Pelahsar and Rassiron

“Come, Rassiron, let us away from this place as brothers, not enemies,” I said, my cape fluttering in the wind. “The general amnesty extends even to your kin. Your ancestral lands will not be confiscated, nor will your family be molested. I will see to it personally.”
“If you wish me to come with you, then you must abrogate the Writ of Union with those aliens,” he said. He faced me directly, but had a noticeable slouch in his shoulders as he covered his torso with a thick coat. The wind was bitterly cold, making the plains frigid despite the autumnal season only beginning. “You still cajole and collaborate with the perfidious worms, do you not?”
“They have brought us a new era of peace and prosperity and have saved us from mutual extinction,” I responded.
“They, through their cunning, their honeyed words, and their underhanded agendas, have bewitched our species into signing a contract of bondage,” answered Rassiron most venomously. “Our destiny has been arrested. Not by fire and sword, but by pen and paper. How shameful. Did your back hurt after bending over for them?”
One of my men reacted, saying “Oh…!” Another drew in a sharp breath.
Almost immediately, however, one of my lieutenants, one Mak ‘Vadam, stepped forward to defend my honor. “What was that?!” he yelled, unleashing his energy sword and pointing it at Rassiron, who looked undisturbed. “I will not stand idly by while my lord and master is insulted!” I moved my arm in front of him, and he stopped, humbly uttering, “My lord…” He put away his sword.
“The war is over,” I said with a soft tone. “Let us end the senseless bloodshed and walk into the future, you and me, together.”
Rassiron’s eyes became filled with sadness, but his face was stoic. Then, he closed his eyes, let out a breath, and slowly shook his head ‘No.’ He opened his eyes once more and said, “I do not wish to live to see my species in chains.”
“Rassiron…” I said, perhaps in one final attempt to avoid the inevitable. But I was answered only with the drawing of his burnblade. His two companions drew their swords as well, and my comrades took up their arms and stood beside me.
“I die a free Sangheili. Let they who come after us know this.”
Rassiron and his companions charged at us. ‘Vadam and ‘Mannim easily dispatched his warriors. My duel with Rassiron was surprisingly brief. Perhaps he knew that he had been cornered and had run out of planets to flee to, and saw this as a fitting end to his story. He made a powerful yet obvious thrust at my torso, which I parried and quickly followed up in a slashing attack, one which he was very much capable of dodging. Yet he did not, and the blade smashed through his armor and into his flesh. Blood flew out of him as he made almost no noise, save for a pained grunt. He fell to the ground and stayed there, bleeding to death as he watched me, and I watched him. Slowly, the life withdrew from his eyes. He was dead. My dear friend was gone.
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“Come, Rassiron, let us away from this place as brothers, not enemies,” said Pelahsar, his cape flowing in the chilly wind. Autumn had barely started, but it felt like the depths of winter out on the steppe. Pelahsar continued, saying, “The general amnesty extends even to your kin. Your ancestral lands will not be confiscated, nor will your family be molested. I will see to it personally.”
I understood nothing of why Pelahsar chose to negotiate with Rassiron, one of the last anti-Union resistance leaders alive. Rassiron was always hostile to any sort of negotiation with the San’Shyuum, never mind a political union.
“If you wish me to come with you, then you must abrogate the Writ of Union with those aliens,” answered Rassiron. “You still cajole and collaborate with the perfidious worms, do you not?”
“They have brought us a new era of peace and prosperity and have saved us from mutual extinction,” said Pelahsar. Oh, heavens and ancestors, please forgive me, but I must confess I grew incredibly bored by this moment. My posture became slovenly as I tilted to my left side and cocked my head sideways. I dug my fists into a thick overcoat that went down to my knees as my energy sword’s hilt was jostling at my side. At this time I had barely gotten used to the things. And all I could think about was how cold I was, and how undisturbed everyone else seemed to be by the cold, and how strange I thought that was.
Now, Rassiron responded, saying, “They, through their cunning, their honeyed words, and their underhanded agendas, have bewitched our species into signing a contract of bondage. Our destiny has been arrested. Not by fire and sword, but by pen and paper. How shameful. Did your back hurt after bending over for them?”
Now, that last comment caught me unawares. It was so… direct. I could not help but react. I uttered a breathless, cringed “Oh…!” while someone else drew in a sharp breath.
The ‘Vadam fellow drew his sword, yelling “What was that?! I will not stand idly by while my lord and master is insulted!” and so forth. He was stopped by Pelahsar himself, and ‘Vadam stepped back, saying “My lord…”
“The war is over,” Pelahsar said with a softened tone, much to my surprise. “Let us end the senseless bloodshed and walk into the future, you and me, together.” I grew increasingly frustrated with Pelahsar’s misguided attempts at parley with Rassiron. Talk is bringing us nothing, my lord, let us do battle. But I would be remiss to make vocal such thoughts to my superior at that time.
Rassiron closed his eyes, let out a breath, and slowly shook his head ‘No.’ I slowly reached for the hilt of my energy sword. Rassiron opened his eyes again and said, “I do not wish to live to see my species in chains.”
“Rassiron…” Pelahsar said, in a futile attempt to avoid the inevitable. Rassiron and his companions drew their burnblades. ‘Vadam and I activated our energy swords and we closed ranks with Pelahsar.
“I die a free Sangheili,” said Rassiron. “Let they who come after us know this.”
Almost instinctively, ‘Vadam went left and I went right. He dealt with his man, and I allowed my own enemy to make a wide slashing attack. I blocked the attack incoming from my right with my blade pointing downward. Then I kicked my foe with my right foot, squarely on his stomach. He recoiled, and I swiftly lunged forward, slashing at his head. I sliced open his face and he fell backwards some more. I stabbed him while he was on the ground, burying my blade into his torso.
When I got to my feet, I discovered that Rassiron was on the ground, bleeding to death, Pelahsar standing over him triumphantly. I noticed though that the victor did not seem all too pleased with his victory. I found this peculiar, but was in no position to question it, so I said nothing.
Category:The Weekly