Here’s an extract of a little piece I’m working on that aims to tell the story of the 2540s and 2550s from the perspective of a Grunt writing in about 2700. The aim is to be creative and to make a lot of stuff up, but to stay within canon and not contradict anything canonical. If folks have some ideas they’d like me to implement into this (and I have already taken note of some theories circulating on this forum) then I’d be very happy to oblige!
The Deacon’s Chronicle
A History of the Halo Universe according to the Unggoy Deacon Michik.
This being the history of the Deacon Michik, child of the Totospi of Palaporos(1), to tell the story of the Great Schism of the Covenant Empire and the Restoration of the Faith.
FIRST GRAND CYCLE(2)OF LOYALTY, NINTH AGE OF RECLAMATION
(Tuesday February 20th 2525- Tuesday January 14th 2527)
SECOND GRAND CYCLE OF LOYALTY, NINTH AGE OF RECLAMATION
(Tuesday March 20th 2542- Tuesday February 11th 2544)
HIGH PROPHET OF MERCY: 15 GRAND CYCLES, GC 10
HIGH PROPHET OF REGRET: 15 GRAND CYCLES, GC 10
HIGH PROPHET OF TRUTH: 15 GRAND CYCLES, GC 10
IMPERIAL ADMIRAL XYTAN ‘JAR WATTINREE, 9 GRAND CYCLES, GC 3
JIRALHANAE CHIEFTAIN TARTARTUS: 15 GRAND CYCLES, GC 10
YANME’E HIGH QUEEN P’RS’TRIK’: 4 GRAND CYCLES, GC 3
BARBARIAN FLEET ADMIRAL HOOD: 7 GRAND CYCLES, GC 2
In this cycle the heretic Thisla Miran moved his forces to the colonies of Bisval, Orgenzh and Mial-Maroo, and there he persuaded the local Jiralhanae to join his wicked band of murderous scoundrels(3). The Prophet of Regret set out against the heretics with a fleet, but he was defeated and retreated to Hesduros, a most backward and unhappy planet of the Sangheili, where he sat and lamented his misfortune for cycle after cycle. At this time there were rumours of plots in the Ruling City(4). Passers-by paused and spoke of discord between the noble Hierarchs, and all around feared crisis and rupture: but the Gods saw fit to spare our Covenant from yet more pain in this cycle. At length Regret returned to the city, and Truth went out to meet his brother and bound up his wounds.
Thereafter the arrogance of Miran knew no limits, and his tricksters were sighted even on Tranquil Glory (5) spreading their foul message of confusion and dissent. The Unggoy of the world stood firm, but the Kig-Yar, ever a race of devious tricksters and cowardly fraudsters, interested only in their wealth and not their souls, recorded a number of defections(6). Miran’s fools tried to enlist the barbarians’ own heretics in an attempt at an alliance, but there was misunderstanding and the heretics of the barbarians fired on our own heretics(7). Truly, the Gods did not bless these ingrates with the gifts of knowledge and foreboding!
All had hoped to celebrate the failure of the most cursed Miran, but our thanks turned to dust soon enough. The barbarians sent a warlord Parest Culamee(8) to our bounteous colony, the nursery of the Kig-Yar, at Psi Serpentis. Against the violent invaders, the Imperial Admiral sent two fleets, and entrusted them to loyal deputies, but the result was a most shameful abomination, as the barbarians tricked and deceived our warriors, and scattered our fleets to all corners. And the admirals of the fleets were brought back to the City in disgrace, and there they were scourged, and beaten, and whipped before the Council, and their broken bodies sacrificed to the Sharquoi(9). The Jiralhanae were granted ships, and the odour of shame hung over the Sangheili.
As the Grand Cycle ended, seven councillors voted that the time was ripe for a new Age, with seventy one against and two abstentations.
- Palaporos IV is a primarily Unggoy inhabited planet in orbit near to the centre of Covenant space. The Totospi are one of six leading Unggoy dynasties on the planet.
- A “Grand Cycle” is the Covenant term for a year, comprising sixty three “Cycles”, or High Charity days (though to the human mind, a “Cycle” is better understood as a length of time equivalent to a week, made up as it is of 265 roughly hour-length units). One day on High Charity is equivalent to 11 days on Earth: therefore, one Covenant year is slightly shorter than two Earth years, at 693 Earth days.
- Thisla Miranee was a former Sangheili admiral who defected following a series of events culminating in his being passed over for promotion early in the First Grand Cycle of Obedience (May 2540). Two GC later he had amassed a large fleet of some fifty ships, largely thanks to his firm allegiance with the Jiralhanae royal pretender Atius.
- High Charity. Michik’s wording here is obscure, but it is possible that Truth considered moving against Regret late in 2542, with the UNSC apparently in disarray.
- Tranquil Glory was the most inhabited planet of the Covenant Empire, and one of the few with a truly mixed population. Were it not for the existence of High Charity, Tranquil Glory would in all likelihood have served as the Covenant capital.
- Michik is obviously letting his personal xenophobia spill out here.
- An attempt by Miran to enlist human insurrectionists into his ragtag army ended badly, it seems.
- Vice Admiral Preston Cole: Michik is assuming human admirals would earn an honorary “-ee” on their names, in the way Sangheili warriors did.
- The Sharquoi are a canon species of the Covenant that we know almost nothing about.