clean streak in her dust covered visage.

"Please, don't exist...."

... The girl looked down and began to rub at her eyes, chocked sobs wracking her small frame. Tokuamalee approached his brother his hearts momentarily fluttering with thanks that he had spared this child.

"<I-It's strange.>" The Black armored Elite said the sword held low his head bowed. "<I can't bring myself to judge this one, She has a warriors eyes, but is only a child.>"

And the trouble with having thinkers on Tokuamalee's team reared it's ugly head.

"<Maybe her Human heresy has yet to take root,>" Tokuamalee said his thumbs kneading the hilt of his own sword. "<Maybe there is a chance for redemption in this one, a chance for her to atone for her sins.>"

Tokuamalee quickly made his way around the child to her back.

"<To speak such things, IS heresy.>" The black armored elite said his head bowing lower still.

"<Then my brother, you have not spoken, and I shall act on your behalf.>" Tokuamalee said motioning for some of the grunts to surround the girl.

Anna looked up confused and panicked. She didn't know what was happening. The nightmare wasn't going away.

"<Listen here Unggoy this human is to not be harmed.>" Tokuamalee said his commanding voice making some of the more squeamish Grunts jump.

Anna turned and looked to the tall elite standing behind her the last of hear tears wiped away leaving a dirty smear on her already dirty clothes.

"Come girl, if you want to live." Tokuamalee said reaching down with his double thumbed hand.

Anna was so confused, her brain had yet to catch up to the current situation, and when the Elite suddenly spoke her language her mind had begun to do flip-flops. Before she could think about what she was saying her mouth had answered for her.

"No."

Tokuamalee was also suppressed by the child's simple, yet bold statement. So surprised was he that he completely missed her backing up and beginning to wrestle with one of the grunts in an attempt to get his plasma pistol.

"<What in the rings?>" The black armored elite said reaching for the girl only to have her fall backwards with the Grunt's Plasma pistol in tow.

"D-don't move!" Anna said fumbling with the weapon to get it righted around. "I'll shoot!"

"Wait girl!" Tokuamalee said reaching for her again. "That's dangerous."

Anna didn't hear the warning. She quickly stood and began to grip with all her might on the weapon. Much to her surprise a green glowing ball began to form and the gun began to jerk violently.

"<Get a hold of her before she hurts herself!>" Tokuamalee shouted. Causing the bulk majority of the grunts to scatter. "Girl stop this nonsense."

Anna couldn't stop it, the ball just got bigger and bigger and it took all her strength to keep the crackling gun from jumping clean out of her hands.

"<Tokuamalee! What's going on?>" The group of Elites that had scattered out of the school grounds during the rush came running back with a small black box.

It was then that Anna lost control the gun blasting her onto her back and the bolt whizzing by Tokuamalee's head and into the oncoming men. The Elites scattered as the bolt went flying into the distance.

"<By the prophets! What is going on?>" One of the Elites that scattered said pulling himself up.

Tokuamalee quickly made sure the oncoming men were ok then turned back to the now dazed girl who was sitting on her rear shaking her head. Quickly Tokuamalee snatched the gun from her fingers and threw it onto the ground out of the girls reach.

"<What was the meaning of that? Who shot at us!>" Angry shouts came as Tokuamalee reached for the girl.

"<A human child.>" Tokuamalee said as the girl came out of her daze just to avoid being grabbed by his double thumbed hands. "<I was Struck by an Idea, and it would be a sin to the forunner for me not to explain it in the most holy manner to the prophets.>"

The group quickly approached as Tokuamalee made another grab only to have the child dart forward and slip through his tall legs. He felt a small fist make contact with his armor on his lower leg, no damage to him, but the small girl cried out in pain and went dancing around grabbing her fist. The others looked on in absolute horror, and amusement. In the moment of confusion Tokuamalee quickly reached over and grabbed the girl by the wrist which earned a yelp.

"<As feisty as this one is, she will make an excellent asset if properly trained.>" Tokuamalee glanced at the men his mandibles vibrating slightly in warning to those that may stand against his Idea. "<Any of you wish to disagree?>"

"<Sir, with all due respect...>" It was the black one that had gotten him into this mess in the first place, the girl had begun to whimper which made him grab her torso and support her on his chest armor. "<Even bringing a Human to the ship is going to be difficult, much less to the high charity. I see where your plan is going, And yes, if the prophets will see fit to listen and look past her Human heresy it will work, but getting her there will be tough. >"

The others murmured in agreement and began to talk about "the plan.". The girl had begun to struggle again and Tokuamalee tried to get her to sit still.

"Girl I am not going to kill you! Just hold... ARRRGHHHH"

Sharp human teeth had found their way to Tokuamalee's exposed hand. In an instant swords were drawn and weapons ready. Tokuamalee stood the Human held out from his chest her small arms gripping onto his large arm. Dark Purple blood began to drip down her chin and onto the dusty ground. Tokuamalee was about to grab her again when she suddenly dropped from his arm and hit the ground coughing and sputtering.

A sudden burst of laughter filtered through the ranks.

"<Prophets Be damned! You were drowning her in your blood!>" One of the members called causing more rough laughter.

Tokuamalee quickly reached down and slapped the girl hard across the face.

"You Girl, will never do that again unless ordered." The laughter become higher as the grunts began to join in at the girl's misfortune.

Quickly Tokuamalee scooped up the still coughing girl and began carrying her towards the drop ship. Just in time too, the small mic in his ear began to chirp for attention....

Anna was dazed as was revisiting what had led up to her being totted at the hip of this giant gold covered elite. He was jabbering away at a million miles a minute into a mic that she couldn't see. Her hands were free and her wrist was bruised. Her mouth tasted like rotten fruit and meat all blended into one fine sauce, her head hurt because she was slapped for biting the elite, and yet she wasn't dead. Her stomach hurt because of the lack of food, and her ribs hurt because of the way the elite was carrying her. She was in shock. Her 5 year old brain couldn't handle the days events, so she did the only thing she could do, and that was hang limp and want to go to sleep.

Try as she might the position she was in was just to uncomfortable to attempt to sleep in. Looking up she saw they were at the lip of the drop ship and had stopped moving. Craning her neck she looked up to the elite who was looking over his men as they filed into the small craft. Each one of them regarded her as they passed. Anna Watched her curious blue eyes meeting with the many that passed. Soon all were aboard and the aliens, both large and small began to strap in.

"Where am I going?" Anna asked her child like voice carrying an innocence to it.

The elite set her down roughly, his wounded hand had yet to stop bleeding. Anna realized then that she was being carried by the Elites wounded hand and his purple blood had soaked into her dusty dirty pink shirt. Anna looked up and stood still as the Elite strapped her in with care.

"You are going to the Heavens, where the prophets will decide if your sins can be atoned for." Tokuamalee said sitting back into his own seat and strapping in. "If you can not be cleansed, then you will die, if you can be cleansed of your human heresy you will be a great tool in the great journey."

Anna nodded, she knew what a sin was, but she was unaware that any sins had been committed, beyond not listening to her teacher and biting the Elites hand.

"Do you think I can be cleansed?" Anna said her small hand working at one of the small belts that strapped her in.

"We shall see, young one, we shall see."

__________


About an hour later a very exhausted team of Elites arrived on one of the cruisers orbiting the now glassed planet. The Human girl had fallen asleep before the ship had even reached the atmosphere, and about a half hour into their flight Tokuamalee realized that he had hit the girl rather hard. The area surrounding the girls eye was swollen and red. Tokuamalee felt a pang of regret for the hit, but the girl had been unreasonable.

The whole trip up had been Tokuamalee thinking about what he was going to tell the ship captain about the small human girl in his possession. He had informed captain over the radio that he had some human cargo, but had not informed him of the age, or the purpose of the cargo. Just as the ship shuddered in the dock he had come up with what he was going to say to the captain. He was going to be able to side step telling the captain exactly why he had rescued the girl by using the same excuse he had used on the ground. A vision that only the prophets must hear. The others in his command agreed with him, especially the scientists in his group which were itching to study the human child's growth pattern. Dissect as many humans as they wanted, it was a rare treat to get a human fully intact, and a human that was so young it had not even gone through it's biggest growth cycle.

When the ship was given the all clear Tokuamalee and the others had exited. However, it took a moment for Tokuamalee to remember the small human. Quickly he went back inside the ship and un-strapped the human girl. The girl opened her one good eye for a moment and a momentary panic took her. But just as soon as it started it stopped when she recognized the elite in front of her. Her good eye drifted closed again and she had leaned forward into the kneeling elite. Had he not had his own child he would have probably thought it foolish for the girl to be doing such an action. But even the young of his kind made the same motions to adults, but only when there was a key feeling. Trust.

Tokuamalee quickly gathered the small child up and held her against his chest armor with one hand. The vivid ultra violet spectrum of the ships many signs filled his vision when he passed out of the ships hold. His men were waiting there, waiting for his command.

"<Brothers, today's mission was a complete success. We not only found the artifact in record time, but no one was injured, and no one greeted death.>" He said shifting the weight of the girl. "<We have also found a tool for the great journey, one that will help us along the path to paradise. Please, return to your quarters on this ship. I will De-brief you once we hit the convent city High Charity. I shall relay our glorious success to the ship captain. For those of you that are not military please go now and write in your logs. Be sure no detail goes unmissed, and the observations you made may bring light in this dark hour of war. For those of you that are military, please refrain from writing in your logs till we have reached High Charity. No one speak about this until you have been fully de-briefed. You are dismissed!>"

There was a bark of compliance and the elites and grunts turned to leave. Tokuamalee was slower, out of the docking bay doors there would be other Aliens to deal with. Other aliens that wouldn't take near as kindly to the girl as his crew did. Looking down to the girl she still had dust dried tears and his own blood caked around her mouth. lifting her slightly she also had his blood all over her neck and on her shirt and pants. She also seemed to have misplaced a shoe somewhere along the way. He sighed as he reached the doors. The girl was absolutely pathetic looking, even for a human.

The doors hissed open and a hallway expanded outward from the dock. Brutes, Grunts, Elites, jackals, and engineers were hustling about. Tokuamalee was walking like he knew what he was doing and most of the other aliens didn't even look hard enough to see the small human shaped package in his arms. Only a few times did they stop to look, but none of them dared stop Tokuamalee, he was one of three gold Lieutenants on that ship and outranked everyone onboard accept the ships captain.

He quickly made his way though the long hallways and to a lift that led to the bridge. As the lift rose the girl shifted and groaned putting the swollen part of her eye on the cold metal breastplate of Tokuamalee's armor. Tokuamalee stood stark still, fearing that the security on the ship would see him and accuse him of human Sympathy. When the lift reached the bridge dock and finally opened Tokuamalee held his breath. If anything could go wrong the second he made it to the bridge would be that moment. Quickly he stepped through the doors and two giant brutes saluted him. They were the bridge guards.

Tokuamalee quickly saluted back and watched as both Brutes tensed with they saw the child. Tokuamalee didn't falter though, He continued onward without so much as a look back. He knew he had to do this correctly otherwise both he and the Child would be dead before they got out of this room.

"<Tokuamalee,>" The voice startled Tokuamalee out of his thoughts and forced him to look up onto the bridge deck. "<Please get up here now.>"

It was the captain Sorgath Seiamee and he was looking over the edge at Tokuamalee with curious eyes. Quickly Tokuamalee got to the lift and rose up to the bridge itself. Sorgath Seiamee was there to meet him.

"< I want to commend you on job well done!>" He said momentarily forgetting the militaries protocol by forgetting to wait for Tokuamalee's salute. "<No men lost, and the artifact found in record time, your team is excellent! The planet has been glassed and we are going to be on our way within the next hours, It was a stunningly fast operation! The prophets will be pleased!> "

It was then that Tokuamalee quickly remembered to raise his hand in salute, and the captain equally as flustered at the blunder returned it in record time. It was then that the excited captain looked down to the small bundle in Tokuamalee's arm's. The small Bundle that had awakened during the loud outburst by the captain had been staring at him, and for a moment all the captain could do was sit there and stare back.

"<Captain, as I said in my transmission earlier I have a Human captive.>" Tokuamalee said noting as the child slid her fingers under his armor and seemed to pull herself closer to him. "< This is the Human Captive.>"

"<On the Bridge?!?>" The captain sputtered.

"<Yes, That planet gave me a strange vision to....>"

"<You Brought this Human heretic onto the Holist part of our ship!>" The captain said anger seeping into his voice.

"<Listen, I was given a Holy vision that couldn't have been from anyone but the forunner themselves.>" Tokuamalee said gripping the child closer. "<If I was to not share this information with the Prophets It would not only be a Sin onto myself, and yourself for not letting me speak, but it would be a sin to the whole covenant. This girl holds a Key to the great journey, one I can not explain to anyone but the prophets themselves, for the vision said if I share it to anyone but those who's ears are pure enough to hear it would be Hearsay on myself and my family. If you want to have this sin on your soul then strike myself and this Human down.>"

The bridge was Dead silent and the captain was mulling over the words very carefully.

"< If what you say is true then it is not in my power to strike you down.>" The captain said scowling caught in the girls eyes. "<However if you have deceived me in any way your soul will rot in the hells of eternity. You have been serving under me since you were young, never in your life have you done something so, brash as this. Your calm, levelheaded. More so then most. The Prophets have seen this as well, I hope they see things in your favor Tokuamalee, it would be a shame to loose you.>"

"<Sir, because of the sensitivity of this subject there is no way I can't do this without completely seeming as though I lost my mind.>" Tokuamalee said, earning a solemn nod from the captain.

"<Does she have a name?>" The captain said coming closer to inspect the girl up close.

"What is your name young one." Tokuamalee said causing the girl to swing her head to look at the elite.

"My name, is Anna," She said her voice cutting through conversations on the bridge and causing total silence. "I am five years old."

The captain regarded her with a wary eye.

"<5 years old....>" the captain said half to himself as an alarm started to go off. <"Keep her away from Prying eyes, I need to report to my commander, and he needs to report to the remaining chain of command. I can not assure your safety, lets call this a test.>"

"" Tokuamalee said following as the captain walked up to one of the transparent consoles.

"" The captain said turning slightly the ridge above one eye raising just slightly. "<If she is truly key, then fate will not hand her to the justice of our peers. Your dismissed, May the rings guide you.>"

Tokuamalee quickly nodded and raised his hand up in a salute. He knew that it was going to be an interesting period of time, and he sure hoped the girl was worth it.

__________

Anna was scared, very scared. When they were walking through the hallways through her good eye she saw aliens she had never seen before. While none of them looked at her with any kind of malice, for the moment, she felt that if she made to much noise it would be a bad thing. As they had walked Anna gripped tightly around the lip of the Elites armor and squeezed her eyes shut again and drifted out.

When she had come to again she had awoken to the excited yelling of another elite. She couldn't help but stare at him. He was a little shorter then the one that had her now, and of all the elites she had seen he was the most flamboyant. The excited jabbering had continued till he had spotted her looking at him. Then The elite she was with spoke. It was little comfort however, because the Elite standing in front of them started to yell again, this time angrily and motioning towards little Anna.

Anna didn't know what she had done, but obviously whatever it was, was very very bad. She tried to pull herself closer to the elite she was with in attempts to get the fire off of her. It was then that she felt his arm tighten around her drawing her closer to him. comfort. Anna felt it, he was worried, protecting her. He began to speak in calm tones towards the other Elite. He was being slow, and deliberate with his words. Anna swiveled her head from the Elite she was with to the one standing in front, and watched as he visibly straitened and fidgeted.

The elite began speaking to Anna's Elite again and they both spoke together. Anna could feel the elite under her trying to not emphasize his points. little shifts in balance here and there. It was hard for the girl to keep still and not wiggle in attempt to let out her own nervous energy.  Again her eyes met the other elite's and they froze.

When he asked her age, Anna replied as monotone as she could. He seemed to mull it over, and then quicker then Anna thought should have happened her, and her elite were on their way back the way they had came. Anna was awake this time, and took in as much as her eyes could. The gravity lift they went on from the bridge scared her, and the lift that took them up to the crew quarters scared her even more.

"But if we step into that we are gonna fall!" Anna Exclaimed he fingers still wrapped tightly around the chest armor of the elite as she looked down the shoot.

"No we are not going to fall, it is going to take us to where we can sleep." Tokuamalee said exhausted. "Hold on."

Anna Didn't have a chance to protest before they were rocketed skyward. Anna was afraid at first, but then as it went on she just leaned her head back down. She watched as the hallways zoomed past from her perch and sighed as they finally reached their destination.

"Get up girl we are here." Tokuamalee said opening his door.

Anna sat upright in his arms and rubbed at her good eye in a sleepy gesture. When she looked around she was surprised the room, like the rest of the ship was brightly colored with purples blues and violets. the floor was a different texture, soft yet stable. Before she could look around to much more she was flopped unceremoniously on the ground.

"You girl are very lucky." The elite said fluffing her dirty hair as he walked over to what looked like a glass case. "No one even stopped us, no one asked any questions. I am really starting to Believe that maybe you do have something special. "

Anna quickly stood up and started exploring.

"I am not special." Anna said  crouching as she walked under the table that was supported by the same things that made the lifts work. "I didn't have a mom, or a dad, no one wanted me. I am unwanted."

The elite momentarily stopped opening the complicated case and looked at the girl as she went from the table over to the closet.

"What is your name?" Anna said hefting the heave closet door to the side and glancing inside before walking over to the other side of the room.

"My Name is Toku, Tokuamalee." The elite said still reeling from the matter of fact way she said she was unwanted.

"Tokuamalee," Anna repeated pressing along the bed as she passed it and walked towards the bathroom. "What does it mean?"

"Protector of the house of  glory." Tokuamalee said for some reason taking pride in his name at that moment. "It is a great honor to carry my name. It was given to me by my father, and to him from his father, for generations, back even before the prophets. I have in turn given it to my son. and he to his."

Tokuamalee watched as the girl disappeared into the bathroom and he heard her small feet, one still with a shoe on, the other bare flopping on the cool tiles.

"Wow your toilets don't look that much different from ours!" Came the startled explanation from the bathroom. "Wow! this is cool!"

Tokuamalee had to laugh.

"Yes, we both walk upright, it would make since for our bodies to  work in a similar way when it comes to ?toilet' matters." Tokuamalee said clicking his mandibles in amusement. "What about you little one? What does ?Anna Hoolingswod mean."

There was a sharp giggle from the bathroom and then a smiling face popped out from the door.

"No no, Anna Hollingsworth." She said annunciating her name correctly. "It means grace of the Holy land."

It was then that Tokuamalee's hands slipped and let go of his helmet and sent it crashing on the floor. It was also then that thousands of sayings came flooding into his head that had been taught to him since birth.

"the grace of the holy lands will come when we least expect it, leading us to the great journey. We must always be prepared and watch with open eyes and be warm and accepting when it comes. For those that shun the grace of the lands, they will be lead to the path of the heretics. It will come to us in the most unassuming package and will show us the correct path...."

His mind wouldn't stop regaling, everything he had been taught, the finding of the rings, the great journey, everything was beginning to move.

"To witness this, is beyond what any single Sangheili should have the rights to witness." Tokuamalee said his hands working in the air where his helmet should have been. "A child, this child. No, No one must know, they can't, they all have to see it for themselves... that's what the saying said....."

A small tug on his leg armor brought the flustered Elite back to reality. He looked down and what he saw was a little girl, still bloody around the mouth, holding up his helmet for him to take.

"I, I am sorry." Speaking was becoming a problem, he was to flustered. "Look, you are dirty, you need to clean up. Take a shower and take this."

Tokuamalee quickly reached into a small storage area near his armor and pulled out a gray shirt.

"It will be big on you, but it will cover you till proper adornments can be found." He said handing Anna the overly large shirt.

Anna quickly snatched the shirt and ran for the bathroom again. It took her several tries but she finally got the door to close leaving Tokuamalee to his own thoughts.

Anna quickly looked up at the tall controls and soon figured out how to work them. The water wasn't the water she was used to. No, it had a funny smell, like Sulfur. quickly she began to scrub at her skin with a cleaning sponge that had been left in the shower. Anna was so happy to be getting clean she began to hum in her merriment.

__________

Tokuamalee quickly stripped the bulk of his armor off for cleaning. he left the lower part of his battle suit on and put one of the gray shirts on over his shoulders.  Everything happened for a reason, everything. But this was just to much for his mind to handle. Rubbing his head he walked over to the oversized bed and sat down his hands rubbing at his eyes. His thoughts were wondering to the little girl. Fate had indeed forced his brother in arms to spare her, and he in turn to spare her, and the captain, and every last alien on this ship to spare her. If the covenant would only spare her, the prophets. How the hell was he going to explain the meaning of her name, the meaning of everything.

"No, her name needs to remain unsaid." Tokuamalee said rubbing his bottom jaw.

The little strange butterflies that were building inside of him. Nothing he could think would make them go away.

__________

Anna quickly exited the shower as soon as she felt she was clean enough. She had used public showers all her known life and even though she was only five she was more then able to get herself into and out of a shower without to much hassle. As quickly as she could she dried off and opened the bathroom door. She walked in and realized that the lights had been dimmed and the Elite had taken off his armor and was on the bed with his back toward her.

Anna couldn't help but feel suddenly very cold, and more alone then she had ever felt in her whole life. At least at the school she had other kids to interact with, but now, she had nothing but a scary alien who would probably kill her at a moments notice. Looking closer Anna saw that a pile of covers had been tossed off the bed and roughly onto the floor. Quickly and quietly Anna snuck over to the bed where the covers fell. She took them and dragged them over to the only true corner of the room near the closet and made herself a small nest to curl up in. climbing into the covers she watched as the Elites back rose and fell with his steady breathing.

It was then she felt the choke of all the held back tears. As quietly as she could she covered her face and sobbed into the welcoming blankets. She cried for the people that died on the planet that day, She cried because she was alone, She cried because she wanted to be loved, and she cried because the only thing that had shown her true kindness was an Alien. She Cried bitter tears for the humans that night, and soon she cried herself to sleep not caring what tomorrow would bring.

__________

Tokuamalee heard the young child's crying, and wanted to hold her, to tell her it would be ok. He wanted to do everything in the world for her that moment, but it would have gone against every teaching he had learned. He waited till the girl had stopped crying and then let his mind slowly wander into the realm of sleep himself.

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