Chapter 41: Alliance - I
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Thel woke up to the cold steel of the Black Sun's floor pressed against his face, the faint trilling of an emergency alarm, and the barest hint of a headache. He had come to with similar, when he first awoke on Remnant's soil. He had attributed it to the crash, at that inauspicious time, but perhaps the transition was to blame. He rolled over, tried to push himself up, but only collapsed onto his side when his absent arm failed to serve.
Ah, right…
He pushed himself up and called on his Aura, soothing his headache and chasing the swimming behind his eyes away.
"Arbiter." Roland said too-loudly, drawing a groan from him and another pulse of his Aura as he fought off the dregs of his uncomfortable rest. He rumbled something approximating a 'yes' and the AI said, "I appreciate you need a moment, but the Swords of Sanghelios have a ship nearby and-"
"They demand explanation." He nodded his understanding and turned. The Spartan was still and unconscious yet, and the girl was only beginning to stir, groaning and pressing her fists into the sides of her head. Shaking his head, he knely and lifted the helmet that had fallen away in his stupor and slid it into place on his head. Gilded, he rumbled, "Open the channel, Roland."
"Protocol dictates I wait for the Master Chief…"
"But?"
"I'm a rule breaker." Roland chuckled quietly, "Preparing connection, on-screen in the conference room. You know the way."
It was a statement, not a question, but Thel nodded and rumbled quietly, "I do, thank you."
Walking, as it turned out, was as good a cure for what ailed him as Aura had been. By the time he reached the conference room, he felt fresher. His aching head had gone, and his vision had cleared entirely. As he walked, his back and legs stretched out, shaking out the stiffness that had come from laying on a cold, hard floor. It was comfortable and pleasant, in its own familiar sort of way.
It reminded him of home, and old days… Training from the sun's rise to its fall, and then resting with a meal in the cool evening air as his joints and muscles ached and eased.
Ah, but home's proximity only seemed to make him long for it more…
How very strange it was.
The conference room was as it had been left, with its monitors on a dull standby blue screen marked with the symbol of the UNSC and ONI in alternating screens. As he took his seat, easing into the comfort of a chair built for his kind once more after so long subsisting on those that were not, one wall of the terminals darkened. The other wall brightened, static flickering at their corners as the UNSC communications' suites attempted to connect to the foreign, former covenant, lines.
Finally, the connection solidified, and a familiar half-face greeted him, "Arbiter."
"Fleet Master." He blinked his confusion and sat even more upright than he had been, bowing his head in respect and happiness at seeing his old comrade. "I thought you had other matters to attend to."
"I did, and do." R'Tas nodded, waving the matter off with a hand and going on, "I left a loyal companion in command of the support fleet when I received word of your disappearance, however. He will investigate in my stead."
"You trust him?"
"I do."
"That is good, then."
"Indeed." R'Tas nodded, "Better, though, is your whole return."
"A return, yes." Thel nodded, "But less than a whole one."
"What do you mean?" In answer, he raised his bracketed arm and saw the half-jaw clench in shock and sympathy. Quietly, he asked, "What has happened?"
"Much enough that you would not believe it all without the proof I have brought." Thel rumbled a quiet chuckle as he lowered his arm and added, when the other Sangheili cocked his head, "Much that I would change, were I a more divine arbiter than I presently am. But little of it I regret."
"Even…"
"Brother, even for my crippling, I speak only truth when I tell you that I am stronger now than when I left Sanghelios." He rumbled, excitement bubbling up within him as he explained, "For so long, I have wondered at our purpose, Fleet Master."
"And now you do not?"
"I do not." He confirmed, "And I hope that when I speak before you and the assembly-"
"The assembly?" R'Tas blinked suddenly, "You wish to call on the other kaidons?"
"You disapprove?"
"I do not." The Elite shook his head, "But I doubt all will come. And many keeps are no longer held by Kaidons…"
"You speak of the Storm Covenant."
"I do." R'tas nodded, "With your disappearance, they have expanded their domains. Many took your vanishing as the gods' decree - the Swords must surely not stand within their path if they took you."
"What has fallen?"
"Abradam, on your home continent's north-eastern fringe, and its surrounded territories." R'Tas murmured, "Sunaion as well. Abradam was likely only opportunism, their Kaidon fell ill and their harvests were weak."
"Starving warriors without their leader do not fight half as well."
"Indeed they do not." R'Tas nodded solemnly, "Sunaion, however, was, I understand, a somewhat more… Bitter battle. A number of your own warriors answered their call for aid. But the city has fallen, and offers a clear line to Yemo's middle-eastern coastlines. I was already beginning preparations to liberate the city when you arrived."
"I see." And he was displeased, as well, but more immediate concerns came to the fore. "But even Jul M'Dama will want to hear what I have to say. To see what I have to show."
"You are certain?"
"I will bet my life on it." He nodded and, in a moment, made his decision, "I presume the Storm have a fleet in the system?"
"A moderate one, yes." R'Tas nodded and then explained in that curt, military way of his, "They were pressing yours when I arrived. Your fleet fell under my command with my own's arrival and our numbers forced the Covenant to withdraw."
"Is Jul with them?"
"I do not know."
"Reach out to them." He rumbled, "Have them relay to their leader that I wish to speak with them on Sunaion."
"Sunaion?!" R'Tas blinked, "But that-"
"I know." He nodded, "It is why I chose it. If Jul will listen to me, and bring his Storm to heel, what few will dare oppose me?"
"Heh." R'Tas shook his head, "You are ever a bold one, Arbiter. I promise nothing but I will do as you have asked of me."
"You've my thanks." He nodded, "Farwell, until we may meet in the flesh."
"Sunaion then." R'Tas nodded and then, before he could argue, added, "I will not send you into the predator's jaws without accompanying you."
Thel could only chuff and nod, chuckling, "Very well, then."
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"Arbiter." The Spartan nodded as he entered the hangar bay and passed the armored man standing by the door. He paid him a nod and the Spartan fell into step beside him, "The Maiden joined the others while you were busy."
"-to tie you up and leave you here!" He heard Weiss shrieking, "But I'd be worried you'd do something to Roland!"
"I can defend myself, you know…"
"You never know with something like her!"
"They aren't happy." the Spartan sighed tiredly.
"I can hear that myself." He rumbled a laugh as they reached the Pelican and the two women among the demons' ranks turned to greet them. Quietly, he asked, "Are you hiding?"
"From a firefright?" Kelly asked, shaking her head, "Never. But from a catfight…?"
"I shall deal with it, then." He sighed, weary but amused nonetheless, as he stepped around and onto the ramp of the Pelican.
Ruby was sitting in her seat still, but had her eyes locked on the small woman further in, sitting in the seat by the cockpit door while Weiss stood in front of her. All three of her turned a look on him when he cleared his throat. Ruby was pleased to see him, as ever, and smiled when he paid her a nod. But Weiss' fury was unabated, and the Maiden had a shard of ice forming in her hand, as though intending to put the woman down if she didn't stop.
And her little smirk told him how happily she'd do it, too…
With a rumbling growl that echoed around him, he raised his voice and asked, "Who in their right mind would try to fight a Maiden in a small space, in the black void of death that is the borit of my planet? Surely, only a fool would be so short-sightedly suicidal as that."
"A fo-" Weiss spun to him, hand on her rapier, and then turned back to the girl and scowled. Finally, she backed up a step and said, "We can't possibly trust her."
'Smart girl.' Neo wrote out in frost, beaming and leaning back in her seat. 'You shouldn't trust people.'
"I trust people." Weiss sneered, "Just not pathetic criminals like you."
"Those are the exact sorts which you can trust implicitly." Thel countered, stepping up and closing with all three of the surprised women as he went on, "I fight for honor and principle alone, and thus, as you cannot know my honor or my principles, or what I know to gauge against them, you cannot know what I will do. You both fight for the people behind you, but such is too vague a motivation. What if, perchance, none are behind you? You become unpredictable."
"But a criminal-"
"But a criminal…" He rumbled, looking at Ruby and then turning to the small woman at the back, who now watched him closely, "A criminal only acts for their own interests. Their survival, their wealth. The Grimm threaten both of these for her, and I offer a route to securing both. So we can trust her to act to our ends, for the moment."
"Surely it isn't that simple…"
'Actually pretty spot on.' The maiden wrote out in the air, 'I just wanna steal and live my own way. I never wanted any of this.'
"And besides," Thel added, "She appears to owe a debt, of sorts."
"A… A debt?"
'I was supposed to help you all to get back at the fire bitch.' She wrote, her words flickering and trailing frost as they appeared and faded away, falling like powder to melt on the grated floor of the Pelican. 'Instead, the blonde had to save me when everything came down. She said to 'help out here and fuck off'. Her words.'
"Dang it, Yang…" Ruby sighed, "You can't just drop stuff on us…"
"Well…" Weiss sighed and turned to stalk off and sit at the far end of the shuttle, beside the door, and scowled at the woman. "We can't leave you up here, who knows what you'd do to Roland-"
"Nothing." The AI cut in, "I could literally just vent the ship if she tried.
"-so I suppose we'll just have to watch you." Weiss finished quietly, completely ignoring the AI beyond a deep frown that told Thel she was still not best pleased about being tricked into seeing to the end of her home. Drumming the cylinder of Myrtenaster, she grunted, "A very close eye. And trust me, Dust or no, I can still summon. Or simple impale you."
'If you want to put something in me, you could just ask.'
"Y-You filthy-minded-"
"Weiss." Ruby cut her off, and the Schnee actually fell silent and met her level gaze. Silent, Ruby shook her head and the newly-dubbed and uniformed Specialist reclined in her seat and sighed. Turning to Neo, Ruby spoke in that authoritative way she oft did that brought a pleased perch to his mandibles, "We're representing our planet, Neo. You need to behave down there. If you don't…"
'What?' Neo smirked, 'What will you do?'
"Leave you behind." Ruby said simply, "On Sanghelios. Where everyone wants to hunt you down. I think it's pretty obvious how bad that will be for you."
That, for a moment, actually brought the woman pause. Her eyebrows rose a bit and she leaned back, apparently more surprised than cowed. But she didn't say anything, and let the silence keep its hold.
Until heavy steps drew their attention and Jorge stepped into view and sighed, "I seem to have terrible luck for walking in on awkward things today."
"Hah." Thel Rumbled, breaking the silence, "That you do. That you do."
"Word just came in from the Swords of Sanghelios' fleet-master." Roland cut in, putting a firm enough end to the little exchange and drawing them all back to the matter at hand.
Thel paid the Maiden a moment's glance, and found her frowning and watching Ruby with narrowed eyes. Hopefully, that was consideration, rather than intent. But it didn't truly matter because Ruby was right. Simply leaving her trapped on Sanghelios was a death sentence, and that would keep her in line.
"What did R'Tas have to say?" He asked, taking his eyes off the woman at last and finding a seat to ease into.
"M'Dama is out of system." Roland reported simply, "But he has a trusted second on the ground who is coming to Sunaion. Apparently, the offer to sit down and speak with you is too good to pass up."
"If only for the chance to what me and then execute me." Thel sighed, waving Ruby off when she rounded on him, silver eyes wide and worried. "Rest easy, Rose. Once they see what I bring, I highly doubt they will wish to strike at me. And even if they try, what can they do against a summoned giant and a woman who can unleash a hurricane upon them?"
"I guess…"
"For now, we must go." He raised his voice and called out amusedly, "You may board, Demon. Issues have been set aside for now."
Without even a moment's hesitation, the Spartans appeared at the corner of the ramp and stepped up onto it. They'd been lurking just out of view, waiting until the social conflicts came to an end, it seemed. He allowed himself a chuff at his friend's predicament as they all took their places, two in the cockpit and two finding seats amongst them. As they buckled in, the ramp began to close and Roland sighed.
"Let's get this moving then…"
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Sunaion was as beautiful as he remembered it in his distant youth, when he had only just become a warrior of age. Tall pillars held the sea-locked city up, high over the water, and steam billowed from the numerous desalination plants. Sea-skiffs flitted about around the city, fishing and maintaining the sensor net that was kept as a perimeter to watch for those who might have designs on the city. Above it, Phantoms and even a few older Spirits moved around the city, working on half a dozen anti-air batteries and entrenchments around the lare central building that housed most of the workers.
And, of course, the city's administration building, where its ruler dwelt.
"I am certainly glad to not be assaulting that." He hummed as they circled lazily and clearly, waiting in the open for landing coordinates the ground crews had promised only minutes ago. "It would cost me much."
"Yeah." Frederic grunted, "That's definitely not something I'd want to run up against."
"No." Thel chuckled, "I suppose not… Still, a Spartan fireteam would not be amiss for such an operation. When it comes to assault, truly, your kind have earned your most fearsome reputation."
"You keep buttering me up like that, I'll think you want something."
Before they could speak, the radio channel they had left open garbled loudly, Coordinates sent. Southern end, landing pad seven. It is open. Do nothing suspicious or we will bury you in the sea."
"Understood, Sunaion Control." The Spartan woman, Linda, grunted shortly, "Orienting for approach now."
"Understood." The Sangheili snarled, "Out."
"Well he's cheery…"
"I am bringing Humans to a holy city, under the control of zealots." Thel countered, "Were it not for your ship, and my fleet, ready to annihilate it all in reprisal, I would not expect them to allow us to land at all."
"Yeah, I guess that's-"
"Thel!" Ruby squawked as the door to the cockpit slid open. He turned as she ran up to him, holding her Scroll in her hands and grinning like a mad woman, "I was thinking about how nice it'd be to have pictures, first time, new planet. But my Scroll wouldn't work! But then I remembered something Penny said and-"
"Breathe, little one." Thel laughed and laid a hand on her shoulder. When she sucked in a breath he nodded and asked, "Now, show me."
"Okay." She turned the little device around and he blinked, staring at its blue-tinted menu screen.
"How…?"
"Penny's dad hypothesised that something about being on a planet was what made Dust work." She shrugged, smiling as she collapsed it and slid it into a pocket. "I dunno what that'd be, but when I tell them about it… Hoo boy!"
"Indeed." He murmured, "If Dust is the product of the Gods, and works here, then truly their reach is far…"
Could they have made everything, rather than just Remnant? Was Remnant's uniqueness for their presence, personally, rather than their hand's involvement at all? So many questions, each as capable of shattering the world as he knew it as the last.
But, for now, he had to focus.
"See your partner and your…" He paused, searching for the right words, but ultimately could only sigh, "See your partner and Neo prepared properly. We must make a good impression."
"Mhm." She nodded, "Neo's ready, and Weiss is just straightening her uniform right now."
"Good." He'd expected as much, but it was always wise to ensure such things. Straightening, he rumbled, "Then let us land."
Their designated landing zone was an empty platform surrounded on three sides by the sea, and four times as wide as their craft. Which left them little cover, by design, should all come to conflict. Which was made even more clearly purposeful by the anti-air batteries that flanked it, built on top of the constructs that housed the desalination plants where the thick mist from the water vaporators would cloud enemy sights, and where they would offer good vantages of the sea and sky.
And the platform, too, though that was almost certainly an incidental factor being used by a sharp-eyed commander.
As they disembarked, he heard a rough Sangheili voice bark, "Heretic! You were permitted four Humans! Not eight!"
The Sangheili in question was old and large, with broad shoulders, pale, nearly silver, skin and dark, almost red eyes that lent him an intimidating air. He wore the armor of a Storm Covenant Commander, with its angular shoulders and ornate head, but also wore a long white cape draped off of one shoulder which his his off hand. He was flanked by a pair of Minors in older, more piece-mealed armor, that they may even have scavenged from those who had fought here on Sunaion itself.
Jackals…
"I did?" He asked, cocking his head coyly and turning. The four Spartans stood behind him, two to either side and unarmed aside from their sidearms, and beyond them, on the ramp of the Pelican, stood the Atlesian Spartan, with the women trailing behind him. Turning back he made a show of his confusion, raising a hand and gesturing at himself, "Forgive me, but have your eyes failed you? I have only brought four Humans."
"Do not play games with me, Cripple." The commander snarled, paying his bracketed arm a meaningful look and sweeping his left hand back and bringing his cloak behind him to expose the Needler on his thigh. The two minors stepped back when he did, hands falling to Plasma repeaters on their own hips. The commander did not draw, though, and so neither did they. "Honor dictates I offer you one chance to explain. Before I take your head and mount it on Sunaion's highest point."
"I spoke truth." He assured the Sangheili, turning and stepping to the side. "These are not Humans."
"You dare to-"
"Please." He cut the Elite off with a raised hand, "I trust your eyes and your sense. These are not Humans, though they look similar. They are Godlings."
"Godlings…?"
"Indeed." He nodded, "Once-Humans, touched by the light of the Gods and granted great power."
"You are mad…."
"No. But I am quite warm." He rumbled and turned, calling out, "Maiden of Fall, would you mind a breeze?"
Neo rolled her eyes for the dramatics, but nodded and stepped forward nonetheless, raising her hands as planned. Fire lit up her eyes as the wind began to turn and he smiled as the Snagheili backed away, mouths gaping as she lifted into the air and the wind began to blow. Neo's hands rose skyward and the sky darkened as clouds thickened and darkened, casting all of Sunaion in shade and blowing a cool breeze across them all as Neo released the power and her eyes returned to normal.
Turning back to the wide-eyed Commander, Thel asked, "So, tell me, Commander, how many Humans have I brought with me?"
The Commander flicked him a look and then looked away and rumbled, "Are they all capable of such…?"
"No." He answered, "Each has their own powers. Their own gifts."
"I see…"
Now, with the other warrior's guard broken, he took his opening and added, quietly, "As do I."
"What-" He turned and raised his hand, projecting a barrier in front of the other Elite, and then pressed it forward. Surprised, the Sangheili commander staggered back and would have fallen if one of the Minors had not intervened.
"Service to the Gods brings benefits." Thel explained simply, lowering his arm and asking coyly, "Now, shall we speak properly? Or shall my Maiden bring more than a breeze down on Sunaion?"
The commander met his eyes for a long moment before his mandibles perched and he nodded, turning away and grunting almost meekly, "Follow."
Relieved, Thel turned and paid his group a nod and then turned to fall in behind the three Elites escorting them into Sunaion. The first step had been taken, it seemed…
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As I suspected, this ended up running long - I was having fun - and so this ended up needing to be split into two or three chapters. Ah well, such is life.
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Khajiit of Lordran :
This one is glad you have enjoyed their story so much, and hopes that should they attempt a romance story, you will enjoy it as well.
Black Raptor :
Salem will no longer be present in this story. Now, if I do any sort of sequels that may not be the case. But here and now, her case is ended.
KMPH 2001 :
Oscar is a tragic character. Damned, with no way to be saved short of quite literal divine intervention.
Scrub Lord :
Oh my god, lol.
Art of Wort :
Thel's injury is a problem, yes, but as seen here his aim is to distract from it. Mercury Hazel and Emerald did fade off, but that was intentional. If I don't write a death, or something that heavily implies it, they didn't die. One COULD argue that, based on where Mercury was, there's reason to believe he died. But that is up to you.
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