Chapter 76

"DISGRACE!!" the Prophet of Regret shouted upon hearing the news of Arbiter Khega 'Votamee fleet getting destroyed. This was the second Covenant fleet that was defeated by the Humans and considering the size of the fleet they would not be sending any other fleet anytime soon.

"Before the fleet was destroyed, the Arbiter sent this message" Said a Sangheili High Councilor who was sent to represent the other councilors on this matter.

In front of the three Prophets, a holographic avatar of the Arbiter appeared. "Hierarchs, I have failed in my mission to invade the human world, they appeared to be more resilient than we expected. After penetrating their defenses above the planet, we sent ground troops to land on the planet which encountered resistance from the planet's defenders.

The humans appeared to use new weapons which we have not seen used before. Because of this our initial landing was intercepted and even halted in some places. And in places where we did land, the humans managed to hold us at bay until the Human fleet appeared a few hours later.

Within the Human fleet, we encountered not 2 but 4 Holy Relics which were too powerful and had destroyed 15 of our ships before I ordered the fleet to pull out. Now we are sitting somewhere in space planning our next attack" Reported the Arbiter as his Avatar disappeared.

"Not 2 but 4 Holy Relics" murmured Regret. The continuing resistance of the humans were getting in the way of his plans.

"The destruction of this fleet is all because the three of you ordered the Arbiter to attack the human world. The High Council will remember how the Hierarchs ignored the High council to advance their own plans." Voiced the Sangheili High Councilor as he stormed out of the room.

There was beginning to become a great divide between the Hierarchs and the Sangheili High Councilor who believed the Hierarchs to be overstepping their authority and costing the Covenant Empire numerous ships and hundreds of thousands lives.

The High council had been starting to doubt the Hierarchs decision to wipe out humanity claiming it to be for their own agenda. However, they had no supporting evidence that could help them remove the Hierarchs from power.

The Prophet of Regret turned his head towards the other "Our divine cause comes first. We cannot let the High Council undermine our progress."

"But at what cost," said the Prophet of Mercy, his voice weary. "We have lost too many lives; we must reconsider our approach."

Regret's eyes flared with anger. "You sound like a coward, Mercy. This is not a matter of want but of necessity. Humans are a threat to our existence. Their existence will undermine thousands of years of prosperity and threaten the existence of the Covenant entirely."

"The Sangheili are becoming more difficult to control and they have failed us many times during this war. Perhaps it is time to replace them with a race that we can control" Suggested Truth.

Mercy immediately voiced his opinion "NO! that would be a violation of the Writ of Union and it would invite a Civil war to happen which would destroy the Empire from the inside"

"We are already on the brink of that war," Truth countered, his tone steely. "The Sangheili High Councilor's accusations of overreach are just the beginning. Our leadership is being questioned. We must act decisively."

As he finished speaking, a holographic image appeared before them, showing a myriad of star clusters and systems. A few were highlighted in red. "These are the locations where our fleets have been destroyed by the humans," Truth continued, "With each victory they grow confident in their ability to resist us."

Regret stared at the image thoughtfully. "And what would you suggest?" he asked, keeping his voice neutral.

"I suggest we employ the Jiralhanae," Truth said. "They are strong, loyal and eager to prove themselves worthy of our cause."

"But can they be trusted?" Regret asked doubtfully. "They have always been a brutal and unpredictable species."

"True," Truth conceded, "but they are also easily manipulated. Their desire for power and recognition is their weakness. We can use that to our advantage."

Mercy was silent for a time, considering this new strategy. After what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke "It is a risky move, but we cannot allow the humans to continue their outrageous defiance. Their resilience is admirable, but it endangers our great purpose."

"Aye," Regret added, his voice heavy with decision. "We shall proceed with this plan then." He cast one last look at the holographic image, pondering on the gravity of their resolution.

"However, it may be wise to delay implementing this plan until the current tensions with the Sangheili High Councilors have subsided. We should focus on securing the allegiance of the San'Shyuum High Councilors first, as we progress with our plan. Once we have their support, we can proceed with replacing the Sangheili military leaders with the Jiralhanae and gain a loyal ally for our strategies," suggested Mercy.

Truth and Regret agreed hearing Mercy's suggestion. This way they would avoid a potential civil war and secure a loyal race to command. An uneasy silence descended upon the room, filled with the weight of impending change and the tension of unspoken fears.

Regret finally broke the silence, "This will not be an easy path. We must tread carefully; every step could bring us closer to civil war or victory." His voice echoed in the chamber, a reminder of their delicate situation.

"Let me handle the San'Shyuum High Councilors," Truth stated. "I have always been persuasive."

Mercy looked doubtful but nodded in agreement. "Very well. But we must act swiftly and decisively. The humans are gaining ground and confidence with every victory."

The Hierarchs all agreed, and the meeting was adjourned as they each departed for their separate duties.

Regret retired to his private chamber; his mind filled with thoughts of their current situation. He gazed at the holographic image of various human worlds located in the outer colonies, each embedded with Covenant agents. Some agents were working together with small numbers of Insurrectionists to stir problems within the outer colonies.

But their progress had been extremely slow. The human leader known as Admiral Axel Woods was a very powerful and influential figure who held considerable power within the UNSC and according to the information that the agents had found out, is the main cause of the Covenant's failed invasions because of his creations.

Because of this, the humans were strong, stronger than they had ever anticipated. Their tenacity was admirable yet frustrating; it stood as a roadblock to their divine purpose, their Great Journey.

Meanwhile, Truth ventured into the depths of High Charity, ready to use his persuasion with the San'Shyuum High Councilors. His path was clear now, he knew what needed to be done and he was confident in his ability to guide them on this new course.

Mercy found himself alone in his chamber, staring at the holographic image of High charity. He felt a wave of unease thinking about their plan which would only lead to more bloodshed and chaos. The humans were proving formidable, and the thought of war with the Sangheili was discomforting.

How did it come to this? He wondered, his mind drifting to centuries past when peace had prevailed among the Covenant races. A time before humanity's emergence had upset the delicate balance of power and sent them on this bloody path.