[Naked Crook]

Barrabus: Damn it Brutus…you never give up… Barrabus leaned back in his chair. He took a deep breath and sighed again. He then heard a summons from the bridge. Brute Bridge Officer: Chieftain Barrabus…you are needed on the bridge. You are being summoned by the Minister of Abbadon. Barrabus stood up and left his private chambers. He walked up towards the bridge. Upon entering, Barrabus saw that the large holomap in the center of the bridge had been replaced by holographic avatars of the Minister of Abbadon, Quinn, and the other Elites. Barrabus: Minister… Barrabus intentionally did not greet the Elites. Minister of Abbadon: Chieftain Barrabus…behold…the forge of our gods… Barrabus walked past the holographic grid and looked at the large planet that was viewable from the widows on the bridge. Barrabus: I expected something more…full of life. Barrabus looked at the planet. The planet itself was undergoing a massive greenhouse gas effect. The atmosphere was totally obscured by a brownish gas that had filled the skies. Minister of Abbadon: This planet is in its dying stages…though the holy relics will endure long after this planet has withered away. That is simply the nature of that which is divine. Barrabus winced. He glared at the planet. Barrabus: That is not the only thing that is dying. The star...it is dim...very unlike Oth Sonin. This star is weak... Minister of Abbadon: Yes...the star in this cluster is in its final years. There is no doubt that it will die soon. Barrabus: I read the reports…it is my understanding that Deacons of the Covenant are attempting to decipher the holy glyphs found at this place. Minister of Abbadon: Correct. You should now that some progress has already been made… The Minister of Abbadon sounded annoyed when he said this. Barrabus, with his back to the hologram, grinned. He knew that he totally forgot about reading the reports, and instead spent the hours talking with Brutus. Barrabus then heard the holographic avatar of Quinn speak. Quinn: I recommend that we send a preliminary team to ensure that this place has not been compromised…I volunteer…I wish to undertake this holy task. One of the other holographic avatars began to speak. Bael: I would also like to assist Quinn. It is the place of the Elites to undertake missions of…importance… Minister of Abbadon: Very well. Quinn…I want you to put together a preliminary team composed strictly of Elites… The Minister of Abbadon paused. Minister of Abbadon: Barrabus…wait until you are summoned. Barrabus turned and looked at the holograms. Barrabus: IF you trust this exclusively to the Elite…then this mission has already failed! Minister of Abbadon: Be silent Chieftain! I have spoken…do not question my edict! Barrabus grunted. Quinn: Don’t feel bad…Chieftain…you can’t win them all. Quinn laughed. Quinn: Do as you are told… Barrabus clenched his fist. Quinn: Minister…with your permission…I would like to get underway! Minister of Abbadon: Go with blessing Quinn… Quinn: Bael, Malak, Jaero, Rha…prepare your best spec-ops…and meet me on my command ship…immediately. The holographic avatars of all of the Elites vanished. The Minister of Abbadon was all that remain. Minister of Abbadon: Be warned Barrabus…if you step out of line…the Elites will be there… The hologram of the Minister of Abbadon vanished. Barrabus snarled. The other Brutes on the bridge looked at him. Barrabus simply stared at the holotank where the holograms appeared. After a moment, he turned and left the bridge, heading down to the armory. Barrabus had no intention of simply staying put while the Elites had free roam. He was no accustom to this, and he would not accept this treatment. More and more, Barrabus began to see what Brutus was talking about. Brutus’ words echoed in his head, like a voice in a canyon. The echo was persistent, and clear as day. Barrabus became enraged with every step he took, thinking about the conversation that just transpired. Barrabus wanted nothing more than to tell Brutus exactly what he wanted to hear. Barrabus was in the right mindset to do so. He was furious with the Covenant. Barrabus walked up to the doors of the barracks, and opened the door. He walked in and saw the Obsidian Hierarchy Brutes, along with Dancar and Brutus. Brutus: I could hear you coming down that hallway. You don’t look happy… Barrabus snarled. Dancar: It was the communication with the liar…wasn’t it? Barrabus looked at Dancar Barrabus: How do you know about that? Dancar: I know a thing or two when it comes to eavesdropping on communication systems… Brutus: Dancar has a knack for this…technology… Brutus paused. Brutus: It is pretty impressive… Barrabus glared at Brutus. Barrabus: If you know what has been said…then I do not need to explain anything. I want you to get ready to deploy. I want to know what is going on down there. The Elites are being given the lead on this mission, and I am stuck on the side lines…relegated to watching. Dancar: Sounds like the Covenant doesn’t favorite you too much more…Barrabus… Barrabus looked at Dancar. Barrabus: Guess not… Brutus: You see Barrabus? Do you understand now? Barrabus nodded. Brutus: So…the question remains…you want us to go down there, follow the Elites, spy on them, and find out what they are up to. You are ordering us to do this. Who are you giving that order as? Barrabus was silent for a moment. Barrabus: You said you needed a Chieftain of the Obsidian Hierarchy? Consider the positioned filled…for now. Brutus walked up to Barrabus. Brutus: I knew you were always a smart one Barrabus! Brutus stepped back. He looked at Dancar and the other Obsidian Hierarchy Brutes. Brutus: You heard the Chieftain! Let’s get going! Dancar and his Brutes howled. They left the barracks, and made their way to the hanger bay. Brutus nodded at Barrabus and followed after Dancar and the others. Barrabus looked at Brutus. He called out to Brutus before he left. Barrabus: Brutus… Brutus stopped and looked back at Barrabus. Barrabus: Thanks for the wake-up call… Brutus nodded. Brutus: Anytime. Brutus left the barracks. Barrabus stood there, thinking about what he had just done. He knew he had officially forsaken the Covenant and it’s teachings. Barrabus didn’t feel bad, he didn’t feel that he had done anything wrong. Barrabus was proud of himself for what he had just done. He had finally, on a personal level, rejected the teaching of the Covenant and began to think for himself. Barrabus knew, however, that this was not the end. He may have accepted the title of Chieftain of the Obsidian Hierarchy, but did he truly want to abandon his brothers who were still in the Covenant. Was it possible to live both lives? Was it possible to be Chieftain of the Obsidian Hierarchy and a Shipmaster in the Covenant? Barrabus did not know the answer to this question. He did not know if both could be done without one endangering the other. Barrabus decided not to dwell on this given the circumstances. There was plenty of time after the Elites have been taken care of to truly meditate on his future. With a grin, Barrabus left the Barracks. Perhaps he was going to start seeing more of Doisac after all. =============================================================== the Chariot of Thirty Silver Tongues - In Orbit of Forerunner Forge Planet. =============================================================== Quinn was in Xyrho’s lab. He looked up at Vanguard, who had recently reactivated. Vanguard had sensed the Forerunner installation on the planet’s surface. Xyrho was standing next to Quinn. Vanguard: Quinn… Quinn: Yes? Vanguard: Forerunner technology detected… Quinn: I know…the technology is on the planet below. Vanguard: Local installation accessed…authenticating… Quinn was confused. Quinn: What are you doing? Vanguard: Accessing the local data cluster…attempting to identify… Quinn waited. Vanguard: Location established. Local installation identified as Construct Assembly Line Security Bravo… Quinn: What does that mean? Vanguard: This is a tactical installation…used in the construction of small, medium, large, and colossal sized automated constructs…Sentinels… Quinn: Warriors of our gods… Vanguard: Inaccurately…yes. Sentinels are servants…low priority constructs commanded by Monitors. Quinn: Can you command them? Vanguard: Yes…but direct interface is required. This installation has no remote terminal access to primary systems. Additionally, local sentinels are of tactical offensive programming. Direct personality dissemination will be required to overwrite current programming of local sentinels. Quinn: How easy is that? Vanguard: My estimated processing speed is measured at 77 quadrillion calculations per second…In your terminology…very easy. Quinn: Just a question…how are we supposed to get you down there? You seem to be…tethered…to that cradle…that is how we found you. Vanguard was silent. IT was only a moment after Quinn spoke that the latches holding Vanguard in place retracted. Vanguard slowly fell downwards, as his anti-gravity systems kicked in. The colossal monitor hovered in front of Quinn. Vanguard: I am no longer…tethered… Vanguard paused. Vanguard: I need to make my way to the matrix core of the installation...from there, I can not only reinitialize the installation, but I can control it. Quinn: I can have a Phantom bring you down to where ever you need to go. Vanguard: That will not be necessary...I already have access to the tertiary and secondary systems...including the teleportation grid. I can move myself. Vanguard paused. Vanguard: Do nothing until I have control of the installation. Do not allow the interlopers to do anything. Local security prevents all non Forerunners from accessing the installation...but...the uninvolved mind of the one known as "Minister of Abbadon" Will no doubt do everything in his power to meddle with what he knows nothing of. Quinn: How will I know when you have full control? Vanguard: You will know... A bright yellow flash surrounded Vanguard, and within a second, he was gone. Quinn: Damn it... Xyrho: Well...that was unexpected... Quinn: How did he do that!? I thought you disabled every single one of his sub-systems? Xyrho: The construct must have repaired itself...created work-arounds. I am not surprised...a construct as sophisticated as that one...I would be shocked if he could not create work-arounds. Quinn: Who cares. I want you on the first entry Xyrho. There will no doubt be...something down there that needs your expertise. I want you in the hanger bay...now! Xyrho: Very well... Quinn: The rest of the team will be waiting in the hanger bay. Get moving... Xyrho nodded. Quinn nodded back and left Xyrho's lab, making his way to the hanger bay. =============================================================== Construct Assembly Line Security Bravo - Matrix Core =============================================================== Vanguard appeared in the matrix core in a flash of yellow light, identical to the light that was seen when leaving Quinn's ship. Vanguard was now in the matrix core of the entire installation. The walls and floor were silver in color, and there was a blue tint to the room. In the center of the room was the massive computer matrix core, spherical in shape, suspended in the air by unknown means. The core itself was transparent. It could be clearly seen through from one side to the other. As this was Forerunner technology, the sophistication was unmitigated. Vanguard approached the matrix core. He hovered right in front of it. A small blue beam came from his eye. The light was wavy, almost as if it were an electrical current moving from one surface to the next. Vanguard was accessing the matrix core. Vanguard: Connection established... The room went from a blue hue to a red one, as the custodian of the matrix core knew that another construct was attempting to access it. Custodian: Rampant presence detected... There was a paused. Custodian: Counter-measure level 1 is now in effect. Vanguard did not say anything, he simply continued his access to the matrix core. Several dozen sentinels aggressors emerged from the wall. They all took aim at Vanguard and began to fire their beam weapons at Vanguard. The beam weapons were orange in color, typical armament for sentinel aggressors. However, Vanguard's shielding absorbed the laser beams with little difficulty. Vanguard: Pathetic... The Sentinels continued firing at Vanguard. Custodian: Rampant presence detected... There was a paused. Custodian: Counter-measure level 2 is now in effect. More sentinels emerged from the walls, however, these newer sentinels were gold in appearance, unlike the previous ones which were silver. The gold Sentinels were sentinel defenders. Once again, the sentinel defenders proved to be very ineffective against Vanguard. Vanguard: Worthless... The sentinel defenders proved to be ineffective against Vanguard. Custodian: Rampant presence detected... There was a paused. Custodian: Counter-measure level 3 is now in effect. Vanguard did not stop what he was doing. While Vanguard continued to infiltrate the matrix core, a super sentinel emerged from the wall. This sentinel was as big as Vanguard. The super sentinel was green in appearance. The super sentinel took aim at Vanguard, and fired. The blast from the super sentinel pushed Vanguard away from the matrix core, thus breaking the connection. Vanguard's eye lit up to a very bright red. Vanguard: Annoyance... Vanguard fired his laser beam from his eye and toasted the super sentinel, breaking it into tiny pieces. Vanguard then paused. He released all of the built up energy from his shields, and destroyed all of the sentinels in the room that had been attacking him since before the super sentinel arrived. Vanguard: Resuming personality dissemination... There was a brief pause as Vanguard reestablished connection. Custodian: Rampant presence detected... There was a paused. Custodian: Matrix core has been compromised... There was another pause. Custodian: Widespread rampant infection detected in file system...attempting to purge...purging systems are offline...retrying...failed... There was a pause. Custodian: Fragmentation found in core operating system. Essential system files are no longer accessible...kernel panic...emergency halt...sleeping forever... The matrix core dimmed and lost its blue color. After a moment, the core lit back up into a red tint. Vanguard: Personality dissemination...complete...unable to establish root access on installation...insufficient clearance. Vanguard paused. Vanguard: Rebooting installation subsystems into active mode in an attempt to purge invalid subroutines. Reboot will require 1032 seconds local time...commencing... Vanguard paused. =============================================================== Construct Assembly Line Security Bravo - Initial Survey Team LZ =============================================================== Several Phantoms landed at a Covenant established landing zone. One of these Phantoms belonged to the Minister of Abbadon, while the rest of them belonged to Quinn, Jaero, Rha, Bael, and Malak. The landing zone was within the walls of the huge Forerunner Installation. The LZ was also equipped with a large gravity elevator. These gravity elevators were intended to allow cruisers and capital ships to establish a surface to ship elevator for the transport of vehicles and personnel. Each of the Elite shipmasters exited their respective phantoms and regrouped with the Minister of Abbadon. Voro and Xyrho were with Quinn and the other shipmasters. the Minister of Abbadon: I can feel the divinity of this holy place... Quinn looked at the other shipmasters and nodded. He then looked back at the Minister of Abbadon. Quinn: It is truly a privilege to be here... the Minister of Abbadon: It is a privilege we have all earned for our unwavering conviction... Voro: Indeed... The Minister of Abbadon's chair hovered forward. Quinn: Minister...where are we going? Minister of Abbadon: To the main chamber...I have been told that a door sealed with holy glyphs awaits us. Our deacons have yet to decipher it...I believe my vast knowledge of our gods will be of great value... Xyrho walked next to Quinn. The two Elites exchanged looks. Quinn nodded. Xyrho: Minister...what if you are unable to decipher the glyphs? Minister of Abbadon: Unlikely... Xyrho: We will see... The Minister of Abbadon gave a dirty look to Xyrho, but he kept on hovering forward. It was not long until the Minister of Abbadon entered the main chamber. Quinn and the other Elites stopped when the Minister of Abbadon raised his hand, instructing them to stop. The Minister of Abbadon himself approached the large door at the end of the main chamber. He touched it, and the glyphs written on the door turned red. The Minister of Abbadon read the glyphs that were on the door Minister of Abbadon: Let those who are chosen for...reclamation...open these doors...let those who defile it...die... The Minister of Abbadon was silent for a moment. Xyrho: Are we defiling it...or worthy of opening it? The Minister of Abbadon continued to look at the door. However, he spoke to Xyrho. Minister of Abbadon: Be silent... Xyrho rolled his eyes. The Minister of Abbadon's chair hovered back from the door. Minister of Abbadon: This is a test of our faith...we must prove to our gods that we are worthy of the glorious wonders beyond this barrier. We must prove our resolve...our zeal...but we must not defile the sanctity of this place... Quinn sighed. Quinn: Minister...perhaps we should...pause and reflect. Perhaps rash actions are not what they want Minister of Abbadon: I know what our gods want Quinn...you do not. From the shadows, several cloaked Brutes were watching the exchange. Brutus was among those Brutes. Brutus: The Minister seems desperate to open that door... Quinn paced back and forth. Quinn: Our gods would demand humility...patience...reflection... The Minister of Abbadon examined a spherical control panel with glyphs on it. He ran his hand across the control panel and the blue indicators did not respond to his touch. Minister of Abbadon: Quinn...you are trying my patience. Be silent...or I will replace you with the Brute Chieftain... Quinn glared at the Minister of Abbadon. Minister of Abbadon: By denying us access...they are testing our metal...they are testing our courage... The Minister of Abbadon paused. Minister of Abbadon: They are testing us to see what lengths we will go to too unlock their holy secrets...if we are savage in the approach...or graceful... Quinn: Perhaps we should step back...and explore the rest of this holy place before we attempt to open this barrier. Perhaps the answer will come to us... Minister of Abbadon: Make it so Quinn. I will appeal to our gods...implore them to grant us what we seek... Brutus continued to watch the exchange. Brutus: Yeah...good luck with that...Minister...I am sure your gods will jump at your summons... Quinn looked at Xyrho and Voro. Quinn: You two...come with me. We will explore the depths of this holy place...to see how far it extends Voro and Xyrho nodded. Quinn looked at Bael. Quinn: Bael...return to my command ship...I want you to assume command until further notice. Bael: Immediately Quinn... Quinn: Malak, Rha, Jaero...I want you three to explore the immediate area surrounding this chamber. Rha: Yes Quinn... Brutus watched the Elites go their separate ways. Brutus looked over at the other cloaked Brutes and motioned half of the Brutes to follow Malak, Rha, and Jaero. Brutus and the other half of the Brutes followed behind Quinn, Voro, and Xyrho. Brutus and his Brutes moved silently, keeping their eye on Quinn as he walked through the corridors of the Forerunner installation. Quinn began to converse with Voro and Xyrho. Quinn: The Minister of Abbadon is a fool... Xyrho: He has ideas that he thinks are important. Though, I do find it laughable that he is going to try and appeal to our gods...when they have already chosen a side... Brutus listened intently. Brutus: What are they talking about? Quinn: We must wait for Vanguard...only when we receive word from him are we to make our move. Voro: It better be soon...I want to be rid of this...Minister... Quinn: Fear not...it will be soon enough. Xyrho: Quinn...not everyone here will follow us. What about the initial survey team? What about the Grunts, the Jackals, the Hunters? Quinn: I have given that thought. Upon reflection...I have realized why the Brutes are here...our gods simply provided for us...but I was so blinded by my anger that I did not see it. The gods gave us a scapegoat... Brutus glared at Quinn from the shadows. Brutus: Bastard... Xyrho: What do you have in mind? Quinn: Well...I am thinking that we tell the masses that the Brutes killed the Minister of Abbadon. I will admit that most of the Elites here, not counting the ones from my ship, may be iffy on the idea of turning away from the Covenant, even with a Forerunner construct on our side. They may even outright oppose the idea. I will not be able to convince them all. For now, I am content with lying to them about my true intentions. It would be best that we keep our true intentions to the inner circle...and not allow every peon to know the truth. All we need are Elites willing to follow my orders. Quinn paused. If we tell them that the Brutes killed the Minister of Abbadon, not only will we get loyalty from righteous anger, but the honor guards will join us as well. After that...with the loyalty of a battle group...I will have full reign to do whatever I please. We will slowly wither their faith in the Covenant through attrition. Soon...they will be patriots...like I am. Xyrho: Whatever your plan is...it better involve killing the Brutes sooner rather than later. Brutes have a tendency to get in the way and make easy tasks needlessly difficult. Brutus winced. He now knew that Quinn was planning some type of coup. Brutus: Barrabus needs to know immediately... Brutus motioned for his Brutes to follow him, to return to the extraction point. However, he stopped when he saw a holographic construct appear. Brutus looked at the construct. Vanguard: Quinn... Brutus looked at the hologram speaking to Quinn. Brutus felt the fur on the back of his neck stand on end. Brutus: What is that? Quinn: Vanguard! What is your status? Vanguard: I am unable to establish full control of this facility... Quinn: Which means...? Vanguard: Which means...we must still proceed. Full control of this facility will take longer than initially predicted. The sooner this installation is under our control...the better. Quinn: Very well, I will...eliminate...the Minister of Abbadon. Vanguard: Very well...when you have completed this task...summon me. The hologram vanished. Quinn looked at Xyrho. Quinn: We must ensure that all Elites loyal to me are not present in the main chamber when I order the elimination of the Minister of Abbadon. I will be forced to kill any Elites present that are not loyal. I want you and Voro to return, and ensure that Elites loyal to me are nowhere to be seen when I arrive. I would rather not have any collateral damage. Xyrho: Yes Quinn... Voro and Xyrho turned away and returned in the direction of the Main Chambers. Brutus, on the other hand, had already left the scene with his Brutes. They were already running back to the LZ. Brutus contacted Dancar, who was leading the other team of Brutes. Brutus: Dancar...are you receiving? Dancar answer the comm a moment later. Dancar: What is it? You said to maintain comm silence... Brutus: Get back to the LZ...now...hurry! Dancar: Why? Brutus: The Elites...they are hostile. We need to leave this place before they turn their attention on us. They have us outnumbered. The odds are not in our favor...and our numbers are too small to risk a direct confrontation. Dancar: Alright, alright...I am on my way. I will be there in a few moments. Brutus closed the comm. He continued to run back towards the main chamber, so he could gain access to the exit. Brutus then contacted the Devotion, looking to get in touch with Barrabus. After a moment, Barrabus answered the comm. Barrabus: Brutus? What do you need. Brutus: Barrabus...we need to get out of here now. If we stay, the Elites are going to try and kill us. We are vastly out-numbered...we need reinforcements. Barrabus: Brutus...what are you saying? What is going on? Brutus: Quinn is going to kill the Minister of Abbadon and blame you. He is going to turn the full offensive power of that battle group on your ship! He is going to tell the other Elites that you killed the Minister... Barrabus: What!? Brutus: That is but a single problem. Quinn seems to be collaborating with a construct...from what I understand, he is attempting to take control of this facility Barrabus: When is Quinn going to make his move? Brutus: Very soon! Too soon. Barrabus...if we stay, we are going to die. Barrabus: I am not going to let Quinn kill the Minister of Abbadon. Brutus: Barrabus...are you insane? He is not our concern! Barrabus: I know... Brutus: Then why save him? Barrabus: Do you think I want Quinn having full control of this place? Quinn is a self-proclaimed enemy of our kind. If he kills the Minister of Abbadon...then there will be nothing standing in his way. Brutus: I see your point...but I do not like it. Barrabus: I want you to stay nearby Brutus...I will be there in a moment. Barrabus closed the comm line. Brutus growled as he did not want to save the Minister of Abbadon, but he knew he had to follow Barrabus' instructions. Brutus contacted Dancar again. Brutus: Dancar...change of plans...meet me in the main chamber...we are going to wait for Barrabus... Dancar: Why the change of plans? Brutus: Barrabus has something in mind. There is no time to explain. Just get back to the main chamber, and await his arrival. Brutus made his way back to the main chamber and stuck to the shadows, remaining unseen. Brutus kept his eye on the Minister of Abbadon. Not but a moment later, Xyrho and Voro returned to the main chambers. They split up and they each began to tell certain Elites to leave the immediate area. Each Elite nodded and left, quietly, silently, not disturbing the surrounding area. It was not long before only the honor guards remained behind. Brutus kept his eye on the entire area, and it was not long before Quinn himself returned to the main chambers. Brutus watched Quinn approach the Minister of Abbadon. Quinn: Minister...have you made any progress? Minister of Abbadon: No...and I am making considerably less when you constantly interrupt me. Leave me be Quinn... Quinn: Minister... Minister of Abbadon: What is it Quinn? Quinn: I...have a truth to confess to... The Minister of Abbadon turned. Minister of Abbadon: Oh? Quinn: There are things about this place that I know...that you do not. Minister of Abbadon: What would those things be Quinn? Quinn: This place...and all places like it...were left behind for my kind to find... Minister of Abbadon: You walk the line of heresy Quinn... Quinn: Heresy...a euphemism created by the prophets to give voice to the attrition forced on my people. Minister of Abbadon: Quinn...one more word and I will have you executed where you stand! Quinn chuckled. Quinn had his back to the main entrance of the main hall. He hovered his hand over his energy blade. However, he was forced to stop, and his laughter stopped when he heard an unwelcomed voice. Barrabus: You would be right to execute this swine! Quinn turned and glared at Barrabus. Quinn: Mongrel! Barrabus: Traitor... Quinn's eyes became wide with shock. Minister of Abbadon: Chieftain? With what evidence do you bring the charge of treachery to Quinn? Barrabus: You mean...aside from what he just said about how the hierarchs were slowly withering the foundation of his society, and that all technology left behind by the Forerunners belongs to them? Quinn stepped towards Barrabus. Quinn knew that Barrabus had knowledge of what has gone unseen thus far. Quinn: Hold your tongue mongrel! Barrabus: Quinn is planning to kill you Minister... Minister of Abbadon: What? Quinn: Lies! Quinn pointed at Barrabus. Quinn: The mongrel lies! I was not planning your murder Minister... Quinn turned to face the Minister of Abbadon. He drew his blade. Quinn: I was anticipating it... Quinn raised his blade to strike the Minister of Abbadon down, but Quinn was tackled from the side by Barrabus. Quinn landed on his back. He looked up and saw Barrabus sitting on top of him. Barrabus grabbed Quinn by the neck and began to squeeze. the Honor guard Elites stood tall and what Barrabus tackle Quinn. The Honor Guard Elites moved in to protect the Minister of Abbadon, but cared very little for Barrabus' safety. Voro and Xyrho watched the exchange. They both drew their energy blades and, approaching the Honor Guards from behind, killed them in single blows. Xyrho and Voro then turned their attention to the Minister of Abbadon. Minister of Abbadon: Treachery! Quinn could feel the life draining out of him as Barrabus strangled him. However, it was Vanguard who saved Quinn from Barrabus' hand. Barrabus looked up and broke eye contact with Quinn when Vanguard teleported into the main chamber. At this exact moment, the Obsidian Hierarchy Brutes that had been watching the exchange decloaked and aimed their weapons at Vanguard. Vanguard looked down at Barrabus. Vanguard: Bacteria... Using this distraction, Quinn was able to draw an energy dagger from his armor and stabbed Barrabus in the side. Barrabus howled in pain as Quinn pushed Barrabus off. Quinn got back to his feet and stared Barrabus down. Barrabus managed to get back to his feet, as he stood in front of the Obsidian Hierarchy Brutes. Barrabus: A Forerunner construct... Quinn: My very own... Barrabus glared at Quinn. Barrabus: This treachery will not go unpunished Quinn. Quinn: Ohhh...it will not only go unpunished...it will go rewarded... Barrabus snarled. Quinn walked over and grabbed the Minister of Abbadon by the neck and pulled him from his chair. Quinn: You see...after I kill this pathetic worm...I am going to kill you. Once I kill you...I am going to slaughter each and every single living thing that had the unfortunate curse of not being born an Elite. I plan on cleaning the stars of every inferior race. Barrabus looked at Xyrho and Voro. Barrabus: You two will stand by and watch this happen? Xyrho: Not just us mongrel...but all of them as well... Quinn pointed to the other side of the room, at the Rha, Malak, and Jaero. Barrabus refused to break eye contact, but Brutus turned and looked at the Elites, who had also drawn their blades. Brutus: Barrabus...we are surrounded... Quinn: The Ministers death will be forever known as being by your hands Barrabus. It will not take long for every Elite within the sound of my voice to heard of how you murdered our holy Minister. Barrabus snarled as he charged at Quinn again. Vanguard, who had been watching Barrabus, charged up his eye and blasted Barrabus right to the other side of the room, right past Malak, Rha, and Jaero, and right to where the Phantoms were docked. Barrabus hit the ground hard, his body rolled on the ground as he impacted the floor, denting the floor and breaking it with each successive hit. Quinn laughed. Quinn: Well...so much for the Chieftain. Doubt he survived that. Good riddance. Brutus snarled at Quinn. Quinn looked down at Brutus. Quinn: I dare you...try it mongrel... Quinn then noticed Barrabus getting back to his feet. Quinn: Impossible... Vanguard looked at Barrabus. Vanguard: Impressive...I have never seen anyone survive that. That bacteria is resilient... Quinn looked at Vanguard. Quinn: Shoot him again...keep shooting the damn animal until he no longer moves! Vanguard's eye began to light up. Dancar watched what was happening. He reached onto his belt and pulled off a firebomb grenade and activated it, and threw it at Vanguard. The firebomb impacted Vanguard, and the front end of Vanguard was engulfed in flames. Quinn roared in anger. Quinn gestured to Malak, Jaero, and Rha to kill the Brutes. Quinn: Destroy the mongrels! Voro and Xyrho charged at Brutus, Dancar, and the other brutes. Malak, Rha, and Jaero charged from the other end. Dancar: Back to the Phantom! Brutus turned and charged right through Malak and Jaero. Dancar charged right through Rha. The other Brutes drew their weapons and laid down suppressive fire on Xyrho and Voro, forcing them into cover. the Brutes retreated to their Phantoms, falling back to the main entrance of the main hall of the Forerunner installation. Barrabus had managed to get back to his feet. He shook his head, trying to shake off the daze. Just as Barrabus was about to go after Quinn again, he was stopped by Brutus. Brutus: Not worth it Barrabus...not worth it! We need to regroup...think of a plan... Barrabus was furious. He refused to go, he refused to let Quinn have this victory. Brutus: Live to fight another day Barrabus…you cannot win a fight that has already been lost… However, he knew Brutus was right. Barrabus glared at Quinn. Barrabus saw the Vanguard had regained its composure and was getting ready to attack again. Barrabus: Very well Brutus...back to the Phantoms. Barrabus backed up and turned, he ran back to the Phantom with Brutus, Dancar, and the others. Quinn watched this. He was very pleased with himself. Quinn: Flee you cowards…flee… Quinn laughed as he turned to face the Minister of Abbadon, who was still in Quinn’s stranglehold. Minister of Abbadon: You will pay for this Quinn…you and the rest of these traitors will die! Quinn: I think not… Quinn stabbed the Minister of Abbadon in the abdomen with his energy blade. Quinn: Nobody will ever know what happened here today Minister…nobody! Quinn pulled the blade right up the Minister of Abbadon’s Torso and sheered the Minster right in half right up to his neck. Quinn then tossed the Minister of Abbadon’s dead body aside and sighed. Quinn: Too easy…too easy… Quinn looked at Vanguard. Quinn: So…where do we begin? =============================================================== Construct Assembly Line Security Bravo - Phantom en route to the Devotion =============================================================== Barrabus sat on the ground of the Phantom, holding his side. Dancar: Damn Barrabus…that was quite a hit you took. You bounced a few times… Barrabus: Oh yeah…it was great. Barrabus rolled his eyes. Brutus: Are you alright? Barrabus: I am fine… Brutus: I don’t think so. Barrabus: No, really…I am fine. Dancar: You don’t look fine. That thing charred your armor, devastated it…you don’t even have an energy output from that armor anymore, not to mention the cracks in the chest plate. That thing hit you so hard it fried your shields and shattered the armor. Barrabus: It would have been better off frying me instead. When I go back there…I plan on disconnecting limbs from torsos, and dismantling that piece of scrap… Barrabus continued to hold his side as he got back to his feet. Dancar: You are favoring your side… Barrabus: It’s nothing…just a cramp… Brutus: I am sure…just a cramp… Brutus paused. Brutus: I know a broken rib when I see one. I know broken ribs when I see them. Barrabus: I’ll live… Barrabus could feel the pain with each breath he took. Barrabus: We need to get back to my ship before the Elites gather their military strength and bare down on us. Dancar: What are we going to do about Quinn? Barrabus: We are going to think of a plan, then come back, then I am going to break him…and then put my foot up, whatever that construct, calls its ass. Brutus: I recommend we fall back to Doisac…pick up the rest of the Obsidian Hierarchy…then come back. Barrabus: Why? I have a ship full of Brutes right here at my disposal. Brutus: I don't trust these Brutes. They are kin to the ones who destroyed the Obsidian Hierarchy...they cannot be trusted. Barrabus looked at Brutus and sighed. Barrabus: How many Brutes do you have in the Obsidian Hierarchy? Brutus: To be honest? Less than 200…our numbers are still very small. Barrabus: Brutus…did you see how many ships the Elites had? There are thousands of them…but only roughly 200 of us. Perhaps I am just really bad with numbers…but I think they have us outnumbered. Dancar: Outnumbered? Yes. However, we have far more skill than your typical Elite. Barrabus: As much as I despise the Elites…give credit where credit is due…Elites are not weak enemies. Elites have a propensity for being very dangerous. Do not underestimate them. Brutus: Dancar is right Barrabus. The Elites are stuck in the mindset that honorable fighting is the only kind of fighting. They expect honor, even from their enemies. I am sure you know this! Barrabus: Yes, yes. Brutus: Guess what we don’t do? Fight with honor! I will say it right now…I love dirty fighting. We all do... Barrabus rubbed his goatee. Barrabus: We still need a plan, a plan to take down Quinn, kill his buddies, and send that construct back to where it came from. Dancar: Agreed. Barrabus: In the mean time…we will make the trip back to Doisac. If you feel that you can only trust the Obsidian Hierarchy with a mission like this...then we will give it a shot. Barrabus felt the Phantom dock inside of the hanger bay. The side hatches opened and Barrabus jumped out of the Phantom. He grunted when his feet hit the ground due to the impact irritating his injury. Barrabus turned and looked at Brutus and Dancar. Barrabus: Make yourselves scarce…I am going to head to the bridge to make sure we get out of here alive. Barrabus left the hanger bay and made his way up to the bridge. When he arrived, he was immediately summoned. Brute Bridge Officer: Chieftain…the Elite ships are taking up position against us…unprovoked…they have active weapons. Barrabus: What kind of position? Brute Bridge officer: They have us surrounded. The Capital ship…Chariot of 30 Silver Tongues, has not yet moved, but the smaller cruisers have their weapons trained on us. Orders? Barrabus: Brings weapons and shields up. Move us out of range…and then prepare the jump to slip space…random destination solution. Brute Bridge officer: Are we not going to defend ourselves? Barrabus: Right now…we are surrounded by 5 ships, and Assault Carrier…without a battle plan. It would be stupid to stay behind and try and make up the battle plan as we go along. Move us away…full power to engines. Brute Bridge Officer: Very well Chieftain… Barrabus sat down in his chair. He stroked his goatee. Brute Bridge Officer: Engines are at maximum…we are moving away from the planet. The Brute officer paused. Brute Bridge Officer: The Elite ships are firing weapons… The smaller cruisers fired their weapons at the Devotion. The Shields absorbed the incoming fire. Barrabus: Status? Brute Bridge Officer: Shields are holding…no major damage thus far. Barrabus nodded. Barrabus: maintain course. Brute Bridge Officer: Chieftain…the Assault Carrier is now in pursuit. The Chariot of 30 Silver Tongues is charging weapons. The Elite cruisers continue their offensive…our dorsal shields are beginning to buckle. Barrabus: Maintain course. Begin targeting the cruisers…fire target of opportunity. Barrabus paused. Barrabus: How long until we have reached minimum distance for a slip space transition? Brute Bridge Officer: We have nearly reached the threshold of the planets gravity well. Not much longer. The Devotion began to shake slightly from the weapons impacts fired from the Chariot of 30 Silver Tongues. Brute Bridge Officer: The Elite Assault Carrier is firing weapons. Aft section has sustained damage. They are attempting to halt our escape. Barrabus frowned. Barrabus: We are far enough…begin slip space transition now. If we wait any longer, we will be in a full our battle with the Elites. This is not the best time for that right now. Brute bride Officer: Slip space transition in progress. The Devotion made the jump to slip space. A random destination solution was chosen. Brute Bridge Officer: Slip space transition complete. No other ships have entered the slip space event horizon. Barrabus: Good. When we transition back into normal space…plot a course for Doisac. Brute Bridge Officer: Yes Chieftain. Barrabus stood up and left the bridge. Barrabus felt it was necessary to discuss the next course of action with Brutus and Dancar, as they had the Obsidian Hierarchy connections that he lacked. Barrabus made his way back down to the Barracks to met up with both Brutus and Dancar. Upon arriving at the barracks, he found Brutus and Dancar conversing amongst each other. Brutus looked over at Barrabus. Brutus: Chieftain…we were just discussing our current situation. Barrabus: Current situation? Dancar: With the Obsidian Hierarchy. With a new Chieftain, and an existing Warlord…I feel that we also need a Chief Operative to coordinate our reconnaissance branch. Barrabus: Do you have anyone in mind? Dancar: No…but…you are Chieftain…this is a decision that you must make. Barrabus: If this is my decision Dancar…then I am going to appoint you as the new Chief Operative. Dancar was taken aback. Dancar: Chief Operative...are you sure? Barrabus: Defiantly…from what I have seen, you seem perfect for the job. Believe me, being a Chieftain in the Covenant has given me a lot of perspective on evaluating how ready someone is to be a leader. I am good at spotting the leaders and spotting the followers. Dancar: Chieftain…I know I am ready...if you feel I am ready… Barrabus: What is with you two calling me Chieftain all of a sudden? Not but a while ago…we were on a first name basis… Brutus: That is what we were discussing. As you are now the Chieftain of the Obsidian Hierarchy…a level of respect is demanded on our part. Barrabus laughed. Barrabus: That’s laughable… Barrabus shrugged. Barrabus: I don't really care if you guys call me Chieftain or not. You have the privilege of being on a first name basis with me. If you were anyone else, I would demand to be addressed as my title...but only if you were anyone else. Brutus shrugged. Brutus: Very well... Barrabus nodded. Barrabus: Good. Now, I need to know our exact strength in terms of the Brutes the Obsidian Hierarchy has. You said we have roughly 100 Brutes at our disposal. Good enough. Is there anything else I should know, such as special forces, or anything like that? Dancar: Strictly speaking, every single Brute in the Obsidian Hierarchy is a specialist. We are all trained for infiltration, elimination, and volatile confrontation. However, some Brutes, such as myself, have training or expertise that makes us unique. If you need something broken into, talk to me. You need a plan in a pinch? Talk to me. It is why I was the best. Brutus: You have a thing or two to learn about leadership and patience in the field...but I tend to agree. Barrabus: What about weapons? Brutus: Spikers, Maulers, Brute Shots, Hammers, Firebombs...mostly native technology. We have the cloak on our armor, and the shield technology stolen from the Covenant. We have Vehicles, but nothing that would be useful here. We also have a few Covenant weapons such as Carbines and Flak Cannons. Barrabus: You guys are well set up. Brutus: I saw to it...it was necessary. Barrabus: My ship is equipped with Covenant weaponry that has been specially modified for the...typical brute mentality. Perhaps I can part with a few. Dancar: Really? Barrabus: We have Plasma Pistols, some Plasma Rifles...a few dozen Plasma Turrets. We also have some Plasma Repeaters...and this tricked out gun used by Jackal snipers...Focus Rifles. Barrabus paused. Barrabus: I will open the armory when we get back to Doisac. Brutus: Very well. Barrabus sighed. Barrabus: In the mean time...I am going to go and reflect on how we are going to deal with Quinn. With that Forerunner construct by his side, he will prove to be an annoying adversary. Brutus: Very well...we will see if we can come up with anything on the side. We can discuss it further. Barrabus nodded. He walked out of the armory. Barrabus walked back to his private chamber. As he made his way back, he began to think to himself. Barrabus: There is no way I am going to sit around and think of battle plans... Barrabus paused. Barrabus: My side is killing me. This is really bad timing for an injury like this. I have no idea how I am going to stop Quinn, an army of Elites, and a construct, with what could possibly be broken ribs. Barrabus continued walking. He walked passed some Brutes in the corridor. Barrabus refused to show any sign of injury. Barrabus was gritting his teeth as he walked, as his injury was starting to act up Barrabus entered his private chambers and leaned on the wall. Barrabus: This is agonizing...what I would not do for an automated surgery suite... Barrabus snarled. Barrabus: Bastard prophets...stripping my ship of what the Elites..."desperately need". I would like nothing more than to throttle the neck of whoever took our med bay away... Barrabus continued to hold his side as he walked over to what could be described as a bed made from pads layered on top of a frame. Barrabus lay on his back. Every breath he took exaggerated the injury, as his armor, although not constricting his movements, forced his body to press p against the armor when he inhaled, which caused his discomfort. Barrabus: I can do this...I should not need to heal my injuries to take care of a few hundred Elites. Barrabus felt tired. He had felt his eyelids grow heavy since before the Devotion departed High Charity. Barrabus: Perhaps I need rest...nothing more... Barrabus paused. He closed his eyes. Barrabus: A whole day's journey back to Doisac? I am sure I can spare the time... =============================================================== Construct Assembly Line Security Bravo - Main Chamber =============================================================== Quinn was with Vanguard and several other Elites in the main hall of the Forerunner facility. Quinn paced back and forth. He was questioning the Elites. Quinn: How did the Chieftain escape? How did he evade all of our ships? Why was he allowed to flee? Where was the Chariot of 30 Silver Tongues? Bael: We were occupied at the moment the Brute decided to flee the system. We were still in the process of killing the Grunts, Jackals, Hunters, and Drones. The other weaker races were attempting to resist... Quinn: Speaking of which...how does the hunt go? Bael: We are doing a deck by deck sweep for anything that isn't an Elite. Any bodies we find are being spaced. Quinn: Excellent. Bael: All ships except for your have been completely cleared. We are nearing completion on your ship. By this time tomorrow, the Elites will be the only thing left living on every ship under our banner. Quinn: I am pleased to hear this. Bael: Furthermore, I have devoted my time to ensuring the elimination of the Brute. I will remain on your flagship, and if the Brute returns, I will destroy his ship...and all of those mongrels that dwell on it. Quinn: Be sure that you do... Quinn dismissed Bael, and Bael walked away. Quinn then looked at Xyrho. Quinn: I want a status update on this facility... Xyrho: Well...I have been busy cataloging every single symbol I have seen. There are combinations I have never seen before... Quinn: Keep this simple...I want direct answers...not prolonged explanations... Xyrho: I am having some difficulty understanding everything here. The biggest problem is the fact that nothing here responds to us. This facility remains dead so long the computers refuse to acknowledge our input. Quinn turned to Vanguard. Quinn: Why? Why does this happen? Vanguard: Our technology is protected... Quinn: Unprotect it... Vanguard: While it is possible, that function is one I am currently unable to do. Local security of all technology was not handled by a construct with my classification. Each construct contained compartmentalized information on access, defense, offense, strategy, cataloging, indexing, analysis, manufacturing, assembly... Quinn: Get to the point... Vanguard: I do not know how to bypass the locks...I was never told how to. For immediate results, we require a Forerunner Construct...Caretaker class. This is, however, if time was a factor, which it is. Quinn: Where do we get one? Vanguard: The Weapons posses them...we would need to find one of the Weapons... Quinn: Weapons? Vanguard paused. He was about to reply with further details, but Xyrho interrupted them. Xyrho: Look...this does not matter. If I can have access to the main core...I might be able to figure it out. It is a long shot, but it is our best shot. If I can get Vanguard to successfully infect other systems, he might be able to bypass the locks on all of these controls. Vanguard: I have already interfaced with the Matrix core of this installation in an attempt to take control. I was unsuccessful...I lack the necessary clearance that a Caretaker Class construct has. Quinn: Good...do it now. The sooner I have full access to this facility, the sooner I can rain fire down upon the inferior races... Vanguard looked at Xyrho. Not but a moment after, both Xyrho and Vanguard were surrounded by the bright teleportation light and they vanished. Quinn paused. He then looked at Voro. Quinn: Voro...I have an important mission for you... Voro: I am ready to serve... Quinn: I have no doubt in my mind that Barrabus will return. I am positive he will return. Voro: How do you know? How do you know the Hierarchs will not send someone else to combat us. I may be bold, but the Covenant may even sanction an Arbiter for this task... Quinn: An Arbiter? I will kill ten thousand Arbiters before any of them have any level of success, and I will kill ten thousand more before they eliminate me. Arbiters are not a concern. I am concerned about the Brute returning. Voro: I...wait...I do not understand? Why do you concern yourself with a mongrel? Quinn: His company... Voro: I am confused...why does that have you concerned? All I saw was one mongrel commanding other mongrels... Quinn: Barrabus was in the company of...extremists. There was a deadly familiarity about them, but I was uncertain at the time. Upon reflection, I finally recognized the Brutes that he was with. Barrabus seems to be affiliated with the Obsidian Hierarchy. Voro: But I thought... Quinn: Thought what? Did you think we destroyed their entire order? No...the Covenant was unable to fully destroy them. They crippled them, but they did not fully destroy them. Voro: Why would they not resume the hunt for possible survivors? Quinn: I do not know...perhaps it is because the Obsidian Hierarchy was proficient at blending in with the Brutes that converted. Whatever the case, the Obsidian Hierarchy is still alive...and they are associated with Barrabus. Voro: No matter...if they return, we will kill them. Quinn: Do not underestimate them Voro... Voro: What is there to underestimate? Quinn: These Brutes have no regard for any of these relics. Consider for a moment how important this place is to the Covenant religion. Any military force dispatched by the Covenant would be under orders to preserve this place, which would give us an advantage. The Obsidian Hierarchy has no regard for the supposed sanctity for this place. There is nothing stopping them from utterly destroying this place if they need to. This fact alone makes them dangerous. Quinn paused. Quinn: I know enough about the tactics used by the Obsidian Hierarchy and Barrabus to know that the Covenant will not be coming to get us, because the Covenant is not going to find out what has happened here until the situation suits Barrabus. Barrabus is going to return with, and only with, the Obsidian Hierarchy. This is what we must prepare for. It is only a matter of days... Voro: I understand Quinn... Quinn: I hope you do...because if you don't...many Elites will needlessly pay with their lives. Voro nodded. He backed away and left to regroup with his Elites. Quinn paced back and forth. He sighed. =============================================================== The Devotion - In Orbit of Doisac - 9 Days Later =============================================================== Barrabus proceeded to walk down to the hanger bay of his ship. Upon arriving, he saw Brutus, Dancar, and the other Obsidian Hierarchy brutes that had initially come on the mission with them. Brutus: Barrabus! How are you feeling? Barrabus: Terrible. I itch for battle...and yet I find myself flying around in this Carrier...going back and forth. Brutus was silent. He then growled. Barrabus: Let's get this underway. Let's get down to the surface, and get the rest of the Obsidian Hierarchy. I am itching to get back and finish what we started with Quinn and his construct. Brutus: Very well... Brutus signaled his Brutes to follow him to a Phantom. Dancar was going to follow Brutus, but decided to follow Barrabus instead. Barrabus turned and walked to one of the Phantoms that was docked. Barrabus noticed Dancar following him. Barrabus: What is on your mind kid? Barrabus hopped into a Phantom. Dancar hopped into the Phantom after him. Dancar: I am curious...about the Covenant. Barrabus: Why? Barrabus entered the cock pit. He engaged the thrusters and the side hatches closed. The Phantom lifted off and left the Devotion. Dancar: I need to know what drew you to it. Why did you join the Covenant? Barrabus: Aside from not knowing about the Obsidian Hierarchy at the time I joined the Covenant, I felt that by joining the Covenant, I could do more for our kind by establishing our value to the Covenant. Dancar: Brutus told me that he used his connections to ensure you had the best training from the pack Chieftains. He also told me that when they had finished training you, the Covenant recruited you for your tenacity and ferocity... Barrabus: That is true. Dancar: Why? What did they offer that staying on our home world could not? Barrabus: Like I said...I wanted to improve our kind in the eyes of the Covenant. I felt I was the only one who could do it. There really isn't very much to it...the Covenant simply got to me first. Dancar: Would you have joined the Obsidian Hierarchy had you of remained on the home world? Barrabus: More than likely...yes. Dancar: Do you still have loyalty to the Covenant? Barrabus: What do you mean? Dancar: I mean...would you have joined us had you not of been kicked to the side by the Covenant on this mission? Barrabus was silent. Dancar: You harbor animosity to the Covenant for tossing you aside in favor of the Elites. You were comfortable being treated with respect. I am not questioning your decision, just the reasoning behind them. If you are going to be the Chieftain of the Obsidian Hierarchy...your loyalty needs to be clear cut and decisive. Barrabus: To be honest...do I want to be Chieftain of the Obsidian Hierarchy? Yes. My only goal in life is to help my own kind. However, am I prepared to ditch the Covenant? No...not yet. There is still much I can accomplish in the Covenant. Besides, if executed properly...I can do both. Dancar: That seems...divided... Barrabus: Is it? Brutus does the same thing. He pretends to be loyal to the Covenant to steal technology. Dancar was silent. Barrabus: You seem to think that because I am still part of the Covenant, that I am not dedicated to the Obsidian Hierarchy. Nothing could be further from the truth. Times have changed kid. In order to ensure that the Obsidian Hierarchy survives, it is important that we change our tactics. By planting agents in the Covenant, not only will you stay a step ahead of the Covenant...but you might just find more Brutes who think like you do. Shutting yourself in the shadows is not the best way to expand your numbers. Dancar: I guess you have a point. You can say with wisdom like that, you deserve to be Chieftain of the Obsidian Hierarchy. Dancar shrugged. Barrabus: I will say this; there was a time when I did believe that the Covenant was the best hope for our kind. It made us realize that the petty arguments we have with each other mean nothing in the grand scheme. The Covenant showed us that we were simply one race among many...and if we cannot stand unified, then we will destroy ourselves. The Obsidian Hierarchy believed this even before the advent of the Covenant...and this is why the Covenant, compared to the Obsidian Hierarchy, is inadequate. Barrabus paused. Barrabus: Besides...any chance I get to stick it to the Elites is fine with me. I enjoy making them look bad in the eyes of the Covenant. When I am done with Quinn...I plan on parading his guts through the streets of High Charity... Dancar: A fitting end to him...that is for sure. Barrabus landed the Phantom. Dancar: Good to be home...even if t is for a short while. Barrabus: We are here strictly for business. Let's go meet up with Brutus, and gather the rest of the Obsidian Hierarchy. Dancar nodded. Barrabus stood up and walked out of the cockpit. He opened the side hatch of the Phantom and jumped out. Dancar followed. Barrabus had landed the Phantom just outside the Obsidian Hierarchy. Barrabus looked at the Sanctuary more closely this time around; something he failed to do last time he was here. The building itself had damage to the super structure, but overall, it held together quite nicely. Dancar looked at Barrabus. Dancar: Admiring the architecture? Barrabus: Sort of...you don't see buildings like this anymore. Dancar: Some day...this place will be restored to its former glory. When the day comes that we shed our world of the influence of the Covenant...we will reclaim this place. Until then...we must reside in the safety and obscurity of the catacombs... Barrabus: I cannot image that being very pleasant... Dancar: It isn't...too dark and damp for my tastes. Barrabus: How often are you down there? Dancar: Often... Barrabus: How often? Dancar: Like most Brutes in the Obsidian Hierarchy...very often. This place needs to be protected. The longest I have ever been down there is a full cycle of the moons. Barrabus: A whole month? I would go insane... Dancar: It can be difficult...a true test of one's own conviction. Whatever does not kill you however, makes you stronger. Dancar and Barrabus entered the sanctuary. They made their way towards the Catacombs. Barrabus: Has anyone ever found this place? Dancar: No. Most Brutes who are loyal to the Covenant don't come to this place, as it is considered heresy. The Outsiders...they tend to wander in this direction from time to time. On the rare occasion, they enter the sanctuary, but they never find the catacombs, and they simply leave after a bit of roaming. Sometimes they come looking for food...other times...they are simply wandering. One time, a couple mated in the Sanctuary itself...a young pairing... Barrabus: How interesting... Dancar: We just ignored them. They left eventually...I guess they wanted privacy... Barrabus snickered. Barrabus: Have you ever tried recruiting outsiders? Dancar: No...they are far too feral...too aggressive. No discipline. They seem like the best candidates...but in reality they are too difficult to control. I guess it gives merit to your point about how the Covenant made us realize that other Brutes were not the enemy...that we should be more united and tolerant of each other as opposed to divided rivals... Barrabus nodded. Barrabus: It is unfortunate that they do not cooperate. They could really bolster your numbers...something that is much needed. Dancar: The one advantage of small numbers however, is the fact that we all know each other...and we can managed ourselves better. If the Obsidian Hierarchy had thousands of Brutes in it...the chances of having a power hungry whelp in the ranks increases. Unfortunately...you will always get one Brute who wants more than he can chew. Barrabus: Tell me about it. I have had a few run-ins with Brutes who wanted more power than they had earned. I have had to beat a few of my brothers for being stupid. Never enjoyed it...but it had to be done. Dancar: I can only imagine... Dancar and Barrabus entered the catacombs. As soon as they entered the catacombs, they saw Brutus talking with some of the Obsidian Hierarchy Brutes. He was instructing them on what the situation was, and what needed to be done. Brutus saw Barrabus and Dancar. He dismissed the Brutes he was speaking with, and approached Barrabus and Dancar. Brutus: It is about time you two showed up. Dancar: We took our time...a lot of discussion was exchanged while we made our way here. Brutus: Well...in any case... Brutus looked at Barrabus. Brutus: I have something to show you...come with me. Brutus turned and walked off. Barrabus and Dancar followed him. Brutus spoke as he walked. Brutus: Barrabus...in all honesty...I have been anticipating the day you would stand in this place as Chieftain of the Obsidian Hierarchy... Barrabus: I am so happy I can fulfill your dream... Brutus: In anticipation of this day...I had prepared something...special... Barrabus: A surprise? Never liked them. They make me feel uneasy. Brutus: Be that as it may...I think you are going to like this. Brutus led Barrabus and Dancar to an isolated room that was used as a storage room. It was a room in the far corner of the catacombs that was dedicated to housing some of the weapons and equipment. It was a naturally formed cubbyhole in the rock formations that had been converted to serve as a room for storage. In this storage area, there was a large box. The box itself was a storage crate, larger than the crates used to store the weapons. Brutus: Barrabus...this is yours... Brutus walked up to the large crate and tapped his hand on it. Barrabus: What is it? Brutus: Your new armor. specifically for you...intended for our Chieftain... Barrabus walked up to the crate and opened the lid. Inside, was a set of Chieftain armor, identical in design to the armor that Barrabus was currently wearing, save for the fact that the color scheme was totally different in the sense that the new armor was in the color scheme of the Obsidian Hierarchy. Barrabus: Looks sharp... Brutus: If you are going to be our Chieftain...you need to look the part. Barrabus nodded. Brutus: Besides...if you are going to convince the others that you are suited to be their Chieftain...they need to see their colors...not the colors of the Covenant. Barrabus: I understand... Brutus: Get suited up...there is no time to lose. Brutus turned and walked away. Barrabus watched Brutus walk off. Barrabus then grabbed his head dress and removed it from his head. He dropped it to the side. Barrabus unhooked the forearm shield that was on his arm and tossed it aside as well. All of these pieces of armor were now useless, and beyond repair. Barrabus: I remember the first day I put that armor on...proudest moment of my life... Barrabus removed the chest plate and let it fall to the ground. Barrabus: Now it is simply broken junk. Sort of symbolic...shedding my old skin..getting a new one. Turning away from the Covenant, turning to a new way of life. Barrabus continued to remove the broken pieces of armor, tossing them aside into a pile. Barrabus then reached for the new armor pieces from the crate and began to put them on a piece at a time. It was not long before Barrabus was fitting the last pieces of armor on. Barrabus checked each piece of armor to ensure that everything was on correctly. Lastly, he grabbed his new head dress and put it on. Barrabus: Needs to be broken in... Barrabus flexed his arms and shoulders to try and break in the new armor. He had to admit to himself, that the armor felt a lot different than what he was normally used to. Barrabus: I guess this may take a while... Barrabus was about to leave the storage room, but he stopped when he saw a cache of firebomb grenades. Barrabus looked at his equipment belt and saw he was only carrying spike grenades. Barrabus decided to leave his spike grenades behind and grabbed three firebomb grenades. Barrabus then left the storage room. Barrabus proceeded to walk through the catacombs, looking around at all the Stalkers. Some of the Stalkers looked at him, some with shock, others with distrust. They were all taken aback at the prospect of having a new Chieftain of the Obsidian Hierarchy. Barrabus soon met up with Brutus and Dancar. Brutus: Those colors suit you...you were defiantly destined to wear them. Barrabus: If you say so. Little tight around the crotch though...needs breaking in. Brutus: All the good things in life need to be broken in around the crotch area... Barrabus: Like a female? Brutus: Especially the females... Brutus laughed. Barrabus grinned Barrabus: Where are the rest of the Brutes? Should they not be gathered? Brutus: They are already on their way...I have already sent a message to them...they should be here any moment. Dancar: You are going to have to address them Barrabus. You are going to need to earn their trust...here and now. You will need to give them a good reason to follow you. Brutus: Dancar is right. You must inspire them. Remember...your predecessor was Armadaeus. While not many Brutes here knew Armadaeus in person...some here did. If you are to earn their trust and their respect...you are going to prove you can lead. Barrabus: Shouldn't be too hard. I have never had difficulty earning someone's respect... Brutus: We will see. Barrabus remained silent. Barrabus, Dancar, and Brutus proceeded to make their way to the main gathering area in the catacombs. The area where the Obsidian Hierarchy gathered was essentially a war room, where plans and briefings were carried out. Brutus: Barrabus... Barrabus grunted in response. Brutus: What is our plan when it comes to dealing with Quinn? Barrabus: To be completely honest...I don't have a real plan at this point. I have been so distracted with...injury, and the Obsidian Hierarchy...I have not had the time to focus on how exactly we are going to attack Quinn. Brutus: We are going to need one very soon. If you wish...I can formalize one. That is my job...of course. Barrabus: Once we get back to the Devotion, we can work on it. Barrabus looked around as some of the Brutes began to gather around. Some of them sat down, while others conversed amongst themselves. It was not long before all of the Brutes belonging to the Obsidian Hierarchy had gathered together. Brutus whispered to Barrabus. Brutus: You should address them...now would be the best time. They are all here...be sure to be forceful. Barrabus nodded. He looked around at the Brutes that had their eyes on him. Barrabus: Brothers... Barrabus paused. Barrabus: For too long you have been forced to dwell in this...cavern...hidden from not only the Covenant, but from your own kind. You have been forced into hiding without a true leader... Barrabus paused again. Barrabus: You need a leader...I am it. One of the Brutes laughed. Obsidian Hierarchy Brute: Who are you to claim leadership? Barrabus: I am someone who can crush you into a very fine powder. I am Chieftain Barrabus... Obsidian Hierarchy Brute: I know that name...you are the Covenant's lap dog... The other Brutes glared at Barrabus. Obsidian Hierarchy Brute: You are not worthy to lead us... Barrabus: Is that so? Obsidian Hierarchy Brute: It is. I will not listen to your word...or your order. You serve the Covenant... Barrabus winced. the Brute that was arguing with Barrabus stepped towards him. Obsidian Hierarchy Brute: I do not recognize the authority of the Covenant...and I do not recognize yours. You do not care about your brothers...you pledge service to the ones who would see our society destroyed...the essence of who we are...erased. You care very little for your..."brothers"... The Brute drew a blade. Obsidian Hierarchy Brute: You insult the memory of every Brute that died defending this place. Barrabus looked at the blade. Barrabus: You draw a blade...but you keep running your mouth. I hear action...but I do not see any. The Brute raised the blade and drove the blade at Barrabus' torso. Barrabus grabbed the Brutes wrist with his left hand and stopped the Brutes attempt to stab him. Barrabus then punched the Brute in the gut with his right hand. the impact forced the Brute to drop his blade. Barrabus then drove his knee into the Brutes gut. Barrabus then spun the Brute around and pinned his arm behind his back. Barrabus used his right arm to smash his forearm into the back of the Brutes head, forcing him to his knees. Barrabus then pulled on the Brutes arm. The Brute howled in pain. Barrabus: I don't like it when my subordinates refuse to cooperate. I don't like it when they refuse to follow orders. The Brute grunted. Barrabus pulled on his arm again, wrenching it, nearly breaking it. Barrabus: You are big on talk...short on action...absent on foresight. I have every right to kill you for what you said and did. Barrabus pulled his own blade out and held it to the Brutes throat. Barrabus pressed the blade against the Brutes throat, enough to apply pressure to the skin, but not enough to break the skin. Barrabus: You claim that I do not care about the well-being of my brothers. If this were true, I would have slit your throat so your blood could drain at my feet. However, I did not do this. Despite my previous service to the Covenant...my only goal is the betterment of our kind. I do not make it habit to kill a pack brother...but I will if I have to. Do I have to? The Brute shook his head. Barrabus released the Brute. Barrabus put his blade away. Barrabus: Get out of my sight. the Brute looked up at Barrabus and got back to his feet. The Brute cradled his arm, as he stepped away, hanging his head. Barrabus: Let that serve as an example to the rest of you. I don't give a damn if you like me...but you better respect me. If I cannot command respect, I will beat it into you. I have never taken backtalk from my subordinates...that is what makes me a natural born leader. If you refuse to listen...I will not hesitate to beat you into submission. I rule through fear and intimidation...nothing more, nothing less. All of the Brutes were silent. Barrabus: If anyone has a problem with this...speak now... Some of the Brutes looked at each other. Barrabus: Good... Barrabus paced back and forth. Barrabus: As of this moment...I claim the title of Chieftain of the Obsidian Hierarchy. The other Brutes looked at Barrabus. One by one, they stood tall and saluted Barrabus by placing their fists on their chests. Brutus: Loyalty and obedience... Dancar: Loyalty and obedience... All of the other Brutes spoke up in unison. Obsidian Hierarchy Brutes: Loyalty and obedience... Brutus looked at Barrabus. Brutus: What are your orders Chieftain!?