So did you make his name Xatan on propose? Xatan = Satan?

I love how everyone is asking about Savana and the possibility of a love sub-plot. Sorry Wolvers, I can pretty much guarantee rule 34 on this story.

this really is remarkable. It could be the most awesome thing ever for me to have layed my eyes on will savana be introduced back into the main story line soon? By the way, good luck on your exams [Edited on 06.05.2011 8:15 AM PDT]

No, I haven't done that in a while. I'll update it when I've got the time. Anyway, for the next two weeks I've got about 16 exams and so I hope you understand that I shall definitely not be writing anything in that time. All of them will be finished by the 17th though, and I'll have as much time as I want to write True Sangheili. [Edited on 06.05.2011 6:10 AM PDT]

I think the romance will attract some fan-girls. Also, are you still uploading to Fanfiction.net? [Edited on 06.04.2011 9:37 PM PDT]

God, Xantan'ee is one sick bastard. I really hope he gets what he deserves.

Great stuff. (I was almost expecting SPARTAN/ODST team to burst in at the "where's the UNSC now " -part)

I just spent 7 hours reading this. You are truly gifted at writing, Wolvers.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] ajw34307 I here-by envoke Rule 34 on this fan fiction. Sorry Connor. ;)[/quote]Also: link plz. j/k

Cliffhangers are good, they keep peoples attention, and it would probably get boring without cliffhangers. CLIFFHANGERS RULE!!! :-D

Nice work, havnt been active for awhile. I enjoyed that last chapter. Also, please stop with the cliffhangers :D

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] The Seraphim In my head, I'm considering your story as Canon, as it fits well with the Halo Story ( With the exception of Thel'Vadamee being a Supreme Commander in 2530, he was only a Major at the time, 2 years after the glassing of Madrigal.[/quote] Well, this is more like 2532 (Eridanus II was indeed first glassed in 2530 but in the context of this story it was only a partial glassing as with Harvest, and so the humans thought they would be safe to live there as they believed the Covenant wouldn't return; in 2532, Xatan'ee is finishing the job), but I see your point. I'll try and work something out.

Awesome chapter. I look forward to the next one!

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] The Seraphim In my head, I'm considering your story as Canon, as it fits well with the Halo Story ( With the exception of Thel'Vadamee being a Supreme Commander in 2530, he was only a Major at the time, 2 years after the glassing of Madrigal. )[/quote] he must have been promoted temporarily. :-D

I just read through all of that in two days. You sir are an amazing writer. I actually feel for the characters in the story, and I absolutely love it when Covenant culture is shown, as well as friendly interactions with Humans. In my head, I'm considering your story as Canon, as it fits well with the Halo Story ( With the exception of Thel'Vadamee being a Supreme Commander in 2530, he was only a Major at the time, 2 years after the glassing of Madrigal. ) Either way, I love the story!

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] AssaultCommand OT: Ahkrin shook his dead? Didn't you mean 'head'?[/quote] lol i noticed that too, i got confused, at first i thought it meant he shook the dead humans XD, but then i realised he meant head. :-D

Ajw, you bastard. OT: Ahkrin shook his dead? Didn't you mean 'head'?

I here-by envoke Rule 34 on this fan fiction. Sorry Connor. ;)

Stop with the cliff hangers, it's not fair.

Goodness. Even with exams, the quality of your work is amazing.

I'm guessing you are done with exams now or very close. Very gruesome part loved the details, can't wait for the duel.

[i]"An assignment already? You only just arrived here,[/i]" she pouts the morning after, as they lie entwined in each others arms. He grimaces reluctantly as he pulls away from her slender arms, looks down at the order beeping on the communicator bound to his skin. "[i]War does not care for the wants of those who fight it,[/i]" he replies sadly, rolling out of bed and standing up. Her eyes follow him with admiration as he moves to pick up his clothes and armour, strewn across the floor wrapped in her own. "[i]I'm sure it can wait a few more minutes,[/i]" she retorts coyly, an impish grin crossing her face. He turns, a sly smile gracing his too-young-for-war face as he moves back towards her. He reaches down, shadowing her with his large torso, gently pulling the covers away from her body-- With a start, the memory ended and Savara found herself snapped out of the dream, back in the cold, unforgiving morgue. A biting wind had swept in, a snatch of the atmosphere from the planet High Charity mined. Sorran's grave stared up at her, the flowers she had laid by it fluttering in the breeze. And finally, Savara was hit by the realisation that he was gone forever. Tears sprang into her eyes, falling like tiny diamonds down her ashen face, striking the harsh purple of the ground as they fell yet further. She felt two frail hands grab her shoulders with all the tightness those old hands could muster, and she turned her weeping head slightly to find Convalescence smiling at her sadly. He didn't say anything; he didn't need to. With a final, great sob, Savara lapsed into his embrace and cried into his shoulder. "[i]Don't worry, it's just a standard siege. I'll be back to you before you know it, my sweet. I love you,"[/i] he says with passion, before pulling away to join Zharn and Ahkrin in their shuttle. She stands and watches him leave, too stunned by his proclamation of love to return it. Now she would never have the chance. * * * "Well, well," newly appointed Fleetmaster Xatan'ee grinned, pacing up and down the line of chained humans in the ship's prison. "How the tables have turned." He pressed a holographic button fixated around his wrist, and the opaque shield obscuring the viewing window that was the entire outer wall of the narrow corridor turned transparent. Xatan'ee had the window installed personally; he loved his prisoners to see the harshness of the vacuum he would toss them out of. This time though, he had something for more chilling to show them. Eridanus II was burning. The planet which had once been a core colony of humanity was being subjected to the ultimate punishment of the holy Covenant. Hundreds of ships swarmed over the stratosphere, firing down glassing beams and turning the surface into molten glass. Their capital cities, their megastructures, their museums, houses, history; all of it, burnt to ash. Xatan'ee turned back to face the five hundred or so prisoners he had spared for his enjoyment. Tears were in many of their eyes; primal rage was etched into all of them. A little girl clutched her mother's leg tightly, burying her sobbing face into trousers still stained with the blood of her father, who Xatan'ee had executed minutes before on a whim. "You bastard!" a young man shouted, his fury making him forget the chains which bound him. Xatan'ee laughed as the man strained pathetically against the plasma bonds which held him firmly in place, clapping his hands with glee. "I like your attitude, boy. I think I'll kill you last; we'll see how gutsy you are standing amidst of the corpses of all your fellows," the fleetmaster decided, nodding. The young man suddenly stopped struggling, and fell back. "For god's sake, there are children here. Surely you won't kill them?" a dark man with a haunted look in his eyes asked softly, hand tightly grasping the shoulder of his young boy, shielding his gaze from Xatan'ee. "It is not I who will kill you, heretics. It is the will of the Forerunners, blessed be they; I am merely the instrument through which they play. Perhaps, through my holy cleansing, your souls may be deemed fit to travel the Journey," the fleetmaster replied with reverence. "Fleetmaster, we do not kill children," Zharn finally spoke up, after having watched the scene before him uncomfortably for so long. "It is not the Sangheili way." Xatan'ee glanced over his shoulder at Zharn, and when he spoke it was in a completely normal tone, absent of any insanity that marred it when he spoke to the captive humans. The juxtaposition was chilling. "They aren't children, Zharn," Xatan'ee laughed uncertainly, seemingly puzzled by the other Sangheili's words. "Merely smaller versions of the daemons they will soon become. You must know this." Zharn merely nodded slowly, disturbed. He knew now why the Covenant had appointed Xatan'ee as fleetmaster; he was utterly ruthless, and a complete psycopath. The perfect man to commit genocide without so much as blinking. "You can kill us all, split-lip, but it'll be a mercy compared to what the UNSC will do to you!" a female marine screeched defiantly, tears burning fierce trails down her bruised face. Xatan'ee murderous gaze turned to her, and he walked over to where she stood chained, towering over her. "The UNSC? Your UNSC has left you all to die," he breathed loudly into her quivering ear, before suddenly drawing out his sword, hilt stained to the core with crimson, and drove it into the marine's stomach forcefully. And he didn't stop there. Still leaving the sword lodged firmly in her, he drew out a smaller knife and hacked down with it into her head. The plasma blade entered through the back and emerged through her now-dead eyes, burning her once-pretty face away into boiling flesh. Xatan'ee then dug his claws into her limp neck, and with a bloodthirsty rar began to tear at the frail skin, puncturing her trachea as if it were the wing of a butterfly and tearing her neck open, the blood splashing all over the floor. The little girl screamed as she was drenched in the fluids of the dead woman, blood and sinew flying over the floor. Zharn watched with disbelief, sick to the gut. The rest of the human prisoners could only stare helpless in horror as Xatan'ee continued to defile to corpse of the one who had spoken out against him. He looked beseechingly to the guards, but they had simply turned away from the barbacity pointedly. They'd obviously encountered this aspect of Xatan'ee many times before. Finally, the man of about ninety who had been chained next to the dead marine couldn't take it any more, and tried in vain to push to much taller and stronger Xatan'ee away. The Sangheili fleetmaster laughed at the pitiful attempt, and, dropping the corpse, turned with a malicious grin on the old man. "Why do you fight? Surely you know you can never defeat us," Xatan'ee mocked, towering over the small, cowering man. Zharn stepped forward against his better judgement, hearts pounding nervously. The blood-crazed fleetmaster took his sword from what remained of the woman's body, and brought it up, the plasma crackling dangerously as it ionised the blood trapped within. With a feral cry, Xatan'ee thrust the blade forward-- "Enough!" Zharn shouted, intercepting Xatan'ee's arm as it came crashing down and staying his blade. A deadly silence suddenly fell on the room, and even the humans were too shocked to be relieved. Xatan'ee's guards finally turned around, and converged on Zharn, but the fleetmaster held them at bay with his free hand. He stared incredously down at Zharn. There was silence for what seemed hours, pervaded only been the fountain of blood still leaking from the dead marine, what remained of her face staring blankly up at the ceiling. Finally, the fleetmaster broke the quiet. "You dare to interfere in my holy crusade?" he demanded with rage, looking for all the world as if he was about to do to Zharn what he did to that poor marine woman. Zharn stared up at him defiantly, terrified inside but determined not to show it. He drew in a breath, and chose his words carefully. "Holy crusade? You're a disgrace to our people, Xatan'!" he bellowed, intentionally leaving the honourific 'ee' off the end of his name. "Where is your honour? Your respect for blood and death? You are no Sangheili." Xatan'ee finally wrestled his arm away from Zharn's grip, and backed away a little. He chewed his jaw angrily, eyes bulging with anger. "You have authority on the ground, Zharn. But this is [i]my ship[/i], [i]my fleet,[/i] and you will obey [i]my command![/i] Do you comprehend me?" "No," Zharn replied defiantly, his hand on his own sword now. Xatan'ee stood quiet then, framed by the destruction of the planet below. "... so, it has come to this. We have only just met, Zharn, and already you are invoking the right of challenge?" Xatan'ee demanded, unable to believe he was being defied. "There is no need to for anymore violence, Xatan'ee," Zharn replied placatingly, shaking his dead. "All I am saying is that I believe you are unfit to be fleetmaster, and I cannot stand by and let you tarnish the honour of all Sangheili through your insane actions. But I have no wish to challenge you." The words echoed through the long corridor, reverberating off every beating heart in the room. Xatan'ee shook his head, smile long gone now. "You already have. We will meet in the dueling arena at dawn, and fight in a duel to the death. The victor claims the other's honour, and any command he may possess. Do you agree to these terms?" [i]Gods help me,[/i] Zharn prayed. "If there is no other way for us to resolve this. then I will duel you, Xatan'ee. And if there's one thing you realise before you draw your blade tomorrow, make it this -- I will win... and I [i]will[/i] kill you." [Edited on 05.25.2011 4:24 PM PDT]

Managed to get this written between revision for my exams. Hope you enjoy. [b]Part 30 -- Honour[/b] "You're getting good!" Hem told Sorran as they sparred, their two swords clashing in a flurry of sparks. The flickering cobalt lights cut through the quiet dawn, casting faint half-shadows across the wall of the training room. "Really?" Sorran wheezed as he met a thrust of Hem's, creating a discharge of energy which nearly blew him over. Hem suddenly leapt forward and in three graceful moves, had his sword out of his hand; the fourth knocked him to the ground. The older Honour Guard's blade descended mere centimetres from his armoured throat, and Sorran could feel the dangerous heat even through the mail he wore. "No," Hem told him blankly, deactivating his sword and reaching out a hand. Sorran begrudgingly grapsed it, and was hoisted up to his feet. "But at least you're not entirely awful now. I swear, I'll make a swordsman of you yet, Sorran." "Swords are antiquated relics of a time long passed," Sorran muttered bitterly, rubbing the side Hem had smacked with no little force painfully. "Do not speak so ignorantly, my pupil. They symbolise a Sangheili's honour, and there is little more important in this world than honour," Hem began to lecture, and Sorran groaned inwardly. Not the honour speech again. Half an hour later, he finally stopped talking, and began to remove his armour. The practice had taken its toll on him; that much Sorran could see by the perspiration blanketing his wrinkled skin, which was as tough and enduring as hardened leather beaten by the mid-day sun. Pel was watching them absently from a corner. His injuries had almost healed, but Restraint had insisted he stay until he was back in peak condition. The Minister had chosen not to let the zealot into their little circle of heresy, and although Sorran felt bad for concealing the truth from Pel, he knew it was the only thing that could be done. "You've been training hard lately," Pel observed as Sorran walked over, grabbing a drink from an amused Jajab. "What for?" Sorran took a long swig of water, taken from deep below the planet High Charity was currently stripping. It was an arid world and water was scarce and dirty, but thanks to the seemingly infinite power of the Forerunner Dreadnought it could all be purified without so much as denting the energy reserves. He then looked down at the Sangheili he had saved, who seemed to be reading a book. "Just training," he replied engimatically, taking a seat next to him. Pel smiled. "Of course. You know, it's kind of odd that an honour guard needs combat training," he observed in an odd tone of voice. Sorran blinked. "I'm not too experienced. Restraint likes to recruit his guards when they're green, so he can have Hem beat them into younger versions of himself without any other habits getting in the way," Sorran laughed. Pel nodded slowly. "Right. Restraint has been kind to me," he commented, with a tinge of regret in his voice for some reason. "Don't feel like you're imposing," Sorran told Pel sincerely. "Trust me, he has done far more for myself. You're a good man, Pel." "... maybe," Pel smiled softly, staring down at the ground. For a few moments there was nothing but the sound of birds chorusing through the early morning, until Pel finally spoke, haltingly. "Listen, Sorran. There's something I should tell you." "Oh?" Sorran asked, looking at Pel now. He seemed troubled by something, that much was clear. "Speak freely, friend." "I--" Pel started, when he was suddenly cut off by a sharp whistle from Hem. "Sorran! This isn't a tea break, boy! Get over here, and this time at least try to block my attacks!" he barked over, and Sorran rolled his eyes, crying inside. He took one last drink and moved to get up, but not before turning back to face Pel. "Sorry, what were you saying?" he asked softly, tightening the straps on his armour. For a moment Pel looked as if he would spill, but finally settled into a taut smile and shook his head. "It's nothing, never mind. Go, train," he said, brushing Sorran away with his hand. Sorran looked at him for a few moments, before nodding himself and turning to run towards Hem. Pel watched him go, fidgeting nervously. He knew no amount of training would help him in the end. * * * "[i]Xatan'ee has rightly inherited control of the fleet; he was sub-commander, remember. The previous fleetmaster obviously trusted him,[/i]" placated Supreme Commander Thel Vadam'ee over the holographic communication interface, a link made private by Ahkrin. He, Zharn and Orpheus sat clustered around the small visual representation of the Supreme Commander grimly. "And with all due respect, great one, the previous fleetmaster fell off a platform and broke his neck," Ahkrin retorted bluntly. "So you'll forgive me if I don't completely believe in all of his actions." "[i]My hands are tied, I am afraid.[/i]" "Can't you just remove him from power?" Zharn demanded, the fresh memories of the humans Xatan'ee had executed en masse at breakfast whilst eating at the same time still haunting him. "You're the Supreme Commander, now." Vadam'ee laughed. "[i]Were it so easy,[/i]" he muttered. "[i]My hands are tied, ultra. I hope you realise that [/i]I[i] can do nothing.[/i]" Zharn sighed, nodding slowly. "Very well," he exhaled. "Thank you for your time, Supreme Commander. We know you must be busy." "[i]I always have time for noble Sangheili such as yourself... Jiralhanae too[/i]," Vadam'ee answered, before turning around and murmurring a few words to someone behind him. "[i]I'm sorry, I must go; Regret has returned from whatever recent failure Truth is so livid with him over, and I must receive him onto my ship. You must not spread this news, but I hear the Arbiter is dead as a result of his actions.[/i]" "Truly?" Ahkrin asked skeptically. "Demons?" Thel laughed bitingly, before saying with what almost seemed like awe: "[i]No, just a lone man. I do not grieve; it is an Arbiter's mission to die. And this particular Arbiter was not one I cared for, anyway.[/i] "Whoever this man was, we should get him up hear to deal with our own pain in the rear," Ahkrin muttered. Thel laughed at that, before nodding. "[i]Would that we could. Unfortunately, you're on your own. Good luck with Xatan'ee, all of you. I hope you'll do what's right.[/i]" The holographic interface closed, leaving Zharn, Ahkrin and Orpheus alone in the quarters Zharn had been assigned. They were spacious, well-befitting an officer of his rank. But even this far away from the main battery, they could still feel the terrible shuddering of the plasma cannons as they tore their way into the flesh of the planet below. There was silence for what must have been a minute, as they all sat back despondently in their chairs. "It will be hard, being under the command of a madman," Orpheus finally spoke, breaking the silence. "And I hear he harbours no love for my kind." "But what can we do?" Zharn asked hopelessly. "My command lays vested on the ground, not here in the stars. Ahkrin is barely respected due to his status as both a stealth Sangheili [i]and[/i] member of a disgraced house--" "Thanks," Ahkrin butted in with mock indignation. "If anyone needs me, I'll just be slitting my wrists." "-- and Orpheus is a Jiralhane," Zharn finished, not even dignifying Ahkrin's sarcastic interjection. "Vadam'ee was our last hope." "I say we kill him," Ahkrin suggested. "That's your solution to everything," Orpheus replied bitingly. Ahkrin shrugged. "I find it works well. But no, there [i]is[/i] a way we can kill him legitimately... well, Zharn can." "I'm not about to challenge my superior, Ahkrin," Zharn cut in sharply. "No matter how insane he is, there are some things more important. Honour, loyalty and duty; these are what make us Sangheili." "True," Ahkrin conceeded. "And Xatan'ee is besmirching all of these traits. Vadam'ee told us he could do nothing, and stressed the 'I' part multiple times." "You're reading into it far too much," Zharn muttered darkly, folding his arms. "He hopes we'll do the right thing, Zharn. You know what that means." * * * The gravestone was but one of thousands, scattered across the fields of mourning in the morgue of High Charity. An unassuming shaping of blue light, a chalis holding the stasis-ball which held within Sorran's ashes. Savara wrapped her hands around the ball tightly, tears streaming down her face as she did so. The touch sent an impulse to her brain, stimulating the thalamus and trawling through the network of syapses. Subtly, memories of Sorran rose to the surface; almost every moment she'd spent with him played in her mind in a montage of reminiscence. The first time she'd set eyes upon him, knowing he was indecent but not averting her gaze. Their first courting, a walk through the ship ending at the aft observation deck, where they had held each other in the warm gaze of the stars. A kiss, warmth cutting through the cold of the room and setting her hearts aflame. Their passions had continued, feverishly making their way back to her quarters.

This is even better than your Halo Insurrection story. I look forward to more chapters. Keep up the good work! [Edited on 05.17.2011 7:47 AM PDT]

yay :-D

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] random no337 Bloody hell, I've got some catching up to do. I don't think I've been to the Gallery in over a month![/quote] Don't worry too much there mate, I haven't written a chapter in over a month. Well, I've been writing one despite my exams. It should be finished soon, I'm just sorting the pacing out.