-PROLOGUE-

Sanghelios, a land of warriors both young and old fight together for the betterment of their people. Every male gains the skills to fight from the day of hatching, put into keep common rooms where everyone starts on equal footing only to rise because of their abilities, and not the position of the one who fathered them. A young sangheili male began their training at a very young age, around six years. The training itself is never easy, designed to weed out the weak of the group. Each male learns sword fighting techniques from the most experienced warriors in the field learning attack and counter-attack movements. All in the hopes that the best and brightest warriors rise to the challenge to defend Sanghelios in her time of need. Each warrior that survived his first training sessions returns to the keep of which he lived for a time and begins the final phase: weapons. This is where Los 'Vadam is currently located in the training yard near the Vadam keep honing his marksmanship skills for one day gaining recognition as a great warrior to ascend to his rightful place on the Great Journey. Los 'Vadam was the son of none other then the kaidon of Vadam state, Thel Vadamee, this only meant one thing for Los that expectations for his successful military career are high.

"Los 'Vadam!" Shouted the sangheili weapons master tasked with training every young sangheili.

Los looked up from resting his head against the stock of his carbine aiming down the sights at a purple metal target blackened in the center by his precise carbine hits. He unloaded the spent plasma cartridge out of the top of the weapon and placed the empty ammo in a tray on the top of the metal table. He took the carbine under his right arm and sat up from his seat then turned around completely before walking out of the weapons range and turning in his weapon with the remaining ammunition not yet spent. The hot sangheili sun warmed the sand underneath his feet as he walked towards the other waiting sangheili, who after calling him had waited outside away from the other warriors in training, Tor 'Vadam, the weapons master, looked fustrated more so than usually. Los did not dare speak until the senior had spoken first, but the look on his face told the young sangheili that something had happened that has angered the old warrior.

"I have some dire news." Tor said to Los.

The two sangheili stood silent, one thinking of the dire news, and the other thinking of how to deliver it, the wind around them blowing past in a light manner giving no hint of what words would the weapons master say next to Los. The young warrior shifted nervously on his feet for, to Los it felt like, hours, but had only been a minute or two. Finally, Tor looked at the young son of Vadam and spoke words the cut through everything the young sangheili has ever believed.

"The prophets have declared a group of heretics must be destroyed. These heretics have stolen sacred forerunner technology from the holy relics left behind during the first Great Journey."

Los was unable to speak for the words cut deep. He looked at Tor, and the look on the weapon masters face told him that the words he spoke are true, but deeper inside Los knew this meant a chance to prove himself, not only to his father, but to Tor, the one who had spent the time to train, and raise the young Vadam to where he is now. The old warrior finally continued speaking after a few silent minutes. His words confirming what Los already was thinking.

"I have been informed to accelerate the training, to get every warrior here battle ready within a month. As you are under my command Los, I expect you not to slow in your progress."

Los felt a little bit of mixed emotions at what the weapons master is telling him. How could this have happened? Every other species within the covenant have come into the fold through the promise of mutual benefit, or threat of destruction. But to hold forerunner technology, a whole planet full, from the prophets was a crime of great heresy not seen since the shaming of the position of arbiter. Los knew, as he walked back to the weapons range, that things were about to get quite interesting on Sanghelios. His father would be able to tell him more than Tor did, but he had to remain focused on completing his training, so he could be out there with his brothers in arms quelling this heresy and to one day take his rightfully earned place on the Great Journey.