PRIVATE QUARTERS OF KAIDON RTIKA' RELCAM, DURAL KEEP, RELCAM, HESDUROS: APRIL 15, 2553 IN THE HUMAN CALENDAR.
Rtika leans by the windowsill, gazing at the fields below. Unngoy and Sangheili farmers are hard at work harvesting grains fields. He allows himself a 'smile.'
"The Gods have smiled upon us this season, my love. The harvest is quite bountiful," a soft voice purrs behind him as a pair of slender hands help Rtika put on his cloak. "Is that why you are such in a good mood today?"
Rtika turns around and grabs his mate's hands. "No, Thena. What puts me in this good mood is watching our clansmen. They've worked hard to get this harvest, and tonight we will eat well because of their efforts."
Dural keep was in truth one of the few keeps that has still retained its knowledge in agriculture, and far more so than many of the others on Hesduros. The Kaidon turns back to his mate and now helps her don her own cloak. "So did you come from the fields? How was it?"
Thena looks down at her ever present tablet where she recorded everything. Her slender fingers tap the screen a few times. "Very good. We could quite well feed a keep five times our size."
Just as Rtika was about to speak, a young sentry runs into their quarters, his tunic drenched in sweat. "K-Kaidon!" he gasps, taking a moment to catch his breath.
"What is the meaning of this interruption!" Rtika demands.
Thena simply stands up and strodes to her desk. She pours a glass of water and offers it to the Sangheili. "Drink this, then speak of why you are here."
The sentry accepts the glass gratefully and drinks deeply. He wipes his mandibles and stands up. "Kaidon. The Unggoy of the western fields said they saw the elders of Panon and our own State approaching with the Didact's Hand! They said they will arrive at the keep within a few hours."
Thena and Rtika share surprised looks. "Very well," The Kaidon says at last. "I will go out and meet them. Thena, would you be able to handle the preparations for them?"
Thena gives him an annoyed look, as if his question was an insult to her abilities. "Of course I can. Now go meet with the elders."
He nods at the sentry appreciatively. "Thank you warrior, now return to your post." He then embraces his mate. "Goodluck." He says, before leaving the room.
Rtika walks through the rural keep to his motor pool. As much as the Kaidon hates it, his keep has a much smaller collection of arms than others. Only a handful of Wraiths and Revenants with a dozen or so Ghosts.
A Sangheili in a cobalt minor harness is waiting to greet him. "Kaidon, you're here. I've finished preparing your Revenant."
"Excellent, Dasa. Let us go meet with them now." Rtika replies as Dasa starts to pull out of the motor pool. The vehicle sweeps through the western fields, giving the two of them a chance to admire the scenery.
"Why do you think they are coming to our keep, Dasa?" Rtika asks his aide after a while.
The minor thinks for a moment. "From what I know, the Didact's Hand has been travelling from keep to keep, looking for more followers in some new order. I heard this from the market."
Rtika lets out the Sangheili equivalent of a chuckle. Dasa always seems to always rely on information from gossip, rather than the actual spies he has. "Well then, I suppose we should be honored that he decided to grace us with his presence so quickly." He says dryly.
"It is indeed a great honor," Dasa agreed, reverently. Rtika taps a few buttons on the control panel and the plasma mortar slides back into its hatch. The last thing they wanted was to send the wrong message.
They elders transport soon comes into view. A Shadow, escorted by four Ghosts appears on the nearby hill. Dasa pulls the Revenant to a stop and the two climb out. The Shadow and her escorts stop as well a meters away from them. It's occupants climb out as well and meet us halfway.
"I am Kaidon Relcam! I welcome you to Duram Keep."Rtika announces.
"Greetings Kaidon Relcam," the Elder of Panom replies. "Do you know why we are here?"
Rtika nods. "You have come here to recruit followers for your order."
"It's far more than that, Kaidon," a new voice replies. Another Sangheili, this one in full armor steps out from the group. "I am Jul' Mdama, but you may know me as the Didact's Hand.
Rtika and Dusa fall to their knees, placing one fist on the ground while placing the other on their chests. "We are at the service of anyone sent by the Gods."
Jul glances around at the open fields. "Well, we'd best discuss business, back at your keep."
Rtika had to admit, Thena was good.
By the time they arrive at Dural all the clansmen have assembled to cheer for their arrival. "They seem excited," Jul notes, looking at the crowd.
"Like I said a while ago. We are here to serve. How many keeps have joined you, my lord?" Rtika ask.
"Several clans, most from Panon. You're the first keep we approached outside of their lands."
"Well my clan is honored that you would approach us so soon. We are at your service, though we have no ships and few arms for our warriors," he admits, lowering his head.
Jul looks disappointed, though not as upset as the Kaidon expected. "We suspected that. Fear not Kaidon, the other clans are amassing a great fleet for our forces."
Surprised by his understanding, Rtika leads them inside. "Come now, there is food prepared in the great hall."
The hall was large enough for all the visitors plus the elders of the keep to sit comfortably, and their guards to flank either side of it. The Didact's hand was allowed to sit in one end of the table to symbolize his authority while the Kaidon sits to his right. Unggoy come in carrying large trays of grain, vegetables and meat.
All the present leaders eat and laugh loudly, sharing stories of their time in the war. Finally Rtika decides to speak to Jul directly. "So if you knew we have little to offer in terms of warriors and equipment, why recruit us first?"
"We actually came here to look for another resource you have." He turns his gaze out one of the halls windows and onto the fields beyond.
He nods in understanding. "I see, but even our fields could not feed all of Hesduros."
Elder Panon nods. "We understand that. That is why we plan to assemble a coalition of agricultural keeps."
Rtika's mind quickly goes to the possibilities. A chance to turn his minor keep into the agricultural heart of the whole colony. An opportunity to give their clan power over all others. "I will join then, under one condition. That my keep is made the capital of this coalition and I am made its leader."
Jul and the other elders stop eating to stare at him in surprise. Around them, the guards bristle and several lower their hands to their weapons, though not drawing them. Yet.
"Hubris!" one elder shouts. "Who are you to make demands to the Didact's Hand!"
"Wait! I also have something to offer you if you agree to my terms!" Rtika urges, holding his hands up in hopes of calming them down. He taps his communicator and says to the speaker, "Zola, bring the package here."
A Sangheili, fully decked out in an orange combat harness emerges, escorting what to most outsiders would describe as a collection of sacks and tentacles. However, to those present this is a rare treasure.
"A Huragok," one breathes out.
Rtika allows himself a smirk. "Indeed, this is Strafes Too Far. He was originally part of my bridge crew and one of the few to survive. I will give it to the Didact's Hand in exchange for leadership of this agricultural coalition."
Jul simply scratches his lower mandibles, considering this. "And tell me, Kaidon, what will will stop me from simply killing you, burning your keep to the ground and taking the farmland and Huragok for myself?"
"Think fool, you got yourself into the mess, now get your way out," Rtika mentally scolds himself. He watches as Jul casually folds his hands, waiting for his answer. Was this some sort of test?
"Because my lord, you may be able to do that, do it with great ease in fact, but in the long run it would be most foolish. You would end up killing the countless Sangheili and Unggoy here who have much experience in running the farms. Which means you will have to divert warriors from other places in order to run them. But a warrior acting as farmer will never be a real substitute for real farmers."
The Didact's Hand parts his mandibles. Pleased. "Very well. Your terms are agreeable. I will allow you to lead these keeps."
Surprised that his plan actually worked, Rtika orders Zola to hand the Huragok over to the Elders