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Deep in outer territory claimed by neither Covenant nor Human or any race in between, where dying galaxies and ancient ruins lie, a sleek silver vessel had shimmered into existence, azure webs crackle and fuse about sleek chassis. Dancing in resonating pulsar, multicolored flux explodes and creates an effect of nuclear fusion. Technology had just formed a new star.

Inside the belly of the twenty-kilometer long dreadnought dubbed Burning Eternal, a slightly frustrated navigational technician reviewed his mainframe data, crimson eyes shattering as glass panes into new coloration every five seconds.
“Void-Lord sir, we’re dropping out.”

“Fold closure has a second, bringing main cores online.” An authoritative voice confirmed. Golden oculars gander pristine bridge space, closed within one at ease of station. Officers presently clothed for anything falling short of interspecies war were moving about and swiping holographic panels, one with robotics. Or so their stern military manner suggested.
“Give me any sensor readings you have, I want to know where we landed that jump.”
“Yes sir... inserting navigational data now, ETA on full core capacity, thirty seconds.” A pause followed this statement. “I’m getting some nasty spikes in the gate generator’s resonance.”
The first remained visibly concerned. “We’re on the fringe of the Silt Maw, that’s to be expected.”

“Right, here we go. Spectral fold initiated. Vector on Terra booster...mark.”

Long moments passed, each being eating the other through enhanced visual acuity, narrow eyes impaling luminous globe, globe engulfing narrow fronts shining silver emerald. This floating component waste emitted strange, somehow soothing sounds. Neither spoke for some time.
“Hello.” 424 Gallant Claw greeted.
Shade stared. This thing seemed interested in some way, perhaps there would be some use as of yet for such mechanical contraptions. Obviously it held vast amounts of useful knowledge pertaining to physics and universe law, else it would not have been able to speak her tongue.

“What are you cur?” She replied frowning, unsure how to react to this new development. There were many lights here, searing at her eyes in jubilant vexation. Pupils eased into unsettling slits, those akin to cat eyes or some other related thing. Gallant Claw resumed hovering mere inches from her, unmindful of those swirling vortexes, holographic numerals and letters.
“Why, I am 424 Gallant Claw!” He proclaimed.
“My patience wears thin, what manner of construct are you?”
“I’ve been designated 424 Gallant-

“Enough, you pathetic excuse for intelligence!”
The little robotic AI moved away, retreating several centimeters, slightly perplexed. Showing fear was natural to most living beings, they had survival instinct. When in dire straits the only thing one might concentrate on would be personal survival, muscles and nerves composing a physical shell would act of their own accord to evade whatever plight had fallen upon them.
This construct was cybernetic in nature, possibly containing brain matter traces. Indicating smells were certainly there, however no hints of flesh decay had been made apparent, which could only mean that it contained self-sustaining mechanisms. Unfortunately this also created an unwanted side effect. A social drone with multiple capabilities to annoy. It did not sleep; therefore it was nightmare incarnate.

Watching every mannerism it... he made was rather difficult. Most was simply inane mumbling or hovering with suppressed purpose. “I have angered her highness.” Gallant Claw remarked, stating facts, not questioning. Clever little mechanism, Shade considered shearing some of his external plating off.
Without any forewarning several beams split off from two holographic strands and spread across her suit, licking its surface and pulling the matter which held it together apart, which consequently turned the entire structure into a vaporous gas and floated it to the ceiling.
Instead of baring wonder or amazement, she chose anger’s path, toothed demon rearing its ugly head as if some majestic unicorn screaming thunder bang with every choice, pinprick red glow running miles to reach its destination.
Hers was much more, subtle... much more dangerous.

“You dare!” Voice stole clear menacing symphony, rebounding across the room with ease. Gallant Claw retaliated by sputtering out mixed curses and monotone strings. “I shall purge you at once!” Despite stuttering nature, the construct’s voice remained both calm and even, unlike her own voice, which had gladly packed itself with hatred and contempt. Electrical pulses closed about her body, dancing with vigor across her every curve. She could feel her own heart skipping several beats, causing her to bolt upright like some day-old corpse.
“Purge!” Shade roared. The magically induced supersonic wail was more than enough to crack Gallant Claw’s visual acuity. However it did not crack. Instead he was launched back through several holographic panels to land with a clanking thud near the Intejii. Suitable, vermin would attract vermin.

“You are quick to anger.” Gallant Claw remarked, ocular flashing. Shade understood. He was trying to draw her out so that he might exploit her weaknesses when angry, fuse her to his own purposes; clever little keeper. That was not going to happen, she would not allow it. Great amounts of effort were expended as she attempted to calm her beating heart, taking breaths slow and steady in nature.
“I shall not allow myself the indignity of being overcome, cur.”

The construct sifted toward her again. “Worry not, Lady. I merely protect this installation and its contents.”
Shade crouched now, hands resting on either knee, feeling the slick cloth of her robe with one, and the smooth flawless tones of skin composing her leg with the other. Metal-iron tingle filled her general proximity, as if she’d been used to supply some great fire. Only this change was more or less a fast acting chemical transformation.
Gay colors swarmed through her partially luminous eyes, taunting to no end. Shade did not like them, they were cheery and innocent, an opposite pole entirely, from true reality. They suggested what simply could not be through laws and mental physics. Despite this, she could see their use. “You shall protect me, construct.” Very useful indeed, she mused internally while speaking.

“Not in my programming.” Gallant Claw squawked.
“You lie to me now, truthful one. Protect this installation and its contents, truly.”
“For an outsider your usefulness to grammar is apparent.” He replied ignorantly.
“I am willing to reach compromise unto you, metallic one.” Shade persisted.

Apparently he was not knowledgeable in subterfuge or its branching arts; he’d unknowingly avoided the verbal trap by remaining completely devoid to its presence, as if this phrase had never reached his artificial connections, which served as ears. “I do not deal in guesses.” He pleasantly refused.

“Shall the honorable one wish to deal in certainty?” Eyes clear and purposeful, all consuming lanterns spewing thick mucky darkness.
“My provided intelligence allows me to comprehend such.”

“Having allowed your Queen to these holographic systems whence she bests you in games sound to those bearing mind proficiencies.” Wicked back stabbing smiles played across her face. “Dishonest, you have become.”

“Negative, Reclaimer. Should you defeat me as protocol states, I must allow you access to the console.”
Artificial as it was, the voice was almost heartwarming. Disarming. Deceptively so, she could not place any sort of finger on the answer. This worried her to some extent; however Shade was certainly confident that she could overcome any problems this construct set. “You lie, insolent cur.” She said, hinting malignance.
To this, Gallant Claw let loose an approximate laugh.

He was circling her now, bathing her features in white light. “My programming disallows that. Pick your fork of the pass codes.” Frown growing into an outright scowl now, she strode to the panels and allowed her hands to stream through them, little static jolts singing her hands. Singing her hands?

-Shouldering queer looking rifles... looks of resolute determination painted upon their war-masks as they cut down the Hari-Key with cruel efficiency. They promptly rushed down the corridor behind them, vanishing as abruptly as they had appeared. One stayed for a few moments, waiting long enough to yell to her in an odd accent, "Good luck, Spar-tans!" After having spoken, he too was gone, golden mane blowing; leaving behind the impression of haste and efficiency ...-

Gallant Claw’s ocular shone death’s head red in alarm, his floating facet sifting back toward his original position. “Odd, that wasn’t supposed to happen.” Shade could hear his insistent little lies, even through every inch of stalwart pain!

-"Eaetir, hurry up with that! I want that nuke armed pronto!"
"Sir, with all due respect, we can't arm it any faster!"
"Look, we know we won't make it if it doesn't arm within the next minute. Get your asses moving!”
The display on the warhead changed, and a small status light came up on the screen.
"Sir, it's up and running! This should give that Ascendant something to think about... -

For once, she actually screamed. The distraught shriek cut her pride as much as her incredibly sensitive ears, rebounding in woeful echo. Her tense form collapsed to its knees, allowing its soul no motor functions whatsoever as several billion pricks raked its nervous system, stunning and paralyzing. Eyes as cold as winter chill snapped shut in vice-grip, hands covering what facial senses they could. “What have you done to me?” This fearful cry in tandem with previous disgrace now doubled. She could hear no responses. She could see these images with crystal clarity, and nothing more.

-“Your races be damned for coming here, Yalan!” The warrior raged, ash-coal hue of his plasmatic blade, steaming eternal anger. “Leave my blood alone!” The jagged surfaces his Drakka war-mask laughed, taken to the shaping of a single timer wolf, eyes angered and defiant. Little else could express his true anger for this inconceivable mar.
“Do not fear humble one, your whelp shall be ten times and more what it is. I’ve found a donor.” The Torra’s voice was mocking and cheerful. He had won their little war.
“No curse is worth you, surrender my child!” -

Reality be damned, the pain shown here. Thought processes slow and meaningful, Shade’s face twisted into a raging thunderstorm. “Make this stop!” She cried aloud. “Make this stop, you venomous little snake!”
“Hold still.” Gallant Claw hummed.

- The warrior gasped in exhaustion, pain raking his every motion, his soul gone. His morale devastated. “No.” He denied, sobbing as his bloody tears smeared across his gloved hands. “No, my little Erosee... I’ve failed you too...” Self-pity could be heard underlying eat syllable, fingers clutching a small photographic image, him, and his wife who was holding their little Erosee. “Yalan.” His frustrated tone continued. “ You bastard!”-

Hot sensations burned across her vision, as a vicious gas filled her lungs, soothing, like chocolate, an aphrodisiac to her feline nature. All sounds and smells had disappeared. Her vision relaxed and grew blurry as the bands of muscle inside them ceased to function correctly. She was being injected with a sedative!
“Cowardly fool, cease this futile activity!”

“Increasing drug capacity.” Gallant Claw said. “Estimated systems function-
“Dare you betray-

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