Chapter Thirty-Eight: When You're Busy Making Other Plans, Part One

1218 Hours, August 3, 2561. Vettel Keep, Qivro, Planet Sanghelios. Day Thirty-Two of the Enemy of My Enemy

I didn't know why I thought the briefing with the Elites would be less tumultuous, but I did.

Apparently, I'd been very wrong about that.

"I cannot believe what you did at the portal site, Torran," Sennu was saying to him. "We went over this more than once, in this very chamber. By ourselves and with the humans. With the colonel and the commander. Why would you defy us, me, in that way? What have you to say?"

"I am in charge of military operations," Torran said matter-of-factly, completely unfazed. "When confronted with the situation, I did not view things the way you did. The kaidon would have - "

"The kaidon is not here," Sennu pushed back. "I am. And it was not your place to decide that on your own."

Torran stepped forward, appearing to stand taller. "In the end I made no such decision. The humans assured the plan went as you had declared."

Sennu stared at him for a long moment. Finally, she said, "To whom do you pledge your allegiance, Torran?"

"To the Swords and to the keep. You know this."

"Then you may want to act in the interest of those you say you serve, brother."

Though not directed at me, Torran's growl sent a chill down my spine. I instantly remembered how tough it had been fighting Elites on the frontlines during the War. "My actions always speak for me, Sennu," he responded.

"Okay, okay," I said, mustering up the courage to stand between two beings that towered over me - one more than the other. I felt a little like an ant getting between two birds as they fought over crumbs. "I can see there's some...tension here about who's calling the shots. We have our own disagreements from time to time as well." As I said this, I glanced back at Mark, who, rather than hearing my words, looked momentarily stricken at the position I'd put myself in. "But realize that this solves nothing. This is just a pissing contest for something that's already happened. Torran, the portal is gone. Let it go." I faced the kaidon's wife now. "And Sennu, we did exactly what you asked us to, even if Torran took some convincing to get on board at the end. My brother and I are here to discuss what happens next. What are you planning on doing about the Sangheili that want to kill us?"

Torran clicked his mandibles, not missing a beat. "We kill them."

I brought a hand up to my face - carefully, so the Sangheili guards around us didn't see it as a threat. "Yes, Torran. I meant how. What's your plan?"

Sennu took this one. "We have our scouts watching and listening. As you have yours, Commander," she said, glancing at my brother. "We too have heard whisperings that the civil war is on its way. But so far, we have seen nothing. I believe it wise to take care of the remainder of the human rebels first, as they are the more tangible threat at this time."

I had to work not to look at Mark and say, "I told you so." As it was, my older brother folded his arms across his chest and avoided my gaze.

"All right," I finally said. "But it's been two weeks of nothing so far. So when you do hear anything, you'll let us know - "

"Not nothing, ma'am."

All of us turned to face the newcomer in the room. He stood near the saga wall, helmet in hand, SMG slung over his shoulder, and still wearing his flightsuit. He looked to me first. "Cooper, I've got some news that you might want to impart to the Elites here."

"Who is this, Colonel?" Sennu said, coming forward. Her guards followed.

"Major Hawk. My air commander," I answered, suddenly fearing for my husband's safety.

Willis held his hands up to keep from being cornered. "It's okay. I spoke to the guards outside. They let me in. And I apologize for intruding on the meeting, but I think you'll want to hear this." He looked at Sennu and Torran, then me and Mark. "All of you."

"Go on," Sennu prompted.

I waited until she waved off her guards to breathe a sigh of relief. Whatever our troubles, I wasn't going to stand by and let Willis get attacked, even if what he'd done by barging in here was foolish. I was glad no one would have to draw their weapons today. But I'd always be ready to protect my children's father.

Apparently Willis was just as aware of the close call, since he licked his lips before speaking. "I was just out on an aerial recon with my squadrons, per Lieutenant Colonel Cooper's orders. We've found evidence of a human hideout about thirty klicks north of here." With that he met my gaze. "I have to think that's where Laraza's hiding."

"Laraza? The rogue human leader?" Sennu asked.

"Yes," Willis, Mark, and I said at the same time.

"I've already notified Lloyd," Willis said to Mark and I. "He's getting his spook team ready to get some numbers and the layout on the ground. But if we do more than that, we'll need the Elites' help. Your help," he said to Sennu and Torran.

Torran stood off to the side, watching the exchange but staying silent. Sennu paused for a moment before responding.

"Then, to borrow a human phrase, what are we waiting for?"

During the rest of the meeting, Sennu gave Torran clearance to get a team of Elites together to help us go after Laraza. In the meantime, I issued orders to my regiment while still inside the common room, ensuring Major Delaney kept things flowing here at the keep while Major Mullen prepared his battalion for an assault. Major Murphy and the 8th Engineers were to remain in reserve for now, and keep up the routine patrols and construction efforts within the keep.

All sides acknowledged that a coordinated attack would take time, but that we also didn't want to waste too much of it. I knew the Insurgents could move again, or decide to strike first, if we waited too long. However, I did still want to make sure this was real - that this was it - before committing all our combined troops to this single endeavor. So, to that end, we'd agreed to wait for Cal's team to come back first with a more detailed report. The idea was that the joint strike would take place no later than the end of the week - preferably sooner.

It wasn't a surprise then with all the goings-on that I left the briefing with the Elites feeling on edge. If I had to admit it, I was even still feeling harried over Willis's run in with the guards. It would've been an utter mess if he'd truly been attacked. I would've been a mess. And it would have definitely meant that our fragile alliance was over. For good.

"Natalie, wait up!"

I turned to see Willis coming up behind me now. He had to jog a few steps to catch up.

"Where'd your brother peel off to?"

"Talk with Lloyd, he said," I answered. "Cal said he needed to act fast and that the rebs were more his specialty anyway, but Mark wants to be kept in the loop."

"Understandable."

"What else can you tell me about what you saw?"

It felt like we'd entered a bizarre neutral state inside the chamber. Suddenly our personal squabbles didn't matter. This did.

What I'd felt when I thought he might get hurt did.

"Not much." Willis scratched his head, the dark gold in his short hair reflecting off the midday sunlight. "It was a stone building, like the keep. Like everything around here. No gateway around that one, though, and nothing else. It wasn't in a field, either, like here. The trees were thicker so it was hard to spot." He glanced down at his boots. "I just saw the outline of the building, but there were definitely troops in the surroundings. Electronics identified them as human, not Sangheili. And it's not us, so..."

"So it's gotta be the rebs."

"Yeah."

We were both quiet for a moment, despite the activity around us. Sangheili going about their daily tasks inside the keep as we walked back to our side - the UNSC side - of the courtyard.

Finally, I asked, "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Just...walk right into the chamber. You could've - you should have known that'd be dangerous."

"I did, but I felt like the news was urgent enough."

I stopped walking then and faced him. "Urgent enough to get you killed? Jesus, Will. If nothing else makes you hesitate, think of our four kids, and how they might maybe want you to stick around."

Instead of getting upset at the rebuke, Willis suddenly smirked behind his sunglasses. "You were worried about me. Admit it."

"I was. Am." I released a sigh. "And I have no problem saying that to you. Whatever you might feel...or don't, I still love you. I don't want to see you get hurt, and I don't want our kids to have to live without you. So just...be careful next time."

"Will do."

We continued walking until he stopped outside his quarters - my former quarters, which he'd commandeered. I hadn't even realized that was the direction we'd been walking in. I felt a stab of pain in my chest, that this was where we'd be leaving things, for who knows how long again.

Until Willis surprised me by putting an arm around my shoulders. He pulled me closer and kissed the side of my head.

"I still love you, too, Natalie."

And with that, he let me go and went inside.

I couldn't sleep that night. Cal's team still hadn't come back yet, or radioed in, and I was worried about what they'd found. If they'd encountered resistance. I was worried about the Sangheili we knew were out there and wanted us dead, and that we didn't know how close or far they were. I was worried about me and Willis, and our kids back home, and even for Torran and Sennu and the keep - for what had been our home for almost the past month.

So many plates to juggle, and so much that fell on me. It was relentless.

Presently I lay on my cot in my brother's room, ready for bed but my mind continued to wander. The lights were out and I was dressed in my T-shirt and PT shorts under the blanket, rather than my usual shirt and underwear, since I was rooming with Mark. I couldn't get comfortable on my back so I turned to my right side, then my left, until I finally sat up.

"Nat," my big brother said sleepily from his bunk, "What's wrong?"

"Can't sleep," I replied, slowly laying back down with my arms behind my head, now that I'd gotten his attention. I stared at up the ceiling in the dark. "Have you heard from Cal yet?"

He rolled over in his bed to check his datapad on the desk beside him. "Nothing, sis. I bet we won't hear anything till morning. Lloyd told me his team is valuing stealth over speed, which I agreed with, so don't expect too much tonight." Finally I heard him sit up for a minute, too. "What's this really about?"

I thought about telling him about Willis, and what had happened today. That he'd almost been attacked, maybe killed, and that he'd kissed me goodbye after the briefing. Sort of. But it was too much to sort out in my head right now, so I remained silent. "Nothing, big bro. Go back to sleep."