Halo - The First Heretic describes the trials of a Elite Shipmaster, Uki Unamee(later Uki Radum). Unlike many of his kind within the Covenant, he, as well as many of the elites under his command, has disillusioned themselves from the promise of the Great Journey. His reasoning has no exact basis, that is, until he learns of the true nature of what the Halo rings are truly for, beginning with the discovery of a species that do not fit with the Prophets telling of the Forerunners.

Uki commands one of the five fleets sent to the ring. His fleet was assigned to Area patrol. His fleet was also one of the first to report to High Charity, following the ring's destruction.

Some of the "preview" story may change(such as names), as well as some stuff in the chapters.

In most cases, chapters will begin when a new location is denoted. If a Human or Covenant vessel is the location, the ship and its orbiting location will be listed.

When Completed appears next to a chapter number, it will be posted shortly.

Chapter I - Completed
Chapter II - Completed
Chapter III - Completed
Chapter IV -
Chapter V -

9th Age Of Reclamation
3 Units since destruction of Halo

Covenant Assault Carrier, Promise Of Faith.

“Now we shall see, how well placed the prophets faith is in the promise of the Rings.” an Elite shipmaster said, making a grasping motion with his hand, just before dismounting his grav-chair.

A Elite Major jerked his head toward his holo. It read: HUMAN STRIKE SHIP CLASS-1 “Longsword”. He turned toward the shipmaster, who was pacing around the main display.

“Shipmaster, a human fighter just came within our range. What should we do?” the Major said.

“Hmm. Are you sure that its just one?”

“Yes, and I would assume the last of the humans defense from the ring.” The major increased the range on the sensor.

“Do not attack it. I think the human aboard may be very famous within the Covenant, very soon”.

A Minor Elite spoke up. “Are you sure that it’s a human aboard?.

“What else would it be?” He paused. “Send a report to High Charity. I would gesture to say that we should say here. They will likely move their position to Threshold’s orbit. Also, have all fighters return to their docks. I would rather not waste any men to a pointless fight.” The shipmaster said, as he turned to leave the Control Room.

In his chamber’s, he removed his armor, placing it in the wall mounted grav-case that he had afforded himself. He was not the type to care for the “Great Journey”. Why, he wasn’t sure, but he had an odd indistinct that believing it in would not lead to what the Prophets and many of his kind thought.

He had often wondered what kind of faiths the humans believed in. And in giving himself that thought, he had also wondered if their faith was misplaced as well.


When he had first heard that one of the Rings had been found, five fleets were selected for various tasks. His fleet, was assigned to area patrol. Which basically meant that it was to take nearby planets for defense of the Ring. His Carrier, had been sent a message seven units before they where first informed of the Ring’s destruction. It said that human forces had managed to take a CCS-BattleCrusier, one named the Truth And Reconciliation. Also, that one human had managed to infiltrate the Covenant held human vessel, The Pillar Of Autumn. It is believed by most that the human had been one of those “Special” ones that could take one of his own kind on, unarmed.

After the message was received, he had chosen to move the fleet closer to the Ring. Just as the officers began moving there ships, another message played. This one was marked:

Found species: Flood - Maximum Threat level

During the search of a forerunner complex, a Security Team discovered a species known as the flood. It is a parasitic organism, that uses Human and Elite hosts, I.e Combat forms. Data collected is incomplete due to the danger of this species. Other known forms are Infection and Carrier forms. All surrounding fleets and ships are warned to use cation when operating around Halo. One of the Flood’s goals seem to be escaping the Ring.


The message stopped there. The fleet was moved, but still was a large distance from the wreckage of Halo.

Once High Charity arrived, he was called to the Prophets Inner Sanctum. As he approached the lift that led to the Step of Silence, he noticed he was followed by a Uggoy, or a Grunt. He turned, noticing that the Grunt was one from his own unit. While the Grunt did not say anything, it did follow him onto the lift, and down the Step Of Silence. As he approached the doors, two Honor Guard Elites stood guard. He knew they where going to ask for his rifle and his sword.

“Ah, Shipmaster. You would be, Uki Unamee, correct? Yes, the prophets are waiting.” The Guard looked down at his sides. Noticing the sword and rifle, the Elite asked for them, as expected. “The Grunt will have to wait outside.” The Elite said as he allowed Uki inside.

The three High Prophets sat in their Grav-Chairs, taking to each other. He approached them, and waited for them to acknowledge him. Within seconds, they turned to face him. He had no idea what they were going to say, or if they where going to give him a task. He knew that he wasn’t at fault for the destruction of Halo, as he was not assigned to directly protect it.

The three prophets turned their chairs to face him. These prophets, where High Prophets, named Truth, Mercy and Regret. He knew each of them, not personally. But if he did not have the rank he had, he would not have been called to see them. Most times, it was only the higher ranking elite commanders, fortunately like him, that would be called to see the prophets for any reason.

“You are Uki Unamee, commander of the Fleet of Holy Promise, correct?” The prophet named Truth said.

“Yes. I am honored to be in your presence, your holiness”. He only said that to keep them happy. Many times, the lesser species, even the elites, had to resort to talking like that, only to keep the Prophets in a good mood.

“I wish to thank you for your actions. I believe you were assigned to area defense of the ring, where you not?” said Truth.

“Yes. I do hope I performed my duty as well as needed.”

The Prophet of Regret spoke up. “Did you come into contact with any human vessels?”

Uki thought of the Longsword fighter. He knew that this would be something that the Prophets would want to hear about. But, he did not want to press this visit any more than they wanted. “No. I was aware of a human presence on the ring. However, I do believe that any human presence was eliminated in the destruction of the ring.”

The rest of the meeting consisted of them asking him the mundane questions, ones that he had no hesitations in answering. Once he left, the grunt was nowhere to be seen. Good, he thought to himself, as he took a fast route to the Phantom dock where his phantom was waiting. Once he arrived, he saw a group of 3 Zealots, and two ultra Elites standing near his dropship. This surprised him. He had now idea why they would be where they are. As he approached, his hand wavered hear the handle of his blade.

The group turned to face him. They each looked battle hardened, and each of them had energy swords on their right hips. They also had plasma Rifles, just as he did.

The Zealot in the middle approached him. “You are Uki Unamee, correct?”

He was beginning to get tired of assuring others of his name. “Yes. What do you want?”

“The prophet of Truth, as well as the other prophets, have asked you to scout out the remaining halo rings. He has sent coordinates of a possible lead to one of them to the officers of your ship. He has also asked us to accompany you.

“Very well. But remember, if you are coming, you sign on as part of my fleet. I will however, treat you as a very good addition to the fleet. And you will due remember that I command the fleet, and thus, you.” Uki said, boarding the phantom as the last word left his quadruple hinged mouth.

CCS-Class Battlecruiser, Disgraced Faith, Portside Hangar
Orbital Location Unknown

Three Elites stood around a pair of banshees. Two of them were fixing the attack ships, the other, a Ultra, was using a holopanel to monitor there progress.

“Looks like its only 77% operable. What is causing the problem?” The Ultra thought for a moment. “Check the propulsion drives.”

They were checked, and the drives were damaged. They were replaced. The Ultra checked the data again, and it now operated at 99%. The banshees where put back in the storage room, and the Ultra went to the control room of the ship.

This Ultra, Rad Zunamee, was a sort of “Tech Specialist”. He understood the Covenant technology just as well as the Engineers did. Thanks to his rank, he was afforded the ability to report directly to the Shipmaster. He walked up the ramp to the Control platform, where the gold-armored Shipmaster stood.

The shipmaster had a odd look on his face, as if something on the monitor’s was not as it should be. Rad looked at the same holo, and his head shot up. The panel read HUMAN ASSAULT GROUP. The CCS class cruiser was not surrounded by its usual fleet. It was alone at this point, and while there were no real concerns that the human would take the ship, but humans were persistent, and it was known that they could.

The shipmaster viewed the holo with utter malice. “So, the humans want to tangle with the Covenant, do they?”

The Ultra read the holopanel “four total human ships, 3 Frigates, and one Destroyer. Orders, shipmaster?’

“Ready the ship. Sent out 3 waves of boarding craft, with 5 more in tow should those not do the job. Dispatch 5 groups of Seraph fighters”. The shipmaster said.

Within seconds, the ships defenses where set. Thousands of Covenant soliders were stationed at various parts of the ship. These soliders knew that there where humans to kill, and all of them wished to give the humans the judgement of the prophets: Extermination.

As the single CCS Battle cruiser fought off the human assault, it was hardly noticed when a Phantom dropship docked with the ship, in the portside launch bay. Instead of dispatching covenant soliders, over twenty heavily armored humans burst from the troop bay. The fought there way around the bay, killing every grunt, Elite, jackal, and Hunter they came across. Once they reached the doors to the control room. They used a captured plasma grenade to force the door open. When it did, the first two humans to try to rush in, lost their lives as their heads where severed from their bodes.

As more humans tried to shoot down the invisible targets, the shipmaster strode down the ramp. He pulled a small handle off the side of his leg armor, and applied pressure too it. An energy blade sprouted from the handle, and elite ferociously killed the humans until he saw none. He stood breathing heavily, and he turned to the ultra on the platform. “Fire the plasma torpedoes. Burn their ships to dust”.

A lone human, a sniper, stood a few feet from the door. He was hidden by the shadow created by a busted light. He could fully see the gold armored elite, and he was driven by a rage that is in the blood of every marine who has to watch his fellow soliders die in such as way. He focused his scope on the elite, putting the crosshair on the back of his head. He sighed, and pulled the trigger, feeling the guns kick on his shoulder. He clearly saw the elite going down. He sighed a sigh of relief. Then a overwhelming feeling over took him. He was a single human on a ship full of covenant that would do no less than kill him. He had no idea of the condition of the battle group, and would never know. What he didn’t know, and will never, is that a jackal sniper had his crosshairs on him. The sniper fired his weapon once at the man’s shoulder. He looked down, and saw a fresh wound on his shoulder. It was clean through and through, and yet, it was still bleeding. The man took off his helmet, a mistake. At this, the sniper shot again, this time, the man’s body fell to the floor.

The Ultra sent orders to fire the torpedoes, and that it when he heard a loud shot, and turned to see the shipmaster fall to the lavender deck plates. Seconds later, he saw a jackal holding a beam rifle, and had a slung human sniper weapon. The Ultra called him up and asked where he got it. The jackal told him of the human. The Ultra gave the jackal praise that he would never get again.

A major Elite at the controls turned to the Ultra. “Shipmaster, the ships shields are at 10%, and the armor won’t take much more. What are your orders?”

He was a bit flustered at the sound of himself being called a shipmaster, but it was only to be expected. The protocol was that if the current shipmaster be killed, and another of the same rank cannot be chosen, the highest ranking officer on the ship would take the position.

“Any solider who wants to die in battle than in an explosion will follow me to the phantom docks. Any one who would go out fighting, do so.” He said, pulling his energy sword, knowing that their may be humans on the way to the phantoms.

Covenant Assault Carrier, Promise Of Faith

In view of INSTALLATION 05

The shipmaster had the equivalent of a smile on his face. The data readouts told him that he had found a halo. Based on the data gathered from the first, this one had different types of terrain, mostly lakes and jungle, as well as some arctic areas. As per what he was asked to do, the first thing needed was to find the Ring’s control room.

He turned to the two Majors behind him, as each of them looked up. “Ready the soldiers. I want a group of five phantoms scouting for the control room, as well as groups on several parts of the ring. Also, I want the coordinates sent to the Prophet of Regret’s fleet. Should problems arise, that fleet will make a jump here.” He Paused. "Send the coordinates to any other major fleets as well. High Charity should be sent them as well."

The two elites didn’t move. “Sir? Um, I have to ask. I though you didn’t think using these rings was a good idea. “ One of the elites asked.

“That is true. But, if I said anything without knowing for sure, it would be shot down in seconds. However, even if I have proof, the prophets would not hear it. Why? They are blinded by the faith, and that is what will cause their deaths, as well as the deaths of not only every Covenant solider, the deaths of everything”

The major clacked his mandibles, a shrug. “Is that the truth?”

“To tell the truth, I don’t’ know. But if that is truth, would you want to die, just because the prophets told you, that you should believe it?”

“I will have the men ready. Is there anything else you wish, sir?”

The shipmaster was about to answer, when a large, ape-like creature walked into the control room. This was a Jiralhanae, or what was more commonly known as a Brute. They possessed, immense strength, strong enough to take several blows and still fight. Most of the Brutes, in Uki’s opinion, where just as blind to the faith as the prophets.

Uki turned, and the Brute walked right up to him. He knew the Brute had heard him, but he didn’t care. He waited to hear exactly what the Brute would say.

“Mind your words shipmaster. Anymore like that, and the Prophets will hear of it.” the Brute said, in the usual growling voice.

“And what will they do, kill me? Sure, they can end the lives of what they call blasphemers, but they cannot end the words of the blasphemers.”

The brute dropped his calm manner. He began aggressively attacking the shipmaster. Uki felt his shields flare and die, as the blows hit his armor and his flesh. He jumped on the main display, and almost as if programed, he grabbed an energy sword off each of his sides, and added pressure to the handle. Each of the blades ignited in a blue-purple flash. He watched as the brute jumped, trying to tackle him to the ground. Instead, the brutes chest met both of the blades, impaling him. Brute’s did not use any type of shields, so this killed it instantly.

Uki dropped his blades, and they each felt to the floor as handles only. Uki removed his helmet, and dropped it to the ground. The rest of the Elites in the Control Room watched as he removed all of his armor, all of it falling to the ground once it left his body. He turned to the Major Elite closest to him. “Destroy this armor in anyway that pleases you. I will be in my quarters. Tell me when the scout group is ready”. He left the Control Room. All of the Elites realized what their shipmaster had just done. With the removal of an Elites armor, namely in such a way, it meant that he had been stripped of his rank. However, in this case, it meant that the fleet, had become a Sangheilian Fleet with no ties to the Covenant.