Exiled soldiers

"So, Resolution," Palmer said to the Monitor ,"how are those three?" she asked referring to the three individuals who had come through the slipspace portal.

"Quite fine, according to the Armiger," the Monitor replied. Right now, the two of them, the Elites, three carrying the aforementioned individuals, with yellow colored soldiers leading the group, were making heir way out of the cave they had been in, now with multiple Forerunner weapons, including a Lightrifle, Surpressor, and Scattershot. "The worst they have is simple exhaustion, I imagine from the slipspace portal transit."

"How did they survive that, anyway," Palmer asked. "No one should be able to go through slipspace unshielded."

"If this were a ship grade portal, I would agree, Reclaimer," Resolution said, "but this was a small-scale. My makers knew how to make small-scale slipspace travel safe for those without shields. That, and the sub-routine in the portal recognizing one of them as an Inheritor."

"Then can you answer how a Sangheili was able to do the same with out energy shields by himself?"

"If there was a Reclaimer in the range of the transit system, it would think the being going through was doing so with their permission, and ensure it was safe."

Well, Palmer thought, going back to the hunt for Jul 'Mdama on Requiem, that's ironic. Us trying to kill him saved him.

"What else about those three can you tell us, now that the medical scans are complete?"

"Quite a bit, actually," Resolution said. "All three seem to be of a different species from each other, but genetically close enough to mate, and have offspring that can mate. The odds of that are astronomical. In fact, they have the same amount of chromosomes as your kind, Reclaimer."

"Any thing else," Palmer asked, not really caring about that.

"Yes, actually," Resolution said. "The Inheritor seems to be missing a gene sequence, but no genetic illness because of that has been detected."

"Any idea what that's for?"

"None."

"Well, we can ask her when she wakes up," Palmer said. "Halsey's going to have a field day with studying these three."

A few minutes passed before light from the sun could be seen. "About damn time," Palmer said. "'Vason, radio the camp, tell them we need a pickup, and make sure they know not to fire on the Soldiers."

"Of course, Spartan," 'Vason said. He walked off as soon as they exited the cave system so that he could get a message off to the camp.

"Resolution, which one of the Soldiers is the leader of the group?" Palmer asked. "I need to speak to him."

"Of course, Reclaimer," Resolution said. "Summoning her now."

"Wait, 'her'," Palmer asked, not certain if she heard right.

"Yes," Resolution said. "Like many of the units you call 'Knights', some Soldiers are composed beings, though all of those are Forerunner, unlike Knights, which are also composed humans. I thought humans would know that."

"We knew about the Knights, but we thought the Soldiers were all  A.I.," Palmer said.

"Understandable, Reclaimer," the Monitor said. "Few composed Soldiers are actually fielded. Many are held back for planning. Though, personally, I find it horrid that the Ur-Didact would do a thing to his own kind, let alone humans later on."

"What do you mean, 'Ur-Didact'?" Palmer asked.

"That isn't common knowledge either?" Resolution asked, shocked. "I am surprised, then, that a Reclaimer is on the Sagnheili homeworld."

"Why's that?"

"Just that I would have thought you would have discovered at least one shield world before now."

"We have," Palmer said, thinking since most Monitors knew of the shield worlds, she wasn't exactly breaking security protocols right now. "It just didn't say anything about the Didact having a certain designation."

"I wonder why," Resolution said. "Regardless, the reason why is because, at the time of him being sealed away, there were two individuals who shared the title 'Didact'. I do not know how that came to be, though." She then turned as a Soldier,  of the captain variant, walked up. "Ah, here she is."

"Hello, Reclaimer," the soldier said in a noticeable female voice. "I am Spirit-of-black-void. It is an honor to meet one of your kind."

"Commander Palmer," Palmer replied. "Why is it you didn't try to tell your troops to not fire on me and my allies if you knew who we were?"

"Simple protocol, Commander," Void replied. "Unless we are given orders by a superior or, in this case, sub-routines make the orders null and void, protocol dictates Prometheans take any and all orders, and our current orders were to kill any non-Forerunner organics. If I had any choice in the matter, I would have told those under my command to cease all hostilities on you and your allies."

"And now?"

"Until we can no longer sense you or the Inheritor and any orders that take us outside that range are met, we are yours to command."

"Is there any way to stop that from happening?" Palmer asked. "You having to fight us again, I mean?"

"There is one way, Reclaimer," Resolution said. "But both you or another of your race and an Inheritor must authorize that. Simple protocol."

"What is it with Forerunners and protocol?" Palmer asked, frustrated at how often she had heard that word recently.

"Most of those are meant to prevent Flood use of Forerunner constructs," Void said. "Of course, they did not work well against the Logic Plague, which made any and all Forerunner ancillas exposed to it abandon the Forerunners for the Flood."

"Good thing the Flood's not an issue, then," Palmer said as 'Vason walked back over.

"They are sending a Phantom to extract us all," he reported. "Though your Dr. Halsey did not like the fact she wasn't on it to analyze one of the Soldiers."

"I can imagine," Palmer said. "How long?"

"They say within ten minutes, Spartan," he replied.

"Any thing we should know of," she asked the two Forerunner A.I.s.

"Negative, Reclaimer," Resolution said.

"Then it looks like we have more of a breather, 'Vason," she said.

Ten minutes later

"There it is," 'Vason said, pointing to a growing speck as he put his Beam rifle on his back with his other weapon, a Carbine. "It looks like they sent two, I imagine so all can be carried back."

"Then let's get everyone ready," Palmer said, walking over to where Resolution and Void were, as well as the three aliens from the cave. "They awake yet?" she asked.

"Negative," Void said. "They all show signs of dreaming, and, if I may hazard a guess, the smiles on their faces indicate they are ones that bring joy to them, perhaps memories of times past. Just a guess, however."

"Any idea when they will?"

"Signs indicate in the next Erde-Tyrene day, Reclaimer, which is to say, one Earth day."

"Good," Palmer said. "'Cause I want to know why the hell they showed up in that cave."

"You are highly aggressive, you know, right?" Resolution said. "I certainly do have quite a bit to learn about Inheritors and Reclaimers, I do."

"I believe if you do, this Reclaimer won't give you many answers, Monitor," Void said before she looked back down at the purple skinned female. "Strange."

"What is it?" Resolution asked.

"The missing gene sequence, there are traces of it left. It was not surgically removed, which means, with the needed facilities, it can be replicated and put back in, though it's effects will take time to manifest," Void said, her Soldier body having slight medical scanners. Well, slight by Forerunner standards, that is. "And in regards to gene sequences, this one," she said, motioning to the gray female, "her genes seem to allow her race to blend in with the Inheritors race. They would be able to infiltrate the government, and her genes indicate her kind feeds off the energy organics give off when in love."

"So her kind eats love?" Palmer asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I am aware of how that sounds, Reclaimer, but it is the simplest explanation I can think of. Getting back on topic, her kind seems to have developed a kind of one-sided relationship with the Inheritors race," Void said. "Her kind can disguise themselves as an Inheritor, and feed off them, not harming the Inheritor they feed off of. Perhaps even a symbiotic relationship, as these changers, as I will call them until she can tell us what they are called, may be able to make their own Inheritor form, and begin a relationship with an Inheritor that is lonely. Perhaps both."

"And what about him," Palmer asked, gesturing to the male.

"Little pre-existing data on his kind," Resolution said. "Of what I know, the Inheritors called them 'Dragons', and, of what I know of human culture from various transmissions I've picked up, are much like hose of your mythology, Reclaimer, with the noted and odd exception that these dragons eat gem stones. Though the teeth suggest they also eat meat."

"Good thing the Elites have meat rations back at our camp, then," Palmer said. "Anything else?"

"Not at current, Reclaimer," Void said. "But more scans will be possible when we are in the appropriate location."

"Then make sure all of your troops are ready, because our rides are here."

"Yes, Reclaimer," Void said.

Not long after, the two Phantoms arrived and landed, opening their side hatches, with the troop compartments being empty. Palmer, 'Vason, Resolution, Void, a few other Elites, and the three unnamed individuals entered the first, while all entered the second.

The three had been carried in with a gravity field that Resolution emitted from her shell. "Oh, I hope the Inheritor is okay after this journey," she said.

"I'm sure she will be," 'Vason said. "The camp is five minutes away, Spartan."

"Then tell the pilots to step on it," Palmer said as the hatches closed and the Phantom lifted off.

"Already done," the Elite replied. "If you'll excuse me, I must check on my brothers." With that, he made his way to where the three other Elites were standing, leaving Palmer with the Forerunner constructs and the supposed 'Inheritor' and the other two.

She decided to do small talk to pass the time. "So, Void?"

"Yes, Reclaimer?" Void replied.

"How is it you were assigned to Sangheilios?"

"It was a request on my part, actually," Void replied. "Even before I was put in this body, I wished to learn more about the Sangheili, even if I was a Warrior-servant. I suppose that is because my father was a Life-worker."

"'Warrior-servant'?" Palmer asked.

"The soldiers of our race," Void replied. "Life-workers were, for the most part, our scientists."

"Great," Palmer said sarcastically. "An entire part of a race, eggheads."

"If that is meant to be an insult, Reclaimer, I do not see why it is one," Void said. "Intellectually speaking, that is. Many life-worker helmets were somewhat egg shaped. How did you know that?"

Palmer decided to shut up, which didn't stop Resolution. "I think it's meant as an insult because she thinks all intellectuals are loners with no social life. Perhaps because she's afraid of those with a greater intellect than her."

Before anything else could be said by Palmer or the Forerunners, 'Vason walked over.

"The camp reports something strange," he said.

"Is it related to her," Palmer asked, hooking a thumb to point to the purple skinned female.

I believe so, yes," 'Vason said. "They report numerous Prometheans of all classes, all with yellow light, making their way to the camp, weapons lowered. They are on guard, but given what happened earlier, I doubt they are currently hostile." He stopped as something came over the radio for him. "It seems," he said once the radio had stopped, "they are changing color yet again. This time, to that ones skin color," he said, pointing to the same woman. In fact, Void was doing so as he spoke.

At a questioning glance from Palmer, she said, "Yellow is the color when the sub-routine is still being initiated. When it is done, the hard light changes to the color of the Inheritor, or to a mix if there are multiple, eventually to white. The fact it has changed color indicates that all Prometheans in range have been freed from the A.I. Cortana's control."

"And the time delay?" Palmer asked.

"We had to use Sangheili communication to do so, and the routine only got into the systems because it was Forerunner, thought it just barely got in."

"I guess that makes sense," Palmer said.

"I agree," 'Vason said. "Also, Spartan, Arbiter says that your ship will soon arrive."

Ah, yes, that. You see, the Infinity was using random jumps to evade Cortana, and one, this one, apparently, would bring it to Sangheilios so it could pick up Palmer, Halesy, and Blue Team and Osiris, who had arrived on a Pelican that arrived via Forerunner portal from Genesis. It looked like these three would be coming with them, and, if they were especially unlucky, the Prometheans.

"When we get to the camp, we'll see what they want done with those three," Palmer said, gesturing to the three, "as well as the Prometheans."

"Of course, Spartan."

A few minutes later, the Phantoms stopped, and the hatches opened. To Palmer's surprise, the Arbiter, Thel 'Vadam, the Chief, and Locke, as well as Halsey, stood waiting for them.

"Sir," Palmer said as she walked out, saluting the Arbiter. "I'm a little surprised you came here."

"At ease, Spartan," Arbiter said. "I came to inspect the three you and 'Vason found. Your Doctor Halsey is here to see if they are okay, and she requested Locke and Master Chief to come with her."

"Then let's get this over with," Palmer said, already dreading having to stand near Halsey. She never did like scientists.