I finished this on Friday but just now have internet access.
Also, there are some questions from the first chapter that has yet to be answered, some will be answered in this chapter or the next, just letting you know before you start asking plot questions.
Arrangements
Slowly, Derek comes into consciousness as the blackness fades away and light begins to filter in.
'Oh thank God!' he thought joyfully, 'it was all a dream.'
A strange clicking noise is made that seems to echo inside his head before he hears a familiar voice.
"I think he's coming around," a person says as the clicking continues.
'Wait…is that Knott?'
"Well physically he checks out," an older voice reports, "he's perfectly healthy."
"Aside from the fact that he's unconscious right?" asks Knott in turn.
"Well…yes I suppose," admits the other voice.
"Will he live or not?" This voice…it's just as familiar and yet…he can't quite place where he heard it from.
"He's fine," Knott says, "he just…blacked out…what exactly happened?"
"Wait," interrupts the older voice, "he's waking up."
Finally, Derek forces his eyes open and soon wishes that he hadn't.
A bright piercing light burns his eyes and he forces himself to look away. He then realizes he is on a cot inside a bland room with a multitude of vials and instruments spread out amongst the wall. And there standing by his lying form is his squad leader.
"Knott?" The uncertain Marine asks.
"Welcome back to the land of the living kid," The Corporal says as he spreads out his arms dramatically.
"I thought you said he was alive," the unknown voice says, "how can someone die and return to life?"
Knott turns his gaze away from Derek and looks at someone not in view as he says, "it was a figure of speech, believe me if he did die and he did rise up I'd need to wrack him in the head and kill him again."
"Corporal please," the old voice pleads, "you're just confusing her."
Derek groggily props himself up on his elbows and turns to see who is speaking when he felt a hand clasp onto his shoulder.
"Easy there boy," the person says, "no need to get excited."
Derek leans back a bit and then see that the person is the Camp medical doctor, Kaleb Iggulden. He is a man pressing into his sixties, way past the retirement age of an active battlefield doctor, but with docs being in such sort supply the UNSC is clinging onto whoever is left to fill up the missing ranks. The fact that he's a doctor speaks volume, technically speaking Kaleb is Army, a medic, not a Corpsman who serves alongside the Marines and the Navy. This is yet another running gag amongst the men, but they don't rib Kaleb about it too much due to his advance age and his ever helpful nature.
Kaleb is a nice guy from what Derek had gathered after his few brief meetings with the man. His hair has already turned white due to intense stress and fear during the days of war and his face is already looking like a worn mask which kind of scares the young man a little. It looks like he is already a hundred years old, but the young Marine dared not speak his own mind.
"What happened?" Derek finally asks as he shakes his head a little and rests a hand on his scalp, "I can't really…remember."
"Kid I swear if you keep forgetting things I'm going to have the doc look you over to make sure you don't have Alzheimer's," Knott says as he shakes a finger at the Marine as if he was caught doing something he wasn't supposed to do.
Derek ignored him and turned to the doctor for help.
Noting his look of distress, Kaleb says, "It appears before you collapsed you released too much carbon dioxide while also taking in too much oxygen which in turn caused your blood vessels to contract. This slowed the blood flow to your brain which caused your mind to mentally prepare itself for a brief period of inactivity."
Derek stares at the doctor for a moment before slowly turning his head back so he is looking at Knott again.
"What happened?" Derek repeats the question.
Knott crosses his arms over his chest and said, "You fainted."
Derek's eyes bulge at that.
"What!" he exclaims, "but I didn't…we don't…what?"
Knott shakes his head, "All I know is that you passed out, was lugged here and I was called over since your little rear end belonged to me. So know this, if you die, then that means more paper work for me so think twice before kicking the bucket."
"Thanks for your concern," Derek says with a shake of his head before looking back to the doctor.
"Who brought me here?" he asks.
The doc steps aside and said, "She did."
Derek feels his jaws drop and his eyes goggles at the person who is standing near the entrance of the room.
Alasha is standing there, gold plated and everything. Her arms are crossed and she is leaning forward slightly as she observes him from afar while her mandibles click together, causing Derek's skin to crawl as he watches the sharp fangs tapping each other. Her eyes still retains that gleam of curiosity, but a sixth sense is alerting Derek that she is feeling something else. Perhaps she is feeling unnerved, after all he did pass out from what everyone is saying.
With his mind registering that it is indeed the female alien, all the memories came back to him. The party, the video, the teasing and finally her.
He then feels his gut twist and anxiety grips his mind. He feels like he is starting to hyperventilate so he leans back on the little bed he is on as he tries to slow his rapidly beating heart. It's was all real, and she said that she was here to…to…
He covers his face in horror and slight disgust in himself as he moans.
"Oh no," he mumbles, "It wasn't a dream."
Knott noticed the little byplay that took place between the two and thus turned his attention to the alien woman in their midst. She didn't say much and despite the fact that it was her who brought him in here, he has a feeling that there is some kind of tension between the two. But how can that be? The kid has been here for only a few weeks and she is apparently a highly ranked individual if her golden armor is telling him anything. What could possibly be connecting the two?
It is then that Knott realizes he had yet to introduce himself to this person who may be insulted at not being so readily recognize.
Stepping forward, the Corporal holds out a hand towards the alien.
"Hi," he says, "Corporal Jacob Knott at your service ma'am."
The Sangheili regards the Corporal quietly, but reaches out and clasps the man's hand, her grasp is much more firmer now that she knows how this odd human ritual works. Knott on the other hand is slightly surprise she knows what the gesture meant and having his hand held by a being with razor sharp claws and immense strength doesn't make him feel any better either. However after a brief second, his hand was mercifully released and he resisted the urge check and make sure that there isn't a scratch on his skin.
"Greetings human," she says in return, "I'm Alasha Quas"
"Quas?" Knott asks with a quirk eyebrow before chuckling, "wow what a small world," he looks back towards Derek whose face is still covered, "how about that for a coincidence, huh Heath?"
Not waiting for a reply Knott turns back to Alasha, "believe it or not" he says in a teasing tone, "but this guy actually wanted to ask you something."
"He wishes to court me, yes?" Alasha asks.
"Yup," Knott answers with a grin, but then it drops as he shakes his head, "wait what?"
She turns her questioning gaze upon Knott as now, probably thinking that everyone has gone mad considering how often she needed to repeat herself.
"I said," she starts again slowly, "I have come here to accept his invitation of courtship."
Knott feels his jaw drop upon hearing this. He survived the war, seen a Spartan fight and was a part of the containment team at Voi during the Flood outbreak, but this easily surpasses all of them as being just plain weird.
A sly grin slowly forms on his mouth as he looks back at Derek who has by now sat back up and locks eyes with his Corporal.
"Don't," Derek says when he sees the gleam of amusement in Knott eyes.
Knott covers his mouth with a fist, but a small chuckle escapes.
"Please don't," Derek says in a small pleading voice.
"I'm sorry," giggles Knott, "It's just that…that…" he glances up at Alasha before coughing violently to cover his laughter, "she actually answered," he said through gritted teeth as tears of mirth threatens to break out.
"She has?" the doctor asks with raised eyebrows.
"You know!?" Derek all but shouts as he turned his stun eyes to Kaleb.
The doc shrugs in turn, "I think by this point everybody knows."
This is too much for the Marine Corporal as he releases a bark of laughter while slapping his knee and shakes his head in disbelief.
Derek is about ready to sock Knott when a loud rumble is made. All three humans' turns to the alien female who is standing there, only now her legs are in a braced position while her arms have dropped and are hovering close to her hips where a belt of weapons hung. It is then that Derek realizes that they are unarmed, if Alasha goes on a rampage then there will be nothing stopping her.
"As enjoyable it is to see how amusing you find me," she says as she glared daggers at Knott who instantly straightens up and wipes the smirk off his face, "I must receive my…suitor's response."
That single word however broke the deal as Knott covers his mouth with his hands and snorts loudly while bending over as he does so. Alasha was either fooled by the fake sneezed or she didn't care as her focus is put back on Derek. Truth be told, he squirms a little in his seat, being the center of attention of a deadly Sangheili female who is clearly ticked off isn't a comforting feeling.
It is because of that does he thinks about Alasha's words and realizes that there is no escaping this, he needs to give her an answer.
He gulps nervously as he looks at the alien in question. Her near glowing eyes are filled with annoyance and a bit of malice, the fact that her hands are just a hair's length away from an energy pistol doesn't help either.
However it is now that she feels his gaze upon her and she turns towards him. Their eyes locked and that alone nearly causes him to back out, it's as if there is a kind of power that is being radiated from her slit irises.
Finally he works it up and says, "Alasha I…I need to say no."
The air in the room was full off a nerve biting tension but now it is replaced with total and absolute silence. This atmosphere is worse than the last, then there was an eagerness to get things over with and to see what is about to be said. Now though…it's almost as if there is a disappointment in the air.
"You're…retracting your invitation?" Alasha asks. She doesn't sound upset but rather…concerned.
"Yes," Derek admits, "I'm sorry but I'm…I'm going to be busy that night," he jerks his chin up at Knott, "I was just informed I have a job I need to perform."
Knott blinks, taken off guard by becoming the center of the conversation.
"You have?" Alasha asks as she switches her gaze to the unfortunate Corporal.
"Uh…" Knott is silent before he finally catches on and nods his head, "Yeah, I need this idiot to wash out the latrines."
He then gives Derek a loathing look, "All the latrines, especially the ones here," he finishes with a wave around the medical facility
Derek cringles at the thought of such disgusting work, but nods nonetheless, if that's what it's going to take to get out of this mess.
An agitated snarl wakes him up again as the female suddenly begins pacing in the small space of the little room, occasionally snapping her mandibles together while murmuring something in her language. Without realizing it, the three humans huddle closer to each other around Derek's bed, each wondering if they're about to meet their unexpected demise.
However before any of them went to their knees to begin begging for their lives, the female looks back to Knott and speaks in a strain voice.
"Corporal…Not," she says as her mandibles comes closer to each other as she grinds her teeth together once more, "is it possible to have Derek released from his duties on the night of this intended courtship…please," she all but spits out.
Between an angry alien girl who is armed and his troublesome squad mate who got him in trouble in the first place, Knott immediately nods his head at the alien.
"Yeah, sure, no problem," he bobs his head as he answers, but it slows as a thoughtful expression comes across his face. True this whole thing is Heath's fault, but there seems to be something…off here. Besides, it's his duty to make sure the Marines under his command are in fighting condition, though right now Knott would accept it if Derek was just barely breathing.
"If you don't mind me for asking, uh, ma'am," Knott says carefully, "but you don't really look…excited to be courted by this fool," he points at Derek.
"Hey!" shouts the undignified young man but Knott continues.
"Why do you want him to court you if you…don't want to?"
Alasha's anger disappears for a moment as she regards the human before looking back at Derek for a few seconds and then switching to Knott again.
"I will not lie," she sends a glare in Derek's direction, "he isn't my representation of a perfect male."
Derek squirms in his seated position again.
"However," here she breathes out heavily in a deflated fashion, "he is still a warrior and as such I cannot refuse him."
Derek's head suddenly jerks up at this, "What?" he questions, "Are you saying you are being forced into this?"
Alasha generally seems surprised by Derek's question, but she nods in confirmation, "seeing as how I'm a female and you are a male and a warrior, then you have greater authority than I," here a resentful approach takes over, "as such I must…pleasure you in whatever way that I can."
Derek feels his whole face changing colors right off the bat, he isn't sure if he's turning green, red, or paler. Knott though seems more intrigue by Alasha's words considering he isn't giving Derek a smirk.
"So you don't have a choice," Knott concludes.
Alasha doesn't answer, but she looks away and her whole demeanor seems to droop at this.
Derek instantly feels bad for her, she is a slave to her people's laws in a male dominated society where her matter of opinion means nothing. He does believe a man has a responsibility in taking care of his girl, but not by completely taking over their lives. Back home his dad may have been the tough guy of the household but it was his mother who was laying down the laws.
"But why don't we just cancel?" Derek asks.
Alasha looks up at him and her eyes once again narrows.
"Why?" she demands, "do you find me unattractive?"
Derek isn't sure if she is just frustrated with the whole situation or if it's common for girls on this planet to have mood swings as well, but he tries his best to answer while his face heats up.
"N-no," he stutters, "I mean…well…you do have a nice figure," he finally blurts out before looking away and waits to be shot dead.
However his words causes Alasha to briefly lose her anger as her eyes widens at that.
"You…are pleased by my…appearance?" she asks in a disbelieving voice, "an alien?"
Derek slowly looks back up while rubbing the back of his head, "well…yeah," he admits as he looks her in the eye, "I mean…yeah."
She stares at him with spread mandibles and wide eyes before looking away quickly, but Derek is sure he saw the side of her face turn indigo. Is that a blush?
"Alright settle down love birds," Knott says in his military serious voice as he looks to the female, "Look, Alasha, what the idiot is trying to say is if you don't want to go on a date with him, then you don't have to, where's the problem in that?"
Alasha still seems a little put off from Derek's early comment, but she pulls herself together to answer in a neutral voice.
"It's not that simple," she explains, "if a courtship is ended before it even begins then that means there is something wrong with the female of their Keep and this could ward away other potential suitors."
"Ugh," says a disgusted Knott as he slaps his face and rubs his forehead as he enters into deep thought.
"What if the male that is courting you gets sick or something?" questions Derek, "isn't that an exception?"
"Some males may blame the female for making them ill even before they enter into an intimate relationship," Alasha explains as a bit off her aggravation returns.
"You got to be kidding me," Derek mumbles.
"Yeah," Knott agrees, "and here I thought your excuse was lame."
"Hey!"
Knott ignores Derek again as he goes back to Alasha, "so if this idiot doesn't take you out then you're Keep suffers a loss of honor?"
"I have a name you know," Derek voices as he gives Knott a loathing look.
"Yeah but until you make up for your mistake you are henceforth known as idiot," Knott says with a dismissal wave of his hand.
Alasha watches this barter between the two squad mates before answering Knott's question.
"Indeed," she says with a bow of her head, "should anything go amiss while we're courting…then my Keep will suffer for it."
"Can't someone stop it?" Derek asks with a bit of desperation laced in his voice, "What about your dad?" When he is met with a blank look he elaborates, "Your father, the Keep Lord?"
She shakes her head again, "Normally he would, but he is away on a journey to negotiate with the region's Kaidon and will not be returning any time soon."
"What of your mother then?" Knott asks, "Can't she do something?"
Alasha grows quit as she looks down at the floor. Before she had looked sad, now…she looks downright depressed.
"My mother…is dead," she finally voices.
There's a stillness in the room before Derek says, "I'm sorry."
She looks up at him with a bit of her now renowned hostility, "why? What are you sorry for?"
For the first time since they met, Derek doesn't feel afraid of the female as he shrugs his shoulders, "for your loss, I know it's probably of no comfort, but I'm acknowledging I really am sorry for the pain you're suffering."
She watches him closely, "have you lost your mother?"
He is surprised by the question, nevertheless he shakes his head, "No, but I lost my great-grandmother recently, and that really was a blow to my core, someone who I thought would always be around is suddenly gone…people are telling you to move on, but…you just can't," here he looks down, "it's hard to move on when someone you love is gone."
"Yes," Alasha says in a breathless tone as she now looks at the human with greater interest.
"Oh for the love of-" Knott shakes his head, "you two are really made for each other aren't you?" he asks as he looks between the human and Sangheili.
Alasha makes a strange strangled sound in her throat before she turns away from them, but Derek is sure it is because she is blushing again.
"Well that looks like that's it."
The three of them lightly jumps upon hearing this and turns to the Doc who has been watching the whole process from the sidelines, his silence has caused the Marines and Sangheili to forget he was there.
Upon seeing everyone staring at him, Doc merely shrugs his shoulders, "Well if the courtship can't be stopped without trouble brewing for the Keep and since these two seems to be already off to a good start," here the supposed couple in question blushes furiously, "they have to go."
Knott slowly scratches his stubble chin, "I suppose that would make sense, there's no other way out of this," he sighs, "and no doubt if the Keep does lose respect because of this mess then they will no doubt blame us humans for it."
"See?" Doc asks, "That will undo all the work we have done to better the alliance and may even spark a war."
War? Because of him? Derek feels like he is going to pass out again.
"So that is it then," Knott says as he looks between Alasha and Derek, "you two better get your best fit clothes cleaned, you're going to the ball."
"A what?" Alasha questions.
Before Knott could answer there is a loud thud heard beside him and he turns to find that Derek has fainted once more.
I just wish to say I did lose my great grandmother a year ago but I still miss her. Doctors told her she was going to pass away in 2011 but she made it another three years before passing. She was a strong woman both in body and in faith who grew up during tough times not long after the Navajo (Native Americans) were subjugated by the government not long after the turn of the 19th century. Despite that she raised good kids and through them grandchildren before we came along, her great grandkids. She passed away at home, preferring to spend her final hours there on her land then the unfamiliar hospital she has been to. To this day I still miss her and even now I feel an ache right now as I think of her, but I know she is still with me wherever I go and I hope to honor her by following her examples as I get ready to begin my own life.
I intend for most of these chapters to be short, again just something for my own amusement, but the next chapter will be long but finals is coming up. I also wish to update Unexpected Alliance before I do this next chapter so we'll see how long this shall take me.