“You see the schematics, Engineer, and Trixie has brought you everything you said you needed! Why are you not getting to work?”
Lighter Than Some responded with a series of distressed whistles, his buoyancy sacks glowing pink instead of the usual azure blue. Accompanying his whistles, the fragile alien curled his tentacles around, using Huragok sign language.
“What do you mean it can’t work? This is magic we are dealing with here! If the Great and Powerful Trixie says it can be done, it can be done!”
(Whistling)
“Leave the power source problem to me! Trixie knows of a viable one holed up within a hole-in-the-wall curio shop in Canterlot. I shall bring it here. And in the mean time, you shall get to work building my machine!”
(Whistle, hum)
“No buts! The Great and Powerful One commands you!” Trixie moved to leave, and just before she exited her caravan, she glared at the engineer, her horn aglow. “And don’t even think about trying to leave to go find those precious 'friends' of yours! Trixie has created wards that not even you can break through, balloon boy! You’re stuck here until Trixie has finished her shopping.”
Trixie finished her statement with a mean little laugh. Her hooded form quickly disappeared around the doorjamb, a purse full of bits jingling loudly as she rushed away under the darkness of the rainstorm.
Dadab prepared to give yet another lengthy lecture, this time to a much larger audience. He also braced himself for the chronic question answering that was sure to overrun his storytelling. The Unggoy was rather nervous. Being outnumbered by another race in a close-quarters room always produced feelings of anxiety in many grunts, and today was no exception, even for Dadab, a scholarly deacon.
He cleared his throat, which was made comical sounding by his naturally high-pitched voice. “Right, starting from beginning. Hmm, let’s see... Ah-hah! I know where to start now!”
Twilight and Pinkie Pie grinned at the little alien. The rest of the girls stared attentively, and Chur'R-Yar seemed to be sinking into the cushion of the couch, her head resting on her hand in an overtly bored manner.
“Long, long ago, around seven Ages past, or perhaps roughly three thousand years ago, Elite bosses and Holy Prophets went to war in a big space battle! Bosses fight each other over holy relics left by great Forerunner Gods. The San 'Shyuum holy ones wanted to study and use all relics, while the Sangheili wished them be left alone. Dadab unsure of war, but I know that neither side wins, and the Writ of Union is signed, instead.”
Applejack’s hoof is the first to be raised. “Ugh, pardon me fer askin’ Dadab, but just who in the Princesses’ names are these Forerunner deities? What holy relics are ya talkin’ ‘bout?”
“Yeah! And what’s the Writ of Union? Some kind of political thing?” Rainbow Dash added, confused.
Dadab was regretting this already. He sniffed the air through his re-breather pack, before answering their questions to the best of his ability.
“Forerunners are a mysterious people who existed long, long before our Covenant. They left on a Great Journey and then became mighty gods. Their ‘relics’ are actually powerful machines. Creatures like the insect Yanme'e, and Huragok engineers like my friend Lighter Than Some, tinker with them a lot." The grunt pulled out his pistol again, which slightly startled Twilight and Spike. Sensing their discomfort, Dadab held the weapon's muzzle towards a wall in the neutral position, showing it to the girls. “We make stuff like these, and big, really big spaceships. The Prophet bosses also make cool new stuff all the time by studying the Forerunner tech!”
Rainbow Dash gave the weapon a look, then stared at the hole burned into the floor. “So, did your gun do that?”
He nodded, and the pegasus formed a mischievous grin. “That is so cool!” She exclaimed.
Dadab laughed at her. “Ha, maybe you should go onto a Covenant ship someday and see other weapons! They blow you away, literally!” Nobody could tell, but the grunt was grinning under his methane mask. Images of fuel rod cannons, plasma grenades, and plasma launchers floating in and out of his head seductively.
Shoving the intrusive desire for firepower away, Dadab returned to his lecture. “Writ of Union formed the Covenant. Dadab will recite it now.”
Chur chattered at him mockingly, but the rest all watched the stocky alien curiously as he stood as stiffly and tall as he could, puffing his chest out, and raised a hand in the air. He then recited perfectly from memory, the Writ of Union itself, the Covenant’s founding document.
“So full of hate were our eyes
That none of us could see
Our war would yield countless dead
But never victory
So let us cast arms aside
And like discard our wrath
Thou, in faith, will keep us safe
Whilst we find the path!”
Dadab closed his eyes and took a deep breath of rich methane upon completion. The others ran the grunt’s words through their heads, picking the Writ apart, and trying to decipher each and every word. After several moments of silence, Twilight raised her foreleg. “So, your people came to reject most fighting, you are a peaceful civilization?”
This made the grunt scoff. “No way. Let me tell you about the Grunt Rebellion some time. But first, I will explain the Writ of Union. It founded the Covenant in the First Age of Reconciliation. After that, Elites and Prophets became fast friends. Sangheili fight and protect, while San ‘Shyuum gather, give sermons, govern, and experiment.”
Now tensing up his body, he orally moved forward through Covenant history. “Then, the two find Lekgolo of the planet Te. Lekgolo fight back and nearly win, but Sangheili threatened to burn Lekgolo's home, so they join. Eventually Shipmistress’ people’s worlds are found and conquered, too.”
Chur perked up when the Grunt said this.
“Dadab’s people were pretty much the last to be found and inducted into the Covenant hegemony.” Chur interjected. “The little gas suckers were also responsible for several rebellions in recent history that have costed the Covenant greatly in damages to both personnel, and physical assets.” She purred and hissed with disdain at the little alien.
The Unggoy became angry, just as Chur had been hoping. “Grunts nearly won! Because we stood and fought so bravely, we get to carry gun in the armies, and some made deacon, like me.”
“What caused the rebellion in the first place?” Twilight inquired.
Letting out a chortle of anger, Chur replied, “Dadab’s kind breed at an unprecedented rate. They were beginning to overrun my peoples’ hatching grounds. So, we poisoned their methane supplies.”
Such information caused Twilight to contort her face in shock and revulsion, a long with many of the others. “That’s horrible, you tried to kill them all?!”
Chur merely shrugged. “Have to keep their numbers in check somehow.” Applejack was glaring daggers at the Kig-Yar, and Pinkie Pie was staring at her with an undecipherable expression. Chur could tell, but if she cared, the Kig-Yar did not attempt to show it.
Meanwhile, Dadab was barely containing his pint-sized rage. “I hate Shipmistress!" he snapped. "I no follow you anymore, and I hope you take a long walk off a short tree branch someday.”
Chur chattered to herself angrily. Surprisingly, Fluttershy raised a hoof, interrupting the aliens’ feud.
“Yes?” Dadab questioned, his angry voice disappearing instantly.
“Mr. Dadab, um... You keep saying you’re a deacon? What is that? Uh, if you you feel like telling me that is.” She whispered.
“We deacons ensure the rest of the grunts follow the words, laws, and teachings of the holy San 'Shyuum Hierarchs, and that we all piously march onward towards the Great Journey with super devotion!”
Pinkie Pie practically broke into a dance. “Ooh! A journey! Where to? Can we come with?” Dadab stared at the pink mare with confusion and incredulity.
“And just what is this ‘Great Journey?'” Twilight inquired, her curiosity only mounting. "It definitely sounds like something of deep spiritual significance to your people." Once again, Twilight was ignoring the party pony’s antics.
“Great Journey? You're right, boss Twilight. Very deep significance. So...how for Dadab to describe Great Journey... Aha! The Great Journey describes the efforts for when the Covenant finally finds the holy Seven Rings of the Forerunners that will allow us to go on the Journey itself. We shall activate them all at once, and spread their divine winds throughout the cosmos! Once we embark with the winds at our backs, we shall become, well, immortal gods like the Forerunners! It is the center of Covenant faith, and we deacons remind our friends to follow it, if they wish to join us on the Journey.”
Rainbow Dash held her hooves up in the air. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold up there! Are you telling me there are things out in space that can make us somewhat like our Princesses?”
Dadab ran ‘princesses' through his mind, and then remembered the two beings called Celestia and Luna. Twilight had spoke to impossibly great lengths about the former, and just a little less about the latter. “I suppose so, yes!” he replied with finality.
Dash looked at her friends, and finally to Twilight. “Could ya imagine how awesome it would be for us all to be Alicorns! You should talk to Princess Celestia sometime about inviting some more Covenant over, they sound awesome to hang with!”
“I’m not so sure about that Rainbow. Having two of them here has already caused enough trouble. and what about the whole planet conquering, and piracy thing?” Twilight looked towards Rarity and Chur with a nervous smile. “No offense, Shipmistress.”
Chur shrugged. “None taken, native.”
Seemingly oblivious to her friend's argument, Pinkie had begun bouncing around the room, circling around the Unggoy. “Can I go on the Great Journey with you guys? I like the sound of it already; I bet it will be super-duper fun!”
The grunt Deacon put a finger to his stout little chin, deep in thought. “I don't see why not. Although I'm not sure how to contact the Navy or Covenant High Council, I'm sure your peoples would be welcomed in if they ever do find your world!"