"We're playing Arbiter and heretic. I'm redeeming my honour by hunting down the blasphemer," Kemyn gushed out; Sorran was surprised the young boy knew such words, Hem's house did not seem all that devoted to religion as some were. He supposed in a state like San they would be taught at an early age. For Sorran himself, almost all his first words had held religious connotations, brought up by a deacon master as he was. "Well, stop. I told you two to go to bed." "We did but we heard scary noises outside!" Kemyn told his mother, and Gilyi nodded in agreement. Kym rolled her eyes. "I told you before, that's just High Charity discharging any excess energy," she affirmed. "Remember?" Their faces still looked uncertain. Kym threw up her arms in despair, before turning to Sorran. "Would you mind going with them? I know they'll feel safe if a great, mighty warrior like you goes," she beseeched Sorran, putting emphasis on the 'great, mighty warrior' for the children's benefit. Their eyes lit up as they stared at Sorran, instantly gazing at the blade hanging from his side. "Is that your sword?" Gilyi asked him with eyes as round as the moons. Sorran rose from his seat, uncoupling the blade from its anchor and lightly touching the rune on its underside. With a crack, plasma sprang out of the hilt and slit the air it coursed through. Kemyn and Gilyi's eyes grew even rounder if possible, and stared up at the blade with awe. [i]Hem would go crazy if he'd known I'd activated my sword for the sake of children's entertainment,[/i] Sorran thought, remembering the older honour guard's rule: 'if you ignite you blade, you had better well use it. To do anything else does it disrespect.' Well, the sword would just have to live with that. Sorran deactivated the sword, clipping it back to his side. He found the two children suddenly at his side, pulling his arms along with them as they moved out of the room. He looked back at Kym, who was grinning. "Thank you," she enthused at him, and Sorran found himself returning the grin. Suddenly he realised what he was doing, and chided himself harshly. [i]She's married, you idiot,[/i] he told himself forcefully. [i]Not to mention Hem's daughter! And what of Savara? She still grieves for you. Would you toss that love aside for the sake of an impossible... crush?[/i] He told himself was just admiring of her beauty, and that was as far as it went. As far as it would ever go. No, as far as it [i]could[/i] ever go. Kym left his sight as the children pulled him out of the room, and immediately started bombarding him with questions as they led him towards the stairs. Sorran smiled, and patiently began to answer them. [i]I could have had this some day,[/i] Sorran thought to himself sadly, realising finally what it was he truly found so captivating about Kym; the fact that she had such a loving and happy family. [i]Maybe I still could; Hem has a family, after all... one he hardly sees. He must have missed so many moments. I could never do that. No, I am Restraint's honour guard, and I serve a greater purpose. Happiness is not the fate the Forerunners have planned for me.[/i] * * * [i]"Fleetmaster, this is highly unorthodox!"[/i] some upper-ranked Sangheili whined to him over the communications channel. "It is not forbidden. My sub-commander is more than capable of performing," Zharn retorted sharply, knowing that his second was most likely more versed in strategic combat than him. Protocol forbid him from voicing those sentiments with candour, however. "Consider this a test for him." [i]"Whilst you die at the hands of a demon?"[/i] "No; whilst it dies at my own hands." [i]"Fleetmaster, your shipmasters are protesting this move of yours vehemently. They seem unusually concerned about your well-being."[/i] "As well they should be. Tell them this is of no concern of theirs; I am throwing myself into this fire. My insurance does not apply." [i]"I don't understand, fleetmaster."[/i] "They will," Zharn answered with a sly smile, before hearing an indicator that meant they were approaching ground. "Contact me if there is an emergency. Otherwise, do not disturb me until I signal you for pick-up." "... very well, fleetmaster Thierr'ee. May the rings light your path," the other Sangheili blessed, before the connection died. The Spirit dropship Zharn had appropriated slowed to a halt as it reached the surface of the planet. The hatch swung open, and with a single deft leap Zharn threw himself out. He landed on the floor with grace, feeling the warmth of the ground; it had obviously been stricken by plasma not too long ago. Not too far away, he could see the battle. Or rather, what remained of it. Although the Spartan's commandeering of the Scarab had bought the humans time to evacuate a few more transport ships (which had managed to claw their way into the void before the Covenant fleet could intercept them,) eventually the humans had buckled under the Covenant's relentless onslaught and had fallen within the confines of their facility to make one final stand, greatly reduced in number. That was, save for the demon. Orbital surveillance had shown it fleeing into a cave embedded within the mountainside, a few miles north from Zharn's current position. Zharn did not know what they were planning, but regardless the demon would meet its death at his hand today. He owed it that much, remembering how the Spartan had almost killed Sorran back on Eridanus II. A lifetime ago, it seemed. Back when the world had been so much simpler, painted in black and white. Behind him he heard the muffled pounding of several others, as the lance of four special operations Sangheili he had chosen to accompany him on this task too alighted the phantom and placed their feet upon the ground. Their leader moved to meet Zharn's shoulder, peering out at the battle. "Their defence will not last long," he observed. "Eventually they will most likely destroy themselves, per the Cole Protocol." "Whether the facility is destroyed by us or by their suicidal ways, the job shall be done," Zharn concluded, before turning back to the Spirit, now hovering. He signalled the pilot. Five Ghosts dropped from its underside, anti-gravity systems activating just before they would slam into the hard ground below. "We should make haste," the spec-ops commander suggested to Zharn respectfully. Obviously these operatives were far less mouthy than Ahkrin had been. [i]... After this is over I should contact Ahkrin, if only to make sure he hasn't done anything stupid,[/i] Zharn resolved, feeling the gentle embers of forgiveness blossom within him. "You are certain you wish to accompany me?" Zharn asked of them all. "I would not command you to go up against a demon; that is a suicide order." "You are fleetmaster," they answered as one, without a complete lack of hesitation. The commander nodded, explaining further. "We are your warriors, Fleetmaster Thierr'ee. We follow you not out of duty, but honour." "My thanks," Zharn replied gratefully, still a little awed by statements like that. Not too long ago he probably would have been ignored by these operatives; now they swore their fealty to him. "Then we must hurry lest the demon escape with whatever is so important in those caves that the humans would send their greatest asset to secure it." * * * Once the children were within their beds, Sorran began a methodical check of the room to put there minds at ease. "See? No monsters," Sorran told them with a reassuring smile after he'd completed his search of the room. Their expressions softened a little. "Uncle Katoth'ee told me the humans drop down in their steel boxes and kill every Sangheili they find," Gilyi spouted out, explaining to Sorran the children's fear. "Do they?" "... they'll never find Sanghelios," Sorran promised them, unable to commit to actually telling them concretely that the humans never did such a thing. "I think blademaster Katoth'ee was just trying to scare you." "When I'm older will I be sent to fight them like father?" Kemyn asked inquisitively, round eyes staring up at Sorran with what he suspected was resignation to doing so. Sorran knelt down beside Kemyn's bed, and placed a hand on the young Sangheili's shoulder. "I'm sure the war will be over within but a few years," Sorran promised. And although he knew he shouldn't have said so, under the child's heart-breaking stare he added: "You will see your father soon." "Have you fought the humans?" Gilyi asked him, fascinated. Sorran smiled softly at all the questions, shaking his head in a mute lie. "We honour guards do not get sent to war," Sorran told them softly. "We're much too lazy for that; just look at your grandfather." That evoked a few laughs from them, and Sorran could tell he had dispersed their fears. He rose up and moved to switch the light off, intending to head back downstairs and spend some more time getting to know Kym and more of Hem's private life, which prior to today he had known very little of. He stopped in his tracks as he heard a noise coming from outside, though, spinning around sharply. The children had bolted upright, fear etched into their faces. "That's what we heard before!" Kemyn murmured with a note of terror in his voice. Drawing out his blade and igniting it with intention, Sorran walked slowly towards the window. He saw nothing as he stared outside, and frowned. [i]Whurrrrrrrrrr[/i], came the noise again, louder this time. It almost sounded like-- Thrusters.