Chapter 31: Keeper of Secrets
An awkward silence reigned supreme after I said those words, the humans in the room all staring at me with different expressions that ranged from horror to determination to stoic contemplation. Even I remained silent at the awkward silence, thinking on exactly what I just said.
To these people, I might as well have declared war.
Clenching my fists back on my ship, I closed my eyes and thought about exactly what my next move would be. I needed to carefully think about the consequences of my actions now, as winging it has officially gone completely to hell.
What is my goal here?
It was clear to me that preventing the war was my top priority, but yet that didn't exactly answer the question as to what I was doing here.
As of now I was stealthily infiltrating, rather poorly, a potentially hostile human government building… for what?
Looking deep within my own desires, I thought of everything I wished to accomplish with this infiltration.
I wanted answers. I wanted information. I wanted… a way to make amends.
Closing my eyes, I remembered the sight of smouldering tents and terrified human faces. I remembered screams and gunfire as the sounds of war overtook the happy atmosphere of a previously peaceful and happy diplomatic event.
I remembered Nath.
This isn't what I wanted at all. This is by all accounts, the worst outcome that could have possibly happened.
I wanted, no, needed to fix this. That goal came first and foremost.
Opening my eyes again, I look directly at Jillian. I knew her hostile attitude towards me was warranted, as she had been on the back foot since the moment I forcefully interjected myself into their lives.
If I want to make amends, I need to start when it all went wrong first, and go from there.
Shivering at the thought of the scene mere hours ago, I took in a deep breath and finally broke the silence.
"~How many did we hurt?~"
Everyone turned back to me, seemingly surprised that I decided to speak up again. It wasn't long before Avery spoke up.
"~Four dead, one civilian. Ten wounded.~"
Shifting my holographic weight, I sigh in defeat. I knew better than to hope the relatively short firefight ended with no one dead, but in the end the spark of hope that we might get through this ordeal with a peaceful solution was still there.
"~There is no excuse I can give that will make up for my failure, but I will do what I can to try to mitigate some of the damage that has been done.~"
Shaking my head, I look over to the overweight governor. For the first time since I met the man, he appeared exhausted. It was clear that the political figure wasn't fully prepared for the unmitigated disaster that this attempt at first contact has been so far.
"~I will do whatever possible to make sure that this situation turns out as peacefully as it can.~"
"~What you said earlier… about how you didn't know what was coming next…~"
Turning to Jillian, I tilted my head as I waited for her to continue.
"~Was that a threat of war?~" I heard Jillian say after a moment, the weight of the words clear for everyone that was there.
I knew what I said could be construed as essentially a declaration of something that may or may not happen, so I decided I needed to clarify exactly what I meant. Taking a deep breath, I decided to practice what I preached and open up a bit to my own intentions and the consequences of everything that has happened.
Even as I made my way back to the bridge, even through the speech I made after the incident, and through the increased security around the ship, the biggest issue I was now facing was anger. While I understood the justification for the anger, I knew that blaming an entire group of people for the actions of one would only lead to disaster.
The kig-yar aboard my ship were eager for blood. Once the news got out, everyone from the maintenance crew to Aris's clan were all begging to arm themselves and were almost frothing at the mouth for a fight.
The sangheili weren't much better. Mutters of "Backstabbing dishonorable worms," and "Worthless filth" were now common among my crew.
I was worried about my crew. My speech seemed to prevent an all around slaughter, but only slightly. I was happy that my crew were still loyal to me and that I was able to calm most them down…
… But not all of them…
Shaking my holographic head, I shifted a bit in my nest on my ship as I controlled the hologram.
"~No. The last thing I wish is for any armed conflict to evolve between us. If war comes, it won't be because I declared it.~"
Fixing the woman with a stern gaze through my optics, I made clear my own thoughts on the matter.
"~My greatest worry is my crew's reaction and their thoughts on what happened. They were rather… overzealous about what happened, but I managed to pacify them. Sadly, that hasn't stopped them from forming their own… less than pleasant opinions of your people.~"
Johnson snorts, shifting a bit in his seat but otherwise remaining silent once Jillian fixes him with a stern glare.
Unsure as to what that could mean, I continued on with my previous thought.
"~I don't have it within my power to force people's opinions of others, so the fallout from this disaster is something only the gods could guess at this point. However, as I said before, I will do my best to try and mitiga-~"
Slam!
Reacting on instinct, I jolted to attention on my ship, quickly switching from lying on my nest somewhat relaxed, to my sword in hand even as I whipped myself out of my bed. Looking around with practiced precision, I found that nothing in the immediate area was out of place. The door was still shut, the area was still clean, and there was no one here.
Confused, I looked over the battle network only to find nothing out of the ordinary. Shaking my head, I place my sword back onto my hip.
What was that?
Shaking off my confusion, I returned my attention to my hologram. Realizing I disabled the hologram in my altered state, I reformed the projection.
Only to find myself staring down an extremely large human in an eerily familiar green suit of armor. Visions of a spartan walking casually through armies of Covenant warriors.
A spartan?
Immediately, the threat level of this planet in my mind skyrocketed. I knew full well what a spartan could do to someone they deemed a threat, and while I would do what I could to promote peaceful relations…
I really need to make sure Aris installed that gravity lift kill switch.
The man was massive, towering over my holographic form easily. I was curled up in a defensive posture, sure, but I idly noticed that this human would easily stand as tall as me or even taller if I fully stretched my legs out.
Knowing that I was in no danger, I slowly raised the hologram's hands up in a pacifying gesture.
"~Zero-Five-Two, stand down.~"
The behemoth of a man reacted to the sharp words spoken by Jillian quickly, turning on his heel to acknowledge the woman. Almost immediately, a surprisingly light voice came up from the human warrior.
The only word out of the warrior was a quick, "~Ma'am.~" before he made his way over to Anders. Shifting into a strangely stiff position with his hands behind his back, the man stared at me blankly through the polarized helmet towards the much smaller woman.
"~This building has gone into lockdown.~" The behemoth of a man spoke up in a heavy yet strangely familiar accent, "~It is our priority to make sure that you are safe. Please come with me.~"
"~No need, big guy.~" Avery interjected, gesturing toward my hologram. "~We found the source of the breach.~"
Even though the man didn't turn his helmet fully towards me, I could somehow tell he was studying me out of the corner of his eye. The interactions between the humans was a bit confusing, as during the conversation I noticed several things that all appeared a bit strange. I couldn't explain what was happening, but something in the back of my mind found this person familiar.
Squinting my eyes into the display of my optics, I examined every bit of detail that the hologram gave me. Looking the newcomer up and down, I couldn't find a single detail on their plain black armor other than a few characters on their upper chest.
S-052…
"~I wouldn't want to leave anyway, as I'm part of the delegation.~"
Looking over to Anders, I found myself a bit unsure of what to think of her. She was young, but her eyes were examining my hologram intently.
"~Can't learn anything about these people from a secure location after all. Did someone contact the ambassador yet?~"
A few strange reactions from those present came from everyone at that. Without delay, Jillian moved to pull a strange device from a hidden pocket in her strange outfit.
"~Good idea. One moment.~"
Tilting my head in confusion, I tried to understand what was going on around me to no avail.
The hulking behemoth of a man grunted, but said nothing else as he took up a clear defensive position next to the woman.
"~So…~" Avery's voice came up from his spot still seated. "~What now?~"
Before I could think of a response to Avery's nonchalant remark, Thune spoke up.
"~Assuming you are talking about the short term, we'll find a way forward. To make amends for our mistake.~"
Tilting my head, I watched as the man began to put some more feeling into his words.
"~This was a tragedy, sure, but it isn't one we can't find our way back from. We might still find peace! As complicated as it seems, We can only take one issue at a time here, and one of them we can solve by doing the right thing.~"
Walking over to the desk of the police chief, Thune fixes him with a serious but expectant look.
"~From what I understand, you have a lead on expect you will do what you can to uncover who was behind the attack.~"
The police chief nodded, placing a hand on a small datapad on his desk.
"~Yes. I have some officers out now looking for a likely suspect. Surprisingly enough, we got a few anonymous tips giving information about some kind of insurrectionist meeting directly prior to the event. We are following up now.~"
The governor brightens up at the news, clapping his hands together loudly.
"~Good! If we can find the one behind this tragedy and bring them to justice, surely that would help. If not for them, then for my own peace of mind.~"
The governor turned to me, a strangely optimistic and kind look on his face.
"~I truly hope you and your people will be able to forgive me for the breach in trust and the harm that came to you. Please know that what happened was not at all my intention, and I will use whatever power I have as the governor of this planet to make up for it.~"
"~Your mistake? My warriors had a disproportionate response to a threat, several civilians are dead, I infiltrated your building, and yet you are apologizing to me?~" I said, truly meaning it. This disaster couldn't have gone worse, my warriors certainly doing their absolute best in the short moment of my incapacitation to do as much damage as possible, and yet this human was seemingly willing to lay blame on himself? Looking down to my talons, I clench and open them as I give my own thoughts on the matter.
"~This disaster happened under my command. It was my order to respond with any open hostility with a lethal retreat maneuver. Surely you hold some animosity toward us… towards me for the damage I caused?~"
"~No.~"
Looking back up to Thune, I found myself admiring how easy it was to read the man's emotions. He wore his feelings on his face, clearly showing me the empathy and understanding that he felt.
"~Do not blame yourself. This was my mistake, not yours.~" Thune said, stepping toward me and placing a fist on his chest and bowing his head deeply in a clear sign of respect for me. The symbolism of him using a clearly Covenant gesture wasn't lost on me, showing that he was trying his absolute best to make a good impression. "~I let you come into harm's way recklessly. I allowed someone to spoil such a historic event, and while what happened afterwards is most certainly a tragedy, the blame for why that tragedy happened in the first place is solely on my shoulders, not yours.~"
Staring at the governor, I finally saw why the humans decided to make him their leader. Returning the gesture gladly, I gave the man the respect he deserved as I dipped my head a bit lower then I would normally.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, I turn to look, seeing several humans I didn't recognize entering the room.
Along with another spartan.
I heard everyone stand up behind me, apparently giving one or all of the newcomers some level of respect or authority.
"~Yeah, why don't we let the entire Navy in here while we are at it?~" the police chief scoffed, pressing a button on his desk. "~Margret, ready a briefing room. My office is somehow now host to an entire embassy's worth of people.~"
Well, some respect at least.
A chuckle from Avery was the only sound in the deafening silence that followed, only broken when a man in a tight form fitting red shirt that had the insignia of the UNSC on it with long black pants stepped forward confidently. He appeared meticulously groomed, with the smell of oils and perfumes almost causing me to sneeze.
Taking out a sheet of paper, the man cleared his throat and began to speak.
"~Greetings, Shipmistress Sohm 'Bir.~" The man began, enunciating every syllable with as much care as he could. "~I am the official ambassador sent by the United Earth Government, John Kovács. I am here to set up a direct line of contact between your government and the government of all humanity.~"
While the introduction was welcome, the tone the man spoke it in was dry, having the same depth of emotion as someone repeating a script in the mirror. Immediately, I found myself staring at him with my head tilted in confusion. While it was certainly an important conversation, somehow the man managed to make his momentous task sound as boring as possible.
This is the official ambassador to humanity's government?
It was strange. Even looking directly at this man, I couldn't think of a single thing about him. This had to be, hands down, the most bland individual I've ever met.
"~It is the hope of the United Earth Government that we can move past this small incident and come to an agreement to form a peaceful coexistence together. If it is agreeable to you, my retinue and I will follow your ship back into what is your people's sovereign space to take up temporary residence on one of your worlds. It is our intention merely to establish a place where we can set up an embassy to initiate contact with your government and begin official talks. Thank you.~"
Finally finished with his speech, he finally looked up from his paper. He looked expectant, as if I would respond immediately to the speech, but I couldn't.
This was different to all the other attempts at first contact. No longer was this just an attempt to make a good first impression on humanity. No, this was an official ambassador sent from humanity's main government to open up talks with the Covenant.
What am I supposed to do? Say no? Deny an envoy sent by an official government?
Opening my mouth, I thought for only a moment longer as I attempted to gather my thoughts before I spoke up.
"~Of course. If you wish to meet with the Covenant Hierarchy, I will only need to form a message to let them know of your impending arrival, then lead you to High Charity. I was planning on contacting them by the morning anyway, so this opportunity might mitigate any information gaps in the missive I would be sending anyway.~"
The man's eyes widened at my words, seemingly surprised for some strange reason.
"~So simple? Excellent! I shall begin preparations for our departure at once!~"
Watching the man spin on his heel and leave, I remain in the room even as the four green behemoths stare me down through gold-reflective visors. After a moment, two of them turned to follow the ambassador, leaving two spartans still in the room.
Sighing in my room back on my ship, I begin to make plans for my transmission back to High Charity. While this turn of events was a bit unexpected, it wasn't an unwelcome one.
I knew that I needed to call back to the ministry already, as the longer I delayed, the worse the consequences would be for the revelation of humanity's existence. Thankfully, this new ambassador gave me a legitimate reason to contact the Hierarchs.
Though, I need to make sure to contact Tolerance. He's truly the only one I trust with this.
"~I guess we don't need that conference room after all.~"
Hearing the shifting of clothing through my sensory equipment, I shift my attention back to the hologram. Looking around, I found the room's inhabitants exuding a strangely somber mood.
"~No. I guess not…~"
Thune shifted a bit, gaining my attention quickly. His expressive face was surprisingly downtrodden as he turned to look back to his chief of police.
"~What do you think my chances of re-election are after all this? Zero?~"
Before the man could answer, Avery began to laugh as he shook his head.
"~Honestly, I think extraterrestrial intergalactic politics are going to be more interesting then insurrectionist terrorism scandals pretty soon.~"
Shaking his head, Thune walked over and slumped down into a nearby chair.
"~An exciting topic indeed, and yet I can't help but think this whole event was ruined by my own incompetence… Honestly, I wouldn't blame anyone but myself when I don't get more than ten percent of the vote next election.~"
I felt bad for the man. It was clear that he tried his best to make us feel welcome on his planet, but one thing after another went wrong. I could tell he had a good heart and the best of intentions.
Walking over, I placed a holographic hand on the man's shoulder. Giving him the best smile that I could through my devices, I tried to comfort the distraught governor.
"~Please know that I don't blame you for what happened. You were a wonderful host, and I'm sure that had things gone just a bit differently, we would have become fast friends.~"
A soft smile came across the man's face looking up to me from the chair he found himself in.
"~Maybe you could invite me to see your wonderful home someday? Something tells me I will be having a lot more free time come November.~"
At that moment, I knew that I had never been more thankful for my helmet when a visible cringe came across my face. The quick thought of a human taking a casual stroll across one of T'avo's pirate-ridden crime-infested cities was a terrible thought indeed.
And yet… That isn't all we have to offer, is it?
Mentally shaking off the images in my head of all the pain and suffering my home was undoubtedly still going through, I nodded anyway. After all, I was sure this exchange was just a gesture.
Sure, we kig-yar were arguably the least likable people in the known galaxy. We had rough personalities with tough and unforgiving societal structures, but we could be so much more than what others thought of us. Our home was beautiful, with almost supernatural beauty in it.
I remembered the waterfall near my home. I remember the wildlife, left untouched by pollution or corruption. I remember my mother's stories of tightnit clans, working together for the betterment of their own little slice of the world.
I wouldn't mind showing him that.
"~Maybe someday.~"
A large yawn left my maw as exhaustion finally caught up to me. It really didn't help that I was in my oversized, extremely comfortable nest. Knowing I needed to cut the conversation short, I shook my head.
"~Nevertheless, it seems that my time here on this planet is winding to a close. I will need to return my attention to my ship for the time being. Should I have need of contacting you again, I will do so as we have previously done.~"
Watching as my words register across the people present, I noted that the only ones that didn't react at all were the two spartans.
Turning to fully examine the two green-clad warriors, I made a few observations that made my skin crawl a bit. They were both standing ramrod straight with no visible cues that they were even alive. Their muscles rivaled the sangheili warriors under my command, but there was something otherworldly stoicism to them. Even after staring at them for several moments, I couldn't see them breathing.
If I didn't know better, I would assume they were constructs.
Looking back to the governor, I nodded my head before making my way out of the office, only pausing for a short moment to realize that the door was partially imbedded into the wall and ripped violently off one of it's hinges.
Blinking owlishly at this strange development, I remembered the loud startling slam only a few minutes prior. Taking one last glance at the two spartans, I couldn't help but why he decided to do something like that before I stepped outside.
Shaking my head, I programmed my hologram to fade into camouflage. I decided I would need to let it return to me autonomously, as the sirens sing of sleep called me.
Though, it might be best if I get the emitter outside before I let the programming take over. I have a feeling that it would get a bit confused trying to find its way out of this building.
After a few turns down the labyrinthian-like hallways, I came to the realization that I was lost. It was clear that the problem with infiltrating an alien facility without seeing how you enter in the first place… was finding your way out.
Making my way past a few uniformed humans that were casually discussing what they would have for lunch, I found an empty room and came to a stop. Examining my surroundings, I found an empty room with only a large wooden table surrounded by several chairs inside.
More importantly, it was empty.
I realized that I needed a better solution to this problem that didn't involve blindly walking in random directions.
As I sat there pondering my options, I heard a metallic footstep in the doorway behind me. Even from my spot back on the ship, I felt a shiver down my spine at the noise.
Slowly turning my head, I saw a green armored behemoth behind me following me out of the door. Immediately, my mind went into a threat assessment. Judging by his visor, he clearly knew the general area I was in, even though I was still under the effect of my camouflage, though the slight movements of his helmet as he glanced back and forth betrayed that he wasn't exactly sure. He was armed, but wasn't actively going for a weapon.
This wasn't the same one I initially encountered. The different symbols of S-051 painted on his olive armor told me that. Not that the difference changed much. He wasn't a threat to me directly. The worst he could do right now was destroy a hologram module.
I knew full well that the spartans on this planet were the biggest threat to my ship and the warriors stationed within. However, there was no reason I couldn't attempt to make friends with them. If I gave them no reason to attack me, there would be no reason to worry about a green armored monster slaughtering my crew.
Dropping my camo, I decided to try and open a dialogue with the supersoldier.
"~Did you need something, human?~"
The visor snapped to me faster than I anticipated, focusing in on my direction before I even began to speak. Sadly, even after I was done, the two of us sat in silence.
A long, awkward period came and went between us before any noise at all came from the spartan.
"~No.~"
…
…
O… Kay then.
The voice that came from the helmet sounded… light. Young. The spartan was clearly disciplined and held his head high with the pride and self-confidence that a seasoned warrior would hold, but I could help but feel that he was… young.
Shifting my nonexistent weight from foot to foot, I decided on a clear course of action here.
Maybe he can help me instead?
"~You wouldn't happen to know the way out of this building, would you? I am quite lost I'm afraid.~"
I could almost feel the raised eyebrow behind the polarized glass. Another long moment of silence came and went before he answered with a short, "~Yes.~" However, even after saying as much, the armored warrior didn't move from his spot in the doorway.
We sat there, studying each other as we seemingly waited for some unseen que to happen. Returning to my training, I almost heard Bero's voice echo in my head.
"The body does not lie."
The context was different, but the application was the same. I could not see this person's face, with his body being the only thing I could use to find out anything about him.
His muscles were tense, almost too tense as he stood there. He was nervous, but not in a way that would be considered weak. He curled his hand that was close to his sidearm. He was confident, but not in a way that could be considered arrogant. His helmet twisted slightly to the left as laughter came from down the hallway. He was defensive, but not in a way that mattered for his own safety.
He sees me as a threat.
I needed to assure him that I wasn't a threat to him or anyone else in the building. That was the only way forward.
"~I can see that you don't trust me.~"
A soft grunt came from the spartan, his chest tensing a small amount as he released his breath.
"~So, as a gesture of trust to you, I will deactivate my devices so you can place them outside. From there, they can return to my ship harmlessly. You will know where my hologram is at all times, carrying it to the exit yourself. Does that sound agreeable?~"
I could see in the shifting of his weight that he was considering the offer. It wasn't long before he took a step forward and offered his hand.
Smiling, I unclipped my active camouflage module and placed it into his hand. Deactivating the hard-light hologram, I floated the orb in front of him.
I could still see out of the device, watching as the spartan slowly reached up and grabbed the emitter gently, like he was afraid he might break it with his touch.
"~Commander?~"
Intrigued, I decided to listen in to the following conversation.
"~I have acquired the missing alien technology. However, I believe the shipmistress still has access to it, as she… entrusted me to return it outside. Please advise.~"
I couldn't hear the response, but it wasn't long before he spoke up again.
"~Yes, ma'am.~"
Carefully clutching the two devices, the spartan spun on his heel fluidly and began to make his way down the hallway. I was a bit surprised at how intentionally careful he made his precise motions, but I didn't think much more of it.
He almost looks… hesitant in his motions, like he isn't sure of his own strength.
I watched as he made his way down the hallway, gathering strange looks from all of those present. The metallic thud of his boots impacting the tile floor gives him a presence that I've only ever seen from armored jiralhanae.
Winding through hallways with a purpose, I was almost surprised when another spartan made their way next to him. However, that surprise made way for immense curiosity when the two began to chat.
"~Kurt.~"
The new spartan sounded female, and gave more information about the spartan than I've been able to discern this entire time.
"~Daisy.~"
"~How did the alien meet and greet go? From how Jorge made it sound, their leader outright infiltrated the building.~"
Jorge?
Images of an aged spartan went through my mind, reminding me that I very much knew who that was.
"Tell them to make it count."
"Ma'am... This building has gone into lockdown."
The voice was similar, but it was rather clear from a quick comparison to my old memories that there was one thing drastically different between them.
If that was Jorge, then he sounds a lot younger than I remember.
Immediately, I realized something that I really should have a long time ago. Sure, I knew of the events of the games, but I clearly had some gaps in my knowledge. The first memory of what the future held was when humanity was already on the backfoot, about to lose the war.
Judging by these Spartan's voices, it seems like I am missing quite a bit.
The one carrying my hologram, Kurt, responded with a bit of amusement in his voice.
"~It seems that the devices that ONI recovered for examination were some kind of hologram emitter.~"
The armored spartan glanced down to the devices in the spartan's… Kurt's hands.
"~Really? So how did you get it?~"
"~Apparently, the immensely powerful bulletproof alien invader we were briefed about got lost on the way out.~" He said, gesturing towards my spherical hologram emitter in his hand. "~I'm escorting her hologram out now, per orders.~"
Feeling a bit of embarrassment at that, I squinted my eyes in mock offense. These humans were clearly deciding to make fun of me a bit when they thought I couldn't hear them, but sadly for them, I could. Feeling my mischievous side bubble up again, I decided to try and defend my image. However, I also wanted to try and get a reaction out of the spartans. With a smirk on my face, I opened the communications array with my hologram again.
"~To be fair, I'm pretty sure you built in enough dead ends and empty rooms to hide half my crew in this place.~"
I expected some kind of a surprised reaction, but all that I got in return for my silly interjection was the visual of my journey to the exit coming to a swift and immediate halt. It was somewhat jarring to see the two spartans turn from their calm and friendly demeanor to their stoic warrior facade.
Sadly, that reaction was definitely not the goal of my little jab.
Silently, the two seemed to communicate non-verbally, deciding after a moment and some barely visible head tilts to continue on with their journey. I honestly felt a bit like I intruded on something by speaking up, but there wasn't much I could do about it now.
Eventually, the spartans made it back to the door without another word, walking to an open area before setting both devices on the ground nearby. Knowing this was my time to leave, I reactivated the hologram.
The two super soldiers in front of me didn't react to my form reappearing in front of them, showing clearly that they did not wish to show any form of emotion. Not even from their body language.
Bending down to pick up my active camouflage module, I give the one known as Kurt a sign of appreciation as I bring my fist to my chest and bow my head.
"~My thanks, warrior.~" I said, preparing to leave. Taking a step to the side, I found myself wishing that I added one more thing to them before I left. Looking over the two spartans, I opened my mouth to speak, but was cut off from my thoughts as I found something so out of the ordinary.
There was a small teddy bear dangling from this Spartan's armor.
It was so absurdly out of place, like a jiralhanae casually knitting a fluffy quilt, that I couldn't help but stand there in stunned disbelief. After contemplating the strange thing for a long moment, I came to a clear conclusion that was almost obvious in hindsight.
Spartans are people too.
It was absurd because of course they were, but with the reality of the super soldiers actually posing a clear and very potent threat to my ship and crew, I found myself assessing the spartans like two dimensional creatures. Beings of a single minded militaristic culture that remained distant behind their polarized helmets.
Perhaps that is what they are, but just from the short glimpse behind the veil that I overheard in the hallways and the memories from so long ago, I knew that wasn't entirely the case.
Giving them a smile, I opted to respect their humanity rather than their militaristic mindset.
"~Thank you Kurt… Daisy. I truly hope we can meet again on peaceful terms.~"
As I waited a second for a reaction, I felt myself let out a large yawn. The recent events have definitely taken their toll on me as my exhaustion finally made itself fully known. Seeing that I wouldn't get any further reaction out of them, I bowed my head and placed my fist on my chest, showing respect, even as I activated my camouflage and set my hologram to return to me.
Good thing that I asked for directions. I don't think this thing's battery would be able to get back if I delayed any longer…
Watching the optics for only a moment to make sure it was programmed correctly, I watched only until I could see the silhouette of my ship in the distance. Yawning one last time, I set my helmet onto an open spot on the nest next to me before the blackness of sleep took me.
(\\\(*v*)/)
Somehow, I think that sleep made my exhaustion worse…
Opening my eyes, I stare up towards nothing. I was sore, unwilling to admit that falling asleep in my armor was a bad idea. However, it wasn't long until my mind moved on to much more urgent topics.
Almost like a dam bursting, my thoughts began whirring at a thousand thoughts a minute, but even through all of them, one stood out as far more urgent.
I need to contact High Charity.
It was something that I knew was coming from the moment I intercepted the first human transmission, but now it was inevitable. The call needed to happen today, as the upsides of keeping humanity quiet were quickly being outweighed by the downsides.
The longer I waited, the higher chance there was of another disaster occurring. My crew's opinion on humanity was steadily declining after the attempt on my life, and the odds that one of my own crew starting a fight was low, but undoubtedly higher than nothing now.
Delaying any longer could be seen as an act of heresy by those back at High Charity, making my own situation far more precarious than first assumed. Humans still registered as artifacts, a fact that was still a major head scratcher for Dimyap apparently. That little tidbit of information would definitely be a major threat to these people, should the wrong person learn it before I could explain it to someone who would actually listen to me.
Tolerance.
The kind and understanding Hierarch was truly the only one I trusted with this. He was the one I knew I would need to contact, as I was sure that he would have the greatest chance of making this disaster turn towards a positive outcome.
However, getting a direct line to one of the three Hierarchs is going to be a task by itself.
It wasn't like I had his personal number. I needed to contact the ministry first, and only hope they patch me through. Knowing the value of information and cutthroat politicians, this upcoming call will most likely be an interesting one at least.
Groaning, I place my helmet back on my head as I begin to remove myself from my nest. I found myself once again crawling across the massive sangheili-sized bed towards freedom. Scrambling off the padding, I found myself rolling off the nest, only to end face up on the ground staring at the purple dimly illuminated ceiling blankly.
Looking out of the corner of my eye, I found my two armor stands, one empty, and the other still holding my old champion combat skin faithfully.
That armor protected me from the worst of several rebellions, multiple high-risk missions, and at least two bomb explosions… along with an assassination attempt, but sitting in it's stand, all it reminded me now was the responsibility I have gained in the short two years I've had my ship.
I knew that many new members to my crew recognized me only by my armor. The deep crimson color and glowing power emitted by the combat harness gave a clear indicator of my high rank among the Covenant to any who cared to look.
Idly looking over my old champion armor one last time, I got back to my feet. I almost miss those days now. Everything was a bit simpler then, with no immediate threat of intergalactic genocide or crazed human assassins. No worry of spartans slaughtering my crew and friends and no politics.
No use fretting on something I can't change.
Straightening my stance, I made my way over to the door.
No time like the present after all.
(\\\(*v*)/)
Standing in front of the holographic display on the command center of my ship, I study the large sunken platform with serious eyes. This was yet another moment in history I was about to make, and honestly… I was getting a bit tired of it all.
I heard the shifting of armor in the room around me, all work on the bridge coming to a halt as I began to poke the display. Thankfully, I still remembered the correct sequence of activation runes that allowed me to contact High Charity. After a few moments, there was only one more button to press.
It seems like every day now somehow holds the balance of the universe in my hands. I wonder how long until I can just relax on a beach like Aris wanted.
Aris…
I thought of the young gladiatorial matriarch queen, knowing that recent events have drawn my attention away from my friend and student, but I vowed that after all this, I would devote more of my time to the ones I held dear.
Nath…
The image of my friend, bleeding in my arms as I scramble to take charge of a catastrophic situation was still fresh on my mind. I felt a small pang of rage at the man that caused it for only a moment before I remembered just how quickly he met his end after that.
Timore.
This whole situation was taxing, and it needed to end. Timore had enough of a bad history, and I knew I would need to comfort my adoptive brother after the events of yesterday.
He deserves a nice calm house with a few good tools… Maybe I can pay for an isolated den away from all this chaos for him like my father did for mother and I…
Mom…
Shaking my spiraling thoughts back into reality, I steel my nerves for what is to come. Straightening my feathers to remove the last of my nervousness, I press down on the button and watch as the communications array on the command deck of my ship flares to life.
This was something I've been dreading for a while now, but at least now I had a plan. Humanity had an official ambassador that wished for open contact with the Covenant, and I knew that I needed to contact the Hierarchy about the newfound discovery of a previously unseen alien race. If I delayed any longer, it would do more harm than good.
As it was, I still had complete control over the first contact report that would be initially sent back to High Charity. The crew of my ship was still behind me, my command crew still believed in my cause, and dialogue with the humans wasn't so far gone that war was inevitable.
However, I wasn't stupid enough to believe that I should tell just anyone about what happened here. No, there was really only one San'Shyuum that I trusted enough to do the right thing in a situation like this. Thankfully enough, that san'shyuum was one of the Prophet Hierarchs.
I'm sure there will be at least a few hoops to jump through to contact him directly. After all, he didn't exactly give me a 'call this incase you discover a new species' number.
Even as I waited for a response, I sat there in an attempt to plan out exactly how I wanted this upcoming conversation to go. Sadly for me, the universe didn't give me the chance.
Seeing the blue holographic form of a san'shyuum appearing on the pedestal in front of me, I felt a moment of both panic and relief wash over me, but those feelings were fleeting at best.
Examining the projection, I notice the distinct lack of any sort of headdress. No golden crown far too large for the aged head to hold, no aura of absolute authority. No, this san'shyuum was sitting at a desk looking rather boredly at his fingernails.
Though, admittedly, this was to be expected. Getting a direct line to the most powerful people in the Covenant on the first try without getting redirected was always going to be a long shot.
It took a moment for the prophet to realize that his communications array was active. Once he did, the san'shyuum shifted to appear more regal in his hover-throne.
"Greetings warrior, you have contacted the Ministry of Tranquility. I am the Vice Minister of...l
Blinking, the prophet studied the hologram in front of him more closely, appearing to me like he was squinting at something in the far distance.
"A kig-yar? Strange for one such as you to have the clearance to contact the ministry directly..."
Feeling my eye twitch in annoyance, I straightened my stance and gave my own introduction.
"Noble prophet, this is Zealot class Chur'R Sohm 'Bir, requesting an audience with the Hierarchs. I have news that greatly concerns the whole of the Covenant that must be seen by them."
Seeing recognition come across the bulbous eyes of the prophet, I waited for a response.
"Ah, the hero of Malurok herself. That makes a bit more sense than some sad excuse of a greedy mercenary asking for an overpayment on yet another useless bauble they found."
The san'shyuum raised a curious eyebrow, studying me intensely from his blue holographic form.
"Down to business it seems. The news you bring involves the whole of the Covenant you say? That sounds like grand news indeed. What is it?" He said, leaning forward in his hover throne.
I really didn't wish to disclose any vital information to this prophet, but I knew that without a carrot to give him, there wouldn't be a way to contact Tolerance.
Going over everything that I was willing to say to this prophet, I found myself unwilling to say anything. Humanity's existence would have me transferred to the Ministry of Conversion. The relic we found in the ice was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Tranquility, who I was currently talking to. The scuffle that our ship had with Yar's would be under the Ministry of Resolution…
Wait, he recognized me…
I felt the corners of my mouth tilt upwards as an idea formed in my mind.
If I can't say something that has happened recently, what about something they already know about?
"My apologies, but this directly involves the conversation that I had with the Holy Oracle. Please, I need to be patched through to the Hierarchs as soon as possible."
I could almost see the gears turning in this prophet's head. Even through the display, and this minister's attempts to hide his thoughts, I could see the scheming at work behind his eyes. Suddenly very glad I gave him as little information as possible, I sat and patiently waited for him to respond.
"Indeed? Well then…"
Pressing a few buttons on an unseen control panel, the san'shyuum continued to chat as he hopefully patched me through.
"While I would sure love to know what momentous news it is you bring, far be it from me to delay you."
My tense shoulders relaxed a bit as my smile returned to my face in full force. This call was surprisingly less painful than I first assumed.
"However…"
Why do I even bother to think something like that?
"A bit of advice for one as influential among the kig-yar as yourself. The tides of power will be changing soon. I would like to extend an invitation to one as… commendable as yourself to a meeting of mutual beneficence upon your next visit to the holy city."
The tone was that of a snake, and the toothy smile he gave me reinforced the image in my mind of this person.
Making direct eye contact with me, he appeared to be finished with whatever he was typing into his console as he smiled in a way that could be considered a threat.
"I'm sure one such as yourself would be willing to do what you could to… Cement your position."
There was a scant moment where something in the back of my mind clicked. Mentally removing myself from the stress of this conversation and the frustration around the initial insult of my species, I studied the hologram very closely.
I wasn't quite sure why, as he didn't resemble my old memories of the prophet, but in the back of my mind, I knew who this was. This realization made a shiver roll down my spine as his words only moments before suddenly had a much larger impact on me then it did previously.
Regret.
I now knew two of the Hierarchs from my old memories, but that didn't help me in the slightest with my current situation. All this revelation did was make me all the more glad I didn't give any further information to this person.
Plastering on as much fake professionalism as I could, I place my hand on my chest and bow my head slightly.
"I would be honored to."
After all, getting within stabbing distance could be beneficial should things go poorly between now and then.
A snort came from the prophet as he glanced back down to whatever unseen terminal he was talking into.
"Indeed…"
His hologram faded, and for a moment, I thought he hung up on me. It wasn't until I glanced down to the signal to note that it was still connected.
Feeling a large hand on my shoulder, I glance up to see Ussa looking down on me from above. I could see a look of worry in his eyes as he made his concern for what just happened known in his gaze alone.
Nodding firmly, I let him know with that simple gesture that I was well aware of what just occurred. Returning the gesture, he removes his hand and returns to standing stoically behind me.
The hologram buzzed back to life, showing the form of three prophet hierarchs in front of me with one in front, and two behind. The massive headdresses showed clearly that these were the three people in charge of the entire Covenant, causing everyone on my bridge to drop to their knees in respect.
The one that appeared closest brightened up, smiling in a way that I could tell was actually genuine when compared to Regret just before him.
"Sohm 'Bir! What a genuine pleasure! I am overjoyed to finally have some contact with you since your departure. I am told you have something of great importance that you wish to discuss with me?"
Standing back up, I nodded. Taking in a deep breath, I spoke the words that would undoubtedly change the course of history forever.
"Three cycles ago, we intercepted a strange signal…"
-Author's Note-
This chapter didn't go even close to how I planned it. About the only thing that is the same as initially planned was the call back to High Charity.
Basically, I had a plan, right? I knew where I wanted to end up here… in fact, I knew exactly how I wanted the entire fic to go to the end! I went over it with a friend of mine a while ago, and I was trying to follow it to the letter…
Until now.
I tried writing it out, and I absolutely hated it. I got stuck, unable to really figure out how to do it in such a way that I personally liked it, and I just couldn't. I tried looking at the last chapter, and figuring out if I could somehow fix something that happened previously, only to realize that I really liked everything up to where I was.
And so, I was stuck.
So I sat here staring at a 2000 word chapter of Sohm chattin it up with Tolerance right? Only to realize that the dialogue felt… plastic. So I cut that out. Eventually, I figured out what I didn't like about the chapter.
I hated where I was going, not where I came from.
So, instead of going back, or fixing what I had… I just rewrote the entire plan as to where I'm going next.
Sorry if the ambassador showing up was a bit jarring, but I needed a left turn. From the last chapter, I already had Anders, the spartans, and a bunch of "xeno-scientists" (xenobiology, xenoarcheology (anders' degree) etc) showing up from ONI last chapter (when the small non-threatening ship arrived) and I just added him.
TLDR: I hated what I had lined up for the next 2ish chapters, and swerved left to avoid it.
In order to make up for it, ima give you guys a small spoiler at the end. Take from it what you will should you wish to read it.
Thanks again for reading! Read and review, and if you like the fic, consider giving me a follow and a favorite!
—SPOILER ON NEXT PARAGRAPH—
Kovacs is a Hungarian last name(since he's from Reach) meaning smith. His name is John Smith, and he arrived in a red shirt. If that doesn't tell you what his role will be… nothing will.
Insert evil laughter here.
-BLOOPER SCENE-
"Sohm 'Bir! What a genuine pleasure! I am overjoyed to finally have some contact with you since your departure. I am told you have something of great importance that you wish to discuss with me?"
Standing back up, I nodded. Taking in a deep breath, I spoke the words that would undoubtedly change the course of history forever.
"Deez."
Tilting his head, the high prophet seemed confused for a moment.
"Deez? Whatever do you-"
"DEEZ NUTS!"
Quickly disconnecting the communications array, I watch as the hologram disappears. A moment of stunned silence comes and goes before the entire bridge of my ship turns to me in shock.
Ussa stepped up, announcing to the entire command crew the two words that sealed the deal, fulfilling the required finish to the age-old social contract.
"Got'em."