Two Betrayals Chapter 1

Stranded, alone, betrayed even. Each of these thoughts dug their way through my mind as I ran through the dense jungle of an unnamed planet.

About a year and a month ago, the UNSC had found a Forerunner planet on the skirt of the neighboring arm of the galaxy and sent a fleet of four cruisers, nineteen Destroyers, thirty-two Frigates and fifteen ONI corvettes just to investigate. In total, the trip had taken three years, the AI's being left to guard us as we slept. During the passage of the void space between them, we lost about a quarter of the fleet, our orders to carry on until half the fleet was lost or destroyed. Upon reaching the edge of the neighboring arm, we were attacked by something. We didn't know what, but we didn't really care either. The aggressor force was quickly converged on and decimated by volley after volley of MAC fire. After finishing off the newfound enemy, we made our way to the target system.

The planet was large, about the size of four earths and covered in structures. The buildings were so expansive you could even see them from high orbit. After a few moments spent on celebration of being the first human force to venture out of the Orion arm we launched landing forces. Charon class Frigates and Pelicans alike descended into the atmosphere, intent of dropping Marines in open fields and cities while the ODST detachments were dropped in tighter areas like mountain ranges and atop massive buildings.

…Little did we know what was lying in wait for us…

1700, 2558, October 5th, EARTH TIME

Corporal Frederic "Iceman" Carnegie– UNSC Marine ODST

Location – 1700-mile wide city on unknown forerunner planet: assumed warehousing district center structure.

Condition – Operational…

"Why does this never get easier," Iceman screamed into his com channel as his SOEIV pod fell towards the structures below. Even being a seasoned veteran of the Harvest conflict, he never quite got the hang of keeping his testicles out of his throat during a drop.

"Ha ha," Fire team leader Davis "Sarge" Cowen, laughed. "I've seen you take on a brute leader without flinching, Iceman. But you always scream like a little bitch during a drop," The Sergeant continued to laugh in his deep baritone voice. Iceman reached out and punched the display for his team leader, splintering the holo-projector before the braking chute flared out. Iceman was jostled around the pod, his helmet slamming into the back of the padded seat before the chute let go. The feeling of weightlessness filled him again, the scenery of the city rising up into view of the glass of the pod door. The light was blotted out by walls and towers, the structures a strange shining silver material. Iceman was jolted again as the reverse thrusters fired, bringing him to yet another midair stop before landing hard on a structure's roof.

"Dammit," Iceman repeated as the pod listed backwards, rolling onto its back. He reached out with both his fists and feet, striking the explosive bolts and sending the door skyward. He had heard the stories before, the ones about the pod lying still before firing off the door bolts and crushing the soldier inside on its way down. The door crashed onto the roof twenty feet to the left, Iceman grabbing the M7S from its harness to his right before ducking up over the lip of the pod door. He did a quick scan of the area, finding it quite deserted.

"This is Iceman," He called over the com channel to his squad. "My LZ is clear, moving to high ground to begin strategic recon." He cut the line, activating his tracking beacon before climbing out of the drop pod. He leaned back over, tearing out the seat and stashing seven MRE packets into his chest pocket. He stood back up, holding a MA5C in his right hand. He slipped the rifle into the clamps on the back of his chest harness, reaching back into the pod for magazines. He opened several panels on the pod, grabbing stashed ammo pouches and grenades before depositing them in pockets built into his armor.

"Where am I?" Iceman said to himself as he activated the VISR in his helmet with a thought. The screen flashed to life, polarizing his visor to display the information. A tactical map sent down from the Paris class Frigate Gladius pixilated onto his visor before clearing into something discernible. From the readings and measurements, the building he was atop was about two thousand feet above ground level and five miles from the edge of the urban area. There were only three landmarks discernible from the ground, a tower in the center of the city, a smoke stack in the east quadrant and the wall that surrounded the whole of the city. The map placed a beacon on his map, showing him the nearest entry point on the roof as well as the other five members of his Fire team.

Iceman kicked the trapdoor open, the latch on the rusty steel door holding fast as the oxidized metal fell apart. He made a quick mental note to not stand on anything reddish orange before dropping into the level below him. His VISR quickly adjusted to the change in lighting inside the structure, outlining everything in the room with yellow. The change was, however, unneeded; the lights in the room flaring to life as he landed. The room wasn't furnished; save for a few counters and tables that dotted the walls. It seemed to be a laboratory of sorts, beakers and tubes littered the surfaces while machinery he had no understanding of filled the shelves and segments of walls. "What kind of people lived here?" He asked as he began to record the mission with the helmet's built in camera. Iceman made his way around the level, passing through doorways and descending ramp after ramp. Stairs seemed rather sparse, Iceman noticed as he reached the fourth floor below him, but what he really wished they had installed were some elevators.

"Thank god," He muttered as he spotted a hollow in a wall with a platform and holo-panel. He rushed over to the elevator, confirming it was clear before walking in. "Where is the ground floor," He asked no one, receiving a flash on the panel before him and a hum of machinery as the door closed. "Shit," He growled, trying to get his fingers between the doors before the floor beneath him began to descend. Iceman sighed as he let go, realizing forerunner tech must have voice commands as he relaxed slightly. What he had done would have gotten him killed back in Orion, the elevator being booby trapped by a plasma charge or something.

"Iceman, Geiger, call back bro," The com called into his ears as he watched the levels pass by through the window in the elevator door. It was the team engineer, Carlos "Geiger" Francisco. More than once had this man saved their asses with a jerry rigged nuclear device, leading them to labeling him with his call-sign. Iceman sent three beeps through the line, letting him know he was listening. "I'm at the base of the building you're in man, and you may not like what I got to say."

"What could be that bad," Iceman asked, watching the counter on the Holo-panel continue to assumedly diminish in value. "I think the only thing you could tell me is that…"

"Yeah I know," Geiger interrupted. Iceman's radio erupted with chatter from the squads, calls for med-evac and reinforcements blaring loud before being silenced, "I got two elite units outside the building, along with a squad of grunts and a brute." Iceman felt the blood run out of his body before his adrenal response kicked in to overdrive, fueling his memories of training in hand to hand and being a solo operator. "And the worst news is that apparently your elevator opens into the street right next to the Elite that pressed a button on the side of the doors." Iceman growled in frustration, having slipped on considering someone else having started the ride. "I got just enough cover to give the brute and grunts a bad mortality issue, but the elites are out of range." Ice man paced back and forth in the elevator, drawing his MA5C and loading a magazine into it.

"I got 'em," He assured Geiger as he released the action on the rifle and leveled it at the general height of an Elite. "Just make sure there aren't any others. I can't take any more than two of these bastards." He looked out of a small window next to the door, finding himself rapidly descending from the quarter height mark as the brute moved its Spike Rifle up.

"Wait, something's happening," Geiger said as Plasma fire resounded through the streets, followed quickly by the sounds of brute weapons. Iceman watched as the brute and grunts opened fire on the Elites, one being maimed by the plasma and foot long spikes before the other jumped back and away from the fire, a cloaking device activating. "Holy Mary, mother of God," Geiger said. "Did you just see that?! They opened fire on their own!" Iceman readied himself as the elevator neared the end of the trip, intent on mowing down the enemy as soon as he touched down.

"Forget that, just shoot when I come out!" Iceman ordered, asserting his rank as the door opened. He let loose with his AR, the thirty-two round mag emptying in a matter of seconds. He ducked back around a corner as he heard Geiger open fire with his M90CAWS shotgun. Iceman drew his M7S, ducking out of cover to deliver a three round burst to the skull of the brute that had turned around to fire on the new assailant. The hulking beast dropped to the ground with a thud, Iceman holstering his M7 before moving to reload the assault rifle. "Carlos, are you still alive?" He yelled out into the street, loading a round into the chamber before holstering the rifle and reloading his M7. Iceman ducked from one edge of the door to the other quickly, scanning the area for the all clear. Carlos had failed to respond to Iceman's roll call.

"Carlos?" Iceman called over the com, looking around the door. Across the street was Carlos, the Elite that had presumably escaped the brute's betrayal holding him by the back of his chest harness.

"Human," The Spec-ops elite said before releasing Carlos into the street. The Elite's voice was surprisingly high pitched and smooth to Iceman, the usual being deep and rough. "I thank you for saving my life. I have suspected the Jiralhanae of subterfuge since my arrival to Tranquility, but I could not plea my case to the prophets. I assure you that if you happen across any of my comrades you shall not be harmed." The elite clasped its hand over its breastplate, cloaking again and disappearing in full.

"What the hell just happened?" Carlos asked Iceman, standing back up and holstering his shotgun in its clamps. Iceman sighed, letting his sub-machinegun hang loose in his hand.

"I think we just entered a whole new war," Iceman said, checking his HUD for the locations of the remaining members of his squad. Heavy was two miles west, being the closest to his location. "Come on, we need to regroup and get up with the remaining landing force." Iceman and Geiger walked cross the street, turning down a rather wide alleyway as they converged on Heavy's locator beacon.

1500 hours, 2558, October 4th, EARTH TIME

Location: Prophet of Moral's Flagship: The Redemption and Sacrifice

Sangheilli special operations domo Lei 'Zamamee

Status: Operational…

Lei walked down the spine of the Battle Cruiser Redemption and Sacrifice, having acquired orders from the mouth of a Jiralhanae chieftain that Moral wanted to see her in person. It wasn't uncommon for Moral to wish to speak with his underlings, but one as low ranked as her was. She was not a sword master like the Zealots and Majors, neither did she have a high standing amongst the ground forces on the Redemption. It was perplexing that a prophet would wish an audience with her, especially since the chieftain had mentioned he would understand if she was unable to attend his request. 'Something is amiss,' she thought as she entered the lateral elevator. 'I have only once been met by a prophet, and even then it was a minor event and a low ranking one.'

The elevator hummed quietly as it glided through the hollow of the massive ship, rocking at irregular intervals as the ship maneuvered amongst the fleet. Lei watched as the elevator approached the station of her destination, the platform crowded by grunts and Jiralhanae. 'Dishonorable beasts,' she jeered inwardly. She had been opposed to their induction to the Holy Covenant, finding them to be far too unclean for the prophets' mission. A small smile colored her face as the platform stopped, the ape like beings boarding the transport as she disembarked. The human name for them, Brutes, was the only one she believed they had named correctly. A Chieftain jeered at her, striking an opposing stance before backing away as she extended the plasma dagger in her vambrace.

Lei continued her trek across the massive ship, turning several corners to the next transit car. The prophets resided in the bow of their flagship, segregating themselves from the other races of the Covenant save a contingent of honor guards. She boarded the car, holding the door as a fellow Sangheilli called out to her. She waved to her friend, surprised to find the male aboard the Redemption. "Lofei," Lei greeted cheerfully. "What a surprise. I had no idea you were here." The Major Domo boarded the car, Lei closing the door and activating the vehicle.

"Nor I you," Lofei replied, catching his breath from the extended sprint. "What occasion marks this encounter?" Lei fidgeted slightly, slightly embarrassed that she had a private council with Moral.

"Moral wished to speak with me," She admitted sheepishly, squeezing her helmet between her hands lightly. "I just received notification several moments ago from the Jiralhanae from fiftieth battalion." Lofei made a gesture of disgust at the mention of Tartarus' nephew.

"Disgraceful," Lofei spat. "Fiftieth battalion, I mean. Truths decision to have those brutes in charge of our brothers and sisters is neigh on heresy." Lei nodded her agreement. Many of her brethren shared the same thoughts. "Luck seems to be with us both, having not been forced to submit to them saves us our honor."

"Yes, well it seems I may not have that privilege for long," She admitted. "Hearsay is my squadron is about to undergo the same changes after this mission."

"And what a stain on this discovery that statement is," Lofei said. "One of the most efficient squadrons in the Covenant Armada's final proper deployment is to study Tranquility." He shook his head. "At least you can say that you have that, my friend." She shrugged slightly, noticing the platform was approaching quickly. "I pray that you receive good news." Lei nodded, clasping Lofei on the shoulder before she departed.

As the transit departed, Lei made her way to Moral's sanctum, the large doors placed before the station. The hall was short, but it felt like an eternity to Lei. With each step, a new thought or worry entered her mind. What could be so important about her that Moral had wished an audience, nay requested if she had the spare time to see him? 'Calm yourself, Lei,' she thought as she arrived at the large bulkhead. 'You can do this. It may be just an informal occasion and you were next in line.' She raised her hand to knock, the rap from her knuckles echoing louder than she thought it should have.

The doors opened, the chamber inside cloaked in shadow. The only visible things in the room were the honor guard, path and Moral himself. "Lei 'Zamamee," Moral spoke with his back to her. "Your name is one of great honor. Not a Zamam have I met that had not total devotion to the Holy Covenant. Please, enter." Moral waved his hand, the Honor Guard turning to the door and marching out. Lei entered as they exited, the bulkhead closing behind her as she stepped through the portal. "I trust your stay has been pleasant upon my ship," Moral asked, motioning to the table next to him. It was laden with treats and drinks.

"Yes sir," She said, walking closer and taking a cup of water from the table. "I have not had a complaint about even my quarters." Moral nodded, lacing his fingers together.

"Good, good," He turned his view to her, his expression slightly off. "Not even complaints about the quantity of Jiralhanae?" Lei stopped the glass in her hand halfway to her mouth, wondering what he was at. "There is no need for secrecy, Lei. I too wish Truth had chosen another option. But alas, my objections are not heeded by our leader. Have you noticed Truth's bold actions to even my own ship?" Lei shrugged slightly, unsure how to respond. "Did you fail to notice that my honor guard is now more than half Jiralhanae? Truth has over stepped his boundaries." Lei was shocked at her own slip, having passed directly by them on her way in.

"I tell you this because it will benefit you nearly exclusively," Moral said, turning in full to face her. "Beware the Brutes. They seem to have an agenda that even I am unaware of. You may fare better than most, being in control of your assets for this mission, which I may add is upon us." He glanced out the large view port in his chamber. Lei looked as well, the Forerunner world looming closer by the second. "Do not trust any of them, Sangheilli. Keep an eye on them at all times." Lei nodded, clasping her fist over her chest. "I advise that you gather your squadron. The landing is upon us."

2000 hours, 2558, October 4th, EARTH TIME

Location: Mid-Atmosphere of Forerunner planer Tranquility

Sangheilli special operations domo Lei 'Zamamee

Status: Operational…

Lei's head was filled with the prophets words even as the Phantom descended toward the ground of Tranquility, the Forerunner world the ancient texts from the holy relic spoke of. Lei's mind cleared in nearly an instant as she gazed upon the majestic cities through the bay door's porthole, ones whole and preserved rather than the ruins on Sanghelios. The urban environs melded with the natural forests and plains almost seamlessly, a large city walls on the periphery of each one the only barrier. Her view was skewed by clouds as they descended into the troposphere, a fog having settled over the forest below them before the doors had opened. Her mind returned to the prophets warning again, her vision switching between the Jiralhanae in the bay with her and the bay door frame often. She had never trusted them, but followed Truth's decision.

"Zamamee," A high-pitched voice said to her right. She blinked twice, her lateral lids closing before settling on the red armored Ung'goy that had addressed her. She remembered him from previous deployments, number five-thousand and three. "Are you well, leader?" He asked. "You seem distracted." She smiled and crouched to eye level with the gray creature, patting him atop the head gently.

"I'm fine Five," She said, using the name he preferred. "Just pre-deployment jitters, that's all." Five nodded once, handing her a necklace. "What is this?" She asked, taking the small trinket and looking at it with meticulous observance. It had a teardrop of violet metal as a pendant, Lei recognizing it as a piece of Sangheilli armor plate.

"Your father, Hiro 'Zamamee, gave it to me before his death," Five said. "It has always been lucky for me, but I am reaching the end of my time. Perhaps it could do you more good now." Lei smiled, placing the charm around her neck. She had never spent much time with her father, the gesture striking a bell within her heart.

"Thank you Five," she said. "I will miss you dearly." He nodded, the fact of his short lifespan having no obvious effect on his morale. The grunt handed her a needle rifle and three grenades, turning around to dispense plasma pistols to the other grunts in the squad. Lei stood back up, watching the goings on in the phantom. The brute in the craft stared at her with a wolfish gaze, his eyes never leaving her. "If you have nothing to say Drail I suggest you avert your eyes." The brute captain scoffed, resting the spine of his spike rifle on his shoulder.

"Will you be able to cloak with that around your neck?" Drail asked, pointing an almost accusing finger at her. "Would you endanger the mission with a solitary trinket?" Lei snapped her mandibles, closing them again before donning her helmet. She looked away from the brute, staring out the bay door now that the clouds had passed.

"Zamamee," The pilot elite called back from his seat. "The fleet wants you to know that they are falling back to a defensive position. We are landing in five minutes, be ready." Lei nodded once, pressing a button on the interior wall of the Phantom to open the doors. The violet metal separated in the center by an inch along a four way split, the quarters folding back into their respective holding crevices. The air, unlike Sanghelios or the Human planet Harvest, smelled of nature and a pristine condition; the fossil fuels the humans and Sangheilli had burned tainting the air on their planets. The Grunts had gathered behind Lei, gazing and exclaiming in awe at the sights. "The Journey holds much promise this day, does it not Lei?" the pilot asked, getting a slight smile from the team leader.

1650 hours, 2558, October 5th, EARTH TIME

Location: Former Research and Development sector of the capitol city on Tranquility

Sangheilli special operations domo Lei 'Zamamee

Status: Operational…

Lei walked along the barren road in the Forerunner city, her eyes drifting from building to building in wonder and awe. The Ung'goy were likewise entranced, exclaiming and chattering among themselves, some even taking pictures with their helmets and storing them on data cards to look at later. Lei was happy however to simply take in the sights and remember them in her later years, scenarios running through her mind as she talked with an unnamed husband and several children. She allowed herself and unseen smile, hoping to the gods that her wish would one day come true. She was torn from her mind though as several loud pops were heard overhead, Lei raising her Needle Rifle to the sky and finding what she knew was coming; Humans, ODST pods to be exact. Elsewhere in the sky, human ships and transport craft descended, moving toward the ground away from her area. "Foul dogs!" She screamed at them as they came down, one landing atop a building not too far ahead of them. "They dare desecrate this holy world with their heretical existence!" Another Sangheilli they had rendezvoused with, a black armored orbital strike soldier, looked to the sky to see the door from one of the ODST pods rocketing away. "Come, we fight!" Lei ordered, hurrying her pace to the base of the building and being met by the strike fighter.

"What do you plan to do," he asked her. "Even though they are weak, they out number our forces by twenty! I do not believe any of our forces will survive." Lei ignored him, deciding to at least take down one before they were ordered to glass the planet. She pressed the holo-pad to the left of the door, activating the lift to the roof of the tower.

"They have brought with them the imminent destruction of this planet, Thar," she said. "You know that the Prophets will view this world muddied by their presence and decree it to be glassed." Thar nodded, having already understood the implications of their landing. "Then you understand the want to kill as many as I can before we are ordered to leave." Lei glanced behind her, noticing Drail having moved closer than he usually did. "And I will be one of the few that reports attempting to cleanse them from the surface." Thar remained silent, instead clasping a fist over his chest in subservience.

"Then I shall fight as well," he said. "For honor, I will fight." Lei nodded, noticing Drail in the corner of her vision having drawn his weapon.

'Does he wish to cleanse them as well,' she questioned her mind, still unsure of his motives and remembering the prophet's words. She decided to put faith in his actions, turning toward the door as the lift continued to descend. The platform was nearly upon them, the lights having reached the third level.

"Watch out!" Thar yelled, turning and raising his plasma rifle to fire on Drail, being met with a hail of spikes and plasma from the soldiers behind them. Thar was cut down, falling to the ground in a pool of his own blood as Drail turned his rifle on her.

"You should have stayed at home," He said, pulling the trigger as she cloaked herself. Lei jumped away, rolling to one side as she heard the familiar sound of a human weapon firing. Drail's expression became one of surprise; the Ung'goy behind him falling like beetles before a chemical spray as the form of an ODST emerged, firing its gun at Lei's former comrades. Drail returned fire, forcing the human to take cover behind a segment of broken wall. "I claim you life in the name of the Great Journey!" he screamed, walking forward and reloading before falling to the ground. Lei gasped as he fell, not having heard any fire to have brought him down.

"Carlos," A human voice screamed from the door of the lift. "Are you still alive?" it questioned, the sound of the human reloading its weapon echoing forth. Lei looked down the street, finding the other human trapped beneath the corpse of a Jiralhanae. She hurried over to one of her saviors, pulling the brute off him and picking him up by the back of his armor. The human kicked and punched Lei in her chest, her armor absorbing the majority of his force. She grabbed his fist with her free hand, causing him to freeze. She lifted a finger to her helmet, a gesture she had seen many humans use before to tell them to be silent. "Carlos?" The human in the lift said, coming out of the room and stopping in his tracks. Lei turned toward him, holding his friend by his armor.

"Human," she said, taking on the kindest tone she could muster for her former enemy. "I thank you for saving my life," She bowed slightly to him, letting his friend go. "I have suspected the Jiralhanae of subterfuge since my arrival to Tranquility, but I could not plea my case to the prophets. I assure you that if you happen across any of my comrades, you shall not be harmed." She bowed once more, saluting him in her fashion before cloaking and running off to find any other Sangheilli.

However, everywhere she went, around every corner and down every road, bodies of her kind littered the street. She could tell that they had been slain from behind, very few laying on their backs, and even fewer showed the signs that a human had killed them. Each body, be it Human or Sangheilli, had either the burns from plasma or brute weaponry, every other one having a cluster of Brute spikes protruding from their bodies. "This cannot be," she said, continuing her search but only being met with death. "How could they do this?" She asked no one, trying to find another of her kind alive. She ran along the roads and alleys, dodging Brute's and even Kig'yar sentries out of fear for her own life. She turned down an alley, moving into a building to hide from a patrol that she had spotted. She hid behind the doorframe, hoping they would not catch her shimmer. The three Brutes and seven grunts continued on their way, having failed to notice her. Lei exhaled her pent up breath, sliding against the wall to sit on her haunches as she thought of a way to give word to the Prophets of the Brutes treachery.

"How am I going to tell them before they slay them as well," she asked herself, looking around the room to try and find a place to hide until dark. She knew that during the day, even cloaked, she would be easier spotted than at night. Moving unseen was her specialty, but she worked best at night, especially when so many sets of eyes were looking for her. "I suppose I should rest," she said quietly, determination having failed her and the words sounding more like a prayer. Lei climbed a set of stairs in the building, searching for a secluded space when something caught her eye. Against the wall, seemingly asleep on his feet was her friend Lofei, his silver armor shining slightly in the light. "Lofei!" she exclaimed, running into the room and wrapping her arms around him. "I am so glad I found you before they…" she stopped as she felt something running down her arm, noticing now that Lofei felt cold. "No," she said, tears choking in her throat. "No, not you. You cannot be dead…" Lei let a single tear fall from its precarious position, crying silently into the shoulder of her friends corpse.

Wow, dark.

Anywho I thought that, while I was at the subject of rewriting an old story, I would take up a monthly challenge from someone. this is the first chapter of the chalenge from shadow juubi overlord. whattaya think guys? Reviews needed.