Halo: Indelible Past/Chapter Twenty-Two

A burst of silver light blossomed amidst the void of space, spitting out Cleansing Fire before vanishing as quickly as it had come.

The Cleansing Blade flagship drifted through the outer limits of the Sanghelios system, its impulse drives on their lowest setting to reduce the corvette's energy footprint. A host of signal-distorting stealth systems cannibalized from smaller craft and installed aboard the Fire by its resourceful crew were already active, completely hiding the flagship from anything but the naked eye.

So it was that Shinsu 'Refum and his most devoted followers penetrated the best-defended system in Sangheili space without raising so much as a minor alert. The Fire drifted onwards, waiting for the opportunity to make a second Slipspace jump that would bring it even closer to the homeworld. It passed within a lightyear of a small government patrol, a cruiser and two escorting destroyers. The cruiser and one of the destroyers sported Cleansing Blade infiltrators within their crew; the shipmaster of the second destroyer was sworn to Shinsu's cause personally. But sabotage and misdirection were not necessary to ensure the Fire's safe passage, and so the agents went unasserted to their commander's presence.

The moment secure broadcasts could be made, the Fire issued a series of short, tight communication bursts, each directed at a different target. Shortly thereafter, it received a flurry of bursts shot back by the recipients of its broadcasts. Alone amongst the stars, the hub of the Cleansing Blade movement was once again connected with the vast expanse of the galaxy, its battlefield.



Umbra and the rest of the Cleansing Fire's bridge crew watched their commander as he surveyed the holographic footage that spread out around his central workstation. Images of government warriors firing at rogue Phantoms flashed around Shinsu's head, scenes of the chaos that was playing out on Sanghelios's surface. He took it in impassively, watching coldly as warriors jerked and fell under the onslaught of the human soldiers. Finally, after the footage had looped for a third time, he raised a hand and froze it all on a single image: a human in battered armor with a single prosthetic limb.

"Mordred," he said slowly. "Do any of our agents on the homeworld know where he is?"

"No, commander," Umbra admitted. "He vanished after forces under Fira 'Demal cornered him in one of Meru's plazas. But we have a lead."

Shinsu flicked an eye to glance at him appraisingly. "Yes?"

"Pula came close to him during that battle, but the fighting drove them apart. She has since infiltrated the government forces to pursue his whereabouts."

Shinsu nodded. "And Ro'nin? Has he responded to our summons yet?"

Umbra clicked his mandibles. "In a manner of speaking. He and his partner were taken into custody following Mordred's escape. Releasing them was not easy, especially after they killed the first thirty warriors that tried to apprehend them."

"Ah. They underestimated the Jiralhanae's skill with that blade of his."

"Fortunately, our agents arranged for them to escape their holding cell." Umbra glanced down at the report that had come with the footage. "The Jiralhanae killed eleven more after he was released. Apparently he refused to leave without retrieving his sword."

"And where are they now?"

"They took their shuttle and fled the planet. It was damaged during Mordred's escape, but our agents ensured it was repaired. Within reason."

"Of course." Shinsu waved away the holograms and the image of Mordred winked out. "It wouldn't do for their slipspace drives to be functioning, now would it?"

"Their thoughts entirely, commander," Umbra agreed. "According to the tracking beacons placed before they took off, they are attempting to make repairs near the River of the Gods."

The River of the Gods was an asteroid belt that partially surrounded the Sanghelios system. In spite of the government's best efforts, it remained a favored haven for pirates and criminals daring enough to do business so close to the Sangheili seat of power.

"Set a course for the River then," Shinsu ordered. "And contact him again. Make it plain that meeting with me isn't a request."

"Gladly." Umbra nodded to the rest of the bridge crew. "You heard the commander, do as he says!"