Chapter 4- mission brief from Eton's POV
Eton's Point of View
I stepped off our ship onto the UNSC ship named Lightspear and noticed many of the humans running around doing their daily life that is needed to be completed. They looked like the Grunts that would always be underfoot. A human with unattractive features with pale skin and brown eyes, approached my group and announced his name to be LT. Anthony Neale. This Neale human is to escort us to the room that the mission debriefs, that I am about to partake in. I waited for the rest of my group to follow the human and I brought up the rear. I observed the surroundings. The walls were a light gray with harsh lights that hurts my eyes slightly. Walking down the hallway we took a couple of turns to reach the room. The room has dark gray walls, harsh lights, and a dark, large, metal table in the middle of the room. Two screens perpendicular to each other sat on the walls shinning a black and reflecting the light depending on which direct and height you were at. I am safe for the time being. My group moved to the closest corner to the door as we started talking among ourselves.
"Arbiter, isn't your soulmate here on this ship?" The Special Operations Officer, Rasi Vern, asked while looking at the Arbiter. This caught my attention and I looked also to see a slight blush to dominate his cheeks.
"Yes, Rasi," The Arbiter nodded his head. "He is here, and he is the one that we call Demon." I chuckled at this irony. The one that he had to make right by is his soulmate and from watch him rubbing his wrist. It has been recent when they completed the bond and had intercourse. I am now aware that I am the only one without a soulmate in this group of four. I shook my head and listened into the conversation.
"Are you hoping to spend some quality time with him before?" The shipmaster, Viti Swint, asked while wiggling his mandibles and eyebrows in a suggestive manner. The Arbiter went even redder, if that is even possible with his dark brown skin.
"I would like for that to happen, but it will have to be the right time." Arbiter stated softly as he looked around the room. The door opened and some small male humans walked in. Well they more like shuffled in and kept glancing at us with unsure glances. I shook my head at this observation. Humans can be strange. It was some time before the door opened again. I turned my head and noticed a large human male and a slightly large human female walk through the door. The male was large with muscles, mannerism, and stature; this is the one that we call the Demon. That is the right name to call him in my mind. He has pale skin with many scars along the skin that is showing on his arms. He has stern blue eyes with a scar running over the top of his nose to the edges of his eye sockets. I smelt the Arbiter's pheromones rise at the sight of the man. I have now recognized this Demon as the Arbiter's mate.
The Arbiter walked to his mate and gave him a comrade handshake with a pat on the back. They talked softly and then pulled away. His mate, John, motioned for the second human to come forward. I was able to get a better look at her. She was shorter than me by at least two heads; shorter than the male by a head or so. She was of moderately muscular build with some plumpness in the right areas as I have gathered from human culture that the Arbiter had all of us read up on. Her hair was a brown that was not dark but was not light and depending on which angle the light is hitting it there is a red tint to it. I observed her face starting at her eyes. Her eyes did not seem anything special just a brown that is typical with the human genetics. The light tan color to her skin indicates that she works outside in the sun a bit and helps with softening her complexion. Though the scar, that barely misses her right eye, cuts into her cheek and her lips. This results in what a human considers a snare but to me it just shows how strong her survival instinct is.
"Thel this is Valkyrie," John nodded his head to the female. "Valkyrie this is Thel or better known as the Arbiter." I saw recognition highlight her eyes as she looked him up and down. What confused me is that she held out her hand and the Arbiter placed his hand in hers and shook it up and down once. She seemed satisfied with the result.
"I am sorry, but your name will be difficult for many of my race to pronounce correct." Thel explained to the female. I nodded my head in the back due to understanding his sentiments in not wanting to offend this female. "No offense." If I could smack the Arbiter across the head at least once. This would be time. You do not tell any female, no matter the race, 'no offense'. They will take offense to it anyways.
"I take no offense to it. Many people call me either Val, Titan, or TV-466. You and your men are welcome to call me which ever one is the most comfortable to say." The woman replied after chuckling. I am thankful that she did not take offense and demand further action taken on her end to retain her honor.
The Arbiter started introducing each of us and the female acknowledged each of us with a slight head nod. Then John and the Arbiter started to talk together with Rasi and Viti. I noticed that the female was focused on me and just observed me. I allowed her to because if we are to work together. We must know what each other looks like. The doors open at that moment and we all went to our seats. The female took a seat nearest to the door but with her back to the wall behind us. She is able to see everyone in the room at once, smart female. I keep to myself when I hear her chair groan under her weight and how stiff she became after the sound. I am guessing this has happened before.
The human general started out the conversation. "The Arbiter and I have talked about doing a joint operation to see how the compatibility would be." He looked at the blue AI in the middle of the table. "From our gathered information there is some rebel troops from the Covenant that are staying low and terrorizing the town of Azeilth. We, humans, are sending in these numbers and names 117, 446, Jefferson, and Johnson. The Arbiter and his squad of ten are joining us." I am part of the squad that is being sent in. I would like to see what this female would do in battle. The general continued. "The mission will start with the, as we like to name it, flying black Thunderbird." I was confused about the reference as was my brothers due to the reference that most of the humans got besides the Demon.
"What is a flying black Thunderbird?" I voiced my question to this attack that they would like us to perform. I noticed a slight movement from my left. She moved her hand slightly as if hurt or just getting a tingling.
"I," the voice said from my left. I turned my attention to the female. "Am the flying black Thunderbird." My world just changed. Everything about her just enhanced more and I loved how everything looked on her. This strange female is my soulmate. The one that is my other half made for me and I for her. She turned her head back to the front where the General was at. I miss having her eyes on me. The general started talking about what she is. She is called a Titan. So, just a smaller version of the Arbiter's mate. I looked back at my mate with a fond look in my eyes as I looked at her. I do wonder what her enhanced eyesight means. Do they change color, I wondered as the meeting continued. I noticed that she was not paying attention too much to what was being said.
The word dismissed passed the General's lips and Valkyrie basically jumped out of her seat and left the room before I could get my feet underneath me all the way. I was on my feet a few seconds after her along with the Spartan and my group. We all headed on out and John called out to her as she continued down the hallway. She did not look back but dipped into a room. I went to knock on the door until a blue face of the male AI appeared.
"Give her some time. She is unsure of what she is feeling. This is all new to her. Ask the Arbiter how long it took the Spartan to acknowledge anything with him and say it back again." The face stated and looked me straight in the face. "My name is Orion. I am the AI assigned to TV-466 or Valkyrie. If you want to know how she is doing or some stories. Just call out my name to the surrounding walls and I will be with you to talk with you. Good day." The face vanished and I turned around dejected and feeling low.