Chapter 12: The Arbiter

Author Notes- Finally, I get to write for Thel! (That's the Arbiter.) You guys are all favoriting and following, but not reviewing. Are you scared, or what? I need reviews, not more followers. At last check, 8-19-13, I had 9 reviews. NINE reviews. And none since at least chapter 8. WTF? I REQUIRE FEEDBACK! I was going to bring back the Spirit of Fire, but since you guys can't be bothered to say anything, I guess I won't now. I sounded like a total asshole right there, and I apologize, it's just that you guys follow and favorite, but don't leave feedback for me. I may still bring back Spirit of Fire, but it's on the fence. I'm going back to school soon, 8-28-13, and I may also discontinue the story when I do until Thanksgiving Break. I need to know whether you guys want me to continue with it or not. Also, I tried to get on the forum and had trouble. To get on, you need to go to my profile. I don't know why. Sorry. For now, enjoy the sort-of novelization of Sacred Icon.

Covenant Holy City, High Charity. Sanctum of the Hierarchs

As Thel' Vadamee, now known only as 'The Arbiter', walked towards the hierarchs chambers, he noticed Elite Honor Guards being stripped of their armor by Brutes, most likely due to the Prophet of Regret's death. When he walked in, he saw an Ultra, R'tas' Vadumee, in a heated discussion with the Prophet of Truth.

"This is unprecedented, unacceptable." "A hierarch is dead, Commander." "His murderers were within our grasp! If you had not withdrawn our Phantoms…" "Are you questioning my decision?" "No, Holy One. I only wish to express my concern that the Jirhalnahe…" "Changing the Guard was a radical step, but recent events have made it abundantly clear that the Sangheli can no longer guarantee our safety." "I shall relay your decision to the council." R'tas walked away, and the two other Sangheli Minors with him followed.

The Prophet of Truth noticed the Arbiter, and seemed relieved. "Politics, how tiresome." Do you know, Arbiter, the Sangheli have threatened to resign? To quit the High Council because of this… exchange of hats?" The Arbiter walked forward until he was in front of the Prophet of Truth. "We have always been your protectors." "These are trying times, for all of us." The hierarch next to Truth, the Prophet of Mercy, now spoke. "Even as the human's annihilation filled us with satisfaction, the loss of one of the Sacred Rings wracked our hearts with grief." Truth now addressed the Arbiter again. "Putting aside our sorrow, we renewed our faith in the prophecy that other rings would be found." Truth turned around, looking out of the window to the space outside. "And look at how our faith has rewarded us." The Arbiter walked to the window and saw another of the Sacred Rings. The Prophet of Mercy addressed the group. "Halo… its divine wind will rush through the stars, propelling all who are worthy along the path to salvation!" Truth turned to the Arbiter once again. "But how to start this process? For ages we searched for some way to unlock the secrets of the rings- an Oracle. And with your help, we have found it."

The three went to the center of the room, where they found the Oracle, disabled and floating. Mercy addressed the Arbiter. "With appropriate humility, we plied the Oracle with questions, and it, with clarity and grace, has shown us the key." Mercy pushed a button on his chair, and an object, known as a Sacred Icon appeared next to the Oracle. Truth addressed the Arbiter. "You will journey to the surface of the ring and retrieve this Sacred Icon. And with it we shall fulfill our promise…" Mercy spoke again. "Salvation for all!" "And begin the Great Journey."

The Arbiter left the Sanctum and went to a Phantom that had been prepared for this journey. When he embarked, he noticed that there were no Sangheli onboard, only Jirhalnahe. The Phantom left High Charity and proceeded to the ring. Tartarus, the High Chieftain of the Jirhalnahe, told him that once the shield around the Library was down, they would go straight to it, so as to not keep the hierarchs waiting. Thel was curious as to something. "The human that killed the Prophet of Regret, who was it?" "Who do you think?" "The Demon is here?" Tartarus laughed a bit at this. "There is not just one Demon, but five. Why do you ask? Looking for a little payback?" "Retrieving the Icon is my only concern." "Ha, ha, ha, Of course." The Phantom neared where Thel was to be dropped off at, and Thel disembarked.

Almost as soon as Thel left the Phantom, a Forerunner construct rose up behind him. He turned, and brandishing his Carbine, fired three shots at it, all of which proved ineffective. The construct was hit on its side by a hail of plasma, and it flew away, followed closely by the Phantom. The Arbiter was contacted by the Jirhalnahe pilot. "Lower the shield, Arbiter! I'll pick you up when you've finished.

The Arbiter moved into the security station, at least that's what he thought it was, activated a piston that would take him further down into the facility, and was beset by a group of Forerunner Sentinels. He had dealt with these before on the planet Threshold, where he was dispatched to kill a Heretic Leader. He shot each with an overcharged Plasma Pistol discharge, and then moved further into the facility. He constantly noticed smaller versions of Sentinels, or at least what he thought to be smaller versions. These did not impede him, and all in all seemed to ignore him.

He dropped through another piston, and heard what sounded like Needler and Plasma Pistol shots. He moved toward the sounds, and found an Unggoy (Grunt) and a Kig-Yar (Jackal) fighting three Sentinels. The Arbiter shot two of the three with overcharged Plasma Pistol shots, and dispatched the third with a Carbine shot to the eye, or at least, that glowing part in its center. The Unggoy noticed Thel's actions and said, "Arbiter, our savior!" The Kig-Yar said nothing. The Unggoy turned to it. "Stupid Kig-Yar, say thank you!" The Kig-Yar remained silent. The group moved along, finding a long catwalk-like structure. As they navigated it, Tartarus contacted Thel. "You're getting close to one of the shield generators. Many of my Jirhalnahe have fallen trying to get to it. Let's see if you fare any better."

The three moved on, dispatching a few Sentinels that got in their way, and came to another piston. Thel activated it, and they all dropped through. When they landed, another Unggoy (Grunt) came up to the Arbiter. "Big, scary things! Please, don't make me go back!" Thel continued on and, in spite of its protests, the Unggoy followed him. Thel noticed that the Sentinels deployed from small, door-like structures on the sides, and that just before a Sentinel was deployed, the structure made a distinct sound. Thel threw plasma grenades at the openings, and disabled them as he went, minimizing his engagements with the Sentinels.

Thel dropped through another piston, and found himself in a large room, guarded by one of the constructs he had encountered when he first landed. The others did not follow him this time. Tartarus told him that he was near the power source for the generator. "Find a way to disable the locks holding it in place." He activated his Active Camouflage, something that all Sangheli Combat Harnesses had, and snuck into the room. The camo was not perfect, however. Even though he could move as fast as he wanted and remain perfectly invisible, it only lasted a short time, and unlike the newer Harnesses, combat disrupted his field. He snuck around the back of the construct, what Tartarus had called an "Enforcer", and threw two plasma grenades at its back. When the grenades blew, the Enforcer was separated into three, very inoperable parts. He moved around the room, deactivating the locks around the power source. When he had disabled all four, the center rose up, and he saw a monitor appear on the top. He deactivated the containment shield around the Library. Then waited for something to happen.

The platform that he and the power source dropped down then started to move ahead. What Thel had thought was a wall turned out to a large set of doors. The Phantom flew ahead of him, and he received a transmission from Tartarus. "Our path to the Library is clear. We'll pick you up on the ledge ahead." The platform continued to move forward towards Thel's extraction point. Just as Thel embarked the Phantom, the wall ahead opened and another Enforcer came at them. Tartarus yelled at the pilot to get them out of there, and the Phantom took off towards the Library.

The Phantom dropped him in near a Covenant camp on the other side of the wall. When he arrived, he saw his allies, Sangheli this time, engaged in battle with the Flood, including one very familiar Commander. "Arbiter, what are you doing here?" They all heard screams, the telltale sign of a Flood attack. "We must hold this camp if we are to survive." The Flood came soon after, and was repelled almost as quickly, due to a Phantom flying in overhead. One of the other Sangheli remarked, "Cursed Parasite, it does not give up easily!" R'tas yelled at him, "Indeed, brother!" When this final wave had been dealt with, R'tas disembarked the turret he had been using and walked up to the Arbiter.