"What is this?!"
"Is that... our God?"
"Praise be to our God..."
When "Apu" appeared as a holographic projection, all the Sangheili and Prophet councilors, including the three Prophets themselves, couldn't suppress their astonishment. The Covenant had yet to formally encounter humans at this point in the timeline, so when they saw someone who looked human like "Apu," their immediate reaction was to question if this being was one of their gods.
At the same time, the live broadcast of this event from the High Council chamber was instantly transmitted across the entire Covenant Empire.
In contrast, "Apu," standing beside Xian Del, appeared to possess self-awareness, calmly surveying the gathered Sangheili and Prophets. She then turned to Xian Del and, in the Sangheili language, asked:
"Captain Ross, you've brought me to this Forerunner dreadnought to reveal something, haven't you?"
"Indeed!" Xian Del raised his voice, directing his words toward the three Prophets at the front of the chamber: "Please explain to the three Prophets the relationship between the Forerunners and the Flood, the true reason for the Forerunners' extinction, and the real purpose of the so-called 'Great Halo Devices.'"
"Understood."
Following this clear command, "Apu" utilized the guide device and the holographic projection to begin recounting the carefully crafted "history" to the councilors and the three Prophets.
The "Apu" present at the High Council was merely a copy of the original, but it still had enough intelligence to adapt to the situation.
Atlas—or Samuel Young—had anticipated that Xian Del would face public questioning from the Prophets of Truth, Regret, and Mercy once he returned to the City of Charity. Given the growing influence of the Sangheili, the three Prophets were likely to seize this opportunity to use Xian Del's dereliction of duty as a means to weaken the Sangheili's power within the Covenant.
In the timeline of Halo 2, tensions between the Sangheili, Brutes, and Prophets had long been simmering. The drawn-out Covenant-Human war, combined with the revelation that humans were the true Reclaimers, led to division and civil war.
In reality, after the first contact with humans at Harvest, the Prophets learned through a Forerunner AI housed deep within the City of Charity that humans were indeed the true Reclaimers. But to maintain their rule, the three Prophets chose to bury this fact and launch a genocidal war against humanity.
The Sangheili, as the Covenant's primary military force, dutifully followed the Prophets' orders.
However, over time, many Sangheili veterans began to question whether the Prophets' commands were just. While humans were physically and tactically inferior, they displayed a courage and determination unmatched by most species in the Covenant.
Even in hopeless situations, human Marines would risk everything, often sacrificing themselves to buy time for their comrades to escape.
This impressed many Sangheili, who began to see humanity as a potential ally worthy of joining the Covenant, especially given their strength and honor, unlike the weak Grunts or the treacherous Brutes.
By the later stages of the war, many Sangheili veterans had come to respect humanity far more than the Prophets or the Brutes.
Given this compatibility, Samuel Young saw the Sangheili as a crucial group to win over to his side.
The arrogance and ignorance of the Prophet race made it highly likely they wouldn't suspect anything amiss with the Forerunner technology.
So, Samuel had Serene Shores provide the guide device, implanting it with a copy of "Apu." The plan was to use the High Council as a platform to further destabilize the relationship between the Sangheili and the Prophets, igniting the civil war early.
At that moment, the Prophet of Truth, having recovered from his initial shock, quickly realized that Xian Del and "Apu," who was recounting how the Forerunners had been brought down by the Flood and internal strife, were attempting to "slander" the Prophet species.
As the head of the Prophets, Truth immediately raised his withered left arm and shouted:
"Guards! Retrieve the holy guide and imprison Captain Ross immediately!"
"Wait!"
Before Truth could finish, a Sangheili councilor, wearing a helmet adorned with a gleaming golden crest, stood up and objected. He glanced at "Apu," who was still explaining the history of the Forerunners and the Flood, and countered:
"Honorable Prophets, let us not forget that interrupting the revelations of the gods is itself a violation of the sacred code!"
"Or is it that Prophet of Truth fears the message Captain Ross has brought back from the gods? What are you afraid of?"
The Sangheili councilor, hearing "Apu's" account, became even more convinced that the Flood plaguing Installation 0459 was a filth that had to be eradicated. Furthermore, the appearance of "Apu" gave Xian Del an opportunity to redeem himself, perhaps even reform the stagnant, corrupt Covenant led by the Prophets.
Given the current live broadcast to the entire Covenant population, the Sangheili councilor, a seasoned politician, seized the chance to undermine the Prophets.
The faces of the three Prophets turned ashen as they watched the Sangheili councilor regain the upper hand in the debate.
They hadn't anticipated that Xian Del could not only mimic Forerunner technology but also use a "Forerunner AI" to support his claims.
The situation had spiraled beyond their control.
In a desperate bid to limit the damage, Prophet of Truth signaled the broadcast crew to cut the live feed, hoping to prevent the unfavorable narrative from spreading across the Covenant.
But before the Council chamber could descend into further chaos, "Apu" completed her explanation, revealing that the Flood was not a creation of the Forerunners but rather their undoing. The Great Halo Devices, the so-called instruments of the Great Journey, were in fact galaxy-wide weapons designed to wipe out all sentient life to starve the Flood.
At that moment, Xian Del turned to the Sangheili councilors and continued in a loud voice:
"Fellow councilors! Even after learning that the Flood is the enemy of all civilizations, the Brutes who accompanied my fleet still chose to feed themselves and their useless brains to the Flood.
I had no choice but to use force to suppress them, preventing a complete disaster.
Furthermore!" Xian Del turned to face the three Prophets, his tone shifting to one of anger:
"Your so-called Great Journey is nothing but a lie designed to trick the Sangheili into becoming the Covenant's executioners!
Following in the footsteps of the gods? Shedding worldly suffering? It's all a fabricated delusion, created by you!"
As he finished speaking, "Apu," standing beside him, played a recording of the private conversation between the Prophets of Truth, Regret, and Mercy in the meditation plaza, capturing their expressions and words.
The three Prophets were left dumbfounded.
Yes, if Xian Del could operate Forerunner technology and collaborate with a Forerunner AI, it meant that their secret discussions had likely been recorded as well.
Unlike cutting the live broadcast, they had no way to prevent "Apu" from exposing everything.
All their calculations had been undone by a seemingly reckless elite commander.
The Sangheili councilors, after hearing and seeing the secret meeting on the island, were momentarily stunned and confused.
But then—
"Roar! You wheelchair-bound scum!"
"Have we been at peace for so long that you've forgotten who the real warriors are?!"
"Kill them! Kill those ugly wretches!"
The chamber descended into chaos as the Sangheili councilors, though politicians, were all former soldiers. Upon learning the truth, they leaped down from the gallery, ready to tear the Prophets apart with their bare hands.
Even the honor guards responsible for maintaining order, typically loyal to the Prophets, rebelled, brandishing energy spears as they leaped into the Prophet councilors' gallery.
Bzzzz!
Ssss!
The plasma blades, superheated and highly lethal, swiftly decapitated and dismembered the frail Prophets.
Sangheili were already known for their explosive tempers compared to humans, and once they realized the Prophets planned to purge them, they turned the tables and executed the Prophets first.
At this stage, no Brutes had yet been recruited as honor guards, so the Prophets had no means of defense.
As for Truth, Regret, and Mercy, they had no chance to flee.
Xian Del personally yanked the three from their floating chairs and slammed them onto the metal floor, their cries of pain filling the chamber.
Mercy, the eldest of the three, almost "ascended" prematurely—meaning, he nearly died from the impact.
"Roar! Captain Ross! What are you doing?!"
The captain of the honor guards rushed forward, raising his energy spear and shielding the three Prophets behind him.
"What am I doing?" Xian Del stepped back, his voice cold. "I'm preparing to parade them through the streets, to show all Sangheili that their lies led to the needless sacrifice of our ancestors' blood."
"Killing them would dishonor our race," the guard captain responded gravely, as several of his loyal comrades gathered around him, forming a standoff with Xian Del, the Sangheili councilors, and the rebel guards.
"Dishonor?" Xian Del, infuriated, laughed bitterly: "My brother, they were never our masters!
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [www.p@treon.com/Mutter]