In the final phase of the Human Covenant war, Humanity and its armed forces have been pushed back into the inner colonies, where they attempt to hold onto and defend the more valuable developed worlds, leaving many of the less fortunate, outer colonies to fend for themselves against the relentless alien onslaught. Sacrificing the hand to save the body.
After 25 long and hard years of brutal space and ground combat, both sides are nearing a breaking point. The covenant may be putting forth a strong face, but it is suffering from internal pressure and decay. It isn't helping that they are spread out widely over a large portion of the galaxy. The UNSC is suffering from political pressure and an upset civilian populace due to the Covenant seeming to be unstoppable. It is only a month before the Covenant finally invade Earth, and their ships move through the Outer colonies virtually unopposed aside from the occasional Pirate ship and former Insurrectionist group doing a hit and run strike. With no real opposition in the Outer Colonies to threaten them, most of the main Covenant forces push deeper into human territory, leaving only a token force behind to protect supply lines, search for Holy Relics of the ancient Forerunners, and hunt down Human stragglers.
Since most of their forces are in lethal and important battles against the foul Humans, some of the lesser clans and groups of the covenant's races are summoned and commissioned to hold onto the territory they have taken. One such group is Clan Varnuu, of the Sangheili. Varnuu is one of the more controversial clans, as it is the only one that allows female warriors to the battlefield, and allows Lady Ship mistresses.
The strength of clan Varnuu lies not with how many ships it has, or how destructive its weapons, but more in espionage. Gaining knowledge, and valuable intel to use against those who wished them ill. What hot blooded male can resist the cooing and purring of a female, eager to listen to him complain about the pains of his day? Or better yet, to offer him a way to forget his day? The Varnuu have learned how to survive and keep themselves strong and without the need of the males of their kind to protect them.
As the war went on, the ladies of Varnuu watched, and they listened. Hearing tales of how time and again the Humans managed to thwart plans and delay their own destruction. Despite all the cries and propaganda that the humans were cowards, there were many tales of their bravery and how they stood up to even the mightiest Sangheili. The Humans had a strange connection to the gifts of the Gods, but to bring it up to a Shyan'shyuum was blasphemy, downright heresy. So none ever put much thought into it. If there was anything Varnuu was good at, it was questioning things. In secret the elders met, and pondered. Could the Prophets be charlatans? Could they be leading them away from the path of the Forerunnners? Why did the Humans seem almost intertwined with the Gods? They had many questions, and few answers, but they were determined to find out what was being kept from them.
On one small, barely settled world, with only 4 cities on it and many farms and small hamlets, the Covenant invasion has ground to a hault. They cannot simply wipe out the humans from orbit, for there are holy relics scattered about the world leaving them unwilling to risk destroying them. To make things worse the Humans of Cirus 3 have proven quite troublesome. They have eluded their elimination constantly, and attacked Covenant forces rapidly before simply disappearing into the shadows. They have stalled the attempts by the covenant to dig up the holy Forerunner relics and stealing weapons from those they kill. It has caused the digs to completely stall. So much so that Clan Varnuu was called upon to replace the current shipmaster and his forces. It is a perfect opportunity for them to get to know more about the Humans, and the Forerunners without the thumb of the Prophets on them.
The humans who have been proving to be a constant thorn in the side of the Covenant are nothing more than a motley collection of UNSC planetary defense force soldiers, Insurrectionists who have put aside their hatred for now, farmers, cops, and just random civilians who have joined up to fight against the alien invasion. They conduct their little resistance war against the Covenant from an
old abandoned UNSC base, left over from when the UNSC first settled the world long ago. The arrival of the new Sanghieli clan on the planet has change things up, it has made ambushes and missions more difficult. And it almost begins to feel as if the Sanghieli are hunting them with a new kind of intellect.
It all culminates in a failed ambush and a Human prisoner being taken in by the Varnuu.
Tell me Something human. If our people, those of the Covenant, are to be the true chosen people, to inherit the gifts of the gods, and embark upon the Great Journey to our own godhood...why can we not use their gifts? Why is it that you Humans always settle on worlds with the holy relics upon them? Why is it that it takes us years to get the God's technology to work...and yet your kind activate it with a single touch of your hand?
We never encountered your race before, but after only one meeting the Prophets declared your entire species must be eliminated, and your worlds glassed from orbit. We never even offered you a chance to join our Covenant. That is not typical of the San'Shyuum.
They say you are weak and every year they promise again that the victory against your race shall be swift, that the gods are on our side. And yet you have held us off for almost 25 years of orbital and ground combat. Your race has killed more of the covenant than any previous conflict or plague combined.
As you can see Human, there is a lot that does not add up. And no one has been able to answer the questions I and my sisters share.
Have no fear, girl, I'm not going to kill you. You are coming with me to my ship and to my clan. We have a lot to discuss....and experiment with.
-This story can go many different ways, to the two factions continuing to duke it out despite gaining a better understanding of each other, or a cease fire being called. To even the Humans of the planet and the female elites both leaving to go and strike it out on their own, with all the good and bad that comes with it.
-The female Sangheili believe in the Great journey to be sure, they believe in and worship the Forerunners, but they have their doubts and mistrusts in regards to some of what the Prophets tell them, and of the Hierarch's trust of the Brutes (Jiralhanae). It feels like a half truth and they have always been the type to question everything.
-Would rather keep the sex to a lower amount and put in more action and story.
