A Rarity of a soldier

by Lon35hadow

High Charity

"So, really, the next few days for me weren't that interesting," Twilight said to the others. "But the basics were that I had Ruso and Hades help prepare me for when I'd meet one of their leaders."

"Didn't Sawn come into your part of the story around here, Darling?" Rarity asked.

"Who," Spike asked as Twilight favehooved.

"Someone that really got on my nerves the first time I met him," Twilight said.

---

Twilight, Ruso, and Hades were in the port, left, hanger bay, next to a Spirit dropship, with Ruso and Hades telling the alicorn proper etiquette. "I do not know if they will expect it of you," Ruso was saying, "but it will be best to call, assuming one of the Hierarchs is the one you speak with, Hierarch. If it is a lesser Prophet, given your status, Highness, they may very well tell you."

"Assuming they do not wish to destroy your kind on sight," a raspy voice said from the other side of the dropship.

"Show yourself, Kig-yar," Ruso said. "If you wish to speak an insult, be brave enough to say it to one's face."

"There is no San'Shyuum here," the voice said as its owner stepped into view. He had the same build as a Ruutian Kig-yar. His armor was that of a sniper's, the helmet having a single optical lens on the right, the light off. The odd thing was that he also had a shield gauntlet on his left forearm. "And I am not the only of my kind to speak of the Prophets." He turned to look at Twilight. "This is the esteemed royalty I had heard about?" he asked. "It looks fit only for eating."

"For the record, whoever you are," Twilight said, glaring, "I am the Princess of Friendship back home," she said, getting a laugh form the Kig-yar.

"Your species' integration into the Covenant will be interesting," he said, bowing. "My name is Sawn, Highness. In case you wonder, I'm the one who is in charge of the patrol forces when they are deployed."

"So the famous field marshal who's been able to sneak in and out of a human camp on full alert is a Kig-yar?" Ruso asked.

"Indeed he is, Ultra," Seth said, and Twilight could tell there was the Kig-yar equivalent of a grin under his helmet from the smugness in his voice. Actually, he reminded her of Rainbow, albeit more aggravating. Barely. "Surprised?"

"Quite," Ruso said. "It is unheard of for a Kig-yar to rank higher than a Sangheili."

"Well, I do think we can agree that the shipmaster is not like other Sangheili," Sawn said. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have an annoying Unggoy to find." With that, he turned around, and left the hanger.

"What's his problem?" Twilight asked.

"Simply his ego," Hades said. "Never before in the history of the Covenant has a Kig-yar been equal with one of the highest Sangheili ranks. He is the only one to have that honor, to the best of my knowledge."

"And mine as well," Ruso said. "But, regardless, that is everything for now, Highness."

"You two can drop the title. I never really liked being that different from others, anyway," Twilight said as she turned her head and a small blush came to her face from embarrassment.

"Then what would you prefer we call you, Highness?" Hades asked.

"My name, which is Twilight Sparkle."

"If that is what you wish," Ruso said with a bow of his head, "then we will obey, Twilight."

"And when it's just the three of us, just, please, equals."

"If you wish," Hades said.

"Thanks," Twilight said. "So, what's High Charity like?"

"It is. . . hard to describe," Hades said. "It is our Holy city, and most Covenant races live there, the ones that don't being outlying races who have little to contribute to Covenant society."(1)

"Its population also contains all known San'Shyuum," Ruso said. "As well as the Dreadnought, the largest relic from the gods that has been discovered."

"Sounds impressive," Twilight said.

"Indeed it is," Hades said. "I speak from my own experience when I say that the Dreadnought is worth the trip."

"Well, I can't wait to see it, then," Twilight said with a small smile.

---

"Really, the next two days were like that," Twilight said to the group. "Fortunately, I didn't see Sawn for the rest of the trip." She grimaced. "Unfortunately, that changed shortly after I got to High Charity."

---

Twilight, Ruso, and Hades were on a T-44 Phantom, along with Xasze, who was along with them to assist Twilight should she need it. "I have requested a division of the Honor Guard meet us," he said. "A lesser Prophet shall speak with you, Highness. Past that, I do not know."

"I guess I'll take what I can," Twilight said.

"And I hope you do not mind, Highness, but I thought it best to add another to your personal guard."

"Who," Twilight asked.

"Me," a familiar, and somewhat aggravating, voice said from one of the shadows corners of the troop compartment before a sound like water running over rocks was heard. In the corner, with a Carbine on his back, and a Plasma pistol, of the T-25 brand, on his thigh. "Hello, Highness," Sawn said, bowing.

"What's he doing here?" Twilight asked.

"I asked him to join your Guard, as I noticed you had no long range specialists to help remove potential enemy snipers. Should you accept, that is."

Twilight was about to say no, but then thought on it. Much as she disliked Sawn, if the stories Hades and Ruso had told her since she first met him were true, he would be valuable to help protect her, in terms of against any snipers. That, and keeping a good balance would be valuable to.

"Much as I don't want to," she said, "I do."

"Then I shall let the four of you get acquainted with one another," Xasze said. "I must oversee the final stages of the flight myself."

"Of course, shipmaster," Sawn said as the shipmaster made his way to the cockpit. Once he was gone, Sawn said, "I am surprised by your decision, Highness. I thought I had made you hate me given our first meeting."

"Oh, you did," Twilight said. "I simply look at you from a skill based perspective, and thought long range would be useful."

Sawn chuckled. "Already, you think like Sangheili," he said. "Not sure if I like that or not, yet."

"So, field marshal," Ruso said, and it did indeed pain him having to call a Kig-yar that, "why do you wear that helmet and a shield brace?"

"I'm surprised that story has not reached your ears, Ultra," Sawn said. "I must so that I can see, as a human grenade destroyed my eyesight, and nearly killed me, and I refused to leave military service, so my commander at the time decided to give me this helm and connect its optics directly to my brain. The gauntlet is my own choice, and is designed to have redundancy systems against human E.M.P.s."

"It's custom made," Twilight asked, her eyes lighting up.

"Indeed it is, Highness," Sawn said. "I assume you are a seeker of knowledge?"

"Yes," Twilight said. "How is it you got the reputation you have, anyway?"

"Simply by observing the humans and being able to sneak into their bases, as well as eliminate their officers, as there are small parts of their uniforms that indicate rank. Something not even a Sangheili would know, seeing as how they care not who is killed, so long as it satisfies their ridiculous "honor"."

Ruso growled, but held his tongue.

"That, Highness, is why I have the reputation I have. For actually fighting this war for the Covenant, and not honor, as war is anything but," Sawn said.

"That is quite impressive," Hades said.

"I knew that, already," Sawn said, and the three others could hear the smirk on his face.

"We are nearly at the landing bay!" the four heard Xasze say from the cockpit. "The Honor Guard has been told that Her Highness will be bringing along her own guard as well."

"It seems the rest of this can wait," Ruso said. "I say we get into formation."

"Agreed," Hades said, and the three Covenant soldiers got into a triangle around Twilight. Sawn was at the tip, behind the alicorn, Ruso to her left, Hades to her right.

"So, um, what is the Honor Guard?" Twilight asked to pass time.

"Sangheili that protect the council and any other important individuals, such as yourself." Ruso said "The council itself consists of San'Shyuum, Sangheili, and the three Hierarchs."

Before Twilight could ask something else, the four lurched to the side as the Phantom stopped. "It seems we are here," Sawn said.

"Indeed," Ruso said. The side hatches opened as Xasze walked back into the compartment.

Twilight squinted her eyes due to the sudden light influx, but they quickly adjusted, and the first thing she saw was what she guessed to be the Honor Guard. About ten Sangheili in red armor with gold trim and pikes made of a bright, steel like metal with orange lights on the tips, of which there were two that curved from the other end of the pike handle were standing in front of the doors at attention.

The one in the lead stepped forward slightly. "Shipmaster Tafam'ee, welcome," he said. "Your message said you had a dignitary of a new race with you?"

"Indeed it did," Xasze said. He gestured at Twilight. "This is her."

The lead Honor Guard eyed Twilight, and she could guess he was slightly surprised, but it was well hidden. "Highness," he said with a bow, as his subordinates did the same. "We are to escort you to the Minister of Fairness, should you allow us to do so."(2)

"Please," Twilight said.

"Then, please, follow us, Highness," the guard said, and both the Honor Guard and Twilight with her personal guard left the hanger.

"Farewell, Highness," Xasze said before her entered the Phantom, which took off soon after.

As for the group, Twilight stood at the center of a loose circle, Sawn, Ruso, and Hades being in the same formation closest to her, the Honor Guard making up the circle.(3)

They stepped out of the hanger, and Twilight got her first look at High Charity. Its ceiling, as she was told that that the main portion of the city was made up of a hollowed dome. Most of what she would have been able to see downward was obscured by some kind of fog, while the opposite edge could barely be seen with illumination. What caught her eye the most, though, was the giant building, or whatever it was, maybe that Dreadnought Ruso and Hades talked about, in the very center of the city. "Is that the ship you two were talking about?" she asked Ruso.

"Indeed it is, Highness," Ruso said. "It is the largest relic from the gods ever found. All of our technology, with the exception of Jiralhanae weapons, are made by studying the gifts left by the gods."

"Wow," Twilight mouthed in awe at the fact most of the Covenant technology was reverse engineered from that one ship.

The lavender alicorn and her guards continued to follow to Honor Guard, not encountering any other Covenant. Eventually, they reached a hallway, with two Honor Guard splitting off at regular intervals and standing opposite one another on the wall. The one that Twilight assumed to be the captain of the group, the one who had spoken with Xasze, and another took up position next to the door at the end. "The Minister is inside, Majesty," he said. He looked at Ruso and the others. "You three must wait out here by the Minister's orders."

"Of course," Ruso said. "We shall wait."

"Guess I'll go in, then," Twilight said before taking a deep breath before she walked towards the door, which opened automatically, and stepped inside.

Author's Note:

1: For those who have seen Nightfall, that new race is one of the races Hades mentions.
2:I do find that title appropriate for the circumstances.
3:Any Illuminati jokes in the comments will be nuked.

Comments

[The dragon hunter]

Nice touch the mention of the Covenant Fringe and the Yonhet
I'm a bit confused, the name of the Kig-Yar is Seth or Sawn? Both names appear in the chapter.

[Lon35hadow]

6613138 Sawn. Thought I had fixed that. Sorry.

[Lon35hadow]

6613138 Fixed.

[Titan Commander Sebaste]

Nice use of the names of the Rebel elites (or soon to be...)

[SonicStreak5344]

When will Rarity and Twilight reunite?

[Cyrus Colter]

3) Any Illuminati jokes will be nuked

I don't see the full Illuminati symbol in your description of the escort formation... I see a bullseye for anyone aiming from above