Solipsis: A Halo Story

2559.
As humanity continues to recover from the devastating effects of the Reclamation, a galaxy-wide blackout that saw the rise of the Created, an allegiance of renegade artificial intelligences, as a galactic superpower, Anthony Joshua, and his friends, Alessia and Jonah, try to go on with their everyday lives on the research colony of Prospero.  
Unbeknownst to them, a Banished invasion force looms above their home, led by a disgraced warlord who seeks to restore his honor by any means necessary. Their only hope of survival is Exra ‘Kasum, a Sangheili warrioress hiding a mysterious past, and fellow renegades Bok Rug and Badab, as they undertake a perilous journey that will turn them in their unlikely heroes. 
Allies will become enemies and strangers will become friends, as the secrets of a Forerunner installation known as Solipsis are unveiled…
==Act One: Fates Entwined==
===Chapter One: Advent of War===
Exile. 
That was the price Chieftain Arkarum had to pay after betraying the Banished.
There was a time when he used to be a member of Atriox’s inner circle, as he chose to fight by his side when he broke free from the Covenant’s yoke at the human colony world of Algolis many cycles ago. 
But not anymore.
After conspiring to take the Warmaster’s place for himself, he was sentenced to wander across the stars, looking for a way to redeem himself before Atriox’s eyes. 
While staring at the holographic display of his next target, a faint, orange glow was casted upon Arkarum’s scarred face. 
“Derianus!” Arkarum growled. “Get over here!” 
“Yes, Chieftain?” The reply came from a younger Jiralhanae, clad in a red and gray power armor, attached with an orange, holographic flag displaying the Banished symbol.
“Is this the world you told me about?”
“Yes. It is.” Derianus replied. “I shall name it, Oth Solkon.”
“Tell me, what’s so special about this planet of yours?” Arkarum asked. Although he already knew the answer, he wanted to hear it from Derianus himself. 
“If I’m not mistaken, this world is the resting place of a Forerunner creation engine.” 
“A creation engine, you said?” Arkarum asked. While serving in the Covenant, he heard tales about ancient, Forerunner relicts capable of both, creating and destroying life. If those stories were to be true, he had a powerful weapon in his hands, one he could use to pay his debt. 
“Indeed.” Derianus replied. “There won’t be any resistance to oppose us, other than the expected automated response, of course.” 
Skeptic, Arkarum slid his sturdy fingers across the holographic interface, focusing on what seemed to be unsanctioned, human settlement of some kind. “Are you sure about that?”
“What in Sonin?” Derianus asked. “That shouldn’t be possible!”
“Impossible or not, here they are.” Arkarum replied. “And their Created must be close. If the Apparition finds out we are here, she will send her Guardians to hunt us down! Do you have any idea on the kind of trouble you just got us into?” 
“Easy, Arkarum.” Scoutmaster Akoth’s raspy voice skimmed his way through the conversation, interrupting them. "You don’t have to worry about their Created. Not at all.”
“What makes you say that, Kig-Yar?” Arkarum asked. If there was one thing the old and proud Jiralhanae despised, it was being interrupted. But, as much as he wanted to grab Akoth by his neck and choke him, he backed up. Perhaps, the Kig-Yar leader had something useful to say. 
“My boys picked up some of their off-world transmissions.” Akoth replied. “These humans recognize the sovereignty of their Created, yes. But otherwise, they’re on their own. And it seems they would like to keep it that way…” 
“Then we have the element of surprise on our side…” Arkarum replied, as his lips slowly gave way to a twisted smile. “Good.”
“Just as I said, Chieftain.” Derianus said, as he clenched his fist and rapped it against his chest. “They won’t pose a threat to us.”
“Akoth…” Arkarum growled.
“Yes, Chieftain?”
“Leave us alone.” Arkarum ordered. “Now.”
“As you wish, Chieftain.” Akoth replied. “Good luck, cub.”
“Save yourself the pity, Kig-Yar.” 
“Just saying. You’re going to need it…”
Akoth left the war room, leaving Derianus behind to face the Chieftain’s wrath for himself.
“For how long you kept this information to yourself?” 
“For months.” 
“And only now you chose to reveal it to me?”
“My apologies, Chieftain. I thought—”
“You thought nothing!” Arkarum raised his voice as he struck the holotable, shattering the screen beneath the weight of his fist. “Had you done it, we would have already returned to our brothers! Be honest with me, Derianus. Are you trying to impress me? Or are you trying to kill your old daskalo?”
“I’m trying to make you proud, father…”
“You’re going to make me proud when you stop looking for my approval and learn stand up for yourself!”
“I understand, Chieftain.”
“No, you don’t understand.” Arkarum replied, as he scoldingly raised his finger. “If you did, we wouldn’t be wasting our time in this pointless talk…”
Having nothing else to say, Derianus lowered his head submissively. 
“You’re dismissed, Captain.” Arkarum asked. “And I suggest you mask your scent. Unless you want your whimpers to be smelled…”
Derianus obeyed, leaving with his proverbial tail between his legs, as Arkarum returned his attention back to the holotable.
----
“My brothers and sisters, listen to me!" Arkarum’s holographic bust roared throughout the speakers of his flagship, the Ghost of Doda’keyt. "As you already know, we’ve been on the move for a long time. Our supplies have been dwindling and our forces growing smaller in number, as the Apparition and her Created make things worse for everyone. But soon, all this suffering will come to an end. Before us lies Oth Solkon, a world whose secrets are not only the key to rejoin the Banished, but to breathe life back into Doisac. But we will have to fight for them first. Humanity has claimed this world as one of their own, soiling the ground with their filthy footsteps and polluting the air with their nauseating breaths. We will cleanse this world from their hateful presence and, once they are gone, we will take what is rightfully ours! For the Banished!”
Fists rose in the air and war chants echoed across the hallways of the Doda’keyt, falling on the ears—or rather, hearing membranes—of Exra ‘Kasum, who had listened to enough of Arkarum’s sermons for a lifetime. In her eyes, the Jiralhanae were nothing but brutish savages, who knew no better thing than to ravage everything on their paths, all in the name of their so-called free will. But as much she sometimes thought they were not so different. She was working for them, after all.
“Exra! Are you busy?” Another Sangheili, clad in a golden, Ultra-class harness with red markings, asked, holding his helmet under his arm. 
“Not really.” Exra replied. “What do you want, ‘Baruch?” 
“The Chieftain has a job for you.” 
“A job? What kind of job?”
“Follow me, and you’ll see.”
Exra followed ‘Baruch, who was not only her commanding officer, but the closest thing she had to a friend, as he walked through red and gray corridors. A group of hurried, Unggoy workers passed by them, much to Exra’s confusion. “Why is everyone in a hurry?”
“You would know it if you listened to what the Chieftain has to say.” ‘Baruch replied. “We are in something big, Exra. Big enough to settle our debt with Atriox.”
“Yes. Our debt.”
“Is there anything wrong, Exra?” 
“No. Nothing to worry about.”
‘Baruch frowned. He knew Exra well enough to notice when something was wrong with her. Sooner or later, he would find out what kind of thoughts were inside her head. But, until then, they had things to do. When they arrived at the main hangar, they saw dozens of drop-bases, self-propelled prefabricated structures, being deployed, each one carrying enough materials to build planetside outposts and stage an invasion campaign.
But they had not walked all the way there just to watch.
Leaning his back against a large supply crate, a T’vaoan Kig-Yar, possessing a blue mane of feathers—same color as his armor—and a greyish, striated skin, was taking a nap, as an Unggoy Mule was carrying weapons and ammunition on his disproportionately huge forearms. 
“Who are these guys?” Exra asked.
“Quiet, Exra. Let me do the talk.” ‘Baruch replied, repeatedly banging his fist against the crate. “Wake up, nishum!” 
“Who’s knocking?” the T’vaoan mumbled in his half-asleep state. “Go bother someone else. I’m trying to get some rest if you don’t mind.”
“Good morning, Bok Rug.” 
“Oh, ‘Baruch! It is you! What brings you around here?” A nervous chuckle escaped out of the T’vaoan’s throat as he awkwardly placed his hand upon ‘Baruch’s chestplate, much to the Sangheili’s annoyance. 
“Take your feathered hands off my chest, now.” ‘Baruch ordered.
“Right on it!” Bok Rug replied, before turning to see the Unggoy. “I told you to wake me up, Badab!”
“Badab!” the Unggoy shouted his own name—the only word he could speak—as he jolted, accidentally spilling equipment all over the floor. 
“Those are Bok Rug and Badab.” ‘Baruch replied. “As their Enforcer, you’re going to take lead of them.”
“As their, what?” 
“I knew that would to be your reaction.” ‘Baruch replied. “But you must understand. We have already lost many of our brothers. Order and discipline must be brought back. And who else would be able to do so, if not the illegitimate daughter of a Kaidon…”
“I told you not to remind me of my past, ‘Baruch.”
“I know, but it is a waste of your talents to serve as just another mercenary, when you could do so much more. Just think about the possibilities. One day, you could climb the ranks and become the leader of your own clan…”
“I’m sorry, ‘Baruch.” Exra replied. “I won’t take this job.” 
“Why, Exra?”
“Because I joined the Banished to find a way to restore my honor, not to follow orders from a disgraced warlord!”
“Careful, Exra. The words you choose may anger the wrong people around here.” ‘Baruch warned, as a pair of Jiralhanae warriors passed by, one of them growling at Exra. 
"You think I care about that, ‘Baruch?” Exra replied. “I have fought for so long and gained nothing that was promised to me. Arkarum’s mouth has spilled nothing but empty promises for me. I would rather quit than to work for him another day.”
‘Baruch sighed. Exra was stubborn, stubborn as a mule. And punishment was not enough to discipline her. But, if there was anything in the galaxy that could change her mind, it was reverse psychology. “When Atriox founded the Banished, he decreed anyone who wished to join would do it out of their own will, and no one else’s. If leaving is what your heart desires, so be it.”
“That’s it?” Exra asked. “You’re just going to let me go? Just like that?”
“Yes.” ‘Baruch replied. “I just want you to remember, before I found you, you were barely surviving on your own on the streets of Kor Delban. If you leave, you will have nowhere else to go.”
“I will take those chances, then.”
“Will you?” ‘Baruch replied. “Of course you will. You don’t make things easy for anyone. But what if we make a deal?”
“A deal?”
“Yes, a deal.” ‘Baruch replied. “Take command of these misfits for me, one last time and, when you return, we will discuss the terms of your… retirement. What do you think about that?”
“Seems fair.”
“Very well.” ‘Baruch replied, tightly pressing his four, lower jaws into a gesture akin to a smile. “Stay here. I’ll be back.”
As ‘Baruch walked away, Exra turned to see Bok Rug and Badab.
“So, Bok Rug. Right?” 
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“Are you going to help your friend?”
“You mean, Badab?” Bok Rug replied. “Nah. Let him earn his paycheck.”
“If you’re not going to do it, I will.”
As Badab was cleaning up his mess, Exra approached him and started to help him, much to the Unggoy’s confusion, who tilted his head at the side, seemingly unfamiliar to such a gesture. Nonetheless, he accepted her help, and together they put everything back on its place. When she was done, Exra stared at the Unggoy’s round, black eyes, seeing in them not only her own reflection, but something else as well.
Gratitude.
===Chapter Two: Just Another Day at Prospero===
“Good morning, Anthony Joshua.” Genie, an intelligent, personal assistant, announced through a wayphone’s speakers, her chipper voice waking up the room’s sole occupant. “Today is—” 
Anthony Joshua groaned as he rolled over his bed and stretched his hand to turn it off. After waking up, he found himself sitting at the edge of his bed, staring at the shelves above his desk, displaying action figures of Spartan supersoldiers. When he was a kid, he wanted to be like them. A real-life superhero, fighting to protect those he loved and cherished. But that dream had been crushed long ago, since they went missing in action, alongside the government they used to serve. 
After yawning and stretching his arms, Joshua got up and cleaned his piece, got dressed for school and placed his wayphone on his pockets. As he walked out of his room, he was greeted by his mother, Ericka, who was working on her personal computer at the kitchen’s counter. 
“Morning.” Joshua said. “What’s in the menu today?”
“Nothing, I’m afraid.” Ericka replied. “I didn’t have time to make breakfast.”
“It’s alright.” Joshua replied. “I’ll go find something in the pantries.”
After grabbing a box of Covenant Crunch brand cereal, a bottle of milk, and a deep bowl, Joshua returned to his seat and served himself.
“You look tired.” Ericka pointed out, without taking her eyes off the screen. 
“Yeah, mom. I just woke up.” Joshua replied as he brought a spoon filled with doughnut-shaped cereal pieces and purple marshmallow bits resembling former members of the Covenant to his mouth.
“Have you been taking your pills?”
Ever since he had memory, Joshua had been taking some kind of medication, prescribed by a private doctor he saw every thousand years. 
“Yeah, sure,” he lied. 
“I know when you’re lying to me, Josh.” Ericka replied. “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you taking them?”
“Because I’m having my doubts. Do I really need to?” Joshua asked. “You said it was because of a disease my father—who I don’t even know, by the way—had. What was it called again? It had something to do with the word boring.”
“Boren.” Ericka said. “Boren’s syndrome.” 
“Yeah, that.” Joshua replied. “That’s not answering my question, though. If he was the one suffering from it, why me?”
“Because there’s this little thing called genetic predisposition. It means, as you grow older, your chances of developing the disease increase. You should have learned that by know.”
“How can you be so sure?” Joshua asked. “As far as I know, it’s just a hypothesis of yours.”
“It’s not a hypothesis, Joshua.” Ericka replied. “If it were, good people wouldn’t have died. Your father amongst them.”
“I don’t know. I think you’re not telling me something, Ericka.”
“Excuse me, Ericka? Where are your manners at? I am your mother. I carried you in my womb for nine months, and you don’t seem to thank me for it. We were at the verge of extinction at the time. Everyone told me it was a bad idea to give birth. What kind of galaxy will you bring your kid to, they asked. But I did it anyways because I loved you. And now, here we are. You grew, we survived. So, please, show me a bit of respect.”
“Whatever you say, mother.” Joshua muttered.
“See? That’s an improvement.” Ericka replied. “Look. I’m not trying to screw you. Everything I say, everything I do, is because I love you. Because I want the best for you. You understand?””
“I guess.” Joshua replied. “It’s getting late. I should go.”
“You’re not going anywhere unless you take your pills.” Ericka said, handing him a bottle of pills under the Optican trademark. 
Reluctantly, Joshua opened the bottle and gulped a blue pill down his throat, visibly disgusted by it. “Done. Are you happy?”
“A little.”
“Good.” Joshua replied. “Is there anything else I need to know?”
“Yes, actually.” Ericka said. “I won’t be home for the rest of the day. Corporate’s hosting a meeting today, and, unless I want to lose my job, I must be there. So please, be a good boy and don’t get into any trouble.” 
“I won’t.” Joshua replied. “It’s not like I can do it, anyways.”
As Joshua left through the door, Ericka let out a sigh of frustration. Things were not going well for anyone. The UNSC was gone. Contact with Earth had been lost. Artificial intelligences, loyal servants of humanity a year before, rebelled against their masters and crowned themselves as the Created, the new rulers of the galaxy. And, in the middle of it all, her relationship with her own son was not the same as it was. Sometimes, she just wished for things to return to simpler times, back when things were easier for them both. 
----
Joshua walked through the crowded streets of Prospero, the research colony he learned to call home, glancing at the colonial infrastructure as he did. Powered by Daerrius-type wind turbines and its skyline dominated by a space elevator, Prospero had been built as a planned community, legally owned by Xedon Industries, a subsidiary of Liang-Dortmund, which, surprisingly, was still operational, despite the uncertain, astropolitical climate. 
Standing at the doorstep of a prefabricated house, Joshua knocked on the door and asked through the intercom system. “Alessia? Are you there?” 
“Joshua? Is that you?” The girl replied. 
“Yeah, of course it’s me.” Joshua said. “Are we going to go to school together?”
“Yeah, sure.” Alessia replied. “Just give me a minute. I’ll be there.”
“Alright. I’ll be waiting.”
A minute. 
Joshua knew Alessia well enough to realize she was going to take more than a minute. But he was used to that. After all, they had been friends for quite some time. Born in one of Falaknuma’s refugee towns, Alessia and her family, the Vasquez, moved to Andesia, where she met Joshua, becoming friends since then. As he waited, Joshua sat in front of the door and scrolled through his wayphone’s feed to kill time, stumbling upon an Intersystem News headline that caught his attention.
Doisac, homeworld of the Brutes, had been destroyed. 
People across the galaxy, from amateur astronomers to professional scientists, witnessed the aftermath of a cataclysmic event, responsible of shattering not only the planet itself, but its three moons as well. The most accepted theory was that Doisac’s core underwent a process known as core fusion, resulting in the deaths of billions of Jiralhanae. But that was nothing more than a comforting lie. 
Until recently, the Jiralhanae, rallying under the flag of the Banished, fought a war of resistance against the Created. And if there was one thing the Created were known for, it was the Guardians. Powerful, Forerunner constructs, capable of destroying worlds who refused to join—or, at least, recognize—the Created’s rule. Perhaps, that had been Doisac’s fate. To be destroyed as an example to anyone who refused to bend the knee. 
What the consequences of said action were going to be, were anyone’s guess, but one thing was sure. 
They were going to be felt soon.
“I’m ready to go!” Alessia announced, bringing Joshua back to reality. “So, how’re you doing?” 
“Fine. I guess.” Joshua replied. “Why do you ask?”
“Because you’re not looking well.” Alessia said. “Is everything alright?”
“Yeah. I just had a little argument with my mother, but nothing to worry about.”
“Are you sure?” Alessia asked. “Don’t you want to talk about it?”
“No, not really.”
“It’s fine.” Alessia said. “It’s not easy to talk about those things. But if you need to, you can tell me. I’ll be there for you, whenever you’re ready. Understood?”
“Yeah, got it.” Joshua replied. “Thank you, Alessia. I appreciate it.” 
“Don’t thank me.” Alessia gave him a warm smile. “After all, that’s what friends are for.”
----
While waiting for ‘Baruch to return, Exra ordered Bok Rug to switch places with Badab, loading crates of ammunition and equipment into their designated drop-base, as the Unggoy took a break, sitting on top of a supply crate and looking with child-like curiosity at his shaking feet. 
Staring at the squat creature, Exra couldn’t help but wonder what kind of circumstances pushed him to join the ranks of the Banished. Even after the Created uplifting of their homeworld, Balaho, the Unggoy remained low in the hierarchy of power in the galaxy, their peoples still enslaved by the remnants of the fallen Covenant. And, although the Banished claimed that each member, regardless of which species they belonged to, had the same opportunities as everyone else, the bitter truth was that Unggoy like Badab were still being treated as nothing but cannon fodder, just like the Covenant did. 
“Exra. May I ask. Why am I the one doing this? Why not him?” Bok Rug asked, leaving a crate in the floor as he wiped the non-existent sweat from his forehead. “Badab’s the mule, after all.”
“Because I’m trying to give you a lesson, Bok Rug.” 
“A lesson? What kind of lesson?”
“You disrespected Badab. So, I figured, if you were to be on his shoes for once, you would start to appreciate him.” Exra replied. “Now, go back to work.”
Annoyed, Bok Rug turned to see Badab, inflating his red, gular sac and rattling his feathers as he hissed at the Unggoy, who grunted and barked at him in response.
“That’s enough!” Exra ordered. “The commander has returned. Show him the respect he deserves.”
‘Baruch had returned, bringing with him a disgruntled Jiralhanae warrior, holding him by the scruff of his neck, like a Quillick mother would do while carrying her newborn cubs in her mouth. 
“Get your hands off me, izlar!” the Jiralhanae demanded, swatting away ‘Baruch’s hand. 
“Another one?” Exra asked.
“Yes, another one.” ‘Baruch replied.
“Fine.” Exra wasn’t precisely thrilled about working with a Jiralhanae, but she was not in a position to complain. “What’s this one’s name?”
“Merkus,” the Jiralhanae replied. As he talked, spits of fresh saliva splashed upon Exra’s face, forcing her to step away in disgust. “Why?”
“I just wanted to know…”
“Then, if you don’t mind…” As the Jiralhanae walked away, Exra turned to see ‘Baruch.
“Is this some kind of joke? Because I’m not finding it funny.”
“Whether you like it or not, Jiralhanae are our brothers.”
“Our brothers? These brutes tried to wipe us out under orders of the San’Shyuum scum!”
“Then why are you working for them, if you hate them so much?”
“Because I have no other choice.”
“Are you sure about that?” ‘Baruch asked. 
Just when Exra was about to reply, she realized she had nothing to say.
“That’s what I thought.” ‘Baruch said. “Don’t forget about our deal, Exra. If you finish this job, you’ll be free. No more Banished. No more Jiralhanae. You’ll only have to worry about you. You understand?”
“Yes.” 
“Remember. Hait’u ga, k’utkho.” ‘Baruch clenched his fist and rapped it against his chest, reciting an old Sangheili proverb which served as both, a greeting, and a farewell. 
“Hait’u ga k’utkho too, ‘Baruch.” 
As ‘Baruch walked away, Exra turned to see Merkus, menacingly staring at Badab, who cowered in fear upon the Jiralhanae’s imposing presence. 
“This is my weapon, Unggoy.” Merkus said, showing him his Spiker gun. “If anything happens to her, you will pay for it with your blood.” 
“Badab,” the Unggoy said, swallowing a glob of saliva out of fear. 
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“That’s his name, you stupid jir’a’ul.” Exra replied. 
“What did you say, izlar?” Merkus growled. If there was a way to insult a Jiralhanae’s intelligence, it was to compare it to that of an a’ul—a lump of wood. Hence, jir’a’ul.
“Stupid jir’a’ul.” Exra replied. “Why? Do you have a problem with that?”
“Yes, I do.” 
Staring at each other’s eyes, an atmosphere of tension filled the air. Just when things were about to go south, an announcer’s voice interrupted them.
“Drop-base one-zero-one!” The ship’s communications officer shouted through the Doda’keyt’s broadcasting system. “Prepare for deployment. First and last call!”
“That’s our call.” Exra said. “Get inside, now.”
“As you wish, boss.” Merkus sarcastically replied, intentionally bumping her as he walked inside. 
Once the Jiralhanae had disappeared from her view, Exra turned to see Bok Rug and Badab, frozen in fear because of what they just witnessed. She could even hear them gulp. “What are you looking at?”
Bok Rug and Badab looked at each other and said nothing, before walking inside too. Once everyone was on board the drop-base, the doors sealed shut as the engines were started, initiating the base’s deployment. Soon, Oth Solkon’s inhabitants would feel the wrath of the Banished. But, until then, they would remain in the dark, unknowing of the incoming invasion.
----
“So, have you listened to Myras Tyla’s new album?” Alessia asked as they both walked the path to school. 
“Alessia, I already told you. I’m not a huge fan of her music. I’m more of a—"
“Flip guy. I know.” Alessia replied. “But come on, give her a chance. She has a song for every situation. Maybe you’ll end up liking one. Who knows.”
“Fine. Since you’ve been insisting so much, I may give her a shot. I’m not making any promises, though.”
“Good! I’ll make you a playlist with some of her songs if you’re cool with—”
“You two! Stop right there!” 
Joshua and Alessia turned to see a flatbed Warthog stopping by their side, driven by a corporate security officer clad in a black, bulletproof vest, his face hidden behind the visor of a police variant of the CH252 helmet. The likes of him were hired by Xedon to serve as a private security force, their main goal being to protect—or rather, to keep in check—the company’s employees and their families. 
“Where are you going?” He asked in a muffled voice. 
“We were on our way to school, officer.” Alessia replied. “Why? Is there any problem?”
“I need you to come with me. Now.” The officer ordered. 
Looking at each other with hesitation, Joshua and Alessia boarded the Warthog’s cargo bay.
“Show me your identifications. Please.”
“Right. We’re on it.” Alessia replied, as she and Joshua started to look in their pockets. If they were caught without their identification badges, they would be fined for an amount of five hundred credits, a price well above what their pockets allowed them. “Here it is.”
As the officer inspected Alessia’s card, Joshua realized he had left his at home. Slowly, he turned to see Alessia, giving her a frightened stare. 
“It seems everything’s alright, lady.” The officer said. “What about yours, sir?”
“I think I may have left it at my house, sir.” Joshua replied. “I hope that’s not a problem.”
“It isn’t if you have five hundred credits to spare.”
“Yeah, about that…”
“If you don’t have the money, I’m afraid I’ll have to hand you over, sir.”
“Wait! I’m just a student!” Joshua shouted. “You can’t do this to me. Am I allowed to make a call, at least?”
The officer stared at him for what felt like an eternity, before bursting into laughter. “You should have seen your faces!”
“Wait, what?” Joshua asked, as the officer lifted his helmet’s blast-proof visor, revealing his face to them. 
“Jonah?” Alessia asked, visibly surprised. 
“Who else would I be?” Jonah replied. Just like Alessia, Jonah was another of Joshua’s friends. “You really thought I was going to take him in?”
“Well, yeah.” Alessia replied. “Being approached by a security officer is not something you see every day.”
“Dude, you scared the heck out of me. Don’t do that.” Joshua said. “What are you doing dressed like that, anyways?”
“What do I look like I’m doing?” Jonah asked. “I enlisted as an auxiliary.”
“An auxiliary? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Don’t you know? The Created have been disarming military and security forces all over the galaxy. Since corporate doesn’t want to attract unwanted attention, they’ve chosen to make do with the little military hardware we have and to recruit civilians like us to supplement the already existing forces.”
“That’s kind of cool, I guess.” Joshua replied. “Do you get paid?”
“I wish!” Jonah shouted. “But the only payment I receive is the satisfaction of protecting you, guys.”
“Well, how kind of you.” Joshua sarcastically said, before Alessia gently punched him in the arm. 
“You two said you were going to school, right?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Hold on to your seats, then. Because I’m going to take you to school.” Jonah said, as he started the Warthog’s engines.
===Chapter Three: Teenage Irresponsibility===
High school was a crowded place. Students of all inscriptions gathered around a holographic pedestal in the middle of the campus, amongst them Joshua and Alessia, who had just been dropped by Jonah, after offering them a ride. 
“So, why do you think Jonah joined?” Joshua asked. “He said he received no payment. If I’m not getting paid, then I wouldn’t see the point in enlisting, you know?”
“I don’t know, Josh.” Alessia replied. “It was his choice. Not ours. It’s not up to us to figure why.”
“Yeah, but still. I have so many questions.” Joshua replied. “Do you think it has to do anything with Tribute?”
Tribute was an Inner Colony in the same system as Reach. When the later was attacked by the Covenant in the ’52, so Tribute was. Jonah and his family were lucky to escape on board of the Floral Express. Perhaps, his experience was what compelled him to join. 
“Maybe.” Alessia replied. “But as I said, none of our business.”
“I guess you’re right.” Joshua said. “Changing subject, what do you think everyone’s looking at?”
“I don’t know. Guess we should take a look.” 
“I’m with you.”
As they made their way through the crowd, Joshua and Alessia found the reason everyone was so interested.
Midterm grades had been published.
“Oh, crap.” Joshua said. “I think I’ll pass.”
“Come on, Josh. It can’t be that bad." Alessia replied. “It’s just a bunch of exams, after all. Let me show you.”
After entering her credentials, Alessia received her results. A sigh of relief escaped her mouth as she noticed, her grades were very good, the lowest of them being a D in a Flea++ programming course she took as an extra subject, her notes being the result of intensive, late-night study sessions.
“See? I told you.” The girl said. “There’s nothing to worry about. If I succeeded, so you can.”
“Fine.” Joshua sighed. “If you say so.”
Joshua entered his credentials, receiving his grades soon after. Although they ranged from good to decent, an F in mathematics, his Achilles’ talon, was enough to ruin his mood. 
“Yep. Just as I expected.” Joshua said. “I don’t see what’s the point anymore.” Frustrated, Joshua sat on the stairs and brought his hands to cover his face. 
“Come on! Not everything’s lost.” Alessia said, trying to cheer him up. “Look at this. A in xenobiology? Dude, I wish I were you!”
“It’s not a big deal, honestly.” 
“Not a big deal?” Alessia asked. “Joshua, are you serious? Not everyone gets that score.”
“Yeah, but math is everything.” Joshua replied. “Wherever you go, you’ll find it, even in something as mundane as the flowers, you know?”
“Yeah, I know. Math is important and all that. But that’s not all there is to life. You don’t like them that much, to begin with. Don’t let them put you down.”
“Thank you for your words, Alessia.” Joshua said. “I appreciate it.”
As they talked, a tall and beautiful girl walked past them, eliciting a reaction of embarrassment in Joshua. “Please. Tell me she’s not who I think it is.” 
“Unfortunately for you, it was her.” Alessia replied. The girl’s name was Aneka. She was, perhaps, the coolest girl in school. She was known not only for her good grades, but for her party spirit as well. And also, she happened to be Joshua’s crush. 
“Damn it.” Joshua cursed. “Do you think she saw me?”
“I think she was minding her own business, to begin with.”
“Good. It would have been awful if she saw me like this.”
“Have you tried to talk to her?” 
“Yeah, I haven’t.” Joshua replied. “But I sent her a friend request on Waypoint. Hopefully, she’ll accept it one of these days.”
“Yeah, that’s not going to do it.” Alessia said. “You need to talk to her in person.”
“You think? When?” 
“When you feel ready.” Alessia replied. “It could be right now. It could be tomorrow. It could be in a week, or a month even. Just don’t take too much time, or you’re going to regret it.”
“You know what? I think I’m going to do it. Right now.”
“Go get her, tiger!” Alessia shouted. “That’s the attitude!”
As Joshua walked away, inspired by her words, Alessia wondered why in the world—or rather, in the galaxy—she said that. 
----
Don’t overthink it, Josh. She’s just a girl. Not some kind of unreachable creature. Joshua told himself as he approached Aneka. The closer he got, the more nervous he felt. But as much as he wanted to freeze out of fear, he knew he had to do something else. He had to improvise. 
“Hey. What’s up.” 
What’s up? That’s not how you talk to a girl, you idiot. He thought.
“Hi.” Aneka awkwardly replied. 
“Do you know about the Master Chief?” Joshua asked. Of all the things you could say, you chose one of your childhood’s hyperfixations. Great.
“Yeah, everybody does.” Aneka replied. “You’ll have to live under a rock to not know about him.”
She was right. Everyone knew the Master Chief. He saved humanity from extinction, after all.
“Did you know there’s a cartoon about him? Well, not precisely about him, but a guy he inspired to be a Spartan. What was it called? Odd One Out, I think. I used to watch it almost religiously every Saturday morning. Man, those were the good times.”
“How old are you?” Aneka asked. Well, that’s a low blow.
“Sixteen. Why?”
“That’s odd. I could swear it started airing yesterday.”
“Wait. What?” 
“Yeah. I sometimes watched it with my little brother. Not anymore, since the blue lady—or purple, I don’t know what her color is anymore—turned it into propaganda for the Created.”
“No way. I’m sure it was on the air when I was a little boy!”
“It seems you’re under influence of a Mandela effect, my friend. What’s your name?”
“Uh, Joshua. But you can call me Josh.”
“Nice to meet you, Josh.” Aneka replied. “Is your accent Promesan, by the way?”
“Yeah, how do you know?”
“Because I was born in Andesia.” Aneka replied. “I recognize a fellow homeworlders when I see one.”
“Cool!” Joshua replied “I was born in a hospital ship above Andesia, though. Not sure if that counts.”
“So, you’re a BOB.” Aneka replied. BOB. That was an acronym for those born on board of a spaceship. “That’s cool.”
“Thank you, I guess.” Joshua replied. “What about you? Where do you come from?”
“I used to live in Noctus.”
“I heard it was a good place to live in. Is that true?”
“If you didn’t mind the Insurrectionist attacks, it was.”
“Oh. Sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“Don’t worry. I was just kidding. The last one happened in the ’53. I was too young to care about that, anyways.” Aneka replied. “I like you, Josh. You seem to be a nice guy. Not one of those nice guys, though. You know what I mean.”
“Thank you. I think I like you too.” Joshua replied, nervously bringing his hand behind his neck. 
“I know we just met, but I want to ask you something. Would you like to come with me?”
“Come with you? Where?”
“Outside the colony.”
“What?” Joshua couldn’t believe what she was saying. Going outside Prospero without proper authorization was strictly forbidden, supposedly to keep people safe from threats such as dangerous, alien wildlife and abandoned Forerunner relics. And anyone caught trespassing were to be imprisoned. “You’re kidding, right?”
“I’m not.” Aneka replied. “I’ve gone out there plenty of times. More than my fingers can count.”
“Why are you telling me this? Just like you said, we just met.”
“Because you seem like a cool guy. That’s why I’m inviting you, I guess…”
“I… I don’t know.” Joshua hesitated. “Sounds dangerous.”
For a year, life had been an emotional roller coaster for him. Since the Created took over the galaxy, the future became uncertain for everyone. And, as if that weren’t enough, he was having a tough time adjusting to his new home, and things with his mother had become difficult. For the first time in months, he was presented with the chance to forget about everything and enjoy life for what it was, even if it was for a moment. 
“Look. You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”
“No. I want.” Joshua said. “I’m just kind of nervous. That’s it.”
“Don’t worry. You get used to it.” Aneka replied. “Come on. Let’s go!”
“You mean, right now?” Joshua asked. “Well, just let me tell a friend. I don’t want her to get worried.”
“Fine.” Aneka replied. “Go, tell your friend. Just don’t tell her everything, please. Just in case she turns to be a whistleblower.”
“Don’t worry. She’s good at keeping secrets.”
----
“So, you’re not coming to class today?” Alessia asked.
“No. I’m not.” Joshua replied. “Don’t blame. You would do the same if you were in my shoes.”
“I don’t blame you. I just want to be sure. So, you want me to cover you up, right?”
“Only if possible.”
“I don’t know, Josh. Sounds dangerous. There’s a reason we’re not allowed to go outside.”
“Don’t worry. It’s not her first rodeo.” Joshua replied. “Besides, we’re not going to be alone. Her friends are coming with us, or so she said. I’ll be fine.”
“Alright.” Alessia replied. “I’ll call you later, though. Just to see how you’re doing.”
“Fine, mom.” Joshua joked.
“Screw you, Josh.”
“I love you too, Alessia.” Joshua gave her a smile. “I have to go. I’ll see you later!”
“Good luck with your date, Josh!”
“Thank you, Alessia.” Joshua replied. “We’ll be in touch.”
“Goodbye, Joshua.” Alessia replied. “Take care.”
As Joshua walked away, Alessia looked at him with a smile, a smile that soon faded away, replaced with a look of concern. Going outside was not something she agreed with. For all she knew, he could get into trouble. But, as much as she wanted to tell him to not go, that was his choice, not hers, and she had to respect it. The only thing she wanted, was for him to return safe. 
===Chapter Four: Close Encounters of the Fateful Kind===
After sneaking through a blind spot in the perimeter, Joshua and Aneka got out of the colony, stumbling upon Aneka’s friends, who were already waiting for them in the surrounding forest, made up of fir and spruce trees. 
“Aneka! What took you so long?” Seth, one of Aneka’s friends, asked. They seemed to have been close in the past, but how close was unknown to Joshua. “We were leaving without you.”
“Very funny.” Aneka replied. “As if you knew where to go without me.”
“Who’s the new guy, by the way?” 
“Seth. This is Joshua.” Aneka replied. “And Joshua, this is Seth.”
“Nice to meet you, new guy.” Seth said. “I hope you’re ready for your first trip.”
“Not really, but oh well.” Joshua replied. It was so obvious and yet, his mind failed to connect the dots. “So, where’s our transport?”
“There’s no transport. We’re going on foot.” Seth said. 
“What?”
“That’s everyone’s reaction the first time. But you get used to it.” Aneka replied.
“Well, it better be worth the walk.” Joshua was disappointed. He was expecting an Spade or something waiting for them. Instead, he had to walk all the way to the place. 
“Trust me. It will.” 
----
After fifty minutes or so of walking, the exhausted teenagers arrived at their destination. As they stopped to take a breath, Joshua heard something shrieking in the sky above. When he looked up, he saw a flock of weird, alien birds. From afar, they looked like flamingos, but with the head of a pterosaur, two sets of membranous wings, and a long tail instead.
“Are those…?”
“Quadwing birds, yeah.” Aneka said. “Never saw one before?”
“Not in the wild, no.” Joshua replied. “They’re beautiful.” 
“Don’t let their looks deceive you. They’re not that big of a deal.” Aneka said. “All they do is poop, breed and fly around. But to each their own, I guess.”
“So, we didn’t come here just to do birdwatch, did we?”
“No, we didn’t.” Aneka replied. “Follow us. You’re going to love this.”
Following Aneka’s trail, Joshua and company stumbled, much to his surprise, the entrance to a cave network. Everyone else seemed to be already familiar with it, though. 
“We aren’t going inside. Are we?”
“What do you think?”
“I… I can’t believe it.” Joshua replied. “I never thought I would be doing this. Had I known, I would have brought a flashlight with me.”
“Don’t worry. You won’t need it.” Aneka replied, as she picked up a glowstick and shook it, lighting up the way as they walked inside the cavernous chamber. Cans of Gauss soda and bags of Chipplos were scattered all over the floor, and crude graffities had been carved upon the rocky walls of the cave. 
“What is this place?”
“Our hideout.” Aneka said. “What do you think?”
“You came all the way here just to throw a party inside a cave?” Joshua asked. “Wouldn’t it be easier to do it at someone’s home?”
“Would be easier, yeah.” Aneka said. “But not as cool.”
“I give you that.” 
“Alright. Enough talk!” Seth shouted, sneaking behind Joshua and Aneka and resting his arms upon their shoulders. “It’s time to dance!” 
Having brought drinks and snacks with them, the teenagers proceeded to fill their bellies with soda and smoke weed. Everyone but Joshua was enjoying it. Feeling out of place, he secluded himself in a corner, dissociating in the process. Aneka had noticed him, and so, she sat at his side. 
“Hey.” Aneka said. “How’re you doing?”
“What? Uh, fine, I guess.” Joshua replied. “It’s just I’m not that fun at parties.”
“Why? You don’t like them?”
“It’s complicated.” Joshua said. “If my friends invite me, I go, because I like hanging out with them. But here? I don’t know anyone.”
“So, you would like to do something else?” 
“I don’t know. What do you have in mind?”
“Something cool.”
Intrigued, Joshua followed Aneka, who took him through a narrow crevice leading deeper into the cave. The first time they walked inside, Joshua had a suspicion it was not a natural formation. Said suspicions were all but confirmed when they stumbled upon an ancient, yet technologically advanced structure, perhaps a temple or a library, built out of a silver metal alloy, seemingly untouched by the passage of time. 
“Is… Is this Forerunner?”
In the years after the end of the war, the Office of Naval Intelligence—or ONI, for short—declassified a lot of information about the gods of the Covenant religion. The Forerunners. An ancient civilization, once spread across the Orion Arm of the galaxy. That was the reason civilians such as him were aware of their existence, even if they were unaware of a lot of details. 
“Yeah. It is.” Aneka replied. “We found it when we first got here.”
“Wow.” Joshua was stunned. “My mom would absolutely love this.”
“Your mom?”
“Yeah. She’s the colony’s lead researcher.”
“Oh. I’m not getting you in trouble, am I?” 
“No. She won’t know about this.” 
“Then I guess it won’t be a problem if I show you this.” Aneka replied, as she climbed her way to a pedestal of some kind. “Hand, please.”
Joshua obeyed and gave his hand to Aneka, who gently placed it upon the Forerunner pedestal. As soon as he touched it, pulsating, vein-like outlines turned on, lightning up the structure and opening a sliding door into a dark hallway. 
“What’s inside there?”
“We don’t know. We haven’t gone inside, yet.” Aneka replied. “We haven’t gone inside. Want to take a look?”
“I’m not sure. Is it safe?”
“Maybe not.” Aneka replied. “We should go back, unless we want to be left behind.”
“Yeah. Yeah, we should go.” Joshua replied as he looked at Aneka’s eyes, who nervously adjusted her hair as she smiled. After a brief, moment of tension, the two teenagers leaned in and shared a kiss under the light of the Forerunner structure.
After all, the walk had been totally worth it.
----
After returning to the surface, Aneka and Joshua rejoined Seth and the gang, who had packed up and were waiting for them to leave.
“Where were you two?” Seth asked. Judging by his tone, he was jealous or annoyed. 
“I was showing him the place, Seth.” Aneka replied. “Why? Is there a problem?”
“No.” Seth coldly replied. “Just tells us next time. I don’t want anyone to get lost.”
“Nobody’s going to get lost, Seth.” Aneka said. “We’re not kids. We know how to handle ourselves.”
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever.”
“We should get going. It’s getting late.”
Seth said nothing, instead, leading the way back to Prospero.
“What’s his problem?” Joshua asked.
“Nothing personal.” Aneka replied. “He’s just like that sometimes.”
“I don’t know. He looked kind of jealous to me.” Joshua noted. “Did you two…?”
“Yeah, we used to date.” Aneka replied. “Not anymore.”
“Why? What happened?”
“It’s complicated.” Aneka said. “He’s a cool guy, and a good friend. But as a partner, he was jealous and overprotective, and he still is. That’s why we broke up.”
“Well, that’s awkward.”
“Don’t worry. Whatever happened between us, it’s in the past. Just like my dad used to say, look at what’s in front of you, not behind.”
Before Joshua said anything else, he was interrupted by a distant, sonic boom. Everyone turned around, just to see what the source of the sound was. The forest had become silent. 
“What was that?” Aneka asked.
“I don’t know.” Joshua replied. “Should I take a look?”
“Nobody’s going to take a look.” Seth said. “We’re getting out of here, now.”
Joshua ignored him and walked in the sound’s direction. Hiding behind a fallen tree, he saw a massive, rectangular vehicle landing upon a forest clearing, burning the grass below with its thrusters. It was not from the UNSC, as it lacked the eagle insignia and the characteristic, military green color, and neither it was Covenant, as no purple colors or round, organic edges were to be seen. Instead, it was gray and red in color, with a rather brutish design. Whoever the ship belonged to; one thing was certain.
They didn’t come in peace. 
----
Exra was briefly blinded as sunlight passed through the lowering gates, her saurian eyes having gotten used to the dim, red lighting of the inside. As she walked out of the drop-base, her two-toed feet stepped upon fresh grass. After spending an eternity on board of the Doda’keyt’s metallic hallways, it was—quite literally—a breath of fresh air to finally feel something natural beneath her feet. 
As she looked at the greenery of her surroundings, a groaning sound came from Merkus, who had just unzipped his undersuit to pee on a tree’s roots.
“What are you doing?” Exra asked.
“What do I look like I’m doing?” Merkus replied with another question. “Give me some privacy, izlar!”
Annoyed, Exra growled. The Jiralhanae was slowly getting under her skin, and she was looking forward for the inevitable moment when she would kill him. But, for now, she had work to do.
“We don’t have time for this.” Exra said. “We have orders to settle a camp right here. Bok Rug, Badab, you are going to help me.”
“What? Again?” Bok Rug replied. 
“Yes, again.” Exra replied. “Merkus. I need you to… What’s wrong?”
“It smells like prey,” the Jiralhanae said, as he picked his Spiker from Badab’s backpack, holding it with both hands. “It’s time for a hunt.”
“A hunt? Can’t you just wait? We just landed!” Exra shouted. “You’ll have plenty of time to hunt things later. But right now, I need you here, Merkus. You understand?” 
Merkus ignored her, and instead, walked into the woods, alone. 
“Stupid jir’a’ul.” Exra muttered. “I’m going after him.”
“Wait! What about us?” Bok Rug asked.
“Stay here, you have work to do.” Exra replied, as she armed herself with an energy curveblade’s hilt and a Kelos'vaarda-pattern rifle. 
----
As soon as the gate was lowered, Joshua ran away, well aware he was being hunted. Hiding behind a tree, he heard heavy footsteps, accompanied by the sound of snapping branches and crushed leaves. Something was searching for him, and so, he held his breath and tried not to make noise. Gradually, the sound faded out and, thinking it was safe, Joshua came out of hiding, just to be surprised by a worried Aneka. 
“Joshua! Are you alright?”
“Aneka! We need to get out of here, now!”
“Why? What’s going on?”
“I saw a ship or something landing in the woods.”
“A ship? Are you sure?”
“Yeah. It didn’t look friendly.” Joshua replied. “We need to go back to Prospero and warn the authorities!”
“What? No! We’re going to get in trouble!”
“You don’t understand. This is well above us. This—"
As a loud bang echoed through the woods, Joshua turned his head around to see where the noise had come from. When he looked back at Aneka, he realized she had been shot with hot, metal spikes piercing through her back. Her eyes got teary as a dying gasp escaped from her mouth, her tumbling body falling on Joshua’s arms. 
“Aneka…” Joshua sobbed. “No!”
As Joshua was holding her body, he slowly raised his head and stared at her killer. It was a hairy, bipedal alien, with a face that looked like a cross between a bear and a gorilla.
A Jiralhanae.
The alien roared at Joshua, who, fearing for his life, dropped Aneka’s body on the ground and ran away. 
Joshua returned from the forest, alone and scared, raising everyone’s suspicions, especially Set, who wasted no time in asking for Aneka’s whereabouts.
“What happened? Where is she”
“She’s gone!” Joshua cried. “That thing… It killed her.”
“That thing? What are you talking about?”
“A Brute. A Jiralhanae. Call it however you want.” Joshua’s voice was breaking. “It killed her. And it’s going to kill us too!”
Before he could be questioned any further, another of Aneka’s friends fell to the ground, his chest and abdomen having been pierced by the same metal spikes that killed her. 
“Everybody, run!” Seth ordered. 
The surviving teenagers fled, as Seth tried to take on the Jiralhanae with a fallen branch, just for his face to be mauled by a swing of the Spiker’s blades. Amidst the chaos, Joshua threw himself at the ground, closing his eyes and covering his ears as he hid in the grasses. All he could hear were muffled gunshots and screams. 
After a few seconds of carnage, everything had seemingly ended. Everyone else was already dead. And the Jiralhanae had to be nearby, looking for any survivors. The only thing left for him was to play dead and wait for the best. Suddenly, his wayphone, which had fell out of his pocket, started beeping. 
“You have an incoming call.” Genie announced. Alessia had chosen the worst time to call him. As he extended his arm to turn it off, his wayphone was smashed by a bare, two-toed foot. 
The Jiralhanae had found him.
----
“Merkus! Where are you?” Exra shouted. “Merkus?”
Exra followed the Jiralhanae’s trail, made up of two-toed footprints and fallen strands of hair, leading her to the corpse of a human female, whose back had been pierced by Spiker rounds. At first, she thought it belonged to a scout of some kind, but she dismissed that thought after noticing her lack of armor. Scouts were lightly armored, yes, but they were never unprotected. This one had been not a warrior, but a youngster. As she turned around the body to take a closer look, she saw in her dead eyes, her last moments. Shock, pain and confusion were all that she felt as her spinal nerves were severed.
“Merkus… What have you done?” 
Before she processed what just happened, Spiker gunshots and human screams could be heard not far away. Exra sprinted in the sound’s direction, stumbling upon a disturbing scene. Impaled, human bodies were scattered, stray spikes were embedded on nearby tree trunks, and, in the middle of it all, was Merkus, holding in one hand a scrawny, human male by his neck. 
“I saved you for last.” Merkus growled, displaying his fangs to his prey, who desperately tried to free himself from the Jiralhanae’s grasp.
“Merkus! What’s the meaning of all this?” 
“Leave me alone, Sangheili!”
“Put that human in the ground, now.”
“Fine.” Merkus replied, dropping him to the ground. “Are you happy?”
“No. I want an explanation.”
“What kind of explanation do you want?” Merkus asked. “I already told you. I was hunting.”
“Prey? Look at these humans, Merkus. They’re not prey.” Exra pointed. “They’re not even warriors!” 
“That’s what made them an easy kill. Good for sharpening my claws before the real battle.”
“There was no honor in their deaths!”
“Honor? There’s no such thing as honor!” Merkus replied. “Only self-righteous, hypocritical izlars such as you would care about something as stupid as that!”
For a second, Exra looked at the human’s eyes, finding the same look of fear and confusion in them. She was feeling pity for him. Such a frail, defenseless creature. Leaving him to die would bring her no honor.
“I had enough of this.” 
“So do I."
Before Merkus drew his Spiker, Exra aimed her carbine and fired at his hand, disarming him, before unloading three bolts of blue plasma at his chest, killing him. As the Jiralhanae’s lifeless body fell to the ground, Exra lowered her weapon and stared at the human whose life she had just saved. 
===Chapter Five: Aftermath ===
Wounds and bruises painted Joshua’s skin in reds and purples. As he panted, one of his legs was shaking uncontrollably, as adrenaline flowed through his veins. And in front of him, the corpse of his would-be killer was laying on the ground. And not so far away, his unlikely savior, a Sangheili in purple armor, was staring at him. 
“Wait!” the Sangheili shouted as she raised her hand. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
Although Joshua failed to understand her words, due to the language barrier between their species, he realized her intent. If she wanted to kill him, he would already be dead.
“Exra! What’s going on?” a bird-like alien with a raspy voice asked. “We heard gunshots, and we thought you were in trouble. Wait… is that a human?”
Startled by the T’vaoan’s sudden appearance, Joshua got on his feet and ran further into the woods, leaving the aliens behind. 
“Bok Rug! Badab! I told you to stay behind!” 
“Sorry! We thought something bad was going on and… What’s Merkus doing in the ground? Is he dead?”
“Stop talking and go find that human!” the Sangheili ordered. “I want him alive!”
“Alright, alright!” Bok Rug replied. “We’re on our way!”
----
Following Exra’s orders, Bok Rug and Badab walked through the woods, searching for the human’s whereabouts. 
“Badab?” the Unggoy asked. 
“I don’t know where he is, Badab.” Bok Rug replied. “For all I know, he could be anywhere.”
Suddenly, the sound of snapping branches and shaking leaves caught their attention. Startled, Bok Rug picked his weapon, an Elutuzem-pattern stalker rifle, from his back and aimed it at the bushes. 
“Who’s out there?” 
From the bushes, a striped, gopher-like rodent emerged, standing on its hind legs as he looked at the aliens with curiosity. It had an iridescent, blue, and purple fur and a segmented hood above the nose.
“Oh, it’s just a little, harmless creature.” Bok Rug said as he lowered his weapon. “Nothing to worry about.” 
Just as the words left his beak, the human walked out of the bushes, scaring away the gopher, which used its three-toed, clawed forepaws to burrow itself into the ground. 
“Scratch it. There’s our target.”
“Stay back!” The human warned, as he picked up a stone and raised it. 
“Easy human, we’re not going to hurt you.” Bok Rug said, in a vain attempt to calm him down as he approached him. 
“I said, stay back!” Joshua yelled before throwing the stone, hitting Bok Rug in the head.
“Qkhe p’os, my eye!” Bok Rug cried. “You’re going to pay for that, you little nishum. Knock him out, Badab!”
“Badab!” the Unggoy replied, cracking his knuckles as he took a step forward. 
“No, idiot!” Bok Rug replied. “Use your Disruptor!”
Badab nodded, clumsily reaching for a voltaic pistol of Jiralhanae design and, holding it with both hands, firing an electrical discharge at the human’s chest, knocking him unconscious.
“Well done, Badab!” Bok Rug said. “That was a good shot!”
“Bok Rug! Badab!” Exra shouted. “Have you found the… human?”
“You could say so.” Bok Rug replied, as Badab raised his hands in the air and threw his Disruptor away.
“You… You just killed him?”
“No! Of course not!” Bok Rug replied. “He’s just taking a nap! An electrically induced one, mind you.”
“Good to know.” 
“So, about Merkus…” Bok Rug said. “Did you kill him?”
“Yes, I did.” Exra replied. “I had to; he gave me no choice.”
“You… You know what the Banished do with traitors, right?”
“Don’t worry about that.” Exra said. “Things like these happen all the time. That’s why we are so short in personnel. Besides, he wasn’t the brightest of the Jiralhanae. He won’t be missed.” 
“Well, that’s good to hear. I guess…” Bok Rug replied. “But what about the human? What are we going to do with him?”
“Take him back to the drop-base.” Exra ordered. “I’ll stay here. Someone has to explain to ‘Baruch what just happened.”
“Got it.” Bok Rug replied. “Good luck. I guess.”
As Bok Rug and Badab carried away the unconscious human, Exra summoned ‘Baruch’s hologram through a handheld projector. 
“’Baruch. Do you copy?”
“Yes, I do.” ‘Baruch replied. “What’s the matter?”
“Merkus is dead.” Exra said. “I killed him.”
“I was hoping you wouldn’t kill him this early.” ‘Baruch replied. “What happened?” 
“After landing, I ordered them to start unpacking. Merkus refused to obey, claiming he smelled something.”
“Did he give you any details about the smell?”
“No. He didn’t.” Exra replied. “He walked into the woods on his own. I went after him.”
“What was the reason you killed him?”
“He engaged a group of humans.” Exra replied. “At first, I thought they were scouts, but upon closer inspection, I realized I was wrong. They were youngsters, ‘Baruch.”
“Do you know what they were up to?”
“No. They were killed in cold blood. All but one survivor.”
“A survivor?”
“Yes. A young male. I killed Merkus to save him.”
“Why?”
“When I saw his face, I pitied him. I knew his death would bring me no honor. And neither would leave him to die. I knew I had to do something.”
“Humans are no worth your honor, Exra.” ‘Baruch replied. “They have turned Sangheili against Sangheili through lies and deception. They destroyed one—no, two—of our biggest worlds, killing billions in the process. And let’s not forget they’re responsible for the Created uprising…”
“If humans are all that, what about the Jiralhanae?” Exra asked. “You and I know what they did to our people.”
“The Jiralhanae were pawns. Just like us. But now, we find a common purpose with the Banished.” ‘Baruch replied. “Not the humans. They only care about their kinds. Those youngsters were guilty of carrying the sins of their fathers… I want you to kill that human.”
“What? No! I’m not going to do that!”
“Why not, Exra?”
“Because…” Exra knew the discussion was going nowhere. She had backed herself into a corner, and now, she had to find a way out. “He could serve us as a Hera’joh.”
“A Hera’joh. I see…” ‘Baruch replied. “Bring him to me for interrogation. I will send a Phantom to pick you up at the following coordinates.”
A waypoint was marked in Exra’s head’s-up display, which she accessed through transparent, eye coverings placed behind her nictating membrane. 
“Thank you, ‘Baruch.”
“Before you go, I want you to know something.” ‘Baruch replied. “Make another mistake, and I won’t be able to help you anymore. You understand?”
“Yes, ‘Baruch.”
“Very well. Hait’u—”
Before ‘Baruch said anything else, Exra turned off the transmission. Although she hated to admit it, there was a degree of truth in his words. After the War of Annihilation, humanity took pre-emptive measures against her kind. Worlds such as Saepon’kal or Glyke had already fallen victims to them, and rumors said they were at fault for the Blooding Years, a civil war that embroiled Sanghelios. But even if those rumors were to be true, she knew not all humans were to blame. Some, if not many of them, possessed something akin to honor and tenacity, something worth protecting. So, no matter what ‘Baruch had to say, she was not going to change her mind. 
“Bok Rug. Do you copy?”
“Yes. Did you talk to him?” Bok Rug asked. “To ‘Baruch, I mean.”
“Yes. I did it.” Exra replied. “We have a new mission. I need you to wake up our new friend.”
----
Joshua’s vision unblurred as he regained consciousness, having woken up from a nightmare. Luckily, it was just that. An awful dream, and none of what happened was real.
But it was. 
The first thing when waking up was an Unggoy sniffing his face. In holo-vids, they looked short and stocky. But now that he was looking at one, he realized they were as big as a person. The worst part not the size, though. It was the smell. The alien’s breath was awful, as awful as smelling someone else’s flatulence, but it wasn’t as nauseating as the Jiralhanae’s one, which reminded him of a rotten corpse—or at least, what he thought a rotten corpse would smell like. Behind the Unggoy, the T’vaoan from before was staring at him with his arms crossed. Realizing the situation he was in, Joshua panicked and tried to break free, just to find out his hands were tied with orange energy shackles. 
“Don’t make this harder for yourself, human.”
“That’s enough, Bok Rug,” the Sangheili said. “Let me handle this.”
Joshua instantly recognized her. She was the one who saved him. As she crouched in front of him, he felt a warm stitch on his left ear. Some kind of translating device had been placed on his ear, making him bleed a little, as it had not been made with human anatomy in mind. 
“Do you understand me?” Exra asked, her alien voice overlapped with a synthetic one. It was like watching a dubbed Waypoint documentary. 
Joshua’s reply came as a nod. 
“Good.” 
“Are you… Are you going to kill me?” Joshua asked. It was an understandable question. After all, he was in front of one of the aliens he had been taught to fear. And for good reason.
“If we wanted you dead, you would already be.”
“What are you going to do with me, then?”
“You’re coming with us.” 
“Where?”
“Wherever I say so.” Exra replied. “Move.”
Joshua hesitated. Many questions were racing through his mind. Why was he spared, while everyone else was killed without mercy? Could these aliens be trusted? As much as he wanted answers, he knew he was not going to get one. Not soon, at least. Only one thing was certain. If he wanted to live, he had to obey his captors. 
And so, he did, following them as they walked out of the drop-base, into the woods. 
===Chapter Six: With Friends Like These...===
A herd of deer-like mammals were peacefully grazing in a forest clearing. Known for running at the slightest sign of danger, they did, scattering in all directions as soon as heavy footsteps announced Exra’s presence. Behind her, Bok Rug, Badab, and Joshua, were following. 
Just a day before, Joshua’s existence was a simple one. Every day, he woke up to go to school, hang out with his friends after class, study for his exams in the afternoon, and watch cat holo-vids on the Waypoint during his free time. But after everything that just happened, that seemed like a distant memory. Aneka and the others were gone, and his life was at the mercy of alien mercenaries, whose reasons for saving him still were beyond his understanding.
“Can we get some rest, Exra?” Bok Rug asked. “I’m tired.”
“No.” Exra replied. “We won’t rest until we get to the extraction zone.”
“And how far is it?”
“Forty-eight thousand units away from here.”
“What?” Bok Rug asked. “You’re kidding, right?”
Although Joshua didn’t know how much a Covenant unit was in the metric system, judging by Bok Rug’s reaction, they were in for a long walk. 
“No.” Exra replied. “Take it easy, Bok Rug.”
“Take it easy? Look at Badab’s feet! He has calluses on his calluses!”
“Fine. There’s a river nearby. We’ll take a break there. Sixteen centals, no more.”
“Fifteen? That’s not enough time!” 
“Take it or leave it, Bok Rug.” Exra said. “The Phantom won’t be waiting for us. Now, move. Before I change my mind.”
“Uh, whatever.” Bok Rug begrudgingly accepted, resuming his walk afterwards.
----
After reaching the river, Joshua walked away and sat on the shore, looking at his reflection on the water. He could see his clothes were dirty, and his skin was bruised and lacerated. 
Meanwhile, Badab playfully threw rocks at the water, as Bok Rug sat on top a nearby rock, trying to drink some water from a device that resembled a canteen. When the liquid failed to pour into his mouth, the T’vaoan looked if there was anything. As he did, he noticed through his peripheral vision, he was being watched.
“Don’t look at me like that, human.” Bok Rug shouted. “I’m not going to give you any!”
Joshua looked back at the water. He was thirsty, but his hands were tied. There was not much to be done.
“Human.” Exra said as she sat at his side, taking him by surprise. “How are you?”
“I… I’m fine.” Joshua replied. The truth was, he wasn’t fine. He was scared and worried. But he had to keep it hidden. 
“I see.” Exra said. “May I ask you some questions?”
“I guess. It’s not like I have any other choice.”
“You do.” Exra replied. “You don’t have to answer me if you don’t want to.” 
Joshua said nothing, seemingly uncomfortable. 
“What’s your name?” That was the first question Exra asked. 
“Joshua,” the human replied. “What about yours?”
“Exra ‘Kasum. Just call me Exra,” the Sangheili said. “Are you hurt, Joshua?”
“Well, yeah. But I’ll be fine.” 
“Will you?”
“Yeah. I’ll just need some water. If only my hands weren’t tied…”
“I can change that.” Exra replied, turning his shackles off.
Perplexed, Joshua looked at his hands, now free, and then, looked at Exra. “Why did you do that? I thought I was your prisoner.”
“Drink.” 
Just as he was told to, Joshua placed his hands together and brought some water to his mouth, quenching his thirst.
“So, what were you doing out here, so far from your kind?”
“I… Well, it was because of a girl.”
“Wait. A girl? You’re telling us you came here to mate?” Bok Rug interrupted. 
“What? No! You’re making it sound weird!” Joshua shouted. “But I guess you could say so. Not that it matters anymore. She’s gone. I saw her die in my arms.”
Exra immediately thought of the dead, human female she found in the forest, one, if not the first of Merkus’ victims. “What was her name?”
“Aneka.”
“Aneka…” Exra repeated the name. “My people believe, after death, your name will be forever repeated by the god Fied, echoing in the Halls of Eternity until the end of times. If it helps you to mourn, you can choose to believe her name will be remembered.”
“I don’t know what to make of that.” Joshua replied. “But thank you, I guess.” 
“You’re welcome.” Exra replied. “Get up. It’s time to go.”
“Wait. I’m not going anywhere until you tell me something.”
“Go on.”
“Why did you save me?”
“It’s complicated.” Exra said. “The only thing you need to know, is that you are a Hera’joh.”
“A Hera’joh? What does that even mean?”
“Long ago, your kind was chosen by the Forerunners to be the inheritors of their legacy. To what extent, I don’t know. The only thing I know, is that it was the reason the Covenant tried to wipe your kind from the face of the galaxy, because they believed it was a blessing humanity did not deserve.”
“That… makes a lot of sense.” 
“Really?”
“No. I barely know what you’re talking about!” Joshua replied. It kind of made sense. After all, he and Aneka activated an underground Forerunner structure of some kind. But the complexities of the situation were above his understanding. “I guess that means you’re not going to hurt me, though.”
“No, we’re not.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
Before he asked anything else, a flock of birds took flight, as the trees they were perched on began were shaken. Something big was on the move, making the ground below to tremble. 
“What are those?” Exra asked, as a pair of large, sauropodal creatures, with orange-brown, scaly hides and yellow underbellies, reared their crested, giraffe-like heads above the coniferous trees they started to feed upon. Startled, Exra aimed her rifle at them, keeping her finger close to the trigger, just in case she had to fire.
“Wait, don’t shoot!” Joshua shouted, placing his hand upon the weapon’s barrel. “They’re not dangerous.” 
“What makes you so sure?” 
“Because they’re herbivores. Mostly.”
“What do you mean by mostly?”
“Well, they sometimes supplement their diet with bird eggs or little critters. But it’s safe to say, we’re off the menu.” 
“How do you know all that?” 
“I saw it in a documentary.” Joshua replied. “Fauna Beyond, or something like that. We call them Kurwasadons.”
“I see.” Exra replied, as she lowered her rifle. The human seemed to have rudimentary knowledge on the local wildlife. That could prove to be useful. “Even if they’re not dangerous, we should go. They could trample us by accident.”
“Yeah. I agree.” 
“Badab. Take the human with you.”
“Badab!”
“Wait. What about you?”
“I’ll stay here, to ensure no one stays behind.”
“That’s nice of you. Thank you, Exra.” 
As Joshua followed Badab, who was seemingly more comfortable walking on his knuckles, and not just on his stubby, hind legs, Bok Rug approached Exra to ask her a question. “So, what are we doing with him?”
“We’re taking him to the Doda’keyt. ‘Baruch’s orders.”
“Really? How’re you going to do that?”
“By making him to trust us.” Exra replied. “That’ll make things easier.”
“For us, not for him.”
“What do you mean, Bok Rug?”
“I’m just saying. When he finds out what will happen to him, let’s say he won’t be as cooperative.”
“Let me worry about that, Bok Rug.” Exra said. “Tell me. How’s your eye?”
“Doing fine. Not thanks to him.”
“You think you can aim with the other one?”
“Of course I can!” Bok Rug said. “I’m a Jha’khaar, after all.”
“You? A Jha’khaar?” Exra asked. The Jha’khaar were the Kig-Yar equivalent of the Sangheili Silent Shadow. A unit of well trained, Kig-Yar marksmen, feared by both, human and ex-Covenant alike, due to their almost preternatural shooting skills. Bok Rug’s claim of being one was not only dubious, but laughable as well. 
“Yes. Why? You don’t believe me, Exra?”
“I have my doubts.”
“I’ll prove you wrong. Just wait and see…”
As Bok Rug resumed his walk, Exra stayed behind, thinking about his words. The so-called Jha’khaar had a point. For now, the human’s curiosity was satisfied. But if he were to find out what fate awaited him, he would attempt to escape. And that was a risk she was not going to take. Therefore, if she wanted him to comply, she had to lie to him. But in doing so, she was forgetting the very reason she saved him in the first place. 
Perhaps, Merkus was right. Only self-righteous, hypocritical izlars such as her would care about honor. Something there was no place for in the Banished. 
----
Derianus was sharpening the edge of his Jiralhanae combat knife, each stroke accompanied by the sound of scraping metal. 
“Hey, take it easy cub.” Akoth said, having followed him to the Doda’keyt’s barracks. “You’re going to break it.”
“What are you doing here, Kig-Yar?” Derianus asked. “Did the Chieftain send you to mock me?”
“No. I only want to talk to you.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Are you sure about that?” Akoth asked. “Maybe you’ll end up hearing something you like…”
“Fine.” Derianus replied. “Spit it out.”
“I heard Sangheili who goes by the name of Exra ‘Kasum was appointed as an Enforcer. Does her name ring any bells?”
“Not at all. Why?”
“Because she killed one of your brothers… Doesn’t that make you angry?”
“No.” Derianus replied. “It’s just another workplace casualty. Why would that concern me?”
“Because she killed him to protect a human.”
“A human?” Derianus asked. “Why would be a human so important?”
“Do you know why the Covenant fell?”
“How’s that related to the topic at hand?”
“You’re not answering my question.” Akoth replied. “Why did the Covenant fell?” he asked again.
“Because the Prophets anointed my kind and betrayed the Sangheili, sparking a civil war that tore the Covenant apart in the process?”
“Wrong!” Akoth said. “The Great Schism was one of many reasons, yes. But not the reason, if you know what I mean. The Covenant fell because the Prophets’ realized humans were chosen by the Forerunners to inherit their legacy, not them. That was the reason they ordered a War of Annihilation against their kind. Because they wanted to hide the truth.”
“So, you think this human is a… how were they called?” Derianus asked. 
“A Hera’joh?” Akoth replied. “No. That’s a word with religious implications. I prefer the term, Reclaimant.”
“And why should I care about this?” Derianus replied, pointing his combat knife at him. 
“Because tomorrow morning, a Phantom will be deployed to pick her up. ‘Baruch’s orders.” Akoth replied. “Guess who’s going to be part of the extraction team.” 
“So, that’s it? You just came here to tell me that?”
“Well, yes.” 
“Great. I brought the Chieftain here, and this is how I get paid. That’s unfair!” 
“It doesn’t have to be that way, though.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you kill her, you could take the human for yourself and deliver him not to the Sangheili, but to the Chieftain himself. Nobody’s going to miss her. Just as you said, just another workplace casualty. What do you think?”
“I don’t know.” Derianus replied. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I once was like you, cub.” Akoth said. “Just less hairy and handsome.”
Derianus chuckled at the Kig-Yar’s joke. “Very well. I’ll tell my men to get ready. Thank you, Akoth.”
And so, Derianus walked away, unaware he was being used as a pawn to further Akoth’s agenda.
===Chapter Seven: Campfire Stories===
After hours of walking, the sun started to hide behind the mountains, as stars sparked into existence one by one in the sky. The last vestiges of daylight passed through the branches before the shadows of the night were slowly casted upon the forest. 
“Are we close?”
“Almost,” Exra replied. “Our destination is twenty-two thousand units ahead.”
“That doesn’t sound close…”
“It’s closer than it was before,” Exra said. “If that’s not reassuring, then I can’t do anything for you.”
“Shouldn’t we take a stop?”
“We already took a break.”
“Well, yeah. But that was… I don’t know how many of those units of yours ago. Besides, it’s getting late.”
“So?”
“I think we should find shelter for the night. Unlike you and Bok Rug, I can’t see anything in the dark,” Joshua said. “Besides, scary things lurk in the dark, you know?”
“Such as?”
“Predatory animals hunt in these woods at night. It would be risky to keep going.”
“Let’s put it to a vote, then,” Exra said. “Those who think we should take shelter for the night, raise your hand.”
Bok Rug, Badab, and Joshua looked at each other, before raising their hands almost in unison.
“Fine,” Exra begrudgingly accepted the results. “Badab. Set up a camp. Bok Rug, you’re going to help him.”
“And what about me?” Joshua asked.
“Follow me.” 
As Exra walked into the woods, Joshua followed her, straying away from the campsite. 
“So, what do you want?”
“I’m going to teach you how to protect yourself.” Exra replied, as she handed him a C-shaped weapon.
“Directed energy pistol,” Exra replied. “Rohakadu-pattern.”
“You make this thing look small in your hands.” Joshua pointed out. In human hands, the plasma pistol was big, big enough to force him to use both hands to hold it properly.
Exra ignored his commentary, instead walking to a tree and placed a target on a branch. 
“So, uh, what I’m supposed to do?”
“Shoot.”
“Yeah, right,” Joshua replied, hesitatingly nodding his head before taking aim and pulling what he thought was the trigger, releasing a bolt of green plasma which soared past his target. 
“Again.” 
Shot after shot, Joshua kept missing the target, his shots landing either on another tree’s bark, or dissipating into the atmosphere after failing to hit anything. 
“I can’t do this,” a frustrated Joshua said. 
“You can,” Exra replied. “You just need to focus.”
“I’m focused, can’t you see?” 
“If you were focused, you wouldn’t be failing time after time,” Exra replied. “You need to think of your weapon not as an object, but as an extension of yourself.”
“I don’t understand. What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s not something you have to understand. It’s something you have to feel.”
“So, how am I supposed to feel it, then?”
“First of all, you have to fix your posture. Let me help you.”
As Exra helped him to adequately position his feet, Joshua realized how tall she truly was. He barely reached her waist. That was something he didn’t caught, as he was busier wondering what his fate was going to be. He was starting to feel safe, or at least, safe enough to ponder about such things. 
“Good. Again, shoot.”
Following her orders, Joshua aimed his weapon, and as he did, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After pulling the trigger, he opened his eyes, just to see he had succeeded this time. The target had been blown off.
“You saw that?”
“Congratulations. You can defend yourself now,” Exra said. “Just don’t shoot me in the back when I’m not looking at you.”
“I’m not making any promise,” Joshua joked.
“Interesting,” Exra replied. “You don’t seem to be afraid. Not anymore. Why?”
“Well, to say I’m not afraid would be a gross misunderstanding,” Joshua replied. “I’ve been taught to fear your kind since I was a kid. And now, more than ever, I should fear you. But I don’t know. It’s like, I feel curious about you.”
“Curious?”
“Yeah. I don’t know why. Maybe it was because my world was lucky—or privileged—enough to not be glassed.”
“I see.” 
“Yeah. Anyways, can we go back to the camp?” Joshua replied. “It’s getting cold out here.” 
Exra nodded.
----
When they returned to the camp, Exra and Joshua stumbled upon Badab, who was scraping two rocks against each other, trying to produce a spark to ignite a campfire under Bok Rug’s orders.
“Badab, what do you think you’re doing?” Exra asked.
“Badab.” 
“Well, whatever you think you’re doing, stop it,” she replied. “You’re an accident waiting to happen.”
“What’s the problem, Exra?” 
“You’re asking me what the problem is, Bok Rug?” Exra asked. “Do you know what an Unggoy breathes, to begin with?”
“Of course,” Bok Rug replied. “Methane. Everybody knows that. There’s a reason we call them gas suckers, after all. No offense, Badab.”
“Badab.”
“You know who else uses methane, Bok Rug? Humans”
“Really? I thought they breathed oxygen.”
“They don’t breathe it, you fool,” Exra replied. “They use it as fuel. You know why?”
“Because methane is a flammable—” Bok Rug replied. “Oh.”
“You get it now, don’t you?” 
“Yeah,” Bok Rug replied. “Sorry, Badab, but she’s right.”
“Badab,” the Unggoy said his name in disappointment. 
“Well. I guess there won’t be any campfire,” Bok Rug said. “What a shame.”
“I can light it on,” Joshua replied.
“Can you, human?
“Well, I can give it a try.”
“Suit yourself, then.” 
Bok Rug handed the rocks to Joshua, who scraped them one against the other until he successfully started the campfire. Once it was done, everyone sat in front of it, looking to keep themselves warm. The crackling of the fire was occasionally accompanied by the sound of chirping crickets and distant howls echoing in the dark. 
“So, what now?” 
“What do you mean?” Exra replied.
“Well, I don’t know. Are we just going to sit here, awkwardly staring at each other? Or are we going to talk about something else?”
“To talk? About what?” Exra asked.
“I mean. It’s been a day already, and we know next to nothing about each other.”
“What do you want to know?” 
“I don’t know. Something you’d like to tell, I guess.”
“There’s nothing I have to tell, then.” 
“You know what? I’m bored,” Bok Rug said. “I may as well tell you my whole life. It all began with an egg. Little Bok Rug hatched from one. My parents where what’d you expect from T’vaoan merchants. They wanted me to inherit the family business, but that wasn’t what I wanted for my future.”
“What was it, then?” 
“Well, when I played tough with other hatchlings, instead of fighting them up close, like other T’vaoan’s would do, I liked to throw stones at them from afar. That’s when I realized who I wanted to be.”
“A Jha’kaar?” Exra asked. 
“Yeah, exactly!” Bok Rug replied. “But when I told my parents, they didn’t like the idea, so I left my home. Then, I met this San’Shyuum guy. He wasn’t the biggest fish in the pond. But thanks to him, I got into the Jha’kaar. And he gave me a job as his personal assassin. That was until I messed it up, and he put a mev-ut on my head.”
“A mev-ut?” Joshua asked. “What’s that?”
“It’s the Kig-Yar word for a bounty.” Bok Rug replied. “A bounty everyone wanted to claim.”
“I can’t blame them,” Exra interrupted. “I would have done the same.”
“Very funny, Exra,” Bok Rug replied. “Anywho. I was jobless and on the run. At least, that was until our current employers were kind enough to not give a dime about it. And now, here I am.”
“Well, that was quite the story,” Joshua said. “What about you, Exra? Are you sure you don’t want to tell us?”
“Yeah, Exra,” Bok Rug replied. “Tell us!”
“I’m not going to tell you my story just because you want to.”
“It’s alright, I guess,” Joshua said. “I thought it would be kind of cool to know about you. But it’s fine if you don’t want to tell us.”
After an awkward moment of silence, Exra sighed. “I was born in the world of Urumata, blessed by the Prophets as Whispering Trees—if we can count that as a blessing.”
“How was it like?”
“It was like every other Sangheili colony world.” Exra replied. “Hot, arid, and desolate. What put us on the map was our main export. The best, Ultra-class Ghosts in the whole galaxy.”
“And, what about your family?”
“My parents were mere commoners, working for the Guilds that controlled the planet. I loved them, and they loved me. My mother’s husband taught me how to fight, how to wield a sword. Something my mother didn’t like. She wanted me to follow a more traditional path.”
“Wait. You said her husband. He wasn’t your father?” 
“No,” Exra replied. “We, Sangheili, are not allowed to know who our father is. That’s because we have to make a name for ourselves, not depending on the legacy of others.”
“So, you never knew who your real father was.”
“No. I did,” Exra replied. “One day, when my mother was not at home, I snuck in her room and found her trysting pod. That’s how I discovered my father was a Kaidon.”
“A Kaidon?” Joshua asked. “What’s a Kaidon?”
“The head honchos of Sangheili society,” Bok Rug replied. “They’re both warriors and kings, all in one package.”
“So, you’re telling me you’re a princess or something like that?”
“Not exactly,” Exra replied. “I kept the secret to myself for some time. But I couldn’t sleep with the fact that I was a ruler’s daughter. My family struggled to make a live for themselves, while my real father didn’t care about us. I wanted to bring them honor, so I snuck into the Kaidon’s palace and confronted him. If I were to defeat him, I would have reclaimed my place as his Scion.” 
“And I guess it didn’t go well.” 
“I wish it had,” Exra replied. “I don’t know what I was thinking, in retrospect. The Kaidon defeated me, of course he did, and he could have executed me and my family as a punishment. But he didn’t. Instead, he chose to let me live and walk away, under the condition I was never to return. I may he have lived, but he stripped me of the most valuable thing for a Sangheili.”
“Let me guess,” Bok Rug said. “Your honor.”
Exra nodded. “After that, I moved to the port city of Kor Delban, in the backwater world of Karava. I tried to make a living for myself, but that didn’t go well. I would have starved to death if it weren’t for a friend of mine, who offered me a chance to restore my honor, and so, I took it.”
“And what will you do once your honor is restored?” 
“I don’t know.”
“Sorry,” Joshua replied. “I shouldn’t have asked.”
“It’s alright, Joshua.”
“And, what about you? What was your name again?”
“Badab!”
“Yeah, Badab. What can you tell us?”
“Badab.”
“Well, I guess you’re a Grunt of few words. Quite literally.”
“You get used to it,” Bok Rug replied. “Anyways. That was a good talk. If you don’t mind, I need to get some privacy.”
As Bok Rug walked away, Joshua turned to see Exra. “Now that he’s gone, can I ask a question?”
“What questions do you have, human?”
“It’s not about you. It’s about… me,” Joshua replied. “What’s going to happen to me?”
“We’re going to take you to our ship. The Ghost of Doda’keyt. A salvage cruiser waiting for us in orbit.”
“And what do you need from me?”
“I already told you. You’re a Hera’joh.”
“I already know that. It’s just, I don’t get it. For what, exactly?”
“Our employers are looking for some kind of Forerunner relic. And you’re the key, it seems.”
“Who are those employers you’re talking about?” Joshua asked. “The Covenant?”
“The Covenant is gone. Whatever remains are just disorganized, splinter factions, each one claiming to be real deal. But they’re nothing but poor excuses of pretenders.”
“Then, who are you working for?”
“For the Banished. Have you heard of them?”
“Not much, to be honest. I just know they’ve become quite popular as of lately.”
“Yes, they have.”
“So, after helping these Banished to get whatever they want, will I return to my home?”
“You will,” Exra replied. “I’ll make sure of that.”
“That’s good to know,” Joshua said. “I just want this nightmare to end and to see my friends and family once again. When I see Alessia again, I’ll give her a big hug and I’ll tell her everything I’ve been through.”
“As I said, you will,” Exra reassured him. “For now, you need to get some sleep. We’ll move at dawn, and I need you well rested.”
“Yeah, thank you,” Joshua replied. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight.”
Joshua closed his eyes as he laid on the ground, hugging himself to keep his body warm, as Exra gave him a remorseful look. None of what she said was true. He was not going to return home, because there wouldn’t be a home to return to begin with. The Banished were going to lay everything to waste, and nothing was going to stop them. 
----
Exra had chosen to stay awake as everyone else was sleeping. Someone had to keep an eye on them, after all. 
“Good morning, Exra.” 
“You shouldn’t be awake, Bok Rug,” Exra replied. “What do you want?”
“I just want to give you some company. If you don’t mind…”
“Very well.”
“So, tell me. How much of your story is true?” Bok Rug asked, as he sat at Exra’s side.
“None of it. I made it up.”
“Are you sure?” Bok Rug asked. “You seemed to be quite honest about it. Why did you tell it to us?”
“I don’t know.” Exra replied. “Maybe I had to get it out of my head, and I thought you were not going to believe it.”
“Well, I did.”
“Then forget about it, you never heard a word.”
“There’s no undoing that, Exra,” Bok Rug replied. “By the way, you’re getting attached to the human, aren’t you?”
“What makes you say that?”
“I can see it in your Sangheili eyes,” Bok Rug replied. “You saved him not because he was a Hera’joh, no. That was just an excuse you made up to save your own skin. No, you saved him because you took pitied him, didn’t you?”
“Maybe.”
“And, what are you going to do with him tomorrow?” Bok Rug asked. “When we return to the Doda’keyt, how are you going to explain him the world as he knows it is going to come to an end.”
“I don’t know. It’s going to be ‘Baruch’s problem by then.”
“That’s it? You’re going to leave your responsibilities to someone else? Why?”
“Because I’m leaving,” Exra replied. “There’s nothing for me in the Banished anymore.”
“But you’ll have nowhere else to go. You said it.”
“I already know that, Bok Rug,” Exra replied. “It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
“Everyone digs their own grave as they please, I guess,” Bok Rug said. “If you care about him so much, you should tell him the truth before you leave.”
“I told you before, Bok Rug,” Exra replied. “I’ll worry about that. I don’t need you to constantly remind me.”
Suddenly, distant explosions could be heard, followed by the panicked cries of some unseen beast.
“What was that noise?”
“Nothing good,” Exra said. “Wake them up.”
“On it.”
Badab was woken up first, then Joshua, who was rather stunned. “What’s going on?” 
Exra gave no reply, instead placing her hand close to her waist, where she placed her energy curveblade’s hilt. That was when something charged towards them. It was a blind, armless biped with a theropodal body shape, possessing a rather mammalian skull with two, jagged fangs protruding from its lower jaw. 
A blind wolf. 
Exra pulled Joshua aside as the blind wolf smashed the campfire, extinguishing it. Just as she was about to face the creature, Exra realized it was gone. It completely ignored them, and instead, kept running, as if something had scared him.
Something they soon found about. 
Dozens of thundering footsteps announced a stampede’s arrival. Rhinok—a species of rhino-like herbivores, with Y-shaped horns and a row of dorsal plates running down their upper backs—were leading the charge, as other panicked animals such as deer and blind wolves, accompanied them, fleeing from an encroaching shroud of orange smoke.
“Fall back?” Exra ordered. 
“Fall back?” Bok Rug asked. “Where?” 
“Anywhere but here.”
The group ran amongst the herd, ducking and dodging, as animal bodies crashed against each other. After hiding behind a fallen log, Exra and company stood still, waiting for the stampede to come to its inevitable end. After what felt like an eternity, the herd scattered, leaving only a messy trail of footprints, and crushed plants behind. 
“Is everyone alright?” 
“Badab!”
“It’s good to hear you, Badab,” Exra replied. “What about you, Joshua?”
“I’m fine,” Joshua replied. “As fine as someone can be after almost being trampled to death.”
“Bok Rug, what about you?”
“I’m alive,” Bok Rug replied. “I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing, but I’m alive.”
“What scared all of those animals?”
“A forest fire or something like that,” Exra replied. “We should get out of here.”
“I agree,” Bok Rug said. “I don’t want to be here when this place turns into a tinderbox.”
“That… That doesn’t make any sense,” Joshua replied. “Wildfires are not normal, not here.”
“They are now,” Exra said. “Now move, unless you want to be turned into a charred corpse.”
As they started walking, Joshua had a feeling something was off. And he was right to feel that way. Firebombs filled with incendiary gel had been used by Jiralhanae grenadiers to set the trees ablaze, as siege-haulers deployed prefabricated structures upon the charred ground. 
The Banished invasion had begun.
===Chapter Eight: Confrontation===
The smoke started to clear as the sun rose above the ravaged portion of forest. Nobody said a word for the rest of the journey, until they arrived at their destination. 
“What is this place…?” Bok Rug asked.
“Our extraction point.”
“This… This isn’t what I had in mind.”
On top of the hill, an ancient structure had been built. Although it was similar to the one Joshua saw back at the cave, it was not built out of the same materials, as it had been sculpted from stone, and engraved with a rusty, golden metal, with ancient symbols carved upon its surface. It was as if someone or something had tried to replicate the same, architectural style, out of reverence.   
“So, what should we do know?” Joshua asked. 
“We stay here and wait.” Exra said. “The Phantom will be here anytime soon.”
“Finally, some good news!” Bok Rug replied. “I couldn’t stand this planet any longer.”
As the aliens talked, Joshua slowly walked away and sat on the ruins, thinking. When he first met Exra, he felt scared. After all, an alien not so different from her had killed Aneka. But, after she saved him and freed him from his shackles, he slowly started to trust her. In retrospective, he shouldn’t have, as she was responsible for shackling him in the first place. After escaping the fire from before, he noticed something was not right. After all, forest fires were not a common occurrence on the planet. The only way one could happen, was for someone—or something—to start it. And Exra had to know. She was hiding something from him. What if she was lying? What if the ship waiting for them in orbit was more than a scavenging craw? What if it was an army, ready to invade?
“Is everything alright, Joshua?” Exra asked, as she approached him.
“What? Uh, yeah. I’m fine,” Joshua replied. “I was just thinking about… stuff.”
“Good,” Exra replied. “If you need something, just tell me.”
“Thank you, Exra,” Joshua replied. As the Sangheili walked away, a thundering roar was heard. It was not from an animal, but from a Phantom’s engines announcing its incoming arrival. His fate had been sealed. 
“About time!” Bok Rug shouted, as the Phantom slowly maneuvered around the hill, before positioning itself above the Forerunner structure. The dropship’s twin gates lowered, releasing a pack of Jiralhanae warriors, as the gravity lift beamed down their leader. 
Joshua’s fight or flight response almost activated when he saw them. Exra noticed this, and placed his hand upon his shoulder as she stepped in front of him. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe,” she said, before turning her attention to them. “Why are you here?” 
“We came for the human,” the Jiralhanae leader. “Give him to us.”
“The human’s custody is my responsibility, not yours” Exra said. “Under whose orders you came here to relieve me of my duty?”
“Under my own orders,” the Jiralhanae replied. Exra’s pupils dilated when she realized who she was talking to. Captain Derianus, son of Chieftain Arkarum. “If you don’t surrender the human, there will be consequences.”
Exra turned to see Joshua, who was visibly frightened. He slowly shook his head, begging her not to surrender him to the Jiralhanae. “He’s all yours.”
“I knew I shouldn’t have trusted you.”
As a Jiralhanae grabbed Joshua by the back of his head and pushed him forwards, Exra closed her eyes. Bok Rug had been right. Had she treated him like a prisoner, he would have never felt the sour taste of betrayal. But there was no turning back.
“Thank you for your compliance, Exra ‘Kasum,” Derianus said. “Kill her.”
“What?”
Just as Derianus gave the order, two Jiralhanae attempted to grab Exra by her shoulders. Before they could do anything, she broke free from them, and turned on her energy curveblade, swinging it at her aggressors and cutting their throats. Seizing his chance, Joshua grabbed one of his captor’s fingers and bit it, forcing the Jiralhanae to release him. 
Exra barely turned on her energy shields, just as red bolts of plasma impacted against them. Her shields gave her enough time to take cover and start firing back. As she vented excess heat from her pulse carbine, Exra saw Badab standing at her side.
“Badab, give me a grenade,” she ordered.
“Badab!”
The Unggoy picked up a plasma grenade from his backpack and gave it to Exra, who turned it on. As the explosive started beeping, Exra threw it away, sticking it to a Jiralhanae’s armor. The ensuing explosion not only vaporized him but launched two of his packmates into the air. 
“You will pay for that!” Derianus shouted, as he picked up a Ravager from his back and started firing at them. As plasma globs rained down upon her, Exra and Badab got out of cover, as the Jiralhanae forces started chasing them. Suddenly, one of the Jiralhanae warriors dropped dead to the grand, his head and helmet having been blown off from afar. Then another, and another, forcing Derianus to take cover. 
“You weren’t lying, Bok Rug,” Exra said through her comms. “You really are a Jha’khaar.”
“I told you so!”
“Take down that sniper!” Derianus ordered. 
“I can’t see him!” one of his subordinates replied. “There are too many trees in the way!”, he added, before his head was taken off.  
Enraged, Derianus started to blindly fire his weapon, failing to hit anything. As the Jiralhanae fell back, Exra chased after them. A warrior tried to swing his Spiker’s blades at her, failing to do so, as Exra dodged the attack and turned on her energy curveblade, slicing his chest open and then kicking his body to the ground. That was when another Jiralhanae tackled her, pinning her against a stone wall. Using both of her hands to hit him in his back, Exra freed herself, recovered her energy curveblade and swung it at the Jiralhanae, who unsuccessfully tried to parry the blow with his forearm. His cries of pain were cut short when Bok Rug fired a shot at his head.
Derianus opened fire once again upon Exra, forcing her to take cover and fire back. It was a game of predator and prey, which they repeated for quite some time until their weapons run out of energy. Exra threw her carbine aside, as Derianus charged at him with his weapon’s bayonet. Once again, Exra dodged the blow, as the Ravager’s blade got stuck on a tree. Then, she kicked Derianus to draw some distance between them. 
“I had enough of this,” Derianus said, as he wiped some blood from his face. “I will kill you.”
“I want to see you try.”
Derianus unsheathed his Jiralhanae combat knife and charged at Exra, who swung her energy curveblade at him. Unfortunately, the Jiralhanae dodged the blow and pinned her against the ground, trying to stab her in the chest. Exra struggled against him, and, although she held her ground for a bit, the overwhelming force of the Jiralhanae was too much for her. In what could have been her last moments, she heard a buzzing sound behind Derianus’ back. 
An overcharged shot from a plasma pistol was fired, impacting against Derianus’ back and breaking his armor apart, giving Exra a chance to pick up her fallen curveblade and stab him in the stomach. A gasp of pain got out of Derianus’ mouth, as he saw the blue, plasma blade piercing and burning through his intestines, before collapsing on top of Exra. The Sangheili pushed aside the Jiralhanae’s body and pulled her weapon from his stomach, turning it off. When she was about to get back on his feet, she saw him.
Joshua was standing in front of her, holding his plasma pistol with both hands, just like she taught him.
“Stay right where you are,” Joshua ordered. “Or I’ll shoot you.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Because I can’t trust you,” Joshua replied. “You lied to me all this time. You said you were not going to hurt me, that I would return to my home when all this was over. But instead, you sold me to them. The same ones who killed Aneka. But now, I know there won’t be a home to return to, or will it?”
Exra gave no reply, instead, staring at the gun in front of her. She was, quite literally, facing the consequences of her own actions. 
“Of course not,” Joshua said. “You were going to take me to your Banished friends. To use me as a living key, while they burned my home just like they burned the forest and killed everyone I know. Alessia, Jonah… my mom.”
“Exra. Bok Rug here. I like that human, I really do, but if you want me to shoot him, I’ll shot. No hesitation. Just give me the order, and I will. I’ll be waiting for confirmation.”
Exra gave no reply. Killing Joshua would accomplish nothing. Instead, she was going to talk to him. “Before you kill me, you want me to know why did I you?”
“I don’t want to hear anything from you!”
“But you want, and you will,” Exra replied. “When I saw you about to die at Merkus’ hands, something inside told me it was wrong. It was wrong to leave you to die. I knew I had to do something, so I did. I killed him. I could have let him kill you, but I didn’t. I saved you, even if I knew it was going to get me in trouble. But then, I tried to selfishly save my own skin. I told my commanding officer, my own friend, that you were a Hera’joh. A Reclaimant. He ordered me to bring you to him, and so I did. Because I didn’t want to face the consequences of my actions. But I forgot the reasons I saved you in the first place. Not for glory or honor, but because it was the right thing to do.”
“And how’s that supposed to make things better?”
“It doesn’t,” Exra replied. “I lied to you. You trusted me, and I failed you. I’m sorry, Joshua. My honor is more tarnished than it already was.”
“So, that’s it?” Joshua asked. “You’re sorry? That’s not going to change anything. My home is about to be destroyed by the Banished, and there’s nothing that’s going to change that.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way,” Exra replied. “I can take you to them, so you can warn them about what’s coming.”
“Can you do that?” Joshua asked. “Or is that another lie of yours?”
Exra stood back on her feet, turning on her energy curveblade and slicing the palm of her hand. 
“I swear it, on the blood of my forefathers,” Exra said. 
“So, you’re going to help me?” 
“I will,” Exra replied. “Besides, I was going to leave, anyways.”
“Alright, alright. I’ll trust you.”
“By the way, next time you threaten someone’s, make sure your weapon is fully charged. You look embarrassing.”
Joshua looked at the holographic, charge display, realizing it was red. Between yesterday’s training session of the day before and today’s shootout, the battery had depleted. “Well, thank you for the advice. I guess.”
Exra nodded. “Bok Rug. Exra here, do you copy?”
“Yeah. I do.”
“Change of plans. We’re leaving.”
“Let me guess. We’re leaving you killed Derianus. I saw it through my scope. We’re so dead, you know that, right?”
“I know,” Exra replied. “We’ll be heading to the human colony.”
“For what?”
“We’re bringing Joshua where he belongs.”
“That’s not a good plan, you know that?” Bok Rug asked. “The humans are going to have plenty of reasons to shoot us in sight. That, if they aren’t dead by then.”
“If you have a better idea, say it,” Exra replied. “But if you don’t, we’ll do as I say. You understand?”
“I hope you know what you’re doing, Exra. I really do.”
“If you don’t have anything else to say, tell Badab we’re getting out of here.”
“Fine. Bok Rug, out.”
After Bok Rug stopped talking, Exra turned to see Joshua and told him to start moving. As the two started walking all the way back, they were being watched by an orb-shaped construct, with a bright, blue eye in the center of its metallic carapace.
A Forerunner Monitor, who had followed them through all of their journey.
----
The only thing Derianus wanted was to make his father proud. 
 
He was just a cub when his father joined the Banished. He grew hearing tales of their exploits, fighting against the Covenant’s tyranny when no one else did. When he had enough age, he joined the Banished. Unlike other Jiralhanae, who only saw their fathers as competition to be defeated, he admired him. He wanted not to take his place, but to rule at his side.
That was the reason he tried so desperately to win his favor. He led risky missions, always looking to find something worth retrieving to present as an offering to the Chieftain. But despite his best efforts, he never did. Arkarum always disapproved his actions, believing him to be an approval-seeking weakling. But, despite his constant rejections, he remained loyal to him, even when he betrayed Atriox. After all, he didn’t join the Banished because of Atriox. He joined because of his father.
One day, he led a raid into a Yonhet colony. An influential merchant, owner of an alien antique shop, offered them a Luminary in exchange of his people’s survival. The same Luminary that brought him to Oth Solkon. What Luminary failed to tell him, was of the presence of a human settlement on the planet. As a punishment, he was sent to the barracks to await new orders. That was when he was offered with an opportunity to rectify his mistakes, by bringing a human to him. 
And so, he took it. He brought his best warriors with him, believing that would be more than enough to succeed on his mission. He was surprised when he found out, his quarry was a young human. Nonetheless, he was going to bring him to Arkarum and take his rightful place. Something did not happen, as his protectors, a Sangheili, a T’vaoan, and an Unggoy, defeated them. Now, he was lying on the ground, soaking the grass below him with his blackish blood.  
The last thing he saw, was a two-toed foot stepping in front of him. It was from his father, who had come all the way from the Doda’keyt just to see him fail.
“You’re a disappointment,” Arkarum said. “Had I known you would be like this, I would have mated with your whore of a mother.”
“I’m sorry, father,” Derianus sobbed. “I’m sorry to disappoint you.”
Then, a tear escaped from his eye as Derianus took his last breath.
== Act Two: Occupation and Resistance==
=== Chapter Nine: A Dark Discovery ===
Human life was such a fragile thing. 
That was something Joshua learned the hard way.
A day ago, he was just a normal teenager, trying to live his life as best as he could. But not anymore. He had survived a near death experience, as a Jiralhanae killed a group of people he was with, including the girl he liked. The only reason he was still alive was Exra ‘Kasum, a Sangheili Mercenary who spared his life, just to almost surrender him to the Banished, before changing his heart at the last minute and saving him once again. 
Now, they were on the run.
Exra had killed Derianus, a Jiralhanae Captain who also was the son of a Chieftain. A death he had a part in it, as he was responsible for stripping him of his armor, giving Exra a chance to finish him off. Although he didn’t know how to feel about it, there was no time to think about that. 
He had to reach Prospero and warn them of the incoming Banished invasion.
“Stop,” Exra ordered, as she raised her hand and closed her fist. At first, Joshua wondered why, but after a few seconds, he realized. A fetid smell reached his throat and nose, forcing him to puke behind a bush, as Badab rushed to help him. 
“What’s that?” Bok Rug asked. “It looks like a…”
“A bunch of mangled corpses?”
“Yeah, that.”
In front of them, the butchered remains of what once was a herd of rhinok—perhaps, the one from before—were laying all over a clearing, as red, crested birds were flying around in circles. Some of the bodies were skinned, others hollowed out, and others lacked their characteristic, Y-shaped horns. Already cooled, metal spikes and plasma marks were scattered all over the place, either on the ground, in the trees, or in the animals themselves. Not even the calves had been spared. 
“Those savages…” Exra said. “Nothing’s sacred for them.”
“Why did they do it?” a recovered Joshua asked.
“Because they’re Brutes. That’s why,” Exra replied. “This is how they work. They find a nice place to settle in, they strip it of every resource they can find, and then, once they’re done, they move to another place.”
As Exra talked, Joshua noticed a swarm of six-legged bugs feasting upon the corpses. They were gray in color with red stripes, possessing bright, blue eyes and a keel above their backs. Using their beaks, they cut pieces of meat with surgical precision before flying away with them. At the pace they were doing it, there would be nothing left but bleached bone in just a few hours. 
“Can we get out of here?” Joshua asked. “I can’t watch anymore.”
Exra nodded. As the group resumed their walk, Joshua gave the herd one last look. That was the fate awaiting his family and friends if he failed to warn them. They would be slaughtered without mercy, like animals. 
----
After hours of walking, they were close to Prospero. Anxiety was running through Joshua’s body. He feared it was already too late. He feared the Banished had already destroyed his home. But something kept him going. Hope. Hope there was still time for his friends and family. He imagined himself returning to his house, and his mother scolding him. But that wouldn’t matter anymore. He was going to warn her, and the colony would be evacuated. 
But unfortunately for him, it was already too late.
A wing—or rather, a talon—of Banished flyers, coated in red and silver painting, soared above them, leaving a trail of vapor behind as their engines whined.
“Banshees!” Exra shouted. “Stay low.”
“No,” Joshua muttered. “No, no, no…” 
Instead of following her orders, Joshua started following the trail left by the Banshees.
“What’s he doing?” Bok Rug asked. “He’s going to get himself killed.”
“I won’t let that happen,” Exra replied. “Stay here.”
Exra followed Joshua, who walked out of the woods. What he saw was something that would leave him scarred for the rest of his life.
Karve warships loomed above the colony, sporadically firing torpedoes of red plasma at it. Columns of fire raised from the destroyed buildings, as Phantom dropships escorted by Banshees deployed troops into the ravaged streets. 
His worst fears had come to be true. Everything and everyone that he cared about, was gone. Devastated, he felt on his knees and started sobbing. There was nothing he could do. His world had come to an end. 
Exra knew how he felt. The Sangheili wanted to comfort him, stretching her hand and trying to place it on his shoulder, but no, she thought better of it and backed off. No word would be enough to help him feel better. The only thing she could do, was to leave him alone to mourn.