2976.266
Capitol District, Daiban
Al'kya System
Seated behind the lacquered wood desk, his chair leaned back as he anxiously ran a hand through his long pale green-white braid of skin tendrils, Arba'dos Kea'ton breathed in, trying to calm his nerves. He had just spent three hours arguing with the Secretary of Military Oversight and Defense Affairs over his plan to meet with the heads of the human and Sangheili militaries regarding the matter of the Kromus build ups. Secretary Holdon had insisted that the Federation needed to clamp down direct control over all defense and militia assets within their borders, centralize the military power.
The only end to that Kea'ton foresaw was a reliance on D-MODA's own authority to delegate any matter of defense, and also making coordination of Expansion Region defenses near impossible due to communication delays. It also would attempt to cut the Sangheili out of the region, a violation of their treaties and alliances with Sol Sector.
Rather convenient for Holdon and her department, he reflected, to place all that power into her hands. And a surefire way to ruin their relations with Sangheilios. Which was exactly why the Mantu had adamantly refused the idea. Sometimes Kea'ton wondered why he had appointed her and not another qualified candidate to his cabinet when he had been elected those sixteen cycles ago.
"Chairman, Arbiter Sal 'Narai of Sangheilios has arrived on planet, General Morris is expecting to reach Al'kya space within the next hour."
A slow nod, mostly to himself as Arba'dos Kea'ton turned his gaze to the holographic virtual intelligence assistant. "Thank you, Sel'ta. Make sure Arbiter 'Narai is given the designated accommodations, and make sure General Morris is equally received for his stay on Daiban."
"There was an update from General Morris as they were enroute, Chairman." The holographic Yl'fyn assistant paused, processing her records before continuing. "TCS Concordia requests additional attendance of Admiral Dane, Commander Malkovich, and one...Samus Aran."
Kea'ton hesitated. The name Aran seemed familiar. From the war, now that he considered it. One of the first ÆSIRs that Terra produced in the crisis. The war hero then? It would not be unusual to his knowledge of Terran military operations to bring a veteran of such experience back to the field to command in a new conflict. But something of that bothered Kea'ton on the tip of his thoughts.
"Additional clearance approved," the chairman finally responded as he stood up and became to head for the doorway of his office. "Advise Chief Hardy of the additional attendees, and alert docking that I and my escorts are on the way to greet Arbiter Sal 'Narai."
"Excellent, sir. Generating notifications."
The doors slid open with a soft hiss to reveal Kea'ton's escorts waiting for him as expected. The diminutive Mantu nodded before leading a pair of Congress guards down the grand hall, reaching the main lift at the end and waiting as the platform rose from the lower levels. "I expect all respect will be afforded the Arbiter and his companions," Kea'ton intoned, yet not looking to either member of his security detail, one of whom was a Yonhet who looked confused. "I'm aware of your peoples' pasts with the Sangheili when the San'shyuum reigned over the Covenant, but that was over four centuries ago, and old grudges must die sometime."
"I don't have any issue with the Sangheili myself, Chairman," the Yonhet replied in the same confused expression. "They helped defend the Orion Spur during the Machine War, and they aided us against the Kromus."
"I just tend not to trust a species that demands sovereignty apart from the Federation, yet also insists on privileges and unique treatments." That guard would have been a Divolu. Expected from their kind. "Their records of history no doubt will paint them as manipulated victims, but their kind were the elite enforcers and military commanders of the Covenant for uncounted centuries, if not millennia. They were no victims and should never be trusted as a species."
After four centuries, this was where they were at. Entire species blamed still for the errors of their ancestors, judgements made on acts done before any of them had been born. Blaming those who's only "crime" was the species they were born to.
The same way many treated the Terrans in spite of how much the descendants of Sol had been nearly wiped out over and over in defense of the entire known galaxy. An ungrateful union had the Federation proven itself to be.
"Remember that sentiment the next time a Kromus ship is pouring plasma bombs down on your planets and you must watch entire worlds die." The Mantu said no more once the lift platform had arrived, merely entering the elevation unit and awaiting his escort. "Main hanger."
"As requested, Chairman Kea'ton."
To say that the Sangheili were isolationist as a people would not be mistaken, but it would also be a gross simplification of their position with the Orion Spur and the Galactic Federation that lay within it. They were, regardless of the great distances that separated their core systems from the Orion Spur, considered invaluable allies by the Confederation, and still had their own proper territories within the region.
Yet old memories still lingered centuries after those involved in events long passed were dead and buried. The founder worlds of the Federation never had let go of their grievances born from the days of the Covenant, including the part played by the Sangheili. Yet despite these grudges, there were times when cooperation was paramount, and such animosities had to be set aside.
Something that Sal 'Narai, Arbiter of the Sangheili Nation-States, was always reminding the politicians of the Federation. Without the Terrans or the Sangheili, the entire region, if not the whole galaxy, would have been wiped of life several times over. And once more, the Nation-States of Urs were setting aside petty feuds in the name of protecting the greater galaxy.
Again.
"I do not see why we still aid these Federation cowards. Their ancestors hide behind their wares instead of aiding in the great fights, and now they look down on us and call us savages."
Some sentiments on both sides of the borders ran deep. To be truthful, Sal 'Narai often wondered why they had bothered to aid the self-proclaimed "Galactic" Federation after the resentments given to them by the Fro'mol majority founder worlds. Yet as the transport lift leading upward from the landing hanger would sound the arrival tone and the doors slid open, the sight of Arba'dos Kea'ton, a diminutive green fleshed Mantu who stood little more than a meter and a quarter tall, was enough to remind the Arbiter of those in the Federation who did live according to higher ideals and honor. And Kea'ton was often observed as one who might stand only a meter and a quarter tall, but had the presence and tenacity of a brute Jiralhanae, for good reason.
"I thank you for joining us, Arbiter." Kea'ton was all respectful command and presence as he and his escorts stepped off the lift. "It is a great distance, I know, from Urs to the Al'kya Sector."
"I'm here out of a respect for you and your position, Chairman. The sentiment does not extend itself to many of those you speak for." The Arbiter was blunt, if nothing else. "You have been willing to undo the political mistakes of your predecessor that stifled your best warriors from defending your territories." A pause, though, as Sal 'Narai glanced back at one of his escorts. "Whether or not we can answer the requests about to be made remains to be seen, however. We have not been sitting idle since the last conflict and our forces have already been stretched thin between already ongoing offensive actions and prior commitments. Simply put, we may not have the ships to spare."
The chairman did not rise to what he knew was a bait to test him. Rarely had he met with the Sangheili Arbiter as heads of state. But nor would Kea'ton merely turn over. "My predecessor was a fool and disingenuous. After what my own people endured before coming to find refuge in the Orion Spur, the last thing I intend to do is to repeat Vog'l's errors." A hand gestured to the main lift. "General Morris will be joining us soon, Arbiter. There is much I hope we can all discuss and mutually coordinate in this conflict."
Arbiter 'Narai snorted as he and his honor guard escorts boarded the lift and made room for Kea'ton and the Chairman's entourage. "I will be blunt, Mantu. My people see little reason to protect the worlds who still condemn us behind closed doors for the mistakes of our ancestors, even after generations on all sides have gone by." The Sangheili paused to allow the lift doors to slide shut, his eyes narrower a moment while the platform tube rumbled and could be felt rising. "The only reason I even gave you this much is because your people and the Terrans are the ones who asked."
"The Fro'mol leaderships do not speak for all of the Federation's member worlds," Kea'ton said in a cold and rumbling tone. He was small, especially to a Sangheili, but his sense of purpose and the drive of his convictions was enough to garner an appreciative chuckle from Arbiter Sal 'Narai's honor guard. "The old Fringe are to understand that old grievances have no place in a proper functional union of interstellar civilizations, nor in my administration." The Mantu would tilt his head as the lift came to a halt at the main floor to his offices. "But while the Sangheili Nation-States are not beholden to this Federation, we all share the same galaxy, and it behooves all our peoples to learn to get along and stand united against mutual threats." A pause once more. The lift doors slid open then, allowing Kea'ton and his escorts out first. "Even if it takes some longer than others to get the damned concept through their skulls."
A chuckle from the nearly two and a half meter tall Sangheili Arbiter. If anyone else had taken such a tone with one of his position, they would have been a corpse on the floor with a freshly steaming cauterized gash across their body for the arrogance and audacity. But Kea'ton was not one for empty words of ego. Nor were the Mantu a species that shied away from conflict, even if they preferred resolutions that circumvented warfare. "We can certainly agree on that sentiment, Chairman."
As the group entered Kea'ton's office, the holographic Yl'fyn virtual intelligence assistant was already projecting over his desk. "The Confederation Seventh Fleet has just arrived in system, Chairman, and General Morris should be arriving within the next hour to join you and Arbiter Sal 'Narai."
His ball tipped antennae rose up in curiosity as he approached his desk and took his seat behind it. The entire seventh fleet of the Confederation navy? That was, to his recollection, one of the heaviest allotted fleets in Sol Sector aside from their home system guard. Why had Morris brought an entire fleet with him? "Curious indeed...I don't blame him for the precaution across the Spur's throat, but an entire fleet?"
"I've accessed some internal communications from Secretary Holdon's department, Chairman, and apparently there was some kind of incident with an entire battle group being lost."
Meaning Holdon was once again violating Confederation channels to keep tabs on Sol's military in ways she was not supposed to. He'd need to have a long word with her about that. "Sel'ta, notify Secretary Holdon that I will be having a discussion with her over the extent of her department's oversight directive, at my earliest convenience." A glance to the Sangheili as he sighed and allowed his form to slump in his seat. "Also, make sure that General Morris is afforded an expedient arrival to the Assembly Hall, and ensure his guests are also afforded every courtesy available."
A nod as the holographic avatar flickered momentarily. "Of course, Chairman. Instructions are being relayed as we speak." The Yl'fyn image gave Kea'ton a beaming smile, then blinked out of existence so that the Mantu, and his guests, could attend to far more pressing matters.
"Apologies for that disruption," the green skinned Chairman intoned as he sat up straight and resumed the posture of command more so than that of frustration. "You spoke earlier of your own forces stretched thin in these times of renewed hostilities with the Kromus."
The Sangheili had not seated themselves. To be fair, his office did not have furniture suited to their saurian frames and mass, as it was not often he hosted their kind or similar sized species. "What your Federation terms now as 'renewed' has been an ongoing conflict for the last eighteen standard time cycles, Chairman." The tone was critical toward the Federation as a whole, Kea'ton well knew. Not toward him as a leader. But the sentiments were clear still. "We were not so foolish as to deem the war with the Kromus as concluded, nor could your predecessor convince us that the invaders were ever truly broken."
"And I have shared that view as well, Arbiter." The Mantu sighed as he felt that tick of frustration dull his head. "It's why I have fought with the Congress Assembly my entire term in office to give member systems of the Federation more sovereign latitude to pursue defensive and retaliatory actions against the Kromus, and any other threats to their safety."
The Sangheili Arbiter snorted. Not in insult, however. He well understood the pains that Kea'ton endured in not only claiming to be, but also acting in good faith, as a leader of the peoples of the Galactic Federation, as opposed to a leader over the people. It was a reason that he respected the Mantu, even if the diminutive being was often blocked by those who were more concerned with status quo and centralizing their power. At least Kea'ton was honest and fought to his best. "I've heard rumors that Q'al attempted to force an inquiry into the matter of Sol Sector's new flagship, that certain factors squashed shortly after the Assembly 'renewed' your state of conflict with the Kromus." Sal 'Narai gave a chuckle as his quad hinged jaw did not exactly allow for what most species recognized as a smirk. "It is curious that for all the Praetareus factionist poster and cry for higher centralization of military powers and build up of said resource, that you are opposed to their more fervent calls."
"Their more extreme ideas would put all power in the hands of one department within this fragile alliance." Kea'ton felt his resignation swell into anxious frustration again while his expression hardened. "A system's sovereign power over its defense is paramount to their safety and preserving the freedoms that were agreed upon when the Coalition of Freed Worlds formed in the collapse of Covenant. What the Praetareus want would lead right back to what our predecessors had just escaped four centicycles ago, your own people included."
Sal 'Narai again chuckled. He had baited Kea'ton, true, but the response he received had reaffirmed his opinion of the Chairman. "True said, Chairman. My own ancestors may have been a part of that, but we do not forget the lessons learned, nor the deceptions we Sangheili were also held under. We may not be a component of your Federation, but we still suffered under the lies and deceit of the Prophets as well."
Something, Kea'ton was far too aware of, that many in the Federation had forgotten, or chose to ignore for the sake of old grudges.
"I won't ask that your people forsake protecting their own territories, Arbiter." Kea'ton was pensive as he considered carefully his words. "But the Sangheili do still have joint occupied systems in collaboration with the people of the Confederation that are within Galactic Federation borders, and I very much doubt the Nation States of Sangheilios would consider simply leaving them to their own devices as an acceptable sacrifice once the Kromus begin sweeping down the Spur in full force."
The Arbiter didn't reply, not immediately. There was a low growl in his throat at what one could have perceived as a threat. "Careful, Chairman. Were anyone else to say that in your position -"
"I would say the same thing to President Iwata and General Morris and not even blink, Arbiter, because it is facts I point to." Kea'ton stood up, and though his meter and a quarter of height to the Arbiter's own two and a half, his attitude and resolve presented more than enough to compensate. "My predecessors, sadly, left this Federation unable to properly defend itself without demanding of Sol, and as of yet, the human fleets still have not been allowed to properly recover from the last conflicts because of those incompetent decisions. Our police force has the numbers, but peacekeepers are not, nor ever should be, soldiers of war." That weary sigh expressed itself once more as the Mantu would rub his eyes. He was very tired of the endless consequences of Vog'l's actions as Chairman that had left them without a sustained force of defense in these times of crisis, not to mention how it had crippled the capabilities those few member systems that did maintain forward military forces.
Including his own people.
"Arbiter, it is only because of the fear of what the Cunning Death is capable of and a united Kromus burning their way through the galaxy again that we were able to garner an uncontested vote of open war from the Assembly." The viridian skinned being found himself slumping into his seat again, as if the enormous weight of the galaxy was on his shoulders. "We have not talk matters often since I took the reigns of leadership after G'mar Vog'l was removed from office and indicted for the things he did in his administration...the Sangheili prefer their sovereignty, beholden to only their own kind and no other, and that is more than acceptable in my eyes..."
Yet what was not said hung in the air. It didn't take Sal 'Narai being the Arbiter nor his decades of experience to know what was not said was far more important than what was. But facts still remained.
"I will hear you out, Kea'ton." That hesitation again. "But I guarantee nothing."
