Halo: Indelible Past/Chapter Forty

The warriors charged with serving as the eyes and ears of the Sangheili government boasted no grand fortress or palace as their headquarters. Their place was in the shadows, hidden away from all except those who wielded them.

Deno had many lairs across Sanghelios, but his favorite by far was a large catacomb that stretched for miles beneath the rolling plains of the Vadam state. His parents were buried here amidst these sprawling chambers, along with thousands of other keepless peasants. Dozens of his brothers and friends were here, stolen away by war, disease, or the endless decay of time. Passing between their tombs, inscribed with folk poems and images from Sanghelios's long and glorious past gave him perspective on what he had sacrificed so much and so many to defend. To cast aside his honor and the chance to follow his friends to a noble death on the battlefield was the most painful trial he had ever undertaken in the service of his planet and his people.

The tombs had not been outfitted with artificial lighting so as to preserve the rest of the dead. A torch-bearing warrior, one of only a handful of subordinates with knowledge of this sanctuary, kept pace with Deno's slow gait but the light he cast was hardly necessary. Deno's eyes had adjusted to the darkness long ago.

Though lights were not permitted, the tomb had been wired with the best communications technology in the galaxy. A signal could be transmitted from here to the furthest point in the galaxy and never be detected. It was into this impressive broadcast system that Deno was accessing through a small headpiece that left his hands free to grip the head of his cane.

"Yes," he said. "I have transmitted all the data that was recovered from the human rebels' headquarters. Much of it is encrypted, but none of it gave me much trouble. I doubt you will have difficulties with it."

The spymaster paused by one tomb to examine its carving: that of a peasant laborer struggling against the burden of the crops he was gathering on his back. A lavish keep rested on a hilltop in the background, overlooking the laborer's toils.

"A few things of note," he said, responding to the voice on the other end of his transmission. "Mostly the locations and identities of other groups within their movement. Some contact information on whatever Syndicate agents they dealt with. And you may find the data on the one they called 'the Reaper' rather interesting as well."

He tapped the end of his cane on the carved laborer, then traced it over to rest on the image of the keep. "And there was some information that might prove useful in understanding why they chose to attack civilian targets. You will find it under the instructions they were given when hired through the Syndicate."

Deno turned away from the peasant's picture and continued on his way through the catacombs. His warrior escort followed behind him at a respectful distance.

"The attack on the Incumbent Wrath caught everyone by surprise," he noted to his headpiece. "My agents are being hounded by orders to discover why the Path Walkers chose it as a target. The Cleansing Blade's involvement did not go unnoticed, either."

He listened to the response. "Interesting," he said calmly. "So the target was captured after all. Autel 'Vadam reported that he had been killed in the fighting. No, I'll make the arrangements to ensure the government continues to think that.

"I've destroyed the original files from the human base," he continued. "I will tell my superiors there was nothing useful in them, but anything that could have betrayed your involvement is gone."

He nodded. "Very well. My agents have some additional developments to report. Those will be transmitted to you shortly. Very well."

He signed off and continued his hobble down through the twisting corridors, past casket after casket of those who had been taken before their time.

"And now we wait," he said over his shoulder. His escort grunted.

A smile passed through Deno's mandibles as he removed his headset. "Shinsu 'Refum," he murmured, staring ahead into the darkness. "What an interesting person."