ZE’KAR VADAM

[ORACLE INTERFACE ENGAGED...] [IDENTITY CONFIRMED: ZE’KAR VADAM] [ACCESSING COVENANT WAR RECORDS…] "You reek of fear, Sangheili." Ze’kar’s grip tightened around his deactivated plasma blade as he moved through the wreckage of the warship. The once-glorious halls of the Covenant vessel, adorned with the scripture of the Great Journey, were now little more than a tomb. Broken energy shields crackled along the walls, reflecting the bodies of his fallen kin—warriors who had not even lived long enough to ignite their own swords. The air was thick with the scent of scorched metal and the dying embers of plasma fire. Terminals flickered erratically, feeding corrupted data streams into the ship’s failing systems. And then, across a massive holo-display, a single, chilling sight—his own battle recordings, played in distorted fragments. "I have seen your strength. I have counted your victories. And now, I will erase you." A shadow flickered in the ruined command chamber, something moving beyond the reach of the dim emergency lights. Ze’kar let out a low growl, mandibles tightening. "Come then, machine. Let us see if your knowledge is greater than my blade."