Two Hours Later

"This is atrocious. Simply atrocious, if, at the same time, ridiculous." Mlaq uttered, somewhat humbly and disapprovingly.

"It's been that way for 27 years." Keyes sighed, taking a final puff from his pipe.

"As a democracy, that is against everything we uphold. That being said, we are held together by morals and rights, one of them being the separation of state and religion."

"Secularism."

"Exactly. You know of democracy as well?"

"Before the war, hell even before we became a spaceferrying species, we had plenty of democratic nations. Everything from constitutions, presidents, prime ministers, parliaments, federations, states, republics, and so much more. We can talk all day about democracy, but you will not believe how relieved we are to find an alien species that isn't TRYING to kill us."

"You only been to war with one - your very first contact. But you are fortunate as much as us. Up to this point, we had encountered nothing more than space whales, amoebas, and crystals, most of which have proven to be harmless, nomadic, both, or, at worst, surprisingly hostile if not detrimental. You are perhaps the first sentient species we have encountered and successfully contacted."

"Why thank you. Perhaps we have much more in common than I thought."

"Still, I can't understand why this Covenant would choose to wage a war in the name of their 'mandates' and 'gods'. I mean, nobody is perfect, as we tuvoqs had our own greatest and darkest periods, both for and against good and bad. But you don't need industrialized murder or to build walls to make and keep the peace."

"Heh, try saying all that to the Covenant." Keyes scoffed under his breath as he reached for a handkerchief and dumped the burnt tobacco in it.

"I imagine that some of their citizens are beginning or already questioning this supposed 'crusade'. After all, 27 years is an awful amount of time to think about things."

"I'm sure there is, but we still don't know much."

"In that much time, we would have had five prime ministers or one serving five terms. No matter how you put it, change happens quickly when time is ignored outright. Speaking of which, do you believe that the Covenant is still trying to find you?"

"Very much."

"Then I believe you have made an ally. Only if we can contact the rest of your people, we can help you stand against the face of unwarranted genocide. And as another democracy speaking to another, it is our duty to protect free and responsible societies."

Much to the bipedal secretary bird's surprise, Keyes chuckled inaudibly.

"I don't mean to inquisitively inquire, but I beg your pardon?"

"I'm sure you understand that freedom goes both ways."

"I do. Vigilance is the price every responsible nation needs to pay. After all, freedom is NEVER free."

"As those who cloth themselves in good deeds are well camouflaged."

For a moment, neither captain said anything, but there was an uncomfortable tinge of tension.

"I don't mean to strike a chord, if you know what I mean." Keyes humbly apologized.

"We had a ... few ... prime ministers who've fit that description in the past 50 years."

"Hmm, Putin..."

"Huh?"

"Oh, sorry about that. I was mulling around in thought."

"Captain Keyes, I would love for our people to trust each other. Although, I admit, my questioning and intrigue has been, for the lack of better words, tedious, I don't want to be killing innocent people, especially those involved in an ongoing war."

"I appreciate and understand your suspicions. In fact, I would be doing the same thing as well. Say, it doesn't look like this star system has much traffic."

"That's because we began a survey about a month ago. The planet we're orbiting, Nivay VI, was scanned and charted ten days ago. If I may indulge you, Naviy VI is a potential habitable world for the USS."

Suddenly, Cortana chimed in, "Let me guess. Nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere, 0.9 Earth gravity, low volcanic activity, supercontinent, and numerous traces of complex silicones?"

"You guessed it. Come to think of it, even though I'm no geologist, that silicon can explain those giant mountains and cliffs."

"Huh..." Keyes hummed curiously, "Reminds me of Reach."

"Sorry, what was that?" Mlaq tilted his head to the slight left.

"Never mind. That's ... another story I will tell ... in another time."

"Fair enough."

"..."

"Hmm, what was the last time you been in a battle?"

"Huh, oh! Twelve hours ago."

"Twelve hours?"

"Indeed. Why you ask?"

"Well, during our conversation, our own scanners have detected some nasty grazes and scorches around your aft and sides. If I was to wager, either you were running for your life or somebody got the jump on you."

"Both, actually."

"Huh, that must've been quite a lot of firepower."

"Not really, I'm afraid. Keep in mind, I had more than 58 ships bearing down on me before I made the jump."

"58 against one? If that's not unfair, I don't know what is. Even with deflectors, you would barely withstand a salvo from three to five ships at best."

"I wish things were like that, but we don't have deflectors."

Mlaq was about to speak, but hearing the blatant confession coming from his human counterpart instantly silenced him.

Almost immediately, Keyes felt and saw the awkwardness and horror from his avian counterpart. Even if he couldn't read the male, bipedal, secretary bird's face, the aura emanating from him was enough for both sides to blink at each other a dozen times. Not even the four AIs said anything, especially Cortana, who was trying to read Mlaq.

"Captain Lanich?" Keyes pondered concerningly, "Have I unknowingly, with all due respect, struck a nerve?"

"Struck ... a nerve?"

"Uh, infuriated you."

"Oh, no, not at all!" Mlaq curtly, albeit cordially, nodded vertically, "However, it's not myself you should be worried about. What is most concerning is the lack of any shielding technology on your ship."

"Yeah..." Keyes uttered inaudibly, slightly drooping his head as he continued to pace left and right.

"That might explain for the angular ironclad characteristics of your ship's design. If me and my compatriots are looking at this correctly, this is a ship meant for war so as long as they had mass drivers and missiles."

"Huh, that's some pretty detailed intelligence."

"Knowing everything is our job, so that not only we know what we're going up against, but if we are to help you, we would know where to protect you."

"That's very kind of you. In fact, I think it's fair that I may return the favor as well." Keyes metaphorically jabbed back with a jocular undertone; however, he needed to momentarily clear his throat before he continued, "Cortana, if you please."

"It seems that you have closer ties to your avian ancestry, which hereby upholds the greatest strengths of all: speed, sleekness, and simplicity. Your ships are curvaceous and streamlined, not dissimilar to the bulbous shapes of Covenant ship designs. Fascinating, however, to how uncomplicated and clean you keep your exteriors, not in terms of cleanliness, of course, but of weaponry and equipment. From an earlier analysis, you have all-laser weaponry, but I'm confounded by these so-called 'deflectors'."

"Deflectors are unlike the 'shields' of Covenants ships." Mlaq began to elaborate, "The reason that you're not detecting our deflectors is because it only appears whenever the hull detects an energy or impact signature. To put it in perspective, it's like comparing stone to water. In essence, deflectors deflect the energy across a large surface area as oppose to outright stopping it as seen with shields."

"Oh, no wonder I couldn't detect any energy signatures ... besides those three large turrets."

"Ah, you must be talking about our x-ray lasers."

Before Cortana opened her lips, Keyes cough abruptly, surprisingly gruff and mystified in his voice, "I beg your pardon, did I hear 'x-ray' lasers?"

"Indeed. You sound surprised."

"Well by golly, with that kind of weaponry, you wouldn't even need to melt through our hull; the sheer amount of radiation from those x-rays alone can poison us to death."

"That's the beauty of it. On a low power setting, it can do exactly would you described. But with all due respect, please don't ask me what it will do beyond that - the thought of its destructive power frightens me."

"I take it that you don't like to use it lest it's necessary."

"You couldn't have described it any better. Rest assured, however, as we have the medical and scientific equipment for such an occasion."

"Before you play with fire, you need to know how to control and extinguish it."

"Captain Keyes, you're a fast learner." Mlaq complimented jollily and humbily.

"It's what kept me and my sailors alive for-"

"Uh, hold on a second." Mlaq unexpectedly interrupted, turning his head over his left shoulder for a moment before swiveling back, "Mr Keyes, we're detecting incoming energy buildups on our subspace sensors."

"Where?"

"Directly behind you, it's not our own."

"They found us."

"We'll cover you as you turn around." Then, looking over his right shoulder, Mlaq spoke offscreen, which was inadvertently translated, "-tain a secure line. We need them to see what we're seeing."

"Cortana, report." Captain Keyes commanded sternly, ignoring Mlaq's banter offscreen.

Subtly snapping to attention, Cortana turned to a display screen, "I've isolated approach signatures for multiple CCS-class battle groups: make it three capitol ships per group. In five minutes, they'll be all over us."

"Well. That's it then. Raise the ship to TAC CON Alpha 1." Afterwards, upon Cortana nodding, Keyes redirected his voice, "Mlaq, I assume you're preparing for battle."

"Negative."

For a moment, a gasp-frown formed on the 6'4ft tall human, but Mlaq quickly added, "Until they fire upon us first, the best I can do is divert all power to our deflectors."

"The Covenant shows no mercy to those who stand in their way." Cortana stoically refuted, exchanging a grim reminder to the 5'4ft tall bipedal secretary bird, "It's a necessity that you prepare your weapons."

"I appreciate your concerns, but defense will make the best offense, if you know what I mean."

"Still," Keyes added, "You shouldn't be so naïve. No offense."

"None taken." Mlaq respectfully uttered, though a pint of annoyance slipped into his undertone, "Come to think of it, we tuvoqs know very little of the Covenant's naval capabilities."

"I can have Cortana send you as much as data as possible, but we don't have much time for any coordinate defenses or strategies."

"Then I'll make time for us."

"Mlaq, you're no god."

"So are you, Keyes."

"..."

"With no time, neither of us can plan anything. With no plan, none of us will make it out alive. So what I'm going to do is transfer you and your officers on a secure line with my two other captains, Gr'm and Dh'aak. From there, we're going to pool our resources together to combat this armada."

"The Covenant might be listening on our conversations." Cortana worried, "Is there any chance we can limit communications between me and your AIs?"

"That won't be entirely necessary. I'll send word to assign every SD programme at our disposal; you will be able to freely exchange data through our encryptions as well."

"I hope you're right."

"I'm sure of it."

"Well, that's fine and dandy," Keyes sighed somewhat doubtfully, "But I'm afraid we're completely out of time."

"I'm going to get on the line with their flagship and stall them for time. If they're going to shoot you, they'll have to get through me and my people first. Just tell how much time you need, and I can give it to you."

"Four hours."

"Four ... hours ... ?"

"Four hours is all I need to brief and formulate our collective survival."

"Fair enough, you have my honor and trust. Mlaq out."

"Wait..."

"Hmm?"

"You're going up against a warrior culture, so be prepared for a 'heated' reception."

"Thank you, it will be noted. Mlaq out."

Seconds later, the holographic screen disappeared.