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Shadows of Archon (part 2) - The Return
Posted By: Wado<wyamauchi@msn.com>
Date: 9 August 2002, 9:52 am
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Attention all you cosmic cats, we've got a no fly zone warning. Word is out that flood activity is high, oh my.
This just in... would you believe it? We've got a Commander Thom sighting in the forbidden zone. Best of luck to you commander from all of us at CBN, the Covenant Broadcasting Network.
Now a special message to all you movers and groovers, don't just stand there spinning your thrusters, ARCHON down to your local Rapid Rapter's Repair and REACH for the stars.
--------------
[Pan from the stars into a small lollipop-shaped ship as it speeds into the forbidden zone, a.k.a. the quarantined zone. On the side of the ship are the words Seeker 157.]
Aboard the Covenant scout ship Seeker 157, Commander Thom, a tall slender Elite, and his second in command, the short distinguished looking grunt, Sub-commander Zax, go over the mission plans.
Zax speaks, "Commander, I don't understand why the mission is to go to the Seven Drunks tavern?" What is this Seven Drunks tavern anyway?"
"That's only the beginning of the mission, sub-commander. From there I'm sure the location of Destiny's Blade will be revealed to us. And whatever you call Seven Drunks, it ain't a tavern, that's for sure."
[Fade to black.]
In some places you always feel welcome, no matter how long you've been away. Sweet aroma of home cooking, sunny days lying on the beach. Playing ball on a hot summer night. That first drink of cool refreshing water. Aaahh, sweet!
Now if you could turn that image around, picture just the opposite, you might just be able to imagine the hole called Seven Drunks and One Ugly Lady, or just Seven Drunks for short. The air burns the eyes and the drinks are made from reprocessed waste materials. Dirt floors, dirty glasses, and by far the most popular hangout in sector 13, smack in middle of the mining colonies in the forbidden zone.
On this particular day two unusual guests enter the Seven Drunks. It's Commander Thom and Sub-commander Zax. The music doesn't stop; no one even gives them a second glance.
A large two-headed and six-armed neo-troll serves the drinks. His right head speaks, "What will you have commander?"
Commander Thom replies, "Is the Lady in barkeep?"
The barkeep's left head speaks, "The Lady don't see nobody these days, 'cept those itching for a horrible death."
"Tell her I've got a blade to pick with destiny. She'll see me alright."
The barkeep's right head, "Wait here please, we'll be back shortly."
Commander Thom looks at his second, "Relax, sub-commander Zax. Their bark may be loud and they bite really hard too, but deep down, they're just a bunch of cold-blooded killers."
"Commander, your humor is tactically unwise. I recommend we call in a squad to disperse this crowd."
"Come on sub-commander, what could possible hap..."
Just then, a large armored brute with shields on his arms and a fuel-rod cannon at his side interrupts, "Why if it isn't that cheater Commander Thom."
Thom replies, "Gunter the Hunter. Why I was just about to come look you up, for old time sake. Gunter, what is all this rambling about cheating?"
Gunter says, "Always so cocky, Thom, only this time you only got one whacky grunt to protect you. Yes you did cheat me out of a chest full of Gundarian chrystals."
"Gunter you old sore loser, I won those fair and square. How could I have cheated, you picked the game and the place and even the rules."
"Yes, I thought it impossible that you could have cheated until after you left and I realized my prize female slave was gone. She must have rigged the game for you -- And now, it's pay back time."
Flash, boom! Phew, phew, boom!
Two ugly looking dudes fall to the ground dead, needlers in their hands. Sub-commander Zax holds a smoking plasma rifle in one hand and a glowing plasma pistol in the other.
Thom says, "Nice work Zax. Now Gunter what am I to do with you? Snipers of all things - this really hurts my feelings."
Gunter in a much more timid voice, "Thom, can't we talk this over, for old time sake?"
"Perhaps, but then again maybe I ought to shove my energy sword up your..."
Thom is interrupted by the barkeep's right head, "Commander Thom, the Lady will see you now."
Barkeep's left head, "Run along Gunter, you have errands to run for the Lady, don't you?"
Gunter runs out the door without even looking back.
Thom and Zax are led into a dimly lit back room. In the room there can be seen a large glowing orb sitting on the center of a small round table. To the far side of the table levitates the Lady cloaked behind veils. The Lady is a Nomdian, a brain eater. A mysterious alien race with tentacles for lips, dark-green skin, and powerful mental powers, they are outlawed in all civilized areas of the Covenant; but here in the forbidden zone the Lady lives.
The Lady speaks from a voice inside the head, "Commander Thom my sweet, come closer, my eyes are old and I can't see you very well. Yes, come closer, closer. Tell the Lady what brings you here after all these years."
Thom walks closer and sits next to the Lady. Her tentacles reach out towards his head as she looks at him. Thom speaks, "My Lady, this is my second, Sub-commander Zax - a finer Covenant you will not find. I have come here because of what you spoke of the last time I was here. You foresaw the coming of the flood and then you spoke of the return of another. You called it Destiny's Blade. What do see now?"
As the Lady gazes into the crystal orb, her tentacles caress it; white lightning sparks between her tentacles and the orb. "Spirits rise, spirits rise, show the Lady what is devised... They come... Aaaaarrrrr! Ship be fast, ship be nimble, of the old ones it resemble. At Reach it is, but it is his. Beware of the sleeper. Now the spirits go deeper. You seek Destiny's Blade, nay -- Not a blade but a long sword, slayer of discord."
As she slouches over the table, the Lady whispers, "Leave now, I must rest."
Outside the Seven Drunks on their way back to their ship, Thom and Zax discuss the plan. Zax says, "Commander, I don't get it, Destiny's Blade is a ship? It all seems so incomplete -- sir."
Thom replies, "That's because I'm making it up as we go along. Sub-commander, the ship is at Reach. Let's go get it."
"Sir, Reach is flood invested territory in the middle of the quarantined zone. Besides, even if we were to evade the flood, there's still those pesky Terrans around."
Thom, not paying much attention to Zax replies, "Think of how great it would be. We go in there and capture that ship. What an adventure that could be. Besides, what do you think high command would do if we brought them a working forerunner ship? Or just forget high command, we could take the ship for ourselves; no other ship could catch us. We could be space pirates or..."
As Thom continues to talk to himself, Zax wonders why Reach of all places, why must he return there? He reflects back to Reach and events of three years ago...
-----
It was a mighty Covenant armada -- the Lord's Hammer a mighty cruiser. From the Lord's Hammer descends the 7th Legionnaires, a finer group of elites and grunts you could not find. The mighty 7th has never known defeat in battle, but this would be the last 7th. Having been rebuilt five times prior, the 7th had a history of strange losses. The last 7th disappeared generations ago when their transport ships mysteriously disappeared. No sign was ever found of them or of their transport ships. The curse of the 7th they called it.
That day their drop ships were to land near the devastated Terran colony at Reach; secure the area for the big shot Covenant scientists that somehow got themselves trapped there by a bunch of Terran snipers. The events from that point on moved fast and furiously.
News arrived that the great armada had been destroyed. How could this be? Then the communications poured in, first horrid stories of strange creatures that animate the dead, followed by equally unbelievable accounts of the destruction of the sacred forerunner wonder called Halo.
Lastly, in the chaos, it was reported that the location of the Terran home world had been discovered. Several of the Covenant capital ships including the Lord's Hammer had been at Reach when the rest of the armada was destroyed; in an insane rage they flew off to destroy the Terran home world, to seek revenge for their fallen comrades. These ships were never heard from again.
Zax remembers looking out the drop ship's aft gunner viewer - the last time he ever saw the Lord's Hammer. The last day he ever saw his wife.
-----
Thom looks at Zax, "Sub-commander, did you hear anything I've been saying?"
Zax replies, "Yes sir!"
As the two board their scout ship, Seeker 157, Thom looks back, "I've had many a wild times here. Kind of makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over. Then again, I think there's several bounties on my head. Let's get the heck out of here sub-commander."
[The ship takes off to the stars.]
-- Next, Out of Reach --
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