//------------------------------// // II: The Unknown // Story: The Mountain Among the Stars // by Johnjohns //------------------------------// Chapter 2: The Unknown Kacume Keep, Acroli, Sanghelios “Keep firing!” roared Tihar Med Kacumee as he aimed his plasma rifle over the low, stone wall. Tihar and the few remaining members of his warriors were dug in amongst the ruins of his keep. Once the prideful dwelling place of his family on the western border of Acroli, Kacume Keep was now nothing more than a shameful cluster of shattered walls and burning buildings. Never once in his life had Tihar ever thought that the humans would someday invade Sanghelios. He had clearly underestimated them. Everyone had underestimated them. The humans had shown up completely unexpected, arriving in a massive fleet, which at the time had seemed impossible for them to muster. Yet, here they were, on his home turf. Tihar considered himself lucky to have been at his home during the time when the humans decided to make their largest counterattack in history. If he had been aboard his ship, attacking some far distant human world while his family defended his house without him, the sheer guilt of not being there would have torn him to pieces. This was one of the few times in his life in which he had the opportunity to fight the humans face to face. However this time, he had the chance to fight alongside his brothers. If this was to be his end, then he felt honored to be able to die defending the place of his lineage. The human forces had completely surrounded the keep, and were shelling it from all directions. The weapons in which the humans favored, fired small metal rounds which blasted chunks of stone off of the walls, and tore through flesh with ease. Tihar was crouched behind an exterior wall, close to the main gate. The wall itself, after hours of nonstop abuse, had been reduced to mostly rubble, and barely provided enough cover for Tihar. Crouched beside him was one of Tihar’s cousins, who occasionally stood to fire off a few plasma rounds, before crouching once more as another volley of human bullets forced him to take cover once again. Through some of the windows in the taller buildings, came short bursts of plasma, which flew over the wall, and splashed up against the human positions outside. About forty meters from the main gate, the humans had parked a stupid-looking vehicle called a Warthog. The transport stood on four wheels, and had a large gun mounted on the back. The human soldier using the weapon would repeatedly fire long bursts into the Sangheili positions, opening up on anything that moved. Tihar stood up again and aimed his rifle, but the Warthog gunner forced him down before he could acquire a target. Suddenly Tihar could hear the unmistakable whine of a human dropship approaching from the rear. “Get to cover!” Tihar roared, jumping under a piece of fallen masonry, which was leaning up against the wall. Tihar’s family members did the same, either hiding under rubble, or running into nearby buildings. There was a difference between being cowardly, and being stupid. Just as they got to cover, the human dropship emerged into view from behind a building, slowly flying over the keep. It reached a hovering point just beyond the main gate, swung around, and fired its nose-mounted cannon into the courtyard. The cannon fire tore everything it hit to pieces. Tihar watched as wooden shed, in which one of his nephews took refuge in, was enveloped in a rain of fire, the walls and ceiling splintering into a thousand shards of wood. A water well in the center of the courtyard was instantly obliterated by the barrage, the cobblestone falling into the pit and splashing into the water below. Soon after, the dropship took its fury out upon a two story building on the eastern side of the keep, putting a missile right in the front door. There was an ear-splitting noise, comparable to very loud thunder. The walls of the first floor were blasted apart, and the entire building came crashing down in a cloud of dust. A few of his fellow Sangheili had been positioned in that building, but Tihar had no time to mourn, he was enraged. By the Gods, the humans would pay for this atrocity. The dropship stayed in position for another minute before letting up, and settling down to land behind the human front line. Tihar assumed that it would drop off fresh soldiers, and ammunition. The battle had been raging for hours now and there didn’t seem to be an end in sight. The only possible outcomes of the battle were if Tihar and his keep were wiped out, or if they successfully repelled the humans. The second outcome was seeming less and less likely by the minute. A human rocket flew just over his head and struck the building behind him, showering him in dust and stone fragments. Tihar glanced across the courtyard just in time to see one of his warriors catch a bullet to the neck, and drop to the ground. Tihar stood, and in a moment of selfless fury, hefted his rifle and shot over the wall, killing three human soldiers, caring not for his own well being. Tihar shifted his aim, and without faltering, shot four more. Suddenly, he felt a heavy impact on his chest, then another and another. His shields shattered, his armor spraying sparks of plasma, and venting heat. Tihar didn’t care, he kept on firing before a round caught him in the left side of his gut. He staggered backwards, but shook it off, and raised his weapon. A final round connected right in the center of his body, shattering his chestplate, and sending him careening to the ground. Tihar’s cousin crouched next to him, and reached out to help him up, but then glanced down at Tihar’s wounds. In Tihar’s eyes, his face seemed to pale, but was quickly washed away by anger, and he too stood up and fired upon the humans, and was just as quickly brought down, himself collapsing next to Tihar. Everything surrounding him slowed. The noise of battle began to wash away, his hearing failing him. Tihar turned his head, and watched as two more of his warriors were cut down. His vision too, began to grow dark, and time seemed to stretch outwards before him. The darkness crept in from all sides. Tihar did not resist. The blackness filled his mind as all conscious thought was swept away by the tide of the ocean of shadows. Tihar blinked his eyes open. He was lying in his bed, within his private chamber. The room was dark, and only a faint white light emanating from from one of Sanghelios’s moons, filtering through the open window, and provided the room with a slight illumination. He sat up, swung his long legs over the edge of the bed, and scratched the back of his head. At the foot of the bed was a large chest, in which his armor, and more traditional clothing was stored. In the far corner of the room was a solid-wood cabinet. Inside were a few of Tihar’s personal belongings. Inscribed on the stone wall above the head of the bed, were each of the seven ages of the Covenant. “The First Age: Ignorance and Fear. The Second Age: Rivalry and Bloodshed. The Third Age: Humility and Brotherhood. The Fourth Age: Wonder and Understanding. The Fifth Age: Obedience and Freedom. The Sixth Age: Faith and Patience. The Seventh Age: Journey and Salvation.” Tihar sat in silence for some time, deep in meditative thought. He had dreamt a terrible dream, which meant that he wasn’t in a proper state of mind. Only the weak-minded dreamt of such things, and he vowed to himself to spend more time meditating, and to train harder, so as not to become atrophic in the mind, and make mistakes. The door to his chamber quietly opened, letting yellow artificial light flood in through the opening. Tihar turned to face the door. His nephew, Isis stood in the doorway, wearing a brown tunic. “I apologize for disturbing you, Kaidon,” he said, not looking directly at Tihar. “But your presence is requested for a very important meeting.” “It is the middle of the night,” replied Tihar, staring intently at Isis. “May I ask who is requesting such a meeting?” Isis hesitated for a moment, but then spoke up, “The Prophet of Regret, himself.” Tihar’s eyes opened wide. If he had not been fully awake previously, he was now. His heart rate increased slightly, and a sudden nervousness washed over him. He tried his best to contain these emotions. “The Prophet is here?” he asked. “No,” replied Isis. “But he is urgently requesting to speak with you via long-distance communications.” Tihar wondered what the Prophet could possibly want from him, as it couldn’t be many that many things. Either Tihar had committed some unconscious act of blasphemy against the Covenant and he was going to be executed, or the Prophet had chosen him for an important task. Whatever the reasons, he would find out soon enough. “Inform the Prophet that I will be ready in a matter of moments, and give me communications access from my office,” said Tihar. “Yes, Kaidon,” said Isis as he walked briskly away. Tihar quickly hopped down from the bed, and opened up the large chest. He took out a pure-white decorative tunic meant for ceremonial occasions. He deemed it to be a presentable piece of attire to wear in the presence of a Prophet. He hastily put on the clothing, mentally prepared himself, and quickly left his chamber. He walked down the narrow stone hallway, passing doors to the chambers of his many family members. It was the middle of the night, and most of his family inside his home, as well as the rest of the keep, were asleep. He passed by paintings of famous Sangheili commanders, and paintings of the countryside of Acroli. At the end of the passageway was the door to his office, and private meditation room. He opened the heavy, wooden door, stepped inside, and closed the door. He took a deep breath, and tapped a button on his desk. The holographic projector at the far end of the room activated, and the unmistakable image of the Prophet of Regret appeared before him. Tihar immediately bowed before the divine leader. “I am blessed to be in the presence of thy holiness,” said Tihar, groveling. “What holy request dost thou have for a low-being such as myself?” The image of the Prophet sat on a floating gravity-chair. He was wearing highly decorative green robes, and an ornate golden crown upon his head. He stared at Tihar with blank expression, unblinking. “Rise, o faithful one,” replied the Prophet. “Rest assured, your devout loyalty to the Covenant has not gone unnoticed.” Has the Prophet just commended me? “I have an important task for you,” said the Prophet. “One in which I am sure that only a great warrior such as yourself can accomplish.” “Name it,” replied Tihar. “Whatever thou doest request, is the request of the Gods. I will complete whatever thou hast tasked me to accomplish with unshakeable devotion. By my ancestors, I swear to...” “Such a matter cannot be discussed at this time,” interrupted the Prophet. “I have sent a shuttle, which should be arriving soon, to bring you to my ship. Once you arrive, we will discuss this matter further.” “I will patiently await thy gracious transport,” said Tihar. “I humbly look forward to being in the presence of thy divine self, and the holy assignment thou hast chosen for me.” The hologram winked out of existence. Tihar felt his legs shaking underneath him. A task from a Holy One, chosen for me and me alone. Tihar had always dreamt of the day in which he might be personally recognized by a Prophet. This was truly the most important day of his life. If he completed the task, then he would surely be promoted, and bring great honor to his family. If he failed, certain death and loss of honor. I will not fail thee. I swear it. Tihar quickly returned to his chamber, along with three servants. They assisted him in putting on his heavy, golden shipmaster’s armor. Piece by piece, plates of metal alloy were attached. His chestplate, his backplate, arm guards, leg guards, were all attached, and then finally his golden helmet was placed upon his head. He quietly, yet swiftly descended the stairs of his home, and walked out into the courtyard, where he waited. One of Tihar’s uncles named Okmar was standing by the keep’s gate, keeping watch. He turned to see Tihar, and calmly strode over to him. “Good evening, Kaidon Tihar,” he said with a small bow. “May I ask why you are up so late, and wearing you armor?” “My presence has been requested by a Prophet,” said Tihar. “I am to be delivered to him shortly.” “A Prophet?” asked Okmar, with a great deal of surprise. “A holy Prophet?” “Yes, one of the divine three, the Prophet of Regret,” replied Tihar. “The Prophet of Regret?” asked Okmar, his eyes widening. “This is truly a great day for the Kacume family. Whatever you have been chosen for, I know that you will bring great honor to our family name. I am proud to know you as my Kaidon.” The the drive engines of a phantom dropship was suddenly heard by Tihar. He looked up, and could see the blue lights of the craft descending through the clouds. Okmar followed his gaze. It flew rapidly towards the keep, and for a moment Tihar thought that it wouldn’t stop, and that it would crash right into the center of his keep, but the craft slowed and came to settle down in the center of the courtyard. The side door opened up, beckoning him to enter. “Goodbye, uncle,” said Tihar. “I know not when I shall return, but until then, Elder Yuitikin is to be in charge. You will answer to him.” “Of course, Kaidon,” he said. “Good luck, and by the grace of the Gods, I pray that only good things will become of you.” “Thank you, Uncle.” With those last few words, Tihar stepped aboard the phantom, and and sat down inside of the empty troop bay. He felt the craft lift off, and ascend into the upper atmosphere of Sanghelios. I will not let my family down. He rested the back of his head against the cold wall behind him. The phantom stopped shaking as it breached the atmosphere, and passed into the cold space beyond. UNSC Everest, Slipstream Space “Standby for transition back to realspace,” Maya announced throughout the ship. Cole sat in his chair, eyes fixed forward. The bridge was alive with the noise of voices. The bridge crew was busy monitoring computer screens, and making slight adjustments in the Everest’s functions. Cole did not know what they would find once they returned to realspace. They may find nothing at all, in which case he would make the decision to return to FLEETCOM right away. I still don’t know which decision is the right one. Transitioning back to real space in thirty seconds,” reported Maya. “Beginning redistribution of power back to the main drive engines, and auxiliary functions.” Cole simply nodded his head in acknowledgment. “Prepare to emerge within the Mu Arae system,” she reported. “All crew members brace yourselves. Transitioning in fifteen seconds.” Whatever happens, whatever we find. I may never know whether it was for the right, or the wrong reason. “Ten seconds.” Cole’s mind came back to reality, and he braced himself in his chair. He noticed a feeling that he hadn’t felt in a long time. Fear. Fear of the unknown. “Five... four... three... two... one...” The blackness outside of the windows suddenly seemed to ripple as a million tiny dots of light stretched back into view. Cole felt the familiar nauseating twist in his stomach that he always felt when changing into a different dimension. “Transition successful,” reported Maya. “Beginning proper cooldown of our Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine. All systems nominal. We are within thirty-thousand kilometers of the estimated arrival zone.” The bridge crew erupted in joyful cheering once again. For the first time in hours, Cole smiled as well. We are in an all-new place. The first people to ever explore this system. “Are there any nearby celestial bodies?” Cole asked. “My scans have detected a planet about three-hundred thousand kilometers from our current position. It does not match with any of the known planets in this system. It is quite possible that we have never been able to detect or see the planet because it has been obscured from the view of our telescopes, by the three known gas giants, much further away in this system. The planet has one moon, and it orbits the sun in the center of the planetary system. There are a total of four planets that orbit the star.” “So, you’re saying that we may have possibly discovered a new planet?” Cole asked. “It certainly seems like it, yes,” replied Maya. “This planet seems... strange. Almost familiar. We will need to get closer so that I may acquire more accurate readings.” “Alright, take us on a direct course to the planet,” Cole said. “I want to see it.” “Understood,” said Maya. Cole felt the heavy thrusters at the rear of the ship rumble as they powered up, and propelled the Everest through space, rapidly accelerating towards the planet. The trip took about thirty minutes. With each passing moment, the unknown planet grew larger and larger on the view screens. The crew’s anticipation only grew as well. “The planet appears to support life,” said the A.I. “Right now I can make out large oceans, and and several large continents of landmass that appear to have regions of forest.” “Bring us in as close as possible,” said Cole. “Then put us in orbit around the planet.” “You got it,” she said. Within a few minutes, the Everest had settled into a nice, slow orbit around the planet. The planet filled the entirety of the Everest’s windows with its blue form. It looks like Earth. “I will begin digitally mapping out the planet, although it will take me several rotations to complete an accurate three-dimensional model,” said Maya. “I also just released a drone to take samples of the atmosphere as well. I should be receiving data any moment now.” Cole silently waited, watching the new world as the Everest rotated around the planet. It was truly a sight to see. Cole could see mountain ranges, and lush green forests. Clouds lightly covered patches of the planet. Huge, sprawling oceans spread out in all directions, touching practically every corner of the globe. It was beautiful. “The atmosphere consists of mostly nitrogen, with medium amounts of oxygen,” she said. “I’m detecting trace amounts of argon, and carbon dioxide as well. These conditions are almost identical to Earth. This is truly a remarkable discovery.” “What’s the plan, sir?” asked Lieutenant McMahon. “The plan is we wait,” said Cole. “I do not want to take any definitive course of action until we know exactly what kind of situation we are in. We will wait until Maya is done creating a digital globe of the planet.” “Understood, sir,” said the navigational expert. Twilight Sparkle’s Residence, Ponyville, Equestria “So what are you doing tonight, Spike?” asked Twilight. “Do you have any plans?” “Well, I was supposed to be hanging out with Rarity, and Sweetie Belle tonite,” said Spike. “But Rarity is really busy right now, and she doesn’t have any spare time, so I can’t go over there.” Twilight and Spike sat across from one another at the kitchen table. It was around five o’clock at night, and the two were eating dinner. Twilight was indulging on a plate of vegetables, while Spike ate baked chicken, and mashed potatoes. Twilight used to get very squeamish when she saw Spike eating meat, but after many years she eventually got used to it. The setting sun was still visible on the horizon. It cast its yellowish-orange light through the small octagonal-shaped kitchen window. “Well,” said Twilight. “If you want, its going to be a full moon tonight, and I was planning to go up on the balcony to watch the night sky. You can join me if you want too.” “I don’t know,” said Spike. “Maybe. I’ll think about it.” “You do that.” smiled Twilight. The two ate in silence for a while. Spike finished his meal, while Twilight continued to eat slowly, while at the same time flipping through the pages of a book. “Hey Twilight?” asked Spike. “Yes?” “Can I ask you something?” “Certainly,” said Twilight, closing the book. “What is it?” “Do you think that we are alone in the universe?” he asked. “Alone?” said Twilight. “What do you mean?” “I mean like... like do you think that there are other ponies, and dragons out there, somewhere among the stars?” he asked. “Well it is certainly a scientific possibility,” she said. “Granted a very small one, but I think that it is entirely possible.” “Because sometimes when I look up at the stars, I get the feeling that another dragon, just like me is looking back,” he said. “I know the feeling,” said Twilight. “I have been studying astronomy for many years now, and many smart ponies have all pledged their own theories as to how the universe works, and what exactly is out there. If it is indeed true that the universe is an ever-expanding entity, then it is very likely that there are other being out there. However, the chances of ever meeting beings from another world are very slim. The universe is just too large to comprehend. The distances apart between star systems alone is incredible.” Twilight sighed, and ate another piece of lettuce. “I have always wanted to meet somepony from beyond the stars,” she said. “But unfortunately such an encounter will most likely never happen. Events like this actually happening will most likely remain as a mere production of our imaginations.” “I know,” said the dragon with a sigh. “But maybe that is a good thing.” he hopped down from his seat, and began to carry his plate over to the sink. “Oh and Twi?” he asked. “Yes, Spike?” “I look forward to tonight,” he said with a smile. “Great!” exclaimed Twilight. “This is going to be so much fun. I’ll get to show you all of the constellations, and the craters on the moon, and-” “Sounds great, Twilight,” said Spike as he put his plate in the sink, and walked out of the kitchen. Twilight smiled to herself. She finished eating the rest of her dinner, and washed the dishes. Celestia’s sun had set completely now, and only the fading redness of the dying sunset was visible on the horizon. Twilight walked around the library, closing the blinds on the windows, and turning on lights. She sat down in her large armchair, and reopened her book on the cosmic constellations. She had read the book twice before, but since this was going to be her first time star-gazing in quite some time, she decided that a refresher would be a good idea. Plus, I don’t want to get stumped on the name of something in front of Spike. That would be embarrassing. In an hour the sun will have set completely, and the sun’s light would be entirely absent from the world. Until then, she would wait and read. Spike was most likely upstairs, painting. Ever since he had painted his first picture in art class this year, he had been painting in his free time. For the first time, he had found a hobby that he truly enjoyed. It was wonderful to know that Spike had found something so in which could relate to. Perhaps the stars will inspire him to paint something truly wonderful as well.