The Sangheili Pirate's Arrival at Archer's Knee

0534 Hours, November 19, 5079 (Military Calendar)\Shadow of Darkness/Alpha Sagittarii System

    “Exiting Slipstream Space in five,” began Helmsman Joli ‘Hennes. “Four, three, two, one…”

    Supreme Commander Telek ‘Heros glanced up at the sound of the engines of the Shadow of Darkness beginning to slow as they dropped out of the blackness of Slipstream Space.  He tapped a few times on the console of his command chair.

    “All ships report in,” he called.

    “Divine Journey standing by.”

    “Holy Justice standing by.”

    “Righteous Fury standing by.”

    “Regret and Reconciliation standing by.”

    “Transcending Vigilance standing by.”

    “Temporal transference successful, Excellency,” informed Joli.

    “We’re here?” Telek asked as the screen came up with the view of the third planet in the Alpha Sagittarii System.  In Earth folklore, the B-class dwarf star was called Rukbat Alrami, the Archer’s Knee.  Unlike most star systems belonging to the UNSC, Alpha Sagittarii was not located in the Orion Arm of the Milky Way; it was located in the Sagittarius Arm.

    “Yes, Supreme Commander,” replied Rolu. “The Luminary is picking up Forerunner artifacts on the eccentric red planet passing through that Oort Cloud.”

    “Do what, now?” Telek asked, hopping up from his seat.

    “Forerunner artifacts, Excellency,” said Rolu.

    “I can confirm that,” said Cujo, Shipmaster of the Reverence-class battle cruiser Divine Journey. “Forerunner artifacts.  Luminary’s says that planet is lighting up like crazy with them.  I suggest we check it out.”

    “We’ll handle that later,” Telek replied. “Right now, I’ve gotta deal with the distress signal.  At last, I found him.  52 parsecs from Earth and 2500 solar cycles from our starting point.  What’s the year we in now?”

    “This is Earth calendar year 5079 C.E., Excellency,” said Rolu.

    “Long trip from home,” said Telek. “Both our homes.”

    “Sanghelios is probably very different now,” said Joli.

    “Very different,” said Telek. “Look, we all knew if we came here, there would be a chance we may not return home.  To Earth or Sanghelios.”

    “As we have went forward through time, we could go backwards,” said Rolu.

    “Maybe,” Telek shrugged. “Our engines weren’t designed for this sort of thing, though.  As soon as we make contact, we’ll need to check their function.”

    “I know that Earth definitely may be different,” said Tom Jimenez, Captain of the CCS battlecruiser Transcending Vigilance.  Telek could hear a hint of dismay in the human’s voice.

    “Then if we do return to our own time, let’s make absolute sure that we will not go find either planets while we are in this one,” Telek rumbled. “It’s better that we don’t know what may have occurred over the 2500 years, Tom.”

    “Yes, sir,” Tom agreed.

    “Distress signal is strong, Excellency,” said Rolu. “And it is definitely UNSC.  It has an encryption…”

    “An encryption no doubt only for us to find and no one else,” said Telek. “Any energy signatures coming from the third planet?”

    “Three,” replied Joli. “UNSC ships.”

    “Keep our distance and magnify those ships,” Telek commanded.  He watched as the holo-screen before him zoomed in on the three ships.  One particular ship caught his eyes.  It was a Phoenix-class war ship/carrier. “Closer on the larger ship, Joli.”

    Upon closer examination, Telek saw written in bold white letters “Yokohama” on the side.

    “I’ll be damned,” Telek chuckled, a grin spreading across his mandibles. “Admiral Paul Benden’s ship.  So, he did make it safely after all.  But it’s been 2500 years…”

    “Those ships show activity,” said Cujo. “Recent activity.”

    “Who the hell would want to go into those old ships?” Telek asked. “And activate them?”

    “Kiryuu,” said Tom. “It has to be President Knight’s doing.”

    “Of course,” Telek sighed. “Kiryuu. Are we cloaked?”

    “Yes, Excellency,” said Joli.

    “Good,” said Telek. “The only energy signature is coming from those three ships.  From what the message said, the descendants of the original refugees had not held Tier 3 technology in a long time.  Seeing a ship like mine might scare the shit outta them.”

    “2500 years, Excellency,” informed Rolu. “It is possible that the Spartan may not be alive now.”

    “At least we’ll get some answers from Kiryuu,” said Telek. “After all, it’s because of him we’re here.”

    “There appears to be a lot of plasma scoring on the surface of the Yokohama,” said Joli. “Looks like there had been a battle since they arrived here.”  He glanced back at Telek. “Possibly from what was left of the Covenant.”

    “Forerunner technology just a hop, skip, and a jump away,” said Telek, looking back at a holographic screen that showed the strange red planet.  He got up and walked over to the debriefing table and pulled up several holographic images showing where precisely the Forerunner technology was located on the red planet.  The screen showed a topographic overlay of the rocky, jagged surface.  Leaning down on his hands, he studied the image closely.  The outline vector of a familiar object came up in red.  It was wedged in a large canyon gash that etched its way several thousand miles across the surface.  Then, he took note of two peculiar craters near the canyon, both were separated by several hundreds of miles, but occurring in the same canyon.  Those were not meteor impacts, they were caused by something else.  Telek turned his head away and returned his eyes to the red outline.

    “I think I’ve found the missing half of the Forward Unto Dawn,” he began. “Of course we’ll need to scout around to be sure.  But I think I found how Kiryuu got here.  And it’s so close to the Forerunner artifacts.”  He leaned up. “Alright.  Let’s make contact and find out just what happened here.”

    He lowered himself back into his seat and began to send out a message, hoping for another reply.  Within about 10 minutes, a reply came.  Joli decrypted the message.

>I am located down on the Southern Continent.  These are the coordinates.  Bring a cloaked Phantom and stay cloaked yourself.  You will find the Administration Building.  Sneak passed the guards but do not harm them.  I will keep the signal going which will lead you to the elevator to the sub-levels of the base.  There is a code you must enter at the keypad.  2544 is the code.

    “Well, that’s it,” Telek said. “I’ll take the Phantom down.  All of you, keep yourselves cloaked and do not enter the atmosphere.  If I need help, I’ll call.”

    He glanced back just as Spec Ops Commander Shri ‘Canthon walked into the bridge.

    “You’re not going without me and my Sangheili,” she crossed her arms.

    “Yes, I am,” Telek growled.

    “Bullshit,” Shri clacked her mandibles. “Infiltrating landing parties are supposed to contrive of one lance of Spec Ops warriors and one Commander.”

    “I am in charge, Shri,” Telek growled. “What I say goes.  You’re not going.  I’m going alone.”

    “Up here you are,” she said. “On the ship you are.  In the fleet you are, down there you’re not—Supreme Commander.   Or have you forgotten those protocols?”

    “I haven’t,” Telek said. “But I am also a Spec Ops Warrior myself, you know that.”

    “Were,” she said. “Now you’re not, Telek.”

    “I still haven’t lost my edge,” said Telek.

    “But you’re getting up there in years,” said Shri. “You’re not as fast or as stealthy as you used to be.  You’ll need a lance of fast and stealthy Sangheili to assist you.  Ysoa and I will go with our lance.  Also, as protocol dictates, no Supreme Commander is to leave the ship unescorted.”

    “So, basically you’re telling me I’m getting old,” Telek snorted.

    “If the Depend adult underwear fits…” Shri placed her hands on her hips.

    “Nice…” the Supreme Commander growled. “Fine, you can come.  But you’re lucky I don’t court martial you for such a statement, Commander.  I may be getting old, but I’m not incontinent.”

    Shri chuckled as she moved aside while Telek walked passed her, picking up the trailing edge of the shimmering metallic, deep violet cloak he wore from the ground.  She then stepped up and followed him down the many levels of the massive Shadow of Darkness.  

    “Good luck, Telek,” whispered a voice echoing through the corridor of the ship.

    “Don’t you start sticking your nose into things you shouldn’t while I’m gone, Casper,” Telek growled, catching a ghostly, shimmering shape pass over him.

    “You know that I won’t,” the voice replied. “But it’s important to me that I know he’s alright.  I can sense him down there.”

    “Kiryuu is down there?” he asked, turning around as the phantom-like image became solid, taking the shape of a silver and blue Western Dragon.  The dragon was the Free Spirit of Dunkelzahn.  After 8 years since the war ended, the Western Dragon ghost still insisted that he remain with Telek until he found Kiryuu.

    “I have no doubts on it, Telek,” Dunkelzahn replied.

    “You’re Phylactery is in my quarters, Mr. Dead President,” Telek said. “When I know it’s safe, I’ll bring you down with me on the next trip.  I just hope you’re right.  I wonder what happened to Kiryuu after all these centuries.”

    “I sense his loneliness despite having the descendants to talk to,” Dunkelzahn said. “And his sadness.  He blames himself for something.  Unfortunately, I don’t know what it is.  He’s a boiling pot of emotions right now.”

    “I don’t know if that’s good or bad,” Telek shrugged.

    “Telek, let’s go!” Shri called. “Sorry, President Dunkelzahn.  We just can’t waste time.”

    “Do find out what troubles him, Telek,” he urged. “You know how I worry.”

    “I swear to God you’re worse than my mother,” Telek snorted which brought a chuckle to the ghost.  Dunkelzahn’s ethereal image disappeared like a wisp of smoke being dispersed.  Telek turned around and headed back down the corridor.

    The moment they got to the Phantom launch bay, Telek tossed his violet cloak to a red-armored Major Domo who simply bowed and backed away with it.  He glanced over as Ysoa and Shri with their lance of black and dark blue armored Special Operations Sangheili warriors.  Telek got into the Phantom and headed for the cockpit and seated himself behind the pilot and the copilot red-armored Major Domo Sangheili.

    “Docking clamps have retracted,” said the operator in the bay.

    “When we exit,” began Telek. “Engage cloaking device.  I don’t want to be caught by whoever is down there.”

    “Yes, Supreme Commander,” said the pilot.

    “Take off,” Telek gestured.

    The Phantom took off from the carrier, fading into invisibility.

    “We’re crossing over the terminator into night,” informed the co-pilot.

    “Good, it’s night where we’re going,” Telek said. “He’s left the beacon open for us to follow.”

    As the Phantom slowly descended down into the atmosphere, the pilot banked the craft off towards the fjord where the signal was originating.

    “There are no other energy signatures I can read, Excellency,” said the co-pilot. “Except one faint one from the fjord.  Possibly a power station.”

    “Only one?” Telek asked.

    “That’s right,” he nodded.

    “What’s going on?” Shri asked, opening up the cockpit door.

    “We’ve found a faint energy signature,” said Telek.

    As they came closer, Telek was able to make out a familiar structure of a UNSC base on the plateau. There were people on the ground though, guards and enormous creatures keeping a vigil on the building.  He recognized those shapes.  They were dragons.

    “Oh, hell…more dragons…” Telek growled, clacking his mandibles. “Like I don’t have to deal with one of those mangy lizards, then there’s more.  Won’t Dunkelzahn be happy to hear he’s got kinfolk here?”

    “I don’t know,” said Shri. “Those dragons don’t look exactly like the dragons I’ve seen.  I’ve been close enough to one to know the difference.”

    “Lofwyr,” Telek sighed.

    “Yeah,” she nodded. “Lofwyr.  Taught him a lesson or two not to take me so lightly.  Besides, those dragons look a bit smaller than Earth Dragons.”

    Telek began to hear a buzzing sound as the Phantom slowly and softly landed behind some trees near the building.  The buzzing sound was coming more from his head than his ears though, which disturbed him.  The buzzing sound became clearer and became actual voices, muffled voices.  He could hear their words but the more he tried to focus on them, the more annoying the buzzing sound became.  He knew the voices were not human.

    “Telek?” Shri asked, noticing his discomfort.

    “It’s nothing,” he replied.

    “We’ve landed, Excellency,” said the pilot.

    “Open her up,” he nodded. “Well, Shri, coming?”

    “Spec Ops, engage active camouflage,” Shri commanded.  The Spec Ops warriors, Shri, and Telek soon vanished into invisibility and dropped out below the invisible Phantom.

    “Hold position until we return,” Telek whispered through the comlink.

    “There’s a path through here,” informed Ysoa.

    They filed their way through the jungle, their weapons at the ready.  Telek held up his carbine looking through the sight at the guards.  There were indeed dragons.  He knew their shape rather well, though they did appear to be slightly different than Earth Dragons.  These dragons held the shape of Western Dragons with their thick bodies, four legs and two bat-like leathery wings, but they did not appear to possess any sort of horn ornamentation that the Western Dragons were famous for.  Though his eyes were able to see rather well in the dark, he could not see any sort of distinct feature about them other than what he could see by their silhouettes.  They made their way passed the sleeping dragons and the humans who slept beside them and silently walked over to the front of the building.  Shri spied two guards at the door barring their way.  Then, she took notice to the weapons they had in their hands.  The guards were not armed with guns, but were armed with spears.

    “How primitive…” she whispered. “Those guards have spears, not guns.”

    “Okay,” whispered Telek. “We’re not to harm the guards.”

    “How can we get them away from the door without harming them?” asked Ysoa.

    “A diversion,” said Shri.  She brought out a plasma grenade and ignited it.

    “No, Shri!” Telek hissed just as she tossed the glowing cyan ball off towards some barrels.  The grenade stuck to the barrels and exploded, awakening the guards, the dragons and any others at the base.  Everyone came running towards the explosion.

    “Come on, the door’s wide open now,” she whispered.