Photograph

“Oh my Gods,” said Mik, words that aroused me from my slumber. “Kai, how can you even sleep on this snowball?”
“It is very simple, Mik,” I replied, not opening my eyes to see him. I continued to lay in my previous position, atop a crate, with my back laying against a stack of three of them. “I find a good position, rest my weary head, close my eyes, and wait. I let nature take care of the rest. And if it is cold, I envelop myself in a thick, warm cloak, and then engage in the aforementioned steps.”
“But it’s fifteen brazai below freezing.”
“Warm. Cloak.”
“You’re going to die of hypothermia without making a sound.”
“I think not.”
“Oh?”
“Because you will complain about being so cold before that happens that I will inevitably wake up and have to deal with you, thus, warming my body up. Also, this cloak is heated.”
“What?”
“This cloak has active heating technology.”
Mik fell silent, thank the Gods. I heard footsteps crunching in the modest blanket of snowfall, which barely reached past our feet. It was far more windy than snowy, which arguably made our situation worse with the punishing wind chill. Thankfully, we all had cloaks. At least, all the Sangheili. The Unggoy huddled around Basab for warmth, while Tes and the other Kig-Yar – I forget his name – sheltered beneath one of the great eleven monolithic rock formations we were positioned near.
“Hey, Kai, look,” said Mik. I opened my eyes. We were within the shadow of one of these monoliths. Mik was before me, wearing a cloak, with it draped over his head like a hood, his arms and hands tucked beneath the plain gray cloth. He muttered some nonsensical words that vaguely sounded San‘Shyuum and bowed reverently at me, parodying one of the Prophets. I let out a loud chuckle, while he had stifled laughter.
“Mik, shut up!” I quickly admonished him between my laughter. “If an Evocatus was around, he would have beheaded you instantly.”
My friend smiled at me as he wrapped himself in the cloak in a more traditional fashion, with the cloth draped over his shoulders, wrapping around almost his whole body, and flowing down to his ankles. He connected the cloth with a strong yet light chain at the top of his chest. A wind of moderate strength blew from the west, causing his cloak to flow to my left in a most visually striking fashion.
“It’s fucking cold,” commented Mik.
“I know, my friend, I know.” I had about enough of sleep right now, and stood back up, wearing my cloak in a regular fashion as well.
Our lance was instructed to garrison this outpost partly to assist in securing the valley below, and partly to direct orbital bombardments on any positions within said valley. This was the highest elevation that had a full field of view of the entirety of the valley, although the rock formations did make it a significant landmark and thus easy to identify, which made me question the tactical soundness of choosing this location for any sort of fixed position. Regardless, I had orders to follow, and so I did. For two consecutive days there was no movement in the valley, simply the charred remains of a Human farming community in the depression below, its ruins smoldering from being laid to waste hours before we arrived. When the wind was just right, it carried the scent of burnt Human flesh and buildings to our position, a scent that most in our lance were accustomed to, save for the Minor Sangheili among us, who found it revolting.
Mik and I made our way to a light defensive fortification that was erected prior to our arrival, with a Shepsu-pattern Sweeping Turret placed upon a mount, pointed down towards the valley. It was roughly midday, the star of this system hanging somewhat low in the sky, signifying that in this hemisphere, we were in the depths of winter. This world was a moon, and it could be clearly known from the simple act of looking up. Even at the height of the day, the gas giant this world orbited, with its impressive ring system and swirling aquamarine clouds, dominated much of the sky.
I looked back to the rock formations. One of the Minors, Thar ‘Addamee, was taking various photographs with a small camera, most of them of the rock formations, although he did take a few of the sky above. Then he moved towards us. As he approached I noticed the picture fixed to the right side of his helmet. It was of Thar with a group of younglings.
“Sirs, I pray I am not intruding,” he began, “but may I capture a portrait of the two of you?”
Mik and I looked at each other. My friend shrugged. I looked back at Thar. “Of course,” I said.
“Thank you, sirs. I just request that you maintain your postures and look towards me…” Thar went down to one knee and aimed the camera at us. “One, two, three.” He pressed a small button several times. Then, he interacted with the camera’s interface, and from a small slot came two physical photographs. “Thank you, sirs. Here, for you.” He handed us our photographs, and walked away. We looked imposing yet dignified, almost regal in our cloaks, looking down at the camera, with the gas giant in the background hanging in the sky.
“Do not take a photograph of me, Thar,” said a voice in a somewhat annoyed tone. I looked to see that the voice came from Rennar ‘Vassokee, who was making his way from one side of the outpost to the other, still at watch.
“I did not intend to,” replied Thar.
“Good, then there will be no problems,” said Rennar.
As he continued on, he passed by Tes and the other Kig-Yar. He spat on the ground near them, which drew Tes’s ire, but she stayed silent. She looked at me, frowned, and shook her head. Then Rennar walked by the group of Unggoy, with Basab in the center.
“You know,” Rennar began, “if you piles of shit trained as much as you cowered, you probably would be more effective in battle. I want all of you watching the perimeter, now!” When the Unggoy were lethargic with their movements, Rennar grew incredibly dissatisfied in short order. He stopped and went back to them, kicking one of the Unggoy. “Get moving! Curse you!” Then he stole a glance towards us. He seemed very discontented, and glared at us harshly, but said no words. His blue armor cuirass was battered, covered in burn marks and scratches, with a tally on his left greave that counted up to nine.
“Are you all right, Rennar?” I asked.
“Yes sir,” he replied tersely. He caught himself speaking a tone inappropriate for a Minor to address a superior, and he straightened his posture and softened his voice. Rennar drew in a deep breath and let it out, his hot breath cascading from his jaw in a white cloud. “I am fine, sir.”
“Good,” I said. “Carry on.” Rennar nodded and moved to a position at the edge of the outpost. He kept his plasma rifle at the ready and watched for the enemy.
“What the fuck is his problem?” asked Mik in a low voice.
“I do not know,” I said. “But I do know that we are to be relieved today.”
“Oh good. We won’t die of hypothermia after all.”
“Mhm.”
“What’s the tally on his arm up to now? Nine?”
“Yes, I believe.”
“He only marks down melee kills, right?”
“Correct. If he tallied all of his kills, both arms would have been filled by now.”
“Then why is he still a Blue?”
“Did you not see how he interacted with the Unggoy? The Kig-Yar? Even others of his own people? Did you see how he first looked at us?”
“Yeah… not exactly a team player, is he?”
“Not just that. He tends to draw the ire of his superiors.”
“Not you, though.”
“He has yet to test my patience.”
“Friendlies incoming!” said Tes, who pointed to the eastern sky. A Phantom was approaching.
“Keep alert!” I said. “It must be our relief force.”
The Phantom hovered not too far above the ground, and the troops aboard it disembarked. At around this time, Thar had rushed to near the craft, and captured several photographs of the relief lance dropping to the ground. He then fell back towards Mik and me. I recognized their commanding Major almost instantly, and when his lance finished touching down, I approached them. Mik was right beside me.
“Del.”
“Kai.”
“I did not think you were the one to relieve me here.”
“Yes, well, here I am.”
“Indeed.”
Del’s Fleet of Infinite Splendor was already in the system, which made a minor uproar amidst our own Fleet of Unbroken Conviction, for it was uncommon to have more than one of our Covenant’s fleets to mingle in a single system. Apparently, Infinite Splendor was to succeed Unbroken Conviction it its duties in this sector, while we were to be deployed elsewhere, perhaps deeper into Human territories.
My brother and I stared at each other for some time. I gave him a wrathful glare, while he replied only with a neutral look, although it soon grew into one of distant dissatisfaction. I would not go so far to say as he was angry, but rather, saddened.
“It has been too long since last we met, brother.”
“Sir, may I capture a portrait of you?” Thar asked Del.
“You will not do such a thing,” I said.
“Well, I certainly would like that,” uttered Del. I narrowed my gaze at him disapprovingly. He did not seem to notice, or, if he did, he did not seem to care. “Please, Minor, proceed.” Like before, Thar bent to one knee, and took a photograph. Then he interacted with the camera’s interface, and like before, out came a copy of the photograph. He handed it to Del. My brother looked at his reproduction and nodded approvingly.
“Thank you, sir,” said Thar.
Del handed me his photograph. I took it in my hands, looked at it for a brief moment, and I contemplated doing one of two things: casting it into the snow, or handing it back to him. But then I looked at it, studied it. His eyes struck me as ones that saw the sun set on many battles. There was no ambition or pride in them, not like what I remembered of Del last. No, it was tempered by war. I found this peculiar, and looked up at the subject. I saw his eyes. They echoed with a faint pain as they looked at me, waiting patiently for any sort of response, and in his waiting, I felt some of the pain as well. The pain of brotherly love replied with scorn. The pain of what happened back on New Beringia reverberated not only with me, but with him. And the pain of falling short of letting your brother know you cared for him. Admittedly, on both our shoulders would this blame be righteously laid upon.
I gently tucked the photograph away on my person for safekeeping, and nodded towards Del. He smiled.
“You need not be here anymore,” he said. “I will take over for you.”
“All right,” I said. “Good luck. Be seeing you, brother.”
“Fortune to you, too.”
I clasped Del’s right shoulder with my left hand, and he replied with a mirrored gesture, grasping my left shoulder with his right. We shared a smile. Then, I heard a camera’s shutter work. I looked to my right, and saw Thar capturing a photograph of this moment. He made two copies, and handed us each one. He nodded, and made his way towards the Phantom, but was stopped by Rennar.
“Hey, Thar, could you capture a photograph of me?” he asked.
“I thought you did not want one?” said Thar.
“I changed my mind,” Rennar replied. “Come, take one.” Rennar posed with the monoliths and gas giant behind him, and Thar obliged, capturing a portrait.
“Lance 7! Fall in!” I yelled. My people gathered around me.
“Lance 9!” yelled Del. “Take up defensive positions!”
Del and I passed one another, and we gave each other a final nod of farewell.
“Let us away.”
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