Umbrella, The Light of Humanity

The City of Fraternity is the political, economic and cultural center of the Covenant Empire, and it is their mobile capital.

Countless ghost-faced beasts, grunts, jackals and members of various races live in this "huge mushroom".

The most elite fleets of the Covenant Empire, such as "Embrace of the Holy Light", "Determination of Justice", and "Guardian of Truth", joined together to defend the city of fraternity.

Although this "mushroom" looks very bloated, in fact, it can also jump and sail, but usually it is with the joint fleet that guards it, and conducts regular cruises in the territory of the Covenant Empire, and the cruise area is also called "sanctuary" .

Unless the relics of the forerunners are discovered, the "ostrich" prophets will never leave their comfortable city of fraternity.

at this time.

A 5-kilometer-class combat aircraft carrier and six 1.7-kilometer-class cruisers formed a formation. It seemed that they had received some kind of order to speed up their departure from the fleet and arrived at the area on the "right" edge to park and wait.

Not long after.

A light purple vortex exit suddenly appeared not far in front of the aircraft carrier formation.

Immediately afterwards, the cruiser driven by elites such as Mullin Mill sailed out of the fault space and directly entered the range of the aircraft carrier formation.

When Moore was about to leave the fault space, the combined fleet had already detected the location of the jump exit, and dispatched an aircraft carrier formation to intercept it.

The two sides confront each other.

And inside the bridge.

"Supreme Captain."

Sitting on the suspension chair on the right side of the center console, a white-armored elite looked at the screen in front of it, and reported to Moore very calmly in the language of the Covenant Empire:

"The opponent's artillery has locked on to us."

heard the words.

Moore, who was also sitting on the suspension chair, looked at the 5-kilometer aircraft carrier through the holographic porthole at the front of the bridge, and ordered:

"Send a communication request to the other party, and don't make any moves before that to avoid misunderstanding by the other party."

"Yes, Captain."

The white-armored elite who received the instructions started to operate, and Moore also left the captain's position, walked to the center console and waited patiently.

soon.

The center console imaged a pair of communication screens, and the captain responsible for commanding the mothership and the entire formation also appeared on the screen.

?

After seeing the appearance of the opposing captain, Ling Moore's calm demeanor changed slightly.

Because the opposing captain is a three-meter-tall ghost-faced beast wearing red and gold armor and having an extremely strong physique.

"Roar--!"

Before Moore could open his four-petal mouth, the Brute roared at it.

! !

This move immediately caused dissatisfaction among the elites in the entire bridge, and some were even furious and wanted to stand up, ready to reprimand the Brutes for their rudeness.

"Oh..." But Moore raised his left hand, signaling his subordinates not to act recklessly.

"Hahaha!!"

At this time, the ghost-faced beast couldn't stop laughing loudly, stared at Moore condescendingly, and said sarcastically:

"I thought who would dare to come directly to the sanctuary, it turned out to be the supreme captain who was responsible for punishing heretics, but was defeated and captured by the heretics.

Come on, Lin Mier, give us a reason not to burn you and your group of incompetent subordinates! Explain why you can return to Sanctuary! "

Seeing the haughty appearance of the ghost-faced beast, even Moore could hardly control his emotions, but in the end he still suppressed his anger and said:

"I need to meet the Supreme Council, and it will naturally explain everything, especially... the secrets about my god."

"My God?" The ghost-faced beast was taken aback.

But immediately waved his right hand and denied it: "Oh! It's a bunch of nonsense. It's just a bunch of trash who was captured by heresy and is now being released back. What qualifications do you have to call me God? What qualifications do you have to meet the highest..."

Having said that, the ghost-faced beast stopped talking, looked away from Moore, and looked at the other end with an obvious tangled face.

At the same time, the center console forms a communication screen.

I saw an elite wearing silver-white exquisite armor, with a more ornate helmet crown, and a much thinner figure than his peers, appearing in the center of the screen.

"Captain Linmeer." The elite in silver and white armor looked down at Moore and said in a deep voice:

"The Supreme Council will listen to your justification, but remember, this is your only chance to wash away your sins, and it is also your chance to wash away the shame for our family. Don't let us down."

"Thank you for the reminder from Senator Ferrem. Lin Mier will keep it in mind and promise that he will never disappoint our family's expectations." Moore replied respectfully.

"Very good." After speaking, the member named Ferem ended the communication.

Due to the intervention of the higher-ups, the ghost-faced beast that was flaunting its might, and the already dark face, are now extremely gloomy, so they have no choice but to complain again:

"Follow us and get ready to meet the Supreme Council. I hope that the secret you discover can be used as a bargaining chip for you to continue living, otherwise...

I will apply to the prophets and personally serve as the executioner. At that time, I will also collect your heads and appreciate your despair before death repeatedly, hahaha! "

With the words of ridicule, the ghost-faced beast unilaterally ended the communication screen, returning the bridge to its original state.

"Savage and shameless guy!" An elite said extremely angrily: "Their clansmen can't even hold on in front of the Astartes for a moment, so what right do they have to laugh at us!"

"Don't worry, as long as the congressmen know the truth, our family no longer needs to continue to fight meaninglessly for the prophet and this ugly covenant empire."

Another elite was kind enough to persuade them, but its thinking logic was too direct, and it always believed that as long as the truth came to light, their Sangheili clan would be able to return to the beginning.

"That's right!"

However, this naive idea still won the approval of many comrades-in-arms.

At this moment, the atmosphere on the bridge became a little more active, and the elite crew members continued to control the cruiser and keep up with the aircraft carrier formation in charge of the ghost-faced beast.

"..."

On the contrary, Moore, who remained silent after finishing the communication, his dignified demeanor was incompatible with the atmosphere of the bridge.

It touched the screen of the center console with both hands, and called up the layout of the City of Fraternity and the United Fleet. After only a few seconds of checking, Moore discovered the difference in the sanctuary.

According to its impression, fleets commanded by elites in the joint fleet should account for an absolute number, but now it has dropped to about 30%, and the remaining 70% are "unfamiliar" fleets using new warships.

Even if Moore didn't have permission to obtain the recent transfer records, he could guess through the communication conversation just now that the commanders of these "unfamiliar" fleets were most likely ghost-faced beasts who were at odds with their elites.

Not quite right.

Moore, who was hinted by Sui Bian Lingneng, combined with the fact that the Prophet has never intervened to reconcile the rigid relationship between the elite and the ghost beast for a long time, made it more and more certain that the Prophet wanted to do some "small" actions.

Think for a moment.

Moore sat back at the captain's seat, and said to a white-armored elite on the left hand side: "Notify Losco, let him lurk in the ship for the time being, find a chance to sneak away, and give Artest the evidence that the prophet deceived our family. Swatu and Tirvadami."

"This... yes, Captain."

The white armor elite didn't quite understand why Moore gave this order, but he still conveyed the order to a silver armor veteran wearing optical camouflage in the hangar.

Shortly after.

space outside the ship.

The aircraft carrier formation led Moore's cruiser through the periphery of the United Fleet Group, deep into the interior, and finally arrived under the "cap" of the City of Fraternity.

There is an incomparably huge rectangular air valve film with a diameter of about ten kilometers and a width of about six kilometers.

The ghost-faced beast formation that had completed the leading task turned around according to the latest order, and returned to the mixed fleet to continue escorting.

At this time.

Four engineering ships that look like ladybugs, from the inside to the outside, quickly sailed out of the city of fraternity through the air valve membrane, and parked at the four corners of the cruiser.

Hum~!

In an instant, the four engineering ships jointly formed an arc-shaped stand emitting pink light, completely wrapped, and forced the "consignment" cruiser to pass through the air valve membrane and enter one of the ports of the City of Fraternity.

Harbor interior.

All the buildings are mainly in purple and pink, and the metal-textured buildings have facilities similar to human ports of call.

However, there is no mechanical arm that humans like to use to assist in the fixation. However, the pink stand in the docking facility can perfectly fix all kinds of warships and ships.

Four engineering ships consigned the cruiser to one of the docking facilities, and then the facility's position was responsible for completely fixing it, causing Moore and the others to completely lose control of the ship.

Immediately afterwards.

A bridge-like passage protrudes from the left side of the facility, connecting with the cruiser's starboard hangar.

Inside the hangar.

edge of the gas valve.

Moore and more than thirty elites did not carry any weapons, quietly waiting for the honor guard responsible for escorting them to approach.

I saw wearing red and orange, ceremonial style armor, divided into two rows, a total of more than two hundred honor guards, walked into the hangar with neat steps.

This group of elites who are responsible for protecting the Supreme Council are all one in ten thousand existences, whether it is martial arts accomplishment or combat experience, they have reached the pinnacle of their elite family.

Come to the hangar.

The leader of the guards holding the energy halberd observed the surroundings, and then let out a flat "嗤~".

Hearing the signal, a hundred guards quickly left the team, divided into several groups and went deep into the interior of the cruiser, preparing to search the entire ship.

"..."

Seeing this situation, Moore looked as usual, and it seemed that he had enough confidence in the elite veteran named Losco.

And the commander signaled to the remaining guards to scan and check Moore and them, and after confirming that there were no weapons or explosive substances, he said indifferently:

"Captain Linmeer, the senators and prophets are waiting for you, let's go."

"it is good."

After finishing the simple words, Moore walked out of the hangar with the hundred guards guarding them, and then left the port through the covered bridge.

Afterwards, they seemed to be deliberately brought to the residential area of ​​the City of Fraternity, crossed the main road of the benchmark human city, and walked to the central elevator at the end of the residential area.

The residential areas are all cylindrical giant buildings, each of which is inhabited by thousands of residents of different races.

At this time, on both sides of the main road, there were residents who had heard the news, as well as ghost-faced beasts in heavy armor who were responsible for maintaining order at the scene.

There was a lot of booing.

The ghost-faced beast and the "wall grass" jackals laughed at Moore unscrupulously, and even the Guru, who regarded the elite as the savior, couldn't help whining.

Only the elites of the same clan did not deliberately leave their exclusive living area, and rushed to this side to watch Moore, who was treated as a joke by the entire Covenant Empire.

Obviously, this is the route specially arranged by the Supreme Council, or the prophets, to let Moore, who was defeated and captured, "parade through the streets" and further weaken the elite's influence among the various ethnic groups.

Especially deterrence.

But Moore, who was at the center of the vortex of humiliation, seemed to be out of his mind and no longer angry. He silently followed the guard of glory through the main road, and finally took the elevator of the suspension technology to the upper level of the city of fraternity.

———————

…

Inside the hall of the Supreme Council.

Looking down from above, the hall as a whole has a "Hui"-shaped structure, with stepped seats on the left and right, and it is full of thousands of "members" at the moment.

On the left side are nearly 500 decadent ostrich-like prophets in gorgeous costumes.

On the right side are the same number of elite councilors, dressed similarly to the Ferem councilor who helped Moore get out of trouble.

On the platform at the front of the hall, there were three prophets who received special treatment. The three of them sat in suspended "wheelchairs" first, and their decadence and laziness far surpassed that of their peers.

And the one sitting in the center is the ostrich priest who Gabriel and a group of brothers have seen in the built-in garden of the flagship, repeating scriptures.

These three are the Prophets of Mercy, Truth, and Sorrow, and together with a thousand members form the Supreme Council of the Covenant Empire.

Although there are a large number of councilors who disperse power, for the three priests, they can be bewitched by believing in the religion of the forerunner and the "True Covenant", thus indirectly achieving dictatorship.

However, the stubbornness and strength shown by the elites put this dictatorship in danger of collapsing at any time.

At this time, the honor guard escorted Moore and his subordinates to the center of the word "Hui" through the gate of the hall.

see here

The Prophet of Truth sitting in the center asked in a shrill and disgusting voice:

"Mullin Mill, you were once the proud supreme captain of our covenant empire, so please explain why you were defeated by the heretics and why you were released by the heretics!

Say! Have you betrayed your faith? Betrayed my God! A traitor who cooperated with heresy? ! "

"Traitor!" The Prophet Members present all echoed.

"..." The elite councilors chose to remain silent.

"The reason for the failure is very simple." Moore looked straight at the Prophet of Truth without fear, and said simply and clearly: "My subordinates and I are not human opponents who you call heretics."

Hearing this, the Prophet of Truth immediately waved his hand and said, "We call you a heretic? Human? You really are a traitor..."

"Traitor? To say that the traitor should be your prophet family!"

Moore sternly interrupted the words of the Prophet of Truth, raised his hand and took off his helmet, turned to look to the right side of the hall, and raised his voice:

"Members! My armor stores the evidence that human beings are not heretics! On the contrary, human beings still have the authority to open the relics!

If you want to say who is a traitor, then it should be the prophets who hinder the smooth pilgrimage and classify human beings as heretics! "