Chapter 26: Arrival
"Do you understand your orders?"
"Yes, Shipmistress!"
Sighing, I sit down in the phantom next to Timore as the sangheili rangers all take up their own seats. I knew that this was intended to be a peaceful meeting, but I would be a fool not to have a plan as to how we would escape should this go south.
Hearing another voice calling back from the command console of the ship, I turn my attention to the pilot.
"Leader, it seems they are leading us to the city. I shall relay the pathing of our journey to the ship."
Shifting a bit in my seat, I nodded.
"Very good, is there anything else out of the ordinary that you can spot?"
A quick moment came and went before a response came.
"Not that I can see Shipmistress, though I am unfamiliar with the aliens' weaponry… if there is any. I can't tell if any of these structures are weapons or something different…"
We sat in silence at that, the hum of the aircraft's gravity engines creating a tense form of white noise around the group. No one quite knew what to say, but in the end the silence was broken by a nervous sounding Nath.
"So, what's the plan if they shoot?"
Glancing over to the ruuhtian, I fix him with a deadpan stare.
"Then we defend ourselves, flee back to the ship, and make a decision as to where to go from there."
Sighing, I glance around me to all the highly trained Covenant militants. Each one of the people in this cabin can be a serious threat to the humans we are going to meet. One misstep from either side tipping the unseen tension that would inevitably be hovering over both sides in the negotiations we were heading to.
I knew there were a few topics I needed to straighten out first. Boundaries and rules they would set for us during our stay on their planet was a big one, but also the idea that there would need to be some kind of cultural exchange.
I didn't remember enough about the society I was once a part of to accurately describe even a day to day experience. I needed to show, not only for myself but for my entire crew and the rest of the Covenant, that these people aren't whatever the Covenant thought they were in the games. They are just another society like we were.
Even if everything goes right… I will still need to send word of what we have found back to the ministry. Having a way of showing what they are to people as a way of undercutting any lies about them will be important.
Ignoring what we found and going back to the Covenant would be a massive misstep. Not only would word get out either way with rumors from my crew spreading to the population as a whole, but not reporting what we found would cause a whole other host of problems.
Assumptions about the new species due to their luminations, causing a war. Kig yar pirates swarming to the, in their eyes, unlawful worlds ripe for the plundering. Humanity defending themselves and declaring war themselves, leading to untold death and destruction…
It's all on me now, and that's terrifying.
I find myself musing to no one in particular, letting my mouth wander as the phantom hits a bit of turbulent wind.
"I'm more worried about what we will need to do if they don't…"
Looking up to see my friends with their attention on me, I take in a deep breath before continuing.
"The next few hours will be the most important moments of our entire lives, I am sure of it. Everything I've done in my life has led up to this moment, and now that I'm here, I find that I am not ready. Not really."
Unclipping my sword and glancing at the runic engraving on the handle for the thousandth time, I feel another wave of anxiety roll through me. Taking one of my talons, I trace the word carved into it for a moment.
Is this what my parents meant… Was I destined for this?
I didn't know the answer, but I wasn't going to let uncertainty stop me. The only thing I could do now is my best. It's what I have done before, and I knew it wouldn't lead me astray now.
"But it doesn't matter if I am ready or not, and fretting over the actions of these aliens may or may not take is irrelevant."
Looking to my friends again, I saw their attention focused entirely on me. I recognized the situation as one I've found myself in several times during my service. All of them were looking to me, their leader, for reassurance and leadership.
Gritting my teeth, I stood up as I clip the sword to my hip where it belonged.
"What matters now are the actions that we take when we step out of that hatch. Everything we do now will be considered the first impression that these people will receive of our respective races, and of the Covenant as a whole."
Clenching my talons into fists, I nodded to myself. I could feel the anxieties leaving me as I fully accepted the situation, readying myself to rise to the challenge.
"We will be the ones to extend our hands in friendship to these people. We will show, not only for the new people we will be meeting but to ourselves as well, that compassion and friendship is an ideal we are willing to embody. We will give an example to the galaxy that the Covenant can point to in order to show that honor isn't only gained on the battlefield, but through the actions we take to avoid it."
Walking over to Timore, I snort in amusement at the seemingly angry brute brooding in the corner with his arms folded over the head of his hammer. Giving him a bright smile, I place a hand on the high tech armor he has adorned for the occasion.
"We should at least give these new aliens a chance to return the gesture. This meeting will not only be a way for us to tell them who we are, but for them to tell us who they are. The least we can do is listen to them and hear their stories, and who knows? Perhaps we will gain a trusted friend rather than a hated enemy instead."
For the first time since we left, I saw the fierce toothy smile that my friend only ever gave to me. I knew my statement hit a bit home for him, and the more relaxed posture made me feel a bit better.
"Yeah, that's all well and good coming from the one with energy shields."
Feeling my eye twitch underneath my helmet, I turn to see Nath fiddling with his point defense gauntlet. Before I could respond, Floats beat me to the punch.
"Brrroouuuu!"
Suddenly, a purple glowing shield appeared around the ruuhtian, startling him for a moment. He poked the electrical energy for a moment, confused as to what was happening before he looked up to the bubbly engineer.
The phantom devolved into laughter at the surprised ruuhtian, happy that the sarcastic response was rebutted so quickly.
The mood in the dropship was lightened, everyone less tense then they were before. I was thankful that my speech, if it could even be called that, helped more than just me.
Beginning to walk back to my seat, I needed to adjust my footing to keep my balance as we began to slow down. Feeling the phantom turning as we began to descend, I heard the voice of the pilot calling back to the cabin.
"Shipmistress, it seems as if we have arrived."
(\\\(*v*)/)
"Welcome, honored guests, to the planet of Harvest!"
The proper and strange accent that rang out through the courtyard we landed in as my companions and I stepped off the phantom.
Standing there in order to greet us were several humans and an odd projection that could only be an AI to their side on a small mobile platform. While I noticed Byrne and Johnson, they were off to the side and obviously deferring to several other humans for this encounter.
Three humans were standing in front. The one standing in the obvious leadership position was an overweight man wearing a bright yellow suit that appeared a bit too tight for him. I could tell by his puffy cheeks and bright happy smile that the man was not one for hostility.
The next was a female, wearing a loose fitting dress and long skin tight leggings. Her muscles were tense and she was examining my group and I with experienced eyes.
The last was a human standing directly to the left of the overweight man. He was writing on a piece of paper, mumbling to himself as he continued to scribble notes about something or other.
Other than them, I could tell that there were several armed humans wearing green that were guarding the landing zone around us. Each one was trying to be the example of professional stoicism, but my sharp eyesight caught several beads of sweat and quick flicks of their eyes in our direction.
Hearing the sound of footsteps behind me, I hold my head high as my group of friends all make their way to me. My group must have been an intimidating sight, fully armed and armored as we stood clearly over the humans in front of us.
Turning my head, I spotted Nath with his hand on his plasma pistol. He was eyeing all the armed humans around us, but thankfully he hid his intimidation well. He was the only one out of my group that was acting even slightly threatened, and I knew I needed to calm him down a bit before we continued. Having anyone anxious enough to draw a gun in the upcoming talks is a problem that I needed to deal with now before it became a serious issue.
It wasn't all too surprising that he was the one who was nervous considering all of his verbal cues before this, but I could tell it was a bit deeper than that. Nath was never a soldier like I was. He spent all his time after our training working as a navigations officer. Honestly I was a bit surprised that Dimyap wasn't as skittish, but I wasn't going to look that gift horse in the mouth.
Branching off, I took a few steps and placed a hand on his shoulder. The ruuhtian stiffened before he looks up to see me giving him a soft smile.
"Don't worry, everything is going to be fine."
Watching as he takes in a deep breath and nods, I give his shoulder another squeeze.
Hearing the overly proper voice behind me once more, all of us turn our attention to the holographic woman.
"The Governor of this planet, Nils Thune, would like to personally welcome you, Shipmaster, to the Harvest Botanical Gardens."
As she spoke, the overweight human stepped forward and raised one of his hands to Ussa. While the rest of my group didn't know what the gesture could mean, I did. Handshakes weren't common among the Covenant species due to how most of them had claws and how some physical contact could be seen as hostile.
The Governor looked a bit off put as he was left with his hand outstretched awkwardly towards my second in command. After a second, he was met with my entire group turning to look towards me, obvious amusement in some of their eyes, and anger in some of the others.
Stepping towards the Governor, I snorted as I took Ussa's place in front of him. Sure, Ussa was larger than me and wore eye catching golden armor, but we haven't even introduced ourselves yet.
Showing the human that the gesture was one that did not translate, I place my hand on my chest and give a brisk salute rather than reciprocate.
"You would do well not to jump to conclusions, as we know nothing about each other yet. We do not wish to start a conflict, and either of us making assumptions about the other seems to be the easiest way to do so."
Dropping the gesture, I look over the human a bit more closely as my words are faithfully translated by who could only be Sif.
Slowly, the horror on the human's face showed itself Sif did her job. Bowing deeply, the human began his apologies as he continued to babble to his AI while making eye contact with me.
"~Oh… Oh! My deepest apologies shipmaster, I didn't mean to-~"
Shaking my head, I didn't even wait for his words to be translated before I waved him off.
"You started with your introduction, so now it might be best to make ours now to prevent any further issues."
Placing a hand on my chest, I dip my head low in respect.
"I am Shipmistress Sohm 'Bir. I am the commander of the Rapid Conversion, the ship that has landed on your planet. I am here to begin official peace talks between your planet and the collective peoples of the Covenant, hopefully beginning a long and peaceful relationship between us."
Turning and pointing to Ussa, I nod my head.
"I am Ussa 'Solatee, second in command behind-"
Ignoring my friends as they made their introductions, I turned back to the group of humans. Information was the name of the game now, as I knew that any self respecting government would want to get control over the situation by using anything at their disposal.
First looking over to the ones I knew for a fact were military, I listen as Byrne cracks a joke about the Governor confusing my gender. Johnson snorts, but doesn't say anything else as he continues staring at our group…
Or more specifically my extremely armed jiralhanae friend, who seemed to be sniffing the air and staring off towards something unseen.
Johnson is on security then? Unsurprising. If I remember right, he isn't a pushover in a fight.
I know he couldn't be the only one here to protect these people as these humans alone against us would be a slaughter. I was idly thankful that those that could have energy shields did, and Floats was here for those that didn't if things went sour. I guaranteed that there were more soldiers nearby, probably with snipers aiming at us right now, after all…
That's what I would do.
One quick check of the scents of the area confirmed my suspicions. I could smell oil and sweat coming from a nearby building that overlooked the entire complex. My sharp eyes picked up the silhouette of two humans on the roof lying prone as they looked toward our direction, telling me everything I needed to know.
Next, my eyes drift to the human female. Her attire was an obvious attempt to try and distract from her serious demeanor, but the tense stance and professionalism she was exuding gave that away. She was carefully analyzing each and every word that both came out of our mouths, and out of the AI. It was easy to see the frustration that showed on her face when the Governor's two mistakes were announced to them, as she began to stare daggers into the side of his head.
It was clear that she wished to be in charge, but wasn't.
I could see no threat on the Governor's behalf, and the human to his side seemed to be his second in command and equally harmless.
It seems like the female is the one to watch out for.
"-name's Nath. Please don't shoot me with your primitive weaponry, as I'm sure the Shipmisress couldn't find a better navigator. Wouldn't want to inconvenience her."
After Sif faithfully translated his words, a tense silence resounded through the garden as the humans looked around a bit confused. After a few seconds, Byrne snorts and shakes his head.
"~Great. Now the aliens are sarcastic.~"
Johnson shoots back without hesitation.
"~You will get along great then.~"
Unsurprisingly, the AI didn't translate their words.
I shook my head as I turned back to my subordinate.
"Nath, please try to take this seriously. You are supposed to be the representative of the average kig yar, and you should act the part."
The kig yar gives me a devilish smile before shrugging.
"I think I'm doing a good job then, all things considered!"
Sighing, I realize that I dug myself into this hole and now needed to deal with the consequences. At least some of them understood his sarcastic jab through the translation.
Before anything else could happen, the Governor took charge of the situation once again with a wide smile on his face and his arms wide in welcome.
"~My deepest apologies if we caused any offense. Allow me to introduce my company.~"
He turned toward his left, placing a hand on the shoulder of his suited companion.
"~This is my Attorney General, Rol Pederson.~" He said, before turning to the human female. "~And this is the ever stunning Jilian al-Cygni.~"
Each of the humans respectfully bowed as they were introduced by Sif, the AI pointing to them as a visual cue for them to do so.
The introductions finally through with, the AI continued on with only a few words from the Governor telling the hologram to move on.
"Governor Thune would like to escort you and your company to where the negotiations between our people will take place, if that is so agreeable."
Looking back to Thune, I watched as the overweight man gestures with one hand behind him. A casual examination showed that there was a cobblestone path that led to a large open gazebo.
Turning to the phantom, I gave a single gesture to our transport. The small retinue of sangheili onboard saluted before taking up their posts guarding our ride, just in case something went wrong. I watch closely for a moment as two elite minors take up positions on each side of the side hatches.
The human warriors in the clearing shifted a bit, but branched off and made their way to the ship at the verbal direction of Johnson. It looked like a strange standoff, with the smaller human warriors attempting to look as tough as possible to the sangheili warriors. Thankfully, I knew that unless they shot first, nothing would happen here.
Satisfied our transport was guarded well enough, I turned back and nodded my head.
"Lead the way."
(\\\(*v*)/)
We were led to what could only be described as a massive greenhouse. Walking through a garden that seemed to have several hundred different kinds of plants under a massive glass globe.
Walking through the strange structure, I heard the muttering of my subordinates behind me as I took the lead.
While this was impressive, I couldn't help but be reminded of the hanging gardens of High Charity. The difference was obvious, but the peaceful nature of the two locations was similar enough to draw the connection.
It was clear the humans were doing their absolute best to try and show their own intentions with their choice of venue… so long as we ignore the snipers.
Eventually, we were led to the center of the gigantic glass dome. We were met with the sight of a large open gazebo with a wooden table that was big enough to fit both groups. It was set with several different plates full of different fruits and vegetables.
The humans rounded the table and lined up on the other side. Gesturing with a hand to the other side, the Governor took a seat,
"Please, have a seat. We will have our discussion of peace here."
It wasn't until the words were said that I noticed that Sif had another holographic stand on the left side of the table. Smiling, I gave the signal to my companions to do so.
Everything seemed to go well… until Timore broke his chair by sitting.
The loud crash rang through the area, and the tense and stressed nature of everyone's nerves showed clearly when it did.
Johnson and Byrne both went for their weapons, with the female reaching down below the table just as quickly, but thankfully they didn't draw their weapons. The Governor yelped a bit at the disturbance, showing that he had next to no combat experience as he looked left and right for the source of the sound.
My group all turned to the downed jiralhanae who was getting to his feet. We all saw the remains of the poor wooden chair that he sat in, and quickly enough, Nath began to laugh as he stated the obvious.
"Maybe if you didn't pack half a lance's arsenal on your armor, that wouldn't have happened."
A deep snarl came from the downed jiralhanae as he attempted to right himself. Nath didn't see the least bit threatened, as he took out a knife and began to cut himself a bit of the fruit set on the table.
Sif took that moment to speak up even as my two subordinates had their little argument.
"The Governor would like to say his sincerest apologies. We have made a call for a more sturdy chair."
Before I could respond with my thanks, Timore spoke up as he got to his feet and dusted himself off.
"Don't bother. I will stand."
Pulling his hammer from his back, he walks over to one of the wooden beams holding the gazebo roof over our heads. Finding a spot in the shade, he relaxes as best he could with both arms crossed over the head of the hammer.
If anything else goes wrong, I will end up pulling my feathers out!
These humans seemed to be either wholly unprepared for this, or their leader was stumbling his way through it and they were just along for the ride. I expected there to be far more care taken as we were a completely different society, but it appeared as if that wasn't the case.
Flicking my gaze to the female at the table, I wondered idly if she was instead frustrated not because she wasn't in charge, but because the Governor was.
Thankfully, the humans all calmed their nerves as Timore settled in, taking their hands off their firearms.
Oddly enough, it was the strange suited human that spoke up as he handed over the small screen to his leader.
"~Governor, the presentation is ready.~"
The overweight human snatched the device out of his subordinate's hand.
"~Good, good! Thank you.~"
We all sat in silence for a few moments as he pressed a few buttons on the screen before setting it down and sliding it to me.
Almost immediately, a strange song began on the device. The strange tune seemed grandiose, but the language it's lyrics spoke was definitely not English, or even Sangheili Common.
Looking down to the strange datapad that was slid to me, I watch as several images begin to flash across it.
A birds eye view of the large city, vast fields of farmland, several large vehicles tending to the fields, and vast stores of fruits and vegetables were shown on the screen.
Not wishing to be impolite, I sat through the entire presentation. I could hear as Ussa and Floats both glanced to the side and began to watch with me, but it became obvious that this presentation was about the planet, not the people on it.
Eventually, the music stopped and the screen went dark. Realizing that this ordeal was over, I handed the datapad back to the Governor.
The moment the device reached his hands, the man turned to the holographic woman with a nervous smile on his face.
"~Well? What did they think?~"
Faithfully translating, the monotone voice of Sif gained our attention.
"The Governor would like to know what you thought of his presentation."
Trying to center myself, I realize that the entire presentation was utterly useless.
I didn't gain a single bit of information about the people that lived here, only what they did. I didn't get anything about a political situation that I might stumble on, just melons and fields and cities. All of those things I already got from scanning the planet from orbit and studying them before I arrived.
The only unexpected thing I got was the song, which was slightly entertaining I suppose… But I don't want to offend them though, so should I go with polite pleasantries first? Should I be blunt and to the point?
Deciding to do both, I took a deep breath before I handed the device back to the enthusiastic human.
"The music was interesting, and the visual tour of your cities and landmarks was a welcome gesture…"
Watching as my words were translated, I saw as the Governor and his suited companion were the only ones to react to the news. It was obvious at this point that the person in charge wasn't exactly who I wanted to be talking to if I wanted to get anything done.
Readying myself to be blunt and to the point now that I indulged in the small pleasantries that the Governor expected from me, I knew I needed to steer this conversation away from whatever the heck that was and more toward the urgent topic at hand.
The thought of what I needed to do didn't calm my nerves at what I was about to do.
What if they take greater offense to what I'm going to say then I mean? What if they demand something in return?
Taking in a steadying breath as I pushed those thoughts away, I make the metaphorical leap of faith.
"However, I'm going to be completely honest here. That presentation was completely unproductive."
As Sif translated, I continued on before the reactions of my words even reached their faces.
"You and I both know we aren't here for your melons and fruits. My ship arriving here will have massive, far reaching consequences across both our societies. The first thing, in my opinion, that we should be focused on is good communications between us and the common ground between our peoples so we can form good relations… not how pretty your planet is."
Thankfully, the more I spoke my mind, the more sure of myself I became. Leaning forward, I place my elbows on the polished wooden table as I continue.
"I am not a farmer, nor are any of the people on my ship. We will find no common ground through the growing of plants or the tending of fields. I am a commander of thousands, sent to patrol the outer borders of my government's territory for any pirates or brigands that might be causing trouble. We found some, but sadly so did you."
Glancing over to Avery as my words were relayed, I watched as he flicked his eyes over to me once the point was made.
"I would like to apologize for any harm that came to you from Chur'R Yar's actions and start fresh between us… but I would like to give you a warning first before we go any further."
Fixing them all with as serious of a look as I could give them, I pause for a moment so they could catch up.
"In the history of my society, we have met several different species." I gesture towards Dimyap and Timore before settling my hand on my own chest. "Each and every time, the contact has devolved into a war of assimilation. While I do not wish for it, and will do everything in my power to promote peace between us, I will eventually need to contact my government about what we have come across. Once I do, the result will be out of my hands."
Gritting my teeth, I remember the sight of my own home being bombed when I was younger. Plasma torpedoes being launched by a fleet onto an unsuspecting city below as I sat helpless in the copilot's chair of my mother's ship.
"Your people need to be ready. I am not a diplomat, nor am I the official representative of my government. I have come here out of a kindness to you, to warn you so you can fully prepare for what is to come. Sitting here and attempting to judge our reaction to songs over presentations of your planet will get us nowhere."
The Governor sat there floundering for a moment. He didn't appear to know exactly what to say, which only proved to me that he was both the one calling the shots, and the one that didn't quite know the gravity of what was happening.
In the tense silence, the human female seemed to take charge as she began to speak, which was then translated by Sif for my friends and I.
"~Our deepest apologies, Shipmistress. I agree completely with your assessment. Since you have more experience in this regard, perhaps you wish to take the lead in these talks?~"
I watched closely as the Governor seemed a bit dejected and scandalized at how quickly he was brushed aside. I knew at some point I would need to do something more than compliment his music presentation to appease him. Sadly, right now there were a few topics I needed to get to.
After waiting for the AI to finish translating, I smile.
"If that would be agreeable. There are a few things I would like to clarify before we go any further."
Tapping my claws on the table, I heard the sound of someone biting into fruit next to me. Flicking my eyes over for only a second, I saw as Nath nearly inhaled a melon in three bites. Shaking my head, I return to the discussion at hand.
"We need to straighten out the boundaries and rules between us for the duration of our stay. This is your planet, and I respect that you will have some rules we need to follow. However, just judging from our orbital scan, this world isn't exactly a densely populated one."
Fixing them with the most stern look I could through my optics, I puff my feathers out and sit a bit straighter as I announce the next part of my little tirade.
"I am temporarily claiming the abandoned area directly below my ship for my own as a base of operations. Other than our landing zone, I need to know where we can go and where we can't. I do not wish to cause the people of this planet undue alarm, and mingling among the non combatants while fully armed seems like a bad idea."
Surprisingly, Dimyap decided to add his own thoughts on the matter.
"We have also detected several holy artifacts left behind by our gods hidden amongst you as well. At some point we will need to examine them for further study…"
Eyeing the unggoy suspiciously for a moment, I watch as he shifts nervously under my gaze before glancing down to his wrist where a small screen resided. I watch passively as my battle network sends some private communications to my optics.
"There are different symbols than just the ones following this species. There are several artifact sites on the surface that are seemingly abandoned that I wish to examine, Shipmistress."
A bit surprised at the knowledge, I began to signal back to him silently over the battle network.
"And when were you going to inform me of this?"
The unggoy gave me a nervous eye smile though his gas mask.
"I just noticed them before you pulled me from my work. As far as I can tell, there is a large site near the northern pole of this planet. At some point we will need to study it… assuming you aren't going to call the ministry."
The single female among the group seems to have taken complete charge of the situation as she pondered amongst her peers for a moment before she began to speak. Moments later, Sif translated.
"~If you and your company would be so generous to give us a moment to discuss what you have revealed and how we will continue, we would be very grateful.~"
Nodding, I wave a hand absentmindedly toward the humans.
After all, it's their planet.
Glancing over to Nath, I saw him continuing to stuff his face with whatever he managed to get his talons on. Thankfully, the table was well stocked so his excessive appetite wasn't an issue.
The rest of my group appeared tense, but bored. I could tell that this was not how any of them expected this meeting to go.
While the warriors appeared tense, it seemed that even Dimyap was bored. I watched as he twiddled his chitinous thumbs around, waiting for anything to happen as the humans discussed amongst themselves.
Which seem to be heating up a bit…
It seems as if there are two groups of humans on different sides of some kind of argument now. The Governor and his suited companion versus the female and the two military men.
"~We need to make them feel welcome! It will be a disaster if the only thing they can report back to their government is how bad of hosts we are!~"
The female adjusted herself on her chair to turn toward the overweight human.
"~With all due respect Governor, that alien just warned you that an army might be on it's way! We need to warn Fleetcom and request for reinforcements and a real diplomatic envoy!~"
Johnson cut in, deciding to add his own two cents.
"~While I agree, we need to figure out exactly what these aliens can do while we can. These ones seem peaceful enough, so maybe this is a good opportunity to assess their technology and tactics?~"
The conversation seemed to go on for quite a while like that, with Thune resisting any and all efforts to convince him to call for UNSC reinforcements. The strange resistance for more support was a bit confusing, but considering I didn't know much about his political situations…
They aren't the only ones that need to learn about the other.
The Governor seems to become a bit more serious, his smile becoming a bit strained as he turns to his military companions.
"~While I understand all of your points of view, the fact of the matter is that this isn't a military colony, and nor are the people here a standing army. If peaceful relations are to continue with these aliens, then they need to understand who exactly they are talking to! I refuse to let Harvest devolve into a glorified military outpost!~"
My eavesdropping was interrupted as I heard my deacon speak up beside me.
"Are these fruits any good?"
When the response from Nath, he was surprisingly serious.
"This is the best fruit I've ever tasted…"
The entire table seemed surprised at that, as we all turned to look towards the melons on the table. The green spheres were definitely plentiful here, and it wasn't long before everyone's carefully rationed stomachs reacted to the ruuhtian's words.
"Broouuu?"
Except for Floats, who picked one up in his many tentacles for examination.
"Really?"
Glancing over, I watch as Dimyap carefully removes his rebreather for only a moment as he reaches for one of the melon slices on the table. Quickly taking a bite, he slips the mask back over his mouth before chewing happily. After a few seconds, he turns back to the navigator.
"You're right! These are good!"
I watch patiently as my company, including Ussa, slowly devour the bounty in front of us. The horrid manners that Nath and Dimyap showed were embarrassing, but thankfully the humans didn't seem to mind as they continued their conversation.
"~-long as they are under supervision, the terms seem agreeable.~"
Blinking, I return my full attention to the conversation. At this point I am glad for my helmet blocking my eyes, as I am sure that my attention and comprehension of their language would have shown clearly otherwise as I follow the discussion closely.
I wonder how long I will need to wait before it seems normal for me to at least understand the language? Would 'learning' it too quickly intimidate them?
Politics are frustrating.
Byrne seems to butt in, waving his hand absentmindedly toward the direction we came from.
"~And who exactly would be 'supervising' them? In case you forgot, the only military force we have here is a bunch of barely trained green farm boys! If these aliens decide to take over, I don't think we can do much to stop them!~"
Restraining myself from reacting, I shift a bit in my seat. That information was useful, but disheartening.
I need to delay reporting this to the Ministry as long as possible then. A Covenant war fleet showing up here would be a slaughter if all they have is a small militia.
Johnson decided to cut in, his tone somber but determined as he turned to face me directly. His eyes bore into me with a fire that I have only seen in the most hardened of warriors.
"~We can hold them off.~"
Silence came and went between the humans before the suited human interrupted it.
"~Let's hope it doesn't come to that.~"
The two military men show their scepticism as to his optimism as they both shake their heads. Their pessimistic moods were interrupted as the human female cut in.
"~Perhaps we can use the cultural exchange they wish for to our advantage…~"
Thune pulled himself out of his agitated mood at those words, focusing on the female.
"~How so?~"
Jilian gestures towards us with her hand, causing me to begin to grow frustrated. Sure, for all they knew we couldn't understand them, but with the sheer amount of physical gestures toward us, it was beginning to get annoying.
"~Since they are of their own military, perhaps we can gain a bit of knowledge of what we might be up against in a war with a joint training exercise with the militia? Would your men be up for it Johnson?~"
The tone suggested that he would be up for it if he wanted to or not.
This must be the infamous 'Ma'am' from the ship… A military commander?
Johnson gritted his teeth as he glanced away from the woman towards the still angry looking Timore.
"~All due respect ma'am. I don't think putting a fresh out of training colonial militia against these guys,~" He tilted his head towards our side of the table. "~Is the best idea if we wish to show common strength.~"
The suited human decided to make his own thoughts known.
"~Who said it needed to be a combat drill or a war game?~" He said a bit sheepishly as all of the humans present turned to him. After a moment, he gained a bit of courage and continued. "~The footage of first contact had… The Shipmistress using some kind of rifle right? Why don't we take a page out of the ancient times and do something similar to an archery contest, but with guns?~"
Thune perks up, apparently happy to have something to contribute.
"~A marksmanship contest? What a wonderful idea! Even with the main event being something more militaristic, we can show off much more than just shooting rifles at an event like that… and I know just where to host it!~"
A marksmanship contest? Oh bring it on!
"It seems this species doesn't have a similar governmental structure to any of our member species."
Hearing Ussa speak up for the first time since introductions, I turn toward him.
"How do you mean?"
I saw as one of his reptilian eyes glanced down toward me.
"Their leader appears to be overweight, skittish, and inexperienced in any form of combat… or even conflict. By all intents and purposes, if they had a similar way of choosing their leaders, then that one would be who we are talking to." He said, gesturing toward Avery.
I tried to think back to what I could remember from both the games and my old life about anything related to human governance, but I was drawing a blank. I didn't remember a single thing about it, and I knew I would need to rectify that as soon as I could.
Shrugging, I decided to respond to this line of thought with the first comparison that came to mind.
"Perhaps, but that isn't too surprising is it? Our own government is led by the san'shyuum, and they aren't exactly known to be the most hardy or warlike species out there."
A soft grunt was the only response I got as the sangheili seemed to get lost in his own thoughts.
"~What about their so-called 'holy sites' that they want to investigate? Any idea what those might be~"
The question remained in silence for a few moments, but Jilian quickly responded.
"~One thing at a time. First we need to see what we are up against if they turn hostile.~"
Governor Thune adjusted his weight in his seat, another bright smile on his face.
"~So we are in agreement then?~"
The humans all gave their assent, before Thune turned to Sif to have their desires translated.
"We have agreed on how to proceed. If your people are so willing…"
(\\\(*v*)/)
"I like to think that went well!"
"Chmee thoo."
Looking over to Nath, I shook my head in amusement as he continued to shovel fruit into his mouth. His arms were still cradling the food possessively as he chewed away blissfully.
Thankfully, Floats informed me that after a quick examination of the fruit, none of it was poisonous. Something I wish I thought of before half my company ate the things.
The scene in the phantom was peaceful, with everyone leaving the meeting without any further incidents.
Negotiations went on for quite some time, with the basic rules and expectations of our visit being set. Essentially, it boiled down to the Governor giving us the land directly around our ship for our own purposes, but under no uncertain terms were we allowed to instigate a conflict.
It boiled down to a catch and release policy for any humans that came too close. Something I already implemented among my crew, so thankfully we were in agreement.
Any time we were to leave that area, we would need to be escorted by the human 'warriors'. The rule made sense, but after overhearing exactly who they were, the untrained and skittish behavior became more apparent when we returned to the phantom for departure.
I hope they won't become an issue later.
After swallowing the majority of an entire melon, my navigator turned back to me.
"So, who are you sending for that contest?
The contest.
I still didn't quite know what they were readying for us, but to be fair I don't think they quite knew yet either. The preparations apparently would take a few local days to get ready, but that was perfectly fine with me.
For the first time in a while, I was able to relax. The shadow of war wasn't hanging over my head, as the talks had ended without any weapons being drawn.
"I don't know. Perhaps I'll hold a contest of my own to find out?"
Maybe I will. If it's a friendly marksmanship contest, I would love to test myself against them…
The ruuhtian laughed, pointing at me with another local fruit.
"I know that look. I remember it from our training days."
My friend scooted closer, nudging me with his arm.
"Just know, if you do end up showing these aliens who's the best shot in the galaxy, I will be right there next to you to cheer you on!"
Dimyap chimed in, his lighter voice sounding downright scandalized.
"Oh please. You only want to swindle the aliens out of their money!"
The ruuhtian turned to the unggoy swiftly, pointing his melon in a threatening manner to the obviously smiling unggoy.
"Don't you bring logic and facts into this!"
Laughter filled the compartment from my friends, with the deep baritone chuckles from Timore all the way to the light chirps from Floats. Even a small laugh bubbled up from me, though I knew that the situation was much more serious than simple games and fun.
My eyes turned to Ussa who was staring towards me with a serious expression on his face. He was the only one out of the group that knew my deepest fears.
The stark reminder of what was at stake sobered my mood. I couldn't afford to make any mistakes from here on, but I was immensely thankful that the first step was successful.
I never heard of a peaceful first contact from my old memories. Nothing I saw suggested that anything like what we just went through happened. That alone told me that I was already changing things for the better. The tense, but overall uneventful meeting we just came from was a large step towards avoiding a massive conflict.
Giving my sangheili friend a reassuring smile, I watch as his tense muscles relax. The lightening of the mood lifted a weight on my own shoulders I didn't even know was there.
Looking around to my smiling and happy friends, I felt myself losing the will to remain stoic. I watched as Nath attempted to protect his hoard of melons from a particularly grabby Floats, who wished to study the fruit a bit more closely. The two ended up chasing each other around the compartment, one screeching in protest as a persistent engineer chased him around.
This. This was what I have been trying to achieve over the last two years on my ship. The level of friendship and trust between these vastly different people couldn't be measured, but it was visible for anyone who cared to look for it. I would trust every single one of the people in this phantom with my life, and I'm sure they would say the same about me.
They may not be the strongest, or the most skilled, or the best, but they were my friends… and I knew that as long as I had my friends, I could handle whatever came next.
—Author's Note—
Oh. My. God.
That chapter… oh my god.
Alright so, this chapter right here is the idea that spawned the entire fanfiction. This entire thing started with my brain going "what if Maccabaeus wasn't the one that initiated first contact." Absolutely everything else came with my imagination running wild from there.
I rewrote this chapter, I want to say 6 times now? Every time I felt like it was either wrong, flat, stupid, or the canon characters weren't written correctly. Even here, I hate how I portrayed some of the talks as Sohm took charge, but something needed to happen, and I forced this through.
I really hope you guys like this, because the writers block hit me REALLY hard here.
Don't worry, I'll get over the problem of needing Sif to translate everything soon enough. Honestly, I just want to avoid having Sohm automatically be able to speak English because it would raise so many awkward questions. ONI would have a field day with something like that lol.
Anyway, in case you guys didn't notice, I had a block so bad on this that I ended up starting another fanfiction and getting over 20k words into it via sheer creative frustration. If you haven't checked that fic out yet, please do!
Please, review this one. This is one of the few chapters that I really want to hear what you guys think. I think this is the first real time that Sohm interacts with a bunch of human characters from canon, and I want to know if it felt like it should… if that even makes any sense.
Thank you all for reading, and if you like the fic, consider giving me a follow and a favorite!