Elite:  Chapter One

I was born and raised on the planet Sanghelios to a female named Dur’al and an aristocratic father Kaz’an of the Hierarchy.  Warriors by birth we were, and if a child was seen to be unfit, they would be cast out to die in the harsh wastes of the Helion Desert where the temperature drops to negative five Celsius at night.  
That’s 23 degrees Fahrenheit in Earth terms.  
My name is Jai’do and I am of the Macto Cognatus family; I have no last name because my father bore the Sword and my mother died in childbirth.  I am an Elite.  I have Honor, I have my pride, and I most certainly have my hatred for the Human race; they have dishonored the holy Rings with their footsteps and I have heard talk of this “Demon”.  How he and his ragged troop of heretics ravaged Installation 04 and destroyed it using a ship as a powerful bomb.  And now my mission is set…
To destroy.

I slowly sat up from my bed in my plain room.  Nothing adorned the walls, the floor; even my bed was plain in nature with grey sheets and a single small pillow.  I flexed my four fingers and took a deep breath; today was the day I would receive a great honor.
Today is the day I would receive my armor.
I stood from the bed and carefully made it as I do every day and slipped on the loincloth that hung on the small post.  I would never feel this again and I slowly stretched in the air of Sanghelios.  The cool air moved across me and since the suns had not risen yet I could enjoy it without the heat.  My arms returned to my sides and I strode towards the door where I knew other Sanghelli would be waiting for me.  
“Jai’do…are you prepared?”  A white armored being settled his gaze on me and I had to look up to meet his eyes.   His armor gave off a slight halo effect around him but I knew that was just the shield phasing through its idle cycles.  He stood seven feet tall and I only five and eleven but when I would receive my armor we would meet eye finally.
“Yes Kaz’an I am ready.”  Even though he was my father and one of the top Sanghelli on this planet I would never call him father.  In our society, Sword bearers are always called by their first names; doing otherwise would dampen their Honor and cause them shame.  
“You are a very special Sanghelli Jai’do.”  
I hated his words since they were so untrue.
“I’ve been waiting a long time to see you finally get your armor and become a full Sanghelli.”  He smiled at me and I did not look up at him.   “I know our relationship is a little…strained…but now I hope that this day strengthens our bond.”  I hated the feel of his eyes on me, the tone of his voice, the way he carried himself.  He wasn’t a great Sanghelli; he was just an “Elite” as I have heard my race being called.  Kaz’an was nothing more than a Sword toting, female using creature that used his high status on Sanghelios as an excuse to do whatever he wanted.  I knew what would come next.
“Kaz’an.”
“Yes?”
“I want to be part of the campaign.”
He stopped in mid-stride and paused for a moment.  I looked up at his eyes and he sighed slowly.
“I was afraid you’d say that…”  He replied and then resumed his pace towards the Ascendant chamber.  “I know I was never there for you as you grew up, went through your training, and learned the Sanghelli way...”
I looked up at him.  “But?”
He sighed and kept walking towards the chamber.  “Come…your rise is waiting.”  We entered the chamber and I kneeled down in the center.  Four Sanghelli stood around me and I folded my hands in my lap as they drew close.
“Speak the Warrior’s Code.”
“Honor thy enemies; protect your home, your family and yourself.  Let no creature get in the way of the Great Journey and execute the Heretics.”  I repeated slowly.  As soon as you could speak every child was taught that though most never knew what the “Great Journey” actually was.  And once the Prophets came and spoke of one religion called “The Covenant”, well, the Sanghelli embraced it quite well.  On the way to the chamber there were many holo-stations with the image of the sitting Prophet Truth giving one of his many sermons.  
“Now rise and put on your Honor.”  I stood and as Kaz’an watched I walked over to a small pedestal.  A blue humming sounded and I felt metal being placed on my skin as the pedestal was enveloped in the light for a moment.  The slowly warming air was replaced with a colder flexible metallic feel and I lost vertigo for a moment.  I stumbled off the pedestal but no helped me as I managed to brace myself against a wall.  
“Your shield system will be installed in a moment…”  Kaz’an said and I managed to regain my equilibrium as I stood up straight.  “This could be painful.”
“I’ll be fine Kaz’an.”  I spat back and he crossed his arms.  Two black armored Sanghelli walked over and began installing the shield with a special tool.  I felt power course through the metal and before my vision a small heads up display popped up.  I waved my hand but it did not waver and I heard a beep as it charged up.  
“Shield is installed and at 100% sir.”
“Good.   Jai’do, come with me and I will give your weapon…if you still truly want to campaign against the Heretics.”  
“Of course I do.”  He motioned for me to follow and I walked beside him, my armor giving off a slight halo effect.  The metallic surface was a shiny gold color and I was actually taken aback that I had received the gold rank.  
Though after all, I was the son of an aristocrat.
“You will bear the Sword and the rifle at your side.”  I looked at the wall and hilts to energy swords rested in a case on it.  He lifted one out and I took it slowly as if he was giving me a very dangerous weapon.  “Do you accept this weapon?”  I looked down at it and considered my options:  Accept it and never have the chance to be married to another Sanghelli or reject it and be able to bear kin and defend my family against the Heretic threat.  “Well Jai’do?”
“I’ll accept it on one condition.”
“Which is?”
“That I never see you again.  That I forget who brought me into this world and that my Honor never is tainted again by your sight.”  I replied and Kaz’an roughly grabbed my neck and slammed me against the wall of the room.
‘”How dare you insult me!  I should strip you of that armor and have you executed in front of the entire city right here!”  His white plated face pressed to mine and I could feel my heart beating with rapid beats.  He drew out his sword and pressed the flat edge to my arm; the blade burned but before it cut me he withdrew it, marking my arm.  “Let that be a reminder for when you backtalk me creature.”  He let me go and ripped a hand-held rifle off the wall.  He slammed it to my chest and then left the room, his sword still out.
It is my time to go now…I have severed every bond I have here on Sanghelios and I can never come back now that I have hurt him…
I strapped the sword to my hip and lifted the rifle in my hand.
To destroy…
The next week I boarded a transport vessel to the star system called the Milky Way with a destination of a planet called Earth.  As I sat in the seat I looked at the other Sanghelli around me; they kept their silence well and I also looked over at other races of creatures we picked up along the way.  The first group was the Unggoy, and when I arrived to Earth I found out their human name:  Grunt or Cannon Fodder.  They breathed only methane gas and were a pain to patrol with since they required constant observation like children.  Also we had to bring methane reserves with us since they could not breathe the air on Earth.  I watched them and as they ran around and yelled at each other in high pitched voices, I had to sigh.  
The next group was the Kig-yar or Jackal as the humans called them.  Physically weak they were only for support but they made up for that with their extremely keen eyesight and their power shields.  I could never understand them since their language comprised of barks and grunts.  
The third group, the Lekgolo.  These interested me the most because they were not one single entity but a collection of smaller ones, usually three or more, in one massive suit of armor.  A modified Fuel Rod was their weapon and a massive ballistic shield also accompanied them.  I would learn later they are the Hunters and always traveled in pairs to kill the humans.  
I rested back in my seat on the Covenant cruiser and an Unggoy trotted over to me.
“Hi mister shiny!”  He squeaked and I looked down at him.  “Do you know where the food nipple is?  I’ve worked up a mighty grunty thirst!”  A part of me could not help but laugh but the other part thought very foolish of this creature.  Another Unggoy trotted over and squeaked.
“Don’t bother the Elite Sanshek!  He’s one of the higher Sanghelli!”
“Well I just wondered if he knew where the food nipple was Tillo…”  He replied and was smacked over the head with an energy pistol.  
“Ask one of the Lekgolo then Sanshek!”
“They don’t speak to us Tillo.”
“Then find it yourself Sanshek!”  The pair wandered back to their group and I sighed again.  Unggoy were curious creatures as were all of us.  I wondered what the others thought of me in my gold armor and “high” rank.  I wondered if the other races knew of the Honor and the Heretics…or had they merely been assigned to destroy this demon?  
I would find out soon enough as the ship would soon leave Slipstream and enter the atmosphere of Earth.  A loud rumble shook the craft and I gripped the handles on the sides of the seat as it broke out of the purple gateway.  
The PA rattled.
“Attention Covenant this is the Shipmaster Ail’en.  We have entered the Milky Way of the human galaxy and in approximately five cycles we will be coming into orbit with Earth.  This planet is heavily guarded with human technologies but we have brought along a couple explosives to detonate their defense platforms.  Infantry please report to the docking bay and all others get ready to board.  Ail’en out.”  I stood quickly and grabbed my rifle off the chair next to me.  The races were running down the hallway and I followed in the tide to the docking bay.  I noticed the other Covenant was giving me a wide berth and I was only one of three gold armored Sanghelli there.  I walked over to the massive bay doors and they hissed open as a field flicked on to prevent any explosive decompression.  
And that is when I saw Earth.  Blues, whites, greens and browns.  It was a truly beautiful planet to behold and I wondered why Truth had decreed such a beautiful planet a Heretic world.  
“Sanshek, watch out!”  I looked over and the pair of Unggoy trotted beside me.  “Excuse me great Sanghelli but we were assigned to your squad.”
“My squad?”  They nodded and two Lekgolo, four Kig-yar snipers, ten Unggoy (including them) and four Sanghelli walked over to me.  They bowed and I bowed back.
“Great Sanghelli you will lead us to victory over these Heretics!”  One of my fellow ‘helli said and slapped his fist against his chest.  The Unggoy looked excited and the Kig-yar held their weapons nervously, looked around like frightened beasts.
A loud bang and then the field dropped.  I looked over and immediately my shield began to hum as projectiles coming from odd weapons slapped it.  I darted onto the deck of the defense platform and I saw my first human:  They looked short, oddly dressed in greens and browns and yelled strange words.  A sustained green blast vaporized one into a mess of red and rags and I stared one right in the eyes.
Terror.
Fear.
Apprehension.
Blood pumping in my body, heart racing, rifle ejecting blue orbs of burning plasma; it was all I could not to scream like them and carve them into shreds.  Other Sanghelli whipped out their weapons and shields flickered everywhere as humans died.  Unggoy screamed and some martyred themselves by sticking grenades to themselves and running into the humans.  The air was full of blood smells, burning plasma and screams of wounded or dying foes on either side.  I knew this would be one of many battles I would be fighting.
I was brought back to reality as my shield screamed a warning at me.  My heads up display flashed red and I felt the sting of one of the metal projectiles into my shoulder.  My armor took most of the impact but I felt my blood leak down my shoulder slightly as I dived behind cover.  
“Leader help us!”  Sanshek screamed and I put down my rifle as my sword sprung to my hand quite naturally.  The training I had received as a child was paying off now and these Heretics would pay for destroying the sacred Ring.  I leapt over the box and let loose a cry as the energy tore them in half with a fierce slice.  My shield must have been an upgraded one since most of my Sanghelli allies had to take cover for a moment while I could keep fighting.  I carved through two more humans and one threw a spherical shaped object at me.  I watched it and then it detonated against my shield; I fell back from the force of the blow and a Kig-yar shot the human in the face, blood coating the wall.  “Leader are you ok?!”  Sanshek ran over and I rose to my feet.  
“I’m fine…is everyone else alright?”  He nodded and the Covenant fanned out in the station.  The battle effect slowly wore on me and my vertigo was lost for a moment.  I shook my head and gripped my sword.
“Leader what now?”  Tillo asked and I raised the sword.
“Words later, engage the Heretics!”  They yelled and we charged deeper into the grey hallways of the station.  The resistance was very heavy and as I fought I studied the humans and their tactics.  They would keep together and it would take at least four or five of them to take down a Sanghelli.  Unggoy were quite expendable and the Kig-yar would be far and few in between.  The Lekgolo even more but when I did see them they were tearing into those humans.  
“Leader look out!”  I looked over and a large projectile flew at me.  This was different and the instant I saw it I knew it would turn out bad.  A massive detonation tore my shield off and I was flung hard against the wall.  The Unggoy screamed something and then ran off as my vision spun.  
What was that…that explosion…
I heard voices and slowly the translator in my armor began ciphering the sounds.
“Is it dead?”
“I dunno…I’m not going over there to find out.”
“That thing could still be alive.”
“Then just throw a grenade at it.”
“Are you kidding me?  These things are expensive.  Besides, it looks dead.”  I stayed still in my prone position and my shield was still not up.  “But that rocket blew the shit out of him eh?”
“Yeah it did…Johnson!  Over there!”  
“Shit, Keyes get the hell out of here.  I’ll take these bastards.”
Keyes?  Johnson?  Were these their names?  So strange…  
The sound of footsteps receded and I heard a soft beep as my shield recharged to full.  I stood and looked at my armor; the “rocket” had blown my shield to zero but my armor was still in good condition and all systems checked out normal.  I looked down the hallway and I saw an odd sight.  A tall figure walked in a massive suit of armor and I frowned.  
The demon?  He looks like one of us…but his armor is not the same.
He, I’m sure it was a male, carried himself in a way that a savior would and he gripped the odd weapon in his armored hands.  He looked over and through the orange plated helmet we locked eyes for just a moment.
Then he was gone and a massive explosion cut me off from him and my chance to kill him.  There would be another time…another place…
To destroy.