章 104: Chapter 102

As the fleet was travelling to Covenant space at Warp speed, Axel had visited the brig of the ship where a few Sangheili were sitting around talking to each other.

Among these Sangheili was the former Arbiter, Khega 'Votamee and Ripa 'Moramee. The both of them had come to an understanding through their time in a prison, that the Covenant is not as glorious as they thought. They had been shown and even talked to a Forerunner AI who showed them the error of their ways.

As a result, Ripa 'Moramee whose faith in the Hierarchs was already shaken had become a fervent believer in Humanity being the ones chosen by the Forerunners who the Covenant considered to be gods. It was the same for Khega 'Votamee and the other Covenant who were captured by the UNSC.

The Hierarchs had blinded them to the truth, and they didn't want the rest of their species to continue to be misguided and told led down the wrong path. The humans were the true inheritors of the Forerunners and under the leadership of Axel, they had proved their claim by defeating Covenant fleets and capturing high ranking Covenant military personnel.

And after hearing that Axel had revealed the truth to the entire Covenant, they wanted to fight for the right side and rally others to their cause. As a result, Axel made a deal with them, they would be allowed to return to Covenant space, however they would now fight for him and the future of every race within the Covenant Empire.

All the Sangheili present accepted this deal and had sworn an oath of allegiance to Axel. And so, Axel had won the allegiance of some of his former enemies turned allies. The war against the Covenant was almost over, and this was a great victory for the United Human Empire. Not one fought on the battlefield, but one of hearts and minds.

The former Arbiter and Ripa 'Moramee pledged themselves to their new cause, promising to fight alongside Axel and his fleet and rally others to their cause. As a safeguard in case any of them were fooling Axel, a small device that would record everything was implanted on the back of their necks. If any of them did anything against the interests of humanity, then they could be killed instantly.

Also, Axel made sure their conversion was well documented, recording their sword oaths and transmitting them across all UHE colony worlds. The propaganda impact alone was worth its weight, proof that even the fiercest Covenant warriors could see the righteousness of the UHE's cause.

A few minutes later, Axel was informed that they were about to exit Warp speed, so he returned to the bridge and took his seat. Moments later the entire fleet had exited warp and in front of the fleet was the Covenant Capital of High Charity.

Already a battle was raging around the Capital between two sides, the High Charity defense fleet which was split in two between the Sangheili controlled ships and their allies and the Jiralhanae controlled ships under control of the San'Shyuum.

The Covenant was in disarray, torn apart by internal strife, and now they had appeared, to capitalize on this confusion.

"Sir," said one of his officers nervously, "The Separatists side have taken significant losses. The Jiralhanae's forces are gaining ground." Stated the officer as Omni had managed to identify which ships were apart of which side.

"Naturally." Axel replied calmly. His fingers moving over the holo-table before him, making minor adjustments to their fleet formation. "Identify all the Jiralhanae controlled ships and wipe them all out." Said Axel as he turned to the communications officer, "Send out a broadcast to all Separatists ships and tell them that we will help them defeat the High Charity defense fleet."

"Aye, Sir" replied the officer.

"Sir targets are now identified, firing all weapons now" reported Miranda as the entire fleet's targeting system was updated with the new targets.

Weapon fire lit up the black canvas of space between the 2nd Fleet and the High Charity defense fleet, the ion cannons, autocannons, and MAC cannons raining down concentrated fire on covenant ships. The Covenant capital of High Charity became a war zone, explosions flaring up across the battlefield as hulls were ripped open and ships were reduced to burning wreckage.

Directly across from the UHE fleet, Rtas 'Vadum and his Fleet of Retribution was shocked by the involvement of human ships in this battle but was glad as beforehand they were losing the battle. Upon receiving the message, the only logical thing to do was to accept the help.

The communication officer turned back to Axel, "The Separatist forces acknowledge our message. They're holding back their forces until we take out most of the enemy ships."

Axel nodded, his gaze remaining on the tactical display of the holo-table. "Ensure our fleet continues targeting Jiralhanae's ships as priority," he ordered.

"Yes, sir," the officer asserted, her hands flying across the console in front of her. At once, Omni adjusted the trajectory of their cannons to focus on the Jiralhanae controlled ships.

Meanwhile Axel used his neural link with the two Guardian Custodes to have them engage the Jiralhanae fleet. The Guardian Custode opened fire as the weapon-ships surged forward towards the Covenant fleet swarming them with their numbers.

Rtas 'Vadum watched in awe as the humans used what they knew were two holy relics against the defending Jiralhanae fleet. Just from their arrival, the battle had turned into one-side massacre as the Jiralhanae ships were being destroyed one after another.

He was glad that he accepted their offer of help or else he feared that his own fleet would have been on the receiving end of this tremendous fire power. It didn't take long before the last remaining Jiralhanae ship was destroyed, and the 2nd Fleet had emerged victorious.

Axel had brought forward Khega 'Votamee and Ripa 'Moramee as he contacted Rtas 'Vadum and the separatist's fleet. Once the comm link was established, Axel had introduced himself "To all separatists' vessels, I am Fleet Admiral Axel Woods of the UNSC and the Lord Protector of the United Human Empire, Today marks the end of the Covenant Empire and the birth of a new Empire that will be formed once all planets and races are brought our control. Any fleet that stands in our way will be destroyed, so I urge you to stand down and not intervene in this war" Stated Axel as he initiated the invasion of High Charity.

"The Lord Protector himself, now this is interesting" began Rtas 'Vadum. "You have no right to claim this Holy city, and I will not allow it"

Khega 'Votamee and Ripa 'Moramee had stepped forward, their holographic avatars standing next to Axel, "Rtas 'Vadum, the Hierarchs have blinded you for too long, the humans are the inheritors of the Forerunners and we have been lied to by the Hierarchs who wanted to eradicate their species to hide this fact because they were afraid of this very moment right here,"

Ripa 'Moramee continued boldly, his voice echoing in the silent command room. "We have sworn fealty to the Lord Protector, and we urge you to do the same. The Humans have the power to create a better universe for all species, not just for themselves."

The silence that followed was heavy and tense, with more than a dozen eyes on the holo-table, waiting for the response from the Sangheili shipmaster. Finally, after a moment that felt like an eternity, Rtas 'Vadum's spoke once again.

"I will not surrender High Charity without a fight. This is our holy city and our home!" he declared vehemently. But before his transmission ended, another voice interjected.

"It is not about surrender or conquest." Khega 'Votamee stated calmly, "It's about survival and prosperity for all of us regardless of our species."

Rtas 'Vadum stayed silent for a few minutes as if weighing his options, but eventually his deep voice echoed through the bridge once again. "Very well," he conceded grudgingly, his tone heavy with resignation, "If this is indeed for the good of all our peoples then I will stand down."

With the official declaration from Rtas 'Vadum and his fleet's compliance, Axel begun the process of securing High Charity. His forces advanced, systematically sweeping through the grand halls and towering spires of the capital city, ensuring no remaining Jiralhanae or San'Shyuum loyalists were left to pose a threat. The citizens of High Charity, mostly Sangheili and Unggoy, watched with a mix of fear and curiosity as human soldiers patrolled their streets.

The process was lengthy but disciplined. Axel insisted they should not harm anyone unless undoubtedly provoked or attacked first. "This is a show of strength," he'd said to his troops before they'd embarked, "Not dominance or brutality. We are not conquerors but liberators."

While the solidifying of their position was underway, Axel spent his time in negotiation with Rtas 'Vadum and other high-ranking officials. He schooled himself in their culture and history, aiming to fully understand their perspectives for the new world order. And all the while, broadcasts streamed out across every corner of UHE territory announcing their success in seizing the Covenant Capital world.

Rtas 'Vadum and the other High-ranking officials had agreed to work with the Axel and bring the rest of the Covenant species under their control. Of course, they were given no other choice as their forces were vastly outnumbered and the Humans were no longer weak in terms of physical ability.

When they met with Axel face to face, his height had rivalled even that of the Imperial Admiral and with him were even more soldiers like that. Even if he wanted to, there was nothing that he could do.

Meanwhile, the High Prophet of Truth had managed to escape on his dreadnought Anodyne Spirit alongside a few cruisers that remained docked within the Holy City. The High Prophet of Regret was betrayed and left within the Holy city until his capture by UNSC forces. Axel planned to have a public execution of the Hierarch in front of all the Covenant species.