Author's Note: If you haven't read 'The Warriors Agenda' I suggest you do, so you can under stand some of the things that are going on in this fic. Thanks to Kalshion and SilentStrike'Scy' for being my proof reader.

Disclaimer: I own nothing in the Halo universe, which is the property of Bungie Studios. However, any non-Halo species (and characters made from them) belong to me.

Chapter 1: Memories and Plots

"Daughter, did you hear the news?"

I looked up at my mother, seeing a genuine smile on her face and her eyes nearly over flowing with joy. What had made her so happy? "What news mother?" I asked, curious.

"It is your father." She replied, still beaming, though I shuttered at the mere thought of that man. "He has finally been noticed for his doings and has been branded a traitor."

My hearts leapt for joy at the news. "Really?" I said, scarcely daring to believe my ears.

"Yes my dear." Mother and I embraced, tears in both our eyes. "He will not be able to come home and hurt us again."

"We are free then…" I said, my voice cracking. "And …and you can find a mate that will not treat us as he has done."

"No daughter." Mother said. "You are a woman now, have been for some months now. With your father out of the way, you can find a good man of your own."

"If one would have me…" I said, sorrow creeping into my voice.

"Do not talk like that." Mother scolded. "No matter what your father has said, you are a beautiful Sangheili. A finely polished white stone gleaming in the suns. A fine catch for any male worth his honor."

My hearts beat rapidly with pride: mother was right. I am unlike any other female Sangheili out there. "A good man….a family of my own…." I whispered blissfully. It was what I had been hoping, praying for almost all my life. To have a life far away from father and his cruel fists and even crueler words. I started day dreaming of what my man would look like, along with my future children.

The door suddenly slammed open, shattering my daydreams. Mother and I looked at first in shock, even anger, at the intrusion. However when we recognized the man at the door, our anger turned into terror. Though he was barely recognizable due to all the bandages on his person, we knew him. Mother and I clung to each other in fear, trembling in his presence.

Why is father here? How did he slip by the security teams that were supposed to be keeping in eye out for him? What is he going to do to us?

She woke up trembling from the dream of the distant past. Has it really been two years since that day? Two years since father came home and did the worse thing he could have done to her: disowned her and cast her out of her home, separating her from the only Sangheili that cared for her?

Mother… A tear rolled down her face, remembering how she tried to find her mother after her father had finally left, only to find no trace of her. For all she knew he had killed her, eliminating the one Sangheili that could have vouched for her and enabled her to start a new life. Now she had nothing, forced to scavenge on the streets for what food was available.

The temptation to steal and turn to a life of crime was always there, but she would not give in to the temptation. She would rather save what scraps of honor she had left then to risk becoming a criminal like her father. No, she would rather die then to end up on the same level as him, though some would say that there was no honor in living on the streets as she was. That sense of honor was all she had however and she clung to it with all her soul.

A couple of painful coughs racked her body, leaving her already weakened body even weaker. This illness will be the end of me… She thought with a sad sigh as she looked at her hand, seeing flecks of her own blood upon it. More blood then yesterday… The illness had robbed her of her strength and energy, inhibiting her from finding food easily and that, in turn, only allowed the illness to get worse. She was slowly dying, a fact that was clear to every passerby that did bother to look at her. However, the only thing any one cared about was the image she portrayed to the area she was in: she had lost count of how many times she was forced to her feet and shoved out of the area this week alone.

Still looking at her hand she noticed how dull her skin was: besides being covered in dirt and grime it had long lost the luster her mother had been so proud of. No longer am I a finely polished white stone…that would catch the eye of many men… She thought. Only a homeless dying wretch no one would look twice at.

Drawing up her legs so she could bury her head in her knees, she wept. Her dreams of living in a happy home with a loving mate and children were just that, dreams. Dreams shattered and cast upon on the hot Sangheilios wind to never be seen again….

Rtas 'Vadum looked at the small container he had placed on his bed, knowing what it held and what it meant to him. A part of him did not want to open it, the same part that was hesitant to do so every time this day of the year came around. With a heavy sigh he opened it, revealing a battered Spec Ops helmet not too different from his own, only it wasn't his.

Gingerly, he lifted the helmet from its protective casing and with a rag he started to buff away any tarnish and dust that had collected on it over the last year. It was a ritual he would perform on the same day every year, on a day of special meaning to him. When he was done, he lifted the helmet up and touched the forehead plate with his own.

"Father…" He whispered, remembering when they used to do this when he was still alive. Rtas set the helmet down on his pillow and stared at it, letting the memories flood his mind. His time with his real father had been the happiest days of his childhood and into his adult years, until the war took his life.

Yet as much as his father loved him, told him how proud he was of him, there was one thing Rtas could not bare to tell him. A great shame he had carried, and burdened by ever since he had first realized it while he was still a Minor. No one knew of this deep shameful secret of his, not even the Arbiter, because he knew they would never understand and that he would be the butt of everyone's jokes for the rest of his life.

You helped me become the man I am today father… He thought, stroking the helmet with a finger. You saved what was left of my sanity by taking me away from that place, gave me a sense of family I did not have. Yet I could never tell you…what had been done to me before you came. How it gave me my own mark of shame and how it keeps me from carrying on your legacy, no matter how much I desire to. Can you forgive me, father, for my weakness?

The helmet gave no answer, for it was only an inanimate object, the sole reminder of his father and not his father himself. With a sigh he picked up the helmet again and put it back in its case, which he then pushed under his bed where it would remain until next year. He then walked out of his quarters and headed to the bridge.

This…is my family now. He thought as he nodded in acknowledgment to fellow Sangheili as he passed by. The only family I have…can ever have….

There was a loud scream of rage, and Rtas turned, seeing a couple of familiar Minors rush out of a room and speed away like their lives depended on it. Seconds after, he saw the recently promoted Tegs 'Vatem chasing after them with a blood thirsty look in his eyes. The Shipmaster blinked, then groaned when he saw the reason for 'Vatem's fury: apparently Sani and Runi took issue to their friend being promoted to Major and had painted his shiny new armor pink...

Though some members of this family I can do without… Rtas thought, sighing heavily as he ran after them in hopes of keeping the furious 'Vatem from killing his former buddies….

Kesi 'Musav grinned, liking what he saw. On the hologram before him was a space station he and his troops had 'claimed' about a year ago and he got the report that it was finally fully operational. Even better news was the word that the small colony they had started on the planet the station was orbiting was progressing nicely. Both were in a section of the galaxy neither the humans nor the Sangheili Loyalists ventured frequently since the end of the war, so they made the perfect hideout.

Much work still needs to be done. He reminded himself, his grin fading slightly. Over the last two years the numbers of those under him had grown, discontent Sangheili from all over coming to him and joining his ranks. Unfortunately, they could not bring any other ship with them besides small transports, so at present the Righteous Justice was the only warship they had. Besides, though he now had a full crew again, there was yet enough to fill another destroyer, let alone something bigger then that.

It was best to keep a low profile anyway, with the exception of the supply raids he ran. As of yet the Sangheili Council did not see him as a big enough threat to commit a full force to tracking him down, despite the Arbiter's urging. Arbiter… He thought with a growl, one hand reaching up to feel the scar on his face, where the Arbiter had taken not only part of his mandible but his right eye as well. Still, he took some small comfort in that Arbiter was pretty much forbidden to hunt him down himself, thanks to the Councilors making him their Ambassador. Kesi had a good long laugh when he heard about it: the noble Arbiter, the holy warrior, stuck in the realm of endless politics!

With the Arbiter so…preoccupied…Kesi could plot without much worry. The big one he was working on was establishing a true separatist faction that was self sufficient. He had this idea in the back of his mind when he attempted to start another war, one he started refining the moment he realized that particular plot would fail.

The first step had been to return to Sangheilios to tie up some loose ends, which the Councilors assisted with in their own way, if only unintentionally. Along with those loose ends he instructed his troops to 'invite' their wives and children to come with them. Some were naïve enough to do so, but most had to be outright kidnapped. The troops that joined him later did the same and quickly the ship had gotten overcrowded.

This was why he took this station and the planet; to get those annoying wives and kids off his ship. While some of them turned out to be supportive or easily turned, others had to be restrained: a couple unfortunately had to be silenced permanently. He did not regret this, however, as in this critical time he could not afford for the Councilors to get wind of this 'unauthorized' colony he was starting.

Also, as a precaution, he had a number of followers remain on Sangheilios as spies. These spies gave him vital intel on the political situation as well as critical information about supply ships, which, unfortunately, he still needed to hit to resupply his own stores. He made sure to hit human supply ships as well, mainly for the 'meat' supply.

Thinking about it made his stomach rumble. With a grunt, he rose from his chair and headed for the kitchen, to fetch the human arm he left in there just for this situation….

A/N: Don't worry, Arby and Vl'asuna show up in the next chap. As much as I would have loved to put the Arbiter's intro in this chap, it would have made it too long (I try to keep my chaps between 2 -3k words).