Decided to retcon the Arbiter's age. Around the time Chapters 19 or 20 dropped (I forget which), someone sent me this PM pointing out that at the time of the original Halo trilogy, Thel 'Vadam was 67 years old rather than 114. The reason I went with 245 is because A: I kinda wanted Arbiter to be a badass grampa, and B: 245 is a multiple of GUESS WHAT NUMBER KIDS?!
However, the more I think about it, the more I think that 245 might arguably be a little TOO old. Yes, it makes sense for a warrior race like the Sangheili to remain physically fit well into their elderly years, but I should still maintain a sense of realism here. In Humans, 70-80-year-olds with physical fitness on par with 30-year-olds are, to say the least, few and far between. So yeah. The Arbiter is now 198 years old. It's more in line with Halo canon AND is a more realistic age for an aging but still fighting strong soldier. Thel is like the Sangheili Bruce Willis now. Yeah, he's getting old, but he's not THAT old.
So why am I bringing all this up? Well, this chapter seemed like an appropriate time to initiate the retcon. Enjoy.
...
As he felt himself struggling awake, casting aside the shackles of darkness in his mind, the first thing he noted was that there was something wrapped around his torso. Rope. No, it was too slick to be rope, as well as far too foul-smelling. It took him another moment to realize they were tentacles.
The Arbiter could only think of one creature on this ring with tentacles like these.
The realization fully woke the Sangheili, who then renewed his struggle. Grunting and hissing out curses, he punched and kicked against invisible foes as the tentacles dragged him down further into the pit. Though he was now fully awake and aware, darkness still shrouded his vision. Wherever he was, it was dark. But as the tentacles dragged him further down, the dark cavern slowly became more illuminated by a sickly green light. More tentacles appeared to wrap themselves around his wrists, restraining him further as he came to a rest above some rocks on the cave floor. He flexed his arms as hard as he could, trying to break his bonds. But the accursed parasite was stubborn and would not let go.
"Relax." said a raspy voiced that sounded like it wasn't used often. "I'd rather not piss this thing off."
The Arbiter snapped his head towards the voice's owner. He too was wrapped in the parasite's tentacles. And his armor, green as the Flood itself with a visor that held no soul behind it, was unmistakable.
"Demon!" Thel snarled at the vile creature. As soon as he slew the parasite, it was next. It was the reason that the Covenant were denied passage into the Divine Beyond. It was the reason Thel was disgraced.
Thel would have gone on to ponder all the ways he'd kill the Demon, but the parasite began making odd noises. Thel looked and beheld a monster. Its head loosely resembled a plant of some sort, tentacles of various sizes writing around its head. As it continued making odd noises, its tentacles wrapped further around the Demon, bringing the Demon closer to the parasite's head. Thel struggled harder at that. The Demon's head was his. The parasite would not deny him revenge.
"This one is machine and nerve, and has its mind concluded." it rumbled. It then wrapped more tentacles around Thel and held him closer as well. "This one is but flesh and faith, and is the more deluded."
Deluded? Now it was insulting Thel's faith? The Arbiter would not have it. "Kill me or release me, parasite!" Thel barked at the abomination. "But do not waste my time with talk!" No doubt the beast intended on swallowing him with that giant mouth. If that was the case, Thel would withdraw his sword and slice at the monster's throat from the inside out. If he was to die, he would do so fighting, as any proper Sangheili should.
"There is much talk!" The parasite indignantly replied. "And I have listened! Through rock and metal and time!" The monster leaned its head back, raising two tentacles. "Now I shall talk, and you shall listen."
The Arbiter saw what the abomination held in its two tentacles and was horrified. In one tentacle was an Oracle. That fact that it touched, nay, grappled a Holy Oracle in such a way was heresy enough. But on another tentacle...was another tentacle, was a San'Shyuum; one of the Holy Prophets.
"Greetings!" The Oracle said, seemingly unphased by the parasite holding it. Thel found such stoicism in the face of filth admirable. "I am 2401 Penitent Tangent. I am the Monitor of Installation 05."
"And I..." the Prophet struggled to say. "Am the Prophet of Regret! Councilor most High...Hierarch of the Covenant!"
Regret? 'Vadam was even more horrified. He prayed for Regret's soul after receiving news of his death, but at least the Demon was quick in his execution of the Holy Prophet; merciful compared to what this parasite had done. The Prophet's body was merged with the tentacle. The fact that he was still alive, still himself, was nothing short of a grace of the Gods.
"A Reclaimer? Here?" The Oracle asked as it looked at the Demon. "At last! We have much to do. This facility must be activated if we are to control this outbreak!"
"Stay where you are!" Regret commanded. "Nothing can be done until my sermon is complete!" Thel was confused by this. Regret too seemed ignorant of his current plight. Perhaps better that way.
"Not true." the Oracle argued. "This installation has a successful utilization record of 1.2 trillion simulated and one actual. It is ready to fire on demand."
"Of all the objects our Lords left behind..." Regret began to seethe before turning to the Arbiter. "There are none so worthless as these Oracles! They know NOTHING of the Great Journey!"
Thel widened his eyes at that. A Hierarch? Speaking such blasphemy? The Flood was poisoning his mind. It had to have been. Thel hoped he could kill the Hierarch before the Flood killed Thel. Regret's suffering must be ended quickly, not only for the Prophet's own mercy, but so that he does not say anything else that could compromise his place in paradise.
"And YOU know nothing about containment!" The Oracle fumed. "You have demonstrated a complete disregard to even the most basic protocols!"
"This one's 'containment.'" The parasite said as it held the Oracle. "And this one's 'Great Journey.'" It said as it held aloft the Prophet. "Are the same."
The parasite lowered its tentacles back into the depths of the cavern. As the Arbiter heard Regret's panicked shrieks of fear, he silently prayed for his soul. He also silently vowed to avenge the Hierarch's infection. He will die a noble death in battle, as every Arbiter did before him, and redeem the Sangheili race in the eyes of the San'Shyuum, winning back their place in the Great Journey.
Fool. They ordered me to do it.
Tartarus was lying. He had to have been.
He had to.
The monster turned its gigantic head towards the Sangheili. Thel's muscles tensed, ready for death. "Your Prophets have promised you freedom from a doomed existence, but you will find no salvation on this ring. Those who built this place knew what they wrought. Do not mistake their intent, or all will perish as they did before." it lied.
"This thing is right." the Demon added, as though its opinion mattered. "Halo is a weapon. Your Prophets are making a big mistake."
Thel snarled at the Demon. "Your ignorance already destroyed one of the sacred rings, Demon. You shall not harm another!" the Arbiter vowed.
"If you will not hear the truth, then I will show it to you." the monster said. It looked up towards the cave's ceiling. "There is still time to stop the key from turning..." It turned its gaze back downwards. "But first it must be found."
"You will search one likely spot..." It said to the Demon.
"And you will search another." It said to the Arbiter.
The abomination smiled. "Fate had us meet as foes. But this ring will make us brothers."
The monster then shoved the Demon and the Arbiter into different teleportation rings. With a golden flash, the Arbiter's surroundings changed.
...
1148 Hours, March 8th, 2683
Seeker of the Truth
Undisclosed Location in the Omega Nebula
...
The Arbiter's eyes opened. He had walked out of that old memory and found himself back in the present. He was in his own private quarters, sitting cross-legged on a traditional meditation pillow and surrounded by incensed candles. Meditation was a common practice among zealots and other swordsman. Mental strength was every bit as necessary as physical strength in order to be a great warrior. It seemed that, in the course of his meditations, Thel had momentarily gotten lost in a lucid memory. This was not an uncommon occurrence, and is actually encouraged in some circles. Sometimes, all you need do to remind yourself of what you fight for is to simply look back on the past.
Thinking back to that memory, the Arbiter remembered the Gravemind's words. Fate had us meet as foes. But this ring will make us brothers. How right the parasite was, as much as the Arbiter loathed to admit it. He took satisfaction in the fact that the Gravemind's words 'came back to bite him' as the Humans say, as the Master Chief and the Arbiter personally activated Halo side by side, ending the threat of the Flood once and for all.
The ring had, indeed, made them brothers. Not simply between the Arbiter and the Chief, but between all Humans and all Sangheili. The first few years after the end of the War were uncertain to be sure. Of note was the political instability the Sangheili had to endure before renewing themselves. But after a few decades, the two species were able to co-exist, and even mutually call one another brothers over time.
And now here he was, Thel 'Vadam, once again waging a war on Humans. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Thel stood up from his sitting position and walked over to a closet. He opened the doors and beheld the armor of the Holy Arbiter. He began the meticulous process of donning the armor. Though it is capable of weathering many battles, Thel still treats it as gently as a hatchling. Armor as important as this should not be handled roughly and without care.
As he donned the armor, the Arbiter thought back to the atrocity he had found on Chasca, a tidally-locked world in the Matano system of the Maroon Sea. According to the Codex, Humans had only just recently begun colonizing the planet's twilight area, a band of hospitable land that lied between the scorching day side and frozen night side. Human tenacity never ceased to amaze Thel; Humans were not only willing, but determined to find something of value on that bizarre and hellish planet.
In the course of liberating Feros from the Geth's literally iron fist, the Master Chief and his AI companion found something within an ExoGeni computer server. Talk of how Cerberus bought some mysterious 'samples' of something and ordered that they be delivered to Chasca. He arrived on the planet two days previous to investigate. What he found horrified him.
Husks. Thel had read about them in the official Alliance reports in the wake of the Eden Prime invasion. They were once Human, but were completely and utterly drained of virtually all bodily fluids and implanted with cybernetics that rendered the victims more machine than man. Thel was sickened by the thought of Geth turning Humans into such creatures, but it wasn't until he encountered hordes of husks on Chasca did he realize how truly disgusting it all was. The pale blue skin, the unholy eyes, the moans of suffering and hatred. Not since the Flood had the Arbiter encountered such abominations in the eyes of the Gods.
But this time, it was not the Geth's doing. It was Cerberus. Somehow, Cerberus had obtained the 'dragon's teeth,' the devices the Geth used to turn Humans into husks. The Cerberus beasts then shipped the dragon's teeth to a small colony on Chasca to turn the colonists into those filthy wretches. According to the colonial manifest he found in one of the warehouses, the outpost only had fifty people total, and indeed, that was the amount of husks that tasted the bite of an Arbiter's blade. The Sangheili prayed for their souls, but their deaths were ultimately not in vain. He had found another clue on that planet.
In the science station, the Arbiter found a small vid-cam that was still sending a transmission. He enlisted the aid of an Unggoy tech expert to trace the transmission. According to the little Unggoy, the signal bounced off several comm buoys before finally ending in a place so unholy and vile, it actually made sense that Cerberus would conduct their business there.
As the Arbiter put on his helmet, completing the armor set, the door to the room opened, revealing a Sangheili dressed in shipmaster armor. He saluted the Arbiter. "Arbiter. We have come out of FTL into the asteroid belt of the Sahrabarik system."
"...Very well." Thel replied. "Tell Cadavu and Bysoti to meet me in the hangar and have the hangar crew make ready a phantom. I intend to disembark as soon as possible."
...
Omega. The beating heart of the Terminus Systems and the filthiest place imaginable. A den of vice and sin where the wicked went to indulge whatever pleasures they had, no matter how twisted. In the twenty-six years since he first heard of this wretched place, Thel hoped he would never have to venture there. Unfortunately, this was where the vid-cam he had found on Chasca sent its transmission to. This was where the trail led, and as the Arbiter, it was his duty to chase the Sangheili's enemies through whatever mud they ran through, no matter how foul. And while Omega's mud may have been the foulest in all the galaxy, the Arbiter will still drudge through it if he had to.
He took solace in the fact that he would not have to trudge through it alone. Standing on either side of him in the phantom's passenger compartment were Cadavu Dama Ranu and Bysoti Dama Kuma, a pair of young Mgalekgolo that the Arbiter met a couple of years prior during a Jiralhanae pirate attack on the Fleet of Inquisitive Journeys. They failed to protect the shipmaster of Chavam's Return, but atoned for their failure by fighting alongside the Arbiter in not only repelling the filthy brute attack, but boarding the Jiralhanae ship and leaving a bomb as vengeance. The Dama-pair had been loyal companions to the Arbiter ever since. Thel was thankful for the companionship. His was a lonely station sometimes.
Bysoti shifted in place uncomfortably. "Omega..." the hulking gestalt of eels rumbled. The words were felt more than heard. "Why am I not surprised that Cerberus would hide in such a wretched lair of heresy and sin?"
"A large wretched lair of heresy and sin, mind you." Cadavu pointed out. He turned to Thel. "I don't suppose we know exactly where they're hiding?"
"Regrettably, no." the Arbiter said with a shake of his head. "They cut the transmission before we could trace them down to a specific location on Omega."
"Lovely." Bysoti commented, his rumbling dripping with sarcasm. "Now we have to search every grime-encrusted hole on this damned rock."
"Patience, brother." Cadavu tried to calm his bond brother. Cadavu had always been the more level-headed of the pair. "In dens such as these, any sort of information is available at a price. Perhaps we could find someone who would tell us where Cerberus hides."
"That shouldn't be too difficult." Bysoti snuffled in disgust. "All we need do is throw enough red sand at a street urchin and they would tell us Cerberus' most favored drink."
"Arbiter. We are about to dock." the pilot reported over the phantom's intercom.
"Good. Stay with the phantom and stay alert. Kill any who may try to steal it." Thel ordered. He knew what happened to ships when they are docked at Omega unattended. As he heard the magnetic clamps adhering themselves to the drop ship, the Arbiter walked over to a weapons locker at the back of the ship and armed himself. A carbine on his back, a classic plasma rifle on one thigh, and his trusted energy sword on the other thigh. The Arbiter preferred the old ways, or as the Squidheads would say, he was 'old school.' Cadavu and Bysoti were checking their fuel rod arm cannons, making sure that they were in working order. As he walked back over to them, the Mgalekgolo pair nodded at the Arbiter. They were ready for whatever evil they may find.
They exited the phantom and walked down the loading bay. As they emerged into another corridor, a Salarian standing nearby jogged up to them. "Hey! Welcome to Omega!" he eagerly greeted. "You're new here, aren't you? I can always tell!"
The Salarian's face was stout and had a few scars around the mouth, indicating he had gotten into a fight more than once. His voice was raspy, as though it had been a long time since he last drank any water. Lastly, his clothes were filthy and in desperate need of washing. In lamen's terms, he looked like a typical Omega citizen. Thel noticed a Batarian approaching, marching up to the entourage with the sway that came with authority.
"Allow me to-" the Salarian stopped speaking as soon as he looked over his shoulder and saw the Batarian approaching. "Oh...Hello Moklan! I was just-"
"Leave Fargut." the Batarian growled. "Now."
"Of course Moklan! Whatever she wants!" the Salarian sycophantly replied. The Batarian raised his hand, which apparently was enough to send the Salarian running, implying that the Batarian had to strike Fargut down at least once before. This Moklan may have very well just saved Fargut's life. During the whole of the brief time urchin was speaking, the Arbiter could feel the vibrations of the Mgalekgolo growling. They had little patience for street beggars.
"Blasted scavengers." Moklan grumbled as he watched the Salarian run off. He turned to the Arbiter. "Welcome to Omega...'Vadam."
The Arbiter raised an eyebrow. "My arrival here was expected?" he asked.
"Of course." Moklan replied, sarcasm positively dripping from that second word. "We had you tagged the moment you entered the Omega Nebula. You're not as subtle as you think. Aria wants to know what brings the Arbiter to Omega. I suggest you go to Afterlife now and present yourself."
Bysoti snuffled in disgust. "Watch your tongue, Batarian." he said. "The Holy Arbiter cannot be summoned as though he were a mere servant."
"Today's the exception. No one keeps Aria waiting." Moklan replied.
The Arbiter noticed Bysoti taking a step forward and splayed an arm in front of the Mgalekgolo to keep him from doing anything rash. He craned his head back towards the Batarian. "Tell Aria that the Arbiter does not seek a battle with her. She will have no trouble from me." Thel told Moklan in an steady tone.
"...Yeah, things explode around you, 'Vadam." the Batarian pointed out. "You can't blame Aria for keeping an eye on you. Afterlife. Now." With that, Moklan turned on his heels and walked away. Once he was out of earshot, the Arbiter's companions spoke their peace.
"You're not truly going to answer this 'Aria's' summon, are you?" Bysoti asked.
"I shall. But for my own reasons." Thel replied. "Aria is apparently a crime lord of some sort if she has messengers at her beck and call. She may know something about where Cerberus hides."
"Then I suppose we should proceed to Afterlife." Cadavu suggested with a solemn nod. Bysoti simply snuffled again.
"Come." the Arbiter instructed before walking down the corridor.
...
Afterlife was not far from where their phantom made berth. It was a massive building with no windows of note on its brown, dingy walls. The entrance was a single door with a green lock panel with 'Afterlife' hanging over the door in red neon lighting. There was an Elcor standing before a line of guests and two Batarians immediately by the door; bouncers by the looks of them. Thel and the Dama-pair could hear the faint thumping of a slow and heavy bass. Apparently, Afterlife was a night club.
The three of them walked by the Elcor bouncer, who was having an argument with a Human guest who kept insisting that Aria wanted to see him, a claim that the Arbiter personally doubted. The three of them passed by the two Batarian bouncers. One of them put down his datapad and opened the door for the trio. "Go on." he said with an evil grin. "Aria's expecting you."
Thel was getting the distinct feeling that this 'Aria' was a person of considerable power on Omega. Perhaps she was even its ruler. The three of them walked down a long corridor. On either side were circular tables where patrons of every species were enjoying drinks. And on the walls were holographic images of flames roaring, casting the corridor and all who were in it in a reddish-orange glow. The Sangheili stayed alert, eyeing each of the patrons as he walked through, knowing that each of them was potentially a thief or a killer, ready to pull out a weapon and make an attempt on his life at a moment's notice. His eyes settled on a trio of Batarians. Upon noticing they had the Arbiter's eyes upon them, they stood up from their seats and withdrew their weapons.
"What are you looking at?" one of them sneered.
Bysoti warmed up his fuel rod gun and pointed it at the Batarians. "Dead men." he growled.
The lead Batarian staggered back, his arrogance quickly replaced with fright upon realizing that he had made the gruesome mistake of invoking a Mgalekgolo's ire. "Uh...I'm not looking for trouble." he stuttered out.
The Arbiter smiled. It was amusing how quickly the Batarian grew more humble with a fuel rod cannon pointed at his head. "Then perhaps you should go elsewhere." the Sangheili suggested.
"Alright, alright, I, I've got stuff to do anyway." the four-eyed alien quickly stuttered out. "Come on, let's get out of here." he said, his two friends following him. Well, one of them followed him. His second friend stood a moment and stared at the Arbiter, making a threatening slitting motion across his neck with his thumb.
Bysoti roared at the last Batarian, making him yelp and scurry off after his two friends. "You enjoyed that." Cadavu accused.
"I did." Bysoti confessed.
After that little incident, the trio progressed through the doors at the end of the hall and into the main chamber of Afterlife. The chamber was circular in shape, with a massive pillar standing in the middle of it, the pillar itself plastered with holographic images of dancing Asari. Wrapped around the pillar was a circular stage featuring the dancers themselves. The Asari wore clothing that displayed much of their blue skin as they danced and moved like water, inviting all within the club to witness and drink in their shameless beauty. On the outer edges of the arena were tables, booths, a dance floor and a bar. The Arbiter craned his neck up towards a platform several feet above the arena floor. He saw a lone Asari standing there. She was no dancer however. She stood with the casual superiority that came with authority. Thel thought that Aria sounded like an Asari name. He motioned the Dama-pair to follow him to the stairs leading up to the platform.
The trio made their way up the stairs, passing a few armed guards. The Dama Mgalekgolo stopped on a sub-platform while Thel continued on to the final platform, the one where Aria stood.
"That's close enough." Aria evenly said. Thel suddenly heard the unsheathing of weapons and a bestial growl. He turned his head right and saw a Jiralhanae aiming a spiker rifle at the Sangheili's head, its lip curled in a growl, revealing sharp fangs. He turned to his left and saw a Batarian aiming an SMG at the Arbiter's head as well. He looked over his shoulder and saw more guards appear, unsheath their weapons and aim them at the Dama-pair. The Mgalekgolo let out a low warning growl as they warmed up their fuel rod cannons.
Just as it seemed as though it would become a slaughter, Aria tilted her head to the left. And just like that, every last guard, even the vicious Jiralhanae whom Thel was certain wanted to drink the Arbiter's blood, lowered their weapons. The Dama-pair lowered their weapons in turn, but their warning growls continued. Evidently, all Aria wanted to do was make Thel stop where he stood. The Batarian walked up to him as he activated his omni-tool. "Stand still." he instructed as he tapped a few keys. A holographic image of a blue naked Sangheili appeared on his omni-tool, red spots flickering across the image.
"I hide no weapons." Thel said. "The only weapons I have are the ones you see."
"Can't be too careful with the Arbiter." Aria replied.
"They're clean." the Batarian said before stepping aside. Aria turned around and faced the Arbiter. She wore a white, long-sleeved vest with a high collar and tight black pants. Tattoos adorned her purple face; a thick line extending from the lower lip down to the chin, two thinner lines that connected her eyebrows in a double arc, and a pair of curved lines that seemed to frame her face. But what caught Thel's attention most was her eyes. The steely determination in them, the sense of complete dominance over anyone she beheld. Her gaze was calm, calculating, but looked ready to erupt into an inferno of fury at a moment's notice. It was the gaze of a trained killer. A warrior. Or a murderer. Considering that this was Omega, the latter seemed more likely.
"I was told that you are the person to talk to, should I have questions." Thel evenly began.
"Depends on the questions." Aria replied.
"Am I to understand that you rule Omega?" Thel asked. That was the way it seemed to him. At the very least, she was a very powerful crime lord on the station.
Aria simply laughed a low, almost mocking laugh in reply to Thel's query. She turned around and faced the pillar of neon light that stood in the center of her club, casting a silhouette as she thrust her arms out. "I am Omega."
She turned back towards the Arbiter. "But you need more. Everyone needs more something, and they all come to me. I'm the boss, CEO, queen if you're feeling dramatic. It doesn't matter. Omega has no titled ruler and only one rule."
The Asari took a seat on the couch, crossing her legs and leaning back as she smiled.
"Don't. Fuck. With Aria."
"A fair rule." the Arbiter said with a nod of agreement. "I shall do my best to abide by it."
"Good to hear." Aria replied. She nodded at the far left end of the couch. Thel walked over and took a seat. "So. What can I do for you?"
"I am looking for Cerberus." Thel simply replied. "I do not know if you are aware, but they are hiding somewhere on this station."
"Don't patronize me." the Asari warned. "Nothing twitches a muscle on Omega without my knowing it."
"Then you know where Cerberus hides?" Thel asked.
"No." Aria replied. "But I do know where a bunch of suspicious looking Humans hide. A few months back, a whole bunch of Humans moved into the Kima District. They bought an apartment building, everything was legit, I didn't see a reason to care. But the neighbors say those Humans almost never come out of there. And every other week, there'd be a package dropped on the doorstep that was taken inside before anyone had the chance to grab it." the Asari smirked. "Whoever's living in there is doing something that they wanna keep secret."
"Sounds like Cerberus." Thel pondered. "Everything they do, they do in the shadows. But if you suspect that these Humans are Cerberus, why have you not taken action against them?"
"Why should I?" Aria asked in turn. "Cerberus hasn't done anything to piss me off. Yet. But you?" the Asari leaned in a little closer to Thel. "Cerberus must have done something to really piss off the Sangheili if they're sending you after them."
"My reasons for hunting Cerberus are not your concern." Thel firmly responded.
"You're right. They're not." Aria aloofly replied as she leaned back into her original position. "One more thing. A few weeks ago, Blue Sun mercenaries moved in to Kima District, right next door to where your Cerberus friends are hanging around."
"Hired guards to ward off the curious." Thel concluded.
"Looks that way." Aria replied. "And they shelled out money for the big hitters, too. Not just the usual troopers, but also guys with rocket launchers and flame throwers." she smirked. "So yeah. Have fun with that."
"I shall." the Arbiter replied as he stood up. "You have my thanks for your help."
"You're welcome." Aria replied. "You can return the favor by killing a few Blue Suns while you're down there. They've been annoying me more than usual lately."
...
Thel and the Dama-Pair had to take a large air-van to the Kima district, as it was the only air vehicle capable of supporting the combined bulk of the two Mgalekgolo. As Thel piloted the air-van through the Omega skyways, he cast an eye downwards at the Omega streets below. The only colors he saw were varying shades of brown, broken up only by the occasional neon sign that advertised food, drink and pleasurable company. He saw street urchins begging for credits from the street corners and fighting one another over a single scrap of food, crowds of onlookers circling such combatants, no doubt to make wagers on who would win the privilege to eat. The Arbiter shook his head. It depressed him, knowing that no matter how much good he ever did or ever will do, places such as these will always exist. Light will always exist, but so too will darkness.
Thel landed the airvan in a back alley, several blocks away from Cerberus's supposed hideout. He dared not land closer, for to do so would risk alerting the Blue Sun guards to his presence. After all, to needlessly panic the herd was the sign of a careless hunter. As the airvan's engine powered down, Thel climbed out of the drivers seat and opened the side door. Cadavu and Bysoti hopped out and took a moment to stretch after being locked inside a cramped space for fifteen minutes. After granting them ten seconds of that luxury, the Arbiter motioned for the Mgalekgolo to follow him.
They navigated the blood-stained alleyways as quietly as they could. For Thel, stealth was a thing that came naturally and with little issue. But for his bulky Mgalekgolo companions, it was a trickier affair. Cadavu and Bysoti walked slowly and carefully, taking great care not to step on something loud or trip on something, their shields constantly raised as if expecting an ambush. The group was moving slower than Thel would personally like, but alas, it could not be helped. If the Mgalekgolo moved too quickly, the sound of their armor shuffling and their mighty boots jogging would betray them. The element of surprise was too important to risk losing, especially on this mission. Cerberus shut down their feed before the Arbiter could get an exact fix on the transmission. They knew the Arbiter was coming for them and would prepare accordingly, either to weather an assault on their base here or to flee to parts unknown. Thel particularly feared the latter; most Cerberus members were cowards, and if there was one thing cowards were good at, it was hiding. If they went to ground, there would be no telling when they would reveal themselves again. The Arbiter had to strike now while the iron was still hot.
After creeping through the labrynthine alleys for what seemed like hours, they turned the corner. Lying a hundred feet down another alleyway, they saw soldiers wearing armor with a blue-white color scheme. With a hand motion, Thel ordered Cadavu and Bysoti back around the corner to stay hidden. He then activated his cloak and stuck to the shadows as he faded from view. Silent as death, Thel made his way up the alley until he found himself at a four-way alley intersection. He took cover at another shadowy corner, deactivating his cloak so that it may recharge to full strength, and peaked his head out. An assortment of Humans and Unggoy decked out in Blue Sun uniforms stood outside the entrance to a large apartment building. There was a Batarian with them as well, the leader of the group judging from the way he carried himself. He walked down the stoop upon which he had been standing to meet with a Human trooper and his Unggoy entourage, a patrol squad coming back to report, most likely. Thel was thankful that he and the Dama-Pair encountered no such patrols as they approached. Fate was favoring him so far.
Thel keyed the Dama-pair and reported his findings in low whispers. "There are over twenty of them. Fifteen Unggoy, a hanful of troopers, and the Batarian appears to be this group's leader. More are likely inside."
"A formidable wall." came Bysoti's automated voice response. Since Mgalekgolo don't have vocal cords, they can't speak through radios and so rely on translation VI's in their armor that can interpret their 'rumblings' as words and then say them through the radio. "Perhaps we can punch a hole in it for you?"
"I have a better idea." Thel replied. "I will creep in through a window and make my way inside."
"But did you not say that there were likely even more Blue Suns inside?" Cadavu queried.
"Indeed." Thel replied. "Therefore, a distraction outside the building would be most useful in bringing most of them outside and away from me."
The Arbiter could swear he could feel the ground shaking from where he stood. The shaking had quick rhythm to it, the rhythm of a Mgalekgolo's laughter of delight.
"We can provide such a distraction." Bysoti pointed out.
"Good. Do so." Thel ordered. With that, he reactivated his cloak. He kept himself low as he made his way across the alleyway to the other side of the intersection. He decided it was best to stay out of the way for what would happen next.
...
Ever since they arrived on this Gods-forsaken rock, the Dama-pair had been eager to kill something. Even Cadavu, the cooler-headed of the pair, felt so much contempt for this place that he longed to take it out on something, and now he and Bysoti had the opportunity to do so. The two Mgalekgolo swung around the corner and charged, relieved to cast off the burdens of stealth. They fired their fuel rod cannons down the alley, aiming for the Blue Suns. Noticing the shots coming, the mercs wisely leapt and rolled out of the way. The Mgalekgolo then raised their shields to brace themselves for what would come next.
As expected, the Blue Suns withdrew their weapons and returned fire. Bullets began bouncing off their shields harmlessly, though it did force the Dama-pair to slow their charge down to an inexorable march. With their shields raised to block the incoming fire, the Mgalekgolo returned fire in turn with their fuel rod guns. The Blue Suns continued to duck and dodge as best they could. As they got closer, Cadavu and Bysoti noted that there were walls of sandbags around the apartment which the mercs used to take cover. It seemed that the Arbiter's suspicions had been correct. Cerberus knew an assault was coming and they prepared. They prayed that the Arbiter would be able to slaughter a few of the dogs before they could escape.
Another Human in Blue Sun armor emerged from the doorway with a rocket launcher and fired a rocket at Cadavu. It was only his quick reflexes that saved him, as Cadavu rose his shield just in time to block the rocket. The impact of the explosion singed Cadavu's armor while the shockwave stunned the both of them for a moment. More Blue Suns emerged from the doorway, mostly troopers and a few more heavies.
"It seems more have fallen into our trap." Cadavu observed. "Shall we spring it?"
"I thought you'd never ask." Bysoti rumbled with child-like glee as his back spines flared out, crackling with biotic energy. Cadavu flared out his spines as well, channeling his own biotic power for their attack. As one, the two Mgalekgolo bond brothers crouched low, lunged.
And then disappeared.
Blue auras were the only thing to track their travel before they reappeared amongst the Blue Suns. Bysoti barged right into the first heavy to emerge, hitting the merc with such force that his body flew right through a window back into the apartment. He then swung his shield and knocked a trooper into some trashcans on the other side of the street and took out the entire entourage of Blue Sun Unggoy with a well-aimed fuel rod shot. Cadavu barged into a heavy as well, knocking him to the ground and then smashing his shield onto the man's skull like a hammer upon an anvil, just to make sure that he was dead. After the heavy's skull was reduced to little more than a puddle of grey mush, Cadavu turned and faced a pair of troopers and their Unggoy minions. Cadavu raised his shield over his head as it was wrapped in a biotic aura, and slammed it upon the ground. This action triggered a series of biotic pulses to run across the ground until they struck the mercs, sending them flying. The only merc to survive that biotic shockwave was an Unggoy, who then turned around and began fleeing with his arms waving. "Feet, don't fail me now!" he cried out as he ran. Cadavu chose not to fire on the coward and let him go. One pathetic little Unggoy wasn't worth the ammunition.
The remaining Blue Suns then retreated back through the door and into the apartment. That was bad. The objective of this distraction was to lure the Blue Suns out, not drive them back in. Cadavu fired his fuel rod on the door, hoping to not only kill some of those that ran, but also to maintain the illusion that their base was under attack. It was then that Bysoti suddenly barked in pain as a few shots struck him in a small spot where there was no armor. He looked and beheld more Blue Suns running down a street towards them. Cadavu noticed several more Blue Suns charging at them from the other end of the street.
"Shall we charge again?" Bysoti asked.
"We may have to." Cadavu answered. "Doubtful they're brave enough to come to us."
And so, each bond brother biotically charged toward each group of Blue Suns, eager for more carnage.
...
As the Arbiter climbed the fire escape on the building's side, he heard the cries of panic, the firing of guns, the explosions of radioactive gel projectiles and the laughter of the Dama-pair. They were causing a ruckus, which was exactly what Thel needed. Once he felt that he was high up enough, he climbed through a window. He climbed into a hallway corner with cheap rug that was dotted with the occasional stain. The walls of the inside of the building seemed little cleaner than the walls on the outside. He saw a Blue Suns trooper barging down the hall. He probably did not notice the Arbiter yet, being cloaked, but that would soon change once he got closer. Thel had little choice. He gripped his sword handle. As soon as the Blue Sun was within range, Thel snapped it on.
With a single thrust, Thel impaled the mercenary trooper on his sword, right through his heart, if the merc even had one. His massive hand gripped itself around the Batarian's throat and squeezed, strangling out anything resembling a scream. After struggling for a second, the trooper went limp. As his cloak faded, Thel withdrew his sword but maintained his grip. He opened a door to a room and carried the body inside, closing the door behind him. Judging from all the weapons and crates that were in this room, it seemed that Cerberus was using this room as an armory. Thel stashed the body away in a closet. He could not afford to be discovered now. As far as Cerberus and the Blue Suns knew, the Mgalekgolo pair outside was their only problem.
Speaking of whom, it was then that Cadavu reported the situation outside through Thel's earpiece. "Some of the Blue Suns at the entrance have retreated inside. Hopefully they are simply regrouping for a counter-attack against Bysoti and I. Stay away from the lower floors if you can."
"My thanks for the warning." Thel replied before walking up to the door. He put an ear against the door to ensure that there were no more troopers coming. He did not hear anything except the distant sounds of battle outside. Satisfied, Thel reactivated his cloak and opened the door.
He navigated the corridors until finding himself at the elevators. There was a convenient map to tell him what was on each floor. He then found that there was a dining hall on one of the floors above him, near the top. Dining halls were usually quite spacious, and so made for good makeshift command centers. If Cerberus was indeed using this building as a command post, the dining hall may be where its beating heart lies. If nothing else, it was a good place to begin looking. His path set, Thel called the elevator. After a moment, the door opened and the Arbiter stepped inside and keyed the desired floor. The doors closed and the elevator began its ascent.
As the elevator ascended, Thel kept a hand on the plasma rifle on his thigh. So far, there had been no need to use it, but if the cafeteria was indeed the command center, it was possible that the deadliest Blue Sun guards would be there, as well as several traps designed to dispatch any intruders. Thel would have to be cautious. He will reactivate his cloak as soon as he's on the desired floor.
That is, he will once he gets to the desired floor. He growled in annoyance as the aggravatingly cheerful elevator music played on. Perhaps it was simply the stress of his current situation, but Thel could swear that this elevator was the most infuriatingly slow thing he had ever encountered.
At long last, the elevator door opened. His cloak fully active, Thel peeked outside and slowly crept into the dining hall. It seemed that Thel's instincts were right. There were computer consoles, monitors and servers strewn all about the mess hall, mostly against the walls. In the center was a massive holographic projector that displayed a fully functional galaxy map. The map implied to Thel that Chasca was not the only twisted experiment that Cerberus oversaw from this building.
There was no one here however. It seemed that Cerberus had fled this place, but in doing so they foolishly left behind their computers. Now Thel could discover yet more Cerberus cells and put an end to those atrocities. Perhaps he could even find the way to the Beast himself. His hearts swelling with confidance and purpose, he continued to slowly make his way into the room.
It was then that he was suddenly hit by what felt like a blow to his abdomen, forcing him to stagger back. With a flash of blue light and sparks, his cloak and his shields were both forcefully deactivated. "I knew you were coming. So I ordered my people out of here before you could get at them. And with your two hunter friends keeping the Blue Suns busy, I suppose it's just you and me now."
That voice. Thel had heard it before.
The Arbiter looked and growled at who he saw. A female Human came out from hiding behind a large server and approached Thel, her omni-tool still glowing from that overload attack she had just hit Thel with. She wore no armor. Some would call that foolish, but Thel had fought this woman twice before; once on Tortuga, and again on Bekenstein. She was so nimble and deadly that, truth be told, she didn't really need armor, not even against him. What she wore instead was a white jumpsuit with black sleeves and black boots that ended in heels. Though heeled boots usually slowed down most Human females, this one seemed able to walk and fight just fine in them. The shape of her body did not escape him. He knew enough about Human culture to know that this female was likely considered quite beautiful by most Humans. Of course, as the old Sangheili saying goes, beauty is evil's favorite disguise.
"You." The Arbiter snarled at the Human.
"Hello Thel." she formally greeted him, as though the two weren't about to try and kill one another.
"Twice before you escaped me. You shall not escape a third time!" The Arbiter vowed. He withdrew his sword and snapped it on. Fully drawn, the sword was now demanding blood, and blood it would receive. "Once I have slain you, I shall tear down your vile coven one cell at a time! And when I find the Beast's lair, I shall take his head and mount it on a pike! Pray to your God, Cerberus filth! FOR TODAY YOU SHALL MEET HIM!"
The woman simply sighed in mock disappointment. "And here I was expecting something more along the lines of 'Hello Miranda. It's good to see you again, my old friend.'"
Thel roared in righteous fury and then charged. Miranda simply stood her ground, her body wrapping itself in biotics as she wore a smug smirk. As Thel closed the distance, he tried to swing his energy sword in a wide horizontal arc, aiming right for Miranda's neck. The Cerberus officer blocked the blow by taking a step forward and slamming her forearm against his, stopping his attack in mid-slash. With her free hand, she closed her fist and punched the Sangheili right in the gut.
With the wind knocked out of him, Thel was stunned for only a second, but a second was all Miranda needed. The Human then grabbed his sword arm and used it as something to hold on to as she did a cartwheel over it, striking the Sangheili right right across the mouth with both her stiletto heels. As she landed on Thel's side, she let go of his arm and ducked to avoid his second horizontal slash. She quickly summoned up some biotics around her hand and thrust it out. Thel was sent flying into a wall by the biotic melee attack.
The Arbiter quickly recovered and was back on his feet, his sword still held tightly in his hand. He spat out some blood and a few teeth. Being a predatory species, Sangheili go through many teeth and are usually quick to regrow them. The Cerberus operator had done no permanent damage to him yet. As he angrily glared at her, Miranda took a rather haughty pose, leaning on one leg with a hand on her hip.
"You know, you are a couple of years shy of the big bicentennial." she pointed. "Are you sure you're not getting too old for this?"
The only reply Thel gave her was another cry of anger before charging again. He swung his sword, trying to slash at the Human, but she moved as fast as lightning and as gracefully as water. She ducked and weaved, dodging every one of his slashes. She even had the good sense to jump when the Arbiter tried to slash at her feet. After Thel attempted and failed an upwards slash, Miranda jumped up into a backwards summersault, kicking the sword out of his hand. The blade sailed across the room and embedded itself into a computer console on the far wall. Thel was undeterred from his assault. If he could no longer use his sword, his own fists and feet would do fine. Gods only knew Miranda was proficient in weaponless combat, unless her biotics counted as a weapon.
Thel and Miranda were deadlocked in their melee. As he fought, the Arbiter wondered how it was that the Cerberus officer was able to fight back so effectively. While Humans were indeed a warrior race worthy of respect, the average Sangheili was still far larger and stronger than the average Human, so Thel never had much trouble defeating an ordinary Human one-on-one. By now, it was abundantly clear to him that Miranda was no ordinary Human. Her strength and agility were easily on par with his own, which would've made her nearly twice as strong and swift as the average Human. Indeed, she was easily the most formidable Human Thel had faced since the Human-Covenant War, loathe as he was to admit it.
Thel knew that the goal of Cerberus's experiments on Binthu was to recreate the Spartans, Humanity's greatest warriors. He was beginning to wonder if those experiments yielded some results.
Thel continued his onslaught, punch after punch, but Miranda kept alternating between blocking and dodging. He had her on the defensive now, but he still couldn't get a single hit in. He tried to deliver a left cross right to her nose, but she moved her head just in time. Rather than try to follow it up with a counter blow however, she grabbed his outstretched arm and heaved. Thel's world was turned upside down as the raven-haired Human flipped him over her head, using the momentum from his own punch against him. He landed on the floor hard on his back. Still holding on to his arm, the Cerberus loyalist then lifted her boot up with the apparent intention to stomp on his throat or chest.
This time, Thel was the faster one.
Thel's hand caught Miranda's boot in mid-stomp before it make contact. With his hand locked on her ankle like a trap, the Arbiter then curled his back, bringing his legs to his chest, coiling himself like a spring. He then thrust his lower body outward, lifting himself up and lifting his opponent right along with him. He landed on his feet. She landed on her head as the Arbiter had slammed her down on the floor as he landed. Still holding tightly onto her ankle, he swung her around and tossed her into a computer panel. The Human cried out in pain as her back impacted the console and she collapsed on the floor. The Sangheili then marched over to her with the intent of finishing her, but she then rolled away and then spun back onto her feet. She then rushed up to him and tried to land in some punches and kicks, but Thel was able to dodge and block them all. He grumbled curses to himself. Now he was on the defensive. It was then that he had an idea.
Miranda threw one punch, but rather than block or dodge it, Thel simply caught the fist in his hand. She then tried to launch another punch with her other hand, and Thel caught that punch as well. He then reared his head back and headbutted her as hard as he could.
The headbutt had always been one of Thel's favorite hand-to-hand combat tricks. It saved his life on more than one occasion.
Miranda was stunned for only a second, but a second was all Thel needed. He put his strength into his arms to try and push against Miranda's arms in the hopes that he would break them. She may not have been an ordinary Human, but even her bones would have had limits. Once her arms were broken, her biotics would be useless, and at long last, her time would be done.
For the third time, she turned the tables on him.
She leapt up, using Thel's arms as though they were gymnastic rings to steady herself in mid-air as she bended her legs toward her chest, then kicked them out in his face, her boots hitting the Sangheili right on the nose. It stunned him enough to release his grip on her fists. She then blasted him with another heavy biotic melee attack which again sent him flying into a wall.
This wasn't going well. Thel needed to do something to turn the odds in his favor. "You have guns you know." Miranda mockingly pointed out. "You could make things a lot easier on yourself by actually using them."
"...A wise suggestion." the Arbiter replied. He then grabbed his plasma rifle, aimed it at Miranda and opened fire. With a surprised look on her face that Thel was pleased to see, the Human spun on her heels and ran for cover behind the galaxy map in the center of the room.
"Damn it!" she cursed.
"This was your suggestion, you know." Thel said as he stood up and kept his rifle aimed at the galaxy map.
"Well, I didn't thing you'd actually do it." Miranda countered. "Isn't what you're doing cheating according to your people's code of honor?"
"It would be, if my opponent had not suggested it, implying that it would be allowed in our duel from here on." Thel argued. "Besides, if you had a gun, you would be using it as well."
"...You're right. I would."
Miranda then popped out of cover with a large pistol in her hand. She aimed at Thel and fired. Thel's shields took several hits from the attack as he ran forward, taking cover behind the side of the galaxy map console opposite Miranda's side.
"I didn't know Cerberus had a code of honor that prohibits guns until a certain point." Thel said.
"We don't. You just charged right at me and started swinging that sword around at first, so I didn't think a long-range weapon was practical at that particular juncture." Miranda replied matter-of-factly.
"So Cerberus does lackhonor. By your own admission, no less." Thel smugly said. The Sangheili and the Human were on opposite sides of the galaxy map. If either one rose, they could be cut down by the other. He had to figure out a way around this stalemate.
"That's the problem with most Sangheili." Miranda said. "No offense, but your species has a bad habit of mistaking pragmatism for cowardice."
Thel peeked out around the corner and saw his salvation; his energy sword, stuck on a malfunctioning computer, its handle beckoning him. It would be risky, but he saw little other choice.
"Just as your coven has a bad habit of mistaking insanity for science." Thel replied. "I have been shutting down Cerberus cells for weeks now. I've seen what your vision for the future involves, and heed my words Miranda, yours is the path of madness."
Miranda scoffed at that. "You're just like the Alliance. You're not-"
Thel took off from behind cover and made a mad dash for his sword while Miranda was making her counter-argument. He felt his shields take a few shots from her pistol, but it did not concern him. Within seconds, he had reached the sword and pulled it free from the console. He turned around, ready to resume the battle.
Only to have a pistol jabbed into his mandibles, the barrel pressed against the roof of his mouth. In front of him was Miranda, wearing a triumphant smirk.
"Insulting my organization to get a rise out of me, thus distracting me and buying you a couple extra seconds to make a dash for your sword." Miranda said. "Clever. But I was ready for you to make a break for the sword. Sangheili always make a break for their swords."
Thel glared at the Human before him. He showed no fear of death. He would not give her the satisfaction. "Oh, don't give me that defiant, 'I will not bow to you' look." Miranda said with a roll of her eyes. "I'm not going to kill you. In the long run, killing you would cause more problems than it would solve. I have something better in mind."
The Arbiter suddenly felt something jab into his neck. Whatever it was, it was thin, cold, and seemed to fill his veins with something. He realized that she stabbed him in the neck with a syringe before everything went dark.
...
The next thing the Arbiter felt was cold water being splashed across his face. He snarled indignantly at being woken in such a manner. He would have raised his fist to strike whoever did it, only to find his hands were strapped to the arms of a chair by metal cuffs with electronic locks, and his feet were bound to the chair's legs by similar bonds. "I was going to wait for you to wake up, but I don't have all day, so I got tired of waiting."
Thel snapped his head up and saw Miranda standing in front of him, holding a now-empty bucket in her hands. She wore a coy smirk on her face.
The Arbiter silently vowed that he would carve that smirk off her face if it was the last thing he ever did.
His eyes and head darted around his surroundings. Surrounded by giant crates and below a roof with a large skylight, he realized that he was in a warehouse. "Where are we?"
"Somewhere your two Mgalekgolo friends can't find us." Miranda answered as she walked over to a table and set the bucket on it. "And don't worry. They're fine. They thoroughly swept the streets with those Blue Suns. They're looking for you right now, but they won't find you until I say so." She picked up a datapad and walked up to the Arbiter. "Now then, you and I have a few things we need to discuss."
"Kill me or release me, Cerberus!" Thel barked at the Human. "But do not waste my time with talk!"
Miranda faux-sighed. "Oh Thel. And here I was thinking you knew me well enough by now. If you did, you'd know that nothing I do is a waste of time." She picked up a datapad from the table. "For the record, I'd like to clear something up. The experiment you stumbled upon on Chasca?"
"The one that saw you kill dozens of innocents and turn them into cybernetic abominations?" Thel asked in a low growl.
"Yes, but those subjects weren't colonists." Miranda pointed out. She then began to read off from the list. "Carl Baker, 27, three counts sexual assault. Eli Johnson, 38, thirty-two counts arson. Monique Tiller, 34, twelve counts murder. Li Meng, 49, seven counts arson, fourteen counts murder and one count embezzlement of Cord-Hislop company funds. Just to name a few." She looked up from the datapad and towards Thel. "The subjects on Chasca were hardly what you would call 'innocents.' They were all criminals with obscene records. That 'colony' we shipped the dragon's teeth to was really a hideout for a gang of thugs. Cerberus used them for test subjects in the Armageddon Project because we knew that they wouldn't be missed."
"Even if they were cretins, not even a Jiralhanae would deserve the fate you inflicted on them." Thel argued in a low growl.
"Nice to see the decades haven't eroded your idealism." Miranda sarcastically stated before turning her eyes back to the datapad in her hand, tapping a few more buttons on it. "The results of the project were interesting. Before you showed up and forcefully shut it down, we were able to observe the husks' behavior and draw some conclusions from it. Left on their own, the husks tended to wander around the area aimlessly, some even just sitting in a corner and not doing anything at all. They were, for all intents and purposes, mindless. Until they're given an order to do something, they don't really do much of anything. Course, when you showed up, the husks snapped out of their mindlessness and responded to your presence with violence, indicating that they have a hardwired default protocol to attack any and all organic life forms on sight. Cerberus is still trying to figure out-"
"What is the point of telling me all this?!" Thel demanded. "What makes you think I care for the results of your twisted experiments?!"
"Because like it or not, you have as much stake in it as the rest of us do." Miranda replied. "Eden Prime was just the beginning. Soon, the whole galaxy is going to be locked in a war for its very survival, and we need to do everything we can to get ready. The first step is to understand what we're up against."
Thel simply stared at Miranda for a second. He then huffed, half-amused, half-disgusted. "You dare propose a truce? After all that your kind has done?" he silently demanded, picking up on what the Cerberus officer was subtly suggesting.
"Ah yes. Fleetmaster 'Zyrael. I was just about to get to him." Miranda said before tapping a few more keys on the datapad. "It was unfortunate that he was poking his nose where it didn't belong. The Project lead on Binthu Dr. Ivanovich captured him, as per our orders at the time, but he was also under strict instructions to keep the good Fleetmaster alive until Cerberus Command reached a decision on what to do with him. We were considering that perhaps he could be persuaded into aiding us, into becoming an asset and contact within the Sangheili Empire, but Ivanovich took the decision out of our hands and executed him without waiting for further instructions. Truth be told Thel, I probably would've killed him myself if you hadn't beat me to it."
"A true Sangheili like 'Zyrael would have never worked with your ilk." Thel hissed.
"Wouldn't he?" Miranda asked the Arbiter with a raised eyebrow. "Don't let idealism blind you, Thel. Your people are chafing under Council rule as much as mine are. You actually stand to gain from Cerberus's agenda."
The Sangheili simply growled at the Cerberus officer. "I have seen what Cerberus's agenda has wrought. My people want no part in such heresy!"
Miranda sighed. "I didn't think I'd be able to convince you...today." She then set the datapad on the table. "The binds tying you to that chair are on a timed lock. They'll expire in about ten minutes." she then activated her omni-tool and pressed a few buttons. "I've activated the Sangheili-encrypted distress beacon. Should bring your hunter friends running. And finally, everything you need to know about Saren, the Geth, and the Reapers is on that datapad. You're welcome to take it with you. Take care of yourself out there, Thel."
She smiled at the Arbiter. "I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to my favorite sparring partner." she playfully added. She then turned on her heels and walked out down the corridor of crates and turned the corner out of sight. Thel heard her stiletto heels echo against the floor until they were interrupted by the sound of a door opening then closing. He seethed in his seat.
"I'll have your head yet, Miranda." Thel vowed. "You cannot duck from my blade's path forever."
...
So it was that, just as Miranda said, the iron binds came free of their own accord. When they did, Thel wasted no time in searching the perimeter for any trace or clue that Miranda may have left behind. But alas, she got away clean. He growled ever more curses. She had escaped his grasp yet again.
A few minutes after that, Cadavu and Bysoti arrived in the warehouse and told the Arbiter all of what had happened. They had eliminated all of the vile Blue Suns, but they saw a massive explosion of flame roar forth from the top-most windows of the apartment complex. When they arrived on the top floor to investigate, they found only the charred remains of several computers, and the Arbiter was nowhere to be found. They began searching the whole neighborhood, interrogating urchins and knocking down doors, desperate in their search. A full hour passed before they detected an Imperial distress beacon coming from the warehouse. Needless to say, they were quite relieved to find that the Arbiter was unharmed.
Thel was discouraged by the report Cadavu and Bysoti gave. All those computers he had found, all that data, gone in a plume of smoke and flame. Now the only clues that remained were on the datapad that Miranda left behind for Thel to pick up, just as she planned, most likely. He knew not what Cerberus would hope to gain from allowing the Arbiter a small glimpse into their activities, but if what the Cerberus officer said was true, on that datapad would be the key to to understanding a larger threat. Perhaps he could even use the knowledge on the datapad to find another cell and continue his hunt.
...No. Cerberus does not hand out peace offerings unless they stand to gain something from it. The Arbiter would not play into the Beast's hand.
He destroyed the datapad with one swift swing of his blade. For all he knew, it could have been laced with poison or rigged to explode the moment he began reading it. At the very least, it would have been bugged.
So it was with a bitter heart that the Arbiter returned to the Seeker of the Truth and gave orders to leave the Sahrabarik system as soon as possible. The more distance he put between himself and this wretched place, the better. It thankfully did not take long for the cruiser to leave the system. The Arbiter's phantom was the only one to embark for Omega, as no one else on the ship wanted to set foot in that vile station, so once the Arbiter's phantom docked in the Seeker's hangar, everything was ready to go. The Arbiter was walking down a corridor that would lead back to his quarters. His intention now was to get some badly-needed rest.
"Arbiter?" The Shipmaster's voice came through the Arbiter's earpiece. Thel sighed. It seemed the Gods were not going to grant him any rest just yet.
"What is it?" he asked, certain that whatever he was about to hear wouldn't be good.
"You have a call waiting for you in the comm room." the Shipmaster reported. "Someone who claims to be a Spectre."
The Arbiter paused in surprise. "The Spartan?" he asked.
"I do not believe so. This transmission came from the Citadel. Unless I am mistaken, the Master Chief still out in the traverse somewhere." the Shipmaster explained.
"You are not mistaken." the Arbiter confirmed. "I'm on my way. We shall see what this Spectre wants."
With that, the Arbiter marched toward the Seeker of the Truth's comm room. The room was dimly lit by the calming blue light of the computer monitors that lined the wall. In the center of the room's floor was a round holographic projector, surrounded by a metal fence of sorts. He turned to one of the Unggoy that was working on one of the computers. "Patch the Spectre through." Thel ordered.
"Your will be done, oh Holy Arbiter." The Unggoy replied as he pressed a few buttons at his console. A second later, a hologram appeared from the projector on the floor, and indeed, it was not the Spartan. It was a Salarian wearing striped armor. The Arbiter could tell from the rigid way he stood and the way he held his hands behind his back in a very business-like manner that this Salarian was a professional soldier who took his station quite seriously.
"Arbiter Thel 'Vadam? Jondum Bau. Special Tactics and Reconnaissance." The Salarian quickly introduced himself in a fast-paced, yet formal tone of voice.
"For what reason would a Spectre contact the Arbiter?" Thel asked.
"Are you familiar with rumors that Spectre Saren Arterius has gone rogue?" Bau asked.
"I know they are more than mere rumors." Thel replied. "And I know the Master Chief has been tasked by the Council to hunt him."
"Indeed." Bau replied with a nod. "During his hunt for Saren, the Master Chief found out that Saren has an interest in the Forerunner ring-world known as Halo, which is confirmed to be somewhere in the Attican Traverse. While the Chief continues his hunt for Saren and the Conduit, the Council has made it my mission to find and secure Halo before Saren and the Geth do."
The Arbiter was surprised by this development. Saren was interested in Halo? Disquieting. If Saren ever did find Halo, Gods only knew what kind of havoc he'd wreak. "Why are you bringing this to my attention?" Thel asked.
"Simple. One hundred and thirty-one years ago, you fought the Flood and the Jiralhanae on Delta Halo during the Great Schism. You assaulted and navigated the Library and successfully secured the Index, and then you assaulted the Control Room to keep Chieftain Tartarus from firing the ring. Basically, you know your way around Halo, and so your assistance would be a great asset to my mission's success." Bau explained.
"The Master Chief knows the ring as well as I do. And he is a Spectre like you." Thel pointed out. "Do you not think he would make a more appropriate guide than I?"
"Funny thing. I actually asked the Council for the Chief's assistance for that very reason." Bau replied. "I even argued that this should be his mission, not mine. At any rate, the Chief knows his way around Halo better than I do. But they said that between Saren and the Conduit, the Chief's hands are full enough already. So, if I can't have assistance from one legend from the Human-Covenant War with noted experience regarding Forerunner installations, I decided to seek the aid of another legend from the Human-Covenant War with noted experience regarding Forerunner Installations."
Thel paused in thought, mulling over the Spectre's call for aid. With the destruction of that command center on Omega and Miranda's escape, he was effectively out of leads in his hunt for the Beast. His next move was going to be to head back to Citadel space and prod the Human Alliance for more leads on Cerberus cells, but in lieu of a more urgent threat, the Arbiter thought it wise to postpone his hunt for the time being. "What do you need?" he asked the Salarian.
"Your physical presence by my side and a single ship." Bau said. "One single ship. I'm afraid I must insist on no fleets or armies. This mission is going to take us perilously close to the Terminus Systems, and the Council doesn't want to provoke a war with that region."
"...Very well." the Arbiter said. "I shall begin making arrangements for this mission at once. Meet me in Beacon of Discovery on Therum, in the Artemis Tau Cluster, and you shall have a ship and an Arbiter."
The Salarian Spectre smiled in gratitude, then nodded. "The Citadel Council thanks you for your cooperation. I'll book transport to Therum at once. Bau out." With that, the Salarian's image disappeared. Thel turned toward the Unggoy operating the communications computer.
"Establish a link with Imperial Command." Thel ordered. "It appears I have a few calls I need to make."
...
Codex Entry (Aliens - Non-Council Races): MGALEKGOLO
Mgalekgolo are easily one of the strangest sentient species living in Citadel Space. What makes them so strange and different from other species is their anatomy. A single Mgalekgolo is in fact a gestalt of small worm-like creatures called Lekgolo bound together in a bipedal mechanical frame that allows the gestalt to interact with other species. While it is common to see Mgalekgolo in small civilian frames that are usually no larger than the average Citadel citizen, most Mgalekgolo military units prefer frames that are more than twice that size, usually armed with heavy weaponry such as fuel rod guns and thick bullet-proof shields.
Similar to the Unggoy, the Mgalekgolo are a client race of the Sangheili Empire. Within the Imperial Military, Mgalekgolo usually serve as anti-vehicle units and heavy weapon specialists, giving Sangheili combat forces the extra muscle and firepower needed to break through an enemy line or hold on to a position for as long as possible. Though most Mgalekgolo still serve this role dutifully within the Imperial military, they have been branching out into other forms of combat in recent years. Shortly after the discovery of biotics, it was learned that Lekgolo worms are sensitive to element zero exposure and when they combine into a Mgalekgolo gestalt, the interweaving mass effect fields creates a powerful biotic effect. Many Mgalekgolo biotics stick to their species' tried and true heavy weapon support role on the battlefield, fighting with an interplay of fuel rod blasts, shield slams and crushing biotic attacks. However, some are integrated into less bulky combat frames designed to enhance their biotic power. Such Mgalekgolo units are currently rare, but many armchair generals suspect that they will become more common in the years ahead.
Due to lack of vocal cords, Mgalekgolo communicate by vibrating their Lekgolo worms at differing pitches, resulting in a sound that some describe as being 'felt' more than heard. Nevertheless, most translation programs are designed to pick up on these vibrations and translate them into the user's mother tongue. Another anatomical quirk the Mgalekgolo have is their extremely simplistic digestive system. Though their homeworld Te was built on dextro-aminio acids like Palaven and Rannoch, the Mgalekgolo actually prefer consuming the minerals found in rock and dirt, similar to earthworms.
Mgalekgolo have a warrior-based culture, similar to their long-time allies the Sangheili, that emphasizes military service and duty, as well as a fine appreciation of war poetry. Unfortunately, they harbor an arrogant and almost scornful attitude towards races they feel are inferior, such as Hanar or Volus. They usually only display respect towards other warrior races such as Sangheili, Turians, and Humans. Because of this, Mgalekgolo diplomats are incredibly rare and Mgalekgolo in general prefer to stay within Empire space.
...
So yeah. I just invented Mgalekgolo Vanguards. Why? Fuck you, that's why.
Funny story behind the whole "Mgalekgolo are a Dextro-Amino" race. I was actually fully aware at the time that Lekgolo ate rocks, but that made me think that Mgalekgolo would enjoy dextro-food too. Why? Because when Mass Effect 1 came out, I read the Turian Biology codex entry and, being the dumb teenager that I was at the time, I misinterpreted the text (or didn't really pay attention to it, I forget which) and thought that the Turians ate rocks. It seemed to make sense cuz Turian skin seems kinda stone-like.
So yeah. Whenever I hear "Dextro-Amino," my first thought is "rock." How's THAT for the mother of all derps?
So yeah. I decided to try giving the Mgalekgolo an earthworm's digestive system; they do mainly eat rock and dirt, but since Te is a dextro world, they won't turn their noses up at dextro food.
...You know, this actually raises a pretty good question. Do earthworms eat anything besides dirt? Someone should conduct an experiment. Somebody go dig in your backyard for worms then try feeding them something. Send me a PM once you get a conclusive result.
Speaking of PM's: STOP SENDING ME PM'S ABOUT HALO 4. YOU ARE ACCIDENTALLY SPOILING THE GAME FOR ME. I haven't bought it yet because at the moment I'm a little too poor and Irish to get it. Hopefully that will change in the next few days and I'll finally be able to get it.
Finally, I noticed that lately there has been a new influx of negative reviews regarding the first few chapters. It seems that as my fanfic grows more popular, it's attracting more attention. Problem is, they can't read through the first few chapters and get to the good stuff. I suppose I could reassure them by saying "It gets better later," but that's never been a terribly good excuse. A person really shouldn't have to wade through crap to get to the good stuff. So I decided to patch up the first few chapters a bit. Nothing big, mind you. Just a few extra bits of dialogue and the moving of the AI / Slipspace codex entries to those chapters so that new readers at least get the whole picture before passing judgement